Chapter 343 Li Qianshun requested to send troops After waiting for Wanyan Zongmei to finish speaking, the smile on Li Chengqian's face gradually disappeared and was replaced by worry. He slowly stood up from his seat, walked to the center of the hall, and saluted Zhao Yingluo respectfully. Immediately, he took a deep breath and said with urgency and helplessness in his voice: "Guan, I have something to report to you urgently. Recently, the border of Daxia has been frequently invaded by the Liao Kingdom. Although our soldiers and civilians have tried their best to resist, But it was still severely affected and suffered heavy losses. Since Daxia had surrendered to the Song Dynasty, it was the territory of the Song Dynasty and the people of the Song Dynasty. Therefore, I sincerely requested the Song Dynasty court to send troops to protect the border of Daxia and expel the intrusion of the Liao Dynasty. and give our people a peaceful living environment.” As soon as Li Chengqian finished speaking, the entire hall fell into a brief silence. Zhao Yingluo looked solemn. She clearly understood the importance of the safety and stability of Daxia to the Song Dynasty. At this time, Left Prime Minister Lu Yihao stood up and broke the silence. He said in a loud voice: "Guan family, since Daxia is a part of our Song Dynasty, its security and stability are naturally related to our national interests of the Song Dynasty. The intrusion of Daliao is not only The provocation against Da Xia is a disdain for the sovereignty of the Song Dynasty. I believe that the imperial court should send troops as soon as possible to demonstrate the majesty and determination of the Song Dynasty." Privy Councilor Zhu Shengfei also immediately expressed his position: "What Prime Minister Lu said is absolutely true. Daliao's arrogance must be curbed, otherwise they will become even more unscrupulous. Sending troops to protect Daxia is not only to maintain the tranquility of Daxia, but also to defend the Song Dynasty dignity and territorial integrity.” Deputy privy envoys Yue Fei and Wang Zaixing, as well as the commander in chief Wen Boyuan and others also agreed and expressed their support for the decision to send troops to Daxia. "Guan family, the last general is willing to personally lead the troops to the border of Daxia to fight against the Liao Dynasty and promote the prestige of the Song Dynasty!" Zhao Yingluo listened to the support of the courtiers and said with great pride, "King Shun, I understand your request. Please rest assured that the imperial court will definitely send troops to resist the invasion of Liao and protect the safety of Daxia. This is not only for Daxia The commitment is to safeguard the national interests of the Song Dynasty.” After Li Chengqian heard this, the stone in his heart finally fell to the ground. He bowed deeply to Zhao Yingluo and said in a choked voice: "Thank you, officials! All the subjects of Daxia will always remember the kindness of the Song Dynasty. With the support of the imperial court, we believe that Daxia will regain peace and prosperity." Zhao Yingluo nodded slightly, then turned to the courtiers and said: "Since all the ministers support the decision to send troops to Daxia, then I will appoint the Privy Council to coordinate the dispatch of troops. Zhu Shengfei, you need to draw up a plan to send troops as soon as possible to ensure that nothing goes wrong."
Zhu Shengfei bowed and accepted the order: "Officials can rest assured, I will do my best to fulfill my mission." Although the banquet in the palace had dispersed, the festive atmosphere throughout the Song Dynasty continued. Whether it is the prosperous city of Kaifeng, the beautiful Hangzhou, or other prefectures and counties, the people all cheer for the Song Dynasty princess Zhao Yingluo to ascend the throne as emperor. The streets and alleys of Kaifeng City are filled with praises for Zhao Yingluo. Vendors hung her portrait in the most conspicuous place in their shops. Whenever new customers came, they would proudly introduce how the empress led the Song Dynasty to prosperity. In front of a stall in the East Market, people and vendors were talking about the new empress. A silk vendor said with emotion: "Her Royal Highness the Princess is really our lucky star in Kaifeng City! Since she came to the throne, Kaifeng City has been protected from foreign invasion and has regained its former prosperity." An old man selling porcelain next to him also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Her Royal Highness is not only wise and wise, but also cares about the people. Look at the porcelain on the market now, how exquisite it is! This is all the result of Her Royal Highness's good governance. " At this time, a farmer who had just come in from outside the city heard the discussions of the traders and couldn't help but interjected: "You are right! Her Royal Highness has not only brought prosperity to Kaifeng City, but also brought great benefits to our farmers. High-yield crops. Now, we, the people of the Song Dynasty, can have enough food and clothing, and this is all the result of Her Royal Highness!” "Did you know?" an old man selling sesame cakes said mysteriously to the customer next to him, "Since Her Royal Highness the Princess came to the throne, our city of Kaifeng has changed. Those who bullied the market and did evil in the past were severely punished, and now the market is in order. , we feel much more at ease doing business.” The customers nodded in agreement: "That's true. Your Highness the Princess is really our lucky star. Look at how clean the streets are now, and the security is much better. You no longer have to worry about going out at night." Everyone nodded in agreement, showing their admiration for Zhao Yingluo. The feeling is beyond words. , on the outskirts of Kaifeng City, there are continuous farmland and lush greenery. The farmers were sweating profusely and working hard in the fields, but their faces were filled with unprecedented smiles. The gratitude of people here to Zhao Yingluo is beyond words. Farmers also knelt down in the direction of Kaifeng City. An old farmer said with emotion: "Her Royal Highness the Princess is really a lucky star of our Song Dynasty! The high-yielding crops she brought have enabled us to have enough food, clothing and wealth. We are really grateful!" A young farmer next to him also said excitedly: "Yes! We used to worry about our livelihood, but now it's better. With these high-yielding crops, we can not only be self-sufficient, but also have surplus grain to sell for money. All of this It’s a gift from Her Royal Highness the Princess!” In the temples in Kaifeng City, people can often be seen praying for Zhao Yingluo. They knelt down and worshiped in front of the statue devoutly, praying to the gods to bless the empress with health and longevity, and peace and prosperity for the country and the people. The celebratory atmosphere lasted for a month before gradually calming down. As time went by, a few months later, the winter solstice came quietly, and the cold air enveloped the entire palace. The fire in the imperial study room crackled, adding a touch of warmth to this cold winter day. Zhao Yingluo was sitting in the imperial study, holding a heater in her hand, listening quietly to Zhu Shengfei's report. Zhu Shengfei was dressed in court uniform and stood below with a solemn expression, reporting the latest military information to the empress one by one.
"Guan family," Zhu Shengfei's voice echoed in the study, "General Yue Fei has successfully arrived in Xingqing City. He plans to arrive at the border of Daxia and Liao on New Year's Eve." Zhao Yingluo nodded slightly to express her approval of Yue Fei's progress. She thought for a moment, then looked up at Zhu Shengfei and asked, "Master Zhu, how many people are harassing our border in Daliao?" Zhu Shengfei frowned slightly and replied: "Officials, according to reports from spies, there are several groups of troops in Daliao, but the number of soldiers in each group is not large, probably in the thousands. They quickly retreated after harassing the Daxia border , does not seem to intend to engage in a large-scale head-on conflict with us." After Zhao Yingluo heard this, a cold light flashed in her eyes. She understood that Daliao was using guerrilla tactics, trying to tire out Song's army through constant harassment. However, she would not let Daliao's plan succeed. "Pass on my order," Zhao Yingluo's voice was firm and powerful. "Order General Yue Fei to pay close attention to the movements of the Liao army after arriving at the border. If they harass the border again, they must be severely punished to let them know that the majesty of the Song Dynasty cannot be violated!" Zhu Shengfei bowed and accepted the order: "I obey the order!"