Chapter 309: Stray Dogs (2-in-1 Debt Repayment)

It was New Year's. Today was the fifth year of Jianyan; tomorrow would be the sixth year of Jianyan, or the second year of Jin Huangtong, or the sixth year of Zhengde of Western Xia.

On this day, Dongjingcheng was bustling with extraordinary activity... which was a given. Which household wasn't lively during New Year's? Especially in the world's largest metropolis at the time?

Moreover, the Great Song had various established precedents: a seven-day holiday for the New Year, three days before and four days after. The days before were for purchasing New Year goods, while the four days after were a unique window for "gambling purchases."

So-called "gambling purchases" meant adding an element of gambling to normal commercial transactions. This was a very common phenomenon in the Song Dynasty's marketplace. However, since gambling was inherently wrong and repeatedly banned, the authorities opened a legal period after the New Year specifically for small-scale daily consumer goods, allowing lawful gambling in the market.

Of course, commercial transactions still required tax payments, and there was also an intention to promote internal economic circulation.

However, for the Emperor, civil and military officials, nobles, and even Imperial Academy students—essentially almost everyone with a political identity in the capital—this holiday was not more comfortable than for others. Because right in the middle of the holiday, on the first day of the first month, a Grand New Year's Court Assembly had to be held.

To be fair, this Grand New Year's Court Assembly, where no official business could be discussed, was utterly uninteresting.

It was still mostly formalism. If one had to categorize it, it was better described as part of the so-called "military and sacrificial rites." And to put it bluntly, if one truly wanted internal democracy within the ruling class, the Imperial Academy's political discussions, the Public Pavilion and Secret Pavilion, plus the Provincial Secretariat system established back in Nanyang, and the recent reforms to align the names and realities of various ministries, departments, and local officials—which of these wasn't superior to this farce?

But then again, it was the Grand New Year's Court Assembly after all, a traditional political activity with a long history. Even if it was just for show, one had to put on a proper appearance.

Besides, wasn't this year about carrying forward the cause and forging ahead, about shifting from defense to offense? Moreover, the pacification of the south and the destruction of the puppet Qi were enough to lend weight to this grand assembly.

The only trouble was that after staying up for New Year's Eve, one had to attend court. This was inevitably taxing for some elderly officials. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, many experienced ministers and nobles went to bed early. If they couldn't sleep, they would rest quietly or meditate in their rooms, usually only getting up in the evening to prepare for the next day's ordeal.

"Will Your Majesty truly dine and spend New Year's at my humble home today?"

In the late afternoon, sporadic firecracker sounds could already be heard. In the rear courtyard of the Lu family's old residence, passed down for four or five generations—the foremost noble house of the current dynasty—beside a few plum trees and on a winding corridor, Lu Haowen, who held the sole position of Chief of the Public Pavilion, was leisurely holding a chess piece and making an inquiry.

Sitting opposite him was none other than the current Emperor.

"Is there any reason I cannot?" Zhao Jiu looked at the Go board before him, frowning slightly, appearing somewhat troubled, clearly at a disadvantage. "Does Minister Lu think I am joking? I even brought you chicken and fish... The chicken isn't much to look at, it was indeed bought at the market. But the fish were quite large as fry from the start, and now they are indeed usable. I had someone specially fish them out from the palace for you... Let's see if your household is still observing a vegetarian diet today?"

"Your Majesty, regarding vegetarianism..." Lu Haowen looked up and glanced at his eldest son, the newly appointed Zhongshu Sheren Lu Benzhong, who stood behind the Emperor. The latter understood and immediately began to explain.

"Vegetarianism—for poor families, it's a matter of necessity; for a family like yours, it's heresy. Preparing those vegetarian dishes is more troublesome than meat dishes, a sheer waste of manpower, nothing but pretentiousness." Zhao Jiu, hearing that it was Lu Benzhong speaking, showed no mercy and directly scolded him. "Do you really think I brought a chicken and a fish to suppress Buddhism and honor the Original School? I certainly revere Original Studies, but I wouldn't go so far as to use such trivial matters..."

The Lu father and son were both embarrassed.

