I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 208 Tong Guan's Gift

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Upon learning that the Western Xia had ceased its resistance and chosen to surrender directly, Lü Huiqing first ordered the Song army to disarm all the Western Xia people, especially those in the imperial city, and send all their weapons, armor, and horses outside the city.

Once everything had settled down, Wang Hou, Zhe Keshi, and others had completely taken control of Xingqing Prefecture. Only then did Lü Huiqing lead the officials of the Pacification Commissioner's Office into the city to take over Xingqing Prefecture.

Prior to this, officials from the Pacification Commissioner's Office had entered the city and conveyed Lü Huiqing's order: no Song soldiers were allowed to enter private homes and disturb the people without orders; those who disobeyed would be executed immediately.

At the same time, officials from the Pacification Commissioner's Office posted notices all over the streets and alleys, stating: "Western Xia was originally part of the Song Dynasty. It was the Li family of Western Xia who, with their wolfish ambitions, desired to seize the throne and thus carved out their own territory. We have come here only to punish the culprits, liberate the slaves, and will not harm the people in the slightest."

To ensure that no unnecessary accidents or conflicts occur, officials from the Pacification Commissioner's Office also issued a message in Chinese, Tangut, and Uyghur: People inside the city need not panic. Whether soldiers or civilians, whether barbarians or Han, as long as they surrender, the army will not harm them in the slightest. If they resist stubbornly, they will be killed without mercy.

Seeing that the Song Dynasty only targeted the Western Xia royal family and clansmen, as well as high-ranking officials, nobles, wealthy families, and powerful merchants, without harming the innocent, the hidden common people and slaves breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued to observe the actions of the Song Dynasty in secret.

Soon, Lü Huiqing and his entourage crossed the outer and inner city walls and entered the imperial city in a grand procession.

Upon arriving at the palace gates, Lü Huiqing immediately saw Li Qianshun, whose hair had turned mostly white, leading the civil and military officials and nobles of Western Xia to kneel and surrender.

At this moment, Li Qianshun knelt on the ground, holding the imperial seal high with both hands. Behind him were a coffin and a white lamb.

Lü Huiqing said to those around him, "Only by removing our clothes and binding our bodies can this play be completed."

Everyone burst into laughter, showing absolutely no sympathy!

The Western Xia's secession and independence posed a tremendous threat to the Song Dynasty.

Politically, the Western Xia established itself as a state, openly challenging the Zhao Song Dynasty by appointing emperors and setting up official positions. This was a blatant challenge to the legitimacy of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Militarily, the Zhao Song Dynasty launched numerous military campaigns in an attempt to reclaim lost territories, but these campaigns often ended in defeat, resulting in heavy losses of soldiers and generals. They also exposed the long-standing problems in the court's military affairs and damaged its prestige.

In diplomacy, the Western Xia colluded with the Liao and Tibetan forces, forming a pincer movement that left the Song Dynasty vulnerable on both sides. The Song Dynasty was often on the defensive in diplomatic negotiations and had to pay tribute to maintain peace for a short time. This not only damaged the country's dignity but also exacerbated its financial burden.

Economically, the Hexi Corridor trade route was blocked, a vital artery for trade between East and West. The obstruction of the Silk Road severely damaged trade between the Song Dynasty and the Western Regions and Central Asia, leading to a sharp reduction in tariffs and a loss of former profits from maritime trade. Furthermore, the Western Xia, controlling strategic locations, imposed heavy taxes on passing merchants, deterring many caravans. Silk and porcelain from the Central Plains could not reach the West, and Western treasures and spices could not enter Song territory, resulting in the decline of border trade and stagnation of economic development in the Northwest. Moreover, to prevent Western Xia incursions, the Song Dynasty stationed a large army on the border, incurring enormous military expenditures. The costs of provisions, equipment, and rewards amounted to tens of millions annually, depleting the treasury and increasing the burden of taxes on the people, making their lives extremely difficult.

Furthermore, due to frequent wars, border residents either left their homes, suffered greatly from the ravages of war, or were captured by the Western Xia and forced to serve as slaves for generations.

Furthermore, some non-Han peoples, incited by the Western Xia, became disloyal to the Zhao Song Dynasty, and ethnic conflicts in the border areas became increasingly acute, seriously threatening the border stability and social tranquility of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Historically, the reason why the Northern Song Dynasty suffered the Jingkang Incident was largely because its national strength was exhausted by the Western Xia.

All of this stemmed from the Western Xia's independence. It can be said that the Western Xia was absolutely the biggest and most troubling threat to the Song Dynasty, a long-standing source of pain. In this respect, even the Liao Dynasty had to take a backseat.

Now that the Western Xia dynasty has finally been destroyed by the Song dynasty, it's no wonder that Lü Huiqing and his entourage were beaming with barely suppressed excitement and pride.

The arrival of this day was the result of countless ancestors' bloody battles and the sacrifices of countless soldiers, and it was the triumph of the Zhao Song Dynasty after years of humiliation and appeasement.

