Chapter 327: The Big Picture

Ren Baozhong's meaning was perfectly clear to Lü Benzhong — wasn't he just trying to stuff a Tangut imperial consort into the Emperor's bed? And after thinking it over for a long time, the more he considered it, the more he felt it could actually be done.

There were three reasons:

First, the Emperor's consorts were indeed relatively few. Many people in many places had urged this Emperor to take consorts, from Nanyang to Bianliang, without ever stopping. It was only after the two Noble Consorts were established that things quieted down for a while.

And now, first the two Noble Consorts became pregnant together, then the Emperor left the capital — it had probably been over a year since he'd touched a woman... This wasn't like those years when he was being chased everywhere by the Jurchens; this was a bit too restrained.

Presenting an imperial consort at this time — the Emperor himself should still be able to accept it.

Second, just as Ren Baozhong had hinted, this matter was beneficial to the public interest.

Last night, the Emperor had spoken of unifying the barbarians and Han, intending to assimilate and sinicize the Tanguts, but that was a long-term goal requiring several generations. Comparatively, if the Emperor could take a Tangut imperial consort, it would at least ensure that the various Tangut tribes' hearts would be somewhat settled for now.

Third, and most importantly:

Although both Noble Consorts already had children, removing the biggest obstacle to taking a Tangut imperial consort, even so, this kind of high-reward, high-risk matter wasn't something just anyone could bear... To put it bluntly, one had to have a big enough face and a steady enough seat.

And he, Lü Benzhong, was precisely that kind of person.

Even if he was only a Secretariat Drafter, he still had enough political capital to manage this matter. Or rather, there were few in the realm who could handle such affairs, but Lü Haowen's eldest son was undoubtedly one of them.

Especially now, with hardly anyone by the Son of Heaven's side, it was convenient for him to act.

Of course, after thinking it over for a long time, Lü Benzhong was still clear that this Zhao Emperor was not someone easy to deal with. Just as this Emperor had said last night, as the situation gradually improved, the Zhao Emperor's temper was also gradually growing... His, Lü Benzhong's, capital was merely the capital to voluntarily broach the matter; it was impossible for him to directly deliver someone to the Emperor's bed and make cooked rice out of raw grain.

Not that it couldn't be done, but that he didn't dare.

"You mean for me to take a Tangut consort?" In the afternoon, amid the cicadas' chirping, Zhao Jiu, dressed in casual clothes and playing chess in the shade under a tree to escape the heat, showed no excessive reaction upon hearing this. He was neither angry nor delighted, and didn't even lift his head.

Lü Benzhong's heart was anxious, but with the matter at hand, he dared not hesitate any longer. He immediately picked up a chess piece and replied seriously: "Your subject believes that if this is done, it can somewhat settle the Tangut people's hearts, and it would be a good thing for both public and private interests."

Zhao Jiu nodded, still expressionless: "Somewhat reasonable."

Lü Benzhong was overjoyed for a moment.

But then, the Zhao Emperor spoke again: "But there are plenty of reasonable things in this world... Why should we do everything?"

"Please instruct me, Your Majesty." Lü Benzhong stood up solemnly.

"What instructions are there to give?" Zhao Jiu finally looked up and glanced at the other, completely unconcerned. "Everything has its advantages and disadvantages, its uses and its costs. And you also have to consider timing and look at the situation... Play chess."

Lü Benzhong quickly sat down and hurriedly placed a piece by instinct.

And Zhao Jiu, amid the cicadas' chirping, continued to lower his head and respond: "Taking a Tangut consort isn't impossible, but how could it be all good? For instance, the candidate. If Li Qianshun had a daughter, or if we chose a woman from a close branch of the Weiming clan, the status would be suitable. But aren't you afraid she might hate me to the bone and assassinate me in the night? And if Li Qianshun has no daughter, and we choose a daughter from another clan, which clan would we pick? The Rendu clan or the Wang clan? Choose from Hengshan or Xingling? Aren't you afraid that this family, using their influence, might stir up trouble in these two places again and cause another disaster?"

