When the Song Dynasty was marching against Jiaozhi, it was dispatching troops and generals and preparing for deployment.
In the capital city of the Liao Kingdom in the north, a royal sutra banquet was being held.
Zhao Xiaoyan, a Hanlin scholar from the Liao Dynasty, was explaining the Analects of Confucius to the emperor's grandson Yelu Yanxi.
Emperor Yelu Hongji of the Liao Dynasty sat under the curtain in the palace with a large number of nobles from the Liao Kingdom to listen.
This is a scripture feast that has been prepared for two months.
For this day, both Yelu Hongji and the emperor's grandson Yelu Yanxi had not slept well for a long time.
Naturally, I am well prepared.
So, naturally, the answers came fluently.
The nobles of the Northern Court of Liao who accompanied Yelu Hongji to listen to the lecture all praised the sagacity of the emperor's grandson.
Especially when Zhao Xiaoyan talked about "Beichen's residence is surrounded by stars", Yelu Yanxi said in the palace: "I heard that China is under the North Pole, so the place where I live now is not the North Pole?"
The ministers congratulated him collectively and said that the grandson was a wise man.
Zhao Xiaoyan also said, "There are kings among the barbarians and the Di."
Yelu Yanxi also answered fluently, and even said: "In ancient times, the Xiongnu, yangnu and others did not know etiquette and did not follow the teachings of the saints, so they were called barbarians!"
"Since Taizu, we in the Liao Dynasty have cultivated literature and promoted military affairs, practiced corvee lightly, and used imperial examinations to select scholars. We have moved from barbarians to Xia!"
"And our dynasty comes from the Han Dynasty with the surname Liu, which is in line with the prophecy of Mao Jin!"
"Isn't it more orthodox than the Southern Dynasty's nickname?"
The ministers once again congratulated and complimented Yelu Hongji.
This made Yelu Hongji couldn't help stroking his beard and nodding proudly: "What the grandson said is true!"
“We, Daliao Fang, are the real China!”
"The Southern Dynasty is just a small dynasty that steals artifacts!"
"It's probably just Soochow, Southern Dynasty and Chen..."
The ministers all agreed, saying that Your Majesty is a wise man, has a great sage grandson, and that the Liao Dynasty has been established for thousands of years.
Hearing Yelu Hongji's words, Long Yan was overjoyed.
Thus, the sutra feast ended in such a festive and peaceful atmosphere.
After the banquet was over, Yelu Hongji held a palace banquet in the palace to entertain the officials.
Yelu Yanxi was brought back to Da Nei by her wet nurse.
At the palace banquet, Yelu Hongji took the opportunity to show to the ministers the notes sent back by Xiao Qian, the Zhengdan envoy of the Southern Dynasty, and others, which were sent back by the Southern Dynasty emperor as a gift to the emperor's grandson.
How could the ministers not know what Yelu Hongji was thinking?
They all congratulated him, saying that although there were wise kings in the Southern Dynasties, there were also saints and grandsons in the Liao Dynasty.
Yelu Hongji was in an even better mood, so he drank three to five more cups.
When the palace banquet was over, Yelu Hongji blushed and sighed deeply.
"It's time for the nobles of the Fifth and Sixth Academy to return home!" he said.
This year is the first day of the year, because I will get three million yuan of floating wealth immediately.
Therefore, Yelu Hongji began to throw away money.
Just the wealth and silk treasures given to the clan nobles of the Fifth Academy and the Sixth Academy were worth millions!
So, how did those noble ministers compliment Yelu Yanxi just now? They were complimenting Brother Kong Fang!
In front of Yelu Hongji, his close confidant Yelu Dilie said: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager Xia once again sent envoys to Datong, Xijing to beg for tribute..."
Yelu Hongji shook his head and said, "No!"
"These gangsters should reflect on their mistakes!"
He recalled what the Dangxiang people had done in the past few decades, and he suddenly felt disgusted.
The three-way game between Liao, Song and Xia is a very interesting phenomenon.
The Liao and Song Dynasties were strong, and the Dangxiang people were the weakest in Xixia.
There were wars between Song and Xia for many years.
According to normal people's thinking, the Dangxiang people should firmly hold the thigh of the Liao Kingdom, right?
However, Dang Xiangjian took a different approach!
Since the time of Li Liangzuo, they have been conducting PUA-like things against the Liao Kingdom.
