I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 305 Hypocrisy, Getting the Benefit and Then Feigning Innocence
...

Zhao Yu had reason to be "angry".

Xiao Duli was the Empress of Liao, a genuine Empress, without any controversy.

Even if it was Xiao Guige, she was Yelü Yanxi's primary consort. In the absence of an empress dowager in the Liao Dynasty, she was practically the second highest-ranking woman in the Liao Dynasty.

These two important women, Xiao Puxian and Xiao Fengxian conspired to present them to Zhao Yu.

It would be quite unreasonable for Zhao Yu not to say something, especially given the prospect of a "coalition" between the Song and Liao dynasties.

When Empress Xiao Puxian heard Zhao Yu say, "You are putting me in a position of being unrighteous and immoral," she didn't scold Zhao Yu for being "hypocritical, reaping the benefits while pretending to be innocent," nor did she scold him for "wanting to be a prostitute while also wanting to maintain a virtuous image." Instead, she said in a serious tone:
"The Liao Kingdom is on the verge of destruction. Only by sincerely uniting with our Great Song Dynasty can it have a sliver of hope."

"The most urgent task is to send someone who can influence the politics of the Liao Kingdom to mediate and prevent the Song and Liao from fighting each other due to suspicion, so that a smooth alliance can be formed. Who else but Xiao Fengxian can be such a person?"

"But Xiao Fengxian is a minister of Aguo. If he does not show his loyalty, how can our Great Song Dynasty use him?"

"Only then could yesterday's events have occurred."

"The Empress and Consort Yuan are also people of great integrity. They know that this matter concerns the very foundation of both the Song and Liao states, especially the life and death of the Liao state. Therefore, they are willing to serve Your Majesty in anonymity."

When Xiao Puxian made this excuse, Cai Jing and Su Shi immediately understood that what Xiao Puxian was really concerned about now was not how to get along with the Liao Kingdom in the future, but to help the Zhao Song Dynasty recover the five prefectures of Yan, the three prefectures of Pingluanying, and the Juyong Pass without bloodshed.

This is the highest priority, so why not plant a thorn in the hearts of the Liao people first?
In other words, Xiao Puxian believes that a bird in the hand is worth more than a thousand birds in the forest.

Of course, Xiao Puxian was also demonstrating her tough political stance in this way: "I dare to scheme against and sacrifice even your Liao Empress and Consort Yuan, so I will certainly do the same to others. Therefore, you will all have to obey me in Liao from now on, or you will all face my ruthless methods!"

It must be said that Xiao Puxian's scheme was both a profound understanding of the treacherous nature of human hearts and a display of ruthless political maneuvering. As a woman, she wove a complex political web between the Song and Liao dynasties, and her skillful methods and ruthless heart are truly astonishing.

Seeing that Xiao Puxian was capable of such a feat, Zhang Chun finally understood why Zhao Yu wanted Xiao Puxian to become the Eastern Empress Dowager of Liao, instead of letting her go.

To be honest, Zhang Chun had been resentful that Zhao Yu had chosen Xiao Puxian's daughter to be the Empress Dowager of Liao instead of her. She even became somewhat passive and reluctant to work because of this, as a way of expressing her dissatisfaction with Zhao Yu and even trying to prove to him that he couldn't function without her.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yu ignored Zhang Chun's tantrums and continued to govern the Song Dynasty without any hindrance, while also pushing for Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese to become the Empress Dowagers of Liao and to command Liao in its battle against Jin.

Zhang Chun realized that things were going badly. Zhao Yu's wings had hardened, and he was completely unaffected without her. The key was that if she continued to cause trouble, she might really be banished to the cold palace by Zhao Yu and completely removed from the power center of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Zhang Chun quickly seized an opportunity to kneel before Zhao Yu and submit to his authority.

Zhang Chuncai returned to Zhao Yu's side and continued to serve as Zhao Yu's core advisor, helping Zhao Yu to govern the Zhao Song Dynasty and assisting Zhao Yu in foreign affairs.

