As the court's reform continued to deepen, the pragmatic trend continued to increase, urging the old and rigid Song Dynasty political machine.

No matter how many disturbances there are, no one can shake the foundation of a century-old foundation. In the midst of the bumps, they are still moving forward in Zhao Xu's established plan.

As June approached, the envoys of the Liao Kingdom finally arrived.

Perhaps it was because Zhang Dun had killed his former envoy, or the Liao Kingdom had no time to look south, and his attitude was eased, and he no longer mentioned the requirements for annual monies and territory, but he still required the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia to quit.

Zhang Dun only met once. Under the fierce uneasiness of the court officials, Zhao Xu handed over the negotiations with Xixia to the Ministry of Rites to follow up.

This time, the Liao envoy who came here seemed to understand the "rules". He did not act arrogantly and instead walked around Kaifeng City to carry out a strategy of using both soft and hard skills to the Song Dynasty court.

Minister of Works and Chen Jun’s residence.

The Liao envoy Xiao Tiancheng sat opposite the Chen Mansion and drank wine.

Xiao Tiancheng had a very elegant temperament and spoke extraordinaryly. He drank with the Chen family and had a great time talking.

After the wind, flowers, snow and moon, Xiao Tiancheng said with some emotion: "If you want to say that you, the Song Dynasty, are really outstanding in people and places, are fascinating and difficult to hold on to yourself. You have outstanding poems, songs and essays..."

At this point, Chen Xian was confident and said with a smile: "I am a great Song Dynasty, and I have a great culture. I don't mention you, Liao Kingdom, plus Li Xia, Tubo, Dali... I'm not bragging about it. From ancient times to the present, there are only one comparisons in the prosperous Tang Dynasty..."

Xiao Tiancheng was not angry at all and said with a smile: "Yes, when I was in the Great Liao Dynasty, I was very envious. This time I came, I wanted to visit Mr. Dongpo, but I didn't want him to be disappointed in his career, so I could only linger in the mountains and rivers."

Chen Zhen knew what Xiao Tiancheng meant, and his face remained motionless.

Although Su Shi was not popular among the "old party", he was still the "old party". Chen Zhen would not be happy when Su Shi was excluded from the court, but Xiao Tiancheng used this as an entry point, and Chen Zhen might not be very unhappy.

Xiao Tiancheng kept staring at Chen Zhen. Seeing that he had no reaction, he smiled and said, "Although he was disappointed, it was the same when he met Mr. Chen. In this huge Kaifeng city, the only one who could make me look at him differently. The only one who could drink and talk to him was Chen Zhen."

Chen Xian directly exposed him and said, "I'm afraid no one wants to, and he doesn't dare to see Minister Xiao privately?"

Xiao Tiancheng took a sip of wine, looked up at the sky, and said, "The Song Dynasty is not the same as before. Thinking about how kind your Emperor Renzong was back then, you have never seen any wars for forty years and never killed court officials. Now, the entire Song Dynasty is full of sorrow and boiling... "

Chen Xian's face suddenly turned cold, interrupted him, and said, "My Song Dynasty official family shines on the holy light, and I can see thousands of miles of clairvoyance, and the Minister Xiao is careful to say it. Now the situation is nothing more than a treacherous and villain in the court, and it is not far away when the day is dawn."

Xiao Tiancheng was not surprised that Chen Zhen protected the little emperor. He took a sip of wine, lowered his head, looked up at Chen Zhen, and said, "Mr. Chen, accompanying you is like accompanying a tiger. Isn't life easy?"

It’s not just a difficult time, it’s extremely difficult!

This has never happened in the Song Dynasty!

The official in the deep palace was ambitious as soon as he took power and revived the "new party". The "new party" immediately revived the "new law", causing chaos in the world.

In the court, the "predecessors" went in, and the "old party" left in the Ministry of Works lived like a year. Not long ago, Chen Xian's son was captured by the Ministry of Justice. Chen Xian could not save him, and even had to openly destroy his relatives for justice!

