Chapter 1 The Beginning

In the eighteenth year of the Jianyan era, early spring had yet to release its chill upon Hebei, but in Wuliang Mountain of Dali, a hundred flowers were already in full bloom.

Deep within the blossoms, a waterfall cascaded down the mountainside, spraying pearls and spitting jade with magnificent momentum. Because wild goats often crossed the rocky cliffs behind the waterfall in large groups, it was named Yangshan Waterfall (Goat Mountain Waterfall). Beneath the waterfall, a deep lake had formed naturally, its waters so clear that swimming fish could be seen. Beside the lake, a massive boulder stood towering.

This stone was extraordinarily tall, enough for dozens of people to ascend and view the waterfall. Moreover, three of its sides were smooth and even, making it appear exceptionally orderly, especially the side facing the lake, which was as smooth and flat as a jade disc, almost like a mirror, creating an interesting contrast with the lake surface, causing people to marvel at it.

Wang Shixiong, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Bodyguard of the Great Song, stood beneath the stone, speechless for a long time.

After a while, Wu Yi, the Great Song's envoy to Dali, cleared his throat, finally bringing Wang Shixiong back to his senses, who then turned around awkwardly.

"Please forgive me, everyone, but I truly couldn't help but lose my composure… His Majesty’s decree states that there is a massive stone beneath the waterfall in Wuliang Mountain, and specifically names it the Wuliang Jade Disc… To be so accurate from tens of thousands of miles away shows that our current Emperor is truly divinely ordained."

As he spoke, he opened the imperial decree in his hand and quickly read it. The many descendants of the Gao family of Dali, from Gao Liangcheng, the current family head with the title of Duke and Dali Buxie (Regent), bowed respectfully without thinking.

The imperial decree consisted of only two sentences, indeed bestowing the name Wuliang Jade Disc. After Gao Liangcheng and the other Gao family members rose, they couldn't help but feel a little flustered – Wuliang Mountain was located between the capital city of Dali and the Gao family's core fief of Weichu. It contained temples and tea gardens, and while it couldn't be considered utterly remote, it was hardly a prominent place either. For the Emperor of the Central Plains to know about a stone in a mountain within their fiefdom from so far away was truly astonishing.

Of course, some of the more seasoned Gao family members secretly smiled wryly, taking advantage of the sound of the waterfall to whisper, "This is an imperial decree from the Song Emperor. If this stone exists, it shows his far-reaching vision. But if it doesn't, would we dare offend the Emperor's dignity? We might have to help find one."

Some disagreed, "What's so strange about that? The Northern family is blinded by greed and has brought the Song into the situation to fight for power. With insiders, what in the country could be hidden from that Emperor? This is just a deliberate attempt to intimidate us."

These words elicited expressions of anger, sneers, and sighs from those around him. Some even glared fiercely, but ultimately, no one discussed the matter of the imperial name any further.

Thus, they passed around the Jade Disc and arrived at a temple in the mountains. The place had already been prepared with tables and chairs, and tea and fruit had been arranged… Jian Gong (Sword Palace) certainly wasn't available, but Dali revered Buddhism, and no mountain lacked temples. When the capital of Dali had caught fire a few years ago, half of what burned down were temples, and Wuliang Mountain was no exception. As for tea, since the Song government had forcefully opened border trade a dozen years ago, Dali's tea had long become one of its most important exports along with copper mines. Not only were everyday tea bricks from Shu and Lianghu transported, but fine tea could even reach the Central Capital Bianjing and the capital Yanjing, competing with famous teas from the southeast.

Without further ado, after arriving at the temple, everyone exchanged pleasantries again. Then, Gao Liangcheng, as the Duke, took the first seat with Wang Shixiong. Next, naturally, was Wu Yi, the Song envoy to Dali and also the Song Emperor's brother-in-law, who sat first on the left side. As for the first seat on the right, it was none other than Gao Zhenshou, Gao Liangcheng's cousin, who was the head of the Gao family's Northern branch, based in the Dali Northern Commandery.

After Gao Zhenshou was the abbot of the temple, awkwardly seated, deliberately separating the head of the Gao family's Northern branch from the members of the local Gao family's Southern branch… And the other Northern branch members who came with Gao Zhenshou mostly sat on Wu Yi's side.

