Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 446 Chaos (Additional chapter for Black Starlight and Bubble Blowing Tiger SL Leader)

The nine Blood Buddha knights rode their horses in pursuit for a while and asked merchants and passers-by on the road, but there was still no news of Xin Qiji and his party.

Xin Qiji and his group were all riding horses. If someone saw such a conspicuous group, they would have had some impression of it.

It was obvious that they had left the official road.

Either they discovered they were being followed and therefore hid, or they were just bluffing and their actual destination was not Jinan Prefecture.

Whatever the reason, it is something to be suspicious of.

The nine Blood Pagoda Knights did not necessarily suspect that Xin Qiji and his group were accomplices of the assassins.

They just had the mentality that they might as well check it out while they were at it.

If there really is a problem, you can easily gain credit.

If there really is a big problem, it would be a great achievement.

Now, because of the sudden disappearance of Xin Qiji and his group, they became even more suspicious and were determined to get to the bottom of the matter.

The leader thought for a moment and then shouted, "Horse!"

A knight with a rough appearance rode forward.

The leader said, "We will form a group of two and go to the country roads on the left and right to investigate. In order to avoid missing the connection with the 'White Falcon', you go to Jinan first.

Regardless of whether our pursuit yields any results, we will definitely rush to Jinan to meet you by evening at the latest."

Ma Hao felt a little unhappy after hearing this.

What if the assassins who assassinated the emperor are really the ones we have been tracking all the way here? What a great achievement that would be!

However, he had the least experience among the nine people, and his boss had given him instructions, and even though he was unwilling, he had no choice.

Ma Hao agreed, pulled his felt hat down a little, then pulled the reins and rode forward along the road under the scorching sun.

The other eight people agreed to search separately until the evening. Regardless of whether there was any news or not, they would go straight to Jinan City to meet up, and then they would go in groups of two to the country roads.

******
Five thousand Jin soldiers escorted the Song Dynasty delegation to Jinan City.

Jinan Yin Pushan Zhongyi led the officials of Jinan Prefecture and local gentry to greet him in the scorching sun.

The local officials and gentry set up a colorful tent outside the city gate to welcome them.

Although the colorful tent can provide shade, it is not as cool as the city gate.

The officials chatted in groups of three or four under the city gate until a fast horse brought news from the front.

At most in one incense stick's time, the envoys from the State of Song will arrive.

Only then did they walk out of the city gate and stand under the colorful tent waiting.

The gentry team was headed by old man Xin Zanxin.

The team of officials was naturally headed by Pushan Zhongyi, the Yin of Jinan.

The flesh wounds that Kong Yanzhou suffered from being beaten by Yang Yuan in Yingzhou have healed.

Now that he was no longer noticeable, even with a bruised and beaten face, he was no longer afraid of showing up in public.

Seeing that they were about to reach the city gate and there was a colorful tent erected in front of them, Kong Yanzhou hurriedly dismounted, threw the reins to his attendant, and hurried over.

Jinan Yin Pushan Zhongyi is more important in front of Wanyan Liang than Kong Yanzhou. How dare Kong Yanzhou be disrespectful to such an important official?

As he got closer, Kong Yanzhou found another familiar face, who turned out to be the former Kaifeng Yin Xinzan.

Kong Yanzhou was originally a bandit, but he learned the art of marching and fighting through long-term combat.

But when it comes to various administrative affairs, I really know nothing about them.

Therefore, when he was the governor of Kaifeng, many of the government affairs that were originally under his responsibility were handed over to Xin Zan.

Old Master Xin had no complaints and took on a lot of government affairs for Kong Yanzhou.

Because of this relationship, the two had a good relationship when they were both working in Kaifeng.

Seeing Xin Zan was there, Kong Yanzhou smiled even more. He quickly stepped forward, clasped his fists, and saluted, "Hahaha, Master Pu San, Mr. Xin, long time no see! Long time no see!"

Pushan Zhongyi said with a smile: "We are family, why should we be polite?"

Xin Zan smiled and bowed, saying, "Juji, I haven't seen you for many years. This time when you come to Jinan, you must stay for a few days. I will show my hospitality as a good host."

Juji is the pen name of Kong Yanzhou.

After the Jin people entered the Central Plains, they learned all the Central Plains culture and took pride in the Han style everywhere.

Kong Yanzhou also wanted to follow the trend of the times, so he spent some money and asked a great scholar to give him a name.

Kong Yanzhou, following Wanyan Liang's secret order, was planning to do something in Jinan Prefecture and take off the heads of Wanyan Dari and Wanyan Luti.

Even if no one invited him, he would find a reason to stay in Jinan for a few days.

Now when he heard Xin Zan's invitation, it was exactly what he wanted.

Kong Yanzhou and Pushan Zhongyi exchanged glances quickly, then laughed and said, "It has been many years since Kong and Mr. Xin saw each other, and I miss you very much.

The weather is so bad right now, and I am almost sunburned after traveling all the way here. I am thinking of resting for two days in Jinan Prefecture."

Pushan Zhongyi smiled and said, "Okay, wait until you settle down, and then you can chat with Mr. Xin. The Song envoy has got off the car, General Kong, please introduce us to each other."

In front, Zhu Songzhang had already asked Yang Yuan to get out of the car.

Yang Yuan and Kou Heiyi, the chief and deputy envoys of the Song State, walked slowly over accompanied by Zhu Songzhang, the deputy envoy of the Jin State.

When Pushan Zhongyi saw this, he hurriedly went to meet Yang Yuan together with Xin Zan and accompanied by Kong Yanzhou.

