Do you know: I am the crown prince

Chapter 483: Testing and Showing Weakness

"I know."

Xiao Asu nodded and said, "The Han official who just greeted us said that the Emperor of the Song Dynasty asked us to enter the palace immediately. It seems that what Dong Jian said is right. Our entry into the Song Dynasty has put the Song Dynasty in a passive position."

"Dong Jian has no good intentions. I am always worried about Jun'er staying in Hehuang." Empress Dowager Xiao said worriedly.

Her son was still ill and couldn't withstand the long journey, so he had to stay in Hehuang.

Empress Dowager Xiao wanted to wait until her son recovered before coming to the Song Dynasty, but Dong Jian told her that if she did not enter the Song Dynasty as soon as possible, Yelu Yixin would immediately send troops to attack Hehuang.

Explain that he couldn't bear the pressure and had to hand them over.

Secondly, the Song Dynasty will not allow them to enter the country. If it is delayed for too long, it will be difficult to enter the Song Dynasty.

After some thought, Empress Dowager Xiao finally decided to leave her son in Hehuang temporarily.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty is the most important to Yelu Yixin. Once he knows that Your Majesty is in Hehuang, he will definitely send troops. Dong Zhen dare not use Your Majesty's identity to do anything. Once we meet the Emperor of Song, we can send someone to pick up Your Majesty." Xiao Asu said.

"Well, I hope so. When you meet Emperor Song later, do as we discussed on the way. If anything unexpected happens, follow my instructions." Empress Dowager Xiao said.

"Yeah." Xiao Asu nodded.

The carriage stopped at the gate of the palace, and the official from the Ministry of Rites who was in charge of welcoming her smiled and said, "Empress Dowager Xiao, please come in. Your Majesty has already prepared a banquet in the palace for you."

"and many more!"

Xiao Asu said with an unhappy look on his face, "Song and Liao are brother countries. When my Liao queen came to Song, the emperor of Song did not go out of the city to greet her, and he even did not even greet her at the gate of the palace. Is this the way of hospitality for Song?"

The official from the Ministry of Rites smiled and said, "The Great Song and Liao do have a brotherly covenant, but the ones who signed the covenant were your country's Shengzong and my Great Song's Emperor Zhenzong. According to the covenant, your country's Shengzong and my Great Song's Emperor Zhenzong are brothers."

"Empress Dowager Xiao is the granddaughter-in-law of Emperor Shengzong, and the current emperor of the Great Song is also the grandson of Emperor Zhenzong."

"They are of the same generation. Although Empress Dowager Xiao is older, there is no reason for the Emperor to personally welcome her."

"You also said that the Empress Dowager of Liao is older than the Emperor of Song. The two countries are brothers. The Emperor of Song should call the Empress Dowager "Sister-in-law" and should at least welcome her."

"All right!"

Empress Dowager Xiao waved her hand and said, "Minister Chu is right. The Emperor Song and I are equals. There is no reason for him to personally welcome the Emperor."

After hearing this, Xiao Asu didn't say anything else.

…………

Inside the hall, Zhao Xing sat at the top, listening to Sanshui's account of what happened at the palace gate, and smiled slightly.

"Is this a test, or a deliberate show of weakness?"

Even if Empress Dowager Xiao and her brother and sister were brainless, they should be aware of their current situation.

Zhao Xing didn't think they would be stupid enough to put on airs in the Song Dynasty.

The reason for doing this is probably to deliberately test the attitude of the Song Dynasty towards them.

And it may not be without the intention of showing weakness to the Song Dynasty.

After all, if they behave a little stupidly, the Song Dynasty will feel that they are easy to control and will be likely to send troops to help them.

"The Emperor's sister-in-law?"

Zhao Xing smiled playfully and said, "Tell Zhang Feng to stop Xiao Asu. I want to meet this imperial sister-in-law alone."

"Yes!"

Sanshui responded and hurried away.

