I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 281 Empress Dowager Xiao's Revenge
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Upon learning that Zhao Yu truly intended to ally with the Jin to destroy the Liao, Xiao Deli and Han Fang were dumbfounded and immediately sought advice from Xiao Puxian.

Back then, when Yelü Yanxi first ascended the throne, the Liao Dynasty, which he inherited from the equally incompetent Emperor Daozong Yelü Hongji, had already declined from its peak, but the situation was not as bad as it is now.

The key point is that at that time, the Liao Dynasty still had the Western Xia as an ally.

Thus, even the Liao Dynasty could not defeat the Zhao Song Dynasty.

In the end, the Liao Dynasty barely managed to preserve its rule by sending three Khitan princesses and a large number of women (even sending Consort Wen of Yelü Yanxi, Xiao Sese, her unborn daughter Yelü Yuliyan, and Yelü Yanxi's aunt Xiao Puxian to Zhao Yu), returning all the annual tribute, and returning the eleven prefectures of Yanyun to the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Currently, the Liao Dynasty has lost eleven prefectures in Yanyun and tens of millions of annual tributes, suffering a severe blow from the Zhao Song Dynasty. It has also been tormented by the incompetent ruler Yelü Yanxi for nearly ten years. Furthermore, the Jurchens in the north have rebelled against the Liao and seized a large area of ​​territory in the northeast, including Tokyo, one of the four capitals of the Liao Dynasty. Moreover, uprisings and rebellions are rampant throughout the Liao Dynasty. The situation of the Liao Dynasty is more than ten times worse than it was ten years ago.

On the other hand, the Western Xia, which had been the biggest obstacle to the Song Dynasty, had been eliminated and assimilated by the Song Dynasty. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the eleven prefectures of Yanyun were also assimilated by the Song Dynasty. Crucially, with the success of Zhao Yu's reforms, the Song Dynasty became richer and more powerful.

With this shift in power, the Song Dynasty alone was able to destroy the Liao Dynasty.

Moreover, the Zhao Song Dynasty also had a powerful ally, the Jin Dynasty.

If the Song and Jin dynasties were to form an alliance, and their goal was to eliminate the Liao dynasty, the Liao dynasty would have no chance of survival whatsoever.

The situation was so obvious that even a fool could see that the Liao Dynasty would have to find a way to persuade the Song Dynasty to abandon its plan to destroy the Liao, and ideally, to persuade the Song Dynasty to support the Liao in its campaign against the Jin Dynasty. Otherwise, the Liao Dynasty would be finished. Moreover, Xiao Deli and Han Fang were not fools; they were important ministers and rising stars of the Liao Dynasty. They knew that the fate of the Liao Dynasty hung by a thread, and the slightest mistake would lead to utter destruction.

The problem is, how easy is it to persuade the Song Dynasty to give up on eliminating the Liao Dynasty?
Yes.

Since the Treaty of Chanyuan, the only major conflict between the Song and Liao dynasties occurred ten years ago, after which peace was quickly restored, and trade between the two sides even reached unprecedented heights.

However, the Liao people were well aware that before the Treaty of Chanyuan, both the Liao and Song dynasties wanted to eliminate each other to achieve unification and resolve their greatest internal threat.

The Treaty of Chanyuan erupted because Empress Dowager Xiao of the Liao Dynasty and Emperor Shengzong Yelü Longxu personally led a large army south, sweeping all before them to Chanzhou on the north bank of the Yellow River, their swords aimed directly at Kaifeng, the capital of the Song Dynasty. At that time, the Liao Dynasty was at the height of its power, and Empress Dowager Xiao was a woman of great ambition and talent, intending to conquer the Central Plains in one fell swoop, incorporate the Song Dynasty into the Liao territory, and completely end the situation of north-south confrontation.

However, although the Song Dynasty suffered repeated defeats in the initial battles, it managed to stabilize its position at the Chanzhou front. Emperor Zhenzong of Song, under the strong admonition of pro-war ministers such as Kou Zhun, personally led the expedition, greatly boosting the morale of the Song army. More importantly, the Liao vanguard general Xiao Talin was killed by Song crossbow bolts outside Chanzhou. This unexpected event severely dampened the Liao army's spirits and made Empress Dowager Xiao realize that conquering the Song Dynasty was no easy task—while the Song army was not adept at open field battles, they excelled at city defense. Chanzhou's defenses were strong, and the Liao army had been unable to capture it after a prolonged siege. Furthermore, their supply lines were too long and could be cut off by the Song army at any time.

