At Lieyang Pass, Shen Shengwen, the Minister of the Ministry of War of Daxia, who personally went to the front line of Northern Xinjiang to announce the reward, stood on the top of the city and touched the bricks on the city wall with a look of reluctance. "It is really difficult to return such a great pass to Beiliang." I can’t bear to part with it!”
If it were a fool who thought he was smart, he might have to say something like [Sir, Swift State is more important, we have gained more, you don’t need to feel sorry], but Jin Jiancheng is not only good at fighting when he is with Jiang Yuhu. Hanhan, who was also quite knowledgeable in these disciplines, immediately agreed with a smile.
"It's just that after finally defeating it, I still have to give it back to the Beiliang barbarian. I really can't bear it. I heard someone below said that I might as well secretly demolish the city for him."
"Hahahaha!" Shen Shengwen smiled and winked slyly, "If you really want to break it up, you have to wait until the peace negotiation is over!"
Jin Jiancheng immediately felt that this new Minister of the Ministry of War was interesting and to his liking.
Shen Shengwen joked and stared at the north, "It's a pity. If Yuyan State is still in control, it will be a great situation that has not been seen in the past century! Dongfang Ping is really a descendant of the Dongfang clan!"
Jin Jiancheng smiled and said, "With the support of the Queen Mother, Your Majesty, Marquis Jianning and Master Shen in the court, and the heroic fighting of the soldiers on the front line, we will get it back sooner or later!"
Shen Shengwen nodded, "General Jin, when will Prince Anguo turn around?"
They had received the urgent message from Lingwuguan and knew that Jiang Yuhu and his entourage had returned safely to the country, safe and sound. However, Shen Shengwen, as Minister of the Ministry of War, was waiting here a little impatiently.
Jin Jiancheng smiled and said: "Young Master usually goes to inspect the border terrain in person when he has the opportunity. He will probably wait longer. Your Excellency is busy with official duties. Why don't you go back to the court first? After the Young Master returns, I will send you a message?"
Shen Shengwen shook his head, "Prince Anguo and the soldiers of Wudang Army have made such unparalleled achievements. The Queen Mother has reminded me that I must announce the reward in person. I also admire Prince Anguo's great achievements and should wait for them."
He smiled and said, "Prince Anguo and all the soldiers can be stationed here, so what's wrong with me? If General Jin has nothing to do, could you please come with me to see the place where the battle was fought that day?"
Jin Jiancheng had a good impression of the new Minister of War who didn't have much official arrogance and really knew the military affairs. Hearing this, he nodded, "Your Majesty, you're welcome. This way, please!"
A group of cavalry came out of Lieyang Pass and were running on the Yinma Plain in the wind and snow. A carrier pigeon flew high above their heads and flew towards the north.
A piece of news, before Xue Wenlu and others returned to the court, followed the carrier pigeon and flew into Liangdu, and appeared in the hands of Emperor Liang.
The Southern Dynasty agreed to the peace talks, and the envoy Xia Jingyun was sent to the Lieyang Pass to discuss formal peace talks.
Looking at the news on the small note, Emperor Liang, who was wrapped in thick fox fur, thought for a moment in silence and said, "He Zhong, summon King Ding Xi, Linghu Yan, and Wang Ruoshui to the palace."
A moment later, Wang Ruoshui hurriedly walked into the palace, but from a distance he saw a man wearing embroidered clothes walking towards him in the wind and snow.
Seeing this man, his heart trembled slightly as he was already harboring ulterior secrets. But now that the situation had come to an end, he couldn't hide away, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and pretend to be calm to face him.
"I've met Lord Linghu."
Linghu Yan, the embroidery commander of the Daliang Embroidery Bureau, looked at the demoted official who defected from the Southern Dynasties. A faint smile appeared on his face, and he stretched out his hand to support him kindly, as if he was secretly investigating this man in detail. As if there was no deep suspicion, "Your Majesty, you are so polite. Your Majesty has summoned you. Let's not delay any more."
With trepidation in his heart, Wang Ruoshui walked into the palace of the palace city together with the big devil.
After waiting in the palace for a short while, Yelv Shi, the co-leader of the Eight Departments of Yelu and King of Dingxi in Daliang, also entered the palace.
