The long wind swept past the corner tower, causing the banners on the city walls to flutter and snap loudly.
Wen Yu, dressed in the ceremonial court robes befitting a Great Liang princess, walked slowly toward the altar. Civil and military officials stood on either side. Three layers deep of Pingzhou garrison troops separated the watching common people beyond the long street. At the bottom of the stone steps, two rows of massive horns were each supported on the shoulder of a half-kneeling soldier, then blown by horn players behind them.
“Wu—Wu—”
The distant and resonant horn sounds震人耳膜, almost penetrating through all of Pingzhou City. The common people outside the venue were cheering, and faintly one could hear them shouting Wen Yu’s title.
Li Xun held up the brocade silk inscribed with the memorial text and proclaimed loudly: “Heaven has decreed, the imperial sovereign receives it. Prince Chang Lian Yuan Ji, his conduct brilliant and distinguished, his wisdom profound and deep. In the sixth year of Shaojing, when the Dian River flooded, the Duke rushed a thousand li to distribute grain and provide disaster relief. In the seventh year of Shaojing, when Qingyang suffered locusts…”
The sun was blazing overhead, somewhat dazzling. The gold-embroidered patterns on Wen Yu’s court robes seemed to transform into rippling waves of light under the sunlight.
Jiang Yu, as the envoy representing Southern Chen attending this grand ceremony, stood in the front row together with Chen Wei and other important ministers of Pingzhou. His gaze lingered on Wen Yu’s back for two breaths before glancing toward the Northern Wei envoy standing on the other side.
This Great Liang princess was quite capable. With one foot, she had signed an alliance with them, and with the other, she had persuaded Northern Wei to cede Xinzhou and Yizhou.
Today, when posthumously honoring the late Prince Chang Lian and his son, Northern Wei had also symbolically sent an envoy to attend.
Jiang Yu didn’t know what methods Wen Yu had used to make Wei Qishan concede. In his view, even if Xinzhou and Yizhou ultimately couldn’t be held, Wei Qishan should have fought them for it first.
After all, in the current battlefield to the north, Wei Qishan had the upper hand and didn’t need their Southern Chen to help restrain Pei Song. On the contrary, using Xinzhou and Yizhou to delay them as long as possible would allow them to claim less of the spoils. And their Southern Chen, after accepting so many of Wen Yu’s conditions and forming an alliance with her, aimed to monopolize Great Liang’s southern territory—there was absolutely no possibility of letting anyone else take a share.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yu couldn’t help but furrow his brow tightly. Their Southern Chen’s grain and supplies would arrive in Pingzhou in just a few days.
If this Great Liang princess planned to take their grain and then break the agreement to ally with Northern Wei instead, they would truly have lost both the lady and the soldiers this time. Moreover, he, Sikong Wei, and Fang Mingda—all three of them were still within Pingzhou’s borders. If war broke out then, they would inevitably become hostages in the other party’s hands.
This realization immediately soured Jiang Yu’s mood. However, until now, they remained under surveillance, making escape or sending messages out as difficult as ascending to heaven.
He also couldn’t sabotage this posthumous honor ceremony—compared to marrying a princess of the Great Liang royal clan, the status of an imperial princess could bring even more benefits to Southern Chen.
Therefore, today’s posthumous honor ceremony also had Southern Chen’s full support.
As for the specific alliance conditions between Great Liang and Northern Wei, he still didn’t know the details. If that Great Liang princess had no intention of breaking the agreement with Southern Chen, his rash disruption of the ceremony would not only sever Southern Chen’s own interests but also hand the other party a pretext to retaliate.
Moreover… that nameless young general who had defeated him in the sand table deduction that day had unexpectedly not appeared today. Who knew if he was guarding in secret? After much deliberation, Jiang Yu became even more afraid to act rashly and decided to probe the Great Liang princess’s attitude later. Thinking this, his gaze couldn’t help but drift toward Wen Yu again.