After a moment, Lu Haowen placed a chess piece on the board and smiled wryly: "This old minister did not mean that. It's just that today is New Year's Eve after all. Shouldn't Your Majesty be fulfilling filial duties before the two Empresses Dowager? And what about the two Imperial Consorts..."

"I already held a family banquet during the day. This afternoon, I had someone perform a new play at Yanfu Palace—'Sun Changlao Thrice Beats the White Bone Demon,' adapted from *Miscellaneous Records of the Journey to the West's Demon Subduing*. It's a way of 'wearing colorful clothes to amuse parents,' fulfilling filial piety through another method." Zhao Jiu looked at the chessboard, slightly relaxing his brow as he picked up a piece. "As for the two Imperial Consorts, they are in such advanced stages of pregnancy. Forcing them to move about might cause premature birth, which would be troublesome. If I only visit one, or visit one first, it would inevitably cause silent resentment. So it's better for them to enjoy themselves with their families... Besides, isn't visiting and comforting the nation's old ministers during the New Year also a proper affair?"

Lu Haowen could only smile wryly, and Zhao Jiu had spoken casually without much thought... Both knew this was a way to defuse the previous awkwardness, a forced change of subject.

After a while, as the Emperor and Chief Lu exchanged several moves, Lu Benzhong went to the back courtyard gate to instruct his younger brothers, who were waiting there, about kitchen matters. When he returned and stood side by side with Yang Yizhong, the conversation between ruler and minister finally turned to some serious matters.

"What could Jin Wushu mean by this farce of confronting Huonu across the river? A mere rebellious upstart with ambitions, commanding no more than twenty thousand troops, yet Jin Wushu has been slow to strike hard?" Lu Haowen asked with a slightly serious expression. "Could he truly intend to gift Yan'an to Western Xia?"

"We are accustomed to our own ways, so naturally we cannot understand the Jurchens' thinking." The Emperor responded frankly, but his answer seemed somewhat off-topic. "Where does the Jurchen state's foundation lie? Isn't it in the twenty Wanhu of the Eastern and Western Routes, and the clans and tribes these twenty Wanhu left behind? Compared to these twenty Wanhu, territory and population are not unimportant, but for the present, they are merely appendages of those twenty Wanhu..."

At this point, the Emperor paused briefly before continuing to explain: "Here, the state is the state, the family is the family, and the military belongs to the state. Over there, on the one hand, the state and family are not separate; the Wanyan clan divides internally and then monopolizes power. On the other hand, it's somewhat like the state belonging to the military, with everything following military authority... Of course, there are Jurchens who understand reason, who know this is wrong, and who want to change it, and are changing it. But for the past twenty years, they have relied entirely on their military to swallow up vast territories, leading to the current situation. How can it be changed overnight? Therefore, regarding Yan'an, as long as you grasp this principle—that the military and the state are equally important, or rather that the military outweighs the state—many of the Jurchens' strange actions become clear at a glance."

"If that's the case, it does make some sense."

Lu Haowen seemed thoughtful, then somewhat enlightened. "So, Jin Wushu's current departure from Yanjing to inspect Hedong, from a public-minded perspective, is primarily to bring Huonu's twenty thousand troops back under state control—that is the top priority. As for his private intentions, it might also be a way for him to manage the Western Route Army and expand his influence within the military... And whether Yan'an goes to Western Xia or not, whether it should be retained, has nothing to do with anything else, but only with the outcome between him and Huonu?"

"More or less." Zhao Jiu responded casually. "It's not just about Yan'an; it also explains the Jurchens' previous actions. Once you understand that the Jurchens' state is somewhat owned by the military, or at least that the state and military are equally important, many seemingly strange things become coherent. Not to mention the Jingkang Incident, after the Battle of Yaoshan, the Jin army essentially collapsed four Wanhu from both the Eastern and Western Routes simultaneously. So, in the eyes of most of them, crossing the river again for a reckless battle would be tantamount to damaging their own foundation. Since the main army couldn't easily cross the river again, places like Jingdong and northern Shaanxi became useless items. Using them for peace negotiations became logical, and handing them over to Western Xia as bait seemed pointless. Conversely, if you cannot weaken their military strength, judging the Jurchens' decision-making based solely on strategic advances and retreats, popular sentiment, and morality is like talking to an animal—you only invite humiliation upon yourself... Of course, this argument becomes harder to make as time goes on."

