189: Chapter 99 Family Gathering (New Year's Day, 1908)

The first day of the first lunar month, in the third year of Yongan.

The crackle of firecrackers in Jinling City resounded from New Year's Eve until dawn, only beginning to thin out when the morning light of the first day of the new year painted the peak of Mount Zijin red. The air was thick with the scent of sulfur and gunpowder, mingled with the rising steam and savory oil from roadside breakfast stalls, and the sweet, rich aroma of osmanthus sugar cakes—the unique scent of the city's New Year, both lively and gentle, like a warm, fluffy old quilt wrapping up the winter chill.

It was a rare occasion for Li Ling not to spend the New Year in the military camp or his study. For once, he cast off his dragon robes and military uniform, donning instead a deep indigo silk-faced cotton robe, tied at the waist with an ordinary jade belt, and a pair of thick-soled boots. He looked just like the master of a wealthy merchant family, possessing less of an emperor's majesty and more of the warmth of everyday life. The frog closures on his cuffs had been hand-sewn by Empress Su Wanqing, with stitches fine and even.

He hosted a family feast in a warm pavilion within the Imperial Garden. Underfloor heating kept the pavilion as warm as spring, and the charcoal fire cast a dull red glow beneath its copper cover. Outside, the cold wind howled, making the window paper wail, while the frost on the window frames refracted tiny rainbows under the lamplight. On the table sat eight cold dishes, eight hot dishes, and a large, steaming hotpot. The broth in the copper pot bubbled and boiled, its white steam carrying a rich aroma that filled the pavilion, condensing into a blurry mist on the window glass, making the outside world seem soft and distant.

Seated around the table were his five wives.

Empress Su Wanqing sat to Li Ling's left, wearing a crimson brocade jacket today. Her hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with a pure gold kingfisher feather hairpin that shimmered subtly in the candlelight. With a gentle smile on her face, she was sliding a plate of sliced mutton into the hotpot. Her chopsticks swirled gently in the boiling water, lifting the meat out at the perfect moment, dipping it in sesame paste, and placing it onto the plate in front of Li Ling. Her movements were smooth and natural, as if she had repeated this action thousands of times.

"Your Majesty, try this. It's mutton freshly transported from the Northwest just this morning. It's extremely tender." Her tone was as gentle as always, yet held a touch more familiarity and naturalness than usual—in this warm pavilion, she was not the Empress, but simply a wife serving her husband.

Princess Zaiyi sat opposite Empress Su Wanqing, wearing a lotus-root-colored cloak. Her hair was simply styled, adorned with only a single white jade hairpin, showing a royal elegance amidst her plainness. She raised her teacup and took a light sip, her gaze sweeping imperceptibly over Emily and the German Princess, a dignified smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Her Majesty is right," Princess Zaiyi chimed in. "This mutton is indeed fresh. I remember that last year in the palace, we couldn't eat anything this fresh. Back then, the mutton was all transported from beyond the Great Wall. By the time it reached the capital, it was frozen solid, and when cooked, it was incredibly tough."

Emily sat on Li Ling's right. For once, she wore a bright red cheongsam embroidered with gold thread. Her hair was styled in fashionable curls, and a pair of pearl earrings hung from her earlobes, swaying gently as she spoke and gleaming softly in the candlelight. As she awkwardly used her chopsticks to pick up food, she couldn't help but mutter a couple of sentences in English before laughingly switching to Chinese: "Sister Wanqing, you have to control him! He's scaring me with the hotpot broth again! He said this is a spicy chili broth, but it's clearly clear broth! Yet I just saw chili oil in the bowl!"

Empress Su Wanqing covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Who told you to be so gullible? His Majesty is just teasing you. Look at the foam on the surface of that bowl; it's sesame oil."

Before Emily could counter, Imperial Concubine Hui—the daughter of the southern financial tycoon, who wore a light green cotton skirt today with a small velvet flower pinned in her hair—interrupted with a laugh: "Second Sister, aren't you used to His Majesty's jokes yet? When I first arrived, he pretended to be a cloth merchant and tricked me into believing he had a hundred bolts of fine silk to sell cheap. I almost fell for it. It was only when my father recognized him that His Majesty sheepishly admitted the truth."

