Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

The emperor now wants to expand outwards, and as the top two officials in Yongzhou, they will surely make contributions as long as they cooperate well.

……

Just as Yang Zaixing was about to lead his new army westward, a fast boat sped by from the Zuojiang River.

Yang Zaixing and Xia Dajun were both detained by Chen Keda's men.

"What happened?"

Xia Dajun was preparing to return to the capital to report back when he was invited back to the prefectural government office at the dock outside the city.

Chen Keda explained, "The King of Annam sent people to negotiate, hoping to submit to the Ming Dynasty and request to be granted the title of King."

"The list of tribute items has been sent; the envoy should arrive next month."

When the King of Annam offered tribute or requested titles, he would first contact the Prefect of Yongzhou, and then the officials of Yongzhou would report to the imperial court.

Xia Dajun said, "This is a major diplomatic matter, and it must be reported truthfully."

Chen Keda, however, wanted to achieve even greater merit: "Once the court officially recognizes the King of Annam, it will be very difficult to reclaim Guangyuan."

“That was the old stronghold of Nong Zhigao and his son. It not only stood out from the mountains in northern Jiaozhi, but it was also rich in gold.”

"Whether it's finance and taxation or military affairs, it's all greatly beneficial to Annam."

“Even if the court wants to confer the title of King of Annam, the borders should be redrawn so that the court can subdue Guangyuan.”

Quang Nguyen Chau, also known as Thuan Chau, is the northeastern part of Cao Bang Province in Vietnam.

This area was originally part of the territory of the Northern Song Dynasty, but due to its abundant gold resources, it was repeatedly invaded by the Annam Kingdom.

The local tribes requested protection from the Song Dynasty, but the Song Dynasty had no time to deal with these tributary tribes.

Left with no other choice, the various tribes of Guangyuan Prefecture had to submit to the Northern Song Dynasty while simultaneously paying tribute to Annam with tears in their eyes.

Nong Zhigao's father started a rebellion because he inexplicably lost his official position in the Song Dynasty and was exploited and humiliated by the Annamite Kingdom after returning to Guangyuan Prefecture.

Unable to rely on either side, we might as well establish our own country.

The Northern Song Dynasty later inflicted a major defeat on Annam, advancing all the way to the capital, Thăng Long Phú, before being forced to withdraw due to excessive non-combat casualties.

Then, in order to quell the border troubles, he actually granted Guangyuan Prefecture to Annam!

Annam was not satisfied with getting Guangyuan Prefecture for free, and repeatedly had border disputes with the Northern Song Dynasty.

The Northern Song Dynasty chose to appease the situation and granted two caves, six counties, and eight passes to Annam.

After discussing it among themselves, Xia Dajun stated, "When I return to the capital to report, I will advise His Majesty to reclaim the lost territories of the former Song Dynasty and not to hastily bestow the title of King of Annam."

Chen Ke bowed deeply and said, "I entrust this matter to you."

Chen Keda turned around and bowed to Yang Zaixing: "Annam is a small country that calls itself the Little China of the South, but it has not changed its barbarian ways."

“If the Ming Dynasty refuses to grant them the title, they will definitely invade the border until the court agrees to grant them the title.”

"There may be border troubles next year, but the scale will certainly not be large. Please be prepared to bring troops over at any time, General."

"It's a good opportunity to use Annam to train the new army!" Yang Zaixing immediately agreed.

……

Sending a envoy to China to request investiture was a desirable task for Vietnamese officials.

Du Yingwu, the emperor's brother-in-law, was greatly favored and smoothly became the chief envoy.

Without waiting for a reply from the Yongzhou government, they set off with the tribute.

The offerings were quite abundant, including a qilin, two elephants, twenty catties of agarwood, two pieces of ebony, fifteen pairs of ivory tusks, and several gemstones...

The garrison commander of Menzhou (Zhennanguan) sent someone to request instructions from Yongzhou, and Chen Keda had no choice but to order the garrison commander to let them pass.

When Du Yingwu arrived outside Yongzhou City, he found that he could not enter the city. He immediately became angry and said, "We have come to pay tribute and request an official title. How dare you, a mere prefect, treat us so harshly? Aren't you afraid of provoking a border conflict between our two countries?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Keda immediately faced north and bowed, saying, "I will inform the court that the Annamite envoy is arrogant and has threatened the prefect of Yongzhou to send troops to invade the border!"

