Chapter 269: Ransom

Ouyang said with a smile: "The Liao people know that the two countries are at war and are not embarrassed. Besides, Yelu Chun and his wife Weichen both know each other, and Yelu Dashi and Weichen also have a good relationship. Li Chuwen used to be a partner of Wechen, and now he is in private contact with my Da Song, and he doesn't want Wechen to get into trouble. ”

"You haven't been in Liao for a long time, but you're doing a good job."

Ouyang said modestly: "This also requires everyone to give face." ”

Zhao Yu said: "I heard that you wrote a letter to General Han, and after entering the Linhuang Mansion, all the casinos were demolished, leaving only Happy Valley. And let General Han be kind to a person named Xiao Heyun, right? ”

"Your Majesty is wise, this Xiao Ganyun is a close friend of Wei Chen."

Zhao Yu was helpless, this person didn't know anything wrong: "You go down first, collect the order in a while, and set off as soon as possible." ”

"Yes!"

Of course, Zhao Yu can also send someone else, but then there will be more time for negotiation. Ouyang is fast and efficient, and as Ouyang said, only Ouyang is the only official in the Great Song Dynasty who has a personal relationship with a Khitan official. Although it was a personal relationship many years ago, it can still be talked about after all. The most important thing is that Zhao Yu did not want to affect the strategy towards Liao.

……

Eight hundred forbidden army guards, plus two old men, Zhang San and Li Si, the team set off quickly. The people didn't know the news yet, and when they saw Ouyang being a messenger again, they were all talking about what it was for. Zhang San and Li Si came to Liao for the first time, and Ouyang also came a long time later.

Judging from the occupied areas, the people are still very cooperative. A bit of Central Plains flavor. Whoever is the boss is the same, and the common people have to pay taxes. Even the Khitans didn't care about the Han rule, Ouyang chatted with some people, and he didn't see how much these people cared about national affairs. Instead, they are concerned about livelihood issues such as work and prices. Due to the exemption of local taxes, under the influence of the Si family, some businesses were stationed, and the people still welcomed the rule of the Song Dynasty.

This is a very hellish phenomenon that may only occur in China. There is no sense of belonging, no cohesion, no blood. Ouyang sighed, no wonder the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was fought so hard, no wonder *** wanted to be strong.

Approaching the Dihe River, Han Shizhong sent Liu Guangshi to lead the army to meet him. Liu Guangshi was probably the least accomplished of Ouyang's protégés. Han Shizhong and his fellow jinshi also gave him a lot of opportunities. But this person is really afraid of things and timid, it's not bad to fight against the wind, but it's a mess to fight against the wind, Han Shizhong can only send him to pick up Ouyang.

The general of the guard is still a good old man Zhu Da, and Zhu Da whispered beside Ouyang: "Why did the adult order this guy at that time." This is a question that many people are wondering about. The four people of Ouyang Point are all ruthless characters, and they all have military talents who are in charge. Only Liu Guangshi......

"At least people are open-minded, and the mood is still relatively optimistic." Ouyang shouted, "General Liu." ”

"The end will be."

"Let's introduce Tongzhou."

"Yes!" Liu Guangshi has a good memory. The situation will be explained shortly. Yeluchun set up the capital in Tokyo, and set up Changchun Prefecture to the west of Huanglongfu as the accompanying capital. More than 300,000 of Yelu Dashi's main forces were active in the Tongzhou area, and more than 50,000 people were stationed in the north of Linhuangfu on the western front. And Song Huizong and his students are now in the military tent of the Tongzhou army.

According to the requirements of the Liao, the number of negotiators, including attendants, should not exceed 100. When he arrived in Jinzhou, Zhu Da was busy sorting out the elite soldiers of the guards. And Ouyang also met with Han Shizhong.

Han Shizhong's Chinese army was based in Jinzhou, because their neighboring Tongzhou was the main force of the Liao. Originally, according to the plan, the main force would be engaged in a battle in a month, and if the Liao army could be defeated, it would be able to drive the remnants to Tokyo, and then put enough pressure on the defenders of Huanglongfu. However, due to the special events of Song Huizong, Han Shizhong could only restrain the generals to temporarily cease fire.