"You all go ahead and chat," Li Ling said indistinctly as he stuffed a piece of cooked tripe into his mouth. "I was just joking. Why do you all hold a grudge? Wanqing, I really didn't touch your bowl of chili oil."

"Because every time Your Majesty jokes, it sounds so real!" Emily glared at him, but there was no real anger in her eyes, only a warm, playful reproach under the lamplight.

Just then, the German Princess, who had remained silent all this time, set down her silver chopsticks. Dressed in a royal blue Western dress, her blonde hair shimmered softly in the candlelight like flowing silk. Her Chinese was much more fluent than it had been a year ago. Now, she spoke softly, her voice exceptionally clear amidst the bubbling of the hotpot: "Your Majesty, what do you mean by 'just joking'? Are you referring to that 'grand plan' you mentioned in the military council yesterday? I heard you seem to have new intentions. My father's envoy also entered the palace last night, bringing his personal letter."

The atmosphere in the warm pavilion instantly turned subtle. The bubbling of the hotpot seemed magnified, and the howling wind outside grew even clearer. Everyone's eyes fell upon Li Ling.

Li Ling set down his chopsticks, the playfulness on his face fading slightly, though he maintained a relaxed tone: "I do indeed have some new ideas, but today is a family gathering. We shall not discuss state affairs."

"But Your Majesty's 'state affairs' are our family affairs," Princess Zaiyi said, setting down her teacup, her tone calm yet weighty. "Your Majesty, although I am but a woman, I also know that the German envoy entered the palace late last night to seek an audience. When that envoy arrived, the palace gates weren't even open yet. Does it have to do with that 'grand plan'?"

Li Ling fell silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over his five wives—Empress Su Wanqing's concern, Princess Zaiyi's composure, Emily's curiosity, Imperial Concubine Hui's contemplation, and the German Princess's scrutiny. He knew that in this warm pavilion, he was not just facing his wives, but also five different political forces and interest groups. This table, seemingly harmonious and joyous, was actually a silent game of chess where everyone brought their own stance and purpose.

"Very well, since you have all asked, I will say a few words," he said, raising his cup to take a sip of warm yellow wine. The liquid went down his throat, carrying the spiciness of ginger shreds and the slight sweetness of jujubes. "I do indeed plan to launch a large-scale military strike against Japan. Not some minor, probing skirmish, but—to completely disarm them. To ensure they cannot pose a threat to the Tang Country for at least thirty years. Specifically, my goal is to destroy their shipbuilding capabilities, military-industrial system, and naval bases, forcing them back into being a purely island agricultural nation."

The atmosphere in the warm pavilion instantly grew even more solemn, as if even the howling wind outside had been filtered out by this sudden silence. The broth in the hotpot was still boiling, with red goji berries and white scallion segments floating up and down in the bubbling water, but no one reached for food.

The German Princess was the first to react. She leaned forward slightly, her blonde hair sliding off her shoulders. "Your Majesty, regarding my father... you must have already prepared, right? In his letter yesterday, he asked if the German Empire could remain neutral and even secure some leeway for the Tang Country in international public opinion if the Tang Country moves against Japan. But the premise is that the Tang Country must ensure the trade channels between our two nations remain unaffected, especially the Jiaozhou Bay shipping route. His exact words were: 'We need a reliable Eastern partner, not a wild beast that beats all its neighbors into submission.'"

"Rest assured, go back and tell your father that the Tang Country's gun barrels will never point at friends." Li Ling smiled and waved his hand, his smile carrying an ease that came from having everything under control. "Besides, my plan is to crush Japan's military industry, not destroy their entire country. Business must still be done. Your German Empire's merchant ships can still freely enter and exit the Tang Country's ports. I can even promise that the German Empire will have priority trading rights in Japan's opened markets after the war."

Empress Su Wanqing listened quietly and only now spoke up, her voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something: "Your Majesty, regarding the front line... will you go in person? The battle reports say that the weather along Japan's coast is unpredictable, and the sea conditions are complex."

