Song Gexing

Chapter 293 Yelu Hongben’s gift

Ninth day, big birthday.Although Zhao Fang did not make any grand arrangements, the ministers still came to the palace to celebrate his birthday, and the vassal states had already sent people to Beijing to celebrate his birthday on this day.

Zhao Fang was grinning from ear to ear, pretending to be polite to everyone amidst the beautiful congratulations.

"Yelü Hongben, who stayed in Nanjing during the Liao Dynasty, presented a gift to celebrate his birthday!"

Following the singing of the salute, Zhao Fang quickly became solemn and looked at the crown prince of the Liao Kingdom, who was entering the hall and was one of the happiest candidates in the royal family that had lasted for 5000 years.

Yelu Hong was originally Yelu Hongji's younger brother. He was crowned king at the age of eight. He had been an official in the best position in Liao Kingdom.

And historically, he stayed in Xijin Mansion for 41 years, until his death. You must know that Nanjing is the most important area of ​​the Liao Kingdom and the gathering place of the Liao Kingdom's wealth.

Moreover, the northern and southern courtyards of the Liao Kingdom, and the southern courtyard refers to this place, few of them stayed in Nanjing for more than five years, because this place is too important, and it is easy to become too big to lose.

But Yelu Hongben is obviously an exception. The reason why he is said to be the happiest royal family in the past is precisely because he is a high-ranking member of the royal family and is not afraid of the emperor.

Not only was he not afraid, but he had great trust in him. After Yelu Hongji's death, his grandson succeeded him to the throne, and he also named his great uncle the emperor's uncle.

This is not to lower his seniority, but Emperor Taishu is a unique title in the Liao Kingdom, indicating that he is second only to the emperor.

Yelu Hong was four years old, and Zhao Fang was a four-year-old boy. He walked into the hall with a gentle and elegant look. He saluted immediately without raising his head and said: "The envoys of the Northern Dynasty wish the officials of the Southern Dynasty Nanshan a long life. May the sun and the moon rise, the pines and cypresses flourish, and they will never grow old." , Longevity without borders!"

Zhao Fang frowned upon hearing this, and then said, "Thank you! Give me a seat!"

Only then did Yelu Hongben raise his head, bow his hands in thanks and sit down. Someone else took the gift list without mentioning it.

Zhao Fang looked at him and said: "Why did the King of Song and Wei mention the Southern and Northern Dynasties again? This is inappropriate. Uncle Xingzong, your father-in-law, once proposed it, but my father has clearly rejected it. It is not because we, the Song Dynasty, do not want to stand side by side with the Liao Kingdom, but The term "Southern and Northern Dynasties" makes people uncomfortable. You are also a scholar and you should know what the Southern and Northern Dynasties mean to people all over the world."

Yelu Hongben quickly apologized. He did mean it, but when he saw Zhao Fang's displeasure, he didn't dare to persist anymore.

This matter was brought up during the reign of Emperor Xingzong of the Liao Dynasty. He submitted a letter of credence to the Song Dynasty to discuss calling the Liao Kingdom and the Song Dynasty this way. What Xingzong Liao meant was that both the Song and Liao Dynasties would inherit the Tang Dynasty, and the north and south could be called the Southern and Northern Dynasties if they stood side by side.

But people in the Song Dynasty didn't think so. The high-sounding reason was that the title Southern and Northern Dynasties reminded people of the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, which was a disaster era for people all over the world.

In fact, Liang Shi, the Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty at that time, despised the Liao Kingdom and said, "It is better for the Yi and Di to have a king than for the Chinese to have none." Obviously, he despised the Liao for being uneducated and a barbarian.

Zhao Fang did not mean to despise the Liao Kingdom, but in his philosophy, sooner or later the world would be unified. If he recognized the Southern and Northern Dynasties, he would legally invade the Liao Kingdom.

This is the opposite of unifying the world. You must know that the conquest must be justified to win over the people. Every time the Song Dynasty went to war in these years, there were high-sounding excuses.

For example, the destruction of Goryeo was originally untenable in terms of legal principles, but Goryeo invaded Tamna first, which gave Da Song a reason to stand.

There is even more reason to destroy Xixia, because Xixia is a rebellious minister, and Li Yuanhao founded the country as a result of rebellion. There is no reason for the Song Dynasty to invade it.

