Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 262 Deceit and Intrigue, Three Kingdoms Struggle for Supremacy (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
—The three armed forces are in full swing!
Gu Jin was clearly determined this time, willing to pay a heavy price to reclaim Yan Yun.

This is not exactly a stupid method either.

Because if such a huge price hadn't been paid, it wouldn't have been possible to deceive a shrewd person like Wang Yingchen.

Gu Jin was right.

To deal with someone like Wang Yingchen, you have to exploit his weaknesses.

And this is the only opportunity right now!
At Juyong Pass.

Without any warning, the Song army intensified its offensive once again.

And the Liao Kingdom's assessment of this was exactly as Gu Jin had predicted.

Wang Yingchen remained completely calm and firmly believed in his judgment.

And under his influence.

Even many ministers of the Liao Kingdom gradually calmed down and began to believe Wang Yingchen's idea.

There was no other way; the price the Song army paid at Juyong Pass was simply too high.

They found it hard to believe that, after paying such a high price, the Song army would make any other choice.

Xijing Road, the central military tent of the Western Xia.

The crackling flames in the charcoal brazier made the excited faces of the crowd appear even more greedy.

The tent was filled with the aroma of mutton and milk wine, creating a lively atmosphere.

The reason is also quite simple.

—The Western Xia is indeed in a good position right now.

The direct conflict between the Song and Liao dynasties brought considerable benefits to the small Western Xia state, making its situation better than ever before.

How could they not be excited?

At this moment, upon hearing the news from Juyong Pass and the reports of the continuous battles between the Song and Liao dynasties at Juyong Pass, they could hardly hide the smiles on their faces.

"The Song army suffered heavy losses at Juyong Pass, and despite their fierce offensive, they could not advance an inch."

A general who had just returned from the border outpost was loudly reporting, his tone filled with barely suppressed joy, "Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Liao army, relying on the natural defenses, is holding firm and refusing to retreat. Although the Song army is fierce, they pay a heavy price for every step they take!"

"If this continues, the fight between the two tigers will inevitably result in mutual destruction!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Li Yuanhao clapped his hands and laughed, his young face slightly flushed, his eyes flashing with a wild light. "Well done! Let them fight! The harder they fight, the more blood they shed, the greater the chance for my Great White Kingdom to rise!"

"Father, this is divine blessing upon our nation!"

"We should seize this opportunity to advance westward with all our might and swallow up this fertile land of the Western Capital Circuit of the Liao Kingdom!"

His proposal was immediately endorsed by many military officers.

General Yeli Yuqi said in a loud voice, "Your Highness is absolutely right!"

"If we don't act now, when will we?"

"While Wang Yingchen is tied up in Youzhou by Gu Jin, let's take Datong Prefecture in one fell swoop and cut off the western flank of the Liao Kingdom!"

"At that time, our territory will be greatly expanded and our national strength will soar. Let's see if the Song and Liao dynasties will still dare to underestimate us!"

The tent was filled with commotion. The ministers all thought that the opportunity had arrived and were eager to march east and bring back all the wealth and people of the Liao Kingdom’s Western Capital Road to Xingqing Prefecture.

However, amidst the optimism, a calm voice suddenly rang out.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, and fellow officials, please calm down." The speaker was Yeli Renrong, a seasoned strategist. He frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the excited crowd before finally settling on Li Deming, who sat firmly in the main seat. "The Song army's setback is certainly a good thing for me."

"But have you all considered what would happen if the Song army were to collapse and be defeated by the Liao army?"

The tent quieted down slightly, and Yeli Renrong continued, "If the Liao Kingdom wins quickly and rides the wave of its victory, who will be their next target?"

"How could Wang Yingchen allow us to occupy Xijing Road peacefully?"

"At that time, our Great Baigao Kingdom will face the powerful Liao Kingdom alone, which has just defeated the Southern Dynasty! This is by no means a fortunate event!"

He paused, then looked at Li Yuanhao: "On the contrary, if our army launches a full-scale attack now, putting too much pressure on the Liao Kingdom, Wang Yingchen may have no choice but to make a tough decision, abandoning some of the interests in Youzhou, in order to return to deal with this thorn in our side."

"Our army is facing the main force of the Liao army alone. The outcome is uncertain. Even if we win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory. Wouldn't that allow Gu Jin of the Southern Dynasty to reap the benefits?"

The strategist Zhang Pu nodded in agreement: "What Yeli said is absolutely right."

"Your Majesty, the current stalemate is actually the most advantageous situation for me."

"Both the Song and Liao sides are mired in a quagmire, and neither has the strength to look after anything else."

"What we need is not to rush in and disrupt the balance, but to maintain this balance for longer and make them bleed more!"

