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Chapter 873 Conspiracy
Hearing that the Ningyuan Army was actually thinking of attacking the heartland of Khitan directly, the old emperor and the ministers were all stunned and shocked, but soon they felt happy and encouraged. In this way, the pressure on their Song Army on the border would be greatly reduced. If the Ningyuan Army and Khitan could both suffer losses at that time, it would be a happy thing for everyone.

"Your Majesty, ministers, in fact, our Ningyuan Army really wants to invite Duke Ying to lead his troops to march from the border between Song and Liao. This will prevent the Khitan army from taking care of both ends, and the chances of success for our Song Dynasty will become much greater." Then Suning made an invitation to the shocked old emperor and ministers, so that they could share the pressure they were facing.

"Huh?" At this time, the old emperor and the two ministers looked at each other in surprise.

"Prince Ning, since your Ningyuan Army has conquered the southwest and needs to rest, our Song Army naturally also needs to rest and catch its breath. Therefore, it will be a bit troublesome for the Song Army to send troops from the border." At this time, Prime Minister Shen, who had been silent on the side, spoke again cunningly, because this was the mentality of the old emperor and Prime Minister Han at the moment.

"Haha, Your Majesty, gentlemen, let's make it clear first. Whoever conquers the Khitan and Xixia lands will own them. The same rule applies even to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Don't get jealous when you see my Ningyuan Army eating meat." Suning had long guessed that the three cowards in front of him would not agree. You know, as soon as they open their eyes, they will think that it is not the time to take back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. If this goes on day after day, year after year, they will naturally never recover the lost land.

"..."

Hearing Suning's cautious words in advance, the old emperor and several ministers felt a little upset. The Ningyuan Army's super strength was unquestionable. Attacking the Khitan's heartland would definitely cause great damage to the Khitan. In that case, the Ningyuan Army would also suffer some losses. If the Ningyuan Army really occupied the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, it would be really embarrassing for the entire Song Dynasty court.

"Mr. Shen, what do you think are the chances of Ningyuan's army winning?" Then Su Ning showed a contemptuous smile, looked at the old fox Shen in front of him and asked back.

"Huh? Sixty percent!" In fact, at this moment, Lord Shen really wanted to say a 100% winning rate, but in the end he cautiously said a passing number.

"Ah? The chance of winning is so high?" Although Prime Minister Shen had already said a cautious and conservative number, the emperor and Prime Minister Han beside him widened their eyes in shock.

"Your Majesty, and all the ministers, the main reason is that you have not seen the might of the Ningyuan Army with your own eyes. When the time comes, you will naturally understand what I mean." Looking at the shocked old emperor and Minister Han in front of him, Minister Shen shook his head with a wry smile and explained.

"Well, when the Duke of Ying returns to Jiangning Prefecture, let Prince Ning organize a grand military exercise. Then we can discuss together the military strength of the Ningyuan Army and the matters of sending troops to Khitan." Then the old emperor made the final decision and took the opportunity to make a request to Su Ning in front of him.

"Yes! Official."

At this time, the emperor and the ministers could no longer sit still, and they unanimously decided to summon the Duke of Ying who was in charge of military affairs far away in the frontier, because such military and national affairs must be discussed with the person who was most familiar with the situation. The Zhao Song court was too obsessed with the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, and after hearing Suning's "prior words", they became impatient.

……

As the consort of Prince Ning, Princess Huirou naturally became the first choice for entertaining the wives of nobles. She looked at the Empress Dowager sitting next to her and never stopped smiling. All the wives of the dignitaries from Bian Jing were extremely well-behaved in front of Princess Huirou and Empress Cao. They were no match for the nonsense and rampant behavior in her own backyard.

"Princess, do you also play polo in Jiangning Prefecture?" The eldest lady of the Liang family, Earl of Yongchang, asked Princess Huirou with a flattering smile on her face. She preferred to play polo on the court while riding a horse, so she was the one who took the lead in establishing the polo club in Bianjing City.