The two sides first talked about the current form, as the generalissimo, Han Shizhong had a very different view of Liaojin, and he believed that even if the Jurchens were defeated, it would be difficult to surrender. And the Liao people occupy a place is a place. However, Han Shizhong believes that Liao is more difficult to beat than Jin: "The territory of the Liao people is too big, and if you are a Tokyo, it will be bigger than Western Xia." The Liao people also used firearms, although the power is relatively small, but they have a certain lethality. The Jurchens basically used war horses, swords and bows to fight, and the threat to the Hebei military route was very limited. The most troublesome thing about the Hebei military road is that the rear is unstable. The day before yesterday, I just received news that three warehouses of grain and grass were burned by the Jurchens. In fact, there are more than 100 people, forcibly breaking through our garrison of 400 people, and they are really not afraid of death. There are more than 10,000 soldiers and horses on our periphery. ”

"The Jurchens are all soldiers, and although these people in the rear are now people, they have all served as soldiers, and they will not fight less than us." Ouyang said: "This kind of pressure is always there. ”

"Small fights can't make the climate." Han Shizhong said: "The real threat is the Liaoren Firearms Factory. It is west of Changchun and north of Linhuang in Taizhou. ”

Ouyang smiled: "The real threat is the Emperor Taishang. ”

"Yes!" Han Shizhong smiled bitterly: "I have 300,000 on my side, and 300,000 on Linhuang's side." There are more people than others, weapons are better than others, and we have maps too. But I didn't expect this to happen. "Han Shizhong has already received an official letter that he will launch an attack at the specified time, and there are nearly forty days left before the time.

"I'll take care of that." Ouyang asked, "How long do you think it will take to eliminate Liaojin?" ”

"The territory of Liao is too large, although it has been divided into Eastern Liao and Western Liao. But if they really want to perish, at least next year or later. It's hard to say on the Jurchen side, if the Liao people and our army will fight, and we will win the border to Huanglongfu, it depends on how quickly we take Huanglongfu. Everything goes well, and it is estimated that it will be next year. ”

……

As a generalissimo, he couldn't be less than a hundred miles away from the front line, so Han Shizhong didn't go to see Ouyang. Ouyang was escorted to the Tongzhou border by a group of forbidden troops. Tongzhou had already received the paperwork and sent hundreds of people to wait at the border, and it was still an acquaintance of Ouyang who came, a close confidant of Yelu Dashi. Seeing Ouyang, there was no hatred, and he hugged his fists and said: "Boss Ou, I haven't seen you for a long time, but my demeanor is still the same." ”

"General Yelu is polite." Ouyang arched his hand: "Is General Yelu Dashi okay?" "The Khitan people have two surnames, one Yelu and one Xiao, which is quite monotonous. But it is because it is so simple that it can create a military power that has stood for 200 years. The Xiongnu and Turks around the Central Plains were driven away, and the Khitan rose to fill their gaps. In the end, he took advantage of the mediocrity of the Later Tang Dynasty and occupied the sixteen states of Yanyun without wasting a single soldier and a horse. Two hundred years later, the Khitans are no longer the former horse people, but just a wine and meat people.

"The general is in good health, and he often mentions Boss Ou." Yelu Xiaobing said: "I will lead the way in front, and it is estimated that it will take about three days." If Ou's wife feels unwell, she will say, I will arrange a rest. ”

"Thank you, General Jerry."

The Khitan army surrounded Ouyang's guards before and after, and their attitudes were very polite, and the Khitans and the people of the Song Guards could chat, and the atmosphere was relatively relaxed along the way.

When he arrived in the city of Tongzhou, Yelu Dashi brought a few civil officials to greet him, and Ouyang couldn't cry or laugh when he saw it, all of them were the better ministers he had known in Liao. The two sides did not have any hostility towards Ouyang because of the battle, everyone was very polite, and they spoke outside the city gate for a long time, and only after Yelu Dashi's reminder did everyone enter the city.

Yelu Dashi led Ouyang through Tongzhou to a military tent on the outskirts. Then Ouyang met Song Huizong. From a distance, Song Huizong's skin was fair, but he didn't suffer much. Yelu Dashi understood the matter very well and said: "Boss Ou is casual, and he can command casually if necessary, but don't leave Tongzhou." The Tongzhou Mansion is my big account of the Chinese army, we are private first and then public, and tonight we have prepared water and wine for Boss Ou to wash your dust. ”

After saying that, Yelu Dashi really only left a few liaison personnel to take the others away. Zhang San stuck out his tongue and said: "My lord, you have a lot of friends, and even the generalissimo sells your account." ”

Li Sidao: "Stupid." People use old feelings to win over adults. At least when it comes to negotiations, the adults will save him some face. ”

"What Li Si said is very reasonable. It is impossible for such a shrewd person as Yelu Dashi not to understand that the influence of the Emperor Taishang is very limited. Ouyang sighed: "It's a pity that he doesn't understand that my rights are limited, and he can't agree to something that the emperor doesn't agree to." ”

"Guess what conditions they are."