Lü Benzhong was thoughtful, and his heart also grew somewhat suspicious.

"Secondly, I've endured for a whole year. These past six months, I've been in the military camp the whole time, not even bringing a single eunuch. That's how I was able to win the soldiers' hearts. Now that the overall situation is about to be settled, can't I endure another month or two?" Zhao Jiu continued to respond while playing chess. "Besides, you need to have some sense of the big picture... You see, when it comes to fighting, I'm no good. But ending a war and dividing up the situation is absolutely impossible without me. Now that the war in Western Xia is about to conclude, the next main tasks are how to force back the Jurchens and subdue the Khitans. That's precisely what requires my personal handling. You come neither early nor late, but now, and I simply don't have the leisure."

Lü Benzhong quickly bowed his head in agreement, but hurriedly placed another piece by the instinct of playing chess.

Zhao Jiu frowned slightly and continued his lament: "And as for what you said about a Tangut imperial consort being able to settle people's hearts, that's just a saying. How could a woman treated as tribute have such an effect? If you want to settle people's hearts, it's better to focus on the current situation. If we can find a way to completely surround the Tanguts' settlements, prevent them from contacting the Jurchens, and then get a grip on Yelu Dashi so that the Khitans also dare not easily pull the Tanguts in, that would be true stability... Don't you think? So, in my view, let's wait until the northwest is settled. If the overall situation can be properly arranged by then, there's no need to worry about the Tanguts. If things don't work out and the situation is worrying, then taking one later won't hurt."

The Zhao Emperor's lofty words flowed without stop, and with great effort, he heavily placed a piece on the board. On the other side, Lü Benzhong quickly nodded, but his heart was already in turmoil. He hurriedly played another piece by instinct.

Zhao Jiu frowned even more, then looked up at the sky. Although the tree's shadow had shifted slightly, the sunlight was no longer glaring... It was already midsummer, yet it felt like spring. Annoyed, he lowered his head again to continue playing.

On the other side, Lü Benzhong, having been directly denied by the Emperor on this matter, also felt that his previous thinking had been somewhat presumptuous. Furthermore, being rebuked for not understanding the big picture made him even more fearful. Combined with his miscalculation of Ren Baozhong yesterday and being deceived by Ren Baozhong today, he was probably seen through by this extremely shrewd Emperor as well, making his future prospects even dimmer... Thus, his heart grew gloomy, and he played chess even more absent-mindedly, merely placing pieces casually based on years of experience.

However, this Lü Benzhong had made another mistake.

You see, on ordinary days, he needed great effort to be evenly matched with the Zhao Emperor. But today, playing quickly by experience and instinct, he instantly pushed the Zhao Emperor into a difficult position on the board... In fact, after the first few moves, the Emperor was already struggling. After ending the conversation and a few more moves, the Emperor was on the verge of defeat on the board.

But fortunately, a sudden gust of wind brought a refreshing coolness to the oppressive air. Then, seeing rain clouds rolling in from the west, the Zhao Emperor finally found a flimsy excuse, stood up hastily, and said something about it raining and needing to bring in the laundry. He then swept the board, hurriedly gathered the pieces, and prepared to return to the main hall of the temple to sit.

Only then did Lü Benzhong come to his senses.

Before the two of them moved into the Buddha hall, the rainy day was ultimately boring, so they set up the board again before the Buddha and started a new game. This time, Lü Benzhong exerted his full skill, managing to make the Zhao Emperor feel comfortable.

And as the game reached the middle stage, with black and white vying for territory in the square inch of the board inside the Buddha hall, and wind and rain raging in the vast sky outside, it had a certain flavor of a world within a square inch, which gradually improved the Zhao Emperor's mood.

But for some reason, after one game ended and the sky grew darker with the rain, they lit lamps and started another. Yet, by the middle of the game, Lü Benzhong sensed that the Zhao Emperor was becoming distracted again — no matter how hard he tried to cater to him, he couldn't lift the Emperor's spirits.

