"What? You said the third young master is dead?" Master Pang stared and exclaimed. At this moment, a strong man in official uniform was standing in front of Cai Jing with his head bowed. This man was Li Shantong, who had been lucky enough to escape before. He finally recovered from his injury and returned to the capital. "What is going on? How could the third young master die suddenly?" Master Pang asked angrily.
Li Shantong said quickly: "Yanyun is not as peaceful as we thought before. In fact, it is full of bandits and spies from the Liao people. That day, we went out to the capital to inspect the west and lived in a deserted posthouse at night. I never thought that that day, Something happened at night. The thieves from Liupin Mountain suddenly appeared. They were extremely fierce and killed everyone on sight. Although the villain protected the young master and fought desperately to break through, there were too many bandits. During the melee, the villain was seriously injured and passed out. When he woke up, After arriving, I found out that I had been rescued by the general, and then I found out that except for the villain, everyone including the Third Young Master had been killed!"
Master Pang yelled, "Your master is dead, why don't you die?!" Li Shantong was too frightened to reply. Master Pang immediately transferred his anger to Yang Peng, "Yang Peng, who was left behind in Yanyun, actually allowed the bandits to become so rampant. He deserves to die!"
Li Shantong was originally worried that Master Pang would be angry with him. Now when Master Pang said this, he quickly said: "Yang Peng is indeed to blame! If he could send troops to protect him, why would it be like this! It can be said that Yang Peng killed the third young master! "Master Pang's eyes glowed with a vicious and vicious light.
Yang Peng looked at Yang Zhen, "From now on, the ordnance field must make every effort to build weapons and armor, especially bullets. The more, the better. If you are short of money, just find money." "Yes." Yang Peng glanced at everyone, "I'm ready After leaving Shangjing for a while, while I am away, Liu Zhiliang and Huyan Chijin will take charge of military matters, and Qian Letian will take charge of domestic affairs." Everyone agreed in unison.
That night, Zuo Mou and Kou Yan went to the study room of the left-behind mansion together and met with Yang Peng. Yang Peng asked with a smile: "You two came so late, are you in a hurry?" The two exchanged glances, and Zuo Mou clasped his fists and asked, "May I ask the general, if you plan to sneak into the Liao Kingdom?"
Yang Peng nodded, "Yes." He stood up, walked to the map stand, looked at the Liao Kingdom in the north and frowned: "The Liao Kingdom is closely related to us now. If the Liao Kingdom is destroyed, our lives will never be the same." It will be better! I want to go to Liao Zhongjing to see if I can find a way to help Liao get rid of internal strife and deal with Xixia with all its strength. If possible, I also want to sign a secret alliance with Liao. "
The two of them looked at each other, and Kou Yan clasped his fists and said: "The general has long-term plans, and his thoughts are very true! But now there is a turbulent undercurrent in the Liao Kingdom, and many forces are eyeing the throne. What effect can the general have if he enters the Liao Kingdom alone? What? And if the identity is leaked, I'm afraid it will lead to death! Look at the general and think twice!"
Yang Peng smiled and said: "Don't worry, no one will know my identity. I will enter the Liao Kingdom as a big grain merchant from Korea. For the current Liao Kingdom, Korean merchants are a rare channel to obtain grain and grass supplies. They You will never embarrass me!"
Zuo Mou Kou Yan frowned and thought. Yang Peng glanced at the two people and said: "I went to the Liao Kingdom to find a reliable force, and then join forces with him to help him quickly seize power in the Liao Kingdom. If everything goes well, we will get A reliable ally. It doesn't matter if the weather doesn't go as planned. I can also use this to understand the mountains, rivers, landforms, customs, and troop deployment from the north of Yanyun to Liaozhongjing. This will also be of great benefit to our next actions. !”
Zuo Mou Kou Yan clasped his fists in admiration and said in admiration: "The general is wise!" Kou Yan clasped his fists and said, "I once learned the Khitan language from a Khitan businessman, and I am willing to go with the general!" Yang Peng thought for a while, nodded and said: "Okay, I also need someone to discuss things with me from time to time."
In the next few days, Yang Peng actively prepared to enter the Liao Kingdom. The so-called caravan has been fully formed. The entire caravan consists of more than 600 people, most of whom are porters in secret guard disguises. There are also a few trustworthy Korean merchants traveling with them. Kou Yan is the master, Yang Xiong, With Shi Ping as his deputy, thousands of loads of grain and dozens of carriages of cloth were ready.
