The prince is more stable

Chapter 360: Liao Lord Summons Envoy
The envoy came in anger, and the other monarch deliberately ignored him. This is a common diplomatic tactic.

First, it is to let the other envoy calm down. Don't be too arrogant on my territory. After being left alone for a long time, the envoy's temper will be worn out, and we can talk calmly and peacefully without invading each other.

Secondly, it is a negotiation skill, just like training an eagle to wear out the patience of the other party's envoy, causing him to make all kinds of guesses out of thin air, and put himself at a disadvantage before the talks even begin.

Zhao Xiaoqian had used this trick on Xiao Guangjing before, and Xiao Guangjing was tortured to the point of ecstasy.

Now Su Shi is in Beijing, feeling extremely happy.

However, Su Shi, who was already in his sixties, was much stronger than the young man Xiao Guangjing. Since the Liao emperor refused to see him, he drank and had fun in the inn every day, drinking to the point of ecstasy.

After the initial distress and worry, Su Shi simply let go of his worries.

Anyway, I'm in Beijing. You can come to see me or not if you want. If not, I'll just have fun by myself.

However, to Su Shi's surprise, although the Liao Emperor Yelu Hongji did not meet him, Su Shi's arrival caused a huge wave in Shangjing.

Su Shi was not only famous in the Song Dynasty, but also had many admirers in the Liao Dynasty. Every one of his classic poems was sung in the brothels in the capital, and the literati in the Liao Dynasty almost became his crazy fans.

The biggest feature of Confucian culture in the Central Plains is its inclusiveness. The Liao Kingdom was originally a barbaric country, but when the Liao people established the country and gradually evolved from a nomadic people to an agricultural people, the infectiousness and inclusiveness of Confucian culture immediately manifested themselves.

The army and military force of the Song Dynasty may have been despised and scorned by the Liao people, but the Liao people did not dare to despise the culture of the Song Dynasty, which was indeed profound and extensive.

And who is the most famous literati in the Song Dynasty?
Who else could it be besides Su Shi?
Who among the educated people in the Liao Dynasty had not heard of Su Shi?
Now, when they heard that Su Shi was on a mission to the Liao Kingdom as an envoy of the Song Dynasty and was staying in the post house in Shangjing, the literati of the Liao Kingdom were ecstatic upon hearing the news and came to him one after another to ask for a meeting.

How crazy is the scene of asking to see Su Shi?

On the street near the post station, half of the people were lined up with scholars, and the line stretched from the post station to the end of the street. It was once called a wonder in the capital.

That’s right, being educated and able to write poetry makes one so arrogant.

However, Su Shi refused to meet any of them and had a very bad attitude towards the Liao people. He ordered the post station to close its doors and refused all invitations from literati to banquets and socialize, except for officials from the Liao Kingdom who came to discuss business.

On this point, Xiao Guangjing lost another battle. Think about how he behaved in Bianjing City when he was sent as an envoy to the Song Dynasty...

Therefore, when a person reaches a certain age, the years will definitely give him something, and his experience will form muscle memory, allowing him to subconsciously avoid pitfalls that he should not step into.

If Xiao Guangjing had the same determination as Su Shi, he would not have fallen into Zhao Xiaoqian's pig-killing scheme.

The scene of the streets being deserted was not only unexpected by Su Shi, but even Zhao Xiaoqian had not expected it.

Faced with the literati who came to see him every day, including some officials from the Liao Dynasty, Su Shi became annoyed and suddenly an idea came to his mind.

Since the Liao Emperor refused to see him, he could use public opinion.

There are so many crazy fans out there, why not use them?

So, after the literati who came to the capital waited for many days, Su Shi still did not want to see the guests, but asked the waiter at the post station to pass on the message.

The Liao ruler was rude and did not see the envoy. Scholar Su did not complete his mission and did not see any foreign guests.

This sentence spread in Shangjing in an instant. After the Liao officials and literati asked in detail, they all felt sorry for Su Shi.

In this regard, the Liao Emperor Yelu Hongji was indeed a bit rude. The Song envoy had been in Kyoto for half a month, but the Liao emperor actually left him in the post station and ignored him. He only sent a few officials to talk to Su Shi a few times.

From the perspective of diplomatic etiquette, the Liao emperor's actions were inappropriate.

As a result, public opinion in the capital was stirred up by Su Shi's words, and officials submitted memorials to the Liao emperor, requesting Yelu Hongji to summon the Song envoy and not to lose etiquette and manners in front of foreign envoys.

