Prime Minister

Chapter 1380 Finale (Part )

December 20th of the third year of Yuanyou.

The Helan Mountains are covered in snow.

On this day, several armies emerged from the passes of the Helan Mountains. The armies advanced with great force, advancing in multiple directions like a torrent breaking through the Helan Mountain passes, continuously converging on the plains.

After Wang Hou's Song army annihilated the 100,000-strong army led by Ren Duo Baozhong, they arrived at the city of Xingzhou and joined forces with the main Song army.

Upon receiving the news, the Song army rejoiced, while Xingzhou City fell into a deathly silence.

Renduo Baozhong bound himself and bowed his head before Zhang Yue's horse. Zhang Yue personally untied Renduo Baozhong and then said, "I know you have repeatedly advised Li Bingchang, the ruler of the Dangxiang Kingdom, not to raise an army against the Song Dynasty, and that you have the intention to surrender and serve. Why then did you lead your army to fight against our army? You have been repeatedly persuaded to surrender, yet you remain stubborn and unyielding."

Rendo Bochu sighed, "It's all because of blind loyalty."

Zhang Yue asked, "Are you willing to go into the city to persuade them to surrender?"

Rendo Baozhong asked, "Can the Minister of Works guarantee that the city will not be slaughtered?"

Zhang Yue said, "Alright, but your life or death is not in my hands, but in the hands of the imperial court."

Rendo Baozhong felt a chill run down his spine and looked up, saying, "I am willing to go and atone for my great sins."

Zhang Yue sent Renduo Baozhong, Weiming Chahan, and more than ten other surrendered Dangxiang generals to the city walls to persuade the Xingzhou garrison to surrender. The city remained silent, and the garrison even fired arrows at them. However, that very night, more than a hundred surrendered soldiers crossed the city walls.

According to these surrendered soldiers, the city was running out of food and fodder. The cattle, sheep, horses, and camels had long been eaten up, and the garrison was only given seven bushels of grain per day.

Zhang Yue assumed the Dangxiang had been preparing for the defense of Xingzhou for a long time, but he hadn't expected that they hadn't even prepared enough provisions for the city's defense. He later learned that the Dangxiang had suffered repeated defeats, coupled with natural disasters, resulting in a severe shortage of food and soaring grain prices. Although the country had stockpiled grain in advance to defend Xingzhou, the national treasury was empty and there was no money to buy more.

All of this began when Liangzhou was captured by the Song army, and the Hexi Corridor route was lost; the Dangxiang were destined to perish from that moment on.

The Song army is moving swiftly, and before the Dangxiang could even send grain to the various prefectures, Xingzhou was already besieged. Li Bingchang has already begun ordering Li Qing to forcibly extract grain from the city's inhabitants to supplement the army's rations.

Meanwhile, the reinforcements from Rendo Baozhong, who had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Tanliang City, were all annihilated, and their hopes were now dashed.

At the beginning of the war, the Song army did indeed have a great advantage. But no one could have predicted that the Song army would conquer the entire Dangxiang territory except for Xingzhou in just one and a half months. With the main force of Renduo Baozhong annihilated, the Liao reinforcements were likely too far away to help in the immediate crisis.

Xingzhou City, now surrounded by an endless array of crimson banners, resembles a lonely island in a vast ocean.

The three armies all volunteered to attack and capture Xingzhou City in one fell swoop, but Zhang Yue disagreed and ordered his soldiers to attack the city while building fortifications in Xingzhou City.

Although the Song army had a chance of capturing Xingzhou before the Liao reinforcements arrived, Zhang Yue never gambled on probability, but rather pursued certainty.

Several days later, heavy snow fell, and the Song army stopped attacking the city but continued the siege and tried to persuade the city to surrender.

"The Liao army has invaded Daizhou from several directions. The Ninghua army and the Kelan army are fighting against Lü Huiqing's troops in Hedong. Both sides have won and lost battles!"

"Aligu's troops marched north and captured the Yan Army Commandery in Heishan Town. Tong Guan reported that they had repelled the Uyghur troops who wanted to take advantage of the situation."

"Zhong Shidao reported that the entire Hengshan region has been pacified, but the Liao army's affiliated Zubu tribe was discovered in Xiazhou!"

"Liao cavalry have been spotted at Keyimen. The Qing Tang Wenxi Xin tribe reports that they have captured Dingzhou, the secondary capital of the Dangxiang, and seized countless spoils. They request that we set up an array here to block the Liao army from advancing south."

"Both the Ongud tribe and the Baspa tribe reported that they had discovered the vanguard of the Liao army and engaged in battle with them."

Zhang Yue, wearing a cloak, patrolled the camp. Just then, heavy snow fell on his robes, which he quickly brushed away.

"I heard that Tong Guan and Ali Gu have even sworn brotherhood in private," Peng Sun said with a hint of sarcasm.

Upon hearing this, the generals all burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Aren't they siblings?"

After a smile, Zhang Yue turned to Wang Hou, Zhang Gen, Peng Sun, Wang Shan, and Yan Da beside him and said with a smile, "What a heavy snow! I've never seen such heavy snow when I was on Xihe Road."

The generals immediately fell silent.

Wang Hou, who had just achieved an unparalleled victory at the Battle of Tanliang, said respectfully, "Reporting to the Minister of Works, our army is well-trained and well-supplied, and the soldiers are all eager to fight. However, Xingzhou City is short of food and clothing, and it will be even more difficult to endure under the heavy snow."

"This heavy snow feels like I've gained another 200,000 soldiers!"

In fact, the sudden heavy snow made the siege more difficult for the Song army, but at this point, any change in the situation would be interpreted by everyone as being in the Song army's favor.

Zhang Yue chuckled and said, "In that case, a timely snowfall truly foretells a bountiful year!"

Peng Sun said, "Minister Sikong's insight is excellent. At present, Liao troops have appeared in Xia Prefecture, Hedong, and Keyimen. It seems that the Liao army has come to our aid from three directions. This is quite swift."

"But the Liao army never expected that our army would reach the walls of Xingzhou in just one month and capture all the other cities of the Dangxiang except Xingzhou."

"All of this is thanks to Sikong's strategic planning! We have served him faithfully and are truly grateful."

Wang Shan had long harbored resentment towards Peng Sun. Seeing him fawning over Zhang Yue like this, he cursed inwardly, thinking that this general probably didn't even know how to write the four characters for "strategic planning."

However, all the generals were openly and secretly vying for power in front of Zhang Yue.

Military achievements also depend on having connections above you. If you receive full support, you'll be like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, with all resources directed towards you. If you can't win, you'll end up like Li Guang and Gongsun Ao.

In fact, everyone could see that, just as Peng Sun had said, the Song army had previously sent troops from the Wanggu, Baspa, and Aligu tribes to cooperate in attacking the Dangxiang. They were somewhat reluctant, mostly just dragging their feet, and even secretly playing both sides.

Now, seeing that the Song army had surrounded Xingzhou City with several armies and defeated Renduo Baozhong's main Dangxiang force, they immediately became more proactive.

Even the Ongud, Baspa, and Aligu tribes volunteered to fight on behalf of the Song Dynasty against the Liao army.

Unlike previous expeditions, when the court was filled with concerns, the Song army responded swiftly once they reached the walls of Xingzhou within a month, as if it had happened overnight.

Zhang Yue smiled and asked, "Is Li Bingchang willing to leave the city, surrender, and swear an oath?"

Wang Hou replied, “No answer was given. People in the city say that our dynasty broke the alliance first. If we don’t believe it, there is an alliance. If we don’t believe it, there is a hostage. Instead, they want us to send someone into the city to take a hostage first, and then he will come out of the city to submit to the oath.”

Zhang Yue said, "If he refuses, then beat him again!"

Wang Shan suggested, "Why not send the Wanggu, Baspa, and Aligu tribes to block the Liao army's reinforcements or join the attack on Xingzhou City?"

"If they refuse, we will seize the opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop later."

Zhang Yue knew that Wang Shan had become addicted to this tactic during this siege.

He said, "This is Bian Zhuangzi's strategy of stabbing a tiger. Why don't the various departments understand this? If they are pushed too far, they will only become desperate and do something rash."

"Send messengers to tell the Wanggu tribe, the Basiba tribe, and the Aligu tribe that they need not intercept the Liao army. Order them to each lead a contingent of troops to join us at the foot of Xingzhou City to discuss and reward their merits."

At this point, Zhang Yue looked towards Xingzhou City and said, "If Yelü Hongji insists on rescuing these skeletons from the tomb, then I will fight him to the death beneath this city!"

The generals responded.

In reality, even if the Song army had actually captured Xingzhou, the Ongud, Baspa, and Aligu tribes would have merely made a show of force and not actually engaged in direct combat with the Liao army, given the established power of the Liao.

Even if Zhang Yue really ordered them to block the Liao army reinforcements, they would only go through the motions.

Besides, there's no way to stop him now, so I might as well do him a favor. I consider you a brother, not someone to be used as a burden.

The Song army assassins displayed a posture of daring to fight the main force of the Liao army under the walls of Xingzhou. At the critical moment, they had to step forward themselves and show a "who else but me" attitude. Only in this way would others dare to bet on them.

Zhang Yue was in a good mood and said to Wang Houdao, "When I was young, I fought alongside your father in the campaign against Xihe Road and I was meritorious, but in implementing the new laws, I may not have been in line with the late emperor's wishes. Later, when the late emperor entrusted me with important matters on his deathbed, he also had the idea that he had no choice but to do so. At least you know that I will never waver in the matter of destroying the Dangxiang."

"In the future, it will be imperative to launch a campaign against Liao and recover Youyan. We should not force the people to do what is difficult for them."

With Helan Mountain beside him, Zhang Yue gazed at the snow scene below Xingzhou City and was suddenly filled with emotion.

"Back then, our dynasty suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Tanguts, and the late emperor appointed me as prime minister. When I was entrusted with this critical mission, I offered the advice that 'the more you practice, the more you learn; the deeper your understanding, the more effective your actions become.' At the time, the late emperor did not understand, so he reopened the Tianzhang Pavilion and summoned me and Han Xiansu to consult on strategies for governing the country and ensuring peace, so as to achieve lasting peace for all generations."

"I have devised a plan for the late emperor—!"

"This principle of accumulating small victories into a great victory, when applied to the campaign against the Dangxiang, means advancing on the fortified village with a shallow attack!"

At this point, amidst the heavy snowfall, Zhang Yue was in high spirits.

