Song Xiu

Chapter 147 The Difficulty of the Li Family Meeting the Liao Envoy
While the new policies were being implemented intensively in Bianjing (Kaifeng), some changes were also quietly taking place in the northwest of the Central Plains.

In the northwest of the Central Plains, there was a local separatist force called the Dingnan Army.

The founder of the Dingnan Army was Tuoba Sigong, a member of the Tangut people.

During the great chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, Tuoba Sigong made several military achievements and was appreciated by Emperor Xizong of Tang. Emperor Xizong specially bestowed upon him the military title of Dingnan Army and granted him the surname Li, and he was responsible for pacifying the five prefectures of Yin, Xia, Sui, You and Jing.

After Li Sigong's death, his younger brother Li Sijian succeeded him, thus initiating the process of the Dangxiang Li family's hereditary succession as the Dingnan Jiedushi (military governor).

From then on, the Dingnan Army's sphere of influence became a de facto separatist region.

After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, dynasties in the Central Plains changed hands one after another. Faced with the ever-changing regimes in the Central Plains, the Tangut Li family consistently adhered to one principle:
"If you don't hit me, I will submit. If you hit me, I will fight back."

For example, during the Later Tang Dynasty, Emperor Mingzong Li Siyuan was worried about the growing power of the Dingnan Army and sent troops to suppress them several times.

The strength of the Later Tang military was evident to all.

However, the Later Tang dynasty's several campaigns against the Dingnan Army all ended in failure.

The defeat of the Later Tang army emboldened the Dingnan Army, whose former military governor, Li Yichao, once boasted in public:
"The armies of the Central Plains are nothing special."

If things had proceeded normally, the Dingnan Army, under the leadership of Li Yichao, could have taken advantage of the internal strife within the Later Tang Dynasty to further expand its influence into the Guanzhong region.

However, perhaps it was fate, just as Li Yichao was gearing up for the competition, he suddenly fell ill and died.

After Li Yichao died of illness, his younger brother Li Yiyin, who was deeply loved by the army, became the new military governor of Dingnan Army with the support of the three armies.

Compared to Li Yichao, Li Yiyin appears to be "harmless".

After becoming the military governor of Dingnan Army, Li Yiyin changed the arrogant attitude of Dingnan Army. Whenever there was a change of dynasty in the Central Plains, he would take the initiative to submit a memorial to the emperor and request the Central Plains dynasty to bestow rewards.

The Dingnan Army was a tough nut to crack, and no emperor in the Central Plains would refuse Li Yiyin's offer to submit.

By the Zhou Dynasty, Li Yiyin had even obtained the title of king.

After the establishment of the Song Dynasty, Li Yiyin immediately submitted a memorial to congratulate the emperor. Upon learning that his name offended Zhao Hongyin, he changed his name to Li Yixing before the Song Dynasty could respond.

Judging from past examples, Li Yiyin's style was quite similar to that of the Wuyue royal family, and they were both very respectful to the Central Plains.

But is this really the case?
It was July, and the summer sun was blazing. Li Yixing, the military governor of Dingnan Army, led a group of his clansmen to wait outside the city gate of Xiazhou.

Years of pampered living have made it difficult for many of the younger members of the clan to endure the scorching sun overhead.

In contrast, the elderly Li Yixing, despite being covered in sweat, showed no sign of impatience on his deeply lined face.

The once upright body has become somewhat bent under the ravages of time.

However, the aura emanating from Li Yixing simply standing there was enough to intimidate the clansmen behind him.

No matter how intense the sunlight, no one dared to move an inch.

The tranquility outside Xiazhou City was broken by the rapid sound of horses' hooves.

As the sound of horses' hooves drew closer, Li Yixing opened his aged eyes and looked at the group of people who had arrived at the foot of Xiazhou City.

Those people were dressed in Khitan noble attire, clearly indicating they were of noble birth.

The leading Khitan nobleman stopped his horse, dismounted, and strode to Li Yixing.

"Prince Xiping, how have you been lately?"

The title of Prince of Xiping was bestowed upon Li Yixing during the reign of Emperor Shizong of Zhou.

