La vie des gens de la campagne en ville sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 28

"Sixth Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Brother!"

Qin Zhen waved her little hand and called down. The gray-clad youth turned around and was overjoyed to see Qin Zhen. He stood up, lightly tapped the table with one foot, and leaped to the second floor, causing a stir among the crowd.

Wu Nian looked at Qin Zhen, who had appeared before him unharmed, with a moved expression. He stepped forward and pinched her cheek. After hearing Qin Zhen exclaim "Ouch!", he smiled and said, "It really is Junior Sister. It's good that you're alright!"

Yue Fei was still amazed by Wu Nian's light-footed skill in leaping upstairs when he saw Wu Nian's deep gaze fall on him. Qin Zhen introduced him, saying, "Sixth Senior Brother, this is my sworn brother, Yue Fei. He is the one who saved me from the river."

Qin Zhen then said to Yue Fei, "This is my sixth senior brother, Wu Nian."

After Wu Nian and Yue Fei exchanged polite greetings, the three sat down around the table. Qin Zhen asked curiously, "Sixth Senior Brother, what are you doing here?"

Wu Nian stared intently at her and said, "Isn't it all because of you! When news of your assassination attempt on the Yellow River reached Bianjing, everyone was terrified when they heard that you had fallen into the water and gone missing. I heard that your mother even fainted several times from worry!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhen anxiously grabbed his arm and asked, "Is my mother alright?"

“We haven’t heard from you at all. Your mother has been getting more and more haggard, not eating or drinking. Seeing that…” Wu Nian saw the mist rising in Qin Zhen’s eyes, he changed the subject and said, “When Senior Brother received a letter from the manager of Tangyin Money Exchange, knowing that you were out of danger, he slowly got better.”

Qin Zhen playfully punched Wu Nian's arm with her fist and scolded, "Sixth Senior Brother, you deliberately scared me!"

"You're scared by this? Do you know how much fright you've caused everyone? I thought you could take good care of yourself, but I didn't expect you to still be a worry. I have no choice but to reluctantly send you to the Liao Kingdom."

"Sixth Senior Brother, you're willing to return to Liao?" Qin Zhen asked in surprise. Wu Nian nodded gently and said, "I've thought about it a lot since then, and I understand what Master said. Becoming a monk is not a way to avoid problems. Only when I solve all my problems can I calm down and wholeheartedly devote myself to Buddhism."

Qin Zhen exclaimed excitedly, "That's wonderful! With us fellow disciples here, what problem can't we solve!"

Wu Nian felt a little awkward looking at Qin Zhen, who was dressed in gold and silver. When he had a chance, he asked, "When did you start liking to stuff these things on yourself?"

"This is not what I like! I got separated from Zhao Gou and now I can't cross the border. I was planning to trick a merchant caravan into sending me to the Liao Kingdom secretly."

"Oh?" Wu Nian found it amusing and asked, "How are you going to fool me? Whose identity will you be using?"

Qin Zhen coughed lightly and said, "Yelü Mingzhen is the daughter of Yelü Huan, the former King of Wei of Liao."

Wu Nian turned her head in surprise to look at Qin Zhen, and Yue Fei looked at her in surprise as well, wondering why she would pretend to be a princess and not be afraid of being exposed.

Wu Nian chuckled softly, "When have I ever had a daughter as big as you?"

This time, only Yue Fei was surprised.

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Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 057 When Will the Feud End?

"The King of Wei? The King of Wei of Liao?"

Yue Fei asked in surprise, completely unable to believe that the handsome young man in plain clothes in front of him was actually the King of Wei of Liao!

Regarding important matters of the world, Yue Fei would often listen to Zhou Tong tell him about them. Yue Fei knew about the King of Liao Wei, who was Yelü Chun, the fourth uncle of the current Liao emperor. Among the royal family, regardless of age, he was the most favored and deeply loved by the court officials. In the Liao Kingdom, he was truly a highly sought-after figure!

The Prince of Wei, Yelü Chun, whom Yue Fei knew, was nearly fifty years old. How could he possibly connect him with this young man who was not yet thirty?

Wu Nian explained with a wry smile, "I am no longer that; that was many years ago. The former King of Liaowei is long dead, and this title now refers to someone else. You can't just call him that."

