I will never be Renzong

Chapter 170
Tiansheng five years, April [-]th, Qianyuan Festival.

Civil and military officials, relatives of the emperor, and diplomatic envoys entered the palace to celebrate Zhao Zhen's birthday.

In the Xuanzheng Hall, Zhao Zhen was sitting on the dragon chair in a gown suit, and was listening to a little Huangmen holding a gift list and chanting loudly:

"Xue Kui, governor of Henan Road, paid tribute, a pair of mandarin ducks and gold jade pendants!"

"Gao Ruona, governor of Shaanxi Road, paid tribute, a pair of emerald glass bowls!"

"Fan Zhongyan, governor of Gansu Road, paid tribute, and Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy and painting!"

"Governor Pang Ji of Jiangsu Road pays tribute, a night pearl!"

"Taiwan Road governor Xia Song paid tribute, ten corals!"

"Sichuan Road governor Xiao Gu paid tribute, two giant pandas!"

"."

In the past, when Zhao Zhen celebrated his birthday, local transit envoys and other officials would pay tribute to a lot of things. Zhao Zhen was afraid of disturbing people's livelihood, so the Qianyuan Festival was held every three years, and only governors were allowed to donate treasures. A sort of.

Xiaohuangmen was the first to read out the items that the governor of the 21st Route of the Song Dynasty paid tribute to, and then opened the next gift list and read aloud.

"The envoy of the Liao Kingdom paid tribute, eighteen pieces of Changbai Mountain ginseng, eighteen pieces of mink fur, eighteen pairs of deer antler, and eighteen pieces of gold and silver cakes each."

"The envoys of the Dali Kingdom paid tribute, ten pairs of ivory, one tame elephant, and eighteen gold and silver cakes each."

"The envoys of the Champa Kingdom paid tribute, and there was a jade Guanyin statue."

"Xia Wang Li Chengwei, tribute ten bloody horses and eighteen beauties from the Western Regions."

"Qingtang Hou Zongsi, I will pay tribute to eighteen top-quality snow lotus plants."

Zhao Zhen glanced at the envoys, and couldn't help frowning, because the Jiaozhi Kingdom didn't send anyone to celebrate the Qianyuan Festival. Not only that, after Zhao Zhen ascended the throne, the Jiaozhi Kingdom paid tribute only once.

After Xiao Huangmen read the list of gifts, Xiao Yun, the envoy of the Liao Kingdom, said: "Your Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, the envoys from the Southern Dynasty came to our Northern Dynasty, and the number of seats was extremely high. Now the envoys from our Dynasty come to the Southern Dynasty, but the seats are lower. superior!"

Zhao Zhen didn't answer, but looked at Cheng Lin, Minister of Rites.

Cheng Lin said: "Officials! The number of seats in each country was set by the late emperor, how can you change it yourself!"

Du Fang, deputy envoy of the Liao Kingdom, said again: "The position of the minister of a big country is equivalent to that of the minister of a small country, is this okay?"

Cheng Lin replied: "How can there be a difference in size between the Southern Dynasties and the Northern Dynasties!"

Zhao Zhen pondered for a while and said, "It's just the shift of the seat, it's a trivial matter!"

Cheng Lin hurriedly replied: "Officials! Today is one shift, and the officials agreed to the Liao Kingdom, so will the dispute of one city and one pool be accepted tomorrow?"

Zhao Zhen suddenly came to his senses, thinking that what Cheng Lin said was right, granting Liao Elementary School's request today would inevitably lead them to make greater demands, which is not advisable.

Zhao Zhen thought for a while and said: "I heard that when the Empress Dowager Xiao of your country was here, the emperor of your country was respectful and respectful to the Empress Dowager Xiao, but he obeyed all orders. You should be filial, how can you change it at will!"

Xiao Yun said again: "Your Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, this envoy not only congratulates His Majesty on the Qianyuan Festival, but also entrusts His Majesty to marry Zhao Min'er, the eldest princess of the Wei Kingdom of the Song Dynasty, as a token of sincerity. , this envoy brings me ten thousand taels of gold as a dowry gift!"

Du Fang said again: "In ancient times, King Zhao went out of the fortress, and Princess Wencheng went to Tibet. Now, our court specially asks to marry the princess of your country, so that we can marry Qin and Jin!"

