Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

The old emperor was preparing to leave Shanhai Pass the next day.

At that moment, a document was sent over from the Prime Minister’s office for his instructions.

“Wokou Country requests to return home this time via the Shandong Dengzhou tribute route instead of Ningbo, and to travel alongside the Goryeo envoys.”

This didn’t seem to be a problem.

After some thought, the old emperor waved his brush— Approved!

Further down, there was a handwritten letter from Wokou Country’s envoy, written in Chinese characters.

The old emperor lazily raised his eyebrows and read it slowly.

The letter contained around 3,000 characters, praising China’s vast and abundant land and resources, the exceptional governance of the Da Xia dynasty, and how the people lived in peace and prosperity. It also expressed great respect for the emperor.

Then, in another 3,000 characters, it detailed Wokou Country’s dire poverty and harsh conditions. They couldn’t even afford meat. Even their shogun only ate one bowl of rice, a miso soup, and a piece of pickled radish per meal.

The old emperor’s expression turned peculiar.

Currently, most countries offered tribute once a year.

However, some countries, like Goryeo, came three to four times a year, sometimes even five to six times. They would come for the emperor’s birthday, the crown prince’s birthday, New Year, and any significant event in Xia. Occasionally, they’d even visit without any particular reason.

Was Wokou Country trying to imitate Goryeo?

“Summon the Minister of Rites.”

When the Minister of Rites arrived, the old emperor asked for the records of Wokou Country’s past tributes.

“Your Majesty, their tributes usually include some swords, armor, agate, crystal, as well as gold and gilded furniture. Hmm… also cowhide and a few horses.”

The Minister of Rites, well attuned to the emperor’s thoughts, added after a moment, “Typically, they offer 100 swords, one set of armor, 20 regular-sized agates, a few crystal beads, one or two pieces of furniture at most, and about three or four horses.”

It wasn’t just little—it could be called downright meager.

But this was also due to Xia’s deliberate policy. As the Heavenly Dynasty, they didn’t covet the petty offerings of the four barbarians, and a token amount of local specialties sufficed each year.

The old emperor tapped his fingers on his knee several times, murmuring to himself, “It seems they truly are poor.”

The Minister of Rites continued his report: “In return, the court usually bestows them with 10 to 20 bolts of silk and satin. For the king and the envoy, we grant a full set of robes, boots, and socks each. Additionally, the king receives 100 to 200 taels of silver, and the envoy collectively receives 10,000 copper coins.”@@novelbin@@

The old emperor nodded slightly. “That’s not much. Allowing one or two additional trips shouldn’t strain the treasury.”

He then wrote on the document: Approved. The emperor’s and crown prince’s birthday banquets, along with New Year’s Day—three times a year will suffice.

The Minister of Rites was curious. “Why has Your Majesty suddenly…”

Having just finished reviewing a stack of documents, with the Prime Minister’s petition as the last one, the old emperor beckoned. A young eunuch quickly brought over a folded hot towel, which the emperor placed over his eyes.

“Wokou Country requests to visit for tribute more frequently.”

—In other words, they were looking to take advantage.

The emperor leaned back against his chair, closing his eyes and speaking leisurely, “Da Xia and Wokou Country are separated by a mere stretch of water. As the sovereign of all nations, how can I not assist? I neither need to govern their internal affairs nor make them wealthy—just a little more silver and gold in rewards.”

There was another layer to this reasoning that the emperor didn’t voice but which the Minister of Rites understood.

Small countries relied on tribute not just for wealth but also for the backing of a great nation. If an enemy dared to invade, they would have to think twice about who the small country’s patron was.

Thus, if any small country dared to show disrespect one day, simply refusing their tribute would suffice as a punishment.

—At times, the tribute system was also a way to control neighboring states.

The old emperor sighed again. “Moreover, those Wa people are truly destitute. I’ve heard they can’t even afford meat.”

The Minister of Rites was somewhat surprised. “Are they that poor? No wonder they’re so short.”

“Indeed,” the old emperor said, “I’ve heard that their king forbids fishing, so they mostly eat soy-based foods. Even their generals only have meals consisting of rice, miso soup, and pickled radish.”

Hearing this, the Minister of Rites was overwhelmed with sympathy. “If that’s the case, I’ll instruct the Ministry of Rites to give Wokou Country Envoys more care in the future.”

For the Wokou Country Envoys, visiting Da Xia might be the only time in the entire year when they could eat meat.

How pitiful.

The old emperor nodded slightly in agreement.

—Since Da Xia was the suzerain state, it made sense to support its vassals when possible.

The old emperor decided to inspect Liaodong Commandery. Thus, his entourage passed through Shanhai Pass, heading northeast while conducting inspections along the way.

About a month and a half later, as they approached Fuzhou Garrison, they happened to encounter the returning Wokou Country Envoy.

Recalling their earlier claims of hardship, the old emperor summoned the envoys to inquire about their circumstances.

Both the chief and deputy envoys were Zen monks, not ordinary ones but those involved in secular governance as advisors to the shogunate.

As such, when they saw the emperor, they performed not Buddhist rituals but secular ones, addressing him as: “We pay respects to the Son of Heaven of Da Xia.”

The old emperor kindly asked, “How has your stay in the Central Plains been?”

The chief envoy replied, “Very well. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.”

The emperor then inquired about their food and accommodations. Both envoys affirmed that everything was excellent, and other members of the delegation excitedly added that the abundance of meat here was astonishing. Pork and chicken were particularly delicious, and they had never tasted horse meat before.

One after another, they expressed, “We thank the generous Son of Heaven of Da Xia!”

This made the old emperor quite proud.

“What? The emperor was so generous that he used the imperial treasury to reward the Wokou Country Envoy?”

Xu Yanmiao was stunned. “A delegation of 200 people, each receiving two geese, eight fish, one red silk mattress, eight bolts of silk, and 100 copper coins?”

The Ministry of War official added, “Also, 60 catties of calamine and 300 catties of brass. The Wa said they lacked brass and the materials to refine it, so His Majesty gifted them some.”

Xu Yanmiao was even more shocked. “Isn’t His Majesty… uh, isn’t he usually very frugal? Why…”

Not only did he say it aloud, but he also repeated it in his mind.

The old emperor promptly summoned him. Ensuring the Wokou Country Envoys couldn’t hear, he spoke earnestly: “Xu Yanmiao, there are times to save money and times when you cannot. As the suzerain state, we must act with dignity. When our neighbors are so poor they can’t afford meat, it’s only right to help them a little. You don’t understand—those slices of pork and chicken you ate during your recent hot pot meal? They only get to eat such things during their tribute visits. Otherwise, it’s tofu soup and pickled radish for them all year round. It’s not just them being frugal; the entire Wokou Country is impoverished, even their shogun struggles to eat meat.”

Xu Yanmiao hesitated. “…Is that so?”

The old emperor patted his shoulder. “Of course.”

The emperor then called over the Wokou Country Envoys. “I heard there’s something like a ‘meat prohibition order’ in your country?”

One envoy grimaced and explained, “Indeed. The Emperor of Heaven believes in Buddhism, so he forbids us from eating meat…”

The nearby, soft-hearted Minister of Rites discreetly dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief and murmured a poetic line: “Lying in the government dormitory, hearing the rustling bamboo—could it be the cries of the people’s suffering…”[Oh!] Xu Yanmiao suddenly understood. [The old emperor has been conned out of money!]