I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 459: Permanent Embassy Plan! Our Song Dynasty must be far superior to other countries in every way
Half an hour later.

The Liao envoy Yelu Qi and his deputy Zhou Bai, accompanied by the Minister of the Honglu Temple Zuo Youding, went to Kaifeng Prefecture.

Wen Yanbo and Su Liang appeared in front of Duting Posthouse in order to put pressure on the Liao envoy to prevent him from not cooperating.

After completing the task, the two left immediately.

……

Kaifeng Prefecture, Hou Yanei.

Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai stood closely beside Zuo Youding.

The two had long heard of Bao Zheng's reputation and were somewhat afraid of him.

Bao Zheng waved his hand, and an official brought several documents to the two of them.

"You two, this is the testimony of Hongfu, the owner of Hongfu Tea House, and Lao Hai, the housekeeper. After the Imperial City Bureau found out the information they were hiding, they confessed everything. Both of them work for your country's court. On the surface, they are businessmen, but in fact they are spies. In the past three years, they have privately transmitted more than a hundred pieces of intelligence..."

When Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai looked through the document, they were so angry that their faces turned blue.

The people arrested by Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial City Bureau yesterday confessed in the evening. They not only admitted that they were secret agents of the Liao Kingdom, but also gave away the Liao Kingdom superiors who were in contact with them.

No backbone at all.

In addition, the evidence in the documents was very complete, and all the spies involved were arrested.

It's totally a one-pot deal.

At this moment, if they still don't admit that these people are spies from the Liao Kingdom, no one will believe it.

Yeluqi thought about it.

"Master Bao... these people may be the followers left behind by our eldest prince when he came to Song Dynasty, or they may be the subordinates of our King Yelu. Our Majesty may not know about this."

"I don't know these people, and I didn't know there were Liao people working as spies in Bianjing. Let me write a letter to ask your Majesty for confirmation. What do you think?"

Yelu Qi said this.

All of a sudden, these Liao spies seemed to be sent by Yelu Hongji or Yelu Chongyuan.

The actions of the state become individual actions.

If it is what the country does.

When this incident became public, it brought shame to the Liao Dynasty and ruined the careers of Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai.

But if it is done by an individual.

This matter could be pushed onto Yelu Hongji or Yelu Chongyuan, at least so that the Liao emperor Yelu Zongzhen would not lose face.

It's a compromise.

It is an open secret that both Song and Liao had spies in that country.

It’s not shameful if you haven’t been caught, and it’s not shameful if you are caught and don’t admit it. But it’s shameful to be caught red-handed and unable to refute it!

This is a manifestation of the country's incompetence.

Originally, as the Song Dynasty became stronger, the Liao Kingdom's status in the eyes of neighboring countries declined.

If this happened again, especially during the New Year's Day celebration, and was caught by the Song Dynasty and severely punished, it would be a great disgrace to the Liao Kingdom. Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai would certainly not have a good time after returning to Liao.

The ambitious Liao emperor, Yelu Zongzhen, would definitely kill a large number of scapegoats.

Bao Zheng did not respond to Yelu Qi's words, but asked: "Special Envoy Yelu, do you really not know these people?"

"I don't know him, and I have never heard that His Majesty the Great Liao has sent spies to Bianjing City!"

"Me too!" Zhou Bai, the deputy envoy of Liao, quickly added.

"I'm afraid the two special envoys are too confident. Let's go to the prison to identify them!" After Bao Zheng said this, he took the lead and walked towards the prison.

"Please come in, both of you!" Zuo Youding said with a smile.

Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai looked at each other and had to walk towards the prison.

……

After a while.

Inside the dark prison of Kaifeng Prefecture.

Yelu Qi saw Hongfu and Laohai in prison uniforms from afar, and shouted: "Who is this blind fellow who dares to pretend to be a spy sent by His Majesty? Are you looking for death?"

Yeluqi's voice was so loud that Hongfu and Laohai, who were not far away, could hear it clearly.

Then, before Hongfuhe and Lao Hai could speak.

