Chapter 32 will definitely betray you

The border of the Great Sui is more than 10,000 miles from south to north and from east to west. The entire territory of the Great Sui looks like an inverted Ya pear, large in the north and small in the south. The length of the north and south is much larger than that of the east and west. Even from the narrowest east-west direction of the empire's territory to the west of Yongjun to the east of Jiangdu County is more than 10,000 miles, which shows the vastness of the Great Sui territory.

Yongzhou County was robbed by the Great Sui Dynasty fifteen years ago after destroying the Shang State, accounting for two-thirds of the size of the Shang State. Yongjun is also the largest county of the Great Sui, and Yongzhou City was the capital of the Shang State. After the fall of the Shang State, the fleeing prince Murong Yan established the Southern Yan Kingdom in Dali City, paid tribute to the Great Sui Dynasty, and proclaimed himself the Emperor, perhaps because the land of Southern Yan was too tired, and it was too small to arouse the desire to eat under the Great Sui Emperor, so Nanyan was able to survive for a long time.

The Great Sui established the country by force, and the emperors of the past dynasties will launch at least one external offensive in order to show that they have not abandoned the martial arts and fighting spirit of their ancestors, and it is precisely because of this that the military personnel of the Great Sui still occupy a very important position in the court for more than 100 years. Many countries advocated martial arts at the beginning of their founding. But in a few years, more than ten years, and a few decades later, the rights of military generals will be gradually weakened, and the emphasis will be on literature over military force. But the Great Sui is different, starting from the Great Sui Emperor Taizu raised troops to fight the Central Plains, and each of the emperors of the Great Sui took it as their responsibility to expand their territory. If anyone doesn't lay a piece of territory, he will even look down on himself.

It is precisely because of this that some countries around the Great Sui are miserable. Liang, Zhou, Wei, Zhao, Southern Qi, Northern Qi, and Eastern Wei successively became the proud and boastful capital of the Great Sui emperors. The territory of these countries has also become a certain county of the Great Sui.

By the time of the previous emperor, because there was really no way to fight, he had to use force against the Shang State, which had always maintained good relations with the Great Sui. It's not that the previous Great Sui Emperor was too vicious, it's no wonder that the previous emperor beat the Eastern Chu, the last one in the Central Plains, who dared to shout at the Great Sui, was only one-fifth the size, if it weren't for the fact that the most resounding land in Eastern Chu was a peninsula, and the naval division of Eastern Chu was far stronger than the army, that peninsula was also taken by the Great Sui.

So when it came to Yang Yi, the emperor of the Great Sui, he was also very distressed. In the eleven years since he ascended the throne, he would look at the huge map in the luxurious and spacious imperial study every day, trying to find an opponent who dared to disagree with the Great Sui. In the past eleven years, he really couldn't find any other place except the Mengyuan Empire on the prairie.

And to use force against the Mengyuan Empire, it takes more than just courage. The emperors of the Great Sui Dynasty did not lack courage, but the emperors of the previous dynasties chose to live in peace with the Mengyuan Empire.

It's not that you don't want to fight, it's not that you don't dare to fight, but you can't fight.

The prairie stretches for tens of thousands of miles, and it is even larger than the territory of the Great Sui. Even if the Great Sui was rich in the world, even if the Great Sui had the confidence to defeat the cavalry of the Mengyuan Empire with infantry, it would definitely not be able to support such a huge war. The consumption of the army alone is enough to drag the empire to death.

Without an army of more than 500,000 troops, there is no need to consider mobilizing troops against Meng Yuan at all. 500,000 horses, an expedition of tens of thousands of miles, how much does it cost?

It's not a question of daring or not, but it's simply impossible to fight.

Unless the Great Sui has enough cavalry to compete with Meng Yuan.

And cavalry will always be a pain in the heart of the Great Sui Emperor.

However, in the spring of the eleventh year of the Great Sui Tianyou, it seemed that the Great Sui Emperor's heart pain had a cure. At the end of March, a group of men and horses sent from the right Xiaowei of the northwestern garrison arrived in the imperial capital of Chang'an, and the number was not large, only about 20. It took two months to arrive in Chang'an.

