The famous book tour starting from the Red House

Chapter 490
Yang Keshi's defeat this time is not to say that there is no benefit at all, at least to a certain extent, it can be regarded as a crooked attack, indirectly dispelling the unrealistic illusions of some generals in the Song Army, and letting them understand that if they want to regain Youji and other places without bloodshed, I am afraid Just daydreaming.

But among these people, Tong Guan was not included.

If Tong Guan was still the one who pacified Gaotang in the past, he might have made up his mind to formally go to war with the Liao Kingdom at this time.

But the current Tong Guan, after many years of power strife in the imperial court, has long become a person who looks forward and backward, and only seeks profit. Now all he thinks about is how to use the smallest price to win the victory of regaining Youyun. In my arms.

Therefore, even though there had been a small-scale conflict between Song and Liao, Tong Guan still refused to give up his original idea, especially the day after Yang Keshi's defeat, the spies sent to Liao brought him back a letter of surrender.

The letter was written by Liu Zongji, the general of Han who was stationed in the new city of the Liao Kingdom. In the letter, he not only expressed his willingness to take the city but surrendered, but also vowed that the Liao people were nothing more than strong outsiders and middle-rankers, and Yeluchun and his gang were even more bluffing.

Liu Zongji also emphatically emphasized that he found out from Nanjing that Yelu Yanxi, the leader of the Liao Dynasty, was overwhelmed by himself and had made it clear that he had given up the land of Nanjing Road.

After Tong Guan read this letter, he was ecstatic, and he was more determined to win without fighting. Regardless of the persuasion of Zhong Shidao and others, he insisted on sending envoys to Yanjing to persuade Yeluchun to surrender.

What made Tong Guan angry was that when he asked all the officials of the Xuanfu Department to recommend themselves, no one came forward, which caused the atmosphere on the scene to be extremely embarrassing.

It is understandable to say that, after all, what happened to those envoys in the past is still vivid in my mind. At this time, naturally no one is willing to go to die.

Just when Tong Guan couldn't suppress the evil fire in his heart and was about to force the officials on the scene to push him out in public, he saw a young official boldly stepping out and only obeying his words, "Report to the Xuan Fu envoy, Ma Kuo is willing to go to Liao Kingdom as an envoy." .”

Tong Guan was afraid that Ma Kuo would change his mind, so he hurriedly said, "Mr. Chengjie is strong! When you return safely, I will take credit for you at the official's house."

Ma Kuo smiled sassyly, and ignored the ugly faces of his colleagues at the scene, and said flatly, "It is the duty of a minister to be loyal to the country, how can you be greedy for credit?"

Tong Guan didn't care whether the words were true or not, after a few praises insincerely, he realized that Ma Kuo was just a small Chengjie man, his status was too low, so he asked him to temporarily take the position of Xuanzan Sheren of the Pavilion Gate.

Then he recruited entourage from the pro-army, and finally fifteen warriors were moved by Ma Kuo's spirit of sacrificing their lives for righteousness, and they took the initiative to invite Ying to go with them.

Therefore, under the inspiration of Ma Kuo, a temporary mission of the Song Dynasty was formed. After drinking Zhuangxing wine, they resolutely crossed the Baigou River on the border of Song and Liao the next day.

Fortunately, Ma Kuo and his party were lucky. Not long after they set foot in the territory of Liao Kingdom, they met Yelu Dashi, who was leading a patrol with troops, and was taken to Xincheng by him after some interrogation.

However, Ma Kuo and others were arranged to take a rest at the posthouse that day, in order to eliminate the exhaustion of the night before continuing on the road.But in a short time, hundreds of people from the elders came outside the museum, crowded outside the door.

It turned out that these were a group of Han people from the Liao region. Today they suddenly saw a mission coming here, so they came to ask where the mission came from.

Of course, Ma Kuo would not give up this opportunity to get close to the people and spread the news of the Great Song Dynasty's invasion of Yanjing. He immediately walked out of the post house, took out a list and read it out loud to everyone.

The content of this list is nothing more than clichés such as the king's teacher slandering the people and punishing the people. Liao Dynasty monarchs and ministers, civil and military officials, soldiers and civilians should understand current affairs and abandon the dark and turn to the bright early, but it still shocked everyone at the scene.

After Ma Kuo finished reading the list, he wanted to make persistent efforts and continue to preach the benefits of the Great Song Dynasty to the people of Yandi, but he was bullied by a big man in the crowd and immediately heard him whisper,
"My lord, it's better not to make trouble outside this festival, so as not to attract the intervention of the Liao soldiers."

Ma Kuo was startled, and when he wanted to ask the person's name and where he came from, the big man only left a sentence, "Let him stay in Zhuozhou tonight." Then he left quietly.

After noon that day, Yelu Dashi sent escort soldiers and horses, and sent Ma Kuo and his party to Zhuozhou. It was evening when they arrived at the posthouse, and the men they met before were already waiting inside.

The two greeted each other, and the man claimed that he was Liu Zongji who had sent a letter to Tong Guan before. According to his dictation, he made a special trip to meet Ma Kuo in order to convey some information about the Liao Kingdom.