Yelu Qi then turned to Bao Zheng and said, "Master Bao, are they those two people?"

Bao Zheng nodded.

"I don't know them at all!" Yeluqi said with his chest puffed out.

"I don't know them either!" Deputy Envoy Zhou Bai also said.

The hints these two people gave to Hongfu and Laohai were almost becoming explicit.

They delivered two messages.

First, you are spies sent by the Liao emperor pretending to be him; second, we don’t know each other.

Say it.

Yelu Qi also glared at the two of them very quickly, intending to get them to cooperate.

This trick.

In the eyes of Bao Zheng and Zuo Youding, it was just like children playing house and was not presentable at all.

Bao Zheng had already guessed that they would use this trick.

Bao Zheng looked at Hongfu.

Hong Fu was so frightened that he trembled and immediately said, "Envoy Yelu, Deputy Envoy Zhou, stop pretending. We have known each other for almost ten years. Envoy Yelu, you have an eagle tattooed on your chest. Deputy Envoy Zhou, you were bitten by a wolf and now you have a scar on your ankle!"

As soon as these words came out.

Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai wanted to kill Hongfu immediately. During the Liao Dynasty, the two of them had a bad relationship with Hongfu.

I didn't expect this day.

Not only was Hong Fu courting death himself, he was also dragging the two of them down with him.

For a moment, the atmosphere became weird.

Yelu Qi rolled his eyes and looked at Bao Zheng.

"Master Bao, he is talking nonsense. He is accusing us two of this. It is obviously... is... is..."

For a moment, Yelu Qi couldn't figure out why Hongfu didn't cooperate.

The latter would do nothing to benefit himself except to drag two others down with him.

At this time, Hongfu spoke again.

"Special Envoy Yelu, if you can't think of it, don't make it up. If I admit that it was King Yelu or the First Prince who was behind it, this matter will no longer be a matter of state, and I will become a scapegoat. Not only will my family be severely punished, but I will also die in disgrace!"

"If you admit that you were carrying out the imperial court's orders, the Song Dynasty will only hold the imperial court responsible. Now that you are here, we are in the same group. Hurry up and pay me back the money I owe you. We will take this matter on together and negotiate peace with the Song Dynasty. The worst result is that we will all perish together. Maybe we can even die for our country, and we will die gloriously!"

Under Su Liang's earnest teaching last night, Hong Fu's comprehension ability is still very strong.

If it was determined that King Yelu or the eldest prince was the mastermind behind this incident, the Liao court would save face, but the two of them would become scapegoats and lose their lives.

If they admit that they are carrying out the court's orders, there is still room for negotiation.

For the sake of their own careers, Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai would definitely be willing to discuss this matter with the Song Dynasty again and suppress it.

Suddenly, Yeluqi and Zhou Bai understood Hongfu's plan.

"Cui Fu (Liao's original name)... you... you... a scum. Which is more important, the reputation of the Liao Kingdom or the lives of you? The court has supported you for decades, can't you sacrifice yourself?"

"Why don't you sacrifice yourself?" Hong Fu shouted back at the straining throat.

this moment.

There was no point in Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai denying it anymore.

Yelu Qi looked at Bao Zheng and said, "Master Bao, I, the Liao Dynasty, admit defeat. Let's get straight to the point!"

"Your country also has spies in my Great Liao. If your country makes this matter known to everyone and severely punishes my Great Liao's spies, then it would be rude not to reciprocate. My Great Liao will definitely treat your spies in the same way!"

"To avoid a situation where both sides suffer losses, then do as I say." "We will pay off the debt they owe us. After paying it off, we will release them all, and then I will take them back to Liao. Don't worry, I won't take a single piece of paper with words on it with me. How do you think?"

Bao Zheng's face darkened as he asked, "Are you threatening me?"

"No...no, Master Bao, we are discussing it with you!" Zhou Bai said hurriedly.

At the moment, they have the upper hand in the hands of the Song Dynasty.

If the Song Dynasty chose a mutually destructive approach, the Liao Kingdom would lose face. Given Yelu Zongzhen's temper, he would definitely punish them severely, and the two of them would be to blame.

