His prediction was not wrong. Gao Cunfu and Xiao Tula tried every means to please the emperor's envoy.
They sent money, gifts, and beautiful women, and the emperor's envoys almost lost their sense of comfort in serving them.
Then try your best to say nice things.
Saying this, the emperor's envoy has not really lost his soul. After all, if you have money, you have to have life to spend it, and if you have beautiful women, you have to have life to enjoy it. If something happens and he is implicated, he will lose his life. So what if you have more money and more beauties?
Therefore, the envoy did not dare to neglect military matters.
He followed Xiao Tula to the "front line" and observed the military situation arranged by Xiao Tula. He looked left and right, but he didn't find anything different from Xiao Tula's report.
However, by observing the wounded camp and the morale of the soldiers, the envoy noticed some clues and realized that this was definitely not the real front line.
The envoy was very angry about this, angrily scolded Xiao Tula, and asked Xiao Tula to take him to the real front line.
This was not beyond the expectations of Xiao Tula and Gao Cunfu. They made a plan for this, which was to take the envoys to the "real front line."
Yes, in order to accompany the envoys in a show, Xiao Tula and Gao Cunfu arranged for their cronies to put on two shows. One was a fake front line that was easy to see, and the other was a fake front line that was not so easy to see and was closer to the real front line. front.
They are all fake anyway. After breaking through the first level, it will be difficult for the messenger to break through the second level.
Xiao Tula and Gao Cunfu stood on the third floor.
As long as the deception is superb, they can always fool them, and then find ways to continue to fool them, whether it is giving money, exchanging benefits, in short, as long as they can, they can always use it as a bargaining chip.
Then let Xiao Tula perform his traditional performing arts again.
Let him lower himself, cry loudly, and then give money and things to women, let yellow and white things blind his eyes, and let more delicate beauties blind his mind.
"I know that the situation on the front line is indeed not as good as I said, but it is definitely not bad. It's just that I still need time, and His Majesty kept urging me and made me make several mistakes in succession. I really have no choice but to do this. Make a decision to put your Majesty at ease.
This is really not my intention. I really have no choice. There are so many traitors and soldiers that it is really impossible to solve the war quickly in just one or two months. If the envoy must say something, please say a few kind words for me. Please, Your Majesty, be a little merciful and grant me a little more grace! "
Xiao Tula cried miserably, and money and beauty were too torturous. Using this to test officials, who could withstand such a test?
The messenger was a little shaken.
"I know it's not easy for you, but His Majesty is indeed very anxious. Your Majesty is preparing for the southern expedition. The rebellion of the Khitans is very annoying to Your Majesty..."
"So you see, I have made great progress. The rebels have been suppressed by me. I just need some time. Your Majesty is strict. Once the time limit is exceeded, I will be killed. I am really scared. Please ask the envoy Help!"
The messenger became even more hesitant.
At this time, Xiao Tula brought out his trump card.
"I heard that you have a brother who wants to get a position in the Ministry of Household Affairs. It just so happens that I have some friendship with a minister in the Ministry of Household Affairs. If the envoy can help me and wish me through this difficult time, then..."
The identity of the envoy had been told to Gao Cunfu by someone who was interested. This was no longer a secret. Even the situation of his family was fully understood by Gao Cunfu in a short period of time. The two of them discussed countermeasures overnight, specializing in places where the envoy could not guard against.
As expected, the envoy was shocked and surprised by Xiao Tula's energy.
"Is such a thing... really okay?"
"As long as you can help me tide over the difficulties, what's the big deal?"
Xiao Tula wiped his tears and showed a sinister smile as if he had changed his face: "I'm not sure about a higher official position, but there is still no problem with a middle-level position in the Ministry of Household Affairs."
The messenger pursed his lips, lowered his head and thought seriously.
"Your Majesty is really anxious. If I can say something nice to you when I go back, it won't buy you much time. It will be one month at most, and one month after that. If the rebellion can't be put down, I will suffer the consequences with you." A harsh punishment."
Xiao Tula breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
"One month is enough time. I will launch a full-scale counterattack soon. The situation will get better soon. Please rest assured, envoy."
"That's very good."
The envoy nodded, accepted all the gifts from Xiao Tula, and boarded the pirate ship.
The envoy then returned to Liaoyang City and received warm hospitality from Gao Cunfu. The food, wine and beauties were all equally good, allowing him to spend an extremely ecstatic three days.
Three days later, the reluctant envoy set off back to Beijing to resume his mission. Gao Cunfu arranged for his subordinate Li Pu to send the envoy away from Liaoyang City.
