I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 486 Everyone wants Su Liang to be a hero, but his family wants him to be safe
July 22nd, afternoon.

The weather was hot and dry without a trace of wind where Su Liang and more than 200 people camped.

The soldiers of the Longyu Army had nothing to do.

After getting Su Liang's consent, they jumped into the stream ahead in batches to cool down and escape the heat.

When people are swimming in the stream, gazing at the magnificent scenery in the distance, they feel extremely relaxed and comfortable.

One after another, the war horses also went into the water.

Eating lush aquatic plants, drinking cool stream water, and enjoying what may be the most leisurely time in your life.

at this time.

Su Liang received news: Zuo Siluo had gone to Qinghai to practice meditation, leaving his three sons to guard Qingtang City.

"This old fox obviously doesn't want to get involved in the Hehuang incident. He's afraid that I'll look for him, so he hid in Qinghai. He's using his three sons as a shield!"

Su Liang immediately guessed Zuo Siluo's intention.

He thought about it and looked at the one-armed Old Joe standing beside him.

"Master Qiao, please go to Qingtang City on my behalf and tell the three sons of Zuosiluo that I want to unite with the Zuosiluo tribe to destroy Xia. See how they react."

"I guess they must have said the same thing, saying they would report to Zuo Si Luo, and then delay time and wait for the response from Xixia and Liao."

"You don't need to argue too much with them. Meet with Zuosiluo's eldest son Xiazhen in private and tell him that if he dares to start an uprising to help Song Dynasty destroy Xia, I will definitely help him become the new leader of the Zuosiluo tribe. In the future, the Zuosiluo tribe will submit to Song Dynasty and be able to govern itself. We will also help them in trade..."

"Understood. I'll pack up and leave tomorrow morning." One-armed Old Joe nodded.

Su Liang looked at Liu Sandao again.

"Sandao, send a few people to bypass Qingtang City and go to Qinghai to find Zuosiluo and bring him to me. Isn't he trying to hide? I must have a chat with him and let him know that the Zuosiluo tribe will either submit to the Song Dynasty or rebel against it. It is impossible for them to sit on the fence and do whatever they want."

"Okay, I'll let my brothers set off tonight!" Liu Sandao bowed.

Su Liang had already studied the temperaments of Zuosiluo and his three sons.

Xia Jian is pro-Song, Mo Jianjiao is a fence-sitter, and Dong Jian hates Song.

Zuo Silu is old.

It's time to bring in a new leader.

end of last year.

Su Liang discussed with Zhao Zhen and other ministers how to deal with the Zuosiluo tribe (Qingtang Tubo).

When the Song Dynasty was expanding its border in Hehuang, Zuo Silu was very enthusiastic about helping the Song Dynasty and was willing to join forces with the Song Dynasty to destroy Xia.

Then the Song Dynasty would become friends with them and help Qingtang Tubo's trade to a higher level.

If Zuo Silu is unwilling to help the Song Dynasty, then the Song Dynasty can only take tough measures and incorporate Qingtang Tubo into the territory of the Song Dynasty. At most, they can be allowed to govern themselves, but they must completely submit to the Song Dynasty.

At present, Zuo Siluo's choice has made him miss the opportunity to become a friend of the Song Dynasty.

They had no choice but to surrender or be beaten.

However, Su Liang was also certain of one thing: Zuo Siluo would not help Xixia to deal with the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty expanded its borders this time.

The purpose was to destroy Xia, not to unify the Tibetan tribes.

The Tibetan tribes were sparsely populated and full of chaos. It would be very costly for the Song Dynasty to unify Tibet, which was not cost-effective.

And just as Su Liang insisted.

The Song Dynasty expanded its borders with the intention of providing assistance rather than invading. As long as the Silk Road could be reopened, Su Liang would be satisfied.

He is not a saint, but he is satisfied as long as the people of Song Dynasty can live a good life.

As for the people of other countries, their life and death are decided by God.

That night.

Eight Longyu Army soldiers ran towards Qinghai in the night.

Qinghai is very large, but its defense is far inferior to Qingtang City. As long as the soldiers can find Zuo Silu, they can bring him back.

Early the next morning.

