Do you know: I am the crown prince

Chapter 401 I know you are anxious, but don’t be anxious yet

Song Chaozhong immediately gave orders to escort the Zuo brothers back to the city, beating gongs and drums along the way to spread the news that General Shenwei had been captured alive.

After returning to Jiangzhou City, Song Chao found Prime Minister Shen and briefly told him what had happened. The two of them jointly reported to Zhao Xing the news that the Jiangzhou rebellion had been quelled and the identities of the Zuo brothers.

After Zhao Xing heard the news, he was somewhat disappointed. However, it was too late to ask the Song court to interrogate the news.

After deep thought, he ordered Song Chaozhong's troops to return to the capital and let Prime Minister Shen lead Cao Qin and the original 20,000 imperial troops to deal with the aftermath.

Then he ordered people to announce the news that the Jiangzhou rebellion had been quelled to the world.

While the people were discussing the suppression of the Jiangzhou rebellion, envoys from Zuosilu also arrived in Bianjing.

Although the Zuosiluo tribe nominally submitted to the Song Dynasty, it was actually independent and could not be considered a country.

However, in order to show solemnity, Zhao Xing sent the Prime Minister Han Zhang to receive him personally and placed him in a separate courtyard instead of in the Honglu Temple.

After all, the Western Xia envoys were still in the Honglu Temple at that time. If they were arranged together and a fight broke out, it would be troublesome.

Zhao Xing sent Han Zhang to receive him only because Dong Jian was hiding in the envoy team, but the court officials did not know about it, so some people raised objections.

The reason was that when the Western Xia envoys arrived, the Song Dynasty only sent the Minister of the Honglu Temple to receive them, but when the envoys from the Zuosilo tribe arrived, the Prime Minister was sent to receive them, which would inevitably make the Western Xia dissatisfied.

Because of this, Zhao Xing even got angry in the court.

Zhao Xing also knew that the officials who said this might not necessarily have any connection with Western Xia.

I just think that Zhao Xing's behavior is not in accordance with etiquette.

But Xixia is an enemy, even if there is an alliance, it is still an enemy.

The Zuosiluo tribe is one of ours, at least for now.

Do we have to treat our own people poorly just because of so-called etiquette?

After Han Zhang received and settled the envoys from the Zuosilo tribe, he went to the palace to ask for an audience with Zhao Xing.

"Your Majesty, I have met with Dong Chen and had a private chat with him, expressing the current predicament of the Song Dynasty. Dong Chen proposed to meet with Your Majesty alone after he meets Your Majesty tomorrow." Han Zhang said.

"I understand." Zhao Xing nodded and said, "My Lord, do you think that if I ask him to lead the Tibetans from the plateau to Hehuang, will he agree?"

"I think it's very likely."

Han Zhang said: "According to Dong Chen, although he has some prestige, after the death of Zuo Siluo, coupled with the threat from Xixia, the people are now unstable. He urgently needs the support of the Song Dynasty to help him calm the people. If the Song Dynasty does not help, the Zuo Siluo tribe will not be able to hold on for long, and Dong Chen has no choice.

Moreover, if he were to take control of Hehuang and annex the Qiang and Tubo tribes in Hehuang, he would be able to increase his power, and Dong Jian would not refuse."

"Well, that's good." Zhao Xing nodded and said, "Tell him, my Lord, that I will summon the envoy of the Zuosiluo tribe tomorrow, and I will meet him alone after the meeting."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Han Zhang bowed and retreated.

…………

The next day, Zhao Xing summoned the envoys of the Zuosilo tribe in the Daqing Palace.

The envoy of the Zuosilo tribe explained that Zuosilo was dead and requested that Dong Jian inherit the throne. He also requested the Song Dynasty to provide food and military support to the Zuosilo tribe.

Zhao Xing expressed his sorrow over Zuosilo's death, conferred a posthumous title on him, and had Dongzhen inherit the throne of the Tubo King.

As for the request for help, he did not agree to it, but said that he would discuss it with his ministers.

After the audience, Zhao Xing hosted a banquet to entertain the envoys from the Zuosilo tribe.

