Chapter 993: Dali Palace, Emperor and Prime Minister
Dali is located in the southwest of the Song Dynasty, bordering Tubo to the north, Tianzhu, Bagan and other countries to the southwest, the Song Dynasty to the east, and Yueli to the southeast!
Although this country cannot be compared with the Song Dynasty, Jin Dynasty, Tubo, etc., its land area is not small, and even the Great Xia Kingdom is on the same level! It has eight prefectures, four counties, four towns, and thirty-seven
department!
Although its strength has never been as good as that of the Central Plains Dynasty, the Dali Kingdom has always coveted the southwest land of the Central Plains Dynasty! Even on weekdays, small groups of soldiers from the Dali Kingdom would enter the territory of the Song Dynasty from time to time.
plunder.
However, the main enemy of the Song Dynasty has always been in the north and has no time to visit the south, so Dali covets the Song Dynasty even more! In addition, the southeast is full of barren mountains and swampy land, which is almost impossible for the soldiers and horses of the Song Dynasty.
It was a nightmare, so it made Dali's fear of the Song Dynasty even smaller.
In the eyes of Dali, the Song Dynasty was just a huge statue that could be slaughtered by others. If he wanted to swallow the Song Dynasty in one bite, Dali naturally did not have the courage and ability. However, it was easy to cut off a piece of flesh from this giant.
The king of Dali at this time was Duan Zhengxing, the 17th emperor of Dali, and the prime minister was Gao Liangcheng of the Gao family.
Although Gao Liangcheng was extremely powerful, he was loyal to the royal family. In addition, Duan Zhengxing himself came to the throne because of Gao Liangcheng's support. Therefore, there was a rare harmony between the king and the prime minister of Dali.
During the turbulent years when the Song Dynasty experienced the Jingkang Disgrace, Dali was also unsettled! Thirty-seven tribes in eastern Yunnan rebelled against the royal family, the eastern capital city fell, and the important town of Shanchan was also breached.
The Duan royal family declined, and the Gao family also continued to fight for persuasion, causing the whole of Dali to fall into panic! It was also at this time that Gao Liangcheng realized that in order for Dali to continue to prosper, he must ensure that the king and the prime minister
Peace of mind!
So, after he inherited the position, he first settled the disputes within the Gao family, and then led troops to suppress the rebellion of the thirty-seven barbarians! Later, he supported Duan Zhengxing to become the King of Dali! Until this time, the Dali Kingdom was finally stable.
came down and gradually returned to the heyday of the previous dynasty.
The capital of Dali is located under Cangshan Mountain and on the shore of Erhai Lake! Its imperial city was inherited from the period of King Nanshao! Naturally, the imperial city of Dali cannot be compared with that of the Central Plains, covering an area of only about 40 to 50 acres! However, the architecture incorporates many local elements
The tribal characteristics also lead the water of Erhai Lake to shuttle through the entire imperial city, so it is not particularly interesting.
The Dali Imperial Palace is a continuation of the Nanzhao Kingdom. It is entered from the Erhai Gate in the south. It is divided into three palaces: the front palace, the middle palace, and the rear palace! Among them, the front palace has twenty-four pavilions, the middle palace has twelve courtyards, and the rear palace has three palaces and six halls.
Waiting for buildings! Going straight east from Beigong Gate, you will find the Three Pagoda Temple and the Duan Clan Ancestral Temple facing each other in the north and south! In fact, these Three Pagoda Temples are also the ancestral temple of the Meng family during the Nanzhao Kingdom!
There is a secluded garden on the side of the main hall of the former palace. Duan Zhengxing looked at the koi in the pool beside him with some trance! Recently, although there are no complicated matters in government affairs, there is one thing that is difficult to decide. That
The question is whether to send troops to the Song Dynasty.