The two sides exchanged a few simple greetings under the scorching sun.

Yang Yuan said with a smile: "I thought the heat in Jiangnan was unbearable, but I didn't expect the sun in Shandong to be even more scorching. Going out in the summer is really a tough job."

Pushan Zhongyi said with a smile: "To be honest with you, Master Yang, Zhongyi is originally from the north and is even less tolerant of heat than you, Master Yang.

If it weren’t for the visit of Master Yang today, Zhongyi would still be soaking in the big water tank.”

He rolled up his sleeves, showed his arms to Yang Yuan, and said, "I spent this hot summer soaking in the water every day.

Look, I'm almost soaking in the 'floating bladder'."

Xin Zan was originally a Jinshi in the Northern Song Dynasty. Now, when he saw the scholars from the Song Dynasty, he felt particularly close to them.

Xin Zan smiled and said, "Master Pushan attaches great importance to the arrival of Master Yang and specially built Luoyuan Hall as a residence for Master Yang to stay.

There are gurgling water and springs everywhere in the "Luoyuan Hall", and the thick shade makes it much cooler.

Why don't we go to 'Luoyuan Hall' right now, first ask Mr. Yang to settle down, and then welcome the distinguished envoy."

Then, both sides got on their carriages and rode on horses, and accompanied by a group of officials and gentry, they went into the city in succession.

Kong Yanzhou's 5,000 troops naturally could not enter the city.

Five thousand soldiers are one thing, but there is no place for five thousand horses to stay in the city.

Pushan Zhongyi had already set up several camps nearby and prepared food and fodder.

These matters were naturally arranged by Liu Shijiu, the magistrate of Jinan Prefecture, and Kong Yanzhou, the military general.

However, no one noticed that these 5,000 elite cavalry were deployed in four directions, namely, the southeast, northwest, northeast and southwest of Jinan City.

If anything happens, the cavalry can quickly disperse and form a blockade on the city.

******
"Luoyuan Hall" was built in the Northern Song Dynasty. It was originally a villa of local officials and gentry, not a government office.

There was originally an inn built by the government during the Northern Song Dynasty in the city of Jinan, but it had long been diverted to other uses by the Jin government and could not be vacated for the time being.

Pushan Zhongyi then used the garden "Luoyuan Hall" built next to Baotu Spring as a temporary inn.

It seems incredible that such a big city has no inn, but this phenomenon is very common in the Jin Dynasty.

The Jin people rose too quickly, so they lacked a solid foundation.

This is also an important reason why the upper class was quickly assimilated into the Han culture after they entered the Central Plains.

Because in this area, it was basically a vacuum zone for the upper class nobles of the Jin Dynasty.

Wanyan Aguda sounds very distant, but in fact he was only a figure from more than 30 years ago. Just tell me how weak the foundation of the Jin Dynasty was.

At that time, when the envoys of the Song Dynasty went to the Jin Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty did not even have city walls or palaces, let alone inns.

At that time, foreign envoys were received at Wanyan Aguda's own home.

When the banquet was held, Aguda's house did not have enough wine vessels and food utensils, so the ministers who attended the banquet brought their own tableware and wine from their homes.

The ones who served dishes and poured wine at the banquet were Wanyan Aguda's wives and concubines.

At that time, Wanyan Aguda's home was not as grand as the home of a small landlord in the Central Plains. It was simple and unpretentious.

The only difference between Aguda and other Jin nobles at that time was that he had a chair wrapped in yellow silk in his home to indicate that the "sitter" was the emperor...

The envoys from the Song Dynasty at that time were also surprised to find that when the Jin people discussed things, the smaller nobles would usually express their opinions first, and the larger nobles would then discuss the matter based on the opinions of the smaller nobles, and finally come up with an opinion that most people would agree with.

The place where these nobles discussed things was not Aguda's home, because the house was too small.

They usually discussed state affairs while rubbing each other's backs and bathing in the river.

Once, when the envoy of the Song Dynasty was discussing serious diplomatic matters with Wanyan Aguda, a Jurchen commoner unexpectedly came and invited Aguda to his home for dinner. The reason was that he had gone up the mountain that day and luckily shot two pheasants.

Things are different now. Thirty years later, when Wanyan Liang was planning to expand the city of Yanjing, he set aside a separate area to build inns to receive foreign envoys.

However, that was Yanjing City.

Many places in the Jin Dynasty still did not have post stations or dedicated post station staff.

Today, "Luoyuan Hall" is used as the place to entertain envoys from the State of Song, but the reception staff are also cobbled together.

Many of them were slaves and servants drawn from the homes of some gentry in Xinzan and Jinan.

When the large group of people arrived near "Luoyuan Hall", Kou Heiyi looked around on his horse and suddenly saw an inconspicuous graffiti on the top of a wall shaded by a jujube tree.

It should be carved out of limestone, and it is a lifelike white falcon.

Kou Heiyi's mind suddenly moved: "Xue Fu Tu has come!"

Yang Yuan and his party were led into a lush garden and first visited the most famous "Baotu Spring".

Although "Baotu Spring" is now a scenic spot in Jinan, it has not yet won the reputation of "the best spring in the world".

There were no square pools made of stones around the spring as seen in later generations.

It is surrounded by rugged rocks and lush vines.

Among the clear spring water, there are three springs that gush out water more than five feet high.

The sound of the spring is like hidden thunder, and the water columns protruding from the water surface are rolling, like three natural white jade water bottles.

Because the spring water temperature is lower than the weather at that time, there is mist on the water surface.

The fish swimming in the water also become graceful and elegant, it is truly a paradise on earth full of wild fun.

