Chapter 254: Heaven

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"Minister Song Jiang pays homage to Your Majesty! May Your Imperial Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!!!"

Watching Song Jiang's buttocks raised high, as if to demonstrate greater reverence and loyalty than anyone else, Zhao Yu felt a momentary daze.

'Not like Li Xuejian.'

'Not like Zhang Han Yu.'

'Not black, not short.'

'His appearance doesn't match my impression of Song Jiang at all.'

'It seems *Water Margin* contains many fabrications—especially the Black Third Brother.'

'Hmm… thinking about it, the *Eulogies of the Thirty-Six of Song Jiang* was written in the Southern Song, but by then over a hundred years had passed since Song Jiang's time, and without imaging technology, Gong Kai may already have had no idea what Song Jiang looked like; by the time Shi Nai'an wrote *Water Margin* at the end of the Yuan and beginning of the Ming, with no written records of Song Jiang's appearance, he could only have imagined it.'

Zhao Yu's feelings toward Song Jiang were complex.

He couldn't help but picture Song Jiang as the Song Jiang from *Water Margin*, though he knew clearly they were not the same person.

This Song Jiang was merely a slightly influential rebel leader in history, much like Zhang Di and Gao Tuoshan, rebel leaders of the late Northern Song; in terms of scale, Song Jiang was even less impressive than Zhang Di (prototype of Tian Hu) or Wang Ze (prototype of Wang Qing)—Zhang Di gathered hundreds of thousands, Wang Ze held out for over sixty days against a siege of ten thousand imperial troops, while Song Jiang's band numbered at most twenty to thirty thousand.

Precisely because he understood all this, Zhao Yu constantly warned himself not to overestimate Song Jiang's abilities, lest he bring disaster upon himself.

Yet on the other hand, when choosing someone to ignite public sentiment, Zhao Yu had still been swayed by Zhang Chun's persuasion and selected Song Jiang.

To be honest, Zhao Yu had genuinely worried Song Jiang might be unfit for the task.

But Song Jiang proved capable—bold and strategic, and crucially, he could win people's loyalty, making his men willing to follow him through this life-or-death venture; in the end, he truly became a very useful blade in Zhao Yu's hands.

'Truly, circumstances forge heroes—giving this minor clerk and peasant rebel leader a stage, and he truly managed to put on a grand performance.'

'Hmm… Zhang Chun accidentally hit the mark by giving him Song Jiang's poems from *Water Margin*, truly steering him toward Huang Chao's path. Is this fate, after all?'

Zhao Yu looked at Song Jiang—the once obscure clerk from Yuncheng, the leader of a minor historical rebel band—who, by chance, had become a major figure stirring the tides of the realm, and thought: 'He possesses both the ferocity and cunning of the outlaws and the strategy and sentiment of the scholar; this complex, unique temperament, combined with his deeds, should be more than enough for Gong Kai, Shi Nai'an, and others to better shape this fictional character.'

Zhao Yu shook off his reverie and said to the kneeling Song Jiang: 'Minister, you've worked hard. Rise and stand.'

Song Jiang understood: Zhao Yu was telling him that his three-plus years as a double agent had been full of hardship, and though Zhao Yu hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he knew Song Jiang's years had not been easy.

Song Jiang quickly replied: 'To serve Your Majesty is this minister's honor; I dare not speak of hardship.'

Song Jiang was not being modest or polite.

In the Zhao-Song dynasty, clerks and officials were sharply distinct. Clerks held relatively low social status, and this identity gap hindered their transition into officialdom.

Even through seniority (some clerk positions, after serving a fixed term, could lead to promotion via examination) or recommendation (if a clerk performed exceptionally well and gained the recognition and recommendation of superiors, he might qualify for official status), the evaluation standards were extremely strict, so the vast majority of clerks could not meet them.

In other words, unless one passed the imperial examinations, earned a degree, and entered officialdom, a clerk had little chance of becoming an official—most clerks spent their entire lives as clerks.

That is, clerks had the theoretical possibility of becoming officials, but due to restrictions of identity, evaluation, and quotas, the practical difficulty was immense.

In most cases, once a clerk, always a clerk; often the position passed from father to son, generation after generation; becoming an official was merely a dream.

This was also the major predicament Song Jiang faced in *Water Margin* before he took to the mountains—otherwise, why would he have been so eager to befriend outlaws?

And this Song Jiang, had he not been lucky enough to be chosen by Zhao Yu, would likely have remained trapped as a minor clerk his whole life, bitter and unfulfilled. It was Zhao Yu who gave him the chance to become an official—and kept his promise, truly bestowing heavy trust.

Yes.

The position of Commissioner was a temporary appointment, not tied to a fixed rank; it was held concurrently by an official in his original rank. For example, if a Grade 3 Senior Minister served as Commissioner, his rank remained Grade 3 Senior; if a lower-ranking official held it, his rank correspondingly lowered.

—'Appointment' was the actual duty, while 'original rank' determined grade and salary. As an appointment, the Commissioner's rank depended on the appointee's original rank, hence no fixed rank.

