Volume 4 Chapter 60: The Lost Dog
It’s the New Year. Today is the fifth year of Jianyan, and tomorrow will be the sixth year of Jianyan, or the second year of Huangtong of Jin, or the sixth year of Zhengde of Western Xia.
On this day, Tokyo was bustling with activity... This is nonsense. Which city wouldn't be bustling during the New Year? Especially in the world's largest city?
Besides, the Song Dynasty had its own established precedents. There were seven days of holidays during the New Year, three days before the New Year and four days after the New Year. Not to mention buying New Year's goods before the New Year, the four days after the New Year were a special window period for "buying spree".
The so-called "pounce buying" refers to adding a certain gambling element to normal business activities. This was a very common phenomenon in the Song Dynasty. However, because gambling was wrong after all and it was repeatedly banned, the government relaxed a certain legal period for small daily consumer goods after the New Year and allowed legal gambling in the market.
Of course, commercial transactions must be subject to taxes, and it also means promoting the internal circulation of the economy.
However, for the emperor, civil and military officials, nobles, and even the students, that is, almost everyone with a political status and living in the capital, this holiday was no more comfortable than for others, because in the middle of the holiday, that is, on the first day of the first lunar month, a grand court ceremony had to be held.
To be fair, this New Year's Day court meeting where no business can be discussed is meaningless.
It is still more of a formalism. If we have to classify it, it is better to say that it is the so-called sacrifice in the military and sacrifice. And to put it bluntly, if we really want to carry out internal politics among the ruling class, the Imperial College, the public cabinet, and the secret cabinet, plus the provincial system established in Nanyang, and the recent reform of the name-to-actual reform of various ministries and local officials, which one is not better than this?
But then again, it is, after all, a grand ceremony, a traditional political activity with a long history. Even if it is just a pretense, it has to be done in a presentable manner.
Besides, isn't this year a continuation of the past and a counterattack instead of defense? Moreover, the pacification of the south and the destruction of the pseudo-Qi are enough to support this grand court meeting.
The only problem was that after the New Year's Eve, they had to go to court, which was hard for some older officials. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, many experienced officials and nobles went to bed early. If they couldn't sleep, they would rest or meditate in their rooms. They usually got up in the evening to prepare for the next day's hard work.
"Does the official really want to have a meal at my house today to celebrate the New Year?"
In the late afternoon, there were already sporadic sounds of firecrackers, and in the backyard of the old house of the Lu family, the most prominent family in the dynasty, which had been passed down for four or five generations, beside a few plum trees, on a winding corridor, only Lu Haowen, the chief of the cabinet, was playing chess with ease.
Opposite him was the official of the current dynasty.
"Why not?" Zhao Jiu looked at the Go board in front of him, frowning slightly, with a rather puzzled look, as if he was at a disadvantage. "Does Lu Qing think I'm joking? I even brought you chicken and fish... The chicken is not in good shape, it was indeed purchased from the market, but the fish fry were quite large at the beginning, and now they are indeed usable. I specially asked someone to fish them out for you from the palace... Let's see if your family will still eat vegetarian food today?"
"Your Majesty, things like being a vegetarian..." Lu Haowen looked up and glanced at his eldest son, the newly appointed Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Lu Benzhong, who was standing behind the Your Majesty. The latter understood and immediately opened his mouth to explain.
"Being a vegetarian is a last resort for poor families, but it is a perverse practice for a family like yours. Eating vegetarian food is more troublesome than eating meat, and it wastes manpower. It's just a pretense." Zhao Jiu was merciless when he heard that it was Lv Benzhong who spoke up, and he scolded him directly. "Do you really think I can suppress Buddhism and respect the original by pointing to a chicken and a fish? I certainly respect the original school, but I won't use this kind of thing..."
Both Lu and his son were embarrassed.
After a while, Lu Haowen saw a chess piece fall on the board, and then he smiled bitterly: "This old minister does not mean that, but today is the New Year after all. Doesn't the emperor need to show filial piety to the two queen mothers? And the two imperial concubines..."
