"This Zhao Kuangzan has been for three years! He presented to the court, in addition to asking for food, salary, armor, and weapons, did he have any other affairs? Liu Chengyou was helpless, or accustomed to it, and shook his head slightly: "Dignified King Yan, I see that he is also a heroic person, but now why is he a little like a high leper?" Do you remember how many times did Zhao Kuangzan ask the imperial court for assistance? ”

Wei Renpu had a quick memory, Wen Tianzi asked, recalled it a little, and replied with a light smile: "As far as the minister knows, counting this time, in the past three years, King Yan has asked for a total of thirty-three times for food and equipment, and His Majesty and the imperial court have allowed him a total of eighteen times. ”

"This time, the Third Division and the Military Department will allocate it as appropriate!" This time, Liu Chengyou was much more generous: "This time, it's not easy for them!" ”

"Yes!"

To say that this year, the "spring offensive" taken by the Khitans in the land of Ji and Yan was the most seriously damaged, and it was not the states under the leadership of King Yan. The Liao army's key attack area is also the You-Zhuo-Yi area, and the attack and harassment in the Han border in central Hebei is only incidental.

After follow-up consideration and research, the Northern Han monarchs had a clearer understanding of Yelu Ruan's scheme. It is bold to guess that the biggest goal of its southern attack is probably to recapture the land of Youyan.

The slogans shouted are just slogans after all, and they cannot be counted. Encroaching on the entire Hebei Province, and even entering the Central Plains, as long as Liu Chengyou does not commit crimes, the Khitan people today do not have the appetite and strength.

And if Yelu Ruan can't see this, the soldiers will come south, and they will definitely be hated, and even die in the Southern Dynasty like his uncle Yelu Deguang. Although he didn't know much about Yelu Ruan, Liu Chengyou and the ministers all felt that this person should have this vision, after all, he had gone deep into the southern expedition, even if he couldn't see it, his ministers would remind him that the nobles and courtiers in the Khitan country still had some wise people, especially some Han Chen, who had surrendered to sincerity.

"How's the border preparedness doing?" Liu Chengyou asked suddenly.

This time, it was Zheng Renzhi who spoke up and answered the question of the Son of Heaven: "Back to Your Majesty, and now along the three passes of Waqiao, Yijin, and Sikou, the border garrison has built 218 of them, and they have become a staggered trend, and there are more than 10,000 soldiers in the fort, all of which are equipped with sufficient food and weapons. After two months of rotation and replenishment, coupled with the defense, regimental training, and township soldiers of Hengji, Yingmo, and other prefectures, our dynasty has more than 50,000 soldiers. ”

"50,000 people can meet the requirements of this defense?" Liu Chengyou's question was very abrupt, looking at Wei and Zheng, neither of them said directly, and sighed: "Difficult! ”

"With this line of defense, although it is difficult to completely intercept Hu Cai, if the Khitan cavalry dares to cross it, then these checkpoints and forts are like solid iron nails, staring at Hu Cai's back, making it like a thorn in the back, and dare not be afraid!" Wei Renpu spoke, his mind was clear, and he saw it very accurately, which could be regarded as a relief to Liu Chengyou: "This is also the goal of the imperial court to set up this line of defense!" ”

"I understand!" Liu Chengyou breathed a sigh of relief.

Before he was done, the minister Li Tao came to the palace to ask for a meeting, and the two states of Yan Xing and Wei reported, and the two states totaled tens of thousands of households that had received the relocation of tens of thousands of people in the land of Youyan. It took two months, and those who still refused to move inward were all "nail households".

Since Tianfu twelve years ago, Zhao Yanshou, the king of Yan, led the army to the northern expedition to recapture Youzhou, after repeated killings, disasters, and successive internal migration, the population of Youyan Land has been sharply reduced to a very low level. Originally, there were more than 100,000 households, and 6,700,000 Dingkou, but now there is no detailed investigation, but the military and civilians under the rule of King Yan are less than 30,000 households.

