Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 907 Negotiating While Looking at Your Trump Card
When the Jin delegation arrived in Lin'an, Yang Yuan received them at the Banjing Pavilion.

Once upon a time, when Yang Yuan first appeared here, he was an idle man.

Today, when he reappears here, he is the Prime Minister.

The delegation sent by the New Golden Empire was very powerful.

Shangguan Luo, Minister of Rites and concurrently head of the Yiluan Division; Li Yuanzhi, head of the Yujing Hall (Snake) of the Yiluan Division; and Wanyan Qingfeng, head of the Qingmian Hall (Fox).

Li Donglou, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel; Wu Da Youzhu, the Great Shaman; and Yu Jiguang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue!

Even with Yang Yuan's current composure, he almost broke down when he saw Yu Jiguang.

Yu Jiguang can be considered one of the important spies who infiltrated the upper echelons of Xinjin.

Therefore, all information about him is now top secret.

Yang Yuan learned from the lessons of how Song Dynasty spies were often exposed by the Jin Dynasty due to a lack of internal secrecy.

He not only erased all traces of Yu Jiguang in Lin'an, but also transferred all information about Jiguang from the machine room as top secret and stored it in his internal records room.

In other words, only the spy himself can awaken this spy now.

Fortunately, after so many years of experience and having prepared himself mentally along the way, Yu Jiguang remained calm and did not reveal any flaws.

He simply cupped his hands in greeting to Yang Yuan and said politely, "Master Yang, it's been a long time."

However, Wanyan Qingfeng and Li Yuanzhi, two pretty young women, blushed with excitement.

They bowed respectfully to Yang Yuan and greeted her in unison with "Hello, teacher!"

Yang Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Hello, classmates."

After saying this, Yang Yuan felt a warmth in her heart.

The two young women, who were already seventeen or eighteen years old, had tears welling up in their eyes.

Shangguan Luo glanced at them and sighed inwardly.

Some of the noble ladies from the Jin Kingdom that Yang Yuan had taken care of back then are now married, and some even have children.

However, the most outstanding among them are still unmarried and unengaged.

The marriage age of noblewomen in the Jin Dynasty was slightly later than that in the Song Dynasty, but the later age was not significant.

It's just that Yang Yuan left such a deep impression on them.

They were in the Yiluan Division, where they held high positions and wielded great power. If a high-ranking official had evidence of wrongdoing, they could arrest him at will, which broadened their horizons.

In short, there was no man who could move them.

One glimpse of Yang Yuan and your life is ruined!
When Wuda Youzhu saw Yang Yuan, she was also very excited.

Although Shangguan Luo had already discovered that she was working for Yang Yuan.

However, for some reason, Shangguan Luo did not publicize the matter.

Not all the Jin envoys present knew about this.

Therefore, she could only maintain the air of mystery associated with the great shaman.

But her fiery gaze secretly swept over Yang Yuan, as if she couldn't wait to perform a passionate invocation dance for him.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two sides asked the staff of Banjing Inn to lead them to their respective rooms for a bath, change of clothes, and a short rest.

As evening approached, the Ban Jing Pavilion was brightly lit, and Yang Yuan and the corresponding officials sent by the Song Dynasty enjoyed a good drink with them.

Shangguan Luo, as the chief envoy of the Jin Dynasty, performed flawlessly throughout the entire process.

He showed full respect for Yang Yuan, the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, without revealing a trace of personal resentment or hatred between them.

After the music ended and everyone dispersed, Shangguan Luo returned to his room, drank a cup of sobering tea, and sat for a while longer.

Judging that many people were already preparing to rest, he quietly left the room and instructed Song Fang, the guard of Banjing Pavilion, to lead him to see Prime Minister Yang.

Today, the Ban Jing Inn is occupied by either envoys from the Jin Dynasty or members of the Song Dynasty delegation. In particular, with Prime Minister Yang Yuan present, the security is impenetrable.

The Imperial City Guard, the Messenger Bureau, and the Palace Guard were all mixed together, with overt and covert sentries everywhere.

However, this was the envoy of the new Jin Kingdom wanting to see Prime Minister Yang; who knows what secret information the envoy was carrying?