More than 20 cavalrymen of the right Xiaowei escorted three Northern Liao people into the imperial capital.

These three Northern Liao people are the people who sold war horses who were detained by Li Xiaozong in Fangu. The leader of them was a young and sturdy man with the unique physical characteristics of the cold region of Northern Liao. He is tall and athletic, and has white skin, both men and women. This is a bit contrary to common sense, the Northern Liao is extremely cold, and the 100,000 mountains are even poorer, it stands to reason that the skin of the people living here should be frozen and red, at least it will look rough.

But in fact, the skin of the Northern Liao people is very good.

Especially the women of Northern Liao, they are as white as a crystal clear snowman.

The man of the Northern Liao people led by him called Yan Lidemon, who looked to be in his twenties, and his hair was a unique hairstyle of the Northern Liao people, with a shaved forehead and a big black braid on the back of his head. The clothes he wore were also very different from those of the Central Plains, such as horse coats, shoulders, and mink robes.

This is the first time Wanyan Liyou has entered the Central Plains, and when he was on the way, he imagined countless times what Chang'an City, the imperial capital of the Great Sui, looked like. He tried his best to imagine Chang'an City, and he had already thought about Chang'an City big enough, but when he saw Chang'an City from afar, he couldn't help but open his mouth wide in surprise.

Majestic, magnificent!

It's like an endless mountain of 100,000.

When Chang'an City appeared in sight, Wanyan Lidemon didn't see the end of Chang'an City. It's as if this majestic city was formed naturally, standing majestically between heaven and earth. When he rode his horse to the vicinity of Chang'an City, his mouth was already open and a little painful.

Looking up, the walls are as high as a sword stuck into the clouds. Looking to the left and right, the walls are endless.

The right Xiao Guard cavalry took him to Dingqian Gate, one of the thirteen city gates in Chang'an West City. It was also the most inconspicuous of the thirteen gates, but even so, the huge gate still allowed eight carriages to pass side by side with ease. The bronze nails on the huge vermilion city gate look bigger than a human head.

Wanyan Liyou's Adam's apple moved, and he swallowed a mouthful of foam with difficulty: "I can't think of it...... I really can't imagine that I have used my best strength to imagine the majesty of Chang'an City, but I still only imagine one percent of the city. Where is this city, it is clearly a mountain! ”

The team of the right guards pursed their lips disdainfully, and went directly into the city gate after going through the formalities with the soldiers guarding the city gate.

……

……

Originally, a few barbarians from Beiliao, the poorest and coldest place in the world, would not receive any high-level courtesy. Even if it was the envoy sent by Wanyan Yong, the Khan of the Northern Liao Land last time, the one in charge of receiving him was only a member of the Great Sui Rite Department from the sixth rank.

But this time it was obviously a little different, when Wan Yan Lidemon was shocked to numbness one after another by the pictures he saw, the officer and soldier who led the way said that he had arrived, and he came back to his senses slightly.

The post station was supposed to be built outside Chang'an City. But it is precisely because the Great Sui is too big, and Chang'an City is also too big, if the envoys of various countries and the feudal officials who return to Beijing to report their work live outside the city, the emperor will summon him back and forth, and it will take too much time. Therefore, the post station was built on Dongping Fourth Street, which is only about ten miles away from Taiji Palace.

When Wanyan Lidemon arrived at the gate of the post station, he was still sighing, a post station was more majestic than the palace of the Khan of Northern Liaodi. His eyes were completely insufficient, looking here and there, the novelty was like opening his eyes for the first time to see a baby in this world.

"You're the Demon?"

Just when he was full of emotion, a cold voice with a faint disdain sounded behind him. Wanyan Lidemon hurriedly turned around and saw a person wearing a green crown robe. This green crown robe, according to the etiquette system of the Great Sui officials, can be identified at a glance as a small official below the seventh grade.

In Chang'an, the three big people are not big people. Such a small official will not let the people of Chang'an City take it seriously. But Wanyan Lidemon couldn't help but take this person in his eyes, because he came this time with a huge mission. He was familiar with all the books about the Great Sui, so he could see that this person's grade was just a small person who was not in the middle of the stream. But he still showed enough humility to show the most sincere smile.

