When Ding Chengzong arrived in Bianliang, Tokyo, he was first placed in the Concierge Courtyard. Zhang Jie immediately went to the palace to see Zhao Guangyi. Zhao Guangyi had received Zhang Jie's report in advance and knew that Xia State had sent people to the capital to report important matters to the emperor in person, but
The specific situation of this envoy was still not clear. When asked about Ming Ding Chengzong, who had both legs disabled, he couldn't help laughing: "The so-called Xia Kingdom is really a desolate land and sparsely populated, but even a disabled person can be entrusted with important tasks. There really is no one in the Xia Kingdom."
What?"
When selecting officials in the Song Dynasty, not to mention those who were disabled, even those whose facial features were not upright enough could not be appointed as officials. This was about official dignity and propriety. However, the Xia Kingdom actually let a disabled person hold an important position. Isn't this a lack of talent?
Zhang Jie hurriedly explained: "The official family heard that although this man is disabled, he is very resourceful. Moreover, this man is Yang Hao's half-brother, and he is the person he most trusts and relies on. When Yang Hao was appointed as the governor of Dingnan Jiedu,
At that time, this person was Jiedu Liuhou, and his official position was second only to Yang Hao. For this peace negotiation, Ding Chengzong is the person fully responsible for the Xia Kingdom, so we should not underestimate him because of his appearance."
"My half-brother, Ding Chengzong..., well, I remember it, it seems... he used to be a merchant selling grain in Bazhou?"
"yes."
"Haha, how great can a person with a business background be?" Zhao Guangyi said with a faint smile: "Let him stay in the Concierge Courtyard, let him wait for a while before talking about it, and calm down..."
"Guan family, Ding Chengzong is here..." Zhang Er said halfway, then he took a step forward and whispered a few words to Zhao Guangyi. Lu Duoxun stood at the bottom, pricked up his ears and listened carefully, but still didn't hear anything.
, couldn't help but secretly hate in his heart. This time Zhang Jie brought the Xia envoy back to Beijing, bypassing him and reporting directly to the officials. The two of them were the chief and deputy envoys appointed by the emperor for peace talks, unless things had made major progress.
, I bypassed him for the purpose of asking for credit. Otherwise, with Zhang Ji's character of being good at complimenting Shangguan and flattering his superiors, there would be no reason to keep him in the dark. Lu Duoxun couldn't help but wonder to himself: Could it be that the Xia Kingdom had already agreed to the imperial court's request?
all conditions?
Zhao Guangyi had just slowly told Zhang Ji to calm down. Unexpectedly, upon hearing his words, his whole body shook violently. He suddenly stood up, his dark and fat face turned red, his bright eyes were staring at Zhang Ji, and he was breathing heavily.
Authentic: "What did you say? Are you serious?"
When Zhang Ji saw Zhao Guangyi's moved expression, he couldn't help but feel happy. He quickly bowed his head and said, "What I said is true to every word."
Zhao Guangyi was overjoyed and said quickly: "Xuan, announce his appearance immediately!"
"I obey the decree."
Zhang Jie happily agreed, turned around and left, gnashing his teeth with hatred at Lu Doson who was beside him, but he still didn't know what was going on.
"Wait a minute, come back."
Zhang Jie excitedly walked to the door of the palace when Zhao Guangyi suddenly called him again. He really didn't expect that Yang Hao actually had the imperial seal in his hand. This treasure was of no use to others, but it was of great use to him.
Yu, especially his long-standing ambition is to surpass the emperor's brother, and his long-term fear is that the emperor's throne is unstable. The previous generation of heroic master Chai Rong never got this treasure, nor did his talented and resourceful eldest brother, but now he has
The opportunity fell into his hands, why not be elated?
But he immediately thought of the key point. Why was Yang Hao willing to hand over this treasure? Naturally, it was in exchange for the court's concession, but can Yang Hao agree to the conditions? Jade Seal, I want it, the two states of Lin Mansion
, that’s what I want. You can’t have both, so which one should I give up and which one should I take?
Zhao Guangyi couldn't make up his mind, his eyes gradually showed a fierce light, and he said in a cold voice: "Yang Hao has this treasure but does not know how to present it, and he keeps claiming that he is wronged. Who can believe him? If I, the emperor, go to the expedition in person and lead a heavy army to Xiazhou..."
Zhang Ji was shocked and quickly fell to the ground and said loudly: "The officials can't do it."
