[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-217":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},1558383,2024,"Chapter 217: The Personal Expedition","shao-song-chapter-217",217,"\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu's final proposal did not provoke excessive opposition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many reasons for this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the councilors, lacking military authority, were naturally short of breath when facing Zhao Jiu on military matters; for instance, this was not Zhao Jiu's first personal expedition; for instance, there was some logic to the supreme commander going to the front lines, such as the fact that the enemy's situation was unclear, and only by ascertaining it could timely decisions be made, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality, the two most important reasons were: first, just as Qu Da and Zhao Jiu's exchange showed, the front line was split in two by Wanyan Loushi, who had occupied Tong Pass. To ensure that multiple independent units on both sides fought bravely together, nothing was more effective than Zhao Jiu moving closer to the front; second, the current situation was ultimately different from the past. After years of hard work, there were now some troops and defensive measures. Zhao Jiu's trip this time was to take up a commanding position in Luoyang. Although Luoyang had been burned to the ground, it was still a secondary capital within the defensive perimeter... militarily very safe, and politically unlikely to cause major waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, after brief discussions with the councilors, the six ministers, the Bureau of Military Personnel, and the generals in the capital, the councilors agreed in principle to the Emperor's proposal under his watchful eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was no shortage of admonitions and exhortations, roughly telling Zhao Jiu not to go to the foot of Shanzhou city, to be careful of Jin cavalry raids, and then sternly warning Yang Yizhong, the commander of the Imperial Guard, not to put the Emperor in danger, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, even so, Zhao Jiu still encountered an unexpected yet understandable obstacle... That night, Zhao Jiu stayed at Consort Pan's quarters, but was awakened by the sound of crying in the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waking up, in the darkness, Zhao Jiu initially wanted to get up and comfort her, but after thinking for a long time, he chose to turn over, lie on his side with eyes wide open, remain silent, and pretend not to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Zhao Jiu certainly understood what Consort Pan was up to... generously speaking, this was a tearful remonstrance from the harem; meanly speaking, it was a display of personal affection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And whether it was a harem remonstrance or personal affection, how should one put it? At the very least, Zhao Jiu's choice was beyond doubt... Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were watching from above!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the situation as it was, either learn from Yuan Shao, who put personal feelings first and ended up with his entire family wiped out, despised by everyone, or learn from Cao Cao, who maintained a hegemon's posture his whole life, only to show personal feelings on his deathbed, earning Su Dongpo's contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Su Dongpo looked down on everyone... otherwise, he wouldn't have been demoted for half his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, which one to choose—did it even need to be said?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way Zhao Jiu would refuse to go to the front just because of some crying behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And returning to the present, although Zhao Jiu had made up his mind, lying under the warm quilt with his lover in the harem, feeling her body heat, smelling her fragrance, and hearing her undisguised sobbing, he couldn't bring himself to get up and scold her for being inappropriate... because from the perspective of someone sharing a bed and having intimate relations, he understood Pan Fei's fears and even felt some pity for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew that this woman regarded him, the Emperor, as her absolute support, and her terror was a natural reaction after experiencing so much displacement and hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And faced with such a person, Zhao Jiu could not bring himself to utter those grand, righteous words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, after being awakened, Zhao Jiu simply lay on his side without speaking, not moving a muscle. After Consort Pan noticed the person beside her wake up and turn over, she cried for a long time, but seeing that he remained silent, she finally gradually quieted down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving aside this kind of episode that even a third party was unlikely to know, with matters roughly settled, the next day, the fifth day of the first month, without any delay, Zhao Jiu raised his golden imperial standard and, escorted by thousands of Imperial Guards, both cavalry and infantry, directly left Dongjing city westward, heading for Luoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the peaceful days of the past, a personal expedition by the Emperor was something one wouldn't dare to imagine, but now it was as direct and swift as eating and drinking, causing many newly returned scholars and commoners inside and outside Dongjing to sigh with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, Zhao Jiu proceeded openly, traveling westward. At first, there were not many troops by his side, so in just a day and a half, on the afternoon of the seventh day, he entered Zhengzhou territory. But it was from this day onward that the various armies of the Imperial Camp, entrenched throughout the Henan region, were