The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 342 The Alliance at the Wei River, the Three Kingdoms Stand Alone

On the official road outside Chang'an City, a troop of fast horses galloped by, kicking up dust.

The person in the middle is dressed in the attire of a Jin Dynasty prince. He is very tall, but his figure is slightly hunched.

His face, with its pointed chin and monkey-like cheeks, bore the weariness of a journey, and he looked nothing like the dignity and demeanor a prince should have.

But he was none other than Wanyan Yongji, the Prince of Wei of the Jin Dynasty.

Reining in his horse and looking at the familiar city of Chang'an before him, Wanyan Yongji let out a long sigh of relief.

They rode at breakneck speed and finally arrived in Guanzhong.

Outside the city gate, Wanyan Gang, along with officials and gentry from Chang'an, were already waiting.

"Your subject, Wanyan Gang, respectfully welcomes Your Majesty."

Officials and gentry followed suit and bowed, and for a time, the city gate was filled with bowing figures.

Wanyan Yongji dismounted, waved his hand, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Get up, all of you, no need for formalities."

His smiling face and the way his gaze swept over everyone showed no trace of a prince's majesty; instead, he seemed like an ordinary, kind-hearted person.

Many gentry secretly wondered, "Is this the Prince of Wei sent by His Majesty? He seems so...kind."

After a few brief pleasantries, just as everyone was about to escort Wanyan Yongji into the city, a gentleman in a brocade robe suddenly stepped forward and bowed to Wanyan Yongji.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report. I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for the gentry of Chang'an and the people of Guanzhong."

Everyone looked over at the sound and saw that the speaker was Cui Mingyuan, the patriarch of the prominent Cui clan in Chang'an.

Everyone's expressions became agitated, except for Wanyan Gang, whose face changed drastically as he glared angrily at Cui Mingyuan.

"Cui Mingyuan, step back. His Majesty has had a long journey. We can discuss this later."

Cui Mingyuan ignored Wanyan Gang's angry rebuke and insisted, "Your Majesty, I wish to file a complaint against Wanyan Gang."

Wanyan Yongji was stunned for a moment, glanced at the two of them, and really had no idea what was going on.

After all, Wanyan Gang wrote all the reports sent to Zhongdu, so how could he possibly expose himself?
So Wanyan Yongji casually said, "Chief Cui, please speak freely."

Cui Mingyuan raised his head, his gaze fixed on Wanyan Gang, and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty."

"In the Battle of Weibei, Wanyan Gang, as the commander, abandoned his army when the battle was critical, led his elite troops to escape alone, and used tens of thousands of militiamen from Guanzhong as shields, causing his soldiers to die in vain."

"Such a cowardly and ruthless person is not fit to be the commander-in-chief of the army. Your Majesty, please severely punish Wanyan Gang and select another virtuous and capable person to lead the military affairs in Guanzhong."

These words immediately caused an uproar outside the city gates.

Other gentry and officials also stepped forward, each offering their own accusations against Wanyan Gang: "Your Majesty."

“Everything Chief Cui said is true.”

"The thousand militiamen sent by my Lü clan were all members of the clan, and none of them survived. They all fled because Wanyan Gang abandoned his army."

"Wanyan Gang not only harmed the militia, but also plundered the people's food rations in Guanzhong, causing the people of Guanzhong to be displaced. His crimes were heinous."

"Your Majesty, please grant this order and severely punish Wanyan Gang to avenge the fallen soldiers."

For a time, voices of impeachment rose and fell. Wanyan Gang stood there, his face turning pale and then red, but he had no way to refute them.

He knew that his actions of using the militia as a shield and fleeing alone in Weibei had thoroughly enraged the gentry of Chang'an.

Those militias were all organized by the gentry with money and effort. Most of the soldiers were their own tenants or refugees, and the generals were the most outstanding sons of their clans.

He had hoped they would achieve great things on the battlefield and make a name for themselves, but he never expected them to become his victims in his escape.