"The territory of the Liao State is larger than that of the Song Dynasty, and now it has been cut into Eastern Liao and Western Liao because of the rebellion of the Eight Divisions of the Enemy Lie. There are strong troops of the Song Dynasty and Jurchens on the side of Eastern Liao, not to mention the continuous wars, and the strength is at a disadvantage, and sooner or later it will be destroyed. Ouyang said: "Looking at Western Liao, it borders the Uighurs and the former Western Xia in the south, and there are many deserts and Gobi in that location, and it is barren for thousands of miles, which is not suitable for the march of large armies. It borders Russia to the northwest and has a lot of room for development. ”

Zhang San said with some realization: "What do the Liao people mean is that they want to transfer to Western Liao and not be enemies of the Song and Jurchen?" ”

"I guess that's what it means, but unfortunately, the emperor won't agree to the matter of letting the dragon into the sea." Ouyang Dao: "Not only the Eastern Liao, but also the Emperor of the Western Liao." If these hundreds of thousands of troops are placed in Western Liao, it will be difficult to fight in the future, and they can still rely on so many troops to completely subdue the various departments of Western Liao, and their strength will be further strengthened. "The territory of the Northern Song Dynasty is really not big, smaller than Tibet.

Zhang San scratched his head and said, "It seems that this negotiation will be difficult." ”

Li Sidao: "Let's go and see the Emperor Taishang first." ”

……

Song Huizong and other arrested people were concentrated in a small village. Song Huizong saw Ouyang in the distance early in the village. When Ouyang approached, he said, "Ouyang, aren't you a soldier who often brags about Zhao Yu's ability?" How could he be raided for hundreds of miles, and even the Emperor Taishang was arrested? ”

The liaison officer of Yelu Dashi said a few words to the soldiers at the gate of the stockade, and the soldiers at the gate withdrew to the side to make way out. Ouyang didn't hear Song Huizong's words and saluted: "Great Song Qin sent Ouyang to see the Emperor. ”

"Flat!" Song Huizong obviously didn't suffer much, and he was so angry.

"Zhang San, look at how everyone is. Li Si, boil water to make tea. ”

"Yes!"

……

Song Huizong and Ouyang sat alone, and Song Huizong sighed: "Shame, shame." ”

"It's fine." Ouyang consoled. It's much better than in history when you and your son Gawen and the military officials, princesses, and concubines were all captured and plundered by the Jurchens. It seems that this guy was born with such a catastrophe.

"I've already thought about it, and I don't want to see Zhao Yu's face. If I really can't do it, I will commit suicide, so that I still have the face to see Emperor Taizu. Song Huizong wiped away his tears and said: "It's a pity that the students on my side are all the best among the people, so they died with me." ”

"Emperor Taishang, this Liao man will definitely open his mouth, but we can also pay back the money on the ground. If it really can't be discussed, the emperor won't send Weichen here. ”

"Zhao Yu is afraid of infamy. At that time, there will definitely be fake news that I have been killed by the Khitans. Song Huizong said: "I watched her grow up, but I don't know her?" To send you here is to make a gesture, and you can explain that the most capable people have been sent out. asked her to spend a copper plate to redeem me, and she felt distressed. ”

"No, no." Ouyang smiled. The fact is that Zhao Yu is indeed very impatient with Song Huizong, and if Song Huizong dies, she will be in a much better mood. Ouyang was the only official who had open contact with Song Huizong, who never shied away from his dislike for his niece. Zhao Yu also did not hide his dislike for the Emperor Taishang in front of Ouyang.

In addition to the food shortage, most of the captured personnel were in a good mental state, only one of the internal guards was seriously injured, and Ouyang accompanied the guards with Lang Zhong, who said that he was worried about his life after seeing it.

That night, Ouyang brought a few cronies to the banquet, during which Yelu Dashi learned Zhou Yu to hang his sword, and was not allowed to talk about the war and negotiations between the two countries, only chatting and joking. In addition to official duties, there are many topics, such as horses, women, weapons, anecdotes and sleepwalkers of the Mediterranean.

The next day, negotiations finally began. Yelu Dashi took out a piece of paper with good handwriting and said, "Lord Ou, in order to show your sincerity, you must first publish this manuscript in the royal newspaper. ”

Ouyang took a look at it, it turned out to be a propaganda draft announcing that the Emperor Taishang was imprisoned for eating and drinking, this trick was ruthless, of course, Ouyang was definitely not so idiotic to post this propaganda draft in the royal newspaper, otherwise Zhao Yu would have copied the royal newspaper as soon as possible. Ouyang shook his head after receiving the manuscript: "Generalissimo, in fact, let me tell you the truth." The emperor is not very willing to go back alive. ”

"What did you send you for?"

