Chapter 170: Parting Grief Startles the Birds' Hearts

In late spring, the city of Dongjing was experiencing an earthquake.

But to be honest, Zhao Jiu found it hard to share the same feelings as these people, especially regarding that matter in Hebei.

From a personal emotional standpoint, many of these people Zhao Jiu had never even seen; asking him to feel a certain way about them was a bit unreasonable. From a sense of public justice, he might have felt some sympathy, but after having been on the battlefield, from Bozhou to the Lianghuai region to Nanyang and then to Dongjing, he had seen too many families ruined and people dead along the way. That sympathy had long been worn down by the even more tragic state of affairs.

So this leads to a question: if you transmigrate and become the emperor of the Zhao Song dynasty, do you immediately put yourself in the emperor's seat? Treating hundreds of millions of people as your personal strategic game toys?

Or, with a slightly higher level of ideological awareness, do you think this country is an appendage of the Zhao Song imperial house, or is the Zhao Song imperial house an appendage of this country?

For Zhao Jiu, the answer was self-evident. For most civil and military officials, the answer also seemed self-evident.

But this very issue was impossible to communicate about, which made it very frustrating.

Back to the present, the entire city of Dongjing was in turmoil that day, mourning as if they had lost their own parents. There were rumors that Empress Xing and several princesses had not died earlier, but were killed this year by Jin generals who had lost family members when the Jin army retreated, venting their anger. Later, when Talan, Wushu, Nianhan, and others discovered this, they found only two children left, felt it was beneath them, so they fabricated a story and casually sent the two children back.

This was quite possible, but also meaningless, especially to Zhao Jiu. He couldn't understand why, in venting their hatred, they didn't just kill Zhao Ji and his son, but instead killed innocent women, and continued to keep those two alive to annoy him from afar.

Relatively speaking, regarding the incident in Yangzhou, to be honest, the people of Dongjing only felt that Li Gang was unlucky. The so-called turmoil was only at the official level. The reason for this was simple: infant mortality was a very common thing in those days, and the Zhao Song imperial family couldn't escape it either. In fact, they even had a tradition of infant deaths.

However, for Zhao Jiu, it was the opposite. If he had to say which of the two matters he cared about more, it was actually the one in the south.

There were two reasons:

First, from a public perspective, just as the Zhao Emperor's reaction had been upon hearing the news that day, he was genuinely angered that this matter had shaken the court's structure and the stability he had painstakingly maintained!

It must be understood that he had been constantly avoiding internal strife and factional struggles, trying his best to maintain the overall stability of the court. He knew he was incompetent at actually governing the country, and when he couldn't personally handle various state affairs, he needed a stable civil official system to manage the country for him. But who could have expected such an accident?

With Zong Ze already dead, if Li Gang were to leave his post as well, it would mean a new round of large-scale personnel reshuffling from the very top of the court downwards. But where was the time to waste on personnel construction?

Second, from a personal perspective, as someone he had been in contact with since he first transmigrated, if there was any high-ranking member of the Zhao Song imperial family for whom Zhao Jiu had some feelings, it would inevitably be Consort Pan Xianfei, towards whom he had always felt somewhat guilty.

This feeling, combined with certain unvarnished male instincts, whether good or bad, meant that the mother and son, Consort Pan, had always been a stone weighing on his heart.

Now that the stone had been lifted, the vulnerable side beneath his heart, though not quite a wound, was left exposed.

However, even so, he still had to make arrangements and respond.

"Lady Wu is not old and has no experience raising children. Shenyou, Foyou..." In the cold and desolate Chongzheng Hall, facing dozens of high-ranking ministers currently in Dongjing, the Zhao Emperor paused slightly mid-sentence. "The two children are only four or five years old. Send them first to the Wu clan, find an older woman to take good care of them, raise them... do what needs to be done."

Lu Haowen, the head of the hundred officials standing alone below the imperial steps, immediately cupped his hands in acknowledgment. Although this matter had caused a city-wide uproar and stirred everyone's hearts, on the surface, handling it came down to just this one sentence.

