Chapter 276 They Are Afraid of Us
The night in Xingqing Prefecture is very quiet.
Only teams of soldiers patrolled the streets in silence.
Although Xingqing Prefecture was once the capital of the Western Xia Kingdom and is considered a prosperous place in the northwest, compared with the important cities in the Central Plains, it is still... not very prosperous.
It was already summer, but the nights in Xingqing Prefecture were a bit cold.
In the backyard of the government office, there is a replica of a small bridge and flowing water!
This was originally the imperial palace of Western Xia... The Western Xia palace was not very big. During the two battles, most of the buildings in the palace were destroyed. The remaining ones were turned into government offices by the Song people who occupied this place again.
The courtyard style with small bridges and flowing water is generally only seen in the southeast region. If it appears in the northwest, the cost would be more than two or three times that of the south of the Yangtze River, and it is possible to be more than ten times.
Of course, this has nothing to do with Di Qing and others. It is purely the work of the Xixia people.
In addition to Lu Sen, Mu Guiying and her daughter, and Di Qing, Zhe Jizu also came to the backyard.
While drinking honey water, they talked about tomorrow's events with the Xixia people.
"The Xixia people invited us to meet outside the city tomorrow." Lu Sen pointed to the point on the map and said with a smile, "They still have some dignity. Although this place is not far from their rear defense line Dingzhou, there seems to be no high ground or places where ambushes are easy to set up around here."
"It's close to Dingzhou, so if anything happens, they can come to help." Mu Guiying looked at the map and snorted disdainfully: "I guess they are scared by General Di."
Di Qing waved his hand quickly and said: "This is not the credit of Di alone , it is all thanks to the soldiers who worked together and bravely killed the enemy."
If I were the Di Qing of that time, I would smile proudly and accept all the praise.
But now... after being disturbed by the literati and living in fear for more than half a year, he was rescued from despair by Lu Sen. His character has changed a lot.
Although he is still the same Di Qing who is loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and who fights to the death with the barbarians, he has become more tactful and gentle.
Lu Sen always thought that he had not made much change to the world, but this was because he was too "greedy" and always looked at things from the perspective of the long river of history.
But in places where he didn't notice, in places where he wasn't paying attention, changes had already begun quietly.
Mu Guiying was a little surprised, but then said nothing.
Di Qing's change was a bit novel to her, but it didn't mean much.
Lu Sen did not notice the change in Di Qing's character. He was not familiar with Di Qing to begin with, and they did not meet very often. They just had a gentlemen's conversation: "Tomorrow, General Di will bring 50,000 men with me to meet those Xixia people, and then Marshal Mu will lead 30,000 troops to bypass Dingzhou from this road. Jinhua will use the aircraft to conduct reconnaissance in the air and try to help Marshal Mu avoid the enemy's reconnaissance cavalry."
"General Mu is going to ambush their reinforcements?" Di Qing's face was obviously very excited, but he said, "Will it give the ministers in the court a handle?"
"What handle?" Lu Sen asked back.
Di Qing said with some fear: "We haven't even discussed this yet, but you're already thinking about getting rid of them. When this is over, if they disagree with you, they will probably regard this as a stain on Master Lu and report you."
"They don't dare." Lu Sen smiled.
Zhe Jizu said at the side: "General Di, please rest assured. If there is anyone in this world who dares to ignore the wishes of the civil officials, and who dares to go out and disobey military orders, it is probably only Master Lu."
Di Qing was still a little worried.
To be honest, Di Qing started out as a bandit soldier. Although he later learned to read and read some military books, his political acumen was still very poor.
Otherwise, in real history, although he was already the Privy Councilor, he was frightened by a few words from the civil officials and hid in the Buddhist temple, and finally died of fright.
However, when Di Qing saw the indifferent expressions of others, he gradually felt relieved.
Lu Sen continued, "Tomorrow, I'll trouble General Zhe to defend Xingqing Prefecture. If I don't come in person, no one else can open the city gate."
Zhe Jizu was stunned for a moment: "Master Lu means that the Xixia people may secretly send troops to attack Xingqing Prefecture under the pretext of peace talks?"
"Warfare is a game of deception." Lu Sen laughed and said, "We can send troops to Dingzhou, so why don't they send troops to Xingqing Prefecture? They must be thinking: It's no waste of time to try anyway, what if it works?"
Di Qing nodded and said, "Indeed, barbarians never keep their promises."
"But when I was in the capital, I heard that northern men are very trustworthy to their words." Yang Jinhua asked curiously.
"That's a northern 'man'," Zhe Jizu explained, "not a northern barbarian."
