Five Dynasties River Mountains Fengyue

Chapter 358 Terror from the South

In front of the hall, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, everyone was in a hurry, surrounded by Yelu Xiezhen and walked in, among the chaotic figures, all kinds of voices were intertwined, anxious, afraid, loud and noisy.

Xiao Chuo was dragged by his elder sister, seeing the adults hurriedly walking into the hall, they also followed behind.

An atmosphere of uneasiness and depression runs through it all the time, just like lingering on the eaves of the roof tiles and corner pillars. The adults are busy and noisy.

Although Gao Xun was on an equal footing with his father in terms of official titles, held the military power in Nanjing, and was canonized as the king of Zhao, he was a high-ranking general, but he was a Han general who surrendered, and the rule of the Daliao Kingdom was that the Yelu family and the Xiao family's direct line married and controlled the court.

So Gao Xun also understood that he couldn't compare with Xiao Siwen, especially Xiao Siwen's daughters. They were destined to marry the royal family of the Yelu family in the future and enter the top power circle of Liao.

So even if you are the King of Zhao in the Daliao Kingdom, you are still polite to the two younger generations.

Xiao Chuo was dragged by the eldest sister, and followed the adults into the main hall, where there were many discussions and greetings, but she always felt something was wrong.

The adults talked and talked a lot, and they looked busy, but no one talked about important things.

Yelu Xiezhen's injury is important, but what's more important is the war in the south!
Seeing Yelu Xiezhen become like this, she was eagerly waiting for the adults to ask about it, but they were all busy, and no one asked me. People's affairs can be done by others, so why should they rush to do them.

Just when she couldn't help but want to ask, she was grabbed by the eldest sister.

Xiao Chuo looked puzzled, "Why don't they talk about the south."

"You are so stupid, Yelu Xiezhen has become like that, don't they understand what's going on in the south? It's just that I feel uncomfortable and dare not say it." The eldest sister Xiao Hunian looked at her like a fool.

Xiao Chuoji didn't like the eyes of the eldest sister, so he shook off her hand: "Why not!"

"Since everyone knows what's in their hearts, what else can they do? It's embarrassing and embarrassing to say it out, or trembling at Shi Congyun who wants to arrest you as a concubine?
Since there is no way to solve the problem and there are still things to do, it is better to pay attention to Yelu Xiezhen's affairs. It is useless to ask about other things, that is Yelusha's responsibility. "

"But what if Shi Congyun calls!" Xiao Chuo said anxiously.

"Father and Uncle Gao will discuss it later, and it's not up to everyone to talk about such an important matter." The elder sister was not as anxious as she was at all, and seemed calm and composed.

This made the little Xiao Chuo feel competitive, and he even warned himself to calm down and not let the eldest miss look at him.

Things really happened as the eldest sister said. After a while, the eldest sister pulled her back to the side, drinking tea with goat milk and waiting for her father and Uncle Gao.

This tea cake was sold by merchants in the south, with spices and diced meat in it, and boiled with goat milk. People on the grasslands like to drink it, but the tea is only produced in the south. When the tea cake is sold from the south to the north, it is very Expensive, every time those southern merchants come, they can exchange a lot of their cattle, sheep and furs, even the royal family is no exception.

Sometimes she thought that if the Daliao Kingdom crossed the Yellow River, it would no longer need to give so many cows and sheepskins to the cunning southerners.

And the silk skirt, handkerchief, and fine silk cloth on her body are all made by southerners. They are all valuables, and the price is high. Even the armor of southerners is better than that of Liao. Liao will have countless benefits.

When she was a child, her father taught her to read poetry and history books of the Han people, and several Han scholars who fled from the south taught her at home.

These are related to her father. Her father, Xiao Siwen, is familiar with Han books and history, and pays attention to appearance, but he is not good at fighting, so he is also influenced by the children of the family, and his education is more biased towards Han people.

She knows the history, and the great events of the Han and Tang Dynasties were full of expectations, just like her ancestors.

She felt in her heart that His Majesty had no ambitions, no ambition to go south, especially after being defeated by Shi Congyun.But she also knew that their ancestors once said after the founding of the country that to become a figure like Han Gaozu, they had to go south, conquer the Central Plains, and cross the Yellow River.

Taizu Taizong's ambitious descendants should remember that she thought so.

They waited on the west side of the main hall, one after another, many officials hesitated to speak, and left in a hurry.