The only thing worth mentioning was that although the Zhao Emperor had returned to the old capital of Dongjing, and the court officials couldn't say a word about leaving for the sake of righteous principle, this place was, after all, adjacent to the front lines. On clear days, one could see the Jin banners across the Yellow River. Coupled with the severe destruction of production in Henan, this city could not possibly be restored to its former scale.

In fact, among the top-tier dignitaries, nobles, wealthy merchants, and landlords, only the former Pearl Wu family had moved their entire clan back. This happened to be Lady Wu's maternal family.

As for the rest, Empress Xing's family, the Xing clan, and Consort Pan Xianfei's family, the Pan clan, were all still with the Empress Dowager in Yangzhou in the southeast.

Even most members of the Zhao Song imperial clan, including Zhao Shi, the Director of the Imperial Clan, and a most prominent, over eighty-year-old elder princess, were currently lingering in the southeast.

When people in the court spoke of imperial relatives and clan members within Dongjing city, they generally referred to the Wu clan and the Wang clan, who were related by marriage to Zhao Shi. The Wang clan was fine, being a distant relation, but the Wu clan was somewhat deliberately avoided by everyone. Only Wanqi Xie and Yang Yizhong, trusted confidants of the emperor, would deliberately associate with them.

So...

"The Wu clan is certainly suitable..."

Whether it was an illusion or not, ever since these two pieces of news arrived on the same day, the atmosphere in the emperor's presence had become much more harmonious. Prime Minister Lu Haowen slowly nodded, and the people around him didn't even have an expression of agreement.

However, after this sentence was spoken, the cold and desolate Chongzheng Hall inevitably continued to be cold and desolate. Because even though the court discussion had been postponed for a day, everyone was still somewhat unprepared for the several matters that were to be discussed next.

"The matter in Yangzhou has nothing to do with Duke Li..." Zhao Jiu himself paused for a moment before officially stating his position. "An infant's convulsions leading to death is regrettable, but it is also a common occurrence, not worth shaking the overall situation over."

"Your subject disagrees."

The voice of opposition came unexpectedly from Lu Haowen, who hadn't expressed opposition to anyone for a long time, which left Zhao Jiu, seated on the throne, feeling almost helpless.

"Correct." Xu Jingheng also stepped forward solemnly. "Your Majesty, this matter is not about whether Your Majesty is magnanimous and willing to let Duke Li off; nor is it about how much Duke Li is actually involved in the incident itself. Duke Li is a super-grade Grand Councilor, overseeing military and civil affairs in Yangzhou, controlling the southeast. In plain terms, Your Majesty entrusted the southeast region, the people of the southeast, as well as the Empress Dowager, the Consort, and the Imperial Heir to him. Under such circumstances, let alone the Imperial Heir's death being related to a mutiny, and the mutiny being caused by him, even if it had nothing to do with him, he would still have to be held responsible!"

"Your Majesty." Wang Boyan also stepped forward, speaking seriously. "Although the Imperial Heir did not hold the position of Crown Prince, he effectively held the substance of one. For Duke Li, this was a half-master relationship. If Duke Li is not dealt with, it would instead place him in the position of a rebellious minister. In fact, Your Majesty might consider this: if an Imperial Heir has perished outside Your Majesty's presence, someone must be held responsible. If Duke Li is not dealt with, should the Empress Dowager or Consort Pan be dealt with?"

"Your Majesty." Lu Yihao stepped forward helplessly at this point. "Your subject has always considered Li Gang to be crude and incompetent, and has never been on good terms with him. However, your subject once served as a guardian official in the southeast and knows a thing or two about the Yangzhou incident. In the past, when Dongjing fell, Your Majesty settled the Empress Dowager, the Consort, the Imperial Heir, and even the imperial clan in Yangzhou and the southeast. Dignitaries and nobles followed the news, gathering there in countless numbers, bringing with them gold, silver, and treasures. Therefore, upon hearing of the military disaster, they lost control. This is also reasonable. So this panic in Yangzhou really cannot be blamed on Duke Li."