Zhao Guangyi gritted his teeth and asked, "Is it impossible?"
Zhang Jie shook his hands in a hurry and said repeatedly: "I can't do it, I can't do it."
Zhao Guangyi snorted heavily and asked: "How can I not do it? Tell me."
Zhang Ji swallowed his saliva and said hurriedly: "The official family, Yang Hao has moved all the dignitaries in the court and his own small family to Xingzhou, built a city and a mansion there, and established a new capital. What do you think of the official family, Yang Hao
Begging for peace, moving the capital, presenting a seal, why are you here?"
In desperation, Zhang Ji said the word "Xi". Lu Duoxun, who was listening on the sidelines, was moved in his heart: "Xi"? What kind of seal? The seal used by Yang Hao after he became emperor? What's so valuable about it?
The legendary jade seal has disappeared from the world for a long time. After the Later Jin Dynasty, no matter which emperor came to the throne, they would painstakingly search for it secretly, but they could not find it. No matter how rich Lu Duoxun's imagination was, he could not think of that legendary object based on a single word on the seal.
.
Zhao Guangyi's expression changed and he asked: "Why are you here?"
Zhang Jie said: "From all these, it can be seen that Yang Hao's ambitions were limited to a corner of Hexi. He gave up Xiazhou, moved the capital westward, and crossed the Hanhai Sea of 800 miles to station in Xingzhou. At that time, he had no covetous intentions for the Central Plains.
Ambition. Of course, our Central Plains is densely populated, has elite soldiers and a rich country, so it is not something he can challenge. Yang Hao can be considered self-aware in doing so.
However, it can also be seen from this that Yang Hao is satisfied as long as he owns Hexi. Hexi is a place where barbarians live in mixed and uncivilized areas, and there are barbarians from the Liao Kingdom to check it. The 800-mile Hanhai Sea is more dangerous than the Yangtze River Canyon in the south of the Yangtze River. All of the above
, are the reasons why we cannot win in one battle. Although the Xia State intends to surrender, the envoys of the Liao State are still in Xiazhou, and the two sides have frequent contacts. If the imperial court presses too hard, once the Xia State uses the jade seal as a medium to surrender to the Liao State,
Country, aren’t we self-defeating?
Furthermore, the ambition of the official family is in the Sixteenth Prefecture of Youyun. If Xia and Liao form an alliance, our Song Dynasty will be attacked from both sides. It will be difficult for us to survive. If we pull him over, our Song Dynasty will have a helping hand.
, but the Liao Kingdom has one missing sibling, and the benefits are long-term. The official family is rich all over the world, why should they care about the small land of Linfu? "
Zhang Ji had no hope that the imperial court could pacify Hexi in one fell swoop, so he devoted himself to promoting peace talks. If he could successfully persuade Yang Hao to surrender, no one would be able to take away his credit. In the future, the Xichuan Rebellion will be quelled, and the cause will be traced back to this credit.
He is still indispensable. As long as the Northern Expedition to Youyan succeeds in the future, the credit will still not go to him. He is naturally more eager for peace talks than anyone else.
What's more, what he said is indeed true. The Xia State is not comparable to the Northern Han Dynasty in terms of military strength and territory. The imperial court may not be able to take it down. The strength of the Xia State deserves the help of the Liao State.
To cultivate a powerful force in the Western Regions that could contain the Central Plains, if the Liao Kingdom were determined to intervene again, it would be an impossible task.
Zhao Guangyi knew that what he said was the truth. The murderous intention he had just aroused due to greed slowly disappeared, and his face showed a slight dejection. If he could get this national jade seal, then it would be no big deal to confer him a royal title, but..., already
Returning the two states of Lin Mansion to him? That is not possible, absolutely not! He is not as generous as the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He married a princess and married several states, the culture, technology, and territory of the Han people.
After sending them out, they ended up raising a bunch of white-eyed wolves. Uncle Zhao is a rat, so just pulling him into the nest and letting him go out, isn't that cutting off his flesh?
Zhao Guangyi tapped the imperial case lightly, and pondered for a long time with a gloomy look on his face, and then slowly said: "That's all, Aiqing has been tired from traveling all the way, so she is really tired. Let's go back home to rest. Tomorrow..., no, we still have to hang out.
Don't show any signs of urgency once you're done with him. Let's wait for three days. I'll see him again after three days."
