[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-23":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},1558189,2024,"Chapter 23","shao-song-chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>On the first day of the last month of the first year of the Jianyan era, amidst heavy snowfall, Zhao Jiu met Zhang Jun, styled Zhang Boying, one of the so-called Four Great Generals of the Restoration, famed alongside Yue Fei and Han Shizhong, at the Dongtai Pavilion at the mouth of the Fei River entering the Huai, thirty li west of Shouzhou city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Zhao Jiu knew of this man. Not only had he heard of him since emerging from the well, but even before the time travel, the name had been hard to forget because of its simplicity and its constant, negative association with Yue and Han... Of course, after emerging from the well, the name had become even more thunderous in his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Liu Guangshi, Zhao Jiu had never been quite sure if he was one of the Four Great Generals of the Restoration. He could understand a famous general having low moral standards, but he found it hard to accept that a man everyone called the Battle-Avoiding Grand Commandant or the Long-Legged Grand Commandant could have contributed anything to the Restoration... Could it be that while Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, and Zhang Jun were fighting the Jin army at the front, this Grand Commandant Liu, relying on his speed advantage and talent for inducing rebel surrenders, had single-handedly pacified all the rebellions in the rear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that said, Zhao Jiu, who enjoyed chatting with his personal guards, now understood very well why Zhang Jun and Liu Guangshi held such prominent positions in the military.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple—just like the body Zhao Jiu now occupied, they had all happened to be at the necessary critical juncture with some irreplaceable capital when the world was collapsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Zhao Jiu's capital was naturally his bloodline, while Liu and Zhang's capital was their troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond that, Liu Guangshi might have some claim through his father's legacy passing to the son; Zhang Jun was similar, but could be considered a sort of heir by a different surname to the Zhong family army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of which, Liu Guangshi's father was the famous Liu Yanqing, who had been one of the foremost Long-Legged Grand Commandants in the Song army back in the day! This Grand Commandant Liu had always loved to avoid battle, miss deadlines, steal credit, and flee. Back then, this scoundrel had run all the way from Baigou to Dongjing, only to find that his legs were still not as long as the Jin cavalry's, so he inevitably caught a Jin blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And probably for this reason, after Liu Guangshi started his career, his legwork became even more impressive, to the point where the student surpassed the master!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, Liu Guangshi had the network his father, an old military boss who had been prominent in the Great Song for decades, had cultivated... And Liu Yanqing had been generous and lenient with his subordinates, a trait Liu Guangshi inherited exactly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, on the day of the total Jingkang collapse, Liu Guangshi was leading his three thousand troops towards Dongjing. Hearing that the front had suffered a major defeat, he made a decisive choice. Instead of turning back, he abandoned everything, raced with his three thousand troops from Guanxi to Hebei, and was the first to arrive by the side of Zhao Jiu, then the nominal Grand Marshal of the Army, and from then on, his career soared!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just look at his official titles. Everyone was a Controller of the Imperial Camp, and above them was Wang Yuan as Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp, but Liu Guangshi held the concurrent posts of Supervisor of the Imperial Camp Commissioner's Office and Chief Patrol Inspector of the Temporary Palace... His actual power was probably not much less than Wang Yuan's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was even the first Song military man after the Jingkang Incident to formally establish a military command and be titled Grand Commandant, which had just been confirmed a few days before Zhao Jiu emerged from the well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Zhang Jun, styled Zhang Boying, his rise during the Jianyan era was roughly similar to Liu Guangshi's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He too had pulled together a force of two to three thousand men during the total Jingkang collapse and appeared at the right place when Zhao Jiu had no one around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Comparatively, however, Zhang Jun was clearly more capable, because unlike Liu Guangshi, who had a good father and thus appeared on the scene with three thousand fully organized troops and could enjoy his father's natural network even after the court was fully staffed... Zhang Jun's ability to inherit the Zhong family army, a major faction of the Western Army, was truly earned through desperate fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Zhang Jun had genuinely fought bloody battles with Zhong Shizhong at Taiyuan, and had managed to pull out a remnant force and break through the encirclement when almost the entire army was annihilated. Second, he had maintained his leadership position through his own battlefield performance and personal charisma along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was also a bit of luck, such as meeting his benefactor Liang Yangzu. This Prefect of Guide Prefecture first took in Zhang Jun and other fleeing remnants, then led them to see Zhao Jiu. He was a man who knew when to advance and retreat. When Zhao Jiu ascended the throne and discussed preserving the original Marshal's office, he wanted this man to be the Marshal, but