Chapter 326: Presenting the Rites

This battle, though the Western Xia main force resisted fiercely for a time, ultimately collapsed and ended very quickly due to insufficient strength and various subjective and objective conditions.

Among them, the Western Xia commander-in-chief Weiming Chage was killed in battle, his black yak-tail banner was captured, and when his corpse was found, it had at least seven or eight divine-arm crossbow bolts in it, his blood nearly drained dry.

The Poxi Army commander Weiming Ji was killed in battle, the Zhuosheng Army general Weiming Yu surrendered, and the Iron Eagle commander Weiming Yie led a small portion of the Iron Eagles in a breakout southward.

In response, Yue Fei merely sent several thousand light cavalry in pursuit, then ordered the entire army to clear the battlefield, preparing to rest for a day before leisurely crossing the river to take Lingzhou.

Unexpectedly, that afternoon, before the battlefield was even properly cleared, someone suddenly crossed the river from the opposite bank, representing several large Fan tribes who wished to act as internal agents and offer up Lingzhou... Qu Duan interrogated them personally, only to find the reason for the opposite bank's eagerness to surrender was extremely amusing.

It turned out that a large tribe in the city across the river had been sent over from Yanzhou in Hengshan, not originally from the Xingling area at all, so they had long been unsettled by the commotion over in Hengshan. Today, as Chage crossed the river and the Song army pressed forward in force, this unit suddenly seized control of Lingzhou's city defenses in a semi-mutinous fashion.

Weiming Renli and Weiming Yunge, left on the opposite bank, were caught off guard at the city walls and immediately fell into chaos. Seeing this, the other tribes also took the opportunity to abandon the river crossing—this was the bizarre scene Chage had witnessed that morning. Now, with the remaining tribes, aside from that one, watching Chage's main army being annihilated on the west bank with complex emotions, they finally realized the situation was hopeless and simply begged to surrender.

"Let me ask you," Qu Duan said coldly, sitting on a ridge in front of the Iron Elephant under the afternoon sun. "Since you didn't control Lingzhou city and were blocked outside the walls, how dare you tell me you want to offer up the city? Shouldn't it be the ones who actually hold the city who offer it up? Besides, since they hold the city, they naturally have the intention to submit. Tomorrow, when our army crosses the river and arrives at the city walls, they will open the gates on their own. Why do you need to be here trying to make a cheap deal?"

"To inform Commander Qu," the Fan general who had come replied hastily, flustered. "That may be so, but there is another consideration... The tribe in the city was originally the garrison commander of Yanzhou. And right now, Yang Zheng, the Prefect of Huanzhou opposite Yanzhou, has already led a light force in pursuit along the old Great Wall route north of the Hanhai. If they march day and night, they could arrive by tomorrow morning at the earliest... If Commander Qu believes these two are not connected, do you?"

Qu Duan finally narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Fan general, fluent in Chinese and skilled with words, was overjoyed at this and threw all shame aside: "Commander, the situation now is that Chage's main force is gone. Though there are twenty thousand troops on the opposite bank, they are split into three groups, all like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring... At this moment, no matter who arrives first under the Great Song's royal banner, it will be a complete harvest! If Yang Zheng gets there, all the credit across the river will go to the Imperial Guard Rear Army!"

Qu Duan let out a scornful laugh but made no reply. He simply mounted his horse and rode toward Yue Fei's banner.

Upon hearing the situation across the river, Yue Fei, though not particularly concerned with such matters, saw no reason to refuse Qu Duan, with whom he might cooperate more closely in the future—especially when Qu Duan suggested letting Wang De's unit, which had contributed the least in this battle, take the lead in this matter... He agreed on the spot, only cautioning them to act carefully and not fall into an ambush out of greed for glory.

Since Yue Fei had given him face, Qu Duan naturally reciprocated, promptly assuring him that they would cross the river for a night raid and so forth.

To skip the idle talk, and leaving aside the conclusion of the great battle and Qu Duan's eagerness to vie for the credit of taking Lingzhou that very night, let us turn to the afternoon of the last day of the fourth month. His Majesty, the Zhao Song Emperor, who did not even know a great battle had just erupted, arrived at his loyal Youzhou city after two days of dusty travel.

