Chapter 315

…

More than ten days later, Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi arrived again at Pingzhou; the commander of Yugu Pass, Yang Zhi, reported that the Jin emperor Wanyan Aguda had sent envoys to pay a visit.

Song Jiang dispatched messengers to Yanjing to notify Zhao Yu, and others to escort Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi to Pingzhou.

Soon after, the field headquarters assigned Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo as reception officials to travel to Pingzhou and meet Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi.

Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi handed Wanyan Aguda’s declaration of war to Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo; the letter stated:

“The Emperor of Great Jin writes to the Emperor of Great Song:

Having received your letter and heard your envoy’s words, we find your sincerity in alliance unfulfilled, and your repeated demands hard to ignore. If the two empires cannot reach mutual understanding, war becomes inevitable. If so, not only will calamity deepen, but countless lives will suffer ruin. Hence we send envoys, awaiting your honorable reply. You have sheltered the Khitan emperor and aided him in replacing his ruler, seeking to ally with Khitan against our Great Jin. Moreover, your written reply suggests further negotiation—yet you show no sign of repentance…”

Wanyan Aguda was saying this: If neither side can convince the other, Great Jin and Great Song must fight—and the victor decides. I, Wanyan Aguda, am a civilized man: before I strike, I warn you. I strike because you shield the remnants of Liao from my destruction; I have already warned you, yet you refuse to repent. I once considered your willingness to trade as grounds for peaceful discussion, but you have shown no gratitude—so do not blame me for being ruthless. I ask you once more: will you surrender Yelu Yanxi and his son, and all remnants of Liao? If you still defy reason, do not blame me for showing no mercy.

This was a clear declaration of war.

Logically, Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo should have returned immediately to Yanjing to deliver Wanyan Aguda’s war letter to Zhao Yu.

Yet Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo opened Wanyan Aguda’s letter to Zhao Yu in front of Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi.

This was, of course, Zhao Yu’s prior instruction.

In truth, Zhao Yu and his ministers had already anticipated this war between Song and Jin, and had already mobilized troops for battle.

Some conservative ministers of Great Song had urged Zhao Yu not to fight Jin, even claiming this was a Liao-Jin conflict unrelated to Great Song.

Others argued that Great Song had reclaimed Yan and Ping only by leveraging Jin’s strength, and that Wanyan Aguda had treated Zhao Yu with respect: he had married his three daughters to Zhao Yu, given him three hundred noble Jin women, and presented over three hundred Liao beauties—all implying Zhao Yu should not repay kindness with betrayal and anger this new neighbor.

Zhao Yu understood clearly: those urging him to avoid war were both conservative, unwilling to risk Song in battle, and profiting from trade with Jin, which occupied the north and brought great wealth to Song—and to themselves.

Zhao Yu ignored these short-sighted men. He knew well the Jurchens’ cunning, ferocity, and greed; unless they were severely punished, they would forever covet Song’s wealth and women—more than even Liao or Xia ever had.

Thus, Zhao Yu overruled all opposition and decided: strike one punch open, and avoid a hundred more.

Therefore, before Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo met Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi, Zhao Yu had granted them full authority to handle Jin’s challenge, without wasting time on back-and-forth envoys and letters.

After reading Wanyan Aguda’s letter, Zhao Liangsi said: “Affairs between two great states must be negotiated—why resort to such threats?”

Wu Xie replied: “Troops are already on the move—what is there to negotiate?”

Gao Qingyi tempered his tone: “If you hurry, negotiation is still possible—only surrender all Liao people under Aguda, pay tribute, and your Song ancestral temples and state may yet survive.”

Zhao Liangsi asked: “Why does your emperor speak so readily of raising arms?”

Wu Xie answered: “Troops are already moving; no negotiation remains. Great Jin now advances in two columns southward—not to slaughter civilians, but to proclaim our authority and pacify the land. Your court need only prepare for battle.”

Zhao Liangsi said: “Many agreements were made between our two courts—why now raise arms without even a warning?”

Gao Qingyi replied: “Only because your court has lost the Way.”

Ma Kuo said calmly: “War is a deadly instrument; heaven abhors it. Your Jin has seized vast Khitan lands, relying on our court’s prestige and aid. Now, abandoning past oaths and alliances, you strike first—you have courted death. And do you not realize that once war begins, when will the swords ever be sheathed?”

Wu Xie said: “If our Jin emperor feared your Song’s strength, we would not dare come to war.”

Gao Qingyi said: “The matter is settled—what use is arguing here? If your court refuses to surrender all Liao people and pay tribute, war between us is unavoidable.”

Ma Kuo replied coolly: “It seems your court listens to reckless words and regards our Song as a fallen Khitan state—but beware, you may bring great disaster upon yourselves.”

Wu Xie smiled faintly, a look of self-satisfaction on his face.

Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo saw further talk was useless—Jin was determined to fight Song—so they produced Zhao Yu’s reply to Wanyan Aguda:

“Declaration of War:

Threatening with arms is not the way of peace between two states. In the past, the Liao-Jin conflict had nothing to do with Great Song. We permitted mutual trade to ease border tensions and avoid needless war. Yet I, moved by humanity, could not bear to see lives destroyed, so I intervened to seek peace for all three states, seeking no gain for myself.

Now you accuse me of aiding Liao and seek war—do you think I dare not fight?

In ancient times, Emperor Wu of Han drove the Xiongnu into the northern deserts; Emperor Taizong of Tang subdued the Turks across ten thousand li. Though Great Song governs with benevolence, our resolve to punish those who defy us—no matter how distant—has never waned. If you persist in folly, I shall personally lead the army, raze your courts, and cleanse the land of vermin!

No more words. You want war? Then fight!

By the hand of the Emperor of Great Song.”

Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi had never expected Zhao Yu to reject Jin’s “peace” terms outright—and to have already prepared a war declaration. Clearly, Zhao Yu had long planned to fight Jin.

Wu Xie felt Zhao Yu held Great Jin in utter contempt; he grew furious and vowed to teach Zhao Yu a lesson.

Gao Qingyi sensed something was wrong. He knew Zhao Yu was not impulsive. Even if Zhao Yu were, Song’s ministers were famously cautious and war-averse—how could Song so easily decide on war? Something was amiss. Gao Qingyi frowned, silently wondering: ‘Could Song have some hidden strength that makes them so bold?’

Wu Xie paid no heed. He immediately set the date and location of battle with Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo.

…

The battlefield agreed upon by Song and Jin was the Luanhe River Valley.

Formed by tributaries from the northern foothills of the Yanshan Mountains, the valley was relatively flat and wide, capable of accommodating armies of over a million for deployment, formation, and maneuver—ideal for large-scale field warfare.

It was the essential route northward through Songting Pass and Gubeikou, linking the Liao Central Capital to the south with Yanjing; it served as the vital corridor between north and south, and the core passage from Yan into Northeast China.

The Luanhe River Valley had long been a key battleground for Liao’s southern campaigns and Song’s northern offensives. For example, during the Northern Expedition of the Yongxi era, Song’s eastern army attempted to advance north through this route toward the Liao Central Capital; Liao forces often assembled here, using the valley’s terrain for defense and offense.

The region avoided the mountainous barriers beyond Juyong Pass and lay farther north than Gubeikou, situated in the transitional zone between Yanjing and the Liao Central Capital Circuit.

Choosing this battlefield favored neither Song nor Jin.