I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 291 The Scheme of Sowing Discord Among the Beauties: The Emperors of Song, Liao, and Jin

...

Wanyan Aguda wasn't kindly offering the beauty to Zhao Yu; rather, he was passing on over a hundred hot potatoes to Zhao Yu.

Let's not even talk about Princess Zhao, Xiao Wuliyan, Yelü Yanxi's daughter-in-law. If Zhao Yu were to have an affair with Yelü Yanxi's daughter-in-law, wouldn't that create another rift?
Moreover, don't forget that Zhao Yu had previously "snatched" Consort Wen from Yelü Yanxi.

Crucially, among the women Wanyan Aguda gave to Zhao Yu were:
The two concubines left behind by Yelü Yanxi's father, Yelü Jun (who can be regarded as Yelü Yanxi's two stepmothers, although they were about the same age as Yelü Yanxi).

Yelü Yanxi did not have time to take away the lower-ranking concubines (a total of more than thirty, some of whom were still unopened).

Yelü Heluwo's ​​second wife and two concubines he took in later years (who can be regarded as Yelü Chun's three stepmothers and Yelü Yanxi's three grandmothers).

Liao Taishu Huluwa Consort (Yelü Yanxi's aunt), King Nieli Second Consort (Yelü Yanxi's sister-in-law), Liao Han Lady (Yelü Yanxi's younger brother and sister-in-law), Xiao Sese's elder and younger sisters (Yelü Tage and Yelü Yudu's principal wives), and Xiao Sese's five nieces (Yelü Tage's three daughters and Yelü Yudu's two daughters).

In addition, there were many other wives, concubines, daughters, and even mothers of important Liao officials or generals.

Aren't these women beautiful?
That's for sure.

These women were not only beautiful, but also not very old. The oldest were the two Liao imperial concubines, Yelü Heluwo's ​​second wife and Liao Taishu Huluwa's concubine, who were only in their early thirties.

This is also normal.

Otherwise, Wanyan Aguda's claim that he gave Zhao Yu some beauties to play with is simply untenable.

The problem is, while these beauties are indeed beautiful, Zhao Yu is not someone he can easily win over. If he were to take them in, it would inevitably create a rift between him and the ruling class of Liao, since it would practically be equivalent to Zhao Yu cuckolding most of the Liao's high-ranking officials.

You should know that not everyone has the magnanimity of Yelü Yanxi, who pretended nothing had happened even after being cuckolded.

Zhao Yu doesn't want it?
Doesn't this tell Wanyan Aguda that Zhao Yu had no intention of forming an alliance with him, but was instead preparing to help the Liao Kingdom destroy the Jin Kingdom?
This does not align with the Song Dynasty's strategy of profiting from both sides.

Zhao Liangsi and the other Song envoys were well aware of this, so even though they were unwilling to take these Liao beauties with them, and knew that taking them back might be counterproductive, they still had to bite the bullet and take them to Zhao Yu.

Once Zhao Liangsi's large ship had left Lion's Mouth, Wanyan Zongwang, who had been holding back all the way, finally couldn't help but say, "Why does our lord want to give the beauties we captured with such difficulty to the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty?!"

Wanyan Zonggan, who had come to see Zhao Liangsi and the others off, smiled slightly: "Do you think the Song emperor can so easily take these beauties?"

Wanyan Zongwang asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"

Wanyan Zonggan said confidently, "As long as my family sends out these beauties, the Song Dynasty will not form an alliance with the Khitan."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Zongwang's eyes lit up. He asked, "If the Song emperor obtains these beauties, will he abandon the alliance with the Khitan?"

Unexpectedly, Wanyan Zonggan shook his head: "No, it is because the Song emperor has obtained these beauties that Aguo will not dare to form an alliance with the Song emperor."

Wanyan Zongwang asked, puzzled, "Why is that?"

Wanyan Zonggan said, "The prince has long seen through Aguo. He is incompetent in governing the country and is stubborn and self-willed. He has no talent for commanding troops and is fond of grand achievements. He is only interested in empty praise and is also weak in body and mind..."

Wanyan Aguda's strategy was an open one, not a conspiracy.

Wanyan Agu had made up his mind. As long as he sent these important Liao women to Zhao Yu, Yelü Yanxi, who was too proud to admit his wrongdoing and worried that Zhao Yu would not tolerate him because of these women, would never surrender to Zhao Yu unless he was desperate, nor would he easily form an alliance with Zhao Yu...

After hearing what Wanyan Zonggan said, Wanyan Zongwang realized that sending these Liao women to Zhao Yu was not a bad deal.

Wanyan Zonggan further said, “In the past, although the Liao dynasty was in decline, its foundation was not completely destroyed. If Aguo had been able to uphold discipline, befriend the virtuous and capable, and refrain from hunting, he might have been able to turn the tide. However, he indulged in pleasure, was addicted to wine and women, rejected honest advice, and believed the words of treacherous and petty people. When our Great Jin army was at the gates, he did not think of defending against the enemy, but only knew how to flee. A ruler should have the world in his heart and care for the people. Aguo was not like that. His personal grudges outweighed the national hatred, and his personal desires outweighed the state. The fall of Liao was not due to the strength of our Great Jin, but rather Aguo's own destruction. His existence was merely a laughing stock for the world; his destruction was the will of Heaven.”

