Ch.80Family (2)

I suddenly ordered my soldiers to maintain a state of alert when the Jin Dynasty army unexpectedly appeared. I was gathering the khans to discuss how to deal with this situation.

After some tense moments had passed, a messenger rushed in urgently.

“Great Khan, the Jin army has reportedly withdrawn.”

“They suddenly retreated… what happened?”

“Well… it seems the Song Dynasty forces suddenly appeared.”

“Song Dynasty…?”

I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion at the mention of the Song Dynasty. This was understandable since I had completely forgotten about them after initially receiving the Muslim technicians and trebuchets.

It was puzzling that they would suddenly appear at such a critical moment when the Jin Dynasty was attacking us after we had conquered Western Xia.

“We don’t know the exact details, but thanks to the appearance of a large Song Dynasty force, the Jin troops heading toward Xingqing have withdrawn.”

“I understand. Thank you for your hard work.”

I let the messenger rest before returning to the table. There, the khans who had been engaged in heated discussion due to the crisis were all breathing sighs of relief.

“It’s fortunate that the Jin Dynasty has turned back.”

“That was a close call.”

The khans said this while wiping away cold sweat.

To repeat what I’ve said before, Mongol soldiers were skilled in battle but terrible at defense.

Of course, by absorbing Western Xia, we had gained infantry capable of siege defense, but we weren’t yet at the point where we could utilize them effectively. So if the Jin Dynasty had attacked, we would certainly have faced great difficulties.

“It’s truly fortunate.”

I nodded at Elunka’s words.

Then I turned to look at Munglig.

“Munglig.”

“I await your command.”

“Prepare the Kheshig. I need to meet with the Song Dynasty commander.”

“The Song commander, you say?”

“Yes.”

I needed to know exactly why he had brought such a large army here.

So I planned to move with the Kheshig to meet the enemy commander.

“It’s dangerous, Great Khan. Though the Song Dynasty made the Jin retreat, we’re still not certain whether they’re allies or enemies.”

The twilight hour.

The Song Dynasty stood at a distance where we couldn’t tell if they were friend or foe.

Given this, Elunka’s concern was perfectly reasonable.

“I need to meet them myself.”

“Then I’ll prepare the soldiers.”

“No. There might still be dissidents within Xingqing. It’s better to move alone on this matter.”

Meeting the Song army with soldiers in tow wasn’t a good approach.

Not only would we be leading exhausted troops who couldn’t fight properly, but even accounting for that, we would be insufficient to stop the Song soldiers.

So it was safer to move alone and demonstrate that we weren’t their enemy.

“What about this place…”

“Western Xia already has a khan. Follow his decisions.”

At my words, Elunka turned to look at Bekhter.

Bekhter stood up and nodded.

After calming the khans, I left Xingqing with Munglig.

After leaving Xingqing and traveling a short distance, Song Dynasty flags began to come into view.

“Munglig. Take out the white flag.”

Munglig nodded and pulled out a white flag from his sleeve.

Seeing the white flag, the Song commander seemed to recognize our signal and waved a white flag in return.

We confirmed that neither side had the intention to fight.

After double-checking that safety was secured, I approached the enemy commander with Munglig.

“Are you the Great Khan of the Mongols?”

I nodded at the words translated by the Song interpreter.

Unlike typical Central Plains people, he didn’t call the Mongols “Monggo.”

This made me begin to find the enemy commander interesting.

“I am. Who are you?”

At my words, the man immediately dismounted and gave me a fist-and-palm salute.

I couldn’t hide my surprise at this greeting that seemed straight out of a Chinese martial arts novel.

“Haha! I thought from the aura emanating from your body that you were no ordinary person, and I was right! I am Xin Qiji, Defense Commissioner of the Great Song, courtesy name Danfu. It’s an honor to meet the Great Khan whose name is widely known!”

The man with the hearty impression was none other than Xin Qiji.

As far as I knew, he was originally a poet, but with exceptional chivalry from childhood, he had organized a militia at the young age of 22 to resist the Jin Dynasty.

After the Song capital moved to Lin’an, he had held various local positions before becoming Defense Commissioner, a position just below Military Governor.

Anyway, since such a figure was showing me respect, I couldn’t remain on horseback.

So I also dismounted and returned the same courtesy.

“Indeed, a hero is different! I can feel the might that could uproot mountains and the spirit that covers the world emanating from the Great Khan’s body.”

I was dumbfounded to receive such praise from a Central Plains person who typically looked down on nomads.

Perhaps because he was a poet, he seemed to have a more open mind in this regard.

Of course, this was just my inference, and he might show behavior looking down on nomads at some point.

