Chapter 32: I'll definitely betray you

The border of the Great Sui Dynasty ranged from south to north, from east to west. The entire territory of the Great Sui Dynasty looked like an inverted Yali, with a large north to south and a small south. The length of the north and south was much larger than that of the east and west. Even from the empire's territory to the narrowest west to the Jiangdu County in Jiangdu County in the east, it was more than ten thousand miles, which showed the vastness of the Great Sui Dynasty.

Yongzhou County was stolen by the Sui Dynasty fifteen years ago, and occupied two-thirds of the size of the Shang Dynasty. Yongzhou County was also the largest county in the Sui Dynasty. Yongzhou City was the capital of the Shang Dynasty. After the demise of the Shang Dynasty, the escaped prince Murong Meng established the Southern Yan State in Dali City, and paid tribute to the Sui Dynasty and claimed to be the son emperor. Perhaps because the land of Southern Yan was too exhausted and small, it could not arouse the appetite of His Majesty the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty, so Southern Yan could survive.

The Great Sui Dynasty established a country with martial arts. In order to show that he did not abandon his ancestors, the emperors of all dynasties would launch at least one foreign offensive. It is precisely because of this that the military people of the Great Sui Dynasty, who have been established for more than a hundred years, still occupy a very important position in the court. Many countries advocate martial arts at the beginning of their founding of the country. But in a few years, more than ten years, decades, and decades, the rights of military generals will gradually weaken, and emphasize culture over military military forces. But the Great Sui Dynasty is different. Since Emperor Taizu of the Great Sui Dynasty launched an army to compete with the Central Plains, each of the Emperors of the Great Sui Dynasty took it as their responsibility to expand territory. If anyone did not conquer a territory, even he would look down on himself.

It is precisely because of this that some countries around the Great Sui Dynasty suffered so much. Liang, Zhou, Wei, Zhao, Southern Qi, Northern Qi, and Eastern Wei, these countries have successively become the capitals for the emperors of the Great Sui Dynasty to boast about. The territory of these countries has also become a county of the Great Sui Dynasty.

When he was the last emperor, he had no choice but to fight against the Shang Kingdom, which had always maintained good relations with the Sui Dynasty. It was not that the previous Emperor of the Sui Dynasty was too cruel, but that the previous emperor would blame the last Emperor of the Central Plains to fight only one-fifth of the size of the Dongchu, who dared to challenge the Sui Dynasty. If it weren't for the last land of Dongchu, and the navy of Dongchu was far stronger than the army, that peninsula would have been taken down by the Sui Dynasty.

So when he was the Emperor Yang Yi of the Sui Dynasty, he was also very distressed. In the eleven years since he ascended the throne, he would look at the huge map in the luxurious and spacious imperial study every day, trying to find an opponent who dared to be dissatisfied with the Sui Dynasty. In the past eleven years, he really could not find any other place except the Mongol Empire on the prairie.

What is needed to use force against the Mongol Empire is not just courage. Emperors of the Sui Dynasty have not lacked courage, but emperors of all dynasties have chosen to live in peace with the Mongol Empire.

I don’t want to fight, nor do I dare to fight, but I can’t fight.

The grassland stretches for tens of thousands of miles, which is much larger than the territory of the Sui Dynasty. Even if the Sui Dynasty is richest in the world, even if the Sui Dynasty is confident of defeating the cavalry of the Mongol Empire with infantry, it will definitely not be able to support such a huge war. Just the consumption of the army going out of the frontier is enough to drag the empire to death.

Without an army of more than 500,000, there is no need to consider deploying troops against the Mongol Yuan. How much is the consumption of 500,000 troops and expeditions of tens of thousands of miles?

This is not a question of whether to dare or not, but it is impossible to fight.

Unless the Great Sui Dynasty had cavalry that was sufficient to compete with the Mongol Yuan.

And cavalry will always be a pain in the heart of the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty.

