The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 19 Youthful Spirit
"Jing'er, sit down. Have you forgotten what your master taught you?"

"Teacher, I am sorry for being rude." Guo Jing reacted suddenly, a trace of shame flashing across his face.

Then, Su Ming asked him again, "Jing'er, do you think the Chanyuan Alliance is a good thing or a bad thing for the Song Dynasty?"

Guo Jing said without thinking, "Of course this is a bad thing. The Song Dynasty is clearly going to win, so why should they admit defeat and send tribute to the Liao Kingdom? They have no backbone at all. Even if they lose, they should lose knowingly."

Su Ming smiled slightly. "You can think like this. It is not in vain that I have taught you. However, everything has its pros and cons. You should look at it dialectically. Don't just see the bad side and ignore the good side. Although the Chanyuan Alliance was a shame, it maintained the overall peace between the Song Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom for nearly a hundred years."

"Even if there is a war between the two countries, it will be a minor one. This way, many people will be spared from the war. Is this a benefit?"

Guo Jing stuttered and thought for a long time, but he didn't know how to refute. Finally, he said, "But this is too aggrieved. You have no backbone at all."

"Jing'er, I have told you before that since Zhao Guangyi failed twice in his northern expedition, it is very difficult for the Song Dynasty to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. The Liao Kingdom has a geographical advantage in occupying the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. On the contrary, the Song army has been at peace for decades, and the weapons have been put into storage and the horses have been put in the mountains. The army's combat effectiveness is getting worse year by year."

"According to the thinking of the Emperor of the Song Dynasty and his court officials, the Song Dynasty is no match for the Liao Dynasty, and they should take advantage of the fact that they take the initiative to negotiate and stop while they are ahead. Sometimes, fighting hard is easy, but between countries, losing is not that easy."

"Think about it again. What would happen if the Song defeated the Liao in the Battle of Chanyuan?"

Guo Jing thought for a moment and replied, "The Liao Kingdom was defeated and negotiated peace with the Song Dynasty. The two sides formed a brotherly alliance and opened trade. There was no need for annual tribute or marriage."

Su Ming stared at him and asked with a smile, "Is it possible that the Song Dynasty could take back some of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun?"

"Teacher, you also said that the Battle of Chanyuan was an invasion by the Liao Kingdom. The Song Dynasty counterattacked. It was not easy to repel the enemy. The Liao Kingdom was powerful. Even if it lost, it would not give up the territory of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."

"Okay, well said."

Hearing Guo Jing's answer, Su Ming's eyes flashed with surprise. This kid finally learned to think. It was not easy. It was worthy of his memory that he always combined the experiences of emperors of past dynasties with the historical background when he talked about history.

"Anything else? Keep talking."

"Even if Zhao Heng won, he would not take the initiative to threaten the Liao Kingdom. Instead, he would take a step back to show friendship, because he did not want to anger the Liao Kingdom and cause it to continue invading in the future."

"Then think about it again, what would happen if the Liao Kingdom won?"

"Teacher, if Liao wins, there will be no peace on the Song border, and the annual tribute from Song will be much higher."

Su Ming asked again, "Will the Liao Kingdom take the opportunity to move south and attack the Song territory, or even occupy the north?"

Guo Jing shook his head. "No, the Liao Kingdom doesn't have that strength, and the Song Dynasty isn't that weak either. Teacher, you said that Bianliang has no strategic location to defend, so a large number of imperial troops were gathered there. Although the Liao Kingdom is strong, it's only strong in cavalry, and it's impossible for it to drive the Song Dynasty out of the north."

Su Ming smiled lightly and praised, "You are right. This is the strength and weakness and advantages and disadvantages between the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty back then."

Guo Jing pursed his lips, his face lacking much joy, "Teacher, you have taught me for so long. If I cannot figure it out, I will be failing you."

In teaching Guo Jing, Su Ming has always adopted an approach of encouragement and guidance, focusing on shaping his thinking and directing his thinking. He has become a little immune to Su Ming's praise.

