041 Dali monarch and minister
The space inside the king's chariot was quite large, and the next plan was set, and several people could not seem cramped. Duan Zhengchun was very enthusiastic and had no place to stop since he got on the car. While asking Zhao Ji about his experiences along the road, he also remembered his time in studying in the Song Dynasty when he was young. His words were funny and simple things could be described intriguingly, so he did not give people the feeling of chattering.
While talking to Duan Zhengchun, Zhao Ji also secretly examined Prince Duan.
Before going to Dali State, Zhao Ji also made some preparations and deepened his understanding of Dali State. The entire Dali State was mainly composed of the Bai barbarians and the Wu barbarians, while the Duan family of the royal family belonged to the Bai barbarians. As for ordinary people's impression of the Duan family of Dali, or the ancestors belonged to the Han people, it actually did not make much sense. They became the monarch of a country, and it was impossible for the whole country to surrender to the Song Dynasty. Of course, this refers to the color of their serving in various races, but it is not really white or black.
A few years ago, civil strife broke out in Dali, and the powerful minister of Bai barbarians, Yang Yizhen, killed the king and established himself. Thanks to the leader of the Wuman, the Gao family, sent troops to quell the rebellion, the Duan family was able to regain the country. The four unlucky evil men, Prince Yanqing, survived this military disaster, and actually had little to do with the two brothers of the Duan family who are now in power. However, Gao and Yang are powerful families that have existed since the founding of Dali. In essence, there is no big difference. No matter which one is in charge, they will put the Duan family in an attic in the air, and there is almost no real power.
This can be seen from the different attitudes of Duan Zhengchun and Gao Shengtai who had welcomed the mission. Duan Zhengchun was extremely enthusiastic, and it was obvious that he was really happy about the arrival of the Song Dynasty mission. Gao Shengtai was indifferent, obviously not very concerned, and even a little wary. If the Song Dynasty was sent to the imperial family this time to reach a tacit understanding with the Duan family, it would not be a good thing for the Gao family who is in power. The bravery of the Song Dynasty army in Renzong's reign, many elderly Dali people are particularly scared when they think about it. If the Song Dynasty really sent troops to support the Duan family, it would be a disaster for the Gao family.
Although Duan Zhengchun was chatting and laughing in front of Zhao Ji without showing any strange expression, the Duan family of the royal family can still see the clues from other places. For example, Gao Shengtai's Marquis Shanchan was the Kunming in later generations. It was like spring all year round and was also the best piece of land in Dali Kingdom. It has always been the private land of the royal family, but now it is occupied by the Gao family. It can be seen how far the royal family has declined.
Putting aside these strange and treacherous national situation, if we look at it from the perspective of the people in the martial arts world alone, Duan Zhengchun is still quite charming, graceful and kind to others. From the faint praise in Qiao Feng's eyes, we can see that this Dali Prince Duan is probably consistent with the fame that is spread in the martial arts world.
While Zhao Ji looked at Duan Zhengchun, Duan Zhengchun was also observing Zhao Ji. He saw that the Duan Prince of the Song Dynasty was not old and looked similar to his son Duan Yu, but he was very mature in dealing with people and dealing with people and things. In comparison, his son was too immature and looked like a child who never grew up. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the famous scholars were all empty, and the Song Dynasty was rich and strong, far from Dali, which was a small country with few people. He divided the level of education just from the perspective of royal children.
As for Qiao Feng sitting next to Zhao Ji, Duan Zhengchun couldn't help but take a look. Because he went in and out of the mission, Qiao Feng changed into an ordinary guard uniform but did not wear the clothes of the Beggars' Sect. On the surface, everything seemed ordinary. However, when Qiao Feng's eyes turned around, although his divine light was restrained, Duan Zhengchun's warning signs suddenly became. It was not that Qiao Feng had any malicious intentions towards him, but that the mysterious and almost intuitive aura of a simple martial arts practitioner made Duan Zhengchun feel that this guard was extraordinary and was probably a little stronger than him. Although he was from the royal family, he also had the habits of a martial arts man. When he saw a master, he always subconsciously wanted to compete and compare, but the other party was the personal bodyguard of King Duan of the Song Dynasty, and it seemed that King Duan was very polite to this person. Therefore, Duan Zhengchun's thought was only in his heart and it was difficult to reveal it.
Dali Country has many mountains and rare to have smooth roads, but among the undulating mountains, a flat land occasionally appears, and the mountains melt snow and form rivers, which are fertile. Now it is the midsummer when plants and trees are lush and everything is thriving. In the sun, these flat dams are unique and beautiful in the mountains.
Duan Zhengchun saw Zhao Ji frequently looking at the scenery outside the car, and smiled and said, "Prince Duan has lived in Bianliang for a long time and is the most prosperous capital in the world. Should he feel a little uncomfortable with the quiet scenery of this area of Dali?"
Hearing this, Zhao Ji turned around and smiled, "Prince Duan is too humble and lives in Tokyo for a long time. He naturally lamented that human power is infinite and the world is prosperous. However, when he came to Dali, he saw the power of heaven and earth, and his magical skills, which made people have the interest of being out of the world. In such a place of extraordinaryness, one should have a country of extraordinaryness. In this way, Dali should have enjoyed the country and enjoyed the country, and it should have been the Buddhist saying "being a lasting fate."
