I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 191 Marriage
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The Khitan women, such as Xiao Puxian, who were used for marriage alliances, and the Liao elites, such as Yelü Dashi, who were demanded by Zhao Yu, were sent separately.

The first to arrive were Liao Dynasty elites such as Yelü Dashi.

Zhao Yu knew very well that Yelü Dashi and his men were not yet capable of serving him, so he sent people to send them all back to Bianliang, the capital of Tokyo, for proper resettlement.

As for Xiao Puxian, especially the three Khitan princesses, they were sent here this time as part of a marriage alliance, similar to how the Liao Dynasty married Yelü Nanxian to the Western Xia.

The only difference is that Yelü Nanxian married into the Western Xia as an empress, while these three Khitan princesses married Zhao Yu as concubines.

But in essence, they were all marriage alliances, marriage alliances in the true sense.

Zhao Yu's personal campaign not only resulted in several defeats of the Liao army and the imprisonment of Liao Emperor Yelü Yanxi and others in Yanjing City, but also gave him the hope of recovering all the annual tribute and interest paid to the Liao Dynasty in the past. Furthermore, it forced the Liao Dynasty to send three princesses to marry into the Liao Dynasty. This was undoubtedly a glorious victory. When the news returned to Bianliang City, the capital of Tokyo, both the civil and military officials in the court and the common people in the streets and alleys would surely feel proud and elated.

However, Zhao Yu is still on the front lines, so he certainly cannot hold a wedding or celebrate the victory in a grand manner. Otherwise, wouldn't that be treating war like a game?

However, it is still necessary to use this appropriately to boost the morale of the soldiers on the front lines.

Therefore, after the matter was settled, Zhao Yu issued an edict under the pretext of a marriage alliance: slaughter sheep and pigs, and let everyone, including laborers, eat as much meat as they want. There will be plenty of steamed buns. Each officer above the rank of captain and the supervising officer will be given a bowl of wine. The entire army will feast for three days, but they must not drink too much, must not let their guard down, and must not make mistakes. Otherwise, they will be punished according to military law.

Zhao Yu did not personally go to pick up Xiao Puxian and the three Khitan princesses. Instead, he sent Zhang Chun and Xiao Sese with relevant people to go out of the palace on his behalf and bring these women back.

The Liao Dynasty originally intended to send Xiao Puxian and other women over according to the customs of the Khitan people.

However, all the horses and livestock in Yanjing City had been taken away by the Zhao Song Dynasty, making it impossible to marry Xiao Puxian and other women to the Khitans according to their customs.

Later, Yelü Yanxi and his ministers discussed the matter and decided that it would be better to marry Xiao Puxian's daughter and other women to the capital in the same way as the Song people. After all, there was no shortage of bridal sedan chairs in Yanjing, and even if they were made on the spot, they could be made in time.

Crucially, this would further please Zhao Yu.

Therefore, the Liao Dynasty organized a large wedding procession, and with music and fanfare, escorted Xiao Puxian and the other women from Yanjing City all the way to the Zhaigong Palace.

We arrived at the Zhaigong Palace.

On the vast plain, a fierce wind swept across the banners as the gilded phoenix-patterned palanquin moved slowly forward. The curtain was slightly parted, revealing a deep crimson hue, like the burning sunset solidified into brocade.

Xiao Puxian raised her hand to brush aside the tassels, her fingertips brushing against the red-gold hairpin inlaid with pearls at her temples. The pearl strings hanging from her phoenix crown trembled slightly between her brows, making her phoenix eyes shine even more brightly.

Her eyes, sparkling with both the liveliness and innocence of a young girl and the depth and wisdom of a mature woman, captivated the eye. Her straight, delicate nose added a touch of strength and spirit to her face; her full, supple lips exuded an irresistible charm, whether she smiled or parted slightly. Noble, elegant, serene—all the best words seemed to describe her.

Beside her, in three bridal sedan chairs, three Khitan princesses each possessed their own unique charm: some were gentle and graceful, some lively and spirited, and some heroic and spirited. They were all dressed in exquisite green wedding gowns and adorned with pearls and jade, like three blooming exotic flowers, adding a touch of gentleness and vitality to this vast land.

Twenty-four maids followed closely behind, some carrying plates and pots, others holding fans and flowers, their manners revealing their refined upbringing and elegance.

Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, the entire wedding procession unfolded like a flowing scroll before the eyes of the Song soldiers, drawing their attention and stirring a sense of greed and curiosity within them.

At that moment, countless people thought, 'It must be so good to be an emperor!!!'

At a glance, Zhang Chun noticed the difference between Xiao Puxian and other Liao women.

That's right, it's just the color of the wedding dress that's different.

During the Song Dynasty, there was a saying, "red for men and green for women," which meant that the groom wore red and the bride wore green when they got married.

However, there is a special case where the bride wears a red wedding dress.

Red represents joy, nobility, and passion. Usually, only women from relatively privileged families wear red wedding dresses to highlight their status and symbolize that they will have a greater say and better treatment in their new family.

Green is more elegant than red. When a woman marries into a higher social class, wearing a green wedding dress signifies humility and modesty. It also implies that the bride may need to be more careful and respectful in her treatment of her husband's family and related relatives in order to adapt to the new family environment and change in identity.

In other words, only women who are getting married will wear red wedding dresses.

It is not difficult to see that Xiao Puxian is unruly and even deliberately provocative.

The Liao Dynasty tried to dissuade her, but Xiao Puxian made it clear that she would not go if she was not allowed to wear a red wedding dress.

After discussing the matter, Yelü Yanxi and his ministers agreed that the three Khitan princesses were the ones the Liao Dynasty intended to use for marriage alliances, and their attire, along with that of their dowry maidens, already demonstrated the Liao Dynasty's stance. However, Xiao Puxian was someone Zhao Yu wanted, not a gift from the Liao Dynasty. The Liao Dynasty feared that if they spoke too openly, Xiao Puxian might refuse to go or commit suicide, and therefore dared not interfere with her affairs. They could simply explain the situation to the Song Dynasty later.

Seeing Xiao Puxian wearing a red wedding dress that even she dared not wear, Zhang Chun's lips curled up slightly: "I specialize in dealing with the unruly!"

Xiao Sese, standing to the side, felt a chill run down her spine upon seeing Zhang Chun's smile! Whenever Zhang Chun gave her that smile, Zhao Yu would torment her to the point of near death, until she finally submitted completely, allowing her to focus on her pregnancy...

Xiao Sese looked at Xiao Puxian and thought, 'You're in for a lot of trouble.'

Officials of the Song Dynasty bestowed gifts upon the Liao people who were escorting the bride, and received the bridal sedan chairs of Xiao Puxian, the three Khitan princesses, the twenty-four maids who accompanied them, and their dowry.

Then, Zhang Chun and Xiao Sese led Xiao Puxian and the others back to the Zhai Palace.

Taking advantage of Zhang Chun's absence, the three Khitan princesses eagerly inquired of Xiao Sese, "May I ask, Consort Wen, how is the Song Emperor?"

Xiao Puxian pretended not to care, but actually she perked up her ears, wanting to hear Xiao Sese's evaluation of Zhao Yu, the man they both loved, after she had been there for some time.

Xiao Sese remained silent for a long time before saying, "His wisdom and strategy are outstanding, his magnanimity is great, he knows how to use people well, he appoints the virtuous and capable regardless of their background, and people are happy to serve him. His plans are flawless, and his troops are never delayed. There has never been anyone like him before in history."

"Hiss~!"

Xiao Puxian knew that Zhao Yu, who was about to destroy the Western Xia and had pushed their Liao Dynasty to this point, must be extraordinary. But she never expected that Xiao Sese, a Khitan, would give such a high evaluation to Zhao Yu, their enemy.

Upon hearing this, the three Khitan princesses all looked surprised. They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with both anticipation and trepidation.

The most lively and spirited princess among them, Yelü Beixian, Yelü Nanxian's younger sister, couldn't contain her curiosity and asked softly, "Is the Song Emperor truly such a hero?"

The other two Khitan princesses and many of the women who accompanied them looked worried. They were thinking that if Zhao Yu was really such a hero, wouldn't their homeland, the Liao Dynasty, be in danger?

Xiao Sese sighed softly and said nothing more.

Xiao Puxian, standing to the side, discerned from Xiao Sese's sigh that Xiao Sese was pessimistic about the Liao Dynasty and even harbored a sense of despair about its future.

This stirred a deep emotion within Xiao Puxian, who had always admired strength. She knew that a man who could inspire respect in a woman from an enemy nation must possess extraordinary abilities and charm.

