Chapter 263 — The Li Family Compound, Yelü Zhangnu's Estate
If it was his house, it should have been called the Yelü Family Compound, so why was it called the Li Family Compound?
Perhaps there was some reason why the name Yelü could not be used carelessly on a private residence.
"By the way, Lady Okjeong."
"Yes?"
"What kind of man is Yelü Zhangnu?"
"A Liao imperial clansman and local notable with the potential for rebellion."
Yeongu clicked his tongue.
She spoke as though attaching a brief note to the information he already knew.
"Tell me more."
"If you want a description of his character..."
"Yes. That is exactly what matters. If I am to deal with him."
Okjeong gave a faint laugh.
"I will bring you before him, but you will likely have no chance for that. It will be a gathering where many people mingle."
"Even so, I need it. Please tell me."
Okjeong seemed to think for a moment, then slowed her horse and answered.
"First, he is not easily excited.
He speaks little and weighs profit and loss for a long time.
He has tremendous pride as an imperial clansman of Liao.
He seems to think of himself as one of the chosen.
He is arrogant.
Outwardly, he is moderate.
When receiving guests, he does not lose courtesy, and he does not speak roughly.
Ah, he is elegant.
In conversation, he listens to the other person to the end.
Then he precisely strikes at the weak point in their words.
He is a military man, but he is closer to a politician.
He places legitimacy before the sword.
He behaves like a superior, but he does not recklessly look down on people.
He gives space to those he needs, and when their usefulness disappears, he coldly distances himself.
He is probably past fifty, or somewhere near that age.
He likes dressing splendidly.
But he is not extravagant.
Khitan frugality is ingrained in him.
In that sense, the Li Family Compound does not quite suit him.
That is probably because it is not a house he built, but one he obtained and occupied.
He conducts many external affairs there.
Members of the imperial house also come and go often.
So I suspect the Li Family Compound may originally have been prepared to receive imperial people.
He speaks like a scholar.
But he acts like a general.
In a word, he is a man with broad, bold lines."
Yeongu only blinked.
It was remarkable that a person could be described that way.
There would be no better explanation.
Suddenly, he wanted to ask what kind of person he himself was.
What kind of person am I?
At the very least, there must be a great difference between the human being I think I am and the human being others see.
Thoughtless Yeongu asked, truly without thinking.
"Then, Lady Okjeong. What kind of person am I?"
Okjeong looked at Yeongu for a long while.
At first, she was smiling as though it were a joke, but soon her gaze grew calm.
"Commander, you seem to think of yourself as a simple person.
But to my eyes, you are not so much simple as someone whose thoughts run deeply in one direction.
You have little talent for decorating your words.
You are also poor at lying.
But once you decide something must be done, you do not hesitate.
Because of that, depending on who is watching, you may look reckless, and to others, trustworthy.
You doubt people, yet you also try to trust people very easily.
Just now, you were wary of us, but when we tried to help you, you gave us a corner of your heart.
Both are in you.
When you fight with a blade, you are firm, but when you sit face to face with people, you do not know what to do.
Your martial arts are high, but your bearing is rough.
You seem to have achieved deeds worthy of rising to a high position, yet whenever words that elevate you appear, you step back.
And yet when talk turns to combat, your eyes come alive at once.
At that moment, you cannot hide it.
Commander, you are a good person.
But because you are good, you are not a comfortable person.
You keep making those beside you worry, making them want to help you, and sometimes making them want to stop you.
Such people usually go through great events, and also bring great events with them."
Yeongu laughed awkwardly.
"Is that praise?"
Okjeong smiled softly.
"It is praise. But if you wish to live long, you should first learn the roads properly."
"Yes? What does that mean?"
"Commander, you have no sense of direction."
"Ah."
---*
Go Hoewon, who had been slowly leading the way, grinned.
She was his daughter, but she was so clever it almost felt wasteful.
"I should explain the martial artists there."
Yeongu nudged his horse forward slightly and came up beside him.
"I will listen."
"In addition to Cheon Manseok and the Changbai Four Masters, there are experts staying there as guests."
"Oh."
"First, several experts from the Murong family are there. They seem to have been invited by Yelü Zhangnu. Traditionally, theirs was a house of northern strongmen. They have systematically inherited ancient martial arts, so the depth of their arts is quite extraordinary. Among them, Murong Huicheol is an expert among experts. It is said that the long sword he wields has few equals."
"Oh, the Murong family. Murong Huicheol. Is this the same Murong family that appears in old history books?"
"History books?"
"Yes. My ignorance is great, so I have been studying late. The Xianbei Murong clan, the ruling clan of the Murong tribe. They founded several Yan states such as Former Yan, Later Yan, Western Yan, and Southern Yan. They were a Xianbei royal house that rose in Liaodong and Liaoxi and then moved down into North China."
Okjeong answered.
"That is correct. It is that very Murong clan. They should be seen as a North China family rather than a Liaodong one. Now they are not entirely without a base in Liaodong, but they mainly operate in North China."
"The one that attacked Goguryeo and Buyeo was, then..."
"Former Yan. It was founded by Murong Huang."
"Oh."
"After it fell to Former Qin, Murong Chui founded Later Yan. It was a restoration regime. Western Yan was founded in Guanzhong and Shanxi after Former Qin collapsed, but it was short-lived. Southern Yan, founded by Murong De in Shandong, actually lasted over ten years."
Okjeong was very learned.
And clever.
"The Murong clan is a house that combined the mobility of steppe nobility with the ability to operate a Chinese-style dynasty.
A very long tradition has continued down through them, and they have planted roots in many places.
They possess the Xianbei military tradition of riding horses and shooting bows, and at the same time they quickly accepted Han bureaucracy and the institutions of an imperial state.
You may regard them as a house where the nature of tribal chiefs, royalty, emperors, and Central Plains politicians are mixed.
They rose from the steppe and Liaodong and ruled the Central Plains.
In those days, even Goguryeo and Buyeo could not take that name lightly."
Yeongu's mouth fell open.
History was interpretation.
Lining up written names did not mean one knew history.
One had to be able to speak so that it was visible at a glance what currents those names had moved within, and by what forces they had collided with one another.
In that sense, Okjeong was outstanding.
Above all, she explained things from a thousand years ago as if they were events before their eyes.
When he listened to her, the struggle of the many Yan states in North China felt as close as if it had happened yesterday.
Her knowledge was deep, so her explanation did not falter.
She was different from those who knew things halfway and blurred their words while claiming to be scholars.
Yeongu exclaimed in admiration.
"Wow. That was truly an extraordinary explanation. I really respect it."
Okjeong answered calmly.
"It is the sort of fact many people know."
Yeongu looked at Go Hoewon.
"What are their martial arts like?"
Go Hoewon answered.
"Northern openness is mixed with Central Plains precision.
By now, their precision alone is enough to make one click one's tongue in awe.
They are very strong.
They have systematically inherited the Central Plains traditions of breath cultivation and fist arts, and added that power to their own."
Yeongu narrowed his eyes.
"Ah, is there more?"
Go Hoewon nodded.
"The reason I am telling you about the martial artists is that quite a few of them are people who will inevitably collide with you, Commander.
They are very strong."
Yeongu grinned.
"May I know why they support the Yelü clan?"
Go Hoewon chose his words for a moment.
"I cannot simply say it is because of money.
Both sides have clear reasons.
For Liao to occupy and rule the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, their wisdom was needed.
Among the steppe peoples, no one understands both the Central Plains and the north better than the Murong family."
Yeongu nodded.
"They need each other."
"That is correct."