Ma Kuoxian was very happy at the time, but after listening to it for a while, he couldn't help being disappointed, because what Liu Zongji said was exaggerated. For example, he suggested that the Liao army in Xincheng is not strictly guarded. The army's night attack will surely make a contribution in one fell swoop.

If Liu Zongji said something like this, if an ordinary civil official came, he might probably believe it, but Ma Kuo was not.
In Ma Kuo's view, Liu Zongji was either a secret agent sent by the Liao Kingdom, who wanted to implement countermeasures to lure the Song army into being fooled.Or it is a speculator who wants to seek his own prosperity and wealth by taking refuge in Song Dynasty.

Therefore, after listening to Liu Zongji's words, Ma Kuo promised on the surface that he would pass on these words to Tong Guan, but he secretly took precautions against him, and used the excuse that the Liao people would not find out that the two met. He sent him away with a few words.

After lingering in Zhuozhou for three days like this, Ma Kuo and his entourage finally waited for the receptionist, Niu Ren, the accompanying envoy sent by the Liushou Mansion in Nanjing, Liao Kingdom.

After seeing the Liao people welcome them to Yanjing with the national ceremony, Ma Kuo couldn't help but wondered, secretly guessing that something big happened in the Liao Kingdom, otherwise there would be no reason to be arrogant and condescending.

As expected by Ma Kuo, at the same time as he was on his mission to the Liao Kingdom, two pieces of news came from outside the customs. To Yeluchun, the two pieces of bad news were like a bolt from the blue.

First, the Liao Kingdom experienced several disastrous defeats outside the pass, and even the capital was in jeopardy. At this time of peril, Emperor Yelu Yanxi did not think hard about governing, and led his people to flee to Jiashan. Daliao Sheji Ancestral Temple was abandoned.

Second, there was a military report from Yelu Foding that Mu Xu's army had appeared outside Juyong Pass, there were no less than [-] of them, and they were afraid that they would invade soon.

Faced with this situation, Yeluchun was already in a state of desperation, but a group of Khitan nobles headed by his wife and brother Xiao Qian did not stop. They wanted to forcibly support him as the emperor of the Liao Kingdom on the grounds that the country could not live without a king for a day. .

Coerced by the crowd, Yeluchun ascended the throne helplessly, named Xiao Puxian the queen, and respected Yelu Yanxi as King of Xiangyin from a distance. Afterwards, he discussed with the ministers how to deal with the current situation.

At this time, Yeluchun received a report from Yelu Dashi, and learned that the Song Dynasty sent envoys, so he tried his best to send Niu Ren to welcome the Song envoys to meet with the state ceremony.

This is why the Liao people's attitude changed drastically in just a few days.

On the way to Yanjing, Ma Kuo was overjoyed when he learned of the changes in the Liao Kingdom through side-stepping, and he felt that Yeluchun's goodwill was expressed this time, and his trip would surely be a success.

It is a pity that Ma Kuo didn't know that it was too early for him to be happy at this time, because although Yeluchun had the intention of attaching great importance to the Song Dynasty, he was quite weak-tempered and could not subdue those hardliners who advocated the Song Dynasty.

In addition, whether it was the Liao Kingdom or the Song Kingdom, they all subconsciously ignored Mu Xu, but they did not know that the old saying was true, the mantis stalks the cicada, and the oriole is behind, which also laid the groundwork for the future.

Closer to home, after several days of traveling, Ma Kuo and others finally arrived at the city of Yanjing. The Liao Kingdom once again welcomed them grandly. Reception and settling the group at Jinglou Temple, a famous temple in Yanjing.

The next day, shortly after dawn, Yao Fan, the commander in front of the palace of the Liao Dynasty, Xiao Kui, the privy secretary Chengzhi, and Du Guan Yixin came to "accompany food".

Seeing this situation, Ma Kuo became more convinced of his previous judgment.

You must know that the official title that Tong Guan lent to Ma Kuo was just the minimum title for an envoy, Gemen Xuanzansheren, which was only at the level of "Cong Qipin".

However, from yesterday to early today, the Liao Kingdom sent many officials who were several levels higher than him to receive him. This was absolutely impossible in the past Song and Liao relations.

This extraordinary grand welcome and hospitality just showed the weakness of the Liao Kingdom and the psychological weakness of the authorities.

Of course, the three officials from the Liao Dynasty came early in the morning not only to accompany Ma Kuo for dinner, but for another purpose.After breakfast, they proposed to Ma Kuo that they want to take away the credentials he held on this trip, the reason being that the Khitan nobles in Nanjing wanted to verify it.

Although the three of them spoke very politely, how could Ma Kuo let them get what they wanted, so he excused himself,
"Please forgive me for not agreeing. This letter of credence is related to the diplomatic relations between the two dynasties. It must be presented to the Nine Kings in person by this official. It is absolutely impossible for others to read it first."