Lu Haowen shook his head repeatedly, whether in disagreement or because he was thinking of something else.

"But regardless," Zhao Jiu said with a serious expression. "Whether he continues to entangle with Huonu or not, whether he hands over Yan'an or not, I don't care, and I am unwilling to give up this opportunity... Besides, the die is cast; the troops have already been transferred. If you, Chancellor Lu, wish to advise against this, there's no need to bring it up."

Lu Haowen shook his head even more, then asked another unusually strange question: "May I ask Your Majesty, why do you place such exceptional trust in Yue Fei alone?"

Zhao Jiu looked up at the other man, then turned back to glance at Yang Yizhong and Lu Benzhong standing beside him. After a brief silence, he gave an inexplicable answer: "Naturally, it's because of his background and experience."

Lu Haowen placed another piece and blurted out: "Experience is easy to understand, but background—do you mean his Hebei origin and his unwavering determination to fight the Jin?"

"That's certainly part of it, but it's not just that." Zhao Jiu looked at the chessboard before him and answered slowly. "There are plenty of refugees from Hebei. Li Qiong is one too. So why do I value Yue Fei alone? Isn't it because he also has a background as a tenant farmer?"

The atmosphere under the corridor became momentarily delicate.

"Don't doubt it. I mean exactly what you're thinking." Zhao Jiu casually placed a piece, not even looking at the reactions of those beside him. "Emperor Wu of Han promoted those who came later; I promote those from humble origins who find it easier to succeed... Just as when I promoted Zhao Ding to Chief Chancellor, it was partly because of his decades as a minor clerk. And Han Shizhong, a rogue from a ruined family in northern Shaanxi; Zhang Jun, Wu Jie, and Wang De, from respectable frontier families—they all share this aspect. Qu Duan, orphaned young; Li Qiong, a refugee from Hebei; and Li Yanxian and Li Master, local strongmen from the frontier—they also have their merits. But ultimately, none of them capture my heart as much as Yue Fei, with his background as a tenant farmer and Hebei refugee. In comparison, I deliberately suppress and cut down those military aristocratic families. Han Xiaozhou I wouldn't even use. As for your Lu family, Chancellor, with four generations of managing military and state affairs, if it weren't for that lucky coincidence at Mingdao Palace, like a blind cat catching a dead mouse, I wouldn't have even looked your way."

The Emperor's sarcastic remarks, whether intended as psychological warfare for the chess game, were certainly effective. Upon hearing this, the atmosphere under the corridor became even more peculiar. Yang Yizhong remained expressionless, while the two Lus were unavoidably embarrassed. Lu Haowen made consecutive mistakes, allowing the Emperor to gain the upper hand on the board.

"Your Majesty's meaning is that, as the ancients said, fierce generals must arise from the ranks, and chancellors must come from the provinces—is that roughly it?" After a pause, Lu Haowen spoke awkwardly while playing, trying to smooth things over. "And as for aristocratic families, how many of them know the hardships of the common people?"

"More or less, but not entirely." Zhao Jiu continued to sigh as he played rapidly. "Ultimately, what I really want to say is the word 'experience.' Even background must be attributed to experience. Just as most people are born as ignorant infants, later they become vastly different. How far they can go still depends on what experiences they have and how many. Being born into a tenant farmer's family and working hard to become a regional commander naturally means you understand the hardships of the common people, know the thoughts of the lower-ranking soldiers, and comprehend the intrigues of the middle ranks, far more than someone born into a family with four generations of high office."

"That is undeniable." Lu Haowen let out a snicker.

"Just like Yue Pengju," Zhao Jiu continued to ramble. "If he hadn't been born a tenant farmer, if he hadn't known the people's suffering, understood the supply needs of the military—that every bow and arrow is exchanged for the food from the people's mouths, and that every grain of that food is so hard-won—how could he have enforced military discipline to such an extent? Cultivated his personal virtue to such a degree? This is where Han Liangchen, Zhang Boying, Li Shaoyan, and Wu Jinqing all fall far short of him. As for Qu Da, usually unruly, but having grown up an orphan, he is second only to Yue Pengju in military discipline... Everyone says I value Qu Duan for his merit in saving my life, but if he hadn't maintained such strict discipline in northern Shaanxi and achieved peace and stability for the people across several circuits in the northwest, he wouldn't have been reinstated in the first place."

