[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-351":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},1558517,2024,"Chapter 351: Chapter Seventeen: Autumn Rain","shao-song-chapter-351",351,"\u003Cp>Now, among these Jin nobles by the small river, there were certainly clever ones and not-so-clever ones. But even the clever ones, seeing both ends blocked by armored cavalry, how dared they utter a word... Moreover, even if clever, they might not know whether to stay put or to walk out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, for a time, aside from the very few who were both clever and learned, remaining calmly where they were, the rest, regardless of their thoughts or purposes, all chose a ditch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some pressed northward in a dark mass, some fled southward in panic, some stayed openly where they were—none could escape anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You who claim to be coming to the rescue—do you truly intend to save the sovereign, or do you want to take advantage of the chaos to rebel?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the three groups had settled, Prince Wei, Wushu, on the small slope, indeed drew his blade and immediately turned hostile toward one of the groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, not only those less clever below the slope, but even the clever ones, and even those in safe positions on the slope, including several truly outstanding figures who had long anticipated the situation, all became solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it bluntly, no matter how clever you are, how many ideas you have, how well you understand power schemes, how deeply you see through these political routines, how far-sighted you are—in this current situation, you cannot turn the tide... Since Prince Wei has made up his mind to let someone die, there truly is no way out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is called a thousand strands of silk wrapping around a finger, no match for a single blade of hundred-refined steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, even the young monarch, Wanyan Hela, after a brief initial start, quickly grew serious and then remained silent... Though he could not fully grasp the current situation, he clearly remembered that day when his fourth uncle called him into the Imperial Secretariat, and what happened after he left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dignified Grand Marshal, a pillar of the Great Jin, a figure like a purple-gold beam, just moments ago lofty and aloof, judging him from the position of a decision-maker, the next moment was hammered to death on the threshold of the main hall of the Imperial Secretariat, becoming like a tattered sack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself had no military power and absolutely could not lightly defy his three uncles. Moreover, his three uncles had no reason to deal with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lofty monarch, and a young one at that, could certainly remain silent. But what surprised Qin Hui and the other Han officials was that the group first singled out neither begged for mercy nor offered excuses. Just moments ago they had seemed utterly confused, but now they grew quiet, stood there with hands at their sides, raised their heads, and faced him coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what about those heading to the front?\" Under the lingering morning smoke, Wanyan Wushu raised his blade again, pointing at another group. \"You claim you are going to face the enemy—who can prove you weren't trying to rendezvous with Puluhu?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, a deathly silence. Instead, the armored cavalry on both sides grew slightly impatient. Behind the smoke, there was clearly the sound of weapons scraping against iron, and the neighing and stamping of warhorses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you.\" This was not all. The ferocious-faced Prince Wei then pointed at the group below the slope that had not moved at all. \"With such a disturbance occurring, you did nothing—what exactly is on your minds?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these three sentences, Wanyan Wushu meant to let no one off!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this, the crowd below finally stirred... Some clamored, some reached for their weapons, some pointed at Prince Wei Wushu and shouted curses, and some questioned the monarch, asking why he sat by and allowed such a traitor to slaughter the innocent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanyan Hela was young after all. Seeing this scene, especially with some young noble sons he had taken a liking to in recent days among them, his earlier resolve immediately became confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, for a moment, he could not help but want to say something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just then, unexpectedly, someone behind him reached out and pulled him back... Hela turned around and saw it was his teacher, Han Fang. He immediately obediently lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene was clearly seen by Qin Hui and Hong Ya. And not only Han Fang—the somewhat flustered Qin Hui glanced sideways and found that even Wulinda Zanmo and Wanyan Xiyin, the two truly top-tier civil officials of the Jurchens, stood solemnly, without any intention of speaking up to stop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, someone finally spoke, but it was only Prince Wei himself responding to the group below the small slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How am I about to kill everyone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu sneered as he sheathed his blade, then took his time. \"But we all know full well that among these people, there are clearly members of Puluhu's faction. The monarch and I knew this back in Yanjing, and we absolutely cannot let you fool us... So now we will take you all into custody, quickly identify them, and the rest will naturally be pardoned by the monarch. You can still be your high officials and enjoy your blessings!