Five Dynasties River Mountains Fengyue

In the northwest of Ganquanfang, Yongpingfang, and Fengxianfang, there are Tianwang Temple, Baota Temple, Zhulin Temple, Shengen Temple, and Liao Shengzu Temple; on the north street to the east, there are Dahaotian Temple and Dakaitai Temple. There are Guiyi Temple, Shanchao Temple and Yanhong Temple in Shihefang.There are also Xianlu Temple and Xiasheng Temple in Xianlufang near Andongmen in the east.

Two hundred steps to the east of the main street where they are located is the Yingchun Gate, to the north is the Tongma Square, and to the Jingke Square are the Zhuhua Temple, the Minzhong Temple, and the Dayan Shou Temple.

To the south of the street is the Fabao Temple where they are going today.

Xiao Chuo is very fond of these temples in Nanjing, because her mother, Princess Yan, went to almost all the temples to burn incense and pray for blessings, and she has always respected Buddhism.

The two older sisters were also very happy and pious, and vaguely heard them whispering that they wanted to pray to the Buddha and marry a powerful person. She thought to herself, if the Buddha can manifest, let the war in the south go smoothly.

There have been some bad rumors recently, and what my father said was a lie, so they don't have to worry, Yelusha is not a mediocre player in the battlefield.

But she was always worried. She heard that Shi Congyun, the emperor of Qin State, was on his own expedition. Speaking of Shi Congyun, the horror of a few years ago still lingered in her mind. It can make you breathless, and you have to lower your voice.

For her, there was also a kind of humiliation that suppressed her heart. She remembered that Shi Congyun's general Guo Tingwei, those people laughed at her outside the city of Youzhou that day, saying that Shi Congyun wanted to arrest her and take her back as a concubine. She still remembers the humiliation and humiliation in her heart, so that whenever she hears about Shi Congyun, she will be extremely sensitive.

"Let's go, why are you in a daze." The eldest sister woke her up in a daze, and quickly carried her off the horse.

"I can go down by myself..." Xiao Chuo pouted, but the eldest sister didn't give her a chance to refute, and directly pulled her forward quickly: "Mother is already at the front, hurry up."

Being dragged by the elder sister for a while, she managed to break free from her hand. Looking at the vigorous elder sister and the elder sister who walks like a wind, she thought to herself that when she grows up, she must be like the elder sister in order to have the ability to show respect. Shi Congyun takes revenge.

But I thought that my father and mother were discussing recently about letting the eldest sister marry Yelufeng Sage.

Yelufu Sage is their second uncle, the second brother of the same mother, the second son of Emperor Taizong Yelu Deguang of the Great Liao Kingdom, and the title of King Taiping, the most honorable prince of the Liao Kingdom. He should be 28 years old this year, ten years older than his eldest sister age.

The eldest sister and she have both met their second uncle, but they don't have a deep impression, only know that he is not too smart. , coupled with the support of many people, so that the emperor did not dare to kill him, but let him go to the northwest border town to lead the army, and he is still a high-ranking person.

Following behind the eldest sister, she asked curiously: "Elder sister, do you like the second uncle?"

Eldest sister looked back at her, as if looking at a fool: "Second uncle used to be the most honorable prince of the Daliao Kingdom, although now he has been demoted to the northwestern border, he still has a lot of power, of course I like it.

I don’t know what you’re talking about. Speaking of which, the emperor of Qin in the south said a few years ago that he wanted to arrest you and make you his wife. Why don’t you just go to the south? The emperor of the big southern country is also an extremely noble person. You have power and wealth. "

Xiao Chuo was poked at the sore spot, his face flushed red: "Sister, that villain Shi Congyun killed tens of thousands of Liao warriors, he is our biggest enemy.

This time he sent troops to the east of the river, and the outcome of the southward dispatch is still unknown. Even if I die, I will not surrender. "

"Then what can you do, when I marry my second uncle, he will be the most honorable people in the Daliao Kingdom, and if he has power, he might have a chance to lead the Northwest Army to deal with Shi Congyun, but you can't do anything. "The eldest sister smiled and pinched her little face,

"You say that Shi Congyun is hateful, but if Shi Congyun really comes to Nanjing, you will be caught by him and taken to the tent, what can you do?