"Haha, Madam Liang, when I was in the imperial palace, I heard that you, the madam of the Earl of Yongchang's Mansion, loved playing polo. It's a pity that our prince doesn't like it. However, we have football and horse racing in Jiangning Prefecture." Princess Huirou smiled and glanced at Queen Cao beside her, then looked at the Madam Liang in front of her and explained.

"Oh? Princess, this horse race is easy to understand. It's just a competition to see who can ride a horse faster. But what is this football?" Everyone present at this time showed a surprised expression. The eldest lady of the Liang family looked at Princess Huirou with a puzzled look on her face and asked.

"Haha, Madam Liang, football is also called Cuju, except that football uses a special leather ball instead of the sepak takraw ball commonly used in Cuju. The playing styles are also very different."

"Oh? Princess, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me when I say this, but I just really like all kinds of sports competitions, and I really want to have a chance to see them." At this time, the eldest lady of the Liang family became interested, and then made a request with a smile on her face.

"That's easy! I'll give each of you a pamphlet with instructions. There's a football exhibition match in a few days, so please go and take a look."

"Thank you, Your Highness Princess."

The situation in Jiangning Prefecture had a very strong impact on the people coming from Bian Jing. It was not only because of the grandeur and tranquility of the Ning Wang Mansion, but also because of the various customs here that were very different from the traditions of the Song Dynasty. All of these refreshed the values and horizons of these old-fashioned people from Bian Jing City. At the same time, they also felt the power of the Ning Wang Mansion and the Ningyuan Army in Jiangnan, and realized that the Ning Wang Mansion had rapidly grown into an indispensable force in the Song Dynasty court.

"Madam, have you heard?" One of the noble family members who was more informed of the news came to the side of the Lady of the Duke of England secretly and said.

"What?" The Duchess of England looked at the woman in surprise. The other party's question was really too nonsensical.

"I heard that Lord Shen had already moved the Shen family from southern Shanxi to Jiangning Prefecture a long time ago, and Prince Ning even specially gifted a large house to the Shen family." Seeing that she had successfully aroused the interest of Lady Yingguo, the woman began to explain in a low voice.

"What? Madam Wei, this is unlikely, right?" As expected, the Duchess of England immediately showed an expression of disbelief, feeling that the news was too shocking.

"It's absolutely true! It is said that the eldest granddaughter of the Shen family is waiting to be married." The woman continued with a meaningful look on her face.

"Oh?"

You have to know that the status of Prime Minister Shen in the court is incomparable to ordinary people. You also know what the actions of the Shen family represent. This means that the Shen family has decided to formally surrender to the Ning Wang Mansion, and the eldest granddaughter of the Shen family can only be married to the Ning Wang. It was thought that Su Ning was just a lucky opportunistic rebel, but at this time he showed his soft power in front of everyone.

At this time, the nobles all looked at the Ning Wang who was in the limelight with different thoughts. They also knew that the prosperity of Ning Wang was an unstoppable trend. Then they dropped all their defenses against Ning Wang's Mansion and Ningyuan Army, and tried their best to flatter Ning Wang and Princess Huirou, and they wanted to search all the girls in each family and send them to Ning Wang's Mansion.

At this time, Princess Pingning showed an intriguing look. Among the nobles present, only their family was related to Su Ning, and naturally they wanted to use this relationship to get closer to Su Ning. However, thinking of Su Ning's rejection and disgust of the Gu family of the former Ningyuan Marquis, and the impact of the last rebellion on their Xiangyang Marquis Mansion and Qiguogong Mansion, Princess Pingning did not flatter Su Ning and Princess Huirou like others did.

……

One day, the weather was sunny and cloudless in Jiangning Prefecture. The princess personally organized a new type of Cuju exhibition match. Two Cuju teams composed of AI robots walked into the stadium in high spirits. Their programs had all been changed to the standards of international stars in later generations. In order to take into account the acceptance of these Song Dynasty natives, these AI robots did not have the black and white faces of later generations.

"Prince Ning, is this the new style of Cuju in your Jiangning Prefecture?" The old emperor looked at the two teams of players on the field in surprise, and then asked Suning beside him in confusion.

