Chapter 223 What on earth do you want to say?
Li Chuwen’s hawk-like eyes were only a slit, and the viciousness in them was self-evident. However, Su Wu was not panicked, and said slowly: “How can I come here to seek death? My king, I have three things to do here: to fight for the throne, to fight for war, and to retreat!”

Li Chuwen’s eyes slowly opened wider, and he looked at Su Wu again, and suddenly said, “I have heard recently that under the seat of Song Tong, there is a brave general named Su Wu. Is it you?”

Su Wu smiled and nodded. In this “world”, there were only two big countries, Song and Liao. The Liao people even had permanent envoys stationed in Bian Jing. How could they not know that Su Wu had recently emerged in the Song Dynasty?
What Li Chuwen said just now was just a show of power, a small trick to control people.

Li Chuwen continued, “You are so young, yet you dare to come to Beijing alone. You are quite brave, just like a warrior. Then tell me about these three things. If you speak well, you are an envoy of the Song Dynasty without any official documents. If you speak poorly, you may be a spy of the Jin people…”

Su Wu laughed: “Your Majesty, this is a good trick. I will tell you about it. Your Majesty, please listen…”

Li Chuwen leaned back in his chair, his expression softened a lot, he looked calm and composed, he didn’t even look at anyone, he was even adjusting his sleeves.

Su Wu just opened his mouth and said, “Let’s talk about the fight for the throne first. Under the Liao emperor, there are only two princes, the Prince of Jin born to Concubine Wen and the Prince of Qin born to Concubine Yuan. The other princes are not included in this list for the time being. Concubine Wen has Yelu Yudu, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Army, and Concubine Yuan’s brother is Xiao Fengxian, the envoy of the Northern Privy Council…”

Li Chuwen said calmly: “This is just a small matter, everyone knows it, it’s boring to talk about it…”

Su Wu nodded and said, “So, chaos is about to happen!”

“Huh?” Li Chuwen turned around and said, “Nonsense!”

Su Wu smiled and said, “Yelü Yudu has the army but the people are away. Xiao Fengxian is in the court and has extensive social connections. He has power in his hands. How can there not be chaos? Since ancient times, the struggle for the throne in the Liao Dynasty has always been bloody. There has been no exception. Every time it was not bloody and violent.”

What Su Wu said was true. Whether it was the Liao Dynasty or the Western Xia, they were all learning the system of the Song Dynasty. Strictly speaking, they were all learning the system of the Tang Dynasty. However, there was one biggest problem, which was that the succession of imperial power was never smooth. It was always bloody. Either the nephew killed the uncle, or the nephew killed the uncle…

In this regard, only the Song Dynasty has basically solved this problem, and the succession of imperial power has been basically a smooth transition.

When Su Wu said this, Li Chuwen also laughed: “I am a Han official and never care about these things…”

Su Wu could understand. The Khitans had only two major surnames, one was Yelu and the other was Xiao. These were the people.

He said, “Your Majesty is in a high position, as the Prime Minister, how could you really ignore these things? The Liao Dynasty is already in such a situation, and if there is another civil strife, the consequences will be disastrous… Outsiders can see it clearly, and Your Majesty is in it, how could you not know? I’m afraid someone is about to take action!”

This is also a historical fact, and it is happening right now, so Su Wu is naturally confident when he talks about it.

Xiao Fengxian would take action first and kill Concubine Wen and Prince of Jin. Yelu Yudu, who was outside, would be left with nowhere to go. In panic, he led his troops to surrender to the Jin Dynasty. Then, the Jin people broke into the city of Zhongjing, causing the Liao Dynasty to collapse instantly when it still had the strength to fight back.

Later, Yelu Yudu was also the vanguard of the Jin people’s attack on Song.

When a country is about to perish, evil will appear. Such evil things are more likely to happen when the country is in danger of being destroyed.

After hearing Su Wu’s words, Li Chuwen’s calm demeanor had faded a lot. He just asked, “You are not a simple young man. What do you want to say?”

“I want to say that this civil strife must not occur, and Your Majesty should mediate…” Su Wu said bluntly.