Looking at the 100th anniversary of the Song Dynasty, when did this happen?

Chen Zhen looked expressionless, picked up the wine glass and drank a sip of wine, and said, "Mr. Xiao is here to visit late at night. I guess there is something to say, so it's better to go straight to the point."

Xiao Tiancheng put down his wine glass, smiled and said, "I can't hide it from Mr. Chen, so Xiao will tell a long story short, with only one purpose: Please Mr. Chen stop the war between you Song Dynasty and Li Xia. I know that you, Empress Dowager Xuanren, are all disgusted with war, and so are we. We hope that there will never be any war on the border of the Three Kingdoms and that we will always form an alliance."

Chen Zhen's eyes were dull and said, "Mr. Xiao said just a few words, but I want me to write a letter? You should know that I am not favored by the officials. Please give me some reasons."

"Reason", Xiao Tiancheng naturally understood that this "reason" was not something he said.

Xiao Tiancheng immediately said, "Three thousand taels of silver. The reason is that my Great Liao is now quelling the chaos. You, the State of Song, can completely observe the wall to avoid the settlement of the Great Liao in the autumn. Is this reason sufficient?"

If it were the Song court before Zhao Xu took power, such a "reason" would naturally be very sufficient, and the court would definitely have the absolute mainstream opinion.

But, not now!

Chen Xian picked up the teacup he put down and took a sip.

Three thousand taels are equal to three thousand taels, not a small number. The reason for "viewing on the wall" is also very sufficient.

Chen Xuan sat upright and said, "Not enough."

Xiao Tiancheng was not surprised, with a solemn expression and said, "I guess Mr. Chen has other expenses, which doubled. In addition, since the alliance of Chanyuan, our dynasty has no intention of going south. Regardless of whether the country is pacified or not, it will be settled with the Song Dynasty forever. You can enter into a covenant, annual monies, etc., or you can also reduce the concessions at your discretion."

"Not enough." Chen Xianyi briefly stated that.

The situation Xiao Tiancheng said was actually a judgment on the Song Dynasty court. Zhang Dun killed the previous Liao envoy to convince the Song Dynasty court with this reason.

Xiao Tiancheng seemed to have expected it, picked up the wine glass, took another sip, and then said expressionlessly: "The rebellion in the Liao Dynasty has become a force, and our King of the South Court almost failed and lost 200,000 troops. The Song Dynasty was out of reach, and we need Li Xia to send troops to help."

Chen Xian looked surprised and looked at Xiao Tiancheng with a burning look.

Is this true? The rebellion of the Liao Kingdom has overwhelmed the Liao Kingdom. Did Li Xia enter the country to help quell the rebellion?

Chen Xian was full of thoughts. If this was the case, then they would have taken the opportunity to do a lot of things.

At the same time, he also thought about what Zhang Dun, who knew the news earlier than him, was planning?

If the Liao Kingdom was unable to move south, according to Zhang Dun's character, he would never miss such a good opportunity?

What Zhang Dun wants to do must be important, what is the success or failure? After success or failure, is it good or bad for their "old party"?

Chen Xian's expression changed slightly, and his mind was filled with thoughts.

Xiao Tiancheng looked at Chen Zhen's expression, smile flashed in his eyes, and continued to increase his quota: "If you Song Kingdom is willing to stop the war, afterwards, I will make a decision on your Song Xia's border and order Li Xia not to fight again. The border between the Three Kingdoms will be restored forever."

Chen Zhen looked up at him and said, "I want 8,000 yuan of money. I have a shop in the name of purchasing. I will contact you for a few people to write a letter and try my best to stop it, but I will not make any guarantees for success or failure. In addition, today we will only talk about the romance and not the political affairs."

This is what Xiao Tiancheng wanted. He picked up the wine glass with a smile and said, "Shilarious Minister Chen Gaoyi, fighting is the greatest disaster in the world. If you don't fight, you will benefit the country and the people, I will respect Mr. Chen with a cup."

