I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 545: The tough ministers of the imperial court! Kill the little Jiaozhi!

March 30th, near noon.

Han Qi and Su Liang arrived at the gate of Tianming Village with 20,000 cavalrymen.

Tianmingzhai is a military camp, that is, a military camp with defensive functions.

This village is located on a mountainside.

There is a large deep ravine on the left and a steep mountain wall on the right.

In addition to the high stone walls at the front gate, there are also trenches and fences specifically designed to defend against cavalry.

Although not as strong as the city wall of the provincial capital.

But the soldiers hid inside and defended it, so it was not easy to attack.

If they bypassed this place, the Liao soldiers would attack the Song army from behind and even block the Song's food supply.

Therefore, it must be eradicated before the army can march to Youzhou.

……

And this moment.

The Liao soldiers at the gate of the village had also made preparations for defense.

Defensive equipment such as bows and crossbows, stones, catapults, kerosene, etc. were all in place.

among them.

Standing in the middle of the gate was Xiao Liufu, the current defender of Tianming Village.

At this time, Su Liang looked at Xu Mang beside him.

Xu Mang immediately understood, waved his hand, and brought five cavalrymen, escorting Yelu Tiancheng to the gate of the camp.

When Xiao Liufu saw that the person being held was Yelu Tiancheng, he could not help but hurriedly said to the Liao soldiers around him: "Don't shoot yet, General Yelu is down below!"

Because they were once soldiers under Yelu Chongyuan, Yelu Hongji continued to reduce their military pay.

Yelu Tiancheng used his influence to supplement their military pay and helped the families of some soldiers on many occasions.

Therefore, his prestige is quite high.

immediately.

Xu Mang took out a hard bow and wrapped a handwritten letter from Yelu Tiancheng around a long arrow.

Yelu Tiancheng looked up at Xiao Liufu and said, "Liufu, after reading this letter, please think carefully and make your own decision!"

"Whoosh!"

A long arrow flew out and hit a wooden pillar on the gate of the village accurately.

Xiao Liufu took the letter and read it carefully.

This letter is Yelu Tiancheng's words of persuasion to surrender.

If they surrender, all 8,000 Liao soldiers in the camp will have a chance to survive; if they don't surrender, the entire army will be wiped out.

After reading the letter, Xiao Liufu frowned.

If the Liao Dynasty's uncle Yelu Chongyuan were still alive.

It is absolutely impossible for Yelu Tiancheng to write such a letter of rebellion against Liao. Even if he did, Xiao Liufu would reject it without hesitation.

Because at that time, they were soldiers of the Liao Kingdom, their hearts were with the Liao Kingdom, and it was impossible for them to betray their country.

But at that moment, Yelu Hongji did not trust them at all.

Letting them deploy their troops on the banks of the Zhuo River would mean they would suffer a crushing defeat, unable to organize a battle and unable to return to Youzhou City, which would be tantamount to sending them to their deaths.

If they were loyal to such an emperor, they would have no future and might even be killed at any time.

Xiao Liufu thought about it and hesitated to speak.

He originally wanted to say: I would rather die than surrender and I would never betray Liao.

But on second thought, the eight thousand soldiers behind him did not think so. These people joined the army for military merit, for rewards, and to make their families live a good life. They have cursed the court hundreds and thousands of times in their hearts in recent days.

But now, because they have chosen the wrong side, their fate is doomed to be tragic. It is not worth it, absolutely not worth it, to let them fight to the death here.

Then, Xiao Liufu looked down.

"General Yelu, please allow me to discuss this with the other soldiers. I also need to respect their opinions. I will give you a reply in an hour. Is that okay?"

Yelu Tiancheng looked at Xu Mang, and Xu Mang nodded.

Then, Xiao Liufu left quickly.

At this time.

Yelu Tiancheng looked at Xu Mang.

"Commander Xu, if they don't surrender, please throw me at the gate of the village. You can kill me with arrows or firearms. I want to be with my dead soldiers."

"If they surrender, I hope you will kill me as soon as possible, and then let Youzhou know that I was killed because I failed to launch a surprise attack on your country's officials, and Tianming Village was destroyed because it had no generals, not because of surrender!"