The major aristocratic families suffered heavy losses, and their core generation almost disappeared. How could they not hate Wanyan Gang?

A few days ago, the Northern Frontier Army even threatened the lives of captured aristocratic youths to force them to open the gates of Chang'an.

At that time, many gentry were so enraged that they wished they could open the gates immediately and let the northern army into the city to eliminate Wanyan Gang.

However, firstly, there was disagreement among the aristocratic families, and secondly, they feared the policy of "confiscating land" in the northern frontier.

Without land, they lost the foundation for controlling human and material resources, and going to the northern frontier would only make them lambs to the slaughter.

The private armies of the three aristocratic families had already been wiped out in Weibei, leaving only Wanyan Gang's army in Chang'an, which was powerless even if it wanted to resist.

They had repeatedly petitioned the court to impeach Wanyan Gang, but all their efforts were in vain. Now that the Prince of Wei had arrived, they could no longer restrain themselves and wanted to use the Prince of Wei to get rid of this major threat.

Little did they know, this King Wei was nothing but a show-off.

The reason why Wanyan Jing trusted him the only one among the many members of the imperial clan was because he was weak, indecisive, mediocre, and incompetent, and never offended anyone.

Now, he has neither the courage nor the resolve to severely punish Wanyan Gang.

Wanyan Gang commands the remnants of the Guanzhong army; offending him could trigger even greater chaos.

As Wanyan Yongji listened to the impeachments, a troubled expression appeared on his face.

He coughed twice, waved his hand, and tried to calm everyone down: "I understand your feelings."

"The defeat at Weibei resulted in heavy casualties among the soldiers, which I find deeply painful."

"But General Wanyan Gang's defense of Chang'an against the Northern Frontier Army is also a meritorious act."

"As for the matter of abandoning the army, there may be unavoidable difficulties. It is not too late to deal with it after I have investigated the truth."

"The situation in Guanzhong is critical at the moment. Stability should be the top priority. We must not give the Northern Frontier Army an opportunity to take advantage of the internal strife."

This attempt to smooth things over only angered the gentry.

The phrase "officials protect each other" is something they usually use to refer to the common people, but now they're using it on themselves.

They had thought that the gathering of so many gentry from Guanzhong would prompt the court to give it serious consideration.

Did not expect ah.

In the eyes of the Jurchens, these so-called noble families and hereditary lords were nothing more than a pack of dogs kept by the Jurchens.

To try to deal with a general who has made great military achievements and commands a large army is nothing but wishful thinking.

However, to prevent these people from surrendering Chang'an in anger and defecting to the northern frontier, Zhang Xingjian, the Minister of Rites who was acting as the deputy envoy, quickly spoke up.

They indicated that after the troops withdrew from the northern frontier, they would definitely compensate them and would not let the loyal ministers and soldiers of the Great Jin Kingdom suffer losses.

Under this combination of coercion and enticement, the gentry of Chang'an finally realized what it meant for officials to protect each other, and could only swallow their grievances for the time being.

Three days later, peace talks began.

Both armies lined up on both banks of the Wei River.

Wanyan Yongji stood on the south bank, facing the Northern Frontier Army on the opposite bank, their warhorses neighing and exuding murderous intent. His heart pounded uncontrollably.

This was his first time seeing the Northern Frontier Army. The rumors of their ferocity were indeed true. Their neat and uniform formation and imposing aura alone made him feel intimidated.

But he could only feign composure, raising his hand to smooth the wrinkles in his robes, and turning to Wanyan Gang beside him to ask, "General Wanyan, is the Northern Frontier Army... always this imposing in battle?"

Wanyan Gang's expression was solemn. Recalling his previous clashes with the Northern Frontier Army, his tone carried a hint of apprehension.

"Your Majesty may not know this, but the Northern Frontier Army is not only terrifying in its power, but also treacherous and ruthless in its actions, and extremely vengeful."

“I sent three groups of peace envoys, but they were all beheaded by the Northern Frontier Army. This was because I had killed one of the Northern Frontier envoys before the Battle of Weibei.”

