In the twentieth year of the Yuan Dynasty (the third year of Xingyan), it was really a year of many disasters and difficulties for Mengyuan.

In this year, a coup d'état took place in Dadu, and when Namuhan, the king of Bei'an, entered Dadu, he was assassinated. But soon the courtiers found out that it was just a stand-in for Na Muhan, but the real body was Kaiping on Shangdu. This assassination incident has completely detonated contradictions, and a peaceful transition of political power is no longer possible, so we can only resort to force.

Subsequently, Namuhan led an army of 30,000 cavalry to attack Dadu. At the same time, the 100,000 Mongol troops of the Mongol Yuan guarding Gyeonggi also marched north under the leadership of Yuxi Timur. Half a month later, the two armies met at the foot of Juyang Mountain in Yunzhou, and a great battle broke out.

In the seizure of power, in order to relieve his worries, Namuhan had to reach an agreement with Haidu and Naiyan to give up huge benefits. As a result, he lost a considerable part of the support of the ministers of the DPRK and China, and this is why the assassination occurred. While losing points politically, his military strength was far inferior to that of his broad troops. Finally, his opponent Yuxi Timur was also a relatively outstanding civil and military all-round figure in the late period of Kublai Khan's dynasty.

With the above reasons, Namuhan's failure was expected.

The defeat of Namuhan did not bring the stability and peace it wanted to the Mengyuan Empire, and Haidu and Naiyan, who seized the opportunity, launched attacks in the west and north respectively.

Yuxi Timur, Tutuha and other two famous generals of the Mongol Yuan sent troops respectively to withstand the onslaught of the Chagatai Khanate and the Northwest Sect King. However, in order to stabilize the situation and gain his own interests in the new dynasty, Yuxi Timur could not stay on the battlefield for a long time, and he had to rush back to Dadu as soon as possible.

In May, Kuokuo ascended the throne, that is, the late emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. With Atahai as the left prime minister, Yuxi Timur as the right prime minister. The first thing the new emperor did when he ascended the throne was to negotiate peace with the Song on the condition of returning the former capital of the Song Dynasty, Tokyo, and the entire vast area south of Bianliang Road.

This condition may sound humiliating and the loss of a large amount of territory, but in reality it is not. If Mengyuan and the Great Song Dynasty were still bounded by the Yangtze River at this time, and they dared to issue such an edict, I am afraid that they would have been ousted from power in the morning and afternoon.

In fact, the Great Song Dynasty had taken advantage of the internal strife in the Mengyuan Dynasty to reorganize the army of 80,000 people, and once again went north, crossed the Yangtze River, and marched all the way north, and had already advanced the battle line to Huaibei. At this time, the Song army's selection of the vanguard army has appeared in Yuncheng, which is the south gate of Bianliang Road.

Meng Yuan was overwhelmed by Haidu and Naiyan at this time, and he couldn't distinguish the elite troops to go south to block the Song army, so he could only rely on the two Huai Han armies and the new annex army to resist. At this time, the new annexed army did not dare to fight against the Song army at all, and either opened the door to welcome the surrender, or fled from the wind, and could not count on it at all. The Han army was basically an infantry army, and the musket array of the Song army was completely a one-sided massacre.

The two-front battle was really not something that Meng Yuan could afford at this time, and in desperation, Meng Yuan had no choice but to cede land and sue for peace.

In August, Yuxi Timur, the right minister of the Mengyuan Dynasty, and Wen Tianxiang, the right minister of the Great Song Dynasty, signed an armistice treaty between the two countries in Xiangcheng, a subordinate city on Bianliang Road.

This is the second time Wen Tianxiang has made peace with Meng Yuan, the last time was outside Lin'an City, he entered the enemy camp and signed an alliance under the city, but Meng Yuan didn't even agree to such a shameful treaty, and directly imprisoned him. And this time, it was in Gyeonggi, the former capital of the Great Song Dynasty, that an armistice treaty was signed—yes, just an armistice, not peace, not a friendly country, and not a brotherly alliance. The armistice was scheduled for three years, with non-aggression for three years, after which hostilities would resume.

This is the condition set by Zhao Lie, the lord of Song. Agree, just let you take a breath; refused, so he took the old capital with a knife and gun.

At this time, did the Mengyuan court still have the confidence to refuse? Of course not! Exchanging three years of respite for all the way is the only choice at the moment.

When Wen Tianxiang picked up this treaty, and then looked at the ugly face of Yuxi Timur on the other side, he was full of emotion. At this time, he only echoed in his mind the sentence that the official said to the officials in the hall, "A weak country has no diplomacy", and he believed it!

Next, the Song and Yuan armistice and each played its own game. The Great Song Dynasty wanted to digest and absorb the huge gains of the Northern Expedition, and even more advanced into the old capital, which was something that the Song Dynasty had dreamed of for more than 100 years. Again, although Meng Yuan was consumed a lot by internal strife and foreign wars, he was still alive and couldn't be persecuted too much. The dog is in a hurry to jump off the wall, not to mention this steppe wolf. Cut the flesh with a soft knife and bleed slowly, and one day it will be drained......

