Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 324 A Problem That the Emperor Takes Very Seriously
That morning, Lu Beigu went to Jieshen Alley in the southeast corner of the palace.

Jieshen Lane is adjacent to the bustling Panlou Street and Maxing Street, yet it stands alone and is the true financial center of Kaifeng.

The reason he went there was to keep the gold plaque engraved with "Provincial Top Scholar in the Ministry of Rites Examination of the Second Year of Jiayou".

Such a heavy gold medal was impossible for Lu Beigu to carry with him at all times. However, if it were left in the courtyard of the Imperial Academy and lost, it would be a complete loss. There was no surveillance in this era, and quite a few people knew that he had obtained this gold medal.

What's that old saying again? There's no such thing as being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days without being able to do so.

Therefore, he had to find a safe place to store it.

In the economically developed Song Dynasty, there were naturally many people with similar needs, so places that provided related services had long since emerged.

An organization called "Guifang" specializes in the storage industry, charging a considerable percentage of storage fees each year. Many wealthy merchants, high-ranking officials, and powerful figures would place items that were inconvenient for them to store themselves here.

Lu Beigu hired a carriage to come here. When he was almost there, he found that the carriages and horses on the streets nearby were indeed more elaborately decorated, and the people coming and going also had a shrewd look about dealing with money.

As the carriage turned into the alleyway of Jie Shen Lane, the view suddenly opened up before us.

Although it's called an "alley," it's completely different from those narrow lanes and alleys. The alley is wide enough to accommodate several horse-drawn carriages side by side.

The buildings on both sides are even more magnificent, all built with huge logs and bluestones, with tall gates and wide halls, and extremely open facades. The shiny copper rings on the black lacquered gates are as big as bowls, and there are often majestic stone Pixiu squatting in front of the gates.

Under the eaves hung small flags bearing the names of various businesses, the characters written in vigorous strokes.

Although people came and went and business was busy, there was no noisy hawking in the bustling market. There was only the rapid clatter of beads in the still relatively primitive abacus, the cautious whispers of conversation, and the subtle sounds of gold, silver, copper coins or bills being handed over. The historical record that "it was awe-inspiring to look at, and every transaction involved tens of millions, which was frightening to hear and see" was indeed not an exaggeration.

After getting off the carriage, Lu Beigu composed himself and went into a shop he had inquired about beforehand.

This store, named "Xinshiku," is one of the most famous store stores in Kaifeng. It has been established for 68 years and has never had a single item lost or swallowed up.

For the pawn shop owners, they value the safety of the items they store even more than the customers do.

The reasoning behind this is quite simple. First, the pawnshop industry relies heavily on its reputation for survival. Its customer base is relatively small and values ​​privacy. Once a scandal occurs, it will be impossible for the pawnshop to continue operating. Second, the total value of the items stored in a long-established pawnshop like "Reliable Warehouse" is enormous. The storage fees alone generate a steady profit every year. Therefore, from a profit perspective, the pawnshop has no incentive to deliberately steal the items it stores.

The hall inside the "Xinshiku" was extremely high and spacious, with bright light. The huge counter was made of a single piece of thick sandalwood and polished to a mirror shine. Behind it stood more than ten managers and shop assistants dressed in uniform blue robes and wearing square headscarves.

Before he could even step across the threshold, a waiter came forward and bowed, saying, "May I ask what brings you here, sir?"

Lu Beigu returned the greeting slightly, his voice calm: "I have an item that I wish to deposit with your esteemed warehouse, with a receipt for safekeeping and retrieval. Is that permissible?"

"Of course, our store specializes in this, and it's the safest option. Please come to our private room to talk."

The middle-aged manager standing nearby chimed in.

Seeing that Lu Beigu was dressed in an expensive silk robe and had an extraordinary demeanor, the steward simply led him into a quiet room partially partitioned off by an exquisite screen, where a servant immediately served him fragrant tea.

