I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 197 The Last Days of Western Xia
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After conquering Qinghai and Tibet, the Song Dynasty established the Longyou Protectorate and expanded its borders by more than 3,000 li in Longyou, extending westward across Qinghai to the border of the Kingdom of Kucha.

When Zhao Yu destroyed the Qinghai-Tibetan Empire, he also took in a princess from Kucha, who was none other than "Monica Bellucci".

Through this princess of Kucha, the Song Dynasty established a very close relationship with the Kingdom of Kucha, and conducted very in-depth exchanges in politics, economy and culture.

Later, seeing that the Song Dynasty had completely established itself in Longyou and witnessing its power, the king and ministers of Kucha knew that their future neighbor would definitely be the Song Dynasty, and that they would never have a good life if they did not befriend this new neighbor.

After discussing the matter, the King and his ministers of Kucha felt that Monica Bellucci was getting a bit old, so they sent a young and beautiful princess and fifty Kucha beauties to Zhao Yu, and also presented him with a large amount of tribute.

In return, Emperor Zhao Yu issued an imperial edict establishing a comprehensive strategic trade partnership between the Song Dynasty and the Kingdom of Kucha, and using Kucha as a means to extend the Song Dynasty's influence to the Western Regions.

After Zhao Yu appointed Lü Huiqing as the chief official of Xihe Road and put him in charge of Xihe Road and Longyou Protectorate, and especially after Zhao Yu appointed Lü Huiqing as the deputy pacification commissioner of Shaanxi and Western Xia, the influence of the Zhao Song Dynasty in the Western Regions further expanded under Lü Huiqing's management.

Moreover, many small countries and tribes in the Western Regions knew that the Zhao Song Dynasty was going to recover the Western Xia. Some small countries and tribes that were living between the two countries began to choose sides and attach themselves to avoid becoming the target of the two countries' joint attack, and hoped to seize some benefits in the process of the rise of the new power.

The most typical example is the Yellow-headed Uyghur.

The Yellow-headed Uyghurs, also known as the Yellow-headed Huihe, were a branch of the Ganzhou Uyghurs. In the early years, the Ganzhou Uyghurs were defeated by the Western Xia. Apart from some who remained in Hexi and surrendered to the Western Xia, most of them migrated westward. One group retreated to the southwest of Shazhou (later Dunhuang in Gansu) and became known as the Yellow-headed Uyghurs. They were affiliated with the Xizhou Uyghurs and maintained tributary relations with both the Song and Liao dynasties. They were mainly nomadic and practiced Buddhism.

Seeing that the Song Dynasty had destroyed the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and become the new hegemon in the region, and that it was expected to destroy the Western Xia and restore the power of the Han and Tang dynasties, about 50,000 Yellow-headed Uyghurs surrendered to the Song Dynasty and lived under its protection and through trade.

Incidentally, when the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs heard that the Kingdom of Kucha had sent a princess and beauties to Zhao Yu and thus received the status of the most favored strategic trading nation with the Song Dynasty, they followed suit and sent a princess, ten beauties, and a considerable amount of tribute to Zhao Yu, hoping to forge a deep bond with the Song Dynasty.

In mid-to-late September, Zhao Yu sent 50,000 warhorses, along with a large number of camels, mules, and donkeys, to the northwest.

After discussing it, Zhang Jie and Lü Huiqing felt it was a pity to just distribute so many warhorses and livestock like this. They wondered if they could use these warhorses and livestock to do something big.
The two carefully examined the topographical map of Shaanxi and Western Xia, comparing it with the sand table that Zhao Yu had specially arranged to be delivered with great effort. They discovered that from Longyou, all the way west was the Kingdom of Kucha, then the Western Regions, and then they could enter Western Xia from the Western Regions through the Hexi Corridor.

With 50,000 warhorses and so many large livestock, the Song army could easily wipe out the Western Xia in a thousand years.

The only problem is that the Song army is lacking some guides familiar with the terrain.

Zhang Jie and Lü Huiqing both thought of the Yellow-headed Uyghurs, who had lived in this area for hundreds of years. Ganzhou and Shazhou were their hometowns, and no one knew this area better than them.

Thus, the two old men, Zhang Jie and Lü Huiqing, devised a strategy of "feinting to the east while attacking in the west".

Moreover, this time, Zhang Jie, who was aware that his health was failing, took the initiative to play a supporting role, giving the lead role to his old partner, Lü Huiqing.

Zhang Jie smiled and asked Lü Huiqing, "Won't your advanced age cause you any problems?"

