Although Fan Zhen was a serious man, in Gao Shengtai's view, the Song Army coach was much easier to deal with than the elusive Chen Ke. At least, he could clearly understand the other party's intentions and target them accordingly. He said sincerely
: "Commander Mingjian, our Gao family sincerely admires the Celestial Empire and is willing to do our best for the Celestial Empire's army. If you have any thoughts, it's just for self-protection."
"What do you mean?" Fan Zhen frowned and said, "Don't you supply military rations, and I, the Song Dynasty, will not be able to rob them?"
"Commander, please don't get me wrong," Gao Shengtai said quickly: "The Han family has never regarded the Song Dynasty as a threat, not now, nor in the future. What we call self-protection refers to the internal conflicts in Dali."
"how do I say this?"
"The commander-in-chief must know that although the Duan family is the king of Dali, there are actually many princes. Among them, the two largest princes are the Yang family and the Gao family." Gao Shengtai said: "We all worship King Duan.
As the Lord, everything was fine at first. But King Duan always wanted to cut down the vassal, and the conflicts with the princes gradually deepened, and the Yang family refused to sit still and wait for death, so the people of Dali suffered from military disaster."
Although he knew that he was talking nonsense, Fan Zhen still nodded calmly.
"Although my Gao family is not weak, we have upheld the ancestral precepts and have been serving the Duan family as our master from generation to generation. We have never had any second thoughts." Gao Shengtai picked out his own family first and said: "Because of this, we have always been committed to maintaining the tranquility of Dali.
I would like to see my compatriots killing each other and harming the people." Gao Shengtai continued: "So even though there is always the danger of being harmed, my father still stays on the front line in Dali, running between the Duan and Yang families, mediating a truce between the two parties.
"
"Hmm." Fan Zhen said with a look of admiration on his face: "The high prime minister is benevolent and righteous, and I admire him very much."
"With my father's continuous efforts, the two sides have finally reached an agreement." Seeing that he had taken the right medicine, Gao Shengtai made up his mind and said: "Now is the critical moment for peace to be restored in Dali. If the Song Dynasty Tianbing were to
If you look at it, the Duan family will inevitably have the intention to kill people with a borrowed knife. Not only will the Yang family be eliminated, but I, the Gao family, will also become their target!"
"This prince can rest assured," Fan Zhen said with a faint smile: "My Song army is here for the Nong family, and to maintain the peace of Dali... The waiters sent by King Duan to the court to request a title have arrived in Beijing.
But we can't just confer the title on my official side, and then change the owner here."
His words were clearly explaining the purpose of sending troops, but they were actually hinting at the Song Dynasty's bottom line.
Gao Shengtai naturally understood. He immediately nodded and said, "The villain just said that the Han family abides by the ancestral precepts and has been serving as the head of the Duan family for generations. There is no second intention."
"Haha, okay! We have this level of consensus." Fan Zhen laughed loudly and said, "We both have a lot to talk about!"
"The Han family is willing to serve the Song Dynasty wholeheartedly!" Gao Shengtai joked: "But just follow the commander's orders!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Compared to the friendly and harmonious interior of the coach's tent, Chen Ke's room was full of wind and rain.
Duan Mingyue, the princess of Dali, looked at Chen Sanlang with a sad face, like an ignorant girl who had been played, deceived, and abandoned, and finally woke up.
Chen Ke sat behind the case with an embarrassed look on his face and said, "This is the jackfruit presented by Banna. It's very sweet. Princess, would you like to try it?"
Duan Mingyue didn't answer, but looked at him sadly and angrily.
"It seems that the princess has long been tired of eating, and she blames me. She has forgotten whose territory this is." Chen Ke ordered: "Go and get the princess a jar of stinky tofu, a specialty of the Central Plains, and then dip it in two steamed buns.
." He is easily influenced by the environment. When he was in the capital, the people he interacted with were all men of letters, and his speech was quite polite. Now he is dealing with big-headed soldiers all day long. Suddenly his true nature is revealed, and he becomes thicker than a bucket.
.
"You just ate stinky tofu with steamed buns." Duan Mingyue finally couldn't stand it any longer. First she gasped, and then she burst into tears and said, "You liar..."
"What did I lie to you about?"
"You lied to my brother, to my country, Dali, and to my chastity!" Duan Mingyue complained with tears in her eyes.
"Ahem..." Chen Ke suddenly felt Liu Yue'e's disdainful gaze. He coughed twice in embarrassment and said: "Princess, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't talk nonsense. When did I lie to your brother and when did I lie to Dali?
When did I deceive you...that chastity?"
"You still say no?" Duan Mingyue's beautiful eyes widened and she said: "My brother gave the throne and the status of Dali to the Song Dynasty in exchange for the Song Dynasty sending troops to help. It can be said that he gave everything to the Song Dynasty. But you, you are like this
Help us?"
"When the princess said this, I was so sad." Chen Ke called out to Tianqu and said: "Since I left Dali, I have been traveling day and night for more than ten days to Bianjing City, and my inner thighs have been bruised and bloody..." Looking back
She looked at Liu Yue'e behind her and said, "Brother Liu, are you too?"
"No..." Liu Yue'e said awkwardly.
"I limped into the palace, tried my best to convince the officials and all the princes, and then traveled day and night for more than ten days to return to Guizhou City. The wound on my thigh was scabbed and worn out.
