A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 458 We'll Play a Little Trick
Cao Rui looked in the mirror and thought seriously for a while:
"Does my brother-in-law mean that from today onwards I should stop looking in the mirror, lest I secretly grieve and weep?"

Song Xuan: ???
"Forehead?"

He even gave a very helpless smile:
"Cousin, I reckon someone like you will never have internal conflicts in your life!"

Cao Rui nodded in agreement repeatedly:

"But what do you mean by internal strife?"

Seeing that Song Xuan didn't explain, he said, "But then again, how can a real man rely on his looks to make a living?"

"Anyway, the princess of our Great Song Dynasty is only of average appearance, not that... tsk."

When Cao Rui was young, he had unrealistic fantasies about marrying a princess.

However, ever since Cao Rui met the eldest princess of Ji, whose face was dark and who was fat (both dark-skinned and obese), he has been in a strange situation.

Upon hearing that the prince consort Li Zunxu had chosen to commit adultery with the princess's wet nurse, Cao Rui completely lost any romantic feelings about marrying a princess.

Li Zunxu had served as a Privy Councilor and was later transferred to a post outside the capital; the two had a superior-subordinate relationship.

It is said that he was the great-grandfather of Ji Gong.

Cao Rui glanced at Song Xuan again; his brother-in-law was quite handsome.

No wonder Mrs. Luo served him so attentively and made some witty remarks during the meal.

However, her brother-in-law seemed to look down on her, his tone distant.

In fact, in the Song Dynasty, it was quite normal for a maid to be given away so easily, even today.

Cao Rui clicked his tongue:
"But then again, a top scholar like my brother-in-law, with such a handsome face, is bound to attract many young ladies."

Song Xuan shook his head:
"It seems that my cousin still prefers to enjoy the pleasures of wine, women, wealth, and power in the present moment, and doesn't care much about the distant future or his strong body."

"No, I care a lot!"

Cao Rui clenched his fists, his face grave, and said:
"Brother-in-law, can I have both of these?"

"I bother!"

Song Xuan rolled his eyes in exasperation:

"Cousin, you should sleep more during the day and daydream more."

"Hahaha."

Cao Rui, a seasoned veteran, didn't care at all.

He even felt that Song Xuan's lack of profanity showed his good manners.

No wonder he was the top scholar who passed all three levels of the imperial examinations!
Cao Rui knew that this idea was somewhat unrealistic, but it was human nature to want it all!
"I wonder if my brother-in-law has any methods he can teach me?"

Even if I had it, I wouldn't tell you.

Song Xuan directly refused:
"With my cousin's personality, he wouldn't do such a thing. Instead, he would turn around and blame me. So I'd rather not say anything to avoid needlessly ruining our relationship."

After all, it's not easy to find a local doctor to treat this kind of thing, otherwise it would have been spread around long ago.

The soldiers guarding Zhao Prefecture were men of honor, men who cared about their reputation!

This is something that can't be talked about outsiders.

Song Xuan is different; he's family, and someone just passing by, so he definitely won't tell anyone.

Most importantly, don't say it in Zhao Prefecture!
This was such a good opportunity for a cure; Cao Rui dared not miss it.

So when faced with Song Xuan's... well, you know, Cao Rui immediately started pleading and begging, and then closed the door so that no outsiders would hear.

As Song Xuan listened to Cao Rui's description, he felt that his ears were a little dirty.

What kind of gameplay is this? How did he discover it?
As Song Xuan sipped his tea, he was filled with a mix of emotions.

Sure enough, when men reach their thirties or forties, many are unwilling to admit that their physical functions decline.

"Brother-in-law, please tell me."

"If I tell you that you can't do it, then it's all for nothing."

“That’s not necessarily true!” Cao Rui said firmly. “Tell me if you don’t believe me.”

"Can you give up both alcohol and women?"

Faced with Song Xuan's question, Cao Rui's lips twitched slightly. He paused for a moment:
"Can I quit drinking starting today?"

"No."

"Fine!" Cao Rui said through gritted teeth.

"I'll abstain from sex starting the day after tomorrow, is that alright?"

Song Xuan sized him up: "What, are you planning to stay in bed for the next three days and two nights, after taking your medicine, and have sex with Luo Shi several times?"

"vulgar!"

Cao Rui, having his thoughts read, had no choice but to speak:
"You're supposed to be the top scholar in the imperial examinations, how can you speak so rudely?"

