Lantian was already within the territory of Jingzhao Prefecture, but Zhao Huan was heading to Chang'an.
By the Song Dynasty, Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, had declined and fallen from being the world's largest metropolis.
It wasn't just Chang'an that declined; the Guanzhong region suffered a severe setback during the Song Dynasty, with its resources nearing depletion and signs of desertification becoming increasingly apparent.
The most important factor was the significant development in the south during the Song Dynasty. The water transport system transitioned from the Yellow River era to the Grand Canal era, which determined the shift of the Song Dynasty's economic center.
However, this place became the cradle of famous generals of the Song Dynasty. Since the rise of the Tanguts, the Song Dynasty has deployed the most powerful army in the northwest, which later generations like to call the "Western Army".
The Western Army has been passed down through three generations. People like Zhong Shidao and Yao Gu are the third generation of the Western Army.
People like Yao Pingzhong, Zhe Yanzhi, and Liu Guangshi can be considered as the fourth generation of the Western Army.
What exactly did the Western Army do in the history of the Song Dynasty?
First, they killed Li Yuanhao's son.
Second, Nong Zhigao rebelled and swept through Guangxi and Guangdong. The Southern Imperial Army was routed. Then the Western Army came and Nong Zhigao and his gang were all wiped out. That's right, when the Southern Imperial Army was beaten to a pulp, the Western Army marched south!
Third, in the Xining-Song-Vietnamese War, the Song Dynasty was initially soundly defeated. Then the Western Army arrived, reversed the situation, and even killed the Crown Prince of the Li Dynasty! They utterly humiliated Jiaozhi. However, the Western Army had a fatal weakness: northerners couldn't adapt to the damp south, so after entering Jiaozhi, they withdrew.
Fourth, the Xihe Frontier Opening! This refers to the recapture of the legendary Longyou Protectorate, with the Western Army being the sole protagonist in this grand drama.
After the Yongxi Northern Expedition, the Song Dynasty shifted from offense to defense, and the Xihe Expedition marked the first time the Song Dynasty had taken the initiative to expand its territory.
What's the situation?
Victory in every battle!
They expanded the border by more than 2,000 li, recovered six prefectures including Xi, He, Tao, Min, Die, and Dang, pacified more than 300,000 tents of various tribes, and killed 19,000 rebellious tribesmen.
Since the An Lushan Rebellion, the Central Plains regime has once again firmly planted its battle flag here.
The land of the Gu clan was entirely incorporated into the Song dynasty's prefectures and counties!
Fifth, during the reign of Emperor Shenzong, a five-pronged attack was launched against Western Xia, leaving them in dire straits. The most prosperous areas of Western Xia were completely overrun! In the battles between the two armies, the Western Army suffered no defeats—a complete rout! The situation between the Song and Western Xia changed dramatically; the Song Dynasty shifted to offense, while Western Xia adopted a defensive posture. Until the Hengshan area was swallowed up by the Western Army, Western Xia's strategic advantage was utterly lost.
During the Jingkang era, the Western Army remained a formidable fighting force.
But why did the Jingkang Incident still occur?
The court's top brass is just too incompetent!
Let's get back to Tong Guan!
With such a powerful Western Army equipped with the best resources, and thanks to the tireless efforts of the previous two generations, their campaign against the Western Xia was only of average quality.
If it were Zhong Shidao, he would have destroyed Western Xia long ago.
When fighting against the Jin army, this elite force of the Northern Song Dynasty was ruined by the incompetent command of Emperor Qinzong and Emperor Huizong and a group of civil officials.
However, the military lineage was not broken. The Western Army could be said to have accompanied the Northern Song Dynasty for its entire life. Later, when the Central Plains fell, the remnants of the Western Army went south and helped Zhao Gou support the Southern Song Dynasty.
Therefore, the northwest of the Song Dynasty was a place worthy of respect.
This place holds the remains of countless valiant men of the Song Dynasty.
The entire Song Dynasty court, from top to bottom, should thank the soldiers of the Western Army for their selfless sacrifice!
This is also why Zhao Huan couldn't wait to come in person after hearing that the Yin Yuan Society had infiltrated the military.
