About thirty miles south of the new city of Jinling Prefecture, there is a mountain with two peaks confronting each other, like an ox's horns, called Niushou Mountain, also known as Tianque Mountain. Niushou Mountain is not tall and majestic, but the terrain here is said to be very special, which is very helpful for those who practice immortality and worship Buddha.
Therefore, starting from the Nanliang period, it is said that there are eminent monks who "established themselves as Buddhas on the ground and became immortals in heaven" here, so Niushou Mountain became a gathering place for monks and many temples. As the number of monks in the temple increased, the fairy spirit of Niushou Mountain began to rise, and gradually it became a good place with beautiful scenery, pine ridges, and embroidered pavilions.
After Zhao Huannan moved to Jinling, he also took a fancy to the fairy spirit of Niushou Mountain. He also felt that Niushou Mountain's original name in the Tang Dynasty, Tianque Mountain, was very auspicious, so he ordered people to build a temple at the foot of Niushou Mountain covering only dozens of acres. The other courtyard of the palace was named Tianque Palace.
Although the Tianque Palace is not large in scale, it occupies a good location. When you look up, you can see the east and west peaks of Niushou Mountain. If you stand higher, you can overlook the majestic Jinling New City to the north. In the palace courtyard, every pillar, every stone, every flower and every tree has obviously been put into a great deal of thought. It looks particularly exquisite, and it must be particularly comfortable to live in.
However, after Zhao Kai succeeded in the Northern Expedition to Yanyun, Zhao Huan no longer had the intention to cultivate his moral character in the courtyard and the palace.
Today, this small palace seems to be occupied by a big shot. The passages in and out of the palace are controlled by heavily armed soldiers of the Song Army with red scarves. From time to time, groups of cavalry patrolled back and forth along the surrounding roads. What a heavily guarded place!
Outside the main entrance of the Li Palace, there was a long line of carriages and horses parked, and a large group of Jinling militiamen wearing paper armor, bronze helmets, carrying spears, and carrying divine arm bows stood around the carriages and horses, looking nervously. The red-turbaned soldier guarding the gate.
These militiamen wearing paper armor just watched their "empress" (at first she was the empress, but now she has become a princess. I wonder what kind of empress she will become in the future?). Among them are the husband Zhang Bangchang, the bachelor Yu Wenxu, and three others. Accompanied by the king, he walked into the palace gate of Tianque Palace to negotiate with the Shuntian official who led millions of troops to the south of the Yangtze River!
I didn’t know that the conversation was like this?
If the deal breaks down, will millions of Northern troops massacre Jinling City?
If the negotiation is settled... the house prices in Jinling City will have to rise back, so you have to buy it quickly!
At this moment, on the second floor of a two-story building in the Tianque Palace, Zhao Kai and Zhu Lian, who had not seen each other for more than ten years (perhaps never), were sitting down as guests and hosts. Several steaming cups of tea have been brought directly to the table by several female staff.
As soon as Zhao Kai and Zhu Lian met, they marveled at each other's tremendous changes. In Zhao Kai's memory, Zhu Lian was still a graceful lady in her twenties. Although she was already the mother of two children, she had a graceful figure, gorgeous appearance, and was extremely beautiful. But the Zhu Lian who appeared in front of Zhao Kai now looked very plump, and could even be described as fat (she had just given birth to a baby). Although her skin was well maintained and her skin was still white and delicate, it no longer had the brilliance it had when she was young, which could illuminate a large area around her. (Zhu Lian didn't shine when he was young, but Zhao Kai's eyes widened when he saw her. (light), but she is still a very attractive and mature beauty...
In Zhu Lian's eyes, Zhao Kai's change was even greater... He was like a completely different person! The temperament inside and outside is different!
In Zhu Lian's memory, Zhao Kai was an out-and-out romantic talent. Although he had a rather burly figure and had practiced martial arts since childhood...but that was just the capital of being romantic! Fengliu is a physical job. If you have a body like a tuberculosis ghost, then the "wind" won't move!
But under Zhao Kai's burly and strong skin, there is talent that cannot be concealed, as well as the elegant temperament of the red line head and the female literary youth who are enough to charm the whole Bianliang.
But now Zhao Kai... can no longer see the wind, and has been replaced by a madman!
Zhu Lian didn't feel any talent, he only felt an unconcealable murderous intent!
Zhao Kai and Zhu Lian, a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law, just stared at each other, as if they wanted to see through each other.
This scene is somewhat embarrassing and a bit cold. Fortunately, not only Zhao Kai and Zhu Lian are participating in today's meeting, but also Zhao Zhi, Zhao Qi, Zhao Xu, Zhao Yan, Zhang Bangchang and Yu Wenxuzhong.
I heard a cough, and then Zhao Kai's twelfth brother Zhao Zhi spoke, "Sister-in-law, where did eldest brother go?"
This may sound like common sense, but it actually means that negotiations have begun!
Zhu Lian smiled bitterly: "Your eldest brother has gone to Lingnan to guard the country!"
This answer is also extremely clever!
But we can’t say that Zhao Huan escaped...because Zhao Huan is "not guilty", and Zhao Kai is not here to question his guilt, but to be a filial son! He has to welcome Zhao Ji back to his Zi Palace!
"Going to Lingnan to guard the country?" Zhao Zhi was stunned, "What happened? Could it be that Vietnam is calling again?"
