Finest Servant

Chapter 323 Diplomatic Etiquette

"The Emperor is here?" Lin Wanrong was taken aback. The old man could have chosen any time to arrive, but he had to come at this particular moment. There must be something more to it.

"Long live the Emperor!" Everyone in the great hall fell to their knees. The emissary from Goryeo got up and bowed deeply, refraining from kneeling in greeting. The nomad people’s emissary, Ashile, arrogantly tilted his nose skyward, grunting in response. Tsugumi Takeshita remained lying on the ground, unable to greet the Emperor.

The man who entered appeared to be in his fifties, of average build, his face reddish yet subtly tinged with an underlying pallor unnoticed by most. A faint smile lingered on his lips, while his eyes flashed with sharp radiance. Dressed in a robe adorned with a clustered dragon pattern, his slow yet dignified steps exuded authority. His gaze was intimidating, and no one dared to meet it. His imposing aura pressed down on the crowd without him uttering a word.

Though several months had passed, Lin Wanrong recognized him instantly. The man before him was indeed the Emperor of Great Hua, the one who had given him the golden badge outside Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. It was indeed him, no wonder he purposely didn't summon him during the military review. He was an old acquaintance after all. Lin Wanrong was relieved. Now that this old acquaintance had become his father-in-law, he should not oppose his affair with Qingxuan, right?

"Rise!" The Emperor commanded, taking his seat on the dragon throne and lifting his hands in an imposing manner.

"Thank you, your Majesty!" Everyone rose, lining up on either side. The Emperor's gaze swept across the three large chairs in the hall, then he smiled and said, "Oh, are these the emissaries from various countries?"

Ashile arrogantly grunted in response. A cold gleam flashed in the Emperor's eyes, but he quickly returned to his normal expression. Pointing at Ashile, he asked, "This man, whose appearance greatly differs from our Great Hua, from which country's embassy does he come?"

Su Mubai, quick-witted as he was, sensed the tension and quickly stepped forward, "Your Majesty, this is the emissary from the Turkic Khanate, Lord Ashile."

‘Turkic Khanate?’ Lin Wanrong was startled. ‘Didn't they first submit to the Tang Empire and then got wiped out by the Khitans? How do they still exist now?’

[TL: In history, this was the Gokturk Empire.]

Xu Wei, standing next to him, noticed his confusion and couldn't help but explain, "I presume Little brother Lin, you're not familiar with the Turkic Khanate? The Turks were originally a branch of the Tiele people. It is said that their ancestor intermingled with a she-wolf, and bore ten sons. When these sons grew up, they each married and started their own families, thus establishing various surnames. The Turks later became subordinate to the Rouran Khaganate, and were forced to settle at the southern foot of Mount Jin (today's Altai Mountains). Eventually, the Turks exterminated Rouran, and moved east, defeating the Khitan and Xi, consolidating power to the north, and becoming increasingly powerful. Their territory stretched vast and wide, from Liao River in the east to the Caspian Sea in the west, reaching as far south as the Amu River [TL: or Amu Darya, historically known by its Latin name Oxus,] and north to Lake Baikal. Their Khanate was located on the mountain of Dujin (today's northern mountains of the E'erhun River)."

"What's this mother river? What lake? What Mount Jin?" Lin Wanrong's head spun trying to comprehend Xu Wei's explanation.

Xu Wei said, "These place names come from the travel notes of monks from the previous dynasty, and I'm not quite clear about the specifics, but they're likely located in the northern desert. These northern nomads grew from subjugated tribes, possessing robust bodies and unmatched ferocity. They have waged war against our Great Hua for many years, winning more often than not, and have occupied a large portion of our northern land, which we have yet to reclaim."

Of course, Lin Wanrong knew what the Turks were up to. Their influence extended throughout Central Asia, Xinjiang, and even as far as Turkey. During the Sui Dynasty, they had already split into Eastern Turks and Western Turks. Historically, the Turks had frequently submitted to the Tang Dynasty and had just as often revolted. They had been conquered by the Tang Dynasty and were eventually extinguished by the Khitan [TL: Or Liao Empire. These are the people referred to as Cathay.]

Naturally, all this was history from his previous life, but in this world, the Turks had stubbornly survived and were still a threat to Great Hua even today.

"The Turkic Bilge Khagan sends his regards to the Emperor of Great Hua," Ashile said, nodding with a brusque tone, without a trace of respect. His disdain was plain to see.

The Emperor's expression remained unchanged. He gave a slight nod in response and then turned towards an empty chair. His brow furrowed as he asked, "Where is Prince Tsugumi Takeshita of Dongying?"

Before Su Mubai could answer, Tsugumi Takeshita stirred slightly, still somewhat dazed. His two guards loudly proclaimed, "Our prince has been grievously injured by your Great Hua minister. We will certainly report this to our emperor and send troops to attack Great Hua—"

"How dare you!" Xu Wei, in the palace, roared, "This is the court of our Great Hua, no place for you barbarians to run wild!" He clenched his fists and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I request these two men be punished severely, as a warning to others."

"No!" Su Mubai stepped forward urgently, "Your Majesty, Lord Xu, today the Prince of Dongying came to pay his respects to our Emperor of Great Hua, and he has done nothing wrong. We, Great Hua, are a heavenly nation, a land of rites, how can we punish an envoy? The severe injury of Prince Tsugumi Takeshita is the result of Lin San's impulsive action. To strike an envoy from another country in the sacred and solemn Hall of Literary Brilliance, this matter is not trivial, it not only harms our Great Hua's reputation but also undermines our national dignity. I hope Your Majesty will investigate this matter."

The Emperor's gaze was as sharp as lightning. With one glance at the two guards, how could they withstand his stare? Their legs trembled, and they fell to their knees.