Wang Houzhang and Geng knew that after the previous two failed attempts to attack Xia, Zhang Yue changed the late emperor's policy of "achieving victory in one battle" and took the initiative to seek a strategic decisive battle with the Dangxiang. He changed the strategy to advance on the Western Xia with shallow attacks, strike later, and after ten years of effort, he reached Gaixia in one battle today!

Looking at Xingzhou City before me, everything seemed so easy, yet so difficult.

The principle of advancing through shallow attacks is to accumulate small victories into a major victory.

Many success theories are related to 'delayed gratification'.

From the perspective of success studies, Confucian morality means that under good conduct and a sound system, a moral person with a good reputation will benefit more and more in the long run.

However, delayed gratification has obvious drawbacks. People aren't afraid of hard work; they're afraid of hard work going unrewarded.

Let's take playing games as an example.

Games can quickly quantify the results of one's efforts, making each level of experience clearly visible. There is instant feedback available.

The constant talk of delayed gratification has made this field increasingly competitive, to the point that there's a situation where as long as you're willing to endure hardship, there's no end to the hardship.

I lack patience; I'm eager to cash out, so I have to do the opposite. First, set goals, then accumulate small wins into a big victory to create positive feedback, making your persistence more meaningful, thus making you more persistent, and finally waiting for an opportunity for exponential growth.

It's like the function y = 1.1^{X}.

This function means that if you have one dollar, even with only 10% interest per year, it will be 2.59 dollars after ten years.

Fifty years later it will be 117.4 yuan. One hundred years later it will be 13780 yuan. Two hundred years later it will be 1.9 million yuan.

If you work 10% harder than others every day, over time, this quantitative change will lead to a qualitative leap. Although the initial growth rate is slow and gradual, it will experience exponential growth in the later stages. This is the universally loved compound interest; the key is to do a little bit every day.

How do you persevere? Simply don't make yourself feel that persevering is difficult.

The way of the weak is to exploit the weak (to crush the easy target), while the way of the opposite is to move (to give before taking, and to downplay the sense of purpose). Together, these can be called non-action.

The entire five thousand characters of the Tao Te Ching convey this meaning.

As Zhang Yue, Wang Hou, and Zhang Gen were talking, the sound of a Qiang flute suddenly came from the top of Xingzhou City.

At this moment, in the cold night, Song soldiers, clad in armor, lay in ambush behind the trench walls, on high alert.

Meanwhile, the Song soldiers in the rear camp lit bonfires, and the soldiers, dressed in their newly made winter clothes, sat around roasting meat and eating together. The frozen, hard meat and bones became tender and juicy as they were roasted over the fire, and the fat dripped into the fire and sizzled.

The soldiers cut meat with knives and drank wine to ward off the cold, filling the air with the aroma of meat and wine.

As for the camp center, a fire was lit with cow and horse dung, and the soldiers, who had eaten and drunk their fill, lay down beside their tents, resting with their weapons and saddles as pillows.

After finishing their meal of mutton soup with flatbread, the laborers lay down in the straw pile next to the cattle, sheep, carts, and horses and chatted.

In contrast, Xingzhou City is lacking in clothing and food, and it is likely that many soldiers and civilians will freeze to death in this heavy snow.

Zhang Yue listened carefully to the Qiang flute music. It was played with a calm and unhurried demeanor, showing no signs of worry about the Song army's siege. Instead, it carried a sense of fearlessness in the face of death.

As the strong wind blew across the wilderness, the sound of the Qiang flute evoked a sense of melancholy and stirred up feelings of homesickness.

Watching the banners flutter in the cold wind, Zhang Yue said, "The general cannot control his horn bow, and the protector's iron armor is too cold to wear."

The vast sea is frozen solid, hundreds of feet thick; gloomy clouds gather, stretching for thousands of miles.

The general set out a feast to welcome the returning guests, accompanied by the sounds of the erhu, pipa, and qiang flute.

Snowflakes fall thickly outside the camp gate at dusk, the wind whips the red flag, frozen stiff.

Zhang Yue then praised the Qiang flute, saying, "The Dangxiang people truly have many generous and tragic heroes from Yan and Zhao."

Zhang Gen said, "Given the overwhelming circumstances, our side is also useless."

Wang Houdao said, "Sikong, this time we will destroy the Dangxiang. We will just mobilize all our troops to attack and stop wasting time with the Dangxiang! After the city falls, we will leave no one alive and solve the problem once and for all."

Many generals echoed Wang Houzhi's words.

Wang Shan then said, "The Zhongshi Daoist sect has already started killing in Xiazhou and Yanzhou, all of them are like this, going all the way without stopping."

Zhang Yue surveyed the expressions of his generals and said, "If the Dangxiang are truly stubborn to the end, then they have only themselves to blame."

"But if they are truly willing to surrender, we might as well give them a way out. Winning hearts and minds is the best approach, and the whole country should follow suit."

The generals accepted the order.

Zhang Yue said to Wang Hou and Zhang Gen, "I know that you two are confident in your sufficient troops, so you take advantage of the fact that the horses in the city are hungry and the men are thin, and that the soldiers are not fit for battle."

"It can be seen that the Qian hexagram has Gen below and Kun above. The mountain (Gen) is originally high, but it is hidden in the earth (Kun), which means that one is talented but does not show off, and virtuous but humble. Therefore, among the sixty-four hexagrams of the Book of Changes, only the Qian hexagram has all six lines auspicious. In other words, being humble or even too humble is beneficial. Humility is a constant virtue and will not be harmed by it."

Wang Hou and Zhang Geng both said, "We will keep in mind the teachings of the Grand Commandant."

Zhang Yue continued, "The capture of Xingzhou is just the beginning. The most important thing now is the takeover and resettlement."

Wang Shan still said: "Back then, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang settled tens of thousands of Hu people in the Huai and Si Rivers, which became a major problem after the An Lushan Rebellion."

Zhang Yue said, "What you say makes sense, so in the future, all these hundreds of thousands of Dangxiang will be moved to the interior and scattered and resettled."

Sun Lu said, "Reporting to the Minister of Works, this time the military campaign has mobilized countless civilians. With the current treasury's resources, the court can only sustain itself until March of next year at most. Continuing to do so will be extremely costly, and we will probably have to tighten our belts."

“The conscription of soldiers and civilians takes several months, and they are thousands of miles away from home. I’m afraid they will have complaints.”

Zhang Yue neither confirmed nor denied, but said, "Yes, it's New Year's Eve in a few days."

The generals nodded.

Zhang Yue said, "After months of fighting, everyone is exhausted. Let the soldiers have some dumplings and set off some firecrackers. That's what celebrating the New Year is all about."

"Even though we are far away on an expedition, as long as there are firecrackers and dumplings, it is New Year's Day no matter where we are."

Sun Lu was about to speak when Zhang Yue said, "If you're going to spend money, you should spend it to your heart's content. We've already spent tens of millions of strings of cash, so what's a little more?"

Overcoming difficulties? Scratch that, conquering difficulties with money.

All the generals laughed.

Zhang Yue turned around and looked out at the vast expanse of mountains and rivers.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers gathered far from their homes and spent the winter holiday there.

……

After the start of the year, it was the fifth year of the Yuan You era of the Great Song Dynasty.

While trapped in Xingzhou, Li Bingchang did one thing: he changed the era name. He changed the era name from Tianyi Zhiping to Tianyou Min'an, expressing to his subjects his determination to continue to defend Xingzhou and wait for the Liao Kingdom's rescue.

After the snowfall subsided slightly after the New Year, the Song army continued its siege of the city.

The Song army dug three tunnels south of the city, intending to breach the city walls, but their plan was foiled by the Tanguts. Li Qing had heard of the Song army's tactic of burying gunpowder underground to breach cities, so he had ordered many tunnels to be buried in the city walls beforehand. When the Song army's digging was discovered, the defending general immediately set fire to the tunnels.

Hundreds of Song soldiers died in the tunnels.

The following day, the garrison commander of the eastern city feigned surrender to lure Wang Shan into the city. Wang Shan fell into the ambush, but thanks to the efforts of his men, he fought his way out, though he lost over a hundred of his personal guards and elite soldiers.

The Song army was furious and no longer readily accepted the surrender of the defending soldiers.

Xingzhou is now heavily besieged by the Song army, but the people inside the city are still fighting to the death and refusing to surrender.

Meanwhile, the Liao army also came to the rescue in three routes.

Besides engaging the Song army in the Hedong and Xiazhou directions, the Liao army under Yelü Hongji personally led a large army to Wulahai City within the territory of the Dangxiang. Yelü Wotela and Xiao Tabuye, as the Northern Court King and Southern Court King of Liao respectively, served as the vanguard and led their troops to Keyimen, looking towards Xingzhou City.

This place is only a hundred li away from Xingzhou City.

Historically, Zhao Guangyi led his army to conquer Youzhou and Yan, besieging Youzhou City. At that time, Yelü Xiezhen, the Southern King of Liao, also led his army to look out over Youzhou City from Deshengkou.

The Liao people were terrified by Zhao Guangyi's victorious advance after capturing Taiyuan and considered abandoning Youzhou.

However, Yelü Xiezhen and Yelü Xiuge, the kings of the North and South Courts, stood up to oppose the siege and led their troops to relieve the siege. They encountered the Song army, which was exhausted after dozens of days of siege, at the foot of Youzhou City. Finally, with the help of the defenders in Youzhou City, they defeated the Song army at Gaoliang River and successfully bestowed upon Zhao Guangyi the title of Emperor of the Donkey Cart.

Back then, the Liao Dynasty had only 300,000 armored cavalry, but now it boasts a million-strong army. At that time, the Liao Dynasty wavered between offense and defense. But this time, Emperor Yelü Hongji of Liao personally led the expedition, vowing to defend Xingzhou City at all costs.

Will history repeat itself?
Could Yelü Wotela and Xiao Ta also turn the tide and defeat the Song army like Yelü Xiezhen and Yelü Xiuge did back then?

Upon arriving at Keyimen, Yelü Wotela and Xiao Tabu immediately dispatched scouts to investigate the battle situation in Xingzhou. The scouts reported that the Song army had built a siege wall several times the length of the city of Xingzhou.

To save Xingzhou, we must first break the Song army's long siege.

Yelü Wotelai and Xiao Tabu also did not believe that the Song army had such great power.

