In the big tent of the Liao Kingdom, Xiao Ran and Ling Kun sat next to each other at a small table, and there was an unusually rich Khitan morning tea on the table.

Xiao Ran took matters into his own hands, cut off the delicious leg of mutton meat with a knife, put it into Ling Kun's bowl, and complained in his mouth: "Breakfast is very important, even if there is a big event, you can't skip it." ”

Ling Kun smiled, took a sip of milk tea, and took a bite of mutton, feeling that this hardness was a little bit better early.

Looking at the big tent again, the Empress Dowager Xiao and the emperor, as well as the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty of Liao, all looked at the two people who showed their affection and love for dog food in public. Princess Pingnan has been pampered since she was a child, brutal and willful, who has ever seen such a well-behaved side. For so many years, she has never cut mutton for herself, let alone served the Queen Mother like this, and now she actually treats a Han guy like this.

It is said that women are extroverted, but I have never seen such an extrovert who cares about it and does her own thing, how can this be embarrassed by the Khitan compatriots and the Empress Dowager Xiao who loves her the most, and how will the Great Liao Kingdom negotiate with the Song Dynasty in the future?

Empress Dowager Xiao also felt a little embarrassed when she sat on it, and coughed lightly and said, "General Ling, you came to my Daliao military camp in person, not just to eat breakfast, is there anything else?" ”

Ling Kun drank the last sip of milk tea, ate the last piece of mutton, wiped his mouth with satisfaction, and then said to the Empress Dowager Xiao slowly: "The Queen Mother, the foreign minister is here, there are two things, one public and one private. ”

"Oh, there are still private matters in front of the two armies?" Empress Dowager Xiao frowned and asked.

Ling Kun stood up and bent down and bowed: "Queen Mother, the minister's private matter is to propose marriage to the Queen Mother and marry Princess Pingnan Xiao Ran to me." ”

"Propose?" Empress Dowager Xiao was stunned, unable to figure out why Ling Kun would propose marriage at such a moment.

When Xiao Ran heard this, he almost collapsed with joy, and his eyes rose with excitement. She didn't care what the purpose of the two armies was, and hurriedly said excitedly to Empress Dowager Xiao: "Auntie, you quickly agree." ”

"How can I-how do I say yes?" Empress Dowager Xiao was completely confused, Ling Kun's proposal at this moment must have something to do with the confrontation between the two armies, but she still can't think of what Ling Kun's ultimate goal is. So he hurriedly changed the topic and said, "Then what do you say about another business?" ”

"The Queen Mother, the official matter is naturally to persuade the Queen Mother to call off the army and return to the court, so as not to break the net on both sides."

Empress Dowager Xiao smiled slightly and said: "If you want to marry Ran Ran, we are not outsiders, this palace will talk to you directly, it is okay to withdraw from the army, but the sixteen states of Youyun will not let an inch of land, and the rest can be discussed." ”

"Regarding the sixteen states of Youyun, the Queen Mother will not give an inch of land, and the Great Song Dynasty will not give an inch of land, in this way, it is still inevitable to fight to the death, if it continues to fight like this, the strength of both sides will be exhausted, and it is easy to be bullied by those newly rising alien races, even if the winning side is not able to hold Youyun at that time, and the chances of victory in Liao are very small."

Empress Dowager Xiao's face changed, and she said angrily: "You mean to ask the Liao Kingdom to give up Youyun?" ”

Ling Kun smiled slightly and said: "No, it's not that the Liao State will give up Youyun, but that all the two countries will give up Youyun and set the Youyun Generation as a demilitarized zone, and neither side will want to garrison troops, just find someone who can be trusted by both sides to manage and maintain it there, so as to benefit the people of the two countries." ”

"The two countries are hostile, how can one person gain the trust of both sides at the same time?"

"If the Queen Mother can be trusted, I am willing to take on this important responsibility, settle in Youzhou from now on, and dedicate my life to the peace of the two countries."

"You-" Empress Dowager Xiao and all the ministers were surprised, Ling Kun was young and powerful, it was a good time to be promoted and make a fortune, and he was willing to live in a bitter cold place to maintain the peace of the border between the two sides, and he was indeed not an ordinary person.

Empress Dowager Xiao pondered for a moment and said: "If this is the case, of course this palace is relieved, you are about to be my Great Liao Country's concubine, and you are so affectionate to Ran Ran, several times because of her mercy on the battlefield." It's just that Zhao Heng will agree, won't he be suspicious of you? ”

Ling Kun touched his nose and smiled: "Don't worry, the queen mother, the emperor is also very relieved of me, because I am also a concubine of the Song Dynasty." ”

"The Great Song Horse?" Empress Dowager Xiao exclaimed: "There is also a princess in the Great Song Dynasty to marry you?" Will she settle in Youzhou with you? When you marry two princesses, how to balance their relationship has no precedent since ancient times. ”

Xiao Ran hurriedly said: "Auntie, don't worry, I have a good relationship with Sister Mingyue, so we won't fight." ”

"You've known each other for a long time?" Empress Dowager Xiao became more and more surprised: "Is the Mingyue you said the same woman who negotiated with you last time in Flying Fox?" ”

"Yes, yes, that's her."

