The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 333 The Battle of Guanzhong: The Foundation of Hegemony

The conspiracy within the commander's tent was exposed, and news arrived from Qin Prefecture in less than half a month.

Wu Xi formally surrendered the four prefectures of Jie, Cheng, He, and Feng, and submitted to the Jin Dynasty under the guise of "surrender".

Upon receiving the report, the Jin emperor was overjoyed and immediately issued an edict to confer upon Wu Xi the title of "King of Shu," allowing him to establish a separatist regime in Sichuan, with the Iron Mountain serving as the border between him and the Jin, and to refrain from interfering with each other.

On the day the imperial edict of investiture was delivered to the Shu army camp, Wu Xi, dressed in the python robe of a prince bestowed by the Jin Kingdom, received the homage of his generals in front of the tent.

Looking at the soldiers bowing their heads below, his eyes were full of pride. Years of forbearance and scheming had finally brought him control of Sichuan. From then on, he was a regional warlord and no longer subject to the Song court.

Immediately after the investiture ceremony, Wu Xi fulfilled his promise to the Jin army and joined forces with the Jin army under Wanyan Gang to launch an attack on Cheng Song's troops outside Dasanguan Pass.

In just one day, Cheng Song's troops were defeated, and most of the 20,000 Song soldiers were forcibly absorbed by Wu Xi and incorporated into his "Shu Army".

Under the desperate cover of his personal guards, Cheng Song led dozens of remaining generals in a hasty escape, rushing towards Lin'an, with the complete change of control of the Sichuan region behind him.

"Wu Xi has defected! Sichuan has fallen!"

When the news reached Lin'an, the entire Song court was as if a huge stone had been thrown at it, and the court and the public were shaken.

Inside the imperial palace's council hall, the atmosphere was so tense it was almost palpable. Prime Minister Han Tuozhou, his face ashen, roared, "Wu Xi, the traitor!"

"Our Great Song Dynasty has been so kind to the Wu family, yet he has colluded with the Jurchens and betrayed the court. Such a traitor, if captured, will surely have his entire family executed."

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion arose in the hall, and the pro-peace officials stepped forward and bowed to the emperor.

"Your Majesty! Chancellor Han made the grave mistake of appointing Wu Xi, which led to the defeat of Sichuan. This is an unforgivable error!"

"If it weren't for Prime Minister Han's insistence on the Northern Expedition and his neglect of the defenses of Sichuan, how could this disaster have occurred?"

"We implore Your Majesty to punish Chancellor Han and dismiss him from his post as chancellor, so as to appease the people!"

The pro-peace officials started talking amongst themselves, their criticisms directed at Han Tuozhou, and the hall instantly descended into chaos.

Looking at the scene before him, Han Tuozhou sneered inwardly. These people usually opposed the Northern Expedition, but now that something went wrong, they couldn't wait to jump out and kick him while he was down.

Moreover, it was precisely because of these bastards who had mistreated the Wu family over the years that the Wu family was forced into rebellion.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, Wu Xi's defection is an inescapable responsibility."

"I failed in my duty of recommendation, which led to the fall of Sichuan. I am willing to resign from my position as Prime Minister and apologize to Your Majesty!"

This was a strategic retreat, and Han Tuozhou knew that the Northern Expedition was in full swing, and the Song court could not do without him, the leader of the pro-war faction.

As expected, upon seeing this, the emperor quickly rose and personally helped Han Tuozhou up, saying urgently, "Prime Minister Han, please don't do this!"

"The Northern Expedition depends entirely on your leadership, sir. If you were to resign, how would this great undertaking proceed?"

"Wu Xi's defection was an accident and has nothing to do with you, Your Excellency. Please focus on governing the country!"

The emperor's words revealed the predicament of the Southern Song imperial power.

After Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, moved the capital south, the Southern Song emperors quickly became puppets of the Jiangnan literati, holding no real power.

This was a far cry from the situation in the Northern Song Dynasty, where the emperor, though controlled by the prime minister, still wielded real power.

Why did so many emperors of the Southern Song Dynasty die without heirs?
Some people had more than a dozen children, none of whom survived; some people reigned for forty-one years but had no offspring.
Why did so many emperors in the Southern Song Dynasty, despite being in good health, voluntarily abdicate and become retired emperors?