He will not allow any unrest here, and even if it does occur, he will quell it as soon as possible.
The Tangut state was on the verge of collapse after being eroded by the Song Dynasty for nearly a century. If the northwest of the Song Dynasty were to fall into chaos first, the Tangut could catch their breath and continue for another hundred years, just like in orthodox history.
What should be done about Zhao Huan's Silk Road?
Wouldn't the imperial strategy of conquering the west be stuck here?
By evening, Zhao Huan had entered Chang'an.
Under the lingering shadow of the setting sun, Chang'an City appeared somewhat desolate, like a fallen nobleman.
However, one can still see a trace of the magnificent spirit of yesteryear.
The news of the emperor's impending arrival arrived almost today, but no one knew the emperor was coming; Zhao Huan was one step ahead of the messenger.
At this time, the emperor had already entered Chang'an City quietly.
Of course, we should make the most of this opportunity to travel incognito.
The headquarters of the Northwest Military Commissioner was located in Chang'an, where a powerful army was also stationed.
Therefore, the security of Chang'an City was excellent.
Moreover, the tentacles of the Imperial City Guard have recently reached Chang'an, which means that the Emperor's eyes and ears have arrived in Chang'an.
There was another person who arrived after Zhao Huan. This person was Lu Laoda, whom Zhao Huan originally intended to kill but who had escaped earlier that day.
His full name is Lu Renjia.
What is he doing in Chang'an?
Of course, it's revenge.
He carried Li Changshen's letter to the Grain Transport Office in Chang'an and requested an audience with Li Yanjing, the Transport Commissioner of Yongxing Military Circuit.
After reading the letter, Li Yanjing frowned: "The imperial court is sending people at this time. Could it be that they are about to take action against the Northwest?"
His strategist Zhang Kai said, "Jiaozhi has been pacified, and the southern regions have all quieted down. Only Shu and Kuizhou are relatively peaceful. Our emperor is an impatient man. He has already recovered Jiaozhi, so of course he will turn around and attack us."
"It seems we were right to prepare in advance. This ruthless emperor is vicious. If we really fight, we'll all die."
"Don't worry, sir. Winter provisions have been adjusted. If there are no provisions, the troops at the front will surely mutini and collapse without a fight."
"I hope everything goes smoothly and nothing goes wrong."
Zhao Huan led his men into a very grand restaurant, not for any other reason than that a storyteller was performing there.
The storyteller was recounting the Song-Xia War of last year. While the emperor was leading the Song's elite troops on a northern expedition to recover the lands east of Hebei, the Western Xia launched a war against the Song. Afterwards, Zhao Huan ordered Zhe Keqiu and Yao Pingzhong to quickly return to the northwest to provide reinforcements, and the Song army drove the Dangxiang out.
The story was getting exciting, recounting how Yao Pingzhong displayed his prowess on the battlefield, and how the Wu brothers distinguished themselves in the decisive battle, intimidating the Western Army.
Zhao Huan listened with great interest. After the storyteller finished, he mentioned the current emperor, saying that he was a great ruler and that the Song Dynasty would soon launch a larger-scale war against the Tanguts.
The scale of the war would be no less than the Five-Route Expedition against Xia during the reign of Emperor Shenzong. If the Song Dynasty were to reclaim the Northwest region, it would have vast horse-breeding lands.
After saying all that, he went on to talk about the reconstruction of Chang'an as the secondary capital of the Song Dynasty. He heard that the imperial court was going to invest heavily in Chang'an to restore the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty.
Zhao Huan was quite satisfied with the storyteller here, and the Political Propaganda Department did a very good job.
He found a place to sit down, and a servant came over to serve wine and dishes.
Meanwhile, Lu Renjia, having just delivered the letter, rushed out to drink.
Having spent so much time in Lantian, he was eager to have some fun in Chang'an now that he had the chance.
When he stepped into Qingping Tower, the first thing he saw was Zhao Huan drinking and listening to stories. He was immediately taken aback, and then a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.
P.S.: Sorry for the late update. Something urgent happened at home today, so I only managed to update one chapter. I'll have to make up for it tomorrow.
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