"What's the silver lining?"

Xia Anqi had a bitter face and said in a low voice: "With Kou Ji's heart, if you don't destroy Western Xia, you will never return to the dynasty." ”

Xia Zhu said bitterly: "The revenge has not been avenged, and I am unwilling to be my father!" ”

Xia Anqi looked at Xia Zhu and lamented: "It's useless to be unwilling, Li Deming will never let go of our father and son." Our father and son have no chance of revenge. ”

"Heavens! You don't open your eyes! ”

“……”

Xia Zhu roared hysterically in prison.

It is difficult to say words during the Cheyenne period, only to look up to the sky and sigh.

Their father and son made a mistake in the Great Song Dynasty and escaped a knife.

After a few years, he fell under the knife of the Great Song Dynasty.

It's like retribution.

Xia Zhu's father and son loved themselves in prison, and no one paid attention.

The envoys of the Great Song Dynasty arrived at Xingqing Mansion on the third day after Xia Zhu and his son were imprisoned.

Li Deming led the welcome team of Western Xia, personally welcomed out of the ten miles, and respectfully welcomed the Great Song envoys back to Xingqing Mansion.

After entering Xingqing Mansion, Li Deming held a grand banquet and entertained some envoys of the Great Song Dynasty.

Dinner.

Li Deming was very generous to give a lot of money and beauties to the envoys of the Great Song Dynasty.

The envoys of the Great Song Dynasty did not refuse, and all laughed.

Before the officials of the envoy group went out, Zhao Zhen specially explained that the purpose of their trip was to squeeze some money from Western Xia, and the more they squeezed, the greater the credit.

It is precisely because of this that when the officials of the envoy group faced the bribes of the Western Xia, they accepted all the bribes as they were, and they did not need to scruple at all.

After Li Deming sent money and beauties, he immediately made it clear to the officials of the envoy that Western Xia had no intention of starting a war with the Great Song Dynasty.

As a vassal of the Great Song Dynasty, Western Xia was willing to live forever and be dependent on the Great Song Dynasty and obey the orders of the Great Song Dynasty.

The various wrongs committed by Western Xia before were not his original intention, but the secret actions of Xia Zhu and Xia An's father and son.

He also gave a certain explanation to how Xia Zhu and Xia Anqi father and son could serve as high-ranking officials in Western Xia.

He claimed that after Xia Zhu and Xia Anqi fled from the Great Song Dynasty to Western Xia, they changed their ways, concealed their past, and deceived him by virtue of their own talents, and had an official and a half-position in the Western Xia court.

He was deceived by Xia Zhu and Xia An's father and son.

The officials of the Great Song Dynasty envoys were also shocked when they heard that Xia Zhu and Xia Anqi's father and son were in Western Xia, and they also served as high-ranking officials in Western Xia.

Xia Zhu, when he was in the Great Song Dynasty, he was one of the prime ministers, and he was a big man.

Many officials in the envoy corps saw Xia Zhu, and they all lowered their heads and spoke.

Such a character voted for the Western Xia, and also helped the Western Xia calculate the Great Song Dynasty.

No wonder the Great Song Dynasty suffered a big loss in the northwest.

However, no matter how powerful Xia Zhu is, he still can't fight Kou Ji.

When he was in the Great Song Dynasty, his status was higher than Kou Ji, and he never fought Kou Ji.

left the Great Song Dynasty and voted for Western Xia, but he was still a defeated subordinate of Kou Ji.

The officials of the envoy group had previously left Bianjing City because of Kou Ji's trickery and Zhao Zhen, complaining about Kou Ji.

Now I know that everything in the northwest was planned by Xia Zhu, and thanks to Kou Ji, Xia Zhu was defeated.

The resentment against Kou Ji in their hearts dissipated a lot.

In the process of talking with Li Deming, the officials of the envoy learned that Li Deming intended to hand over Xia Zhu's father and son to the Great Song Dynasty for disposal, and when someone expressed his position, claiming that he had returned to Yinzhou and met Zhao Zhen, he would definitely say good things for Li Deming.

