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Jishan is just an inconspicuous hill.
Jianzhou Jurchen chose Jishan as the venue for negotiations, and they carefully considered it.
Jishan is located outside the defense zone of Xuanfu Military Town, but the distance is not too far. It is exactly in the middle of the border of Xuanfu Town's defense zone and the Jurchen garrison in Jianzhou.
Moreover, the surrounding area of Jishan is considered to have a wide field of vision, and there is no place where troops can hide and ambush, so there is no need to worry about the other party turning their backs and causing mischief.
Even so, when Zhao Junchen set off for Jishan that day, the Xuanfu military town was still as nervous as if it were facing a formidable enemy. More than 30,000 elite troops were deployed at the border, and dozens of teams were sent north. The scouts on horseback are just in case, and troops can be dispatched in the shortest possible time to protect Zhao Junchen's safety at critical moments.
Of course, Zhao Junchen also has sufficient security forces around him. Xuanfu Military Town has arranged a guard force of a thousand people. All the personnel are elite veterans selected from Xuanfu Military Town, led by the general soldier of Xuanfu Town. Zhang Jie, the most brave and skilled general in Zhao Zicheng and Xuanfu Town, personally led the escort.
When Zhao Junchen's team arrived at the foot of Jishan Mountain, they found that the Jianzhou Jurchen team had arrived here in advance. It was slightly smaller than Zhao Junchen's guard, but there were still seven or eight hundred people. The two teams were ten miles apart. , faint confrontation.
Out of caution, Zhao Junchen did not come forward at the beginning. First, lower-level officials from both sides made preliminary contacts to discuss the specific methods of the negotiation. Taking advantage of the initial contact between the two parties, Zhao Junchen's guards A temporary line of defense was also deployed.
About half an hour later, the preliminary negotiations between the two sides finally came to an end - the two sides jointly decided that before the negotiation was over, the guards on both sides must stay where they were and set up a wall between the defense lines of the two armies. The big tent is used as the place for negotiation. When Zhao Junchen and Xuan Ye meet for negotiation, no more than 100 people can follow him.
After all these bits and pieces were arranged, Zhao Junchen finally set out, with Zhang Jie sitting in the rear, while he led Zhao Zicheng, Zhao Dali, Niu Fude and other staff to slowly arrive on horseback. Outside the big tent between the two armies.
Almost at the same time, the Jianzhou Jurchen negotiation team also came towards them.
Zhao Junchen hesitated for a moment. Out of respect for historical figures, he did not take the lead in entering the account after dismounting, but stood outside and waited for a while.
There was no long wait, just a few words, and the Jianzhou Jurchen team had arrived in front of them.
As the Jianzhou Jurchen team gradually approached, Zhao Junchen could clearly feel the tension of the people around him.
There is no other reason. Although the Jianzhou Jurchen team only has a hundred people, it is indeed powerful. All the horses and horses are strong and have murderous looks. They are all wearing three layers of armor, equipped with various weapons, and riding tall horses. , like murderous beasts.
In comparison, Zhao Junchen's guards were also carefully selected and equipped with the most sophisticated equipment and horses, but they were far behind in terms of momentum.
Feeling the nervousness of everyone around him, Zhao Junchen suddenly chuckled and said slowly and sarcastically in a voice that could be heard by everyone around him: "Speaking of which, the Jurchens in Jianzhou have been suffering from famine for several consecutive years. Logistics supply during this period is also a big problem. No matter whether the army or the people, there are countless people who have starved to death, so they are eager to ask the court to surrender... Although the team in front of them is strong and murderous, but it should also be There are very few troops in the Jianzhou Jurchen army that have the opportunity to have a full meal, but I don’t know how long they can hold on!"
Although Zhao Junchen's sarcasm was malicious and baseless, he did not need to verify the authenticity of his words, it was just to boost morale.