Because the powerful families of Jiangnan had reached an abnormal level of control over imperial power.

They maintained firm control of the court through marriage alliances and the imperial examination system, making the emperor more like a "rubber stamp."

They could only watch as officials from different factions fought amongst themselves, and whoever could prevail over the others would be supported as prime minister.

It does resemble the rudiments of a constitutional monarchy where the sun never sets.

Currently, the Northern Expedition is being driven by the pro-war faction led by Han Tuozhou. As long as no other faction can defeat them, the emperor will not dare to touch them in the slightest.

Sure enough, as soon as the emperor finished speaking, the pro-war officials stepped forward, bowed to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right!"

"Lord Han is wholeheartedly devoted to the country. Although there have been setbacks since the Northern Expedition began, he has still achieved considerable success. Wu Xi's defection was due to his personal ambition and has nothing to do with Lord Han!"

Another pro-war official changed the subject, saying loudly, "Moreover, the Northern Frontier Army has already achieved a great victory in the Northwest."

"They not only destroyed the Western Xia, an accomplice of the Jin Dynasty, but also sent tens of thousands of troops south to Guanzhong, where they defeated the Jin army one after another."

"Wanyan Heda's elite troops were completely wiped out, and Qingyang Prefecture and Yan'an Prefecture fell one after another!"

"Now the Jin state is preoccupied with its own problems in Guanzhong, and its elite troops are unable to leave the pass to support the Central Plains battlefield. This is a huge advantage for our Song Dynasty's Northern Expedition."

"What? The Northern Frontier Army is this powerful?"

"Even the Jin Dynasty's Iron Pagoda couldn't withstand it?"

An uproar erupted in the hall. Many ministers were hearing the news for the first time, and their faces were filled with shock.

Although they had heard of the Northern Frontier Army before, they never imagined that this "barbarian army of the grasslands" would have such strength.

The emperor's eyes widened, and he hurriedly asked, "Prime Minister Han, is this true? Can the Northern Frontier Army really hold back the Jin Kingdom's elite troops in Guanzhong?"

Han Tuozhou nodded, his tone tinged with relief: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely true."

"Our Great Song Dynasty had previously formed an alliance with the Northern Frontier, agreeing to jointly attack the Jin Dynasty from both sides."

"Now that the Northern Frontier Army is holding back the Jin army in the Northwest, our Great Song can concentrate its forces to attack the Central Plains. This is a golden opportunity."

The emperor breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly: "Good! Good! It is all thanks to Prime Minister Han's foresight in forming an alliance with the Northern Frontier Army."

"Otherwise, our Great Song Dynasty would probably be in a precarious situation now, facing the counterattack of the Jin Dynasty."

"In this way, there is hope for the Northern Expedition."

The political turmoil in the imperial court was thus quelled.

However, Han Tuozhou felt no relief; instead, he was shrouded in gloom.

He knew that Wu Xi's defection was just a microcosm of the predicament of the Northern Expedition. Apart from Sichuan, the other two routes of the Northern Expeditionary Army were also not going well, suffering heavy losses and making slow progress.

He risked his life and fortune on this northern expedition—if he succeeded, he would become a powerful minister second only to the emperor, leaving his mark on history, comparable to Zhuge Liang.

But if he fails, the peace faction will never let him go; at best, he will be dismissed from his post and exiled, and at worst, his entire family will be executed.

"I can't lose!"

Han Tuozhou silently recited the mantra in his heart, his gaze regaining its resolve.

He turned to the assembled officials and said, “My lords, although Wu Xi’s defection has led to the fall of Sichuan, our Great Song Dynasty cannot stand idly by.”

"Now that the main force of the Northern Expedition is in the Central Plains, it is impossible to send troops to aid Sichuan. We can only rely on the loyal ministers and righteous men in Sichuan."

"We urge you, esteemed officials, to recommend talented individuals from Sichuan and to unite the local righteous armies to jointly suppress Wu Xi's rebellion and reclaim Sichuan!"

The ministers echoed their agreement, and the atmosphere in the hall became heavy again.

