Chapter 70 Empress Cao

Wang Shao's words were so amazing. Wu Ji was surprised and opened his mouth for a long time without saying a word.

Wang Shao was the number one general of the Song Shenzong Dynasty. The battle of Xihe was famous in history. How brave was he? Even if Mount Tai was ahead, he would not change his color. Such a person actually said that Song Shenzong might not be able to save it. You can imagine how critical the situation was.

Wu Ji's history was not good enough. He had been in the Song Dynasty for a long time and had a deeper understanding of the Song Dynasty, but he didn't know the situation in the court. He changed many thoughts but couldn't figure it out?

"Will Sima Guang and the others fight back? Even if they fight back, at most they will stop Wang Anshi's appearance and abolish the new law, so that Song Shenzong will not be unable to protect it." Wu Ji's thoughts one after another, and the more he thought about it, the more he became confused.

Seeing Wu Ji's appearance, Wang Shao smiled and said, "Brother Wu, let me tell you about this. I want to remember that what I want to say next is that the matter of raiding the family should not be leaked at all. Otherwise, not only you, but I will also kill the nine clans."

He looked solemn and his tone was unquestionable.

Wu Ji saw it and knew that he was not joking. He focused on the key points and said, "Prince Wang, please rest assured, I know how to do it."

"I don't want you to know this, but I have to let you know it. Otherwise, if you don't understand the situation, you may make a wrong judgment." Wang Shao sighed slightly and said, "Let's start with Xixia first, and then talk about the situation in the court. Brother Wu knew that the predecessor of Xixia was the Dingnan Army of the previous dynasty and the Eight Dangxiang tribes. In the Song Dynasty, Li's family was on the surface but actually secretly held the ambition of being unjust. Until the time of Li Yuanhao, they fought the Song Dynasty the most fiercely. When the battle of Haoshuichuan, Xixia was arrogant and no longer surrendered and established Xixia."

Before the founding of the Western Xia Kingdom, he was a minister to the Song Dynasty. Although wars occurred from time to time, he was still a minister of the Song Dynasty on the surface. It was not until Li Yuanhao defeated the Song Dynasty in Haoshuichuan and achieved great victory that he officially ascended the throne and no longer recognized the Song Dynasty as the emperor.

"Xixia is located in the northwest border. It has a large area and a sparse population, with poor people. Their production mainly consists of salt and horses. Grain, tea, iron, and silk have to be bought from the Song Dynasty." Wang Shao said with a sarcastic remark: "Since ancient times, there have been many bandits here because it is too poor. Xixia established a country in this remote area and lived a difficult life. Although Xixia set up many workshops to promote farming and smelting fine iron, they did not have such good skills and their income was far from the Song Dynasty."

There have been many bandits in the northwest since ancient times, because it is too poor here, which is what everyone knows. The Western Xia was founded in such a remote place, and it was very difficult for the country to live in the three countries of Song, Liao and Western Xia. It was the weakest and the weakest economic power among the three countries of Song, Liao and Western Xia.

"If you are poor, you think of change. When Xixia established its country here, it was thinking about how to live a better life in this way." Wang Shao continued: "The location of the northwest is extremely important. It can be said that it is a place of four battles and is easily attacked. Similarly, it can also be conquered everywhere. There are three directions where Xixia can conquer, to the west, to the west, to the Liao Kingdom, and to the south, to the Great Song Dynasty. To fight west, of course, it is possible, and if the Western Regions are not strong, if Xixia wants to fight west, it is likely to succeed. However, the Western Regions are also very poor, with a large land and sparse population. It may not be able to manage it well after the battle. Maybe it will only increase the burden."

The term Western Regions has changed a lot. Since ancient times, they have different definitions and different statements. During the Han Dynasty, the Western Regions were mainly modern Xinjiang. By the Tang Dynasty, the term Western Regions not only included modern Xinjiang, but also some Central Asian regions.

No matter how it changes, the word Western Region was synonymous with poverty, suffering and evil in ancient times. The Western Regions were vast and sparsely populated, lacking supplies, and the living conditions here were extremely difficult. It is precisely because of this that the Han Dynasty only garrisoned only a few thousand troops in the Western Regions, and the Tang Dynasty only garrisoned only 30,000 or 20,000 troops in the Western Regions.

It was precisely because the Tang Dynasty had not stationed many troops in the Western Regions that Gao Xianzhi was defeated by the Arab Empire in Talas. Although the Tang army was very capable and suppressed the Arab Empire for five days and five nights, due to limited military strength, he could not achieve the final victory. The Arab Empire's army was several times higher than his. After one group of defeats, he finally instigated the traitors, and Gao Xianzhi was defeated even if he was undefeated.

Because the Western Regions are too poor and cannot be replenished locally, the army cannot be stationed too much. If we transport grain from the mainland, it will be even more impossible, and it will inevitably lead to turmoil in the world.

The famous "Silk Road" is made of corpses. If you want to find the "Silk Road", you can find it by moving along the corpses. The corpses have become the symbol of the "Silk Road", which shows the difficulty of the mainland to the Western Regions.

During the Song Dynasty, the scope of the Western Regions did not change much from the Tang Dynasty. If the Western Xia used troops to the Western Regions, it would be possible to conquer it. However, it was because it was too bitter and cold there, and the Western Xia could not get what was urgently needed and did not use much troops.

