A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 464 Hot Potato
Han Lu thought he was hallucinating, and he subconsciously asked again:
"Prime Minister Nan, are you saying you disagree?"

"Correct."

Han Lu was completely stunned after hearing Yelü Gou'er's reply again.

After all that talking, Han Lu felt that Yelü Gou'er had been convinced.

But even now, he still refuses.

Han Lu couldn't understand it.

"why?"

Han Lu stood up, quite annoyed, and wanted to leave.

But remembering the Prince of Yan's instructions, he turned around again, unwilling to give up, and faced Yelü Gou'er's rather annoyed questioning once more:
"Prime Minister Nan, why is this happening?!"

"What kind of spell did Song Xuan cast on you to make you distrust your former colleagues?"

Faced with Han Lu's questioning, Yelü Gou'er simply sighed:

"I have something I can't say about it, please don't ask."

"What's the secret?"

Han Lu wondered if Yelü Gou'er had some kind of leverage over Song Xuan in Tokyo.

After all, he had never encountered a minister as domineering as Song Xuan in the Liao Dynasty.

But this is the Liao Dynasty, not the Song Dynasty. What are you afraid of, a Song Dynasty envoy?

"Don't ask anymore."

Yelü Gou'er kept Song Xuan's words in mind.

Never tell anyone; just push Han Lu away.

But the more this was the case, the more Han Lu felt there was something hidden, and he had to find out.

Otherwise, all the eloquence he had honed over the years would become a joke, and Han Lu couldn't bear such humiliation.

“Prime Minister Nan, tell me what you have on your hands, and I’ll figure something out for you.”

Han Lu sat down again and patiently said:

"This is our Liao territory. How can we allow a mere Song person to threaten us?"

“I know, that’s why I didn’t want to be separated from the Song envoy. I advise you not to ask anymore, it won’t do you any good to know.”

Yelü Gou'er pushed people away more and more.

Han Liu couldn't leave.

He swore that if they were in any trouble, he would definitely help them, and that they would never let the Song people scheme against them.

Let their divisive tactics succeed, or something like that.

Yelü Gou'er turned to the side: "Third Brother, I'm doing this for your own good."

"I'm doing this for your own good, Minister Nam."

I don't want to involve you.

"But we, as the escorts, have already been implicated."

Han Lu also refused to back down: "I hope that the Prime Minister of the South can tell me the truth."

Perhaps it was Han Lu's words that made Yelü Gou'er relent, so he whispered something in his ear.

After hearing this, Han Lu's eyes widened, and she subconsciously took a half step back.

He felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't even speak.

"This, this, this."

Han Lu didn't come out even after a long time.

He simply wiped the hot sweat from his forehead.

"hateful!"

Han Lu silently cursed himself for encountering such a troublesome situation.

"I told you you shouldn't have asked. Whoever gets hung up on this is doomed."

Yelü Gou'er sighed:

"You can leave now. I won't tell anyone what you know."

Han Lu truly could not withstand the wrath of the Liao emperor.

So he listened to the advice and turned to leave.

Yelü Gou'er looked at his retreating figure with utter contempt.

The Han family's ability to seek profit and harm is truly a family tradition!

Han Lu felt agitated, a feeling he hadn't experienced in many years.

So when the servants invited him to get into the sedan chair, Han Lu refused.

He wanted to walk around and figure out what was going on.

Let's think about what to do.
This matter of presenting the treasure has become a hot potato.

Now, not only should we not touch these Song Dynasty envoys, but we should also protect them well.

It seems that Yelü Gou'er wants to pin the blame on the Song people.

They hurried along until they reached the street corner of the Prince of Yan's residence.

Han Lu's clothes were soaked with sweat. He stepped on the red carpet without stopping, eager to tell the Prince of Yan the news as soon as possible.

At this moment, a group of dancers from the Prince of Yan's residence were dancing.

Song Xuan, on the other hand, spat out the roasted camel meat.

He thought it would taste good, but it didn't even have any spices, not to mention the meat was coarse, tough, and had a strong gamey smell.

"It's not good. Don't give me any more. I'd rather try your best roasted lamb."

Faced with Song Xuan's refusal, the Khitan servant smiled awkwardly and obediently began cutting the lamb chops.

The lamb chops tasted alright, although they had a lot of gamey smell.

He didn't add too many spices, but used salt water instead.

Song Xuan shook his head, noticing they hadn't even given him a dipping sauce.
"It's such a waste."

Liu Congde even vomited up the camel meat.