Chen Jun had no expression on his face, as if he was worried.

Xiao Tiancheng used 8,000 guan to deal with Chen Zhen, the Minister of Works. There are not many powerful people in the court today. He was happy and was planning the following plan. He really talked about the romantic relationship with Chen Zhen and no longer involved these things.

Half an hour later, Xiao Tiancheng said goodbye with "unbearable drinking". Chen Xian sent him to the door, watching him get on the carriage, still standing at the door without moving, with a cold look on his face.

His younger brother Chen Long walked over quietly, glanced around, and whispered: "Brother, are you afraid that others will not see it? Go back quickly."

Chen Xian said: "Covering is a disaster."

Chen Long frowned and walked closer and whispered: "Did you agree?"

Chen Xian looked up at the sky and said, "Eight thousand guan."

Chen Zhen frowned and said dissatisfiedly: "The Liao people are so rich, why are they only eight thousand guan? No, brother, didn't you say you could not contact the Liao people before? Also, the court clearly wanted to fight the Xia people, and even fools could see why you agreed? It angered the officials and Zhang Dun, our Chen family would be in danger."

Chen Xian took a breath of the air conditioner at night and did not speak.

This is a figure quietly appeared, standing behind a pillar. The figure was very long, but I couldn't see the face clearly, and I could only see a corner of brocade short shoulders.

Chen Long saw it at a glance, and immediately shouted in shock: "Who are you?"

The figure was still moving, and laughter came out, saying, "Brother, I know. Mr. Chen did a good job, and I will report to the officials truthfully. The eight thousand guan is the reward of Mr. Chen. In addition, I will tell Mr. Chen a few things. First, the Xia envoy died in the Imperial City Prison. Second, anyone who Xiao Tiancheng had contacted but did not report it truthfully according to the rules will be exiled to Lingnan. Third, when fighting with Li Xia, the court will be firm and will not change. Fourth, the Ministry of Works has received nearly 300 guan this year for the river management, and there are dense and even huge corruption. The official asked the Ministry of Works to conduct an internal audit. At the same time, the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice are preparing to intervene. Fifth, the Ministry of Works is the main force for the support of Qinfeng Road, and the Ministry of Works is responsible for the Ministry of Works."

Chen Long was frightened when he heard this. Who is this person? He is both from the court and the official family!

Chen Xian turned around, looked calm, and raised his hand and said, "Thank you."

The man in the dark shadow smiled and said, "Goodbye."

The man walked along the darkness and disappeared soon.

Chen Long kept staring at him and didn't dare to ask more questions. When the figure of others disappeared, he looked at Chen Zhen with a horror and said, "Brother, you..."

He didn't know what to say, this matter was strange that he couldn't understand.

Chen Zhen looked at him and said lightly: "How can I not know that the court is determined to start a war? The court has been prepared for a long time, which is related to the fate of the Song Dynasty. I am confused. How could I restrain myself at this time? What does this mean to be treason?"

Chen Xian became more and more confused and said, "Then..."

Chen Xian raised his foot and walked inside, saying, "What's the point of understanding? Just perform a play for the Liao people and the Xia people."

Chen Xian was not stupid, but he still couldn't accept it. He followed quickly and whispered: "Brother, have you leaned on Zhang Dun?"

Zhang Dun must know such a big event, which is a merit, and Zhang Dun has no reason to be a "outsider"!

Chen Zhen paused and said indifferently: "I still oppose their so-called 'new law'. I also have a lot of dissatisfaction with Zhang Dun and have no negotiations. Don't ask more about what happened before or what."

Chen Long became more and more confused. He thought that Chen Zhen agreed to Xiao Tiancheng to write a letter to stop Song Xia from starting a war, and that man in brocade clothes did not understand Chen Zhen's true attitude, and his mind was filled with smothering for a moment.