Without the pressure from the south, Meng Yuan concentrated all his strength and continued to fight to the death with Haidu and Naiyan, who were like maggots attached to the bones - this is Meng Yuan's old enemy, born with conflicting attributes, unable to reconcile, and can only fight to the death until one side is completely defeated.

……

In August of the sixth year of Xingyan of the Great Song Dynasty, the armistice between the Song and Yuan dynasties expired, and the Great Song Dynasty ignored the request sent by Meng Yuan to renew the treaty, but issued a conscription order to prepare for war and restart the Northern Expedition.

At this time, Meng Yuan and the khanates and the Northwest Sect King fought hard for three years, suffered heavy losses, and encountered successive disasters, the people's livelihood withered, the national strength was exhausted, the grassland lion was now unprecedentedly weak, and the Great Song Dynasty took advantage of the sea trade in three years, accumulated millions of grains, expanded the army by 100,000, more than half of the army was equipped with firearms, the peak of the army, and the former dynasty - this Central Plains tiger has already sharpened its minions, looking north and roaring, and there is no suspense about the outcome of this war.

The Imperial City of Tokyo, Buntokuden, is where the emperor stayed and rested before and after retreating.

At this time, the first day of the month has just ended, Zhao Lie, who has been listening to the government for a whole day, stands in front of the Que Tower with his hands in his hands, looking at the sky like a fiery cloud, and the red golden fiery cloud reflects his heroic side face and a seven-treasure golden dragon robe like a flame, which makes people dare not force to look.

Ten steps behind him, Ding Xiaoyi, who was wearing a pure white collar and a silver helmet and silver armor, stood quietly with his head down. The long wind blew, and the bright red tassels on the top of the helmet trembled sharply, just like her heart at the moment.

Zhao Lie's thick voice echoed in the Que Tower: "Have you thought about it, are you sure you want to participate in the Northern Expedition?" ”

Ding Xiaoyi's breasts were straightened, and the nail leaves were sonorous: "Yes, I thought about it - I want to be a female general who has never been seen before!" ”

"Female generals, there are still a few in the past dynasties." Zhao Lie turned around and looked at her with a smile and a bright light armor, "Moreover, aren't you already a female general now?" ”

Ding Xiaoyi hurriedly raised his requirements when he heard this: "Then I will be a female marshal who has no one to come after and has the most military achievements." ”

Zhao Lie raised his head and laughed: "Hahaha...... If you want to be a female marshal, you can't just lay down most of the capital......"

Ding Xiaoyi's chin was raised: "Then I'll hit the Mobei grassland!" Hit the ancestral land and forest of the Mongols! ”

Zhao Lie looked at Ding Xiaoyi, who was high-spirited, and he was not without envy, he also wanted to seal the wolf Juxu and Yan Ran, but unfortunately, he was already the emperor, and it was difficult to participate in the war again. He nodded lightly: "Okay, if this is the goal of your life that you are pursuing, then I will have the authority to block the criticism of the court for you." ”

Ding Xiaoyi understands that although she fought on the battlefield and made meritorious deeds that are completely worthy of this armor, as a woman, she is in a high position in the army, and all kinds of criticism in the court have never stopped, which has brought pressure to Zhao Lie......

Her heart trembled, her silver teeth bit lightly, and she said softly: "Your Majesty......"

Zhao Lie looked at Ding Xiaoyi deeply: "Maybe when you return to the dynasty in triumph, you will still have time to participate in my wedding." ”

Ding Xiaoyi sighed, buzzed, and his whole head was a little confused - yes, His Majesty has already reached the year of the big wedding, and over the years, the inner court and the outer court have urged me many times, and he has repeatedly delayed it with state affairs. And now, it can't be dragged on......

In a trance, Zhao Lie's faint voice that seemed to be far and near floated in his ears: "I have never forgotten the girl who fished me out of the floating corpse in the sea of blood with a bamboo pole; I have never forgotten the days when we walked side by side through thick and thin. I want my queen to know me well, not to pick one out of a thousand strange faces...... So, Xiaoyi, you have one more choice. ”

As the two eunuchs brought a bronze case covered with red silk, at the signal of Zhao Lie, Ding Xiaoyi gently lifted the red silk, and suddenly there was a burst of jewels, dazzling flowers - what appeared in front of him was a golden hood at the level of the capital control; The other is a phoenix and cloud crown that can only be worn by an imperial concubine......

Ding Xiaoyi lowered his eyes, his fan-like eyelashes trembling in the wind, and his slender fingertips slid back and forth between the golden hood and the phoenix crown, wandering.

What choice should she make?

(End of book)

。 Nine Heavenly God Emperors