"What's up to the trust? Let you meet the envoy from the Southern Dynasty and ask what Kaifeng is making trouble? ”

"As for trade, you can just let the people below talk about it."

This is the response that Yelu Huaiqing received after making a guarantee.

See and ask......

Two days ago, I heard that in a few years, the first envoy team from the Southern Dynasty arrived, and he was also Han Gang's henchman, and the famous Zongzhuangyuan was the chief envoy, Yelu Huaiqing wanted to see it.

However, because the Song and Liao countries have now cut off diplomatic exchanges between the two countries, Yelu Huaiqing could not find the name to meet the Zong Zhuangyuan, who was said to be both civil and military, and was regarded as the heir by Han Gang. Thankfully, I now have my grandfather's permission.

According to the public statement, the visit of the Song envoys to Daliao this time was to resolve the intensifying conflicts on the border between the two countries, as well as the increasing number of fugitives who crossed the border to seek asylum.

In the old days, there was an alliance between Song and Liao, and there was a fairly clear way to deal with fugitives and border disputes between the two countries - neither of them would accept the fugitives of the other party, and at the same time, depending on the severity of the situation, the border states and even the court would negotiate and resolve the disputes.

However, since the entry of the Liao State into the Kou, until Yelu Yixin usurped the throne, and the Song and Liao broke off diplomatic relations, although the border was in full swing, the hostility and antagonism between the two official authorities became more and more strict.

Criminals, fugitives, and traitors from the other side crossed the border and fled into the country and were never to be returned. Boundary pillars were destroyed and patrols were burned tenfold more than in the past. There are several or even a dozen clashes between border garrisons and civilians every month.

These conflicts are often triggered by trivial things, and finally turn into chaos.

One of last year's most severe clashes was initially caused by a wheat field on the edge of Baozhou being trampled and eaten by an exodus of the Liao State. First quarrels and fights between the landlords and cattle owners, then a group fight between the people of the villages on both sides, with bows and arrows, knives and guns, and muskets, the scale of the conflict inevitably increased, and finally the conflict ended in a confrontation between the Janissary Army and the Leather Army, which numbered in more than 3,000 men. If it weren't for the restraint of the commanders on the border between the two sides, even the shells were sent into the barrels, and a war would have almost started.

This is indeed a big problem, but it is not enough to let the Southern Dynasty let go of its reserve, let the ministers of the political hall put down their reputation, and restart official contacts with the traitors who killed the monarch and usurped the throne.

But for the sake of money, especially when it comes to a lot of money worth tens of millions of dollars.

Yelu Huaiqing has been secretly informed that Zong Ze's trip is actually to coordinate the trade between the two sides, ensure the stable development of the field, and bring more benefits to both sides - the Emperor of the Great Liao, the Prime Minister of the Great Song Dynasty, and countless dignitaries and nobles in the two countries have not known how much benefit they have received in the border trade, and they are all very much looking forward to it.

And Zong Ze's more secret mission should be for his grandfather's whereabouts. Now that the imperial tent is stationed in Nanjing Road, gathering thousands of troops here, it is impossible not to cause the Song people to panic about the war. No matter how you think about it, the two governments of the Southern Dynasties should also send people to resolve the crisis of the war.

However, in Yelu Huaiqing's view, Zong Ze's real purpose is also the most secret and undisclosed task he shoulders, and it is still a loss of sincerity.

Now the prime ministers of the Southern Dynasties and the central government who control the situation of the DPRK cannot have the spare energy to distract from side affairs. Han Gang and Zhang Dian are handsome and talented, and they can both lead the army.

But both of them must be afraid that after they leave Beijing, the other party will be in charge of the court alone, so neither of them dares to leave Beijing; On the other hand, they will be worried that after the other party leads the army to go out, they will follow the example of the Southern Dynasty Taizu Huang Pao and return to Beijing, so they dare not let the other party lead the army out.

According to Nature, this situation should be called a paradox.

Caught in a paradox, the two prime ministers contain each other, and there is no prime minister-level big man on the Hebei Road, how can they resist the millions of elites from Daliao? Even if there is a famous general such as Guo Kui, he is afraid that he will not dare to wade into troubled waters, lest he just resist the enemy in front and be stabbed by his own family in the back.

The court of the Southern Dynasty has been in chaos, although there is no chaos for a while, but the people's hearts are in chaos.