Seeing that Zhao Guangyi's face had completely calmed down, Zhang Jie couldn't guess his thoughts for a moment. This emperor was moody and difficult to serve, unlike the Emperor Li Yu of the Tang Dynasty, who showed all his emotions and anger and had no palace at all. Zhang Jie
I was grumbling secretly, but I didn't dare to say anything more, so I had to leave."
"Second sister, I'm back."
The dog jumped up and ran into the counting room, turned around to see that no one was in the store, and immediately came to Zhe Ziyu's side, whispering: "Fifth Young Master, someone is coming over there."
"Well, do your own thing and don't interfere with others." Zhe Ziyu remained motionless, an abacus in his hand ticking loudly and sweetly.
Gou'er whispered: "This is Mr. Ding. Mr. Ding went to Beijing for peace talks in person. I am afraid that he will soon propose to the court the conditions for the release of the Fifth Young Master's family.
Zhe Ziyu's slender fingers trembled, and the beads on the abacus were immediately messed up. When she raised her head, she saw the dog with a narrow smile on his face, making a face at her: "Master Ding lives in the Concierge Courtyard, which is heavily guarded, but
Well, with my ability, if I want to enter the Concierge Courtyard at night without anyone noticing, it may not be impossible. If someone is willing to ask me, I will help her find out the situation tonight."
Zhe Ziyu couldn't suppress his excitement. Ding Chengzong went to Beijing in person. The peace talks must have reached the most critical moment. His family was imprisoned in the capital, waiting for the prince to succeed to the throne or the emperor's grandson to succeed to the throne in a few decades before being pardoned.
, released a group of descendants of the Zhe family who had completely lost their ability to survive due to isolation from the world, and were reduced to slaves and beggars, but they were able to regain their independence today.
Ding Chengzong came to Beijing for peace talks, and his reliance must be..., Zhe Ziyu's heartstrings suddenly trembled: Brother Yang... Hao, actually handed over the jade seal? He... is also an emperor..., in his heart, I...
…I have finally surpassed the splendor and dignity of an emperor…
Zhe Ziyu's heart was filled with excitement, and two bright stars appeared in his charming eyes.
Gou'er made a face at her and said with a smile: "The fifth young master is a great beauty. It would not look good if he cried all over his face. Don't worry, I will sneak into the concierge courtyard tonight and help you ask how the situation is."
"No!" Zhe Ziyu flatly refused. She sniffed, blinked the tears from her eyes, raised her eyes to look at the dog, and said: "The strong will have its own strong hand. Don't think that there is no one in the Song Dynasty. A careless person
If your identity is exposed, you will lose everything. Negotiation is Master Ding's business. No matter what the outcome is, we can't get involved. We can just wait for the outcome."
The dog grabbed her arm and said softly: "Fifth Young Master, I know you are anxious and often seem distracted. Don't worry, I will be careful."
"No." Zhe Ziyu said sternly: "Xiao Yi, why did your uncle send you and Zhu Yun, the two masters, to Bianliang so early? The purpose is to enable you to lurk without revealing a trace, and wait until Tokyo
When the chaos broke out and the Imperial Army invaded the Nine Cities, no one would immediately suspect us, the people who had settled in Bianliang for a long time. The thing we planned was so important that it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a thief.
When the time comes, even if you gain an extra hour, it will have a huge impact on the success or failure of the matter. Therefore, we must do our job of lurking now and not ruin your uncle's important event, you know?"
The dog stuck out the tip of his pink tongue and replied: "I know, I just don't want to hold uncle back."
Ziyu showed his face and said: "This couple is good."
She pinched the dog's tender little face and said with a smile: "Zhu Yun has already gone to arrange today's departure exercise from Beijing. This time, it is a night trial. You can follow along and familiarize yourself with the retreat route.
The environment, the response after leaving the city, and the response to unexpected events. We can make a mistake now, but when the official action is taken, we will never make a mistake, otherwise we will be in a place of no return, so... you must cheer up.
, treat it as a real escape and be confident."
"Yes!" Gou'er nodded solemnly: "Fifth Young Master, don't worry, even if Xiaoyi is shattered to pieces, he will not disappoint uncle's expectations."
Zhe Ziyu's eyes softened, he gently stroked the top of her head and said softly: "From now on, call me sister Ziyu."
"Oh..." Gou'er stood up and walked to the back room while stroking his hair and thinking in confusion: "The Fifth Young Master asked me to call her sister. That's not right. My name is Uncle Yang Hao. If you call her
"Sister, doesn't she also want to call my uncle uncle? My uncle likes the fifth young master and wants to marry her. If she calls my uncle uncle, can she also... marry him?"
