Dawn of the Empire

chapter 26

When the two noble ladies in Prime Minister Zhao's residence were itching their teeth with hatred, Zhao Xingde was sighing with his future brother-in-law.In the study room of Li's mansion, except for the doors, windows, tables and chairs on one side facing south, the bookshelves on three sides are filled with all kinds of books, exuding a faint smell of spiritual herbs.Two books were spread out on the large table, Zhao Xingde faced the door, window and desk with his hands behind his back, bright and warm sunlight shone into the study from behind him.Li Ruoxu was frowning and sighed again and again.He has a handsome face, and because he is only sixteen years old, his figure is still very thin, and there is only a light beard on his lips, but he looks troubled by love and preoccupied.

"It's just a one-sided relationship, why can't I forget it? Could it be that I'm bewitched?" Zhao Xingde said with a smile, after the outing on Qingming day, Li Ruoxu asked about the woman in the light yellow shirt and green skirt, who would have expected to inquire about it? , it turned out to be Zhao Huan, the daughter of the most beloved concubine Wang Guifei. Although the Li family is a scholarly family from generation to generation, it is difficult to climb up the royal family.

"Follow it backwards, the road is blocked and long, the road is blocked and stepped forward, the road is blocked and right, alas" Li Ruoxu sighed again, and could not keep silent.Zhao Xingde looked at his pale cheeks due to lack of sleep, and thought to himself: "Is everyone in the Li family so sentimental?" He reached out and patted Li Ruoxu's shoulder, and explained, "Why do you have to suffer so much for a woman? , I was shocked to be a heavenly being after just seeing her once, maybe she is just gorgeously dressed, after taking off the makeup, her appearance is not even enough for the average person."

Li Ruoxu closed his eyes and thought about it for a while, then shook his head seriously: "From a distance, it is as bright as the morning glow, and up close, it looks like a lotus emerging from clear water. It is definitely not just a middle-aged person." Zhao Xingde shook his head inwardly, and said: "Zhao Huan Since she is the jewel in today's palm, she must be used to being arrogant and indulgent, you haven't been with her for long, if you stay together for ten days and a half months, you will definitely not be able to stand the princess' temper."

Li Ruoxu said: "Appearance is the expression of heart'nature. Although I only talked to her once, it will never be like what you said." There was a bit of anger in the words.Zhao Xingde secretly called out to Qu, didn't I just want to enlighten you, and said with a smile: "Ruoxu, you haven't experienced the world, how can you see through people's hearts at a glance. Ask what love is in the world, and teach life and death. Such feelings, How can it be that after meeting once or twice, and saying a word, you can be sure. There must be a feeling that a crowd looks for him thousands of times, and when you look back, that person is in a dimly lit place."

Li Ruoxu was blushing, and was about to refute, but Zhao Xingde, who had just found a sense of preaching, stopped him, and continued on his own: "In my opinion, your family education is too strict, and you have too few opportunities to meet women. So when I saw a little girl, I fell in love with it. It’s like a person who has never tasted all kinds of delicacies. He occasionally tastes a good dish and wants to eat it every day. What’s more, you just glanced at this dish. I haven’t even tasted it yet. Alas, how can you give up the forest for a small tree, not to mention that this tree is thousands of miles away from you.”

Li Ruoxu raised his head and was about to speak, but his expression was stunned, embarrassment appeared on his face, and he kept silent.Seeing that he didn't take up the fight, Zhao Xingde took it easy and said: "So, I have some friendship with the teacher and girl in Gonglou, I will take you to experience the romantic life there, and then you can think about whether my words are reasonable or not. " Li Ruoxu showed an embarrassing look on his face, and said in a low voice: "I will never go, this is not allowed." Zhao Xingde smiled and said: "You are also sixteen years old this year, so you should... "He noticed that Li Ruoxu was only looking behind him, so he stopped talking and laughing and looked back, suddenly tongue-tied.Li Ruoxue stood outside the study door, her pretty face flushed slightly, seeing Zhao Xingde turned around, she shifted her gaze to other places, her mouth was slightly opened, her chest heaved non-stop, her face seemed to be angry.

