The visit of the British minister, the prince Yingbu, somewhat unexpected Zhao Xing, this is the first prince's visit since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, which must be given a high-standard reception, in order to show the Tang Dynasty's good-neighborly and friendly national policy style.

The British envoy Gongzi Yingbu was very humble, first gave Zhao Xing a royal gift, and then expressed his gratitude to Le Yi, who accompanied the reception, and thanked Hangu for taking care of him.

For the envoy Yingbu's royal gift, Zhao Xing modestly avoided it, and for the envoy's thanks, Le Yi smiled and was modest, everything was so harmonious and harmonious.

The Ministry of Rites put on the most solemn reception ceremony, which made Yingbu feel at home.

During the singing, dancing and feasting, Zhao Xing took the initiative to ask the envoy about his intentions.

Yingbu frowned and shouted bitterly: "Bitter, I'm bitter in England." ”

Zhao Xing smiled and appeased: "Ying Bo is an old nobleman, the first batch of earls to be knighted in Zhou, more than 700 years, and I don't know that for the stability of our Great Zhou, he followed the sons of heaven to fight everywhere, and made great achievements, and was always relied on by Zhou Tianzi as his right-hand man." For more than 700 years, how many hardships have been endured without falling, but what makes the old earl's envoys bitter today? ”

Britain, like Yan Qi and other princes, was also the first batch when King Wu was knighted, and after 23 generations, he has enjoyed the country for more than 700 years. At the beginning, according to the rules, the fief was 500 li, the fief was 300 li, and the fief was 100 li. In the past seven hundred years, like the Kingdom of Qiu, he has been the royal thug of Zhou Tianzi, and he is extremely strong. For this reason, it was constantly rewarded, constantly encroaching on the surrounding areas, and at its peak, it was already a country with a territory of thousands of miles and a population of 70 million.

But alas? With the beginning of the Spring and Autumn Battle? Britain's evil neighbor Chu is growing stronger and has seized the rich land of Britain? Drove British subjects into the mountains? Until now, the land is only 500 miles? The people are only two million, and the national strength has plummeted? Not again.

And the first year? Britain first suffered from a major drought that had not been seen for hundreds of years, and the already barren mountainous areas were almost completely unharvested. And then in the fall, there was another flash flood? It's really worse than a problem.

The state of Chu took the opportunity to continue the offensive? And the Qin State, which occupied Bashu, also developed to the east along the river (Yangtze River), and began to press step by step, and now Britain is in danger of destroying the country.

The land is barren and you are facing two evil neighbors who are eyeing each other? Britain has reached the point of life and death.

As a last resort, the British monarch sent important ministers to the Tang Kingdom? One is to borrow, and the other is to borrow soldiers. In the eyes of the British monarch? Zhao Xing is loyal to Zhou Tianzi, and Britain is also loyal to Zhou Tianzi? Everyone is on one front? Zhao Xing should be able to agree to his request? For the sake of the same philosophy, pull the brothers.

Loans, loans? Zhao Xing wondered, how could the British monarch have such a naïve and stupid idea?

However, now that Zhao Xing is setting up a glorious image, of course he can't refuse clearly, and just took the British envoy to visit his treasury, and then visit his military camp.

There is not much money in the treasury: "In my first year against Qin, and in response to the call of the Son of Heaven to form a coalition army, my Datang took on the supply of the 200,000 troops of the coalition army for more than half a year, plus the supply of our own 200,000 troops, I have spent all the money and grain in the treasury." Zhao Xing patiently explained. The reason for this is truly unassailable.

Then in the empty barracks, Le Yi explained: "Because of the war, let us collect all the men of the Tang Dynasty, from the preparation of the war to the end, a year, let our land be barren because of no labor, and let our people go hungry." Therefore, as soon as we waited for the end of the war, we immediately disarmed more than 100,000 members of the professional army, released them into society, and carried out post-war reconstruction. ”

The envoy was very disappointed, but he really understood: "Emotionally faced the tyrannical Qin last time, Datang paid too much." ”

When he returned to the court, the envoy was really embarrassed to mention the matter of borrowing troops again, and was ready to leave and go back.

Xu Jie said: "The current land in your country is small and barren, and it is all high mountains and mountains, and droughts and floods occur from time to time. And the most dangerous thing is that now you are sandwiched between the powerful Chu State and the tyrannical Qin State. If Chu wants to block Qin from going south from Bashu, it must destroy your country, and if Qin wants to go east to punish Chu, it must destroy your country. Therefore, I see that your country will either die in Chu or Qin in less than two years, and I am really worried and painful that Yingbo is about to cut off the ancestral sacrifice. ”

Yingbu nodded dejectedly: "What Mr. said is yes, before the Spring and Autumn Period, my country conquered the Son of Heaven without ministers, and the emphasis was on not swallowing its land, not plundering its people, and not ending human sacrifices. But in these years, there has been no righteous war. At the beginning, King Wu sealed the country for 800, and the Spring and Autumn Period annexed the remaining 17, but now there are only a dozen, and in a small country like ours, it is only a matter of time before the country is destroyed, and we are just surviving. As he spoke, he couldn't help but feel sad and wept with his face hidden.

Xu Jie glanced at Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing nodded, although he didn't know what Xu Jie wanted to say, he had always trusted this guy absolutely.

This is a favored minister, a traitorous minister, and a powerful minister, but he is the only one who is a thankless loyal minister, why don't he trust him unconditionally?

With the permission of the king, Xu Jie tentatively suggested to Yingbu: "Since we know that Britain will perish, but whether it is in Chu or Qin, the two countries will be rape, and they will not be able to treat the British people well, and they will not be able to treat the earl well and die of ancestor sacrifice, so why not stay away from the tiger and wolf to seek survival?" ”

Yingbu sighed and said dejectedly: "Why don't we monarchs and ministers know, but the way of heaven is like this, the world is so big, but there is a land with a lord, and we have no way to go." ”

Xu Jie generously suggested: "For the Tang Dynasty, although I can't help your country from losing Britain now, I can accept your subjects to come to the Tang Dynasty to live and continue." ”

Zhao Xing was stunned for a moment, but in a blink of an eye, he understood what Xu Jie meant, and said without hesitation: "My Tang Dynasty is vast and sparsely populated, and two million British subjects can accommodate it." Well, Xu Jie of Jiuyuan County outside my Hetao is sealed in that tun, where there are mountains, rivers, forests, and grasslands, which is enough to settle two million subjects of your country. ”

Looking at Yingbu, who was stuffed with eggs in his surprised mouth, Zhao Xing explained: "Of course, Britain can no longer be called Britain, but is incorporated into my Tang Dynasty, but, the widow will give British subjects a high degree of autonomy, and I don't understand what autonomy means?" It's that you don't have anything in foreign diplomacy and the army, but how to manage your subjects, the widow basically doesn't care, well, it is equivalent to the actual Tang Dynasty feudal monarch, but it is different from the Tang Dynasty's feudal monarch only in name and without land. The widow promised that you could have an independent temple to continue to worship the ancestors of England, and the widow would never interfere with it. As for the tax, it is the same as Datang, and it leaves seventy percent of the British tax-" pondered for a while: "How about the eight transactions to be disposed of by Yingbo?" ”

In the face of such generosity, although Yingbu has not yet turned the corner, he has already begun to twist his ass uneasily.

Seeing that he was silent for a long time, Xu Jie and the others were a little disappointed.

As a result, at this time, Yingbu cautiously asked, "Can I go and see Jiuyuan County?" ”