Chapter 233 The Ancient Tea Horse Road is here again
When Yang Lin's legs were weak and exhausted, he returned to the study.
When she told His Majesty that she had successfully persuaded His Majesty not to accept Gao Mingtai's surrender, Duan Miaozhen couldn't believe it and jumped into her arms like a baby in the forest.
Feeling the strength of the jade arms wrapped around her body and the slightly tearing cry, Yang Lin knew that this princess was completely his.
From now on, even if you use whips or kicks, you can't drive away her heart.
After the fall of Xixia, trade routes reopened, and the Silk Road, which was once prosperous for a while, regained its brilliance.
A memorial came from the northwest, saying that the Mongols wanted to open a cross-border trade on the grassland border, exchanging horses, animal skins, and animal sinews for grain, ironware, and tea from the Song Dynasty.
It is a good thing to communicate with each other, but Mongolia is under the rule of the Khitan, so the Khitan should take action in this matter.
In the capital hall, several prime ministers and ministers gathered together, including Wang Fu, Yang Lin, Zhang Shangying and Cai Jing.
Yang Lin and Cai Jing discussed it and concluded that this was a private contact between the Mongols and that they might have started some development of their own behind the Khitan's back.
Nowadays, Mongolia is divided into four parts, fighting each other, and all of them are under the rule of the Khitan.
Cai Jing mused: "If the Ancient Tea Horse Road is opened, it will greatly alleviate the need for horses in the Song Dynasty. When Xixia sued for peace, a batch of Mongolian horses were sent as tribute.
This horse has a short body and unattractive appearance, but it has a big head, short neck, strong body, broad chest, long mane, thick skin and thick hair. It has some advantages. This horse is neither frightened nor deceitful on the battlefield, and is extremely brave. It has always been a good horse.
Army horses.”
Wang Fu hurriedly said: "In that case, there is nothing to hesitate about. Opening a border trade is a win-win situation for both parties. Let's look at the shipping department. I don't know how many soldiers and civilians of the Song Dynasty were supported."
Everyone present knew his intention. Of course Wang Fu wanted to open the market, which might anger the Khitan.
If the Song Dynasty opened border trade with Mongolia without passing through the Khitan, which would invisibly elevate Mongolia's status, the Khitan would definitely not be willing to do so.
Now Liang Shicheng, who is behind Wang Fu, colludes with Tong Guan and wants to make a fuss in the land of Youyan.
Only by taking back You Yan can we regain the power of the imperial court and suppress Yang Lin and Cai Jing.
Yang Lin doesn't want to start a war with the Khitan just yet. This decadent and huge grassland empire is like a fat sheep.
At this time, it is best to wait for other beasts to kill the fat sheep, and then go up and reap the benefits.
The Song Dynasty and Khitan are a country of brothers. They have been good neighbors and friends for so many years. Although there are occasional frictions, brothers must help when they are in trouble.
Look at Dali, isn’t it a living example?
However, opening up border trade and establishing a tea-horse trade route on the border of the Mongolian grassland could indeed solve the Song Dynasty's urgent needs.
The Song Dynasty was short of horses!
There was no way to expand the victory after winning the battle. When someone whipped up his horse whip, the Song Dynasty's infantry could only stare behind, running so slowly that they couldn't even catch ashes.
And once they lose, even the soldiers of the Song Dynasty will be unable to outrun their four-legged war horses.
After thinking for a long time with his eyes closed, Yang Lin decided to focus on military horses and support the opening of the border tea-horse trade route.
Cai Jing was a little surprised. In his opinion, it was impossible for Yang Lin not to see the plot of Liang Shicheng and Tong Guan.
Combined with what Yang Lin did on the day when the Xixia war report came out, Cai Jing pinched his beard and nodded.
Yang Wenyuan looked like a bastard little bastard, but he still had a connection with the Sheji Imperial Court in his heart.
He was about to join forces with Liang Shicheng to give Yang Lin a taste of the pain and suppress this powerful competitor for his position as prime minister. When he heard this, he smiled and said: "Since everyone agrees, we will submit it to the emperor for a decision.
"
These people all nodded. Zhao Ji would not object at all. Even if he wanted to object, he would have to weigh it carefully.
The life of the Mongols is not easy now. The Khitan implemented a free-range policy on the grasslands and watched them kill each other in order to exercise their rule.
If you could use one word to describe the current life of Mongolians, it would be poverty.
It would be very happy for them if they could open a border trade with the Song Dynasty. Their horses would no longer have to be taken away by the Khitan at a low price, and then they would be unable to exchange for anything.
They are not afraid of the Khitan's investigation. They can't survive in the first place. If there is a natural disaster, people will die in the winter. What can the Khitan people do to me? How can I become worse?
This is a group of people who are desperately poor and the most difficult to offend.
After the capital decided to open the market, the Western Army should be the happiest people. They could finally form cavalry on a large scale.
The preservation of the Northwest General Gate was the result of a compromise between several forces in the imperial court.
The Western Army was the most capable army in the Song Dynasty. Tong Guan knew this deeply, and Liang Shicheng didn't know it either.
They are preparing for the Northern Expedition to Youyan, and when the time comes, they will definitely take the Western Army as the vanguard and serve as cannon fodder.
With this layer of "far-sightedness" and Yang Lin's protection, the Western Army was able to be preserved.
Now that they learned that Mongolia wanted to open border trade, Zhong Shidao and Yao Gu, Zhe Keqiu and others discussed it and immediately sent people to Bianliang to find Yang Lin.
Inside Zhaode Square, it looks like a small Taoist temple, with dozens of handsome little Taoist boys practicing martial arts with Yang Lin.
Yang Keshi, the envoy sent by the Western Army, stared at his eyes like a pair of copper bells and marveled.
After practicing all morning, with beads of sweat on his forehead, Taoist Master Mei finally stopped.
A group of Taoist boys shouted to Yang Lin in unison: "Uncle Master." They bowed and then retreated in groups.
Yang Lin walked to the wicker chair under the tree in the courtyard, wiped his face and asked: "Master Jinglue sent you here, what do you mean?"
Yang Keshi smiled and said: "My old husband feels sorry for his daughter, so he sent ten boxes of gold beads, ten maids, and ten pieces of brocade for Miss Zhong to use her at her expense."
Yang Lin nodded. It's quite safe to give gifts like this. You're not afraid of people making irresponsible remarks.
Seeing this, Yang Keshi stepped forward and said: "Young Master, the Western Army is short of horses, but there is no shortage of soldiers in the stirrups. I heard that the imperial court has decided to open a market with Mongolia. What the old husband wants is, can I ask for them from the Western Prefecture?
Draft a document to allow us to form cavalry?"
"What do you want the cavalry for?" Yang Lin asked knowingly.
Yang Keshi said with a smile: "Now that Shao Zai has conquered Dali, won't Tubo be a thing in the pond after we capture it in the future? We will attack from both sides, and capturing Tubo will be like picking out objects from a bag. When the time comes, war horses will be indispensable, especially those suitable for fighting."
Mongolian horse.”
"The old lands of Xixia and Yinxia are all natural horse breeding lands. You can't expect to buy them all from Mongolia. You must know that the opening of the market is only temporary. As long as it is a border crossing, there will be no war. In case of war with Mongolia
If a conflict breaks out, you will be blinded. This time I will ask you to write a document. It is not impossible to form a cavalry, but you must have your own horse breeding land and horse source."
When Yang Keshi saw that he had agreed, he felt happy and repeatedly clasped his fists in agreement.