In the spring of the ninth year of Jinghan in the Wu dynasty, the war between the Jin and Liao seemed quite unexpected and childish at first glance.
Years ago, the Jin and the Liao had just negotiated a peace treaty. In this peace treaty, the Liao had made a lot of concessions. Yelu Yanxi officially conferred the title of Great Sage Emperor to Wanyan Aguda, addressed the Jin as his elder brother, ceded two provinces of Liaodong and Changchun, which were already occupied by the Jin, but only for show. Every year, the tribute of two hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver and silk would be given to the Jin. This was almost like signing the Treaty of Tanyuan to the Jin.
But in the Treaty of Tanyuan, the Wu and Liao dynasties were relatively equal. Although they owed the treaty due to the situation, the power of the Jin and Liao was actually disproportionate. After all, there were only so many Jurchens, and there were too few Jin people. The reason why Wanyan Aguda achieved such a god-like result in the battle of Budagang was not because he was very confident, but because he only had more than 20,000 soldiers under his command. In the following years, he won many battles. In fact, the military strength of the Jin Kingdom was still disproportionate to that of the Liao Kingdom.
Because of this, Yelu Yanxi signed the contract and felt that he had made a big concession. After thinking about it, he was sure that the Jin did not want to fight anymore and could not fight anymore, so he was relieved. In the eyes of others, the Jin already had a foundation, and it was only natural for them to stop and recuperate. So when the contract was signed, everyone more or less believed it. In any case, such a contract was usually valid for a few years.
That year, Wanyan Aguda was fifty-two years old.
Judging from what happened later, this ambitious and ruthless person, who rose up against Liao at the age of forty and led tens of thousands of Jurchen people to stand on the same position as the Liao Emperor in a mere ten years, was obviously not willing to leave his hegemony to his descendants. But at that time, the things that happened in this spring seemed a bit childish and ridiculous on the surface.
At first, Yelu Yanxi didn't want to admit that Wanyan Aguda was the Emperor. He wanted to call Wanyan Aguda the King of Donghuai to bluff his way through. However, Wanyan Aguda wasn't someone who could be easily fooled. He threw a tantrum, and Yelu Yanxi backed down. He had no choice but to call him the Great Sage Emperor. Once the matter was settled, Yelu Yanxi was relieved. He felt that he could finally live in peace for a few years. He was a person who hated trouble. He liked to travel and loved world peace. His personality was quite popular. When he was relieved and went on a sightseeing tour, he suddenly remembered something.
His eldest brother, Yelu Abaoji, the Great Ancestor of the Liao Dynasty, whose achievements were comparable to Wanyan Aguda's. Yelu Abaoji was also called the Great Sage Emperor, and his full title was "Great Ancestor, Great Sage, Great Bright God, Emperor Lie Tian". This wouldn't do. The ancestor's title had been bestowed upon him. This was unfilial. Thereupon, he turned around, and sent a messenger to ask Aguda whether he could take back the title of 'Emperor' and change it a bit.
The poor cared more about their face. Aguda had struggled all his life and finally became the Emperor. But now he was being treated like a child's play. Wasn't this a slap in the face? At the end of the second month of the lunar calendar, the Jin swore to invade Liao. On the 26th day of the third month, Wanyan Aguda officially launched a general attack on Shangjing Imperial Residence, one of the five capitals of Liao. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the Jin cavalry arrived at the west bank of the Hun River.
At this time, the old general of Liao, Xiao Da, was guarding Imperial Residence. Although he had lost several battles against the Jin, he wasn't a mediocre person. He was steady in the use of troops, upright in character, and talented. As the political capital of Liao, Imperial Residence was high and well-defended.
Aguda had probably considered that this city wouldn't be easy to attack. So, he had sent Wanyan Zongxiong to persuade them to surrender. But Xiao Da's favorite grandson had died at the hands of the Woman Zhenren in the battle of Ningjiang Prefecture a few years ago.
Xiao Da didn't feel any sense of urgency because of the sturdiness of the city. The current Liao was still a starving camel, but it was still bigger than a horse. Even if he couldn't defeat Wanyan Aguda, he was still prepared to defend the city for several months and wait for reinforcements. Aguda was also very straightforward. In the morning, he had sent Wanyan Zongxiong to persuade them to surrender. But to no avail. So, he launched an attack on Imperial Residence in the morning. Aguda personally went to the city to command the siege. In the afternoon, Aguda's half-brother, Wanyan Yumu, took the lead and rushed to Shangjing.
This was the result of the war that no one had expected. They had thought that the city could be defended for at least several months. But, it had fallen under Wanyan Aguda's hands in just half a day. Aguda and a group of generals under his command stepped into the city gate when the setting sun dyed the horizon into dusk. The soldiers of the Jurchen army had already marched into the city, and had massacred the entire city. The entire city was covered in smoke.
*****
"Even if it's a cheat, it's still a bit too much …"
Ning Yi gulped down the tea in his hand and sighed. He didn't know much about Wanyan Aguda's life before. Although most of the founding monarchs of each dynasty had some extraordinary achievements or deeds, he still felt shocked and speechless when he heard Elder Qin's story. People in this era hated Liao. So, they were still close to the Jin Kingdom. They generally regarded Wanyan Aguda as an ambitious and ruthless foreign hero. Ning Yi also admired him a bit. However, Elder Qin's words were not entirely out of joy.
"Cheat?"
"It means cheating."
"Oh, hehe, that's true." Elder Qin nodded and smiled. Then, there was a bit of disappointment in his eyes. "A hero. No matter what, Wanyan Aguda is indeed an outstanding man. It's only a matter of time before he attacks Liao. Now that he has acted, he must have signed a treaty with our Wu dynasty. Just wait for our dynasty to attack Yan Yun Sixteen Prefectures … "
He sighed. Ning Yi looked at him and thought for a while. He then raised the teapot and poured some tea, "Looks like it's true. Back then, when the Jin Kingdom was the strongest, and allied with the Jin Kingdom to fight against the Liao Kingdom, it was your plan, wasn't it?"