"Feel sorry."

Song Xuan spread his hands and said:
"Given your current physical condition, I'm afraid you're willing but unable to do anything and can only rely on waiting for the medication to take effect."

Cao Rui's thoughts were exposed.

Even the most shameless veterans have become warm-hearted.

What normal man could bear such "humiliation"?
"If you can do it, you can do it; if you can't, you can't."

Song Xuan chuckled lightly: "This kind of illness can't be cured by just being stubborn."

Cao Rui was anxious and uneasy. He wanted to refute, but for the sake of his own happy life, he could only helplessly dance wildly in the air.

He relaxed for a moment, then slumped heavily into the chair.
"Brother-in-law, I give up! Your words are so hurtful!"

"What does it matter if I hurt someone? It's nothing compared to the serious injuries you've caused to my body."

Song Xuan poured him a cup of tea:

“Cousin, it’s only because we’re close that I’m patiently giving you advice.”

"As for the rest, do you think I'm going to waste my breath on them?"

"Yes Yes Yes."

Cao Rui was well aware that Song Xuan had already given him a lot of face.

"Brother-in-law, do you have any ideas on how to save me?"

Song Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Your body is too weak right now, and ordinary medicines simply can't stimulate it."

"Yeah."

"Therefore, you will need at least a year to recuperate and allow your body to recover on its own before you can receive targeted treatment with medication."

Song Xuan held up his finger: "You need at least a year to give up alcohol and sex."

"One year!"

Cao Rui jumped up immediately:
"That's way too long, it's going to kill me."

Song Xuan didn't say anything, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and just held it there.

"Hey, hey, hey."

Cao Rui quickly and obediently sat down again:
"Brother-in-law, just tell me what to do, I'll do it! I definitely will!"

As the saying goes, illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is like pulling silk from a cocoon.

Song Xuan then put down the tea:

"If my cousin wants to recover well, he has to be willing to make sacrifices."

"If you indulge in momentary pleasures, you'll never have a chance to climb to the top, because even if you were given the opportunity, you wouldn't be able to use it."

Cao Rui nodded and said:

"I'm not a very strong-willed person. Even if I could resist, Luo Shi is no pushover either. She competes with my wife for my affection at home. Otherwise, I wouldn't have kicked her out."

Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice, thinking that Luo was indeed no pushover.

However, she does possess some skill and beauty, enough to make Cao Rui so infatuated.

"In that case, favoring a concubine over one's wife is unacceptable."

"That's true, but I always feel a little itchy inside."

Song Xuan began to speak:

"A true man should be decisive when necessary; otherwise, hesitation will ruin a great opportunity."

"Let your sister-in-law make a scene about this, then give them some money and send them to places like Kaifeng to live, away from Zhao Prefecture."

Cao Rui nodded and said, "I won't go home tonight. I'll have my wife make a scene tomorrow."

"Tsk."

Song Xuan gestured for Cao Rui to get lost.

Cao Rui stood up: "Brother-in-law, wait for my good news."

Song Xuan wasn't in a hurry to leave; he was waiting to go and see what was going on tomorrow.

If Cao Rui can change, then let him off the hook. If he doesn't, then let his father-in-law impeach him and get rid of him.

To avoid leaving such a huge problem unresolved, which could easily cause trouble.

Yelü Zhigu is still not used to his severed arm, but the pain there keeps him awake at night.

The thought of a tiger pouncing on him, its stench filling him with waves of despair.

I was so scared that I lost control of my bladder, and that's no exaggeration.

It's quite brave of him not to excrete and urinate at the same time.

Seeing that his son's condition had stabilized, Yelü Gou'er couldn't bring himself to lose his temper with Song Xuan, his savior.

In his desperation to save his son, he was slapped by a tiger's claw. Fortunately, he dodged in time and only had a piece of flesh torn off by the tiger's claw.

It's a dull ache now, but it's nothing serious.

"woke up?"

Yelü Gou'er sent someone to invite Song Xuan over so that he could examine his son's pulse again.

"father."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Yelü Gou'er quickly waved his hand and said:
"Take good care of your injuries and return to Khitan. Only then will you be able to occupy a high position in the future. With this merit, becoming an official would be excellent."

Yelü Zhigu regrets it now, but it's too late. He just doesn't like Song Xuan and mocks him for being cowardly. Now he needs Song Xuan's medical skills to save him.

He felt like his heart was being pricked by needles.

