The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 271 Upon first hearing of the Northern Frontier, the Song Dynasty's Prime Minister was shocked.

The imperial city of the Song Dynasty, Lin'an Prefecture.

As the sun climbed high in the sky, the Imperial Street of Lin'an transformed into a boiling river, a bustling scene of everyday life.

The steamer baskets at the steamer shop lifted the white steam, and the waiter shouted at the top of his lungs, "Freshly made big steamed buns!"

"Freshly baked Ding Sheng Gao (a type of rice cake)—"

"Selling West Lake Vinegar Fish!"

Amidst the rising and falling shouts, peddlers carrying loads swung their carrying poles, the copper bells jingling with each step.

The shop assistant at the silk store unfurled bolts of Shu brocade, their vibrant colors attracting many women to stop and stare.

In the peep show at the jewelry store, cat's-eye gemstones gleamed with an eerie light, and the shopkeeper, stroking his goatee, was haggling with a wealthy merchant in a brocade robe.

Under the old locust tree at the street corner, the storyteller Li the Cripple slammed his gavel down, startling the surrounding crowd into a frenzy.

"Dear readers! Now, let me tell you about Prime Minister Han Tuozhou. How courageous he was when he assisted the Emperor in ascending the throne!"

He waved his folding fan, spittle flying as he spoke passionately: "During the Shaoxi era, the retired emperor refused to preside over Emperor Xiaozong's funeral, and the entire court was in chaos!"

"Prime Minister Han, carrying the joint memorial, rushed into Cifu Palace, kowtowing every three steps..."

"Ultimately, we support the current emperor's ascension to the throne..."

The tea stall was crowded with listeners craning their necks; porters put down their carrying poles, vendors pricked up their ears, and even the镖师 (bodyguards) riding by couldn't help but rein in their horses.

Behind these people, a man dressed in coarse cloth, with a rugged face and rough skin, rode his horse quickly across the street.

He listened for only one whim, then narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and muttered to himself, "Is it about the deeds of Prime Minister Han?"

This man was none other than Li Benzhong, an official in the Imperial City Division of Lizhou Road.

After being released by the Northern Frontier Army, he returned to Xingzhou and immediately traveled lightly to Lin'an Prefecture to report the matter to the imperial court.

He happened to overhear the storyteller's words and immediately realized that this matter was not simple.

This is to create momentum for Prime Minister Han!
And since Prime Minister Han is a staunch advocate of war, it seems increasingly likely that a northern expedition will be launched.

Especially when he thought about the intelligence he had brought back, Li Benzhong became even more excited.

The emergence of this force in the northern frontier will inevitably add a significant bargaining chip to the pro-war faction.

Afterwards, Li Benzhong, disregarding his fatigue, quickly led his entourage to the headquarters of the Imperial City Guard in Lin'an.

……

This year, Han Tuozhou was promoted again, becoming the Grand Tutor, a first-rank official, and was granted the title of Prince of Pingyuan.

He also concurrently served as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, which could also be called the Left Chancellor.

He truly wielded absolute power, becoming second only to the emperor.

However, Han Tuozhou was far from reaching the pinnacle of his life at this time. In the first year of the Kaixi era, Emperor Ningzong of Song ordered a northern expedition, which would place an even heavier burden on Han Tuozhou.

Pingzhang Military and National Affairs!
This position is above the prime minister and has the power to personally manage military and national affairs, with a scope of power far exceeding that of the left and right prime ministers.

The Prime Minister's residence, study.

The bookshelves were piled high with books, and Han Tuozhou was sitting at his desk, gazing at the two seniors in front of him.

His face, now in his early fifties, already showed the marks of time. Although his sword-like eyebrows were still sharp, they had lost some of the sharpness he had displayed in court. The newly added white hairs at his temples were casually gathered behind his ears.

He was already quite old, but the two people in front of him were even older than him.

Lu You is now nearly eighty years old and has long since retired to his hometown, living a leisurely life at home.

However, as Han Tuozhou promoted the Northern Expedition, he began to employ a large number of pro-war figures and recalled Lu You to the court.

He served as Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and Acting Prefect of Yanzhou.

"Fangweng, Brother You'an, this is a message just sent from the Jin Kingdom by the Imperial City Guard spies." Han Tuozhou handed a secret letter to the two of them.

Lu You leaned on his carved dragon-head cane, his goosebump-skinned fingers trembling as he unfolded the letter, his white hair gleaming silver in the sunlight streaming through the window.