Soon there were not many people left, only father, Gao Xun and a few senior officials, and only then did the elder sister drag her to the inner hall.

Yelu Xiezhen was being served by everyone to wash and change clothes, and ate a lot of soup and the like to satisfy his hunger. At this time, he was half lying on the bed, and he had obviously recovered a lot.

They passed just in time to hear him whispering about the situation to the south.

"When we passed the Yanmen Pass, more than 1 soldiers from various tribes had gathered, and some tribes from the west hadn't arrived yet. The prime minister (Yelusa) told them not to wait, and asked them to guard the Yanmen Pass.

So we crossed the Yanmen Pass and headed south without any obstacles. According to the report, the Qin army besieged Taiyuan for only a few days.

On the way, we encountered a vanguard unit of several thousand soldiers from the Qin army, defending near Xinkou, we rushed over and started fighting."

In the hall, the atmosphere was dignified, and it was already dusk outside the house. The evening wind whimpered like weeping, the wind moved the trees, and the shadows of the eaves swayed in the candlelight. The medium lamp is lit.

Southerners seldom place lamps and candles in the middle of the house, but in the tents of the Khitan tribe, that is a common occurrence. Since Youzhou became Nanjing of the Liao Kingdom, the Yuanhe Hall and Jianing Hall originally built by the Han people also have different styles. The changes have been mixed with the style of many Khitan people. This kind of decoration, which is a mixture of two phases, nondescript and quite unique, is just like the current situation of the Liao Kingdom.

This kind of change is not only in the interior of the palace, but also has many changes from the inside to the outside. When two cultures collide with each other, it is inevitable that mud and sand will intertwine and intertwine. In the end, who will be the dominant one is a matter of comprehensive consideration of various factors. It's hard to say for sure on one or two factors.

In today's Liao Kingdom, there is one thing that is absolutely certain. The Khitan people with weak cultural heritage have no chance of winning. Military power and culture often accompany each other and are independent of each other.

Cultural dissemination mostly relies on conquest by force, and conquest by force needs to be consolidated by cultural dissemination, otherwise the achievements will not last forever.The Mongols, who were quickly disintegrated by local cultural assimilation and change after conquering all parts of the world, are the best example.

However, there is an essential difference between the two. The fragility of culture cannot be made up by force.In this regard, the Khitan people are inherently weak, and their writing and language were officially unified only a few decades ago, while the Han people completed these as early as more than 1000 years ago.

In the main hall, Yelu Xiezhen continued to talk about their tragic experience. They originally only wanted to encircle and wipe out a small group of enemy strikers, but after fighting for two days and one night, that group of enemies held on to the top of the mountain, and they did not collapse or surrender. go south.

That day, none of them expected that Shi Congyun would lead the main force northward, and the two sides would encounter each other. The Qin army immediately launched a full-scale attack, as fierce as a pack of hungry wolves on the grassland.

They were few and defenseless, and they were defeated and ran northward. Unexpectedly, the cunning and vicious Shi Congyun had arranged for troops to cut off their retreat.

Only some of the fastest runners in the front escaped, while those in the back were cut off, and all were besieged in a small town.

Shi Congyun's follow-up army arrived quickly, almost sticking to their rear and besieging thousands of them in the small town north of Dai County.

Afterwards, the Qin army who couldn't see how many people rushed to the mountains and plains quickly arrived, besieging them in groups, and they couldn't get through.

They broke through several times and were repulsed with heavy losses.

What happened after that became more and more tragic, and Yelu Xiezhen's eyes were full of fear and uneasiness that could not fade away when he said it.

Shi Congyun surrounded them in the town, cut off food and water, and did not allow them to go out. They would throw stones and shoot arrows at the town in the middle of the night. They demolished all the houses, cut down all the trees for warmth, and ate all the horses and food. Planed all grass roots and tree roots in the town.

A few days later, some people couldn't hold back and ran out to surrender. Shi Congyun ordered them to be shot to death, and said that they were Rongdi barbarians and would not accept their surrender.

Hearing this, everyone in the palace looked very unhappy. Shi Congyun's arrogance and contempt made them feel uncomfortable. After so many years since the founding of the Daliao Kingdom, few people dare to say that about them.