The guards dared not delay and hurriedly led him to Yang Yuan's residence.

Guarding Yang Yuan's residence were his personal guards, separate from the Imperial City Guard, the Imperial Security Bureau, and the Palace Guard.

The guard leading the way politely explained the purpose of their visit to Prime Minister Yang's personal guards.

Upon hearing this, the guard simply smiled and bowed to Shangguan Luo, saying, "Your Excellency, my Prime Minister is not in his room."

"Not here?" Shangguan Luo was taken aback.

If the guard said that Yang Yuan was already asleep, he would dare to ask the guard to wake Yang Yuan up.

But... Yang Yuan isn't here!
Shangguan Luo frowned and asked, "Where did Prime Minister Yang go?"

The guard remained polite: "No comment!"

Shangguan Luo was speechless for a moment, then a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly remembered that big shaman whose buttocks were wider than his shoulders.

Uda has pearls!
Yang Yuan must be there.

Even after becoming prime minister, he's still so obsessed with women, ugh!
Shangguan Luo curled his lip in disdain. In his view, power, honor, and wealth were the only things that were eternal.

Women are just something to enjoy; I don't know what Yang Yuan is so obsessed with.

Doesn't he know I'm coming to see him tonight?

Shangguan Luo really wanted to go straight to Wuda Youzhu's residence to catch them in the act of adultery.

However, he still didn't dare to go and provoke Yang Yuan in person.

After thinking it over, Shangguan Luo snorted coldly and turned back.

Wuda had pearls, and after dinner she took another bath.

Because her hair was still a little wet, she lay on the tatami mat and casually fiddled with a few pieces of "galaha" under the lamp.

This is a divination tool made by shamans using sheep knuckle bones.

As Zhuzhu lay prone on the couch, her slender waist sank in, and her plump, upturned buttocks resembled two taut bowstrings, upright, round, and powerful.

She also felt that her little devil would come tonight.

But even after waiting happily for so long, Yang Yuan is still nowhere to be seen.

Her initial joy was almost turning into deep resentment. In Yu Jiguang's room, Yang Yuan gently wiped the tea, smiling faintly, "This place, does it feel familiar?"

"Familiar, yet strange."

Yu Jiguang said with a wry smile: "In the past, I have visited Banjing Pavilion more than once."

However, they only waited in front for the Jurchen envoys and their entourage; they never entered this room.

"Let's take advantage of this opportunity to see this luxurious inn, which was originally built to entertain the Jin envoys."

Yang Yuan said with a smile, "Because when you come again next time, it may have been used for something else and will no longer be needed to entertain the Jurchens."

Yu Jiguang's expression changed slightly: "What does the Prime Minister mean..."

"Of course because..."

Yang Yuan gently wiped the tea leaves, the lid lightly brushing against the rim of the cup, making a soft rustling sound, like the sound of a sharp sword being drawn from its sheath.

"Because at that time, the Jin Kingdom no longer existed, nor did the new Jin Kingdom."

Whether they were Jurchens or Han Chinese, they were all people of the Song Dynasty.

A glint of light flashed in Yu Jiguang's eyes: "Is the Prime Minister already preparing to target Xinjin?"

Yang Yuan said casually, "It's only a matter of time. Once Wanyan Liang is executed and the Central Plains are restored, the Northeast will be next."

This was indeed Yang Yuan's plan.

Otherwise, what was he doing planting nails in Xinjin for so many years?
However, while he trusted his father-in-law, Fei Tianlu, he couldn't guarantee that Yu Jiguang and his group wouldn't harbor any ulterior motives.

What was Yu Jiguang's status during the Song Dynasty?
He is now in the new Jin Empire, where he has risen to the position of Vice Minister of Revenue.

Frankly speaking, what Song gave him was far less than what Xin Jin gave him.

What made Yang Yuan so convinced that he would remain steadfastly loyal to the Song Dynasty?

Therefore, Yang Yuan had to give him a timely warning to make him understand who he was truly loyal to and who he was working for.

Of course, Yu Jiguang has been quite shrewd over the years.