Early in the morning, Yang Peng said goodbye to his reluctant wives and concubines, led the caravan to leave the Liushou Mansion from the back door, and embarked on the road to the Liao Kingdom. The people who went to Beijing thought this was a caravan from Goryeo, and they didn't feel anything unusual at all. In the middle of the caravan, the big man riding a tall horse, wearing a Korean costume and a beard, was Yang Peng in disguise. Yang Xiong and Shi Ping wore Goryeo armor, and Kou Yan put on the clothes of the Goryeo master. Yang Xiong and Shiping became two lively Goryeo warriors, and Kou Yan became the accountant master of Goryeo. Anyone who knows them must be sure at this moment Can't recognize it either.
The team arrived at the city gate, submitted customs clearance documents like other caravans, and then left Shangjing City. The team walked north along the official road, and at first they saw endless grain fields and bustling people. However, the further north they went, the more desolate the scene was. The grain fields gradually decreased until they were completely invisible. The bustling and smiling people gradually disappeared, turning into ragged refugees fleeing from the north.
Those refugees brought their families with them, some were Khitan, some were Han, and some seemed to be neither Khitan nor Han. It was unknown who they were, and Yang Peng had no intention of studying this in detail. When Yang Peng and his team passed by the refugees, the refugees looked at them with envy and longing.
Yang Peng frowned and said: "There are more and more refugees coming from the north!" Kou Yan said: "Xixia continues to attack fiercely. Seeing that the Liao Kingdom is about to be lost, it is no wonder that there are so many refugees!" Then he smiled and said: "This is important for It’s a good thing for us!”
Yang Peng chuckled and said: "A good thing is a good thing, but the cost of resettling these refugees is not a small amount! In the past month, we have spent five hundred thousand taels of silver to resettle these refugees! His grandma's, take care of it If this continues, we will soon be unable to make ends meet!”
Kou Yan smiled and said: "Didn't the General seize a large amount of treasure from Master Pang again? I don't think you have to worry about money in a short time." Yang Peng rolled his eyes, "Isn't the money obtained this time Less, the total value is more than five million taels of silver, but the expenses have been high recently! Excluding various expenses, the current reserve in the warehouse is only more than 12.6 million taels of silver. These guys will not save money for me Flowers!" Kou Yan chuckled.
Suddenly there was the sound of rapid horse hooves from behind. Yang Peng turned his head and looked back, and couldn't help but be stunned, "What is she here for?" Kou Yan couldn't help but turn his head and look back, stunned, and then joked: "Could it be that she misses the lord?" Yang Peng laughed, "I Don't dare let her miss me! It's not going to happen!" After saying that, he turned his horse's head and waited for her. Kou Yan also turned his horse's head and stood waiting.
After a moment, the knight ran up to the two of them, reined in his horse, clasped his fists and said, "General, I will go to the Liao Kingdom with you." This man was dressed in a men's warrior uniform, with a sword on his waist, and he looked heroic. But she can't hide her graceful grace and picturesque features. She is truly more beautiful than a woman. The person who came was none other than Han Bing, the former military commander of the legion directly under Yang Peng.
Yang Peng said angrily: "What nonsense! Go back!" Han Bing said: "I have been to Zhongjing of Liao Kingdom more than once, and I am familiar with it. With me here, it will be much easier for you to move." Yang Peng asked in surprise: "You Have you been to Liao Kingdom?" Han Bing nodded.
Yang Peng thought for a moment, nodded and said: "Okay, you can come together." Han Bing showed joy and clasped his fists in agreement. Kou Yan smiled and said: "You must not call me General on this journey. General Han, you have to pretend to be a false identity. Why don't you just call me General Han and his wife?"
When Yang Peng uh-huhed, Han Bing flushed his cheeks and glanced at Yang Peng, "I, I'd better match the general brother and sister." Yang Peng said with a smile: "Actually, I think Kou Yan's suggestion is very good!" Han Bing glared at Yang Peng angrily, turned his horse's head, flicked his whip and ran forward, raising a large cloud of smoke and dust for Yang Peng and Kou Yan to eat up. Yang Peng slapped his nose with his hand and said with a smile: "Han Bing's temper is really hotter than that of a man! It's pretty good now. If I had made a joke on her, she would have killed me with a sword!" "Kou Yan showed an expression of surprise.
