With plundered gold and silver treasures, and over ten thousand captured brocade craftsmen, Nanzhao’s brocade industry gradually flourished. The King and his court officials were overjoyed. For the first time, Sheng Fengze and Du Yan found themselves in agreement on policy. If this development continued for ten or twenty years, Nanzhao’s national strength would grow even more formidable.
After gaining such advantages, who would be foolish enough to wage another war and lose it all?
But would the Great Tang accept this? Having been slapped in the face and lacking the strength to retaliate at the time, they reluctantly agreed to peace talks. The Tang Emperor hadn’t yet vented this frustration – sooner or later, he would roll up his sleeves and send troops to Nanzhao to regain face.
Having endured enough pressure between Tibet and the Great Tang, Nanzhao had developed the thick skin of a fence-sitter. A ceasefire and peace talks weren’t enough for face-to-face diplomacy. Thus, in the autumn of the fourth year of Taihe, King Sheng Fengyou wrote a long letter to Emperor Wenzong, using extremely humble language to submit a formal apology to Great Tang.
Barbarians! Now you know to fear us? Now you understand that when we meet face to face, I sit while you must kneel?
The Dragon’s heart was greatly pleased. He granted permission for Nanzhao envoys to visit Chang’an and make amends.
One’s joy is another’s sorrow.
While the Emperor was delighted, Yang Jingyuan was so angry he coughed blood.
“I left my wife in Nanzhao to fight them. They hunted me with dogs and hawks, and it took three whole months in the deep mountains to break through their encirclement. The terrain maps I brought back nearly gave me heat rash from keeping them against my chest. I nearly had to wag my tail before the Dongchuan Military Commissioner for a promotion to command more troops. And now you’re just calling off the war? Even saying ‘To demonstrate Great Tang’s majesty and teach these southern barbarians the ways of a civilized nation, all prefectures and counties shall treat them as honored guests’! How many young men around Yizhou City were captured, families torn apart, homes destroyed – and now we must treat Nanzhao envoys passing through Yizhou to Chang’an as honored guests? How can the people of Yizhou swallow this?” Yang Jingyuan was in despair. He would never lead troops gloriously into Taihe City now.
Fine, if there would be no war, he would quit the army. He would go to Nanzhao to find his wife. For every day they refused to return her, he would kill one Nanzhao official. After coughing blood, Yang Jingyuan hardened his resolve. He secretly obtained Nanzhao herbs from Han Fourth and drank them, inducing a night of malarial fever. This allowed him to smoothly pack up and leave the camp to recover at home. When he recovered would be up to him.
Yang Jingyuan returned to Yizhou City from Santai. Just as he and his horse reached the North Gate, someone suddenly rushed over and grabbed him, giving him a start.
“Third Young Master! Third Young Master!”
He reflexively moved to kick away the person clutching his leg, but hearing that cry, Yang Jingyuan froze, joy welling up in his heart: “Xiangyou, how did you know I was returning to Yizhou?”
Before the servant Xiangyou could speak, a jade-faced youth approached and bowed deeply to Yang Jingyuan: “Third Uncle. We received Master Shu’s letter saying you would return these days. Grandmother had me come to the city gate every day to welcome you.”
“My, my, after a year or two, Chengyu has grown so much!” Yang Jingyuan was especially fond of his eldest brother Yang Jingshan’s eldest son Yang Chengyu. Seeing him bow so formally, seriously, and properly like a little adult, Yang Jingyuan was delighted and stepped forward to lift Chengyu and toss him in the air as he used to when Chengyu was small.
Yang Chengyu’s adult facade instantly shattered into a thousand pieces as he protested with a red face: “Third Uncle, stop fooling around! What about propriety!”
Yang Jingyuan laughed heartily, half his depression dissipating.
“Third Uncle, let’s go home!” Yang Chengyu said with a reddened face, not forgetting to straighten his clothes before smiling and instructing Xiangyou to prepare the carriage.
Home? The smile gradually froze on Yang Jingyuan’s face.
“Third Uncle!” Afraid he would pass by without entering, Yang Chengyu carefully tugged at his sleeve and pleaded, “Grandmother has been waiting for two days, and Mingyue Residence has been cleaned thoroughly. Father and Second Uncle are both hoping for your return.”
Hearing the words “Mingyue Residence,” Yang Jingyuan couldn’t help but recall Ji Yingying’s words. Their home was in Mingyue Residence. His heart softened like a pool of water, and he allowed Yang Chengyu to lead him to the carriage.
The entire Yang family feared Yang Jingyuan wouldn’t return home. They had sent Chengyu to fetch him. Having successfully brought Yang Jingyuan home, Yang Chengyu excitedly chattered non-stop in the carriage.
After Nanzhao attacked Yizhou Prefecture, Yang Jingyuan had heard that his stepmother was well-prepared and had the Second Brother take his wife and children to safety outside the city. Now hearing from Yang Chengyu that Sheng Fengze had spared the Yang family’s main branch, Yang Jingyuan suddenly understood. So Sheng Fengze had already set his heart on Ji Yingying back then. He refused to feel grateful for this. When he reached Nanzhao, if Sheng Fengze still wouldn’t hand her over, he would see how Yang Jingyuan would kill every royal and official of Nanzhao.
After traveling for some time, the carriage stopped. Xiangyou called into the carriage: “Third Young Master, Young Master, the Nanzhao envoys are entering the city. The road ahead is blocked until their procession passes.”
Hearing about the Nanzhao envoys, Yang Jingyuan reached for his sword from his bundle. Frightened, Chengyu clutched his arm: “Third Uncle, the Nanzhao people have come to apologize to us. Don’t ruin your future over these barbarians.”
Yang Jingyuan lifted the carriage curtain with his scabbard, his face dark.
The bustling street froze as if sealed in ice the moment the Nanzhao envoy passed, silent except for the scraping of wagon wheels on the street. The civilians driven to the roadside by soldiers concealed their smiles. The memory of Nanzhao troops entering Yizhou City last year remained fresh in people’s minds. How could they not hate seeing the Nanzhao envoys now?
The envoy’s procession heading toward the guesthouse remained in Yang Jingyuan’s sight for half an hour. Besides the carriages carrying envoy members, dozens of carts behind carried gifts of apology to the Great Tang. There were even two white elephants.
“You barbarians, give me back my son!” an old woman suddenly cried out. She attempted to break through the soldiers blocking her path to rush at the procession.
This cry awakened the numbly watching civilians. All manner of rotten vegetables, stones, and broken tiles rained down on the envoy.
The soldiers responsible for security lost their composure, raising spears to block the civilians’ charge while shouting for someone to report to the Military Commissioner.
How could a mere hundred or so soldiers hold back the angry civilians? Over ten strong men pushed past the soldiers and reached the envoy’s most ornate carriage, climbing onto the shaft.
Before they could lift the curtain to enter, the person inside clearly possessed martial arts skills, instantly kicking two men away.
The curtain lifted, and Sheng Fengze emerged with a dark face, saying to the general escorting the envoy to the guesthouse: “General Zhong, is this how a great nation treats its guests?”
General Zhong was sweating profusely but unwilling to deal harshly with the civilians. Forced by Sheng Fengze’s words, he hardened his heart and drew his sword, stabbing it into a rioter’s leg, shouting: “Anyone who dares approach will be killed!”
The troops contracted, surrounding the envoy’s procession.
Sheng Fengze glanced at him before turning to re-enter the carriage.
As the curtain lifted and fell, it revealed the profile of a woman inside. Yang Jingyuan’s heart swayed dreamily, as if in a dream. He murmured: “Yingying, is that you?”