Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 60: Begging for Peace in the Southern Tang Dynasty (Special thanks to book friend Jiang JDC for his 3 monthly passes! Thank you twice!)
After the banquet, Empress Dowager Fu and her brother Fu Zhaoshou sat in the Palace of Imperial Instruments and chatted with their parents. Chai Zongxun took his cousin Fu Zhenzhen's hand and left the hall. Accompanied by the eunuchs and maids, they went to the back garden of the palace to play.

The back garden of the Bianjing Imperial Palace in the Great Zhou Dynasty was built with the accumulation of more than 50 years of experience. It was built like a small forest, with rockeries, exotic trees, exotic flowers, tinkling springs, bees and butterflies collecting nectar among the flowers, and birds singing on the branches. .

Holding Fu Zhenzhen's hand and walking through it, pushing her on the swing and telling each other about the trivial matters in their lives over the past year, Chai Zongxun felt that this was the "childhood sweetheart" he wanted.

That night, Fu Zhaoshou checked into Chaolichen Hall outside the palace, and Fu Zhenzhen checked into Baoci Hall, Queen Mother Fu's residence, and the two settled down in the palace.

From this autumn to New Year's Eve, Chai Zongxun, Fu Zhenzhen, and Fifth Chaolu played wildly for two months, and the relationship between the three of them grew stronger.

While Lu Mengzheng, the envoy of the Great Zhou Dynasty, was still on his way to Jinling in the Southern Tang Dynasty, Princess Li Fangyi of Yongning was enduring the wrath of her father Li Jing in the Ziji Hall of the Jinling Palace.

Li Fangyi's biological mother was a concubine of the emperor Li Jing, and her status in the palace was quite low. The mother and daughter lived in the cold palace and suffered a lot of torture.

Because of this, Li Fangyi, who was not willing to suffer a tragic fate, made a lot of contributions to the favor of her father. She practiced martial arts since she was a child, and strived to share the worries of her father's country.

Therefore, he was sent by Li Jing to preside over the secret service "Imperial City Division" at the beginning of this year.

Li Fangyi knelt in the palace and was scolded by Li Jing for more than an hour. In the end, her brother, the prince Li Yu, begged for mercy, and Li Jing calmed down and punished Li Fangyi to stay at home in the palace and live in seclusion for a month.

Li Fangyi resigned from the rear aggrievedly. Li Jing sighed and said:

"I finally persuaded Han Lingkun to rebel against the Great Zhou Dynasty with a huge treasure and a huge sum of money. It was a careful plan to win, but it turned out to be bad in terms of intelligence!
Could it be that destiny lies in the Great Zhou Dynasty?

Today, our 100,000-strong army of the Tang Dynasty has been almost completely destroyed. The Great Zhou Dynasty will attack us soon. What can we do? "

The twenty-three-year-old prince Li Yu said:

"Father, Yi Mei has also worked hard for Sheji. This time she almost didn't come back safely. Father, please forgive her.

In my opinion, since the Great Zhou Dynasty killed Zhao Kuangyin and his party, the country has become increasingly prosperous and its military strength is extremely strong. We, the Great Tang Dynasty, should immediately send envoys to Bianjing to plead guilty and ask for vassal status.

As long as I, the Tang Dynasty, serve the Great Zhou Weijin, I believe that Empress Dowager Fu and the young emperor Guo Zongxun will not kill me, the Tang Dynasty. "

Li Jingchou said:

"Yu'er, how can it be so easy!

When Emperor Guo Rong of Zhou Dynasty was conquering Huainan, his father had resigned from the title of emperor and paid him 300,000 taels of silver every year. Only then did he temporarily let go of Datang and turn his attention to Youzhou.

Now the Tang Dynasty has instigated Huainan Jiedushi Han Lingkun to rebel against the Great Zhou Dynasty and was severely defeated, shaking the country. I am afraid that the Great Zhou Dynasty will take the opportunity to invade and destroy the Tang Dynasty! "

Li Yu said:
"Father, this is not the end of the matter!
At present, the Empress Dowager Fu of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the young emperor Guo Zongxun are in power, but the internal situation is not yet stable, and their energy is focused on implementing the New Deal.

As long as my father endures the pain and cedes a few states and pays tribute to Zhou Dynasty, Empress Dowager Fu and the young emperor will not attack me. "

Li Jing knew that his prince had a weak character and had no intention of resisting the Great Zhou Dynasty, so he sighed:
"I hope so! My father feels exhausted mentally and physically. Yu'er, please step back first."

In the following days, Li Jing was in panic all day long in the Jinling Palace. There was nothing he could do, but he received the news that Zhou Dynasty had sent an envoy to Jinling.

On December 2 of the first year of Kaixi, Lu Mengzheng, the envoy of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and his party arrived in Jinling and were solemnly welcomed by Li Jing, the leader of the Southern Tang Dynasty.