Han Bing ran forward all the way, and the hidden killers all paid attention to him. These men made of iron and blood could not resist Han Bing's charm. One day later, a Goryeo caravan carrying a large amount of grain and cloth appeared outside the south gate of Shunzhou in the Liao Kingdom. At this time, caravans and travelers continued to come and go. Although the relationship between the Liao State and Yanyun and Song Ting is not good, there is no war at present, so trade has not been cut off. After all, the Liao State is now short of resources and is in great need of various materials obtained from the south.
When the captain of the city gate saw that it was a huge Korean caravan, his eyes lit up and he quickly ordered someone to inform the consort Xiao Temo. Immediately, the captain came forward and performed a Liao chest-pressing ceremony. At this time, Chen Xiao and others had already stood up and dismounted. Seeing the captain salute, everyone quickly responded with Korean etiquette.
The captain glanced at the long carriage team behind and asked, "How many of them are from Goryeo?" Kou Yan immediately replied in Khitan: "Sir, we are merchants from Goryeo. I heard that your country is short of Grain and cloth, so I specially shipped grain and cloth to your country for trafficking.”
The captain said happily: "Great, we need just these!" After a pause, he said apologetically: "But according to the rules, I need to inspect your carriage, please forgive me." Kou Yan said: "It should be right. , please check, sir!" The captain immediately ordered his sergeants to come forward and check. The sergeants came forward to check and immediately reported back: "Report to the captain, it's all food and cloth, no prohibited items!" The captain nodded and asked: "Please follow me, our prince consort will be very happy to see you. Yes!" Kou Yan cupped his fists and thanked him. Then the team followed the captain into Shunzhou City.
Walking to the street, I saw dozens of horses approaching. The leader was young, handsome, dressed in gorgeous armor, and looked noble. The captain quickly said to everyone: "This is our country's general prince-in-law!"
Everyone quickly dismounted and waited. Prince Consort Xiao Temo led the cavalry to the crowd and reined in the horses. Xiao Temo glanced at Yang Peng and the others and asked the captain: "Are they merchants from Korea?" "Exactly."
Xiao Temo got off his horse, walked in front of everyone, and performed a Liao chest pressing ceremony, and everyone quickly responded with Korean etiquette. Xiao Temo said with joy on his face: "You are all distinguished guests! Come on, come with me to the mansion!" The group followed Xiao Temo to his mansion. Xiao Temo specially set up a courtyard to accommodate them, and then Xiao Temo invited Chen Xiao and the others to come to the hall to talk. The two parties exchanged pleasantries, and then the host and guest sat down. A few servants brought tea and then withdrew.
Kou Yan pointed at Yang Peng and introduced Xiao Temo: "General Prince Consort, this is one of the top businessmen in our country, Jin Yongsan." Yang Peng stood up, performed a Korean etiquette, and said in Chinese: "I I am truly lucky to meet General Consort-in-law! But I can only speak Chinese and not Khitan, so I would like to ask General Consort-in-law Haihan!"
Xiao Temo smiled and said: "It doesn't matter. Fortunately, I am proficient in Chinese, so this won't be a problem." He was already speaking in Chinese. Yang Peng praised: "The general is so knowledgeable!" Xiao Temo waved his hand, "Boss Jin is from Korea, so you may not know that, in fact, most of us Khitan nobles can speak Chinese. So Boss Jin doesn't have to worry about being unable to speak Chinese. Communicate with us." Yang Peng suddenly realized.
Xiao Temo thought for a moment and asked, "How much grain and cloth did Boss Jin bring?" Chen Xiao said, "Five thousand loads of grain and three thousand pieces of satin and cotton cloth." Xiao Temo frowned and said, "Since Boss Jin is the largest in Korea, As one of the merchants, can’t we bring more?”
Yang Peng said: "To be honest, I can get it not to mention 50,000 dans, but also 100,000 dans and 200,000 dans. I just don't know the situation in your country yet, so I will try it with these grains and cloth first." Water, let’s see what happens.” Xiao Temo smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Boss Jin, we will ask for as much food and cloth as you have.”
Yang Peng deliberately showed an expression of surprise, "Is your consort serious about what he said?" Xiao Temo nodded with a smile, "Of course you are serious. But such a large transaction is not something I can decide. I need to discuss it with His Majesty or the Assistant Minister. Talk." Yang Peng said quickly: "I also want to meet with His Majesty the Emperor of your country. It would be great if the Prince Consort could introduce me to you!" Xiao Temo thought for a moment, "I'm afraid it's not convenient for you to go to see His Majesty the Emperor right away. . But I can write you a letter and introduce you to the eldest princess of our country."
