Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 450 Yelu Hongji’s plan to drive the tiger to devour the wolf!

Ever since the Ming Dynasty destroyed the Western Xia, the Liao army stopped attacking the Song Dynasty, which made the Song Dynasty breathe a sigh of relief. Zhao Xu also knew that this was the best time to make adjustments, so he immediately went north from Yingtian Prefecture and returned to Bianliang.

This kind of courage inspired all the officials in the court, and the frustration of the country's impending demise was swept away. During this period, everyone worked together to collect food and grass, recruit soldiers, and promote young generals. They also promoted pro-war officials within the court, which temporarily changed the previous decadent atmosphere and even stopped the internal fighting.

After all, everyone knew that if the fighting continued, the country would be destroyed and no one would benefit. Under such circumstances, the Song Dynasty, which had lost half of its territory, actually regained a certain degree of vitality.

Of course, this was the case in the imperial court, but the common people suffered. Not only did taxes suddenly increase drastically, but a large number of young people were also conscripted into the army.

However, the people never had room to resist, and no one spoke for them, because at this time, everyone knew that if the country was destroyed, no one would be able to escape good fortune, so let the people suffer a little longer.

Zhao Xu's mind was naturally not on the people. During this period, the court quickly recruited hundreds of thousands of troops, which were sent to Hebei to confront the Liao army on the border. They even planned to take back the cities that had been captured by the Liao army.

Zhao Xu was lying on the desk. His expression and posture seemed calmer than before, but his body was thinner and there was a sickly flush on his face.

He was in poor health, had a very heavy workload recently, and was extremely emotional, so he looked a little scary.

There were hurried footsteps outside, and then a eunuch appeared. The eunuch bowed as soon as he entered the door with excitement and said, "Your Majesty! Minister Cheng has returned from his mission to the Liao Kingdom!"

Zhao Xu was stunned at first, then overjoyed, and said, "Quick! Please invite Master Cheng to come in and see me!"

After a while, Cheng Yi came in and met Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu glanced at Cheng Yi and was a little surprised. Cheng Yi had obviously washed up, but the official uniform that originally fit him looked empty, and his face was haggard, and even had mottled wounds. It was obvious that he had suffered a great punishment!

Zhao Xu quickly supported Cheng Yi and said, "Master! What have you been through?"

Zhao Xu showed his concern, but Cheng Yi ignored him and laughed, saying in a rather carefree manner: "Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission and blazed a trail for the Song Dynasty!"

Cheng Yi paused, calmed his breath, and then said: "Your Majesty, in this alliance with the Liao Kingdom, I have secured many key conditions for our Song Dynasty.

First, the Liao Kingdom was willing to return the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

Think about how Shi Jingtang sold out his country for personal gain, which resulted in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun falling into enemy hands. The door to the Central Plains has been open for a hundred years.

The land of Yanyun is a natural barrier and strategic location for our Song Dynasty. If the Liao Kingdom can be returned now, our Song Dynasty's northern defense line can be greatly stabilized, and the 300,000 imperial guards can be freed up to devote all their efforts to the battle against Su Ni."

Zhao Xu heard this, and a trace of surprise and excitement flashed in his eyes. He sat up straight and asked, "Master, has the Liao Kingdom really agreed to this important matter?"

Cheng Yi nodded slightly, his expression solemn: "Your Majesty, although the Liao Kingdom is unwilling, but now Su Yun is powerful, the destruction of Western Xia is imminent, and they also know the truth that the lips and teeth are cold.

If we do not form an alliance with the Song Dynasty, once Su Yun leads his troops eastward, the Liao Kingdom will be attacked from all sides and will be in imminent danger.

Therefore, returning the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun was a helpless move for the Liao Kingdom, but it was a good opportunity for the Song Dynasty. "

"Good! Good!" Zhao Xu said yes repeatedly, the sickly blush on his face becoming more and more obvious, "I have always dreamed of taking back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, and now there is finally hope.

Master, please tell me the other conditions."

"Secondly," Cheng Yi continued, "Liao promised to provide our Song Dynasty with 300,000 rolls of silk, 200,000 taels of silver, and 100,000 shi of millet every year.

These materials can greatly alleviate the current financial pressure on our Song Dynasty caused by the war, and can be used for military expansion, food and grass reserves, and to enhance the combat effectiveness of our army.

Moreover, these materials are all deducted from the taxes in Yanyun. In this way, our Song Dynasty can not only gain the benefits of materials, but also gradually penetrate the economy of the Yanyun region, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone."