Their careers were over.

At this moment, the two of them regretted accepting such an unfortunate task from He Zhengdan.

But now I'm already involved and can't get out.

Yeluqi thought for a moment, looked at Bao Zheng, and said, "Master Bao, I wonder how much money can be used to make this matter less serious and save the face of our Liao Kingdom?"

"Does our Song Dynasty lack money? This matter should be handled in accordance with the laws of our Song Dynasty. I will report to the emperor tomorrow and announce it to the whole city!"

Bao Zheng flicked his long sleeves and strode away.

Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai looked pale.

Once the whole city is informed, the news that Liao's spies have been caught will spread, and then the Liao Kingdom will be disgraced.

The Liao emperor, Yelu Zongzhen, has always been very concerned about his reputation and will definitely punish the two severely.

Zuo Youding looked at the two of them and said, "You two, please go back to the embassy and rest!"

Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai glared at Hong Fu fiercely, then followed Zuo Youding out helplessly.

……

After a while, on the carriage.

Yelu Qi looked at Zuo Youding and said, "Minister Zuo, this matter cannot be made public! Our emperor is very proud. If the news that our spies have been caught in one fell swoop spreads, I am afraid that the relationship between Song and Liao will become even worse, and it may even lead to war!"

"What can we do to avoid such disasters? As long as we can protect the face of our Liao Kingdom, as long as we can do it, we will do our best!"

Zuo Youding smiled faintly.

"You two, do you want to protect the reputation of the Liao Kingdom, or do you want to protect your own careers? If it's the former, you should admit that you are the mastermind, go to Kaifeng Prefecture tomorrow and surrender, and sacrifice your lives for the country! I believe that Master Bao might believe you!"

Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai both smiled awkwardly.

In their eyes, of course, their career and life are the most important.

But the key point now is that if they fail to protect the face of the Liao Kingdom, their careers or even their lives will be ruined.

"Minister Zuo Si, we want the face of Liao, and we also... we also want a career!" Zhou Bai spoke out his true feelings.

"Hmph! Hypocrisy!"

Zuo Youding narrowed his eyes and stopped talking.

……

Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at Duting Posthouse.

Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai quickly invited Zuo Youding into the house.

They arrived in Bianjing City, where they were unfamiliar with the place and after this catastrophe, the only person who could speak for them was Zuo Youding, the Minister of the Honglu Temple.

"Zuo Siqing, if the fish is dead and the net is broken, it will be bad for both of us. Although the Song Dynasty is prosperous, we must always prevent the Tanguts from launching a sudden attack, so that the fishermen can benefit!"

"Minister Zuo Si, my Liao people have been training their cavalry hard and have many militant elements. If they advocate sending troops south because of this war, things will get out of hand!"

……

The two of them bombarded each other in turns, hoping that Zuo Youding could give them an idea.

About a quarter of an hour later, Zuo Youding finally spoke.

"I've thought about it, and I actually have an idea that's feasible."

Hear this.

The two were overjoyed and almost in tears with excitement.

One of them held the pot and the other held the teacup, and they hurriedly poured tea for Zuo Youding.

this moment.

Zuo Youding felt so happy.

Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, there has never been a case where the Liao Kingdom's special envoys celebrating the New Year served tea and water to Song officials.

He is the first one.

Zuo Youding took a sip of tea, moistened his throat, and slowly spoke.

"I came up with this idea not because I'm afraid of a war between our two countries. If a war really breaks out, our Great Song Dynasty is not afraid of your Liao Kingdom at all. It's because our two countries have been at peace for a long time. I don't like war and don't want casualties."

"Yes, yes, yes..." The two nodded like chicks chasing rice.

"My idea is this. Starting from the beginning of next year, the Song Dynasty will open permanent embassies in the Liao Kingdom, and the Liao Kingdom will open permanent embassies in the Song Dynasty. All the spies of each other will live in the permanent embassies. Envoys from various countries can do whatever they want in the permanent embassies, but once they leave the embassies, they must abide by the rules of each country."

