The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 343 Becoming King
No sooner had the treaty been signed on the Wei River Bridge than Su Shidan eagerly followed Hu Li back to the central command tent of the Northern Frontier Army.

He bowed repeatedly to Li Xiao, his face beaming with barely suppressed joy: "The Grand Protector is wise."

"The successful conclusion of the Wei River Alliance is entirely due to the strong support of the Grand Protector. I am finally able to give an explanation to the Emperor, the Prime Minister, and the people of the Song Dynasty."

He spoke with excitement, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

He had thought that he would have to use all his cunning to persuade Li Xiao to form a deep alliance with the Song Kingdom during this mission to the northern frontier.

Unexpectedly, by leveraging the strength of the northern border against the Jin state, not only did the Jin state make concessions on the terms to the Song, but Han Tuozhou's life was also saved. This was already great news for the Song court, which was in a difficult situation.

Seeing his excited expression, Li Xiao smiled faintly and gestured for him to sit down and speak: "Envoy Song, there is no need to be so polite. The Northern Frontier and the Song Kingdom have a common enemy, and it is only right that we support each other."

In addition to the core terms between the Northern Frontier and the Jin Dynasty, the Song Dynasty also signed two separate alliance agreements with the Jin Dynasty and the Northern Frontier.

The Song-Jin alliance had six core articles.

First, within half a month of the signing of the alliance, the two countries agreed to a complete ceasefire, and the Jin state was prohibited from invading the territory of the Song state again.

Secondly, regarding territory, the Jin Dynasty agreed to withdraw its troops from Yangzhou and Chuzhou, but would not completely withdraw from Huainan. Haozhou (which is Zhu Yuanzhang's hometown of Fengyang) would be ceded to the Jin Dynasty and prepared as a forward base for their next southward advance.

After all, the Song Kingdom was the defeated party, and even with the help of the northern frontier, it would be difficult to retain all of its territory.

Moreover, the northern border is not Song's nanny. As long as Song still has the strength to fight Jin, Li Xiao doesn't care how much it loses.

Therefore, the Northern Frontier did not advocate for the Song Dynasty in terms of compensation. However, the Song Dynasty was not short of money, and anything that could be solved with money was not a problem.

The Song Dynasty was required to pay the Jin Dynasty two million strings of copper coins, while the annual tribute would remain the same as the Longxing Peace Treaty forty years prior, consisting of two hundred thousand taels of silver and two hundred thousand bolts of silk.

Fourth, the two sides agreed not to interfere in each other's internal affairs. This clause completely saved Han Tuozhou's life, and the Jin state could no longer use the demand for Han Tuozhou's head as a condition.

Fifth, in terms of the status of the two countries, the State of Song has finally been able to hold its head high and is no longer as humiliated as before.

At the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Shaoxing Peace Treaty was held, in which the Song Dynasty became a vassal state of the Jin Dynasty; twenty years later, at the Longxing Peace Treaty, the Song Dynasty referred to the Jin Dynasty as "uncle".

The Jin state initially demanded that the relationship be upgraded to that of "uncle and nephew," but this was rejected by the northern frontier, and the relationship was changed to that of equals.

After all, the Northern Frontier and the Song Dynasty were brother states. How could the Jin Dynasty dare to call itself their uncle? Where would that leave the Northern Frontier?

Holding the newly signed covenant in his hand, Su Shidan was filled with excitement.

With him by my side, I'll have all the credit, and once I return to Lin'an, the path to success will be right before my eyes.

So he thanked Li Xiao again, saying, "It was thanks to your intervention, Grand Protector, that the dignity of our Great Song Dynasty was preserved. The Great Song Dynasty will never forget this kindness."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "The Northern Frontier and the Song Kingdom are brotherly nations, so naturally we cannot stand by and watch the Song Kingdom suffer further humiliation at the hands of the Jin Kingdom."

