Chapter 324: Chapter Seventy-Five: The Memorial

After Zhao Jiu entered Jincheng, he was basically constantly receiving military reports, memorials, and official documents.

To be honest, with Yue Fei's rendezvous with Hu Hongxiu and the subsequent fatal blow, this campaign—originally intended only to bluff and feint in order to gain control of the Hexi Corridor—had developed beyond everyone's expectations. And most of the war's participants, caught in the gaps of time, information, and distance, had fallen into confusion, chaos, doubt, and decision-making.

The reason for this was the special and complex geographical conditions of the Northwest region, especially the Western Xia territory where the battlefield was located and its surroundings.

The Yellow River made a zigzag shape here, repeatedly dividing the battlefield; and on the battlefield there were also the Hengshan, Quwu, Liupan, Helan, and Yinshan Mountains... these were all great mountain ranges capable of isolating the battlefield or greatly restricting military operations. Compared to them, the hilly and loess landforms of northern Shaanxi were hardly worth mentioning.

In addition, there were deserts—the later Mu Us, Tengger, Ulan Buh, and Kubuqi Deserts were all within the scope of this campaign. Although the seven-hundred-li vast sea east and south of Lingzhou was insignificant compared to the other great deserts, it was still wedged in a truly critical location.

Rivers, mountains, deserts, a battlefield spanning thousands of li east to west and nearly a thousand li north to south, and the complex front lines among the five powers—Song, Khitan, Jin, Mongol, and Western Xia—were enough to make anyone's head spin.

But even so, one couldn't help but ask: how had the Western Xia managed to deploy its troops so effectively amidst these deserts and mountains in the past?

The answer was simple: Western Xia controlled the Xing-Ling region, that is, the Yinchuan Plain.

Although Western Xia had a small population, its territory was still very large. Its four core areas—the Hexi Corridor, the Xing-Ling region, the seven prefectures of Hengshan, and the Houtao region at the foot of the Yinshan Mountains—formed an inverted T-shape, with the Xing-Ling region being the central connection point... From here, one could go east to Hengshan, west to Hexi, and upstream along the river to Yinshan Houtao, making transportation very convenient.

In contrast, the other three areas were separated from each other by deserts, mountains, and rivers, making travel difficult.

In fact, this was an important reason why Western Xia, though it had risen from Hengshan, quickly moved its capital after acquiring the Xing-Ling region.

And now, the force controlling the Xing-Ling region—or, more specifically, the main part of the Xing-Ling region except for Lingzhou—was none other than the Song Army.

It was precisely because Yue Fei had 'possibly' taken control of the Xing-Ling region, splitting Western Xia into three parts that were difficult to connect, that Wu Jie and other high-ranking Song officials had so quickly made up their minds to fight this battle at all costs.

Because even Hu Yin, after staring at the map for half a day, could realize that the advantage in this battle lay with us.

And this became even more apparent after Yue Fei's direction sent the battle report from Xingqing Prefecture and the news of the spoils seized at Tanliangcheng. Thanks to the accumulation of a million mu of fertile land from the Tang Canal, the Song Army's logistical burden was greatly alleviated this time.

This further strengthened the resolve of the Song high command to continue fighting.

However, fighting was one thing; how to fight next was another.

At this moment, while the Song Army was firmly seated in the Xingqing region, it also had its own blind spot: the movements of the Jin Army.

Therefore, after the loss of Xingqing Prefecture and the disappearance of Li Qianshun caused the entire Hengshan front to waver, Wu Jie, in coordination with Xiao... Zhao Heda, easily broke into the heart of Hengshan. But he stopped at Yanzhou and immediately sent a fast memorial to His Majesty Zhao, who was right there in Bao'an Army, requesting permission to turn the army east to seize Yinzhuo and Shizhou (the same name as the Jin-controlled Shizhou across the river) on the eastern end of Hengshan, in order to encircle Suide Army and Yan'an from the rear.

The memorial arrived promptly the morning after Zhao Heda left, that is, one day after Wu Jie had taken Youzhou without a fight. However, somewhat unexpectedly, after His Majesty Zhao received the memorial and read it carefully, he fell into a certain state of doubt.

