Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 257 Baili Dutaigu (1)

At this time, it was getting late, the wind was blowing loudly outside, and two muffled thunders sounded, and a heavy rain was about to come. In the hall, turpentine torches are lit to illuminate it as brightly as day.It was quiet all around, the sergeants all looked towards this side, and only one voice echoed in the hall: "The way of self-defense is the fundamental system of our dynasty. All the people in my dynasty are self-defense people. I am in the prefectures and counties." The village is a self-defending land. If the barbarians want to invade, it will be difficult for them to go deep. Why, because the Jurchen and Khitan barbarians only know how to enslave the people. Once invaded, I will attack the people in groups. And we will serve If the common people destroy their will to defend themselves, it is tantamount to preparing for the barbarians. If the people cannot defend themselves, the country will not be able to defend themselves either. The so-called embankment of a thousand miles collapses in an ant's nest, which is exactly what it means."

Zhao Xingde softened his tone a little, and said: "Maybe some people think that this is just a small matter. But have you ever thought that it is a small matter for you. It may be a big matter for the common people. The common people are busy Opening up wasteland and farming, the children in the family need to be controlled by their parents, and the elderly parents need to be taken care of by their children, which is not a big deal for them." He looked up at the sky outside the house and said, "It's about to rain. "He asked with a raised voice, "is anyone worried that their grass shed will leak and their parents, wives and children will be flooded?"

These words changed the faces of many people. The huts and grass sheds that the common people have hastily built are very simple, and they are not as rain-proof as the leather tents that are raised above the ground by the sergeants.Not only to leak, but also to beware of rainwater on the ground.Zhang Pu, who was serving beside him, was also one of them. He looked at the impassioned Colonel Zhao, and a wave of expectation was born out of thin air in his heart. Although he half understood what he heard, he felt that the captain was doing it for the good of the common people.

Zhao Xingde looked around, and among the dozens of adults serving in the hall, many of them showed expressions of anxiety and anticipation, he smiled slightly, and said in a deep voice: "If you are worried, go back and take care of it first." Parents, wives and children, don't worry about the chores here."

"Thank you, my lord." Zhang servant was overjoyed when he heard the words, bowed to Zhao Xingde, moved his body, and looked around again. After thanking each other messily, they were still watching each other, not daring to move their feet. just go.Jin Changtai didn't find it funny, and said loudly, "Go back and take care of your family, hurry up!" After a pause, he added, "Come over tomorrow to get a liter of food." Zhang Pu glanced gratefully at the table, turned around and hurried leave.In a short while, the dozens of young men who were waiting on the side almost disappeared, and only two or three remained.

Sergeants used to do banquets by themselves, but now there are no other people to serve them, and they returned to the previous situation. Everyone was chaotic and asked for more wine and vegetables, but there was a sense of excitement.Because the signs of enslaving the people have just begun, since the captain did not allow it, most of them just smiled and let it go.But the officers who are more considerate have a deeper understanding of Lieutenant Zhao De.Jin Changtai beckoned to Du Chuijiao, and asked him to find some people to go to the kitchen and bring over all the prepared dishes.Because although the cooks are all paid, they are still allowed to go home early on rainy days.For ordinary people, pouring rainwater back into the diwozi is a major event that requires the whole family to deal with it.

At this time there were Zhang Liandao and others who hadn't left yet, Zhao Xingde was a little strange, and asked: "Why are you still here?" Not afraid of flooding." Several other people are in the same situation as him, only one named Zhou Yu said in a deep voice: "I will forget my family on the day I am ordered. Although I am only a lowly servant, I can't give up halfway." Zhao Xingde smiled, Noncommittal.Li Sihai looked at him a few more times.Jin Changtai murmured to himself that it would be fair for these young adults who remained to be given a bucket and a half of grain tomorrow.

Holding the wine, Li Sihai smiled at Zhao Xingde and said, "Road Cao Chang Shi Cui Qianzhi is on an envoy to the Liao Kingdom. The Lord of Liao also asked me about meddling in Liaodong. Cui Qianzhi replied that if the Liao Kingdom If we stop supporting the grassland tribes to 'harass' our dynasty, our dynasty can consider not intervening in Liaodong. In contrast, Cui Qianzhi used the people of Liaodong as a bargaining chip to bargain. That’s a lot worse.” Zhao Xingde raised his glass to meet him, and said humbly, “It’s all out of a public heart, for the sake of the country and the people, Captain Li praised it absurdly.” Li Sihai smiled slightly, a trace of strangeness flashed in his eyes 'color', did not go on.

At this time, Zhang Pu's wife was bowing her waist, continuously pouring out the rainwater pouring into the ground nest, and a son, a daughter, and two children followed her, holding the pottery bowl with difficulty in their small hands.There was a wooden tray on the bed, and the rainwater dripped into it like beads with a broken thread, and it would be full in a short while. "Mom," the youngest son cried, "Where did Daddy go? I want Daddy." The older daughter also had tears in her eyes. It was thundering and raining outside, and the little one couldn't help being frightened. Daddy was not at home at this time. , I'm really a little scared.

