Chapter 1077 Peace Talks

Xingzhou, in the palace.

"Prime Minister, the war is going badly in the front, and we are losing ground. The thief Wang Yan in Yanzhou is really difficult to deal with. According to the report from the front, there are some people from our Xia joining the army led by Zhong Yan. Since the war started two months ago, we have deployed troops several times to encircle and kill him, but our plan has failed repeatedly. Zhong Yan will fall into the trap and flee south. Wang Yan has 10,000 soldiers to support him, and there are other troops to cut off our retreat, so we are in a dilemma.

Now Fan Zhongyan and Di Qing have arrived in Longyou, and they have increased their forces. Now there are 300,000 soldiers. I heard that they are still dispatching troops to support them. Moreover, there are many rebellions in our country, and it is suspected that Wang Yan sent people to spread rumors. There have been no less than 20 killings of officials in the past two months..."

"Yes, Prime Minister, now we are facing internal and external troubles, and it is difficult to support both sides..."

A group of ministers echoed, all of them were very urgent.

The one called Prime Minister is Mo Zang Epang, who is now powerful in the court of Xixia. He is now over fifty years old, and has been in a high position for a long time, enjoying wealth and luxury, and the whole person has become prosperous.

But he sat there, with a full beard, broad shoulders, and a cruel look that showed that he was once a strong man, but now he is a violent man, and he is at the moment of attack.

He is indeed a cruel man.

After Li Yuanhao supported the Song Dynasty, but was forced to join the Liao Kingdom to stop the war, he began to toss the country and began to enjoy everything after the great victory as a matter of course, arrogant, arrogant, and cruel.

Mo Zang Epang seized this opportunity. At that time, he had been promoted to prime minister by Li Yuanhao, and he was powerful in the court, but he lived in fear. So he encouraged Li Yuanhao's prince Ning Lingge to poison Li Yuanhao, and he killed Ning Lingge in the name of poisoning his father and supported his sister Mo Zangshi's son Li Liangzuo to take the throne, that is, the current little emperor.

As a result, Mo Zang Epang truly took control of the power of Xixia, wantonly eliminated dissidents, exploited and plundered people from top to bottom, and sent troops out to scare the Song Dynasty and extort money from time to time. Life was still very happy.

But scare is scare, he didn't want to really fight. But the situation changed too quickly, Wang Yan was not joking, he said he would fight, and he fought so hard. He had dealt with the Song Dynasty too many times, but this time the Song Dynasty made him unfamiliar and frightened.

He was frightened, so naturally he had to make others more frightened.

So after listening to the minister's report, he angrily threw the exquisite celadon Jianzhan from the Song Dynasty in his hand, and it landed accurately on the head of one of them, with a thump, and it was smashed quite solid. It bounced off the head and fell to the ground, and then it broke with a snap.

The sound of the Jianzhan shattering made the other ministers tremble...

Then, Mo Zang Epang's angry voice sounded: "How is the war going? Don't I know? Do you want to talk nonsense? Now, I want you to tell me how to deal with the Song thieves, how to deal with the Wang thieves, how to win, not to let you talk nonsense!"

In the empty hall, Mo Zang Epang's angry shouts echoed, and the Xixia leaders who were shaking with fear were trembling, and no one answered.

"Speak up, are you all mute?"

After another silence, someone spoke up: "The situation has become clear since the battle began. If we fight again, we will surely be defeated and our country will be destroyed. There is only one way to deal with it now, which is to unite with Khitan. However, the Khitan ruler may not be around for long, and it is a time of internal troubles, so he may not be willing to attack Song. Therefore, only by paying a large sum of money can Khitan take action and force the Song court to stop fighting and seek peace."

Mo Zang Epang pondered for a long time and sighed: "Let's do this. You can discuss it and come up with a charter. You will go to Khitan. Move quickly, otherwise there will be changes."

So some more arrangements were made, including arranging for the increase of troops and the transportation of food and grass, as well as other personnel issues. After a full half-day meeting, the ministers of Western Xia finally dispersed.

They have been thinking about it for more than two months, but they still don't understand why the Song court suddenly became so powerful. Of course, they knew that the key to the problem was Wang Yan. But they couldn't figure out how Wang Yan could be so powerful, and he was proficient in everything from politics to war.

All their actions on the eastern front ended in failure.

They sent out a large army to chase and intercept in the large area of ​​Youzhou and Xiazhou, and even used cavalry to fight infantry, but it was useless. If it was cavalry, they would encounter cavalry and constantly harass them.

If they divided their troops, they would eventually be surrounded, and there would be nothing left from people to horses to armor. If they didn't divide their troops, the mobility advantage of the cavalry would not be able to be deployed, and there would be no threat to the troops led by Zong Yan, who operated in units of hundreds or thousands. They might even be counter-surrounded.

If it was infantry, it would be even more doomed. Their infantry couldn't beat the opposite side. The most dangerous battle was when they were marching and the reinforcements were twenty miles away. They had a head-on field battle with tens of thousands of people, and ran away after the battle.

