Two days after leaving Zhuozhou, the mission arrived at the destination Yanjing, no one noticed that there were two people missing from the mission - Luo Sheer and Li Cheng, the reason for choosing Li Cheng to accompany him is very simple, in addition to Wu Yong, he is also a native of Bazhou, just on the border of Song and Liao, the language is the same, and the customs are also very familiar, so it is suitable for him to go with Luo Sheer.

Looking at the towering Yanjing South Gate Tower, Zhou Ping, who had revisited the old place, couldn't help but feel a little emotional, this majestic city that has been looking at the north for more than a hundred years is about to become the enemy's spoils, and the only thing that cannot be determined is whether it is the Jurchen warriors from the White Mountain and Heishui who come in from the city gate or the Han family from the Central Plains.

"Juncheng, what are you thinking?" There was a voice behind him, and in order to avoid attracting attention, he did not dress as a monk, but wore a straight dress, a fur hat on his head, and looked like an ordinary attendant.

"Nothing!" Zhou Ping sighed and said, "I just think that I don't know what the scene is on the day the city of Yanjing City is broken!" ”

At this time, the group had already entered, and the road was full of pedestrians and shops selling business, although it was not as prosperous and rich as Bianjing, but it was a different scene from what had been seen on the road in the past few days. Zhishan saw it in his eyes, listened to Zhou Fangcai's words, and couldn't help but feel a sigh in his heart, he was originally a compassionate character, otherwise he would not be willing to take a big risk to run outside the plug, since he couldn't speak with a conscience, he sighed after a long time: "This Youzhou City returned to my Great Song Dynasty territory, two hundred years of flesh and blood have been restored, even if there is a little damage, it is better than falling into the hands of the Jin people, poisoned by the Jurchen!" ”

"Hmm!" Zhou Ping nodded. The best reply seemed to inject a force into his heart, and he kicked the horse in the belly and drove his mount forward.

The agenda of the first few days of the mission in Yanjing City was filled with a series of banquets and etiquette, and the relationship between the Liao and Song dynasties for more than a hundred years has already formed a very complicated set of explicit and unspoken rules. At this time, he was surprised to find that the unkind monk was no less than the envoy Zhao Zong on these occasions. Zhou Ping had to spend his greatest energy on exemplifying them to avoid making any jokes, so that three days had passed, and he had not yet found a chance to be alone with Li Chuwen. Helpless, Zhou Ping had no choice but to come up with a strategy prepared before departure. to inform Zhao Zong. Ask them to do the same. When Xiao Huaidan came the next day, Zhao Zong said to the other party seriously: "Xiao Xianggong, our family has an important matter, and we have to bother you to take it and hand it over!" As he spoke, Zhou Ping took out a piece of paper and handed it to Xiao Huaidan.

"Dare to ask. But what is it? Does it matter? Xiao Huaidan took the paperwork. But he chuckled in his heart, he naturally knew that the Southern Dynasty mission had bad intentions, but the situation was stronger than people. The important task of him, the "receptionist", is not to cause trouble, and at this time, when he saw Zhao Zong taking out the documents for no reason, he was afraid that he would provoke something else.

"It's really important!" Zhao Zong said with a smile: "The day after tomorrow is the anniversary of my pilgrimage to the Empress Dowager Ciqin Chen, and this envoy wants to borrow a large temple to set up a memorial sacrifice. The two dynasties have communicated with envoys, and such important events of mutual celebration and mourning should be notified to your dynasty and sent people to accompany the sacrifice, which is the way of good neighborliness. Ask the three of you to bring it to the king of your house. ”

"I see!" Xiao Huaidan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, and hurriedly smiled: "The taboo of the mother of the country of your dynasty, such a ceremony, this dynasty should be courteous, how dare you make a mistake?" After the official returned, he told my emperor! In order not to give the Song delegation a chance to find fault, he added with a smile: "The place of the sacrifice, it is better to be in the Arctic Temple, the noble envoy does not know, the Arctic Temple is the largest temple in Yanjing, the place is spacious, and there are many monks. Go there to set up a memorial to be worthy of the identity of the queen mother of your country. ”

"If that's the case, then it's bothering Xiao Xianggong!"

"If your envoy agrees, a certain family will go to your majesty first, and tomorrow morning it will be arranged, and the custody of the color and color will be solemn and thoughtful, and the noble envoy will rest assured!" Solving a problem made Xiao Huaidan very happy, he slapped his chest so hard that he almost broke it.

"In this way, the envoy will thank Xiao Xianggong for his kindness on behalf of this dynasty!" Zhao Zong smiled and arched his hand towards Xiao Huaidan.

"Deserved, deserved!" Xiao Huaidan hurriedly got up, not daring to accept Zhao Zong's salute, and said with a smile: "A certain family has left first, and the two of you will sit down!" ”

Looking at Xiao Huaidan's back, the smile on Zhao Zong's face gradually disappeared, he turned around and said coldly to Zhou Ping: "Deputy Envoy Zhou, a certain family has already set up a stage, and it will be up to you how you sing tomorrow!" ”

"I don't deserve it!" Zhou Ping said with a smile: "On the day of the ceremony, please drag the others and let the villain say a few words to Liao Prime Minister Li Chuwen!" ”

Zhao Zong snorted coldly, didn't answer, turned around and walked out, I don't know if he heard Zhou Ping's words.