fully mobilized upon receiving news from Dongjing and the Emperor's entourage. Tens of thousands of troops, in units ranging from two thousand to five thousand, each moved under the command of their respective commanders. Among other things, the 35,000 troops of the Imperial Camp's Central Army gradually gathered around Zhao Jiu, controlled by Wang De and Wang Yan respectively, and under the coordination of the accompanying Wang Yuan and Qu Duan, they advanced in an orderly manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the tenth day, Zhao Jiu entered Henan Prefecture, where Luoyang was located. On the twelfth day, he moved into the old city of Luoyang. By this time, with the addition of the three units of Big Di, Small Di, and Niu Gao, who were already stationed around Luoyang, Zhao Jiu had over 40,000 combat troops and over 10,000 auxiliary troops or laborers by his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Li Yanxian, who had already returned to Shanzhou, also sent up good news:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that on New Year's Day, Li Yanxian learned of the Jin army's southward advance but did not hastily return to Shanzhou. Instead, while continuing to have Shao Yun, the garrison commander of Pinglu, manage the situation, he personally led several thousand troops originally scheduled to withdraw to Henan, rushed to the foot of Mount Zhongtiao, and launched a night counter-ambush against the Jin flank force of only five thousand men, commanded by Wanyan Saba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanyan Saba never expected Li Yanxian to be so bold and was naturally caught off guard. Moreover, his foothold was unstable. So, in the hasty battle, although he held Jijin, Li Yanxian and his men burned half of his supplies and captured seven or eight hundred warhorses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After blunting the Jin army's edge and crippling one leg of their flank force, Li Yanxian withdrew to Pinglu and from there calmly crossed the river back to Shanzhou. According to his report, he also took the opportunity to leave a beloved general, named Zhao Cheng, with two thousand troops in a mountain stronghold on Mount Zhongtiao... to serve as a surprise force when necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, Zhao Jiu naturally waved his brush, issued an edict of encouragement and praise, and re-informed him of the specific situation: Han Shizhong was taking a detour through Wuguan to support Chang'an, while he himself was leading the entire Imperial Camp's Central Army to come to the rescue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sides, one in Shanzhou and the other in Luoyang, were now very close, and the roads were clear. So soon, Li Yanxian sent another reply, requesting that Zhao Jiu immediately send troops into Shanzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His reasoning was simple to articulate:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, although Wanyan Loushi had not been idle for over ten days, and the Jin had successfully captured many important towns around Tong Pass—taking Huayin to the left, advancing to Hucheng to the right, capturing Chaoyi to the north, and blocking Taihua to the south—overall, the Jin were only securing their rear and making necessary strategic supports. The main force Wanyan Loushi had brought south was still roughly entrenched near Tong Pass, with an unclear strategic direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, although Wanyan Loushi's actions seemed somewhat slow, that didn't mean he couldn't act quickly. Once he decided to attack Shanzhou, he would likely charge straight to the foot of Shanzhou city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the area between Shanzhou city and Luoyang city, specifically the southern side of the Sanmen Gorge, had been a single road sandwiched between mountains since ancient times, the so-called Xiao-Mian ancient road. The road was narrow, with numerous checkpoints, making it difficult for a large army to pass through quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Zhao Jiu should first send half of the Imperial Camp's Central Army reinforcements through this road to Shanzhou to be under Li Yanxian's command, while the other half remained in the Luoyang plain to protect the Emperor and serve as a reserve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, once Wanyan Loushi suddenly advanced, he might use a small elite force to block the Xiao-Mian ancient road, leaving the tens of thousands of troops in Luoyang idle and useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty! Li Yanxian is overbearing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the much cleaner Luoyang city compared to Dongjing, Qu Duan flew into a rage and immediately impeached Li Yanxian. \"Not to mention that the front hasn't even engaged yet, and the Jin army hasn't even decided on their main attack direction. Where is the principle of a Military Governor demanding nearly half of the Emperor's personal troops for his own use right from the start? And he even clearly states that he wants to command them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuan also found it hard to bear and immediately echoed: \"Your Majesty, Li Yanxian has overstepped his bounds... As a senior general of the court, ordered to garrison Shanzhou, he lacks no military supplies. Where is the principle of demanding the central government's directly subordinate troops from the Emperor on the eve of battle? What's the difference between this and a firefighter locking the wellhead and demanding bribes from the people when a city is on fire?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the abandoned Luoyang palace, which was empty to the point of excess, Zhao Jiu's expression remained unchanged. He simply looked at the envoy: \"Academician Li, what do you think?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This envoy, Li Ruopu, who had previously taken the golden token to Shanzhou, now looked somewhat embarrassed: \"Although I am Your Majesty's envoy, I am not versed in military affairs. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been sent back by Grand Commandant Li shortly after he returned to Shanzhou.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded, then unhurriedly looked at Wang De and Wang Yan, who were standing in the hall: \"Would the two Wang ministers be willing to go support Shanzhou and follow Grand Commandant Li's orders?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yan, who held a slightly higher status, helplessly cupped his hands: \"If Your Majesty sends me, I will naturally go. But although Li Yanxian is the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp's Central Army, he is quite rude. I'm afraid my resentment will be hard to hide.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang De neither said he was unwilling to obey or go, nor said he was willing to obey or go. He just gave a derisive laugh, cupped his hands in salute, and said: \"Your Majesty, I will follow Your Majesty's orders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu also laughed, then bypassed the two Wangs, glanced at Yang Yizhong standing to one side, and finally looked at the dozen or so commanders standing in the dilapidated hall: \"Is any of you willing to cross Mianchi and immediately go to the foot of Shanzhou city to receive Grand Commandant Li's military orders?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Emperor's resolute attitude, those who had spoken earlier were momentarily embarrassed. The many commanders in the hall exchanged glances, their heads aching, but four of them immediately stepped forward: Niu Gao, Zhai Xing (Big Di), Zhai Jin (Small Di), and Li Qiong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Jing, who came from the Western Army, also stepped forward... And with Zhang Jing out, the remaining commanders also stepped forward one after another, no longer caring about their superiors' face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded, knowing full well... Niu Gao, Big Di, and Small Di were already stationed in Luoyang and were originally under Li Yanxian's command, so it was natural for them to step forward. As for Zhang Jing, this man was a commander in the Imperial Camp's Central Army from the so-called Nanyang era, second only to Wang De in prestige and merit. His stepping forward later was clearly to obtain a semi-independent command authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, as soon as Zhang Jing stepped out, Wang De began to panic, let alone when all the other commanders stepped out afterwards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Zhao Jiu couldn't be bothered with these petty schemes. He simply pointed directly at Li Qiong: \"Minister Li, why are you willing to go support?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, I believe Grand Commandant Li was indeed rude, but what he said in his memorial also made sense... If we go too late, I'm afraid the Xiao-Mian ancient road will be blocked!\" Li Qiong cupped his hands in reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly, then looked at Qu Duan, who had stepped forward at the beginning and was now looking quite uneasy because of the Emperor's obvious attitude: \"Qu Da... you made a meritorious suggestion earlier in Dongjing, and you should be credited with a merit promotion!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan was baffled, and so were the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If not for your words, how could I have witnessed such an absurd thing?\" Zhao Jiu, dressed in full military attire, pointed down from the steps and laughed. \"Look... Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp, Qu Duan, has only held command of the Imperial Camp's Central Army for a little over ten days, and already he's reluctant to let go; and my Imperial Camp commanders, when facing battle, still have to consider their superiors' face before daring to go into action... If I hadn't heeded your advice and come to Luoyang to take personal command, I would have almost let these scoundrels, as you said, develop factional biases and cause a major disaster.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall was flustered. Qu Duan was especially dumbfounded, not knowing how to reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhao Jiu suddenly became stern and issued an order from his seat: \"Since all the Commanders-in-Chief and Deputy Commanders-in-Chief are feeling disgruntled, let Li Qiong take command. He will lead Niu Gao, Zhai Xing, Zhai Jin, Xin Yongzong, and Jiao Wentong's unit from the Eight-Character Army, a total of 20,000 men, to quickly pass through the Xiao-Mian ancient road and advance to Shanzhou. Once there, they will all be under Li Yanxian's command, and there must be no mistakes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall immediately became solemn. Those who heard the decree naturally stepped forward to salute and receive orders. But the few high-ranking generals and the half of the commanders who were staying behind all looked panicked, exchanging glances and signaling each other, preparing to step forward and collectively beg for forgiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Academician Li Ruopu was somewhat flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhao Jiu couldn't be bothered to look at this group of Song army generals who needed a good lesson. He only looked back at Li Ruopu: \"Academician Li, draft an edict yourself, on my behalf, to reprimand Li Yanxian for his rudeness to you, and take it back to him yourself! Also, tell him, word for word, what I said today. Tell him to state his business directly, stop testing, avoid unnecessary anger, and conduct himself well!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ruopu, relieved, quickly cupped his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>",2617,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","f7b10d353cc356b4bb3c64c46da7759c626c0f4067c6dbb7fe0b565b0f86044c","shao-song-chapter-218","shao-song-chapter-216",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]