Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 379 Wu Zetian's Dance

Pingkangfang, Qingfeng Tower.

Zhao Chiman sat by the window, drinking while staring at a window on the third floor of Chunfeng Building opposite.

Suddenly, the sound of "dong dong dong" footsteps was heard. Changsun Quan quickly came to the second floor. His eyes flashed and he quickly found Zhao Chiman and strode towards him.

"I knew you were here." Changsun Quan came and sat down opposite Zhao Chiman.

Zhao Chiman said hurriedly, "I saw that there was nothing to do in the yamen, so I left early. What do you want to talk to me about?"

Zhang Sunquan glanced at Chunfeng Tower across the street and said in a deep voice, "Chiman, I'm younger than you, so logically, I shouldn't say anything about you. But she's just a dancer in a brothel after all..."

Zhao Zhiman lowered his head and said, "You don't have to tell me, I know everything."

Changsun Quan said in a deep voice, "Yesterday, His Majesty issued an edict to select an envoy to be sent to Japan. My elder brother and I both hope that you will take on this task."

Zhao Zhiman was slightly taken aback and asked, "A mission to Japan?"

Chang Sunquan said, "Yes, Your Majesty has agreed to negotiate with the Japanese and ask them to compensate us for the war losses."

Zhao Zhiman frowned and said, "I don't understand. Since we've already won the battle, why don't we just continue the fight and destroy Japan instead of negotiating with them?"

Chang Sunquan said slowly, "I have also asked my elder brother this question. He said that it is not so easy to conquer Japan. Your Majesty must have a long-term plan in mind."

Zhao Zhiman was silent for a moment, then said, "If you ask me to march and fight, I will do it without hesitation. But negotiations are not my forte."

Chang Sunquan poured him a glass of wine and said, "Brother, as His Majesty said, His Majesty is asking officials to recommend themselves in order to select talented individuals. This is a rare opportunity."

Zhao Chiman looked at the wine in the glass but said nothing.

Chang Sunquan said, "My elder brother is planning to transfer your uncle back to Chang'an. If you can accomplish this, it will definitely be helpful to my elder brother's plan."

Zhao Zhiman's uncle was Han Ai. When Changsun Wuji was dismissed from office, Han Ai and Lai Ji were both demoted to local areas.

Both of these people were implicated by Changsun Wuji, so Changsun Wuji felt guilty towards them.

He had wanted to help them before, but he was powerless.

Now that the political situation has taken a turn for the better, especially the incident involving Du Zhenglun, it is very likely that the emperor's mentality will change.

Changsun Wuji felt that the opportunity had come, so he wanted to use Zhao Chiman to transfer Han Ai back to Chang'an.

Zhao Chiman was a smart man, so how could he not understand the relationship between them, but he still kept silent.

Chang Sunquan looked at him and said, "Chiman, don't you want to help your uncle?"

Zhao Zhiman picked up the wine glass, drank it all, and said, "I can agree to this, but I have one condition."

Chang Sunquan said, "You say."

Zhao Zhiman said in a deep voice: "After this is done, I hope my uncle can do me a favor."

"What's the deal?"

Zhao Zhiman turned his head to look at Chunfeng Tower and said, "I want to take Jiangzhen as my concubine. I hope my uncle can help me to talk to my mother."

Zhang Sunquan was slightly stunned and said, "The Jiang Zhen you are talking about is the dancer named Tian Shuixian?"

Zhao Chiman nodded.

Chang Sunquan frowned and said, "Chiman, she is not of good family background. If you take her as a concubine, it will definitely lead to gossip, which will be detrimental to your career."

Zhao Zhiman stared at him and said, "I heard that my uncle made a mistake that caused a large number of people in Hebei to be displaced. To make amends, he was willing to break the law and seize the imperial tax silver. I would like to ask, is this behavior beneficial to your career?"

Chang Sunquan shook his head and said, "My conscience is uneasy, and my situation is different from yours."

Zhao Zhiman said word by word, "For me, she gave up everything and was willing to live in prostitution to follow me to Chang'an. If I abandon her, I will have a guilty conscience for the rest of my life!"

Chang Sunquan was stunned for a moment, and remained silent for a long while before he sighed, "Since you insist on doing this, I have nothing else to say. I will agree to it."

Zhao Zhiman said happily: "Thank you, uncle."

Chang Sun Quan looked at him and said, "Let me be clear, there are many officials in the court who want to compete for this envoy position. You may not be able to get it."

Zhao Zhiman said with a stern look in his eyes, "Could you please explain to me in detail who will be my competitors?"