It is precisely for this reason that even though there are many "anti-Han" people under the command of Zhao Kuangzan, the king of Yan, Yandi's dependence on Hebei and the Han is also getting stronger and stronger.

Judging from Lu Long's observation of Gao Fang's secret recital to Liu Chengyou, in the past year, the voice within the Yan army about "backing the Han Dynasty for independence" has been much quieter. One is that the strength is limited, and the other is that after several years of tug-of-war, the hatred between the Youyan army and the Khitan people is getting deeper and deeper.

With the passage of time, the longer it drags on, the more it reflects what a correct decision Liu Chengyou's original whimsy to support Zhao Yanshou's gambling Northern Expedition was, and how much profit the follow-up Han gained from it.

Not to mention anything else, if Youzhou is still in the hands of the Khitan, there is no comparison only to put pressure on the northern border of the Han Dynasty. In retrospect, because people of insight saw it, the DPRK and China had such courage and praise for the Son of Heaven when he was still a teenager, so much so that he boasted.

Jia Wei, Jia Weng, the oldest historian of the Han Dynasty, is editing the "Gaozu Record" in the National History Museum, which mentions the "Northern Expedition of King Yan".

After a while, Feng Dao also came and told Liu Chengyou a good news, the Wu Yue delegation entered Beijing and sent the married lord of Wu Yue.

Liu Chengyou showed a smile on his face that he hadn't seen for a long time, and he also put aside other worries for the time being, and directly began to order: "Bring Wu Yue's envoy to see me, well, lead the county lord of Wu Yue to Ciming Palace, and let the Queen Mother see, how about the princess I chose for the King of Huaiyang?" ”

"Yes!"

"Your Majesty, since Qian Hongyu, the king of Wuyue, succeeded to the throne, he has always been obedient to our dynasty, and this time he sent the county lord to marry, which shows his surrender!" Feng Dao saw that the Son of Heaven was finally in a better mood, and said with a smile.

Hearing his words, his smile was a little tighter, of course, what Liu Chengyou really considered was to invite Qian Hongyu to send troops to attack the back of the Southern Tang Dynasty and contain his army in the south of the Yangtze River. Marriage only deepens the connection between the north and the south.

As early as the spring of the third year of Qianyou, Liu Chengyou and the Queen Mother had the idea of choosing a princess for Liu Chengxun, the king of Huaiyang.

Of course, without a difficult choice, the Qian family was chosen. The envoy was sent to contact this matter, and Qian Hongyu, the king of Wuyue, was happy and agreed on the matter.

As for the candidates for marriage, Qian Hongyu chose the young daughter of King Wu Yue Wenmu, and his younger sister is said to be elegant and beautiful, virtuous and reasonable. I just don't know how a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl is a virtuous woman. It was precisely because she was too young that it dragged on for more than a year, and when Princess Wu Yue turned fourteen, Qian Hongyu ordered someone to come north to Tokyo with a dowry.

In order to show his attention, Liu Chengyou received Wu Yue's envoy in the Chongyuan Palace, and called all the people wearing purple clothes in the court to accompany him. After some exchanges, it is natural and harmonious.

Liu Chengyou announced the edict at that time, named the lord of Wuyue County as Princess Xiuhua, and the Ministry of Rites selected a good day and an auspicious day to prepare for the celebration.

Of course, from beginning to end, this marriage did not have the consent of Liu Chengxun, the king of Huaiyang, he only needed to be his groom.

At the beginning of June of the fourth year of Qianyou, Liu Chengxun, the king of Huaiyang of the Han Dynasty, officially married Princess Wu Yue to show the friendship between the two countries. The Son of Heaven issued an edict to set the wedding in the palace Long Live Palace, and at the same time, it was the ceremony of the Son of Heaven Liu Chengyou Nawei Lady Fu.

Mrs. Fu of Wei, Ye Du stayed, Tianxiong Army Festival Envoy, the second daughter of Fu Yanqing, the king of Wei, was sealed in the second year of Qianyou.