"Sigh, fleeting years are not good, fleeting years are not good." Li Ruoxue can go in and out of the study room at will, but Zhao Xingde can't ask Li Ruoxue to explain to Li Ruoxue in the inner court. Feeling depressed, he remembers that he still has an appointment with Kang Deyi, so he tells Li Ruoxu to explain to his sister on his behalf He explained, and promised his brother-in-law to take him with him the next time he posted a post, and then he came out of Li's mansion with a sigh.

At the beginning Li Ruoxu discovered that Zhao Xingde was writing exposing posts, and those exposing posts happened to be attacking the regime's "traitors", so he admired Zhao Xingde's character very much, thinking that this is what Qingliu scholars should do, and insisted on Participate in, Zhao Xingde thought to himself, today I attack Quan 'rape' for Qingliu, maybe tomorrow I will attack Qingliu for Quan 'rape', it's just subsidizing living expenses, how can you participate in this kind of prostitution , has never let go of agreement.But because of today's misunderstanding, Zhao Xingde wanted to ask Li Ruoxu to speak well to his sister, so he had to agree.

The residence of Kande descendants is behind the Bianliang branch of Fuhai Xing. "It seems that this person is a rich businessman." Zhao Xingde handed the name card to the porter, and looked at the tall lintel that violated the regulations.Fuhaihang is a century-old shop jointly established by merchants in the Jiangnan area. It is also one of the largest commercial firms in the Central Plains. Its head office is located in Jinling.Later, people in the firm thought the word "Fuhai" was too crude, so they took the lottery of "福如东海" and changed the name of the firm to "Fuhai".The branch and business of Fuhaihang spread all over the world, reaching Japan and Korea in the east, Dashi in the west, the Middle East, Annan, Tianzhu, and Srivijaya in the south, and even has contacts with the country that produces Kunlun slaves.From Bianliang to Jinling, I don’t know how many high-ranking officials and officials have invested in shares in the Fuhai Bank. If Kant’s descendants have a lot of status in the Fuhai Bank, what’s the point of building a tall and illegal portal in Bianliang? Maybe Mr. Kaifeng Fuyin received bonuses from Fuhai Bank every year, Zhao Xingde shook his head with a smile.

Contrary to Zhao Xingde's expectation, the Kangde descendant, wearing a loose white robe and clogs, went to the door to welcome him into the study. The servant set up the tea set and then retreated. Zhao Xingde looked around and found that this was not at all a A businessman's study feels very strange.

Usually, the books in a businessman’s study must be very exquisite, and because the servants often clean them, they are often spotless. But as long as people who deal with books a lot, they will naturally not feel popular in these books, and all kinds of books are neatly stacked on the bookshelf. , It seems that it has never been turned over. Instead, it is the ledger and deed book placed on the desk. The hard and thick cover is often worn down because of the owner's frequent inspection.

This is not the case in the study room of Kant origin. Various books are old and new. Judging from the titles on the cover, there are not only poems and military history books, but also astrology, medicine and divination, and even agricultural books. There are beautifully bound books, and some are extremely simple, and they are inserted in a mess on the bookshelf. The closer to the desk, the more "messy". Letters were written, a silver paper knife was placed casually by the side, a bow and quiver was hung on the wall, and there was also a sword. Zhao Xingde had also carefully studied the weapons of this era, and he knew at a glance that this sword was not a saber, but a sword. It is a sharp weapon capable of fighting and killing people.

Kang Deyi filled the tea himself, and said with a smile: "People who live in the world, in order to learn and improve, love to read. The accumulation is more and more, and I often move, but I can't bear to throw away these burdens. I always take them with me. When he spoke, his eyes were piercing, but it didn't make people feel uncomfortable. He leaned on the bamboo chair, as if he and Zhao Xingde had been friends for many years, casual and relaxed, and his gestures revealed a sense of confidence.

Zhao Xingde picked up the teacup and said with a smile: "When the book is ready to be used, you will hate less. Mr. Kang's amazing shooting skills are amazing, so he is a man with both civil and military skills." Kang Deyi waved his hand and said with a smile: "Brother Zhao Don't give up too much."

After some humility and pleasantries, Kang Deyi sighed: "With Brother Zhao's talent, it will be a matter of time before he becomes an official, but now that the emperor of the Song Dynasty is fatuous, Cai Jing, Li Bangyan and other 'treacherous' ministers are in power, I think Brother Zhao's Character, if you enter the officialdom, it is like a pearl thrown into a quagmire."