On the other hand, the Song Dynasty, despite the danger of Chanzhou, was well aware of the strength of the Liao cavalry. If it insisted on going to war, even if it could repel the Liao army, it would suffer heavy losses. Moreover, the pro-peace faction in the court was quite vocal.

Thus, the two sides were locked in a stalemate where neither could defeat the other: the Liao Dynasty's ambition to destroy the Song Dynasty was thwarted, and the Zhao Song Dynasty was powerless to launch a northern expedition to recover Yan and Yun.

Ultimately, faced with the reality that neither side wanted to continue fighting, the Treaty of Chanyuan came into being—the Liao Dynasty abandoned its plan to destroy the Song Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty exchanged annual tribute for peace. This was essentially a compromise under conditions of equal strength, rather than a true reconciliation.

After that, although the Liao Dynasty no longer directly fought against the Song Dynasty, it continued to bleed the Song Dynasty dry by using the Western Xia, constantly depleting the Song Dynasty's national strength and making the Song Dynasty's life difficult for more than a hundred years.

With the secret support of the Liao Dynasty in terms of warhorses, weapons, and strategic intelligence, the Western Xia engaged in an endless tug-of-war with the Zhao Song Dynasty on its northwestern border.

In major battles such as Haoshuichuan and Dingchuanzhai, the Song army suffered tens of thousands of casualties at a time, and the tragic scene of corpses strewn across the border was repeated every year. The money spent on compensating the fallen soldiers consumed 30% of the Zhao Song Dynasty's national treasury every year, not to mention the taxes continuously levied to replenish the army. With layers of exploitation, the people's suffering had long been unbearable.

The Western Xia cavalry, like a persistent plague, frequently bypassed the Song army's defenses and launched surprise attacks on wealthy prefectures and counties such as Qinzhou and Weizhou. They plundered grain, livestock, and people, and burned farmland and villages. The raid in the first year of the Kangding era alone turned the fertile Guanzhong Plain into scorched earth, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. The Song court spent the equivalent of half a year's salt tax revenue nationwide to resettle the victims and rebuild the city defenses.

What troubled the Song Dynasty even more was that, in order to guard against the invasion of the Western Xia, it had to station 400,000 troops in the northwest year-round. The cost of transporting military pay and provisions was staggering. The military expenditure in Shaanxi alone accounted for more than half of the national budget, which severely slowed down the economic development of the Central Plains.

The Liao Dynasty watched as the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia weakened each other. Whenever the Western Xia suffered a setback, the Liao Dynasty would use the pretext of "mediation" to pressure the Song Dynasty, forcing it to cede territory and increase its annual tribute to the Western Xia. In reality, this indirectly allowed the Song Dynasty's wealth to flow into the Liao Dynasty through the Western Xia.

For over a century, the Song Dynasty was like being repeatedly cut by the Liao Dynasty using the blunt knife of the Western Xia. Although not fatal, it was constantly bleeding, and its national strength was gradually eroded. Even Wang Anshi's reforms could not cover up the huge hole caused by the war in the northwest.

The Liao people were fully aware of this.

Looking back now, the sight of the Zhao Song emperors and ministers overwhelmed by border wars only serves to highlight the Liao Dynasty's own dire straits—the very methods used against the Zhao Song Dynasty are now turning against the Liao Dynasty in an even more ferocious way.

Ten years ago, when the Song Dynasty defeated the Liao Dynasty in that battle, it actually had a chance to destroy the Liao Dynasty.

But at the last moment, it was the Western Xia that saved the Liao Dynasty from that fatal blow.

This allowed the Liao Dynasty to survive for another ten years.

Times have changed, the balance of power has long been broken, and there is no longer a second Western Xia to protect the Liao Dynasty.

Xiao Deli and Han Fang knew very well that the Treaty of Chanyuan was a product of equal strength. Later, Zhao Yu agreed to negotiate peace with Yelü Yanxi because Zhao Yu was determined to eliminate Western Xia and did not want to cause any trouble. Now that Song was strong and Liao was weak, Zhao Yu had eliminated all his worries. If Zhao Yu wanted to break the treaty, they would not even have the leverage to bargain.

