White-robed Minister

Chapter 253 0251 [Cancellation of Annual Gifts]

Xu Lai was always cautious in his actions. Even when drinking with Liao and Xia envoys, he never went to the banquet alone.

This is especially true for formal negotiations.

He also brought his negotiation assistant, Chen Yi, along.

Chen Yi passed the imperial examination two years earlier than Xu Lai. He was responsible for collating the "Book of the Former Han Dynasty" and participated in the compilation of the "Veritable Records of Emperor Renzong".

When Xu Lai expanded the border of Xihe, Chen Yi served as the Deputy Transport Commissioner of Shaanxi. Although he was unwilling to provide Xu Lai with additional grain and fodder, he did not obstruct Xu Lai's progress, and he also halted the Green Sprouts Act on the northwestern border.

At the time, Wang Anshi was conducting pilot programs in Hebei, but Wang Guanglian took it upon himself to promote the law in Shaanxi. Wang Guanglian even privately ordered all border regions to implement the Green Sprouts Law!

Chen Yi's actions in stopping the reform movement led to his impeachment by the reformists, and he was subsequently transferred back to the capital.

"Greetings, Xu Tianzhang," Chen Yi said, bowing.

Xu returned the greeting and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Chen Yi said, "I am here on the Emperor's orders to negotiate with the Liao envoy; it is my duty. How can you say I am overworked?"

Chen Yi is about to become a Hanlin Academician. After arriving at the Academy, he will do something "big": he will forbid the Academy from hiring actresses to accompany guests at banquets.

Actresses are female entertainers.

The Academy also had its own slush fund, and occasionally hosted banquets and entertainment, inviting courtesans to perform, including many actresses.

You must understand, the Academy was located within the Imperial City. They recruited a group of actresses into the Imperial City to sing, dance, and entertain guests. The scene was simply—

The two arrived at Duting Post Station by carriage, where officials were already waiting at the entrance to greet them.

Xu Lai asked, "Has the Western Xia envoy been notified?"

The official at Duting Post Station replied, "We have already informed the Liao envoy."

"Invite the Western Xia envoy as well," Xu Lai instructed.

"yes!"

The officials at Duting Post Station immediately gave orders to their subordinates and then accompanied Xu Lai and Chen Yi to the negotiation location.

The Liao envoy was slow to arrive, deliberately keeping Xu Lai waiting.

Xu Lai wasn't in a hurry; he sat there and closed his eyes to rest.

Before long, the Western Xia envoys arrived, and they all reeked of alcohol, probably having just drunk alcohol at noon.

After waiting for two more minutes, the Liao envoys Xiao Xi and Yelü Xiaochun finally appeared.

Xiao Xi immediately asked, "Has the State of Song agreed to redraw the border?"

Xu Lai remained silent and tossed the copied report of victory over.

Before Xiao Xi had even finished reading it, his expression changed drastically, and he silently handed the report of victory to Yelü Xiaochun.

Yelü Xiaochun read for a while, then turned his head and asked in a low voice, "Where is Ningyuan Village?"

Xiao Xi replied in a low voice, "I don't know."

In the past few months, the Liao Kingdom has been sending troops mainly to plunder across the border, while at the same time it has been building fortified villages on a large scale.

Ningyuan Village was newly built this year.

The Wuzhai County of Shanxi Province in later generations did not have an administrative institution at this time, but only a naturally formed town called Ningyuan (near Sancha Railway Station).

This year, the Liao Kingdom built Ningyuan Town into a fortified village and amassed troops there to continuously cross the border and raid the border.

Cai Ting defended the area for several months before sending troops from Kelan Army some time ago.

The Liao army chose to fight in open terrain, in the area that later became the county seat of Wuzhai County, hoping to use their cavalry advantage to deliver a fatal blow to the Song army.

The Song army used chariot formations to defend against cavalry charges, and deployed layers of firepower with cannons, crossbows, ordinary bows and crossbows, and three-eyed siege engines.

The Liao army was momentarily caught off guard and launched three cavalry charges. However, each charge was routed as soon as they entered the range of the three-eyed cavalry.

Just as the Liao army was about to give up and ordered a retreat, Yan Da ordered the Song cavalry to pursue them.

