[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-278":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},1558444,2024,"Chapter 278","shao-song-chapter-278",278,"\u003Cp>Yang Yizhong truly understood His Majesty. The appearance of Qin Gui's name in an official Jin communiqué was naturally a great relief to the sovereign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, just thinking about it made it clear: as a time-traveler, Zhao Jiu had long been destined to face certain specific and difficult problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most basic one, the main quest of recovering the rivers and mountains and resisting the Jin to restore the Song, was actually not something to hesitate over. Matters of such great right and wrong—whether you succeed or not, you just grit your teeth and go for it. After all, he was someone who had received nine years of compulsory education; could he possibly just \"bear to abandon the Central Plains and the Two Rivers\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But other problems were far more delicate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, how to handle and face the Two Emperors? With what mindset to treat the other imperial family members who had been taken captive? And at the very beginning, how to face Pan Xianfei, who was then still Pan Fei, and that imperial heir, as well as the so-called Dowager Empress Yuanyou? Or even, how to face Li Gang and Zong Ze?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must understand that Zhao Jiu had initially adopted an evasive attitude toward Pan Xianfei and even Zong Ze, and could only stand dumbfounded before Li Gang. It was only later, after he had achieved some results and was backed into a corner, that he dared to respond slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to the final and most critical issue, these were still minor matters—namely, how to face Yue Fei and Qin Gui?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, for Zhao Jiu, Yue Fei was not just Yue Fei, and Qin Gui was not just Qin Gui. The objects represented by the names Yue Fei and Qin Gui in his mind were not two simple people, but two cultural symbols that had formed after nearly a thousand years of cultural fermentation, transcending themselves and possessing far-reaching significance. Yet at the same time, as the so-called sovereign of the Great Song, Zhao Jiu had no choice but to face these two living people in reality and maintain a relationship that was appropriate to the times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Fei was manageable... after all, Zhao Jiu wasn't some big-shot on Zhihu before his time travel, coming over to consider how to kill Yue Fei to save the Zhao Song regime. It was just that at first, due to the vanity of a young hothead, he felt a bit of petty jealousy toward the imagined protagonist of that era. But these feelings had long since vanished like smoke and scattered clouds after he saw the real person with his own eyes and established a successful cooperative relationship with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, Zhao Jiu and Yue Fei were destined to be natural comrades in the same camp. The cultural symbol in his mind and the actual relationship between the two had never had any necessary conflict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qin Gui was a different story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The simplest question: now, through the efforts and sacrifices of so many people, a stalemate between Song and Jin along the Yellow River had been achieved, and the Jin's defeat seemed not so unimaginable in the long run. So if, at this moment, Qin Gui returned and, like Mo Qixie, wanted to serve the country and the people, and there was still no evidence... then what would His Majesty do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Use \"Moxuyou\" (groundless suspicion)?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he really used \"Moxuyou\" against a former Vice Censor-in-Chief, Li Gang would probably vomit blood and die in the southeast. Zong Ze and Wang Boyan would crawl out of their graves to write \"Heaven and Sun Shine Bright\" for Qin Hui. Even Lü Haowen, Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, Liu Ji, and Chen Gui would likely become disheartened, and even Yue Pengju and Han Shizhong would probably submit memorials pleading his innocence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the history books would say that the tenth emperor of the Song Dynasty created the greatest unjust case in the history of the Zhao Song dynasty... That would really be like a toad climbing onto your foot—it won't bite you to death, but it will disgust you to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the worst part is, you can't even explain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Explain what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since ancient times, people have judged by deeds, not intentions!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, starting with Zheng Yinian, Zhao Jiu had been touched by this nerve... And Zheng Yinian probably never knew that his brother and he were separated between north and south simply because the sovereign was wary of his brother-in-law and wanted to use him to \"beat the grass to startle the snake\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, whether the \"beat the grass to startle the snake\" tactic worked or whether Wushu's three brothers really needed such a person, now Qin Gui had become a standard high-ranking Jin official. At the very least, there was no need to worry about this person coming to disgust him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This also made His Majesty's mood slightly better today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only slightly better... A moment later, Zhao Jiu had to face the serious issue of the Imperial Guard Cavalry. After all was said and done, without warhorses, how could he campaign north?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Jin matter can be set aside for now...