The two men personally led their troops to observe the battle, and when they saw the Song army's enormous size and the miraculous fortifications they had built, they were both dumbfounded.

The Song army dug as many as three layers of trenches out of sheer boredom, not to mention the endless rows of low walls, high walls, wooden palisades, and earthen ramparts.

For the past two months, the Song army has been simultaneously attacking cities and leisurely constructing this 200-li-long (approximately 100 km) long military camp. To build this camp, half of the Helan Mountains were cleared bare.

If Zhao Guangyi had had that much free time back then, there wouldn't have been such a disastrous defeat at Gaoliang River.

Yelü Wotela and Xiao Tabu also discussed the matter after returning to their camp.

Xiao Ta also advocated abandoning the plan to fight the Song army in a decisive battle under the walls of Xingzhou, and instead planned to attack Huaizhou and Dingzhou to threaten the Song army's supply lines and force the Song army to lift the siege.

Xiao Tabu, however, felt no interest in either crossing the Yellow River to attack the supply lines or engaging in a decisive battle with the Song army under the walls of Xingzhou. He advocated remaining neutral and waiting for the Song army to run out of supplies and retreat.

Yelü Wotela, knowing the dire situation in Xingzhou, was determined to hold out until the Song army ran out of food and retreated.

After the two communicated, Xiao Tabu also sent troops to attack the Song army camp under Xingzhou City, in order to cover Yelü Wotera's flanking maneuver.

Yelü Wotera led 100,000 Liao cavalrymen under the cover of Xiao Tabuye and arrived at Huaizhou overnight.

However, he happened to encounter the main force of the Song army's Fuyan Road army led by Zhong Shidao in Huaizhou.

Zhang Yue sent Zhong Shidao to reinforce Xingzhou, but Zhong Shidao was in no hurry to leave. After arriving in Jingzhou, he learned that Liao troops had appeared in Huaizhou.

Zhong Shidao immediately led his army north and clashed with Yelü Wotela's elite northern troops in a skirmish.

In the Battle of Yongle City, the troops of Fuyan Road were defeated by the Liao army that came to their aid, and this time the two armies met again.

Yelü Wotel's elite Northern Army had just defeated the Mogus tribe of the Northern Zubu and lifted the siege of Shangjing, making them a formidable force. However, Zhong Shidao's troops from the Fuyan Road, after several years of training, were also a seasoned and capable army.

Yelü Wotel led several thousand Iron Forest cavalry in a charge, intending to kill the Song army before they could establish a firm foothold. Zhong Shidao ordered his brother Zhong Shizhong to also lead several thousand cavalry to meet them.

The two armies fought fiercely, and in the end, the Song army successfully defeated the Liao army.

The Iron Forest Cavalry, a type of armored cavalry in the Liao army comparable to the Iron Falcons of the Tanguts, was defeated head-on by the Song army. Although the Song army also suffered heavy casualties, this made Yelü Wotela take notice of the Song army's fighting strength.

Faced with an initial setback, Yelü Wotel mobilized the Liao army to fight another decisive battle against the Song army.

Yelü Wotel employed the same strategy Yelü Xiezhen had used years before, along with the flanking maneuvers that steppe cavalry were adept at.

He ordered a detachment to operate under the banner of the Iron Forest Cavalry, feigning a main force to engage the Song army in a direct confrontation beneath Huaizhou City, while he personally led the main force to outflank Zhong Shidao's forces. However, Yelü Wotera's plan was foiled by Zhong Shidao, or rather, discovered by Song scouts.

In a battle between two armies, reconnaissance by scouts is extremely important. Historically, the Jurchen and Mongol tribes were invincible, often due to the exceptional individual skill of their cavalrymen. Their scout cavalry were incredibly adept at operating on the plains, capable of eliminating all enemy scouts and rendering enemy commanders blind and deaf. As a result, historical records frequently mention instances of Han armies falling into ambushes and suffering total annihilation.

It wasn't that the generals neglected reconnaissance or underestimated the enemy; rather, reconnaissance was simply impossible. Fearing being defeated piecemeal, the generals had no choice but to concentrate all their forces in one place and advance as a group.

Taking the Battle of Yehuling as an example, the Jurchen generals Wanyan Chengyu and Husha Hu easily defeated the Southern Song army during the Taihe Southern Expedition. Wanyan Chengyu once defeated the Song army of 50,000 led by Wu Xi with only a thousand cavalry, while Husha Hu repeatedly won against the Song army with fewer troops, even reaching the Yangtze River. The two were undoubtedly famous generals of their time.

However, when these famous Jurchen generals encountered Genghis Khan's Mongol army, they became timid and hesitant, as if they didn't know how to fight, which led to them making one bad move after another.

Wanyan Chengyu wanted to flee before even engaging in battle, earning him the reputation of a coward. Husha Huqi's 7,000 cavalrymen were considered the elite of the Jin army, yet they dared not fight independently, insisting on advancing with both infantry and cavalry before daring to confront the Mongols. Later, they only defended the city and avoided open battle, all because they had lost all intelligence and intelligence.

Historical records support this claim. Before the Battle of Yehuling, local powerful clans contacted Wanyan Chengyu, offering to act as scouts and eyes for the Mongol invasion. However, Wanyan Chengyu refused to trust these clans and was only interested in fleeing.

Anyone who plays League of Legends knows that if the map is completely dark, you're almost guaranteed to lose a team fight unless you're defending a tower. The Jurchens were used to fighting the Southern Song Dynasty in this way, but when they encountered the Mongol cavalry, their performance was actually worse than the Southern Song's when the tide of battle turned.

The Liao cavalry no longer had such an advantage over the Song army.

Yelü Wotela's troops outflanked the Song army from the rear. Zhong Shidao personally led the main force to ambush them halfway. The two armies encountered each other again and fought a bloody battle for a day and a night.

The two generals were evenly matched, a true clash of titans. Yelü Wotela failed to achieve his goal and was forced to retreat with his army.

As for Xiao Tabuye's attack, it encountered Yeli Xinyi, a surrendered Dangxiang general. Yeli Xinyi had previously surrendered Weizhou to the Song Dynasty, and his entire family was being held hostage in the Song court. This time, he volunteered to fight the Liao army. Zhang Yue simply granted his request.

Xiao Tabuye's Southern Army had over 100,000 troops, so defeating Yeli Xinyi wouldn't have been difficult. However, his intention to attack was not firm to begin with, and Yeli Xinyi held his camp firmly, so the two armies fought back and forth.

When Xiao Tabu saw that he could not capture the Song army's camp, he turned his attention to attacking Dingzhou.

Dingzhou, as the secondary capital of the Tangut people, had already been completely looted by the Qing-Tang Wenxi tribe. Seeing that Xiao Ta's army was also numerous, the Song army did not make much of a fuss and surrendered Dingzhou.

Xiao Ta, having lived in the Han-dominated lands of Youyan for a long time, was well-versed in Han official documents. He immediately reported his victory to Yelü Hongji in the rear, claiming that Dingzhou had been recaptured. At the same time, he informed Yelü Hongji that the Song army was large, well-trained, and well-supplied, requesting that Yelü Hongji lead the troops.

In fact, it wouldn't be difficult for Xiao Ta to defeat Yeli Xinyi, but he thought that even if he defeated Yeli Xinyi, there were still layers upon layers of Song army camps behind him. How could he possibly defeat them all?

In fact, the Song army was very afraid of the Liao army when they first fought them, and even prepared to sacrifice the surrendered general Yeli Xinyi to deplete the Liao army's strength.

To everyone's surprise, Yeli Xin's two thousand surrendered Dangxiang soldiers managed to hold off the Liao army's 100,000 troops.

Unlike Xiao Tabuye's passive resistance, Yelü Wotela truly exerted all his strength to save Xingzhou City. However, he encountered an unparalleled general like Zhong Shidao, and the Fuyan Road troops were seasoned veterans with many years of fighting experience. In terms of combat prowess, they were second only to the Xihe Road troops among the various Western Army forces.

In the fierce battles against the elite troops of the Northern Liao Army, renowned generals such as Liu Fa and Zhong Shizhong emerged one after another.

Yelü Hongji, who was stationed in the rear, learned that Yelü Wotera and Xiao Tabu had failed in their attack and also discovered that the Song army had indeed mobilized its entire force there. He did not immediately plan to engage the Song army in a major battle, but instead relied on the Liao army in the Hedong and Hebei directions to attack the Song army.

However, Yelü Hongji did not receive any progress in the Hebei and Hedong areas, but instead learned that the Jurchens and the Five Kingdoms were in great turmoil in the rear, with the Jurchen Wanyan tribe fighting amongst themselves.

Twenty thousand Song naval troops unexpectedly crossed the sea from Dengzhou to attack the Liao army's rear, threatening the capital, Liaoyang. Yelü Hongji was somewhat overwhelmed, struggling to coordinate the three battlefields in Hedong, Hebei, and Shaanxi, which were separated by tens of thousands of miles.

The Liao Dynasty ordered Goryeo to intercept the Song Dynasty's naval fleet, but the newly enthroned King Wang Un refused, citing the threat posed by the Emishi (Japanese pirates). At the same time, Wang Un dispatched his younger brother, the Grand Preceptor Ui-cheon, to the Song Dynasty under the pretext of seeking Buddhist teachings.

It was later learned that although the Song army, with Lü Huiqing and his auxiliary troops, had resisted the Liao army's attack in the Hedong Road direction, the Song army in the Hebei Road direction had suffered several defeats in Zhongshan, Zhengding and other places, and even threatened Daming Prefecture at one point. If the Liao army continued to attack, it might even be able to drink from the Yellow River, which would inevitably cause shock in Bianjing and force the Song Empress Dowager and the Emperor to issue an edict ordering Zhang Yue and Lü Huiqing to withdraw their troops from the Shaanxi and Hedong front lines and return to the capital to relieve the siege.

Although it is debatable whether Zhang Yue and Lü Huiqing withdrew their troops as ordered, this move was definitely the right one.

It all depends on whether the Song Dynasty is willing to exchange Bianjing for Xingzhou.

However, the Liao army was not determined to send troops to Hebei. Zhang Heng, the pacification commissioner of the four routes in Hebei, was stationed in Daming Prefecture and easily repelled the vanguard of the Liao cavalry that had arrived at the city.

After suffering a minor setback at the gates of Daming Prefecture, the Liao army ceased its advance and instead turned to plunder various prefectures in Hebei. Although the Liao army plundered quite a bit in Hebei, it shortsightedly missed the golden opportunity to march on Bianjing (Kaifeng).