Yan Da was the military commander of Langyan Road and the actual commander of this battle. Cai Ting was only responsible for training troops, providing logistics, and formulating battle plans.

Upon receiving the order, Zhe Kexing led 600 Song cavalry in a fierce charge, throwing the retreating Liao army into chaos. Yan Da left only a small reserve force and ordered the Song infantry and cavalry to pursue and kill them.

The Liao army fled back to Ningyuan Village in disarray, and the Song army captured the fortress after two days of bombardment. They then demolished the Liao Ningyuan Village and returned with the spoils of war and prisoners.

Xu Lai said, "A commander in Wuzhou has been captured and claims to be the son of the Shi family of Wuzhou. His family has sent someone to contact us, hoping to pay a ransom. How can one privately ransom someone when the two countries are at war? The Liao emperor, however, can ransom him."

Xiao Xi knew about the Shi family of Wuzhou. They were neither Khitans nor Han Chinese, but a Tangut family that rose to prominence during the Five Dynasties period.

The victory report before us was copied by Xu Lai, omitting the details of the battle.

Xiao Xi stared at the victory report, reading it repeatedly, trying to determine whether the Song state had fabricated it. But such a major event seemed impossible to fake; it would be verifiable in time.

The Western Xia envoy, Weiming Hurong, probably guessed that the Liao Kingdom had suffered a defeat, and his drunkenness dissipated almost completely.

The Liao deputy envoy, Yelü Xiaochun, said, "This victory report must be fabricated! Our Liao cavalry are fierce and brave; how could they possibly be defeated by the Song army in open battle?"

Xu Lai said, "Whether it's true or not, you two will soon find out. The Liao emperor will likely send someone again. I know you two can't make the decision yourself, I'm here today to remind you that you can return home."

His target for negotiations today is not the Liao envoy, but the Western Xia envoy.

Due to the prolonged standoff with the Western Xia, Shaanxi's military expenditures had exceeded their budget, and only after peace talks could this situation be eased. This was the consensus of the emperor, Wang Anshi, and Wen Yanbo; Xu Lai, in fact, was unwilling to negotiate peace.

The Western Xia's population and resources had been decimated, leaving them utterly incapable of maintaining a military presence on the border. It was merely the Song Dynasty's frontier generals making a ruckus and intimidating the court to extort more supplies.

In fact, since Zhong E's great defeat of the capital Rome at the beginning of this year, the Western Xia has never dispatched more than 5,000 troops at a time.

Meanwhile, the border generals of the Song Dynasty would frequently report that the Western Xia had dispatched tens of thousands of troops.

Wen Yanbo, in order to negotiate peace with Western Xia, even proposed restoring the annual market. Wang Anshi did not object to this.

Xu Lai had been trying to persuade the emperor to use all the annual tribute from Western Xia as military expenses for Shaanxi. Although the emperor did not formally agree, he also did not approve Wen Yanbo's plan to restore the annual tribute.

The emperor was somewhat worried and wanted to observe the situation further.

Xiao Xi put down the victory report: "Scholar Xu, I need to wait a while longer to verify the authenticity of this report. Moreover, I also need to await the decree of His Majesty the Emperor of Liao."

"Of course, please go ahead," Xu said.

The Liao-Xia envoy got up and left.

Xu Lai said, "Envoy Xia, please wait."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ming Hu Rong stopped, and Xiao Xi also stopped.

Wei Ming Hu Rong said, "I'll also wait for news."

Xu Lai said, "The Xia envoy can wait patiently. But I will present the Song Dynasty's conditions: if we wish to negotiate, the current border control between the two countries will be the standard. Furthermore, the annual tribute will be abolished."

Chen Yi, who accompanied Xu Lai to the negotiations, was shocked upon hearing this and instinctively looked at Xu Lai.

"Don't even think about it!"

Weiming Hurong turned and left. He couldn't possibly agree to cancel the annual tribute; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain himself when he returned to Western Xia.

The negotiations were thus suspended.

Chen Yi left Duting Post Station without saying a word and then headed straight for the Privy Council.

He needed to inform Wen Yanbo and Lü Gongbi.

"Xu Lai really said he wanted to cancel the annual tribute to Western Xia?" Wen Yanbo asked in shock.

Chen Yi replied, "This is absolutely true, and it was said in front of the Liao envoy."