There are not many buildings here, and they are all built along the flowing water, so the buildings are relatively scattered.

The officials and gentry who accompanied them dispersed into several pavilions, and the main figures naturally entered the "Luoyuan Hall".

Everyone entered the "Luoyuan Hall" and sat down, and Pushan Zhongyi ordered people to make tea.

Yang Yuan hurriedly called him over and said with a smile, "I came to the north this time and brought some Longjing fried tea, which is the most popular in the south.

The water of Baotu Spring is clear and sweet. Yang once heard that "If you don't drink the water of Baotu Spring, your trip to Jinan will be in vain."

Why not use the water from Baotu Spring and Longjing tea from Shifeng to brew a pot of good tea for you all to taste.”

After Yang Yuan finished speaking, he turned to Ji Guang and said, "Judge Yu, please bring me a can of tea."

Fei Yuye was holding a knife, standing under the shady eaves outside the pavilion pillar of "Luoyuan Hall". She couldn't help but sniff when she heard this.

She knew that her godmother Li Shishi was the owner of the Shishan Tea Plantation and the largest tea roaster in Jiangnan.

Northerners have always admired Han culture. Basically, whatever becomes popular in the south, the north will immediately learn it and regard it as fashion.

It can be imagined that today, Yang Yuan, as a scholar of the Song Dynasty, used this fried tea to entertain the officials and gentry of Jinan.

From today onwards, Longjing fried tea will immediately become extremely expensive in Jinan Prefecture.

This Yang Yuan inadvertently helped his godmother to make a big business.

Thinking of this, Fei Yuye couldn't help but smile.

But just as the smile appeared on her face, her eyes froze.

A shocking thought suddenly occurred to her mind:

That unforgettable night, the faint starlight and moonlight, the falling cherries on the trees, and a jar of lotus water...

It was a hot summer day, but Fei Yuye's hair suddenly stood up.

Li Shishi’s man, couldn’t be... couldn’t be... him, right?
Xin Zan was moved when he heard Yang Yuan's words, "If you don't drink the water of Baotu, your trip to Jinan will be in vain." This was the first time he had heard this sentence.

As a native of Jinan Prefecture, Xin Zan was not excited by the praises of the scenery of his hometown.

But the Central Plains has been in decline for too long.

When the Central Plains fell, he was in his prime, but now his temples are gray.

He went from hoping to see the king's army recover the Central Plains with his own eyes to now hoping that one day the king's army would be able to recover the Central Plains.

There is so much bitterness, disappointment, and hardship in this change of mood.

Will the Song Dynasty recover its homeland?

Can the Song Dynasty still recover its homeland?

As the hope in his heart became increasingly slim, Xin Zan's old heart became increasingly silent.

If what Yang Yuan said at this moment spread in the south, wouldn't it mean that the Song people in the south have not forgotten their homeland?
Xin Zan suppressed his excitement and said with a smile: "'If you don't drink the water of Baotu, your trip to Jinan is in vain'. Haha, Baotu Spring will become famous all over the world because of this saying of Mr. Yang."

Yang Yuan didn't know who Xin Zan was.

In Yang Yuan's eyes, Xin Zan was just a Han Chinese who surrendered to the Jin Kingdom.

Especially since he was able to attend the welcoming banquet as the head of the local gentry, he was obviously a person highly regarded by the Jin people, so Yang Yuan was more wary of him.

Yang Yuan smiled and said, "That's not what I said! This is a saying that's circulated in the south."

Yang Yuan thought of Leng Yuchan, whose ancestral home was in Jinan, and said, "I have a friend who is from Licheng, Jinan. I heard this from her."

Yang Yuan paused for a moment, then said with a double meaning, "Mr. Xin, you live in Jinan City. You can get the water from Baotu Spring anytime you want, so you won't think it's precious.

Only those who have lost it will miss it forever."

Kong Yanzhou sneered, "The people who lost it still miss it? So what? Do you think you, the Song State, want to take it back?"

Yang Yuan glanced at him, raised his hand, and his sleeves slid down.

Kong Yanzhou was like a frightened bird. He immediately retreated and made a gesture of starting with a "whoosh".

Kong Yanzhou suddenly took a breath of Qi from his Dantian and it sank down, like a toad spirit. His neck became thick and swollen, and the veins on his forehead were tense.

Yang Yuan shook his hands and said calmly: "The treacherous ministers have ruined the country and brought disaster to the clan society, causing our Song Dynasty to lose the northern land."

Yang Yuan glanced at Kong Yanzhou and said calmly, "If the Kingdom of Jin has a few more people like you, General Kong, in the future, why would I be afraid of being the Nianhan or Wuzhu of the Song Dynasty?"

The Jingkang Incident and the Song Dynasty's migration to the south.

As a country, we must review the heavy responsibility for losing half of our country.

But unless a country perishes, a new country will make a historical judgment on it.

Otherwise, no country whose political power still continues to exist would place such a heavy responsibility on the ruler or father.

The Song Dynasty officials had already made an official assessment of the historical guilt of losing half of its territory:

The six thieves are ruining the country!

From this, it is believed that the failure of Wang Anshi's reform led to a series of problems, which eventually led to the Jingkang Incident.

It is certainly unfair to put all the blame on Wang Anshi, but it is also inappropriate to put it entirely on any one person, including the emperor.

There are too many reasons for the decline of a country.

Wang Anshi was blamed for this because, on the one hand, a minister could not slander his monarch or father, so he had to find another heavyweight to take the blame.

On the other hand, it is also because Wang Anshi's reform was indeed misinterpreted.

