Night fell slowly, and the lights in the imperial city gradually lit up. Zhao Zhen was half-leaning on the bed, listening to the report of Du Yan, the deputy privy minister who was kneeling in front of him.
"Your Majesty, the envoy from Hexi, hopes to meet His Royal Highness the Tang Dynasty in person in the morning tomorrow..."
"Do you think it's allowed?"
Zhao Zhen listened, looked up at Du Yan, and asked: "Du Qing, what is the opinion of the Privy Council?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, everyone in the Privy Council agrees that we should not refuse!" Du Yan said: "Hexi is the most intimate vassal state of the Song Dynasty today. If the envoy is not allowed to even visit the King of Tang, I will be worried and may be injured.
The heart of a loyal minister only brings benefits to the enemy!"
"Especially the Liao people!"
Zhao Zhen listened and fell into deep thought.
The Song Dynasty today is actually very embarrassing.
Especially in terms of external affairs, it did not have the majestic domineering power of the Tang Dynasty and the courage of all nations to come to court.
On the contrary, the tribute system almost collapsed.
Now, the only ones who continue to profess vassalage to the Song Dynasty and insist on paying tribute are the Tibetans of the Qingtang Dynasty and the Yellow-headed Uighurs.
The other vassal states have either become independent, have been destroyed, or have been poached by the Liao Kingdom.
The Qing-Tang Tubo is the only way for the Yellow-headed Uighurs to communicate with the Song Dynasty.
Therefore, the importance of the Hexi Jiedushi in the Song Dynasty was actually very high!
The Liao people, on the other hand, have been thinking of various ways to poach the Qing Tang Tubo.
This is not just a diplomatic issue, but an ideological struggle!
Once the Qing Tang and Tubo abandoned the Song Dynasty and surrendered to the Liao Dynasty, the international impact would be extremely bad, and it would even be more likely that the Song Dynasty would lose its reputation as China's orthodox righteousness!
It should be noted that after the Chanyuan Alliance, the speed of Hanization of the Liao people accelerated by leaps and bounds.
The Liao people now not only copied the entire imperial examination system of the Song Dynasty.
Even the system of delegating and granting assignments was copied entirely.
The previous Liao lord Yelu Longxu and the contemporary Liao lord Yelu Zongzhen were both masters of Han culture.
Especially during the reign of Yelu Longxu, he worked hard to govern, actively promoted Sinicization, adopted the imperial examination to select scholars, and formulated a system of dispatch and removal of awards, which led to the emergence of literati in the Liao Kingdom one after another.
Although he is still unable to compete with the Song Dynasty, he can no longer be regarded as a barbarian from Yi and Di.
Therefore, Zhao Zhen pondered again and again and asked: "What's the government's opinion?"
"Shen Guo Gong thinks it's not possible..." Du Yan said: "Shen Guo Gong is worried that if the envoy asks King Tang to ordain and consecrate his eldest son in the palace, I am afraid that King Tang will have to agree!"
Zhao Zhen nodded, this is indeed true!
But the problem is...
"Does Duke Shen have a way to resolve the possible dissatisfaction of Hexi Jiedushi?" Zhao Zhen asked.
Du Yan shook his head.
Zhao Zhen sighed: "Does Duke Shen want me to make a decision?"
"Then what do I want the Prime Minister to do?" There was already a slightly sullen look on his face.
What is the purpose of the king delegating power to ministers?
Of course, the minister is asked to bravely take the blame at critical moments!
Now that Lu Yijian refuses to take the blame, what's the use of him?
Du Yan immediately bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, calm down!"
However, Zhao Zhen had no choice.
Because now the country cannot do without Lu Yijian's strength and shrewdness.
Therefore, Zhao Zhen barely suppressed his anger, thought about it again and again, and finally said helplessly: "Then please Du Qing, in my name, tell the envoy that the envoy will go to the Chui Gong Palace to meet the King of Tang in the morning the next day..."
He could only make this decision.
After all, this country’s surname is Zhao.
After sending Du Yan away, Zhao Zhen looked at Ai Zi, who had been sitting beside him, gently massaging his forehead, and asked: "Did Erlang hear it just now?"
