Chapter 14 first quarter
When applying for licenses on May 18, Ma Kuo brought fifteen entourages with him.Some of them were selected from the army's robes.A nimble and mischievous little guy named Sha Zhen, who has followed Ma Kuo to fight in the west since he was thirteen or fourteen years old, now that he heard that Ma Kuo accepted this new task, he felt like a little brother going to temple fairs with his big brother , shouting that he must follow.Some of them came from "returned people", of course Zhao Jie, and two fellow villagers recommended by Zhao Jie.In addition, there are two civilian staff assigned by the Xuanfu Department to handle the copying of documents.They formed a decent mission, boarded the ferry, and went straight to the other side.
Since the relationship between Liao and Song was tense, it was the first time that envoys were officially sent to each other to perform tasks.Yelu Dashi, the frontline commander of the Liao Army, had received the official documents from the Xuanfu Department of the Song Dynasty a day earlier, and sent some reception staff to meet them at the prescribed ferry.After the two parties met and inspected the documents, Ma Kuo and his party were sent to a hotel not far from Jiehe to rest temporarily.
The pavilion was originally built by the Liao government for the purpose of rest, accommodation and visits when the envoys of the two sides communicated.Now that I have been idle for more than half a year, I have to clean it up in a hurry, but it looks gorgeous.
Yelu Dashi has much more and more accurate information about the Song Dynasty than Tong Guan, He Shen, and Zhong Shidao have about the Liao Dynasty.In this respect, only Zhao Liangsi is his strong opponent.As soon as he read the documents, he knew that Ma Kuo, the official envoy sent by Tong Guan, had been to the Jin Dynasty and was praised by Wanyan Aguda as "Ye Li Ma Li". A soldier from the Western Army.Based on this dual identity, Yelu Dashi instructed the reception staff to treat Ma Kuo and his party with courtesy, but also strictly guard military secrets and not disclose them casually.The reception staff followed instructions exactly and did a great job of both.In the name of asking the envoys to rest very politely, they sealed them in this magnificent wooden box - the residence.Then, he declared very politely: In order to protect the personal safety of the envoys, we are contacting the front station one by one for reception matters, arranging board and lodging trips, please rest at ease, and we will notify them to set off when the contact is made. Time to leave.
The politeness of the reception staff was very thoughtful, and the reason for the claim was justifiable, so Ma Kuo and his party had to spend the mentally and physically uncomfortable time in this big wooden box in the extremely hot and humid climate in mid-May. Most of the day.
When night came, the "contact" work was completed, and the reception staff politely invited the envoys and entourages to board several dedicated carriages and set off.This kind of special carriage has a special name, it is called a car, and it is also used by the Liao government when receiving envoys from the Song Dynasty.The degree of its magnificence and exquisiteness depends on the status of the occupants and the friendly relationship between the Liao and Song dynasties at that time.But in any case, in all vehicles of this type, except for a large sunroof, there is only a small window opening in the left and right vehicle walls.It seems that it is not intended for envoys and entourages to glance over while traveling, but only for them to breathe.In addition, around the carriage, there were guards from the Liao Army's iron cavalry, which obscured their already very limited field of vision, so all they could see along the way were the stars and the moon above their heads and countless lights shining in the surrounding fields.
This is a tactic of suspicion.Yelu Dashi's use of soldiers is elusive and elusive.Sometimes he deliberately conceals everything to prevent the enemy from knowing his true strength, and sometimes he wants to set up suspicious positions, using exaggerated illusions to confuse the enemy's eyes and ears.Exaggeration or reduction should be decided according to specific needs.Yelu Dashi had already decided in his heart that he would strive for a war.According to this requirement, one should conceal one's own strength, but was afraid that Ma Kuo, who knew military affairs, would get a glimpse of his true intentions from the false appearance he arranged, so he deliberately arranged from the opposite side.He did not shrink but enlarged his momentum. The purpose was to give Ma Kuo the illusion that the Liao Army Command deliberately boasted of its strength in an attempt to intimidate the envoys and obstruct his surrender mission.Boasting is always a sign of weakness, no matter the circumstances.The purpose of Yelu Dashi's boasting was to make Ma Kuo think that he was timid to fight.
Yelu Dashi really achieved his goal.
Ma Kuo, who once crossed the river and went deep into the rear of the Liao army, knew very well the strong strength of the Liao army on the front line. With such a strong force, he had to bluff and exaggerate it.This is a typical example of forgetting objective facts and making incorrect judgments based solely on subjective assumptions.
Ma Kuo was deceived by Yelu Dashi not only in his first impression.And during his entire mission, he firmly believed that Yelu Dashi would never dare to cross the river and fight. This is a double mistake.Even if Ma Kuo's first judgment is correct, and the military situation is changing rapidly, how can it be guaranteed that under the new situation, the enemy will not modify its original plan and turn defense into offense?There is nothing more harmful in judging the enemy's strategic intentions than being stubborn in what you see, and Ma Kuo made this serious mistake.The consequences of this mistake will be continuously reflected in the course of this mission, making it fall short.
