Chapter 17: Assesstment

Seeing that the situation in the hall was not looking favorable, Nan Yexirenren could only brace himself and explain, “There are many lunatics in our country who speak nonsense, and it is difficult to clear everything up immediately… but our hearts are firmly set on admiring the Central Plains.”

“The Dongying’ desire for civilization, I am willing to believe that,” Unexpectedly, the son of the prince of Mu slowed his tone. 

“However, this rabid barking and rebellious venom, is it not precisely the result of the stubborn barbarism inherent in tson nature? A desire for civilization alone cannot change tson nature. 

Of course, since the Dongying and our country are separated by a narrow sea, the court cannot stand idly by while the vassal state is bound by the wild nature of barbarians. We must offer some guidance.”

Seeing that the other party’s tone was shifting, Nan Yexirenren hurriedly probed, “Please, Your Highness, guide us!”

“This is not difficult,” Mu Qi smiled. “To remove barbarism is a matter of education. And the envoys should consider—today, in this world, besides His Majesty, the most holy and wise ruler, who else can inherit the virtue and grace of the previous kings and teach all the nations with a benevolent heart? 

This is the reason I have sent His Majesty’s writings to the envoys. The barbaric nature of the Dongying has yet to be eliminated, and they must carefully read these invaluable books to understand His Majesty’s benevolent heart. 

Only then can they cultivate themselves, change tson dispositions, and gradually absorb the royal teachings, casting off tson past barbaric customs.”

The son of the prince of Mu spoke at length, his words sincere and earnest, as if filled with genuine enthusiasm. The envoy was stunned for a moment, looking at the elegant books arranged on the table, before muttering:

“His Highness speaks of the Emperor’s works…”

It couldn’t be these vague writings, could it?

Perhaps it was too absurd. The envoy couldn’t help but protest

“His Majesty’s great work, I will certainly read it. But we, who are well-versed in the sage’s teachings, cannot be said to be ‘unfamiliar with the royal culture.’ Your Highness, we cannot accept such words from you!”

The son smiled coldly and pointed casually at the books on the table.

“Is that so? Then please, esteemed envoy, turn to page 183 of His Majesty’s writings. There, His Majesty has a famous saying: ‘May we sincerely and truly offer our reverence, as the time for the mandate approaches. I humbly pray that sincerity and purity ascend, and the true spirit will observe.’ 

May I ask, esteemed envoy, which classic of the Four Books does the phrase ‘the time for the mandate’ come from? What sentiment does it express?”

Nan Yexirenren: ………

Who the hell knows?!

Are you out of your mind?!

“As you can see, esteemed envoy, your ‘familiarity’ with the works has significant gaps,” Mu Qi smiled, thinking to himself that last night’s intense reading of these vague writings had finally paid off, allowing him to vent his frustration. 

“But there is no need for the esteemed envoy to thank me for pointing out the error; it is all thanks to His Majesty’s brilliant penmanship. 

The esteemed envoy claims that the Dongying are inclined toward royal culture and are well-versed in the teachings, but based on the situation just now, it seems unlikely. Thankfully, His Majesty has set an example for us and shown us the direction.”

Using an examination to stop the Japanese from delaying progress had been his premeditated plan. But deciding what content to use for the test had taken considerable thought—after all, Japan had some scholars who had adopted Chinese culture. 

Ordinary classics wouldn’t challenge these envoys, and the situation could easily backfire. Yet obscure classics felt too much like setting a trap. But in the whole world, who had works that were so cryptic and bizarre yet could not be ignored?

Thinking up to this point, the answer came easily.

It was all thanks to the unfinished favor of Feixuan, suggesting that the Japanese take tson time appreciating these works.

He continued:

“I believe His Majesty’s writings are the essence of the previous kings’ wisdom, and if one learns His Majesty’s works thoroughly, one will naturally have a heart for royal culture. 

Therefore, before sending tribute in the future, the envoys should first write a few reflections on His Majesty’s works for the Ministry of Rites to review. Once they pass the examination and reach the required level of understanding of royal culture, then it will not be too late to discuss tribute…”

Nan Yexirenren… Nan Yexirenren was stunned. He almost thought he had misunderstood something when learning Chinese. Otherwise, how could he have difficulty understanding something so clearly stated by the son of the prince of Mu?

“Your Highness… What do you mean?” he stammered. “Are you saying that before we send tribute in the future, we first need to study the… works… and then… take an exam?”

The son nodded enthusiastically: “You grasp it quickly. Don’t worry, esteemed envoy. As long as you pass the exam, the great country will open the door of convenience for you.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the room fell into an indescribable silence. The foreign envoys widened tson eyes, unable to react immediately. The eunuch Huang and the Yan Ge Lao trembled, tson eyes nearly shining with astonishment!

What the hell, there is actually such a brilliant bootlicker in the world!

To make the foreign envoys deeply appreciate His Majesty’s words and even write reflections for an exam? Such an imaginative, unexpected way to flatter—how come they never thought of it?!

In an instant, both Huang and Yan were filled with strong regret. As close attendants to the Emperor, they were masters at writing vague writings for profit, but that field had been overdeveloped, with too many competitors. 

There was no room for improvement. Now, seeing the son open up this new frontier, they couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of admiration and envy!

“Actually, when you think about it carefully, merely writing eloquent verses and solving riddles to flatter the emperor in the court is just a case of closed-door in-fighting. 

