I studied in modern times

Chapter 774 Aligu didn’t really kneel down, he was just scared!

April 14th of the second year of Yuanyou.

Liu Changzuo, the governor of Yanzhou and the governor of Fuyan Road, said: The western bandits of Youzhou sent an official letter, transferring 325 soldiers and civilians who had been captured by the barbarians in past dynasties.

The imperial edict for Fuyan Road stated: When you reach the four villages of Jialu, Mizhi, Futu and Anjiang, you will be given special rewards, such as land and money, to appease the people.

This was the first batch of Song Dynasty abductees sent back by Western Xia after the peace agreement between the two countries.

And it was Xixia's unilateral return!

Xixia's only request was to ask for permission to increase the opening hours of various trading cities.

This was the first time that Western Xia returned abducted people to the Song Dynasty after the Battle of Yongle City!

This shows what?
Family! As long as you can win, your opponents will become reasonable.

Zhao Xie, the governor and pacifier of Xihe and Lanhui Road, reported: Aligu, the chief of Miaochuan, the governor of Xiping Army and the prince of Wuwei, sent an envoy to ask for permission to enter the capital to pay tribute to the emperor, and also asked the court to send an envoy to enthrone his son Bang Biaozhu as the crown prince. He hoped that the court would give instructions.

The imperial edict approved Aligu's request for tribute, and ordered Zonghui, Gongji and others to tell Aligu that if he wanted to ask for the enthronement of his son, his son should come to the capital to pay homage and receive the enthronement in person.

This is also the impact of victory in the war.

After the peace agreement between Song and Xia, Aligu continued to show goodwill towards Bian Jing.

He pushed all the responsibility onto Qing Yijie Gui Zhang and said, "It was all Gui Zhang and Dangxiang's conspiracy. I was in Qingtang and knew nothing."

It was also "Since my father and grandfather, generations have been loyal and diligent to the Han Dynasty... I hope the court will see clearly!", making it seem as if their family had been loyal to the government of Bianjing from the beginning, and had never flirted with the Tanguts and Khitans, or even formed an alliance to attack the Song Dynasty.

Now they are requesting tribute and asking the court to enthrone the crown prince.

It seemed as if Tubo had completely given up sitting on the fence and was determined to follow Emperor Zhao wholeheartedly from now on.

It is said that when the Empress Dowager heard the report from Xihe, she was very surprised and almost agreed to Aligu's request.

Fortunately, the ministers in the capital today are all smart people.

They saw through Aligu's thoughts at a glance and tried to persuade him - Aligu was trying to use the power of the court to control the leaders of the tribes!

Aligu was not really submissive! He was just internally unstable, and the nobles of various tribes did not obey him, so he remembered the kindness of his uncle from the Han family.

As long as the limelight passes and the crisis is overcome, the old problem will definitely recur.

Therefore, Lu Gongzhu said bluntly: "Since ancient times, the barbarians have feared power but not virtue! The Western Tibetans are still better! Since the reign of Zuo Silu, the Tibetans have been like this for generations! I hope that the Holy Saint will see clearly!"

Don't be fooled! It's embarrassing to be cheated.

But the Empress Dowager was too eager to gain credit to whitewash her own politics behind the scenes.

The ministers had no choice but to come up with a solution that would satisfy both parties - the title could be conferred, but the Tubo prince had to come to the capital in person to pay homage to the emperor!
This is natural according to etiquette and law - you say you are a loyal minister. If you want to enthrone the crown prince, the crown prince should go to the capital to pay homage to the emperor and accept the enthronement from the emperor himself!

Zhao Xu looked at the scrolls sent by Empress Dowager Xiang and listened to her introduction.

"Bang Biaozhu?" Zhao Xu looked at the familiar name on the memorial in his hand.

He couldn't help but think of the Tibetan king who prostrated himself in front of him in his previous life. He was also the governor of the Xiping Army of the Song Dynasty and the chief of Miaochuan appointed by Zhao Xu.

At that time, Zhao Xu's health was already very poor.

But they still warmly received the surrendered Tubo Zamp.

He also gave him a large amount of money, gold and silver, and encouraged him to be loyal to the court and work hard to pacify Qingtang Tubo.

Force the Tubo Zamp to surrender!

This was Zhao Xu’s greatest political achievement in his previous life!
Zhao Xu believed that this even surpassed the victory in the Battle of Pingxia City!
Originally, according to the plan of Zhao Xu and Zhang Dun, the next step was to let the Zanpu return to Qingtang City under the banner of the Song Dynasty and continue to rule Qingtang.

In this way, the flank threat from the northwest could be completely eliminated, and the Song Dynasty court could focus on dealing with the Dangxiang, laying a solid foundation for ultimately destroying the Western Xia regime and eliminating the threat from the northwest.

However, Zhao Xu's own body was already exhausted at that time.

After meeting Bang Biaozhu, his condition deteriorated rapidly and he died in Funing Palace in the first month of the following year.

