I studied in modern times

Chapter 957: Ode to Heaven's Grace - The Attack of Goryeo
After the banquet, Zhao Xu and the two palaces returned to the side hall of the Purple Palace, where they accepted private congratulations from members of the royal family and relatives by marriage.

During this process, Zhao Xu discovered an interesting phenomenon - Zhang Bingyuan, the son of former imperial consort Zhang Dunli, who committed suicide this year out of fear of punishment, had been following Wang Shiyue, the commander of the Zhen'an Army.

In addition, the widowed Princess Shoukang seemed to have gotten over the grief of losing her husband.

He began to talk and laugh with people in the temple.

Moreover, Zhao Xu could see that there seemed to be some ambiguity between Wang Shiyue and Princess Shoukang?
"Interesting!" Zhao Xu commented silently in his heart.

Empress Dowager Xiang seemed to have noticed it as well, so when she met Princess Shoukang in private, she took Princess Shoukang aside and talked to her in the inner chamber for a long time.

When the officials from the Ministry of Rites came to invite Zhao Xu and the two palaces to return to the palace.

Empress Dowager Xiang whispered to Zhao Xu, "Sixth brother, what do you think of Princess Shoukang and Wang Guancha?"

Zhao Xu replied in a low voice: "I think everything is fine!"

He nodded to the Queen Mother and said meaningfully, "I think it's good too!"

……

Return to the Purple Palace.

The Xinglong Festival celebrations continue.

Starting from the afternoon, the process of various countries paying tribute began.

The first of course was the envoys from the Liao Emperor, the beloved brothers of the Song Dynasty, who came to congratulate the Song Emperor on the founding of the Dragon Festival with the covenant.

It may be because Zhao Xu gave face to Yelu Hongji.

It may also be because the Liao Kingdom currently needs help from the Song Dynasty.

Of course, it is more likely that Yelu Hongji really regarded Zhao Xu as his son-in-law.

Therefore, the state gifts sent by the Liao people this time were unusually generous.

There are as many as sixteen pieces of gold ornaments alone, and dozens of silver ornaments. All of them are treasures with exquisite workmanship, good materials, and great artistic connotations (the Liao Dynasty's gold and silver wares technology was very advanced. The unearthed Liao Dynasty official gold and silver wares are gorgeous in shape and exquisite in workmanship. Each piece is an artistic treasure).

In addition, there are Liao specialties such as sea tiger skin, sable skin, ginseng, and pearls.

All the state gifts added up to thirteen boxes.

It was carried to the hall by twenty-six Khitan warriors.

Yelu Yongchang, the chief envoy, led the delegation to the palace, bowed to the emperor, and then presented Yelu Hongji's handwritten letter to the emperor, saying, "Our Lord, the Emperor of the Liao Dynasty, orders us to congratulate the Emperor of the Song Dynasty on his birth of the Dragon Festival!"

"Celebrate with His Majesty the Emperor of the Liao Dynasty!" Zhao Xu said, "Please let me convey my gratitude to you after you return home. I will send an envoy to express my gratitude next New Year!"

"Yes!" Yelu Yongchang led the Liao envoys and bowed their heads again.

The relationship between Song and Liao was so close that the envoys from various countries who were queuing outside the palace waiting to pay homage to the emperor looked at each other in surprise.

The entire Western Xia delegation was extremely terrified!
Because, for the Dangxiang people, one of the foundations of their country was that they were caught between the Song and Liao dynasties.

He used the Liao people to intimidate the Song court, and then used the Song people to extort benefits from the Liao court.

But now the relationship between Song and Liao is so close.

This means that the foundation of the Western Xia state has been shaken.

If the Song and Liao dynasties reached a treaty to divide Western Xia, the Song army would come from the south and the Liao army would attack from the north and west.

The 800-li-long Hengshan natural barrier and the fertile Hetao land would no longer belong to the Dangxiang in an instant.

If things go wrong, we may not even be able to go back to Di Ze Jin to graze.

So I trembled with fear and broke out in cold sweat.

The envoys from other countries were also extremely shocked.

Only the Goryeo envoy Li Ziyi held his head high and chest out, looking proud and complacent as he faced the envoys from other countries.

People who don’t know might think that Goryeo defeated the Liao army on the battlefield and recaptured Pyongyang.

But the fact is - not long ago, Li Ziyi received news from the country that his monarch, King Wang Li of Goryeo, had fully agreed to the conditions of the Song and Liao countries.

