Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

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Until the Western Xia officially became an independent state, the Northern Song court strictly prevented the outflow of grain, especially to the Western Xia prefectures that were suffering from drought.

Of course you can't defend against it!

Northern Song generals often embezzled soldiers' rations and secretly sold grain into Western Xia territory.

The Western Xia frequently suffered from droughts and often shamelessly requested relief from the Northern Song Dynasty, as well as from the Liao and Jin Dynasties.

Zhao Yuan then asked, "What was the situation in Western Xia after Li Qianshun's death?"

Shi Qian said, "The court is relatively stable, and there has been no fighting."

"However, due to rampant corruption among Western Xia officials and consecutive years of spring drought in the border areas, the border tribes all had grievances."

"If it were the former Song Dynasty, they could cross the border to plunder, but now it is the Ming Dynasty."

"Whenever the Western Xia tribes crossed the border, they were all killed or wounded by our Ming border army."

"With all these factors combined, those border tribes of Western Xia were on the verge of collapse."

Zhao Yuan laughed even more heartily.

Shi Qian continued, "Not only in the border areas, but also in Jingzhou and Dingzhou, the northern and southern gateways to the Western Xia capital, life for various tribes is becoming increasingly difficult."

“Jingzhou and Dingzhou are both grain-producing areas, but officials are corrupt and the court levies exorbitant taxes, making the taxes on various departments increasingly heavy.”

Historically, in Weizhou, Dingzhou, Jingzhou, and other places, tribes were so impoverished that they rebelled, but all of them were wiped out by Ren Dejing's troops.

Zhao Yuan said, "The Cabinet, the Privy Council, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue should discuss the matter of sending troops to Western Xia together."

……

The capital of the Western Xia Dynasty was Xingqing Prefecture (Yinchuan).

Ren Dejing was already quite pleased with himself at this time; he was a genuine Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the Northern Song Dynasty.

The competition was so fierce back then that it was extremely difficult for a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) to be granted a substantive post.

Ren Dejing relied on bribery to obtain official positions and promotions, but even after emptying his family's coffers, he only managed to become a sub-prefect in Xi'an Prefecture.

Where is Xi'an Prefecture located?

This is the Xi'an Town of Haiyuan County in later generations, the front line of the Shaanxi border, where you could encounter Western Xia people as soon as you stepped out!

As expected, the Jin army and the Zhu bandits besieged Kaifeng, and the Western Xia took the opportunity to launch a large-scale attack.

Upon seeing the Western Xia army outside the city, Ren Dejing immediately considered surrendering the city.

Because most of the army had gone to defend the emperor, there were only a few soldiers left in the city. If they didn't surrender, they would just have to stay in the city and wait to die.

Fearing that the civil and military officials in the city would disagree, he lured and killed all his colleagues and took the opportunity to seize their property.

Ren Dejing has had a very difficult time in Western Xia for the past twelve years.

He used most of the money he accumulated in the Northern Song Dynasty and the gold and silver he embezzled in the Western Xia Dynasty for bribery, and his own life was extremely poor.

Otherwise, how could a surrendered official from the Song state have made his daughter, who had just entered the palace, the empress?

Now things are much better; not only has her daughter become the Empress, but she has also become one of the two Empress Dowagers.

Chapter 3720 The Golden Hen That Lays Eggs

By exploiting the conflict between Li Renzhong and Richard, and by currying favor with both sides, Ren Dejing successfully gained control of the Western Xia firearms forces.

In Ren Dejing's eyes, firearms units were not for fighting wars, but for laying golden eggs.

Military spending is high; he can easily grab a few and recoup the money quickly.

Moreover, Richard is getting old, and in the past two years he has stopped personally leading troops into battle, instead staying in Xingqing Prefecture to build a luxurious mansion and indulge in pleasure.

Ren Dejing didn't take the old and degenerate Richard seriously.

He could bribe and appease Richard while slowly eroding Richard's military power.

At the same time, Ren Dejing was also a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) of the Song Dynasty, and he got along well with the Prime Minister Li Renzhong.

He supported Li Renzhong's internal reforms, which is why Li Renzhong supported him in taking command of the firearms battalion.