Even in the battle of Jiaozhou, the Song Dynasty was indeed the first to take action, but it was because Yuequ State had repeatedly provoked the border first, and the Song Dynasty still stood firm.

As a vassal state, provoking the suzerain state is a way to die. It is not unfair to say that you are disobedient.

The only time that was considered an invasion was the Japanese state, but Zhao Fang didn't feel that he was wrong at all. A shameless nation like the Japanese should not exist in the first place.Besides, there are reasons to insist on it. Who asked you to massacre the Ainu people? You must know that the Ainu people are also vassals of the Song Dynasty. They often pay tribute and submit to the Song Dynasty.

Although the tributes are of little value, it is a matter of attitude. People are already poor, and what they can give is the best. How can they be judged by value.

Zhao Fang was enjoying himself when suddenly a young eunuch hurriedly came to Gao Jujian's side, murmured in a low voice and then left.

After Gao Jujian glanced at Yelu Hongben, he approached Zhao Fang and whispered: "There is a jade seal passed down from the Liao Kingdom among the gifts. I don't know whether it is true or false."

Zhao Fang was startled and narrowed his eyes to look at Yelu Hongben.

Yeluhong seemed to have understood something. He bowed solemnly and said: "The foreign minister accidentally obtained it in Nanjing and did not know whether it was true or false, so he presented it to the officials of the Song Dynasty to distinguish the authenticity. After all, when it comes to the appraisal of antiquities, the Song Dynasty is the place where many talents are born. I, Daliao, still lack some background."

Zhao Fang asked very puzzledly: "Did this seal belong to the king of Song and Wei? Is it privately used as a birthday gift or is it a birthday gift sent by Emperor Yelu?"

Yelu Hongben said to him, "My brother doesn't know this. It was a foreign minister who sent it to me alone."

Zhao Fang narrowed his eyes: "Brother, aren't you afraid that your brother will know that he is guilty of you?"

Yelu Hongben asked back: "Will the official family tell my brother?"

Now Zhao Fang looked at him with deep meaning in his eyes, nodded and said with a smile: "I'm serious about it. No matter it's true or not, I'll remember your goodness for my brother."

"Thank you, the official!"

The two men were quarreling with each other, leaving the ministers confused. Zhao Fang did not explain, but glanced at Han Qi and signaled him to wait a moment.

After all the people celebrating the birthday had gone through the ceremony, Zhao Fang took Han Qi and several other ministers to the Chongzheng Hall.

"Please take a look, gentlemen. This thing has disappeared since the Later Tang Dynasty. If it is true, then we owe Yelu Hongben a great favor."

Seeing Gao Jujian take out a brocade box for Zhao Fang, several ministers became curious after hearing this. Han Qi asked before looking at it: "What is this, worthy of the official's favor?"

Zhao Fang said word by word: "Chuan, country, jade, seal!"

There was a "boom" like thunder from the sky, and the five cabinet ministers Han Qi, Wang Anshi, Wang Gongchen, Zhang Dun, and Ouyang Xiu almost jumped up.

The Chuanguo Yuxi disappeared during the Five Dynasties, and the one obtained by Song Zhezong has been questioned by later generations as fake. In the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the one obtained by Song Zhezong was actually fake.

The truly recognized jade seal could no longer be found when the Later Tang Dynasty destroyed the country. In the fourth year of Tang Tianyou, Zhu Quanzhong deposed Emperor Ai of the Tang Dynasty, took the jade seal passed down from the country and proclaimed himself emperor and established the Later Liang Dynasty.

Sixteen years later, Li Cunxu destroyed the Later Liang Dynasty and obtained the Imperial Seal to establish the Later Tang Dynasty. When the Later Jin Dynasty destroyed the Later Tang Dynasty, the last emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty, Li Congke, burned himself in Xuanwu Tower together with the Empress Dowager Cao. From then on, there was no news about the Imperial Seal.

From the late Jin Dynasty until Zhezong of Song Dynasty, they all carved jade seals by themselves. Until Zhezong of Song Dynasty, some farmers dug out jade seals from the land and they were identified as genuine.

But this was too much of a joke, and later generations had reason to question that this was the work of Zhang Dun and Cai Jing, who were fabricating the story to enhance Zhezong's prestige.

(End of this chapter)