If they surrendered, Yelu Hongji would most likely hold the families of these soldiers accountable.

Therefore, Yelu Tiancheng had to remind him again.

Xu Mang said, "Don't worry. Su Zhongcheng has already made arrangements. We want Yelu Liang to hear the news, and that's all he can hear."

"After these people surrender, they will be dispersed and resettled, but no one will be killed. After the Song-Liao war is over, they can find their families and live the life that ordinary people in the Song Dynasty can live!"

"Thank you very much!"

Yelu Tiancheng's eyes were red.

He didn't expect that after guarding the border of Liao for many years, he would have to rely on the Song Dynasty to give his soldiers a home.

……

The sunshine at the end of March still has a hint of coolness.

in a blink.

An hour is about to pass.

Just when the Song Dynasty soldiers were getting bored of waiting, Xiao Liufu's figure appeared again on the gate of the village.

He looked at Yelu Tiancheng and said, "General, we are willing to surrender!"

Yelu Tiancheng nodded heavily, and then said: "The fault is all mine, you are innocent!"

Then, the village gate opened wide.

One by one, the Liao soldiers took off their armor and discarded their weapons and walked out of the village.

They no longer saw any hope in the Liao Kingdom and could only pin their hopes of survival and reuniting with their families on the Song army.

"All soldiers, listen up! One team will take these surrendered Liao soldiers to Zhuozhou and separate them. Do not beat them or scold them. As long as they do not resist, they will be treated as the people of our Song Dynasty! Another team will enter the camp and organize the weapons, armor and food…"

"Yes!" the soldiers of the Song Dynasty shouted in unison.

Soon, the soldiers of the Song Dynasty became busy.

And this time.

Xiao Liufu came to Yelu Tiancheng, who seemed to have guessed something and said, "Why are you following me? Go and wait for your resettlement with your brothers!"

Xiao Liufu shook his head.

"No, I am willing to die with you!"

……

That evening, Yelu Tiancheng and Xiao Liufu committed suicide together on the banks of the Zhuo River.

Although these two people are not considered outstanding generals.

But this kind of backbone still made Zhao Zhen, Su Liang and Han Qi admire him.

Zhao Zhen immediately ordered a grand funeral for the two men and said that if he met their families in the future, they could be treated well.

……

April 5th, early morning.

After the Eastern Army completed its reorganization, it began to march towards Youzhou City.

at the same time.

The Western Route Army of the Great Song Dynasty has also cleared many obstacles and rushed to Yunzhou.

Xiao Weixin, the prime minister of the Southern Palace of the Liao Dynasty, personally took command of the battle in Yunzhou and claimed that he would capture Pang Ji and Liang Shi alive and defeat the Northwestern Imperial Army, behaving quite arrogantly.

As for the middle road, Fu Bi was doing quite smoothly.

By occupying many passes, they were able to basically intercept all Liao troops coming to reinforce Yunzhou and Youzhou.

The war has also begun at sea in the east.

Cao Hu personally led fifty warships to bombard Goryeo Island, forcing the Liao Kingdom to send heavy troops to resist in order to prevent the Song Dynasty from invading Liao territory from this direction.

Cao Hu's attack was real and fake, so the Liao troops stationed here dared not move at all. As for Dongying Island, under the urging of the Liao Emperor Yelu Hongji, it was still a lot of thunder but little rain.

The Japanese were afraid that the Song navy would launch a full-scale attack on the island, so they had been mainly engaged in defensive operations.

They are waiting for the outcome of the Yunyou war.

They would only dare to rise up when the Liao army won a great victory or both sides were defeated.

……

This day, afternoon.

In the Honglu Temple in Bianjing City.

Zuo Youding, the Minister of Honglu Temple, was lying on a recliner in the yard, humming a little tune, feeling very happy.

If the country is strong, the Honglu Temple will be strong.

If the Honglu Temple is strong, Zuo Youding's assignments will be easy.

Half a month ago.

