Chapter 255: Chapter Six: Coming and Going (Part 2)

Now, in the winter of the fourth year of Jianyan, the Zhao Emperor had gained a new princess, overjoyed beyond measure, and subsequently declared a general amnesty. With this joy and amnesty from the Zhao Emperor, many people finally let out the small breath of worry they had been holding in their hearts, and many matters began to return to their original track.

However, this track was not necessarily one of acceleration, nor was it necessarily the right path.

For instance, at the end of the tenth month, Yue Fei, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard's Forward Army, after crossing the river at Jiangling, successively recaptured Gong'an, Ouchi, and Shishou, which had been seized by Zhong Xiang's army, and at Huarong, he defeated the main force of Yang Yao, a marshal under the 'Great Sage' and 'Chu King' Zhong Xiang. His army then approached Lake Dongting, and Yang Yao abandoned his attempt to block the government forces on land, retreating into the lake.

At this time, while preparing for naval warfare, Yue Fei formally submitted a memorial to the Eastern Capital, proposing a policy of 'offering amnesty and enlistment'.

In this lengthy memorial, Yue Pengju explained his reasons in detail... He believed that 'Yang Yao and his ilk were originally villagers, first deceived by the sorcery of Zhong Xiang and his son, and then, with the northern campaigns, the court's demands became excessive,' which triggered the rebellion.

As the saying goes, 'They call it rebellion, but in truth, it is merely clinging to life and gathering followers to beg for survival.'

Therefore, he hoped to divide Zhong Xiang and his son, the core bandit leaders like Yang Yao, the rebel soldiers, and the coerced populace into four tiers. Except for Zhong Xiang and his son, all others 'should not be killed.' As for the soldiers and the coerced fishermen, they should instead be pardoned, pacified, and provided relief.

In other words, he believed that military victory had already achieved a certain deterrent effect. The pace should be slowed, and instead of continuing with intense, large-scale offensives, an active policy of offering amnesty should be adopted to induce surrender and trap the rebel forces in this Jingxiang rebellion.

When the memorial reached the Department of State Affairs, Zhao Ding immediately raised objections. His reason was simple: 'To resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the interior,' and stabilizing the interior required cutting through the tangled mess with a swift sword... Since military progress was smooth, there was no need to waste time on pacification. Quickly defeating the enemy and ending the war was the correct course.

After all, even without considering the economy, there were still the Miao rebellions in the Wuling region, matters in northern Shaanxi and Jingdong, and a whole host of things in Yue Fei's own memorial, the 'Plan to Pacify Jin'!

At the same time, perhaps because the phrase 'excessive demands' severely irritated Liu Ji, as the main responsible official for Jingxiang, Lord Liu unhesitatingly chose to support Zhao Ding.

Relatively speaking, however, the Privy Councilor Zhang Jun also took a clear stance in support of Yue Fei.

This was not to say that Zhang Jun opposed Zhao Ding just for the sake of opposing him... The reason was actually quite simple. Based on Zhang Deyuan's experience following the Zhao Emperor and his ability to gauge the Emperor's intentions, considering that the Emperor had specifically chosen Yue Fei for both southern pacification campaigns and had directly issued orders for the troops to move, and also considering Yue Fei's style and some rumors about his subordinates, he had already realized the Zhao Emperor's basic attitude towards this matter.

And sure enough, Zhang Jun, bracing himself, once again argued with the Department of State Affairs, insisting on following Yue Fei's memorial to the letter. Zhao Ding and Liu Ji, with no other choice, could only request a court deliberation in the Emperor's presence, asking the Zhao Emperor to make the final decision.

However, Zhao Jiu, the Zhao Emperor, who had gone to the Directorate of Armaments with another Privy Councilor, showed no intention of appearing. He merely wrote a single sentence in his own hand on the official document: 'The reason for using Yue Fei lies precisely in this.'

Zhao Ding and Liu Ji fell silent immediately. Zhang Jun, taking on two opponents alone, had achieved a great victory!

But leaving aside how Zhang Jun gained momentum and prestige in the Eastern Capital for a time, and how Yue Fei would shift to prioritizing amnesty and deal with the Dongting rebellion, let us speak of another small matter... That loyal servant who had returned with Zheng Yinian, having sensed trouble early on, had left the Zheng residence. He did not rush to Jinan, but instead had been working as a day laborer in the area of the northeast water gate of the Eastern Capital... Since the battle at Yaoshan, the Eastern Capital had become increasingly lively, with more and more merchants, officials, and students gathering there. Although it could not compare to the time before the Jingkang Incident, it still allowed a person to easily go into hiding.

Especially since this person had made no moves to gather information or report anything.