One-armed Old Joe, along with two veterans and four soldiers from the Dragon Feather Army, headed towards the Zuosilo tribe.

The Zuosiluo tribe covers an area of ​​nearly a thousand miles.

Their area is a hundred miles ahead. The one-armed Old Qiao only needs to contact the person in charge of the border of the Zuosiluo tribe, and the latter will naturally lead them to Qingtang City.

These two moves, one bright and one dark.

If this is accomplished, the Zuosiluo tribe can be subdued without a fight.

……

At this time, Su Liang heard another piece of news.

Weiming Xude and Weiming Aji led 20,000 Western Xia soldiers out of Zhuolao City and were deploying defenses towards the Yellow River area 80 miles ahead.

It is clear.

The Yellow River is a natural barrier, and they wanted to hold this position to stop Di Qing's army from moving north and completely occupying Hehuang.

Also.

It was also delaying time, waiting for reinforcements to enter Zhuolao City, and waiting for the actions of the Zuosilo tribe and the Liao Kingdom.

Regardless of whether the Song Dynasty would immediately launch a full-scale attack on Xia, the battle with Wei Mingxude was inevitable.

As for whether the Liao Kingdom will take any action.

Su Liang and the other gentlemen had already discussed a countermeasure.

……

Inside a tent on the Hebei border.

Han Qi, the pacification commissioner of the western route of Hebei and the governor of Dingzhou, stroked his beard and said, "Mr. Pang, I feel that the noise we are making in training our troops is not loud enough."

"Isn't it big enough? We've been training every five days. I heard that the Liao soldiers on the opposite side hug their weapons when they sleep, fearing that we will suddenly attack them!"

Pang Ji, the Deputy Privy Councilor who was in charge of the Hebei Imperial Guards and the Governor of Daming Prefecture, stroked his beard and said with a smile.

Han Qi said, "The Emperor and Prime Minister Di Shu have ordered us to try not to go to war with the Liao Kingdom during the Hehuang border expansion period. The Khitans have always bullied the weak and feared the strong. I suggest that we set off another 300 wind and fire bombs for the Khitans to hear!"

"We only have a total of one thousand wind and fire bombs. Isn't it a bit extravagant to set off three hundred just to hear the sound?"

"No extravagance! As long as we can shock the Liao army, we will have accomplished a great feat. Once we release three hundred wind and fire bombs, I am sure they will not dare to help Xixia."

Pang Ji thought for a moment and said, "Okay, let them hear the noise and then release them tomorrow!"

The next day, early in the morning.

Only separated from the Liao army camp by a river, the Song Dynasty's Hebei Imperial Guards once again began large-scale military training.

The Liao army soldiers patrolling on the opposite side suddenly became nervous.

once Upon a time.

Whenever they stamped their feet at the border, the Song people would be extremely frightened.

Not only did they dare not show their faces at the border, they sometimes even paid annual tribute in advance.

Now, the situation has changed and the Song Dynasty has become more powerful.

However, they were facing serious internal troubles, and their superiors had repeatedly instructed that no one was allowed to conflict with the Song Dynasty without the order of the Liao Emperor, Yelü Zongzhen.

At that moment, the Liao soldiers were actually not too afraid of the Song Dynasty's Hebei Imperial Guards.

The main reasons why they did not dare to fight were, first, internal strife, and second, insufficient military supplies.

At this moment, the Liao intelligence soldiers who were responsible for observing the situation on the other side suddenly heard a loud voice.

"Firearms drill, officially begins!"

"ignition!"

About ten breaths later.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

……

The sound of firearms was like thunder from the sky.

The Liao intelligence soldiers on the other side were less than 300 meters away from the explosion site. They saw the dust rolling in front of them, and even some broken trees. They were all dumbfounded.

"This... this... is the firearm of the Southern Dynasty. The power... the power is too great. Not only people are afraid, but horses are also afraid. This... this is not something that can be resisted by extraordinary strength."

"Too...too scary. If this thing is thrown next to us, we will be seriously injured if not killed!"

"This...this...isn't this thing specifically designed to counter cavalry? How...how can we defeat it?"

