Chapter 273: Roasting Chestnuts (2-in-1 Debt Repayment)

After a thorough inspection, Zhao Jiu had a clear picture in his mind.

Although Wu Jie was well-intentioned, most of the young men he sent were still the sons of military officials from the Western Army who had connections. These people's futures were already in the military, and sending them to meet the Emperor in person was the best possible move. People like Wang Zhongfu were still a minority.

Of course, this was also expected and within reason.

To put it bluntly, a talented and intelligent young man, even from a good family, would naturally pursue a literary education if he could. Why would he come to a military academy? It's like in later generations—high school students with decent grades would naturally take the college entrance exams; who would drop out to write web novels or play e-sports?

Unless they really couldn't handle academics, or were exceptionally gifted like Wang Zhongfu.

This was a matter of centuries-old perceptions. Even though the Jingkeng Incident objectively elevated the status of military men, it was still insufficient to shake this deeply ingrained prejudice. Historically, Yue Fei reached the highest position for a military official. When his sons were granted hereditary privileges, the court offered them civil posts, but he felt embarrassed to accept, openly stating that civil officials were noble and military ones base, and exchanged them for military posts. He even specifically requested civil hereditary privileges for the son of his benefactor, Zhang Suo... In other words, even military men themselves looked down on their own profession.

As an aside, although Zhao Jiu had labored for four or five years, leading a group of civil and military officials to confine the chaos of war between the Yellow and Huai Rivers, which might seem impressive, in reality, this achievement might have made the status of military officials even lower than in history... Because many places only experienced turmoil, and the indiscriminate use of force during that turmoil only made people despise military men more, rather than fully realizing the necessity of military power.

Of course, knowing something and pretending not to know were two different things for the Emperor.

Not only that, but the Emperor also spent a long time saying things like "the Northern Expedition has not yet succeeded, and you all still need to work hard." He even personally wrote a couplet for the main hall of the military academy, which was said to be adapted from the words of the famous general Yue Fei of this dynasty: "Seek promotion and wealth, go elsewhere; fear death and cling to life, do not enter this gate."

And then?

Then there was no "and then."

It was ridiculous to say, but although Zhao Jiu wrote these words and spoke them, he knew in his heart that not to mention the other military academy students, even someone like Wang Zhongfu was there for the sake of "promotion and wealth"... To change this situation, one had to first let these people achieve promotion and wealth. Only when military men could easily gain promotion and wealth and were no longer at the bottom of society could the so-called "when the granaries are full, one knows honor and disgrace" take effect, and a strong sense of honor in the military be truly established.

In fact, this was also the reason he had established the military academy behind the palace—to make it convenient for him to come and go. In an era of imperial power, being close to the Son of Heaven was the best way to gain promotion and wealth.

It was a bit like the dissolute Emperor Zhengde.

However, thinking about it this way, compared to them, Yue Fei, Zhang Yongzhen, and that Hou Dan whose name he could never remember but whose single ear left a deep impression—those who had spontaneously developed a sense of nation and family, and a sense of military honor—were all the more remarkable. But behind this remarkableness lay the great backdrop of the Jingkeng Collapse, where northern people lost their homes and families, were displaced, and countless deaths and humiliations were exchanged for it. It was inevitably heavy.

Two days later, on the third day after the Emperor had moved his daily archery practice to the military academy, and had changed it to the morning, he was about to go and practice shooting games with the advanced officers when he suddenly received a request for an audience from Grand Councilor Zhao Ding of the Secretariat. He naturally agreed, but changed the meeting place to the military academy's archery range.

However, after a while, when they met, Zhao Ding was extremely courteous but only came to deliver a memorial. Not only that, when Yang Yizhong stepped forward to receive it, the Grand Councilor politely declined and publicly stated that, according to regulations, it should be submitted through the Chief Eunuch of the Palace Eunuch Bureau, Lan Gui.

With just these words, the atmosphere on the military academy's archery range became serious.

"Could it be that the Grand Councilor is being so solemn that this memorial is a resignation letter?" Zhao Jiu, seeing Zhao Ding's posture, instead of being wary, cracked a joke... He didn't specifically call for Lan Gui but personally put down his bow and arrow and stepped forward to receive it.

