I studied in modern times

Chapter 865 Yelu Hongji: Bian Bandits! Open your eyes and see what I am holding in my hand!

The second year of Yuanyou in the Song Dynasty, the sixth day of the seventh month in the third year of Da'an in the Liao Dynasty.

Liaoyang Prefecture, the main tent of Yelu Hongji.

"As the Pyongyang East Recruiting Envoy and Japan Recruiting Envoy, the Commander-in-Chief of Kyushu Military Affairs, the Japanese Gold and Silver Mining Envoy, the Senior Protector General, the Founding Marquis of Langya County, with a fief of 1,600 households and a fief of 400 households, I, Xiao Budaye, respectfully wish His Majesty the Emperor a long life!"

Xiao Budaya, who had returned to the court from Kyushu, Japan, knelt before Yelu Hongji and paid homage to him with great respect.

Yes, he got promoted again.

In June, the Liao ruler conferred the title of founding marquis of Langya County on Xiao Budaye for his contributions in conquering Japan and searching for silver, and added a fief of 1,000 households and a fief of 200 households. He also gave him the title of "General Commander of the Military Affairs of Kyushu", so that he could legitimately preside over the affairs of conquering Japan.

"No need to be polite, my dear minister!" Yelu Hongji said with a smile, "Come here, quickly give my champion marquis a seat and some tea!"

Although, Xiao Budaye is already in his thirties this year.

But, in Yelu Hongji's view, this is his Huo Qubing.

Since last year, he has led a small army across the sea and attacked Japan twice, winning both battles and expanding the sea territory by thousands of miles, from Goryeo to Kyushu, Japan, all of which became the territory of the Liao Dynasty.

And use this as a base to expand and infiltrate other directions of Japan.

In the eyes of Yelu Hongji, a descendant of the Han Dynasty Liu family who loves COS more and more, if this is not Huo Qubing, then who is Huo Qubing?
Thousands of years ago, Emperor Wu of Han granted the title of Marquis of Guanjun to the Wolf's Lair.

A thousand years later, he, a descendant of Emperor Gaozu of Han, led a general to conquer Japan.

In another thousand years, future generations will surely sing praises to him.

Just like the literati today, they will recall the great feat of Emperor Wu of Han in conquering the Wolf's Lair.

Not to mention, in reality, Xiao Budaye's control over Japan brought huge real economic benefits to the Liao people.

Simply put, since the Liao occupied Kyushu, a large amount of Liao commercial goods have been continuously transported there.

In just half a year, the value of goods sold by the Liao people to Japan exceeded 200,000 strings of cash!
Compared with the huge Song-Liao trade, it seems insignificant.

However, this was the Liao people's largest source of income, apart from the silk trade from the Western Regions.

Moreover, this income is very stable.

Nowadays, Japanese people are not picky at all!

The porcelain, pottery and ironware produced in Liao were defeated by the cheap and high-quality commercial goods of Song in the Song-Liao trade. After crossing the sea, they became high-quality and low-priced Tang products in Kyushu, Japan!

Even the commercial goods from the Goryeo counties occupied by Liao were now sold to Japan on Liao merchant ships.

Many Koreans therefore returned to China - in the past, Korea's trade with Japan was basically monopolized by the powerful. Not only ordinary people, but even the illegitimate sons of the powerful were not allowed to get involved.

But after the Liao people came, they did not recognize the special status of the Yangban.

In the eyes of the Khitans, Goryeo's yangban and illegitimate children were all the same.

Those who obey them are righteous.

Those who refuse to submit are bandits.

Everything else doesn’t matter!
Therefore, those who were willing to follow the Liao emperor were shown favors and allowed to take part in the Liao imperial examinations and compete for official positions that were previously only held by the two classes of powerful people.

This moved the illegitimate sons of the powerful Goryeo families to tears, and they shouted "Long live the Emperor of Liao!"

They all welcomed the emperor with joy.

This is also the key reason why the Liao people can now actually control the northern part of Goryeo - a large number of frustrated Goryeo illegitimate sons have voted with their feet and become loyal subjects of the Liao people.

These people were all native Koreans.