Sure enough, after hearing Zhao Junchen's sarcasm, Zhao Zicheng, Zhao Dali and others behind him suddenly burst into chuckles, and the original tension was greatly relieved.
At this time, the Jianzhou Jurchen team finally arrived in front of Zhao Junchen and others. After seeing everyone behind Zhao Junchen smiling, these Jurchen warriors showed anger one after another, feeling They were slighted.
But the leader of the Jianzhou Jurchens only frowned slightly and did not show much anger. He just looked at Zhao Junchen seriously, then got off his horse and walked towards Zhao Junchen.
In this way, Zhao Junchen finally saw the legendary Aixinjueluo Xuanye with his own eyes.
In later generations, this man was nicknamed "Kang Mazi" because he contracted smallpox when he was young, which left him with a pockmarked face. In fact, it was precisely because of the smallpox that all the contenders for the throne died, so Xuan Yecai could ascend the throne as emperor smoothly and without any problems.
Looking at the person in front of me now, perhaps due to historical inertia, there are still some pockmarks on his face. He is about thirty years old. He is thin and not tall, but his behavior is quite steady. He is wearing a military armor waist. The long sword at the hip also has a murderous aura, especially the pair of eyes that seem to be calm but hiddenly sharp, making people dare not underestimate him.
In the historical time and space that Zhao Junchen is familiar with, Xuan Ye's character can be said to be forbearing, strong and soft. Although this character is due to his nature, the influence of his growth environment cannot be ignored - he basically He grew up in a peaceful environment and was influenced by the Manchu riding and archery culture, the Mongolian grassland culture, and the Han Confucian culture, so he created the "Kangxi Emperor" that Zhao Junchen is familiar with.
However, in this historical time and space, Xuan Ye's growth environment was not peaceful. He often led troops in battles and conquered everywhere. He did not have many opportunities to receive Confucian education. This will inevitably affect his character growth. Compared with Zhao The "Emperor Kangxi" that Junchen was familiar with was no longer the same person.
Zhao Junchen also stepped forward to greet him. He arrived at the door of the tent almost at the same time as Xuan Ye. After looking at the person in front of him more carefully for a moment, he deliberately used an arrogant attitude, raised his head slightly, looked down, and asked Said: "Are you the Jurchen Great Khan of Jianzhou... Aixinjueluo Xuan Ye?"
Seeing Zhao Junchen's attitude, Xuan Ye's eyes moved slightly, but his expression remained calm, and he asked: "I am Xuan Ye! Not only the Jurchen Khan of Jianzhou, but also the co-leader of Monan Mongolia and North Korea. ! Are you Zhao Junchen, the negotiating envoy sent by the Han Emperor?"
In a very targeted response, he deliberately described Zhao Junchen's identity, saying that he was the leader of one party, while Zhao Junchen was just a human minister, so he naturally suppressed Zhao Junchen due to his identity.
Zhao Junchen still looked arrogant and said with reserve: "I am Zhao Junchen! After defeating the coalition forces of the Mongolian right wing and the Junggar Khanate some time ago, he was recuperating in the capital. However, this negotiation is not trivial and involves the imperial court and the Junggar Khanate. The situation of the Jianzhou Jurchens in the next few years, and I heard that you are the hero of the Jianzhou Jurchens generation, so I took the initiative to ask for help and negotiated for the imperial envoy!"
The Junggar Khanate also destroyed countless countries and was aggressive in the Western Regions, Qinghai and other places. The implication of Zhao Junchen's words was obvious.
Xuan Ye frowned again, feeling that Zhao Junchen's attitude was too tough and showed no mercy at all. If this topic continued, it would be difficult for it to end peacefully.
Before Xuan Ye could express his position, a Han-looking counselor beside him said: "We have often heard about Mr. Zhao's illustrious military exploits, and we really admire him. Although the Mongolian right wing has declined in recent years, we have heard of it. It is said that the Junggar Khanate is the overlord of the Western Region, and it should have some strength. If I were the Jurchen Jurchen of Jianzhou, it would probably take three to five thousand people to defeat them!"