Lü Huiqing is already seventy years old this year, a true old man, so Zhang Jie was not joking.

Lü Huiqing said with a piercing gaze:
"Since my falling out with Wang Anshi, I have been adrift in the officialdom for twenty years. Emperor Shenzong suspected me of being treacherous, the Empress Dowager accused me of being untrustworthy, Emperor Zhezong disliked my fickleness, and all the ministers regarded me as a traitor. Although I have repeatedly made contributions on the frontier, the name of betrayal followed me like a shadow, and I was never able to be given important positions. I was frustrated and unfulfilled."

"Fearing that I would die with this infamy, I have diligently practiced riding and archery for twenty years, trained my muscles and bones daily, and cultivated my character. I dare not slack off, hoping that one day I can realize my ambitions and clear my name."

"Now that His Majesty has finally ascended the throne and given me the opportunity to be properly recognized, how could I dare to jeopardize my career because of my old age?"

At this point, Lü Huiqing seemed to have regained his youth, and said, "Though I have reached seventy, I can still pursue my dreams and aspirations. I can shake off the dust and ride the waves. How can I say I am old?!"

After Wang Anshi was dismissed from his post as prime minister for the first time, Lü Huiqing did not hesitate to suppress Wang Anshi, who had been kind to him, in order to consolidate his own power and position. This behavior was regarded as disloyal and unjust, and was questioned in terms of political morality. It also made Emperor Shenzong of Song, Gao Taotao, Zhao Xu and successive prime ministers feel ashamed of his character.

Furthermore, during the reform process, Lü Huiqing appointed his cronies and eliminated dissidents, which aroused much dissatisfaction. His behavior was considered to have violated the moral norms advocated by the scholar-official class, and successive rulers did not have a high opinion of his character.

Furthermore, while Lü Huiqing actively promoted reforms, many problems arose during the implementation of some policies. For example, the Green Sprouts Act and the Exemption from Service Act increased the burden on the people and caused social unrest, which made successive leaders doubt Lü Huiqing's ability and the effectiveness of his governance.

In short, even though Lü Huiqing later proved that he was extremely capable in both literary and military affairs, few people in power liked or appreciated him, which meant that he was never given important positions.

Take Zhao Xu, for example, who ultimately employed Lü Huiqing despite Zhang Dun's strong remonstrance.

When Lü Huiqing was in the Northwest, he repeatedly defeated the Western Xia. He was ruthless and had no bottom line in his military tactics. He was a complete cunning old fox who made the Western Xia people suffer a lot.

Back in the third year of Shaosheng, when Lü Huiqing was stationed at Huanqing Road and Fuyan Road, Empress Dowager Xiao Liang led an army of 500,000 to attack. Under Lü Huiqing's defense, Empress Dowager Xiao Liang captured a fortress and killed 3,000 Song soldiers before being defeated by Lü Huiqing and forced to retreat in disarray. That battle truly demonstrated the prestige of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

After accumulating numerous military achievements, Lü Huiqing wanted to go to the capital to meet the emperor and personally explain his military strategy against Western Xia before him.

As a result, Zhao Xu refused without hesitation.

This is because Zhao Xu disliked Lü Huiqing. If Zhang Dun hadn't insisted on using Lü Huiqing, he would never have given this fickle and treacherous person a chance.

It wasn't until Zhao Yu, who valued only ability, ascended the throne that Lü Huiqing finally had the opportunity to realize his ambitions. He was even recalled to the court by Zhao Yu to serve as a prime minister. Zhao Yu also took his granddaughter Lü Yi as a concubine and even asked him to establish a patrol system, which shows how much he valued him.

Later, because Xihe Road was so important and Zhao Yu wanted to recover Western Xia, he transferred him to Xihe Road to take charge.

Now, if Lü Huiqing helps Zhao Yu recover Western Xia, he will not only be remembered in history, but he will also be able to return to the court to continue serving as a prime minister, or even a chancellor, thus washing away his past disgrace.

How could Lü Huiqing possibly not take this gamble?
Looking at Lü Huiqing's body, which was indeed much stronger than his own, and hearing what Lü Huiqing said, Zhang Jie felt relieved.

Of course, this was also because Zhang Jie knew very well that although Zhao Yu had entrusted him with the task of recovering Western Xia, he was indeed old and frail and might not live for many more years. And if something really happened to him, the person who would take his place would definitely be Lü Huiqing.

In other words, since Zhao Yu trusted Lü Huiqing so much, and Lü Huiqing was indeed very capable, there was no reason for him not to place his bets on Lü Huiqing.