Li Yuanhao was no fool; upon hearing this, his fanatical mind gradually calmed down.

He is extraordinary.

But he is clearly still quite young.

Given the current situation, his judgment was also influenced by a lot of information, but he reacted very quickly and immediately nodded: "Then, in your opinion, gentlemen, what should we do now?"

—For a ruler.

There's no need for him to be absolutely rational at all times; it's enough that he can just stay sober.

At this moment, Li Deming, who had been silent all along, finally spoke slowly: "Yori Renrong and Zhang Pu see things clearly."

Compared to Li Yuanhao, Li Deming was clearly much more shrewd and calculating. His deep gaze swept over everyone as he said calmly, "The Song army's offensive setback is not a signal for me to launch a full-scale attack, but rather an increase in bargaining chips."

As he finished speaking, he looked at his most beloved son.

Seeing a look of understanding flash in the latter's eyes, he nodded in satisfaction and then said again, "Our slow advance before was actually a strategy of waiting for the right price."

"Now that the Song army is showing signs of fatigue and Wang Yingchen has stabilized the situation, our bargaining power is even greater."

He slowly stood up, his sharp gaze sweeping over the assembled officials: "Issue my decree that all units at the front suspend large-scale offensives, consolidate the territories they have already occupied, gather people and supplies, train troops, and prepare for battle."

"Immediately dispatch two more secret envoys. One envoy will go to the Liao camp and inform Wang Yingchen that as long as he acknowledges our current borders and grants us annual tributes and trade benefits, our Western Xia can alleviate the pressure on the western front, allowing him to focus more on dealing with Gu Jin."

"The other team, go to the Song camp to see Gu Jin and tell him that the Liao Kingdom has secretly promised us great benefits. If the Song Dynasty does not want to see our Western Xia completely side with the Liao Kingdom, it should show even greater sincerity!"

—That's what you call shrewd and calculating.

They always keep their eyes on their own most tangible interests!

"Brilliant!" Zhang Pu exclaimed in admiration. "Your Majesty's plan is ingenious! In this way, both the Song and Liao dynasties will be vying to win us over, allowing us to benefit from both sides and maximize our interests!"

Li Yuanhao kept nodding.

“Not bad.” Li Deming sat back in the main seat, picked up the milk wine and took a sip, his eyes full of calculation. “Let them fight to the death.”

"We just need to sit back and wait to reel in the catch and reap the sweetest fruit."

The courtiers inside the tent became excited again. This time, it was no longer the restlessness of warriors, but the shrewdness and greed of strategists.

The charcoal fire continued to crackle, illuminating the faces etched with ambition and calculation.

Liao Dynasty.

Wang Yingchen understood Li Deming's true intentions based on his attitude.

His advisors and strategists understood this as well!
"Prime Minister! Li Deming of Western Xia is nothing but a traitor! He used to be a vassal of our Great Liao and pay tribute, but now he dares to make outrageous demands for territory and annual tribute. He is utterly arrogant!"

"This trend must not be allowed to continue! If we agree to his request, the surrounding tribes will follow suit, and what face will our Great Liao have left?" "Li Deming is cunning and unpredictable. If we agree to his request today, he will surely take advantage of us tomorrow! It would be better to send a detachment to unite with the border tribes and teach this arrogant Dangxiang chieftain a lesson first!"

Dissatisfied shouts and reprimands rang out continuously.

The crowd was indignant, with most generals and officials of noble birth feeling disgusted and angry at the Western Xia's "betrayal" and advocating a firm rejection.

In fact, compared to the Song Dynasty, these people's attitude towards the Western Xia was much worse.

The reason is simple: Western Xia was originally a vassal state of the Liao Dynasty.

In the current climate where the idea of ​​unifying the nine provinces is prevalent, this matter is inherently unacceptable to the world.

Wang Yingchen's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, but he did not immediately express his opinion.

How could he not hate Li Deming's opportunism?
Xi Xia's actions were tantamount to stabbing a blunt knife in his back while he was fighting Gu Jin to the death. Although it was not fatal, it was painful and distracting.

His hatred for the Western Xia was far deeper than that of these ministers who only saw the surface humiliation.

After all, Li Deming is disrupting the strategic balance he has carefully laid out.

However, his thoughts remained fixed on Juyong Pass on the eastern front.

Is Gu Jin's relentless attack, regardless of the cost, really just a gamble to prove a point?
This is not in line with the Gu family's usual style.

He has to consider this.

That vague sense of unease, like a dark cloud, once again enveloped his heart.

Compared to the potential, truly deadly move from Gu Jin, the greed of Xixia was merely a minor ailment that could be temporarily set aside.