However, in the spring of the eleventh year of Tianyou of the Great Sui Dynasty, it seemed that the pain in the heart of the Emperor of the Great Sui Dynasty was cured. At the end of March, a team of troops sent by the Right Guard of the Northwest Frontier garrison arrived in the imperial capital Chang'an. The number was small, only about twenty. They traveled lightly and simply, each with two riders, and it took two months to arrive in Chang'an.

More than twenty cavalrymen from the Right Guard escorted three Northern Liao people into the imperial capital.

These three people from Northern Liao were those who sold war horses that were detained by Li Xiaozong of Fan Gu. The leader was a young and strong man with the unique physical characteristics of the cold land of Northern Liao. He was tall and strong, and his skin was very white regardless of men or women. This was a bit contrary to common sense. The northern Liao was extremely cold, and the 100,000 mountains were even poorer. Logically speaking, the skin of the people living here should be red in cold, and at least they would look rough.

But in fact, the people of Northern Liao have very good skin.

Especially the women in Northern Liao, they are as white as crystal clear snowmen.

The man in the Northern Liao Dynasty, who was the leader, was named Wanyan Liyao. He looked in his twenties and his hair was unique to the Northern Liao Dynasty. His forehead was shaved and his head was covered with a big oil-black braid. The clothes he wore were also very different from those of the Central Plains, including a jacket, a vest, and a long robe.

This was the first time Wanyan Li Yao entered the Central Plains. When he was on the road, he had imagined what Chang'an City, the imperial capital of the Sui Dynasty, looked countless times. He tried his best to imagine Chang'an City and had already thought about Chang'an City big enough, but when he saw Chang'an City from afar, he couldn't help but open his mouth wide in surprise.

Majestic and magnificent!

It's like a continuous hundred thousand mountains.

When Chang'an City appeared in sight, Wanyan Li Yao did not see the end of Chang'an City. It was as if this majestic city was formed naturally, standing majestic between heaven and earth. When he rode his horse to the vicinity of Chang'an City, his mouth was already open and a little painful.

Looking up, the city wall is as high as a sharp sword inserted into the clouds. Looking left and right, the city wall is boundless.

The cavalry of the Right Guard took him to Dingqian Gate, one of the thirteen city gates in the west of Chang'an. It was also the most inconspicuous one of the thirteen city gates, but even so, the huge city gate could easily allow eight carriages to pass by side by side. The copper nails on the huge vermilion city gate looked larger than the head.

Wanyan Li Yao's Adam's apple moved for a moment and swallowed with difficulty: "I never thought... I really didn't expect that I had used the greatest strength to fantasize about the majesty of Chang'an City, but I still imagined that this city looked one percent. This is not a city, it is clearly a mountain!"

The team of the Right Guard curled his lips disdainfully, and went straight into the city gate with the soldiers guarding the city gate.

...

...

Originally, several barbarians from the Northern Liao, the poorest and coldest place in the world, would not receive any high-standard courtesy. Even the envoy sent by Khan Wanyan Yong from the Northern Liao Dynasty last time, the person responsible for receiving him was only a sixth-rank official from the Ministry of Rites of the Great Sui Dynasty.

But this time it was obviously a little different. When Wanyan Li Yao was shocked and numb by the scenes he saw, the official army leading the way said that he had just returned to his senses.

The post station should have been built outside Chang'an City. But it was precisely because the Great Sui Dynasty was too big and the Chang'an City was too big. If the envoys from various countries and the officials who returned to Beijing to report their duties lived outside the city, it would take too much time for the emperor to summon him. Therefore, the post station was built on Dongping Four Streets, which is only about ten miles away from Tai Chi Palace.

When Wanyan Li Yao arrived at the entrance of the station, he was still sighing that an inn was more majestic than the palace of Khan in the Northern Liao Dynasty. His eyes were not enough. Look here and there. It was as novel as if the baby who opened his eyes to see this world for the first time.

"You are Wanyan Li Yao?"

Just when he was deeply moved, a cold and disdainful voice sounded behind him. Wanyan Liyao quickly turned around and saw a man wearing a green crown robe. According to the etiquette of the Great Sui officials, this green crown robe could be identified at a glance as a minor official below the seventh rank.