“Hmph… I don’t think so. Why would Master Su think so? You are an official of the Song Dynasty. The more chaotic the Liao Dynasty is, the happier you should be, right?” How could Li Chuwen believe Su Wu’s lies?
“No, from my perspective as a Song person, Liao is a spent force, on the brink of collapse, but still barely holding on. The Jurchens are the more ferocious. If Liao really starts a civil strife, the Jurchens will easily win, take Liao’s land and people, and look south to the Song Dynasty with their victorious army. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Su Wu spoke from the heart. Yelu Yudu’s troops were the last few elite soldiers of the Liao people. However, due to the internal strife, not only did the Jurchens not suffer heavy losses, but these elite troops became vassals of the Jurchens in the blink of an eye. The Jurchens really made a lot of money…

If the Jurchens made a lot of money, then Su Wu would lose a lot.

For Su Wu, Liao was bound to perish, but Su Wu would only gain. The Liao people would fight to the death with the Jurchens, and the Jurchens would suffer losses. This was Su Wu’s strategy.

Li Chuwen heard Su Wu’s words and thought they made sense, so he thought about the fight for the throne again. How could he not understand it? He just said, “Since ancient times, the fight for the throne has been between Yelu and Xiao. My surname is Li, so I’m afraid it will be difficult to mediate…”

This was worry, but also helplessness. Li Chuwen had no soldiers under his command. Although he was the prime minister, the prime minister of the Liao Kingdom was somewhat worthless. The Liao Kingdom was divided into two courts, the North and South Great King Courts, the North and South Privy Councils, and the North and South Prime Minister’s Offices…

These are very complicated. To put it simply, the Liao Kingdom ruled the nomadic tribes on the grassland and the fishing and hunting tribes in the northeast through an administrative system similar to the centralized power of a tribal alliance.

Ruling the cities and Han settlements north and south of Yanshan Mountain is another system, similar to the Central Plains system of the Tang and Song dynasties.

The position of prime minister in the Liao Dynasty did not mean that one was truly in power, but was an administrative or working position in government affairs. The person who truly held power was still the Northern Privy Council envoy like Xiao Fengxian.

This is the biggest difference between Liao and Song. Although they are both called Privy Council, the Privy Council of Liao was the one that truly held power.

In other words, in the Liao Dynasty, controlling the military was the basis of everything and the foundation for the change of imperial power.

Li Chuwen wanted to mediate the relationship between Yelu and the Xiao family as a Han official and prime minister, but he was somewhat powerless.

Su Wu didn’t seem disappointed at all, so he continued, “Then let’s talk about the second thing, the war…”

“War… Are you, the Song Dynasty, going to send troops to help us fight the Jurchens?” Li Chuwen was obviously very serious, and his eyes were always focused on Su Wu.

Su Wu waved his hand: “That is difficult to do. Your Majesty, you are joking. What I meant is that since the fight for the throne is inevitable, the outcome of the war will become more dangerous. Your Majesty should have anticipated it…”

Li Chuwen frowned deeply, then looked at the young Privy Councilor from the Song Dynasty, and his contempt for him faded a lot. He sighed and said, “Go on…”

“In fact, what I said is what the king knows very well. If the two tigers fight, and if the Privy Council Envoy Xiao Fengxian wins, then the Eastern Army Commander Yelu Yudu… will definitely be panicked, and in order to protect himself, Xu…”

Su Wu paused and looked at Li Chuwen.

“Impossible, absolutely impossible…” Li Chuwen said immediately.

“Between life and death, there is great terror, let alone one’s own life and property. Moreover, wealth and glory cannot be lost easily.” Su Wu said so.

Historically, Li Chuwen’s last move was to force the royal family to move south and submit to the Song Dynasty, but he ultimately failed.

But at this moment, Li Chuwen’s situation was far from that point, and Su Wu could not just come up and say, “Your Majesty, please join our Song Dynasty.” If he really said that, he would be courting death.

Therefore, it is inevitable that we need to be patient and persuasive, and proceed step by step.

Li Chuwen naturally frowned even deeper, but said: “This… I believe that Yelu Yudu will not surrender to the enemy and betray the country. The soldiers under his command are the elite soldiers of the Liao Dynasty, and they will not follow him to surrender to the enemy and betray the country.”