You are a woman, and I am also a woman. If a woman does not want to be manipulated by others, she must find her own way. The second uncle is my way. Do you understand? "

Xiao Chuo looked at the proud and pretty face of the eldest sister, wanted to refute but didn't know where to start, and finally could only say in a fit of anger, "I will definitely be better than you in the future."

"Hmph, then I'll wait." The eldest sister rubbed her head indifferently, Xiao Chuo even avoided letting her rub it.

The mother over there was waving in front of the temple, beckoning them to burn incense and pay respects to the Buddha. As she walked, she asked the elder sister curiously, "Are you really not afraid of Shi Congyun? That wicked butcher."

The elder sister pinched the handle of the knife at her waist with one hand: "I'm just afraid that I also have a knife in my hand."

"But the number of people he killed is also countless, and everyone has a knife." Xiao Chuo retorted, she felt that she had caught the elder sister's loophole.

"They are not strong enough, wait for me to control the army, I will deal with him myself!" The eldest sister Xiao Hunian was a little irritable, Xiao Chuo was keenly aware of it, and immediately reacted, the eldest sister was still afraid, no one was not afraid of Shi Congyun, she was just pretending calm down.

"Besides, Shi Congyun is also a human being. He can't be victorious in all battles. Maybe he was lucky a few years ago. This time the army went south for rescue. I heard that Taiyuan City is stronger than Youzhou. Maybe he will fight this time." Lost." The eldest sister said first, but the more she did this, the more guilty she seemed.

"As you said..." Xiao Chuo pouted.

Then, at the request of their mother, the two reluctantly entered the Buddhist hall, burned incense and prayed for blessings, and worshiped the Buddha hastily. Because they were thinking about things, they were always a little absent-minded. demand.

There is a Taiqing Pool to the west of the Fabao Temple. In the afternoon, my mother, accompanied by my second sister, continued to listen to the lectures on Buddhist scriptures.

The elder sister's big big horse was always faster than her filly, Xiao Chuo was very unhappy, but there was nothing he could do about it, the two had fun, yelling indulgently, and galloped along.

In the Liao Kingdom, the atmosphere was more open, and it was easier for women to gain power. Just like the empress of the Taizu Emperor controlled the government, it was a matter of course in many cases, and not many people would think that it was inappropriate for women to hold power.

When the sun was hot in the afternoon, a woman came rushing to report to the eldest sister. It was her slave, a Han Chinese captured from the south a few years ago. Because she could talk and ride a horse, the eldest sister liked to take her by her side.

She whispered a few words in the eldest sister's ear, and Xiao Chuo clearly watched the smile on the elder sister's face gradually disappear.

"What's the matter?" She rode over and asked.

"Han Yin is back." The elder sister said.

Han Yin is Yelu Xiezhen who learned the name given to him by the Han people. He is the brother of Yelu Abaoji, the Taizu Emperor of the Daliao Kingdom, and the grandson of Yelu Helu, a confidant minister. Almost the same as the eldest sister.

"Didn't he go out with Yelusha's army?" Xiao Chuo immediately responded.

"Go back and have a look." The eldest sister said as she rode away, Xiao Chuo even followed.

.......

They went west along the Yingchunmen Avenue, all the way into the Xuanhe Gate, surrounded by dozens of guards to protect them, and the officials did not dare to stop them along the way, and soon entered the palace city and arrived at the Yuanhe Palace.

In the empty courtyard outside the main hall, a large group of people had already gathered. Apart from some familiar officials, they also saw their father Xiao Siwen, and Gao Xun, a Han minister who was not inferior to his father in status. Rule over all the soldiers and horses in Nanjing.

Surrounded by them was a man who needed help, skinny but with a tall frame. The person next to him was not looking well. She didn't know the reason, but the eldest sister reminded him, "That's Yelu Xiezhen."

