Chapter 347 This prosperous age is as you wish When Xiao Wulishi left the Song Dynasty palace, his face was heavy and his steps were hurried. He knew that although the conditions proposed by the Song Dynasty were harsh, the Liao Dynasty did not have much choice in the face of powerful artillery and muskets. After returning to the posthouse, he immediately spread out a piece of paper, wrote down the conditions of the Song Dynasty and his own suggestions in detail, then sealed the letter and sent his most trusted messenger to the capital of the Liao Dynasty. The moment the messenger left, Xiao Worizhi's eyes were deep and worried, as if he was pinning the future of the entire Liao Dynasty on him. In the following days, he spent every day in anxiety, waiting for a reply from afar. Two months later, the messenger finally returned to Kaifeng with a reply from the Liao emperor, Yelu Dashi. Xiao Worizhi took the letter and opened it with trembling hands. When he saw the contents of the letter, his tense nerves finally relaxed and a relieved smile appeared on his face. "The Liao Dynasty is willing to submit to the Song Dynasty." This sentence in the letter seemed to give Xiao Worizhi a reassurance. He straightened his clothes and stepped into the Song Dynasty Palace again with the letter. When he presented the Liao Dynasty's reply to Empress Zhao Yingluo, a happy smile appeared on her face. "Envoy Xiao, you have made great contributions to the peace between the Liao and Song dynasties." Zhao Yingluo said approvingly. Xiao Wulizhi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I just hope that the two countries can coexist peacefully and prosper together." Zhao Yingluo nodded: "Your wish is also my wish. I hope that from now on, the Liao Dynasty and the Song Dynasty can work together to create a better future." As the two emperors reached a consensus, Liao officially became a vassal of Song and promised to pay tribute every year. When the news spread, the people of both countries were excited. They looked forward to creating a prosperous era together in a peaceful environment.
Three years later, on the birthday of Empress Zhao Yingluo, the whole city of Kaifeng was immersed in a festive atmosphere. The streets were decorated with lanterns and people came out of their homes and gathered on both sides of the streets, wanting to see the elegance of the kings of various countries. "I heard that today the Liao Emperor, Yelu Dashi, the Jin Emperor, Wanyan Zongyi, the Xia Prince, Li Qianshun, and the Dali King, Duan Zhengyan, will come to Kaifeng in person to celebrate the Queen's birthday!" an old man said excitedly to the young man next to him. "Really? That really means all nations are coming to pay tribute!" The young man's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Our Song Dynasty is now truly prosperous, not inferior to the Tang Dynasty back then!" "That's right! Since the Queen ascended the throne, the country has become increasingly powerful, and the people have lived and worked in peace and contentment. It is truly a country of peace and prosperity!" the old man said with emotion. As the grand carriage slowly drove into Kaifeng City, the people cheered and waved. Yelu Dashi, Wanyan Zongyi, Li Qianshun, Duan Zhengyan and other kings got off the carriage one after another. Their arrival made the people of Kaifeng feel extremely proud. "Look! That's the Liao Dynasty Emperor Yelu Dashi!" a child shouted, pointing at a majestic middle-aged man. "Wow! What a grand occasion! I never thought I would be able to see such a grand occasion in my lifetime!" exclaimed an old lady. "The Song Dynasty is becoming more and more powerful. Even the emperors of so many countries have come to pay tribute in person!" a young man said sincerely. Yue Fei, who had been promoted to Privy Councilor, and Wang Zaixing, the Deputy Privy Councilor, stood side by side on the high platform outside the Chuigong Palace, overlooking the densely packed crowd below. The sun shone on the golden roof of the palace, reflecting a dazzling light, as if adding endless splendor to this prosperous era. "Lord Yue, look at this scene, it's truly unprecedented." Wang Zaixing exclaimed, his eyes sweeping over the kings of various countries who were attending the event in their best attire and the cheering people. Yue Fei smiled slightly, his eyes deep: "Indeed, if it weren't for Princess Zhao Yingluo of the Great Song Dynasty, we wouldn't be able to see such a prosperous era. She not only brought stability and prosperity to the Great Song Dynasty, but also made the surrounding countries respect her." Wang Zaixing nodded in agreement: "Yes, Her Majesty is wise and powerful, and it is a blessing for our dynasty." At this time, Empress Zhao Yingluo slowly walked out of the Chuigong Hall. She was wearing a gorgeous dragon robe and a pearl crown on her head, and her temperament was majestic yet elegant. Her appearance immediately caused the whole audience to boil. "Long live Her Majesty!" The crowd below the stairs shouted in unison, the sound shaking the sky. Even the emperors standing in front of them knelt down and shouted in unison: "Long live Her Majesty!" Zhao Yingluo smiled slightly and raised her hand to signal everyone to stand. Her voice was gentle but firm: "Everyone, please stand. Today is my birthday. Thank you all for coming from afar to celebrate with me. May our Great Song Dynasty and other countries have everlasting friendship and common prosperity." Yue Fei and Wang Zaixing looked at each other and saw deep respect and excitement in each other's eyes. They knew that they were living in a great era, a prosperous era led by Empress Zhao Yingluo. After the ceremony, Empress Zhao Yingluo smiled and ordered people to present the birthday gifts from various countries one by one. The first was the Liao Dynasty Emperor Yelu Dashi, who personally presented a jade sculpture of an exquisite jade dragon with a coiled body, lifelike, as if it could take off into the clouds at any time.