The key point is that everyone understands one thing: if the Song Dynasty doesn't seize this golden opportunity to eliminate the Liao Dynasty, when will it? Will it wait for the Liao Dynasty to recuperate and make a comeback?
This is clearly an impossible fantasy.

Beset by internal and external troubles, the Liao Dynasty was already like a flickering candle in a storm, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

The Song Dynasty was at its zenith, with a strong army and high morale, making it the perfect time to realize the wishes of past emperors and unify the country.

Once the Liao Dynasty recovers or the Jin Dynasty rises to an unstoppable level, it will be even more difficult for the Song Dynasty to pursue hegemony again.

The wheels of history never stop turning, and opportunities are always fleeting. For Zhao Yu, a monarch of great talent and ambition, he certainly wouldn't let such an opportunity slip away.

Faced with this situation, Xiao Deli and Han Fang were at a loss and could only place their hopes on Xiao Puxian, who knew Zhao Yu very well.

Xiao Puxian didn't hide anything from Xiao Deli and Han Fang, but said directly, "I have three strategies: superior, middle, and inferior."

Xiao Deli quickly asked, "Please, Your Majesty, save my Great Liao!" Xiao Puxian said, "The best course of action is to cede five prefectures in Yan, three prefectures in Pingluanying, and the places of Juyong Pass, Gubeikou, Songting Pass, and Yuguan to my Great Song. In return, I, the Great Song, will fully support your family in suppressing the Jurchen rebellion."

"This……"

The Yan-Yun region was a strategically vital area that the Song Dynasty had always sought to reclaim. If the Liao Dynasty were to voluntarily return it, it would greatly satisfy the Song Dynasty's core interests and could potentially persuade the Song Dynasty to abandon its alliance with the Jin Dynasty to destroy the Liao, instead supporting the Liao Dynasty against the Jin. With the Song Dynasty's military strength, provisions, and other resources, the Liao Dynasty could enhance its ability to resist the Jin and alleviate its own military pressure.

At the very least, returning Yan and Yun to the Song Dynasty could stabilize the Song Dynasty, preventing it from having an excuse to participate in the war and help the Jin Dynasty. This would allow the Liao Dynasty to concentrate its efforts on dealing with the Jin Dynasty, avoid falling into a dead end of being attacked from both sides, and buy itself a chance to breathe.

For the Liao Dynasty, which was then in dire straits, preserving its regime was the primary objective. If sacrificing the Yan-Yun region could secure the neutrality or even cooperation of the Zhao Song Dynasty, it might delay its demise. Even a partial peace was more hopeful than complete destruction.

However, on the other hand, this was essentially a desperate move by the Liao Dynasty in a dire situation. The Yan-Yun region was equally important to the Liao Dynasty, and losing the Yan-Yun region would severely weaken the Liao Dynasty's strategic barrier and national strength.

But in a life-or-death situation, this may be the only bargaining chip to save one's life.

Therefore, although Xiao Puxian's best solution wasn't the best one, Xiao Deli and Han Fang felt that it was still a way to resolve the Liao Kingdom's predicament.

However, if there were any other paths to take, no one would be willing to take the humiliating path of ceding territory.

So Sydrid asked, "What is the middle course?"

Xiao Puxian said, "First, we should appease our Great Song with great benefits for a period of time, and then we should take a desperate gamble, gather all our forces, and at the same time seek the assistance of Goryeo, which has a long-standing feud with the Jurchens. By combining the strength of both countries, we can fight the Jurchens to the death. If we defeat the Jurchens in one battle, we can temporarily suppress the internal troubles, deter our Great Song, and perhaps salvage the situation. However, this strategy is extremely risky. Once we are defeated, your family will be doomed and there will be no chance of recovery. It is even possible that the name of the Khitan people will be erased from the history books."

Xiao Deli and Han Fang knew that Xiao Puxian was not exaggerating, but that the current situation of the Liao Kingdom was really that dangerous. If they chose the middle course, it would be like betting everything on the Liao Kingdom. If the Liao Kingdom lost that battle, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Sydrid then asked, "And what about the worst option?"

Xiao Puxian sighed softly and said slowly, "Send more gifts to my Great Song Dynasty: beauties, gold and silver, local specialties. By the way, Yabuli is almost sixteen. You can send him to my Emperor to please him. I will try to mediate for your family and persuade my Great Song Dynasty to remain neutral for the time being and not help either side. If your family is sincere enough, I can ask my Emperor to sell grain and armor to your family to help you solve the problems of food shortage and lack of armor in your country. Your family can then consider the situation."