Zhang Bangchang took Zhao Zhi's question and sighed before answering: "There is more than one Vietnam! There are also seven countries including Dali, Pagan, Champa, Chenla, Dashi, Chola, and Srivijaya. , plus Vietnam is the Eight-Power Allied Forces... coming to carve up our country, the Song Dynasty!"
What? The Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Song Dynasty? Zhao Kai was shocked when he heard this - it's so admirable that you can actually make up such lies!
"This happened!" Zhao Zhi also pretended to be surprised.
Zhu Lian continued to sigh: "There are brothers fighting within, and evil people coveting outside... What's so strange? The loss of the Sixteen States of Yanyun in the past was not only due to the internal strife between brothers and uncles in the Later Tang Dynasty. Is it? The world is in such trouble now, and there are powerful enemies outside the Central Plains. If the brothers cannot unite, I am afraid that the Lingnan of the future will be the Yanyun of the past!"
Zhao Kai snorted: "Jiaozhou (referring to Vietnam) and Yunnan are both my hometown in China. I will launch a massive force of heavenly troops soon and wipe them out one by one. Sister-in-law, don't worry."
"What about the Great Food Country?" Zhu Lian asked, "The Great Food Country is thousands of miles away from China, is extremely vast, and is good at navigation. Can you also send troops to quell it?"
Zhao Kai smiled and said: "That's natural... Now that I have unified the world, I will naturally build a large navy. In the future, I will advance both by land and water to punish Baghdad!"
If Muktafi, who had just come to power under Abbas, knew the content of today's "uncle-sister-in-law meeting," he would definitely scream that he was wronged. Because he didn’t know about the Eight-Nation Alliance at all, and it was impossible to join such a coalition...
Zhu Lian shook his head, "Easier said than done? Even if there is a day when we can directly attack the enemy's capital, it will be ten or twenty years later... What will happen to the defense of Lingnan before that?"
It seems that Zhu Lian is not going to let go of Muktafi, whom she does not know at all... Because without the existence of this "Second Yelu Deguang", Zhao Huan would not have the status of "guarding the country".
Of course Zhao Kai understood what his sister-in-law meant, and he had no intention of continuing to conquer Zhao Huan... But Zhao Huan was a bargaining chip and could not be let go easily.
"Isn't Fifth Brother in Lingnan?" Zhao Kai said, "In addition, the King of Jinling is also in Lingnan now... I can make him the King of Guangdong."
Zhu Lian still shook his head, "My son is young, how can he withstand the soldiers of the Eight Kingdoms? Third uncle, why don't you let your eldest brother guard the Guangjiao Road and guard the border for the country!"
To guard Guangjiao Road and Guangjiao Road...that means giving Jiaozhi Road to Zhao Huan as well!
Zhao Qi interjected: "Third brother, why don't you name your eldest brother the king of South Vietnam... The king of South Vietnam in the Han Dynasty in the past was named Zhao, and we are also surnamed Zhao. Most of our ancestors are from the same family. If the eldest brother becomes If we become the King of South Vietnam, won’t we have the right to pacify Jiaozhi?”
Zhao Kai smiled faintly and did not comment, but changed the topic to the issue of money.
"Sister-in-law," Zhao Kai said with a smile, "Big brother's affairs are easy to talk about. Not to mention the King of Nanyue, he has done everything including King Zhenla, King Sanfoqi, and King Tianzhu. But you have to let me live in the Jinling Palace first. Let’s talk about these things again?”
Live in Jinling Palace? Zhu Lianxin said: You have moved in, what about me?
"Yes, yes, yes..." Zhao Xu agreed, "Sister-in-law, we must let the third brother live in the Jinling Imperial City!"
Zhao Yan also said: "Yes, Third Brother's million-strong army has arrived outside Jinling City. Why should we reward him with 20 million? Sister-in-law, do you have money?"
yes? Have money?
Zhao Kai's eyes lit up and he looked at his sister-in-law flickeringly.
"No money." Zhu Lian's answer was simple.
What? No money? Zhao Kai's face suddenly turned a little ugly.
Zhu Lian glanced at him and said, "But you can borrow it!"
"Borrow?" Zhao Kai was stunned, "Twenty million! Can I borrow it?"
"Yes!" Zhu Lian said, "As long as the third uncle canonize five princes and kings, including the King of Wu, the King of Yue, the King of Jiujiang, the King of Fujian, and the King of Huainan, I can help him borrow thirty million. These three thousand There is no need for the court to repay the money, the five kings will pay it back for the court... and it can also ensure that these five princes and kings will pay a total of 30 million guan in tribute to the court every year!"
This is to ask Zhao Kai to fulfill his previous "promise"!
Zhao Kai was silent again.
When he proposed to "extend favor" before, he had not yet arrived at Jinling!
This time, that time!
Although Zhao Kai is not afraid of rebellion by these princes and kings, he can still use the method of pushing favor to continue to break up these princes and kingdoms. It will not take many years to create "one state, one king" or "one government, one king". But...wouldn't it be better to swallow it all now? Why bother?
"Guan family," Yu Wenxuzhong spoke at this time, "the princes and kings can be big or small, strong or weak...or they can be dispensable. But in today's southeast, it is best to grant several princes. King. For no other reason than to let the southeastern gentry and powerful merchants feel at ease. Even... the prime ministers, generals, and state capitals of the vassal states are all appointed by the court.
And...if the princes and kings don't look after you, this southeastern land may not be able to receive as much as 30 million a year! "