Zhao Xu walked around the hall excitedly: "Great! This way, our Song Dynasty can also take a break financially and fully prepare for the battle against Su Yun!"

Cheng Yi's expression also became excited, and he said: "Your Majesty, there is another matter of vital importance.

After Su Yun occupied Hetao, war horse resources were no longer scarce, and the cavalry combat strength of his Jingsai Army greatly increased.

The Song Dynasty has always been short of horses. If we want to fight a decisive battle with Su Ni, war horses are the key.

This time, I have agreed with the Liao Kingdom to open the Yunzhou and Yingzhou markets, and the Song Dynasty will exchange tea and salt for Liao horses, and the Liao Kingdom must promise that the number of war horses traded must not be less than three times that of previous years.

In this way, our Song Dynasty can gradually expand its cavalry strength, so that we can have the strength to fight against Su Yun in the future!"

Zhao Xu was surprised and delighted, but still a little worried. He said, "If this is true, it is a great thing. But with these conditions, I feel a little scared. Master, the Liao people are fickle. These conditions... can they keep their promises?"

Cheng Yi looked determined and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, under the current situation, the Liao Kingdom is more afraid of Su Yun than the Song Dynasty.

In order to protect their own safety, they will definitely cooperate with our Song Dynasty with all their strength.

Moreover, I have already set many clauses in the alliance to restrict the Liao Kingdom.

If they dare to breach the contract, our Song Dynasty can unite with other forces to put pressure on them.

Furthermore, the return of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun is imminent, and if the Liao Kingdom wants to gain more benefits from future cooperation with the Song Dynasty, it will not dare to violate this agreement easily. "

Zhao Xu pondered for a moment and nodded slightly: "Master, what you said is very true.

Now that we have the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, annual tribute materials, and war horse trade, the chances of victory for our Song Dynasty have greatly increased.

However, Su Yun is very cunning. This time he annexed Xixia and his strength increased greatly. Can the Song Dynasty and Liao Dynasty really defeat him together?"

Cheng Yi nodded and said, “Your Majesty, although Su Yun is strong, he is not invincible.

Now that Song and Liao have formed an alliance, the two countries have joined forces and have considerable advantages in terms of manpower, supplies, etc.

Moreover, after Su Yun destroyed Western Xia, it took time for the internal integration of the country. The surrounding forces were also wary of him and were not a monolithic entity.

The Song Dynasty can unite with the Liao Kingdom to formulate a detailed strategy to attack Su Yun from both the north and the south.

At the same time, he secretly contacted the Tubo tribes of Su Yun, causing a fire in their backyard.

In this way, Su Yun will be caught in a dilemma, and our Song Dynasty will surely find an opportunity to defeat him and restore our Song Dynasty." Zhao Xu stood up and paced back and forth in the hall for a long time. He stopped and looked at Cheng Yi with a firm gaze: "Master, this time it is all thanks to your mission to Liao that we have won such a good opportunity for our Song Dynasty.

I will live up to your expectations and go all out to join hands with the Liao Kingdom to defeat Su Yun and restore the glory of our Song Dynasty!"

Cheng Yi knelt down and kowtowed: "Your Majesty is wise! I am willing to go through fire and water for you. I hope that under your wise leadership, our Song Dynasty will soon quell the rebellion and restore the prestige of the country!"

Zhao Xu's face was full of joy when he heard this.

Since he ascended the throne, he had only felt this joyful when he first cleared out the influence of the Empress Dowager and promoted officials he favored, but there was no good news after that.

But today, Cheng Yi has returned from his diplomatic mission. Not only are the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun expected to return, but the Liao Kingdom will also provide financial support to the Song Dynasty and even open up the trade of war horses... Our Song Dynasty is indeed blessed by God!
Cheng Yi returned with the peace terms between the two countries, which immediately set off an uproar in the entire Bianjing.

This was the first time that the Song Dynasty achieved such brilliant results in foreign diplomacy. Moreover, it was not just the Song Dynasty that won the war. Even when the Song Dynasty was on the verge of destruction, Cheng Yi relied on his own strength to turn the tide and opened up a way of survival for the Song Dynasty!
Of course, some knowledgeable people naturally knew that the reason why the Liao Kingdom did this was because the traitor Su Ni put too much pressure on the Liao Kingdom, or in other words, in order to make the Song Dynasty fight with the traitor Su Ni, so such good conditions were offered.