With the assistance of these people, the Liao people's rule in northern Goryeo began to enter a stable period.

Many counties began to pay taxes and serve the Liao people.

The Liao people already had rich experience in governing other ethnic groups.

They copied their own policies in Youyan in Goryeo and implemented them one by one.

As a result, an unexpected result was achieved - even the Korean peasants began to return and became supporters of the Liao ruler.

The reason is so hilarious - compare it with the tax and corvée policy implemented by the Liao people in the Youyan area.

The so-called "Tan Chai system" implemented by the Koreans in Goryeo was a complete tyranny.

Because this so-called Tianchaike system is actually the Tang Dynasty's Fubing system copied by Goryeo.

The land was distributed to the farmers, and then when war broke out, the farmers who got the land needed to serve in the army.

But the problem is that the Goryeo people did not copy the entire Tang Dynasty's military system.

Farmers are only given land, but no upward mobility is provided.

All the prominent positions in Goryeo, whether civil or military, were reserved for the yangban nobility.

The general official positions were divided up among the illegitimate sons of the yangban class.

Not to mention farmers, even wealthy businessmen and landlords have no room for advancement.

What's more, more than 180 years have passed since Wang Jian established Goryeo.

What did the Tang Dynasty's military system become after more than 180 years?
The Goryeo people were not supermen, so the Goryeo Shibata system had completely collapsed as early as the reign of King Munjong of Goryeo.

then……

Not only did the Goryeo farmers not enjoy any of the benefits of the Shibata system, but they also had to bear all of its disadvantages.

For the Goryeo farmers, the arrival of the Liao people was not like invaders.
It's clearly the great judge who has come!
Thus, the Liao people's rule in northern Goryeo was miraculously stabilized.

Now, all the Liao high-ranking officials, including Yelu Hongji, no longer doubted whether they could actually control the entire Goryeo.

All we need to do is destroy Wang Yun and uproot the Goryeo royal family.

Then, Goryeo was a replica of the Bohai Kingdom of that time.

Under such circumstances, Xiao Budaye returned to the court to report on his work.

Yelu Hongji was of course very happy!
However, Yelu Hongji soon discovered that he seemed to be happy too early.

Because, Xiao Budaye brought back a valuable gift when he returned to the court this time!
"Your Majesty..." Xiao Budaya sat down and said, "This time when I came back to the court, in addition to paying homage to Your Majesty and telling you about my time in Japan, I also brought back an auspicious sign that I found in Japan..."

"Auspicious sign?!" Yelu Hongji was puzzled. "Are you saying that auspicious crops and auspicious animals were found in Japan?"

Since he ascended the throne, he has seen so many similar auspicious signs that he has lost interest in them.

Xiao Budaya shook his head and said, "No!"

He looked at Yelu Hongji and said, "What I found is a precious artifact of our ancestors, a sacred artifact of the country!"

"Ancestor's treasure? Sacred artifact of the state?" Yelu Hongji blinked. He couldn't remember any of the Yelu family's ancestors having been to Japan. He also couldn't remember any important things left behind!

"That's right!" Xiao Budaya bowed and said, "I congratulate Your Majesty. Your virtue is so great that it spreads all over the world and extends its favor to Japan. Therefore, the ancestral vessels appear in Japan, and the sacred vessels of the country come out from Kyushu..."

Yelu Hongji looked at Xiao Budaya and still didn't understand.

Until, two Japanese nobles who followed Xiao Budaya into the court were led to Yelu Hongji. They knelt down and presented a jade box to Yelu Hongji: "The Liao Dynasty's chief minister, Chikuzen Governor, Guannei Observation Envoy Taira Masamori..."

"The Liao Higo Governor, Minister Taira Tadamori..."

"I respectfully wish His Majesty the Emperor of the Liao Dynasty a long and healthy life!"

"On behalf of the entire Japanese nation, we respectfully present auspicious treasures to the Liao Emperor!"

Yelu Hongji looked at the two men who were wearing Liaonan Court official uniforms, but could still be recognized as Japanese officials at a glance.

He remembered.

