Physician of the Song Dynasty: Zhang Kai and Li Qingzhao have a private life-long contract

Western Xia.

Xingqing Mansion!

The Liang family's rebellion had just been put down, and Empress Dowager Xiao Liang had gone through great efforts to stabilize the Xixia court. However, after this battle, the Liang family's autocratic power was greatly reduced, and the Xixia royal family and party nobles regained the upper hand.

However, Empress Dowager Xiaoliang remained undaunted, because she still had a trump card in her hand, which was her nearly adult son Li Qianshun.

"Queen Dowager Gao is dead!"

After hearing Weiming Awu's report, Queen Mother Xiaoliang couldn't help but raise her voice.

Empress Dowager Gao was probably in a similar situation to her. She also had a harem to listen to the government, but Empress Dowager Gao was relatively weak. During her reign, the Song Dynasty was allowed to be oppressed by her.

Unfortunately, the little emperor of the Song Dynasty seized power later. From then on, the Song Dynasty changed greatly, and Xixia repeatedly encountered obstacles. Now she suddenly heard the news of the death of Empress Dowager Gao, which made her miss the time when Empress Dowager Gao was in power.

Wei Ming A Wu nodded and said: "To inform the Queen Mother, envoys from the Song Dynasty have come to deliver a message, asking Xixia to send envoys to express condolences. I don't know what the Queen Mother wants."

Although Xixia and Song had fought many wars, the two countries were nominally vassal states. After all, Empress Dowager Gao had been in power for eight years and was actually the monarch of the Song Dynasty. After Xixia was defeated and became a vassal of the Song Dynasty, it was only right that she send people to express her condolences. meaning.

"This matter..." Empress Dowager Xiao Liang habitually asked her brother Liang Yibu to take responsibility, but suddenly she was stunned. It turned out that her brother had been killed on her order.

"You can take full responsibility for this matter!" Empress Dowager Xiaoliang ordered Weiming Awu.

Empress Dowager Xiao Liang was inexplicable. In addition to the exclusive power of the Liang family's parent party, there was another reason why the Liang family was in power with two empresses. That was that there were cases in Song and Liao dynasties where the empress dowager listened to politics behind the curtain. In particular, Empress Dowager Gao of the Song Dynasty did so at the same time as her. Listening to politics makes her reason for listening to politics behind the curtain more upright.

However, later, adult officials seized power in the Song Dynasty, and there was a rebellion by relatives in Xixia, which completely exposed the shortcomings of the Queen Mother's ability to listen to politics behind the curtain. Now that her son Li Qianshun has grown up, the calls for her to return to power in Xixia are getting louder and louder. .

Especially after she pacified the Liang family, she had clearly felt the different attitudes of the Xixia ministers, which made her situation even worse.

........................

"The Empress Dowager Qizhen is so happy!" Suddenly, Weiming Awu and Renduo Baozhong, who had just left, came in together.

"Why is the Ai family so happy?" Queen Mother Xiaoliang's eyes showed doubts.

Weiming Awu said excitedly: "I reported to the Queen Mother that the Liao Emperor finally replied. This time he personally sent an envoy to agree to the Liao-Xia marriage."

"really?"

Empress Dowager Xiaoliang was overjoyed when she heard this. After pacifying the Liang family, she had lost her biggest supporter and was now in urgent need of finding a new supporter. She didn't expect that the Liao Kingdom would send her a pillow just as she fell asleep.

"Is it Yelu Nanyin who is marrying?" Empress Dowager Xiaoliang asked quickly. Her original request to the Liao Kingdom was to let Yelu Nanyin marry her, and at the same time use Yelu Nanyin to get involved in the interests of the Silk Road.

Renduo Baozhong shook his head and said: "It's not Yelu Nanyin, but Yelu Nanxian, the princess of the Liao Kingdom."

Empress Dowager Xiaoliang's expression suddenly changed, and she also knew that Yelu Nanxian was a princess of the clan, and her status was very different from that of Yelu Nanyin, not to mention the huge benefit of the Silk Road.

Weiming Awu advised: "The Queen Mother does not need to be angry. Although the marriage is with the clan princess Yelu Nanxian, the Liao Emperor agreed to allocate a portion of affordable silk road materials as Yelu Nanxian's dowry every year."

Empress Dowager Xiaoliang nodded slightly. Since the Cold War in the Song Dynasty, the Sui coins have been cut off and the market has been closed. Xixia's domestic economy has almost collapsed, and the Liao Kingdom's use of Silk Road materials as dowry can solve Xixia's urgent needs.

