The prince is more stable

Chapter 1016 Seeking Peace and Avoiding Disaster
The arrival of the Liao envoy in the Song court shocked the imperial court.

What was shocking was not the arrival of the Liao envoy, but the speed at which he arrived.

The news of the victory in Youzhou had just arrived in Bianjing, and the news that Zhe Keshi had led 20,000 Song troops northward to wreak havoc had only arrived this morning. Less than two hours later, the Liao envoy entered Bianjing.

It should be noted that military reports and memorials were delivered by fast horses that traveled 800 li each way, day and night without stopping, so that the news could be transmitted from Youzhou to Bianjing as quickly as possible.

The Liao envoy arrived almost simultaneously with the memorial submitted from the front lines.

What does this mean?
This shows that the Liao emperor and his ministers were truly anxious and dared not linger for even a moment, only hoping to quickly quell the situation and get the Song court to order Zhe Keshi to withdraw his troops.

Zhao Xiaoqian issued an edict of retaliation, and Zhe Keshi's actions of crossing the border to slaughter and plunder not only put immense pressure on the Liao emperor and his officials, but also instilled deep fear in them.

The massacre by 20,000 Song soldiers across the border, seemingly to avenge the people on the northwestern border of the Song Dynasty, and the number of 20,000 is not large, so defining it as a "conflict and friction between the two countries" seems reasonable.

However, the Liao Kingdom was the one being attacked, and they wouldn't be so naive.

So why did the Song state suddenly send 20,000 troops north? Was it really just for revenge? Or did the Song emperor have a deeper plan?
After all, it was the time for the Song and Liao states to unite and destroy the Xia dynasty. The Liao state had mobilized 100,000 troops from its own territory for this war. At the same time, the Jurchen people in the northeast had become a force to be reckoned with, and the Liao state also had to allocate some troops to defend them. At this time, the Liao state's domestic military strength was practically nonexistent.

The fact that 20,000 Song troops suddenly launched an attack without warning at this time makes their intentions quite intriguing.

This is why Yelü Yanxi sent envoys to travel day and night to Bianjing, the capital of the Song Dynasty. The Liao envoys did not disappoint Yelü Yanxi; their speed in reaching Bianjing was almost equivalent to that of a fast horse traveling 800 li.

This shows how anxious and fearful the Liao emperor and his ministers were, and how serious the current situation was for them.

Inside the Daqing Hall, the assembled officials remained completely silent.

Those who can stand here are all seasoned shrewd old foxes; those with slightly less skill would have been eliminated long ago.

The fact that the Liao envoy arrived so quickly and that the Liao emperor spoke with such humility and fear already spoke volumes.

Just as the officials said, once the country is strong and powerful enough, what need is there to reason with the enemy? What's the point of talking about "having no legitimate reason for war"? What's there to fear about "the Song and Liao dynasties turning against each other"?
Look, I slapped the Liao Kingdom hard across the face. Were they angry? Were they furious? Perhaps they were, but they still had to send envoys over, pleading for peace and to calm things down.

What's the reason?
Because the Song Dynasty is no longer the Song Dynasty of the past. It has become powerful and has enough power to slap people in the face. The person who is slapped not only dares not fight back, but also has to smile and apologize.

This is the strength of a nation.

Looking back now at what I said in the court meeting, the so-called "lack of a legitimate reason for war" and the concern that "the deterioration of relations between the Song and Liao dynasties" would affect the overall situation, doesn't it sound like a joke now?
The issue now is not whether the Song Dynasty should antagonize the Liao Dynasty, but rather that even if the Song Dynasty wanted to overturn the table, the Liao Dynasty would firmly hold it down and beg the Song Dynasty to calm down.

The eunuch's report still echoed in the court assembly. Zhao Xiaoqian leaned back on the dragon throne, his eyes slightly closed, and the smile on his lips deepened. This smile carried a hint of sarcasm, and it was unclear whether he was mocking the Liao emperor Yelü Yanxi or the courtiers who had just been speaking righteously and claiming to be considering the overall situation.