Although the Dali royal family has always had a tradition of worshiping Buddha, Duan Zhengchun was not very cold about Buddhism. After laughing, he talked about other issues. It was just that one of them called "Prince Duan" and the other called "Prince Duan". Although it was a serious conversation, it always sounded gimmick. Qiao Feng next to him had listened for a long time, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. If someone with a lively heart came over, he would probably laugh out loud.
At dusk, the group finally arrived at Zhenbei Pass. The guards here had already received orders to welcome the ceremonial guards and banquets from the envoys of the Song Dynasty. Some nearby barbarians also came spontaneously when they heard the news, and it was another lively scene.
After entering the pass, Zhao Ji met Cai Jing and had a brief conversation. Cai Jing said to Zhao Ji seriously: "Prince, the situation in Dali Country seems to be more complicated than we expected. The Marquis of Shanchan Gao, who had been talking and doing things along the way, seemed to have some different thoughts..."
Zhao Ji nodded, and the matter was very important when he was on a foreign country. They naturally had some research on Dali before they came, but the news between the two sides had been inconsistent for a long time, and what they knew was one-sided. However, Cai Jing had his own skill in adapting and great talent, so Zhao Ji didn't need to worry about this. He just said: "Speak what should you do, and Mr. Cai came to make an idea, and Xiao Wang naturally followed it."
Cai Jing sighed and said, "We underestimated the entanglement between the monarch and minister of Dali. Now I just hope that no accidents will happen. We can arrive in Dali City to announce the order and comfort it, and just complete this errand smoothly."
When Zhao Ji heard this, he couldn't help but be surprised: "The bachelor means, is it possible that the marquis Gao still has the courage to block us from going to Dali City?"
"Then Gao Shengtai may not have the courage, but it must be guarded. Any negligence between the two countries may lead to major events." Cai Jing said in a voice. He thought that a simple job was going to be a little variable now. This mission was something that the emperor and the new party strongly advocated. If something goes wrong, it will not only affect the majesty of the court, but also fear that the implementation of the new law will cause trouble. Therefore, Cai Jing was under great pressure.
With Cai Jing's advice, Zhao Ji was paying more attention and careful observation at the following banquet, and he realized the harmony between the monarch and ministers of Dali. Even when Duan Zhengchun was toasting, Gao Shengtai repeatedly interrupted, and he did not even care that there was still the Song envoy present at the banquet. The other Dali ministers did not react much to this, and they thought they were used to it and were used to it.
As for Duan Zhengchun, who used laughter to cover up his embarrassment, anyone could see the weakness and paleness of his words. Even Qiao Feng whispered in Zhao Ji's ear: "It's better to put aside these vain and prosperity and be a free hermit..."
After hearing this, Zhao Ji just smiled. Things in the world are often difficult to meet. Most of the time, although the progress has been extremely difficult, sometimes even if you want to retreat, it is difficult to get what you want. For example, there are many emperors of Dali who have abdicated and escaped from the world and become monks, and there are also many reasons for this. In fact, when Dali was founded, powerful ministers controlled the court. Even if the emperor wanted to do something, it would be very difficult. The Gao family even held power until the fall of Dali, which was considered to be a beginning and an end to some extent.
The banquet is approaching, and we can't help but talk about the next itinerary of the delegation. On this issue, Duan Zhengchun and Gao Shengtai had another disagreement. Duan Zhengchun felt that it would be better to take the delegation to Dali City early to receive and settle down, but Gao Shengtai said that the delegation came far away and needed to rest in Zhenbei Pass for a period of time, which would also allow Dali City to make more comprehensive preparations.
In this regard, Zhao Ji received Cai Jing's reminder and naturally leaned towards Duan Zhengchun's proposal, and said, "Xiao Wang and all the scholars came with the emperor's orders. They dare not seek temporary comfort but delay state affairs. It's better to rest here for a night and set off immediately tomorrow."
Although Gao Shengtai was domineering in the country, he did not dare to openly disobey the wishes of the envoy of the Song Dynasty. Although he was a little displeased after hearing this, he could only nod and respond and immediately arranged the situation.
Just as he was withdrawing from the table, a noise suddenly came from the back hall. Gao Shengtai stood up to ask the generals, and then he showed a hint of joy on his face. Then he lowered his face and returned to the table and said, "I didn't expect that an assassin sneaked into the pass. Several soldiers in the back hall were injured, and the female assassin was captured. However, it is unknown whether the assassin has accomplices. According to the opinions of the officials, he should search carefully and thoroughly. After confirming that there is no danger, he will ask the Song Dynasty angels to Dali City."
This kind of omission occurred at the banquet for the banquet for envoys from other countries. It was an extremely embarrassing thing, but Gao Shengtai found an opportunity to stop the mission from going on the road and said it at the banquet without any concern. As soon as he said this, Duan Zhengchun and Cai Jing's faces darkened, while Zhao Ji looked thoughtful and asked, "Is that assassin a woman? What kind of woman is it?"
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Chapter completed!