A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 451 Three hundred people it is

Cao Xianhui looked very unwell.

He truly hadn't expected the intelligence from the Song Dynasty to be so accurate.

The Song Dynasty not only had some understanding of the Khitan, but also knew about many things in the northwest, which was eight thousand miles away.

Otherwise, a county magistrate in the capital wouldn't have seen the intelligence from his father-in-law.

How could he possibly know all these things?
It seems that the spies of the Song Dynasty are more capable than we imagined.

When Cao Xianhui saw Song Xuan's extraordinary prowess in the main hall that day, she inquired about him and wanted to make contact with him.

What if it can help the Guiyi Army?
But after all that talk, it turns out they really have a lot to offer.

Trying to gain his favor by relying on things he doesn't know is no longer an option.

So, is the only remaining option to tell him everything?
That definitely won't work.

If he underestimates my Guiyi Army, wouldn't he have even less of a chance?

Liu Congde narrowed his eyes.

Isn't the Hexi Corridor supposed to be very wealthy?

Their Guiyi Army occupied part of the Hexi Corridor, how could they be poor ghosts?

Or perhaps they're just stingy by nature.

They are unwilling to spend money!
“Commissioner Cao, your Guiyi Army has been operating in Guazhou for over a century, how could you possibly be short of money?”

Liu Congde said rather bluntly:

"I'm afraid it's not that your Cao family's Guiyi Army is only willing to send lavish gifts to the Khitans, but not to our Great Song Dynasty."

The Song Dynasty's policy was always to be highly defensive against the north, while adopting a defensive and pacifist policy towards the northwest, as long as they didn't cause trouble.

Overall, they didn't have much of a sense of vigilance towards the foreign peoples in the Northwest.

In short, none of the "Northwest heroes" have yet demonstrated the value of united front work like Li Yuanhao.

From the perspective of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong.

The Northwest is home to many small, easily annihilated forces.

However, the Khitan, who stood to the north, were the real formidable enemy.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Khitan emperor once attacked Bianjing (Kaifeng), but he failed to gain a foothold and fled the capital in a sorry state.

Not to mention that both emperors of the Song Dynasty wanted to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

Even the Battle of Gaoliang River could not be considered a major defeat.

All the Khitan generals who defended the city were commended.

The commander who pursued Emperor Taizong's donkey cart did not receive any reward within the Liao Dynasty.

Of course, this event is not recorded in the History of the Song Dynasty; it is entirely recorded within the Liao Dynasty.

From the perspective of the Khitan commander, it was rather strange that the Song emperor suddenly stopped riding his warhorse and started riding in a donkey cart.

The battlefield was complex at the time, and the Khitans didn't have much time to think about it deeply.

At that time, Emperor Taizong fled, leaving behind the Song army leaders who were attacking the Khitans, who were even considering establishing a new emperor.

It wasn't until the second Northern Expedition that the Song Dynasty suffered a major defeat, losing many elite soldiers.

The Song Dynasty's internal plan was to curb the Liao Dynasty's southward expansion before focusing all its efforts on dealing with the forces in the northwest.

"Prefect Liu, how could my Guiyi Army do such a two-faced thing!"

Cao Xianhui quickly waved her hand:
"I also brought valuable horses, cattle, sheep, camels, and various local specialties."

"It's as if my Great Song Dynasty wouldn't bestow anything upon you."

Liu Congde's words.

Cao Xianhui could only keep smiling apologetically.

Song Dynasty goods were in high demand not only among the Khitans.

It is also highly sought after by various forces in the Northwest and other regions.

Regardless of their ethnicity, people in the Northwest have a great fondness for silk and tea from the Central Plains.

Especially tea, which is considered a top luxury item in Northwest China.

Currently, there are no tea bricks available, making tea transportation extremely inconvenient.

Tea, with its cooling properties, slightly bitter taste, and special functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, aiding digestion, and relieving greasiness, is an essential part of the lives of herders who eat meat and drink dairy products.

In particular, they have always relied on the Central Plains for supplies.

They have an old saying: "The body cannot digest meat without tea, and the heat of barley cannot be relieved without tea."

It is traditionally known as "tea rice".

When the Central Plains dynasties controlled the supply of tea and other goods, they essentially controlled the lives of the people in the Northwest and other regions.

Without tea or similar products, many of them suffer from indigestion, bloating, and constipation.

Not to mention that they are prone to dental and gum problems, and various carbuncles and boils may appear.

The Tang Dynasty established a tea-making center, and Lu Yu's "The Classic of Tea" circulated among ethnic minorities in the border regions.

Therefore, Cao Xianhui and other border forces brought livestock and other such things, hoping that the Song Dynasty would reciprocate with silk and tea.

If there were also rewards of gold, silver, and copper coins, it would be an act of imperial grace.

Although the tea-horse trade originated in the Tang Dynasty, it was not until the Song Dynasty that it officially became a formal system.

However, the tea-horse trade did not occur during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song.

Song Xuan glanced at Cao Xianhui:
"Envoy Cao, are you simply trying to make friends?"

"Yes Yes Yes."

“If there’s no benefit to it, it’s hard for Prefect Liu to do anything for you.”

Hearing Song Xuan's explicit suggestion, Cao Xianhui found it hard to believe that such a loyal and upright minister would actively ask for benefits.

The beginning and end are too disjointed.