Li Xun’s memorial text had reached its conclusion: “…His achievements reach the heavens, his virtue pervades the universe. Now we posthumously honor Prince Chang Lian Yuan Ji as Emperor Wen Zhao, his consort Yang Shi Yun Ying as Empress Wen Hui, and their son Heng as Crown Prince Cheng Jia. His daughter Yu received the mandate in times of crisis, saved the collapsing edifice, rescued the people from flood and fire, appointed only the worthy, personally attended to all affairs, eliminated the villains of Tongcheng, gathered the officials of Tao Commandery, established relations with the north and south, unified the hearts of all under heaven. She possesses the virtue of Emperor Ming Zong and the talent of the founding ancestors. Now we confer upon her the title of Zhen Guo Hanyang Princess. We respectfully inform heaven and earth, the ancestral temple, and the altars of state…”
Throughout history, posthumous honors were always the prerogative of the sovereign. Great Liang currently had no ruler. Of the entire Wen clan, aside from Wen Yu and her young niece, no one else remained.
Wen Yu needed to marry into Southern Chen to secure Southern Chen’s military strength. Her brother’s daughter was in Pei Song’s hands. Even if Li Yao and others wanted to install a female sovereign, there was currently no candidate.
Therefore, this posthumous honor ceremony could be said to be unprecedented. However, with Wen Yu’s status as the prospective queen of Southern Chen, plus Southern Chen’s need for Wen Yu to have the title of Great Liang princess, they fully supported this ceremony. In terms of ritual propriety, there was nothing to criticize.
After Li Xun finished reciting the memorial text, Wen Yu received the incense offered by an attendant and slowly walked up to the altar. Her gold-embroidered robe hem trailed long behind her on the stone steps. The wide sleeves embroidered with intricate cloud patterns were so heavy that even the wind couldn’t move them.
She lit the incense by the candle flames beside the bronze tripod, held it between her fingers, and amid the sound of banners snapping loudly in the wind on the city walls, she declared to the vast heaven and earth: “Wen Shi Hanyang hereby swears that in this life, I will surely kill the traitor Pei, execute the villains at dawn, restore peace to the world and tranquility to the people’s livelihood. May heaven, earth, mountains and rivers bear witness!”
Echoes resounded from all four sides of the altar. The common people outside were already shouting Wen Yu’s title loudly.
She bowed three times to heaven and earth, then inserted the incense in her hand into the bronze incense tripod. With this, the posthumous honor ceremony was complete. Next would be the banquet for the officials and the envoys from Southern Chen and Northern Wei.
The government office had naturally prepared the banquet long ago. Wen Yu first returned to the separate courtyard to change out of that cumbersome court robe, letting Chen Wei and Li Xun lead the officials to the seats first.
The seats for the Southern Chen envoys were not far from those of the Northern Wei envoys. When Fang Mingda had seen the Northern Wei people at the ceremony earlier, he had already been unable to contain himself. Now, after taking his seat, his expression immediately turned ugly as he whispered to Jiang Yu: “How has Northern Wei also become allies with Great Liang? What exactly are they selling in their gourd?”
He was shrewd, and asking this question obviously meant he had also thought of the concerns Jiang Yu had earlier.
After Jiang Yu exchanged a glance with the Northern Wei envoy over there and looked away, he gripped his wine vessel and said in a low voice: “Let’s wait and see. Later, the Great Liang side should provide an explanation. Breaking the agreement with us like this wouldn’t benefit Great Liang either.”
Sikong Wei, being old, had caught a cold during the rainstorm a few days ago and was bedridden recuperating, so only Jiang Yu and Fang Mingda had come to attend today’s ceremony.
After thinking it over, Fang Mingda still felt uneasy.
Their Southern Chen had already lost repeatedly in this game with Great Liang. Originally, they had thought that once that princess married into Southern Chen, with their Queen Mother suppressing her, she would have no time to worry about affairs within Great Liang’s borders. But the other party had quickly pulled Northern Wei into the camp as well. If they wanted to hollow out the three provinces and one commandery in Wen Yu’s hands later, it would likely become even more troublesome.
He couldn’t help but say: “I’m afraid this Great Liang Wengzhu… we should now address her as princess. After she marries into the royal court, there will be quite a commotion.”
