In August last year, under the strong suggestion of Taiwei Tong Guan, Zhao Ji, the emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, sent Ma Zheng, the defense envoy of Dengzhou, as the main envoy and Hu Yanqing as the deputy envoy, to secretly send an envoy to Liaodong by sea to seek an alliance with the Jin State to attack Liao. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

After consulting with the important ministers of the Jin State, the Jin lord Wanyan Aguta considered that the alliance plan could be accepted, and a few months later, the Jin State sent Li Shanqing, a native of Bohai, as a special envoy to Bianjing to negotiate with the Song Dynasty.

Bianjing Imperial Palace, Taiwei Tong Guan hurriedly walked into Yanfu Palace, all the way to the Yangxin Palace, Tong Guan was ten days ago to rush back from Hebei, he from the end of last year to this spring, has been sitting in Zhending Mansion, in the active preparation of the north attack on Liao.

Just three days ago, he and Cai Jing met with Li Shanqing separately, and today is the second meeting, and Tong Guan is anxious to report the results of the meeting to the Son of Heaven.

Before coming to the main hall, a eunuch stepped forward and said with a smile: "Please wait for Mrs. Tong, let's go to the official's house first." ”

Tong Guan nodded, waited outside the steps with his hands in his hands, and after a while, the eunuch came out and smiled: "The official family Xuan Taiwei is here!" ”

Tong Guan sorted out his thoughts a little, and then walked quickly towards the main hall. In the main hall, Zhao Ji, the son of heaven, is painting a beautiful woman with all his attention, almost two months have passed, and Master Li still has no news, Zhao Ji has given up on the idea, even if he finds her, he can't accept her anymore, it's just ...... She is the only woman Zhao Ji wants in his life but can't get, he is deeply saddened by this regret that he can't get, compared to this regret, it doesn't matter whether Master Li himself is dead or alive.

At this time, a eunuch whispered beside him: "Your Majesty, Taiwei Tong has arrived." ”

"I know!"

Zhao Ji put down his paintbrush, turned to Tong Guan who was standing at the door of the main hall and said, "What do you want to say to me?" ”

Tong Guan said respectfully: "Your Majesty, Weichen has a second meeting with Li Shanqing today!" ”

"What's his attitude?"

"Back to Your Majesty, his attitude is very vague!"

Zhao Ji frowned, "What do you mean by this?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, Wei Chen clearly told him today that the condition for our alliance is to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, and if the Jin State agrees to this condition, then we can reach an alliance."

Zhao Ji nodded, this is also his condition, if the Jin State can agree, they can attack the Liao State in the north and south, and completely wipe out this century-old enemy.

"And what did he say?"

Tong Guan sighed, "He said that he was not authorized and could not give us any promises on behalf of Jin Guo, but he just understood our demands." ”

Zhao Ji was suddenly dissatisfied: "Then what is he doing in Bianjing?" Do you want to go sightseeing? ”

"Your Majesty, Wechen thinks that he is just ordered to test us, wanting to understand the sincerity of our troops to attack Liao, Wechen feels that if we don't show a little bit of the prestige of the kingdom, the Jurchens will never understand how strong our strength is."

"What do you mean by Taiwei, will we attack Liao first?"

"Nope! Weichen refers to the Xijing of Western Xia and Liao, we must attack Western Xia and Xijing according to the original plan, at that time, even if we don't go to Liaodong, Jin will take the initiative to send people to negotiate with us. ”

"What about Youzhou?" Zhao Ji asked.

"Your Majesty, don't be too anxious in Youzhou, as long as we implement the plan step by step, we can recapture Youzhou within at least five years."

"Five years?"

Zhao Ji snorted dissatisfiedly, "Do you have to wait another five years?" I've been waiting for twenty years, how much patience do you think I have to wait? ”

"Your Majesty, capturing Youyun is a hundred-year plan, and the minister can't wait to recapture Youzhou tomorrow, but ....."

"But what?"

"But..... Our army still needs actual combat training, and most of the forbidden troops have almost never fought, so Wechen is really worried. ”

"The army has been training for decades, isn't it enough?"

Zhao Ji stared at Tong Guan coldly, "I don't want to delay the fighter again and again for the so-called negotiations, I think Cai Xiangguo is right, a small barbarian state that has just emerged for a long time, the alliance between the Great Song Dynasty and it is to humiliate itself, I believe that the Song army can completely rely on its own strength to recapture the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, I will give you another two years, if you can't do it, then hand over the army to the capable." ”

After speaking, Zhao Ji turned around and walked towards the inner hall, hanging Tong Guan at the door of the main hall.

Tong Guan stood stunned for a long time, he finally let out a long sigh, turned around and walked outside the main hall with a heavy heart, and just walked at the gate of Yanfu Palace, a little eunuch caught up, "Captain, please stay!" ”

"What's the matter?" Tong Guan asked.

Seeing that there was no one left and right, the little eunuch stuffed a note to him, Tong Guan walked out of Yanfu Palace, found a no-man's land, opened the note and looked at it carefully, there was only one sentence in it: 'Cai Jing strongly recommends Tan Zhi to represent the Northern Expedition!' ’

Tan Zhi is also the same eunuch supervisor as Tong Guan, and is currently the Xuanfu envoy of Jianghuai Jingzhejiang, leading an army of 100,000 to encircle and suppress Fang La, he can be said to be Tong Guan's biggest competitor, and it is rumored that Tan Zhi and Cai Jing are very close.