"We've already arranged a family dinner during the day, and in the afternoon we've asked people to go to Yanfu Palace to perform a new play, Elder Sun's three fights against the White Bone Demon... It's taken from "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", and it can be considered 'entertaining parents with colorful clothes', a different way to show filial piety." Zhao Jiu looked at the chessboard, picking up pieces while raising his eyebrows. "As for the two concubines, it's a month like this, and if they have premature births, it will be troublesome. If they only go to one place, or go to one place first, they will inevitably get angry. It's better for them to have fun with their families... Besides, isn't it a proper business to visit the old ministers of the country during the New Year's Day?"
Lu Haowen just smiled bitterly, and Zhao Jiu just said it casually without paying much attention... They both knew that this was just a way to resolve the embarrassment just now, and it was just a so-called forced change of subject.
After a while, as Emperor Zhao and Chief Lu made a few moves back and forth, Lu Benzhong went to the backyard door to instruct his brothers who were waiting there about kitchen matters. When he came back, he stood side by side with Yang Yizhong. The topic between the monarch and his subject finally turned to some serious matters.
"I wonder what Wanyan Wushu meant by his drama with the living woman across the river? He was just an ambitious rebel with only 20,000 soldiers, but Wanyan Wushu was reluctant to take strong action?" Lu Hao asked in a serious tone. "Does he really want to give Yan'an to Xixia?"
"We are used to our own way of doing things, so naturally we cannot understand the Jurchens' ideas." Emperor Zhao responded calmly, but his answer seemed a bit irrelevant. "Where is the foundation of the Jurchens' country? It's still the 200,000 households in the east and west, and the clan tribes left behind by these 200,000 households! Compared with these 200,000 households, the territory and population are not unimportant, but for now, they are just appendages of the 200,000 households..."
At this point, Emperor Zhao paused for a moment before continuing to explain, "Here, the country is the country, the family is the family, and the army belongs to the country. As for the other side, on the one hand, the country and the family are not separated, the Wanyan clan is divided internally, and then monopolizes the power; on the other hand, there are some situations where the country is owned by the army, and everything follows the military power... Of course, there are also some Jurchens who understand reason and know that this is wrong. They also want to change and are changing. However, the past 20 years have been entirely dependent on the army to swallow up thousands of miles, and only have we reached the current situation? How can we change it just by saying so? Therefore, in the matter of Yan'an, as long as we grasp this point, that is, the army is equally important to the country, or even the army is more important than the country, many strange behaviors of the Jurchens will be clear at a glance."
"If that's the case, it does make some sense."
Lu Haowen seemed to be thinking about something, and then he suddenly realized something. "I think Wanyan Wushu left Yanjing to inspect Hedong this time. From a public point of view, the first thing he wanted to do was to bring Huo Nu's 20,000 soldiers back to the country. This was his top priority. From a private point of view, he might have wanted to manage the Western Route Army for himself and expand his influence in the army... As for whether Yan'an would be with the Xixia people or not, whether it should be preserved or not, it has nothing to do with anything else, but it has something to do with the outcome between him and Huo Nu."
"That's about right." Zhao Jiu replied easily. "In fact, it's not just about the Yan'an incident, but also about the various behaviors of the Jin people before. As long as you understand that the Jurchens have some of the country and the army, at least if you give equal weight to the country and the army, then many things that seem strange can make sense. Not to mention Jingkang, after the Battle of Yaoshan, the Jin army was equivalent to defeating four Wanhu in the east and west at the same time. So in the eyes of most of them, crossing the river and fighting again is tantamount to damaging their foundation. Since the army can't cross the river again, whether it's Jingdong or northern Shaanxi, they are just useless things. It's natural to use them for peace talks, and it's meaningless to hand them over to Xixia as bait. On the other hand, if you can't damage their military momentum, and only judge the decision-making ideas of the Jurchens based on the situation of advance and retreat and the morality of the people, it's tantamount to talking to animals, and it's humiliating yourself... Of course, this will become more and more difficult to say as time goes by."
Lu Haowen kept shaking his head, and it was unclear whether he disagreed or was thinking of something.