Jiang Yu didn’t respond. He surveyed his surroundings and found that the young general who had defeated him that day was still absent, adding several more points to the doubts in his heart.
At the previous victory banquet, there had still been a seat for that young general, and Hanyang had even personally gone to offer him wine. This time, however, the person was completely absent, truly making him unable to help overthinking.
The other party had either been secretly assigned some mission, or… something had gone wrong!
Jiang Yu pondered these matters, his knuckles unconsciously tapping on the low table.
At that moment, a commotion suddenly came from outside the door. Jiang Yu looked up and saw Wen Yu, who had changed into regular attire, arriving. The officials who had been making noise immediately fell silent.
Jiang Yu thoughtfully gave this Great Liang imperial princess two more looks. Earlier at the ceremony, she had been in full ritual dress for the sacrifice, and they had been too far away—he had only seen her back. Now, looking carefully, he felt that compared to when he had seen her before, she seemed to possess an additional composure that was difficult to express in words.
Not only did she keep her emotions hidden, even her威嚴 was restrained, like forging a blade—the most intense heat had already passed, and now it was being tempered with low heat, waiting for the moment to emerge from the furnace.
For the first time, Jiang Yu understood what it felt like to be completely overwhelmed by someone’s presence, and he couldn’t help feeling somewhat irritated.
After Wen Yu took her seat, she said: “Everyone need not be formal. Please enjoy yourselves freely.”
Jiang Yu gave Fang Mingda a look. Fang Mingda understood and immediately said: “With the northern expedition imminent and the princess having gained Northern Wei’s assistance, this humble minister first congratulates the princess. However… the princess allied with our Chen Kingdom first, then made friends with Northern Wei. Although our Chen Kingdom has been outside the pass for a long time, we also know there’s a saying in the Central Plains: ‘A good woman does not serve two husbands.’ Your Liang’s actions truly leave us unable to understand the meaning!”
As soon as his words fell, Li Yao, seated to Wen Yu’s lower side, had already sternly rebuked: “Impudent!”
Although Fang Mingda knew that speaking these mocking words would inevitably anger the Liang ministers present, being sternly reprimanded by Li Yao still deflated his courage by thirty percent. He barely maintained his composure and said: “Our Chen Kingdom’s junior general was disrespectful first. We came this time to apologize, which is why we have been accommodating everywhere. Our king has also agreed to your Liang’s many demands. One and a half million shi of grain is on its way into the pass. Yet your Liang Kingdom has also won over Wei Qishan—should you not give our Chen Kingdom an explanation?”
Before the ministers below could speak, Wen Yu personally replied: “Has the envoy, having lived outside the pass for so long, never heard of the art of vertical and horizontal alliances?”
There was no mockery in her words, yet Fang Mingda’s face immediately flushed bright red with embarrassment.
Jiang Yu was startled and picked up the thread: “Does the princess mean that we should negotiate and make peace with Northern Wei?”
Vertical meant uniting the weak to resist the strong; horizontal meant relying on the strong to devour the weak.
Wen Yu nodded: “Chen Kingdom has granted this palace Xinzhou and Yizhou. Marquis Shuobian has already ceded them to this palace. Your Chen Kingdom need only deliver the three million shi of grain as agreed to complete the alliance between my Great Liang and your Chen Kingdom. Summoning all of you to gather together today is also to serve as an intermediary to discuss a tripartite alliance to campaign against Pei Song.”
Jiang Yu asked: “The conditions?”
Wen Yu answered: “Marquis Shuobian cedes Xinzhou and Yizhou. Chen’s army must not touch a hair of the Wei forces remaining in Great Liang’s southern territory. During the campaign against Pei Song, both sides must not engage in warfare. How many cities are captured will depend on each side’s abilities.”
Jiang Yu immediately rejected this: “Our Southern Chen’s great army could march into the pass and seize those two provinces just the same. There’s no need to make peace with the Wei clan.”
His words showed not the slightest consideration for face. Wen Yu showed no anger on her face and only asked: “How long do you estimate it would take the Chen Kingdom’s army to capture Xinzhou and Yizhou?”