"What does Wu Jinqing mean by this?" After thinking for a while, Zhao Jiu actually handed the memorial to Hu Yin... He was actually consulting Hu Yin on military matters. "He has the authority to make independent decisions. If he wants to fight, he should just fight. He was the one who seized the opportunity to break into Hengshan before. Why is he now asking me for instructions on such a matter, and wasting time at Yanzhou in the process?"

And equally unexpectedly, Hu Yin, who was publicly acknowledged—and himself admitted—to be ignorant of military affairs, after reading the memorial handed to him by His Majesty Zhao, appeared confident and immediately explained: "Let Your Majesty know, I believe this is Wu Jinqing being clever... His original intention is probably that he is unwilling to go east to help fight at Yan'an, but he finds it hard to say so directly. Otherwise, why would he gather a large army at Yanzhou without moving, and instead seek a decision from Your Majesty, who is behind him?"

"I think so too." Zhao Jiu immediately laughed. "So he himself wants to attack west towards Yanzhou, and then pursue to Lingzhou?"

"That should be the case." Hu Yin answered seriously. "But I am not versed in military affairs. I am not clear on Wu Jinqing's specific military plans; I can only guess at some of his other thoughts regarding the two paths of advancing west or taking the east..."

"Tell me in detail."

"Attacking west towards Yanzhou and Lingzhou would mean facing the main Western Xia force gathered at Lingzhou. Although this main force is at the end of its rope, it is not yet finished—a tough nut to crack. Moreover, advancing would inevitably involve coordination with Yue Fei, Qu Duan, and others... Yue Fei outranks him, and Qu Duan is his former superior... both are factors to consider. Plus, there is the vast sea between Yanzhou and Lingzhou, making an advance difficult."

"Not bad."

"As for turning back to attack Yan'an, as written in the memorial, it seems very natural. First, Yinzhuo, Shizhou, and the Right Flank Army Command are already like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring; taking them would be as easy as taking something out of one's pocket. Second, these three places can be used to encircle Yan'an and Suide Army, hold off Jinning Army, and nearly surround Huo Nu. Third, it can also guard against possible Jin reinforcements. But he..."

"But he not only failed to move quickly, he sent me such a high-sounding memorial, wasting time. Doesn't that mean he thinks the Jurchens won't come? And that Han Shizhong's proposal to attack Yan'an is not worthwhile?"

"I believe so." Hu Yin replied seriously. "Although Wu Jinqing has received Your Majesty's authorization due to his position on the front line, he is still somewhat afraid of Han Shizhong... He dares not openly refute Han Liangchen... I venture to guess that Wu Jie's private memorial will arrive this afternoon."

Memorials were public; private memorials were secret documents sent directly to the emperor through the Imperial Camp Guard system.

In fact, it was precisely because only a public memorial had arrived, and not a private one, that Zhao Jiu was puzzled.

With this thought, Zhao Jiu slowly nodded.

And before the afternoon came, at noon, Wu Jie's private memorial indeed arrived as expected. Liu Yan presented it. Already mentally prepared, Zhao Jiu glanced at it and immediately understood everything.

It turned out that Wu Jie had considered the overall situation.

First, Wu Jie believed that Huo Nu at Yan'an would probably not receive reinforcements from the main force under Jin Wushu. At the very least, since there was no major movement now, they wouldn't come.

Second, he hoped to besiege Huo Nu at Yan'an without attacking, because the Jurchens' combat power was still the strongest on the battlefield. Even if Wushu only sent a Wanhu to support, that, combined with Huo Nu's two Wanhu, would still form a very powerful battle group... They could be fought, but it wasn't necessary, because this was the only isolated Jurchen force inside the zigzag of the Yellow River. They could be forced to retreat by the overall situation.

Especially since His Majesty Zhao had left Fuzhou and come directly to Bao'an Army, passing right under Huo Nu's nose. This was like rubbing salt into the wound for Huo Nu, who had a blood feud, and it triggered another reckless attack from him.

But in reality, this attack not only exposed the fact that Huo Nu would have no more reinforcements, but also further drained the fighting spirit and strength of his unit... Once this counterattack failed, Huo Nu would have to bow to the overall situation and withdraw from northern Shaanxi.