"But no matter what." Zhao Jiu said solemnly. "Whether he will continue to be entangled with the living girl or whether he wants to sell Yan'an, I don't care, and I don't want to give up this opportunity... Besides, the matter is done, the troops have been dispatched, if Lu Xianggong wants to persuade this matter, there is no need to mention it."
Lu Haowen kept shaking his head, and then asked another very strange question: "May I ask why the emperor trusts Yue Fei so much?"
Zhao Jiu raised his head and glanced at the other person, then looked back at Yang Yizhong and Lu Benzhong standing beside him. He was silent for a moment, then gave a puzzling answer: "Of course it's because of my background."
Lü Hao asked again and again, blurting out: "Experience is easy to talk about, but his origin, are you referring to his native Hebei, and his determination to fight against the Jin people?"
"Of course I mean that, but it's more than that." Zhao Jiu answered slowly while looking at the chessboard in front of him. "There are many people who have fled from Hebei, including Li Qiong, but why do I value Yue Fei so much? Isn't it because he was born a tenant farmer?"
The atmosphere in the corridor was subtle for a moment.
"Don't doubt it, I mean what you think." Zhao Jiu made a move casually, but he didn't even look at the reactions of the people around him. "Han Wu used people who came later to get the upper hand, I use people who are poor and humble to succeed... Just like when I promoted Zhao Ding to prime minister, it was more or less because he had been a minor official for more than ten years; and Han Shizhong was born in a poor family in northern Shaanxi, Zhang Jun, Wu Jie, and Wang De were born in good families in the border areas, in fact, they all have some of the same meaning. For example, Qu Duan lost his father at a young age, Li Qiong was a fugitive from Hebei, and Li Yanxian and Li Shifu were local tyrants in the border areas. They also have their merits, but after all, they are not as good as Yue Fei, who was born as a tenant farmer and exile from Hebei. Compared with them, I intend to suppress and eliminate those military families. Han Xiaozhou would not be used at all. Even if it was the Lu Xianggong family, who had been in charge of military and national affairs for four generations, if it wasn't for the Mingdao Palace's luck that day, I would not even look at them."
Emperor Zhao was sarcastic and mocking, and it was not known whether he was trying to win the game of chess to gain psychological advantage. But if so, it could only be said that he had indeed succeeded. Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the corridor became even more weird. Although Yang Yi Zhong had a blank expression on his face, the two Lus were inevitably embarrassed. Lu Haowen made many mistakes, allowing Emperor Zhao to win on the chessboard again and again.
"What the government means is that since ancient times, brave generals must have risen from the ranks, and prime ministers must have risen from the prefectures and counties. Is that what it means?" After a pause, Lu Hao asked, who was playing chess just now, and was embarrassed to speak. "And among the aristocratic families, how many of them know the suffering of the people?"
"Almost, but not entirely." Zhao Jiu also continued to sigh while making moves at high speed. "In the final analysis, I still want to talk about the word experience. Even birth is also attributed to experience. Just like most people are just ignorant babies when they are born, they are very different later. How far they can go depends on their experience and how much experience they have... Born into a tenant farmer's family, and worked hard to become a local commander, naturally they know more about the sufferings of the people, the thoughts of the lower-class soldiers, and the intrigues of the middle class than those born into a family of four generations of officials."
"This is irrefutable." Lu Haowen sneered.
"Just like Yue Pengju." Zhao Jiu continued to chatter. "If he had not been born a tenant farmer, he would have known the sufferings of the people and the military supplies. Every bow and arrow was exchanged for the food in the mouths of the people, and the food in the mouths of the people, every grain of rice and grain, was so hard to come by. How could he have attached so much importance to military discipline and cultivated his personal morality? This is where Han Liangchen, Zhang Boying, Li Shaoyan, and Wu Jinqing are far inferior to him. Qu Da, on the other hand, is usually unruly, but probably because he grew up as an orphan, he is second only to Yue Pengju in military discipline... They all say that I took care of Qu Duan's merits in saving me, but if he had not had outstanding military discipline in northern Shaanxi and made contributions to pacifying the people and stabilizing the border in several routes in the northwest, he would not have been reinstated in the first place."