This was the difficulty of attending the sovereign. Although he had suffered quite a few setbacks, with no other choice, as the Emperor made an absurdly reckless move, the young Master of Eastern Lai had no choice but to steel himself and ask: "Is Your Majesty worried about the battle at Lingzhou?"

"A desperate man with tens of thousands of followers — once the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Even if there are a few pillars, they can't hold up the big picture... What is there to worry about?" The Zhao Emperor shook his head repeatedly. "Li Qianshun shouldn't have fled to the Houtao."

"Then is Your Majesty worried that the two Commanders Zhai and Dong might lack troops in the east, allowing Wanyan Hounü to launch a surprise attack?"

"Hounü is capable of doing such a thing." Zhao Jiu sneered in response. "Whether this man is truly deeply affectionate towards his father, or pretending to be so to the point of being unable to back down, it's possible for him to do such a thing... But he can't clap with one hand. Now that our army surrounds and blocks Yan'an, for him to move his troops, he needs that army in Suide, which serves as his rear support, to move and assist him. And the coincidence is that Wushu sent this man Salihan to be Hounü's rear support, which makes him no longer a concern."

Lü Benzhong was slightly stunned.

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu briefly explained: "This Salihan, first, has no ability. Back then, Wu Jie made him cry at Fangzhou, earning him the nickname 'Crying Lord.' This man absolutely doesn't have the guts to start a fight with Han Shizhong and Wu Lin now that the Zhe clan has already voluntarily moved south and the Tangut troops at the eastern end of Hengshan have submitted to us. Second, as a man raised under Aguda's command, he was in the Western Route Army, just as Wanyan Bendu was in the Eastern Route Army — both were specially arranged as Aguda's direct line. Now, of course, he is a trusted confidant of the three Wushu brothers. He wouldn't dare disobey Wushu's military orders. Finally, before the three Wushu brothers seized power, when Nianhan held power, he once split the Western Route Army with Hounü... With such a precedent, he still has to be somewhat cautious."

"If that's the case, then there's no worry in the east either." Lü Benzhong nodded repeatedly.

"In fact, this is probably Wushu's original intention. Wushu simply doesn't want Hounü to fight us." Zhao Jiu continued, staring at the chessboard with a smile.

"It's still the result of Your Majesty's battle at Yaoshan, which reversed the situation overnight. Wushu has since feared Your Majesty and the Imperial Camp Army." Lü Benzhong stroked his beard and thought for a moment, then quickly flattered again. "The more one looks back at that battle, the more it seems like a battle that defied the heavens and set the course. No matter how one thinks about it, it's crucial. Otherwise, where would we have the time for Wanyan Wushu to sue for peace, abandon territory, and avoid battle to this extent?"

"No." Zhao Jiu shook his head repeatedly and finally became serious. "While the Battle of Yaoshan cannot be overstated and is indeed the reason for Wushu's avoidance of battle this time, it at most stopped the Jin army's momentum and made them dare not launch an offensive on this side of the river. But it cannot be said that Wushu has been afraid of us ever since... In my view, it is precisely because Wushu knows full well, and knows that I and the councilors also know full well, that the main force of the Jin army is still superior to the Great Song's, that after taking power, he first sued for peace, then abandoned territory, and then avoided battle."

Lü Benzhong was completely bewildered.

"Because only when you have a numerical advantage and your strength is still intact can the stability gained by suing for peace, abandoning territory, and avoiding battle be effective. If we were to truly advance into Hebei and win a great victory, reversing the military balance, then this Wanyan Wushu might become three times tougher than Nianhan." Zhao Jiu didn't keep him in suspense. "After all, bowing one's head is only effective when done by the strong. If the weak and powerless bow their heads, it's just a futile display of weakness, inviting self-destruction... Li Qianshun shouldn't have sent an envoy to sue for peace with me. And I'm truly puzzled — why, in the past, whenever Western Xia was exhausted and merely asked for peace, the court would always grant it?"