Ren Dejing could even gain more power in the imperial court through reforms.

The head of the civil service and the head of the military were both tools for Ren Dejing to seize power!

I was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) from the Song Dynasty. What are these barbarians from the Western Xia?

It's easy to grasp.

This guy does crazy things.

Historically, he forced the Western Xia emperor to cede half of his territory to him to establish the Chu Kingdom.

This matter had to be reported to the Jin Dynasty. However, since the Jin Dynasty disagreed, Ren Dejing actually contacted the Southern Song Dynasty and joined forces with them to attack the Jin Dynasty!

He's capable of anything for his own benefit.

Ren Dejing summoned his younger brother, Ren Demin, saying, "The new emperor has ascended the throne, and we must go to the Ming Dynasty to request an official title."

"I have recommended you to be my deputy envoy and send you to Luoyang to investigate the Ming Dynasty's situation."

Ren Demin asked, "What are you trying to find out?"

Ren Dejing said, "Let's find out if the Ming Dynasty has any signs of sending troops. The Liangshan Emperor is a man of great talent and ambition, and it is very likely that he will take this opportunity to send troops to Western Xia."

"If the Ming Dynasty sends troops, the Western Xia will not be able to win. We should make preparations as soon as possible."

"Have you secretly pledged allegiance to the Ming Dynasty?" Ren Demin asked.

Ren Dejing shook his head: "We've finally climbed up here, and we haven't even enjoyed a few days of happiness yet. How can we easily surrender to the Ming Dynasty?"

"If the Ming Dynasty sends troops, we must of course resist with all our might."

"The best outcome would be to cede territory in exchange for the Ming Dynasty withdrawing its troops."

"Western Xia's territory, so be it. Let's delay its demise as long as possible, perhaps until we brothers all die of old age."

"After us, who cares about the deluge?"

Ren Demin nodded: "What you say is absolutely right, brother."

“But we must also prepare in advance,” Ren Dejing said. “In case the Ming Dynasty is determined to attack and destroy the Western Xia, we brothers must prepare a way out in advance.”

"When you go to Luoyang this time, make friends with several ministers and find out how to send messages to spies."

"Put some nice words about loving our homeland in private, and when the Ming army approaches Xingqing Prefecture, it will be natural for us to surrender."

Ren Demin sighed, "Brother, you have such a far-sighted vision."

Ren Dejing stroked his beard and smiled smugly; he certainly had a long-term vision.

His daughter was trained from a young age, and her seductive charms captivated Li Qianshun.

……

Imperial meeting.

Zhao Yuan asked, "The Mu brothers of Western Xia have sent people to discuss surrendering to the Ming. What is the background of these two men?"

Before the meeting, Shi Qian carefully checked the files:

"The Mu family originally belonged to the Murong family. In the early years of the Song Dynasty, they were still Song citizens, but they joined the Western Xia Li family in a rebellion."

Chapter 3721 Border Generals of the Ming Dynasty

"When Fan Zhongyan served as the commander of the Northwest, he personally persuaded Mu En, the chieftain of the Mu clan, to surrender."

"From then on, the Mu family inherited the position of Commander of Huanqing and led their clansmen back to the Song Dynasty, becoming a powerful clan in Huanzhou."

"When the Jin army marched south, the Mu family did not come to the emperor's aid, but remained in Huanzhou to guard the fortress."

"When the Western Xia troops attacked, the Mu family abandoned the city and fled. They did not surrender to the Western Xia, and even submitted a memorial to the throne to serve as a border general of our Great Ming."

"But most of their followers were captured by the Western Xia, and the Mu family's influence in Huanzhou was greatly diminished, as they were ostracized by the two generals, Miao and Liu."

"When our Great Ming Dynasty reclaimed the military power of the northwestern border generals, both Miao and Liu were willing to obey the orders, but the Mu brothers were unwilling to be transferred and led the remaining members of their clan to surrender to the Western Xia."

"Now, it's likely that the Mu brothers are having a hard time in Western Xia, which is why they're considering surrendering to the Ming again."