But as the Emperor's words came out, many of the military officers who had just been showing off their archery skills began to tremble with fear.

"Your Majesty jokes." Zhao Ding's expression tightened, but he still bowed his head and handed over the memorial.

However, after Zhao Jiu took the memorial, he didn't open it to read. Instead, he held it by the edge of the archery range, lost in thought: "Grand Councilor Zhao, do you know why I appointed you as the head of the Secretariat back then?"

Zhao Ding was extremely intelligent. After a brief moment of stunned silence, he fully realized that his actions had finally incurred the displeasure of the Emperor before him... Such a large-scale, co-signed memorial from colleagues couldn't be hidden from everyone, even without the Imperial City Bureau specifically investigating. Not only that, he had originally invited Grand Councilor Lu Haowen and Privy Councilor Zhang Jun to come with him, but both had declined. They had probably either received the Emperor's instructions beforehand or had already guessed the Emperor's intentions.

With this thought, Zhao Yuanzhen couldn't help but feel heavy-hearted, but he suppressed his anxiety and stood there with a serious expression: "Your servant is ashamed. Sometimes I do wonder how I, with such mediocre talent, could have received such profound imperial favor, rising from a mere Protocol Officer in Kaifeng Prefecture to the head of the Secretariat in just four or five years."

"If Grand Councilor Zhao has mediocre talent, then there are few capable people left in this world." Zhao Jiu held the memorial behind his back, looked up, and sighed with emotion. "Back when you relocated the people of Shunchang Prefecture south of the Huai River, you performed outstandingly. I didn't say anything, but I knew you were a man who could get things done. Then, at the Battle of Xiacai, you, as the imperial envoy, defended the city with Zhang Jun, calming the military's morale, and rendered great service. Later, when you were appointed to Huainan, managing the military supplies for both Huainan East and West Circuits, and handling the livelihoods of the two Huainan circuits, you did an excellent job. After becoming the head of the Secretariat, you didn't form cliques or engage in cronyism, lived simply, and acted with propriety... To put it bluntly, among all the high officials I have encountered, only Xu Jingheng could compare to you in terms of ability. And in terms of moral conduct, you stand out among civil officials just as Yue Pengju does among military officials! I would not hesitate to say this even in front of Grand Councilor Lu or Grand Councilor Zhang. As for rising to prominence in just four or five years, after the Jingkeng Incident, which was like the fall of a nation, was Zhao Qing the only one who rose to prominence in that time?"

"If Chancellor Zhao were merely average talent, then there would be few capable men left in this realm." Zhao Jiu clasped his hands behind his back, holding the memorial, and looked up with emotion. "When you moved the people of Shunchang Prefecture across the Huai River back then, you performed outstandingly. Though I said nothing, I knew you were a man who could get things done. Then at the Battle of Xiacai, you, as an imperial envoy, defended the city alongside Zhang Jun, calming the army's morale—that too was a great merit. Later, when you were appointed to Huainan, managing military supplies for both Huaidong and Huaixi, plus handling the livelihoods of those two circuits, you did an absolutely first-rate job. After taking office as Chancellor of the Secretariat, you formed no private cliques, built no factions, maintained a simple style, and acted with proper measure... To speak bluntly, among all the high ministers I have known, only Xu Jingheng, the former Chancellor, can compare to you in ability. And in moral conduct, you stand among civil officials exactly as Yue Pengju stands among military officers—a crane among chickens! I would not hide this even if Chancellors Lu and Zhang were standing right here. As for leaping up in four or five years—after the Jingkang Incident, which was like the destruction of a state, was Chancellor Zhao the only one who leaped up in four or five years?"

"However, I did not know about your moral conduct when I appointed you." Zhao Jiu continued with a wry smile. "At that time, I appointed you firstly because your official rank and achievements had reached that level, and you were someone I always kept in mind, not even needing to write down. Secondly, there were two things in your resume that I valued greatly..."

At this point, Zhao Jiu paused briefly, then resumed with a serious expression: "First, you are from Hedong, a displaced person. Second, you, a successful Jinshi, actually spent nearly twenty years lingering in the positions of Luoyang County Magistrate and Kaifeng Prefecture Protocol Officer... The former meant I didn't have to worry about your stance and felt I could advance or retreat with you. The latter truly reassured me of your ability to handle affairs, allowing me to entrust the myriad affairs of the realm to you with confidence."

