Chapter 120

Three months had passed since news arrived from Western Xia; when the message that the Western Xia emperor had been executed reached the Jin envoys during negotiations, they erupted in fury.

Since its founding, the Great Jin had never lost a battle: first it destroyed the Liao, then captured the two Song emperors and dragged them north to the capital, and the Northern Song emperor dared not even let out a fart, let alone resist—he bowed his head and became a vassal.

Yet now, our Great Jin had been mocked like fools by barbarians of the steppe—these people had grown far too arrogant.

“Khan Nie, you must give our Great Jin a reasonable explanation for Mongolia’s unauthorized initiation of war; otherwise, our million-strong army will surely crush the entire Mongolian steppe.”

The Jin envoy glared furiously at Nie Huaishang; Nie Huaishang lifted his head, his expression calm, and replied: “Then let us fight. Bring your million-man army here. Ever since your Jin people took control of the Central Plains, you’ve periodically launched your so-called ‘reduction policy’ on the steppe, slaughtering countless innocent Mongol people. But now things are different—the Mongol people have risen. Your Great Jin no longer holds authority over us.”

“If you want war, we will fight you.”

“Good, good, good. Since you are so ungrateful, I have nothing more to say. Let me tell you—our Great Jin’s army is boundless as the ocean; compared to it, you are but a handful of sand.”

The envoy snorted coldly and strode out.

Watching the envoy leave, Commander Hu Dusi grumbled: “The Jin people are utterly arrogant. Since our Revolutionary Army was founded, we’ve swept across the steppe, shattered Western Xia, and never lost a battle. I truly don’t understand what right they have to look down on us.”

The Huhhot Municipal Secretary smiled and said: “Commander Hu Dusi, over a hundred years ago, when the Jin first rose, they dominated the world. As far as I know, only Yue Fei and Han Shizhong in the south ever gave them trouble. They’ve ruled this land for a century—arrogance is natural. But this time, they will pay dearly for it.”

Everyone in the tent agreed with these two men. Indeed, they had just split their forces and now commanded only fifty thousand troops.

From the Han revolutionary zones in Jin territory, they had learned that the Jin could mobilize at least four to five hundred thousand troops.

Four or five hundred thousand against fifty thousand—truly, an ocean drowning a handful of sand.

Yet for some reason, they felt a pang of disappointment—why had the Jin, with a million troops, sent only forty thousand?

Recall how, at the founding of the Jin, their founding emperor, Wanyan Aguda, had swept through seventy thousand Liao troops with only twenty thousand men.

Now, with fifty thousand troops, we are sweeping aside forty thousand Jin soldiers—and yet we seem inferior to Wanyan Aguda.

In the Jin court, the Jin emperor flew into a rage upon learning that Mongolia had feigned negotiations while secretly launching troops to destroy Western Xia.

“Too arrogant! Duji Sizhong, lead thirty thousand troops immediately against Mongolia. Meanwhile, I will order the garrisons at Wusha Fortress, Hengzhou, and Changzhou to assist you in exterminating them. That makes forty thousand troops. Meanwhile, Mongolia still has part of its army engaged against Western Xia—so even with their firearms, they cannot challenge our forty thousand.”

At least several tens of thousands of Mongol cavalry must be tied down fighting Western Xia—this proves the steppe’s available forces number only four or five ten thousand.

True, the Mongols’ firearms far surpass ours, but when their state was first founded, they lacked enough blacksmiths even to equip their cavalry with proper stirrups and sabers—how many such firearms could they possibly have made?

A few such firearms cannot alter the outcome when faced with a vast army of forty thousand.

“Your Majesty, this cannot be!” Wanyan Honglie cried out in panic as his father prepared to mobilize the entire nation against Mongolia.

“Father, our Great Jin still has revolutionary factions lurking, watching us. If we do not eliminate them, the day our forty thousand troops march out will be the day they rise in rebellion.”

Hearing this, Wanyan Hongxi snorted coldly: “Brother Six, you still refuse to give up, still going out of your way to smear my achievements. You want the throne for yourself, don’t you? So you can pass it to that Han bastard?”

“You—” Wanyan Honglie, enraged, glared at Wanyan Hongxi, then immediately knelt before the Jin emperor: “Father, after my grave mistake, I have no desire for the throne. But the Zhongmin School around your third brother is far too dangerous. Their organization is tightly structured—not like the old Ming Jiao or Beggar Sects. They teach literacy in villages, organize peasant associations, and every village has their guerrillas.”

“Hahahaha!” Wanyan Hongxi burst into laughter. “Did I just hear that? Village guerrillas are dangerous? Brother Six, are you trying to kill me with laughter so you can become crown prince? Father, village guerrillas will overthrow the Great Jin? These people can barely handle bandits—how could they possibly destroy our empire? Brother Six, I see you’ve grown even more delusional since your confinement.”

“Rest assured—even if you remove me, Father will never name you crown prince. The Wanyan throne will never pass into Han hands.”

“Enough, Hongxi!” The Jin emperor exploded in fury.

This Wanyan Hongxi doesn’t understand that family shame must not be aired publicly—why do you keep bringing up this humiliating matter in court? Isn’t this trampling the Jin’s dignity underfoot?

And Wanyan Honglie—my once-favorite son—now he’s an eyesore in every way. If not for the fact his mother was the woman I loved most…

I’d have imprisoned him for life and never wanted to see him again.

“Father, with war imminent, I recommend that Wu Siming, Inspector of Ji Zhou, be transferred to Hengzhou; Huangfu Qi, Inspector of Wei Zhou, to Changzhou; and Bai Yide, Inspector of Shen Zhou, to Fu Zhou. All three have delivered outstanding results during their terms—their tax revenues have doubled, and their governance has earned widespread praise. With these three in charge, our army’s logistical supplies will be secure.”

Wanyan Hongxi submitted his memorial.

The Jin emperor did not even read it—he immediately approved and praised: “I recall these three men. Not only capable administrators, but upright officials. Huangfu Qi cleared the rampant banditry in Shen Zhou within two months of taking office. Bai Yide governed Fu Zhou exceptionally well—Shen Zhou may well be the finest prefecture in our Great Jin. And Wu Siming—I’ve heard he rebuilt county schools, but to open village schools so widely? I’ve never seen the like.”

“What I admire most is that all three, as inspectors of such high rank, own only one driver. I’ve heard their clothes are patched—correct? When I summon them, I must reward them well. Frugality is virtuous, but they shouldn’t live in such poverty.”

“With these three managing the army’s logistics, I can sleep soundly.”