Of course, the Liao army that invaded Hebei was not large, and it was a subordinate army composed of various tribes. Therefore, it is understandable that they lacked determination in battle, were short-sighted, greedy, and unwilling to endure hardship.

The most elite troops in the Liao army, the palace guards composed of Ordos, followed by the Jingzhou troops of the two academies and five capitals, all came to the foot of Helan Mountain this time.

Yelü Hongji still placed his bets on relieving the siege of Xingzhou.

If the Song army were forced to retreat under the walls of Xingzhou due to the situation in Hedong and Hebei, or due to insufficient supplies, he would surely launch a full-scale attack, annihilating the main force of the Song army on the banks of the Yellow River before marching south to conquer the Central Plains.

To relieve the siege of Xingzhou, Yelü Hongji arrived in Dingzhou with his imperial army and urged Xiao Tabuye to attack.

When Yelü Hongji arrived in Dingzhou, the morale of the Liao army was greatly boosted.

Yelü Hongji personally observed the Song army, but found that the Song army camp had both infantry and cavalry, and countless powerful bows and crossbows. Although the Liao army attacked fiercely, it was as if they had encountered an iron wall. Even when he sent his palace troops to attack, it was to no avail.

At first, the Song army feared the Liao army's strength, armor, and superior troops. However, even the Liao army could not break through the Song army's fortified defenses, which emboldened the Song army. Every time the Liao army retreated, the Song infantry and cavalry dared to cross the trenches to pursue them and even challenge them to battle.

However, in open field battles, the Song army suffered more defeats than victories.

The Liao cavalry were skilled in field battles, and their soldiers were adept at archery and lassoing.

Historically, the Khitan general Li Kaigu was skilled in using the "slingshot" and repeatedly captured Tang generals alive on the battlefield, earning him a reputation for bravery. Li Guangbi, who was later mentioned alongside Guo Ziyi, was also a Khitan general who surrendered.

Besides horse archers and grappling hooks, the Khitan cavalry also used a wide variety of weapons, including heavy hammers, iron maces, axe spears, and double-headed spears. Their individual combat capabilities surpassed those of the Song army, which used standardized weapons.

Faced with the Liao army's attack, neither the Song cavalry nor the Dangxiang Zhi, composed of surrendered Dangxiang troops, could defeat the Liao army. Only the Liangzhou Zhi cavalry, riding Liangzhou horses, were able to hold their own against the Liao army.

After the Song cavalry were defeated in open battle, they suffered a setback. Zhang Yue immediately ordered Wang Hou not to engage in further battle and instead set up camp.

After suffering a sudden defeat, Wang Hou was restless and unable to sleep.

Zhang Yue personally encouraged him, saying that the first thing to do when undertaking important tasks is to remain calm and use tasks to temper one's character.

Wang Hou's troops in Xihe Road had been winning every battle, dominating the battlefield with their overwhelming force. However, they finally suffered a setback when they encountered a powerful enemy like the Liao army. Wang Hou was slow-paced and not good at strategizing, and he could not be considered a famous general in terms of military tactics. However, he always carried out the tasks assigned by Zhang Yue with utmost diligence and thoroughness.

Wang Hou immediately deployed his troops to defend the city to the death.

Yelü Hongji ordered an attack, but his generals advised against it, saying that the Song army's formation was strong and victory would be difficult. Yelü Hongji replied, "In war, how can we begrudge human lives?"

After the Liao army re-attacked the Song army's camp, they put in their utmost effort. If the various troops had been somewhat perfunctory before, this time, with Yelü Hongji personally overseeing the battle, they dared not slack off.

The soldiers charged toward the camp with high morale, but after holding out for half a day, they retreated like a tide, abandoning their armor and weapons.

Despite the Liao soldiers' strong armor and superior weaponry, even the sturdiest lamellar armor could not withstand the Song army's ballistae, crossbows, and cannonballs.

Despite breaking through several Song army camps, they were unable to take control of the Song army's camps and even suffered a minor loss due to a counterattack organized by Wang Hou.

Yelü Hongji personally oversaw the Song army's camp, where countless cannons, artillery formations, ballistae, and densely packed wooden palisades and trenches were arrayed. The armor within the ranks shimmered like the waves of the Yellow River, and a volley of divine crossbows blotted out the sky.

Yelü Hongji rode his horse to personally observe the battle and said to his men, "It is a major taboo for military strategists to station heavy troops under a fortified city. Moreover, the Song army is not necessarily very resilient in battle. Why is this camp set up so solidly?"

After some hesitation, one of the men said, "Defending the stronghold is something the Han people are good at."

Yelü Hongji sighed, “I am referring to the Han people’s step-by-step tactics. I know how helpless my son-in-law Bingchang was when he attacked the Song camp under the walls of Lingzhou.”

"In my opinion, we can still fight the Song army in open field battles, but I'm afraid we won't even be able to win in open field battles from now on."

From the time the Song and Liao dynasties divided their territories in the seventh year of the Xining era, the Liao state always held a superior attitude towards the Song dynasty. Then came the anger of the Song dynasty for continuing to attack the Dangxiang people despite the Liao's mediation. Later, when the three countries signed a peace treaty, the Liao state was filled with resentment and frustration. Now, at the gates of Xingzhou, with the two armies openly clashing, the Liao state has realized from top to bottom that the Song dynasty is now an opponent that can stand on equal footing with them.

What frustrated the Liao army even more was that while the Song army was resisting the Liao army's attack, it was also continuing its siege of Xingzhou.

In addition to cannonballs, there were also terrifying firearms bombarding the walls of Xingzhou.

The Song army fought with ease, attacking Xingzhou from within and defending against the Liao army from without.

Finally, Yelü Hongji ordered his troops to retreat fifty li.

……

The Liao army came in force to relieve the siege of Xingzhou, but was forced to retreat fifty miles, which was then learned by the Dangxiang rulers and ministers who were trapped in Xingqing Prefecture.

The city was once again embroiled in a battle over surrender.

Just after midnight, Zhang Yue woke up from a light sleep.

The sounds of armor scraping and hushed conversation drifted from outside the tent. He lifted the tent flap, and a gust of cold wind rushed in. In the distance, the torches atop Xingzhou city walls flickered uncertainly in the wind and snow.

“Sikong,” Wang Hou’s brows were frosted with white, “the main force of the Liao army has retreated back to Keyimen.”

Yesterday, Yelü Hongji sent a messenger to Zhang Yue, saying that Zhang Yue should not have insisted on destroying the Dangxiang, as there would be no buffer between the Song and Liao dynasties and there would be no peace forever. At the same time, he subtly reminded Zhang Yue that he had already reached the pinnacle of his power, and that destroying the Dangxiang would make him too powerful and potentially a threat to the emperor, which might not be a good thing. The words in Yelü Hongji's letter were no longer those of the arrogance he displayed when he led a million troops to hunt at Xingling.

Rather, it was a tone of desire to live in harmony with the Song Dynasty, to be on equal footing from then on, and even a somewhat pleading tone.

When Zhang Yue received the letter, he was somewhat incredulous. The Liao Kingdom, which had always been high and mighty, actually knew what it meant to be humble.

Seeing Peng Sun, Wang Shan, Yan Da and other generals standing behind Wang Hou, Zhang Yue took the bronze hand warmer to warm his hands and pondered for a moment.

Zhang Gen said, "Minister, last night the garrison of the western city surrendered by rope, telling us that the city's food supplies had run out and the garrison was only given three dou of grain per day."

Seeing Zhang Yue hesitate, Transport Commissioner Sun Lu said, "Although the Liao army has retreated, how could they not know that it was a ploy to lure the enemy? Their main force is outside. What if our army fails to capture the city and its morale is dampened, and they return?"

Zhang Gen then said, “Minister, yesterday I received a report that Lü Gongzhu submitted a memorial to the court, saying that you have been besieging Xingzhou for a long time without success. The war has dragged on for a long time, and the troops and supplies have been exhausted. The various routes in Sichuan and Shaanxi are already on the verge of collapse, and the people are complaining and asking you to withdraw your troops. In addition, the Liao army has attacked Hedong and Hebei. I am afraid that the emperor and empress dowager have second thoughts.”

When the generals heard that Lü Gongzhu had once again tried to sabotage them, they were immediately filled with anger.

Zhang Yue laughed and said, "If people only care about survival, they will surely die; if they only care about profit, they will surely be harmed. Lü Huishu is reminding us that we cannot only see the benefits of attacking Xingzhou, otherwise we will surely suffer defeat and annihilation."

At this point, Zhang Yue raised his head and gazed at the silent Xingzhou City in the darkness.

Since the siege began, the Song army has not only filled in the moat, but also built a three-zhang-high earthen mound to the west of the city to reinforce it. They have also been using crossbows to shoot surrender letters into the city day and night.

As the prime minister, I'm used to encountering opposition. How can one live without criticism? In this position, I must constantly use criticism to hone myself.

In fact, people with discerning eyes like Lü Gongzhu could see the situation in Xingzhou City. They were afraid that their achievements would overshadow the emperor and that their power would become too great, so they took measures to curb it early on.

Zhang Yue said, "I believe Xingzhou is ripe for the harvest; delay will only lead to unforeseen changes!"

All the generals moved in unison.

"Commander, my troops volunteer for battle!"

"Our troops are willing to be the first to charge; if we fail, please execute us on the battlefield!"

"Lord Commander, our troops are willing to be the first to charge!"

Zhang Yue pondered for a moment, then slowly looked at the generals and said, "Bring the wine!"

The generals held their wine cups, and Zhang Yue personally filled each cup with wine from the pot. He then said, "The outcome of the battle will be decided tomorrow. After this, I will retire from the military and return to my hometown, never to concern myself with worldly affairs again. But you gentlemen will achieve unparalleled feats, rise to prominence, and leave your names in history!"

"Let us not let our hair turn white in vain! Let us drink this cup together!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals drank together, and finally threw their cups to the ground.

The first quarter of Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

A deafening roar erupted as oil-soaked stones arced through the morning sky. The stones exploded upon impact, and the watchtower collapsed amidst the smoke and fire.

The commanders of the two imperial guards, Feishan and Xiongwu, waved red flags at the front of the battle.

The sound was deafening.

The bricks cladding the city wall crumbled off under the continuous bombardment of artillery.

