"Lord" is a term for Cai still that has recently become popular among Cai Zhen's ministers.

Cai still did not ascend the throne and claim the title of emperor, so it was not appropriate to call Cai still with the titles of "emperor", "majesty", and "official", and many Liao ministers who had just surrendered to Cai still felt that the title of "Hou Ye" was not enough to show their respect for Cai Zhen, so some Liao ministers began to use the word "lord" to call Cai still , which means that Cai is still their supreme ruler, their emperor, and they are all Cai Zhen's subordinates.

I have to say that the title of "Lord" has the meaning of licking Cai Ying.

Therefore, many people are embarrassed to call Cai still like this, especially when Cai still has not made an order for others to call him that.

Before this, Li Gang had never called Cai Yi like this, and he had never used "minister" to refer to himself in front of Cai Zhen.

No, at this moment, Li Gang said: "Minister Li Gang, please see the Lord!" ”

Cai still glanced at Li Gang and said with a smile: "My prime minister, are you finally going to surrender to me?" ”

No, Li Gang was also quite humorous, and he actually replied: "Yes, my lord, from now on I will be your most loyal courtier." ”

When Cai still heard this, he laughed!

Li Gang also laughed!

After laughing, Cai still took the initiative to say: "I'll take you away from Yanyun and return Yanyun to Zhao Song, it's okay." But the question is, after we leave, what will Zhao Song rely on to resist the Jurchens, Dang Xiang, and Dadan who are like tigers and wolves? Do you rely on those 500,000 Song troops who can't even defeat the 20,000 Liao army? ”

Li Gang was silent for a while, and said: "After so many things, if Emperor Zhao still does not repent and works hard, then he deserves the death of Zhao and Song, and at that time, the lord can raise a large army to win the Central Plains, at that time, you will no longer be a traitor and a thief, a sinner of the nation, but a savior." ”

Cai was still noncommittal: "Isn't this sacrificing the interests of the people in exchange for my righteousness?" ”

Li Gang did not answer Cai Yi's question directly, but said: "Sometimes, people will not be grateful if they don't experience setbacks. ”

Cai still woke up from a dream.

Yes.

Except for himself, who knows how shameful Jingkang's shame is?

And if you don't know how shameful Jing Kang is, who would know that he really wants to save this nation, not a traitor?

Li Gang also said: "Lord, if you give up the war with Zhao and Song because of more than 100 million Han people, and you also fulfill Zhao Song, the Han people in the world will definitely admire the Lord and praise the Lord You, and if the Han people fall into suffering in the future, the Lord will lead a large army to save them, and you will definitely win the hearts of the Han people. ”

"Yes, at that time, if I go to the Central Plains again, I will not be blocked everywhere, but will take advantage of the trend."

Thinking of all this, Cai still asked Li Gang: "Then where do we go next?" Back to Taiwan? ”

Li Gang knew that Cai was still testing him, and if Cai still hadn't thought about where to go, it would never have been possible to make the decision to withdraw from Yanyun.

Li Gang was silent for a long time before he said: "It's nothing more than east and west." ”

Cai still didn't speak, he was waiting for Li Gang to analyze.

After a pause, Li Gang said: "Go west, seize the country of Western Xia, and then recover the western territory of Daliao, and you can even go out of Yumen Pass and continue to develop westward......"

As soon as Cai still heard it, he knew that he wanted to take the route of the Western Liao Empire.

Li Gang analyzed: "Now, the Khitan country is broken, the emperor is not virtuous and only thinks about his own fun and does not think about recovering the country, the vast area of the western part of the old Liao is more leaderless than the dragons, as long as the lord defeats the Western Xia, the vast land can be attacked by the lord." ”

Li Gang continued to analyze: "However, although the territory there is large, the population is sparse, the key arable land is scarce, and the ethnic problem is serious, so it is difficult to achieve true reunification......

(Historically, the vast territory of the Western Liao Empire actually had a registered population of only more than 420,000 people, which was not as large as the population of Western Xia, which still had a population of two or three million.) ）

With Li Gang's analysis, Cai still remembered what he knew about the Western Liao Empire established by Yelu Dashi.

Historically.

After Xiao Puxian and Yelu Dashi abandoned Yanjing and fled, they went to Jiashan to join Yelu Yanxi.

Yelu Yanxi executed the virtuous daughter Xiao Pu and spared Yelu Dashi.

After wandering in the mountains for a few years, Yelu Yanxi had a whim, and wanted to rely on tens of thousands of uncertain men and horses to take the initiative to attack Dajin Fuguo, which had already digested the Great Liao.

At that time, Yelu Dashi was resolutely opposed, he believed that this was the way to die, and they should develop westward, recover the homeland of Daliao in the west, and wait until they gathered enough strength, and then kill and return to Dajin for revenge.

But Yelu Yanxi didn't listen.

Yelu Dashi was very disappointed with Yelu Yanxi, so he led 200 pro-troops to leave Jiashan.

A group of more than 200 people traveled north for three days to cross the black water, and on the way they met the leader of the White Tatars, Bedgul, who gave Yelu Dashi 400 horses, 20 camels, and a number of sheep.

Yelu Dashi relied on these things all the way to the north, and finally arrived at the important town of the northern frontier of the Great Liao Empire, the city of Kedun, where the Northwest Road Recruitment Division was stationed.

In the city of Kedun, Yelu Dashi summoned the governors of the seven military prefectures of Weiwu, Chongde, Huifan, Xin, Dalin, Zihe, and Huo, and the leaders of the eighteen tribes of Dahuangmurowei, Dira, Wang Jira, Chachira, Yexi, Nose Gude, Nira, Dara, Damili, Mierji, Hezhu, Wuguli, Zubu, Pusuwan, Tanggu, Kumusi, Xidi, and Jiaoerbi.

