Chapter 45: Political Marriage

If the Empress Mother has no objections, then the matter of the marriage alliance is settled right now.

Gao Yang draped his arm around Gao Yin's shoulder. As father and son stood together, Gao Yang said with considerable pride, I feel what Yin'er suggested makes sense as well. We can try it out first; even if it does not succeed, we can discuss it again.

Blood rushed to Lou Zhaojun's head, and she no longer wished to speak. She listened as this pair of father and son continued to converse: Our Central Plains boasts abundant produce and countless rare treasures. Throughout history, all the barbarian tribes of the four quarters and foreign realms have wished to open trade routes with the Central Plains to acquire fine goods such as silk, damask, and embroidery. Once we form a marital alliance with the Turks, we can also reopen the ancient Silk Road. Not only shall we acquire exotic treasures, but through these trade routes, we can also ascertain the true strength of other countries and let the various nations of the Western Regions know that the Central Plains is now under the rule of our Great Qi.

Upon hearing this, Gao Yang beamed with delight.

Precisely! Exactly!

As if only then noticing Lou Zhaojun's displeasure, Gao Yang turned to her and said, I wish to offer prayers, and the day after tomorrow, I will send Yin'er to make offerings for me to the Buddha sarira of the World-Honored Tathagata. I recall that the Empress Mother has always favored Buddhism and has long resided in the Southern Capital. Why not accompany Yin'er thither?

Lou Zhaojun's expression was icy. I have been feeling unwell these past few days, so I shall not go. I will dispatch a female official to accompany him, and Yin'er can perform the worship on my behalf.

Gao Yang shook his head. What a pity. If the Empress Mother were to go and pray for blessings, then the matter with the Turks would surely proceed with utmost smoothness.

Lou Zhaojun let out a light snort. With a wave of her hand, the female official beside her helped her up, and she departed from the Zhaoyang Hall.

This battle could be described as an overwhelming victory for Gao Yang's family of three.

Gao Yang told Gao Yin that the hour was late and that he should return to rest first. Gao Yin bowed in farewell and departed. Afterwards, Gao Yang sat in the master's seat, his expression quite triumphant.

He reveled in his joy for quite a while before looking toward Empress Li Zu'e and beckoning to her. Come here.

Once Li Zu'e drew close, he pulled her abruptly into his arms and fondled her up and down. Only when Li Zu'e let out a soft, murmuring whine did he say with a smile, Is E'er unhappy?

Li Zu'e panted and gave him a reproachful look. Your Majesty always loves to make mischief.

Hahaha! Gao Yang lightly patted Li Zu'e's rounded buttocks, the crisp sound clearly audible. Though the palace attendants were accustomed to it, it still caused Li Zu'e's face to flush crimson.

You wrong me. This was entirely Yin'er's idea. If we can forge good relations with the Turks, his position will be secure in the future, and you will naturally have no shortage of good days ahead.

As he spoke, Gao Yang stroked Li Zu'e's cheek. As for your niece, Li Nansheng, it matters not. When the time comes, she shall simply be made his consort.

Seeing that Li Zu'e still appeared somewhat displeased, Gao Yang frowned; this woman truly lacked political intuition.

Think about it, even if Yin'er has a Turkic consort, would he truly father children with her and hand down the dynastic rule of Great Qi to them in the future? The affairs of the Xianbei and the Han are already complex enough; how could we embroil ourselves in a Turkic entanglement as well?

Li Zu'e's expression immediately brightened upon hearing this.

According to the original trajectory, the one who should have married the daughter of the Tujue Khagan was Emperor Wu of Zhou, Yuwen Yong, the very man who would ultimately destroy Qi.

However, Yuwen Yong's eldest son had been born the year before his ascension. The marriage alliance with the Turks was merely for the sake of leveraging Turkic might to annihilate Qi. While making Lady Ashina his Empress, Yuwen Yong demoted his primary wife, Li Ezi, from Empress to Imperial Consort, ranking the Empress first, with the Ashina Empress implying the status of primary empress.

Yet although her status was revered, she was strictly forbidden from bearing offspring. As compensation, she received a promotion speed swifter than any of her peers, rocketing from Empress to Grand Empress Dowager within the span of two years, and passing away at the mature age of thirty-two in the fourth year following Emperor Wu's demise.

