Chapter 276 The quarrel between the courtiers of the Song Dynasty
Ren Dejing, the minister of Xixia, was originally a minister of the Song Dynasty, but by chance, he surrendered to Xixia and gained the respect of Li Qianshun.
This time, he was entrusted with an important task. As Xixia's envoy, he went to the Song Dynasty to seek help.
His heart was filled with complex emotions, including nostalgia for his homeland, as well as expectations and worries about the future.
In October, outside Kaifeng, the autumn breeze blows coolly and yellow leaves fall.
Ren Dejing stood outside the city, overlooking the bustling city. He saw that the people of the Song Dynasty were well-fed and well-clothed, with peaceful and contented smiles on their faces.
This scene made him deeply moved, and an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart.
He thought that if he had not surrendered to the Xia Dynasty but stayed in the Song Dynasty, he would probably be one of the important ministers of the imperial court now.
However, the world is like a dream, and there are no what-ifs in life. He can only bury this emotion deep in his heart.
After entering the city, the prosperity and prosperity of Kaifeng City made Ren Dejing feel regretful.
There are many shops on both sides of the street, with an endless stream of pedestrians, busy traffic and bustling traffic.
Seeing these prosperous scenes, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
However, he knew that the purpose of his trip was not to appreciate the prosperity of the Song Dynasty, but that he had a more important mission.
After gathering his mood, Ren Dejing first stayed at the Xixia embassy in Kaifeng.
He was lying on the bed, thinking a lot, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
He thought of his past, his future mission, Daxia's crisis and DaSong's assistance.
He knew that the success of this trip was related to the life and death of Daxia.
On the second day, Ren Dejing got up early. After bathing and changing clothes, he went to the Song Dynasty Palace to meet with Princess Zhao Yingluo.
He paid tribute to the Song Dynasty by offering generous gifts such as gold, silver, jewelry, and beautiful women and horses.
Zhao Yingluo looked at the precious beauties on the gift list with a trace of curiosity in her eyes.
She called the ten beauties into the palace. After a closer look, she found that they were really good-looking. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart. No wonder the foreign tribute cities must choose beauties!
She closed the gift list and asked Ren Dejing why he came.
Ren Dejing took a deep breath and began to scold Jin Guo for his arrogance and Zhao Yongji.
He described in detail the feud between Xixia and the Kingdom of Jin as well as Zhao Yongji's ambition. He said: "Your Highness, Daxia and Song Dynasty are closely related to each other. Now Daxia is in danger. If Daxia does not send troops to rescue, Daxia will surely perish. And once Daxia is destroyed, Zhao Yongji's next target will probably be Song Dynasty."
Zhao Yingluo frowned slightly after hearing this, and after thinking for a moment, she said: "What envoy Ren said is absolutely true. But sending troops is not a trivial matter and requires discussion and decision by the court. You can go back and wait for the news."
After Ren Dejing left the main hall, the heavy door slowly closed, as if a storm was blocked outside the high wall.
The discussions among the courtiers surged like a tide, echoing endlessly in the solemn palace.
Liu Guangshi, the deputy privy envoy who had just been recalled from Xijing half a month ago, frowned and looked worried.
He took one step forward and said in a firm and powerful voice: "Everyone, Daxia's wolfish ambitions are wavering left and right. If you ask me for help today, you can fall to the Kingdom of Jin tomorrow. If you help him resist Zhao Yongji, wouldn't it be a danger to a tiger? Once Daxia regains control, By throwing itself into the arms of the Kingdom of Jin, wouldn’t it be that we, the Song Dynasty, were raising a vicious wolf in the northwest?”
Before he finished speaking, Lu Haowen came out and said loudly: "What General Liu said is wrong. Now the Song Dynasty supports Jingzang to the south of Zhao Yongji. If it supports Daxia to the north of Zhao Yongji, it will form a north-south Li Qianshun, the leader of the Great Xia Kingdom, has already surrendered to the Song Dynasty and been granted the title of King Shun. This is a sign of his trust in the Song Dynasty if he does not send troops to help at this time. Who dares to join the Song Dynasty?"
Zhu Shengfei also nodded in agreement: "What Mr. Lu said is absolutely true. Since Daxia has surrendered, it is the barrier of our Song Dynasty. If the barrier is lost, how can our country be safe? Sending troops to help will not only show the power of our Song Dynasty, but also stabilize the barrier. , ensuring peace on the border.”
When the courtiers heard this, they started talking even louder. Some supported Liu Guangshi and believed that Xixia could not be trusted; others agreed with Lu Haowen and Zhu Shengfei and advocated sending troops to help. The two factions have tit-for-tat opinions and refuse to give in to each other.
"Hmph! Mr. Lu and Mr. Zhu, you only know one but not the other."
Liu Guangshi snorted coldly, "Daxia has always been capricious. Today he is a vassal, but he can turn against him tomorrow. Although Zhao Yongji is strong, he is just a tribe with less than a hundred thousand soldiers. And Daxia has repeatedly had disputes with our court. If we raise tigers, There will be endless troubles!”
Lu Haowen, however, smiled nonchalantly: "General Liu is overly worried. Daxia is currently suffering from internal and external troubles, and it is exactly when it needs the support of the Song Dynasty. As long as we give enough support, they will naturally be grateful and become our defense against foreign enemies. A solid barrier.”
"Lord Lu, that's easy to say!" Liu Guangshi glared, "What if Daxia bites back after gaining power, how should we deal with it?"
"Then it depends on our methods." A glint flashed in Zhu Shengfei's eyes, "As long as we strategize and win a decisive victory thousands of miles away, how can Daxia take it out of our hands?"
A few of them were quarreling, and the officials also started to quarrel.
When the main hall of Chaozhong became quiet, Liu Guangshi took a deep breath and stepped forward again. His eyes were like burning fire, and he looked directly at Lu Hao and asked: "Master Lu, what you mean is that I, the Song Dynasty, should trust you without any scruples." Xia? Do you know that trust takes time to build and cannot be achieved overnight!”
Lu Haowen, neither humble nor arrogant, responded calmly: "General Liu, trust does take time, but the opportunity is fleeting. Daxia's request for help today is the best time for us to build trust. If we miss this opportunity, we will not do it again in the future." It would be even more difficult to make Da Xia follow Song Dynasty wholeheartedly. "
Seeing the two people arguing, Zhu Shengfei interjected: "General Liu, what Master Lu said is not unreasonable. Since the leader of Daxia has surrendered to the Song Dynasty, we have the responsibility to protect him. Furthermore, sending troops to help Xixia can also Demonstrate the majesty and strength of our Song Dynasty and make the countries around us more respectful."
Liu Guangshi sneered, shook his head and said: "Master Zhu, you only saw the glory on the surface, but did not think deeply about the risks behind it. The terrain of Daxia is dangerous and the soldiers and horses are powerful. If it is allowed to recover, it will definitely become the leader of our Song Dynasty. He is in serious trouble. Although Zhao Yongji is strong, he cannot pose a direct threat because of his scabies. It is unwise to send troops to Daxia."
Lu Haowen was not discouraged when he heard this, but retorted with a smile: "General Liu is too pessimistic. As long as we send troops to help and give him enough support, I believe Xixia will be grateful and become our solid ally against foreign enemies."