At this moment, Xiao Puxian was even more eager to meet Zhao Yu.

As night fell, the palace was brightly lit, illuminating Xiao Puxian's contemplative face. She gently stroked the intricate embroidery on her wedding dress, each stitch seemingly telling the story of the new life she was about to embark on.

However, to Xiao Puxian's surprise, Zhao Yu did not send her to serve him in bed, but instead sent three Khitan princesses first. This made Xiao Puxian frown deeply!

She was the one Zhao Yu specifically requested by name; the three Khitan princesses were given to him as gifts.

It doesn't make sense that Zhao Yu would enjoy the free gifts first and ignore her completely, even though the three free gifts were Khitan princesses.

What made Xiao Puxian even more worried was that in the days that followed, even when Zhao Yu sent his maids to serve him in bed, he did not choose her.

Xiao Puxian was somewhat puzzled, and even began to wonder, 'Could it be that I wore a red wedding dress when I came, which displeased the Song emperor?'

Xiao Puxian asked Zhao Yu about him from the three Khitan princesses who had served her in bed and the maids who had accompanied her.

Without exception, their evaluations of Zhao Yu were all extremely high.

However, they focused on different aspects. Some focused on personality, some on abilities, and some even on physical attributes.

This made Xiao Puxian even more curious about Zhao Yu. She began to picture Zhao Yu in her mind, 'What kind of charm does this man possess that can win the hearts of so many women?'

One day, Xiao Puxian was strolling alone in the courtyard, her mind filled with many thoughts. Suddenly, she heard bursts of laughter and cheerful voices coming from afar. Following the sound, she saw Zhao Yu, dressed in a dragon robe, chatting with several low-ranking soldiers about the amusing things that had happened during their march. Zhao Yu laughed without any airs, his laughter possessing both the majesty of a monarch and a sense of approachability, as if it could instantly bridge the distance between people.

Without exception, all the soldiers felt both awe and affection for Zhao Yu, and were deeply grateful to him. They answered whatever Zhao Yu asked them.

Xiao Puxian hid in the shadows, quietly observing everything, trying to judge what kind of person Zhao Yu was based on his behavior and words.

Unfortunately, Zhao Yu and the soldiers didn't have much time to talk before a minister came to report that some Liao soldiers had urinated in the wine that was being offered to the Song Dynasty as a reward for their troops. The Song generals were outraged and clamored to teach the Liao soldiers a lesson.

After learning of this, Zhao Yu stopped chatting with the soldiers and went to deal with the matter.

Before leaving, Zhao Yu specifically instructed that there were still some fruits and pastries left in his room, and that they be brought to be distributed to the soldiers.

From small things, one can see the big picture. Although she still doesn't know much about Zhao Yu, just by looking at Zhao Yu's methods of winning people's hearts, Xiao Puxian knew that Zhao Yu must be extraordinary.

This made Xiao Puxian even more eager to meet Zhao Yu.

Xiao Puxian was even somewhat annoyed by those Liao people. "If they were true heroes, they would have poisoned the wine, or sharpened their bows and swords for battle. But to indulge in the wine of the Song people—what difference is there between such behavior and that of petty scoundrels? It only adds to the ridicule! Not only does it not help, but it worsens the Liao's precarious situation, plunging them into an even more difficult predicament. This is truly not the act of a wise man!"

In fact, many Liao people were dissatisfied with the annual tribute and interest paid to the Zhao Song Dynasty, especially after Yelü Yanxi and his ministers not only gave all the horses, cattle, sheep, camels, mules, donkeys, soldiers, armor, and strategic materials in Yanjing to the Zhao Song Dynasty, but also continued to plunder gold, silver, and silk in Yanjing and send them to the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Meanwhile, Yelü Yanxi and his ministers did their utmost to curry favor with Zhao Yu. Even as supplies in Yanjing City became increasingly scarce, they still tried to provide Zhao Yu with delicacies, fine wines, and rare foods.

This made many people from Liaoning feel humiliated.

However, these Liao people dared not resist openly; they would only resort to underhanded tactics in secret.

For example, during the transportation of silk, they often passed off inferior goods as superior ones, or even mixed in some low-quality products, in order to deceive the people of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

The people of the Zhao Song Dynasty had taken precautions against this. They strictly inspected the quality of each batch of silk, and any batch that failed to meet the standards was rejected and not counted, which meant that the silk was delivered for nothing.

