Chapter 1: Peace Negotiations (Part 1)
Long, long ago, there was a Mongol who was very skilled at warfare called “Yesen.”
Yesen was the son of Tuohan Taishi, the Great Khan of Oirat. Born knowing military strategy, though not of the Golden Family lineage, none of Genghis Khan’s descendants could defeat him in battle. Unfortunately, this military genius still lost. After dominating the northern steppes for ten years, he was unfortunately defeated and forced to retreat in disgrace from the Central Plains. His opponent was neither Yue Fei nor Yang Ye – his opponent was surnamed “Bei” and called “Beijing.”
“Wu-wu,” “wu-wu” – the suona horns blew thunderously, and shouts came from afar: “Ahead there is no road! Ahead there is no food! Ahead there is only—”
“Death!” As the shouting ended, tens of thousands of suona horns wailed again: “Wu-wu wu-wu.”
Before them stood a great city, high and wide. At the city gates, one hundred thousand troops were deployed, each wielding great sabers, appearing skilled in close combat. On both flanks of the city were supporting forces divided into cavalry, artillery, and infantry – totaling 1.2 million troops. Add to this the city walls several zhang thick, and no matter how much Yesen racked his brains, there was no way to breach this city.
Needless to say, Khan Yesen had fled. Unfortunately, the man before us could not flee. His surname was “Lu,” given name “Guzhan.” Now he sat in his command tent listening to a clear, resonant voice saying: “Master Lu, do you know why our Beijing is also called ‘Eight-Armed Nezha City’?”
These words carried clear threatening intent. Lu Guzhan naturally would not respond, so the voice answered itself: “Legend says that beneath the nine netherworlds under the capital lurks an angry dragon, stretching east to the Dream Sea and west to the Tianshan Mountains, constantly causing mischief. Therefore, when Beijing was first built, following Yao Guangxiao’s design, it was constructed in the form of eight arms and two legs, hoping to borrow Nezha’s form to control the angry dragon beneath the earth and pass this down for ten thousand generations without change.”
Lu Guzhan raised his eyes and said: “An angry dragon lurking beneath the earth? What is that?” The voice replied: “It might be called a ‘hidden dragon.'”
Hearing these words, low gasps came from within the command tent. Two foreign women pressed their hands to their waist sabers, watching intently a person in the tent – he had a fair jade-like face and wore white silver pheasant court robes, clearly an envoy sent by the court’s Ministry of War. Lu Guzhan smiled: “Honored Envoy, I am the Left Military Advisor of Angry Cang, also called ‘Hidden Dragon.’ Your words are full of indirect references – could this be mockery?”
The envoy said: “This humble one would not dare. It’s just that the capital sits upon dragon veins, where all the royal qi of the realm gathers. In past years, when Yesen surrounded the capital, seeing those city walls so high they could not be measured in zhang, so thick they could not be calculated in chi, with royal qi rushing straight to the clouds, he departed in frustration. If Khan Yesen, with his entire nation’s strength and elite forces, still could not breach the capital, how could you accomplish it?”
Lu Guzhan said: “Honored Envoy, I have my own means.” The envoy said “Oh?” “What means?”
Lu Guzhan said: “Someone, raise the tent flaps.” With a whoosh, the two foreign women lifted the curtains. Outside the tent, several dirty children gaped in shock, immediately crying for their parents as they scrambled away – they had apparently been crouching by the entrance eavesdropping. The two foreign women scolded: “Playing around again! Aren’t you afraid of getting beaten by Grandfather Lu?” The children laughed as they fled, calling loudly: “No way! Grandfather Lu is the nicest person!”
Looking out, the tent was surrounded by people – covering the mountains and plains endlessly. Lu Guzhan gazed into the distance and said softly: “When the realm is about to fall into chaos, benevolence and righteousness become blocked, hence it is said: ‘Though the kitchen has fat meat and the stable has fat horses, the people have hungry faces and the fields have starved corpses – this is leading beasts to devour people.’ Leading beasts to devour people, people devouring each other, therefore—” The envoy continued: “Confucius feared and wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals.”
