I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 484 The Dragon and Phoenix of Western Xia: Not seeking victory, but seeking a crushing defeat!

July 16th, near dusk.

Su Liang and others set up camp in an open area about a hundred miles away from the edge of the Zuosiluo tribe and near a stream.

That evening, Su Liang received the information.

Di Qing led an army of 50,000 and divided it into three routes to penetrate deep into Hehuang. In less than three days, he had expanded the border by more than 200 miles.

Everywhere you go.

The tribal warriors lined up to welcome them, and the scattered herdsmen welcomed them as distinguished guests.

There was no war during this period.

at the same time.

The news that Su Liang had gone deep into Hehuang two months ago to persuade the Tibetan tribes to surrender gradually spread.

Hehuang is a vast area with few people and little information.

However, this explosive news spread rapidly in the Hehuang area through word of mouth among countless foreign people.

Many Tibetans were quite surprised when they learned about this.

They didn't expect it.

The Song Dynasty, which had never taken the initiative to provoke a war for many years, would suddenly expand its borders. And the place of expansion was not Yanyun in the north, but Hehuang in the northwest.

They didn't expect it.

Su Liang, the Chief Censor of the Song Dynasty, led more than 200 people and dared to go deep into Hehuang to persuade various tribes to surrender. Not only was he successful, but the Xixia people were completely unaware of it.

For a time, many people saw what the Song Dynasty was going to do.

Expand the border of Hehuang.

It is obviously aimed at Xixia.

Once Di Qing's army controls the entire Hehuang area and attacks Western Xia from the Hehuang direction, they can completely form a siege with the Song soldiers in the direction of Taiyuan Prefecture.

More importantly.

The Song Dynasty will occupy an advantageous terrain and can march straight into and launch a fierce attack on Western Xia.

If Xixia loses the buffer zone of Hehuang, it will become very passive.

Next.

The entire Northwest is bound to be in chaos.

It was impossible for Xixia to just watch the Song soldiers rush to their doorstep.

The Zuosiluo tribe in the northwest would certainly be very wary of the Song Dynasty, worrying that the latter would destroy them, so they would definitely take action.

As for the Liao Kingdom, maybe it will also take action.

If the Song Dynasty destroyed Xixia, the next target would definitely be Liao. Liao might help Xixia and cause some trouble for the Song Dynasty in Hebei.

Even Korea and Japan will take action.

This is not a simple expansion.

It is very likely to be a multi-national war involving Western Xia, Zuo Silu, Liao, and even Goryeo and Japan.

At this moment, Su Liang was no longer in a hurry.

He just needs to wait for the next move of the Zuosilo tribe and Western Xia and respond accordingly.

……

Zuosiluo tribe, Qingtang City (now Xining, Qinghai).

In a tea room.

An old man with a haggard face, wearing a yellow monk's robe and holding a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, was looking at a piece of information carefully.

He is the descendant of the Tubo royal family and the founder of the Zuosilo tribe, who is known as the incarnation of Buddha.

Zuosiluo was once a puppet of the Tibetan tribes and was revered as a son of Buddha, but he had only a name but no power.

Later, after his entire clan migrated to Qingtang, their strength gradually expanded, and he became the largest tribal leader in the Western Qiang area, with hundreds of thousands of people under his command.

He has always insisted on the strategy of uniting with Song to resist Xia, but now he is old and has more ideas, and is slowly transferring power to his three sons.

Opposite Zuo Siluo there were three men sitting cross-legged on cushions.

They are Zuo Siluo's eldest son Xia Zhen, his second son Mo Zhen Jiao and his third son Dong Zhen.

At this moment, all three of them looked anxious.

After reading the information, Zuo Siluo remained calm and his emotions did not fluctuate at all.

Lean slightly.

Zuo Siluo put the information aside, looked at the three sons, and asked, "What do you think we should do?"

