Finest Servant

Chapter 404 Might of Ten Thousand Years

"Rise, my Dear Ministers," the old Emperor's voice rasped slightly as he slightly lifted his hand. The civil and military officials of the entire court thanked him in unison and respectfully stood up. Lin Wanrong examined the woman behind the curtain closely. She sat quietly, neither speaking nor smiling, her figure extraordinarily graceful.

The Emperor raised his eyes and looked around, nodding slightly, "At today's morning assembly, there is an important matter of state that I must discuss with you all. Concerning the rise and fall of our great Empire, I specifically permit Miss Xu Zhiqing to enter the court with a golden whip. Although Xu Zhiqing is a woman, she has several times personally fought fiercely with the northern nomads and is a true heroine among women. I allow her to enter the court to discuss politics, situated in the adjoining room. Does anyone object?"

Allowing a woman to participate in the court's affairs was against the rules, but since the Emperor had spoken, and the woman had achievements and status, and she was also discussing politics in the side room next to the Hall of Literary Brilliance, everyone nodded, praising the wisdom of the Emperor.

Gao Ping loudly called out, "Summon Xu Zhiqing to the great hall's side room for discussion."

"Thank you for the Emperor's great grace," a crisp voice of a woman came from outside the hall. Lin Wanrong heard it clearly; it was Xu Zhiqing. Though Miss Xu was full of talent, surpassing many in the court by hundreds of times, she still lacked the qualification to enter the main hall. Such was the difference between men and women. Lin Wanrong had been outsmarted by her earlier that day, and he felt a bit aggrieved. He then looked at the woman behind the curtain, whose treatment was much higher than Xu Zhiqing's, wondering what her identity might be.

"Dear Minister Xu, what major issues need to be discussed today?" the old Emperor asked Xu Wei.

Xu Wei stepped forward from the first position on the right and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, at today's morning assembly, there are three major matters that need to be discussed. Firstly, the Emperor of Dongyin sent a letter yesterday, stating that his second son, Prince Tsugumi Takeshita, had come to our capital for pilgrimage and has been missing for many days within our borders. Dongyin hopes that we thoroughly investigate Princec Tsugumi's whereabouts, insisting on an explanation."

Seeing Xu Wei's hesitant manner, it was estimated that Dongyin's communication was not so polite, and old Xu was understating it. Hearing the first matter, the ministers looked at each other, and no one spoke.

Lin Wanrong was the clearest about Prince Tsugumi Takeshita's whereabouts. He wouldn't be foolish enough to draw attention to himself and simply leaned against a nearby pillar, yawning lazily, listening to these people's ideas.

The old Emperor snorted and pondered, "Regarding the disappearance of the Dongyin prince, what are your opinions?"

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what the Emperor meant, and dared not speak rashly. Prince Cheng, standing at the first position on the left, gave a profound smile and glanced back casually.

One person stepped forward from the row and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, Dongyin and our great Empire are close neighbors, connected by water, and are friendly to each other. Prince Tsugumi Takeshita came to our great empire for pilgrimage and disappeared on his return journey, which is not unrelated to us. This concerns the interaction between the two countries, and if mishandled, it could lead to a diplomatic dispute, affecting our Empire's face. We must not take this lightly. In my humble opinion, we can strengthen the investigation on one hand, search for Prince Tsugumi's traces, and crack down on those who are causing chaos between the two countries. On the other hand, we can offer some concessions first, issue a decree to appease, and temporarily halt the dispute between the two countries."

Lin Wanrong was feeling drowsy, but the moment he heard someone speaking, he immediately became alert. The one who had stepped forward was the long-lost top scholar, Su Mubai. Su Mubai had been responsible for receiving the envoys of the three countries when they came to the capital for the pilgrimage, and he had considerable say in diplomatic matters.

The old Emperor nodded slightly, glanced left and right, and asked, "What do my beloved ministers think of Top Scholar Su's proposal?"

Another man from the left chimed in, "Top Scholar Su's proposal is well-considered and sensible, and I fully support it." Lin Wanrong recognized this person as his superior's superior, Minister Ye, whom he had met at Prince Cheng's mansion a few days earlier.

With the leadership of Minister Ye and Top Scholar Su, the other ministers began to express their agreement, and the atmosphere became lively. Only Xu Wei and Li Tai remained silent.

"Where is Lin San? Where is Lin San?" the old Emperor looked around and suddenly shouted. Among the dozens of people in the great hall, Lin San was nowhere to be found.

A civil official beside Lin Wanrong hurriedly nudged him, anxiously saying, "Master Lin, wake up, the Emperor is calling you!"