He thought it would be delicious, as he rarely ate this kind of meat in Tokyo, but the camel meat was completely bland.

Seeing the way Song Xuan and the others were behaving, Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan took a bite of camel meat. It wasn't particularly delicious, but it wasn't bad either.

"Scholar Song, is this flavor not to your liking?"

"Not really."

Song Xuan shook his head slightly: "I wonder if the Great Liao has spices?"

"Naturally there is."

“In the future, when Prince Yan roasts meat, he should add some spices to make it taste better. Just adding salt only gives it flavor on the outside, but it's hard to get any flavor inside.”

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Prince Yan, Xiao Xiaomu, did not say anything more.

Pepper, a spice, was extremely rare in the Song Dynasty. It was more valuable than gold and was mostly imported from overseas or along the Silk Road.

As for the fennel (cumin powder) that Song Xuan used to eat with barbecue, it was still a medicinal herb at this time and was not included in the recipe.

Similarly, spices were extremely precious in the Liao Dynasty.

Xiao Xiaomu had no intention of using some of the spices he had stored away.

There weren't enough spices for such a large roasted camel.

"If the Song Dynasty sells spices, I will send people to purchase them at the border market this year."

Song Xuan also shook his head slightly:

"The Song Dynasty doesn't have many spices either, so you should buy them from the Silk Road."

"The Silk Road?"

Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan looked shocked: "Where is that? I've never heard of it before."

Not only him, but everyone else, including Han Yi, didn't know where the Silk Road that Song Xuan pointed out was.

Song Xuan blinked. Could it be that the term "Silk Road" no longer exists?

"This route already existed during the Western Han Dynasty. It started from Chang'an or Luoyang, passing through Dunhuang, Yangguan, Guazhou and Yumen, and reached the Abbasid Caliphate and other foreign countries."

Song Xuan pointed to the northwest: "The spring breeze doesn't reach Yumen Pass, so it's normal that you don't know about it."

"I have heard of Yumen Pass, but the Silk Road has broadened my horizons."

Xiao Xiaomu nodded slightly. Although he had some understanding of Central Plains culture, this was the first time he had ever heard of the Silk Road.

Han Yi, who was well-read, simply ate the camel meat from Nanchong and did not undermine Song Xuan.

As for Liu Liufu sitting opposite, after being attacked by Song Xuan, he became even more obedient and didn't dare to say a word.

It's like a scholar meeting a scholar soldier. He's not only more cultured than you, but he's also better at fighting. How can you compete with him?

"However, after the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tibetans crossed the Kunlun Mountains and moved north, invading most of the Western Regions, and then the Central Plains and northern China were engulfed in war for years."

Xiao Xiaomu remembered again:

"This road is not currently under the control of the Song Dynasty. The Tangut people of Western Xia often stop passing merchants to collect taxes."

"Merchants are unwilling to travel far in order to protect themselves, so the Silk Road that the top scholar of the Song Dynasty mentioned is probably no longer viable."

"good."

Song Xuan immediately nodded and said:
“These Tanguts are truly hateful. They occupy this small area, yet they don’t know how to do business; all they know is how to plunder. They are the barbarians among barbarians.”

Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan nodded repeatedly as he listened, but then he realized what was going on.

What does it mean to be the barbarian among barbarians?

"There's something wrong with what Scholar Song said."

Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan said very seriously, "Our Great Khitan is the successor of the Tang Dynasty, not some barbarian."

Why should the Prince of Yan take this personally?

Han Yi put down the camel meat in his hand, feeling that the so-called camel hump was a bit too greasy.

"Song Zhuangyuan was naturally criticizing the Tanguts, saying that they occupied that position but did not know how to make money and only thought about plundering."

"Since no one passed by, and no merchants were robbed, who will they rob next?"

Xiao Xiaomu also did not want to mention the Tangut people.

After all, this was a war between the Song and Liao dynasties against the Tangut people.

The emperor of the Great Khitan personally led 500,000 soldiers to attack, but suffered a great defeat and was captured by the Tanguts, who also seized many horses and armor.

This immediately made the Tangut people wealthy in terms of equipment.

Li Deming is skilled in cavalry warfare, so he has a good chance of winning against the Khitan.

After this battle, Li Deming's heart became burning with passion.

Despite being a Tangut, he also aspired to be emperor.

The King of Western Xia was no longer enough for him. After all, even the Liao Dynasty, which was supporting him from behind, could not defeat him. How could he not become increasingly arrogant?

