Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

Meanwhile, Sanjar withdrew his troops from Khwarazm, leaving his nephew Suleiman to be the king of Khwarazm.

This Suleiman had visited the Ming Dynasty a few years ago, staying in Kaifeng for more than a year before leaving China after the fall of the Jin Dynasty.

Suleiman became the king of Khwarazm and appointed numerous military and political officials and city lords.

The local nobles feared Sanjar and therefore chose to betray Ajis.

Unexpectedly, Sanjar's nephew was parachuted in as an official to seize the interests of the local nobility.

Chapter 3761 The Fence-Sitter Aristocrat

Just then, Ajis, who had just lost his son, led his troops back to Khwarezm.

Those nobles who had betrayed him all came back to him.

Ajax chose to forgive, and led these nobles and troops to conquer cities and reclaim territories.

Suleiman and the Seljuk officials were so frightened that they fled with a small number of troops.

Immediately afterwards, Ajis led his army south to retaliate.

He captured Bukhara, the capital of the Western Karakhanid Khanate, killed the governor, looted the city, and even demolished the city walls.

This is tantamount to making it clear that Ajis has chosen to join forces with Yelü Dashi to challenge Sanjar's dominant authority in Central Asia.

……

"The Ming Dynasty has sent troops to Western Xia?" Yelü Dashi finally met with the Western Xia envoy.

The Western Xia envoy said, "Our country has suffered from drought for many years, which is a time of weakness, and it just so happens that our holy ruler has passed away."

"The Ming Dynasty went back on its word and disregarded diplomatic relations, choosing to send troops at this time."

Yelü Dashi asked, "How many Ming troops have come?"

The Western Xia envoy said, "The Ming Dynasty sent tens of thousands of troops to launch a surprise attack on three cities in Hexi of our Great Xia, and is now advancing on the Weifu Military Command of our Great Xia."

"Next year, they may invade from Shaanxi. I urge Your Majesty the Great Khan to send troops to their aid, and it would be best if you could also provide them with a batch of military provisions."

"Next year?" Yelü Dashi felt very troubled.

He didn't know when he would have a decisive battle with the Seljuks; it could be next year, or the year after, depending on when Sanjar led his troops to attack.

In any case, Yelü Dashi will be too busy to look eastward for the next year or two.

The Western Xia envoy asked, "Does Your Majesty the Great Khan know about firearms?"

Yelü Dashi nodded: "I understand."

The Western Xia envoy said, "The Ming Dynasty destroyed the Jin Dynasty entirely by relying on the power of firearms. Our Great Xia also knows how to manufacture firearms."

"Really?" Yelü Dashi sat up straight.

The Western Xia envoy said, "As long as the Great Khan sends troops to help, regardless of victory or defeat next year, our country will definitely offer the method of manufacturing firearms in return."

Yelü Dashi said, "Let me think about it carefully. You may leave now."

The Western Xia envoy bowed and took his leave, but Yelü Dashi was caught in a dilemma.

His original plan was to bring together the Western Xia and the Kereit tribes to jointly stop the Ming Dynasty's expansion.

The Kereit tribe first fought with the Mongol tribe, and then with the Merkit tribe.

The northern deserts are already embroiled in conflict, making it impossible for them to advance south.

The Western Xia dynasty also faced a new emperor's ascension to the throne, a young ruler, and a state of uncertainty, as well as years of natural disasters and famine.

Meanwhile, on their side, they were to have a decisive battle with Seljuk.

The promised tripartite alliance has now deteriorated to the point where each party is looking out for itself, with no one having the capacity to lend a helping hand.

However, if he did not save Western Xia, the Ming Dynasty might destroy Western Xia, and Yelü Dashi's territory would then border the Ming Dynasty.

After much deliberation, Yelü Dashi decided to ignore it.

Let the Western Xia be destroyed; we must first defeat the Seljuks, for this is crucial to the future of the Western Liao.

A few days later, Yelü Dashi summoned the Western Xia envoy: "There is a great power in the west, the Seljuk, who may send hundreds of thousands of troops to attack at any time. I do not have any troops available at the moment."

“Go back and tell the Western Xia rulers and ministers that if their country is in danger of destruction, they can flee to me.”

"Whether soldiers, civil officials, or monks, I will take good care of them and give them temples, houses, farmland, and pastures."

The Western Xia envoy wailed, "Great Khan, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold!"

"If the Great Xia dynasty falls, the Liangshan Emperor of the Ming dynasty will surely covet Gaochang, and then the Great Khan will have to be on guard against the Ming dynasty day and night."

Chapter 3762 The Land Beyond the Enclosure

Yelü Dashi said, "I really don't have any extra troops. You should go back to your country and report back."

“Any official, civilian, monk or layman from the Western Xia can flee to our Great Liao and settle down. As long as they come, they will be given extra preferential treatment.”

“My people are all from other races, but you are all my people.”

"Whether they are Tanguts or Tibetans, Han Chinese or Uyghurs, all who enter the territory of our Great Liao are of the same ethnicity."

The Western Xia envoy was still pleading when Yelü Dashi got up and left.

……

When news of Yue Fei and Han Shizhong's great victory reached Luoyang, it was already early winter, and the first snow of the year had not yet fallen.

"A great victory! A great victory!"

"General Han Shizhong and General Yue Fei, lead your troops to recover the three cities in Hexi and the land outside the Tao region!"

The cavalrymen carried the proclamation around the city, and passersby stopped to listen. Many people also came out of their shops or homes.

Officials also posted announcements of victory throughout Luoyang city and its surrounding areas.

They also received temporary training to draw a simple map of the Hetao region and patiently explained the situation to the onlookers.

"This '几' (ji) bend is the Yellow River, which has been part of China's territory since the Qin and Han dynasties..."