Looking at the scene before him, Han Tuozhou understood that recovering Sichuan was by no means an easy task, and the road to the Northern Expedition would only be more difficult.

……

Inside the golden tent of Ningzhou Prefecture, a personal guard entered carrying a newly received military report, bowing and saying, "Grand Protector, we have just received news from the south."

"Wu Xi surrendered the four prefectures of Jie, Cheng, He, and Feng to the Jin Kingdom and was enfeoffed as the King of Shu by the Jin emperor."

"King of Shu?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao, who was standing in front of the sand table, threw away the wooden stick in his hand. Although he had expected this, his heart was still filled with solemnity.

"These stupid pigs from the Song Kingdom," Li Xiao muttered angrily.

"I sent someone to warn them earlier that Wu Xi was colluding with the Jin state, and told them to be on high alert. And what happened?"

“Everyone turned a deaf ear, and now look what’s happened. Wu Xi has openly surrendered to the Jin and declared himself king, so the Song Dynasty’s Northern Expedition has come to an end.”

"They're utterly hopeless."

Wu Xi's surrender to the Jin dynasty is no small matter; it will have a huge impact on the entire war situation.

The Song Dynasty's eastern and central armies were already deeply embroiled in the Central Plains battlefield. Now that their rear in Sichuan is in turmoil, they will inevitably have to divide their forces to deal with the situation, and the momentum of the Northern Expedition will certainly be thwarted.

For the Guanzhong region, the trouble is even greater.

Previously, Wu Xi and Cheng Song's Song army had tied down a significant number of Jin troops on the southern front. Now that Cheng Song has been defeated and Wu Xi has sided with the Jin, the Jin no longer has any worries about the southern front.

The main force of the Guanzhong army will definitely be transferred to the northern front, adding an unnecessary variable to this battle in Guanzhong.

Li Xiao threw the military newspaper on the table, tapped his fingers lightly on the surface, and his gaze returned to the Guanzhong map on the sand table. His tone gradually became solemn: "Wu Xi dares to call himself king. It seems that it is time for our Northern Frontier to establish its own banner."

"Now that we have captured Qingyang and Ningzhou, the next step is to take Binzhou, and then we can go straight to Chang'an. At that time, Guanzhong will be under our control, and this 'King' should finally have a proper title."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the tent. Li Dongjiang's messenger from the Eastern Route Army rushed over, patted his chest, and said, "Great Protector, my Second Division has captured Fangzhou and will soon advance westward to join the main force of the Great Protector."

"it is good!"

A sharp glint flashed in Li Xiao's eyes: "Second Uncle is indeed brave, and the Second Town truly deserves to be called the Lion of the Northern Frontier."

"Now that Fangzhou has been captured, we certainly cannot afford to lose our horses in this capital."

Li Xiao temporarily set aside Wu Xi's matter and focused on the current battle situation: "Send the order that the army launch a general offensive first thing tomorrow morning."

"Take Binzhou."

Wanyan Gang dispatched three generals, each leading 10,000 troops, to resist the three armies from the northern frontier.

The eastern route's Tudan Dorje, stationed in Fangzhou, has already been captured by the Second Town.

Puchazhen, who was stationed at Sanzhai on the western route, was also defeated by the Fourth Garrison and retreated to Qinzhou.

Li Xiao's First Garrison had already conquered Ningzhou, and now only Binzhou remained in his path.

Beyond Binzhou lies the vast, flat Guanzhong Plain.

The First Garrison Army has been besieging Binzhou for five days and is just waiting for the final assault.

The next morning, at Li Xiao's command, dozens of Tiger Cannons roared simultaneously, and the shells flew toward the Binzhou city wall with a piercing whistle.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The cannonballs landed on the city wall, sending bricks and stones flying and dust billowing everywhere. The Jin soldiers on the city wall were shaken and staggered, their screams echoing incessantly.

Wanyan Shouwang, holding a scimitar, stood atop the city wall and shouted sternly, "Hold on! The barbarians of the Northern Frontier cannot breach our walls!"

However, the Binzhou city wall had already become dilapidated after being bombed and blasted in the previous few days.

After dozens of cannons fired again, a breach was soon blasted into the city wall.

