The wind was howling in the northwest. The leader of the Tangut Mo Zang clan, who was supported by Li Yiyin, walked outside a palace. The guards opened the door and saw a curtain made of animal fur hanging inside. When the curtain was opened, he lowered his head and walked in. Most of the Tangut people's doors were relatively low, so he had to touch his head when he walked in.
When I walked in, I saw a stone stove in the middle of the room. The charcoal fire inside was glowing yellow, and an iron kettle hanging from the beam above was bubbling with white steam.
Mo Zang took off his felt hat, bowed to Li Yiyin, who was sitting on a cushion with his eyes closed, and said in the Tangut language: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Li Yiyin said without opening his eyes: Let's warm up by the fire.
Mei Zang let out a breath and stretched out his hands beside the stove: I can't believe that the men from Central Plains would choose such a bad season to fight a war.
Li Yiyin said warmly: Whether the weather is good or bad, they are not the only ones who have to endure it.
At this time he opened his eyes and said in a tentative tone: The imperial court is questioning me, and I have pity on the people of all ethnic groups. I want to go to Tokyo to apologize in person to avert the disaster of war.
Mo Zang was shocked when he heard this: How could the king have such an idea
Li Yiyin said calmly: "The Li family is married to the royal family of Daxu, and I have come to Beijing in person. I don't think the Daxu Dynasty will kill me. Otherwise, it will inevitably arouse the indignation of the Dangxiang people, making it even more difficult for the court to deal with it."
Bu Ke Mei Zang said without hesitation, and hurriedly advised that Xiazhou had already pledged allegiance to the court and had no intention of harassing. Now that Da Xu had taken the initiative to mobilize weapons, he would definitely not give up. Now that the king was respected by all the tribes, he could command them. If the Dangxiang lost their king, the prince would have no prestige for the time being as he stayed behind, and would not be able to convince the people. He was afraid that the group would be leaderless and be taken advantage of by the enemy.
After hearing this, Li Yiyin showed a very satisfied look on his face. He asked again: Do all the departments have the same idea
Mo Zang bowed and said: "The Central Plains has long been wary of the Dangxiang separatist forces, and their desire to destroy us has not died. Anyone with a little foresight has this thought."
Li Yiyin's face gradually turned red, his eyes glowed with the light of charcoal fire, and he said in a deep voice: If I hadn't been forced, I would never dare to resist at this time. Originally, the king thought that this important matter should be completed by future generations. However, since the knife is on my neck, I have no choice.
Mei Zang said: I am waiting for the king to rally his troops and avenge the previous humiliation.
Li Yiyin said in a deep voice: As long as we defeat Xu's army this time, the Dangxiang can establish their own country and live upright on their own land.
The more he spoke, the more excited he became. The Tanguts were tall, white, brave, and courageous. How could they be forced to be homeless and dependent on others
Mei Zang also fully supported it and said: In this world, everyone is competing to see who is more ferocious. As long as we defeat Xu Jun, we will force them to recognize that Dangxiang Baigao is a great country.
At this time, the eunuch came in and reported: "Your Majesty, the Liao Kingdom has sent a letter by express horse. We have heard that the Xu Kingdom is going to send troops, so we sent General Yang Gun and transferred 20,000 Liao infantry and cavalry to Xiazhou for assistance."
Good Li Yiyin said happily, "This king does not like the Khitans, but the grassland people finally keep their words and do not delay."
Mo Zang said: The Liao army cavalry is very fierce, and the Tangut warriors are not weak either. This time Xu Jun has come from afar, so we are not afraid of them.
Guo Shao's royal carriage passed along the avenue covered with scattered fallen leaves and entered the Xuanyou Gate.
Lu Lan lived on the left front side of the Wansui Palace. When Guo Shaoxia was on duty and heading north, he always had to pass through that courtyard. Today, he once again asked the eunuch to drive the carriage to the west. He wanted to go there to see, but not Lu Lan, he couldn't help but go to see Xiao Chuo.
The Liao Kingdom actually wanted to exchange Xiao Chuo for the Pingxia region, which really surprised Guo Shao.
And this was his second hesitation. If the Liao Kingdom just watched the fire from the other side, the Pingxia War would be much simpler. Guo Shao had launched many wars before and after, but he always had a concept in his mind: in order to win the war, no matter what means were used, it would not be excessive for both sides.
Xiao Chuo was indeed just a ten-year-old girl.
When Guo Shao saw her again, he focused his attention on her again, ignoring Lu Lan and Bai.
This girl is really a beauty, but her good looks are not what Guo Shao cares about. She is the favorite woman of the Liao emperor Yelu Xian.
When Guo Shao thought of this, he realized that history might not be accidental. Only if Xiao Chuo was taken seriously by the Liao emperor and treated her well, would she have the opportunity to have great power.
It seems that we really cannot let Xiao Chuo go back, otherwise it will not be like what happened in history and it may cause long-term troubles.
At this moment, Xiao Chuo looked at Guo Shao pitifully: Your Majesty, I miss home.
Guo Shao glanced at Bai Shi, who had been abducted by the Khitans. It seemed that Bai Shi had a good relationship with Xiao Chuo when she was in Youzhou, so he did not say anything unpleasant.
