Chapter 315: The Famous Envoy (Continued)

After a moderate spring rain, the fine sunny weather typical of the third lunar month continued to dominate the middle reaches of the Yellow River. At this time, the Imperial Majesty began digging pits with all his might at the easternmost end of the Guanzhong Plain, near Pujin and Tongzhou.

Literally digging pits.

Teams of five—two digging, one loading soil, two carrying it away—worked with great efficiency.

Besides digging pits, there were also those piling earth, tamping it, driving stakes... The west bank of the Yellow River, not just at Pujin but along the most dangerous stretch of the river around it, was all under construction.

And the Imperial Majesty was one of those responsible for digging pits.

To be fair, Zhao Jiu's move might not have been the right one. From a purely utilitarian perspective, the exemplary role played by the Son of Heaven himself working the land might not have been as effective as maintaining an air of mystery to inspire the laborers. Moreover, by doing this, he caused considerable inconvenience to many officials... If the Imperial Majesty is digging pits, what are you supposed to do?

The bureaucratic system fell into disorder, and its own efficiency took a heavy hit.

Of course, it was fortunate that Hu Yin, who was in overall charge, was used to the Imperial Majesty and knew that the reason he was doing this was likely just boredom... So he had long since obtained a clear imperial decree, ordering everyone to proceed in an orderly fashion and not to imitate him without permission.

Of course, the accompanying jinshi officials would still record this act, and in a few days, the official gazette would certainly publish in Dongjing how the Imperial Majesty had 'stirred the fighting spirit in the hearts of his subjects.'

But returning to the present, after Zhao Jiu had been digging pits for several days straight, Hu Yin thought it over and finally decided to try to dissuade the Imperial Majesty once more.

"It's not that I have nothing to do," Zhao Jiu said, leaning on an iron shovel while standing in the pit, facing Hu Yin, the Fiscal Commissioner for the Five Circuits West of the Pass, who stood at the edge of the pit with his hands clasped in salute. "But after thinking it over, I feel that the only thing I, as the Son of Heaven, can do right now is dig pits and build ramparts."

This action did not cause too much chaos because, at the same time, the one partnering with the Imperial Majesty in digging was Yang Yizhong, the Commander of the Imperial Personal Guard; Liu Yan was loading soil; and Zhai Biao and Wang Zhongfu were carrying it away... The work teams arranged around them were also all from the Imperial Personal Guard.

Hu Yin turned his head to look at the Stork Tower on the opposite bank. He had intended to use the awkward position of civil officials like Lu Benzhong and Zheng Zhichang as a reason to dissuade him, but for some reason, he once again chose to remain silent and bowed as he withdrew.

The reason was simple: Hu Mingzhong was very clear that what the Imperial Majesty said was absolutely correct.

This scheme was, first and foremost, an unexpected stratagem... The Jurchens and Tanguts, unaware of the existence of Yelu Dashi, no matter how clever, cautious, or serious they were, would still fall into the big pit the Imperial Majesty had dug for them.

It was a bit of an unworthy victory, yet it could also be called a kind of higher-level strategy, one even more frustrating than an open conspiracy.

Secondly, in this scheme, the vast majority of people had only been playing a certain role and performing a certain function up to now. Unless the situation suddenly changed, it was hard for them to have any breakthrough performance... The Imperial Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, along with the hundred thousand able-bodied men conscripted from both banks of the Wei River after the spring plowing, were responsible for bluffing; Wu Jie and his Rear Army of the Imperial Encampment, along with Han Shizhong, were responsible for seizing Hengshan and Yan'an; Li Yanxian needed no further elaboration... These people, in theory, could all act freely, but to ensure the stability of the plan, most of them still maintained restraint according to the Imperial Majesty's requirements.

Even Zhao Jiu himself was no exception.

After the Imperial Majesty successfully intimidated the Jin army on the opposite bank with a hundred thousand laborers and a few thousand Imperial Personal Guards, the only practical measure left was to dig pits here... dig pits endlessly... This was a necessary precaution, and also the most powerful supplement for Tongzhou, which only had twenty thousand troops of the Left Army of the Imperial Encampment and a few thousand Imperial Personal Guards, with the rest being local militias, archers, and laborers.

