GBP Chapter 113 Xixia Movements
Chapter 113 Xixia Movements
The northwest of the Song Dynasty was extremely lively in the sixth year of Jiayou. From Han Ming's border inspection at the beginning of the year to the comprehensive military reform officially launched around April, the Song Dynasty, which had been silent for many years, began to show a different style and vitality.
This is something worthy of attention and attention for the Song Dynasty's old rival, the Western Xia.
The Li family of the Western Xia Dangxiang, as a minority ethnic group, has always been lingering in the northwest of the Central Plains dynasty.
From the end of the Tang Dynasty, after the leader of the Dangxiang Tuoba clan, Li Sigong, defeated Huang Chao and was awarded the title of Jiedushi of Dingnan Army, this family gradually became active on the historical stage of the Five Dynasties and gradually became a separatist local regime.
The Dangxiang people successively submitted to the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty.
Later, because the five states granted to him were annexed by the Song Dynasty, the then leader Li Ji moved away from his homeland. In 990 AD, he was named King of Xia by the Liao Dynasty and successively occupied the states in the Hexi Corridor.
In 1038 AD, the first year of Baoyuan in the Song Dynasty, Li Yuanhao proclaimed himself emperor and founded the country.
Western Xia won a series of wars between Song and Xia and between Liao and Xia, and gradually formed a situation of three kingdoms.
In order to better resist the military pressure from the two great powers of Song and Liao, Western Xia built numerous forts on the frontier, forming an effective means to balance the Liao cavalry and the Song infantry.
However, facing two vast countries with abundant resources, Western Xia always maintained a state of anxiety.
To this end, they constantly harassed the relatively weak Song Dynasty to obtain war dividends and replenish the country.
Especially in the first Song-Xia War, the Song Dynasty can be said to have suffered a crushing defeat against the Xia.
Not only were most of the elite troops of the Western Army killed, but the social contradictions that had been suppressed for a long time also broke out in an instant, and uprisings broke out in various places.
The largest-scale rebellion that broke out during this period was the Nong Zhigao Rebellion.
It can be said that the First Song-Xia War completely destroyed the Song Dynasty both internally and externally.
It was in this war that Han Ming's grandfather Han Zhang suffered the greatest failure in his life - the defeat at Haoshuichuan.
This battle not only led to the demotion of my grandfather and Fan Wencheng, but also tarnished their reputations by a man who rebelled against the Song Dynasty and defected to the Xia Dynasty.
After the Qingli Peace Agreement, the Song Dynasty began to pay compensation to the Western Xia. For a time, the Song Dynasty's prestige fell to the lowest point among the Three Kingdoms.
Originally, the Western Xia wanted to use the dividends of the Qingli Peace Agreement to make up for its own war losses, and on the other hand, use its own blue and white salt to defeat the Song Dynasty's salt policy and successfully transform its trade deficit.
However, the people of the Song Dynasty saw this and repeatedly banned salt, causing great suffering to the people living in the border areas.
This eventually led to the rise of the black market and salt smuggling industry.
Most of the wars between Song and Xia dynasties were caused by conflicts in the salt industry. Later generations often described Western Xia as a "salt trafficking group disguised as a country"!
Now, Li Liangzuo, the ruler of Western Xia, has just taken power in the third year of Yudu (duo pronounced third), which is the fourth year of Jiayou in the Song Dynasty.
Internally, he faced the dictatorship of his uncle Mo Zang Epang, and externally, he faced strong pressure from the Song and Liao dynasties.
He originally wanted to stabilize the country of Western Xia first, and then gradually restore the increasing corruption and loss of national strength caused by his father Li Yuanhao at the end of his reign.
However, the entire external situation suddenly changed, and a person who should not be underestimated came to Shaanxi Road on the border of Song State - Han Ming.
Li Liangzuo was curious and inquisitive about the grandson of the prime minister of the State of Song.
After all, the name of the young poet spread throughout Song, Liao and Xia, and he was the top scholar in the Jiayou period. In addition, he was favored by the Emperor of Song, which attracted the special attention of many internal and external forces.
For Li Liangzuo, who is only fourteen years old now, Han Ming is the synonym of the young generation of the Song Dynasty, and no one can match him.
But in the eyes of his uncle Mo Zang Epang, Han Ming was just a little kid who had just been weaned. He could actually become the person in charge of the border between Song and Xia. It was obvious that the Song court had no one to rely on.
This is not because Zang Epang underestimates the opponent, but because Han Ming himself does not have any outstanding combat achievements.
In the eyes of many people, the suppression of the rebellion in Jiangxi was just a minor act that was not worthy of being discussed publicly.
In addition, during the battle for Li Yuanhao's founding of the country, the then famous Northwestern duo "Han Fan" were defeated.
Therefore, in the eyes of Xixia's uncle-in-law, Mo Zang Epang, Han Ming's grandfather could not do anything to them. How could a mere junior be qualified to compete with them?
Just at this time, after Han Ming arrived in Shaanxi, he launched an unprecedented military reform, which caused some people in Xixia to panic.
This made Mo Zang Epang, who had always looked down on Han Ming, feel a little embarrassed. The friction between Song and Xia had never stopped.
Even in the second year of Zhihe in the Song Dynasty, Mo Zang Epang sent troops to occupy the fertile farmland west of Quye River (now Kuye River in Shaanxi Province) in the northwest of Linzhou of the Song Dynasty, and forced the people to cultivate the land and keep the income for themselves.