"Come here, let's entertain the Liao and pro envoys with a feast." Empress Dowager Xiaoliang said with great joy.

The envoy from the Liao Kingdom is willing to marry his son, so as a mother, she naturally has to entertain her warmly.

On that day, there was a grand banquet in the Xixia Palace.

Empress Dowager Xiaoliang led the Xixia ministers to solemnly entertain Yelv Zhangnu, the envoy of the Liao Kingdom and his relatives.

"Sir Yelu, the Ai family would like to toast you on behalf of Xixia. The relationship between Liao and Xia has always been irreversible. After the marriage, the two countries will always be friends and be as close as one family."

At the feast, Empress Dowager Xiao Liang raised her glass and said happily that this marriage was not only of great benefit to Xixia, but also made her unstable position as stable as a rock.

"Drink victory!"

The ministers of the Liao Kingdom toasted in celebration. Xixia suffered a series of defeats. With continued support from the Liao Kingdom, now that the two countries have made peace, they will definitely be able to withstand the Song Dynasty's offensive.

Yelu Zhangnu did not agree, but stood up and said solemnly: "The Queen Mother knows that there were two marriages between Liao and Xia. Let's not mention the first time that the two countries had good relations, so there was a second marriage, and when the clan was established, , Daliao will marry Princess Xingping to Li Yuanhao, what will be the result?"

Faced with Yelu Zhangnu's questioning, everyone in Xixia looked embarrassed.

At that time, Li Yuanhao was so bold that he could even attack his own daughter-in-law, and the harem was even more arrogant and extravagant. After Princess Xingping married Li Yuanhao, one was a high-ranking princess of the sovereign state, and the other was a male lord, and the two had a bad relationship. , causing the princess to pass away a few years after going to Xixia.

Xingzong of Liao Dynasty was suspicious of the cause of the princess's death, because there were many rumors about Princess Xingping's death. One said that Princess Xingping was not favored and eventually died of depression.

There is also a theory that Yuan Hao poisoned his biological mother, Queen Wei Mu, with poisonous wine in order to destroy the Wei Mu family. Because Princess Xingping knew the truth and wanted to silence her, Yuan Hao imprisoned her and died in prison.

Obviously, the Liao State suspected that it was the second rumor, and sent an envoy to question it, but in the end it was ignored, so that Liao and Xia turned against each other and interrupted the marriage.

Empress Dowager Xiaoliang's expression changed, but she did not expect that the Liao Kingdom was still brooding over the death of Princess Xingping, and even questioned Liao Xia in public during their third marriage.

"Lord Yelu, you are serious. This happened many years ago. This is a happy day. It is not appropriate to mention such sad things again." Weiming Awu said to smooth things over.

However, Yelv Zhangnu did not give Xixia any face and said: "This is not a settlement of Liao's fault. Our emperor once said that if Liao and Xia get married again, how can Xixia ensure that Princess Cheng'an will not make the same mistake as Princess Xingping."

"This..." The faces of the Xixia ministers couldn't help but change. This was a matter between the emperor and the queen. If the two were at odds, what could they do. "

"What does His Majesty Daliao mean?" Renduo Baozhong asked.

Yelu Zhangnu said calmly: "Your Majesty's intention is very simple. As long as the Queen Mother drinks this wine, the old debts will be wiped off and the marriage will be successful."

At that moment, Yelv Zhangnu took down an exquisite wine flask, poured a glass of wine himself and handed it to Queen Mother Xiaoliang.

"liquor!"

The officials of Xixia were stunned for a moment, but then their expressions changed.

I couldn't help but think of the Liao envoy who just questioned the truth about Princess Xingping's death. According to rumors, Princess Xingping was killed because she learned that Li Yuanhao poisoned his mother, Wei Mushi, with poisonous wine.

But now the envoy of the Liao Kingdom once again handed Empress Dowager Xiaoliang a glass of wine. This glass of wine was obviously a poisonous wine. The Liao Kingdom wanted to avenge the death of Princess Xingping and at the same time establish the prestige of Princess Cheng'an.

Even the scheming minister thought more. Once the Empress Dowager Xiaoliang passed away, Princess Cheng'an of the Liao Kingdom would marry Xixia. The young leader of the Xixia Kingdom, Li Liangzuo, would definitely take power together with Princess Cheng'an.