With a somewhat dark sense of humor, the year Empress Ashina passed away was already the second year of the Kaihuang era of the Great Sui. She outlived Emperor Wu, Emperor Xuan, and indeed the entire state of Zhou.

Although Gao Yang knew nothing of these future events, he understood the fundamental principle of a marital alliance: the Turkic Empress would never bear children; even if she conceived, it would result in a stillbirth or a daughter. Therefore, the heir to Gao Yin's throne must necessarily come from one of his consorts.

At this juncture, Li Nansheng caught Gao Yang's eye. Without the title of Empress, she would possess the reality of it. Moreover, it would be quite easy to select daughters of the Jinyang aristocracy as brides for Gao Yin through marital alliances, and their status would manifestly never surpass that of Ashina, thus creating a natural suppression.

Even Li Zu'e managed to reason this out, but she immediately heard Gao Yang tell her, Afterwards, I shall also have Huaixiu recommend some maidservants to serve as concubines for Yin'er. He certainly cannot have only two women!

Toward Consort Duan, Li Zu'e held no ill impressions. Everyone fancied the type who was utterly obedient and submissive to him, whereas this woman possessed a lively and active disposition. Consequently, Consort Duan was not particularly favored. Although her status was revered due to her lineage in the Duan clan, it was precisely because of this same lineage that Gao Yang maintained a slight vigilance against her, which was precisely why she herself had ascended to become the Empress of Great Qi.

In Li Zu'e's view, Consort Duan's status was suspended midway, trapped right there where she could neither threaten her own position nor find a way out.

To this, Consort Duan seemed indifferent and self-amused, but Li Zu'e was well aware that Consort Duan held superfluous emotional attachment toward her eldest son, Gao Yin, seemingly intending to leave a favorable impression upon the crown prince so as to secure a good outcome once he ascended the throne.

Although she harbored some petty jealousy, Li Zu'e, hailing from the prestigious Li clan of Zhaojun, was able to suppress it with the traditional propriety instilled by her aristocratic family. Besides, the outcome had long since been decided: she now held every advantage—the Emperor's favor and a crown prince of her own flesh and blood. How could she possibly lose?

Duan Shao was also a pillar of the state of Qi; for the sake of Great Qi, helping everyone rally and pacify the consorts within the palace while avoiding unnecessary trouble was for the best. Thus, Li Zu'e tacitly permitted Duan Huaixiu's actions.

Although Gao Yang's words had induced a trace of anxiety within her, she also possessed confidence. As long as she allowed Yin'er and Nansheng to spend more time together, their bond would naturally grow as unyielding as gold and stone. With herself, the Empress, present, wasn't this as easy as turning over one's hand?

By then, their Zhaojun Li clan would boast two Empresses across generations, and might even become the imperial consort clan of Great Qi. That would...

Inside the golden carriage, a wisp of cool breeze interrupted Gao Yin's soaring thoughts.

It remained uncertain whether this marriage alliance with the Turks would come to fruition, but if it did, the assistance it provided would be immense. For the Qi state to ally with the Turks through marriage was an entirely different matter from the Zhou state doing so.

Relations between the Turks and the Zhou state were excellent. As early as thirteen years ago, Yuwen Tai had taken the initiative to dispatch envoys to the Turks to establish diplomatic ties, causing the Turkic people to rejoice and declare, Now that the envoy of a great nation has arrived, our country shall surely rise.

Yuwen Tai had no choice; at that time, Eastern Wei was far stronger than Western Wei, and the northern steppe overlord Rouran was an ally of Eastern Wei. Tuyuhun despised Western Wei and was also a nation allied by marriage with Eastern Wei. The three parties formed an anti-Western Wei alliance, leaving Western Wei isolated and helpless. Coincidentally, the Turks needed to overthrow Rouran's rule and sought allies in the Central Plains. The two sides hit it off instantly, and the Princess of Changle from Western Wei was married far away to the Turks.

Previously, the Qi state had allied by marriage with Rouran, but Rouran was defeated by the Turks and split into Eastern and Western factions. Eastern Rouran defected to Qi, but subsequently rebelled against Qi, provoking Gao Yang into launching a personal expedition.