"Hebei Road is suffering from a severe drought, and refugees are resorting to cannibalism by exchanging their own children."

Upon seeing the first intelligence report, the nearly eighty-year-old man slowly closed his eyes and sighed, "Such a tragic scene! The Jurchen Tartars have ruined China for a century!"

Xin Qiji, who was sitting to the side, was also over sixty years old. Although his body was hunched over, the old general's eyes still blazed with a fierce fighting spirit.

As he stroked the description of "power struggles among the Jin royal family" on the secret letter, a slight coldness flashed in his cloudy eyes. He snorted and said, "Is the drama of Emperor Hailing's usurpation going to be repeated?"

"From this perspective, Wanyan Jing's abilities and prestige are far inferior to those of his grandfather."

He suddenly looked up at Han Tuozhou and said in a deep, firm voice, "My lord, if we don't launch a northern expedition now, when will we?"

"Although I am old, I still emulate Lian Po and am willing to take up my three-foot sword and follow the army to recover the Central Plains!"

Lu You shared the same sentiment. Although he was nearly eighty years old and unable to join the army in battle, as long as he remained in the court, he was the pillar of the pro-war faction.

Han Tuozhou nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Brother You'an, don't be in a hurry, take a look at this one."

After saying that, he pushed another secret letter in front of the two of them. The handwriting on the letter was crooked and messy.

“The various tribes of the grasslands rebelled, and from time to time, tribes would go south to raid and plunder the border.”

This intelligence was not very accurate, because Southern Song spies could only infer things on the grasslands based on rumors circulating among the people.

In reality, it was because the allied forces of the Kereit, Qiyan, and Jamukha fought a major battle that caused many herders to face survival problems, forcing them to head south and plunder the borders of the Jin Dynasty.

However, before a powerful force was formed on the grasslands, these raids on the border posed no threat to the Jin Dynasty.

However, due to the information gap, Han Tuozhou believed that this intelligence was quite important.

Moreover, this information must be true.

After all, although he had suppressed the pro-peace faction, they were always ready to launch a counterattack.

At this moment, Han Tuozhou's hand swept across the map of the world on the table, his fingertips pressing heavily on the northern border of the Jin Kingdom, and he said in a deep voice.

"The various tribes of the grasslands were eyeing the Jin state covetously, but the Jin people were diverting border troops to suppress the rebellion in Shandong."

“Brother You’an, Fangweng, it’s time for us to add fuel to this fire.”

Due to natural disasters such as drought and human-caused disasters such as corrupt officials harming the people, some rebellions have already occurred in Shandong and other places, but at this time they have not yet gained momentum.

But it was precisely because of the foundation laid by these rebels that the infamous Red Turban Army was later created.

As I said before, the political system determines everything, and the rebellion on Shandong Road must be real.

Then, Han Tuozhou took out another piece of silk and said with a solemn expression, "Please take another look, everyone. This is news about the price of rice in the Jin Kingdom."

“Now, many places in the Jin Kingdom are suffering from disasters and grain production has decreased sharply. The price of rice in Hebei Road, Shandong Road and other places has risen to more than five times the usual price.”

“In the marketplace, a single bushel of rice could cause a frenzy among the people, resulting in widespread starvation and the common occurrence of people exchanging their own children to eat.”

Upon hearing this, Lu You's eyes welled up with tears, and his voice choked with emotion: "What have the people done to deserve such a calamity?"

"The Jin court disregards the people's livelihood and only cares about fighting for power and profit. How can such a corrupt regime not perish!"

Xin Qiji slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacup to tip over and spill tea everywhere: "If Heaven bestows something and you do not take it, you will suffer the consequences!"

"If we send troops now, the people of the Central Plains will surely welcome the king's army with food and drink!"

“Brother You’an is right.”

Han Tuozhou nodded slightly, a resolute look flashing across his face, and said in a deep voice, "Now that things have come to this, a northern expedition is imperative."

Afterwards, the group analyzed intelligence and discussed the preparation of provisions, pay, and troops in the study.

A large-scale war is not something that can be started easily.

It requires a lot of preliminary preparation.

Gathering intelligence and preparing troops and provisions are only the most basic tasks. For a country like the Southern Song Dynasty, the biggest problem came from within.

Human nature is complex, with each person having their own interests and needs.

To get something done, there will be endless meetings and arguments.