However, on the day the Zhao Emperor declared the general amnesty, this man hesitated no longer. Posing as a refugee from Hebei, he became a delivery worker, following a merchant from Dongping Prefecture towards Jingdong... This was a legitimate merchant, and the court encouraged people of means to employ refugees. This servant showed not a single flaw, and so he managed to travel safely all the way to Dongping Prefecture.

After arriving there, he continued to work steadily, preparing ample water and dry rations before leaving without notice. Finally, taking advantage of the frozen Yellow River, he successfully crossed the river, reached Liaocheng in Bozhou, and entered the territory occupied by the Jin army.

However, this man, named Gao Yigong, a Han from Yan lands, did not go to seek out his master, Qin Hui. Instead, following a prior agreement, he came directly here to find another person who had been waiting for him for a long time—none other than the Grand Chancellor of the Great Qi, Hong Ya.

Now, although Hong Ya was nominally the Grand Chancellor of the Qi state, he actually resided primarily in Liaocheng, located between Great Ming Prefecture and Jinan. This was convenient for receiving instructions from the Jin nobles in Great Ming Prefecture, and then relaying them to the people of the puppet Qi state across the Yellow River. Even in this role, in the past, he could occasionally go to Jingdong to bluff with Liu Yu, Li Cheng, Li Qi, and others. But after the battle at Yaoshan, he was utterly unwilling to move a single step towards that death trap of Jingdong. He had even moved his family and clan from Jinan to Hebei long ago.

Of course, at that time, this move was undoubtedly seen as a sign of loyalty by Talan, who was still considered the top figure in Great Ming Prefecture.

However, just as Yang Yizhong and Mo Qixie had joked when they let this man return north, for someone like Hong Ya, who had become a turncoat and lost all principles, he would basically sway with the wind and drift with the current.

And this time, the Zhao Song Emperor's great victory over Wanyan Loushi at Yaoshan had shaken the realm. Even the upper echelons of the Jin state were having second thoughts, let alone people like him.

Therefore, Zheng Yinian's earlier journey south was a move instigated by Hong Ya, Qin Hui, and others. Although the Jin high command may not have reached a unified consensus, it was carried out with the tacit approval of some high-ranking officials—a stone thrown to test the waters... For the Jin high command, it was naturally just tossing out a small pebble, utterly inconsequential. But for Hong Ya, Qin Hui, and the like, it was an act they had placed great hope in.

To put it bluntly, if one could be a wealthy and noble official in the south, who would want to muddle along in the north?

As for this Han from Yan lands, Gao Yigong, he was a precautionary measure set up early on by Hong and Qin, who were meticulous in their thinking, anticipating the possibility that that fellow Zheng Yinian might never return once he went south.

And now, aside from confirming Zheng Yinian's cowardice and abandonment, this arrangement was of little use... Without needing Gao Yigong to travel back and forth securely and report in detail, Hong Ya and Qin Hui had long known about the 'Moyouxu' affair through the official gazette, and by now, they had also learned of the phrase 'those who serve the Jin as Song traitors are not included in this category.'

But still, even though they had long known this outcome, upon hearing the servant return and personally recount the report once more, Hong Ya, who had been sitting idly in Liaocheng, could not help but let out a long sigh to the heavens, and then became restless and uneasy.

After waiting another two days, disregarding the winter cold, this Grand Chancellor of the Great Qi, tormented by his inner turmoil, could not help but personally take the servant surnamed Gao and head once more towards Great Ming Prefecture.

At this moment, Great Ming Prefecture was harboring the true tiger, Wanyan Zonghan. The former master, Talan, was like a wild dog that had usurped a den, not uttering a single sound. The other generals were all submissive. This situation only added to Hong Ya's helplessness... Eight or nine-tenths of his authority and ability relied on his personal relationship with Talan. As long as Wanyan Zonghan did not leave, he was like a spider bound hand and foot, unable to stretch out at all.

Therefore, after only drinking a round of wine with Talan, forcing himself to flatter and console him with a few words, Hong Ya immediately turned around to seek out Qin Hui, Qin Huizhi, who was currently in Great Ming Prefecture. He then had the Han servant repeat his account face-to-face.

"Truly useless?"

Inside the most secluded bedroom, after the servant had withdrawn, even a man like Qin Hui could not help but feel a moment of dejection. He then clasped his hands and leaned back against the newly built heated brick bed. "How could the one in the south be so resolute? I still find it hard to believe..."