Lu Haowen said in a serious tone: "Your Majesty's words are absolutely correct!"
"And the experience I just mentioned at the beginning, it doesn't necessarily refer to Yue Pengju's experience of winning battles. It also refers to his experience of being defeated from Yanyun to Taiyuan, from Taiyuan to Xiangzhou, and then all the way out of Hebei and fleeing to the Central Plains. It is also his experience of following Wang Yan and splitting with Wang Yan, following Zhang Suo and dying in battle... Without these experiences that almost overlapped with the Jin people's southward advance, how could he hate the Jin people so deeply, how could he be so persistent in the first two years of Jianyan, and how could he use troops so properly this year?" Zhao Jiu still sighed. "He Yue Fei is not really the reincarnation of a bodhisattva, born with knowledge, but he was born in a chaotic era. In just a few years, he experienced more than a person in his lifetime, and saw more than a person in his lifetime. In addition, he was willing to learn, willing to think, willing to do, and with some talent, he became a national general!"
Lu Haowen couldn't help but look at his eldest son. Even Yang Yizhong was slightly moved. He looked at Lu's father and son, and then seemed to be thinking about something.
"In fact, I often think about it." Zhao Jiu certainly knew what these people were thinking, and continued to sigh. "Some things are simply cause and effect... Just like during the Jingkang period, when the two emperors were in Shaoxing, they said that they would have given me the position at that time, but at that time, could I really be better than the Yuan Sheng in this situation? Apart from other things, you, Prime Minister Lu, should ask yourself, you were also highly valued in the Yuan Sheng Dynasty, but looking at your actions at that time from today's perspective, isn't it as ridiculous as watching a clown? Just like me, I can only try not to talk about Huai Shang's previous behavior, because if I talk about it, I will be in the wrong."
Lu Haowen on the opposite side shook his head and could not answer. Lu Benzhong standing on the side also sighed... because this question has a definite answer. After Jingkang, Lu Haowen recalled the ridiculous actions he had taken during Jingkang, and then saw the end of the country. He was then hung up and humiliated and attacked by Li Gang and his people. He almost wanted to commit suicide.
Even Lü Haowen himself publicly admitted those political mistakes when he returned to the old capital three years ago. As for what Emperor Zhao did at the beginning, it can only be said that as a minister, it is not appropriate to talk about it.
"Mr. Lu, I know what you mean by asking this. In the final analysis, you are worried that Xixia has a deep foundation and we cannot succeed. You want to advise me to slow down... Am I right?" Zhao Jiu suddenly threw his pieces on the board, then looked up and asked seriously... In fact, he had just taken advantage of Lu Haowen's confusion to gain the upper hand, but suddenly he became bored, so he simply gave up the game.
"Yes." Lu Haowen clasped his hands together, obviously having no reason to deny. "But I am not the only one who is worried. There have been rumors everywhere in the court these days, causing unrest in the court and the public... For example, the Honglu Temple has repeatedly summoned Xixia envoy Gao Shouyi and severely reprimanded him; the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War have also been very obvious in transporting food and fodder to the west and dispatching military supplies; the reports in the court reports are getting more and more severe day by day... Although those people in the cabinet have nothing to do with the secrets of the court, each family has their own connections and channels, and of course they have guessed it early on, and as the chief of the cabinet, I can't pretend to be deaf and dumb."
"Then Gongge and Lu Xianggong are worried that I will return empty-handed?" Zhao Jiu continued to look serious. "Because they are worried that Xixia's century-old foundation is deep and unshakable?"
"yes."
"But has Prime Minister Lu ever thought about this? Xixia has a century-old foundation, but the country is different now?" Zhao Jiu sat upright with his hands clasped together, shaking his head when he heard this. "In the past, what were those things in the army? Only generals could be generals, and the soldiers had no experience in battles, and no military supplies and armor? But now, among the generals needed in the court, how many of them are from generals? How many victories and defeats have the imperial camp soldiers in the court won?"
