Do you know the long song of laughter?

Chapter 447: The Character of a Scholar
"Sir, is there going to be a war?" Minglan asked worriedly.

Only extremely urgent military information can be delivered quickly over 800 miles.

"That should be the case, but I'm a civilian official and I don't have to go to the battlefield, so there's nothing to worry about." Li An said.

Minglan thought about it carefully and relaxed herself after realizing that even if there was a war, neither Li An nor the Sheng family and her brothers-in-law could go to the battlefield.

After a while, Desheng came back with the news and told Li An that at present he only knew that the urgent report came from the north and had entered the palace, but the specific situation was unknown.

When Li An heard this, he knew that it must be the Liao Kingdom that sent troops.

However, he felt that the Liao Kingdom sent troops not to invade the border, but to force the Song Dynasty to increase annual tribute.

This was not the first time that the Liao Kingdom had done such a thing. When the Song Dynasty was defeated in a war with Western Xia, the Liao Kingdom sent a large army to the border and forced the Song Dynasty to increase the annual tribute.

Now there is a rebellion within the Song Dynasty, followed by the rebellion of Prince Yan and the death of the previous emperor. After the Liao Kingdom learned the news, it would not miss this opportunity.

……

In Longtu Pavilion, Zhao Zongquan said with a gloomy face: "Now the Liao Kingdom has deployed 100,000 troops on the northern border and asked the Song Dynasty to increase the annual tribute by 100,000 taels of silver and 100,000 pieces of silk. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, the Liao bandits are going too far. The Song Dynasty already gives the Liao Kingdom 200,000 taels of silver and 300,000 pieces of silk every year. If we add more, the Liao Kingdom will only become more demanding. Can we increase the annual tribute in exchange for peace whenever the Liao Kingdom deploys troops on the border? What's the point of having millions of soldiers then?" Shen Congxing said.

"presumptuous!"

Zhao Zongquan's face darkened and he shouted, "The gentlemen haven't spoken yet, so you don't have the right to speak. Back off!"

The reason why he reprimanded Shen Congxing was, on the one hand, to show it to everyone, suggesting that those silent gentlemen should speak up. On the other hand, Shen Congxing's words just now were somewhat sarcastic to the late emperor.

After all, during the time of the previous emperor, the emperor had increased the annual tribute in exchange for peace because the Liao Kingdom had deployed troops on the border.

"Yes." Shen Congxing bowed and retreated obediently.

"My lords, you are all my loyal ministers. Before the late emperor passed away, he repeatedly reminded me to discuss matters with you and listen to your suggestions. I wonder what you think about this matter?" Zhao Zongquan asked.

"His Majesty!"

Han Zhang stepped out of the line and saluted, saying, "I think the Marquis of Weibei is right. The Liao Kingdom's move is a threat and coercion, and we cannot agree to it."

"So, my lord, you support the war?" Zhao Zongquan said with a smile.

Zhao Zongquan himself was inclined towards war. He had just succeeded to the throne and his foundation was unstable. If he agreed to the Liao Kingdom's conditions, how would the people of the world view him?

Moreover, if he could win the war against the Liao Kingdom, his prestige would be greatly enhanced.

"No." Han Zhang shook his head slightly and said, "First, there was the rebellion in Jiangnan, and then there was the rebellion of Prince Yan, which severely damaged the vitality of the court. It is not appropriate to fight with the Liao Kingdom at this time. The Liao Kingdom wants to take advantage of the fire and hastily mobilized troops. It is not ready for a real war, and it will certainly not stand still. I think we should send envoys to show the intentions of the Song Dynasty first. Seeing that the Song Dynasty is tough and is not ready for a real war, the Liao Kingdom may withdraw its troops. Even if the Liao Kingdom does not withdraw its troops, it can delay time."

Han Zhang advocated war, but as he said, a lot of things happened inside the Song Dynasty, and it was not appropriate to go to war at this time.

Moreover, the north had been peaceful for many years, the city passes had fallen into disrepair, and there was a shortage of arrows and other city defense equipment.

By delaying time in the name of negotiation, we can also prepare for war.

"We second the motion!" the others agreed.

Zhao Zongquan's face darkened when he heard this and he sent envoys to negotiate. The people did not know why and would definitely guess that he wanted to compromise.

If any member of the royal family takes the opportunity to incite rebellion, it will be very disadvantageous to him.

What Shen Congxing said before was actually instructed by him.

It's just to show your attitude.

He thought that Han Zhang and others would agree to send troops, but he didn't expect that Han Zhang and others still disagreed.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is now in charge of government. Why is she not here for such an important matter?" an official asked.

Zhao Zongquan's face darkened when he heard this, and he said calmly, "My mother was very sad because of my father's death, and she hasn't had a good rest for some days. I asked someone to ask, and my mother has gone to bed. Do you want me to be an unfilial person and wake her up now?"

"I am very pleased that your majesty is so filial, but how can I sleep well after such a big incident?"

Just then, the Queen Mother's voice came from outside the hall.

After a while, the Queen Mother came in supported by Zhu Neiguan.

"Meet the Queen Mother!"

"I've met the Queen Mother!"

