Chapter 361: Change of direction

The Western Expedition army returned triumphantly. His Royal Highness the Regent led all the civil and military officials to personally welcome the heroic soldiers who returned triumphantly. The streets of the capital of the Song Dynasty were once again empty, and millions of people were jubilant! The

enthusiastic atmosphere of rewarding according to merit and celebrating the country lasted for three days.

Thinking of Yanqi's happiness, Luo Li urged Zhao Defang to exchange Gao Yingxiong back. Another pair of lovers who had been married for "embroidered shoes" finally became a couple. ...

After the Hexi Corridor Silk Road was opened, tea, silk, porcelain, fine wine, glass, perfume, soap and other luxury goods produced by the Song Dynasty were sold to Western countries at high prices through land. In exchange for countless gold and silver, the ships were filled with spices and rare treasures from overseas.

For ordinary people, the days of not worrying about food and clothing passed quickly, and the days of wealthy businessmen and powerful families who made money easily passed very quickly.

The people of Song welcomed another festive Spring Festival in the days of stability and prosperity.

Three days before the Spring Festival, when the court should have been closed and all officials should have had a holiday, the emperor and the regent prince Zhao Defang once again held a small court meeting in the study of the palace.

The little emperor Zhao Wuzhi stared at the large imperial carriage on the wall, his hands clasped together behind his back, and his eyes were filled with a scorching light.

"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Regent Prince is here." Liu Chengan reminded softly.

The young emperor Zhao Wuji turned around and smiled happily at his uncle who had walked in.

"Uncle, you came to the court meeting last, did you accompany the aunt to eat breakfast before leaving?"

The regent Zhao Defang waved his hand to the ministers who came to greet him, "No need to greet, sit down!"

Then he smiled and replied to the young emperor, "Your Majesty guessed right. The weather was too cold, your aunt was lazy, so the breakfast in the palace was served a little later."

Several important officials in the court smiled secretly. No one would question His Royal Highness the Regent for not caring about the country and only loving beauty, and no one would secretly criticize the Regent Princess for being a beauty who brought disaster to the country and the people.

Several important court officials present knew that the strength of the Song Dynasty today was closely related to the silly princess in the Regent Prince's family. However, the princess must not be greedy for fame and fame, and her legendary deeds must not be publicized!

In the minds of these court officials who are deeply trusted and valued by the Emperor and the Regent Prince, the Regent Princess of the Song Dynasty is a fairy from heaven, who was lucky to land on the land of the Song Dynasty and was lucky to be captured by the Regent Prince. Fortunately, the Song Dynasty has become a powerful country with a vast territory, strong and rich.

Even Lord Luo Jiluo would always suspect that his precious daughter was definitely not an ordinary person, but must be a fairy reincarnated into the extremely lucky Luo family.

Prime Minister Xue Juzheng, who was in high spirits, looked at His Royal Highness the Regent with fiery eyes and asked, "Your Highness, it has been two years since you rested and recuperated. The Song Dynasty's borders are stable, the treasury is abundant, and the army is strong. Are you going to expand the territory again?"

Several pairs of eyes looked at His Royal Highness the Regent with great expectation, waiting for His Royal Highness's reply.

The Regent Prince smiled faintly, "Prince Xue, you guessed right. The Emperor summoned all the adults to hold a court meeting when the New Year was approaching, just to discuss this matter."

Bohai Prince Gao Huaide slapped his thigh excitedly, "Did I guess right? Brother Cao, Shen Xi, you two have to lose to me thirty jars of Maotai wine!"

Duke Cao Bin of Lu glanced at him, turned his head and asked Shen Xi, "Sir Shen, did we agree to bet with him? We didn't deny his guess, did we?"

Shen Xi smiled, "No! When Prince Gao guessed that he would launch the next campaign to expand territory, We both agreed. "

The young emperor Zhao Wuzhi was amused, and said to Bohai Prince Gao Huaide, "Old Prince, you are in love with the thirty jars of Maotai wine?"

Gao Huaide pointed at Cao Bin and Shen Xi and said, "These two cunning guys refused to bet on my wrong guess. I was smart for nothing, but I couldn't even win a prize."

Everyone in the study laughed. There was no solemn atmosphere before a big battle. It was as relaxed as if the soldiers of the Song Dynasty were going to play and pick fruits.