The Khitan nobleman who spoke was named Yelü Chong, the younger brother of Yelü Wuzhi, the Southern King of Khitan.

Judging from Yelü Chong's tone towards Li Yixing, this was probably not their first meeting.

In response to Yelü Chong's greeting, Li Yixing smiled faintly and said:

"I am a subject of the Song Dynasty, how can I be called a king?"

"Your Majesty, you must have misremembered."

Yelü Chong was not granted the title of king; Li Yixing was addressing him with respect.

Li Yixing's words reveal one of his personality traits:

He was respectful to both the Song and the Khitan.

Song Chen?

Yelü Chong let out a few soft laughs.

If he were truly a loyal Song official, why would we have welcomed him so many times?

Although he had his own ideas, Yelü Chong did not rashly expose Li Yixing's true colors—the Khitan would still need him in the future.

Led by Li Yixing, Yelü Chong entered Xiazhou City.

Xiazhou was originally a Han Chinese city, and its architecture was full of Han Chinese characteristics.

However, under the rule of several generations of Tangut Li clan leaders, the buildings in Xiazhou City have become mainly based on Tangut customs.

Li Yixing led Yelü Chong to a palace in the city that looked like a tent.

After Li Yixing sat down in the main seat, he did not ask Yelü Chong about the purpose of his visit. Seemingly exhausted, he lay half-reclined in the chair, like an old, fierce beast.

Yelü Chong was already familiar with Li Yixing's behavior.

With his straightforward nature, he asked directly:
Have you ever heard of the Prince of Jin of the Song Dynasty?

Upon hearing Yelü Chong mention Zhao Dexiu, Li Yixing's wrinkles twitched, and a chorus of praise flowed from his lips:
"I have heard of His Highness Prince Jin's reputation."

He pacified Luzhou in the north and subdued Hunan and Hubei in the south; he truly deserves to be called a hero of his time.

Li Yixing's words were filled with joy.

He seemed genuinely delighted that the Song Dynasty had produced such an outstanding crown prince.

However, Li Yixing's joy was quickly interrupted by Yelü Chong's next words:

"The Prince of Jin in the Central Plains was also the Prefect of the Western Capital, which is Luoyang."

After saying this, Yelü Chong observed Li Yixing's expression.

Why did he come here this time?
The reason was that Han Kuangsi had relayed his observations and experiences in the Central Plains back to Yanjing in detail.

In Han Kuangsi's report, he repeatedly reminded Yelü Wuzhi to be wary of Zhao Dexiu:

"He possesses the ambition of Yan and Yun and the talent of Zhuangzong."

It's no secret that every ruler in the Central Plains has wanted to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

However, if this ambition were to be matched with a talent and strategy that were equally matched, then Yelü Wuzhi would have to be careful.

The attitude of the Khitan rulers towards the Central Plains regime underwent a clear process of change.

During the Later Tang Dynasty, the Khitans were wary of, and even fearful of, the Central Plains.

However, this complex emotion turned into contempt after the Later Jin and Later Han dynasties.

Due to their contempt, the Khitan's defenses in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun during the reign of Emperor Shizong of Zhou could be described as complacent and negligent.

This phenomenon was noticed by Emperor Shizong of Zhou, so he launched a northern expedition.

Zhou Shizong's large-scale northern expedition took the Khitans by surprise. Wherever the Zhou army went, it captured three passes and three prefectures almost without bloodshed, greatly boosting its morale.

Just as Emperor Shizong of Zhou was thinking of launching a decisive attack on Youzhou, he suddenly fell ill and had no choice but to withdraw his troops and return to the capital.

This battle served as a wake-up call for the Khitan, who subsequently strengthened their defenses in the Yan-Yun region and even increased their attention to the Northern Han.

Having learned from past mistakes, how could Yelü Wuzhi possibly lower his guard against the Central Plains again?
Yelü Wuzhi sent Yelü Chong to join forces with the Dingnan Army to compress the strategic space of the northern border of the Song Dynasty.

To win over the shrewd Li Yixing, one must naturally turn to his most sensitive issues.