Xiao Chuo looked at Guo Shao with expectation again. Although she was from the enemy country, Khitan, it was hard to refuse a beautiful ten-year-old girl looking at her like this. She said in a coquettish tone: "Your Majesty, why don't you let me go back? My father will definitely repay His Majesty the Emperor."
Guo Shao couldn't be serious when talking to a little girl. On a whim, he joked: Because I like you very much and I don't want you to leave.
Xiao Chuo opened her little mouth and stared at Guo Shao blankly.
She then said in a childish voice: "Your Majesty, please let me go back first. When my father raises me, can't you propose marriage to me later?"
Guo Shao laughed in silence. This was indeed a childish statement. He could not tell whether Xiao Chuo was born smart or still a child. He said casually: When the time comes, it will be your father's turn to be reluctant.
He had already made up his mind, so he didn't stay any longer. He said goodbye to Mrs. Bai and Mrs. Lu and left the yard.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they got on the road, the eunuch Wang Zhong came forward and whispered: I just heard from the young eunuch that Concubine Li is on the roadside in front of the Wansui Palace, and I'm afraid she is waiting to see Your Majesty.
If it were any other concubine, she would be ridiculed and accused of seeking favors by the emperor. However, Guo Shao knew that Li Yueji came for the Pingxia War.
Guo Shao suddenly didn't want to meet him. There was no need to talk about this matter anymore. He couldn't give up the war for Princess Dangxiang.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, Guo Shao, who was riding in the yellow-covered carriage, had already seen her standing by the road. The weather was already quite cold, and she cupped her hands in front of her mouth, staring at the carriages that were slowly passing by.
Guo Shao could not bear to ignore her in public and left her there. Not only because she was a royal concubine, but he also remembered how he had treated her carefully and shown affection in front of everyone when he met her in Lingzhou, even if it was just a show. At that time, Guo Shao was going to war with the powerful Liao Kingdom and urgently needed to ensure that there would be no problems in the northwest.
But even if it was just a show, it was better.
Guo Shao still has a hard time being cruel to beautiful women, and generally treats them as human beings. This is probably the influence of his past life. At that time, he had nothing, and sometimes he would dream that if a beautiful woman didn't dislike him at this time, she would definitely treat him like a treasure. Now he has everything, but just like people who have experienced famine will not waste food, Guo Shao instinctively has no bad feelings towards women. He thinks everything is just human nature. If he were a beautiful woman, he would also want to choose a good day when he has many choices. That's all.
Her Majesty Li Yueji's face was so pale from the cold that she knelt down and bowed on the side of the road.
Guo Shaodao: Stop the car.
The imperial carriage stopped and Wang Zhong ran over immediately. Guo Shao waved his hand, got off the carriage, looked at Li Yueji and said: It's cold, why are you standing here? How long have you been standing here
Li Yueji immediately raised her head and looked at Guo Shao with some emotion: "I know that your majesty has been busy with state affairs recently and may not leave early. I heard the bells and drums upstairs and came here, so I didn't wait long."
Guo Shao was a little surprised when he saw her expression. He had been so nice to her before, but she was not moved and even eloped with someone else. Now that he was a little nicer, she was so moved.
He took a deep breath and said: It's windy outside, follow me into the Wansui Palace and we'll talk later.
Li Yueji pursed her lips and bowed quickly, saying: Thank you, Your Majesty.
Guo Shao walked in front and she walked behind, and the two of them walked up the platform together, without saying a word. Li Yueji followed his footsteps, following closely.
Entering a palace room, the air suddenly became warm. The room had been prepared long ago, with charcoal burning in a copper basin, glowing red, without flames, but hotter than flames. At this time, shallow-layer coal had been mined in large quantities, but coal had a strong smoky smell, so the rich and powerful did not use it.
Guo Shao sat down without saying anything. He was thinking about how to reject Li Yueji's request.
At this time Li Yueji said: I was ignorant before, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me.
Guo Shao said: There is no need to mention the past. I am not a heartless person.
Li Yueji said softly: Since I entered the palace, I may have some discomfort and dissatisfaction, but I already know in my heart that I can only rely on Your Majesty in this life, and I can't go back.
She murmured: The Daxu court cannot let me go. Even if I return to Dangxiang, I will have no place to stay.
Guo Shao didn't say anything, but when he listened to others talking, his expression was usually very focused, and it was obvious at a glance that he was listening.
Li Yueji looked up at Guo Shao and said with a wry smile: "I am not just pleading for the Dangxiang people. The Dangxiang people are brave and martial, and the outcome of your majesty's expedition is unknown. I don't want everyone to kill each other. No matter who is hurt, I feel that I have committed a serious sin and I am too ashamed to live in shame."
When Guo Shao heard her say that the Tanguts were fierce, he thought that he might lose again. His expression was a little strange, and he said calmly: Maybe the King of Xiping and Concubine Li Xian underestimated the combat effectiveness of the imperial army.
After hearing this, Li Yueji hurriedly said: "It would be great if your majesty won. But I came here for marriage and reconciliation. If the Li family is destroyed, what is the point of living for me, a daughter of the Tangut Li family?"
Your Majesty, why do the two races have to kill each other
When Guo Shao heard the last sentence, he was also stunned: Yes, why do we have to kill each other
Thinking of Western Xia, Guo Shao believed that if he did not fight the Dangxiang at this time, the Dangxiang would sooner or later launch an attack; before the advent of nuclear weapons, killing each other seemed to be a way that everyone liked to see.
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