Liu Congde chuckled:
"Twelfth Brother, we've talked to him for so long, but he just won't listen. Does he really think everyone deserves to eat with the two of us?"

He waved his hand, signaling all the dancers around him to leave and clear the venue.

Seeing that everyone had left, Cao Xianhui braced himself and said:

"Song Zhuangyuan, Prefect Liu, I am willing to offer you one hundred taels of gold. I really didn't bring much money with me to the capital. Perhaps next time?"

"hehe."

There was no need for Song Xuan to say such things; Liu Congde was extremely impolite and mocked:

"Hey Cao, what kind of people do you take us brothers for?"

"Twelfth Brother sold a mere glass treasure to the Khitans for one million strings of cash. What can one hundred taels of gold do with that!"

"Do you really think we two brothers are beggars?"

Cao Xianhui had heard about this, but had just forgotten about it.

Placing one hundred taels of gold in front of them was indeed somewhat embarrassing.

"I wonder what Prefect Liu wants?"

Liu Congde glanced at Song Xuan.

Song Xuan slowly put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth:

“Envoy Cao, you cannot use opportunistic methods in my Great Song. It is your Guiyi Army that is in imminent danger, not my Great Song.”

Cao Xianhui sighed:
"Nothing can be hidden from Scholar Song, but our Guiyi Army is really weak, and even if we can raise a thousand taels of gold, it will be extremely difficult."

"Most of them are worthless livestock and the like."

Don't you have horses?

Song Xuan tapped his fingers on the table:

"The Uyghurs of Ganzhou all knew to exchange warhorses for the support of the Song Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty did not ask them to send horses for nothing, but exchanged them for their scarce grain."

"Besides, your Guiyi Army wants my Great Song to protect you, but the Northwest is hundreds or thousands of miles away, and there is no way to transport warhorses."

"By the time we receive news that you are under siege and arrive with our support, you will have already been wiped out. Do I need to emphasize this to you several times?"

“Song Zhuangyuan Rongbing, although the various ethnic groups in the Northwest all make a living by herding, and the livestock of Liangzhou are rich in the world, they have long since broken away from the rule of my Guiyi Army, separated by the two prefectures of Gansu and Suzhou.”

“The area connected to Qinzhou (today's Tianshui) of the Great Song Dynasty (eastern Qinghai, southern Gansu, etc.) is now occupied by the Qingtang Tubo. That is where the fine horses have been produced since ancient times.”

“In my Guazhou region, most people grow melons and wheat. Grasslands are very scarce, making it difficult to support a large number of livestock.”

"Even if we have some warhorses, our Guiyi Army trades them with local powerful families in Guazhou and Liangzhou for grain."

Upon hearing Cao Xianhui's words, Song Xuan's assessment of the Guiyi Army's strategic importance plummeted once again.

Their Cao clan couldn't even govern its own people, so how could they possibly help the Song Dynasty coordinate its internal and external affairs?
It would be better to contact the Tibetans in Qingtang directly and conduct tea-horse trade with them, thus saving the trouble of middlemen making a profit.

What is the situation of the Tibetans in Qingtang?

Song Xuan didn't listen to Cao Xianhui continue speaking.

He has absolutely no value in providing even the slightest bit of information.

That means the Guiyi Army's rule in Gua and Liang prefectures was already a mere formality.

“Scholar Song, we can actually trade with them using grain. These Uyghurs don’t know much about farming. They have a lot of horses, and they can’t consume them all internally, so they can only sell them externally.”

In the Northwest and other regions, people mainly rely on animal husbandry for survival, and everyone raises livestock. However, they are highly dependent on the changing seasons and the availability of grasslands.

With limited pastures, the number of cattle, sheep, and horses that can be supported is also limited.

Otherwise, it will cause irreversible damage, turning grasslands into deserts.

However, in the Northwest and other places where productivity is very low, people engaged in animal husbandry are also quite knowledgeable about animal husbandry.

These surplus products can only be released into non-pastoral areas.

In the Northwest and other regions, the vast majority of people make a living by animal husbandry.

Such a simple socio-economic structure naturally meant that they could not absorb such a large surplus of livestock.

Then the only option is to switch to export.

Although the Tubo, Uyghur, and Western Xia dynasties had agricultural sectors, they were ultimately a minority.

The Khitans were also pastoralists; only the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were contiguous agricultural areas.

The wealthy Song Dynasty was their first choice.

However, they were not strong enough to raid and plunder large quantities of daily necessities like the Khitans of earlier times, thus failing to maintain their internal necessities.

Moreover, they were unable to conduct commercial transactions with the Song people on an equal footing; all these forces were sellers, while there was only one buyer.

Therefore, they were strongly dependent on the Song Dynasty, mainly for economic reasons.

Song Xuan listened to Cao Xianhui's explanation that their Guiyi Army produced little grain, but he had heard that the Song Dynasty had Champa rice.

If we give him rice seeds, he can take them back and plant them. In three to five years, the Guiyi Army will have plenty of grain, which can be used to trade for warhorses.

After going through all this trouble, Song Xuan finally understood Cao Xianhui's little scheme.

"There are no rice seeds in Tokyo."

Song Xuan shook his head, unable to hold back his laughter:
"Don't get your hopes up. These things are only suitable for growing in the south. Don't even think about it in a water-scarce place like Guazhou."

