Chapter 18 Section five

Accompanying envoy Deputy Yao Fan and the three of them suddenly received a decree from the Queen at four o'clock in the morning, asking them to accompany Nancheng Ma Kuo to Yaoguang Hall in Nancheng this morning to wait for "seeing your majesty". Since they accepted this task, they have received relevant instructions from above, all asking them to try to delay the date of the Southern Envoy's "meeting with His Majesty".Only four days ago, they were ordered by Empress Xiao to use Liu Zongji's incident as an excuse to write an article about "hardness with softness, softness with strength".They are very clear that the Queen's words may not come out of their mouths, but the original intention that can be understood between the gestures is to take this opportunity to suppress the arrogance of the Southern Envoy, and secondly, it is nothing more than creating some disturbances in order to delay The date of the interview.If we say that the reason for delaying the interview at the beginning was due to the undecided state policy and undecided state policy, then the rush to interview Ma Kuo today must mean that major changes have taken place inside.They knew that the imperial meeting last night lasted until late at night, and there was no doubt that it was a decisive meeting.However, no one notified them of the results of the meeting, no information was disclosed in the decree, and the eunuch who delivered the decree did not make any oral supplements.As escorts, they are asked to do work for which the reasons are not explained. This clearly despises them. Instead of treating them as secret agents involved in the imperial court's secrets, they are only used as a diplomatic tool. , This made them very unhappy and dissatisfied, and they couldn't help showing their words, and they used secret codes among each other, and even talked in Khitan dialect in front of Ma Kuo regardless of politeness, to make various guesses.What they are attached to is clearly a precarious small imperial court. What they guessed and conjectured may be a sign of the rapid collapse of this small imperial court. Relaxed about taking back what they thought was their right.This is how people are governed by the laws of inertia.

This time Ma Kuo knew the truth better than they did, and knew the background and content of being summoned suddenly this time.Now it was Ma Kuo's turn to keep the secrets from his companions—a secret the Baoliao government kept from its own officials.He saw their hearts as clearly as the pages of a book, and snickered at their fidgeting and uncharacteristic movements, which were not very well concealed from him. The tall, gorgeous ceremonial car with narrow windows had just driven up to the steps of Yaoguang Hall, before the wheels stopped completely, Prime Minister Li Chuwen led a group of senior officials to greet him from inside.

A day and night of hard work carved a haggard and tired look on Bai Zhe's fat face, which Li Chuwen had always taken good care of.Two expressions appeared on his face at the same time and alternately: he was harsh on the escorts, as if he had already read their minds, saw their dissatisfaction, and condemned them for not asking about things that should not be asked by them.This is an expression that most often appears in officialdom and between superiors and subordinates.As for Ma Kuo, the envoy of the South, he was attentive and affectionate, as if he was asking for credit: "You horse Xuanzan! You should know why I didn't sleep all night last night. He has done things for you. You can't cross the river and tear down the bridge!"

Li Chuwen's expression can be understood according to everyone's understanding. Anyway, he didn't speak, and he didn't express his position clearly, but he really thought so in his heart.Far from trying to hide this look from his subjects, he wanted them to understand unambiguously what he was thinking about them at the moment. All of this was expected by Ma Kuo. But much to his surprise, the reception ceremony was not held in the main hall of Emperor Dianliyun (this Yaoguang Hall was originally built by Emperor Liao in Nancheng for summer vacation. According to Ma Kuo, last night The queen was still holding an imperial meeting in the palace, and today she suddenly moved here to meet him, which is obviously a conscious and planned temporary measure).Li Chuwen detained his companions and followers on the outer hall, where many officials and inner court guards were already waiting.They were discussing something in a low voice and hurriedly, and their faces also showed an urgent look of having heard something, guessing something, and eager to reveal the secret.They also hope to find the answer from Li Chuwen's complexion.But when Li Chuwen saw them, he just nodded arrogantly, and took Ma Kuo all the way into the palace of the emperor and empress.It was originally a side hall, but it was temporarily arranged as a bedroom.The side hall was originally spacious and airy, but because the emperor who suffered from an incurable disease was particularly afraid of the cold, layers of curtains and many screens were used to separate it, so that its actual usable area was no larger than a ceremonial car. How many.Therefore, in this summer palace, it seemed extremely hot and stuffy.