Lu Haowen's expression turned slightly serious: "Your Majesty's words are absolutely correct!"

"And the 'experience' I mentioned at the beginning doesn't just refer to Yue Pengju's experience of winning battles. It also refers to his experience of losing from Yan-Yun to Taiyuan, from Taiyuan to Xiangzhou, then all the way out of Hebei, and collapsing into the Central Plains. It's also his experience of parting ways with Wang Yan, and serving under Zhang Suo only to see Zhang Suo die in battle... Without these experiences that almost perfectly mirrored the Jin's southward advance, where would his bone-deep hatred for the Jin come from? Where would his persistence in the first two years of Jianyan come from? And where would his proper handling of military affairs this year come from?" Zhao Jiu continued to sigh. "He, Yue Fei, isn't really a reincarnated Bodhisattva, born with innate knowledge. He was simply born into troubled times. In just a few years, he experienced more than most people do in a lifetime, saw more than most people do in a lifetime. Add to that his willingness to learn, to think, and to act, plus some natural talent, and that's how he became a famous general of the nation!"

Lu Haowen couldn't help but exchange a glance with his eldest son. Even Yang Yizhong's expression shifted slightly as he looked at the Lu father and son, then fell into thought.

"In fact, I often think," Zhao Jiu, knowing full well what these people were thinking, continued to sigh. "Some things are fundamentally linked by cause and effect... Just like during the Jingkang era, when civil officials were idle and military officers were frivolous. The Two Sages, when in Shaoxing, said that if only the throne had been given to me back then. But if the 'me' of that time had faced such a situation, would I have truly been stronger than Yuansheng? To say nothing else, you, Chancellor Lu, search your heart. You were considered heavily employed in Yuansheng's court back then. But looking at your actions then from today's perspective, isn't it like watching a clown's antics, utterly ridiculous? Just like me, I can only try to avoid discussing my actions before the Huai River, because if I did, I would be in the wrong myself."

Lu Haowen across from him shook his head, unable to answer. Lu Benzhong, standing to one side, also let out a rare long sigh... because this question had a definite answer. After the Jingkang Incident, when Lu Haowen recalled his own ridiculous actions during that period, saw the nation's fate, and was then humiliated and attacked by Li Gang and others, he had almost wanted to kill himself.

Even Lu Haowen himself, three years ago in the old capital, had publicly admitted to those political mistakes. As for the Emperor's earlier actions, it could only be said that as a subject, it was not appropriate to dwell on them.

"Chancellor Lu, I know what you meant by that question. In the end, you're still worried that Western Xia's foundations are too deep to be easily taken, and you want to advise me to slow down... Am I right?" Zhao Jiu suddenly threw his pieces onto the board, then looked up and asked seriously... In truth, he had just taken full advantage of Lu Haowen's distraction, but suddenly found it all tasteless, so he simply abandoned the game.

"Yes." Lu Haowen clasped his hands in response, clearly having no reason to deny it. "But it's not just my concern. These days, there have been various opinions from all sides in the court, causing unrest both in and out of government... For instance, the Court of State Ceremonial has repeatedly summoned the Western Xia envoy Gao Shouyi, issuing stern reprimands. The Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of War have been very obviously transporting grain and dispatching military supplies to the western border. The official gazette has become harsher by the day... The people in the Public Pavilion, though not involved in core court secrets, each have their own connections and channels, so they have long since made their conjectures. As the Chief of the Public Pavilion, I cannot pretend to be deaf and dumb."

"So the Public Pavilion and you, Chancellor Lu, are both worried that I will return empty-handed?" Zhao Jiu continued, his expression serious. "Because you fear Western Xia's century-old foundations are too deep to be shaken?"

"Yes."

"But have you, Chancellor Lu, considered that while Western Xia has century-old foundations, our dynasty is also different from before?" Zhao Jiu clasped his hands and sat upright, shaking his head in response. "In the past, what were those in the military? Wasn't it that only those from military families could become generals, and the troops lacked real combat experience and sufficient military supplies and armor? But how many of the capable commanders in this court today come from military families? And how many battles, victories and defeats, have the Imperial Camp troops experienced?"