"He's calling me?" Lin Wanrong was stunned for a moment. Seeing everyone's eyes fixed on him, it seemed that the man's words were true, and he had to step forward, saying, "Your Majesty, did you call me?"

Upon seeing Lin Wanrong come forward, the woman behind the curtain trembled slightly, her eyes fixed on him.

Daring to address the Emperor in such a way in the golden hall, Lin San was the only one who would do so. The old Emperor did not mind, smiling and saying, "Lin San, are you satisfied with your spot in that corner?"

"Satisfied, there's no better position than this," Lin Wanrong said with a laugh.

The ministers shook their heads and chuckled. A servant's lot was a servant's lot; to have a foothold even in the most remote corner of the court was a fortune he must have accrued over several lifetimes.

The Emperor nodded indifferently, "You are indeed rare, content in every circumstance. Do not underestimate your position. When I first attended court at the age of sixteen, I stood right where you are. The late Emperor told me, 'In small things lies great benevolence.' Lin San, remember this well."

At these words, the entire court was astonished. The Emperor was actually comparing Lin San to himself and openly instructing him in the court. Master Lin's rapid advancement seemed imminent. Prince Cheng's eyes flashed a sharp cold light, and he remained silent, his eyes slightly closed.

"Lin San, Prince Tsugumi is missing. Top Scholar Su suggests that we should comfort the Dongyin by extending a small favor. What do you think?" the old Emperor said with a smile.

"Ah, the prince is missing?" Lin Wanrong exclaimed. "Your Majesty, who told you this? Could it be a deception?"

Hearing Lin San's disrespect, Su Mubai snorted and said, "This was personally informed by the Emperor of Dongyin; it concerns the relationship between the two countries, how can it be false?"

Lin Wanrong laughed, "So according to Sir Su, if the Emperor of Dongyin writes a letter himself, it can't be false? Decades ago, when our Great Hua was incomparably strong, the Emperor of Dongyin even wrote a letter of submission to Great Hua, pledging to send ten thousand rolls of brocade and one hundred thousand taels of silver every year. Sir Su, you're well-educated, don't you know about this? How much have they accumulated so far? Did they deliver the silver when Prince Tsugumi came to pay tribute this time?"

Lin San was indeed a master of sophistry. Su Mubai's face changed, and he stammered for a moment, murmuring, "That was then, this is now. We are talking about Prince Tsugumi's affair now; it has nothing to do with the silver."

"Discussing Prince Tsugumi? That's rather simple. He came to our Great Hua to pay tribute, and we entertained him with the best food and drink, fulfilling the duties of a host. He's not a three-year-old child who could be enticed away by some courtesan. Can it also be asked that Great Hua bears responsibility? If so, Your Majesty, I dare to make a request!"

A smile appeared on the Emperor's face. "Speak!"

Lin Wanrong laughed, "I dare to propose, please send Sir Su on a mission to Dongyin. Along the way, send two beautiful young ladies to secretly entice him and abduct him back. Then Your Majesty can write to the Dongyin Emperor, demanding the return of Su Mubai, who ranks two hundred and fifth in our Great Hua's examination. Otherwise, our close relationship between the two nations will be affected, and the consequences will be severe. Please ask the Dongyin Emperor to give an explanation."

Everyone who heard this couldn't help but chuckle. Clearly, it was a sophistry, yet this Lin San made it sound so logical. Such talent was indeed rare!

Su Mubai's face turned livid, and he angrily said, "Sir Lin, matters of diplomacy can't be resolved through mere analogy. If we act as you suggest, how can nations deal with each other? If this continues, who can guarantee that Dongyin and other nations will not harbor ill will?"

"Ill will?" Lin Wanrong scoffed with a smile. "Sir Su, I want to ask you, with promises unkept and tributes unpaid, when has Dongyin ever been sincere with us?"

Su Mubai was rendered speechless, and after a long while, he managed to say, "If you continue like this, acting forcefully in every matter, what nation would dare to deal with our Great Hua?"

Lin Wanrong laughed coldly, "Sir Su, it's Dongyin who is aggressively demanding a person from Great Hua, how did it become us being forceful? A tiny speck of land, daring to insult Great Hua like this; if we accept this humiliation, where will our nation's dignity stand? Where will Great Hua's honor be? If this is considered being forceful, I hope Great Hua is forceful for ten thousand years!"

"Lin San, well said!" came the voice of Miss Xu from the adjacent room, "I, Xu Zhiqing, agree with Lin San!"

Lin Wanrong's few words, full of stirring power, especially his slogan "forceful for ten thousand years," made everyone's blood boil.

"What a 'forceful for ten thousand years'!" Xu Wei suddenly spoke, "I, the old minister Xu Wei, agree with Sir Lin!"

"I, the old minister Li Tai, agree with Lin San!"

