Xia Jingyun looked at the solemn expressions of the two people, with the tired but relaxed smile on his face after solving a problem, "Don't worry about whether this matter is surprising or not, let's talk about whether it is possible to succeed, and whether we can solve our problem after success. Worry and take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Bai Yunbian rarely said with a hint of surrender, "The most exaggerated way I can think of is to ask Dongfang Ping to take these 60,000 prisoners to Beiliang. The imperial court secretly supports him in founding the country, and lets him follow the seven surnames of Beiliang. When they are both defeated, our national strength has almost recovered. We can use all our troops to defeat them all in one fell swoop, and then unify the north and the south. But compared to you, I still feel that my situation is small."
"No need to feel it." Jiang Yuhu said calmly.
Seeing that Bai Yun was about to take advantage of the situation and fight back without overestimating his own strength, Xia Jingyun said quickly: "I have thought about Brother Lexian's method, but it is too difficult to implement. Not to mention whether Dongfang Ping is willing or not. We are willing to give up the Yuyan Prefecture that we already hold in our hands and go to the baseless Beiliang. Even if we let Dongfang Ping take away the Yuyan Army, we are reluctant to do so. And these 60,000 Snow Dragon Riders are the private army of the Xue family, and based on the Beiliang military system, It is difficult for him to command him. Secondly, Beiliang seems to respect the strong, but in recent years, with the seven major surnames as the main body, the national structure headed by the Xue family is still stable. If a complete outsider wants to challenge their inherent interest structure, it will Facing the crazy resistance from the Xue family and the rest of the seven major surnames, not to mention 60,000 people, even 100,000 people will almost certainly not be able to withstand it."
Jiang Yuhu nodded, "The way to plan a painting is to follow the trend and achieve it by profit. Your method is indeed much more feasible. If it can be realized, it is indeed something that can be done almost once and for all. Compared with this, I don't think Winning this battle is nothing. But it is too difficult to achieve this goal."
Xia Jingyun immediately shook his head, "General, what you said is wrong. You turned the tide and it will be a legendary victory that will be passed down for generations to come. I haven't even written a word about it yet, so I can't afford such a boast. As for saying it's done. If it doesn’t work, let’s try it first, there’s no loss anyway if it doesn’t work, right?”
Jiang Yuhu nodded, and Bai Yunbian nodded after thinking about it.
Xia Jingyun stood up and said with a smile: "Then I will write a letter first and send it to the Queen Mother, and I will try their ideas first."
——
On the other side, the people from Beiliang had returned to the small courtyard where they were temporarily staying, and the atmosphere in the courtyard was still silent.
For everyone in Beiliang, this mission was extremely unlucky.
When I came here, I didn’t think it would be a great thing, but I always felt that there would be hard work without credit. I worked hard to stabilize the situation for the court, but I could get some benefits anyway;
After arriving, he was first delayed by King Dingxi, and the talks failed to achieve any results. He was also mentally attacked by the man named Bai from the Southern Dynasty. He was almost sick. Finally, he waited for the news from Yuyan Province. Who knew? , before they could cheer for the great Murong Long, your great Majesty, Murong Long was slapped by Dongfang Pingga, and the agreement had been written and it instantly lost any meaning;
When Yuyan Prefecture was gone, King Dingxi adjusted his strategy. That was okay. In exchange for 60,000 prisoners, it was considered a hasty matter, enough to go back and deliver the mission. However, he never expected that His Majesty would suddenly disappear again!
The people who sent them out are gone, so what's the use of them staying here?
Even if they reach an agreement, what good can they get after returning to the DPRK?
At this point, their trip has completely lost any hope.
Compared with the petty calculations of these people, Dingxi King Yelvshi was in the room, thinking about more practical and grand issues.
Emperor Liang died suddenly and unpreparedly. The process of transition of imperial power was completed without him in the capital. His personal future and the future of his family faced a huge test.
For people like him, what they fear most is never hardship, but loss of control and the unknown.
Just when he was filled with worries, the people below spread the news that Lang Yukun, the minister of Honglu Temple in Daxia, came to visit.
He frowned. Lang Yukun was a minor official in Daxia, and he was only a deputy envoy on this trip. He was not qualified to come alone to pay homage to him, the Prince of Beiliang.
But after all, he was under the eaves. After thinking about it for a while, he asked the people below to invite Lang Yukun into the living room, ready to see what tricks the other party was playing.
