Although Li Bingchang did not know the poisonous wine brought by the Liao envoy, he did know the conditions offered by the Liao.
Li Bingchang walked back to the harem and was very happy to see his son Li Qianshun.
Li Qianshun was under the care of Empress Dowager Liang and Empress Liang. After Li Bingchang heard about it, he stood outside the palace but did not enter.
He waited until Empress Dowager Liang left before entering the palace. Empress Dowager Liang had been sick over the years and took many medicines every day. Only when she saw Li Qianshun did she look better. Empress Dowager Liang visited her grandchildren every day. But Li Bingchang He will never meet Empress Dowager Liang, even if they are their biological mother and son.
After Empress Dowager Liang left, Li Bingchang looked at Empress Liang and his eldest son Li Qianshun.
Empress Liang is the daughter of former Prime Minister Liang Yimi, sister of current Prime Minister Liang Yibu, and niece of Empress Dowager Liang.
After giving birth to his son Li Qianshun, the Empress Dowager Liang liked his grandson very much. This was a first-class way for the Liang family to mend the rift with the imperial power. However, the domestic rift was already deep and Li Bingchang could not reconcile it. For example, the troops in the east chamber were controlled by Liang Yibu, while the commander of the troops in the west chamber was Ren Duo. Yading.
Now that Renduoyading died in Liangzhou City, the candidate had to be re-decided, leaving a vacancy. He wanted to recommend Weiming Awu, who was born in the royal family, but was opposed by Liang Yibu.
He insisted on electing Renduo Baozhong, who had escaped from Liangzhou City, to be the commander of the army.
Everyone knows that Ren Duo's family no longer has any power. If Ren Duo Baozhong takes over as commander of the Western Chamber, then the domestic military power will still fall into the hands of the Liang family. Weiming Awu was born in the royal family, so he can at least maintain a balance with the Liang family.
However, Liang Yibu's attitude was very firm, and Li Bingchang had no choice but to agree to Liang Yibu's opinion.
Although Empress Liang was a woman, she was very opinionated like her aunt, and Li Bingchang also admired her very much. But appreciation was appreciation, and it was unrealistic to use blood and family ties to bridge the huge differences in interests.
Li Bingchang sat in silence for a while without saying a word. He was worried that the queen in front of him could not be trusted and would reveal anything he said to Empress Dowager Liang and Liang Yibu.
So Li Bingchang remained silent.
Empress Liang suddenly said to him: "Your Majesty, I have recently read the Spring and Autumn Annals, which contains the story of Duke Huan of Qi killing Aijiang. Although Aijiang was angered by God and resented by people, killing him was inconsistent with etiquette, and a gentleman is not ashamed."
When Li Bingchang heard what Empress Liang said, he could only smile bitterly.
Empress Liang said: "Your Majesty, have you heard that the Liao envoy is coming?"
Empress Liang looked at Li Bingchang steadily.
Li Bingchang felt his body trembling a little and asked, "How did you know?"
"When Your Majesty was talking to Li Qing a few days ago, I accidentally heard something." Empress Liang looked at Li Bingchang intently.
…
Yelu Tabu, the envoy of the Liao Kingdom, also looked at Xingqing Mansion.
Isn't it true that Yelv Ta is also the son of Yelv Renxian, whose status in the Liao Kingdom is as famous as Yelv Xiu's brother? As his son, Yelv Ta is also an important minister of the Liao Kingdom, and he is capable of both literary and military skills.
This time, he suddenly came to Dangxiang State on the orders of the leader of Liao State, carrying a secret mission.
He is familiar with the origin of Xingqing Mansion.
After Li Jiqian captured Lingzhou, he designated it as Xiping Prefecture and served as the political center of the party.
However, after Li Deming succeeded to the throne, he believed that Lingzhou was located in a place with four fortresses, which was not conducive to defense, so he ordered minister He Chengzhen to lead his servants and cross the Yellow River north to build the city, which was named Xingzhou at that time.
Later, after Li Yuanhao came to the throne, he built palaces extensively, followed the example of the Song Dynasty and Liao Dynasty in setting up civil and military classes, and changed Xingzhou into Xingqing Mansion.
Xingqing Mansion witnessed the rise of the Dangxiang Empire.
Yeluta also looked at the majestic Xingqing Mansion. The moat alone was ten feet wide.