The Song Dynasty has never suffered such a major defeat against the Western Xia Tanguts.

Xiao Xiaohui simply smiled and dismissed it, saying that the Dangxiang people were barbarians and not worth worrying about.

Moreover, with such a precious treasure now belonging to the Great Khitan, their emperor has invited surrounding powers to come and offer their congratulations.

The Tanguts will also come then, and Song Zhuangyuan can communicate with them directly.

Xiao Tali gave her father a look, signaling him to step back.

Xiao Xiaomu had someone pour wine for Song Xuan and the others, as he needed to use the restroom before coming out.

"what happened?"

"Uncle Han is waiting for Father in the study."

"Okay, you go and entertain them first."

Xiao Tali said, "Does this mean I really have to go up and practice my swordsmanship?"

"There's no need for that."

Xiao Xiaomu asked his daughter to entertain the guests, in order to keep the atmosphere lively.

Xiao Tali then had the Khitan dancers go up again to perform some exotic acts.

Compared to Han Chinese dancers, Khitan dancers were much bolder in their clothing.

When Xiao Xiaomu saw Han Lu, he noticed that Han Lu was covered in sweat, and even his hair was steaming.

He looked as if he had been pulled out of the water.

Although the weather is getting warmer, it's not too stuffy at night.

"Third Brother, how much effort did you expend to persuade Yelü Gou'er?"

"I couldn't convince him."

"what!"

Xiao Xiaomu subconsciously took a half step back: "How could that be?"

"Your Highness, this matter is truly beyond our expectations. Yelü Gou'er is in big trouble."

Han Lu quickly went over and whispered something in Xiao Xiaomu's ear.

Xiao Xiaomu was stunned after hearing the whole thing.

He knew all too well how much His Majesty valued that treasure.

In particular, he invited messengers from all surrounding forces to come and witness the event.

If such a shameful thing were to happen in front of everyone, the emperor would probably be furious.

"really?"

Xiao Xiaomu was still somewhat skeptical. Even if Yelü Gou'er was a fierce general on the battlefield, he should know the significance of this treasure to His Majesty.

How could he not protect this treasure?

“Prince Yan, what Yelü Gou’er said doesn’t seem to be a lie.”

"You saw it with your own eyes?"

"No."

Xiao Xiaomu stood there, unsure how to handle this explosive news.

As for Han Lu, he was already in a state of utter confusion. Even though he was drenched in sweat from walking all the way, he couldn't think of a way to turn the tide.

"Your Highness, we must continue to carefully escort these envoys in the future to avoid any mistakes."

"Otherwise, we cannot withstand the emperor's wrath."

Xiao Xiaomu understood Han Lu's concerns.

He also knew that His Majesty's mood had been fluctuating since he fell ill. He wouldn't kill people at will, but no one wanted to lose their wealth and status.

"You didn't see with your own eyes that the treasure broke?"

"Yelü Gou'er didn't show it to me."

Xiao Xiaomu was torn between whether or not to believe Yelü Gouren's words.

How can you know if it's true or false without seeing it for yourself?

"Your Highness, I doubt Yelü Gou'er would dare to fabricate this story."

Han Lu was extremely upset. He had thought it was a small matter, but he never expected to be involved in such a huge conspiracy.

Now it's difficult to remove them even if you want to.

"Yes, that's what I'm most worried about."

Xiao Xiaomu turned his head and asked, "Do you think we should proactively inform His Majesty of this news?"

"No!"

Han Lu blurted out, telling Xiao Xiaomu not to do that.

"Please think it over, Your Highness Prince Yan!"

Han Lu quickly comforted Xiao Xiaomu:
"His Majesty is currently ill and his moods are unpredictable, so a very grand welcoming ceremony was held for this treasure."

"If His Highness Prince Yan were to spread this message, I'm afraid he would have to bear the brunt of the anger alone, not Yelü Gou'er."

"Therefore, under no circumstances should His Highness Prince Yan release this news."

Xiao Xiaomu nodded: "If I won't say, then you say it?"

Han Lu hurriedly waved his hand, unable to bear the wrath.

"Your Highness, this news should not be delivered by either of us."

"If you won't tell, I won't tell either?"

A cold glint flashed across Xiao Xiaomu's face:
"Do you think Yelü Gou'er will help you conceal the news if His Majesty investigates?"

This question sent a shiver down Han Lu's spine, and his body involuntarily trembled.

He didn't consider his relationship with Yelü Gou'er to be one of life-or-death bond!

"Your Highness, this has truly become a hot potato."