"So what do you know about the Tibetans in Qingtang?"

After going through all this trouble, Cao Xianshun realized that the person in front of him was really difficult to deal with.

He was still carefully considering his words.

Snapped.

Liu Congde slapped him without hesitation:

"Hey Cao! My twelfth brother is asking you a question."

"My twelfth brother has already said it twice, why the hell are you beating around the bush?"

"Just say it! If you dare to play any tricks again, I'll make sure you never leave Tokyo!"

Cao Xianhui was stunned by Liu Congde's slap.

He was still in a daze for a long time.

He was, after all, a person who was nominally ranked among the top in the Guiyi Army. How could he have suffered such humiliation?

"What's wrong?" Liu Congde asked, noticing his defiant expression.

"That despicable person deserves to die."

Cao Xianhui quickly lowered her head to admit her mistake, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes.

Song Xuan tugged at Liu Congde, gesturing for him to sit down, a friendly smile on his face:
“Cao Xianhui, don’t think that Prefect Liu did something wrong. He’s just trying to wake you up, and he’s doing it for your own good.”

A look of shock appeared in Cao Xianhui's eyes. How could he, an upright scholar, say such cold words?
Could it be that I misjudged him?

This person is not a loyal patriot at all, but a treacherous villain who pretends to be loyal!
Song Xuan ignored what he was thinking: "If it weren't for my Great Song Dynasty, how long do you think the Cao family regime could have lasted?"

"There's no need to spell it out. My father-in-law just gave the Ganzhou Uyghurs a little hint, and your Cao family will be out of power. As for you going back, whether you can even keep your life is another matter."

"I was trying to talk to you patiently, but your behavior really underestimated the importance of us two brothers."

When it came to her own fundamental interests, Cao Xianhui immediately realized that Song Xuan's words were not cold at all.

On the contrary, it is full of inspiring power and is truly heartwarming!
"You think you can confuse the top scholar of the Song Dynasty?"

"Hehehe."

Liu Congde sneered a few times.

He suddenly realized what was happening and immediately stopped sneering.

Just now, he said he would learn from Twelfth Brother and become a positive character in the storiesteller's mouth in the future.

Why couldn't I control myself and slap Cao? I've unwittingly become a "treacherous minister" again.
Cao Xianhui was dejected.

All his pride was shattered by a single slap.

Song Xuan's words didn't save him any face.

"The top scholar of the Song Dynasty, Prefect Liu."

Cao Xianhui took the initiative to speak:
"I'll tell you anything you want to ask, just don't go looking for the Uyghurs."

When the Ganzhou Uyghurs were attacked by the Liao Dynasty, the Song Dynasty pretended to send troops to help them, which ultimately left the Uyghurs indebted to them.

If they wait for the Uyghur envoy from Ganzhou to return, he might say that he has offended a nobleman of the Song Dynasty.

The Uyghurs wouldn't even need to lift a finger; the Guiyi Army would simply throw him out to quell their anger.

The Guiyi Army, which inherited the military system of the Tang Dynasty, should not assume that the leader is the boss.

It's a fine tradition that people can take your head off and use it as a ball to kick around, and then replace it with a new head.

The Cao family had experienced similar things before when they served as military governors.

Liu Congde pointed at him again: "You fucking dare to play dumb again!"

"The Tibetans in the northwest are now gradually declining!"

Cao Xianhui dodged backward repeatedly, looking at Song Xuan:

"I know that the top scholar Song knew that Panluozhi of the six Tibetan tribes had received the support of the Song Dynasty and had become the strongest of the six tribes, as well as the leader of the Tibetans."

"He shot and killed Li Jiqian, the leader of the Tangut people, on the battlefield, and his reputation soared from then on."

"However, starting twenty years ago, the Six Valleys Alliance of Xiliang gradually declined and lost its original appeal, and several large power groups formed in the Hehuang region."

“For example, Li Lizun of Zongge (Ping'an Post Station in Qinghai), Wen Buqi of Miaochuan (Ledu in Qinghai), and Songchang Sijun of Hezhou (Linxia in Gansu), in order to unify the throne of Hehuang, they welcomed the Zanpu Gusiluo and competed to control him, attempting to use the emperor to command the princes.”

"On the other hand, it was to seek the support of the Song Dynasty, especially since Li Lizun was the most powerful and had repeatedly asked the Song Dynasty to appoint him as Zanpu, but the Song Dynasty did not agree."

Song Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly. The Tibetan forces were weak at the moment, and the ruler of Qing Tang was still a puppet.

What was the relationship between these Tibetans and the Western Xia?

"So that the top scholar Song knows that the Tibetan leaders are all afraid of the Tanguts. They are all underlings of the Tanguts and are hostile to the Song Dynasty. These Tibetans are unreliable."

Cao Xianhui was afraid that Song Xuan would set his sights on the Tibetans.

After all, the Tibetans used to associate with the Song Dynasty.

Song Xuan tapped the table slightly. Of all the things Cao Xianhui had said, one thing was true.

Animal husbandry cannot support too many people.

The Northwest will inevitably experience internal strife after a period of peace.

The main problem is that with more people, there is less grassland, and those who benefit from the status quo not only refuse to give up their grassland, but also continue to expand it.

Both the Tibetans and the Tanguts relied on animal husbandry for their development, and nomadic peoples placed great importance on water, grass, and pasture.

