Westward?

Or south?

This question has been explained by the Western Xia for fifty years, and it doesn't even need to be explained too much.

But at this time, at that time, the Western Xia wanted to tear off a piece of meat from the body of the Northern Song Dynasty, strengthen themselves at the same time, and weaken the strength of the Great Song Dynasty, which also had the shadow of Li Yuanhao's chief strategist Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan is a scholar, and he has been stuck in the palace examination several times, and his resentment against the Great Song Dynasty will definitely not be small. Otherwise, he would not have left his hometown, abandoned his wife and children, and almost put his whole family to death with the determination to go to Western Xia to assist Li Yuanhao. At that time, his family was arrested by the government, if it weren't for Emperor Renzong's kindness, who thought that Zhang Yuan's fault should not be angry with his family, Zhang Yuan's father and family would have survived.

Because he is a scholar, his eyes will definitely not be locked on the Western Regions. Besides, Zhang Yuan's anger in his stomach will definitely take revenge. And the revenge of the pair is the Great Song. The countries of the Western Regions have no enemies for him!

In addition, the identity of a scholar also makes him look down on any land in the world except for the Central Plains. For scholars, the Central Plains is the land of kings. Chasing the Central Plains and determining the world is the vision that a full-time strategist should have.

From this point of view, it is not an exaggeration to say that Zhang Yuan is a traitor.

Because Zhang Yuan's ultimate goal of assisting Li Yuanhao is definitely to dominate the world, not to nest in the northwest. belongs to the leading party that led the wolf into the house, and he worked hard to assist Li Yuanhao, and he was tired to death. A dignified traitor who died of exhaustion in order to work for a foreign race. It can be seen how loyal Zhang Yuan was to Li Yuanhao at that time, right?

It's a pity that the strength of Western Xia is lacking, and the Great Song Dynasty is not a star and a half. Coupled with the fact that the Northern Song Dynasty during the Renzong period was so powerful that people were desperate. Population, army, wealth, technology, all the chips that can be compared on the table, are all won by the Northern Song Dynasty. The reason why the Northern Song Dynasty was beaten four times in a row by Li Yuanhao was for other reasons.

In the military system of the Northern Song Dynasty, every time there was a big battle, a group of Privy Council masters in the capital drew up a battle plan, and even the formation map, infantry, archers, and cavalry positions must fully implement the spirit of the Privy Council, and civilian officials were also sent to supervise the army, and eunuchs to supervise the army must be implemented in accordance with the formation map. What's even more terrifying is that most of the lords of these Privy Councillors have no experience in operational command. The formation diagram they designated was basically a blind figure from reading the war book. Not only is it useless, it's harmful. You must know that the battlefield is changing rapidly, and you can't be flexible, you can only be passive everywhere. If this battle can be won, what if it is strange?

And more importantly, during the Renzong period, there was no shortage of war horses in the Northern Song Dynasty. The trade between the Northern Song Dynasty and Xitang and Tubo could be exchanged for about 20,000 war horses every year.

This is completely enough to deal with Western Xia.

If Li Xian was born thirty years earlier, the Northern Song Dynasty would have sent Li Xian, a eunuch, to command the Western Army, and it would have been more than wrong to destroy the Western Xia. To be honest, although Li Xian, a eunuch, has many shortcomings, his ability does make many civil and military generals embarrassed. If it weren't for the fact that he deliberately distorted the facts in order to shirk the responsibility for the defeat of Yongle City, he would not have been degraded in the end.

You must know that Li Yuanhao was a red-eyed gambler at that time, and the party was all soldiers, and even women had to go to the battlefield with weapons. Otherwise, with such a small number of people, how could Li Yuanhao make up an army of 500,000?

As long as there is a major defeat, the great cause of the party's nation-building may be aborted. It's a pity that this excellent opportunity was missed back then, and the opportunity to completely solve the hidden dangers in the northwest.

Secondly, Zhang Yuan is a Song person.