Su Wu smiled and said, “Your Majesty has his own plans… Let’s talk about another thing. If Yelu Yudu wins the battle for the throne, it will be like the warlords in the late Han Dynasty. In order to gain power, I’m afraid the army will enter Yanjing. I don’t know how many people will lose their heads. For example, Your Majesty, you are a minister in the court. In the past, you had a lot of exchanges with Xiao Fengxian, and you even had a close relationship with him. Wouldn’t you be the first to bear the brunt of it?”

Li Chuwen turned his gaze away and looked far away at the door of the study, his sight was a little scattered…

Su Wu immediately added: “So, in the king’s mind, the best outcome in the fight for the throne is for Xiao Fengxian to win. However, if Xiao Fengxian wins, the consequences will be disastrous… It’s a pity that the Liao people’s fight for the throne has always been bloody. Everyone is afraid and frightened, and they always have to fight for real, unlike the Song Dynasty, which is peaceful and stable…”

Li Chuwen did not look away. It was not that he did not want to think about it in the past. He had thought about it a lot. However, the country was in such a difficult situation now and he was busy every day. How could he dare to think deeply about these things that made the situation worse?
It’s not that Li Chuwen didn’t try hard. In order to hold on to this mess, he racked his brains. Money, food, and military equipment were all provided by him. He just hoped that the front line could hold on. Only if it could hold on would there be other things. If not, all would be over.

Now, Su Wu’s words seemed to be saying, what does it matter if we hold on? If our own people are going to collapse, it is not the enemy’s fault, nor is it the fault of war!

Su Wu continued, “I have to talk about the third thing… the way out, this way out… is the purpose of my coming here, my king, I have no other intention. If Liao can defeat Jin, it would be great. Even if the Liao people are so fierce that they cannot go south, we Song people will live a stable life. Moreover, Liao still needs the support of our Song Dynasty. At that time, maybe it will really be a scene of brothers and sisters respecting each other. If everything is really hopeless, I want to say that Liao and Song are brotherly countries, and your king is of Han blood. If you are willing to let us help, we will definitely go through fire and water without hesitation…”

Li Chuwen retracted his gaze and turned his head to look…

“Your Majesty, if you have any doubts, then don’t talk about brother countries or Han blood. Just talk about the general situation and strategy. If Liao really perishes, the tigers and wolves are right in front of us. If you lend a hand, isn’t it also saving others and helping yourself? This is where the benefits lie!”

Su Wu finished speaking with full sincerity. He guided the people step by step and completed the task at this point.

Li Chuwen slowly stood up, sighed deeply, and said with a sigh: “Tong Shumi, what a good strategy…”

Su Wu did not respond. There was no need to pretend to be cool at this time, and there was no need to say that this was not Tong Shumi’s strategy, but my, Su Wu’s strategy.

But Li Chuwen said again: “You are really a great talent. Not only are you brave in battle, but you are also a great speaker and eloquent! The Song Dynasty is full of talents…”

“Your Majesty, thank you for your praise…” Su Wu also stood up.

“You have finished what you wanted to say, and I have listened to it all. Since you have come here as a secret envoy, perhaps you have something to say to yourself?” Li Chuwen asked.

“Yes, but it’s not a mean thing, nor is it a treasonous act. It’s just one thing. I hope to communicate with the king more often so that we can know the affairs of Liao and Jin at all times and respond in advance…”

Su Wu’s words were very beautiful. When persuading a person to rebel, one should never be impatient. One should be patient and persuasive in deciding what to do first and what to do next, step by step. It is harmless to start with some information, and the other person will not feel burdened.

As expected, Li Chuwen said, “This is not difficult. Now I see that you are a meticulous person. You just need to make a strict rule and communicate with you every day…”

“I would like to thank the king on behalf of Secretary Tong!” Su Wu bowed.

“I know exactly what you mean, but it’s not the right time yet. If the time comes, I will come to discuss it with you. If you take this back, I think you can get the job done!”

Li Chuwen suddenly said this, Su Wu was still a little stunned. He was still thinking about taking it step by step, but it was Li Chuwen who increased the speed himself…

Su Wu couldn’t help but wonder, why is this happening?
I immediately figured it out. If the country really collapsed, wouldn’t Li Chuwen be a high-ranking official? Leaving a message behind would leave a glimmer of hope and a way out…

He took the initiative to stay for a while, so why not? He didn’t lose anything.

