I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 313 Taking Sides, Fight If You Disagree
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The Battle of Wulanbutong between the Liao and Jin dynasties ended in defeat for the Liao army.

What is even more tragic is that, because Yelü Chun and others only thought about victory before the war and not about defeat, they were at a loss once they were defeated and did not know how to clean up the mess.

This led to the complete collapse of the Liao army's battle lines.

Fortunately, the Jin army also suffered heavy casualties in this battle. They captured Liao soldiers to replenish their own forces while licking their wounds.

Yelü Yudu, following Wanyan Aguda's orders, raised a large banner, recruited and accepted many Liao soldiers who had fled the country.

After the Jin dynasty took in these defeated Liao soldiers, its military strength increased rather than decreased.

Of course, this is only a superficial phenomenon.

In reality, the battle resulted in the deaths of 10,000 to 20,000 Jurchens, a loss that could not be compensated by simply replenishing the population with other people.

Incidentally, this battle made many Liao people who had originally wanted to fight for the restoration of the Liao Kingdom realize the cruelty of war. At the same time, they also realized that the restoration of the Liao Kingdom seemed unlikely. As a result, many Liao people regretted their previous impulsiveness and felt that it would be better to be law-abiding citizens in the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Yu did not completely shut the door on excluding this group of Liao people. After all, Zhao Yu's goal from the beginning was to deplete the population of the grasslands; whether they died or were absorbed and completely assimilated into Han culture, it made no difference.

Of course, it won't be as easy for these Liao people to join the Song Dynasty as "Han people" this time. They will first have to serve as laborers for the Song Dynasty for a year to prove that they really want to settle down before they can return to the Song Dynasty as Han people.

That year, the Song Dynasty not only provided them with meals but also paid them wages.

In short, due to the loss of the Liao army's defenses and the successive loss of cities that were originally under Liao control, the Liao army could only retreat to Songting Pass to rest and reorganize.

As Xiao Gan, Yelü Dashi, Zhang Jue, Guo Yaoshi, and others retreated south, they sent people to make contact in all directions and found many troops who were lost and had nowhere to go.

Upon learning that the Liao army had retreated to outside Songting Pass, these troops overcame various difficulties and successively withdrew to the border areas along Songting Pass.

Yelü Chun counted the troops and was surprised to find that there were still more than 200,000 soldiers who had retreated to Songting Pass!
This number invigorated Yelü Chun. He went deep into the troops, mourning the dead and inquiring about the wounded, making self-criticisms, and selecting outstanding officers to assume important positions, gradually stabilizing the morale of the troops.

Therefore, the Liao army stabilized the situation and its military strength was restored.

At the same time, Yelü Chun sent someone into the pass to petition the Liao court, hoping that the Liao court would ask the Song Dynasty for some grain to stabilize the morale of the army.

This matter naturally fell to the two empress dowagers of the Liao Dynasty, Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese.

After Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese communicated with Zhao Yu, the Song Dynasty provided the Liao Dynasty with 100,000 shi of grain, as well as many tents and daily necessities.

And so, more than 200,000 Liao troops temporarily settled outside Songting Pass.

Meanwhile, the Song and Liao dynasties began discussing follow-up matters.

Originally, the script written by Yelü Aoluwo and his ministers was that the Liao army would march north to recover lost territory, at least some of it, and then give Zhao Yu some benefits. For example, since Zhao Yu liked beautiful women, they would send him some. Then, they would propose that the Liao Kingdom part ways with the Song Dynasty, and Yelü Aoluwo and the Liao court would leave Yanjing to start anew in their own Liao territory. Yelü Aoluwo would become the true emperor of Liao, and the Liao Kingdom would be united in its desire to restore the kingdom...

Unexpectedly, less than two months later, the Liao army suffered a heavy blow from the Jin army, resulting in a complete rout and leaving them with no strategic space.

Yelü Aoluwo's ​​ambition, like a banner suddenly snapped by a gale, instantly lost its former vigor and uprightness. He looked towards Songting Pass, where there were still more than 200,000 Liao troops, but his heart seemed to sink to the bottom of a valley, filled with resentment and helplessness.

'Even an army of six or seven hundred thousand couldn't defeat the Jurchens; what use are the remaining two hundred thousand or so defeated soldiers?'