\" After personally ordering the eight thousand cavalry to move into the prepared camp, Zhao Jiu thought for a moment, then shook his head and addressed the assembled civil and military officials on the Yue Platform. \"I only ask you: what is to be done about the warhorses?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding officials exchanged glances in groups of three or five, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, these people did not think the Jin matter should be \"set aside for now\"... What was the purpose of warhorses, and even forming the Imperial Guard Cavalry, if not for the northern campaign? And why the northern campaign, if not to deal with the Jin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Jin suffering such a great upheaval, how could they not manipulate things diplomatically?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don't forget, in the \"snapping the tassel\" play that His Majesty had staged in the Wende Hall, many people's attitudes had already been clearly revealed. Now that the Jin were in internal turmoil and there was a real possibility of sincere peace negotiations, it was only natural for these people to have wavering thoughts... However, since His Majesty hadn't brought up the topic and had worn a sour face all day, they didn't dare to speak out of turn at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, after a long silence, someone finally stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said a useless thing: \"Your Majesty, to obtain warhorses, in the long term, we must restore the Horse Administration...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Great Song's Horse Administration?\" Zhao Jiu frowned slightly. \"Was there a dedicated government office for warhorses before?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally, there was.\" The official below continued earnestly. \"At the founding of the Imperial Song, the Herd Management Office was established, with official horse ranches covering tens of thousands of qing. At its peak, it raised 170,000 horses. If half could be used for the military, that would be 70,000 to 80,000 available...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to say more.\" Zhao Jiu grew impatient halfway through. \"I don't even need to think to know: civil officials in charge of the Horse Administration, but they don't understand animal husbandry; then there's unchecked encroachment by the palace, and corruption among lower-level officials... Within a few years, the Horse Administration was abandoned, and the Herd Management Office was abolished in several reforms, right? How many of the bad things in the Great Song dynasty can be separated from these three types of people? Who ruined the empire if not you, us, and them—that is, all of us? We can't exactly blame it on others!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man immediately shut up. As for Qu Duan, he had wanted to say \"Your Majesty is wise,\" but he held back and didn't dare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Majesty sighed helplessly but continued to inquire: \"What about later? Now that the Herd Management Office is gone, how was the matter of warhorses handled afterward?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For Your Majesty's information, later, when Prince Shu, Wang Anshi, was in power, he enacted the 'Horse Protection Law,' which involved bil letting government warhorses with the common people. Those who raised horses could use the mature horses to offset their taxes...\" Another person stepped forward, reciting the details as if counting family treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu shook his head again: \"I deeply respect Prince Shu, but his New Policies, whenever they involved the government and common households, inevitably had the suspicion of apportionment. And once there was apportionment, it would inevitably cause the people to complain bitterly. This method must have been the worst part of the New Policies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty is discerning.\" The man below responded immediately. \"So this law was also abolished, and it was changed back to the original official ranches, but mainly relying on purchasing horses from the border regions and then raising them centrally, no longer breeding them ourselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In other words, no matter how you put it, the Horse Administration can't escape three categories: official self-breeding and self-raising, using civilian labor to raise them on behalf, and border trade?\" Zhao Jiu sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the long term, restoring the Herd Management Office for official breeding can be considered, but civil officials who don't understand animal husbandry must not be involved... The Secretariat and the Bureau of Military Affairs should jointly submit a proposal.\" Zhao Jiu ordered helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you command.\" Several of the councilors were clearly distracted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Qu Duan who suddenly cupped his hands and said: \"Your Majesty, if you establish the Herd Management Office, it will almost certainly succeed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\" Zhao Jiu asked in confusion. \"Why are you flattering me now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, I am not flattering you, but speaking the truth.\" Qu Duan replied earnestly. \"I am from the Guansi region and know well that in the past, one major reason the imperial pastures in Guansi couldn't raise horses was that they were all used for raising sheep. The mutton in Guansi is tender and fatty, specially supplied to the palace and the capital. I heard that at that time, the palace alone consumed tens of thousands of sheep each year. With Your Majesty's current frugality, I imagine that at the very least, many more horses can be raised in Guansi!