Because the Qi state had maintained friendly relations with Rouran and had once gone to war with the Turks on Rouran's behalf, the Turks did not throw in their lot with Qi. Instead, they forged ties with Western Wei—with whom they had long-standing matrimonial exchanges—and joined forces with Western Wei to campaign against the remnants of Rouran, seizing hegemony over the northern steppes, forcing the Kingdom of Khotan into submission, and extending their influence into the Western Regions.

Thus, an awkward dilemma emerged for the Qi state: having once made an enemy of the Turks for the sake of Rouran, that battered Rouran had then stirred up trouble with Qi once more before being exterminated. Meanwhile, the Turks continued to expand their sphere of influence, stretching their hands toward Kucha and Hotan, which sparked a war with Tuyuhun. Tuyuhun was defeated, and the once-promising anti-Western Wei situation underwent a reversal, turning into a joint effort by Western Wei and the Turks to oppose the East.

Part of Qi's military advantage stemmed from Tuyuhun's friendly relations with Qi, as they continually harassed the rear of the Zhou state, preventing Zhou from deploying its full strength and forcing them to keep a portion of their forces in reserve to guard against Tuyuhun.

Once Tuyuhun was defeated, this advantage ceased to exist, enabling the Zhou state to wage war against Qi with greater force.

Both allies had lost the capacity to shield Qi's northern frontier. Gao Yang spent every year building the Great Wall precisely to reinforce the border defenses of the northern garrisons. Yet if things continued this way, Qi would merely be sliced away piece by piece by the Turks like slicing meat with a dull knife, pointlessly consuming national power. Conversely, this would result in Qi being unable to exert its full strength in battles against Zhou, with the Turks acting like a thorn embedded in Qi's flesh, constraining Qi at every turn.

This situation had to be changed, and change was entirely possible because the Turkic people lacked integrity and moral principles; as long as the pay was sufficient, anything could be discussed. Their previous failure to draw close to Qi was merely because Qi had not attached sufficient importance to them. Courting them now would drive up the price for the Turks, while also increasing the cost for the Zhou state to cultivate ties with them.

Most importantly, Qi was only just beginning its decline, a fact not yet perceived by the rest of the world. In the eyes of the Turks, Qi remained a powerful nation capable of fighting; for the sake of survival, it needed to huddle together with the Zhou state for warmth.

This state of affairs would alter in a few years' time. Five years hence, under Gao Zhan's leadership, Qi would begin to show signs of decadence, whereupon the Turks would lead an army of 200,000 southwards, guided by Yang Zhong at the head of 10,000 infantry and cavalry across three separate routes to invade Qi.

To cultivate friendly relations with the Turks now, however, was to compel their submission from the posture of a great power. The empress and the tiger-skin cloak borrowed from the Turks could likewise, to a certain degree, safeguard Gao Yin's position.

To ally with the Zhou was for the weak to huddle together for survival; to ally with Qi was for strong powers to join hands. As long as one displayed resolve, the Turks stood a high probability of choosing Qi. Even if the Turks remained neutral and reaped profits from both sides, Qi would still find things somewhat easier.

Although this was a favorable development for the state of Qi, to Empress Dowager Lou, it was undeniably a nightmare.

Her constant obsession was for Gao Yan to succeed to the throne after Gao Yang's death so that she could continue to serve as Empress Dowager. How could she possibly permit Gao Yin's position to become secure?

She had to prevent such an outcome from happening, yet the Jinyang aristocrats would not support her; making peace with the Turks meant avoiding multi-front warfare, and weakening Zhou's power was beneficial to them as well.

Furthermore, Gao Yang was desperately trying to bring this matter to fruition. Provoking his fierce wrath at this juncture might well lead him to move against Yan'er. Therefore, one must not openly disrupt this affair, and Yan'er and Zhan'er must ostensibly offer strong support.

Since that was the case, the only recourse was to strike at Gao Yin himself. Lou Zhaojun returned to her sleeping quarters and lay upon the bed in deep thought, then suddenly rose and summoned a female official.

Has anything happened in the palace these past few days? Has the Son of Heaven been killing people again?