Song Xiu

Chapter 160 First Capture Fuzhou, Then Destroy the Song Army
In November of the second year of the Jianlong era of the Song Dynasty, before Zhao Dexiu was about to arrive in Luoyang, the Khitan envoys came to Xiazhou City once again.

Compared to the last time, this time the Khitan delegation had one more person in it—Shi Chonggui.

Upon seeing Shi Chonggui arrive, Li Yixing's expression inside the hall was quite complex:

His somber mood carried a hint of wariness.

Back then, I heard that Shi Chonggui was captured by the Khitan army and taken to the Balhae Kingdom, but today it seems that this rumor cannot be entirely believed.

Shi Chonggui, who had been prostrate before Yelü Wuzhi that day, appeared quite calm today.

He took off the fur coat he was wearing, and as soon as the fur coat was removed, his Khitan clothing was fully revealed.

Considering Shi Chonggui's former status as the ruler of the Central Plains, this scene is undoubtedly quite ironic.

After Shi Chonggui sat down, Yelü Chong, who was originally the chief envoy of the Khitan, voluntarily withdrew from the hall.

Once only Li Yixing and Shi Chonggui remained in the hall, Li Yixing's gaze became quite intrigued.

The military governor of Dingnan stroked his beard and squinted, saying:

"Why has the treacherous Marquis come here?"

After taking control of the Central Plains, Yelü Deguang, in order to highlight the ingratitude of the Later Jin imperial family, gave Shi Chonggui a humiliating title.

Li Yixing addressed Shi Chonggui with this title, and one can imagine his attitude towards him.

Li Yixing was always shrewd and calculating. Even if he looked down on Shi Chonggui, he wouldn't normally show it so obviously.

This unusual occurrence stems primarily from an event that occurred years ago.

Li Yixing once helped Shi Chonggui fight against the Khitan, but what he didn't expect was that the originally balanced battle situation would become uncontrollable under Shi Chonggui's decision.

In that battle, the Dingnan army suffered heavy losses.

Li Yixing, heartbroken, harbored a grudge against Shi Chonggui from that moment on.

Shi Zhonggui remained unfazed by Li Yixing's sarcasm.

Compared to the humiliation he suffered in Khitan, Li Yixing's sarcasm was nothing.

"The Emperor of Liao sent me here for no other reason than to show the commander a clear path for getting through the winter."

After finishing his speech, Shi Chongxing, who had dried his saliva, picked up the wine on the table and drank it in large gulps.

Some time ago, Yelü Jing's edict arrived in Yanjing.

After receiving that imperial edict, Shi Chonggui felt much more confident in front of Li Yixing.

Upon hearing that Shi Chonggui had come on imperial orders, Li Yixing's gaze became even more somber.

“The Tanguts have their own way of getting through the winter in Xia Prefecture.”

"But the treacherous Marquis, coming from Youzhou, should know the might of the Song army; they will soon enter Guanzhong."

Li Yixing, implicitly, was also using the power of the Song Dynasty to his advantage.

"That's precisely why we should come!"

Li Yixing's sharp rebuttal only made Shi Zhonggui's voice sound heavy.

"The commander should know that Zhao Dexiu's decision to lead his army into Guanzhong this time is not solely for Li Hongxin."

Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at Liu Bang, while the Song army's target was likely Western Shu.

Having enjoyed peace for many years, Western Shu's military preparedness had deteriorated, so how could it possibly be a match for the Song army?

If the entire Shu region, spanning a thousand miles, were to fall into Song territory—where does the General believe Zhao Dexiu's next sword will be pointed?

As soon as Shi Chonggui finished speaking, Li Yixing sat up straight.

It’s different in the past.

Previously, Li Yixing was not certain that Zhao Dexiu was the commander of the Song army's western expedition to quell the rebellion, and he was even less aware that the number of Song troops in the western expedition would reach more than 50,000.

After learning the above information, Shi Zhonggui's implied meaning made him take it seriously.