As a Han Chinese, there is such a thing as superiority. Although the Western Regions is rich in water and grass, the land is vast and sparsely populated, which is very suitable for the strategy of the party members who were still very weak at that time. But Zhang Yuan just turned a blind eye. The reason is very simple, where there are not even Han people, is that a place where people stay? That's not conquering the world, that's exile, it's a sign of depravity. This is also the reason why Li Yuanhao worked hard to fight the Northern Song Dynasty.

is like Zhao Xu, the emperor of the current Great Song Dynasty, who had just ascended the throne and was a teenager, but he wanted to meet with the envoys of the Liao State. The ministers were frightened and tentatively inquired. At that time, the little emperor Zhao Xu asked very domineeringly: "Are the Liao people considered people?" ”

I don't know etiquette, and so do beasts!

Now that fifty years have passed, the Western Xia has almost established a Jiazi in Hetao, and it is not a short-lived dynasty.

Li Bingqian, who had just gained political power, knew very well that it was absolutely impossible for the party members to leave the Hetao Plain and move to the Western Regions. Even if he had this mind, the people below would not support him.

But Li Bingqian also understands that perhaps the Western Xia left the Hetao, which is the vast world where 'the sky is high and the birds fly, and the sea is wide and the fish jumps'.

On this day, Li Bingqian thought a lot, and often said with words in his mouth: "It's difficult, it's difficult!" ”

Fei Tingdoro frowned, and he found that Li Kui did not seem to be a good choice to persuade people.

The capital of the Great Song Dynasty.

Bianliang Tokyo City of the Northern Song Dynasty.

The post house outside the gate of Xinchen Bridge.

A team of war horses galloped past, and pedestrians on the road avoided in a panic. There was no anger or panic on his face, obviously he was used to it.

There are post houses around the bridge gate of Xincheng, mainly the post houses of the Liao Kingdom. It is also a gathering area for the Liao people in Bianliang. Because of the reason why the Liao people gathered, the housing prices here were also the lowest in the Northern Song Dynasty. It's even cheaper than the house prices near the South Incense Gate, which specializes in the business of the dead.

It can be said that because of the Khitans, the land price of the Great Song Jinggi has been suppressed. It can be seen that in the Great Song Dynasty, foreigners are really not welcome.

The knight at the head jumped off his horse with his leg raised, threw his whip to the guards guarding the door, and rushed into the inn.

"Little Prince!"

"Don't call me Little Wangye, now I'm Ye Huaisheng, remember that there is no next time."

"Little Prince!"

"Hmm!"

The young man dressed as a Chinese literary scholar widened his eyes angrily, and said dissatisfiedly: "It's really ...... to drag it down."

"Your Majesty's Secret Fold."

The word 'hit' was stuck in the young man's throat, which was quite uncomfortable. Reluctantly took the decree and began to look. The Khitan were originally grassland tribes, and the moment they came into contact with the Central Plains culture, they were stunned. There are such mysterious things in the world, which make them instantly find the meaning of life.

Skillful craftsmanship.

Majestic and vigorous text.

Tall and majestic text.

Culture, religion, materials, everything, all make the Khitan buns who don't even have words obsessed. After many Liao people came to the Great Song Dynasty, the first thing they did was to change their attire and disguise themselves as Song people. I heard that there were scholars who participated in the imperial examination, but they were turned into scum by the scholars of the Great Song Dynasty.

Yelubaoji is one of them.

He was obsessed with the culture of the Great Song Dynasty, obsessed with the prosperity of the Great Song Dynasty, and fell in love with everything in the Great Song Dynasty.

It's a pity that he also has an identity, the envoy of the Liao State to the Great Song Dynasty, reminding him to work for the emperor of the Liao State from time to time. After taking a few glances at the secret fold, his face turned strange: "Warn the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty and let him retreat to the original territory?" ”

For the Liao State, Western Xia was a means to contain the Great Song Dynasty. If there was a major regime change in Western Xia, it would be a headache for the Liao State.

They need a Western Xia who continues to hate the Great Song Dynasty and constantly consumes the energy of the Great Song Dynasty. is not a Western Xia who wants to have a harmonious relationship with the Great Song Dynasty.

After all, once the relationship between Western Xia and the Great Song Dynasty was harmonious, it would be time for the Liao State to worry.

