Do you know: I am the crown prince

Chapter 514 Queen Liang

Zhao Xing waved his hand, looked at Zeng Gongliang and said, "What do you think of this matter, Mr. Zeng?"

"Hehuang's dispatch of troops to Xixia at this time was both unexpected and reasonable."

Zeng Gongliang paused and said, "The Liao Kingdom is now seriously injured and cannot intervene. The Song Dynasty needs to settle the people who were displaced by the rebellion and is also unable to intervene. The civil strife in Western Xia is indeed a godsend opportunity for Hehuang to expand."

"What do you think is the chance of Hehuang destroying Western Xia this time?" Zhao Xing asked after a moment of silence.

Zeng Gongliang pondered for a while and said, "It is impossible to destroy Xixia. Hehuang's strength is not as good as Xixia. But if we can capture some cities, we still have a great chance."

"Although Xixia is in internal turmoil, it will not take Hehuang too seriously. On the contrary, Xixia has its own ulterior motives and may use Hehuang to weaken the strength of others. This gives Hehuang an opportunity."

"Only when Hehuang has captured a lot of territory and made them aware of the crisis will they work together to deal with Hehuang's attack."

"My dear, do you think the Song Dynasty needs to do something?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Your Majesty, you can order the troops on the northwest border to pretend to be ready to send troops to tie down some of the Western Xia forces." Zeng Gongliang said with a smile.

Zhao Xing hesitated for a moment and said uncertainly, "My dear, do you want Hehuang and Xixia to suffer losses together?"

"Your Majesty is wise."

Zeng Gongliang complimented him and said with a smile: "When Hehuang sent out troops this time, they probably didn't intend to destroy Xixia. They wanted to take advantage of the civil strife in Xixia to seize some territory from Xixia. But if the Song Dynasty can tie down some of its troops, it will definitely stimulate Hehuang's ambitions."

Zhao Xing tapped the table lightly, pondered for a moment and said, "Dong Zhen is not stupid. If the Song Dynasty intervenes, he may not fall for it. On the contrary, it is likely to make him alert and not dare to mobilize all his forces against Xixia."

It is said that the Song Dynasty and Hehuang have not yet completely torn their faces apart, but Dong Zhen must know that he had sent Empress Dowager Xiao to the Song Dynasty before, which made the Song Dynasty unhappy.

Under such circumstances, Dong Jian would definitely be on guard against the Song Dynasty.

He sent troops to Western Xia at this time because neither the Song Dynasty nor the Liao Dynasty could intervene, and Western Xia was in a time of civil strife.

But if the Song Dynasty helped Hehuang to contain part of the Western Xia troops, Dong Chen would not only not feel happy, but would think that the Song Dynasty was plotting against him.

"Your Majesty, that is true. But Your Majesty has overlooked the human heart."

Zeng Gongliang smiled and said, "Many times, some plots and calculations can succeed not because the other party did not notice it, but because the other party clearly noticed it but did not take it to heart."

"Or the other party thinks they can get a bigger advantage before being tricked, and then get away with it."

"Dong Zhan must know that the Song Dynasty is holding the Western Xia army to him in order to make him fight with the Western Xia. But the opportunity to annex the Western Xia is right in front of him. Will he be willing to give it up?"

Zhao Xing nodded and had to say that what Zeng Gongliang said made sense.

Are the calculations recorded in history really that brilliant?
In fact, it is not necessarily true. Many times, strategies have nothing to do with how clever they are. What counts is the human heart.

Like the counter-espionage tactic used by Jia Xu, he sent the letter openly but deliberately obliterated some of the content.

If someone with a simple mind saw this, he would mock the other person for making so many mistakes in writing a letter.

If we trust each other, we won’t believe it.

But it is very useful for those who appear to be in harmony but are actually estranged and suspicious.

Even if the other party knows it is a trap, they will fall for it. Otherwise, what if it is true?

Zeng Gongliang’s strategy was not very clever, but there are always some people in the world who think they are smarter than others.

Knowing that others are fishing, he thinks he is smart and thinks he can take the bait, so he withdraws before others are hooking.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xing said, "I will send a message to the Northwest garrison, and Minister Zeng Ai should draft the rewards for Gu Tingye and the soldiers as soon as possible."

"I obey your order!" Zeng Gongliang bowed.

…………

"Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty!"

Queen Liang bowed but received no response. She looked up and saw Zhao Xing sizing her up.

She did not show any displeasure, but instead gave Zhao Xing a charming smile.

"No wonder Li Liangzuo committed adultery with you and made you the queen." Zhao Xing said with a smile.

Queen Liang is now about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a plump figure like a ripe peach.

But she looks like a 29-year-old girl.

She has a very charming appearance, and her eyes seem to be able to speak, which is very alluring.

Zhao Xing had many women, but no one could compare to Queen Liang in terms of appearance or figure.

But it is normal to think about it. Even if the Liang family has a certain influence among the Han officials of Western Xia, they are not as powerful as the Zang family who controls the power of Western Xia.

