In the second year of Baoyi in Xixia, late autumn, Zhongxing Mansion.
In late autumn, the grass and trees in Helan Mountain are withered and yellow, and the mountains are full of red, purple and yellow colors, making it colorful. The wind is strong and the grass is strong, and the mountains are majestic, like a group of galloping horses. Along the Yellow River, patches of golden reeds sway in the wind, birds flutter in the sky, and the water and sky meet, creating a spectacular sight.
But for the people of Xixia, especially the scholar-bureaucrats, who lived in the Xingling Land under the Helan Mountain, they did not seem to have much leisure time to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the mountains and rivers.
Since the beginning of autumn, earth-shattering news has spread in Xixia Xingling Land. The Hexi Corridor of Daxia Kingdom has been occupied by the Song Army.
"How could this happen?"
"Didn't the Song people just send troops to rescue us? How could they occupy Hexi?"
"Do Emperor Xia and the ministers know about this?"
There was not much fear, no panic, everyone in the Xixia people was shocked, and there was suspicion in both the government and the public.
The Song army had just helped them defend the city. The Song Emperor married Princess Anguo of Xixia. The Song Emperor led the expedition in person. He had just sent his troops to the north and repelled the brutal Tatar army...
Moreover, what the people of Xixia are eating in their bowls now are the relief grains sent by the Song people.
How could the Song people occupy Hexi? How could it be possible to occupy Hexi?
Few Xia people would believe this news. Many people believe that the Song army recaptured Hexi from the Mongolian army and only helped the Xia people to take care of it.
Or it is possible that the Song army helped Daxia defeat the Tatar army, and Daxia donated Hexi to the Song army.
Only some party nobles and scholar-bureaucrats in the court were crying over the injustice and future of Daxia. Some people even roared and shouted that they wanted to fight the Song people and take back Hexi, which was ravaged by the war.
The Song army captured Hexi, what was the difference between it and the brutal Tatar army?
In the hearts of most Xixia scholars and people, they were worried about the greatly damaged and troubled Daxia. Only the land of Xingling is left in Daxia, which is no different from a subjugated country and seems to have no future.
As the weather turns colder, if the Tatar army attacks again, what will happen to Daxia, which has only three to four hundred thousand people, thirty to forty thousand defeated soldiers, and a disorganized army?
Perhaps within a month, the Tatar army will conquer Zhongxingfu and Lingzhou. Xixia is really going to die.
In the Xixia Palace, the crack in the roof left by the earthquake has just been repaired. There is no sunlight entering the main hall. The hall is covered with clouds. The faces of the officials are solemn and the atmosphere is depressing.
"Your Majesty, the imperial students outside the palace are sitting in a sit-down petition, asking your Majesty to send envoys to negotiate with the Song Dynasty and take back Hexi!"
The censor Zhongcheng Zhang Gongfu looked solemn. He stood up first and paid homage to the Western Xia Emperor Li Suisu.
"Your Majesty, the Song people are openly occupying the territory of our Daxia Kingdom, which is intolerable. Your Majesty, please issue an edict. I am willing to send troops south to attack the Song army in Hexi!"
It was Duke Weiming, an old minister of Xixia, who came forward angrily to ask for orders.
Hexi is the barrier of Daxia, covering half of the country. Without Hexi, would Daxia still be Daxia?
"Your Majesty, the top priority now is not how to deal with the Song army, but to restore the country's strength and let the people recuperate. Your Majesty is clear!"
Li Zhong'e, the Minister of Rites, came out and bowed solemnly.
Retake Hexi? There are tens of thousands of Song soldiers in Hexi, and the Mongolian cavalry may not dare to break through, let alone the weak Xixia?
"Your Majesty, the war has just ended and it is not appropriate to start fighting again. It is better to send an envoy to the Song Dynasty to confirm the matter with the Song army, and then discuss countermeasures."
Privy Councilor Li Yuanji was also cautious and did not want to use weapons rashly.
The words of Li Zhonge and Li Yuanji made Wei Minglinggong furious and reprimanded loudly.
"Li Shangshu, Mr. Li, are you trying to speak favorably for the Song Dynasty? The Song army has occupied our land and is extremely ambitious. Only by sending troops can we drive the Song army out!"
"Your Majesty, the people of the Song Dynasty are going too far to bully others. If your Majesty does not hold the Song Dynasty accountable, the prestige of our country, Great Xia, will be lost. How can we lose our face?"
Seeing that the emperor remained calm, Zhang Gongfu, the censor Zhongcheng, followed suit angrily.
Weiming Linggong and Zhang Gongfu wanted to protect the dignity of Xixia. Although they were impassioned, few ministers in the hall responded.
Everyone knows what the situation in Xixia is now. At this time, having enough food is the most important thing, as there is no energy left to start a war.
If the Song army cuts off their food supply, won't the Xixia people starve to death?
