I studied in modern times

Chapter 926: Song-Liao marriage, a strategic opportunity for the world to be united again

Tong Guan presented the letter from the Liao ruler to Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu took it, opened it, and smiled: "The Liao Lord finally gave in!"

The latest letter from the Liao Lord almost completely accepted Zhao Xu's previous request.

That is, the annual tribute that Goryeo paid to Liao was originally Liao's property, and Liao transferred it to Song Dynasty as part of the Song-Liao Jiaozi trade agreement. Song Dynasty should not have borne the corresponding expenses.

Only when Goryeo paid tribute to the Song Dynasty as a mediation fee could the Liao people collect corresponding fees.

Moreover, Song and Liao are brotherly countries, and helping each other is a natural thing, so Liao should not charge too much.

Zhao Xu suggested that ten thousand taels would be appropriate.

In this way, the Liao Kingdom should deliver 130,000 taels of silver to the Song Dynasty for delivery before March of the third year of Yuanyou, in exchange for the Song Dynasty's targeted issuance of 4.5 million strings of Jiaozi in the third year of Yuanyou.

The Liao people naturally did not want to make concessions.

However, Lin Xi, on behalf of Zhao Xu, proposed to the Liao ruler that after the Liao Princess Cheng'an's coming-of-age ceremony, the Song and Liao dynasties could discuss the Qin-Jin issue.

The Liao ruler was like a duck with its neck strangled, unable to utter a word.

For Yelu Hongji, though, the condition proposed by Lin Xi was only a "negotiable" marriage between Song and Liao.

The specific details will still be a matter of debate in the future.

Green tea attributes, maxed out!

However, this is the biggest concession made by the Song Dynasty to the Liao Dynasty since the Song-Liao relations began!
Its political significance to the Liao Kingdom even exceeded that of the Treaty of Chanyuan!
Because once the Song and Liao dynasties successfully formed a marriage alliance, the Liao Dynasty would legally have claim to China.

Therefore, legally speaking, the Khitans were no longer considered barbarians of the Central Plains as they were originally from the grasslands.

And change the relationship between Song and Liao into the Qin-Jin and Qin-Chu relationship they desired.

This is exactly what the Song Dynasty has been trying hard to avoid over the past hundred and fifty years.

For the Song Dynasty, a marriage with the Liao Dynasty was tantamount to handing over its biggest card - the legal principle.

This will give the Liao people a legal basis for ruling the Central Plains.

However, the people of the Song Dynasty will never forget that in the fourth year of Kaiyun of the Later Jin Dynasty (947), the Liao ruler Yelu Deguang, with the assistance of Du Chongwei and others, invaded Bianliang, abducted the Later Jin emperor Shi Chonggui, destroyed the Later Jin Dynasty, and proclaimed himself emperor in the imperial city of Bianliang.

This kind of historical memory gave the Song Dynasty's rulers and ministers the same stimulation as the coronation of German Emperor Wilhelm I at the Palace of Versailles in France gave to the French in modern times.

However, Yelu Deguang's ambition to rule the Central Plains and unify the world was ultimately shattered by the heroic resistance of the military and civilians from all over the Central Plains.

He himself died in Sha Hulin on his way to retreat north.

Once the Song and Liao dynasties formed an alliance, the next time Yelu Deguang attacked Bianliang again, it would be very likely that the heroes of the Central Plains would find it difficult to drive him out.

Psychologically, it is also possible to accept a dynasty established by the Khitans.

What's more, the current Liao ruler privately calls himself Liu and claims to be a descendant of Emperor Gaozu of Han.

What's more, the Liao Kingdom of that day had already adopted the Han system, respected Confucius and Confucianism, implemented imperial examinations, and governed the country through counties.

Zhao Xu was naturally very clear about this.

He put down the letter from the Liao ruler and told Tong Guan, "Tong Guan, go and tell him my order. I want the scholar of punishment to bring the Korean envoys to the palace to see me tomorrow!"

"promise!"

"Oh, right!" Zhao Xu called him, "Which gentleman is on duty in the capital today?"

"Reporting to everyone, the left prime minister is on duty today!"

Zhao Xu nodded: "Go and invite Prime Minister Lu to come into the palace!"

"promise!"

……

Metropolitan Hall.

Lu Gongzhu was sitting in his own command hall. In the warm room of the hall, a charcoal fire was burning, dispelling the cold.

The socks made from the finest cashmere that Xihe paid as tribute kept his feet warm, which had always been cold in winter.

but……

Lu Gongzhu walked to the window, pushed open the door, and looked at the scene outside the hall.

The cold wind, mixed with icy rain, hit the corridor of the attic.

"This winter is different from previous years!" he said softly.

It is only the end of October now, but the perceived temperature is almost the same as that of last year's twelfth month.

The nights were even colder than the coldest days last year!

The only good news is that the people of Bianjing do not need to worry about heating this year.

This is because the Street Office is producing coal briquettes day and night at the charcoal yard in Tianmafang.

Peddler peddlers carry coal briquettes on their shoulders and walk through the streets hawking their wares.

A set of twelve coal briquettes has an average price of only fifteen cents.