When he entered the city from the east gate, he saw that the roads were in a square shape and the streets were very spacious. Most of the neighborhoods were low-rise mud houses or mud-brick houses, but they were much more regular than those in Yanjing of the Liao Dynasty. Yelv Tao also thought about it secretly in his heart.
When Yelu Tart was about to arrive at Dangxiang Palace, there was endless sound of craftsmen making ping-pong-pong-pong. Dangxiang attached great importance to the production of armor, so the craftsmen's workshop was set up next to the palace, so that the king could inspect it at any time.
This made Yelu Ta take a higher look at Dang Xiang.
He knew that the Liao Kingdom was actually in trouble.
The Liao Kingdom's northwest road recruitment department specializes in dealing with blocking divination.
Regarding Zubu, the Liao Kingdom has always implemented a system of restraint. On the surface, the Liao Kingdom is the suzerainty, but in fact, the various ministries of Zubu are autonomous. Although Zubu had several rebellions before, he was still quite submissive. When Xingzong of Liao attacked Dangxiang, Zubu
Various ministries also sent troops to support.
However, there have been constant natural disasters in recent years, and the Liao Kingdom also took the initiative to provide relief and relief, and rewarded the tribes with money and grain to help them survive the winter.
However, during the previous reign of Yelu Yixin, the official administration of the Liao State was corrupted, and the relief money and grain were embezzled by the officials at all levels, making it difficult for the people at the bottom to reach the hands.
Now, like the Basimu tribe of Yuzhu, Dali is ready to move and is quite rebellious.
When the Song Dynasty attacked Liangzhou before, although Yelu Hongji, the leader of the Liao Dynasty, had the intention to intervene, he did not have the confidence. He had been providing relief to the tribes that resisted divination through rewards, in exchange for peace and severely punishing the rebels. On the other hand, the tribes on the Northeast Eagle Road were also unsettled.
The Liao Kingdom held down Zubu on one side and the Jurchens on the other, which actually consumed a lot of national power.
This time Yelu Hongji saw that the Song Dynasty had gained an advantage in the dispute over Dangxiang, and held a court meeting on whether to intervene.
The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty were also divided into two groups and debated and discussed.
On one side, they have had good relations with the Song Dynasty for decades, and on the other side, they have a close relationship with Dang Xiang.
The destruction of any one of the three kingdoms of Song, Liao and Xia will lead to the breakdown of the current balance of power, and the Liao Kingdom's psychological advantage over the Song Dynasty and Dangxiang will no longer exist.
So after careful consideration, I decided to take this trip to Xingqing Mansion.
After Yelu Tabu also entered the palace, Li Bingchang, the leader of Dangxiang State, and other civil and military ministers received the Liao envoys.
For Dangxiang, after the Song army attacked Liangzhou, Dangxiang asked for help from the Liao State several times. The Liao State had an ambiguous attitude and proposed various conditions.
Liang Yibu stood here. When the envoy of the Liao Kingdom came to Xingqing Mansion, he was faced with the ambiguity of the Liao Kingdom and asked for fields. He also made rude remarks and rebuked the lion of the Liao Kingdom for talking face to face.
The emperor's uncle Wei Ming A Wu whispered to Li Bingchang: "Your Majesty, relying on the Liao and Song Dynasties is the national policy of our party. In the past, when Emperor Taizong was still alive, he professed vassalage to both countries at the same time and accepted titles."
"The situation is not as good as before. Even if the Liao envoy did not propose to remove his title, he still has to be patient if he encounters humiliation."
Li Bingchang said to Wei Ming A Wu: "I understand. In Chinese, it means tolerating each other for the sake of the country. I know it."
Weiming Ah Wu said: "I feel wronged, Your Majesty."
Not long after, Yelu Tabu also arrived, and Li Bingchang immediately stepped down to greet him. Yelu Tabu also glanced at him, with an extremely unkind look on his face.
As soon as Yelu Tabuye arrived, he first asked Li Bingchang as if he was raising an army to accuse him: "Why didn't your country restrain its people last year, so that many people came into our territory of Daliao to cause trouble?"
Li Bingchang said: "Your Majesty, last year there was a great famine in the country, and the people sent their children to the Liao and Song Dynasties to beg for food. We had no choice but to do so."