Lü Benzhong was slightly stunned. He thought for a long time, spent considerable effort on the chessboard, carefully placed a piece, and then earnestly asked for guidance: "If that's the case, may I ask Your Majesty, since the situation in the east and west is stable, what exactly is Your Majesty concerned about?"

"Concerned about three things." Zhao Jiu sneered in response. "First, naturally, although the situation on both sides is stable, I don't know when it can be concluded."

Lü Benzhong let out an "oh" and instantly understood.

"Second, Shanbei, Hengshan, and Xingling have suffered the calamity of war. On one side are the Han, needless to say; on the other two sides, the Tanguts are the majority... How exactly should they be pacified? I've said we should treat them equally, but if we give them the same post-war tax reductions as Yan'an, it will inevitably provoke resentment from the people of Guanxi, who will say that I am pacifying the Tanguts on the same level as them." The Zhao Emperor continued his lament.

And Lü Benzhong also sighed: "Either the Tanguts can render meritorious service, or they will have to suffer a bit this time... Where in the world is there absolute fairness?"

"Exactly." Zhao Jiu still sighed deeply. "It's like how I disciplined Han Shizhong in this campaign and specifically forbade him from getting involved in the Western Army's battles... I knew back then that he felt wronged, but I simply didn't dare let him loose. Otherwise, with his temper and decades of public and private grudges with Western Xia, he would probably massacre the cities as soon as he entered Xingling or Hengshan, which would instead provoke unnecessary resistance. In comparison, Yue Fei goes without saying, Wu Jie is also cautious, and even Qu Duan, though his actions were often improper, was still proper in terms of military discipline."

Lü Benzhong was slightly stunned. He truly hadn't thought of it that way, having only assumed that the Emperor was purely disciplining Han Shizhong at the time.

Zhao Jiu didn't go into depth. After mentioning it casually, he shook his head and laughed again: "There's one more thing. This morning, when I heard Ren Baozhong talk about Western Xia's geography and compiled the intelligence, I found one thing particularly strange... According to Ren Baozhong, as long as I lock down Keyimen, the northernmost point of the Xingling Plain, Yelu Dashi cannot pass through Xingling. Even if Dashi did cross Xingling this time, he still passed through Keyimen, the northern gate of Xingling, after turning from some Great Trap Valley north of Tanliangcheng to the Helan Mountains. Since Hexi and Houtao cannot be connected from behind the Helan Mountains, why did he, knowing that Xingling had been taken by the Great Song, still rush north to Houtao without regard for anything? You see, after he went west to the Western Regions and established a foundation, he gradually abandoned Keduncheng. This time, to take Houtao, he even promised something to the Kereyid's Qurjaqus... There must be a reason for this."

Lü Benzhong knew that this was the time for him, as the chief of the attending inner court officials, to perform. But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure it out. Instead, he saw that the Zhao Emperor, as he spoke unhurriedly, seemed to have already formed a conjecture in his mind.

"Actually, there's one more thing." Seeing that he was about to lose again, Zhao Jiu simply threw down his chess pieces and looked solemnly at the rain curtain outside the door. "If Yelu Dashi and Wanyan Wushu contend for Houtao, and one side clearly has the advantage while the other can't hold out... what should I do? Should I just sit by and watch one of them succeed?"

Lü Benzhong's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was already a tangled mess. He clearly didn't know how to respond to the Emperor's inquiry.

It must be understood that Lu Benzhong had first been implicated by the Yuanyou faction, unable to take office, and from a young age considered himself an unrecognized talent, to the point of spending his days in frivolous conduct. Now, with an opportunity right before his eyes—or to put it bluntly, with the Zhao Emperor clearly giving him a chance out of regard for Lu Haowen's face—when it came down to it, he found himself utterly useless on the major matters where the sovereign truly needed guidance.

This was the most disheartening thing of all.

