The sunshine in early summer is not as warm as spring, nor as hot as midsummer, but it brings a sense of leisure and laziness. The bright light falls on the earth and shines on the road, as if it can dispel the lingering thoughts on the road. The oppression of the military.
The flags of Yan and Zhao were fluttering lightly, and the Han cavalry followed them. After staying at Waqiao Pass for seven days, and having a cordial meeting and exchange with the Emperor of Han, King Zhao Kuangzan of Yan and his party were finally able to escape smoothly and return north to Youzhou.
There are trees along the road, which are dense and vigorous. Behind them are the solid Guancheng and the camp wall, which are getting farther and farther away. For those with evil intentions, there is a feeling that the farther they go, the easier they feel, as if they have escaped from a tiger's mouth.
As Waqiao Guancheng gradually disappeared from sight and was obscured by hills and hills, Zhao Siwan turned around completely, stopped looking south, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Noting Zhao Siwan's relaxed expression, Zhao Kuangzan said, "General Zhao is too nervous!"
"Your Majesty, only by staying away from Waqiao Pass can I truly feel relieved!" Zhao Siwan smiled: "To be honest, these days, I feel like we are like fish on a chopping board, ready to be slaughtered... ....”
Noticing Zhao Kuangzan's silent expression, he added: "I don't care about the life and death of the general. I am afraid that the king's safety is at stake!"
"During this period, the Emperor has treated us with courtesy and respect." Zhao Kuangzan glanced at Zhao Siwan and said, "You, General Zhao, also received a toast from the Emperor personally, praising your merits and bravery. Why, you didn't feel anything at all? "
"Although the emperor treats us with courtesy, his enthusiasm makes it a bit difficult for people to apply!" Zhao Siwan responded.
"Yes!" Zhao Kuangzan's handsome face couldn't help showing a little reflection, and said quietly: "The emperor's behavior really makes people wonder why he treats us so warmly and favorably, and what is hidden behind that gentle smile. ....."
"To be honest, Your Majesty, in the past few days, the generals from the north have been hosting banquets in turn. The general can't refuse or refuse, and he will be suspicious and fearful when he is invited!" Zhao Siwan said with a fearful expression on her face: "The general is really worried. During the banquet, there will be meetings. Stand out from the ambush and add swords and axes to your body."
"You are overthinking it!" Looking at Zhao Siwan's still suspicious and fearful expression, Zhao Kuangzan said calmly: "The emperor has never shown any intention of detaining us before and after, and his words and deeds are all full of enthusiasm. Since he has allowed us to return to the north, it shows that the imperial court If you don’t change your policies, you are sincere in your heart! On the contrary, you are so cautious and careful, just to avoid attracting attention!"
Hearing this, Zhao Siwan's expression changed, and she grinned: "The general is just a rough man, how can he have the self-cultivation of a king, who is calm and calm, not surprised by changes, and does not lose his demeanor!"
Before arriving at Waqiao Pass, Zhao Siwan was mentally prepared for various emergencies. However, starting from the moment she abandoned her weapon and followed Zhao Kuangzan to pay homage to Liu Chengyou, all her plans came to nothing. Isolated from Yan Qi who was accompanying him, it was difficult for him to struggle even with his own courage.
In the past few days at Waqiaoguan, Zhao Kuangzan and his party received the most solemn courtesy and the warmest reception. There was no disharmony at all. The only thing that made people feel disharmonious was probably that the emperor's attitude was too gentle and kind, which made people feel uncomfortable. Some are too much.
Liu Chengyou treated Zhao Kuangzan as a brother, not counting the toasts from the generals, but also asked several princes to raise their glasses. At night, he invited his monarch and his ministers to have a drink and talk about the world, and asked the queen to pour wine for them personally. If Concubine Zhou Shu was here, she would probably have her play a few songs to entertain them. After that, he left Mei Jiao Niang behind, shared the same bed with Zhao Kuang, and slept with their feet together. This was the case for several days.
As for Zhao Siwan, Liu Chengyou also personally held a cup to pay tribute to him. Looking back on his achievements, he received many praises and encouragements. Speaking of which, Zhao Siwan still had military exploits against the Han Dynasty. In the first year of Qianyou, Wang Jun led his troops to resist Meng Shu's invasion and defeated Shu commander Zhang Qianzhao at Jifeng Mountain. At that time, Zhao Siwan was the first to break the stronghold in a bloody battle. That was also the first time Zhao Siwan's name came to Liu Chengyou's ears, and then Wang Jun came forward, saying that Zhao Siwan was unruly, ferocious, cruel, and unkind, and would lead to disaster, so he asked Liu Chengyou to kill him.
Wang Jun may have offended Zhao Siwan because he was disrespectful to him, so he retaliated. But judging from the subsequent development, what Wang Jun said is true.