At this time, Xiao Tiancheng slowly returned to Honglu Temple.

He was not drunk and asked to guard the surroundings, and he was sure that no one eavesdropped. Then he attracted people to ask about the situation today.

A strong young man stood in front of him. He lowered his voice and said, "Mr., I have carefully investigated. The State of Song is indeed out of money. Since the young emperor ascended the throne, he has spent a lot of money, set up all kinds of strange yamen, employed a large number of people, built rivers and roads, and required tax cuts across the country. I heard that the salary this month was still borrowed, so the Song people talked about it..."

Xiao Tiancheng nodded slightly, which was consistent with the news he received.

He held the teacup in one hand and stroked his beard with the other, his eyes flashing constantly, analyzing the news he got.

The strong young man waited for a while and said, "Mr., the villain said something, I don't know whether to say it or not."

Xiao Tiancheng smiled and said, "There is nothing to say."

The young man immediately said in a stern manner: "Mr., the villain thinks that this little emperor of the Song Dynasty has just taken power and can't wait to win people's hearts, but he did too much and too urgently, it will definitely backfire. The villain thinks that from at least one year to three years, the Song Dynasty will inevitably be in chaos, and our Great Liao Dynasty does not need to be so tolerant!"

Xiao Tiancheng smiled more and took a sip of tea and said, "You can see this layer, which means that you have indeed grown. You are right, but you missed a little bit, that is, if the little emperor wants to sit firmly, please ask his grandmother's shadow to not only buy the heart of the people, but also need civil and military skills. Civil and political affairs are not temporary, but martial arts are."

The young man immediately realized and said, "What the Minister means is that this battle is not the brother Zhang Dun who wants to fight, but the little emperor of the Song people?"

Xiao Tiancheng nodded and analyzed rationally and calmly: "This little emperor seems to have a lot of ambitions, but this ambition is probably the temptation of the "new party" mentioned by the Song people. How much can he, a little emperor in the deep palace, know? He was eager to win people's hearts and military merits, so he didn't care even if the Song people were in chaos."

The strong young man thoughtfully and said, "What the minister said is. According to the information found by the villain, Kaifeng City has almost never stopped in the past year. The 'Fang Tianjun Tax Law' caused anger and resentment from heaven. It is said that the year will be implemented in the Song Dynasty..."

"Oh……"

Xiao Tiancheng laughed and said, "That's a good opportunity. If the so-called "new party" really turns the Song Dynasty into a state of chaos, our great Liao Dynasty will be able to achieve our long-cherished wish to unify the Central Plains!"

The strong young man also smiled.

Xiao Tiancheng smiled for a while, slowly restrained his expression and said in a stern manner: "Now, we still have to stop Song Xia's battle. They can fight no matter how they fight afterwards, but it's not possible now."

The strong young man is equally solemn.

In fact, they didn't need the help of Xixia. What they wanted was that Xixia could not concentrate its troops to fight the Song Dynasty, so that the rebels entrenched on the Liaoxia border and further northwest would be free to worry and roam.

The northwest is too big, and the Liao Kingdom's front line cannot come too long and lasts for a long time. We must find the main force of the rebels and fight against it!

Xiao Tiancheng pondered for a while and said, "It's not possible to rely on Chen Zhen alone. My great Liao has squeezed out 20,000 troops to be a shock in Youzhou. I will go to see the Privy Councilor tomorrow. I think that if I know the prosperity and disadvantages, he will know how to advance and retreat. As long as this Privy Councilor hesitates, it may shake the determination of the Song Dynasty's little emperor!"

The young man nodded and said, "Yes. The Privy Councilor Zhang Feng was the one who defeated Li Xia last time. A person who knows the military must know how to advance and retreat."

Xiao Tiancheng took a sip of tea and said, "Go to find out more information. Now the Song people are inexplicably doing it. We need to find out which people are working, everything is very small, especially those who are still in Kaifeng."
Chapter completed!