I Rely on Beauty to Stabilize the Country

During dinner, the Holy Majesty was busy reading the files sent by the prefect Han.Xue Yuan, who was ashamed as a girl, held the fingerprints of half of his handsome face, took the bowl and chopsticks from the eunuch's hand, swiped the green spoon across the porcelain bowl, blowing away the mist and heat, and bent over to feed the Holy Majesty.

He was dressed in black clothes, with a gold and jade fan pinned to his waist. He was tall and tall, with tight-fitting boots, and he looked oppressed when he was not speaking.But in front of the Holy Master, the corners of Xue Yuan's lips curled up, and the sinister energy dissipated, only looking handsome and handsome.

Unknowingly, Gu Yuanbai was fed half a bowl of rice by him, and he ate the blue spoon into his mouth in one gulp, Xue Yuan's Adam's apple moved slightly, turned around when the sage was not paying attention, and put the blue spoon in his mouth too Tried it several times.

"Have a bowl of soup," Gu Yuanbai chewed his lips and teeth, "I'm a little thirsty."

Xue Yuan carefully put away the spoon, and hurriedly changed another white porcelain bowl for porridge.

Tian Fusheng stayed in the palace, and Tian Fusheng's young apprentice followed the Holy One to serve him.

The little eunuch hesitated to speak, watching Xue Yuan receive all the things used by the Holy Majesty into his arms: "Master Zhang, Master Xue acted like this, do you really not say anything?"

The chief guard frowned, "Eunuch Cao doesn't like Mr. Xue?"

The little eunuch shook his head and hands together.

The head of the guard looked a little slow, and said earnestly: "Master Xue has put his own life and death aside in order to protect the safety of the saint. Lord Xue is only admiring the saint, and the saint has never said anything. Eunuch Cao should not say such things in the future. So as not to hurt Master Xue's heart."

The little eunuch panicked: "I understand."

After the meal, Gu Yuanbai was dragged for a walk with Xue Yuan.

Xue Yuan walked halfway, suddenly his face twisted for a moment, Gu Yuanbai asked: "What's wrong?"

"The wound is itchy." Xue Yuan tensed up.

Gu Yuanbai said casually: "If it itches, just scratch it."

The injury is on the back, and the posture is not good when I scratch it.Xue Yuan was tortured by the itch, so he took a step back and covered Gu Yuanbai's eyes, taking the opportunity to scratch him.

Gu Yuanbai grabbed his wrist.

This hand is as white as jade, as beautiful as flawless jade.The joints are like pearls, and the flesh is delicate.But Xue Yuan had seen these hands in other ways, brushing between the mud and sand, and patting his face mixed with Xue Yuan's blood smell.

Anxious, trembling, Gu Yuanbai cried.

Can't believe it.

His tears were obviously dripping water, but Xue Yuan's heart was steamed with burning oil.Xue Yuan used to want to see him crying, but after actually seeing him once, he dared not even think about it.

He stared at these hands for a while, and the fine scratches on his hands had long since healed.Just because it's gone doesn't mean it hasn't been injured.

Xue Yuan turned around and put his arms around Gu Yuanbai's waist, and the tall man nestled his head on the shoulder of the Holy Majesty, and said sullenly, "Gu Lian."

Acting like a baby.

Why are you so clingy.

Gu Yuanbai coughed lightly, and just about to speak, Xue Yuan was frightened, and looked at Gu Yuanbai with both hands, "Cough?"

"...Nothing." Gu Yuanbai's throat was itchy again, and he said slowly, "I just cleared my throat."

Xue Yuan relaxed, but his back only felt more itchy. He grabbed Gu Yuanbai's hands and said, "Can you scratch me?"

The words in his mouth softened into water, but his hands were firm and did not let go.

"Master Bai," Xue Yuan licked his neck, "Itchy back."

Gu Yuanbai was unmoved, until Xue Yuan quickly licked the drool on his neck, and he couldn't stand the goosebumps, "Let go, turn around."

