The high-ranking official named Tong is Tong Guan. Now he holds the title of a small worship official and serves as a palace attendant in the Ministry of Relations. If his assignment is frequent when the Song and Liao dynasties are hired, he can serve as a companion or messenger. If he does a good job, he will be promoted easily.

But now the Song and Liao Dynasty are in a "Cold War". The Song Dynasty fought a decisive battle with the Western thieves in Hengshan, northwest. The Liao Kingdom mobilized the Jingzhou soldiers of Nanjing Road and Xijing Road while watching the development of the situation.

After all, Yelu Hongji, the Emperor of Liao Daozong, did not have the ability to predict the future, and would not know that the army led by Empress Dowager Xiaoliang would soon encounter an unprecedented defeat. Therefore, the Emperor of Liao was not busy putting too much pressure on the Song Dynasty... This superstitious Liao emperor was still relatively friendly in dealing with the issue of the Song Dynasty. If the situation of the three-legged tripod could be maintained, he would not want to cause more trouble.

Therefore, Tong Guan has been relatively idle these days, and those who are idle can run errands for Empress Dowager Xiang.

However, beyond Tong Guan's expectations, a simple errand run caused him to have an unexpected achievement.

Tong Guan actually met a businessman who knew the Liao Dynasty in Pan Xiao'an, who was temporarily living in Wuhaogu, in his mansion in Daming Mansion.

After a conversation, Tong Guan learned a lot of domestic situations in Liao that even the Guoxin Institute and the northern house of the Privy Council did not know.

For example, the Liao Dynasty's palace tent army is now fully encircling the King Zubu Khan named Mogus! The war has been going on for six or seven years. Although the Liao Dynasty's court has always claimed victory and Mogus has "dead" for seven times, it can be "resurrected" every time, so that the war has been delayed for a long time.

Moreover, Tong Guan also learned that in order to defeat Mogus, the Khitans had to withdraw troops from the territory of the birth of daughters, which they had been strictly guarding against, so the jurisdiction of the Jiedushi of the birth of daughters was now basically out of the control of the Liao Kingdom.

At the same time, the chief of the Nao Wanyan tribe, Yang Seo Taishi (Wanyan Yingge, who was the head of the Nao Jiedu, and the Liao people called the Jiedu the Grand Tutor the Grand Tutor the Grand Tutor, so he called Yingge Grand Tutor, and Yang Seo Taishi is a homonym of it) took the opportunity to expand his power, while annexing the nearby Nao Shi tribes; while sending envoys to make friends with Goryeo, trying to buy weapons and armor to further expand his force.

Judging from his ambitiousness, if he continues to grow stronger, he will probably be another Mogus sooner or later.

"Master Ma, do you think the Jurchens will grow stronger with iron armor?"

The child with a strong body, hard skin and a little beard under his cheeks was wearing green public uniforms, and a big horse-drawn golden knife sat in the upper seat of the hall, holding a bowl of fragrant Yunwu tea, listening to Ma Zhi telling the story of the Liao Dynasty with relish. When he heard the puzzled part, he didn't act as an official, and he immediately asked without any shame.

Ma Zhi's style is similar to Tong Guan. He is very flirting when talking, obviously quite speculative with Tong Guan.

Hearing Tong Guan’s question, he knew everything and replied with a smile: “The high-ranking officials don’t know that the Khitans’ military power has actually been weakened long ago, and their trusted soldiers no longer have the courage of the past. The reason why they can maintain a little advantage over Shubu and Nuzhi is that they strictly prohibit iron tools.

As far as someone knows, the armor in the hands of the Bubu tribe and the Nao Wanyan tribe of the child are less than 1,000 pairs, and perhaps only three or four hundred pairs. Their arrow clusters are all iron and bones are used in combination. They are willing to use iron arrow clusters only when life and death are at stake.

Because of this, the Khitan has been able to barely suppress two pieces. If the Khitan had enough iron tools, the Khitan would probably be in danger."

Tong Guan squinted his eyes and listened carefully to Ma Zhi's words. After Ma Zhi finished speaking, he was silent for a moment before asking: "Can you not get the iron tools if you can get the iron tools?"

"It's hard." Ma Zhi shook his head and said, "The Khitans are very strict in defense, and Goryeo, Xixia, and Uighurs also restrict the inflow of iron tools to Bu and Nuzhi."

"Why should I restrict it?" Tong Guan asked, "Is it because I am afraid of the great power of the Khitan?"