Ma Kuo's remark not only raised the diplomatic relations between the two countries, but also called Yeluchun the Nine Kings. The implication was that he did not recognize his status as the emperor of the Liao Kingdom. diplomatic provocation.

But he did it anyway, the purpose is very simple, that is to test the bottom line of the Liao Kingdom and set the tone for subsequent negotiations.

The result did not disappoint Ma Kuo. None of these Liao officials stood up to fight against his almost intolerable provocation and difficulties, but only pestered him to show his credentials.

After a stalemate like this for a while, Ma Kuo saw that his goal had been achieved, so he pretended to be in trouble and let them leave with their credentials.

At sunset that day, the three of Yao Fan left and returned. When they saw Ma Kuo's face, they accused him, saying,
"The wording of this letter of credence is too arrogant, and the content is not true. It also blindly accuses us of the dynasty, and it is not negotiable. How can I face the emperor? Today, I will return the letter of credence as it is!"

Faced with the pressure from the three, Ma Kuo put away his credentials in a calm manner, and replied with a smile, "Today, it is useless to talk too much. If you don't reflect on your own virtues and situation, you can rest assured if you have such a leisurely heart." The official is here to stick to words, why don't you care about the direction of the [-] soldiers of my dynasty and the soldiers of the Dingxiang Jiedu envoy?"

In the past, when the two countries communicated, the Liao Kingdom used force to threaten the Song Dynasty. Now that the situation has changed, Yao Fan and the three could bear it. Xiao Kui immediately responded indignantly,
"You Southern Dynasties have always boasted of being a state of etiquette, but now disregarding the centuries-old alliance between the Liao and Song Dynasties, you take the lead in launching an attack, but you don't know who your teacher is famous for?"

Ma Kuo replied calmly, "This is the calculation of the temple. I am only a low-level official, how can I know the details?"

At this point, he changed the subject and said with an eye for an eye, "After listening to Lord Xiao's words, Ma has something to ask for advice. I don't know how many times your country violated our border without any reason in the past. What is the name of the teacher?"

Xiao Kui originally wanted to condemn the Song Dynasty morally, but instead Ma Kuo took up the conversation and was unable to answer for a while, while Ma Kuo continued to refuse to forgive him.
"Emperor Tianzuo was in exile. You and others did not send troops to save the crisis, but took the opportunity to usurp Yanjing with the Nine Kings. Song and Daliao are neighboring countries, and they are brothers in righteousness. Now it is their duty to consult. Emperor Tianzuo's car is safe. exist?

It is now heard that Emperor Tianzuo was downgraded to King Xiangyin, this matter is no small matter!The Great Song Xingshi questioned the crimes and searched for the life and death of the Liao Lord. Every action was in line with etiquette and righteousness. What does it mean that the teacher came out of no name? "

Yao Fan and the others were so robbed by Ma Kuo that they were speechless and had no choice but to retreat.

Another day later, Yao Fan and others finally calmed down and sent a message to Ma Kuo that Yelu Chun would summon him tomorrow.

Ma Kuo knew in his heart that the Liao people must have planned to compromise with the Song Dynasty after some discussions, and it seemed that his trip was about to complete his merits and virtues.

However, there was an unforeseen event, and when Ma Kuo was ready to speak and tried to use words to say Yeluchun, the three of Yao Fan visited again and informed Ma Kuo that the previous summons had been cancelled.

When Ma Kuo was at a loss, he heard Xiao Kui sarcastically say, "Your country always boasts of having a large number of soldiers, but it is vulnerable to a single blow. There was Yang Keshi who entered our territory for no reason before, and all the people who were beaten The army is wiped out. There will be [-] soldiers in the future, but they will lose to our [-] horses. If I hadn't remembered the past friendship between the two countries, I am afraid that the soldiers will have come to the city of Xiongzhou this time!"

Before Ma Kuo could answer, Guan Yixin also sent a letter,
"Your court sent envoys to negotiate and at the same time sent troops to attack, but they were defeated and fled so quickly. How could they show face to others? From now on, when will your court stop this backlash?"

When Ma Kuo heard the news of the defeat of the [-] troops, he couldn't believe his ears, but the words of the three people in front of him were so convincing that people couldn't believe it.

No matter how calm Ma Kuo could hold his breath, he was still very angry at this moment. He really couldn't understand why the [-] elite army was easily defeated by the Liao people in just over ten days?
Ma Kuo, who knew that he had been miserably abused by Tong Guan, turned his head quickly, and then immediately protested to the three of them, "I came here to recruit your country, but your country has a shameless sneak attack. What is the reason? Waiting for the actions to show face to others?"

Yao Fan and the three of them looked at each other, only then did they realize Ma Kuo's difficulty, so they simply stopped arguing with each other, and immediately conveyed Yeluchun's order, asking Ma Kuo and his party to rest in Jinglou Temple for a few days.

How could Ma Kuo not understand the meaning of these words, he immediately understood that they and his party were detained by the Liao people, but at this point, even a small envoy like him was helpless.

The only thing he can do now is, after the three of them left, he bribed the Liao attendant of Jingleu Temple to find out what happened.

(End of this chapter)