Although they seemed to be respectful, every time they sent envoys to the court or met with them, they always threatened the Liao Kingdom or the Song people openly or covertly, implying that if the Liao Kingdom - if the Liao Dynasty did not protect us, we would negotiate peace with the Song people.
This made the Liao Kingdom have to be patient, appease the party members, and often reward them generously.
But now the situation is different.
Song and Liao were approaching at an accelerated pace. The party members who were originally sandwiched in the middle and could blackmail Liao and Song suddenly lost the space to move around.
"Your Majesty..." Yelu Dilie said: "When the Southern Dynasty's handover is obtained, you will still see what you need to see..."
Yelu Hongji nodded: "I know!"
"Then, I will go and reject the party members..." Yeludilie asked for instructions.
"Go!" Yelu Hongji waved his hand.
Looking at Yelu Dilie's retreating back, Yelu Hongji's eyes blurred for a moment.
The old emperor, who has been in power for more than thirty years and has experienced the Yelu Chongyuan and Yelu Yixin Rebellions, has already matured and become a qualified political creature.
So, he naturally knows it.
In this tripartite game between Liao, Song, and Xia, the principles that the Liao Kingdom should follow.
Maintain the war between Song and Xia, but at the same time, do not allow the Song people to destroy the Xia Kingdom.
so……
The old emperor knew what he should do.
"It seems that we have to choose a princess from the clan to train..." he thought.
After the Dangxiang people have been begging for another two or three years, they will have to step down and agree to their request.
Yelu Hongji suddenly remembered something, raised his head, looked at Xiao Wuna, another confidant who stayed by his side, and asked: "I heard about the Southern Dynasty, and you want to conquer the South again?"
Xiao Wuna lowered his head and replied: "It is true!"
Then he reported the contents of Xiao Qia and others' report.
After Yelu Hongji heard that Xiao Qia and others had written to Nanchao, he nodded: "Xiao Qian, Xiao Jia did a good job!"
"Each of them moved to an official position as a reward!"
…
Dabai Gaoguo, Xingqing Mansion.
The national mourning has ended, and the Empress Dowager Liang and her son Bingchang have been buried.
The temple name and posthumous title have also been chosen.
With the assistance of Empress Dowager Xiao Liang and Liang Yibu, the little emperor secured his position.
So the Yuan Dynasty was changed: Tianyi Zhiping.
Gengxu (21), the first month of the first year of Tianyi Zhiping.
The Prime Minister, Taishi Liang Yibu, led his army back to Xingqing Mansion from Tiandu Mountain.
Returning with him were the newly appointed Youxiang Dynasty Supervisor of the Shun Supervisory Army, Weiming Taige, and the newly appointed Zhuo Luo and Nan Supervisor of the Military Dutang Liang Xingtai.
These two places used to be the territory of Renjia.
This means that the party members have completed the internal reshuffle.
The Weiming family, the Liang family, took over Renjia's territory.
The nobles and nobles below them divided up Renjia's pastures, manors, and slaves.
As a result, the government and the public rejoiced.
Only Liang Yibu was worried.
He hugged his nephew Qianshun, sat in the bedroom, and talked to his sister about what happened when he was in Tiandu Mountain.
"Ali Gu is still hesitating and unwilling to listen to my plan..."
"The temple built by the Nanman in Xizhou is about to be completed, and many Tubo leaders have already made pilgrimages..."
"Even Zhuo Luo and Nan, many of the tribal leaders in Chao Shun in the right wing are preparing to make a move..."
A Buddha tooth relic can shake up the situation in the entire northwest.
Liang Yibu knew that in the hearts of the Tubo people, Qiang people and Dangxiang people who worshiped Buddhism.
The relics of the Buddha are originally sacred objects, and the precious tooth relics of the Buddha are even more sacred among the sacred objects.
If not, that's fine.
But the relic is now in Xihe!
How can nobles who worship Buddha turn a blind eye?
"I heard that Nanman is going to send an eminent monk to preside over the temple that enshrines the Tooth Relic of the Buddha..."
This incident made Liang Yibu even more uneasy.
After all, relics cannot speak.
But the monks do!
The Nanman monks’ Buddhist practice and understanding of Buddhist scriptures are the best in the world.
If a monk with majestic treasures and superb Dharma cultivation really comes...
With the blessing of the Buddha's Tooth Relic, I am afraid it will cause far more harm than the Zhiyuan Monk did back then - that is a monster monk who was said to have defected from dozens of tribes!
Empress Dowager Xiaoliang was also worried when she heard this.
She sighed and said: "The national situation is difficult!"
