On the battlefield in ruins, I was still helping the Protector Army sort out the post-war affairs, commanding the soldiers to collect the spoils of war, urgently stopping the bleeding and healing the wounded, and deterring the Western Xia prisoners, who were more numerous than the Protector Army. The scene was busy and methodical, at this time a beautiful figure slowly walked over, I still turned around to take a look in my busy schedule, and felt slightly sorry in my heart: it was Li Qinglu, the princess of Xixia.

At this time, her expression was so sad and helpless, I felt that if there was a little more stimulation, she might faint. So I had to entrust the aftermath to Zong Ze and the others, and then caressed her to a place far away from the battlefield and slowly sat down. I would like to say: the two countries are fighting, and casualties are inevitable. But considering that it was her compatriots and even relatives and brothers who died, it seemed a bit cruel to say so. I could only gently hug her and caress her soft back to soothe her and calm her down.

After a long while, Princess Yinchuan said sadly: "Brother Murong, I want to ask you to treat the captured Western Xia soldiers well, is it okay?" ”

I nodded and said: "Of course there is no problem, senior brother, I am a disciple of Buddhism and Taoism, and I am not a cruel and murderous villain, since the war is over, then as long as the Song and Xia countries negotiate the terms and the Western Xia Kingdom is willing to pay the ransom, then I can even make the decision and release the prisoners." ”

Yinchuan leaned his head tightly on my shoulder, and said quietly: "I want to go home to see my father and persuade him to give up the idea of going against the Great Song Dynasty forever, senior brother, can you go back with me?" ”

"Of course," I said without hesitation, "I would also like to meet your father and talk to him." ”

The two of them hugged each other quietly, and although they didn't say anything or do anything at this moment, they felt that the two hearts were closer than ever, like water blending, and they didn't have to say anything to understand each other's thoughts.

After a long time, Yinchuan said with some confusion: "The Xixia Kingdom is a country that worships Buddhism, there are more than 100 temples in the country, I heard that the Great Song Dynasty also respects Buddhism and Taoism, and both Buddhism and Taoism have the doctrine of compassion, why do wars occur every year?" Why is it that everyone respects Buddhism and the Tao so much, but they always refuse to give up each other's killing and fighting? ”

I replied: "Secular people have built all kinds of Buddhist temples and halls, and often kowtow and bow down, chant sutras and recite Buddha, but it does not mean that they truly understand or comprehend the true meaning of the Buddha. ”

After a pause, I said: "Besides, although the Buddha is omnipotent, his teachings cannot solve all the troubles of the world, for example, when the people of Liao encounter a snow disaster or drought, if they do not come to the Great Song Dynasty to fight the grass valley, the whole clan may starve to death or freeze to death, at this time, the Buddha can not conjure up money and food out of thin air to save the common people." Many people who pay homage to the Buddha just want to find peace of mind in the red dust, or to avoid falling into the hell of Abi after death. The mundane world still needs strong and wise people who can deeply understand the needs of the people to make rules and maintain order, and strong guardians to maintain peace. ”

Yinchuan said softly: "Senior brother, do you want to be a powerful guardian?" It's just that I'm afraid this will offend countless enemies, and this road is not easy. ”

I looked at the battlefield in the distance and said, "There is nothing in this world that is easy, as long as I feel that this is the most meaningful thing, I will resolutely do it, and this will certainly offend many enemies, but I can't help but gain a lot of like-minded friends." ”

Yinchuan was slightly stunned, and then said: "Yinchuan is willing to follow in the footsteps of his senior brother, and he will never be separated in this life and this life!" ”

I nodded and said, "Murong Fu too, I will always love Senior Sister Yinchuan in this life and this life, and I will never be separated!" ”

Originally, after the great victory, I should return to the court, but I took Yinchuan and Yuyan and a cadre of the Murong family to the direction of Xingqing Mansion, along the way messengers rushed around, letters exchanged, the behavior of the Western Xia Kingdom was a little strange, and it seemed that my group was not particularly hateful and repulsive, and the envoys and sergeants who received it were quite polite. Yinchuan told me that the Tangut people worship the strong, and they will only worship those who defeat them on the frontal battlefield, and will not have much hatred. I smiled slightly and said whether Yinchuan also admired my senior brother very much, only to get her white eyes and turn around and ignore her.