"We must send him away safely, and then mention our affairs to him. Please bear with him and speak kindly to His Majesty. Do you understand?"
"My subordinate understands."
Li Pusu said he understood.
Along the way, the envoy was in a good mood. He was chatting and laughing with Li Pu Suyue, and the two of them rode horses side by side in front of the team. They were so happy.
As they talked, Li Pusu looked back at the distance between himself and the others, and began to worry about it.
"Messenger, I want to tell you something very important. Please don't look back, don't be surprised, and don't make a sound."
Li Pusu said softly.
The envoy was stunned, looked at Li Pu Suyue in surprise, and frowned.
"whats the matter?"
"You were lied to."
"ah?"
The messenger was stunned.
"Please don't make a sound, absolutely!"
"…………"
The messenger took a deep breath and continued to look ahead as if nothing had happened: "Say."
"The fake front line and the real front line you see are both fake. They were deliberately forged by Xiao Tula and Gao Cunfu to deceive you. The situation on the real front line is very tragic. The rebels are numerous and the more they fight, the more they fight. It is completely invisible. To the possibility of peace.”
Upon hearing these words, the messenger's pupils shrank and his mind was shaken.
"Do you have any basis for saying this?"
"I am the officer who stayed with the senior deputy. I have gone to the front line many times to deliver supplies and observe the situation. I know the situation on the front line very well. I participated in the arrangement of the two false front lines you see. Some of the stains on those tents are I put it on myself.
And the wounded soldiers you saw must have said two things to you. One was to fight for His Majesty without knowing the hardships, and the other was that they just wanted to wipe out the traitors as soon as possible so that they could go home. These two sentences are what I taught you. What they said, they basically didn’t say anything else. "
The messenger panicked.
"This...this is impossible, right?"
"It's true. They have been lying for a long time in order to deceive His Majesty and buy time. If they can use this time to solve the problem, I will keep silent. But the fact is that the number of rebels is increasing.
If they continue to conceal it, the rebels are likely to gain the upper hand and threaten Liaoyang. The situation will then become even more unstable. I am deeply worried and cannot bear to see this day come. I also ask the envoy to inform the envoy of this matter. His Majesty! "
"me……"
The messenger was sitting on the horse, his whole body was stunned, and he had no idea what to do next.
Li Pusu Yue knew it.
"You can accept these gifts and money envoys. Then you only need to tell your majesty that they are to paralyze Gao Cunfu and Xiao Tula from being persecuted, so that they can tell the truth to your majesty. Then there is still hope for everything!"
The messenger was confused and restless for a while before he calmed down.
"Tell me the truth, how bad is the current situation?"
"The rebels initially occupied Xianpingfu, Hanzhou, Longzhou and Xinzhou. So far, the 30,000-strong army has only regained Quy Nhon County. The rebels retreated on their own initiative. The main force was restrained by the rebels in Binhguo County. Don't move any further.
I originally thought that this would be able to curb the development of the rebels. As a result, the rebels fought more and more, and their strength continued to increase. From being able to only defend the city to being able to fight outside the city, it only took more than a month. Now there is a tendency to counterattack Quy Nhon County! "
Li Pu quickly explained the truth, which frightened the envoy.
"It's like saying that for more than a month and almost two months, there has been no progress in countering the rebellion?"
"Almost not. The two armies have been in a stalemate with each other winning or losing. The stalemate is very serious. Xiao Tula and Xiao Huaizhong can't do anything to the Khitan rebels. They don't dare to divide their forces to attack, and they can't change the situation.
The Khitan rebels took this opportunity to recruit a large number of troops and train soldiers. The number of soldiers is getting larger and larger, and their weapons and equipment are getting better and better. The situation is very bad. If it continues, there may be a big disaster! "
"this……"
The messenger was horrified and asked, "Can you confirm this is true?"
"I will not give you money. Only those who want you to tell lies in front of His Majesty will give you money. What I tell is the truth. I am loyal to Your Majesty!"
Li Pu quickly made the envoy confirm the authenticity of the matter with one sentence, so he knew what he should do.
He gritted his teeth and embarked on the return journey, and hurried back, just wanting to send the news back to Zhongdu as soon as possible, so that Wan Yanliang would know what "contributions" those bastards he trusted had made to his career.
This news was sent to Zhongdu on the first day of May, and was delivered to Wan Yanliang's desk.
The same day was also the wedding day of Su Yonglin and Zhao Xirui.