Having said this, Zhao Jiu paused briefly, then resumed a serious expression before continuing: "First, you are a native of Hedong, a displaced person. Second, you passed the metropolitan examination with honors, yet you lingered for nearly twenty years in the two posts of Luoyang County Magistrate and Kaifeng Prefecture Ritual Officer... The former lets me not worry about your loyalties, allowing me to advance or retreat with you. The latter truly reassures me of your administrative competence, so I can entrust the myriad affairs of the realm to you with confidence."

"Grand Councilor Zhao, you are perfect in every way, but you shouldn't be so selfless and impartial." Zhao Jiu indeed became more serious. "Being so selfless and impartial only makes things difficult for me... Because I appointed you precisely to use your northern identity to suppress the pro-peace faction, not to have you unite all the officials and act as some kind of patcher! You bring this thing to see me, and I cannot refuse to accept it. But if I accept it, won't the people below start thinking that I am tacitly agreeing to make concessions elsewhere? Back when you were in Huainan, Li Gang wrote to me, saying you were sensible, talented, fond of worthy men, and handled things well, but your grasp of the greater principles was not very clear... It seems he had foresight."

"Chancellor Zhao, you are excellent in every way, but you should not be so selflessly impartial." Zhao Jiu indeed grew even more stern. "Such selfless impartiality only makes things difficult for me... Because when I appointed you, I intended to use your northern identity to suppress the advocates of peace, not to have you unite all the officials and act as some kind of paper-pasting repairman here! You bring this document to me, and I cannot refuse it. But if I accept it, won't those below start thinking I am tacitly agreeing to make concessions elsewhere? Back when you were in Huainan, Li Gang, Duke Li, wrote to me, saying you were sensible, talented, fond of worthy men and good deeds, and handled matters well—but that your grasp of great principles was not entirely clear... That was quite prescient."

"That is not an option." Zhao Jiu became even more serious. "It has been a national policy since the early Jianyan era that high officials cannot resign on frivolous grounds. For a high official to repeatedly resign is merely an act of seeking fame... It is easy for you to resign your position, but who will take responsibility if the national political situation becomes unstable? If you resign, will Minister of Personnel Liu Dazhong and Minister of War Hu Shijiang also have to resign? Besides, this time, I was also at fault first, for not being completely open with you and clearly stating my intentions. How could it have come to this?"

Hearing this, Zhao Ding was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, if that's the case, I have a few words to say today as well."

"Perfect!" Zhao Jiu nodded in agreement. "You and I, sovereign and minister, should indeed be completely open with each other."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yizhong immediately turned around and signaled for the military officers present to withdraw.

"No need for that. There is nothing that the Son of Heaven and the head of the Secretariat say that cannot be made public." Zhao Jiu turned back and stopped Yang Yizhong, then turned to face Zhao Ding again. "Grand Councilor, please speak."

"Your Majesty, the root of my concern is not just that the civil officials and people in the south are unwilling to support the Northern Expedition, but also that I fear a hasty Northern Expedition, even with a minor setback, might provoke even greater popular backlash. It would be better to..."

"Better to make some preparations, rest and recuperate for a few years, and then launch the main army north?" Zhao Jiu almost blurted out.

"Why not make some adjustments, rest and recuperate for a few years, then unite the army for a northern campaign?" Zhao Jiu almost blurted out.

"Do you believe that if I let the word 'temporary peace' slip, or stop the agenda for suppressing rebellions and advancing the army, the court will be filled with a spirit of laziness and slack? Then, when we want to launch the Northern Expedition again, it will be difficult even to get things moving?!"

"Do you believe that if I let the word 'temporary peace' slip, or halt the agenda for suppressing rebellions and advancing the army, the court will be filled with lax and lazy spirits? When that time comes, if we want to launch a northern expedition, the realm won't even be able to stir!"