As he was in the Ministry of Revenue, he could say that the Jin Dynasty had information on its population, military strength, types of soldiers, horses, taxes, and inventory...

He would promptly transmit any intelligence concerning national welfare, people's livelihood, or major military matters once he had it.

Therefore, Yang Yuan only gave him a heads-up and didn't say much more.

He then asked Yu Jiguang about the purpose of the Xin Jin delegation's visit and the Xin Jin Empire's bottom line for negotiations.

The two talked for most of the hour before Yang Yuan finally ended the conversation.

"Alright, starting tomorrow, you just focus on being the deputy envoy, and don't worry about anything else."

Yang Yuan paused for a moment, then said, "Your family has been properly taken care of. I will arrange an opportunity for you to see your family."

"Thank you, Prime Minister!"

Yu Jiguang bowed deeply to the ground, and when he looked up again, Yang Yuan had already walked out.

The security at the Jingguan Pavilion is really too tight.

It's so tight that I have absolutely no privacy left!

Yang Yuan looked up at the full moon in the sky and smiled bitterly in resignation.

He realized that if he went to see Uda Yuzhuzhu like this, he would not be able to hide it from the ever-present sentries, both overt and covert.

Even with his martial arts skills, there was no chance for him to succeed.

However, if I don't go to see Wuda Youzhu tonight, this woman is no match for Wanyan Qingfeng and Li Yuanzhi.

Those young girls, if I find an opportunity to give them a gift tomorrow, or even just glance at them during the meal, they'll be overjoyed and completely satisfied.

Those like Zhuzhu in Uda, who have tasted the fishy smell, are not so easily satisfied.

So Yang Yuan steeled his heart, beckoned over a guard, and whispered a few words of instruction.

Upon hearing this, a strange expression flashed across the guard's face.

However, he naturally dared not ask anything, and simply did as Yang Yuan instructed.

Soon enough, the Song guards noticed something amiss.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to scold and question, the Song guards lured away the newly appointed guards in Wuda Youzhu's courtyard for a brief moment.

Taking advantage of this brief opportunity, Yang Yuan swiftly and nimbly entered the Great Shaman's room, like a rabbit leaping and a falcon swooping, an eagle striking a feather, a white horse flashing past a crack, a dragonfly skimming the water, or a fish leaping and a kite soaring.

As soon as he entered, he saw a full moon on the bed, even rounder than the one in the sky.

When the sun rises in the east, the bright moon on the couch also has the same color as the rising sun.

Wuda Youzhu was very satisfied, not only in terms of her body and mind, but also because she received a precious gift from Yang Yuan.

Previously, when she was in the Jin Kingdom, Yang Yuan had passed on half of the "Hibernating Dragon Skill" to her.

Last night, after telling Yang Yuan about her missionary work in Xinjin, Tatar, and even parts of Jin, and that Shangguan Luo already knew she was working for Yang Yuan, Yang Yuan also taught her the second half of the "Hibernating Dragon Skill".

The great shaman Zhuzhu firmly believed that this was a supernatural power, a divine art. What made her even happier was that it also meant that she had gained Yang Yuan's complete trust.

Leaving early the next morning took quite a bit of effort.

In the end, Zhuzhu went out first, saying she wanted to take a walk around the Banjing Pavilion, which distracted the guards protecting her, allowing Yang Yuan to leave.

When they were leaving, they ran into Wanyan Qingfeng and Li Yuanzhi, who were unusually up so early.

Listening to their chatter, it turned out that the two of them had won this opportunity to go to Song by drawing lots.

Li Qinglu and Wanyan Ping had already met their teacher in Shaanxi, so they weren't even given a chance to draw lots this time and were directly eliminated.

The other candidates drew lots to decide who would be sent as envoys, and in the end, the two of them became the lucky ones.

Yang Yuan was moved, but also felt a little uneasy.

Seeing their smiling faces, Yang Yuan only hoped that when his army pressed in, their sweet smiles wouldn't turn into resentment.

Just as Yang Yuan was thinking of this, she turned her gaze and saw a sour face.

Good morning, Brother Shangguan!

Yang Yuan greeted him with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the resentment on his face.

(End of this chapter)