A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 467 No, it's already gotten to the honey trap stage?

Xiao Tali's little face was tense.

She tried hard not to show that she was angry.

Xiao Tali felt that he was right. Song Xuan, relying on his status as the top scholar of the Song Dynasty, only knew how to use his words.

But unfortunately, he can't even be good at arguing.

I couldn't argue with him at all.

angry!

However, Xiao Tali was helpless against Song Xuan.

Xiao Tali knew that while she was in the Liao Dynasty, many people might be deferential to her, but this Song person in front of her would never do so.

For the first time, Xiao Tali discovered that the aura surrounding his family and father wasn't so effective in front of others.

Such as the pressure posed by the identity of the Prince of Yan's daughter.

They don't care at all.

Song Xuan fanned himself and blinked, watching to see when the princess in front of him would shed tears.

When Xiao Tali thought about what she had said to her father, she suppressed her anger and tried to control herself.
"Scholar Song, do you speak to women in the South in this way?"

"Of course."

"Of course!"

Xiao Tali repeated it subconsciously.

"Those young ladies are practically throwing themselves at me, so why should I smile and talk to them?"

"If they object, they'll think I'm interested in them."

"You, a woman from another race, simply don't understand. It's really annoying."

Hearing Song Xuan's reasoning, Xiao Tali angrily cracked his riding whip:
“Scholar Song, I had no such intention. You have misunderstood.”

"Then why did you come to find me?"

Once Song Xuan realized he had the upper hand, he immediately countered with a question.

"I come."

Xiao Tali gritted his teeth, his thoughts almost being led astray by Song Xuan, and blurted out what was on his mind.

"I've come to find you to discuss poetry."

"I have even less interest in discussing poetry with you."

Seeing that the Khitan girl wasn't fooled, Song Xuan casually waved his fan:
"The sun is shining brightly now, I'm going to take a nap, you can go now."

"you."

Xiao Tali raised his riding whip and then lowered it again: "You really don't want to see me?"

What would I want to see you for?

"See me," Xiao Tali said through gritted teeth, "to discuss poetry."

"I wouldn't talk nonsense." Song Xuan chuckled.
"You're no different from those young ladies in the Song Dynasty who are obsessed with my good looks."

Xiao Tali became very excited.

He actually falsely accused me of sleeping with him?

"I'm lusting after your good looks?"

"You're the one talking nonsense!"

"I, Xiao Tali, am the most beautiful woman in the entire Liao Dynasty. The men who covet my beauty could stretch from Nanjing all the way to Zhongjing!"

Song Xuan narrowed his eyes: "Well, I actually don't like queuing."

Is this about queuing?

Xiao Tali went completely berserk.

Song Xuan closed his eyes:

"I've seen through your tricks long ago. You deliberately approach me to get my attention. Go away, I have no interest in women from other races, they smell bad."

"I don't have a strong smell, but I smell delicious!"

Xiao Tali, a beautiful young woman, was sought after everywhere in the Liao Dynasty, and naturally couldn't resist Song Xuan's provocation.

She has now completely forgotten how confident she was in using reverse psychology on Song Xuan before she came.

"Oh."

"What do you mean by that?"

Xiao Tali was enraged by Song Xuan's indifferent attitude.

Song Xuan opened his eyes and looked her up and down again:
"Whether you smell bad or not is none of my business. I didn't want to sleep with you anyway."

The full peaks of Xiao Tali.

At this moment, it is as undulating as the Badaling mountain peaks next to it.

She had never been subjected to such aggressive scrutiny from a man in her entire life, nor had she ever been verbally provoked like this.

At this moment, Xiao Tali suppressed his anger and turned to leave.

She took one step, then another, until she heard a snort of laughter behind her, at which point she stopped again.

Xiao Tali suddenly realized that he had almost been manipulated by Song Xuan.

Looking at Yelü Renxian, who was waiting for her outside the Song Dynasty's Imperial Guard, Xiao Tali suddenly remembered that she had been thinking about how to deal with Song Xuan.

He ended up using it first!

Xiao Tali glanced back at Song Xuan.

This kid has a really sharp mind; he even struck first.

This was to avoid getting any more useful information from him.

No wonder he was the top scholar in the Song Dynasty, achieving the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations!
I almost got so angry with him that I gave in to his wishes.

Xiao Tali stopped in his tracks, then walked back and plopped down next to Song Xuan.

