The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 118 Xixia Gift
Zhao Ti changed his clothes, asked Tong Guan to prepare the carriage, and then entered the palace.

In the imperial study, Zhao Xu was reading a book with the words "Huangji Jingshi" on the cover.

This was written by Shao Yong, one of the Five Masters of Neo-Confucianism, and is also called the Huangji Jingshi Shu.

The five philosophers of Neo-Confucianism, Zhou Dunyi, Shao Yong, Zhang Zai, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, each had their own works. Zhou Dunyi was the founder of Confucian Neo-Confucianism and wrote "Tai Chi Diagram". Shao Yong wrote "Huang Ji Jing Shi" and "Xiantian Diagram". Although Zhang Zai's theories were not as grand as the other two, he had "Four Sayings of Hengqu" which was widely circulated.

Zhao Xu put down the manual in his hand and said with emotion: "There have been chaos and dissension in the Five Dynasties. Once the clouds have cleared, the sky will be revealed. King Yan, even if I don't want to start a war, the wind will not stop even if the tree wants to be quiet."

Zhao Ti asked, "How does the emperor plan to respond?"

Zhao Xu shook his head: "The Xixia envoys sent here with obvious intentions. They just wanted to see if there was any chaos in the court of the Song Dynasty after the death of the Empress Dowager, and then wait for an opportunity to act."

Zhao Ti said: "The internal situation of Xixia is unstable now. It is Xiao Liang's usual trick to suppress internal chaos with external military achievements."

Zhao Xu looked at her leisurely and said, "Liang Sizhao has always been a traitor and is trying to be the heir of the Han Dynasty. However, it has been rare since ancient times for a woman to lead an army in person. She is also a rare gem in the history."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "That's true, but this woman has great ambitions but little talent. Her governance is average, and her military tactics are extremely poor."

Zhao Xu nodded: "Two years ago, she was defeated in Huanzhou and was killed by Zhang Dun's cousin, Zhang Yu, the governor of Huanqing Road. It's been less than two years, and she has other ideas again. She really has no memory at all."

Zhao Ti thought for a moment and said, "I heard that the year before last, when the Western Xia army was defeated, Xiao Liang abandoned his golden tent, changed his clothes, and even lost one of his shoes, which is how he managed to escape."

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "That's true. This girl is so reckless and acts on impulse. I'm afraid she will be retaliated against in the future."

Zhao Ti asked, "Now that she has sent an envoy to the capital, what is the emperor going to do?"

Zhao Xu looked at Zhao Ti and asked, "What does the King of Yan think is appropriate?"

Zhao Ti smiled slightly and said, "From Xixia's intention, they intend to continue to cause trouble on the border, no matter how big or small the situation is. I think we cannot agree to any of the terms listed in the letter."

Zhao Xu nodded: "What the King of Yan said is exactly what I want, but..."

Zhao Ti asked, "Are you worried about the future source of war horses?"

The Song Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty fought and clashed from time to time. During the fighting, both sides had a deep hatred for each other and wanted to destroy each other with all their strength, so they killed each other in a rage.

There was trade during the peace period, and temporary trading posts were set up, and there were even many markets at the next level of trading posts. However, the trading posts have not been restored since the war two years ago.

During the trade, the official Song side first wanted to buy war horses, and secondly wanted Western Xia's swords, but the other party refused to sell them, so they had to buy them privately through other channels.

As for Western Xia, they wanted a lot. They wanted everything. Everything they thought was good was good. They tried to take it all away. In the end, there was a lot of arguing and friction, and then the market was destroyed, and another round of war began.

Zhao Xu said, "Since two years ago, there has been no trading market on the border, and we have not bought horses from Xixia. We have only purchased a small amount from Tubo. If we go to war directly, we will be at a disadvantage in terms of horsepower. However, I plan to strike first and see if I can seize a batch."

Zhao Ti pondered and said, "Your Majesty, this matter should be carefully considered. We need accurate information about the strategies of the Northwest."

Zhao Xu said: "I have already issued secret orders to several ministers, and I estimate that news will be reported back soon."

Zhao Ti thought to himself that it seemed that Zhao Xu was determined to start a war. He said, "Your Majesty, these envoys..."