Hong Ya, slightly flushed with wine, sat cross-legged on the heated brick bed that the Jurchens had brought from Liaodong. Holding a bowl of hangover tea, he shook his head repeatedly: "Brother Huizhi, I advise you not to dwell on it... You cannot learn from Zheng Yinian and become a wealthy recluse. Zheng Yinian, after all, was still relatively clean before. But how many Jin generals in the north know about your work as a scribe for Talan? Even Zheng Yinian knows a thing or two. If you insist on going south, you will only be walking to your death!"

"Not even a single chance left?" Qin Hui could not help but curl up his legs and sit cross-legged as well, his words seeming to forcibly suppress the indignation in his heart. "I only wrote a few documents for the Jin people, and that makes me unpardonable? Are all my merits and hardships from the Jingkang era to be erased?"

Hong Ya let out a scornful laugh, clearly tinged with sarcasm: "Brother Huizhi... your words are meaningless. If you and I are aggrieved, then the countless dead in Hebei, Henan, Jingdong, and Guanxi—who should they seek their grievances from? Haven't you read the southern gazette? Even now, there is fighting to suppress a rebellion at Lake Dongting in the south, and countless people are freezing and starving inside and outside this Great Ming city. We can lie on a heated brick bed, drink wine and tea—on what grounds do we feel aggrieved?"

Qin Huizhi, sitting opposite, remained expressionless, only clasping his hands and saying nothing.

"Stop pretending." Seeing this, Hong Ya continued his drunken mockery. "Dare you say that when you were advising Marshal Talan and writing documents for him, you truly didn't understand in your heart? You are a Presented Scholar, the grandson-in-law of a Grand Chancellor, a former Censor-in-Chief, and a student of a Grand Chancellor... Lord Wang, who burned himself to death in Luoyang, was your teacher, wasn't he? Your background and learning far surpass mine. When someone like me surrendered, I knew exactly what I was doing. How could you not know?!"

Qin Hui finally unclasped his hands and sighed: "Lord Hong, it's not that I didn't understand. There are three things I did not anticipate..."

Hong Ya raised his bowl and took a small sip, clearly unimpressed.

"The first thing is that I truly did not expect the Jin people to be so troublesome, forcing me step by step to take on more work. From initially offering verbal advice to gradually putting things in writing with my own hand, it became impossible to extricate myself... When I look back, I don't even know when I had left so much evidence."

Hong Ya sneered inwardly... When others were freezing and starving in Wuguocheng, you, Qin Huizhi, were living in large mansions with warm heated brick beds in Yanjing and Great Ming Prefecture. You didn't think about leaving evidence then, did you?

Qin Hui could tell from the other's expression what he was thinking, but he continued his lament regardless: "The second thing is that I truly did not expect the Emperor in the south to be so unyielding, unwilling to concede even an inch."

Hong Ya lowered his head and continued drinking his tea, offering no reaction at all... Given the Emperor in the south's national and familial grievances, what was wrong with being unyielding? Shouldn't he be?

"The third thing..." Qin Huizhi looked up, his tone earnest. "Lord Hong, you tell me. At that moment when our hearts faltered, how could we have imagined that the south would win? How could we have foreseen the situation we are in today?"

Hong Ya finally stopped drinking his tea. He was silent and dejected for a moment, but only a moment later, he dashed the entire bowl of tea to the ground.

To be fair, both were Song traitors. How could he not know that Qin Hui, a Presented Scholar, the grandson-in-law of a Grand Chancellor, had hit the nail on the head... Given the devastating, irresistible force of the Jin army during the Jingkang and early Jianyan periods, who would have thought the south could win back then?

For scholars like them, wasn't it just that moment of weakness in their hearts, that one shudder, and then they just went with the flow until now? But it was precisely that moment of weakness, that one shudder, that distinguished the most fundamental things.

In an instant, even though he theoretically had one more card to play and one more escape route than the other, Hong Ya still felt an unprecedented empathy with Qin Hui. Then, he could not help but feel a sense of resentment towards the Emperor in the south... Why did you have to win? It would have been better if you had lost! It would have been better if you had died!

Outside, snow had begun to fall silently at some point. The two men faced each other, watching the snow for a long time, but remained silent.

After who knows how long, it was Qin Hui, with his superior composure, who first pulled himself out of his emotions. He then spoke seriously, getting to the point: "Things have come to this; further brooding is useless. Lord Hong, we must make good plans."

Hong Ya also returned to normal, but let out another scornful laugh: "If it weren't for this matter, why would I be here? Brother Huizhi, you are a man of true ability and insight. Speak today, and I will follow your lead completely."

Qin Hui looked up at the other man. His fair face showed no expression as he began his analysis: "For us, the best outcome is still to be a peaceful, wealthy, and noble official in the south..."

"Naturally."

"The next best is to be truly useful in the north."

"That is also true..."

"The third is to go south and become a wealthy recluse."

