[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-120":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},1558286,2024,"Chapter 120: Overbearing and Domineering","shao-song-chapter-120",120,"\u003Cp>Qin Hui's involvement in the highest-level political struggle of the Jin state was essentially a dimensionality reduction strike, because although the Jin high echelons were becoming increasingly degenerate and their internal contradictions more intense, they had not yet degenerated or intensified to the point of wanting to kill each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Jin nobles of this era had mostly emerged from the clash of arms and rarely devoted all their energy to internal political struggles; they still retained a determination to unite against external enemies and still held the simple idea of using external expansion and military aggression to compensate for and ease internal tensions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Qin Hui's well-aimed strike truly produced a remarkable effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In June, after a series of probes and discussions, and through the mediation of Wanyan Dalai, the Jin high echelons, exactly as someone had envisioned, carried out a series of simple yet significant personnel adjustments within the Supreme Military Command, the Grand Marshal's Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jin ruler, Wanyan Wuqimai, voluntarily relinquished the post of Grand Marshal, appointing Nianhan, the foremost contributor to the Great Jin and de facto top military figure, to succeed him; the Jin Third Prince, Eliduo, who had been stationed in Yanjing commanding the reserve forces, was shifted from Right Vice Marshal to Left Vice Marshal, a change of little significance; while Wanyan Dalai, the Left Army Supervisor, leaped to become Right Vice Marshal, suddenly appearing in high favor; finally, the Fourth Prince, Jin Wushu, was promoted to Left Army Supervisor, successfully entering the highest military ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earlier appointments were mostly fine, but the last one initially sparked considerable debate, because most generals believed that Wanyan Wushu was somewhat lacking. When he led troops out the previous winter, although he had some military achievements, his losses were considerable. Not to mention comparing him to stars like Wanyan Loushi, Wanyan Gushen, Wanyan Yinshuke, and Wanyan Balisu of the Western Route Army, even within the Eastern Route Army, he was far less reliable than General Ali and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a word, based on his record, he seemed unqualified for the critical post of Left Army Supervisor, a position that could effectively become the commander of an entire route army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the will of the highest echelons was clear, and the internal affairs of the Wanyan clan were simply not something others could meddle in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By late June, after the personnel adjustments in the Grand Marshal's Office were complete, and following another failed meeting in Yanjing between Nianhan and the three Wanyan brothers, brokered by Wanyan Dalai, both sides ceased their entanglements. Wanyan Dalai straightforwardly fulfilled his promise and directly submitted a memorial to Huining Prefecture, requesting the ruler to make an early decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet how could even the Jin Emperor make a decision for these two factions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could make a decision, would he still be worrying all day about whether his own son could become emperor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the Jin ruler, Wanyan Wuqimai, formally issued an edict containing only three statements:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the Song Emperor is the heart of the Song people. Because of his existence, Hebei remains unstable and the Song people of the Central Plains unite. This cannot be left unchecked. Wherever this man goes, he must be pursued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, this campaign against the Song should learn from past lessons. During and after the war, we must vigorously support figures like Zhang Bangchang, using them to rule the Central Plains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third, although Shaanxi and Longyou are poor regions, their strategic position is prominent and cannot be ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, no matter how he tried to paper over the cracks, Wanyan Wuqimai, in his capacity as Jin Emperor, formally ordered an expedition against the Great Song, targeting Zhao Jiu himself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the imperial decree, the two sides, who had been deadlocked in Yanjing, immediately set aside their differences and reached an agreement—mobilize the entire army at once. As soon as autumn arrived, they would advance from north to south with their full force, first sweeping away the Hebei volunteer armies, then splitting into multiple routes to cross the river together and destroy the Song.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Grand Marshal, in his capacity, particularly emphasized that the main force of the Western Route Army was responsible for capturing the five circuits of Shaanxi and could only dispatch a portion of its troops to attack from the direction of Xijing Luoyang and Huazhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by this time, Wanyan Wushu was already fully satisfied, because even if the Western Route Army was unwilling to send any troops to assist, let alone sending a portion, he still had a hundred thousand men this time!