This price remains constant and is a manifestation of the government's benevolent policy.

A set of coal briquettes can provide two days' use for a family of five, and if they are frugal, it can even be enough for them for three or four days.

The heating costs have dropped several times compared to the eighth year of Yuanfeng.

What’s more important is that since Tianmafang is royal property, the coal briquette workers are all hired by the street department.

Therefore, even when the weather is so cold, its price remains unchanged.

From this we can see the benevolence of the government.

Otherwise, if it were the officials in the past...even the Temple of Benevolence would have raised the prices to make money while the weather was cold!
Just ...

Those coal briquettes are only available in Bian Jing!

Coal briquettes need iron molds to be produced, and iron molds can only be produced by skilled craftsmen who specialize in manufacturing ordnance.

So, how should the people in other states and counties survive the winter?
"I can only hope that Buddha will bless us and there won't be heavy snow this year!" Lu Gongzhu muttered to himself.

He was just worrying about the weather when Wang Di's voice came from behind him: "En Xiang, the official's Tong Dihou is here!"

"Please come in!" Lu Gongzhu said hurriedly.

"promise!"

After a while, Tong Guan came to Lü Gongzhu, panting, and bowed, saying, "Zuo Kui, we have an imperial decree. Please come into the palace to discuss matters!"

"May I ask your Excellency...What is the purpose of Your Majesty's summons to me?" asked Lu Gongzhu.

"But the letter from the Liao Lord has arrived, so everyone invites Zuo Kui to the palace to discuss the matter!"

Lu Gongzhu suddenly became serious and said to Tong Guan, "Thank you for leading the way!"

Naturally, all the ministers in the capital were aware of the negotiations between Song and Liao and had been informed of them.

Prime Ministers such as Lu Gongzhu and Pu Zongmeng were deeply involved in it.

They have intervened in many of the clauses and have raised objections respectively.

But later they were persuaded by the palace.

This is also the reason why old party ministers like Lu Gongzhu were willing to serve as Zhao Xu's envoy and defend many of his policies - although the lord was only young and immature, he had great respect for his ministers.

All matters concerning major policies and national strategies will be discussed with them and their opinions will be widely sought.

The final decision must be made in agreement with the prime minister of the capital, or at least the majority will be sought or convinced.

Since he ascended the throne, there has been almost no case of him acting on his own and making decisions in the palace.

They all discussed with the ministers and reached a consensus before announcing it.

This is so comforting.

If the king regards me as a national hero, I should repay him by being a national hero!
……

Following Tong Guan, he entered the palace from the Zuo Zhaoqing Gate, and went to the Funing Palace from the Inner East Gate.

Along the way, Lu Gongzhu felt the difference of this winter.

Even during the day, the temperature was about the same as it was at night this time last winter.

Cold is the most intuitive.

Even though he was wearing the imperial cotton coat and hat, and even had a pair of imperial cotton gloves on his hands.

The boots on his feet were even made of sable fur given as a state gift from the Liao Kingdom.

But Lu Gongzhu still felt cold. If it snowed, how low would the temperature be?
Lu Gongzhu no longer dared to think about it.

After entering the Funing Palace, warmth instantly returned to my body.

Lu Gongzhu was taken to the study in the east hall.

Zhao Xu was already waiting for him here.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully wish the Emperor the best of health!"

"Long live my Lord!" Zhao Xu looked at Lu Gongzhu's face, which had aged a little, and whispered, "Tong Guan, quickly give the left prime minister a seat and some tea, so that he can warm up!"

"promise!"

Tong Guan directed someone to move a chair behind Lu Gongzhu, and then ordered the maid to bring the tea that had been prepared in advance.

After Lu Gongzhu sat down, he took the teacup and took a sip of the tea made with milk and icing sugar. The fatigue in his body was instantly cleared away and his spirit was lifted.

"Today, I invite you to the palace to seek your opinion on the next year's Song-Liao Jiaozi and Goryeo affairs!" Zhao Xu said, "This is the latest letter from the Liao Lord. Please take a look first!"

As he said this, he handed the letter from the Liao ruler to Tong Guan.

Tong Guan respectfully handed it to Lu Gongzhu.

Lu Gongzhu took the letter, first thanked him, then carefully opened it and read it carefully.

The Liao ruler's concession was naturally within Lu Gongzhu's expectations.

After all, the Song Dynasty offered a condition that the Liao people could not refuse - the possibility of marrying a Liao princess as a concubine of the Song emperor in the future.

This possibility alone would bring great political prestige to the Liao ruler.

It played a huge role in helping the Liao Kingdom stabilize Youyan and Bohai and rule the Zubu and other tribes on the grassland.

At the same time, once the marriage was reached, the Liao princess would marry into the Song Dynasty and, as per custom, would have to bring a dowry.

Besides gold, silver and other valuables, the Liao people's dowry probably consisted mostly of Khitan cavalry.

There will be a Khitan cavalry in the territory of the Song Dynasty!
Although, this has happened before.

But those Khitan cavalry were all captured by the Song Dynasty on the battlefield or escaped from the Liao Kingdom.

There is no problem with loyalty.