Furthermore, the current policy of Western Xia is to expand westward, and whether it is the Guiyi Army, the Ganzhou Uyghurs, or the Tibetans, they all block the path of Western Xia's expansion.

That would inevitably lead to a war for living space.

In order to maintain their political power and economic interests, the Tibetans would inevitably gravitate towards the Song Dynasty and resist the Tanguts' annexation.

However, it hasn't happened yet, so the Song Dynasty isn't in a rush to rush in right now.

Moreover, even if they were to encounter them, the Tanguts would be notified in advance.

I wonder if I'll run into any Tibetans going to Khitan on this trip?

"But you don't have horses, while the Tibetans do."

Song Xuan looked directly at Cao Xianhui:
"The Great Song needs the fine horses of the Tibetans, and you need the Great Song's favor, but you can't offer any benefits."

"Even if you want to maintain the Guiyi Army's rule in this area, you will make concessions to the local powerful families. Why is it that when it comes to foreign relations, your Cao family doesn't understand this?"

Or is it that they are deliberately unaware?

"We understand, we understand."

Cao Xianhui quickly said, "However, Lingzhou, which is the link between the Song Dynasty and the Tibetans, has completely fallen into the hands of the Dangxiang people. It would be extremely difficult to get the Tibetans to sell horses to the Song Dynasty."

"However, since the Song Dynasty wants fine horses, our Guiyi Army will definitely find a way."

"Ah."

Song Xuan nodded and smiled again:

“I also have an old friend who is an official in Shaanxi. If you bring some warhorses, I will have someone give you more silk and tea. These things are much more valuable than fine horses in the Northwest.”

"Thank you, Scholar Song."

Cao Xianhui had difficulty obtaining large quantities of silk, tea, and other such items from the market.

Relying solely on these envoys and their outreach efforts would be far too small a scale.

After everyone left, Liu Congde's eyes gleamed:

"Twelfth Brother, are we going to move the warhorses?"

"If we can get good horses from the Northwest, we will surely make a fortune."

“Lingzhou is controlled by the Tanguts. Even if we are doing business now, it will be a one-off deal. We’ll just have to appease the Guiyi Army for now.”

"I think they have big ambitions; they probably want to restore the glory of their ancestors."

Song Xuan stood at the window, watching Cao Xianhui walk away.

"He must have wanted something from me, that's why he was so humble and subservient just now."

"who cares."

Liu Congde said nonchalantly, "Even if the sky falls, there are still border troops waiting."

"By the way, is your family involved in the tea trade?"

"Of course."

Liu Congde laughed heartily: "Twelfth Brother, have you forgotten what my brother-in-law's family does?"

"I remembered."

Song Xuan nodded. Ma Jiliang was a famous tea merchant in Kaifeng.

After laughing, Liu Congde realized what was happening:
"It's alright, I can manage the tea."

Song Xuan smiled but didn't say anything more.

"Twelfth Brother, do you think the Guiyi Army, which used to be so formidable, can still accomplish anything now?"

"In my view, they are nothing but dry bones in a tomb."

Song Xuan shook his head:
"They can't even fully control the two prefectures of Gua and Liang now, yet they still try to regain their former territory, which will only hasten their demise."

"It seems that there is no force in the Northwest that can rival the Tanguts, not even the skilled Uyghurs."

Song Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly. It seemed that after going to the Northwest, he would need to adjust his focus to deal with the Tanguts.

"Bones in a tomb."

Liu Congde clicked his tongue twice: "It feels somewhat familiar, but I can't quite place it right now."

"By the way, have you told the Empress Dowager about going on the mission with the delegation?"

"not yet."

Song Xuan nodded: "Several days have passed. Why don't we go to the palace and talk to them? I can then select one or two imperial guards to protect us. Otherwise, I'm not confident."

"Aren't you sure?"

Liu Congde did not voice his true feelings.

Based on your performance in the main hall, if you were to encounter robbers, it would be the robbers who would turn around and run away.

Even if Song Xuan wanted to keep a low profile, the people of Tokyo would not allow him to.

These past few days, the top scholar Song's performance in the main hall has consistently topped the list, and he has been the subject of much discussion and debate.

Many of their accounts sounded as if they had witnessed it firsthand.

As for the people of Wuyou Cave, upon hearing this news, they stopped holding meetings and directly carried out the cave master's orders. If they couldn't beat him, they could at least run away.

If you can't get anything done inside Tokyo, there's plenty of room outside the city where you can do whatever you want.

At this moment, Zhao Zhen was extremely uneasy. He asked Liu E for permission to go to the imperial mausoleum to pay respects to his father.

There have been instances of emperors traveling together.

Emperor Zhenzong once visited Songcheng in Yingtian Prefecture to pay homage to the Song family ancestors.

That's because Zhao Kuangyin made his fortune there.

Palaces were also built in Songcheng.

Empress Liu did not immediately refuse Zhao Zhen's request.

She recalled Song Xuan's words, especially since the Emperor himself didn't know either.

If you keep refusing, it will be easy for others to notice something amiss.

In particular, Zhao Zhen showed enough gentleness and filial piety to give her face.

Although the final step was ruined by that traitor Fang Zhonggong.

Even if he dies, he will still be completely blamed for this.

Furthermore, all the men in their family were exiled to Lingnan, and the women were forced into the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district).

"The emperor is a filial son."

