Chapter Sixty-Six: The Envoys to Tang

If there is anything most renowned about the Zhen Guan era, it is undoubtedly the existence of the envoys dispatched to Tang. These envoys were not limited to the island nation of Wa; rather, they referred to representatives sent by any country seeking cooperation with the Great Tang. It was merely that the envoys from Wa stayed in Tang for an extended period, and their presence even influenced certain aspects of Tang's operations.

Moreover, in that distant future where rites and music had collapsed, the island nation astonishingly preserved many customs originating from the Central Plains, which allowed the legacy of the Wa envoys to endure for a millennium.

In the past few years, the Great Tang had not been stable. Thus, Emperor Taizong and his civil and military officials devoted their energies to restoring the people's livelihoods and repairing waterways. With the substantial funds provided by Li Kong in the past two years and the arrival of slaves from the Turkic lands, Tang's development advanced at a remarkable pace.

By now, the entire Guanzhong region had largely resolved its flood issues, and nearly everyone could live and work in peace. The reputation of Chang’an as the world’s foremost city began to spread globally. Last year, envoys from Silla and Baekje arrived in Chang’an, though Li Kong was unaware of what they took back, for at the time he was in Changle County, indifferent to the affairs of the court.

Even if Li Chengqian and Li Lizhi wished to tell him, he would have avoided it. Besides simply desiring to escape worldly troubles, he also aimed to change the impression he left on Emperor Taizong. After all, why would a disgraced individual care so much about court matters? In this era where the emperor’s mood dictated one's fate, Li Kong wisely chose to keep his head down.

Yet, just when he thought he would not see the first batch of envoys until the seventh year of Zhen Guan, Li Kong found himself unexpectedly encountering a group of Wa people during a casual stroll through the city.

Although their accents differed from what he knew in his previous life, and some tonalities left him slightly baffled, as a super soldier proficient in the language of Wa, he could not possibly mistake them.

At the head of these Wa people, a middle-aged man clad in an official’s fourth-rank robe led the short-statured group through the wonders of Chang’an. Observing their astonished gazes, Li Kong could not help but feel amused.

Yet, recalling the harm this nation would cause to the Central Plains in later generations, Li Kong became solemn. He strode toward the official and said, "Master Liu, what brings you here?"

Li Kong had seen this man before—a junior official in the Ministry of Rites. He couldn’t quite recall his full name, but he knew his surname was Liu. Considering the myriad officials of Tang, remembering the surname was already commendable.

Liu Renji scrutinized Li Kong, then remembered his identity and hastily cupped his hands, saying, "So it is Young Master Li. These are envoys from the farthest eastern lands. I am acting under the Minister’s orders to guide them to the guesthouse and show them our magnificent capital."

Li Kong understood. He glanced at the curious Wa people and spoke directly, "Master Liu, as the saying goes, those who are not of our kin must have different hearts. Some things may be shown to them, but others... should any secrets be divulged, well!"

Liu Renji was momentarily stunned, but when he came to his senses, Li Kong had already departed.

He quickly dismissed Li Kong’s warning. In his view, allowing foreigners to witness Tang’s grandeur was a matter of honor; what was there to hide? As a seasoned bureaucrat, he certainly grasped Li Kong’s meaning, but he looked at the Wa people beside him and thought, even if they learned, how much could they truly absorb? Liu Renji even contemplated petitioning Emperor Taizong to assign tutors specifically for these envoys, so they might bask in imperial favor.

Yes, that was a splendid idea—if accomplished, his name would be celebrated for generations. He made up his mind.

Li Kong had no idea his warning would prompt Liu Renji to make a decision entirely contrary to his intention. Yet he was unconcerned, for he understood all too well the temperament of the scholars of this era. Not to mention others, just Yu Shinan and Kong Yingda alone could leak every secret of Tang.

To these scholars, they wished nothing more than for all foreign nations to master Tang’s ways and assimilate into Tang. This childlike, fantastical logic enabled them to stand proudly above their age.

Thus, reminding Liu Renji was only one part of his plan; Li Kong also intended to discuss the matter directly with Emperor Taizong.

"Young master, what are you thinking about?" Cui Zhu followed behind Li Kong, grumbling in dissatisfaction. She had noticed Li Kong staring at one of the women among the Wa envoys for some while—so, does he prefer outsiders to his own household?

Without turning his head, Li Kong replied, "Nothing, just thinking about those envoys. Forget it. I couldn’t explain it to you anyway. Come, let’s go back and make preparations. I must enter the palace."

"So it’s true? The saying goes, wildflowers smell sweeter than homegrown ones—who said that? Step forth, I’ll beat you!" Cui Zhu cursed silently, but still followed Li Kong home. She was but a maid, not bold enough to defy his orders. Even if Li Kong required her to serve when he was with other women, she could only stew in her own frustration.

She couldn’t refute him, but sulking was still permitted. Just not in his presence—otherwise, she’d be subjected to another round of ‘thought education.’

Meanwhile, the Vice Minister of Rites was in the Taiji Palace, briefing Emperor Taizong about the Wa envoys. This time, Wa had come to Tang with great fanfare. Coupled with the news brought by Baekje and Silla last year, Tang officials now had a faint understanding of Wa.

According to Emperor Taizong and the military’s plans, Goguryeo was destined for destruction, and Silla and Baekje were to become Tang’s future allies. Yet the news from Silla and Baekje was that Wa often harassed or even waged war against them. Thus, neither Emperor Taizong nor the officials held any favorable feelings toward Wa—at least not now.

Nevertheless, since they had come, Emperor Taizong, somewhat vain, pondered how to impress upon Wa the power of Tang—how best to satisfy a touch of his vanity.

"Your Majesty, regarding the audience with the Wa envoys..." The Vice Minister of Rites hesitated, glancing at Emperor Taizong.

After a moment’s contemplation, Emperor Taizong said, "Let’s schedule it for tomorrow. However, keep this information to yourself; do not disclose it before tomorrow’s court session."

"I understand, Your Majesty. Then I shall take my leave!"

"Go on."

After the Vice Minister departed, Emperor Taizong finally allowed a hint of satisfaction to appear on his face. He murmured, "Yang Guang, you schemed your whole life for a congress of nations, yet I’ve accomplished it in just four years!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the attendant outside called out, "Li Kong requests an audience!"