Chapter 242: The Alliance of the Abyss 2

After the Liao army conquered Deqing, they led the army to camp step by step and surrounded Lanzhou on three sides. The pen & fun & pavilion www.biquge.info Song commanded Li Jilong properly, and arranged many crossbows in key parts around the city.

As a general, Xiao Tzu Rin, the commander of the Liao Dynasty, wanted to show his face in front of the Empress Dowager Xiao and show his bravery, leading dozens of light horsemen to wander around the city of Shanzhou and inspect the combat terrain. There was a small leader of the Song Army Weihu Army named Zhang Huan, who was very tired from preparing for war day and night, and was sitting on a huge bed crossbow in a daze, when suddenly he saw Xiao Tzu Rin riding a tall horse, wearing gold armor and a big red robe, obviously a big boss.

So Zhang Huan stepped on the pedal, and several big-headed arrows on the bed crossbow responded to the sound, and it was a coincidence that a big crossbow arrow was impartial and hit Xiao Tart's head, and immediately shot the Liao Dynasty commander off the horse. If it is an ordinary arrow, it may not be 100% to kill a person, but the big arrow of the bed crossbow is strong and thick, and it shoots a big hole in the middle of Xiao Tzurin's head on the spot.

The body was dragged back to the Liao army barracks, and Empress Dowager Xiao and others wept bitterly and dropped out of the dynasty for him for five days. Xiao Tzu Rin has been generous since childhood, talented and slightly knowledgeable about astronomy, civil and military all-rounders, and he has contributed a lot to the defeat of Yang Ye Shuozhou in the Song Dynasty. As soon as this person died, the morale of the Liao army was completely lost, and the heart of victory was suddenly lost.

After Song Zhenzong and his entourage arrived in Lanzhou, they originally wanted to set up an imperial camp in the southern city, but Kou Zhun insisted that the emperor come to the northern city in person: "Your Majesty is not over the river, then the people's hearts are in danger, and the enemy will not be afraid." It is necessary to overpower the enemy with the power of the sky, and the generals from all directions will come one after another, why do you hesitate not to go at this time?" General Gao Qiong also urged the emperor to cross the river to the northern city of Lanzhou.

Feng Zheng, a Wenchen standing beside Emperor Zhenzong, reprimanded Gao Qiong for being rude, and he didn't dare to reprimand Kou Zhun for being a big official. General Gao said angrily: "Feng Gong, you won the official with your article, today the enemy cavalry is approaching, and you actually angrily reprimanded me for being rude, why don't you give a poem to retreat from the enemy." ”

Without waiting for Feng Zheng to reply, Gao Qiong immediately commanded the Praetorian Guards to carry the chariot forward, and when they arrived at the edge of the pontoon bridge, the sergeant carrying the chariot had a difficult face and stopped to look back. Gao Qiong whipped the man with a horsewhip and scolded: "Don't go quickly! I have already come here, what is there to doubt?" Song Zhenzong was not good at pretending to be any longer, and ordered the sergeant to cross the bridge immediately.

The emperor carried it to the city tower at the north gate of Lanzhou, the Praetorian Guard raised the emperor's yellow dragon flag, and all the soldiers shouted long live, the sound spread for dozens of miles, and the momentum was a hundred times. It happened that the Song army sent the Liao army spies to the front, and Emperor Zhenzong immediately ordered the beheading, leaving his head under the city, and the Khitan people who fought against the Song army first heard the cheers and saw the bloody human heads, looking at each other in horror and horror, and the soldiers were seriously shaken psychologically.

Empress Dowager Xiao was anxious and angry, and hurriedly sent thousands of elite horsemen to besiege the city, wanting to give Song Zhenzong a dismount. Song Zhenzong issued an edict, opened the city gate, went out to meet the enemy, and the emperor sat on the city to watch the battle, which is rare once in a hundred years. The soldiers of the Song army bravely rushed to kill, killing more than half of the invading Liao army, and the rest of the Liao soldiers fled and returned. With this good start, Song Zhenzong felt a little relieved in his heart, went back to the palace in the city to rest, and left Kou Zhun to be the commander-in-chief in front of the battle in the North Gate Tower.

After returning to the city, Song Zhenzong was not at ease and sent someone to peek at what Kou Zhun was doing. After a while, the eunuch reported that Kou Zhun and the minister Yang Yi were also drinking and playing on the city tower, singing and cheering. Song Zhenzong was relieved at this time: "The prime minister is so relaxed, what am I worried about?" Song Zhenzong was really cautious, afraid that Kou Zhun would run away in advance by applying oil to the soles of his feet.

The envoy of the Song Dynasty Cao used to enter the Liao camp, and was fortunate to witness the true face of the Empress Dowager Xiao for the first time, although the Empress Dowager Xiao was half an old lady, but the charm still existed, and the prime minister Han Derang sat in the same car, and the Liao Shengzong and the ministers sat around the head, and the etiquette was very simple.