Lu Haowen remained silent.
"Let's not talk about the experience and equipment of the soldiers, just to say the most obvious thing, that a fierce general must be born from the ranks, and a prime minister must be born from the prefectures and counties..." Zhao Jiu snorted coldly, and became more and more emotional. "It's easy to say, but in times of peace, let's not talk about Zhang Rong and Li Bao, just talk about Han, Yue, Li, and Zhang, can they really become generals? Can those so-called generals really compare with these people who have been tempered by the great waves and hundreds of battles? In the early years of Jianyan, were generals still everywhere? Now, except for Liu Qi and Yang Yi, who else is still there? I said that I would use people based on their background, but that's a later story. It's precisely because these people are not allowed to be used, and it's precisely because Han, Yue, Li, and Zhang, who are poor and humble, are in a poor situation and have shown their talents, that I have this habit of using people based on their background... Prime Minister Lu, if I don't use such generals who are destined to be famous like the ancient generals, it would be a waste of their talents and the blood and energy that I have exchanged for the lives of millions of people."
Lu Haowen was silent for a moment and could only nod.
"Comparatively speaking." Zhao Jiu suddenly laughed again. "Mr. Lu, do you know the origins of the people who are in charge of the army and government in Xixia at this time?"
Although Lu Haowen knew nothing, he still had a guess: "Are they all from the royal family?"
"That's right." Zhao Jiu smiled calmly. "Li Qianshun promoted Han studies and Buddhism, but at the same time he still treated the royal family as his relatives... Not only was the leader of the army his half-brother Cha Ge, but the Weiming Anhui who was in charge of the government was also a royal family, and the most important local official, Henan Transport Envoy Li Renzhong, was also a royal family, and the other governors and chief officials of the states were either surnamed Li or Weiming... So, Mr. Lu, you don't have to persuade me anymore. Since ancient times, there have been sayings about the prosperity of founding a country and the difficulties of maintaining it. Now it is rare for our dynasty to have good generals and brave soldiers. If I don't give it a try, I will never be at ease. Moreover, if Yelu Dashi doesn't respond, I will only bluff once and then retreat directly."
"If the emperor has made up his mind, I, a retired old official, should not say anything more." Having said that, Lu Haowen could only clasp his hands and sigh. "But what if Yelu Dashi doesn't agree? I think that since Yelu Dashi wants to manage the Western Regions, whether he wants to restore the old country or gain a foothold in the Western Regions, the land of Hexi is enough to lure him... But what if he is short of troops and is afraid?"
Zhao Jiu nodded slowly: "Western Xia has a hundred-year foundation, and Yelu Dashi has only been in the Western Regions for more than a year. If he is afraid of Western Xia's foundation, it is normal... But this is not what I should think about. I can only say that I will do my best and leave the rest to fate. However, today, I have a private chat with Prime Minister Lu, and I can still say that I personally believe that this person will come."
"How do you mean?"
"Don't forget, Mr. Lu, the most powerful thing in the world is of course a tiger coming down the mountain, and the only one who can meet a tiger coming down the mountain is a dog that has lost its home!" Zhao Jiu finally laughed and sighed again. "At this time, Yelu Dashi is the same as us, that is, he has the power to come down the mountain, and he has lost his home... He knows us, and we know him."
Lu Haowen sighed first, then thought about it, but for some reason, when he thought of the momentum of the Jin people coming down the mountain, and the later loss of the Song people, all the experiences and so many characters in the meantime, he couldn't help but feel a little dazed.
"I have read the letter, Minister Hu. Do you know what your official said about us in the letter?"
It gets dark later in the west, but it will get dark eventually. Thousands of miles away, deep in the military camp next to the Gaochang Palace, Yelu Dashi, who was unaware that the New Year had already passed in Tokyo, had already recovered his clarity of mind. However, he only summoned a few trusted generals to the military camp, and then spoke to Hu Hongxiu and Yelu Yudu.
Hu Hongxiu, who had just rested for a while, shook his head seriously: "I don't know."
