Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 546: Compromise (Special thanks to the monthly ticket from book friend Tianxia Wuju!)

Chai Zongxun took a few sips of the tea on the imperial table and continued:

“The Eastern Roman Empire is in trouble right now, so my Great Zhou must help it. But if we mobilize a large army to attack and destroy Bulgaria and the Green Caliphate, the war will be protracted, costing our national strength, and will be detrimental to my Great Zhou’s efforts to consolidate its rule over the newly acquired lands.

It would take at least eight or ten years, until the rule of the newly acquired lands was stable and the people's livelihood was more than adequate, and only then would we consider conquering the two countries.

I think it would be better to adopt a compromise:
First, I will send an envoy to Bulgaria and order them to withdraw their troops from the Eastern Roman Empire. If they refuse, I will send two more legions to attack them and force them to surrender!"

After discussing for a while, all the ministers felt that the emperor's decision was appropriate.

Today, the territory of the Great Zhou is expanding too fast. In the past five years, it has successively conquered the Mayan continent, the Angkor Dynasty, and Kievan Rus. It urgently needs time to digest the expansion. If it goes to war with Bulgaria and the Green Caliphate, the people of the Great Zhou may be exhausted by the continuous wars.

If Bulgaria can be coerced into not attacking the Eastern Roman Empire by diplomacy without sacrificing a single soldier, that would be the best. Otherwise, sending two Dragon Army Corps to quickly defeat Bulgaria would consume much less national strength.

After helping the Eastern Roman Empire resolve Bulgaria on the eastern front, the Eastern Roman Empire should be able to handle the internal rebellion of military nobles and the harassment of the Green Caliphs on the western front.

Kou Zhun said:
"Your Majesty is wise! Now is not the time for our Great Zhou to expand abroad. Consolidating the rule of the newly acquired land is the top priority.

If we were to invade Bulgaria and the Green Caliphate and cause rebellions in Xinna, the cost would outweigh the gain.

Your Majesty's holy decision can save the Eastern Roman Empire from danger without wasting too much of our Great Zhou's national strength."

The emperor and his ministers immediately discussed the candidates for the envoy to Bulgaria, and Xue Ying, the Minister of Rites, was recommended by many ministers.

Xue Ying, courtesy name Jingyang, was born in the first year of Guangshun (951) and was a native of Huayang in Shu.

The eighth-generation grandson of Xue Yuanchao, the Secretary of State of the Tang Dynasty, he later settled in Shu. His father, Yunzhong, served Meng Shu as a secretary.

In the 27th year of Kaixi (986), he became a Jinshi in the liberal arts exam and was appointed as a judge in Dali. He served as the magistrate of Mian, Song, and Shengzhou, and was later promoted to the position of Taichang Cheng.

Ying was studious and well-written. He read extensively and had a strong memory. He was good at writing. He could write memorials and letters at once. He was strict in his administration and officials could not deceive him. He would put on his hat and robe every five drums and decide cases at dawn, regardless of the weather. He did not change his manner.

He was changed to be the transport commissioner of Jingdong, moved to Hedong, and also followed the army in Hexi. He was a man of both civil and military talents, courageous and knowledgeable.

In the 43rd year of Kaixi (1002), he was promoted to the Minister of Rites due to his excellent performance in the examination.

Chai Zongxun also had an impression of Xue Ying, and immediately said:

"Lord Xue is a man of great courage and insight, and can take on this task.

To ensure your safety, I have ordered Hu Lian, the Dragon Guard pacification envoy stationed in Central Asia, to escort you to Bulgaria."

Xue Ying came out of the class and bowed, saying with emotion:

"I will obey your Majesty's command! This time I am on a diplomatic mission to Bulgaria, I will spread the power of the Celestial Empire to foreign lands, and make their rulers and ministers tremble in fear of your Majesty's majesty!"

At the hour of You on that day, Chai Zongxun had dinner with Empress Dowager Fu and the two empresses and eighteen concubines in Baoci Hall.

After the meal, Chai Zongxun and the concubines chatted and played chess with Empress Dowager Fu.