Lu Beigu was quite cautious. He didn't drink the tea, but instead took out the gold medal wrapped in soft cloth from his pocket, unwrapped it, and placed it on the table covered with a dark cloth.

In an instant, golden light flowed under the lamp, dazzling the eye.

The inscription "Provincial Top Scholar in the Ministry of Rites Examination in the Second Year of Jiayou" further demonstrates its extraordinary significance.

A knowing glint flashed in the middle-aged steward's eyes, and his attitude instantly became even more respectful, even bordering on obsequious: "So it is the Provincial Scholar Lu, the top scholar of this year's imperial examination, in person! My apologies for my rudeness! Such an honorable item will certainly be properly stored in our warehouse with the highest standards. Please rest assured, Young Master Lu, everything will be safe and sound."

Consultant Lu Bei asked, "What is the annual storage fee?"

The middle-aged manager carefully picked up the gold medal, first checking its quality and weight, and replied, "According to our warehouse's regulations, storage fees for such valuable items are charged annually. However, since you are the top scholar in this year's provincial examination, a veritable sage of literature, I, on behalf of our warehouse, would like to express our respect by waiving the first year's storage fee. We only hope that after you achieve great success, you will come to our warehouse more often if you need items stored."

Lu Beigu knew this was a move by the pawnshop to make connections and invest, so he didn't refuse and smiled and nodded: "In that case, thank you very much, manager."

"Young Master Lu, you're too kind."

The steward's smile widened, and he quickly brought out two beautifully printed documents: "Please take a look, Young Master Lu. This is a deposit agreement, which states the name, condition, weight, deposit date, and agreed-upon fees for the item. Please also set a secret mark for Young Master Lu, which can be written or signed. This will serve as the sample for retrieval in the future."

Lu Beigu glanced at it; apart from the already filled-in serial numbers, everything else was blank, clearly a fixed template. He continued casually, asking, "I heard from a friend that usually, you only fill in these words after a professional expert has appraised them?"

"Yes," the steward replied. "I've seen quite a few fine things and have a good eye. This gold medal is made of pure gold by the government, with excellent quality and a heavy weight. It can't be fake. The appraisal will be done in a moment. It's right here, so you won't have to wait long."

Lu Beigu nodded, and finally asked, "What if it gets lost?"

"Young Master Lu may not know this, but in the 68 years since our Trust Vault was founded, we have never lost a single item that we have stored."

The steward smiled and said, "However, it is normal for Young Master Lu to have doubts since this is his first time here. If you are really worried about losing anything, you can sign an additional compensation contract. The cost is one percent of the total estimated value of the items, plus the deed tax you pay yourself. It can be a 'red contract' notarized by the Three Departments, or a 'white contract' notarized by a brokerage firm that Young Master Lu finds himself. If anything is lost, you can get a full refund with this contract."

When Lu Beigu learned about the transfer of the shop in Hejiang County, he understood what was going on with the contract. According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, commercial transactions could be notarized by a third party who collected the contract tax. If it was notarized by the government, it was called a "red contract," which had a higher contract tax but more effective notarization. If it was notarized by a brokerage firm, it was called a "white contract," which had a lower contract tax but less effective notarization.

"I never imagined that the Three Departments had such a revenue-generating project."

Lu Beigu muttered to himself, but he would definitely feel more at ease if he went to the Three Departments Office for notarization, even more so than going to the Kaifeng Prefecture Office.

"Alright, then let's sign an extra contract."

After the agreement was reached, the appraiser from the shop came over. Gold medals aren't antiques or paintings, so they were easy to appraise. He confirmed their authenticity almost immediately after handling them. He then weighed them, and the weight was exactly the same as what Lu Beigu had weighed beforehand.

After confirming that the stored items were safe, the steward took him by carriage to the nearby Three Departments Office to complete the "Red Contract".

There were specialized clerks there to handle this business, and most financial institutions in Kaifeng trusted the Three Departments Office more than the Kaifeng Prefecture Office.