Lu Guzhan said “Oh?” “You have also read the sages’ books?” The envoy bowed slightly: “This humble official, like Master Lu, are both disciples of Confucius and Mencius, hence the saying: ‘All people can become like Yao and Shun.'” Lu Guzhan picked up the large copper mace at his feet and smiled slightly: “This lord, there is one thing in Beijing thicker than the city walls – do you know what that is?” With a whoosh, the copper mace swept down, smashing the wooden table to pieces as he shouted sternly: “The thick faces of you officials!”
Master Lu was angry, and the envoy immediately lowered his head, not daring to make a sound. Lu Guzhan said: “Go back and tell Ma Renjie that if he wants peace talks, don’t send shrimp soldiers and crab generals – show some sincerity.” The envoy coughed: “Does Master Lu want Minister Ma to come personally?”
Lu Guzhan said: “What use is it for me to see fish and meat under the executioner’s axe? There is only one person I want to see—” He paused and said softly: “His Majesty.” The envoy said with a cold laugh: “Master Lu, this is asking the impossible. How could His Majesty’s golden jade body risk danger by leaving the city for the likes of you?”
Lu Guzhan smiled: “If he won’t come, then forget it. Do you know how many days our army’s stored grain can last at most?” Seeing the envoy couldn’t answer, he said: “Three days. Go back and tell Ma Renjie – within three days, please have His Majesty condescend to leave the city and have a word with the common people. Otherwise, without waiting for you to start fighting, I will launch a general assault.” He flicked his sleeves: “See the guest out.”
The two foreign women shouted loudly: “Get lost!” They pushed the man’s back and yelled, but the envoy refused to leave, saying: “Master Lu, please don’t keep people at arm’s length. Before this humble official came, Minister Ma entrusted me to bring something, hoping Master Lu would definitely accept it with a smile.” Speaking thus, he took out a porcelain box from his bosom and opened it. In an instant, the tent filled with cool air – it was actually a box of medicinal paste.
Lu Guzhan said “Oh?” “This is for me?” The envoy said: “Exactly. This morning’s battle at the city gates where the two armies clashed, Minister Ma said Master Lu was unfortunately wounded, so he ordered this humble official to bring this medicine as a meeting gift.”
They say there are daggers hidden in smiles, and that all is fair in war. This morning Lu Guzhan had fought face-to-face with Wu Dingyuan and was beaten until covered in wounds. Now he could neither stand nor sit, his entire body aching everywhere. Now the envoy brought medicine – on the surface it seemed magnanimous and generous, healing an enemy’s wounds, but in reality it was advising Lu Guzhan to think thrice before acting to avoid self-destruction. The two foreign women said angrily: “Who wants your false sympathy? Get lost!” With a swish, they drew their sabers, but Lu Guzhan said: “Ming’er, A’Qing, don’t be rude. Accept the item.”
The two foreign women quickly said: “Master Lu, this medicine must be poisoned—” Lu Guzhan said: “Ma Renjie is a loyal minister of the court – how could he be so base? Accept the medicine.” The envoy knelt on one knee and cupped his hands: “Master Lu is wise! Whether the court and Angry Cang make peace or war still depends on Master Lu’s mediation. My lord fears Master Lu might be harmed – how could there be the slightest intent to cause harm?”
These words hit the crucial point. Lu Guzhan was a gentleman general, benevolent and magnanimous. If he died for no reason, the court would have to face the Angry King. The advantages and disadvantages of this were self-evident. With this in mind, the two foreign women said no more and simply accepted the medicine box and presented it.
Lu Guzhan played with the porcelain box in his hands: “Honored Envoy, these two girls of mine are both from the Western Regions – one called ‘A’Qing Han,’ one called ‘Ming’er Han.’ They have fierce temperaments. If their earlier words gave offense, please don’t take it amiss.”
The envoy said: “The two female generals displayed their might before the capital’s ten thousand troops and shot down our army’s banner. If their temperaments weren’t as sharp as their archery, this humble person would be disappointed instead.” Lu Guzhan laughed heartily, while the two foreign women raised their heads and snorted proudly.