There was no need to form an alliance with the Liang family and let his eldest son marry a woman from the Liang family.

The only explanation is that Empress Liang was extremely beautiful.

Besides, Li Liangzuo is not stupid. Isn’t he worried that Queen Liang is a trap set by Mei Zang?

But after seeing the appearance of Queen Liang, Zhao Xing could understand.

This woman is totally a disaster.

Although Zhao Xing's words seemed to be praising Queen Liang's beauty, they were also somewhat humiliating.

However, Queen Liang was not unhappy at all. Instead, the smile on her face became even brighter as she walked towards the imperial platform.

"presumptuous!"

Sanshui scolded and stepped forward to say something, but Zhao Xing waved his hand to stop him, then watched Queen Liang's actions with interest.

Queen Liang walked up the steps to the imperial platform, came to Zhao Xing with a gust of fragrance, put her arms around Zhao Xing's neck, and sat in his arms.

Zhao Xing felt the soft touch of her when she sat down, and his heart was moved. He put his arm around Queen Liang's waist without hesitation.

Thinking of the fate of the concubines and princesses who were abducted by the Jin Kingdom when the Northern Song Dynasty fell, Zhao Xing felt that he was avenging them.

Although it was done by the Jin Kingdom and had nothing to do with the Liao Kingdom and the Western Xia, they were all foreign races, right?

Moreover, he was much more tolerant towards them than the Jin Dynasty was towards the concubines and princesses of the Song Dynasty.

Queen Liang reached out and stroked Zhao Xing's face very gently.

She leaned close to Zhao Xing's ear, exhaled sweetly, and said in a soft voice: "Does His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song think I am beautiful too?"

Zhao Xing reached up and groped, saying, "Very beautiful. I have many beauties in my harem, but this is the first time I have seen a beauty like you."

"Then what are you waiting for, Your Majesty? I am your Majesty now, and Your Majesty can do whatever you want." Queen Liang said with a sweet smile.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing did not hesitate to pick up Queen Liang and walked towards the bedroom at the back.

He met Queen Liang because he wanted to understand the situation in Western Xia.

Although the Song Dynasty collected intelligence on Western Xia, its understanding was still limited.

Queen Liang was very clear about the situation in Western Xia and should have known the direction of the situation in Western Xia after she was abducted.

But he didn't expect Queen Liang to be so proactive, so Zhao Xing naturally would not refuse.

…………

Half an hour later, Queen Liang lay in Zhao Xing's arms with a satisfied look on her face, her eyes slightly narrowed.

After a long time, Empress Liang, who had been tortured by Zhao Xing, regained some strength and turned sideways.

Feeling the pain coming from all over her body, Empress Liang tapped Zhao Xing's chest and said with a somewhat resentful tone: "Your Majesty is too cruel. He doesn't know how to be gentle with women at all."

Zhao Xing said with a playful tone: "Just now you asked me to use my strength, and weren't you still savoring it afterwards?"

"Hate."

Empress Liang gently pushed Zhao Xing and said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, could you please stop saying such embarrassing things?"

"I don't see that you have anything to be ashamed of."

As Zhao Xing spoke, he grabbed another ball of snow and squeezed it hard.

Empress Liang moaned softly, her eyes seductive as silk, and leaned close to Zhao Xing's ear and said, "Your Majesty is so powerful, and people like you very much. When I return to Xixia in the future, I will miss your Majesty, too."

"Since you can't bear to leave me, then stay in the Song Dynasty. Fortunately, I can't bear to leave you either." Zhao Xing said with a smile.

When Empress Liang heard this, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes, and she smiled and said, "I also can't bear to leave Your Majesty, and I want to stay in Bianjing to serve Your Majesty. But it will be more beneficial for Your Majesty if I return to Xixia than stay in the Song Dynasty."

"Oh?"

Zhao Xing pretended to be surprised and said, "Tell me why it would be more beneficial for me if you go back."

"Your Majesty, why do you ask when you already know the answer?"

Queen Liang smiled and said, "When I am not in Xixia, the Liang family is definitely no match for the Tangut nobles. Although the Tangut nobles are not united and have their own schemes against each other, their fights with each other are relatively restrained. At least when it comes to dealing with foreign enemies, they are united."

"But if I go back, even if the Liang family is suppressed, I can win over some Han officials and compete with the Tangut nobles."

"For the Song Dynasty, the more chaotic Xixia is, the better, isn't it?"

"You're right."

Zhao Xing said calmly: "But I don't think you are so kind, and I like you very much, and I want to keep you in the Song Dynasty."

"I am still a woman after all. Although I also like power, your Majesty's strength makes me unable to leave you." Queen Liang said quietly.

"In that case, why do you want to return to Xixia?"

