"Go... Go to Liao Kingdom?" Zhao Yan was immediately shocked when he heard Zhao Xu's words, and said loudly with an incredible expression on his face.

"Wow, there are not many people who know about this!" Zhao Xu looked around and found that no one paid attention to them. He then pulled Zhao Yan to an uninhabited corner and said, "Originally, Daddy should have told you about this matter yesterday, but because of the military academy you mentioned, Daddy and I forgot about it. You can prepare for the past two months. It is estimated that we will set off to go to the Liao Kingdom at the latest until early March, and it will take at least two or three months to come back."

"Why? Just send one or two envoys to the Liao Kingdom. Why do you have to send us two princes? Besides, you are the princes appointed by your father. Is it too dangerous to send you to the Liao Kingdom?" Zhao Yan asked anxiously. In his opinion, the Liao Kingdom is the enemy country of the Song Dynasty. If he is on a mission to the enemy country with a prince like Zhao Xu, wouldn't it be a sheep entering the tiger's mouth?

However, when Zhao Xu heard Zhao Yan's last words, he laughed and said, "San brother, you think too much. The Liao Kingdom and our Song Dynasty were indeed hostile before. However, since the Tanyuan Alliance, the Liao Kingdom and the Song Dynasty have become brotherly countries. Although the borders of the two countries often conflict, they still maintain a friendly attitude between the top leaders of the two countries, and they often send envoys to each other. For example, last year, Daddy ascended the throne, and the Liao Emperor Yelu Hongji sent the Liao Prince Yelu Jun to congratulate him. This year, Yelu Hongji's birthday, Daddy planned to send me to him. After all, our Song Dynasty cannot lose etiquette."

When Zhao Yan heard this, he finally realized that the relationship between the Song Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom was far less tense than he thought. Although the two countries had never stopped confrontation in secret, such as the incident of Zhang Renxian last year, on the surface, the two countries still maintained a peaceful attitude, and the top leaders often moved around.

"But, brother, just go alone, why do you have to let me go too?" Although he understood the relationship between the two countries, Zhao Yan was still a little worried, especially thinking that Zhang Renxian was so bad that he was not as good as death. Zhang Renxian's father Zhang Xiaojie was also the prime minister of the North Court of the Liao Kingdom. If the other party knew that he had ruined his son like that, and then he avenged his son without hesitation, wouldn't he be dangerous then?

"I should have gone alone, but then something happened, and it was very complicated. I couldn't explain it clearly for a while. Let's go find dad. Then we will explain it in detail to you!" Hearing Zhao Yan's question, Zhao Xu suddenly showed a helpless expression on his face, but there seemed to be a hint of anger in his eyes.

It was originally a very happy thing for the New Year, but Zhao Xu was disturbed. Zhao Yan was very helpless about this and had to go to see Zhao Shu with him. On the other hand, Zhao Yan casually called a little eunuch and asked him to inform Cao Ying to go back first. It was estimated that he might have to leave later.

When Zhao Xu took Zhao Yan to find Zhao Shu, the other party had just accepted the worship of his ministers and was resting in a side hall. When he saw Zhao Yan and the others come in, he immediately smiled and said, "Yan'er, you already know what to do about going to Liao Kingdom. How about it, do you have any ideas?"

"Dad, I don't have any idea, but I just can't figure it out why I have to let me go?" Zhao Yan said helplessly.

Hearing Zhao Yan's words, Zhao Shu signaled him and Zhao Xu to sit down beside him, then picked up the teacup in front of him and sipped: "Yan'er, you can't blame others for going to Liao Kingdom this time. If you want to blame, you will blame yourself."

"That's right, it's just you who caused it yourself!" Zhao Xu suddenly smiled.

"I'm myself?" Zhao Yan screamed in surprise when he heard this.

Seeing Zhao Yan's puzzled look, Zhao Shu smiled slightly and said, "Of course it's you. Who made your paintings so famous? I don't know who sold your paintings to the Liao Kingdom. As a result, he fell into the hands of Yelu Hongji. He loved them very much at first sight. He heard that it was from Yan'er. As a result, Yelu Hongji sent me a handwritten letter this time, hoping that you can go to the Liao Kingdom and paint a portrait for him on his birthday. If you agree, he will restrain the Liao army and will never go south to hunt grass valley within three years!"

The term "Caogu" may be a bit unfamiliar to later generations, but during the Song and Liao dynasties, this term was hated by the Song people, especially those living in Hebei. After the Tanyuan Alliance, although the Song and Liao countries formed brotherly countries, the Song Dynasty was actually in a weak position in military affairs. In addition, the Liao Kingdom was originally established by nomadic peoples, so the army also retained the bad habits of many nomadic peoples. The most hated thing is "Caogu", that is, military looting.

Whenever the autumn harvest is reached, the Liao team on the border will go south from time to time to plunder. In the past, not only robbed food, money, but also robbed people. Later, the two countries repaired it, and the Liao team was subject to some constraints and only robbed money and grain. As long as there was no resistance, the Liao team would not kill people. Although this was better than before, it still brought heavy burdens to the Song Dynasty every year, and the people on the border were even more miserable.