Lu Haowen remained silent.

"Not to mention the soldiers' experience and equipment, just consider the most obvious principle: 'fierce generals must arise from the ranks, and chancellors must come from the provinces,'" Zhao Jiu snorted coldly, growing more emotional. "These words are easy to say, but in times of peace, could men like Zhang Rong and Li Bao, let alone Han, Yue, Li, and Zhang, truly have become regional commanders? Can those so-called military aristocrats and scions truly compare with people who have been through such great waves sifting sand and tempered by a hundred battles? In the early years of Jianyan, weren't military aristocrats and scions spread everywhere? But now, aside from a few like Liu Qi and Yang Yizhong, who else remains? I said I judge people by their background when employing them—that's a later development. It's precisely because these people were useless and unusable, precisely because men of humble origin like Han, Yue, Li, and Zhang stood out from the crowd and showed their brilliance, that I developed this habit of judging people by their background... Chancellor Lu, with such commanders in hand, destined to be remembered through the ages like the famous generals of old, if I don't use them, I would be wasting their talents, and also wasting the blood and spirit bought with the lives of millions of our people."

Lu Haowen was silent for a moment, then could only nod.

"In comparison," Zhao Jiu suddenly laughed again. "Does Chancellor Lu know the backgrounds of those currently in charge of the military and government in Western Xia?"

Though Lu Haowen knew nothing, he still hazarded a guess: "All of them are imperial clansmen and nobles?"

"Correct." Zhao Jiu smiled frankly. "Li Qianshun, on the one hand, promotes Han learning and reveres Buddhism, but on the other hand, he still favors his clansmen... Not only is the commander of the army his half-brother Chage, but the chief minister, Weiming Anhui, is also a clansman. Among the most important local officials, the Henan Transport Commissioner Li Renzhong is also a clansman. As for the remaining prefectural defenders and chief officials, they are either surnamed Li or Weiming... So, Chancellor Lu, there's no need to advise me further. Since ancient times, the rise of a founding dynasty and the difficulties of maintaining it have always had their reasons. Now that our dynasty finally has good generals and brave soldiers, if I don't try, I will never be at ease. Besides, if Yelu Dashi does not respond, I will only make a show of force and then withdraw directly."

"If Your Majesty has made up his mind, then I, a retired old minister, should not say more." Having reached this point, Lu Haowen could only clasp his hands and sigh. "But what if Yelu Dashi does not respond? I believe that since Yelu Dashi wants to operate in the Western Regions, whether to restore his old state or establish a foothold there, the Hexi region is enough to tempt him... But what if his forces are insufficient and he is wary?"

Zhao Jiu nodded slowly: "Western Xia has century-old foundations. Yelu Dashi has only been in the Western Regions for a little over a year. If he is wary of Western Xia's foundations, that would be normal... But that is not something I should be thinking about. I can only do my best and leave the rest to fate. However, in this private conversation between ruler and minister today, I can tell you in confidence that I personally believe he will come."

"How so?"

"Has Lord Lu forgotten? The most fearsome thing under heaven is naturally a tiger descending the mountain, and the only thing that can face a tiger descending the mountain is a homeless dog!" Zhao Jiu finally laughed again and sighed. "And at this moment, Yelu Dashi and we are the same—we both have the momentum of descending the mountain and the reality of being homeless dogs... He knows us, and we know him."

Lu Haowen first sighed, then thought for a moment, but for some reason, when he thought back to the momentum of the Jin descending the mountain back then, and the reality of the Song being homeless dogs later, with all the experiences and figures in between, he couldn't help but grow somewhat dazed.

"I've finished reading the letter, Vice Minister Hu. Do you know what your Son of Heaven said about us in the letter?"

The sky darkens later in the west, but it darkens eventually. Deep in the military camp beside the Gaochang royal palace thousands of li away, Yelu Dashi, unaware that the New Year had already passed in Dongjing, had long since recovered his clarity. He summoned only a few trusted generals in the camp, then spoke exclusively to Hu Hongxiu and Yelu Yudu.

Hu Hongxiu, having rested a little, shook his head seriously: "I don't know."

