Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

Aguda gave all the young concubines he left behind to the generals who had rendered meritorious service.

For example, Xiao, the birth mother of Wanyan Yansun, was a noblewoman from the Liao Dynasty's royal family.

Lady Xiao was given to Yue Fei as a concubine by Zhao Yuan, which helped Yue Fei govern the Linhuang Protectorate – the main population of which was the Khitan.

With a noblewoman of the Xiao family as a concubine, the Khitans were even more willing to obey Yue Fei's orders.

Yue Fei was deeply grateful for this and vowed to dedicate himself to the Ming Dynasty until his dying breath.

Yue Fei was so excited not because he had obtained a beautiful woman, but because the emperor trusted him too much.

He controlled vast grasslands; if it were any other ruler, how could he dare to bestow upon him a noblewoman of the Khitan?

We're too busy preventing him from rebelling!

Yelü Yan copied the scriptures while reciting them softly.

As she read, a smile appeared on her face, and she glanced at the palace maid Jin Feng beside her.

This Jin Feng, whose original surname was Wanyan, was the youngest daughter of Wu Qimai.

Last year, the two were sent together for a political marriage.

As a result, Yelü Yan became a concubine, while Jin Feng became a palace maid.

This made Yelü Yan very happy. She had lived as an outsider since childhood and had never enjoyed any happiness.

Because she was too beautiful, she was envied when she was twelve or thirteen years old, and the mistress of the house locked her in a side courtyard and forbade her to go out.

Now her fortunes have turned around, and she has become the mistress, with Wu Qimai's daughter having to serve her.

A eunuch suddenly arrived to deliver an imperial decree: "His Majesty has decreed that unmarried Jin palace maids who have reached the age of twenty-two may choose to leave the palace."

"During this period, you should all work diligently."

Jin Feng immediately knelt down to express her gratitude.

She finally had something to look forward to. Although she would be older when she left the palace, at least she would have the status of a princess of the Jin Kingdom.

Moreover, she is quite pretty, so she definitely won't have to worry about getting married.

At least, we can live a normal life!

"His Majesty is too merciful," Yelü Yan muttered.

She wasn't malicious, but she harbored extreme hatred for the Jin Dynasty and couldn't bear to see the Jin nobles living well.

Biting her pen, Yelü Yan rested her chin on her hand on the table, the scene from that day replaying in her mind.

She was taken to meet the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Although they only met briefly, Yelü Yan longed for her day and night.

The Ming emperor was young, handsome, tall, and had an extraordinary demeanor. He even helped her destroy the Jin dynasty to avenge her, and would become her husband and beloved husband in the future.

She still remembered what the emperor said that day: "As expected of the most beautiful woman in the capital, she is flawless, quiet and elegant."

"You are as petite as a swallow in the palm of your hand, from now on you shall be called Yelü Yan."

Chapter 3509 The Imperial Concubine of Liaoxia

Yelü Yan liked this name very much, just as she liked the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

That was her hero!

Yelü Yan placed the Buddhist scriptures on the table, knelt down and silently prayed for the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, as well as for her sisters who were scattered in various places.

I heard that my third sister, Yu Liyan, who is like a mother to me and also like a sister to me, has remarried to His Majesty's half-brother. I hope my third sister can live a happy life.

Three days later, Yelü Yan brought small gifts to pay her respects to Princess Li Qinglu of Western Xia.

"Thank you for lending me the Buddhist scriptures, sister." Yelü Yan presented the Buddhist scriptures along with the gifts.

Li Qinglu said, "You may take it and read it aloud."

Yelü Yan said, "It's all copied."

Li Qinglu then put away the Buddhist scriptures: "The Emperor does not like Buddhism. In the palace, only you and I believe in Buddhism. We can visit each other more often in the future."

"Our Great Xia and the Liao Kingdom used to frequently intermarry, so you and I might even be relatives."

"So we're relatives. No wonder I felt so close to her when I saw her."

Yelü Yan was very good at reading people's expressions and immediately seized the opportunity to establish a relationship.

Li Qinglu was much simpler in nature. She pulled Yelü Yan to teach her to play Western Xia musical instruments and comforted her, saying, "Concubines who are too young to enter the palace do not need to serve the emperor."

"The officials had already given instructions that young girls might have difficult childbirths and should be allowed to grow up before having children."

"If the Emperor does not visit you for a long time, don't overthink it. It's because he cherishes you."

"So that's how it is. Your Majesty is truly a fine man."

Yelü Yan beamed with joy, her heart filled with even greater affection for the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty.

After chatting for a long time, Li Qinglu called her children over. She had already given birth to a son and a daughter, and her current title was "Virtuous Consort".

Perhaps it was because Yelü Yan was beautiful that Li Qinglu's children liked to cling to her, and the two became much closer as a result.

Li Qinglu said to Yelü Yan, "The Empress is upright and honest. Although she is not easy to get close to, she is fair in her dealings and all the concubines in the palace obey her discipline."

"The Imperial Noble Consort (Liu Huiniang) was extremely favored, and she was also easy-going and loved to eat, drink and have fun."

"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can ask the Imperial Noble Consort for help. Just send her some good food."

Yelü Yan quickly said, "Thank you for your guidance, sister."

Li Qinglu added, "The Emperor has permitted us to go out and worship Buddha."

"As long as you report to the lady-in-waiting in advance and bring the middleman along, you can return to the palace on the same day."

"But I can't go too often, lest I incur the displeasure of the officials. I only go to worship Buddha once every six months."

"Next time I go out of the palace to worship Buddha, I'll invite you along, but I don't know which temple in Luoyang is the most efficacious."

"I will definitely go with my sister."

Yelü Yan was even happier, as she hadn't gone out much while she was in the Jin Kingdom.

