However, Xiao Lu suffered again, and she had no intention of continuing to play, and she couldn't wait to return to the warm home in the capital immediately. Wu Zhishen brought the little white dragon from Liuhe Temple, and Qu Ping said to him, "It's better to follow me, if the master is not over his worldly fate."

Wu Zhishen said: "Well, the difficulty of the lady lies in my Liuhe Temple, and the poor monks need to atone for their sins in this temple." The poor monk is willing to protect his wife for a period of ten years, and after ten years, if he still has a life, he hopes that the general and his wife will be fulfilled. ”

Qu Ping said: "Then thank you master, you will not be free, you can leave at any time." ”

Xiao Lu also said: "I have this catastrophe in my life, no wonder your temple, the master has the grace to save his life, it doesn't have to be like this." ”

Wu Zhishen said: "Madame doesn't have to worry too much, the poor monk has made up his mind!" He also wanted to follow Qu Ping's side to see with his own eyes what kind of society the imperial court that he and his brothers had been bent on rebelling against would build now.

On the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Qu Ping led the people who came all the way from Japan to make the pilgrimage, took the official ship, and went all the way north to Beijing.

Ryujiro Sakagami looked at the picturesque scenery on both sides of the strait from the boat and exclaimed: "Shangguo is really an outstanding person, and only such a treasure land can give birth to heroes like generals!" ”

"The children of China are all heroes, and they are all brothers in the four seas." Qu Ping said.

Ryujiro Sakagami nodded and said, "Yes, my country of Japan lives next to the kingdom of Japan, and I hope that the eldest brother will help the younger brother more." ”

Three days later, the official ship arrived at Yingtian Wharf. The people of Honglu Temple had already received the news and came to greet the Japanese friends who came from afar with a will. Koroji Temple is home to talented people who are proficient in various international languages, and this time it was necessary to bring an interpreter who could speak Japanese. But they did it too much, Sakagami Ryujiro has admired Chinese culture for a long time, although the spoken language is a little ugly, but he can understand and speak clearly.

Honglu Siqing said: "General Qu, you have worked hard all the way. This must be Ryujiro Sakagami, the envoy of Japan's Hajj, right? Here, please, the emperor's holy car is already waiting to meet you in the Honglu Temple. ”

Sakagami Ryujiro said happily: "It's great that the emperor of your country will be able to meet the contemptible people so soon!" General Qu, you have worked hard all the way, do you also go to Honglu Temple, or do we have to leave it alone? ”

Honglu Siqing said with a smile: "On such an important occasion, how can General Qu be missing?" Let's go, please get on the sedan chair. ”

Qu Ping saw that the housekeeper Huang brought someone to carry the sedan chair, let Xiao Lu and Wu Zhishen go back to the house first, and went to the sedan chair of Honglu Temple to see the emperor.

The big red carpet in Honglu Temple was spread all the way to the main hall, and Zhao Gou had been waiting in the hall for a long time, and finally saw Honglu Temple Qing leading Qu Ping and the Japanese envoy into sight with large and small boxes. Zhao Gou walked down the hall two steps quickly, took Qu Ping's hand and said, "It's great that you're okay, Madame, right?" ”

"Emperor Xie is worried, and Madame, she is fine." Qu Ping knelt down and said, "Long live the emperor, long live, long live." ”

"Aiqing is calm down, no need to be polite." Zhao Gou looked at Ryujiro Sakagami and said, "This is the envoy from Japan, right?" ”

Ryujiro Sakagami knelt down on one knee and said, "Long live the emperor, long live!" The lower minister was the envoy of Japan who came to meet the emperor, Ryujiro Sakagami. ”

"Good! Excuse me! Sit! Zhao Gou sat on the dragon chair and let everyone sit down.

Ryujiro Sakagami sat down, got up again, and said, "On behalf of the Japanese lord, the subordinate would like to express his sincere apologies to General Qu and the suffering people, and hope that the emperor will forgive his sins." ”

Zhao Gou said: "Although you are not strict in the administration of education in Japan, and you are suspected of dereliction of responsibility, but no one is a saint or a sage, no matter how good the rice is, there are one or two grains of grain, what kind of crime do you have?" ”

"Thank you, Emperor!"

"Although Chongde Shunichi has been ambushed, the first evil is still in your Japan, and I hope that the lord of your country can properly handle this matter."

"We will definitely give the emperor a satisfactory explanation!" Ryujiro Sakagami said, "Since the Great Qin Xu Fu Dongdu Fusang spread culture and opened up Hongmeng, I have been blessed for a long time since the Han and Tang dynasties and the Song Dynasty. This time, the Japanese lord will revise another letter of national letters, carry forward the past and forge ahead into the future, respect the country, and hope that the emperor will give our country civilization and strength with the holy light that covers the sky. ”

Zhao Gou said: "Japan has been friends with China for generations, and I am the king, and I am the Great Song Dynasty to protect your country." Zhao Gou changed his words and said, "But your country is divided, the ministers are not ministers, the king cannot be the king, there are no rules, and some people with ill intentions have actually hit my Da Song Dynasty, and I deeply regret it!" ”

Ryujiro Sakagami felt a chill in his heart, the emperor would not kick the Japanese little brother away, if the emperor did not have the emperor's support, his reputation in the country would plummet, and it was possible to be destroyed at any time. Sakagami Ryujiro trembled and said: "Your Majesty, these few are just clowns who jump off the beam, and after the ministers return to China, they will definitely show the lord of the country and severely punish these clowns, so that they will never be able to turn over!" ”

"I'm afraid that you will be far away in the sky, duplicitous."