And now, seeing this name again, how could Zhao Xu not be filled with emotion?
"What do you think, Sixth Brother?" Empress Dowager Xiang looked at Zhao Xu's expression, which seemed a little strange, and couldn't help asking.

"Reporting to the Queen Mother, I don't have any thoughts..." Zhao Xu replied, "I just feel that the name of this Tubo prince Bang Biaozhu is a bit strange... It seems that there is a destiny between us!"

"Perhaps, I can meet him in Bianjing City!"

The people you have met in your previous life or previous life, you will definitely meet in this life.

The Queen Mother said, "I see!"

As a devout Buddhist, she believed in fate: "Since Sixth Brother has such feelings, I think he will definitely be able to meet the prince!"

“Maybe, we can see it this year!”

Because Aligu wrote a letter requesting tribute and enthronement, at today's morning court session, the ministers gave her a brief introduction to the current situation faced by the Qingtang Tubo regime.

All I can say is that there are internal and external troubles, and the situation is very tense.

Wen Xixin, the leader of Miaochuan City, which controls the road to Qingtang City, the lifeline of Tubo, and Xige City, which protects the safety of Qingtang City's flank, have now turned to the Song Dynasty.

The two great Tibetan leaders, Wen Xixin and Xibawen, repeatedly requested to go to the capital to pay homage to the emperor.

Now, that request has been approved.

They will enter the capital together with Zhao Xie, Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji when Zhao Xie steps down.

Qing Yijie Guizhang, who was originally responsible for building external defenses for Qingtang City, is now a "guest" of the Song Dynasty in Tongwenguan in Bianjing City.

His son Jie Wagou had also expressed his willingness to lead his troops to surrender to the Song Dynasty after receiving a letter from Qing Yi Jie Gui Zhang.

The external defense of Qingtang Tubo built by Dong Zhen after the opening of the border in Xining period of the Song Dynasty collapsed.

Qingtang City is now exposed to the army of the Song Dynasty.

As long as the Song Dynasty is willing, Xihe Road can send troops to Qingtang at any time to end the already unstable Aligu regime.

But it's not necessary!

The ministers said that it was impossible for the Song Dynasty to establish any stable rule in the Qingtang area now.

Therefore, destroying Aligu would not bring any other benefits except plunging the Qingtang region into chaos and becoming an unruly place and providing opportunities for the Dangxiang people.

Moreover, the resources needed for the expedition to Qingtang are too many, and there is also the risk of failure - even with Wen Xixin leading the way, the supply line is too long.

Decades ago, Zuo Siluo defeated Western Xia at the Zongge River by luring the enemy deep into his territory. Yuan Hao almost escaped with his tail between his legs.

Countless numbers of his troops were drowned in the Zongo River - the number of those who drowned alone reached tens of thousands!
We must learn from past mistakes and be on guard!
Inside Qingtang City, the ministers also said that the Aligu regime came to power illegitimately and was suspected of murdering Dong Zhen and slaughtering his sons.

Now, against the backdrop of Qingyi Jie Guizhang being captured and Xihai Jie Wagou asking for surrender.

Aligu’s rule has certainly been challenged a lot from within, or at least questioned.

Therefore, the ministers believed that although the Song Dynasty needed to recuperate, it might as well take advantage of the opportunity to achieve some strategic goals.

This is how the prince Bang Biaozhu, whom Aligu wanted to enthrone, came to Beijing to pay homage to the emperor.

The Song Dynasty didn’t care whether Bang Biaozhu came or not.

What the Song Dynasty was concerned about was Aligu's own reaction to this request.

If he is willing, it means that he has most likely given up his personal ambitions. In the short term, the possibility of the Tibetans and the Dangxiangs joining forces again in the northwest will be greatly reduced, and Xihe can relax its vigilance against Aligu a little.

If he is unwilling, then Xihe will have to continue to pressure him, such as closing one or two trading markets, or blocking one or two trade routes.

We will use both economic and political approaches until they are willing!
After the ministers' popularization and introduction, both palaces have a certain understanding of the current situation of the three kingdoms in the northwest. They are no longer at a loss as before, and they don't even know in which direction Xizhou and Lanzhou are!

Therefore, Empress Dowager Xiang felt that the prince of Aligu should come to Beijing. Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Xiang asked, "By the way, when does Sixth Brother plan to recall Zhao Xianggong, Xiang Zonghui, and Gao Gongji?"

Zhao Xu pursed his lips and replied, "I think we need to wait a little longer..."

"After the situation in the court stabilizes, recall Prime Minister Zhao and the others..."

"To prevent the Western bandits from invading again while my general is away."

"That's right..." She nodded to the Queen Mother.

While the mother and son were talking, Feng Jing arrived in the hall, bowed, and said, "Everyone, Mr. Guo wants to see you!"

"Mr. Guo?" Zhao Xu deliberately asked, "Do you know what's going on?"

Feng Jing hesitated for a moment and replied, "I heard that it was the censors who impeached the prince consort..."

"Got it!" Zhao Xu nodded: "Let Guo Sheren send all the notes to my study!"