Chang Sunquan said slowly, "There are three officials on the list who have recommended themselves to the Honglu Temple. They pose the greatest threat to you!"

Zhao Zhiman asked, "Which three people?"

Chang Sunquan smiled and said, "You also know the first one. He fought with you during the hunting in the Forbidden Garden."

Zhao Zhiman's eyes flashed: "Wei Daijia?"

Changsun Quan said, "That's him. The second person is Luo Binwang, a student of Li Jingxuan. He was a successful Jinshi last year. Although he wasn't among the top three, His Majesty has retained him in Chang'an and appointed him to the Secretariat. This shows that His Majesty is also very fond of him."

Zhao Zhiman nodded and said, "What about the last one?"

Chang Sunquan said in a deep voice, "This man is Li Jiao. He was a Jinshi in the ninth year of the Yonghui reign, and he ranked third in the class. He was initially appointed as the lieutenant of Anding County. His term ended last year, and based on a four-year evaluation, he was promoted to the position of Chief Clerk of the Honglu Temple."

"This person is sharp-tongued and full of determination. It is said that he is highly regarded by Zhang Jianzhi. He is also an official of the Honglu Temple. My elder brother said that this person is most likely to be selected."

Zhao Zhiman pondered for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, what are the criteria for selecting envoys?"

Chang Sunquan said, "No. In two days, His Majesty will summon all those who have nominated themselves to the palace for examination."

Zhao Zhiman took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry, uncle. Zhiman will definitely do his best to seize this opportunity!"

Early the next morning, Zhao Chiman went to the Honglu Temple to apply for a diplomatic mission to Japan.

That afternoon, after leaving the government office, he went to Jiang Ke's residence to pay a visit.

Jiang Ke invited him into his house. After they finished their tea, he smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, how come you have time to visit me today?"

Zhao Zhiman asked, "Are you leaving Chang'an soon?"

Jiang Ke said: "Yes, we will leave tomorrow."

Zhao Zhiman stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "I would like to ask Brother Jiang for a favor."

Jiang Ke looked at him in surprise.

Both of them were born in Tianshui and are equally famous in the world.

Therefore, Zhao Chiman has always had a sense of competition towards him. When the two met before, Zhao Chiman basically had nothing good to say about him.

But I didn't expect that he would take the initiative to surrender today.

Jiang Ke had always admired him. He went over to help him up and said, "Brother Zhao, if you have any requests, just tell me directly."

Zhao Zhiman said, "I want to ask Brother Jiang something."

The sun rose and set, and the study in the Jiang Mansion was lit all night long. Zhao Chiman only said goodbye and left early the next morning.

On the third day, at the time of Shen, more than a dozen officials who applied to be sent as envoys to Japan were brought to the Shenlong Palace.

More than a dozen tables and desks had been set up in the hall according to their number, just like the imperial examination.

After everyone sat down, a eunuch actually handed out test papers and asked them to answer the questions.

Zhao Chiman glanced at the file and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. Just as he guessed, the file was all about the situation in Japan.

The night before, he consulted Jiang Ke all night long, and what he asked was about the situation in Japan. He immediately wrote quickly and finished the test paper.

After a round of screening, only three people were left.

Zhao Chiman, Li Jiao and Luo Binwang.

As for Wei Daijia and others, they were eliminated because of their insufficient understanding of Japan.

The three of them waited in the hall. Not long after, they heard footsteps. Emperor Li Zhi came striding in, surrounded by eunuchs.

The three of them bowed in greeting.

Li Zhi walked over to the dragon throne and sat down. He glanced at them and raised his hand, saying, "No need to be so polite. I've read all your answers. Li Jiao's answer was the best."

Zhao Chiman was shocked when he heard this.

He stayed up all night to seek advice from Jiang Ke, but still lost to Li Jiao. This shows that the other party was better prepared than him.

Li Zhi continued, "I will now give each of you a blank contract. You can write down the conditions that the Tang Dynasty proposes to Japan. Whoever writes the conditions that best suit my wishes will be the envoy."

Wang Fusheng quickly handed them three contract scrolls. The three of them sat at a desk and polished them, but none of them started writing.

None of the three had expected that the emperor would make such a request, so they all needed to take time to consider it.

After thinking for a long time, Zhao Chiman was the first to start writing. Soon after, Luo Binwang and Li Jiao also began to write the treaty.

A quarter of an hour later, the three of them had written the treaty and presented it to Li Zhi.

After reading it, Li Zhi's eyes flashed with light. It turned out that the conditions proposed by the three people were more demanding than the other, and could be described as exorbitant.

However, this was exactly what he wanted.

