Zhou and Wen came to the hall together, and saw Han Xiaozhou sitting on the head seat, looking restless. When he saw them, he stood up and said, "Sit down, you two, there is something big!"

"Please speak with me!"

"We just got news from outside that the Jin army has surrounded Shangjing, Liao, and the situation is in danger!"

Zhou Ping was stunned when he heard this and thought to himself that this was not a good thing? The more urgent the situation of the Liao people was, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to the Song Dynasty? The more they were the envoys of the Song Dynasty could ask for a price out of thin air and make great contributions? Just as he thought of this, he heard Han Xiaozhou whisper: "I learned from a Han official in Liao that the negotiations between Liao and Jin have entered the final stage. Originally, both sides were still entangled with the issue of hostages due to some cede land and titles, but the tombs of the ancestors of the Liao people were in Shangjing. If they were surrounded by the Jin people, it would be better to ask for it? If the Liao and Jin peace agreement was reached, then our trip would be in vain!"

"Don't be anxious!" Wen Cheng persuaded: "Whether we can interfere with the Liao and Jin peace agreement, whether it can be achieved can be achieved. All we can do now is to understand as much as possible about the situation, and then report to the ministers and the emperor of the two prefectures to prepare for the future. However, according to what we see below, the situation is not that simple."

"Please speak with Mr. Wen."

Wen Cheng bowed and carefully explained the incident that had just happened on the top of the tower. Finally, he whispered: "The Liao people are different from our Song Dynasty. The royal ministers may participate in the secrets, or take charge of heavy troops to defend famous cities and hold great power. It would be fine if the heroes were in power, but if they met the lord of the middle, there would be a disaster for Xiao Jiang. The Jin people and the Liao people discussed peace with each other, but because they were not strong enough to swallow them in one go, delaying time to fight again. Not to mention whether this peace can really be achieved, even if the peace is completed, will the Jin people be cautious in peace and not sending troops? I think that as long as the Song Dynasty practices internal affairs, trains troops and accumulates food, there will be a chance. My husband should have more exchanges with Liao ministers here in Youzhou, and it will be useful when it is critical."

"What Wen Gong said is very!" Hearing this, Han Xiaozhou didn't understand Wen Cheng's meaning. Indeed, the political organizational structure of the Liao Kingdom was different from the traditional Han courts of the Song Kingdom. In order to adapt to the two situations in the Senei and the Great Wall under his jurisdiction, it was basically composed of officials from the south and the north. The south mainly governed the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun, imitated the Tang system, established three provinces and six ministries, Taiwan, courtyard, temple, supervisor, guard, and Eastern Palace officials, mainly composed of Han officials, officials, prefectures, counties, taxes, and military horses; while the north officials had contracts.

The Privy Council of Dan and the General Administration of the Palace Capital are mainly held by the Khitans, mainly managing the affairs of palace tents, tribes, and vassal states. Their political center is not among the five capitals, but in the Nabo palace tents that roamed with the Liao emperor for four seasons. This dual management system is better adapted to the huge differences brought about by the Khitan tradition and the economy of the two natures of nomadic and farming in the Liao Kingdom, which is governed by the vast territory. It is reasonable, but it inevitably leads to the conflict between the officials in the south and the north. More importantly,

The core ethnic groups of the Liao Kingdom were the Khitans and the Xi people. Compared with the other ethnic groups they ruled, these two ethnic groups were a minority. In order to ensure the advantages of their own race, the central rights and military power of the Liao Kingdom were in the hands of the upper nobles of the Khitans and the Xi people. Therefore, the royal kings of the Liao Kingdom, mainly the Xiao and Yelu surnames, generally had huge military and political power. This was in line with the Tang and Song dynasties deprived all members of the royal family except the crown prince and gave a lot of economic privileges.

The situation as compensation is very different. Although this situation strengthened the control of the Khitan and Xi upper classes over the empire, it also intensified the fierceness and cruelty of the internal struggles of the upper classes. The situation of its internal struggle is no longer the internal struggle of the Han Empire in the Central Plains, but simply the internal attacks and killings of the kings who commanded their respective troops. This kind of internal strife was fine when the four sides were at peace. If there were strong enemies on the side now, various internal conflicts and external conflicts broke out together, it would have devastating consequences.

So in the next few days, Han Xiaozhou seemed to have completely forgotten his job. He talked to visiting ministers from Youzhou, Liao Kingdom, and chanted the wind and the moon, showing off his style as a scholar and official in the Southern Dynasty. It should be said that he was very good at this. In just a few days, he had a very high evaluation of him in the upper social circle of Youzhou. In fact, the Liao Kingdom has been established for nearly two hundred years, and even the real Khitans have settled in Youzhou.

It has been five or six generations and has been very serious in the Chinese language. Even the officials in the north generally have very profound cultural cultivation. They generally yearn for the Northern Song Dynasty, which had a far greater cultural prosperity than the Liao Dynasty. If Han Xiaozhou talked about the issue of compensation for land cede, those officials in the Liao Dynasty were still a little wary, but when it comes to talking about poetry and Buddhists, they would still be flocking to it. For a time, the Song people's mission station in Jinggu Temple became the most fashionable place in the upper class of Youzhou, and it can be said that they are crowded with people.

