The Xia capital, Xingqingfu, is located in the Hetao, east of the Helan Mountains. It was called Lingzhou in ancient times, and a thousand years later, it was Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia.
Although this capital city, which has continued to prosper with the rise of Xixia, cannot be compared with Bianjing of the Song Dynasty and Nanjing of the Liao Dynasty, its scale is also huge. Not only is the circumference of the city a full eighteen miles long, but the city wall is also very large. There is a moat that is more than ten feet wide outside. And the city wall is both high and thick. The height of nearly ten feet is enough to make many ladders feel excited. The thickness of the wall of seven to eight feet can be regarded as a natural moat for the siege methods at this time. .
It is precisely because of the defensive conditions of such a high city and deep pond that the Xia Kingdom has blocked the Mongol army's attacks one after another in history, until Temujin died here, and the Mongolian cavalry paid an extremely heavy price. After a heavy price, the city was captured...
But this way, it also brought real disaster to the entire Xixia Kingdom. After the Mongols destroyed their country, they carried out a brutal and inhumane massacre, so that it was difficult to find traces of the Dangxiang people for hundreds of years. It was not until the 20th century that various documents and descendants belonging to this country were unearthed. .
Of course, that was a disaster that would only happen a hundred years later. At this time, everything in the Xia Kingdom was still prospering, and the people near the capital were even more prosperous. Just looking at the scene of the fields outside the city, if someone suddenly came here, they would even have to ask for help. I suspected that I had come to the land of Jiangnan. The saying that Jiangnan was blocked was indeed well-deserved!
However, this can only be achieved by ignoring the current windy and snowy climate. After all, Xingqing Mansion is located in the northwest. With the arrival of winter, the weather here has become extremely cold, far less warm than in the south of the Yangtze River. In a few days The heavy snowfall has covered the city and outside with snow. A thick layer of snow has accumulated on the rooftops and streets. Only the long street leading to the interior along the city gate is still clean. , allowing people and horses to pass by.
Perhaps it is because I have been here for many years and have long been accustomed to long and cold winters. Even if it snows continuously today, there are still many people and cars on the street. Some restaurants and shops along the street are also open as usual, and customers come to buy something from time to time. It is much more lively than the city of Nanjing in the Liao Dynasty.
It was already approaching noon, so the business in many restaurants in the city was very good. Among them, a three-story restaurant near the south gate was full of guests and very lively, at least that was the case for No. 1 and Zenglou. The three floors with private rooms were all booked today, with only twenty or thirty guests having a banquet here, which seemed a bit deserted.
But neither the drinkers nor the restaurant owners dared to show any slights to the guests on the third floor, because when a drunk guy wanted to go up to have a look, he was thrown directly downstairs instead of back to the second floor. , but was thrown directly to the street outside the building, where he was seriously injured and passed out. Then someone came downstairs and showed his token, which shocked everyone at that time.
Because what that person showed was the Iron Harrier Order walking in the palace. It was a token that only the most trusted ministers of the emperor or the princes and nobles in the court could hold. Let alone such figures, they would be embarrassed if someone provoked them. After going downstairs, no one dared to say anything wrong even if they killed people randomly in the street.
It was also from that time on that at least the drinkers on the second floor
He has become much more low-key, and even his drunken shouting is much softer than before, for fear of angering the nobleman above him and throwing him and others out of the street.
At this moment, in an independent dining room on the third floor, a variety of wines and dishes that the restaurant specializes in are placed on the table. However, the four people sitting in front of the table don't seem to have much interest. They just take a sip of warm wine and focus on it. onto the conversation between them.
The person sitting on the throne is a handsome young man in his thirties. If Sun Tu were here, he would definitely feel that this man looks familiar, and he is actually 60-70% similar to the Yue King Li Renyou. In fact, this person really has a deep relationship with the King of Yue. He is the brother of the King of Yue and is now the crown prince of Xia Kingdom, Li Renai.
The Xia people may still maintain many of the nomadic styles of the Dangxiang people, but the royal family has been deeply influenced by the Han people. This can be seen from the clothes and names of several princes. The prince and the king of Yue are accustomed to wearing Han clothes. The wide robes and brocade clothes, and Li Renyou, Li Renai, and Li Renxiao, who are also brothers, can tell at first glance that they were influenced by Confucianism (by the way, now it sounds like the naming of the Bangzi Kingdom...).
Of course, after all, Xia State is not a Han country like Song State, and some things are not so particular. For example, if Li Renai, the prince, were replaced by the prince of Zhao and Song Dynasties, it would be difficult for him to leave the palace just once, let alone meet with his ministers in public and privately.
