"My brother is here!" Li Zhang looked at the four words on the envelope and couldn't help but show a thoughtful look. This was the letter he gave to him when he left home just now, but not to her parents, but to her younger brother Yelu Zhirang.

Yan Niang didn't sleep all night last night, but she didn't change her mind in the end and did not intend to let her parents know that she was still alive. However, she gave Li Zhang this letter because according to her, her younger brother Yelu Zhirang had been in love with the prince of Liao Kingdom Yelu Zongzhen since she was a child, and she also studied with Yelu Zongzhen, which was equivalent to the relationship between Li Zhang and Zhao Zhen.

Yan Niang and Yelu Zhirang are the same mother. They are two years apart and have a very good relationship since childhood. Yelu Zhirang is also very attached to Yan Niang's sister. When Yan Niang was married as a princess, Yelu Zhirang also opposed it to her death, but was locked up by their parents. It can be said that among Yan Niang's family, only this younger brother made her most concerned.

Calculate the age, Yelu Zhirang is already an adult this year, and the prince of Liao is two years younger than Yelu Zhirang. The relationship between them has always been good. If Li Zhang encounters any difficulties when he is on the Liao Kingdom this time, he can use this letter to meet Yelu Zhirang. At that time, the other party may provide Li Zhang with some help for the sake of Yan Niang, his sister.

"Brother, Yan Niang really likes you. Don't you think about it?" At this moment, he suddenly heard the wild dog next to him speak. Li Zhang was startled when he heard the wild dog's words, and he also looked at him with a strange look, because the wild dog in his memory should not say such words.

"Brother, don't look at me like this. People will change. Of course, Xiuxiu asked me to say this for her." Facing Li Zhang's strange gaze, Wild Dog said helplessly. He has changed a lot in the past six months, and in general, it is becoming more and more humane. It is probably because he took revenge and his whole body began to gradually become normal.

"I knew this was not something you could think of, but I was very curious. Where have you and Xiuxiu gone? Have you ever considered when to get married?" Li Zhang laughed first, and then changed the subject. He didn't want to answer any questions related to Yan Niang.

"It's early. Xiuxiu wants to put the beans in place before considering her own affairs. In addition, I'm not ready, so there's no hurry to get married." The wild dog immediately answered, and at the end of his speech, a little bit of gloomy expression appeared on his face.

Li Zhang immediately understood when he heard this. Not to mention Xiuxiu, the Wild Dog probably had no confidence in him. After all, he knew that he was not a normal person, so he was also suspicious of whether he could give Xiuxiu happiness. It was normal not to dare to get married for the time being.

"You and Xiuxiu are both old and old. It's time to think about it. I will talk to Xiuxiu, after all, Douzi and me. Even if she gets married, don't worry about Douzi. As for you, don't doubt yourself too much. Getting married is not as complicated as you think. When you have time on the road, I will tell you about marriage." Li Zhang smiled and patted the wild dog on the shoulder.

Just as he was speaking, the carriage finally arrived at the Honglu Temple. The Honglu Temple was in charge of foreign guests, which was equivalent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of later generations. The missions from various countries who came to the Song Dynasty also had to be received by the Honglu Temple. The missions sent by foreigners usually gathered at the Honglu Temple. This time the missions to the Liao Kingdom had arrived long ago, but the candidates for the pre-commissioned mission were not decided until Liu E thought of Li Zhang later.

Today is the day when the mission sets off. It is also the first time that Li Zhang has seen members of the mission, but it doesn’t matter. Anyway, the time on the road is still long enough to make them familiar with each other. When Li Zhang came here, he immediately saw a young official in his twenties step forward and saluted: "Xiao Guan Fu Bi has met Li Duwei!"

"Fu Bi?" Li Zhang was stunned when he heard this name. Then he looked at the young man in surprise. He did not expect to see Fu Bi who was as famous as Han Qi here. In history, both of them were famous prime ministers of the Song Dynasty and were known as "Fu Han".

"Brother Fu doesn't have to be too polite. You are also one of the people who went to Liao Kingdom?" Li Zhang asked curiously.

"The Xiaguan served as the deputy envoy of the mission this time, and was the deputy of Li Duwei. This is the first time he was on the Liao Kingdom. I hope Li Duwei will give me more advice at that time!" Fu Bi said humbly at this time. He had just passed the imperial examination for a few years. He had served in the General Manager and Kaifeng Prefecture, and this time he was arranged as Li Zhang's deputy.

It is worth mentioning that Fu Bi was very popular with Fan Zhongyan and recommended him to Yan Shu. As a result, Yan Shu married his daughter to him. Fan Zhongyan had written to Liu E and asked Liu E to return to power to Zhao Zhen. In the end, he was demoted. Fu Bi also spoke for Fan Zhongyan for justice, but his position was small and low. Not only did he fail to help Fan Zhongyan, he also implicated himself. Therefore, the chore of going to Liao Kingdom this time fell on him. From this point of view, he and Li Zhang were still somewhat sympathetic.