Liang Yangzu voluntarily gave up military power and central authority, requesting to go south to manage finances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was by inheriting this faction that Zhang Jun became qualified to rank below Liu Guangshi but above Han Shizhong as a Controller of the Imperial Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back to the present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the heavy snowfall, the atmosphere of this meeting at the Dongtai Pavilion was unknowingly becoming tense and rigid. After the Imperial Lord entered the heated pavilion prepared by Grand Commandant Zhang, he first, in a very disrespectful manner, ordered the removal of the ornate curtains, then commanded that most of the fine food and wine in the pavilion be bestowed upon the personal guards and Hu Yantong's troops who had marched hard in armor, leaving only a few ducks roasting on the pavilion's stoves untouched. Then he fell silent, sitting idly until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor Grand Commandant Zhang, already over forty, had been standing at the edge of the pavilion eaves without taking a seat, and a bit of snow had even accumulated on his shoulders... If this got out, wouldn't there be a story of \"Standing in the Snow at Dongtai\" specifically to describe the Imperial Lord's innate coldness?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, considering the Imperial Lord's preferential treatment of Han Shizhong back then, and his changed attitude towards certain former confidants after falling into the well, it was impossible to stop the civil and military officials present from letting their imaginations run wild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to be honest, most people felt a bit indignant for Grand Commandant Zhang. There was no reason why Han Shizhong's subordinates rebelled and got a jade belt, while Grand Commandant Zhang, who came out thirty li from the city to show respect, received such treatment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Zhao Jiu really hadn't meant it that way. On the contrary, precisely because he knew the importance of this Grand Commandant Zhang, he had been hesitating, unsure how to broach the subject with him, and before he knew it, his mind had wandered far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Zhang, come and sit with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, just as Yang Yizhong, Zhang Jun's old subordinate, was about to risk a breach of etiquette to remind him, the Imperial Lord spoke. His casual tone immediately made the civil and military officials from both sides breathe a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant dare not!\" Zhang Jun, also relieved, remained exceptionally deferential. \"The Imperial Lord and the Chancellors are seated; where is there a place for a mere military man like me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is there to be afraid of?\" Zhao Jiu snapped back to reality and couldn't help but laugh. \"Han Liangchen passed through here a few days ago. I don't believe Grand Commandant Zhang didn't see the jade belt at his waist... That reckless Han Wu isn't even a Grand Commandant, yet he dares to swagger around wearing a jade belt all day. You, a dignified Grand Commandant, dare not sit with me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jun repeatedly bowed and declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Zhang,\" Zhao Jiu said helplessly, seeing this. \"Could it be that after learning I fell into the well and forgot some matters, you deliberately intend to grow distant from me? Precisely because of this, you and I should be more open and cordial, lest our former closeness become a burden.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhang Jun dared not hesitate any longer. He stepped forward, passed by Zhang Jun, the Censor-in-Chief whose name was very similar to his own, and sat down with the Chancellors of the Eastern and Western Halls, but deliberately took the outermost seat, perching only half his backside on the stool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his posture, Zhao Jiu waved his hand and said bluntly: \"Alright, let's do this. Please, Chancellors, set off early to settle into Xiacai (the county governing Shouzhou) city, to avoid freezing out here. The rest of the civil and military officials should also help settle the troops. The Emperor has a few private words to say to Grand Commandant Zhang...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd was startled. While Lu Haowen was hesitating, Zhang Que, the newly returned Associate Administrator of the Privy Council, stiffened his neck and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the Imperial Lord speaks with a Grand Commandant, there is no need to avoid the Chancellor!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu had no choice but to change his tune: \"I intend to ask Grand Commandant Zhang about some private matters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When has the Imperial Lord ever had private matters?\" Zhang Que blurted out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was clearly annoyed, but he could only stand up and flick his sleeves: \"Then please, Chancellors, slowly enjoy your wine and duck here. Grand Commandant Zhang, please accompany the Emperor for a ride to view the snowy scenery on the Huai River!