"Indeed, how would such words be let known to you?" Yelu Dashi smiled slowly, then handed the letter in his hand to Xiao Wulila beside him. Just as he was about to explain, for some reason, he suddenly burst into unrestrained laughter under the lamplight—laughing so hard he bent forward and back, clapping his hands and slapping his knees, clutching his belly and rubbing it, tears streaming from his eyes, leaving everyone baffled.

Only the tears on his face, like the armor and weapons behind him, glimmered faintly in the night.

After a long while, Yelu Dashi finally recovered, then revealed the answer with a smile: "Vice Minister Hu, your Son of Heaven said in the letter that I and these Khitan warriors of mine are all homeless dogs!"

At these words, Yelu Yudu's expression changed drastically, Hu Hongxiu was slightly startled, and several Khitan generals in the tent glared angrily... After all, this was far too different from the temptation of dividing the Hexi lands in the oral message and the gentle words about the reeds outside Linhuangfu.

And Yelu Dashi, having revealed the answer, covered his face with his hands again in his seat, tilting his head back and laughing endlessly.

But this time, after only two laughs, Xiao Wulila, who had finished reading the letter, turned to face his king with gritted teeth after passing the letter to another behind him:

"Great King, is what he said wrong?!"

Yelu Dashi immediately fell silent, almost frozen in his seat, still looking upward, his hands still covering his face motionless.

"Great King!" Xiao Wulila stepped forward half a pace, continuing solemnly. "Was the Song Son of Heaven mocking us? Did he not also say that he himself had once been a homeless dog, and that with half of Hebei not yet recovered, he still counted as a homeless wretch? Did he not say that only a homeless dog can do what is ordinarily difficult... Did we not come from Keduncheng, exactly matching these words? If we can take the Great River as the boundary, seize the Hexi lands, hold the Yinshan Mountains while looking toward Xijing Datong, is that not what we have been striving for?"

Yelu Dashi let go of his hands, tilted his head back, and let out a long breath before settling down. He glanced at the tight-lipped Hu Hongxiu and Yelu Yudu, who had been discarded like gravel by the Jin. The words he had originally intended to avoid saying in front of them now came out directly: "How could I not know the temptation of the Hexi lands? And Lou Shi's helmet is enough to make me forget the Xuanhe stories and trust this new Song Son of Heaven once more... But the problem is, Western Xia has a century of foundation. Even if they lost thirty thousand troops at the Yinshan Mountains, how can they be easily shaken? We have only this many troops. If we cannot strike in one decisive blow, what then?"

"Even if we don't win, we can retreat back to Hami, can't we?" Xiao Wulila urged eagerly. "What's the problem? They made it clear—the Song Son of Heaven will personally go to Guanzhong, deploy the main army to attack Yan'an and Hengshan as a decoy, and we strike later. There's no risk at all..."

"If we don't win, and the Western Uighurs turn against us again?" Yelu Dashi asked sternly. "We'll be stuck in the Hexi corridor, unable to advance or retreat. By then, I'm afraid we'll have no choice but to surrender to Western Xia or defect to the Song."

Xiao Wulila was momentarily speechless.

Seeing this, Yelu Dashi sighed in response: "Never mind the Hexi lands—don't I also long to return to Linhuangfu, to see the reeds outside the city once more, and on an autumn day, go on a suburban feast in plain clothes and loose robes, reciting by the river: 'The reeds are green, the white dew turns to frost'? In truth, when I set out on this western campaign, I already thought: if I could establish a base in the Western Regions, I would definitely muster my troops eastward and join the Song to strike the Jurchens from both sides... But that requires a mighty army of a hundred thousand before I can even think of it. And now, with the state lost, the Khitan foundation is nothing but us—few soldiers, few generals. How dare I stake everything on one throw? Wulila, Western Xia is a state that has stood for a century! If we get bogged down and fail, and the Jurchens go to their aid, we'll be caught between a rock and a hard place. What then?"

Xiao Wulila fell silent.

"Great King, why not drive the Western Uighurs as the vanguard eastward?" At this moment, Yelu Yudu, who had not yet had a chance to speak, suddenly interjected. "Force Bielege to join in attacking Western Xia?"