In Chang'an, third-rank officials are not considered big names. Such a minor official will not take the people of Chang'an City seriously. But Wanyan Liyao had to take this person seriously because he came here to carry a huge mission. He was familiar with all the books about the Great Sui Dynasty, so he could see that this person was just a small person of eighth grade. But he still showed enough humility and showed the most sincere smile.

"Caomin is the father of all the people of the 100,000 mountains in the Northern Liao Dynasty. The great and kind Khan sent him to meet Tian Khan, the envoy of His Majesty the Great Sui Emperor Wanyan Li Yao. Who is this master?"

If it is so long-winded, it can be said by the people of Northern Liao.

The man said a little impatiently: "I am a consultant to the Reibi of the Ministry of Rites of the Great Sui Dynasty and am ordered to wait here. Don't enter the post station first. Our Minister of Rites is waiting for you, let's go with me."

"Mr. Minister of Rites wants to see me in person?"

Wanyan Liyao obviously didn't believe his ears.

The consultant Lubi was too lazy to say anything, so he turned around and a carriage. Wanyan Liyao did not dare to delay, so he climbed up.

...

...

Huai Qiugong, the Minister of Rites of the Great Sui Dynasty, was a veteran of the three dynasties and was already 72 years old. In fact, since Emperor Tianyou Yang Yi ascended the throne, he has rarely been concerned about the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. Pei Hui, the Minister of Rites who usually presided over things in the Ministry of Rites, but this respected old man arrived at the Ministry of Rites early this morning. Except for Pei Hui who received the news in advance, no officials of the Ministry of Rites were unfamiliar. You should know that this old man who dared to point to His Majesty the Emperor and said that he did not understand the etiquette system has not been to the Ministry of Rites for four months and twenty-nine days.

Because the Great Sui Dynasty was too big, the northwestern border was still stormy and snowy in March. The willow branches on the streets of the imperial capital had already spit out new green. However, perhaps because they were worried that the Minister of Rites was too old, there was a warmer in the wing room.

Pei Hui, the Minister of Rites, sat respectfully with his hands hanging down and spoke with the old man.

"It's sensible. You're in good order in this yamen. I'll give you another note tomorrow and leave it. It can be said that you will really hand over the Ministry of Rites to you."

"The officials are afraid"

Pei Hui hurriedly said, "The eldest son is still so strong, and His Majesty is so kind. How can he withdraw from the court easily? The Ministry of Rites cannot do without you."

"This flattery doesn't sound good at all."

Huai Qiugong smiled and said, "You have already added an old word to the adults. You still say I am not old? I have served the emperor for three generations. In fact, I should have retired long ago. But the older a person is, the more greedy he is. I feel ashamed to think about it. As for the Ministry of Rites that you can't live without me, that's purely a lie... I haven't been here for two months, right? I don't know if I have added a few new people."

Pei Hui smiled embarrassedly: "You haven't been here for nearly five months."

"ah?"

Huai Qiugong was stunned for a moment and chuckled: "Walking dogs, fighting birds, feeding fish, planting grass, growing flowers and repairing trees, life is so fast... By the way, I just talked about gossip, but I forgot about what His Majesty gave me."

The old man stroked his snow-white beard and said, "If you go to meet those people from the Northern Liao Dynasty later, you will receive them according to the standards of the envoys of the great power."

"This... Isn't it just arranging a meeting with a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before? What's the difference this time?"

"Of course it's different."

Huai Qiugong smiled, and the wrinkles on his face squeezed into a flower: "The northwest is not peaceful... At this time, people from the North and Liao areas came to the door themselves, which was wrong to fulfill His Majesty's thoughts? Haha... It's easy to think about it."

Pei Hui opened his mouth wide in surprise and asked incrediblely: "Your Majesty wants... to launch troops against the Mongolian Yuan?"

"Otherwise, who will you move? Your Majesty is determined to compete with Emperor Taizu."
Chapter completed!