I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 414 Forbearance
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Taking advantage of the war between the Song and Jin dynasties, which prevented them from looking north, Khabul established himself on the Mongolian steppe, expanding his territory and growing in power. The surrounding tribes then elected him as Khan, and he established the Mongol Empire.

However, the Mongol Empire at this time was different from the Great Mongol Empire established by Temujin in history.

The Mongol Empire was essentially a loose confederation of steppe tribes. Khabul's power base depended on the election and recognition of the tribal leaders, and each tribe maintained a relatively strong degree of independence. The cohesion of the alliance relied more on Khabul's personal prestige and lacked a unified administrative and military system.

At this time, the Mongol Empire was more like the Jurchen people before the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, while Khabul was more like the leader of the Jurchen alliance before Wanyan Aguda.

The Great Mongol Empire established by Temujin was a highly centralized nomadic empire. Through the "thousand-household system," it reorganized the various tribes of the grasslands, broke down the old tribal boundaries, concentrated power in the hands of the Great Khan, established a strict military and administrative management system, and achieved true unification.

—At that time, the Great Mongol Empire was more like the Jin Dynasty, and Temujin was more like Wanyan Aguda.

Furthermore, the territory of the Mongol Empire was mainly limited to the core area of ​​the Mongol tribe in the central part of the Mongolian Plateau, and its influence only covered a few surrounding tribes. It had not yet formed absolute control over other powerful tribes on the steppe (such as the Kereit, Naiman, and Tatar tribes).

To put it bluntly, the Mongol Empire was an early attempt by the Mongol tribes to move from fragmentation to unity, laying the foundation for the later unification of the Mongol nation, but it did not completely change the situation of division among the steppe tribes.

This meant that Khabul was completely unable to make decisions for those large steppe tribes (such as the Kereit, Naiman, and Tatar tribes), and could only consult with them on matters.

The reason why the various tribes of the grasslands came to support the Jin Dynasty this time was mainly because everyone could see that after Zhao Yu destroyed the Jin Dynasty, his next target would definitely be the tribes on the grasslands who would unify the grasslands. They and the Jin Dynasty were interdependent.

Furthermore, in recent years, the Northeast Plain has witnessed numerous wars, large and small, including the Song-Liao War, the Liao-Jin War, and the Song-Jin War. This has led many small tribes that originally lived on the Northeast Plain to migrate to the grasslands in order to escape the ravages of war, which has increased the pressure on the grasslands.

This year, the grasslands have suffered numerous disasters, leading to a famine.

It was against this backdrop that Wanyan Aguda sought help from Khabul and the various tribes of the steppe.

They then came to help in the battle.

Ok.

In reality, they came to the Jin Kingdom to plunder.

In other words, "We've all come to help your Great Jin Kingdom fight this war, so you have to provide us with food, right?"

Although the Jin Dynasty suffered repeated defeats, they had, after all, gained the national strength and people that the Liao Dynasty had accumulated over hundreds of years.

Crucially, the Heilongjiang region at this time was the birthplace of the Jurchen people and the political and economic core of the Jin Dynasty. It was characterized by "interspersed farming + fishing, hunting and nomadic life". The Jurchen, Han and Bohai ethnic groups participated in the development. Iron farm tools (plowshares, hoes and sickles, etc.) were widely used. The farming technology was close to the level of the Central Plains. Cities rose along the rivers, forming a production pattern "centered on cities".

At this time, there are four core agricultural areas in Heilongjiang Province, which are:

The Ashi River Basin (present-day Harbin and Acheng area): Centered on Shangjing Huining Prefecture, there were more than a dozen city sites along the river, spaced ten to fifteen li apart. It was the political core and main agricultural area in the early Jin Dynasty.

Along the Songhua River: More than forty towns and cities of varying sizes are arranged along the river terraces, which facilitate irrigation and flood control, making them a preferred area for agricultural and urban site selection.
The Lalin River and Hulan River basins: There are seventeen ancient cities on the right bank of the Lalin River and twelve along the Hulan River, spaced ten to thirty miles apart, forming contiguous interspersed farmlands, which are important grain-producing areas.

The Wuyuer River Basin: The agricultural area expanded northward to this point. Although the reclamation was scattered, it had already broken through the northern boundary of agricultural reclamation during the Liao Dynasty and became an important agricultural area in northern Heilongjiang during the early Jin Dynasty.

These four major grain-producing areas could provide the Jin Kingdom with a large amount of grain.

The key point is that Heilongjiang still has vast arable land that has not been developed. If these areas were developed, feeding millions of people would not be a problem at all.

This is the main reason why Wanyan Aguda desperately wanted to protect this region.

This is because as long as the Heilongjiang region is preserved, Wanyan Aguda will have grasped the foundation for the survival of the Jin Dynasty.

Even though the Jin Dynasty had already relinquished most of the territory it had annexed from the Liao Dynasty and was suffering repeated defeats with most of its elite troops lost, if they could safely retreat to Heilongjiang, the land where the Liao Dynasty originated, they could rely on the grain reserves of the four core agricultural regions to stabilize their position.

