The cold wind swept across the vast grasslands and swam among the mountains and ridges, then sped between valleys like highways, swept towards the broken city walls with a sharp whistling sound, and continued to sweep southward.

Dong Chao on the city wall was always full of doubts. The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun have been taken down by Ye Qing, but Ye Qing was only happy for less than two days. After arriving in Tanzhou, he returned to peace again, and even returned to the tension of wartime.

"Do you really need to save Wanyan Jing? Wouldn't it be better to let them fight with the Mongols, the Khitan Liao people fight to the death?" Dong Chao couldn't help but ask the doubts in his heart.

Ye Qing came to Tanzhou now not to check the garrison of Tanzhou, but to be able to enter Xijing Road from now on and rescue Wanyan Jing at the necessary moment.

This naturally made Dong Chao a little confused. Why at this time, Ye Qing suddenly became kind to the Jin people again.

"It's not to save Wanyan Jing, but... to keep the Wujing Road from being occupied by the Mongols." Ye Qing faced the cold wind and continued to look at the endless green mountains. He stepped into the barren mountain in front of him for only 40 or 50 miles away, and could reach the vast grassland, and he could stab the slash on the flank of Temujin.

Although it would not take Temujin's life, it would at least cause great damage to Temujin, and even restrain Temujin from attacking metal.

"We are powerless to fight now, so we can only rely on the current Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun to consolidate our results. But... do we really want the territory of Wujing Road?" Ye Qing turned his head and looked at Dong Chao, with a casual smile on his lips: "I want all the territory that ended in the Tianshan Mountains, but can we eat now?"

Dong Chao lowered his head helplessly in an instant. As long as he thought about the cold and frozen territory of the Wujing Road in his mind, and the vast grassland, Dong Chao had the urge to give up. This was simply too difficult for him.

Whether it was the Han or Tang dynasties, the practical control of the vast grasslands outside the pass was not long, and it was even fleeting in the blink of an eye.

The herds on the grassland are naturally tough and difficult to control. With their habit of living by water, it is not easy to control the vast grassland. Compared with the people who control the Central Plains with cities as the main body, Dong Chao has almost no hope.

But he had to admire Ye Qing's ambition. Over the years, he has made steady progress and achieved a height that no one has reached in the Song Dynasty. However, he is still not satisfied with these achievements that have been trampled by him.

"Doesn't it even think it's impossible?" Ye Qing asked with a smile.

Dong Chao patted the cold city wall with helpless hands and sighed: "For thousands of years, it is extremely rare that the vast grassland can be ruled by one person. Now Temujin has done this, and... the Central Plains Dynasty, whether in the Han and Tang Dynasties, was only the time of Emperor Taizong of Tang, which was considered to have made the grassland herds bow down and surrender, but... it is not the same as the affiliation you want, right?"

"Yes, it is obviously extremely difficult to incorporate them into the territory of our Song Dynasty from all aspects, but it does not mean that there is really no way." Ye Qing sighed at the blue sky.

Although the Tang Dynasty had a short-term actual control over the grassland, the entire Liaodong was never included in the territory by the Tang Dynasty. There is no need to say more about the Song court today. It is difficult to have the entire Central Plains in its entirety, let alone be able to touch the vast grassland and the entire Liaodong.

But now, Ye Qing saw an opportunity after the Mongols became stronger. After this opportunity was obtained by Yanyun's Sixteen Prefectures, the silent ambition began to grow in his heart.

The strength of the Mongols achieved the first time that Tubo was completely integrated into the territory of the Chinese nation from an administrative perspective. Although the Ming Dynasty lost control of the grassland, it inherited the Yuan Dynasty's ownership and control of Tubo, and the entire Liaodong was held in its hands.

The late Qing Dynasty caused the Chinese nation to fall into unprecedented shame, but in the early stage, it firmly controlled the grasslands, Tubo, Western Regions and other places, thus making the Chinese territory truly exist for nearly a hundred years.

The establishment of the alliance flag system also enabled the vast grassland to be effectively and stable after being mastered by the rulers.

