Chapter 105: First Clash

Zhu Shun said, “Does being an envoy of the State of Yan mean you can seize people at will in the State of Zhao?”

Song Long met him head-on. “Zhu Shun, you cannot make reckless accusations!”

Zhu Shun said, “Lord Song, a visitor is a guest, and I have no wish to make this affair bigger than it needs to be. But I must take that man away today. Hand him over, and I will treat this as though nothing ever happened. Otherwise, you will force me to order a search. If we find him here, I will have no choice but to detain all of you and demand that the court of the State of Yan give Jinzhou an explanation. Lord Song, there is no room for negotiation or ambiguity in this matter. I will say it once more: hand him over, and I will treat this as though nothing happened. You have my word.”

The man they had seized was inside. The place was already surrounded by heavy troops, leaving nowhere to hide him, and the other side’s position could not have been clearer: there was no room for negotiation. Song Long had no choice but to weigh the consequences carefully.

The fur of a Golden King Bear was precious, but compared with certain other matters it was not much. Besides, the bear demon itself was of no use to him. He had intended to give it away as a gift in the first place, not keep it as a treasure.

Song Long glanced at his true target: Niu Youdao.

His gaze flickered for a moment before he turned his head. “Bring the man out.”

Seeing one of Song Long’s men head back inside, Niu Youdao immediately murmured a warning to Zhu Shun. “A dead man cannot treat an illness.”

He was worried they might silence Yuan Fang. After all, an envoy seizing someone inside another state’s territory was no small matter. If they killed Yuan Fang and then claimed they had merely found an injured man on the street, brought him back for treatment, and unfortunately failed to save him, while flatly denying that they had ever seized him, the dispute could drag on endlessly.

Zhu Shun’s eyes flashed. In an exceedingly grave tone, he warned, “I want him alive! If he is dead, not one of you should think of leaving this place alive!”

He could speak so severely because he understood exactly what it would mean to the Xiao family and to Madam if there truly was a skilled physician capable of curing the Young Master. He also knew what the collapse of the Xiao family would mean for him, the Xiao family’s steward.

Song Long sneered. “What grand words. I am an envoy of the State of Yan. Even the court of the State of Zhao would not lightly threaten to kill a foreign envoy. It seems Jinzhou now stands above the court of the State of Zhao. Today, Song has truly learned something!”

Zhu Shun said, “Lord Song misunderstands. Jinzhou would never dare place itself above the court. Jinzhou simply does not fear the State of Yan, nor will it indulge the State of Yan in running rampant inside the State of Zhao’s borders. If Lord Song does not believe me, you are welcome to hand over a corpse and see what happens. I can guarantee that, should some unfortunate incident occur, the State of Yan will certainly understand reason and will not pursue the matter.”

“...” Song Long was left seething with fury.

Zhu Shun had phrased it politely enough, but his meaning was perfectly clear: Even if I kill you, the State of Yan will not dare truly pursue it!

As a foreign envoy, Song Long found the words almost impossible to endure, yet he did not dare test them. The State of Yan could not clench its fist into one force, much less strike outward with it, and so it could not threaten its enemies. Between states, strength did the talking. A hard mouth was useless.

Although this affair had arisen from a private feud of the Song family, today Song Long gained a profound understanding of what it meant to say that a weak state had no diplomacy. Even a regional lord within the State of Zhao dared show no respect for an envoy of the State of Yan. To a foreign envoy, it was an extraordinary humiliation.

Yet he understood in his heart that the State of Yan’s overall national strength was not weak, scarcely inferior to the State of Zhao’s. The State of Yan’s weakness lay in its internal chaos, which had reduced the state to a heap of loose sand. Several years ago, when the mighty forces commanded by Prince Ning still existed, the State of Zhao itself had stood a head lower before the State of Yan. In those days, how could the State of Zhao have dared speak to an envoy of the State of Yan like this? But in the eyes of the emperor of the State of Yan, perhaps his own brother Prince Ning had seemed a more immediate enemy than any foreign foe. There were some matters men like Song Long, as ministers, were in no position to discuss.