The Khitan generals in the camp were each stirred, but Yelu Dashi only sat expressionless in his seat, solemn and unresponsive.

"Great King, what you said all makes sense, but have you considered: if you cannot return today, will you be able to return in the future?" Yelu Yudu stepped forward half a pace, pressing relentlessly.

"What do you mean?" Yelu Dashi leaned slightly back in his seat, still unmoved, and it was Xiao Wulila who stepped forward to respond on his behalf.

"I too was once forced by circumstances to become a homeless dog, and I know that once you live under another's roof and gain a little stability, it's hard to muster any ambition." Yelu Yudu's face was pained as he lowered his head and spoke earnestly. "Even this flight of mine was a passive expulsion after being schemed against... So let me ask the Great King and you all: once you have established a foothold in the Western Regions, raised a hundred thousand elite troops, and can send seventy or eighty thousand eastward, will you truly have the courage to leave behind a life of fine grapes, fine wine, and jade cups to fight the Jurchens to the death? Even if you two are willing, by then, how many of your troops will still remember Khitan? Will those native Western Region soldiers be willing to fight for the king? And by then, what will the situation be between the Han and the Jurchens? Who can say for sure? Great King, opportunity does not wait—this matter, though it is the Han Son of Heaven inviting the Khitan Great King, for the Khitan, is it not also a thread of life that cannot be discarded?"

Xiao Wulila did not respond but turned to look at Yelu Dashi.

But Dashi only sat in his seat, resting his hand on his forehead, appearing lost in thought.

"When I fled to Western Xia, the Western Xia border officials asked me how many troops I had. I answered two or three hundred, was mocked and rejected, and then had no choice but to seek refuge with the Great Song." Yelu Yudu stepped forward another half pace, almost passing Xiao Wulila to stand before Yelu Dashi, and continued earnestly: "Today, I take the liberty to ask the Great King one more question... How many troops does the Great King actually have?"

"Thirty thousand!"

Yelu Dashi suddenly spoke, fixing his gaze on Hu Hongxiu, who stood motionless in the distance. "Counting the newly surrendered Western Uighur tribes, a mere band of homeless dogs, at most thirty thousand can be fielded! I need to leave some troops to guard Hami!"

The generals in the camp were momentarily invigorated.

"Not much different from the forces our Son of Heaven used to resist the Jurchens on the Huai." Hu Hongxiu clasped his hands in salute. "Great King, how are relations between Khitan and Western Xia at present?"

"Still fairly open."

"I wish to borrow an envoy mission to Western Xia to speed my return to Lanzhou through the Hexi corridor... As agreed, my Son of Heaven will first strike the mountain to shake the tiger, luring the enemy toward the Hengshan line. I will go with thirty thousand to inform the Son of Heaven. If it fails, so be it. If it succeeds, naturally a great army will be sent to Hengshan. At that time, your envoy can send a fast rider back here. I pray the Great King will not forget today's pact of thirty thousand!" Hu Hongxiu replied seriously.

"Take a message back to the Great Song Son of Heaven for me." Yelu Dashi suddenly smiled. "The gifts he sent, the words he conveyed, the Hexi prefectures and counties he promised—I am very satisfied with them all... But those are trivial details. What moved me today was precisely those four words—'homeless dog'—because they fit too perfectly!"

Hu Hongxiu rarely showed a smile: "Does the Great King compare himself to Confucius? I will be sure to deliver the message."

With that, he calmly withdrew, leaving Yelu Yudu behind.

Spring warmed and flowers bloomed. After the New Year's Grand Court Assembly, there were still four days of holiday. But as soon as the holiday ended, on the fifth day of the first month, the Zhao Son of Heaven suddenly set aside his two imperial consorts, who were about to give birth, and personally led the Imperial Camp Cavalry, part of the Imperial Camp Central Army, and the Imperial Camp Vanguard Army, which had arrived in Dongjing during the New Year period—a total of thirty thousand troops, proclaimed as fifty thousand—with Yue Fei as the main general, marching west to Chang'an... According to the official gazette, the Jin had already reached a deal with Western Xia to cede Yan'an to them—how could this be tolerated?

In response, the Great Song would naturally dispatch a great army westward to call Li Qianshun to account and retake Yan'an.