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was stunned for a long moment before shaking his head and continuing: \"Establishing the Herd Management Office is a long-term plan. Using civilian labor to raise horses is the least desirable and need not be discussed. For now, to solve the urgent problem, we must still rely on border trade... But what about the Western Xia? Are there any envoys or the like from the Western Xia in the Eastern Capital?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reporting to Your Majesty... there are none.\" Zhai Ruwen, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, quickly stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then is there anyone who knows the internal affairs of the Western Xia?\" Zhao Jiu frowned even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as these words were spoken, dozens of people, from civil officials like Zhao Ding to military officers like Qu Duan, almost all stepped forward at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhao Jiu realized that the Song and the Western Xia knew each other inside out, so he simply pointed at Zhai Ruwen: \"The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial will speak. This is your duty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" Zhai Ruwen made a slight bow, then looked up and said seriously: \"May I ask which matters regarding the Western Xia Your Majesty wishes to know?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was momentarily stunned... He knew absolutely nothing about the Western Xia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, seeing the cavalry troops entering the camp and the day still being early, Zhao Jiu was happy to listen to a story, so he simply asked directly: \"Who is the current ruler of the Western Xia? How long has he been on the throne? What is his reputation in the country? How is the state's strength? I want to hear the truth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Zhai Ruwen found it strange that His Majesty didn't know the ruler of the Western Xia, he still responded immediately: \"For Your Majesty's information, the current ruler of the Western Xia is named Li Qianshun. He ascended the throne at the age of three and has reigned for forty-five years. This man has extremely high prestige in the Western Xia, and these decades have been the most stable period for the Western Xia, truly a time of national peace and prosperity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was somewhat unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Zhao Jiu was only momentarily taken aback before continuing to press: \"Then what major events has this Li Qianshun accomplished since his accession? Give me a general overview.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reporting to Your Majesty... Before Li Qianshun was sixteen, the court was largely controlled by his mother's clan, the Liang. After his grandmother, the Empress Dowager Liang, died, his mother, also a Liang, continued to control the court. About thirty years ago, his mother, the younger Empress Dowager Liang, first fought for power with her own brothers, destroyed her own Liang clan of maternal relatives, and ruled arbitrarily. Then she took the then still-young Li Qianshun and launched a full-scale attack on our dynasty's Yanfu Circuit... After that battle, which the Western Xia lost disastrously, the Liao emperor, knowing of the Liang woman's misdeeds, sent someone to poison her after the war. Li Qianshun thus broke free from the Liang clan and successfully took personal power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhao Jiu remained expressionless... What else could he expect? The mess of maternal relatives was a traditional East Asian pastime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the following years, Li Qianshun married a Liao princess, used the Liao as support, and alternated between war and peace with our Imperial Song...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What were the outcomes of the battles?\" Zhao Jiu suddenly interjected curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhai Ruwen hesitated visibly but still answered seriously: \"During the reign of Emperor Zhezong, the Imperial Song won more and lost less. During the reign of the Retired Emperor, the Imperial Song lost more and won less... The most famous battle was twelve years ago, when Tong Guan used Liu Fa, the Grand Coordinator of the Xihe Circuit, as his general. They fought all the way to the city of Lingzhou, but unexpectedly, the Western Xia fought a decisive battle at the city walls and won, annihilating Liu Fa's entire force.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu's expression did not change, clearly not surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, Li Qianshun took advantage of the situation to counterattack, and after a great victory, he again submitted a request to surrender in the name of Liao... the Great Song was almost forced to consent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu's expression finally shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty should already know what happened later. When the Jin army marched south, Li Qianshun, as a son-in-law of Liao, came to their rescue three times. On one occasion, his thirty-thousand-strong army was routed in a single battle by Loushi, after which Western Xia submitted to Jin as a vassal... And the Western Xia empress, who was also the Liao princess Yelu Nanxian, upon hearing of her homeland's destruction, starved herself to death. The Western Xia crown prince, Li Ren'ai, who had always been filial, died of grief and anger along with his mother.\" At this point, Zhai Ruwen added a brief supplement. \"Li Qianshun and his empress had always been deeply devoted to each other, and he cherished his eldest son greatly. In terms of personal sentiment, he naturally opposed the Jin. But this man had always been forbearing. After his wife and son died, he prioritized the safety of the state and became even more docile toward the Jin... Two years ago, when Loushi attacked the Jin'ning Army and subdued Zhe Keqiu, he freely passed through Western Xia territory. Not only that, but having learned that the commander of the Jin's western route army was Zhanian, he flattered Zhanian especially, reportedly bribing him heavily time and again, and Zhanian repeatedly rejected proposals to attack Western Xia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded, lost in thought, then asked further: \"Aside from military matters, does Li Qianshun have any other notable achievements?