[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-196":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},1558362,2024,"Chapter 196: Mysterious and Yellow (Part 2)","shao-song-chapter-196",196,"\u003Cp>The moment he was forced to halt by the earth-shattering shouts, Grand Marshal Kong, with his excellent military instincts, silently cursed his bad luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no time to think further; immediately, dense drumming erupted from the entire camp, and almost simultaneously, the front palisade of the entire Song army camp was pushed down from within. Countless well-prepared, fresh troops of the Imperial Guard Vanguard Army surged out of the camp, charging forward with shouts and killing intent, following the drumbeats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Yanzhou, not undeserving of the nickname \"Little Yue Fei,\" saw the situation and realized that a surprise attack was now a joke. He changed his mind in an instant, and with a mere flash of thought, he abandoned the attack before his own stunned vanguard could react, instead bending low and spurring his horse to flee to the right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Things had come to this—unable to fight, unable to stay—naturally, he had to run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, dusk was approaching, rain was about to fall. If he could take the chance to escape into the hilly terrain east of Mount Tai, he might just save his life... As the saying goes, \"Where there is life, there is hope.\" He, Kong Yanzhou, still had a long road ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, in the end, Marshal Kong himself probably didn't notice that at this critical juncture of life and death, he still couldn't let go of the wealth and comfort of his nest in Yanzhou, nor the plates that required twenty or thirty young maids to carry for a single meal. So, he instinctively chose the direction of his lair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, whether it was Yanzhou, the plates, or his quick reflexes, it was all futile. Because the moment he turned, before he had even ridden a single li, not even out of the perimeter of Yue Fei's camp, a cavalry force of four to five hundred men appeared directly ahead on the still-clear battlefield, heading straight for Kong Yanzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Kong Yanzhou realize that reacting one step or two steps earlier was utterly pointless. Because if he were Yue Fei, he too would have placed his elite cavalry on the flanks to encircle and block the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing was, the banner ahead bore the character \"Zhang,\" which seemed to be his old acquaintance Zhang Xian. This Zhang Xian, after changing his name, was unknown, but before the name change, he was also a well-known scoundrel in Xiangzhou. Could he be tricked, perhaps pulling off a \"Lord Guan Yu Righteously Releases Cao Mengde\" from the storytellers' tales?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kong Liuzi! So you've fallen into your grandpa's hands?\" The two cavalry forces were far too conspicuous on the plain battlefield. Zhang Xian had been riding with purpose, and when he saw clearly that it was Kong Yanzhou, he was almost overjoyed. He brandished his spear on horseback and shouted loudly. \"Today I'll kill you and use your head to honor Lord Zhang and Xu Qing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the commanding general let out a roar, and the several hundred riders behind him each shouted and accelerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marshal Kong was utterly helpless, but he could only raise his long spear and shout with all his might: \"Follow me and kill Zhang Si! Back in Yanzhou, every man gets four wives!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as the words left his mouth, no one responded... This was abnormal, even on a battlefield of tens of thousands. As the commanding general and a Marshal of the Qi state propped up by the Jin, he should have had a few hundred core armored cavalry behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it be that Zhang Xian's shout roused his cavalry to noise, but his own shout drew no response?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, knowing it was a matter of life and death, Kong Yanzhou couldn't help but look back... And what he saw made this man, who had been a thug and murderer in his youth, today—indeed, in this battle, and perhaps for the first time in his life—utterly panic-stricken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that the hundred or so armored riders behind him, who had been following him in flight, had, upon encountering Zhang Xian's cavalry force lying in ambush on the flank, immediately lost all will to fight. They scattered in all directions, each seeking their own escape, paying no more attention to any Marshal Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his panic, Kong Yanzhou turned back, instinctively wanting to dismount and surrender. But unexpectedly, Zhang Xian and his cavalry were already upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The foremost riders charged head-on, thrusting their long spears at an angle. Marshal Kong's warhorse neighed and tumbled first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As this Qi Marshal fell awkwardly onto the wet, hard ground, still faintly warm, and had just rolled over, several more riders swarmed in, hacking down with random blades and thrusting with random spears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just a moment, this legendary figure—who in another timeline had drifted between Song, Jin, and Qi for decades, suppressed