Chapter 109: Contacting Liao Country

  Yu Yunwen said sternly, "Young Master, Tian Shizhong is at least a fifth-grade official as the Governor of Xiangyang. In terms of position, he is above you. As for General Niu Tong killing him, it's even more impossible to cover up. With so many people witnessing the scene, it would be difficult to conceal the truth. Judging from the current situation, Tian Shizhong must be a trusted aide of Qin Hui. Even if we don't consider whether Qin Hui will make a big deal out of this and harm us, we still can't handle the investigation by the Imperial Secretariat and the Grand Court."

  "Yunwen, in your opinion, what should be done?" Yue Yun furrowed his brow and asked in a deep voice. He also knew that this time, taking Xiangyang, he had taken some extreme measures, among which there were many things that could be impeached by others: forging Yue Fei's military orders, attacking friendly forces on his own initiative, allowing his subordinates to kill Tian Shizhong, the governor of Xiangyang...

  Yu Yunwen also said with a headache: "Other things are easy to handle, just report to the commander, add a handwritten order, make some explanations, and use Tian Shiming's delay in sending grain as an excuse, worrying about a military mutiny. But this Tian Shiming was killed, and what's more, he was seen by the officials of Xiangyang, including the prefect and the judges... it's going to be difficult to handle... unless..."

  "What if?" Yueshan asked hastily, grasping at a straw.

  Yu Yunwen sighed and said, "Unless it can be proven that Tian Shizhong has a way to kill him, he cannot be killed on the spot. However, at the time, he was only holding General Tang hostage in an attempt to escape, and had no intention of killing General Tang. It was General Tang who tried to force his way out, and..."

  "Ah, I've got it!" Yue Yun exclaimed after hearing the news. With a sudden burst of inspiration, she said: "Yun Wen, your words have reminded me! Since Tian Shi Zhong doesn't have any capital offenses, why don't we just give him one? For example, how about the crime of secretly collaborating with the Jin people?"

  "This crime is indeed punishable by death... but... how can it be pinned on him?" Yu Yunwen was also greatly surprised upon hearing this.

  Yue Yun smiled and said, "If we seized the secret letter from the Ninth King of Jin to him, saying that he was ordered by the Jurchen people to detain our army's food supplies. Then Tian Shizhong, after the matter was exposed, became enraged and desperate, holding General Tang Huai hostage in an attempt to escape. General Tang Huai sacrificed himself to stop this traitor from escaping, while Niu Tong, seeing his uncle who had raised him since childhood die at the hands of this traitor, was eager for revenge and momentarily lost control, killing Tian Shizhong. You say, if things were like that, it wouldn't be a big mistake, would it?"

  Yu Yunwen's face lit up with surprise and he said, "If that's the case, then it makes sense. But how could the secret letter from the Ninth King of Jin be forged?"

  Yue Yun then took out the brocade pouch seized from Wanyan Zongmin's body and handed it to Yu Yunwen, smiling as he said: "Have you forgotten that the ninth prince of the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Zongmin, died at my hands? I happened to seize his seal and letters. Can you imitate his handwriting and forge a secret letter?"

  He thought that even Li Yu Rong, a merchant's daughter, could imitate the handwriting of Yuan Zong Min, so Yu Yun Wen should be no problem at all.

  Yu Yunwen took the silk pouch, carefully examined the letter and seal for a while before exclaiming with joy: "Young Master, this is written in small seal script, which isn't difficult to imitate. I can write out a secret letter from Wan Yan Zongmin to Tian Shicong within half a day. However, if the content of the letter only mentions detaining the grain supplies, Qin Hui and the Imperial Secretariat might become suspicious... After all, this matter of detaining the military's grain supplies was their covert order..."

  Yue Yun sank into thought for a moment before suddenly saying: "Then let's make some slight changes to the content, that way no one will suspect anything."

  "Oh? What's going to change then?" Yu Yunwen also asked with interest.

  "Liao State is about to return east and launch an attack on the Jin people. The Jin State fears being attacked from both front and back, so Wanyan Zongmin ordered Tian Shizhong to stop supplying grain to our frontline army, forcing my father to retreat."

  "What? The Liao State? Wasn't it destroyed by the Jin State eighteen years ago?" Yu Yunwen asked in surprise.

  "Yunwen, how could you think that the Great Liao has been destroyed? Don't you know that Yelü Dashi escaped to the Western Regions and rebuilt a new Western Liao?" Now it was Yue Yun's turn to be surprised.

  Historically, Yelü Daishi was a jinshi in the fifth year of Tianqing (1115), promoted to Hanlin Chongzheng, and successively served as the Jiedushi of Xingjun Military Prefecture.