"I just want Scholar Song to smell my scent and see if it smells good?"

"Heh, stay away from me."

Song Xuan leaned against the tree trunk with his eyes closed.

"why are you laughing?"

Xiao Tali couldn't help but feel a little smug.

Song Xuan's plan failed, and now it's my turn to shine. He's even started using laughter to cover up his embarrassment.

"I laugh at your attempt to play hard to get. It's useless. I've encountered that trick countless times. You women have no new tricks up your sleeve."

"hehe."

Xiao Tali was too lazy to argue with Song Xuan about how the young lady of the Song Dynasty treated him.

Once the argument starts, one will fall into the trap set by Song Xuan.

"It seems that Scholar Song was very popular in the Song Dynasty. I wonder how many women he had?"

Song Xuan held up a finger and laughed, "It's just one wife and one concubine."

Xiao Tali had assumed that Song Xuan would have many women, after all, he was indeed good-looking.

Now that he says he has one wife and one concubine, it seems he's quite devoted to his wife.

"Since so many young women are throwing themselves at you, why do you only have two women?"

Song Xuan glanced at her: "What do you, a woman from Hu, know about physiological attraction?"

"I am not Hu Nu."

"Just because others like me, does that mean I have to like them back?"

Xiao Tali's small mouth opened slightly.

She really doesn't understand what physiological attraction is.

She was also influenced by Central Plains culture from a young age.

She never imagined that she would be completely ignorant of many of the words used by people from the Song Dynasty.

It turns out that communicating with these "cultured people of the Song Dynasty" is actually quite difficult!
It seems that the great Confucian scholars from the Yan-Yun region are quite polite in their speech.

However, Xiao Tali understood Song Xuan's second sentence, and she felt it deeply.

After all, there were quite a few Khitan and Han men who had their eyes on her.

Xiao Tali tilted his head slightly:
"Although your words are often unpleasant to hear, there is some truth to them."

"I only say nice things to my wives and concubines; others are not worthy to hear them."

Song Xuan's words once again surprised Xiao Tali greatly.

They were even quite envious.

Now she truly believed that Song Xuan was capable of killing a colleague in the main hall.

Even though she was the daughter of the Prince of Yan, and others always addressed her as a princess, she could not be as carefree as Song Xuan.

Is this the true value of becoming the top scholar in the Song Dynasty by passing all three levels of the imperial examination?
Xiao Tali sat to the side, unsure of what else to say; he was truly devastated.

She originally thought she was quite favored within the Liao Dynasty.

Now I realize that compared to Song Xuan, he is the one who is truly favored!
At this moment, Yelü Renxian, who was ordered by the Song Dynasty's imperial guards to wait on the outskirts, was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.

Why did Xiao Tali suddenly sit down next to Song Xuan and whisper to him?
Could it be that she has a crush on Song Xuan?
No matter how much the Prince of Yan wanted to gather information, he would never allow his own daughter to use a honey trap.

"Tari, please don't make a mistake!"

Yelü Renxian paced anxiously back and forth outside.

"His Royal Highness King Yan."

After Xiao Hui dismounted, she took the initiative to bow.

"Commander Xiao, please sit down."

Xiao Xiaomu had him sit on a stool to the side.

"I wonder what business Your Highness the Prince of Yan has with me?"

Faced with Xiao Hui's straightforward approach, Xiao Xiaomu chuckled:
"Nothing more than a routine question to ask if Song Xuan made things difficult for you?"

"Not really."

"Oh?" Han Lu pointed into the distance: "I heard from the scouts that you suddenly attacked the mountains. Were you hunting?"

Xiao Hui waved her hand and said, "It's just a normal martial arts demonstration as requested by the Prince of Yan, a means to intimidate the Song people."

Han Lu and Xiao Xiaomu exchanged a glance; Xiao Hui's words were perfectly watertight.

"have you eaten?"

"Never."

Xiao Xiaomu handed Xiao Hui some freshly roasted meat, saying that the Song people were very cunning and that it was best not to be fooled by them.

"The Prince of Yan is right."

Xiao Hui agreed as she ate:
“I had my son keep an eye on him the whole way, so I could see everything he did. He couldn’t hide any tricks he was up to.”

"Just now I charged with ten heavy cavalrymen. Although I didn't scare him into wetting his pants, I scared his legs so much that he couldn't walk."

