Chapter 241: Northern Frontier Barbarians Advance South, Shocking Western Xia Court And Country
In the year 1203, which was the tenth year of Tianqing in Western Xia, in April.
The triennial Imperial Examination concluded on this day, and today was the day for the results to be posted.
Majestic shouts also echoed from within the Western Xia Imperial Palace: “Announce, Li Zunxu of Xingqing Prefecture, Quan Dingxiong of Liangzhou Prefecture, and Liao Yunchang of Hongzhou Prefecture, to enter the palace and be received!”
As the voice of the Ministry of Rites official fell, the three who had been waiting for a long time tidied their clothes and walked into the Great Hall with solemn and excited expressions.
Compared to the Imperial Palace of the Central Plains dynasties, the Imperial Palace of the small state of Western Xia lacked some imposing nobility and had more of a barbaric wildness.
It was merely an ordinary hall ten zhang high, with court officials standing on both sides, watching the three with expressions of curiosity or indifference.
Three steps above the front, Li Chunyou, the Lord of Western Xia, dressed in court attire, sat on the Imperial Throne with a serious face.
“Li Zunxu of Xingqing Prefecture, Quan Dingxiong of Liangzhou Prefecture, Liao Yunchang of Hongzhou Prefecture, pay your respects to His Majesty!” The three prostrated themselves in salute.
Compared to the excitement of the latter two, Li Zunxu appeared much more composed.
The other two were from families of local officials, whereas Li Zunxu was genuinely of imperial clan descent; his father was the late King Zhongwu of Qi.
Therefore, he was not at all intimidated by such a grand occasion.
“Rise.”
Li Chunyou’s faint voice sounded, and his sable fur robe brushed against the armrest of the Imperial Throne.
“I ask you, if the Great Liao army presses its attack, how should we defend against the enemy?”
The Imperial Examination was for selecting talented individuals for the state, and the standard was not only literary talent but also military strategy.
Last time, when the Great Liao army sneak-attacked the Hexi Corridor, Li Chunyou dispatched troops to defend against the enemy, but the Liao forces were too cunning.
After conquering Dunhuang and Guazhou, they directly abducted one hundred thousand common people.
This made Li Chunyou quite angry, so he used this question to examine the three.
He first called out Quan Dingxiong’s name.
Quan Dingxiong stepped forward and said with a solemn expression: “The Liao army is primarily cavalry, skilled in open-field battles, and having traveled a long distance, their provisions must be unable to last long.”
“I believe we should defend the city walls, clear the fields, lure the enemy deep, and seek an opportunity to launch a cavalry attack to cut off their retreat.”
His words caused the ministers in the court to nod slightly; even veteran generals would not have methods beyond these.
This person was a promising talent.
Afterwards, Liao Yunchang also kowtowed and said: “Your subject advises making peace with the Gaochang Kingdom.”
His method was to befriend distant states and attack nearby ones, ideally by winning over the Gaochang Kingdom.
However, a faint, imperceptible disappointment flickered in Li Chunyou’s eyes.
It wasn’t that the method was bad, but that it was out of touch with the current situation.
Since the attack on Dunhuang last time, he had sent people to investigate the affairs of Great Liao.
He had a general understanding of Great Liao’s situation.
Internal strife!
The Royal Court and the Northern Frontier were at war.
The forces that attacked the Hexi Corridor belonged to the Jin Prefecture under the Northern Frontier, but the Gaochang Kingdom, which originally belonged to the Royal Court, had been subjugated by the Northern Frontier.
Therefore, this method was completely infeasible.
Finally, it was Li Zunxu’s turn.
He took a deep breath, and as he looked up, he met the Emperor’s scrutinizing gaze and said in a deep voice: “Your subject believes that only cavalry can defeat cavalry.”
“Rather than passively taking a beating, it is better to take the initiative.”
Western Xia was founded with cavalry, but in the subsequent two hundred years, internal conflicts within Western Xia became increasingly sharp, and the military household system collapsed.
The national treasury could no longer afford to support a large-scale cavalry force.
Li Zunxu’s viewpoint was to first develop the economy; once the country had money, it could establish large cavalry legions.
Although what he said was somewhat vague, for instance, he did not elaborate on how to develop the economy.
However, this viewpoint truly brought a smile to Li Chunyou’s face: “Good.”
He also wanted to be an emperor with military merit, but the country’s strength did not permit it.