Dong Jian, Zuo Si Luo's favorite third son, was the first to speak: "Father, the Song people have always been cunning, and Su Liang is even more cunning. He has deceived countless people with his mouth. They first secretly persuaded us to surrender, and then let Di Qing expand the border. Once Hehuang is occupied, we will be in danger."

"Our Qingtang City is an important trading center. The Song Dynasty will definitely not let us go. Rather than being enslaved by the Song Dynasty, it is better to fight back."

"Father, I suggest that you immediately call on all the surrounding Tibetan tribes that have not been persuaded to surrender by Su Liang to unite and fight against the Song Dynasty. We must not allow the Song Dynasty to expand its territory near our territory."

"Besides, Xixia must be more anxious than us. We can unite with Xixia to fight against Song Dynasty and beat them back. Although the Tibetans are separated, Song Dynasty persuaded the Tibetans in the northwest to surrender without informing us, as if they regarded us as enemies. We must teach them a lesson!"

After Dong Jian finished speaking, Zuo Siluo's eldest son Xia Jian shook his head slightly.

"No, absolutely not! With our current strength, we can't compete with the Song Dynasty at all, and there is no need for us to compete with the Song Dynasty!"

"Now that the Song Dynasty has undergone reforms, the country is rich, the people are prosperous, trade is flourishing, and there are many materials. There are more things worth learning from. We and the Western Xia are our enemies. I suggest that we take the initiative to contact the Song Dynasty and be willing to be the vanguard to destroy the Western Xia together with them."

"The Song dynasty abides by the rules. As long as we treat them as friends, we can govern ourselves independently, just like the Dali Kingdom in the south. As long as we obey, we will get many benefits and our people will become prosperous."

"The Song Dynasty and Western Xia are mortal enemies, and there will definitely be a war. If we unite with Western Xia, we will be courting our own death!" Xia Zhen glared at Dong Zhen.

Dong Zhan's eyes were full of dissatisfaction.

"Brother, do you really like being a dog of the Song Dynasty? With your thoughts, when can we unify Tibet and build a country more powerful than the Song and Liao dynasties?"

"Third brother, stop dreaming. Except for us, all the Tibetan tribes are killing each other. How can we unify them? Many people can't even get enough food, so how can we talk about dignity?"

"Among the three kingdoms of Liao, Xixia and Song, only Song was moving forward. Only their laws were fair, order was stable, and the people could live a good life. The Tibetan tribes all returned to Song, which is the best proof!"

"We cannot sacrifice the lives of our people for our own ambitions. We must face reality. The Song Dynasty is a friend who can help us live a better life, while the Western Xia is a bandit beside us."

"As for the Liao Kingdom, they are just using us. Do you think that Yelu Zongzhen betrothed the Liao princess to you because he really wanted us to replace Xixia and become the overlord of the northwest? They just want to use us to fight against the Song Dynasty. We are just pawns in their hands!"

Hear this.

Zuo Si Luo looked up at Xia Zheng and said, "Let's just talk about how to solve the current problem!"

"Yes, father." Xia Zhen nodded quickly.

The marriage contract between Dong Jian and Princess Xiling Jiemu of Liao was tacitly approved by Zuo Silu.

Zuo Siluo was unwilling to put all his eggs in one basket, so he established good relations with the Liao Kingdom in order to give his tribe an extra backer.

At this time.

The second son of Zuosiluo, Mozhenjiao, who usually spoke few words, started to speak.

"Father, I suggest that we stay put, just like the saying of a man from the Song Dynasty: Respond to ever-changing situations with constancy."

"At present, we don't know what the purpose of the Song Dynasty is. Whether they are preparing to destroy the Xia or just occupy Hehuang and make the Xixia people feel oppressed is still unknown. If we blindly stand up against the Song Dynasty, we may become the first target of the Song Dynasty."

As soon as Mo Jianjiao finished speaking, Dong Jian curled his lips and said, "What do you mean by keeping the troops in place? Isn't that just waiting to be beaten? If you attack when you are in a passive position, it will be too late!"