The ministers saluted one after another, and Zhao Zongquan also quickly stood up and saluted.

The empress dowager nodded slightly, came to stand beside the imperial desk, and several eunuchs carried the empress dowager's phoenix throne and placed it next to the official dragon throne.

The Queen Mother sat down and smiled at Zhao Zongquan, saying, "Your Majesty, please sit down too."

"Yes." Zhao Zongquan responded and sat down with a somewhat grim expression.

"How is the discussion going?" asked the Queen Mother with a smile.

"Mother, my husband just said..." Zhao Zongquan repeated what Han Zhang said.

"Yes." The Queen Mother nodded and asked, "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

"Mother, I think the prime minister's idea is very good." Zhao Zongquan said.

He didn't know what the Queen Mother meant, so he didn't express his own ideas, but instead agreed with Han Zhang's method.

In any case, Han Zhang's proposal was not to increase the annual tribute, which was very much in line with his idea.

"What the great minister said is indeed the words of an experienced statesman. But since the great minister has said it, the Song Dynasty is badly damaged and it is not suitable for war. If we directly refuse, the Liao Kingdom will have no way to back down. Whether it is for revenge or for face, it will send troops to invade the border. It will definitely not withdraw its troops without doing anything." said the Queen Mother.

"I know that, but we can delay time to prepare for war. The Liao Kingdom is not well prepared and will inevitably retreat if the attack fails after a long time," said Han Zhang.

"I don't know much about fighting, but I do understand the principle of killing one thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of our own. Even if the Liao Kingdom cannot attack for a long time, they will withdraw. By then, the losses plus the soldiers' pensions will far exceed the annual tribute demanded by the Liao Kingdom. What I mean is that we can negotiate with the Liao Kingdom and give them some money to get rid of them. In this way, the Liao Kingdom will have a way out and the Song Dynasty can minimize its losses." said the Queen Mother.

Gu Tingye in the crowd almost laughed out loud when he heard this.

This is a national affair, but the Queen Mother's mind is like she is managing household finances.

The Queen Mother was right. Once the war broke out, even if the Liao Kingdom only wanted revenge, the cost to the Song Dynasty would far exceed the annual tribute demanded by the Liao Kingdom.

Do I have to give it just because of this?
And is that how the accounts are calculated?
Once you agree to it, you have to pay it every year. It saves money in the short term, but it is a loss in the long term.

Han Zhang obviously thought of this as well, and retorted, "Your Majesty, this is wrong. Countries are not doing business with each other, so how can we measure it by profit and loss? The Liao Kingdom has evil ambitions, and if we agree to this, it will certainly encourage the Liao Kingdom's arrogance."

"My Lord, are you saying that I am as short-sighted as those merchants?" the Queen Mother said unhappily.

"I dare not!" Han Zhang said quickly.

"Hmph!" The Queen Mother snorted coldly and said, "The late emperor worked hard to maintain peace on the border for decades. Once the war starts, there will be no peace on the border. Have you ever thought about this, my Lords? At the beginning, the late emperor endured humiliation and promised to increase the annual tribute to the Liao Kingdom. I remember that you have already entered the government. Although your official position is not high, I have not seen you submit a memorial to oppose it. Could it be that you think the late emperor was wrong?"

"As the saying goes, times have changed. The situation back then was different from what it is now. How can we generalize?" Han Zhang said.

When the late emperor agreed to increase the annual tribute to the Liao Kingdom, he did not object. On the one hand, his influence was not important, and on the other hand, he did not think the late emperor did anything wrong. At that time, the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia had suffered heavy casualties in the war and were negotiating peace.

The Liao Kingdom had deployed troops on the border at that time. If Xixia did not agree, and the Liao Kingdom really launched an attack on the northern border, Xixia would take the opportunity to ask for a high price, and the price they would have to pay would only be greater.

"Although we cannot generalize, what if the Liao Kingdom gets angry and refuses to withdraw its troops? I am not afraid of the Liao Kingdom, but the new king has just ascended the throne and the situation is not yet stable. How can we add external troubles when we already have internal troubles?" said the Queen Mother.

"The Empress Dowager."

Gu Tingye stepped out and said, "I have heard that there are often horse bandits causing chaos in the north, but those horse bandits will not kill the people wantonly. As long as the people pay a certain amount of money and grain every month, they will retreat. At first, the people thought that although they had to pay money and grain, they could still survive, so they paid on time. But the horse bandits saw that the people were so honest, so they asked the people to pay more and more money and grain, and even asked the village to send some girls to them.

Seeing that the bandits were going too far, many young men in the village wanted to rise up and resist. However, many villagers thought that the bandits had been trustworthy and had not killed anyone after receiving money and food. They believed that as long as they agreed to the bandits' conditions, they could continue to live, and they persuaded the young men not to resist.

What is the difference between the Liao Kingdom, the Song Dynasty, and the horse bandits? If we keep compromising, the Liao Kingdom will only become more rampant. "

"My dear gentlemen!"

Gu Tingye turned to look at the other officials in the hall and said, "Where is your literary integrity? Have you ever thought about how the people and scholars of the world will look at you if you continue to increase the annual tribute to the Liao Kingdom? Do you want to be infamous forever?"

