[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-106":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558272,2024,"Chapter 106: The Gap","shao-song-chapter-106",106,"\u003Cp>Although it was raining, the Imperial Majesty had been very busy lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Song Dynasty's system of all matters being decided by the sovereign perfectly guaranteed the Emperor's power, but it also left one's head spinning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One moment it was about tax collection by the Maritime Trade Office, the next about fixing the troop strength of the front-line Pacification Commissioners, then a plan to re-establish the Directorate for Palace Construction in Nanyang, then sorting out personnel and salaries; no sooner had he arranged bandit suppression work than he had to turn around and deal with emergencies like front-line generals being unhappy... Finance, military affairs, military industry, personnel—which one could he slack off on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but there were more and more wild pigeons outside the palace, and more and more people inside the palace as well, all kinds of voices converging together, enough to make a person feel muddled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Couldn't understand? Even if you couldn't understand, you had to pretend you did!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after Academician Lin sent back that letter, the Imperial Majesty finally perked up, earning the right to openly and legitimately slack off. Of course, saying that was a bit absurd—matters of state and military, matters of life and death, were more important than anything! But it was a fact that after arriving at the military camp and issuing orders, the Imperial Majesty had a rare, beautiful afternoon nap, and only then beat the drum to assemble the generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, although it was called beating the drum to assemble the generals, there was none of the grim, murderous atmosphere from TV dramas. Whether it was because of the rain and fewer people, or because these Imperial Guard central army generals were mostly old veterans who showed no martial bearing before the Imperial Majesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Wang also requests to be the vanguard?\" The spirited Zhao Jiu stared at Wang De before him for a long time before asking coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah...\" Wang De hesitated for a moment, then forced an ugly smile to explain. \"Isn't it because all the other generals are requesting to fight?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If all the generals request to fight, you request to fight; if all the generals are Commanders, why aren't you a Commander?\" Zhao Jiu also smiled, staring at the small beard under the other's chin. \"Han Shizhong said you don't have the ability to be a commander-in-chief, so you gave up on yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang De hesitated, but still felt unwilling: \"Isn't it because Your Majesty has come to personally oversee the battle? With Your Majesty as the commander, where would I need to be the commander-in-chief? If it really comes to it, there's still Commander-in-Chief Wang... Let Your Majesty know, if you could grant me five thousand troops, I, I... ahem! Your servant! Your servant could surely take Dengcheng and break Xiangyang for Your Majesty! Your Majesty only needs to oversee the battle from the rear.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand. Minister Wang means that you will handle matters before the battle yourself, and I, the Emperor, can just sit comfortably in the rear... Is that what you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait until I finish reading these memorials first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you command...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang De, in his capacity as Vice Commander-in-Chief, had come to request the vanguard position, but received no definite answer and instead got the cold shoulder. The Imperial Majesty also put on a stern face, then lowered his head to browse the battle request documents before him. The central army tent, or rather the central army hall, fell silent for a time. However, after Zhao Jiu lowered his head and read a few battle request memorials, he felt the same irritation he had when reading those memorials in the temporary palace... These generals' memorials were all identical—advancing south along the Baihe River, striking directly at Dengzhou and Xiangyang, then uniformly requesting to be the vanguard. He wondered if it was because the central government had recently been recruiting people, and the scholars these generals had raised had all run off, forcing them to hire the same person to write for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could only say it was fortunate that Zhao Jiu had had Liu Ziyu, Yang Yizhong, and Liu Yan roughly sketch out a general plan before he came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after finishing his review, the Imperial Majesty suddenly regained some interest. He pressed down on the few memorials in his hand, looked around at the Commanders present, and then suddenly laughed: \"Didn't I issue a clear oral decree, asking you Commanders to each write a military strategy memorial for this battle? Why haven't the two Xin Commanders submitted their memorials?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty! Your servants, the two brothers, originally had two memorials prepared, but just before the drum was beaten, we had some new thoughts on this battle, and simply didn't have time to write them into the memorials...\" Xin Xingzong, upon hearing this, immediately stepped forward with his younger brother, cupping his hands, and took the opportunity to present the matter they had just discussed with Hu Hongxiu. \"Therefore, your servant requests to be the garrison commander of Nanyang, and requests to be stationed at Wuguan after the battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant requests to be a detached force, to attack Niushou!\" Little Xin quickly added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, Minister Xin has come up with something original.