“Go back and tell your king that there’s nothing to be afraid of with the Jurchen Tartars. They all have two shoulders and one head.”

"Just cut it down and that's it."

Su Shidan nodded awkwardly. He could just tell this to Prime Minister Han when he got back; there was no need to provoke the emperor further.

When the Jin envoys came to Lin'an to demand the execution of Han Tuozhou, they mocked Emperor Zhao Kuo for being incompetent and unable to even control his prime minister.

Although Zhao Kuo was indeed a puppet ruler, he still had some sense of shame.

"Stand up high! We in the Northern Frontier will back you up in everything. Don't embarrass us Han men!"

Li Xiao started by talking about the Jingkang Incident and then moved on to the Huainan region, which had been occupied by the Jin Dynasty during this Northern Expedition. He instilled a sense of revenge, suggesting that the Song Dynasty should continue its war against the Jin Dynasty once it regained its strength.

He's planning to use the State of Song as a tool to fool them, so he can have a free henchman to charge into battle.

The Song state was indeed swayed by this tactic. It was a sworn enemy of the Jin state, and naturally, it would not give up the opportunity to attack the Jin state.

After chatting for a while, Su Shidan brought up the important matter.

"Grand Protector, there is one more matter regarding the alliance between the Song Kingdom and the Northern Frontier... Previously, Prime Minister Han proposed that the two countries could establish marriage alliances to strengthen the alliance. I wonder what the Grand Protector thinks of this?"

"Marriage?"

Li Xiao smiled faintly, accepting the woman who had come to him from the Song Kingdom.

If you like it, visit it often; if you don't, leave it aside and don't care about the food.

Strengthening ties with the Song Dynasty and gaining a vanguard against the Jin Dynasty is a sure-fire deal.

"I heard that your king doesn't have any daughters, or even sons?" Li Xiao asked with interest.

Zhao Kuo had a daughter, Princess Qi, who died at six months old. None of his six sons lived past the age of one, and he was even expected to have three more sons in the future, who would meet the same fate.

In a way, the fates of Emperor Wanyan Jing of the Jin Dynasty and Emperor Zhao Kuo of the Song Dynasty were almost identical: both died without an heir.

Li Xiao didn't believe in coincidences and chuckled with interest.

Without any hesitation, he asked, "The King of Song had so many children, all of whom are dead. Was it your Prime Minister who was responsible, or was it Empress Yang?"

Upon hearing this, Su Shidan's heart skipped a beat, and his face turned pale.

How dare you say such a thing?

So he quickly explained, "The Grand Protector has misunderstood. The Prime Minister is loyal to the country and would never do such a thing."

"Her Majesty the Empress is virtuous and gentle, a wise empress of our Great Song Dynasty, and would never do such a thing."

"The matter concerning the princes was truly unexpected..."

Su Shidan went on and on, repeatedly spouting words of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, which Li Xiao found utterly boring.

The proposal by Su Shidan to establish a marriage alliance was directly rejected.

His tone was laced with undisguised sarcasm: "Is the Song envoy saying that King Zhao Kuo of Song should marry a woman from my northern frontier?"

"Zhao Kuo is nearly forty years old, and none of his nine sons and one daughter survived. How dare he even dream of marrying my sister, Li Xiao's sister?"

"Do you want any girl in this capital to have no offspring like him?"

"Even if she were made empress, it would be absolutely impossible."

"A daughter of the northern frontier will never marry outside the region!"

These words made Su Shidan's face flush red instantly; he hadn't expected Li Xiao's attitude to be so firm.

In this day and age, relationships between older men and younger women are quite common.

For political reasons, Princess Jincheng of the Tang Dynasty even married a Tibetan leader who was eighteen years her senior.

When it comes to national interests, age is no big deal.

But ironically, Li Xiao is someone who dotes on girls.

I absolutely cannot bear to see my sister marry an old man, especially a cowardly and incompetent puppet old man.