"As for minor setbacks... we just do our best and leave the rest to fate!" Zhao Jiu let out another scornful laugh. "I know perfectly well that I am a man of mediocre talent, an off-script Son of Heaven who took office in a hurry. I don't know much about the art of imperial rule. I also know that this court, after such a great upheaval, is riddled with a thousand problems, and that the deep-seated maladies of the Great Song from the past hundred years are hard to clean up. But I refuse to believe it! I have reduced palace expenses to a minimum, tried my best to be open and sincere with you high officials, given military generals and officers as many privileges as possible, gathered as complete equipment as possible for the soldiers, spoken as much about national righteousness as possible in the official gazettes and through the mouths of the accompanying Jinshi, and suppressed the pro-peace stance in the court for as long as I could. I have done these things one by one. Even if each individual action might not be worth the cost, or might even backfire, if I just keep doing them, keep doing them without stopping, how could it possibly turn out worse than doing nothing?!"

"As for minor setbacks... that's just doing one's best and leaving the rest to Heaven!" Zhao Jiu let out another scornful laugh. "I know perfectly well that I am merely of average ability, an unorthodox Son of Heaven who took office in haste, and I don't understand any imperial mind games. I also know that this court, after such a great upheaval, is riddled with a thousand holes, and that beneath it all lie the accumulated ills of a hundred years of the Great Song that are hard to clean up. But I refuse to believe this: I have cut court expenses to the minimum, treated you high ministers with as much sincerity as possible, given military officers and generals as many privileges as I can, gathered as complete equipment as possible for the soldiers, spread as much national righteousness as I can through the court gazettes and the mouths of accompanying jinshi, and suppressed the peace faction at court for as long as I can. If I do these things one by one—even if each individual action might not be worth the cost, might even backfire—but if I just keep doing them, without stopping, how could the result possibly be worse than doing nothing at all?!"

"Zhao Qing." Zhao Jiu said solemnly. "Let me say something that cuts to the heart... If you want me to pause my determination to destroy the Jin, there is only one way: drive me out and put someone else on the throne!"

"Your Majesty, do not be angry!" Before the military officers could become completely panicked, Zhao Ding quickly stopped him. "With your authority and virtue, no one can shake Your Majesty's position now, and there is absolutely no one with such an intention!"

"It may not work with authority and virtue, but it can still be done with ritual and law." Zhao Jiu still stood with his hands behind his back. "If the Two Emperors are brought back, wouldn't there be people who can shake my position? And directly two of them! Then, the pro-peace faction could support them to retake this throne, wouldn't that make everyone happy? Even those who clamor for the return of the Two Emperors might, seeing that my resolve is unshakable, be playing a subtle, long-term game!"

The Emperor's fierce and unrestrained words filled the archery range with dead silence. Everyone around had pale faces. Only Yang Yizhong remained expressionless, merely lowering his head slightly.

As for Zhao Ding, he maintained his composure, only sighing softly: "Your Majesty, why must it come to this?"

Zhao Jiu did not speak directly. Instead, he formally opened the memorial he had been holding behind his back and examined it carefully: "I have received the intentions of you all, Grand Councilor Zhao. You may go back and tell everyone that I will, in accordance with their wishes, be determined to launch the Northern Expedition and will never waver."

At this, Zhao Ding was silent for a long time before finally cupping his hands and taking his leave.

"So that's what the little Song Emperor said?"

In Yanjing, at the Grand Marshal's Office, the powerful Jin minister Nianhan sat in his grand armchair, listening to the report from Wulin Da Zanmo, and could only frown. "Does he really think that winning one battle makes him invincible under heaven?"

This was not a serious inquiry, so Wulin Da Zanmo did not answer, merely standing at attention with his head bowed.

"Forget it. The journey back and forth must have been tiring. Go and rest!" Nianhan waved his hand dismissively.

Upon hearing this, Wulin Da Zanmo immediately withdrew... This scene caused Qin Hui, who was observing coldly from a corner of the hall, to twitch his eyelids slightly.

By now, the Wulin Da clan had become an important political force within the Jin Empire. Wulin Da Zanmo in civil affairs and Wulin Da Taiyu in military affairs were both second only to the top-tier ministers of the Wanyan clan. Yet, even so, Wulin Da Zanmo was as docile as a family slave before Nianhan.

In fact, the Wulin Da clan truly were Nianhan's family slaves. Their tribe had been defeated and completely subjugated by the Wanyan clan, and the commander of that campaign was Nianhan. According to Jurchen custom, the Wulin Da clan were indeed Nianhan's vassal family. Or rather, it was precisely because the Wulin Da clan were Nianhan's vassal family that they had achieved their current status.