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, upon hearing the Xin brothers' words, the Imperial Majesty fell silent for a moment, only speaking slowly after a long pause. \"Then let it be so. I approve your memorials, and also approve Minister Wang's memorial... For this battle, let Vice Commander-in-Chief Wang (Wang De) be the vanguard, Commander Fu (Fu Qing) be the deputy vanguard, both to set out for Dengcheng together tomorrow morning; let Commander Little Xin be the flank vanguard, Deputy Commander Liu (Liu Yan) be the flank deputy vanguard, also to set out tomorrow morning, heading for Niushou; let Commander Big Xin be the garrison commander; the remaining units will form the central army, carrying grain and supplies, and will set out slowly with me tomorrow at noon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, the Imperial Majesty did not speak further with the generals, but directly left the central army hall with Yang Yizhong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving aside the central army, where Wang Yuan and Liu Ziyu, in their capacities as Imperial Guard Commander-in-Chief and Director of the Bureau of Military Personnel in the Privy Council, were coordinating miscellaneous military affairs, and Liu Yan, having received his assignment, stayed to await orders... On the other side, the Imperial Majesty, after leaving the central army hall, had an uncertain, gloomy expression, causing Yang Yizhong and the others following behind to feel anxious and uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leave two umbrellas for me. Zhengfu, stay. The rest of you, go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu reached the corridor, had already put one foot into the rain, but then suddenly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding eunuchs and guards dared not say a word, and immediately headed for the military quarters where the Emperor was staying. Behind him, Yang Yizhong immediately bowed his head and made a posture of awaiting orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I really don't want to be a suspicious Emperor.\" Zhao Jiu did not look at Yang Yizhong, but clasped his hands behind his back, looking at the semi-permanent camp that had just been built, and sighed softly. \"I also know that these two incidents might just be coincidences... For example, last time, it involved palace privacy, which is something the common people love to hear about. It might have been caused by Minister Lu's carelessness. This time, Xin Xingzong is, after all, a veteran general of decades. What you, Liu Ziyu, Wang Yuan, and Liu Yan could think of, he might not necessarily have thought of!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant was just about to say that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But conversely, if someone really used such despicable means as rumors to attack the Chief Minister, if someone really dared to privately leak the results of discussions in the palace's Privy Council to the generals below, and I did nothing about it, it would lead to a major disaster.\" Zhao Jiu finally turned around. \"This time, don't accompany me on the campaign. Stay here, and take the opportunity to re-establish the Imperial City Office...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, the position of Superintendent of the Imperial City Office should normally be held by the Chief Eunuch or the Director of the Eunuch Bureau...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need, it's you!\" Zhao Jiu replied impatiently. \"Don't forget, I crawled out of a well and forgot everyone. It's only been eight months. If you don't do this, who am I supposed to find? Feng Yi? I've only known him for a little over a month!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Yizhong bowed his head slightly and did not argue further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I still remember what Feng Yi said when he proposed re-establishing the Imperial City Office.\" Zhao Jiu seemed lost in thought, continuing slowly. \"Three thousand people is too many, and now that we've just arrived in Nanyang, it's not appropriate to put up the nameplate of the Imperial City Office, to avoid displeasing the Ministers. The key is to first sort out the Intelligence Bureau under the Imperial City Office. Two to three hundred people is enough... Don't use locals. You can recruit innocent people from the refugees fleeing south, or you can screen them from the army under the pretext of expanding the Imperial Guard... Even that can wait. I just want to know the origins of these two matters when I return!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you command!\" The task was clear and unambiguous, and Yang Yizhong had nothing more to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Majesty, dressed only in plain clothes with a leather belt, also took the opportunity to open an umbrella and step into the rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Zhao Jiu, the matter of conflicting ideas at the military council was just an episode, not a major issue, because he understood in his heart that the probability of there being a problem with this matter was actually not high... The reason was simple: Fan Qiong's military deployment was right there. As long as one thought carefully, people of high caliber would eventually reach the same conclusion by different paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, that previous matter had truly disgusted him, to the point where, although the Imperial Majesty waved his hand on the surface and forbade anyone to mention it again, he was still brooding over it inside. That was why he was using the pretext of so-called military affairs to engage in secret police politics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as, even though he had been criticized by Censor Hu, he still couldn't help but take notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could only say that some people's level was just like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning back, the next day the rain did not stop, but spurred on by military merit and the Imperial Majesty's personal supervision, the various units of the Imperial Guard central army still set out south on schedule according to plan, ready to suppress the rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was particularly worth mentioning was that, perhaps because military pay had just been issued, this mobilization actually did not distribute marching bonuses, which broke a record for the Song Imperial Army that had stood for many years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the Imperial Majesty also wanted to see if, by simply issuing military pay properly and training honestly, the Great Song army could actually fight steadily and reliably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result seemed to be that it could not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third day of the fourth month, the Imperial Majesty personally led the expedition, and the entire army of over ten thousand set out directly in the