It is not that the Liao State has not thought of entering the Central Plains, but several major setbacks have even brought the imperial power to a precarious level, so that the upper echelons of the Liao State finally realize that the idea of entering the Central Plains is too difficult. As a last resort, he gave up the war and chose to be safe with the Great Song Dynasty. At this moment, the border peace was maintained for nearly 100 years.

The Liao State, which had not fought for a hundred years, had indeed become a little weak.

Especially with an opponent like Da Song, it is even more necessary to compete with the strength of the country. This decision is more difficult for the Liao State to decide.

Yelu Baoji sighed and said, "Xiao Wang knows, you go down!" ”

Two days later.

In the vertical arch hall, there are a lot of twists and turns on Zhao Xu's imperial case, as well as the military information sent from the northwest. Although it is a character that is not smiling, but between the eyebrows, it can't hide the joy of excitement. On the contrary, Tong Guan had a sad face, he never thought in his life that he would become the emperor's palace guard, and he would need to help the emperor find the chapter all day long.

The bit of ink in his stomach was basically blown away by a group of ministers who knew how to write flowery articles.

His eyes were dull and he looked at the temple door like a goose.

"Tong Guan, find me the military information on Huanqing Road."

Zhao Xu is very energetic, and since he has played football, he has become even more energetic. I have to say that in addition to the puppet of Qinzong, the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty, seven of the eight emperors, seven of them are very diligent and can be regarded as Ming monarchs. The only faint gentleman lost half of the country.

Zhao Xu is also famous for his diligence, especially after being pro-government, his hands-on personality makes him more and more familiar with the situation in the Great Song Dynasty. At the same time, he is also more and more confident that he will fulfill his father's ambition and remove the threat of Western Xia to the Great Song Dynasty.

"Tong Guan!"

"Your Majesty! The slave is dead, and the old slave is distracted. ”

"Forget it, don't look for it. Look at the time, Zhang Xiang should also come. Looking at Tong Guan's appearance, Zhao Xu was speechless for a while, this guy is not good at all, it is not as good as Hao Shuling. If it weren't for Concubine Xian's strong recommendation, he wouldn't have considered letting Tong Guan serve as the front guard of the palace at all. This position was important and served as a bridge between the emperor and the ministers. But Tong Guan doesn't seem to be doing very well.

As he spoke, he arrived.

In the voice of the eunuch's announcement, Zhang Duan slowly walked into the vertical arch hall. The three major halls of the Great Song Dynasty Palace, the Daqing Palace, the Zichen Palace, and the Vertical Arch Palace.

Only the vertical arch hall is often used. The Zichen Hall is basically used twice to three times a month, and the suburban festival, the beginning of the month and the beginning of the month, will open the Zichen Palace. As for the Daqing Palace, it can't be used a few times a year. It will be used on New Year's Day, and it will be used on the birthdays of the emperor and the queen mother, and when the ministers are entertained. It will also be used in the imperial examination. In total, the least used hall is the tallest and most majestic hall in the palace.

On the contrary, it is a vertical arch hall, although the place is not big, in the last hall, it gives people a feeling of a partial hall. But basically the emperor came every day.

And the governors of the Metropolitan Hall, the Privy Council, and the Shangshu Province came back every day to see the emperor.

"Official, there is news of the Western Xia Kingdom."

In the Great Song Dynasty, the prime minister of military intelligence will always be more informed than the emperor, Zhao Xu smiled helplessly: "The Imperial City Division does not have many people in Western Xia, and now I am afraid it will be difficult to contact." ”

"I don't know if Li Kui, this kid, can succeed." Zhang Dian sighed, he is a high-minded and arrogant person, and he can't stand pinning his hopes on others. But this time, he made an exception. Li Kui is too capable of tossing, turning the entire hinterland of Western Xia upside down, and the Empress Dowager Liang wanted to have a shameful army of 300,000, but she was broken by this guy by mistake.

This is something that the Great Song Dynasty did not do with more than 100,000 troops in the northwest, but Li Kui did it alone.

To convince Qi, Zhang Dan may not be able to. But he was frightened by Li Kui's ruthlessness.

If he wanted him to do this, he wouldn't dare.