After the four Grand Councilors had expressed their opinions in turn, the hall fell completely silent. The one who had previously been the only one attacking Li Gang was now the only one defending him. Those who had previously wanted to maintain court stability were now all expressing that Li Gang should be punished. This was politics, perfectly logical politics.

"Then let it be." Zhao Jiu was truly helpless. "Remove him from his post as Grand Councilor. No need for him to travel all the way to Dongjing. No need to assign him to oversee some temple or palace. Just find a remote prefecture or military commandery near his hometown, ask Duke Li to settle down there for a while, and let him handle local livelihood matters, contributing his remaining energy."

The four Grand Councilors all breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not be negligent. The surrounding Ministers, Censors, Academicians, and Drafters also remained quiet as before, because everyone knew there were many more troublesome matters to deal with today.

"Since Li Gang is leaving, may I ask Your Majesty, who can replace him as the guardian official of the southeast? Or, after Yue Fei suppresses the rebellion, should we no longer appoint a Grand Councilor for the southeast, only adding regular Fiscal Commissioners, Pacification Commissioners, and Grand Coordinators?" Lu Haowen dared not delay, as this matter could not be postponed.

"I believe we still need to appoint a Grand Councilor specifically for the southeast." Zhao Jiu stated decisively. "It cannot be easily abolished."

"Please enlighten us, Your Majesty." Lu Haowen also became serious.

"Because Dongjing is located on the front line. The next time the Jin army comes, if they gather a large force here, it may not be defensible." Zhao Jiu confessed frankly. "And if it is not defensible, we will have to retreat to Nanyang again. At that time, the three regions of Bashu, Jingxiang, and the southeast will naturally be divided. Without a Grand Councilor permanently stationed there, major chaos is inevitable. By the same logic, it is not good to easily recall the Empress Dowager and the imperial clan from Yangzhou back to Dongjing."

"If that is the case, does Your Majesty mean you are not prepared to negotiate peace with the Jin?" Lu Haowen suddenly shifted to another topic. "Your Majesty, this peace negotiation was initiated by the Jin, who sent special envoys along with the two princesses. It was not brought up by us, and does not violate the agreement made on the Huai River. The people of Dongjing all have expectations."

"I am certainly aware that this time the Jin took the initiative to negotiate peace, and it does not violate the words spoken on the Huai River." The Zhao Emperor sneered upon hearing this. "And they have also returned two princesses, so it is not easy for me to drive them away. But if we are to negotiate peace, I also have expectations. The Jin must first return Taiyuan and northern Shaanxi, and hand over Zhe Keqiu and Liu Yu, as a sign of sincerity, before we can have specific discussions!"

This was essentially being unreasonable. Finally, a buzz of murmuring arose from below, and this time, officials below the rank of Grand Councilor finally stepped forward on their own initiative.

"Your Majesty!" Liu Ziyu spoke up in response. "The early spring victory did not change the overall situation between Song and Jin. The Jin are still strong and the Song are weak, and the offensive-defensive dynamic has not shifted. Even Your Majesty himself said that the Jin will come again next time, and Dongjing may not be defensible then. If that is the case, why not delay for a while, discuss with them, and stall for time? If we can drag it out for a year or two, or two or three years, gather two hundred thousand elite troops, equip one hundred thousand armored soldiers, stockpile three years of provisions, and amass millions in gold and silver, then we can emerge from Taiyuan, rely on the mountainous terrain, and fight a decisive battle with the Jin army. Why worry about the overall situation not being settled?"

"Who else thinks we can negotiate peace?" Zhao Jiu frowned slightly.

"Your subject believes it is possible." Hanlin Academician Li Ruopu also stepped forward solemnly.

"Your subject also believes it is feasible." Palace Censor Li Guang took a deep breath, then mustered his courage and stepped forward.

"Your subject concurs." Secretariat Drafter Fan Zongyin followed.

"Your subject... believes it is possible." Suddenly, Xu Jingheng also stepped forward. "Your Majesty, negotiating peace at this time is beneficial to us. And we, your subjects..."

