For those who do not have the strength and need some big moves, the more chaotic the situation, the more beneficial it is to them, because they can take advantage of the troubled waters to fish in troubled waters.
But for powerful people, they need clarity.
The clearer the situation, the fewer variables and the easier it is to deal with and control.
The situation had been very chaotic before, and Kou Ji was worried that millions of thugs would swarm down and cause immeasurable damage to the Song Dynasty.
Therefore, he could not avoid it day and night, nervously deploying all countermeasures.
Now that the situation is completely clear, the murderers have changed from locusts to domestic dogs fighting each other. While occupying the territory, they are frantically digging for the foundation of the Liao Kingdom.
The biggest murderers now want to seize the foundation of the Liao Kingdom and establish a new Liao Kingdom.
They would not provoke the Song Dynasty until the Liao Kingdom was completely destroyed by them.
What the Song Dynasty now needs to deal with are the desperate little thugs who are forced by the biggest thugs.
Although the little thugs didn't form a gang like the big thugs.
But there are a lot of little thugs.
If they swarmed down, they would still put a lot of pressure on the Song Dynasty.
After hearing Kou Ji's words, the subordinate officer next to Kou Ji asked with a smile: "Then the crisis in our Song Dynasty has been completely resolved?"
Kou Ji was in a good mood, so he did not scold his subordinates for asking such stupid questions. Instead, he smiled and explained: "The crisis is only half resolved.
The Nine New Khitan Clans have just risen and are not very strong.
They need to constantly devour and digest other small forces before they can slowly develop and grow.
Except for the Yelu and Xiao clans among the eight Khitan clans, everything else in the Liao Kingdom was devoured by them.
Such a large territory and so many people cannot be devoured by them in three or two days.
I have carefully calculated that it will take at least a year and a half for the rebellion in the Liao Kingdom to be completely subdued.
Instead, kings rise.
It's just hard to say whether the kings can jointly rule the New Liao Kingdom like the eight Khitan tribes.
It is possible that the kings will continue to fight among themselves for several years, or even decades.
Therefore, for a long time to come, the nine new Khitan tribes will not be our enemies.
But those murderers are different, they cannot be devoured in a short time.
A large number of them are destined to be driven outside the Great Wall.
They are our opponents.
There are also many of them.”
The official frowned, with a puzzled look on his face, "Can't the nine new Khitan tribes be driven out and then slowly be devoured? Why are they driven to our Song Dynasty?"
Kou Ji glanced at Qin Congguan and said with a smile: "Because they need time..."
"time?!"
The official was even more confused.
Kou Ji smiled and explained: "They need someone to hold us back and buy them time to destroy the Liao Kingdom."
The official made a gesture of listening.
Kou Ji continued: "They did not form an alliance to turn hostility into friendship. They formed an alliance just to destroy the Liao Kingdom and replace it.
If they could devour all those murderers before destroying the Liao Kingdom.
Then my soldiers and horses of the Song Dynasty will be free.
If I, the Song Dynasty, take advantage of the time when they are destroying the Liao Kingdom, send out heavy troops and stab them in the back.
It is very likely that they will be destroyed along with the Liao Kingdom.
So they need to drive those thugs outside the Great Wall, hold us back, and buy them time.
In addition, expelling those thugs is also a way to eliminate dissidents and quickly enhance cohesion and sense of belonging.
Anyone who is unwilling to rely on them, or who they feel is not worthy of joining them in causing trouble, will be expelled by them.
After expelling these people, it will be easier for the newly absorbed tribesmen in their respective tribes to unite with them and have a sense of belonging to their tribes."
After listening to Kou Ji's words, the official officer fell into deep thought.
After a long time, he hesitated and said: "They are just a group of rebels, how smart are they?"
Kou Ji was stunned, then laughed and said: "Anyone who can gather seeds and establish his own power in troubled times is not a fool. Even if he does not make smart decisions, he still has some basic wisdom.
Moreover, many of the nine new Khitan tribes are nobles from before the Liao Kingdom.
Of course there are smart people among them.
More importantly, after the Liao Dynasty implemented Sinicization, it also implemented the imperial examination.