The overall direction of the reform is good, but it is not perfect and drawbacks do exist.

The decline of the Song Dynasty was indeed partly due to the fact that some aspects of the reform became harmful over time.

Especially in employing people.

Wang Anshi's reforms encountered too much resistance. In order to implement the new policies, he could only adopt the method of "nepotism".

If you support the new policy, I will use you. As for whether you really agree with the new policy or are just engaging in political speculation, he doesn't care.

It was at that time that he turned the censor system into a political weapon in his own hands.

When he was alive, his integrity and strong control meant that these drawbacks were not obvious.

But after his death, speculators turned it into a tool of party struggle and a weapon for personal gain.

People at that time commented: "Cai Jing used the name of continuing the legacy of Emperor Shenzong to hold Wang Anshi hostage for personal gain" and "Today's disaster was actually caused by Wang Anshi."

Under the premise that one cannot criticize the emperor or father, the Song people's reflection can only go so far.

There is no way Yang Yuan would go against this final verdict, that would be too stupid.

Therefore, he could only follow the official statement and attribute the Song Dynasty's loss of the Central Plains to the treacherous ministers' misrule of the country.

At the same time, he is now the peace envoy of the Song Dynasty and cannot betray the purpose of the negotiations and vigorously advocate counterattack and recovery.

He was always in favor of war, so he made a hypothesis: "If the Kingdom of Jin has more people like you, General Kong, in the future, why would Yang be afraid of being the Nianhan or Wuzhu of the Song Dynasty?"

This is why Kong Yanzhou is called one of the six thieves who brought harm to the country.

Since our Song Dynasty fell because of the six thieves.

So if the treacherous ministers of the Jin Kingdom come to power in the future, why can't our Song Dynasty recover the Central Plains and recover our homeland?
If it is illegal for the Song Dynasty to do so, then it is also illegal for your Jin Kingdom to occupy the Central Plains now.

Besides, I'm just making an assumption.

The premise of the assumption is "If a bunch of treacherous ministers appear in your Jin Kingdom, they will bring disaster to the country and the people, leading to the decline of the country."

If someone were to make a fuss about this, do you think Wanyan Liang would be unhappy?
Would the important officials in power in the Jin Dynasty feel uncomfortable?
There are six places available, please take your seat!

Kong Yanzhou was not stupid either. He did not continue the conversation and sneered, "Yang Yuan, you are indeed ambitious and covet my Great Jin Empire. You should be killed!"

"General Kong, you are too polite!" With a disdainful voice, Wanyan Dari strode in.

"The way of heaven is unpredictable, and the virtuous will prevail. If our Great Jin Kingdom is as incompetent as the two emperors Huizong and Qinzong of the Song Dynasty, even if the Song Dynasty does not come to take it, how can Xixia let it go? If Xixia lets it go, maybe Dongxia and Beixia will emerge."

Wanyan Darui looked at Kong Zheng who was standing beside him and asked, "Duke Yansheng, do you think what I said is right?"

Kong Zheng smiled awkwardly and dared not answer.

He is now very close to Wanyan Dari and Wanyan Luti who moved to Shandong.

However, he did not want to offend Kong Yanzhou, a close minister of the emperor, so he had to turn a blind eye to it.

Wanyan Lvti followed in and said with a lazy smile, "Besides, Yang Xueshi's words highly praised the two great Jin heroes, Nianhan (Wanyan Zonghan) and Wushu (Wanyan Zongbi), who had made great military achievements. This is the glory of our Jin people. What crime has Yang Xueshi committed?"

Nianhan and Wuzhu both died before Wanyan Liang usurped the throne.

Among them, Nianhan was forced to death by King Xizong of Jin.

After Wanyan Liang killed Jin Xizong and proclaimed himself emperor, in order to show that Jin Xizong was evil and deserved to be killed, he praised Nianhan highly.

The two Jin Dynasty figures mentioned by Yang Yuan not only did not violate Wanyan Liang's taboos, but were indeed examples that the Jin people still set up at this time.

Kong Yanzhou's expression was very ugly: "This Song envoy Yang Yuan clearly harbors evil intentions towards our Great Jin. Why are the two kings protecting him?"

Wanyan Darui said disapprovingly: "It's just that each of them serves their own master. Shouldn't loyal and righteous people be respected?

As long as the emperor of the Great Jin is wise and the ministers of the Great Jin are loyal, why should we fear the threats of the Song people? "

Wanyan Donkey's hoof bumped Wanyan Dari's arm and whispered in a voice that could be heard by half of the "Luoyuan Hall": "Dari, don't talk like that.

General Kong is a surrendered general. You mentioned the word "loyalty" in front of him. Isn't it like pointing at a monk and calling him a bald donkey, slapping him in the face?"

"Oh, it was a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue!"

Wanyan Darui slapped his lips lightly and said to Kong Yanzhou with a laugh, "I have no other intentions. As a human being, of course, a good minister should choose his master and serve him.

Humans are not dogs. Animals know how to be loyal to their masters! You are not an animal. You are not an animal, so of course you don’t need to be loyal.

Huh? I think I said something wrong again. I am an uneducated person, a rough man, and I am not good at speaking. That's all. Please don't blame me, General Kong."

Kong Yanzhou was so angry that his face turned purple, and he gritted his teeth and was mad in his heart.

I will allow you to continue to be rampant for a while. In less than two days, I will personally take off your dog heads!"

Pushan Zhongyi's eyes flashed, and he patted Kong Yanzhou on the shoulder and said to him, "Juji, if the water from Baotu Spring is combined with the Longjing water from Shifeng Mountain, it will be wonderful.