The process of signing the "Red Contract" was almost like an assembly line operation. After verifying the items and the contents of the contract, Lu Beigu paid 750 wen in deed tax and obtained a contract stamped with a large red seal.

Back at the shop, Lu Beigu gave the shop the compensation money that should have been paid under the compensation contract.

It was a bit of a financial strain, but it made him feel more at ease.

Subsequently, both parties formally began signing two copies of the custody document.

As for the secret record, Lu Beigu did not choose to leave it in writing, but instead drew two identical signatures.

The Pingzhou Ketan states, "The practice of using a signature has existed since the Tang Dynasty. It is essentially a form of signing one's name, but the cursive script is not very precise, hence it is sometimes called a cursive character." Ouyang Xiu said, "People commonly use cursive script as a signature." In this era, signing one's name meant using cursive script to create a unique and difficult-to-imitate signature symbol, primarily for special identification.

Of course, people with limited literacy or who are illiterate will usually carve a "seal" or press their finger on the seal instead of writing a mark.

After all the procedures were completed, the steward took out a specially made wooden box lined with soft silk, carefully placed the gold medal inside, affixed a seal, and asked Lu Beigu to sign at the seam of the seal as a mark that it had not been opened without authorization.

Then, he handed one of the documents to Lu Beigu.

"Young Master Lu, please keep this document safe. With this document and the secret note, you can come and retrieve it at any time. This item will be stored in a special place, guarded day and night, and there will be no chance of it being lost."

"What if the documents are accidentally lost?" Lu Beigu asked casually.

"You can also come and get it with Lu Langjun's personal household registration and secret record. Of course, the secret record is the most important thing. This must never be shown to others."

Lu Beigu nodded, carefully put away the documents and contracts, and felt a sense of relief. The invisible pressure of carrying gold through the market seemed to have been lifted as well.

He initially planned to save the money to buy a house in the future.

However, since he is unsure whether he will live in Kaifeng for a long time, and his daily expenses are not much, he does not plan to exchange this commemorative gold medal for copper coins.

In short, we can retrieve the gold medal when we need the money later.

He rose to take his leave, and the steward personally saw him to the door, saying with flattery, "Young Master Lu, please take care. We wish you great success in the imperial examination and hope you will be the top scholar!"

"Thank you for your kind words."

Stepping out of Xinshiku, the alleyway of Jieshen remains a bustling and orderly scene.

Lu Beigu glanced back at the high-hanging plaque, marveling at the advanced commodity economy of the Song Dynasty, especially Kaifeng, which had its own efficient and complex set of commercial rules that maintained the flow of enormous wealth.

Now that his possessions were settled, he rented a donkey cart near Qianming Temple and headed to Song Xiang's residence.

I hired a carriage to make a more presentable appearance and avoid being looked down upon, which might lead to my being deceived. But for daily transportation, I would definitely save money wherever possible.

To be honest, Lu Beigu actually quite enjoyed the feeling of sitting in the donkey cart.

The feeling was like driving a wild muscle car, top down, bumping and speeding along country roads, full of speed and passion.

Of course, this unique riding experience is also closely related to the fact that donkey cart drivers are generally in a hurry.

He soon arrived at Song Xiang's residence. Since it was still some time before the beginning of the 11 PM, he didn't go into the neighborhood. Instead, he had a drink at a beverage shop near Wu Qi Temple and lingered there for a while, killing time.

You asked why there is a Wuqi Temple in Kaifeng?

This is, of course, because Kaifeng, or Bianliang, was built on the foundation of the ancient city of Daliang. Daliang was the capital of the State of Wei during the Spring and Autumn Period. The State of Wei was powerful for a time because of Wu Qi, so the tradition of worshipping Wu Qi was passed down.

Lu Beigu held a warm, fragrant drink in his hand, his gaze casually sweeping over the people sitting in the shop.

This place is neither in a bustling city nor at noon, so most of the visitors are not here to quench their thirst, but rather to kill time when they have plenty of free time.

At first, the only sounds in the shop were the clinking of bowls and the soft sips of drink. Before long, the silence was broken by the conversation of two elderly men wearing headscarves sitting next to each other.