But conversely, the Great Jin was now a vast empire spanning ten thousand li, and it had been established for quite some time. How could it still operate in this manner?

"What does the Fourth Prince think?"

"What does the Fourth Prince think?"

Just as Qin Hui was lost in thought, Nianhan finally turned to Wanyan Wushu beside him and asked a question.

Because he had fallen seriously ill after swimming across the Yellow River earlier, Wanyan Wushu’s face was pale, as if not yet recovered. Hearing this now, he frowned and said, “I only follow the Grand Marshal’s words.”

After asking Wushu, Nianhan nodded and directly skipped over the Great Prince Woben, Third Prince Eliduo, as well as Wanyan Talan, Wanyan Yinshuke, Wanyan Xiyin, and others who were also in the hall, making his conclusion: “In my opinion, since the Song people are being so stubborn, let’s forget about peace negotiations. Anyway, the Song still have to suppress the rebellion in the south and take Shaanbei and Jingdong. It’ll take them a year or two before they can reach Hebei. We’ll take this chance to rest and recuperate, sort out state affairs and the military. If we’re quick, we can even deal with the Mongols. Then, on the Hebei plains, we’ll teach these reckless Song a harsh lesson and avenge Woliyan (Wanyan Loushi)!”

Many in the hall exchanged glances, but it was Yinshuke who furrowed his brow and spoke up: “Grand Marshal, if that’s the case, what should we do about Huonü? He’s leading over ten thousand troops in Yan’an and refuses to follow Balisu’s orders.”

Nianhan’s face darkened, and he sighed. “Let him have a few good days out of respect for Woliyan. Once things are settled here in Yanjing, one of us will go there in person and talk to him. That should be enough, right? It’s not like he’s going to rebel.”

Yinshuke seemed about to speak but stopped, ultimately not daring to say more, and everyone around fell completely silent.

Seeing this, Nianhan didn’t mind. “That’s settled then. We’ll adjourn for today. As per the rules, come back here in two days to handle matters.”

Everyone, from the three princes on down, rose, cupped their hands in farewell, and filed out of the hall gloomily. Then they broke into groups of three or five, each leaving with their attendants.

Now, spring in Yanjing is unlike anywhere else. They say spring has a short neck—first comes the late cold snap, then the wind, a strong wind, carrying sand and dust. Once the wind stops, it suddenly turns hot, and summer arrives.

And at this very moment, Yanjing was in the midst of that roaring wind.

Leaving the others aside, let’s talk about Wanyan Wushu, who was walking with Qin Hui and his third brother Eliduo and their party. When they reached a street corner, they suddenly caught a sweet fragrance in the wind. Perking up, they followed the scent and saw a stall selling fried chestnuts at the corner. The stall owner was a young man, only about twenty years old.

“Fried chestnuts at this time of year?” Wushu was momentarily stunned on his horse. “These chestnuts must have been stored for nearly half a year, right?”

"Half a year is nothing," Qin Hui said with a laugh from behind. "Let the Fourth Prince know, back in Bianjing there was a man named Li He who was best at frying chestnuts. His family had secret methods for storing and frying them—they could keep chestnuts for over half a year, only missing the latter part of summer and early autumn. His fried chestnuts were universally acknowledged as the best, and no one else could imitate him… Considering Yanjing is much farther north than Bianjing, with longer winters, having chestnuts now is quite normal."

Wushu nodded, and Eliduo, taking an interest, casually pointed.

Immediately, two Jurchen cavalrymen dismounted, went straight to the chestnut stall, took all the bundles of fried chestnuts woven with hemp grass, cut the bundles apart with their knives, and handed them out to the two princes, honored guests like Qin Hui, and the accompanying officers one by one.

However, when one of them came up to offer some to Wushu, Wushu refused to take them. Instead, he raised his horsewhip and lashed the man across the face.

The Jurchen cavalryman was stunned and at a loss, not daring to dodge nor knowing what mistake he had made. He just stood there, holding half a bundle of chestnuts in a daze… In truth, not just this Jurchen cavalryman, but even Eliduo and the other Jurchen, Xi, and Han attendants were all baffled.