Two lines of sweat dripped down Zhang's face, she kept scooping water, and said, "Your father is serving at the sergeant's place, and he will be back soon, soon!" The hand holding the pottery pot suddenly went limp, and the pot of muddy water fell to the ground, and she cried out loudly, and her son cried too. Mrs. Zhang was full of pain and was at her wit's end when suddenly a figure came running through the rain .

Seeing the woman from a distance, Zhang Pu said loudly, "What's the use of just scooping water? Use mud and grass to build a sill at the door of the house to stop the rain." into the rainwater, dug out a pile of soil, and built a small dam at the door.Mrs. Zhang was still pouring water outside, while looking up at her husband's busy figure in the rain, her eyes filled with tears.

In the Linhuang Mansion in Shangjing, the capital of the Liao Kingdom, within the emperor's account, Yelu Dashi was reading the secret report of the envoys of the Xia Kingdom. The envoys were in an enemy country, and everyone was cautious in their words and deeds. There was only one distant clan of the Chen family. , a little outspoken. "He is a careless and frustrated person, but he can win him over." Yelu Dashi murmured.When he was not enthroned, he was used to burying secrets around his opponents. After becoming the emperor, he didn't need to personally ask such trivial matters, but when the habit became natural, the spies would directly report these things, as His Majesty's confidantes. Self-proclaimed.

The eunuch Tong Bing outside the door, the old prime minister Xiao Wuna, and the Nanyuan privy envoy Xiao Xiaode asked to see him, Yelu Dashi hurriedly sent him in, stood up and went to the door to meet him.Xiao Wuna is a veteran of the two dynasties, and now he is more than seventy years old.The military power is still in the hands of his confidants, and the old prime minister is responsible for compiling the history of the country, encouraging farming, and encouraging business and other things.

Although Xiao Wuna appeared at the door with an angry look on his face, he didn't care about paying respects, and said in a deep voice: "The Shang Dynasty is the ancestor of the people in the Central Plains, and has nothing to do with our Dynasty. Why did your majesty add Khitan to the history of the country? Miao Yi's words." Xiao Xiaode, the privy envoy of the Southern Court, followed behind Xiao Wuna helplessly, bowed and said, "Minister Xiao Xiaode, I have an audience with Your Majesty."

Xiao Wuna threw a brand new volume of national history on the imperial case, angrily waiting for the emperor to explain.He is considered a veteran of the three dynasties, and he is not afraid of death.When Emperor Daozong was alive, he only cared about hunting for pleasure, and left most of the important affairs of the country to the Prime Minister Xiao Wuna.After Yelu Yanxi succeeded to the throne, Xiao Wuna was dismissed because of his loyalty and daring to remonstrate. When Yelu Dashi raised his troops, he gathered his own soldiers and horses in his hometown to defend the deposed emperor. But after Yelu Dashi successfully ascended the throne, in order to stabilize the government, Still do everything possible to invite this important court official out of the mountain.

This morning, he checked and found that the records of the national history had been altered by adding the words "Khitan, the descendant of Yin Qi." Instructed, Xiao Wuna dragged Xiao Xiaode to question him again, Xiao Xiaode had no choice but to bring him to face the king.

Yelu Dashi calmed down his anger, and said with a slight smile: "I have done some research before, please sit down, old prime minister, and wait for me to speak slowly." Xiao Wuna hummed, and sat aside, feeling a little bit I can't help whether what he said is true or false. Yelu Dashi was indeed an editor of the Imperial Academy at the beginning, and it is only natural that he has studied the history of the country.Yelu Dashi motioned for Xiao Xiaode to sit down too, and Xiao Xiaode sat down tremblingly, half-believing.

"The "Historical Records" of the Han people said that the ancestor of the Yin Shang was called 'Yin Qi'. According to my research at the beginning, the fourteenth generation of the Yin Shang moved the capital eight times and passed through the Xianbei Mountain area many times, so they left behind a lineage, which later multiplied and became my Khitan. Eight divisions. Therefore, I, Khitan Eight Divisions, are descendants of Yin and Shang along with Confucius Shengdang of the Southern Dynasty." Yelu Dashi said with a serious face.Xiao Xiaode couldn't help being tongue-tied, as a privy envoy of the South Court, he was certainly an ignorant person, he couldn't imagine that His Majesty, who had read a lot of poetry and books, would casually say such fabricated words.

"You, you..." Xiao Wuna couldn't help turning blue with anger, "Is there any circumstantial evidence for your Majesty's textual research?"

Yelu Dashi had a strange expression on his face, he spread his hands, and asked: "There is a saying in the history books that 'the princes were not available before the Yin Dynasty', so there is not much circumstantial evidence, but it is like 'the ancestor of Qin, the descendant of Emperor Zhuanxu' , 'Xiongnu, descendants of the Xiahou clan', there is also no circumstantial evidence to test." He smiled slightly, "The Khitan ancestors can be mentioned for three generations, and the Central Plains should no longer treat them as barbarians."

Xiao Xiaode was dumbfounded, Xiao Wuna was so angry that his beard trembled, and he said angrily: "You talk nonsense." The emperor acted perversely, and he could do things much worse than revising the history books. Can walk away.Yelu Dashi respectfully sent him to the door, and passed on to the palace ministers to send five hundred sheep to the prime minister's mansion to commend the old prime minister for his hard work for the country, but Xiao Xiaode stayed behind and asked him about his various farms and The situation of workshops and shops.