mtlumby2d Chapter 169 Westview Alliance
Chapter 169 Westview Alliance
The blatant rebellion of Prince Xian Lixu shocked the court and the people. Among the civil and military officials, except for the conservatives who condemned Prince Xian's rebellion and treason every day, and the few radicals who had long been dissatisfied with Ning Xi, they all responded to Prince Xian. The rest just wanted to keep their money and protect themselves. Although they showed a panic and worry in front of others, they were watching in secret. If Emperor Lang won, they would naturally respect Emperor Lang as the king. If Prince Xian won, they would turn around and worship the new emperor. No matter how fierce the power struggle was, these people could move forward and backward freely.
The civil strife in Lang State also made the neighboring countries restless. The weak Zhongshan State and Xuanmeng State in the northwest did not dare to have any improper thoughts for the time being. However, Xiyue State in the southwest and Jingsong State in the southeast, one was ambitious to take revenge and invade Lang State, and the other wanted to take back the city that it was forced to cede due to defeat. So they sat on the mountain and watched the fight on the surface, but in fact they each had their own plans.
Compared with Xiyue Kingdom which had already taken action upon hearing the news, Jingsong Kingdom was still like a frightened bird. Although it had ideas, it was indecisive and timid. It dared not act rashly and just watched and hoped. Although it did not want Lang Kingdom to perish directly, a serious blow to its vitality would give them a chance to regain their lost territory.
When the West Moon Kingdom quietly sent envoys to the Jing Song Kingdom to discuss joining forces to plot against the Lang Kingdom, there was endless debate within the Jing Song Kingdom. The opposition led by the crown prince believed that the three kingdoms were the most stable, and once the Lang Kingdom was destroyed, it would surely help the West Moon Kingdom grow stronger. By then, the lips and teeth would be cold, and the Jing Song Kingdom would be in danger! However, the supporters led by Prime Minister Yuan Lin believed that taking advantage of the civil strife in Lang to join forces with the West Moon Kingdom was the best opportunity to recover the lost territory. Moreover, now that the West Moon Kingdom took the initiative to show goodwill, if the Jing Song Kingdom directly refused, it might offend the West Moon Kingdom. If the West Moon Kingdom really destroyed the Lang Kingdom in the future, it would surely retaliate against the Jing Song Kingdom. By then, the Jing Song Kingdom would also be in danger!
Duke Liangying of Emperor Jing was a man without his own opinion and ambition. Seeing that both sides had their reasons, he could not make up his mind for a moment, which gave him a headache. So he hurriedly dismissed the court after saying a few perfunctory words and returned to the palace to live in peace.
The next day, in the Prime Minister's Mansion, Yuan Xin had just returned from the Imperial Guards and saw his father Yuan Lin sitting in the study, humming music and drinking tea with a happy look on his face. There were two large boxes parked at his feet.
"Dad, what makes you so happy?" Looking at the boxes on the ground, Yuan Xin guessed what was inside without his father saying anything. His eyes lit up, and he squatted down, touched the two boxes, and grinned.
The biggest commonality between this father and son is their love of money.
"Are you here by smelling the smell with your dog's nose?" Yuan Lin glanced at his son and laughed.
"It seems that this is the smell I like." Hearing his father's tone, Yuan Xin became more certain of his guess.
Yuan Lin put down the teacup in his hand, stood up, pulled his son Yuan Xin aside, and whispered, "These were obtained at the cost of the lives of our entire family. You must not tell anyone about this."
"Dad, you won't sell out the court again..."
"Snapped!"
Before Yuan Xin could finish, Yuan Lin slapped his son on the back of his head and glared at him, "Don't you have a brain? How can you say such nonsense? What do you mean by selling out the court? I am also here to help His Majesty. If you adopt Xiyue's proposal, our Jingsong will surely be able to take back the six counties that we ceded with humiliation!"
"But didn't you say yesterday that His Majesty was not going to send troops? Would it be useful for Xiyue Kingdom to give you gifts at this time? Can you still convince His Majesty to change his mind?" Yuan Xin asked worriedly, touching the back of his head that was hurt by the beating.
