Chapter 213: Nianhan: I am so miserable
The next morning, Yang Chang went to the posthouse to see him off.

Lu Yundi and Teng Maoshi had a hangover last night and slept soundly until the end of the morning and the beginning of the evening.

The delegation's entourage prepared the car for departure, and Yang Changze accompanied the two of them to have breakfast.

The reception breakfast at Qinzhou Posthouse, even for a high-ranking court official like Lu Yundi, only consisted of thin porridge, vegetarian steamed buns and pickles.

Yang Chang held the bowl of porridge and explained while drinking: "Please forgive me, the Jin army invaded Taiyuan and ravaged Qinzhou to accept tens of thousands of refugees. The government warehouse is almost exhausted, so we can't entertain them properly."

"Yang Guancha, don't say that. Qinzhou is facing such difficulties, and there are no refugees on the streets. It is not easy to provide food like this, and it is enough to show that you are governing well."

Lu Yundi drank too much last night, so he was very satisfied with the white porridge and steamed buns.

Teng Maoshi picked up a piece of pickled vegetable and agreed with a smile: "The chef of the posthouse is quite skilled. The pickled vegetable tastes just right. We have something to do on the way back. Would you like to stay one more night on your way back?"

"Good suggestion."

Lu Yundi nodded happily, looked at Yang Chang and asked jokingly: "Will it be too much of a bother?"

"The hospital is scolding me"

Yang Chang pretended to be displeased, then immediately changed the subject and said solemnly, "You two are on a mission to Taiyuan, and I would like to ask you for a small favor. Is it convenient?"

"This is not a matter of raising hands"

Teng Maoshi originally blurted out the words, but he remembered that he was only a deputy envoy and should not take the lead at this time, so his voice became smaller and smaller.

Lu Yundi didn't care, but he answered more tactfully.

"Please speak up, Yang Guancha. If it is within our ability, we will not refuse."

"Just bring something."

While Yang Chang was speaking, he waved to Wu Song who was waiting in the yard.

Wu Song then came forward with a wooden box and stood beside it with a solemn expression.

Lu Yundi curiously asked: "What is this? Who should I give it to?"

"It's like this. At the beginning of this month, I led my troops to fight in Pingyang and captured a head from the Jin soldiers. They said it was a general under the command of Deputy Metropolitan Governor Wang Bing. I'd like to ask you to hand it over to Governor Wang."

"Head?"

Teng Maoshi was so scared that he dodged to the side. Lu Yundi frowned at the wooden box and murmured, "Why bother? He should be buried on the spot."

"I don't know anything about the hospital. This is General Manager Wang's trusted general. His body is nowhere to be found. How can you bury his head somewhere casually? It would be most appropriate to send it back to General Manager Wang to deal with it. He owes you such a big favor. Wouldn't it be much easier to handle the matter then?"

"It seems to make sense."

Lu Yundi agreed with this and then asked, "What is this person's name?"

"My surname is Shi, and my given name is Jing Gou."

As Yang Chang said the name, he dipped it in water and wrote it on the table, for fear that the two of them would hear it as a homonym.

"Shi Jing Gou?"

"We've made note of it and will definitely bring it here."

"Thank you."

Lu and Teng did not suspect anything and ordered their men to take the wooden box and load it onto the carriage. After breakfast, they said goodbye to Yang Chang in front of the posthouse and headed north with the release document.

Wu Song watched the whole process and was amazed at Yang Chang afterwards.

"Sanlang just said it so sincerely. I would be fooled if it were me. But isn't this a bit cruel? If the head is intercepted by the Jin army, won't the two of them never be able to come back?"

"Didn't you hear clearly last night? Both of them advocated peace. Returning alive is useless to the court. It would be better if they died in the Jin camp. The Taiyuan defenders performed well. I am afraid that they are too loyal to the emperor. If they can consume Nianhan for a while, it will reduce the pressure on us."

"Sanlang is right. I'm just afraid that the Jin army won't check."

"That's the Jin army's business. We just need to do our own thing."