Haha, if Mr. Yang is interested in taking the Baotu Spring, can’t we go get the Longjing tea?

Why bother engaging in a meaningless argument here? "

After saying that, Pushan Zhongyi stepped forward, clasped his fists, and said with a smile: "When did the two kings and Duke Yansheng come to Jinan? Why didn't you tell me? I was too rude to welcome them from afar."

In fact, these three people had already arrived in Jinan Prefecture for several days. Pushan Zhongyi had known about it for a long time, but he just pretended not to know.

Wanyan Darui said carelessly, "Haven't you heard that the envoy from the Song Dynasty, Scholar Yang, is here? You know, we are both uneducated, so we especially respect scholars! Scholar Yang is the god of literature, let's meet him, get some inspiration and go back. Maybe tomorrow we will have a bright future and become knowledgeable all of a sudden."

Pushan Zhongyi sneered inwardly, "You'll get wise tomorrow? I think you'll get wise tomorrow."

Pushan Zhongyi laughed and said, "This is my fault.

I originally thought that the two kings were busy with their affairs and the weather was hot.

The two kings lived, one in Tai'an and the other in Liaocheng, so no one thought of bothering you.

Unexpectedly, the two kings were well-informed and came on their own.

Come on, the two kings and Lord Yansheng, please take your seats."

Wanyan Dari and Wanyan Luti immediately grabbed Yang Yuan from the left and right.

Wanyan Darui said with a smile: "Let's get closer to Scholar Yang and get some literary inspiration."

Everyone returned to the table and sat down. Wanyan Darui and Wanyan Luti brought two chairs and squeezed next to Yang Yuan, pushing Pushan Zhongyi and old man Xin Zan, who were originally sitting on his left and right, aside.

Wanyan Lvti said with a smile: "Master Yang, did you have a smooth journey?"

Yang Yuan said with a smile: "It went smoothly, how could it not go smoothly?

Before Yang was on his mission, a businessman who came to the north warned him that the local area was not very peaceful, and that bandits were everywhere, killing and robbing.

However, as Yang traveled along, he found that the mountains were peaceful and the waters were calm, and the surrounding areas were peaceful without any unrest.

It turns out that rumors are not to be believed! The local government of the Jin Dynasty was still very good in governance. "

Deputy Envoy Kou Heiyi's eyes flashed, and he immediately said: "Mr. Yang must be joking. His Majesty the Emperor of the Jin Kingdom attaches great importance to our arrival.

His Majesty the Emperor of the Jin Dynasty sent General Kong, a brave and skilled general, to lead a full five thousand elite cavalry.

Haha, five thousand cavalrymen, if used properly, can determine the outcome of a war and are enough to destroy a small country.

How could any villain dare to cause trouble for us?"

Yang Yuan looked at Kou Heiyi with admiration.

He has set up the stage. If Kou Heiyi is not smart enough and doesn't know how to make use of the stage to perform, he will be involved in this matter himself.

Now with Kou Heiyi singing the same tune, it is natural that more information will be revealed.

Yang Yuan's expression straightened up and he said, "Five thousand cavalrymen, the food and feed for all these people and horses is a huge expense!
This alone shows the sincerity of the Jin Kingdom in the peace talks.

This trip to Yanjing, I hope to live up to my mission and successfully reach a peace agreement with the Kingdom of Jin."

Wanyan Darui came here just for this matter. He wanted to know what conditions the Song State had and how much concessions it could make.

Only in this way can we know what role these Jin nobles can play, and thus estimate whether the peace talks are likely to achieve results.

Therefore, Wanyan Darui immediately continued to talk about this topic with concern: "Your country can have this sincerity, which is a blessing for the people of both countries.

But I wonder what your country thinks about the peace talks?"

On the other hand, Wanyan Luti was suddenly startled by what Yang Yuan and Kou Heiyi said.

Kong Yanzhou escorted Yang Yuan to Yanjing with 5,000 soldiers, and they were 5,000 cavalry?
Three hundred cavalrymen are more than enough to escort a diplomatic delegation!
But Wanyan Liang sent out 5,000 cavalry...

Wanyan Darui and Wanyan Luti had always been thinking about stopping Wanyan Liang from sending troops south within the rules, and they had not thought about the possibility that Wanyan Liang would turn the table.

It’s not that Wanyan Liang couldn’t do such a thing, Wanyan Liang had done it a long time ago.

Wanyan Darui and Wanyan Luti simply thought that Wanyan Liang had killed so many people in order to consolidate his throne as emperor.

Is there no need to do that now?
If you kill all the powerful people in the Jin Dynasty, who will guard this vast world for you?

Relying on a group of surrendered generals from the Liao and Song dynasties?

However, when Kou Heiyi said "five thousand elite soldiers", Yang Yuan did some calculations for him and asked him to think about the huge amount of food and fodder that would be consumed by these five thousand cavalrymen.

Wanyan Luti felt a little nervous.

He suddenly noticed that after Yang Yuan and Kou Heiyi's words, Pushan Zhongyi's face looked a little uncomfortable, and he looked at him with a slightly wary look.

Wanyan Luti's heart trembled, but fortunately, the expression on his big face was not vivid to begin with, and he did not show anything unusual at this time.

Wanyan Luti pretended to listen carefully to Yang Yuan's explanation of the Song State's position and quietly concealed his strange emotions.

After a while, the Song Dynasty fried tea that Yang Yuan took out was brewed and served.

Pushan Zhongyi, Xin Zan, Wanyan Dari, Wanyan Luti and others could not help but marvel at the tea.