Su Wu was also pleasantly surprised: “I will definitely convey this message. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. With this message back, I will be able to report to you with ease…”

“You said…” Li Chuwen suddenly paused after saying this.

Su Wu was very sensitive and said immediately: “Your Majesty, just ask. Now that it has been agreed upon, we are already close friends. Just tell me everything you know and give me advice, it goes without saying!”

“You are a good general and have extraordinary talent in military planning. If Yelu Yudu really betrays his country and surrenders to the enemy, it would be a disaster. What should we do?” Li Chuwen asked sincerely.

Su Wu just said: “If that’s the case, Zhongjing Dading Prefecture will be broken at any time. We should stabilize the battle situation and withdraw all the troops to the Yanshan line. We should strengthen the defense. The Yanshan line must not be broken. If the Yanshan line is broken, Yanjing will be impossible to defend…”

“Well… this is just a general statement!” Li Chuwen was not satisfied. It was also what Su Wu said. There was not much work to do. Anyone would know this.

Then Su Wu said, “If Yanshan is fortified, the Jurchens will certainly not stop their advance. We have to think of other ways. To be honest, we can only divide our troops from the grassland and march to Datong, the western capital. If we defeat Datong, we can bypass the Yanshan defense line to the north of Yanjing. If we defeat Datong, we can march eastwards and directly attack Yanjing! In this way, we will fight on two fronts, and Liao…”

The Liao Dynasty was about to perish, and the only core of the Liao Dynasty’s real control was the narrow strip of land called the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. There was not much room for maneuver, which meant there was no strategic depth.

What Su Wu said is actually the direction of historical development.

Li Chuwen nodded and said, “So, the defense of Xijing is also of utmost importance!”

“That’s right!” Su Wu nodded, but in fact there was something else he hadn’t said. There was another extremely unstable factor in the Liao Dynasty, and that was the Liao emperor, Yelu Yanxi.

This guy would flee when panicked, and fleeing would cause the people to lose their morale. When Yelu Yudu rebelled and Zhongjing was broken, Yelu Yanxi’s first reaction was not to consolidate the Yanshan defense line, but to flee…

The situation was already on the verge of collapse. Just when it might have been able to hold on for a while thanks to the geographical advantage, it collapsed again and again, and the last glimmer of hope was completely lost… Isn’t it really sad to see a country destroyed in this way?

This was the first time that Li Chuwen thought so thoroughly about the possible future direction of this country. It was also Su Wu who brought him to this problem that many people were unwilling to face…

Prime Minister, Prime Minister… At this moment, there is inevitably a kind of helpless sadness…

Su Wu didn’t say much, he just stood quietly by the side…

It was not until a long time later that Su Wu suddenly said, “Your Majesty, you have no soldiers, so you must be careful and plan ahead at every turn. You must not…”

Su Wu’s meaning was actually straightforward. In this world and situation, people without soldiers and horses would not even have the ability to escape…

Li Chuwen nodded: “Su Wu…Su Ziqing…this name, I hope it will be famous all over the world in the future.”

“I am truly unworthy of your kindness, Your Majesty.” Su Wu was humble as usual, and added: “Speaking of the army, Your Majesty, you have an army at your side…”

“Huh?” Li Chuwen was really surprised.

At this moment, Su Wu just said directly: “Yuan Jun, Master Guo, if the king has time, why not meet him, just like you and I met today…”

This has been made clear.

“How about him?” Li Chuwen was puzzled. Why would a Song man say this?

Su Wu did not answer Li Chuwen’s doubts, but just said: “Although he does not have many soldiers and horses, he has many good fighters. If he is by my side in times of crisis, maybe he can provide more protection at the critical moment…”

Li Chuwen nodded: “Since you said so… then this matter should not be too far off. I will meet him and test him a little…”

Su Wu chuckled: “There will definitely be gains!”

Li Chuwen suddenly said, “Are all the affairs of the Liao Dynasty under your control?”

Su Wu smiled bitterly and waved his hands: “I was lucky enough to learn a few things, but that’s all. I don’t know the rest… Otherwise, why would I risk my life to come and see the king?”