……

After Zhao Liangsi brought these Liao women back to Zhao Yu, Cai Jing immediately berated Zhao Liangsi and his associates in court for being foolish and ruining the grand plan of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Even Zhao Yu was having a headache.

Just as Wanyan Aguda understood Yelü Yanxi, Zhao Yu also understood this incompetent ruler.

Yelü Yanxi was already very afraid of Zhao Yu, so it would be very difficult for Zhao Yu to induce Yelü Yanxi to surrender to the Song Dynasty.

Now that this incident has occurred, it will be even more difficult for Zhao Yu to persuade Yelü Yanxi to surrender to the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Then return these women to Yelü Yanxi.

First of all, if Zhao Yu did that, it would be tantamount to breaking ties with Wanyan Aguda.

Now is not the time for Zhao Yu to break ties with Wanyan Aguda.

Under Zhao Yu's leadership, the Song Dynasty's strategy was simple: to learn from the United States' actions in World War I and II, do business with both sides, profit from both, and wait until both sides were exhausted before annexing the Liao Dynasty. Then, with the Liao Dynasty's strength, they would completely destroy the Jin Dynasty, minimizing their own costs, or even not paying any price and only reaping the benefits.

Although the Liao Dynasty has suffered a heavy blow from the Jin Dynasty, it still retains most of its territory. Objectively speaking, the Liao Dynasty's remaining strength is actually greater than that of the Jin Dynasty.

At this point, Yelü Yanxi would certainly not be willing to surrender to the Zhao Song Dynasty. Zhao Yu would have to continue to weaken the Liao Dynasty by relying on the Jin Dynasty until the Liao Dynasty was completely crippled, leaving Yelü Yanxi with no way out.

Only then would Yelü Yanxi be able to lead the remnants of the Liao dynasty to surrender to the Zhao Song dynasty.

Then, Zhao Yu led the Zhao Song Dynasty and the remnants of the Liao Dynasty to destroy the Jin Dynasty, which had been drained dry by the Liao Dynasty.

This was a script that Zhao Yu had written long ago.

In other words, now is not the time for Zhao Yu to fall out with Wanyan Aguda, so Zhao Yu certainly cannot refuse Wanyan Aguda's "goodwill." Furthermore, even if Zhao Yu wanted to return these Liao beauties to Yelü Yanxi, he would first need to find Yelü Yanxi.

Before Wanyan Aguda led his troops to attack the Liao capital, Yelü Yanxi had already fled with his concubines, children, and some of his confidants. Who knows where they are now?
Zhao Yu stopped Cai Jing, who was still reprimanding Zhao Liangsi and the others: "Forget it, they didn't want it to be like this either. This is a scheme by the Jin ruler, and it can't be prevented."

Seeing that Zhao Yu understood them so well, Zhao Liangsi and the others were moved to tears. Zhao Liangsi further explained, "Your Majesty, we are truly at a loss as to what to do in this situation. We even considered creating a shipwreck to sink them all into the sea, but this matter is of great importance, and we dare not act rashly. We can only bring them back to await Your Majesty's judgment."

Sinking all these Liao beauties into the sea wouldn't prevent the Song and Liao from becoming enemies; it's pointless.

All I can say is that Wanyan Aguda was brilliant; his scheme to sow discord was almost unstoppable.

Zhao Yu comforted Zhao Liangsi and the others, saying, "It's alright. You have added at least a hundred more beauties to my harem. Consider your merits and demerits even."

Anyone could tell that Zhao Yu was joking, and it was also an excuse he gave to avoid pursuing the matter with Zhao Liangsi and the others.

Zhao Yu was no stranger to women; how could he possibly care about these hundred-plus Liao beauties?
The truth is, these hundred-plus Liao beauties were a hot potato. Zhao Yu had no choice but to accept them, whether he wanted to or not, whether he accepted them with a smile or with tears in his eyes. That's why he pretended to be relaxed and used a joke to defuse the embarrassment of Zhao Liangsi and the others, while also showing everyone present his magnanimity and demeanor as an emperor.

After Zhao Liangsi and the others left, Su Shi asked Zhao Yu, "Your Majesty, things have come to this point, how should our Great Song Dynasty respond?"

Zhao Yu thought for a moment and said, "Let's contact the Liao emperor first..."

……

Previously, when Zhao Yu personally led the expedition, Yelü Yanxi was trapped in Yanjing City by Zhao Yu. Zhao Yu took advantage of this to get back all the annual tribute that the Liao Kingdom had extorted and also seized back the eleven prefectures of Yanyun.

After this incident, Yelü Yanxi secretly vowed that he would never let anyone capture him again!

Moreover, in Yelü Yanxi's view, this matter was easy to resolve: 'Whoever attacks me, I'll run. My Great Liao Dynasty has a vast territory, stretching from the sea in the east to the quicksand in the west, from the Luqu River in the north to Zhuozhou in the south—a great nation spanning thousands of miles. As long as I run to a place where the enemy can't find me, I'll be safe, and I can continue hunting.'