Although she returned, Zhang Chun was still dissatisfied with Xiao Puxian's decision to implement the "Cian and Empress Dowager Cixi" model she had proposed.

You should know that becoming Empress Dowager has always been Zhang Chun's biggest dream.

During the Song Dynasty, Zhang Chun felt that he probably wouldn't have that opportunity.

Let her have her fill in Liao, that's fine too.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yu chose Xiao Puxian without hesitation.

Zhang Chun was unconvinced; she wanted to see exactly where Xiao Puxian was better than her.

It wasn't until she saw this scene that Zhang Chun understood why Zhao Yu chose Xiao Puxian instead of her.

Xiao Puxian's strength lies not in the ingenuity of her schemes, but in a kind of almost cruel political pragmatism—every move she makes is made with a ruthless determination to destroy everything, leaving herself no room for sentimentality.

Empress Xiao Puxian's ruthlessness lay in her willingness to target those whom others dared not touch. Xiao Duolilan and Xiao Guige were the face of the Liao Kingdom, yet she offered them up without hesitation. In her eyes, Xiao Duolilan and Xiao Guige were not the Liao Empress and Consort, but merely pawns to be weighed and deemed useful. As long as they contributed to her desired outcome, she dared to act.

And what about her? Her dream is to become Empress Dowager; essentially, she's still pursuing the prestige that power brings. She'll scheme for personal gain, but deep down, she's unwilling to "destroy her own foundation." Asking her to take action against Xiao Duoli and Xiao Guige, who are bound to cause controversy? She simply can't do it.

From plotting to force Xiao Fengxian to pledge his loyalty, to offering Xiao Duoli and Xiao Guige to Zhao Yu, and then to handling everything flawlessly, Xiao Puxian was swift and decisive. She wanted "one bird in hand," and would never waste time on "a thousand birds in the forest." No matter how despicable or immoral the matter, as long as it achieved her core objective, she dared to make the decision and carry it out.

Zhang Chun's previous passive resistance to being chosen as the Empress Dowager of Liao was essentially a result of mixing personal emotions into political decision-making. She would weigh her options, act out of spite, and hesitate due to resentment.

In the political arena, hesitation is tantamount to suicide.

Xiao Puxian would never do that—once she locks onto a target, she pounces like a hungry wolf, not caring who the target is or what others think; she just grabs the meat first.

Xiao Puxian understood that power is not earned through titles, but seized through intimidation.

Zhang Chun wanted to become Empress Dowager, valuing the glory that the title brought. But Empress Xiao Puxian didn't care about the title at all—what she wanted was actual power to influence the politics of the Liao Dynasty.

For this reason, Xiao Puxian is willing to use any means necessary to pave the way.

It can be said that every step Xiao Puxian took was to consolidate real power, not for a good reputation.

To put it bluntly, Zhang Chun wanted to be the protagonist on the political stage, while Xiao Puxian was the one who could build the stage herself and also dared to burn it down and rebuild it.

One is still concerned with gains and losses, honor and disgrace, while the other has long since trampled honor and disgrace underfoot and only cares about the result.

This is what makes Xiao Puxian so terrifying—her ruthlessness and decisiveness aren't just a matter of personality, but a deep-seated belief: politics is a life-or-death struggle; you either win to the end or you die completely—there's no middle ground. Zhang Chun, looking at Xiao Puxian, thought, 'Truly worthy of being the woman who could crush the Northern Song Dynasty even on the eve of the Liao Dynasty's demise!'

Cai Jing and Su Shi also quickly weighed the impact and pros and cons of the matter.

The conclusion is as follows:

While an alliance with the Liao Dynasty was important, it was far less important than recovering the five prefectures of Yan, pacifying the three prefectures of Luan and Ying, and conquering Juyong Pass. If this opportunity could be used to recover these regions without bloodshed and enable the Zhao Song Dynasty to achieve unification, even breaking the alliance with the Liao Dynasty would not be a problem.