Zhong Xiang, pillaged Hunan, married his own daughter, and later actually participated in and held command over the main Jin army, only to be killed by the Jin during the Wanyan Liang era—in this life, had only had time to enjoy a few dozen plates before dying in this battle at Dongping Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With him dead, no one shouted for revenge for Marshal Kong. For the Qi army, the battle situation didn't even worsen because of his death, because it couldn't get any worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be known that the Qi army was already in a state of encirclement. They were merely desperate men putting up a deathbed struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, when Zhang Rong didn't indulge the opportunity and took the initiative to attack, and Yue Fei had long since prepared the entire army, to the point where he shouted that earth-shattering \"Kill Kong,\" the so-called deathbed struggle only added to the farce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rain grew heavier, and the battlefield gradually turned muddy. But fortunately, it was a plain, and there was still a long time until sunset. The two forces of Yue and Zhang, nearly fifty thousand men in total, had each won their respective fronts. They then advanced towards each other, like plowing, completely overturning the Qi army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, the sun was setting in the west, its color golden. The summer earth was dry, suddenly met with rain, and its color turned a deep black. Between heaven and earth, rain, dust, and mist blurred everything. Though the surging armored soldiers were not visible, the neighing of warhorses could still be heard... Yue Fei, strolling almost as if on a walk, led the thousand-strong Beiwei Army, established only a month prior and modeled after Han Shizhong's, calmly advancing westward. He reached a slightly undulating high ridge on the battlefield plain, halted his horse in the rain on the ridge, and gazed into the western sunset while observing the battlefield. As far as the eye could see, everything was hazy, yet brilliantly colorful. He couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of heaven and earth, his body and mind shaken for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, at this moment, though it couldn't be called \"dragons fighting in the wild, their blood black and yellow,\" it could still be called \"the chariot on the high ridge, my horses turning black and yellow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as this battle, destined to be recorded in history, erupted at Dongping Prefecture, the weather in Bianliang remained dry as usual, and people's hearts were undisturbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, His Majesty Zhao today, for once, did not find life dull. Because he was eating melons with several ministers under the setting sun. And this time, it wasn't the common crisp melons found on the streets and in the fields, but watermelons, which delighted His Majesty Zhao immensely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn't seen them in so many years; how could he not be happy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be known that watermelons had been introduced to China for perhaps hundreds or thousands of years. But possibly due to a lack of varietal improvement, they had always been a luxury item grown in the sun-drenched regions of the Western Regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it was precisely in this era, during the parallel existence of Song and Jin, that the large green-skinned, red-fleshed watermelon, suitable for widespread cultivation in the Central Plains and Jiangnan, and largely identical to later generations, finally appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was after the stabilization of the Song-Jin situation that this type of watermelon began to spread comprehensively, becoming a summer necessity for the Chinese people to beat the heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The specific origin of this varietal improvement, worthy of sainthood, is entirely unclear. But it is very likely that during the Liao period, the Liao people, who controlled the Western Regions, cultivated it in the Yanyun area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, back to the present. This type of watermelon had not yet become accessible for everyone to eat. It was still a luxury enjoyed only in the north and west. The melon His Majesty Zhao ate today was brought from Hebei by the Jin envoy Gao Jingshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were three in total. Perhaps to preserve freshness, one wasn't even ripe. Of the remaining two, one large and one small, the small one was sent to Consort Pan Xianfei and the two little princesses. As for the large one, His Majesty Zhao didn't give it to Lady Wu. Instead, he summoned several ministers and the Censor-in-Chief to the palace specifically to eat the melon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three ministers, one Censor-in-Chief—these were the outer court ministers. Then there was one attendant, Academician Lin Jing, one Liu Yan, and one Chief Eunuch Lan Gui—these were the inner court confidants. Plus the Emperor himself, eight grown men sharing one melon, just tasting a novelty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Has Gao Jingshan been sent off?