A chill appeared on Zhao Xu's face. "I would like to keep Helian Tieshu, but I have to accept the other party's letter first. Even if he wants to spy on the situation of my court, it is difficult for him to do so and give him an excuse."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "It's not easy to do it in the territory of the Song Dynasty. If we leave the country, it's another matter. Helian Tieshu has many scums from the Central Plains who defected to the enemy country and forgot their roots." Zhao Xu glanced at Zhao Ti and said, "The King of Yan also knows about the Yipintang of Xixia?"

Zhao Ti nodded: "I have heard of the trip to Jiangnan."

Zhao Xu said: "These people are trying to prevent Li from leaving. As for Helian Tieshu, if Li Jing can assassinate him, no one will say anything, but it may be a little difficult."

Zhao Ti heard this and thought for a moment.

The next day, when Zhao Xu went to court, he went to the Chuigong Hall. Helian Tieshu brought two Western Xia envoys and carried a box into the hall.

The letters from the East and West in the box mentioned that it was a gift from Empress Dowager Xiao Liang to the Song Dynasty, the Xixia Shengjia.

The Xixia Shengjia is a type of armor second only to the equipment of the Xixia heavy cavalry.

The three thousand heavy cavalry Iron Harriers saved Western Xia from danger several times. It can be said that without this heavy cavalry, the Song Dynasty would have defeated the enemy in the hundred years of the Song-Xia War.

And the fact that a set of armor was sent here at this moment was obviously a provocation or demonstration.

The Song Dynasty originally had heavy cavalry. Emperor Taizong personally supervised the construction of the heavy armored Jingsai Army, which had a full strength of 3,000 people, five horses per person, and was well-equipped and extremely powerful. It once defeated the Liao Dynasty's heavy cavalry Tielin Army in the Battle of Tanghe.

However, as the wars with Liao became less frequent, this army was disbanded and turned into the guards of the main generals. Later, the Song Dynasty established the Feiyu Army, but its combat effectiveness was far inferior to that of the Jingsai Army. The Feiyu Army was stationed in the capital and did not go out to fight, and gradually became a decoration.

All the ministers were angry at this time, and Helian Tieshu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to show you my gifts."

Zhao Xu sat behind the dragon table with a blank expression: "Show it."

Helian Tieshu smiled, asked the two messengers to open the box and take out a set of armor.

This armor was also obtained during the battles between Song and Xia, but it was often in tatters. At this moment, the armor looked brand new, shiny, thick and solid, as if indestructible.

Although the Song Dynasty was much more powerful than the Western Xia, it was inferior in terms of military preparedness. The Western Xia swords were well-known far and wide, and their armor was as famous as their swords.

Seeing that the armor was as heavy as a mountain, the ministers on both sides changed color, especially the officials from the Wenban class who had never been on the battlefield. They felt that the armor seemed like a giant ten feet tall, oppressing them to the point of suffocation.

Helian Tieshu looked around and then at Zhao Xu: "Your Majesty, please ask someone to try the armor."

Test the armor?! The ministers took a deep breath when they heard this. Test the armor is to test the defense of the armor, but such armor is difficult to be broken by swords and knives. In the past, Han Qi once tested the armor with a strong crossbow at a distance of fifty steps, and it was difficult for ten arrows to penetrate it. Even if one arrow penetrated, it would mostly scratch into the gap of the armor, causing limited damage to the person inside.

No one expected Xixia to play this trick. If they didn't try it now, they would lose face. If they tried it, they would probably lose face even more.

Most of the ministers looked unhappy. Zhao Xu glanced at the dragon case and asked, "Which minister is willing to try the armor?"

There were still a few ministers who looked excited, both civil and military. It was obvious that they had practiced martial arts but did not show it off. At this moment, in order to save the face of the Song Dynasty, they wanted to take action.

Helian Tieshu smiled and said, "Of course, you can't use magic weapons, and you can't use my Xia sword to test the armor, but I can give your country three chances to test the armor and see if you can break my Great Xia Iron Armor."

As soon as he finished speaking, a man came out and said, "Your Majesty, let me try this armor."

(End of this chapter)