Hong Ya nodded repeatedly.

"The third option is to keep hanging up north, neither human nor ghost..." Qin Hui sighed. "But how to choose still depends on the situation between the two states, and right now, after Yaoshan, this situation is forcing us to stop carrying on like this. We must make some preparations in advance."

"Exactly so..."

"And as the saying goes, aim for the best and you'll get the middling; aim for the middling and you'll get the worst." Qin Hui spoke slowly. "Though our outcome still depends on the larger picture, we should start by striving as hard as we can toward the best possible result."

"But with the current situation, what can be done?" This time, it was Hong Ya's turn to fold his hands, frowning deeply. "Never mind the south not allowing it—even the situation up north is deadlocked."

"Then start from the present, start from the deadlock up north, and break the situation open!" Qin Hui answered immediately, his tone gradually becoming more composed. "Then, while breaking the deadlock, try to truly grasp power in the Jin state, watch the situation, and push for peace negotiations... Finally, place ourselves within those negotiations, as terms, and see what that lord on the southern throne has to say."

"Specifically, how?" Hong Ya was actually somewhat infected by the other's emotion, growing excited in turn.

"The Jin court is chaotic, their internal struggles inept. They seem strong, but are actually absurd and laughable. If we can grasp the key figures, we can push to break the deadlock..."

"We can only incite Talan, and Talan is useless now. The current key lies with Nianhan."

"Useless now doesn't mean useless later. And while the current key is indeed Nianhan, starting with the Fourth Prince Wushu might also succeed." Qin Hui replied solemnly.

"Wushu? Even if it's Wushu, so what?" Hong Ya was momentarily confused.

"I have some dealings with Wushu. I can still get a word in..."

"..."

"I will convince Wushu to break the deadlock." Qin Hui gritted his teeth in decision.

"And then?"

"Then you work through Talan, I work through Wushu... we contend for power! Do you know how to contend for power?"

"Form cliques for private gain, nothing more." Hong Ya suddenly felt relieved and laughed despite himself. "Who doesn't know?"

"Exactly."

"But even if we succeed in contending for power, how do we then negotiate peace so that both north and south agree? And can we go south to be peaceful officials?" Having reached this point in the discussion, Hong Ya had gained some confidence in Qin Hui, but still couldn't help pressing further.

"Return Jingdong and Shanbei. Southerners go south, northerners go north!"

"Excellent!" Hong Ya was stunned for a moment, then grew excited.

"In truth, this plan has too many variables. There will inevitably be all sorts of problems... It's possible neither north nor south will agree." Qin Hui sighed again. "We can only do our best."

"Even one percent chance is good." Hong Ya shook his head with a wry smile. "Having one path now is already good enough... However hard it is for us, can it be harder than it was for that lord on the southern throne when he was on the Huai River?"

Qin Hui was momentarily startled, then gave a bitter smile.

"But, Brother Huizhi." Hong Ya suddenly asked with a smile. "You planned this so methodically, so clearly—when did you start having these ideas? Weren't you just complaining about your grievances?"

"Who knows?" Qin Hui's expression shifted slightly, somewhat emotional. "Perhaps, as you said, Minister Hong, some things we refuse to admit on the surface, but deep down we've already accepted them long ago. So these thoughts, without realizing it, were already there..."

Hong Ya nodded slightly, feeling more and more that the other was a comrade who shared his hardships. After hesitating for a moment—perhaps because he'd drunk too much, or perhaps because he felt the other's ability far surpassed his own and feared being left behind—this Minister Hong suddenly folded his hands and spoke: "Brother Huizhi, that Gao Yigong is an extremely reliable man. Once Dongting Lake is settled, why not let him go to Henan again to make a round?"

Qin Hui was momentarily startled, then narrowed his eyes.

"Brother Huizhi is so sincere, I shouldn't hold back either." Hong Ya continued, folding his hands and holding his head high. "I have some connections with the Imperial Camp Forward Army's marching headquarters, going through the route of Mo Qixie, the former Army Supervisor of the Imperial Camp Forward Army."

Qin Huizhi looked at the other for a long time, thinking, before nodding heavily: "If you had ties with Zhang Jun's Imperial Camp Right Army, I might not care, but the Imperial Camp Forward Army's Commander-in-Chief Yue Fei is a truly capable commander. That might not be a bad path... I am willing to trust you."

PS: The words in Yue Fei's memorial are translated from a real conversation between Yue Fei and Niu Gao after a battle, recorded in some historical source. Niu Gao, probably because his side had suffered relatively heavy losses, suggested on behalf of the generals that Yang Yao's followers be killed, and Yue Fei used these words in public to convince Niu Gao.