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the relatively clean pavilion by the pond, Zhao Jiu finished eating the melon first. He carefully had the seeds collected, personally packed them in a small cloth bag, then got up and led the way to wash his hands in a bronze basin, looking utterly content. But after sitting down, since several ministers were present, he couldn't help but casually discuss some trivial court matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rest assured, Your Majesty, he has been sent off,\" Huben Minister Wang Boyan quickly replied. \"As per Your Majesty's instructions, we gave him two dead hares, shot by Your Majesty's own hand, as a return gift.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Censor-in-Chief Li Guang, sitting to one side, couldn't help but frown. \"I wonder what the Jin are thinking, coming all the way from Great Ming Prefecture to mediate the war between the Imperial Song and the puppet Qi... The Imperial Song and the puppet Qi cannot coexist. Didn't they know that when they set up the puppet Qi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They didn't come to truly mediate,\" Zhao Jiu said with a dismissive laugh. \"Nor did they come with genuine orders from Yanjing. This is their own initiative. Seeing Li Kui and Li Bao's large forces crossing the river from Great Ming Prefecture, they knew things were bad. So they came here on their own to tell Us that if we win at Dongping, fine, but if we advance on Jinan, they, though unwilling, would have to deploy their main force for a summer campaign.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The several people present nodded in succession, while Li Guang blushed slightly with embarrassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that Yue Fei was not a reckless man. When he set out that day, having calculated the timing, he also had Li Kui, Li Bao, and others, who were taking a detour west of Liangshan Marsh, deliver formal reports to Tokyo, Nanjing, and other places along the way, outlining his plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the court here, at the very least, already knew that Yue Fei was about to complete the encirclement at Dongping Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, due to the speed of information transmission, they still didn't know that the encirclement had been completed, nor the various events that quickly followed, let alone the decisive battle that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, since the military plan had been submitted and was already in the latter half of its execution, the earlier impeachment of Yue Fei for incompetence, based on the Imperial Guard Vanguard Army's immobility at the Wen River, now seemed rather awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the grand debate on the merits and faults of military officers, which His Majesty Zhao had eagerly anticipated, had barely started before it vanished half a day later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty,\" Lu Haowen, seeing Li Guang's slight embarrassment, took the initiative to speak from his seat in the pavilion to ease the atmosphere. \"What is Your Majesty's intention? Should we send troops to Jinan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We think not!\" Zhao Jiu said dismissively. \"As I said before, the priority is to accumulate strength. After all, no one knows what form the Jin's new invasion will take after autumn this year. Don't let the puppet Qi drain too much of our energy... So, for Dongping Prefecture against the puppet Qi, we must still be fast, precise, and ruthless. It's like shooting an arrow—if it hits, it hits; if it misses, it misses. Don't get bogged down in a protracted fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant thinks so too,\" Lu Haowen quickly nodded. \"Our grain, fodder, money, and cloth are still very tight. There are complaints everywhere in the Southeast and Jingxiang. Your Majesty opened a special imperial examination and sent people to reward Zhong Xiang's descendants, which only just calmed things down. We cannot get bogged down there, wasting effort and losing people's hearts...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not just that,\" Zhao Jiu took over the conversation, sneering. \"Gao Jingshan hurried over with three watermelons this time. While it shows they anticipated setbacks at Dongping and don't want to expand the conflict in the summer heat, it might also be a provocation. They secretly hope we'll send troops to Jinan, to fight and exhaust ourselves against Liu Yu, who will inevitably defend desperately.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is indeed a concern,\" Minister Xu Jingheng also stroked his beard in agreement. \"Your Majesty might as well send a golden token to the front lines to give Yue Pengju some reminders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was stunned for a moment, feeling something was off, but after thinking it over, he still nodded. \"Alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not just that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Boyan continued to remind. \"The Huben Ministry has already discussed it. They all say that after this battle, compared to Jinan, a more important matter is recovering Yanzhou. But the most critical thing is to take the opportunity to deal with Zhang Rong of Dongping... Your Majesty, why not send one golden token telling Yue Fei not to get bogged down, and another telling him to be sure to bring Zhang Rong to Tokyo to meet Your Majesty after the battle? In your servant's opinion, if Zhang Rong is willing to come see Your Majesty, he is a man who can be used and kept!