"Gu Tingye, you are so outrageous!"

The Queen Mother slammed the table and stood up, saying coldly, "Did the late Emperor say that we should not treat you and the Gu family badly, so you dare to speak nonsense in front of me? You said that the Liao Kingdom was the horse bandits, so aren't you saying that the Song Dynasty was the villagers? You said that the gentlemen agreed that they would be infamous for eternity, and I agree too, so am I going to be infamous for eternity too?"

"Mother, calm down."

Zhao Zongquan stood up quickly, glared at Gu Tingye and shouted, "Come here, Gu Tingye's outrageous remarks have angered the Queen Mother. Drag him away and give him thirty lashes."

"I know my crime and am willing to accept punishment." Gu Tingye bowed and followed the imperial guards out.

The Queen Mother looked at Zhao Zongquan deeply. She could see that Zhao Zongquan was protecting Gu Tingye.

"Mother, I have already punished him. Please calm down." Zhao Zongquan said with an apologetic smile.

"There's no need for the government to impose such a heavy penalty."

The Queen Mother emphasized the word "emphasized".

"Since he has angered our mother, he must be severely punished," said Zhao Zongquan.

"Humph."

The Queen Mother snorted coldly and sat down, saying, "Gentlemen, please tell me, how should we decide this matter?"

"Empress Dowager, I still think that the annual tribute should not be increased. We should send envoys to delay time and at the same time send more troops to the north," said Han Zhang.

The others lowered their eyes and said nothing.

Silence also means that they agree with Han Zhang's words.

In fact, most of them already agreed with Han Zhang's words, and they would not agree even if Gu Tingye had not just said that.

The last time the currency was increased, people cursed the ministers at that time as treacherous and treacherous.

There was a very interesting phenomenon in ancient times: as long as the emperor did not do anything that would anger God and the people, the people and the scholars would not scold the emperor.

They were scolding the ministers, saying that they were treacherous and corrupt officials in power and failed to dissuade the emperor.

They don't want to be called treacherous ministers.

"Okay, very good!"

Seeing that everyone was silent, the empress dowager knew what they were thinking. She stood up, pointed at the man in the room, and left angrily.

Although she is the empress dowager and is now ruling the country from behind the scenes, the important officials in the court and the emperor all have the same idea. What can she change?

At this moment, the empress dowager suddenly realized that Zhao Zongquan, who had always behaved filially since entering the palace, was not as simple as he appeared.

"Farewell to my mother."

Zhao Zongquan bowed to the empress dowager's back and stood up only after the sound of her footsteps disappeared.

"Duke of England, Marquis of Weibei!"

"Chen is here!"

Duke Yingguo and Shen Congxing stepped out and bowed.

"Appoint the Duke of Yingzhou as the commander-in-chief, and Marquis of Weibei Shen Congxing as the deputy commander, leading an army of 100,000 to rush to the northern border for support. After arriving, the Duke of Yingzhou will take the lead in the war in the north." Zhao Zongquan said.

"I obey your order!" Duke Yingguo and Shen Congxing responded.

"Where is Ding Yimin, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites?"

"Chen is here!"

"You will be the chief envoy. Select a few officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Hanlin Academy to accompany you and go to the Liao army camp to question the Liao Kingdom for tearing up the alliance and deploying troops on the border. Tell the Liao Kingdom that it has unilaterally torn up the alliance. If it does not withdraw its troops, it can forget about the annual tribute this year." Zhao Zongquan said.

"Your Majesty, your attitude is so tough, what if..."

"What? Are you afraid of death, Lord Ding?" Zhao Zongquan said indifferently.

"I dare not!"

Ding Yimin said quickly, "Even when two countries are at war, they still don't kill envoys. Moreover, I am deeply favored by the emperor. If I can die for the court, my death will be worthy. I am just afraid of angering the Liao Kingdom, and the Liao Kingdom will send troops to attack the northern border cities before the reinforcements arrive."

"Just do as I say. The cities in the northern border are not made of paper. Can the Liao Kingdom break them with just one attack?" Zhao Zongquan said calmly.

He was not worried at all that the Liao Kingdom would mobilize troops. If the Liao Kingdom had mobilized troops, it would have started the fight long ago.

"The minister obeys the order!"

Although Ding Yimin was extremely reluctant, since Zhao Zongquan had said so, he didn't dare to say anything else.

"The Ministry of Revenue and the Privy Council must ensure the allocation of food and equipment and not delay the army's departure," said Zhao Zongquan.

"Yes!" officials from the Privy Council and the Ministry of Revenue responded quickly.

"It's getting late, let's go back and get ready. My Lord, please stay. I have something to say to you." Zhao Zongquan waved his hand.

"Your Majesty, please leave!"

Upon hearing this, the others bowed and left.

"Someone, please let the prime minister sit down." Zhao Zongquan said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Han Zhang thanked him.

After the eunuchs brought the soft stool, Zhao Zongquan sent away all the servants in the hall and said, "My Lord, you have seen everything that happened today."

(End of this chapter)