Fortunately, Han Tuozhou now holds great power and is a de facto 'powerful minister'; otherwise, it would have been impossible for anyone else to suppress dissenting voices and forcefully push forward the Northern Expedition.

Even so, the obstacles to actually launching a Northern Expedition are still considerable.

Therefore, Han Tuozhou was constantly gathering intelligence and increasing his bargaining power in order to persuade the court officials and strengthen the emperor's resolve.

Soon after, as Lu You showed signs of fatigue, the matter had been discussed to a near conclusion.

Therefore, Han Tuozhou prepared to personally escort the two out of the mansion.

Just as the three of them stepped out of the study, they saw a steward standing in the courtyard, seemingly waiting for Han Tuozhou.

"whats the matter?"

Han Tuozhou stood with his hands behind his back, his face stern as he spoke.

Guan glanced at Xin Qiji and the other man first, then whispered something in Han Tuozhou's ear.

"Europe?"

Han Tuozhou looked surprised, then turned to Xin Qiji and the other man and said, "Fangweng, Brother You'an."

"The news from Xia Kingdom has been relayed back to the Imperial City Guard. Commander Liu is waiting outside. Would you like to listen in together?"

Xin Qiji and Lu You naturally wouldn't refuse.

They would risk their lives to promote anything that would benefit the Northern Expedition.

Even the weariness on Lu You's face vanished.

"of course."

"How could the Northern Expedition be complete without those bald-headed dogs from the Xia Kingdom?"

"Hmph, if they hadn't broken their promise, how could my Great Song have lost the fertile land of Guanzhong?" Xin Qiji said with a light snort.

If circumstances allowed, he would have liked to wipe out Western Xia as well.

Soon, a middle-aged man arrived at the study, led by the steward. He greeted the three men sitting in chairs, saying, "Liu Dongchang, the Imperial City Supervisor, greets the Prime Minister, greets Lu You, and greets Xin Xuanfu."

In name, the highest official of the Imperial City Guard was the Imperial City Envoy, but this position was not permanent.

Therefore, the actual highest authority is the Presiding Officer.

Below the rank of magistrate were officials like Li Benzhong.

Moreover, the Imperial City Guard should have been directly under the Emperor's command, but now the calls for a northern expedition are growing louder.

Emperor Ningzong of Song also wanted to make a name for himself, recover the Central Plains, and become an emperor with military achievements.

Therefore, in order to support Han Tuozhou's northern expedition, the Imperial City Guard was handed over to Han Tuozhou for command.

Of course, all the intelligence would also be sent to Emperor Ningzong of Song.

"No need for formalities. What news is there from the Xia Kingdom?" Han Tuozhou asked in a deep voice, seated at the head of the table.

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, "I dispatched Li Benzhong, the official in charge of the western route of Lizhou, to lead a team to infiltrate the Xia Kingdom and gather intelligence, but an accident occurred when they reached Xining Prefecture."

As Liu Dongchang spoke, he looked up at the three of them, his heart filled with shock.

Has the Xia Kingdom undergone a dramatic change?
After composing himself slightly, Liu Dongchang continued, "In Xining Prefecture, they were captured by an army called 'Northern Frontier'."

"According to the information they gathered, the Xia Kingdom is currently engaged in a fierce battle with this 'Northern Frontier'."

"Moreover, they have already been defeated, lost the entire Hexi Corridor, and suffered the loss of at least 80,000 troops. They have even been driven back to Hexi by the Northern Frontier Army."

"Even the Hehuang Valley has been occupied by this Northern Frontier Army..."

Upon hearing Liu Dongchang's words, Han Tuozhou and the other two were all dumbfounded, as if they were listening to something completely foreign.

Lu You's teacup clattered to the ground, and the scalding tea spilled onto his ankles, but he was completely unaware.

His cloudy old eyes widened in disbelief: "An entire army of 80,000 wiped out? The Hexi Corridor lost? Just who is this Northern Frontier Army?!"

Trembling fingers gripped the edge of the table tightly, as if trying to find a sense of reality in this small space.

Xin Qiji also frowned, looking incredulous, and shook his head, saying, "Impossible, how could such a thing happen?"

"The Xia Kingdom once confronted our Great Song for a hundred years. We know a thing or two about its strength."

"The Xia Kingdom has a strong military and sharp armor. It has fought against the Liao and Jin armies without damaging its national strength."

"How could they be so easily defeated?"