Yelü Aoluwo once truly believed that he could carve out a new path for the Liao Dynasty in this chaotic world and revive its former glory. He and his ministers meticulously planned a northward expedition to recover lost territories, fantasizing that after success, he too could become a true emperor revered by all and remembered in history.

He even thought that once the Liao Kingdom became powerful, he would turn around and settle accounts with Zhao Yu.

But reality delivered a harsh slap in the face, shattering all of Yelü Aoluwo's ​​dreams. He knew that given the current state of the Liao army, attempting to march north and reclaim lost territory was nothing short of a pipe dream. Yet, he was unwilling to give up, unwilling to watch the Liao dynasty perish in his hands.

Zhao Yu summoned Xiao Puxian's daughter, Xiao Sese, Yelü Aoluwo, Yelü Chun, Yelü Huluwa, Li Chuwen, Xiao Fengxian, Liu Yanzong, Xiao Gan, Yelü Dashi and others to discuss the future of the Liao Dynasty.

It was clear that Yelü Aoluwo and Yelü Chun were disappointed and did not speak.

Xiao Gan and Yelü Dashi, however, were unconcerned. One of them shouted that as long as they were given some time to rest and recuperate, they could fight again. The other said that although the Liao army had suffered defeats, their morale was not broken, and they would definitely be able to turn the tide if given the chance.

This might be the difference between a fake hero and a real hero, right?
Xiao Gan and Yelü Dashi deeply hoped to carve out a world for the Liao Dynasty amidst the conflict between the Song and Jin dynasties. This was their dream and their ultimate goal. Even if they ultimately failed, they would never regret it, nor would they back down.

Zhao Yu thought to himself, 'No wonder in history one of them established the Great Xi Empire and the other the Western Liao, while Yelü Chun and Yelü Aoluwo accomplished nothing.'

Zhao Yu looked at Xiao Gan and Yelü Dashi and said, "Since the Liao Dynasty is willing to fight, I will give the Liao Dynasty another chance."

Upon hearing Zhao Yu's words, the Liao people thanked him profusely.

Just then, Song Jiang from Pingzhou suddenly sent a report that Wanyan Aguda had sent his deputy Wuxie and Gao Qingyi to visit.

Zhao Yu estimated that Wanyan Aguda should send an envoy to see what his attitude was.

Zhao Yu appointed Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo as his hostesses to receive Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi, and brought them to Yanjing.

Wu Xie was a Jurchen man, tall and robust, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a forthright personality. As soon as he saw Zhao Yu, he instinctively bent down and smiled憨憨地.

However, Zhao Yu did not underestimate Wu Xie because of this, thinking he was just a reckless and foolish man. On the contrary, Zhao Yu knew that in this turbulent world, Wu Xie must have had extraordinary abilities to be entrusted with the important task of being an envoy by Wanyan Aguda.

Gao Qingyi was from Bohai. He was very familiar with the culture of the Song Dynasty and was also very shrewd. He was an old acquaintance of Zhao Liangsi. The spring before last, when Zhao Liangsi and Wanyan Aguda were negotiating in the capital of Liao, Gao Qingyi served as their translator.

Zhao Yu knew that Gao Qingyi was a very difficult character to deal with. Historically, he had served as Wanyan Zonghan's advisor and had given Wanyan Zonghan many suggestions.

After Wuxie and Gao Qingyi arrived in Yanjing, they delivered Wanyan Aguda's letter to Zhao Yu, in which he wrote:

"The Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty wrote to the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty:"
The Khitans were tyrannical; their government imposed heavy taxes and corvée labor, leaving the people destitute. Their army was undisciplined, and their border defenses were neglected. Our Great Jin Dynasty originated from the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River region and was originally a subordinate tribe of the Khitans. However, the Khitans treated us like slaves and servants, demanding endless tribute and repeatedly humiliating us.

I have reached my limit of tolerance and have raised an army to attack them. This is not out of personal grudge, but to act on behalf of Heaven and relieve the people from their suffering. Now, my Great Jin has successively conquered the Khitan lands, and the Liao dynasty is like a candle in the wind. Soon, my Great Jin will destroy it.

At this final moment, news came that the Song Dynasty had helped the Khitan change rulers and was also planning to help the Khitan recover lost territory.

This is a grave error.

