Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 620 Favors
Yelu Yanxiu knelt in front of Zhao Mu and said, "If Your Majesty really cares about me, then please spare the lives of my father, brother, son and nephew when you start fighting. If Your Majesty agrees, I will serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly in the future."

Zhao Mu was not surprised to see that the woman was kneeling and begging about this matter.

Zhao Mu rolled his eyes and said, "I can only agree to half of this matter now."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiu Nu said, "How about half?"

Zhao Mu sighed and said, "In the past, I could advise Your Majesty from the sidelines when I was in front of Your Majesty. When we conquered Xixia in the west, Your Majesty agreed to keep Xixia. If we attack Liao in the future, even if I am willing to stop, the civil and military officials in the court will not let it go. Do you want me to break up with Your Majesty because of Liao?"

Hearing this, Yan Xiu Nu couldn't help but fall silent.

Zhao Mu then continued, "Besides, the war to destroy Liao was already planned. And I also represented the Song Dynasty and the Jurchens at the time to discuss the Liaodong area with Murong Fu. After destroying Liao, everyone in the Liao State will have a share of the cities. Therefore, this matter is not something I can intervene in now. As for keeping half, I can give the land I deserve to the Liao State's heirs."

Hearing this, Yan Xiunu seemed to have grasped the last straw and asked, "How can we have an heir?"

Zhao Mu said, "The Liao Kingdom is big enough. When we conquer Liao, our Zhongsong army will turn north and march through the grassland to join other armies. Therefore, this grassland with abundant grass and water will also be under my jurisdiction in the future. But I can give it up and let the Liao Kingdom survive, just like the Western Xia that moved westward and the remaining Tibetans."

Yelu Yanxiu said, "This is better than having our country destroyed and everyone imprisoned." At this time, Yelu Yanxiu knelt and crawled in front of Zhao Mu. She looked up at Zhao Mu like a loyal dog and said, "Your Majesty, please save as many as you can. As long as the descendants of the Liao Dynasty can be preserved, I will serve Your Majesty well in the future."

Zhao Mu gently stroked Yelu Yanxiu's cheek and said obscenely: "Not only you, but also your mother, sisters, sister-in-law, brother's wife, and even nieces."

Hearing Zhao Mu's words, the smile on Yelu Yanxiu's face instantly disappeared, but then she said: "If your majesty wants a beauty, just ask a word, and my father can find you a thousand. Why does your majesty have to be obsessed with the women of the Liao royal family?"

Zhao Mu said, "I am only trying to save them. If I don't accept some benefits, how can I explain this to His Majesty and the Jurchen chieftains? Besides, if I don't want them, then do I not want others? If they follow me, they will only be abused by me. And they can still live a life of luxury in the Hua'e Xianghui Tower. But if they fall into the hands of the Jurchens and other people, what do you think will be their fate?"

After hearing what Zhao Mu said, Yelu Jinnu and Yelu Yanxiu couldn't help but shudder.

Because they both knew Zhao Mu very well. Although Zhao Mu was extremely licentious, he liked to have all the beauties to himself.

Yelu Jinnu knew this very well. When Zhao Mu began to abduct women after conquering Gaochang City, he first kept those with noble status and beautiful looks by his side. As for those who were old, he disdained them and released them on the spot. He then distributed the rest to his men.

Moreover, he only distributed it to his generals. He was not like the Khitans who liked to give it to the soldiers in the army after playing.

The two thought that if their sisters, nephews, brothers, wives, and brothers' wives were rescued by Zhao Mu, it would be good. But if they were really captured by others, their fate would definitely be very miserable.

Seeing that they were both silent, Zhao Mu knew that they would most likely not object to this matter.

Moreover, Zhao Mu's words just now to appease Yelu Yanxiu and Yelu Jinnu were just a favor.

After all, according to the previous plan between him and Zhezong, they had no intention of completely swallowing up the Liao Kingdom. Because although the grasslands outside the Great Wall are vast, they are really useless in this era of agricultural civilization.

In the inland, if the year is good, three to five mu of land can support a family. If you are nomadic outside the Great Wall, you need hundreds or thousands of mu of grassland to support a family. Those rotten places are useless for the Song Dynasty now. Besides, there are many nomadic barbarians, and we can't kill them all. If the Song Dynasty swallows up the Liao Kingdom, we must solve the livelihood of these people.

Zhao Mu's idea was also very simple. He went there to rob food, farmland, money, and women, not to help them out of poverty.

Since the Liao Kingdom signed the Treaty of Chanyuan with the Song Dynasty, the upper class has been enriched and the lower class has suffered. If the lower class people were brought under their command, the court would still have to support them.

Therefore, after these people have been eaten up, it is better to leave them outside the Great Wall.

The ultimate strategic goal that Zhao Mu had set with Zhezong was for the Song Dynasty to recapture the Liaodong Peninsula and the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Then the Haixi area would be divided between the Jurchens and Murong Fu, and when the time came, the Jurchens would be destroyed. Then the Liao Kingdom would be split into several small grassland tribes that would compete with each other. They would not be allowed to unify.

Now that Zhao Mu promised Yelu Yanxiu to give the Liao Kingdom an heir, it was just a favor.

Seeing that the two stopped talking, Zhao Mu continued, "It's nothing that I took your father and brother's women. As long as they still have power and titles, they can marry again in the future. Besides, I helped them save the country, shouldn't they reward me?"

After hearing Zhao Mu's shameless words, although Yelu Yanxiu did not quite agree, this was the best result she could achieve for the Liao Dynasty.

Afterwards, Yelu Yanxiu changed his previous indifference, crawled to Zhao Mu's side, and began to serve her actively.

The same went for Yelu Jinnu, she also knelt down and crawled under Zhao Mu's knees.

Zhao Mu was quite happy to see these two people being so sensible of the current situation. It was worth all his efforts.

As time passed, the four forces of the Song Dynasty, Khitan, Jurchen, and Zhao Mu were all preparing for war.

In addition to them, the Xixia people were also preparing for war.

However, the Xixia people did not want to be enemies with Zhao Mu, but because the Tibetan king was unwilling to lose and wanted to fight back. If they wanted to go to the location of Gao's Tibetans, the Xixia people would be the biggest obstacle. So both sides were ready to fight. Although they did not fight, they also wanted to fight for the water source of Qingtang.

There is no need to mention the confrontation between Tubo and Xixia.

This year was considered a good year. The treasuries of the Song Dynasty and Zhao Mu's Qi State were full. They also recruited more soldiers and forged weapons.

Now is the time to take action against the Liao Kingdom. However, before taking action, careful coordination is needed. And this matter must be kept absolutely confidential.

So Zhao Mu planned to travel east, first return to the Song Dynasty to discuss with Zhezong, and then pass through Goryeo to the Jurchen tribe to communicate with Murong Fu and Wanyan Aguda.

(End of this chapter)