rain. On the seventh day of the fourth month, Wang De and Fu Qing arrived at the city of Dengzhou, less than a hundred li away. After easily sweeping the surrounding towns, they failed in their assault on the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the ninth day of the fourth month, in intermittent rain, the Imperial Majesty led the main force to the walls of Dengzhou, but again failed to scale the walls that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, seeing the Imperial Dragon Banner from within the city, the defenders sent an envoy out to surrender to the Imperial Majesty. The condition was naturally a request for amnesty for the generals in the city. The Imperial Majesty did not make things difficult for the envoy, but naturally refused him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, the rebel troops in the city, braving the rain, sent out armored soldiers to raid the camp, but were easily routed by the Song army generals outside the city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the eleventh day of the fourth month, the weather cleared temporarily. Fu Qing suggested taking advantage of the Baihe River's sudden rise to divert water and flood the city, but the Imperial Majesty refused. However, the camp began constructing siege equipment, and there were even signs of setting up trebuchets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening, the city sent a second envoy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servants were led astray for a time, and now regret it beyond measure.\" The man, after being thoroughly searched, was escorted into the tent. He still kowtowed to the young man sitting upright in the seat. \"The Jin abandoned us like worn-out shoes, and we know well that we are powerless to resist Your Majesty's heavenly army. At this point, we only beg for our lives...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only beg for your lives?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst a chorus of frog calls, Zhao Jiu, who had been reading some memorials sent from Nanyang, looked up and spoke seriously. \"That is to say, as long as I promise you your lives, whether it be hard labor or exile to Lingnan, you are all willing to accept it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is exactly our intention!\" The man continued kowtowing, heedless of the mud on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it because Fan Qiong also didn't support you?\" Zhao Jiu put down the memorials and sighed slightly. \"It's not just the Jin who abandoned you like worn-out shoes. Even worn-out shoes abandoned you like worn-out shoes...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servants regret it beyond measure. Moreover, when we surrendered to the Jin back then, we were truly mostly blindly following and coerced.\" At this point, the man paused slightly before continuing to kowtow and plead. \"Your Majesty, let Your Majesty know, the chief culprit for surrendering to the Jin was the former Caizhou Police Inspector Li Shang. If Your Majesty could graciously spare the lives of the rest of us... this man, your servants can also bind him and deliver him before the city for public execution.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After days of continuous rain and muddy roads, the remaining ten thousand or so surrendered Jin rebel troops in the city were indeed abandoned by everyone, seeing no way out. However, the Song army, including several thousand laborers, was also exhausted and weary. The generals from various units, who had been vying for glory a few days earlier, had completely lost their spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, upon hearing this man's earnest plea, the generals in the tent, from Wang Yuan on down, were all moved. Even Liu Ziyu couldn't help but look at the Imperial Majesty's posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not allowed.\" Zhao Jiu sat with his hands folded behind the table, staring sternly at the man before him, his reply blunt and direct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty!\" The man looked up in grief and indignation. \"At that time, everyone thought the state was about to fall...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are we finished?\" Zhao Jiu replied coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not to mention back then, just speaking of now, why is it that over there at Fan Qiong's place only the ringleaders are executed, but here with us, even discussion is forbidden?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fan Qiong didn't surrender to Jin either!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is surrendering to Jin or not so important?\" The man rose angrily but was firmly pressed down by two armored soldiers. \"If we're talking about actions and circumstances, we are far more innocent than Fan Qiong... You must understand, back then it was the Zhao clan's incompetence, they abandoned the state first!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How dare you!\" Wang Yuan barked, and the surrounding generals all drew their blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let him speak.\" Zhao Jiu was unperturbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How dare I not speak?\" The man stood up, raising his head to meet his gaze. His beard and hair were all stained with mud, and his eyes were wide with fury. \"All under Heaven belongs to your Zhao clan, and we, the people of Jingxi, were first abandoned by your Zhao clan. When the Jin army arrived at the city walls, you, His Majesty, were nowhere to be found, while our parents and children were right beside us. If we didn't surrender to Jin, who would protect our families' safety?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What you say is extremely reasonable. I am at fault, and the Two Sages are also at fault. If this battle truly causes countless casualties, after the war I can naturally issue an edict of self-blame, and I can also issue an edict of self-blame on behalf of my father and elder brother... Furthermore, I also know that some of you are indeed wronged, indeed innocent.\" Zhao Jiu replied calmly, as if he had already seriously considered this issue. \"But I simply cannot negotiate terms with traitors who surrendered to Jin! It's still that same talk: if you come to surrender, open the city and lay down your arms, then let me handle you as I see fit. That is all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man suddenly calmed down again. \"You must know, there are still several Battalion Commander of commoners in the city...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Judging by your appearance, you seem to be someone who has studied.