As if to fully show the Song side their good-neighborliness. The small imperial court in Yanjing City showed amazing efficiency. After listening to Xiao Huaidan's performance on the sickbed, Ye Luchun, who was already sick, immediately issued a decree: "On the anniversary of the Empress Dowager Chen of the Great Song Dynasty, all civil and military officials above the fifth rank in Beijing should go to the North Pole Temple to pay respects. "Expanding the scope of participation in the ritual to officials of the fifth rank and above, which is obviously much higher than the level of politeness that should be expected in the social and social courtes of the two dynasties during the promotion of peacetime, seems to remind the Northern Song court, far away in Tokyo, how unwise it is to break the alliance with such a civilized state as the Liao State, which acts according to etiquette.

On the morning of the third day, Zhou Ping and his entourage arrived at the Arctic Temple early. I saw that the civil and military officials of the Liao State came one after another, and the cars and white horses were very prosperous, and the surrounding streets were crowded. Zhao Zong really did his best to socialize with many Liao officials, and Zhou Ping couldn't help but secretly admire, not to mention anything else, with this ability to maneuver among everyone, he couldn't practice it in his life.

"Li Men has arrived!" With a long roll call, Zhou Ping's attention suddenly focused, and he immediately recognized the person he was looking for from the crowd, he walked to Zhao Zong's side and coughed lowly. Zhao Zong stepped forward knowingly, intentionally or unintentionally intercepting several Liao officials behind him. Zhou Ping took the plane and stepped forward and was introduced to each other by a Liaoning receptionist. Li Chuwen stepped forward and said respectfully: "'Greetings from the Queen; Today is the anniversary of the Empress Dowager Chen, the queen should bow to mourn, how can the lord of the country be sick, the queen serves the decoction, can not come back, specially sent the official to accompany the sacrifice. If you are disrespectful, you can forgive the ambassador!"

After saying these high-sounding diplomatic rhetoric, he took Zhou Ping's hand and said with a self-esteem attitude that was both like flattering and treating juniors, and did not lose his identity as an elder in the intimacy: "This official has heard the name of Langjun for a long time, and today I have to see the demeanor in person, and I am very happy with my life's wishes!"

"Sure enough, it's an old fox, a few polite words are sincere, as if you have really been friends with yourself for many years!" Zhou Ping secretly thought: "There are a lot of people here, I'm afraid this guy will have scruples, it's not easy to say confidential words, it's better to find a secret place to talk!" ”

Thinking of this, Zhou Ping pretended to be quite moved, stretched out his hand to hold Li Chuwen's right arm and said: "It is a blessing for Zhou to be praised by Li Xiang, it is a blessing for Zhou to live here, it is windy here, why don't I wait and sit in the tearoom on the side!" ”

"It's good!" Li Chuwen looked at the sunlight shining in from outside, and there was still a long time before the salute.

On the right side of the main hall of the Arctic Temple, there is a very solemn and gorgeous monk's dormitory, which is specially used to entertain the Liao State officials who come to burn incense. After Zhou and Li came in, they sat down and greeted each other. Li Chuwen is obviously very good at this, and the two said a few words, but Zhou Ping didn't know the essentials at all. So Zhou Ping decided to take the risk of provoking it first to see what hole cards the other party had.

"'This Arctic temple is built on a grand scale and is magnificent,' Ma Kuo deliberately provoked him, 'I heard your family talk about its reputation when I was in Tokyo, and when I saw it today, it was well deserved.'

'Xiaguan has also heard Tokyo blue for a long time, gorgeous and solemn, unparalleled in the sea. Even though the North Pole Temple here is huge, if compared with Xianglan, there is really a big difference.' Speaking of this, when Li Chuwen said this, he suddenly realized that he was too humble and had insulted the country, so he hurriedly remedied, "In the past, when I read the Yongning Temple and Yongning Pagoda (the famous temple of the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty) mentioned in the "Luoyang Jialanji", I wanted to see the prosperity of manpower and material resources in the Northern Dynasty, and there were 480 temples in the Southern Dynasty, but none of them could be compared with Yongning Temple. ‘

Seeing that neither the "Arctic Temple" nor "the people of your family" caused a reaction from the other party, Zhou Ping frowned, and he was about to use a more direct wording, when two more Liao officials came in from outside. He had to swallow the words back into his stomach.

Soon after, the time for the salute came, and the hall was filled with candles and cigarette smoke. Zhou Ping commanded his deacons to carry out their own tasks, and at the same time, the civil and military officials of the Liao side were arranged outside the main hall according to their ranks. He walked alone to the shrine with the salute, threw incense, bowed, and then shouted from the salute: 'Accompany the priest Li Men to come forward and pour incense!'

Li Chuwen took solemn steps, and under the guidance of the ceremonial department, he went straight to the front of the case. The rest of the people were at the outskirts, quite far away, and were obscured by layers of banners, curtains, large incense burners, large candlesticks, and misty cigarette smoke. Zhou Ping made a look and made Zanli stand a little farther away, and he and Li Chuwen stood side by side, only a stone's throw away.

"If you want to make it clear with this Li Chuwen alone, I'm afraid this is the last chance!" Zhou Ping secretly thought, he bent down, pretended to go out to get incense, and said in a low voice: "Ling cousin Ma Zhi sent a message to his subordinates, ten years ago, he and his father and son set up an alliance in front of this shrine, vowing to live and die together, and never forget wealth and wealth." Have you forgotten about it?" (To be continued......)

PS: This time is very busy, and I have a book appointment for a physical book on hand, and I rarely come to the starting point, forgive me! leejones0922 book friend's question, the answer is as follows: The shogunate will finish writing, please rest assured, but the speed is not guaranteed. I hope that book friends who think this book is good will subscribe and support me. As for Xinshun, there is no time for the time being, if there is time free in the future, I will finish it. I also think it's a good book, and certainly not pleasing to the market!

Finally, I promise that the shogunate will not be flooded, and write to the best of my ability!