He paused, his tone full of regret: "Only later did I realize that it was a trap set by the people of the Northern Frontier."

"They deliberately spread false news of a rebellion in Xiping Prefecture to lure our Guanzhong army into a northern expedition. In fact, the main force of the Northern Frontier Army did not return to Xiping Prefecture at all."

"But they kept using the 'killing of the envoy' as an excuse to take revenge, and their methods were extremely ruthless."

"All three groups of envoys were beheaded?"

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Yongji's face turned deathly pale, and his legs went weak. He was terrified that he would be killed by the Northern Frontier Army and his body would not even be able to return to Zhongdu.

But as the chief envoy for peace talks from the Jin Dynasty, he had no room to back down and could only grit his teeth and say it.

"Since it is a peace negotiation agreed upon by both parties, they should not act rashly. I will go and meet them."

As agreed, the armies of both countries were stationed within a safe distance of 200 zhang on both sides of the Wei River. Wanyan Yongji straightened his robes and, with more than ten members of the delegation, carefully stepped onto the stone bridge connecting the two banks.

On the north bank, Li Xiao was riding a black horse, his sharp eyes fixed on Wanyan Yongji, who was walking from the south bank.

His personal visit was not only for peace talks, but more importantly, he wanted to see for himself what kind of person this King Wei of Jin was.

According to historical records, the current Jin emperor, Wanyan Jing, will die in two years. All five of his sons have died young, leaving only two concubines who are pregnant.

At that time, Wanyan Jing will temporarily pass the throne to the seemingly honest and kind Wanyan Yongji, and will also leave a will: if a concubine gives birth to a prince, the throne will be passed back to her own offspring.

But the allure of power is enough to change anyone, and Li Xiao could almost foresee the outcome—once Wanyan Yongji had tasted power, he would never easily relinquish it.

At that time, the two concubines will either die mysteriously, be forced to become nuns, or even be falsely accused of "false pregnancy" or "miscarriage," while Wanyan Yongji will be able to sit on the throne with peace of mind.

Therefore, the next Northern Frontier Army's eastern expedition will face the Jin Dynasty's monarch, who is none other than the seemingly mediocre Prince Wei before them.

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. Li Xiao decided to observe Wanyan Yongji personally and figure out his temperament and personality.

Behind Li Xiao, in the Northern Frontier negotiation team, besides Hu Li, the military advisor of the Court of State Ceremonies, and Su Shidan, the envoy of the Song Dynasty, there was also a young man dressed in the armor of a centurion of the Northern Frontier Army.

It was Li Xiao's former clerk, Li Shurong.

At this time, Li Shurong had lost much of his scholarly air and gained more of the fierceness of a northern border soldier. He also successfully rose to the rank of centurion based on his military achievements.

Li Xiao brought him along specifically for this peace talks, in order to broaden his horizons.

After all, among the younger generation of old men in Jinzhou, Li Shurong was a rare talent who was both literate and martial, so Li Xiao naturally valued his training.

At that moment, Li Shurong, riding on his horse, looked at Li Xiao's back and whispered to Hu Li beside him, "Military Advisor Hu, I have never participated in negotiations with an enemy country before, and I am a little nervous."

"I don't know what to say for a moment. What if I say the wrong thing?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Li couldn't help but smile and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't be nervous, just watch my expression and act accordingly."

"Remember, verbal battles between two countries may seem dangerous, but they are actually governed by rules."

"The most important thing is to pay attention to your words. You must be magnanimous, polite, and courteous, so as to show the great power of our northern border region."

"We must also hold the line and never give in on things that shouldn't be compromised, so that the other side knows we are not easy to bully."

Li Shurong nodded thoughtfully.

Little did they know, Hu Li was a cunning fox. When he spoke of magnanimity to his opponents, it was a smile hiding a dagger, not genuine politeness; he was actually plotting something malicious. But when he became arrogant, it was outright contempt for his opponents; being domineering and unreasonable was the true nature of the Northern Frontier.

