Moma Liangshan

Chapter 144 Princess's Questions and Answers, Miscellaneous Chapters at Sea

Half a month after the Jurchen army withdrew, the envoy sent by Gaochang to Jiaozhou returned to Jinzhou. The envoy was none other than Gao He, a servant of the Gao family who had previously visited Jiaozhou. Jinzhou was merely a county town, without a palace, so the Shu princess could only temporarily reside in a manor. On the way to the princess's residence, Gaochang instructed, "When you see the princess, remember to tell her everything truthfully, otherwise, if anything goes wrong, no one can protect you!" Gao He looked nervous and said, "I have already informed my master of everything I saw in Jiaozhou. If Your Highness wishes to ask anything, please speak directly to my master. Why summon me?" Gaochang said, "It is an honor for Your Highness to summon you. Just remember to answer whatever is asked!" Gaochang replied, "I will remember!"

The manor where the Shu princess was temporarily staying still displayed the plaque that read "Shu Princess's Residence." Gao Chang and Gao He entered the manor and were led directly into a large hall by a maid. Although simply furnished, the hall was spacious and bright. The Shu princess arrived shortly after and asked directly, "What is Wang Hao's response to my visit to Jiaozhou?" Gao He glanced furtively at Gao Chang but did not answer. Gao Chang quickly rose and apologized to the princess of Shu, saying, "This man is a servant in my household, and he has never seen much of the world. Please forgive him, Your Highness!" The princess of Shu replied, "It's alright!" Gao Chang then looked at Gao He and said, "Say what you know, and say you don't know what you don't know!" Gao He nodded repeatedly, then looked at the princess of Shu and found that she was a very beautiful girl. He relaxed considerably and said, "Young Master Wang said, 'Your presence is an honor to my humble abode!' He also sent the two largest ships in the port specifically to welcome you!" The princess of Shu asked, "Where are those two ships now?" Before Gao He could answer, Gao Chang said directly, "They are anchored in Lushun Port!" The princess of Shu asked, "Have you seen them?" Gao Chang replied, "Those two ships did not come empty-handed. They were loaded with grain, cloth, fine wine, and a box of rouge and powder!" When Gao Chang said the last sentence, his voice was very soft. The princess of Shu looked puzzled and asked, "What does Wang Hao mean by this?" Gao He replied directly, "Young Master Wang said that these two ships of goods are a housewarming gift from him to Your Highness!"

The Shu princess said, "You've been back for two days, why haven't I seen these things?" Gao Chang replied, "The people from Jiaozhou said they would personally deliver them to your residence!" The Shu princess asked again, "Why?" Gao Chang said, "This seems to be the custom of Han people when giving gifts!" Two ships full of goods were extremely valuable gifts for Jinzhou at present, but for Wang Hao, they were merely a drop in the ocean. Gao Chang silently lowered his head, not speaking, but wondering in his heart if there was a deeper affection between the Shu princess and Wang Hao. Speaking of this, we must mention a small incident that occurred on the ship!

Gao He was just a servant, and in his eyes, these things were enough to marry ten noble ladies. Therefore, while on the ship, he had already concluded that there must be an affair between Wang Hao and the princess. The journey from Jiaozhou to Jinzhou required a detour via Penglai, and the sea voyage took several days. Bored on the ship, Gao He became quite familiar with a sailor from Jiaozhou. Once, during a casual conversation, the soldier said with great enthusiasm, "Back in the day, my young master arrived in Tokyo alone with only a cart and a jar of wine, and was immediately treated as an honored guest by the most famous courtesan in the land, Miss Shishi. A month later, he was summoned by the emperor, and from then on, he rose rapidly to a high-ranking official position. Later, the empress and imperial concubines all thought my young master was of good character and had a bright future, and they all vied to marry their daughters to him. Unfortunately, no man in the world could marry two princesses at the same time, so in the end, the emperor personally bestowed a marriage upon my young master, betrothing his most favored Princess Roufu." Wang Hao's deeds were widely known, and Gao He had also heard about them in the marketplace, but not in such detail as the soldier's account. Seeing the soldier speaking so confidently, Gao He no longer held back and asked, "Young Master Wang presented two entire shiploads of goods as gifts to our princess. Do you think there's something going on between them...?" Gao He didn't finish his sentence, but just kept chuckling.

The soldier already understood and said, "We brothers can see the general situation of the Liao Kingdom now, let alone that princess! If the country is about to collapse one day, how can that princess have a good end if she doesn't have a powerful backer?" Gao He agreed and nodded repeatedly. A moment later, the aroma of wine wafted from the cabin. Gao He said sourly, "It's a pity these wines are all on the register; they smell so good!" The soldier proudly took a small wine jug from his waist and handed it to Gao He, saying, "You mustn't touch anything in the cabin, but you can drink this wine as much as you want!" Gao He took the jug, smelled it, and said, "What fragrant wine!" The soldier unconsciously puffed out his chest and said, "This is a perk the young master gives us; it's even better than what's in the cabin!" Gao He took a small sip and found it sweet and smooth. Emboldened by the wine, he said without restraint, "If we become family in the future, will I get this perk too?" The soldier said, "The young master is generous and doesn't have many rules, but once a rule is established, it must be followed, or you will be severely punished!" Gao He tentatively asked, "If I accidentally break it, will I be beheaded?"

The soldier shook his head and said, "As long as you don't do anything against all reason, you won't be beheaded!" Gao He patted his chest and said, "That's good, that's good!" He picked up the wine jug again and urged, "Brother, have a sip too!" The soldier said, "Sailors on board are on duty, and soldiers on duty are absolutely forbidden from drinking!" Gao He was surprised and said, "Is this also Young Master Wang's rule?" The soldier replied, "Yes!" Gao He took another sip of wine and said, "Not only is your wine good, brother, but this wine jug is also exquisite!" The soldier snatched the wine jug and held it in his hand, saying, "This is a pure copper wine jug. See the 'sail' pattern on it? It's exclusively for us sailors in Jiaozhou!" Gao He was extremely envious and said, "Could I have another sip?" The soldier was quite generous and said directly, "You can finish the wine, but you have to give me the wine jug!" Gao He was already half drunk. He snatched the wine jug, drank it all in one gulp, and a moment later, swayed and slumped onto the deck. The soldier quickly snatched the wine jug back and hung it back on his waist. Gao He dared not tell Gao Chang or the princess of Shu about the funny things that happened on the ship, but whenever he thought about it, he couldn't help but laugh to himself.

Upon hearing that Wang Hao had personally sent her two ships full of gifts, the princess of Shu felt a surge of secret delight. After pondering for a long time, she asked, "Has Wang Hao made any requests of us?" Gao Chang thought for a moment and replied, "Young Master Wang's men once said they wanted to lease five miles of land along the coast to expand their port." Without much thought, the princess of Shu immediately said, "Granted!"