There were also Jinshi and talented people in the Liao Kingdom.
Since they were separatist in the Liao Kingdom, there would inevitably be talented people coming to serve.
After those talents come under their command, they will definitely make suggestions for them."
At this point, the smile on Kou Ji's face faded and he said calmly: "You know, one of the three people who forced me in the Song Dynasty to pay tribute to the Liao Kingdom was from the Han family."
"Han Derang?!"
The official blurted it out.
Kou Ji nodded slowly.
The personal officer pondered and said: "Then how should we deal with it next?"
Kou Ji thought for a while and said: "Go and tell Zhong Shiheng and ask him to pass on the order and tell others to be on full alert. If my prediction is correct, it won't be long before the driven thugs will appear in large numbers.
Outside the Great Wall.
They will be the last powerful enemy that I, the Song Dynasty, face."
"Are they considered powerful enemies?"
I am somewhat disdainful of the official.
Kou Ji sighed: "It must have been the case before, but now...it's barely the case. We can't underestimate the enemy. If the boat capsizes in the gutter, it will not only be embarrassing, but also life."
"I understand... I will go down and deliver the order."
"etc……"
"What other orders do you have?"
The official bowed down and asked questions.
Kou Ji pondered: "Where are Liu Heng and his people?"
The personal officer hurriedly said: "We have withdrawn from Liao Di a long time ago. Now we have arrived at Yuguan. In four days, we should arrive at Gubeikou."
Kou Ji nodded and sighed: "I haven't seen you for many years, and I don't know whether my brother is fat or thin now..."
The official stood aside and said nothing.
Kou Ji waved his hand and signaled his subordinates to leave.
The official bowed and left the room.
The official said that it would take Liu Heng and his troops four days to arrive at Gubeikou.
But in the evening of the second day.
Liu Heng took a few followers and galloped to Gubeikou on horseback.
After Kou Ji got the news, he immediately rode out to greet him.
The two met at the gate of Gubeikou City.
"Fourth brother?!"
When Liu Heng rushed to Kou Ji, he jumped off his horse and ran towards Kou Ji.
Kou Ji also jumped off the horse.
Liu Heng rushed to Kou Ji and gave Kou Ji a bear hug.
Kou Ji also gave him a bear hug.
After the bear hug.
Kou Ji patted Liu Heng on the shoulder, looked at Liu Heng, and said: "Thinner... darker... and older..."
Liu Heng chuckled and said, "I'm thirty...I must be getting old..."
Kou Ji nodded and said with emotion: "Yes, in the blink of an eye, I have reached my thirties."
Kou Ji stared at Liu Heng and asked, "How was your stay in Japan?"
Liu Heng winked and said: "I am the biggest in Japan, what do you think?"
Kou Ji smiled and said, "That means you are living a good life."
Liu Heng patted his chest and said, "I don't have to worry about eating and drinking. I sleep on a big gold bed two feet long and use all pure silver utensils. But the Japanese girl is not good. She is far less agile than our girls from the Song Dynasty."
The Japanese girls of the Japanese nobles were even worse.
Each one of them painted themselves like ghosts.
No one dares to touch it.
It just so happens that those guys from the Japanese country especially like to give me those noble ladies from the Japanese country.
It’s so bad that if I want to steal something, I have to go out and cause harm to a good family.”
Kou Ji rolled his eyes and pretended that he didn't hear what Liu Heng said. He stared at Liu Heng's face and asked, "What's the matter with the injury on his face?"
Liu Heng is much older than before, has two more beards, and his skin color is much darker. In addition, the most eye-catching thing is that there is a scar on his face, which looks a bit ferocious.
Liu Heng touched the scar on his face and said with a dry smile: "I was taught skills by a master from the Japanese country, and I accidentally got cut."
Having said this, Liu Heng waved to a Japanese man behind him.
The Japanese man appeared next to Liu Heng with a Tang sword across his waist.
Liu Heng introduced to Kou Ji: "The master I just mentioned is him, Tojo Chuichi. Now he is my right-hand man."
Kou Ji looked at the face of the man named Tojo Chuichi.