Before dawn, they rushed to the new city.The new city is far away from the front line and does not belong to the jurisdiction of Yelu Dashi, the commander of the front line.The reception staff sent by Yelu Dashi handed over the envoys to the magistrate of Xincheng, conveyed Yelu Dashi's words, and sent them back to the front line.
The magistrates in Xincheng belonged to the Nanmian Palace system and were not obliged to accept orders from Yelu Dashi.They also didn't know how to receive the envoy Song properly.
In the past, when the Liao and Song dynasties communicated, although the etiquette of reciprocity was emphasized, there was inequality in the reciprocity.The Liao nobles never forgot that the emperors of the Southern Dynasties were their son emperors and nephew emperors. Even when the Song Dynasty strived to be called brothers, Liao still had to be a big brother.Liao's envoys and accompanying personnel often used the strong to bully the weak, neglected the Song envoys, and took advantage of words, etiquette, and practical interests when recruiting and receiving them.This traditional way of diplomacy, with the changes in the situation, is obviously out of date today.Officials in the Liao side are well aware of this point, but the new method has not yet been instructed.The Liao government did not consider at all that there would be an act of receiving Song envoys.Their local officials can't bear the responsibility, so they can only play Yanjing and wait for the queen to make a decision.
During the three days in the new city, Ma Kuo and his party were treated completely differently from those on the front lines.Only when it was time for dinner did the Liao officials set up a feast, and came to have a polite "accompaniment" with them, and deal with them politely.It is best to stay away from them, so as not to make mistakes in words and actions, and the responsibility will fall on yourself in the future.Therefore, Ma Kuo and the others are absolutely free in Xincheng, they can do whatever they want, and no one will interfere with them or restrict them.
All around the post house, people of all kinds are crowded all day long.Some of them came to ask questions and inquire about the news, and some just went home to see the majesty of the Han family so that they could boast to their neighbors that they had met the officials of the Southern Dynasty, and then described and exaggerated them to the point of being close to gods. Some took the initiative to come to offer suggestions; some even solemnly said that they had confidential matters to discuss, and they must be interviewed by "Chengxuan" in person. "Chengxuan" is the official title conferred by the Han children themselves on the envoys of the Song Dynasty, and everyone will call it this way in the future.
Liao's defenses were lax, and even the only ones who stood guard at the gate of the post house were veterans who ate their own food and didn't care about their affairs, which increased the activities of these people in various forms.
Ma Kuo and his entourage met them one by one, and distributed to them the flag board that ordered surrender, the letter with full name and official title, and the letter introducing them to go to the south according to the situation, and the camera encouraged them to use different methods according to different situations form to resist the Liao government.
Ma Kuo slightly felt that the Han'er he had contacted this time had more complex elements, and his motives for coming to see him were also more diverse.Last time he only sneaked into the enemy's rear as a private person, and people came to him to inquire about news, vent their dissatisfaction with Liao's rule, and express their firm anti-Liao position and attitude. Their motives were pure and their feelings were passionate.Being among them, not only is it very reassuring, but at the same time, I feel that my emotions have also become more elevated.This time he had a public official identity, and people not only asked him, vented, and confessed to him, but also some not too few people hoped to gain some kind of benefit from him.Ma Kuo couldn't help becoming vigilant when in contact with this kind of person.
There may be two kinds of people here, one is Han'er who only wants to be an official, and the other may even be spies sent by Liao to spy on the situation.Regardless of the latter, Ma Kuo himself was not sure about his attitude towards the former.He took the time to talk about this feeling with Zhao Jie.
"Xuan Zan is right," Zhao Jie replied after thinking for a while, "The people who searched for Xuan Zan in the countryside the day before yesterday were all peasants. In the past two days, most of them were from the giant family. They are two very different types of people, and they come for different purposes.”
"How did you see that?"
"Peasants have always been bullied and humiliated by the big surnames, and the big surnames have always bullied and humiliated the peasants. They are originally rivals, how can they be compared?" This is a very simple truth. Since Ma Kuo asked, Zhao Jie tried to use the simplest and clearest language Explain this reasoning.
"Whether they are peasants or common surnames, don't they all suffer the same bullying and humiliation from the Khitans?"
"Peasants are slaves of Khitan officials. Slaves just want to drive away and kill their masters and live a good life. The big surnames are the Khitan officials'... little wives. The little wives and men have the same nostrils. See through their hearts."
"Brother is right. It's strange that when I was talking to an old man in the morning, he glanced at an old man coming in. Before he finished speaking, he picked up his feet and left. His expression was angry, and he seemed to be angry at me for not getting along. To pick them up, it turns out that there is a sworn hatred between them."
