The prince is more stable

Chapter 940 The Treacherous Minister's Ingenious Scheme
Even the strongest fortress cannot be prevented from being breached from within.

The Liao Dynasty was an example of this.

To outsiders, the Liao Dynasty was merely in decline, but its power remained even after its death, and it was still incredibly strong to most of its neighbors.

Only in Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes was the Liao Kingdom a sinking ship, leaking air everywhere.

Emperor Yelü Yanxi of Liao probably never imagined that Zhao Xiaoqian had already laid two traps for him.

His decisions regarding the Liao Dynasty were deliberately guided by those around him, leading him further and further down the wrong path.

One of them was to launch a war against the Western Xia.

Over the years, the Liao army has suffered repeated defeats in battles against the Song Dynasty, and its soldiers have lost confidence. They have not only ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, but also dare not easily provoke the Song Dynasty's borders anymore.

Instead, they had to pray that the Song army would not provoke them without reason, because they could not stop them or defeat them.

Just like solving a math problem, if you can't beat someone, you can't beat them; it's not something that can be solved by hard work.

The Liao Dynasty sought to regain the confidence it had lost against the Song army by defeating the Western Xia.

Well, Yelü Yanxi has successfully been led astray by Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian.

Only Zhao Xiaoqian knew the true reason for the war between Liao and Xia.

It can be said that the war between Liao and Xia was instigated by Zhao Xiaoqian.

Inside the Wende Hall, Zhao Xiaoqian inadvertently let slip a secret, causing everyone in the hall to stare at him in astonishment.

The Privy Councilor Xu Jiang's eyes were filled with disbelief, and the others were also extremely shocked.

It must be said that Cai Jing's vision was truly sharp; while others schemed for things, he schemed for people.

What others couldn't see clearly, Cai Jing discerned from Zhao Xiaoqian's expression alone.

"The war between Liao and Xia, was it... was it planned by the Emperor?" Xu asked in astonishment.

Zhao Xiaoqian's face darkened: "Don't pry into other people's business..."

Zhang Dun looked at him in astonishment: "When did Your Majesty begin making these plans? Why hasn't a single word of it spread in the court?"

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said, "All of you here are important officials, but this matter is top secret and I cannot say more. Just look at the result; there is no need to delve into the process."

The identities of Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian could not be revealed to the public before the fall of the Liao Dynasty. At present, the only people in the entire Song Dynasty who knew about them were probably Zhen Qingwei and a few others from the Imperial City Guard, as well as Chen Shou, who was by their side.

"Let's get down to business. The Liao and Xia have already gone to war. Zhang Jie, the commander of the northwest frontier, has requested permission. How should our Great Song respond?"

Seeing that Zhao Xiaoqian was unwilling to elaborate on the details, Xu Jiang knew that the matter might involve deep secrets, so he dared not ask any further questions.

"Your Majesty, I believe that if Liao and Xia start a war, our Great Song may be able to reap the benefits..." General Xu said slowly.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him: "How do you profit?"

Xu said, "When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. I think it would be better to let them be injured even more severely."

"Our Great Song can observe the situation of the war between Liao and Xia at any time, and support the weaker side at any time, so that they can keep fighting endlessly, so that the battlefield can reach a state of even strength, and neither side is allowed to stop fighting or withdraw, so that they can keep fighting."

"If the war were to exhaust the national strength of both countries, leaving their treasuries empty and their people destitute, it would be entirely beneficial to the Song Dynasty."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded with pleasure: "Mr. Chongyuan's ideas are very much to my liking. The reason I secretly provoked a war between the two countries is also for this purpose."

The Vice Privy Councilor An Tao stroked his beard and said, "I am only worried that the Liao and Xia countries are not stupid. They also know that war between the two countries will benefit our Great Song. Perhaps it will not be long before the two countries send envoys to negotiate peace and stop the war."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "What Houqing said makes sense, so we must keep stirring up trouble and putting pressure on Liaoxia. This war has already started, and they will not stop until our Great Song agrees."

"Your Majesty, how should our Great Song Dynasty instigate conflict and exert pressure?" General Xu asked.

Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "Based on the military strength and combat power of the Liao and Xia countries, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Liao should have the upper hand in this war. Just look at the present situation; the Liao has already advanced more than a hundred miles into the Western Xia territory, and its military momentum is unstoppable."

"I believe that Western Xia should not suffer a crushing defeat. Therefore, the Song Dynasty should provide Western Xia with military equipment and warhorses, and even provisions, to support them in repelling the invaders and defending their homeland."

These sanctimonious words caused the assembled high-ranking officials to struggle to suppress the urge to roll their eyes.

Zhao Xiaoqian felt no shame whatsoever. Instead, he said righteously and sternly, "Furthermore, I will send another envoy to tell Emperor Yelü Yanxi of Liao that the war between Liao and Xia is a matter between the two countries and has nothing to do with our Great Song."

"The Great Song called on both sides of the conflict to resolve their disputes peacefully, but it was just a call. If they refused to listen, there was nothing the Great Song could do..." "Then, we signed a peace and friendship agreement with the Liao Kingdom, stipulating that the Great Song would maintain a neutral stance in the Liao-Xia War and would not help either side."

The people present looked at each other with grim expressions.

The government has truly mastered the art of playing both sides.

Such double-dealing would surely cause the Song Dynasty to lose its sense of righteousness. This is highly immoral.

Only Xu Jiang remained calm. He had worked with Zhao Xiaoqian in the border army and knew the emperor's character well. He was not surprised at all by the emperor's idea. Instead, he felt a sense of familiarity from back then.