What they were discussing quickly caught Lu Beigu's attention.

"Have you heard? The old envoys from the Xia Kingdom haven't even left yet, and a new batch has already arrived."

An elderly man with a short, gray beard lowered his voice, but the dissatisfaction in his tone was unmistakable.

The ruddy-faced old man opposite him snorted and blew on the steam in his cup: "How could I not know? Isn't it all because of the trouble over the territory west of Quye River in Linzhou? It's never going to end!"

"Exactly!" The short-bearded old man slammed his teacup on the table, making a soft sound. "Those Tanguts are insatiable! When Li Yuanhao submitted to us, it was only out of fear of our military might that he temporarily concealed his claws. Now, after only a few days of peace, they've reverted to their old ways, daring to send envoys to my capital, Tokyo, to protest? Claiming we've crossed the border? Truly, the guilty party is accusing us first!"

"Our dynasty is far too benevolent! I've heard that the situation there is truly infuriating. The Xia people are now west of the Quye River, practically planting their land right up to the walls of Linzhou! They drive away our people by day and plunder across the river at night, treating our border troops as nothing! What kind of behavior is this?"

A man nearby, also drawn by the conversation, chimed in, "What you two gentlemen say makes sense. Although I don't understand military and national affairs, I've heard from passing merchants that our officials in that border region seem a bit weak. They've even ordered that our people not be allowed to cross the river to the west, which has only emboldened the Xia people."

His tone conveyed the most direct feelings of ordinary people about border affairs—frustration.

Upon hearing this, the short-bearded old man sighed deeply, his voice tinged with disappointment: "Alas! It's not just weakness; it's downright cowardice! I've heard that the current prefect of Linzhou, Wu Kan, is terrified of causing trouble, only hoping for a peaceful term and a promotion upon reaching the end of his term. The officials of Xiatoubao Village are the same; they wish the people wouldn't go there, lest any trouble arise and disturb them. If this continues, our territory will shrink day by day, how can we face our ancestors?"

"The imperial court must have its own considerations, right? Perhaps it simply doesn't want to reignite border conflicts and waste resources on the people?"

"Considerations? It's precisely because of too many considerations that the clowns of Xia Kingdom have acted so ridiculously!"

The short-bearded old man was somewhat agitated. "Pang Ji, the military governor, did submit a memorial requesting a ban on border trade to force the Xia people to submit, but what was the result? He merely banned private markets in the four routes of Shaanxi. What's the use of banning border markets? The border issue remains unresolved. Now their envoys are turning the tables and causing trouble all the way to Kaifeng! How can our dynasty maintain its dignity?"

Their conversation reached Lu Beigu's ears without missing a single word.

He slowly sipped the lukewarm drink in his hand. These discussions in the marketplace were clearly due to the Song Dynasty's retreat and the Xia Kingdom's encroachment, which made the people feel resentful.

Lu Beigu put down his cup and took out a few copper coins, placing them on the table.

It's about time; we should head to the Song residence.

It was still that familiar vermilion gate. The gatekeeper, seeing that it was him, respectfully led him inside without needing to announce his arrival.

Passing through several quiet courtyards, the study window was open, and Song Xiang's figure could be vaguely seen bent over his desk reading documents.

"Student Lu Beigu pays his respects to the teacher."

Lu Beigu stood in the corridor outside the door, bowed, and spoke to remind him.

Upon hearing the sound, Song Xiang raised his head, his gaze falling on Lu Beigu, gesturing for him to come in.

Upon entering, Song Xiang did not, as usual, immediately invite Lu Beigu to sit down and discuss scholarship. Instead, he beckoned Lu Beigu with a slightly solemn expression and said, "Take a look at this first."

Song Xiang had a copy of the latest official gazette spread out beside him, but what he was pushing toward Lu Beigu at this moment was another document of higher quality, with obvious official document format, and there were already traces of red ink circles on the corners.