The first batch of annual tribute, 100,000 taels of silver, had been delivered to the Liao army camp.

Goryeo will complete the delivery of the remaining annual tribute before March next year.

This is a great shame and humiliation!
If it were other countries, they would probably grit their teeth, then endure hardships and be determined to take revenge, even if they couldn't do it, they would pretend to do it.

However, since Silla, Goryeo has developed the habit of serving the great powers.

Now, after being slapped to the ground by the Liao people.

The Koreans suddenly remembered the story of Silla clinging to the Tang Dynasty.

Wang Yun, the King of Goryeo, even ordered the palace ladies to weave brocades with poems in the palace.

This is to emulate the wisdom of Queen Jindeok of Silla who presented a poem to Emperor Gaozong of Tang.

The first person to enjoy this treatment was the Emperor of the Song Dynasty in the Central Plains.

Naturally, Li Ziyi's arrogance and complacency are understandable.

Because, in the minds of the Koreans, losing to the Liao people was very normal.

There was no way we could win!

However, the final result was that the Goryeo ancestral temple and country were preserved!
That's winning!

Moreover, this peace treaty was endorsed by the Song Dynasty and approved by the Liao Dynasty.

what is this?
The Song and Liao countries are serving me at the same time!

From then on, Goryeo became a protectorate of the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty.

In the whole world, apart from Goryeo, who else has this treatment?

Is there any in Jiaozhi? Is there any in Dali? Is there any in Japan?

nothing!
So who am I?

The ministers and concubines of Song and Liao!

Haidong Little China, truly worthy of the name!

In the eyes of Goryeo scholars, if Song and Liao were legitimate sons, then after this war, Goryeo would become a bastard among the Chinese.

Naturally, Li Ziyi could hold his head high and act arrogantly in front of envoys from various countries.

Because the reason is very clear - although I am a subject of Song and Liao.

But what about you?

I’m afraid he is not even qualified to enter China’s home!
They can only be regarded as Rongdi, Hulu and Lu!

This kind of mentality may be very abnormal.

However, this was a consistent practice among the Goryeo people, the previous Silla, the later Korea, and even the modern South Korea.

It is a natural product of the peninsula's special political and geographical environment.

Now it has only been born, or awakened, under the pressure and cultivation of war.

This mentality is a form of self-protection when the peninsula faces pressure from powerful countries.

This was also the only path that Goryeo could choose after the war.

So, when Li Ziyi brought the Goryeo delegation and appeared after Yelu Yongchang.

He knelt on the ground with a thud in front of the Song Dynasty civil and military officials and the Liao Dynasty envoys who were watching the ceremony. He bowed his head and said like a servant, "Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites of Goryeo, Ziyi, is here by order of our king to congratulate His Majesty the Great Emperor of the Song Dynasty on his birthday. I am deeply grateful for His Majesty's Xinglong Festival and wish you a long and happy birthday!"

As they spoke, members of the Goryeo delegation came to the hall, holding a brocade woven with the finest silk, and knelt down to present it.

Li Ziyi then bowed and said, "This is the brocade woven by our Queen Mother of Goryeo, the Queen, the Princesses, and the ladies of the royal family, out of gratitude for the grace of the Great Emperor of Song. We respectfully present it to the Great Emperor to celebrate the Xinglong Festival and to thank the Great Emperor for his grace as vast as the sea and his virtue as great as the sky!"

That sounds very nice.

The civil and military officials of the Song Dynasty, as well as the royal family nobles in the hall, were even more elated.

How many years!

When has the Song Dynasty ever had such a respectful envoy come to the palace and speak so respectfully?
Even the two palaces were delighted.

After all, the Song Dynasty had never encountered such submissive foreign envoys.

But the Tang Dynasty did have it!

For the Song Dynasty, which dreamed of restoring the Han and Tang dynasties, the Korean people's submissiveness and obedience were something that only existed in dreams.

Even Zhao Xu felt a little bit elated.

no way!
It is indeed a very pleasant thing to be flattered by others.

It is human nature to like being flattered, praised and worshipped.

As human beings, no one is immune to this.

Even in modern times, there are superpowers that have a large number of think tanks to assist them and claim to be able to make rational decisions.

Isn't it often the case that billions of dollars in aid are snatched away by a small country with just a few nice words?

The 10 billion yuan subsidy for Xun Duoduo is the best example!

