Jinling Imperial Palace, Chengxin Hall.

Li Yu was reviewing the memorials, and the eunuch general manager Feng Jian approached outside the door and reported: "The official family, Xu You, the eunuch, the Minister of Rites, Wang Chongzhi, and Chen Wei, the Minister of the Honglu Temple, were looking for a visit outside the palace."

"Why did they come to the palace together to see me?" Li Yu looked up and showed doubts.

Feng Jian said in a whispering voice: "I returned to the official house, it seems that it was the envoy of the Song State. I entered Jinling City at noon today."

Li Yu's expression moved slightly and sighed: "Oh, the envoys of Song State have arrived?"

Li Yu was not in a good mood after hearing this news, because in recent years, the Song State in the north has become increasingly powerful, with strong soldiers and horses, constantly widening the gap with Tang State, which made Li Yu almost breathless. This time, the Song State envoy regiment When I came to Jinling, I still don’t know how to make things difficult for me, so I will try my best to deal with it.

Although Li Yu was a little resistant to this matter, the matter was unavoidable now. He sighed and said, "Let the Prime Minister and the others come in."

"Receive the order!" Feng Jian went out to convey the order.

In an instant, Chengxin Hall inherited the order and the Minister of the Left Pushe Xu You, the Minister of Rites Wang Chongzhi, and the Minister of the Honglu Temple Chen Wei walked into Chengxin Hall and paid homage to the official Li Yu.

"Let's just sit still." Li Yu said without any tribute and asked, "Several dear friends suddenly entered the palace to ask for a meeting together, what's the matter?"

In addition to serving as the position of Zuo Pushe, Chengxintang Chengzhi Monk, Xu You was also enthroned as the veritable prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, who was the subordinate of the Secretariat of the Central Secretariat.

At this time, he bowed and said, "Report to the officials, the envoys sent by the Song Kingdom in the north have entered Jinling City and sent people to the Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple to submit posts to the diplomatic envoys. They plan to come to pay homage to the officials in the near future. Home."

Li Yu still attaches great importance to the Song Dynasty envoys. After all, there is a strong support from the Song Dynasty and we must give it enough respect. After all, diplomatic relations are nothing trivial.

"Then follow the normal process. If you need to meet, arrange a visit to see what the emperor of Song in the north has to send out."

Wang Chongzhi, Minister of Rites, said: "The State of Song is now using troops to Shu. At this time, the envoys of Song are just sent here to appease our Tang State first and not allow us to aid Shu State. We should be supervising us."

Honglu Temple is responsible for receiving state guests, so the Honglu Temple Minister Chen Wei bowed and said, "The official family, the envoys of Shu Kingdom, have been here for half a month. Do you also need to arrange a meeting?"

"Shu Kingdom?" Li Yu hesitated for a moment, saying: "Song State is attacking Shu Kingdom. With the troops of Shu Kingdom, they can resist for a year. The arrival of their envoys is nothing more than asking for reinforcements and forming an alliance with our Tang Kingdom. , But who can compete with the Song army? I can't let the people of Jiangnan get involved in this war and anger the Emperor of Song, and the Southern Tang Dynasty will not have a good time!"

Wang Chongzhi, the Minister of Rites, once served as a minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A few years ago, he served as an envoy with the Right Master Sun Sheng on the Later Zhou Dynasty and negotiated with Chai Rong. He knew the bravery of the northern soldiers and the power of the Later Zhou Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty.

He nodded slightly and said, "What the officials said is that the State of Song has been in full swing and redeeming martial arts, and has a wolf-like ambition. He has now set his sights on the southern countries. First, Jingchu, and now attack Shu. Even our State of Tang has to be guarded."

Li Yu looked worried and said, "As long as we do not violate some of the requirements of the Song Dynasty court, try to satisfy the tribute, and it will be a day to delay it."

Xu You comforted: "The government should not be too worried. The Tang State is the strongest among the southern countries. As long as the court works together, the Song State dare not act rashly. In addition, the Song army is not good at water warfare, so they are not sure. The Tang Kingdom was safe to conquer the Yangtze River defense line. As long as Zhao Kuangyin died, when his son ascended the throne, the prince who was raised in the palace would not be as arrogant as his father's founding emperor, and his ability would not be so outstanding. At that time, he would be unwilling to do so. Once the territory is expanded, our Tang Kingdom will be safe."

Can this work?

After hearing this, Li Yu was stunned. After careful consideration, he thought Xu You's words made sense. Looking at historical books, it is often the founding emperors who can fight well, and their descendants often do not have such powerful military capabilities and ambitions and dominance.

Most of them are good at the palace and do not go through the wind and rain, so their abilities are indeed not as good as those of the founding ancestors.

However, Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty was also in his prime. It would take at least twenty or thirty years to return to the west. Can the Tang Dynasty hold on for so long?

"What did the envoys of Shu Kingdom do in the city recently?"

Wang Chongzhi said: "When they returned to the official family, they had always planned to ask the official family to summon him, but the Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites all had no time to meet them on the grounds that the official family was unwell, and the queen in the palace was sick and the prince was infected. Therefore, Shu

The envoys of the state have made private contact and constantly give gifts to ministers in the court. They want to find the right way, and are eager to make a match and meet the officials sooner!"

Li Yu nodded slightly and said, "I can't delay the envoys of Song State. I will arrange a meeting tomorrow. But the envoys of Shu State have been waiting for half a month. If I meet the envoys of Song State tomorrow, I will not be able to do so.

It would be unreasonable to summon them. Let's take time to meet them tomorrow afternoon. If you don't have to meet them formally at the court meeting, just arrange it in the imperial garden."

"That's all I have made arrangements." Shen Wei replied.

Li Yu was silent for a moment and asked again: "Who are the chief and deputy envoys of the Song State envoys this time?"

Xu You replied: "The envoy is Tao Gu, the Minister of Rites of the State of Song Dynasty, and is also a Hanlin scholar. When Zhao Kuangyin launched the Chenqiao mutiny and became emperor in the Zhou Dynasty, he first planned to make a letter to the abdication of Emperor Gong of Zhou, and as Zhao Kuangyin received the Zen

He was valued by Zhao Kuangyin. The deputy envoy of the mission was Dou Yi, a Hanlin scholar in the Song Dynasty, a minister of the Ministry of Works, and a judge in the Dali Temple. He was a Jinshi in the Later Jin Dynasty. He heard that he had a very high knowledge."

After hearing this, Li Yu ordered: "The first time the envoys arrived, even if they were to visit the court tomorrow, it would be a process of diplomatic relations. Some of the requirements put forward by the State of Song will be negotiated with the Honglu Temple and reported them. I plan to

The Minister of the Honglu Temple was sent to fully responsible for receiving the envoys of the Song State, so that the people of these envoys would eat, drink and have fun! There should be no less gifts to give, and you should travel around and accompany you."

Shen Wei, the Minister of the Honglu Temple, bowed and said, "I understand that the next day will be the Quegean Festival. The poetry festival and lantern festival on the Qinhuai River are extremely lively. I can take the people from the Song Dynasty's envoys to visit, so that they can also feel the Tang Dynasty's.
Chapter completed!