It was Qin Hui who understood. He dismounted, took the chestnuts from the cavalryman, then walked over to the stall owner, took a small gold nugget from a pouch in his sleeve, and handed it to the pale-faced stall owner. Only then did the others look at Wushu and begin to catch on.

“Fourth Brother did the right thing,” Eliduo said awkwardly. “They are all subjects of our state; we shouldn’t just take things by force.”

But Wushu only shook his head with a sigh. Without eating any chestnuts, he spurred his horse and left first. The others behind found it dull and dispersed at the street corner. Only Qin Hui, holding half a bundle of chestnuts, rode after him and returned to the residence with Wushu… It should be noted that ever since Qin Hui had gone to Huguan to see Wanyan Wushu and persuaded him to go to Damingfu to bring back Nianhan, Wushu had regarded him as a chief strategist, feeling they had met too late.

As for Qin Hui, he had always intended to use the Fourth Prince to achieve his goals, so he naturally flattered him wholeheartedly. Moreover, since he no longer dared to go south, he simply stopped hiding and formally accepted the position in the Grand Marshal’s office that Wanyan Wushu offered, becoming his trusted advisor.

Back to the present, Wanyan Wushu and Qin Hui returned to the residence together, still heavy-hearted. Wushu ordered wine to be set out, and then, over the fried chestnuts, began to talk with Qin Hui.

“I never imagined that once the country’s lord had a stroke, everything would fall apart!” Wanyan Wushu sighed first.

Qin Hui also smiled bitterly.

That’s right, it must be emphasized here: Wanyan Wuqimai was not placed under house arrest by Nianhan—he really did have a stroke!

Historically, this fellow’s health was poor; he had a stroke around that time about two years later… In fact, Loushi was absolutely right. Their generation suffered from malnutrition as children, spent their adult years fighting constantly, and ended up with a host of ailments. It was only a matter of time before something went wrong in these few years… With such a body, combined with Loushi’s defeat at Yaoshan and death in Guanxi, Nianhan’s retreat south and seizure of Damingfu’s military power—a series of military and political crises—Wuqimai was under immense psychological pressure.

So, when Nianhan was persuaded back by Wushu, and as spring warmed up, the party was supposed to head north to Wuguocheng as per custom. But then came Yanjing’s spring gale. In full view of everyone, Wuqimai’s mouth was blown crooked, and when he lay down, half his body went numb.

With no other choice, everyone had to cancel the northern journey and settle Wuqimai back in Yanjing.

To be fair, an old man whose body had long been failing having a stroke at this age was perfectly normal. But the problem was, stroke or not, this old man was the ruler of a country—at the very least, the core figure of one of the Jin’s three major factions. He was the only one who could still contend with Nianhan while alive.

But now that this sole contender was suddenly half-paralyzed, all balance was lost.

Consequently, rumors soon spread in Yanjing that Nianhan had poisoned him… staged a coup… attempted assassination. Otherwise, why would he become paralyzed just when Nianhan was in his worst position? And why right as he was about to leave Yanjing, Nianhan’s sphere of influence?

As for Nianhan, when he first encountered this situation and heard these rumors, he was a bit panicked—because he really hadn’t done it. But he soon realized this was a godsend. Once Wuqimai lost the capacity for political action and could no longer fulfill political commitments, he, as Grand Marshal, had practically won without lifting a finger!

Truly a free win!

Nianhan sat at home, and one by one, garrison commanders, marching headquarters, local officials, stationed troops from all routes, and hereditary Meng’an and Mouke from various regions pledged allegiance, either openly or privately.

There was no help for it. Although the three princes were also a faction, in terms of personal prestige and strength, they were nowhere near Nianhan, the foremost founding meritorious official. Moreover, the Great Prince and the Third Prince had fallen out earlier, causing major internal problems, and the three princes also had the old scandal of pressuring the throne as Nianhan’s subordinates!

As for the country’s lord’s side, his several sons combined weren’t as useful as a single Wushu. The few cousins he had trusted had long since come to Nianhan’s residence, hands tied, like Talan.

In short, within just a few days, Nianhan’s momentum was established. He then simply overturned the table, placed Wuqimai’s several sons under house arrest, ordering them to properly attend to the country’s lord’s “medicine and soup,” completely ignoring the fact that Wuqimai could still say three sentences after resting for three days.

