Chapter 867 Li Yuanhao's Choice
The moonlight was as gentle as water, the ground was covered with a layer of silver gauze, and the tip of my nose was filled with the rich fragrance of osmanthus and the taste of delicious food.
Li Yuanhao stood under the tree, looking at the lively banquet in a daze.
A middle-aged man in an official robe hunched his back and went to toast Duke Yun.
Li Yuanhao recognized this kind of official uniform.
On the way to Kyoto, the minor clerks in the post station and the minor officials who helped stamp my documents all wore such clothes. I heard that they were the lowest-level seventh-rank officials, and they were as small as sesame seeds.
In Western Xia, such a humble official was not qualified to appear before the Western Xia leader.
It was strange that he could actually attend the banquet hosted by Gu Nanxi, the master of the world, in Kyoto.
Not only that, he could also go to toast Gu Nanxi alone, and the distance between them was so close that the small official could easily stab Gu Nanxi by taking out a knife.
"What are you thinking about?" Wei Muri walked over, pulling Mei Tang with his ears.
She wanted to know what Li Yuanhao was thinking, so she just walked over and asked him.
Li Yuanhao stretched out his hand and pointed at the seventh-rank official who was so happy that his face turned red after toasting, like he was drunk: "Isn't he afraid?"
Wei Mu Ri's ears were puzzled: "What is there to be afraid of?"
Li Yuanhao really couldn't understand: "Don't Han people pay the most attention to heaven, earth, emperor and teacher? Don't they pay attention to hierarchy? How dare he come to the banquet of Duke Yun?"
Wei Mu Ri blinked: "Because Duke Yun invited him."
Li Yuanhao glanced at her helplessly and turned his inquiring eyes to Mei Tang.
Mei Tang knew what he meant and explained, "We are different from the Great Zhou."
There was a time when the relationship between Western Xia and the Great Zhou was very good.
Every year, Western Xia would send people to Kyoto to present gifts, and then the Emperor of the Great Zhou would reward them with something twice as much as the gifts for them to take back.
Despite this, the envoys to Kyoto still felt that they were being neglected.
It was a kind of contempt and disdain that could not be expressed in words, a feeling of alienation that no matter how much Xixia did for the Great Zhou, they would never be regarded as one of their own.
The people of the Great Zhou always scolded them for being as cunning as foxes, fickle, and treacherous.
But the Xixia people felt that they were extremely wronged. The people of the Great Zhou did not treat them as their own people. They just wanted to buy peace with money and even paid them to deal with the Tartars.
In business, the highest bidder always wins.
If someone can afford a higher price than the Great Zhou, the Xixia people will naturally choose the one with the higher price.
Isn't this normal? Why do we have to make the Xixia people feel so sorry for the Great Zhou?
Mei Tang nudged Wei Mu Ri's ear and said, "Aren't you curious about Duke Yun? You can go find Madam Su. She will definitely be happy to introduce her best friend to Duke Yun."
Wei Muri turned his ears and stamped his feet: “I know, you are sending me away, you want to talk about some secrets with Li Yuanhao alone.”
She grabbed Mei Tang's ear, leaned close to his ear, and warned him: "You can talk about secrets with him, but you can't talk about secrets between men. You have to remember that you are mine and you can't look at other women. Otherwise, if you find one woman, I will find two men."
"Okay, okay, got it. We are talking about serious matters." Mei Tang rubbed his ears. This tiger woman really used force.
Li Yuanhao felt strange watching the two flirting with each other.
Does Wei Muer still remember that she used to follow him around every day, calling him "Brother Yuan Hao" left and right?
Seeing Wei Muri's ears bouncing and hugging Su Yunyan's arm, the two of them talking and laughing together, Mei Tang withdrew his gaze.
Li Yuanhao took a bite of the skewers and said: "The mutton is not as fat as our Xixia's."
"When the weather gets colder, you won't think so after trying Yunzhou's canned braised lamb." Mei Tang called the servants and asked them to bring a pot of wine.
Li Yuanhao glanced at Wei Muri's ear and said, "I didn't expect that you would like her."
"She's smart, quick to understand, very sensible, and flexible. One second she's threatening you like a tiger, and the next she's as clingy as a kitten. Who wouldn't love her?"
Mei Tang drank some wine and felt that the food was not quite right, so he asked someone to bring him another plate of hairy crabs.
He peeled the crabs skillfully and put the crab meat and crab roe into two bowls respectively.
Li Yuanhao watched his movements and had no interest in trying the crab: "You always unconditionally protect those who you classify as your own people."
Mei Tang curled his lips and said, "What goes up must come down. Duke Yun is like this, so we are all like this. Our own people are our own people, and outsiders are outsiders. The treatment of outsiders can never be the same as that of our own people."
Li Yuanhao's eyes darkened: "I know, you Han people have always been like this. In the past, when you had ironware, you would strictly prohibit the sale of ironware to the Tartars. You always keep the best things for yourself."
"Hahaha, believe me, this is for your own good. It's not the most powerful thing, but the most suitable for you. Just like a six-year-old child, you can give him a wooden sword, but you can't give him a spear, because he will easily hurt himself when using the spear."
"What are you talking about?" Wei Muri was really curious, so he took the time to run over and ask.
Mei Tang handed her the peeled crab meat: "Try the hairy crab. In this season, the crab roe and crab paste are the most delicious. If you don't like to eat it plain, you can put it in the noodles."
Wei Muri held the bowl in his ears and looked at Mei Tang eagerly.
Mei Tang tied up her fallen hair again and said, "Li Yuanhao asked me what the difference is between Xixia submitting to Yunzhou and not submitting to Yunzhou."
"What did you say?"
"The difference is as big as the sky. Although we are a country of etiquette, we can still be a country of friendship."
"Then what?"
"He asked me if I could sell firearms to Xixia if they acceded to Yunzhou. I said, of course not."
"Oh, you're right." Wei Mu Ri held two small white porcelain bowls and told Mei Tang, "If it tastes good, peel another one for me."
Li Yuanhao's expression became more complicated. Is this still the king of bad mouth, Mei Tang, whom he knew?
"I remember you and Wei Muerdi often quarreled?"
Mei Tang said calmly, "Your own woman is definitely different from other people's women. You should love your own woman."
"Okay, don't emphasize this point anymore." Li Yuanhao stroked his forehead and smiled bitterly, "I know that your Yunzhou has different attitudes towards its own people and outsiders. Xixia is not just my Xixia. Above me are the Xixia Lord and my father."
"Then you better make a decision quickly. Our Lady Su is very anxious to show her performance and doesn't have time to wait for you too long."
Li Yuanhao didn't say anything, but took his people back to Xixia the day after the banquet.
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