Big picture?

The one who needs to consider the overall situation now is not me, but Yelü Yanxi.

Slowly opening his eyes, Zhao Xiaoqian stared at the civil official who had just righteously remonstrated with him and said, "The Liao emperor sent envoys to negotiate peace, and he actually has to apologize. How can he accept that?"

"Quickly bring the Liao envoy into the palace. I offended the Liao Kingdom first, which was my fault. Why don't I kowtow to the Liao envoy to apologize? What do you all think?"

All eyes immediately fell on the civil official who had just given his righteous and stern remonstrance.

The civil official's face turned pale and then flushed, and he felt a burning pain in his cheeks.

The Emperor's words were even more scathing than a direct slap in the face. Just moments ago, he had placed the Song Dynasty in the position of the weak, presumptuously bearing humiliation and believing that the Song Dynasty should not take the initiative to provoke the Liao Dynasty. Who knew that he would be slapped in the face so quickly? The Liao Emperor actually sent envoys to the Song Dynasty in such a panic, taking the initiative to seek peace.

The monarchs of the Song and Liao dynasties were probably the ones who understood the realities of the two states best, and their judgments and decisions were the most rational.

The Song emperor took the initiative to attack, while the Liao emperor was forced to defend.

This is the true reality between the two countries.

All eyes were on the civil official, who looked embarrassed. He knew that his seemingly considerate words at today's court assembly would become a laughing stock in the Song Dynasty court forever.

Zhao Xiaoqian certainly knew the purpose of the Liao emperor's eagerness to send envoys to negotiate peace. At present, the Song Dynasty had an overwhelming military advantage over the surrounding countries.

The era of firearms was ushered in by the Song Dynasty, and only by the Song Dynasty. To date, and for many years to come, the Song Dynasty will maintain this absolute advantage.

Under the crushing force of modern weaponry, the so-called invincible armies of this era are utterly vulnerable, a fact proven countless times.

The reason the Song Dynasty hasn't yet conquered the Liao Dynasty is because its treasury is empty of money and food, not because its army is weak. Furthermore, the Song Dynasty's future strategy requires a step-by-step approach; rushing things would disrupt the domestic political balance.

Zhao Xiaoqian was not surprised at all that the Liao emperor had sent envoys to seek peace, as he knew that the Liao state was also quite vulnerable at the moment.

It wasn't just the military that was empty, but also the national treasury.

The Song Dynasty, a country so wealthy, had its treasury emptied after several years of fighting with the Liao Dynasty. How much better off was the Liao Dynasty? It was probably even poorer than the Song Dynasty and simply couldn't afford a medium-to-large-scale war.

Seeking peace is the simplest and cheapest way. The only price to pay is national dignity. However, the Liao Kingdom has already been thoroughly beaten by the Song Dynasty several times, and its dignity has become somewhat worthless. What's wrong with sending envoys to seek peace again?
In the imperial court, the officials whispered among themselves, and each of them gradually showed more excitement.

The Liao emperor sent envoys to sue for peace, which was another triumphant moment for him.

As for the righteous and awe-inspiring civil official who had just offered his advice, no one paid him any attention. At this moment, he looked more like an oblivious clown.

"I did not see the Liao envoy when he arrived in the capital." Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly said, "Zhe Keshi's 20,000 royal troops are still in Liao territory. There is no rush to withdraw them. Let's talk to the Liao envoy first."

All the ministers agreed.

Zhao Xiaoqian pondered for a moment, then said, "Have Vice Minister Cai Jing and Minister of Rites Zhang Yi negotiate with the Liao envoy. If the Liao emperor wishes to withdraw his troops, that is acceptable, but he must pay a price."

"The Liao Kingdom must give an explanation and make compensation for the massacre of the people on the northwestern border of the Great Song Dynasty and the looting and burning of the villages. Not only that, the Great Song Dynasty also needs the Liao Kingdom to compensate for the cost of my military expedition and to offer 10,000 warhorses and 10,000 cattle and sheep to show the Liao Emperor's sincerity."