Xue Yuan was about to turn around cheerfully, but out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a corner of his clothes hidden behind the rockery.His handsome and extraordinary eyebrows suddenly burst into anger, "Your Majesty, I will deal with Xiaoxiao." He quickly stepped forward and grabbed the person behind the rockery.

The person who hid was a servant, and when he saw Xue Yuan approaching, he dodged his eyes and looked flustered.Xue Yuan pinched his neck, unexpectedly, "What are you looking at?"

The servant pinched his wrist, but still wanted to quibble, "I just happened to pass by, so I don't dare to look at anything! Your honored guest, please don't wrong me!"

Xue Yuan let go of his neck, before the servant had time to rejoice, Xue Yuan grabbed his hair and slammed him onto the rockery.

Blood slid down the corner of the boy's forehead, Xue Yuan asked again blankly: "Who sent you here?"

Only then did the boy become terrified, and said tremblingly, "It's Mrs. Zhen from the mansion."

"Madam Zhen?" Xue Yuan said coldly, "What did you see?"

The boy's teeth trembled: "Little man, little man..."

Xue Yuan murmured thoughtfully, "You have seen everything."

The boy's words stuck in his throat.

The dagger twirled a few times in his hand, inserted and pulled out, and the boy fell to the ground without breath.Out of the corner of his eye, Xue Yuan saw the little emperor approaching, knelt down and wiped off the blood on the dagger and fingers, and walked out with a smile, "Your Majesty."

Gu Yuanbai glanced at the rockery, "Who is it?"

Xue Yuan took his shoulders and walked back, lowered his body and said: "A young man, it should be sent by a Mrs. Zhen in the mansion."

Gu Yuanbai frowned, turned his head and glanced sideways, "Where's the servant?"

"I found out in time, that boy didn't see anything." Xue Yuan gently turned his face towards the Holy Majesty, lowered his head and rubbed his own face against the Holy Majesty's face, "That boy was so frightened that I peed his pants, Dirty, the Holy One can't see it."

Gu Yuanbai sneered, and squinted at him: "Are you scaring people to pee their pants?"

Xue Yuan nodded seriously.

Gu Yuanbai was overjoyed, and smiled with his lips curled up.

Later, Prefect Han found out about it.

Mrs. Zhen is the second wife of the prefect Han's mansion, and she sent a servant there just to be one step ahead of the prefect's wife, to see if there is any need for the distinguished guests of Daheng, and to show her considerateness and virtuousness.This action really shamed Prefect Han. He personally visited Gu Yuanbai, apologized with a big gift, and said that he would punish Mrs. Zhen, so please don't blame him.

Gu Yuanbai forgave him.

That night, the boy who made a big mistake was found to have committed suicide by throwing himself into the lake.Mrs. Zhen went to the lake to see. There was a bloody smell on the corner of the lake, and the boy's face could be seen faintly. She covered her mouth to fight the nausea in her heart.

Prefect Han scolded her angrily for a long time, "It doesn't matter if you die, you don't want to appear in front of me again. Do you want the entire prefect's mansion to pay for your life for such a big crime?"

Mrs. Zhen was sobbing constantly, with a chill in her bones, the more she thought about it, the weirder she became.

That boy was greedy for life and afraid of death, so why would he throw himself into the lake?

The Majesty's residence is still peaceful.

Xue Yuan had already washed himself clean, and lay undressed on the Holy Majesty's bed. He didn't know what he was thinking, and the tips of his ears were already burning red.At this time, not only the wound on his back was itching, but also the scabs all over his body were itching faintly.

During the period when he was just injured, Xue Yuan was lying on the bed unable to move like this.The Holy Majesty would personally moisten the handkerchief with a wet towel, reach into Xue Yuan's clothes and wipe Xue Yuan's body.

No matter how painful it was at that time, it was as sweet as drinking honey.