Empress Dowager Xiao's name is Xiao Xuan, the small character Yanyan, is the mother of Liao Shengzong, who ruled the Liao Dynasty for decades during the period of Liao Jingzong and Liao Shengzong, and under her governance, the Liao State once reached its heyday. Empress Dowager Xiao reformed the maladministration, made the Liao State transition from a slave country to a feudal system, improved the relationship between ethnic groups, led the Liao army to defeat the Song army twice, beheaded the Song army generals, and signed an alliance with the Song Dynasty.

Xiao Sui's father, Xiao Siwen, was a native of the Khitan state and was the concubine of Princess Yanguo, the daughter of Liao Taizong. She is Xiao Siwen's third daughter, she has been beautiful and intelligent since she was a child, and she knows the general situation, and she should be elected to the palace and was named the queen by Liao Jingzong.

This legendary woman carried out reforms in the court, punished corrupt officials and corrupt officials, and worked hard to make the country prosperous; outside the court, she personally wore battle armor to kill the enemy, and twice defeated the Song army and killed the Song army warriors. In order to protect the great Liaojiang and mountains, he overcame obstacles and created a prosperous era of the Great Liao. Although she was so shrewd and capable, she did not covet power, and finally handed back power to Liao Shengzong and prepared to spend her old age in peace. It's just that the world is impermanent, and in the palace, he was infected with a vicious disease, and finally unfortunately fell seriously ill and died.

Xiao Xuan and Liao Jingzong had six children, among which the daughters of Empress Dowager Xiao were Yelu Guanyin, Yelu Longevity, and Yelu Yanshou. Because Buddhism was prevalent in Liao at that time, Liao Jingzong called the eldest daughter Yelu Guanyin. Empress Dowager Xiao's second daughter, Yelu Longevity, judging from the title, Empress Dowager Xiao hopes that her daughter will live a long and healthy life. Empress Dowager Xiao's youngest daughter, Yelu Yanshou Daughter, probably Empress Dowager Xiao hopes that she will prolong her life, so she is called so.

Liao Jingzong died, Liao Shengzong Yelu Longxu ascended the throne, and Xiao Xuan was appointed as an assistant. The young lord ascended the throne, and many royal families were still eyeing the throne. At this critical juncture, Han Derang, the privy envoy of the Southern Yuan, stepped forward, and with the acquiescence of Empress Dowager Xiao, he changed the courtiers and assisted the Liao Shengzong to calm down a turmoil.

This Han Derang was originally a Han Chinese, but three generations of their ancestors and grandchildren were despised for their disgraceful background of the palace people, Han Derang wanted to get rid of this shackle, so he worked hard and did his best, and stood out during the reign of Jingzong, and became a privy envoy of the Southern Yuan, and because he assisted Liao Shengzong to ascend the throne smoothly, he became a prominent minister of the court for a while.

No matter how strong a woman is, there is always a soft place in her heart, and Empress Dowager Xiao can't help but think of her life experience while thanking Han Derang, and she can't help but feel emotional. So he made a shocking move and married the forty-one-year-old Han Derang and governed the country with him.

Regarding the marriage of Empress Dowager Xiao Han Derang, Empress Dowager Xiao first sent someone to kill Han Derang's wife and lived in Han Derang's tent, and the two fell in love for a long time and became good friends of Qin and Jin. Han Derang's treatment is good, which is beyond the reach of ordinary ministers, Empress Dowager Xiao gave the surname Yelu, and her status is prominent, and Liao Shengzong saw that Han Derang was also respectful, just like his father, so it was logical for Xiao Sui to marry Han Derang later.

After coming here, the ministers of the Song Dynasty really knew that the rumors in the past were true. The two sides bargained, but the matter was not decided, so Empress Dowager Xiao sent Han Qi, an envoy of the Liao Dynasty, to enter Lanzhou with Cao, meet Song Zhenzong, and ask for the land of Guannan, which was the ten counties captured by Chai Rong of Zhou Shizong from the Liao Dynasty. Song Zhenzong adhered to his principles, believing that money could be given, but he would never cede the land, and repeatedly told Cao Yu to his face that he would never make concessions on the land issue.

Song Zhenzong was good to Han Qi, the Liao envoy, gave him a coat, a gold belt, a saddle horse, and a coin, and when he said goodbye, Han Qi, as a diplomat of the Liao Dynasty, wanted to maintain the integrity of the dynasty, and still wore back his original clothes of the left system. Zhao Anren, a scholar of the Song Dynasty who was in charge of the reception, was unhappy and asked him why he didn't wear the clothes given by the Great Song Emperor.

Zhao Anren was half warning and half persuading: "You will go to the palace to accept my country's national credentials, and the sky is close at hand, if you don't wear the emperor's clothes, do you think this is possible?"

In and out of words, one is to warn him that the Great Song Emperor may withdraw the peace agreement if he is unhappy, and the other is to scare him, and the military generals will come forward and cut him when they see him so impolite and ignorant. After all, most diplomats were flexible, and Han Qi immediately put on Song Dynasty clothes and went to the palace to thank him and receive the letter of state.