Suffice it to say, though Hu Yin was not there to arrange everything properly, the proactive Lu Benzhong, along with a few inner court eunuchs, managed to handle some routine affairs. Moreover, with veteran generals like Xie Yuan and Yue Chao accompanying him, and Dong Xian and Zhai Cong having already sealed off dangers to the east, the trip to Youzhou was uneventful.

As before, the Dangxiang chieftains swarmed in, and as before, the Zhao Emperor put on a show to calm their hearts.

"Your Majesty, those who arrived today are mostly tribal leaders from Yinzhou, Shizhou, and the Left Wing Army Command..." After a brief audience outside the city, as the sovereign and his ministers entered the city and just before the evening banquet began, Lu Benzhong reported solemnly. "But those who came are only second sons or elderly, retired chieftains. The men in their prime who hold power do not seem to have come."

"Why is that?" Zhao Jiu, who had just changed out of his armor into a crimson robe, frowned slightly.

"Your servant believes it is because the three areas to the east are adjacent to Suide and Jinning, where the Jin still have a multitude of ten thousand men," Lu Benzhong quickly offered the answer he had thought of. "They lack courage and foresight. So, though they have submitted their surrender documents and allowed Generals Dong and Zhai to enter their cities, they still dare not come with their entire clan to make a decision."

Zhao Jiu took the hard-winged hat from the somewhat flustered Liu Yan, put it on himself while bowing his head, and then asked in turn: "So, today seems lively, but in truth, no key figures are present?"

"That is not entirely so..." Lu Benzhong immediately mentioned a name. "Renduo Baozhong has come. He was the white-bearded old man who first led the others in bowing to Your Majesty ten li outside the city today, and then presented the camel."

After putting on the hard-winged hat, Zhao Jiu could not move his head easily, but he was still somewhat surprised: "What is special about this man? I thought he was just at the front because he was the eldest... That white camel was quite nice, docile and sturdy."

"Your Majesty," Lu Benzhong laughed involuntarily. "It is normal that Your Majesty does not know of him. In this remote backwater, what are even the most outstanding heroes of the seven prefectures in the eyes of the world? Besides, even if this man had some ability, it is a thing of the past."

Zhao Jiu began to fasten his golden belt, and Lu Benzhong continued with a brief explanation.

It turned out that the Renduo tribe was originally a major tribe in Hengshan, but it gradually became known to the world and rose to prominence only because of two men.

One was the Western Xia Hengshan Army Supervisor during the reign of Emperor Shenzong, named Renduo Weiding. This man was cunning in nature, fought many battles against the Great Song, and more often than not, it was he who plotted against the Great Song and took the initiative to attack. But as the saying goes, the good swimmer drowns, the good attacker dies in battle. On one occasion, when attacking the Huanqing circuit, he was trapped by Song forces with no way back and died without a burial place.

Yet, even so, this man's decades of maneuvering ultimately allowed the Renduo tribe to stand out and become a representative tribe among the Hengshan Fan tribes.

Hearing this, Zhao Jiu, having fastened his belt, finally smiled slightly and said: "I understand. During Emperor Shenzong's reign, the court was committed to war against Western Xia, and this man was the most important Army Supervisor on the Western Xia's Hengshan front. So his name must have been frequently mentioned in the imperial Song... Not to mention that half of this dynasty's literary brilliance lies in the Shenzong era. There were many famous men, and events of that time are often brought up, so he became famous along with them."

"That is precisely the case," Lu Benzhong replied, also relaxing.

"As for the other man, it should be this Renduo Baozhong," Zhao Jiu said, standing at a distance after finishing his attire, his expression slightly serious. "Let me guess. Though I do not know his exact relation to Renduo Weiding, judging by his age, he must have gained some renown in the battles of Emperor Zhezong's reign, enough to be recorded in the histories as a local famous general?"

"Exactly so," Lu Benzhong said, quickening his pace as he saw the Emperor was ready. "However, what made this man famous were two other matters unrelated to military affairs... One was helping Empress Dowager Xiao Liang eliminate Liang Yibu; the other was a rumor that, probably because his military authority was taken by Chage, he plotted to surrender to the imperial Song about thirty years ago. When the plot was exposed, Li Qianshun did not kill him, only dismissed him. Your servant never expected him to still be alive... Of course, such a figure is ultimately insignificant. But since he has the most seniority and presence at today's banquet, your servant came specifically to remind Your Majesty."