The implication is obviously that Zhao Junchen's record is not worth mentioning to the Jianzhou Jurchens.
Zhao Junchen glanced at the Han-looking counselor from the corner of his eye and asked, "Han?"
At the same time, Zhao Junchen discovered that Xuan Ye was surrounded by several Han-looking counselors and even two Han-looking generals.
The Han counselor raised his head proudly and said: "My name is Qian Tong. I was a Jinshi in the eleventh year of Deqing. I once served as the prefect of Liaodong. However, I was tricked by the hero ten years ago. I have to discern the general trend and He abandoned the dark side and turned to the bright side, and now he is serving as the envoy to the Jianzhou Jurchens to protect and suppress them!"
Zhao Junchen snorted lightly and scolded in a cold voice: "He is just a person who has forgotten his ancestral lineage! Is he worthy of speaking nonsense in front of this pavilion?"
Qian Tong shook his head and said: "The Ming Dynasty has long been corrupted from its roots. Anyone can see that the building will collapse. Although I joined the founding of the state, I have never forgotten my ancestors. The reason why Han people are Han people is not Bloodline, but because of culture, I also want to continue the Confucian inheritance..."
However, before Qian Tong shook his head and finished his point of view, Zhao Junchen didn't even look at him. Anyone could see his disdain. He just turned his gaze to Xuan Ye and asked : "You, the Jianzhou Jurchens, who have strong soldiers and horses, now want to take the initiative to ask for surrender to the impending imperial court. This matter is not a small matter for both parties. Stop standing here and talk nonsense. Let's go into the big tent and discuss it in detail. .”
These words immediately suppressed Qian Tong's boastful remarks and made him blush.
Xuan Ye took a deep look at Zhao Junchen and felt that he had to completely suppress Zhao Junchen's arrogance, so he nodded and said: "That's fine! ... However, there is no need to talk about things, but you and I are negotiating. Before that, there is still a real matter that needs to be resolved!"
Zhao Junchen raised his eyebrows and asked, "What's the matter with real swords and guns? What's the matter?"
Xuan Ye said slowly and expressionlessly: "I have always been sincere about this negotiation, and I have always controlled the warriors under my command so that they cannot conflict with the Ming Dynasty border troops without permission! Three days ago, I A team of warriors was sent into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, originally just to deliver a letter to Mr. Zhao to agree on today's negotiations. Unexpectedly, Xuanfu Town reacted violently and directly sent more than 10,000 troops to fight! The Jianzhou warriors were in the way In response to my forced order, he did not compete with the border troops in Xuanfu Town on the spot. He left the letter and retreated on the spot...
This incident was nothing at first, but I heard that the officials of Xuanfu Town actually described it as a great victory and publicized it everywhere. This made me, the Jurchen warriors of Jianzhou, unconvinced. They are planning to have a new contest with the border troops of Xuanfu Town! The Jurchens of Jianzhou have always built their country on horseback, archery and martial arts. I can't suppress them on this matter. If I suppress them blindly, they may cause trouble on their own, and this negotiation will probably be unsustainable!
In my opinion, it would be better to take advantage of this opportunity to have a real battle with real swords and guns to resolve the grievances between the two armies... Of course, the two armies cannot fight in formation. Too many casualties will damage the harmony, so let three days How about leaving the two leading generals in front and competing alone on their bows, sabers, swords and spears? "
Xuan Ye's performance was obviously intended to take the opportunity to show the prowess of the Jianzhou Jurchens, suppress Zhao Junchen's arrogance, and seize the opportunity to negotiate.
At this time, if Zhao Junchen refused, it would be a sign of weakness.
So, Zhao Junchen turned to look at Zhao Zicheng.