Such clear tea soup, without any seasoning, still looks quite fresh.

Since the Jin people entered the Central Plains, they have been frantically absorbing and accepting Han culture.

What the upper echelons of the Jin Dynasty liked most was the extravagant lifestyle of the Central Plains and those exaggerated and unrealistic things.

This thing really elevates your status.

Before, their emperor used to soak in the ditch, rubbing each other's backs while discussing state affairs with his ministers.

Suddenly they can be so cool, why wouldn't they enjoy it?

Yang Yuan smiled and said, "If you like it, I'll give each of you a box when you leave, so you can try it."

When everyone heard this, they hurriedly thanked him and took the tea. They followed Yang Yuan's example, taking a sip, shaking their heads, and savoring the tea carefully.

Among them, only Wanyan Luti could not wait any longer. He waited for the tea to cool down a little and then drank it all in big gulps.

He wiped his mouth and said, "When I came here just now, I felt so hot and dry. After drinking this hot tea, my pores opened up and I felt cool all over.

Hahaha, fill my glass, I am thirsty."

The maid poured him a cup of tea, and in a short while, Wanyan Luti drank it all.

The maid was very discerning and hurried forward to fill his glass again.

Xin Zan sipped a cup of tea, stroked his beard and asked with a smile: "Just now I heard from Scholar Yang that you have a friend who is from Licheng, Jinan?"

Yang Yuan said: "Yes, my friend's surname is Leng, and she was born in Lin'an.

However, she said that her grandfather was from Licheng, Jinan, and when the Central Plains was in turmoil, he moved south to avoid the war.

"Did the Leng family of Licheng move south to escape the war?"

Xin Zan was suddenly moved and said, "In the past, there was indeed a family named Leng in Licheng, and they were related to our Xin family by marriage.

The daughter of my cousin married into the Leng family.

During the turmoil in the Central Plains, the Song and Jin dynasties were fighting fiercely, and bandits in Shandong took the opportunity to run rampant, causing chaos.

To avoid disaster, the Leng family moved south and have not been heard from since."

At this point, Xin Zan sighed and said, "I thought the Leng family had encountered bandits while fleeing and all of them had died.

I didn’t expect to hear news about the Leng family now. Great! Great! "

After hearing what Xin Zan said, Yang Yuan couldn't help but think, if Leng Yuchan is really the descendant of this old man Xin's in-laws, then let's do the math...

Isn’t Leng Yuchan Xin Zan’s niece’s great-granddaughter?
Yang Yuan hurriedly said, "I have never inquired about my friend's family background in detail before.

I just happened to hear her talk about how her family first migrated south from Licheng and encountered bandits on the way. Only her parents managed to make it south successfully.

Moreover, my friend's parents died when she was young, and she is now alone in Lin'an Prefecture."

Xin Zan felt very sad when he heard this, and couldn't help but say, "Master Yang, when you return to Song, please ask your friend's family carefully. I think he... should be my great-nephew."

Yang Yuan said, "In that case, I would like to trouble Mr. Xin to tell me about the situation in your mansion. After I return home, I can also verify it with my friend named Leng."

Xin Zan sighed and said, "As for me, I was a Jinshi in the third year of Xuanhe in the Song Dynasty. I have lived in Licheng, Jinan for generations. I only have one son, Wen Yu, who has passed away long ago. Now I only have one grandson by my side, named Qi Ji..."

******
Xin Qiji brought Fei Tianlu back to the Xin Mansion in a grand manner.

Once he entered Sihengzha Village, Xin Qiji no longer needed to hide anything.

The entire village depends on the Xin family to sell salt for a living, and they are all the Xin family's eyes and ears.

He let Fei Tianlu into the flower hall and said to him, "Uncle, please stay at my house for a few days.

When the government lifts the ban on arresting salt dealers, Qi Ji will arrange for you to return to the Song Dynasty, which will be more appropriate."

Fei Tianlu hurriedly thanked him.

Xin Qiji laughed and said, "Why are you being so polite to me, uncle?

Qi Ji's grandfather has always missed his homeland. If he meets you, a patriot from his homeland, he will be overjoyed. Qi Ji will take you to meet him first."

Xin Qiji asked the maid who came up to serve tea, "Chunhua, where is my master?"

Chunhua said, "The old man was invited by Lord Pushan Zhongyi of Jinan to welcome the envoys from the State of Song."

Fei Tianlu was startled and said in a lost voice, "An envoy from the Song State has arrived? Little girl, do you know who the envoy is?"

The maid thought for a moment and said, "I don't remember clearly.

However, I heard from the old man that the envoy from the State of Song was a talented scholar who had passed the imperial examinations."

Fei Tianlu was shocked and asked, "Yang Yuan? Why is he here as an envoy to the Kingdom of Jin?"

Xin Qiji was surprised and asked, "Yang Yuan? I have heard of this man's name. He is the top scholar in the imperial examination of the Song Dynasty. Uncle, do you know him?"

Fei Tianlu almost blurted out his identity, but after calming himself down, he said, "I am originally from Lin'an, and I have met this number one scholar several times."

"Oh?"

Xin Qiji thought for a moment, then told the maid, "Chunhua, ask the people in the front house to go and get the detailed information about the envoy from the State of Song."

The maid agreed and walked quickly towards the house.

Xin Qiji smiled and said, "Qiji also wants to meet this number one scholar of the Song Dynasty. Uncle, do you want to meet him and take the 'tailwind boat' of the envoys back to the Song Dynasty?"

Fei Tianlu was surprised and asked, "Little brother, can you help me meet Yang Yuan?"