Third, Wu Jie hoped that the main target of the next phase—whether for his own battle group of the Imperial Camp Rear Army plus the Hengshan Fan tribes, or for the entire overall situation—would be Weiming Chage at Lingzhou.

Fourth, even regarding Chage, Wu Jinqing had his own considerations: to pressure him into fighting... Specifically, to quickly control all key points in Yanzhou, completely isolating Chage. But Wu Jie's main force of the Imperial Camp Rear Army would not cross the vast sea, thereby forcing Chage to leave Lingzhou and launch an active attack on Yue Fei and Qu Duan's units across the Yellow River. The best outcome would be to lure Chage across the river, then send a light force to take Lingzhou from behind, depriving Chage of his base and causing him to collapse without a fight.

However, such a plan and actions meant he would simultaneously offend Han Shizhong, Yue Fei, Qu Duan, Wang De, and others.

Offending Han Shizhong was because of Yan'an. This Prince of Yan'an, a native of Yan'an, was currently on the Yan'an front line and had clearly advocated for attacking Yan'an in the past few days. As for the plan against Chage, it would undoubtedly put pressure on Yue Fei and Qu Duan at Xingqing Prefecture, effectively ceding the credit to the Imperial Camp Rear Army.

In the private memorial, Wu Jie clearly stated these concerns, hoping that His Majesty Zhao would continue to approve his military plan, continue to give him authority and responsibility, and back him up.

Finally, Wu Jinqing also made a reasonable inference about the main Jurchen force, which had left no trace. He believed that from the moment Li Qianshun or Chage learned of Yue Fei's appearance at Xiakou, these two political and military leaders of Western Xia would have no reason not to grasp at the Jurchen straw... The Jurchens might have learned of the possible fall of Xingqing Prefecture even earlier than the Tanguts of the various Hengshan tribes, but they certainly wouldn't know that Yelu Dashi had gone to Houtao. Therefore, at this time, the main Jurchen force might well have already gone to the strategically vital Houtao region.

The Song Army should now change from haste to slowness, and sit on the mountain to watch the tigers fight.

And this overall strategy also echoed Wu Jie's two plans for Huo Nu at Yan'an and Chage at Lingzhou.

Frankly speaking, after reading this private memorial, Zhao Jiu had two feelings: one was that the overall situation suddenly became clear, and the other was that it was just as he had expected.

The former concerned the battle situation. Wu Jie's analysis was sound, clearly explaining the three sides—Tangut, Khitan, and Jurchen—and thoroughly analyzing the two troubles the Song Army currently faced... This naturally brought immediate clarity to His Majesty Zhao, whose command stat was only 5 and who had been enduring all along.

At the same time, this pair of memorials—one public, one private—once again fully revealed Wu Jie's long-demonstrated strengths and weaknesses... This man was first-rate at sorting out, arranging, and summarizing the battlefield, but there was no doubt that he was also slick in handling affairs, sometimes overly cautious, and unwilling to take responsibility unless backed into a corner.

This time, Zhao Jiu did not consult Hu Yin, nor did he show him the private memorial... because private memorials were an open secret between him and his senior officers, with a kind of lord-vassal contract feel to them. Showing them to a civil official, even a completely trustworthy one, would be breaking the rules.

In fact, it was precisely because of the existence of private memorials that the originally chaotic military hierarchy of the Great Song high command (the rank system was no longer applicable above the commander level, facilitating upper-level control of military power) had formed a more scientific and reasonable class division within the army. The level of Controller-General had clearly stood out, forming a stable tier between commanders and field marshals.

By now, even children on the street knew that an Imperial Camp Controller-General was a truly great official, and this was the source of it.

For example, Dong Xian, who had arrived at Diaoyin Mountain in the past two days, was originally a subordinate of the two Zhais. He was notoriously greedy, and along with the wine-loving Niu Gao under Li Yanxian—or more precisely, under the two Zhais, the biggest faction under Li Yanxian—they were known as a pair of scoundrels. But this man, after performing great feats this time, when Li Yanxian asked what reward he wanted, he didn't want money or silk, but only sought the position of Controller-General. Li Yanxian didn't hesitate and, besides granting him the post, sent him directly to His Majesty Zhao's side. This was also the reason.