“Now the Grand Marshal is exclusively promoting the Fourth Prince, discussing everything with you alone, which has left the other two princes somewhat awkward,” Qin Hui said, stroking his beard with a bitter smile, further analyzing the current situation. “It has also made the Fourth Prince a target for everyone.”

“Back in the days of the founding emperor, the Grand Marshal could already contend with him on nearly equal footing, let alone now,” Wushu said, rolling a chestnut in his hand and shaking his head. “He is a man of means. As for me, I’m not afraid of becoming a target, but I worry about harming the nation’s affairs.”

Qin Hui also picked up a chestnut, peeled it, and tasted it. Finding it exceptionally sweet, he smiled bitterly at Wushu’s words. “Is the Fourth Prince still dwelling on what was said before?”

“Before, I always felt something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Fortunately, Mr. Qin explained it thoroughly to me that day at Huguan… Great Jin is a country of ten thousand li, but it cannot combine the wealth and production of those ten thousand li with the Great Jin iron cavalry. Instead, the two sides are wearing each other out,” Wushu said, finishing a chestnut and growing more emotional. “To make both sides benefit, we should separate the Meng’an Mouke iron cavalry from the Han people, use the central government as a pivot, take Han manpower and resources to supply the Meng’an iron cavalry, and use the iron cavalry to protect the Han people. But now, by enfeoffing the Meng’an in Hebei, the iron cavalry is degenerating day by day, while the Han people are harassed by them. Neither can produce properly, and they see each other as enemies… No wonder the south grows stronger every day while the north weakens.”

“In fact, since the Grand Marshal is a capable man, why not explain this to him?” Qin Hui suddenly interjected.

“Why say such idle words, Mr. Qin?” Wushu spread his hands and sighed. “To separate the Meng’an iron cavalry from the local areas requires great effort. We need to establish the central government’s authority and unify systems, and also consolidate military power locally… But to make such a big move, we first need to get that official in the south to stop—that is, to negotiate peace. You said that yourself! But now, the official in the south doesn’t want peace, and the Grand Marshal in the north doesn’t want peace either. Isn’t that just waiting for death?!”

“Peace might not be impossible in the south,” Qin Hui suddenly spoke again. “I am willing to stake my entire family’s life on it—the common people, scholars, and officials from Jiangnan, Huainan, and even the Central Plains all want peace… In other words, at least half of the southern court wants peace. It’s just that the official at the top is holding out, so they have no choice but to follow.”

“Just that official at the top holding out?” Wushu ate another chestnut and let out a scornful laugh. “That official himself is the backbone of the south. If he doesn’t want it, what can those below do?”

“Why not give him an offer he can’t refuse…” Qin Hui said casually, as if offhand. “In terms of defense, Shaanbei and Jingdong are across the river. For a real peace, they can’t be kept, and they truly can’t be held.”

“Everyone knows that,” Wushu shook his head in response. “Even Nianhan, as you heard him today, clearly treats those two corners as sacrificial pawns to buy time… Only Wanyan Huonü, whether out of fear that the court will strip him of his military power or a genuine desire to ‘avenge his father,’ stubbornly clings to over ten thousand elite troops, holding on to Yan’an, isolated across the river.”

“He’s mostly putting on a show to secure a position in the Western Route Army,” Qin Hui said with a smile. “This is insignificant. Once the central government is cleaned up, he can naturally be brought into line.”

“True.”

“And if we can return those two regions, and also release those in Wuguocheng, then that official in the south will lose his grip,” Qin Hui continued casually. “The Han people have always ruled by filial piety. If we offer this condition, he can’t openly refuse it…”

“What are those people in Wuguocheng worth?” Wushu found it amusing. “At this point, the south is already stable. Those people are useless now—just a few hundred mouths. Sending them back is no big deal… But aside from the others, if those two are sent back, where would they be placed? Wouldn’t that official be disgusted? In my opinion, offering this condition would only make that Zhao Jiu of Cangzhou in the south even more unwilling to negotiate peace.”

“Then let’s use the opposite as a condition—don’t send them back, and negotiate on that basis, how about that?” Qin Hui said indifferently, still peeling chestnuts. “Keep the Two Saints, return all the rest, or return everyone, even the Taihang Mountain volunteers and other Bianliang people willing to return south, we can escort them to Henan… Anyway, it’s negotiable.”