Han Lu nodded. What Xiao Hui said made sense, and it was also done in accordance with the King of Yan's request.

However, the scout's report was not as Xiao Hui described!

Did they not lie?

However, the scouts lacked details about Xiao Hui.

Xiao Xiaomu, while eating roasted pheasant, asked, "What does Commander Xiao think of Song Xuan?"

"good."

Xiao Hui wiped the grease off his beard: "This young man has ideas. Cao Liyong really has good taste in choosing him as his son-in-law!"

Han Lu felt that Xiao Hui did not understand the system of the Song Dynasty, which was why she thought that Song Xuan's marriage to Cao Liyong's daughter was because of Cao Liyong.

In fact, Han Lu didn't understand why Song Xuan, such a promising top scholar, would choose to marry into a military family.
It's a dead end.

This would also hinder his career advancement in the imperial court!

Wang Zeng, who had passed the imperial examinations three times in a row, was also the son-in-law of a prime minister. The clear example is right in front of us. Does Song Xuan dislike these prime ministers of the Song Dynasty?

Even if they don't have a daughter, they must have nieces and grandnieces!

At the very least, they should come from civil official families. How could such lucrative opportunities possibly fall into the hands of military generals and nobles?

Therefore, Han Lu never understood Song Xuan's choice.

This child is truly unfathomable.

Xiao Xiaomu, however, saw it differently: "What kind of performance did this boy show in the martial arts competition that made you think highly of him?"

"Be humble and know your shortcomings and deficiencies."

Xiao Hui continued biting into the roasted meat: "Unlike other Song people, who all think that the Song Dynasty is the best."

"Judging from this, this boy's character is not bad."

Xiao Xiaomu understood the Han people; most of them considered themselves the Celestial Empire and looked down on the Liao Dynasty.

In many respects, Xiao Xiaomu was convinced that the Liao Dynasty surpassed the Song Dynasty.

However, these scholars are quick-witted and eloquent; even if they know the truth in their hearts, they won't admit it.

“What the King of Yan said is absolutely right.”

Xiao Hui also started talking:

"And he was quite intelligent. I used to think that the Jinshi degree was nothing, but the top scholar of the Song Dynasty was different. I heard that he won the triple crown, and it seems that he was first every time."

"Third Brother, is that so?"

"Yes." Han Lu nodded slightly.
"In the Song Dynasty, there have been so many years since the founding of the country that someone could achieve the triple crown of the imperial examination. Song Xuan was the fourth, but in reality, he was the third."

"The last person to achieve the triple crown did not take the palace examination, and was not originally in first place, but because of his brother's status, Empress Dowager Liu promoted him to first place, which led to him achieving the triple crown."

Xiao Hui didn't know much about the imperial examinations, but he knew that the Liao Dynasty held them once a year.

Previously, the exams were only held around Nanjing, but now they can be taken throughout the entire Liao Dynasty.

But no Khitans have ever participated.

As for those from other places who participated in the imperial examinations, they could not outperform the Han people from the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

This was the first time Xiao Xiaomu had heard of such a thing. He looked at Han Lu:

"So, Song Xuan is very good at the imperial examinations?"

"Prince Yan, he's not that strong, but he's probably the strongest!"

Xiao Xiaomu organized the Han people in the Nanjing area to take the imperial examinations, and they passed the exams three times a year, earning the honor of becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

He could understand the content of the candidates' exam papers, but he couldn't understand the origins of some of the quoted poems and verses.

Han Lu has the authority to speak on this matter:

"As far as I know, Song Xuan's cohort coincided with the reform of the imperial examination system in the Song Dynasty. Many people were not used to it, but he adapted quickly and came out on top at a young age."

"Especially in their year of the imperial examination, the top three were all young men who passed the exam. Yingtian Academy occupied many of the spots on the list, and there was even an unprecedented scholar like Lian Zhongsanwei."

"This matter has long been spread among the scholars and officials of the Song Dynasty, which is due to the merits of the Song Dynasty's civil administration."

"Literary governance is meritorious."

Xiao Xiaomu nodded. This was also what the Liao Dynasty wanted, but at present there was little chance of surpassing the Song Dynasty.

"Even the poetry and prose in the imperial examinations of our Great Khitan cannot compare to the first-level examinations of the Song people."

"So what?"

Xiao Hui shook her head:
"If you want to exist for a long time, you must prioritize force."