"Yes, how could you know such a thing?" Yelu Dashi smiled slowly, then handed the letter in his hand to Xiao Worila beside him. Just as he was about to explain clearly, for some reason, he suddenly burst into laughter under the light, laughing so hard that he bent forward and backward, clapped his hands and supported his knees, rubbed his belly, and even laughed so hard that tears came out. Everyone was confused by his laughter.
Only the tears on his face, like the armor and weapons behind him, were shining faintly in the night.
After a long while, Yelu Dashi finally recovered and revealed the answer with a smile: "Minister Hu, your emperor said in the letter that I and my Khitan warriors are all dogs that have lost their homes!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Yelu Yudu's face changed drastically, Hu Hongxiu was also slightly startled, and several Khitan generals in the tent glared at them... After all, this was too different from the temptation of dividing the Hexi land in the oral message, and the graceful words of the reed flowers in Linhuang Prefecture.
When Yelu Dashi revealed the answer to the riddle, he covered his face with his hands, raised his head and laughed uncontrollably.
But this time, he just laughed twice. Xiao Wulila, who had finished reading the letter, handed it to another person behind him, then turned to his own king and gritted his teeth:
"My lord, isn't what I said right?!"
Yelu Dashi stopped talking immediately, but he almost froze in his seat, his head still tilted upwards, his hands still covering his face.
"Your Majesty!" Xiao Wulila took a half step forward and continued to answer solemnly. "Is the Zhao Song official mocking us? Didn't they say that they were also a dog that lost their home, and they still didn't take back half of Hebei, so they were still considered a dog that lost their home? Didn't they say that only a dog that lost its home could do something that was difficult to do normally... We came from Khatun City, didn't that prove it? If we can take the land west of the river with the river as the boundary, and look at the Western Capital Datong from the Yinshan Mountains, isn't that what we are striving for?"
Yelu Dashi let go of his hands, raised his head and took a long breath, then sat down. He glanced at the taciturn Hu Hongxiu and Yelu Yudu who was abandoned by the Jin people like a gravel. He wanted to avoid saying anything else, but now he blurted out: "How could I not know the temptation of Hexi? And Lou Shi's helmet is enough to make me forget the story of Xuanhe and trust the new official of Zhao Song again... But the problem is that the century-old foundation of Western Xia can't be easily shaken even if Yinshan lost 30,000 soldiers. We only have so few soldiers. If we can't make a concerted effort, what will we do then?"
"Even if we can't win, we can still retreat to Hamil, right?" Xiao Wulila responded anxiously. "What's the big deal? It's clearly stated over there that the Zhao Song emperor will personally go to Guanzhong to dispatch a large army to attack Yan'an and Hengshan as a strategy to lure the enemy. We will attack from behind, there is no risk at all..."
"If we lose, what if the Western Region Uighurs see the situation and rebel again?" Yelu Dashi asked sternly. "We are stuck in the Hexi Passage, unable to advance or retreat. I'm afraid we will have no choice but to surrender to the Western Xia or join the Song Dynasty, right?"
Xiao Worila was speechless for a moment.
Seeing this, Yelu Dashi sighed, "Let's not talk about the land west of the Yellow River. I also want to go back to Linhuang Prefecture and see the reed flowers outside the city. Then, when I go out of the city in autumn, I will wear a plain robe and recite the poem "The reeds are green and the white dew turns to frost" by the river. In fact, when I went west this time, I had already thought that if I could establish a foundation in the Western Regions, I would definitely march eastward and attack the Jurchens together with the Song people... But that would require a hundred thousand strong soldiers to think about it. Now that the country has been lost, we are the only one left to establish the foundation of the Khitan. We have few soldiers and generals. How dare we gamble everything? Wulila, Xixia has been a country for a hundred years after all! Once we are trapped and cannot accomplish anything, and the Jurchens go to help them, we will be at a loss as to what to do?"
Xiao Worila said nothing more.
"How about driving the Western Region Uighurs to the east as the vanguard?" At this moment, Yelu Yudu, who had not had a chance to speak, suddenly interrupted. "Let's take Bilege with us to attack Xixia?"