Halfway through the banquet, Han Zhang, who was presiding over the banquet, left the hall on the pretext of feeling unwell. No one noticed that among the envoys of the Zuosiluo tribe, an official of low rank who was at the end was quietly led away by a eunuch.

…………

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" Dong Jian walked into the Longtu Pavilion and bowed.

Zhao Xing took a look at Dong Zhen, who was about thirty years old and not very tall, but had rough and dark skin and his eyes were not very sharp.

"No gift."

Zhao Xing waved his hand and smiled, "I see that the etiquette of the Tibetan king is more standardized than that of some Han officials."

"My father said that my department could be what it is today thanks to the support and help of the Song Dynasty, so he made me learn the Chinese language and etiquette since I was a child," said Dong Jian.

"Zuo Siluo was truly a loyal and righteous man, but it's a pity that he didn't live long enough, alas..." Zhao Xing said with a look of regret.

"My father died because Xixia sent troops to the plateau, forcing my father to lead the troops in a surprise attack. I will definitely take revenge. But the Zuosiluo tribe is not strong enough, so I can only ask for your majesty's help!"

Dong Jian knelt down on one knee and said, "If Your Majesty is willing to send troops to help, the Zuosiluo tribe will be grateful and will always be loyal to Your Majesty and the Song Dynasty!"

"No need for this!"

Zhao Xing stood up and helped Dong Zhen up, saying: "The Zuosiluo tribe is a vassal of the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty naturally cannot sit idly by. Sit down first and tell me about the situation of the Zuosiluo tribe."

"Yes!"

Dong Jian bowed, sat down, and recounted Zuo Siluo's current situation in detail.

I don’t know if he was just trying to gain sympathy or if the situation is indeed not optimistic, but from Dong Zhan’s narration, the current situation in the plateau is not optimistic.

Dong Jian was not the eldest son, he had two older brothers.

The Tibetans and nomadic peoples, unlike the Han people, practiced the system of primogeniture. He was the heir designated by Zuosilo, and his two elder brothers could not threaten his position.

However, although his two brothers could not threaten his position, they advocated surrender.

The pressure from Western Xia on the Zuosilo tribe was too great, and the Song Dynasty had no intention of sending troops to help. After Zuosilo's death, many people within the tribe no longer had the will to resist and wanted to surrender.

The Zuosilo tribe is now facing internal and external troubles. Dong Jian left at this critical moment and came to the Song Dynasty, which was a great risk.

But he had to come. If he could not get help from the Song Dynasty, it would be only a matter of time before he was annexed by Western Xia.

After describing the situation on the plateau, Dong Jian stood up and bowed deeply, saying, "Your Majesty, our Zuosiluo tribe is now unable to resist the Xixia army. Once the Xixia occupies the plateau, it will threaten the southwest of the Song Dynasty. Your Majesty, please send troops to help the Zuosiluo tribe overcome the difficulties!"

Zhao Xing said with embarrassment: "Of course I want to send troops to help the Zuosiluo tribe, but the Song Dynasty is now building the Great Wall in the north, and there is a rebellion in the country. I really can't send troops now."

"Your Majesty, there is no need for the Song Dynasty to actually send troops. We only need to pretend to send troops to force Xixia to withdraw."

Dong Jian naturally knew the current situation of the Song Dynasty, and from the beginning he did not expect the Song Dynasty to really send troops.

All he needed was a chance to catch his breath.

"Not to mention that the Song Dynasty and Western Xia now have an alliance, Western Xia also knows the situation of the Song Dynasty. If that were the case, it would be unlikely to force Western Xia to withdraw its troops." Zhao Xing said.

"If Your Majesty does not send troops to help, the Zuosiluo tribe will have no choice but to surrender under the current circumstances. In this way, Xixia will surely become more powerful."

"I know you are anxious, but please don't be anxious. Sit down and talk."

Zhao Xing heard the threat from Dong Jian, but he didn't take it seriously.

He didn't care about the Western Xia occupying the plateau. The area where the plateau bordered the southwest of the Song Dynasty was full of mountains and the roads were narrow. He didn't care much whether the Western Xia occupied it or not.

(End of this chapter)