Returning to the matter at hand, Zhao Jiu thought for a moment and then directly issued an edict, reprimanding Wu Jie, ordering him to completely take Yanzhou and then focus on the Lingzhou matter. At the same time, he issued edicts to Han Shizhong and Wu Lin, instructing them to cautiously resist Huo Nu, and if Huo Nu withdrew, to advance appropriately, but not to launch an attack on Yan'an itself without authorization.

Finally, he sent an edict to Yue Fei... The northern passage of the old Great Wall in the area of Yanzhou, south of Lingzhou, had been opened, allowing direct travel from Hengshan to Xingqing Prefecture... instructing the latter to properly coordinate with Wu Jie.

In other words, Zhao Jiu directly and fully approved Wu Jie's plan.

This went without saying, and it had nothing to do with which of Han Shizhong, Yue Fei, or Wu Jie he trusted more. Rather, Zhao Jiu had promised Wu Jie exclusive authority back in Tongzhou, and as a man with self-awareness, he had no reason to break his word midway.

With His Majesty Zhao's edicts, the war quickly entered a new phase.

In the following days, the Song Army entered a mode of sit-in warfare... The three front-line army groups: Yue Fei recruited troops and distributed grain to win hearts and minds in Xingqing Prefecture; Wu Jie, after quickly securing Yanzhou, also recruited troops and distributed salt to win hearts and minds... the salt ponds of Yanzhou were one of the largest salt-producing areas in the Northwest; Han Shizhong and Wu Lin, having received reinforcements from Dong Xian and others along with His Majesty Zhao's edicts, began a cautious defensive counterattack.

Of course, the Zhao Emperor was also recruiting troops and buying horses… Yue Fei had grain, Wu Jie had salt, but the Zhao Emperor had a face… In the last few days of April, inside the city of Jintang in Bao'an Army, he summoned countless tribal chieftains of the Hengshan Dangxiang and surrendered officials from various Hengshan prefectures every single day.

Then, inevitably, there were all kinds of placating and consoling, as well as assignments and appointments.

It could only be said that the title of the Great Song Son of Heaven still had some use, especially for the Great Song Son of Heaven who had defeated Wanyan Loushi at Yaoshan and had now almost completely destroyed the Western Xia. And by the last two days of April, although they had not been attacked, as the chain reaction of Western Xia's collapse continued, along with Wu Jie's military presence and the Zhao Emperor's personal arrival at the Hengshan front line, the remaining Western Xia Hengshan forces in Shizhou (same name as the Jin-controlled Shizhou across the river), Yinzhou, and the Right Wing Army Command finally chose to unite and then collectively submitted a surrender document to the Zhao Emperor.

At this point, although the entire Western Xia had not yet made a statement, the various prefectures of Hengshan, which had rebelled against the Central Plains dynasty for over a hundred years, were the first to surrender completely, becoming the most secure and massive gain of this campaign so far.

And benefiting from this, Zhao Jiu finally confirmed a fact, or rather verified a judgment of Wu Jie's — the Jurchens had indeed retreated toward the Houtao region. On this side, only Wanyan Salih had led his troops into Suide, but he was strictly guarding the retreat passage at the junction of Suide and Jinning, with no intention of taking the initiative to attack. Clearly, he had received stern orders from Wanyan Wushu before setting out.

Not only that, as news of the fall of Western Xia's Xingqing Prefecture and the disappearance of Li Qianshun and his son further fermented, an unexpected yet reasonable "memorial" suddenly appeared on Zhao Jiu's desk — Zhe Keqiu of Fuzhou, which was already bordering the Song army's controlled area, submitted a plea of guilt and a request to return, hoping to go south and encircle the Jurchens to atone for his crimes.

In response, Zhao Jiu chose silence.

The reason was simple: behind Zhe Keqiu's surrender and return lay political factors that had to be considered. In this matter, politics outweighed military concerns.