"Moreover, if we lose the entire Hexi region, what difference is there between the Xia Kingdom and the Xia Kingdom being destroyed?"

Xin Qiji said in a solemn voice, not believing that the Western Xia, which had fought against the Song Dynasty for over a hundred years, was so easily defeated.

The entire Hexi Corridor was seized by this northern frontier region that I had never heard of before.
A fantasy.

Han Tuozhou didn't believe it either, and said in a solemn voice, "The Northern Frontier?"

"Where did they come from? And what kind of army are they?"

Then, frowning, he asked, "Where is Li Benzhong, the official in charge of Lizhou Road?"

"I have brought him here; he is just outside the mansion."

"Bring him in," Han Tuozhou said, knowing that such an important matter could not be delayed.

Moreover, information obtained by asking the person directly is more comprehensive.

Soon, Li Benzhong was led to the study by the steward. This was his first time visiting the Prime Minister's residence and his first time meeting such an important figure as Han Tuozhou.

Naturally a little nervous, following Liu Dongchang's instructions, he clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Li Benzhong, the official in charge of Lizhou West Road..."

But before he could finish speaking, Han Tuozhou interrupted him: "That's enough."

"No need for formalities before me. Tell me what's going on in the Northern Frontier."

Li Benzhong straightened up and quickly said, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, in fact, I don't know much about the Northern Frontier either."

"When my men arrived at Huangzhou City, the Northern Frontier Army attacked Huangzhou. In order to obtain information, we had no choice but to endure humiliation and hardship..."

He first explained his actions, then said, "I do not know exactly where the Northern Frontier is."

"But according to my guess, the Northern Frontier should be located on the grasslands in the northern part of Xia Kingdom, perhaps inhabited by nomadic tribes like the Kereit or Naiman tribes."

"Because they were all cavalrymen, all of them rode warhorses, some even had three horses each."

Upon hearing this, Han Tuozhou frowned and murmured, "Nomadic tribes of the grasslands?"

"I've never heard of anything called 'Northern Frontier'."

Then his gaze fell on Lu You, an ancient figure, knowledgeable and well-traveled.

Moreover, they were people from before the Jingkang Incident.

Unexpectedly, Lu You stroked his beard and thought for a long time, but still couldn't come up with any useful information.

He shook his head and said, "I have lived for nearly eighty years and have never heard of a tribe called 'Northern Frontier'."

Then Han Tuozhou looked at Li Benzhong again and said, "Continue."

"Yes."

"The cavalry of the northern frontier all wore a kind of white armor that looked like linen, but it was exceptionally sturdy."

"I personally witnessed him being hit by an arrow, but the armored soldiers were unharmed."

"The flag of the northern frontier is also white, with a red border around it and a sun and moon pattern in the center..."

The army responsible for attacking the Hehuang Valley was the Sixth Garrison Commander under Da Hu, so the Northern Frontier Army that Li Benzhong saw all had white flags and white armor.

Naturally, they were unaware of the full picture of the northern frontier.

"Oh, right, Prime Minister." Li Benzhong suddenly remembered something.

“Many soldiers in the Northern Frontier Army speak our Han language. Although I can’t quite understand some of it, I’m certain that it is Mandarin,” Li Benzhong said firmly.

The reason it's difficult to understand is due to the difference in dialects, but since it's all Chinese, I can still roughly understand the meaning.

In particular, he was personally received by Da Hu.

The Li family's ancestral home is Yanyun, so they naturally speak Yanyun Mandarin, making it not too difficult for them to communicate with Li Benzhong, a man from Guanzhong.

But this point surprised Han Tuozhou and the other two even more.

They looked at each other, both seeing deep shock in each other's eyes.

They were suspected to be a nomadic tribe from the grasslands. They not only wiped out 80,000 elite troops of the Xia Kingdom and occupied the Hexi Corridor, but they also spoke Han Mandarin.

This is unreasonable!

"Are there Han people on the grasslands?" Han Tuozhou asked doubtfully.

Lu You shook his head: "Impossible."

"Even if they did, they would have long since become barbarians of the grasslands. How could they still speak Han language?"

At this moment, Xin Qiji's brows gradually relaxed.

They simply still had doubts about the intelligence brought by Li Benzhong.

But he still murmured, "If all of this is true, then the appearance of 'Northern Frontier' may not be a bad thing for our Great Song Dynasty."

Although Xin Qiji was a Song dynasty figure, his heart belonged to the entire Chinese nation.