More importantly, that arrogance hit a sore spot in the hearts of the Khitan people.They do not have the long heritage and history of the Han people. They started from a Jimi prefecture in the Tang Dynasty. They have the ambition to go south to the Central Plains. They have achieved achievements in military force, but when it comes to these, they always feel that they are not as good as the Han people, so they don’t like others the most. Said they were barbarians.

"We already have our own writing and language, so why would he dare to call us barbarians!" Xiao Chuo was the youngest and the most restless, instantly like a kitten whose fur had exploded, hating Shi Congyun to the extreme in his heart , How dare he say that about the Khitan people.

"For the Han people, that happened thousands of years ago, and it's useless for you to be angry." The eldest sister reminded her that Gao Xun was a little embarrassed when the hall fell silent, so he could only pretend that nothing happened. Han people.

Xiao Chuo was very angry, and looked at the eldest sister angrily, but she couldn't find anything to refute. In her heart, she was said to be the barbarian Rong Di's Shi Congyun's sworn enemy, the greatest enemy of the Liao Kingdom Another notch up, not just sworn enemies, but sworn mortals.

Yelu Xiezhen went on to talk about the following things, and a big man burst into tears while talking.

Everyone was horrified when they heard it, and their spines were chilled. How Shi Congyun forced them to kill each other and survive by eating the corpses of their own kind. Afterwards, when they accepted the surrender, they entered the villages and towns aloofly. Only more than 2000 people survived.

He was arrogant, because Yelusha could speak Chinese and had studied the classics of Confucius and Mencius, so he let them go.

Speaking of this, the officials present were terrified, and they all silently wrote it down in their hearts, thinking that they must buy a few books of Confucius and Mencius to study hard when they go back. Judging by this posture, the Qin army may come to Nanjing one day.

Yelu Xiezhen also talked about Shi Congyun's neglect and abuse of them. When they finally let them leave Yanmen Pass, only 2000 of the 1000 people survived and received rations, and many more starved to death on the road.

Everyone was angry and speechless, the atmosphere in the hall was heavy, and no one spoke first.

Until Xiao Hunian said: "That is to say, more than 1 people, including those who escaped before, only two or three thousand survived."

Yelu Xiezhen lowered his head and nodded silently, as acquiescence.

This time, the news was confirmed. Although many people had already guessed that the situation in the south might be bad after seeing Yelu Xiezhen come back like this before, they didn't expect that the bad situation was bigger than imagined.
Xiao Siwen's face was gloomy, while Gao Xun's expression flickered and he gasped.

Xiao Chuo only felt a chill down his spine, and felt unspeakably uncomfortable, and subconsciously held the elder sister's hand tightly, with inexplicable fear welling up in his heart.

The eldest sister was calmer than her, but not much better. Although she was unmoved on the surface, she could feel her hands trembling slightly.

This is not the first time that the Great Liao Kingdom has been defeated by Shi Congyun.

My father asked a question tremblingly, "Is he going to continue going north?"

Yelu Xiezhen shook his head, and said with some hesitation: "He doesn't seem to be planning to go north immediately, but he told us that he will lead the troops to go north to Shangjing. See Your Majesty, if he can speak Chinese and write Chinese characters by then. People can save their lives."

This is what he said, but everyone knows that it is definitely not Shi Congyun's original words, there must be a lot of disrespectful content in the original words, Xiao Chuo can imagine his domineering and arrogant appearance just by these words.

However, Shi Congyun didn't continue to go north, and everyone present was relieved, even she herself felt that her dull chest finally eased, and she was able to breathe smoothly.

Until this moment, the little Xiao Chuo, who didn't have much experience and experience, finally understood how much oppression Shi Congyun had brought to them, leaving a deep imprint in her heart.

The father, Gao Xun and other high-ranking officials in Nanjing breathed a sigh of relief, and Yelu Xiezhen then spoke.

"However, he said that he would lead an army of [-] to take Nanjing from the east, unless." When he said this, everyone was startled. The loss of soldiers and the loss of generals, while Shi Congyun in the south is full of power and strength, is too scary and terrifying.

But when they heard about the turning point later, everyone seemed to be grabbing at straws, pricking up their ears to listen to the following, but he stopped.

Xiao Chuo also pricked up his ears, this time he was in a hurry, his father Xiao Siwen over there had already urged: "Unless there is something wrong, tell me quickly!"

Yelu Xiezhen hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "He said that unless the son-in-law sent Yanyan to Daliang to offer it to him."