When Tong Guan respectfully presented the brocade presented by the Koreans to Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu was shocked by the Korean people's servility.

Because, on the brocade, there is a poem of praise written in the form of official script, which is still disgusting. The title of the poem is: Ode to Heaven's Grace!
The preface says: In the second year of Yuanyou in the Great Song Dynasty, on the first day of the eleventh month of the year Dingmao, I, the King of Goryeo, in compliance with the order of the Queen Mother, respectfully submit that Your Majesty the Great Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, with his benevolence and virtue, has spread grace to Goryeo, allowing our country to survive, and has bestowed rain and dew on the East China Sea, allowing my country and family to be protected... I, your humble servant, am extremely honored and terrified. The virtue of the Great Emperor is unprecedented in ancient and modern times, and the grace of the Holy Son of Heaven is endless. So I respectfully write this poem to express my gratitude to Your Majesty the Great Emperor for his great grace!
After reading the preface, Zhao Xu narrowed his eyes and felt very relaxed.

All I can say is that the Koreans are indeed slaves of a vassal state who have been concubines for a thousand years!
Look at how humble he is!
It is no wonder that Koreans can still be ranked among the developed countries even in the highly competitive international environment of modern times.

Without him!

They are really willing to lose face, lower their posture, and flatter others in a manner almost like concubines or slaves!

For example, that Park Kaka.

In order to obtain assistance from the lighthouse, hundreds of thousands of people were sent directly to serve as servants and cannon fodder for the lighthouse.

Even Japan, which has been taught by the Five-Star Emperor, cannot do this.

Therefore, it is no wonder that when the Lighthouse was dealing with Japan, it deliberately left a lot of benefits for South Korea to pick up, allowing it to grow and rise rapidly. In just a few decades, it went from being the least developed country to a member of the East Asian monster room.

Is this just luck?
He really has the talent!

If it weren’t for its small territory, insufficient population and resources.

It really has a chance to counterattack Japan.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xu looked at the poem entitled "Ode to Heaven's Grace".

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xu's expression became interesting.

"The great Song Dynasty established a great cause, and the majestic imperial plan prospered..." Zhao Xu softly read the words on the brocade, and his expression suddenly became complicated: "What's wrong with this Goryeo king?

"Bullying me because I don't have enough education?"

"Do you still think that I am young and can be fooled?"

Zhao Xu knew that the first sentence at the beginning was the original text of "Ode to Great Peace" which Queen Jindeok of Silla presented to Emperor Gaozong of Tang in the first year of Yonghui in the Tang Dynasty.

Just changed one word - from Ju Tang to Ju Song.

Zhao Xu tried hard to control his temper and continued reading.

"Stop the war and the disaster, build peace and succeed the kings..."

The same is true for the following verses.

I just took Queen Jin De's Ode to Peace and slightly changed the text.

"Are you making fun of me?"

Zhao Xu thought about it, and then he shook his head.

This is impossible.

The Koreans don’t have such courage!
So, there must be another purpose.

At this time, Empress Dowager Xiang, who was behind Zhao Xu, saw that Zhao Xu was silent for a long time and asked in a low voice: "Sixth brother, what's wrong?"

Zhao Xu brought the brocade behind the curtain and said, "Have a look, mother!"

Empress Dowager Xiang took the brocade, looked at it carefully, and said happily, "Good!"

"Sixth brother, the King of Goryeo is a grateful man!"

"It's worth it that Sixth Brother has made so many plans and put so much effort into it!"

Zhao Xu said in a deep voice: "You don't know, mother, that the so-called 'Ode to Heaven' presented by Goryeo was plagiarized from the Ode to Peace presented by Queen Jindeok of Silla to Emperor Gaozong of Tang!"

"I know!" replied the Queen Mother.

She has not been idle since she took office.

He made up for a large amount of history and historical materials, and also consulted ministers and scholars.

Naturally, she had also read the Song of Peace written by Queen Jindeok of Silla to Emperor Gaozong of Tang.

Who said that Queen Zhende has a very high status in history?
Being a woman and becoming the king of a country is already legendary in itself.

However, she is also listed among the 14 stone statues of vassal monarchs in the Tang Zhaoling Mausoleum.

He was on par with the monarchs of powerful countries at that time, such as the Eastern and Western Turks, Tubo, and Gaochang.

It became a symbol of the unparalleled military achievements of Emperor Taizong of Tang.

Zhao Xu was stunned: "Does the Queen Mother know?"

