[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-253":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},1558419,2024,"Chapter 253: Chapter Four: Coming and Going (Part One)","shao-song-chapter-253",253,"\u003Cp>In the high sky of September, Zhao Jiu personally went twenty li outside the city to escort the Goryeo envoy Zheng Zhichang eastward, setting up banquets along the way and having civil and military officials accompany him. For every li traveled, His Majesty personally raised a cup in toast and had a minister known for poetry compose verses to see him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the final parting, His Majesty even took Scholar Zheng by the hand and called him an \"international friend\"… \"international\" meaning between nations, that is, Scholar Zheng was worthy of bearing the weight of both countries, maintaining friendship for the state… Moreover, all the previous courtesies had already left Zheng Zhichang intoxicated and entranced, and when he received this title at the final farewell, he wept uncontrollably, repeatedly crying out \"imperial grace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be said that aside from the regrettable fact that His Majesty happened to have no poetic inspiration that day, Scholar Zheng's mission, coming after the situation between Song and Jin had been settled, was nearly perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning, it would be enough to overshadow Kim Busik by seven or eight heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after the international friend Zheng Zhichang departed accompanied by the escort envoy Wang Lun, His Majesty turned around and, for once, darkened his face… The accompanying ministers were also mostly uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For no other reason—everyone knew what was going on. That Zheng Zhichang, having been plied with too much drink, had already left but then came back to grab His Majesty's hand, babbling about being grateful for His Majesty's kindness, and that upon returning to Goryeo, he would definitely investigate the situation at Wuguocheng on His Majesty's behalf, do his utmost to ransom back the noble sons and daughters of the Great Song, and do everything possible to negotiate with the Jin regarding the matter of the Two Sages…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others might not know, but on the day of the Yiyou Gate entrustment, His Majesty had already fully revealed his attitude toward the Retired Emperor, the Daoist Sovereign. So although it couldn't be said openly, none of the chief ministers were unaware of His Majesty's true feelings:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding the so-called \"Northern Hunt\" of the Two Sages, His Majesty's attitude was not at all the \"share a cup of soup with me\" in the face of an enemy threat—that was just the public front. In his heart, there was clearly resentment! One might even say he secretly wished the other side would hurry up and \"share a cup of soup\" with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, how could His Majesty not be angered upon hearing Zheng Zhichang's superfluous words?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it was ultimately just an episode. Zhao Jiu returned to the city in a huff, and in two or three days it gradually subsided—after all, life had to go on. Then Zhao Ding from the Huai region and Liu Ji from Xiangyang arrived within days of each other. By this point, the chief ministers were assembled in the city, lending it a bit more vigor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, as soon as Liu Ji arrived, he submitted a public memorial stating that the situation in Dongjing was no longer what it had been, and that the many concurrent posts held by Chen Gui—Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, Minister of War, and Prefect of Kaifeng—were wartime arrangements that should be abolished following the precedent of the southern \"commissioner\" posts. At the same time, he proposed that Chen Gui, who had labored with great merit and overseen military logistics without any oversight, should be relieved of the unsuitable post of Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and directly appointed Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gui was naturally delighted by this. Having come from the legal examination track and having been involved in the scandal of forcibly seizing books from a famous scholar's home, he had thought he would never have hope of becoming a proper chief minister and could only awkwardly hold his current post. Now that he could become a legitimate, fully recognized chief minister of the court, he was willing to do anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn't just Chen Gui—Zhao Jiu agreed almost immediately, and the entire court had nothing to say about it… Because without His Majesty having to say it, everyone knew that he had long refrained from promoting Chen Gui only out of fear that the resistance would be too great, making it seem too drastic, and that if obstacles arose, it would be embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, His Majesty had fundamentally no reason to oppose this matter. In his heart, Chen Gui had long been considered a Privy Councilor, only lacking the formal title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, almost effortlessly and naturally, as soon as Vice Chancellor Liu Ji of the Capital Secretariat arrived, he pushed his former subordinate Chen Gui—whose loyalty was beyond doubt—into the position of Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn't all. After being \"regularized,\" Chen Gui shed his posts as Prefect of Kaifeng and Minister of War, and immediately recommended Yan Xiaozhong, Prefect of Nanyang, as the new Prefect of Kaifeng, which Zhao Jiu promptly approved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, many people began to look at Liu Ji—the former Fiscal Commissioner of Jingxi and later Commissioner of Xiangyang—with new eyes… Because both of Liu Ji's personnel recommendations were extremely