Xiao Chuo also realized at once, that tall and skinny young man who needed someone to support him was Yelu Xiezhen!It was completely different from the tall and strong young man a few months ago, as if all the flesh had been ripped off, leaving only skin and bones, no wonder she couldn't recognize him.

Then, a chill ran down the spine to the top of the head, and I couldn't help shivering. Yelu Xiezhen led more than 1000 elite soldiers from Nanjing to follow Yelusha to support Taiyuan. Now he has become like this. The war in the south …

Just as she was thinking, the eldest sister had already got off the horse neatly, threw the reins to the attendants, strode over, and the crowd stepped aside one after another. She saw the elder sister say a few words to her father, and then her face darkened.

At that moment, Xiao Chuo's heart also sank, she knew that there must be something wrong with the war in the south.

Chapter 357, The Terror from the South

In front of the hall, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, everyone was in a hurry, surrounded by Yelu Xiezhen and walked in, among the chaotic figures, all kinds of voices were intertwined, anxious, afraid, loud and noisy.

Xiao Chuo was dragged by his elder sister, seeing the adults hurriedly walking into the hall, they also followed behind.

An atmosphere of uneasiness and depression runs through it all the time, just like lingering on the eaves of the roof tiles and corner pillars. The adults are busy and noisy.

Although Gao Xun was on an equal footing with his father in terms of official titles, held the military power in Nanjing, and was canonized as the king of Zhao, he was a high-ranking general, but he was a Han general who surrendered, and the rule of the Daliao Kingdom was that the Yelu family and the Xiao family's direct line married and controlled the court.

So Gao Xun also understood that he couldn't compare with Xiao Siwen, especially Xiao Siwen's daughters. They were destined to marry the royal family of the Yelu family in the future and enter the top power circle of Liao.

So even if you are the King of Zhao in the Daliao Kingdom, you are still polite to the two younger generations.

Xiao Chuo was dragged by the eldest sister, and followed the adults into the main hall, where there were many discussions and greetings, but she always felt something was wrong.

The adults talked and talked a lot, and they looked busy, but no one talked about important things.

Yelu Xiezhen's injury is important, but what's more important is the war in the south!

She was in a state of agitation, just seeing Yelu Xiezhen become like this, the battle on that side...... She was eagerly waiting for the adults to ask, but they were all busy, and no one I asked people, it's okay for servants to take care of others, why should they rush to do it.

Just when she couldn't help but want to ask, she was grabbed by the eldest sister.

Xiao Chuo looked puzzled, "Why don't they talk about the south."

"You are so stupid, Yelu Xiezhen has become like that, don't they understand what's going on in the south? It's just that I feel uncomfortable and dare not say it." The eldest sister Xiao Hunian looked at her like a fool.

Xiao Chuoji didn't like the eyes of the eldest sister, so he shook off her hand: "Why not!"

"Hmph, since everyone knows what's going on, what else can we do? It's embarrassing and embarrassing to say it, or trembling at Shi Congyun who wants to arrest you as a concubine?

Since there is no way to solve the problem and there are still things to do, it is better to pay attention to Yelu Xiezhen's affairs. It is useless to ask about other things, that is Yelusha's responsibility. "

"But what if Shi Congyun calls!" Xiao Chuo said anxiously.

"Father and Uncle Gao will discuss it later. It's not up to everyone to talk about such an important matter." The eldest sister is not as anxious as she is at all, and looks calm and composed, which makes the little Xiao Chuo feel competitive. Lian warned himself to calm down and don't let the eldest miss see.

Things really happened as the eldest sister said. After a while, the eldest sister pulled her back to the side, drinking tea with goat milk and waiting for her father and Uncle Gao.

This tea cake was sold by merchants in the south, with spices and diced meat in it, and boiled with goat milk. People on the grasslands like to drink it, but the tea is only produced in the south. When the tea cake is sold from the south to the north, it is very Expensive, every time those southern merchants come, they can exchange a lot of their cattle, sheep and furs, even the royal family is no exception.

Sometimes she thought that if the Daliao Kingdom crossed the Yellow River, it would no longer need to give so many cows and sheepskins to the cunning southerners.