Han Lu had nothing to say. Even so, if a dynasty wants to survive in the long term, it cannot rely solely on military force.

Everyone could fight in the first generation, and the second generation was barely passable.

But will it still be able to compete in the third generation?

These are all things that cannot be guaranteed.

Han Lu himself witnessed His Majesty's 500,000-strong army personally leading an expedition against Western Xia, only to suffer a crushing defeat.

So much so that even Li Deming of Western Xia has started to openly defy the Great Khitan, yet he has not faced any countermeasures.

Strong military force is also quite necessary.

"Although the Song people were not good enough for offensive operations, they were good enough for defending cities."

Xiao Xiaomu took a sip of cold water:

"Commander Xiao, do not underestimate the enemy!"

"Your Highness, please rest assured. I will not underestimate my enemy. Although Song Xuan is clever and quick-witted..."

"However, his rigid and inflexible rules during military campaigns were not conducive to the issuance of military orders and instead increased logistical burdens."

"how?"

Xiao Xiaomu found it strange, since Xiao Hui had been praising Song Xuan the whole time.

"He actually ordered that no one in the army should drink the water from the river; it had to be burned."

Xiao Hui patted her waist: "Each of them has a water jug."

"Water is too cold in winter, so it's normal to boil it and drink it hot."

Han Lu also doesn't like drinking ice water.

"Even in this sweltering summer, Song Xuan still makes the same request."

After Xiao Hui finished speaking, Xiao Xiaomu and Han Lu exchanged a glance.

How could someone as clever as Song Xuan do such a thing?
"really?"

"How could I possibly deceive the King of Yan?"

Didn't you ask him?

Han Lu felt that this was abnormal; drinking hot water in the middle of summer was unheard of.

"I asked, and he said that drinking some hot tea to sweat it out would make me feel less hot."

"That makes some sense."

Han Lu nodded: "But it's not normal for him to make those Song Dynasty imperial guards drink with him."

Xiao Xiaomu nodded, not understanding why Song Xuan would make such a request.

Furthermore, given that Song Xuan took the initiative to propose a Song-Liao cavalry exercise, it's clear that he had already made preparations.

"Prince Yan, could it be that Song Xuan is deliberately putting on an act, trying to get us to follow suit?"

Han Lu glanced slightly into the distance:
"I've never heard of the Song Dynasty's border troops being so particular. The fact that they aren't cold in winter is already a sign of the emperor's concern for them."

"Makes sense!"

Xiao Xiaomu suddenly realized.

He just felt that Song Xuan was a scheming person, and he sensed it from the moment he met Song Xuan.

Xiao Hui nodded: "No other army in the entire Song Dynasty does it this way, which is why I think it has quite a lot of rules."

"Don't worry about him."

Xiao Xiaomu looked at Xiao Hui and said:
"His Majesty attaches great importance to that treasure on this trip to Zhongjing, so we must not allow any mistakes to occur."

"Your Highness Yan, rest assured, that treasure is personally guarded by the Southern Chancellor Yelü Gou'er, and none of us can get close to it."

Xiao Xiaomu breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. I've always trusted the Prime Minister."

"But I heard that the post station caught fire that day. Is everything really alright?"

"If there were anything wrong, the Prime Minister would have told us long ago. Why would he hide it from you and me?"

Faced with Xiao Xiaomu's question, Xiao Hui nodded and said nothing more.

So after finishing his meal, he went back.

After he left, Han Lu immediately said, "Your Highness, I have discovered something."

"What is it? Let's just get straight to the point."

"Whether it was Yelü Gou'er, Yelü Shucheng, or Xiao Hui, they all held Song Xuan in high esteem after their interactions with him."

Han Lu squinted and shook his head, saying:
"I suspect that Song Xuan has bewitched them, so that no one who comes into contact with him feels any hostility towards him?"

Han Ludu's words made Xiao Xiaomu think back to himself. Although the initial meeting was unpleasant, it was because he was unreasonable first.

After getting to know Song Xuan better, he no longer harbored such hostility towards him. He simply wanted to fulfill His Majesty's decree and intimidate the Song Dynasty's envoys.

Now Xiao Hui also said that he was indeed intimidated, and that the heavy cavalry of the Great Khitan had scared Song Xuan so much that his legs went numb and he couldn't walk.

The objective has been achieved.

Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan felt that he no longer harbored such great hostility towards Song Xuan.