Yang Jinhua understood.
"Now, let's go back and have a rest. We will proceed according to the plan tomorrow." Lu Sen raised his glass: "I wish everything goes well tomorrow."
Several people held cups and clinked them together.
Lu Huiqing was also among them. He didn't say anything because he couldn't come here in Lu Sen's aircraft, so he relied on the post station and changed to horses to run here.
Now he was still tired, his butt hurt, and he didn't feel like talking.
When it was light the next day, Lu Sen came out of the main tent and saw a group of people gradually moving away outside the camp.
At this time, Yang Jinhua and Mu Guiying had already set off.
Lu Sen found Di Qing on the city wall, and he was asking the messenger to gather the troops with military flags.
Seeing Lu Sen coming over, he smiled and said, "The army has finished their meal and is gathering. They will be able to set off in half an hour."
"If Xixia can be pacified, our Song Dynasty will have a hundred years of respite." Lu Sen looked at the dusty battlefield outside the city and said, "So this time, we can only win and not lose. It all depends on you, General Di."
"I will never fail in my mission." Di Qing took off his helmet, and the handsome middle-aged man smiled: "If we lose this battle, even if I don't die, I will commit suicide on the battlefield."
Lu Sen laughed and said, "There's no need to do that. Just do your best."
Half an hour later, the army set out.
As the 50,000-strong army was on the march, groups of people, under the command of Di Qing, dispersed into the small paths and woods.
By noon, only about 10,000 troops were left protecting Lu Sen, and they arrived at the designated negotiation site.
This is a plain, or a gravel flat.
Lu Sen sat on his horse, watching the smoke and dust of the enemy army. He knew that the enemy was coming, so he turned to Di Qing and said, "Set up camp and get ready."
He didn't know how to command the army, so naturally Di Qing had to do it.
Soon, the Song army had set up camp on the spot and erected barricades.
This place is flat, and the Western Xia is famous for its heavy cavalry. If there were no chevaux de frise, a heavy cavalry charge by the Western Xia would probably have led to the defeat of the Song army.
After the Song army had made their arrangements, the Xixia people also appeared in an open area of 100 meters.
The sight of the black masses of heavy cavalry lined up in a square formation was enough to make one's heart tremble.
Lu Sen waited for a while, and then he saw a few people appear on the other side. They walked to the center of the two armies, set up a big tent, and put down a short table.
"It's our turn." Lu Sen smiled and said to Lu Huiqing beside him, "Doctor Lu, let's go together."
"Yes, sir." Lu Huiqing stood up, very excited.
As Lu Sen and Lu Huiqing left the camp, a team of about a hundred sword and shield soldiers followed them for protection.
They were wearing thick infantry armor and had solemn expressions. They were obviously the elite of the army.
Lu Sen and Lu Huiqing walked slowly to the front. One of them walked naturally and elegantly, while the other walked like a scholar, with his hands clasped in his hands, looking upright and serious.
When they arrived at the big tent in the middle, Lu Lin sat cross-legged in front of a low table, while Lu Huiqing knelt in a very traditional way. At the same time, his body was slightly behind Lu Sen, indicating that he was only a deputy.
After Lu Sen sat down, he looked at the other person.
The other side also consisted of two "officials" and a dozen strong fighters.
One of them was a middle-aged man with a long beard. Judging from his temperament and appearance, he should be a person from the Northern Song Dynasty.
The other one had typical brown hair, brown eyes, a hooked nose and an elongated face, and was obviously a foreigner.
The two looked at Lu Sen and Lu Huiqing for a while, and the middle-aged man spoke with a mocking look on his face: "Why, the nobles of the Song court dared not come, so they sent two yellow mouth children over, which is quite interesting."
When Lu Sen heard this, he chuckled lightly.
Lu Huiqing snorted and said, "Forget about your own ignorance, but don't speak carelessly and make fun of the world. The nobleman in front of you is a fifth-rank civil official, a direct scholar of Longtu Pavilion, a doctor of the Ministry of Rites, and a Taoist priest of Mount Zhongnan. Not to mention a mere military general, even your king would have to greet him when he sees him."
Lu Sen is now very famous, and even in Xixia, a remote place in the northwest, his deeds have begun to spread.
The two other people had naturally heard of it, and their faces changed when they heard it.
The middle-aged man clasped his fists and said, "Forgive me, I didn't know it was Master Lu in person. I just heard that you don't know the world, why do you want to stand up for the Song court?"
"This is my personal matter, and has nothing to do with you." Lu Sen looked into the other person's eyes and said in a light tone, "May I ask your names and official titles?"