"Oh, I see." Empress Dowager Xiao couldn't digest it for a while, so she asked Xiao Ran to take Ling Kun outside, and she wanted to discuss it with the ministers.

"What do you think?" Empress Dowager Xiao asked.

The privy envoy of the Southern Yuan said: "The situation is unfavorable now, if you want to get out of the way, this is indeed a good way to get the best of both worlds, the only question is whether this Ling Kun is reliable or not, if you quietly give Youyun to the Great Song, we are still in the same danger." ”

Han Derang said: "From the current point of view, Ling Kun must be reliable, he has a deep affection for Princess Pingnan, otherwise the Queen Mother would have died that day." As long as the details are negotiated, I think he can do it. ”

After some analysis by the ministers, Empress Dowager Xiao agreed that Ling Kun's method was very feasible, so she invited Ling Kun back.

"Ling Kun, this palace can agree to your proposal, but there are two conditions." Empress Dowager Xiao said.

"Queen Mother, please speak."

"First, after the withdrawal of the two sides, you will be the boss of Youyun, but there are many major events in Youyun, and you must have many officials and officials under you, in terms of this configuration, the Liao State must not be less than the Song Dynasty."

"Yes." Ling Kun agreed.

"Second, my 400,000 troops set out from Shangjing, came with excitement, and returned with defeat, not only exiting Youyun, but also catching up with the princess, so how can I explain to the Khitan fathers and elders in my hometown when I go back to this palace? Do you have any great ideas?"

"Queen Mother, first of all, the Liao State did not withdraw from Youyun, but was managed by its own horses, and secondly, in order to take care of the face of the Great Liao court, I think the Great Song Dynasty can also appropriately give some benefits to the Great Liao, so that both sides will look better."

Empress Dowager Xiao was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "What benefits can I give?" ”

Ling Kun's heart moved, isn't the strange content of the Abyss Alliance going to be fulfilled? So he said: "Queen Mother, the Great Song Dynasty gives 100,000 taels of coins and 200,000 horses of silk to Liao every year, what do you think?" ”

Empress Dowager Xiao's face turned dark when she heard this, and said: "It's too little, and the Great Liao Kingdom is not a beggar." ”

"Queen Mother, there can't be more, it's not easy to step down if there is more Da Song, so many are just right, not only take care of the faces of both sides, but also solve the problem that has been entangled for many years."

Empress Dowager Xiao sighed and waved her hand: "Then so be it, the palace will retreat into the clouds for the time being, and wait for you to receive it." ”

After negotiating everything, Ling Kun immediately returned to Song Ying to report to Zhao Heng. Zhao Heng was overjoyed, and immediately issued a holy decree to let Wang Chao retreat into the Daimyo's Mansion to make way for the Liao State, and let Yang Yanzhao lead his troops back to Yanmen Pass.

With the clarion call of the Liao State, the two armies of Song and Liao, who had been facing each other for many days, completely ended the battle, and Zhao Heng returned to the dynasty with a hundred civil and military officials. And Ling Kun, Zhao Mingyue, Shangguan Chengcheng took 5,000 soldiers and horses and a few capable generals to receive Youyun.

A month later, Ling Kun completed the handover of Youyun, and the Liao army completely withdrew from Youyun and returned to the northern grassland. However, Empress Dowager Xiao left Ling Kun with 5,000 soldiers and horses and no less than officials of the Song Dynasty for Ling Kun to call.

The first thing Ling Kun did when he entered Youzhou was to promulgate the law, in Youzhou, whether it was Han, Khitan, Dangxiang or Tubo, everyone was equal, repaid debts, and killed people to pay for their lives.

The second is to develop the economy, open trade, take advantage of the geographical location of Youzhou's north-south connection, encourage merchants to trade freely, the Central Plains' porcelain, spices, tea, rice continue to pour into the Liao State, the Liao State of sheep, horses and camels also continue to pour into the Central Plains, Youyun generation quickly became rich, and the Great Song Dynasty and the Liao State also followed. The surrounding merchants from Tibet, Dali, Dangxiang, and even Japan and Goryeo also saw it hotly, and slowly joined in, and for a time it became a hotbed for the integration and development of various ethnic groups.

In this war, Ling Kun was selfish, and Zhao Heng was timid and weak, so he single-handedly created the famous "Alliance of the Abyss" in history.

From the perspective of war alone, "The Alliance of Lanyuan" caused the Great Song Dynasty to lose the opportunity to destroy the enemy country in vain, leaving Zhao Heng with a reputation for being weak and incompetent. But that's not a bad thing in the long run. According to historical records, this war ended the 25-year-long war of the Song and Liao dynasties, and the countries "gave birth and multiply, cattle and sheep were sloped, and the people who wore white (white-haired old men) did not know how to fight." Since then, there has been no dispute between Song and Liao for a hundred years. Because there was no war, the Song Dynasty saved 30 million taels of silver in military spending every year, completely avoiding the excessive conscription of the people, making the Song Dynasty one of the most prosperous economic and cultural eras in history.