The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the Bianhe River, shining with golden light, and the gentle autumn wind blew across the river, stirring up ripples at the beginning.

Bianliang in the early Song Dynasty, after five generations of development, has begun to take on the style of a generation of imperial capitals. Peddlers and pawns, restaurants and tea shops, all kinds of Fengyue entertainment places are distributed in rows around the Bianhe River, people pass through the streets, the market is very lively, compared to Jinling, the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, it is another kind of prosperity.

If the majesty of Jinling lies in the low-key luxury and quiet charm of the streets, then the charm of Bianliang in Tokyo lies in the lively crowds in the market, with a little less of the bookish atmosphere of Jinling and more of the natural fireworks in the world.

When the Jinling delegation entered Bianliang City, two heavyweight officials, Honglu Siqing, the supreme governor of the Honglu Temple of the Song Kingdom, and Yin, the Kaifeng Prefecture, came to greet them. I have to say that the Song Kingdom did a better job in etiquette than the Southern Tang Dynasty, and it was more in place.

Honglu Siqing is a slightly fat, nearly fifty-year-old Xiao old man, with a horizontal face. At this time, the Kaifeng Mansion Yin is none other than Zhao Guangyi, the Taizong of the Song Dynasty, and at this time, his identity is the governor of Tongpingzhang, the Yin of Kaifeng Mansion, and the Zhongshu Order, the king of Jin, ranking above the prime minister, it can be said that in the entire Great Song Dynasty, except for Zhao Kuangyin, he has the final say.

Zhao Guangyi's appearance not only surprised Xiao Zuo, but also Li Congshan, looking at the No. 2 real power figure in the Song Kingdom in front of him, both of them felt a little sudden.

Originally, there was no need for Zhao Guangyi to welcome foreign missions, although there was also a prince in the Jinling mission, but Li Congshan was just an idle prince, compared with Zhao Guangyi, both ability and status were far inferior.

But in order to show respect for etiquette, Zhao Kuangyin Zuihou still sent Zhao Guangyi to come. Because of the situation at this time, Zhao Kuangyin was busy dealing with the Southern Han Dynasty and the Shu State, if he neglected the Jinling Mission and made Li Yu follow Lin Renzhao's advice to cross the river and fight against the Song army, it would be a three-front battle for the Song State. This is what Zhao Kuangyin does not want to see.

The delegation rested in the house in the Honglu Temple to welcome the foreign guests, and after the Jinling delegation settled down, Zhao Guangyi held a banquet to entertain Li Congshan and his party that night. This was a ceremonial banquet before meeting Zhao Kuangyin, and it was set up in Zhao Guangyi's Jin Palace.

"I'm finally back in Tokyo,"

Chen Fang followed behind Xiao Zuo and was walking towards the Jin Palace. Xiao Zuo didn't know how to ride a horse, and he didn't want to be the bumpy sedan chair, so he followed behind Li Congshan's sedan chair in civilian clothes.

Chen Fang's mood at the moment was extremely excited, it had been three years since he left the Jin Palace, and the moment he first entered the city gate, he saw his master Zhao Guangyi, if Xiao Zuo hadn't pulled him, he almost couldn't help kneeling down and hugging Zhao Guangyi's legs and crying bitterly.

"Where did you put the things?" Tonight's banquet was very important to Xiao Zuo, it was the most important step in his approach to Zhao Kuangyin.

After mixing and mixing with Lin Renzhao's portrait, Xiao Zuo knew that he was in the rivers and lakes, and he couldn't help himself. He knows the direction of history, and he can not be an enemy of Zhao Kuangyin, but now for the sake of Li Oracle and Lin Renzhao, he can no longer stay out of the matter.

When he approached Zhao Kuangyin, he actually wanted to rely on his own ability to change an identity from Zhao Kuangyin, an identity that could protect the people around him. Although doing so would incur the enmity of both Li Shenzhao and Lin Renzhao, he had no choice. Zhao and Song dominated the world, which is already a trend.

He really didn't look like seeing Lin Renzhao become a victim of history, and even less like seeing Li Shenzhao become a hateful lord of a dead country. Sometimes he couldn't help but think that if the Southern Tang Dynasty perished, with the character of Li Oracle, he would definitely keep making trouble for Zhao Kuangyin for the sake of the country's hatred and family hatred, and every time he thought of this, Xiao Zuo didn't dare to think about it anymore, that was the end of his dare not Yujian.

And tonight's banquet of Zhao Guangyi was the first step for him to gain the trust of the Zhao and Song courts, and the Chen Fang in front of him and the portrait of Lin Renzhao in his hand were his stepping stones.

"Don't worry, the thing is in my arms and I won't lose it. Since being rescued by Xiao Zuo from Shui Yunjian that day, Chen Fang has always been obedient to Xiao Zuo, he said that he didn't dare to say two, and he said that he didn't dare to go west when he went east. In front of Xiao Zuo, he always plays the role of a good attendant in a low profile.

"That's very good, when you meet the King of Jin, you must find an opportunity to introduce me to him, how can you say that you don't need me to teach. Looking at the Jin Palace, which was not far away, Xiao Zuo said lightly.

"Don't worry, I know what to do, from now on, we can be regarded as brothers who fight side by side. Chen Fang understood what Xiao Zuo meant, and what he wanted him to do was to help Xiao Zuo gain the trust of King Jin.

"It's okay to fight side by side with you this week, I think it's more reliable for you to stay in the Jin Palace, accompany the little prince to flirt with the women of the good family. Xiao Zuo said sarcastically.

Chen Fang was very unhappy when he heard the first half of Xiao Zuo's sentence, but when he heard the second half of the sentence, his eyes lit up in an instant, and he was almost gone.