And the silk skirt, handkerchief, and fine silk cloth on her body are all made by southerners. They are all valuables, and the price is high. Even the armor of southerners is better than that of Liao. Liao will have countless benefits.

When she was a child, her father taught her to read poetry and history books of the Han people, and several Han scholars who fled from the south taught her at home.

These are related to her father. Her father, Xiao Siwen, is familiar with Han books and history, and pays attention to appearance, but he is not good at fighting, so he is also influenced by the children of the family, and his education is more biased towards Han people.

She knows the history, and the great events of the Han and Tang Dynasties were full of expectations, just like her ancestors.

She felt in her heart that His Majesty had no ambitions, no ambition to go south, especially after being defeated by Shi Congyun.But she also knew that their ancestors once said after the founding of the country that to become a figure like Han Gaozu, they had to go south, conquer the Central Plains, and cross the Yellow River.

Taizu Taizong's ambitious descendants should remember that she thought so.

They waited on the west side of the main hall, one after another, many officials hesitated to speak, and left in a hurry.

Soon there were not many people left, only father, Gao Xun and a few senior officials, and only then did the elder sister drag her to the inner hall.

Yelu Xiezhen was being attended to by the crowd to wash and change clothes, and he ate a lot of soup and preserved fruit. At this time, he was half lying on the bed, and he had obviously recovered a lot.

They passed just in time to hear him whispering about the situation to the south.

"When we passed the Yanmen Pass, more than 1 soldiers from various tribes had gathered, and some tribes from the west hadn't arrived yet. The prime minister (Yelusa) told them not to wait, and asked them to guard the Yanmen Pass.

So we crossed Yanmen Pass and headed south. There were no obstacles along the way. According to the report, the Qin army besieged Taiyuan for only a few days.

On the way, we met a forward force of several thousand soldiers from the Qin army, defending near Xinkou, we rushed over and fought..."

.......

In the hall, the atmosphere was dignified, and it was already dusk outside the house. The evening wind whimpered like weeping, the wind moved the trees, and the shadows of the eaves swayed in the candlelight. The medium lamp is lit.

Southerners seldom place lamps and candles in the middle of the house, but in the tents of the Khitan tribe, that is a common occurrence. Since Youzhou became Nanjing of the Liao Kingdom, the Yuanhe Hall and Jianing Hall originally built by the Han people also have different styles. The changes have been mixed with the style of many Khitan people. This kind of decoration, which is a mixture of two phases, nondescript and quite unique, is just like the current situation of the Liao Kingdom.

This kind of change is not only in the interior of the palace, but also has many changes from the inside to the outside. When two cultures collide with each other, it is inevitable that mud and sand will intertwine and intertwine. In the end, who will be the dominant one is a matter of comprehensive consideration of various factors. It's hard to say for sure on one or two factors.

In today's Liao Kingdom, there is one thing that is absolutely certain. The Khitan people with weak cultural heritage have no chance of winning. Military power and culture often accompany each other and are independent of each other.

Cultural dissemination mostly relies on conquest by force, and conquest by force needs to be consolidated by cultural dissemination, otherwise the achievements will not last forever.The Mongols, who were quickly disintegrated by local cultural assimilation and change after conquering all parts of the world, are the best example.

However, there is an essential difference between the two. The fragility of culture cannot be made up by force.In this regard, the Khitan people are inherently weak, and their writing and language were officially unified only a few decades ago, while the Han people completed these as early as more than 1000 years ago.

In the main hall, Yelu Xiezhen continued to talk about their tragic experience. They originally only wanted to encircle and wipe out a small group of enemy strikers, but after fighting for two days and one night, that group of enemies held on to the top of the mountain, and they did not collapse or surrender. go south.

That day, none of them expected that Shi Congyun would lead the main force northward, and the two sides would encounter each other. The Qin army immediately launched a full-scale attack, as fierce as a pack of hungry wolves on the grassland.

They were few and defenseless, and they were defeated and ran northward. Unexpectedly, the cunning and vicious Shi Congyunzao arranged for troops to cut off their retreat.

Only some of the fastest runners in the front escaped, while those in the back were cut off, and all were besieged in a small town.

