Chapter Twenty-Six

As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Lin Feng’s marriage, too, ran into a slight hitch, compelling Marshal Lin to summon his ministers for a council to address the issue.

Truth be told, the matter was not entirely unexpected. When Li Guangdi, Zhou Peigong, and the others read the notification, they even shared a look of relief. Based on their impression of Wu Sangui, he was hardly the type to be taken for a fool. The very idea that he would go to such lengths to send his beautiful daughter as a gift seemed absurd if it were merely to curry favor with Lin Feng. After all, they were all seasoned politicians, and it would be laughable to presume such innocence or naivety amongst them.

Along with the list of betrothal gifts and the announced departure date, a small, inconspicuous attachment arrived in Beijing. At first glance, tucked behind a long row of silks and jade pendants, it appeared insignificant. But when Lin Feng laid eyes on it, he was taken aback, for the attachment was a highly formal imperial edict. How the Great Zhou authorities could relegate such an important document to the very end was a mystery; by all logic, such an edict should have headed the correspondence, as it was a declaration to be announced before all else.

To be honest, Lin Feng couldn’t make heads or tails of the first two sections at all. As he read, he found himself resorting to the reading comprehension techniques he’d learned for his old English exams, deciphering the barely intelligible final part and working his way backward to infer the general meaning. It was a most vexing ordeal; he simply couldn’t fathom why, when the message was meant for him, it had to be written in such a cryptic manner. Yet frustration aside, the political implications were perfectly clear, leaving Marshal Lin’s mood exceedingly complex as he struggled to devise a suitable response to this maneuver.

Whoever devised this ploy for Wu Sangui was undoubtedly a master tactician. On the surface, the imperial edict seemed perfectly natural, but beneath, it was anything but. The Han army and the Great Zhou dynasty were two entirely separate entities, without any hierarchical relationship—tantamount, in fact, to two distinct nations. Wu Sangui had no legitimate authority to confer titles or make appointments of this nature, and so the imperial edict was, in reality, nothing more than a summons to surrender.

“Gentlemen, that old fox Wu Sangui has tried to play another trick on me. I’m not sure whether to accept or refuse this document. What do you all think?” Lin Feng cleared his throat, breaking the silence, and turned to Li Guangdi. “Jin Qing, as the chief civil official of our Han state, do you think it’s better for us to accept or reject this imperial edict?”

Li Guangdi frowned and coughed, his face twisting in distress. “My lord, the matter is of the utmost importance, and for the moment, I find it difficult to decide…” Noting Lin Feng’s displeased expression, he hurriedly added, “But in my humble opinion, accepting the edict does us no harm. The Great Zhou is separated from us by a thousand miles—proclaiming ourselves vassals changes nothing of substance for the greater cause…”

“Jin Qing, that is not correct!” Chen Menglei could restrain himself no longer; he stood up abruptly and bowed to Lin Feng. “My lord, this is a matter of national prestige and must not be taken lightly.” He turned and bowed to Li Guangdi. “Forgive my candor, sir, but this concerns matters far beyond the ordinary. Wu Sangui is a man of wolfish ambition—he once led the Tartars through the passes, strangled the Ming emperor and his empress, and has shown not a shred of integrity, betraying his masters time and again. He is reviled throughout the land. If our Han state now submits to him, how will the world view us? And furthermore…” He glanced at Lin Feng. “If, in the future, we unify Hebei and destroy the false Qing, and end up facing off against Zhou from north to south, how will we conduct ourselves then?”

Li Guangdi sighed faintly and waved his hand. “Zhezhen, I am well aware of the gravity of the situation. But our Han state is beset by troubles inside and out; we cannot afford to stand too tall.” He forced a smile. “By your reasoning, should we simply call off the alliance through marriage?”

“Jin Qing, do not be so timid. If that old villain Wu truly intends to press us, then let the marriage fall through!” Chen Menglei replied, his face flushed with righteous anger. He bowed to Lin Feng. “My lord, I request permission to travel to Jiangnan and reason with the Great Zhou. If they insist on this, let them know the Han state is no easy prey!”

“Alas, Zhezhen, you speak as one who does not have to keep the household running,” Li Guangdi said coldly. “Let alone other military and political arrangements, our Han state is severely lacking in funds. For the sake of the goods from Jiangnan alone, we must proceed with caution. Not to mention, the lord has already decreed that, starting now, we shall send caravans to trade horses, tea, and cloth with the Mongol tribes, and much of our merchandise must come from…”

“We cannot simply bow our heads!” Chen Menglei retorted sharply. He strode about and swept his gaze over the assembled ministers, his voice ringing with passion. “Once, our lord strove amid the wilds, wrestling with sword and spear; you all fought and bled to build this humble foundation. How can we now allow ourselves to be toyed with by others?” He gestured around. “If we bow to that arch-criminal Wu, how will the scholars and gentry of the land view the Han state? Who will believe in our banner calling for the expulsion of the Tartars and the restoration of our homeland? Moreover, when our army retakes Shandong and destroys the false prince of Qing, and borders the Great Zhou, if they send orders, do we obey or not? If we do not, are we not then rebels? In that case, we lose all legitimacy and the Han state is doomed!”

Li Guangdi’s face darkened. “Zhezhen, the future is long. Don’t exaggerate the danger!”

“I do not speak lightly, Jin Qing. Do you not see that a small retreat today leads to a greater one tomorrow?” He turned solemnly to Lin Feng and bowed deeply. “My lord, better that the marriage does not go through!”

Lin Feng shifted uneasily in his seat, a tumult of emotions warring within him. To think that what should have been a simple matter of taking a wife had become such a miserable affair, and now he must watch his subordinates earnestly decide his marriage for him, giving him the distinct feeling of a pawn in an arranged union.

“My lord, honored colleagues,” Zhou Peigong interjected with a cheerful bow, “in truth, whatever we intend, that old thief Wu knows well. All he wants is the nominal submission. If we play dumb, he won’t force a confrontation. This is hardly a masterstroke; the people know the truth, and no one can be fooled. Such is the nature of politics—now that he’s achieved his aim, he can trumpet in Jiangnan to his people that, inspired by the ‘virtue and might of the Emperor of Zhou,’ the Han state has submitted. Meanwhile, we can tell the people of Hebei that we each walk our own path. If the day comes when we must part ways openly, we can fight it out then!”

“Brilliant plan, brilliant plan!” Lin Feng laughed heartily and clapped his hands. “Peigong, you are astute and resourceful—just what I needed!”

“You honor me, my lord,” Zhou Peigong replied with a modest smile. “Therefore, I would ask you to order the swift construction of the royal platform, so that the investiture can take place before the Zhou princess arrives. If the Zhou envoy should cause any trouble…”

“Ahem, as for the Zhou wedding envoy…” Li Guangdi rose slowly, straightening his robes with a practiced air of indifference. “That falls under my jurisdiction. Rest assured, Marshal, I shall ensure the envoy understands that the Han government is a stickler for procedure. Official matters are always treated with the utmost seriousness, and if he finds anything unsatisfactory, I will gladly spend ten or twenty years attending to his requests!”