Next to the carved wooden window of the palace, the flame of the lantern is reflected in the red paper.

"Sand!" The curtain was slammed open, and Guo Shao, whose hair was tied up at random, walked out of it. Yang Shiliang, who was standing at the door, hurriedly bent down, clenched his fists and said: "Official, the person on duty at the Liao State Envoy's Pavilion was arranged by the officials of the Privy Council. ”

"Who's doing that?" Guo Shao asked.

Yang Shiliang said: "There are a few people in Youzhou of the forbidden army who are on duty tonight. Youzhou are all Hebei righteous people who were received before, these people are deeply affected by the Khitans, and there are not a few people who are bent on revenge. Now the whole territory of Hebei has been recovered, but they hate the Khitans to the core, and when they heard that they had negotiated peace with the Liao State, they took it upon themselves to assassinate, and it seems that there is no instigator at present. ”

The wind blew the lights in the lantern swaying, making Guo Shao's face flicker, cloudy and uncertain.

Yang Shiliang said in a deep voice: "The official family is still in Shanzhou, and they dare to use swords and soldiers in front of the Son of Heaven without authorization, which is really a big crime." ”

Guo Shao said quietly: "The Central Plains and the Liao State have been at war for many years, and the hatred and blood debts are not clear. Even if the soldiers of Youzhou Capital assassinated the Liao people for their own family revenge, they could have been extrajudicial and emotional, but what did the forbidden army guards who died under their swords say? ”

Yang Shiliang bowed down and said, "When the people of the Privy Council are tortured, the slaves and maids will say this to them." ”

Guo Shao frowned and waved his hand.

…… There was a fishy smell in the hotel, the room was in a mess, and the inside and outside had been watched by the army, waiting for the civil officials of the Ministry of Rites to come and deal with the envoys of the Liao State.

The assassin was captured, and Xiao Siwen calmed down at this time, took out a handkerchief and gently dipped the blood on his face, and took it down to look at the handkerchief. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and said to Yang Gon in Khitan with some gratitude: "If it weren't for the presence of Yang Mansion today, our lives would have been suspended. ”

Yang Gon pressed his hand to his chest, and said with a sincere face: "In the battle of Pingxia in the past, Xia Guan and the other party troops were defeated with many defeats and suffered heavy losses. If it weren't for Xiao Gong to protect him, how could Xia Guan have survived to this day? ”

Xiao Siwen sighed: "In times of trouble, I can still rely on my own people. ”

Yang Gon said: "Today's state affairs are difficult, and there are eggs under the nest? We can only be honest with each other in order to tide over the difficulties together. Xia Guan has always admired Xiao Gong very much. ”

Xiao Siwen looked at Yang Gon's eyes and nodded, "My wife (Princess Yanguo, the daughter of Liao Taizong) often reminds me to speak for the descendants of Taizong in front of the Great Khan. If the old man can be peaceful this time, he will choose a good opportunity to recommend Yang Mansion in front of the Great Khan. ”

Yang Gon looked excited, and hurriedly said, "Thank you Xiao Gong for cultivating." ”

At this time, someone outside the door shouted in Chinese: "Lu Shilang has arrived." ”

Lu Duoxun, who was dressed in a black gauze and red robe, walked into the room, looked around, and said with his fists clenched: "The envoys will change places and settle down, and someone will clean up here." Please! ”

Xiao Siwen and the others then followed Lu Duosun out of the door and went to the other side of the courtyard from a corridor with lanterns. Xiao Siwen said: "Since Emperor Xu is in Lanzhou, why did someone kill the museum?" ”

Lu Duosun turned his head and said: "It's not a secret, this is done by people inside the imperial court, and it is really impossible to prevent it; But please believe that such a sneaky thing is definitely not a decision of the imperial court! Xiao Gong should know that Xu Liao has had a grudge for a long time and has a blood feud with each other, even the official family cannot easily resolve it. ”

Lu Duosun sighed again, glanced at Xiao Siwen, and his gaze swept over Yang Gon's face, "This peace negotiation is not an easy task, and there are many opponents in the imperial court. ”

Xiao Siwen said quietly: "As long as you don't have to distinguish between brothers, other things are easy to discuss." ”

Lu Duosun shook his head without hesitation: "If Gong Xiao thinks like this, I'm afraid that the matter of the alliance will be ruined." ”

The group had already walked to another house, and Lu Duosun clenched his fists and bowed: "The hour is not early, Xiao Gong and the three envoys should rest early." The official will take his leave first, and discuss it again tomorrow morning. ”

Xiao Siwen and others also returned the salute and said goodbye.