But there are not many such knowledgeable people. Most people praise Master Cheng for going to Liao alone, debating with the Liao king and his ministers, and winning so many good conditions for the Song Dynasty. Therefore, Master Cheng is the real pillar who turned the tide!
Some people also praised the compassion of the Liao ruler Yelu Hongji, saying that he was indeed a foreign ruler who admired Emperor Renzong and had a heart that yearned for the Song Dynasty...

Of course, there are also people who believe that this is due to the wise leadership of the Song Dynasty government. It is precisely because of the government’s wisdom that the people of the country have won their hearts and minds.

In short, with this alliance, the people in the Song Dynasty were already very excited. They no longer had the demeanor of a lost dog. Some people even said that they wanted to take back the northwest immediately and even destroy the Ming thieves!
What happened next excited everyone in the court.

Three days later, a messenger from the Liao Kingdom arrived in Bian Jing at full speed, bringing a handwritten letter from Yelu Hongji and the first batch of annual tribute and supplies.

The gold-lacquered wooden box was slowly opened on the imperial desk, and a list was placed next to it: 300,000 pieces of silk, 200,000 taels of silver, and 100,000 shi of millet and other conditions were clearly listed. These materials had already been shipped from the Youzhou granary.

Attached to the letter was an administrative atlas of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Yelu Hongji had circled "Xijin Prefecture" heavily with cinnabar, and the wet ink showed a hint of haste - obviously, the Liao Kingdom was pushing for the implementation of the alliance with an almost flattering attitude.

Five days later, the rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty heard good news again. The Northern Privy Council of the Liao Kingdom urgently ordered the Yanjing Garrison to "prepare for the handover matters from now on."

According to military reports from the front, the 30,000 Liao troops stationed in Yanyun withdrew to the Songmo grassland in batches, taking the lead in opening natural passes such as Juyongguan and Gubeikou, and even leaving the 200,000 shi of military grain stored in Zhuozhou in the granary for the Song army to take over.

Afterwards, Yelu Hongji issued an edict that "the Han people in Yanyun will still follow the Song laws." The household registration and tax account books of the sixteen states were loaded onto mule carts and personally escorted to Bianliang by Xiao Hudu, the younger brother of Xiao Hudu. Whenever they met a county along the way, they would post notices declaring that "Liao and Song are one family, and we will fight the rebels together."

Afterwards, the Liao Kingdom tacitly allowed the Yanyun gentry to "recommend themselves for official positions" to the Song Dynasty. Li Fu, the prefect of Zhuozhou, took the lead in changing the flag and led the yamen runners and the people to kneel to welcome the scouts of the Song army. His "knowing the current affairs" report was approved by Zhao Xu and posted at the top of the list, and announced to the world.

Afterwards, the reopening of Yunzhou Market, a strategic blood transfusion that broke the century-old ban, was shocking.

The earthen enclosure, which was originally only used for trade between border residents, was expanded by the Liao Kingdom into a stone fortress commercial market covering an area of ​​100 acres within ten days. Three thousand felt tents were filled with fine horses from the Kerait tribe, and the neighing of the horses could be heard every other day.

Yelu Hongji granted special permission for "Song envoys to go directly to Liao pastures to select horses", and the right prime minister Yelu Yan even went to the horse market to supervise, demanding that "all those who are fat and healthy will be supplied to the Song Dynasty first".

Among the first batch of 5,000 war horses delivered, 300 were "Silver Frost Horses" used exclusively by the Liao nobles, and the gilded patterns on the horse harnesses had not yet faded.

Later, the Liao Kingdom announced that "tea and salt imported into Liao would be tax-free for ten years," exchanging them for the Song Dynasty's much-needed war horses at a very low price.

When the convoy loaded with tea drove into Shangjing Linhuang Prefecture, Yelu Hongji actually set up a tent on the outskirts of the city to welcome the guests. He personally poured wine for the Song envoys and said jokingly during the banquet that "I would like to drink Su Yun's blood with the Song Dynasty."

Afterwards, the urgent contraction of the northern border defense line was to demonstrate to the Song Dynasty the determination to "transfer all forces to the west."

Half of the 150,000 main forces of the Liao army, which were originally stationed on the Yellow River, were transferred to Datong Prefecture in Xijing to build a defense line along the Sanggan River. They even deployed the "Iron Forest Army", an ace heavy cavalry unit, in Yingzhou, with the explicit statement of "guarding the north gate for the Song Dynasty."