clever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specifically, on one hand, they catered to His Majesty's wishes… Since everyone knew that both Chen Gui and Yan Xiaozhong were already favored by His Majesty. On the other hand, they used Nanyang, the temporary secondary capital during that special period, to lay a foundation for Chancellor Liu himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be noted that Liu Ji, Chen Gui, and Yan Xiaozhong were all pillar ministers from the time the court was in exile in Nanyang, and they were all native officials from the Nanyang area who rose to prominence together after the temporary court moved there. Together, they naturally formed a so-called Nanyang faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could only say that Chancellor Liu Ji, having remained silent for so long, made a stunning debut. Before the more favored Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun could make their moves, he had already completed his layout in Dongjing, laying a solid foundation for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was as far as it went. After a night, early the next morning, Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun, having caught on, almost simultaneously proposed their own candidates for Minister of War. Zhao Ding recommended Hu Shijiang, the Prefect of Zhenjiang. Due to issues with material and financial transport, Hu had clear working ties with Zhao Ding, who had long served in Huainan. According to Chancellor Zhao, this man was extremely skilled in military logistics. Zhang Jun, meanwhile, recommended Lu Zhi, the Prefect of Jiangning, on the grounds that after the great victory at Yaoshan, Lu had sent the Bureau of Military Affairs a booklet he had written—a comprehensive national strategy covering everything from pacifying the Dongting Lake rebellion to managing the entire south, and then to gradually destroying the Jin state. It was so vivid and compelling that Zhang Jun, who had just taken over the Bureau of Military Affairs, was convinced that this man was a genius of the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, Zhao Jiu made an immediate decision, appointing Hu Shijiang as Minister of War.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ding breathed a sigh of satisfaction, while Zhang Jun promptly recommended Lu Zhi again for the vacant post of Vice Minister of Personnel. This time, Zhao Jiu did not veto it and approved immediately, and Zhang Jun also breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, after the three new chief ministers had gathered, they immediately began to wrangle over personnel matters, a veritable dragon-and-tiger struggle. Yet throughout the court, both inside and outside the capital, there was not much turmoil… Of course, this lack of turmoil was not because everyone had long known who Hu Shijiang and Lu Zhi were, nor because they were not surprised by Liu Ji's preemptive strike, but because everyone had already anticipated that the new chief ministers would recommend and employ their own people. They all knew such a personnel storm was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, the same old saying holds: personnel is politics, and politics is personnel. If His Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, after a great victory at Yaoshan and with unrivaled prestige, still had to appoint trusted figures like Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, and Liu Ji as chief ministers, then conversely, the chief ministers—the heads of all officials with the power to deliberate on policy—also needed to appoint their own people. And why should His Majesty not respect the legitimate personnel authority of the chief ministers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when a newly appointed or outgoing chief minister proposed a weighty personnel matter during a special period… If even that were to be rejected, then what was the point of being a chief minister?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don't forget: Li Gang, while in the southeast, had still recommended Li Guang and Lin Qi as high ministers; Lü Haowen, though so mild-mannered at the time, had still appointed Fan Zongyin and others after Nanyang; Lü Yihao, when he went his own way to the southeast, had still recommended Zhu Shengfei as Minister of Rites before leaving; Xu Jingheng, after choosing to step back, had still cut off Lü Yihao's path forward… Don't treat chief ministers as if they were idle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chief minister is a chief minister—the highest leader of the scholar-official class in this era, the top tier that shares a portion of supreme power with His Majesty through the method of policy deliberation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you give someone this position, you must give them corresponding political power; otherwise, the political ecosystem will be damaged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, after Chancellor Zhao Ding of the Capital Secretariat and Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs Zhang Jun competed over the candidate for Minister of War, Zhao Jiu naturally had to respect the first personnel proposal from the Capital Secretariat's chancellor, and under that premise, he also did his best to respect the deliberative power of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's what makes an enlightened ruler!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who's back?\" Zhao Jiu, who was watching an experiment with ceramic gunpowder pots at Daxiangguo Temple, accompanied by the still-serving Privy Councilor Chen Gui, looked up in surprise. \"Zheng what? It can't be that Zheng Zhichang has come back again, can it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reporting to Your Majesty, it's certainly not Zheng Zhichang. It's Zheng Yinian, son of the former chief minister Zheng Juzhong. Zheng Juzhong was the son-in-law of Chancellor Wang Gui and also a clan brother of Empress Dowager Ningde (Empress Zheng)…\" Yang Yizhong quickly explained the background of the man just mentioned. \"During the Jingkang Incident, many sons of official families were taken captive together. Zheng Yinian, being both from an official clan and a relative of the empress, was one of them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded, thoughtful. \"How did he get back?