Zhao Xingde didn't want the people he met for the first time to dare to slander the government, he said with a smile: "Everywhere in the world is a mixture of good and evil, where is it not hiding dirt and evil people? A treacherous sycophant." Kang Deyi was slightly taken aback, turned his teacup, and said in a deep voice, "I never thought Brother Zhao would want to clean up the world, but he has a heart like Chen Zhongju's."

Zhao Xingde cupped his hands and said with a smile: "How dare you, it's just the rise and fall of the world, everyone is responsible." The two laughed, and the Kangde descendants stopped persuading Zhao Xingde, and only talked to him about Xia Kingdom, Liao Kingdom, and even further away, Ross, The knowledge of the Turkic Kingdom, his extensive experience and deep knowledge, he narrates the general trend of the world, which is fascinating. After hearing this, Zhao Xingde sighed: "It is the blessing of the society to become an official with the talent of Brother Kang." The Kangde descendants laughed .

At this time, a servant with a serious face came in from the outside and handed a note to Kang Deyi. Kang Deyi opened it in front of Zhao Xingde and took a quick look, then rolled up the note expressionlessly and put it in. In his arms, he was still talking and laughing freely, but Zhao Xingde faintly felt that he was a little distracted, so he took the opportunity to leave.

Kang Deyi sent Zhao Xingde out of the house, and instead of returning to his home, he hurried to Xichun Tower, without going through Tongbing, and went straight to the embroidery house where the singer Luo Ruji bought lived. He took a deep breath, coughed, reached out and knocked on the door twice.

"What are you doing here?" She was bare-faced, casually pulled into a ponytail, and was wearing a half-worn light green blouse. She no longer had the gorgeous and charming look she had when she danced for the prince. It's just comfortable.

"I'll stop you." Kande said with a sullen face.

"You don't have to worry about my affairs." There was a slight chill in her words.

"Your business is my business." Kande said forcefully, reaching out to grab her arm, but she stepped back half a step, Kande's hand froze in mid-air, sighed, and retracted.

With a cold face, Han Ningshuang looked at the disappointed and lost expression of the Kangde descendant, her starry eyes dimmed, she turned her gaze aside, and said in a low voice: "Your Highness is precious, it's better not to be like me, a poor man who has ruined his country and family. Women are confused."

"The queen mother has agreed, you can go back to Dunhuang with me." Kang Deyi stared at Han Ningshuang's side face. Although it was noon at this time, the expression on her face was like a ghost under the moonlight at night, so pale It made Kant's heart ache for no reason.

"Really?" Han Ningshuang said coldly, "Your Majesty the Empress is no longer worried that I'm a troublesome woman?" She stretched out her hand to help her bun, and smiled faintly. This smile contained all kinds of charms, and in the eyes of Kant descendants But it was as cold as ten thousand years of ice, "Chen Kang, you should go back to Dunhuang by yourself," she looked at the noon sun outside the window, as if speaking to Kande, and also seemed to be talking to herself, "You have your own Responsibility, I have my responsibility. Your path and mine are two different directions.”

"Ningshuang, Kang Deyi said slowly, "You have planned to enter the East Palace of the Crown Prince of the Song Dynasty. With your talent and scheming, and the help of the old family of the Han family, it is not difficult to become a concubine. In the future, you will be promoted to the empress and wait for Zhao Ke. When you die, you will follow the old example of the three empress dowagers Liu, Gao, and Cao, and listen to the government. At that time, you will push the Song Dynasty to conquer the Liao Kingdom in the north, in order to avenge the Liao Dynasty's killing of Han's family. He paused, with a certain determination in his tone, and said, "But, I will never allow you to do this." "

When Kang Deyi was speaking, Han Ningshuang's face became paler and paler, and she couldn't hold back anymore, she suddenly raised her head to look at him, her eyes were wide open, her fists were clenched, and she said sharply: "Chen Kang, Why don't you allow it?" She was panting, and stroked her violently heaving heart with her hands, "Xia's national policy is to defend the fundamentals, watch the world's provocations from the sidelines, and win two tigers with one blow. Song defeated Khitan, and Song's vitality was also greatly injured." She smiled sadly and said, "It will take two to thirty years to do this, and by then, Xia will be able to rule the world."

