Chapter 66 Merry always gets beaten by the rain (1)
The huge public memorial service for Su Dongpo finally came to an end.
Many scholars, who were exhausted physically and mentally, came to the restaurant one after another. They needed to continue to express their grief with thin wine and wash away the sorrow in their hearts.
In the private room of Changqing Tower, Yelu Dashi looked out the window, his thoughts seemed to be focused on a certain place.
Someone beside him called out softly: "Dashi, haven't you gotten over your grief yet?"
"Ten Buddhas, although I am saddened by the passing of Mr. Dongpo, I have not reached the point where I can't let go for a long time." Yelu Dashi turned his head.
The name of the person he was talking to was Xiao Shifo, Xiao Guanyin's grandnephew. He was also a young hero who had become famous in the Northern Liao Dynasty in recent years. He was as famous as Yelu Dashi. He was also a loyal supporter of Su Shi. This time he came to Dongpo as an attaché.
Mr.’s memorial service.
"Mr. Dongpo's charm is really unparalleled in the world. The more than twenty scholars from the Eastern Japanese Kingdom who were sent to the Song Dynasty as envoys cried to death; Duan Ruyu and Gao Taiyun of the Dali Kingdom even cried until they fainted; Li Yueguo, Goryeo Kingdom
The envoys and scholars studying abroad are no better than mourning their concubines... Dashi, to be honest with you, thinking about never hearing Mr. Dongpo's words again makes my heart twist like a knife!"
After listening to Xiao Shifo's words, a thin layer of mist appeared in Yelu Dashi's eyes, which quickly dissipated.
"I also regret the passing of Mr. Dongpo, but I am more concerned about the changes in the Song Dynasty."
Xiao Shifo frowned, and his expression turned sad and became solemn.
"The news I heard in China is that in the past two years of the Song Dynasty, wars broke out everywhere, first in Zhaozhou, Hebei, then Langya, Qilu, Luzhou, Hedong, Luyang, Huainan, Quzhou, western Zhejiang... Rebellion broke out everywhere, and the elite troops were exhausted.
I heard that the main force of the Song Dynasty’s Western Army was demobilized.”
"Ten Buddhas, do you believe this?" Yelu Dashi turned around and stared at Xiao Shifo and asked.
"The Emperor believes in it. Most of the courtiers believe it, but I don't." Xiao Shifo slowly shook his head.
Yelu Dashi's face was filled with joy and he solemnly said: "I don't believe in the Ten Buddhas either. As you and I walked along the way, it was clear at a glance what the situation in Hebei was like. It was well-organized and the government was well-organized. When we entered Henan, it was even more vibrant, with straight roads and running rivers.
If it doesn’t stop, why is it so sluggish?”
"But it is an indisputable fact that there are wars in the Song Dynasty. It is also a fact that the border troops in the northwest, Hedong and Hebei were deployed to suppress various places." Xiao Shifo tapped his fingers lightly on the table a few times.
"Dashi, there is something wrong here."
"Ten Buddhas, of course there are big problems. Looking at the history books, which dynasties and countries have no domestic problems? The Song Dynasty is the same as my dynasty. It has been peaceful for a hundred years and has a lot of domestic problems. Now the leader of the Song Dynasty has used the medicine of tiger and wolf to eliminate all these old problems.
Cause it to come out, cut out the flesh and remove the decay, and eradicate it completely. Do I, the emperor, have this kind of courage and this skill?"
Xiao Shifo was silent. Yelu Hongji, the Daozong of the Liao Dynasty, passed away in the first year of Tianqi. The emperor's grandson Yelu Yanxi succeeded to the throne. The ministers honored him as "Emperor Tianzuo". On the first day of February, the title was changed to Qiantong.
Amnesty to the world.
The first thing Emperor Tianzuo did after he ascended the throne was to avenge his grandmother Xiao Guanyin and his father Yelu Jun, and severely punished Yelu Yixin and his associates.
"The exiles will return them", "the Yi Xin Party was ordered to be punished, and their descendants were sent to the side. They were allowed to wait in the tomb, cut the coffin, poke the corpse, and distribute it to the family of the murdered person."
His grandmother, Xiao Guanyin, was given the title of Queen Xuanyi, and his father, Yelu Jun, was given the posthumous title of Holy Emperor of Great Filial Piety and the temple title of Shunzong. The ministers framed by Yelu Yixin were also rehabilitated, and many of Yelu Yixin's accomplices were executed.
The government was revitalized. Yelu Dashi, Xiao Shifo and other people with lofty ideals in the Liao Kingdom had great expectations for the new emperor, hoping that he could revive the Liao Dynasty.
But they were soon disappointed.
Emperor Tianzuo actually appointed Xiao Fengxian and Yelu Asi as the chief judges to try Yelu Yixin.
These two men were corrupt and perverted the law. They accepted bribes from Yelu Jun's murderers Xiao Dalugu, Yelu Tabuye and others. They actually helped them escape their crimes, were pardoned, and were able to escape justice.
Emperor Tianzuo did not distinguish between loyalty and treachery, and actually believed that the two men were loyal to the country, and named Yelu Asi "Yu Yue" (the chief minister of the Liao Kingdom was larger than the Yue Prefecture, and had no specific responsibilities. It was extremely big, so he had no rank). Xiao Fengxian was appointed as the privy envoy of the Beiyuan and was granted the title of Prince of Lanling County.