The young Kou Zhun, Yang Yanzhao and Gao Yingxiong, with their hearts pounding and blood boiling, sat respectfully beside them, watching their elders' jokes and joking with a smile.

Regent Prince Zhao Defang picked up the tea and drank half a cup. When the laughter stopped, he put down the teacup and slowly said, "I am calling all of you to discuss where the next target of the Song army should be?"

Duke Cao Bin of Lu spoke first after pondering for a moment, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, in my opinion, the next target should be to attack the Tibetan tribes."

Prince Gao Huaide of Bohai County immediately agreed, "I also think that the Tibetan tribes should be attacked first. In the years since the founding of the Song Dynasty, the Tibetan tribes have been They have never behaved honestly. They attacked the vassal states of the Song Dynasty, invaded the borders of the Song Dynasty, and plundered the population. They are too much! If we don’t deal with Tubo, the Song Dynasty’s generals will be unable to vent their anger! "

Left Prime Minister Xue Juzheng also nodded in agreement, "Yes! We should deal with Tubo first. In those years, when the Tubo tribes sent envoys to the capital of the Song Dynasty, they were all showing off their power, which was really hateful. The two princesses were asked by the princes of the Tubo tribes to marry and return, and the two small kingdoms did not make peace with the Song Dynasty. Zhao Defang, the regent

, nodded and said, "Although the Tubo tribes became independent princes after the fall of the Tubo Dynasty, their warriors were brave and fearless. In addition, the plateau climate is unpredictable and the air is thin, which makes it difficult for the Central Plains soldiers to adapt. Therefore, the leaders of the Tubo tribes arrogantly believed that they were the only ones who could attack others and that others could not defeat Tubo."

Yang Yanzhao suggested, "The Central Plains soldiers who were born and raised in the Central Plains are not well trained. "The Tibetans were trained in the Tibetan plateau, but it was extremely difficult for them to adapt to the plateau climate of the Tibetan tribes. However, the Uighur warriors who surrendered to the Song Dynasty had been mortal enemies with them for many years and were very adaptable to the plateau climate of the Tibetan tribes."

The Regent Prince Zhao Defang looked at him with approval, "Not bad, driving away wolves and tigers has always been a good military strategy."

Everyone had no objection to choosing the Tibetan tribes as the next combat target. This matter was temporarily decided, and everyone went home to think about the plan and wait until after the Spring Festival to make specific tactical deployments. ...

Regent Prince Zhao Defang returned to the palace and was in time for Ningxinyuan to have a meal. After eating a sumptuous lunch with his mother, wife and children, the Empress Dowager took away all the grandsons and granddaughters.

In the winter, Luo Li still insisted on taking a nap every day. It was good for beauty and comfortable. The feeling of being lazy was a pleasant and wonderful enjoyment.

The regent Zhao Defang followed the princess into the inner room, and lay down on the big bed first, looking at his beloved wife with a proud smile: "Li'er, your husband will also take a nap today."

Luo Li sat beside him with a smile, pinched his chin and said: "Don't dream of having sex in the daytime, there is no place for you on this big bed in the daytime."

Zhao Defang grabbed her slender hand, "Li'er, I have something to tell you, and I want to hear your opinion."

"Speak! Your wife will help you with your advice."

: "After two years of recuperation, the Song Dynasty should launch the next war to expand its territory. At the court meeting today, all the important ministers in the inner cabinet agreed that the next target should be to attack the Tibetan tribes. Li'er, do you have any suggestions?"

Luo Li pondered for a while, thinking of the historical development process of Liao destroying Song, Song was forced to move south and became the Southern Song, then Jin destroyed Liao, and then the Mongolian Iron Cavalry destroyed Jin, and then destroyed the Southern Song. The Tibetan tribes, which were scattered like a pile of sand, seemed to have never made any waves.

The wheel of history must be completely reversed.

"Zhao Defang, my opinion is to first capture the Jurchen tribes in the northeast. Then, the next target..." Luo Li bit her lower lip and said with some difficulty the predecessor of the powerful empire that conquered most of the world and almost exterminated the Han people, those brave and invincible grassland warriors, "The next target is the Mongolian tribe on the prairie."