Moreover, the Song Dynasty was the only hope for the revival of the Liao Dynasty, and afterwards, the Liao people would most likely not care about such a trivial matter.

The key point is that the political plan of the Zhao Song Dynasty, which was to let Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese, two concubines of Zhao Yu, rule the Liao Dynasty, was already an "insult" to the Liao people. It would have been better to use Xiao Duoli and Consort Xiao to correct the Liao people's thinking, so that those pragmatic Liao people like Xiao Fengxian would decide who the real ruler of the Liao Dynasty was, which side they should stand on, and who they should serve.

To put it bluntly, Xiao Puxian's actions were not only to establish her own authority, but also to establish Zhao Yu's authority, and even more so to establish the authority of the Zhao Song Dynasty. Moreover, she was giving the Liao ministers an opportunity to choose sides, so that the Zhao Song Dynasty could distinguish who was useful, who was not, who could be utilized, and who could be given important responsibilities.

Therefore, whether viewed from the present or the long term, Xiao Puxian's plan is ingenious and its far-reaching impact should not be underestimated. It is of great political wisdom and practical value.

Cai Jing glanced at Xiao Puxian, whose expression remained calm, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes: "A resilient mind and decisive methods. Using the survival of the Liao Kingdom as bait, you lured various forces into the game, while you sat back and reaped the benefits. Excellent methods, very clever!"

Su Shi also thought: "It seems like a risky move to win, but in reality it is a step-by-step strategy with each step linked to the next. It not only cleverly utilizes the internal contradictions of Liao, but also cleverly weaves the interests of our Great Song into this political net. It can truly be described as killing two birds with one stone and achieving two goals with one arrow."

Although Zhang Chun was still unconvinced, she had to admit Xiao Puxian's formidable abilities. She thought to herself, "If I want to gain a foothold in this political arena, I must learn her ruthlessness and decisiveness. I must never let my personal emotions sway my judgment again..."

Cai Jing stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, although Consort Xiao and Privy Councilor Xiao’s actions were somewhat rash, they were also thinking of the overall situation. In my opinion, it would be better to record their mistakes for now and let them redeem themselves through meritorious service. If they can recover Yanjing for our Great Song, then we can reward them according to their merits; if they ruin it, then we can punish them for both crimes. What does Your Majesty think?”

Su Shi also stepped forward and said, "Although Consort Xiao and Privy Councilor Xiao's actions seem radical, they are actually well-versed in the military strategy of 'putting oneself in a desperate situation to survive.' By using the Liao Empress and Consort Yuan as bait, they can not only quickly test the loyalty and treachery within the Liao state, but also buy our Great Song the opportunity and time to recover Yanjing through political means. In that case, the benefits of this move will far outweigh the drawbacks."

Other ministers also said that the most urgent task was to send reliable people to Yanjing to mediate and try to recover the five prefectures of Yan, the three prefectures of Pingluan and Ying, and the Juyong Pass by means of political means, rather than using military means to recover these areas and let the Jin state take advantage of the situation to extend its reach across the Great Wall and threaten the security of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

With a way out provided, Zhao Yu naturally took the opportunity to personally remove the thorns from Xiao Fengxian's body and said to him, "The affairs of Yanjing depend on your mediation. As for who needs to go with you, you can decide. I will also prepare two million strings of cash and one hundred thousand garlic-shaped gold for you. You can take care of it with confidence. Moreover, I will personally lead a large army to the border within three days to cooperate with you."

After a pause, Zhao Yu promised, "If this matter succeeds, I will reward you handsomely, granting you promotions and titles. All those who have made contributions will be generously rewarded!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fengxian bowed his head and kowtowed, his voice firm and resounding: "Your Majesty's great favor is beyond measure! I will do my utmost on this trip to Yanjing, fulfilling my mission and recovering the lost territories for our Great Song!"