"That's all for today's history talk. Next, I'll teach you Sun Tzu's Art of War."

……

Three years passed in a hurry, and various forces on the grassland continued to fight.

Su Ming still lived a dull life in his little tent, while Guo Jing was also growing up slowly under the guidance of his teachers.

The Nadam Festival on the grassland has begun again. All tribes have gathered together to compete in horseback riding, archery, wrestling and other competitions. The tribes also take this opportunity to exchange what they need. On the endless plain, several figures are galloping on horses, carrying bows and arrows, shooting antelopes and other prey.

As the drums sounded, the horses rushed out suddenly. Among these people, a young man caught everyone's sight. He was the thirteen-year-old Guo Jing. Thanks to his martial arts training, Guo Jing's stature was not short, and his brows were full of determination. His expression was not dull, and he was not honest at all.

"Guo Jing, come on."

In the crowd, a young girl in a long skirt put her hands to her mouth and kept shouting to cheer Guo Jing on. She was Temujin's daughter Hua Zheng. She was about the same age as Guo Jing, and had grown into a very pretty girl with a face as white as mutton fat, lively eyes, and a high spirit.

On the field, Guo Jing was riding on a horse with his legs as if grown on it, as if he had merged into one with the horse. His speed gradually surpassed the people around him. Suddenly, he saw a yellow sheep in the distance, stretched out his hand, took out an arrow, and shot it with a "swoosh".

An hour later, he rode back after all the arrows on his body were gone.

"Guo Jing, what's wrong? Are you tired?"

As soon as he got off the horse, Hua Zheng trotted up to him. Seeing that he was panting, she took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the sweat off his face.

At this time, Guo Jing already knew that physical contact between men and women was taboo, but Hua Zheng grew up with him as a childhood sweetheart, and the grassland atmosphere was wild, so he couldn't refuse. He reluctantly waited for her to finish wiping, his little face flushed.

Hua Zheng looked at the empty quiver behind him and cheered, "Guo Jing, you have used up all your arrows. It looks like you have won!"

Guo Jing's face flushed, and he said modestly, "There must be people in other tribes who are more powerful than me. I'm already very happy that I can participate."

Hua Zheng pouted, "Huh, you said the same thing last year. You almost got first place that time. Come on, follow me to see our father. He specifically asked me to take you there." As she spoke, she took his hand.

"it is good."

……

In recent years, Temujin's power in the grassland has expanded very quickly. He has been fighting constantly and annexed countless tribes in the desert.

In addition, he led his subordinates with strict military discipline and everyone was brave and good at fighting. He was a natural king, both wise and brave. In the battles on the grassland, he either attacked with force or with wisdom. He traveled across the grassland and was invincible.

After annexing several tribes, it was beginning to show signs of competing with Wang Han, and the two sides became the two largest forces on the grassland.

At this moment, he was sitting on the high platform of the royal tent, looking at the grand event in the distance, not knowing what he was thinking. Hua Zheng's voice brought him back to reality.

"Dad, I brought Guo Jing here."

Temujin turned around and saw his daughter walking towards him with a young man.

When he saw Temujin, Guo Jing leaned one arm against his chest and bowed slightly, "Greetings, Great Khan."

Seeing Guo Jing's calm and reserved temperament, Temujin smiled and said, "You have grown so tall. It seems that you can go to war with me next year."

Guo Jing did not take this as a joke, but looked up into Temujin's eyes and said, "As long as the Khan summons me, Guo Jing will obey!"

Having learned so many skills from various masters, and with his good brother Tolui having already joined the army, Guo Jing did not want to fall too far behind. His family had been protected by Temujin for so many years, and he also wanted to repay Temujin's kindness.

As for accidentally saving Master Zhebie when he was a child, Guo Jing did not think that this was a favor that needed to be repaid by Temujin.

Seeing the young man volunteering to fight, Temujin's eyes flashed with admiration, "Haha, OK, you can go with me next year."

(End of this chapter)