Seeing Chen Keda's firm attitude, Du Yingwu immediately softened and obediently followed the arrangements of the Yongzhou government.

This is why, at present, Du Yingwu has not yet taken power; he is merely a favored minister and the emperor's brother-in-law.

Historically, the King of Annam would have died a few years later.

Du Yingwu climbed into the bed of the Empress Dowager (his nephew's wife), took control of the three-year-old emperor, and became the de facto ruler of Annam. Only then did he become arrogant and domineering.

Chen Keda warned, "I will send officials to guide you to the capital, but you must not cause trouble along the way."

"This is the Great Ming Dynasty, not some barbaric little country!"

The Annamese mission then set off, first to Guangdong, then across the Meiling Mountains to Jiangxi, then by boat along the Gan River northward, before turning onto the Yangtze River and taking the Grand Canal.

When they arrived in Henan province, the land was already frozen by heavy snow, so they had to stop temporarily.

Since unicorns and elephants are not resistant to the cold, local officials dared not neglect their duties and specially sent people to build sheds and light fires for warmth.

Winter has passed and spring has arrived; it has been two years since the Ming Dynasty revived China.

When the Annamese envoy arrived in Luoyang with tribute, he was reprimanded as soon as he presented the gift list.

The official who received them was Xia Dajun, who had returned to Beijing last year.

Holding the gift list, Xia Dajun pointed at the rhinoceros and said, "You are incredibly audacious. It's one thing to deceive the former Song Dynasty, but you even dare to deceive the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty."

"This is clearly a rhinoceros, so why was it written as a qilin when it was reported as tribute?"

Du Yingwu said, "This is a Qilin."

Chapter 3534 The Auspicious Beast Qilin

Xia Dajun roared, "Annam has deceived the Emperor of the Great Ming! Arrest them all!"

"This really is a Qilin!" Du Yingwu refused to change his words, for to do so would confirm his crime of deceiving the emperor.

The practice of "presenting a unicorn" was an unspoken rule between Annam and the Northern Song Dynasty, which both sides understood without tacit agreement.

Because the Ly Dynasty of Vietnam had an illegitimate claim to the throne, its rulers were fond of auspicious omens, with yellow dragons, white elephants, and unicorns appearing particularly frequently.

The Qilin represents the Mandate of Heaven and the rightful succession; under normal circumstances, Annam would not present it to China.

This "presentation of the unicorn" is not a deception, but rather a sign of sincerity.

During the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, Annam presented a qilin as a tribute.

At the time, someone recognized it as a rhinoceros, which made both countries lose face.

What was originally a mutually agreeable arrangement became so complicated that even the accounts couldn't be reconciled after it was exposed.

Therefore, there are differences in the records of this event in books such as the "Collection of Imperial Edicts of the Song Dynasty", "Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government", and "Dream Pool Essays".

The "Collection of Imperial Edicts of the Song Dynasty" collects imperial edicts that clearly state that Jiaozhi (Vietnam) was to offer rhinoceroses as tribute.

The Continued Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government is vague, only stating that the court's external propaganda claimed it was a strange beast.

The account in "Dream Pool Essays" is purely hearsay, because Shen Kuo was not in the capital at the time, and he claimed that the rhinoceros-like monster was covered in scales.

Xia Dajun shouted, "Fetch a few buckets of water!"

Several officials immediately drew water from the Luo River and splashed it on the rhinoceros, then wiped it with rags.

As they kept rubbing, the rhinoceros's scales were wiped away...

Xia Dajun sneered: "Still saying it's not deceiving the emperor? Arrest them all!"

Du Yingwu was completely bewildered. "We'll say it's a Qilin. You can just admit it."

This signifies that Annam, a vassal state, is presenting auspicious omens to its suzerain and handing over its legitimacy to the Ming Dynasty!

Why expose it in front of the people?

Look how sensible the emperor and his ministers were; they wrote "rhinoceros" in their reply edict to show they were not being deceived.