Xia Zhen continued, "I don't think that's possible. If we don't cooperate with the Song Dynasty, they will definitely think that we might be conspiring with Xixia or Liao. If they regard us as enemies, then our lives will be difficult in the future!"

Zuo Siluo had three sons. One advocated uniting all tribes to attack Song, one advocated joining forces with Song to attack Xia, and one advocated keeping the troops in place.

Three people, three opinions.

Then, the three men all looked at Zuo Siluo.

Zuo Silu thought for a moment and said, "I think Mo Jianjiao's proposal is better. Let's wait and see what Xixia does."

At this moment, Zuo Silu’s heart has already returned to Buddha.

He neither wanted his tribe to become a part of the Song Dynasty, nor had any ambition to unify Tubo or attack Xixia. He just wanted to guard this area and live a quiet life.

At this time.

Xia Zhen said, "Father, Su Liang, the Imperial Censor of the Song Dynasty, has been in Hehuang for more than two months. If I am right, he is very likely near our tribe now. If he wants to come to the tribe to discuss the matter of destroying Xia with you, what do you plan to do?"

This question stumped Zuo Siluo.

By then, you will have to express your position even if you don’t want to.

As long as Zuo Siluo said he was unwilling to fight, it meant he wanted to break with the Song Dynasty.

Until then.

Di Qing would definitely lead his army to attack the Zuosilo tribe first. After all, they were also worried that someone would stab them in the back during the war with Western Xia.

Dong Jian puffed out his chest and said, "If he dares to come, I will use his head as a sacrifice. What is there for a scholar to be afraid of? I will tear his mouth and break his teeth, and then see how he can still speak."

Hearing this, Zuo Siluo's face instantly turned gloomy.

He picked up the teacup in front of him and smashed it on Dong Zhan.

"Wow!"

The scalding tea splashed all over Dong Zhen.

Dong Zhen looked at Zuo Siluo's angry eyes and quickly knelt on the mat. Xia Zhen and Mo Zhenjiao beside him also knelt up quickly.

Their father Zuo Silu hasn't lost his temper for a long time.

I didn't even scold them.

Now, smashing the teacup means that someone has said something wrong, and that the mistake is quite serious.

Zuo Si Luo paused and said, "Whether we ally with Song or attack Song, if Su Liang comes, he must be treated as a guest of honor. Except for meeting him on the battlefield, he must not be touched in any other places."

"He is a nobleman of the Song Dynasty, a lucky star, and a figure destined to go down in history. If we kill him, we will be sinners, and Buddha will not forgive us."

"Besides, if we really kill him, I'm afraid the Song Dynasty will use all its national strength to destroy us!"

Zuo Siluo is known as the son of Buddha.

He was well aware of how powerful the appeal of a person like Su Liang was.

Killing Su Liang would mean a war to the death with the Song Dynasty.

Absolutely not.

"I understand, kid!" Xia Zheng and the other two bowed at the same time.

Zuo Siluo fiddled with the Buddhist beads in his hand, thought for a while and said, "Tomorrow I will go to Qinghai (that is, Qinghai Lake, which was called sea instead of lake in Song Dynasty) to meditate in seclusion. If Su Liang comes here or sends someone to pass on a message, you can delay for a while. I don't want to get involved in the affairs of the Song Dynasty this time. If they really want to attack us, we will retreat to the west. In terms of military force, we are not their opponent, but if we make the Song people lose the argument, we will win and will definitely survive!"

Zuo Siluo understood the Song Dynasty. If they chose to retreat, the Song Dynasty would most likely not kill them all.

"Yes, father." Xia Zheng and the other two bowed again.

However, except for Mozhenjiao who had a faint smile on his face, the other two were somewhat reluctant.

They all felt that Zuo Silu was old, conservative and confused.

……

Zhuolao City, Western Xia border.

In a hall.