The Holy Majesty came back from his bath, and he took a breath when he saw the scene on the dragon bed, "Xue Jiuyao," hesitating every word, "What are you doing with this appearance?"

Xue Yuan frowned, more surprised than Gu Yuanbai: "Didn't His Majesty say he wanted to mess around with me at night?"

Gu Yuanbai: "No."

He raised his hand and nodded Xue Yuan, and laughed, "I'm talking about playing around, but not playing around like you."

Xue Yuan looked at Gu Yuanbai in disbelief, and after a while, he sat up, the thin quilt slipped down to his thin waist, and sighed deeply, "What do you want to play?"

His expression was full of disappointment.

Gu Yuanbai walked to the table and sat down, and took out a piece of rice paper.Xue Yuan followed up quietly, and Gu Yuanbai dipped his pen in ink, "I have captured many cities in Xixia, but there are still some corners to resist. It is not easy to attack a city, and it often takes a lot of time. , it may drag down the rear front. If it is not really a helpless move, I really don't want to attack the city."

Xue Yuan took a deep breath, knowing that this was just a joke in Gu Yuanbai's eyes, "I'm going to get dressed."

For a moment, the two sat together, carefully sorting out Xixia's current situation.

Wait until the moon is in the sky before putting down the pen and paper to rest.

Attacking the city is the bottom, attacking the heart is the top.If the people in the city are determined to defend to the death, then the attacking army really has no good way.

In Xingqing Mansion, the royal city of Xixia, Mrs. Xiao Wang's possession and desire for power became more and more crazy.Her madness before dying like this happened to be Gu Yuanbai's opening to pry Xixia city.

Ding Yan led the people from the supervision office to drive around among the cities of Xixia, and as each city was marked with the imprint of Daheng, the people in the city were immediately arranged to go to the fields.

The captured city was safe and peaceful from war and disputes, and was busy with farming under the protection of Daheng soldiers.A peaceful life has a strong attraction for the people, and many people fled to the rear of the city.As time went by, the people in the royal city finally felt the fear outside the debauchery.

Xixia is just a small place, and it is only the size of two states on Daheng's territory. Three of the five states have already been occupied, so how can we fight?

When the cicadas were singing and the birds were singing, Gu Yuanbai personally wrote a letter of persuasion and sent it to Xingqing Mansion.

Mrs. Xiao Wang got this letter, and immediately called her confidants to read it. The general meaning of the letter is: "As long as you voluntarily surrender and admit defeat, I can make the current emperor of Xixia the Duke of Xia, enjoy three thousand stones, and give thousands of rewards. Give Xia Guo a mansion in the capital of Daheng, and allow his mother to live with him, so that he can protect his prosperity and wealth, and have no worries about food and clothing."

As long as he admits defeat, even though Xixia is gone, he can be named Daheng's Xia Guogong, and live a rich and worry-free life under the eyes of Emperor Daheng.

Mrs. Xiao Wang stood up abruptly, strode over to snatch the letter from her confidant, read it several times, and was sure it was a letter of persuasion.

She looked up at her confidants, everyone had different expressions, "Ma'am, this..."

"Li Angyi is dead," said Mrs. Wang, who was rarely calm. "Everyone, my son is still young, and I am the only one who is in charge. But now wars are raging, and the 40 soldiers we have been dispatched by Xixia have all been defeated by the generals' rebellion or Under the enemy's iron cavalry. Daheng's army is constantly pressing towards the king's city. They want to destroy Xixia's country. Daheng is so big, such a behemoth, how can we mother and son fight against it?"

Someone persuaded: "Madam, if you accept this letter, you will become a sinner who will be recorded in history."

Mrs. Wang said angrily: "It's a joke! Is it necessary for my mother and son to be buried in the hands of the enemy to satisfy the people of the world?! What do they think has anything to do with me as a weak girl? Great day for Duke Xia, Emperor Daheng can!"