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The several ministers nodded in succession, and His Majesty Zhao, after a moment's thought, also nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that after seeing the three ministers each speak and then easily settle these major front-line matters with the Emperor, Li Guang, having shed his embarrassment, realized that this was precisely what was called \"the monarch and ministers discussing state affairs\"—the very thing a civil official pursued and hoped for throughout his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, this Censor-in-Chief, after some consideration, felt that regardless, as the head of the Censorate, which was known as a half-minister, he could not remain silent like inner court officials Lin Jingmo and Liu Yan. He had to offer some suggestions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, Censor-in-Chief Li put on a slightly more serious expression and spoke up. \"Your Majesty, although Yue Fei has reported that he is preparing to encircle the enemy, the puppet Qi still has a large number of troops at Dongping Prefecture. Furthermore, the rebel Liu Yu and his subordinates—the puppet Commander-in-Chief Li Cheng, the puppet Chancellor Hong Ya, and the puppet Marshal Kong Yanzhou—are all capable men. They should not be underestimated... Even the puppet Crown Prince Liu Lin is said to have a rather ambitious and ruthless demeanor. Why not send another golden token, telling Yue Fei to be careful and not be careless, lest a moment's negligence lead to a military mishap?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was taken aback, momentarily speechless before Li Guang, who was full of expectation. Just then, a light cough from Lord Lu Xiang beside him brought the Zhao Emperor back to his senses — this was the first time the newly appointed Censor-in-Chief had offered counsel on military and state affairs, and even if it were nonsense, it deserved to be taken seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Zhao Jiu immediately turned solemn and answered earnestly: \"The Censor speaks well. I have also heard that Liu Lin and his ilk are formidable figures, not to be underestimated. I will immediately order Liu Yan to dispatch the Imperial Red Heart Cavalry and send several golden plaques in rapid succession, so that Yue Fei at the front understands the gravity of the situation and makes no mistakes or omissions!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guang was instantly relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the setting sun, the lord and his ministers in the pavilion, having finished their melons, shared a moment of cheer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rain grew denser, yet the setting sun still lingered. Northeast of Pingyin County in Dongping Prefecture, near the central command tent of what had been Liu Lin's camp, Zhang Rong — the Pacification Commissioner of Dongping Prefecture and Grand Chieftain of Mount Shuipo Liang — sat with his chest bared, revealing a dark, swarthy torso, frowning deeply at a cart of crisp melons before him. Several men in short attire knelt on the ground nearby, heedless of the filth, waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You say you're a local melon seller from Jinan, and that these two carts of melons were just picked when they were seized by some soldiers of the puppet Qi, brought here exclusively for the chieftains and officers to eat? Then after only one cart was eaten, we showed up?\" After a long pause, Zhang Rong finally pressed on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's exactly it!\" The man at the front quickly looked up, his accent unmistakably from Jingdong. \"Grand Chieftain, we truly aren't soldiers, just ordinary melon sellers from Jinan... Please, Grand Chieftain, spare us. We don't even want this cart of melons back. We only ask that you allow us and our relatives to return to our farmsteads in Jinan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Rong, hearing no flaw in the story, nodded repeatedly and was about to agree. But just then, in the dim light, he suddenly noticed that behind the speaker, a young man prostrate in the mud, having lain there for so long that the rain had washed much of the grime away, revealed an arm that, though muscular, was startlingly fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was quite suggestive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, after staring at this man for a moment, the Grand Chieftain suddenly drew his blade, causing the men on the ground to panic and clench their fists in fear. Yet he only used the back of the knife to tap the crisp melons on the cart before him, then said sternly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since you are innocent villagers, how could I let the melons you worked so hard to grow go to waste? I'll buy them with my own money!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men below all relaxed at once, and the leader kowtowed profusely, praising the Grand Chieftain's righteousness and kindness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhang Rong, tapping the melon lightly with the back of his blade again, showed a hint of hesitation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only, I've always lived on the water, only know about fishing, not about growing melons. When we fishermen sell fish, we keep them fresh. Can you guarantee these melons are sweet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men below were momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Last chapter was repaying a debt; this chapter is tonight's. Everyone, good night. Be sure to take care of yourselves, use less air conditioning and exercise more! Eat more melons!\u003C\u002Fp>",3307,"2026-06-06T07:45:46.639Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","63606e26750d4fcc90344251e5da801e40f83b85978d53734c0477d79affc1b6","shao-song-chapter-197","shao-song-chapter-195",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]