So he looked at Han Lu, who was waiting for an answer: "You're right." "Could it be that Song Xuan has outstanding personal charm?"

Listening to Han Lu's self-answered question, Xiao Xiaomu shook his head:

"I don't think so. However, this boy didn't show any hostility when he came to Khitan. Even if he was deliberately hiding his hostility, I didn't sense it."

"From what I've observed, he's too playful right now. He might be just as he says, complaining that there's too much and too complicated politics in Tokyo, so he wants to come here on this mission to escape it."

"Entering officialdom at such a young age, and in a county government with a population of hundreds of thousands, how could he not be exhausted?"

"Even though I am a top scholar, I still feel irritated every day dealing with so many things and handling the government affairs of Nanjing."

"Haha, Your Highness, what you said is an angle I hadn't thought of."

Han Lu nodded. He had gone to persuade Yelü Gou'er that day and had not attended the banquet.

Many details are also unclear.

Xiao Xiaomu felt he had truly understood Song Xuan's mind:
“He is so young, how could he possibly focus all his attention on politics? I have heard that the scholar-officials of the Song Dynasty are all very carefree.”

"Kou Zhun often held banquets and gambled."

"Since Song Xuan has come to our Great Khitan for a visit," Han Lu chuckled a few times.

"Then let him be so happy that he forgets about home."

"Oh?" Xiao Xiaomu immediately became interested: "Third Brother, what's the plan?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Han Lu coughed, looking rather embarrassed, and said:

"I just remembered that Zhongjing City doesn't have as many entertainment options as the Song Dynasty's Bianjing City. I should ask Song Xuan carefully what he wants to do when he comes to our Great Khitan."

"As long as we keep him here in the Great Khitan for a long enough time, we can get the officials in the Great Song court to attack Song Xuan for wanting to defect to our Great Liao."

"They could even smear his father-in-law Cao Liyong, attempting to repeat the actions of Emperor Shi Jingtang. Even if the Song Dynasty didn't kill his father-in-law, they could at least demote him."

"At that time, no matter what, we will cut off their communication, and who knows, we might be able to keep Song Xuan for our Great Khitan."

"Wonderful!"

Xiao Xiaomu practically clapped his hands as he stood up, pacing back and forth excitedly.

If Song Xuan were to betray the Song Dynasty and join the Liao Dynasty, then all the so-called civil administration of the Song Dynasty would be a joke.

The strongest scholar in the Song Dynasty was kidnapped by the Liao Dynasty. Wouldn't they be furious?
"This matter must be reported to His Majesty immediately."

Xiao Xiaomu stopped in his tracks, staring intently at Han Lu, and said:

"Even if Song Xuan doesn't want to contribute to our Great Khitan, as long as he doesn't contribute to the Song Dynasty, we've already made a profit."

"Indeed, one look at him and you'll see he's destined to be the future prime minister of the Song Dynasty."

Han Lu nodded repeatedly, but after glancing around, he lowered his voice:

“Your Highness, there’s no need to rush this matter. We should wait until things have settled down before we have an opportunity to discuss this with His Majesty. Perhaps that will make His Majesty happier.”

"Yeah."

Xiao Xiaomu nodded repeatedly, "I almost forgot."

Just as the two of them were discussing how to keep Song Xuan, Yelü Xianren returned on horseback.

"Your Highness, I have something to say."

Xiao Xiaomu noticed his daughter hadn't returned with him and asked, "Where's my daughter?"

"She slept there with Song Xuan."

"what!"

Xiao Xiaomu was completely furious.

Han Lu stared in disbelief, choosing to remain silent.

He immediately grabbed Yelü Renxian: "Song Xuan is so audacious, and you didn't even protect my daughter!"

“Your Highness, it was Tali who took the initiative.”

"what?"

Xiao Xiaomu took a few steps back, his eyes filled with disbelief. How could his precious daughter fall in love with that brat Song Xuan at first sight?

Although the Khitans didn't care much about chastity, at least their daughters were unmarried.

Song Xuan had wives and concubines in the Song Dynasty!
"This?" Han Lu looked at Yelü Renxian: "You saw it with your own eyes?"

"I saw them. They were both asleep under the big tree. I tried to wake Tali, but the Song people chased me away, so I rushed back to report to His Highness Prince Yan."

Hearing Yelü Renxian's heavy breathing, Han Lu was somewhat disappointed.