This feeling was awful, but Yelü Zhigu didn't want to die.

It's very contradictory.

Faced with the tiger's attack, he can only feel grateful to be alive.

Song Xuan didn't refuse, but wanted to see if the Khitans could pull through, since there were no anti-inflammatory drugs available at the moment.

What an excellent case study!

Yelü Gou'er changed his arrogant attitude and asked Song Xuan to treat his son.

Song Xuan was quite considerate of the feelings of the patient's family, and simply took their pulse from the side.

"good."

The two strolled outside for a while to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"May I ask, what do you mean by 'not bad,' Scholar Song?"

It means neither good nor bad.

Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice: "Your son managed to escape from the jaws of death; he's bound to have good fortune in the future!"

Yelü Gou'er could understand the meaning of these words:
"So, does that mean my son can recover?"

"Fortunately, we are heading further and further north. If we had stayed in one place, the weather would have gotten hotter and hotter, and if the wound had festered, even Hua Tuo himself would have been unable to save it."

Song Xuan also told Yelü Gou'er that as long as there was no pus or fever, it was fine.

If placed in a cool place to the north, the chances of survival are extremely high.

Hearing Song Xuan's words of comfort, Yelü Gou'er finally felt relieved.

Yelü Gou'er originally intended to display his bravery and humiliate the Song people, but instead, his side suffered heavy losses, which was a disastrous outcome.

If Yelü Gou hadn't insisted on his own way, how could his son have been in such a dangerous situation?

Hearing Song Xuan's diagnosis, he asked, "Then we should hurry on our way?"

"There's no need to be in such a hurry."

Song Xuan shook his head slightly:

"His body is still weak and he needs proper rest and recuperation. Traveling will also be tiring. When he arrives in Zhongjing, he will probably need to stay in a cool room."

"Alright, alright." Yelü Gou'er nodded repeatedly: "I'll follow your lead from now on."

"There's no need to say that," Song Xuan waved his hand.

"In short, this is not the situation I wanted to see. The court has already punished me with a fine for not dissuading you in time."

Yelü Gou'er was surprised that the Song court was quite responsible, and the punishment was carried out so quickly.

“Once we return to Zhongjing, I, Yelü Gou’er, will repay Song Zhuangyuan’s fine tenfold.”

Yelü Gou'er said solemnly, "My Yelü family will always repay kindness."

"Let's hope things go smoothly."

Song Xuan said he didn't care, but then implied something:
"Yelü Gou'er, the person doesn't matter, the key is that treasure, you must keep it safe."

"The journey is long and there can't be the slightest bump or knock, otherwise all the preparations over the years will be for nothing."

Yelü Gou'er nodded, but didn't say anything more.

Song Xuan turned and left. When he returned to his room, Liu Congde was fiddling with a thumb ring.

"Twelfth Brother, this is not bad."

Song Xuan reached out and took the trapezoidal thumb ring, slipping it onto his hand:

"You don't practice archery, so of course you're not interested in it."

"If I were to shoot a hundred arrows in a row, this would save me a lot of energy and prevent me from scraping my fingers by pulling them back too quickly."

"Shoot a hundred arrows in succession?"

Liu Congde said with considerable surprise:
"I heard that among the Imperial Guards, a skilled archer is one who can shoot thirty arrows in one go and hit half of them at sixty paces."

"Only one hundred arrows."

Song Xuan twirled his thumb ring:
“When I was hunting those days, even if I didn’t shoot that many, I would still practice my skills by shooting at the target with my bow.”

Liu Congde was somewhat taken aback. When he served as the prefect, he had some knowledge of archers.

That's a money-devouring beast.

If the 12th brother shoots more than 120 arrows upwards, the value of an entire cow will be lost.

Even the imperial court couldn't afford to support too many archers.

Moreover, archers' salaries are higher than those of ordinary soldiers.

Conducting multiple rounds of arrow barrages on the battlefield is truly expensive; most of the time, the arrow shafts need to be retrieved and the arrowheads reloaded to minimize losses.

"Twelfth Brother, I've also looked into your family. Before you passed the imperial examination, were you really able to afford to practice archery?"

In response to Liu Congde's question, Song Xuan laughed heartily:
“I ran two cold drink shops in my hometown since I was a child, and I made a little money, so cultivating some hobbies is something I can support.”

"Well, I see."

Liu Congde nodded.

Such an expensive hobby is not something that ordinary people dare to practice.