Liu E carefully said:

"The late emperor has been gone for many years, and it is time to visit him. Since Your Majesty wishes to go, then ask the people of the Ministry of Rites to inquire about the time and details."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhao Zhen was overjoyed, but then felt he shouldn't be so happy, so he lowered his head to try and control his excitement.

He wanted to put on a show by shedding tears.

But the honest child had already used up all his strength just by lying.

At this moment, he was so excited that he could hardly stand.

The old eunuch beside the emperor quickly helped Zhao Zhen up, while Liu E glanced at Zhao Zhen but couldn't see anything wrong.

Just take it as his excitement at wanting to see his father.

"Your Majesty, the top scholar Song and Prefect Liu are requesting an audience outside."

Liu E was a little puzzled; why had the two of them come together?
Zhao Zhen pretended to wipe his sweat.

He knew about his twelfth brother's plan and would share his joy with him later.

"Your Majesty, I, Song Xuan, have a greeting?" Song Xuan blinked. "Your Majesty, I have a greeting."

Liu Congde also chimed in, saying, "We have met the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."

When he came to his senses, he realized that the official was indeed there.

Liu E waved her hand dismissively, saying that Song Xuan was definitely a royalist.

He should pay his respects to the official first; how could he then find fault with him?
Having painstakingly created a benchmark, Liu E was unwilling to abandon it.

Finding another minister as capable as Song Xuan, who is not so eager to return power to the emperor, is truly a rare find in this court.

Compared to Fan Zhongyan, Song Shou, and others, Song Xuan was definitely a "conservative".

Schrödinger's conservatives—that depends on whose perspective.

People tend to have very strong subjective assumptions about how they perceive others.

After offering them seats as usual, Empress Liu looked at the two of them and asked, "Is there something you need?" Song Xuan gave Liu Congde a look, signaling him to speak first.

"Your Majesty, your nephew wishes to accompany Twelfth Brother on a diplomatic mission to the Khitan to broaden his horizons."

Zhao Zhen was not surprised, because this was part of the established plan; taking Liu Congde away was to prevent any uncontrollable events from happening.

Liu E was somewhat surprised. In the past, when she asked Liu Congde to serve as an official in Hebei, he was too lazy to go and would often slack off and come back.

He hasn't gone back since last year and has been staying in Tokyo.

Now he actually wants to go and see the even more desolate Liao Kingdom. I really don't know what kind of bewitching potion Song Xuan gave him.

"A copy, are you really sure about this?"

"Your Majesty, I have indeed thought it through. I was a bit reckless before, but now I want to contribute to the Song Dynasty. I can't just collect so much salary for nothing and let people gossip behind my back."

Liu Congde's words truly delighted Liu E.

This nephew has grown up, he understands the importance of reputation, and he's starting to want to turn over a new leaf.

That would be great.

"Good good."

Liu E began praising Liu Congde, and she was overjoyed.

Zhao Zhen's smile was somewhat forced; he had never received such favor before, let alone any words of praise.

It's either criticism or restriction.

In short, it is extremely rare to hear Empress Liu praise Emperor Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen increasingly longed to see his biological mother.

Liu Congde kept laughing, saying that he was influenced by the top scholar Song, and that one becomes like the company of a person who is near vermilion.

After praising him to her heart's content, Liu E turned to Song Xuan and asked, "Scholar Song, do you also have something to ask of this old man?"

From an outsider's perspective, Song Xuan observed that Empress Liu treated Emperor Zhao Zhen and Emperor Liu Congde with completely different attitudes.

On the surface, if you said Liu Congde was his biological son, I guarantee some people would believe it.

"Your Majesty, I have actually come to ask you for three thousand Imperial Guards to protect us on our mission to the Khitan."

"Oh?"

The envoys of the Song Dynasty did not actually need to worry too much about their safety.

Traditionally, they would escort the soldiers to the border, bringing a small number of soldiers into Khitan territory, where they would be received by someone on the other side.

If a large number of troops are brought into the other side's territory, it would be seen as a deliberate provocation and could easily be misunderstood.

Zhao Zhen raised an eyebrow. Didn't his twelfth brother say he needed a thousand men?
Why did you change your mind and ask for 3,000 people now?
Could something have gone wrong in the middle?
Liu E looked at Song Xuan: "Three thousand people is not a small number, for a reason."

"I don't trust the Khitans."

Song Xuan said sternly and solemnly:

“My father-in-law told me that there was a group of Khitans within the Liao Kingdom who were very hostile to the Song Dynasty.”

"Because their family members died in the war against the Song Dynasty, especially the descendants of Xiao Talin."

"So I want to bring some people with me to protect me."

Empress Liu learned from her subordinates that Song Xuan had been assassinated, so she was extremely cautious while serving as an official in the capital city of Tokyo.

There were yamen runners clearing the way on both sides, preventing ordinary people from getting close easily.

It's understandable that when going to the Khitan, one would bring the Imperial Guards along.

But we can't start this.

If Song Xuan, with his volatile temper and military power, were to engage in conflict, it would be a matter of great importance to diplomatic relations.

As a conservative, Liu E was unwilling to see this happen.

“Song Zhuangyuan, the Khitans have always admired your poetry. If you go with them, they will surely welcome you with open arms.”

"They will naturally send people to protect you; there's no need to go to any extra trouble and cause unnecessary problems."