Seeing that Wu Nian—no, Yelü Huan—had fallen silent, Qin Zhen nudged him and said, "Senior brother, you're here to help me this time. You must put me first in everything. Don't keep thinking about your own affairs!"

Hearing Qin Zhen's domineering words, Yelü Huan laughed. Although Qin Zhen didn't say it outright, he understood the worry and concern in her words.

Yelü Huan reached out and ruffled Qin Zhen's hair, smiling as he said, "Little girl, you're getting more and more domineering. Okay, I'll listen to you. I won't think about the past anymore."

"That's it! Senior brother, you should be thinking about how to get me into Liao territory. We're already far behind, and any further delay could ruin everything!" Qin Zhen said anxiously.

Yelü Huan said, "It's very simple. I'll give you a token. You can just tell the Liao soldiers that you are my daughter. Although I'm no longer a prince, entering Liao territory is no problem."

Qin Zhen blinked and asked, "Tell the soldiers I'm your daughter? That might fool a few merchants, but those soldiers are all Yelü Chun's men. If I say I'm your daughter, won't they immediately send me to Yelü Chun?"

Faced with Qin Zhen's question, Yelü Huan smiled faintly but did not answer. Qin Zhen thought for a moment and asked in return, "You mean you want me to go find him?"

Yelü Huan nodded and said, "It will be much easier for you to get things done by using his help."

Qin Zhen originally thought that Yelü Huan would go to Liao with him, but now he heard that this was not the case.

"Are you still unwilling to intervene directly?"

"I cannot show myself for the time being. The Liao Kingdom is already in chaos enough. If I were to appear rashly, those with ulterior motives would only use the opportunity to cause even greater turmoil. But don't worry, I will secretly go to the Liao Kingdom with you."

After hearing his explanation, Qin Zhen nodded in acceptance. The situation in Liao was beyond Qin Zhen's control, and there were many things she didn't understand. Yelü Huan was clearly much more familiar with the situation than she was, so listening to his advice was a wise decision.

They discussed some matters carefully at the inn, and the next morning they headed straight for the Liao Kingdom. After leaving Daming Prefecture, they went straight to Zhengding Prefecture, and then arrived at the Song-Liao border.

The journey from Daming Prefecture to the Liao border was over 500 li. They rushed all the way and arrived in just two days, though the journey was quite arduous.

—

The Liao Dynasty had five capitals. Although the central capital, Dadingfu, was the capital, the other four capitals were also very important. Qijinfu (formerly Youzhou), located in the southernmost part, was the southernmost of the five capitals and was hereditarily garrisoned by Prince Yelü Chun of Wei.

Yelü Chun's spacious carriage was traveling back to his palace. He had just finished a banquet at the post station. This mission by the Song Dynasty prince concerned the survival of the Liao Dynasty, and as the lord of Nanjing, he naturally had to personally welcome and entertain him.

"Your Majesty!"

When the carriage arrived at the gate of the Prince's Mansion, a guard with a sword helped the slightly drunk Yelü Chun down from the carriage, and then the servants inside the mansion took over and helped him into the mansion.

As Yelü Chun walked to the gate of the Prince's Mansion, he remembered something and said to his guards, "You all go to the post station tonight to guard the guesthouse. Don't let the rioters in the city disturb our distinguished guests."

"Yes, sir!"

Exhausted, Yelü Chun did not rest immediately but forced himself to go to his study to handle official business. The recent situation in Liao had everyone in a state of utter disarray. On the northern front, they were suffering repeated defeats, and the Jin army was gradually encroaching on their territory. Meanwhile, in the southern prefectures, riots were constantly breaking out, making it impossible for the rear to remain peaceful.

He rubbed his temples, his head aching, when suddenly a person came to mind. He couldn't help but smile bitterly: If he were still here, he could surely relieve the Emperor and him of much of their worries...

Setting aside unrealistic ideas, Yelü Chun decided to place his hopes on the Song envoys. If he could successfully sign an agreement with the Song Dynasty and obtain its assistance, and once he had sufficient provisions, he could quell the rebellion and fight the Jin with peace of mind. At that time, the situation of being besieged from both inside and outside might be much better.

"Your Majesty, there is an urgent report!"