"Old General, Zhang Zhongcheng, you can say hard words, but you have to do things within your ability. Let me say something that shouldn't be said. If it weren't for the Song Emperor sending troops, our country of Daxia would have been destroyed. If it weren't for the food of the Song people, you and I would still be Can you stand here? If we really break up with the Song Dynasty, there will be no room for redemption between the two countries!"
Li Bian, the bachelor of Huiyou Pavilion, said it carefully.
In his opinion, the Song Dynasty is now the only foreign aid for Xixia. If they break up with the Song Dynasty now, it will cut off the retreat of Xixia. Once Mongolia invades, Xixia's current national strength will definitely be a disaster.
"Your Majesty, our Daxia Kingdom is short of people. The only thing we can do now is to negotiate peace with Song Dynasty. There is no other way. If the Tatar army invades, the only thing we in Daxia can count on is the Song Dynasty. .”
Li Zhonge, the Minister of Civil Affairs, knelt down in the main hall and presented the memorial with tears in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, it is already late autumn. If the Tatar army attacks in winter, how can we, Daxia, resist it? In the land of Hexi, won't the people be slaughtered to death? Even if the Song army does not enter Hexi, we, Daxia, can To take back the lost land? The Song army took it back from the Tatar army. Your Majesty, my people in Daxia are still eating food from the Song Dynasty. We must not go to war with the Song Dynasty!"
Luo Shichang, the envoy of Xuanhui in the south courtyard, also knelt on the ground and played.
The vitality of Xixia was severely damaged, and the people were not alive. At this time, the cost of confronting the Song Dynasty will not be too high.
"Li Zhong'e and Luo Shichang, you two traitors who are cheating on others, you are really despicable and despicable! Even if our country is destroyed, we must die with dignity. We cannot beg for mercy from others!"
Wei Mingling was furious and directly denounced Luo Shichang and Li Zhong'e.
These two weaklings knew how to please the Song Dynasty. Don't they know that Daxia's territory was being eaten away by the Song people?
"Your Excellency Weiming, you are an old thief. It doesn't matter if you die. Do you want Your Majesty and all the people of Great Xia to be buried with you? Do you want Great Xia to be destroyed?"
Privy Councilor Li Yuanji angrily scolded Duke Wei Mingling.
"Li Yuanji, you are talking nonsense! When will I be buried with His Majesty? Now that the Song army has taken away our land in Hexi, do we have to swallow our anger? What should we do if the Song army comes to Zhongxing Mansion under the city?"
Wei Mingling's face turned red and he roared loudly.
This rare hawk and war faction in the Xixia Kingdom was tough on the Mongolian army, and the same was true for the Song people.
The words of Duke Wei Ming made the Xixia officials in the entire hall look at each other in total silence.
Luo Shichang glanced at the gloomy Xia Emperor Li Sui on the throne and held back his words. The eyes of the ministers in the palace also focused on Li Sui.
"Luo Qing, Li Qing, get up."
Xia Emperor Li Sui, who was sitting on the throne, had an expressionless face, with the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
Now that we have reached this point, it is no longer easy for these ministers to hold on.
To start a war, what should we use to start a war with the Song people? Take your mouth?
Don't even look at it, what has Xixia become like now?
He regretted it now. Why did he resist so much when Emperor Song arrived at the Yellow River? Why didn't you go to meet Emperor Song? What good will it do to Xixia if you do this yourself?
"Your Excellency Weiming, no one in this hall is afraid of death, but if the Song people don't supply food, what will happen to our Xia people? Will they starve to death all over the land? There are not many people left in Da Xia!"
It was Li Zhong'e again, who broke the deadlock after getting up shakily.
The Mongolian army invaded. Except for the land of Xingling, all other places were captured by the Mongolian army.
"The worst case, the worst case is borrowing food from the Jin Dynasty! Xia Jin is a country of brothers. At this time, the Jin people will definitely..."
When Lord Wei Ming said these words, even he himself lacked confidence.
When the Mongolian army invaded Xixia, the Jin Kingdom, as a brotherly state, stood aside and did not send a single soldier or contribute a grain of food. Talking about relying on the Kingdom of Jin at this time is really fanciful.
"Relying on the Jin State, it is better to save energy. Let's say that the Tatar army retreats. Apart from sending envoys, will the Jin State have any assistance? If it were not for the rice grains from the Song people, the soldiers and people of Xingling Land would have been hungry. It’s over!”
Privy Councilor Li Yuanji sarcastically spoke out softly.
In any case, Xixia cannot go to war with the Song Dynasty. If this were the case, the Xixia people would be dead.
"Do we, Daxia, really want to destroy our country and destroy our species?"
Li Bian, a bachelor of Huiyou Pavilion, burst into tears and choked up.
There was a sound of sobbing throughout the hall. Many Xixia ministers burst into tears, seeming to be crying for the fate of Daxia.