The Song army saw it clearly: a section of the city wall, three zhang wide, on the south side of the city suddenly caved in again under the bombardment, and the defending soldiers fell in the dust. From the surrendered Dangxiang soldiers, the Song army already knew that this section of the city wall had collapsed when the city was first built.

In recent days, the Song army has been bombarding this city wall with stones and cannons. Although the defenders have repaired it several times, its foundation is still unstable.

Today, the Song army brought in even more cannons and artillery to bombard this area, and they succeeded.

"Collapsed!"

"Collapsed!"

The Song soldiers shouted in unison amidst the artillery barrage, but the bombardment of stones continued unabated.

Upon hearing that this section of the city wall had collapsed, Zhang Yue personally donned a cloak and led Wang Hou and other generals to the site to observe the battle.

One could see banners bearing the inscriptions "Zhang, Minister of Works of the Great Song Dynasty" and "Wang, the Governor of Xihe Road," among other Song army flags, fluttering in the wind before the battle lines.

"Sikong, I'll take my leave first!"

After bowing to Zhang Yue, the 60-year-old veteran Yan Da left first, while his heavily armored infantrymen were already in formation.

These elite soldiers, selected from the Northwest Frontier Army, wore thirty-pound cold-forged armor. The front row carried long swords, while the rear row was filled with divine crossbows.

Now that a breach has been torn in the city wall, the war drums behind it suddenly become more urgent.

The horn sounded.

The three armies were in high spirits and charged towards the breach without regard for their own safety.

As far as Zhang Yue could see, countless Song soldiers were in high spirits, each one willing to die a heroic death.

"The first to reach the summit will be awarded a third-class medal and a reward of ten thousand taels of gold!"

The veteran general Yan Da discarded his heavy armor, personally took up the great banner and stood at the front of the battle, and five thousand Song soldiers surged towards the breach like a tide.

Meanwhile, yellow flags were raised amidst the cannon fire on the walls of Xingzhou.

The Tangut infantry, who had been hiding for a long time, emerged from their hiding places, and the two armies fought fiercely for the gap.

The Tangut army fought desperately to stop them. Tangut archers on the left and right city walls ignored the falling cannonballs and rained arrows down on the Song army. The two armies fought to the death at the breach!

Seeing this, Zhang Yue stepped forward again, but Wang Hou and other generals stopped him, saying, "Minister, you must not go any further! Arrows have no eyes!"

Zhang Yue said, "At this point in the battle, our soldiers are risking their lives. How can we avoid arrows and stones?"

Seeing that their attempts to stop him were futile, the generals had no choice but to follow Zhang Yue to the front lines.

Yan Da, who was commanding the troops at the front, was greatly surprised to see Zhang Yue personally at the front line. At this distance, not only could the cannons in the Tangut city reach them, but even the crossbows could reach them.

Hundreds of Song soldiers, armed with shields, stood in layers to protect Zhang Yue, while thousands of archers and hundreds of Song crossbows fired at the city wall with all their might.

Zhang Yue stood at the front of the battle line regardless of his own life, and none of the soldiers dared to slack off.

Arrows flew like locusts from the Song army's front lines, so fierce that the Dangxiang soldiers on the city walls dared not peek out. The city walls were riddled with arrows, and almost no bricks or stones remained intact.

The Song army archers took turns firing, their fingers bleeding from the cuts inflicted by the bowstrings, yet they remained unaware of it.

The Tangut soldiers fought desperately out of the city gates to try and stop the Song army from scaling the walls, but were quickly driven back. Meanwhile, the Song soldiers at the breach were in a frenzy of fighting, and now the area was littered with hundreds of corpses, both Song soldiers and Tanguts.

Yan Da's sons charged ahead, shouting to the army: "The Minister of Works is watching from the front lines. We are the fine sons of our Great Song Dynasty. Let's kill the enemy together!"

The exhausted soldiers were roused by the news and roared with battle cries.

"Wan Sheng!"

The Song soldiers broke through the breach and rushed towards the Tangut soldiers with swords and knives below the city wall.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Yue recalled the day the late emperor was dying, when Yan Da and his sons were guarding the palace gate.

The flags of the Tangut army on the city wall were flying wildly, as if troops were being called in from all directions to provide reinforcements, but they also revealed a sense of panic.

Countless flags converged towards the breach.

At noon, a large crimson flag was firmly planted at the breach in the south city wall, and upon seeing this, the Song soldiers on the city wall and below erupted in cheers that resounded through the sky.

"The city has fallen!"

"Xingzhou has been captured!"

"Wan Sheng!"

"Wan Sheng!"

"Wan Sheng! Wan Sheng! Wan Sheng!"

Zhang Yue clenched his fist.

The soldiers of the three armies advanced like raging waves.

The entire army moved forward.

Seeing this scene, Aligu knew that Xingzhou City was about to fall. He shook his head helplessly and, unwilling to give up, personally led his troops to attack the city to show his loyalty.

Meanwhile, soldiers from the Zubu, Qingtang, and Dangxiang tribes also shouldered their swords and spears and surged towards the city walls, the tide converging on Xingzhou City from all directions.

One after another, Song army flags were planted on the south wall. Song soldiers finally climbed the city wall one after another. Finally, the flags on the city tower were cut down, and the Song army's fiery flag was raised high.

From the city tower, the entire city of Xingzhou can be seen in its entirety.

Although the Tangut soldiers immediately built a crescent-shaped inner city wall behind the southern city wall and dug a trench overnight.

But everyone knew that Xingzhou City was doomed.

……

"Heaven is determined to destroy the Great White Kingdom; it is not a fault of war!"

Inside the Tangut palace in the north of the city, Li Bingchang uttered these words.

The fact that the battle has come to this point is not because the Tangut people have stopped trying, nor because Li Bingchang is incompetent or foolish.

During the month-long siege by the Song army, Li Bingchang inspected the city daily, rewarding meritorious soldiers, mourning fallen generals, giving his own clothes to soldiers to keep warm, and giving his own food to wounded soldiers who were cold and hungry. His personal attendants were all sent to move the wood and stones needed for the defense of the city.

The soldiers in the city were deeply grateful for the Emperor's great favor and were moved to tears.

Even Empress Yelü Xian, who was born in the Liao Dynasty, was no less capable than any man. She not only sewed clothes and wove cloth for the soldiers herself, but also led the palace maids to personally feed medicine and bandage the wounded soldiers.

When the southern city wall was breached by the Song army, the officials and civilians in the city thought the city had fallen and were thrown into chaos.

Yelü Xian personally rode his horse and led the palace guards into the streets to kill those who were looting and plundering, thus stabilizing the situation in the city and shaking the morale of the army.

As for Prime Minister Li Qing, he stayed up for three days and three nights, struggling to maintain the situation in the city. Food was scarce in the city, and as prime minister, he ate only one meal a day. He sent all the servants from his prime minister's residence to the city walls, leaving only his old servant to attend to him.

However, after the southern city wall was breached by the Song army, more than ten seasoned generals were killed on the city walls and at the breaches, and thousands of soldiers who could fight perished in the battle. Nearly half of them were killed by Song cannons or even frightened to death by cannons they had never seen before.

Whenever the Song army fired their cannons, the people in the city lived in constant fear.

Even the lowest-ranking soldiers in the city knew that the situation was hopeless and beyond human control.

"The Song army is attacking the city from all sides. The city is eighteen li in circumference, and the soldiers are insufficient to defend all four sides. I urge Your Majesty to retreat into the imperial city, where we can still hold out," Li Qing earnestly advised.

Li Bingchang said with a wry smile, "What good is retreating into the capital? It's just holding out for another day. The Liao army is swarming outside the city, so close yet they can't break through the Song army's camp. Even Renduo Baozhong, who received great favors from the country, was defeated and surrendered to the Song. The morale of the people in the city has long since collapsed."

“Your Majesty, until the very last moment, no one knows what the final outcome will be. I assure you that the Liao army is merely feigning weakness and will surely return. With hundreds of thousands of Song troops gathered beneath the city walls, their provisions cannot be sustained for long.”

Li Bingchang shook his head helplessly.

Li Qing looked pained and hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Since Your Majesty is unwilling to commit further bloodshed, it would be better to surrender. The Song Dynasty has always been tolerant of surrendered states... The emperors of surrendered states are considered quite lenient."

Li Bingchang smiled bitterly and said, "How can it be not? Is it like Emperor Taizong of Song's treatment of Li Yu? How can surrendering when the army is at the gates and the country is destroyed be the same as surrendering when the emperor comes out to welcome him?"

Li Qing said: "In the past, Liu Jiyuan, the last emperor of the Northern Han Dynasty, was trapped in Taiyuan. After surrendering the city to the Song Dynasty, he was granted the title of Duke of Pengcheng and was able to die peacefully."

Li Bingchang was moved by these words.

As they spoke, Empress Yelü Xian stepped forward and said solemnly, "Things have come to this point, death is the only option. Why speak of surrender?"

"Being captured, dressed in white and leading a sheep, humiliated before the steps in front of all the officials, is worse than death!"

Li Bingchang said, "Your Majesty, there is no need for this. You are a member of the Liao royal family, and the Southern Dynasty will certainly not dare to bully you."

Yelü Xian shook his head and said, "If the Southern Dynasty were truly afraid of the Liao Dynasty, it would not have attacked the Great White High Kingdom."

"Now that things have come to this, I am willing to die."

At this moment, Li Bingchang said, "I am to blame for the fall of the nation, but I do not wish to be the ruler of a fallen country. Empress, Prime Minister, I have decided to pass the throne to the Crown Prince, and you two will oversee the country. Go out of the city and surrender to the Song!"

Just as they were speaking, a loud bang was heard.

The capital of the Tangut people was also on the verge of collapse, as the Song army's trebuchets had already reached the capital.

Previously, the Song army had always held back, refusing to bombard the Dangxiang capital with cannons, but now they disregarded that. Inside the palace, eunuchs and maids scattered in panic, while some elderly and weak maids wept together, having given up even the thought of seeking refuge, clearly resigned to their fate.

Li Bingchang looked at Yelü Xian, who was holding his infant son, and said, "I originally intended to pass the throne to my son, but now it's all over. If I had known, I would have gone to Dingzhou back then and given up Xingzhou."

Upon hearing this, Li Qing felt extremely guilty and said, "Your Majesty, it is my incompetence that is my fault."

Li Bingchang said, "It is my fault for being so foolish. Things have come to this. Prime Minister, please discuss surrender with the Han people."