In fact, both Zhao Jiu and Hu Yin knew full well that even the previous scheme, using Zheng Zhichang as a Jiang Gan to reverse the stolen letter, was somewhat superfluous. There was no helping it—when real frontline information was limited by geography, they felt uneasy if they didn't do something while anxiously waiting for results.

Just like now, the Imperial Majesty felt uncomfortable if he wasn't digging pits, and Hu Yin clearly realized this as well.

Moreover, they both knew that at this very moment, the only one who could truly decide the overall situation was Yue Fei... Everyone was a tool, but tools and tools were different. Yue Fei and the thirty thousand troops on the westernmost front had the widest range of choices and the greatest decision-making power; they were the most important role in determining the direction of the overall situation.

In comparison, even for the crucial Pinglu in Shanzhou, isolated north of the Yellow River, Zhao Jiu had prepared to abandon it and had given clear instructions to Li Yanxian when passing through Shanzhou on his way into the Pass.

"Your Majesty."

Only a moment later, Hu Yin returned. "An urgent military dispatch has arrived at the central command..."

Zhao Jiu stopped digging and looked at Hu Mingzhong, who was again standing at the edge of the pit, momentarily puzzled.

Even Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan stopped their movements simultaneously... because this was strange. For military intelligence, whether internal or external, the Imperial Encampment channel should have been faster.

Unless it was the result of a large-scale battle that couldn't be concealed and didn't need to be avoided or hidden.

"Military Governor Li of Shanzhou has reported a victory via a public dispatch," Hu Yin said, naturally not engaging in any mystification. "His subordinate commanders Niu Gao and Dong Xian, in conjunction with forces under the Northern Circuit Superintendent Ma Kuo, set an ambush between Mount Zhongtiao and Mount Wulong, heavily defeating the Jin army's Wanhu Wanyan Tuhesu, beheading over a thousand... Tuhesu fled in defeat to Xie County."

Zhao Jiu perked up slightly. A thousand heads was certainly not a huge victory, and as the only Imperial Encampment army group that hadn't been completely reorganized, with the clear involvement of the more complex Taihang volunteer forces, the number of heads in this battle was likely somewhat inflated. But regardless, the fact that Tuhesu's advance was blocked was undeniable.

And this also meant... besides digging pits, Zhao Jiu probably really had nothing else to do.

"Send an order for commendation," Zhao Jiu said, leaning on his shovel and thinking. "A grand, public commendation. Write a letter to the opposite side, taunting Jin Wushu... Tomorrow morning, hang Qu Duan's banner behind the main camp. He's with the cavalry and should have arrived by now. After another ten days, then hang Yue Fei's banner."

Hu Yin immediately clasped his hands in salute, then took his leave again.

In the end, it all still depended on the western front.

Speaking of which, considering the speed of message transmission, the distance from Tongzhou to Yue Fei's actual station at Deshun Army at this time, the two-thousand-li-long Hexi Corridor, and the reply from the Khitan envoy mission that had already been dispatched back in late February or early March, some things, though not yet known, had clearly already become a foregone conclusion.

But without a doubt, the Imperial Majesty would absolutely not be the first to know.

"Military Governor Yue."

Inside Zhong'an Fort, south of Haoshuichuan in Deshun Army territory, urged on by the gazes of several seated military officers, Liu Qi, the Deputy Commander of the Cavalry of the Imperial Encampment, finally spoke to the general with the mismatched eyes seated in the place of honor. "I believe we can move!"

"How so?" Yue Fei sat upright in the first seat, his expression unchanged, his posture unmoving, as he asked directly in return.

"Judging by the timing, Yelu Dashi should have set out with his troops at least half a month ago."

Liu Qi replied seriously, his reasoning clear and orderly: "The Hexi Corridor has six prefectures—Shazhou, Guazhou, Ganzhou, Suzhou, Liangzhou, and Zhuoluo and the Southern Army Division (north of Lanzhou, with Song and Western Xia separated by the Yellow River)—stretching two thousand li. According to intelligence, Yelu Dashi's thirty thousand troops are mostly cavalry, and even their logistics rely on large numbers of camels. If things go smoothly... and there's no reason they shouldn't... by now they should have advanced nine hundred to over a thousand li, and at least captured Suzhou, threatening Ganzhou."