The Northern and Southern branches were clearly divided.

"Lord Gao."

After taking his seat, Wang Shixiong first surveyed the bizarre scene in the hall, then looked at Gao Liangcheng, and without taking a sip of tea, he spoke directly. "Although I am here on imperial orders, I am only here to listen to what both sides of your family have to say. The specific outcome will depend on His Majesty's decision… Therefore, please speak freely, without regard for my presence."

Gao Liangcheng also put down his teacup, stroking his beard with a wry smile. "As the saying goes, family scandals should not be aired in public. But today, the Gao family's scandal will be known throughout the world. I, Gao, am ashamed…"

"Uncle wants to save face, but I don't have to worry about such things." Before the Dali Buxie (Regent) could finish speaking, Gao Zhenshou, the head of the Northern branch, interrupted him coldly. "Commander Wang, we of the Northern branch are the aggrieved party who brought this to His Majesty's attention. If my uncle doesn't want to speak, then I will… The matter is extremely simple. Our Gao family's Northern branch is the direct line of the Gao family, as everyone in the world knows… Therefore, the Gao family's title of Duke, the position of Dali Buxie, and the authority to govern Shanshan Prefecture should all be held by me, the Gao family's direct descendant! That's all!"

As soon as these words came out, Gao Liangcheng hadn't even spoken when the Southern branch members below erupted, with some directly standing up to scold him. The Northern branch members, not to be outdone, also rose and shouted back, and the two sides became a chaotic mess, turning the Buddhist hall into a boiling pot of argument.

The monks in attendance all hung their heads, while the four leading figures, the Gao family uncle and nephew and Wang and Wu, could only remain silent for a moment.

After a moment, Gao Liangcheng lowered his voice and spoke closely, "My two envoys, would you allow me to speak privately with my nephew Zhenshou, and then give the envoys an explanation?"

"If your esteemed uncle and nephew are willing, that is naturally fine." Wang Shixiong looked at Gao Zhenshou opposite him and replied with a serious bow. "But please understand, Lord Gao, that this meeting between your esteemed uncle and nephew on Wuliang Mountain was ordained by His Majesty. Please treat each other with respect, otherwise…"

"Commander Wang, what are you thinking?" Gao Liangcheng immediately smiled wryly. "He is, after all, my close nephew."

Gao Zhenshou, on the other side, glanced at the chaos in the hall and nodded frankly. "Rest assured, my two envoys. Since my uncle wants to speak frankly, I, as his nephew, certainly cannot be petty… Moreover, I originally intended to have an open and honest discussion with my uncle."

"I understand, I understand." Wang Shixiong stood up, still open and honest. "It's just that I have a duty to fulfill, and some words must be spoken, no matter how unpleasant they may be. Otherwise, what use would His Majesty have for me? Everyone, let's go to the Jade Disc. The sound of the waterfall is loud, so we can say whatever we want without worrying about being eavesdropped on."

With these words, Wu Yi also stood up. The four bowed to each other and left the chaos in the hall, led by the monks back to the waterfall. However, this time the Gao family uncle and nephew stayed by the Jade Disc beneath the waterfall, while Wang Shixiong and Wu Yi simply climbed to the top of the mountain above Yangshan Waterfall… These two were old friends from the past, now each serving in different official positions, rarely meeting. Normally, they would have engaged in some friendly conversation.

However, with official business at hand, it was always difficult to transition to personal matters.

"Brother Dewei (Wang Shixiong's courtesy name), are you truly unaware of the situation in Dali?" Wu Yi asked in surprise.

"It's not that I'm unaware, but it's too chaotic, I simply can't make sense of it." Wang Shixiong replied honestly. "But to be honest, His Majesty and the Western Secretariat didn't intend for me to be some kind of investigator here. They wanted me, as the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Bodyguard, to put on a show of strength, constantly reminding Gao Buxie that His Majesty is watching him, and that His Majesty has two hundred thousand Imperial Army troops."

Wu Yi nodded, but with his hands behind his back on the edge of the cliff, he continued to look at the Gao family uncle and nephew below and asked, "If that's the case, with so many figures in the Imperial Bodyguard, how did Brother Dewei get this assignment?"