Zhao Xiaoqian paused for a moment, then said, "As for the other conditions, it depends on Cai Jing and Zhang Yi's abilities. They can take whatever they can get. I will accept whatever comes their way."

When Cai Jing heard that such an important task had been entrusted to him instead of Zhang Dun, he was overjoyed and ecstatic.

Cai Jing hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask whether we should demand that the Liao Kingdom cede territory and cities?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "No need. I don't lack the land and cities of the Liao Kingdom. If I want them, I can easily get them. The most important thing for the court right now is to destroy the Western Xia. Put the northern affairs aside for now and just get some practical benefits."

"Warhorses, cattle and sheep, grain, money, and so on—these are what the Song Dynasty wants. As for how much you can negotiate, that depends on your abilities."

Territory and cities should be what the emperor cares about most, but Zhao Xiaoqian doesn't seem to care at all, and surprisingly, the court officials all agree with him.

Indeed, if the Song Dynasty wanted to acquire the territory and cities of the Liao Dynasty, it wouldn't need to waste words at the negotiating table. It could simply send troops to take them over. The 20,000 Song soldiers had already caused chaos in the Liao Dynasty. Wouldn't it be easy to acquire their territory and cities?
Since that's the case, why not ask for something more substantial? Warhorses, cattle, sheep, and grain are all things that can be accumulated as part of the national foundation. If we can take more from the Liao Kingdom, the Song Dynasty will have less time to accumulate national foundation, and we will be closer to launching a northern expedition to destroy the Liao.

"You two remember this: slow down the pace of negotiations. It's not us who are in a hurry now, but the Liao Kingdom. The longer we drag this out, the greater the benefits we will gain."

Zhao Xiaoqian smirked: "You're all old foxes, I don't need to teach you this lesson, do I?"

…………

The 20,000 Song troops marched north across the border, which may have alarmed the Liao Kingdom, but for the Song Dynasty, it was just a minor incident.

To be honest, this number of troops is not much. If the Song Dynasty really intended to destroy the Liao Dynasty, it would not have been such a small-scale operation. Preparations before the war would have taken a long time.

When the decision was made to send troops to destroy the Western Xia, the court spent several months preparing the provisions and weapons. And this was only for the Western Xia; for the more powerful Liao Kingdom, the preparation time and matters would be even longer.

The north was merely a minor nuisance; the Song Dynasty's focus was on the northwest.

The war to destroy the Xia dynasty in the northwest was what the emperor and his ministers were truly concerned about, as it concerned the fate of the Song dynasty.

Just as Bianjing began negotiations with the Liao envoys, preparing to extort them, the situation in the northwest was already undergoing dramatic changes.

In the third month of the second year of the Jingkang era, Zhong Jianzhong's troops approached the capital of the Western Xia Kingdom, Xingqing Prefecture.

Sixty thousand troops quickly surrounded Xingqing Prefecture. This time, Zhong Jianzhong did not choose the "surrounding three sides and leaving one open" siege method, but instead surrounded Xingqing Prefecture on all four sides without leaving any gaps.

After all, this was the capital of Western Xia, where the Western Xia ruler Li Qianshun and a group of Western Xia nobles and officials lived.

One of the strategic goals set by the Emperor was to capture the Western Xia ruler and royal family alive. Zhong Jianzhong dared not slacken his efforts, much less take any risks. The so-called "encircling three sides and leaving one open" strategy was crucial. If the Western Xia ruler were to escape from the direction of the "open" side, Zhong Jianzhong would be devastated.

At the same time, two veteran generals, Zhe Kerou and Zhe Kexing, under the command of Zhang Jie, the Northwest Frontier Commander, also led 100,000 Northwest troops from Xia Prefecture and marched westward. Along the way, they not only cleared out the cities, villages and tribes of Western Xia, but also subtly formed a blockade on the border between Western Xia and Liao.

The purpose of the two veteran generals of the Zhe family in blockading the Liao-Xia border is self-evident.

(End of this chapter)