…………

The officials from the Ministry of Rites led Empress Dowager Xiao and Xiao Asu to the outside of the Purple Palace.

Just as he was about to go up the stairs, Zhang Feng came down with a few soldiers.

"General Zhang, what are you doing?" Minister Zhou frowned.

"His Majesty said that only the Queen Mother of Liao will be invited to the banquet, and no one else is allowed to enter the hall." Zhang Feng said lightly.

"what?"

Xiao Asu was furious when he heard this and shouted, "Song and Liao are brother countries. How dare the Emperor of Song humiliate the Liao country like this?"

He was not angry that Zhao Xing did not let him enter the palace, but that Zhang Feng said that only Empress Dowager Xiao was allowed to enter the palace.

What this means is that not only him, but also the officials of the Song Dynasty are not allowed to go.

He didn't know if there were other Song officials in the hall. If not, wouldn't it mean that Empress Dowager Xiao was meeting with the Emperor of Song alone?

Once it gets out and some bad rumors spread, will the Liao Kingdom still have face?

"This is the order of His Majesty. His Majesty also said that if Empress Dowager Xiao does not agree, he can send someone to send you back to the Liao Kingdom." Zhang Feng said lightly.

"Bullying..."

"All right!"

Empress Dowager Xiao scolded, "I will go in alone, you wait here for me, and don't cause any trouble."

"Yes!"

Xiao Asu was somewhat reluctant, but he had to bow his head under the eaves.

If he were really sent back to Liao by the Song Dynasty, how could he survive?
"Minister Zhou, please go back. I will take Empress Dowager Xiao away." Zhang Feng said.

Minister Zhou and his companions felt that something was not right, but they did not dare to say anything.

Zhang Feng asked someone to look after Xiao Asu and personally led Empress Dowager Xiao to the main hall.

Empress Dowager Xiao looked around as soon as she entered the hall. The tables on both sides of the hall were empty.

There were only some palace maids and eunuchs standing there, but no officials.

Sitting on the high platform above was a man of about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a strong build and wearing a dark suit.

There were wine and food on the table in front of the man, and there was another table with wine and food on the side.

While Empress Dowager Xiao was looking around, Zhao Xing was also looking at her.

Although she is the Empress Dowager of Liao, she is actually only in her twenties this year.

She is not particularly beautiful, but her appearance is very different from that of Han women, which makes her look eye-catching.

She was wearing a dark red tight-fitting dress with a slanting collar and narrow sleeves. Her figure was well-proportioned, much fuller than that of Han women. Her skin was slightly dark and had a hint of wildness.

When Empress Dowager Xiao was looking at Zhao Xing, she happened to meet Zhao Xing's gaze.

Seeing Zhao Xing looking at him unscrupulously, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

With her status, no one had ever looked at her like this, except for the late Emperor Dao Zong.

However, she knew her current situation and could only endure it.

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager Xiao of Liao has arrived."

Zhang Feng led Queen Xiao to the center of the hall and bowed.

"Greetings to the Emperor of Song." Empress Dowager Xiao bowed her head slightly, which was considered a greeting. Zhao Xing waved to Zhang Feng, and when he bowed and left, he looked at Empress Dowager Xiao and smiled, "According to seniority, I should still call you sister-in-law. Sister-in-law, please come up and take a seat."

Empress Dowager Xiao frowned slightly. She didn't understand why Zhao Xing emphasized the word "sister-in-law" deliberately.

But she didn't have time to think about it. She climbed up the platform, came to the table on Zhao Xing's left, and sat down.

The palace maid stepped forward to pour the wine, then stepped aside holding the wine jug.

"I offer a toast to my sister-in-law."

Zhao Xing picked up the wine glass, smiled, and looked at Empress Dowager Xiao unscrupulously.

Although he had many women in his harem, many of them were prettier than Empress Dowager Xiao. The two girls around him, Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang, were not only sisters, but also twins, and they also had exotic looks.

But this is the first time I have seen a woman like Empress Dowager Xiao, who has a bit of wildness.