Helpless, Su Shidan could only reply, "The Grand Protector has misunderstood. It is not that His Majesty is to marry the Grand Protector's own sister."

"But...but His Majesty intends to select a woman from the royal family to marry the Grand Protector, in order to strengthen the friendship between the two countries."

Li Xiao's attitude was firm, so Su Shidan had no choice but to change the mutual in-law relationship into a one-sided marriage alliance.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao's expression softened slightly: "For the sake of the friendship between the two countries, it is alright to go through the trouble of marrying a woman from the Song royal family."

“A daughter of the Song royal family can enter the mansion and become a noble concubine in the capital.”

Su Shidan quickly nodded in agreement.

Li Xiao's wife was a princess of the Liao Kingdom, whose status was no less than that of a princess of the Song Kingdom, and who wielded great influence in the northern frontier.

Song Guo naturally dared not aspire to become the principal wife; being a concubine was enough.

The most important thing is to establish connections and forge deep bonds of mutual benefit.

If the Song state wants to gain a foothold in this complex situation, it still needs to rely heavily on the support of the northern frontier.

Subsequently, Beijiang and the Song state signed supplementary clauses to the Wei River Alliance.

The previous agreements included alliances, trade, and the requirement that when one country was attacked by the Jin Dynasty, the other country would provide timely support to jointly attack the Jin Dynasty.

In addition, a marriage alliance clause was signed.

Furthermore, in all the formal clauses of this alliance, the Northern Frontier refers to the Song ruler as "Lord of Song" and the Jin ruler as "Lord of Jin."

Because Northern Xinjiang has not yet been formally established as a state, Li Xiao's title is 'Great Protector of Northern Xinjiang, Tengri Gur Khan'.

That's why those two were addressed as rulers.

Li Xiao's nominal title in the documents was also 'Lord of the Northern Frontier'.

After Su Shidan left, Li Xiao said to Hu Li beside him in a deep voice, "The matter of establishing a kingdom and declaring himself king in the Northern Frontier must be put on the agenda."

Now that the northern border is settled and the people's hearts are with him, it is not impossible for him to directly declare himself emperor.

However, Li Xiao still planned to follow the example of the Ming Taizu and use the title of prince for two years as a transition, and after clearing all obstacles and consolidating his foundation, he would formally establish the country and become emperor.

Upon hearing this, Hu Li was shocked and quickly patted his chest solemnly, saying, "The Grand Protector is a man of great talent and strategy, leading our Northern Frontier Army to sweep across the world. It is the mandate of heaven."

Li Xiao nodded silently. He had been considering the name of the King for a long time.

This eastern expedition captured most of Guanzhong and conquered Xianyang, the ancient capital of Qin.

Moreover, the northern frontier originated from the western borderlands, just like the Qin state in the past.

In addition, the Yongzhou Ding, which was "unearthed" in the northern frontier, is also located in the western part of the nine provinces of China, representing the orthodoxy of the Qin region.

After considering all this, Li Xiao finally made his decision. Standing before the tent entrance, gazing at the distant lands of the Three Qin regions, he said in a deep voice, "The title of the king shall be—"

"King Qin!!!"

……

The news that "the Grand Protector will be proclaimed King of Qin" quickly spread throughout the northern frontier military camps on the north bank of the Wei River.

The first to learn of the news were the Wuwei Army.

A soldier wearing dried, blood-stained armor rushed in and shouted to his comrades outside the tent who were wiping their weapons: "Brothers, the Grand Protector is going to declare himself king! Our northern frontier is going to establish a kingdom!"

The soldiers outside the tent froze, stopping what they were doing and crowding around, their faces full of disbelief: "Really? You didn't hear me right?"

"Absolutely true!"

The guard patted his chest excitedly, "The commander told me that the Grand Protector has chosen the Prince of Qin, a title used by both the First Emperor and Emperor Taizong of Tang. Our Grand Protector is about to do something big!"