Zhao Guangyi's appearance is slightly feminine, just like his black-bellied brother, he doesn't look so good, it can be regarded as a very popular face, but he has been in a high position for a long time, and he has formed a unique temperament of a superior person, showing the majesty of the king between his gestures.

"Welcome to the banquet for the Tang delegation today, Xiao Wang is very happy to see the Jinling friends who have come from afar again. From the good brother, I haven't seen you for many years, but my demeanor is still the same. Zhao Kuangyin, who was standing on the top leader, smiled slightly.

Li Congshan hurriedly stood up and said with a smile: "Thank you King Jin for hosting a banquet to entertain you, and seeing King Jin today flattered Xiao Wang." ”

Although both of them are princes, it seems that Li Congshan is like Zhao Guangyi's subordinates. Xiao Zuo looked at this scene, shook his head slightly, and sighed in his heart, with such a good look, the Southern Tang Dynasty was not destroyed by Zhao Song, it was simply unreasonable.

"You don't have to be polite, you can have a casual banquet today, and I wish you all the fun. Zhao Guangyi was noncommittal to Li Congshan's words, raised his glass and said again: "Let's drink a glass of friendship between the two countries." ”

Li Congshan smiled wryly and picked up his wine glass, "May the Great Song Dynasty and my Tang Dynasty forever become brothers, and the people of the two countries live and work in peace and contentment." ”

The crowd raised their glasses and drank them all.

Putting down the wine glass, Zhao Guangyi seemed to think of something, so he said: "Brother Congshan, I don't know how the lord of your country is now?"

Zhao Guangyi's words put his posture very high, and he did not regard Li Yu, as the king of a country, as the emperor at all, but just a polite greeting to an old friend who was not very familiar.

Although Li Congshan didn't like Zhao Guangyi's greetings in this tone, he had to bow his head when he was under the eaves, so he could only smile very embarrassedly, "My emperor is in good health, and Lord Lao is worried." ”

"Oh?" Zhao Guangyi's eyes froze, "Your country is just a subject country of our dynasty, where did the subject country come from? ”

When Li Congshan heard this, his face instantly looked unsightly, and he wanted to refute it, but this is indeed the case, if you want to blame the weak Li Yu, he bowed down to others in fear without beating him, if he didn't say anything, he felt nakedly humiliated, and he felt very uncomfortable. So Li Congshan, who had no choice, turned his attention to Xiao Zuo for help.

Aren't you very good at saying it? You don't even pay attention to Zhou Qiling, isn't it time for you to behave?

Xiao Zuo has always watched coldly and remained silent, in fact, he doesn't care about Nantang's face at all, but now he still has the identity of an envoy of Nantang, if he doesn't do anything, it's too much to say. However, what can he use to refute it? Zhao Guangyi really gave himself a big problem.

After thinking for a while, Xiao Zuo said loudly: "Although my Tang Kingdom is a subject country of the Great Song Dynasty, the so-called subject country is a subordinate country, although it is subordinate, but it is also a country, there is a country, there is a country, we and other subjects, call ourselves 'my emperor', why not?"

Xiao Zuo actually didn't understand the meaning of the subject country at all, and after thinking about it for a long time, he could only distort it literally, although it was a bit far-fetched, but it was better not to say anything.

"Who are you?" Zhao Guangyi was noncommittal to Xiao Zuo's words, but asked his identity.

"The foreign minister is Xiao Zuo, the deputy envoy of Jinling's envoy to Tokyo. ”

"What a visiting deputy envoy, with a good mouth of clever words, even if your lord comes, you don't dare to call yourself a king in front of Xiao Wang. After speaking, Zhao Guangyi hahadaxiao got up.

For the Southern Tang Dynasty, Zhao Guangyi never put it in his eyes, sooner or later it would be the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, and Li Yu would sooner or later be a prisoner of the order.

"The prince said cautiously, as the so-called subordinates should not discuss the king in vain, the prince is talking about my dynasty like this, isn't he afraid of angering the people of the Southern Tang Dynasty?"

Li Yu can be wronged in front of you, but it doesn't mean that the people will buy it. The Southern Tang Dynasty has been operating Jiangnan for a long time, although it is not possible to talk about the people's affiliation, but at least compared to the unfamiliar Song State, the common people are still willing to have a more familiar court to manage things.

Whether the small court of the Southern Tang Dynasty will perish or not, for the people of Jiangnan, may not be a big deal, after all, it is far from their actual life, but if there are people who wantonly provoke and incite the people to slander the Great Song Dynasty, it will take a lot of trouble to think that Zhao Song wants to destroy the Southern Tang Dynasty.

Xiao Zuo's words are nothing more than to tell Zhao Guangyi, you can look down on our emperor, but you can't look down on the people in Jiangnan, as long as there are people like me, it is definitely not an easy task for the Great Song Dynasty to destroy the Southern Tang Dynasty!

Zhao Guangyi's cold gaze swept over Xiao Zuo's face, Xiao Zuo was not afraid at all, and looked at Zhao Guangyi's gaze. Neither of them spoke, but the violent collision in their eyes was more intense than the verbal battle.

I don't know how long it took for Zhao Guangyi to retract his gaze from Xiao Zuo, and then smiled, "I only drink alcohol today, and I want to have a good time, Xiao Wang respects this Deputy Envoy Xiao, and I hope to have the opportunity to see Lord Xiao again in Jinling in the future." ”

Zhao Guangyi's words were thorny, which means that when my army comes to the city in the future, I don't know if you still have such sharp words as now.

Xiao Zuo raised his wine glass, didn't even look at Zhao Guangyi, and drank it all, "The prince's wine is really the best wine, if you have the opportunity to ask the prince for a few bottles, take them back to Jinling when the time comes, and wait for the prince to drink again." ”