Zhao Zicheng has always been arrogant and committed to battlefield achievements. This time, he was supposed to stay in the rear area, but he took the initiative to follow Zhao Junchen and wanted to personally participate in this negotiation, just to increase his political capital. Zhao Junchen thought that Zhao Zicheng was different from a pure idiot like Guan Wuyuan. At least his martial arts skills were very good, so he agreed to his request.
But neither Zhao Junchen nor Zhao Zicheng expected that Zhao Zicheng would need to compete in person before the negotiation even started.
After hearing Xuan Ye's statement, Zhao Zicheng's expression was a little uncertain, but he soon returned to his usual arrogant look. He raised his head and said: "I am Zhao Zicheng, the general of the Xuanfu of the imperial court! Three days ago, I The commander-in-chief personally led the troops to repel your Jianzhou Jurchens! If the generals of the Jianzhou Jurchens are not convinced, I, the commander-in-chief, are also willing to let them experience my skills!"
Seeing that Zhao Junchen had no objection, Xuan Ye pointed to a Jianzhou Jurchen general behind him and explained: "He is Tu Hai, one of the most brave and skilled warriors of our Jianzhou Jurchen army. He was the leader three days ago. The soldier who sent the letter to Mr. Zhao was not convinced afterwards. Since Mr. Zhao is willing to compete, let him compete with Mr. Zhao."
After saying that, Xuan Ye nodded to Tu Hai and said: "Negotiations are imminent, don't hurt General Zhao's life!"
Tu Hai accepted the order with clasped fists and said loudly in half-baked Chinese: "Don't worry, Khan, I will spare his life!"
Seeing Xuan Ye and Tu Hai despising him so much, Zhao Zicheng's cheeks immediately turned red and he sneered: "Swords and guns have no eyes, if I poke a hole in your body, don't blame me for being cruel!"
In this way, the two sides agreed on the martial arts competition, and then cleared a field outside the big tent. Zhao Zicheng and Tu Hai each rode their horses and armed their troops to prepare, while Zhao Junchen and Xuan Ye ordered people to bring tables and chairs and sat down. Watch from a distance.
Before the competition, Xuan Ye glanced at Zhao Junchen and couldn't help but feel curious.
The Jianzhou Jurchens are well known for their martial prowess, and Tu Hai is a famous general among the Jianzhou Jurchens. In comparison, Zhao Zicheng's performance and reputation are much worse, and his chances of winning this competition are not high.
In Xuan Ye's eyes, Zhao Junchen is a cunning and wise man. Logically speaking, he would never agree to this competition. After all, once Zhao Zicheng is defeated, the negotiation will lose the opportunity, so Xuan Ye proposed the competition. At that time, I was already prepared that Zhao Junchen would find a reason to refuse, but I didn't expect that Zhao Junchen had no intention of refusing at all.
This made Xuan Ye a little surprised, and secretly also a little scared. He only felt that Zhao Junchen might have another way to reverse the situation.
Xuan Ye never dared to underestimate Zhao Junchen, let alone Zhao Junchen's illustrious military exploits in Shaanxi and Gansu. Xuan Ye also sent people to inquire about Zhao Junchen's various deeds in recent years, and only felt that Zhao Junchen was a member of the Ming Dynasty. The virtuous ministers who are the pillars of the country are much more difficult to deal with than Emperor Deqing, Zhou Shangjing and others. They are the figures that Jianzhou Jurchens must be most wary of in the future.
The most important thing is that the Jianzhou Jurchens took the initiative to surrender to the Ming Dynasty emperor this time. In a sense, they were forced by Zhao Junchen. If Zhao Junchen hadn't turned the attention of Shanxi merchants to Sichuan salt development and commercial tax rectification In other aspects, they also suppressed the border smuggling operations of Shanxi merchants. The food shortage of Jianzhou Jurchen this year will not be so serious, let alone be forced to surrender to the Ming Dynasty emperor.