The demise of the Khitan was ordained by Heaven, beyond human control. If the Great Song insists on aiding the Khitan, it risks inviting disaster upon itself and placing itself in an unjust position. We urge the Emperor of the Great Song to discern the truth, assess the situation carefully, and share the Khitan lands with our Great Jin, thus enjoying peace and prosperity. Would that not be wonderful?
With best regards, I look forward to your reply.

Emperor Wanyan Aguda of the Great Jin Dynasty bowed his head.

After reading Wanyan Aguda's handwritten letter, Zhao Yu looked at Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi and asked calmly, "What does Wanyan Aguda mean by threatening me?"

Wu Xie hurriedly said, "His Majesty the Emperor of Great Jin had no such intention; he simply did not want His Majesty to make another mistake."

Upon hearing Wu Xie's words, Cai Bian immediately retorted sharply, "You bumpkin! How dare you insult my Emperor!"

In an instant, all the civil and military officials in the court showed displeasure, their eyes shooting towards Wu Xie like torches. For a moment, the atmosphere in the court was so tense that it seemed as if one could hear everyone's rapid breathing.

Upon seeing this, Gao Qingyi quickly bowed and said respectfully yet calmly, "Wuxie Bojin is straightforward and his words may be inappropriate; I hope Your Majesty will forgive him. The intention of the Emperor of Great Jin is truly out of concern for Great Song. Now that the Khitan's fate is sealed, if Great Song were to forcibly intervene, it would not only be futile but would also deplete its own national strength, which would be of no benefit to Great Song. However, by joining hands with Great Jin to share the Khitan territory, we can avoid unnecessary losses and bring benefits to Great Song. This is undoubtedly a wise move."

Zhao Yu said, "In the prosperous times of the Han and Tang dynasties, the focus was on pacifying the four barbarian tribes. Liao and Jin are like lips and teeth; if they were to attack each other, both would surely suffer heavy losses. Moreover, this would not only be a problem for the two states but also a threat to the Central Plains. I hope that Liao and Jin will cease hostilities, preserve their old friendship, and jointly protect the people, so that their lands will not be reduced to ruins. My Great Song is willing to mediate between the two. I wonder what your Great Jin thinks?"

Seeing that Zhao Yu was about to take sides, Wu Xie quickly advised, "Your Majesty is mistaken. The Liao and Jin are not merely interdependent, but are truly sworn enemies. The Khitan are tyrannical, treating our Jurchen like dirt, oppressing us for so long that this hatred is irreconcilable. Our Great Jin raised an army truly to protect ourselves and to seek a glimmer of hope for our people. Now that the Khitan's fate is sealed, it is the will of Heaven. If the Great Song were to intervene forcefully, wouldn't that be going against Heaven's will?"

Zhao Yu was displeased: "The Great Song and the Great Liao have long had an alliance, and the two countries have been at peace for many years, with the people living in peace. The Jin has also benefited from this alliance. If the Great Jin insists on destroying the Great Liao, I fear the borders will be in turmoil, and war will break out again. It will not only be a disaster for the Liao, but the Great Jin may also suffer losses. I have heard that even a cornered beast will fight. Although the Great Liao is weak, it still has 200,000 soldiers. If it fights to the death, the Great Jin will also suffer losses."

If the Great Jin were willing to back down and return the area south of Zhongjing to the Great Liao, our three kingdoms could stand side by side, trade and maintain good relations, and share peace. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

If the Jin Dynasty insists on attacking the Liao Dynasty, our Song Dynasty will certainly not stand idly by and watch the Liao Dynasty perish. We fear that endless war and turmoil will ensue, leaving us with no peace whatsoever.

Zhao Yu's words were quite clear: he would protect the Liao Kingdom, and if the Jin Kingdom was willing to negotiate peace with the Liao Kingdom in accordance with the way the Song Dynasty had proposed, the three kingdoms could live in peace. Otherwise, the Song Dynasty would have to send troops to help the Liao Kingdom fight the Jin Kingdom.

Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi were shocked upon hearing this! They never expected that Zhao Yu would so vehemently protect the Liao Kingdom, even at the cost of fighting against their Jin Kingdom.

Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi wanted to persuade Zhao Yu to be cautious, but Zhao Yu waved his hand and said, "You two go and tell your emperor that my mind is made up."

Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi had no choice but to go back and tell Wanyan Aguda about Zhao Yu's attitude.

As the saying goes, it's better to offer help in times of need than to add flowers to brocade.

Upon learning that Zhao Yu had so vehemently defended the Liao state in front of the Jin envoy, and was even willing to send troops to help the Liao state fight against the Jin state, the Liao people who had only stayed in the Yanping area as "Han people" due to circumstances and pressure felt much better.

Yes.

Zhao Yu took advantage of the chaos to reclaim the Yanping region, which was somewhat opportunistic.

But Zhao Yu didn't take the Yanping region from the Liao Kingdom for nothing; he really went for it when trouble came.

The Liao Kingdom had just suffered a major defeat. If it weren't for the Song Dynasty protecting the Liao Kingdom, the Jin Dynasty would have wiped it out in one fell swoop.

For this reason alone, the Liao Dynasty was guaranteed to make a profit by ceding the Yanping region to the Song Dynasty, especially since the Liao Dynasty had no ability to protect the Yanping region.

It can be said that this one incident alone caused a complete reversal in Zhao Yu's image in the hearts of the Liao people. They have tried their best to stop mentioning that Zhao Yu imprisoned their emperor and slept with their empress, imperial concubine, and a large number of Liao women.

It is said that ordinary people are sometimes so simple and honest. As long as they are given real security and hope, past grievances and entanglements can be diluted to a certain extent.

In other words, Zhao Yu's move was like a timely rain, nourishing the hearts of the Liao people who were anxious and uneasy amidst the flames of war and turmoil.

Soon, Wu Xie and Gao Qingyi returned to Liaozhongjing and met with Wanyan Aguda and others. They immediately conveyed Zhao Yu's attitude to Wanyan Aguda and the others.

The Jurchens, arrogant and complacent after their decisive victory over the Liao army, were enraged when they heard that Zhao Yu wanted them to relinquish the Liao capital and the area south of it, which they had seized. They all shouted:
"The Song emperor wishes to transfer people, but our Great Jin will not accept it! Our iron cavalry has already trampled the Khitan land; how can we allow the journey to be abandoned halfway?"

"Now that war has begun, there is no reason for us to withdraw! The Khitan are on the verge of collapse, and our army is advancing like a whirlwind. This is a divinely ordained opportunity. If the Song emperor obstructs us, he will be making an enemy of our Great Jin. I am willing to lead the vanguard, first defeat the Song army, and then annihilate the Khitan!"

"Further words are useless! If the Great Song intervenes, we will wipe them all out! Today we request to fight, not for words, but to settle things with swords!"

"..."

Not to mention that the proud and fierce generals of the Jin Kingdom could not accept Zhao Yu's bias, even the extremely shrewd Wanyan Aguda felt that Zhao Yu was somewhat ungrateful.

Wanyan Aguda thought to himself, 'Could it be that he has something to rely on, which is why he dares to be so fearless?'

It's no wonder that Wanyan Aguda felt Zhao Yu had become arrogant. After all, since he raised his army, he had almost never suffered a defeat, driving the Liao Kingdom into retreat and almost taking everything from it. If it weren't for Zhao Yu protecting him, he would have destroyed the Liao Kingdom.

As for the Song Dynasty's recovery of the Yanping region, Wanyan Aguda believed it was entirely due to the influence of the Jin Dynasty. If they hadn't defeated the Liao Dynasty to such an extent, would the Liao Dynasty have obediently returned the Yanping region to the Song Dynasty?
In the end, Zhao Yu not only showed no gratitude to the Great Jin, but also repaid kindness with enmity by joining forces with the Liao to fight against the Great Jin.

Wanyan Aguda really wanted to ask Zhao Yu: Who gave you the courage?!
Wanyan Aguda would not make decisions when he was angry, especially about something so important.

After calming down, Wanyan Aguda realized that even if the Song Dynasty was powerful, it might not be as strong as the current Jin Dynasty.

The key point is that Zhao Yu has already issued a challenge. If Wanyan Aguda doesn't dare to accept the challenge, then which of the surrounding small countries and tribes will be afraid of the Great Jin Dynasty and obediently listen to its rule?

'Strike one blow to repel a hundred; break one of its sharpest attacks to bring peace to the nine realms.'

'Only war!!!'

……

(End of this chapter)