Regardless of Zhao Siwan, who has a fierce personality and has always shown himself to be perverse and unruly, and usually has quite suspicious remarks about the Han Emperor, but when he was in front of Liu Chengyou, although he could not help but be a little reserved, it was more like covering himself up when facing a fierce beast. A protective coat, as well-behaved as a docile kitten, smiling with humility.
At this time, on the way back, thinking about her performance in Waqiao Pass, Zhao Siwan felt a rare sense of shame and felt a little embarrassed.
Generally speaking, Zhao Kuangzan always remained calm and composed in Waqiaoguan Yejun, while Zhao Siwan had delusions of persecution, suspicion, and was uneasy...
"Your Majesty, although we have left Guancheng, we should hurry back north, lest the Han Emperor changes his mind and sends troops to intercept and kill us!" Zhao Siwan's delusion of being persecuted was obviously serious. After some mental evaluation, he advised Zhao Kuangzan: "To the north is Baigou Station. We can cross the river directly from Liulikou. As long as we cross the Juma River, we will have no worries!"
"Relax, General Zhao!" After listening to his advice, Zhao Kuangzan sighed: "If the emperor really wants to plot something against us, there are plenty of opportunities at Waqiao Pass. Since we are allowed to leave, we might as well be calmer. It's just self-doubt and uneasiness, but there is no need to behave unbearably, but it makes people look down upon!"
"The king is right!" After thinking about it for a while, Zhao Siwan couldn't help but agree: "The general is worrying too much!"
"Your Majesty, if there is a next time, you can't come south like this and put yourself in a dangerous city!" Zhao Siwan suggested.
"Oh?" Zhao Kuangzan looked at Zhao Siwan with interest: "In your opinion, what should I do if the emperor calls me again in the future?"
"The general thinks that even if the emperor does not go north to Youzhou in person, he still needs to be north of the Juma River. Yongqing is good..."
"You dare to think about it!" Zhao Kuangzan smiled faintly.
After thinking for a while, Zhao Kuangzan ordered: "After returning to Youzhou, donate the three hundred newly purchased horses to Tokyo!"
"What!" Zhao Siwan's face changed when he heard this: "We spent a lot of money to buy that! Your Majesty, you also know that although border trade between Han and Liao is prosperous, the Khitan people control and supervise the horse trade very strictly. We bought How much did it cost to get these war horses, just to dedicate them to the imperial court like this?"
Zhao Siwan's tone was completely unhappy, and Zhao Kuangzan also understood it. After all, the batch of war horses they mentioned were for Zhao Siwan's subordinates. But understanding is understanding, and his decisions and orders cannot be questioned. Zhao Kuangzan's tone was also a bit harsh: "I have made up my mind. I will do it when I get back. You don't need to say more!"
Noticing Zhao Kuangzan's expression, Zhao Siwan, no matter how unwilling she was, could only respond in a low voice: "Yes!"
Seeing this, Zhao Kuangzan's tone softened a bit and said: "I have not been in court for many years, and every year during the festival, I only show up. It's just three hundred war horses, which is worth the amount of money and food that the imperial court distributes to me in Youzhou every year. ?"
"I'm even thinking that if I have the chance, I will personally lead the civil and military forces and go to Beijing to report on my duties and express my gratitude!"
After hearing what Zhao Kuangzan said, Zhao Siwan became gloomy for a while, remained silent for a while, and said: "Your Majesty, these three hundred horses are dedicated to the imperial court. The general has nothing to say. However, the horses in our army that have been allocated to other troops must be taken back. For training..."
Because of financial reasons, the Yan army was also quite careful about armaments. This time, 300 war horses were purchased in batches from the tribes in western Liaoning. While replenishing Zhao Siwan's tribe, they also eliminated 300 old horses and distributed them to other tribes. Now, Zhao Kuangzan wanted to sacrifice the horse, which was tantamount to taking Zhao Siwan's "property". Naturally, he wanted to get it back, and he could not lose it to General Zhao no matter what.
After hearing what he said, Zhao Kuangzan also understood what he was thinking and smiled: "There is no need to go to such trouble. I will offend you first. After returning to Youzhou, I will allocate a batch of money and silk from the palace and try to purchase it again!"
"Yes!" Zhao Kuang praised his gentle attitude and words, and Zhao Siwan could only hold her nose and admit it.
Looking at his unattractive expression, Zhao Kuangzan still had a smile on his face, but his eyelids drooped slightly, and his eyes became deeper. After this trip south, and after these years of secret observation, Zhao Kuangzan has already determined that Zhao Siwan is a dangerous person. If he is allowed to develop further, he will sooner or later lead to disaster.
I tolerated him before because I had served the Zhao family for many years and was brave enough to fight. But now, it is obvious that this person has become increasingly unclear about himself. He has expanded his strength and influence without restraint.
It is difficult to make a decision about Youyan's future for the time being. We still need to wait and see how the situation in the world develops. However, we must take measures to suppress and monitor Zhao Siwan.
The generals of the Yan Army can use more than one Zhao Siwan...