Oh... these two people seem to be the father and son, Taira Masamori, the descendants of the Japanese king, who asked him for help last year and requested the Liao emperor to send a large army to attack the powerful Fujiwara clan, to restore order in Japan and return power to Japan.

At that time, he issued an edict to appoint the two guides as ministers of the Liao Kingdom.

Then Yelu Hongji smiled and asked, "What kind of auspicious sign are you two offering?"

Taira Masamori bowed his head and, using the Liao Dynasty military etiquette he had just learned, spoke in the tone of a Japanese samurai meeting the emperor, saying loudly: "It was your Majesty's ancestor, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, who conferred the Golden Seal of the Wa Nu Kingdom on the King of Japan!"

Yelu Hongji listened and stood up suddenly.

His eyes widened and his heart was beating fast.

"The Golden Seal of the Han-Wa Nu Kingdom?"

"Given by my ancestor Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty?!"

"Present it to me quickly!"

If this is the case, then it is indeed a sacred artifact of the country and a treasure passed down by our ancestors!
Then, the jade box was taken by an eunuch and respectfully presented to Yelu Hongji.

After taking a deep breath, Yelu Hongji opened the jade box and saw a mottled gold seal inside.

Yelu Hongji picked up the golden seal with trembling hands.

The gold seal is not big, it is square, only about an inch in size, and is made entirely of gold.

Yelu Hongji weighed it and thought it was about two taels?

Then he looked at the bottom of the seal, where there were standard Han Dynasty scripts.

"The King of the Han-Western State!" He read the words on the seal softly, unable to contain his excitement.

Xiao Budaya, who was in the tent, immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have consulted the history books..."

"Emperor Guangwu's bestowal of the seal is clearly recorded in the Book of the Later Han!"

"According to the Records of the Eastern Barbarians: In the second year of the Jianwu Zhongyuan period, the Wa Nu Kingdom paid tribute and sent someone to call himself a senior official. Emperor Guangwu gave him a seal and a ribbon!"

"And your majesty, you are a descendant of Emperor Gaozu of Han, a descendant of Yan and Han!"

"Thousands of years ago, our ancestors bestowed the seal and crowned the King of Japan!"

"A thousand years later, Your Majesty has received a mandate from Heaven, ordering me to lead the army to conquer the rebellious Fujiwara clan of Japan, to support the King of Japan, and to restore order!"

"So, the golden seal came into being. Isn't this the power of the gods of our ancestors?"

Yelu Hongji took a deep breath and said, "My dear minister, you are right!"

"This must be the power of the gods of our ancestors!"

After he paced for two steps, an idea flashed through his mind, and he said, "No wonder last night, I had a white-haired old man walking side by side with the Emperor in royal robes and Emperor Taizu, who came to my tent and said to me, 'Fool! Foolish boy! You should accept the will of heaven!'"

"So it should be here!"

At this time, the other ministers from the Northern and Southern Courts of the Liao Kingdom in the tent dared not continue watching.

Everyone stood up, and then prostrated themselves before Yelu Hongji, bowing their heads and saying, "Your Majesty, we congratulate you on receiving the blessing of our ancestors and the gods, and receiving this precious treasure of the country!"

Liang Ying, the Privy Councilor of Liaobei Court and the Minister of the Secretariat, burst into tears: "Your Majesty has received the mandate of heaven and the enlightenment of the spirits of our ancestors. This is a sign of the revival of our Liao Dynasty!"

Another important official, Xiao Wuna, the Privy Councilor of the Southern Court, also cried and said, "Your Majesty, you have conquered the thieves of Goryeo and Japan in the east, pacified the Tanguts, Tubo and other countries in the west, and subdued the Song court in the south... Your civil and military achievements are the best since the founding of the country!"

"I am an old and stupid official. I think that Your Majesty should announce this holy deed to the outer court and correct the source!"

Yelu Hongji was also overwhelmed with emotion when he heard this, and said, "You two gentlemen are right!"

"I will announce this to the outer court and send envoys to inform all nations, so that everyone in the world will know that I am the legitimate emperor of China, and that the Liao Dynasty is the legitimate heir of the Han and Tang dynasties!"