Secondly, he had long since set the strategic plan to first completely destroy Western Xia while leaving the Jurchens who had crossed the river alone. There was no reason to change course now… especially since, on this day, an urgent military report arrived from the front line. Weiming Chage, Weiming Yunge, Weiming Renli, and Weiming Renzhong (Renli's elder brother, former Western Xia Henan Transport Commissioner, the highest-ranking civil official in Lingzhou at the time), after watching the opposite bank of the river being defended like an iron bucket by the Song army and falling into hesitation, and with Yanzhou completely under Song control, realized they were in a dead end according to military tactics. They finally made a joint decision to send troops across the river in an attempt to recapture Xingqing Prefecture.

The most critical battle for Western Xia was finally about to erupt, and it was exactly as Wu Jie had predicted. In response, Wu Jie did not hesitate. Following the predetermined plan, he appointed Yang Zheng, the Prefect of Huanzhou, as the vanguard to first traverse the Hengshan passage through the Hanhai Desert to take Lingzhou, while he himself led the main army behind, preparing to join forces with Yue Fei to annihilate the main Western Xia forces by the banks of the Yellow River.

To ensure that the newly surrendered Hengshan region did not cause trouble, Zhao Jiu chose to leave Hu Yin and Yang Yizhong behind in Bao'an Army to continue holding the position. He himself led Xie Yuan, Yue Chao, Liu Yan, and many attached Dangxiang Fan tribes, totaling ten thousand men, heading north. They crossed the Hengshan via the relatively safe Hongzhou area, preparing to establish his command in Youzhou. Meanwhile, Zhai Cong and Dong Xian simply went ahead, departing from Pingrong Stockade through Longzhou to circle around Yinzhou, acting as a flanking shield for the Zhao Emperor, and together with Han, Wu, Hu, and Yang, forming an encirclement to continue besieging Yan'an and forcing Hounü to withdraw.

Under such a grand situation, the matter of Zhe Keqiu was naturally temporarily put aside.

Let it be told, this day was the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month in the sixth year of the Jianyan era.

The Zhao Emperor was traveling through the Hengshan range. Seeing banners densely packed on all sides and the winding mountain path, he was filled with emotion. Countless Dangxiang Fan tribes, once the scourge of the border, were now closely guarding him. He reined in his horse and fell silent for a moment.

"Your Majesty, has inspiration for a poem struck?" Lü Benzhong asked curiously.

"Not at all." Zhao Jiu withdrew his gaze from the red banner atop the mountain peak, shook his head, and smiled wryly. "I was just wondering whether Yelu Dashi and Wanyan Wushu have met in Houtao yet? And where is Li Qianshun? As for the rise and fall of the state, the grandeur of the mountains and rivers, and the expansiveness of my mood — let me hold back for now. Once the overall situation is settled, it won't be too late to express my feelings then."

Lü Benzhong and the accompanying international friend Zheng Zhichang both suppressed the poems they had already prepared in their minds and naturally offered continuous flattery.

However, Zhao Jiu smiled wryly again and said, "But I have already thought of another matter… If we pacify Western Xia this time, the lands of Xing and Ling will inevitably need to be established as a new circuit. It will certainly be named Ningxia!"

Lü Benzhong, Zheng Zhichang, and the others looked at each other in bewilderment upon hearing this, clearly puzzled… because this name was rather crude and direct, lacking in elegance… But since the Emperor himself had personally bestowed the circuit name, they naturally, after exchanging glances, stroked their beards and nodded, praising it for a while.

But upon hearing the flattery, the Zhao Emperor merely gave a slight smile, then directly spurred his horse forward, leading that dragon banner out of the mountains and heading north toward Youzhou.

PS: Routine sacrifice. This time it's not a new book, it's the account that recommends books, "The Thirty-Six Stratagems of Book Famine." Interested classmates can go take a look; you should be able to find good books.

And then an apology. Last night my brain short-circuited. Someone gave me a box of wine, and I, knowing nothing, drank an entire bottle… I didn't feel it at the time, and then I found I couldn't control myself. Now that I'm up, I'm still dizzy.

Finally, regarding the bonus chapters, I will be continuously posting some battle maps drawn by fellow book club members recently. I've posted some before. This time I'll post a topographic map (the chapter before this one was already quite complete). Here, I thank the big shot Zhuri Jinhen for their production. Thank you for your hard work, big shots… This was originally my job.