Chapter 311: Great Song

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The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, ceded to the Khitan by Shi Jingtang during the Five Dynasties, became an enduring obsession for every emperor of the Song dynasty.

At the founding of the Song, Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin placed the recovery of Yan and Yun high on his agenda. He understood that the war-ravaged Central Plains needed rest and recovery, and was unwilling to launch a hasty war; thus, he established the “Fengzhuang Treasury,” intending to use accumulated wealth to ransom the Sixteen Prefectures from the Khitan—if they agreed, he would pay to reclaim them; if they refused, he would use the funds to build up the army and forcibly recover them.

Unfortunately, Zhao Kuangyin died suddenly before realizing this plan, and the Fengzhuang Treasury concept was abandoned.

After ascending the throne, Emperor Taizong Zhao Guangyi adopted a more aggressive stance toward recovering Yan and Yun. He viewed the Khitan occupation of the region as a humiliation to the Central Plains dynasty, and believed that if the Khitan controlled Yan and Yun, the Central Plains would have no natural defenses.

Thus, after conquering the Northern Han, Zhao Guangyi ignored his troops’ exhaustion and immediately launched a northern campaign, advancing directly toward Youzhou.

Initially, the Song army made swift progress and even besieged Youzhou, but Khitan reinforcements arrived swiftly and crushed the Song forces at the Gaoliang River; Zhao Guangyi was wounded by an arrow and fled in panic, ending the first northern campaign in catastrophic defeat.

Thereafter, Zhao Guangyi remained undeterred and organized another large-scale northern campaign, but due to poor command and lack of coordination among the various armies, he was again defeated by the Khitan; the famed general Yang Ye was captured and killed in this battle.

These two catastrophic defeats severely weakened the Song dynasty; Zhao Guangyi was forced to abandon the idea of forcibly recovering Yan and Yun and shifted to a defensive strategy.

During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong Zhao Heng, the Khitan launched a massive southern invasion, advancing directly toward Chanzhou, causing panic throughout the Song court.

At the strong urging of Chancellor Kou Zhun, Zhao Heng personally went to the front to supervise the battle; Song morale surged, and they repelled the Khitan offensive.

Subsequently, the Song and Liao signed the Treaty of Chanyuan, agreeing that the Song would pay annual “tribute” to the Liao, while the Liao recognized the Song’s legitimate status, and both sides ceased hostilities.

Although the Treaty of Chanyuan brought nearly a century of peace between Song and Liao, it also meant the Song temporarily abandoned its claim to recover Yan and Yun, exchanging money for temporary security.

During the reigns of Emperor Renzong Zhao Zhen and Emperor Yingzong Zhao Shu—especially the former—the imperial authority was hollowed out by the bureaucratic and scholar-gentry elite; they lacked the bold ambition of their ancestors to unify the realm. During their reigns, relations between Song and Liao remained relatively stable, with occasional friction but no large-scale war.

During the reign of Emperor Shenzong Zhao Xu, he supported Wang Anshi’s reforms, attempting to enrich the state and strengthen the military in preparation for recovering Yan and Yun, but internal strife from the reforms and failures in foreign wars prevented success; he ultimately left only this statement: “He who recovers Yan and Yun shall be king.”

By the time of Emperor Zhezong Zhao Xu, although the Song achieved some victories against the Western Xia, it remained powerless to alter the Khitan’s hold on Yan and Yun.

The reason Song emperors were so obsessed with Yan and Yun was fundamentally strategic: the region, rich in mountains, served as the natural barrier protecting the Central Plains from northern nomadic tribes; without Yan and Yun, northern cavalry could charge straight in and threaten the heartland. Economically, Yan and Yun were agriculturally prosperous and densely populated, a vital source of wealth and conscripts. Symbolically, Yan and Yun had been ancestral territory of the Central Plains dynasties since antiquity; its cession to the Khitan was a profound disgrace, and its recovery was a crucial symbol for Song emperors to affirm their legitimacy and demonstrate the dynasty’s strength.

Precisely because of these reasons, every Song emperor regarded recovering Yan and Yun as their duty—from Zhao Kuangyin’s Fengzhuang Treasury, to Zhao Guangyi’s two northern campaigns, to later emperors’ patient preparation—this obsession permeated the early history of the Song dynasty and became a pivotal factor shaping Song-Liao relations and the dynasty’s fate.

Only when Zhao Yu ascended the throne, after more than a decade of diligent governance, did the Zhao Song dynasty finally fully recover Yan and Yun, completing the great unification, never again to be mocked as a fragmented regime clinging to a corner.

Today’s Zhao Song dynasty differs from the late Ming dynasty only by lacking Yunnan and Liaodong, but possesses the Ordos region instead; in reality, the difference is negligible.

Now Zhao Yu could finally call the Zhao Song dynasty “Great Song.”