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"According to him, after Your Majesty's victory at Yaoshan, among the Jin, two forward positions—one in the direction of the puppet Qi and the other among the barbarians around Yan'an—became unstable. So the Jin induced the sons of northern official families to surrender, offering them posts in the puppet Qi.\" Yang Yizhong continued his explanation. \"This man claims he pretended to accept the office, but when it came time to cross the river heading south, he directly imitated other fleeing Han officials and went to the river to find Grand Defender Zhang's troops… Grand Defender Zhang's men encountered him on the old course of the Yellow River east of Great Ming Prefecture, with only one servant by his side.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, the \"ceramic hand grenades\" continued to thud without pause, and Zhao Jiu stared off into space, clearly not focusing on the new weapon, but he gave no instructions to Yang Yizhong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, just as Chen Gui was about to speak up in frustration, His Majesty finally turned back with a wry smile. \"Did he bring back any objects or messages?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty is perceptive.\" Yang Yizhong answered with difficulty. \"He brought personal letters from both of the Two Sages and a personal letter from Empress Dowager Ningde…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These can't be forged, can they?\" Zhao Jiu's smile grew more sardonic. \"Many old ministers should recognize them…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Yizhong grew even more tense, replying with extreme caution. \"The Retired Emperor, the Daoist Sovereign's handwriting is easy to imitate, but the letters from Empress Dowager Ningde and from the Deposed Sage are extremely difficult to forge…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded, then suddenly turned serious, looking at Yang Yizhong. \"What did my father and elder brother say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Yizhong felt a chill run down his spine but forced himself to answer. \"The gist is similar, three points… First, congratulating Your Majesty on the great victory; second, speaking of the hardships in the north; third, saying they only ask for a side hall to live in peace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded and continued in a serious tone. \"The Bureau of Military Affairs and the Capital Secretariat know about this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are the views of the several chancellors and Duke Chancellor Lü?\" Zhao Jiu pressed on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Time was short, so I am not clear on that.\" Yang Yizhong replied helplessly, then glanced at Chen Gui, the Privy Councilor, who was sitting nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gui steeled himself and stood up, but before he could speak, His Majesty, without even looking at Chen Gui, let out a faint sigh. \"No need to ask, I already know. Filial piety from son, brotherly love from younger brother… Any chief minister with a shred of face couldn't say anything else. They're in a difficult position too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gui, who hadn't had a chance to speak, lowered his head with a hint of grievance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about this.\" Zhao Jiu stood up with a wry smile. \"I won't make things hard for the chief ministers. We'll discuss it at court tomorrow… Summon the Palace Censor-in-Chief Moqi Xie to the palace immediately to await orders.\" Having said this, His Majesty turned back to Chen Gui. \"Chancellor Chen, keep a close eye on these hand grenades. They're a good thing. Don't get involved in anything else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gui was almost relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, His Majesty took his leave of Chen Gui, walked out of the temple, and immediately darkened his face. When the imperial bodyguards escorted him on horseback back to the palace, in the presence of the hastily arrived Moqi Xie, Yang Yizhong, Liu Yan, and Lan Gui—his closest attendants—the Song emperor didn't even bother to hide it. In the empty, almost excessively barren wasteland of the rear palace archery range, he ground his teeth:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know exactly what's going on with my eyes closed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bullshit 'escaped'! He was sent back from the north to test the waters!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what if there are letters? With a knife at their throats, would they dare not write them? Conversely, if the Jin hadn't told them to write, where would they get the paper, brush, and the inclination to write so carefully?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First they press down with the great principles of ruler and subject, father and son, then they dangle the lands of northern Shaanxi and Jingdong as bait, and then they put the northern hostages on display—and then they want to negotiate peace? And I'm supposed to negotiate peace with them at a time like this?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Yizhong and the others exchanged glances, not knowing what to say, while Moqi Xie's face turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, the next moment, having vented, His Majesty turned directly to him. \"Minister Moqi, I made you Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Can you share my burden?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant does not know how Your Majesty wishes me to share the burden.