……

That night, Prime Minister Li Qing carried a letter of surrender out of the city to the Song camp, along with a large amount of gold and silver items, requesting the Song army to lift the siege and allow Li Bingchang to live and be treated with courtesy.

Zhang Yue said, "Things have come to this point, what's the point of discussing conditions?"

"When the false ruler Li Yuanhao rebelled against the Song Dynasty, he should have thought of the consequences that would lead to this day. If I were to give you a way out, how could I face the millions of my great Song people who have lost their lives at your hands over the past few decades?"

Who is it that insists on defending the city this time?

Li Qing said, "Reporting to the Minister, it is indeed I."

Zhang Yue asked, "Why have you come to surrender again today?"

Li Qing replied, "It is for the sake of my Great Bai Gao Kingdom!"

Zhang Yue said, "You are a Han Chinese, yet you are being driven to serve another country. You are already courting death. You have come here today with the intention of losing your life. What else do you have to say?"

Li Qing tried to bargain, but it was all in vain for Zhang Yue.

Zhang Yue immediately detained Li Qing and ordered his followers to return to the city to report that Li Bingchang must personally bring the map and register out of the city to surrender. There was no other way, and no other promises were made.

There was no reply from within the city.

The next day, the Song army continued its attack on the city from all sides.

All the Song armies knew that the city was about to fall and were eager to seize the credit, so they attacked like madmen.

Yan Da led his troops to break through the city wall temporarily built by the Dangxiang troops south of the city and entered the city.

The Song cavalry even galloped through the city streets. Although they were eventually repelled, everyone knew that there was no chance of turning the tide.

On that day, Weiming Chilang, the Dangxiang general stationed in the east of the city, led his troops to surrender, and part of the city wall in the east was lost, causing great chaos among the defending troops.

That night, Li Bingchang summoned his officials to discuss the matter and finally decided to open the city gates and surrender.

The following day, the south gate of Xingzhou was opened wide.

Li Bingchang, with an imperial seal around his neck, dressed in white, and carrying maps and a letter of surrender, emerged to surrender, followed by the civil and military officials of the Tangut people.

A mile outside the south gate of the city, the Song army had already set up a golden tent for the surrendered Dangxiang ruler and his ministers. Thousands of elite soldiers surrounded the tent, while Zhang Yue sat in the center, flanked by wolf-like generals standing with their hands on their swords, watching the outside world with menacing eyes.

It should be Aligu, Wenxixin, and the barbarian vassals of the Basiba and Wanggu tribes who assisted the Song Dynasty in the battle at Xingzhou City. They were also in the same tent, along with surrendered Dangxiang generals such as Renduo Baozhong and Weiming Amai, who were also seated at the end.

Li Bingchang entered the tent and saw Zhang Yue, who was seated high above, prostrating himself on the ground. He said, "This sinful subject, Li Bingchang, is ashamed before the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty! I now beg for forgiveness from the Minister of Works!"

Facing Li Bingchang, Zhang Yue carefully examined this ruler of the fallen Dangxiang state. He was indeed not a foolish or incompetent person. He resisted almost to the last moment and caused considerable casualties to the Song army during the siege.

With a slight smile, he destroyed the kingdom, seized its ruler, and brought him to justice before the steps of the palace.

This is the pinnacle of his career. Looking back on the first half of his life, he has come this far step by step. Seeing his lifelong wish fulfilled, how could Zhang Yue not be happy?

Throughout life, one should always strive for greater achievements.

The greater your achievements, the more you can prove your inner self through external things, the more self-consistent you will be, the stronger your subjectivity will be, and the more you will be able to be your true self.

Now that the mission is accomplished, Zhang Yue is at a loss for words, even though he has rehearsed this scene in his mind countless times.

At this time, the soldiers reported that Yan Da had taken control of Xingzhou City and that the Dangxiang people and soldiers had not resisted.

Li Bingchang was trembling the whole time, and the Dangxiang ministers behind him were all dejected, while the women and children were weeping bitterly.

Seeing this, Zhang Yue dismounted and helped the other person up, saying, "Back then, Emperor Taizong of Tang and the Turkic Khaganate Khan Jieli had a conversation on the banks of the Wei River and signed a treaty, which was a famous story at the time."

"When the emperor of this dynasty invites the princes to court, it is merely to follow this example and make a consultation and then a pact."

“The Prince is too suspicious. The Emperor sent me to raise troops to punish him. Now the Prince has come out of the city to meet me. He should come with me to the capital to await his judgment. Perhaps His Majesty will be merciful and reward the Prince with wealth and honor. Who knows?”

Li Bingchang kowtowed in fear and said, "This sinful subject dares not hope for wealth and honor, I only ask to preserve my remaining life..."

Zhang Yue then said, "Your Highness is overthinking it."

After speaking, he ordered his men to take Li Bingchang and the others away. Yan Da reported that the city had been occupied. Zhang Yue ordered that notices be posted immediately to reassure the people and that the Song army be strictly forbidden from looting.

Meanwhile, having received reports that the Liao army feared pursuit by the Song army, they also withdrew from Keyimen.

All the generals congratulated Zhang Yue. At this moment, Zhang Yue could not control his emotions and thought to himself that it was time to retire after achieving his goal.

Zhang Yue slowly said, "We have achieved a victory in Bianjing. Thanks to the protection of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, our army has completely captured Fuzhou City. We have captured the King Li Bingchang, Empress Yelü Xian, Prince Li Qianshun and others, who surrendered from the city. We have also captured more than 30,000 members of the Dangxiang royal family, generals and soldiers, and more than 100,000 civilians!"

"The inventory is being taken!"

"To fulfill the late emperor's last wish and restore... restore the former territories of the Han and Tang dynasties!"

Zhang Yue choked up as he spoke.

Those around him agreed and immediately drafted a report of victory. After Zhang Yue signed it, Wang Hou and other generals signed their names in turn, totaling more than thirty people.

This report of victory is enough to be recorded in history, and all the generals regard it as a first-class honor.

After the writing was finished, one of the generals suddenly raised his arm and shouted, "Youyan!"

"Youyan!"

Then, the 500,000 troops under Xingzhou City shouted in unison.

"Youyan!"

"Youyan!"

"Youyan!"

Countless weapons were raised, and the roar of the three armies was deafening.

Wang Houzhong's generals were filled with fervor.

"Reclaim Youyan!"

The victory report was sealed with sealing wax and sent to Bianjing by urgent gold medal. Because the Liao army had not yet truly gone far away, Zhang Yue, out of caution, did not announce the victory with a public notice. At the same time, there was also Zhang Yue's own letter of resignation, relinquishing the position of commander-in-chief of the three armies to Wang Hou for temporary command.

The list of rewards, which I drafted last night, is attached.

The list contains more than a thousand people.

When Zhao Guangyi pacified the Northern Han, he did not immediately bestow rewards, but said that they would be discussed after the conquest of Youyan. Now, those rewards have been promptly fulfilled.

The report of victory arrived in Bianjing as quickly as possible. The messenger urged the post horses along the way, even though they were changed every twenty or thirty li. However, several post horses still died on the road.

When the memorial arrived in Bianjing.

The emperor had been pacing in the palace all night. Although Zhang Yue had been submitting a report every day, the news that the Song army had breached the southern city wall of Xingzhou two days ago was still on his desk, and then there was no further news.

The emperor was on the verge of capturing the city when suddenly there was no news, leaving him heartbroken.

As dawn approached and the emperor was about to attend court, he had just closed his eyes for a short while when the eunuch Shi De hurriedly brought him an urgent memorial from the front lines.

Seeing Shi Deyi busily removing the sealing wax, the emperor already knew what was going on and trembled all over. When the emperor finally saw Zhang Yue's report of victory, he was overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down his face, and he sat by his bedside, not knowing what to do.

"It's really a great success...!"

The emperor unfolded the memorial and read it word by word: "Since the false emperor Li Yuanhao rebelled against the Song Dynasty and established himself in the fifth year of Jingyou, sixty-two years have passed. In order to fight against the Dangxiang, the court lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers, lost more than a hundred cities and prefectures, and millions of people were displaced and captured by the enemy; the court has spent hundreds of millions of strings of cash to maintain the army over the years..."

After reading it, the emperor looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky and sighed, "This time, the Grand Commandant has pacified the western border in one fell swoop, and Liang, Gua, and Sha prefectures have all been recovered. The Hexi Corridor is now open, and the old territory of the Han and Tang dynasties has returned to the Song Dynasty..."

"This achievement is truly unprecedented and unparalleled in history."

Shi Deyi said, “Your Majesty, it has always been difficult to reward those who have made great contributions. The Minister of Works has already submitted a letter resigning from all his official posts and has appointed Wang Hou, the military commissioner of Xihe Road, to lead the troops.”

The Emperor said, "I understand. I will consult the Empress Dowager before discussing this matter further."

The emperor and Shi Deyi immediately rushed to Longyou Palace.

The Longyou Palace has been renovated, its halls are magnificent, and its corridors are quiet and secluded. The Empress Dowager gets up early to do her hair and makeup in front of the mirror, where her well-maintained face is reflected.

In a daze, she recalled the trials and tribulations of her decades-long life in the palace—never receiving the late emperor's exclusive favor, but fortunately seizing the opportune moment at the crucial juncture of establishing an heir, which led to her current illustrious position.

She initially supported the late emperor's will, as it was the foundation of their rule.

She had only hoped that the Dangxiang would submit, but Zhang Yue insisted on destroying the country, which made her secretly worried: she feared that the powerful minister was too difficult to control, and she was also afraid that she would make a mistake and fail at the last minute.

Afterwards, the court and the public all supported Zhang Yue's western expedition. She outwardly opposed it, but in reality, she tacitly approved it—if he won, she would share in the glory; if he lost, Zhang Yue would bear the responsibility alone.

Upon hearing Yan Shouqin's report that the Emperor had come to see her, the Empress Dowager laughed and said, "Amitabha, it must be that the Minister of Works has won a great victory in the Northwest."

A moment later, the emperor entered and saw that all the palace women had joy on their faces.

"Your Majesty, the imperial court has won in the Northwest!"

Seeing the Emperor's eyes brimming with tears, the Empress Dowager immediately embraced him, and the two wept together.

The Empress Dowager clasped her hands together and murmured, "May the Bodhisattva protect us, may our ancestors bestow their grace upon the Great Song Dynasty."

The emperor choked with emotion and said, "In two hundred years of our ancestors' rule, only one Minister of Works has emerged... He has established this unparalleled achievement and revitalized our dynasty!"