  In the second year of Baoda (1122), Emperor Tianzuo of Liao was defeated by Jin and fled to Jiashan (now Tumote Zuoqi, Inner Mongolia). Yelü Dashi and other officials in Nanjing (now Beijing) enthroned Yelü Chun as emperor, appointing him as the commander-in-chief of the southwest route, overseeing military affairs. In May, Song used the pretext of assisting Liao against Jin to gather troops in Xiongzhou and planned to attack Yanjing (now Beijing).

  Yelü Dashi led the vanguard to garrison Xincheng (now southeast of Hebei Province's Xincheng) for defense. In June, Song troops launched an attack, and he led his army in a fierce battle, repelling the Song forces. The main force then pursued them to Xiongzhou, where they achieved a great victory. Three years later, Yelü Dashi fought against the Jin army at Fengsheng Prefecture (now Zhuolu), but was defeated and captured. He later escaped to Jishan. In the first year of Tianzuo Emperor's reign, he insisted on leaving Jishan and marching south, hoping to recover lost territory. Yelü Dashi strongly advised against it, but his advice was ineffective. He then proclaimed himself king, setting up northern and southern institutes with officials, and marched north to Kedun City (now northeast of Mongolia's Khentii Province), borrowing the strength of various tribes and obtaining over 10,000 elite soldiers. He sharpened his army and prepared to restore the Liao dynasty. In the eighth year of Jin Tianhui (1130), Yelü Dashi led his troops westward through the Western Regions, breaking through a blockade of 100,000 soldiers from various countries in the region, and entered Samarkand (now Uzbekistan).

  The next year, Yelü Dashi (now Uzbekistan Bokhara northeast) proclaimed himself emperor and changed the era to Yanqing (1132). In the third year of Yanqing (1134), he established his capital in Balasagun (also known as Huoluosiwuduo, now Kyrgyzstan Tokmak southeast), changed the era to Kangguo, and his military power grew daily. He sent an army of 70,000 cavalrymen on a long-distance campaign against the Jin dynasty, but they turned back halfway due to heavy losses of cattle and horses. Later, the Jin dynasty also dispatched troops to attack Western Liao, but because of the distance of thousands of miles, their logistics and supplies could not keep up, and they were defeated by the Liao army.

  Yue Yun had seen a secret letter from a local official in Shaanxi, Jin Dynasty, in the correspondence of Wanyan Zongmin. The letter stated that Liao Dynasty scouts were found within the borders of Western Xia, and Western Xia requested assistance from the Jin Dynasty if there was an invasion by the Liao Dynasty. After reading this letter, Yue Yun thought that even the Song people knew about the unextinguished Liao Dynasty. But it turned out that not even Yu Yunwen, who cared about current events, knew about it, let alone others.

  "Really, young master, is this true?" Yu Yunwen's eyes lit up instantly.

  Yue Yun found the letter in Wan Yan Zongmin's pouch after a moment, and handed it to Yu Yunwen with a smile: "Yuwen, take a look yourself!"

  Yu Yunwen took over the secret letter, opened it and read it. After reading for a short while, he slapped the table with joy and said: "It turns out that Liao State has not been destroyed yet, so this matter can still be done!"

  "Yunwen, do you think my plan is feasible?" Yue Yun asked.

  "Hmm! However, I suggest adding a bit more to it! Let's propose this matter to the Imperial Court: since Liao is not yet extinct, our Great Song does not only have the option of going to war with Jin or seeking peace. We can send an envoy to contact Liao, which has a deep blood feud with Jin, and let them launch an attack on Jin from the west. This way, the pressure on our Great Song will also be alleviated, and Liao can also retake the land occupied by Jin." Yu Yunwen's eyes sparkled as he spoke.

  Yue Yun was reminded by him and thought about it again, and it seemed to be the case too.

  Even if the Liao state is unwilling to make a second Treaty of Chanyuan with the Song state, it would not be a loss for the Song dynasty. However, if Yelü Dashi were to take action, after the Liao state returns east, the Jin state will certainly shift its main military strength and attention to the Liao state. If war breaks out again between the Jin and Liao states, regardless of which side wins, the Jin state's power will undoubtedly be greatly weakened. It is possible that the pro-war faction in the imperial court will regroup and gain the upper hand.

  "Alright! Yunwen, let's do it your way then! I'm no good at writing these flowery memorials, you take the pen instead!" Yuen Yung said with a delighted expression.

  "Understood, I will follow orders! Moreover, regarding the matter of Tian Shizhong secretly communicating with the Jin people, it would be best to have Liu Xi and Cheng Yuan, both esteemed gentlemen, bear witness to this. This way, it will carry more persuasive power." Yu Yunwen said with a bow.

  Yue Yun nodded after listening, and the situation suddenly became clear, making him feel a little relieved.

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  Now that part of the layout has been revealed, what will be the situation with the Song Jin Liao triangle in the future? Even Xin Chen is eager to contribute and let everyone see. To encourage Xin Chen, everyone can cast their votes!