He believed that the most beautiful woman in the Liao Dynasty could bewitch Song Xuan and prevent him from returning to the Song Dynasty, which would be more useful than her becoming a concubine in the palace.

The Xiao family has never lacked daughters to enter the palace.

Xiao Xiaomu glared fiercely at Yelü Renxian, never expecting that this kid's heavy breathing would almost ruin his daughter's innocence.

"Speak clearly."

Seeing that he had not angered the Prince of Yan, Yelü Renxian honestly explained the situation.

After hearing his explanation, Xiao Xiaomu was relieved. As long as there was no sexual contact between men and women, it was harmless.

Moreover, this is also part of her daughter's charm.

Xiao Xiaomu hadn't expected Song Xuan to be so bold; weren't the Song people usually reserved?

It's good that nothing happened in public; it's normal to feel drowsy from the sun.

However, Xiao Xiaomu still sensed something was amiss. Although his daughter had many suitors, he had never allowed them to get close.

Not to mention things like taking a nap together in the wild.

Xiao Xiaomu waved his hand, telling Yelü Ren to go eat something first so he could think about it.

Han Lu stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I have also suddenly thought of a plan."

"Don't mention the honey trap!"

Sensing the impatience in Xiao Xiaomu's tone, Han Lu stroked his beard and smiled:
"Your Highness, please don't be so impatient. Actually, I think this is a good thing."

"What good thing?"

Xiao Xiaomu's expression was displeased: "My daughter will be entering the palace in the future."

Han Lu, however, remained calm and continued his analysis:

"His Majesty has already adopted the Crown Prince to Empress Xiao Pusa. The Empress treats the Crown Prince as her own son, and the two have a very good relationship."

"Even if His Highness the Prince of Yan's daughter enters the palace, she will not become the new emperor's empress."

"If His Highness the Prince of Yan could have a son-in-law with such talent, he would truly be at a good disadvantage."

Xiao Xiaomu agreed with Han Lu's words.

Because he did not believe that his sister would have a chance to become the Empress Dowager of the Great Khitan in the future.

The main reason was that he also realized that his nephew's relationship with his biological mother was not very good.

This kind of feeling cannot be faked.

Moreover, he has several brothers, and they all have daughters.

However, Xiao Xiaomu had a thought in his mind: Xiao Pusa didn't become empress from the very beginning.

The previous empress was deposed for not giving birth to a son, which gave her the opportunity to become empress.

In fact, she should have become a deposed empress, but the current emperor's feelings for her are so sincere that he thought of having his sister's first son adopted by Xiao Pusa.

Even if her daughter doesn't become empress immediately after entering the palace, she is certain that with her daughter's beauty and intelligence, she will give birth to a prince first.

She might have had a chance to become empress.

"Your Highness, why don't you let the princess give Song Xuan a try?"

Han Lu continued his analysis: "Even if this marriage doesn't come to fruition, finding out Song Xuan's preferences will make our future plans easier!"

"It's not easy to try." Xiao Xiaomu sighed.

“My main concern is that my daughter is kind-hearted and might easily fall for a bad boy like Song Xuan.”

"That Song Xuan is no benevolent person; his skin is thicker than that of the average Song person."

"Third Brother, I'm really worried about my daughter using her beauty to seduce him."

Han Lu nodded. He actually thought that since Xiao Tali was willing to sleep next to Song Xuan, he must not dislike him.

If a woman doesn't dislike a man, there's a very high chance that things will work out.

What if Xiao Tali has taken a liking to Song Xuan?

As far as Han Lu knew, Xiao Tali had never made such intimate moves with any man who pursued her.

But the Prince of Yan did not want his daughter to have any contact with Song Xuan.

"How about I go find my brothers after I get to Zhongjing City? They have many daughters!"

Hearing the King of Yan's words, Han Lu chuckled softly:
"It's not that it's impossible, after all, they're not bad-looking."

"But are His Highness the Prince of Yan's nieces as astute as the Princess?"

Xiao Xiaomu shook his head. In his heart, his daughter was far better than anyone else.

What woman in the world could compare to her?

"It would be better if His Highness Prince Yan asked her about it after the Princess returns."

"Ah."

Xiao Xiaomu responded.

Song Xuan was probably suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, because he actually fell asleep after eating.

He opened his eyes and noticed that his shoulders were slightly slumped. He realized that Xiao Tali was leaning against him.