At the same time, he promoted the image of a Qilin (a mythical creature) among the common people, and when this was exposed, he changed it to a mythical beast, thus highlighting Emperor Renzong's status as a wise and benevolent ruler of the time.

Through this series of maneuvers, the Song Dynasty achieved both substance and prestige!

Doesn't this Ming emperor have any shame? He even refuses auspicious omens presented by foreign countries.

Du Yingwu was dragged to the Dali Temple prison, shouting along the way, "I want to see the emperor! I want to see the emperor! This is truly an auspicious omen..."

"Dangdangdangdang..."

The constant knocking and banging noises made it impossible for Fujiwara Tadamune to sleep in.

The Sifangguan Museum in Luoyang is located next to the Imperial Academy in Luoyang.

It took half a year for the Imperial Academy to be completed, but other nearby institutions were still under demolition and reconstruction.

The Shihō-kan, intended for the residence of envoys from various countries, had not even been officially started yet, and Fujiwara no Tadamune was currently residing in the monks' quarters at Fukusho-in Temple.

This place was formerly known as Taiping Temple or Taiping Zen Monastery, and it was built with funds from Princess Taiping.

In the fifth year of the Qingli era of the Northern Song Dynasty, Taiping Temple was merged into the neighboring Fusheng Temple.

After the two were merged, they immediately became the second largest temple in Luoyang in terms of area.

Sigh, I don't know when it will be finished.

Fujiwara no Tadamune, who loves to sleep in late, is almost driven to neurasthenia by the noise from the construction site.

He got up and washed up carefully, brushing his teeth again and again.

When he lived in Japan, he was proud of his shiny black teeth.

Having lived in the Ming Dynasty for several years, he became deeply ashamed of it.

Not only the people of his own country, but even envoys from foreign lands made fun of his black teeth, so Fujiwara no Tadamune could only smile without showing his teeth.

Chapter 3535 Those Who Deceive the Emperor Die

After brushing his teeth for a good seven or eight minutes, Fujiwara Tadamune spat out the mouthwash and examined himself in the glass mirror.

Hmm, my teeth seem to have gotten a bit whiter.

He summoned a servant to help him tie his hair and put on a hat, and Fujiwara no Tadashi carefully put away the glass mirror.

He bought this thing with his own money; it wasn't provided by Sifangguan.

Although it was said that glass mirrors were poisonous, Fujiwara no Tadashi did not mind, and a single glass mirror cost him a lot of money.

Strolling towards the temple's dining hall, the Western Xia envoys were already having breakfast.

Because the Sifang Pavilion stipulates a free reception period, envoys who exceed the time limit need to pay.

The Goryeo envoy could not withstand the pressure and returned home last year after presenting the captives.

The Western Xia envoys, however, were stationed in the Ming capital, constantly monitoring the movements of the Ming court, fearing that the Ming might suddenly launch an attack.

"Fujisaburo is here. Breakfast was good today."

Li Zhengchun greeted him with a smile, clearly indicating that he was quite familiar with Fujiwara Tadamune.

Fujiwara no Tadamune bowed and greeted, "Greetings, Atsuho-nii."

Fujiwara no Tadamune now imitates Ming Dynasty officials in everything he does, and even allows others to call him "Fujisaburo".

The two chatted while eating.

As they chatted, Li Zhengchun lowered his voice and asked, "Does Sanlang know that an Annamese envoy checked into the Sifangguan yesterday?"

Fujiwara Tadamune nodded: "I've heard about it."

Li Zhengchun said, "The Annamese envoys who have moved in are actually just small fry; the chief and deputy envoys have already been arrested and imprisoned."

"Why?" Fujiwara Tadamune asked, puzzled.

Li Zhengchun said with amusement, "Annam presented a rhinoceros, and even painted scales on its body, claiming that it was a qilin presented to the Emperor of the Great Ming."

Fujiwara no Tadamune was dumbfounded: "Does the Annamite envoy think the Ming emperor and his ministers are fools?"

"A barbarian country, who knows what they're thinking?"

Li Zhengchun expressed his incomprehension and also expressed his contempt for Annam.

The Western Xia regarded the surrounding small countries and tribes as barbarians, and they held the same view of Annam.

Coincidentally, Annam also regarded the surrounding small countries and tribes as barbarians, and even tried to build its own tributary system.