For the Dali Kingdom, the Central Plains Dynasty has always been a behemoth. The Tang Dynasty was like this before, and the Song Dynasty is still weak now! Duan Zhengxing is now over forty years old, and he has sat on the throne for sixteen or seventeen years.
Time! He is not keen on power. In other words, although the Duan family in Dali is a royal family, many emperors are not keen on imperial power.
Just like his father Duan Heyu, he took the initiative to become a monk and became a Zen monk. The same is true for his grandfather Duan Zhengchun. In his later years, he became a monk and became a Zen monk. Duan Heyu! At this point, they are almost the same strain.
He had even thought about it for a long time, to become a monk in Wuwei Temple like his father, pass the throne to his son, and be a monk for a few years with ease. However, Prime Minister Gao Liangcheng had been opposed to this matter, so he had to give up.
.
However, even if he could not become a monk, he only wanted to sit in the position of emperor safely, and did not want to cause any disputes, or to expand the territory and become a sage king.
After all, how can being a wise king be such a leisurely thing?
However, Gao Liangcheng, who is only a few years younger than him, is extremely enthusiastic about it! This is why Duan Zhengxing has difficulty making a decision!
Agreed, then I am afraid that I will have to be the emperor for many more years, and may even be a bit more tired than I am now.
However, I don’t agree. I think back then, Gao Liangcheng almost single-handedly pushed him to the throne. Such a great kindness... Even though I have married my daughter to him, I still can’t repay him in full! So, I feel
There is a bit of a deficit.
"Why!"
Duan Zhengxing sighed, "Although I am also the supreme emperor, I am not as happy and free as this fish..."
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, the Prime Minister, wants to see you!"
A maid came forward to pay her respects and said.
"Well, please invite the Prime Minister to come!"
Duan Zhengxing said calmly.
Not long after, a muscular man in a purple robe strode towards Duan Zhengxing! This man was the powerful Prime Minister of Dali, Gao Liangcheng!
"My lord, see your majesty!"
"Xiangguo, why should we be polite between you and me?"
Duan Zhengxing smiled, stepped forward and helped Gao Liangcheng up in person, "Come on, the envoy from the Song Dynasty recently returned and brought back some tea from the Song Dynasty. It is indeed a sacred thing! You and I are going to taste it.
Check it out!"
After saying that, he directly pulled Gao Liangcheng to a side hall on the side.
In the main hall, the two of them sat down, and a maid served tea. Duan Zhengxing smiled and said, "Come on, let's try it quickly, how about it!"
Gao Liangcheng took a sip and nodded, "The tea of the Song Dynasty is indeed excellent! Speaking of which, although I, Dali, occupy the ancient land of Nanzhao, the products are indeed far from those of the Central Plains Dynasty! Just like the Song Dynasty,
Except for tea, silk, and pottery, none of them are treasures!"
Duan Zhengxing also nodded in agreement. He especially loved various utensils from the Song Dynasty!
"It has been nearly twenty years since Your Majesty came to the throne! Your Majesty is a holy king, and our country of Dali is becoming stronger and stronger day by day.
On the other hand, the Song Dynasty in the Central Plains was extremely weak!"
"Your Majesty, God has given you nothing, so you must suffer the consequences! If you fail at the right time, you will suffer the consequences! The land southwest of the Song Dynasty is now within easy reach of our country, Dali. Why do you still have doubts, Your Majesty!"
Duan Zhengxing couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard Gao Liangcheng bring the topic to this topic again.
"I naturally know what the Prime Minister says.
However, if they send troops rashly, the Song Dynasty will definitely send troops. When the two countries fight, won't the people suffer?
Although the Song Dynasty was said to be weak, it could not really do it.
At this time last year, Tubo sent 200,000 troops to attack the Song Dynasty in Chengdu! Although they had the upper hand at the beginning, they were still defeated in the end?
Moreover, didn’t Xiangguo say that the Song Dynasty’s military frontier is still in Tubo territory, so isn’t this the opposite of what happened?”