Even Li Yunchu did not have such wildness. After all, Xixia was a Dangxiang tribe and had long since surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. Not only was he given the surname Li, he also married a Han woman, so his bloodline had long been diluted.

The current Xixia royal family, on the contrary, looks not much different from the Han people.

"Emperor Song, please!"

Empress Xiao held up the wine glass but did not cover it with her sleeves like the Han women did.

After signaling to Zhao Xing, he tilted his head back and drank it, then crossed his arm and wiped the wine stains from the corners of his mouth.

"interesting."

Zhao Xu murmured, then raised his head and drank the wine in the glass.

"Emperor Song!"

Empress Dowager Xiao put down her wine glass and said, "The Emperor of Song must know the purpose of my visit to the Song Dynasty. Song and Liao are brotherly countries. Now Yelu Yixin is plotting rebellion and is preparing to ascend the throne. This time I came to borrow troops from the Song Dynasty to quell the traitors!"

Zhao Xing smiled slightly when he heard this, and said with a hint of amusement: "Sister-in-law, you should also know that in order to pacify Yelu Yixin, at least hundreds of thousands of troops are needed. Although the two countries have a brotherly alliance, I know what the so-called alliance is all about. Not to mention whether I agree or not, even the civil and military officials in the court will not agree."

"If the Song Dynasty agrees, the Liao Kingdom will not only cancel the annual tribute, but will also be willing to give the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun as a reward." Empress Dowager Xiao said.

"These are not enough, and the Song Dynasty can definitely send troops to conquer it themselves."

Zhao Xing did not argue with her about the ownership of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. After all, the Song Dynasty had never owned the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun since the establishment of the Song Dynasty.

"If the Song Dynasty had this ability, it would have done it long ago. I am the Empress Dowager of Liao, my son is the Emperor of Liao, and there are still many people inside Liao who are loyal to the royal family. Only if the Song Dynasty lends troops to me can we easily invade Liao." said Empress Dowager Xiao.

"What I have said is not enough." Zhao Xing shook his head.

"As long as the Emperor of Song is willing to lend us troops, any conditions can be proposed," said Empress Dowager Xiao.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing picked up the wine glass that the palace maid had just filled, drank it, then stood up and walked behind Empress Dowager Xiao.

When Empress Dowager Xiao heard Zhao Xing's footsteps stop behind her, she frowned but did not move.

Zhao Xing leaned close to Empress Dowager Xiao's ear and whispered, "What if I want you?"

Empress Dowager Xiao leaned back slightly when she heard this, and turned her head to the side, with a somewhat unpleasant expression, saying, "There are many women in Liao who are prettier and younger than me. As long as Your Majesty is willing to lend us soldiers, we can have as many as you want, including princesses of the royal family."

Although Empress Dowager Xiao leaned back a little, the extent of the lean was not great because Zhao Xing was right behind her. At this time, the two were almost very close.

Zhao Xing stood up and returned to his seat, smiling and saying, "I heard that Liao people, both men and women, are good at singing and dancing. I wonder if my sister-in-law can dance for me."

"If the Emperor of Song does not want to lend troops, he can just refuse. Humiliating a woman like this is probably a loss of face for the Song Dynasty." Empress Dowager Xiao said with an unpleasant expression.

"Since my sister-in-law has seen it, I will say it straight. I really don't want to lend troops." Zhao Xing said lightly.

Empress Dowager Xiao did not expect Zhao Xing to be so straightforward, and was speechless for a moment.

After a long while, he said with sarcasm on his face: "I thought the Emperor of Song was a young hero, but I didn't expect him to be so short-sighted. Yelu Yixin is ambitious. Once he stabilizes the situation and takes the throne, there will be no peace between Song and Liao. The Song Dynasty is indeed courageous and spent such a huge price to build the Great Wall in the north."

"But the Great Wall has not been repaired yet. Even if it is repaired, does the Emperor of Song really think he can resist the Liao Kingdom?"