The queen mother was seriously ill and ignored political affairs, the emperor was imprisoned in the palace, and none of the courtiers dared to seek the throne, and Han Gang, the initiator, did not dare, so he had to gather the ministers together to strengthen each other's courage.

A few days ago, when Yelu Huaiqing was discussing this matter with a group of people around him, one of them said harshly, but he was in the middle of the story: a group of dogs together can't do what a tiger can do.

However, the champion of the sect who appeared in front of him didn't look like a member of the pack of dogs.

"Zong Zhuangyuan?"

"Zong Ze to meet His Highness."

Zong Ze saluted Yelu Huaiqing in accordance with the etiquette of meeting the prince, and after getting up, he carefully looked at the young King Qi as carefully as possible without being noticed.

According to the news that Zong Ze got, the young man in front of him is now deeply loved by the Liao Lord, and he is always with him, and he is still close to other descendants.

According to the information transmitted back by the minasters, if the crown prince of Liao died, Yelu Yixin would probably directly make him the crown grandson, rather than let other sons inherit him.

But the rumored puppet monarch of the next generation of Liao State, Zong Ze's first impression was that he was young, competitive, and lacking in the city.

After Zong Ze saluted, Yelu Huaiqing did not return the salute immediately, but asked mockingly: "Why does the champion call me His Highness?" I still remember that the Southern Dynasty did not regard the emperor's grandfather as the king of the Great Liao. ”

Of course, Zong Ze is also equally competitive, when he goes to a foreign country, only his momentum and mouth cannot lose, "Whoever rapes and harms the master, there is no reason in the world for him to enjoy the master's property." On the shore of the abyss, Song Liao is about the state of brothers, since then there is no day to pass the day, the festival celebrates the birthday, sets the generous gift to congratulate each other, or hears the murderous letter, will send the envoy to hang. Now the emperor of Liao has been usurped by the ministers, and there is no lineage. The Great Song Dynasty can't save the orphans, it's already a mistake, let alone recognize the thief as a relative? ”

Zong Ze's words had just begun, Yelu Huaiqing had already changed color, and when he heard the words 'recognize the thief as a relative', Yelu Huaiqing's face was like the bottom of the pot, and the entourage next to him was even more angry and bold, and pulled out the saber.

Zong Ze was not afraid, and sneered, "Since Grandfather Ling has made it, do you want people to say it?" Even if you can clamp the mouth of the Liao Kingdom, you want to block the mouths of hundreds of millions of people in the Great Song Dynasty, but you don't want to! ”

Yelu Huaiqing was not angry, Zong Ze scolded sarcastically, but did not respond to the question of why he bowed his head to the traitor and thief. Motioning to the guards to put away their sabers, he also sneered, "If that is the case, the champion should not come." ”

For this problem, whether it is Zong Ze or the Zaifu who sent him, they have all been prepared.

"The people are the most important, the community is secondary, and the monarch is light. Zong Ze came for the people, and the king did the work, and put it in the back of his mind. ”

It is impossible to agree with Yelu Yixin's usurpation, but admitting the four words of reality, the Zaifu will not forget jì, as long as they find a good excuse, but the traitors who usurp the throne can still deal with them.

Yelu Huaiqing quietly stared at the righteous and stern Zong Ze for a few seconds, and he had no intention of continuing to debate. Even if you take out the matter of Zhao Kuangyin bullying the orphans and widows of the Chai family, the champion of the Southern Dynasty must still have a set of words to justify - the north and the south have scolded each other over the years, and they have scolded everything, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi have such good materials, of course the Liao side will not be useless, but Da Liao, who has always used weapons to deal with criticism, is really not good at lip service.

At the first meeting between the two, the hard-line Zong Ze did not leave a good impression on Yelu Huaiqing, and even broke up unhappily. If it weren't for Zong Ze's status as an envoy, Yelu Huaiqing would even be able to make him unable to see the sun the next day.

However, this meeting made Yelu Huaiqing realize that his previous guess seemed to be a little too underestimating the Southern Dynasty. And when he returned to his grandfather's royal tent, he confirmed this.

The Southern Dynasties had raised troops to the north and sent a large army from Kaifeng Prefecture to support Hebei. From this point of view, the prime ministers of the Southern Dynasties still had some confidence in their control of the state and the army.