Of course, Ye Qing also knew that there were naturally various other objective factors, but if it were in the Qing Dynasty, it has to be said that under the conditions at that time, this system had its effectiveness.

The Mongols would conquer Tubo in history, which made Tubo officially incorporated into the territory of the Chinese nation. Ye Qing didn't know how the Mongols did it, but Ye Qing knew that after the Mongols, they should secretly sneak here and negotiate with Tubo according to the Mongolians' agreement.

When Ye Qing began to look further away in Tanzhou, the news that the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun that Song Ting had dreamed of for many years was finally recaptured by Ye Qing.

Lin'an, which was originally a bit dull after the Spring Festival, suddenly ushered in a more lively atmosphere than the Spring Festival two months later. Even in the court, everyone's face was filled with a joyful smile, and everyone's waist was unknowingly more straighter than before.

Even Shi Miyuan, who always regarded Ye Qing as a great enemy, heard the news that Yanyun's Sixteen Prefectures were recaptured by Ye Qing at the first time, an excited smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. However, this smile did not last long on Shi Miyuan's face and slowly disappeared.

Ye Qing took down the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, which was like giving Song Ting a shot, which made the entire Song Ting excited. Shi Miyuan had to calm down and analyze the subsequent situation in the court and where he should go next.

There is almost no possibility of peace talks between him and Ye Qing. The future court will eventually be in the hands of one of him and Ye Qing. Ye Qing's current achievements have made him look up to him. Therefore, even if he wants to take the initiative to talk peace with Ye Qing, he may not agree at this time.

King Qing, who returned to Lin'an, had his hands trembling due to excitement. In the imperial study room of Qinzheng Hall, King Qing could not control his excitement and reported to Zhao Kuo a more detailed incident of the Northern Expedition.

Zhao Kuo was a little like he was in a dream, a little unable to believe his ears, and a little unable to believe the facts created by Ye Qing. He had memorials several times, and even repeatedly reminded Wei Jing that these memorials must be preserved. This is a clear proof that the Song Dynasty has finally made its prestige all over the world over the years, and it is also the great achievement of his young king.

"Master, it's time to let Lord Ye Qingye return to the court and accept your gifts and rewards." King Qing's advice suddenly brought Zhao Kuo, who was originally extremely excited, back to reality.

Ye Qing took the territory he wanted most since the founding of the Song Dynasty. Such achievements are unparalleled in the Song court. To reward Ye Qing in this way, it is not only a matter that makes Zhao Kuo feel embarrassed, but also

It made the Empress Dowager Li Fengniang feel embarrassed.

The power of the Northern Jiedushi is already great enough, and the title of Duke of Lu is already high enough. If you want to grant Ye Qing a title, you can only be the title of king.

But Li Fengniang and Zhao Kuo had to worry about whether Ye Qing, who had taken over the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, would suddenly turn his attention to Lin'an? Or... he would never obey the will of the court in the future? Or, with Ye Qing's current achievements, would he still be willing to be just a Song minister?

Since Ye Qing's Northern Expedition, Li Fengniang expected Ye Qing to win, but her boldest aspirations were that Ye Qing could recover all the lost territory of the court back then. Even in my dream, Ye Qing would never have thought that one day Ye Qing could seize the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

Ye Qing, who owns the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, and whether he has operated various routes for many years or the newly recovered routes in the north, all the territory now adds up to no smaller than the territory south of the Yangtze River.

These territory in the northern region, whether it is administration, taxation, imperial examinations, etc., are headed by Ye Qing, and the court cannot get involved at all. Otherwise, Kaifeng Prefecture would not have not moved a year after Ye Qing's proposal, and the money and grain allocated by the court were privately embezzled to the Northern Expedition by Ye Qing.

Whether it was the court or the emperor, even the empress dowager, she knew nothing about this matter. If Zhao Kuo had not sent Li Xinchuan, Xie Shenfu and others to Kaifeng Prefecture to investigate, Lin'an would have been kept in the dark until now.

"I need to make a long-term plan for this matter, let alone..." Zhao Kuo looked at the emperor's uncle Qing Zhao Kai, who looked excited, and paused, and said: "What's more, Ye Qing has just recaptured the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. I guess there are still many trivial matters that he needs to deal with. If he recalls it immediately, it may not be very appropriate."