"What the emperor means is that if the Khitan people can help her kill the emperor, she will consider some of the conditions of the Khitan."

Yelu Dashi laughed: "Lord Ou, you don't have to bluff me, your emperor is a person who wants to save face." How can you be willing to bear the infamy of harming the emperor. ”

"But that's just the way it is." Ouyang said helplessly: "I won't tell you, there are already many internal guards who have arrived at the front line to collect the corpses." I'm sure I can't post this manuscript. However, I myself have a close relationship with the Emperor Taishang, and he is the president of my Yangping University, and his students have all paid tuition. If the generalissimo can open the net, I, Ouyang, will take the risk of being put in small shoes and carry this matter back. Ouyang tried to downplay the role of Song Huizong.

But Yelu Dashi was not unprepared, and said with a smile: "Lord Ou may not know yet." I have already sent people across the front lines to Tokyo to spread rumors. It is estimated that at this time, the people of Tokyo already knew that the Emperor Taishang fell into the hands of our Liao people. We also spread that your emperor will not save him when he sees death, and he will plot to kill people with a knife. ”

"......" Ouyang was speechless, what is this called. The abducted family does not want the abductee to come back. The kidnappers strongly wanted the abductees to return.

"Master Ou, can you negotiate the conditions now?"

Ouyang pondered for a while and said, "It seems that there is a big gap in our understanding of the value of the Emperor Taishang. Instead, in order to show our sincerity and yours' sincerity, I propose that we first negotiate with the others. My opinion and a thousand through one. ”

"Makes sense, too." Yelu Dashi said: "But the adult came to talk about a thousand but the identity of the adult has fallen, and there is no one in the world who does not know the king." Two thousand per person. Thirty or so people added together to remove the tail 60,000 yuan, do not want silver tickets and copper coins, all exchanged for silver, subject to the exchange rate of the day. ”

"Cheerful people, I like it." Ouyang waved his hand, Zhang San paved the paper, and Li Si grinded the ink. Ouyang wrote a receipt for the silver and said: "The generalissimo can send people to the border, and I will send someone to hand over the silver at the border." There is Yangping Qianzhuang on the south side of the Dihe River, which will definitely not delay much time, what do you think? ”

"Okay!" Yelu Dashi was hoping to delay as long as possible, and readily agreed.

The two sides agreed that after receiving the news of the sale between the two sides, they would negotiate on the issue of the emperor. Very humorous negotiation, Ouyang didn't listen to Yelu Dashi's conditions at all, and Yelu Dashi didn't put forward his own conditions. After Ouyang went back, he calculated the time, Zhang San went to the Si family to withdraw the silver, according to the distance calculation, they handed over the first batch of hostages, and then reported that there were still twenty-four or five days before the deadline. How do you get Song Huizong out?

Li Sidao: "My lord, if you want to ransom the emperor, you must let the Khitan people know that the emperor is not so valuable." ”

"Yes, sir. Can he still sell it to someone else? Zhang San said: "You can buy it with less money." ”

"You don't understand the value of the Emperor's contribution to literature. I don't want him to die like that. ”

Li Sidao: "My lord, if you want the Khitan people not to care about the value of the emperor, you must first not care." ”

"Makes sense." Ouyang nodded: "Li Si, you go to transport the silver, and by the way, help me do something, I don't believe that you Yelu Dashi is really as smart as Zhuge Liang." ”

……

In the past few days, although Ouyang rarely met with Yelu Dashi, although he did not go out of the city, although he did not inquire, he knew what Yelu Dashi was doing. He was consolidating the western line of defense, moving supplies. As Tong Guan guessed, Yelu Dashi was reluctant to fight the Song army head-on. Taking advantage of the continuous resistance, he began to withdraw the main force to Tokyo, although the territory was rotten, but the territory was very large, and there were all kinds of terrain, and from that position, he could go north again, learn the methods of the Turks and the Xiongnu to move westward, and retain the fire of revolution.

From here, it can also be seen that Li Bangyan's ability to play conspiracy and tricks, from the enemy to the eight tribes, the tribes of Western Liao, which was originally a slave society, have become small princes and kings living in one place. A good piece of land was cut into seven or eight pieces. Of course, the Khitans' control over Western Liao was originally very weak, and those were all non-Khitan tribes who submitted to the Khitan. In history, Yelu Dashi went to Western Liao to be the emperor, some borrowed soldiers from those tribes, and some were blackmailed by those tribes. Having its own gathering place is such a xenophobia, to say that *** was still a vassal state of China during the Sui Dynasty.