If they dared to send troops to bypass the rear and attack the Baoan Army and Yanzhou, they would not only encounter stubborn resistance from the other side, but Zhong Yan would also appear at the first time to cut off their retreat and form an encirclement.

When they found that a large number of Xia people were fighting for their lives in the Song army, they cursed Wang Yan for being stupid and secretly sent people to join the army to save their lives and be captured by the Song army. After being escorted to the rear, they went to incite the people to rebel.

But unfortunately, it was of no use at all. Instead, he was reported by the Xixia people and arrested and given special care. Because all of them who could instigate rebellion have been caught working, they don't have enough to eat, they have to be beaten every day, and they have to do heavy work. Ten or twenty people die in one day, which is a small number. And those people in Xixia who can move freely have actually benefited and listened to the propaganda. How could they want to rebel?

The people were illiterate and ignorant, but they were not stupid. When Li Yuanhao rebelled and founded the country, he promised benefits to these people, but he saw nothing. But when the Song Dynasty came, they arrested all the officials who bullied them. Some were beheaded in public, and some were working outside. They were watching. How could they not know who was good to them...

While they had racked their brains to target Wang Yan and had no results, Fan Zhongyan and Di Qing on the western front were mature and prudent. Moreover, their goal was to be undefeated and their troops were very stable. Even if they made mistakes, they would not be too big of a mistake. Even if the generals on the front line waste the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and lose a relatively critical battle, there is still a lot of room for error.

He completely understood that this battle was going to be lost, and then he began to want to end the battle as soon as possible. After all, it was too hopeless to endlessly support a war that we knew we were going to lose. There is so much military expenditure, it would be better if everyone pocketed a share...

The Loess Plateau has a temperate continental monsoon climate, with hot and rainy summers and cold and dry winters. After more than four months of fighting, it is already autumn between winter and summer. Therefore, the characteristics of winter and summer are taken into account. It is hot during the day, cold at night, and it rains heavily.

It was raining heavily that day. In the temporary official residence in Xiazhou, Wang Yan was eating hotpot mutton and drinking Huadiao wine. It was raining heavily outside the window and it was very cold. It was very warm inside the window because of the stove. A person eats alone and enjoys himself.

There was a rush of boots hitting the rain, and Xiao Dongliang walked in with the wind and rain, and the heat rising from the hot pot dispersed.

"Alang, there is a letter from Mr. Fan."

"eat together."

"Thank you Alang." Xiao Dongliang chuckled and handed over the letter. He then got the bowl and chopsticks by himself, mixed the seasonings skillfully, poured a plate of meat into the pot, and sat on the small bench biting his chopsticks and staring. Waiting for the meat to be cooked...

Wang Yan shook his head in amusement, took a sip of wine, then opened the envelope, shook it open and read it, then smiled, put the letter back, held the envelope between his fingers, and threw it back. On the desk.

"Alang, did Mr. Fan say anything funny?"

"Xixia paid money to ask Khitan for help. Khitan increased its troops on the border and sent envoys to Bianjing to discuss peace. Bianjing agreed and sent an order to Duke Fan to stop the army. Do you think it's funny?"

"Why? Are those officials all fools? Now we have captured Yuzhou and half of Yanzhou. The western front has also advanced hundreds of miles. In less than a year, Xixia will be destroyed. Didn't Alang say that the Khitan will not Dare to start a war?"

"One moment, another moment. Xixia was useless. In less than half a year, it lost a large area of ​​land and population, and lost many soldiers. The Khitan saw it. If Xixia was destroyed, we, the Song Dynasty, would definitely have to wait for two years to recuperate. The Northern Expedition was going to be unrelenting, so the Khitan was afraid. Even if they lost ground and were embarrassed, Xixia still had hundreds of thousands of troops, so we, the Song Dynasty, would not dare to move rashly. It must be fought.”

"Alang thinks those people in the capital have no eggs?"

Xiaodongli grew up in the countryside, and after joining Wang Yan, he became well-informed. He had contact with people from all walks of life, as well as soldiers, and his speaking tone was very slippery.

"The Khitan has nothing to fear, but now Xixia has no fighting spirit. We can just maintain the status quo and go to the north."

"Oh..." Xiao Dongliang said in a clear voice, "So the capital gave Duke Fan the order to stop the army, but did not give the order to A Lang. It wanted Fan Gong to persuade A Lang, and was afraid that A Lang would do things on his own again and end up with A Lang. Khitan goes to war."

"You've made some progress, kid." Wang Yan nodded with a smile.

"If you don't make any progress, wouldn't you be living up to Alang's cultivation?"

Xiao Dongliang smiled proudly and asked again, "Well, Ah Lang, can we fight the Khitans?"

"Of course I won't fight. This time I'm going to fight Xixia on my own initiative. Xixia is the one who called for peace. I'm afraid the celebration banquet in the capital will be over for more than one round. If you don't obey the order at this time, you will be in the public eye. We will be in business for another two years. Let’s make good use of the land we conquered, accumulate strength, and then attack the Khitans.”

