Taiheiki

Chapter 335 The Suspicious Han Envoy
The sharp prow slowly sliced ​​through the calm lake surface. Compared to the local dugout canoes, the two-masted oared boat carrying the Han envoys was enormous. Its bulging hull resembled a moving city wall, and its crimson sails blotted out the sky, casting a huge shadow on the lake. The red prow, painted with vermilion, featured ornate reliefs, and the long oars on both sides rose and fell rhythmically with the boatmen's chants, stirring up white spray.

"So this is what the capital of Funan looks like! The fields are fertile, the people are prosperous, it is just like the hometown of Fengpei, a land of abundance. No wonder General Wei has been so fond of it." Yu Wen looked at the scenery before him and sighed inwardly.

"Your Excellency, our capital is just ahead!" The Funan envoy cautiously said to Yu Wen, who was standing at the bow of the ship. "After passing that promontory, the dock for mooring ships is next to the temple behind us!"

"Hmm!" Yu Wen nodded reservedly and said to the captain beside him, "Sound the horn and let the accompanying ships dock together!"

Oh oh oh!
The sound of horns pierced the evening's tranquility, deep and resonant, like a giant whale calling to its companions, startling birds from the reeds on the shore, which then flew in flocks across the orange-red sky.

The mooring ropes were thrown from the deck, tracing arcs through the air, and the sailors on shore skillfully secured them to the bollards. The teakwood struck the earth with a dull thud, and the ship finally came to a gentle stop against the bamboo bundles on the dock designed to prevent collisions.

The guards waiting to disembark stood on the deck, squinting greedily at the temples, palaces, markets, and endless rice paddies before them. They took deep breaths; the air was filled with the scents of earth, fish, and the impending harvest of rice, which reminded them of their distant homeland. Compared to their homeland, this land before them seemed like those strange and wondrous idols—strange, savage, and yet rich.

"What...what is this?" The Funan envoy stared in astonishment at the soldiers lined up neatly on the deck. Their tall, muscular bodies were almost entirely encased in steel, only their eyes, mouths, and noses visible. Quivers, bow cases, and ring-pommel swords hung from their belts, and they carried long spears. They resembled the demigod warriors from the epic Mahabharata. Wasn't this young master Yu a visiting envoy? Why did these soldiers look like they were about to conquer a foreign land?
"Your Excellency need not worry!" Yu Wen laughed. "My soldiers are simply being cautious in an unfamiliar place. Have you forgotten that there are only four hundred of them in total? Just four hundred!"

"Oh, oh!" The Funan envoy chuckled awkwardly. At this moment, the gangplank was lowered, and the steel warriors surged ashore like a tide, then split into two teams and stood on either side of the road. Yu Wen then disembarked and looked sternly at the Funan envoy who was already stunned by the Han soldiers.

Where is your king?

"Is he still in the palace?" the greeter asked cautiously.

"What official position do you hold in Funan?" Yu Wen asked.

"This—" The greeter was stunned. At that time, Funan Kingdom did not have the advanced bureaucratic system of ancient China. He was immediately stumped by Yu Wen's question. The Funan envoy who was traveling with Yu Wen quickly replied, "This is the king's captain of the guard!"

"Captain of the Guards, so that must be the General of the Five Offices?" Yu Wen nodded. "Very good. I have brought a letter from my elder brother; please inform the King on my behalf!"

"This is the younger brother of the Prefect of Rinan!" The envoy from Funan winked: "Quickly inform him!"

"Oh, oh!" The greeter snapped out of his daze and quickly said with a smile, "Please come with me to the guesthouse to rest. I'll inform them of your arrival right away!"

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Funan Royal Palace.

"What? The Han envoy has brought a fully armed army into the capital?" General Funan was shocked and questioned the envoy, "How could you let him come like this? Isn't this inviting a wolf into the house?"

"General, don't worry!" the envoy said with a smile. "That's the guard of the Han envoy, only four hundred men in total."

“Four hundred men is quite a lot, and I heard from the scouts that the Han people’s armor and weapons are very good; they are practically encased in steel. Their ships are also very large! There are four ships in total. You can’t estimate their strength based on four hundred men!” At this point, the general paused slightly: “Who knows if there are more troops following behind you!”