Lu Beigu felt a slight chill, but followed his instructions and stepped forward to receive it with both hands.

A glance across the paper revealed a document, similar to an "internal reference," sent to the Central Secretariat. It detailed the recent dispute between the two countries west of the Quye River in Linzhou, tracing the ins and outs of the incident.

"The former envoys of the Xia Kingdom are also still detained, and a new batch of envoys has arrived in Tokyo. Their purpose is the dispute over the territory west of the Quye River in Linzhou. Your Majesty is concerned about this matter."

Song Xiang paused slightly, then tapped his fingertip heavily on the table: "I attach great importance to this."

Upon hearing this, Lu Beigu also took it seriously.

After all, current affairs that the emperor values ​​highly mean that the palace examination is very likely to be held.

If you do your research in advance, you may gain an advantage that no one else has.

At this moment, Song Xiang gestured for Lu Bei to take a closer look at the section recounting the historical evolution of Linzhou and the reasons for the border disputes.

Linzhou and Fuzhou were the only two important military towns west of the Yellow River in the "几"-shaped Hetao region of the Song Dynasty, respectively undertaking military defense tasks against the Xia and Liao states.

After the first Song-Xia War ended during the Qingli era, Li Yuanhao surrendered and became a vassal. Zhang Jixun, the prefect of Linzhou at the time, was ordered to establish the formal border between the two countries, but could not find the relevant archives and documents. So he asked Wang Ji, the patrol inspector of Linzhou, and the local elders. He was told that before Li Yuanhao's grandfather Li Jiqian rebelled, the western border of Linzhou extended to Ezhi, Pandui and Ningxijian, which was more than 100 li away from Quye River, while the southwestern border extended to Shuangfengqiao, Xingziping, Mile, Changgan and Yanyuan, which were more than 70 li away from Quye River.

In the fifth year of Xianping, Li Jiqian besieged Linzhou and captured the fortified villages of Zhuolun and Junma. In the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu, Hengyang, Shentang, and Yincheng were established as three fortified villages, all located on the east bank of the Quye River. The fortified village generals were then ordered to demarcate the borders with the tribal chiefs. At that time, the boundaries were as follows: Hengyang Village was 40 li west of Jiuezhi Village; Linzhou City was 60 li west of Dahengshui and 50 li southwest of Langshuangping; Shentang Village was 35 li west of Sihoujian and 40 li southwest of Chijian Valley and 30 li south of Yeliwu; Yincheng Village was 40 li west of Yupingling, 50 li southwest of Qingshui Valley and 40 li south of Hongyawu and 60 li south of Daoguang Valley and Zhongling.

"Therefore, during the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Zhenzong, the land west of the Quye River, although nominally under the jurisdiction of Linzhou of the Song Dynasty, was actually ruled by local tribal chiefs."

Lu Beigu frowned slightly.

The chieftains on the Song-Xia border, whether they were powerful chieftains from Hengshan or local chieftains from Hexi, were all opportunists. They would align themselves with whichever side was stronger, and had no loyalty whatsoever.

He could almost predict how things would unfold next.

Sure enough, by the early years of the Tiansheng era, most of the tribes on the west bank of the Quye River had submitted to the Dangxiang people. In addition, the officials of Linzhou were making a big fuss over the official land on the west bank of the Quye River. The Transport Commissioner of Hedong Road simply submitted a memorial to designate all the land on the west bank of the Quye River as forbidden land. Neither the government nor private individuals were allowed to cultivate it. When some Song people secretly went to cultivate it, the tribesmen who had submitted to the Dangxiang people would steal their cattle and say, "Even your Song officials dare not cultivate it, so why are you here?" As a result, the land on the west bank of the Quye River became wasteland. However, the people who nominally owned these lands still had to pay taxes every year without exemption. In Linzhou, this tax was called "grass tax".