North of Chang'an City, there is a bridge.

It was on this very bridge that Emperor Taizong of Tang met with the Turkic Khagan, Jili Khan, and established the Wei River Alliance.

Today, this stone bridge, which carries the weight of history, has become the site for peace talks between the northern frontier and the Jin Dynasty, and the air is once again filled with tension and a sense of impending conflict.

Wanyan Yongji stepped onto the bridge and his gaze fell on Li Xiao on the north bank, his face showing surprise.

Unexpectedly, the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier looked like this, wearing a golden dragon-patterned armor, standing tall and straight on the shore.

Although he hadn't taken a single step, he exuded an aura of dominance over the world. His young face showed no trace of immaturity, only the composure and sharpness of someone who had been through many battles.

"This is Li Xiao?"

Wanyan Yongji was secretly alarmed, and then a wave of regret washed over him.

If he had known that Li Xiao would come in person, he should have sent people to lie in ambush in the water under the bridge beforehand, so that he could launch a surprise attack during the negotiations and take Li Xiao away.

Once Li Xiao dies, the northern frontier will be leaderless and will inevitably fall into internal strife, thus resolving the crisis of the Jin Kingdom collapsing without a fight.

But now he has made no arrangements and can only watch helplessly as this major threat stands on the other side, missing what might be the only opportunity to get rid of Li Xiao.

Li Xiao had already taken safety into consideration and would stay on the shore and not step onto the stone bridge.

Moreover, he wore two layers of armor, which ordinary arrows could not penetrate.

With his martial prowess, unless he is surrounded and attacked by dozens of fully armed elites, very few people can threaten his safety.

He could even capture Wanyan Yongji and his entire delegation on the bridge with a single raid if he so desired.

He looked Wanyan Yongji up and down, and seeing the other man's shifty eyes and timid expression, he secretly shook his head.

"What's the use of killing such a mediocre and incompetent person?"

Replacing the emperor with a shrewd and capable one would only cause more trouble for oneself.

Keeping him around will only hasten the decline of the Jin Dynasty.

Historically, Wanyan Yongji did not even fully control the imperial guards of Zhongdu, and was killed in a coup d'état launched by the traitorous general Hushahu.

"Wanyan Yongji, the Prince of Wei of the Jin Dynasty?"

Li Xiao spoke first, his voice loud and clear, with undisguised arrogance: "I thought the peace envoy sent by the Jin Kingdom would be a man of some backbone."

"I never expected it to be the infamous 'useless prince' Prince Wei of Zhongdu!"

Wanyan Yongji's face flushed red with anger, a flash of fury crossing his eyes. He could only feign composure and ask, "Li Xiao, the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier?"

"I have come here today for the sake of peace between our two nations, not to engage in a war of words with you."

"Peace?"

Li Xiao scoffed: "If the Jin Kingdom truly wanted peace, it wouldn't have repeatedly sent troops to invade my northern border and the territories of its allies."

Wanyan Yongji was furious: "Shameless! Guanzhong is clearly the territory of my Great Jin Kingdom. It is clearly your Northern Frontier that has invaded my Great Jin Kingdom."

"Furthermore, when did my Great Jin invade the territory of your northern ally?"

Li Xiao said calmly, "Guanzhong has long been part of my northern frontier."

"The Song Kingdom is my most loyal ally in the north. Your Jin Kingdom's invasion of the Song Kingdom's territory in the Central Plains is an act of hostility towards my northern border."

Upon hearing Li Xiao's words, Wanyan Yongji's heart skipped a beat: "The Song Kingdom?"

"Damn it, no wonder those southern barbarians were so tough, they were in cahoots with the northern frontier."

Subsequently, the negotiators from all three parties stepped forward and came to the center of the temporary bridge.

On the northern frontier side was Hu Li, the military advisor of the Court of State Ceremonies; on the Jin side was Zhang Xingjian, the Minister of Rites; and on the Song side was the envoy Su Shidan.