Zhao Xiaoqian continued, "If there are signs of a ceasefire and peace talks between the two countries, then put pressure on Western Xia and fan the flames against Liao, so that Zhang Jie's northwestern border army can react appropriately on the border, or continue to create border friction between Liao and Xia in a covert way, and keep causing trouble."

“We can’t let them stop fighting,” Zhao Xiaoqian said, looking at Xu Jiang: “Mr. Chongyuan, have the Northwest Border Army been equipped with firearms?”

Xu nodded: "The 200,000 troops of the Northwest Border Army have all been equipped with flintlock muskets, as well as a small number of 'Honeycomb' muskets."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "That's good. No matter how fierce the battle between Liao and Xia is, the northwestern territory of our Great Song Dynasty is safe and secure."

Before he could finish speaking, Cai Jing suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I have an idea..."

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow at him. Now he had witnessed Cai Jing's abilities. Although this guy was a treacherous minister and his methods of doing things were very insidious, it was undeniable that he was useful.

"You said."

Cai Jing said in a low voice, "Since the two countries have already gone to war, I think it would be better to take this opportunity to talk to the Liao Kingdom. The Song and Liao should form an allied army and simply destroy the Western Xia Kingdom. The Song and Liao should then divide the Western Xia Kingdom among themselves. I wonder if this is feasible?"

After Cai Jing finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence. After a long while, everyone, including Zhao Xiaoqian, started coughing.

Zhao Xiaoqian's face flushed red, and he pointed at Cai Jing, praising, "You freaking... have an appetite even bigger than mine, amazing!"

Before Zhao Xiaoqian could express his opinion, Xu Jiang and An Tao's eyes lit up.

I have to say, Cai Jing's suggestion... seems quite promising!

Zhang Dun's eyes narrowed slightly. The more Cai Jing showed off in front of the emperor, the more dangerous his position as prime minister became. At this moment, he felt complicated and helpless.

"The Song and Liao formed an alliance, the Western Xia was destroyed, and its territory was divided between the Song and Liao... Hiss!" Zhao Xiaoqian muttered to himself, gasping in astonishment.

As the emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Xiaoqian should have been calm and clear-headed at all times. However, at this moment, Cai Jing's words were like a spell, unlocking the desires in the hearts of the emperor and his ministers.

Zhao Xiaoqian had to admit that he was moved, even more so than when he first met his wife. It turned out that the allure of conquering new territories was more irresistible than love.

Cai Jing was constantly watching Zhao Xiaoqian's expression so that he could change his mind at any time. When he saw Zhao Xiaoqian remain silent but with a greedy glint in his eyes, Cai Jing immediately knew that his suggestion had tempted the emperor.

Offering this plan is another merit, securing his position as Zhang Dun's successor!
So Cai Jing continued to speak eloquently.

"In recent years, the Liao Kingdom has suffered repeated defeats in battles against our Song Dynasty's royal army. Its court is corrupt and corrupt, the people are in dire straits, the national treasury is empty, and its military is exhausted. In the northeast, there is a rebellion by the Jurchen tribes, and in the south, our Song Dynasty is eyeing it covetously. It can be said that the Liao Kingdom is now facing internal and external troubles and is on the verge of collapse."

"Therefore, the Liao Kingdom urgently needed an opportunity. Firstly, it needed to revitalize itself and replenish its strength. Secondly, it needed a victory to boost the morale of its soldiers and civilians, consolidate Yelü Yanxi's imperial power, and prolong the Liao Kingdom's life. Therefore, joining forces with the Song Dynasty to destroy the Western Xia was Yelü Yanxi's best choice."

"I believe that Yelü Yanxi has considered completely destroying Western Xia, but he is worried about the intervention of the Song Dynasty. As long as the Song Dynasty sends an envoy to break the ice with Yelü Yanxi, he will definitely agree readily."

"The destruction of Western Xia is beneficial to both the Song and Liao dynasties. As for the future of the relationship between the Song and Liao after the fall of Western Xia, that is a matter for the future. Whatever the outcome, it is much better than the current situation and predicament of Liao. Therefore, I believe that Yelü Yanxi will not refuse."

Zhao Xiaoqian let out a long breath.

It must be said that Cai Jing, this treacherous minister, was indeed quite capable.

The treacherous minister was merely malicious; he was not stupid, in fact, he was far more intelligent than most of the court officials.

The idea Cai Jing is coming up with is not only audacious but also incredibly ambitious, leaving people in awe.

Zhao Xiaoqian was still thinking about how to use the war between Liao and Xia to weaken the national strength of both countries, but Cai Jing simply proposed to annex Western Xia directly.

Zhang Dun, Xu Jiang, and the others present stared blankly at Cai Jing, their expressions shocked, as if they were only meeting him today.

Zhao Xiaoqian's heart raced. He suddenly turned to Zhang Dun and asked, "Mr. Zihou, is the Song Dynasty's treasury capable of supporting a small to medium-sized war?"

Despite his deep suspicion and jealousy of Cai Jing, Zhang Dun was still the prime minister of the country. Upon hearing this, he stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "The national treasury is not able to support this, but Your Majesty, it is already late autumn and winter is approaching. Around the time winter arrives, local governments in various parts of the Song Dynasty will hand over this year's autumn taxes to the national treasury."

"In other words, a batch of grain supplies is already on its way to the national treasury. If a war of not too large is launched, it should be able to support it."

(End of this chapter)