He sounds more like a power-hungry schemer than a general, Zhao Jiu thought to himself, but only nodded on the surface. Without a word, he glanced at Liu Yan.

Liu Yan understood and led several dozen armored soldiers out first. Lu Benzhong quickly followed. The Zhao Emperor, guarded by a dozen or so imperial attendants, paused for a moment before slowly walking out.

Outside was a hall that seemed very crude by Song standards. The hall was empty except for a few guards. Beyond the hall, the open space in the courtyard suddenly opened up. Many armored soldiers stood at the base of the walls both inside and outside, while nearly a hundred tables were neatly arranged in the open courtyard, with a little weak wine and green vegetables.

This was the former headquarters of the Western Xia Jianing Army Command in Youzhou. Next door was a temple of some unknown sect. The Zhao Emperor had chosen this temple as his temporary residence. Because the main hall was narrow and cramped, he had abandoned it entirely and set up the banquet in the courtyard, which could originally be used for mustering troops.

It was the time of year when the days were longest. Though it was called an evening banquet and it was indeed dusk, the light was still abundant. As Zhao Jiu emerged from the hall, he could see everything at a glance.

The hundred or so people in the courtyard who were qualified to attend—from the few ministers and generals accompanying him, to the Fan chieftains of Hongzhou, Longzhou, and Xiazhou who had brought their troops to Jintangcheng earlier, to the local and eastern Hengshan Fan chieftains who had first seen the Zhao Song Emperor ten li outside the city that afternoon, including the leading figure, the septuagenarian Renduo Baozhong—had all been prepared since Liu Yan and Lu Benzhong emerged. Now, seeing the Zhao Emperor in his crimson robe, they were startled, and nine out of ten knelt and kowtowed, performing the great ritual of greeting... This left a few of the accompanying civil officials, who had only bowed, somewhat embarrassed.

Of course, with no eunuchs around, the Zhao Emperor could not be bothered to put on airs. He simply waved his hand for everyone to rise and then sat down in his own seat.

The banquet then began.

But to be honest, at a banquet in the northwest, in the former territory of Western Xia, with Dangxiang people as the honored guests, and before the Emperor, composing poetry was out of the question, and drinking games were basically impossible... All the Zhao Emperor could do was speak, exchange pleasantries, and make political promises.

However, though they were political promises, regarding specific post-war arrangements—whether to relocate the Fan households inland, whether to retain the Fan troops, what treatment the Fan troops would receive, whether to give the Fan chieftains actual official posts after the dust settled, and how to restructure the administrative divisions of these areas—no one dared to ask the Emperor about these serious topics, and the Emperor himself did not bring them up.

This made the entire banquet seem rather bland and uninteresting.

Of course, with the war not yet decided, this was also understandable.

"Your Majesty."

After three rounds of wine, Renduo Baozhong, his hair and beard completely white, sitting in the front row on the right, slowly stood up with his wine cup, as if to offer a toast. Still, no one paid him any attention.

And sure enough, he first offered a toast for the Emperor's longevity, but after drinking, he did not sit down. Instead, he took the opportunity to cup his hands and request permission to speak.

"Please speak, General Renduo," Zhao Jiu said, unconcerned. Especially since his attire made it difficult for him to make any extra gestures, even if he wanted to show respect.

"Your servant was born in a barbaric land and has long admired the civilizing influence of the court. Today, I am fortunate to behold the Imperial countenance, an honor beyond measure. So, in my private heart, I have two gifts I wish to present to Your Majesty. I humbly beg Your Majesty to accept them," Renduo Baozhong said, first struggling to bend down and set down his cup, then straightening up again and bowing his head slightly. His movements were slow and sluggish, clearly due to his advanced age, not feigned decrepitude.

When this man had first stood up alone, Zhao Jiu had been slightly wary because of his reputation. But seeing this, he found it somewhat amusing. He did not show it on his face, however, and replied calmly:

"Has General Renduo not already given me that white camel? I liked it very much. How can there be more gifts?"

"Let Your Majesty know, that camel was found by the local officials. Your servant was only allowed to present it because I am old, and my hair and beard match the camel's color, making the presentation look better... This item cannot demonstrate your servant's loyalty, nor can it be considered my gift," Renduo Baozhong replied slowly. "The two gifts I speak of now are things we have privately expended great effort to prepare for Your Majesty's arduous journey."