There are also some people who openly and secretly revealed to Li Deming that it is not enough to be a person alone, and they have to make money.

Although Li Deming was crying poor, he still ordered someone to prepare a sum of money and send it to the officials of the envoy group.

When the officials saw the money, their attitudes changed in an instant.

One by one, they swore to Li Deming's gambling curse, claiming that they had returned to Yinzhou, and after meeting Zhao Zhen, even if they didn't want to fight for their lives, they would help Xixia speak and prevent Zhao Zhen from violating Xixia.

In the face of such a 'strong' envoy officer.

Li Deming had to take out another sum of money and give it to them as a personal gift.

The officials of the envoy group stayed in Xingqing Mansion for a long time, and tried their best to extract money from Li Deming.

While squeezing Li Deming's money, they also squeezed the money from the hands of those Western Xia nobles.

claimed that he could use his connections to help them buy a house in Bianjing City, no matter whether the Great Song Dynasty fought the Western Xia or not, whether the Western Xia would perish, the Western Xia nobles could move to Bianjing City and continue to live the life of a rich man as a Song person.

The officials of the envoy said this, those Western Xia nobles did not believe it, but those wealthy merchants of Western Xia believed it, and one by one they searched their families and gave a generous gift to the officials of the mission.

They don't care if the officials of the envoy can help them buy a house in Bianjing City.

They only hoped that during the great war between the Western Xia and the Great Song Dynasty, the officials of the envoy group could help them exert their strength and save them from the suffering of the hilt of the sword.

The officials of the Great Song Dynasty envoys were almost blatantly collecting money.

Li Deming pretended not to see it.

Let the officials of the Great Song Dynasty envoys loot in Xingqing Mansion.

The officials of the Great Song Dynasty envoys searched the Xingqing Mansion for eight days.

Eight days later.

The officials of the Great Song Dynasty envoys, with Li Deming's letter begging for mercy, escorted Xia Zhu and his son, and left Xingqing Mansion.

The officials of the Great Song Dynasty envoys had just left.

Li Deming ordered his soldiers and horses to arrest the wealthy merchants who gave money to the officials of the Great Song Dynasty envoys, and confiscated all their family wealth.

After Li Deming gave a large sum of money to the Great Song Dynasty, there was not much money left in the treasury.

After confiscating the money of those wealthy merchants, not only did they make up for the money dedicated to the Great Song Dynasty, but also added a lot.

Li Deming had long had the intention of confiscating the money in the hands of wealthy merchants and using it for military expenses.

It's just that the wealthy merchants in Xingqing Mansion have dealings with most of the nobles in Western Xia, and the relationship is intertwined, so it's not easy for him to start.

The wealthy merchants gave him a reasonable excuse to give money to the envoys of the Great Song Dynasty.

The reason why he didn't stop the officials of the Great Song Dynasty Envoy Corps when they were looting money in Xingqing Mansion was to wait for the officials of the Great Song Dynasty Envoy Corps to leave, and to harvest a good wave.

The Great Song envoys were on their way to Yinzhou.

Zhao Zhen, who was sitting in Yinzhou, received the news.

Inside the city of Yinzhou.

On the school grounds, in the big tent of the Chinese army.

Zhao Zhen sat on the top with a golden knife, looked at the paperwork in his hand, and was a little stunned.

Kou Ji sat not far from Zhao Zhen, and when he saw Zhao Zhen's expression, he hurriedly asked, "But the officials of the envoy group are in trouble in Xingqing Mansion?" ”

Kou Ji proposed that asking Zhao Zhen to send someone to Li Deming to squeeze money was actually a very risky move.

If Li Deming had made up his mind to fight to the death with the Great Song Dynasty, he would definitely behead the officials of the Great Song Dynasty envoys.