"General Shi Bing, the General in Charge of the Southern Expedition." The middle-aged man clasped his fists.
The young man said, "Minister of Rites, Mei Zang A De, meets Master Lu."
Hearing the other party's name, Lu Huiqing was a little surprised and asked, "Mei Zang Ade? He is said to be the smartest genius in Xixia?"
This didn't hide A De smiling leisurely, feeling very proud.
Lu Sen ignored him and looked at the middle-aged man Shi Bian and asked, "It's getting late. Let's get straight to the point. How do you want to negotiate peace?"
"Master Lu is quick-witted and very different from those scholars in the Song court." Mo Zang Ade looked a little sinister and fierce. If it were in the future, such a look would be quite popular, but now, it is not in line with the mainstream aesthetic of the Northern Song Dynasty: "Why don't you just come to our Xixia? Why don't you stay in the Song court and suffer the wrath of those idiots?"
Lu Sen glanced at the young man, then looked at Shi Biao: "Who of you two is the chief negotiator?"
"Yes, I am." Shi Bang looked at Mo Zang Ade helplessly, and then he said to Lu Sen: "Master Lu, let's speak frankly. Your country's recent actions have hurt the heart of our king. He is very friendly to the Song court, but you actually betrayed our faith and were brutal and unprovoked. Not only did you kill the people of Xixia, but you also took away Xingqing Prefecture. This is an act that is outrageous to both humans and gods. If your country still has a little conscience and kindness, please return Xingqing Prefecture to us and compensate Xixia for its losses."
When Lu Huiqing heard this, he subconsciously clenched his fists.
He had never seen such a shameless person who dared to say such words that confused right and wrong in broad daylight.
Do you still have any shame?
Lu Sen was very calm. To be honest, he had seen many such scenes.
Someone took out a bottle of laundry detergent and dared to bomb millions of people to death, and still dared to call himself the army of justice. What kind of person is this!
Lu Sen asked with a smile: "How much compensation do you want?"
"The annual tribute is 300,000 coins, 100,000 pieces of silk, 10,000 virgins, and 10,000 catties of copper, iron, silver, and gold." Shi Bing took out a paper roll from his clothes and spread it out on the low table: "We have already drafted the receipt and are waiting for Master Lu to stamp it."
Annual tribute means that this price is the same every year!
Lu Sen picked up the document and looked at it for a while, then crumpled it into a ball and threw it aside.
The two men opposite were immediately furious. Mei Zang Ade subconsciously moved forward a little. He looked at Lu Sen viciously.
Shi Bing said coldly: "Master Lu, you don't seem to be here to negotiate peace, but to pick a fight."
"You are the ones who want to negotiate peace with us." Lu Sen stood up: "But from the looks of you, it seems that you want to force us to continue fighting. What? Do you think we Song people are easy to bully? Doctor Lu, let's go."
After saying that, Lu Sen turned and left.
Lu Huiqing subconsciously felt that this was not a good idea, but now he was not the chief officer and could not interfere with Lu Sen's decision, so he could only stand up and follow.
Just as Lu Sen turned around, Mo Zang Ade jumped up, pointed at Lu Sen and shouted: "If you dare to leave, I will immediately have my army trample all of you into pulp."
Upon hearing this, the more than one hundred guards nearby immediately formed a round shield formation, protected Lu Sen in the middle, and followed him back.
Lu Sen walked a few steps, turned back and said, "If you want to fight, then fight. But I know very well that you are just strong on the outside but weak on the inside. I will wait for you in the tent for at most one more day. If you still haven't figured out how to talk, there is no need to talk anymore."
After saying that, Lu Sen left.
Mei Zang Ade looked at Lu Sen's arrogant look, and was so angry that he pointed at him: "Blow the whistle, let the army charge..."
But at this time, Shi Bing stretched out his hand and pulled Mo Zang Ade back to his side, angrily saying: "Minister Mo Zang, remember that you are only the deputy, Tan Wo is the chief officer this time, please do not issue orders without my permission."
Mei Zang Ade turned his head and looked at Shi Bian angrily.
However, Shi Bian looked at him without flinching, and finally he couldn't move his eyes away.
Lu Sen returned to the tent. Lu Huiqing exhaled and said, "Master Lu, your words are too sharp and too risky. What if you provoke the other party to take action?"
"Negotiation is all about who has the stronger momentum." Lu Sen said with a smile: "If they think you are easy to bully, things will be difficult to handle. As for the issue of them taking action... If they dare to take action, there is no need for negotiation."
Lu Huiqing was stunned: "You mean, they are actually afraid of us?"