"The Empress's analysis is reasonable, but many Khitans have not been educated. Barbarians have always been savage, so we must be wary."

Song Xuan continued, "I sold a treasure to the Khitans for a million strings of cash. Some people may not be happy about it and may even seek revenge."

"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to allocate two thousand soldiers to bolster the military might of our Great Song Dynasty."

Liu E finally understood that Song Xuan wanted to go to the Khitans to show off his power.

For this reason, they did not hesitate to involve Liu Congde.

It's just the nature of a young person.

Two thousand people is too many.

Besides, how could a top scholar, who is not skilled in martial arts, command two thousand men?
They simply don't know how difficult it is to march and fight.

Although Liu E knew that the Khitans had requested the Song Dynasty to send troops to escort them in transporting their treasures, she did not want Song Xuan to take two thousand people with him.

The main reason was that he didn't trust Song Xuan; she was too good at causing trouble for him.

“Scholar Song, you can’t manage two thousand people.”

"A thousand people."

Song Xuan held up one finger: "Your Majesty, I want a thousand people."

Liu E shook her head again:
"I can only send a thousand men to escort you to the Song-Liao border. If so many people cross the river, the Khitans will become suspicious."

"Eight hundred."

Song Xuan gestured again: "I only need eight hundred people."

"Eight hundred?"

Liu E sized up Song Xuan, and after a long while:
"Scholar Song, don't look down on me because I'm uneducated. Eight hundred people are still too many."

"Your Majesty, eight hundred people are not enough."

Liu Congde muttered something under his breath, but after Liu E glanced at him, he immediately fell silent.

As for Zhao Zhen, he was also somewhat worried. Could it be that even 800 people wouldn't be enough?

"five hundred."

Song Xuan appeared somewhat dejected.

"two hundred."

Liu E looked at Song Xuan and knew his bottom line. She directly gave him three hundred men, saying, "I'll give you eight hundred and then give you a discount."

"three hundred?"

Song Xuan's voice was a bit high.

Liu E was certain that Song Xuan's bottom line was five hundred people.

With three hundred imperial guards protecting him, Song Xuan probably won't be able to cause any trouble no matter what he tries.

"What, you don't want to?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I am willing."

Seeing that she had Song Xuan under her control again, Liu E felt somewhat smug.

Liu Congde sighed, "Two hundred Imperial Guards as escorts is a bit too small a show."

Zhao Zhen was somewhat worried; a scale of two hundred people was far too small.

The First Lady must be retaliating against Twelfth Brother's behavior in the main hall.

"However, Your Majesty, I have one more small request."

Empress Liu found Song Xuan's pleading somewhat amusing:

"tell me the story."

"I wish to make the selection myself."

"Song Twelve, what exactly do you want to do?"

Song Xuan coughed:
“When I came into contact with the Khitans, they always talked about how good they were at hunting, so I wanted to select two hundred men skilled in archery and horsemanship to accompany me to Khitan.”

"At that time, we should hunt in the mountains and forests to show the Khitans that our Song soldiers should not be underestimated."

"This will serve as a deterrent to those petty individuals still remaining within the Khitan who wish to instigate war between the Song and Liao dynasties."

This thought surprised Liu E; so that was the reason.

"In that case, I will allow you to bring three hundred men as your guards."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Song Xuan's face lit up with joy: "Three hundred people it is."

Liu E enjoyed the feeling of having control over people.

In particular, he easily won Song Xuan's gratitude with just a flick of his wrist.

"Go find your father-in-law, Attendant-in-Ordinary Cao, and have him mediate between the parties."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Liu Congde also stood up.

Zhao Zhen also stood up and bowed; he wanted to go and see what was going on.

Liu E watched the three young people leave, then looked at Yang Huaimin standing to the side:
Are they all so eager to watch the spectacle?

"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

Yang Huaimin spoke up from the side:

"Even if young people encounter things that others find boring, they will find them interesting when they get together."

"Oh."

Liu E said she didn't understand, wondering how something so boring could become interesting.

As the Privy Councilor, Cao Liyong immediately notified all the generals in the palace to bring their skilled archers and horsemen to the training ground.

Warhorses and bows and arrows must be brought along.

In any case, inside the palace, in addition to warhorses, weapons and equipment were also carried with them.

Cao Liyong stood on the viewing platform, seemingly unhurried:
"Only three hundred people?"

"Well, I originally wanted three thousand people, but three hundred is fine with me."

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
"I'm not going to overthrow the Khitan rule from within; I'm just going to take a look and observe their fighting skills up close. It's much safer than going alone."

Cao nodded, not saying much, but offering words of comfort:
“Three hundred men it is, I will definitely pick out for you all those who can take on ten men each.”

"Thank you, father-in-law."

Song Xuan responded.

Three hundred people to protect themselves and watch the excitement should be enough.

A thousand people would be the safest bet, eight hundred would be good, and five hundred would be acceptable.

three hundred?

Three hundred people is three hundred people!
It's much better than having no one in command.

Song Xuan shook his head. It seemed that in the future, when he made demands of Liu E, he would have to raise them even higher.

This old woman doesn't play by the rules; she doesn't play subtraction with you, she goes straight for division.

Liu Congde complained from the side that three hundred people were far too few.

Zhao Zhen was also worried that three hundred men were too few.

If a large-scale rebellion were to occur within the Khitan as Twelfth Brother predicted, even these few people would find it difficult to protect themselves.