Zhao Jiu immediately responded: "In that case, present them!"

Hearing this, Renduo Baozhong's brow relaxed slightly, and he turned to look toward the courtyard gate... At such a banquet, everyone was naturally searched, and gifts could only be brought in after inspection.

Liu Yan went down personally. Moments later, two armored soldiers followed him in. Liu Yan himself quickly returned and whispered a few words in the Emperor's ear.

Renduo Baozhong, for once, forced himself to be alert, staring fixedly at the Zhao Song Emperor's reaction. Under his unwavering gaze, the Zhao Emperor showed no surprise or discomfort upon hearing the news. Even the hard wings on his head did not tremble in the slightest... At this, Renduo Baozhong silently cursed himself for being ridiculous, then returned to normal.

The gifts were presented before the Emperor. The armored soldiers opened the containers and brought them out. One was a bloody head, the kind not even preserved with lime. As soon as this appeared, Lu Benzhong, Zheng Zhichang, and a few other civil officials turned pale. The rest, including the Zhao Emperor, showed no particular expression, at most only curiosity.

Renduo Baozhong did not keep them in suspense. He slowly stepped forward from the ranks and knelt before the head:

"Your Majesty, this is the head of Xiao Juelu... Previously, the three areas of Yinzhou, Shizhou, and the Left Wing discussed submitting to the court, but felt they had no merit to secure their position. So they came to ask this old man. I suggested they take this man's life, and be sure to present his head before Your Majesty arrived today, as a token of their sincerity... The chieftains and troops of the three areas have not yet come because they have gone to fight for Your Majesty."

Zhao Jiu rarely moved the hard wings on his hat, glancing at the pale-faced Lu Benzhong. Upon hearing these words and being looked at by the Emperor, Lu Benzhong's face turned even whiter.

"Who is Xiaoju Delu?" Zhao Jiu knew this was not the time to dwell on Lu Benzhong's incompetence in these matters, so he kept his expression unchanged and pressed on without pause.

"Reporting to Your Majesty." Renduo Baozhong continued to answer earnestly. "This man is a Tangut, but a Tangut of the Liao state, holding the post of Liao's Southwest Pacification Commissioner... A few years ago, when the Jin came south and chaos engulfed the realm, just as Generals Li Yongqi and Li Master, father and son, entered Xia from Suide, this man also led over a hundred thousand Khitan, Xi, Bohai, Mongol, and Tangut mixed barbarian commoners from Liao into Xia. The man originally disdained to surrender to Xia, so he first attacked the Zhe clan's Fengzhou and Linzhou, intending to establish himself there, but was badly defeated and fled, left with only thirty to fifty thousand Khitan mixed barbarian tribesmen. He could only rely on the connections of Xiazhou Commander Weiming Heda to submit to Li Qianshun, thereby gaining support from the Hengshan region. Only then did he gain a foothold behind Xiazhou and Yinzhou, and even captured Jianning Stockade in Linzhou as his base. Li Qianshun uses him to serve as the northeastern barrier of Western Xia, to cut off the Jin."

Meanwhile, Lu Benzhong, being a clever man, realized from hearing that this man had led over a hundred thousand former Liao subjects to flee to Western Xia. He understood then that this gift was precisely the great gift that His Majesty Zhao truly needed and could use!

The general situation of Western Xia had been roughly settled after the trio Yue, Qu, and Hu's surprise attack on Xingqing Prefecture succeeded, and Wu Jie's follow-up push into Hengshan made it impossible for the overall situation to reverse. But from here on, this battle still had much to discuss, especially how to arrange Yelu Dashi, contain Yelu Dashi, and control this ally, Yelu Dashi...

And the Liao remnants were Yelu Dashi's weak point—he had vast territory but very few people. Previously, Xiao... Zhao Heda's group had seventy to eighty thousand, and now Xiaoju Delu's group here added another thirty to fifty thousand. Together, that was enough to make Yelu Dashi humble himself. And clearly, this Renduo Baozhong, old and shrewd, had caught wind of the direction of events from Zhao Heda's expulsion, and forcibly found a substantial merit for the tribes at the eastern end of Hengshan from a position of forced surrender.

