In the fourteenth year of the Jingkang era, the Song Dynasty was being built step by step according to the emperor's plan.
However, a battle occurred in the Karakhanid Khanate that was significant enough to influence the course of history.
This battle was very famous, and Zhao Huan's arrival did not affect the course of the battle in history.
The two sides in the battle were the newly emerging Liao Dynasty in the Western Regions and the Seleucid Empire, which ruled over Transoxiana.
Several years ago, the two sides had actually clashed, but not on a large-scale battlefield.
That was during a period of internal strife in the Eastern Khaganate, when the Seleucid Empire unilaterally interfered in the internal affairs of the Eastern Khaganate.
After the death of Ahmad Khan of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, his son Ibrahim Khan became unpopular, leading to rebellions by the Kangli and Karluks.
Behind this is the influence of the Seleucus Empire.
The Eastern Khaganate was forced to invite the Liao Dynasty to send troops to help quell the rebellion.
Da Shi quickly pacified the Kangli and Karluks, and reduced the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate to a vassal state, seizing its northern border region as a directly administered territory of Liao.
From then on, Yelü Dashi rose to prominence in the Western Regions, becoming a force that could not be ignored by the major powers of the Western Regions.
This also attracted the attention of the Sailiuzhu Empire, the overlord of the Western Regions.
Two years ago, the two sides had several small-scale skirmishes, but these were mostly probing attacks and no large-scale battles took place.
But this time, things are different from the past.
As the sun set, although news of the war had arrived from the front lines, Yelü Dashi was in his palace reading Zhao Huan's books, including "On Economics," "On Enriching the Nation," "The Influence of Finance on the People," and "On New Trade."
Yelü Dashi watched with rapt attention.
In previous years, he had not read these books, for no other reason than that.
He felt that Zhao Huan's way of playing games would definitely ruin him.
However, in recent years, Zhao Huan has not only avoided ruining himself, but the State of Song has also become increasingly powerful.
It was only in the last two years that Yelü Dashi began to read Zhao Huan's books.
Once you start watching, you just can't stop.
I read it again and again, as if savoring its true meaning.
Every time I see something amazing, I have to applaud in amazement.
Each time, I gain new insights.
I often can't help but sigh: If I weren't burdened with the responsibility of restoring the country, I would definitely go and pay my respects to this emperor of the Song Dynasty. To have met such a person in this life would be worth dying for!
Yelü Dashi not only read Zhao Huan's book as if it were a book, but also specially invited someone to explain all the new policies implemented by the Song Dynasty in recent years.
Although those people could only describe the content of the new policy, they could not explain the logic and reasons behind it.
But the clever Yelü Dashi quickly connected the dots.
Recalling what Zhao Huan said in his book, I am even more impressed that Zhao Huan was truly a genius!
For a moment, Yelü Dashi really wanted to just lead his men and submit to Zhao Huan.
Making an enemy like that is not a good thing.
But then he thought about Zhao Huan's actions in the State of Song last year, and he couldn't help but shake his head.
Indulging businessmen is the first wrong step you take.
Having learned from this lesson, Yelü Dashi implemented a system in the present-day Liao Dynasty where the imperial court had absolute control over trade.
It was almost entirely controlled by the imperial court.
The Liao Dynasty inherited the foundation of the Eastern Khalkha Khanate, and two years ago it carried out a bloody large-scale purge of nobles in the capital of the Khalkha Khanate.
The current policies are very easy to implement.
The Liao Dynasty did not have a large population. Unlike the Song Dynasty, where people were mostly dependent on farmland, many Liao people were originally merchants or herders.
In order to maintain effective control, Yelü Dashi adopted a policy of having the military manage administration.
In other words, the highest authority in all regions of the country is the military commander.
Soldiers certainly have the highest level of execution.
For example, the establishment of textile factories, cement plants, mining, and military factories were all carried out by government departments that adopted military-style management.
Yelü Dashi clearly remembered a sentence in Zhao Huan's book: "Concentrate your efforts to accomplish great things."
Of course, he prefers another saying: When the speed is fast enough, a stone can float on water.
These words may sound ordinary, but they contain profound philosophical insights.
Since last year, almost all of the Liao Kingdom's production needs have been planned by the government.
Most of them initially served the military, while some were put to civilian use.
Perhaps influenced by Zhao Huan, Yelü Dashi, unlike in orthodox history, began to advocate the idea of military supremacy and conquest in the Liao Dynasty.
At the same time, specialized intelligence and spy departments were established.
Lu Wanqing was a member of the spy agency.
Yelü Dashi's spies infiltrated the Song Dynasty, Sailiuzhu, and India.
In the Song Dynasty, their main task was to instigate internal strife; in Sailiuzhu and Tianzhu, their main task was to gather intelligence.
Such reform policies are far superior to the embarrassing, ill-advised policies that Wanyan Zongpan employed in the Jin Dynasty, which resulted in a failed attempt to imitate a tiger.
Yelü Dashi was indeed a powerful figure. Under his leadership, the newly established Liao Dynasty was completely transformed in just over a year.
It was as if a giant had risen up on the vast land of the Western Regions.
His power kept the mighty Severus in the west awake all night and made many forces in the Transoxiana region uneasy.
The balance that had been maintained for hundreds of years was broken.
And so, a war broke out.
The military situation at the front is extremely urgent.
The kings of Khorasan, Sigestan, Ghazni, Mazandaran, Ghur, and other countries led their troops to join the Seljuk Empire's coalition, which consisted of nearly 100,000 soldiers.
Approaching the border of the Eastern Khanate.
This army of 100,000 was a coalition of various forces in the Hezhong region, which is enough to show how much fear those people felt about the newly established Liao Kingdom.
This is a duel between the local overlord and the newly migrated powerful.
"Your Majesty, the enemy army has crossed the Western Khaganate, crossed the Amu Darya River, and advanced into our territory."
Yelü Dashi put down his book, *On Economics*, and casually picked up his armor: "How many men do they have?"
"Report to Your Majesty, one hundred thousand!"
How many people do we have?
"We have 10,000 men."
Yelü Dashi donned his armor and said calmly, "Let's go, take them down!"
"Your Majesty, we can send reinforcements. Our Khitan men still have 30,000 brave warriors, and tribal leaders have all volunteered to join the war, vowing to fight those barbarians to the death!" (The Liao Dynasty always considered itself the legitimate successor of China.)
"No need, the country's development needs them more!" Yelü Dashi strode out with his personal guards, a copy of Zhao Huan's "On Enriching the Nation" tucked into his arms. He said to Xiao Hanyici along the way, "Ten thousand men are enough. I will use these ten thousand men to teach those barbarians how to behave!"
That night, Yelü Dashi led a thousand cavalrymen to the western front.
The commander of the western front was Erbus, a general under Yelü Dashi.
This man is a genius at warfare.
After traveling all night, Yelü Dashi arrived the next day at a place a hundred miles east of Katwan.
Erbus bowed to Yelü Dashi: "Your Majesty, ten thousand men are waiting for your arrival. For the great Khitan people, we swear to fight to the death!"
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