Zhao Xin nodded.
"It's hard to use the assistant minister!" Zhao Zhen sighed deeply.
This is his experience!
Since taking office, Lu Yijian has been using both of them.
After going round and round, I finally discovered that compared to others, Lu Yijian could at least do things and knew how to do things.
So, I can only use it by pinching my nose.
Zhao Xin listened and nodded with deep sympathy.
This is how people are employed. Only mediocre people will unconditionally agree with the emperor. Talented people, even treacherous ministers, have their own demands and ambitions.
And that might conflict with monarchy.
Therefore, the king often has only two choices: first, to compromise, and second, to remove the prime minister.
Now, what Zhao Zhen does is compromise.
In the final analysis, this country belongs to the Zhao family, and it is the feudal dynasty that governs the world.
The governors can give up their picks, but the Zhao family cannot.
Zhao Zhen turned his head, looked at Zhao Xin, and asked, "What do Erlang think about the matter in Hexi?"
"Since Emperor Shun, there has been a lot of heavenly power..." Zhao Xin looked at his father and said slowly: "From now on, the worldly things return to the worldly world, and the ghosts and gods become ghosts and gods..."
"Except for the Emperor, no one can communicate with the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth..."
"Inviting Jiedushi to do so, Erlang thinks it is absolutely impossible!"
"The one who created the figurines has no descendants?"
Zhao Xin didn't want to see the future where all the monsters and monsters came out.
There were even funny things like Huizong and Qinzong.
Zhao Zhen frowned: "Then Erlang means to refuse?"
Zhao Xin smiled and shook his head and said: "Aye, have you forgotten that you are the emperor and can enshrine the gods of mountains, rivers, land and all the gods enshrined in the world?"
"You can even give titles to masters of Buddhism and Taoism..."
"Erlang thought that Aye might be able to give the Jiedushi a title similar to that of a Living Buddha..."
When Zhao Zhen heard this, he suddenly became enlightened.
The Zhang Tianshan lineage of Longhu Mountain in the Song Dynasty has always been canonized by the Song Dynasty.
For example, in the eighth year of Tiansheng's reign, when the contemporary Tianshi succeeded him, he was named Mr. Chengsu.
In addition, some virtuous eminent monks in Buddhism (or eminent monks with great abilities) will also be awarded purple robes and dharma titles.
From this point of view, it seems that it is not impossible to confer the title of Living Buddha on that Jiedu envoy.
and……
There are two things to do with canonization.
If the Song Dynasty now canonizes the Jiedu envoy as a Living Buddha, then his son will definitely have to ask the Song Dynasty to continue to canonize him.
In this way, as long as the canonization rights are controlled, the Qing Tang Tubo is unlikely to rebel.
But, what kind of account is better to block?
The names of Bodhisattva, Buddha, and Arhat, which have names and surnames, cannot be used.
Because, after experiencing what happened to his beloved son, Zhao Zhen has become deeply superstitious.
What if those Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, Arhats, etc. also exist and he rashly canonizes them, wouldn’t he offend them?
"Then... let's call him a protector of Buddhism?" Zhao Zhen asked in a low voice.
"Erlang thinks it would be better to add the title of 'Western Heaven'..." Zhao Xin gave a careful suggestion: "And give me the title of Merit Envoy..."
"I ordered Jiedu to envoy Chijie to supervise all the monks and Taoists traveling to and from the Western Heaven, and to serve as the protector of the Song Dynasty and the monks and Taoists who are willing to seek the true scriptures from the Western Heaven..."
Zhao Zhen listened, clapped his hands and praised, very satisfied with this arrangement.
Because, in this way, from the perspective of the Song Dynasty, the political significance of this canonization was greater than the religious significance.
Because the merit envoy was an official position in the Song Dynasty, at certain times, the prime minister might also hold the position of merit envoy.
For example, during the Zhenzong period...
Therefore, from the perspective of the Song Dynasty, it was just an additional official position.
In the eyes of the Tubo people...
Well, if the Tubo people are willing to make up their minds, that is the Tubo people's business...