The layout in the bedroom is also a bit chaotic, but this is a planned and conscious chaos, carefully structured in order to create a certain atmosphere and achieve a certain effect.As soon as Ma Kuo entered the door, he saw the full body of Yeluchun, King of Qin and Jin, lying high on the bed.A yellow silk handkerchief was wrapped around his forehead, and a few old and out-of-date pillows embroidered with dragons and phoenixes were used to cushion his back, and with the support of a few court ladies, it was very difficult for him to maintain a half-sitting position. Half-recumbent position.In the hot season of late May, he still covered his chest with an apricot yellow quilt.There was still steam from the medicine cup that hadn't been drunk, and several plates of candied snacks were messily placed on the coffee table that he could touch with his right hand. It seemed that the emperor liked to eat sweets like ordinary old people.But his hands are of little use, as long as he pouts, the court ladies who are familiar with his temper will directly put his favorite snacks into his mouth.In fact, the moment before Ma Kuo came in, the maid fed him a cup of ginseng soup, hoping to rely on its power to lift his spirits and keep him alive during the whole process of receiving the envoy from the south. An air of superiority.

There have been a lot of rumors about Yeluchun's health, and it is impossible to cover it up.It is already very satisfying to let Ma Kuo see his body, to let Ma Kuo listen to him, and to use man-made and medicine to make him better than the original condition. A sick emperor makes a strong contrast to a queen who is very healthy both physically and mentally.Empress Xiao's boudoir name was Pu Xian Nu, and because of her stunning beauty, even this religious boudoir name was dyed with a layer of gorgeous brilliance.If every individual character could be represented by a certain color, no other color could symbolize her personality more than the bright yellow that just grew out of the gosling's beak.She once used this gorgeous color to seduce many upper-class nobles in the court, and even Emperor Tianzuo once used two lines of Bai Juyi's poem. "Looking back and smiling at Bai Meisheng, Liugong Fendai has no color." He expressed frivolous compliments to her, and often used various excuses to call her into the inner court in order to feast on her beauty.In their class she was not known for being particularly dissolute, and certainly not a saintly woman.She knows how to use her own characteristics to get what she subjectively wants.This made up for her mediocre husband's weakness, and made their couple the most luxurious, active and famous aristocratic couple in the Liao court.

Now, she completely abandoned the posture and pomp of a queen, and she didn't even use a bead curtain, so she just sat casually on a chair next to her husband's bedroom.She appeared in front of Nanshi as a homely woman.This place is not like a place where the two imperial courts are about to hold important negotiations, but rather like an ordinary reminiscence meeting where an aristocratic family entertains friends. Even so, there's no lack of drama here.Ordinary people dress themselves up as emperors and concubines on the stage, of course they are acting, but real emperors and concubines dress themselves up as ordinary people out of certain needs, and they are always acting.Empress Xiao, who is good at understanding people's psychology, took advantage of her status as the host to make this place a homely environment, hoping to buffer a tense political negotiation with a kind and homely conversation.She wanted to see if her soft power could soften the newborn calf she had heard so much from the chaperones.

Li Chuwen led Ma Kuo to the Empress, Yeluchun nodded, and suddenly stuck out the tip of his tongue, licking around his lips, as if he was savoring the last mouthful of ginseng soup.He hoped to draw strength from there to entertain this southern envoy who he didn't know at all, but was still afraid of meeting him.He just acted out the scene according to someone else's director.Empress Xiao quickly stepped in to make up for his lack of politeness. She got up from her seat, answered Ma Kuo's salute, and pointed to an empty chair beside her with a smile.All the grand etiquette and ceremonies for the monarch to receive the envoys were avoided, and this scene opened with such a homely form.

Yeluchun was appointed to make a set of opening remarks. "Emperor Tian Zuo has...returned to the dust..." he said with difficulty, "conscientious and conscientious. Today, the honorable ambassador is here... to visit my land, Miao... Miao bow... no... Gu..." He also used an indistinct voice between the words "zhen" and "I" to continue, "Miao... I feel Shengde deeply, but it's just that... I'm seriously ill, the queen... the empress... ..." This opening line was taught, memorized, and rehearsed beforehand.However, Yeluchun was indeed terminally ill, and he panicked, so he said it in fragments and did not make a sentence.In particular, he forgot one of the most important first-person pronouns, so he used all the emperor's self-proclaimed titles he had read in Han books (a high-ranking Khitan nobleman like him, who had received a deep Sinicization education since childhood, read have written a lot of Chinese books).He remembered the books he had read as a child, but he couldn't remember what was in front of him.He racked his brains and still couldn't find an appropriate title that was both dignified and humble.Fortunately, when he mentioned the queen, he thought that the queen was his panacea, so he turned his face to the queen's side with difficulty, hoping that she would come to rescue him.Not only has it become a habit for him to do this, but it has become his instinct. Whenever he can't do things or have difficulties, he always asks the queen for help, and the queen is indeed omnipotent, and can understand all his voices. And the silent appeal saved him in time and quietly.At this time, she trembled slightly, and made a gesture of pronunciation.He suddenly came to his senses, as if he was in a desperate situation, he hurriedly grabbed it and said:

"Yes, yes. This is the 'widow'." The strength given to him by a cup of ginseng soup came back to him.He suddenly cheered up, turned to Ma Kuo with relative ease, and recited again the whole passage of the opening sentence, which was run through with the first-person pronoun "widow" who had thought twice beforehand: "Since Emperor Tian Zuo returned from the dust, I have been entrusted by the courtiers, soldiers and people to fulfill this great position. I am conscientious and fearful of death. Today, the ambassador of Menggui came to open the court to teach, and I really feel the virtue. However, I am sick and the state affairs are in danger. It is up to the empress to advocate. If your ambassador has any advice, please talk to the empress, and all of you will receive advice."

He only had this line, and he counted when he finished speaking.Then came the queen.The queen is kind and welcoming when she opens her mouth. This is not only due to her weak position, but also because she is a woman with rich life experience. She understands the simplest truth: the friction surface of things can be reduced in a gentle gliding , and in her current situation, she really couldn't afford to have some friction with others. "Xuan Zan has been in Yanjing for more than half a decade," she said with a smile that made people feel not only kind, but also very sincere. I can’t make it through. I’m also afraid that the companions will fail to understand our thoughts (this sentence is very soft, expressing her lingering thoughts, and then she can clearly tell the difficulties of her subordinates), there is so much scorn, this It just adds to our crimes." She pointed to Yeluchun who was lying on the bed, and added, "It's always because of his poor health, Xuanzan has witnessed it with his own eyes, so he must be able to see you. " "The king's body is against harmony, and it's a last resort. The accompanying personnel should be extremely respectful, and the concubine should not be overly humble." People come with courtesy, and I return with courtesy. Since Empress Xiao said it very tactfully, Ma Kuo can't be rude. .But the most important thing for him is to do serious business, and he said next, "I am honored to be seen by the king and concubine today, so please discuss the big plan!" Empress Xiao was not at all busy with the showdown. The showdown was about waiting for an opportunity. When the opportunity came, she had to continue to create an atmosphere. She first looked Ma Kuo up and down for a long time, and found that Ma Kuo was very young.She had never seen or heard of such a young envoy, which seemed to interest her. "How about praising youth?" She asked in a family-like, intimate tone, "Is Chunxuan healthy?" "Ma Mou wasted twenty-five years old. To protect the imperial concubine, both parents are in good health. My father was appointed by the king and also joined the army. He is currently supervising the battle at the front of Baigou." "Supervising war" is a hostile word, but Empress Xiao deliberately ignored it.With a smile on her lips, she pretended not to hear the word, and continued: "Where does Xuan Zan goose belong? Did you ever get married and have children?" "Ma is ranked third. The eldest brother and the second brother all died for the country during the war with the Hexi family. Ma got married in the spring of this year." "It's always just for the sake of fighting." Empress Xiao suddenly changed a deep tone, sighed, obviously cultivating feelings, "Praise father and son, work hard for the royal family, or donate generously, or run on the battlefield. Tired. The old mother in the high hall, looking forward to seeing through, leaving behind the newlywed wife, locked in the loneliness of the boudoir, wasting the years. Speaking of it, why can't people feel emotionally attached to it!" "Ma Mou is devoted to the country, how can he talk about family happiness! This trip to the north, trekking mountains and rivers, and traveling with stars and stars. It's just a matter of selfishness. I just want to relieve the suffering of the soldiers and civilians of your dynasty, and at the same time provide a long-term comfort for the king and concubine. It’s a plan. I’m not afraid of labor, I’m just afraid that labor will be in vain. This is how I failed the imperial court’s mission! Ma only hopes that the soldiers and civilians of the two dynasties can enjoy peace and happiness. At that time, I’m afraid that my family will suffer peaceful?" "It's not a good one. Why are the two families fighting again?" Empress Xiao put aside the main points in Ma Kuo's speech, frowned, and said sadly, "We and the king have already made up our minds. Life and death, honor and disgrace. They are all irrelevant, but there is nothing to be afraid of. But why should the soldiers and civilians on both sides want them to die in front of each other?" Although the queen's words were tactful and high-sounding, they contained severe condemnation of the war launched by the Northern Song Dynasty government.Ma Kuo was afraid of causing her other comments, so he quickly took out the edict and said: "The imperial court uses troops to restore the rivers and mountains. To return my subjects, Tong Xuanfu specially sent Ma to come with a letter, asking Ma to In front of the king and concubine, read it out, and concubine, please..." "Xuan Zan doesn't need to bother to read," Empress Xiao hurriedly took the original copy of the letter from him, and stopped her: "We have already read the copy, so let's just put this letter away."