Thus, leaving aside Lu Benzhong's inner anxiety and Ren Baozhong's helplessness upon learning the situation that night, that same late night, as the summer rain briefly subsided, Wu Jie suddenly sent an urgent military dispatch to Youzhou, clearly informing the Emperor of the outcome of the battle at Lingzhou. A day later, Zhai Cong from the west also sent an envoy to report, clearly informing him of the previous day's incident where Huonu had attempted a surprise attack on Hengshan to directly take Youzhou but was blocked by Dong Xian, and also conveyed in uncertain terms the news that Huonu might have chosen to withdraw directly to Suide Army after the failed attack.

Regarding this, the Zhao Emperor hesitated repeatedly, but after half a day of deliberation, he finally issued an official decree: appointing Hu Yin to oversee civil affairs, Han Shizhong to command the military, Yang Yizhong as Army Supervisor, commanding the troops around Yan'an and the newly surrendered Dangxiang tribes east of Hengshan, to decide on the pace of the eastern offensive themselves, including defensive arrangements for Tongzhou in the south.

Then, this Emperor initiated his fifth relocation since entering Guanxi, bringing with him the two units of Xie Yuan and Yue Chao, plus Liu Yan's Imperial Guard, a very few inner court officials like Lu Ren, and the international friend Zheng Zhichang, who dared not stay and indeed did not want to stay, along with two to three thousand temporarily assembled Dangxiang men, making up a force of ten thousand, heading toward the Xing-Ling region.

On the fifth day of the fifth month, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Zhao Emperor passed through the old Great Wall route north of Yanzhou, hugging the northern edge of the Hanhai Desert to reach Lingzhou, where he gathered the thirty thousand Fan and Han troops, mainly the Imperial Rear Army led by Wu Jie, Guo Hao, and Yang Zheng, who were already there.

On the sixth day of the fifth month, the Zhao Emperor crossed the Yellow River while ordering all units to assemble directly at Xingqing Prefecture without needing to rendezvous with him. By this time, as Zhao Jiu crossed the river, the Yinchuan Plain had already gathered five to sixty thousand troops under Yue Fei, Qu Duan, Wang De, Wu Jie, and their respective Imperial Forward Army, Rear Army, Cavalry Army, and Central Army. If the newly surrendered Western Xia troops from various places were also counted, the Zhao Emperor's side had effectively approached a force of nearly one hundred thousand.

On the eighth day of the fifth month, entering Xingqing Prefecture, Zhao Jiu had no time to commend the achievements of Yue Fei, Qu Duan, and Wang De in breaching the Helan Mountains, nor to accept any white yak-tail or black yak-tail banners. Instead, he first inquired about the grain reserves stored in the city by Western Xia. Upon learning that there were still over two hundred thousand hu of grain and eight hundred thousand bundles of fodder, overjoyed, he first dispatched Yue Chao's unit as the garrison for Xingqing Prefecture, then sent Zhai Cong's unit as the garrison for Lingzhou, both to assist Hu Hongxiu in overseeing Xing-Ling. Immediately afterward, he formally decreed Yue Fei as the supreme commander of the three armies, overseeing the remaining generals, and temporarily conscripted over ten thousand auxiliary troops, obtaining a force of one hundred thousand... Among these, naturally, over fifty thousand Imperial Army troops served as combat soldiers, while the newly surrendered Western Xia soldiers, except those with merit or prior promises, were all reassigned as... auxiliary troops accompanying the army, responsible for grain transport, material delivery, and other logistical support!

Then the entire army marched north, assembling at Tanliang City.

Before departing, the Zhao Emperor did not forget to issue an additional decree: the army must march along the roads and not trample the green seedlings to the north.

And the imperial carriage once again set out with the army.

On the fourteenth day of the fifth month, the imperial carriage arrived at Tanliang City with the main army. After personally inspecting the grain and fodder within the city, the Zhao Emperor directly issued another decree, ordering Yue Fei's subordinate, who had previously followed Yelu Dashi's forces and controlled Keyimen Pass, to open the pass gates. Then, with Hu Hongxiu, the acting Grand Coordinator of Ningxia Circuit, handling logistics and support, the entire army marched out through the pass and headed north.