…

"Forceful for ten thousand years?!" Tears welled in the eyes of the lady behind the curtain, and she quickly penned down a vivid figure on paper.

The old Emperor squinted his eyes, a smile playing on his lips, and nodded slightly toward Lin San. The echoing voices of agreement from the courtiers indicated their unanimous support for Lin San.

"Gao Ping, draft the decree!" the Emperor smiled slightly, "Notify the King of Dongyin, his second son, after paying tribute to our celestial empire, has not returned on time, and we do not know where he has gone. He's of a very unruly nature. Instruct him to be well disciplined, and not to repeat such behavior. By Our decree!"

"Your Majesty is wise," Lin Wanrong chuckled, flattering.

The court's first matter had thus reached a unified decision. Xu Wei, greatly pleased, seemed more confident about the following court discussions: "The second matter of today's court meeting also concerns Dongyin. According to reports from the southeast coast, Dongyin has assembled a hundred thousand soldiers and hundreds of ships, all set to sail. In the past two days, they have embarked and are heading straight for Goryeo."

As these words fell, a commotion erupted in the court. Two consecutive matters had Dongyin playing the leading role, and it seemed as if there was a hidden mystery behind it. The officials started to whisper and discuss amongst themselves.

The matter was related to the significant affairs of the military and the state, so Lin Wanrong said no more, retreating to the position where the Emperor had once stood, and resumed his pleasant dream.

"Dear General Li, you are a general of our imperial court. How do you see this matter?" the Emperor asked Li Tai.

Li Tai nodded, "Your Majesty, Dongyin's invasion of Goryeo this time happens to coincide with the moment our Great Hua's soldiers are about to embark on a distant expedition. The timing is certainly not accidental. Goryeo borders our Great Hua; if Dongyin were to conquer Goryeo and establish a foothold in the northeast, it could collaborate with the northern nomads, creating a pincer attack and leaving our Great Hua with enemies on both sides, hard to defend. In the view of this old servant, the matter of Goryeo cannot be ignored; it must be treated with caution."

This was the word of an experienced and prudent man, and the people nodded in agreement. The Emperor glanced at Prince Cheng, smiling, "What are your wise thoughts, brother?"

Prince Cheng clasped his fist and said, "General Li is right in his words. If Dongyin were to conquer Goryeo, it would indeed pose the risk of having our Great Hua face enemies on both sides. However, there are two sides to every matter. At present, the Turkic tribes are invading, the north is in urgent danger, and if the Turkic people break through, they could march straight in, leaving our Great Hua in imminent peril. Between two evils, we must choose the lesser. While Goryeo is in trouble, our Great Hua is equally in dire straits, and there are no more troops to deploy. We must wait until the Turks are repelled before considering the matter in the northeast. This brother is blunt; please scrutinize the situation carefully, Your Majesty."

Prince Cheng's words were logical and well-reasoned. Great Hua itself was still in peril, so how could they find the time to take care of Goryeo?

"Your Majesty, this cannot be!" A woman's voice rang out, "Goryeo is our Great Hua's close neighbor, and the Dongyin people are ambitious like wolves. Once they conquer Goryeo and have a land base, they can march straight in, directly targeting the northern heartland of our Great Hua. The Dongyin people are taking advantage of our Great Hua's battle with the Turkic tribes to attack Goryeo recklessly. This move can also be seen as their test toward our Great Hua. If we abandon Goryeo, their arrogance will surely grow, and our Great Hua will be like placing a wolf at the doorstep, susceptible to its fangs at any time. In the view of this common girl, our Great Hua must not only send troops to assist but also send our elite and strong soldiers to cut off the wolf's claws and make them roll back into the sea."

Xu Zhiqing indeed had foresight, much stronger than most of the fools standing in the hall. Had it not been for her being a woman, she would have been worthy to succeed her father as the top person in court.

Xu Zhiqing's words were not without reason, but Prince Cheng was also considering the welfare of Great Hua, leaving the Emperor in a difficult position to choose.

A note was suddenly passed from behind the curtain; Gao Ping hurriedly received it and respectfully presented it. The Emperor glanced at it and suddenly called out, "Dear Minister Lin, Dear Minister Lin!"

"Sir, the Emperor is calling you!" a civil official beside him reminded, his tone unusually respectful.

Dear Minister Lin? Why did that name sound so awkward? Lin Wanrong smiled and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, don't ask me about fighting a war; I faint at the sight of blood!"

"It's not I who wish to ask you!" The Emperor laughed, took the note, and looked at it with a serious expression, "Is it imperative to save Goryeo?"

‘Coming from your mouth, isn't it you who's asking?’ Lin Wanrong nodded, "It is imperative!"

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