But thinking this, Lu Benzhong grew increasingly uneasy... He had come on this trip as his first serious assignment since his father retired and he himself took office, yet he was being so thoroughly outshone by a man in his seventies or eighties. It was utterly disgraceful. He wondered if, after this, His Majesty would still consider him useful.

On the other side, His Majesty Zhao naturally had no mind to care about Lu Benzhong's anxieties. Overjoyed at the realization, he showed little of it on his face, merely nodding slightly and, keeping a straight face, making a joke:

"If the first gift is a head, the second wouldn't be a map, would it?"

Renduo Baozhong was taken aback, clearly not understanding His Majesty's lowbrow joke. Not only that, but because His Majesty showed no delight, he grew somewhat apprehensive, and only replied seriously: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the second gift is not a map, but a city..."

This time it was Zhao Jiu's turn to be startled, but only for a moment before he blurted out: "Is it Lingzhou? I recall Wu Jie reported that your nephew Renduo Shitai was the garrison commander of Yanzhou, and was the first sent by Chage to Lingzhou. That's why he had Yang Zheng, who is familiar with your nephew, lead the pursuit."

"Your Majesty has hit the mark with a single word." Baozhong grew even more deferential. "Your servant and Shitai have an agreement... When Chage entered Lingzhou, he cut off all routes front and back, which is a dead end in military tactics. He couldn't even afford to delay, and had to hastily cross the river for battle. Your servant had him contact the other major tribes, and also communicate with Commanders Wu and Yue, to ensure he takes Lingzhou City for Your Majesty, and cuts off Chage's hopes."

"Won't Chage suspect your nephew?" Lu Benzhong finally could not hold back and interjected with a question. "You must know, old general, you were dismissed back then precisely because you plotted to submit to the Imperial Song."

"Let this superior official know." Baozhong turned to face him. "Although I am a recognized rebel of Western Xia, my younger brother, Shitai's own father, died at the hands of the Imperial Song. So Chage will not suspect him."

Lu Benzhong was momentarily stunned, clearly unable to wrap his head around the thinking and style of these border tribes.

Zhao Jiu, however, remained unhurried: "Then I ask you, did you communicate with your nephew before or after Chage marched west?"

Baozhong hesitated for a moment, then prostrated himself: "After... The decision to attack the Xiaoju tribe was also made after Weiming Heda was expelled."

Zhao Jiu sat upright without moving, only nodding slightly, causing the two stiff wings on his hat to tremble: "Then I ask you again, do you know what your actions here would be seen as in the eyes of the world?"

"Your servant does not understand many principles, but I can roughly guess—a turncoat." Baozhong's hair and beard were pressed against the ground, revealing a taut scalp, but his words showed no hesitation. "I imagine that if Your Majesty killed me now, the world would only say I brought it upon myself."

"Combined with your behavior in the Western Xia court back then, it's almost like a hawk staring or a wolf glancing." Zhao Jiu's expression remained unchanged. "Killing you would be no great loss... Ren Qing, I have some vague plans for the Tangut people. The specifics will have to wait until this battle is over, to be discussed with the Chancellor and the envoys."

"Yes." Renduo Baozhong did not seem to notice that His Majesty Zhao had mispronounced his surname.

"Not to mention other places, the seven prefectures of Hengshan are too cramped. I plan to roughly merge them into two prefectures, or two prefectures and one military command, depending on the later situation."

"Yes."

"As for the Tangut people, I can only tell you some definite ideas, so as not to lose your trust... First, I will not relocate you inland, but you must change your surnames and customs. Once things are settled, every Tangut tribe must adopt a Han surname. As for Li Yuanhao's policy of 'keep your hair, keep your head; lose your hair, lose your head,' I will reverse it here: keep your hair and keep your head; abandon your hair and abandon your head... The Western Xia rebellion lasted a hundred years, rooted in the Tangut's failure to become Han. In the future, I do not wish to see the Tangut identify themselves as a separate ethnic group, creating a barrier between the barbarians and the Han."

"Yes."

"The locals are skilled in battle, and half pastoral, half agricultural, most with excellent horsemanship. So I will definitely use Tangut soldiers... First, to expand the Imperial Guard cavalry. Those selected into the cavalry will be no different from regular Imperial Guard soldiers. Tribal chieftains must not prevent brave men from serving on their own. Second, I do need some auxiliary troops who know how to care for camels and war horses... But as for so-called chieftains and leaders, between the Han system and the barbarian system, I only recognize the Han system and official positions. I do not recognize any tribal chieftain status. Using that status to negotiate with me will work for now, but after this battle, it will be a path to self-destruction."