He first looked at Luo Binwang and said, "Mr. Luo, you proposed that the Japanese pay compensation of 500,000 taels of silver and 500,000 taels of gold, right?" Tang coins and Japanese coins were not interchangeable. The commonly used currencies circulated between countries were usually gold, silver and jade.

Japan is rich in gold and silver, so it is very normal for Luo Binwang to propose using gold and silver as compensation.

This number may not seem like a lot, but during the Tang Dynasty, due to the limitations of immature technology, the output of gold and silver was very low.

For this reason, gold and silver were extremely valuable during the Tang Dynasty. Five hundred thousand taels of gold and platinum were equivalent to five and a half million strings of cash, which was considered a huge sum of money.

Luo Binwang said solemnly, "That's right."

Li Zhi asked, "Do you know how much gold and silver the Tang Dynasty produces?"

Luo Binwang said: "The annual silver production of this dynasty is about 180,000 to 200,000 taels, half of which comes from the large silver mines in Shangrao County, Xinzhou."

"Gold production is even less than silver, only a little over 100,000 taels."

Li Zhi said, "The price you're asking is equivalent to several years' worth of gold and silver produced in the Tang Dynasty."

Luo Binwang bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the source of gold and silver for the Tang Dynasty does not only come from local minerals, but also comes mostly from the Western Regions."

"Every year, through trade, the amount of gold and platinum that flows from the Western Regions into the Tang Dynasty market reaches over 500,000 taels. So this amount is not a lot."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "That makes some sense. Do you know how much gold and silver Japan produces and stores?"

Luo Binwang hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't know, but from what I have found in my investigation in the East Market, the Japanese prefer to use gold and silver when trading with the Tang Dynasty. This shows that their gold and silver production is likely higher than ours."

Li Zhi nodded. Many of Japan's gold and silver mines are surface mines, which are easy to mine. This guess should be correct.

He turned his gaze towards Li Jiao and said, "Mr. Li, you proposed that Japan pay a compensation of one million taels of gold and one million taels of silver. What's the point?"

Li Jiao bowed and said, "Your Majesty, in the battle of Xiongjin Port, it was the Japanese who were treacherous first. Although our army won a great victory, many soldiers were killed and wounded in this battle."

"The Japanese main force is now severely damaged and is completely unable to compete with us. Even if they ask for one million taels of gold and silver, it is reasonable and I am confident that they will agree!"

Luo Binwang said: "I am afraid the Japanese cannot produce so much gold and silver."

Li Jiao smiled and said, "That's fine. Take as much as you can. You can pay back the rest slowly in the future."

Li Zhi finally turned his gaze to Zhao Chiman.

"Mr. Zhao, you're demanding one million taels of silver, one million taels of gold, and you're also asking Japan to cede Kyushu Island. Do you have any explanation for this?"

When these words were spoken, Li Jiao and Luo Binwang were both shocked.

Zhao Zhiman bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Tang Dynasty now has the ability to destroy Japan. The only problem is that Japan is an island nation, using the sea as a barrier, and the Tang army lacks a foothold. Therefore, if we can capture Kyushu Island, we will be able to seize the initiative."

Li Jiao said, "According to what General Zhao said, the Japanese will definitely not agree!"

Luo Binwang bowed and said, "Your Majesty, making such a request will only force Japan into a desperate battle with us."

Li Zhi said nothing and looked at Zhao Chiman silently.

Zhao Zhiman said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Japanese will not agree to the terms of this negotiation, according to Luo Zhuoshu and Li Zhubu, so a war is inevitable."

Li Jiao raised his eyebrows and said, "Whether the Japanese agree or not depends on the envoy's ability. Isn't what General Zhao said too rashly?"

Zhao Zhiman said, "Our army's previous victory was in the Baekje region, not in Japan. In the minds of the Japanese, the sea is still a natural barrier, and they don't think we have the ability to win on their homeland."

"As long as they have this mentality, they won't be able to offer much compensation, so negotiations will be difficult to succeed."

After hearing this, Li Jiao and Luo Binwang looked at each other and both admitted that what he said made sense.

Zhao Zhiman said, "Since we're going to have to fight sooner or later, we might as well raise the bar and lower their psychological barrier. This will facilitate new negotiations after our army wins."

Li Zhi nodded and said happily, "Mr. Zhao's words are very much in line with my wishes. I will leave the responsibility of this diplomatic mission to you."

Zhao Zhiman cupped his hands and said, "I obey your command!"

Two days later, Zhao Chiman left Chang'an with the Japanese envoys and went to Japan for negotiations.

The day after Zhao Zhiman left, Li Zhi began to make new arrangements.

As Zhao Chiman said, this negotiation is unlikely to go smoothly at the moment.

