Facing the emperor's father's question, Liu Xi showed his usual casual smile and said casually: "I accidentally checked the case records. Twelve years ago, there were only five Jurchens paying tribute in total.
After the twelfth year of Qianyou's reign, there was almost one tribute for every year. Starting from the fourteenth year of Qianyou's reign, tribute was divided into summer and winter. This year, this is the third time.
Each time, the number of tributes was not large, with the most being no more than seventy and as few as thirty. So far, the Jurchens have presented a total of more than 1,200 horses to the court. Of course, they are all war horses, and many of them are famous.
A good horse!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu couldn't help but smile and said to himself: "Although the number is not large, paying tribute so diligently can be regarded as filial. Is this to establish a sense of presence in front of me?"
Liu Fang listened and said: "In the twelfth year of Qianyou, the Northern Expedition of the Han Dynasty was successful. Obviously these Jurchen barbarians were affected by that war and had such frequent exchanges. Could it be that the Jurchens also intended to resist the rule of the Khitans?"
Emperor Liu seemed very satisfied with Liu Fang's acumen, but did not express any opinion on his words. Instead, he glanced at Liu Xi and said, "Sanlang, what do you think?"
Liu Xi suddenly felt that the emperor had a lot of questions for him today. He smiled and replied: "It's hard to say, I don't know much about the Jurchens!"
Emperor Liu waved his hand and said calmly: "Then tell me what you know!"
Faced with Emperor Liu's strength, Liu Xi had no choice but to think about it and said: "I once had a chat with Wang Langzhong (Wang Zhaoyuan) and learned from him that the Jurchen tribe was the Heishui Mohe in the Tang Dynasty, a mixture of many
The tribes are widely distributed, almost all over the Northeast, and make a living by fishing and hunting. However, because they are scattered, they cannot join forces and can easily be divided and conquered by the Khitans.
In recent years, those who have paid tribute in the sea are all tribes that were moved to the Liaodong area by the Khitan. They are considered to be relatively large clans among the Jurchen tribes. The Khitan people's rule over the various tribes is very harsh. In the past, when they were strong, they could not
If you dare to resist, you can only endure the humiliation in shame. However, now that the Han Dynasty is strong and has defeated the Khitan people, it is inevitable that the Jurchen tribes will have some ideas.
However, I think that the Jurchens may have a desire to resist, but if they are rebellious, they are not that serious. They just pay tribute and make friends with the big men, maybe hoping to get protection and a backer.
Although the Khitan people suffered a great loss in strength and prestige under the attack of the Han, they are still the overlords in the north. Even if those tribes have different intentions, it is still very difficult to shake their rule. In the past few years, the Bohai people organized
The fact that the rebellion was easily suppressed is proof of this.
As for the Jurchens, their strength is too scattered, and it will be even more difficult to resist the Khitan rule..."
Rarely, Liu Xi spoke eloquently, and then stopped abruptly. Afterwards, he realized that he seemed to have talked a little too much. He raised his eyelids slightly and carefully observed Liu Chengyou, and saw that Emperor Liu's eyes were as usual.
Sharp, just when looking at myself, it looks so bright and meaningful.
"What you said is quite insightful!" Emperor Liu's expression quickly returned to calmness and he commented.
Liu Xi smiled and immediately said humbly: "These are what Wang Langzhong said, I am just picking up his wisdom!"
"There are many people in the court who criticize Wang Zhaoyuan for his wealth and reputation but for his external failure. He only talks about words and has no real talent. Why don't you take it seriously and go out with him?" Emperor Liu said a little curiously.
Liu Xi regained his lazy posture and responded: "If he is completely useless, how can the emperor use him? Furthermore, I think Wang Langzhong is also an interesting person, knowledgeable, eloquent, and compatible with him. Talking and sometimes enjoying it.”
Liu Xi's words were catering to Emperor Liu, and he couldn't help but feel happy when he heard them. Among the surrendered ministers of Meng Shu, some were admitted to the palace, some were incorporated into the Imperial Academy and the Three Halls, and some were retained as officials. But who should I say? The most enjoyable life after surrender must be that of Wang Zhaoyuan.
Although he has no real power, he is still considered a close minister. He can often see the emperor and talk to him. Sometimes, it is indeed quite fun to chat with Wang Zhaoyuan. The most important thing is that in the past five or six years, Wang Zhaoyuan has had great influence on the Liao Kingdom and the country. The tribes under his rule have a deeper understanding of him.
"Your mother often scolds you for being lazy. I see that you know a lot!" Emperor Liu said, glancing at his third son again.
When Liu Xi mentioned Concubine Gao, his body tensed up subconsciously, and then he smiled bitterly at Liu Chengyou and said, "I just occasionally read some miscellaneous books and chat with others. It's really not worth mentioning!"
After listening to what he said, Emperor Liu did not expand on this topic any further. His attention finally moved away from Liu Xi, and Liu Xi subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, as if Emperor Liu's question made him feel great pressure. generally.
"Jurchen..." Liu Chengyou muttered, paused, and then said: "It's useless!"