"... Understood."

"But I also know that a hundred years of blood feuds between the two states, especially here in Hengshan, which has been in rebellion for over a hundred and fifty years, and now suddenly returning to orthodoxy, with the Western Army coming to discipline you in the future, you will naturally be uneasy." Zhao Jiu finally sighed. "If there is another uprising, it would be annoying enough with its back-and-forth, but I fear that this border region might disrupt the grand plan to conquer the Jin... Ren Qing, if you have ever had any intention while idle in Hengshan, you should know that my intentions are actually very easy to guess. In a thousand words, it comes down to one sentence: for the sake of conquering the Jin and unifying the realm, I can endure anything! For this matter, I have endured powerful ministers, endured Confucian scholars, endured bureaucrats, endured the vile customs of the military, endured the division between north and south, endured the landlords, endured the monks and Daoists, endured the powerful and wealthy merchants, endured the return of the Two Emperors, and I will probably have to endure Yelu Dashi... So naturally, I can also endure you all a little!"

Renduo Baozhong kowtowed repeatedly: "The tribes of Hengshan will absolutely not hold back Your Majesty's great enterprise of conquering the Jin! I also beg Your Majesty to have a little pity for the hardships of the people of this land!"

"I pity everyone." Zhao Jiu said dismissively. "The Guanzhong region is also bitter, the Central Plains are also bitter. At the very least, you haven't experienced large-scale warfare. As for taxes, Bashu, Jiangnan, Jingxiang—each place is more bitter than the last... I remember it all! I can only promise to treat everyone equally!"

"That is enough!" Renduo Baozhong raised his head slightly.

"But you, Ren Qing, should also remember. To put it the other way, if by some chance someone really stirs up trouble and causes even a slight delay in the great enterprise of conquering the Jin, I will absolutely not tolerate it... Especially in these recent years, as the situation has improved slightly, my temper has been growing day by day. I am not as easy to deal with as before." Zhao Jiu finally gave his conclusion slowly. "In the coming days, you will stay by my side as a Palace Attendant, specifically handling matters concerning the Tangut barbarian tribes... Do you know what the position of Attendant is?"

"Your servant knows." The white-haired Renduo Baozhong, amidst his surprise and joy, also felt a sense of awe, just like Lu Benzhong, who sat nearby watching this scene in stunned silence.

As for the surrounding local officials, tribal chieftains, including the accompanying Imperial Guard officers and eunuchs, most of them were already dumbfounded, probably because the gap in their levels of understanding was too great.

Having received the two gifts, Zhao Jiu was too lazy to continue with pleasantries. He drank another cup of wine, and seeing that the sky was growing dark, he turned and went back to the neighboring temple to settle in.

And several hundred li away, as night fell, chaos suddenly erupted both inside and outside Lingzhou City.

Weiming Yunge also chose to wait until dark, then launched a surprise attack within the city to rescue Weiming Renzhong, Wang Shu, Imperial Father-in-Law Cao, and the others. However, the surprise attack did not go smoothly. Many of the tribes put in minimal effort, and the clan that held the city, the Renduo Shitai clan, quickly recovered from their initial shock and engaged Weiming Yunge's men in night combat.

In the darkness, with hearts unsettled, loyalties divided, and many harboring ulterior motives, the surprise attack quickly devolved into street fighting, which then turned into chaos and looting... Before long, this second-largest city of Western Xia was ablaze with fire.

And this blaze acted like a signal, alerting the Song armies in various places.

On the opposite bank of the river, Yue Fei personally witnessed the chaos on the other side from the riverbank, knew it could not be faked, and immediately urged Qu Duan and Wang De to lead their troops across the river and seize the city, intending to sweep up the remaining Western Xia forces while controlling the situation.

On the other side, northeast of Lingzhou City, in a small outpost near the Great Wall, Huanzhou Prefect Yang Zheng saw the fire from afar and hesitated no longer. He ordered the entire army to abandon their baggage and make a rapid assault on Lingzhou.