Therefore, Zhang Jie resolutely decided on this strategic plan to recover Western Xia.

Afterwards, Zhang Jie and Lü Huiqing separated to make preparations.

Zhang Jie spared no effort in throwing smoke bombs to create a fog of war, while Lü Huiqing led the 50,000 warhorses and all the camels, mules, and donkeys back to Xihe Road, while secretly mobilizing troops and selecting generals.

In early October, before Zhang Jie could make a move, Lü Huiqing, Wang Hou, Tong Guan and others led 70,000 troops and 15,000 Yellow-headed Uyghurs westward, then entered the Western Regions via the Kingdom of Kucha.

At this time, the king and ministers of Kucha already knew that Zhao Yu had defeated the Liao Dynasty in Yan and realized that the rise of the Song Dynasty was unstoppable. So they took the initiative to lend 20,000 troops to the Song Dynasty, and at the same time, they provided the Song Dynasty with sufficient food and supplies, as well as a lot of cattle and sheep as military provisions for the Song army.

Lü Huiqing then led his army of over 100,000 men to the outside of Yumen Pass without incident.

On October 25th, just as Zhang Jie sent Zhe Keshi to lead an army of over 100,000 to fight against Li Qianshun's 300,000 Western Xia troops at Tiandu Mountain, Lü Huiqing sent Wang Hou to seize Yumen Pass.

On October 26, Song general Yao Xiong launched a surprise attack on Heishui City and captured it in one fell swoop.

Following Lü Huiqing's orders, all men in the city who participated in the resistance or refused to surrender immediately were executed without exception, and all the women in their families were sent to prostitution camps.

Immediately afterwards, Lü Huiqing left behind 1,000 Song soldiers, 500 Uyghurs, and 500 Kucha people to occupy Heishui City, while the Song army continued its surprise attacks on Shazhou and Guazhou.

Although the Western Xia had suffered repeated defeats and even heavy losses in its wars with the Song Dynasty in the east, it was able to replenish its national strength by managing the Gua and Sha prefectures in the west. Back then, the reason why Emperor Shenzong of Song's five-pronged attack on the Western Xia failed was largely because the Empress Dowager of Liang had fully organized the troops in the Gua and Sha regions to reinforce the eastern border.

These two prefectures can be considered major prefectures where the Western Xia stationed its troops.

Logically speaking, a city with such a strong military force should be very difficult to attack.

However, neither Li Qianshun nor his ministers expected that the Zhao Song Dynasty would carry out a thousand-year massacre against the Western Xia, so they transferred all the main forces of Gua and Sha prefectures to the east to resist Zhang Jie's Song army.

As early as the reign of Li Yuanhao, the Western Xia defeated the Shazhou Uyghurs and occupied the two prefectures of Gua and Sha.

However, the Shazhou Uyghurs did not disappear from the stage of history as a result, but frequently appeared on the diplomatic list of the Zhao Song Dynasty in the form of tribute.

Even before the Xining era, the Western Xia had not fully controlled the Gua and Sha prefectures. The Sha prefecture Uyghurs, while not reclaiming their territory, still maintained their own independent territory and engaged in a long-term struggle with the Western Xia.

It wasn't until recent years that the Western Xia gradually gained control of the two prefectures of Gua and Sha, and truly gained control of the Silk Road trade.

However, the Shazhou Uyghurs still wielded considerable influence in Guazhou and Shazhou.

In order to gain merit, the Khan of the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs sent his younger brother to persuade the Uyghurs of Shazhou to surrender, hoping that they could cooperate from within and without to take over Shazhou, mainly to seize the grain supplies in Shazhou.

Seeing the overwhelming strength of the Song army, and with the main force of Shazhou having been transferred away by Li Qianshun, the Shazhou Uyghurs, in order to protect themselves, ultimately cooperated with the Song army from within and without when the Song army attacked the city, helping the Song army capture Shazhou.

The Song army used the same method to capture Guazhou City.

To Lü Huiqing's great relief and a sigh of relief, all the grain supplies in Gua and Sha prefectures were saved.

In this way, Lü Huiqing would no longer have to worry about the supply of provisions.

As usual, Lü Huiqing killed all those who resisted and all the men who did not surrender immediately. All the women in their families were sent to prostitute camps. He left 10,000 Song soldiers, 3,000 Uyghurs, and 3,000 Kucha people to guard the two prefectures of Gua and Sha. He also left a large number of civil officials to organize laborers from the two prefectures to continuously transport grain and fodder to them until the Song army recaptured the cities where the grain and fodder were stored.