……

A Liao soldier leader who was in charge of intelligence muttered, "We must report to the higher authorities immediately. The Southern Dynasty is conducting firearms training on the border. The sound is like thunder. One strike can seriously injure more than ten people and can easily cause war horses to flee in panic..."

……

Three days later, the Liao Palace.

The Liao Emperor Yelü Zongzhen, the Liao King and Crown Uncle Yelü Chongyuan, and the Liao Crown Prince and Grand Marshal of the Army Yelü Hongji gathered together.

"Father, the firearms of Song Dynasty should not be underestimated. They dare to practice with firearms on the border, which is clearly an attempt to provoke a war. They know that we are weak at the moment, so they want to force us to fight. Should we fight or not?" Yelu Hongji looked at Yelu Zongzhen.

Yelu Chongyuan interrupted, "Of course we have to fight. If we don't, we will be in a more passive position after Song conquers Xixia. The Xixia envoy has been waiting for nearly five days, and we have also been considering it for five days. Let's fight! If we don't fight, the Southern Dynasty will think that our army is really no longer capable!"

Yelu Hongji shook his head.

"If we fight, the Southern Dynasty will certainly regard us as their number one enemy, and may even abandon Hehuang and attack us. By then, we will be in trouble both internally and externally. Even if we can resist the attack from the Southern Dynasty, I'm afraid we will end up with a serious loss to our national system."

"Internal troubles? Isn't it because you can't deal with those Jurchens? If we can solve them, we can fight a war with the Song Dynasty. If we win, we can ask for annual tribute from the Song Dynasty, and even occupy the rich land of Daming Prefecture in Hebei. In this way, the problem of shortage of money in the national treasury can be solved!" Yelu Chongyuan glared at Yelu Hongji and said.

"Are you dreaming in broad daylight? If you can take over the Daming Prefecture of the Southern Dynasty, I will resign from the position of Crown Prince!"

"It's not impossible. As long as we gather all the soldiers together, we can have a decisive battle with the Southern Dynasty!"

……

Yelu Chongyuan and Yelu Hongji started arguing again.

"Enough!" Yelu Zongzhen roared, waited for the two to calm down, and then looked at Yelu Chongyuan.

"What if I lose? I absolutely cannot become a king who loses his country!"

When Yelu Zongzhen said this, his meaning was very clear.

At the moment, he was still unwilling to go to war with the Song Dynasty, as the money in the Liao Dynasty's treasury could not support a war with the Song Dynasty.

"Brother, if we don't fight, we will become more and more passive!"

Yelu Zongzhen frowned.

He knew that he would be put in a passive position, but the trouble from the Jurchens in the north was always there, and he did not want any more foreign troubles.

At this time.

Yelu Hongji looked at Yelu Zongzhen and bowed slightly.

"Father, it is wrong to fight at this time. I think we can make a worst-case scenario plan. If the Song Dynasty destroys Xixia and turns its attention to Yanyun, I suggest that we abandon Yanyun and protect our old land."

"This way, we will have some time to buffer. The Southern Dynasty first attacked Xixia and then occupied Yanyun, which must have seriously damaged its vitality. After we have cleared up the internal troubles, we can turn around and take Yanyun back. Success or failure at the moment will not matter whether we are heroes or not. The Song army dared to provoke us like this on the border because they are expecting us to fight because of our internal strife. We must not fall into their trap."

"The country's major events should not be rushed, so as to maintain long-term stability. We should consider the future instead of blindly responding to the war and completely complying with the Southern Dynasty's intentions!"

Yelu Zongzhen thought about it and nodded slightly.

"Tell the Xixia envoy that we will take action depending on the situation, but now is not a good time, let him go back!"

When Yelu Chongyuan heard this, he flicked his sleeves and left.

Now, Yelu Zongzhen listens more and more to Yelu Hongji, and the possibility of him inheriting the throne is getting smaller and smaller.

……

The first day of August.

Di Qing led his army to the central part of the Hehuang area and had just taken control of the Rogler tribe.

During this period, no soldier was killed.

If it weren't for the need to resettle some nomadic people, Di Qing would have acted even faster.

Another half month.

He would be able to meet up with Su Liang and then cross the Yellow River.

……

into the night.

