Until dusk, with a burst of warm cheers, the Liao Emperor's camp in front of Baishan Mountain was in a state of excitement. The camp gate was opened wide to welcome the return of Emperor Yelujing.
The sound of horse hooves, accompanied by the melodious horns in the camp, was majestic. Hunting was like a war, and Yelujing's return from hunting was like a triumphant battle, triggering a welcome from the imperial camp of the Liao army. From near to far, it spread throughout the entire camp, and the soldiers accompanying them had already developed a habit of shouting a few times.
Yelujing was obsessed with hunting, but he did not get off his horse day and night. As long as he did not tire the army and did not disturb the people, there was no serious problem. For the Khitan people, this is a sign of not forgetting their roots. After all, they are a nation on horseback. Hunting with bows and horses is a traditional skill and foundation that is worthy of promotion.
At the same time, hunting and hunting are indispensable for chasing and fighting, which can not only satisfy personal hobbies, but also practice military formations, train soldiers, and demonstrate military power. Moreover, without realizing it, Yelujing's ability to gather military morale and control the army has also improved a lot.
About a thousand knights formed a guard formation and followed the Liao Emperor back to camp. The knights around Yelujing were all covered with prey, and they obviously gained a lot. Because of this, Yelujing seemed to be in a good mood.
Yelujing is 27 years old, and her appearance is considered majestic. Especially under the influence of power, she has sharp eyebrows, firm outline, clean shaven lips and chin, and her whole face looks particularly refreshing.
"Hey, Privy Secretary Bei is back?" He landed easily with a nimble posture and looked at the three noble ministers waiting in front of the imperial tent. His eyes fell on Xiao Husi, with a smile on his face.
"I have returned from the Han Dynasty, and I would like to report back to Your Majesty!" Xiao Husi responded respectfully.
"Okay! Today I hunted a lot, and I personally shot a wild boar, so let's enjoy it. You have worked hard all the way, come in with me, and I will reward you with today's harvest!" Yelujing said casually.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"King of the South Campus, you have to bring out the best wine in Yunzhou to entertain you!" Yelujing looked at an old Khitan minister who was following him.
"yes!"
This Khitan veteran was naturally Yelu Talie, the King of the Southern Branch of the Liao Kingdom. He had been sitting in Yunzhou in recent years, managing the southern ethnic prefectures and counties, balancing taxes and corvees, persuading the people to resume production, strictly enforcing laws and regulations, and making great achievements in political achievements.
The spacious tent was very gorgeous, inlaid with gold and jade, and decorations symbolizing imperial power and status could be seen everywhere. Yelujing did not hide his enjoyment. As the emperor of Daliao and the co-lord of all clans, only the most luxurious artifacts can show his supreme status.
After taking off his robe, taking off his fur hat, touching the shiny top of his head, and stroking his hair at the temples, Yelujing looked at the standing noble ministers and waved his hand: "Let's all take a seat!"
The slaves served the banquet, and wine, fruits, and meats were served one after another. Several beautiful orchids were also called in, and the accompanying musicians also took instruments to adjust. Seeing that singing and dancing were about to begin, Xiao Husi stood up and He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have sent you to the Han Dynasty this time to inspect the details of the Han Dynasty. The situation in the Southern Dynasty has undergone major changes, which will definitely affect the stability of our country. Please make your statement!"
"Isn't it that the Han Dynasty took over Sichuan and Shu? The next step is to send troops to the south of the Yangtze River. It's not surprising!" Yelujing responded casually.
"Your Majesty!" Seeing that Emperor Liao didn't pay much attention to it, Xiao Husi couldn't help but said that he was determined.
"No hurry! No rush!" Seeing this, Yelujing waved his hand and said: "I'll give you some time to clean up the dust first. I won't waste this time. I will listen to your report carefully later!"
Seeing Emperor Liao say this, Xiao Husi sat down knowingly and agreed. Regarding the emperor's performance, the important ministers of the Liao Kingdom present were not too surprised, but Yelu Wuzhi showed a little helplessness on his lips.
This emperor is good at everything, smart, thoughtful, and strategic, but he has this temperament that always makes people feel helpless...
By the time Yelujing said "later", it was already more than an hour later. The sky was already dark, the color was already dim, and the big tent under the night was brightly lit and radiant.
After calling off the singing and dancing, removing the wine and meat, and replacing them with milk tea, the tent became quiet. Yelujing picked up the handkerchief and wiped her mouth. She looked at Xiao Husi and said, "You've had a good time singing and dancing, you've had enough wine and food, you can talk now!"
"yes!"
"Your Majesty, I went south to Kaifeng to pay a personal visit to the Lord of Han, and had several conversations. When I returned north, I received a letter from the Lord of Han. I also received 1,000 jins of gold, 2,000 jins of silver, 500 bolts of silk, and 100 jars of fine wine. 10 sets of imperial utensils of the Han Dynasty." Xiao Husi first took out a tightly sealed letter from his pocket and respectfully presented it to Yelujing.