After a while, Liang Yibu said: "My country has the intention of establishing diplomatic relations and peace with the Southern Dynasty, but this year it suddenly sent troops into Hexi, carried out a mass killing, and even captured Liangzhou."
"I also ask Daliao to uphold justice and force the Song Dynasty to return the captured territory and cities and destroy all the city walls they built."
Yelu Tao also said: "When it comes to the Song Dynasty's invasion of Liangzhou, I was about to say that the Simu tribe is disrespectful to my Majesty and has not come to pay tribute for a long time. Why did Dangxiang sit back and ignore it and allow it to harass our Liao soldiers and horses?"
Did you direct this matter?"
Li Bingchang said: "This is absolutely not the case. If possible, I would like to lead an army to conquer Basimu's tribe to show innocence."
Yelvta waved his hand and said, "No need, my lord has gathered 700,000 soldiers and horses on the border, and we can defeat the Basimu tribe in a short time."
Li Bingchang and the Dangxiang ministers were as silent as chills after listening to Yelu Ta Buye's words.
The Basimu tribe that blocked the divination happened to be bordering the northwest of Dangxiang. Yelu Hongji, the leader of the Liao Dynasty, mustered 700,000 troops just to subjugate the Basimu tribe. It would be a fuss over a molehill.
So the next step is...
Li Bingchang said quickly: "I don't know what crime caused this, and Daliao wants to punish me like this."
Yelv Tao also said: "You have been at war with the Song Dynasty for many years, and you have been unable to protect the country and the people. You still continue to gather yourself. You have already become angry and resentful."
"My lord has been in alliance with Song Dynasty for many years, and I don't want to see your two families continue to be at war with each other. This will make it difficult for my lord to do anything between the two families."
Liang Yibu said: "Although the Liao Dynasty and the Southern Dynasty are in good alliance, I understand that the Gao Kingdom has always regarded the Liao Dynasty as the king's father's state. For many years, it has been more respectful and paid tribute continuously. This year, it also sent more than a thousand captives from the Song Dynasty to the Liao Kingdom.
Show respect."
Yelvta also reprimanded: "Sending the prisoners of the Song Dynasty to Daliao is diverting disaster to the east. My lord has always hoped that your two families can make a good alliance and cause less trouble for him. Isn't it true that you are sending the prisoners of the Song Dynasty to Nanjing?
Do I, Daliao, instruct you to attack Song Dynasty?"
Liang Yibu was so angry that he presented the Song Dynasty prisoners to the Liao Kingdom. Firstly, he meant to show his respect, and secondly, he also meant to show off his military power.
Liang Yibu was so angry that he stopped talking. Yelv Tao also said: "The king of the country didn't say anything. As the prime minister, you spoke first. You are so domineering. No wonder you and the Song Dynasty have been attacking each other in recent years. It is you, the Liang family, who have deceived you."
Lord of the country."
"So much so that the three families are at odds!"
Liang Yibu said angrily: "What are you going to do with these words?"
Yelv Ta also snorted and said: "The only way for the three families to make a good alliance is to eradicate the Liang family that is obstructing you. I am here. My Lord has given me a bottle of fine wine, specially for the queen of your country to drink!"
"If the queen of your country is willing to drink this wine, and my lord is willing to marry the princess to the lord of your country, then the two alliances will be as good as ever. If something happens to the Southern Dynasty, I, Daliao, can also help you resist the Southern Dynasty through the marriage alliance."
"If you don't want to, then your party will be considered as an army of Liao Dynasty to meet with us!"
Hearing this, many ministers were shocked. Liang Yibu gave a cold laugh and turned his head to see Li Bingchang's expression was very calm, not unexpected at all, but there was a sad look in his eyes.
Liang Yibu understood something instantly and couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Liang Yibu suddenly remembered why the guard in the palace today was suddenly changed to Weiming Ami.
Li Bingchang had anticipated all this.
"Allow me to discuss it, and please give me a rest!"
Li Bingchang spoke calmly, with a little sadness in his words.
Li Bingchang did not expect that Empress Liang did not reveal the secret arrival of the Liao envoy to Empress Dowager Liang and Liang Yibu.
He was somewhat reluctant to accept the Liao Lord's conditions at first, but the situation was pressing, and he also did not expect the Liao Lord to poison Empress Liang.