I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 283 The Beauty Trap: The Intricacies of a Marriage Alliance Amidst the Three Kingdoms' Power Struggle
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Just as Zhao Liangsi and others were bestowing the title of Great Sage Emperor upon Wanyan Aguda, Xiao Delidi and Han Fang returned to the Liao capital and met with Yelü Yanxi and his ministers.

Xiao Deli and Han Fang immediately told Yelü Yanxi and his ministers that Zhao Yu had met with the Jin envoy, agreed to confer the title of Great Sage Emperor on Wanyan Aguda, and that the Zhao Song Dynasty might unite with the Jin to destroy the Liao Dynasty. They also told them the three strategies (superior, middle, and inferior) given by Xiao Puxian, and that they had not been received by Zhao Yu during their mission to the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Early on, the people sent back to Liao by Xiao Deli and Han Fang had already informed Yelü Yanxi and his ministers that the Song and Jin dynasties might unite to destroy Liao.

Both Yelü Yanxi and the Liao ministers firmly believed this. They put themselves in the Liao court's shoes; if the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty were in each other's shoes, they would definitely ally with the Jin Dynasty to destroy their arch-enemy, the Song Dynasty, and then eliminate the Jin Dynasty to achieve unification, just as they had allied with the Western Xia to continuously bleed the Song Dynasty dry, waiting for the opportunity to destroy it.

This is the so-called "befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones," a strategy followed by all the warring states throughout history.

This is also why the wheels of history roll forward, crushing the rise and fall of countless nations, and the logic and laws contained within them are often cold and direct.

Although Yelü Yanxi felt resentful, he also knew that the tide had turned and could not be reversed by human effort. His gaze was deep as he swept over the assembled officials in the hall, his voice tinged with helplessness: "If the Song and Jin join forces, our Liao Kingdom will be in grave danger. However, our Great Liao has stood for over a hundred years; how can we easily admit defeat? My esteemed ministers, do you have any good strategies to deal with this?"

As a result, the only solution offered by the vast Liao Kingdom was the three strategies proposed by Xiao Puxian.

Moreover, since the Liao ministers could not influence Zhao Yu like Xiao Puxian, their strategies were less feasible.

For example, the best strategy proposed by Xiao Puxian was to cede five prefectures in Yan, three prefectures in Pingluan and Ying, and all related passes, in order to gain the full support of the Zhao Song Dynasty and use the power of the Zhao Song Dynasty to destroy the Jin Dynasty. This was all they could do. By ceding these regions, they could ensure that the Zhao Song Dynasty would no longer help the Jin Dynasty, and that the Liao Dynasty could concentrate all its efforts to eliminate the Jin Dynasty.

For example, Xiao Puxian proposed a middle strategy: to gamble everything, gather all military forces, and at the same time seek the assistance of Goryeo, which had a long-standing feud with the Jin Dynasty, and combine the strength of both countries to fight the Jin Dynasty to the death. Some Liao officials also thought of this, but they were not confident in stabilizing the Zhao Song Dynasty and letting the Zhao Song Dynasty stand by and watch.

For example, Xiao Puxian suggested a less desirable strategy: bribing Zhao Yu. Many Liao officials had also considered this approach, but they were not confident that they could keep the Zhao Song Dynasty neutral for the time being.

From this perspective, Xiao Puxian was able to play a very crucial role, to the point that the Liao Kingdom had to take this woman seriously.

To be honest, Yelü Yanxi really didn't want Xiao Puxian to play a key role. He would have preferred Yelü Nanxian or one of the other three Khitan princesses, or even Xiao Sese, whom he had abandoned.

Yelü Yanxi knew very well that Yelü Nanxian and others were the ones who truly had feelings for the Liao Kingdom. As for Xiao Puxian, frankly, Yelü Yanxi really couldn't figure out what was going on in this woman's head.
Moreover, Yelü Yanxi clearly remembered the disgust that Xiao Puxian showed towards Zhao Yu when she left Yanjing for Zhao Yu.