After entering Xingqing Mansion, Yinchuan separated from me, and after a long parting, she wanted to go to the palace to meet her father and dress up. It is worth mentioning that Lu Junyi and Lin Chong and other Yan Shanwei and his entourage quickly did a good job of garrisoning and defending inside and outside the State Guest House to avoid the troubles of many Western Xia secret spies peeping. At nightfall, the guards in the Xixia Palace passed me into the palace to meet me, and under the attention of Yu Yan and many other relatives and friends, I took Lin Chong into the palace.

Li Qianshun, I have been thinking about the information collected by Tianxiang Pavilion all the way and the evaluations I have come into contact with in the past in Western Xia, this person is still quite scheming. Before he took office, the Liang clan of Western Xia had been controlling the government and could even decide the ownership of the next emperor, but since Li Qianshun took office, under his division and collapse, the power of the Liang family has been greatly inferior to before, and after the defeat of Gyeongju, it is even more sluggish, and it is not far from the day when Li Qianshun fully controls the Western Xia Kingdom. At this time, I should have a good talk with him, and completely eliminating the hidden dangers in the northwest is my biggest goal in entering the palace this time.

I have been to the Xixia Palace before, but this time I entered through the main gate openly, and the Xixia Kingdom was still quite polite to me. In a spacious and atmospheric study, I saw a middle-aged man who was sitting on the head, full of luxury and elegant demeanor, and was not sitting next to Li Qinglu, the princess of Yinchuan who had just been separated for a long time?

I bowed and saluted without humility or arrogance: "Murong Fu pays homage to the Emperor of the Xia Kingdom." The guards on the side were slightly angry, thinking that I was not polite. Only Li Qianshun and Princess Yinchuan looked calm, as if they took it for granted.

Li Qianshun looked at me with interest and said: "Murong Gongzi is polite, in recent years, Gongzi has walked the world, outstanding martial arts, chivalrous and righteous, and famous in the United States, he can be called the first person in the Great Song Dynasty, and it is okay to see the emperor without worshipping." ”

I raised my head and said calmly: "Emperor Xie, Murong Fu is ashamed and dare not be. ”

Li Qianshun said: "You deserve it, as the worldly representative of Cihang Jingzhai and Changsheng Valley, the head of the Xiaoyao faction and the Murong family, you have a noble status, and you naturally deserve it, but if you think that your martial arts can make the Western Xia succumb to the Great Song Dynasty, I am afraid that you think too much, I Xixia established the country by force, what winds and waves have not been seen, and the foundation of the Western Xia, which was founded by several generations of emperors and countless battles of life and death, can be shaken by one or two failures." ”

I secretly sighed in my heart that this Li Qianshun is really not simple, and he suddenly broke my intention to come here, and it may not be easy to convince him. I then got straight to the point and said: "The emperor is wise, Murong really hopes that the Western Xia Kingdom will make concessions and sign a permanent peace agreement with the Great Song Dynasty. The Western Xia Kingdom established the country by force, all the people were soldiers, and the combat power was extraordinary, but after all, the country was small and the people were outnumbered, and it might be possible to meet the source for a while if it was sandwiched between Song and Liao, after all, the size was too small to last long, so why not take a step back and open up the sky? Conclude a permanent peace agreement to turn hostilities into peace and contentment, so that the people of the two countries can live and work in peace and contentment. ”