The news spread like wildfire through the military camp, causing an instant sensation among the soldiers.

"The King of Qin? That's wonderful."

"From now on, we can't call him Grand Protector anymore; we have to call him Your Majesty."

"So, will we still be the Northern Frontier Army, or the Qin Army?"

"The commander said that they are both the Northern Frontier Army and the Qin Army."

"Hehehe, from now on we are also the 'royal army'."

“King Qin, that’s just easier to say than that damn Tengri Khan.” A soldier from a grassland tribe next to him objected: “Whether he’s the Grand Protector or King Qin, he is our Tengri Gur Khan.”

The news quickly spread to other households, and to the second and fourth towns.

The veterans smiled, their eyes filled with emotion: "Back then, we fought alongside the Protector-General in the Western Regions. Who would have thought we'd be where we are today?"

“From the Western Regions to the Hetao region, and then to Guanzhong, we have conquered such a large territory that we should have established a kingdom and become kings long ago.”

"The title of Grand Protector-General as King of Qin is well-deserved."

"I just don't know when I'll become emperor."

"If you ask me, let's just go straight to establishing a country and becoming emperor. Anyway, our northern border will establish a country sooner or later. Apart from the Grand Protector, no one is worthy to be the emperor."

In the nearby military camp, Li Shurong, who had just become a centurion, was handling camp affairs when he heard the cheers outside. He immediately ordered someone to go out and inquire.

Upon hearing the news, he was stunned for a moment, then clenched his fist, his eyes filled with excitement and pride.

He rose from a clerk to a centurion under the Grand Protectorate, witnessing the rise of the Northern Frontier. Now, the Grand Protectorate is about to declare himself King of Qin, and the Northern Frontier is about to establish a kingdom. This means that his future will also have a larger stage.

"Let's go! Let's go take a look." Li Shurong pulled his personal guards outside.

Meanwhile, core generals such as Li Dongjiang and Lin Dazhuang had already received the news and came to wait outside the central command tent.

Lin Dazhuang laughed and said, "The Grand Protector is finally going to take this step."

"Back when I was in Houzhai, I knew that the Grand Protector was no ordinary man, and now it seems that I was right."

Gao Zhongyi, who was in charge of logistics, nodded in agreement, his tone firm: "The title of King of Qin is awe-inspiring throughout the world, and only the King of Jin can be compared with it."

"With the title of King, the cohesion of our northern frontier will be stronger, and the subsequent governance of newly occupied territories and integration of resources will be more legitimate."

Shortly after, Li Xiao walked out of the central command tent.

Seeing the jubilant scene in the camp, Li Xiao smiled.

Generals Li Dongjiang and others quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "We, your humble servants, congratulate the Great Protector!"

"The title of King of Qin is truly well-deserved."

"I am willing to assist the Grand Protector and establish a lasting dynasty."

The surrounding soldiers also knelt on one knee and shouted in unison, "We are willing to die for the King of Qin!"

"I am willing to die for the King of Qin."

"I am willing to die for the King of Qin."

……

The shouts were deafening, even drowning out the sound of the Wei River flowing by.

Li Xiao raised his hand to signal the soldiers to stand up, and said in a loud voice: "Warriors, although I am called the King of Qin today, this is not the end."

"Our goal as the Northern Frontier Army is to enable all people in the world to live in peace and prosperity, and to no longer suffer from the ravages of war."

"May every warrior in the northern frontier have a full wallet, plenty of food and clothing, a full granary, and a beautiful wife and concubines with many children."

"In the future, we will conquer more land, build a strong country, and let the sun and moon battle flag of the northern frontier fly in every corner of the world."

"I am willing to die for the King of Qin!"

The soldiers shouted again, their voices filled with determination and loyalty.

Su Shidan stood aside, looking at the scene before him, his heart filled with shock.