The Empress Dowager's expression turned calm as she said, "Only the Minister of Works could handle such a momentous matter."

"Now that the Dangxiang have been wiped out, let's issue an order to withdraw the troops as soon as possible. The Liao attack on Hedong and Hebei has kept me on tenterhooks, and I've been thinking about discussing the withdrawal from Xingzhou with His Majesty every day. Now that we've won, everything is perfect. Let's stop while we're ahead."

The Emperor smiled as he reported Zhang Yue's resignation from his positions as commander-in-chief and prime minister. The Empress Dowager was overjoyed, but said on the surface, "Although it would be unseemly to dismiss the commander-in-chief after such a great victory, we should at least try to retain him. But since the Minister of Works and His Majesty have already agreed, we will grant his request to resign."

"To appoint him as a Grand Councilor of State Affairs, as Wen Yanbo did, would be very appropriate."

“Then we will reward the Minister of Works with more land and territory. The late Emperor also left a precept that those who recover the lost spirit should be rewarded with fiefdoms and royal titles.”

The Emperor said, “Your Majesty is wise. Back then, after Wang Hong and Wang Tan helped Liu Yu gain the throne, they took the opportunity to retire, which is a good story. No one outside will say anything about it.”

"I believe that in addition to the title of Prince, which grants him the authority to manage important military and state affairs, he should also be granted the title of Grand Tutor to reward his merits as Minister of Works."

The Empress Dowager smiled slightly and said, "That's fine. The Minister of Works will be in charge of important military and national affairs, which will absolve the court of any blame for neglecting meritorious officials."

"However, Lü Huiqing has rendered meritorious service in guarding Hedong this time, so he has been reassigned to command troops in various parts of Shaanxi to prevent the Liao Kingdom from returning. Wang Houze will return to the capital to receive his reward!"

Before conquering the Tanguts, the world listened to Zhang Yue alone; now that the kingdom is destroyed, the rules must change. Of course, this can also be interpreted as protecting meritorious officials; if the Empress Dowager refuses to relinquish Zhang Yue's current power, it would be dangerous.

If one side rejects it, the other side will have to approve it.

The Empress Dowager continued, "The requests submitted by the Minister of Works are hereby approved for all these meritorious soldiers."

The Empress Dowager glanced at the list of those who had achieved merit, which was densely packed with names. She thought to herself, "Zhang Yue really knows how to use the court's money to win people's hearts."

Although the Empress Dowager thought this way, in reality she granted all the requests for rewards from the officials and generals that Zhang Yue had submitted, without any discount.

The Empress Dowager continued, "Emperor Taizu once used a cup of wine to release military power to secure the country, and all the ancestors of this dynasty treated their meritorious officials well."

"Famous generals and ministers like Cao Wuhui (Cao Bin) and Han Zhongxian (Han Qi) all died peacefully, but it is a pity that Cai Que died. Today, with the great achievement accomplished, Your Majesty may posthumously confer titles upon him."

"As for the troops, we will disband them later."

The Emperor couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, I wish to convey the late Emperor's wishes. The Liao Kingdom still exists, and the Youyan region has yet to be recovered."

The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

The emperor knew perfectly well: the Empress Dowager's words were beautiful, but the Song Dynasty's promise not to kill meritorious officials was not necessarily true. If Zhang Yue had pacified the Liao Dynasty instead of the Dangxiang, his posthumous honor or disgrace would have been unpredictable.

I will certainly recover Youyan in the future, but I am not a ruler who has conquered the world on an instant. If I personally lead the expedition, I may repeat the mistakes of Emperor Taizong. Therefore, I must appoint virtuous ministers and capable generals—therefore, it is necessary to establish rules and systems.

Treating meritorious officials well is the first rule of law.

The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor and slowly said, "Your Majesty's ambition is a blessing from our ancestors. However, the desire to have more than one can be a great harm. I am afraid that if the Western Army is not dismissed today, these arrogant and fierce generals will not be able to live in peace in the future. Very well, since I have made a decision... In that case, I will not take any action. Your Majesty can decide for yourself in the future."

The Emperor was overjoyed and asked, "Your Majesty is wise. The Minister of Works also asked how to deal with Li Bingchang and the others?"

The Empress Dowager said, "Xingzhou is too far from Bianjing, so let's spare them the hardship of the journey."

As the mother and son were talking, a voice came from outside: "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, it's time for court."

"Upon learning of the capture of Xingzhou, the officials were so busy that they did not even have time to change into their formal attire before entering the court, for their ranks were already in front of the palace."

"Today, envoys from Champa, the Uyghurs, and Khotan are all waiting at the outer court! Upon hearing this, the Goryeo envoy submitted a letter to his country, expressing his willingness to re-establish our dynasty as the legitimate ruler!"

Upon hearing this, the emperor abruptly rose to his feet, feeling a surge of emotion welling up within him, like a long wind billowing a sail.

Everything changed. After the Song Dynasty conquered Xingzhou, the political landscape of the country was altered.

The mother and son walked to the main hall, where they saw the morning light as golden as gold, and the magnificent glow of the sunset shining brightly over the palace.

Beneath the steps, thousands of officials stood in line, dressed in court attire. Ministers such as Shen Kuo and Zeng Bu were overjoyed, while the Cai brothers and other officials clasped their hands in celebration. Their court attire, a blend of crimson and purple, resembled clouds spreading across the square.

The sky is bright and clear, and a new chapter begins for our land.

……

A few days later, Li Bingchang was given a lavish feast in the camp outside the city where he was imprisoned.

At midnight, Song troops stormed the tent from all sides. Li Bingchang, along with Li Qing and several hundred other Dangxiang nobles, officials, and generals, were all killed after drinking. Ren Duobaozhong, a surrendered general, was lured there alone and was also killed. Of course, all of this was a secret execution. The other surrendered Dangxiang generals and their subjects were all ordered to be escorted to Bianjing.

The sooner Zhang anticipated such arrangements, the better.

My army is at the city gates, and Li Bingchang fought to the last moment, hoping to survive. If you can survive like this, what about the others who surrendered early on? We still need to reclaim Youyan in the future, and this rule cannot be ignored.

It's incredibly difficult to simultaneously engage in the service industry and establish landmark buildings.

Empress Yelü Xian, the Dangxiang queen, Prince Li Qianshun, and their female relatives and children were arranged separately. Zhang Yue escorted them with a group of men and sent them to Bianjing by carriage early in the morning. Also present were maps and records from Xingzhou, as well as gold and silver from the treasury.

……

The Liao army retreated, and the Song army moved all 200,000 soldiers and civilians in Xingzhou City, as well as nearly 100,000 surrendered Dangxiang soldiers, south to the Central Plains for resettlement.

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor wanted to bestow upon Zhang Yue the title of Prince of Hejian, a hereditary title, but Zhang Yue declined the offer. However, the bestowals upon other officials were carried out without fail, and all the generals in the camp received promotions and titles.

Even ordinary soldiers received money and rations as rewards.

The three armed forces celebrated.

The bonfires stretched for dozens of miles, illuminating half the night sky, and the songs carried far on the wind.

The crowd temporarily forgot the scene when the generals fought over credit for the capture of Xingzhou City, arguing heatedly and even drawing their swords against each other.

Afterwards, Zhang Yue left Wang Shan to guard Xingzhou, while he and Wang Houze led the army back to the capital.

Upon reaching the banks of the Yellow River, Zhang Yue and Wang Hou rode side by side at a leisurely pace. Sunlight streamed down both banks, casting countless golden rays that shone like sparks from a blacksmith's forging, dazzling and brilliant.

The fields were yellow and desolate, and the army's banners stretched like clouds, fluttering in the long wind.

The victorious army is in high spirits.

Wang Houdao said, "Master, why must you decline the title of king? This is a great honor!"

Zhang Yue smiled.

After the emperor issued an edict to bestow upon him the title of king, Zhang Yue submitted a letter of resignation, stating that the safety and danger of the world depend on right and wrong, not on strength and weakness, and the survival of a nation depends on its strength and weakness, not on its population size.

This comes from Han Feizi, implying that while seizing Xing and Ling prefectures might strengthen the state and increase its territory, this is not true merit. The safety of a nation depends on the ruler's ability to distinguish right from wrong, not on the strength of the nation itself. Furthermore, government efficiency and mobilization capacity far outweigh the numbers on paper.

The imperial court should learn from the lessons of the Qin and Sui dynasties, which were strong but perished.

The more Zhang Yue spoke, the more he felt that it was not pleasant to hear such discouraging words when the people were excited about capturing Xingzhou.

Zhang Yue then said that the victory should be treated with the rites due to a funeral.

Zhang Yue smiled at Wang Hou and said, "Back then, when Cao Zhongxian conquered the Southern Tang, Emperor Taizu promised to appoint him as envoy and prime minister. After the country was destroyed, the generals congratulated him, but he said that the Northern Han had not been conquered, so how could he be appointed as envoy and prime minister? Later, when the army returned to the capital, Emperor Taizong indeed regretted it and said to Cao Zhongxian, 'The Northern Han has not been destroyed, so the appointment as envoy and prime minister should be postponed for a while.'"

Zhang Yue's implication was that if Zhao Kuangyin acted this way, then it was only natural for the emperor and empress dowager to think the same way. Throughout history, those who have sat in this position have all shared similar thought processes.

Wang Hou nodded, deeply admiring Zhang Yue's thorough consideration.

Zhang Yue said, "I'll leave this matter to you. It won't be too late for me to bestow titles after someone has subdued Youyan."

Zhang Yue recalled that in history, Tong Guan was granted the title of Prince of Guangyang by Emperor Huizong of Song for his meritorious service in conquering Yan and Yun, following the precedent set by Emperor Shenzong of Song for rewarding those who recovered the entire Yan region with fiefdoms and royal titles.

Besides Tong Guan, there was another person, Wang Jing, a former general of the Later Zhou Dynasty. To be honest, the Song Dynasty did not yet have any ministers who were granted the title of prince.

Wang Houdao said, "In your opinion, it will take His Majesty several more years to destroy the Liao Dynasty."

Zhang Yue smiled, gazing at the churning clouds and the array of banners on the horizon.

"Although the Empress Dowager's talent and position are not exceptional, she knows how to advance and retreat. Your Majesty, on the other hand, is young and ambitious, with great energy and a desire to expand the territory no less than that of the late Emperor."

