I studied in modern times

Chapter 967: The Proud Liao People

In the second year of Yuanyou in the Song Dynasty and the third year of Da'an in the Liao Dynasty, on the twelfth month of winter, Bingwu (28).

Liao, Shangjing City.

The Liao ruler, Yelu Hongji, looked at the heavy wooden boxes that were being carried into the hall.

There are a total of two hundred!
Each wooden box is filled with heavy silver ingots.

Each silver ingot has been inspected and weighed by Liao officials.

They are all top-quality silver ingots, and each piece weighs the standard fifty taels.

These silver ingots are all annual tributes from the Kingdom of Goryeo.

A full one hundred thousand taels!
When all the silver ingots were carried into the hall, Yelu Hongji looked at Shao Taifu, the envoy from the Kingdom of Goryeo who was waiting in the hall.

"Shao Aiqing!"

"The foreign minister is here!" Shao Taifu immediately knelt down respectfully.

"I am very happy that Goryeo can provide the tribute silver in time!"

"I will issue an edict to the Grand Tutor, ordering him to stop fighting next year!"

Shao Taifu immediately bowed his head and thanked him: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

Yelu Hongji waved his hand and said, "Don't thank me yet!"

"From now on, Goryeo must deliver silver to Shangjing on time every year!"

"otherwise……"

Yelu Hongji laughed: "Even if I can forgive Goryeo, my generals may not be able to forgive Goryeo!"

The Liao generals in the hall burst into laughter.

A winner's laugh.

The war against Goryeo that began in the second year of Da'an was a long-awaited and satisfying victory for the Liao people!
Pyongyang was captured in one battle, and the army quickly swept across northern Goryeo.

They then besieged Kaesong, won victory after victory in field battles, and forced Goryeo to surrender and pay tribute.

It had been a long time since the Liao Dynasty had won such a resounding victory on the battlefield.

This battle allowed the Liao people to finally recall the glory of the Shengzong era.

Shao Taifu listened and naturally bowed his head again: "Yes!"

"The people of Goryeo will obey your majesty's orders! We will not dare to disobey!"

For the Koreans, this battle was humiliating, but also fortunate.

Because at least Goryeo was able to save its country and people with the help of international mediation.

At least, Kaesong City and the tombs of the Goryeo kings around it were preserved.

This is enough!

For Goryeo, the next thing to do is to endure humiliation, sleep on straw and taste gall, and wait for changes in the world.

Despite the strength of the Han Dynasty, it was forced to withdraw from Goryeo after hundreds of years of operation.

Despite the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, the Andong Protectorate had to move north to Liaodong.

They just didn't believe that the Liao people could remain strong and stay in Goryeo forever.

The Koreans believed that the Liao people would give up the northern regions sooner or later.

The reason is very simple.

Compared with rich China, Goryeo has been mountainous since ancient times, with poor soil and little output.

The costs and benefits of the Central Plains regime's rule on the Korean Peninsula were completely disproportionate.

As long as its national strength begins to decline, it must shrink.

The first thing to be abandoned was the peninsula, which was like a chicken rib.

This is what the Koreans did, and they finally accepted all the conditions of the Song-Liao mediation.

Historical experience tells them that they just need to hold on until the Liao Dynasty's national strength declines.

Then, all the land lost today can be returned to the Koreans without bloodshed in the future.

Seeing the respectful look of the Goryeo envoys, Yelu Hongji nodded, and couldn't help but recall the past when the Goryeo people had a very unpleasant quarrel with him over a small Baozhou market in the first year of Da'an.

At that time, all he wanted was to open a trading market in Baozhou.

Now, it’s more than just Baozhou?
The Liao Dynasty's market was opened directly under the city of Kaifeng.

So Yelu Hongji thought to himself: "The barbarians are indeed just as Emperor Taizong of Tang said!"

"They are all beasts! They fear power but not virtue!"

"Only the whip and the sword can make them understand the etiquette of the saints!"

"From now on, I will use the whip and sword more often to promote the rites and ethics of the saints!"