The envoy's face flushed red, his chest filled with shame and fear, rendering him speechless. Indeed! Who knows if the Han people might be followed by even more troops?
"Alright!" The prime minister's voice remained calm: "It's possible, but only a possibility! We must be on high alert, but we can't give the Han envoys an excuse! Narayana!" He said, naming the general: "Go and gather the soldiers, strengthen the defenses of the palace, and at the same time send men to block the waterways to prevent Han ships from entering the Great Lake!"

"Yes!" The general lowered his head, turned, and walked out. The prime minister looked at the envoy: "Come, tell me, what do you think is the purpose of the Han envoy's actions?"

"Perhaps it's to show us military might, or perhaps—" At this point, the envoy shook his head with a wry smile: "I don't know, really. Those Han Chinese officials are like they're wearing a mask. No matter what happens, they always have the same expression. It's impossible to guess what they're thinking!"

"That's true!" the prime minister laughed. "Han people are indeed like that; it's hard to guess what they're thinking. But young Han people are a bit better, especially after drinking or seeing a beautiful woman!"

"After the wine and the beautiful women?"

"Yes, the King will be hosting a banquet for him and his entourage tonight. You will be seated next to him. Hopefully, you can find something useful from him!"

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royal palace.

Next to a large drum, the musician sat with a dignified expression. He shook an ivory clapper in his left hand and held a small drumstick in his right hand, freely directing a group of musicians behind him. With his highly rhythmic movements, the melodies played by the bronze drum, the curved zither, and the flute spread out like flowing water, soothing and melodious.

To the accompaniment of the music, six dancers wearing golden crowns and tight-fitting short skirts swayed their bodies rhythmically. Unlike traditional Central Plains dances, these six dancers had solemn expressions and their hand movements were extremely varied. Regardless of whether their lower limbs were kneeling, jumping, retreating, or advancing, their upper bodies maintained an upright posture. It didn't seem like dancing, but rather like they were in a solemn shrine.

Yu Wen watched the dance with indifference, his attention more focused on the King of Funan at the head of the table than on the dancers. Stripped of his magnificent golden crown and robes, the King of Funan was nothing more than a portly middle-aged man. Yu Wen sensed absolutely no authority or wisdom in him.

"The general is far too cautious. Give me two thousand men, no, three thousand men, and I can destroy the Funan Kingdom, capture the Funan King alive, and present him as a prisoner to Luoyang!" Yu Wen thought to himself, "Compared to this man, even the King of Linyi back then could be considered wise and mighty!"

"This music and dance doesn't suit your taste?" the Funan envoy asked cautiously. "It's alright!" Yu Wen chuckled dryly, "I just don't quite understand it!"

"Oh!" The envoy nodded, beckoned to a servant beside him and whispered a few words. A moment later, the dancers on the stage went down, and as new music began, several more dancers came up. These dancers were almost completely naked, and their dance moves were even more primal.

"Isn't this much better?" the envoy said with a smile.

"Barbarians are indeed barbarians!" Yu Wen cursed inwardly, his gaze towards the other party now filled with even more contempt.

"Envoy Yu!" The prime minister walked over, holding a wine cup, and sat down next to Yu Wen: "I heard that the governor of Rinan Commandery is your elder brother!"

“That’s right!” Yu Wen realized that the person in question had arrived, and he sat up straight: “My elder brother has been serving as the Prefect of Rinan Commandery for five years now!”

"That's really not easy! This place will be hot and humid in the future, and there will be a lot of miasma. It's not easy for you Han people to stay here for five years!" the prime minister said with a smile.

"Actually, it's not so bad!" Yu Wen laughed. "According to General Wei, the so-called miasma is just a kind of infectious disease. As long as we fill in the surrounding lakes and take precautions against mosquitoes, we won't get miasma. As for the hot and humid climate, that's not all bad either. Otherwise, how could we harvest rice three times a year and four times a year here?"

"Oh?" The prime minister raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised by the other party's response. Ultimately, whether it was Funan or Linyi, these local regimes were well aware of the Han Empire's power. Their greatest confidence stemmed from the fact that Han people didn't stay long there. Officials, exiled convicts, and immigrants alike all viewed this land as a dangerous place. If it weren't for various laws and regulations, these people would have packed up and fled back to the Central Plains long ago. But the situation seemed to have changed slightly.