Upon learning of this, Emperor Yelü Yanxi and his ministers hastily ordered the selection of the finest silk to be sent to the Song Dynasty. For any silk of insufficient quality, they were instructed to provide two, or even three or four, bolts of silk in lieu of one bolt.

The people transporting silk out of the city were all Liao soldiers, specifically the four Liao armies. Yelü Yanxi's personal guards were stationed in different locations to supervise each army. The armies also carried different flags to distinguish themselves. It was common to see the army leaders and tribal chiefs, all beaming with pride, vying to report their achievements to the Song Dynasty officials, complain about their troubles, obtain permits, and collect rations from them.

Some Liao generals and powerful chieftains even boasted proudly, saying, "When I went, I was able to take it all and did not return it."

This shows that many soldiers of the Liao Dynasty had lost their backbone as soldiers.

However, not all Liao people were cowards. There were also some "patriots" who disapproved of the Song Dynasty's aggressive behavior and the servile attitude of Yelü Yanxi and his ministers. Now, seeing Yelü Yanxi and his ministers marry Yelü Chun's betrothed wife, three princesses, and twenty-four daughters of Khitan nobles to Zhao Yu for a peace treaty, they were even more indignant.

Therefore, some Liao people urinated in the wine that was given to Song generals, hoping to vent their anger in this way.

Unexpectedly, this was discovered by the Song Dynasty military officer who received the wine.

The Song generals were furious. They had never expected that these Liao people would be so despicable as to insult them in such a way.

Many Song generals clamored to raze Yanjing to the ground.

Suddenly, the war between the Song and Liao dynasties, which had been barely quelled, seemed to be about to reignite.

In fact, since the Song army besieged Yanjing, although under Zhao Yu's strict discipline, the Song army did not exactly refrain from harming the Liao people, but they did maintain strict military discipline. Even so, the arrival of the Song army still had a huge impact on the people in Yanjing.

To repay the annual tribute and interest owed to the Song Dynasty, Emperor Yelü Yanxi and his ministers relentlessly plundered the people of Yanjing, which undoubtedly caused enormous losses and impacts on the city.

Furthermore, due to the siege of the city by the army, prices in Yanjing have skyrocketed. Now, a dou of rice even sells for 1,200 coins, and a dou of wheat for 1,000 coins. In addition, all the livestock and poultry in the city have been taken away by the Zhao Song Dynasty. As a result, the people in the city can barely survive. Regardless of their status, they have not seen meat for almost a month.

The key issue is that the weather is getting colder and colder, and it won't be long before people need to light fires for warmth. If the Song army continues to besiege the city at that time, it could cause a large number of people to freeze to death.

These things will undoubtedly incite resentment among the people in the city.

On the other hand, the Song army, having gained an absolute advantage, inevitably became arrogant and could not tolerate the provocations of the Liao people who were on their chopping block.
The current situation in Yanjing is like a powder keg; a single spark could ignite the already extremely tense nerves between the two countries.

Fearing that this day might come, Zhao Yu had a large number of laborers hired from Yan and Hebei at prices 30% higher than the market rate to transport the spoils back to the Zhao Song Dynasty as quickly as possible, lest they be unable to take these things with them in a hasty retreat...

After listening to Zeng Bu and Guo Cheng's reports, Zhao Yu specifically asked Han Zhongyan to handle the matter.

Judging from the people Zhao Yu chose, it's not hard to see that he still wanted to settle things peacefully. Otherwise, he would have sent Zeng Bu or Cai Bian instead of Han Zhongyan.

Han Zhongyan found Xiao Fengxian immediately.

Unexpectedly, Han Zhongyan was quick, but Xiao Fengxian was even faster. Xiao Fengxian had already captured more than thirty people, executed them all, and hung them in front of the city gate as a warning to others, the key being to give the Zhao Song Dynasty an explanation.

At the same time, Yelü Yanxi specially ordered one hundred jars of fine wine to be collected and sent to the Zhaigong Palace as an apology.

Thanks to the restraint of the leaders of both countries, this storm, which almost erupted due to a minor friction, was ultimately suppressed.

But the crisis between the two countries did not end there.

On the contrary, an even greater test followed.

Two days later, the first reinforcements from the Liao Kingdom arrived at the gates of Yanjing...

……

(End of this chapter)