"I was able to get this assignment for two reasons. One is you, everyone above and below knows of our old friendship. The other is that I came from under Prince Qin, so Prince Wei, who is in charge of the Western Secretariat, couldn't refute it…" Wang Shixiong gave a dry laugh. "Our court is also divided, with Qin and Wei intertwined, and the north, south, west, and central regions divided."

Wu Yi nodded repeatedly, but ultimately did not elaborate on this issue, instead directly speaking of Dali, "Actually, the affairs of Dali, although complex, are simply summed up as internal strife…"

"Explain slowly." Wang Shixiong also immediately became serious.

"First, the Nanzhao Kingdom was destroyed, and heroes rose together. Although the Duan family defeated the Yang family, they planted two congenital seeds of disaster. First, the local tribes each governed themselves, and Dali was always unable to reconcile the Eastern and Western Bai and Hei barbarians, so that the Eastern Thirty-Seven Hei Barbarian tribes felt wronged and prejudiced, and would always rebel whenever they found an opportunity…"

"Second, the Duan family's origins were humble, like the Yang, Gao, Meng, and Dong families, all of whom were sinicized local powerful families and tribal leaders, all former border officials of Nanzhao and the Great Tang, so-called ministers in the same court and people in the same land. Moreover, even the process of starting a business and establishing a dynasty relied on the joint efforts of the various tribes, so once they gained power and became rulers, they couldn't stand the fact that everyone still lacked a sense of awe…"

"These are the two roots, and what follows is internal strife… After the death of the founding Duan Siping, his brother united with the Dong family, a large family in the country, and usurped his nephew's throne…"

"This…" Wang Shixiong, who was listening intently, suddenly couldn't help but speak.

"I know what you're thinking, brother, but it's really not the same thing." Wu Yi replied with a sigh. "Emperor Taizong inherited from Emperor Taizu, and although there were rumors, there was no war, and there was no abolition in between… After the Duan family had father and son inheritance, their uncle and the governing Dong family launched an army to seize the throne, and they also let the wolf into the house, and the Dong family has since been in power."

Wang Shixiong nodded repeatedly, but signaled him to continue.

"The first internal strife was the mutual resentment of uncle and nephew, and the second was the decline of the Dong family and the gradual rise of the Gao family… About a hundred years ago, the Gao family deposed the then Dali King and re-established the descendants of the founding Duan Siping, and after the Gao family rose, they also became powerful ministers, and even more dictatorial than the Dong family, as you can see…"

"The third internal strife was that the Gao family gradually became uncontrollable, and finally directly deposed the Duan family and established themselves as kings… However, before his death, Gao Shengtai, who had become king, specifically asked his son to return the throne… This was about fifty years ago."

"The fourth internal strife was the Gao family's own… The Duan family's lineage was chaotic, weak and powerless, and the Gao family was nominally Buxie (Regent), but in reality, they were the rulers, and all internal and external affairs were managed by the Gao family themselves, but in order to ensure their authority, the Gao family also had the matter of brothers succeeding each other rather than fathers and sons, and over time, there was internal sectarian strife, and now Duan Heyu, the current Duan family king, is a man of heart, about decades ago, he took advantage of the Gao family's opportunity to inherit and actively divided the Weichu Prefecture and Tongmou Prefecture in the north and south of Dali to the Gao Taiming sons, since then the Gao family's north and south sects stood side by side… The current Buxie is Gao Liangcheng of the Southern Sect, who has been in power for twenty or thirty years, but Gao Zhenshou of the Northern Sect is the eldest grandson of the Gao family…"

"Therefore, there is the current situation?" Wang Shixiong finally understood. "Gao Zhenshou's brothers are getting older and their wings are full, on the one hand, the Tongmou Prefecture relies on trade with us, and their strength is increasing day by day, and on the other hand, his brother Gao Zhenming has entered the Taixue in the Central Capital and passed the Jinshi examination by the river… So they want to pull His Majesty to take back the position of Buxie?"

"Yes and no."

"How to explain?"

"The key and core is of course the chaos of the Gao family's north and south sects, who makes the Gao family the real ruler of Dali?"

