Jinling Imperial Palace, Chengxin Hall.

Li Yu was reviewing the recital, and Feng Jian, the chief eunuch, approached from outside the door and said: "Official, Chengxin Hall Chengzhi Xu You, Wang Chongzhi, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, and Shen Wei, the Qing of Honglu Temple, are asking to see you outside the palace. ”

"Why did they enter the palace together to see me?" Li Yu looked up in confusion.

Feng Jian said in a shrill voice: "Back to the official's house, it seems that it is the envoy group of the Song Kingdom, and it will be noon today to enter Jinling City." ”

Li Yu's expression moved slightly, and he sighed: "Oh, the envoys of the Song Kingdom have arrived? ”

Hearing this news, Li Yu's mood was not very good, because in the past few years, the Song State in the north has become stronger and stronger, and the soldiers are strong and strong, constantly widening the gap with the Tang State, which makes Li Yu almost out of breath.

Although Li Yu was a little resistant to this matter, he couldn't avoid it now, and sighed: "Pass the prime minister and let them in." ”

"Command!" Feng Jian went out to convey his will.

In an instant, Chengxintang Chengzhi and Shangshu left servant shot Xu You, the Ministry of Rites Shangshu Wang Chongzhi, and Honglu Temple Qing Shen Wei walked into Chengxin Hall and met with the official Li Yu.

"Let's all be flat." Li Yu opened his mouth to excuse himself and asked, "Several Aiqing suddenly entered the palace together to ask for a meeting, what happened?" ”

In addition to serving as the left servant of Chengxintang's Chengzhi monk, Xu You was also canonized as the prime minister of the Tang State under the Tongzhongshu Sect.

At this time, he arched his hand and said: "The official family of Qiyu, the envoy sent by the Northern Song State, has entered Jinling City, and sent people to the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple to submit the post of the envoy to the state, and plans to enter the court to meet the official family in the near future." ”

Li Yu still attaches great importance to the envoys of the Song State, after all, there is a strong Song State behind him, and he must give enough respect, after all, diplomatic relations are no trivial matter.

"Then according to the normal process, when it is time to meet, arrange a pilgrimage to see what will come from the Song Emperor in the north."

Wang Chong, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, said: "At present, the Song State is using troops against the Shu State, and when the envoys of the Song State arrive, they are nothing more than sending them over, first appeasing our Tang State, and not allowing us to aid the Shu State, it should be to supervise us." ”

Honglu Temple is responsible for receiving state guests, so Shen Wei, the secretary of Honglu Temple, arched his hand and said: "The official family, the envoy group of Shu has been in Jinling City for half a month, do you want to arrange a meeting?" ”

"Shu Kingdom?" Li Yu hesitated for a moment, and wondered: "The Song State is attacking the Shu State, with the strength of the Shu State, the resistance will not last for a year, and the arrival of their envoy group is nothing more than asking for reinforcements and forming an alliance with our Tang State, but who can compete with the Song Army?" I can't let the people of Jiangnan get involved in this war and anger the emperor of the Song Kingdom, and the Southern Tang Dynasty won't be happy! ”

A few years ago, he and the right servant Sun Sheng sent an envoy to the Later Zhou Dynasty, and negotiated with Chai Rong, knowing the courage of the northern soldiers and the strength of the Northern Song Dynasty.

He nodded slightly and said: "What the official family said is extremely true, the Song State has the ambition of redeeming its troops and the wolf son, and it has already set its sights on the southern countries, first Jingchu, and now it is attacking Shu, and even our Tang Kingdom has to defend against it." ”

Li Yu looked sad and said: "As long as we don't disobey some of the requirements of the Song court, try to meet the tribute, and delay it for a day." ”

Xu You comforted: "The officials don't have to worry too much, the Tang State is the strongest among the southern countries, as long as the court works together, the Song State does not dare to act rashly, plus the Song army is not good at water warfare, and is not sure to conquer the Yangtze River defense line, the Tang State is safe." As long as Zhao Kuangyin survives to death, and when his son ascends the throne, the prince who grew up in the court will not be able to have the ambition and hegemony like his father's founding emperor, and his ability will not be so prominent. ”

Can this also be done?

After Li Yu heard this, he was stunned, and after thinking about it carefully, he also felt that Xu You's words made sense. Throughout the history books, it is often the founding emperors who can fight well, and their descendants often do not have such powerful military ability and ambition to dominate, and most of them are longer than the palace and do not withstand wind and rain, so their ability is indeed inferior to that of the founding ancestors.

However, Zhao Kuangyin of the Song State is also in the prime of life, and when he returns to the West, it will take at least twenty or thirty years, can the Tang Kingdom hold on for so long?

"What have the envoys of Shu done in the city recently?"

Wang Chongzhi said: "Back to the official family, they have always planned to ask the official family to summon them, but the Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites have no time to meet them on the grounds that the official family is unwell, and the queen in the palace is sick and the prince is sick. Therefore, the envoys of Shu State are in private activities, constantly giving gifts to the ministers of the DPRK and China, wanting to find the right way, eager to match, and meet the official family earlier! ”

Li Yu nodded slightly, and said, "The envoys of the Song Kingdom are here, I can't delay, let's arrange a meeting tomorrow." But the envoys of Shu have been waiting for half a month, and if they meet the envoys of the Song State tomorrow and do not summon them, it will be unreasonable. In this way, let's take the time to meet tomorrow afternoon, and there is no need to formally meet at the court meeting, just arrange it in the imperial garden. ”

"The ministers and others will arrange it." Shen Wei replied.

Li Yu was silent for a moment, and then asked, "Who are the chief and deputy envoys of the Song State envoys this time?" ”

Xu You replied: "The envoy is Tao Gu, the secretary of the Song State Rite Department, and the Hanlin bachelor, this person launched the Chenqiao Mutiny in Zhao Kuangyin, and when he was called the emperor on behalf of Zhou, he preemptively drafted the Zen position of Emperor Zhou Gong, as Zhao Kuangyin was used for Zen, and was reused by Zhao Kuangyin. The deputy envoy of the mission is Dou Yi, a bachelor of Hanlin in the Song Kingdom, a waiter in the Ministry of Engineering, and a judge of Dali Temple, a jinshi in the Later Jin Dynasty, and I heard that he is very knowledgeable. ”

After Li Yu heard this, he instructed: "When the envoys first arrive, even if they go to the pilgrimage tomorrow, it is also the etiquette of diplomatic relations, and the process of walking. Some of the requirements put forward by the real Song State will be negotiated with Honglu Temple and reported. I plan to send Honglu Siqing to take full responsibility for the reception of the envoys of the Song Kingdom, so that the people of these envoys can eat, drink, and have fun! There should be no less gifts to give, and it should be accompanied by a good trip. ”

Shen Wei, the secretary of Honglu Temple, arched his hand and said: "The minister understands, the day after tomorrow is the begging festival, the poetry meeting and the lantern festival on the Qinhuai River are extremely lively, and the minister can take the envoys of the Song State to play, so that they can also feel the prosperity of the literary style of my Tang Kingdom and the model of the state of etiquette." ”