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After Yang Shaoyou passed the imperial examination, he entered the Hanlin Academy. The court was busy with official duties, and he had not found the time to return home to visit his mother. He was thinking of asking for leave to go back, to see his elderly mother and bring her to the capital to enjoy a comfortable life, and then arrange for his marriage. However, at this time, the country was in turmoil. Tubo frequently invaded the borders, and the three governors of Hebei were particularly audacious—one called himself Yan Wang, another Zhao Wang, and the last Wei Wang. They colluded with each other and allied with the northern barbarians to openly rebel against the court. The emperor was deeply troubled by this situation and summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures, widely soliciting opinions in the court, hoping to send troops to suppress the rebellion. To his surprise, all the officials were cunning and self-serving, offering nothing but nonsensical suggestions aimed at appeasing the situation. Unable to bear it any longer, Hanlin scholar Yang Shaoyou stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I believe we can use Emperor Wu of Han's method of winning over King of Yue. We should quickly issue an edict, explaining the benefits and dangers while combining grace with authority. If they remain obstinate and insist on opposing the court, then we can send troops later; this would be a comprehensive strategy." The emperor found this reasonable and ordered Yang Shaoyou to draft the edict on the spot. Shaoyou did not decline; he immediately accepted the order, spread out paper, and wrote swiftly. Before long, he finished writing. The emperor took a look and was greatly pleased, saying, "This article is well written! The wording is rigorous, combining grace with authority; those rebellious ministers will surely come to surrender!" After saying this, he sent the edict to the three towns in Hebei. Upon seeing that things were not looking good, Zhao Wang and Wei Wang immediately canceled their titles and submitted a letter of apology, expressing their willingness to accept the court's amnesty. They even sent a thousand horses and a thousand bolts of silk as a gesture of submission. Only Yan Wang remained stubbornly defiant due to his remote location and strong military forces.
The emperor recognized that Zhao and Wei's quick submission was entirely due to Yang Shaoyou's efforts and thus issued a decree praising him: "The three towns in Hebei have long occupied a territory by relying on their advantageous geography for over a hundred years. During Emperor Dezong's reign, despite sending an army of one hundred thousand men to quell their rebellion, they could not be completely subdued. Now you, Yang Shaoyou, have made two towns surrender with just a single edict without losing a single soldier or harming a blade of grass; you have spread the court's prestige far and wide! I am greatly comforted! I grant you three thousand bolts of silk and five thousand fine horses as a reward." The emperor also intended to promote his official rank, but Yang Shaoyou stepped forward to decline, saying: "I merely drafted an edict; this is my duty. As for the two towns' swift submission to the court, that is entirely due to Your Majesty's divine authority; what merit do I have? Moreover, there is still one town of rebels who dare to defy the court; I feel truly ashamed and wish I could take up arms for my country to avenge its disgrace! As for promotion, I truly do not deserve it!" Seeing his sincerity, the emperor consulted with other ministers. They all said: "These three towns are interdependent; now that two towns have surrendered, that small Yan rebel is merely a turtle in a jar. In my humble opinion, it would be better to first offer them courtesy before resorting to military action; send Yang Shaoyou to explain the benefits and dangers. If they refuse to surrender then we can send troops." The emperor found this reasonable and dispatched Yang Shaoyou with an imperial decree to persuade Yan.
Yang Hanlin received the imperial decree and prepared to set off after bidding farewell to Zheng Situ. The Minister said: "Those arrogant rebels in border towns who do not heed the court's orders have not arisen overnight. You are merely a scholar venturing into danger alone; if anything goes wrong it would be my great misfortune in my old age. Although I am old and cannot do much anymore, I must write to the court to prevent you from taking such risks!" Yang Hanlin reassured him: "There is no need for you to worry too much; these vassal states are merely confused during this time of turmoil in the court. Now that His Majesty is wise and the court is clear-headed with Zhao and Wei having already surrendered, what storm can one isolated Yan state stir up? I will surely succeed!" The Minister replied: "Since your mind is made up after receiving the imperial decree, I will no longer dissuade you. Just take care on your journey and return safely." His wife also came to see him off, already in tears: "Since you became my son-in-law I have been so comforted; now that you are going far away how can I bear it? I only wish for your swift return!"