"It's good that Xuan Zan understands this." Zhao Jie said emphatically, "The people of the surname have long sold themselves to the Khitan people to be concubines. In my heart. Now that men are unreliable, they want to sell themselves to Nanchao as concubines. I think they are on two sides. Their hearts may not be reliable. Once the wind blows, they want to sell themselves to Jurchen again. Anyone who has been a concubine is addicted. I’ve done it once, and I want to do it again. They only care about money and power, so what’s their faith? Xuanzan must guard against them.”
"Brother thinks too far, so I should be on guard." Then told him a joke, "No wonder the big surnames want to sell themselves to seek refuge, and their men are actually unreliable. When I came to eat at night, the Khitan plague officer pulled me aside, He said quietly, "It's not easy for me to get acquainted with Chengxuan. Once the situation changes, Chengxuan will forget my name, Yelv Keding." When the time changes, we must seal up the warehouse, appease the people, and welcome Master Wang. He agreed, and accepted the complaint with a thousand thanks."
Zhao Jie's analysis was good. During the two days of contact, many people from the local and nearby areas with big surnames, or their representatives, came to negotiate with "Chengxuan".Their negotiation was even worse than that of Yelv Keding.They put on airs, they still want to see the limelight, and they refuse to betray themselves all at once.Some people asked Ma Kuoxian to assume the titles of defense envoy, regiment training envoy, etc., and to serve the king's teacher with "righteousness" in the future.It seems that they want to obtain the bride price before they are willing to marry. Their bargaining price is obviously more than what they deserve.Ma Kuo has always hated this kind of political transactions, and he doesn't believe in the rhetoric of matchmakers in order to raise the value of the seller.But from a fundamental point of view, the vacillation, hesitation and speculation of these powerful families can still play a certain role in fueling the big goal of destroying the Khitan rule.Even if they are not sincerely surrendering, once the army is overrun, as long as they take a neutral position, they can reduce resistance.Therefore, Ma Kuo complied with their request as appropriate.
But when he was conducting these negotiations, he felt uncomfortable. He felt as if he was taking a bath in a pool of muddy water.Ma Kuo was not born a politician, gambler, businessman or speculator. Only these people can get used to bathing in mud without feeling disgusted.Sometimes he couldn't help thinking in his heart: "If Tong Guan is allowed to do these businesses, he will definitely be able to do a very good job, and he will never let himself suffer. He is a veteran in this field!"
On the afternoon of their third day in Xincheng, the Liao government formally sent three civil and military officials, including Yao Fan, the deputy commander of the Dianqian Division, Xiao Kui, Du Chengzhi of the Privy Council, and Zhang Wei, a doctor of the Ministry of Rites, to serve as deputy companions.Take a car and come to the new city to meet you.Ma Kuo was an envoy sent by Xuan Fusi, but the Liao government received him with the etiquette of receiving a messenger from a country. This unusual behavior fully shows that the Liao government attaches great importance to his trip. Menxuan praised Sheren, but the Liao government sent a deputy commander of the Dianqian Division who was a few ranks higher than him in official positions to accompany him, which also showed his personal courtesy.
They took Zhuozhou and Liangxiang, crossed Lugou, and in the twilight of the next morning, they could vaguely see the outline of Yanjing's city and pheasant battlements.As the dawn came, the silhouette hidden in the mist became more and more obvious, and its image became taller and more majestic.
Ma Kuo has been to Kaifeng Mansion, the most prosperous Tokyo city in the world, and Huining Mansion in Shangjing, where everything is still in its infancy but seems so vibrant. The lion squats in Yanjing Zhejin Mansion among thousands of mountains.He was one of the very few who visited the three imperial capitals at that time.
"What a majestic city!" When he saw Yanjing City, he couldn't help but praise in his heart. "Deep ditches and dense fortifications, heavy mountains and rivers, but it's not like a majestic pass like iron!"
Although Ma Kuo has changed his career in recent years and is doing diplomatic work, he is still a soldier first and foremost.When he saw this majestic city, his first instinct was to compare the geographical situation of the three capitals from a military point of view, and to study the favorable and unfavorable conditions for offense and defense.Then I browsed in my heart the history that Yanjing City fell to Khitan rule for two hundred years and became the center of Khitan rule for a long time, and thought of the millions of people eagerly demanding to be liberated from the shackles.
All this made his passion rise and fall, and his heart surged.
The world of his career that Erniang could not understand and the emotional world that Erniang hoped that he could gradually understand were united in him at this moment, and hot tears suddenly flowed into his eyes like waves.
"I, Ma Kuo, was burdened with a heavy burden, and it was hard to enter this city of Yanjing today. From now on, even if the muscles and bones are ground into powder, and blood flows into rivers, I will take this city down and return it to the people of the Han family. I will live up to thousands of people." Millions of elders have high expectations for me."
He solemnly swore to himself.His mind has been expanded and his vision has been broadened.
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