"And Ganzhou is the seat of the Western Xia's Hexi Military Command, where their main forces in Hexi are stationed... I venture to guess that by now, Yelu Dashi should be at Ganzhou—either victorious or still fighting. But how could those troops in Ganzhou, caught by surprise, possibly be a match for thirty thousand Khitan troops? It's more than likely that Yelu Dashi is close to succeeding."

"And once Ganzhou is taken, crossing Yanzhi Mountain, it's on to Liangzhou... Military Governor Yue, our thirty thousand troops are only half cavalry; our speed simply can't match the Khitans. If we don't move now, I'm afraid we won't be able to take Zhuoluo City and secure Lanzhou. If we can't secure Lanzhou, how can we ensure the Khitans go north instead of east? You must understand, the Khitans are wolves with wild ambitions; they're not easy to deal with either."

Yue Fei finally nodded slightly, but still did not say a word.

"It's not just about guarding against the Khitans; it's also about lending them a hand," Zhang Jing, a veteran general of the Western Army and Commander of the Central Army of the Imperial Encampment, chimed in at the right moment. "According to the secret orders you, Commander Qu, Deputy Commander Liu, and Deputy Commander Wang transmitted five days ago, our primary task is still to open up the Hexi Corridor and link up with the Khitans... Regardless, helping Yelu Dashi win in Hexi is the prerequisite for considering other matters... Going into battle now to attack Zhuoluo City is also meant to block Western Xia reinforcements from heading west."

From his words, it was clear that Yue, Qu, Wang, and Liu had only conveyed their operational intent to commanders at the Vice Prefect level five days earlier.

After hearing Zhang Jing's words, Yue Fei turned his head to look at a man standing by the window and finally spoke: "Commander Qu, what is your view?"

Qu Duan, standing with his hands behind his back looking out the window, turned his head back and let out a scornful laugh: "What does Military Governor Yue want me to look at?"

"Naturally, I want to hear whether the words of Generals Liu and Zhang are sound," Yue Fei replied sincerely. "I am the commander for this battle, but I am not a man from west of the Pass. I cannot match any of you in knowledge of the geography, customs, and local conditions here. I am precisely seeking Commander Qu's judgment."

"There's nothing to judge," Qu Duan said, still sneering with his hands behind his back. "What Liu Er and Old Zhang said is reasonable, of course. But the Western Army veterans are eager for merit and full of private motives. Liu Er is desperate to get his elder brother back; Old Zhang has a large family and wants to accumulate merit to promote his juniors, so his family can produce two more commanders... How could these things be hidden from the Military Governor? In the end, the situation is what it is. If the Military Governor wants to send out troops, then send them; you don't need me to beat the drum for you. If you have a plan in mind and don't want to move, just say so directly, and I'll curse a few times on your behalf."

"There's nothing to judge." Qu Duan still stood with his hands behind his back, sneering coldly. "What Liu Er and Old Zhang said certainly has its reasoning, but the soldiers of Guanshi are eager for merit and full of selfish motives. Liu Er is desperate to fish his own boss back, Old Zhang has a large family and wants to accumulate achievements to promote his juniors, so his own household can produce two more Commanders... How could any of this be hidden from the Military Governor? In the end, the situation is just like this. If the Military Governor wants to deploy troops, then deploy troops—there's no need for me to beat the drum for you. If you have your own calculations and don't want to send troops, just say so directly, and I'll curse a few times on your behalf."

Yue Fei was silent for a moment as well before asking again: "If we move out from here with the entire army heading for Zhuoluo City (north of Lanzhou), how long will it take?"

"With the cavalry as the vanguard, taking the main road around Qinzhou, we can reach Lanzhou in seven days..." Qu Duan blurted out.

"I said the entire army," Yue Fei reminded him.