The thing that Li Yixing was most sensitive to was the sign that the political and military center of the Central Plains regime was shifting westward.

The main reason for the several major battles between the Later Tang and the Dingnan Army was that the capital of the Later Tang was Luoyang.

Yelü Chong's observation was ineffective; Li Yixing's expression remained unchanged.

Faced with Yelü Chong's probing, Li Yixing said:

"I have known about the matter of the Prince of Jin becoming the Governor of Henan for a long time."

I even know that the King of Jin appointed the Duke of Wei as Junior Minister, allowing him to oversee Luoyang. Not long ago, I sent a delegation of envoys with many specialties from Xia Prefecture to present to the Duke of Wei.

I imagine that Lord Wei should have received it in the past few days.

Li Yixing's soft words directly deflected Yelü Chong's probing.

Even the ministers who were assisting the Prince of Jin treated him with respect, so who could say that he was disrespectful to the Song Dynasty?
Li Yixing's response caused Yelü Chong to lose patience.

"Zhao Dexiu is ambitious and eager for quick success. Now Wei Renpu is in Luoyang to help him sort out military and political affairs."

Once Luoyang recovers, he will, like Li Siyuan, send troops to attack Xia Prefecture.

Is the Prince of Xiping truly not afraid?

When he got to this point, Yelü Chong's tone became somewhat threatening.

Faced with Yelü Chong's "speculation," Li Yixing simply smiled faintly:

"If Your Majesty's visit to Xia Prefecture is for leisure, I would be most pleased to welcome you. As for other matters, we can discuss them when they arise."

Seeing that Li Yixing remained obstinate, Yelü Chong angrily slammed his fist on the table and left.

Before arriving, Yelü Chong thought that Zhao Dexiu's appointment as the Prefect of Henan alone would be enough to trigger Li Yixing's nerves.

Unexpectedly, this trip ended in failure.

Li Yixing ordered his ministers to see Yelü Chong off upon his departure.

After Yelü Chong and the ministers had all left, the wrinkles on Li Yixing's face twisted, completely swallowing up any smile.

Seeing that there was no one else around, Li Yixing's son, Li Guangrui, stepped forward and said:

“Father, Yelü Chong is right.”

"Our army must be wary of Zhao Dexiu's appointment as the Prefect of Henan."

Li Guangrui remembered that when he was a child, his elders told him that the strength of the military in Luoyang would directly affect their own safety.

Therefore, Li Guangrui did not understand why Li Yixing was indifferent to this matter.

Seeing that his son, whom he had painstakingly nurtured since childhood, was still unable to control himself even at nearly thirty, Li Yixing angrily shouted:

What's the rush!
"Zhao Dexiu hasn't even arrived yet, and you're already panicking?"

Li Yixing's angry shout silenced Li Guangrui, but judging from his expression, he still failed to grasp Li Yixing's deeper meaning.

Li Guangrui's mediocrity made Li Yixing sigh.

"Instead of focusing on the movements of the Song army, we should concentrate our efforts on internal matters."

Although our army won several victories against the Tang army back then, what did we ultimately gain?
The most important thing for our army now is to integrate the strength of all the Dangxiang people as soon as possible.

If we can achieve this, our cavalry force will be greatly strengthened, and we will have nothing to fear from the Song army's invasion in Xia Prefecture.
Go and contact the Yeli clan and the leaders of the various Qiang tribes. Tell them that if they do not wish to be driven to this harsh land again, they should come to Xia Prefecture to discuss important matters with me.

Upon receiving Li Yixing's order, Li Guangrui was overjoyed.

He knew that his father, who had been skilled in battle in the past, would never lose his wolfish nature.

After Li Guangrui left, Li Yixing closed his eyes and mentally assessed his own military strength.

After making a rough estimate, Li Yixing gripped the scepter wrapped in tiger skin tightly in his hand:

Why was Li Yichao elected as the military governor after his death?

Because he was the one who led troops to defeat the Tang army several times back then!

In Kaifeng, some time had passed since the day the results were announced.