With the support of the leaders of seven military states and eighteen tribes, Yelu Dashi reorganized his troops and horses, sharpened his weapons, and obtained more than 10,000 elite soldiers.

Because the city of Kedun was an important frontier town in the northwest of the Liao Dynasty, the frontier army was not allowed to be requisitioned at will, and the army was saved in the war, and there were hundreds of thousands of horses that could be ridden here.

After that, Yelu Dashi went all the way west and laid down a huge Western Liao Empire.

But—

Although the Western Liao Empire is not small, and it is also the ruler of that region, Yelu Dashi does not interfere with the governance of the local ethnic groups, and only collects one gold coin per household per year for the local people.

This kind of system, obviously, is quite loose and does not fit the kingdom that Cai still wants to establish.

The key is not this, but that Cai still can't throw away all his belongings just because he wants to withdraw from Yanyun - Cai still wants to take away all the people who are willing to go with him (whether they are military ministers or ordinary people), and the poor area in the west obviously can't attract too many people to go with Cai Yi, after all, everyone is happy to be comfortable, and few people are willing to go to the sparsely populated and yellow sand west to live.

In addition, Cai is still ready to leave, but this does not mean that Cai still will not come back - Cai still thinks about it, and when Zhao Ji, Zhao Huan and his son toss Zhao Song to death, he will definitely come back and then sweep the Central Plains.

And if Cai still goes west, I am afraid it will be difficult to come back in the future.

Historically, after Yelu Dashi founded the Western Liao Empire, he once thought of leading the army to kill back to find Dajin for revenge, but he took Xiao Huli, the king of the Sixth Academy, as the marshal of the soldiers and horses, and Xiao Cha Thorn Abu as the deputy marshal of the Privy Council, the former of the Privy Council of the Enemy Assassin Department, and the Valu Yelu Yanshan of the Chachi Thorn Department was deployed for the capital, and the guard Yelu Tiege was the capital prisoner, and led 70,000 cavalry to the east to conquer the Jin Kingdom, but because the distance was too far, before he arrived at the place, most of the cattle and horses died.

Cai still doesn't want to be like Yelu Dashi, after going west, he will never come back.

Moreover, if you go west, Tsai is still in the base area laid down in Taiwan, but it will be in vain.

Moreover, the country of Western Xia is full of soldiers, and it is not easy to defeat it.

All in all, going west is too much in line with Cai Ying's interests and purposes.

Therefore, after listening to Li Gang's analysis, Cai still asked: "What about Xiangdong?" ”

Li Gang knew that Cai still wouldn't choose to go west.

In fact, Li Gang had already guessed that Cai would still choose to develop eastward.

It's not hard to guess.

Cai still has two powerful naval armies in his hands, as well as the base in Taiwan, plus Cai still has an army of three or four hundred thousand in his hands, whether it is Goryeo or Japan, all of them are still claimed by Cai.

The key is that both Goryeo and Japan are more prosperous and richer than the western region, and the population is much larger than that of the western region.

The key point is that whether Cai still occupies Goryeo or Japan, he can re-enter the Central Plains at any time, and there will be no embarrassment of wanting to meddle in the Central Plains but unable to do anything.

Li Gang organized the language and said, "Then attack Goryeo." ”

Cai still asked, "Why Goryeo?" ”

Li Gang said: "First of all, Goryeo gave the Lord an excuse to attack it. ”

Without waiting for Cai to ask, Li Gang explained: "The lord and Goryeo have no grievances in the past, no enmity in the near future, and there is no relationship of interests, but Goryeo wants to raise 300,000 troops to crusade against the lord, so even if the lord destroys his country and takes his land, it is his own fault, and he can't complain about the lord." ”

Li Gang said: "From the Ji Dynasty to the Wei Dynasty, most of the founders and ruling classes of the Goryeo land came from our China. Therefore, from the Kei dynasty to the Wei dynasty, Goryeo formed a subordinate relationship with the Central Plains regime in China. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established four counties in the north and central parts of the country after the extermination of Wei Manchu Korea, namely Lelang County, Xuansu County, Zhenfan County, and Lintun County. Throughout the Han, Wei, and Western Jin dynasties, most of Goryeo was ruled by counties under the Central Plains regime of China. During the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty set up the Andong Metropolitan Protectorate in northern Goryeo to administer there. It was not until the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms that the world was in turmoil, and it was called Goryeo independence. Now, the Lord represents the Han people to recover there, and he is also famous. ”

"Putting aside the name, Goryeo has never severed ties with the Central Plains Dynasty of China, and the people of its country are deeply influenced by our Han people, and the Lord has the foundation to rule there......"

"Goryeo is rich in land and has a good agricultural foundation, and if it is carefully managed, it will raise five million people, and there will be no problem at all......"

"The old lord of Goryeo has just died, the new lord is young, the powerful minister Li Ziqian is in charge, and there is constant internal strife, if we oppress from the outside, it is likely to disintegrate from the inside......"

“……”

As soon as he talked about Goryeo, Li Gang gushed endlessly, and it was obvious that Li Gang had done his homework.

Listening to Li Gang's analysis, Cai still glanced at the whole map of Goryeo in his hand, and he thought to himself: "In another three or four years, the shame of Jingkang will occur, and if I bring the army back at that time, it should be like what Li Gang said, win the hearts of the Han people, and the world will be settled...... Take a step back and say, even if Zhao Ji suddenly became wise, worked hard, and kept rejecting the Jin State and Western Xia abroad, without the shame of Jingkang, how big the world is, I Cai is still, with soldiers, ships, talents and advanced weapons, can there still be no place to build a country? ”

……