No matter how much Han Lu regretted it, he could only accept this reality: he was there to solve problems, not to take the blame.

"It's hot if it's hot."

Xiao Xiaomu turned around again:

"Judging from Yelü Gou'er's words, he has kept it a secret all along, and even the Song people don't know?"

"That's what they said. Ever since he took it from the Song people, he has never let them touch it."

"I suspect that Yelü Gou'er's son was seriously injured, and he probably wanted to take the opportunity to distance himself from the situation and spare his life."

Xiao Xiaomu narrowed his eyes slightly:

"His Majesty is not entirely satisfied with Yelü Gou'er either. Now that his son has lost an arm and become crippled, out of consideration for their ancestral bond, His Majesty will not be too harsh on him."

"Does Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, mean that Yelü Gou'er wants to shift the blame for the tiger attack onto the Song people?"

"Yes."

Xiao Xiaomu was certain that Yelü Gou'er wanted to do this, but he underestimated His Majesty.

His Majesty cannot shift the blame onto the Song people, especially since neither the Song nor the Liao side wants to fight.

Judging by Song Xuan's sharp tongue, he could probably talk Yelü Gou'er to death.

Especially in the face of such a grave mistake, His Majesty will not show him any leniency.

"That's a bit unrealistic."

Han Lu shook his head slightly:

“No matter how angry His Majesty is, he will not kill the Song envoy. If neither country kills its envoys during wartime, then we will become the barbarians among barbarians.”

"Once this gets out, the surrounding forces will probably never submit to our Great Khitan again."

Now, the underlings around him are all getting restless.

The impact of an emperor's personal campaign failing is enormous.

When Emperor Taizong of Liao, Yelü Deguang, was defeated and fled on a camel, he recuperated and fought back, destroyed the Later Jin dynasty, and entered the capital city of Tokyo to become emperor.

He wanted to take control of the Central Plains, but he didn't change his arrogant and conceited nature. He couldn't gain a foothold in the Central Plains and was eventually beaten and forced to run back.

Xiao Xiaomu frowned deeply:
"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Han Lu bowed and said, "Your Highness, I've been thinking about this all the way here. It's about leaking information to Yelü Gou'er's political enemies."

"Air leak?"

Xiao Xiaomu originally wanted to clear up the misunderstanding with Yelü Gou'er, but now the misunderstanding is no longer important. What matters is how to protect himself and avoid being implicated by him.

"Correct."

After Han Lu spoke, he felt much more at ease:
"The journey is long and there are bound to be oversights, so when someone says there's a problem with the treasure, it serves as a reminder to His Majesty."

"Perhaps His Majesty won't make such a big show of it and let everyone see it. As long as no one looks at it, then this treasure is a flawless treasure."

Xiao Xiaomu paced back and forth in the study.

Such a thunderous roar made it difficult for him to make up his mind.

"His Royal Highness King Yan."

Han Lu had sweated a lot, but now he felt a chill on his back.

"Neither you nor I have had the chance to see that treasure, so we can only believe that Yelü Gou'er's words are true."

Xiao Xiaomu looked at Han Lu, a look of doubt in his eyes:
"How can we leak this to Yelü Gouren's political enemies?"

"Should you go and tell them, or should I?"

Han Lu lowered her brows slightly, then raised her head again:
“Your Highness, I have a way that neither of us needs to tell you.”

"Oh?"

Inside the banquet hall, Xiao Tali sat in the main seat, looking down at everyone below, with a completely unobstructed view. Du Fang looked at her, and she looked at Song Xuan.

So he likes young girls too.

Song Xuan had always admired the Khitan women's dancing.

He not only admired it, but also pointed and whispered to the Empress Dowager's nephew, seemingly discussing something.

Xiao Tali thought Song Xuan was the kind of Song person who looked down on everything.

Du Fang followed Xiao Tali's gaze to Song Xuan opposite him, and for a moment he found it hard to accept.

The Prince of Yan's daughter has never looked at a man like this before!

Even if we take a step back and assume that Song Xuan is quite handsome, just sitting there, you can tell he has a refined and cultured demeanor.

In Du Fang's view, Song Xuan had a resemblance to Gao Huan: handsome, but mentally unstable and prone to madness.

This kind of man is extremely attractive to women, but it's absolutely impossible for him to like only one woman.

"Tari, don't do anything foolish."

Du Fang couldn't stop howling inside.

"Hey, you know what, Fanlou should also add some exotic flair to attract customers."