Shi Congyun's follow-up army arrived quickly, almost sticking to their rear and besieging thousands of them in the small town north of Dai County.

Afterwards, the Qin army who couldn't see how many people rushed to the mountains and plains quickly arrived, besieging them in groups, and they couldn't get through.

They broke through several times and were repulsed with heavy losses.

What happened after that became more and more tragic, and Yelu Xiezhen's eyes were full of fear and uneasiness that could not fade away when he said it.

Shi Congyun surrounded them in the town, cut off food and water, and did not allow them to go out. They would throw stones and shoot arrows at the town in the middle of the night. They demolished all the houses, cut down all the trees for warmth, and ate all the horses and food. Planed all grass roots and tree roots in the town.

A few days later, some people couldn't hold back and ran out to surrender. Shi Congyun ordered them to be shot to death, and said that they were Rongdi barbarians and would not accept their surrender.

Hearing this, Xiao Chuo was so angry that his face turned red, and everyone in the hall looked ugly. Shi Congyun's arrogance and contempt made them feel uncomfortable. The Daliao Kingdom has been established for so many years, and few people have dared to say that about them. up.

More importantly, that arrogance hit a sore spot in the hearts of the Khitan people.They do not have the long heritage and history of the Han people. They started from a Jimi prefecture in the Tang Dynasty. They have the ambition to go south to the Central Plains. They have achieved achievements in military force, but when it comes to these, they always feel that they are not as good as the Han people, so they don’t like others the most. Said they were barbarians.

"We already have our own writing and language, so why would he dare to call us barbarians!" Xiao Chuo was the youngest and the most impatient, instantly like a kitten whose fur had exploded, his little face flushed, and his heart was filled with history. From cloud hatred to extreme, how dare he say that about the Khitan people.

"For the Han people, that happened thousands of years ago, and it's useless for you to be angry." The eldest sister reminded her that Gao Xun was a little embarrassed when the hall fell silent, so he could only pretend that nothing happened. Han people.

The waiter Xiao Chuo was angry, and looked at the elder sister angrily, but he couldn't find anything to refute. In her heart, she said that she was the barbarian Rong Di's Shi Congyun's sworn enemy, and the greatest enemy of the Liao Kingdom. Another notch up, not just sworn enemies, but sworn mortals.

Yelu Xiezhen went on to talk about the following things, and a big man burst into tears while talking.

Everyone was horrified when they heard it, and their spines were chilled. How Shi Congyun forced them to kill each other and survive by eating the corpses of their own kind. Afterwards, when they accepted the surrender, they entered the villages and towns aloofly. Only more than 2000 people survived.

He was arrogant, because Yelusha could speak Sinicization, and had studied the classics of Confucius and Mencius, so he let them go.

Speaking of this, the officials present were terrified, and they all silently wrote it down in their hearts, thinking that they must buy a few books of Confucius and Mencius to study hard when they go back. Judging by this posture, the Qin army may come to Nanjing one day.

Yelu Xiezhen also talked about Shi Congyun's neglect and abuse of them. When they finally let them leave Yanmen Pass, only 2000 of the 1000 people survived and received rations, and some were directly starved to death on the road.

Everyone was angry and speechless, the atmosphere in the hall was heavy, and no one spoke first.

Until Xiao Hunian said: "That is to say, more than 1 people, including those who escaped before, only two or three thousand survived."

Yelu Xiezhen lowered his head and nodded silently, as acquiescence.

This time, the news was confirmed. Although many people had already guessed that the situation in the south might be bad after seeing Yelu Xiezhen come back like this before, they didn't expect that the bad situation was bigger than imagined...

Xiao Siwen's face was gloomy, while Gao Xun's expression flickered and he gasped.

Xiao Chuo only felt a chill down his spine, and felt unspeakably uncomfortable, and subconsciously held the elder sister's hand tightly, with inexplicable fear welling up in his heart.

The eldest sister was calmer than her, but not much better. Although she was unmoved on the surface, she could feel her hands trembling slightly.

This is not the first time that the Great Liao Kingdom has been defeated by Shi Congyun.