Later, Li Yuanhao formally established his country and proclaimed himself emperor. The first Song-Xia War began. The Tangut people set up wooden palisades and built more than 30 small forts between Daoguang Valley and Hongyawu. The garrison cultivated the fields next to the forts. However, after the Qingli Peace Treaty, the Xia state had only occupied a little over ten miles of the west bank of the Quye River, which was not a big problem.

Therefore, Zhang Jixun, the prefect of Linzhou at the time, suggested that "if Hexi is now designated as a forbidden area, it will only encourage the greed of the Dangxiang people, who will further encroach on the Hexi land, cultivate and graze, and even build fortified villages, approaching Linzhou City, which will be detrimental to us. If we use the boundary established before the fifth year of Xianping, it is too far away to defend. Therefore, we request that the boundary established in the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu be used as the standard."

However, at that time, the Song Dynasty had just renewed the alliance and did not want to clearly demarcate the border with the Xia Kingdom. Zhang Jixun was later dismissed for his "unauthorized actions" on the border demarcation issue. The succeeding prefect dared not cause any trouble, so he prohibited all officials and people from crossing the river to the west. Border generals who dared to patrol the river to the west at the risk of encountering Xia scouts were also impeached. From then on, the Song army dared not cross the river, and the officials of the various fortresses were happy not to cause trouble. In this way, the enemy would not cross the border for a short period of time, and they could safely complete their terms of office and be promoted. Therefore, the ban was strictly enforced.

At first, the Tanguts hesitated and dared not make any rash moves. After a few years, having become familiar with the inaction of the officials in Linzhou, they began to recklessly cultivate the land on the west bank of the Quye River. Now, they even openly use the center of the Quye River as the boundary. After the river freezes in winter, Tangut cavalry will cross the river to the east to rob valuables and livestock. When Song soldiers leave the city, they run away. But after crossing the Quye River, the Song soldiers dare not pursue them due to the prohibition.

Thus, the issue of demarcation along the Quye River finally led to disaster. As Zhang Jixun had predicted, the entire defense system of Linzhou has become increasingly unstable because of this issue.

Seeing that Lu Beigu had finished reading, Song Xiang spoke up.

"Our territory is shrinking day by day, our border people are being humiliated, our border officials are corrupt, and our powerful neighbors are so arrogant! Every year, the court spends huge sums of money to support the army and defend the border, but instead of expanding our territory and protecting our people, it leaves our soldiers at the front lines helpless, watching our land be lost. Now they've even brought this up to the palace! What kind of behavior is this!"

Song Xiang's tone revealed barely concealed anger: "Sima Guang, the Vice Prefect of Bingzhou, suggested that the Military Commissioner Pang Ji petition to ban the border trade in order to exert pressure. Although the court issued an edict to ban private markets in the four routes of Shaanxi, the border markets have not been completely eliminated, so the effect is probably minimal. The Xia envoy has come this time with an arrogant attitude and is by no means someone who will easily back down. His Majesty has convened the ministers of the two prefectures for several days to discuss this matter in secret, but still has not come up with a good solution."

"What are your thoughts on this matter? Don't be bound by the format of a policy essay. Just tell me, if you were in that situation, what would you think? Should the court take a hard line and force the Xia people to back down, even at the cost of restarting border conflicts? Or should it prioritize appeasement, temporarily quell the conflict, and plan for future actions?"

Lu Beigu then looked at the internal documents of the Secretariat, which already cited detailed intelligence from the Privy Council regarding the Song army's strength in Linzhou and the Xia army's strength in Xiazhou, and said.

"Our army in Linzhou is already small in number, and its morale has been low for a long time. Without large-scale training, it is probably difficult to fight a field battle with an equal number of Xia troops. If we want to achieve results by fighting with more troops than Xia troops, we must cross the Quye River to the west bank and take down a few strongholds. If the Xia troops in the strongholds can hold their ground and wait for reinforcements, there is a risk of being surrounded."