But this cavalry was brought to the Song Dynasty as a dowry for the princess.

Once the future princess gives birth to a prince, then, whether it is the etiquette of the Song Dynasty or the tradition of the Khitan people.

This cavalry and their descendants will all be the private property of the prince.

The trouble doesn't end there.

From then on, the Khitans could deeply intervene in the internal affairs of the Song Dynasty by greeting the princess.

Of course, Lu Gongzhu was well aware of these troubles.

So, he was against it at the very beginning.

Even now, he doesn't support it.

Therefore, after putting down the letter, Lu Gongzhu said: "Your Majesty is wise, I dare not speculate..."

"But, I still want to say..."

"Your Majesty, this is too risky!"

"If you fail, it will backfire!"

Zhao Xu chuckled: "What you said, sir, is truly a sign of loyalty to the country!"

"I have learned about all these evils from the advice of my Excellency and other ministers!"

"This move is bad for our Song Dynasty! However, Zheng State once offered advice to Qin, which led Qin to build a canal in Guanzhong, and Qin could not go east for ten years!"

"However, when the Zhengguo Canal was completed, the fertile land of Guanzhong was irrigated. After that, the King of Qin conquered the world and unified the country because of this."

"My current intention to form an alliance with Liao is the same as the previous one! In the short term, there may be disadvantages, but in the long term, it is a golden opportunity that can only be achieved once in a lifetime!"

"My husband! The opportunity to unify the world is fleeting!"

"If we cannot unify the world, how can my husband and I face our ancestors?!"

This is exactly the reason Zhao Xu used to convince the court officials.

The marriage between Song and Liao not only enabled Liao to gain the claim to rule the Central Plains, but also cleared the political obstacles for the Liao after it ruled the Central Plains.

But didn’t this also help the Song Dynasty gain the claim to rule the north?

Didn't it also clear away the obstacles for the Song Dynasty to control the various tribes on the grassland in the future?
The effects of forces are reciprocal.

A princess of the Liao Kingdom married into the Song Dynasty. In the future, when the royal army marches north, they only need to defeat the main force of the Liao Kingdom in a field battle.

Then, the Khitan nobles and the Xi kings would figure it out themselves.

Since the Song and Liao dynasties had already formed an alliance through marriage, the emperor of the Song dynasty and the emperor of the Liao dynasty were father-in-law and son-in-law.

Now there is a dispute between the father-in-law and the son-in-law, and the winner has been decided.

Well, what can we outsiders do?
At the same time, the effect is even better for the lower-level herdsmen and soldiers.

Because whether it is according to the rules of the grassland or the etiquette of the Central Plains.

Relatives fought against each other, and finally a winner emerged.

The victor can naturally and legally accept everything from the loser.

The resistance of the Khitan and Xi peoples will be greatly reduced.

By then, as long as benevolent policies are implemented, taxes are light, and grace is shown, the lower-class herdsmen and cavalry will have no reason to oppose Emperor Zhao becoming their emperor.

For the Song Dynasty, this meant a huge reduction in ruling and governance costs.

It is the cheapest unified solution.

Lü Gongzhu listened to Zhao Xu's words and said, "Your Majesty is wise and wise!"

However, emotionally he rejected the marriage between Song and Liao.

But he is a scholar-official!

And he is the most orthodox scholar-official!

From the very beginning, Dong Zhongshu engraved the gene of great unification on all his disciples - Wang Zhengyue, great unification!
This is the mission of the scholars!
It is also their destiny!
Therefore, in every dynasty, whenever possible, both kings and ministers were committed to unification.

Reunify the broken land!
After hundreds of years of chaos between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was finally the Sui and Tang Dynasties that accomplished this mission.

Since the Five Dynasties, the empire has been lost, the country has been divided, and the nine provinces have been torn apart.

The north was controlled by the Hu people, and the northwest fell into the hands of the Qiang and Fan.

Jiaozhou in the south was occupied by rebels.

The Western Regions during the Han and Tang dynasties were almost cut off from the Central Plains.

The nine surnames of Zhaowu were all submerged in the barbarian dust.

Since the Han Dynasty, they have been a vassal state of China. Even during the chaotic period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the two countries of Kucha and Khotan were still vassal states of China and were destroyed by the Uighurs.

Naturally, the scholars were dissatisfied with this situation.

how...

Not strong enough!
In the past, the Song Dynasty could not defeat the Liao Dynasty, let alone the Tanguts.

During the Xining period, the Jiaozhi even captured Yongzhou and massacred all the soldiers and civilians in the city.

Faced with such reality, people like Lu Gongzhu could only bury the idea of ​​great unification in their hearts.

People like Fu Bi even advised the late emperor: I hope Your Majesty will not talk about military affairs for twenty years.

Doesn’t Fu Bi want to achieve great unification?
I don’t have that ability!

If you can’t win, you can’t win!

If we fight by force and are defeated, we will probably have no choice but to migrate south again.

but now……

The Arms Bureau specialized in manufacturing firearms, which made it possible for the Song Dynasty to unify the country!

For the sake of great unification, people like Lu Gongzhu can sacrifice everything and make all compromises.

Because this is their destiny!
(End of this chapter)