They will only agree if Japan's external environment becomes increasingly harsh.

Li Zhi first conveyed two orders to the Inner Guard.

First, rumors were spread in Chang'an and Liaodong, saying that Japan was a wealthy country with gold and silver everywhere.

In fact, this is not a rumor. Japan does have a lot of gold and silver mountains, but because it is located in a remote island area, not many people know about it.

If this matter is spread in Chang'an, Tang merchants will flock to Japan, which will not only prosper maritime trade but also deepen the ties between the two places.

Although merchants are driven by profit, from a historical perspective, the connection between cultures of different regions was first established through merchants as a bridge.

Once the Japanese become familiar with the Tang people, the resistance they will face when they rule Japan in the future will be weaker.

This is a long-term strategy.

The purpose of spreading this rumor in Liaodong was to arouse the greed of other countries in Liaodong towards Japan.

Countries such as Goguryeo, Silla, and Mohe were able to travel to Japan by sea.

Now that the main force of the Japanese army has been severely damaged and it will be difficult for it to recover in a short period of time, these countries will not miss the opportunity to take advantage.

Even if they don't take action now, they can plant the seeds of greed first.

When the Tang Dynasty sends troops to Japan in the future, they will rush forward like jackals, each taking a bite and tearing Japan into pieces, just like they did to the Khitan.

The second is to order Yingzhou to incorporate the surrendered Japanese soldiers into the Tang army. In the future attack on Japan, these local guides will be able to play a huge role.

Time flies, it is February, and the rumor has spread in Chang'an.

One day, Li Zhi had just finished listening to Wang Jishan's report when he heard Zhang Duohai come to report that Wu Meiniang asked him to go to Caisiyuan.

Wu Meiniang has been quite mysterious recently and has rarely come to see Li Zhi, which Li Zhi finds strange.

He immediately walked to the Color Silk Courtyard.

Caisiyuan is a two-story circular palace with a hexagonal hall inside. It is connected from top to bottom and spacious, making it the best place to appreciate large-scale singing and dancing.

The Tang Dynasty court dance troupe rehearsed songs and dances in Caisiyuan every December.

Li Zhi stepped into the main hall on the first floor and looked around. He saw that the hall was decorated magnificently, with colorful silk hanging high on the roof and green gauze wrapped around the beams and pillars.

A huge red silk carpet was laid on the ground, and there was an observation deck on the north side, which was divided into three levels, with the highest level being more than eight feet high.

Li Zhi looked around but could not see Wu Meiniang.

At this time, Zhang Dahai came to the side and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, please go to the second floor to watch the dance."

Li Zhi's heart moved. From what he meant, Wu Meiniang wanted to dance for him.

But generally, people can just go to the viewing platform on the first floor to enjoy the dance. Why did she let him go to the second floor?
Li Zhi climbed the stairs with doubts in his mind and soon reached the second floor.

The second floor is connected to the first floor, with only a circular corridor against the wall.

Standing on the corridor, although you can look down and see the dance team more clearly, you cannot appreciate the dancers' delicate postures, so it is not a good place to enjoy the dance.

Just as I was wondering, I heard music and a group of dancers came into the hall.

It took quite a while just for the entrance because there were so many people, more than two hundred people. It was even more grand than the average court music.

These dancers wore golden hats and colorful clothes. The one in the front was dressed slightly differently from the others. She was tall and graceful, and it was Wu Meiniang.

Following the rhythm of the music, these dancers flutter like butterflies among flowers, graceful yet strong, combining both hardness and flexibility, with a strange beauty.

The drumbeats suddenly stopped and the dancers stopped moving.

Li Zhi's pupils shrank and he stared blankly at the dancer below.

It turns out that they formed the Chinese character "holy", which is actually a "character" dance!

The drum beats started again and the dancers started moving again, soon forming the word "super" again.

The drum beats changed sixteen times, and the dancers formed sixteen words.

Combined together, it means: The saint transcends the ages, his majesty is unwavering in all directions, the emperor lives for ten thousand years, and his throne will last forever!
After reading it, Li Zhi was deeply moved.

It is worthy of being the song and dance organized by Wu Meiniang. It is gentle yet contains a powerful momentum that makes people feel excited.

After a while, Wu Meiniang hurried up to the second floor, panting and staring at Li Zhi.

"Your Majesty, how does my song and dance compare to the dancers at Qujiang Pond?"

Li Zhi laughed heartily and said, "The Queen is truly talented. How can they compare to you?"

Wu Meiniang smiled slightly, and the anger that she had been holding in during the Lantern Festival that day finally came out.

(End of this chapter)