In the side hall of Jinxiang Palace, Guo Shao sat on the throne on the pedestal, and there was only the eunuch Cao Tai by his side. There is also a small-eyed old minister Wang Pu standing below.

The envoy of the Northern Han Kingdom was brought here after a while. At this time, there were few people in the palace, and it was not a formal etiquette to receive foreign envoys, but only a private summons by the Great Zhou Emperor.

Guo Shao, the origin of this person, already knew in advance that it was a member of the Privy Council of the Northern Han Kingdom, called Li Xin. Guo Shao sat in a high position, and he knew the people who came in at a glance. A middle-aged man with steady steps and vertical lines between his eyebrows, he looks calm...... But such a person will always give people a heavy feeling of being preoccupied and heavier.

Li Xin bowed, but did not kneel. Guo Shao didn't care, because the lord of the Northern Han Dynasty also claimed to be the emperor, and the other party recognized his own emperor, not the emperor of the Great Zhou; If you want to talk about the heavens and the sun, there should be only one emperor in the world, then there is no need to talk about other things, and disputes will start on this ritual alone.

Wang Pu looked sideways slightly, but he didn't say anything.

"In Xia Li Xin, I will meet the lord of the Great Zhou." Li Xindao.

The title made Guo Shao very unhappy, and the signs of disharmony between the two countries were very obvious. But Guo Shao was too lazy to bother with this kind of thing, so he avoided greetings and said directly: "I heard that there is a general in the Northern Han Dynasty named Yang Ye, known as 'Yang Invincible', who is a fierce general of the Northern Han Dynasty. Has Envoy Li heard of it? ”

Li Xin said calmly: "I am a minister of the Han Dynasty (Northern Han), and I know the generals of this dynasty. I am like a cloud, and General Yang is one of them. ”

Guo Shao couldn't help but smile: "The difference between the strength and weakness of the Great Zhou and the Northern Han Kingdom is too obvious, there is no need to talk about it, everyone in the world knows it." Let's not talk about the fierce generals of the Northern Han Kingdom, let's talk about Yang Ye, he has a brother called what......"

Wang Pu replied: "His name is Yang Chongxun, and he is now a defense envoy of our dynasty." This person returned to the Great Zhou for the second time in the fourth year of Xiande, and I was still named a defense envoy regardless of the previous suspicions. ”

Guo Shaodao: "By the way, Yang Ye is the general of the Northern Han Kingdom. But the brothers went back and forth, and finally returned to Da Zhou. What did the envoy Li think, what did the Yang family mean? ”

Li Xin was speechless, thinking about how to answer.

Guo Shao said: "I summoned the envoy here, and there was nothing irrelevant next to me, and I also avoided those face-saving ceremonial battles. The words of my and Li envoys are all straightforward. Yang Chongxun stayed in Da Zhou, and it was the Yang family who bet on a treasure here; The so-called pile of eggs cannot be put in one basket. What is the situation between the two countries now, why should we hide our ears and steal the bell? Everyone is trying to retreat, what does Envoy Li think? ”

Li Xindao: "I don't want to speak falsely about my colleagues, and I don't agree with the judgment of the lord of the Great Zhou. ”

Guo Shao listened to his words not very fiercely, and persuaded with good words: "The Northern Han Kingdom is now a broken ship that leaks everywhere, what is Li Yuanjun still doing on that ship?" Why don't you prepare as soon as possible, wouldn't it be wise to invest in Da Zhou now? ”

Li Xin hugged his fists and said: "I am a minister of the Han Dynasty, and now as an envoy of diplomatic relations between the two countries, I only finally monarch and abide by my duty, and I hope that the monarchs and ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty can treat each other with the courtesy of envoys." ”

After hearing this, Guo Shao no longer persuaded him, but said: "Everyone has their own ambitions, and I will not force them." However, the officials and people of the Great Zhou and the Northern Han Dynasty were all people of the same clan and clan, and the enemies were the monarchs of the two countries, the Guo family and the Liu family; There is no hatred between the subjects of the two countries, what kind of enmity can their own people have that cannot be resolved?