During this period, the successful candidates in the imperial examinations were successively appointed to official positions according to their rankings. Yang Li, the top scholar, was directly appointed as a Hanlin Academician, becoming a prominent new figure in the court.

As for Zhou Wei, he was originally supposed to become a secretary.

However, Zhou Wei was lucky; he met Zhao Dexiu, who appreciated him.

Zhao Dexiu sent Lü Qiu Zhongqing to contact Zhou Wei and ask him if he wanted to take up a local post.

In Zhao Dexiu's mind, talented people should first go to local areas to gain experience, and then be promoted to the capital after they have made achievements in local areas.

Later, Lü Qiu Zhongqing brought back Zhou Wei's response for Zhao Dexiu: "I wish to take deep root in the local area and govern the people to bring them peace."

Zhao Dexiu was very satisfied with Zhou Wei's answer.

Under Zhao Dexiu's manipulation, Zhou Wei was sent to Henan Prefecture to assist Wei Renpu.

After Zhou Wei left Bianjing, Zhao Dexiu said to Lü Duan, who was standing beside him:

"In my opinion, the one who will achieve the most in the future among those who have passed the imperial examination is Zhou Wei."

Zhao Dexiu's evaluation is based on his observations of Zhou Wei.

Lü Duan's answer, however, came from a completely different perspective.

"With simplicity in the king's heart, what difficulty is there in achieving great success?"

Lü Duan always possessed a keen eye that could see through the essence of phenomena.

Lü Duan's answer left Zhao Dexiu feeling quite bored.

With most of the imperial examination matters concluded, Zhao Dexiu turned his attention to another matter.

Accompanied by Lü Duan, Zhao Dexiu arrived at the Libin Courtyard.

I still remember that at the beginning, Zhao Kuangyin entrusted Zhao Dexiu with all the reception matters for the Khitan delegation.

Things happened so fast afterward that Zhao Dexiu almost forgot about this incident.

Hearing that the Khitan delegation would be leaving Beijing to return north in the next few days, Zhao Dexiu planned to give them some "warmth" before they left.

Because it was a last-minute decision, the Khitan delegation was unaware of this matter beforehand.

Therefore, when Zhao Dexiu entered the reception hall, he witnessed an interesting scene:
A young girl dressed in Khitan noble attire is riding a pony, holding a polo mallet, and diligently practicing her polo skills.

The girl was a good rider, but because the ceremonial courtyard was not very large, the horse had to stop frequently, perfectly embodying the spirit of giving up halfway.

This scene made Zhao Dexiu burst out laughing.

Whose adorable, goofy girl is this?
This "clumsy and adorable" girl is Xiao Yanyan.

Upon hearing the laughter, Xiao Yanyan turned her gaze and saw the young man who had defeated the Khitan on the court.

Remembering Zhao Dexiu's identity, Xiao Yanyan jumped off her horse, came to him, tilted her head back, and said with her childish face:
"Don't laugh, I will defeat you someday."

The girl's words piqued Zhao Dexiu's curiosity.

"Come and leave your name."

Is she the daughter of one of the envoys?
Just as Zhao Dexiu was beginning to suspect something, a childlike yet resolute voice rang out:
"My name is Xiao Chuo!"

Xiao Chuo?

When the image of the dignified and famous politician in her memory strangely overlapped with the image of the childish and innocent-sounding little girl in front of her, Zhao Dexiu couldn't help but laugh again.

Zhao Dexiu's laughter made Xiao Yanyan stomp her foot in anger:

"Why are you still laughing!"

In your own capital, what can't you laugh about? Now is not the time for you to lead hundreds of thousands of elite troops to swagger around the walls of Chanzhou.

Even if Yelü Jing were here, Zhao Dexiu would laugh whenever he wanted.

Just as Xiao Yanyan was at her wit's end, Han Kuangsi, who had heard the news, arrived at the scene.

Upon seeing Han Kuangsi arrive, Zhao Dexiu's smile vanished.

Zhao Dexiu first cupped his hands and said:

"Han Gong, how have you been?"

Zhao Dexiu's words made Xiao Yanyan so angry she wanted to bite someone—it turned out he was a man of propriety.

(End of this chapter)