At this point, no one had any further doubts, knowing full well that the Emperor intended to lead this hundred-thousand-strong force across the Great Subsidence Valley, through Keyimen Pass, and into the Houtao region... In fact, there had been remonstrations, starting from Xingqing Prefecture, but the Zhao Emperor was determined and wielded immense authority, so no one dared to oppose him.

On the eighteenth day of the fifth month, as the army's vanguard reached Shunhua Ferry, news from the front became extremely dense... It was said that both Yelu Dashi and Wanyan Wushu had been caught off guard. The two sides, having suddenly encountered each other in the Houtao region—a fine place where the wind blows low and reveals cattle and sheep—and bearing a life-and-death enmity, found it impossible to avoid and unwilling to evade each other any longer. Each occupied their fortresses, with field cavalry combat as the primary mode of warfare, and had already been fighting for over half a month.

The latest result was that the Jurchens found it all too easy to fight the Khitans, and Yelu Dashi was gradually losing ground. Of course, it was more likely due to a shortage of grain... The reason Zhao Jiu had advanced so quickly was that as soon as he crossed the Yellow River, Yue Fei and Hu Hongxiu had sent him Yelu Dashi's request for grain. In short, whether due to insufficient combat strength or lack of grain, Dashi could only retreat into the Houtao fortress of Wulahai City, controlling the Yinshan Mountain passage and the Yellow River channel to slightly avoid the Jurchen's sharp edge.

However, during this time, the two had not been idle. Dashi and Wushu, like evenly matched opponents, each employed divide-and-conquer tactics... Dashi tried to win over the remnants of Yudu's former troops opposite him, who were shaken by his army's presence—specifically, Yelu Ma Wu's Wanhu unit. Meanwhile, Wushu was in constant communication with the two major Mongol tribes assisting him, the Kereyid and the Qiyan. He promised the Qiyan's Khan Khabul the title of King of the Mongols, sent gifts to the Kereyid, and also did not forget to summon reinforcements from the various small Mongol tribes in the rear that had submitted to the Great Jin.

For a time, it was very lively.

Of course, as it turned out, most things in this world still depend on who has the stronger fist. Yelu Dashi was at a disadvantage, Yelu Ma Wu remained completely unmoved, while the leader of the Kereyid, one of the two major Mongol tribes, Qurjaqus, showed clear signs of wavering and indecision.

Although this campaign had caused much bewilderment, with some even remonstrating that the Zhao Emperor was grandstanding and wasting Western Xia's national reserves at Tanliang City, after hearing the news, Zhao Jiu was convinced that he had prevented the worst-case scenario from occurring.

On the twentieth day of the fifth month, the Song army crossed the fork of the Yellow River in the Houtao region. Only then did Zhao Jiu send a letter to Yelu Dashi. Written by Lu Benzhong in Yue Fei's tone, it was extremely arrogant, claiming to have come with a hundred-thousand-strong army by imperial decree to provide aid, demanding that Yelu Dashi open the city gates and welcome the Imperial Army inside.

While sending the letter, the Song army completely ignored the news that Li Qianshun might have abandoned the Houtao region after the battle and slipped into the desert area south of the Yellow River. Instead, they continued downstream along the outer course of the Yellow River, using the Yellow River waterway as their external supply line, advancing by both water and land, heading straight for Yelu Dashi's Wulahai City.

It was only upon reaching this point that the Zhao Emperor learned that the Yellow River in the Houtao region actually split and then rejoined, making the Houtao a literal river bend. Moreover, the northern branch of the fork, which ran along the foot of the Yinshan Mountains and past Wulahai City, was clearly wider in water flow.

Suffice it to say, this indeed made logistics much more convenient.

PS: The 141st Meng appears, thanks to Fengxiaotang's Liuwei Dihuang Wan Jun; the 142nd Meng appears, Chaoji Zhanshi Fei Haibao... equally grateful.

By the way, Ji Cha earnestly begged me to give him another chapter recommendation. I hesitated for a long time, but considering the considerable sincerity he showed, I agreed... But the book seems to be "This Is My Planet"?