Sakagami Ryujiro shook his heart and said, "If His Majesty the Emperor has any doubts, he can send 5,000 elite soldiers to help my lord exterminate the rebel party!" ”

Zhao Gou said: "Five thousand elite soldiers are used for a ball!?" ”

"The emperor doesn't know that my Japan is sparsely populated, not as good as the Celestial Empire. In Japan, if one of the forces has one or two thousand soldiers and horses, it can claim hegemony, but our Japanese lord only has 50,000 soldiers and horses, and he has to be stationed everywhere. ”

Zhao Gou and Qu Ping glanced at each other and felt that what they said made sense. Qu Ping said: "Did you say this yourself, or can it represent the meaning of your lord?" ”

"It's not a secret, now there are many imperial powers in Japan, and some emperors have begun to disrespect our lord as the emperor," Sakagami Ryujiro said here and secretly glanced at Zhao Gou, for fear that the word emperor would anger Emperor Zhao Gou, but fortunately, Zhao Gou didn't take this false title seriously at all, he continued, "My lord feels that the danger is lurking, in order to maintain the legitimacy and uniqueness of the imperial power, secretly explain to his subordinates, as a last resort, you can borrow troops from your country." ”

Zhao Gou said faintly: "Although my Great Song Dynasty has strong troops and advanced weapons and equipment, but on the one hand, I still have to guard against various forces in the north, and I still deeply regret sending troops like this who can't see the future clearly!" ”

Ryujiro Sakagami said: "If your country can help my lord unify the four islands, my lord would like to respect you as his king, and Japan will be a vassal state of China from now on." ”

Zhao Gou worried: "Japan is far away, and I don't covet your barren land, what's the use of asking you to be a vassal country, and if I help you and others unify the four islands, you will turn to destroy my soldiers and horses, and I will have to send troops across the ocean, which is really too dangerous and too small." Zhao Gou had already exchanged eyes with Qu Ping, and he understood that he had to eat a big bite.

Seeing that Zhao Gou was already a little tempted, Sakagami Ryujiro took out a fold from his arms and said: "Your Majesty the Emperor, my lord has long considered that the kingdom will have concerns, and has written a letter of state, asking the kingdom to accept Japan as a vassal country, and from then on, Japan will make pilgrimages every year and pay tribute every year. ”

Qu Ping saw that Ryukjiro Sakagami had made a poisonous oath, and knew that he would accept it when he saw it, and said: "Your Majesty, the Ryukyu Kingdom can be a subject country, and Japan can also be a subject country. ”

Ryujiro Sakagami glanced at Qu Ping gratefully, and said in his heart that Lord Qu was really a good person.

Zhao Gou pondered a little and said: "Since your lord has repaired the national letter and made a grand vow, I will shirk it again, it will be a little unkind. Well, present the credentials, and if it is as you say, I will sign and seal it, and from then on the two countries will share weal and woe, for one family! ”

The emperor's inner servant is still Shao Chengzhang, he took Sakagami Ryujiro's two copies of the national letter and presented it to the emperor, Zhao Gou read it carefully, as Sakagami Ryujiro said, he called to bring a big seal, the golden pen waved and signed, stamped the seal uprightly, handed a copy to Sakagami Ryujiro, breathed a sigh of relief, and said: "Okay, the national letter has been completed, and the Great Song Dynasty and you Japan each hold a copy and keep it as a historical witness." Japan and the Ryukyus coexist in the East China Sea, and you must live in peace in the future, and you must not cause trouble and cause murder. ”

Ryujiro Sakagami led all his men to kneel on their knees and said, "Long live the emperor, long live, long live!" ”

"Flat!" Zhao Gou waved his long sleeves.

"The emperor, the ministers brought some meager tribute from Japan, and I hope the emperor will accept it with a smile." Ryujiro Sakagami ordered people to bring the gifts in, and reported the names one by one, "shark fins, whale baleen , coral, ten carcass knives...... and some other items, although they are treasures in Japan, they are not worth mentioning at all in the Great Song Dynasty.

Zhao Gou didn't bother to listen to him read those unsightly things, and quipped: "Isn't the gift of the former palace in Japan also includes beautiful women?" ”

Sakagami Ryujiro complained bitterly in his heart, he really didn't open which pot to mention, he stubbornly said: "The country has hosted a ten beauty festival, and many beauties have been captured by various forces, and the next time the ministers will definitely bring hundreds of beauties over to present to the emperor." ”

Qu Ping said: "The emperor is joking with you, my Great Song Dynasty has beautiful landscapes and beautiful women, what do you Japanese women do!" ”

Zhao Gou said: "Haha, I still know my heart." Sakagami-kun, go back and tell your lord not to do any more Ten Beauty Festivals. Although women are not good at marching and fighting, they are also an integral part of the family, and without women there are no descendants, and women must not be regarded as objects! ”

"The emperor is indeed a sage in the world, and his subordinates will definitely tell the lord of the country." Ryujiro Sakagami said, "In addition, there is a nest of Japanese green pheasant chicks to offer. ”

Zhao Gou looked at the nest of green pheasants, and there was nothing special, and said, "Is this a bird or a chicken?" ”

"The green pheasant is a bird that is not good at flying, but it is good at running, it can also glide with the help of the wind, and it likes to eat fruits and seeds. In winter, because of the thick blood accumulation on the mountain, the green pheasant can't find stones to eat, so it will eat charcoal, also called charcoal chicken. ”

Zhao Gou smiled: "What an interesting chicken." Thank you for your kindness. Qu Aiqing, you also take two back, and in a year, we will compare the monarchs and ministers to see if Wu Guifei is well raised, or you Mrs. Qu is well raised. ”