I am Da Song

Chapter 279 Opening up the Western Regions

Compared with the Qing Dynasty, the Kelie tribe has an unparalleled advantage.That is, Da Song will not sign any unequal treaties with them, and will not impose humiliation on them.

That piece of land is so barren that it has not been suitable for cultivation since ancient times.Their positioning is the source of resources, someone is guarding there, and they can continuously provide resource output. This is a very suitable model for Da Song.

This method of winning over nomadic nobles and thus ruling the entire nomadic people has been tried and tested repeatedly by all major empires at home and abroad in later generations.

However, this model has a disadvantage, that is, the combat effectiveness of this corrupt and dark tribe will be relatively weak.

The wealth is in the hands of a small number of nobles. The serfs and herdsmen at the bottom are mentally numb and have no motivation. They will definitely not be able to win against those wolves and tigers.

Therefore, the nomadic cavalry who generally seek refuge in the major empires are relatively well-equipped to balance their combat power, such as the Cossack cavalry.

But even so, the combat effectiveness of the Cossack cavalry has been seriously questioned by the regular armies of various countries.Especially during the French expedition to Russia, many French officers and soldiers felt that the Cossacks were not qualified soldiers, and believed that the Cossacks were cruel to the weak and very cowardly when they treated the strong.

This description can be said to be very suitable for the image of running dogs and eagle dogs.

Even the Tsarist Russian Empire, which trusted the Cossack cavalry the most, knew that they were only auxiliary arms and would not send them to attack the neatly lined regular army musket phalanx head-on.

Zhao Huan didn't think that the Mongolian Kelei tribe was better at fighting than the Cossack cavalry, but it was in the golden age of rising, and the hard-working Mongolian cavalry was undoubtedly a very useful thug at the moment.

The Great Song Dynasty reshaped the vassal clan system, the Mobei wilderness and the icy and snowy Siberia and other regions, if the regular army of the Great Song Dynasty were to conquer them all, the price would be too high.And it's time consuming.

So Zhao Huan felt that it was possible to reproduce the classics, "a history of the Great Song Empire and half of the history of the Kelei Tribe."

The Kelie tribe expanded the military territory on behalf of the Song Dynasty, conquered other tribes, made them submit, and joined the vassal system of the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Huan said to the right minister who was following behind him: "The current trade model is the best way to win over the Mongolian nobles. Let the Mongolian cavalry become the most useful thugs for our dynasty in northern Xinjiang."

"And now there are Jin Kingdom and Hebul Khan in the east of northern Xinjiang, and Xiliao and Turks in the west. In such a complicated situation, someone needs to open the situation for us. Therefore, giving the Kelie tribe a certain amount of military support will help ease the situation. "

"As long as I can pull out 30 regular field troops at a time, I don't have to worry about the Mongols' backlash."

And the most important point that Zhao Huan didn't say directly is that as long as these scholar-officials in the Song Dynasty no longer monopolize the country, corrupt and exploit, the Song Dynasty will not be reduced to a state of feudal decay and people's numbness and ignorance.

In this case, even if there is no breakthrough in technology, the Central Plains Dynasty still has the atmosphere of the founding of the country.

Like Datang, Song Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty, which one did not hang up the powerful northern nomadic tribes and hammer them when the country was founded?

You must know that when these three dynasties were founded, the nomadic tribes in the north were all prosperous and desperately strong.The past dynasties have considered their opponents: "Rongdi is as strong as ever before."

But as a result, the Turks across Europe and Asia, the Khitan with a vast territory, and the Mongolia of the Golden Family were all suspected of life by the master of the Central Plains dynasty.

It was only in the late dynasty that the literati and bureaucrats merged frantically, corrupted and exploited, which led to the country's depression and the people's numbness, so they were plundered by the northern Hulu.

What's interesting is that the best way to cure this sickness is exactly the same as Zhao Huan's approach, cleaning up a group of scholar-bureaucrats.

In troubled times, a large number of scholar-bureaucrats were massacred, and the founding of the new dynasty will be a new look immediately.

Mei Zhili said: "If the officials have such an arrangement, they have to pay attention to the sphere of influence left by Xiliao."

Zhao Huan raised his brows and asked, "Khitan people? Are they hindering my dynasty's interests?"

Mei Zhili said: "The Khitan and Jurchen have abandoned the city of Ketun, and this area has been eroded by Mongols. The army of Huer Zahu Sihan and Hebrek Khan fought fiercely in this generation. Although it has not yet been determined, but since Ketun The area to the west of the city has been occupied by the tribes under the command of Huer Zahu Sihan."

"This means that I already have a relatively safe eastern barrier towards the Silk Road. But the Kret is focusing on the struggle against Khebul Khan, and the Mongols are taking over the sphere of influence that the Khitans gave up."

"In the farther west, the Khitan people are the one with the deepest influence."

"According to what the Khitan envoy said, Yelu Dashi attacked Dashi to the west and pretended to go to Gaochang. Bilege Khan of Gaochang Kingdom has expressed his surrender and became a vassal of Xiliao. He donated [-] horses, [-] camels, and [-] sheep. , and expressed willingness to send hostage descendants.”

Zhao Huan frowned and asked, "Gaochang has become a vassal state of Western Liao?"

Needless to say, Gaochang's geographical location is one of the most important passages on the Silk Road.

If Gaochang becomes a vassal state of Xiliao, the power of Xiliao will profoundly affect the situation of the Silk Road.

Mei Zhili replied solemnly: "Now the Gaochang Kingdom is called the Gaochang Uyghur Kingdom, and it is a Turkic branch. It has been friendly with the Liao Kingdom all the year round. Yelu Dashi led the army into the territory of Gaochang Kingdom. Bilge Khan followed the custom and did not do anything at all. If you resist, you will belong to Xiliao."

Zhao Huan stopped under a crabapple tree, turned to look at Mei Zhili, and asked, "So Xiliao secretly caused trouble during the negotiation?"

With such a trump card, it is impossible for Xiliao not to play it.

Mei Zhili nodded, and said, "About our proposal to reduce checkpoints and unify tax rates. Jin, Xixia, and Mongolia have all agreed, but only Xiliao has been delaying."

Zhao Huan snorted coldly and said, "Xiliao really thinks that he has gone to the west, separated by Xixia and Gaochang, and I have nothing to do with him?"

Mei Zhili said: "Xiliao believes that our dynasty is unwilling to go to war. Once Gaochang and our dynasty turn against each other, the Silk Road will be forced to be interrupted in the Western Regions."

"And Xiliao can take this opportunity to gain more benefits in the negotiation."

This interest is the most direct, most profitable and harmless wealth.

As long as the talks led by Da Song successfully sign an agreement, the Silk Road will run smoothly no matter what.

East-West trade is huge profits, and there will be endless caravans.

However, through negotiations, Xiliao set up an additional checkpoint, which would bring them a generous financial income.

But the four eastern countries, especially the people of the Song Dynasty, have to pay for the increase in tariffs in Xiliao.Buy more expensive items.

Zhao Huan stood with his hands behind his back, and said with a serious expression: "Xiliao has a good idea. But the Xiliao family is not the only one who uses vassal states. This time, let Xiliao experience the majesty of the Han family. What is the authority of the celestial dynasty?"

It's time to release Zhao Huan's great nephew!
(End of this chapter)