"If the cavalry and infantry are separated, the cavalry taking the main road around Qinzhou and the infantry crossing Mount Quwu to go through Huizhou, it would naturally be based on the slower infantry... About ten days, and we can launch a joint attack on Zhuoluo City," Qu Duan answered seriously.

"The cavalry and infantry cannot be separated," Yue Fei reminded him again. "If they move together, how long will it take?"

"Naturally, it would also be ten days," Qu Duan finally said, somewhat sheepishly. "Crossing Mount Quwu to go through Huizhou."

"What if we go directly north from Huizhou?" Yue Fei asked again.

"To take the Xishou Baotai Army Division?" Qu Da became completely serious, and the other generals in the fort also grew solemn.

"Take the Xishou Baotai Army Command?" Qu Da became completely serious, and the other generals in the fortress also grew solemn.

"Not bad."

"Seven or eight days will do." Qu Duan replied seriously. "But Military Governor Yue, I must speak plainly with you. The position of the Xishou Baotai Army Command is special... It is indeed the southwestern gateway to Xingqing Prefecture, but the terrain is complex. To the north and west is the Yellow River, and the four corners of the command are all surrounded by mountains: Lingbo Mountain to the northwest, Roulang Mountain to the southwest, Weijing Mountain to the northeast, and Shaniuling to the southeast. You are not from west of the Pass, so you don't know the dangers here... If the Western Xia put three thousand men here, they can hold off thirty thousand of our elite troops. That is precisely why the Western Xia set up a military command here."

"But if we can seize this opportunity," Yue Fei narrowed his eyes in reply, "we can grasp one gateway to Xingqing Prefecture. When Yelu Dashi reaches Hexi, we can emerge from here and advance north with the Khitans along the river, and then Xingqing Prefecture will have no further hope..."

"The reasoning is sound." Qu Duan nodded frankly. "But what if we cannot take it quickly? Military Governor Yue, I am not saying we should not go for it. Not at all. To be honest with you, I have also had this thought in recent days. But I fear that if we cannot take it swiftly, we will only labor in vain for the Khitans' benefit... If I were Yelu Dashi, arriving in the Hexi region and seeing you, Governor, hard-pressed in battle across the Yellow River, why wouldn't I simply take the opportunity to follow the Hexi straight down and strike at Xingqing Prefecture? We cannot let the Khitans reap all the advantages in this campaign. So it is best to go take Zhuoluo City and seize a stretch of land west of the Yellow River."

Yue Fei slowly shook his head: "Commander Qu, let me ask you—if we arrive at the walls of Zhuoluo City ten days from now, and find Khitan banners flying atop the city, what then?"

Qu Duan was finally struck speechless.

To be sure, in this entire military council, only two men truly held the power of decision... one was Yue Fei, and the other was Qu Duan.

Yue Fei's authority came from his official rank and status, from the central court and the Emperor; Qu Duan's authority came from his twenty years of experience in the Western Army and his position as Commander-in-Chief... As for the rest, including Wang De, Liu Qi, and Li Master, they were simply not in the same league before these two men.

Thus, once Yue Fei had stumped Qu Duan, matters finally became simple.

"Is Yelu Dashi that formidable?" Qu Duan was stunned for a long while before asking in return. "He'll reach Lanzhou in ten days? Penetrate two thousand li in less than thirty days?"

"I don't know." Yue Fei replied frankly. "But as Commander Qu said earlier, at this moment any argument can sound reasonable... Fast or slow; good or bad—we must keep it all in mind... The Emperor has entrusted this situation to us, granting us the authority to make on-the-spot decisions. We must have a clear picture in our minds."

With that, Yue Fei finally stood up: "To be honest with you all, I have made up my mind. We will set out immediately. But for this campaign, I have three principles that you must all keep firmly in mind... First, cavalry and infantry must not be separated; the entire army must act as one, with orders strictly obeyed and no fear of sacrifice. Only then can we avoid showing military vulnerabilities when facing the Tanguts or even the Khitans, preventing them from exploiting us and losing the overall situation. Only then can we seize the opportune moment and strike with precision. Second, we will march through Huizhou, sending out continuous scout patrols. If Yelu Dashi's advance is thwarted, we will naturally launch a pincer attack toward Zhuoluo City, or even Liangzhou, to ensure the Hexi corridor is opened, living up to the Emperor's original intent. Third, if Yelu Dashi advances with extreme speed, we must also have the courage to face difficulties and seize the initiative from him... Commander Qu, do you have anything to add?"