A Japanese man of about thirty-five years old, with a somewhat arrogant look on his face.
When he saw Kou Ji, he didn't salute and just stood there quietly.
"Tojo Chuichi? The Japanese royal family."
Kou Ji said calmly.
Liu Heng and Tojo Chu both looked at Kou Ji in astonishment.
Kou Ji glanced at Liu Heng and said calmly: "Don't think that since I haven't been to Japan, I don't know its national conditions."
Liu Heng laughed and said, "I forgot. Before I went to Japan, I learned some of my knowledge about Japan from my fourth brother."
Kou Ji asked: "Do you value him very much?"
Liu Heng chuckled and said, "His martial arts skills are not weak..."
Kou Ji raised his eyebrows, "That's it?"
Liu Heng laughed slyly, "His wife and daughter are not bad either."
The corner of Kou Ji's mouth twitched.
Kou Ji originally thought that Tojo Chuichi would be very ashamed after hearing this, but he did not expect that Tojo Chuichi would become even more arrogant after hearing this.
Kou Ji didn't know what to say for a moment.
I recall that those Japanese noble ladies spent a lot of money to rent flower boats in Bianjing City and spent a lot of money to beg for children.
Kou Ji was relieved.
Kou Ji glanced at Liu Heng and said, "You allow him not to salute me because you intend for me to deal with him."
Liu Heng chuckled and said without hesitation: "This guy is very arrogant because he has some martial arts skills. He will only bow to those who can beat him. Others can't even try to convince him."
Kou Ji raised the corners of his mouth and asked with a smile: "Really?"
Liu Heng nodded seriously.
Kou Ji smiled and ordered, "Yang Shun, take him to see the mass graves outside the city."
Yang Shun was Kou Ji's personal official.
After hearing Kou Ji's instructions, he walked up to Tojo Chuichi and calmly shouted, "Let's go..."
Tojo Chuichi understands Chinese. After all, Chinese is one of the foreign languages that Japanese nobles must master.
So after hearing Yang Shun's words, he decisively followed Yang Shun and left the place.
After Liu Heng left Tojo, he said to Kou Ji with some surprise: "I haven't seen you for a few years. Fourth brother, your temper has become much lighter. If anyone dared to be so arrogant in front of you before, I'm afraid he would have been chopped into eight pieces by now."
Already."
Kou Ji smiled calmly and said: "It's not good to fight and kill..."
The corner of Liu Heng's mouth twitched.
Is it bad to fight and kill?
I'm afraid more people have died under your golden words than the entire Japanese people.
Kou Ji pretended not to see Liu Heng's expression, and asked curiously: "Don't you think highly of him? Why do you want him to die?"
Liu Heng grinned and said: "His girl is pretty good, but he didn't want to give it to me, so I just wanted to find a reason to kill him."
The expression on Kou Ji's face was a little stiff.
The amount of information in Liu Heng's words is a bit large.
Liu Heng saw the stiff look on Kou Ji's face and thought that Kou Ji was unhappy, so he hurriedly explained: "Most of the Japanese nobles..."
Kou Ji didn't wait for Liu Heng to finish his words before decisively interrupting him, "Stop! Don't mess around anymore. If you mess around again, I will ask Chen Lin to castrate you."
Liu Heng grinned broadly and said nothing.
He listened to Kou Ji's words and did not speak again, but he was not afraid of Kou Ji's threat.
Because he knew that Kou Ji wouldn't do that.
"Enter the customs first..."
Kou Ji led Liu Heng into Gubeikou, set up a banquet at his residence, and sent someone to invite Zhong Shiheng over. The three of them sat together and had a few glasses of wine.
Late at night, Zhong Shiheng said goodbye.
Kou Ji and Liu Heng each held a wine bottle and lay lazily on the ground covered with blankets, their eyes slightly blurred.
"Why didn't you want to see me when you left Bianjing City before?"
Kou Ji asked somewhat displeasedly.
Liu Heng sighed and said: "That fellow Liu Congmei did evil. He harmed my father, my whole family, and me. In order to protect me and my son, you almost broke up with the official family. I can't go there anymore."