Hearing this, Yelujing couldn't help but feel happy and said: "I heard in the early years that the ruler of the Han Dynasty was not a generous man. The ruler of the Southern Tang Dynasty gave generous gifts, but only gave him a few cattle and sheep in return. Now it seems that the Han Dynasty is indeed rich. Yes, it’s a bold move!”
After tearing open the unopened seal, Yelujing's nose twitched, and he could still smell the scent of sandalwood. After reading, Yelujing smiled even more, raised the letter in his hand, looked around, and said: "Han Lord In the letter, the words were sincere and sincere, and he reiterated the friendship between the two countries. We are brothers, treat me as equals, live in harmony, and hope to be good neighbors forever..."
Seeing Emperor Liao's attitude, the ministers present were heartbroken. Looking at the smiling expression on his drunken face, they felt that he was confused due to drunkenness.
However, Yelujing soon put away her smile, turned to look at Xiao Husi, and said leisurely: "However, Privy Council Guanbei was so solemn just now and did not express his displeasure. I guess he has other ideas!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" Xiao Husi hurriedly sang a hymn and said seriously: "I think that the Lord of Han is the Lord of tigers and wolves, ambitious and ambitious for the world. The Han people have a word called honey in mouth and sword in belly. Today's generous gifts and sweet words are just to confuse me. Lord, paralyze our dynasty. Once it is completely flattened and consolidated in the south, and freed up, it will definitely tear off its hypocritical face and deal with the dynasty. Furthermore, how can there be people who accumulate food and weapons, sharpen their troops and horses, and sharpen their swords to serve their friendly neighbors?"
After hearing what he said, Yelujing's expression became a little more serious and said, "Be more specific!"
In response to the order, Xiao Husi immediately told everything about what Han had seen and heard again. For fear that Yelujing would not pay attention to it, he told it in more detail than when he faced Yelvwuzhi and Xiao Haili.
Probably because he was overly worried and had some self-hypnosis effect, Xiao Husi's face was wrinkled tightly, and his expression looked serious but also funny. Seeing this, Yelujing was happy and said, "The Northern Privy Envoy praised the Han Dynasty and the Southern Dynasty a lot in his words. Could it be that he was intimidated by it?"
Faced with this question, Xiao Husi immediately said: "Your Majesty, how can I be afraid of the Han? It's just that the Han Kingdom has indeed become stronger and stronger now, so I don't dare to underestimate it! The Southern Dynasties are in trouble for our great enemy of the Liao Dynasty. I only hope that your Majesty will be more vigilant. Be prepared early!”
"Having said so much, let's sit down and have a sip of tea first!" Yelujing raised her hand to Xiao Husi, then looked at Yelu Wuzhi and other ministers, and asked: "According to what the Northern Privy Council said, the Southern Dynasty is currently focusing on In taking over the south of the Yangtze River, the so-called 'first the south and then the north', when they unify China, they will definitely go north to attack Daliao! What do you think about this?"
Seeing that Emperor Liao finally became serious, the ministers looked at each other, and King Yelu Wuzhi of the Northern Court stood up and responded ably and decisively: "Your Majesty, I think the considerations and analysis of the Northern Privy Envoy are very reasonable. , speaking frankly about the future. There is still a fight between the two tigers, and as the two big countries have deep grievances and are bordering each other, there will definitely be a war between Han and Liao!"
Xiao Haili also stood up and said: "In the early years, the Liao Dynasty negotiated peace with the Han Dynasty, but it was only due to the fact that your Majesty was newly established, the army was exhausted and the people were exhausted, and the surrounding areas were unstable. The country needed time to recover and develop, appease the states and strengthen the national strength, so it was not possible. It was an expedient move not to do anything. However, the Han State took advantage of this opportunity to reform the long-standing shortcomings, enrich the country and strengthen the army, and launched a large-scale conquest, so that now, the south has almost been pacified.
With the strength of the countries south of the Yangtze River, they are definitely no match for the Han State. If the Liao Dynasty does not intervene, the unification of the Southern Dynasties will be in the near future! "
Yelu Talie, the king of the Southern Academy, also expressed his opinion: "Since Taizu founded the country, the reason why our country has been able to expand thousands of miles, wipe out dissatisfaction, and merge with Yanyun in the south is because of the internal strife of the Han people in the Central Plains and the frequent changes in dynasties, making it unable to It poses a threat to our country. Now its power is not small. If it is allowed to be unified, there will be endless troubles.
I have been in Yunzhou for many years and have watched the changes in its military and political affairs. Take the Han general Yang Ye of Yanmen as an example. He has led troops to defend for ten years and has never slacked off in training for a day. The person he plans is clearly in our country, Daliao.
I believe that although there has been a reluctant peace between Liao and Han for many years, behind the scenes, the hostility of the Han monarchs and ministers towards Daliao has never diminished! "
For a time, the Liao ministers present seemed to have reached a consensus and were highly unanimous in their opinions.