Yang Peng's heart was moved and he asked deliberately: "Can the Princess of your country speak in front of His Majesty the Emperor of your country?" Xiao Temo chuckled, "It seems that Boss Jin knows very little about the situation in our country. So. Let me tell you, there are only three most powerful people in Daliao today, and one of them is Her Royal Highness the Princess, so you should just go find her."
Yang Peng stood up happily and bowed: "Thank you so much, General Prince Consort!" Xiao Temo smiled and said: "Boss Jin, you don't have to be polite, this is something that is beneficial to both parties." After a pause, "Boss Jin Just keep the grain and cloth you brought here with me. In terms of price..."
Yang Peng said quickly: "Since it is a large transaction, it cannot be treated as ordinary. I think the current price in Yanyun will be enough." Xiao Temo was overjoyed and gave a thumbs up and praised: "Boss Jin is really a big businessman. Ah!" Then he vowed: "I can assure Boss Jin here that as long as our country of Daliao overcomes the current difficulties, we will definitely have high-ranking officials and generous salaries in the future!" "Thank you, General Prince Consort."
The two continued to chat, and Xiao Temo kept asking about the situation of grain and cloth, and also asked Yang Peng if he could get grain and cloth from the Song Dynasty. Yang Peng was confident, which made Xiao Temo even more happy. During the conversation, Yang Peng took the opportunity to ask about the domestic situation in Liao from time to time, and learned a lot from Xiao Temo's few words.
Xiao Te finally ordered someone to prepare a banquet and entertained Chen Xiao and others in the backyard. After the banquet, Xiao Temo wrote a handwritten letter and gave it to Yang Peng, telling him: "After arriving in Zhongjing, you can take this letter to the eldest princess's residence to meet with her highness. How to do the next thing, I will listen to the eldest princess. That's my order." "Thank you, General Prince Consort." Yang Peng thanked him with clasped fists, and then took the letter. He winked at Kou Yan, who immediately came forward holding several pieces of very gorgeous brocade.
When Xiao Temo saw these brocades, his eyes lit up. Although the Liao Kingdom could be called a powerful empire at that time, due to its geographical location, silk brocades were not produced in the territory. Such things were introduced from the Song Dynasty or paid tribute by the Song Dynasty. Therefore, in the Liao Kingdom, silk was definitely a luxury product and a symbol of status, and the finest brocade was worth thousands of gold, and could not be owned by anyone but the princes, nobles, and wealthy merchants.
Yang Peng clasped his fists and said: "A little trivial thing is not disrespectful, please accept it, General Prince Consort!" Xiao Temo chuckled and said: "Then, I will be ashamed of it."
That night, Yang Peng stood in the yard and looked to the south. I saw a bright light reflecting on the night sky in the far distance, which was very eye-catching. This is a very wonderful sight, which is difficult to see in a society with serious phosgene pollution. Below the bright light is actually Yan Yun's Shangjing City. Although it is dozens of miles away from Shangjing City, the lights there can be clearly seen. This is a very wonderful experience, poetic and dreamlike, which is difficult to experience in modern society.
Yang Peng and his party took Xiao Temo's autographed letter and customs clearance documents, rode on horses, and ran along the official road to Zhongjing. Without the burden of cargo, they seemed very relaxed and traveled across the state without encountering any obstacles. However, they were not in a hurry. They took their time along the way, and it was a bit like sightseeing. Half a month later, everyone finally arrived at the destination of their trip, the capital of Liaozhong.
A group of people walked slowly on the official road. In front of them was Zhongjing, the most important of the five capitals of the Liao Kingdom. I saw a huge city standing in the middle of the endless grain fields, which was more magnificent than Shangjing. Many pagodas reached into the sky, palaces and palaces were reflected in the sunset. The magnificent Shangjing city reflected the splendor and glory of this empire. Behind Zhongjing, seven peaks line up like a huge screen, reflecting golden light under the afterglow of the setting sun. They are the very famous Qijin Mountains near Zhongjing. Next to the city, a clear river meanders away, with sparkling waves and gurgling water.
This is definitely a rich place, but at this moment, it gives people a feeling of desolation as the sun is declining. There were actually no pedestrians or business travelers on the wide official road. Entering the city, the streets were deserted. Most of the shops were closed. Although the remaining half were open, they were crowded. The few pedestrians on the street were in a hurry. The look on his face was full of uneasiness.