Li Qianshun's hand trembled as he held the imperial seal, his once domineering eyes now filled with dimness and helplessness. Behind him lay the coffin, carrying the last vestiges of Western Xia's dignity and glory; the white lamb, according to ancient custom, symbolized surrender and submission. Western Xia, the border threat that had plagued the Song Dynasty, had finally come to an end in the annals of history.

Lü Huiqing slowly stepped forward and took the imperial seal from Li Qianshun's hands. Its heavy weight seemed to bear the weight of the entire Western Xia dynasty's rise and fall. He looked around and saw the Western Xia's civil and military officials bowing their heads in silence, their faces filled with resentment and despair.

Lü Huiqing sighed inwardly, 'If it weren't for His Majesty, a wise and decisive ruler who overcame all opposition and resolved to unify the country, how could we stand here and witness the rise of the Song and the fall of the Xia?!'

Lü Huiqing took out an imperial edict, unfolded it, and read aloud:

Emperor Fengtian Chengyun issued an edict:

To my lord: It is said that under heaven, all land belongs to the king; and on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king. The Western Xia was formerly the homeland of China, but it was usurped by the Li family. With wolfish ambitions, they betrayed our benevolence, usurped the throne, divided our territory, and obstructed our teachings. This has truly been a great calamity for the past century!

They usurped the throne, falsely proclaimed themselves emperors, and secretly colluded with the Liao and Turkic peoples, repeatedly violating our borders. This forced our Great Song to pay annual tributes of gold and silk, depleting our treasury; within the imperial court, intrigues raged, and loyal officials perished in sorrow. This not only damaged the dignity of the nation but also plunged the people into misery!
Since its separatist rule, the fertile Hexi region has become a battlefield, the Silk Road trade routes have been severely disrupted, border residents have suffered, and markets have become desolate. Furthermore, the people under its rule have been enslaved, their faces tattooed and skin pierced, and they have been treated like dogs and pigs, causing fathers and sons to be separated and wives and children to wail in sorrow.

I, having inherited the will of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, and entrusted with the heavy responsibility by our ancestors, am deeply concerned about the unrecovered territories and the suffering of my people. I am constantly worried and ready to fight. Now, our royal army is heading west, solely to recover the former territories of the Han and Tang dynasties, to relieve the suffering of the people, and to revive the Song Dynasty, not for the purpose of slaughter! All slaves under the rule of Western Xia are my children, and they shall be freed from their shackles and given a new lease on life; all soldiers and civilians who have been coerced and surrendered shall be pardoned.

Those who stubbornly resist the imperial army shall be executed on the day the city falls, without exception. Those who have rendered meritorious service shall be publicly tried, and the people shall judge their crimes! The aim is to awe the emperor's might, eradicate all rebellious elements, and restore the former territory of Western Xia to its former glory, where it will forever serve as a bulwark of China!

The proclamation was made known far and wide.

Admire this!

The term "public trial" was completely new to Li Qianshun and his ministers, but they saw it as a chance to save their lives.

This relieved Li Qianshun and his ministers, who thought they were doomed, as they felt they at least had a way to survive. After reading the imperial edict, Lü Huiqing said, "You have condoned, instigated, and sided with the Li family to burn, kill, and plunder in our territory, and enslaved our people. This has aroused the wrath of both gods and men, and is intolerable to Heaven. You should all be executed, and those who surrender after being surrounded should not be pardoned. However, you have ultimately failed to resist to the end. According to Your Majesty's decree, you may be publicly tried, and the people shall decide your fate."

After a pause, Lü Huiqing said loudly, "Issue my order: all former officials, gentry, and nobles of Western Xia shall have their property confiscated, all slaves shall be restored to our people, and innocent commoners shall not be harmed in the slightest. Thirty public trial platforms shall be erected in prominent places to publicly try the officials, gentry, and nobles of Western Xia, except for those families of scholars, officials, doctors, medical workers, craftsmen, and technicians with a skill. Anyone who dares to resist shall be killed without exception. Execute immediately."

As soon as Lü Huiqing finished speaking, the faces of the officials, gentry, and nobles of Western Xia all turned very ugly.

But these people dare not show it.

Now that hundreds of thousands of Song troops have surrounded Xingqing Prefecture, who would dare to court death?

Besides, given what they've done before, they're lucky to even have a chance to live; how could they possibly ask for more?
As for Li Qianshun and the Li family, Lü Huiqing had no authority to deal with them. Instead, he ordered Tong Guan to escort them all back to Bianliang (Kaifeng) as prisoners of war.

Soon, a massive raid began.

It is worth mentioning that this time, the raid was not carried out by the Western Army, but by a group of officials sent by the Ministry of Revenue who had been there for several months to lead the raid.

The officials from the Ministry of Revenue were far more professional in their confiscation of property. They not only seized gold, silver, jewelry, and other valuables, but also, following Zhao Yu's instructions, collected precious books, ritual objects, antiques, and rubbings of inscriptions, and carefully sent them back to Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital.