The civil and military ministers present couldn't help but take a breath, not because they felt that the ten thousand taels of gold was much, but because the Liao Kingdom actually wanted to make peace and ask to marry the Song Dynasty princess.

As soon as the Liao envoy finished speaking, Zhao Zhen's eyes flashed an imperceptible coldness.

As strong as Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he also married the princess Liu Xijun to King Wusun for profit, and as wise as Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, he also married the princess to Tubo and Tuyuhun for profit.

But the Song Dynasty, even if it was poor and weak and diplomatically incompetent, there was no real marriage in the last 300 years of the Song Dynasty.

As soon as the envoy of the Liao Dynasty finished speaking, the Prime Minister Zhang Zhibai said: "Officials! My dynasty Taizu used military force to establish the country. There have never been any marriages between Taizu, Taizong, and Zhenzong. How can this dynasty set a precedent? Therefore, my ministers will not I agree with the princess marrying the Liao Kingdom!"

The Deputy Prime Minister Wang once said: "Officials! There are many ways for the Song and Liao countries to get along well. They can send envoys to each other, open up the discussion field, reduce each other's border troops, etc., but marrying the princess, forgive me. agree!"

Lu Yijian, the political adviser, said: "The prince of Liao is only ten years old, and he is still a child. My princess is sixteen years old. The difference is too big. It is not advisable. I don't agree with it!"

"My minister agrees!"

"My minister agrees!"

Zhao Zhen didn't expect that the ministers who often hated him on weekdays would have a surprisingly consistent attitude on the issue of marriage, that is, they disagreed with each other both openly and secretly.

The Song Dynasty emphasized literature and suppressed military force. Although the scholar-bureaucrats had shortcomings of one kind or another, it has to be said that the arrogance of the literati was the highest in all dynasties.

The attitude of the scholar-bureaucrats in the Song Dynasty towards the minority regimes was: seek peace from outside, guard strictly from inside, and wait for an opportunity to eliminate them.

Of course, Zhao Zhen did not approve of the marriage in his heart, but right now he could not rashly reject the Liao Kingdom's request, because Song Dynasty had a lot to do right now, the party's Qiang issue had to be properly handled, and roads had to be built. All in all, Zhao Zhen's plan was close The past few years were mainly aimed at internal affairs. At this time, it is not worth the gain to fight against the Liao State.

Zhao Zhen thought for a while, and then said: "The geographical environment, customs and habits of the Liao Kingdom and my Song Dynasty are different. The northerners who live in the south will at most experience short-term physical discomfort, while the southerners who live in the north will probably suffer from illness. lost his life.

My sister, Princess Wei, has been frail and sick since she was a child. I wasted no time in rescuing her from the underworld. Although she has grown up, her health has not been very good, so she has been outside the city. Taoism cultivates one's moral character.

It's not that I don't care about the relationship between the two countries, but if I marry my younger sister to the prince of your country, with my younger sister's weak body, I'm afraid I won't be able to survive the first winter in your country. If that happens, I will lose my sister , it is bound to be blamed on your country. When the relationship between the two countries deteriorates, it is inevitable that swordsmen will meet each other. It must not be what the emperor of your country wants to see! "

"I am asking to marry the princess of your country, of course it is for the permanent good relationship between the two countries, how can I deliberately make the two countries turn against each other?"

Xiao Yun hurriedly replied.

Yelu Longxu, the Shengzong of the Liao Dynasty, is in his fifties this year, and his eldest son Yelu Zong is really only ten years old. This means that the Shengzong of the Liao Dynasty did not have a son until he was in his 40s. The reason why he had a son so late is because of his mother Xiao. The Empress Dowager is not unrelated.

This is the same as the regent of Zhao Zhen's early queen mother Liu E. With a mother who monopolizes power, she dare not let go too much no matter what.

Yelu Longxu was already in his old age, and his son had not yet grown up. On the other hand, the Song Dynasty had taken on a new look under the leadership of Zhao Zhen, and had regained Lingzhou and other places in one fell swoop.

Therefore, Yelu Longxu wanted to pave the way for his son, set the tone for the marriage, and make good friends with the Song Dynasty, so there was this trip to marry the Princess of Wei.

(End of this chapter)