This made Yelü Yanxi very reluctant to place his bets on Xiao Puxian, a woman who had no affection for him whatsoever.

However, the current situation is that the Liao Kingdom really has no better path to take, and the best choice seems to be to choose one of the three options given by Xiao Puxian.

Yelü Yanxi gathered a group of Liao officials together to ask for their advice.

Yelü Chun, Xiao Fengxian, Xiao Yixue and other important officials of the Liao Dynasty were all present.

Inside the main hall, the flickering candlelight illuminated solemn and anxious faces.

Yelü Yanxi's gaze lingered among the assembled officials, as if searching for a glimmer of hope to illuminate the darkness.

Since Yelü Yanxi's defeat at the hands of Zhao Yu, Yelü Chun has been serving as the garrison commander of Yanjing, doing his best to eliminate the impact of Yelü Yanxi's defeat on the Liao state. As a result, he is deeply loved by the people and is known as the Prince of Yan, the Ninth Prince, and the Great Prince of Qinxiang.

As the highest-ranking official of the Liao Dynasty in the Yan region, a focal point of the conflict, and a descendant of the royal family, Yelü Chun was deeply concerned about the future and fate of the Liao Dynasty. Faced with the current chaos, he wanted to do something, but felt helpless.

The Liao Dynasty, once a powerful steppe empire, is now in a precarious state.

Ever since Zhao Yu snatched Xiao Puxian away from him, he has always felt a deep sense of powerlessness when facing the Zhao Song Dynasty, especially when facing Zhao Yu.

So much so that he would drink alone in the palace every night, feeling that only wine could numb his painful spirit and dilute his infinite sorrow.

Whenever he drank too much, he would think of Xiao Puxian, the woman who almost became his queen, the woman he now thought was wonderful in every way.

Unfortunately, he was incompetent and Zhao Yu took Xiao Puxian away, leaving him with a pain that he could never erase for the rest of his life.

He heard that Xiao Puxian had given birth to three sons for Zhao Yu.

Then he thought about how his only son, Yelü Asa, was utterly useless. He actually wanted to rebel with Yelü Zhangnu and others to support him in usurping the throne. If he hadn't decisively executed Xiao Dili and others and personally led the army to suppress the rebellion of Yelü Zhangnu and others, the Liao Kingdom might have been in chaos long ago.

He couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be if Xiao Puxian could give him three sons.

In short, what you can't have always seems more alluring.

Now that he had learned that Lady Xiao had given the Liao Kingdom three strategies—superior, middle, and inferior—Yelu Chun instinctively wanted to support her. Moreover, he particularly wanted to adopt her superior strategy. He secretly pondered, 'She is exceptionally intelligent and knows the Song Emperor well. Perhaps only by ceding territory in exchange for the Song's support can our Liao Kingdom preserve its empire.'

Xiao Yixue was a Khitan nobleman who held important positions. He led his troops to resist the approaching Jin army on several occasions and was loyal to the Liao Dynasty and Yelü Yanxi.

Xiao Yixue believed that the Liao Dynasty was at a critical juncture of life and death, and that only by putting itself in a desperate situation could it survive. Therefore, he advocated adopting Xiao Puxian's middle strategy: to unite with Goryeo and fight a decisive battle against the Jin Dynasty. He believed that if the Liao Dynasty won, all its problems could be solved.

Xiao Fengxian, a favorite minister of Yelü Yanxi and the most notorious traitor in the Liao Dynasty, was responsible for the downfall of the Liao capital. His younger brother, Xiao Sixian, lost a crucial battle against the Jurchens, and another brother lost the Liao capital, Tokyo. These were significant factors contributing to the rise of the Jin Dynasty and the decline of the Liao. Logically, Xiao Fengxian bore undeniable responsibility; he deserved not only to lose his position but also to be executed. However, because he married his two younger sisters, Xiao Duolilan and Xiao Guige, to Yelü Yanxi, and because Xiao Guige was deeply favored by Yelü Yanxi, and because Xiao Fengxian was adept at ingratiating himself with Yelü Yanxi and encouraging him to live the life he desired—for example, spending 300 out of 365 days a year hunting—not only did Xiao Fengxian and his two brothers escape punishment, but Xiao Fengxian also became Yelü Yanxi's most trusted and powerful minister.