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Que initially wanted to follow, but thinking of the Imperial Lord's well-known poor horsemanship, and the fact that it was indeed cold outside the pavilion, he was also quite angry. So he didn't even bother to see him off, instead lowering his head and angrily calling for duck. The pavilion's cook, prepared, first served a salted duck before hurriedly demonstrating the roast duck cooking skills for the Chancellors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the civil and military officials watched the Imperial Lord and the hastily following Zhang Jun ride off towards the Huai River mouth, with only Yang Yizhong and a few horsemen following at a distance, perhaps due to the similarity in their names, Privy Councilor Zhang Que, after downing a mouthful of roast duck, vented his anger on Censor-in-Chief Zhang Jun. He publicly pointed a duck leg at him and scolded him, saying that Zhang Deyuan, as the head of the Censorate, had absolutely no backbone, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Zhang Deyuan, young and successful, and knowing full well he was not of the same ilk as these old ministers, how could he show weakness? Though he couldn't be as direct as the other, he became sarcastic, causing the other Chancellors, civil and military officials, and the discerning men accompanying Zhang Jun's army to intercede endlessly... But regardless of the commotion in the pavilion, it could hardly prevent the Imperial Lord from privately meeting with military officials again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the snow grew heavier. The white and yellow withered grass by the riverbank had long turned into a sheet of pure white. Zhao Jiu, Zhang Jun, Yang Yizhong, and their party hurriedly rode away from the heated Dongtai Pavilion, avoiding the main force crossing the Fei River. The footprints they left on the road were almost immediately covered by the wind and snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But amidst the wind and snow, when Zhao Jiu, led by Zhang Jun, turned onto a gently sloping hillside and reined in his horse to look into the distance, he saw mist rising from the Huai River, intertwining with the countless snowflakes. At this moment, the world between heaven and earth was both distinct and hazy, seemingly a unified whole yet with clear distinctions between sky, earth, river, and mountain—a truly picturesque landscape... Imagine the Imperial Lord, born into a humble family, when had he ever seen such scenery? Naturally, he was full of wonder. The displeasure he had felt with Zhang Que instantly dissipated, and he almost composed a poem on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this Zhao Jiu was just an engineering graduate who only read web novels. His literary cultivation was pitifully shallow. Even plagiarizing a poem to match the scene was difficult, so he forcibly held back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Imperial Lord had admired the scenery for a long time, he turned his head and saw Yang Yizhong standing his horse a dozen paces away, and the imperial personal guards another several dozen paces further. With only Grand Commandant Zhang by his side, he finally got to the point:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Zhang, do you know what I was thinking about when I sat silently in the pavilion earlier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant dares not presume to guess.\" Zhang Jun, who had long been observing the Imperial Lord's demeanor and had already prepared various answers in his mind, quickly spoke up. \"Could it be that the Imperial Lord felt my arrangements in the pavilion were too extravagant? Do not worry, Imperial Lord. Your servant knows the difficulties of the temporary palace. Now that I have returned to the temporary palace, all previous captures and supplies will naturally be turned over to the central government for allocation. And I will absolutely not allow my subordinates to cause such incidents over such matters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're overthinking it.\" Zhao Jiu held the reins, continuing to gaze at the steam rising from the Huai River as he spoke slowly. \"Earlier, I was thinking about how to make Grand Commandant Zhang more sincere and willing to serve me. Then I naturally recalled the circumstances of our meeting as lord and subject, and I couldn't help but think a bit more...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant is ashamed, but I have one thing to say that I must speak.\" Zhang Jun immediately lowered his head and replied again. \"Even outside the temporary palace, I have heard somewhat of the Imperial Lord's fall into the well. But the Imperial Lord's importance is like Mount Tai. The Imperial Lord's grace to me, your servant, I will never forget. My loyalty and gratitude to the Imperial Lord will not be diminished in the slightest by such a small matter...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think so too.\" Zhao Jiu suddenly spoke, turning his head to stare directly at him. \"I thought for a long time in the pavilion just now, and suddenly realized I was overthinking... You and Liu Guangshi are similar, and slightly different from Han Shizhong. Since we met in Hebei, our fortunes have been tied together. One's glory is the other's glory, one's loss is the other's loss. Between us, there is no need for things like jade belts! Am I right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is exactly what I, your servant, mean!\" Zhang Jun was overjoyed, feeling as if the months of anxiety had instantly vanished. \"The Imperial Lord is indeed still the Imperial Lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhao Jiu also laughed. But after laughing, he pointed at the other man from his horse, then at himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Minister Zhang, that was then. Back then, in Hebei, without me, you would have been just a stray dog by the roadside; without you, I would have been bait for the Jin soldiers. But what about now? Now, without you, Minister Zhang, the Emperor still has Han Shizhong and half of Jiangnan to rely on. But without me, you and Liu Guangshi would still be nothing but stray dogs by the roadside, just like in Hebei! Am I right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Yizhong, not far away, was dumbfounded, and Zhang Jun's face changed drastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, I'm asking you now.\" Zhao Jiu became serious. \"Grand Commandant Zhang, can the Huai River be defended? I really don't want to run anymore!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Continuing the sacrifice—\"The Western Army of the Great Song,\" as the name suggests, go check it out!\u003C\u002Fp>",2717,"2026-06-06T07:45:46.639Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","19044f43d93ff9ffac457e434d26a3f29798e87266726894f7e6c56564484317","shao-song-chapter-24","shao-song-chapter-22",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]