Bian bandits!

Open your eyes and look carefully, what am I holding in my hand?
The golden seal bestowed by Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty to Japan!
A thousand years later, the golden seal bestowed by Emperor Guangwu has returned to me!

This shows what?
I am truly a descendant of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty and a great-grandson of Emperor Guangwu!
The sage said: If barbarians enter China, they become Chinese; if Chinese enter the barbarians, they become barbarians!
Although our Great Liao originated from the grasslands, it is also known as Khitan.

But my Yelu family is a descendant of the Liu family of the Han Dynasty.

This was said by Emperor Taizu of the Liao Dynasty himself!
Could it be that Taizu would lie? !
What's more, now that the Liao Dynasty has established its capital in the former site of the Han and Tang Dynasties, it owns Liaodong, Youyan, Beiting and Bohai.

Moreover, the four Han counties can be restored immediately!

Let me ask you all - am I the emperor of China? Is the Liao Dynasty the only designated successor to the Tang Dynasty?
In ecstasy, Yelu Hongji did not give others the chance to verify the authenticity of the golden seal in his hand.

Because he didn't dare to gamble, was the gold seal that Xiao Budaye found in Japan real?
What if, by some chance, a fool could tell that it was fake and told the truth to everyone, and the gold seal was indeed forged by Xiao Budaye, how embarrassing would that be?
So, he held the golden seal tightly and excitedly said to Wang Shiru, the Hanlin scholar who was waiting in the tent: "Master Wang, please draft an imperial edict for me!"

"May the gods of our ancestors bless me, and may the heavens grant me the order!"

"I will offer this treasure to the gods in the ancestral temple and before the spirits of my ancestors, so that my descendants, generation after generation, will all know what happened today!"

"In addition, I will grant amnesty to the entire nation and extend my kindness to all people, so that all the people in the world can celebrate this great age with me!"

"Also, remember to write a letter and send it to the Southern Dynasty, so that the emperor's nephew and grandson of the Southern Dynasty can also know about this!"

"Song and Liao are brotherly nations. I have this happy event and I should share it with the Southern Dynasty!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Yelu Hongji was extremely proud and laughed heartily.

"Yes!" Wang Shiru stepped out and received the order.

Yelu Hongji looked at Xiao Budaya and Ping Zhengsheng and his son.

He cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Xiao... Mr. Ping..."

"You have done a great service in offering the treasures this time, and I will certainly treat you well!"

"How dare I hope for a reward?" Xiao Budaya declined politely.

But how could Ping Zhengsheng and his son understand this?

I foolishly kowtowed and began to express my gratitude.

Yelu Hongji was in a very good mood, so he naturally would not ignore them and directly offered his reward.

Xiao Budaya was originally an imperial envoy and was later promoted to the position of introduction envoy and Shenzhou inspector.

This is the rampant official.

He was assigned to serve as the Pyongyang Recruiting Envoy, the Japan Eastern Recruiting Envoy, and the Japan Economic and Pacification Envoy.

The honor was promoted one level, from Shang Hujun to Zhuguo.

In addition, he was given an additional fief of 1,000 households and an additional fief of 400 households.

This set of rewards granted Xiao Budaye full authority to govern Japan.

Ping Zhengsheng and his son also received rewards.

Among them, Taira Masamori was promoted from Chikuzen Governor to Chikuzen Tuanlianshi, with an increase of 800 households in his fief and 200 households in his actual fief.

Taira no Tadamori was promoted from the governor of Higo to the commander of the Higo militia.

Except these fake ones.

Yelu Hongji's reward of money and goods made the Heike father and son feel overwhelmed with emotion.

In copper coins alone, they were awarded one million coins each to the father and son! (About 1,300 strings of cash, a total of 2,600 strings of cash)
In addition, there were twenty rolls of brocade, twenty kilograms of icing sugar, one hundred rolls of silk cloth, and five hundred kilograms of tea!
This is an unimaginable fortune for them, father and son!

Compared with the Liao Emperor, the Shirakawa Emperor they served in the past was simply a stingy and miserly landlord!

(End of this chapter)