Subsequently, Wang Hou personally commanded his army to occupy the Helan Mountain area.

Three days later, the Song army arrived in Suzhou and encountered real resistance.

But in just one day, the Song army used explosives to blast open the not-so-strong city wall of Suzhou.

Unfortunately, the commander of Suzhou ordered his men to burn the grain supplies before the city fell.

After the Song army entered the city, they quickly tried to salvage the grain supplies, but they were only able to recover less than 10,000 shi of grain.

Without any hesitation, Lü Huiqing ordered that the wheels of the carts be turned over and all the men in Suzhou be killed, and all the women be sent to brothels. He left three thousand Song soldiers, two thousand Uyghurs, and two thousand Kucha people to guard Suzhou, and the army continued eastward.

The army then arrived in Ganzhou.

As usual, Lü Huiqing first tried to persuade them to surrender, declaring that if they surrendered, no one would be killed; if they resisted, the city would be massacred when it fell. He also had his messenger tell the people in the city about the Song army's decisive and ruthless actions in previous cities.

Originally, the commander of Ganzhou City had agreed to surrender, but his deputy led the people in the city who were unwilling to surrender to launch a mutiny. They killed the commander and the Song envoy, and led the soldiers and civilians of the city to resist to the end.

Tong Guan volunteered to lead the attack and fought for three days and three nights before finally capturing Ganzhou City.

After the city fell, without Lü Huiqing's permission, Tong Guan ordered that all the men in the city who had participated in the resistance be executed, and their women be sent to prostitute camps.

However, before that, as usual, Tong Guan personally went to select the most beautiful women, intending to return and present them to Zhao Yu.

Everyone, including Lü Huiqing and Wang Hou, fully supported this.

What's the use of winning a battle brilliantly if it doesn't translate into military achievements and promotions?

It is common knowledge that Zhao Yu was fond of women. Anyone who is not stupid would definitely try to please him. Otherwise, why do you think Tong Guan was able to become Zhao Yu's confidant and rise in rank faster than others?
Soon, the Song army attacked Xiliang Prefecture again.

Two cities have already run out of supplies, which puts considerable pressure on Lü Huiqing. He fears that he will have to retreat due to insufficient supplies and lose this golden opportunity to reclaim Western Xia.

Therefore, this battle in Xiliang Prefecture is crucial.

In an effort to persuade the people of Xiliang Prefecture to surrender, Lü Huiqing even sent two of his nephews to persuade them.

Fortunately, perseverance pays off. The garrison commander of Xiliang Prefecture, upon learning that the Song army had massacred many cities, decisively chose to lead the entire city to surrender, thus saving the lives of the people in the city and a large amount of grain.

Lü Huiqing left some Song soldiers, Uyghurs, and Kucha people to guard Xiliang Prefecture, but took all the men of Xiliang Prefecture with him to serve as laborers and auxiliary soldiers to attack Lingzhou with the main army.

By this time, Li Qianshun and his ministers already knew that they had fallen for the Song Dynasty's "feint to the east while attacking the west" strategy.

But what good would it do to know? If Li Qianshun dared to lead his 300,000 troops to intercept Lü Huiqing, Zhang Jie would dare to lead his army to attack Xingqing, the capital of Western Xia.

Left with no other option, Li Qianshun could only allocate 100,000 troops and organize all the men in the country who could take up arms, gathering another 200,000 to form a total army of 300,000, which he then entrusted to Richard to lead in a decisive battle against Lü Huiqing.

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle on the banks of the Yellow River.

This battle did not involve the Divine Machine Army; it was a pure clash of cold weapons.

Both the Song and Xia dynasties had reasons why they could not afford to lose.

in short.

After a brutal battle comparable to the Battle of Xiangji Temple, the Song army defeated the Xia army with heavy casualties, with more than half of its troops killed or wounded.

Subsequently, Lü Huiqing personally led a large army to capture Lingzhou City.

This laid the foundation for the demise of the Western Xia Dynasty.

However, Li Qianshun was a great ruler after all, and he could not admit defeat so easily. After all, there is never a 100% chance of winning a war, so he gritted his teeth and insisted on refusing to surrender.

At this point, it was pointless for Li Qianshun to continue guarding Tiandu Mountain. He led his remaining troops back to Xingqing Prefecture and began to consolidate his forces, preparing for a last-ditch resistance.

Zhang Jie decisively led his army into Western Xia territory to join forces with Lü Huiqing. The Song and Xia sides were about to engage in a final battle...

……

(End of this chapter)