Well, since the founding of the Liao Dynasty, the Liao people have claimed to be the descendants of Emperor Gaozu of Han, and at the same time they regard themselves as the successors of the Tang Dynasty.

Naturally, the surrounding countries were regarded as barbarians.

Among them, the Koreans, because they were located in the east, were contemptuously called "Dong Yi" by the Liao people.

Now that the Liao people have won, they are naturally even more contemptuous of Goryeo.

Shao Taifu listened to the laughter of the Liao generals in the hall. Although he felt deeply humiliated, he could only force a smile and bow again. Then he looked up at Yelu Hongji and said carefully: "I am here to pay homage to Your Majesty and present this year's tribute. I also have one thing to ask for Your Majesty's grace..."

Yelu Hongji was in a very good mood. He waved his hand and said boldly, "Messenger, please speak!"

Shao Taifu bowed his head and said, "I heard that the Liao Dynasty gave Elan Dian to the Jurchens?"

Yelu Hongji narrowed his eyes and said, "Why? Gao Li has a problem with my beloved general Yong En?"

After Goryeo accepted all the conditions of the Song-Liao mediation, Yelu Hongji rewarded his meritorious officials and conferred titles on them.

Among them, the Donghai Jurchen tribes, who served the Liao Kingdom in its conquests of Goryeo and Japan and made countless contributions, received the most preferential treatment.

The leaders of the various Jurchen tribes in Donghai were appointed by Yelu Hongji as the commander-in-chief of the Jurchens in Donghai, the governor of Donghai, and the observer of Elandian.

He was given the surname Yelu and the name Yongen.

He also brought Yelu Yongen's two sons to Shangjing City to serve as Yelu Hongji's palace attendants and personal guards, which was a great favor!

As soon as Yelu Hongji finished speaking, the two Jurchen warriors standing in the hall stepped forward and stared at Shao Taifu fiercely.

The Donghai Jurchens were the poorest and most shabby among all the Jurchen tribes.

For a long time in the past, this Jurchen tribe had been living in the cold and desolate lower reaches of the Hunhe River, in the narrow coastal areas and islands near the East China Sea (mostly active in the area from Vladivostok to Miaojie and the Sakhalin Islands today), making a living by fishing and hunting, and leading an extremely hard life.

Only occasionally, the tribe could make life better by following other wealthier Jurchen tribes to Goryeo to beg for money, or taking a ship to Japan to try their luck.

However, since the Liao people conquered Goryeo, the Jurchen tribes in the Donghai region responded.

Their good days are coming!
First, the Liao ruler generously took the Elandian area, which was of great significance to all the Jurchens and was equivalent to their ancestral land, from the hands of the Koreans and gave it to the Donghai Jurchen tribes as their tribal pasture. This alone was enough to make the Donghai Jurchens, from top to bottom, grateful.

Therefore, this branch of the Jurchen tribe followed the Liao people and fought throughout the entire Goryeo War.

Among them, more than 2,000 people followed Xiao Budaya to Japan to make a fortune.

And Yelu Hongji has always been very generous.

He was especially generous to his vassals and servants who were willing to work hard for him.

In the past, when the Liao Kingdom was in financial distress, the Zubu people were able to take advantage of him and make a lot of money.

Now, the Liao Dynasty had abundant financial resources.

Yelu Hongji was even more generous!

Wealth and cloth were distributed continuously.

The rewards that the various Jurchen tribes in the Donghai received in the war far exceeded their prior expectations.

There must be a brave man under the heavy reward!

Even with a big reward, there will be loyalty!

At least for now, the various Jurchen tribes in Donghai are Yelu Hongji's most loyal thugs.

Whether fighting in Goryeo or fighting in Japan.

Their bravery is obvious to all.

As a result, this branch of the Jurchen tribe became the main force of the Liao Kingdom to control Goryeo and contain the Jurchen tribes.

Shao Taifu was glared at by these two ferocious Jurchen warriors and his legs immediately trembled.

But he still gritted his teeth and begged: "Your Majesty..."

"How dare I question your Majesty's holy heart..."