\" Moqi Xie's face was bloodlessly pale, and even his legs were trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally, by cutting off the problem at the root—don't let Zheng Yinian stir things up from the start…\" Zhao Jiu stared coldly at him. \"In my view, this man is definitely a Jin spy! Sent by Zonghan! If you become Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, can you interrogate a result out of him for me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moqi Xie pressed his lips together and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why aren't you speaking?\" Zhao Jiu said indignantly. \"If I employ you, isn't it precisely for your loyalty?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, it is precisely because I wish to be loyal to Your Majesty that I cannot twist black into white...\" Moqi Xie clasped his hands earnestly. \"Zheng Yinian was taken captive. The only questionable point is that he accepted a post under the puppet Qi, but he fled before even reaching puppet Qi territory. Moreover, he was in the north and could not have known about the various decrees Your Majesty issued on the Huai River—that is entirely plausible... Your Majesty, anyone with common sense can see that this man has not violated Your Majesty's laws! On the contrary, he can be considered a man who preserved his integrity!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They did it deliberately!\" Zhao Jiu fumed. \"They picked precisely this kind of person to test the waters!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, even if you suspect as much, how can you say it aloud?\" Moqi Xie grew even more earnest. \"After all, in the north, who knows whether there are still truly loyal sons and filial ministers suffering in bitter expectation...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course I know I cannot say it directly, which is why I want you to firmly establish him as a Jin spy.\" Zhao Jiu simply tore away the last layer of pretense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" Moqi Xie dropped directly to his knees with a thud. \"Your Majesty's grace toward me is as heavy as a mountain. If Your Majesty truly wants me to do this, I am willing to share Your Majesty's burden. But even so, I must first remind Your Majesty... Even if this man truly is a Jin spy, with north and south separated for years, it is impossible to find conclusive evidence in a short time!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu stared at the man, growing impatient, and stamped his foot slightly as a reminder: \"Can't this be handled with 'might have'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moqi Xie knocked his head heavily against the floor, then raised his head and said solemnly: \"Your Majesty! Between sovereign and minister, 'might have' can certainly exist. But can 'might have' convince the world? And how would it face Minister Wang, Academician Zhang, and the others? Did they die for the state in loyalty only to look up from the Nine Springs and see Your Majesty using 'might have' to fool the world?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was dumbfounded, staring at the man before him, unable to speak for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Moqi Xie knocked his head again, as if steeling his resolve, and actually removed his cap to face him directly, continuing his remonstrance without pause: \"Your Majesty! Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, but are extraordinary measures not meant so that the state no longer faces extraordinary times?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wished to remonstrate earlier. Now that the state is gradually restoring order, why can Your Majesty not continue to act openly and aboveboard? The matter of the Goryeo envoy is one thing, but what of the disputes among the councilors over personnel—what was Your Majesty thinking?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First having Minister Liu recommend Minister Chen, then having Minister Chen recommend Prefect Yan... what was the purpose? All the ministers under heaven are Your Majesty's ministers—why must Your Majesty scheme against them like this? The result is only to needlessly provoke tension between Minister Zhao and Minister Zhang, stirring up the wind of factional strife!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty! The Battle of Yaoshan was the most intense battle since the founding of the August Song, and it was the battle that reestablished the state! Your Majesty gritted your teeth and won, telling the world that Your Majesty himself is the backbone and the Mount Tai of the August Song... In such circumstances, if you showed no pride or urgency, that would make Your Majesty seem as false as a demon... But as a minister, seeing Your Majesty's actions over these years, how could one not hold even greater expectations?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am presumptuous, but every word I speak today comes from the depths of my heart, with no intent of defiance... If Your Majesty wants me to go and 'might have' something, I will go and 'might have' it. But though I can be a man of 'might have,' I truly do not wish to see Your Majesty engage in matters of 'might have'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, the times have changed!\" At the end, Moqi Xie put back on his winged black gauze cap, which had already gone askew from his first kowtow, bowed his head once more, and said no further word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people around—Yang Yizhong, Liu Yan, Lan Gui, and others—had long been stunned into silence. Liu Yan even seemed on the verge of tears. But Zhao Jiu still stared blankly at this man, still unable to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself had just received a lesson in political morality from Moqi Xie! And the depth of the lesson seemed even greater than the one Lu Haowen had given him before!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it actually sounded quite reasonable?!\u003C\u002Fp>",3527,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","541c24be31138e9bed490a67b8d1c54b572bd007b6830f4765bb4798f25dc03e","shao-song-chapter-254","shao-song-chapter-252",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]