They're thousands of miles away; even if we wanted to rescue them, we couldn't get there in time.

But with Liu Congde there, Zhao Zhen couldn't ask him anything and could only signal with his eyes.

But Song Xuan didn't care at all, indicating that he didn't need to rush.

Upon hearing that it was the top scholar of the Song Dynasty who had come to select them, many imperial guards knew that it was a good opportunity and rushed over in droves.

Besides the sons of military families, there were quite a few people skilled in archery and horsemanship who served in the palace.

After all, elite troops from various regions were transferred into the Imperial Guard, to the point that the local armies were rotten to the core.

Many generals came up to the stage and reported to Cao Liyong that all those on duty that day were here.

Cao nodded, indicating that his son-in-law should speak for himself.

Song Xuan picked up the megaphone without any stage fright:

"Heroes, I, Song Xuan, am going on a mission to the Khitan. The Empress Dowager has granted me permission to select three hundred elite soldiers as my guards. My requirements are that they be skilled in archery and horsemanship and have the courage to fight ten men at once."

"If you don't meet these two criteria, you can naturally stand at the back first, so as not to waste everyone's time."

Provoked by Song Xuan's words, no one backed down. They all shouted, "Scholar Song, show us what a true hero is!"

Song Xuan's reputation had already spread far and wide; everyone knew that the top scholar Song was always generous with his money.

This mission to the Khitan will undoubtedly be a life of luxury.

Furthermore, the Khitans had given Song Zhuangyuan a million strings of cash. If Song Zhuangyuan shared a little of it, everyone would be able to eat and drink their fill.

Di Qing had already received the news. He and Wang Gui exchanged a glance, eager to see how the match would go.

Song Xuan didn't stand on ceremony and had the target placed a hundred paces away.

"Now there is only one test. There are a hundred paces to go. You need to ride your horses left and right and shoot arrows at the target within a distance of seventy paces to pass the first test."

The skill of mounted archery is very difficult to master.

Adding seventy steps would indeed make it a bit difficult.

It's usually fifty steps.

Some of the Imperial Guards began to whisper among themselves, realizing that it was indeed quite difficult.

Some even joked that if they found it too difficult, they should just back down to avoid losing face in front of Scholar Song, which would only make our Imperial Guards' reputation less than good in his eyes.

From now on, he will ask those local soldiers for help whenever he needs anything.

Most were eager to try, but some shouted:

"Scholar Song, seventy steps, isn't that too difficult?"

Song Xuan gestured for someone to bring up the bow and arrows, and then looked at the Imperial Guards watching in the drill ground and smiled:

"Brothers of the Imperial Guards, this observation platform is a hundred paces away from the target. If I can hit it with one arrow, that would be a strict requirement of seventy paces."

"If I miss, I'll lower my expectations, as you said, how about that?"

The numerous Imperial Guards soldiers naturally began to shout and cheer.

Whether he wins or not is irrelevant; the main thing is that I've never seen a top scholar who has won all three top honors in the imperial examinations still able to draw a strong bow, let alone hit a target a hundred paces away.

Cao Li stood with his hands behind his back, extremely confident in his son-in-law's archery skills.

However, the other generals were not convinced as to why Song Zhuangyuan would set such a difficult task for himself.

Could it be that he actually has a skill to show?
"He's a top scholar in the civil service exam, but not in the military exam. He's a hundred paces ahead."

"That's right, I've never heard of the top scholar Song being able to shoot arrows."

"I've heard that when we were besieging Wuyou Cave, Scholar Song personally charged into battle with his sword."

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

The Imperial Guards started discussing it, eager to see what Song Xuan had to offer.

Di Qing and Wang Gui exchanged a glance and loudly encouraged each other, "One more, one more!"

Prince Consort Wang Yiyong was initially unwilling to come, but he wanted to see what Cao Liyong was up to.

Although he had heard many of Song Xuan's "bad deeds," seeing Song Xuan uphold the normal rule of the Song Dynasty in the main hall improved his opinion of him considerably.

Although Wang Yiyong was grateful to Liu E, he did not want the Song Dynasty to change its surname and follow the old ways of the Wu Zhou Dynasty.

That would throw everything into chaos, and he wouldn't be able to become a prince consort then.

However, Wang Yiyong still had a very poor impression of Cao Liyong and looked down on him.

Therefore, out of hatred for the house, they also believed that Song Xuan's words were a blatant lie:

"This kid is boasting too much in front of so many elite Imperial Guards. Be careful not to be embarrassed."

Xia Song glanced at him: "You may take a good look, Your Highness."

He felt that Song Xuan would never say something he wasn't sure about in public, and he was very much looking forward to it.

"Hehe." Prince Consort Wang Yiyong just smiled mockingly.

Liu Congde whispered:

"Twelfth Brother, I can't even see the target clearly. Don't lose face in front of these Imperial Guards, or they'll take advantage of you."

Song Xuan ignored them and drew his bow, drawing everyone's attention.

A buzzing sound.

The arrow flew like a shooting star.

Benedict.

Amidst the intense attention of the crowd, the arrow struck the bullseye perfectly.

"The top scholar of the Song Dynasty shot an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces away, hitting the bullseye precisely."

The person reporting the target shouted a message.

Then someone carried a target and started running around the training ground to make sure everyone could see it clearly.