Zhuo Luo and his cousins, the commander of the Southern Military Supervision Division, Weiming Xude, and the military supervisor, Weiming Aji, heard the news that "Su Liang and Hehuang were trying to persuade the people to surrender, and Di Qing was using force to expand the border."

Their faces were uglier than each other.

"This...what should we do? Haven't we already sacrificed the Yeli tribe? The Song people are still causing trouble. Aren't they shouting every day about recovering Yanyun? Why don't they take advantage of the civil strife in Liao to recover Yanyun instead of expanding the border to Hehuang?" Weiming Aji paced back and forth, not knowing what to do.

Weiming Xude had a gloomy face.

"The Song people may not be ready to attack us. They just want to occupy Hehuang and put us in a passive position."

"Does it make any difference? Once they occupy Hehuang, they can attack us whenever they want. The first place the Song army will attack is our Zhuolao City. How can we stop them? We don't even know where our military rations for next month are."

Weiming Aji rolled his eyes and continued, "According to the temperament of our Prime Minister, he will definitely not sit still this time. He will most likely let us take the initiative to attack. However, based on our current military strength, I am afraid we cannot defeat Di Qing!"

"Well, let's write to the prime minister immediately, asking for more troops and more food, and see if we can get him to contact the Zuosiluo tribe or the Liao Kingdom as soon as possible. The prime minister has contacts with them, so maybe they can help us."

Just as the two were discussing, an intelligence soldier ran over quickly.

"Urgent letter from the Prime Minister!"

Wei Mingxude opened the letter, and after reading it, he cursed loudly: "Mei Zang Epang, you are a beast, you... the Mei Zang family should be extinct! You... there is no good thing in your family..."

Weiming Aji had never seen Weiming Xude so rude. After taking the letter and reading it, he suddenly slumped in his chair.

"It's over! It's over! It's completely over!"

Mo Zang Epang got the news of the Song Dynasty's expansion of its borders before them.

Mo Zang Epang asked the two men to lead more than 20,000 soldiers under their command out of the city, occupy the Yellow River and the surrounding barbarian tribes, establish a defensive formation, and rely on the danger of the Yellow River to fight the enemy. If any soldier retreats back to Zhuola City, he will be killed without mercy. If he fails, he will still be punished by military law.

Later, he will send a large army to support and contact the Zuosiluo tribe and the Liao Kingdom.

simply speaking--

Mo Zang Epang asked them to fight the Song soldiers with the help of the natural barrier of the Yellow River, and then buy time for the soldiers behind to defend the city and build fortifications.

Also get help for him and buy time.

In this case, the two of them would most likely die on the banks of the Yellow River.

Even if he survives by chance, he will have no career in politics in the future.

Wei Mingxude paced back and forth, and suddenly his eyes lit up and he laughed out loud.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Weiming Aji was shocked, thinking that Weiming Xude was pretending to be crazy in order to escape and then make him the commander-in-chief.

Just when he was about to act crazy.

Wei Mingxu said excitedly: "Aji, I found a way to save my life!"

"You should write back to Mo Zang Epang immediately, saying that we will do our utmost to prevent the Song army from crossing the river even if we are completely wiped out. The more passionate the better, and it must highlight our determination to sacrifice our lives for the country!"

Weiming Aji was a little confused.

He felt that Wei Mingxude might be really crazy, or maybe he was stupid.

The two of them grew up naked, and Wei Mingxude is not the kind of person who is willing to sacrifice for Xixia.

At this time, Weiming Xude smiled triumphantly.

"This letter is for those old men of the Tangut tribe to read. Then I will write another letter to Mo Zang Epang to tell him our real plan.

"This time, we don't seek a single victory, but a crushing defeat. The more crushing the defeat, the greater our contribution!"

Then, Weiming Xude whispered to Weiming Aji.

After hearing Weiming Xude's plan, Weiming Aji could not help but be overjoyed and said excitedly: "What a good plan! After this battle, we can return to the court and enjoy a rich and noble career!"

(End of this chapter)