The quarrel was getting bigger and bigger, and his confidant Dong Zhiyan suddenly said: "The green salt of Xixia can't be sold in Daheng."

In the past, when the two countries were at war, Xixia would avoid Daheng's domestic green salt sales place, and Daheng had never banned salt merchants from entering and leaving Xixia on a large scale.

Except Mrs. Xiao Wang, the rest of the people turned pale with shock and all looked sideways at him.

Dong Zhiyan looked haggard, "If there was a war between Xixia and Daheng on weekdays, the salt merchants who sell green salt in Daheng would stand by our side, but now there are fewer and fewer vendors in Daheng who come to buy our dynasty green salt. If things go on like this, Wangcheng will not even have money for food and drink."

Mrs. Xiao Wang sneered, shaking the letter paper in her hand, "The money in the national treasury has already been used up by the army. Li Angyi's private treasury? Who knows where his private treasury is! If you don't want to surrender, then take it out." Bring your own money, take out rice grains, whoever gets more, we will listen to whoever says!"

No one made a sound, and the palace fell silent for a while.

Madam Xiao Wang folded up the persuasion letter cherishingly, and said, "Emperor Daheng only gave Xingqing Mansion half a month to think about it."

When the time comes, will he surrender and enjoy the blessings of life, or resist until death?

Madam Xiao Wang had made up her mind a long time ago, and she also believed that these people would also have made up their minds.

Gu Yuanbai's royal conquest has reached the present day, and the swaying winter has turned into midsummer.

Every time the government affairs are transported from the capital, Gu Ran's letters are bound to be indispensable.

Gu Ran is still young, and his wrist does not have enough strength when he lifts the pen to write, so it shows some signs of limpness.But as time went by, his handwriting improved significantly, and he never slack off in practicing calligraphy.

In the latest letter, Gu Ran asked cautiously, "When will the father return?"

Looking at the letter, Gu Yuanbai could almost imagine Gu Ran's expression.He also felt some yearning for the imperial city, the people in the capital, and the acquaintances in the capital.

A hand reached out, rubbing his back soothingly.

"In another month, I will go back," Gu Yuanbai said softly, "I have been on the conquest for too long, so there should be no further delay."

Kong Yilin, who was buried in the paperwork at the side, raised his head, his eyes were black and blue, "Your Majesty, you can go back at ease. Now that Xixia has been included in the pocket, the follow-up rectification and land distribution will be carried out according to the regulations. Rest assured."

"Everything as soon as possible," Gu Yuanbai said, "There are many talented people in Xixia, and most of them have studied Daheng's knowledge proficiently. When the imperial examination is held next year, I will see the shadow of Xixia people in it."

Kong Yilin and the civil servants agreed in a deep voice.

Gu Yuanbai nodded lightly, got up and walked out from behind the table. Just as he was about to walk out the threshold, an official in the political affairs hall at the back thought of something, got up in time and asked, "Your Majesty, after Xixia is subdued, what is the new name for Xixia?"

Gu Yuanbai paused for a moment, facing the rising sun, he said in a slow voice: "The five prefectures of Western Xia, one prefecture was merged into Shaanxi, and the two prefectures were merged into Gansu. The remaining two prefectures were changed to Ning in the west and took the land of Xia. It means tranquility, so it is called Ningxia."

"Ningxia," murmured the courtiers, "good name."

Gu Yuanbai smiled, exhaled a foul breath towards the sun, and strode out.

In the summer of the 12th year of Jingping, the Daheng Dynasty destroyed Xixia and set up Ningxiafu Road, which meant the tranquility of the summer land, and Ningxia came from here. ①

In mid-August of that year, when Emperor Heng Gaozong Gu Lian returned to Beijing, the common people lined the road and cheered. Wherever he passed, all the people danced with their hands and feet, enjoying the joy of the world.

At this point, Daheng's pace of expanding its territory has temporarily slowed down.