The cost of training archers is not low.

It seems that Song Xuan's cold drink is quite delicious.

Otherwise, why would so many people buy it in the countryside?

"A few days ago, I thought that Twelfth Brother was going to shoot that tiger himself."

Liu Congde looked at the arrow baskets placed to the side and said, "The miserable state of the Khitans really frightened me."

“I’m not confused. Even though the timing, location, and people aren’t in my favor, I still need to go and get that tiger.”

Song Xuan sighed softly:

"Before I had control of the army, I always fantasized about conquering that city without suffering any casualties."

"But after I took control of this small army of four hundred men, I discovered that they were not just numbers, but living, breathing people."

"With parents, a wife and children, and three or five close friends, this commander-in-chief is not someone anyone can do."

Liu Congde didn't understand Song Xuan's words, but he subconsciously felt that Song Xuan was kind-hearted.

When it comes to war, how could a general not fight just because he's worried about his men losing their lives?
Song Xuan simply sighed:
"But when it really comes to that, the order still needs to be given."

"That's true." Liu Congde chuckled.
“Twelfth Brother is a civil official, destined to become prime minister. How could he possibly become a commander?”

Song Xuan smiled but didn't say anything more.

The next day, the soldiers of Zhao Prefecture, who were guarding Cao Rui's wife, indeed went to catch them in the act of adultery, causing quite a stir.

To eliminate the negative impact, Cao Rui had no choice but to spend money to send the couple away, just like Pan Jinlian and Wu Dalang, to a new county town to start a new life.

Song Xuan gave Cao Rui some medical instructions, and said that he would take Cao Rui's pulse again when he returned to confirm the next steps of treatment.

For this reason, Sister-in-law Cao specially thanked Song Xuan and sent him some silk, which would be useful when it reached the Khitans.

This item was considered a form of hard currency within the territory of the Khitan people.

The group continued their journey until they reached the territory of the Tianxiong Army.

Chen Yaozi was demoted and ended up in this place.

Many people were working on the city wall, perhaps they had already seen Song Xuan.

Chen Yaozi felt even more agitated. When he was demoted, not a single person saw him off; everyone wanted to avoid him.

He corresponded with his second brother and learned a great deal about Song Xuan's deeds. He then realized that he might never be able to return to Tokyo to serve as an official.

This made him even more resentful of Song Xuan.

Seeing Song Xuan leading the delegation past, Chen Yaozi, leaning on the top of the city wall, saw Song Xuan looking back and angrily slapped the crenellations of the city wall.

But there was nothing he could do, and his palms started to hurt.

Why is the progress so slow?

As soon as Chen Yaozi glared at them, the soldiers beside him immediately grabbed large sticks and started beating the officials and civilians.

The screams of the people came from the city wall, and Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice.

When we have time to rest, we'll impeach Chen Laosan.

Since he's been given leverage, he might as well play the prank. He's just handing over a handle to be used against him, probably because he's afraid his second brother is pulling strings in the court to get him transferred back to Tokyo.

News from the Song Dynasty was relayed to Zhongjing (the capital city).

Yelü Longxu opened the letter and read it carefully. He never expected that Yelü Gou'er and others would go hunting tigers in Song territory and be injured by them.

This loss of face made Yelü Longxu very unhappy.

Yelü Gou'er's primary mission was to escort the treasure to Zhongjing, not to hunt tigers to demonstrate his bravery.

Yelü Gou'er is not as good as his father, Yelü Xiezhen.

In his childhood, Yelü Longxu, with the Empress Dowager as witness, exchanged bows and arrows and saddles with Yelü Xiezhen, becoming sworn brothers. After Yelü Longxu's death, Yelü Longxu took good care of his son.

Unexpectedly, Yelü Gou'er was so clueless that he couldn't even handle such a small matter.

"Confused!"

Yelü Longxu threw the letter on the ground:
"madness!"

Empress Xiao Pusa thoughtfully picked it up; after all, it was a gift from the Song Dynasty, and she wanted to take a good look at it.

After she finished reading it, she comforted her:
"Your Majesty, please do not blame me. As long as that treasure is unharmed, that's all that matters."

"Hmph, if anything goes wrong with that treasure, I won't let him off the hook."

Since falling ill, Yelü Longxu's health has not improved and his temper has become increasingly irritable.