Yelü Yanxi even came to terms with it: 'Why should I bother with Zhao Yu and Aguda? They're too powerful; they're heroes of our time. I'm not. I'm just an ordinary person. I'm no match for them at all.'

Yelü Yanxi had even prepared his own rhetoric: 'I'm a hunter, not a warrior. I can't defeat Zhao Yu, nor can I defeat Aguda, so I'll vent my anger by shooting wild animals, won't I? Let's imagine this deer is Zhao Yu, that deer is Aguda, that tiger is the Song army, and these wolves are the Jin soldiers. By shooting arrows at them, isn't that the same as defeating them on the battlefield?'

With this in mind, Yelü Yanxi felt a sense of relief and found a utopia where he could escape reality and find solace.

On the vast grasslands, Yelü Yanxi's arrows never missed, shooting down the figures that symbolized the enemy one by one. Miraculously, his mind became peaceful, as if the endless wars and conflicts had nothing to do with him. He was just a hunter roaming the grasslands, chasing the wind and freedom.

Thus began Yelü Yanxi's "hunting therapy" during his life in exile. Whenever he felt troubled, he would secretly lead his trusted followers deep into the vast grasslands, hunting down innocent creatures. Arrows pierced the sky, carrying his resentment, striking their targets with unerring accuracy. Whenever his prey fell, he would laugh heartily, as if the fallen were not deer or rabbits, but the Zhao Yu and Wanyan Aguda who terrified him.

And so, Yelü Yanxi fled towards Liaozhongjing while hunting.

Along the way, Yelü Yanxi witnessed the desolate land caused by years of war and the tragic scenes of people being displaced, their families broken, and their lives lost.

However, these sights did not stir Yelü Yanxi's already corrupted heart. He only wanted to escape all of this as soon as possible and find the paradise in his heart.

In short, Yelü Yanxi completely disregarded the hard work and struggles his ancestors had put into building the nation, spending all his time running away and hunting, caring nothing for anything else.

It must be said that after being besieged in Yanjing by Zhao Yu, Yelü Yanxi became a master of escape without any formal instruction.

Long ago, Yelü Yanxi had instructed Xiao Fengxian to prepare two thousand fine horses that could travel three to five hundred miles a day, and to pack up five hundred bags of gold and silver treasures from the palace so that he could escape at any time.

Not only did he flee, Yelü Yanxi shamelessly told his attendants, "If the enemy pursues us, I have many horses that can travel 350 li a day. Our Great Liao is also vast, and wherever we go, we will not lose our wealth and honor. What I worry about is that the soldiers and civilians will suffer."

Yelü Yanxi was afraid of death and dared not resist, which was one thing, but he also said that the reason he did not resist was because he was afraid that the soldiers and civilians of Liao would suffer. He claimed that he did not resist for the sake of the soldiers and civilians of Liao.

After hearing Yelü Yanxi's utterly shameless words, insightful people privately remarked, "The Liao Dynasty is doomed! Since ancient times, has any ruler ever abandoned his army and people to scheme for his own survival? How could he possibly enjoy the fate of the country?"

Yelü Yanxi not only refrained from resisting himself, but also failed to punish the generals who had suffered defeats. He felt that if he dealt with these defeated generals, it would force them to rebel.

If any generals win a battle, Yelü Yanxi doesn't care, and he won't reward these generals, because he has no intention of actively fighting against the Jin army.

Anyway, it's up to you to win or lose; I'll just keep running, keep hunting, and keep escaping reality.

As a result, the Liao Kingdom's war against the Jin Dynasty lost its unified plan. The troops fought independently, engaging the Jin army wherever they encountered them. If they won, they won, but the court would not record their achievements. The court could not be found, and the emperor was probably hunting in some mountain. If they lost, no one would punish them.

Under these circumstances, the fighting spirit of the Liao army collapsed. They all said, "To fight is to die without merit, to retreat is to live without guilt. Why should we fight? Since our leader has already fled, why don't we follow him?"

Therefore, the Liao soldiers lost all fighting spirit. The once mighty nomadic people, who used to dominate the country on horseback, now scattered like birds and beasts at the mere sight of the dust raised by the Jin army's hooves.

As a result, the Liao army did not attempt to recapture the capital, Shangjing, which had been seized by the Jin people. The Jin people calmly emptied Shangjing and quickly occupied Shangjing Road in Liao.

Not long after, Yelü Yanxi fled to Liaozhongjing.

Some people advised Yelü Yanxi to quickly gather troops and set up defenses. They told Yelü Yanxi that once the Jin people had absorbed the Liao capital, they would definitely attack the Liao central capital. They also advised Yelü Yanxi to send envoys to the Zhao Song Dynasty to ask Zhao Yu for help.

But Yelü Yanxi wouldn't listen. He simply packed up all the best treasures in Liaozhongjing and prepared three thousand fast horses so he could escape at any time. Apart from that, he just hunted and numbed himself.

If that's all there is to it, then so be it.

But at this critical moment, Yelü Yanxi did something incredibly foolish again...

……

(End of this chapter)