Yanyun was a territory that the Song Dynasty was determined to win, and it was also a territory that the Liao Kingdom could not let go of.
The two big countries often started wars for Yan Yun.
Unless one of the two great powers collapses or declines, the war against Yu Yanyun will not stop.
The Song Dynasty was weak and oppressed for many years.
Now that a powerful emperor and a group of powerful ministers have finally emerged, it is naturally impossible for the Sixteen States of Yanyun to remain in the hands of the Liao Kingdom.
It was expected that the two countries would start a war.
An Ziluo felt that the reason why the Song Dynasty offered such favorable conditions and formed alliances with various tribes was to take the lead in appeasing the tribes and prepare for the conquest of the sixteen states of Yanyun.
An Ziluo could not speculate at the moment as to whether the Great Song Dynasty was sending its troops northward in an upright manner, or whether it was a surprise attack on the Liao Kingdom that was attacking cities and territories.
When the Song Dynasty would launch a war with the Liao Kingdom, it was not something An Ziluo could predict.
The war between two powerful and domineering empires is not something Qingtang can easily intervene in.
The only thing An Ziluo could think about was how to use the new alliance proposed by the Song Dynasty to obtain more benefits for Qingtang from the Song Dynasty.
An Ziluo told Kou Ji his doubts about some of the rules in the covenant.
Kou Ji helped An Ziluo answer the questions one by one.
After An Ziluo understood all the provisions of the covenant in detail, he signed his name and stamped his seal on the document.
Kou Ji took the paperwork, confessed to An Ziluo, and left Qingtang Station.
After An Ziluo sent Kou Ji away, he quickly returned to the room, picked up his pen and waved his brush. After a while, he appeared outside the door with a document he had just silently written.
"Go and invite Mr. Wan..."
An Ziluo gave an order, and the servant quickly left the door of An Ziluo's room.
Not long after, a middle-aged man in his fifties, dressed as a Confucian scholar, appeared in front of An Ziluo.
When An Ziluo saw the middle-aged man, he hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Wan, the student has something to ask for advice."
An Ziluo was very respectful in front of middle-aged people. This must not be the first time he asked middle-aged people for advice.
After hearing what An Ziluo said, the middle-aged man nodded slightly and said, "Go into the room and talk."
The two entered the room.
An Ziluo looked at the middle-aged man tugging at his clothes uncomfortably, and asked, "Is there anything wrong with Mr. Wan?"
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment and said with emotion: "It has been twenty years since I left the Song Dynasty. When I come back again, I always feel that I am a little out of tune with the Song Dynasty."
Just as An Ziluo was about to open his mouth, he saw the middle-aged man look at him and said with a smile: "Stop talking, what question do you want to ask?"
An Ziluo hurriedly took out the document he had written silently and handed it to the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man took the document and reviewed it.
While the middle-aged man was reviewing it, An Ziluo whispered on the side: "This is the letter of credence that the Song Dynasty has just sent. The Song Dynasty intends to conclude the same alliance with all its subjects.
There are thirteen articles in the covenant.
My memory is a bit poor and I can only remember five of them."
While reviewing the documents, the middle-aged man asked suspiciously: "Why not go directly to the Song Dynasty court to ask for a copy?"
An Ziluo was stunned for a moment, with a wry smile on his face, "I always feel like I'm doing something bad, so I don't dare to say anything."
The middle-aged man put down the documents in his hand, stared at An Ziluo with a slightly deep look and said: "The exchanges between countries are not only about intrigues, but sometimes they have to be more generous.
Take this covenant.
Since the Song Dynasty dares to take it out, it is not afraid of being looked at. If you ask them for a share, they will not refuse."
An Ziluo quickly raised his hands and said, "The students have been taught..."
The middle-aged man nodded, handed the document to An Ziluo's hand, and said very seriously: "The person who came up with this covenant is a person. This small document not only helped the Song Dynasty appease the surrounding areas, but also helped
The Song Dynasty gained countless benefits."
Hearing this, An Ziluo muttered: "Every branch of the Song Dynasty, including us, also received countless benefits."
The middle-aged man nodded slowly and said with emotion: "This is the power of this covenant. After signing this covenant, all the subordinates of the Song Dynasty and the Song Dynasty can benefit. This is a win-win situation, so
It's hard for anyone to say no.
If what I have predicted is correct, no country except the Liao Kingdom will refuse to sign it."
"The Liao Kingdom...won't sign?"
An Ziluo asked unexpectedly.
The middle-aged man nodded and said: "Yes, the Liao Kingdom will not sign it. Because many of the provisions in the covenant are based on the Song Dynasty. If the Liao Kingdom signed this covenant, it would be equivalent to bowing its head to the Song Dynasty. How could the Liao Kingdom
Maybe bow to the Song Dynasty?