Xin Qiji laughed and said, "In Jinan, it is not difficult for our Xin family to do something.

Besides, since my grandfather is the local gentry representative who welcomes the envoys from the Song Dynasty, there should be no problem for Qi Ji to bring an "entourage" to see my grandfather. "

Fei Tianlu couldn't help but be tempted, but he changed his mind...

He was the one who tried to assassinate the Jin emperor. If he joined Yang Yuan's delegation and was accidentally discovered, wouldn't it prove that it was the Song State that did it, putting the Song State in a passive position?
Fei Tianlu hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't know why Yang Yuan went to the Northern Kingdom. Let's wait for you to find out the details of the Song Kingdom delegation before we tell you."

*******
Yang Yuan never expected that Xin Zan would ask about Xin Qiji, who said, "Thinking back to those days, with our weapons and horses, we were as fierce as tigers and could swallow thousands of miles."

Fortunately, he had seen too many historical figures who had only been seen in historical documents before, and he had already trained himself to remain calm in the face of emergencies.

Otherwise, Yang Yuan would have been shocked when he first heard the name of Xin Qiji.

If he, a Song envoy who came from afar, looked strange when he heard the name of a 15-year-old boy from Jinan Prefecture under the rule of the Jin Kingdom, it would probably cause trouble for the Xin family.

As soon as he learned that Xin Zan's son had passed away and he was the only grandson by his side.

Yang Yuan, who knew Xin Qiji's future life choices, understood that this Mr. Xin must be a man who still had his heart set on the Song Dynasty.

Leng Yuchan is Yang Yuan's woman. In other words, he is the nephew-in-law of Mr. Xin Zan and the cousin-in-law of Xin Qiji.

Thinking of this, Yang Yuan suddenly felt closer to Xin Zan.

The two of them chatted openly about Mr. Xin's relatives in Song State, without having to hide it from anyone.

There are simply too many families in the Jin State that have relatives in the Song State.

Moreover, most of those families were either rich or noble in the Jin Dynasty.

After all, in times of war, there are almost no poor people who can afford to migrate far away.

Another thing is that this is also related to the tribal customs of the Jin people that have not yet disappeared.

During the early clan and tribal period, the Jurchens practiced exogamy.

After entering the chiefdom stage, the Jurchens practiced exogamy.

Therefore, there are countless complex marriage relationships between tribes.

But this does not affect their fight to the death for hunting grounds and pastures.

Therefore, they would not exclude or be suspicious of members of their own tribe who had marriage relations with other tribes.

Because if you count it that way, there probably wouldn't be many people in their entire tribe who don't have any relatives or friends outside, including themselves.

It has only been more than 30 years since the Jin Dynasty established this tribal alliance, and many old customs and concepts have not changed.

They were chatting here, and Wanyan Luti was drinking tea beside them.

As he drank, he touched his stomach and said with a smile: "This tea is very good. It not only relieves the summer heat, but also relieves the internal heat. Da Rui, accompany me to the bathroom."

Wanyan Luti stood up and walked to Wanyan Dari, patting him on the shoulder with a smile.

Wanyan Darui noticed that the strength used by Wanyan Luti was a little wrong, and he couldn't help but feel moved.

Wanyan Darui rolled his eyes and muttered, "What a lazy ox or horse that poops and pisses a lot."

He grumbled, then stood up and followed Wanyan Luti out.

The two of them strolled out, asked the person waiting outside where to go to the bathroom, and then walked there together.

As they walked along the tree-lined road, Wanyan Luti's face turned gloomy.

He whispered, "Da Rui, Kong Yanzhou escorted the Song envoy to Yanjing with 5,000 cavalrymen. Don't you think it's a bit strange?"

Wanyan Darui knew that he called him out because he must have something to discuss.

I didn't expect to hear such words from his mouth.

Just now in "Luoyuan Hall", he really just listened and passed it by without thinking deeply.

Because he was eager to know the Song Dynasty's bottom line in negotiations, he ignored it.

After hearing what Wanyan Luti said, Wanyan Darui realized that something was wrong.

"With five thousand cavalrymen...what does he want to do?"

Wanyan Luti said with a gloomy face: "In the heart of my Great Jin, he mobilized 5,000 elite soldiers. What else can he do with them?"

Wanyan Darui said angrily: "Wanyan Liang... is he really so bold? Is he going to kill all of us, the powerful Jin people?"

Wanyan Luti remained silent. He believed that Kong Yanzhou brought 5,000 soldiers with him and might be planning something bad for them.

However, it is somewhat hard to believe Wanyan Liang's approach of "I will kill you if you disobey me in the slightest."

The two of them walked silently into the "Place of Reincarnation of Grains", came out after using the toilet, and walked back slowly.

Wanyan Lvti said: "We should leave immediately. Our families' followers and servants add up to more than 10,000 people. As long as we can return home, Kong Yanzhou may not dare to attack even if he has bad intentions!"

Wanyan Dari does not have the quick wit of Wanyan Luti. It is not because he is stupid, but because he always likes to think things over again and again.

People who have this habit find it difficult to respond to other people's behavior in a timely manner.

However, if you give such a person some time to think calmly, most of his thoughts will become more careful.

Wanyan Darui shook his head and said, "If Kong Yanzhou leads 5,000 elite cavalry to Jinan with the goal of targeting us, do you think we can still leave?"

Wanyan Lvti said anxiously: "Kong Yanzhou certainly wouldn't dare to inform his officers and soldiers of such a major event in advance.

You and I are princes of the Jin Kingdom. If we force our way out, who dares to stop us?
Let's get out, by the time he finds out it might be too late."