"As for besieging a stronghold and attacking reinforcements, our army probably does not yet have that capability. Moreover, the Xia army has a lot of cavalry. Although there are many hills on the west bank of the Quye River, there are no valleys to set up an ambush. Even if we can attack reinforcements, we cannot annihilate them. It would be meaningless to just rout them. Overall, the disadvantages of voluntarily abandoning the many strongholds of Linzhou to concentrate our forces to cross the river and fight in the field are far greater than the advantages."

"Oh? You do have some insights into military affairs."

Song Xiang was quite surprised, because before this, Lu Beigu had not actually shown any talent for military affairs in front of him.

Song Xiang is currently particularly concerned about military matters, especially those concerning the Xia state.

The reasons are simple: on the one hand, the emperor attaches great importance to this matter; on the other hand, Song Xiang believes that the current Privy Councilor, Jia Changchao, may stumble because of this matter.

Song Xiang, who had served as Privy Councilor twice, knew very well that, according to convention, once a border war was lost, especially a major one, someone in the central government would definitely have to take the blame.

After all, it can't be the government's responsibility, can it?

Once Jia Changchao is gone, based on Song Xiang's understanding of the Emperor, it is impossible to promote Han Qi, who is also a Privy Councilor but ranked after Jia Changchao, to the top position in the Privy Council, because this would cause the two offices to completely break away from the Emperor's control.

The Emperor would never accept this, so if Jia Changchao were to fall from power due to border issues, he would most likely be appointed Privy Councilor for the third time after being out of office for so long. For someone like Song Xiang, who had experienced the ups and downs of officialdom for so long, this was all foreseeable.

Regardless of whether Lu Beigu is right or wrong, different perspectives can always inspire Song Xiang.

"Go on."

"The students, however, felt that Pang Jinglue's strategy of 'avoiding battle' was correct."

Lu Beigu pointed to the document and said, "Pang Jinglue is not ignorant of military affairs. I have heard that he has served as a border commander several times. When he was the prefect of Yanzhou, he commanded generals such as Di Qing and Zhou Mei to repel the Xia army's invasion. Pang Jinglue always insisted that the Xia army should withdraw its troops to Hedong when it invaded. There is a very practical reason behind this."

Since there was no map available, Lu Beigu simply found a piece of paper and roughly drew the Yellow River and Quye River, then marked the locations of Linzhou and Xiazhou with circles.

"Please take a look, sir."

Lu Beigu showed Song Xiang his crude map and started discussing strategy on paper.

"On the eastern front, the Xia Kingdom only has Xia Prefecture as a reliable stronghold. It is also limited by its arable land and cannot station a large number of troops. Moreover, there is a vast desert of hundreds of miles between Xia Prefecture and the Xia Kingdom's capital, Xingqing Prefecture. Therefore, if the Xia army only sends troops from Xia Prefecture, it will not be able to gain an absolute advantage. If a large army is sent to attack, it must be dispatched from Xingqing Prefecture. Even if 30,000 to 50,000 soldiers can be gathered, supplies will need to be transported by 50,000 to 100,000 laborers over a thousand miles, which is not sustainable."

"Therefore, from a military perspective, our troops stationed in Linzhou are limited by farmland. Although the number is small, they can be supported by the troops stationed in Fuzhou at any time, which is an internal line operation. Of course, this internal line advantage is also limited, because our army only has these two prefectures west of the Yellow River that can support each other. If troops and supplies are transferred from the east bank of the river, the transportation will be difficult, just like the external line."

"But no matter what, as long as we hold our ground, our army will have an absolute advantage over the Xia army in terms of the speed of troop deployment and the consumption of food supplies."

Song Xiang nodded, signaling him to continue.

"From a political perspective, it is the Xia Kingdom that is anxious, not our Great Song."

Lu Beigu said, "The reason why the Quye River boundary demarcation issue has become so big is mainly because the Xia Kingdom took the initiative to provoke it. But why would the Xia Kingdom risk tearing up the Qingli Peace Treaty to do this? I think it's because the Prime Minister, Meicang Epang, who came to power through a palace coup, needs a great victory to divert the dissatisfaction within the Xia Kingdom and to subdue others."

(End of this chapter)