Suddenly, he remembered that Dushitang had received a request from the Liao State delegation yesterday, and said to Zhao Xu: "Official, the Liao State envoy wants to meet you." ”

"It's a few days before the beginning of the month, and he can't wait?" Zhao Xu didn't like the Liao people very much, just like when he was ten years old, he said that the Liao people are not people. The whole thought had never been driven out of his head.

Zhang Dian was puzzled: "But the Liao people are very persistent. ”

"Zhang Xiang, if you don't go and see it, I'll talk about it." Zhao Xu didn't have time to deal with the Liao State mission at all, and all his thoughts were on Western Xia. What he was thinking about was the northwest, thinking about whether he could lay the foundation of the Great Song Dynasty in the First War and turn the situation around the Western Xia, and he was ashamed. He turned his head to Li Qingchen and said, "Li Qing, the Privy Council still has to allocate materials, once Li Kui is in Western Xia, he will not be able to consume a large amount of Western Xia strength." Longzhou, Hongzhou, Yinzhou, and Weizhou are difficult. In addition, Rindo Baozhong hasn't arrived in the capital yet? How his official position should be determined, and how his people should be settled, this question must be discussed. ”

"The official family, the minister thinks that it is enough to give Renduo a section of loyalty to the envoy, and his tribal army can refer to the Zhejia, but the minister thinks that the Renduo tribe should not be placed in the northwest. He used to be an important minister of Western Xia, and if he co-opted and defeated the party's army, it would be easy to become bigger. The best way is to find a place to house these tens of thousands of horses. ”

Li Qingchen suggested. He didn't like Renduo loyalty, a renegade was no longer a human being in the eyes of scholars.

But as a minister of the court, I had to think about more issues. How to settle and where to place is the most important thing.

Zhao Xu echoed: "It should really be like this, I'm afraid Li Kui is the most familiar with the Northwest Court, if only he was there." ”

The emperor's unintentional emotion made Yang Wei and others envious. Li Kui's sesame mung bean-like official position has already made the emperor worry about it. If it weren't for the fact that he was too young. Da Song may even have another Kou Zhun. No, Kou Zhun is not as good as Li Kui's official luck. It's just that Li Kui's situation is something that no one can envy.

The Manchu Dynasty was civil and military, and Li Kui dared to take more than 20 people to go to Western Xia with a swagger.

Others, even if they have this opportunity, don't have the guts.

This guy is just like the original Ban Chao, who appeared in the eyes of everyone like a bully, and in the blink of an eye, he broke into a huge fame.

"Your Majesty, Secret Report!"

Tong Guan walked silently, like a cat, to the edge of Zhao Xu's imperial case, and said in a low voice.

Zhao Xu took a look, and immediately angrily reported the secret report to the imperial case, and said angrily: "Liao Dog deceives people too much!" ”

Zhang Dun, Li Qingchen and others saw it one after another, and then their complexions changed suddenly. The king of the Southern Court of Liao raised 100,000 troops and approached the Song-Liao border. Although there is no reason for war, the threat is significant.

The two roads in Hebei and the east road in Hedong are under the threat of the Liao.

What's even worse is that now Hedong Road has transferred a lot of troops into the Songxia border. On the contrary, on the Song-Liao border, the troops were stretched.

Zhao Xu hesitated and said, "Zhang Xiang, how should this matter be handled?" ”

"I need to work hard to meet the envoys of the Liao State and see what kind of medicine the Liao people sell in the gourd."

Li Qingchen seconded: "The official family still has to deal with it carefully, at this time, the Liao people are menacing, and I am afraid that they have ulterior motives." ”

Following.

In the special case, on the Zichen Palace, Emperor Zhao Xu received the Liao delegation in front of the Manchu civil and military forces.

In front of the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty of the Great Song Dynasty, Yelu Baoji put forward three requirements to the emperor of the Great Song Dynasty: "Evacuate the Song army in the territory of Western Xia and return to the previous territory; second, Western Xia was a vassal state of the Liao State and was protected by the Liao State; Finally, the Liao delegation asked the Great Song and Western Xia to meet and sign new terms. ”

Zhao Xu, a person with such strong self-esteem, sat on the dragon chair trembling angrily, and suddenly said angrily: "This is my big Song family matter!" Don't bother. ”