Li Chuwen also smiled slightly: “I don’t know why your coming here really makes me feel at ease…”

These words express Su Wu’s attitude. Could he really not know why he feels at ease?

How can people not feel at ease when they have a way out in times of crisis?
Su Wu smiled and said, “I can’t help but say that, brother countries, Han blood, after all, we are one family!”

“Hearing these words again now, I can really take them to heart. The Jurchens are nothing but tigers and wolves, barbarians…”

It was finally done. Su Wu was in a good mood and bowed his hands: “Then I will not bother you any more. I will leave some people in Yanjing City. Song Lai will stay by your side. He is a Liao person, so others cannot be suspicious of him. All the letters will be handled by him. What do you think?”

Li Chuwen nodded: “I am not worried at all. I am only thinking about the court and the country. Now the people in the city are in a panic. Whether it is the fight for the throne or the war, no one will care about the affairs of the Song people… You don’t have to worry about it…”

“Then I feel relieved.” Su Wu was really relieved. However, he was still worried that there might be some secret agency of the Liao court in Yanjing City that was monitoring many officials and ministers.

Obviously, now that the building is about to collapse, no one can care about these things… The Song people are not enemies at this moment.

Of course, it wasn’t long before…

“Goodbye! Take care, my king!” Su Wu bowed.

“Go, maybe we can meet again in the future…” Li Chuwen’s thoughts also changed. Su Wu was a symbol, a symbol of a retreat, a life-saving straw in the worst situation.

It’s no big deal if you don’t need it, but when you need it, don’t let it go.

Su Wu went out, walked all the way, and did not talk to anyone. Dozens of people followed him quietly on both sides, openly or secretly. This was also a rigorous plan in advance.

Everyone followed quietly to check if there was anyone following Su Wu…

Just be prepared.

Until Su Wu went around and returned to his residence, in fact, no one was following him.

Seeing everyone again, Li Gang hurriedly asked, “Is it done?”

Su Wu smiled and nodded: “It’s done. It’s going better than I thought.”

Li Gang was overjoyed: “The prime minister of Liao has now become acquainted with Song. This is great for the future. It is also a great boon. Su Xueshi’s contribution this time is really great!”

Zhao Liangsi also became excited: “Will he agree to let me walk around with him?”

Su Wu nodded: “Of course I agree…”

“Very good, very good. A scholar with talent like Zhang Yi of Qin Dynasty can form alliances and plan for the overall situation of the world!” Zhao Liangsi really praised.

Just now, when Su Wu entered the prime minister’s residence, everyone’s hearts were in their throats, knowing that it was a dangerous place and Su Wu would be in danger of death if he went there.

How could everyone not be excited when they returned safely?
Li Gang said again: “If the emperor knew the scholar’s contribution today, for the sake of the country, he risked his life to such an extent, no matter how much he rewarded him, it would not be excessive!”

Su Wu said, “This is a top secret matter. Do not let it spread to others or tell anyone else. We can only discuss it when Yanyun is truly restored!”

Li Gang nodded repeatedly: “I know, I know, and I also know that the scholar did not come here to take risks for the sake of meritorious service and reward. This is an unparalleled act of loyalty and righteousness. In the future, I will definitely record my name in the history books. When I am old, I will be willing to compile history books, and I will compile this part! So that our descendants will know what it means to be a role model. For the sake of family and country, we should put life and death aside and not cherish our lives!”

Su Wu was a little embarrassed and waved his hands repeatedly: “It’s nothing, Censor Li is too kind.”

Unexpectedly, Li Gang said with great righteousness: “As scholars, we should carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages and bring peace to the world for all eternity. This is how we should write history!”

Even at this moment, Wu Yong looked at Su Wu with eagerness in his eyes.

Su Wu ignored Li Gang’s words and went straight to the point: “If we have to pick someone to stay here, then let Yan Xiaoyi stay here. Such a big thing must not go wrong. This is a great achievement and will be recorded in history books. The way letters come and go should be the same as the way we went this time. After some time, when Li Xianggong gets used to it and trusts you more, you can ask him for help. He must have his trusted men, and with his help, we can get twice the result with half the effort… We must ensure that the correspondence is timely and smooth at all times!”