Jiang Yu said: “At the latest, by after autumn.”
Li Yao, seated to Wen Yu’s lower side, upon hearing this, had already given a derisive laugh, his contempt fully displayed.
Jiang Yu felt slightly annoyed and asked: “What is the old gentleman laughing at?”
Li Yao lifted his eyelids: “Do you know what the autumn and winter are like in the northern lands?”
Jiang Yu had never been to Great Liang’s northern borders. He had only heard that region suffered unceasing snowstorms after entering winter. What that elder held in contempt was obviously his belief that Jiang Yu didn’t know about Great Liang’s northern climate.
He said: “Naturally, I know.”
The Northern Wei envoy, hearing this, only shook his head and laughed quietly.
Fan Yuan couldn’t help but retort sharply: “How presumptuous and ignorant! Going north after autumn—never mind that even if you capture a city or territory, with Pei Song’s methods, all the crops in the fields will have been harvested clean long ago, leaving us no supplies to find. The water and soil incompatibility and typhoid fever alone could kill people in waves!”
Jiang Yu said: “This doesn’t require your Liang’s general to worry. The royal court has already been sewing winter clothing for the army entering the pass.”
Li Yao asked: “Have they sewn them for the horses too?”
Jiang Yu had never heard of sewing winter clothing for warhorses. He assumed the other party was deliberately making things difficult and asked with a cold laugh: “In the Great Liang army, must winter clothing be sewn for warhorses?”
Li Xun thought to himself that this nephew of Southern Chen’s Queen Mother was still too young. Relying on some talent, he had been praised until his heart swelled with pride. He had never truly suffered any major setbacks or had his proud bones shattered, which was why he was like this.
He knew Li Yao’s temperament and feared his sharp tongue would speak too ruthlessly, saying things that would make it impossible for Southern Chen to save face, thus ruining Wen Yu’s plan. He quickly interjected: “As the saying goes, ‘An orange grown south of the Huai River is an orange; grown north of the Huai, it becomes a trifoliate orange.’ The difference in water and soil is no small matter. Envoy, consider this: when the northern lands are cold, water freezes upon contact. People who fear the cold can at least add clothing and light fires for warmth, but how should cattle, horses, and livestock accustomed to the southern climate be accommodated? Whether cavalry or transporting supplies and baggage, these animals are indispensable. And should the worst happen—heavy snow blocks the roads and supplies or reinforcements can’t keep up—that would be sending soldiers to their deaths for nothing.”
Jiang Yu retorted sharply: “If we campaign against Pei Song before autumn arrives, then after autumn comes, won’t the problems you mentioned cease to exist?”
Wen Yu stared at him and said: “With Chen and Wei armies jointly attacking Pei Song, Pei Song will inevitably be unable to withstand it. Clipping his wings at this time—even if we cannot annihilate this traitor, when winter comes and Marquis Shuobian is constrained by the barbarian tribes beyond the frontier and must withdraw his forces to provide aid, when Pei Song launches a major counterattack against the Chen army, the forces he can mobilize will be limited. This will allow the Chen soldiers and officers who are not yet accustomed to fighting in the northern lands’ ice and snow to die in fewer numbers.”
Jiang Yu was immediately left speechless by Wen Yu’s argument.
Li Xun seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire: “If previously you also purchased some horses from Jizhou and replaced the southern warhorses that cannot withstand the cold, the disadvantages of the northern expedition would only be smaller. If your Chen insists on capturing Xinzhou and Yizhou first before attacking Pei Song, there are three disadvantages: first, self-inflicted losses to military strength; second, missing the perfect opportunity for battle; third, setting out on campaign having already lost the people’s hearts!”
Jiang Yu frowned: “How do you explain this?”