In the city of Bianjing, colorful buildings were shining and pedestrians were shoulder to shoulder.

As lively as usual.

In a teahouse on Nanmen Street.

An old storyteller was standing in front of the table, telling the story of "Su Liang persuading Hehuang to surrender, and Di Qing leading the army to expand the border" in an impassioned manner.

The spectators on the opposite side lined up from inside the house to outside.

"Everyone, let me tell you that our Su Zhongcheng dared to go deep into Hehuang with 200 people. He is truly a hero of the time!"

"In the depths of the Hehuang River, the Qiang people are barbaric. Killing and robbing is commonplace. There are no laws, no morals, and no one to supervise them. Why does our Su Zhongcheng not fear danger and go deep into them?"

"Some people say that it is because of the current strength of our Song Dynasty. Some people say that it is because of the reputation of 'Beheading Censor' that Su Zhongcheng established in the northwest. Some people even say that it is because of Su Zhongcheng's eloquent and persuasive tongue..."

"There are these reasons, but they are not the main reasons. Do you know what the main reason is?"

The old man paused suddenly when he got to the crucial point.

This caused the packed audience to crane their heads to look at him.

The old man took a sip of tea first, then gently waved the paper fan in his hand and said slowly: "It depends on his respect for the lives of the people of my Song Dynasty!"

"He doesn't need to take any risks at all. With the current military strength of the Song Dynasty, it won't be too difficult to expand the border by force and occupy Hehuang!"

"But why would Su Zhongcheng risk his life? Is it necessary? Many people would certainly think it's not necessary, because Su Zhongcheng is too important to our Song Dynasty, but in Su Zhongcheng's eyes, he has to do this."

"Because if he can persuade the tribes in Hehuang to surrender, tens of thousands of people in Hehuang will be spared from war, and the land of Hehuang will not be destroyed. In his eyes, the people of Hehuang are already the people of our Song Dynasty. Expanding the border of Hehuang is not to invade and destroy, but to help the people and let them live a good life."

"In his heart, the people are more important than anything else, and he believes that it is worth sacrificing his life for. This kind of sentiment is unprecedented except in our dynasty, and the emperor and the ministers are also very supportive. With such an emperor and scholar-officials, why should we worry about not ushering in an unprecedented prosperous era?"

……

"Cough cough..."

On a desk, Cao Yi, the uncle of the Cao State, smiled awkwardly.

This script was written by him, praising the officials, the imperial court, and Su Liang who sacrificed his life for the people.

Sitting next to them were Zhao Zhen and Queen Cao, who were dressed in plain clothes.

The two of them listened with great interest.

In addition, sitting next to them were the eldest prince Zhao Xun, the second prince Zhao Han, as well as Tang Wanmei, Su Zimu and Su Qinyi.

The eldest prince, the second prince and Su Zimu were all very excited when they heard this.

Su Zimu was even more proud, and his expression said, "See? This is my dad!"

Tang Wanmei's expression was rather complicated.

She only found out two days ago that Su Liang had led 200 men deep into Hehuang. The government specially sent people to keep it a secret from her and Tang Ze until Su Liang succeeded in persuading them to surrender, and then told her.

If she knew in advance, she would probably worry about Su Liang every day.

More than 200 people went deep into Hehuang and dealt with the barbaric barbarian tribes.

The danger involved.

It is certainly more difficult than what the storyteller said, and one could lose his life if he is not careful.

at this time.

Su Qinyi suddenly burst into tears.

"Is Daddy in danger? I...I want to see Daddy! I...I want to see Daddy!"

Hear this cry.

Tang Wanmei immediately picked up Su Qinyi and whispered, "Master, we...we will go back first!"

Zhao Zhen knew that Tang Wanmei was afraid, so he quickly said to Cao Yi, "Send them home safely."

Immediately.

Cao Yi stood up and led Tang Wanmei, Su Zimu and Su Qin away.

Empress Cao sighed and murmured, "Everyone hopes that Su Zhongcheng will become a hero of the Song Dynasty, but his family hopes that he will be safe."

Zhao Zhen nodded in approval and thought: When Su Qing returns, I will reward him generously. He has done so much for the Song Dynasty!
(End of this chapter)