Li Qinglu said, "When we were in Kaifeng, we would often go out of the city with the emperor to play polo or watch Cuju (ancient Chinese football) at the stadium."

"I heard there are no horse farms in Luoyang, and I don't know when they will be built."

Yelü Yan hurriedly asked how to play polo, and Li Qinglu explained it to her carefully.

These two, both from the Jin Yong school, were naturally compatible and became good friends as soon as they met.

.....

Western Liao.

Yelü Dashi, who seized a large area of ​​grassland north of the Tianshan Mountains last year, seemed to think he was ready to fight, so he launched a surprise attack on the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate in the spring.

At first, progress was rapid.

But when the main force of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate arrived, Yelü Dashi realized that he had kicked a hornet's nest!

The army Yelü Dashi encountered last time was not the elite force of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate at all, which is why he thought the enemy was nothing special.

At that time, the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate was facing an invasion by the Seljuks, and all its elite troops had been transferred to the west.

That battle ultimately did not take place because the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate surrendered directly, expressing its willingness to submit to the Seljuk Sultan and cease intercepting caravans along the Silk Road.

Unaware of the actual situation, Yelü Dashi suffered a major defeat this year at the hands of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, and even his general, Al, was captured by the enemy.

"Your Majesty, news has come from merchants in Gaochang..."

A troop of light cavalry galloped in: "The Jin Kingdom is gone!"

Yelü Dashi was stunned upon hearing this, as if struck by lightning.

With the fall of the Jin dynasty, so too did my own goals for striving.

He was truly determined to destroy the Jin dynasty and restore the Liao dynasty; historically, he annexed the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

The following year, he led 70,000 men and eagerly set out to attack the Jin dynasty.

Unfortunately, the journey was too long, the newly subjugated tribes complained bitterly, and there was a lack of water and grass along the way, so the plan was abandoned.

Yelü Dashi remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "Any other news?"

The light cavalry leader said, "The message was sent out by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, probably to intimidate the Western Regions."

"The false Jin emperor Wuqimai was captured and taken to Kaifeng to be presented as a prisoner of war. He was then granted the title of Duke of Anle of the Ming Dynasty."

"The third princess of the late emperor (Emperor Tianzuo) remarried to the brother of the Liangshan emperor."

"The late emperor's fourth princess remarried to Li Bao, the Prince of Ming."

"The Fifth Princess remarried to Zhang Guangdao, the Duke of Ming. The Sixth Princess became a concubine of the Liangshan Emperor."

"The northern tribes have all submitted to the Ming Dynasty and now address the Liangshan Emperor as the Heavenly Khan."

Chapter 3510 Yelü Dashi's Disheartened Heart

Yelü Dashi slowly sat down, casually plucked a blade of grass, and looked up at the sky without moving.

In an instant, Yelü Dashi felt utterly disheartened.

The Eastern Karakhanid Khanate in the west could not be defeated, the Jin Dynasty in the east was destroyed, and even the tribes in the northern deserts submitted to the Ming Dynasty.

The world is vast, so why should Yelü Dashi be confined to this place as a local tyrant?

Yelü Dashi spent two months in a daze when suddenly a herdsman arrived with an envoy from the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

Aslan Khan, the king of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, recently led his army to defeat Yelü Dashi.

But on the way back in triumph, Aslan Khan suddenly fell ill and died!

His son, Ibrahim II, succeeded to the throne, but before he could even settle in, rebellions broke out across the country.

Now that the rebels are about to reach the capital, Ibrahim II, in desperation, has sent an envoy to Yelü Dashi to borrow troops.

Furthermore, Ibrahim II promised that if Yelü Dashi helped defeat the rebels, he would give him a large portion of the Seven Rivers region.

"Summon all warriors!"

Yelü Dashi, who was feeling down, was immediately cheered up upon hearing the news. He knew what he needed to do next.

...

A fleet of ships came upstream on the Luo River and anchored at the southwest corner of the outer city.

Soon, horses, donkeys, and mules were led off the boat and wholesaled to local merchants in Luoyang.

These livestock come from the Youyan region.

The area suffered from famine, war, and natural disasters for more than ten years. Although it was sparsely populated, it had one advantage – it was suitable for grazing!

In the same year that the Jin Dynasty ceded Youyan to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming court issued a decree that local people could apply to graze livestock on uncultivated land in various prefectures and counties of Youyan.

The land ownership still belongs to the government, and the right to use it is temporarily transferred to the people free of charge, but it must be re-registered every three years.

At the same time, the government provides low-interest loans, which people can borrow based on their household registration records, specifically for purchasing livestock such as horses, donkeys, and sheep.

Upon the issuance of this decree, people of all ethnic groups responded enthusiastically.

Even Han Chinese who migrated from the south took out loans to buy donkeys and sheep.

During busy farming seasons, they cultivate the land; during slack seasons, they graze livestock; and the beans they cultivate are used as feed.

Those Jin dynasty subjects who surrendered and knew how to raise horses were even more likely to raise horses in every household.

Although the number of top-quality steeds is small, there are many warhorses that can be used to equip light cavalry, and even more draft horses that can pull carts and plows.

Now, initial results are already visible.

The prices of horses and donkeys in Hebei Province plummeted, and some merchants saw an opportunity to buy horses and donkeys from Youyan and transport them to Kaifeng.

Merchants from Kaifeng purchased horses and donkeys to distribute goods in the Central Plains, and even transported them directly to Luoyang, which had just become the capital.

The arrival of these livestock in the capital immediately caused a sensation in Luoyang.

Many young people who have plenty of money flocked to the horse market to inquire about horse prices.

"Can this horse be sold to the public?" a young man asked.