Zhang Xingjian spoke first, his tone firm: "Our Great Jin is sincere in its peace talks with the Northern Frontier."

"The conditions are simple: the Northern Frontier Army withdraws from Guanzhong, returns all occupied Jin territory, and the two countries remain bound by the old Jin-Xia border, acting as brother states and refusing to invade each other."

"Otherwise, our Great Jin army will never let this go."

"Withdraw from Guanzhong? Return the territory?"

Hu Li burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world: "Minister Zhang, are you still half asleep?"

"Our mighty lions of the northern frontier fought bloody battles to seize most of Guanzhong. Why should we return it to you?"

"This land north of the Wei River is now part of my northern frontier. You want to take it back? Sure, send troops to fight."

"If you don't have the guts, don't talk big here."

"Why don't we just stop talking today and start a war? Once my northern army captures Chang'an and takes over the entire Guanzhong region, the conditions for the next negotiation will be different."

"You...you dare to be so rude!" Zhang Xingjian said angrily.

"vulgar?"

Hu Li sneered: "I think it's you who are vulgar. You clearly have Han blood, yet you are willing to be slaves and servants to the Jurchen Tartars, helping them oppress the Han people and exploit their blood and sweat. You are nothing short of traitors."

"You still have the nerve to talk to me about vulgarity?"

Zhang Xingjian was even more furious when he saw Hu Li's face, which clearly had the features of a foreign race. He pointed at Hu Li and roared, "You barbarian from another race, how dare you insult me?"

"Our Great Jin Dynasty's entry into the Central Plains and unification of the world is the will of Heaven. Your Northern Frontier is nothing but a small border force, yet you dare to contend with our Great Jin Dynasty?"

"The Mandate of Heaven?"

Su Shidan immediately joined the fray, sneering at Zhang Xingjian: "Minister Zhang, you seem to have forgotten that during the Jingkang Incident, you traitors and lackeys helped the Jurchens kidnap our two Song emperors and slaughter the people. We haven't settled that score yet!"

"Now that the Northern Frontier Army has routed the Jin Dynasty, you still have the nerve to say that the Mandate of Heaven has been bestowed upon you?"

"In my opinion, the Mandate of Heaven no longer lies with the Jin Kingdom, but with the northern frontier, with our Great Song Dynasty."

"You're talking complete nonsense."

"You're the one talking nonsense."

“Not only will my Northern Frontier not withdraw from Guanzhong, but your Jin Kingdom will also have to pay for the military expenses of my Northern Frontier troops.”

The three parties instantly erupted into a heated argument. Hu Li and Su Shidan took turns refuting Zhang Xingjian, their words sharp and hitting the nail on the head.

Zhang Xingjian fought alone, but gradually fell into a disadvantageous position, his face turning pale and then red.

Standing behind Hu Li, Li Shurong stared in disbelief, his lips twitching slightly: "This... this is the magnanimity of a great nation that Military Advisor Hu spoke of? How can it be like arguing with a shrew in the street?"

The negotiations lasted all day, and the three men were hoarse from talking, but made no progress.

The next day, Li Xiao immediately called off the negotiations and instead mobilized his army to make it appear as if he were launching a full-scale attack.

The iron cavalry lined up, preparing to force their way across the Wei River. The Tiger-shaped cannon was pushed to the front of the riverbank, its muzzle pointing directly to the south bank.

"Is the Northern Frontier Army going to turn against us?" Wanyan Yongji was so frightened that his face turned pale.

"What are we going to do? If they really attack, we won't be able to stop them at all!"

Wanyan Gang was also flustered. Although the negotiations yesterday had reached a stalemate, he thought that the Northern Frontier Army would at least maintain the dignity of the peace talks. He did not expect Li Xiao to be so decisive and directly use force to exert pressure.

He quickly reassured Wanyan Yongji: "Your Majesty, do not panic. The Northern Frontier Army may just be trying to force us to make concessions, and may not actually attack."