Kou Zhun was ambitious, and according to his calculations at that time, he was not only prepared not to give money to the Khitan, but also wanted to force the Khitan to declare himself a vassal to the Song Dynasty and cede the sixteen states of Yanyun to the Song Dynasty: "In this way, you can keep everything safe for a hundred years, otherwise the Liao State will have another thought of him decades later, and there will be endless trouble." ”

Song Zhenzong did not have this kind of long-term strategy, and did not want to engage in a tug-of-war in terms of peace negotiations, so he said: "In a few decades, when there are people who defend and resist the Liao State, I can't bear to be miserable, so I will negotiate peace with the Liao State." So Song Zhenzong told Cao to use that the bottom line of the peace agreement could be promised to be limited to one million coins per year.

When Cao Yu was leaving, he was summoned to his camp account by Kou Zhun: "Although the emperor has an edict to promise a million coins, if the amount exceeds 300,000 when you return to your life, I will definitely behead you." ”

Kou Zhun warned that the reason why Kou Zhun didn't dare to insist on his ideas at the critical moment was because someone around Song Zhenzong had already released rumors at that time, saying that Kou Zhun was going to rely on fighting a war to get a big bargain and seize power, no matter how wise the emperor was, as long as there was a situation where the monarch was suspicious, it would be difficult not to die.

Cao Yu returned to the Liao camp with the Liao envoy Han Qi, and once again diplomatic Hanxuan, the Empress Dowager Xiao said: "The Later Jin Dynasty ceded the southern land of Guannan to us, and the Later Zhou Shizong seized it, and it should be returned today." ”

Cao Yu was really a diplomatic talent, and replied: "The affairs of the Later Jin Dynasty and the Later Zhou Dynasty do not know, even if it is the issue of the New Year's coin, I don't know whether the emperor will agree or not? As for the matter of the land in Guannan, don't even think about it, I don't dare to mention this matter to our emperor at all." ”

Gao Zhengshi, the political affairs of the Liao State, suddenly came out and said loudly to Cao Yu: "Our soldiers from the Great Liao came here to restore their hometown. ”

Cao Yu glanced at Gao Zhengshi: "I don't know if you really plan for the Liao State? If you insist on asking for money and land, the two countries will continue to fight and disaster, and it will not benefit anyone." ”

Empress Dowager Xiao did not give up, and sent a general of the prison gate to Shanzhou to reconsider the land of the ten counties in Guannan, but was rejected by Emperor Zhenzong, knowing that he could no longer ask for it. Empress Dowager Xiao and Cao used bargaining to finally agree that the Song Dynasty would give Liao 100,000 taels of silver and 20 horses of silk as military salaries every year, and Song and Liao would become brothers, Song Zhenzong would be a brother, Liao Shengzong would be a brother, and Emperor Zhenzong would call Empress Dowager Xiao an uncle.

To be honest, on the face of it, the Song Dynasty really didn't suffer any losses, Song Zhenzong was two years older than Liao Shengzong, and it was okay to call him a brother. Compared with Emperor Shi Jingtang of the Later Jin Dynasty, Liao Taizong, who was more than ten years younger than himself, called Dad, sorry for the heavens and the earth.

When Cao Yong returned to Lanzhou, Song Zhenzong was halfway through the meal in the palace and did not meet him immediately. However, he was concerned about the number of coins, so while eating, he sent his chamberlain to ask Cao Yong how much silver silk he had promised to the Liao Dynasty. Cao Yong said to the eunuchs: "Such a confidential matter can only be told to the emperor in person." ”

Song Zhenzong was also angry, with food in his mouth, and angrily urged the little eunuch: "Let's ask for an approximate number." ”

Cao Yong was also stubborn, but he didn't talk about it, so anxious that the little father-in-law knelt down for him, and Cao Yong stretched out three instructions when he saw this. The little eunuch turned around and ran in with a snort, shouting loudly: "Three million dollars!"

When Song Zhenzong heard this, the chopsticks in his hand fell to the ground: "It's too much!"

Soon, Song Zhenzong's face softened, and he comforted himself and said: "Since you can end the war, three million dollars is fine." ”

The palace in Lanzhou is not a real imperial palace, and Cao Yu is only separated by a large curtain outside, and even Zhenzong's self-talk can be heard clearly. After a while, Song Zhenzong finished his meal and called him in. Song Zhenzong felt a little heavy in his heart, and wanted to determine whether it was three million years old? Cao Yu also sold Guanzi, and even said: "You should die for the minister, and the Liao people have too much silver and silk for the minister." ”

"How much is it?" Song Zhenzong had already accepted the figure of three million years ago in his heart at this time.

"Three hundred thousand dollars. ”

Hearing Cao Yong report this number, Song Zhenzong was so happy that the flesh on his face trembled, and he couldn't believe his ears, so Cao Yong was particularly rewarded.

Song Liao peace discussion, so far a great success, Song Zhenzong scattered property, rewarded meritorious soldiers, Khitan Xiao Empress Dowager also sent people to send royal clothes, Liao food. Before Song Zhenzong set off, he also warned the generals not to send troops again, lest the two countries have another incident.