At this time, Zhao Kuo was already very dissatisfied with him because of King Qing's failure in Kaifeng Prefecture, but after all, he was a royal family. Zhao Kuo could not do anything to King Qing for a while.

What's more, now that Ye Qing seized the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, the fact that King Qing allowed Ye Qing to misappropriate money and grain to be dereliction of duty became a great achievement, which naturally made Zhao Kuo, who wanted to blame King Qing, could not find a suitable excuse for a while.

Looking at the back of King Qing who had retreated, Zhao Kuo sighed helplessly. At the moment, even if he just wanted to find a trusted minister to discuss, Ye Qing could not find a suitable and trusted candidate for a while.

King Qing, who had just left, had already shown signs of turning his elbow out, so naturally he could not make Zhao Kuo feel attentive. Li Lifang has always been a good candidate, but he has always been a mess in the appointment of the Minister of Revenue. In addition, his relationship with Ye Qing was also excluded by him at this moment.

Liu Zheng and Shi Miyuan are not suitable candidates for Zhao Kuo. There is no need to say much about Liu Zheng, who just wants to finish his own position safely and then escape unstoppably. Shi Miyuan is extremely ambitious and keeps small movements in the court. Even when he chooses a concubine, it is said that Shi Miyuan is behind the scenes.

After all, Zhao Kuo has been ascending the throne for two years, but he couldn't find a minister in the court who was truly loyal to him and could be selfless and only considering the court.

Empress Dowager Li Fengniang is the ideal candidate for Zhao Kuo, but Zhao Kuo is still fifteen years old after all. In this regard, just like other ordinary teenagers, he already wanted to escape from the protection of Empress Dowager Li Fengniang to prove that he had grown up.

So after the Empress Dowager Li Fengniang appeared in his mind at the right time, Zhao Kuo shook his head again and excluded Li Fengniang.

Since he ascended the throne, Zhao Kuo has calculated by counting with him, only Han Yanjia's daughter Han Ying and Xie Shenfu's granddaughter Xie Daoqing.

"Maybe... I can ask Aunt Zhu Yeer what she meant first." Zhao Kuo leaned on his chin and murmured suddenly in front of him.

In the end, Zhao Kuo did not choose to summon Zhu Yeer in Qinzheng Hall, but chose to be under Feilai Peak not far from Xiaoxi Lake. Now the weather in Lin'an has begun to get a little hot. In addition, Zhao Kuo did not want to ask what he wanted to ask, which made Zhu Yeer feel too serious, so he finally chose to see Zhu Yeer in Taichung in the pavilion in front of Feilai Peak.

When Zhao Kuo reached Feilai Peak, Zhu Ye'er was already waiting for him here, as usual. Even though Zhao Kuo had already advised Zhu Ye'er many times, his aunt didn't have to be so polite in private, Zhu Ye'er has always done his own things and always grasped his identity as a slave just right, and never surpassed his identity in terms of etiquette.

"Auntie, please get up quickly." Zhao Kuo hurriedly took two steps forward, and helped Zhuye'er up with a smile on his face.

"Master... is going to leave the palace?" Zhu Yeer asked actively.

During these days, every time Zhao Kuo secretly left the palace, he would inform Zhu Yeer in advance to avoid being discovered by the Empress Dowager Li Fengniang. Zhu Yeer also followed Zhao Kuo's request and tried his best to hide all the matter of him leaving the palace privately, which made the relationship between Zhao Kuo and Han Ying become more and more intense.

After Han Yanjia returned to Lin'an from Kaifeng, he also went to the Han Mansion as soon as possible and explained his purpose directly.

Although Han Yanjia did not agree immediately, at least he did not refuse. In Zhu Yeer's opinion, Han Yanjia was obviously thinking whether the matter of asking Han Ying to enter the palace and whether it had a direct relationship with her going to Kaifeng Prefecture.