Tong Guan did not doubt the truth of this rumor, he knew very well that Tan Zhi would definitely use Cai Jing's power to replace him, and now this note confirmed his inference, Tong Guan remembered the last sentence of the Son of Heaven, 'If you can't do it, then hand over the army to the capable.' ’

The capable person in the mouth of the Son of Heaven obviously refers to Tan Zhen, Tong Guan suddenly felt heavy in his heart, he knew that Cai Jing had begun to fight back against him.

Tong Guan walked slowly towards the Privy Council with his hands behind his back, he has not been in the imperial court for a few months, the situation in the imperial court has undergone subtle changes, Wang Huang has gained power, Cai Tan is approaching, and it is necessary for him Tong Guan to consider his allies.

........

At night, the singing and dancing in the alum building were leveling, the voices were boiling, the warblers and swallows were everywhere, laughter and laughter, the accidental disappearance of Li Shishi did not affect the business of the alum building, on the contrary, the courtesans in the alum building worked harder, hoping that they could replace Li Shishi to become the new first prostitute in Bianjing.

The Chai family, the proprietor of Alum Tower, also carried out a series of publicity and promotions, and officially opened Fengyue Lou to the outside world, with the efforts of all parties, the business of Alum Lou became more popular, and it was not affected by the disappearance of Master Li at all.

In an elegant room on the second floor of Fengyue Building, Liang Qing is holding two courtesans drinking and having fun, Liang Qing's current guard is the right class of the palace, the captain of the eight-rank imperial martial arts, can only be regarded as a middle and low-level officer, but his other identity is not to be despised by people, he is the contact person of his adoptive father Liang Shicheng, no matter who wants to find Liang Shicheng to do things, he must go through Liang Qing, Liang Qing has power in his hands in the past two years, he has no interest in the life of the gentleman, and began to make full use of the opportunity of the adoptive father's contact to make a fortune, which really makes him rich. gradually became a huge rich man in the capital.

Opposite Liang Qing sat a man about thirty years old, his name is Tong Youhei, Tong Guan's adopted son, currently serving as the Marquis of Du Yu in the forbidden army, although Tong Guan is a eunuch, there are no children around, but he has a cousin, called Tong Cheng, Tong Youhei is Tong Cheng's second son, since he was a child, he has been passed to Tong Guan since he was a child, and he has extended incense for Tong Guan.

Today is Tong Youhei came to Liang Qing on the order of his father, the two drank a few glasses of wine, Tong Yousi smiled: "Go back and have fun with them!" Let's get down to business. ”

Liang Qing took a bite on each of the faces of the two courtesans, and said in a daze: "Go!" Go wash it white and clean, and the two of you will sleep with you at night! ”

"Liang Ye is so bad!"

The two courtesans shyly pushed Liang Qing away, then got up and left.

Liang Qingse stared at the backs of the two courtesans in a daze, and said with a smile: "It's still the courtesans in Alum Tower!" It wasn't easy to let them sleep with them before, but now they have agreed. ”

Tong Youji got up and closed the door, walked back and filled Liang Qing with a glass of wine, and asked with a smile: "I wonder if Mrs. Liang finally mentioned my father?" ”

"This ..... I'm soft-spoken, it's hard to say! ”

Tong Youhei simply took a copper tea tray from the table, poured out the contents of the leather bag he carried with him, only to hear a ding ding dong sound, and eighteen pearls appeared in the tea tray.

The eighteen pearls are as big as lychees, crystal clear, and they are the best sea pearls at a glance.

Liang Qing's eyes narrowed suddenly, such a good condition, one is worth at least one hundred taels of gold, and eighteen pieces are one thousand eight hundred taels of gold! He couldn't help but laugh dryly and said, "Brother Tong, what do you mean by this?" ”

"This is a little bit of my father's heart for Brother Liang."

Liang Qing immediately understood that Tong Guan had something to ask his father-in-law to bribe himself first.

He was not polite, picked up the skin, packed the eighteen pearls, and put them in his arms, and then said with a smile: "My father mentioned Captain Ling Zuntong at the beginning of the year. ”

"Oh? I don't know what Taifu said? ”

"My father said that Ling Zun has always cared about Taixue, but he doesn't care about such an important event as the imperial examination, isn't it a bit of a sacrifice?"

Tong Yousi nodded, "I don't know what else Taifu said?" ”

"My father also said that Ling Zun has been out for too long and has paid too little attention to the imperial court, which will weaken Ling Zun's influence in the imperial court."

Liang Qing drank another glass of wine and said: "In fact, many people know what happened from the year before last to the beginning of this year, Xiangguo Cai Bian and the former head of the inner palace Yang Jian died one after another, leaving a large power gap in the court and the palace, and people from all walks of life are competing in secret. ”

Tong Youhei stood up and saluted, "Thank you for your words, I will definitely report to my father." ”

"I'm a cheerful person, and I can say whatever comes to mind. These words are actually some comments from my stepfather when he usually chats at home, of course, the original words are not like this, but the meaning is similar. ”

Tong Youhei scolded in his heart, 'There are no eighteen pearls, are you willing to say these words?' ’

He smiled reluctantly, and said, "There is one more thing, I want to ask Brother Liang Xian to help!" ”

Of course, Liang Qing knew that Tong Youhei didn't invite him to dinner to find himself, he must have asked Tong Guan for something.

He smiled, "Brother Tong, just say it directly!" ”

"That's the case, my father has a letter that he wants to ask Brother Liang Xian to pass it on to Ling Zun, and in addition, my father wants to invite Mrs. Liang to go on a trip, so please ask Brother Liang Xian to say a few more kind words."

As he spoke, Tong Yousi handed a letter to Liang Qing.