"Humph", the Kant descendant's face turned cold, and he said in a deep voice: "My Daxia is not despicable enough to trade with women." He said in a slightly slower tone, "Since the founding of the ancestors, Daxia has been united and united. , all industries are prosperous, and the country is booming. On the other hand, in the Liao and Song Dynasties, there are constant changes. At the top, the officials are "treacherous", and at the bottom, there are mourners everywhere. In my eyes, those are just bones in the grave. You don't need to make unnecessary sacrifices and sacrifices. Burial."

"A pointless sacrifice?" Han Ningshuang seemed to be stung. She looked at Kang Deyi and said in a deep voice, "With the strength of Xia Guo, in order not to make such a sacrifice, I would rather wait another 50 years, 100 years, right?" She I raised my voice slightly because of my excitement, "You can wait, but I can't wait, even for a day. You saw that after the king of Korea handed over the fleeing Han family to Khitan, all the men were killed and the daughter was ravaged After the Khitan destroyed our Han family, the Han people were like pigs and dogs. Have you ever had a day when you couldn’t eat enough moldy chaff? Have you ever seen slaves in Liaodong workshops who didn’t live past the age of 40? Have you ever seen a horse exchange for five female slaves? Have you ever seen it?" She clenched her fists tightly, with sweat dripping from her forehead, and said with a sad smile, "Did you know?"

She sighed, and said again: "I told you what these meaningless things are for. I forgot that without the consent of Da Xia and the two prefectures, even His Majesty cannot recruit troops and declare war at will. The two prefectures will never agree To make such a 'meaningless sacrifice', is it?"

Kant was speechless by her question.According to the system of the Xia Kingdom, if one wants to go to war with an enemy country, the consent of the two governments of the Huguo and the Zhuguo is required.Xia Kingdom has a vast land, bounded by Hangu Pass, the Yellow River, and Song and Liao in the east, and has crossed the Congling Ridge in the west to reach the land in the river, bordering on the fanatical Turkic people and the ambitious Rus State.When the country was first established, there were almost no Han people in the river. In order to consolidate the river, the Xia State mobilized the power of the whole country to forcefully suppress several cults that advocated harming the country and meddling the government. The number of Chinese people who settled and cultivated in the west of Congling reached 600 million, which is considered to be an unbreakable foundation for the power of China in the west of Congling.

As more and more people settled and multiplied west of Congling, the two governments paid more and more attention to safeguarding the interests of the Xia Kingdom in the west, and the two governments preferred to maintain a stable and delicate balance between the Liao and Song Dynasties. If any country dominates, Xia will be able to maintain the security of the eastern border at the lowest cost.

"In terms of the size of the threat, the Rus, Turkic and other Hu countries in the west are our country's old enemies. In the place of the four wars in the river, once the backup is not enough, they will take advantage of the situation. If you want to expand the territory, the east and west sides of the rocky mountains, the Altai Mountains and the Most of the north is a land of no owner, and the princes of Tianzhu in the south are also very weak. They only need to slowly cultivate and eat away. The eastern border is fine, so why pay the precious blood and lives of the soldiers to fight against Liao and Song Fight?" This is the policy of the two governments, even if it is the Chen royal family, it is inconvenient to force a war in the east.

Kang Deyi was silent for a while, and made up his mind: "Although I can't persuade the two governments to attack the Liao Kingdom, I will never allow you to marry Zhao Ke. In the battle between Zhao Ke and Zhao Qi for the crown prince, it is not yet known who will win the battle; The second is that the government and the people of the Song Dynasty are tired of war, even if you are serious about the government and insist on provoking border disputes, you will be notorious and will be reviled by thousands of people; the third is," he paused, with a look of disgust on his face With a look on his face, he said, "Just because Zhao Ke is a useless person, he is not worthy of you at all."

"Since it is something His Highness must stop, there is naturally no hope of success." Han Ningshuang said coldly, she turned around, with tears in her eyes, facing Chen Kang with her thin back, and whispered, "You go Well, I never want to see you again."