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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 272: Imposing Punishment
The dissatisfaction of the envoy from Wa Country towards the Tang Emperor was somewhat expected, as they had received a similar attitude during the Sui Dynasty when they sent envoys.
As for the reason, they were well aware that it stemmed from being regarded as a nation of the rising sun, viewed merely as barbarians.
The envoy felt a deep sense of indignation, but since he carried the mission entrusted by the Crown Prince, he could only bow in humiliation.
He wanted to explain further, but the Emperor had no patience to listen and ordered his immediate expulsion, along with the gifts he had brought.
Wa Country was indeed special. After some thought, the Emperor summoned Jin Zhenping, the King of Dai Fang County.
Jin Zhenping arrived quickly. After his daughter made her decision, he diligently studied the formalities of the court language and thus presented himself to the Emperor with a proper bow.
"Your humble servant pays his respects to My Emperor."
Jin Zhenping was exceptionally tall but bent slightly at the waist, which made him appear somewhat comical. He wore a splendid Golden Jade Belt around his waist, a gift bestowed by the Emperor not long ago.
"There's no need for formalities. I summoned you to discuss the wedding date and inquire about matters concerning Wa Country."
Upon hearing this, King Jin Zhenping relaxed considerably and replied, "I am deeply grateful that Your Majesty has granted my daughter to Chancellor Li in marriage. As long as Your Majesty sets the wedding date, it will surely be a day favored by heaven."
Given that their two nations had fought several times and Silla had once occupied five cities, Jin Zhenping, as the Monarch of Silla, had naturally sent people to gather information about Wa Country.
"In recent years, have many commoners and nobles from Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje crossed the sea to escape to Wa Country?"
Li Jian Cheng quickly grasped the current situation in Wa Country after listening. In simple terms, Wa Country was transitioning from a Slave System towards a centralized feudal system.
Thus, Li Jian Cheng understood why Wa Country's diplomatic letters emphasized titles such as 'Emperor of the Eastern Sun' and 'Son of Heaven from the Land of Sunrise.'
Of course, more importantly, they were aware that despite its strength, Tang Dynasty would not wage war across a vast ocean.
Li Jian Cheng smiled and set Chancellor Li's wedding for an auspicious day in May. Then he asked King Jin Zhenping, "Who governs your country now?"
It turned out that after shedding their old system, there was a surge in national pride among them; they did not wish to submit to other nations.
As for Wa Country, I only know a little about it."
The Crown Prince, following the Sui System, advocated for Buddhism, reformed the governance structure, and established new laws. This time, he dispatched envoys in hopes of acquiring more refined institutional ideas and additional Buddhist Scriptures.
"The Sovereign is a woman, and the governance is in the hands of her heir and a powerful minister named Soga Makiko. Their country originally had many slaves..."
Thus, they sought to gain an advantage here; as long as the Central Plains Emperor acknowledged this diplomatic letter, they would be different from the surrounding small nations, becoming a powerful country capable of engaging in equal dialogue with the Tang Dynasty.
Jin Zhenping nodded. "Your Majesty is wise; indeed, there are many, as Wa Country has always treated such individuals well, especially monks, who are highly respected in Wa Country."
During this period, it was undoubtedly easier for the Liaodong region to acquire advanced cultural techniques from the Central Plains. Wa Country primarily relied on such individuals to implement important reforms and enhance domestic productivity.
Li Jian Cheng turned to Li Weidao beside him. "Send a decree to the Andong Protectorate: Wa Country has shown arrogance and disrespect towards the Son of Heaven. Command the Naval Forces to block the sea routes, prohibiting anyone from fleeing to Wa Country. All Wa People encountered at sea shall be captured and enslaved, settled in Liaodong for farming."
"Understood."
He could not possibly launch an attack across the sea against Wa Country at this moment, but similarly, how many troops could Wa Country muster to invade the Tang Dynasty?
Li Jian Cheng had already keenly sensed that Wa Country was undergoing painful reforms; even his desire for centralization required battling against powerful families. Naturally, Wa Country faced similar challenges; its inherent noble factions would not easily acquiesce.
Although the envoys from Wa Country sought face-saving measures in their diplomatic letter, they actually brought with them a wealth of gold and silver treasures, indicating their urgent need for support from the Tang Dynasty.
From what he had seen and heard through several visiting envoys and some Liaodong nobles who had fled to Wa Country, it was clear that establishing a comprehensive cultural system was impossible.
Soon enough, the Emperor's decree stirred waves in Luoyang. Countless officials and commoners learned of Wa Country's blatant disrespect that had provoked the Emperor's wrath, igniting righteous indignation among them.
At this moment, when the Emperor's authority was at its peak, countless commoners received unprecedented opportunities for favor and naturally aligned themselves with His Majesty.
As a result, the envoys from Wa Country and their merchant convoy in Luoyang were among the first to suffer repercussions. The wandering heroes were not just talkers; in these times, which scholar did not also practice archery and swordsmanship?
The envoys from Wa were beaten beyond recognition, while the merchant convoy suffered severe losses; both people and goods were thrown outside the city.
This left other countries' envoys and merchants astonished, yet no one dared to speak up. The Eastern Turkic had been subdued completely; Western Turkic, Silla, and Baekje had been directly annihilated.
This Emperor of Tang was anything but deceptive with his era name of Peace; his martial prowess was abundant.
The envoy from Wa found it difficult to comprehend. He had initially thought that the worst outcome would be something akin to what happened during the Sui Dynasty—merely receiving a few reprimands while still being referred to as Wa Country in their diplomatic correspondence.
Due to disregarding his injuries, he requested another audience with the Emperor to apologize, but the Emperor's decree had already been issued, and naturally, he would not meet him.
Under the Emperor's leniency, those overly aggressive wanderers, the Scholars, did not face any significant punishment; they merely compensated for the medical expenses of the Wa People.
After this incident, the connection between the Emperor and the people of Luoyang seemed to have become even closer. The Scholars felt a sense of loyalty in serving His Majesty, and although His Majesty did not reward them and even imposed slight penalties, this could not overshadow the fact that His Majesty supported their actions. In the Central Plains, where the principle of Ruler and Minister, Father and Son was upheld, what could be more gratifying than the Sovereign Father's approval?
Naturally, there was nothing. Shortly thereafter, Your Majesty issued an order to establish the Hundred Riders, selecting valiant young men from Luoyang to wear Five-Color Robes, ride fine horses, and use tiger skins as quivers to guard His Majesty during hunting expeditions.
The imperial edict from Luoyang quickly reached the Andong Protectorate. Luo Yi respectfully received the decree and performed a grand salute towards Luoyang.
The messenger was Zhang Gongjin, the Right Martial Guard Chief Historian, who hailed from the Dunhuang Zhang Clan and had served in the Divine Martial Army before entering court as the Emperor's confidant.
After some polite exchanges, they settled into the government office. Once they clarified His Majesty's intentions with Zhang Gongjin again, Zhang ordered the mobilization of Naval Forces. Luo Yi commanded the other generals to withdraw, leaving only His Majesty's confidants.
Wei Zheng initially found it difficult to understand the Emperor's decree and even considered writing a memorial to advise against it. After all, it seemed somewhat unworthy to provoke an overseas nation over such a trivial matter, which could potentially lead to conflict.
…………
(End of Chapter)
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