Wushu was momentarily stunned, then suddenly laughed and slowly nodded.

But soon, the Fourth Prince shook his head again. “Even if the south is open to negotiation, the Grand Marshal here is trying to act tough. How would he be willing to negotiate? No one else can persuade him.”

“The Grand Marshal, though intelligent and decisive, with prestige and insight, has always had a fierce temperament. I’ve heard that when he was young, he could treat subordinates, friends, and even defectors with courtesy and humility. But perhaps with age, when I first met him during the Jingkang era, I already found him somewhat stern. In these past four or five years, I feel he has become increasingly ruthless toward subordinates and colleagues,” Qin Hui continued, head down, speaking casually. “Now that he has seized all power at once, he grows more reckless by the day. He seems unstoppable, but in truth, he may have already incurred resentment from those around him—they just don’t dare show it… And as for the country’s lord’s stroke, though it was an accident, will those not present at the time believe it? And then imprisoning the still-lucid country’s lord and his sons—what kind of act is that? In my humble opinion, the Grand Marshal actually looks quite vulnerable.”

Wushu was just eating chestnuts at first, but hearing this, he looked up in shock. However, the pale-faced scholar across from him just kept eating chestnuts, so he lowered his head and continued eating as well.

As if he hadn’t heard anything at all.

And so, perhaps because the chestnuts were truly sweet, the two of them finished a full half-bundle. After a little wine and some dishes, feeling full, they parted ways.

By now, Qin Hui had a position in the Grand Marshal’s office and, with the large mansion Talan had given him earlier, naturally returned to his own residence.

However, in the evening, as Qin Hui rode up to his mansion, he unexpectedly saw someone waiting at his gate—it was the young chestnut seller. Beside him was a whole new bundle of freshly fried chestnuts.

"My lord Qin." That person, upon seeing Qin Gui, called out timidly from afar.

Qin Gui knew he was afraid of the Jurchen cavalry escorting behind him, so he directly sent the Jurchen soldiers back, then dismounted alone to meet him, and said awkwardly: "A man who has survived the fall of his country and lives in disgrace—how dare he be called 'my lord'?"

"I've heard people say that my lord Qin was already a Censor-in-Chief long ago, which counts as half a lord, and today you saved me again... how can I not call you 'my lord'?" That man said, bowing his head and making a deep bow with great ceremony, then lifted the bundle of chestnuts from his side and presented them respectfully. "These are the last basket of chestnuts this year. I've stir-fried them for you to have as a snack, my lord... I knocked at the gate, but the people inside said they weren't seeing outsiders, so I waited here at the entrance especially for you, my lord."

Qin Gui initially wanted to refuse, but found it amusing, so he simply took them: "Your family's stir-fried chestnuts are excellent, almost rivaling Li He's shop in Dongjing. I'll accept them..."

Halfway through his words, the peddler opposite him suddenly burst into tears like rain, startling Qin Gui so much that he was momentarily at a loss.

But the peddler, seeing he had frightened the other, quickly choked out: "To be honest with you, my lord, Li He was my father. During the Jingkang Incident, our whole family was captured and brought here. Father died on the road, and I've been scraping by in Yanjing, returning to my old trade!"

Qin Gui also lost his voice.

The peddler cried for a while longer, then couldn't help asking: "My lord, do you think we'll ever be able to return to Henan in this lifetime? You know, a man away from home is cheap. How wonderful it would be to go back to Henan and be a peaceful merchant—why should I stay here and be bullied every day?"

Qin Gui remained silent.

The peddler said nothing more, but covered his face and walked away sobbing loudly.

It was already late, and the evening wind rose again, even beginning to howl. Qin Gui, holding the bundle of chestnuts, was stirred by old memories and felt a hundred emotions intertwine. He stood for a long time in front of his own gate, looking up, but in the end did not knock. Instead, he mounted his horse still carrying the chestnuts, gritted his teeth, gripped the reins, and rode back along the road he had come.

Let it be said: Qin Gui had had enough of this cautious life where he dared not even speak loudly. No matter who it was, even if it was Nianhan, no one could stand in his way!