When he saw Lang Yukun, the other party stood up and said, "King Dingxi, I sent my subordinates to Marquis Jianning to ask you, is it necessary to continue the peace talks?"
Yelvshi frowned again, wondering why the other party would ask such a question so directly.
He frowned and said, "What do you mean?"
Lang Yukun said quickly: "Don't get me wrong, King Dingxi. I just conveyed Marquis Jianning's question. But in my opinion, the situation has changed drastically. King Dingxi should really give me an answer. In this world of ice and snow, always Can’t everyone just do this and wait?”
Being spoken so rudely to a low-level official like Lang Yukun, Yelvshi felt angry and snorted, "Can't Marquis Jianning just wait for this day?"
Lang Yukun laughed along with him, "The Marquis of Jianning is the central minister of our court and the arm of the Queen Mother and Her Majesty. It is indeed not the right way to spend time here! What's more, the imperial power of your country has changed, and the pillars of the country such as King Dingxi are not Should we return to Beijing as soon as possible to settle the matter?"
Yelvshi looked at Lang Yukun, and suddenly his heart moved slightly. Could it be that these abnormal actions and words had some other intention?
He thought about it for a moment, snorted coldly, and slapped the table, "What a Marquis of Jianning. He has tried to threaten me again and again. He really thinks that I am a soft persimmon!"
With an angry look on his face, he said, "Here comes someone! Prepare a car!"
He walked out of the room angrily, turned to look at Lang Yukun, and said with a displeased face: "I would like to ask him face to face whether this is the way you treat guests in the Southern Dynasty!"
Then, when he got into the carriage and lowered the curtain, the anger on his face quietly disappeared and turned into thinking.
After reacting, he became more and more certain that Xia Jingyun wanted to talk to him about something inconspicuously in this way without arousing suspicion.
But what can we talk about?
Benefit exchange?
Now that he is in a precarious situation and his future is uncertain, he is no longer the important minister he once was. The people he wants to exchange interests with should also be the Yuwen family, the Murong family, and even His Majesty who has just succeeded to the throne.
Use coercion and intimidation to make yourself compromise in order to reach an agreement more beneficial to the Southern Dynasty?
It's impossible, not to mention that the current plan is humiliating enough. Now that the emperors in the court have changed, if I bring back something even more humiliating, will the court recognize it?
He thought hard and couldn't think of a reasonable explanation, but he was almost certain that Xia Jingyun wanted to meet him secretly.
In this contradictory state of mind, he couldn't help but think, he wouldn't let himself become a spy in the Southern Dynasties, right? Would this genius from the Southern Dynasties really be so bold as to come and instigate rebellion against him, the King of Dingxi in Daliang and the co-leader of the Eight Tribes of Yelu?
However, when he saw Xia Jingyun and heard his words, he still felt that he was too small.
He thought it was all a show, and angrily went to Xia Jingyun to ask for an explanation. After Xia Jingyun invited him into the room, he smiled and said: "King Dingxi is indeed worthy of the name of a great man. I just gave you a little hint, and the prince was able to listen to the string song and sing." I know the elegance and I admire it."
Yelvshi said with some vigilance: "Why did Marquis Jianning spend so much time on it?"
Xia Jingyun smiled slightly, "What is King Dingxi going to do next?"
Yelvshi said calmly: "If your country is willing to negotiate, then let's talk. You can exchange the previously agreed terms for the prisoners, or you can talk about something else. We, Daliang, can even attack Yuyan Prefecture with your country, and wait for Yuyan Prefecture to be captured. Your country returning us a Guancheng is also a matter that can be discussed."
Xia Jingyun nodded, "Indeed, King Dingxi's suggestion is very good. But, can King Dingxi still have as much power in the court as before? Can the new king still have such trust in King Dingxi? Even the agreement we reached, Will the new king of your country still recognize you?"
Yelu Shi's face did not change, "I don't have to worry about Jian Ninghou's affairs in the court."
Xia Jingyun was not angry and smiled slightly, "Actually, the reason why I invited King Dingxi here today is for another matter."
"Just say it, Marquis Jianning."
Xia Jingyun looked at Yelvshi's face, which showed signs of aging but showed no signs of aging, and whispered seriously and clearly:
"Do you want to be emperor?"
Yelv Shi was stunned to the point of petrification for a moment, and immediately showed anger on his face, saying in a cold voice: "Xia Jingyun! Do you know what kind of rebellious and unethical words you are saying!"