"Twelfth Brother, there are very few Hu women coming to the Song Dynasty."

Liu Congde also shook his head with considerable regret:

"Some people just like Hu's big eyes, high nose, and pert little breasts."

"Although the smell is a bit strong, some people can get used to it. These women either set up stalls on the ground or are bought by brothels."

"It wouldn't make much sense for Fanlou to have just one or two of them on its own."

"If you ask me, we should buy all these Khitan women and put them in Fanlou to attract customers. Maybe someone will like them."

Song Xuan nodded slightly:

"That's possible. Most of these Khitan women are slaves and can be bought and sold freely. It's just unclear whether they'll sell to you, a Song person."

Liu Congde nodded. That's a good idea. He'll ask about it when he has the chance.

If we can buy some Khitan women, Jurchen women, and former Silla maids, this trip won't be a waste.

Song Xuan and the others talked about the uses of dancers. Even in the Song Dynasty, scholars would send dancers to serve each other.

Even a concubine could be given away, let alone someone like that.

Xiao Xiaomu walked in with a normal expression, then raised his wine glass and said some words of apology.

Not only that, he also condescended to take the initiative to drink with Han Yi.

After being persuaded like this several times, Han Yi started to pretend to be drunk and kept saying that he would drink and drink to the end.

Xiao Xiaomu then began to look at Song Xuan:
“Song Zhuangyuan, I have long admired your name and have always longed to be like you. What happened that day was indeed a misunderstanding.”

He called his daughter, Xiao Tali, over:
"There was a lot of misunderstanding last time, so let's just drink until we drop today. It wasn't a big deal to begin with."

Although Xiao Tali didn't know what had happened, she knew that Han Lu had returned, which meant that they had succeeded.

Now, my father is further deceiving the Song envoy; all I need to do is wait and see good news.

So Xiao Tali not only did not refuse, but apologized again, saying that she had indeed not thought things through, that she had always admired Song Zhuangyuan and wanted to make a deep impression on him when she first met him.

Du Fang was heartbroken to hear that his goddess had long admired Song Xuan and even said that he had left a deep impression on him.

He pursued her for so long, but received hardly any response.

Before Song Xuan could say anything, Xiao Tali took the initiative to stick close to him.

In such a situation, which man wouldn't be heartbroken?
Song Xuan, however, was quite accommodating and said:
"The Prince of Yan is referring to that matter!"

"If Yelü Gou'er hadn't repeatedly begged me for help, I wouldn't have bothered sending troops forward."

"I see." Xiao Xiaomu nodded.
"It's a misunderstanding. We'll clear it up. The Song and Liao are brotherly nations."

"That's right. If Yelü Gou'er's son hadn't been so badly injured, I wouldn't have gone to all this trouble. This is Liao territory, who would have thought there would be a rebel army here!"

Song Xuan, holding his wine cup, asked, "May I ask, Prince Yan, how many rebellions are there within the Khitan?"

"Just a few barbarians."

Xiao Xiaomu chuckled and clinked glasses with Song Xuan:
"No matter how much they jump around, they can't escape the iron hammer of my Great Khitan. If they dare to rebel, just beat them to death. It's just that some fish will escape."

"really."

Song Xuan also started to flatter him:

"When thousands of cavalrymen appeared before me that day, the overwhelming sense of oppression was truly awe-inspiring."

"Oh?"

Xiao Xiaomu was quite pleased that Song Xuan had taken the initiative to praise the Great Khitan cavalry.

"Even the top scholar of the Song Dynasty was interested in cavalry?"

"Of course." Song Xuan was perhaps a little excited, perhaps from drinking too much.
"Li Bai wrote a poem: 'After a hundred battles on the battlefield, my iron armor was shattered; the city south was already surrounded by several layers of encirclement. I broke through the camp and shot down Huyan General, then led my remaining thousand cavalry back alone.'"

"Good good."

Xiao Xiaomu clapped his hands and laughed.

Although he had never heard of this poem, he had heard of Li Bai's great name, and he felt that this poem was particularly inspiring.

Han Yi, pretending to be drunk, tried his best to suppress the urge to laugh.

The top scholar of the Song Dynasty took advantage of the fact that the King of Yan of the Khitan was not studying.

The "Huyan General" in Li Bai's poem refers to a foreigner.

The surname of one of the four noble surnames of the Xiongnu.

By the time of the Song Dynasty, the Huyan surname of the Xiongnu people had long been integrated into the Han people, and there were no Xiongnu people left in the world.