"I know!" Seeing that even a Grand Councilor had stepped forward, Zhao Jiu knew he could no longer tolerate it and immediately interrupted him. "I know you all act with public spirit. I know that Councillor Liu's father died for the country during the Jingkang Incident, and his younger brother's family was reduced to a single person. I also know that Li Ruopu is the younger brother of Li Ruoshui, whose elder brother was the most vehement and loyal among the ministers who died for the country during Jingkang. I also know that you, Grand Councilor Xu, during the most difficult times in the court, always defended Li Boji and Zong Zhongwu, with unwavering loyalty in your heart. I also know that Censor Li Guang is a close friend of Duke Li, and by stepping forward to state his position at this time, he risks utter ruin. I know that every one of you is truly risking your lives, truly thinking of the country, not wanting to surrender, not wanting to kneel. But I simply do not want to negotiate peace! If you want to negotiate peace, first depose me as emperor, and then we can talk about this matter!"

After these words, the hall was silent as a grave, with an air of indignation throughout.

"Your Majesty speaks too harshly." After a pause, Wang Boyan cupped his hands and spoke. "Actually, Minister Chen (Chen Gui) has stated before that as long as supplies and manpower are sufficient, Dongjing city can be defended according to the same methods used in Nanyang. If that is the case, when the Jin army comes next time, they may not necessarily gain an advantage."

"Well said." Zhao Jiu replied casually.

"In fact, in your subject's view, this peace negotiation by the Jin might be because they were frightened by the previous battle, feeling insecure and experiencing internal strife. How can we negotiate with them at this time? Instead, we should be preparing for a northern expedition!" Lu Yihao also expressed his opinion.

But Zhao Jiu couldn't help frowning at this point.

"Your Majesty!" After the two Grand Councilors had finished speaking, Xu Jingheng, who had been waiting for a while, let out a long breath. Ignoring the two Privy Councilors entirely, he addressed Zhao Jiu directly and seriously, continuing his previous topic. "Your Majesty, in the past at Nanyang, you made an agreement with the Grand Councilors not to use the threat of resignation against each other. Then may I ask Your Majesty, when you are angry, is it permissible to use the threat of deposition against us?"

Zhao Jiu was slightly startled, then momentarily embarrassed. He quickly nodded: "I was wrong. I should not have lost my temper with you all. But my decision on war and peace is final."

"Then we must ask Your Majesty to provide an explanation and a principle..." Xu Jingheng said in a deep voice once more.

"There are plenty of explanations." Zhao Jiu, irritated by the other's relentless pursuit, pointed to someone below. "Censor-in-Chief, you tell them why we cannot negotiate peace."

"Our sovereign father is held captive, millions of people have become cattle and sheep for the barbarians—this is an irreconcilable enmity. How can there be talk of peace?" Hu Yin, who had long been unable to contain himself but had refrained due to the tense atmosphere, now stepped forward and swept his sleeve as he addressed the assembled officials. "Have you all forgotten the great principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals?"

"Precisely because you constantly invoke the great principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, those with discernment dare not speak easily, leaving only those of us whom the whole world knows share a blood-deep private grudge against the Jin to speak here..." Seeing it was Hu Yin, Liu Ziyu immediately retorted angrily. "If we followed your, Hu Mingzhong's, Spring and Autumn principles, and His Majesty had launched a northern expedition in the first year of Jianyan, the state would have long been ruined! Are we saying we shouldn't resist the Jin or fight? We only seek stability and certain victory!"

Hu Yin was about to argue with him.

But unexpectedly, at that moment, Li Ruopu suddenly interjected indignantly from the side: "In the days of the Jingkang Incident, when our entire clan faced the Jin in a life-or-death struggle, I wonder what the Censor-in-Chief, who now speaks of the Spring and Autumn principles, was doing then? Hiding in the Imperial Academy, watching our sovereign father go out of the city to die? Having already sent two sovereign fathers to their doom, today you want to use the Spring and Autumn principles to personally send a third?"