In addition, there is a rule in the covenant that hides murderous intent.
I can see it, and naturally some of the Liao envoys can also see it.
Therefore, the Liao Kingdom will never sign this covenant with hidden murderous intentions."
"Murderous intent?"
An Ziluo frowned.
An Ziluo really didn't notice it.
The murderous intentions hidden in the covenant by Wang Zeng and others were very clever. Although An Ziluo had studied Chinese diligently since childhood, he was not a Song Dynasty person after all, and he was not from the Song Dynasty. Under the influence of various factors around him,
His knowledge is very limited.
He is inferior to some scholars in the Song Dynasty, let alone compared with Wang Zeng and others.
Naturally, he could not see the murderous intention set by Wang Zeng and others.
The middle-aged man pointed out one of the rules to An Ziluo, and analyzed the murderous intention hidden in it in detail.
After An Ziluo heard this, his brows furrowed into the character "Chuan".
An Ziluo said in a deep voice: "I thought that the Song Dynasty court was showing mercy this time, but I didn't expect that it had sinister intentions."
The middle-aged man glanced at An Ziluo, laughed and said, "This is normal."
An Ziluo looked at the middle-aged man in confusion.
The middle-aged man smiled and said: "There are so many people in the Great Song Dynasty who are good at scheming and strategizing. Every time they do something, they like to calculate. If one day you find out that they did not plot against you, then you will
It’s a real danger.”
An Ziluo frowned and looked at the middle-aged man and said, "So, sir, do you think this covenant with murderous intentions is the real covenant?"
The middle-aged man nodded and said: "Not bad..."
An Ziluo opened his mouth to argue.
Just listen to the middle-aged man's faint voice: "Officials in the Great Song Dynasty are used to scheming others, and they also like to scheming others. So you must also get used to being plotted.
Qingtang currently needs help from the Song Dynasty, so it is normal for it to be plotted against.
You will have a long time to deal with Da Song in the future, so you must learn to see through things without telling them.
As long as the benefits the covenant brings to Qingtang are far greater than the murderous intentions they hide, then it can be signed."
After a pause, the middle-aged man stared at An Ziluo and said: "In the past, Qingtang was just a small branch of the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty didn't care about Qingtang at all, so Qingtang was not even qualified to be calculated. So you used to
When Song Dynasty was running around, he didn't see many calculations.
It's different now.
The Song Dynasty began to pay attention to Qingtang, so it will naturally plot against Qingtang."
An Ziluo said with some displeasure: "So, I, Qingtang, have to be lucky that I am qualified to be plotted against?"
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, nodded and said, "It's indeed something to be thankful for."
An Ziluo said with an ugly face: "I would rather not accept this kind of qualification."
The middle-aged man clicked his lips and sighed: "Can I control you? If you are as powerful as Liao, you will be plotted, let alone Qingtang. If you don't want to be plotted, you must have the strength not to be plotted.
But is it available in Qingtang now?"
Without waiting for An Ziluo's answer, the middle-aged man continued: "There is no one in Qingtang. Since there is no one, then you must learn to be plotted by others and get used to being plotted by others. Then find a way out for yourself amidst other people's plots and seek for yourself."
More benefits.”
An Ziluo was very reluctant to admit the middle-aged man's statement, but he had to nod.
Only when the gap in strength between the two countries is not large can they be qualified to engage in diplomatic arm-wrestling.
The gap in strength is too big, so the only option is to bully the weak.
If you are weak, you will be bullied. There is no reason.
The middle-aged man raised the document in his hand and said with a smile: "This document has more advantages than disadvantages for Qingtang. Therefore, the benefits we get are far greater than the disadvantages.
So you don't have to be depressed."
An Ziluo gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not depressed, I just hate that Qingtang is not strong enough."
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment and said calmly: "Then find a way to make it stronger."
An Ziluo solemnly said: "I will..."
After pondering for a while, An Ziluo said: "Sir, the Song Dynasty court hid murderous intentions in the covenant. How many people do you think other than us can see it?"
The middle-aged man pondered for a moment and then said in detail: "Xixia, Liao Kingdom...Japanese Kingdom..."
An Ziluo said in astonishment: "Japanese country?"
An Ziluo was not surprised that Xixia and Liao could see through the murderous intentions hidden in the covenant, but An Ziluo was surprised that the Japanese could see through the murderous intentions hidden in the covenant.
The middle-aged man stared at An Ziluo and smiled: "Isn't it surprising?"
An Ziluo nodded solemnly, "A bit..."
The middle-aged man lamented: "Among the neighbors of the Song Dynasty, the Japanese state was the most devoted to the Central Plains culture. Most of the Japanese characters were derived from the Central Plains culture. The Japanese state's mulberry farming, iron smelting, porcelain making, etc. were all learned from the Central Plains culture.
of.