"Yes," Li Ling nodded without hesitation, his tone as firm as a nail driven into the table. "For a campaign of this scale, it is impossible for me to sit in Jinling and wait for news. My commander's flag must fly at the front line. Only when I am on board can the fleets achieve the most efficient coordination using wireless radio. If I remain in the rear, it would take half a quarter of an hour for a single command to be transmitted, and half a quarter of an hour can cost many lives on the battlefield."

"Then my sisters and I..." Empress Su Wanqing hesitated, her fingers tightening gently inside her sleeves.

"You will wait for me in Jinling," Li Ling said with absolute certainty, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Wanqing, you must stabilize the court; the operations of the Grand Secretariat and the Six Ministries must not go awry. Zaiyi, you must manage the imperial household affairs well; don't let anyone pull strings behind our backs. Emily, hurry with the diplomatic communications; we need your father's intelligence network to monitor the movements of Meijian Country. Lady Lin, I rely on you to keep an eye on the military budget and logistics; every single copper must be spent where it matters most. As for you—" He turned to the German Princess, "just serve as my mouthpiece to the German Empire, especially regarding Kaiser Wilhelm II. If there is any movement, let me know immediately."

The German Princess smiled gently and raised her wine cup. "Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will never let my father cause you any trouble. He also mentioned in his letter that if your fleet needs fuel replenishment, the German Empire's oil depot in Qingdao can be opened to you at cost price."

The atmosphere in the warm pavilion became lively again. Food was fished out of the hotpot once more, and the clinking of cups and the sound of laughter intertwined, drowning out the wind outside. Princess Zaiyi placed a slice of fish into Li Ling's bowl and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, eat more. Once you go to the front line in a couple of days, there won't be such good food. I hear the food on warships consists entirely of canned goods, rock hard and bound to cause stomach aches."

"Then I must eat more today to make up for the meat I'll miss over the next few months!" Li Ling burst into laughter. He picked up a piece of braised pork and stuffed it into his mouth, the savory juice trickling down the corner of his lips. Empress Su Wanqing smiled and wiped it away with a handkerchief.

Amidst the laughter, the system's prompt quietly rang in Li Ling's mind, audible only to him: [Host, the German envoy did indeed mention his concern over the war situation with Japan when he entered the palace last night. However, the system has detected a suspicious translator among his entourage. This translator worked at the British Embassy in Berlin for three years and is suspected of being a British intelligence agent. It is recommended that the host exercise moderate reservation regarding the information disclosed to the German Empire. Additionally, Kaiser Wilhelm II's oil depot proposal may come with political strings attached. It is recommended that the host review all terms before officially signing an agreement with the German Empire.]

Li Ling's eyes narrowed slightly, but the smile on his face remained unchanged. Taking advantage of the moment he picked up some food, he responded to the system in a low voice: "Reserve what? My plan was originally meant for them to know. Let them think I want to wage a large-scale landing campaign, when in fact my main direction of attack lies elsewhere. All warfare is based on deception. You are right, I will keep an eye on that translator—have the intelligence department watch him closely, but do not alert him."

[Host, you are becoming more and more like a qualified sly dog.]

"Likewise. Right, help me remember that the very first thing after the New Year is to add a supplementary clause to Kaiser Wilhelm II's oil depot proposal: The German Empire must not interfere in any of the Tang Country's military actions in East Asia under the pretext of fuel supply. This must be written down in black and white."

Outside, the first snow of the New Year quietly began to fall, silently blanketing the rooftops and streets of Jinling City. Snowflakes landed on the window frames of the warm pavilion, instantly melted by the heat inside into tiny droplets of water, like a string of transparent tears. The pavilion was brightly lit, filled with laughter and joy. Yet beyond those warm lights and shadows, in the depths of the wind- and snow-swept East Sea, a secret fleet composed of Submarines and Destroyers was quietly sailing toward the offshore waters of Japan's mainland—this was the first step of Li Ling's "grand plan," of which his five wives at the table knew absolutely nothing. The fleet sailed in the dark of night, with no lights, no broadcasts, only the deep rumble of engines and the echo of waves slapping against the hulls, like a pack of silent wolves closing in on their prey's den along the surface of the sea.