The prince is more stable

Chapter 959 Conquest and Destruction
In diplomatic rhetoric, words spoken offhand often contain many hidden thoughts and schemes.

The first thing Li Huaisi said was that he referred to himself as "a vassal state of Western Xia," and Zhao Xiaoqian immediately understood his ulterior motives.

Then Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but sneer.

By referring to itself as a "vassal state" and positioning itself as a vassal state of the Song Dynasty, the Song Dynasty would be embarrassed to take action against its own vassal state. If word got out, it would be seen as an unjust war by the suzerain state against its vassal state, which would discourage the Song Dynasty's neighboring countries.

Now that he knows how to back down and is anxious, what was Li Qianshun thinking when he read messages but didn't get a reply?
Staring at Li Huaisi's grief-stricken face, Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "Xia Envoy, you just referred to yourself as 'vassal Western Xia,' but as far as I know, since Western Xia became a vassal of the Great Song, it has only retained the title in name and has never performed any of the courtesies that a vassal state should have."

Li Huaisi was stunned and stared at him blankly.

Zhao Xiaoqian sneered, "Has the Western Xia paid tribute to the Song Dynasty every year? Has it consulted the Song Dynasty on matters large and small in its country? Has its ruler, Li Qianshun, followed the etiquette due to a vassal state?"

"You say you submit to the Song Dynasty, but your hearts are still with the Liao Dynasty. No matter what matters, big or small, you think of the Liao Dynasty first, not the Song Dynasty!"

Li Huaisi's face was deathly pale. He couldn't answer any of Zhao Xiaoqian's questions because he felt guilty and couldn't refute them.

Zhao Xiaoqian continued leisurely, "Moreover, on the day I ascended the throne, I asked the Western Xia envoy how to explain the matter of the annual tribute sent by the Great Song to Western Xia."

"And your ruler, Li Qianshun, doesn't seem to have taken my words to heart, actually ignoring my replies... So, I can't help but wonder, has Western Xia really grown strong, have its wings hardened? Have they forgotten the familiar taste of being beaten?"

"When the Song Dynasty sent tribute to the Western Xia, it may have been nothing more than a windfall for you, and you felt honored. But the Central Plains dynasty has fallen so weak that it actually sends tribute to a vassal state. You may find it laughable and glorious, but for me, it is a great disgrace!"

"After I ascended the throne, my purpose was to wash away the shame of the Song Dynasty. Originally, if the Song and Western Xia had negotiated amicably, and Western Xia had returned the tribute they paid back then, the Song Dynasty would not have caused any trouble..."

"What a pity! Your wise ruler, Li Qianshun, actually acted as if nothing had happened and ignored my requests. Xia Envoy, tell me, if I don't send troops to attack Xia, where will my imperial authority be? Where will the dignity of our superior nation be?"

Li Huaisi was terrified and knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly. Blood seeped from his forehead, which had been bandaged by the imperial physician.

"This subject deserves to die! This is all my fault. I failed to inform the King of the Emperor's request in time, which has led to this disaster! I am willing to die to atone for my sins. I only beg Your Majesty to rescind your order and give Western Xia another chance!"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "There's no need to make a fool of yourself with such a lame excuse. You said you didn't send the requests I made back to Western Xia. Do you even believe that yourself?"

Staring intently at Li Huaisi, Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "This is a choice made by your king himself, so he should bear the consequences. You, as a subject, cannot bear them."

"I have decided to declare war on Western Xia. In this war, the Great Song will lead its righteous and mighty army to conquer the rebellious Western Xia. Both countries will accept their fate, and the outcome will be determined by the king and the villain. That is all."

"No! Wait! Your Majesty, wait!" Li Huaisi shouted desperately, disregarding palace etiquette.

"This foreign subject can represent the emperor and agree to any conditions the Great Song Dynasty can grant, any conditions!" Li Huaisi shouted, losing his composure.

Zhao Xiaoqian remained expressionless, his eyes lowered, and he said nothing.