At this time, the young man of the same age sitting at the head of the prince is Xi Fengchang's third brother Xi Fengyao, and he is also a minister in the court today, but his appearance does not look too much like Xi Fengchang's. , although he also looks more resolute, his beard is far less thick than that of his younger brother. At the age of twenty-five, he only has a domineering mustache.
In front of the prince, he, Xi Fengyao, was naturally not domineering, and even seemed a little reserved. He would only answer when the prince asked him something. At this moment, Li Renai said: "You said that the eighth son of your family is really promising, and he can easily defeat the feudal feudal society, and even has a relationship with the King of Yue?"
The jealous look in Xi Fengyao's eyes flashed away, and then he lowered his head and said: "As the prince said, my sixth son really fell into the gutter this time. I also regarded him as a formidable opponent before, but I didn't Thinking about how completely defeated this time, it seems that it will be impossible to compete with me for the position of clan leader in the future."
"So now you value your son more... Can a young guy really pose any threat to this prince?" The prince still looked indifferent. If it had been Xi Feng Ye Chang, he might have been wary, but today it was Xi Feng Chang who was coming, which was a different story.
"Prince, forgive me. If it were just the eighth son of my family, he would naturally not pose any threat to the prince. He would not have the courage to embarrass the prince. But his relationship with the King of Yue is so close, it is hard to say. I heard that this time he When I came to Xingqing Mansion, I actually stayed in Dingzhou City for more than ten days, so I thought I had to guard against this matter. It is said that the kings of Yue were all good kings, and they were deeply loved by the local people in Dingzhou. Once If he returns to the capital and the emperor appreciates him, I'm afraid... In addition, my eighth son may support me on behalf of my Xifeng clan, which will be another problem for the prince."
After decades of development
, the Xia Dynasty also gradually learned the Han method of attacking each other. It's just that as party members, they are just novices in this, especially young people like Xi Fengyao. They can't do it as easily as the veterans in the political arena, but they can just say a few words. Reveal your true intentions.
However, the prince did not feel unhappy because of this. At this time, his face became solemn: "King Yue, does he really have such thoughts?"
"Which of the princes wouldn't want to sit in the emperor's position?" Xi Fengyao said another nonsense that would have been beaten to death if it had been placed in the Han court, but it made the prince nodded in agreement and said: "Yes. Ah, you must be on guard. Now that my father is getting older, his attitude toward me has become more and more subtle. If King Yue really gets the support of the Xi Feng clan, it will be really difficult to deal with him in the future."
Xi Fengyao seized the opportunity and said quickly: "So what I want to do is to suppress them now, and at the same time find ways to make them feel bad."
"Is this why you invited me here today?" The prince glanced at him and asked with a smile, "What does drinking here have to do with it?"
"The prince doesn't know. According to the news I got yesterday, they will enter the city from the south gate around noon today. We can take advantage of their first arrival to give them a show of power!" Xi Fengyao replied with a smile.
"You asked the prince to come forward against Xi Fengchang, a minister who has never even been awarded an official position? This is absolutely impossible!" One of the people sitting at the bottom had remained deaf until now, and could not help but speak out against it. He said: "Prince, if you really do this and spread the word, I'm afraid you will be laughed at by the people in the court. They will not say that King Xifeng Changyue is cowardly. They will only say that Prince, you behave like Meng Lang, which is unethical!" The prince's confidant, it is impossible for this person to let Xi Fengyao bewitch his master at this time.
After hearing this, the prince's eyes narrowed and he stared at Xi Fengyao with some displeasure: "What do you mean?"
This made Xi Fengyao suddenly startled, and his whole body trembled, and then he quickly stood up and bowed down: "Prince, forgive me, I really have no intention of harming you..." As he said that, he thought about it and already had an explanation. Then he said anxiously: "Actually, I have no intention of letting the prince actually come forward. As long as the prince allows me to come forward in your name."
"Well, that's possible, but I will only give you this one chance. Whether you succeed or not depends on your luck and ability." After looking at his confidant and seeing the other person nodding, the prince agreed. .
Even so, Xi Fengyao was shocked into a cold sweat. And just when he stood up and was about to return to his seat, someone knocked on the closed door: "Prince, Young Master, we are here!" It was the person who was watching outside the city gate who sent back the news!
This made Xi Fengyao's spirit suddenly perk up, and then he saluted the prince and said, "Prince, I will leave now."
He didn't exit the door until the prince agreed. At this moment, the originally humble Xi Fengyao's expression suddenly changed, and a frightening aura emerged. With a wave of his hand, he quickly led three followers downstairs and headed straight for the city gate. !
Sun Tu would never have imagined that a new round of brotherly feud would begin just after arriving in the Xia Capital, and this time it would be double the number!