Li Xun said: “After fighting for Xinzhou and Yizhou, your Chen’s military strength will naturally suffer losses. At that time, when soldiers undertake a long journey in severe cold, they will inevitably be physically and mentally exhausted. Meanwhile, Pei Song’s army will have been conserving strength and defending fortified cities during this period. For the Chen army, this would mean possessing neither favorable timing, geographical advantage, nor harmony among people. Furthermore, your nation is sending troops to assist our lord in campaigning against the traitor Pei Song. Before the traitor Pei is eliminated, if your nation first engages in military conflict with Marquis Shuobian, who is also campaigning against the traitor, how will the subjects of my Great Liang view your military expedition?”
With his silver tongue, Li Xun had already explained the pros and cons as clearly as possible, giving Southern Chen both face and substance.
Jiang Yu’s reluctance to temporarily ally with Northern Wei was precisely so that after Southern Chen dispatched troops, they could monopolize Great Liang’s southern territory. But what Li Xun had said was not alarmist talk either.
Stubbornly antagonizing Northern Wei was clearly no longer a wise move.
After some deliberation, he said: “This matter is of great importance. I need to send a letter to the royal court and await our king’s decision.”
Wen Yu said: “Acceptable.”
Seeing this, Fang Mingda knew in his heart that this tripartite alliance was already a sure thing. Thinking of the words he had used earlier to needle Wen Yu, he already knew he wouldn’t get any good fruit to eat next. He immediately slapped himself forcefully across the face and fawningly apologized: “This humble minister deserves death. This humble minister spoke rashly in a moment of urgency earlier and offended the princess. I earnestly beg the princess to punish me!”
He looked neither like he was crying nor laughing, presenting a comical appearance as he knelt down. Regardless of how others around him viewed him, he only kept up his ingratiating pleas for mercy.
There was no emotion visible in Wen Yu’s eyes. She truly had no anger toward this person.
People from the Ministry of Rites needed to be diplomatic when diplomacy was called for, and when they needed to put on airs and show people attitude, they also needed to put on airs and show attitude. To put it unpleasantly, they were the dynasty’s dogs, and every bark came at the instigation of those above.
Naturally, they were also the pawns most frequently discarded.
Wen Yu said: “Having lived outside the pass for so long, the envoy does not know that my Liang lands are no longer the Central Plains of the past. There is nothing to criticize. However, since the envoy mentioned ‘a good woman does not serve two husbands,’ this palace will also tell the envoy about the customs of my Liang lands. My Great Liang has open-minded customs. Women divorcing and remarrying is not uncommon, nor is there any saying that uses ‘not serving two husbands’ to judge whether someone is a good woman.”
These words, spoken at this juncture, were rather subtle. Fang Mingda had used “a good woman does not serve two husbands” to accuse Great Liang of allying with Northern Wei after forming an alliance with their Southern Chen. Wen Yu’s words obviously meant that even if she married into Southern Chen, as long as she wished, she could still have other choices.
The expressions of everyone present varied. Jiang Yu’s eyelids twitched when he looked at Wen Yu.
Although Fang Mingda was shocked inwardly, he dared not speak any more disrespectful words and obediently responded with “Yes.”
Wen Yu acted as if she hadn’t noticed anything improper about her reply and proceeded to invite everyone to feast as usual. After three rounds of wine, weariness showed between her brows and eyes. Supported by Zhao Bai, she left the banquet early.
Once Wen Yu left, Li Yao, being old, naturally wouldn’t linger long at the banquet. However, before he could leave, a shadow guard disguised as a servant entered from outside and whispered something in his ear. Li Yao’s expression remained unchanged, but he quickly left the front hall with his cane, accompanied by the servant.
Jiang Yu had been discreetly observing several of Pingzhou’s important ministers. After Li Yao left, he thoughtfully turned the wine vessel in his hand and whispered something to Fang Mingda beside him.
Fang Mingda nodded and soon raised his wine cup to seek out Pingzhou’s military generals to drink with.
When he returned after finishing a round of drinking, he poured wine for Jiang Yu while whispering: “I asked around. That young General Xiao who defeated you has reportedly been suppressing bandits for the past half month. Today, too, he couldn’t return in time because he went into the mountains to suppress bandits.”
Jiang Yu’s fingertips lightly tapped the tabletop as he said in an almost certain tone: “Something is fishy.”