\" Zhao Jiu showed no fear. \"Then you should know that since the Han Dynasty there has been a similar rule: those who threaten hostages are attacked and killed without mercy. If you truly act this way, it will only make my punishment of you even harsher afterwards!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man stared blankly for a moment before asking again: \"Your Majesty truly refuses to give us a way to live?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I only want your unconditional surrender, to be dealt with by me.\" Zhao Jiu replied bluntly. \"That is my word. If you have nothing else, go back and convey this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The envoy let out a long sigh, no longer lingering, and turned to leave directly, also appearing decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the man left, Wang Yuan leaned in and said: \"Your Majesty, that man's final words were just empty threats. You must know, when the battle was urgent back then, they followed Wanyan Yinshuke to Dengzhou, but their families were all left behind in their original places... For this reason, how would they dare to commit such an outrageous act against all under Heaven?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded but was unwilling to say more on the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there were plenty of people around who didn't know when to keep quiet. Liu Ziyu couldn't hold back and cupped his hands to inquire: \"Your Majesty, by pressing them so hard, are you truly going to bury the entire city's ten thousand people alive? This is not the act of an enlightened ruler!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When did I ever say I would bury ten thousand people alive?\" Zhao Jiu replied coldly. \"Even when it comes to punishment, at most I will behead the ringleaders, and those with other crimes will be sentenced to hard labor, serving as boat trackers on the river for a few years. As for the ordinary innocent soldiers below, how could they be punished without cause? Most likely I'll just pick out the physically outstanding ones and put them to use. If there are any young ones, I might even give them money and grain on the spot and let them go home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant also thinks so.\" Liu Ziyu breathed a sigh of relief. \"In that case, why not give a slight hint? If they take the hint, given the current situation, they will probably surrender immediately.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's precisely that there can be no negotiation.\" Zhao Jiu sighed and lowered his head again to look at the memorials on the table. \"This matter is not about the severity of the punishment; it is precisely about the fact that there can be no negotiation... Because if we negotiate today, what about tomorrow? If we negotiate over Dengzhou, what about the hundreds of military prefectures in Lianghe, the Central Plains, and Guanxi in the future? This is the rule of the Song-Jin state war. Once it wavers, countless people will harbor thoughts of taking chances when facing battle. I, too, am forcing this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty's thinking is thorough.\" Liu Yanxiu finally became solemn, yet also slightly embarrassed. \"Your servant's vision is also too narrow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu couldn't be bothered with him, but since the topic had come up, His Majesty couldn't help but put down the memorial, looked around at the somewhat bedraggled generals in the tent, and took the opportunity to expand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you all just hear clearly? I am not pardoning Dengzhou today because of the many misdeeds they committed in the two months since surrendering to Jin, but rather to use them to warn you surviving military commanders... Among the countless matters in the army, the most fundamental one is surrendering to Jin. This is even more intolerable than Liu Guangshi fleeing at the sight of the enemy! Disobeying orders, fleeing at the sight of the enemy—that renders the army useless. At most, I will kill the general, and his troops can still be reorganized and used. Moreover, if one truly cannot fight, reporting it beforehand, retreating, or redeploying are all normal matters. If mistakes occur in the process, we, lord and ministers, can always discuss it. Before Liu Guangshi died, he also spoke with me in the imperial presence. But once someone surrenders to Jin, they become an enemy, not a friend. I cannot even speak with them! I hope you all will remember this firmly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang De and Hu Yantong were fine; such an option had never even entered their minds. Upon hearing this, they merely cupped their hands casually to indicate they accepted the order, then sighed over the old matter of Liu Guangshi. But from Fu Qing downwards, many were filled with awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night passed without incident. The next day, the twelfth of the fourth month, unexpectedly, the four gates of Dengzhou city suddenly opened wide. The rebel troops abandoned their weapons and armor and came out of the city to surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who was the envoy who went out of the city twice before, and where is he?\" Zhao Jiu, who had hastily come out of his tent, looked at the row of officers kneeling in the mud before him and couldn't help but think of one person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To inform Your Majesty, that man was the Police Inspector of Caizhou, Li Shang, also the general appointed by Yinshuke, the leader who led us to defect to Fan Qiong.\" Someone struggled to lift his head and reply. \"After he returned yesterday, knowing he could not escape punishment, he gathered the various unit commanders in the city, first surrounded and killed them, then assembled us and ordered us to surrender, and finally committed suicide himself. Those who came out of the city today are at most platoon leaders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu stood with his hands clasped, silent in response... He wanted to say, \"If you had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?\" but he didn't know where to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: The title was written wrong... awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>",3879,"2026-06-06T07:45:46.639Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","2e4fe0b666a4533ae6ea767304c36222e6e750878918c21331171f098277bdc4","shao-song-chapter-107","shao-song-chapter-105",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]