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hundred thousand Jin troops were enough to annihilate the Song state and sweep across the Central Plains. What need was there for donkey carts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your minister believes this man cannot be let off lightly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Vice Grand Councilor Xu, I also believe he cannot be let off lightly, but what else can we do now? Should we arrest him and bring him to justice? With what? And what if we truly drive him to rebellion?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the early autumn, at dusk, cicadas still chirped incessantly, but the weather was gradually turning cool. Inside the temporary palace in Nanyang City, two chief councilors were arguing fiercely, while the Zhao Emperor, seated behind the imperial desk, seemed somewhat distracted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Councilor Yuwen,\" Xu Jingheng said sternly. \"I absolutely did not say to arrest him and bring him to justice. I said we should balance favor and authority... If we cannot properly demonstrate the central government's authority now and force him to back down, how will the central government ever bring the Western Army into line in the future? Is the Emperor supposed to go into the military camps and win over these men one by one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Actually, that might not be a bad idea,\" the Zhao Emperor interjected instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once or twice might be acceptable, but how can it be done every time?\" Xu Jingheng retorted angrily. \"And how many people are there like Han Shizhong, who appears a ruffian but is actually loyal and brave? Zhang Boying and Han Shizhong are trustworthy, but what if next time we encounter a real bandit? Your Majesty's words are highly improper!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu snapped back to attention and slowly nodded, because these words were absolutely correct... He had only dared to act because he knew Han Shizhong was trustworthy and Zhang Boying was most likely trustworthy. If it had been someone whose name he had never heard, how would he dare?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, no one mentioned the matter of Zhai Chong. It wasn't about whether Zhai Chong was trustworthy; in fact, everyone knew he was. Some simply felt it was unnecessary to go, that it would demean the Emperor's status. That matter was different from the current discussion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after Xu Jingheng had silenced the room, he found himself at a loss for words, because while he could overpower others, he could not solve the current predicament of the temporary court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What predicament?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This must be traced back to the fundamental reason why the temporary court had come to Nanyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it happened, the previous year's dispute between Nanyang and Yangzhou could represent the conflict between war advocates and peace advocates because of objective, practical reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, based on data from before the Jingkang Rebellion, south of the Yangtze River, apart from a small garrison in the Suzhou-Hangzhou area, the Great Song had only scattered prefectural troops and local soldiers elsewhere, totaling perhaps twenty to thirty thousand men according to the rolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, according to the prevailing view of the time, the southeast had no tradition of military force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh, this kind of regional discrimination probably felt similar to \"people from the Yangtze River Delta can't be the backbone of China\" or \"the Osaka Division is the shame of the Imperial Army.\" For some unknown reason, it was very marketable, even bordering on mainstream opinion... For instance, Li Gang, Hu Yin, and other standard southeastern high officials who controlled the court's discourse loved to disparage themselves daily, frequently submitting memorials claiming that only soldiers from the northwest could form a strong army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, at that time, what was the point of taking tens of thousands of temporary court troops and trudging all the way to Yangzhou, or even crossing the river?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Start everything from scratch? Build an army from zero? Use southeasterners to form units? Could such an army recover Hebei and welcome back the Two Emperors?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going to Nanyang, in short, was aimed at the remaining Western Army units, the high-quality recruits of the northwest, and the warhorse trade with the Qingtang region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the Western Army as a skeleton, recruiting high-quality soldiers locally, and trading with Tibetan compatriots for fine warhorses—that was the proper way to resist the Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, for Zhao Jiu, he did not believe in the disparity in soldier quality between the northwest and southeast. As an engineering dog, he had no habit of regional discrimination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, in practice, on the issue of soldier quality, the Zhao Emperor now felt that refugees from Hebei and Hedong might be more suitable. These people had a natural desire to fight, and using them as soldiers could effectively avoid disrupting local production.