Xia Prefecture is sandwiched between the Song Dynasty and the Khitan. To the east lies the Zhe family of Fuzhou, and to the south is the Song army in Guanzhong. Over the years, he has managed to live a relatively peaceful life in this precarious situation by playing both sides.

But as circumstances change, can this stability really be maintained by playing both sides?

"Does Master Shi mean that His Majesty the Khitan wishes to join forces with me?"

Li Yixing's thoughts changed, and even his way of addressing Shi Chonggui changed.

After asking the probing questions, Li Yixing continued:

"Back then, Emperor Taizong of the Khitan granted my Dangxiang Li family the right to inherit the Dingnan Army hereditarily, and I have always remembered this kindness."

Now that the Song army is powerful, I wonder what His Majesty the Khitan desires of me?

Li Yixing used the story of Yelü Deguang as an example, seemingly asking what he could do, but actually asking what Yelü Jing could offer him.

Shi Zhonggui keenly noticed the change in Li Yixing's attitude.

He took out a map from his sleeve and spread it out on the floor of the hall—it was a map of the Guanzhong region, with the various forces clearly marked on it.

Shi Zhonggui, kneeling beside the map, spoke:
"General, you might want to look here. Zhe Deyi of Fuzhou has been granted a fief by the Song Dynasty and commands several thousand elite troops. He is a thorn in your side."

What kind of personality did Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of Song have? This year, he used a banquet to release military power, taking away the military power of his brothers. He never trusted his brothers, let alone the military commander who was a regional governor.

It's hard to guarantee that Zhao Kuangyin wouldn't secretly order Zhe Deyi and Zhao Dexiu to join forces and plot against Xia Prefecture.

The location of Xia Prefecture on the map was marked with several red circles. After mentioning the prefectures, Shi Chonggui pointed to Xia Prefecture and continued:

"Northern Han and Xia Prefecture are as close as lips and teeth. If Xia Prefecture falls, the Song army can drive straight in, take Ling Prefecture, and cut off Hexi. At that time, Northern Han will be a sitting duck for the Song army."

The Northern Han is a vassal state of our dynasty, and our dynasty will not sit idly by and watch it be in danger.

As the saying goes, the first to strike wins.

If the commander-in-chief is willing, the Khitan are willing to send elite troops to garrison Yanyun and help him seize Fuzhou.

Furthermore, if the commander can defeat the Song army, our dynasty can also help him take over the Guanzhong region.

The Guanzhong and Hexi regions together comprise dozens of prefectures, sufficient to establish a nation!

With Yelü Jing's authorization, Yelü Wuzhi could offer Li Yixing far greater temptations than before.

The fact that the Khitans could help the Dingnan Army eliminate its internal threat was already tempting for Li Yixing, not to mention the allure of establishing a state!

Although Dingnan Army was in fact a local regime, it was nominally still a subject.

Since the late Tang Dynasty, the successive military governors of Dingnan Army had seen countless emperors in the Central Plains establish temples and declared themselves emperors, and their hearts were already filled with long-standing desires.

Especially with the Khitan as an example, if they, being of different ethnicities, could become emperors, why couldn't they?
As for whether the Khitan will fulfill their promise?
Li Yixing looked down at Shi Chonggui, his gaze growing increasingly bright.

He now understood why Shi Chonggui was among the Khitan envoys this time.

The people of the world have never forgotten how the Later Jin Dynasty was established.

Li Yixing fell into a long silence.

The wind outside the tent picked up, whipping up sand and lashing heavily against the felt curtain, making a sound like the drums of the Later Tang army besieging the city.

The Song army was very strong, but even at its strongest, it was only comparable to the Tang army of yesteryear.

He lived for decades, witnessed the rise and fall of regimes in the Central Plains, and understood the principle that "there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests."

The Song Dynasty wanted to unify the country, and Xia Prefecture, this separatist territory, would become a thorn in its side sooner or later; while the Khitan wanted to contain the Song Dynasty, and Xia Prefecture was the best springboard.

"Does Lord Shi know that our eight tribes of the Dangxiang suffered from a drought last year and are short of food and provisions?"

Li Yixing suddenly spoke, speaking cautiously.