The deputy commander of the Wuwei Army, Shouhou, personally led his heavily armored infantry in a charge, engaging in a fierce battle with the Jin army on the city wall.

Wanyan Shouwang brandished his scimitar and personally led the charge. He knocked a Northern Frontier heavy infantryman to the ground with a single spear thrust, but was then pierced through the shoulder by another soldier with a long spear. Blood gushed out, but he paid no heed, still roaring as he commanded his soldiers to resist: "Hold the breach! Even if we die in battle, we cannot let the Northern Frontier barbarians enter the city."

The battle lasted for more than half an hour. The number of defenders in Binzhou City was decreasing, while the number of Northern Frontier Army soldiers on the city walls was increasing.

Wanyan Shouwang was covered in wounds and his strength was gradually being exhausted, but he still held on to the city wall. In the end, he was beheaded by the skinny monkey himself.

"This Jin general was a warrior; he deserves a proper burial."

"Skinny Monkey said in a low voice, his arms trembling from the intense fighting, as he sat on the city wall panting heavily.

With Wanyan Shouwang's death in battle, the garrison of Binzhou City completely lost the will to resist and surrendered one after another.

The Northern Frontier Army successfully captured Binzhou City. After entering the city, Li Xiao ordered all the city's residents to be gathered together and placed under guard.

They confiscated the mansions of gentry and officials, sealed off the granaries, treasuries, and registers of the people of the Jin army.

Standing atop Binzhou city wall, Li Xiao gazed at the vast, flat Guanzhong Plain in the distance, his eyes filled with pride.

The skinny monkey walked up to him, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Great Protector, now that we have conquered Binzhou, there are no more natural defenses in Guanzhong. It is all flat land."

"Our Northern Frontier Army's flag will soon be planted atop Chang'an City."

Li Xiao nodded and said softly, "I hope so."

I only hope that the Song army in the Central Plains can show some spirit and not be defeated too quickly, so as to tie down the main force of the Jin army in the Central Plains for a period of time.

……

The stench of bloodshed before Dasanguan Pass had not yet completely dissipated.

Wu Xi then led his army back to Hanzhong. At this time, the most important thing was not to help the Jin Kingdom fight against the Northern Frontier Army, as that was none of his concern.

Instead, he should return as soon as possible to subdue the counties and prefectures of Shu, solidify his title as "King of Shu," and firmly control Sichuan.

Wanyan Gang stood atop the city wall of Dasanguan, watching the departing figures of Wu Xi's army, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He had finally resolved a major problem.

But then he remembered the urgent situation on the northern front and immediately got a headache again.

He turned to his generals and said, "Wu Xi has retreated; the southern front is safe!"

"Pass down the order: the entire army shall immediately march north to support Wanyan Shouwang and Tudanduoluo, and make every effort to stop the northern invaders."

Leaving behind a small number of troops to garrison Dasanguan, and without even having time to accept the four prefectures ceded by Wu Xi, he led the majority of Jin soldiers and sped towards Guanzhong.

But just as they reached Baoji, a rapid sound of horses' hooves came from ahead.

A messenger from Chang'an rode a fast horse and stumbled to Wanyan Gang, saying in a panicked voice, "General, something terrible has happened!"

"Fangzhou City, Binzhou City... have all been captured by the Northern Frontier Army. General Tudanduoluo was captured alive, and General Wanyan Shouwang died fighting to the death!"

"what?"

Wanyan Gang was struck dumb, and he abruptly pulled on the reins, his face turning deathly pale.

He never expected that he would receive the devastating news of the fall of two important towns so soon after leaving Dasanguan.

Binzhou was the northern gateway to the Guanzhong Plain, and Fangzhou was a vital passage to Chang'an. With the fall of these two cities, the situation in Guanzhong became extremely precarious.

Before he could process the news, another messenger rushed in with bad news from the western front: "General, the three fortresses of Ningyuan have fallen, and General Puchazhen has led his remaining troops to retreat to Qinzhou."

Wanyan Gang's expression turned even uglier.

Taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down, he asked, "What is the situation in Qin Prefecture now? Has the Song army made any moves?"

"The Song army has all retreated," the scout replied hastily.

After the Song army retreated, the Jin army in Qinzhou was able to free up its forces to deal with the western route army in the northern frontier.