It's broken and scabbed. Did you see that my legs are bowed when I walk now?" Chen Ke looked at Liu Yue'e again and said, "Brother Liu, have you also experienced such a process?"
"No..." Liu Yue'e was so depressed that she just wanted to punch him.
Chen Ke didn't dare to tease her anymore, otherwise he would be beaten again. He turned back to Duan Mingyue and said: "Anyway, I have worked so hard to bring the army to Dali, and the princess actually said that to me. I am really worse than
Dou E is still unjust."
"Who is Dou E?" Duan Mingyue asked curiously.
"My Central Plains culture is extensive and profound. You thought you were very proficient, but now you know it's not the case, right?" Chen Ke said confidently: "Let me introduce to you the life of Comrade Dou E."
"No need..." Duan Mingyue said helplessly: "Let's talk about the army. Since you are here to help us, please leave as soon as possible to save my brother, my family, and the people of my capital from danger."
"Well, the army is working hard on an expedition and now it needs to rest and recuperate."
"Can you at least give us a definite date for starting the army?"
"Well, it's probably winter." Chen Ke chuckled... Well, Kunming is like spring all year round, where can I find winter?
"You still said you didn't lie?" Duan Mingyue said angrily.
"Princess knows clearly whether she is lying or not." Chen Ke smiled lightly and said, "Since our Song Army entered Dali, has there been another battle at Longshou Pass?"
"This..." Duan Mingyue said, somewhat at a loss for words: "The truce is only temporary, and war will start at any time."
"When will the war start at Shangguan, the army will move out!" Chen Ke gradually said seriously: "Princess, at the beginning your brother just said that he would ask the Song Dynasty to send troops to save the Duan family. Since the official family has accepted your family's donation of land, we
I have the obligation to protect the stability of your Duan family's throne, so just let your brother rest assured."
"Our Duan family has paid such a high price..." Duan Mingyue had experienced the pain of begging for help, and said with some sadness: "Is this all you get?"
"Your Duan family has paid a big price?" Chen Ke laughed dumbly and said: "Dali's four thousand miles of land, two thousand miles of east Yunnan belong to the Gao family, and two thousand miles of west Yunnan belong to the Yang family. What belongs to your Duan family? Except for
What else have you paid for the false reputation of being the Lord of Dali?"
Duan Mingyue's pretty face was suddenly as ashamed as a piece of red cloth.
"Princess, it is for your own good that my army of the Song Dynasty does not go to Dali." Chen Ke said earnestly: "I might as well tell you clearly that our army is claimed to be 60,000, but in fact it is less than 40,000. Moreover, the army is on an expedition, and the military strategists call it the right time and the right place.
People and people are not on our side. If the Gao and Yang families are forced to join forces, the outcome may be unpredictable!"
"Can't the Song Dynasty send more troops?" Duan Mingyue said in frustration.
"That's what I said." Chen Ke sighed slightly and said: "Two thousand miles of high mountains and long rivers, how can we transport the baggage? I wanted to supply supplies on the spot, but even your Duan family can't afford to support this small army..."
"..." Duan Mingyue was so shocked that Chen Ke was speechless, lowered his head and was about to cry.
"Okay, don't be sad." Chen Ke smiled comfortingly: "These 40,000 troops can at least keep your Duan family safe and sound."
"Will you always be stationed in Dali?" Duan Mingyue took a deep breath and looked at Chen Ke and said. Her psychological quality is excellent and she can adjust her emotions immediately and settle for the next best thing.
"Okay." Chen Ke nodded and smiled: "As long as the Gao family can afford it."
"They can afford it, and 70% of Dali's tax revenue is in their hands." Duan Mingyue became happy when she thought of the extremely heavy burden the Gao family had been carrying since then.
"Cry sometimes, laugh sometimes, are you ashamed?" Chen Ke laughed loudly and said: "Mingyue, go back and tell your brother. I have inspected along the way. If the Beipan River and Hongshui River can be dredged well, then we can
When the Song Dynasty's canals went up the river, it was naturally a different scene."
"Build the Hongshui River?" Duan Mingyue's heart pounded. If the transportation between the Song Dynasty and the Song Dynasty can be really convenient, the Duan family will have an iron backer. At that time, with the support of the Song Dynasty, whether it is the Gao family or the Yang family,
I had no choice but to be honest... Ignoring my shyness, I asked excitedly: "How long will it take?"
"It's only been a year and a half." Chen Ke smiled.
"How much will it cost and how many people will be used?" Duan Mingyue knew Chen Ke's temperament very well and knew that there was no free lunch at his place. But she learned the lesson this time and knew that she and Chen Ke had to finalize it word for word.
.
"It is initially estimated that one hundred thousand people and one hundred thousand gold." Chen Ke said slowly: "Start construction now and it will be open to navigation next spring."
"As a civilian, my Duan family can contribute 20,000 gold." Duan Mingyue thought about it, gritted her teeth and said, "One hundred thousand gold, the Duan family can also contribute half of it."
"I know your family's life is tight, so I don't even need your family to help." Chen Ke waved his hand and said: "Just ask your brother to designate the Dongchuan area as a military restricted area for the Song Dynasty."
"That's no problem," Duan Mingyue chuckled and said, "But let me tell you clearly, Dongchuan is now under the control of the Gao family."
"It's okay." Chen Ke smiled slightly and said, "I will ask the Gao family for it."