Immediately afterwards, the loyal and outspoken Taifu Xiao Wuna was appointed as the governor of Liao Xingjun. The ministers who were also loyal, abiding by the rules, and upright in admonishing were deposed one after another. It won't end well.
The government and the public were in an uproar for a while, and many people saw clearly the quality of the new emperor.
Sure enough, Emperor Tian Zuo began to run towards debauchery and luxury.
He is slightly different from his imperial grandfather. He worships Buddhism and literature, and loves hunting more. For his beloved hunting, he can leave the state affairs to his favorite ministers such as Xiao Fengxian and Yeluasi, and travel around for hunting.
Last year, in the first month of the second year of Qiantong in the Liao Dynasty and the second year of Tianqi in the Song Dynasty (1102), Emperor Tianzuo, his queen, concubines, and nearly a thousand people from nearby nobles visited Yahe River (now Fuyu, Jilin).
In February, he visited Chunzhou (now Tuquan County, Xing'an League, Inner Mongolia) and other places for hunting. In June, he stopped hunting because of heavy rain and stayed in Sanshuiyuan. In July, he went hunting in Heiling again.
Tens of thousands of people came and went, and banquets were often held to entertain local princes and nobles, which cost a lot of money.
The state affairs completely fell into the hands of Xiao Fengxian, Yelu Asi and others.
In order to please Emperor Tian Zuo, these people not only fully supported him in his hunting trips, but also continuously purchased fine wine, preserved fruits, spices, silk, glass and other luxury goods from the Song Dynasty. Wherever Emperor Tian Zuo visited, these luxury goods were given Go there and let them enjoy it.
In addition, they spared no effort from the people to build "Famous Gardens in the South of the Yangtze River" in Yanjing, so that Emperor Tianzuo would have a pleasant place to go when he returned to Yanjing to recuperate after hunting.
Money is flowing out continuously, and traitorous ministers are lining their own pockets. The national treasury has been stretched to the extreme, and it can only levy excessive taxes on local states, counties and tribes. The most miserable areas of Nanjing and Xijing Road have reached the critical point, and civilians are everywhere. The chaos and riots will turn into a conflagration that fills the sky.
Zhongjing and Tokyo Road were also full of complaints, people's mentality changed, and civil unrest broke out. The main army of the imperial court was busy suppressing the civil unrest in these places.
As a result, the Liao Kingdom no longer has the power to control the remote Shangjing Road, and is now almost out of control, relying on its minions, the Tata tribe, to barely maintain it.
Both Xiao Shifo and Yelu Dashi knew this. The emperor of Northern Liao led the Liao Kingdom into a deeper and deeper decline in his mediocrity and debauchery, but the Song Kingdom took on a new look under the inspiration of its heroic lord.
"It's a pity that His Majesty is keen on hunting and can't come back to Nanjing for more than a few days a year. But those who are in power in Nanjing are convinced that the Song Dynasty is in war and the people are in dire straits, and they don't take any precautions. It's really hateful! I really want to pull it off. Bring them over here and take a good look!" Xiao Shifo said angrily.
"It's useless. We can never wake up a group of people who don't want to open their eyes. Shifo, I heard that the Song Dynasty has been very close to Yanjing in recent years. A large amount of the money earned in the Liao Kingdom has not been shipped back.
When the Song Dynasty came, it directly went into some people's pockets?"
Yelu Dashi's face was full of sorrow.
"That's right. They are Xiao Fengxian, Yelu Asi, Li Yan and others. The people of Song Dynasty fed them with boatloads of money, so even if they knew what they knew, they would not tell them. They had ulterior motives, and the people of Song Dynasty had ulterior motives!
"
Xiao Shifo said bitterly.
"They have ulterior motives. But what's the use? The Song people are weak, and it has penetrated into the bones of the monarchs, ministers, soldiers and people of the Liao Kingdom. If they say that the Song people would have evil thoughts about me, the Liao Dynasty, they will think it is a big joke and call them crazy.
Only people can think of things. But they never thought that the emperor of Song Dynasty might be a madman!"
"Yes, only a madman would deliberately expose all the long-standing evils in the country, and then directly use soldiers and horses to suppress it. Kill, kill, kill so many people. In Hebei alone, three to four thousand people were killed, worked, and exiled
There were more than 20,000 people. I heard that some old masters in Hebei were frightened to death by their thunderbolt tactics."
"Haha, yes. After killing so many people, the complacent scholar-bureaucrats in the Song Dynasty, who thought they were the proud sons of heaven, were so frightened that their knees went weak. Why don't they read poetry and books and be familiar with the scriptures, and they are just like the ruthless and unruly people?
, fear of power but no virtue.”
Speaking of the point of irritation, Yelu Dashi and Xiao Shifo became furious and slapped the railings until their palms became red and painful, but to no avail.
Now in the Liao Dynasty, treacherous ministers are in power, and loyal ministers are in trouble. Even loyal ministers like Xiao Wuna are reviled. What is the use of people like me who have no position, no power, and no fame?
The country's affairs are difficult, but we can only sit and talk, how can we not make people angry! Yelu Dashi and Xiao Shifo looked at the bustling and vibrant Kaifeng City, and their hearts seemed to be blocked by a mess, and they sighed one after another.
It’s really embarrassing! This chapter has been completed!