"Hmph, the Emperor of Liao actually has the face to use the Grass Valley as a exchange? Is this a shameless person?" Zhao Yan immediately said with anger when he heard this. According to the Tanyuan Alliance, the Liao team should not have gone south to the Song Dynasty, but the Liao team was strong. It was fine when Yang Wenguang's father Yang Liulang guarded Hebei. The Liao army did not dare to go south easily. However, since Yang Liulang passed away, Yang Wenguang was transferred to the Western Army. As a result, there was no general in the Hebei Army. The Liao army repeatedly went south, which was obviously bullying the Song Dynasty. There was no way for the Song Dynasty to do so.

Seeing Zhao Yan's angry look, Zhao Shu next to him was actually not feeling well. His chest seemed to be blocked by something, but in the end he could only sigh: "Although that's what we say, what can we do? I'm just because the power of the Song Dynasty is not as good as others!"

"Dad, don't be sad. Now my Song Dynasty is accumulating strength. As long as corn and sweet potatoes are successfully farming in the south, there will be no longer any food shortage. My third brother reforms weapons and proposes the military academy method. In this way, the military strength of the Song Dynasty will be strong. Maybe in a few years, my Song Dynasty can destroy the Western Xia in one fell swoop, thus having the strength to confront the Liao Kingdom head-on!" In contrast, the young Zhao Xu was more confident. Maybe this is the spirit of the young people.

Hearing his son's comforting words, Zhao Shu's face finally looked a little better, and he said to Zhao Yan again: "Yan'er, Yelu Hongji wrote a letter in person to ask you to help him paint, and he also took out the conditions for not going south for three years as an exchange. This has shown his sincerity, so it is really hard for Dad to refuse!"

Seeing Zhao Shu in a dilemma, Zhao Yan was not easy to refuse, so he had to nodded and said, "Since that's the case, I will go to Liao with my elder brother, but I am a little worried. With the attitude of the Liao Kingdom repeatedly breaking the trust, will they really keep their promise of not going south for three years in the future?"

Hearing Zhao Yan's words, Zhao Shu and Zhao Xu shook their heads and smiled bitterly. Finally, Zhao Shu said: "Although Yelu Hongji promised not to go south for three years, I'm afraid he couldn't believe it with the credit of the Liao people. But Yan'er, you have to know that since Yelu Hongji proposed to use the conditions for not going south for three years to go south for you to paint his portrait, if we don't agree, the Liao army's Caogu will definitely be more unscrupulous in the future, and the people on the border will suffer."

Zhao Yan also smiled bitterly when he heard this. The Song Dynasty is somewhat similar to China in later generations, while the Liao Kingdom can be compared with the United States. Now the Liao Kingdom is strong, and the Song Dynasty can only tolerate it everywhere. However, Zhao Yan then thought that with his arrival, the Song Dynasty has undergone some unpredictable changes, and from a general perspective, they are all developing towards a better side. It is estimated that in many years, the situation between the Song Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom can be reversed. Then it is time for the Song Dynasty to be proud.

Seeing Zhao Yan silent, Zhao Shu spoke again: "The situation in Liao Kingdom is also very unfavorable to our Song Dynasty. The Emperor Yelu Hongji of Liao Kingdom is addicted to wine and sex, and handed over all the major affairs in the court to the emperor's Taishu Yelu Chongyuan, Yelu Yixin, Zhang Xiaojie and others. Among them, Yelu Chongyuan hated the Han people and always advocated using troops to our Song Dynasty. Now he was named Huang Taishu by Yelu Hongjijia, and he holds a considerable part of the government power, which poses great threat to our Song Dynasty!"

When he said this, Zhao Shu paused for a moment, then said, "Fortunately, Yelu Yixin, Zhang Xiaojie and Yelu Chongyuan's political disagreement, which led to the fact that the Liao Dynasty was partly divided. However, now Yelu Chongyuan relied on the identity of Huang Taishu and slowly suppressed Yelu Yixin and Zhang Xiaojie. It was under the indulgence of Yelu Chongyuan that the Liao army's actions to attack Caogu in the south became more and more serious. Therefore, now Yelu Hongji takes the initiative to make this request, and he has to agree to his father!"

"Yelu Chongyuan?" Zhao Yan did not listen to Zhao Shu's speech carefully, but heard the name Yelu Chongyuan and the title of Huang Taishu, and the person who was named Huang Taishu, and he was stunned for a moment because he always felt that the name was familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it for a while?

Zhao Shu talked about the situation in Liao, just to make Zhao Yan pay attention to this trip to Liao. However, after he finished speaking, he found that Zhao Yan was sitting there blankly, as if he was not listening to his own speech. This made him a little angry and said, "San Ge, what are you thinking?"

"Dad, in addition to being named the Emperor of the Emperor, was he also named the Grand Marshal of the World by the Emperor of Liao?" Zhao Yan finally remembered that if Yelu Chongyuan was really the person he thought of, then he would have to go this time if he didn't want to go, and maybe he could take the opportunity to do something. (To be continued, please search for Astronomy, the novel is better and faster!
Chapter completed!