Brother Xiao Bodhisattva offered his advice for quite a while longer:
"I heard that one of the Song people's deputy envoys this time is named Song Xuan, who is the top scholar in the imperial examination. This treasure was seized from the bandits by him."

"Ah."

Yelü Longxu nodded.

Yelü Shucheng had sent him all the information he had found about Song Xuan in the capital city, whether it was true or false.

"If the Yellow River hadn't suddenly flooded, causing many disaster victims, this person might not have brought out the Tang Dynasty's most precious treasures for auction."

"Yes, this shows that the Yellow River in the Central Plains favors the Great Khitan and stands on His Majesty's side."

Xiao Pusa's words calmed Yelü Longxu's anger somewhat, and he couldn't help but feel smug.

This concept of destiny also had a large following among the Khitan nobility.

Consort Xiao Nujin, who was standing to the side, felt extremely indignant upon hearing her brother Xiao Pusa's words.

For so many years, she has always regarded Brother Xiao as a thorn in her side, wishing she could replace him!
However, to outsiders, Yelü Longxu and Xiao Pusa were a perfect match, while Xiao Nujin, with his dark complexion and wolf-like eyes, was indeed not pleasing.

She initially entered the palace as a maid, but under the orders of Empress Dowager Xiao Chuo, Yelü Longxu was forced to share a room with her.

Perhaps it was because he blew out the lamp and removed the candle at night that Yelü Longxu felt better, and then he really gave birth to a son.

In the Liao Dynasty, only the empress's son could become the crown prince and inherit the throne. Xiao Nujin thought his opportunity had come.

However, Yelü Longxu simply gave his son to Xiao Pusa to raise, thus elevating Xiao Nujin's status, and that was the end of it.

The sight of this happy family of three truly disgusted Xiao Nujin.

Xiao Nujin couldn't understand why His Majesty would dote on a woman who had an affair with another man so much!
As empress, her inability to bear a son was her greatest dereliction of duty, and she should have been deposed long ago.

"Since those Song people are quite arrogant, why not let the Prince of Yan lead troops to intimidate them and escort the treasures all the way to Zhongjing? This would put His Majesty at ease."

Brother Xiao Bodhisattva offered a very constructive suggestion:
"After all, Yelü Gou'er's son is seriously injured. If he dies, I'm afraid we won't be able to take care of him."

"King Yan?"

Yelü Longxu narrowed his eyes slightly as he pondered.

Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan was the younger brother of Xiao Nujin, and thus the emperor's brother-in-law.

He has a kind and gentle personality and is highly valued by Yelü Longxu. He is now serving as the garrison commander of Nanjing and the chief military commander.

Xiao Nujin listened to her brother Xiao Pusa recommend her younger brother, and although she was disgusted by how she deliberately tried to curry favor and make others feel indebted to her, she still felt disgusted.

But Xiao Nujin said, "Your Majesty can trust him."

Xiao Nujin desperately wanted his younger brothers to live up to his expectations.

This would allow them to gain more initiative in the court.

Ever since learning that His Majesty was ill, Xiao Nujin had been hoping day and night that the emperor would pass away soon. After his son ascended the throne, he would definitely kill Xiao Pusa to vent his anger!

Faced with Xiao Nuojin's agreement, Brother Xiao Pusa simply smiled and didn't say anything more.

"Okay, let's do it that way."

Yelü Longxu then asked Xiao Pusa to write an imperial edict for him.

He ordered Xiao Xiaomu to go to the border ten miles away to receive the treasure, and to intimidate the Song Dynasty envoy, reminding him to be tactful and avoid causing any misunderstanding with the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty had to deploy troops on the border, but the Khitans disdained to do so.

They were confident that the Song people would not launch an attack on their own initiative.

Xiao Xiaomu was appointed as the garrison commander of Nanjing (near Beijing). After receiving the emperor's edict, he was to demonstrate the bravery of the Khitans to the Song Dynasty envoys, but also to do so with discretion.

Even though Xiao Xiaomu was always upright and cautious, and strictly adhered to etiquette, he still found the Emperor's request somewhat difficult to handle.

This was the first time since the Song and Liao dynasties signed an alliance that they would display their bravery in front of the Song people.

Normally, there's no need for such a thing.

Why did the Heavenly Emperor start acting so willfully after learning of His Majesty's illness?
To demonstrate his loyalty, Xiao Xiaomu sent his eldest son to the emperor's side to serve as a playmate for Crown Prince Yelü Zongzhen.