Yan Qing stepped forward: “Understood! Sir, rest assured, I will accomplish my mission with my own death, even a hundred deaths!”

“Okay!” Su Wu nodded, and everyone looked at him. They all looked ready to go. They all knew that the Yanyun issue had taken a big step forward towards success today.

“It’s done. There’s no need to stay any longer. Select the people and make arrangements along the way. We will be back tomorrow.” Su Wu said as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Gang also frowned: “I don’t know how the impeachment is going…”

Su Wu comforted Li Gang: “If it succeeds, it will be great. If not, we can just go back to store food and grass, train the army, and fight to the death!”

Li Gang heard this and said, “The generals and soldiers are here to serve, and the scholar has also taken the risk to come here. If there are still those dirty things in the future, how can I feel at ease… I am the censor, and my guilt is great! I cannot escape the blame even if I die a hundred times!”

Su Wu looked at Li Gang. This Li Gang is really… a gentleman! A gentleman actually lives the most tiring life!
Therefore, most people in the world don’t want to be a true gentleman…

But there are indeed true gentlemen in this world. How can we not admire them?
“It has nothing to do with Censor Li. Now, we should just do our best and leave the rest to fate!” Su Wu continued to comfort her.

Li Gang was silent at first, his brows furrowed several times, his eyes fixed on the ground, and suddenly he said: “If the impeachment fails, I will go to the capital, roar in the court, roar in front of the emperor, and make a death-defying remonstrance!”

Su Wu was shocked and waved his hands repeatedly: “No need to do this, absolutely no need to do this!”

At this moment, Li Gang is still a little… naive! Maybe he won’t be so naive in the future, when he gets older.

Can the current emperor solve the problem by roaring in the court? Can he solve the problem by dying to remonstrate with the emperor?

The current emperor treats people the best. He has only one criterion in doing things, and that is to consider the distance and closeness of the relationship. Li Gang’s method is not advisable!

It will only embarrass the emperor, make him lose face, and make him displeased.

The emperor cared most about his own psychological feelings, which meant he cared most about his own face. What he wanted was praise, not roars and scoldings!
However, Li Gang’s eyes did not wander, and he was very determined: “The country and the people should be in a good mood. I followed the scholars to come here today and I am deeply moved. How can we be hesitant for the sake of the country? The scholars have formed alliances and fought bravely in battle. As censors, we should give direct advice and die for it. In this way, each of us will do our job, and the world will prosper!”

“Let’s talk about it again, let’s talk about it again…” Su Wu felt that Li Gang was doing something stupid and he had to persuade him. As a friend, he really had to persuade him. If this happened, the emperor would be unhappy and Li Gang would be difficult to use in the future. Su Wu still wanted to use him.

Li Gang, however, had a serious expression, bowed and said nothing more.

Night, deep…

Su Wu returned to the house and sighed. As a good friend, Su Wu wanted to stop Li Gang from doing stupid things. Su Wu had thought before that he wanted to give Li Gang a passionate life. Once Li Gang fell into an unusable situation, how could he make Li Gang passionate in this life?

Wouldn’t it make you even more depressed?

Alas… this gentleman is so difficult to deal with.

But there was a knock on the door. It was Wu Yong, and Su Wu invited him in.

Wu Yong first bowed, then spoke: “Sir…what are you worried about?”

“Since you are here, there is no need to ask… Just say it directly.” How could Su Wu not know Wu Yong’s ability?
Wu Yong was not embarrassed at all, and smiled slightly: “Sir…if you are willing to listen, then I will say a few words seriously…”

“explain……”

“Sir, if Censor Li really wants to roar in the court and make direct and life-threatening remonstrations, then… it couldn’t be better… not only do we not need to stop him, we should also secretly add fuel to the flames…” After Wu Yong said this, he immediately paid attention to the changes in Su Wu’s expression.

“What are you talking about?” Su Wu was already angry.

Wu Yong immediately said: “Sir, calm down. Sir, you have always been kind and righteous, so this kind of words can only be said by this humble official… In fact… The most tragic thing for a gentleman is…”

Wu Yong paused…

Su Wu was impatient: “What on earth are you going to say?”

(Good night, brothers…)
(End of this chapter)