Generals of the Great Song Dynasty.

Summary

The chapter summarizes the story of Zhang Xiao Jie, a talented and high-ranking official in the Liao Dynasty, who is deeply hurt when he is outmatched by the young and unschooled Wang Ning An in a poetry contest. Zhang Xiao Jie feels his entire worldview collapsing, as he struggles to accept that someone without formal education could surpass him. . The chapter then shifts to Wang Ning An negotiating with two Liao envoys. Despite expectations of a short or confrontational meeting, they end up talking for over two hours and emerge with a friendly, brotherly relationship, suggesting a new era of cooperation and mutual benefit between the Song and Liao Dynasties.

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