Earlier both sides had spoken stiffly, but now the atmosphere had relaxed considerably, and the envoy finally stayed. Lu Guzhan smiled: “Honored Envoy, I think we should dispense with empty formalities and speak plainly. Did you come this time on orders from the summit, or at Minister Ma’s suggestion?” The envoy said: “This is Minister Ma’s idea. Currently Grand Commander Wu is requesting imperial instructions, so my lord first sent this humble official to hear your mountain’s conditions for withdrawal.”
Lu Guzhan smiled: “So Minister Ma has ‘acted on his own authority’ in sending an envoy for secret talks?” The envoy quickly said: “Master Lu’s words are wrong. Currently imperial will has not been decided, and the court is divided into two factions – one advocating war, one advocating peace. Between war and peace there is still room for maneuvering. This official comes representing Minister Ma precisely to do our part for peace between both sides. Please fulfill this, Master Lu.”
Lu Guzhan listened to his long speech but remained noncommittal, only lowering his head to smell the medicinal paste: “Remarkable, remarkable – this is Immortal of Hundred Herbs’ Blood-Dispersing Paste?” The envoy coughed: “Master Lu is learned. Minister Ma has spinal problems. When Prince Tang heard about it, he asked the Immortal of Hundred Herbs to find this spiritual medicine. He couldn’t bear to use it himself, so he asked this humble official to give it to Master Lu.”
Lu Guzhan smiled: “Right, I almost forgot – Ma Renjie was beaten with punishment canes and has back injuries, correct?” The envoy was silent for a long moment, then nodded. Lu Guzhan said with a smile: “Honored Envoy, in your view, is our emperor a Yao or Shun? Or a King Zhou?”
The envoy said solemnly: “Our dynasty’s Son of Heaven is wise and sagely. How could his intentions be something subjects can presume to discuss?”
These words were evasive and roundabout. The two foreign women naturally couldn’t understand, but Lu Guzhan was a scholarly general – how could he not know the implications? He immediately laughed heartily: “Good eloquence! Good eloquence! Just for that clever mind of yours, we’ll give you face. What does Ma Renjie hope I will do?”
The envoy said: “Your side’s current situation is that you cannot attack, cannot defend, cannot advance, cannot retreat. The current plan is to submit. As long as Angry Cang is willing to withdraw troops, Minister Ma will mobilize one million hu of grain for your needs along the way.” Lu Guzhan said: “And after eating the grain? What then?” The envoy bowed: “That would be your mountain’s concern – we trouble Master Lu to think more about it.”
Lu Guzhan smiled: “Well said – this is called ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ isn’t it?” The envoy shook his head: “Master Lu, Minister Ma is well-intentioned – please don’t make things difficult for him. If the peace faction loses and the war faction gains the upper hand, you know what the consequences would be.”
Lu Guzhan laughed a few times, drank some hot tea, then said: “Honored Envoy, I hear the court wants to establish a crown prince, is that so?” The envoy coughed: “Yes.” Lu Guzhan said: “In my opinion, establishing an heir should be delayed for now.”
The envoy shook his head: “Master Lu’s words are wrong! The current Son of Heaven rules all under heaven with absolute authority. Now with the Eighth Prince’s succession imminent, this concerns the hearts and loyalties of all people under heaven – how can anyone interfere?” Lu Guzhan smiled: “Honored Envoy, there is no Eighth Prince anymore – have you forgotten?”
The envoy’s heart trembled as he remembered that in this morning’s great battle, Prince Hui had already died in battle. Lu Guzhan said lightly again: “Brother, in our brief clash this morning, was it I who lost? If our two sides were to engage in military conflict, do you think I really am helpless and can only sit awaiting death?”
To the east was the capital, to the west were hungry ghosts. Here there were city walls, there was a sea of people. Who could drown whom, who could overwhelm whom – probably no one dared rashly attempt it. Seeing the envoy struck speechless, Lu Guzhan continued: “I have only one thing to say – please convey this back: We subjects and common people have come thousands of li seeking nothing more than to see His Majesty once. Only if the current sage is willing to leave the city for an inspection can everything be discussed.”