Wen Yanbo angrily said, "What a warmonger! These past few years of fighting with Western Xia have devastated the people of Shaanxi, and this year even Guanzhong is experiencing famine. And yet he wants to continue the war, threatening to cancel the annual tribute to provoke Western Xia!"

Lü Gongbi advised, "Your Majesty must replace the chief negotiator; he should no longer be in charge of the Song-Xia peace talks."

"I will go and request an audience with His Majesty immediately!" Wen Yanbo could not wait a moment longer.

The Privy Council and the Academy of Academicians were both located not far from the emperor's office.

After Wen Yanbo filed his complaint, the emperor quickly summoned Xu Laiye for questioning.

Zhao Xu asked, "Why did Mr. Xu suggest canceling the annual imperial gifts?"

Xu Lai explained, "Your Majesty, even merchants in the common world ask for exorbitant prices and then haggle down to the last penny. If I hadn't said such things, the Western Xia envoys would have been even more greedy."

Wen Yanbo angrily retorted, "How can relations between two nations be discussed in the context of commercial matters?"

Xu Lai retorted, "The Western Xia are barbarians. If you speak of etiquette to them, they'll think you're afraid. We naturally treat a land of etiquette with courtesy. But we must intimidate and threaten a barbarian land!"

"What if we provoke the Western Xia into sending out another large army?" Wen Yanbo questioned.

Xu Lai said, "How could Western Xia possibly raise a large army again? Don't be fooled by the border generals. They have repeatedly reported that Western Xia has dispatched more than 10,000 troops, but that's all an exaggeration. Empress Dowager Liang of Western Xia is not a deity; she can't conjure up military rations out of thin air. The Liao Kingdom can't possibly give Western Xia too much grain either; the Liao Kingdom itself is suffering from famine."

Wen Yanbo said, "Both Liao and Western Xia are barbarian states. If we provoke them, they are very likely to engage in militarism and even cause widespread suffering in order to attack Song."

Xu Lai said, "Your Majesty, if Western Xia dares to send a large army again this year, that would be exactly what we want. If we defeat them, Western Xia will surely be thrown into chaos. The ten-year campaign against Western Xia can be shortened to three years!"

The statement that the ten-year campaign against Xia had been shortened to three years struck a nerve with Zhao Xu.

Wen Yanbo noticed the emperor's unusual expression and quickly said, "Your Majesty, these are all Xu Lai's conjectures. If they are wrong, there will be great disaster!"

Zhao Xu had already been persuaded by Xu's words, but he still had some concerns. He immediately said to his attendant, "Invite Prime Minister Wang here."

Before long, Wang Anshi arrived at the main hall.

After learning about the details of the argument, Wang Anshi was quite conflicted.

He is now very wary of Xu Lai, yet he wants to follow Xu Lai's plan. Military victories abroad would greatly enhance the prime minister's prestige, which would be beneficial for the subsequent implementation of the reforms.

After much deliberation, Wang Anshi decided to take a gamble: "Your Majesty, even if Western Xia does not agree to peace talks, our Great Song should still cancel the annual tribute. Western Xia is currently suffering from severe famine and is at its weakest point. Why not use the annual tribute as military funds, allowing the Shaanxi border troops to continue to nibble away at Western Xia!"

Wen Yanbo was greatly alarmed. He only had one mouth, how could he possibly out-argue two? "Your Majesty, you must not be too hasty. Last year and this year, the Shaanxi border troops recovered large swathes of territory. Now is the time to negotiate peace with Western Xia and turn those newly recovered lands into established territory."

Under pressure from Xu Lai and Wang Anshi, Wen Yanbo had no choice but to concede.

He had previously proposed returning some territory to Western Xia. Now he says he will retain the annual tribute to negotiate peace, and that the Song Dynasty can take advantage of the peace achieved between the two countries to absorb those territories.

Xu Lai said, "Your Majesty, in the Hengshan area, the Western Xia only has two fortified villages left. The Song border army can continue its attack and take those two fortified villages. Then, we should guard the fortified villages to store up grain and fodder, and register the local people to cultivate the land. In the next few years, the five routes of Qinfeng, Jingyuan, Huanqing, Fuyan, and Linfu will no longer need to fight major battles, and we can take the opportunity to recuperate and build up our national strength."