Concubine Catherine had been in the harem for nearly a year, and gradually got used to and liked the luxurious life in the palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty. She could also speak fluent Chinese. Because she and Anna, a princess of the Eastern Roman Empire who entered the palace a few years earlier, both believed in Nestorianism, could speak Latin, and were both princesses of their own country, the two women quickly became familiar with each other.

Concubine Anna often went to the Jing Cathedral in the imperial city with Catherine to worship. (It was previously located in the inner city of Bianjing, and after the expansion of Bianjing, it was part of the imperial city.)

Because the Great Zhou Empire had friendly relations with the Eastern Roman Empire, Chai Zongxun allowed Nestorian missionaries to come to the Great Zhou to preach and adopted the policy of freedom of religious belief. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of Nestorian missionaries have come to the inland hinterland of the Great Zhou to preach, and dozens of them have stayed in Bianliang for a long time.

After these Nestorians came to Da Zhou, they quickly learned to adapt to local customs and gave medicinal herbs and food to the people in order to attract them to convert.

However, China has been a polytheistic system since ancient times, and the monotheism of Nestorianism is quite incompatible with the Chinese secular world. Moreover, converts are required to abide by monogamy, so few people convert.

Over the past decade, Nestorianism had only developed a few thousand believers among the lower-class people in the heartland of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In order to please Emperor Chai Zongxun and Empress Dowager Fu, Anna and Catherine also studied the art of Go diligently. However, they had never played Go before, and every time they played against Empress Dowager Fu, they would lose by ten or twenty pieces.

Anna gave birth to the 85th son of the emperor, Chai Ziou, in the 36th year of Kaixi. Empress Dowager Fu, who always loved her grandchildren, patiently let her play chess with her. However, she was obviously colder towards Catherine, who had been in the palace for nearly a year and was not yet pregnant.

Empress Dowager Fu had just played a game of chess with Concubine Ji Qian and won seven pieces. Concubine Ekaterina smiled and said:
"Mother, I have collected several chess records recently and have studied them several times. This time, I will be able to make great progress in playing chess with you, so that you will not feel so uninterested."

Queen Mother Fu smiled and said:
"Na'er (Empress Dowager Fu didn't know that Ekaterina was just a given name, so she thought it was her surname, and followed Chai Zongxun in calling her Na'er) is a great filial piety, but today the Queen Mother is a little tired, so we won't play chess. Let's chat for a while and then go back to the palace to rest."

Catherine was originally very excited and wanted to please Empress Dowager Fu with the chess moves she had just learned, but after hearing what she said, she felt depressed and had no choice but to agree.

Chai Zongxun, who was sitting in a chair nearby drinking tea and chatting, happened to see this scene. Seeing Ekaterina's fair skin and her long eyelashes blinking, she looked quite lost, and he couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

Chai Zongxun smiled and said:
"With so many of you wanting to play chess with my mother, how can I sustain the energy?

Na'er, I'm here to play a game of chess with you."

Catherine was overjoyed and quickly walked over to Chai Zongxun and sat down in the chair opposite the table.

The personal eunuch and palace maid immediately placed a chessboard and chess pieces on the table, and Chai Zongxun and Catherine started playing against each other.

After about quarter of an hour, Catherine was already showing signs of defeat and had to give up her pieces and admit defeat. In total, she lost to Chai Zongxun by sixteen pieces.

Chai Zongxun smiled and said:
"Naer's chess skills have improved significantly today. As long as she continues to study more chess records and play more chess for a while, her chess skills will surely improve greatly."

Ekaterina smiled and said:
"Thank you for your encouragement, Your Majesty! I will certainly follow your orders."

Everyone chatted for a while, and when it was already 11 o'clock, Chai Zongxun immediately led the concubines to pay their respects to Empress Dowager Fu and take their leave.

As soon as they left the hall, Catherine reached out and tightly grasped Chai Zongxun's hand.

Chai Zongxun knew that Catherine wanted him to sleep in her bedroom tonight, but he thought of some things he had to ask Anna, but he couldn't bear to make Catherine sad.

On a whim, he decided to take Anna and Catherine's hands and go to Catherine's bedroom together.

(End of this chapter)