In the next few days, Yelu Huaiqing met with Zong Ze twice. Although the atmosphere was not as sinister as the first time, it was also as cold as ice, and Zong Ze did not touch on any current military topics except for the conflict on the border and the trade between the two countries.

And the news of the Song army going north has also been coming in the past few days.

There were already rumors on the Nanjing Road that the Song people had reorganized 200,000 soldiers and horses and transported them to the border by rail, preparing to fight to the death in Daliao.

Although this is nonsense, it is the most widely spread.

After years of stable and comfortable life, many Khitan nobles were terrified of the war between the north and the south, and the fear of war finally became a number in rumors.

The number of Song troops has also become the most critical point in the court debate.

"Fobao, how many Jingying will you say will be sent to Hebei?"

When I met Jeruethin again, I was suddenly asked this question. Yelu Huaiqing secretly called it a fluke, this issue, fortunately, he had discussed it with others before.

"My grandson heard that the Southern Dynasty's Jingying Forbidden Army was about 200,000." Seeing that his grandfather raised his eyebrows, Yelu Huaiqing hurriedly added, "-It is also said that it is 150,000 or 60,000, or 300,000, but the news from the Southern Dynasty over the years, as well as the total number of rewards given to the armies during the Southern Dynasty ceremony, should be around 200,000. ”

Yelu Yixin didn't judge whether it was right or wrong, but nodded lightly and motioned for his grandson to continue.

Yelu Huaiqing seemed to have passed a pass, and hurriedly continued: "Excluding the lower battalion leaders who are not able to be dispatched, as well as the vacancies in each army, the actual number of combatable soldiers should be in the early 100,000s, no more than 1230,000. If you want to ensure the stability of the Beijing division, and at the same time guard against the leading generals to follow Kuang Yin's old wisdom, you can't mobilize too many soldiers and horses among the more than 100,000. Therefore, Sun Er felt that the Song army that entered Hebei this time would not exceed 50,000, but probably around 30,000. ”

Yelu Yixin nodded again, and then asked, "What if you add the Western Army?" ”

Yelu Huaiqing is also prepared for this question, not in a hurry, "The Western Army is the most critical. If there is, the Song people should be ready to fight me. If not, then the northern aid to Hebei is just to give people courage. ”

After the fall of Western Xia, the main forces of the Western Army of the Southern Dynasty withdrew from both sides of Hengshan. Not counting the soldiers and horses who supported the Western Regions and the Northern Courts, nor the men and horses who were withdrawn after the war and moved to Hedong.

The rest of the Western Army, one was stationed in Xihe and Ganliang, one was stationed in Ningxia, and the rest crossed the Yellow River and was stationed in Hejian Fuzhong under Zhongtiao Mountain. As long as Kaifeng gives an order, they can go up the Daipu Railway, arrive at Taiyuan in two days, and then enter Daizhou in two days, and within ten days, tens of thousands of elite Western Army will be able to reach Yanmen Pass, and then enter Xijing Road.

If the Song people were really preparing for battle, the Western Army would definitely be stationed in Hedong, but there was no news from Xijing Road yet.

Yelu Yixin nodded for the third time and asked, "Do you think there is or not?" ”

Yelu Huaiqing hesitated for a moment, and said, "Judging from the dealings between Sun Er and Zong Ze, Zong Ze came to the north, and there are indeed only two tasks, one is for side affairs, and the other is for trade. It's not that I'm afraid of my Da Liao's soldiers. The previous speculation was too optimistic. ”

"Because Xiang isn't dead yet." Leaning back on the soft couch, Yelu Yixin whispered.

Yelu Huaiqing didn't react for a while, and looked at his grandfather stupidly, "Huh? ”

Yelu Yixin said: "Because the Empress Dowager of Song is still alive, when she dies, Zhang Dian Hangang will not dare to play like this." ”

As long as the Queen Mother still has a breath, Zhang Dian and Han Gang still have a sharp weapon to subdue the ministers, and when the Queen Mother Xiang is gone, they will have to rely on themselves.

"The Xiang family is not dead, the Song Kingdom is not chaotic, Da Liao has no chance to take advantage of it, when will she die." Yelu Yixin sat up straight and solemnly admonished his grandson, "Remember, that will be the last chance for Da Liao." ”

"As for now." Yelu Yixin glanced at his grandson who nodded stupidly, "Let's be perfunctory with them first." ”