Wang Shao came to the map, pointed to the map, and said, "Western Xia used troops to the Western Regions and could not get what they needed. Then, Xixia could only use troops east and south. Using troops east is the land of the Liao Kingdom. The Liao army is known as the elite in the world, and Xixia may not be able to win. Furthermore, the richest place of the Liao Kingdom is the land of Yanyun, and the richest place of Yanyun is near Youzhou. The place where the Liao Kingdom borders Xixia is far behind that of Youzhou. It is precisely because of this that Xixia did not go to war with Liao Kingdom, but joined forces with Liao to fight against the Song Dynasty."

The Liao Kingdom was very strong. Although the Western Xia army was well-trained and capable of fighting, it was not necessarily worse than the Liao army, it did not dare to go to war with the Liao Kingdom easily. Furthermore, even if it defeated the Liao Kingdom and seized the land, it would not be of much help to the Western Xia. Therefore, the Western Xia implemented the strategy of uniting Liao to resist the Song Dynasty and fought against the Song Dynasty.

"According to this, the reason why the Western Xia fought against the Song Dynasty for decades was because the Song Dynasty was weak." Wu Ji had already heard it and couldn't help but sigh: "If you accumulate weakness, you will be beaten. The truth that has never been easy forever!"

"If you get weak, you will be beaten?" Wang Shao commented: "That's right! The Song Dynasty is a living portrayal, otherwise the officials would not have worked hard to reform the old and the new!"

He sighed and continued: "The Song Dynasty is weak, and the army of the Song Dynasty cannot boost the power of the Song Dynasty. This is true, and there is no need to admit it. However, this is just a whole story of the Western Xia's use of troops to the Song Dynasty. The reason why the Western Xia continued to use troops to the Song Dynasty was because the Song Dynasty had something that the Western Xia was eager to get."

Wars are fought between countries because you have what I need in your hands. If not, war will not happen.

"What Xixia wants the most is Guanzhong, the eight hundred miles of Qinchuan." Wang Shao pointed to the map and said, "It's here, a flat river, and a rich land of eight hundred miles, which is what Xixia wants the most. The eight hundred miles of Qinchuan is the richest land of Guanzhong. Qin State rose from here, and Qin Shihuang unified China, and the core is here!"

"Xixia is really a wolf-like ambition!" Wu Ji already understood what Xixia's ambition was, that is, to get the land of Guanzhong, and then go east to Hangu Pass to fight for the supremacy of the Central Plains. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Even so, it is not so easy for Xixia to fight to Guanzhong and pass through the northern part of Shanzhou."

"Yes!" Wang Shao nodded and said, "It is not easy to succeed if there is a long journey from Xixia to Guanzhong. However, this is the most likely direction to succeed in the three directions of Xixia to use troops. After success, the most rewards will be obtained. Do you think Xixia can avoid using troops?"

"Guanzhong is rich, and the capital of Guanzhong was established by the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties. If Xixia obtained Guanzhong, it would have the most gains. This is true. But why is this the most likely direction for the military use of Xixia?" Wu Ji had never been to Shanzhou and was very familiar with the situation there and could not understand it.

"This has to be judging from the terrain, because Xixia has the advantage of terrain!" Wang Shao smashed his right hand heavily in northern Shaanxi and said, "Brother, you know that from Xixia, to northern Shaanxi, and then to Guanzhong, the terrain is higher than that of each place. Shanzhou is higher than that of Guanzhong, while Xixia is higher than that of northern Shaanxi. Brother, you are leading troops, what do you think this means?"

"This is condescending, which means endless convenience!" Wu Ji became more and more proficient in the military Taoism, and he said it in one sentence.

"That's right!" Wang Shao agreed loudly, nodded fiercely, and said, "Xixia has always been condescending against the Song Dynasty and has taken advantage of it. This is an important reason why the Song Dynasty cannot deal with the Western Xia. Of course, the most important reason for the Song Dynasty's army is not strong in combat and cannot boost the Song Dynasty's prestige. In addition, once it enters Guanzhong and obtains the 800-mile Qinchuan in Guanzhong, the national strength of Xixia will suddenly increase several times. Do you think that if Xixia does not use troops to the Song Dynasty, who else can it use troops to?"

Wang Shao explained the reasons for the decades of war between the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia. Wu Ji nodded and suddenly said: "So that's it! This time, the Song Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom will inevitably have a great battle. If the Western Xia does not take this opportunity to use troops to the Song Dynasty, it will not be the Western Xia."

"Yes!" Wang Shao nodded and said, "This opportunity has been waiting for decades. If the Song Dynasty and Liao Kingdom had a great battle, Xixia would definitely send troops. Once it was lost in Shanzhou and Guanzhong, Sima Guang and others would definitely counterattack, and their saliva would be enough to drown us!"

If Shanzhou and Guanzhong are lost, the opposition will have a good opportunity and will definitely fight back.

"The official asked how many Western soldiers we needed, and was asking how big our success was." Wang Shao's face turned solemn and his brows frowned.

"Wang Shumi, even if Sima Guang, Han Qi, and Lu Gong fought back, they would come to us at most. How could you say that the official family might not be able to be protected?" Wu Ji really couldn't understand this question.

"This has to start with the situation in the court." Wang Shao looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "This has to start with the Empress Dowager."

"The Empress Dowager?" Wu Ji had never heard of this person at all. Wang Anshi's reform failed, and it seemed that there was no such person either?
Chapter completed!