I had only heard of the formidable fighting power of the Northern Frontier Army before, but today I have truly witnessed how terrifying this army is.

Their strength lies not only in their superior weaponry and tactics, but also in their unwavering unity and high morale.

While the Jin dynasty was indeed a vicious wolf threatening the Song dynasty, the northern frontier was no less a tiger poised to pounce.

Now that Li Xiao has declared himself King of Qin and a new kingdom is about to be established in the northern frontier, the fangs of this fierce tiger will only grow sharper.

"The alliance between our two countries today is to jointly fight against the Jin Dynasty. But once the Jin Dynasty falls, and we no longer have a common enemy, how will our Great Song Dynasty and the Northern Frontier coexist?"

The thought suddenly popped into his mind, sending a chill down his spine.

He recalled events from decades ago, when the Song Dynasty allied with the Jurchens to destroy the Liao Dynasty, hoping to reclaim lost territory. However, the Jurchens turned their attention to the Song Dynasty instead.

They marched south and captured Kaifeng, leading to the Jingkang Incident.

History often repeats itself in surprising ways; today's northern Xinjiang is strikingly similar to the Jurchen people who rose to power in the past.

They both have powerful armies, both have leaders with great talent and ambition, and both are constantly expanding their territories.

Once the northern frontier completely replaces the Jin dynasty and becomes the new hegemon of the Central Plains, will the Song dynasty repeat the mistakes of the past?
Su Shidan couldn't help but look up at Li Xiao, the man standing tall and imposing amidst the soldiers.

He was more brilliant and capable than Emperor Zhao Kuo of the Song Dynasty, and younger and more astute than Emperor Wanyan Jing of the Jin Dynasty.

That composure, that air of complete control, was something that no emperor of either country could match.

Su Shidan had no doubt that if one day the Northern Frontier turned against the Song Dynasty, the Song Dynasty would be powerless to resist given the strength of the Northern Frontier army. At that time, the safety of Lin'an would probably be even more dangerous than when facing the Jin Dynasty.

But he could only bury this worry deep in his heart, powerless to do anything about it.

He knew better than anyone that the Song Kingdom was now completely dependent on the northern frontier.

"Well, we can only take it one step at a time."

As the sun sets, the Wei River flows quietly, as if witnessing the beginning of a new era.

The era of King Li Xiao of Qin is about to begin.

……

When the terms of the Wei River Alliance were relayed back to Zhongdu, the atmosphere in the Daqing Hall was initially relaxed but then tense.

When they heard that "the Jin state has preserved Chang'an and the cities south of the Wei River," many court officials secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Having suffered successive defeats in Guanzhong, they had long been prepared to lose the entire region. The fact that they were able to retain half of Guanzhong was already an unexpected result.

But when the clauses such as "ceding Weibei, paying five million taels of silver in reparations, and honoring the northern frontier as an elder brother" were read, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

Many Jurchens glared angrily, regarding this alliance as a great humiliation since the founding of the Jin Dynasty.

“Weibei is the granary of Guanzhong. If it is ceded to the northern frontier, how will our Great Jin support the military supplies of Guanzhong in the future?” An old minister pounded the imperial desk, his voice hoarse.

"And then there's the indemnity of five million taels and one million bolts of silk. The national treasury was already empty, and with the war expenses against the Song Dynasty added on, this is pushing the Great Jin Dynasty to the brink of ruin!"

Privy Councilor Wanyan Zonghao quickly stepped forward to reassure them: "My colleagues, please calm down."

"At present, our Great Jin is fighting on three fronts, and our manpower and financial resources are exhausted. If we do not compromise for the time being, the consequences will be unimaginable once the Northern Frontier Army breaks through Chang'an."

"By preserving half of Guanzhong, we have bought our Great Jin a chance to breathe."

He paused, then looked at Wanyan Jing at the head of the table and said firmly, "In my opinion, the most urgent task is to reorganize the military and restore production."