"That's right! Your Majesty, this was all handled by Princess Huirou herself." Su Ning had very high expectations for Princess Huirou. After all, in later generations, there was no concept of male superiority and female inferiority, and everyone would try to let Princess Huirou get involved in the government affairs of Jiangnan.

"Well, Huirou is pregnant now, so she should work less." At this time, Queen Cao on the other side said with some concern for Princess Huirou.

"Your Highness is right! I will keep it in mind."

"Prince Ning, I heard you cut your hair and changed your clothes when I was in Bianjing. Why is your hair so long and thick now?" Empress Cao asked, looking at her son-in-law with a puzzled look. "Your Highness, I specially wore a wig to welcome you, Your Highness."

"Oh? Prince Ning is thoughtful." At this time, the old emperor and the empress looked at each other in surprise, feeling that Prince Ning was not as arrogant and domineering as they had imagined.

"Prince Ning, the Duke of Ying will be returning to Jiangning Prefecture soon. At that time, please prepare a military exercise." At this time, the old emperor on the side once again asked Suning to hold a military parade for the Ningyuan Army.

"Yes! Official."

The charm of football has naturally been proven by time, so soon these Song Dynasty natives became fascinated. Then, with the performance team's repeated goals and various superb skills, the crowd watching on the field immediately burst into thunderous cheers. Soon such a warm atmosphere infected every spectator in the stadium, and the football skills of these AI robots took turns to appear on the field, which naturally made the spectators in the stadium crazy.

"Princess, your new style of Cuju is so lively and can liven up the atmosphere better than polo." At this moment, the eldest lady of the Liang family looked at Princess Huirou in front of her with excitement and emotion, as if she had discovered a new world.

"Haha, Madam Liang, ask the craftsmen to make more footballs, and you can take them back to Bian Jing to play." Princess Huirou immediately understood and mentioned the gift of footballs, because Suning also wanted to use this method to expand his influence in Bian Jing.

"Thank you princess."

……

Not long after the unprecedented new-style Cuju exhibition match, the Duke of Yingguo returned to Jiangning Prefecture in a dusty state. Then he heard the official's announcement of the Ningyuan Army's advance plan. He could not help but look at Suning with shock and questioning. The Duke of Yingguo, who had fought bloody battles with these barbarians for many years, naturally knew that they were difficult to deal with. Even with the Ningyuan Army's sharp firearms, it would be difficult to compete with the Khitan and Western Xia. This was the fundamental reason why the Song Army, which already had firearms and was personally taught how to use them by the Ningyuan Army, did not dare to attack the Khitan and Western Xia.

"Your Majesty, fellow ministers, the most taboo thing in military strategy is arrogance. The sharpness of firearms makes it difficult to truly decide the outcome of a war, and our Song army simply does not have the strength to launch another major war." Then the Duke of Ying poured a basin of cold water on the passionate old emperor and the ministers.

"Duke of England, are you serious?" The old emperor and the two ministers looked at each other in confusion, feeling somewhat unwilling to accept the Duke of England's conclusion.

"Your Majesty, although I am reluctant to admit it, the wars in the past few years have indeed caused us great losses. Soldiers in the army have been deserting for a long time. They would rather use extraordinary means to disfigure themselves than hide the tattoos on their faces and go into exile. This is also the reason why there have been endless rebellions of all sizes in the world in recent years." The Duke of England explained with a helpless smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, fellow ministers, since the Song army has no attack plan, then our Ningyuan army will have to prepare to go on our own. When the time comes, please be able to keep your promises and don't be jealous." Suning naturally knew that the Duke of Ying's explanations were all excuses. It was nothing more than that they were not optimistic about the actions of the Ningyuan army, or they had never sincerely accepted the Ningyuan army.

"This..." Sure enough, the old emperor and the two ministers looked at each other again. To be honest, they were still a little unwilling in their hearts.