Because Ye Qing embezzled money and grain from the Kaifeng Prefecture, the Kaifeng Prefecture had not moved in an inch of land. In addition, Xie Shenfu and Li Xinchuan continued to impeach Ye Qing after returning to Lin'an, which made Zhao Kuo's wishful thinking of using Han Yanjia to promote Han Yanjia to fail.

Although Zhao Kuo has not held Ye Qing accountable, he naturally cannot blame Han Yanjia, Xie Shenfu and Li Xinchuan, but this has forced Zhao Kuo to promote Han Yanjia under the pressure of the court and has no sufficient reason to promote Han Yanjia.

Zhao Kuo looked at Zhu Yeer with concern, smiled and shook his head, looked at the sparkling lake not far away, thought for a while, and asked tentatively: "Aunt, do you know that Ye Qing is fighting with the Jin people in the north and has seized the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun?"

Zhu Ye'er smiled and said, "I already know about this, and... the Empress Dowager ordered someone to give Ye Qing armor early this morning..."

"Give armor?" Zhao Kuo's heart was slightly shocked.

Zhu Yeer continued to explain: "The empress dowager personally sewed the lining. In addition to the armor, the empress dowager personally wrote the words "Taizu Emperor's comment on Guo Ziyi, the Tang Dynasty: Li Jing and Guo Ziyi, both of whom were Confucian scholars and made great contributions. In addition to the words "Taizu Emperor, there were also the words "Taizu Duke Zhao Pu, who commented on Guo Ziyi in the past: Resist the enemy and exercised three wonderful strategies, and only loyalty in the country. The country rebuilds only the power of the nobles, and the image is full of honor."

"mother

This move is probably of profound meaning, right?" Zhao Kuo couldn't help but feel happy. He didn't expect that his mother would comfort and vaguely warn Ye Qing for herself without knowing it.

"The Empress Dowager hopes that Lord Ye Qingye will abandon his martial arts and follow the literature. The emperor is still young now, so he should have a virtuous minister like Ye Qing who governs the country and is safe. So I think that this is the reason why the Empress Dowager gave Ye Qing armor." Zhu Ye'er said with a smile.

Zhao Kuo, who was still a little nervous, finally calmed down completely at this time. Once Ye Qing had no military power in his hands, the threat to him would be much smaller. Moreover, if Ye Qing could listen to what his mother said and Qi Wu Congwen said, then staying by his side would naturally make everyone feel at ease. Even at that time, Ye Qing would go wherever he went is just in his thoughts.

But will Ye Qing really give up the power accumulated in the North over the years? Zhao Kuo is uncertain, Li Fengniang is uncertain, Zhu Yeer is also uncertain. After all, the court has no convincing power to Ye Qing's various actions since Emperor Gaozong.

"The mother gave her armor, so should Kuo'er be given a gift?" Zhao Kuo looked at Zhu Yeer with some inquiries.

Zhu Ye'er nodded silently without saying a word. She felt in her heart that Ye Qing would never pay attention to these things. She even felt that the entire court or the whole world might be able to see Ye Qing's true face.

Over the years, Ye Qing has recovered lost territory and expanded territory outside, while the court has made Ye Qing feel heartbroken again and again. He has had to seek self-protection under the pressure of the court. In the face of the royal family, he has been in a passive situation. Now that he has occupied the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, it is as if he has found a strong place to settle down for himself.

If he was asked to give up other roads in the north, Zhu Yeer thought Ye Qing might not care, but once it was involved in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, things might not be that simple.

Of course, Zhu Ye'er also knew that now, whether it is the Empress Dowager Li Fengniang or the entire court, it is precisely because the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun were held by Ye Qing, that no matter what was conferred on Ye Qing, it was obviously difficult to impress Ye Qing.

The only thing the court can do now that it is possible to impress Ye Qing is to be the king and the prime minister.

But the court did not dare to do this because of all kinds of concerns. After all, Ye Qing had been in the north for so many years, and now with the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, he was already full of wings and obviously had the ability to compete for the Central Plains.

In this case, once the court becomes the king and the prime minister, it is equivalent to encouraging Ye Qing to replace the Song court. Therefore, even Li Fengniang dares to make real promises to Ye Qing easily.