Yelu Dashi smiled, his eyes revealing respect for the Queen of Song: "Your Majesty, this jade dragon represents the blessing of our Great Liao. May the Great Song soar like a dragon and prosper." Zhao Yingluo nodded in thanks, "Emperor Yelu is very thoughtful. I like this gift very much." Next came the Jin Dynasty Emperor Wanyan Zongyi, who presented a gold-embroidered screen with a pattern of hundreds of birds paying homage to a phoenix, implying that the empress was as noble as a phoenix and hundreds of birds were paying homage to her. Wanyan Zongyi said solemnly: "Your Majesty, this golden embroidered screen is a meticulous work of the craftsmen of our Great Jin Empire. May Your Majesty be as noble and elegant as the phoenix on the screen." Zhao Yingluo looked at the exquisite screen with a hint of admiration in her eyes: "Emperor Wanyan, this gift is truly a masterpiece of art. I am very grateful." Next came Li Qianshun, the Prince of Shun of Great Xia, who brought with him a set of exquisite Western Xia porcelain, each piece of which was small and exquisite with bright colors. Li Qianshun said respectfully: "Your Majesty, this set of Xixia porcelain represents the culture and tradition of our Great Xia. I hope Your Majesty likes it." Zhao Yingluo gently stroked the porcelain, feeling its unique delicacy, "Prince Li Shun, this set of porcelain is so beautiful. I will treasure it well." The last one was Dali King Duan Zhengyan, who presented a huge piece of jadeite rough stone, which was lush green and crystal clear. Duan Zhengyan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, this jadeite represents the prosperity of the Song Dynasty. I wish Your Majesty will be as dazzling as this jadeite." Zhao Yingluo looked at the jadeite with a gleam in her eyes: "King Duan, this jadeite is truly a rare treasure. I will carve it into a masterpiece that will be passed down from generation to generation." As all the gifts were presented, Empress Zhao Yingluo ordered them to be accepted one by one. Then the banquet began, and retired old ministers such as Lu Yihao and Lu Haowen drank and chatted happily. They looked at Empress Zhao Yingluo with eyes full of respect and admiration. Lu Yihao picked up the wine glass and said with emotion: "Your Majesty, you are really a blessing to our dynasty! Today's prosperity is created by you." Lu Haowen also echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty is wise and powerful, which makes us old ministers proud. This prosperous era is as you wish, which is really a blessing for our dynasty!" Zhao Yingluo smiled and responded: "This is all thanks to the efforts of all the ministers. Without your assistance, there would be no prosperous times today. Come, let us raise our glasses together and toast to the prosperity of the Song Dynasty and the peace and prosperity of the world!" As the Queen finished her words, the audience burst into warm applause and cheers. After the banquet, it was already late at night. A tipsy Zhao Yingluo invited emperors from various countries to climb the towering walls of the imperial palace. The evening breeze blew gently, the moonlight sprinkled on the ancient city of Kaifeng, and the lights of thousands of houses set off the prosperity and tranquility of the city. Zhao Yingluo gazed at this prosperous world she created with her own hands, feeling a myriad of emotions in her heart. Yelu Dashi stood beside her, looking into the distance, and sighed: "Your Majesty, you are truly an amazing ruler. The prosperity of the Song Dynasty today is all due to you." Zhao Yingluo smiled softly and shook her head: "Emperor Yelu is too kind. This prosperous era is not the result of my own efforts, but the result of the joint efforts of the people of the Song Dynasty." Wanyan Zongyi also stepped forward and looked at Zhao Yingluo with a complicated expression: "Your Majesty has given the people of the world hope. We admire you very much." Zhao Yingluo turned around and looked at Wanyan Zongyi for a moment before she slowly spoke: "Emperor Wanyan, we are all for our respective countries and people. I only hope that we can coexist peacefully and prosper together." Li Qianshun and Duan Zhengyan also expressed their respect for Zhao Yingluo and admiration for the prosperity of the Song Dynasty. Standing on the city wall, the figures of the five emperors appeared particularly solemn and harmonious under the moonlight. But at this moment, Zhao Yingluo's heart was surging. She recalled that from the moment she traveled to this era, she was destined to be closely linked with the fate of the Song Dynasty. She rose from the chaos of the Jingkang Incident to the present prosperous Song Dynasty. It has been a bumpy road and she has made too much effort and sacrifice. If there hadn't been a time traveler like her, the Song Dynasty might have already sunk in the torrent of history. However, she relied on her own strength to turn the world around and change the fate of the Song Dynasty. This sense of achievement filled her heart with pride and satisfaction.
If I hadn’t had the opportunity to travel through time, I might have just been a top scientist in the field of agriculture, living an ordinary life. But time travel gave her a bigger stage to display her talents and ambitions. It was the Song Dynasty that made her successful, and it was also she who made the Song Dynasty successful, making her an empress. "It has not been easy along the way." Zhao Yingluo whispered to herself with determination and confidence in her eyes, "But no matter what, I will continue to protect this land and the people here." The Song Dynasty! For a long time to come, it will remain a prosperous era. She wants to lead the Song Dynasty to continue to move forward! To reach the peak of the Tang Dynasty, and even surpass the peak of the Tang Dynasty!