"His arrows hit the bullseye from a hundred paces away, my goodness!"

"The Song Dynasty's top scholar could shoot an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces?"

"I am not wrong, right."

Did you see that?

"I heard a whoosh, and the arrow was stuck in the target."

“I saw it very clearly.”

"The Song Dynasty's top scholar is a master archer!"

The imperial guards who came here from the drill ground were mostly skilled archers.

But unexpectedly, Song Xuan also possessed the archery skill to hit a target from a hundred paces away.

In the military, it's not enough to just have connections; you also need to have exceptional personal skills. Otherwise, people will only outwardly comply but inwardly resent you.

Cao Yong stroked his beard with a smile, his expression one of complete anticipation.

The surrounding generals showered him with praise.

Cao Liyong found it even more useful.

Although Zhao Zhen knew that Song Xuan was a skilled archer, this was the first time he had ever seen someone shoot from such a distance, especially one who was said to be able to hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces away.

He too had his mouth wide open, forgetting all about controlling his facial expressions.

Hearing about it is completely different from seeing it with your own eyes.

"My goodness!"

Liu Congde saw that the arrow had hit the target, and then heard someone in the distance report that the arrow had hit the target.

Could Song Xuan really hit the target?
That would make perfect sense if Fang Zhonggong had been kicked to death in the main hall!
Such skill was so great that even if all the Imperial Guards in the audience were to step forward and demonstrate their abilities, very few could hit a target from a hundred paces away.

Song Xuan laughed heartily a few times:

"My fellow Imperial Guards, if you're not satisfied, I can try shooting at the target through the square hole of a copper coin."

"what?"

Liu Congde had assumed that Song Xuan, being so capable, would know when to stop.

Unexpectedly, he added even more difficulty to his performance.

"it is good."

"Scholar Song, give me one!"

The people of the Song Dynasty naturally enjoyed watching a spectacle.

Especially in the military, the accuracy of archery is highly valued.

"Is there anyone brave enough to toss a coin over there for me?"

This time, the Imperial Guards were unusually silent.

What if Song Zhuangyuan was just lucky?

This kind of coin-tossing activity is extremely dangerous.

"I am willing."

Di Qing immediately stepped forward.

He took out a copper coin from his pocket and, without waiting for Song Xuan's reply, ran directly to the target.

Although Song Xuan showed some skill in archery, many people didn't see it clearly just now.

Everything happened so fast.

Song Xuan drew his bow and nocked an arrow again, and Di Qing, without saying a word, threw money directly onto the target.

A buzzing sound.

The arrow hit the target.

Everyone crowded around to check, and the copper coin was found nailed to the target.

There might have been a bit of wind just now, because the arrow didn't go all the way through the square hole, but instead stuck a little above it.

But this can be considered as passing.

"The Song Dynasty scholar's arrow passed through the square hole of the copper coin and hit the bullseye."

The person reporting the target shouted loudly again.

As a result, everyone had to believe that Song Xuan was truly capable, rather than just lucky.

"Good guy."

"I've truly seen something new today."

"Scholar Song is truly exceptional. Without exaggeration, there are probably few archers like him among our Imperial Guards."

"No wonder they set a distance of seventy steps; they must have that kind of strength."

The imperial guards murmured among themselves, "No wonder he's Cao Shizhong's son-in-law."

The story of kicking the treacherous minister to death in the main hall that day must be true.

How could someone draw a bow so effortlessly without any strength in their body?

Song Xuan handed the bow to the person beside him:
"Hey you, the one who threw the money, come here."

Di Qing obediently ran over:

"Scholar Song, I am Di Qing."

"Oh, it's you, Di Qing!"

"You once led the horse for this top scholar; you were quite bold to do that."

“I have always liked bold people, and you are the first one I selected from three hundred people.”

"Thank you, Scholar Song."

Di Qing immediately clasped his hands in thanks.

Song Xuan instructed the officials of the Privy Council to directly register Di Qing's name.

This caused great regret among many imperial guards.

I should have come up earlier; someone beat me to it.

Song Xuan directly instructed Di Qing to act on his behalf and observe whether these people were qualified.

Liu Congde looked at Song Xuan and naturally sensed that he was no ordinary person.

He really didn't expect that Song Xuan had such skills that he hadn't revealed them. Just how many abilities did he have hidden?
"Twelfth brother."

Zhao Zhen couldn't help but exclaim, "Your archery skills are truly amazing!"

Song Xuan chuckled:
"Your Majesty, I was just bluffing. If I were to mount a warhorse and shoot arrows, I couldn't shoot that far."

"Horseback archery is difficult."

Zhao Zhen nodded repeatedly, his face beaming with delight.

"But I think hitting a willow leaf from a hundred paces is even more difficult!"

“Exactly, exactly,” Liu Congde echoed.

As for the second arrow, it greatly boosted Cao Liyong's prestige.

Facing his subordinates, he waved his hands repeatedly, saying that his archery skills were terrible and that hitting the target at thirty paces was purely due to good luck.

Zhang Qi was used to Cao Li using his son-in-law to show off, but he was still quite surprised by Song Xuan's archery skills.

Deputy Privy Councilor Xia Song praised the still bewildered Wang Yiyong, saying:
"My lord, how is it?"

"The top scholar of the Song Dynasty was truly a divine archer!"

(End of this chapter)