"Three hundred and five steps, three hundred and six steps, three hundred and seven steps." Xue Liangyu whispered the number and walked forward along the base of the city wall. Suddenly he stopped and lowered his voice to Zhou Ping behind him, "The three hundred and seven steps west of the east gate is the Tibetan military cave!"

"Yeah!" Zhou Ping responded, carefully drew a fork representing the Tibetan soldiers' cave on a sketch, and recorded the Arabic numeral of 307. To others, these were just two ordinary passers-by. But who knew that these were two spies collecting intelligence? It turned out that when Han Xiao Zhou was showing off his skills in the upper social circle of Youzhou these days, Zhou Cheng and the others were not idle. They wandered around Youzhou all day, as if they were trying to see the style of this No. 1 city in the northern country. But in fact, it was not that simple. Zhou Ping had been in the previous life from elementary school to university.

Sixteen years of education, although many things may not be of use in their previous lives, were very useful in the capital of the enemy country in the late Northern Song Dynasty. These days, he pretended to be wandering around, but he wrote the city defense fortifications on white paper with a charcoal pen, and then sorted out the white papers when he returned to the residence. After returning to the Song Dynasty, he repainted them on a large picture, which was the city defense map of Youzhou. Although due to the limitations of conditions, he could not draw contour lines and record the data unique to modern military maps such as elevation, but even compared with the maps treasured by the Privy Council Office Office.

"Brother Zhou, the east gate is almost the same. Let's go north?" Xue Liangyu was very interested. As a young man who grew up in a martial arts family, he knew very well that he and Zhou Ping were working. These maps mean the blood and lives of thousands of people in the war, and even determined the outcome of a battle. He never imagined that he could use such a sophisticated method to record the city defense situation in Youzhou on these thin papers. If he had some impulsiveness to call Zhou Ping "Brother Zhou" a few days ago, then he was completely convinced. He believed that following this companion who was about ten years older than him would have a very bright future.

"No need!" Zhou Ping looked at the sky: "It's getting late. Besides, our identities are sensitive after all. We always sway around the city wall all day long. If it arouses the suspicion of the Liao people and searches these maps, then all the previous efforts will be wasted. Go back to Jinggu Temple for dinner, the vegetarian food there is still very good!"

"Yes!" Xue Liangyu nodded and smiled, "But if it is about vegetarian food, how can I get the Xianglan (the commonly known as Daxiangguo Temple) here."

"You know how to eat!" Zhou Ping smiled: "Well, this time we go back to Tokyo, let's go to Xianglan Haosheng to have a walk together!"

When the two returned to their residence, they found something wrong. Not only were they warned at the door, the dozens of followers waiting in the yard were all gorgeously dressed. Zhou Ping couldn't help but secretly called himself a surprise. There were many noble officials and nobles from the Liao Kingdom who came here these days, but even the governor of the Guangling Army of the dynasty, Zuo Qigong, who was the minister of the Central Secretariat, was also a light car and a light fur. He did not bring any ceremonial followers. After all, both parties were tacitly trying to downplay the official identity of the participants so as to establish a private intimate relationship for future use. This team of people suddenly appeared, which was quite annoying.

At this time, Zhou Ping happened to see Wen Cheng coming out from inside, and stepped forward to point at the followers and asked, "Mr. Wen, who is here? What's the case?"

Wen Cheng looked at the left and right and whispered, "It's the man in the tower that day."

"Xiao Puxian?" This scared Zhou Ping: "What are she doing? Could it be that the matter happened that day?"

"Don't panic!" Wen Cheng saw Zhou Ping like this and smiled, "There are also her husband, Yelu Chun, the king of Qin and Jin. He heard that this man is generous and studious, especially likes Buddhist scriptures. Mr. Han is quite accomplished in Buddhism, so it is normal for them to come." Speaking of this, Wen Cheng saw Zhou Ping's expression frightened, which was much different from his usual calmness, so he rarely teased him: "I heard for a long time that Xiao Puxian is a celestial figure, and he is the best among the noble ladies of Liao Kingdom. I am afraid that he has never looked down on him in the tower that day. Today's opportunity should not be missed. Brother Zhou should go in and take a look?"

"Mr. Wen was joking, but I heard that Yelu Chunsu was known as a wise king, which was quite popular with the hearts of Yan. Today I want to see the true face!" Zhou Ping said, but his legs walked into the house. The gatekeeper had already recognized him and knew that he was the confidant of the envoy of Song. He was still six or seven steps away and lifted the curtain and let him enter the door. Zhou Ping bowed to him and walked in. He immediately felt a stream of heat coming to his face, and a layer of sweat immediately appeared on his forehead. I don't know how many earth dragons were installed under the floor. In this northern city, it was like the late spring of the south of the Yangtze River. Zhou Ping saw that more than ten people in the house were sitting upright and listening to the one who was above the head, it was Han Xiaozhou.
Chapter completed!