The Dali Kingdom's special envoys came to the city of Bianjing and took the initiative to request a reduction in commercial taxes on Song Dynasty merchants in Dali, seeking closer cooperation with the Song Dynasty that was not limited to trade.

The meaning is obvious.

They believed that the Song Dynasty could destroy the Liao Dynasty, so they came to curry favor with the Liao Dynasty, making the relationship between the two sides closer and making the Song Dynasty feel embarrassed to annex it, so it always treated it as a loyal vassal state.

After Zuo Youding discussed a cooperation plan with the Dali envoy, he reported it to the Secretariat.

Wen Yanbo made the decision immediately and praised Zuo Youding in front of all the ministers in the government hall.

This made Zuo Youding very happy.

Just then, an official walked over quickly.

"The special envoy from Jiaozhi is visiting!"

When envoys from other countries came to the Song Dynasty, they had to go to the Honglu Temple first, and then the Honglu Temple would arrange their accommodation and itinerary.

"The Jiaozhi Kingdom should have the same idea as Dali. They know that the Song Dynasty can definitely destroy Liao, so they came here in advance to get close to us!" Zuo Youding said, "Serve tea in the front hall. I will go there later."

……

After a moment, Zuo Youding strode into the front hall.

A middle-aged man with a pale face and a goatee, with a smile on his face, bowed and said, "Chen Chu, the special envoy of Jiaozhi, greets the Minister of the Left Temple."

"You're welcome! Special Envoy Chen, may I ask why you came to Bianjing City?"

The Jiaozhi envoy Chen Chu took out a document from his bosom and said, "My king, knowing that the Song and Liao had gone to war, congratulated the Song Dynasty in advance for recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and even destroying the Liao Kingdom."

"Haha... Thank you, King of your country! Thank you, King of your country!" Zuo Youding smiled brightly.

"In order to deepen friendship with your country and promote cooperation in many aspects, my lord has written a treaty, please review it."

After saying that, Chen Chu handed over the document with both hands.

Zuo Youding took it with a smile on his face and took it with both hands.

After reading the contents of the covenant in the document, Zuo Youding couldn't help but frown.

The ruler of Jiaozhi said: As a vassal state of the Song Dynasty, Jiaozhi paid tribute every year, and the two countries had trade and very harmonious relations.

During the Song-Liao War, Jiaozhi would fully support the Song Dynasty and maintain peace in the southern border of the Song Dynasty.

However, Jiaozhi also put forward three conditions to the Song Dynasty.

First, the Song Dynasty must promise that it will never take the initiative to attack Jiaozhi.

Second, as a vassal state of the Song Dynasty, Jiaozhi was called the ruler externally and the emperor internally.

Third, the Song Dynasty must increase the number of trading posts on the border with Jiaozhi to ensure that Jiaozhi and Dali enjoy the same treatment.

Zuo Youding placed the document on the table.

"Special Envoy Chen, you said this is a treaty to promote the relationship between our Song Dynasty and Jiaozhi, but these three conditions are all beneficial to Jiaozhi. What benefits do they bring to our Song Dynasty?"

Chen Chu puffed out his chest.

"Zuo Siqing, didn't you notice? I, Jiaozhi, promised that during the Song-Liao war, I would keep the southern border of the Song Dynasty peaceful, and after the war, I would also make sure there was no war in the southern border. Isn't that enough?"

"Is this a threat?" Zuo Youding looked at Chen Chu and asked directly.

At present, the biggest threat to the southern border of the Song Dynasty is Jiaozhi.

As long as Jiaozhi is not in chaos, it will be difficult for the southern border of the Song Dynasty to become chaotic.

The meaning of Chen Chu's words seemed to imply that if the Song Dynasty did not sign this alliance, there would be a high probability of chaos in the southern border during the Song-Liao War.

Chen Chu didn't expect Zuo Youding to speak so directly.

He thought about it.

"Zuo Siqing, how can this be a threat? This is a win-win situation. When the Song and Liao were still undecided, Jiaozhi strongly supported the Song Dynasty. Shouldn't we get a little bit in return?"