Ma Zhi smiled: "The high-ranking officials don't know anything. In the Northern Dynasties, everyone knew that they would stop divination. Giving tigers and wolves a daughter is a tiger and wolf. Giving tigers and wolves with iron tools is to help tigers and wolves add wings."

Because the Song Dynasty did not have a daughter, the Song Dynasty gave birth to a direct daughter. I wonder how powerful these two tigers locked up by the Khitans were!

Goryeo, Xixia, Uighurs and they all had direct slaughter or gave birth to daughters, so they naturally knew that this big tiger would eat people once released. Therefore, these countries had more 17 or 18 more stingy when dealing with daughters, for fear of causing trouble for raising tigers.

Therefore, now on the grassland and in the forest, a little bit of iron is as expensive as something, so it is impossible to become stronger if you give birth to a daughter.

After hearing what Ma Zhi said, Tong Guan felt a sudden enlightenment in his heart. In addition, he also had some doubts about Ma Zhi's identity.

Because Ma Zhi's analysis of the divination and female straight problems was too thorough, and it was not as clear as a businessman. Moreover, although Ma Zhi deliberately spoke in a Hebei accent, Tong Guan, who had been in contact with the Liao people, still heard a little bit of the smell of Yandi.

This Ma Yuanwai is likely to be a Han native of Liao...

And it's probably a treasure!

Tong Guan got the treasure and was in a good mood. He heard urgent footsteps outside the door, and then he saw the door being pushed open. Two young men, who were running out of breath, walked in and saluted Tong Guan.

"Mi Youren has met Daguan Tong."

"Wu Haogu has met Daguan Tong."

Tong Guan recognized Mi Youren, smiled at him slightly, as a reward, and then turned his eyes and fell on Wu Haogu: "Are you Wu Chongdao?"

"I'm right here, Wu Haogu on Panlou Street."

When Wu Haogu was speaking, he had already stood up and began to look at the bearded eunuch in front of him.

Speaking of which, this person is also a typical example of being disabled and strong in a strong mind. He resolutely joined the army regardless of his physical disability and led his troops to fight in the northwest, south of the Yangtze River, and Yanyun, expand the territory of Hehuang, and destroy Fang La. If it were not for the final hand of Yelu Dashi, he would have worked hard and made great contributions.

As for the defeat of Liao, it can only be said that his luck was too bad. He actually met Yelu Dashi, the founding king of Western Liao and the overlord of Central Asia. Moreover, the battle between Liao and Jin Dynasty had been fought for more than ten years. Even if Yelu Dashi's army was small, there must be many brave veterans who had been fighting for life and death with Jurchens who had been cheating for many years. The combat effectiveness must be greater than that of the Song army who managed the multiple and broke up each other...

"Sit down and talk."

Just as Wu Haogu was thinking about Tong Guan's tragic end, the bearded eunuch had already spoken.

"Thank you."

Wu Haogu was not polite either. He thanked him and found a seat with Mi Youren and sat down.

"Wu Chongdao," Tong Guan said with a very polite tone and smiled, "A few days ago, the Korean mansion sent a picture of "The True Appearance of the Arhat" into the palace. Did you draw it?"

"Yes."

Wu Haogu gave a picture of "Visha Montenegro" to Lu Zhishen and gave it to Han Zhongyan just to express respect, but he didn't expect that the Han Dafu would send someone to the palace and that Empress Dowager Xiang would immediately send someone to Daming Dowager to recruit him.

Tong Guan nodded and said, "Since that's the case, would you like to follow our family back to Kaifeng Prefecture and enter the palace to paint a piece of paper for the empress dowager and the official family?"

"I can paint for the Queen Mother and the official family, but I can't find it."

In the Song Dynasty, as a great painter, there was no way to avoid serving the palace, and there was no need to avoid it, so Wu Haogu agreed immediately.

"However, there is still half of the painting in Daming Mansion below that has not been completed," Wu Haogu then asked, "I wonder if I can go back to Kaifeng Mansion after the painting below?"

Tong Guan frowned slightly when he heard this, and then glanced at Ma Zhi with the corner of his eyes. This is a talent, so he has to find an opportunity to have a good chat. Then he nodded and said, "Then I will give you another three days. In three days, I will leave with our family and return to Kaifeng Mansion. I will rush on the way. I can't tell the Empress Dowager to wait in a hurry."

"That's thankful to Mr. Tong." Wu Haogu stood up and bowed to Tong Guan, but his eyes swept to Ma Zhi, who was also sitting in the room.
Chapter completed!