Huyan Zan, a famous general of the Song Dynasty, was trusted by three emperors: Emperor Taizu, Emperor Taizong, and Emperor Zhenzong. He was also a ruthless man, with tattoos all over his body bearing the four characters "Loyal Heart to Kill the Traitors".

Not only did he do this, but he also required his wives, concubines, sons, and servants to do the same. He even created his own unique weapon, the Vajra Pestle, which weighed over ten kilograms and wielded with great skill.

During the annihilation of the Northern Han, he was the first to scale the city walls. He was knocked down four times, but he charged back up again and was rewarded by Emperor Taizong of Song in person.

Moreover, he has an eccentric personality and insists on bathing his sons in ice water in winter when they were young, which resulted in his sons catching colds.

He was the kind of ruthless man who would cut off pieces of flesh from his own thigh to make soup for his son to cure his illness, instead of consulting a doctor.

Han Yi, who was pretending to be drunk, felt that the Khitans were also foreign people to the Han people.

Sometimes, not understanding someone's explanation is a blessing in disguise; you might even feel like you're being praised.

Liu Liufu, a well-read scholar, did not want to expose Song Xuan, though he certainly knew what Huyan Jiang meant.

Could it be that he was waiting for the Prince of Yan to be in a good mood, then he would go up and sabotage him, thinking he was making Song Xuan lose face, but in reality, he was making the Prince of Yan, who was praising Li Bai's poetry, lose face?

Liu Liufu would never do something so unlucky.

He just felt that Song Xuan was a man of hidden strength and not an ordinary person, and he didn't want any conflict to happen in person, as it would be easy for him to be targeted.

"If Scholar Song enjoys cavalry, how about letting him have a go when I escort the delegation?"

"Ok?"

Song Xuan turned to the side and picked up the wine pot: "I wonder how the Prince of Yan plans to satisfy my cravings?"

Xiao Xiaomu was still a little stunned when he saw Song Xuan pour him wine.

After all, I was just saying something polite, so why did he actually take advantage of the situation?
Weren't the people of the Song Dynasty generally quite reserved?

"Naturally, the army followed behind Scholar Song, showing off their power."

Song Xuan stopped pouring the wine: "That's it?"

Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan blinked: "Is Scholar Song dissatisfied with this arrangement?"

"Not satisfied."

"Very dissatisfied." Song Xuan put the wine pot aside.
"What use would I have for your Khitan cavalry if I wanted to show off my power?"

"Is it that your Khitan armor is more beautiful than my Song armor, or that the warhorses of your Prince Yan's mansion are taller than the warhorses of my Song imperial guards?"

Xiao Xiaomu looked at Song Xuan: "I wonder how Scholar Song wants to have his fun?"

"How about letting me command five thousand cavalry?"

"Command five thousand cavalry?"

Xiao Xiaomu took a step back while holding his wine glass:
"Scholar Song, you still want to command five thousand cavalry?"

"What happened?"

Song Xuan took a sip of wine: "Let me see how powerful the Khitan cavalry are, not bring them back to the Song Dynasty for you."

Xiao Xiaomu fell into deep thought; he had gotten carried away with the alcohol and gotten himself into a conversation.

The main reason was that he had never met someone like Song Xuan, who, despite having a very high "status" in the Song Dynasty, truly acted like a rogue.

Xiao Xiaomu's previous experience in dealing with the Song people proved completely ineffective at this moment.

He had no control over the communication.

Now, in order to appease Song Xuan, Xiao Xiaomu shook his head: "Five thousand people are too many, one thousand people."

"Five thousand people."

"Okay, let me think of a way. Two thousand men, but the main problem is that you don't have experience commanding troops. Too many people can easily cause problems."

"can."

Xiao Xiaomu was surprised by Song Xuan's quick agreement and began to feel a bit more favorably toward him.

There is no such thing as being unforgiving when you are in the right.

Xiao Xiaomu was of course unaware of such verbal techniques.

Song Xuan's expectations weren't that high; he simply claimed to the outside world that his demands were high enough to break the roof.

The other party will then be willing to negotiate and reach your desired goal.

In this way, Xiao Xiaomu would think that Song Xuan was a person who "understands the big picture and is easy to communicate with".

As for when Xiao Xiaomu will realize what's happening, that's not something Song Xuan cares about.

No one can guarantee that the same person won't fall into the same trap twice.
Xiao Tali had thought that Song Xuan would argue his point, but he never expected him to become so easy to talk to.