"Since the Emperor of Song is short-sighted, let me meet the Emperor of Song. I believe the Emperor must be more far-sighted than the Emperor of Song."

"Provocation is something the Han Chinese used to do, so please don't use it in front of me.

I understand what you said, but that is a matter for the future. Lending troops to you to restore your country not only resulted in countless casualties, but also the food and military pay were all provided by the Song Dynasty, but you only promised some empty promises. If I agree, I would be stupid. "

After Zhao Xing finished speaking, he picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

Although Empress Xiao did not know what a blank check was, she understood the general meaning and said, "The Liao Kingdom can compensate the Song Dynasty for the required food and expenses."

Zhao Xing curled his lips and said, "Let's not beat around the bush. I'm meeting you alone, without any officials accompanying you. You should understand what the Song Dynasty means. Since you entered the territory of the Song Dynasty, I have discussed this with all the officials, and all the civil and military officials in the court disagree."

"If that's the case, why did the Emperor of Song allow me to come to Bian Jing and not have someone expel us directly? The Emperor of Song doesn't want to help me, but he also has many concerns. He deliberately humiliates me and says these words of rejection. He wants me to leave the Song Dynasty on my own." Empress Dowager Xiao sneered.

"Sister-in-law, you are half right. I really want you to leave on your own. But I was not humiliating you just now. I am really interested in you."

Zhao Xing looked at Empress Dowager Xiao unscrupulously and said with a smile, "If my sister-in-law is willing to dance for me, I can really consider it. A dance in exchange for the Song Dynasty borrowing troops, even if it gets out, no one will laugh at it. Maybe my sister-in-law will become the most powerful empress dowager in the Xiao family."

Although Empress Dowager Xiao's surname was Xiao, she was not Han Chinese, and the Xiao family was the second most important family in the Liao Kingdom after the royal family.

Emperor Taizu of Liao gave the surname Xiao to his queen's mother's family, and stipulated that future queens of the Liao Dynasty could only be from the Xiao family.

It can be said that the Liao Dynasty had several generations of emperors, and the Xiao family had several generations of queens.

No, the Xiao family even had more queens than emperors of the Liao Dynasty.

Because if the queen died earlier than the emperor, the new queen would still be chosen from the Xiao family.

It has to be said that the Xiao family has strong genes.

The emperors in ancient times all came from the same surname, but in each dynasty there were only a handful of wise rulers, and most of them were mediocre or incompetent.

However, the Xiao family produced several queens who were called virtuous queens in the history of the Liao Dynasty.

Empress Dowager Xiao was silent for a long time after hearing this, then she smiled and said, "Since Emperor Song wants to see it, how about I dance for him?"

After saying this, Empress Dowager Xiao stood up and walked down the platform.

"and many more!"

Zhao Xing called Empress Dowager Xiao and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, this outfit is not suitable for dancing. Someone, take sister-in-law to change clothes."

When Empress Dowager Xiao heard Zhao Xing say wait, she thought Zhao Xing had given up, but she didn't expect Zhao Xing to ask her to change her clothes.

Do you really think of her as a dancer?
But the situation was stronger than the person, and although her heart was filled with humiliation, Empress Dowager Xiao still endured it.

As long as she can defeat the country, she will have the opportunity to retaliate.

As for whether Zhao Xing would use her to annex the Liao Kingdom, she was not worried.

Even in order to rule the Han people, the Liao Dynasty had to adopt a conciliatory policy and let the Han people govern the Han people.

Whenever the Song Dynasty sent troops, it still had to let her people control the surrendered Liao people.

Empress Dowager Xiao took a deep breath and went to the back hall with the palace maid.

But when she saw the clothes that the palace maid brought for her to change, the anger that Empress Dowager Xiao had just suppressed broke out again.

"I don't wear this kind of clothes. Change them to some." Empress Dowager Xiao said coldly.

The clothes brought by the palace maids were all gauze clothes. What difference would it make whether they were worn or not?

(End of this chapter)