The next moment, he raised his hand, and the tent gradually quieted down.

“What you all say makes sense.” Wang Yingchen’s voice was calm, revealing no emotion. “Li Deming is a petty man. His actions are despicable and his heart is wicked.”

He first acknowledged the emotions of the crowd, then changed the subject: "However, have you all considered who is currently the greatest threat to our Great Liao?"

"Is it that clown Li Deming in the west, or the Song army in the east that has mobilized the entire nation to launch a fierce attack on our Youyun Barrier?"

His question caused a moment of silence in the tent.

The answer speaks for itself.

Wang Yingchen continued, his tone becoming serious: "When Gu Gong uses troops, he always plans carefully before he acts."

"Now he seems to be attacking Juyong Pass relentlessly, regardless of casualties. This unusual behavior must be suspicious."

"What I am concerned about is not the immediate casualties, but their follow-up actions."

"If we were to jeopardize our grand strategy by being too impatient for small gains, and become entangled with the Western Xia, or even divide our forces to look westward, wouldn't that be exactly what Gu Jin wants?"

He looked at the old minister who had initially opposed the most vehemently: "Face is important, but the safety of the country is even more important. If Youyun is lost, our Great Liao will not only lose face, but also the foundation of our nation for generations to come!"

These words sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Seeing that the atmosphere had changed, Wang Yingchen then revealed his decision:
"Therefore, regarding the demands of the Western Xia, my opinion is—we can temporarily agree to them!"

"Prime Minister!" Some people still looked puzzled.

A cold smile appeared on Wang Yingchen's lips: "Agreeing to him is just a temporary measure, nothing more than an empty promise."

"Li Deming wants to acknowledge the border?"

“Sure, we can vaguely assign those disputed border areas to him. A piece of paper can be invalidated at any time.”

"He wants annual tributes and trade?"

"That can be agreed upon, but the delivery date and specific details can be discussed slowly until the situation of the war becomes clear."

His eyes sharpened: "The most urgent task is to concentrate all our forces to get rid of the threat from the Song army and stabilize the eastern front!"

—He still dared not underestimate Gu Jin!

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent.

In fact, fundamentally speaking...

Wang Yingchen's various guesses were all correct.

The Liao Dynasty's main rival was the Song Dynasty.

If we could agree to this battle, the Western Xia could be wiped out in an instant, and it would be completely unfounded.

Seeing that no one was speaking, Wang Yingchen immediately made a decision. He then summoned the envoy from Western Xia again and told him his plan. His attitude was more peaceful than ever before.

Song army camp.

"Promise him!"

Zhao Guangyi looked earnestly at the assembled generals, "We absolutely must not cause trouble for the Grand Tutor at this time!"

Gu Jin did not choose to take Zhao Guangyi with her.

After all, he's getting old.

However, precisely because of this, Zhao Guangyi has become an ally at this time.

Faced with this treacherous Western Xia.

Only he, the emperor's own uncle, and several direct descendants of the Gu family were able to quell the fervent emotions of the soldiers.

There was no way the soldiers wouldn't be filled with righteous indignation.

After several days of intense assault on the pass.

Those who died were all their brothers.

They wouldn't blame Gu Jin, nor would they blame anyone else.

But the fact that their nominal ally, the Western Xia, chose to wait for a better price at this time infuriated them!

However, at this crucial moment...

Zhao Guangyi and his men clearly wouldn't allow these soldiers to act impulsively.
Gu Jin has already set off, and absolutely no accidents can happen now.

Any unexpected event could very well harm Gu Jin.

If something happens to Gu Jin, this battle will be lost again.

Then the land of the Great Song Dynasty.
Zhao Guangyi's attitude was very firm, and several of the Gu family's direct descendants also stood up at this time, which finally suppressed the impassioned generals.

Meanwhile, right here in the rugged Yanshan Mountains.

Gu Jin was leading his men through the mountains and fields.

What they were walking on was less a road and more the tracks left by wild animals and herb gatherers, winding between cliffs and deep valleys, rugged and difficult to traverse, with many sections only wide enough for one person to pass sideways.

Gu Jin personally led 30,000 elite troops, abandoning their horses and marching on foot. Men gagged and horses hoofed, they moved silently under the cover of night and thick fog, like a long, silent dragon, trudging along with great difficulty.

These people were the true elite of the Song Dynasty.

In this endless wilderness, they maintained absolute will, their gazes always fixed on that figure whose hair had long since turned white, yet whose will remained steadfast.

That's their essence.

As long as Gu Jin remains standing, this force will not let its guard down in the slightest!
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes! I'd be incredibly grateful for your support, brothers.)
(End of this chapter)