Empress Dowager Xiang was listening nearby and couldn't help asking, "Sixth brother, are the censors still impeaching the prince consort?"

Zhao Xu laughed and said, "Don't you know, mother, that the imperial censors have always been like this?"

"Oh..." Empress Dowager Xiang nodded doubtfully.

After ruling the country from behind the scenes for more than two years, she has become familiar with the personalities of the court officials.

The censors in the Censorate really like to harp on one thing.

But the problem is...

Didn’t Sixth Brother say that the Prince Consort only committed a minor mistake involving money?
Generally speaking, for this kind of mistake, Sixth Brother would give a few instructions and appease the censors, and they would tactfully choose to let it go.

I won't hold on to it!

and so……

What exactly did the prince consort commit?
Empress Dowager Xiang was very attentive and she noticed the key word "still" in Feng Jing's words.

Therefore, today's impeachment is not a continuation of the last impeachment.

The censors have been tirelessly impeaching the prince consort?
Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Xiang asked, "Sixth brother, would you like to tell me what the censors are impeaching?"

"Is it the servants of the Prince Consort who are bullying the people in Bianjing or other places?"

Zhao Xu shook his head.

"Seized someone's property?"

Zhao Xu still shook his head.

"Bought someone's ancestral property by force?"

Zhao Xu still shook his head.

This puzzled Empress Dowager Xiang.

There was no choice, Empress Dowager Xiang entered the palace at the age of 21.

She knew and was familiar with the ways in which the relatives by marriage used to covet money, and these methods were limited to the ones she knew before entering the palace.

Humans cannot imagine things beyond their own cognition.

Empress Dowager Xiang could not escape from this barrier either, and could not help asking, "What exactly is going on?"

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "Mother, don't worry!"

"Anyway, it's all about money!"

"I will issue an imperial decree in a moment and order someone to take out some money from the treasury to make up for the shortfall for the Prince Consort!"

"I believe that once the censors have given their explanation, they will stop insisting on this!"

"Oh!" nodded to the Queen Mother.

It was a common practice for the royal family for the emperor to use money to fill the holes of his relatives.

However, she still had some doubts in her mind.

Why didn't the Sixth Brother tell her what specific mistakes the Prince Consort made?

But he didn't think about why Zhao Xu didn't take out money to make up for the deficit for the son-in-law before, but did it now?
If she could think of this and put herself in the shoes of the crows in the Censorate.

Then Empress Dowager Xiang would discover a horrible fact - Zhao Xu, now taking out money to fill the hole for his son-in-law, is not trying to resolve the situation.

Instead, it adds fuel to the fire!
However, it was impossible for Empress Dowager Xiang to think of this point, let alone think in the same way as the censors.

As I said, humans cannot imagine things beyond their own cognition!

……

Lu Tao leaned against the window, looking at the man who came out of Princess Shoukang's residence opposite.

He was a typical stereotype of a Bianjing hooligan.

He was wearing a blue shirt and a simple fu hat. He didn't look tall, but rather stout.

He seemed to be holding a bag in his hand, which looked heavy.

Lu Tao narrowed his eyes and winked at a clerk beside him, who immediately understood and followed with his men.

Lu Tao slowly sat down, but his eyes were still fixed on the princess's residence opposite.

He slowly muttered, "In the princess's residence, seven guests came in in the past day..."

"Among them, there are two monks, one Taoist priest, two scholars... and two rogues from the capital..."

"Prince Consort Zhang has a very rich circle of friends!"

As rich as Zhao Shiju!
In the Zhao Shiju case that year, those who were eventually executed were all of similar character.

The scholars in the opposition, the ruffians in the capital, and the Taoists and monks who made up the prophecies.

Although in retrospect, it was mostly these people who set up a trap to make Zhao Shiju happy and cheat him of some money.

The so-called catalogs and omens are just props to cheat people out of money.

But from the perspective of the imperial court, this matter was too terrible.

Because Li Shining once said to Zhao Shiju: "You look exactly like Emperor Taizu!"

These words were recorded in a letter, put on paper, and then found out by Deng Wan.

Deng Wan and others were highly regarded by the late emperor because of their performance in the Zhao Shiju case, and they rose to prominence from then on. His grace even continues to this day - wasn't Deng Wan promoted not long ago?

As for the other two presiding officials, Shen Kuo and Fan Bailu, one was the "minister trained by the previous emperor and left to the young master". He was appointed to the military equipment manufacturing bureau and became a retainer of the young master. The other was appointed as Zhongshu Sheren, and he was promoted from Qi Jilang. He also had great hope to enter the Academy of Bachelors and become a Hanlin scholar!
Whenever Lu Tao thought of this, his heart couldn't help but beat violently.

His moral bottom line is very high.

But faced with this opportunity that could make him soar to fame, Lu Tao still found it difficult to resist.

In his heart, there was even a whisper like that of an evil ghost, repeatedly reading the records in history books about cruel officials such as Zhang Tang, Zhufu Yan, and Lai Junchen.

Lu Tao quickly shook his head to calm himself down.

(End of this chapter)