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, to resist the Jin, especially to push back within ten years, it was impossible to ignore the Western Army and the Guanzhong region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, the Zhao Emperor would not have endured so many disadvantages and stubbornly come to Nanyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, back to the present. Autumn had arrived, the Jin had retreated for several months, Chang'an had been recovered, Guanzhong seemed pacified, and even Moqi Xie had successfully recruited Zhong Xiang and returned to be promoted... That's right, Zhong Xiang had accepted the central government's messy appointment as the Dongting Lake Pacification Commissioner and promised to eliminate Li Xiaoyi, a bandit running rampant near Dongting Lake, on the Emperor's behalf. It sounded too good to be true, but regardless, Minister Moqi had achieved merit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But had the Zhao Emperor managed to take control of the Western Army?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: two generals, one named Qu Duan and the other Wang Xie, had taken control of the Guanzhong situation first after the chaos. Of the three most important prefectures in Guanzhong—Jingzhao, Fengxiang, and Yan'an—Wang Xie controlled Fengxiang, while Qu Duan controlled Jingzhao and Yan'an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the nature of these two men was completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xie was the one who had previously fled to Hanzhong and advised Zhao Jiu to go to Chengdu. After that incident, Zhao Jiu had mentally sentenced him to death. Sending him to Fengxiang was also a hope that he would not harm Hanzhong and affect the national strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan, on the other hand, was different. Although his background was humble, his father had died in battle as an Imperial Guard. He himself had been granted an official post by hereditary privilege at the age of three and was skilled in writing essays from a young age... There was a saying in the Western Army about him: \"Qu the Eldest is capable of both civil and military affairs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, this man was, after all, a standard member of the Western Army's military families, a \"one of us.\" It was precisely for this reason that when, during the recovery of Chang'an, he killed Liu Xiliang, a commander of equal rank, and reported him as a deserter, the central government held its nose and believed him. Then, when he took advantage of a battle between two units near Chang'an to launch a surprise attack, annihilating and absorbing both, the central government again held its nose and accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but on the advice of Yuwen Xuzhong, the central government appointed him as the Prefect of Yan'an... This was essentially the same treatment Li Yanxian had received after recovering Shanzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, now that Chang'an had been recovered and many things had become clearer, the central government learned that Liu Xiliang was not a deserter at all, but a meritorious official who had just recovered Fengxiang and was preparing to recover Chang'an! What exactly was Qu Duan's killing of him, annexing his troops, and then attacking Chang'an supposed to mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Chang'an, the central government had known from the start that one of the two warring units was flying the Great Song banner, because its leader had received an appointment from Li Yanxian of neighboring Shanzhou and had eagerly submitted the credit for recovering Chang'an through him. But how to put it? At that time, it was indeed difficult to distinguish between volunteer armies and bandit armies, so the court had not paid too much attention to Qu Duan's actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the central government now also learned another thing: after Qu Duan had simultaneously broken both units, he accepted the surrender of the bandit leader but beheaded the volunteer army leader, who had Li Yanxian's appointment documents, as a warning to others...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After these two incidents came to light, the entire court was in an uproar. Even the Zhao Emperor, who had always been lenient towards military officers, did not know what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let it be said, Zhao Jiu certainly knew that the Western Army was full of bastards, and the more capable they were at fighting, the bigger the bastards. Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and Wang De were all from the Western Army, and they were all bastards too. A few days ago, Wang De had been causing a fuss because the old Grand Commandant Yang Weizhong had returned, fearing that his command of the Imperial Guard Central Army would be taken away. He made such a scene that Old Commandant Yang, after only a few days, volunteered to go to the southeast to protect the Empress Dowager, and was now the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard Rear Army... But the bastardry of these men was on a completely different level from that of a bastard like Qu Duan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And most importantly, the Zhao Emperor had not seen where Qu Duan had demonstrated military skill commensurate with his bastardry! He had fought a battle against the Jin army and indeed won, but it was his subordinate Wu Jie who had independently led the troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did you think that was the end of it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning all this, Nanyang still did not punish him. Instead, on the advice of Yuwen Xuzhong, the Secretariat formally sent a document through Wuguan to Chang'an, summoning Qu Duan to report for duty and explain these two matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Qu Duan ignored it completely, directly weeping before the elders of Chang'an, saying that he was loyal and wished to repay the state, yet this had instead aroused suspicion from petty men in the central court, and so on and so forth. After crying, he also submitted a memorial to His Majesty Zhao, roughly requesting that His Majesty come to Chang'an to sit a while, and then entrust the great affairs of state and military to him. After ten years of management, he would surely be able to lead two hundred thousand troops to recover the Central Plains, restore Hebei, and welcome back the Two Emperors!