Wu Yi looked at the uncle and nephew far away and said, "But the current internal strife is not only the affairs of the Gao family's north and south sects, but also Duan Heyu has been in power for decades, working hard to govern, and is not a proper king, but as a result, there are natural disasters and man-made disasters, internal and external troubles, and he has never been able to revive Dali, and he has never been able to shake the Gao family's authority in the slightest, so that he gradually lost his spirit… Now, there is not only the Gao family's internal strife, but also Duan Heyu because the concubine Wang died, he was disheartened and wanted to enter the empty door, as a result, his sons were used by the Gao family to compete for the throne, and there was internal strife in the Duan family, and Dali was defeated by the Vietnam Li Dynasty a few years ago, the country was hollowed out, and the black and white barbarians looked at the great chaos that was about to rise again… This is the total outbreak of internal strife!"

Wang Shixiong nodded, thoughtfully: "No wonder the Western Secretariat said it was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity…"

"It's not a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity." Wu Yi shook his head again and again. "I first spent three years in the Honglu Temple, then went to Japan once, and then came to mediate the dispute between Dali and Vietnam, and finally stayed in Dali for three years, thinking back and forth, I only figured out one thing… That is, in the world, wanting to live a peaceful life and prosper steadily is the most difficult thing. The so-called small country, chaos occurs frequently, and it gradually declines. It is the norm to live one day at a time… You are used to living a peaceful life in the country, so you feel that it is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity! In fact, the situation in our country in the past seven or eight years is really a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity!"

"It's all because the holy Emperor is in the court." Wang Shixiong quickly responded.

Wu Yi still shook his head, but was unwilling to say more… It was not that the friendship was not enough, nor was it that he disliked Wang Shixiong's martial artist background, nor was it to deny the other party's words, but he knew that reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles, without personally contacting these small countries for a long time, it was impossible to feel this point from the bottom of his heart.

Just when Wu and Wang were condescendingly saying some idle words, the Gao family uncle and nephew below had to enter some key words related to the rise and fall of the country and the survival of the family.

"Zhenshou, I heard the Song people say that a centipede does not fall down even if it dies. Our great family of hundreds of years, although there are some inappropriate things, but after all, it is deeply rooted and leafy. If you want to corrupt it, you must commit suicide and self-destruction in the family before you can be completely defeated… Now you are fighting for a breath, and you actually led that Zhao Song official family into the game. Isn't it going to destroy my Gao family's overall situation?" Gao Liangcheng stood on the side of the Jade Bi, his face full of helplessness.

"Why does uncle have to be so grand?" Gao Zhenshou sneered. "The Gao family's overall situation has long been ruined by you… Can't I do the fifteenth day of the lunar month if you do the first day of the lunar month? Besides, without the Zhao Song official family, wouldn't our two sects fight? Can you keep the position of Buxie?"

"Even if I can't keep the position of Buxie, I can't let you live in peace." Gao Liangcheng finally cooled his face.

"That's why I led the Zhao official family in." Gao Zhenshou was not afraid. "Gao Liangcheng! To say a thousand words and ten thousand words, our Northern Sect is the direct line, and I am the eldest grandson of the late Zhongguo Duke! Even the other branches recognize me! Now that I am older and more powerful, you should abdicate and give way to the virtuous!"

"What if I don't let you?" Gao Liangcheng also became fierce. "I have been running Weichu for decades. Unless I send a large army to take it, who can shake my foundation? Although the Great Song has hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers, they are not accustomed to the water and soil and the road is difficult, so they may not be able to lift me!"

"Then I won't lift it." Gao Zhenshou was still calm. "Duan Heyu's sons are fighting for the throne, and the country is in chaos. I will open the road from the north, lead five thousand Zhao Song cavalry into the capital, abolish and establish myself, and serve as Buxie… You want to be the Buxie of one of your prefectures in Weichu, so go ahead, what does it matter to me? Even if you self-appoint yourself as the Wuliang Mountain Buddha, it is said that the official family in Yanjing is happy to confer… People are willing to seal even a stone, let alone your uncle, a living person in charge of a prefecture?"

Gao Liangcheng was dumbfounded, and then argued: "I still have Shanshan Prefecture (Kunming)."

"Shanshan Prefecture is difficult to obtain in the plains, and the eastern faces are all black barbarians who do not obey the Duan family and our Gao family… As long as I open the road and lead the Song army in, can you defend Shanshan Prefecture? Don't you know that the Yang family of the Black Barbarians has been recognizing relatives with the north and seeking the title of Duke?" Gao Zhenshou sneered even more.