Xia Jingyun smiled slightly, "King Dingxi, our meeting today is so secretive. There is no one else here, and you and I are not mediocre people. If you still say those pretentious words in front of others, wouldn't you be degrading yourself?"
Yelvshi took a deep breath and said, "Marquis Jianning, there are some jokes you shouldn't take."
Xia Jingyun smiled leisurely, "Why don't you, King Dingxi, listen first and then give a reply?"
He didn't give Yelvshi a chance to refuse, and said directly: "There are three reasons why I say this."
"First, the prince of your country kills his father and ascends the throne. Even if the crime of regicide in your country is not as unforgivable as it is in our court, it will eventually lead to violent turmoil in the court. His supporters will rise to power. The original superiors will be pushed out, and the old interest pattern will change. Such a chaotic situation is your best opportunity to seize power."
"Second, as just said, the Murong family and the Yuwen family are the main forces supporting the crown prince's accession to the throne. Their interests will inevitably be strongly supported by the new emperor. Your country's original interest pattern will be changed. So as the former emperor As the most trustworthy minister, and the Yelu family behind you, who is the first family of the lower four surnames, it is almost inevitable that the interests of you will be weakened. What's more important is that you don't know that the new emperor just wants to cut you off. With one sword, he still wants to kill you directly and distribute it to his new favorites. Instead of doing this, it is better to take the initiative in his own hands and strike first."
"Thirdly, when King Dingxi was eighteen years old, he integrated the eight tribes of Yelu, rebuilt the Crane Control Army, and conquered the north and south. He made many achievements. It would be fine if the late emperor of your country was still there. Now that Huangkou Xiaoer has stolen his position, why can't he take advantage of the situation? To build a lasting legacy and use the reputation of a founding ancestor to seal the coffin of his legendary life?"
Founding Patriarch, these four words struck Yelvshi's heart.
Except for people like Xia Jingyun, who have a clear and profound understanding of imperial power, and people like Jiang Yuhu, who also understand the nature of the throne and have no interest in it, it is difficult for even outstanding people like Yelv Shi to refuse this supreme position. lure.
But he was by no means the idiot who would bite the bait when he saw it. Even though his heart was hot, his mind was still very clear and he said calmly: "What Marquis Jianning said is as if the supreme position is like the cabbage beside the road. Generally speaking, it’s so easy to get, isn’t it ridiculous?”
Xia Jingyun said: "It is indeed difficult to become emperor, but the road ahead of King Dingxi is actually not that difficult."
He sat upright and said slowly: "The eight tribes of Yelu's Crane Control Army are powerful and powerful. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne for the first time, he will definitely not completely put the Yelu family on the opposite side for the time being, and will provide some support and comfort. The Yelu family is in the court. The forces above the palace are still there. King Dingxi can definitely instigate some internal fighting, provoke some rebellions on the border, and then lead his troops to the capital in the name of Qingtian's protection, and then establish a new king. By then, won't the power of the government be in your hands? Then we slowly planned it to determine the ability of the Western King, and in the name and reality, are we afraid that we will not be able to appease all parties and take over the Xue family instead?"
He smiled and said, "The Xue family can sit on this throne, but your Yelu family can't?"
"It's easy to say. Which step in this process is not extremely dangerous? What's more, if you establish a new king, where are there so many obedient Xue family children?"
Xia Jingyun smiled and said, "Isn't there a ready-made one right now?"
Yelvshi's eyes narrowed quietly. King Jing was indeed a good choice. He was undisciplined, obsessed with poetry, and his mother's family had no great influence. He had no direct lineage, but Xia Jingyun even considered this?
He was silent for a moment, and finally asked the question that he should have asked at the beginning, but in order to test Xia Jingyun's original intention, he postponed it until now, "Even if everything goes as what Jianning Hou said, I succeed in the end, but the confrontation between the north and the south The momentum still exists, what is your purpose of doing this?"
There was one sentence he hid, but he believed Xia Jingyun could understand it.
Xia Jingyun smiled and nodded, "Indeed, we can never expect the emperor of Daliang to be our undercover agent and puppet, and I have never had such a stupid idea."
This time it was Yelvshi's turn to be confused, sincere doubts appeared on his face, "Why is that?"
Xia Jingyun's smile slowly faded, "Because, I feel that only King Dingxi can understand some of my words, and only with King Dingxi at this moment can we have the opportunity to communicate honestly."
