In the late autumn of the third year of Xuanren, the temperature in the north was very low, and all the leaves in the broad-leaved forests had fallen. The increasingly cold weather reminded Guo Shao of the icy and snowy days when he went on the expedition. In the blink of an eye, a year had passed, and it was appropriate to sigh that time flies.
At this time, Yang Ye occupied Yunzhou, Gao Yanchou occupied Wuzhou, and Liu Renzhan occupied Pingzhou, and Youyun was already settled; Guo Shao also heard that Xiao Siwen had taken Yelu Xian into the capital. Hundreds of thousands of Zhou troops gathered in the north, and even without fighting, they had already spent a lot of money, so Guo Shao had already begun to think about returning home.
The eunuch Wang Zhong entered, bowed and said: Your Majesty, the Left Assistant Minister requests to see you. He seemed to have met a Khitan envoy and is here to tell you about this matter.
Guo Shaodao: Ask him to come in.
Wang Zhong took two steps back, hesitating to speak, and finally bent over and whispered: "I didn't know that Bai was Madam Lu's mother before. Damn it!"
I have done nothing rude. Guo Shao said calmly.
Soon, Zuo You, wearing a red round-collared robe, came in and held up an opened envelope with both hands: "A letter from the Liao Prime Minister Xiao Siwen to Your Majesty. Please have a look, Your Majesty."
The minister had obviously read the letter and the emperor had approved it.
Zuo You first pulled out the letter and unfolded it, then handed it to Guo Shao. Guo Shao saw that it was not a letter from the emperor, but only mentioned a private matter, saying that his daughter was in Youzhou and could not be taken away, and he respectfully asked if the emperor of Zhou had seen her. He said that his daughter was young and ignorant, and hoped that the emperor of Zhou would be tolerant.
Xiao Siwen rose rapidly to become the prime minister, and the prime minister of the Liao Dynasty had great power. Guo Shao said casually, this guy is a Khitan, and his Chinese calligraphy looks quite good.
Zuo You did not comment on the calligraphy, because Guo Shao's handwriting was not very good, but its best advantage was that it was easy to recognize.
Zuo You said: Xiao Siwen may treat his daughter as the apple of his eye, but compared with the Liao Dynasty's government and the lives of the Xiao family, it is not that important. Now Xiao Siwen has the mind to send someone to bring his daughter back, and he can successfully leave the Liao Dynasty. I think Xiao Siwen has already controlled the situation in Shangjing.
Guo Shao nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with Zuo You's statement.
He reaffirmed that he had underestimated Xiao Siwen since he had let him suffer a great loss in Zhuozhou. Xiao Siwen's military tactics were not very good, but his other abilities seemed considerable.
It was a short letter, but Zuo You made many inferences based on it. He continued: Zhou and Liao were old enemies, and the casualties in the wars were countless. It was not an exaggeration to say that they had a deep hatred. The Liao Kingdom had just lost a large area of Youyun. At this time, Xiao Siwen's words in the letter were quite kind.
I believe that Xiao Siwen is a man who knows the current situation and does not act on impulse. He believes that it is not appropriate for the Liao Kingdom to start another war at this time and is willing to ease relations with the Great Zhou.
Guo Shao said: The country puts practical benefits first, but it is different from personal hatred. He smiled, but there is always a difference between honor and disgrace. If we negotiate peace with the Liao Kingdom now, it will be much better than asking for peace when they sent troops south.
Your Majesty is wise. Zuo You bowed.
Guo Shao pondered for a moment and cleared his mind: Whether it was the Great Zhou or the Liao, the primary purpose of the war was not to destroy the other side, but to survive and strengthen themselves and weaken the threat. Now the Liao was unwilling to go all the way to the end and die together, and Guo Shao was unwilling to do so either.
First of all, the Liao Kingdom had basically stabilized its position. If a powerful foreign enemy threatened its homeland at this time, people would stick together to survive, and perhaps external forces would promote the reintegration of the Liao Kingdom.
Secondly, the Great Zhou was only initially unified, and the national strength was limited. The Northern Expedition to Youyun had already cost a lot. If the army was to continue to be mobilized deep into the enemy territory, would the national strength and finances still be able to afford it
Of course, the most important thing is that even though they were defeated in Youzhou and there was internal turmoil, the strength of the east and west sides was still very strong. It was still unclear whether the Zhou army's infantry and cavalry would win the battle outside the border. Anyway, the risk was very high. If they were not careful and suffered a great defeat, their strength would be greatly reduced, which would be a loss.
Guo Shao estimated that few people were really willing to rush out of Yanshan to launch an offensive.
He immediately said: The left assistant minister advocates that the war be stopped and the troops be returned to the court.
Zuo You hurriedly bowed and said: This is just the opinion of my family. The important matters still need your Majesty’s decision.
Then we should prepare to return. Guo Shao slapped the armrest of the chair and said it lightly. His posture and tone were as if he had just done something that made sense after hearing someone say it.
Zuo You bowed.
Guo Shao added: "Wait a moment, Zuo Fu Zheng. Since you have met the Khitan messenger, please arrange for my reply to be delivered to Xiao Siwen later."
Yes. Zuo You pretended to be waiting patiently.
Unexpectedly, Guo Shao picked up the pen on the inkstone on the coffee table and wrote on the paper: I will raise your daughter, don't worry.
Zuo You hurriedly picked up the paper with the ink still wet, carefully, as if he was holding a precious and fragile object. He thanked the person and took his leave.