"Man proposes, God disposes." Yuan Lin snorted coldly, then sat back at the table and continued, "Your Majesty does not plan to send troops because he is afraid that if he fails, Jingsong will be retaliated by Lang. Moreover, the opposition led by the crown prince brought up the allusion of "the lips and teeth are cold when they are gone", and they are worried that the destruction of Lang will definitely help Xiyue become stronger, so Your Majesty is afraid."
"But if we don't eliminate this doubt, how can we make His Majesty change his mind?"
"Of course, Xiyue Nation needs to show more sincerity."
Seeing that his father looked confident, Yuan Xin felt relieved and stopped asking questions. Instead, he impatiently bent down and opened the two large boxes in front of him. The boxes were full of gold, silver and jewels, which greatly satisfied the greed of Yuan father and son.
In the garden of the inner courtyard of the imperial palace, Emperor Jing was enjoying the cool air in the pavilion, with the palace maids on both sides of him fanning him gently. At this time, Yuan Lin came to the pavilion with a bird cage covered with green cloth under the guidance of the eunuch:
"Your Majesty, your servant Yuanlin pays homage." Upon seeing Emperor Jing, Yuanlin stepped forward to pay his respects with a flattering look on his face.
"My dear Yuan Lin, what good things have you brought for me?" Emperor Jing raised his hand slightly to signal Yuan Lin to stand up. Then he moved his eyes to the birdcage in the other's hand and smiled curiously.
"Your Majesty, please look." Yuan Lin hurriedly placed the bird cage on the stone table in front of Emperor Jing. Before the green cloth was lifted, one could hear the bird's calls of bu, po and suo coming from inside. Those three notes alone were melodious and very pleasant to the ear.
"Oh, just hearing this cry makes me love it so much."
Emperor Jing suddenly became interested. With a kind smile on his face, he stood up and gently lifted the cloth on the birdcage. Immediately, a bird slightly larger than a sparrow, with bright feathers and elegant manners appeared in the cage.
“Your Majesty, this bird is called Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, also known as the Three Treasures Bird. According to legend, the Three Treasures Bird is the guardian spirit after the death of an enlightened monk, and it also guards the souls of the compassionate people in this world.” Seeing the light in Emperor Jing’s eyes, Yuan Lin smiled with satisfaction, then bowed and stepped forward to introduce the bird to Emperor Jing.
"Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, the Three Treasures of Buddhism, what nice names." Emperor Jing's delighted gaze was still on the beautiful and elegant Three Treasures bird in the cage. He nodded happily when he heard Yuan Lin's introduction.
"This auspicious bird is worthy of His Majesty's supreme position." Yuan Lin continued to flatter him with a smile on his face.
"My dear minister, you are not coming to the palace today just to give me this three-treasure bird, right?" Emperor Jing was delighted, so he glanced at Yuan Lin and continued to ask.
Seeing that Emperor Jing was in a good mood at the moment, Yuan Lin did not waste time and went straight to the point to persuade Emperor Jing again to join forces with Xiyue Kingdom to attack Lang Kingdom. He also pointed out that if Emperor Jing could recover the lost territory during his reign, it would not only comfort his ancestors and make up for the regrets of the previous emperor, but also leave a good reputation for generations to come.
After being persuaded by Prime Minister Yuan Lin, Emperor Jing was moved. He also knew that he had not made any achievements in his thirty-year reign and was unworthy of the cultivation of the previous emperor. He did not expect to enjoy eternal fame. However, if he could really recover the lost territory for the Kingdom of Song during his lifetime, he would have something to report to when he met the previous emperor a hundred years later.
Yuan Lin, who was standing by, saw that the Emperor Jing was wavering in his decision, so he told him the additional promise made by the Kingdom of Xiyue, which was that in addition to returning the six counties, the Kingdom of Jingsong would also get six more cities. At the same time, they also promised that the two countries would establish friendly diplomatic relations and coexist peacefully from then on.
Upon hearing that he could take twelve cities, Emperor Jing did not hesitate any longer and immediately agreed to send troops. He also let Prime Minister Yuan Lin be fully responsible for signing a private agreement with the Xiyue Kingdom.