"Old-fashioned green tea tactics."

Song Xuan unceremoniously pushed Xiao Tali's head away with his fingers.

Xiao Tali woke up with a start, his eyes wide: "What are you doing?"

Song Xuan pointed to his clothes:

"Your drool is all over my clothes, and you still say you're not lusting after my good looks?"

"you!"

Xiao Tali hadn't expected that sleepiness could be contagious. She wiped her mouth, stood up, and left, somewhat speechless.

Then she stopped and turned back, saying:
"I, Xiao Tali, would never even covet your beauty!"

Song Xuan pointed with his thumb to the wet patch on his clothes.

No words were spoken.

Xiao Tali's emotions surged again, fueled by anger.

"I said it, I swear to God."

"No need to explain." Song Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

"I have no feelings for you. Even if you don't have a mirror at home, you must still need to pee, right?"

When Xiao Tali was faced with Song Xuan's long and short sentences, he reacted for a while, then flew into a rage and lashed out with his riding whip.

Song Xuan slightly turned his head to dodge the riding whip: "You shouldn't care."

"Hmph, Song Xuan, you have a really nasty way of speaking!"

"It's not like this is the first time you've known I can be rude. I've already explained my reasons."

Xiao Tali stared wide-eyed, seeing that Song Xuan had no intention of backing down.

She ran back, picked up the riding whip that was on the ground, and left in a hurry.

Xiao Tali dared not argue with Song Xuan any further. She had finally realized that Song Xuan's ability to speak eloquently was no joke.

Song Xuan stood up and stretched. He was still a bit hot. He thought it would be better if he took a shower.

But don't even think about it in the wild.

We continued our journey after the sun had set a little further.

To ensure absolute safety, Yelü Gou'er resolutely forbade traveling at night.

As soon as it gets dark, we must stop, regardless of whether we have reached the post station or not.

"Twelfth Brother, do you like Hu Nu or not?"

Liu Congde pointed with a grin:

“I just saw that the Khitan woman was sleeping on your shoulder for a long time.”

"I've never tried anything foreign, and I'm not very interested in learning foreign languages ​​right now."

Song Xuan spread his hands and said, "After all, this place is too desolate, and it's in full view of everyone. It would be a bit immoral to let the brothers hear the sounds."

"Hahaha."

Although Liu Congde didn't understand some of the words, he understood the meaning behind Song Xuan's words.

It's really strange.

"I understand, we all understand."

Liu Congde put his hands behind his back and said with some emotion:
“I made a special inquiry, and that young lady just now is the daughter of Prince Yan, Xiao Xiaomu. She is said to be the most beautiful woman in the Great Khitan.”

"If Twelfth Brother can capture her, it will greatly enhance the prestige of our Song people."

"Good heavens, even you, Liu Dalang, know to bring glory to the Song Dynasty after going abroad?"

Hearing Song Xuan's sarcasm, Liu Congde wasn't annoyed at all:

"Of course. I was living a life of luxury in the Song Dynasty, so when I came to the Khitan, I naturally had to put on the airs of a superior celestial nation."

"It's only right that those Hu women serve us brothers!"

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan laughed a few times, but didn't say anything more.

He then realized that Song Dynasty officials truly felt extremely superior to the Khitans.

Firstly, while you may be capable of fighting, you cannot conquer my Great Song Dynasty.

Secondly, although we are brotherly nations.

But the Song Dynasty is the elder brother, and the Liao Dynasty is the younger brother!

When you come to your younger brother's territory, can the older brother not put on airs?

As the mission set off again, Xiao Xiaomu saw his daughter return.

"Next time, you must bring a few maids with you. You must never allow something like this, which is out of control, to happen again."

Xiao Xiaomu gave a word of advice.

Even if Song Xuan really had that kind of intention, he could just have his daughter's maid take his place.

If one maid isn't enough, then bring two.

He always managed to exhaust Song Xuan so much that he collapsed onto the bed.

In wealthy households, maids served this purpose.

Although Xiao Tali wasn't criticized by her father, she understood the meaning behind his words.

“Father, I remember, but I was careless today.”

Xiao Tali added indignantly, "But Father, don't worry, Song Xuan doesn't fancy his daughter."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan was about to explode again.

You should know that his daughter was the most beautiful woman in the Liao Dynasty. The men who dreamed of marrying his daughter could line up all the way from Nanjing to Shangjing and still not be enough.