Li Huaisi still loudly proclaimed, "This foreign subject can promise on behalf of the King that from this day forward, the Western Xia Kingdom will wholeheartedly acknowledge the Great Song as its suzerain, and the King's descendants will serve the Great Song for generations to come. This oath will never be changed!"

"This foreign subject requests His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty to bestow upon the ruler Li Ganshun the imperial surname. From this day forward, all male members of the royal family of the Western Xia Kingdom, from the ruler down, shall change their surname to 'Zhao' and shall serve their fathers with the respect due to sons."

"Western Xia is willing to cede five prefectures within its borders and offer all the grain, money, and military equipment in its national treasury to show its loyalty to the Great Song Dynasty, the suzerain state. Furthermore, it is willing to send a Western Xia princess of marriageable age to Bianjing to serve in His Majesty's harem. The two countries will then establish a marriage alliance and never fight again!"

As the humble and self-serving conditions were presented, Zhao Xiaoqian was left speechless.

Over the years, Western Xia has been outwardly respectful to the Song Dynasty, but in reality, it has remained arrogant and indifferent. Unexpectedly, just after declaring war today, Western Xia has suddenly transformed from a proud goddess into a humble sycophant, shamelessly proposing various appeasement and peace-seeking conditions.

Li Huaisi's appearance is just like Emperor Ruyan in the novel "Regretful Love". When I loved you, you were a cold and arrogant goddess who didn't know how to cherish me and didn't care. When I decided to let go, you knelt down, cried, admitted your mistakes, and begged to get back together...

I never imagined that the relationship between the two countries could become so absurd.

Faced with Li Huaisi's tearful and unreasonable demands for peace, Zhao Xiaoqian remained silent for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "Old Zheng."

Zheng Chunhe entered the hall and paid his respects.

Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "Let's offer the Western Xia envoys a banquet at the palace, and then send them back to their lodgings. That's settled."

After speaking, Zhao Xiaoqian stood up, ignoring Li Huaisi's desperate cries and pleas behind him, and walked out of Wende Hall toward Funing Hall.

Li Huaisi collapsed in the Wende Hall, watching Zhao Xiaoqian's figure disappear at the end of the corridor through his teary eyes. At this moment, he was utterly heartbroken.

His Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty did not change his mind, and the war to destroy Xia was unavoidable.

Li Huaisi was desperate because he was well aware of the military strength of the Song and Xia states.

We can't win, we simply can't win. Back then, the Western Xia had already been severely beaten by the Song Dynasty. At that time, Zhao Xiaoqian only brought 5,000 elite troops, yet he turned the Western Xia upside down, and even their capital was captured. When Empress Dowager Liang sought peace, she was poisoned to death.

Now, the Song Dynasty has mobilized tens of thousands of its elite troops, along with 200,000 border troops in the northwest for support. This is a true war of annihilation, and the Song army will not rest until the Li Qianshun dynasty is completely overthrown and the entire territory of Western Xia is fully occupied. Li Huaisi knew very well that Western Xia was finished, and its destruction was imminent. This Western Xia, which had survived for a century between the Song and Liao dynasties, could not escape its fate of annihilation.

Its existence is but a fleeting ripple in the long river of history, disappearing in an instant.

Who is to blame?
Why doesn't King Lee Gwan-soon reply to my messages after they've been read?
No, no one can be blamed. The so-called "read but not replied" is just an excuse for the Song Dynasty to send troops. Even without this excuse, the Song Dynasty would have found other excuses to send troops.

Between nations, strength determines everything. When a powerful nation wants to annex a weaker one, sometimes it doesn't even bother to come up with a pretext; it simply annihilates the weak.

…………

The ninth day of the twelfth lunar month in the first year of the Jingkang era.

At the military training grounds on the western outskirts of Bianjing, the capital of the Song Dynasty, the long ox horns and the booming war drums echoed in all directions, their fierce and solemn momentum causing the heavens and the earth to change color.