Song Xuan was not greedy:
"I just happened to bring four hundred cavalrymen, a mixed Song-Liao cavalry unit. How about we learn from each other?"

"A mixed Song-Liao cavalry force?"

This was the first time Xiao Xiaomu had ever heard such a statement.

"The Song and Liao are sworn brothers, so it is only natural for them to conduct joint military exercises."

Song Xuan raised his wine cup and clinked it against that of Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan:

"If any remnants of those who rebelled against the Liao Dynasty reappear, are we, the soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty, just going to stand idly by?"

Song Xuan's words delighted Xiao Xiaomu.

"Hahaha."

"I have never heard of such a thing before in all my years."

"Back when I was young, I participated in quite a few battles between the Song and Liao dynasties."

"A mixed cavalry unit from the Song and Liao dynasties conducted joint military exercises."

"Song Zhuangyuan's mind is truly brilliant; no wonder he was able to achieve the highest honors in the Song Dynasty."

Xiao Tali listened to her father's words and then gave Song Xuan a serious look.

When this child isn't angry, he's so respectable that you can't help but want to get close to him.

But Xiao Tali knew that he was a vicious tiger inside and that he should not be fooled by his appearance.

Du Fang was astonished. Was this the difference between the Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) of the Song and Liao dynasties?

He felt that if he went to the Song Kingdom, he might not even be able to pass the first round of the examination!

Xiao Xiaomu drank the wine in his cup in one gulp:

"As Song Zhuangyuan also knows, the Song and Liao sides signed a brotherhood alliance. I originally thought it was just an agreement for three to five years, but I never expected it to remain valid from my youth to my old age."

He strolled back slowly and said, "In my opinion, this Song-Liao alliance probably can't really last for a hundred years."

Before the Liao Dynasty, there had never been a foreign regime that accepted money and truly kept its promises.

However, the Liao Dynasty considered itself the successor to the Tang Dynasty, and it still had some principles when it came to keeping its promises.

Song Xuan looked at Xiao Xiaomu, never expecting him to have such thoughts.

It seems that the stable and affluent life they enjoy now has made many Khitan nobles lose their desire to go south to raid for supplies.

The 300,000 in profits received annually was more than enough to live on within the Khitan territory.

Especially since they have become large landowners and ranchers over the years, their lives have become corrupt and decadent.

Who wants to work themselves to the bone every day?

It's not like the old days when you had to work incredibly hard to make money anymore.

My lord, times have changed. There's no need for fighting and killing.

Of course, both the Song and Liao dynasties began to become corrupt and decadent together; neither could escape the historical cycle.

"Hopefully so. As long as the emperors of both the Song and Liao dynasties do not want to start a war, this alliance can continue."

Song Xuan casually replied, "What can we do? We're sworn brothers!"

"good."

Xiao Xiaomu agreed, as long as the emperor didn't cause trouble, otherwise they would all have to obey orders.

Especially when he saw Song Xuan standing there with his spear drawn, he couldn't wait to kill a few "remnants of the rebels" to satisfy his urge.

Xiao Xiaomu had also dreamed of commanding thousands of troops when he was young.

But once you actually reach a position of command, you realize it's not an easy thing.

Xiao Xiaomu also wanted to see if the top scholar of the Song Dynasty could command two thousand four hundred cavalry.

If he fails to command effectively, then he will become a laughing stock, which is none of his business.

Xiao Xiaomu wiped the wine stains off his beard:

"Scholar Song, when we set off tomorrow, I will allocate two thousand cavalrymen to you for command."

"Thank you very much, Prince Yan."

Song Xuan sat down again. Han Yi, who was pretending to be drunk, did not expect that Song Xuan could still get support from the Khitans, so he just blinked and asked Song Xuan what he wanted to do.
"Twelfth Brother, what do you need the Khitan cavalry for?"

"To experience what it's like to be a general."

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
“I don’t have many opportunities to command cavalry in the Song Dynasty. I’ll use two thousand cavalrymen to practice first. They’re not our Song soldiers anyway, so I can use them without hesitation.”

"That's exactly what I mean," Liu Congde nodded.

Han Yi listened to Song Xuan's explanation and was quite speechless.

The banquet lasted until very late, and Song Xuan finally got to eat the braised bear paw rice.

He thought it didn't taste good; it was all oily rice and too greasy.

It's a pity about the bear paw.

After saying goodbye, Song Xuan finally spoke:

“Prince Yan, if you don’t know how to make bear paw, then don’t make it next time. It’s a waste.”

"Hahaha."