"Crunch!" When a few men entered the house, they bolted the wooden door.

Yang Gon said in a deep voice: "The situation is not right, if the peace negotiation fails, and the two countries continue to fight, I am afraid that we will have to go back from this Longtan tiger's den, and it will be difficult to climb to the sky!" ”

The other two deputy envoys looked frightened, and one of them said: "If the two countries are at war and do not kill the envoys, the court of Xu Guo does not need to be so discredited." ”

Yang Gon said: "I didn't listen to the official surnamed Lu that Emperor Xu couldn't easily resolve hatred, it was definitely not the imperial court!" ”

Xiao Siwen put his hands behind his back, looked at the floor tiles and took two steps, thinking for a long time. When he looked up, he saw that it was dark outside the window, and he couldn't see what was hidden, and the light in the darkness was dim, like a ghost fire.

If he admits the "righteousness of the brothers of the enemy country", Xiao Siwen can think of it with his toes, and he will have to carry the infamy and black pot when he goes back. If you don't agree, not only will you not be able to explain to the decision-makers in power in Daliao when you go back, but you will die in front of you!

"Alas!" Xiao Siwen looked at Yang Gon and said, "You want to push me to a desperate place...... For so many years, except for the breakthrough from Youzhou, there has never been a more sinister situation than now! He said in a low voice, "Blacksmith Guo is really hot, and he can make everything clear to you, but he can't!" ”

Yang Gon also looked helpless.

After a night, Xiao Siwen and the others packed up and went out early the next morning, he walked into the yard, the quiet morning mist was shrouded, and it was as if nothing had happened last night. He walked for a while, and couldn't help but stop, because he found that there were still traces of blood in the cracks of the floor tiles that had not been washed.

The dark red and black brick cracks have an inexplicable terrifying aura.

Out of the gate, Xiao Siwen immediately got into a carriage and the others. There were already pedestrians on the street, and he carefully observed the scene outside through the gap in the car window, all dressed as Han'er, and a family that had just opened a shop was looking this way. There were all kinds of people in Han'er's city, and Xiao Siwen couldn't predict where the danger would come from, but he could feel that the aura of hatred and intrigue could be hidden anywhere.

Xiao Siwen sat a few hundred steps away in the car, and gradually realized that Lanzhou was more complicated than expected. He saw the lama and the big cannibal with a completely different face.

"Xiao Gong, those are Koreans." Yang Gon suddenly reminded in a low voice.

Xiao Siwen hurriedly looked outside, and sure enough, he saw a few people in Goryeo costumes in front of a yamen bowing to Han'er at the door.

……

The Goryeo envoy held a scepter in his hand and walked into the hall of the Lanzhou Prefecture with a few retinues. A short time later, a civil official with a long crown wing behind his hat walked in.

There are similarities between the etiquette of the Koreans and those of the Central Plains, and they should recognize that the thin young man is a high-ranking official, so they bow their hands.

The official clenched his fists and said: "This official is Lu Duoxun, the squire of the Great Xu Rite Department, please sit down and talk if you have anything, and there is a chapter that can be directly presented to the Son of Heaven by this official." ”

The Goryeo envoy thanked him and sat down on the chairs on either side of the lobby, still holding the scepter in his hand. Sitting down steadily, he held the scepter in his hand and said in intoned Chinese: "The king of our country is extremely shocked when he hears that Xu Liao is discussing the alliance! ”

Lu Duoxun's expression was calm, and he listened very carefully to the statement of the Goryeo envoy.