“This powerful clan can be used, but they should never be given important responsibilities. They have defected countless times over the past hundred years.”

Zhao Yuan finally understood: "So he's a former Song and Ming border general who defected to Western Xia. Use him if you can, otherwise just execute him!"

Zhang Tang said, "If we are to send troops to Western Xia, it would be best to do so after the spring of next year."

"There are many fortifications along the border between the two countries, which must be removed one by one. A war would not be a matter of a day or two."

"If we send troops this year, we will have to stop and cease fighting until winter, especially since it is difficult to transport food and supplies in the Hengshan area during winter."

Li Bao suggested, "Han Shizhong's side can send troops to the grasslands in the autumn."

"The autumn air is crisp and clear beyond the Great Wall, and the warhorses are plump and strong, making it possible to quickly seize the grasslands and cities on the southern slopes of the Yin Mountains."

"After we take it, it will be almost winter, and it will be difficult for the Western Xia army to launch a counterattack in the snow to reclaim the land!"

Zhang Guangdao said, "The three powers in the northern desert are locked in a fierce battle, and it is impossible for them to move south for several years."

"Yue Fei could also lead several thousand elite cavalrymen to join forces with Han Shizhong and go into battle together."

Wang Yuan said, "The Imperial Guards should set off this year and arrive at the Shaanxi border before winter. Once the snow melts next year, the entire army will immediately launch an attack."

Ma Kuo reminded them: "Don't forget the Yellow-headed Uyghurs. They can be sent across the Qilian Mountains to harass Shazhou (Dunhuang) and Guazhou."

"If the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs dare not send troops, we can teach them a lesson they won't forget!"

Zhao Yuan said, "The Privy Council, together with the Ministry of War, will provide a detailed strategy."

Li Bao said, "The grasslands can't wait for a strategy to be developed. Let Yue Fei go and join Han Shizhong as soon as possible to wipe out the Heishan Weifu Military Command of Western Xia."

"Destroying the Weifu Military Command is tantamount to cutting off one of the arms of the Western Xia."

Liu Jian asked, "What is the pretext for this attack on Xia?"

“I’ll write the proclamation against Xia!” Hu Anguo took on the task.

Zhao Yuan added, "The Cabinet, along with the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works, must ensure the availability of provisions, weapons, and laborers, and make full preparations before the beginning of next spring."

"Anyone who causes a problem and affects the battle on the front lines will be dismissed from their post and sent back to their hometown, or imprisoned and prosecuted!"

"Yes!"

Everyone looked serious and stood up in unison to bow.

……

Yue Fei's garrison was far from Yinshan, so he didn't bring many troops with him.

He brought only two thousand elite cavalry and three thousand light cavalry, totaling more than five thousand men.

Most of the three thousand light cavalry were from the Khitan, Tangut, and Jurchen tribes.

Each tribal chief was required to select elite troops, ranging from dozens to hundreds, to join Yue Fei in battle.

Chapter 3722 Surprise Attack

This approach serves two purposes: first, to make reasonable use of the grassland tribes, and second, to prevent the tribes from taking the opportunity to rebel.

After all, Yue Fei had left with the main force, leaving the Han soldiers on the grasslands vulnerable, and some tribes might cause trouble.

Not all tribal cavalry were light cavalry.

Especially those Khitan cavalrymen, who cooperated with Yue Fei in the decisive battle and picked up a lot of armor from Wanyan Zonghan!

More than 5,000 riders set off from Linhuang Prefecture, each rider and four horses galloping forward at high speed.

They didn't bring much food, so the tribes along the way had to provide it.

They wouldn't take it for nothing. These tribes could take the receipts for the livestock and grain they consumed and go to the nearest Ming government office to claim compensation.

In early autumn, Yue Fei and Han Shizhong joined forces.

Han Shizhong's forces had ample supplies, including a large amount of military rations transported from Shanxi.

The Northern Song Dynasty's "Wujing Zongyao" (Complete Essentials of Military Classics) records many methods for making military rations.

One method involves cooking rice, sun-drying it, removing impurities, and steaming it repeatedly ten times, compressing 120 jin of rice into 20 jin.