As if running from the foot of Huashan Mountain to the top of the mountain in one breath, the dog's breathing immediately became rapid. Under the rise and fall of a pair of newly bloomed breasts on his chest, a small drum was beating inside...
"Where did this jade seal come from?"
Ding Chengzong said: "My lord Yang Hao wants to attack the Hexi states. Because the Tubo people in Suzhou have always been close to the Tubo people in Longyou, he is worried that the Tubo people in Longyou will come out of Xiaoguan to block our retreat during the western expedition, so he sent secret agents.
I entered Longyou and monitored the actions of Shang Boqian, a Tubo leader in Longyou. Once Shang Boqian got drunk, he took out the jade seal and showed it off to his son..."
The real reason why Zhuyun went to Longyou was actually that Yang Hao noticed that the rapid rise of Tubo in Longyou was due to the support of the Song Dynasty. This incident aroused his alarm, and he suspected that the Song government supported Tubo in Longyou in order to drive away tigers.
The plan was to swallow the wolf, so he took precautions and sent people to find out the truth. Of course, this reason was not convenient for Zhao Guangyi to hear, so he automatically replaced it with an equally credible reason.
Zhao Guangyi stared at Ding Chengzong coldly, not seeing any flaws in his expression and behavior.
Ding Chengzong was brought into the palace. When he first entered the Wende Palace, he already looked like a stern person. What kind of world had a rich man who farmed in the countryside seen? At the feet of the emperor, the palace was filled with laws and regulations.
How could he not be frightened in such a formidable place?
When Zhao Guangyi showed his disdain towards Chuanguo Jade Seal, the last trace of reliance of this rich man who was a grain merchant disappeared, his pretended calmness completely disappeared, and he began to feel awkward under his gaze and questioning.
Zhao Guangyi noticed that he made several slips of the tongue when answering his inquiries. According to Zhang Ji, this man was eloquent and eloquent, and his stuttering at this time was obviously caused by panic.
After Ding Chengzong finished speaking, he quietly raised his eyes and glanced at Zhao Guangyi. When his eyes met his, he couldn't help but be alert, as if he had been stung, and quickly lowered his head again. Zhao Guangyi tapped the imperial case and fell into deep thinking.
Based on Yang Hao's original background, this jade seal cannot be his original treasure. It must have a provenance. The provenance explained by Ding Chengzong is not like a lie, and if it is a lie, it can be easily exposed.
According to what he said, after stealing this jade seal from Shang Boqian, Shang Boqian sent thousands of troops and horses to block the front and pursue the country with great momentum. The local people must still remember such a large battle.
New, as long as you send someone to investigate, you will know whether it is true or false. If this matter is true, then Shang Boqian...
Zhao Guangyi's heart sank. Shang Boqian carried the jade seal that passed down the country and kept it secret. What was his intention? How similar is it to Longyou, Hexi? How similar is Shang Boqian today to Yang Hao back then? The imperial court wanted to
Hexi supported Yang Hao and weakened the power of San Francisco. As a result, Yang Hao supported Yang Hao, but he broke away from the court and became a more powerful local force than San Francisco. Now he has turned around and become a serious problem for the court. Long Youshang
Bo Qian... Do you want the story to repeat itself? No! Making the same mistake once is enough. Longyou must not let a second Yang Hao appear again.
Zhao Guangyi suddenly remembered Li Jiyun and Ye Luohe. Li Jiyun did not obey his orders and refused to send troops to Yinzhou to lead them. Instead, he wanted to fish in troubled waters and attack Xiazhou. However, he failed and retreated to Longyou with the remaining defeated soldiers. Zhao Guangyi was quite disappointed with this.
Dissatisfied, Li Jijun wrote to the court several times after arriving in Longyou, begging for help, but he ignored him. Now Li Jijun has only a few soldiers, although he has revealed his identity and summoned many Xiang Qiang people.
, but lacking both clothes and armor, as well as food and grass, he could only be under the control of Shang Boqian, wave flags and shouts for him, and be a pawn.
There is also Ganzhou Yeluohe, who had no contact with the imperial court before. After the imperial court supported Shang Boqian, it had no intention of supporting another local chieftain. Shangboqian was also wary of Yeluohe and kept preventing him from going there.