As a modern person, Zhao Yu was well aware that these ancient books, inscriptions, ritual objects, and antiques were not merely symbols of wealth, but also carriers of the cultural context and historical memory of the Western Xia and even the entire Northwest region. Their preservation and transmission are of immeasurable value for studying the ancient Silk Road, ethnic integration, and the unique culture and art of the Western Xia.

Moreover, Zhao Yu deeply understood that a nation's strength lies not only in military conquest and territorial expansion, but also in the tolerance and inheritance of its culture. Although the Western Xia dynasty had already perished, and even in the eyes of the people of the Song dynasty, this dynasty should not have existed, and some might even deny that it was a dynasty at all, Zhao Yu would not engage in such self-deception, nor would he allow its culture to be lost. Instead, he wanted this part of the culture to become part of the Song dynasty's cultural treasure trove, allowing future generations to glimpse the splendor of this once glorious dynasty.

When the high-ranking officials, nobles, gentry, wealthy families, and powerful merchants of Western Xia confidently stepped onto the public trial platform, they learned the truth: good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds are punished; retribution may be delayed, but it will come. Those slaves they had treated like livestock and those commoners they had oppressed and exploited were all sentenced to death with bloodshot eyes. It is no exaggeration to say that out of a hundred sent to the trial, perhaps not one would survive.

Heads rolled and blood flowed like rivers.

The common people and slaves of Western Xia finally had their pent-up anger and hatred released. They waved their hands and shouted "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Every "kill" they uttered seemed to be a cry for their years of suffering and injustice.

On this land once seized by the Western Xia nobles, commoners and slaves found unprecedented dignity and power. They gathered around the public trial platform, witnessing the wicked nobles brought to justice, their hearts filled with unprecedented joy and hope. Those rights that had been stripped away seemed to be restored in this moment, and the dignity that had been trampled upon was now being manifested.

Those once high-ranking nobles, faced with death, finally understood what true fear and despair were. They trembled, begging for forgiveness, but it was all too late to undo the damage.

The officials and soldiers of the Zhao Song Dynasty who were standing by watched this crazy scene couldn't help but tighten their guard, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

Among them, some felt pity, looking at the once high and mighty but now trembling like candles in the wind, the Western Xia nobles, and lamented the impermanence of life and the inescapable retribution of cause and effect.

Some people looked pleased, believing that the deaths of these nobles were well-deserved, a gratifying act, and a release and relief for them after years of being harassed by the Western Xia.
Some people remained silent, pondering that this public trial should help the Song Dynasty eliminate the stubborn forces of Western Xia and bring the common people and slaves of Western Xia under the rule of the Song Dynasty.

Some were indifferent and composed, thinking about how to better govern this newly recovered land and truly integrate it into the territory and culture of the Zhao Song Dynasty;

Some people were alarmed by the madness of the lower classes, especially after seeing that some well-regarded officials and philanthropists could actually step down from such a crazy public trial.

While the massive raids and public trials were in full swing, Tong Guan had already arrested all the members of the Western Xia royal family and clan, separating the men and women.

Tong Guan ordered that the royal family and members of the imperial clan of Western Xia be put into prison carts. As long as they didn't die, Tong Guan didn't care whether they were comfortable or suffering.

As for the daughters of the Western Xia royal family and clan, especially the young and beautiful ones, Tong Guan specifically instructed the Western Xia palace maids to take good care of them and not to neglect or be rude to them.

As for Empress Yelü Nanxian of Western Xia, Tong Guan treated her with the respect due to a subject, completely regarding her as Zhao Yu's imperial concubine.

Logically, the day after Xingqing Prefecture fell, Tong Guan could have escorted these prisoners back to the capital to present them as prisoners.

However, Tong Guan insisted on delaying the journey for another half a month, citing the fact that the weather was not yet warm and that setting off at this time might result in a large number of prisoners dying.

In the past two weeks, Tong Guan selected hundreds of beauties for Zhao Yu from among the high-ranking officials, noble families, wealthy households, and powerful merchants of Western Xia.

At the same time, as usual, a group of Western Army generals prepared a hundred carts of gold and silver jewelry for Tong Guan to take back to the capital to present to Zhao Yu.

It is worth mentioning that on the third day after the fall of Xingqing Prefecture, Zhe Keqiu led his clan to excavate all the imperial tombs of Western Xia and whipped the corpses of Li Jiqian, Li Yuanhao, Li Liangzuo, Li Bingchang, Empress Dowager Da Liang, Empress Dowager Xiao Liang, Liang Yimai, Liang Yibu, and others, to avenge the Song people who died in the Song-Xia war, especially the descendants of the Zhe clan.

The burial objects in these tombs were all collected, packed, and sealed by officials of the Ministry of Revenue, and were prepared to be transported back to Bianliang City, the capital of the Eastern Capital.

In mid-May of the third year of the Hongwu reign, Tong Guan, finally satisfied, along with some officials from the Ministry of Revenue, escorted Li Qianshun, the royal family and clan of Western Xia, and tens of thousands of carts back to the capital in triumph...

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(End of this chapter)