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He does.\" Zhai Ruwen continued casually. \"He was a devout Buddhist and revered Confucianism. During his decades-long reign, the decades-long dispute between 'Han rites' and 'Tangut rites' in Western Xia was finally settled. Now, Western Xia is entirely in the style of the Han civilization...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu chuckled softly. This was within expectations... Which legitimate ruler of a legitimate state wouldn't first sort out ideology before starting work? Even the Jin, after this coup, didn't they immediately carry out sinicization reforms?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regardless, this Li Qianshun is still a capable ruler of a stable state?\" After laughing, Zhao Jiu turned solemn again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subject believes Li Qianshun can indeed be called a capable ruler of a stable state.\" Zhai Ruwen bowed in reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after hearing this, Zhao Jiu asked curiously again: \"Setting aside Li Qianshun for now, just regarding Western Xia, there is still one thing I don't understand... Isn't the core of Western Xia ultimately just the Hetao region? Even the foundation of the state is just the area around Lingzhou and Xingzhou... No matter how fertile that area is, it can't be even one-fifth as strong as Guanxi, right? So how did Li Yuanhao manage to establish a state? And then have it last for nearly a hundred years?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhai Ruwen hesitated, and the others exchanged glances, all unsure how to respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Qu Duan.\" Zhao Jiu directly called on him. \"You speak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subject believes it is probably because of the vast desert!\" Qu Duan answered with difficulty. \"Let Your Majesty know, to take the land of Xing and Ling, there are essentially only three routes: one from Xihe, following the Yellow River downstream; two from Jingyuan, taking the Hulu River and then connecting to the Yellow River; three from Baima River to Lingzhou River... Among the three routes, the shortest is the one via Baima River and Lingzhou River, but it still requires traversing several hundred li of vast desert.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many li is 'several hundred'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At the narrowest, two to three hundred li; at the widest, six to seven hundred li...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu found it increasingly absurd: \"Several hundred li of desert... and in the middle, there are places like Baima River and Lingzhou River serving as roads?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then if I dispatch fifty thousand elite troops, prepare the logistics, take them by surprise, and follow this route straight to Lingzhou, wouldn't that work?\" Zhao Jiu said seriously. \"Don't play dumb with me. With Western Xia's national strength, even in Li Yuanhao's time, could they have had fifty thousand elite troops?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty...\" Zhao Ding couldn't help but step forward to interject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let Qu Duan speak!\" Zhao Jiu raised his hand to stop Zhao Ding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" Qu Duan replied cautiously. \"In theory, it should work, but military affairs are never certain...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If not through the desert, then what about taking the Hulu River route, using the Yellow River as a supply line and advancing steadily?\" Zhao Jiu was clearly getting angry. \"I'm not saying it should be a single decisive strike. What I mean is, Western Xia has been established for nearly a hundred years. From Li Yuanhao to Li Qianshun, Great Song must have lost millions of men on this tiny state and spent who knows how many billions in military funds, right? A million men, divided into twenty campaigns, just advance along the Yellow River or even through Hengshan. Even if nineteen of those campaigns ended in total annihilation, one should have succeeded, right?! And I'm not saying we need to destroy Western Xia in one war. If we could just take the Lingzhou heartland once, wouldn't the overall situation be settled? Even if Heaven's favor wasn't with Song, and none of the twenty campaigns succeeded, with twenty major offensives, the Western Xia people should have been ground down to death, right? So why has it come to this? Or are people like Di Qing all useless? Are the histories I've read all fake? Are the historians all Di Qing's sons?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" Qu Duan finally couldn't hold back, and under the glares of several councilors, he raised his head and replied. \"The historians are all the sons of Han Qi and Fan Zhongyan. If Di Qing had replaced Han Qi and Fan Zhongyan, Western Xia would have been destroyed long ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The several councilors, along with many other officials, had no choice but to quickly look at the Zhao Emperor, only to see him sitting back in his seat, looking up in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, they saw the Emperor, pressing the blister at the corner of his mouth, speak indignantly: \"First Yan and Yun, second Western Xia, third Nanyue, fourth Dali—a scourge lasting a hundred years, a disgrace to the nation!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the civil and military officials dared not speak for a time.\u003C\u002Fp>",3481,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","12058c1a105da793c081d090c907600c8c5066cb0528cd061539cbab20b77525","shao-song-chapter-279","shao-song-chapter-277",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]