If a large-scale cavalry legion could indeed be formed, not only could revenge be sought against Great Liao for the Hexi battle, but the relationship with the Jin Dynasty could also be re-examined.
Li Chunyou had long been displeased with the Jin people.
His greatest dream was to make the Jin people call him daddy.
“Good, good, good~”
Li Chunyou smiled and said “good” three times in succession, praising: “The lineage of the Prince of Qi has a successor!”
“Li Zunxu, your essay on ‘On the Rule of Xia and Han’ I have read repeatedly for three days.”
His voice suddenly rose, drawing curiosity from those below the steps.
“Ruling a country is like cooking fish; the Xia system is as rigid as a cauldron, while the Han system is like fuel for fire; neither can be lacking. Such insight is more profound than that of all the old ministers in court.”
Li Chunyou said in a leisurely voice, this was Li Zunxu’s answer in the palace examination, which he thought was very well written.
Although Western Xia had been established for two hundred years, ethnic relations remained a significant issue.
Especially in terms of the number of ethnic groups within the country, Han people constituted more than seventy percent.
How to properly handle the contradictions between the Han people, the Tangut people, and the Uyghur people was also a matter that every emperor had to ponder.
Although Li Zunxu’s insights were not novel, they were quite profound.
Using the Han system to govern the Han people, the fundamental purpose was still to maintain the rule of the Tangut people over the Han people.
Li Zunxu’s expression was calm, but a light gleamed in the depths of his eyes. Bowing his head, he said: “Your subject has overstepped, and is willing to serve Your Majesty with all his might.”
“Well said, ‘serve with all my might’!”
Li Chunyou gently tapped the jade paperweight: “Today, I shall make you the Red Hare among horses!”
Before his voice fell, the Director of Imperial Decrees eunuch had already stepped forward with a bright yellow scroll, and Li Chunyou personally filled in Li Zunxu’s name on it.
“Li Zunxu of Xingqing Prefecture, bestowed the title of Jinshi and First Rank, appointed as the Top Scholar, granted the position of Xuan Delang, and inherits the title of Prince of Qi.”
“Quan Dingxiong of Liangzhou, although his essay was slightly inferior, his calligraphy is like iron hooks and silver strokes, a contemporary masterpiece; bestowed the title of Second Scholar, and appointed as an editor in the Hanlin Academy.”
“Liao Yunchang of Hongzhou, his writing is elegant and beautiful, and he has not failed his arduous studies; bestowed the title of Third Scholar, and appointed as a signatory official in the Lingzhou Prefectural Office.”
As his voice fell, the three bowed in thanks: “We thank His Majesty for his immense grace.”
Compared to the latter two, Li Zunxu was the true winner of life, not only securing the Top Scholar but also inheriting the title of Prince of Qi.
It is known that Li Chunyou was very stingy with the inheritance of noble titles.
Li Zunxu’s father had been dead for nearly a year, yet Li Chunyou had not yet spoken of the succession to the title.
Now, he had finally conquered Li Chunyou with his knowledge and ability, truly becoming the Prince of Qi.
For a time, congratulations poured in, and Quan Dingxiong and Liao Yunchang also rushed to curry favor.
There was nothing they could do, he was surnamed Li.
Moreover, his knowledge was also good; the two could only feel inferior.
Only one person, looking at the beaming Li Zunxu, revealed unconcealed unwillingness and anger in the depths of his eyes.
“An essay of utter nonsense, a boastful court discussion, and he becomes the Top Scholar and inherits the title of Prince of Qi?”
“It’s simply absurd,” Li Anquan thought angrily, his lowered face filled with defiance.
He was a cousin to Li Chunyou; his father had been enfeoffed as Prince of Yue by the late Emperor, but he himself had not inherited the title of Prince of Yue.
Instead, he was enfeoffed as Zhenyi Commandery Prince.
It could be seen that Li Chunyou also wanted to try the system of title reduction, but it would certainly infringe upon the interests of many.
Li Anquan had been holding a grudge over this.
Now, seeing Li Zunxu, who only knew how to boast, become Prince of Qi, while he himself was just fumbling around with the title of Commandery Prince, the sense of disparity was immense.
The fire within him continued to grow; he looked at Li Zunxu, then glanced at Li Chunyou on the Imperial Throne, clenched his fists, and secretly vowed in his heart.
“One day, this King will surely take back everything that has been lost.”