Zhao Xu asked, "Should we fight again on Xihe Road?"

"Yes," Xu Lai said, "Lanzhou City and the surrounding fortresses will be completed this year. As long as the Western Xia does not take the initiative to invade the border, Xihe Road can rest for a year next year. The year after next, we should have enough food and supplies. At that time, we can also bring Dong Zhan, Mu Zheng and other Qiang leaders to attack the Western Xia's Henan Army Command."

"The valley there is extremely fertile and serves as a passage to the Hexi Corridor. After the Song Dynasty conquers it, immigrants can be sent there to cultivate the land, and the harvested grain can supply thousands of troops."

"Moreover, due to geographical limitations, it would be difficult for other Western Xia armies to quickly come to our aid if we attacked there. As long as we fight quickly, we can completely control the scale of the war."

Xu Lai's suggestion was not simply about waging war, but rather included a very specific strategic plan, and also gave the various border regions time to recuperate.

Zhao Xu increasingly favored Xu Lai.

"Your Majesty, this plan is feasible." Wang Anshi also supported Xu Lai. Because if this plan succeeds, it will enhance the prestige of the prime minister.

Wang Anshi wanted to send officials to implement the reforms, but given the precedent set by the Han brothers, he was extremely cautious about personnel arrangements. For a moment, he was unsure who to send.

Zhao Xu immediately approved the order: "Inform the envoy from Western Xia that from this day forward, the annual tribute will be abolished!"

Wen Yanbo wanted to offer further advice: "Your Majesty—"

"No need to say anything more," Zhao Xu interrupted directly.

Having reigned for only a year, Zhao Xu dared to secretly order Zhong E to seize Suizhou. Later, the Western Xia mobilized a large army, causing Zhao Xu to panic.

However, the Song army's successive victories in the northwest in the past two years have restored Zhao Xu's confidence.

Zhao Xu no longer wanted to listen to Wen Yanbo's cowardly remarks; his mind was now solely focused on expanding his territory.

Wang Anshi then said, "Your Majesty, since we intend to conquer the border regions of Western Xia, we cannot continue to fight on two fronts with the Liao Dynasty. The Liao envoy has no right to make concessions; it would be best to send a minister to the Liao Dynasty."

Zhao Xu nodded and said, "That makes sense. Who should we send as an envoy?"

Wang Anshi recommended: "Xu Lai, a Hanlin Academician, is eloquent and knowledgeable in military affairs. He has studied the military and political affairs of the Liao Dynasty and is most suitable to be sent as an envoy to the Liao Dynasty."

Wang Anshi no longer wanted to see Xu Lai promote his academic ideas, and even planned to take the opportunity to send reformist officials to the northwest border.

Therefore, he recommended Xu Lai to be sent as an envoy to the Liao Kingdom.

Once Xu Lai leaves, the publication of "Duosheng" will have to be temporarily suspended, and no one will stop him from sending officials to manage the border regions.

"Your Majesty, I request to remain in the capital to teach the students of the Imperial Academy." Xu Lai did not want to go abroad.

Zhao Xu, however, believed that peace talks with the Liao Dynasty were very important, and Xu Lai, who had studied the Liao Dynasty's military, political and social conditions, was indeed the best candidate to be an envoy.

Zhao Xu said, "I would like to ask Mr. Xu to make a trip to the Liao Kingdom."

Xu Lai could only reluctantly agree: "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your trust."

He wanted to go back immediately to arrange the main articles for the next three issues. He absolutely could not allow "Duosheng" to cease publication.

To prevent Wang Anshi from sending inhuman creatures to the border, Xu Lai said, "Your Majesty, the civil and military officials and eunuchs on the northwestern borders are doing an excellent job. Please do not replace them lightly."

Reminded by Xu Lai, Zhao Xu subconsciously looked at Wang Anshi.

Wang Anshi remained silent.

Zhao Xu was also terrified of the Han brothers and seriously doubted Wang Anshi's judgment in military personnel. He immediately agreed with Xu Lai, saying, "Since the border officials are performing so well, it is indeed not advisable to replace them in the short term."

Xu Lai preferred to trust Wen Yanbo regarding the arrangements made for the frontier officials.