In fact, this had always been Zhao Yu’s obsession. Because he had not recovered Yan and Yun, he had never dared to call the Zhao Song dynasty “Great Song,” for he felt it did not deserve the title.

Upon receiving news that Zhang Jue had led his thirty thousand troops out of Pingzhou, passed Yuguan, and marched north into the Liaoxi Corridor, and that the Tiger Guard had taken control of all fortresses and key passes—including Pingluan Yingsanzhou, Yuguan, and the Liaoxi Corridor—and that Song Jiang and Wu Yong had begun deploying the “Guan-Ning-Jin Defense Line” according to the Great Song’s prearranged military plan, Zhao Yu and the Great Song ministers were all elated.

The one person Zhao Yu trusted least during this personal campaign was Zhao Ji; no one could threaten Zhao Yu’s throne or the safety of the Great Song, so Zhao Yu brought Zhao Ji along.

For extra precaution, Zhao Yu even brought Zhao Ji’s only son, Zhao Huan.

When the war between Liao and Jin was still uncertain—indeed, when Liao still held overwhelming advantage—Zhao Yu had already concluded that Jin would be the victor.

Zhao Yu used this as grounds to strip Zhao Ji of his Zhuangyuan title.

To be honest, Zhao Ji was deeply resentful then; he thought Zhao Yu was far too hasty—how could the Jurchens, mere backward barbarians, possibly defeat the mighty Liao Empire?

Remember, the Liao had once struck terror into the Northern Song! Its iron cavalry swept across the northern frontier, making the Central Plains tremble under its shadow.

Yet history proved Zhao Yu’s foresight correct.

The Jurchens rose with thunderous force, defeating the Liao and sweeping forward with unstoppable momentum, nearly swallowing the entire Liao territory.

This was utterly beyond Zhao Ji’s expectations.

Looking back now, Zhao Ji realized how wildly wrong he had been.

If he, Zhao Ji, had been emperor of the Song, he would have chosen to ally with Jin to destroy Liao, hoping to recover Yan and Yun.

In that case, Liao would surely have fallen, and the Song would have become neighbors with Jin, with no buffer zone between them; moreover, having fully absorbed Liao’s territory, Jin would have grown unprecedentedly powerful.

Now, observing Jin’s rise—its burning, killing, looting, and grave-robbing—it was clear they were beasts without humanity, greedy and treacherous; to be their neighbor, the Song would have no peace.

Thinking of this, Zhao Ji felt a chill of dread and silently rejoiced that he was not the one forced to make such a decision.

Zhao Ji gazed at Zhao Yu seated on the dragon throne, his heart filled with mixed emotions. His younger brother was farsighted; every decision seemed to foresee the future, guiding the Great Song toward greater stability—indeed, over the years he had planned flawlessly, moved troops without delay, and secured the empire’s foundation.

Just as in this instance: Zhao Yu not only fully exploited the Liao-Jin war to recover Yan and Yun, but also established a buffer between the Song and Jin; crucially, if the Song managed affairs well, Liao and Jin would remain locked in mutual exhaustion, while the Song reaped the benefits as the bystander—truly, it gained both substance and prestige.

Even more admirable to Zhao Ji was that, up to this point, the Great Song had paid minimal cost, preserving its strength entirely, ensuring it would remain invincible in the coming tripartite struggle.

Only now did Zhao Ji truly submit to Zhao Yu, and finally admit that Zhao Yu’s succession to Zhao Xu’s throne had been far superior to his own.

With his inner conflict resolved, as a member of the Song imperial clan, Zhao Ji was undeniably one of those who benefited from the Great Song’s strengthened position through the recovery of Yan and Yun.

Thus, Zhao Ji was also delighted; in his excitement, he proposed to Zhao Yu: “Your Majesty has recovered the entire Yan and Yun region and completed the great unification—a momentous joy. I humbly suggest a grand banquet to celebrate, with emperor and ministers rejoicing together.”

Although Zhao Yu disliked banquets, Zhao Ji’s suggestion was sound; having achieved great unification, he must celebrate—especially since many more tasks lay ahead.

Thus, Zhao Yu accepted Zhao Ji’s proposal and ordered Liang Shicheng to arrange a banquet in the Yaochi Hall.

Outside the Yaochi Hall lay the Yaochi Lake, its azure waters rippling, the scenery radiant and enchanting. The Yaochi was a beautiful lotus lake, vast and horseshoe-shaped, located at the heart of the Yanjing imperial palace complex. On the lake stood a small island called Yao Island, upon which the Yaochi Hall was built.

Zhao Yu and his ministers drank, exchanged poetry, composed verses, sang, performed, and reveled in pleasure here.

Attendees included not only Song’s Zhao Ji, Cai Bian, Tong Guan, and other imperial clan ministers, but also “Liao” figures: Xiao Puxian, Xiao Sese, Yelu Ao, Yelu Hulua, Li Chuwen, Xiao Fengxian, Liu Yanzong, and Shi Li’ai.