At this time, seeing the presence of the old god Zhao Junchen, Xuan Ye couldn't help but ask: "Isn't Mr. Zhao afraid that Mr. Zhao will lose? Or is it that Mr. Zhao is not impressed by the martial arts of Mr. Zhao? Very confident?"
Zhao Junchen turned his head and glanced at Xuan Ye, and said slowly: "I am not familiar with Mr. Zhao. I only heard that he is proficient in bow and horse, but I don't know how good he is...but I am not worried about him. Defeated, even if he is defeated, we will not be defeated in the end!"
Zhao Junchen's words were confusing, and Xuan Ye frowned again, wanting to ask further questions.
But at this moment, with a golden sound, the competition between Zhao Zicheng and Tu Hai began.
Amid the cheers of the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, Zhao Zicheng rode out on horseback while waving to the surroundings. He was seen riding a white horse, wearing silver armor, holding a silver gun, and wearing a red cloak. His face is really very attractive, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that Zhao Zilong was still alive.
On the other side, under the silent gaze of Jianzhou Jurchen warriors, Tu Hai also slowly rode out on horseback, but he had a black horse and black armor, a cold temperament, a saber in his hand, and a meteor hammer at his waist, which was a sharp contrast.
After the two faced off for a moment, they each drove their horses towards each other, and then there was a flurry of sword fights.
Just looking at Zhao Zicheng driving a horse and holding a gun, it is true that he is skillful with bows and horses, but he has always been hiding behind and only knows how to talk, but he has almost no experience in charging into battle in person. He only took a few swords from Tuhai, and that's it. Because of his cowardice and weak strength, he soon fell into a disadvantage.
Seeing that he was about to lose, Zhao Zicheng became more and more panicked about his marksmanship. At this time, he was not afraid of being defeated and injured, but he was afraid that he would be embarrassed if he lost too badly. However, he suddenly remembered that Zhao Junchen sent someone to secretly warn him before he went into battle. He gritted his teeth, then ignored Tu Hai's knife on his arm, and just stabbed Tu Hai's horse with a sharp shot.
Then, after a horse neighed, Zhao Zicheng was cut down by Tu Hai's sword, but Tu Hai's horse was also stabbed by Zhao Zicheng. However, Tu Hai had rich combat experience and took the initiative after seeing the injured horse. He rolled to the ground and then stood up as quickly as possible. When Zhao Zicheng on the other side finally managed to hold himself up, Tu Hai had already put the saber in his hand on Zhao Zicheng's neck.
Zhao Zicheng suddenly turned pale when he saw the saber on his neck. Coupled with the blood dripping from his shoulder, the image was extremely miserable! ——In fact, if he wasn't wearing the most sophisticated armor, Tu Hai's knife would definitely cut off his arm.
"If the Great Khan hadn't told me to be merciful, I would have chopped your neck instead of your arm just now!"
Looking at the defeated general at his feet, Tu Hai said coldly.
This battle was obviously won by Tuhai!
For a moment, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty who were cheering loudly just now silenced their voices, while the Jurchen warriors of Jianzhou who had been silently watching the battle all roared with excitement!
Zhao Zicheng, who was showing off his power just now, walked up to Zhao Junchen dejectedly, and softly apologized: "Old Zhao Ge, you are humble and incompetent, and you have brought shame on the court!"
Zhao Junchen raised his head and glanced at Tu Hai, who was roaring and demonstrating in the middle of the venue, but he sneered. Then he turned his eyes to the wound on Zhao Zicheng's shoulder and comforted him in a gentle voice: "You did a good job, and there is no need to apologize... Is your injury okay?"
When Zhao Zicheng saw that Zhao Junchen did not blame himself, but instead cared about his injuries, Zhao Zicheng could not help but feel warm in his heart. He gritted his teeth and said, "It doesn't matter if you are injured in a humble position. You are protected by armor and your bones are not broken!"