"Although the Southern Barbarians have resumed mutual trade with our dynasty, they have also promised that our dynasty can sell green salt in the Southern Barbarians' lands in Shaanxi..."
"But last autumn's drought caused wheat to wither on hundreds of thousands of acres of land..."
"The Northern Dynasty has also not allowed our envoys to visit..."
"If this continues, I am worried that some people may defect to the Southern Barbarians!"
Having said this, Empress Dowager Xiao Liang asked her brother: "Brother, what is the only solution now?"
"We can only use offense instead of defense!" Liang Yibu said.
"But once this happens, the Southern Barbarians will cut off mutual trade..." Empress Dowager Xiaoliang said: "The green salt that I was originally allowed to sell to the North will no longer be allowed to be sold..."
This is what party members fear most.
For Dangxiang people, in fact, whether they are given every year or not, that is the next best thing.
The key lies in the two vital things of mutual trade and green salt sales.
Mutual trading means excess profits - the Silk Road, although under the strong influence of the Liao Kingdom, can occupy the party items in the Hexi Corridor, but it is still the main force controlling this golden trade route.
Even the unified Black Khan dynasty in the past still had to give face to the party members.
What's more, the black sweat is now a piece of loose sand.
The green salt trade can bring the party members the copper coins they want most.
Liang Yibu naturally knew this.
However, he knew better that Liang had no retreat on this issue.
If you can't win a battle, establish your prestige.
Then, as time goes by, the leaders of the nobility, big and small, in the country will have different ideas and will not obey the Liang family.
In that way, more and more "Ren Duo Baozhong" will come forward.
In the Dabai Kingdom in the northwest, only victory can unite the superiors and subordinates and unite people's hearts. Only victory can intimidate dissenters and stabilize rule.
Otherwise, the Liang family will be the next Yeli family, without the Zang family!
So Liang Yibu said: "That's why we have to ask the Tubo people to take action first!"
"Let Ali Gu understand the Gao Kingdom for me and attract the elite of the Southern Barbarians..."
"Let's take advantage of the situation... march to Nanman's Jingyuan Road, Huanqing Road, and Yanyan Road... and let the entire Nanman scream!"
"This is Emperor Yizong's strategy!" Empress Dowager Xiaoliang reacted immediately.
Liang Yibu nodded: "This is a battle to safeguard our country's self-esteem!"
"The southern barbarians were willing to give the Northern Dynasty three million guan, but they refused to give our country even the old annual gift!"
"This is a great shame and humiliation!"
"If we cannot use force to force the southern barbarians to face up to our country, how can our country stand on its own feet?"
"The Queen Mother, how can you rule the world if you are a weakling?"
Queen Mother Xiaoliang nodded.
really!
Recently, there have been discussions both inside and outside Xingqing Mansion.
Many people say: Nanman bullies people too much!
Some people even said that she was too weak and could not even get the annual gift.
So, Empress Dowager Xiaoliang said: "How can we get the Tubo people to take action first?"
Now Ali Gu refuses to take hard or soft measures, and refuses to join forces with Dabai Gaoguo, let alone ask him to take action first?
Liang Yibu laughed: "Ali Guhui will do it!"
"As long as the Buddha's tooth relic remains in Xihe, Ali's bones will never rest in peace!"
"Queen Mother, just wait!"
"When spring begins...Ali Gu will definitely not be able to bear it anymore and will definitely come to pray for our country..."
The Buddha's Tooth Relic is very harmful to the party.
But for Ali Gu, it was life-threatening poison.
If left unchecked, the Tubo tribes will become increasingly alienated!
Once the leaders of various tribes have gone to Xihe for pilgrimage, the status of Ali's bones will no longer be guaranteed.
Liang Yibu looked at this very carefully.
Ali Gu is not the bloodline of Ji Siluo!
He doesn't have Zamp's sacred aura!
Now, the Buddha's tooth relic takes away people's hearts.
His rule will collapse in an instant!
Therefore, whether Ali Gu was willing or not, he had no choice but to raise his troops and descend from the Qingtang Plateau to Xihe to snatch the Buddha Tooth Relic.
Only by obtaining the Buddha's Tooth Relic and welcoming him back to Qingtang City can he consolidate his dominance.
This point does not change due to his own will.
Unless the Nanman were willing to give the Buddha's tooth relic to Ali's bones and let him take it back to unite the superiors and establish a unified dynasty relying on Buddhism.
Can Nanman know it?
No! Absolutely not!
This chapter has been completed!