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After submitting the memorial, he led his own troops directly north to Yan'an to take up his post, paying no attention whatsoever to the central court's official documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the entire central court was thoroughly disgusted by him, and even His Majesty Zhao wished he could tear him apart... because Zhao Jiu had received reliable information that before this fellow left, while weeping before the elders of Chang'an, he had also written a poem on a pillar in a pavilion outside the city, and the poem contained these two lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It read:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Instead of building a great enterprise in Guanzhong, he comes to the river to float a fishing boat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What matter this referred to and whom it was mocking needed no further explanation, and His Majesty Zhao was not in the habit of being able to remain calm when someone pointed a finger at his nose and cursed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was that Qu Duan had directly led his troops north, and the central court simply had no way to deal with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuwen Xuzhong and Xu Jingheng had argued for a long time, and although it was because Qu Duan's actions were too disgusting that Xu Jingheng, a hardliner, had won, after Lord Xu's victory, he too was momentarily at a loss as to how to handle this man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remove him from his post as Prefect of Yan'an Fu!\" Xu Jingheng finally produced a plan after pondering for a long time. \"Add an honorary Defense Commissioner...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" His Majesty Zhao immediately rejected it. \"Autumn has already arrived; the Jin Jun may come at any time. Chang'an is ruined and cannot be defended at all, while Yan'an Fu bears the brunt of the attack and can actually be held for a while... If we dismiss him as Prefect of Yan'an, he might very well dare to abandon even Yan'an without defending it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jingheng was rarely disheartened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Someone must take charge in Guanzhong. Who will go to Guanzhong?\" Zhao Jiu paused for a moment and made one final effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone looked at one another, then each recommended candidates. But as Yuwen Xuzhong and Minister of Works Lü Yihao voluntarily and generously offered themselves, the rest stopped their recommendations, since no one could compete with these two... However, facing these two candidates, His Majesty Zhao was still somewhat hesitant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be understood that Guanzhong's importance was beyond doubt, but the problem was that these two men might not necessarily be able to control the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, Lü Yihao—this man's age and seniority were the highest in the court, far exceeding even several of the chancellors—but when he had previously presided over the overall situation in Hebei, he had been captured by the Jin Jun, which seemed to prove his incompetence in regional command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another example: Yuwen Xuzhong held the status of Privy Councilor and had been handling affairs in Guanxi all along, appearing to be the most suitable candidate. But His Majesty Zhao, having dealt with him for a long time, had long known that this man himself had a rather weak and soft character. In fact, Yuwen Xuzhong's consistently firm anti-Jin stance and his loyal willingness to take on responsibilities came not so much from some sense of mission as from a persistent sense of guilt as a former envoy to the Jin during the Jingkang Incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if this one wouldn't do and that one wasn't suitable, then who should be sent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the midst of utter silence, as Yang Yizhong, disregarding court etiquette, came in from outside the hall and then publicly stepped past Lan Gui to hand over a memorial, His Majesty Zhao finally made up his mind: \"Add Military Governor to Lord Yuwen, and with the status of Chancellor-Military Governor, go to Guanzhong this very day to pacify and oversee the various circuits of Shaanxi. Add Vice Privy Councilor to Lord Lü. Then send envoys to Dongjing, Yangzhou, Chengdu, Shanzhou, Nanjing, Ruyang, and Chuzhou, ordering the various local garrison commanders, Military Commissioners, and Military Governors to hasten their careful preparations, and then reiterate their respective powers of independent decision-making.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuwen Xuzhong and Lü Yihao were about to respond, and the newly appointed Censor-in-Chief Hu Mingzhong was even preparing to impeach Yang Yizhong, but upon hearing the latter part, they suddenly realized, and then the entire hall fell silent—clearly, hostilities had resumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the court had only been in Nanyang for less than four months... This was too difficult!\u003C\u002Fp>",3283,"2026-06-06T07:45:46.639Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","47e3e0a7ed522f212ae39a41176078d236cad88664de61cf5c0cd0e5c8e8cc73","shao-song-chapter-121","shao-song-chapter-119",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]