But Wu Yong received a real post as Department Magistrate of Hangzhou; at the very least, due to this victory in recapturing Hangzhou, wouldn't Wu Yong be granted Grade 3 Senior?

Song Jiang's heart swelled with indescribable excitement and gratitude; he knew Zhao Yu was not only the turning point of his fate but also his sole hope for fulfilling his life's ambition. He slightly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with resolve and loyalty, and continued: 'Your Majesty's grace is vast; even if this minister were to shatter his body and scatter his bones, he could not repay even a fraction. I swear to devote my life, to spill my blood and brains, to never betray Your Majesty's great trust—I vow to eradicate the bandits of Jiangnan and restore to the Great Song a clear and bright realm!'

Zhao Yu nodded and asked: 'How is the bandit problem in Jiangnan?'

Song Jiang immediately gave Zhao Yu a full account of the current situation in Jiangnan, and volunteered details of their next plans—the suppression strategy that Accompanying Tong Guan had told him.

Zhao Yu then asked Song Jiang about state affairs.

Song Jiang focused on how to implement the 'Equal Taxation of Scholars and Landlords' and the 'Land Tax Merged with Head Tax,' as well as other new policies of the court.

It was clear Song Jiang had studied the court's new policies deeply—he had even identified numerous loopholes in their implementation and proposed practical improvement plans.

During Zhao Yu's questioning and interaction, Song Jiang clearly stated that the scholar-landlord class was the greatest obstacle to court reform and Zhao-Song development, and advocated a hardline stance against scholar-landlords, refusing to tolerate them.

In addition, Song Jiang spoke extensively on governance, covering military, personnel, and livelihood matters.

In summary, Song Jiang's ultimate goal was always to assist Zhao Yu's decision-making, uphold central authority, and serve the state and people with sincere devotion.

Through Song Jiang's audience, Zhao Yu could now confirm that although Song Jiang lacked the ability of Cai Jing and others, his strategic vision was sound, he had studied court reforms thoroughly, and crucially, he genuinely supported them.

And most importantly, he was ruthless and his heart was dark.

Although Zhao Yu had used public resentment to purge the Jiangnan scholar-landlords, a dying centipede still has a hundred legs—he remained uneasy about Jiangnan, a region historically fraught with trouble yet critically important to future dynasties; thus, after quelling the rebellion, Zhao Yu would certainly need someone to watch over Jiangnan.

Zhao Yu's ideal candidate was Song Jiang himself. Song Jiang's hands were already stained with the blood of Jiangnan's scholar-landlords—he would certainly intimidate them.

Crucially, they shared a blood feud; they could never be on the same side.

Song Jiang held such a hardline stance toward scholar-landlords.

Zhao Yu finally made up his mind: he would use Song Jiang to control Jiangnan.

'Song Jiang, attend your appointment.' Zhao Yu said.

'Your servant is here.' Song Jiang immediately bowed to receive the edict.

'The rebel Fang La has stirred unrest in Jiangnan, bringing suffering to the people. Song Jiang and others, loyal and brave, raised troops to suppress the rebels, recaptured Hangzhou, and their merit is great. I am pleased and hereby promote Song Jiang to Palace Guard Physician, concurrently Deputy Commander of Cavalry and Infantry of Jiangnan East Road, Department Magistrate of Xuanzhou, Imperial Attendant, and retain your post as Commissioner of Jiangnan. You shall discipline your troops, pacify the people, ensure local peace, and fulfill my trust.'

Suppressing Fang La would be primarily a military operation; Zhao Yu first appointed Song Jiang as Deputy Commander of Cavalry and Infantry to meet wartime needs; the concurrent appointment as Department Magistrate would allow him to engage in local governance, especially fiscal and civil affairs, preparing him for future control of Jiangnan.

Palace Guard Physician was a Grade 6 Senior military post; Department Magistrate was a Grade 5 Junior administrative post—this could serve as a transition for 'military-to-civilian' or 'bilingual' advancement—though the Zhao-Song dynasty favored civil over military, exceptional cases (such as outstanding military merit) permitted military officers to serve as supervisory officials.

During Song Jiang's campaign against Fang La in Jiangnan, he could demonstrate his fiscal management ability through achievements like 'overseeing tax collection and regulating canal transport'; later, if Zhao Yu arranged for Pacification Commissioner or Supervisory Officials to jointly recommend him, he could then be formally appointed to control Jiangnan's finances through the combination of 'Palace Guard Physician + Transport Commissioner' (Transport Commissioner as real post, military rank as honorary title), while leveraging his military background (former Deputy Commander of Cavalry and Infantry) to intimidate local scholar-landlords—fully meeting Zhao Yu's need for a military officer to hold financial power and suppress the region.

In short, Zhao Yu had paved a bright path for Song Jiang; as long as he made no major mistakes, he would become Jiangnan's 'Governor-General.'

Song Jiang, a former clerk, knew the Zhao-Song bureaucratic system inside out—he could not fail to see Zhao Yu's heavy trust in him.