The Khitan generals in the camp each had their own intentions, but Yelu Dashi just sat there expressionless and did not respond.
“Your Majesty, what you said actually makes sense, but have you ever thought about this: if you can’t go back today, will you be able to go back in the future?” Yelu Yudu took half a step forward and chased after him closely.
"What do you mean?" Yelu Dashi just leaned slightly in his seat and remained silent. It was Xiao Worila who stepped forward to answer on his behalf.
"I was once forced to be a stray dog by the situation, but I know that once you live under someone else's roof and have a little stability, it is difficult to have any ambition." Yelu Yu looked embarrassed and bowed his head to speak sincerely. "Even this time I fled, it was also designed and I was passively thrown out... Then I dare to ask the king and you, once you have a foothold in the Western Regions, and then you have 100,000 soldiers, and can send 70,000 to 80,000 to the east, then do you really have the courage to leave the life of wine and luminous cups, and fight with the Jurchens? Even if you two are willing, how many of your soldiers will still remember the Khitan? Will those local soldiers in the Western Regions be willing to be the vanguard for the king? And what will the relationship between the Han and the Jurchens be like at that time? Who can say for sure? King, opportunities are rare, and this matter is indeed the Han officials who invite the Khitan king, but for the Khitan, isn't it also a ray of hope that cannot be thrown away?"
Xiao Worila did not respond, but turned to look at Yelu Dashi.
But Dashi just sat there with his hand on his forehead, as if he was thinking about something.
"I fled to Western Xia, and the governor of Western Xia asked me how many soldiers I had. I said two or three hundred, but was mocked and refused. Then I could only seek the protection of the Song Dynasty." Seeing this, Yelu Yudu took another half step forward, almost passing Xiao Wulila, and came to Yelu Dashi, and then continued to ask earnestly. "Today, I am presumptuous to ask the king...how many soldiers does the king have?"
"Thirty thousand!"
Yelu Dashi suddenly spoke, staring at Hu Hongxiu who was standing motionless in the distance. "Including the newly surrendered Western Region Uighur tribes, there are only 30,000 of them at most! I want to keep some soldiers to guard Hamili!"
The generals in the camp were excited for a moment.
"It's almost the same as our officials resisting the Jurchens on Huaishang." Hu Hongxiu bowed. "Your Majesty, how are the exchanges between the Khitan and the Xixia people now?"
"It's quite frank."
"I would like to borrow an envoy to Xixia to send foreign ministers back to Lanzhou quickly through the Hexi Channel... According to the agreement, my emperor should first make a show of force to lure the enemy to the Hengshan line, and I will go to inform the emperor with 30,000 troops. If it fails, it will not work. If it succeeds, I will naturally send a large army to Hengshan. At that time, your envoy will send people and horses back here. Please don't forget the agreement of 30,000 today!" Hu Hongxiu looked at him seriously.
"Tell the emperor of Song Dynasty a message for me." Yelu Dashi suddenly smiled. "I am very satisfied with the gifts he sent, the words he brought, and the promised states and counties in Hexi... But those are just details. What touched me today is the four words 'a lost dog', because they are so appropriate!"
Hu Hongxiu rarely smiled: "Your Majesty, are you comparing yourself to Confucius? I will definitely bring you here."
After saying this, the man calmly left, but left Yelu Yudu here.
It was spring and flowers were blooming. There were still four days of holiday after the New Year's Day ceremony. But as soon as the holiday was over, on the fifth day of the first lunar month, Emperor Zhao suddenly abandoned his two concubines who were about to give birth and directly led the Imperial Camp Cavalry, part of the Imperial Camp Central Army, and the Imperial Camp Front Army that had arrived in Tokyo as early as during the New Year's Day, a total of 30,000 people, claiming to be 50,000, with Yue Fei as the chief commander, to march west to Chang'an... According to the court report, the Jin people have reached a deal with the Xixia people to cede Yan'an to Xixia... How could this be intolerable?
In response to this, the Song Dynasty would of course send its entire army westward to punish Li Qianshun and retake Yan'an.