"Zhenshou, you are letting the wolf into the house." Gao Liangcheng lowered his voice to each other. "The Great Song has come in, the Yang family and the black barbarians have risen again, what good is it for our Gao family? It's just a waste of Shanshan Prefecture… Moreover, after a long time, Zhao Song will eventually annex the Duan family, and the position of Buxie will be in vain."

"In that case, why doesn't uncle hand over Shanshan Prefecture and the position of Buxie to me?" Gao Zhenshou only felt ridiculous. "In this way, I will naturally no longer let the wolf into the house."

Gao Liangcheng could only sneer.

Seeing the other party's posture, Gao Zhenshou also became a bachelor:

"Uncle! The current situation is that you have Weichu, but no matter what, in the future, you can only keep the land of Weichu! And I originally only had the Tongmou Prefecture, and it won't be less no matter what… Why don't I fight?"

"The same family…" Gao Liangcheng was helpless, and tried to be painstaking.

"The same family! The same family! And let the wolf into the house? It sounds like the Northern Sect has a share of Weichu and Shanshan for decades!" Gao Zhenshou became more and more impatient. "Your Southern Sect's way of doing things is a few points worse than the wolves in the north. At least people can trade fairly, treat each other with courtesy, and let my second brother pass the Jinshi examination all the way, and be appointed as Zhizhou, but your Southern Sect has only been guarding against our Northern Sect like a thief for decades… The north and south sects are no longer one family! And this is all the result of your bias against the direct lineage and your reluctance to leave the power!"

"We can't only talk about the family's private interests, but also about the country's public affairs." Gao Liangcheng tried his best to make one last effort. "If you do this, what will happen to Dali's national situation?"

"That's enough!" Gao Zhenshou was completely bored. "It sounds like we didn't allow you and Duan Heyu to do big things… Jiaozhi was in civil strife, you supported Weng Shenli, military equipment, money, and food, pouring it over like flowing water, the national treasury was hollowed out, did it succeed in the end? Did our Northern Sect hold you back? The accumulation of tea and copper trading with the north for many years has been hollowed out by you!"

Gao Liangcheng sighed, and sat down on the newly conferred Wuliang Jade Bi, not caring that the water splashed on his body.

"Uncle, some words, we can only say here."

Seeing this situation, Gao Zhenshou also became quiet. "Why did you support Weng Shenli regardless of the century-old diplomatic relations between Dali and Jiaozhi? Do you really think I don't understand? Isn't it because the power of Zhao Song's Northern Expedition and the Song-Jin decisive battle shocked you? Isn't it because you watched the fall of the Great Liao and its westward march, and the rebirth of the Great Song, and you had some calculations in your hearts…"

"Yes." Gao Liangcheng's face showed fatigue. "Everyone rose up in the chaotic times of the late Tang Dynasty. After a hundred or two hundred years, one counts as one, and they are all worse than each other, and their inner pockets are turned out one by one, and it just so happens that the Great Song fell quickly, and its restoration was also fast. Seeing that there is another trend of unifying the eight wastelands, each family naturally wants to seek its own survival. Xiliao, there, is starting a new stove and opening up a new path, while we are in a situation where a centipede does not fall down even if it dies. Therefore, I discussed this strategy with Duan Heyu, thinking of swallowing the land and strengthening ourselves on the one hand, strengthening the depth, and on the other hand, diverting the water to the southeast, messing up Jiaozhi, and making a sacrifice in exchange for decades of peace in our own family. But…"

"But at the root, hasn't it already failed?" Gao Zhenshou interjected. "After fighting for four or five years, the national treasury was emptied, the people were exhausted, and the black barbarians were about to rebel again, but in the end, it still failed, and it just so happened that the Great Song repaired the Great River for seven or eight years after the Northern Expedition, and now its national strength is full, and it is pretending to have just freed up its hands, and is looking around, and it is Dali's turn to fall into people's eyes… Therefore, uncle, don't pretend, I don't believe you didn't have any preparations in your heart."

"I have naturally considered it." Gao Liangcheng covered his face and said, "Moreover, I have already privately revealed it to that Uncle Wu, and the official family in Yanjing probably knows it too… Zhenshou, if the Northern Sect really has the intention to fight to the end, I will offer Dali!"