When the chief of the palace guards suddenly reported outside the study, Yelü Chun sobered up a bit. He frowned as he took the urgent report, wondering if some mob had taken advantage of the chaos to cause trouble again.

He opened the urgent letter and quickly glanced through it. He felt a throbbing pain in his temples. The jade pendant that fell out of the letter also stimulated his nerves, making the remaining seven-tenths of his drunkenness disappear without a trace!

"Quickly, send someone to the South Camp to bring that child to me. Do not harm her in the slightest!"

Yelü Chun's hands trembled with excitement. He gripped the jade token tightly, his eyes fixed on the name on the letter—"Yelü Mingzhen"!

“Mingzhen… Huan’er’s child… Haha…”

He laughed heartily in his study. He hadn't felt this good since the fire ten years ago!

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Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 058: True Grandfather, False Granddaughter

Yelü Chun paced back and forth in his study, carefully recalling the scene from that year. He vividly remembered that his only son, Yelü Huan, had indeed been holding an infant in his arms when he left in despair—it really was his child!

Thinking of his son, who was like a chosen one of heaven, Yelü Chun's eyes couldn't help but moisten. He had wronged his son far too much in his life!

Just as he was lost in his memories, a gentle voice rang out at the door with a knock: "Your Majesty, it is late. You should rest early."

Princess De appeared in the study. Upon seeing the princess who had been with him for more than twenty years, Yelü Chun felt a chill run down his spine.

"Your Majesty..."

Yelü Chun looked at her again, sighing inwardly that the past was gone and that she couldn't be entirely blamed for what happened back then; the key was to handle the present situation properly.

"I just received an urgent report, Huan'er, he..."

Princess De's dignified figure suddenly went limp upon hearing the name "Huan'er," and she barely managed to stay upright by grabbing the doorframe. Her clear voice trembled as she asked, "He... he's back?"

Yelü Chun shook his head and said, "No, it's his daughter who has returned. Do you remember that child from back then?"

Princess De nodded blankly, her mind in turmoil, unsure of what to do.

"I have already sent someone to bring the child over. You must treat her well from now on," Yelü Chun instructed.

Princess De nodded silently, her palms already sweaty.

Time seemed to drag on endlessly while waiting. Yelü Chun sat anxiously in his palace, eagerly awaiting the arrival of his granddaughter, Yelü Mingzhen. As the palace eunuchs marched into the main hall, Yelü Chun stared intently at the figures before them.

The young woman, with her bright and beautiful face and petite figure, possessed an innate royal aura that drew everyone's attention the moment she stood there. The morning breeze lifted the soft hem of her dress, causing it to flutter around her.

Qin Zhen appeared before Yelü Chun with a calm and composed demeanor, her smile radiant, like a fairy spirit in the morning woods.

Are you my grandfather?

Yelü Chun squatted down, his tall frame bent down, and gently grasped Qin Zhen's shoulders, overjoyed.

"Yes, I am your royal father, I am!"

Qin Zhen took out a thick iron tiger-head plaque from his waist and handed it to him, saying, "It's good to see you. My father asked me to give this to you."

Yelü Chun was taken aback. This tiger-head iron token was a military tally directly under the emperor's palace army. Why was it in her hands?

"Did your father give this to you? What else did he say?"

“He said it was given to him by my cousin, but he doesn’t want it anymore, so he asked me to give it to you. He said you know how to use it, Grandfather.”

Yelü Chun was shocked. The Emperor had entrusted the military tally to Yelü Huan back then—what a great trust that was! And now, he was handing the military tally back to him. What did this mean?

Before he could think it over further, Qin Zhen said, "Alright, here's the stuff, I should go now!"

After she finished speaking, she turned and left. Yelü Chun was about to reach out to grab her when a young man suddenly appeared, standing between the two of them. This young man was Yue Fei. He had no good feelings towards the Liao people, and even harbored some hostility towards them. Although he did not quite agree with Qin Zhen impersonating the princess, he knew that Qin Zhen had something to do, so he had no choice but to force himself to stay by her side and protect her.

When the guards in the hall saw Yue Fei suddenly rush out, with one hand on the hilt of his sword, they all drew their weapons, eager to test their skills against him.