What kind of ability is that? Ultimately, we need to make sure the outer provinces also show their loyalty, and only then will we have the grandeur of a kingdom that opens its doors to the world—previously, I didn’t consider this; I still haven’t fully liberated my thinking!”

The two close ministers bowed deeply, full of respect, repeatedly reflecting on the prince’s ideas, fully committed to freeing themselves from their rigid and conservative thoughts, striving to progress further. Nan Yexiren remained silent for a long time before finally managing to speak up.

“Does the prince mean that as long as they pass the exam, they will be able to—able to pay tribute?”

“As long as they discard their barbaric nature, we have no reason to stop them,” Mu Qi smiled. “However, before changing their nature, the emperor must consider the people. The officials of the Dongying (Eastern Isles) cannot curb their wild words, and their weakness makes them difficult to trust. 

To protect the people, the court can only set up an embassy in the Dongying and station troops there. If citizens of the central kingdom commit crimes in the Dongying, they should be handled by the embassy. 

Any trade should not be obstructed or taxed further. The tariffs between the two sides should be kept the same, without any additional barriers.”

He then listed several basic clauses, with one central idea: “Free trade,” “Full competition.” Any trade protectionist behavior would be sanctioned without mercy. Similarly, as long as the Dongying adhere to these clauses, the central kingdom would reciprocate equally.

“To put it simply, this can be summarized as the ‘Sino-Japanese Friendly Trade Agreement,'” Mu Qi concluded. “This is the goodwill of our court, striving to emphasize an equal and just tribute system. I hope the envoy will carefully consider it.”

As he spoke, the eunuch Huang and the small official Yan nodded in agreement. To be honest, they didn’t really understand what “an equal and just tribute system” meant, but they knew that the terms emphasized by the Prince of Mu Guo could not be wrong. Didn’t the previous compliments he made have a unique and ingenious touch? Perhaps hidden within these clauses was another brilliant idea.

Flattering ministers needed to practice repeatedly and improve. The small official and the eunuch were determined to deeply reflect on the words of the Prince of Mu Guo, carefully pondering and savoring them, learning what they understood and even more so what they didn’t understand—this was the quality of a flattery minister.

After all, if you can’t flatter, someone else will. If you can’t lick the boots, someone else will. If you’re willing to procrastinate until tomorrow, someone else will finish the job today. 

If you’re not careful, the office you want will be claimed by someone else, and the position you desire will go to another. Looking back, will there be no regret?

Nan Yexiren remained silent. He, too, knew little about trade, but he felt that the Prince of Mu Guo made a valid point—on the surface, the trade between the Dongying and the Da’an Kingdom did seem entirely equal, with no hierarchy. If this could be realized, it seemed that the annual test of writing verses wouldn’t be necessary.

However, after a moment of thought, he still tried to gain a slight advantage. “The embassy matters; our country has never heard of it…”

“To protect maritime merchants, the embassy must be established,” Mu Qi immediately rejected. “However, the location of the embassy can be suggested by the Dongying, and we will decide.”

Upon hearing this, the envoy couldn’t help but feel a stir in his heart: Although the Dongying had achieved a form of unity, internally, there were numerous factions, with endless infighting. 

Among the different factions, they weren’t exactly intimate, and at the very least, they could be considered mortal enemies. If he could use this negotiation opportunity to secretly place the embassy in the territory of his political rivals, wouldn’t that be a brilliant move to defeat them?

His tone softened:

“Thank you, Your Highness; I will consider it carefully.”

The sound of a bell and the shadow behind a light veil spoke:

“Did the foreign envoys truly say this?”

Eunuch Huang bowed respectfully, not daring to be negligent: “In reply to Your Majesty, indeed. Those envoys were initially quite sharp-tongued, but after meeting with Prince Mu Guo and Lord Yan, they became much more respectful and are now willing to submit to our kingdom’s rule. 

The Prince also asked me to convey that His Majesty should grant more blue verses for his future exams…”

The Feixuan Zhenjun was momentarily stunned, as if he couldn’t fully comprehend. To be honest, the old Taoist had been writing and reading blue verses for decades. 

The court officials, who had been repeatedly tested through different political turmoils, had long lost their rebellious spirit and mostly walked down the path of sycophantic cultivation.

But no matter how much they flattered and bowed, praising the Zhenjun’s powers every day, no one had ever proactively requested more blue verses. To put it bluntly, people could flatter, they could be soft, but deep down, no one wanted to flatter the emperor so blatantly. 

Writing and reading blue verses was akin to working overtime—being pressured by the boss was one thing, but who would ever beg for more overtime?

So, it wasn’t until today that Feixuan Zhenjun finally understood the feeling of being urged to write more blue verses. He pondered it for a moment and felt this sensation was… quite delightful!

It turned out there were still people who sincerely appreciated my blue verses! I always knew they had their use!

With this thought, the Zhenjun couldn’t help but smile, tapping the bell a few times with a clear, pleasant sound as a generous acknowledgment of the prince’s message. After expressing his joy, he did not forget the main issue and immediately instructed:

“You’ve done well. Continue paying attention to the envoys from the Dongying. By the way, I’ve heard that during the reign of Emperor Taizong, there were plans to invade the Dongying? Go quietly fetch the records, let me see the teachings of our ancestors.”