Seeing Su Mubai pointing his accusation at Lin San, Xu Wei then said, "Your Majesty, there is more to the story. Prince Tsugumi Takeshita insulted our Great Hua first, which is why Lin San was provoked to act."

"Where is Lin San?" the Emperor grumbled.

"I am here, I am here," Lin Wanrong replied cheerfully as he stepped forward, raising his fist in greeting. "How have you been, Your Majesty? It has been quite some time since we last met." Xu Wei was startled, his body breaking into a cold sweat. This young man, did he not care for his life, speaking to the Emperor in such a way?

The Emperor responded with a faint smile, "Indeed, it has been quite a while. Now, tell me why you had a conflict with Prince Tsugumi Takeshita?"

Lin Wanrong was startled and said, "Conflict? Where does this accusation come from? It was Prince Tsugumi Takeshita of Dongying who declared that all my countrymen are weak and cowardly. I merely intended to disprove his false words by letting him have a taste of our might. How could this be classified as a conflict? Master Su, wouldn't you agree with me?"

Su Mubai hesitated before responding, "Even if Prince Tsugumi Takeshita spoke disrespectfully, you shouldn't have resorted to violence. He is a diplomatic envoy from another country. While the physical harm you inflicted is a minor issue, you have damaged the reputation of our Great Hua, triggering a diplomatic dispute. If other countries send their envoys in the future, who would dare to interact with us?"

"No, no," Lin Wanrong shook his head, "How can this be a diplomatic dispute? Master Su, one can eat casually, but words should never be spoken recklessly."

Su Mubai retorted, "What reckless words have I uttered? I beseech His Majesty's discernment!"

With a smile, Lin Wanrong asked, "Earlier, Master Su said that Prince Tsugumi Takeshita is a diplomatic envoy, and this issue is a diplomatic dispute. Is this correct?"

"That is indeed so!" Su Mubai affirmed in a grave tone.

Breaking into hearty laughter, Lin Wanrong responded, "You are wrong, utterly wrong. May I ask, Top Scholar Su, is Dongying not a tributary state of our Great Hua?"

Su Mubai paused to ponder before Xu Wei interjected, "Indeed, there is truth in that. At the founding of our dynasty, Dongying sent an envoy, presenting a national letter to acknowledge their status as a tributary to our Great Hua. The report is still well-preserved for reference. Lin San's words are not unfounded."

The corner of the Emperor's mouth curled into a subtle smile. This young man always managed to surprise him.

Lin Wanrong gave a thumbs-up to Xu Wei, "Master Su, as expected, you are knowledgeable and have a remarkable memory. I am indeed impressed. With this clarified, there should be no further doubts. Since Dongying is a tributary state of Great Hua, it is subject to us. Although I, Lin San, am but an average man, I am also a citizen of Great Hua. So, Master Su, how does a quarrel between two citizens amount to a diplomatic dispute? Are you planning to sever Dongying's relationship with us? This is simply not feasible. Even if you are willing, Dongying could never agree. They did, after all, submit their report."

His explanation was a far stretch, but Su Mubai, being an intelligent man, realized Lin San's words were a carefully crafted trap. To agree or disagree with him would put Su Mubai in a difficult position.

"Alas, if there is something I did wrong," Lin Wanrong sighed regretfully, "it was fighting in the Hall of Literary Brilliance. This indeed tarnishes our national dignity, and I am to blame. However, this prince from Dongying insulted millions of our citizens first, and I was impulsively provoked to hit him. All things considered, his transgression was even graver. Both of us are at fault. Your Majesty, I hereby submit my resignation."

Holding back his laughter, the Emperor asked in surprise, "You're resigning? Resigning from what?"

Lin Wanrong loudly declared, "I, a mere citizen, fought with another citizen in the Golden Palace. Both of us made mistakes. Overwhelmed with guilt, I request His Majesty to dismiss us both from our official positions. Oh, I don't want the garden at the Grand Prime Minister's Temple anymore, and I refuse to accept any merit for fighting in the war. However, the Emperor of Dongying is also at fault. I kindly ask His Majesty to dismiss him as well."

Upon hearing these words, the room was filled with astonishment. Even though Dongying was technically a tributary state, it was merely a formality. Who had ever seriously regarded it as part of Great Hua's domain? Lin San's audacity was truly astonishing!

The Emperor huffed and said, "Both of you are indeed guilty. Let me consider how to handle this matter."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Lin Wanrong grinned cheekily.

Xu Wei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Lin San's words were as potent as an army of a hundred thousand.

Frantically, Su Mubai stated, "Your Majesty, we must not rush this matter. There are no trivial matters in diplomacy. If we punish Prince Tsugumi Takeshita and disregard etiquette, what country would dare interact with our Great Hua in the future?"

The Emperor pondered for a while before turning to Lin Wanrong, "Lin San, what are your thoughts on this?"

‘Etiquette, my foot! When did the Americans ever bother about etiquette? Yet, people flock to them! This is just self-deception!’ Lin Wanrong shook his head, "I disagree with Master Su's view. What is diplomacy? In his eyes, is diplomacy synonymous with etiquette? That's a gross misconception. Weak nations have no say in diplomacy. Diplomacy relies on power. Why did Prince Tsugumi Takeshita dare to act so arrogantly on our land? Because he believes our Great Hua is weak, and he can bully us at will. If we endure his insults silently, is that still etiquette? Think about it, if Dongying's power were to surpass Great Hua one day, what would that look like? Would they, like us, continue to uphold diplomatic etiquette?"

His words caused everyone to fall into deep thought. Great Hua had always prided itself as a country of etiquette, treating all countries, big or small, with respect. But what had they received in return?

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