Historically, Li Anquan launched a coup and killed Li Chunyou, and Li Zunxu then launched a coup and killed Li Anquan.
After the top-ranking candidates were confirmed, a simple court session was held. As Li Chunyou was about to dismiss the court,
Imperial Guards from outside the hall suddenly entered and reported: “Your Majesty, Liu Fanglin, Director of Imperial Decrees of the Bureau of Military Affairs, requests an audience, stating he has urgent military intelligence to report.”
Hearing this, Li Chunyou was slightly stunned: “Director of Imperial Decrees?”
This was a mid-level official position within the Bureau of Military Affairs, responsible for internal affairs such as document exchange and meeting arrangements, serving as an important assistant to the Privy Councillor, akin to an office manager.
However, he was not qualified to participate in important matters like court sessions.
“Privy Councillor, go and see what has happened?” Li Chunyou commanded.
It was currently the time for the court session, and the principal officials of the Bureau of Military Affairs, including the Privy Councillor and his deputy, were all in the Great Hall.
For a minor official like the Director of Imperial Decrees to request a personal audience and report, there must be something major happening.
A moment later, Nai Ling Sicong, the Privy Councillor, indeed appeared with an expression of urgency and anger, and said loudly: “Your Majesty, the Zhenyan Army Command and the Xiping Army Command have simultaneously sent urgent reports.”
“The Northern Frontier Barbarians are moving south, and Heishui City and Dunhuang City are both in distress.”
Upon hearing this, the court was in an uproar.
Heishui City and Dunhuang City?
One was the northwestern border of the Xia Kingdom, and the other was an even more western gateway.
The latter had been breached by the Jin Prefecture Army once two years ago, and they had also abducted one hundred thousand common people.
Later, Li Chunyou ordered the reconstruction of city walls and other defensive works, relocated some common people to Dunhuang, and rebuilt the Xiping Military Command.
Dunhuang City had finally regained some of its vitality.
Unexpectedly, the Northern Frontier Barbarians had returned again?
“Bang~”
Li Chunyou heavily slammed the table and stood up in anger, shouting: “What?”
“The Northern Frontier Barbarians are simply too arrogant.”
“I just pardoned their crimes, yet these barbarians do not repent and dare to invade the territory of my Great Xia?”
Li Chunyou’s expression was extremely grim.
Two years ago, when the Jin Prefecture Army looted Dunhuang and Guazhou, Li Chunyou only ordered the recovery of lost territory and the reorganization of defenses, without pursuing them.
He considered himself magnanimous, but he did not expect those Northern Frontier Barbarians to be insatiably greedy and push their luck.
Not only did they harass Dunhuang City again, but they were also targeting Heishui City.
“Attack!”
“We must strike them hard!”
“Annihilate all invading enemies at Heishui City and Dunhuang City, so that those barbarians will never dare to cast covetous eyes upon my Great Xia again.”
Li Chunyou’s furious roar echoed through the court.
The ministers also appeared indignant.
“How dare mere barbarians invade my Great Xia? They are simply courting death.”
“Do they still think they are the Great Liao of the past?”
“They are merely a frontier small state established by a declining branch of the Liao imperial clan.”
“How dare they invade my Great Xia, we absolutely cannot spare them this time.”
Although Western Xia was at the bottom of the totem pole among the Central Plains powers, it had a certain arrogance towards the kingdoms of the Western Regions.
They viewed the kingdoms of the Western Regions as barbarian small countries; even the most powerful Western Liao was considered a mere subordinate in the Central Plains sphere.
Furthermore, after the Jin Prefecture Army looted one hundred thousand civilians and retreated voluntarily.
Many considered it a sign that the Northern Frontier Barbarians feared the might of Great Xia and fled without a fight.
This further fueled the arrogance of the Western Xia court.
Therefore, the opinions of the Western Xia monarch and his officials were unanimous: they must strike hard.
“How many Northern Frontier Barbarians have come?” Li Chunyou asked.
“According to Weiming Zhongshi’s report, the Northern Frontier Barbarian troops outside Heishui City are approximately thirty thousand.”
“There are also over ten thousand outside Dunhuang City,” Nai Ling Sicong said in a deep voice.
“Forty thousand?” Li Chunyou’s face turned extremely grim.
This was because, based on his impression of the Northern Frontier barbarians, their army was largely composed of cavalry.
This meant that the forty thousand Northern Frontier troops surrounding Heishui City and Dunhuang City were likely all cavalry.