Migrating in the direction of Qinghai Lake, the Longyou Huihe people are all near Qinghai Lake. The Ye Huihe people are blocked by the Tubo people. They are like fish out of water, and it is difficult to develop now.
Hmm... Now it seems that Shang Boqian is not very reliable, but the power of the Longyou Tubo people cannot be used. Not only must it be used, but it must also be controlled to prevent it from becoming a runaway horse.
It seems that... Li Jijun and Ye Luohe are still somewhat useful. If the imperial court reduces its aid to Shang Boqian, supports Li Jijun, and then puts pressure on Shang Boqian to let Ye Luohe rush to Qinghai Lake to gradually grow stronger, then
Shang Boqian, Ye Luohe, and Li Jiyun all had to rely on the imperial court, and none of them could dominate alone. Longyou could be firmly controlled by the imperial court.
The emperor does not have thousands of hands and eyes, so he cannot personally control the entire world. He must rely on the power of his ministers. If the minister's power is too great, it may backfire on his emperor. Therefore, the essence of the emperor's mind is to check and balance and support several forces.
To prevent one family from becoming a dominant family. If the emperor brother hadn't brought down Zhao Pu back then, how could I have dared to do it so easily? Thinking of this, Zhao Guangyi couldn't help but flash a cold and proud light in his eyes.
This light seemed to be seen by Ding Chengzong. He quietly raised his sleeves, gently wiped away a drop of sweat on his temples, and swallowed hard. Zhao Guangyi saw it, and a slight sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth: "I'm just a businessman.
But that’s it…”
He suddenly slapped the imperial case and shouted sternly: "Bold Ding Chengzong, what kind of evil intentions does Yang Hao harbor? Let's get real!"
Ding Chengzong was so frightened that if he didn't have legs, he would have jumped up in fright: "Foreign minister... Foreign minister is frightened, I... what evil intentions does my lord hide?" Ding Chengzong looked confused and confused. expression.
Zhao Guangyi sneered and said: "Didn't you harbor any evil intentions? Then let me ask you, since you said that Yang Hao still loves the imperial court and has no intention of rebelling, why don't you accept the post of envoy to resolve difficulties? He sent an army to rebel and was destroyed. I did not investigate the serious crimes committed by the nine clans, but reinstated his officials to their posts. This is already a great favor, why would he refuse to accept it?"
Ding Chengzong hesitated and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, in fact... In fact, it doesn't matter whether you call yourself the king or you still decide to make a difficult decision to save the general. It's just... It's just that the name is different, the power and status are... there is no difference. It's just... …It’s just that the army under my lord has many factions and complicated origins. There are Hengshan Qiang people, Dingnan Army, Liangzhou Tubo people, Ganzhou Uighurs, Suzhou Yanqi people, and Han people from Guasha and Guashan. , difficult to discipline.
Some of their old masters were once khans, and some were once kings. Now my lord has taken them one by one under his command. If my lord still resumes his post as Jiedushi, it will be... he will be looked down upon by them. The reporter said that many of the generals who took refuge in our lord were originally held as Jiedushi, a kind of official position that has reached the peak of military generals. If our lord returns to the position of Jiedushi, these generals who take refuge in our lord will not only be unable to be promoted, but they will also be unable to be promoted. On the contrary, they will be demoted several levels. This...this...these people are mostly aggressive and greedy, and are only interested in profit. By then, they will definitely cause a catastrophe, so...therefore..."
Zhao Guangyi recalled that when Yang Hao led his troops to participate in the campaign against the Northern Han Dynasty, he had a miscellaneous army. Every time Yang Hao issued an order, he had to rely on more than a dozen general officers to translate it. Knowing that what Ding Chengzong said was true, he couldn't help but feel. Funny. He thought maliciously: "If I refuse to give in, I will definitely force him to make a difficult decision and take up the post of envoy. Wouldn't Hexi be in trouble?" Then he thought of Yang Hao and the second-largest country of Liao. Choice, this idea had to be given up.
He breathed a sigh of relief and said generously: "That's all. In the past, when the Li family was appointed as the hereditary military commander of the Army, he already had the title of King of Xichuan. If Yang Hao sincerely surrenders to the imperial court, why should I be stingy? I'm going to give him a royal title. But..."
Zhao Guangyi leaned forward slightly and said solemnly: "Since Yang Hao is willing to surrender, re-serve the Song Dynasty, and become my minister, then... he is not satisfied with the eighteen states in Hexi, and insists on asking me for the two states of Linfu, intending to Why, eh?!"