Looking at the convoy going away, Yang Chang suddenly remembered an important matter, so he changed the subject and reminded him seriously: "By the way, since Olib has evacuated Tokyo, I'm afraid the court will make some adjustments. If the emperor finds an excuse to punish him and transfers him from Qinzhou to another place, we have to prepare countermeasures. Perhaps we need to set up defenses in advance in the southern part of Tongdi."

"Can't you?"

Wu Song first expressed his doubts, then thought for a while and expressed his opinion: "Sanlang has made great contributions in repelling the Jin army. As long as the emperor is not crazy, he should not transfer you away at this time."

"Nianhan did not lead his troops south. We only contributed part of the credit. The Taiyuan garrison also played a role. Once this matter is finally disturbed, the importance of Taiyuan will be highlighted. At that time, the court will either let me go to reinforce or send troops to reinforce.
Qinzhou will certainly not be able to spare troops, and the emperor will probably replace me with a general who is loyal to the emperor. By then, other generals will come with a large number of troops to take up the post, and we will have to break with the court in advance, and be caught between Jin and Song and attacked from all sides."

After Yang Chang explained clearly, Wu Song took a deep breath and reminded him seriously: "If we break with the court in advance, we must not only leave troops in the southern part of Tongdi, but also deploy troops in the south and southeast of Pingyang to prepare for a rainy day."

"So even if we beat back the Jin soldiers, we still can't let our guard down. Instructor Lin has to go to Pingyang to recruit soldiers soon. During his absence, I need my second brother to help take care of the relevant military affairs."

"What are you talking about, Sanlang? You and I don't have to be so formal with each other, brothers."

"Um"

Yang Changzheng nodded in affirmation, his eyes falling on the intersection where the carriage disappeared. He also wanted to know what happened to Lu and Teng.

Yang Chang felt somewhat guilty for plotting against these two people, but being too soft-hearted would not accomplish anything great. Sacrifices had to be made for the sake of hegemony.

The delegation left Tongdi and headed north. Lu and Teng sat in the carriage to enjoy the scenery. Outside the window, they saw wild flowers blooming on the roadside, and people along the way were talking and laughing as they were busy with spring ploughing. It was a beautiful pastoral scene of people living and working in peace and contentment.

As Judge Lu Jie said, Yang Chang governed Qinzhou well. Perhaps he could achieve great things if he became a civil servant?
When the delegation arrived at the outpost in front of the valley in the afternoon, they saw that the garrison soldiers were in high spirits and the soldiers on rest were still practicing archery, which was enough to show that Yang Changzhi’s military management was strict.

seeing is believing.

As they walked along the way, both of them spoke highly of Yang Chang.

Three days later, the delegation was escorted by Tuhesu's cavalry to the Jin army camp to meet Nianhan and explain the purpose of the mission.

Nianhan had not yet taken Taiyuan, nor had he made contact with the Jin army in the east. He was overjoyed at the arrival of the Song Dynasty delegation and immediately hosted a banquet in the central army tent.

At the welcoming banquet, Wushi (Wanyan Xiyin), Yelu Yudu and others frequently inquired about the news of the Eastern Army.

When they heard that Oliebu's troops had arrived at Tokyo and had withdrawn after receiving a huge compensation from Emperor Qinzong of Song, the generals and staff in the tent felt mixed emotions.

People are more mad than people.

The Western Route Army was fighting hard in Shanxi, while the Eastern Route Army had already made a fortune?
Zhan Hanxian felt that the atmosphere was not right, so he quickly changed the subject and asked, "Wang Bing, the garrison commander of Taiyuan, is a stubborn person. This Marshal has sent people to persuade him to surrender several times but to no avail. Do you two envoys have the confidence to convince him?"

"Marshal, rest assured. We have His Majesty's imperial decree. Wang Bing cannot disobey it, right?"

Seeing that Teng Maoshi was speaking lightly, Nianhan stroked his beard and frowned, reminding him: "Deputy Envoy Teng has never led an army before, and a general is not subject to the orders of the emperor when he is away from home. If Wang Bing accuses you of falsely conveying the imperial edict, what can he do?"