This is true for some things. When it has not happened, you will never feel the seriousness of the situation under various ideas. Only when things really happen and the interests are imminent will you find that the situation is so much more serious than you imagined.

Li Fengniang was originally sure that Ye Qing would never rebel, but when Yanyun's Sixteen Prefectures were taken down by Ye Qing, Li Fengniang's heart was full of uncertainty. After all, she was a woman who was full of extreme desire for power. If she had been from Ye Qing's perspective, under the current situation, even she felt that if Ye Qing did not commit the rebellion of the Song Dynasty, it would be a bit unwilling to the will of heaven.

Zhu Yeer, who returned to Cining Hall, before she could speak to Li Fengniang about the content of her conversation with Zhao Kuo, Li Fengniang couldn't wait to ask: "What did the emperor say?"

Zhu Yeer reported to Li Fengniang the truth about Zhao Kuo's plan to impress Ye Qing, and Li Fengniang sighed slightly with some concern.

"What do you think Ye Qing will make a decision?" Li Fengniang's eyes were filled with worries. The more she thought about the problem from the perspective of power, Li Fengniang became more and more frightened. She even felt that Ye Qing was now in Yanjing and was ready to lead the army south.

"I... I can't say it." Zhu Ye'er hesitated a little. She has been serving Li Fengniang over the years, and she knew almost all the secrets of the royal family, so she bit her lips and pondered for a while, and said, "But I think I shouldn't force Lord Ye to a hurry for the time being. It's better to follow him in the moment. After all, there is such a relationship. I think Lord Ye should go..."

"It would be great if Ye Qing had that simple, and this person's thoughts have always been difficult to understand. What's more, if the royal family really held a grudge against him over the years, if he was really blinded by power, he would have been in a state of life and changed his fate even if he had been against the will of heaven." Li Fengniang said with worries.

Now he is half-old Xu Niang, and he has become less confident in his appearance. Besides, Ye Qing’s wives are not as beautiful as a flower. In contrast, the matter between her, Li Fengniang and Ye Qing has become a bit insignificant.

Thinking of this, Li Fengniang even felt a little regretful in her heart. Maybe she shouldn’t have been entangled with Ye Qing because of revenge, or maybe she should have used all the grudges while he was sleeping beside her.

"Maybe..." Zhu Ye'er suddenly looked at Li Fengniang, blinked her eyes, and then calculated with her fingers: "The eldest son of Lord Ye of Yangzhou is now thirteen years old, right? There must be some people in the royal family who are about the same age as her..."

"Ye Gucheng?" Li Fengniang naturally knew the names of Ye Qing's three sons and two daughters: "No, it was already so big in the blink of an eye, and that time Ye Wuque was already twelve, but..."

Li Fengniang shook her head. It was not without rumors in Yangzhou. It is said that the two young men of the Ye family had already set up the two daughters of the Duke Chongguo Mansion. Although the two families had never talked about their children's marriage, no one in Yangzhou knew that the two young men of the Ye family were now equivalent to half of the son-in-law in the Duke Chongguo Mansion.

"Empress Dowager, you might as well be a favor." Zhu Yeer looked at the Empress Dowager's thoughtful expression and continued: "How can you directly confirm this matter, and after the two families marry, promote the title of Duke Chongguo? In this way, I believe Lord Ye Qingye must be able to understand that the reason why Duke Chongguo was promoted was not because Duke Chongguo himself, but because of the Empress Dowager, you have promoted Duke Chongguo for Duke Chongguo for Duke Ye's sake."

"In the second year of Shaoxi, Ye Qing was thirty-four..." Li Fengniang looked a little confused, even a little unbelievable. She looked at Zhu Ye'er and said, "Now Ye Qing is in his forties?! It seems that I am old too."

"The Empress Dowager is still the same as before, and there is no... The Empress Dowager doesn't need to worry." Zhu Ye'er was shocked and hurriedly comforted her.

"Since that's the case, let's do what you said, but... this matter should not be too hasty. Since it is for Ye Qing to be faced, it should be more appropriate for Kuo'er to do it." Li Fengniang sighed again, and her mind was still entangled that Ye Qing was already in her forties.
Chapter completed!