"Miasma is caused by mosquitoes? This is the first time I've heard of such a thing!" The Prime Minister smiled. "Your Excellency's entourage is very well-equipped, causing great anxiety among the people of my country. When I was young, I read some books from your country, including a story called 'Jin Borrows a Pass from Yu to Attack Guo.' With your extensive knowledge, Your Excellency must know it, right?"

"Of course!" Yu Wen laughed. "Is the Prime Minister worried that our Great Han will take the opportunity to destroy the Funan Kingdom?"

"I certainly didn't think that way, but I can't help it that many people in my country think that way. I can't blame them, they're still shaken by what happened before, and if your esteemed envoy were to—" He paused here, looking at Yu Wen, clearly waiting for his response.

"So your country has become suspicious, no wonder—" Yu Wen laughed: "If I say it's not true, will you believe me?"

"That depends on what your envoy says. If it's just the word 'no,' it's indeed hard to believe."

“That’s true!” Yu Wen nodded. “To put it another way, there are two reasons why I brought such a large guard with me this time: First, your country is facing an invasion by mountain people, and without a sufficiently strong guard, it will be difficult to protect itself. Second, I also want to take this opportunity to understand the strength of those mountain people who call themselves the Great Han General Who Pacifies the Barbarians. After all, the two prefectures of Rinan and Jiuzhen are not far from your country, and if things were to happen, we would become neighbors with these two prefectures, so—”

"So, your Excellency intends to confront those mountain people personally?"

"That's right, we do have that plan!"

The Prime Minister of Funan nodded. Yu Wen's two reasons were quite convincing. Whatever Jiaozhou intended to do, the first step was to assess the strength of this new force. Bringing a small force to engage in a skirmish was undoubtedly the best approach. And for Funan, this was certainly something they would welcome.

"I understand, and I will certainly convey your message to the King!"

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"The Han envoy said he wanted to fight those mountain barbarians?" the King of Funan asked.

“That’s right, that’s what he said, but whether it’s true or not, we don’t know!” the prime minister said.

"If it's true, that would be for the best!" King Funan sighed. "At least it would prove that those mountain barbarians are lying! They are not the Han generals who pacify the barbarians at all!"

"Yes!" The prime minister sighed, "Although I don't know if he's telling the truth or not, having this pretext makes things much easier!"

"Hmm!" The Prince of Funan thought for a moment and asked, "But if we can really drive away those mountain barbarians with the help of the Han people of Jiaozhou this time, wouldn't it be like going from one door to another, with wolves in front and tigers in behind?"

"That's a matter for the future!" the prime minister said. "In the end, it's better than being attacked from both sides!"

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As November arrived, the weather in Funan gradually became dry and cool. The roads were no longer muddy, and the fields, now empty after the rice harvest, were vast and barren. Officials wearing hats adorned with feathers began to travel to villages, conscripting able-bodied men to form armies. The annual war season on this land was about to begin again, the only difference being that the scale of the war in the winter of the second year of Chongguang was much larger than in the past.

Although Funan was loosely organized, the abundant resources of the Mekong Delta and the plains surrounding Tonle Sap Lake supported millions of people, as evidenced by the massive Angkor Wat – an astonishing number in ancient Southeast Asia. All adult men in the kingdom were considered servants of the king, incarnations of deities. Thus, within just half a month, an army of no fewer than 30,000 men amassed near the Funan capital, and its numbers continued to grow. Even though this army's weapons were rather rudimentary, its sheer size was formidable.

rumble--!
Yu Wen stood at the second-floor window, the distant sounds of elephants bellowing drifting in. These were elephants captured by the Funan people from the forest. The elephant caravan was the elite of the Funan army, their trump card against the invading mountain tribes. Naturally, they wouldn't forget this tactic at this moment. Yu Wen estimated that the king's elephant caravan already contained at least 120 newly captured elephants, bringing the total to no less than 150. It seemed the Funan were planning a desperate gamble.

(End of this chapter)