And so, by the time of the second watch, Wang De's Imperial Guard central army infantry poured in from the undefended west side of the city in force. Qu Duan followed with cavalry to sweep the main streets, arresting looters, killers, and rapists among the Tangut rebels, and driving the surrendered barbarian soldiers to carry water and put out the fires.

In the chaos, upon learning that the Song army had entered the city, dozens of Han officials, including Western Xia Grand Councilor Wang Shu and Imperial Father-in-Law Cao, who were stationed at the government office, each committed suicide. Prince Pu, Weiming Renzhong, who was also in the office, stayed until the very end. After confirming that everyone had died, he personally set fire to the pile of firewood and debris he had ordered his subordinates to stack outside the office gate during the daytime mutiny, burning the office to the ground and burying himself in the flames.

Once the fire started, Weiming Yunge, unable to tell if he felt sorrow or relief, but with no reason left to stay in the city and wait for death, led the remaining thousand or so men to flee the city. Not daring to head north along the great river, he turned instead towards the desert.

In the darkness, perhaps because his force was too small, Yunge's group did not encounter Yang Zheng's troops and managed to escape.

However, having barely stopped in the desert for a brief rest, and looking back at Lingzhou City where the fire was dying down, he turned around and was shocked to learn that the highest-ranking figure in the group, Prince Shu Weiming Renli, whom he had saved twice, had already stabbed himself to death on his camel.

It seemed he had chosen to end his life shortly after leaving the city.

Yunge said nothing, slumped down beside Renli's corpse, not a single tear shed, only feeling a sense of bewilderment and fear.

As dawn broke, with lingering smoke still rising from Lingzhou City, what greeted the city was an execution. Qu Duan, Commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, sat upright atop his steed Iron Elephant, standing before the government office of the prefectural city, which had been reduced to rubble. On his left, Wang De sat on his horse, sneering without pause. On his right, Huanzhou Prefect Yang Zheng did not even dare to ride a horse, but stood with his hands clasped before his old superior's horse, looking solemn. Anyone watching would have thought he was a groom holding the reins.

And on the street ahead, about a hundred Tangut chieftains and officers, some singed by fire, some wounded, some covered in morning dew, utterly bedraggled, could only shiver as they stood on either side of the street, heads bowed in silence. At the far end of the street, thousands of Tangut barbarian soldiers were tightly bound. In groups of thirty, they were continuously escorted by Song armored soldiers to the middle of the street between the chieftains, where they were beheaded in public.

These were all criminals who had taken advantage of the night's chaos to loot, kill, set fires, and rape. Their executions were justified.

And so it went, all the way until midday. With the heads of over a thousand rebel soldiers hitting the ground, His Majesty Zhao, far away in Youzhou, finally received his second gift in earnest.

"Secretary Lu."

Just as heads were rolling in Lingzhou City, Ren Duo... who had now officially changed his name to Ren Baozhong, the newly appointed Palace Attendant, could not wait to come see the only person in the temporary court who could be considered his superior.

Lu Benzhong, who was drinking millet porridge, looked up in surprise. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he felt that Ren Baozhong had somehow become much younger, even his scalp looked tighter... Wasn't this man much older than his own father?

"Ren... Secretary." Lu Benzhong, being from a famous and prestigious family, had his composure. So despite his wariness, he immediately stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and used the respectful title for an Attendant. "Do you have any advice?"

"Yes." Ren Baozhong cupped his hands in return. "In truth, I would like to present another gift to His Majesty... If this gift is offered, the hearts of the people in Western Xia will be settled by at least another three-tenths. But this matter requires you, Secretary Lu, to make the decision."

"Oh?" Lu Benzhong's interest was immediately piqued. "With such a generous gift, why not present it together with the others yesterday?"

"I only learned of it today." Ren Baozhong was full of energy. "It turns out that His Majesty, on this western campaign lasting half a year, did not even bring a single consort! And upon inquiry, I learned that His Majesty only has two Imperial Consorts, yet his progeny are sufficient, which happens to be no obstacle... Tell me, is this not a good thing, both for public and private matters?"

Lu Benzhong instantly understood the other's meaning. Out of some instinct, he immediately wanted to retort, but for some reason, the words died on his lips, and he found himself speechless. On the contrary, after thinking over many implications, this Secretary Lu found his heart racing with excitement.

PS: Continuing to offer up the new book "Zhao Zhou."