"That's true"

"It's okay, we have a plan."

Lu Yundi took over the conversation, respectfully raised his glass to Nianhan, and said: "We came here for peace, and we will not fail the king's order. Marshal, please follow the agreement and withdraw your troops as soon as possible to stop the war."

"Oh? You guys have a good idea?"

Nianhan became interested, pointed at the crowd and said with a smile: "While there are so many people here today, can you tell us in public and let us open our eyes?"

"This"

"What's wrong with talking about the road?"

Seeing that Lu Yundi nodded, Teng Maoshi immediately bowed to the generals in the account and explained with a smile: "It's not a good idea. We brought a gift to Wang Zongguan. Even for this favor, he shouldn't embarrass us."

"Gift? What gift?" After Wu Shi finished speaking, he looked around and thought, could it be some treasure?
At this time, Teng Maoshi added: "Actually it has something to do with you. It was the head of General Wang's favorite general. It was later taken to Pingyang Prefecture for battle and was obtained by Yang Guancha."

"Pingyang Prefecture? Chief Yang?"

Wu Shi suddenly became excited.

Nianhan frowned even more and murmured, "The troops attacking Pingyang are from my general Yin Shuke. Although he participated in the siege of Taiyuan, he has no record of killing Wang Bing's favorite generals. We don't have the habit of carrying heads to fight hundreds of miles away."

"what?"

Teng Maoshi was confused by Nianhan's question. General Lou Shi suddenly stood up and asked in a deep voice: "Since the deputy envoy passed through Qinzhou, he should know something about Pingyang. Does he know the whereabouts of Yin Shu and the army?"

"Don't you know? They have been defeated by Yang Guancha. Everyone in Qinzhou knows this."

"Don't worry about the silver technique for now."

Nianhan waved his hand to signal Lou Shi to leave, staring at Teng Maoshi and continued to ask: "What is the name of Wang Bing's beloved general?"

"Shi Jing Gou."

"Shi Jing Gou? Have you heard of it?"

"No."

"Me neither."

Teng Maoshi looked at Lu Yundi. Lu Yundi originally thought that this person was very famous, but now he felt something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what was wrong.

Just as everyone was guessing, the interpreter Gao Qingyi suddenly came up and whispered a few words to Nianhan.

Nianhan nodded thoughtfully, and replied to Teng Maoshi with a smile, saying, "Maybe some of them have seen this person, but they don't know his name. Can you bring him out for identification?"

"The dead are gone, isn't this inappropriate?"

Lu Yundi wanted to refuse immediately, but he saw Nianhan walking towards him and said calmly: "Are you really here to seek peace? You still want to refuse such a small request? Is this your sincerity?"

"No it's not"

"Marshal, please don't blame me. Lu Yuanshi was drunk. It's no big deal to take a look. I'll ask someone to get it for me right away."

Teng Maoshi hurriedly tried to smooth things over, and immediately told his followers to get the wooden box.

After about a cup of tea, the envoys' entourage brought the wooden box and placed it in front of Nianhan's table.

Nianhan picked up the meat-cutting knife, and with half-closed eyes, he gently pried open the lid of the wooden box. He didn't recognize it at first.

Salumu was beheaded at the beginning of the month. Although Wu Song had kept it well, twenty days had passed after all, and the head had changed significantly.

Just as Nianhan was puzzled and silent, Gao Qingyi, who took the initiative to move closer to take a peek, suddenly pointed at the wooden box and exclaimed.

"Marshal, it's Salum"

"what?"

"It really is"

"Salmu is dead, so what about the living woman?"

All the generals in the tent surrounded him. Lu and Teng stayed where they were, thinking, "What are you talking about Salum? Isn't this the head of Shi Jinggou?"
"Suffered."

"It's the hospital's business, it can't be."

Teng Maoshi obviously reacted, but before he could be shocked or think, Wu Shi rushed over angrily.