With nearly half of the direct descendants of the Xue family having been wiped out, and the eight Yelu tribes remaining intact, coupled with Emperor Liang's promotion of rewards, the balance of strength between the two sides has quietly changed a lot.
But even so, even though there were other ministers in the palace, when the prince who was walking like a dragon and tiger appeared in the palace, he was still the same as before, humbly bowing his back slightly and saluting respectfully, "Old minister Yelvshi pays homage. His Majesty"
Emperor Liang spoke warmly, "Get up and give me a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After Yelvshi sat down, Emperor Liang looked at the three of them and said, "I just received the secret message from the south. The south has agreed to the peace talks. What I mean is that the two sides will first send an envoy to meet at Lieyang Pass. What do you think?" Who is the right person to go? Moreover, the chief and deputy envoys of the Southern Dynasty have been decided, who should we send as envoy?"
Yelvshi had the highest status here, so he spoke first: "Your Majesty, I wonder who the Southern Dynasty will send as envoy?"
Emperor Liang glanced at Wang Ruoshui and said calmly: "It's the famous Xia Jingyun, Marquis of Jianning in the Southern Dynasty."
Wang Ruoshui's calves softened and his whole body trembled.
Linghu Yan quietly observed him with a faint look.
Yelvshi frowned, "I heard that this person is the adopted brother of the Queen Mother of the Southern Dynasty. He helped her a lot in the process of taking power. The Queen Mother of the Southern Dynasty is actually willing to send him out?"
Emperor Liang nodded, "People in the Southern Dynasties must have other considerations about the place for talks. It may be difficult for them to come to our country for negotiations."
Linghu Yan echoed: "Your Majesty, according to the information from the Embroidery Bureau, Xia Jingyun's status in the Southern Dynasties is far more than that of the Empress Dowager's step-brother. He is a man of outstanding intelligence and scheming, and has an outstanding demeanor. The political situation in the Southern Dynasties has not been too turbulent this time. , the Queen Mother of the Southern Dynasty was able to take power smoothly, precisely because of Xia Jingyun as a link, so that some aristocratic families, the military, and scholars in the Southern Dynasty were willing to support her, and the situation in the Southern Dynasty was quickly stabilized. "
Emperor Liang sighed, "This must be the hidden gesture of the Queen Mother of the Southern Dynasty, so that I can retreat in the face of difficulties and no longer have the idea of having envoys from the Southern Dynasty come to Liangdu for consultation."
Linghu Yan continued to echo, "Yes, with Xia Jingyun's importance, there is absolutely no possibility in the Southern Dynasty of letting Xia Jingyun go into danger alone. It is even said that if we capture Xia Jingyun, the people of the Southern Dynasty may not be too surprised, but in the Southern Dynasty, The shock caused by Tang was almost as much as capturing Jiang Yuhu alive."
Yelvshi smiled and said, "I'm afraid I can use him directly in exchange for Lieyang Pass and Phoenix City, right?"
Emperor Liang looked at Wang Ruoshui again, "Wang Ruoshui, do you think Xiu Yi Ling's guess is correct?"
Wang Ruoshui was originally immersed in the shock of Xia Jingyun becoming the envoy of the mission, and then he heard that they would not be able to come to Liangdu. He quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could relax, he was called out by Emperor Liang for questioning again, and he made a fuss. The regiment's brains immediately started working with all their strength, and they performed to the level expected of a qualified spy. "Replying to Your Majesty, Lord Linghu is right. Although Xia Jingyun is currently ranked last among the central ministers in the Southern Dynasties, his title is only a Marquis." , but almost all the teams of the Queen Mother and Young Emperor of the Southern Dynasties who maintained the system and ruled were connected through him."
"The representatives of the aristocratic families are the Yunmeng Su family and the Longshou Qin family; the representatives of the military are Jiang Yuhu and Xia Yunfei; the representatives of backbone officials are Su Yuanshang and Xing Shigu; the representatives of Shilin are the Three Heroes of Tushan. These are Only then did the Queen Mother of the Southern Dynasty dare to suppress the nobles, and at the same time, she had the courage to resist when our army was pressing down on the border. It is indeed impossible for the Southern Dynasty to let Xia Jingyun enter the negotiations with our court."