And the Son of Heaven's westward journey to Chang'an this time, to take command in Guanzhong, was precisely to first intimidate Western Xia with the majesty of the Son of Heaven, demanding that Western Xia's ruler Li Qianshun come to beg forgiveness with a thorny branch on his back, so as to avoid unnecessary war with Western Xia. To this end, the Goryeo high minister Zheng Zhichang, who had coincidentally come again to attend the New Year's Grand Court Assembly to congratulate the Great Song on recovering Jingdong, was invited to accompany the expedition. It was said that this 'international friend' would be relied upon to negotiate with Western Xia.

Of course, Zheng Zhichang was utterly delighted to do something so renowned throughout the world.

"Is there anything else?" At the Yuetai west of the city, Zhao Jiu, in full military attire, drained his farewell cup and turned once more to face the assembled ministers who had come to see him off.

Zhao Ding and the others exchanged glances—what could they say? Today's affair was entirely orchestrated by the Zhao Son of Heaven himself, including the deployment of Yue Fei's ten thousand elite troops here. He had done it all personally, revealing his autocratic and self-indulgent nature.

"There is one matter that requires Your Majesty's decision." Amid the silence, Minister of Rites Zhai Ruwen suddenly recalled something. "If Your Majesty is in the west and an imperial consort gives birth to a royal heir..."

"Do not make any arrangements regarding titles for now," the Zhao Son of Heaven replied frankly. "Wait until I return to discuss it. But I have already thought of names... If it is a boy, they will be called Yuanzuo and Dezhao in order; if a girl, Yuanyou and Deyou in order... Yuan from 'original learning,' De from 'virtue'... As a father, I wish the power of original learning to be with my eldest son, that is all."

These words were flowery and unmistakably the Son of Heaven's own speech, but the ministers still exchanged glances, truly unsure how to respond.

To this, Zhao Jiu, who was rarely so stirred with fighting spirit that he suffered a bout of chuunibyou, did not bother to say more. He simply mounted his horse directly and gave a slight nod to the dense row of generals beside him—Yue Fei, Qu Duan, Wang De, Yang Yizhong, Liu Qi, Liu Yan, Li Master, Qiao Zhongfu, Zhang Jing, Zhang Xian, Fu Xuan, Fu Qing, Yang Zaixing, among others—and the great army, guarding the dragon banner, set off westward.

Now, the Jurchens had not failed to notice the news in the official gazette, but due to the barrier of the Great River, there was ultimately a time lag, and they had never imagined that the Song would place such importance on a place like Yan'an. Therefore, in the first month, as the Zhao Son of Heaven led fifty thousand elite troops (actually thirty thousand), including the Imperial Camp Cavalry, Imperial Camp Vanguard Army, and Imperial Camp Central Army, westward into the pass as reinforcements, the traces of the march were visible across the river... When the Jin forces in Hebei and Hedong heard the news, and then the Western Xia also received the news from Hedong, both were shaken in succession.

And with the Great Song deploying troops, and the Great Jin and Western Xia shaken, naturally the entire world was shaken along with them.

Frankly speaking, Wanyan Wushu was a bit bewildered.

He had only made a tentative probe following Qin Hui's suggestion, making slight contact with Western Xia, but essentially he wanted to use this method to pressure Huonu and Huonu's troops back to Hedong. He had never seriously considered the issue of Yan'an's ownership.

In fact, over these two-plus months, the Great Jin Prince of Wei had employed multiple strategies simultaneously, successfully winning over Wanyan Salihe and Pucha Huzhan, thereby cutting off Wanyan Huonu's arms. Then, through Wanyan Mouyan (Huonu's younger brother), he had to some extent swayed Huonu, who had long since ceased military activities on the Yan'an front and returned to Yan'an Prefecture... It seemed he was about to use political means to perfectly resolve the split in the western army.

At this very moment, the matter of Yan'an and Western Xia had long been tossed aside by Wushu into the Bohai Bay. But all of a sudden, the Great Song Son of Heaven was leading a great army into the pass for this very matter, preparing for a personal expedition?

Fight or not?

Give or not?!

PS: Thanks to the new leader Black But He Lin, and thanks to classmate Xia Hou Ningyuan for becoming a leader again.