He said seriously: "Actually, everyone can see that although Daliang has strong soldiers and horses, Daxia is vast enough and has a deep enough foundation. You can't destroy Daxia at all. You can only occasionally invade and take a handful and leave. And Daxia is rich in resources. , even if Daliang is destroyed, they won’t have much interest in ruling your place, not to mention that there will be other regimes on the grassland without Daliang. But the Northern and Southern Dynasties do not necessarily have to fight. "
Yelvshi shook his head when he heard this, "What you said is too simple. The Northern and Southern Dynasties have been at odds for more than a hundred years. Could it be that the monarchs and ministers of the past dynasties couldn't understand this truth?"
Xia Jingyun did not refute, "These wars have various superficial reasons, but at their root, they are just because of an unsolvable problem: both sides have to compete for constant and limited resources. If you have more, I will have less." Of course, if you get one point, you have to fight for it.”
He looked at Yelv Shi and said slowly: "But what if there are additional resources?"
Yelv Shi frowned, and Xia Jingyun continued: "For example, outside the two countries, there are enough resources for both parties to join hands and slowly eat them. The food will be much fatter and fuller than competing for that bite. Then, Why do both sides need to fight to the death here?"
Yelvshi pursed his lips, "It makes sense, but unfortunately, it doesn't."
Xia Jingyun shook his head, "Who said no?"
"To the east, across Yuyan State, there is a land rich in furs, medicinal materials, jewelry, etc.; and beyond the sea to the east of Yuyan State, there are several large islands with rich mineral deposits and products, and the land is also rich in products. Feeding tens of millions of people. I have ordered people to go and investigate, and I will get a reply soon. King Dingxi, do you think they can block the military power of my two dynasties? "
"To the west, across the desert, there are many large and small countries, vast and vast, and the territory is no less than that of our dynasty. Since King Dingxi is sitting on the western border of Daliang, he must be familiar with this. Your two dynasties can work together to attack. Destroy their country and open up their trade routes, and the land, people, and goods gained will be shared by both parties."
"To the south, there are many fertile lands that can support three crops a year. There are countless inexhaustible natural resources and treasures. And the country is weak, and an army of criminals can defeat it. It is certain that in a few decades, there will be a steady flow of grain, grass, gold and silver treasures."
"Beyond the ocean, there are several times the land of our northern and southern dynasties. They are like undefended treasure houses, allowing us to take whatever we want. Our eyes should be on the sea of stars to establish the foundation of eternal prosperity, and It’s not like this long and narrow frontier, where the lives of countless warriors and athletes are filled in vain day after day and year after year.”
Xia Jingyun's eyes were blazing, "If what is said below is true, does King Dingxi still believe that the two countries must be in opposition and that there must be a war between the two countries?"
After listening to Xia Jingyun's words, to be honest, Yelvshi's heart was moved.
He didn't know the rest of the directions Xia Jingyun mentioned, but there were indeed many small and wealthy countries in the west as he said. However, the Liang Dynasty had limited power and had to guard against the Southern Dynasty, so it only conquered some small countries that were close to it and forced them to do so. It is a vassal state, and it is just forced to pay tribute.
If it is true as he said, there is indeed no need for the Northern and Southern Dynasties to be in constant opposition and fight to the death for one city and one place.
Moreover, in that case, he is also sure that he can convince the other families of the seven major surnames to support his rise to power.
The founder of the People's Republic of China mentioned by Xia Jingyun no longer seems to be an illusory dream, but a goal that is within reach.
Thinking of this, he finally couldn't help but reveal his tendency, "I believe that Marquis Jianning won't just make wedding clothes for others, right?"
Xia Jingyun smiled and nodded, "It's easy to talk to smart people. We can secretly support King Dingxi's ascension to the throne, or we can let you bring back 60,000 captives at a less humiliating price to build momentum for you, but we can't do it in Lieyang Pass and Phoenix City. I will return it to you. This is the sincerity we ask from King Dingxi. Then King Dingxi needs to facilitate the opening of business and mutual markets in Phoenix City and Lieyang Pass. For the rest, King Dingxi does not need to promise anything, because we all know, Promises are pointless.”
Yelvshi was silent for a moment, "Where's King Jing?"
A playful smile appeared on Xia Jingyun's face, "I will persuade you, and then let him win over you."
Yelvshi let out a long sigh, "After talking today, I realized what an astonishing genius is. He can even calculate the throne of a country. Marquis Jianning is really courageous!"
Xia Jingyun smiled and said, "How about happy cooperation?"
“A pleasure to work with.”
Yelvshi's calm but firm answer sounded in the room. (End of chapter)