Harm you.
My whole family is gone, only you, my brother, and my useless son are left.
If I harm you again, I will never forgive myself even if I die."
Kou Ji sighed, "I exposed this matter, you don't hate me?"
Liu Heng looked at Kou Ji strangely, "Why do I hate you? Fortunately, you exposed this matter. If you hadn't exposed this matter and others had exposed it, then everyone in the Liu family would have died."
Kou Ji hesitated for a moment and said, "If I don't expose this matter, maybe your brother will have a chance of success."
Liu Heng looked at Kou Ji in astonishment, "Let his son pretend to be the emperor?"
Kou Ji was stunned for a moment, "It's unlikely, but there is a certain chance that the official family will be childless."
Liu Heng breathed a sigh of relief and said calmly: "Then there is nothing wrong with you exposing this matter, he deserves to die. If he does not die, many people will die because of him, and many people will lose their families because of him.
Even the Song Dynasty may have problems because of him."
If Zhao Zhen's heirs frequently died in infancy, Zhao Zhen would definitely have many people buried with him.
What Liu Heng said is true.
Kou Ji looked at Kou Ji in astonishment, "When did you become so enlightened?"
Liu Heng curled his lips and said: "The prosperous age we have managed with great difficulty cannot be destroyed in his hands."
Kou Ji stared at Liu Heng without saying anything.
Seeing this, Liu Heng sighed and said: "I have a lot of feelings when I go to the Japanese country. They trample on them when they are weak and kneel down when they are strong. I don't want people from the Song Dynasty to become like that.
Not only would they not be angry when I slept with their wives and daughters, they would happily praise me.
He will even send me more women.
I don't want me from Song Dynasty to become like that.
As long as my Song Dynasty is doing well and the people of my Song Dynasty are doing well, what does it matter if my Liu family is killed?"
Kou Ji frowned and said in a deep voice, "You are very different from before."
Liu Heng sighed: "I didn't understand anything before. I only cared about my own interests and didn't care about the strength of the Song Dynasty. After a trip to the Japanese country, I understood that the strength of a country has a great impact on the people."
big.
In the past, when my official position was low, I could only take care of myself.
Later, when I got a higher official position, I naturally had to consider the people."
Kou Ji was silent for a moment and said, "Your father is actually very good to you."
Liu Heng nodded and said, "I know, so I will burn paper money for him during holidays."
Kou Ji hesitated and said, "Can you blame the officials?"
Liu Heng was stunned for a moment, and said faintly: "Resentment, the hatred of destroying the family, why not resentment? But resentment is resentment, I can't do anything. I can't lead people to chop him down."
Kou Ji said nothing, just stared at Liu Hengjing and waited for the next sentence.
Liu Heng sighed, "The wealth of the Liu family was given by my aunt. Without my aunt, my Liu family is nothing. The Liu family enjoyed the wealth given by my aunt, but they did not stand up when my aunt was in trouble."
out.
Now that her son has come back with revenge, it is right.
What you sow, you reap.
Everyone else is qualified to seek revenge from him, but I am not qualified."
Kou Ji pondered: "The official family and your aunt are not related by blood."
Liu Heng laughed and said: "Do we already have it?!"
Kou Ji was stunned for a moment.
He suddenly felt that the late Liu E seemed a little pitiful.
It seems that none of the descendants she values most are related to her by blood.
Compared to her husband and cheap son, she seems to be more of a loner.
Liu Heng laughed self-deprecatingly: "He should be the one who loves my aunt the most."
Kou Ji rubbed his eyebrows and sighed: "What a confusing account..."
Liu Heng nodded and said: "It was a confusing matter, but after going through so many things, it has finally been settled. From now on, he will be the king and I will be the minister, and that's it."
All personal feelings and grudges will be completely dissipated after that.
From now on, in the Song Dynasty, there was only the Liu family of the Duke of Ning.
There is no longer a Liu family in the uncle's house."
Kou Ji understood the meaning of Liu Heng's words.
All the previous personal relationships were completely ended as both parties hurt each other.