What two countries intersect, without cutting the envoy, will not work in Western Xia.

The reason why the Great Song Dynasty was able to seize the territory south of the Great Wall from the Western Xia was because the Western Xia people plundered the envoys of the Liao State and angered the Liao Emperor Yelu Longxu, who personally led a large army to conquer the Western Xia.

The Great Song Dynasty took the opportunity to raise troops and picked up some cheap from it.

Therefore, it is definitely a dangerous errand to send an envoy to Western Xia.

The Tangut people really dared to kill the envoys.

Zhao Zhen heard Kou Ji's question, put down the paperwork in his hand, and said with a very strange expression: "Xia Zhu is in Western Xia!" ”

Kou Ji was stunned for a moment, looking stunned.

Zhao Zhen continued: "Not only Xia Zhu, but also Xia Zhu's son Xia Anqi, who is also in Western Xia. Previously, they provoked the war between our Great Song Dynasty and the Liao State, let the Liao people cross the border from Western Xia, and invaded the territory of our Great Song Dynasty, all of which were plotted by their father and son.

The assassination of you was also planned by their father and son. ”

When Kou Ji heard this, his face sank, "Xia Zhu is really a scourge!" The trouble caused by their father and son to my Great Song Dynasty is far greater than the tens of millions of people who took refuge in Western Xia before.

Their father and son deserve to die, and they deserve a thousand cuts. ”

Zhao Zhen nodded slowly, "It should be cut with a thousand knives, and its deeds should also be recorded and passed on to future generations, so that future generations will scold it." ”

Kou Ji pondered: "Is there a way for Li Deming to hand over their father and son?" ”

Zhao Zhen picked up the paperwork and instructed Chen Lin to hand it to Kou Ji.

When Chen Lin walked towards Kou Ji with the paperwork, Zhao Zhen sighed: "Li Deming is very knowledgeable, and he has handed over Xia Zhu's father and son to the envoys we sent. Now the envoys are escorting their father and son back to Yinzhou. ”

Zhao Zhen looked at Kou Ji and said with a smack: "Li Deming's sincerity in begging for mercy is very strong. ”

While listening to Zhao Zhen's words, Kou Ji looked through the documents handed to him by Chen Lin, and after carefully reviewing the documents, he said to Zhao Zhen: "I knew today, why bother in the first place." ”

Zhao Zhen nodded slowly, "My father is not a kind of unkind person, and neither am I." If the Western Xia is attached to my Great Song Dynasty, they will treat my Great Song with this attitude, and it will be impossible for my Great Song Dynasty to raise troops against the Western Xia. ”

Speaking of this, Zhao Zhen deliberately paused and said, "Maybe when Western Xia is in danger, I can still send a large army and spare no effort to help them." ”

Zhao Zhen looked at Kou Ji and said faintly: "But now they have offended my Great Song to death, showing weakness and begging for mercy, is it useful?" I am kind, but I also have a temper.

I came with a great army to destroy it.

If I don't destroy it, the breath in my chest will not be smooth. ”

Kou Ji put down the paperwork in his hand and said: "We have reached a consensus on the conquest of Western Xia, and now hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses are waiting for battle, as long as you give an order, you can all of them and attack Western Xia."

When we hit Xingqing Mansion and captured Li Deming alive, the official's tone will be smooth. ”

Zhao Zhen smiled and nodded.

Kou Ji continued: "The people sent by the official family to extract money are a little unbearable. They stayed in Xingqing Mansion for eight days before they looted less than 300,000 yuan of money. ”

Hearing this, Zhao Zhen sighed: "Xixia is too poor......

Today's Zhao Zhen has a lot of money in his hands, his heart is also high, and his vision is also high.

You must know that at the beginning of Zhao Zhen's ascension to the throne, when he was poor, for 300,000 yuan of money, the Manchu Dynasty civil and military could quarrel for a day.

It's possible that you won't be able to get enough of it all day.