By then, these towns scattered along the rivers will not only be defensive strongholds but also centers for the restoration of production. Scattered iron farm tools can still be picked up, and the manpower of farmers and fishing and hunting tribes can still be integrated. The composite economic model of "interspersed farming + fishing and hunting nomadic" will be enough to allow the broken tribes to regain their vitality within a few years.

During their decades of recuperation, Heilongjiang's potential will continue to be unleashed. The already developed river basins, such as the Ashi River and Songhua River, can increase yields through water conservancy improvements and the promotion of more advanced agricultural techniques. Meanwhile, the vast uncultivated farmland can gradually expand with population growth. The Jurchen people, along with the Han, Khitan, and Bohai peoples who migrated there, will further integrate through shared labor, retaining the bravery of the nomadic tribes while absorbing the production experience of the Central Plains. Military and national strength will slowly and quietly recover.

Meanwhile, if the Southern Song Dynasty were to fall into internal power struggles or widespread poverty, it would give the Jin Dynasty an opportunity to exploit the situation.

Once the nation's strength has accumulated to a certain level, the Jin dynasty's iron hooves may once again sweep south.

At that time, they were no longer the tribal alliances that had risen to prominence, but a powerful force with the Heilongjiang River as its stable rear, possessing both agricultural productivity and nomadic fighting capabilities. The rivers and cities that had once supported the establishment of their kingdom would become the lifeline for their resurgence in the Central Plains. Wanyan Aguda and his successors might be able to rewrite the map of their territory along the path pioneered by Wanyan Aguda, and even complete an even grander unification.

After all, as long as Heilongjiang, the "land of the dragon's rise," remained in their hands, the Jin Dynasty would always have the capital and confidence to make a comeback.

That's a bit far.

It is said that Khabul brought a group of tribes from the grasslands to help in the battle, not only to prevent the Song Dynasty from turning its attention to them after destroying the Jin Dynasty, but also to seek free food and drink from the Jin Dynasty.

As for helping the Jin Dynasty fight?
If they capitalize on the favorable situation and reap the benefits alongside the Jurchens, they'll definitely be fine. In that case, they might even have a prosperous year.

But if it's a tough battle, a life-or-death struggle, especially one where families and property are at stake, most of them are unwilling.

—At this time, the grassland tribes originally lived a nomadic life of "living by water and grass". When there was external conflict or inter-tribal warfare, their families (elderly, women and children) would move with the army with tents and livestock, forming "mobile tribal camps". This made it convenient to take care of the soldiers' lives and also allowed them to move at any time to avoid risks. At the same time, the livestock could serve as "mobile granaries" to support the army's supplies.

If the Jin army were defeated, given the size and mobility of the Song army, the small families of these steppe tribes could also be in danger. This made these steppe tribes even less willing to take risks.

Thus, from the perspective of these grassland tribes, they would only follow the Jin Dynasty if the war was delayed until winter—they knew how powerful the Song army's firearms were, so why would they go head-to-head to their deaths?

But when winter comes, and the Song soldiers can't even stretch their hands out of the ground, things will be different. At that time, no matter how many 500,000 Song soldiers there are, they will be fish on the chopping block.

Moreover, before that, they could also rely on the Jin Kingdom's grain, which allowed them to get through the winter safely.

Who would have thought that the Song Dynasty would abandon its military virtues and resort to such despicable and vile means as massacring the Jin Dynasty's royal family, imperial clan, nobles, and officials to force the Jin Dynasty into an immediate decisive battle.

If this were to go as the Song Dynasty wished, what difference would it make from sending them to their deaths alongside the Jin Dynasty?
Therefore, upon hearing that the Jurchens wanted to fight a decisive battle with the Song army to rescue their relatives who had been captured by the Song, the leaders of the grassland tribes immediately went to Khabul and made it clear that they would never die with the Jurchens.

Khabul could not possibly die alongside the Jurchens, so he immediately led a group of grassland tribe leaders to Wanyan Aguda to express their stance.

Seeing the attitude of the various grassland tribes, the Jurchens who wanted to fight the Song army were dumbfounded.

Without these grassland tribes, their military strength is reduced by half. How can they possibly fight a decisive battle against the Song army?!

Upon seeing this, Wanyan Aguda composed himself, cupped his hands, and spoke with a voice that was both sorrowful and resolute: "Father-in-law, esteemed leaders, the Song rebels have used treacherous schemes to imprison my royal family, slaughter my nobles, and force me into a decisive battle. How could I not know that this is their scheme to destroy my Great Jin? If we were to fight them, my Great Jin would most likely perish. However, how can a true man, born between heaven and earth, sit idly by and watch his kin be humiliated and his country be overthrown? Further words are useless. If you, Father-in-law, and all the leaders are willing to help my Great Jin defeat the Song rebels, my Jurchen homeland is rich in resources. After defeating the Song rebels, I am willing to share the spoils equally with you, Father-in-law, and all the leaders, and forge an eternal alliance."

"I implore my father-in-law and all leaders to remember our past alliance, to have pity on the Jin dynasty's plight, and to stand with me in this national crisis. If we can save the imperial family and defeat the Song army, I hereby swear that my Great Jin will repay you handsomely, and that my descendants will never break this oath! I humbly request my father-in-law and all leaders to lend my Great Jin a helping hand!"