The Song court repeatedly negotiated with the government, but Epang adopted the strategy of "fighting if forced, and farming if slow", which finally forced the Song court to hold its nose and let the matter go.
This incident happened only six or seven years ago, and Han Ming dared to promote military reform on Shaanxi Road. Isn't this a protest against Xixia?!
What, Song Ting thought that the sky was clear, the rain had stopped, and they were fine again?!
Scholars can endure it, but who can’t?
For Mo Zang Epang today, his position is precarious. Facing his growing nephew Li Liangzuo, his autocratic and domineering behavior has made the other party deeply wary.
Knowing this well, he was also looking for an opportunity to kill Li Liangzuo, establish a new king, or take the throne himself.
In short, the situation in Xixia has reached its most dangerous moment.
Seeing that the Song court, which had once been defeated by the iron hoof of Western Xia, was now sharpening its knives and pushing forward reforms, a huge plan was born in Mo Zang Epang's mind.
However, this plan requires a person, someone who seems to be dead but is actually secretly living a good life.
He was Zhang Yuan, the former prime minister of Western Xia who had rebelled against the Song Dynasty and defected to the Xia Dynasty, and was later treated as a guest of honor by Li Yuanhao.
This scholar, who felt that his talent was not appreciated and had failed in the imperial examinations many times, became the strategist of Li Yuanhao of Western Xia and actively offered him advice.
In the first Song-Xia War, he was the one who planned many major battles.
It includes three famous battles: the Battle of Sanchuankou, the Battle of Haoshuichuan, and the Battle of Dingchuanzhai.
The result of these three battles was the complete defeat of the Song army, with seven or eight out of ten elite troops of the Western Army lost, and the army was severely damaged.
But in the end, Zhang Yuan and Li Yuanhao had a disagreement on the issue of pursuing the victory.
Zhang Yuan strongly advocated the complete defeat of the Song court and the capture of the entire Guanzhong region. He often advised Li Yuanhao to conquer the Han territory and let the Han people defend it, so as to expand the territory and have sufficient financial resources.
However, Li Yuanhao still followed the long-established habit of nomadic peoples, often returning with loot. Therefore, although he won victories, his financial resources became increasingly difficult to obtain.
As a result, the two sides became alienated, and eventually Li Yuanhao and the Song court started the Qingli peace talks.
Zhang Yuan saw Li Yuanhao's distrust. At the same time, after the Qingli peace talks, Li Yuanhao indulged in wine and women and was fond of ostentation, which led to the increasing corruption within the Western Xia and the alienation of his relatives and friends.
In order to avoid the palace infighting and fighting, Zhang Yuan had no choice but to escape by faking his death and leaving the capital. He found his good friend Wu Hao, who had joined him in surrendering to the Xia Dynasty, and lived in his mansion.
Later, Li Liangzuo, who ascended the throne, and Mo Zang Epang, who was in power, got the news from somewhere and went to invite him in person, and treated him as a distinguished guest of the Mo Zang clan.
Because in Mo Zang Epang's eyes, his brother-in-law was able to break away from the Song Dynasty and establish his own country, and to resist the invasions of the Song and Liao countries, all thanks to this talented but unethical strategist - Zhang Yuan.
In response to this, Mo Zang Epang treated Zhang Yuan with great respect and offered him rank. Over the years, whenever he encountered difficulties in making a decision, it was Zhang Yuan who offered him advice.
Now, in order to plan the border early, the former Prime Minister Zhang brought a dozen people into the Shaanxi Road of the Song court. He has been away for many years, and Mo Zang Epang really missed him.
What's interesting is that this person sometimes really can't stand being talked about. Just as Mei Zang Epang had a thought in his mind, the servant over there replied that a man in black holding a secret order from the Prince's Mansion wanted to see him.
This made Mo Zang Epang, who had been frowning, suddenly smile. The wrinkles on his face blossomed and he happily went out to greet him.
Seeing that it was Mr. Zhang Yuan, whom he had not seen for many years, Mo Zang Epang immediately bowed and saluted and said with a smile: "Mr. Zhang, you are still as elegant as ever!"
"Did you gain anything from this border trip?"
The man in black took off his hood, revealing a middle-aged man with a weathered face, probably in his fifties.
His beard is gray, but his thick eyebrows and sharp look are still as strong as before, which shows that he is a man of deep thoughts.
"You are too polite, Prime Minister. Zhang is still in good health, but this trip to the border is really hard to describe."
Hearing Zhang Yuan's words, Mo Zang Epang's eyebrows tightened a little: "Sir, are you in trouble?"
"Prime Minister, let's go inside and talk in detail." Zhang Yuan looked around and extended his hand to let Mo Zang Epang go first.
"Please come in, sir." Although Mo Zang Epang was not a good person, he knew who was capable and what words should be listened to, so he respected Zhang Yuan very much.
Zhang Yuan nodded slightly, accepting the friendship of the current uncle of the emperor and prime minister.
The two men entered, and Mo Zang Epang had someone serve them good tea. Then, for a moment, the room fell into silence, and no one took the initiative to speak.
After a long time, accompanied by Zhang Yuan's sigh, Mo Zang Epang heard the words he had been waiting for for a long time.
"This border trip was a complete failure..."