"It's not a plan." The old man shook his head and sighed. "It's just that I was forced into a corner and came up with some tricks. My Majesty … also wanted to subdue Yan Yun. At that time, it wasn't just the Female Zhenren who wanted to ally with us. At that time, the Female Zhenren couldn't see the light of day. At that time, I scolded them and took the blame, so I retired. In the past few years, the situation has changed. It's not in line with my plan. But they finally grasped it. That day has finally come … "
In the first few months, the old man had been silent about this and didn't talk about the current situation. It was only today that he could finally open his mouth and say that he had waited eight years for Jin Liao to be evenly matched and officially start the war. Now that he said it, he naturally felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. However, he did not seem to be happy either. He was usually humorous and easygoing, but when he spoke, there was a sense of dignity and boldness in it. However, at this moment, seeing that his hair was all white, the dignity was gone, and what was left was easygoing and a little tired. He had endured for eight years. It seemed peaceful, but in fact, he had been carrying an unspeakable pressure in his heart. It wasn't easy.
At this time, the courtyard was quiet. The leaves swayed in the breeze. Ning Yi could feel the old man's mood and felt a bit emotional. The history of this time was different from what he knew in the past. But no matter what, as a participant, the old man had done his best and made his own achievements. Ning Yi picked up the teacup and took a sip. He also understood that he didn't need to say anything at this time. The old man thought for a while and smiled.
"It's still the same question. Is Liheng willing to go to the capital and make a career?"
In the past, Kang Xian often asked him if he was willing to be an official. Elder Qin just watched from the side. But at this time, he asked. Ning Yi shook his head. "Oh, your future is uncertain. I don't want to follow you."
"Excuse …"
Ning Yi joked. Elder Qin pointed out casually. "Actually … in the early years, I only felt gratified when I saw the Jin Kingdom and Liao Kingdom fighting fiercely. But these years, the more I see them fighting, the more uneasy I feel. You should know the reason, Liheng."
"Weak countries don't have diplomacy?"
The old man was stunned. Then he nodded. "Liheng really knows this. You hit the nail on the head. Weak countries don't have diplomacy … Wanyan Aguda mobilized more than two thousand soldiers and fought against a million Jin soldiers. Chuhedian, Huanglong Mansion, Hubu Dagang … Battle after battle, my people in the court heard that this man was really a hero and said that the Liao people's fate had come to an end. But now, every time we have a conflict with the Liao people at the border, we are always defeated. Hubu Dagang was defeated by seven hundred thousand Jurchens. Ten thousand Jurchens are no match. It's unbelievable. But if seven hundred thousand Liao soldiers attack our Wu dynasty, who in the Wu dynasty can resist them? Li Gang, Tong Guan, Zhong Shidao? These Jin soldiers … Who will they attack after the Liao? Liheng, I always feel that what I thought was not to save the Wu dynasty, but to push the Wu dynasty into the fire … "
"You worry too much." Ning Yi glanced at him. "There are not enough Jin people. This is a weakness for the time being. As long as people are willing to work hard and seize the opportunity to breathe, the Wu dynasty can still be saved."
"What I'm afraid of is that one day, the Jin soldiers will attack south and we won't be able to breathe. What should we do then?"
"Then it's time for the country to fall. Old man, how many things do you want to do alone? "
"After all, one thing is one thing."
"You are too arrogant."
"Haha."
The two of them laughed for a moment. After a while, Ning Yi raised his teacup and said, "Elder Qin, let's cut to the chase. I understand what you mean. The capital … If there is a chance, I will go there. If there is anything I can do, please look after me, Elder Qin. Now I only hope … that when the time comes, I won't be too stubborn, haha … "
In all fairness, Ning Yi was rather impressed by what the old man before him had done. He had no intention of becoming an official, nor did he think that if the situation really took a turn for the worse in the future, he would be able to turn the tide. After all, there was a limit to one's strength. But if there was a chance in the future, of course, it would not matter. Therefore, there was no need to block the way with words.
The two of them had known each other for two years, during which they had talked many times, and they had a good understanding of each other's characters. But the last sentence, Qin Siyuan did not quite understand for a moment. Only a few years later, those who really knew Ning Yi roughly understood how thorough he would be once he really decided to do things well.
That was … a concept that almost no one in the entire era dared to think about.
Of course, at this time, it was only the peaceful early summer, and he could not let go of the appointment with his wife. The two then talked for a while about the situation of the Jin and Liao Dynasties. After a few days, Su Tan'er had arranged everything. Ning Yi said goodbye to Yunzhu and Jin'er reluctantly. The family boarded a big ship and went east along the Yangtze River, in the direction of Yangzhou.
In May, the news of the war between the Jin and Liao Dynasties spread all over the country.
At the end of May, Qin Siyuan was reinstated. He was directly promoted to the position of Right Servant of the Minister of War, and he was also in charge of the Pingzhang Affair of the Hall of Governmental Affairs. Other rewards were numerous. The reason for his reinstation was not announced to the world, but it also confirmed the authenticity of the rumors before the year. His reputation in the court was unparalleled for a while.
The wheels turned, and the history of the Jin, Liao, and Wu Kingdoms entered a new chapter.
At the same time, on the grassland northwest of Liao, a tribe called Qiyan had raised the flag of rebellion against Liao, and they quickly expanded their power like locusts on the grassland. They were like cyclones hiding in unexpected corners, waiting to continue to grow, and finally expanding into a huge storm that tore everyone's eyes apart …
*****
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