The current situation in Xixia is that it can only occupy a small area of Xingling, with a population of only 200,000 or 300,000. It is not as good as a large county in Song Dynasty, lingering on, and there is still half a "country" there.
The Great Xia Kingdom was already dead in name only.
"Your Majesty, now we can only have good relations with the Song State, and it is not appropriate to use troops. The Song Dynasty is a country of etiquette, and we are related by marriage to Daxia. In my opinion, we should immediately send an envoy to negotiate with the Song State and see how the Song Emperor responds. .”
Luo Shichang played to Li Sui, who was silent on the throne.
All the ministers in the palace were making noises, but they threw the emperor aside. At this time when people's hearts are in turmoil, the order in the court has disappeared, and the signs of national subjugation have emerged.
Luo Shichang's words brought the ministers back to reality, and even the important minister Wei Minglinggong returned to his original position.
The ministers filled the palace and made noise, but no one paid attention to the emperor. This was disrespectful. Could it be done by the ministers?
"My lords, I just want to ask, can the land west of Hexi be taken back?"
Li Sui's understatement made all the officials in the hall speechless again.
It is difficult to eat, and even more difficult to survive. What can we do to recapture Hexi? There were tens of thousands of Song troops there.
The Song army was not even afraid of the Mongolian army. How could it be afraid that the remnants of the Xixia army, which had been severely weakened, would be defeated?
"Your Excellency Weiming, if I ask you to lead all the Daxia soldiers in Xingling Land, can you take back the land west of Hexi?"
Li Sui looked at Duke Wei Ming with cold eyes.
"Your Majesty, I will do my best!"
Weiming Linggong was heartbroken, but he accepted the order with enthusiasm.
"Your Majesty, you must not do this!"
"Your Majesty, when Daxia's survival is at stake, don't act hastily!"
Li Zhong'e and Luo Shichang came out one after another to persuade him.
"Your Excellency Weiming, you haven't answered me yet, can you take back the land west of Hexi?"
Li Sui ignored Luo and Li and asked Duke Wei Ming directly.
"Old minister... I'm not sure. But I will risk my life and try my best to take back Hexi!"
Wei's name made the public frightened. The emperor always called him "Old General", but now he called him by his first name. It seemed that the emperor was very dissatisfied with what he had done.
"Your Majesty, think twice!"
"Your Majesty, think twice!"
Li Zhong'e and Luo Shichang scrambled to persuade him.
If this really goes to war with the Song Army, it will be a big joke.
"Your Majesty Wei Ming, since you are not sure of taking back Hexi, stop talking nonsense. Do you think Daxia is dying fast enough?"
Li Sui was understated and his tone was calm, but Wei Minglinggong sounded frightened and at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.
"Your Majesty, can this be the end of the matter in Hexi?"
Zhang Gongfu, the censor Zhongcheng, had a straightforward character and was not afraid, so he asked immediately.
"Zhang Zhongcheng, what do you think? Can you lead troops to retake Hexi?"
Li Sui suppressed his unhappiness and tried to speak calmly.
These ministers didn't even look at what time it was, they still wanted to use weapons rashly, and they wanted to gain fame and reputation. They were simply stupid.
Nowadays, everyone in Xixia's military and civilians is war-weary, and Xixia does not have the national power to launch a war. Even if we want to launch a war, we have to work hard and prepare our troops hard. Now that you are proposing to launch an army with the Song Dynasty, is this because you are afraid that Xixia will not fall quickly enough?
Isn't this putting him on the stove to roast?
If he does not send troops, he is said to be useless and has lost his power and humiliated the country. If he sends troops, it will be militaristic and disrespectful to the people's livelihood.
How should he choose?
Li Sui felt sad in his heart.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
Zhang Gongfu was chatting and wanted to speak. Li Sui's eyes widened and his voice became louder.
"If you can't, stop talking nonsense and get out of here!"
"minister……"
Zhang Gongfu's face turned red and he retreated angrily.
He really had nothing to say.
"Mr. Weiming, is there any trouble on the grassland?"
The whole palace was silent, and Li Sui suddenly spoke and mentioned the conflict between Song and Jin.
"Your Majesty, Temujin's funeral has ended, and we are now waiting for the tribal leaders and Temujin's descendants to come to offer sacrifices. I think there will be no war for a while."
Weiming Linggong was well aware of the grassland customs and hurriedly submitted the memorial.
"Xiangong Li, the Song Army has occupied Lintao Road. Lanzhou, Lintao Prefecture, Taozhou, and Jishi Prefecture are all under the rule of the Song Army. Is there no movement on the Jin side?"
Li Yuanji was surprised, but Li Sui had already spoken out on his own.
"With the power of the Jin people, Lanzhou, Lintao Prefecture and other places were taken away. They didn't dare to compete with the Song army. What could my little Xia country do? Since the Song army has captured Hexi, let them do it! Anyway, it’s full of holes and a mess!”
Hexi is no longer the Hexi of Daxia. Daxia has no future.