Wang Hou could tell that Zhang Yue implied that the emperor was young and prone to causing trouble.

"A restless mind will make mistakes, but our dynasty no longer has the threat of the Tanguts to the west, and our national strength is rising day by day. Although the Liao Kingdom to the south has adopted our Han system, its country is still a disorganized mess. If it changes its laws, it will perish; if it does not change its laws, it will also perish. With this ebb and flow, our national strength can only decline."

"I expect that Youyan can be recovered in ten years. I am cautious by nature and cannot do this. There will be heroes to take over in the future."

Fools are blind to what has already happened, while wise men see what is yet to come.

Some people are so confused that they don't even know how they succeeded, while others are able to extricate themselves before things even happen.

If Zhang Yue clings to power now, the conflict between myself and the Emperor and Empress Dowager is about to erupt. I should fear the cause, not the consequence; once the rewards for my merits are bestowed, the Emperor's favor will be exhausted. It would be more prudent for me to retire for several years, waiting until the Emperor and Empress Dowager's conflicts with other incumbent prime ministers escalate or they are at a loss as to how to deal with the Liao Kingdom, before returning to public service.

At this moment, a strong wind blew from the banks of the Yellow River, making the banners of the three armies flutter loudly!
With the Helan Mountains nearby, Xingzhou, which was as solid as a rock, had already fallen to the Song Dynasty.

The 300,000 captured Dangxiang soldiers and civilians were all relocated to the interior, dispersed, and resettled. These Dangxiang soldiers and civilians who migrated south looked back at Xingzhou City with tears streaming down their faces.

At this moment, the Yellow River thaws, and Zhang Yue walks on the pontoon bridge with his whip in hand, saying: "The wind rises and the clouds fly, where can we find brave warriors to guard the four directions? These are the words of Emperor Gaozu."

“In the past, Jinggong and the late emperor reformed the laws, and the torch was passed from one to the next. When people talk about successors, they always mention Lü Huishu, Cai Chizheng, and Zhang Zihou, but in the end it fell to me. Some people also criticize me for not being resolute in promoting the new laws, and even for being too close to Sima Gong and Lü Gong, which seems to make me look like I am wavering.”

"However, when Wang Anshi raised the banner, he opened up a new path for the world. This was a great vision and a bold move. However, the direction of reform is not always clear and unchanged as time goes by."

"While we must uphold our ideals and original aspirations, we cannot be intolerant of any flaws. In governing, we must be able to 'embrace the vast landscape and remain steadfast even in the face of fierce winds and thunderstorms,' but we must also adapt to the changing times. Admitting mistakes is not about changing policies overnight, and being good at compromise is not about abandoning principles. Choosing a feasible path is often better than forcibly pursuing the most righteous path."

"Now that Xingzhou has been secured in one battle, the entire Yellow River basin is now under the control of our Great Song Dynasty. This path is undoubtedly correct."

Wang Houdao said, "The debate over whether or not the court should implement reforms will never end! Why don't you assist the emperor in doing so, teacher?"

Zhang Yue said, "The late emperor's last instructions were twofold: first, to fully recover the old territories of the Han and Tang dynasties; and second, to continue the reforms. This is the legitimate reason for my position as prime minister. Currently, the task of recovering the old territories of the Han and Tang dynasties is half completed. As for the reforms, the Song dynasty has many deep-seated problems over the past two hundred years. Without reforms, it will perish. This was known to the late emperor long ago. However, this matter cannot be accomplished overnight; it depends entirely on the efforts of benevolent and righteous people in future generations."

Looking at the mighty river flowing eastward, Zhang Yue sighed, "Human life is like a grain of rice in a granary, a flash of lightning, a piece of rotten wood on a cliff, or a giant wave in a flowing sea."

"I come from humble origins. If a person from a poor family is content to drift with the tide, no one will stop him; but if he wants to defy fate and stand out, then there will be countless people who will obstruct him, slander him, and destroy him."

"Only by taking the world as the chessboard and oneself as the piece, and humbly entering the game, can one achieve the great feat of pacifying the Western Xia and leave a legacy for posterity. In the future, when history's pen is as sharp as iron, who will speak up for me?"

"In the past, when the time was not yet ripe, I could only remain calm and patient, without complaint or resentment. Now that the time has passed, I should not be greedy or arrogant, nor should I be conceited or conceited. By retiring gracefully today, I have at least repaid a fraction of the late emperor's kindness in recognizing my talent, and I have not failed my family, country, or the world." (Note 1)

After Zhang Yue finished speaking, he lightly spurred his mount, and the pontoon bridge trembled slightly.

"How I long to personally reclaim Youyan!"

He gazed at the Yellow River, flowing ceaselessly day and night, and seemed to see himself sailing past the Wansheng Gate of Bianjing's outer city, against the flow of time.

Zhuque Avenue was already packed with eagerly awaiting crowds. Children climbed on their fathers' shoulders, women stood on tiptoe to look, and even the crenellations of the city walls were crowded with people. When the banner appeared in Bianjing, the entire capital erupted in cheers as loud as a landslide.

"Your Excellency, Minister of Works!"

Colorful ribbons like clouds, flower petals like rain.

The imperial guards stood solemnly by the roadside, halberds in hand, their eyes filled with reverence. Zhang Yue lifted the carriage curtain, and scholars by the roadside bowed respectfully, while women tossed down their sachets.

The owners of teahouses and taverns placed wine bowls in front of their doors, allowing people to drink freely and celebrating with everyone.

In the surging crowd, Zhang Yue seemed to see many familiar faces. He even saw Emperor Renzong, Emperor Shenzong, Wang Anshi, Sima Guang, Zhang Jie... those figures who had once stood shoulder to shoulder or competed with him.

They chatted and laughed with each other, congratulating themselves.

The young Cai Que also stood in the crowd, just like when they first met at the Imperial Academy, and smiled and nodded at him.

Zhang Yue lowered the carriage curtain and wiped away her tears.

The car stopped in front of Xuande Tower.

Golden-armored warriors stood in formation, halberds in hand, while dragon banners fluttered in the spring breeze.

The emperor, dressed in a crimson gauze robe and wearing a crown, personally greeted the guests outside the gate, while ministers such as Su Song, Huang Lü, Cai Bian, Zeng Bu, Shen Kuo, Su Shi, and Su Zhe stood smiling beside him.

……

That night, a banquet was held in the Daqing Hall.

The candlelight illuminated the hall as if it were daytime. The emperor raised his cup and said, "Since Li Yuanhao's rebellion, the northwest has been in turmoil for more than sixty years. Now, the Grand Commandant has quelled the rebellion in one fell swoop, restoring the old territories of the Han and Tang dynasties. His achievement will last for a thousand years."

Zhang Yue rose to express his gratitude, and a palace attendant presented him with the imperial edict.

"The imperial edict reads: Zhang Yue, the Minister of Works, is a master strategist who can win battles from afar. He pacified the Western Xia and opened up the Western Regions, achieving unparalleled merit in his time. He is hereby specially appointed Grand Tutor and Chancellor of Military and State Affairs, granted an additional fief of ten thousand households, and bestowed with a certificate of merit and iron certificate..."

There are no kings.

Zhang Yue said, "I dare not accept this. I wish to lay down my arms and return to my farm, and from now on, I will not concern myself with politics."

The Empress Dowager behind the curtain said gently, "The country is not yet at peace, and Youyan has not yet been restored. We still need the Grand Tutor to support the nation and perform the work of filling the sea and mending the sky."

He declined three times.

In the end, Zhang Yue was appointed Grand Tutor and Chancellor of State Affairs.

The banquet ended close to midnight.

As Zhang Yue walked out of the Daqing Hall, the night breeze carried the fragrance of flowers from the imperial garden. He looked back and saw the candles in the hall being extinguished one by one, their light fading, as if a grand drama was finally coming to an end.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yue sighed deeply as the wind blew fiercely along the banks of the Yellow River.

……

The following spring, the Empress Dowager formally returned power to the Emperor. After assuming personal rule, the Emperor changed the era name to Shaosheng, meaning "to inherit the will of the former sages."

This was the first year of the Shaosheng era.

Zhang Yue also submitted a memorial requesting to resign from his important position as Grand Councilor of State Affairs. The Emperor granted his request and allowed him to retire with the title of Grand Tutor. Before his departure, the Emperor personally saw him off outside the capital and bestowed upon him the two characters "Pillar of Strength" written in his own handwriting.

As the carriage drove out of Bianjing, the willows outside the city were already sprouting new green leaves. Zhang Yue lifted the curtain and looked back—Bianjing was gradually becoming blurred in the morning light, and his life's achievements seemed to quietly come to an end at this moment.

"My lord, where are we going?" Peng Jingyi asked.

"Back to Jianzhou!"

The wheels rolled on, heading south.

……

Several years later, Yelü Hongji of the Liao Dynasty died, and internal conflicts within the Liao Dynasty intensified.

In the tenth year of the Shaosheng era, the Song army, led by Wang Hou, launched a northern expedition against Youyan and achieved a great victory!
On this day, Zhang Yue and Shiqi Niang climbed to a high place in the countryside to enjoy the view.

Autumn colors are in full bloom in Jianzhou, with mountains as dark as ink.

He recalled his conversation with the late emperor at Tianzhang Pavilion, the smoke of war on Xihe Road, and the snow under Xingzhou City—all of which seemed so distant now.

By this time, Zhang Yue's hair had turned white; he was no longer the black-haired prime minister he once was.

In the distance, the sound of bells seemed to drift in; it was the celebratory bells from the Zichen Palace.

The world is united!

A single grain of rice in Taicang can eventually become a giant wave in the ocean!
Life's journey, though seemingly arduous, can be so magnificent.

In a daze, he seemed to have returned to the small building by the Nanpu Creek in Jianzhou. The candlelight flickered on the desk, and the Dream Pen Mountain stood quietly outside the window, just like the nights he spent studying hard in his youth.

The paper was written with the numbers 'Cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world'.

When Zhang Yue opened his eyes again, he found himself still riding on the Yellow River pontoon bridge. The world was vast and desolate, the three armies behind him stood solemnly, their armor gleaming, the Yellow River surged like a raging torrent, and the Helan Mountains stood majestically in the distance.

"What a magnificent landscape!"

Zhang Yue said with emotion.

(End of the book)

Ps1: This is an excerpt from the internet, with slight modifications.

Ps2: As usual, there is also an afterword.

(End of this chapter)