"Hmph! Gu Tingye, you are just a newborn calf who is not afraid of a tiger. Your ancestors of the Gu family all fought against the Khitan and other barbarians. You'd better go back and ask your elders first." At this time, the Duke of Ying looked at Su Ning in front of him with disdain and said sneer. As the top noble in the court of the Song Dynasty, he really looked down on Su Ning who started his career as a rebel.

"My Lord, my real name is Suning. Now I have been given the name Zhao Ning by the government. I have nothing to do with that Gu family."

"Humph!"

"Prince Ning, when will the Ningyuan Army's military exercises be held?" The old emperor also saw that the Duke of Ying really looked down on Suning, so he quickly looked at Suning and asked with a smile to smooth things over.

"Forget it! Since you Song army are not willing to attack the barbarians, there is no point in holding military exercises and parades. Besides, the Ningyuan army still needs to step up preparations for war." Suning, who was in a very unhappy mood at this time, directly refused the military parade. After all, Adou, who cannot be helped, will never be the king who dominates the world.

"this…………"

Seeing that Suning was no longer willing to casually demonstrate the strength of the Ningyuan Army, the emperor and several senior officials were deeply disappointed. They also felt regretful that they could not participate in this grand feast against the Khitan. It was a pity that Song Renzong was not the foolish Song Huizong that later became. He was still very cautious and hesitant about sending troops to the Liao Dynasty. He also respected and recognized the opinion of the Duke of Ying.

Looking back to the original time and space, Song Huizong was surprised to unite with the Jin Kingdom to attack the terminally ill Khitan, but he forgot that the emerging Jin Dynasty was the one that was at its peak. The final outcome was naturally very tragic and shameful. The Song Dynasty at that time should have united with the Liao Dynasty and the Western Xia to fight against the emerging Jin Dynasty, because uniting the weak to resist the strong is the only way to survive.

"Duke Yingguo, is it true that our Song army does not have the strength to join forces with the Ningyuan army to attack Khitan?" In the end, the unwilling old emperor secretly summoned Duke Yingguo again.

"Alas! Your Majesty, our Song army really does not have this strength. I believe that the ministers are the ones who know this best." The Duke of England shook his head and explained with a wry smile again.

"What a pity! Lord Shen said the Ningyuan Army had a 60% chance of winning."

"Your Majesty, my Lords, we cannot unite with the Ningyuan Army, because we need to preserve our strength to guard against the future Ningyuan Army." At this time, the Duke of Ying finally expressed his true thoughts.

"Your Majesty, what the Duke of Yingguo said makes a lot of sense. Although the Khitan and Western Xia are both very powerful, we have to admit that they have formed a balance with our Song Dynasty. The three parties are currently unwilling to have a major war, and it is precisely the emergence of the Ningyuan Army that has broken this balance. Therefore, the Ningyuan Army is what our Song Dynasty needs to guard against the most." Then, Grand Minister Shen and Grand Minister Han also reacted and realized that the most important thing for the Duke of Yingguo is to guard against the Ningyuan Army.

"In that case, we will strongly support the Ningyuan Army's march north to attack the Khitan. The Song Dynasty will continue to observe from the sidelines and make a decision based on the specific circumstances."

"The government is wise."

"Which great minister is willing to go as an envoy to Khitan and Xixia to explain to them that all the actions of the Ningyuan Army have nothing to do with our Great Song Dynasty?"

"No! Your Majesty, the specific situation of the Ningyuan Army is well known to everyone. There is no need for us in the Song Dynasty to elaborate on it. In addition, our Song Army naturally needs to step up preparations for war. No matter which side wins in the end, it will be the best opportunity for our Song Dynasty court. Moreover, we in the Song Dynasty only need to secretly leak the plan of the Ningyuan Army. I believe that the Khitan nobles will definitely withdraw troops to defend the Bohai Bay." At this time, the Duke of Ying hurriedly stopped the old emperor's actions, and also very insidiously told a conspiracy to provoke a fight between the two parties.

"What do you think, gentlemen?" The old emperor asked the two ministers in front of him with his eyes shining.

"I second the proposal."

"Okay! Then let's implement this plan."

"Yes! Official."

…………

(End of this chapter)