Zhao Junchen's attitude was still full of concern and said: "But we can't delay. Go and see a doctor for treatment. Your health is important... and by the way, let's watch the second competition!"
In fact, Zhao Junchen had long expected Zhao Zicheng's defeat. He agreed to this contest with the intention of taking the opportunity to regain Zhao Zicheng.
On the other side, Xuan Ye was originally planning to take the opportunity to preach to Zhao Junchen that the Jianzhou Jurchens were brave and invincible, but when he heard Zhao Junchen's last words, he couldn't help but was stunned and asked: "Master Zhao, why is there a third person?" A second competition? There was no such arrangement beforehand!"
As soon as Xuan Ye finished speaking, he heard the cheers of the Jianzhou Jurchen suddenly turned into emotional curses.
Xuan Ye turned around and saw that Zhao Junchen's bodyguard, Zhao Dali, was now wearing armor and holding a mace. He rode his horse into the field and planned to continue fighting with Tu Hai.
More importantly, after the battle just now, Tu Hai not only lost his physical strength, but also lost his horse. The competition at this time was naturally extremely disadvantageous.
Seeing this scene, Xuan Ye's expression changed and he asked Zhao Junchen angrily: "Master Zhao! What do you mean! Do you still want to use chariot warfare to deal with the Jurchen warriors of Jianzhou? You Han people have always prided themselves on etiquette. How could such a shameless act happen in this country?”
Zhao Junchen took a matter-of-fact attitude and said: "Of course it is a wheel battle. I have been very restrained by not sending a crowd to beat up Tuhai! Today's competition is basically to compete between the Han army and the Jianzhou Jurchen The strength of the army! Since this is the case, it is natural to compare the strengths of both sides. Is there any reason to use one's own shortcomings to attack the other's strengths? I also admit that your Jianzhou Jurchens are brave and good at fighting, and the strengths of my Han people Well, there are just a lot of people! When the first soldier fell, ten soldiers immediately stood up! There are tens of millions of Han people, and there are tens of millions of adult men. In battle, the larger number always fights the smaller number. This has always been the case in the past. So, it is like this now, and it will not change in the future. There is nothing bad to admit. In today's competition, we will naturally have to fight with more and less. Only in this way can we take advantage of our advantages!"
Hearing Zhao Junchen's shameless remarks, Xuan Ye couldn't help but be furious!
But despite being extremely angry, Xuan Ye couldn't help but think that Zhao Junchen's statement was reasonable...especially after hearing Zhao Junchen's remarks that "there are tens of millions of Han people" and "there are tens of millions of adult men". I can’t help but feel fearful!
At this moment, Xuan Ye finally understood what Zhao Junchen meant by what he just said, "Even if he loses, we will not lose in the end."
Seeing Xuan Ye's unsettled expression, he was about to speak out to refute him, but Zhao Junchen took the initiative to give Xuan Ye a step up and asked: "If you don't want this competition to continue, Khan, then this competition will be as follows How does it end in a draw?”
Xuan Ye stared at Zhao Junchen's face for a long time, and finally nodded coldly: "Since you Han people only know how to bully the many, then this competition is naturally meaningless!"
When expressing his stance, Xuan Ye knew that his plan to use the bravery of the Jianzhou Jurchen to put pressure on Zhao Junchen and gain a negotiating advantage had completely failed!
On the other side, Zhao Junchen smiled and ordered Niu Fude: "Tell the soldiers that the Jianzhou Jurchen Khan is unwilling to continue the competition. This competition will end in a draw!"
After finishing his instructions, Zhao Junchen said again without waiting for Xuan Ye to express his position: "However, the bravery of the Jianzhou Jurchens is indeed admirable. In order to show my respect, I also brought a gift to Khan this time! "
After speaking, Zhao Junchen waved his hand and had three large boxes brought in.
After opening the big box, Xuan Ye looked down and saw that the box was filled with densely packed human heads!
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