Yabuli is Yelü Yabuli, the eldest daughter of Yelü Yanxi.

Unlike the four Khitan princesses that the Liao Dynasty had previously given to Zhao Yu, who were merely daughters of the royal family, Yelü Yabuli, though born to a palace maid, was indeed the daughter of the Liao emperor and a true Liao princess, thus holding a much higher status.

At this time, stabilizing the Song Dynasty by sending a real princess to marry into the Song court and paying tribute could buy the Liao Dynasty time to eliminate its internal troubles, which was a feasible approach.

Therefore, upon hearing this, Xiao Delidi and Han Fang's eyes lit up, and Xiao Delidi hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, are you confident?"

Xiao Puxian said confidently, "I still have a voice with His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. If your family sends a princess, a beauty, and great profits, I might be able to persuade His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty to sit back and watch the tigers fight."

Hearing what Xiao Puxian said, Xiao Deli and Han Fang believed what Xiao Puxian said.

It was unrealistic to expect Zhao Yu to abandon the idea of ​​eliminating the Liao Dynasty, his arch-enemy, and to reclaim the Yan-Yun region, which had been the object of every emperor of the Zhao Song Dynasty. However, it was possible to persuade the Zhao Song Dynasty to watch the Liao and Jin Dynasties bleed each other dry and wait to reap the benefits.

However, in this way, once the Liao and Jin dynasties have exhausted each other, the Zhao Song dynasty will still take action to eliminate the already very weak Liao or Jin dynasties. Then, the Zhao Song dynasty will not only recover the Yan-Yun region, but may also annex all of the Liao dynasty's territory and become the world's largest empire.

In other words, Xiao Puxian's poor strategy was merely a temporary fix and could only prolong the Liao Dynasty's existence for a short period of time.

From this perspective, Xiao Puxian's inferior strategy is indeed inferior to her superior and middle strategies.

Xiao Deli and Han Fang asked Xiao Puxian if there were any other solutions.
Xiao Puxian shook her head, indicating that she only had these three methods, and the Liao Kingdom could choose not to adopt her methods and find their own.

After Xiao Deli and Han Fang left, Zhao Yu came out from behind the screen and asked, "Which strategy do you think Yelü Yanxi will choose?"

Without even considering it, Xiao Puxian asserted, "It must be a bad idea."

"Why?" Zhao Yu asked.

Xiao Puxian made no attempt to hide her disdain for Yelü Yanxi: "He lacked the decisiveness of a gecko cutting off its tail and the courage to gamble everything, so he could only choose a seemingly safe but actually extremely foolish strategy."

It's not hard to see that Xiao Puxian's dislike for Yelü Yanxi runs deep.

This can be easily seen from the fact that, historically, Xiao Puxian twice supported Yelü Chun in seizing the throne from Yelü Yanxi.

Today, although history has changed, Xiao Puxian's man has changed from Yelü Chun to Zhao Yu.

But this still doesn't diminish Xiao Puxian's dislike for Yelü Yanxi.

It could even be said that because Yelü Yanxi lost her, a whole bunch of Liao women, the eleven prefectures of Yanyun, and the tribute that Liao had painstakingly seized to Zhao Yu, the Liao dynasty was doomed to perish. Xiao Puxian hated Yelü Yanxi even more.

Therefore, Xiao Puxian wanted to take revenge on Yelü Yanxi, to make him pay a huge price for his incompetence and foolishness, and to make him live in self-blame and guilt forever.

Zhao Yu embraced Xiao Puxian, put his hand inside her bosom, and kneaded her breast. He then asked, "Why did you ask for Yelü Yanxi's daughter for me? I don't remember saying I wanted her."

Whether it was out of revenge against Yelü Yanxi or to curry favor with Zhao Yu, Xiao Puxian said, "Your Majesty is not most fond of seizing the wives and daughters of your enemies to control them, so I will naturally lend Your Majesty a hand."

As Xiao Puxian spoke, she became more and more excited. Her eyes shone brightly as she said, "Your Majesty, I will not only win all of Aguo's daughters for you, but also all of your women, especially the Empress Duolilan and Consort Yuan Guige. Your Majesty may not know, but both of them are rare beauties in this world, and they will surely make you feel like you are in heaven..."

……

(End of this chapter)