Qu Duan and the other generals were silent for a long time, but in the end, Qu Duan nodded heavily: "We will follow Military Governor Yue's words!"

Yue Fei merely nodded this time, but said nothing further.

With the decision made here, the Song army had no further doubts. That same noon, at Desheng Stockade north of Haoshuichuan, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard Cavalry Li Master led three thousand Fan cavalry ahead, spreading out almost entirely as guides and scouts. In the afternoon, Qu Duan and Liu Qi led the remaining Imperial Guard Cavalry northward. Yue Fei personally raised the imperial gift banner reading "Loyalty to Serve the Country," supervising the central army as it advanced northwest under cavalry cover. This force numbered about eighteen thousand battle-ready soldiers and six thousand civilian laborers. At the same time, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard Central Army Wang De also set out with six thousand infantry, departing from the more southerly Jingbian Stockade, deliberately deviating nearly forty li from the central army as a reserve and support force.

However, the army marched westward for three consecutive days without yet exiting the Quwu Mountain passage. Suddenly, one day, Li Master's Fan cavalry captured a man who claimed to be a subordinate of Hu Hongxiu, Vice Minister of War of the Great Song, bearing critical military intelligence.

The army dared not be negligent. That evening, the man was hastily brought before Li Master. Seeing him, Li Master was shocked and likewise dared not delay, personally escorting him that night to the nearest tent of Qu Duan.

Qu Duan, upon seeing the man, was also shaken. He then, with a few personal guards, personally brought the man that very night to the central army headquarters to see the commander-in-chief, Yue Fei.

Even Yue Fei, upon seeing the man, treated him with great solemnity, directly cupping his hands in salute within the tent and addressing him as Vice Minister:

"Vice Minister Hu! Vice Minister Hu, why are you here?"

"I guessed that the imperial army would surely come this way, so I specifically crossed the mountains to get here." Hu Hongxiu, his face covered in dust, his head shaved, and even smeared with mutton fat that carried a rancid smell, no longer hesitated upon seeing Yue Fei and spoke directly. "Military Governor Yue, do not go to Zhuoluo City, nor to the Xishou Baotai Army Command to the north..."

"What do you mean?" Yue Fei asked solemnly.

"Yelu Dashi is truly remarkable. At the same time I was returning east, he sent his general Yelu Yanshan racing back to Kedun City. Using Kedun City as collateral, he promised many treasures and contacted the Mongol tribes south of the Gobi, who first came via the Yin Mountains as a feint. Li Qianshun initially did not take the Mongols seriously. But when Yelu Dashi's main army set out, advancing east from Shazhou as if through uninhabited land, and Yelu Yanshan raised his banners in the north, Li Qianshun finally lost his composure..."

"Does Vice Minister Hu mean that Yelu Dashi's advance is so swift that if we go to Zhuoluo City now, it will already be too late?" Qu Duan asked hastily.

"Not only that." Hu Hongxiu hurriedly revealed the most critical intelligence. "After the Khitan news spread, I hid at the Gorge Mouth, which is the only route for the Western Xia to send troops to Hexi. I personally saw about twenty thousand Western Xia troops pass through the Gorge Mouth, hurrying westward. I followed behind them the whole way and discovered that five days ago, this force split in two. Several thousand headed toward the Xishou Baotai Army Command, while the remaining ten thousand or so rushed westward to reinforce Liangzhou."

Qu Duan, standing by, angrily slammed the table: "Li Qianshun's actions have completely blocked us! If the Xishou Baotai Army Command has gained several thousand more defenders, how can we take it?"

"If that's the case," Yue Fei narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this, "then why does Vice Minister Hu say Li Qianshun has lost his composure? Such actions seem like a proper response, do they not?"