"Why isn't the Queen Mother angry?"

"What's there to be angry about?" Empress Dowager Xiang laughed, "This small country of Goryeo is far away in the East China Sea. It lacks culture and education, so it's normal for it to be ignorant of literature and reason!"

Zhao Xu was silent.

Goryeo is ignorant of literature and science?
How can it be!

Like Japan, it sent a large number of civil servants and scholars to study in the Tang Dynasty during its heyday.

Today's Goryeo, from its system to its culture to its official system, is almost entirely copied from the Tang Dynasty.

To the extent that even the aristocratic families copied it and set up a two-shift system.

Seeing Zhao Xu's expression, Empress Dowager Xiang said softly, "Sixth brother, do you know that Yelang is arrogant?"

Zhao Xu suddenly understood.

Arrogant!

This seems like a joke, and is still used to laugh at ignorant people.

But in fact, whether it was the King of Yelang who asked the Han envoy "Who is greater, Han or Yelang" or the King of Dian who did the same thing.

They all knew a lot about the Han Dynasty at that time.

They did it on purpose.

He deliberately turned himself into a clown in order to gain the trust of the Han Dynasty.

This strategy was used not only by the Yelang and Dian kingdoms during the Han Dynasty.

Even in modern times, many small countries still use it.

And the effect is very good.

To the current Song Dynasty, it is a submissive clown vassal state.

It is indeed something that is urgently needed.

The reason is very simple - since its founding, the Song Dynasty has not been defeated in foreign affairs, but at least it has been failing continuously.

Let’s not talk about the Treaty of Chanyuan for now - at least it can be explained to the outside world and the inside as a replica of Emperor Gaozu of Han being besieged at Baideng and Emperor Taizong of Tang being bound by the Treaty of Weishui.

Even though more than eighty years have passed since the Treaty of Chanyuan.

In the Han Dynasty, it was already the time when Emperor Wu of Han whipped his whip to chase the enemy northwards, and Han envoys were committing crimes everywhere in the Western Regions.

As for the Tang Dynasty?

In the fourth year after the Weishui Alliance, the Tang army captured Jie Li Khan and brought him to Chang'an to dance for Tian Khan.

But at least there is a precedent, which can calm everyone - as long as we work hard and endure hardships, we will be able to expel the Khitan, recover the Western Regions, and rule the world again, just like the Han and Tang dynasties!
But after the Dangxiang rebelled against the Song Dynasty, they jumped up and punched the Song Dynasty three times. It is a bit unreasonable that the Song Dynasty has not been able to recover Lingxia until now.

Khotan and Gaochang, the two inherent vassal states since the Han and Tang Dynasties, were destroyed in the Western Regions, which is an even more sad thing and is embarrassing to mention.

They could only cooperate with the Black Khans and pretend that Khotan and Gaochang were still there (the reason why the Black Khans were willing to play along was because of trade).

However, what made the Song Dynasty most upset was the fact that Yongzhou was captured by the Jiaozhi people.

This is also the reason why Zhao Xu's father mobilized a large army and went on a long expedition - if this is not revenge, then the Song Dynasty might as well give up Chinese orthodoxy to the Khitans!

Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, has China ever been so humiliated?

But it was precisely because of this that, now, with Yuanyou's southern expedition, he was able to seize all the eight states of Jiaozhou and make Jiaozhi surrender.

Then, last year's war with Western Xia was another great victory.

The revival of the Song Dynasty seemed to be just around the corner.

At this time, a clown like Yelang appeared before the world.

what does this mean?
This is a gift from heaven!

God’s will for the revival of the Song Dynasty!

The reason is very simple - the Han Dynasty had the Siege of Baideng, the Tang Dynasty had the Weishui Alliance, and the Song Dynasty also had the Chanyuan Alliance.

But now, a wise ruler is in power and the country is on the verge of revival.

Fighting north and south, always victorious!
At this time, a clown vassal state emerged.

Doesn't this imply that the Song Dynasty will be as powerful as the Han Dynasty, shocking the world and swaying the four seas?

The logic of winning is closed again!

This is very important!
It is extremely critical both internally and externally.

Because Zhao Xu and his Song Dynasty both needed to prove themselves to the world.

And the best way to prove it is to look for the sword on the boat.

Because the Han and Tang dynasties did this, the Song Dynasty could do the same.

Although it is ridiculous, it is a necessity of real politics.

(End of this chapter)