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was to follow the map to find the horse, to eliminate by targeted strikes... Hearing this, everyone from top to bottom collectively relaxed. Those below the slope, who had been on the verge of clamoring, immediately lost their spirit. Many even showed signs of exasperation, cursing and swearing, bluntly saying that Prince Wei's actions did not follow traditional tribal morality, that with a large army in hand, he still resorted to a sneak attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Qin Hui still thought that Wushu had actually taken his advice, intending to raise high and set down lightly... But immediately, he witnessed what it meant to \"raise high and set down lightly\" in the context of a tribal confederation transitioning into a state:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Prince Wei Wushu sheathed his blade, Wudun Sizhong and Wulinda Taiyu stepped forward from left and right, produced prepared name registers, and directly dispatched armored cavalry to arrest people... The only difference was that when Wudun Sizhong's side caught one, they dragged him directly to the riverbank and beheaded him, while Wulinda Taiyu's side was slightly slower, waiting until they had gathered ten before executing them together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting from the morning, in only half an hour, they had killed roughly a third of these several hundred nobles. Then, without confining or restraining the rest, they simply abandoned them and turned back to the opposite camp to continue searching for their sons, retainers, close confidants, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could only be said that, fortunately, Qin Hui had some psychological preparation from the start. So after his emotions rose and fell, he finally came to his senses on the small slope and observed carefully—just as he had initially thought, of those Prince Wei killed, about thirty percent were from the old monarch's faction, thirty percent were relatively detached Khitan, Xi, Han, and Bohai great clans with a rebellious posture, and the rest were mostly Jurchen military merit nobles who had been dragging their feet on the central government's sinicization reforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A purge of this magnitude was already the extreme Qin Hui could imagine. Yet how could he believe that after killing people, the entire entourage, from the monarch down, would directly set up a small camp east of the river, and then the monarch would host a banquet, and Prince Wei and those nobles who had just escaped death below the slope would directly raise their cups to each other?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As casual as if nothing had happened!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because the great fire last night had left too much smoke and dust, clouds gradually gathered in the sky during the morning, showing signs of overcast rain. By the afternoon, it began to rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this time, Qin Hui, Hong Ya, and Zheng Xiunian, who had left the banquet, all had dark faces. They sat in a newly erected small tent, staring at each other... This was not only because their servants had all been scattered in the chaos, but more importantly, the three of them gathered together for a sense of security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it bluntly, they were frightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason they were frightened was not because of the killing, but because even with psychological preparation, they still had not expected that around the highest power of the Jurchens, even though Wushu had personally expressed a lenient attitude, so many people were still killed, and so directly, so brutally!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more terrifying was that, precisely, everyone felt Wushu was lenient... To be honest, Qin Hui even suspected whether Wushu had initially wanted to kill all those people?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I knew you would be here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, someone lifted the wet tent curtain and walked straight in, nearly startling Zheng Xiunian to the ground. Only when he saw it was Vice Grand Councilor Wanyan Xiyin did he barely manage to compose himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Xiyin.\" Hong Ya, as Wanyan Xiyin's direct subordinate and de facto deputy, quickly rose to salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hui and Zheng Xiunian followed suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need for formalities.