This was truly terrifying.
However, he then thought that it concerned the National Destiny of Great Xia; let alone forty thousand, even four hundred thousand would have to be fought.
“My mind is made up, we will gather the strength of Great Xia and are determined to annihilate the Northern Frontier barbarians.”
“A mere forty thousand troops; my Great Xia has five hundred thousand brave and skilled warriors.”
“Ten times that of the barbarians.”
“In this battle, the advantage is ours.”
Li Chunyou stood up and shouted loudly to the ministers, exuding great dominance.
“Your Majesty is wise,” the important ministers bowed and said.
Immediately, the Western Xia monarch and his officials began to discuss and formulate a battle plan on how to annihilate the Northern Frontier enemy forces.
That same afternoon, orders for the expedition were conveyed to all units.
Early the next morning, just as the sun began to rise, a troop crossed the streets of Xingqing Prefecture and was urgently reinforcing the Hexi Corridor ahead of schedule.
This scene caused the common people inside the city to feel both apprehensive and very curious.
“What happened?”
“I heard troops leaving the city before dawn, and now there are so many soldiers, are we going to war?”
“We’re definitely going to war, but we don’t know if it’s with the Jin Dynasty or the Grasslanders.”
The common people in the city inquired among themselves, their love for excitement fully displayed.
As long as the enemy didn’t reach Xingqing Prefecture, they would continue their businesses and live their lives.
At this time, some well-informed individuals spoke mysteriously: “I heard that the Northern Frontier Barbarians are attacking Heishui City.”
“What? Northern Frontier Barbarians?”
“The Liao Kingdom to the west, the ones who sneak-attacked Dunhuang two years ago.”
“I don’t know what’s gotten into them; they’ve been peaceful for decades, why have they been so restless in the last two years?”
“First they attacked Dunhuang, and this year they’re attacking Heishui City, they’ve gone mad.”
“Hmph, how dare these barbarians covet our Great Xia? They’re simply courting death.”
“Heh, indeed they are courting death. I heard His Majesty was furious and dispatched a large army, vowing to annihilate those Northern Frontier barbarians.”
“My son is in the Qinsheng Army. He just came home a couple of days ago to rest for a few days, and last night he was called back, saying their entire unit is being sent out to campaign. Alas, may Buddha bless my son and ensure he returns safely.”
The war, unavoidably, became a topic of conversation among the common people during their leisure time.
However, this news reached the Northern Frontier scouts even earlier.
On the street north of the west gate of Xingqing Prefecture, on the north side of the street, there was a two-story shop facing the street. Its plaque read ‘Dingxiang Tower’.
This was a restaurant that had become popular in Xingqing Prefecture in the last two years.
At this moment, at a window seat on the second floor, a man was observing the movements of the Western Xia army through the gap of the half-open window.
“Since early morning, at least three thousand troops have left Xingqing Prefecture,” the man said softly.
Three thousand men were merely the Xingqing Prefecture’s garrison troops, a mobile force for protecting the capital.
They could be dispatched for combat at any time, but Western Xia would surely mobilize more troops from elsewhere to reinforce the Hexi Corridor.
The preliminary preparations for these troops would take a considerable amount of time, and their departure date was uncertain.
Soon, rhythmic knocking sounded outside the door.
After the door was opened, a young man walked in and said in a low voice, “Yaozi sent word that intelligence on Xia’s troop mobilization has been obtained.”
With that, he handed a note to the man in the room.
The intelligence was all written in Traditional Chinese Characters.
“Xingqing Prefecture is mobilizing twenty thousand troops: three thousand garrison troops, one thousand Tieyaozi Army, and sixteen thousand Qinsheng Army.”
“Xiping Prefecture is mobilizing ten thousand Qinsheng Army.”
“Weizhou Prefecture is mobilizing ten thousand supervisor troops.”
“Baotai Military Command is mobilizing ten thousand supervisor troops.”
“With Deputy Minister of the Bureau of Military Affairs Waiming Shian as Commander and Zhenyi Commandery Prince Li Anquan as Deputy Commander, a force of fifty thousand troops will be dispatched to reinforce the Hexi Corridor.”
“Furthermore, orders have been issued for the troops of Ganzhou and Liangzhou to urgently reinforce Heishui City and Dunhuang City.”
Western Xia nominally possessed five hundred thousand troops, but this mobilization was a nationwide effort, regardless of consequences.