Although he will be away from home and his life will be affected, he still has to go back. Wouldn’t it be better to continue to suffer from it...

"Alang, now that the battle is over, why don't you take the two ladies over? The two gentlemen can walk and talk, but I haven't met Alang yet."

"I can't take it." Wang Yan shook his head.

"Why?"

"This is a border area. I am in charge of five states. I have a household registration of one million, and I have a hundred thousand troops who are capable of fighting and are at my command. I have no parents or relatives, and I am alone. How can I be controlled? With my wife and children As for the pledge, the capital is not at ease, let alone not having it?”

"Didn't you say that we only train military attachés?"

"Which military attache do you think has the power I have now?"

"Not even Mr. Di." Xiao Dongliang's words were very proud, but he sighed. Wang Yan told him many things, and he understood. He also knew that Wang Yan really had his thoughts, even though Wang Yan told him He was talking about self-preservation.

He was not lamenting that Wang Yan was disloyal to the Song Dynasty, Wang Dongliang did not eat from the Song Dynasty. He was lamenting that good officials like his A Lang had to prepare to protect themselves...

Wang Yan did not deny Xiao Dongliang's statement. He just had a low official title, not little power. Who has ever seen a prefect who governs five states and commands 100,000 troops? Otherwise, why would he say that he would protect Di Qing?

To protect Di Qing, he didn't even need his current power. He could have done it when he was a military inspector. It was more appropriate at that time. He pretended to be a fool and didn't understand Zhao Zhen's intention. He would deal with anyone who targeted Di Qing. It was that simple.

"Don't say this outside, otherwise our dog will probably grow horns."

"I'm not stupid, Alang." Xiao Dongliang shook his head, "When can the young master return to Beijing?"

"It depends on the situation. If Fan Gong is reinstated as prime minister, he can return to Beijing within two years, otherwise he may have to wait for three to five years."

Fan Zhongyan's reinstatement as prime minister is not just the matter of Fan Zhongyan's reinstatement as prime minister, but a major political event that can affect the future of the Song Dynasty. Because Fan Zhongyan is the leader of the reform faction, his reinstatement as prime minister means that the Qingli event has completely turned over a new page.

After Fan Zhongyan resumed his position as prime minister, a series of reforms were necessary. At this time, a knife was needed again. Who else could it be but Wang Yan?

But obviously, a considerable number of conservatives and even reformists strongly opposed Wang Yan's return to Beijing. Moreover, everyone knew clearly how to reform and who to reform, and it was impossible for them to sit and wait for death.

So after the end of the Second Song-Xia War and the "Zhihe Peace Agreement", the Song Dynasty would begin a more intense political struggle. Although Wang Yan was not in the center and was firmly pinned down at the border, he was actually the person at the center of the vortex...

"Ah? Then the two young masters in the family might not recognize Alang."

Wang Yan ate the meat with big mouthfuls, asked Xiao Dongliang to put more meat into the pot, and said: "You are sixteen this year, right?"

"Yes, Alang, what's wrong?"

"It's time to find a wife. What kind of wife do you want to find?"

"Of course, one that is easy to give birth to. I heard from those soldiers that the bigger the butt, the better. I will enjoy wealth and honor with Alang, but I have to give birth to more children so that my sons can also enjoy the happiness. When the time comes, they will work hard for the Wang family."

"I'll have someone look here, and let the eldest lady look for one in Beijing. If you like one, tell me and I'll make the decision for you."

"Okay, I'll listen to Alang." Xiao Dongliang was not shy at all and accepted the arrangement very frankly.

"Eat meat, eat meat, eat more."

The master and servant ate meat happily, and the king and ministers of the Song Dynasty also ate meat happily.

As various matters were agreed upon, the Song Dynasty and the Xia Dynasty reached a second peace agreement. From now on, the Song court would no longer pay tribute to the Western Xia Dynasty, but the other way around. At the same time, the land and population that had been conquered were no longer returned, and a market was opened in Yanzhou.

As the big brother, the thug, and the facilitator of the peace talks, the Liao Dynasty certainly paid a price, that is, the Song Dynasty would no longer pay tribute to the Liao Dynasty in the future. Of course, this money should be counted on the head of the Western Xia Dynasty.

The king and ministers of the Song Dynasty were a little timid, but they were also very proud of their victorious faces. Wang Yan heard that at the negotiation table, Lao Bao, who was in charge of the negotiations, had people formulate a strategy for the Northern Expedition and demonstrated it to the Liao envoys on the spot. Of course, it emphasized how Wang Yan broke through the Xijing Road and cooperated with the Hebei troops to fight all the way to Linhuang Prefecture.

Lao Baogan is quite suitable for this matter, and the scolding is very dirty...

I would like to thank the good brothers who vote for the monthly ticket, the recommendation ticket, and read the book silently for their strong support!