After you go back, talk to your colleagues who have a good relationship with you a little, and when the Great Zhou army invades Jinyang, you will leave some affection, or contact you, I have the name of benevolence and righteousness, and I will treat you well. ”

Li Xin said: "I can't obey my fate. In the next trip, it was for the Great Zhou faction to assassinate the people in the national capital a while ago. ”

"I shouldn't talk to you about this." Guo Shao said, "With the grade of the envoy Li, the officials of the guest envoy will consult with you. You can talk to the courtiers, and you can also take advantage of this to see if the two countries can negotiate peace. ”

Wang Pu said: "The Great Zhou Emperor can personally summon the envoy Li in the midst of every opportunity, and he already values you very much. ”

Li Xin immediately politely clenched his fists and bowed: "I will say goodbye." ”

After Li Xin left, Guo Shao also got up and left the side hall, and went to the room where Pingsu met with the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs with Wang Pu. There was no etiquette to delay the meeting with the envoys, and they spoke, and the sun had just risen.

As far as the place is concerned, the important figures of the Privy Council, the Government Hall, the Front Division, and the Guards Ma Bu Division are already waiting there. Guo Shao is different here, his position is not in a very high place, and he deliberately does not let the people below see him; In this palace, although Guo Shao sits on the top position, there is no difference between him and everyone, and he currently has to maintain a relatively close and trusting relationship with important ministers.

Everyone stopped communicating with each other and got up to bow first.

After Guo Shao took his seat, he beckoned them to get up and sit down, and said directly: "That Li Xin, I can't find a relationship to win him over for a while." He didn't seem willing to risk such a thing as opening the gates, so he had no choice but to give up. It is said that Yang Ye is a general of the Northern Han Kingdom, can you ask his younger brother to deliver a letter? ”

Wang Pu said: "The Northern Han Kingdom must be on guard, and the chance is probably very small." However, the old minister can secretly send people to meet Yang Chongxun and ask him. ”

Guo Shao turned his head to look at the general, and his gaze stayed on Li Chuyun's face. His daughter has just been crowned a concubine, and she is a general of the forbidden army...... But he has become more humble, and has been very low-key and silent lately.

Li Chuyun noticed Guo Shao's signal, and hurriedly hugged his fists and said: "The Northern Han Kingdom has few soldiers, and the battle of Gaoping and the battle of Jinyang have greatly damaged its vitality, and now there is no suspense about the victory or defeat in a head-on battle with it; The difficulty is indeed in Jinyang City. This city is a strong city, easy to defend and difficult to attack, if the Great Zhou can seek internal response, this battle will be won. ”

"That's what I thought too." Guo Shao said, "But how did you find this internal response?" ”

Everyone looked at each other, and no one could do anything.

Guo Shaoxin said: If there is a group of high-quality "spies", like in the period of modern warfare, they can win the uprising and surrender of important figures of the enemy...... As long as there is one who can open the city gate, this war in the Northern Han Kingdom is really like a treasure trove.

Only then did Guo Shao concretely realize that the role of the spy organization at the critical moment is indeed great!

For a while, his mind recalled the scene of Chai Rong's army besieging Jinyang City a few years ago, and the tragic casualties on the city wall. A key meticulous work can reduce the loss of human life and the consumption of national strength.

Guo Shao glanced at Wang Pu, but didn't say anything about it for the time being. The affairs of the "Bing Cao Division" were also confidential within the imperial court, and the political affairs hall and the military generals were not involved, so he decided to talk to Wang Pu and Jingniang about this matter later. You have to carefully arrange a long-term undercover plan, and a scout for short-term spying on the specific situation.

"How to attack Jinyang City, you must be prepared first." Guo Shao opened his mouth and spoke, "If you have any good ideas, you can write and say things." ”