The envoy said: "In the third year of Shixing, the Great Xu Army invaded the country, and the Goryeo State Water Diverter cooperated with it, and after the alliance, the two countries jointly attacked the Liao State, and greatly helped our country to take the old land of the Bohai Sea. If Daxu and Liao negotiate an alliance today, what should Goryeo do? ”

At this time, a eunuch bowed his head and whispered in Lu Duoxun's ear for a moment, and Lu Duosun listened to it and said: "The Goryeo Kingdom lobbied the Jurchen tribe to raise troops and send troops across the Yalu River, but did not send envoys to inform the imperial court. The officials stationed at the Korea Post House in Tokyo did not say a word. The officials thought that the Goryeo Kingdom would be able to control the situation in the direction of the Yalu River without a big effort. ”

Lu Duoxun said slowly: "The Great Xu Army's northern expedition to the Liao State and the collusion with the Goryeo Kingdom to give birth to the Jurchen tribe caused chaos, and the two things were not agreed upon in advance, and they should be treated as things that have nothing to do with each other. Today, the Liao State sent people to sue for peace, and the imperial court consulted with it, and it had nothing to do with the Goryeo State. ”

The envoy hurriedly said: "The Goryeo Kingdom and the Central Plains Imperial Court are similar in dress and etiquette, and the Liao Kingdom is a country of barbarian birds and beasts, and they cannot intersect. ”

Lu Duosun said indifferently: "We have to talk about things, the Goryeo State did not inform the official family of the use of troops this time, so it has nothing to do with the imperial court." He got up and said, "I still have a few groups of people to see this morning, so please forgive me for not staying for a long time." If the envoy has any remarks, he can write a chapter and send it to the secretary of the state government to play the Son of Heaven. The place is in the inverted house inside the state yazhao wall. ”

…… Lu Duosun left the state government and immediately went to see Xiao Siwen and others.

Due to delays, when Lu Duoxun arrived at the Lanzhou Rite Department Pavilion, Xiao Siwen, Yang Gon and other four people were already waiting there. There were four tea cups on the coffee table, and Lu Duosun glanced at them, they were all full, and no one took a sip.

"Gong Xiao has been waiting for a long time." Lu Duosun smiled kindly and clasped his fists in salute. Say a few words to each other.

Lu Duosun did not sit on the chairs placed on the top of the hall, but still sat at the coffee table on both sides, sitting next to a table with Xiao Siwen.

Everyone sat down, and Lu Duosun took the initiative to say: "Recently, the palace of the Son of Heaven is in Lanzhou, and the envoys of all countries have to go to this place if they have anything; This official was appointed to be responsible for receiving envoys from various countries, which is really a bit of a doppelganger. I met the Koreans early in the morning, and they just opened the city gate early this morning, and they arrived in Shanzhou. ”

Xiao Siwen said quietly: "What did the Korean people say? ”

Lu Duosun said in a very casual tone: "They say that Liao is a country of barbarian beasts and beasts, and it cannot be communicated. ”

Yang Gon immediately blurted out and scolded: "These instigated the birth of Jurchen to rebel, and made Princess Daliao and many women gather in the crowd, this is the matter of barbaric beasts!" Once Da Liao frees his hands, he must get back the truth! ”

Lu Duoxun said seriously: "The princess is a member of the royal family of the Liao Kingdom, which is really a great shame!" ”

Yang Gon muttered, "The Jurchen tribe can do such things. ”

Then the men on both sides continued to bargain over the contents of the covenant from morning to afternoon. Lu Duoxun did not have the slightest hostile posture towards the Liao envoys, and his tone was neither humble nor arrogant. But the key condition is not to let go.

In the meantime, Xiao Siwen and Yang Gon waited until the ear room to rest, and discussed in private, but they couldn't find a better way at all. Xiao Siwen suppressed the worries of all parties in his heart, weighed the pros and cons, and finally agreed to the conditions of the alliance in the evening.

Sometimes people don't have a choice at all, and the choice is already doomed: it's all a dead end, and we must first avoid the disaster of burning our eyebrows!