"The purpose of opening a permanent embassy is to turn secret agents into permanent envoys, so that they can no longer pass on information secretly. Of course, we can also set up secret agents for each other, but at that time, the competition is about who can avoid being discovered and who can pass on the information better. In addition, in addition to the establishment of permanent embassies between Song and Liao, our Song Dynasty will also set up embassies with other countries. The purpose is to reduce the outflow of intelligence. You should understand the purpose of my idea."

"I understand, I understand." Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai nodded.

At present, spies from various countries are cautious about entering each other's territory, and everyone is turning a blind eye and tolerating each other.

But if a permanent embassy is opened, and secret agents are used to gather intelligence, it will be a test of the capabilities of each country.

Being a spy is a waste of time, money and manpower.

At present, no country can compare with the Song Dynasty.

The purpose of this move is: originally, the gap in the ability of countries to collect intelligence information is very small, but with the emergence of permanent embassies, it will become a costly and man-made intelligence war.

In this regard, the Song Dynasty has an absolute advantage.

"After the permanent embassy is established, we can be more ruthless in dealing with secret agents. By then, who can get intelligence from the other side will depend on their ability. In addition, in wartime, permanent embassies cannot be killed. They can be expelled back to their country."

"It is not the will of the Song Dynasty to bring shame to your country and to make you lose your positions or even your lives. We like to do things that are beneficial to us."

"If you two think this matter is negotiable, you can report it to the Emperor of Liao. I will also report it to the Secretariat tomorrow. If it works, the crime committed by those people in the prison is only the crime of borrowing money and not paying it back. When they pay back the money, they can directly enter the embassy. However, they know some secrets of our Song Dynasty, so they can never return to Liao in this life. In addition, the expenses of the embassy of each country will be paid by each country..."

Yelu Qi thought about it carefully and felt that it was reliable.

Although the Song Dynasty had the advantage in terms of intelligence gathering, this operation allowed the Liao Kingdom to save face, and he could also take credit for the achievement when he went to report.

As for the matter of intelligence, the Liao Kingdom was not as good as the Song Dynasty, and he felt that the face-conscious Yelu Zongzhen would agree to this matter.

Yelu Qi and Zhou Bai looked at each other and nodded.

"Minister Zuo Si, this is a good plan. Please report it to me tomorrow. Once your officials agree, I... I will immediately send a message to His Majesty. According to my understanding of His Majesty, as long as you agree, this matter will surely succeed!" Yelu Qi said excitedly.

After a while.

Zuo Youding was escorted out of Duting Posthouse by the two men with great respect.

Zuo Youding returned to the carriage, took a long breath, and murmured: "Su Jingming is truly a saintly talent!"

This permanent embassy plan was set up by Su Liang.

Afterwards, under the arrangement of Zhao Zhen and the ministers of the Secretariat, Kaifeng Prefecture, Honglu Temple, and Imperial City Administration worked together to handle the matter.

The purpose is to make it difficult for the surrounding countries to monitor the Song Dynasty, while the Song Dynasty can monitor the surrounding countries.

To obtain intelligence, you need talent and spend a lot of money.

In these two aspects, the Song Dynasty was superior to its neighboring countries.

Once the Liao Kingdom agreed to this, once other countries found out that their spy businesses had been destroyed, they would certainly understand the horror of the Song Dynasty and would agree to the Song Dynasty's permanent embassy plan.

By then, the Song Dynasty's intelligence will have an absolute advantage.

Of course, this also tests the ability of the Song Dynasty's imperial guards to collect intelligence and hide themselves.

This is what Su Liang told Xiong Chong, who was in charge of the Imperial City Affairs: This plan is intended to test the capabilities of the Song Dynasty's intelligence spies and to make the spies of other countries become caged birds.

If the Song Dynasty's secret agents do not perform well, they will need to intensify their training.

Once a war breaks out, what will be tested will be the comprehensive capabilities of a country. Su Liang intends to make every capability of the Song Dynasty far stronger than that of other countries.

(End of this chapter)