"I heard that the prosperity of Zhongjing in the Liao Kingdom was second only to Tokyo, but I didn't expect it to become like this!" Kou Yan sighed. Han Bing said: "When I came here last time, this place was still very lively. I didn't expect that it would decline to such an extent in just over two years!"
Yang Peng said calmly: "The building will collapse and lives will be at risk. How can prosperity be preserved?" Kou Yan and Han Bing nodded in sympathy. Yang Peng looked forward and saw a large-scale inn sitting on the corner of the street ahead, so he pointed there and said, "Let's rest there first."
The group of people walked over and settled in the extremely warm reception of the boss and waiter. Kou Yan asked his boss in Khitan: "Boss, how did the capital become like this?"
The middle-aged boss with a mustache looked at everyone, "Looking at your clothes, you should be from Korea, right?" Kou Yan nodded, "How does the boss know?" The boss said: "In the past years, there were often I am a merchant from Korea, so I recognize your clothes."
Yang Peng asked: "Does the boss speak Chinese?" The boss immediately smiled and said in Chinese: "Of course he can. Actually, I am a Chinese!" He glanced at everyone and asked: "You gentlemen are here to do business. Really? But I didn’t see you have any goods?” Yang Peng said with a smile: “Our goods were sold out in Shunzhou. I came here to discuss business with Her Royal Highness the Princess of your country.” The boss heard that he was here Those who were doing business with the eldest princess couldn't help but be in awe, "Oh! These are the distinguished guests of Her Royal Highness. How disrespectful!"
Yang Peng asked: "We are new here, and we don't know where the princess's mansion is?" The boss immediately said: "The princess's mansion is not far from here. It's not far from the cross street in front of my inn to the east street. You can see the Princess Mansion from a distance."
Yang Peng nodded, clasped his fists and said, "Thank you boss for informing me." The boss waved his hand quickly: "You're welcome, you're welcome! You are the distinguished guests of Her Royal Highness, and it is right to help you." Then he said: "I'll go and take a look at the back. How are you preparing the food and drinks? Excuse me." He hugged his fists and left the room.
Yang Peng said: "While it's not too late now, I'm going to pay homage to the princess. Han Bing, follow me, and the others stay here." Yang Peng and Han Bing came out of the inn and walked in the direction pointed by the innkeeper. . Yang Peng was wearing a Goryeo costume, looking like a rich man from Goryeo; Han Bing was wearing a black warrior costume and had a heroic appearance. Although he was dressed as a man, he could not hide his charming grace. His face was slightly disguised, which was different from the previous one. There is a big difference in appearance.
The two people walked onto East Street. They didn't go far when they suddenly heard the sound of footsteps and horse hooves behind them. At the same time, they heard shouts: "Get out of the way of the people in front!" The two people looked back and saw hundreds of people. The national cavalry was approaching with a knight surrounded by them. The knight was riding a sacred rouge horse, covered in armor and cape, and wearing a mysterious tassel on his head. He was extremely cool. He was Yelv Guanyin, the eldest princess of the Liao Kingdom.
The two people quickly stepped aside, and the team passed in front of Yang Peng and Yang Peng. Yelu Guanyin turned his head and glanced at Yang Peng. A familiar feeling arose in his heart for no reason, as if he had seen each other before, but Yelu Tri didn't take it to heart. . The team walked over. Han Bing said: "It's Yelu Guanyin, why didn't you stop her?"
Yang Peng smiled and said: "This is too rude. Let's go to the mansion to see her. Come on." Then he led Han Bing towards the front. Suddenly, a whistle pierced the silent sky, and then countless men in black appeared on the eaves on both sides. Before Yelu Guanyin's team could react, arrows rained down from the sky, and the guards were shot down one after another. There was a chorus of cries. Someone shouted: "Protect Your Highness!" The cavalry hurriedly gathered towards Yelu Guanyin. At this moment, countless masked men in black rushed out of the alleys on both sides, crashed into the guards, and killed them with swords! The incident happened suddenly. Although Yelutri's guards fought desperately to resist, they were rushed to pieces in a blink of an eye. Yelu Guanyin was in a critical situation.
Several men in black rushed to Yelu Guanyin's horse. Yelu Guanyin pulled out a scimitar and chopped down the man in black. The two men in black immediately squatted down and cut off the horse's hoof with their swords. Rouge The horse screamed and fell forward, throwing Yelu Guanyin off. Immediately, several men in black rushed up to take Yelu Guanyin's life. Many guards were very anxious when they saw this, but they were unable to escape and come to the rescue.
What happened after all, let’s see what happens next.