After several days of negotiations, the frightened monarchs and ministers of the Southern Tang Dynasty just wanted to survive. In the court, they fully agreed to the peace proposal of Chai Zongxun, the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, to "cut off the three prefectures of E, An and Guang, and pay an annual tribute of 600,000 taels of silver." condition.

In the Southern Tang Dynasty, only Lin Renzhao, the military governor of Zhenhai, opposed it.

Lin Renzhao left work and said angrily:
“Your Majesty must never agree to Zhou’s request for peace!

If we cede land in exchange for money, this would be our way to death in the Tang Dynasty! In this way, the weaker we become, the stronger the enemy will become. In a few years, without the Zhou Dynasty sending troops, the Tang Dynasty will collapse!

This is Guan Zhong's plan to destroy Lu's poison! Li Jing, who was sitting high on the golden throne, was shocked. He was afraid that he would offend Lu Mengzheng, the envoy of the Zhou Dynasty, and cause the Zhou Dynasty to attack and destroy the country. He hurriedly looked at Lin Renzhao and scolded:

"Envoy Lin Jiedu, don't talk nonsense! Our Tang Dynasty is now a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty, how can we be divided between ourselves and our enemies?!"

Lin Renzhao kept scolding himself.

Lu Mengzheng recalled what Emperor Chai Zongxun said when he was on his way to the mission, and immediately said:
"Master Li, your Majesty once specifically mentioned Lin Renzhao to your ministers.

Please also allow Lin Renzhao to come to the envoy's official residence today to talk about it. "

Li Jing thought that Lü Meng wanted to punish Lin Renzhao. Although he deeply regretted that Lin Renzhao was a brave and famous general, he had no choice but to agree immediately in order not to immediately bring disaster to the country.

At noon, Lu Meng was walking back to his residence at the VIP Hotel after having a state banquet hosted by Li Jing personally in the "Xiaohongqiao" Palace of the Tang Dynasty.

After resting for less than a quarter of an hour, the eunuch from the Southern Tang Dynasty Palace came outside to report that Lin Renzhao had been brought there.

Lu Mengzheng immediately ordered Lin Renzhao to be brought in. When he saw Lin Renzhao's appearance, he immediately laughed.

I saw Lin Renzhao, who had been stripped of his official uniform and tied up. He was pushed into the palace by several eunuchs and imperial guards, and he was constantly cursing.

The leading eunuch bowed respectfully and said:

"Lord Lu, the Lord of our country said that Lin Renzhao will be handed over to you, and his life and death will be at your disposal!"

Lu Mengzheng nodded, waved to the eunuchs and imperial guards, and said:
"You all get out."

Lin Renzhao had tears in his eyes and said with grief and anger:
"The Tang Dynasty is dead! My loyalty to the Tang Dynasty is in vain!
The dog officer of the Kingdom of Zhou can be killed or chopped into pieces as you wish! If I, Lin Renzhao, begged even half a word, I would not be considered a hero! "

After everyone in the Southern Tang Dynasty had exited the hall, Lu Mengzheng walked down the hall in person. With the help of his relatives, he untied the beef tendon and hemp rope that bound Lin Renzhao's body and said:
"General Lin, you have been wronged! Please sit down."

Lin Renzhao was stunned for a long time. He thought that he had denounced the Zhou envoy in the court, but now he was kidnapped by the emperor of his country and given to the Zhou envoy. He would not be spared.

Unexpectedly, Lu Meng was untying him personally and was so polite.

Lin Renzhao said: "Lu Mengzheng, don't try to bribe me! I can see through your vicious plan of the Great Zhou at a glance. I swear I will not betray the Tang Dynasty."

Lu Mengzheng said:

"General Lin is a loyal man of the Tang Dynasty and a famous general in the world.

Before his departure, His Majesty specially told his ministers, and ordered them to work well with General Lin.

Today there are endless wars and the people are in poverty. They all hope that a sage will be born to rule the world and relieve the suffering of the world.

Although my Majesty, the Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty, is young, he is a sage king!
Your Majesty cherishes General Lin's talent and wants to use it for Your Majesty's benefit. "

Lin Renzhao was stunned and said: "If you want me, Lin Renzhao, to betray the Tang Dynasty, don't even think about it! Unless the Tang Dynasty is destroyed!"

Lu Mengzheng tried to persuade him for a long time, but Lin Renzhao remained unmoved even though he felt a great sense of confidant towards Chai Zongxun.

Lu Mengzheng had no choice but to entertain Lin Renzhao with a banquet and then sent the gift out of the palace.

On December 6, after the delivery details were negotiated, Lu Mengzheng set off back to Bianjing with the 600,000 taels of silver that Li Jing, the leader of the Southern Tang Dynasty, had worked hard to collect in the past few days.

On December 12, Chai Zongxun was overjoyed when he received Lu Meng's official report on the results of his mission in Bianjing. He sent troops to take over the three prefectures and set them up as direct-administered prefectures to oversee history and manage government affairs.

(End of this chapter)