"I dare not even comment on your majesty's reward for meritorious officials...

Yelu Hongji asked: "What do you want?"

"The only thing I want is..." Shao Taifu bowed his head and kowtowed, "I only ask Your Majesty not to allow the Jurchens to move to the other four counties..."

For the Koreans, although it was humiliating for the Liao people to capture the northern counties and set up four counties under their jurisdiction, past historical experience told them that the poor output on the peninsula would sooner or later force the Liao people to abandon these places.

But straight women are different!

For those barbarians who make a living by fishing and hunting, eat raw meat and drink blood, and live in the deep mountains and forests covered with ice and snow.

The land of the peninsula, is it barren?
This is clearly a fertile and warm piece of soil.

It is the future of the tribe!

Therefore, the most frightening thing for the Goryeo people was that after the Liao people discovered that the cost of ruling the northern counties far outweighed the benefits, they simply made up their minds, just like the story of E Lan Dian - giving all the Goryeo homeland, including Pyongyang, to the Jurchens.

The Jurchen tribes, who lived in the Five Kingdoms region and even in the more wild and cold areas, were moved to Goryeo.

If this is the case, the Koreans may never be able to return to the north!

Yelu Hongji listened and laughed.

"Hahaha……"

He laughed so hard that he fell backwards.

Shao Taifu crawled tremblingly, waiting.

When Yelu Hongji finished laughing, he looked at Shao Taifu and said, "Four Han counties!"

"This is the land of my ancestors!"

“How can I give it to others?”

Shao Taifu heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this, and bowed quickly, "Your Majesty, there is no greater wisdom than your majesty!"

For the Koreans, all they had to do was ensure that the Jurchen tribes did not penetrate deep into the peninsula.

Then sooner or later they will have a chance to regain their lost territory!

However, Shao Taifu will not know until he leaves the palace.

The smile on Yelu Hongji's face suddenly disappeared.

He called the two sons that Yelu Yongen had sent to the capital to his presence, and then asked: "My two beloved ministers, if I were to choose the fertile land in the four counties and give it to the Jurchens who migrated eastward..."

"Will the people of the Five Kingdoms, Wandu, and even the Muruo tribes move east to Goryeo and be registered as citizens for me?"

The two young Jurchen warriors looked at each other, licked their lips, knelt down, and bowed: "If your majesty has the grace, I believe that the warriors of all tribes will rush to be your majesty's subjects!"

Yelu Hongji was immediately delighted: "Good!"

"After the New Year, I will send envoys to various tribes to preach my grace!"

The Khitans have always been troubled by the unruly Jurchens living in the deep mountains and forests.

And have been trying every possible way to lure them.

However, I still haven't gotten to the point and the effect is very weak.

It was not until the expedition to Goryeo that a gap was opened when Yelu Hongji gave Elandian to the Donghai Jurchens.

This made the entire Jurchen tribal alliance become the Liao people's thugs and lackeys.

Naturally, Yelu Hongji was eager to copy homework.

……

After the court session ended, Yelu Hongji came to Yelu Yanxi's study and focused on Yelu Yanxi's homework.

Naturally, teaching and scolding are inevitable.

In fact, however, Yelu Yanxi has made great progress in his studies these days.

But who could have asked the emperor's nephew from the Southern Dynasty to send his homework notes and several sets of test papers again?

And Yelu Yanxi couldn't answer any of these test papers!

This made Yelu Hongji very embarrassed.

The instinct of pushing a child to success began to take effect, and the requirements for Yelu Yanxi were naturally raised to a level that was not suitable for his age.

Poor Yelu Yanxi, he lived the life of a modern child a thousand years earlier.

This has to be said to be a tragedy.

Fortunately, Yelu Hongji was very busy, and he only supervised for less than half an hour before he was distracted by something.

After receiving orders from Yelu Hongji, Yelu Dilie in Goryeo sent back two officials who were familiar with the geography of Japan.

At the same time, they also brought back the Japanese geomancy that Xiao Budaye had drawn when he was ordered to go to Japan this year.

(End of this chapter)