Hu Yin was overwhelmed with shame and anger, his blood rushing to his face, yet for a moment he did not know how to argue.

"Enough!" At this point, Zhao Jiu on the throne finally calmed down and, expressionless, timely halted this pointless dispute. "Who knew at that time that the Jin would be so brutal? And it was precisely because they learned of the Jin's brutality, cunning, and faithlessness that Zhang Jun, Zhao Ding, Hu Yin, and others in the Imperial Academy developed the idea of advocating war... Do not recklessly reverse cause and effect or chronology, and do not make personal attacks."

Hu Yin, Li Ruopu, and Liu Ziyu looked at each other, all feeling it was pointless, and together they swept their sleeves and fell silent.

Having said this, Zhao Jiu on the throne turned his stern gaze back to Xu Jingheng: "Xu Qing, do you remember that day I asked you to deliver Zhang Que, Zhang Xianggong, a copy of 'The Red Cliff Ode'?"

"Your servant remembers." Xu Jingheng cupped his hands in reply.

"And the inscription I wrote on the back?"

"I remember. It was Wang Shuwang's 'Record of a Journey to Mount Baochan'..."

"Which words?"

"'But if one has the strength to reach it yet does not, then others may mock him, and he himself will have regret. If one exhausts his will yet cannot reach it, then he may have no regret—who can mock him then? This is what I have gained.'" Xu Jingheng gritted his teeth and repeated. "Your servant has engraved it on his heart."

"I too have engraved it on my heart." Zhao Jiu said slowly. "I know that your talk of peace is not truly about making peace, still less about kneeling in surrender. Rather, amid the advocacy of war, you harbor thoughts of caution and stability..."

Xu Jingheng wanted to speak but held back.

"Xu Xianggong." Zhao Jiu said coldly. "I know what you want to say, and I have not forgotten... That day outside Nanyang, though we did not speak plainly, we in fact had a gentleman's agreement: when a great enemy is at hand, neither of us should stir up the old factional strife between the New and Old Parties, still less speak of whether the ancestral institutions are right or wrong... So today's matter, in principle, should not be discussed from that angle! But in truth, the reason you want to negotiate peace is still rooted in a conservative scholar-official mentality. The one who stirred things up today is not me!"

"If Your Majesty speaks thus, then your servant has nothing more to say." Xu Jingheng let out a long sigh. "I will not remove my cap, I will not abandon my post. I only ask to go to the Southeast as a Commissioner of Equal Rank..."

"Not permitted." Zhao Jiu sighed softly. "Henan is riddled with wounds; you are indispensable here."

Xu Jingheng was finally helpless: "But Your Majesty cannot forbid your servant from speaking. I am a Chancellor of the Secretariat!"

"I permit you to speak, but the problem with this matter lies precisely in the act of speaking itself." Zhao Jiu also seemed helpless. "If we permit peace talks today, and once things are settled tomorrow, someone will want to fight again—do you believe that someone will also come forward, citing the people's livelihood, to say we should not fight? Whether the Jin are sincere or feigning, probing or deceiving, this spirit cannot be let down! And my meaning lies in those few lines of the 'Record of a Journey to Mount Baochan'... I believe that at this time, since the general strategy was long ago set—to fight the Jin to the end—the debate itself is not worth restarting. It is not a question of whether this or that is right or wrong, but rather that in a national war, there should never have been debate in the first place!"

"Your servants understand." Just as Xu Jingheng fell silent for a moment, Lü Haowen suddenly cupped his hands and spoke. "Just as in the old factional strife between the New and Old Parties, the problem was not the New or Old as such, but that the very word 'factional strife' harmed the foundation... And today, regardless of whether one speaks of war or peace, caution or radicalism, the mere act of arguing leads to internal attrition. The recent exchange between Censor-in-Chief Hu, Academician Li, and Adjutant Liu is clear proof... So from the very beginning, one should not have recklessly shaken the established policy!"