After hearing this, Emperor Liang remained calm and said, "In your opinion, if this person is an envoy of the Southern Dynasty, who in our dynasty can compete with him?"
Wang Ruoshui was demoted. How could he dare to take on such a problem? He quickly said in panic: "Your Majesty, our court has many talented people and capable people. After all, Xia Jingyun is young and has not had much experience. It is not difficult to deal with it. However, I have just arrived, and I am facing a lot of problems in the court." I don't know much about this, so I dare not speak nonsense. I hope your majesty will forgive me."
Emperor Liang nodded slightly, "That's true, I thought it was simple. But..."
He looked at Wang Ruoshui, "You are familiar with all the officials in the Southern Dynasty, so let's appoint you as the deputy envoy first. Then we can observe the behavior of the people in the Southern Dynasty, guess their intentions, and gain enough benefits for our Dynasty before returning to the Dynasty. After that, I will be rewarded heavily!"
Wang Ruoshui's expression suddenly changed uncontrollably, and Emperor Liang squinted his eyes, "Not willing?"
Wang Ruoshui's legs were already weak, so when he heard this, he knelt down with a plop and stuck his butt out, "I am willing to go through fire and water for Daliang, I will never refuse!"
"It doesn't have to be like this. I like culture. I have always been worried about my literary style in Daliang. I have high hopes for you. When you come back with meritorious service, I hope you will bring a new look to my Daliang in the future court!"
Wang Ruoshui burst into tears of gratitude, "I will fight to the death and live up to His Majesty's love!"
"No need to be polite, just lie flat."
Emperor Liang wrapped himself in the fox fur and turned his gaze to Linghu Yan, "Linghu Yan, launch the embroidery bureau and try your best to find out the intentions of the monarchs and ministers of the Southern Dynasties so that the imperial court can formulate strategies."
Linghu Yan agreed in a deep voice.
"Okay, you all should step aside first, and King Dingxi will accompany me to talk later."
Linghu Yan and Wang Ruoshui bowed and retreated. After there were no outsiders in the palace, Emperor Liang looked at Yelvshi and said, "I want to send a prince as an advance to go to Lieyang Pass to discuss various matters with the Southern Dynasty. What does King Dingxi think?"
Yelvshi pondered for a moment, "The prince has a noble status and can make decisions more freely when the opportunity arises. It is also an experience. Your Majesty is wise."
Emperor Liang asked again: "When he comes back, I will use him as another deputy envoy. Is this an appropriate arrangement?"
Unexpectedly, as soon as these words came out, Yelvshi fell silent.
If the prince is the deputy, how many of them can be qualified as envoys?
Thinking about the people summoned today, the purpose of Emperor Liang's words was ready to be revealed.
Emperor Liang silently picked up the ginseng tea on the table and drank it without urging.
An uneasy silence suddenly filled the hall.
After a while, Yelvshi suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, although I am old, I have a lot of knowledge about the affairs of the Southern Dynasties. I have asked myself to be the envoy for this negotiation and do my best for our great leader."
Emperor Liang seemed a little surprised by Yelvshi's initiative to invite him. After thinking about it for a moment, he said, "It would be great if King Dingxi could go, but would it be too hard?"
Yelvshi shook his head and said: "I won't be able to fight in battle at this age, but I can still show off my power of words."
He smiled and said, "I am also very curious about that famous young man in the Southern Dynasties. It would be good to go and see how much he weighs."
Emperor Liang looked pleased, stood up and helped him up, "The old king of Dingxi is planning for the country. It is really a blessing for the country to have you in Daliang."
He looked at the other party and said, "Zong Han made a big mistake this time. Let's just pick up the engagement between Qi girl and Wen Lu. That girl is the pearl of my prairie, so she can choose a good son-in-law by herself."
"Thank you, Sir, Your Majesty."
Yelvshi burst into tears of gratitude and wanted to worship him again. Emperor Liang stretched out his hand to support him and said with a smile: "Why should we be so polite between you and me, my monarch and my ministers?"