Who does Song Xuan think he is?
He wouldn't even look at my daughter!
They're truly blind; they don't know what true beauty is.

Han Lu, who was listening to the father and daughter's conversation, also expressed disbelief.

Although the Song people considered themselves the Celestial Empire and looked down on women from the Hu (non-Han ethnic groups) for fear that the children they gave birth to would be abnormal.

However, Han Lu and others believed that the Khitans might also be descendants of emperors.

After all, many of their families intermarried with the Khitans, and their children did not have many obvious non-Han features.

Unlike those women from the Western Regions, who have curly hair, blue eyes, or extremely high noses.

So Song Xuan actually harbored such deep-seated contempt?
Could it be that the honey trap is about to fail before it even begins?

"Are you trying to trick me?"

"Father, I didn't."

Although Xiao Tali was reluctant to admit that her charm was useless in front of Song Xuan, she would not deceive her own father.

"That's unreasonable!"

Xiao Xiaomu was still worried that Song Xuan had taken advantage of his daughter, but the news that Song Xuan disdained to take advantage of his daughter broke his defenses even more.

My daughter is the most beautiful woman in the Liao Dynasty. How dare you, a Song man, look down on her? This is outrageous!
"I'm going to ask him if he's blind."

Xiao Tali quickly grabbed his father's reins:

“Father, don’t go. If you go, he will only ridicule you more.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiaomu angrily cracked his whip.

Han Lu, however, lightly nudged his horse's belly and stepped forward:

"Princess, don't be discouraged by Song Xuan. Perhaps he has long been in love with you, but he knows you have many suitors, so he deliberately distances himself to attract your attention."

"Makes sense."

Xiao Xiaomu was the first to agree; how could any man not like his daughter?

That must be that man's fault.

Although Xiao Tali was comforted, he still spoke honestly:

He said that many young women in the Song Dynasty pounced on him, and he was tired of them. He felt that I was just like those women and wanted to pounce on him.

Upon hearing this, Han Lu...

He was certain that Song Xuan was not lying.

With her looks, reputation for talent, and ability to achieve the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations, she was truly exceptional.

In the Song Dynasty, wouldn't young girls take the initiative to throw themselves at him?
Even if Song Xuan gets married, so what? Plenty of women would be willing to be his mistresses!

Han Lu scratched his head, realizing that he had indeed underestimated the complexity of the honey trap he was planning against Song Xuan.

He had already seen and eaten in the Song Dynasty, and coupled with his contempt for the Khitans, he considered them all to be barbarian women.

How could Song Xuan possibly like Xiao Tali?
Even if she was hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Liao Dynasty, this was only true for a portion of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

Who told her that her father was the Prince of Yan, in charge of the entire Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!

We should still give them this much face.

Faced with his daughter's words, Xiao Xiaomu's face flushed red again.

How could he speak like that!

Xiao Xiaomu looked at Han Lu: "Third brother, say something!"

"Your Highness, I was mistaken in not considering this matter thoroughly."

Upon hearing Han Lu's words, Xiao Xiaomu nearly choked.

It turns out he also thought Song Xuan's words made sense!
"So, if my daughter marries Song Xuan, she'll be marrying above her station?"

"That can't be."

Han Lu answered immediately.

Based on his understanding of Song Xuan, he believed that such a marriage was simply impossible to succeed.

He was a top scholar in the Song Dynasty, destined to become a prime minister. How could he possibly marry the daughter of a Khitan prince?

Even if he didn't go to Tongliao, that would still become evidence of Tongliao's crimes.

Song Xuan, a top scholar, wouldn't be foolish enough to hand over leverage to his political enemies.

In Han Lu's view, no matter how lustful Song Xuan was, he would never bring a Khitan woman home.

Just go out and have some fun.

Of course, Han Lu could not share this sentiment with the enraged Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan.

After hearing Han Lu's words of comfort, Xiao Xiaomu finally loosened his grip on the horsewhip.

He frowned, looking very angry.

He gets angry whether others are interested in his daughter or not.

In short, I'm just not happy!
For the first time, Xiao Tali felt a sense of defeat, realizing that he had been looked down upon by the Song people.

After setting up camp for the night, and as the night grew quiet, Xiao Tali tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and suddenly sat up:

"No, why does Song Xuan always say such awful things!"

(End of this chapter)