In a rather large but simple room in Ketun City, the flames of pine oil torches kept rising and falling, giving the hall a mysterious atmosphere of flickering light and dark.
Yelupode sat in the middle, with a roasted fat sheep placed on the foot-wrestling table in front of him, probably weighing twenty or thirty kilograms.
In addition to the whole roasted lamb, there are also several plates of chopped shallots (small onions), ringo, pear to relieve greasiness, and a bowl of sauce to enhance the flavor.
Of course, good wine is essential. Yelupod took a big sip, and Mei’s eyebrows suddenly flew up.
"Khotan purple wine worth thousands of gold! This is a tribute, the emperor is really willing to give it up."
Opposite Yelu Pode, brother Yelu Xiu, who has become my adopted son, Zhang Shengren, and Yelu Pode's adopted son, Yelu Xidi, were looking at Yelu Pode who was eating and drinking uncomfortably.
"Gong De, since the saint intends to save your life, why do you insist on seeking death? We have fought bloody battles so far, and we are worthy of the Khitan Kingdom."
Brother Yelvxiu was silent for a moment, but he couldn't help but offer words of advice. In his opinion, Yelubode didn't have to die.
Yelupode was silent for a while, and then he tore off a leg of lamb from the roasted lamb on the wrenching table and began to gnaw on it.
No one said anything, and it was only after Yelvpod finished chewing the leg of lamb and drank a bowl of purple wine that Yelvpod sighed and spoke.
"If you can live, who wants to die? Brother Xiu, you are already the adopted son of the emperor. You must pay attention to the differences between this saint Shaoming and other emperors."
Brother Yelvxiu immediately handed over his hand. He is still a little dazed about being able to become the adopted son of the emperor from a prisoner.
What? You say that the country is an enemy of the family.
Don't be kidding, let alone Brother Yelvxiu, a foreigner who is accustomed to hugging his thighs. He is a Central Plains man who has received orthodox Confucian education. In the face of such an opportunity where his status is spiraling, he must kneel down and kowtow.
So are there people who will never surrender and who can abide by the justice in their hearts?
have! That was Duke Wen Tianxiang and Wen Zhonglie.
At least they must have the character of Zhang Jiayu, Chen Bangyan, and Chen Zizhuang, the three Lingnan heroes, which ordinary people cannot achieve.
Therefore, Brother Yelu Xiu had already fallen to his knees in his heart, but his face was still tense. Now that he heard Yelu Pode's advice, he immediately listened calmly.
Seeing Brother Yelv Xiu like this, Yelu Pode was relieved. No matter what happened to the Khitan people in the future, his adopted son Yelu Xidi and his tribe would have someone to protect him.
I felt a lot more relieved at the moment, so I said: "Throughout the ages, there have been many emperors who have been called heroes. Our Khitan ancestors, Emperor Shengtian, and Emperor Zhuang Miaoli, are actually the masters of heroes.
They also say that this kind of heroic leader is diligent, loves the people, and is kind and virtuous. But when it comes to doing things, he doesn't care about the life and death of the people below. As long as he can get things done, no matter how many people die, it is just in their eyes. Just ants. "
As he said that, Yelu Pode took a breath and said, "Only this Emperor Shao Tian, a certain family has noticed that he really wants to be better to the people below.
Whenever he acts, if he wants to hurt ordinary people, he must be cautious and hesitant. Sometimes he would rather take a detour and suffer a loss himself than harm even a single farmer and tenant.
This is a real master, a master like Emperor Taizong Wen of the Great Dynasty. "
Brother Yelvxiu was still too young. Although he was a very capable and famous minister in history, at the age of sixteen, he could not digest what Yelubode said.
So Yelu Pode gave a wry smile and said to Brother Yelu Xiu: "It doesn't matter if you don't understand now. As long as you remember the difference between Emperor Shao tomorrow and ordinary emperors, you will understand in the future."
Brother Yelu Xiu nodded as if he understood, then looked at Yelu Pode and asked, "But what does this have to do with Duke De having to die?"
Yelvbod drank another large bowl of purple wine and said, "Although the Khitan emerged outside the Great Wall, it did not have much conflict with the Central Plains like the Huns and Turks at first.
In fact, we are not like a foreign khanate outside the Great Wall, but more like a strange separatist vassal town after the fall of a great dynasty.
There are conflicts with the Central Plains, but that is nothing. They themselves often fight back and forth. There are many Han people serving our Khitan Kingdom, and there are also many Khitan people serving the Han vassal towns.
But after Emperor Zhuang Miaoli prepared to enter the Central Plains, all this changed.
The two Shanxi-Liao wars and the Luoyang war were both fought in the Central Plains. As a result, more than one million people in Henan and Hebei died.