"The western front is temporarily safe..."

Wanyan Gang muttered to himself, feeling somewhat relieved, but was immediately gripped by the perilous situation on both the Middle East and the Eastern route.

With the loss of Binzhou and Fangzhou, the Guanzhong Plain was left without any natural defenses, leaving only a few major cities such as Chang'an, Xianyang, and Qianzhou standing on the flat land.

The cavalry of the Northern Frontier Army can drive straight in and threaten Chang'an at any time!
Wanyan Gang then asked the messenger from Chang'an, "How many troops are currently in Chang'an? How are the defenses in Xianyang, Qianzhou, and other places?"

The messenger hurriedly replied, "General, there are currently 30,000 troops in Chang'an, 20,000 each in Xianyang and Qianzhou, and several thousand each in Liyang, Yunyang, Jingyang, and other cities."

Since the news of the Northern Frontier Army's southward advance arrived, the garrison commander of Chang'an summoned the gentry of Guanzhong to discuss conscription. The gentry responded enthusiastically, donating money and supplies to form a militia and showing great enthusiasm for resisting the Northern Frontier Army.

During the previous war with the Song Dynasty, when the court increased taxes on them, the gentry in Guanzhong were mostly ambiguous and passive. But now they are so enthusiastic when facing the northern frontier.

Because the Song state was ruled by scholar-officials, if the Song state occupied Guanzhong, it would certainly treat the gentry well.

But the Northern Frontier Army was different. They confiscated the property of wealthy households, distributed land to the people, and showed no mercy to the gentry and powerful.

The gentry of Guanzhong had already sent several groups of people to meet with Li Xiao, wanting to negotiate terms, but they were all refused.

They knew that if the Northern Frontier Army captured Guanzhong, their families would be destroyed and their lives would be lost, so they resisted desperately, even more aggressively than the Jurchens.

Wanyan Gang was quite pleased to hear this, as the support of the gentry would greatly strengthen the resistance in Guanzhong.

Although they were all militia temporarily conscripted and could not compare to the seasoned elites under his command, they were still an important force in defending the city.

"It's a pity that the troops north of the Wei River are too scattered. Each of the small cities like Liyang and Yunyang only has a few thousand men. If the Northern Frontier Army were to conquer them one by one, it would be a piece of cake," Wanyan Gang thought to himself.

His plan was to abandon these small towns and concentrate his forces to defend the three major cities north of the Wei River: Xianyang, Jingyang, and Qianzhou.

Although the gentry actively resisted the Northern Frontier Army, they also had their own selfish motives, making it almost impossible to get them to obey orders and coordinate defenses.

This was because these militias were all organized by the gentry themselves, without using a single penny from the imperial court.

Their primary goal was to protect their land and property. If they were asked to abandon their small hometown and move to a larger city, the gentry would certainly not agree, and the resistance would be immense.

"That's it!"

Wanyan Gang sighed, his tone full of helplessness: "Never mind that for now. Order the entire army to speed up and head to Chang'an."

He paused, then said to his personal guards, "Send another urgent message to Zhongdu to request aid from His Majesty."

The situation in Guanzhong has reached a critical juncture. Without reinforcements, Guanzhong may be lost, and the Jin dynasty's foundation in the northwest will completely collapse.

……

"Boom boom boom~"

On the official roads of the Guanzhong Plain, a yellow torrent is rolling forward.

The cavalry formation of the Northern Frontier Army resembled a moving tsunami, with yellow sun and moon battle flags fluttering in the wind. Their iron hooves pounded the ground with a deafening roar that even drowned out the sound of the Wei River flowing by.

The people along the way saw this spectacle from afar and were instantly thrown into panic.

They fled in all directions with their families, carrying grain and valuables, but the Guanzhong Plain was flat and had few mountains and valleys, so there was nowhere to hide.

Some people panicked and ran towards the depths of the fields, only to be left far behind by the cavalry of the Northern Frontier Army.

The Northern Frontier Army had no time to pay attention to these civilians; they had only one goal: to take Chang'an as quickly as possible and completely control Guanzhong.

Just three days later, the main force of the Northern Frontier Army arrived at the banks of the Wei River.