This time it was Gao Zhenshou's turn to be dumbfounded and stunned on the spot.

"Why are you so surprised?" Gao Liangcheng put down his hand and asked calmly, "Anyway, if you fight it down, I will at most keep Weichu, I can't be Dali Buxie, and I have to hand over the title of Duke to you… Why not take the initiative to make a deal with the Zhao official family and be a serious Weichu County King? The Zhao official family also hinted that if things are properly arranged, they will seal Jinglong Prefecture and Xiushan County to me, and allow my second son to leave the town of Guangxi and serve as an Imperial Camp Commander, so that they can start a family in the Great Song and avoid the internal troubles of the north and south sects in Weichu."

"The Zhao official family also promised me." Gao Zhenshou hesitated for a moment, and still reluctantly said, "He had face-to-face words with Zhenming, saying that if one day, Dali's lineage is no longer there, the Great Song will set up Yunnan Road, and only take Shanshan and Jianchang Prefectures as direct jurisdiction. If the direct jurisdiction officials are unfavorable to the customs, he can also seal these two prefectures to one of his sons, and everyone will serve this Zhao family prince as the common master… As for our Northern Sect, in addition to the Tongmou Prefecture, we can also get Shanju and Tengchong counties, and then be a serious hereditary County King… The second son will naturally stay in the Great Song. In addition to the official, there will be many rewards, and he will not compete with my son for the throne."

The uncle and nephew looked at each other, both feeling a little dry.

After a moment, Gao Liangcheng continued to whisper and calculate: "If we look at it this way… the Duan family can also keep Dali Prefecture and Yongchang Prefecture, and it is said that Nongdong is also the Duan family's, and it is still a hereditary title of king… As for the Dongmian and other Wuman tribes, they will definitely allow each tribe to be independent, and a large family like the Yang family can also get a county land and be a proper county king."

"If this is the case… why can't we do it?" Gao Zhenshou thought for a while, and stomped his foot **** next to the Jade Bi. "Each family can't lose anything…"

"It's not that we can't do it." Gao Liangcheng sighed. "But the Gao family's century-old hegemony and the Duan family's century-old foundation will be buried together… Shanshan Prefecture will also be gone."

"But in the current situation, can the Gao family's hegemony and the Duan family's foundation really continue?" Gao Zhenshou looked at the two people above the waterfall, shaking his head non-stop, and waved his hand to his uncle. "This is a conspiracy."

"Yes, this is a conspiracy."

Gao Liangcheng stood up and grabbed his nephew's hand, then said sincerely: "That official family is accurate in seeing that Dali is now internally empty, but it is divided into four… The Duan family, the Gao family's north and south sects, and the Eastern Wuman, each governing themselves, fighting each other internally, and in chaos, so they are drawing cakes to satisfy their hunger, and want to take Shanshan Prefecture out of thin air and set up a road. The Wuman tribe will not be mentioned, that is really a blood feud, but if our Gao family's north and south sects and the Duan family can unite as one, that official family will never send troops on a long expedition, in order to throw away elites and money for a mere Shanshan Prefecture… The foundation of our ancestors can continue!"

Gao Zhenshou looked back at his uncle, and after a long silence, he said: "I don't want the position of Buxie, and I don't want the jurisdiction of Shanshan Prefecture, but can you give me the title of Zhongguo Duke and the military power of Shanshan Prefecture to suppress the black barbarians? I also want to go back and get something to convince Zhenming… He already regards himself as a Song person."

Gao Liangcheng hesitated several times, but when he thought of his several sons, he couldn't answer after all.

Gao Zhenshou sighed, and finally slowly withdrew his hand: "In that case, let's talk to the Zhao official family separately."

"Good, good!" Gao Liangcheng also smiled bitterly, but he couldn't help but think of that sentence: "A centipede does not fall down even if it dies. It's not bad to divide it in two and keep the foundation."

A month later, the Zhao official family in Yanjing received a secret letter. When he opened it, there was only one sentence:

"At the Wuliang Mountain Sword Debate, Wang Shixiong borrowed Your Majesty's prestige to subdue the enemy without fighting. The Dali Duan family is already incapable."