After these words were spoken, Zuo Youding was certain that the Jiaozhi envoy was making a threat.

Jiaozhi and Dali had the same idea.

They were all for self-protection, to prevent the Song Dynasty from destroying the Liao Dynasty and then destroying them.

But Dali's approach was to lower its stance, reduce commercial taxes, and want to become a true friend of the Song Dynasty.

The Jiaozhi envoy was threatening.

If the Song Dynasty did not sign an alliance with him, he might cause trouble in the southern border.

Dali’s approach is pleasing, but Jiaozhi’s idea is disgusting.

Zuo Youding thought for a moment and said, "Special Envoy Chen, this matter is of great importance. Please allow me to report it to the Secretariat. I will reply to you after the ministers give their opinions!"

"Okay, I'll wait, but if we can't sign this covenant within half a month, I'm afraid we won't be able to sign it!"

Another threatening statement.

After saying this, the Jiaozhi envoy strode away.

"He...he...where does he get the courage to treat our Song Dynasty with such an attitude? Doesn't he want to live?" Zuo Youding murmured.

The reason why this special envoy from Jiaozhi is so arrogant.

This was because the ruler of Jiaozhi told him that he had to act tough and make the Song Dynasty beg him to do things, only then could this matter be accomplished.

Moreover, the people of Jiaozhi felt that this war between Song and Liao would inevitably result in losses for both sides.

If Jiaozhi had caused trouble for the Song Dynasty, victory might have tilted towards the Liao Kingdom.

The Jiaozhi court felt that now was a good time to control the Song Dynasty.

……

Half an hour later.

Zuo Youding handed over the alliance documents from the Jiaozhi envoy to the officials of the Secretariat.

After reading it, Ouyang Xiu threw it on the table and said angrily: "How shameless! How dare you threaten us? If Jiaozhi dares to cause trouble in the southern border, we will immediately destroy his country!"

"He overestimates himself! He wants to control us too much! I guess Jiaozhi thinks Dali is in the same condition. It's damn right for such a tiny country to think so highly of itself!" Wu Yu on the side also spoke up.

At this time, Wen Yanbo looked at Zuo Youding.

"Let the Jiaozhi envoy take the treaty document back. We cannot possibly sign it. Also tell him: if there is unrest in the southern border, our Song Dynasty doesn't mind killing all the troublemakers!" Wen Yanbo said angrily.

Zhang Fangping frowned slightly.

"These three demands should be the opinions of the ruler of Jiaozhi. He has already begun to think of causing chaos in the southern border. I think that expelling the Jiaozhi envoy is not enough to deter him."

"Jiaozhi has a personal relationship with our dynasty, so they are betting that we will sign this treaty. If we don't sign, they may really stand on the side of Liao."

"I suggest that we kill the special envoy of Jiaozhi immediately, and then denounce Jiaozhi's threatening behavior in the name of the Central Secretariat. If the ruler of Jiaozhi apologizes, it will be a compromise. If he does not apologize, we will send troops south to deter them. If the opportunity is right, we can completely destroy them."

"In this way, if we make our attitude known, we won't be in a passive position. If we get into a tough battle with Liao at some point in the future, and they stab us again, it will seriously disrupt the morale of the army!"

Killing the special envoy of Jiaozhi is tantamount to slapping the face of the Kingdom of Jiaozhi.

If they don't dare to act recklessly now, they certainly won't dare to act recklessly in the future.

"I agree!" Ouyang Xiu nodded.

Killing the special envoy of Jiaozhi was to make the matter bigger and reveal the attitude of the Song Dynasty. The other party would either give up their rebelliousness to show their loyalty, or immediately become the enemy of the Song Dynasty.

"I agree! The government is marching north, so we must act tougher to deter any possible dangers!"

"I... agree too!"

The clear voice of Crown Prince Zhao Xun came from not far away. He and Su Zimu had been sitting aside, reading memorials.

Although they are young, they have been influenced by everything they see and hear and have a deep understanding of some things.

Wen Yanbo and other ministers all bowed and said, "We respect the Crown Prince's wishes!"

(End of this chapter)