Chapter 967: A Strategy for the Tangut

"The Li clan has lived in Xia and Sui for generations, obedient to the court, guarding the borders and pacifying the people, with great merit. I have not even finished rewarding them—how could I possibly have any intention of seizing your fief? I sit in possession of the realm, and all within the four seas and eight directions submit to me. The Tangut multitudes are also my subjects, and I naturally will not treat them differently. Rest assured, do not entertain other thoughts. It is no easy matter to come to the Eastern Capital, and it is even less easy for ruler and minister to meet and know each other. Stay a while longer, and let me fulfill the duties of a host......"

Liu Chengyou received Li Yiyin in Wansui Hall. Looking at the old Tangut chieftain who stood below with a slightly bowed body, cautious and careful, he spoke in a magnanimous and generous tone, uttering words that did not match his true feelings.

Li Yiyin's conduct on this visit was exceptionally respectful, revealing not a trace of arrogance. He complied with everything Liu Chengyou said; when told to sit, he declined, saying he was only fit to stand and answer.

After Liu Chengyou finished speaking, Li Yiyin's tense mood relaxed somewhat. Yet upon carefully pondering the Son of Heaven's words, there was clearly still an intention to detain him, which forced him to remain vigilant. Still, at least for now, the Son of Heaven had explicitly stated he would not seize his land of Xiazhou—so it was not yet time to break relations. He could be somewhat at ease.

After Li Yiyin took his leave, Liu Chengyou also put away his hypocritical expression and murmured to himself: "Even if I have a bosom vast enough to embrace a hundred rivers and contain all things, if he wishes to turn against me, how can I raise a tiger to invite disaster? Those not of my kind must have different hearts! Those who do not pay taxes or render service to the court—how can they be my subjects?"

These words of Liu Chengyou likewise revealed his attitude toward the Dingnan Army. Attending him at his side was Lu Duoxun, who, since returning from his western mission years ago, had been continuously assigned by Liu Chengyou to handle affairs concerning the northwest.

The resettlement of border populations, the investigation of frontier conditions, the pacification of the various tribes—wherever there was anything connected to northwest military or governance, his figure was active. Before the northern campaign, Lu Duoxun was once again ordered to travel far to the northwest to liaise with all parties, and during Guo Chongwei's conscription of barbarian cavalry, he did much auxiliary work.

"What do you make of this Li Yiyin?" Liu Chengyou turned his body and asked Lu Duoxun.

In his youth, Lu Duoxun had been full of spirited ambition, passing the examinations at first attempt, with abundant talent and a sharp, intimidating edge. Yet after entering officialdom, his path had not been smooth. Liu Chengyou not only kept him down but also repeatedly tempered him. At around twenty years of age, he was sent to the Western Regions, where he spent two years enduring hardship before finally returning.

Only afterward did he gain further recognition from Liu Chengyou, who entrusted him with important matters. Even so, this was still far from his expectations. However, the tempering of these years was not wasted—he had become much more restrained and steady in demeanor. Yet the occasional flashes of cunning still proved his nature had not changed. In the court, two men were most skilled at discerning Liu Chengyou's thoughts: one was Tao Gu, and the other was Lu Duoxun.

At this moment, hearing Liu Chengyou's inquiry, Lu Duoxun dared not be negligent, but he still considered for a while, carefully observed the Emperor's expression, and only then clasped his hands and said: "Observing his conduct—cautious and careful, anxious about gain and loss—his heart must be different; he cannot be trusted! As for his voluntary offering of Xia and Sui, that is even less credible. It is merely that Governors Liu and Gao submitted memorials one after another, and he had to make some gesture, so he imitated them as a test!"

"You've quite directly passed judgment on him!" Liu Chengyou seemed somewhat surprised.

Lu Duoxun flattered: "How could such tricks of his possibly deceive Your Majesty?"

"If I had directly accepted his offer just now, taking Xia and Sui and occupying the moral high ground, what would he have done?" Liu Chengyou said.

Without hesitation, Lu Duoxun said respectfully: "Your Majesty, would this old Tangut chieftain care about such things? If Your Majesty had done as you said, it would have strengthened his resolve to turn against and resist the court!"

"Now that I have refused, will he obediently submit to the court?" Liu Chengyou said indifferently.

"Not so!" Lu Duoxun shook his head and said solemnly to Liu Chengyou: "Your Majesty, forgive your subject for speaking bluntly. The Dingnan Army, though nominally submitting to the court, in reality forms a state unto itself, difficult to unite with us. The greatest difference between it and the various southern powers is that it is rooted in the Tangut people and has been entrenched in Xia and Sui for many years—its climate has already formed. Only by using great armies to break its forces, retake its cities, and seize its people can it be pacified!"

Pausing for a moment, Lu Duoxun continued: "Moreover, your subject believes that with the court's strength, pacifying it is easy, governing it is difficult, and making it submit is even harder!"

Lu Duoxun's statement piqued Liu Chengyou's interest. He gestured to him and said: "Sit! Tell me your views!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Lu Duoxun bowed slightly, retreated to his seat and sat down. After a moment of deliberation, he spoke unhurriedly: "The development of the Tangut people in Xia and Sui, and the rise of the Tuoba Lady Li—Your Majesty already knows these well, and your subject need not elaborate. The Dingnan Army relied on the Tangut tribes, seized the opportunity to rise, and guarded its own territory. The Tuoba Lady Li, rooted in the Tangut people, though nominally claiming submission, in reality does not obey.

With the Dingnan Army's troops and strength, even relying solely on a few border armies of the northwest would suffice to seize it. However, the prefectures under its control are mostly populated by Tangut tribesmen. As long as there are those with wolfish ambitions who stir things up slightly, there will inevitably be those who rebel against their superiors.