His words delighted Shi Zhonggui.

"Our dynasty has prepared military provisions, and we are just waiting for the commander's word to deliver them to Xia Prefecture."

Li Yixing finally released his hand from stroking his beard, picked up the wine, and drank it all in one gulp. The steam rising from the freshly boiled wine burned his throat, but it also dispelled his last trace of hesitation.

He rose and walked to the center of the main hall, drew his Tangut scimitar from his waist, and drew a line across the Guanzhong region on the map:
"Tell your emperor that the wolves of the Tanguts will not wait to be skinned alive."

"In a few days, I will send my eldest son, Li Guangrui, with Lord Shi to meet the Northern King!"

Upon hearing these words, Shi Zhonggui also stood up.

The clarion call of Guanzhong will grow ever louder!
...

After leaving the main hall, Shi Chonggui walked through the rammed earth streets and alleys of Xiazhou City.

Led by Tangut warriors, he was walking towards the embassy.

The journey had been peaceful until he witnessed this scene:
At a street corner, two Tangut soldiers were grabbing an old Han man by the hair and pressing him heavily to the ground.

The old man's turban was torn to shreds, revealing his gray hair, and beads of blood trickled down his temples.

"Old man, how many times have I taught you? You must kneel down and bow when you see us!"

A Tangut soldier kicked the old man in the lower back and shouted loudly.

Another Tangut soldier grinned maliciously and used his curved knife to cut off the old man's hair that hung down his shoulders.

"Why grow your hair so long? Why not copy us?"

The old man lay on the ground, letting out pitiful cries from his throat.

Beside the old man, his family was surrounded by other Tangut soldiers.

The Tangut soldiers were threatening the old man's family with weapons, saying that they had to learn to wear narrow-sleeved leather robes and herd sheep and cattle.

While shouting and whipping, the old man's family members faced the threat of death, their eyes filled with tears, but they dared not cry out.

"With disheveled hair and the left-fastening robe, you changed my attire..."

Shi Zhonggui, who was once the emperor of China, subconsciously murmured these words.

But as soon as he finished muttering to himself, Shi Chonggui looked at his own attire and laughed self-deprecatingly.

After laughing self-deprecatingly, perhaps out of curiosity, or perhaps out of some complex emotion, Shi Zhonggui asked the Tangut soldier leading the way:
"I have heard that your country does not force Han people to change their customs. Why is that today?"

When asked, Shi Zhonggui pointed forward.

The words "Your country is esteemed" from Shi Chonggui made the Dangxiang soldiers beam with joy. Furthermore, knowing that Shi Chonggui was an honored guest, they were able to answer their questions.

Under normal circumstances, the Dingnan army did not force Han people to change their customs, but there were always Han people who were unwilling to submit to the oppressive rule of the Dangxiang.

Li Yixing would relocate all the rebellious Han Chinese to Xia Prefecture for surveillance, and, with the aim of eliminating future troubles, would choose to completely integrate them into the Tangut culture.

Of course, the more moderate approach Shi Zhonggui has observed in this process is what he sees so far; as for the less moderate approach…

They're already dead, what's the point of saying anything?
The Tangut soldiers' explanation made Shi Chonggui sigh:

He thought of the Han people of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

Perhaps feeling that overthinking would only intensify his guilt, Shi Zhonggui shook his head and continued walking forward.

Along the way, he encountered many Han Chinese walking in a panic, their eyes filled with numbness and fear, like a flock of lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

After Shi Chonggui left, the old man and his family, who had been reformed, finally escaped from the Tangut soldiers' knives.

When the Han Chinese old man hugged his trembling grandson again, the grandson's question brought tears to his eyes:

"Grandpa, where is the Heavenly Khan you always talked about?"

The old man was originally a Confucian scholar, and his greatest hobby was telling his descendants stories of the glorious Tang Dynasty.

In the old man's story, the Han people are the most powerful ethnic group in the world.

During the Tang Dynasty, we only heard of foreign tribes admiring and learning Han culture. How could things have turned upside down like this today?

When reality differs too much from the story, the story becomes fantasy.