If you think highly of the current Jurchens because of some memories and thoughts of later generations, it is really unnecessary. Although the current Jurchens are in the rising stage, they are still in their early stages and their strength is very weak. Without unified leadership, fishing and hunting It is still the most important method of production. Between the white mountains and black waters, many tribes are still living in a state of living like hair and blood.
In the eyes of the Khitan people, the Shiwei people and the Bohai people were much greater threats than them. The Jurchens during this period basically had to rely on the Khitan people to survive. They were like a piece of dough that could be kneaded as much as they wanted. Knead it into whatever shape you want.
As for the saying that "the Jurchen soldiers are invincible", if the Jurchens at this time heard this statement, they themselves would probably find it ridiculous.
There is no doubt that Emperor Liu was ambitious about Liaodong. Since ancient times, it had been the inherent territory of the Central Plains Dynasty. Without Liaodong, the empire's territory would be incomplete.
However, Emperor Liu was not sure how to capture it. After all, it was the core area ruled by the Liao Kingdom. It had been in operation for a long time and was geographically remote. Emperor Liu did not dare to underestimate the difficulty of conquering Liaodong. When Guo Ting launched an attack on Liao on the sea, But its weight has been tested.
It can be said bluntly that in Emperor Liu's view, it was much easier to march westward to capture Hexi than to march eastward. Of course, it may be difficult, but it cannot stop Emperor Liu from conquering. This will be a systematic process. To conquer Liaodong, The Khitan must be beaten hard again, and the Liao Kingdom must be dealt with as well.
After the unification of the world, Emperor Liu had already planned with his close ministers the affairs of the surrounding areas. Although it had not yet been implemented, there was a general framework. Among them, destroying the Liao Dynasty and regaining Liaodong was the top priority.
Thinking of the diligent hospitality of the Liaodong Jurchens, even if it is not of great use, it can still exert some value!
Considering this, Emperor Liu once again considered sending envoys. Speaking of which, the Jurchens had paid tribute for so many years, and Emperor Liu had accepted them all, but he had not yet returned the gift, let alone envoys...
As for the candidate for the envoy, a figure appeared directly in his mind, naturally it was Wang Zhaoyuan.
It was freezing cold. When the body gradually cooled down, Emperor Liu's fear of the cold broke out again, so he did not stay in the garden for long and drove back to the palace. The Fengchen guards who were hunting also came back and did not leave.
The harvest was very small, but Emperor Liu was very generous and "bought" it for ten guan each, which was a huge reward.
It's not that Emperor Liu is stingy, but he can't be promoted just because he's successful in hunting.
Before returning to the palace, he stopped in front of a farmhouse. In the palace gardens of Tokyo, there were also some farmers and herdsmen living in the palace, all of whom served the emperor. The identity of the family who asked Emperor Liu to stop was naturally somewhat special. Zhou Baoquan
mother and son.
When the imperial chariot stopped, Zhou's mother and son were taking care of the horses they were tending. They noticed the movement outside the house, took a look, and hurried out to greet the emperor. Although they were surprised by the emperor's visit, the mother and son also
There was nothing nervous, especially Zhou's mother, Yan, who was respectful and calm with her son.
The house looked very simple, but it was neat and orderly. It was home to the mother and son. The loyal servants who accompanied them to the capital originally wanted to follow them, but they were dismissed by the Yan family and all their belongings were dispersed to support him in making a living.
Therefore, in the life in the palace, there was no one to serve, and everything had to be done by the mother and son. The two depended on each other and worked hard, until now. In fact, from the beginning, Emperor Liu asked the mother and son to raise horses for him, just to chat.
As a punishment, they were allowed to atone for Zhou Xingfeng's military and stubborn resistance to the court. Raising horses can also be said to be a formal thing.
However, under the leadership of Yan, mother and son managed to achieve some results...
Looking at the surrounding environment, he looked at the mother and son kneeling in the cold wind, and especially stayed on Mrs. Yan for a while. The woman in front of her was said to be an ordinary peasant woman, with no problems, rough skin, and no makeup.
Although she was wearing makeup, Emperor Liu believed at a glance that she was indeed a hard-working and wise woman and an excellent and great mother.
Looking at Zhou Baoquan who was kneeling quietly aside, his little face flushed with cold, Liu Chengyou sighed in his heart and asked: "How many years have you, mother and son, been in the palace?"
Yan didn't answer, so Zhou Baoquan answered: "Your Majesty, it's been more than eight years!"
"It's been so long!" Emperor Liu pondered for a moment and said, "From now on, you mother and son don't have to live here anymore. Let's live in the Hou Mansion in Kaifeng City!"
Zhou Baoquan had the title of Marquis of Yiyang.
Hearing this, Mrs. Yan bowed and said, "Your Majesty once said that I would let my mother and my son feed the horses for ten years, but now the time limit has not come yet!"
Emperor Liu smiled and said: "I said it has been ten years, do you agree?"
Yan was stunned for a while, and when she met Emperor Liu's gaze, her eyes finally couldn't help but turn red. She pulled Zhou Baoquan and knelt down, choking and saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"