Therefore, to pacify the Li clan in one stroke, eliminate the Tangut menace, and secure peace in the northwest, a comprehensive plan is still needed!"

Glancing at Liu Chengyou, Lu Duoxun continued: "The Tangut tribes are numerous. Besides the Tuoba Li clan that occupies the prefectures and counties, there are many more tribes that still maintain their nomadic way of life, and these people cannot be lumped together with the Dingnan Army. Your subject suggests governing them separately. If the court wishes to act, it should on one hand strike at the Dingnan Army and the Li clan, and on the other hand divide, entice, pacify, and recruit the other Tangut tribes. With this dual approach, complete success can be achieved!"

Hearing this, a slight smile appeared on Liu Chengyou's face, and his gaze at Lu Duoxun was filled with appreciation. If one spoke only of military strength, as Lu Duoxun had said, relying solely on generals like Shi Hongzhao, Wang Yansheng, and Li Wanchao would suffice to advance and occupy Xiazhou. Though the Tangut were numerous, they were not a monolithic whole; the strength of the Dingnan Army alone was truly not worth mentioning.

Yet Lu Duoxun saw through the surface to the essence. The problem of the Dingnan Army in the northwest, in its fundamental nature, was still an ethnic problem. As he had said, the Tuoba Li clan was merely one branch among the many Tangut tribes. From the time of Li Sigong onward, it had continuously grown and developed, received the court's pacification, and ultimately became the leader of all the tribes, active in this era as the representative of the Tangut people. However, to regard it as a single monolithic block would be to miss the forest for a single leaf.

Lu Duoxun's views were indeed insightful. His long-term focus and study of northwest affairs had indeed yielded something. In the original course of history, why had the Tangut been allowed to grow powerful, letting a mere Li Jiqian throw the northwest into chaos, losing the five prefectures of Xia and Sui after gaining them, and leaving the old lands of Hexi an eternal regret?

In this, there was certainly the Lady Li's century of management with deep roots, combined with Li Jiqian's cunning, as he and Li Jipeng together played both sides between Liao and Song. But more importantly, it lay in the Northern Song's own mistakes. Starting from Zhao Guangyi, it was a string of wrong moves, playing good cards badly, running themselves ragged and ending up in a sorry state—and from the very beginning, they completely underestimated the Tangut problem.

Of course, at this time, Liu Chengyou, because of the "Western Xia" reason, certainly attached importance to it. But to say he was greatly fearful of it, treating it as a major enemy—that was not quite the case. With the Great Han's current strength, if he still had to be extremely careful with it, that would be overrating the Tangut.

Nevertheless, Lu Duoxun's advice ultimately provided him with a line of thinking. Treating the Dingnan Army and the Tangut tribes as separate matters and governing them separately was a good idea.

"Specifically how?" Liu Chengyou asked again.

"For the Dingnan Army, the focus should be on reducing and controlling its military forces—that is a matter of warfare. For the Tangut tribes, use benefits to buy them over. From what your subject has observed, what the Tangut tribes rely on for survival and use to trade with the Great Han is nothing more than salt and horses, exchanged for grain, tea, wine, and cloth. Therefore, as long as the court skillfully grasps control of these, it will be enough to keep the vast majority of Tangut tribes from daring to lightly turn against the court!" Lu Duoxun spoke with confident eloquence.

His fingers habitually tapped on the table. After pondering for a while, he raised his eyes and said to Lu Duoxun: "Since this proposal was raised by you, it shall be entrusted to you to carry out. It is now high summer; when autumn cools, go again to the northwest!"

"Yes!" A slight joy appeared on Lu Duoxun's face as he accepted the order with vigor. For Lu Duoxun, northwest affairs had long been regarded as the path of his future advancement. And Liu Chengyou's words not only meant he had accepted his advice, but also effectively delegated the affairs of the Tangut tribes to him.

Liu Chengyou pondered for a while himself, then suddenly said: "Just now, observing Li Yiyin's conduct, he is clearly anxious to return home! Originally, since he came to court of his own accord, no amount of generous treatment would be excessive, and I have no intention of detaining him. However, observing his actions, hearing his words, and then listening to your advice, I no longer wish to let him return to Xiazhou! Tell me, what good strategy is there to keep him in the Eastern Capital without harming the court's reputation?"

Facing Liu Chengyou's inquiry, Lu Duoxun understood. His eyes rolled once, and he reported: "Your Majesty, your subject has no good strategy, but I do have one inferior plan!"

Seeing that he was still being coy, Liu Chengyou waved his hand: "Speak!"

Lu Duoxun said: "Your Majesty said earlier that it is rare for Li Yiyin to come to the Eastern Capital, so he should be warmly received and allowed to enjoy himself to the fullest. With Your Majesty's hospitality and the vastness of the Eastern Capital, even a year or half a year would hardly suffice to see and enjoy everything. High summer and deep winter are inconvenient for travel, and during festivals and holidays, one can celebrate together. Li Yiyin is already advanced in years; if he should also suffer some illness, he would need proper rest and care......"

When Lu Duoxun finished speaking, Liu Chengyou immediately laughed: "Back then when that Yao barbarian Qin Zaixiong came to the capital, I had people accompany him on a grand tour of the Eastern Capital. It seems for this Li Yiyin, I must be even more hospitable!"

Saying this, Liu Chengyou added leisurely: "If Li Yiyin lingers in the Eastern Capital and forgets to return, then there should not be any upheaval or turmoil within the Dingnan Army, should there......"