Li Qianshun sneered slightly: "Murong Guoshi said it well, why don't I want to conclude a peace agreement, the problem is that the Song State has always regarded itself as the superior country of the Heavenly Empire, and has never taken my Xia Kingdom in his eyes, and it is not the Song Dynasty that has taken the initiative to attack the most." Besides, why do you want my Xia Kingdom to make concessions, do you think that after the Battle of Gyeongju, there will be no one in my Xia Kingdom? Tell you! The population of my Xia country is more than 2 million, which is more than 2 million elite soldiers! There are many helpers such as Daliao, Tubo, and the Western Regions to help, and the Song Dynasty wants to take the Xia Kingdom? Never think about it. ”

I said lightly: "What if you add Murong Fu?" Can't you take it down? ”

Li Qianshun was speechless for a while, and Princess Yinchuan smiled slightly on the side and did not speak.

I continued: "If the Great Song Dynasty wants to take the Xia Kingdom, even if the Western Regions of Tubo are all vulnerable clowns, it is indeed difficult to guarantee success with the Great Liao on the side, but if Murong Fu leads the troops to participate in the war, the situation will inevitably be reversed. Not to mention that in this Gyeongju War, our Protector Army has a record of one to ten, it is not a secret, if Murong Fu is willing, he can directly kill the emperor from outside Xingqing Mansion, and it turns out that no one in your country can stop him. ”

Li Qianshun said angrily: "Childe, don't think that a strong martial artist can decide everything!" Back then, the overlord of Western Chu was the best in the world, but in the end, he didn't end up killing Wujiang! Childe blindly runs rampant by force, and is he not afraid of being punished by heaven if he kills too much? ”

I said: "Thank you for reminding the emperor that Murong Fu is actually not a competitive person, and the purpose of the free faction is also to stop fighting for martial arts, so I have today's trip to Western Xia, and I implore the emperor to be sympathetic to the life of the people of the world and give the people of the two countries a way to live." ”

Li Qianshun snorted and said: "How can the widow not know the truth that peace is precious, in fact, the main war between the DPRK and China has always been the militant faction led by the Liang family, and they hope to loot the population from the Great Song Dynasty and obtain more coins to enhance their prestige." In all fairness, the widow has always hoped to live in peace with the Song State and open discussions with each other, so that China's green salt and cattle and sheep can be exchanged with your country's tea and silk, which is a matter of mutual benefit. It's just that as far as I know, the little emperor and the new law faction in your country who have recently come to power probably don't think so. ”

I nodded and said: "For their own selfish interests, the Liang clan tied up the Xia Kingdom to invade the Song State, and the practice of overthrowing the lord of the country was unpopular, and it is no longer a concern that its power was greatly damaged after the Battle of Gyeongju. Zhao Guanjia and Zhang Dian do have the intention of reorganizing the army for war, and I also think that the Great Song Dynasty has been comfortable for too long, and it is true that we should pay attention to military preparation, but the direction of the main attack is not the Xia State, but the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. If the emperor is willing to make complete concessions, how about I can personally guarantee permanent peace between the two countries? ”

Li Qianshun groaned: "I can trust Murong Gongzi's personality and character, at least more credible than the treacherous and treacherous officials of the Great Song Dynasty who sought to seize the property of the lord's family. But when it comes to concessions, can Childe talk more specifically? ”

I glanced at Yinchuan on the side, and said quietly: "First of all, I want the princess of your country and the pearl of the emperor's palm, Princess Yinchuan." ”

"Ahh Princess Yinchuan didn't expect that I would propose to my father at this time and on this occasion, and she was a little caught off guard for a while, her face was red, and she didn't know what to do, she just looked at me blankly, and her heart was shy, excited, and sweet.

Li Qianshun's eyes flashed, and he said, "I have also heard about Qinglu following you for a while, what else?" ”

I continued: "The two countries redrew their borders, and the Xia State retreated half of its territory in the Hetao region......"

Li Qianshun immediately interrupted: "No way! The Hetao area has always been the natural territory of our Xiang people to herd horses and sheep, and it is also the foundation of my Xia national identity. ”