Zhao Yu nodded in satisfaction and waved for Xiao Fengxian to leave so they could proceed to Yanjing.

Xiao Fengxian accepted the order, turned and left, his back view firm and resolute...

……

As soon as Xiao Fengxian returned to Duting Post Station, he noticed that the atmosphere there was strange.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Fengxian immediately guessed that it must have been him who had brought the news of Xiao Duolilan and Xiao Guige being offered to Zhao Yu here. It was even possible that the people of the Zhao Song Dynasty had deliberately leaked this information to the Liao people here so that he and the people of the Zhao Song Dynasty could distinguish which of these Liao people were capable.

This incident proved to be an excellent litmus test.

As soon as Xiao Fengxian returned, a group of Liao people, led by Liao Taishu Yelü Huluwa and including Zhaotao Yelü Diliu, Xiangwen Xiao Liujin, Jiedushi Yelü Bodie, and Xiao Chigou'er, surrounded him.

Yelü Huluwa, being the most senior among the Liao people, was somewhat reserved in leading the surrender to the Zhao Song Dynasty. However, in order to avoid becoming a prisoner and to secure a glimmer of hope for the Liao Kingdom, he still asked with a smile, "What does the Great Song say?"

Seeing that at least a third of the Liao people had come over, and many others were still observing, and that there were very few Liao people who were truly determined to support Yelü Yanxi, Xiao Fengxian was completely relieved. He then told the group of Liao people that he planned to set off for Yanjing the next day.

Xiao Fengxian continued, "Given the current situation, Prince Jin is the only hope for our Great Liao. If Prince Jin successfully ascends the throne and cedes the land of Yanping to the Great Song in exchange for the Great Song's support for the restoration of our Great Liao, our Great Liao will still have a glimmer of hope for restoration. Otherwise, our Great Liao will surely perish. The Empress and Consort Yuan are wise and understanding, so they listened to my advice and disguised themselves to serve His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song, making His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song owe our Great Liao a favor and thus have no choice but to help our Great Liao restore its kingdom..."

Although Xiao Fengxian's words were full of loopholes, that didn't matter. Everyone knew what really happened. All that mattered now was for Xiao Fengxian to come up with a plausible excuse so that everyone could pretend not to know.

After Xiao Fengxian finished his performance, Yelü Huluwa couldn't help but say, "Nieli is stubborn; it's difficult for ordinary people to persuade him..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fengxian understood what Yelü Huluwa meant. He said, "Otherwise, Taishu will go to Nanjing with me to persuade the Ninth King. Taishu and the Ninth King are brothers, and he will surely listen to Taishu's advice."

Yelü Huluwa was overjoyed. He hurriedly said, "I am closest to Nieli. He will surely listen to my advice. For the sake of the Liao Dynasty, I am willing to make the trip."

"Alright." But then, Xiao Fengxian hesitated, "I'm naturally willing to take Taishu with me, but I'm afraid the Song Dynasty..."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Huluwa quickly replied, "I have no sons, and my three daughters have all entered the harem of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. They are not outsiders to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty."

Not only did Yelü Huluwa's three daughters enter Zhao Yu's harem, but all the queens he took in later in life also entered Zhao Yu's harem.

It's just that it's not a good time to say this.

Xiao Fengxian knew that Zhao Yu had taken Yelü Huluwa's daughter as his concubine, and he also knew that Yelü Huluwa was cowardly, selfish, opportunistic, and very easy to win over. However, he felt that this was not enough. After all, this matter was too big, and if he was not careful, he might not return, or even meet a terrible end. Therefore, he said with some difficulty, "I understand that Taishu has devoted himself wholeheartedly to our Great Liao, but this matter is of great importance..."

Yelü Huluwa thought for a moment and said, "No, I will go and ask His Majesty for an imperial edict. If we have His Majesty's decree, our trip will be much more efficient..."

……

(End of this chapter)