Upon hearing this, Hebule understood. Wanyan Aguda, who was well aware of the current situation, actually did not want to engage in a decisive battle with the Song army the next day.

However, Wanyan Aguda could not bring himself to say that he would give up the lives of his prisoners.

Wanyan Aguda was the founding emperor of the Jin Dynasty, and the royal family and clan were the core ties of the Jurchen tribal alliance. If Wanyan Aguda were to voluntarily abandon these relatives, it would be tantamount to denying his legitimacy as the tribal chief.

—The Jurchen tribes have always been united by blood ties and clans, and the leader's responsibility to protect his people is the key to maintaining the tribe's loyalty.

Furthermore, the Jin state is now suffering repeated defeats, and the people's hearts are already wavering. If even the royal family and nobles can be abandoned, the various tribes will inevitably question Wanyan Aguda's leadership, and it may even lead to internal disintegration. At that time, the Jin state will disintegrate on its own without the need for the Song army to attack.

Furthermore, from a moral and popular standpoint, "sitting idly by while one's own people are humiliated" is a cowardly act universally condemned by both the steppe and agrarian civilizations. Wanyan Aguda has always been known for his resolute image in uniting his followers. If he were to show weakness now, all the mobilization efforts he had previously undertaken for the restoration of his kingdom—whether it was the mentioned "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" or the promised "equal distribution of the spoils"—would become empty words. His subordinates would see him as a treacherous leader, and his steppe allies would see through the Jin dynasty's weakness. Even if he later wanted to rely on the Heilongjiang River to recuperate, he would find it difficult to continue due to the loss of popular support and external assistance.

And those nobles and officials, they were all loyal followers of Wanyan Aguda. If Wanyan Aguda were to openly abandon them, it would surely chill the hearts of the nobles and officials remaining in the Jin state, as well as the soldiers and civilians of the Jin state, and give rise to a sense of shared sorrow.

Therefore, even though he knew that a decisive battle was almost suicidal, Wanyan Aguda could only force himself to say that he wanted to fight the Song army to the death, and he could not say that he would abandon the prisoners, otherwise the existence of the Jin state would collapse instantly.

Having understood Wanyan Aguda's attitude, Hebule immediately began to cooperate with him, saying:
"The Song traitors rely on their firearms to force us into a decisive battle. This is using their strengths against our weaknesses. If we fight the Song army now, we will surely die. It would be nothing but the bravery of a fool."

"I, the eagle of the grasslands, never fear death, but if I die, I will die a worthy death!"

"To do this is like throwing an egg against a rock, showing off our momentary courage. Not only will we fail to save the Jin dynasty's imperial family, but we will also put our thousands of families on the grasslands under the swords of the Song traitors. This is extremely unwise."

"When winter comes, our grassland warriors and your soldiers will tread on ice and snow as if on flat ground. The Song army will be afraid of the cold and freezing. At that time, they will be unable to stretch their fingers, draw their bows and crossbows, or fire their firearms. We will be able to wait in comfort and win the battle."

At this point, Khabul looked at Wanyan Aguda, his attitude leaving no room for argument: "My dear son-in-law, it's not that we are unwilling to help our allies, but rather that the time is not yet ripe! If the Great Jin insists on a decisive battle at this moment, we can only stand by and watch. I urge you, my dear son-in-law, to prioritize the greater good and postpone the decisive battle. When the winter snow arrives, we will surely lead all our warriors to join you in crushing the Song camp!"

As soon as Hebule finished speaking, the grassland leaders in the tent immediately echoed his words.

"The Khan is absolutely right! The Song army's firearms are formidable. To fight now would be tantamount to sending them to their deaths. Whoever wants to go can go, but my family is not going!"

"If we're going to fight, let's wait until winter. Otherwise, my family will retreat back to the grasslands tomorrow!"

"My family, cattle, and sheep are all here. If we are defeated, the consequences will be unimaginable. We must not take the risk!"

"..."

The discussions rose and fell, each word like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of the Jin soldiers.

Those Jin soldiers who were originally eager to fight the Song army to the death were now pale-faced. Without the help of the grassland tribes, the remnants of the Jin army would find it impossible to even hold their camp, let alone rescue the hostages.

Watching helplessly as his relatives, even his sons, grandsons, brothers, and nephews, were slaughtered by the Song Dynasty, Wanyan Aguda was deeply distressed. The thought of the impending massacre of his royal family and nobility filled him with an icy chill. The faint shouts from the Song army's position outside the tent seemed to mock their incompetence.

If the people of Jin want a future, they must be patient and endure whatever the cost.

Gradually, the Jin people all understood this simple truth.

—Those who don't understand are useless. The various tribes of the grasslands don't go together, and those who do understand don't go together either. Going to rescue people is just sending them to their deaths.

In that case, they might as well bide their time until winter, where they might have a chance to turn the tide and avenge themselves.

The tent was deathly silent, save for the heavy sighs of the Jurchens and the undisguised resolve of the steppe leaders, creating a suffocating atmosphere...

……

(End of this chapter)