As soon as these words came out, the scene immediately became quiet, and Xiao Siwen subconsciously looked back at his young and lovely daughter.

Xiao Chuo only felt that she had suffered a great humiliation, her little face flushed red, the humiliation was humiliation, and she dared not speak in front of such a big question of right and wrong.

Yanyan was her nickname, and when she met her father's eyes, she felt in her young heart that her father would give herself to Shi Congyun without hesitation in exchange for his strike.

"How did the generals around Shi Congyun react?" Gao Xun asked suddenly.

"They were all laughing."

Gao Xun nodded and comforted her and said, "Niece Yanyan, don't be afraid. I think Shi Congyun just said some insulting words. With his power, what kind of woman in the world can't get it. Yanyan is only eleven years old this year." , he just wanted to scare us.

But it also shows that he is willing to negotiate conditions. It is rumored that after the defeat of the Shu Kingdom in the south, he bribed Shi Congyun with many beauties and money in exchange for his strike, which shows that he is a person who loves money.

Send envoys to bring a lot of money, and then select women of the right age and good looks from the clan to accompany them, go to the south, go to Daliang to make peace with Shi Congyun, and at least get a strike within a few years, which is good for everyone.

We lost 1 troops the year before last, and another [-] this year. The country needs to recuperate. If we can achieve ten years of peace, all these efforts are worthwhile. "

After hearing this, Xiao Siwen finally looked away from her daughter and said, "Let's write a letter to His Majesty together to explain this matter."

Gao Xun nodded: "I will also immediately send troops to search for and respond to the Prime Minister (Yelusa)."

After leaving the main hall, the oppressive atmosphere still did not dissipate. The evening wind blew to make people sober up, but the dark sky was like the bad news of defeat, making people feel oppressed and hard to breathe.

Regarding the follow-up countermeasures, the father and uncle Gao Xun in the main hall are still discussing. The cavalry team to find and meet the Prime Minister Yelusha of the Southern Mansion has been ordered to set off. He separated from Yelu Xiezhen and others in the mountains southwest of Weizhou. I don't know if I'm dead or alive now.

Yelusha is the Prime Minister of the Nanfu, with a high position and authority, above his father and Gao Xun. The entire Nanfu government needs his nod, but this time he is in the hands of Shi Congyun.

Withdrawing his thoughts, Xiao Chuo realized that because of being too nervous and afraid just now, he had been holding the elder sister's hand tightly, and when he let go, his palm was cold, wet and sweaty.

"It scares you, don't worry, if Shi Congyun really arrests you to become a concubine, I will help you block it." The elder sister laughed at her.

Xiao Chuo learned a lot today, and immediately retorted, "Then he doesn't like you either."

The eldest sister snorted and didn't bother with her. The two sisters looked at the half-red sky outside the palace wall in the distance, thoughtful and sad.

In the next few days, more and more rout soldiers fled to Youzhou from Weizhou and other places in the south, and soon the rout soldiers also went through all kinds of difficulties and dangers and returned to their tribes, bringing news of the defeat and the situation on the battlefield. The news of the defeat could no longer be hidden, and the government had no choice but to announce the news.

The south suffered a disastrous defeat. Of the more than 1 tribal troops that went south, only 3000 or [-] returned.

The ruling and opposition parties of the Liao Kingdom were shaken, and voices of denunciation were endless.

Within three years, there were two major defeats, one loss of 4 people, and the other loss of nearly [-] people. The entire Daliao Kingdom was panicked.

The political atmosphere in the court was very unstable, and many people came out to impeach Yelusha. In private, some people thought that it was the fault of the current emperor, Yelujing. Yelvjing had risen to power through a coup, and there were many opponents.

But the people at the bottom level were in a state of panic, and all kinds of rumors were flying everywhere. Some said that Shi Congyun would lead an army of [-] to the north, while others said that Shi Congyun would lead troops to Beijing next year. There was chaos.

In these rumors, there are also some real parts. For example, Shi Congyun said that when he hits the Liao Kingdom, those who can speak Chinese and write Chinese characters will not be killed. A scene of "Luoyang paper is expensive".

Another big defeat, for a while the Liao Kingdom felt a little shaky and turbulent, the people were panicked, and the court was undercurrents.

(The update has been resumed. Happy New Year readers, I wish you all a family reunion, happiness and health, more than every year, peace every year, grow up every day, grow one centimeter every day)

(End of this chapter)