He raised his second son and eldest daughter, Xiao Tali (Empress of Yelü Zongzhen), by his side.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"His Majesty has given some instructions."

Xiao Xiaomu looked at his daughter with a smile on her face, making no attempt to hide her mention of court affairs.

According to the traditions of the Khitan royal family, his daughter had a very high probability of entering the palace.

It is perfectly normal for an aunt's son to marry his niece.

Xiao Xiaomu's younger brother, Xiao Xiaozhong, even married his sister Xiao Nujin's daughter.

Xiao Xiaozhong's daughter married Xiao Nujin's grandson and became empress.

In any case, the bloodline of the Liao royal family became purer and purer in the later period!
Xiao Xiaomu believed that if his daughter entered the palace and became empress, and gave birth to an heir who would become emperor, it would be an honor for the family.

"Oh?" Xiao Tali has also become quite beautiful now:
"let me see."

She took the imperial edict and examined it carefully; the difficulty in this matter lay in striking the right balance.

What are your thoughts, Father?

"I can't think of a good solution for this right now."

Xiao Tali put down the imperial edict in her hand and paced back and forth in the room. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks:
"Father, in my opinion, we should choose a place to hide, and then suddenly send out ten thousand cavalry, covering the sky and the sun, and stop abruptly about three miles away from the Song people."

"With such uniformity and an endless number of over ten thousand, the Song people must have never seen so many cavalry."

Xiao Tali said with a smile:

"That top scholar from the Song Dynasty is famous for his poetry. He must be very afraid of our Khitan cavalry. He might just turn the reins and run away."

"In this way, Father has fulfilled His Majesty's instructions. The Song people fled on their own, so Father is not to blame."

"But their sudden appearance might mean something's wrong."

Xiao Xiaomu still considered the possibility of peace between the Song and Liao dynasties.

If a conflict were to occur, he, as the one left behind in Nanjing, would be on the front lines.

His Majesty is currently unwell and is particularly worried that the young emperor of the Song Dynasty will launch a war against the Great Khitan after ascending the throne.

Because these young people are all ambitious and believe that the world should revolve around them.

Xiao Xiaomu was actually somewhat resentful that His Majesty had stirred up trouble again, and that his sister hadn't even offered any advice.
"Father has just returned from suppressing the rebellion. Our Great Khitan cannot kill the Song envoys, so let's kill a few prisoners to intimidate them."

Xiao Tali had his hands behind his back, and the toes of one foot were sticking up:

"I suppose that Scholar Song has never seen such a welcoming ceremony before, and he must be vomiting uncontrollably."

Xiao Xiaomu thought for a long time before making a decision:

"Let's do it your way."

"Someone, bring me a map."

Xiao Tali also walked over and looked at the map, thinking for a while: "Father, why don't we stay here?"

"Here?" Xiao Xiaomu looked at the map.

"Yes, there is a Henggou River fifteen miles away before they cross the Baigou River and enter Zhuozhou City."

"There are small hills here that block the view, so we can ambush them here and wait for their men to appear."

"It can certainly come out and scare people, while avoiding close contact between the two sides and a real fight."

"Hmm, not bad." Xiao Xiaomu nodded repeatedly: "You've thought things through very well."

Xiao Tali stretched out his hand and said with a grin:
"However, before that, we still need to play a little trick."

"What little trick?"

"We still need to deceive them a little first, so that my plan can succeed and I can successfully fulfill His Majesty's instructions to Father."

"When word gets out, it will greatly enhance the prestige of our Great Khitan, and incidentally, it will also curb the arrogance of the Song people!"

Xiao Tali put his hands behind his back and spoke smugly.

What are we trying to fool them about?

Xiao Xiaomu is capable of going to war, but he has never done this kind of thing before, and he is really afraid that he will not be able to grasp the right measure.

Therefore, we must ask questions carefully to avoid any mistakes.

What Your Majesty wants is to demonstrate your power, not to actually kill the Song envoys.

Xiao Xiaomu knew that there had been very few scholars who had achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations, having won the top three prizes in the imperial examinations.

Wang Zeng, the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, was a man who had passed the imperial examinations three times in a row, and he could imagine Song Xuan's future position.

Xiao Tali understood His Majesty's intention: to frighten Song Xuan when he was young so that when he ascended to a high position and formulated national policies, he would still feel fear towards the Khitans.

They would not easily break the alliance between the Song and Liao dynasties, so that a century of peace could be achieved.