Wushi grabbed him by the collar and asked him sternly, "You are asking for peace and stopping the war. You are asking for peace with the head of the Jin envoy? Is this the sincerity of the Emperor of the Song Dynasty?"

"What did the general say? Why don't I understand? Isn't he Shi Jinggou?"

Teng Maoshi didn't have much time to react, and in a hurry he could only play dumb, otherwise he might not be able to get out of the golden camp.

Lu Yundi admitted defeat and closed his eyes, thinking to himself that I should have thought of this earlier.

Yang Chang was so opposed to ceding Taiyuan, how could he be kind enough to help?

You deserve this disaster because you met the wrong person.

Gao Qingyi and Tong Wushi stepped forward and said coldly, "You damn golden dog, you felt really good about scolding me just now, didn't you? Are you bullying us because we don't understand?"

"no."

Teng Maoshi had a sad face, and he bowed to the crowd, aggrievedly explaining, "We were here to help Chief Yang. It was indeed rude of him to kill Salumu, but it was his personal behavior after all, and it happened in early February, so it has nothing to do with us or the court."

"Killed in early February?"

"Yes, before Commander Yang sent troops to Pingyang, he said that he would use his head as a sacrifice. We are innocent."

After answering Wu Shi's question, Teng Mao Shi's legs went limp and he collapsed on his seat. Wu Shi did not ask any more questions, but instead could not help but look at Lou Shi.

Salum is dead, is the living woman still there?
Lou Shi sat there without saying a word. He acted as if he didn't care, but he was always worried about his son in his heart.

The moment I saw Salum just now, my soft heart was instantly aroused, but as a general I couldn't lose my composure, so I had to force myself not to think about it.

Nianhan knew Loushi well, so he asked on his behalf: "Deputy Envoy Teng, besides Salumu, we have another captive in Qinzhou. Is he still alive?"

"A living female general?"

Teng Maoshi was stunned when he heard this, and quickly stood up and replied: "Of course he is alive. We wanted to return him, but Yang Guancha, bah, Yang Chang refused to agree, and we had no choice."

"Captain Yang! I will take his head sooner or later!"

Wu Shi clenched his fists tightly.

At this time, Nianhan looked at Lou Shi with a look of comfort in his eyes, and then called the envoy Lu Yundi and asked with a playful look: "Ambassador Lu, what do you think about this matter?"

"We were schemed by Chief Yang, which made the Marshal and the generals angry. I don't know how to make amends."

"It's very simple."

Seeing Lu Yundi's gloomy expression, Nianhan's mouth twitched slightly, and he threatened: "If Taiyuan is successfully delivered, you can all return to Bianliang safely. If not..."

"We will try our best."

"It's not about trying your best, it's about making sure you succeed!"

After the banquet, Nianhan detained Teng Maoshi as a hostage. The next day, he sent Lu Yundi to Taiyuan to announce the imperial edict, but as expected, Wang Bing refused.

Lu Yundi returned to the Jin camp to wait for death, but Nianhan unexpectedly released him and sent him back to Bianliang after detaining him for a few days.

When he learned that Nianhan Liuteng had let him go, Wushi rushed to see him immediately.

"Why did the Marshal release Lu Yundi? He is obviously more stable than Teng Maoshi. Even if he needs someone to deliver a message for the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, he should have let Teng Maoshi go back. He hates Yang Chang to the core."

"The barking dog never bites. Although Lu Yundi is taciturn, his hatred for Yang Chang is not weak, but he knows how to endure and has a higher status in the Song Dynasty court. It will be more beneficial for us to send him back. I hope the Emperor of the Song Dynasty can remove Yang Chang. This guy is really my strong enemy. It would be better for him to be transferred to Hebei as a general."

At this time, Nianhan was very envious of Wuliebu, because he not only had no terrain restrictions on the eastern route, but also did not encounter any powerful guards blocking his way.

but me?

It was really hard to lose several great generals such as Yin Shuke, Basuli, and Ci Bushi.
(End of this chapter)