Xiao Fengxian was actually quite clever; otherwise, he wouldn't have enjoyed Yelü Yanxi's trust for so many years.

Xiao Fengxian thought about it for a long time and discussed it with his advisors. In the end, he had to admit that Xiao Puxian's three strategies were the best solution under the current situation.

However, Xiao Fengxian lacked the courage to choose Xiao Puxian's middle option, and was unwilling to bear the reputation of advocating for ceding territory. Therefore, he kept persuading Yelü Yanxi to choose Xiao Puxian's inferior option.

Yelü Chun stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, ceding territory is a small matter; preserving the nation is of paramount importance. If the Song Dynasty provides assistance, the Jurchens are nothing to fear. This is the best policy!”

Xiao Fengxian hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, ceding territory is a humiliation to the country, and a decisive battle would be extremely dangerous. Bribing Song for temporary peace is the safest course of action."

Xiao Yixue stood with his hand on his sword and said loudly, "Two hundred years ago, the Jurchens were defeated by our Khitans. How can our Khitans fear the Jurchens! We will fight to the death with Goryeo and surely destroy the Jurchens. How can we bear to abandon our land?"

The three men and their supporters clashed verbally, and the atmosphere inside the hall grew increasingly tense.

Yelü Yanxi frowned, looking at the three men, unable to make a decision for a moment.

It must be said that Xiao Puxian understood Yelü Yanxi. Yelü Yanxi truly lacked both the decisiveness of a lizard cutting off its tail and the courage to gamble everything. Therefore, after much deliberation, he said, "Privy Councilor Xiao's suggestion is the most prudent..."

Under Yelü Yanxi's instructions, Xiao Fengxian, who was most adept at understanding human relationships, personally went to persuade Princess Yelü Yabuli of Wei.

—In order to establish a marriage alliance with Zhao Yu, Yelü Yanxi specially bestowed upon Yelü Yabuli the title of "Princess of Wei".

Xiao Fengxian reasoned with Yelü Yabuli, appealing to her emotions: "Princess, His Majesty's actions are truly for the sake of preserving the imperial family. The Song Dynasty is too powerful. If the Song Dynasty were to form an alliance with the Jurchens, our Liao Dynasty would surely perish. But if our Liao Dynasty could form a marriage alliance with them and gain the Song Dynasty's support, why should we worry about the Jurchens not retreating? As a member of the royal family, Princess, you should naturally prioritize the country and place your personal honor and disgrace after the nation. I hope that Princess will help our Liao Dynasty overcome this calamity."

Fearing Yelü Yabuli's reluctance, Xiao Fengxian added, "His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty is a hero of our time, skilled in both literature and martial arts, possessing brilliant strategies, magnanimity, and the ability to recognize and appoint capable people. People are happy to serve him. In just a few years, he has devised flawless plans, led his troops without delay, and secured the great cause. It would not be an insult for the princess to marry such a hero. Moreover, our Great Liao already has hundreds of women married into his palace, so the princess will not be lonely after she leaves."

At this point, Xiao Fengxian hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "As far as I know, Consort Wen gave birth to a daughter for Your Majesty, whom the Emperor of the Great Song named 'Yu Liyan.' Princess, you will most likely be able to see her on your journey. You two sisters can reunite there, support each other, and work together to mediate for our Great Liao..."

Yelü Yabuli lowered his eyes, twisting his skirt with his fingertips, and after a long while said in a low voice, "If it can give my Great Liao a chance to breathe, Yabuli... will obey."

A hint of pride flashed in Xiao Fengxian's eyes, but he softened his tone: "The princess is very righteous, and His Majesty will surely remember her merits. When our Great Liao is restored in the future, the princess will be a meritorious minister who restores the country."

After saying this, Xiao Fengxian bowed and then turned around, walking briskly to report back to Yelü Yanxi.

