Jiawu, the second day of the fifth lunar month in the eighth year of Yuanfeng.

After Zhao Xu got up and had breakfast, he went to Baoci Palace as usual and accompanied the two palaces to review government affairs.

After entering May, the weather gradually starts to get warmer.

The palace began to take out the ice cubes hidden in the ice cellar last winter and put them in special ice cubes to cool down.

The imperial chef also began to prepare various drinks for the two palaces to cool down.

Perilla drink, braised plum water, lychee ice water...

There are dozens of styles for you to choose from!

These drinks were not special offerings to the royal family, but fast-moving consumer goods for the general public during the Song Dynasty.

At least this is the case in Bianjing City.

In Bianjing City, at least hundreds of drink shops open every summer.

The drinks sold range from a few cents a piece to dozens of cents a piece.

Whether they are traders, footmen or scholar-bureaucrats, they are all happy to buy it.

Zhao Xu prefers to drink licorice soup - a drink that boils water with licorice and other Chinese medicinal materials, then cools it naturally, adds honey and other ingredients, and then chills it.

The taste is sweet and the aftertaste is long.

Because I knew Zhao Xu liked it, I ordered a lot of preparations for the Queen Mother.

As soon as Zhao Xu arrived, he was immediately served a perfectly chilled licorice soup.

As soon as Zhao Xu drank it, he immediately laughed: "It tastes good!"

"As long as Brother Six likes it!" said the Empress Dowager with a smile.

"The official asked the Tongjian Secretary to use the emergency horse yesterday?" the Empress Dowager asked with a smile.

Zhao Xu nodded and replied: "Yes, Grandmother!"

"Because I heard that a great scholar was ill, so I wanted to send someone to deliver some imperial medicine as soon as possible..."

The Queen Mother nodded and said with a smile: "What a good boy!"

"Today, many ministers have written letters praising it, saying that it is a blessing for the country that the government respects teachers and respects morality!"

Xiang Taihou quickly said: "It's all good teachings from the empress!"

The Queen Mother then smiled kindly.

Zhao Xu lowered his head in shame and drank his licorice soup.

The sweet ice water lingers on your taste buds.

Zhao Xu knew that from now on, Tongjian Si would slowly listen to his orders.

And Tongjiansi is the mouth and hands of the imperial power.

Through it, all the resources, officials, and armies of the entire Song Dynasty will dance with Zhao Xu's baton.

Of course, Zhao Xu will not use it to interfere in political affairs now.

…

There is not much government business today.

Zhao Xu just watched and kept quiet. Apart from tapping the shoulders of the two palaces from time to time and giving them some drinks, he sat obediently next to them.

First, Lu Huiqing submitted a reward list for meritorious soldiers drafted by Hedong Road and begged the Privy Council for implementation.

Lu Huiqing's report was followed closely by the report from Zhe Kexing, who was also in Hedong.

Zhe Kexing's report gave a detailed report, and Lu Huiqing drew up the background of the generals who would be rewarded.

This is our job.

Fuzhou Zhejia is the last remnant of the vassal town in the late Tang Dynasty, and it is also the focus of the Zhao officials.

Because Zhejia was born in Dangxiang.

They can only rely on the trust of officials in Bianjing to gain a firm foothold in Fuzhou and Linzhou.

There is not much difference between Zhe Kexing's report and Lu Huiqing's memorial.

After the two palaces read it, they gave instructions to the Privy Council to determine the reward based on the story.

Rewards should be rewarded with money, and promotions should be promoted.

After reading the side reports, it’s about government affairs.

The Ministry of Rites reported the Empress Dowager's biological father, Prince Lu Gao Zunfu's plan to avoid taboos: the word "Fu" should be less pronounced, and then covered with yellow paper.

This is an arrangement for the imperial examination which is about to start again.

After all, the imperial examination room is a taboo.

But leaving an empty space obviously won't work, so we came up with this contingency plan.

This would not only not offend the King of Gaolu, but also prevent the examiners from having to guess what the word is?

The Empress Dowager naturally agreed.

…

After nearly ten days of trekking.

The army of Nenda Bochu led by Ndo Hōtada finally arrived at Shuangshan Fort in Myeongdang River.

This place is the administrative seat of the Shenyong Division in Zuoxiang, Daxia.

It is also a strategic location facing Nanman Fuyan Road and Hedong Road.

The Jialu River meanders through the valley on the left side of the Mingtang River, and its downstream is the Jialu Village Fortress that was captured by the Nanman Shen Kuo a few years ago.

Renduo Baozhong rode his horse on the twin mountain fortress, looking down from a high place and looking far ahead.

"Take Jue Weiming, this butt-selling rabbit!" He spat and cursed fiercely: "I have told you long ago that he is unreliable, but the Queen Mother still doesn't believe it! It's better now, he must have been captured alive by the Nanbarbarians!"

"What should we do now?" Rendo Baozhong's younger brother asked.

The Yuzhou soldiers and horses, who were pulling Juewei, were originally planned to cooperate with Renduo Baozhong's actions, mobilizing the main forces of the Nanman Huanqing Road and Jingyuan Road on the flanks, and at the same time attracting some of the Yanyan Road soldiers and horses.

Well now, the Daxia army has not even crossed the border.

Drago Jue Weiming was captured alive by the Song people in the hinterland of Daxia!

Youzhou's troops and horses can't be counted on.

The Jingzhai Army and the Suizhou Military Supervisory Department can't be counted on either - it's good that they can protect themselves and not be killed by the Nanmanzi army.

"What else can we do?" Nendo Baozhong said: "The army has already been dispatched!"

"If we cannot break the Nanman stronghold, we will have to return to Lingzhou hungry!"

"Can Liang Yifu let us go?"

Renjia is not a party member.

They are Tubo people!

It was already under suspicion, but now the old supervisor died in battle again, and Liang Yimi, the uncle and prime minister who supported Renjia the most, also died.

If he can no longer achieve military merit, those party nobles will swallow up Renjia's land, pastures and slaves.

Especially that bastard Liang Yifu!

He has long been eyeing Renjia's territory.

"Send out scouts to explore around Jialu Village and find out for me the strength and deployment of the Southern Barbarians!" Renduo Baozhong raised his whip and made the deployment.

"In addition, send people to inform the various Qiang tribes in Toudaochuan..."

"The Wuzu of Great Xia have an order, ordering each of them to donate 500 stones of grain and grass, and 300 young men and women, to assist the Wuzu in the military!"

"If you dare to disobey, the entire clan will be slaughtered as soon as Master Wang arrives!"

"Yes!" Renduo Xizhong accepted the order and left.

Daxia has never trusted the Qiang people in the Hengshan Mountains two thousand miles away.

Because these Qiang people hiding in the mountains and forests have no loyalty to the Daxia Wuzu.

No matter how kind the Wu soldiers are to them, they will betray Daxia in the face of the Nanman's coercion and inducement!

From Li Shibin and his son to the Yu Longke brothers more than ten years ago, no matter how favorably the Wuzu were treated, Nanman would immediately turn his back on the Wuzu with a wave of his hand!

Therefore, Daxia is no longer polite to them!

Whenever there is a big war, people are sent directly to these tribes to recruit grain and grass to make them young and strong.

Anyone who dares to disobey will be killed directly!

Of course, the benevolence of the Wuzu still provides a way out. As long as you obey the military orders of the Wuzu, you will be rewarded after victory!

…
To be continued...