"After General Han and General Yue joined forces, they set off from here."

"Do you know where this place is? It's the Shanyu Protectorate during the Tang Dynasty!"

"The two generals first conquered this place, now called Dongsheng Prefecture (Tuoketuo County), which was the Eastern Surrender City during the Tang Dynasty..."

"General Han led his troops westward to capture this place (Baotou) first."

"This was the site of the Anbei Protectorate during the Tang Dynasty, also known as Zhongshoujiang City..."

"General Yue led his army south and marched westward, capturing two cities in three days and leaving one city to his allies, thus seizing all three cities in Hexi."

"This place is extraordinary; the Western Xia and the Liao Dynasty fought over it repeatedly for a century..."

"This place was the Western Surrender City of the Tang Dynasty, but it became the garrison of the Weifu Military Command of the Western Xia, which they called Wulahai City."

"Now, it has also been recaptured by the two generals, and the garrison of Wulahai City surrendered without a fight!"

"Why did we surrender without a fight? Because the Ming army of our Great Ming Dynasty has just won a great victory!"

"Our Great Ming cavalry only numbered over ten thousand, while the remaining twenty thousand were all cavalrymen from various steppe tribes."

"But Richard, the Prince of Jin of Western Xia, has an army of 300,000!"

"Then, Generals Yang Yizhong, Yang Jin, Li Yu, and Liu Zhengyan, each leading 1,500 cavalry, charged towards the 50,000 Western Xia soldiers..."

"At that time, General Han was in charge of the operation, while Generals Yue, Xu Qing, Wang Gui, and Li Shifu led only two or three thousand cavalrymen, charging straight at the 100,000-strong army of Western Xia, including eight thousand Iron Falcons alone..."

At first, what they said sounded plausible, but later it turned into bragging.

This was personally instructed by Zhao Yuan, and the propaganda was carried out not only in Luoyang but also in other prefectures.

Although the people of the Ming Dynasty are now in high spirits, the Western Xia is, after all, an old adversary, and the century-long war between the Song and Western Xia has caused great suffering to the people.

Various rumors are circulating among the public, and even some officials are worried that something unexpected might happen. They urgently need a resounding victory to appease the people.

Men and women, young and old, inside and outside Luoyang city,

More and more people gathered at the various posting points, listening with smiles to the officials' boasting.

Many people cannot understand simple maps or grasp geographical locations.

Chapter 3763 Great Victory

All they knew was that the Ming soldiers had won battle after battle, and one great victory after another.

The Western Xia army was routed, suffering countless casualties.

Long live the Ming Dynasty!

After the official finished boasting, he suddenly raised his arms and shouted.

The common people were taken aback at first, then a scholar joined in the shouting.

Then everyone cheered: "Long live the Ming Dynasty!"

The official shouted again, "Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live the Emperor!" The people's shouts grew louder and louder.

Luoyang was too far from the front lines, while Lanzhou was already in a state of frenzy.

Once the Western Xia is destroyed, Lanzhou can be transformed from the front line into the rear.

The lives of ordinary people will improve countless times.

Merchants, in particular, spontaneously held celebrations and hired bands to play music.

An army of 50,000 has been assembled outside Lanzhou, with tens of thousands more stationed in surrounding castles.

There are 100,000 troops waiting to go to war next year within the territory of Lanzhou Prefecture alone.

One by one, proclamations were sent to various military camps, where officers announced them to the soldiers.

This time, however, there was little exaggeration.

In a series of battles, including the decisive battle, Yue Fei and Han Shizhong persuaded more than 30,000 enemy soldiers to surrender and killed or captured more than 60,000 enemy soldiers.

They captured seven cities of the state army (one of which was taken by Yao Pingzhong) and twenty-one fortified cities.

The commander-in-chief in Lanzhou was Wu Jie. After reading the battle report in detail, he smiled and said, "As you all know, the battle reports of the Ming Dynasty cannot be falsified. Even if someone tries to falsify them, they won't dare to go too far."

"The Weifu Military Command of Western Xia has indeed been breached."

"In the great battle next year, Western Xia will still need to reserve enough troops to defend Keyimen."

"The number of enemy troops we will face will be greatly reduced. Are you confident that you can follow me to conquer the Hexi Corridor?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Shouts rose and fell, and the morale of the Ming army in Lanzhou was soaring.

……

Luoyang, the inner palace.

Li Qinglu knelt in the courtyard, her forehead touching the remaining snow water, and remained kneeling in prayer.

"Stand up and talk first." Zhao Yuan frowned.

Li Qinglu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately thanked him and stood up to welcome Zhao Yuan into the room to warm himself by the fire.

Zhao Yuan stretched out his palms to warm them by the fire and asked, "This month, you've sent people to request an audience six times. Is there anything you'd like to say?"

Li Qinglu had already prepared her explanation: "I have heard that the Ming Dynasty has sent troops to Western Xia. Our two countries are like father and son."

"If a son is unfilial, the father should reprimand him and help him correct his behavior. Why would a father beat his son to death?"

Zhao Yuan wasn't angry. He casually picked up the fire tongs and stirred the charcoal in the brazier: "Do you know what state Western Xia is in?"

"Of the four major Dangxiang tribes in Dingzhou, three rebelled and then crossed the desert to join the Ming Dynasty."

"The Tanguts in Dingzhou have rebelled?" Li Qinglu was astonished.

Dingzhou is too close to Xingqing Prefecture, so Li Qinglu certainly knows about it. She simply cannot understand why the Dangxiang tribe rebelled.

Zhao Yuan said, "Brother Richard has built a luxurious mansion in Xingqing Prefecture. I heard that he has more than a hundred wives and concubines."