"Although Zhuozhou was the ancestral home of the Zhao Song emperors, it had long been seized by our great Khitan, so they falsely claimed to be people from elsewhere."

Xiao Tali pointed here: "Father has just quelled the rebellion, but many members of the Zubu tribe still fled south and are being pursued."

Xiao Xiaomu nodded in agreement.

There's nothing wrong with this route. Back then, Emperor Taizong of Song fled from Youzhou to Zhuozhou in a lame donkey cart, but he didn't dare to stop and continued south.

The Song envoy also took this route at this time, and there was not much difference.

"Let's do it this way for now."

"Father, take me with you then. I want to see if the Song envoy will be so scared that he wets his pants, just as His Majesty said."

Xiao Tali did not believe that a southerner would be able to remain calm and not be terrified when faced with an army that could cover the sky.

"That's okay."

Xiao Xiaomu felt that although his daughter was interested in some Han books, she was not friendly enough to the local Han people in Yanyun.

If I were to enter the palace in the future, I would inevitably have to deal with the relationships with Han officials and learn to make use of them.

Otherwise, the imperial court would not have treated the people of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun according to Han Chinese laws in order to make them serve the Great Khitan.

At this moment, Song Xuan stood by the Baigou River, feeling somewhat sentimental.

When the Jurchens conquered Tokyo, they captured countless people and forced them to cross this river. Many of them died here, unwilling to cross.

Currently, the territory opposite is still Khitan territory, while the Jurchens are still a vassal army and have not yet risen to power.

However, rebellions frequently occurred. At this time, Song Xuan still wanted to contact the Jurchens and sabotage the Khitans from behind as a means of control.

This was also a consistent tactic of the Song Dynasty; as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

However, no one expected that the Jurchens would be able to swallow up the Khitans and strengthen themselves.

Yelü Gou'er's mood improved significantly, just as a ship approached from the opposite direction.

He shouted orders, commanding the men to row faster.

"Twelfth Brother, once we cross the river, we'll be in Khitan territory."

Lü Gongbi, upon assuming the throne, remarked with emotion:

"The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were most likely to be recovered during the reign of Emperor Taizong, but unfortunately, he was too hasty."

"Don't say that. Emperor Taizong was good at politics, but not at military affairs."

"Otherwise, after destroying the Later Han, they would rush over in a hurry, only thinking about launching a fierce attack, without even having a battle plan to meet the Khitan reinforcements."

Song Xuan didn't want to comment anymore:
"After the Battle of Gaoliang River, his spirits were dampened, and he began to study battle formations."

Lü Gongbi nodded.

Many Song people shared this sentiment when faced with the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

Everyone felt that the longer the delay lasted, the slimmer the hope of recapture would become.

Facing the enemy's advance, Tokyo had no strategic buffer zone whatsoever.

The opposing side could directly rush down and even sever Tokyo's connections with other places.

Without a large influx of supplies to support the capital, Tokyo would struggle to sustain its million inhabitants. A prolonged siege could lead to cannibalism within the city.

In particular, Lü Gongbi had heard about Emperor Taizong's battle formation from his father.

Song Xuan knew this, presumably because of his father-in-law.

Looking at the river, Lü Gongbi was quite moved:

"Twelfth Brother, do you think we still have a chance to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun?"

Song Xuan glanced at him: "Hard to say!"

"Hard to say?"

Lü Gongbi blinked, unsure how to respond.

It's hard to say whether those two words remained on the south bank, as they crossed to the north bank by boat.

Yelü Gou'er and his men were quite excited to stand once again on the land of the Liao Dynasty.

The two Khitan guards, especially those stationed at the Kaifeng County government office, shouted and yelled loudly.

Being in the Kaifeng County Government Office was like being in prison; aside from eating there, they couldn't even think about sightseeing.

Sang Yi also learned some Khitan language from them, all for the sake of facilitating communication.

He jumped ashore with his apprentice, Guo En.

This was Guo En's first time traveling far from home and entering Khitan territory, and he was filled with curiosity.

However, these Khitan boatmen did not shave their heads like the two Khitans in the county government office.

"Master, why do these Khitans have the same hair as us?"

“These people are local Han Chinese, just like us.”

Sang Yi had a sword hanging at his waist, and his iron whip was placed on the auxiliary soldier's cart.

"Oh."