The emperor went west to Chang'an this time and took charge of Guanzhong, precisely to use the power of the emperor to intimidate the Western Xia and demand that the Western Xia ruler Li Qianshun come to apologize to avoid an unnecessary war with the Western Xia. For this reason, Zheng Zhichang, a senior official of Goryeo who happened to be attending the New Year's Day ceremony to congratulate the Song Dynasty on its recovery of Jingdong, was invited to go with him, supposedly to use the identity of this "international friend" to negotiate with the Western Xia people.
Of course, Zheng Zhichang was extremely happy about this kind of world-famous thing.
"Is there anything else?" On Yuetai in the west of the city, Zhao Jiu, dressed in military uniform, drank the farewell wine and once again faced the ministers who came to see him off.
Everyone from Zhao Ding down looked at each other in bewilderment. How could they say anything? Today's event was originally facilitated by Emperor Zhao, including dispatching 10,000 elite troops from Yue Fei's army to this place. He did it all personally, and his attitude of using his power for his own benefit was clearly revealed.
"There is one matter that the emperor has to decide." In silence, suddenly, Minister of Rites Zhai Ruwen finally remembered something. "If the emperor is in the west, and the imperial concubine gives birth to an heir..."
"Let's not make any arrangements for the title for now." Emperor Zhao said calmly. "I'll talk about it when I come back. But I've already thought of a name... If it's a boy, he'll be called Yuan Zuo or De Zuo, and if it's a girl, she'll be called Yuan You or De You... Yuan means "original" in "original learning" and De means "virtue" in "morality"... In the name of the father, I wish the power of original learning to be with my eldest son, that's all."
These words were full of flowery meanings, and one could tell at a glance that the emperor had spoken them correctly. However, the ministers still looked at each other in bewilderment, not knowing how to respond.
In response to this, Zhao Jiu, who was so excited that he was like a middle school student, did not bother to say much. He just jumped on his horse and signaled to the densely packed row of generals on his side, namely Yue Fei, Qu Duan, Wang De, Yang Yi Zhong, Liu Qi, Liu Yan, Li Shifu, Qiao Zhongfu, Zhang Jing, Zhang Xian, Fu Xuan, Fu Qing and Yang Zaixing. Then the army protected the dragon flag and went straight west.
It is not that the Jurchens did not pay attention to the news in the official newspaper, but because of the river, there was still some time difference, and they never thought that the Song people would attach so much importance to Yan'an. Therefore, in the first month of the year, as Emperor Zhao led 50,000 elite troops (actually only 30,000), including the Imperial Camp Cavalry, the Imperial Camp Front Army, and the Imperial Camp Central Army, to the west to enter the pass for assistance, the signs of the march were visible across the river... The Jin army in Hedong, Hebei heard the news, and then the Xixia people also received the news from Hedong, and they were shocked one after another.
When the Song Dynasty sent troops, the Jin Dynasty and Western Xia were shaken, and naturally the whole world was shaken as a result.
To be honest, Wanyan Wushu was a little confused.
He just tried it out according to Qin Hui's suggestion and had some contact with the Xixia people, but in essence he still wanted to force Huo Nu and her troops to return to Hedong in this way. He never seriously thought about the issue of Yan'an's ownership.
In fact, in the past two months, His Royal Highness the King of Wei of the Great Jin Dynasty has adopted many measures and successfully brought in Wanyan Salihe and Pucha Huzhan, in this way cutting off Wanyan Huonu's arms. Then, through Wanyan Mouyan (Huonu's younger brother), he persuaded Huonu to a certain extent, and Huonu stopped the military activities on the front line in Yan'an and returned to Yan'an Prefecture... It seemed that he was about to use political means to perfectly solve the problem of the division of the Western Route Army.
At this moment, the matter between Yan'an and Western Xia had actually been thrown to the Bohai Bay by Wuzhu long ago, but all of a sudden, the emperor of the Song Dynasty led a large army into the pass for this matter, ready to lead the army in person?
To fight or not to fight?
Send or not? !