This wave of public opinion arose suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving Yelu Hongji completely bewildered. Over the past two days, more and more officials had come to him to advise him, disrupting the Liao emperor's plan to torture the Song envoy. Finally, under the remonstration of many Liao officials, Yelu Hongji was forced to issue an imperial decree to summon the Song envoy, Su Shi.

Su Shi was quite surprised by this result. He thought he would have to wait at least half a month longer. He did not expect that his fame would be so effective in the Liao Kingdom, and the public opinion created by using his fame would have such a magical effect.

Wearing the official uniform of the Song Dynasty, Su Shi entered the Liao Palace with a banner and met Yelu Hongji.

Diplomatic etiquette had been practiced countless times, and Su Shi's every move was in line with the etiquette of an envoy, leaving the Liao people unable to find fault.

The Liao Kingdom and the Song Dynasty were not vassal states of each other. After the Treaty of Chanyuan, the two countries' formal relationship was one of brotherly diplomacy, and their diplomacy was based on the principle of "brother" countries.

This explains the annual tribute that the Song Dynasty gave to the Liao Kingdom.

Which brothers don't help each other? It is reasonable for the rich elder brother to give some relief to the poor younger brother every year.

Therefore, the Song Dynasty’s public term for “annual tribute” was called “annual gift”. The difference of one word was enough to save face.

Su Shi met Yelu Hongji with courtesy. Since Yelu Hongji had summoned Su Shi today, he naturally could not be rude again. So he smiled and offered him a seat, and greeted Su Shi warmly.

The topics they talked about were nothing more than the customs and habits of the Song and Liao countries, and they also greeted Zhao Xu in Bianliang.

The two sides recalled the Treaty of Chanyuan, which laid the foundation for a century of peace between the two countries. They expressed their appreciation for the commercial exchanges between the two countries and stated that the two countries should continue to deepen trade and intensify cooperation and exchanges in various fields.

The diplomatic rhetoric was very official, and both Su Shi and Yelu Hongji were exhausted from speaking.

Today, Yelu Hongji summoned Su Shi alone. There were no outsiders present. However, there was a young man sitting next to Yelu Hongji, whose features were vaguely similar to Yelu Hongji.

This young man held great importance in the Liao Kingdom. He was Yelu Yanxi, the crown prince appointed by Yelu Hongji. In other words, when Yelu Hongji died in the future, this young man named Yelu Yanxi would inherit his throne.

That’s right, he skipped Yelu Hongji’s son and passed the throne directly to his grandson.

Because Yelu Hongji's eldest son, Yelu Jun, had died twenty years ago, he was framed and killed by treacherous officials. Later, the truth came to light, and Yelu Hongji was filled with remorse. So he ignored the opposition and insisted on making Yelu Jun's son, Yelu Yanxi, the crown prince, who would directly inherit the throne in the future.

Perhaps to make up for his guilt towards his eldest son Yelu Jun, Yelu Hongji was particularly doting on this crown prince, to the point of granting his every request.

In order to train this grandson, Yelu Hongji now does not avoid him in any matters and handles all state affairs. Yelu Hongji teaches the grandson step by step and lets the grandson stay by his side on any occasion to achieve the purpose of teaching by words and deeds.

Su Shi was summoned today, and Yelu Hongji also asked the crown prince to be present.

Yelu Yanxi was very young, only two years older than Zhao Xu, but he had a somewhat frivolous demeanor and looked at Su Shi with a bit of contempt.

As an envoy, Su Shi naturally saw Yelu Yanxi's expression, but sighed in his heart.

If we talk about the composure of a ruler, the officials of our Great Song Dynasty are much better than the rulers of these barbarians. It is indeed a country of barbarians that is uncivilized.

Very good. I hope that the Crown Prince can maintain his expression and mentality of asking for a beating.

The more arrogant the enemy is, the closer he is to the abyss.

Su Shi ignored Yelu Yanxi's frivolous and slightly provocative look, but stared into Yelu Hongji's eyes.

"I have been sent to Liao by imperial decree to address another matter. Recently, Liao cavalry have been active on the Song-Liao border, repeatedly invading the territory of Zhending Prefecture, killing hundreds of Song border residents and stealing countless grain and valuables. The Song government is furious and has sent me to question the Liao ruler, demanding an explanation."

"Does your country intend to break the agreement of the Chanyuan Alliance between Song and Liao?"

(End of this chapter)