Yang Hanlin returned to the courtyard, packed lightly, and set off immediately. Chun Yun tugged at his sleeve while crying: "When you were serving at Hanlin Academy I would wake up early every day to tidy your bed and help you dress. Before you left each day you would look back at me with lingering affection! Now that you are going off on a long journey why do you leave without saying anything?" Yang Hanlin smiled: "A man must build his career; life or death is uncertain—how can I be bound by personal feelings? Chun Yun do not be too sad or let it affect your health. Please take good care of Miss at home until I return victorious!" After saying this he left for his carriage.
As he traveled through Luoyang again he couldn't help but feel nostalgic. In those days he was just a poor scholar at sixteen years old wearing coarse linen clothes riding a thin donkey—enduring hardships comparable to Su Qin’s ten trips between states! Yet now just a few years later he was an imperial envoy riding in an elegant carriage escorted by officials who knelt down in greeting along his path—what grandeur!
Yang Hanlin first sent an attendant to inquire about Gui Chan Yue’s whereabouts. When the attendant arrived at Moonlight’s house he found it tightly shut with no sign of life except for peach blossoms blooming outside its walls. He asked neighbors who said: "Miss Moonlight had an affair last spring with a distant young man; since then she has claimed illness and refused visitors—even missing government banquets! Not long after she seemed madly intent on selling all her jewelry for Daoist robes before wandering off into distant lands without returning; we don’t know which famous mountain or blessed place has kept her." When the attendant returned with this news Yang Hanlin felt joy turn into despair upon hearing it. He wandered around Moonlight’s house for quite some time touching its walls while sighing quietly; that night he tossed restlessly unable to sleep. Seeing this situation unfold Prefect specially invited several famous courtesans hoping they could cheer him up—all dressed extravagantly trying their best to attract his attention even including those singing girls he had seen before at Tianjin Bridge among them. They vied for his favor but unfortunately Yang Hanlin was in low spirits showing no interest in these frivolous women.
The next morning before leaving he wrote a poem on the wall:
After rain in Tianjin willows turn green,
The scenery resembles last year's spring.
How pitiful that when Yu Lang returns,
He finds no one urging drinks at the tavern.
After writing it Yang Hanlin threw down his brush and departed in his carriage. The courtesans looked at his retreating figure feeling ashamed yet they hurriedly copied down his poem presenting it to Prefect who scolded them saying: "If any of you could catch Hanlin’s eye your worth would triple! But now each one is heavily made up yet none can attract Hanlin’s attention—it seems our Luoyang truly has no one left!" Later Prefect learned that Hanlin’s beloved was Gui Chan Yue so he ordered notices posted throughout the city seeking information about her whereabouts waiting for Hanlin’s return through Luoyang again.
Hanlin arrived in Yan country which lay on the border where people had never seen an imperial envoy before; upon seeing him they treated him like a qilin from earth or phoenix from heaven crowding around eagerly wanting a glimpse of him. Despite his noble status Yang Hanlin showed no airs treating commoners generously like timely rain bringing joy as they praised: "The emperor truly wants to save us!" Upon meeting Yan Wang he praised His Majesty’s great virtues as well as court policies while drawing from various aspects like national trends analyzing pros and cons—his eloquence surged like tidal waves while righteousness radiated like cold winds making Yan Wang tremble with fear yet enlightened him as he knelt down apologizing: "Our Yan country lies far away from civilization adhering stubbornly to outdated ways without realizing our past mistakes! Today thanks to Your Majesty’s immense grace hearing your teachings has awakened me—I will abandon all unrealistic thoughts from now on faithfully serve as a loyal subject." Afterward Yan Wang hosted a banquet at Azure Pavilion for Hanlin’s farewell where before departing he offered gold worth thousands along with ten fine horses but all were politely declined by Hanlin. After bidding farewell to Yan Wang he set off on his journey back westward.
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