"There's enough time!"

Wanyan Darui said coldly: "Did you see the guards wandering around?

As long as we leave Luoyuan Hall suddenly without saying goodbye, Kong Yanzhou will get the news immediately.

Even if we can pass the first level and then the second level of the city, there is still the third level!

Don't forget that Pushan Zhongyi has just issued an order to block all important water and land passes in order to arrest and crack down on salt dealers.

Pushan Zhongyi was obviously his accomplice.”

Wanyan Lvti couldn't help but gasp after hearing this, and said thoughtfully: "After leaving Luoyuan Hall and then leaving the city, plus the many checkpoints along the way... if we lose a little time at each checkpoint, the five thousand elite cavalry will catch up with us."

Wanyan Darui's eyes flickered, and he said, "So, we can't leave.

They didn't attack us right away, they must be trying to find a pretext, they might be trying to fabricate some crime and pin it on us, and then they'll attack us, we still have time."

Wanyan Lvti asked: "What do you want to do?"

Wanyan Darui said in a deep voice: "We should remain calm and immediately send someone to contact the 'Six Thousand Association' that sells our private salt. We will send someone out through them to inform you and my family overnight. Then..."

Wanyan Da Rui showed a trace of sneer and said: "On the pretext of discovering the private salt dealer, I mobilized our troops and slaves and rushed directly to Jinan Prefecture.

Don't forget that you and I, as guards of Shandong Road, also have the right to interfere in local government affairs.

Since he, Pushan Zhongyi, wants to arrest the salt dealers, we can send troops to help him do so. What's the problem?"

Wanyan Lvti thought about it in his heart and said, "Your family and I are not far from Jinan City, but if we gather people and come here quickly, we will arrive tomorrow at the earliest. What if... they start tonight?"

Wanyan Darui said: "They haven't yet made up a charge against us, and they don't know that we have noticed it, so they won't act rashly."

Having said that, after all, it concerns his own life, so Wanyan Darui dare not be careless.

He thought for a moment and added, “Tonight, you and I will follow Pushan Zhongyi.

If he returns home, we will follow him. As long as we keep a close watch on him, he won't be able to do anything to us."

"it is good!"

Wanyan Lvti gnashed his teeth and said, "Wanyan Liang! He is trying to force me to rebel against him!
This son of a bitch has pushed me to the limit. I will take a piece of his flesh even if I die. I will never let him off easily!"

Wanyan Darui said: "This is all just our guess. Stay calm and don't let anyone see any clues. Let's go back."

"Ok!"

Wanyan Luti took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and followed Wanyan Dari into "Luoyuan Hall".

As soon as they stepped over the threshold, their faces were filled with smiles.

It was as if that threshold was a switch that changed everything.

******
Licheng, Sihengzha Village.

Village Chief Yuan Jingren hurried into the Xin Mansion.

"I have something urgent to do. I need to see the young master."

He knew that Xin Zan had gone to the city, and now that there was an urgent matter, he had to ask Xin Qiji for instructions.

"Uncle Yuan, what's the matter?" Upon hearing the news, Xin Qiji hurried out from the back house.

Yuan Jingren said, "Master, a big merchant who often buys a lot of private salt from us wants our help to send his people through the blockade to Liaocheng and Tai'an."

Xin Qiji was startled and asked, "Two people?"

"Yes!"

"Did they say it was anything important?"

"No."

Xin Qiji pondered: "If it is not a very urgent matter, it is best not to use our secret passage at this time.

Otherwise, if there is a mistake, we will lose a link and it will be very difficult to make up for it. "

Yuan Jingren said: "I understand this principle. But this big merchant has always bought a lot of private salt from us.

He often bought a whole shipload of contraband salt that we shipped from the south.

Moreover, he told our people that if we helped them, he would be willing to increase the price by 10% when buying salt from us in the future."

Xin Qiji thought for a moment and said, "They are so bold, it seems they really have something urgent to do."

Yuan Jingren said: "Master, they always buy a lot of salt from us, and they will buy more soon.

Therefore, I guess that he must be a powerful person of high status, so he has the means to sell the salt quickly.

However, he obviously has no way to buy salt himself, or...he is worried that the tree will attract the wind, so he buys it from us?"

"Is it a local dignitary?"

Xin Qiji thought for a moment and said, "It's worth helping him. Promise him. But... let our people be more careful. When I came back today, I found that the officers and soldiers were patrolling very strictly, and this time is different from before."

Yuan Cunzheng agreed and left in a hurry.

As soon as Yuancun left, the person sent by the Xin family to the city to gather information came back.

Xin Qiji didn't ask him any questions and took him to the back house to see Fei Tianlu.

As soon as the man mentioned the identities of the chief and deputy envoys of the State of Song, Fei Tianlu's face changed.

The deputy envoy is Kou Heiyi, the deputy secretary of the Chanzifang of the Jisufang?

No need to ask, Yuye must have followed.

Fei Tianlu knew his daughter too well, and he and Zheng Yuandong were close friends.

Since the deputy envoy sent here is from the Speed ​​​​Room, it would be strange if his daughter didn't come with him.

In this case, he must meet with Yang Yuan.

Otherwise, my daughter must have gone to Yanjing to look for him.

And he has already left Yanjing. What if his daughter causes some trouble in her attempt to find him? He left safely but left his daughter trapped in the North. What would he do then?
Thinking of this, Fei Tianlu said to Xin Qiji: "Little brother, I really need to meet this envoy from Song.

Please help me arrange it, the sooner the better! "

PS: Four in one, 13,000, paralyzed~
(End of this chapter)