"Officials, the Liao envoy has presented a gift, would you like to take a look at it?" Perhaps sensing the emperor's slightly depressed mood, the old eunuch Sun Yanjun took the initiative to step forward and ask for instructions.
"Oh?" Liu Chengyou became interested and ordered: "Then you might as well see how many gifts Xiao Husi brought me this time!"
Outside the Chongzheng Hall, looking at the row of neatly arranged gifts by the palace servants, Liu Chengyou smiled and said, "The Liao Kingdom is very sincere in this peace negotiation!"
In addition to the throne made of gold, there are pearls, jade, gold sand, swords, scepters, ginseng, silver fox fur, white tiger skins... They are basically rare things. In addition, there are five pieces worth a thousand gold. Looking for a BMW.
"Most of these things are not suitable for food and clothing, so what are they for? Does the Lord of Liao think that with these things, he can confuse my eyes and blind my will?" Liu Chengyou said lightly, with a tone that was inevitably full of doubts about the relationship between the Liao Kingdom and the Liao Kingdom. The fear of the Lord of Liao.
"With your majesty's wisdom, how can you be deceived by some vulgar things!" Lu Yin agreed: "However, since it is the good intention of the Liao country, your majesty might as well accept it, so as not to make the Liao envoy feel that our court is not sincere in making peace. .”
Lu Yin's mouth is also good at talking. With a smile on his lips, Liu Chengyou walked to the golden throne and looked at the throne with the golden dragon carved on it. Under the sunlight, it was both dazzling and more lifelike.
Notice again that the various colored gemstones above are not set randomly, but are arranged in the shape of the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, as if outlining a painting, which is not only gorgeous but also beautiful. The emperor sitting among them seemed to symbolize the Ziwei Emperor Star that lived in the world and around which the universe revolved. In addition to its material, this throne has both craftsmanship and culture. It can be seen that the Liao Kingdom did absorb a lot of Han culture.
Lu Yin obviously also saw the specialness of this throne. Just as he was about to speak, Liu Chengyou said: "This thing reminds me of the trophies I got after the war against Shu. There was one thing called the Qibao Drowning Artifact. This seat needs to be more refined..."
Hearing what the emperor said, Lu Yin quickly stopped and swallowed what he wanted to say. Comparing this object with the Seven Treasure Drowning Device was obviously not a good metaphor.
Liu Chengyou asked, "Do you know how I dealt with it?"
"I don't know." Lu Yin was a little curious. As a bureaucrat who had just entered the court, even though he was now a close minister of the emperor, he had made up for some things, but there were still many things that Lu Yin didn't understand.
"Smash the palace gate!" Liu Chengyou showed a smile.
"I'll give you this gem as your contribution!" As he said that, Liu Chengyou picked up a gem and threw it to Lu Yin. This is a blue gem with a faint light. It is still eye-catching under the sunlight. It is definitely worth a lot of money on the market.
The sudden attack caught Lu Yin off guard. He hurriedly took it, held it in his hand, and said humbly: "Your Majesty, I can only make some speculations. Since I can't seek victory or merit, I don't dare to accept rewards!"
"It's up to me to judge whether you have merit or not. Just accept it. Do you still want to forcefully reject my gift?" Liu Chengyou waved his hand.
Seeing the emperor's resolute attitude, Lu Yin had no choice but to thank him: "I am ashamed to receive this! Thank you for the reward, your majesty!"
Seeing this, Liu Chengyou's expression softened. There are always some ministers who, even with rewards, have to find reasons and forcefully do it before he will accept it...
"Take the remaining jewelry and ornaments to the Kunming Palace and let the Queen share a share, and the rest will be collected as internal funds!" Liu Chengyou raised his hand and ordered Sun Yanyun.
No matter how alert you are, jewels and jewels always make you feel happy. Even if you are not fascinated, you are also stunned. Looking back, Liu Chengyou asked Lu Yin: "The Lord of Liao gave such a generous gift, should I buy some gifts in return?"
"For the Lord of Liao, a peace treaty may be the most valuable gift!" Lu Yin replied.
That being said, after the fifteenth year of Emperor Qian's reign, Liu Chengyou also felt that there was no need to be stingy in this kind of matter and that courtesy should be reciprocated. Therefore, he still let Sun Yanyun take responsibility.