But for now, his first impression was the best I’d seen among Central Plains people.

“I accept your praise.”

“Haha! You’re even magnanimous, which is wonderful. If I weren’t carrying out His Majesty’s orders, I would request to share drinks with the Great Khan and discuss heroes and gallant men, but…”

Xin Qiji let his words trail off.

Then he cleared his throat and continued.

“First, I would like your permission to deliver an imperial edict to Prince Bielgutei on behalf of His Majesty.”

“I will allow it if you prove you’re not an enemy.”

While Xin Qiji himself might be friendly, there was no guarantee his army was the same.

So I said this to test his intentions.

And I observed whether his actions were genuine or false.

If he had been pretending to flatter me, he would get angry here.

If not, he would prove to me that they weren’t enemies.

“Since Mongolia has submitted to the Song Dynasty, we who carry out His Majesty’s orders will naturally respect that intention. We will station our troops 100 paces away from Western Xia’s city gates. And only I and my officers will move separately.”

I couldn’t tell if this was bold or insane.

Again, by Central Plains standards, we were considered barbarians.

So we could suddenly change our minds and take them prisoner.

But I couldn’t understand why Xin Qiji was acting so confidently.

His behavior surprised not only me but also Munglig.

Munglig showed a surprised expression and questioned Xin Qiji.

“Do you realize we could capture you?”

“Hahaha! Don’t worry. A hero is someone who understands law and principle well. And is also excellent in understanding the political situation. Isn’t that right?”

Then he looked at me with a smile.

Judging by his eyes, he seemed sincere.

Of course, he seemed a bit obsessed with chivalry… but regardless, Xin Qiji’s words were undeniable facts.

As he said, if we refused his request now, the Jin army might push back in.

So in our position, we couldn’t refuse the Song Dynasty’s request.

The same was true from the Song Dynasty’s perspective.

If we really pushed hard to drive away the Song army, the Jin Dynasty would certainly seize the opportunity to attack the Song.

In that case, we might be temporarily safe.

But after subduing and attacking the Song, the next target would naturally be the Mongols.

“You’ve assessed correctly. The Ulus welcomes you.”

As I spread my arms in welcome, Xin Qiji smiled and reciprocated my welcome.

* * *

“…Therefore, I, the Emperor of the Great Song, hereby appoint Paaji-geun Bielgutei-cheon-a, son of Paaji-geun Yasuhai who has submitted to the mandate of the Great Song, as King of the Xia Dynasty.”

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song!”

“Long live!”

As soon as Xin Qiji finished speaking, the Western Xia officials spread their arms and showed reverence for the emperor.

The Mongols, still unfamiliar with this, could only blink their eyes.

Normally, Central Plains people would be displeased by this.

But Xin Qiji and his officers didn’t seem to be typical Central Plains people, as they appeared unconcerned.

“With this, the relationship between the Song Dynasty and Mongolia has become even stronger.”

At Xin Qiji’s words, Bekhter slightly bowed his head in gratitude.

“Thank you.”

“Not at all. This is thanks to Mongolia’s efforts. The Mongol warriors have achieved this through blood and sweat, so it deserves respect.”

Even Bekhter blinked in surprise at the unexpected words from Xin Qiji’s mouth.

“Are you really from the Central Plains?”

“Haha! Yes, I am from the Central Plains. Or more precisely, I am from the state of Qi.”

“Are Central Plains people and Qi people different?”

“I would like to say they are different.”

Seeing Xin Qiji answer with a smile, I could only nod.

Before being transported to this world, when I went on a business trip to China in modern times, people from Shandong had exactly this image.

They had the typical image of gallant men who loved drinking.

In fact, I later heard that Shandong people had a strong image of being heroes even within China.

Anyway, being from that region, Xin Qiji was giving off this martial arts novel vibe.

“People from Qi value righteousness and chivalry. Those who uphold righteousness and chivalry deserve respect even if they are not from the Central Plains, and conversely, those who do not uphold righteousness and chivalry should be despised even if they are from the Central Plains.”

“…?”

“…?”

When the words righteousness and chivalry came up, Bekhter could only tilt his head in confusion.

Unlike the confused Bekhter, Xin Qiji continued with a pleased expression.

“Anyway, the people of Western Xia follow the Khan, and the Khan rules Western Xia with righteousness and chivalry, which is a blessing for the world and a joy for His Majesty the Emperor.”

“I… I see.”

“And since the enemies of the Great Song and Mongolia coincide, isn’t this killing two birds with one stone?”

Bekhter nodded at Xin Qiji’s eloquent words.

However it happened, the Song Dynasty was showing such a strongly friendly stance, which was good for Mongolia and Western Xia.