In the end, Yuan Fang was brought out with blood on his clothes. Before everyone present, Song Long had been forced by superior power to release him.

Seeing Yuan Fang, Zhu Shun quietly asked Niu Youdao, “Is that him?”

Niu Youdao nodded. “That’s him.”

The moment Yuan Fang saw Niu Youdao again and realized that Niu Youdao had brought so many people to rescue him, he almost burst into tears. Master Dao really had not abandoned him. Master Dao truly had come to save him!

While he was being tortured, Yuan Fang had known that whether he confessed or not, the other side might still refuse to let him go. Why should they spare him? He had thought he was going to die. Yet from the time he was captured until now, probably not even two hours had passed, and Master Dao had already rushed to get him out. The feeling in his chest burned fiercely hot.

No matter what Niu Youdao had said to him before, some doubts had always remained in Yuan Fang’s heart. Ten thousand spoken assurances could not compare with experiencing something like this once for himself. Seeing Niu Youdao again, he was overwhelmed with emotion. He limped over and called out with feeling, “Master Dao!”

Niu Youdao looked him up and down. “How badly are you hurt?”

“Just flesh wounds. I can take it!” To Yuan Fang, staying alive mattered more than anything.

Across from them, Song Long suddenly put on a smile and cupped his hands. “Steward Zhu, this was all a misunderstanding. I hope you will forgive it!”

He was testing Zhu Shun’s attitude, trying to determine whether there was any point in remaining in Jinzhou Prefectural Capital.

Zhu Shun likewise cupped his hands in return. “Lord Song is right. It was indeed a misunderstanding. The matter is over. This old servant still has duties to attend to, so I will take my leave first.” His position was equally clear: he would keep his word and treat the affair as though it had never happened.

For Zhu Shun, rescuing the person they needed unharmed was enough. He had no desire to provoke a dispute between Jinzhou, the court of the State of Zhao, and the State of Yan over a matter like this. The larger situation and practical realities stood before them. Everyone had things they could not help doing. Whether pleased or displeased, they all had to know when to pick something up and when to put it down, without getting trapped by minor grievances.

Song Long relaxed and gave an understanding smile. “Steward Zhu, take care. Forgive me for not seeing you farther.”

“Lord Song, no need to accompany us.” Zhu Shun returned the courtesy, then waved for the encircling troops to withdraw and turned to leave with his people.

Before departing, Niu Youdao and Song Long exchanged a look. Both men’s eyes were calm, yet neither concealed his hostility.

In their first meeting and first clash, Niu Youdao’s side had suffered a loss, while Song Long’s side had lost face. Neither had been able to do anything to the other. For now, neither could. It was impossible to say that either man had won or gained the advantage.

The troops surrounding the State of Yan envoy’s courtyard withdrew. Niu Youdao emerged supporting a bloodied, injured man who limped as he walked, making the pair conspicuous.

At the very least, the envoys of the various states saw them clearly. They paid particular attention to the two strangers, Niu Youdao and Yuan Fang, and all wanted to know who they were.

Each envoy questioned the attendants around him who were more familiar with Jinzhou, only to receive shaking heads. No one knew them or had seen them before.

That only deepened the envoys’ curiosity. Who could these two men be, to make Zhu Shun personally bring men to surround the courtyard of envoy of the State of Yan? At the same time, everyone was keenly concerned about what conflict had arisen between Song Long of the State of Yan and Jinzhou. Would it grow into a greater dispute? Would it draw in the State of Yan and the State of Zhao and thereby alter the balance beneath Heaven?

When the Wu Dynasty collapsed, hundreds of feudal lords had declared themselves kings and founded states. The balance beneath Heaven had shifted ever since, gradually evolving into the present seven states. There was no need to reach far back into history; the smell of blood from the partition of Qin seemed not yet to have faded. How could the envoys fail to pay close attention?