"In just three years, once the national treasury is full and the new army is trained, we will march westward and recover the lost territory north of the Wei River."

Although the court officials were unwilling, they could only temporarily accept this humiliating alliance.

Next, when they heard that "Li Xiao, the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier, has proclaimed himself King of Qin," the ministers were speechless.

The northern frontier was powerful and arrogant, and in the eyes of the Jin Kingdom, it had long been considered an equal.

Let alone becoming a king, even if he were to declare himself an emperor and establish a new country now, the Jin Dynasty would not be surprised at all. On the contrary, they would send envoys to congratulate him.

Wanyan Jing sat on the throne, his face pale, and remained silent throughout.

He had long lost the high spirits he had felt when he heard of the victory in the Central Plains. The defeat and loss of territory in Guanzhong and the humiliation of the Wei River Alliance had left him physically and mentally exhausted.

He waved his hand, his voice weak: "This matter... shall be set aside for three years as the Privy Councilor said, to allow time to consolidate national strength."

"Send word to the Prince of Wei that he has done a very good job in the peace talks, and I am very pleased."

"Let him not return to the capital for the time being, but instead represent our Great Jin Dynasty on another mission to the northern frontier to offer our congratulations."

"Retreat from the court."

After the court session, Wanyan Jing was helped back to the palace of Consort Yuan, Li Shi'er, by his attendants.

Upon entering the hall, he leaned weakly against the couch, coughing incessantly, his face as white as paper.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"

Li Shi'er's voice was trembling with tears as she hurriedly ordered her maid, "Quickly! Go and fetch the imperial physician!"

The imperial physician arrived quickly, and after taking Wanyan Jing's pulse, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty's health is not good, which is caused by long-term overwork and mental distress."

"You need to rest quietly for several months and must not overexert yourself, otherwise you may damage your health."

After listening, Li Shi'er gently advised Wanyan Jing, "Your Majesty, you must take care of your health!"

"The Great Jin cannot do without you, and neither can your concubine. Let's leave those troublesome matters to the court officials for now, and you can rest well."

Li Shi'er was no benevolent person; he had long been colluding with court officials, and his elder brother Li Xi'er and younger brother Li Tiege had formed a powerful force in the court.

If Wanyan Jing were to relinquish power, the Li family would surely be able to seize this opportunity to prosper even more.

If Wu Zetian could become emperor, why couldn't she become Li Zetian?
Although he is cunning, he pretends to know nothing on the surface.

Wanyan Jing also liked her like this, and holding her hand, he shook his head: "Rest? How can we rest?"

"Weibei has been lost, the barbarian chieftain has declared himself king, and although the Song state has temporarily ceased hostilities, it still has its eyes on us covetously. There are also unresolved rebellions in Shandong within the country..."

"Which of these incidents, one by one, can put people's minds at ease?"

"It's all because the people of northern Xinjiang are too bad."

Li Shi'er gritted her teeth, but there was no anger in her eyes: "They not only occupied my Great Jin land, but also forced His Majesty to sign a humiliating treaty. They deserve to die."

"I only regret that I am too weak to help Your Majesty."

Wanyan Jing was somewhat comforted by her words. After resting for a while and drinking some medicine, his complexion gradually became rosier.

He took Li Shi'er's hand, preparing for a momentous event in human relations.

The issue of having offspring had always been a source of anxiety for Wanyan Jing.

He had five sons before, but none of them lived past the age of three.

He used to think he was young and had plenty of time, but when he heard that Li Xiao had already declared himself king and established a country at just over twenty years old, he became increasingly anxious.

Li Xiao is so young and has a bright future ahead of him, while I am already middle-aged. If I do not have a prince, the foundation of the Great Jin Dynasty will be shaken.

Especially after the defeat in Weibei, his health deteriorated, and this anxiety reached its peak.

After a cup of tea, the panting in the Yuanfei Palace ceased.

(End of this chapter)