Xiao Xiaomu didn't mind, as both sides had already drunk quite a bit of wine.

"I know that the top scholar Song looks down on the food of my great Khitan. I have heard that there are seventy-two fine restaurants in the capital city of Tokyo, each with excellent skills. If I have the opportunity to serve as an envoy in the future, I will definitely go and try them all."

At this moment, Liu Congde chuckled, somewhat tipsy:

"When you get to Fanlou, just mention my name, Liu Congde, and it will work very well."

"sure."

Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan ordered his men to escort the Song Dynasty envoys back to rest.

After the person turned the corner, Xiao Tali spoke:

"Father, let me help you back to rest."

"Need not."

Xiao Xiaomu, no longer drunk, said, "I was faking it."

"what?"

Xiao Tali watched as her father strode off to find Han Lu.

"hey-hey."

Liu Congde remarked that the Khitan woman was quite attractive, rather plump and beautiful.

After returning to the post station.

"Twelfth Brother, I'm going to sleep now."

"Ah."

Song Xuan responded.

He took a sip of hot water and began to rinse his mouth.

Han Yi stopped pretending to be drunk. He noticed that Song Xuan, who had been drunk just moments before, was now full of energy.

"You're not drunk?"

"That cunning Xiao Xiaomu, does he really think I didn't see him spitting wine into his sleeve?"

Song Xuan took the toiletries from Wang Bao and began brushing his teeth:
"Envoy Han, I was bragging when I said I could drink ten people, but I could definitely get Xiao Xiaomu drunk. He wasn't even drunk, so why should I be?"

Han Yi blinked, thinking that Xiao Xiaomu was also drunk.

It turns out everyone was faking it.

That's fine.

"Scholar Song, are you really going to command the Khitan cavalry?"

"I'll give them the command and see how they train on a regular basis."

Song Xuan glanced at Han Yi:
"Since I'm just idling around in Khitan anyway, I'll take a look at their weaponry and daily training. How did they get so badly defeated by the Tanguts?"

"After all, if the Tanguts want to declare themselves emperors, our Great Song Dynasty will certainly not allow it, so it is normal for war to break out."

"So you want to see where the Khitans were defeated, so that our Great Song can avoid it in the future."

Han Yi nodded repeatedly, agreeing that it made sense.

It seems that Song Xuan discovered many hidden problems when he served as the magistrate of Kaifeng County.

Even if you spot the problem, it doesn't necessarily mean you can avoid it.

Song Xuan shook his head slightly:

"It is difficult for people to learn from the failures of others and avoid falling into the same trap of failure themselves."

"So I just wanted to see how big the gap was between the two sides, so I would have a better understanding of the situation and not be too presumptuous in the future."

Song Xuan remembered that when the Liao Dynasty was about to be destroyed by the Jin Dynasty, Emperor Huizong of Song sent people to contact the Jin Dynasty to destroy the Liao Dynasty together, in order to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

In the end, they were still utterly defeated by the Liao people, who were barely clinging to life.

Such "achievements" made the Jurchens even more arrogant, even though the Northern Song Dynasty briefly recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

However, since the Jurchens had taken away a large number of people, livestock, and wealth, acquiring empty land was of little use.

Instead, the Jurchens swept south and besieged the city of Tokyo.

Han Yi was deeply moved by Song Xuan's words, which led to Du Mu's "Ode to the Epang Palace".

Han Yi shook his head, realizing that he didn't really know anyone else as young and clear-headed as Song Xuan.

"In that case, I'll wait for your good news after you've observed it."

Han Yi also went back to his room to rest, and he didn't care at all about what happened at the banquet today.

Once they enter Liao territory, this is just a small matter; once they meet the Khitan emperor, the scale will be much larger.

After washing up, Song Xuan didn't rush to sleep. Instead, he strolled off to find Yelü Gou'er.

Yelü Gou'er didn't sleep either; he was full of energy and kept thinking.

"You finally came."

Song Xuan plopped down in the chair:
"Yes, let's hear how you tricked Xiao Xiaomu's envoy, try to find the loopholes and see how to handle things next."

"I just told Han Lu exactly what you said."

"Han Derang's descendants were still trusted by Xiao Xiaomu to act as persuaders."

Song Xuan shook his head slightly: "It seems he's not someone who's easily fooled."

"good."

Yelü Gou'er gave Song Xuan an approving look: "But he was still fooled by you."

"No," Song Xuan waved his hand and said.

"You've fooled him; I can't fool him."

(End of this chapter)