Zhong Jianzhong, the military commissioner of Qinfeng Road, stood solemnly on the command platform in the drill ground, fully armed and wearing armor.

The only chair behind him sat Zhao Xiaoqian, who had a calm expression.

Zhao Xiaoqian was also wearing armor today, his bright fish-scale armor reflecting a cold, eerie light in the weak winter sunlight.

Directly in front of the command platform, two enormous flags fluttered in the biting wind, exuding a powerful aura.

One of the flags is embroidered with a large character "Song" and the other with the character "Zhong". This is Zhong Jianzhong's command flag, which is also the source of faith and fighting spirit for the entire Song army.

Today is the day the Great Song army sets off on its expedition. More than 30,000 soldiers from the Imperial Guards, the Imperial Army, and the Imperial Guards of Bianjing have gathered on the drill ground. Despite the bugles and war drums sounding around the drill ground, the soldiers remain solemn and quietly watch the Emperor and Zhong Jianzhong on the command platform.

Today is the day the army swears an oath to march on the Western Xia. No auspicious day was chosen, after all, speed is of the essence in war.

According to a report from Zhang Jie in the Northwest, 100,000 Liao troops have captured Yanjunsi in Heishui Town of Western Xia, and the army is advancing towards Shazhou and Guazhou.

As part of the allied forces, the Song Dynasty had to launch an immediate campaign, otherwise the important territories would be occupied by the Liao army, and it would inevitably be another troublesome and fierce battle to reclaim them.

The people on the command platform were not only Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhong Jianzhong, but also a group of civil and military officials.

The courtiers stood solemnly, their faces grave. In this solemn occasion, regardless of their attitudes toward the war, they were all deeply shaken by the grim atmosphere on the training ground.

Faced with the orderly formation of 30,000 soldiers, the civil and military officials directly experienced the scene after the state apparatus was officially activated, and felt a deeper awe for imperial power.

After a long while, as the command flag was waved, the bugle calls and war drums stopped.

Zhang Yi, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward and began to loudly recite the "Proclamation to Conquer Western Xia".

The content of the proclamation was naturally noble and righteous, starting with the illegitimacy of the Western Xia's establishment a hundred years ago, and then listing the various acts of disrespect and disobedience the Western Xia had committed against the Song Dynasty over the years.

The proclamation concluded by stating that His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty was acting in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven, leading a mighty royal army to attack a rebellious vassal state. This war was just, as clear as day, and victory was assured, blessed by Heaven and Earth.

After Zhang Yi finished reading, he silently retreated.

Zhong Jianzhong bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to Zhao Xiaoqian: "Please give me your instructions, Your Majesty."

Zhao Xiaoqian rose from his chair, surveyed the 30,000 soldiers on the training ground, and slowly said, "I do not like to talk nonsense. The three kingdoms of Song, Liao, and Xia have stood side by side for a hundred years, with many wars. Today, we will achieve complete victory in this battle!"

"All soldiers, those who bravely fight on the front lines, slay generals and capture flags, will be rewarded with gold, promoted and granted titles; those who retreat and cower in the face of battle will be executed! It's that simple."

"I implore my soldiers to demonstrate the might and might of our Great Song Dynasty. After this battle, we must completely incorporate the Western Xia Kingdom into the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, making it our eternal land. Soldiers, can you do it?"

By the end, Zhao Xiaoqian was practically shouting.

The sound echoed across the empty training ground, and the soldiers excitedly raised their swords and halberds in response, roaring loudly.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Zhao Xiaoqian took a deep breath, and the familiar, exciting years of war seemed to return.

If he could, he would love to lead the army into battle himself.

Unfortunately, times have changed. His status as emperor no longer allows him to take unnecessary risks and personally lead an expedition.

Looking at the soldiers on the training ground, their morale soaring and their fighting spirit undiminished, Zhao Xiaoqian nodded, raised his hand sharply, and shouted in a deep voice, "All troops, march forward!"

(End of this chapter)