Guo Shao sat on the chair for a while, thinking about the many things he wanted to do in the past, but they were all postponed because he put the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun first. Now that his wish had come true, he felt that everything was complicated and he didn't know where to start.
But he soon thought that he was still young, had plenty of time, and was rich and powerful, so he could take his time. He felt relieved and at ease in everything he did. It was time to boldly do what he had always wanted to do.
The assassination of Yelü Jing, the leader of Liao, did shock Guo Shao, who was also an emperor, at first. But he soon relaxed a little, as Yelü Jing's situation was much worse than his own. Guo Shao had such high prestige and power that it was difficult for anyone to have the courage and strength to threaten him. Moreover, Guo Shao felt that he was not violent to the people around him, even to the humble servants. Except for his former mortal enemies who had competed with him for power, almost no one hated him.
When the Liao Dynasty came to the capital, Yelu Xian was only thirteen or fourteen years old, but he had just taken the throne and behaved very properly. Some nobles privately said that after all, his parents were the emperor and empress, so he was indeed an extraordinary person.
The slightly old main hall of the Liao Palace overlooks the grassland from a hilltop. Because the Liao Dynasty swept across the grassland, this hilltop also has a mysterious reputation. Inside the palace, it seems that the bloody smell of the previous emperor Yelu Jing has not completely faded. I don't know how many people have died in this place. Maybe the cracks in the stones are all covered with blood that cannot be washed away.
The weather in Shangjing was even colder. Even before winter came, the palace had to light a fire to keep warm. In the firelight, the Liao king and his ministers discussed the future of the tribe for a whole day.
After the meeting, the Khan summoned Xiao Siwen to meet him alone. Xiao Siwen was very favored by the Khan and often met and talked with the Khan. Whenever Yelu Xian had something to do, he would consult Xiao Siwen before making a decision.
Xiao Siwen took out a piece of paper with only one line of words on it: Yanyan is in the hands of Guo the blacksmith, and he wrote back. This letter may have been written by Guo the blacksmith himself.
After taking a look, Yelu Xian first thought that the handwriting of Guo the blacksmith, the ruler of Zhou, was not very good. But then he thought that Guo the blacksmith was from a lowly and low-class warrior family, so it was good enough that he could write.
Yelu Xian had a complicated expression on his face. This blacksmith Guo's words were not very hostile, and seemed to be teasing, but there was always a sense of humiliation.
Xiao Siwen said: Yanyan is just a young lady, Blacksmith Guo should not do anything to her.
Yelu Xian said in a deep voice: He will make Yanyan's face turn a sickly red.
Xiao Siwen pretended not to understand.
Yelu Xian said: This Khan is now the emperor of the Great Liao, but he cannot protect a Yanyan.
Xiao Siwen sighed: The Khan has such feelings for Yanyan, which is her blessing. Xiao Siwen said with a loyal look that the Khan does not need to worry about Yanyan for the time being. Now that the Liao Dynasty has lost Youyun, the situation is still critical, and the Khan should focus on state affairs.
It was all those ambitious people who killed my father and mother, seized the throne of my family, and defeated the Liao Dynasty so badly. Yelu Xian showed hatred on his face, then turned around and said with relief, “However, now with Lord Xiao and Marshal Yelu Xizhen to share the worries, the Liao Dynasty will surely revive.”
Xiao Siwen was very pleased to hear this. The Xiao family has always been loyal to the Liao Dynasty. With a wise monarch in power, he would not dare to slack off.
Yelu Xian said: "That blacksmith Guo occupied our land and took away our Yanyan. One day he will avenge his humiliation."
Xiao Siwen pondered and said: I think we should not act rashly. The Liao Dynasty should wait and see what happens. It would be best to wait until Guo the blacksmith dies.
This made Blacksmith Guo make Mr. Xiao afraid of Yelu Xiandao.
Xiao Siwen did not comment. A large area of Youyun's territory had just been seized by others through force. There was no need to explain the rest. He was willing to accept defeat.
He then said in a friendly way: Yanyan is just a daughter of the Xiao family. Although she is not a noble, she is of no importance to Guo the blacksmith. If the Khan is concerned about Yanyan, how about allowing me to find a way to redeem her with some cattle and sheep
Yelu Xian frowned and said: Zhou and Liao have been fighting for many years. Guo the blacksmith is willing to negotiate this matter.
Xiao Siwen said: "People are generous when they win. Moreover, judging from the behavior of Guo the blacksmith, if we give him enough benefits, he is very likely to be willing to exchange. However, Yanyan was captured and brought back. I am afraid she will not be able to marry the Khan. The Khan should choose another noble lady."
Yelu Xian immediately said: As long as she can come back, this Khan will never dislike her.
After hearing this, Xiao Siwen sighed.
Yelu Xian became the emperor of Liao overnight. He knew that he would have no shortage of beauties to accompany him in the future, but he always felt that Yanyan was the closest to him. Yanyan's innocent laughter is still ringing in my ears. Brother Xian, don't be afraid. Although I bully you, if others want to bully you, I will always protect you.
Alas, Yelu Xian's young and childish face revealed a sadness that was not consistent with his age.
He was moved and said: Redeem Yanyan at any price. As long as she comes back, I will marry her as my queen.
Xiao Siwen's eyes lit up and he immediately bowed and said: I will do my best.
He might have already realized that the favor that Xiao Chuo could receive was something that no other woman could ever get.