Under normal circumstances, Western Xia’s standing army was only around a hundred thousand men.
To rapidly expand their forces would require time.
Therefore, apart from other troops guarding the borders, drawing fifty thousand troops to reinforce the Hexi Corridor was almost Western Xia’s limit.
Coupled with the local Army Commands in the Hexi Corridor and the garrisons of Heishui City and Dunhuang City, Western Xia’s military advantage was evident with a force twice the size of the Northern Frontier Army.
“Waiming Shian as Commander; that old fellow is not easy to deal with,” the man said with a heavy expression.
His codename was Cang Ying, and he was a member of the Northern Frontier Imperial Guard. Even this Dingxiang Tower was an Imperial Guard stronghold.
He had been in Xingqing Prefecture for nearly two years, and Cang Ying had a certain understanding of the personal situations of Western Xia officials.
Waiming Shian was a member of the Western Xia imperial clan. He had previously served as Wu Jie Da Fu and later rose to the position of Censor-in-Chief. He was known for his upright and incorruptible conduct, never taking undue advantage, and living austerely like a poor scholar.
Furthermore, he was proficient in both civil and military affairs, a highly capable general.
Although he was already quite old, he remained active in the Imperial Court because Li Chunyou trusted him greatly.
Despite being close to retirement age, he still held the position of Deputy Minister of the Bureau of Military Affairs and was now appointed as the Commander of the army.
In short, this individual was difficult to handle.
However, upon seeing the name of the Deputy Commander, Cang Ying frowned: “Zhenyi Commandery Prince Li Anquan?”
“Why would the Xia ruler appoint him as Deputy Commander? Wasn’t he always trying to weaken the imperial clan?”
The subordinate shook his head slightly upon hearing this, “Yaozi also doesn’t know the inside story.”
In reality, Li Anquan had visited the Imperial Harem, after which Empress Dowager Luo summoned the Emperor. Following a heartfelt persuasion,
Li Chunyou ultimately decided to give Li Anquan an opportunity.
If he could achieve sufficient military merit, he might have a chance to have his Prince of Yue title restored.
“We still don’t know much about this Li Anquan. We need to gather more intelligence on him in the future,” Cang Ying instructed.
“As you command.”
Afterward, Cang Ying quickly made another copy of the letter and handed it to the messenger, instructing him to leave the city through a designated channel and deliver it to the Imperial Guard waiting outside the city.
As long as there were no accidents on the road, the speed of the Imperial Guard’s light cavalry would undoubtedly be far greater than that of the Western Xia army.
“Centurion, the reward for Yaozi~” the subordinate added.
Following the expansion of the Northern Frontier’s Six Garrisons, the Imperial Guard also experienced a growth in strength, becoming a Chiliarch’s force.
Zhang Shitou, a subordinate of Li Xiao, continued to serve as the Imperial Guard Chiliarch.
Cang Ying was one of Zhang Shitou’s five Centurions, primarily responsible for intelligence on Western Xia.
“Give him all of it, plus two additional Gold Ingots as an extra reward for this mission.”
“Tell him that the Great Protector is very satisfied with his mission’s completion and will personally bestow medals upon him in the future,” Cang Ying said in a deep voice.
Yaozi was the biggest trump card in his hand.
Holding a minor position as Director in the Western Xia Ministry of War, he was practically a errand runner, bowing to every official he met.
Yet, such a minor figure could, during work hours, have ample reason to spy on Western Xia’s military secrets.
Moreover, due to his low rank and limited channels for illicit gains, he was susceptible to being bribed.
Yaozi had already provided the Imperial Guard with numerous pieces of intelligence, including the troop deployment situation in Heishui City, the number of troops in Xingqing Prefecture, and the city defense arrangements in Ganzhou City, among others.
This intelligence was extremely important for the Northern Frontier.
“Yaozi’s official rank is still too low, and the intelligence he can access is too limited. If there’s an opportunity, I should help him get promoted,” Cang Ying muttered to himself.
With so many of Yaozi’s weaknesses in his hands, he had no fear of betrayal.
Otherwise, he could simply inform Yaozi’s political rivals that he had previously provided top-secret intelligence to the Northern Frontier.
Those rivals would undoubtedly bring him down, urging Li Chunyou to enact a Nine Clans purification.
Therefore, once Yaozi set foot on the Northern Frontier’s path, there was no turning back.