With the emperor's instructions in hand, while Tao Gu and Xiao Husi were pondering the specific details of the second peace negotiation between Han and Liao, Liu Chengyou convened several privy ministers and generals to discuss Liao affairs. Focus on discussing the possibility of Liao's westward expansion and its impact on the Han Dynasty.
Many things, once seen through, are just that, and explanations can be found for places that were previously doubtful. After communicating with Chai Rong, Murong Yanzhao, Li Chuyun, and Zhao Kuangyin, we came to the conclusion that it was extremely possible for the Liao Kingdom to advance westward.
As for the reason, it is very simple. There are two main points. One is to plunder the Western Regions' wealth, food and horses to make up for the damage at home and recover from the trauma. The second is that if the Western Region falls into the hands of the Liao Kingdom, the future conflict between Han and Liao will have a wide impact, and in terms of northwest strategy, the Liao Kingdom is likely to gain certain advantages based on this. Therefore, this is of great significance to the Liao Kingdom.
Of course, if the Liao army were to advance westward, it would need to cross Mobei, which would be called an expedition of thousands of miles, which would not be an easy task. However, with its strength, it is still enough to organize an army of tens of thousands of cavalry and expand westward. As for the Western Regions, although the Xizhou Uighurs rule the roost, there is a huge question mark as to whether they can withstand the invasion of the Liao army. The Grassland Empire might really make him stronger as he fights.
It is understandable that the Liao State took the initiative to send envoys to make peace. And the question comes again, if the Liao Kingdom advances westward, what impact will it have on the Han Dynasty?
For now, it won't have much impact, but looking at the long-term future, it will have a huge impact. Not to mention the Western Region, only the Hexi region, strategically important areas like this, will suffer huge threats. Well, although most of the Hexi Corridor is still in the hands of the Uyghurs at this moment, according to Emperor Liu's plan, it has long been in the hands of the Han Dynasty.
And if the Liao Kingdom is allowed to achieve its goal, then the future confrontation between Han and Liao will involve an even wider area. Just imagine, the two countries will fight on the vast land thousands of miles away from the east and west. As far as Liu Chengyou is concerned, what comes to mind? It is not an iron horse fighting or scolding Fang Qiu, but a headache and fear. If that is the case, how much price will the big man have to pay to continue to entangle with the Liao Kingdom.
Regardless of the Northern Expedition, the Han Dynasty achieved brilliant results and achieved a great victory. But just as the Liao Kingdom had ideological changes regarding future wars, the Han Dynasty also had this awareness. If they felt that the Liao Kingdom could be easily wiped out, they would be committing the crime of underestimating the enemy in the first place.
And how could the Han Dynasty respond to the Liao Kingdom's westward advance? The conclusion drawn is that it will have no effect and that it is completely impossible to stop it.
Just as the Liao Kingdom was no longer able to prevent the Han from unifying the south, the Han was also powerless to undermine the Liao's strategy of the Western Expedition when the influence of the Han's strength had just begun to reach the Hexi Corridor. Either start another Northern Expedition, and Emperor Liu would make such a choice only if he lost his mind.
Pingnan's preparations in all aspects have reached the current level, and there is no possibility of any changes. It has to be said that the Liao Kingdom has chosen a good time. Perhaps they were waiting for a good opportunity, that is, when the Han Dynasty began to conquer the south, the Liao Kingdom would begin its western expedition.
And sending envoys to conclude a peace treaty may just be to buy an insurance policy, but both parties also need peace of mind. After all, the Han Dynasty did not want the north to be unstable during the southern expedition.
Of course, it's not like a big man can't do anything. He can still stab someone in the back. For example, instigating the Uighurs, reminding the Yijun army, and warning the forces in the Western Regions, but these can all play a decisive role.
If it really gets to that point, perhaps we can only "wishes" that its westward march will not go smoothly, that it will encounter stubborn resistance and suffer huge losses...
Perhaps the monarchs and ministers of the Liao Kingdom did not expect that a proactive reconciliation would make the monarchs and ministers of the Han Dynasty guess their intentions for marching westward. But similarly, with the current situation, there is no need to be as secretive as in the past. After all, the Liao Kingdom's preparations have long been noticed, and there is no need to hide them when they are launched. On the other hand, the Han and Liao sides basically have a clear picture. If you level the South, I will march westward, and we will be fine...