Guo En nodded. He had thought that once he entered Khitan territory, everyone would have those ugly hairstyles.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were highly autonomous under the Liao Dynasty, making it impossible for them to shave their heads and change their customs.

The Khitans also used this to distinguish the lowly status of the "Han people"!
Their hairstyles were no different from those of the Song Dynasty.

Only a few local powerful clans had officials who served the Khitans.

In order to better please the Khitan royal family and integrate into the ruling class, they voluntarily imitated Khitan customs, such as changing their hairstyles.

Such a phenomenon of assimilation into non-Han cultures is quite normal.

However, some local Han Chinese families were unwilling to imitate the customs of the Khitans and still maintained the hairstyles of the Han people from the Tang and Song dynasties.

The murals in the Liao Dynasty tombs in Xuanhua depict the tomb owner, his family, and servants all wearing Han Chinese hairstyles and clothing.

Their son was even granted the privilege of marrying a woman from the Yelü clan, as a model of goodwill between the Khitan and Han people.

Upon hearing the news from the Khitans, Yelü Gou'er learned that remnants of the Zubu tribe had escaped the main force's pursuit, and that they needed to be careful.

"Where is the garrison commander of Zhuozhou City?"

Yelü Gou'er's expression was serious:

"With only four or five hundred Song soldiers, there is absolutely no hope of victory. If anything goes wrong with the treasure, even your suicide will not be enough to atone for His Majesty's sins."

"Reporting to the Southern Chancellor, they have all followed the Prince of Yan to search for the Zubu tribe."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Gou'er became truly anxious.

We must hope that no problems arise within the Song Dynasty's territory, but instead, problems occur within the territory of our Great Khitan due to some thieves.

Ultimately, Yelü Gou'er had absolutely no trust in the Song soldiers under Song Xuan's command.

When this group of people encountered the tiger, none of them shouted that they wanted to kill it; they all seemed ready to run away quickly.

If things continue like this, how could they possibly have the courage to confront these remnants of the Zubu tribe?

Lü Demao stroked his beard, pondering for a moment:
“Prime Minister, we still need to inform Song Xuan about this matter. In my opinion, those soldiers don’t really listen to Envoy Han.”

"If something suddenly happens, they might ride away on horseback, leaving us behind."

"Our Khitan guards suffered heavy losses and were simply unable to resist."

Yelü Gou'er had always known that Xiao Xiaomu was an extremely cautious person:
"We should stay in Zhuozhou City and wait for reinforcements to ensure that we are safe."

"It's still a hundred li to Zhuozhou City from here."

Lü Demao shook his head: "We can't possibly be like Emperor Taizong of Song, fleeing two or three hundred miles in one night to reach Zhuozhou City."

This event is not recorded in the Song Dynasty, but it is recorded in the Liao Dynasty.

People like Lü Demao believed that the account here was an exaggeration, intended to humiliate Emperor Taizong of Song.

After all, how could a lame donkey cart possibly travel 300 li in the night?

Riding a warhorse for three hundred li (approximately 150 kilometers) could potentially kill the horse.

The donkey, and it's a damn lame one at that.

How can it be!

Yelü Gou'er now suspects that the news has been leaked.

This is the reason why the Great Khitan increased taxes.

As a result of the tax increase, quite a few tribes did indeed rebel.

These people are now plotting to destroy this treasure, which Yelü Gou'er will absolutely not allow.

So when Song Xuan stopped to rest, he saw Yelü Gou'er arrive in a hurry.

"problem occurs!"

Song Xuan was taken aback upon hearing this. Could it be that the glass treasure had really developed a crack?
Once outside the territory of the Song Dynasty, he won't provide warranty service.

"What's wrong that makes you so flustered?"

Song Xuan loosened the reins of his warhorse:
"We're already within the Liao Kingdom's territory, what problems could possibly arise here?"

"There is a rebellion!"

The anxiety on Yelü Gou'er's face didn't seem fake.

"broken."

Song Xuan subconsciously opened his mouth and uttered those two words.

Damn it, I dawdled all the way here, thinking I'd miss the excitement if I arrived early, but it turns out I'm still late.

"Isn't it broken?"

Yelü Gou'er waved his arms:

"We must hurry to Zhuozhou City and wait for reinforcements to avoid any mistakes. The safety of this hundred-mile treasure depends on you."

"We're already inside Khitan territory." Song Xuan's expression changed. "Have all the Khitan troops been wiped out?"

(End of this chapter)