The candlelight inside the hall illuminated Yelü Yabuli's pale face. She gazed at the deep night outside the hall, finally letting out a soft sigh, her tears falling silently.

Xiao Fengxian believed that sending only Yelü Yabuli would not be enough to change Zhao Yu's attitude or influence his decision.

Yelü Yanxi was also very worried about Xiao Puxian.

Therefore, after discussing it, Yelü Yanxi and Xiao Fengxian decided to select three hundred beautiful and loyal young women from the Liao royal family, clan members, and Khitan nobles to go to Zhao Yu's side and influence his decision by whispering in his ear.

In addition, Yelü Yanxi personally ordered that ten cartloads of gifts be prepared for Zhao Yu and one cartload of gifts for Xiao Puxian, in order to keep Zhao Yu in check and absolutely prevent him from siding with the Jin Dynasty, at least for the time being, to ensure that the Zhao Song Dynasty would not side with either side.

……

How could such a large-scale operation by the Liao Kingdom be kept secret from the Jurchens who had planted a large number of spies in the Liao capital?
Just as Wanyan Aguda was wondering how to reciprocate Zhao Yu's gift, he suddenly received a report that Yelü Yanxi had gone to great lengths, not only sending his own daughter to Zhao Yu, but also three hundred daughters of the Liao royal family, clan, and nobles, and even sending Zhao Yu ten cartloads of various treasures in one go.

Having witnessed the skills of Zhao Yu and Yelü Yanxi, Wanyan Aguda realized that he was quite a distance from them; they seemed to be players on completely different levels.

Not only did Wanyan Aguda realize that his new emperor was inferior to the two veteran emperors, Zhao Yu and Yelü Yanxi, but other Jurchens also realized that their emperors seemed to be somewhat lacking.
The key point is that if the Jin Dynasty wanted to obtain food and supplies from the Song Dynasty, they would at least have to repay the gifts sent by Zhao Yu, right? Otherwise, how could they have the nerve to ask for such a thing? After all, the Song Dynasty had no one else to ask the Jin Dynasty for help.

More importantly, the Liao Dynasty is currently trying to persuade Zhao Yu to support it. If the Liao Dynasty manages to gain the support of the Song Dynasty, the still weak Jin Dynasty will most likely be wiped out by the two powerful states of Song and Liao, and all previous efforts will be in vain.

Faced with such a thorny situation, Chancellor Wanyan Sagai said, "We must not allow the Song Dynasty to support the Khitan in attacking our Great Jin, otherwise, our Great Jin will have no way to survive."

Although the Jurchens were all arrogant, they only had tens of thousands of troops at present. Facing the Liao Empire, which still had a deep foundation, it was uncertain whether they could win. Moreover, there was an even more powerful Zhao Song Dynasty to contend with.
Therefore, apart from a few war fanatics like Wanyan Zonghan, Wanyan Zongwang, and Wanyan Xiyin who were blinded by victory, everyone else thought that Wanyan Sagai's words made a lot of sense.

Wanyan Aguda's younger brother, Wanyan Wosai, the first hero of the Jurchens in resisting Goguryeo, gritted his teeth and said: "Give it! If the Khitans can give it, so can the Jurchens. Even if we can only win over the Song emperor to keep them neutral, the Jurchens can still defeat the Khitans, annex their territory, and establish a dynasty that will last for ten thousand generations!"

Wanyan Wosai's words moved Wanyan Aguda, who said in a deep voice, "Tell Wulu, Yin'e, and Zhulan to make preparations. You should go and talk to each family again, and ask them to send some young and beautiful noble maidens to make up three hundred. First, we will establish a marriage alliance with the Emperor of Song. Then, we will open the national treasury and use the gold and jewels obtained in Tokyo, as well as the mountain products and specialties accumulated by various ethnic groups, to fill his five ships."

At this point, Wanyan Aguda leisurely added, "As long as the Song emperor does not support the Khitan within three years, our Jurchens will surely destroy the Khitan and take their place..."

……

(End of this chapter)