Before the old man could answer his grandson's question, his family member coldly said:

"Go back to herding your livestock as soon as possible; we have to pay two taxes at the end of the year."

"If we can't hand it over by then..."

Under foreign rule, it was common for Han Chinese to pay more taxes than others.

The old man quickly wiped away his tears at his family's words:
Does it matter where the Heavenly Khan is?
The important thing is to survive.

...

Outside Luoyang city in early winter, dust billowed in like a yellow dragon.

Tens of thousands of imperial guards were advancing in square formations, infantry and cavalry interspersed, exuding a chilling aura of killing intent.

As Zhao Dexiu, surrounded by his soldiers, reined in his horse, the dust that had risen outside the city settled. He glanced at the crowd of people bowing and waiting ahead, a smile playing on his lips.

"Teacher, you look as radiant as ever!"

Zhao Dexiu dismounted and strode towards the old man at the front of the crowd with a smile.

In the cold wind, Wei Renpu's purple robe and jade belt swayed slightly. He raised his head, a gentle smile appearing on his aged face:
"Your Highness has personally led the royal army into Luoyang. This is a great blessing for the nation. Your humble servant and colleagues respectfully welcome Your Majesty."

As soon as Wei Renpu finished speaking, all the officials behind him bowed in unison.

Zhao Dexiu glanced at the assembled officials, gesturing for them to rise. He then took Wei Renpu's hand and led the way to the front.

"I asked the teacher to contact Zhefu Prefecture a few days ago. Has he replied?"

When no one else was around, Zhao Dexiu's tone was not as relaxed as before; instead, it carried a hint of seriousness.

This question made Wei Renpu frown slightly.

Before Zhao Dexiu arrived, tens of thousands of Western Shu troops had already reached Jingzhao Prefecture. Instead of asking about the movements of the Western Shu troops, he inquired about the prefecture and state.

Fuzhou was a key town for the Song Dynasty to contain the Dingnan Army, and Zhao Dexiu's intentions were self-evident.

"Does Your Highness think that Li Yixing might not be honest?"

"Exactly."

Zhao Dexiu nodded; he had nothing to hide from Wei Renpu.

He raised his hand and pointed northwest, continuing:
“Before I set out on the expedition, I received a secret report in the court. The report mentioned that although Li Yixing had submitted to the emperor and paid tribute, he had secretly built a city in Xiazhou, recruited fugitives, and even secretly communicated with the Khitan.”

As soon as Zhao Dexiu finished speaking, Wei Renpu's brows furrowed even deeper.

After a moment of silence, Wei Renpu stroked his beard and said, "The Dingnan Army has been a regional military governor since the late Tang Dynasty. It has deep roots and has been established for generations. Now that the Central Plains have just been pacified, if we act rashly, there may be unforeseen changes."

Wei Renpu's ideas were similar to Zhao Kuangyin's, but Zhao Dexiu had a different perspective.

"What the teacher said is outdated."

"Old principles cannot protect the new situation. Our dynasty is developing rapidly, and with the growing momentum of unification, I do not believe that Li Yixing would really remain indifferent."

Historically, Li Yixing was always very obedient, but times have changed. Rather than blindly believing in history, Zhao Dexiu believed more in the hearts of the people.

Zhao Dexiu stepped forward, her voice not loud, but clearly reaching Wei Renpu's ears:

"Today I lead the Imperial Guards into Luoyang. My primary task is to quell the rebellion and conquer Shu. However, the Dingnan Army is not an ordinary threat from local warlords; it is a thorn in the side of the Northwest."

I can hold off on removing it for now, but I must always be on guard against it.

If Li Yixing makes any unusual moves, his first priority will be to attack Fuzhou, so the military situation in Fuzhou is very important to Zhao Dexiu.

After listening to Zhao Dexiu's words, Wei Renpu nodded solemnly, then said worriedly:
"If Li Yixing really does something treacherous, then our army's rear will be in danger."

Wei Renpu's concerns did not affect Zhao Dexiu:

The worst-case scenario is one against three, which is something we've done before.

(End of this chapter)