Especially the Dacao Valley at the entrance to Tokyo is overdone!
Therefore, the generals who followed them into the Central Plains were either killed by the Zhou people, or were tried by the Zhou state and worked as coolies.
The generals who followed Emperor Zhuang Miao Li into the Central Plains, including Yelu Dilie, Xiao Han, Xiao Shilu, etc., and even Da Tiyin, who was far superior in talent and status to a certain family, also died in Yelv House. Zhao Yanshou That guy was the son and daughter of Prince Shaoming, and he didn't survive either.
Now, even if the emperor can forgive this person from a certain family, he will always be reminded of our Khitan people's sins in the past when we see him in the future.
If someone doesn't die, who knows when, he will be a drag on everyone.
Only when a certain family dies can you give up your identity as a Hulu outside the Great Wall and become a Han, just like the Murong family of Xianbei and the Zhuxie family of Shatuo did in the past. "
Brother Yelu Xiu can still understand this. Even Yelu Xidi also understands this truth.
Yelupode was using his own life to end an era. After he died, the remaining young Khitan generation could take off their burden and survive in the Central Plains dynasty.
The two of them cried around Yelubode for a while, and then they were driven out by Yelubode. Just when he was about to leave the room, Yelubode suddenly called out Brother Yeluxiu.
"Whether we Khitans can continue to exist and whether we can become the Shatuo Li family depends on you."
Brother Yelvxiu paused for a moment, then nodded silently.
The Shatuo Li family was able to become Han Chinese and become a royal clan because of the merits of several generations of Emperor Wu Li Keyong.
Now that he has become the adopted son of the emperor, whether the Khitans can integrate like Shatuo Li depends on his identity.
After seeing both of them walking out, Yelupode glanced at the world with great nostalgia, and then took a deep breath. Without the slightest hesitation, the long dagger in his hand suddenly inserted into the left side of his neck, and he stabbed hard again before his consciousness completely disappeared. Give it a hard tug.
Blood spurted out, and after a few breaths, Yelupode's huge body fell down with a thud.
At this time, a secret door in the room was suddenly opened, and a eunuch wearing the uniform of a chamberlain came out.
Behind him stood two people taking notes with pens. One was a spy from Jinyi's personal guard, and the other was a clerk from Zhongshu Zhangtai.
Even though blood was still flowing from Yelupod's neck and the person was too dead to die anymore, the eunuch first checked his breath and then felt his pulse. After confirming that he was indeed dead, he nodded and stood up.
"It's a pity that he is still a sensible person. If he had not been born in Khitan, he could at least have been a minister, a deputy envoy to the privy council, or something like that.
Captain Wang and Zhang Jiushu, let's hand over the record of the conversation. These Khitan people should be able to use it. "
. . . .
Pieces of snowflakes fell slowly. Although they almost turned into mist when they fell to the ground, it still indicated that winter on the grassland was coming soon.
It is already early October and the weather is already quite cold.
Zhang Gao sighed. It was still August when the army left the fortress, and in order to reduce the burden, he did not bring any cotton-padded clothes at all.
The reason why it can still hold up now is because most of the Zhou army is equipped with cloth-covered iron armor.
Although it cannot be compared with cotton-padded clothes, it is certainly much better than the iron-clad armor that protects people from the cold. This is what Zhang Yan relied on to dare to continue the Eastern Expedition after defeating the fortune-tellers.
But if it gets colder, it will be rude!
The cotton of this cloth-covered armor is hammered down, and there are iron sheets stuck inside. It looks like a cotton coat. It seems to be able to keep out the cold, but it really can only protect it a little. It is estimated that in another ten days, the army will I can't bear it anymore.
Therefore, Zhang Yan did not stop at Kedun City at all, but divided his army to pursue them everywhere. He himself personally led the elite to pursue the largest group of defeated troops. It is said that Shulu Ping was among them.
Zhang Hao snorted coldly, this time, he must let his old and immortal aunt feel at ease to accompany Abaoji.
Huh! Something seems wrong, now she is not an aunt, but an old sister-in-law!
"Sage, please report from the front. The men of Eagle Strike Capital have surrounded the fleeing Khitan people by a large lake. From a distance, there are as many as 20,000 to 30,000 people."
"Sage, we came to report from the south. They encountered a troop of hundreds of horsemen. After questioning, it was basically confirmed that they were the military supervisor of Datong Prefecture who came from Fengzhou, and the forward officer of the Third Route Army who captured the Prince Consort of Ganquan County. .”
Zhang Hao was slightly startled. Zhe Deyuan really hit the east side. Why did it yaw so much?
(End of chapter)