Kou Ji groaned: "It's true that Xixia is poor, but it's not so poor as this. I suspect that they pocketed most of their money in the name of personal gifts. ”

Accepting private gifts is a common thing in the Great Song Dynasty.

Some vassals had a request from the Great Song Dynasty, and after sending people to Bianjing City, they would send a large amount of private gifts to various high-ranking officials of the Great Song Dynasty.

Sometimes, the private gifts given by the vassals were more generous than the tributes given to the imperial court.

When the officials of the Great Song Dynasty went to envoy vassals, they would also accept private gifts, and there were even those who blatantly asked for private gifts.

This matter has formed a trend in the Great Song Dynasty.

At the end of each year, the officials of Honglu Temple will even get together and compare with each other the private gifts they receive.

So after Zhao Zhen heard Kou Ji's words, he didn't get angry, but asked hesitantly, "How much can they get into their pockets?" ”

Kou Ji said in a deep voice: "When they arrive in Yinzhou, I will send someone to ask." ”

Zhao Zhen pondered for a moment and sighed: "If they don't receive many private gifts, let them take them." ”

Kou Ji pouted and said, "I'm afraid there are a lot of ......."

Zhao Zhen opened his mouth and did not speak.

Kou Ji said in a deep voice: "This wind can't rise!" ”

Zhao Zhen hesitated: "After all, it's not the money I gave me, nor is it the scavenging of the people of my Great Song Dynasty......

Zhao Zhen was halfway through his words, and Kou Ji said earnestly: "But they relied on the prestige of my Great Song Dynasty to receive so many private gifts. We don't care about the money, but we still have to have the rules.

My Great Song is stronger than Western Xia, and it's nothing to take some private gifts.

can be stronger than my Great Song Dynasty, a strong country that can be compared to my Great Song Dynasty, if you give them private gifts, they will also accept all the orders, don't you feel scared? ”

Zhao Zhen instantly understood the meaning of Kou Ji's words.

The Great Song Dynasty was stronger than the Western Xia, and the officials of the Great Song Dynasty envoys took some private gifts.

The officials of the envoy group took the money of the Western Xia, which was nothing more than to help the Western Xia say a few more good words in the court.

But if a powerful country comparable to the Great Song Dynasty gave a private gift, it would not be a simple matter of saying a few good words to deal with it, and nine out of ten would have to sell some of the Great Song Dynasty's intelligence and interests to satisfy people's appetites.

Kou Ji saw that Zhao Zhen frowned and fell into deep thought, so he continued: "What's more, if the officials let this matter go unchecked, they will show insatiable greed.

They were sent by the government to extract money, and the bulk of what they got should be handed over to the state treasury, and the remaining small part could be shared.

But now they have divided the big share, and instead handed it over to the small head of the treasury.

They regard their own interests as greater than the interests of the imperial court.

In the long run, that's worth it. ”

Zhao Zhen frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Why is the fourth brother so sure that they have squeezed much more money from Western Xia than they have reported?" ”

Kou Ji said: "Do you still remember that when the minister returned from Hexi, he once sent a sum of money into the inner treasury?" ”

Zhao Zhen was stunned for a moment and looked at Chen Lin.

Chen Lin hurriedly said: "But there is a sum of gold and silver jewelry worth 300,000 yuan, which has entered the inner treasury. ”

Zhao Zhen nodded, looked at Kou Ji, and waited for Kou Ji to solve his doubts.

Kou Ji let out a sigh, "That's a private gift from Qingtang to the minister, a total of 400,000 yuan." The minister took 100,000 guan, and the remaining 300,000 guan was sent to the inner treasury of the official's house. ”

When Zhao Zhen heard this, he roughly understood what Kou Ji was going to say.

Zhao Zhen said in a deep voice: "The fourth brother wants to tell me that the private gifts given by Qingtang to the fourth brother are as much as 400,000 yuan. Western Xia offered me money as a national gift, it must be more? ”