"Let's send someone to ask them what they're up to."

Before the Jin envoy could depart, the Northern Frontier Army sent a message: "The Grand Protector has ordered that if the Jin Kingdom has no sincerity in peace talks, there is no need to continue negotiations."

"My northern army will cross the Wei River today, capture Chang'an, and personally go to Zhongdu to negotiate with the Jin emperor."

These words completely shattered Wanyan Yongji's psychological defenses. He was unaware that the Northern Frontier Army was already exhausted and could hardly continue fighting.

He assumed that the Jin army in Guanzhong was too weak to withstand the attack of the Northern Frontier Army, and that once war broke out, Chang'an would surely fall, and he, as the chief envoy for peace talks, would also be held responsible.

He immediately ordered, "Quickly, send someone to tell Li Xiao that we are willing to make concessions and continue negotiations."

Three days later, the second "Alliance of the Wei River" in history was finally concluded. Representatives of the three parties formally signed the treaty on the bridge, and the terms clearly defined the interests and boundaries of each party.

Firstly, the Jin dynasty recognized the complete rule of the northern frontier over the former Xia territory (Hetao, Hexi Corridor, Longxi, etc.).

From this day forward, the "Xia Kingdom" ceases to exist. The former territory of the Xia Kingdom is incorporated into the Northern Frontier, and the Jin Kingdom is no longer permitted to interfere in the affairs of this region under the name of the "Xia Kingdom."

This clause completely ended the Jin Dynasty's covetousness of the former Xia territory and officially recognized the achievements of the Northern Frontier's years of eastward expeditions.

Secondly, the Jin Dynasty agreed to cede all territory north of the Wei River to Beijiang, with the current area under their actual control serving as the boundary.

The western line is bounded by the Wei River, the central line by the Yellow River, and the northern line by the trench defense line.

The two countries agreed not to interfere in each other's internal affairs, not to send troops to invade each other's territory, and that any border frictions should be resolved through negotiations, and that no one should start a war without authorization.

Thirdly, regarding the positioning of the relationship between the two countries, Beijiang initially proposed a "state of uncle and nephew," demanding that the Jin ruler write "To my uncle, the Grand Protector of Beijiang" at the beginning of his letter to Li Xiao. This demand was sternly rejected by the Jin ruler and his ministers.

Since it concerned the dignity of the Jin state, even if Wanyan Yongji was cowardly, he dared not agree to Wanyan Jing's request on this matter.

Li Xiao hadn't had high hopes for this clause to begin with, and seeing the situation, he didn't insist any further, ultimately agreeing that the two countries would be "brotherly nations."

With the Northern Frontier as the elder brother and the Jin Dynasty as the younger brother, although the Northern Frontier still made the Jin Dynasty look inferior, it preserved the last vestige of the Jin Dynasty's dignity.

Fourth, the Jin state must pay war reparations to the northern frontier, including five million taels of silver and one million bolts of silk, which must be paid in full within three months.

Fifth, the Jin state must return Li Anquan, the former ruler of the Xia state who had fled to Jin territory, and more than a thousand households of Wanggu herders to the northern frontier within three months.

Sixth, both sides agreed to establish border markets, allowing merchants from both countries to trade freely.

This clause, while seemingly equal, is actually more beneficial to northern Xinjiang.

Goods from the Northern Frontier are scarce and highly profitable in the Jin Kingdom's market, while Jin Kingdom's resources are more of a supplement to those from the Northern Frontier. As one gains at the expense of the other, the Northern Frontier will dominate the trade.

In this peace talks, Beijiang not only gained territory and reparations, but also established its dominant position over the Jin Dynasty, making it a resounding victory.

Wanyan Yongji was relieved. Despite the huge price paid, he had managed to temporarily save Chang'an and avoid the risk of war.

With this, the Battle of Guanzhong came to an end, the Central Plains War was about to cease, and a new tripartite balance of power would emerge on the land of China.

(End of this chapter)