Once Zhu Shun’s forces withdrew from Liufang Guesthouse, the envoys of Jin, the State of Han, Song, Wei, and Qi immediately headed toward Song Long at the entrance to the Yan Lodge to express their concern.

“Brother Song, why does Zhu Shun find you so displeasing?” The envoy of the State of Han, Zhuge Xun, was the first to approach, wearing an expression of surprise.

He was a fair-skinned young man dressed entirely in white, handsome and elegant. He was the youngest of all the envoys, and also the most striking in appearance.

Naturally, his words were not especially pleasant. Everyone understood why. The State of Han had only recently carved an entire prefecture away from the State of Yan, and the great war between the two states had cost countless lives. They were practically still in a state of confrontation, enemies in every real sense. How could his words possibly sound friendly?

Song Long said indifferently, “No respect for your elders. I am old enough to be your father. Is this how the State of Han’s rites teach you to speak to a senior? In the future, remember to address me as an uncle.”

Zhuge Xun chuckled. “I have never heard that envoys between states rank one another by age. If the State of Han sends a hundred-year-old man as envoy one day, Brother Song, would you have to call him Grandfather when you met? How embarrassing that would be.”

Beside them, Tu Huaiyu, the envoy of the State of Song, stroked his beard and gave a contemptuous snort. “A brat whose hair has barely grown in, yet he thinks himself fit to serve as an envoy?”

He was not speaking up for Song Long. The State of Song also bordered the State of Han, and the two had their own disputes. On top of that, Zhuge Xun’s youth simply rubbed him the wrong way. If a man so young could serve as an envoy, did that not make an old fellow like him seem useless?

Chu Xiangyu, envoy of the State of Jin; Sui Pai, envoy of the State of Wei; and Zuo Annian, envoy of the State of Qi, all watched with cheerful expressions, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

There was no helping it. The State of Yan, the State of Zhao, the State of Han, and Song lay close together and frequently came into conflict. Jin, Wei, and Qi were farther away and relatively better off.

In any case, none of these state envoys had come to celebrate Hai Ruyue’s birthday out of pure goodwill. If nothing else, how was Emperor Hai Wuji of the State of Zhao supposed to feel when he saw them all here? These men would have been delighted to provoke conflict between Hai Wuji and his sister.

Song Long had matters weighing on his mind and no interest in trading barbs with them. He did not even bother with a farewell, merely flicked his sleeve and turned back inside.

Only after returning to his room did his expression truly darken. He ordered one of the accompanying officials, “Find out immediately what relationship Niu Youdao has with the Provincial Inspector’s Residence!”

At the Provincial Inspector’s Residence, Zhu Shun ordered men to take Yuan Fang away first to wash and have his wounds treated. They were asking the man to examine Xiao Tianzhen’s illness; they could hardly bring him before Madam looking this wretched.

While washing and changing in a room, with no outsiders present, Yuan Fang finally whispered to Niu Youdao, “Master Dao, aside from telling them we were staying at Fulin Inn, I didn’t tell them anything else.”

Niu Youdao smiled. “No need to explain. I trust you.”

“...” Yuan Fang froze, then felt another surge of emotion.

Little did he know that Niu Youdao understood the situation perfectly. If Yuan Fang had revealed secrets that should not have been revealed, Song Long would have had every reason to keep him detained.

This was not the time to explain that reasoning. Niu Youdao lowered his voice. “Circumstances left me no choice. It wasn’t convenient to avenge you just now.”

Slowly changing into clean clothes, Yuan Fang hurriedly said, “I understand, I understand. A monk shouldn’t cling to such things. Whether I get revenge or not doesn’t matter.”

“But now there happens to be an excellent opportunity for revenge...” Niu Youdao then explained how he had gotten the Provincial Inspector’s Residence to intervene and rescue him.

“Ah!” Yuan Fang turned pale with alarm. “Master Dao, I don’t know how to treat that illness!”

Niu Youdao said calmly, “You don’t need to treat it. In a moment, just act according to circumstances and speak as little as possible. I’ll handle the rest.”

[End of Chapter 105]