The Liao spies delivered the "Su Yun Military Report" to Bian Jing every day, covering everything from the amount of grain and fodder stored in Xingqing Prefecture to the frequency of training of the Jingsai Army.

One secret report even mentioned that "Su Yun wanted to recruit 200,000 men from Hexi", which frightened Zhao Xu so much that he summoned the Privy Councilor to discuss the matter overnight.

The Liao army took the initiative to burn down all the beacon towers built in Hebei Province, and instead sent envoys with fine wine, cattle and sheep to "hunt in Baigou River" with the Song army generals.

In a secret report sent back by Wang Yu, the garrison commander of Yingzhou, it was said: "The Liao people went hunting yesterday and drove wild rabbits into our camp, which seemed to be an attempt to curry favor with the Song Dynasty."

Yelu Hongji was well aware of the importance of "having a legitimate reason to fight" and launched a public opinion offensive throughout the Liao Kingdom.

He personally led the clan members to worship their ancestors at Muye Mountain, declaring that "the alliance with Song to attack Ming was the will of Taizu Yelü Abaoji", and even fabricated the prophecy that "Taizong Yelü Deguang once said, 'Yanyun will eventually belong to Han'", to give the act of ceding land a cloak of "heaven's will".

The Liao Dynasty History Museum hurriedly compiled the "Exhortation to Punish Su Yun", listing Su Yun's crimes of "massacre in cities, plundering land, destroying Buddhism and Taoism", and compared him to the "new Huang Chao".

At the same time, the "Records of Benevolent Governments of the Great Song Dynasty" was reprinted and compulsory recitation was carried out in the academies of prefectures and counties in the Liao Dynasty to create an atmosphere of "Liao and Song sharing the same language and race."

Of course, under the eager show of goodwill, the Liao Kingdom also had hidden tricks.

First, when the first batch of annual tribute was delivered, it was clearly written on the Liao Dynasty’s account book that “Yanyun taxes are discounted by 30%.

It turned out that Yelu Hongji had already classified the Han farmers in Yanyun as "double-tax households" and made them pay taxes to both Liao and Song.

After Cheng Yi saw through the plan, he tore up the account books on the spot and forced the Liao Kingdom to promise that "all taxes in Yanyun will belong to the Song Dynasty." The Liao envoy was ashamed and angry, but under the circumstances, he had no choice but to agree.

In order to meet the "three times supply" of war horses, the Liao Kingdom plundered horses from the grassland tribes on a large scale. The Kerait tribe caused civil strife because of the "donation of 3,000 horses". Its leader sent envoys to ask Su Yun for help, but was killed and silenced by the "Eagle Army" sent by Yelu Hongji.

This matter was discovered by the Song Dynasty spies, and Cheng Yi bluntly said in the Privy Council: "The Liao people drove the tiger to devour the wolf, and they will eventually devour themselves."

However, when the Song Dynasty proposed a "ten-year alliance", the Liao Kingdom insisted on "limiting it to the destruction of Su Yun".

Xiao Hudu smiled with a dagger hidden in his heart during the meeting: "If Su Yun is destroyed early, the friendship between Liao and Song will last forever;
If Su Yun is hard to destroy... Hehe, Master Cheng, do you know that there is another solution to the 'lips and teeth are cold' ? "

All these open and covert struggles were secretly reported to Zhao Xu by Cheng Yi.

However, the Song Dynasty at that time was immersed in the frenzy of "rejuvenation" - when the first wave of Yanyun refugees poured into Bianliang, shouting "Long live the emperor", Zhao Xu could no longer hear the advice of his old ministers about the "evil intentions of the Liao Kingdom".

He drafted the "Imperial Edict to Lead the Army in Person" overnight, and his pen repeatedly smudged the six words "Recover the Northwest, Destroy the Rebellious Ming", as if he saw his own name about to be engraved in the merit book of Taizu and Taizong.

Only Cheng Yi, in the dead of night, looked at the Yanyun map on the desk and drew three dense circles next to "Juyongguan" with cinnabar.

Those were the three hidden bunkers that the Liao Kingdom had not yet handed over, just like the doubts hidden in his heart - this seemingly "active" show of goodwill, was it a life-saving talisman for the Liao Kingdom, or a new shackle for the Song Dynasty?
In fact, everyone knew that the flattering approach of Yelu Hongji of Liao was intended to make the Song Dynasty and the rebellious Ming Dynasty fight to the death. However, the rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty also knew very well that the Song Dynasty and the traitor Su should have fought to the death!

There is no choice in this battle!
(End of this chapter)