"So that's it, then there will be Brother Lao Fu along the way!" Li Zhang was overjoyed when he heard that Fu Bi was actually his deputy. He also had no experience in the matter of missions. With Fu Bi, a smart and capable person, at least he could have a negotiated person when he encountered something.

It was getting late, and the court stipulated that the mission must set off today, so Li Zhang and the others no longer missed their time. At that time, Li Zhang ordered the departure and then asked Fu Bi to get on his own carriage, so that Li Zhang could also look at Fu Bi's affairs while walking.

Fu Bi was not the official envoy who came from Li Zhang. In fact, he was one of the first people who decided to go to the Liao Kingdom to be sent to the Liao Kingdom. Even the transfer of personnel from the entire mission was planned by him, so he was very familiar with the mission and immediately introduced the situation in the mission to Li Zhang.

There were not many main personnel in the entire mission. In addition to Li Zhang and Fu Bi, two chief envoys, there were more than a dozen officials. The rest were some minor officials, mainly responsible for taking care of some gifts given to the Emperor of Liao. After all, Yelu Longxu is seriously ill now, and Zhao Zhen, as his nephew, sent someone to visit. It was really unreasonable without any gifts.

Of course, in addition to these accompanying officials, there is also a battalion of imperial guards, which is 500 people, acting as guards of the mission. After all, with so many gifts, they naturally need protection. The Song Dynasty was not a later generation. You can often encounter thieves on the road, especially the borders of the Liao and Song dynasties are even more chaotic. From time to time, you can see fierce horse bandits. If there is no military guard, maybe before you reach the Liao Kingdom, their missions will be killed by the horse bandits.

After introducing the mission, Fu Bi handed over some things to Li Zhang. These were seal letters, documentaries, etc., which Li Zhang had to do in person, but because he took office so suddenly, Fu Bi accepted it on his behalf before.

When the delegation left the capital, many people came to see her off, but Li Zhang did not let Qingzhi and the others come, so as not to make her sad. Moreover, she had finished all the things she wanted to say before, and she was pregnant again, so there was no need to run so far to see her off again.

After saying goodbye to the people who saw him off, the delegation finally left the capital and headed towards Hebei along the official road. The Chinese New Year was about to be celebrated, and the road was full of ice and snow. However, the court had orders, so they could only speed up to the Liao Kingdom. On the third day, the delegation also reached the Yellow River. At this time, the Yellow River had already frozen, the floating bridge was demolished, and the people could pass through the ice.

However, the ice surface was not flat. Although the large crack had been filled with water, it was still not easy for the carriage to go over. Li Zhang also got off the carriage and squatted down to knock off a piece of ice. The ice was not as crystal clear as people thought, but was a little turbid, which made Li Zhang frown.

"What are the Duwei Li looking at?" At this moment, Fu Bi, who was commanding the convoy next to him, also noticed Li Zhang's strangeness and couldn't help but ask.

"I'm looking at the water of the Yellow River. I've passed by the Yellow River before. The river water was not frozen at that time. Although the river water was turbid, it was much stronger than it is now. But when I came again this time, I found that the ice made by the river water was much turbid than it was before." Li Zhang sighed helplessly at this time.

Because palaces were built during the Tang Dynasty and the population growth in the Yellow River area, trees on both sides of the Yellow River were cut down, and many trees and grasslands became farmland. This also aggravated soil erosion, causing the Yellow River to become yellower and the soil in the upper reaches to alluvialize. The river channel in Kaifeng is relatively gentle, so mud water falls down, causing the riverbed to get higher and higher, forming the world-famous on-ground river, which is also the main reason why Kaifeng is so prone to floods.

"This is also normal. There is less mud and water in the river water in spring and summer, but in winter, there is mud and water in the river water. Anyone on both sides of the Yellow River knows this." Fu Bi said immediately. He is from Luoyang and his hometown is very close to the Yellow River, so he is very familiar with the situation of the Yellow River.

Li Zhang nodded thoughtfully when he heard this. In spring and summer, the grass and trees were vigorous, and the soil was not easily washed down by the river. However, in autumn and winter, the grass and trees withered, and soil erosion was naturally more serious, which also led to a significant increase in the soil in the river. Although the ancients observed this phenomenon, they did not understand the truth.

"The yellow sand is flooded every year, and the court must pay attention to it!" Li Zhang said to himself. Although the mud content of the Yellow River is high now, it is much less than that of later generations. As long as the court is willing to govern, there is still hope of making the Yellow River clear. Moreover, the earlier this matter, the better. However, there are strong enemies outside the Song Dynasty and there are also many hidden dangers inside. I am afraid that there is no time to take care of governing the Yellow River for the time being.
Chapter completed!