In the chill of late winter, the relationship between the two of them was as relaxed and joyful as a spring breeze.
Outside the main hall, within the palace city, Wang Ruoshui and Linghu Yan were walking in the wind and snow.
"Master Wang, congratulations. It seems that you are going to achieve great success this time!"
Wang Ruoshui quickly said modestly: "Master Linghu, please don't ridicule me. This is not a decent thing for us, Daliang."
"It doesn't matter whether you are decent or not. If you can help His Majesty and solve his troubles and worries, that is a great achievement."
"Hey. I'd like to lend you your kind words." Wang Ruoshui didn't know how to answer the question. He raised his head and saw the Central Academy in front of him, and said quickly: "Lord Linghu, I have to take my leave."
"It's easy to say, I won't invite Mr. Wang to visit me."
Wang Ruoshui bowed his hands obediently, turned around and left with some eagerness.
Looking at Wang Ruoshui's back, the polite smile on Linghu Yan's face gradually turned into a mocking look.
Deputy envoy?
Knowing that the visitor from the Southern Dynasty was Xia Jingyun, he still sent Wang Ruoshui as deputy envoy?
If Xia Jingyun didn't ask for him to return home, then Wang Ruoshui might really be a secret chess piece of the Southern Dynasty;
If Xia Jingyun asks for it, then give it to him and let him give it back in other places. Why not exchange a useless Southern Dynasty demotion for real benefits?
Although His Majesty suffered a huge defeat, he is still very capable!
Linghu Yan looked at the wind and snow in the distance and sighed with emotion. He thought of what happened to Emperor Chongning of the Southern Dynasty and how his Majesty had been more wary of him recently. He sighed again and walked into the snow with his sleeves rolled up. .
——
Yuyan Prefecture, the former Prefectural Shepherd's Mansion, is now occupied by Dongfang Pinghe soldiers.
Not only the city of Yuyan Prefecture, but the entire Yuyan Prefecture was now under temporary military control, and the order was disrupted. At the same time, the dream of sweeping the imperial court and seizing the throne in one fell swoop was shattered, and people throughout the prefecture were in panic.
But Dongfang Ping no longer cares so much. Ordinarily, in order to maintain the overall situation, he should sit on the front line and confront Xia Yunfei. However, the situation in the rear was already unstable, and with the threat of Murong Hu being killed by the formation, Dongfang Ping had no choice but to lead the troops himself. Return to the state city and take charge.
However, what gave him some peace of mind was that Xia Yunfei did not choose to counterattack. From various indications, it seemed that the imperial court's military strength was really empty.
The more this happened, the more annoyed he became. How great it would have been if he could have broken through Changshan County as soon as possible!
If I had chosen to take a detour at that time, would the situation have been very different?
He did not immerse himself in this regret for long before news came that the entire Northern Liang army was almost in full force and that 150,000 elite cavalrymen were besieging the central line.
Before he could recover from the anger of being used as a pawn and the shock of Emperor Liang's generosity, news came that Jiang Yuhu had made a surprise attack on Lieyang Pass, defeating the enemy in one battle, and maiming hundreds of thousands of tigers and leopards in Northern Liang. News of Dragon Rider's shocking victory.
As a result, the aristocratic families and dignitaries who had been coerced and threatened by him immediately began to struggle violently like fish that did not want to be caught.
However, under his powerful suppression and equally sophisticated appeasement, they finally stopped temporarily.
But this pause also has nothing to be happy about. If the general trend does not change, these pauses will only be like temporarily filling the stomach, and they will make a fuss again after digestion.
More importantly, when the news came that Jiang Yuhu had rushed thousands of miles to capture Phoenix City, under this overwhelming military power, even the soldiers under his own command began to have some strange movements.
No one wants to die, no one wants to run towards a future that is doomed to be fruitless.
He stood in an open window, looking at the wind and snow in front of him, the expression on his face was even more severe than the wind and snow.
"Your Highness!"
There was a loud shout, and a guard hurried in with a look of panic on his face.
"Your Highness, the spies reported back, and Beiliang sent envoys to ask for peace from the imperial court!"
Dongfang Ping turned around suddenly, a fascinating light flashing in his eyes. (End of chapter)