Even some of the nobles of the Japanese country were the Japanese who sought to return from the Central Plains."
"Seeking seed?!"
An Ziluo couldn't believe it.
The middle-aged man curled his lips and said: "When you have free time, you can go to the Bian River and have a look. There are many strange-looking high-rise boats on the river, which are the high-rise boats of the Japanese country. There are many Japanese women in the high-rise boats, all of them are nobles of the Japanese country.
Their only purpose in coming to the Song Dynasty was to seek seeds.
As long as you are a celebrity or a person of status in the Song Dynasty.
They will all ask you to borrow seeds.
Not only do you not need to give money, but sometimes you even get paid.
As long as your status is high enough and your reputation is big enough."
The corner of An Ziluo's mouth twitched. He had been to Bianjing City several times, and he had been on important missions several times. He had never wandered on the Bianhe River, nor had he thought about looking for flowers and willows. He really didn't know about this.
When the corner of An Ziluo's mouth twitched, the middle-aged man sighed: "So, everything in the Japanese country originated from the Central Plains, and the Japanese people naturally have a deeper understanding of the Central Plains culture than you do.
If the men among the Japanese were not too short, they would be difficult to detect by pretending to be Song people.
The Japanese were unbearable and the Japanese country was unbearable, but the Japanese’s attitude towards the pursuit of knowledge is worthy of Qingtang’s imitation.”
"Want to breed?"
An Ziluo asked with disdain.
The middle-aged man rolled his eyes.
An Ziluo pondered: "Goryeo and Dali have all learned the culture of the Central Plains. Why can't they see the murderous intention hidden in the covenant?"
The middle-aged man said with disdain: "Goryeo? You are a small person, and it is difficult to become a great weapon. When the Central Plains is strong, you will rely on the Central Plains. When the Liao Kingdom is strong, you will rely on the Liao Kingdom. Without persistence and opinions, you will only rely on the strong.
Deputy slave order.
Their humility is engraved in their bones, so they are destined to be slaves to others for the rest of their lives.
If they had really learned the Central Plains culture thoroughly, they would not have severed ties with the Song Dynasty like they are doing now.
For this tribute, if the Liao Kingdom had not forced Goryeo to come, the Goryeo envoys would probably not have appeared in the Song Dynasty.
Good guy, even the Liao Kingdom, which was its master, did not dare to despise the Song Dynasty.
You are a servant, but you are very serious about it.
Do you really think of yourself as a person?
With their attitude, it is a question whether they can face up to the covenant proposed by the Song Dynasty, let alone see the murderous intention in it."
The middle-aged man's tone was full of contempt for Goryeo.
When Dali was mentioned, the middle-aged man shook his head repeatedly, "Dali lives in a corner and doesn't want to make progress. I have learned a lot about the culture of the Central Plains, but I haven't learned the essence at all.
So don't expect them to see through the murderous intention in the alliance proposed by the Song Dynasty.
If they really learned the elite of the Central Plains culture, they would not be able to live in a corner, let alone promote any Buddhism."
An Ziluo pursed his lips and said with emotion: "Sir, you kind of want to point out the country..."
"Guide to the country?"
The middle-aged man smiled bitterly, "There are many people who guide the country, but there are few people who govern it."
An Ziluo looked at the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man was unwilling to say any more.
An Ziluo didn't pursue the question.
The middle-aged man has no status in Qingtang. He was just put into their tent when he was a child and taught him and Jiao Siluo how to learn Chinese.
From the perspective of Song people, the middle-aged man can be regarded as the mentor of An Ziluo and Jiao Siluo.
But the middle-aged man never regarded himself as their mentor.
Middle-aged people travel around the Western Regions all year round and rarely stop.
The reason why I was able to come to the Song Dynasty with An Ziluo this time.
It was also because An Ziluo happened to meet him on his way to the Song Dynasty with his envoys.
After being invited by An Ziluo Duofang, the middle-aged talent followed him to the Song Dynasty.
As the middle-aged man said, after the new covenant proposed by the Song Dynasty was delivered to the hands of various tribes, not many people could see the murderous intention hidden in it.
Various tribes rushed to sign the covenant proposed by the Song Dynasty, fearing that it would be too late and the Song Dynasty would return.
Among them, many forces had little contact with the Song Dynasty.
So they don't really care about non-aggression and the like.
What they care about are some of the commercial and trade transactions mentioned in the covenant.
Transactions between countries are all large-scale transactions.
The profits can be imagined.
No one dislikes having more money.
In the past, when they returned to Song Dynasty, they would secretly buy large quantities of goods and sell them back.
Nowadays, they can buy goods openly in the Song Dynasty, and even open large border markets on the border. Naturally, they are very willing.