Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 521: The Western Xia Kingdom

After listening to Zhao Mu's words, Zhezong nodded and said, "Yes, maybe I am too eager for quick success."

Zhao Mu thought for a moment and said, "Oh, Your Majesty, if Your Majesty really can't hold back, then although we can't fight a big war with Liao, we can use some small actions to harass them."

Zhezong looked at Zhao Mu and asked, "Uncle, are you saying that we are also crossing the border to raid the valley?"

Zhao Mu shook his head and said, "Of course not. Raiding is just a childish trick. We can mobilize troops regularly, and let the Liao scouts detect it. In this way, when they see us mobilizing troops, the Liao people will also mobilize troops and organize defenses. We in the Song Dynasty have abundant money and food, and we can withstand the turmoil, but the Liao people are now strong on the outside but weak on the inside and can't withstand it."

Zhezong said, "I understand. What the uncle meant is that we are trying to hide our true intentions, making it difficult for the Liao people to predict our true intentions. If the Liao people move with us, then their food and supplies will be depleted. But if the Liao people do not move with us, then when we really bite them, they will be unprepared."

Zhao Mu smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise. No matter what, we can deplete their limited national strength. When they are exhausted, that is when we will attack."

After hearing this, Zhezong lay down with peace of mind.

Zhezong said at this time: "Oh, uncle. Now that we have finished talking about the serious matters, it is time to talk about the reward from uncle. What does uncle want?"

Zhao Mu replied, "Hasn't your majesty already discussed this with me before? Once we conquer Xixia, your majesty will reward me with Lingzhou City."

Zhezong smiled and said, "Uncle is not greedy. But I remember that I promised to give him not only Lingzhou City, but the entire Xixia Kingdom. Isn't uncle afraid that I will forget and break my promise to my subjects?"

Zhao Mu also laughed and said, "Haha, thunder and rain are all grace from the emperor. I will take whatever your majesty gives me. But I don't want the entire Xixia Kingdom. Your majesty, just give me the city of Lingzhou, which is enough."

Zhezong laughed and said, "What's wrong with your uncle? Wouldn't it be good to be the governor of Xixia?"

Zhao Mu replied, "Of course not. During the time I was in charge of Xixia, I had to deal with as many official documents as a small mountain every day. I didn't even have time to play with the maids. I am a lazy person. I can enjoy myself and fight wars, but I am really not good at dealing with so many messy things."

"If Your Majesty is gracious, you can grant me a few more concubines. Otherwise, I will have no place to accommodate Princess Yinchuan, Princess Anping of Goryeo, Princess Chai of the Shang family, and Princess Qian of the Deng Palace."

Hearing what Zhao Mu said, Zhezong couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Zhezong laughed and said, "Haha, now that we have recovered Xixia, it is time to use people. The emperor's uncle is the pillar of our Song Dynasty and cannot be lazy. Since ancient times, the king never jokes. This Xixia Kingdom must be conferred on the emperor's uncle."

Zhezong changed the subject and continued, "After all, the emperor's uncle is the son-in-law of the Western Xia Kingdom. If you go to govern the Western Xia Kingdom, it will be easier for the Western Xia subjects to accept it. Besides, the northwest has just been pacified, and the situation there is very complicated. The Western Xia people who moved away may not be so willing, and the Liao Kingdom is also eyeing the fertile land of the Hexi Corridor. If there is no suitable general to guard it, I am afraid we will lose it again."

Zhezong looked at Zhao Mu and said, "After much thought, I think your uncle is the most suitable person to govern Xixia."

As he spoke, Zhezong clapped his hands, and a palace maid in gauze came in carrying a tray.

The palace maid squatted down gently and placed the tray in front of Zhao Mu.

Zhao Mu took a look and saw a seal and an imperial edict on it.

Zhao Mu asked, "Your Majesty, what is this?" Zhezong replied, "This is the imperial edict I gave to my uncle. You can take a look at it first."

Zhao Mu stretched out his hand, and the palace maid carefully took out a towel and wiped Zhao Mu's hand dry.

Then Zhao Mu opened the imperial edict placed on it.

Zhao Mu just took a look and put it down. Zhao Mu said, "Your Majesty, isn't this the same one that Master Xuan had?"

Zhezong looked at Zhao Mu and smiled, "Yes. Right now, the imperial edict has not been issued yet. What else does the emperor want to add?"

Zhao Mu replied, "Your Majesty, you are joking. The imperial edict is too heavy. It is very dangerous to let the royal family set up their own offices and control the military power. Your Majesty must not start this. Besides, the ministers will not agree to it."

Zhezong replied, "Of course I know what my uncle said. This is the safest way at the moment. If my uncle is just a military governor in name only, I believe he will not be able to control the Xixia people who have surrendered. It is better to do something practical. At worst, after 10 or 20 years, when Xixia has completely surrendered to us, my uncle can ask for permission to withdraw the vassal state, right?"

After some thought, Zhao Mu said, "But there is no precedent in the history of the Song Dynasty for enthroning vassal kings."

Zhezong wiped his face, looked at Zhao Mu and said, "Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, there has been no precedent of winning a war and destroying a country."

Zhao Mu didn't know whether this was a joke from Zhezong, but this sentence really choked him.

Zhezong also stretched and said, "Okay, uncle, don't refuse. This is the reward you deserve. And granting your uncle the authority to set up his own office and manage his own army is also for the sake of unification of power. If your uncle is stationed in the northwest, Gaochang, Xixia, and Liao will attack us one day."

"Then report from the border to the capital, I will discuss with the officials, and finally the court will dispatch troops. As the common people say, the opportunity is already cold. And the emperor's uncle has also seen that most of the officials in the court are dissatisfied with the emperor's uncle. If the emperor's uncle is not given the right to manage himself, what will happen if they make trouble for him in terms of food and wages?"

"So after much thought, I decided to temporarily confer the Xixia Kingdom on my uncle. He will guard Hexi on my behalf and clear the smoke of war in the northwest. I can also sit in peace in the Central Plains. Okay, uncle, don't refuse anymore. Just now, uncle said that thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the emperor. Why is it that I don't break my promise, but uncle is going to break it? Or is uncle not respecting my will?"

Hearing what Zhezong had said, Zhao Mu had no choice but to say, "Then I will obey your order."

Zhezong smiled and said, "Haha, that's right. Uncle, every time I give you some reward, you are always nagging. You always make me waste so much time talking. What I give you, uncle, is what I give you sincerely after careful consideration. I don't doubt you, uncle, so you shouldn't doubt me either. Now that uncle has been promoted to a vassal king in the northwest, you can arrange the position of the concubine yourself. Hahaha."

Zhao Mu also said with a smile: "Then I would like to thank Your Majesty for your grace. However, I would like to ask Your Majesty for a reward."

Zhezong replied, "Uncle, please feel free to speak."

Zhao Mu said, "I would like to ask Your Majesty to give me a team of Dragon Guards to serve as the guards of the Xixia Royal City when I am enfeoffed. Those people in Yipintang are too good-for-nothings. It is better to use our own people."

After hearing what Zhao Mu said, the emperor and his minister understood each other. Zhezong smiled and shook his head and said, "Uncle, okay! I approve it!"

(End of this chapter)