"If I stay in the Song Dynasty, will His Majesty give me a legitimate status? Although I am reluctant to leave His Majesty, I am a woman after all, and I don't want to have an affair with His Majesty secretly. With my status, His Majesty can't accept me into the palace, but if I help the Song Dynasty conquer Xixia, then His Majesty will accept me into the palace, and no one in the court can say anything."

"That's what you said to Li Liangzuo, right?" Zhao Xing sneered.

"Your Majesty, do you see me like this? I was forced by Li Liangzuo at the beginning." Queen Liang said pitifully.

Zhao Xing sneered in his heart when he heard this. He didn't know whether Queen Liang was forced back then.

But he would never believe that Queen Liang was so devoted to him just because he slept with her once.

If it were an ordinary woman, it would be possible, but is Queen Liang an ordinary woman?
After returning to Western Xia, she was the Queen Mother of Western Xia and held great power in control of the country.

Power is not only tempting to men, but also to women.

For men, power means money and women.

The same goes for women.

Didn’t Wu Zetian keep a bunch of male lovers? And even after her death, she was buried with Li Zhi.

Li Zhi was cheated on after his death, but he couldn't even refuse Wu Zetian and be buried with her. How unfair it was.

Ahem, that’s a bit off topic.

Seeing that Zhao Xing had directly exposed her, Empress Liang stopped playing the game and said, "With your majesty's intelligence, you should know the benefits of my return to the Song Dynasty. There are all kinds of women in the world. Your majesty can only get one woman by keeping me in the Song Dynasty. But if you let me go back, you will have the opportunity to annex Xixia and expand the territory!"

"Your Majesty, I didn't lie to you before. Your Majesty should also know that the Tanguts of Western Xia will not let me take control of the power. My return will only benefit the Song Dynasty, not harm it."

She was confident in her appearance and wanted to seduce Zhao Xing and persuade him to let her go back.

I didn't expect Zhao Xing to have such self-control and was not bewitched by her at all.

Since seducing her with sex doesn't work, the only option is to lure her with benefits.

She thought carefully about these words after she was arrested.

It was not considered as deceiving Zhao Xing, otherwise even if Zhao Xing was fooled, there would be people among the officials of the Song Dynasty who could see through it.

What she said was indeed the truth. If she had not been kidnapped, she would have been able to take control of the situation in Western Xia.

But she was abducted by the Song Dynasty, and the Dangxiang people of Western Xia had already formed gangs and fought for power.

If she goes back now, these people will not give up the benefits they have already obtained.

Her return would only cause more chaos in Western Xia, which would be beneficial to the Song Dynasty.

"What you said does make some sense, but I'm not stupid. With your status, you will definitely be able to win the support of some Tangut nobles when you return. It may seem that your return will make Xixia more chaotic, but it will also speed up the time for Xixia to stabilize." Zhao Xing sneered.

Queen Liang and the Liang family are fundamentally different. In the final analysis, the power of the Liang family was granted by imperial power.

Without much military power, after the emperor's death, Empress Liang was abducted, and the Liang family quickly lost power.

But when Queen Liang returns, she will be the empress dowager and will be able to hold imperial power.

Even some Tangut nobles who were at a disadvantage in the struggle would turn around and support her.

Therefore, on the surface, seeing Queen Liang returning would exacerbate the chaos in Western Xia.

But once Queen Liang gained enough support and was able to completely control the government, the civil strife in Western Xia was quelled.

"Your Majesty is right, but what you said is only a possibility. It is also possible that after I return, it will only make Xixia more chaotic. Who can say for sure about something that has not happened?" Queen Liang said.

"You are right, but I bet that after you return, you will make Xixia stable faster." Zhao Xing said with a smile.

Queen Liang: “…”

She didn't expect Zhao Xing to say that, and she didn't know what to say for a moment.

Zhao Xing laughed secretly when he saw Queen Liang’s speechless look.

Although Li Liangzuo died a few years earlier than recorded in history.

Moreover, in history, after Li Liangzuo's death, Queen Liang and the Liang family controlled the power of Western Xia, which did cause dissatisfaction among the Dangxiang nobles.

But Queen Liang was very resourceful. In order to divert internal conflicts, she took the initiative to launch a war and attack the Song Dynasty.

Doing so may seem like an attempt to divert conflicts, but it may also be an opportunity to weaken the power of the Tangut nobles.

However, after the Western Xia launched the war, both the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia suffered heavy losses, and the Western Xia began to decline from then on.

However, Empress Liang was able to control the power of Western Xia for more than ten years, and her methods were not simple.

What Zhao Xing was betting on was not the impact that Queen Liang's return would have on Western Xia, but his unwillingness to let Queen Liang go back.

Although Western Xia prospered after Li Liangzuo came to power, the Dangxiang nobles of Western Xia had already become rotten.

After Li Liangzuo came to power, Western Xia was able to prosper because he valued the Han people.

If the already rotten Tangut nobles of Western Xia were allowed to take power, it would be much easier for the Song Dynasty to launch military operations against Western Xia in the future.

(End of this chapter)