From now on, everyone will have no personal feelings, only official business, and only the monarch and his ministers.
Kou Ji was actually quite surprised that Liu Heng could understand this matter so well.
Kou Ji said with some regret: "It would be good if the Liu family has no connection with the royal family in the future."
Liu Heng nodded seriously, and suddenly seemed to remember something, and said: "By the way, has our niece been married?"
Kou Ji felt bad instantly and said angrily: "The officials are worried about it, no one dares to ask for it."
Liu Heng got up and stared at Kou Ji with burning eyes, "How about promising me a son?"
Kou Ji snorted, "When you return to Bianjing City, ask your son if he dares to marry you."
Liu Heng said disdainfully: "Can he still accept the orders of his parents and the words of his matchmaker?"
Kou Ji glanced at Liu Heng, "Then you have to have a few more sons, otherwise your Liu family may really be extinct."
Liu Heng asked: "What do you mean?"
Kou Ji said with a headache: "Now in Bianjing, no one except my son can suppress my daughter."
Liu Heng said with some surprise: "My niece is so fierce?"
Kou Ji sighed and said: "In order to force the officials to retreat, I hired a master to teach her martial arts. She is willing to endure hardship and has some talents. Now, no one her age can match her."
Liu Heng was doubtful and said: "Not necessarily...Others are more afraid of you."
Kou Ji rolled his eyes, "I don't cover the sky with one hand, and not everyone in Bianjing is afraid of me. The three sons of the Lu family were beaten. Do you think Lu Yijian would specifically remind his grandchildren to give way to Kou Hui because they were afraid of me?
?”
Liu Heng was stunned for a moment and murmured: "What Lu Yijian said...that's not true..."
Kou Ji spread his hands and said: "So... her martial arts skills are quite high. Currently, no one among her peers can defeat her. Bianjing City Rouge Tiger is her nickname."
The corner of Liu Heng's mouth twitched.
Liu Heng grew up in Bianjing City, and he knew very well what the six words "rouge tiger" in Bianjing City meant.
The previous Yan Zhihu from Bianjing City was the second sister of the Cao family.
He was invincible in all the battles in Bianjing City, so he did not get married until he was in his twenties.
If Di Qing hadn't been born, I'm afraid she would have died alone.
Kou Hui is now young and has inherited the title of Rouge Tiger of Bianjing City from the second sister of the Cao family. Those descendants of the powerful Xu family do not dare to propose marriage to her.
What's more important is that she will definitely not marry someone she doesn't like, and no one will advise her.
So when Liu Heng heard the words "Bianjing City Rouge Tiger", he knew that his son had no chance to meet Kou Hui.
Liu Heng lay down again with some lack of interest and asked: "How did my niece become the top tyrant in Bianjing City? You can condone her?"
Kou Ji curled his lips and said, "Otherwise? Are you really going to send him to the palace? It's not like you don't know what kind of place the palace is. If a good person is sent in, he will become a bad person."
If bad people are sent in, they may become dead.
If my daughter can't stand the rules in the palace, or is bullied, and makes a big fuss, how will it end?
Should I lead the troops in to support her, or should I let her be punished by the rules of the palace?
I don’t want my daughter to be wronged.”
The corners of Liu Heng's mouth twitched and he said, "Aren't you afraid that she won't be able to get married in the future?"
Kou Ji said calmly: "If you can't get married, you can raise her. It's not like I can't afford it."
Liu Heng came a little closer to Kou Ji and whispered: "Speaking of which, Cao Li, that old boy, seems to be thinking about your daughter.
He privately asked me to act as mediator.
But I rejected him, but I don't think that old boy gave up so easily.
Then 80% of the time I will find you in person."
Kou Ji said calmly: "That old boy is thinking about my daughter, and he has no good intentions at all. He just wants to use my daughter to get those soldiers from Baozhou over.
Then completely control all the authority in Cochin.
He wanted to regard Jiaozhi as the private territory of his Cao family and pass it on from generation to generation.
How could I let him have his way?"
…
…
(ps: There is another chapter, it may be a little later, brothers and sisters who can't wait can go to bed first...)