Gazing at the calm, still river, Li Xiao reined in his horse, stood still, and said with emotion, "Look at this Wei River, flowing for thousands of years, witnessing countless rises and falls."

"Back then, the Turks migrated south from the Hetao and Hexi Corridor to Guanzhong, taking almost the same route as we do today."

"In the end, on the banks of the Wei River, they forced Emperor Taizong of Tang to sign the Wei River Alliance. How impressive! But it was just a flash in the pan."

Yang Shoujing, commander of the Wuwei Army, reined in his horse and stood beside Li Xiao. Following Li Xiao's gaze, he looked towards the Wei River and said in a deep voice, "The Grand Protector is right."

"However, although history seems to be repeating itself, my northern frontier is by no means comparable to the Turks."

Li Xiao nodded with a light laugh, his tone tinged with a hint of wistfulness: "Yes, life is unpredictable."

"The barbarian Turks of yesteryear have been replaced by us Han Chinese."

"And those who guarded Guanzhong back then became the Jurchen Jin people, which is quite interesting."

"I am reminded of the Qin state, which used Guanzhong as its base and relied on the strategic passes of Xiaohan and the Wei River to sweep across the six states and achieve its hegemonic status."

"If we can occupy Guanzhong now and stabilize our foundation, it will not be difficult for us to advance eastward into the Central Plains and overthrow the Jin Dynasty in the future."

"The Grand Protector is absolutely right!"

A hint of pride flashed in Yang Shoujing's eyes: "Qin was able to unify the world with Guanzhong. Our Northern Frontier Army is far superior to the Qin Army. With the national policy of 'equal land distribution and pacifying the people,' we will surely be able to recreate the hegemony of yesteryear."

As the two were talking, a messenger galloped up on horseback: "Grand Protector!"

"The Second Garrison has arrived outside Jingyang City and has completely surrounded the city."

Chang'an City was located south of the Wei River, facing Xianyang City across the river, forming a strategic defensive position.

North of the Wei River, besides Xianyang, there were also cities such as Jingyang, Qianzhou, and Yunyang. Although most of these were militias organized by gentry, they still had considerable military strength.

Li Xiao said in a deep voice, "These cities north of the Wei River must be dealt with first."

"If we launch a strong attack on Chang'an, these troops could easily cut off our retreat if they launch a surprise attack from the rear. In that case, we would be in big trouble if we were attacked from both sides."

Yang Shoujing nodded in agreement: "The Grand Protector has considered everything thoroughly."

"Although these militia are not as elite as the Jin army, they are familiar with the terrain and have gentry supervising the battle. If they disperse and harass, they will indeed be troublesome."

"It would be better to concentrate our forces, take down major cities like Jingyang and Qianzhou first, and then clear out smaller cities like Yunyang, thus completely stabilizing the situation north of the Wei River."

Li Xiao immediately ordered: "Issue my order: the Second Garrison will besiege Jingyang and Qianzhou and capture the cities."

"Order Lin Dazhuang, the 30,000th commander, to lead his troops and a part of the Kuli army to attack Yunyang and Liyang. The battle must be quick and decisive, and there should be no delay."

"The remaining troops will follow me to attack Xianyang."

The remaining troops will stay with me and garrison the south bank of the Wei River, keeping an eye on the movements of Xianyang City.

"Yes, sir." The messenger turned and left.

Xianyang, the capital of the Qin state, was located on the north bank of the Wei River and served as the northwest gateway to Chang'an.

At this time, it was already heavily surrounded by the army of the First Garrison of the Northern Frontier. The flags of the Jin army could be vaguely seen on the city wall, showing that they were ready for battle.

Xianyang City has 20,000 troops, mostly militia, but they are still a tough nut to crack. Taking Xianyang would cut off the connection between Chang'an and the area north of the Wei River.

At that time, Chang'an will become an isolated city, and it will only be a matter of time before it is conquered.

The upcoming battles of Xianyang and Chang'an will be crucial in determining the fate of Guanzhong.

Li Xiao, standing at a turning point in history, aims to reclaim this land that has nurtured countless dynasties as a Han Chinese, making Guanzhong the foundation of his northern border hegemony once again.

(End of this chapter)