Chapter 86: The Troubles of Being the Protagonist

If Zhao Yu had heard what Wanyan Xiyin said, he would surely have awarded him the Grand Prize for Imagination.
The explosion had come so suddenly, and everything around had been leveled to the ground. Amidst the wreckage, for someone to notice such details—one must admit, this fellow was remarkably attentive.
Afterwards, it wasn’t as if no one wanted to pursue the culprit, but the matter of deciding who would become the new leader clearly weighed more heavily on everyone’s minds.
Then again, the great men had gathered precisely to discuss who would take charge; tracking down the perpetrator could wait.
Wanyan Xieye gave a dry cough and said, “The deaths of our brothers must be avenged, but looking at our current situation, if we cannot unite as one, even if we find our enemy, it will do us no good.”
His words were well reasoned, and the others nodded in agreement.
“In fact, I have an idea I’d like everyone to consider, to see if it might be feasible,” another voice interjected—it was Wanyan Loushi, renowned for his bravery and a close ally of Xieye. He was among Xieye’s staunchest supporters.
Seeing he had everyone’s attention, Loushi continued, “The Liao forces are no longer a threat. Why not divide our troops and continue campaigning against Liao? Whichever of us achieves the greatest merit and victories, let him become the emperor of Great Jin.”
Loushi’s plan was, on the surface, reasonable. However, the Jurchens suffered from a fatal flaw: their numbers were few. Despite years of development, their forces numbered barely fifty thousand. There were auxiliary troops, but at this critical juncture, who dared deploy them lightly?
Zonggan frowned and said, “We’ve suffered too great a loss this time. More importantly, morale is shaken. If we rush to mobilize now, I fear the losses may outweigh the gains.”
Zonghan and Zongwang exchanged glances, then turned their gaze to Xiyin.
Xiyin was famed among the Jurchens for his cunning; he had even invented the Jurchen script. What’s more, he had just made that seemingly random reference to a Song man, which clearly had a purpose.
“Gentlemen, Zonggan is right. And if His Majesty was targeted in this explosion, it can hardly be a simple matter. Who can say the enemy has no follow-up plans? For now, it is better to remain still than to act rashly.”
He paused, letting his gaze sweep across the assembly, then continued, “The Jurchens must act like Jurchens—Han Chinese ways are not suited to us. Therefore, I propose we continue managing our tribes through the Bojilie system. For fairness, let us add Zonggan as a Bojilie. Thus, we will have four Bojilies, and all major clan matters will be decided jointly by us four. What do you all think?”
Xiyin’s suggestion was a compromise born of necessity. The Jurchen Bojilie system was much like the Ming dynasty’s Grand Secretariat: Xiyin, Xieye, Zonghan, and now Zonggan, forming the four principal ministers. With no emperor on the throne, the affairs of state would be deliberated among them.
As soon as Xiyin finished, Loushi, Yanshuke, and Zongwang voiced their approval in unison.
All present understood: The most critical task now was to prevent division among the Jurchens, for otherwise, they would soon be destroyed by the Khitans.

Xieye and Zonggan, though reluctant, could see that the balance of power was even, and to stir up trouble at such a time would be folly. They too could only nod in resignation.
“Since there are no objections, I’d like to return to the previous topic: we must thoroughly investigate the sudden appearance of that Song man…”
What is a protagonist? It is someone around whom all events revolve, even if he himself is quite at a loss.
Zhao Yu’s meeting with Emperor Tianzuo and his mother was both successful and highly constructive.
After sharing the New Year’s Eve banquet with them, Zhao Yu was even invited to stay overnight in the palace. To him, this was nothing extraordinary—after all, he was a prince by birth—but he knew it was still a rare honor.
Empress Dowager Xiao instructed Xiao Yiyi to arrange Zhao Yu’s lodgings, yet kept Emperor Tianzuo behind.
As this was a family banquet, Xiao Fengxian had no place and had already excused himself and left.
The night was late, and Emperor Tianzuo was weary, but his mother had words for him and he had no choice but to summon his strength and listen.
He personally offered her a bowl of lotus-seed soup and said, “It’s getting late, Mother. You should rest early. Whatever you wish to say, let us discuss it tomorrow.”
“You know I cannot keep things in my heart,” she replied. “I want to know how you intend to arrange for Zhao Yu.”
Emperor Tianzuo was momentarily startled. “Didn’t we agree already? Once matters in Youzhou are settled, he’ll be summoned back to the capital. Does Mother have some other plan?”
“Don’t let him return to Youzhou; let him hold the post in name only. The Song court still covets the Yan-Yun lands. If Zhao Yu goes back, they will surely try to use him. My arrangement is, in fact, a form of protection for him.”
She paused, then added, “You know what Zhao Yu has done in Youzhou—I’d like to hear your thoughts on that.”
At the mention, Emperor Tianzuo frowned as well. Though given to pleasure, he was not wholly indifferent to state affairs.
After some thought, he said, “Reform is a good thing, but the Khitans are the backbone of our Liao dynasty. If we move too quickly, the cost may outweigh the benefit.”
“You’re right, but not entirely. Liao must indeed be led by the Khitans, but after more than a century, many Khitans now care only for pleasure, forgetting what our ancestors relied on to seize the world. It’s time to wake them up. I see Xiao Fengxian also thinks well of Zhao Yu. Let him take charge of this matter.”
Even if his mother had not said so, Emperor Tianzuo would have entrusted the task to Xiao Fengxian. In his memory, however, his mother’s opinion of Fengxian had not been so favorable before—what prompted her to recommend him now?
He wanted to ask, but seeing his mother’s exhaustion, he quickly rose to take his leave.

Empress Dowager Xiao said nothing more, simply nodding for her son to go. Yet, as he walked away, a trace of coldness flashed in her eyes, though for whom it was meant, none could say…
Though not his first time away from home, Zhao Yu found sleep impossible in this unfamiliar place.
All the way, Xiao Yiyi had clung to Zhao Yu; though they had only been apart a short while, it felt like an eternity to her, and she too had no desire to sleep.
Unable to rest, the two wandered hand in hand through the palace. Though the night air was cold, their young hearts burned with warmth.
For some reason, though he had so much he wished to say, now that they were alone together, Zhao Yu could not find the words. They strolled in silence, the snow crunching softly beneath their feet…
“What are you thinking about?”
At last, it was Xiao Yiyi who broke the silence.
“I’m thinking of many things—how my mother is doing, how we will spend our lives together, and even of building you a palace from ice and snow…”
Sometimes, it is not flowery words that move the heart, but a simple promise of a lifetime together that says it all.
Xiao Yiyi’s eyes sparkled; she squeezed Zhao Yu’s hand tightly, her face full of longing. “Can you really build a palace out of ice and snow? Can someone live inside? There’s no shortage of snow and ice here—shall we start tomorrow?”
She was, after all, still a girl at heart.
Zhao Yu looked at her with gentle affection. “Whatever you wish, we shall do. After all, you are my Snow Princess.”
“Yu Lang, I know you’re thinking of your mother. Don’t worry, I’ll ask Aunt to bring her here, whatever it takes.”
Xiao Yiyi, clever as she was, could not be fooled by Zhao Yu’s smiling face—she saw the sorrow in his eyes. Yet she did not know how many worries weighed on the heart of her future husband…