"Because when I previously accompanied the Khitans to Xingqing Prefecture, I advised them to bribe the witches in the city with Western Region treasures, and I obtained a piece of information... The Western Xia had previously kept exactly twenty thousand field troops stationed at Lingzhou!" Hu Hongxiu, his head reeking of mutton fat, spoke earnestly. "I watched the troops pass through the Gorge Mouth from afar for an entire afternoon. It was roughly twenty thousand. Such a coincidence is impossible."

Qu Duan and Yue Fei both changed color. Having spent these months studying Western Xia military intelligence, they were already intimately familiar with Western Xia geography. Upon hearing this, they clearly understood Hu Hongxiu's meaning immediately.

"Since the Lingzhou troops have been dispatched, whether they were redeployed from the Yin Mountains in the north, recalled from Hengshan, or locally conscripted... it reveals a huge vulnerability!" Hu Hongxiu urged vigorously. "Military Governor Yue, Commander Qu, before the Western Xia discover us, turn east immediately! Turn back through Quwu Mountain, return to Pingxia City, then march north. While Lingzhou is empty, follow the Hulu River straight to take Xingqing Prefecture! I will serve as your guide!"

Qu Duan opened his mouth to speak but felt his heart pounding wildly, utterly unable to make a decision.

Yue Fei, however, after a moment's thought, narrowed his eyes and directly ordered the generals to assemble.

That night, the central army hastily gathered. After less than two quarters of an hour of debate, Yue and Qu made their decision. The Song army then turned back from Quwu Mountain in full force. The next day, they passed by Xi'an Prefecture without entering, heading straight for the Hulu River... On the last day of the third month, the army reassembled on the banks of the Hulu River and turned north.

By the second day of the fourth month, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard Cavalry Li Master personally led three hundred Fan cavalry to seize the Shangyi Pass at Doul Ridge, officially entering Western Xia territory... At this point, Yue Fei, the man most capable of determining the course of the war, had finally cast the dice!

"What is it?" On the same day, the Emperor Zhao was still digging pits as usual, but that night, he received another military report. This time, however, it was Liu Yan who woke him.

"Commander-in-Chief Wu has sent a fast horse from Hengshan... He says that the Western Xia Xiazhou Commander-in-Chief Weiming Heda has voluntarily contacted him, offering to serve as an internal agent." Liu Yan knelt half-kneeling by the bed, bowing his head as he presented the secret letter.

"Weiming Heda voluntarily offers?" Zhao Jiu frowned and turned over, taking the secret letter without reading it, asking directly instead. "Is Yelu Dashi that fast? Isn't it easy for Xingqing Prefecture to block the war news from Hexi? Could it be that this Wu Jie is acting on his own again, trying to fool me?"

"It's not Hexi, it's the Yin Mountains." Liu Yan replied solemnly. "According to Military Governor Wu's relay of Weiming Heda's account, the Mongols had already been harassing the northern border of Western Xia. At first, it was thought to be mere looting. But more than ten days ago, they suddenly raised Yelu Dashi's banner and proclaimed the alliance between Yelu Dashi and us, along with the situation of his advance from Hexi. Weiming Heda, being in Xiazhou, naturally learned of this quickly."

Zhao Jiu was stunned on the spot, momentarily shocked by Yelu Dashi's tactics. But after only a moment, his heart began to race... To be sure, this Zhao Song Emperor, though a waste, had been fighting for a few years. He knew full well that with Yelu Dashi's feint to the east while striking to the west, combined with the special geographical conditions of Western Xia, everyone at this moment was caught in an information gap.

From the Great Song to the Great Jin, from Western Xia to the Western Liao, from within Western Xia to within the Song army and then within the Jin court, even between the two branches of the Western Liao army—the information each side obtained was completely different.

The so-called chaos of the overall situation is what we have now, and it is precisely the time to profit from the chaos.

"Immediately reply to Wu Jinqing. You personally take a fast horse to deliver it!" After reading the secret letter and thinking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Zhao Jiu, still sitting on the bed, finally made his decision. "Tell him that I still do not understand military affairs, so today I can only once again emulate the precedent of Yaoshan and grant him full discretionary authority... On the eastern front here, he will still give the orders, and I will still follow them. Ask him to continue to act boldly!"