In his view, if there really was such a powerful group of men from the northern frontier, it would be a great thing for the Song Dynasty and even for the whole of China.

Then, Xin Qiji looked at Han Tuozhou and said in a deep voice, "The Xia Kingdom has always been subordinate to the Jin Kingdom and has been an enemy of our Great Song for many years."

"If my army attacks Guanzhong, it will surely be obstructed by the Xia Kingdom."

"But if the 'Northern Frontier' is a constraint, how can the Xia Kingdom have the energy to attend to Guanzhong?"

“We can even form an alliance with the ‘Northern Frontier’ to jointly attack the Xia Kingdom.”

"The recapture of Guanzhong is just around the corner!"

Xin Qiji was already over sixty years old, but at this moment he was like a young man, excitedly pacing back and forth in the hall.

Han Tuozhou naturally understood the benefits of this matter.

Moreover, if Li Benzhong was not lying and there were many Han Chinese in the Northern Frontier Army, then the Song state would indeed have a chance to unite with them to attack the Xia state from both sides, or even jointly attack Guanzhong.

Compared to the barbarians, those people from the northern frontier should have a greater sense of identification with the Song Dynasty.

However, he still needed to find out the truth about this matter, so his expression became even more serious, and his eyes were fixed on Li Benzhong.

He asked in a deep voice, "Li Benzhong, did you witness the Northern Frontier Army occupying the Hexi Corridor with your own eyes?"

Upon hearing this, Li Benzhong felt somewhat embarrassed and shook his head, saying, "I only heard it from the local people of Huangzhou; I have never been to Hexi myself."

"But I have personally witnessed the fighting strength of the Northern Frontier Army."

"The city of Huangzhou, which was over ten feet high, was breached by the Northern Frontier Army in just half an hour."

"Moreover, the fighting power of the soldiers in the Northern Frontier is extraordinary. Most of the spies in my Imperial City Guard are elite soldiers, but they have little chance of fighting back when facing the soldiers in the Northern Frontier."

For some reason, Li Benzhong seemed to see the shadow of the Jin Dynasty's heavy cavalry in those northern frontier cavalrymen.

It's not just that they are well-equipped; more importantly, many soldiers in the northern border region possess a strong fighting spirit.

In battle, they all seemed fearless and charged forward with all their might. Their ruthless and reckless spirit alone was enough to terrify the enemy.

This bears a striking resemblance to the legendary Jurchen people of the Jingkang era.

“Therefore, I believe that the words of the people of Huangzhou can be trusted,” Li Benzhong said in a deep voice.

"A great change has likely occurred in the Xia Kingdom!"

After hearing these words, Han Tuozhou fell into deep thought.

Xin Qiji, standing nearby, said impatiently, "My lord, I think we should send more people to gather information about Western Xia and the Northern Frontier."

"It would be best to consult the Emperor and send a formal delegation to the northern frontier to facilitate an alliance."

"If the Hexi Corridor is truly occupied by the Northern Frontier, then it will be a golden opportunity for our Great Song Dynasty."

"As our Great Song Dynasty launches its northern expedition, our alliance with the northern frontier will send troops south, and the conquest of Guanzhong will be just around the corner," Xin Qiji said excitedly.

Han Tuozhou, however, continued to consider the matter with a frown.

Although Xin Qiji was skilled in both literature and military affairs, he was only the Pacification Commissioner of Zhejiang East Circuit and was already old. He was determined to launch a northern expedition.

My greatest hope is to see the recovery of the Central Plains in my lifetime.

Nothing else was within his consideration.

However, Han Tuozhou was the prime minister of the Song Dynasty. Due to his different position, he had to consider different things.

The biggest concern was actually the identity of the Han Chinese in the northern border region.

For rulers, the struggle for legitimacy was more important than the threat of external enemies.

The principle of "pacifying the interior before resisting external aggression" originates from this.

Regardless of the circumstances, forming an alliance with the Northern Frontier would be more beneficial than harmful to the Song Dynasty at present.

Everything else is for later.

Han Tuozhou didn't even know if he would live to see that day.

So he nodded in a deep voice and said, "Brother You'an is absolutely right."

He then looked at Liu Dongchang and said, "The Imperial City Guard should arrange more manpower to continue gathering information about the Xia Kingdom and the Northern Frontier."

"I will go to the palace now to discuss this matter with His Majesty."

(End of this chapter)