Song Jiang was overwhelmed with gratitude: 'Thank Your Majesty for your boundless grace!!!'

Beyond official appointments, Zhao Yu also granted Song Jiang numerous other rewards.

For example, Zhao Yu had rewarded Song Jiang with a grand residence.

It was a siheyuan courtyard house, situated on the street outside Zhu Que Gate, south of Longjin Bridge, where all the high officials of the court lived—one could say that living here was a symbol of status.

This siheyuan had wing rooms built on both sides; the main structure was divided into a front hall, a rear hall, and a bedchamber, with the rooms connected by corridors into an "I"-shaped layout. Inside the courtyard, flowers and grass grew like a carpet, a pool was carved out and fed with water, and stones were piled to form a hill—utterly the character of a villa.

In Dongjing Bianliang, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, owning a house like this was something no ordinary person could manage.

What's more, this was a grand residence personally bestowed by the Emperor.

What surprised Song Jiang even more was that there were actually ten gorgeously dressed concubines in the courtyard.

They gathered around together and paid their respects to Song Jiang: "Greetings, Chancellor!"

Seeing this, Song Jiang hurriedly asked the Ministry of Revenue's Secretary Wang Fu, who had brought him over: "Who are they?"

Wang Fu said with a smile: "They were also bestowed upon the Military Commissioner by Your Majesty—all top-grade concubines trained by the Music and Dance Bureau."

Then Wang Fu beckoned toward the door, and immediately people brought in a large quantity of gold, silver, jewels, furniture, and household goods.

A hasty estimate of these things put their value at no less than a hundred thousand strings of cash, and certainly no less than eighty thousand—enough to keep Song Jiang worry-free for life.

It is worth mentioning that regarding the bestowal of wealth, the reason Zhao Yu was so generous to Song Jiang was mainly because over the past few years Song Jiang had, through Yuwen Xuzhong, presented Zhao Yu with gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and treasures worth no less than ten or twenty million strings of cash.

If Zhao Yu didn't reward Song Jiang with some wealth, it would make his own appetite look too unseemly.

In truth, Song Jiang did not care for money, nor did he care for beauties—he only cared for power. Therefore, if it were up to Song Jiang to choose, he would rather Zhao Yu take back those concubines and wealth and exchange them for rewards that could elevate his status, such as used objects from Zhao Yu, or some nominal titles and the like.

Of course, Song Jiang also knew that he was being a bit too greedy. Zhao Yu's promotion and reward of him had already been all-encompassing; it couldn't possibly get any better. If he wanted further advancement, he would have to exchange it for solid, real merit.

Song Jiang said repeatedly: "His Majesty's grace is so generous, it makes this humble minister utterly overwhelmed with awe and trepidation!"

At this moment, the Ministry of Personnel's Vice Minister He Zhizhong arrived at Song Jiang's new home and announced the court's promotions and rewards for those who had meritoriously recaptured Hangzhou.

The court had neither deliberately increased the promotions for Song Jiang's subordinates nor withheld from them, but had strictly followed the court's rules and regulations in promoting those who had earned merit in this campaign.

And this was precisely what Song Jiang and his men wanted most.

After reading out the promotions for Wu Yong and the others, He Zhizhong said to Song Jiang: "Your Majesty specifically instructed my Ministry of Personnel to quickly verify the merits of the officials and generals under your command, and said to have the Military Commissioner take their promotions back together. Otherwise, it would not only be hard for the Military Commissioner to account for things to his subordinates, it would also affect the morale of the front lines."

Hearing this, Song Jiang bowed deeply toward the direction of the imperial palace and cried out: "Your Majesty's imperial grace is vast and boundless—Song Jiang and the others could die ten thousand deaths and still fail to repay even a fraction!"

Song Jiang did not cling to the comfortable nest Zhao Yu had rewarded him with. After staying only two days, he took the initiative to use the urgency of the front-line war as his reason to request his leave from Zhao Yu, then took the rewards Zhao Yu had given for his subordinates and headed south.

Not long after Song Jiang left, the Ministry of Rites had also finished examining Shao Shi, Fang Baihua, Chen Miao Zhen, and the more than three hundred young beauties Accompanying Tong Guan had presented to Zhao Yu. They had initially taught them court etiquette, then sent them into the palace to be handed over to the female officials for continued training.

That evening, the bedchamber-attending female official came to inform Zhao Yu of this and asked for instructions: "Does Your Majesty wish to visit these women tonight?"

After hearing the bedchamber-attending female official's introduction, Zhao Yu became quite interested in Fang Baihua and Chen Miao Zhen.

As for Fang La's wife, the fake Empress Shao Shi, Zhao Yu did not hold out much hope.

In this era, beauties required money to be raised. Fang La had reached the point of rebellion—his wife had probably been working in the fields day in, day out, wind-blasted and sun-scorched, without even meat to eat. How could she possibly be good-looking?

But despite thinking this way, Zhao Yu still had Shao Shi's name tablet turned, ordering her to attend him along with Fang Baihua and Chen Miao Zhen……

……

(End of this chapter)