Once Lü Haowen had spoken these words, from Xu Jingheng downward, the several officials who had advocated temporarily negotiating peace to catch their breath, as well as Hu Yin and the several war advocates who had shown indignation, all composed their expressions.

Lü Haowen continued to cup his hands without pause: "However, Your Majesty, since this matter has been raised today, I beg Your Majesty to give a clear answer once more in public... How exactly can there be a resolution between Song and Jin?"

"The destruction of the Jin state." Zhao Jiu answered bluntly. "And we must plow their court and sweep their lair. Beyond that, there is no discussion."

"Your servants understand." Lü Haowen led the others in cupping their hands and bowing.

"Your servants understand!" Wang Boyan quickly followed suit.

"Your servants understand." Lü Yihao, withdrawing his gaze from Lü Haowen in surprise, also quickly cupped his hands.

"Your servant understands. The state is in difficulty; it is precisely the time for mutual forbearance for the sake of the nation, for unity and solidarity. There truly should be no pointless internal attrition." Xu Jingheng sighed and finally cupped his hands as well.

The rest, whether hurrying to follow or doing so reluctantly, all expressed their assent under the lingering authority of His Majesty Zhao and the mediating force of the Chief Chancellor... For the time being, this matter was laid to rest.

But only for the time being, because Zhao Jiu had long seen clearly... This was not a matter of personal character, nor of whether one remembered previous words, but rather of the Song Dynasty's centuries-old ancestral institutions and systems, which had bred a naturally conservative tendency in the scholar-official and bureaucratic class.

This conservative tendency has never been absent throughout history, and it is hard to say whether it is right or wrong, but in the Great Song it was notably prominent and notably powerful.

Today, with Henan barely preserved, some already want peace talks. As the war continues, the Jin will inevitably be the ones less able to sustain the drain, and their terms will become increasingly pragmatic and generous. Then there will inevitably be those who, with the same 'I am doing this for the good of the state' mentality, will try to overturn the 'untimely' established national policy.

But Zhao Jiu would absolutely not relent... Not because he was so steadfast or far-sighted, but because he knew the outcome!

Once this spirit was let down, the true capitulationists would seize the opportunity to slip through the crack. Then those who originally advocated war would become advocates of defense, those who advocated defense would become advocates of peace, and those who advocated peace would become advocates of surrender. In the end, people like Qin Gui would take the stage.

So, His Majesty Zhao, facing hundreds of thousands of Jin troops externally, and facing the famously formidable Song scholar-officials and generals of five thousand years of history internally, truly had a long and arduous road ahead.

"Since the matter of the Jin envoy's arrival has been settled, it is clear that, amid this crisis, the Southeast still needs a Commissioner of Equal Rank to sit in command..." Lü Haowen continued to preside over the previous court discussion. "Your Majesty, although this post is an external appointment, it still carries the same prestige as a Chancellor. It should additionally be granted the authority of a Military Governor to oversee military affairs and to guard the Empress Dowager. In principle, Your Majesty should personally appoint someone. But I dare to ask whom Your Majesty intends to send? Or whether you wish to promote a suitable high minister?"

"I already have a suitable candidate in mind."

Zhao Jiu sighed, then suddenly rose from the throne and descended the imperial steps. His gaze swept over the four Chancellors before him, finally settling on one of them. Without waiting for the other to speak, he directly cupped his hands and bowed deeply before the assembly. "Lü Xianggong, you know the situation in the Southeast best, and you have a decisive and vigorous style. Today, I entrust to you the land of the Southeast, the people of the Southeast, and also the Empress Dowager in Yangzhou and the imperial clan of the Southeast... I hope that, mindful of our bond as sovereign and minister, you will act properly once you reach the Southeast and be my mainstay."

From Lü Haowen downward, the hundred officials were all stunned. As for the man in question, Lü Yihao, he was speechless for a long while. Only after a considerable time did he, with a complex heart, bow in return and utter the words, 'I would die ten thousand deaths!'

PS: Human inertia... deep-seated and hard to overcome... I know the comment section must be tearing me apart... I dare not even look. I can only say, I would die ten thousand deaths.