"The grass people are the father of all the people of the 100,000 mountains in the Northern Liao region, the great and benevolent Wude Khan sent to meet the Heavenly Khan, and the envoy of the Great Sui Emperor is completely away from the demon. Who is this adult? ”

Such long-winded words can only be said by the people of Northern Liao.

The man said a little impatiently: "I am the recorder counselor of the Great Sui Rite Department, and I am ordered to wait here. Don't enter the post station yet, our Lord Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites is waiting for you, come with me. ”

"Lord Shoshu of the Ministry of Rites wants to see me in person?"

Wanyan Lidemon obviously didn't believe his ears.

The clerk didn't bother to say anything more, turned around and got into a carriage. Wanyan Liyou didn't dare to delay, and climbed up with it.

……

……

Huai Qiugong, the Shangshu of the Great Sui Rite Department, was a veteran of the Three Dynasties and was already seventy-two years old. In fact, since Emperor Yang Yi ascended the throne, he has rarely asked about the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. On weekdays, Pei Yan, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, who presides over things in the Ministry of Rites, but early this morning, this respected old man arrived at the Yamen of the Ministry of Rites. Except for Pei Yan, who had received the news in advance, there was no one in the Ministry of Rites who did not find it novel. You must know that Lu Dao, an old man who dared to point to His Majesty the Emperor and say that he did not understand the etiquette system, had not been to the Yamen of the Ministry of Rites for four months and 29 days.

Because the Great Sui is too big, the northwest border is still windy and snowy in March, and the wicker on the streets of the imperial capital has already spit out new green, but perhaps because he is worried that the Lord Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites is too old, there is still a stove in the wing.

Pei Yan, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, sat respectfully with his hands down, and spoke with the old man.

"Mingli, you are in good order in this yamen, not bad...... When I wait for tomorrow, I will take another fold and retreat, which can be regarded as handing over the Ministry of Rites to you. ”

"The lower officials are afraid"

Pei Yan hurriedly said: "The boss's body and bones are still so strong, and His Majesty's Longen is heavy, how can he withdraw from the court lightly?" The Ministry of Rites can't do without you. ”

"It's not a good sycophant at all."

Huai Qiugong smiled and said, "I have already added an old word in front of the adult, and you still say that I am not old?" After serving three generations of emperors, I should have retired a long time ago. It's just that the older people get, the more greedy they are for power, and they feel ashamed when they think about it. As for you saying that the Ministry of Rites can't do without me, that's pure lie...... I haven't been here in two months, have I? I added a few newcomers, but I don't know what to do. ”

Pei Yan smiled wryly: "You haven't been here for nearly five months." ”

"Huh?"

Huai Qiugong was stunned for a moment, and smiled: "Walking dogs and fighting birds to feed fish, planting grass and raising flowers and cultivating trees, this day has passed so fast...... By the way, I only cared about gossiping, but I forgot about the business that His Majesty had explained. ”

The old man stroked his snow-white beard and said, "When you go to meet those people from Beiliao in a while, press ...... Specification reception of the envoys of the great powers. ”

"This ...... Didn't I only arrange a meeting with an outsider before, what's different this time? ”

"Of course it's different."

Huai Qiugong smiled, and the wrinkles on his face squeezed into a flower: "The northwest is not too peaceful...... At this time, the people of Northern Liao came to the door by themselves, didn't that just fulfill His Majesty's thoughts? Ha Lu Ha ...... If you want the wind to be windy and rainy, it's refreshing to think about it. ”

Pei Yan opened his mouth wide in surprise, and asked incredulously, "Your Majesty wants to ...... Want to use troops against Meng Yuan? ”

"Otherwise, to whom? Your Majesty is bent on comparing with Emperor Taizu. ”

The old man smiled like an old fox, revealing a sense of pride and a bit of rare cuteness: "But I only told you about this, what rumors are there in the court...... You know that the old man, I am greedy for power and afraid of things, and I will definitely betray you. ”