sovbooks Chapter 99 The Maritime Alliance between Song and Jin
Chapter 99 The Maritime Alliance between Song and Jin
A man's knees are worth gold, and given Li Chong's modern sense of dignity, he certainly wouldn't want to kneel.
But looking at the staff in front of the convoy, it seemed he couldn't avoid it.
At the same time, a question arose in Li Chong's mind: "What important matter could there be? It's one thing for an envoy to come, but to carry an imperial insignia? It seems that envoys to the Liao Kingdom don't usually take this route, do they?"
"Unless, they weren't actually on a mission to the Liao Dynasty..."
Li Chong had some guesses in his mind.
However, the biggest problem right now is how to deal with this angel. Although he doesn't have two wings growing out of his back, he is much more difficult to deal with than that birdman.
With a sigh, Li Chong took a few steps forward, preparing to follow.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. You have to do it at some point. There's no benefit in stubbornly refusing to kneel.
At that moment, a deep voice came from the convoy, clearly carrying a hint of annoyance.
"Zhang Duzhi, how did your men deliver the message? I clearly instructed them to be cautious in this matter and not to make a scene. How did all this trouble happen?"
Another slightly shrill voice rang out: "How do we know where Pharmacist Gao is?"
Hearing something amiss, Li Chong paused, stood still, and waited to see what was going on.
This waiting is going to be a real hassle.
Li Chong stood, Yang Chengde knelt, and the others stood solemnly with their hands clasped in front of them, holding their breath and not daring to breathe.
A moment later, perhaps after the people in the convoy figured out the reason, a man came out.
The man was around forty years old, his face weathered and worn, clearly showing he had experienced many hardships.
He first bowed to the two men and asked, "Which of you is the magistrate of Yanggu County?"
Li Chong stepped forward: "That's me. What are your orders, Your Excellency?"
Upon seeing Li Chong's youthful appearance, a hint of surprise flashed in the newcomer's eyes.
At such a young age, he was already in charge of a county. Compared to Li Chong, the registrar Yang Chengde seemed far too incompetent.
"I dare not accept the county's respectful title. I am Pharmacist Gao. Doctor Ma has ordered you to disperse all the irrelevant people and not let the news leak out before you go to see Doctor Ma to ask him questions."
Upon hearing the name of the person who had come, Li Chong felt puzzled.
Did people in the Northern Song Dynasty all like to name themselves "Pharmacist"? There was a Pharmacist named Gao, then a Pharmacist named Guo after the Jin Dynasty destroyed the Liao Dynasty, and later, a fictional Pharmacist named Huang was written in a martial arts novel.
Pharmacists are everywhere now.
A hint of sarcasm flashed through Li Chong's mind, but he remained cautious on the surface: "May I ask, sir, who is this Doctor Ma...?"
Pharmacist Gao's expression turned serious, and he clasped his hands in greeting: "Zhongfu, the military commander of Dengzhou and the martial arts master, is here on His Majesty's orders as the chief envoy of the mission."
"I see." Li Chong nodded slightly and then replied, "I will take care of it right away. Please let me know. If Yanggu County has done anything wrong, please put in a good word for me, Brother Gao."
"Of course, of course."
After watching Pharmacist Gao leave, Li Chong didn't look at Yang Chengde, who was still kneeling on the ground, and turned around to disperse the crowd, telling them to remember to keep quiet.
Yang Chengde's face flushed red and then turned pale. He stood up dejectedly, dusted himself off, and followed Li Chong.
He had hoped to make a name for himself, but instead he embarrassed himself, leaving him speechless.
Before long, the procession set off again, and this time no one dared to block the way. Instead, the locals along the way pointed and stared at the spectacle.
However, ordinary people wouldn't recognize the angel's chariot, so the people inside didn't say anything more.
In front of the post station, the caravan slowly came to a stop. Li Chong saw a middle-aged man with a long beard get off the middle carriage and enter the post station.
"This person must be the chief envoy," Li Chong thought to himself. "Ma Zhongfu, that name sounds unfamiliar. He shouldn't be an important figure. Are they really going to make contact with the Jin Dynasty?"
Yes, according to Li Chong's guess, the delegation that appeared in this place at this time could not possibly have anything else to do besides planning to cross the sea to form an alliance with the Jin Kingdom.
Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) lacked the ability to be an emperor, but he was quite ambitious.
He wanted to conquer the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.
However, relying solely on itself, the Northern Song Dynasty had been timid for decades and had no confidence in facing the powerful Liao Dynasty in the north.
So in that year, when he learned that a rebel army named Wanyan Aguda had appeared behind the Liao Kingdom, Zhao Ji had an idea and prepared to join forces with the Jin Kingdom to attack the Liao Kingdom from the north and south.
Due to the obstruction of mountains and rivers in between, Emperor Huizong and his ministers sent envoys from Dengzhou to cross the sea and contact Wanyan Aguda.
After several years of negotiations, the two countries formally formed an alliance, historically known as the "Alliance at Sea".
Li Chong was somewhat familiar with this period of history, but he only knew that it happened; he didn't remember the names of the people involved.
Therefore, even when he encountered an envoy, Li Chong could only try to guess what it might be—perhaps it was an envoy forming an alliance.
After thinking absentmindedly for a while, seeing that the main group had entered the post station, Li Chong straightened his clothes and prepared to go in to pay his respects.
Perhaps we can find out some information to corroborate our judgment.
Living in the countryside, Li Chong was eager to know the general situation of the world so that he could make plans for his future.
However, just as he approached the gate of the inn, a thick arm blocked his way.
The person who stopped Li Chong didn't speak, but his serious gaze made it clear without explanation that this path was blocked.
Reluctantly stopping, Li Chong said, "It was that Pharmacist Gao who said that Doctor Ma wants to see me."
The soldier, fully armored, remained unfazed: "Wait. You may enter only when ordered."
"Tsk!"
Li Chong almost turned around and left, but he calmed down. This was not modern times, and dignity was a luxury for a minor official like him.
Bowing your head now is so that you can raise it higher in the future.
After silently preparing himself for a while, Li Chong took a step back and stood still at the door.
He smiled bitterly to himself: "Back then I was eighteen, and I stood like a lackey. Although I'm no longer eighteen, I still look like a lackey."
Li Chong's gaze grew increasingly resolute. He was determined to establish the escort agency; with chaos looming, he could no longer afford to climb the ranks slowly.
Time passed slowly, but there was still no movement inside the inn.
Just as Li Chong was getting impatient, Pharmacist Gao finally appeared: "I apologize for keeping you waiting, Magistrate Li. Lord Zhongfu has summoned you. Please come with me, Magistrate."
After stretching his legs, Li Chong forced a smile: "Thank you for leading the way, Brother Gao."
Under the guidance of Pharmacist Gao, Li Chong was finally able to enter the post station. Just as he stepped across the threshold, he heard another strange noise behind him.
Looking back, Yang Chengde was stopped at the door.
Yang Chengde had been waiting with Li Chong for so long, and Fu Shun hadn't even shown up, yet he still followed along, all for the sake of showing off. How could he possibly stand it now?
"I am with the county magistrate."
The soldier grinned and shook his head, saying, "They only told him to go in, not you."
He's just a clerk. In Bianjing, if you throw a brick at someone, they could easily hit someone with a higher rank than him. Why would someone from the Imperial Guard care about him?
The Northern Song Dynasty valued civil affairs over military affairs, but there was still a hierarchy among civil and military officials.