\" Wanyan Xiyin stood at the tent entrance, water dripping from his back, his expression complex, but he did not come in at all. \"I'll say a few words and leave... Don't you think the Jurchens are too savage, too brutal? Clearly they could have imprisoned them, or only executed the ringleaders, yet they still killed until heads rolled, and this is the result of Prince Wei raising high and setting down lightly? And everyone from top to bottom actually thinks this is acceptable and normal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hui and the other two remained silent, because Xiyin's questions had hit the nail on the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don't understand. Everything must follow tradition, just as you Song people also speak of ancestral family laws and past precedents when doing things.\" Seeing this, Xiyin grew even more emotional. He turned back to glance at the blackened pine forest steaming in the rain, then looked again at Qin Hui, the foremost of the three in the tent. \"Lord Qin, the flat pine forest is the ancestral land of the Khitans. Many Khitan anecdotes and stories have occurred here. You are learned and talented—do you know of an incident that happened nearby involving Shulü Ping, the empress of the Khitan founding monarch Yelü Abaoji?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hui forced a smile: \"Lord Xiyin is joking. Even if I did know, my mind is in turmoil now, so how would I know which incident you are referring to?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is the incident of cutting off a hand for burial.\" Xiyin nodded and spoke slowly. \"When Liao's Grand Ancestor Abaoji died, Empress Shulü Ping held power. She disliked her eldest son, Yelü Bei, for being weak and wanted to depose the elder and install the younger. But the eldest son was the eldest son after all, naturally popular, and had somewhat grown his wings. So Shulü Ping, taking the opportunity of Abaoji's burial, gathered all the central civil and military officials who supported the eldest son, saying they were all Abaoji's trusted ministers and should accompany Abaoji in death... So-called calling one up, killing one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hui and the other two sat motionless, already numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And when it came to a Han official, he finally managed to stop Shulü Ping with words, asking her in return why she, as Abaoji's closest person, did not personally accompany him in death. So Shulü Ping chopped off one of her own hands on Abaoji's coffin and stuffed it into her husband's coffin, saying she was using her hand to represent herself... After this, the remaining people could only let this Khitan empress kill off her own faction in front of the Grand Ancestor's spirit tablet. That Han official, however, gained her appreciation and was greatly promoted.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing his story, Xiyin still stood at the tent entrance. He paused for a while, staring blankly at the increasingly heavy rain outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, this member of the power core, perhaps the most learned among the Jurchens, turned back and continued with emotion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three gentlemen, what I am saying today is to tell you that up north, it has always been like this since ancient times. If they don't act, fine; but once they do, the minimum is this situation... And if Prince Wei had set this trap today and, like that Zhao official in the south, only driven away seventy or eighty people and changed a place name, I'm afraid he would immediately lose all prestige, and counterattacks would come like clouds... As for the things you are thinking about, I am fully aware, but they do not exist here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three looked at each other, their faces ashen, but could no longer remain silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, led by Qin Hui, they bowed their heads: \"Thank you for your guidance, Lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guidance for what?\" Xiyin stood there, his expression also unpleasant. \"Is this kind of thing something to boast about? Do you think I don't envy that Zhao official in the south, who can drive away a group of people and change a place name to purify the court and the country? If I didn't find it absurd, why would I be so single-mindedly devoted to reforming to Han systems? And did Prince Wei's actions today truly not frighten those people, and will they not bring future troubles for him? Was your advice to the monarch and Prince Wei this morning, Lord Qin, without reason? It's just that the arrow was already on the string and had to be shot!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hui and the others bowed their heads even deeper, not daring to look up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am only here to tell you why, from Academician Han to Minister Wulinda, and myself, none of us stopped Prince Wei this morning.\" Wanyan Xiyin finally let out a long sigh. \"And also to tell you why Prince Wei and the monarch did not listen to your advice... And then I hope you will, in the future, cherish the situation Prince Wei has opened up without regard for his own person, and work with dedication!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hui and the other two only bowed in salute... At this moment, there was truly little they could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough.\" Seeing this, Wanyan Xiyin finally shook his head. \"The monarch has decreed that you are to learn from the south and set up some of their structures... Once you have organized them, submit them to Hanlin Drafter Hong, and Hanlin Drafter Hong will come to me... In short, today's matter is over. Rest assured and work diligently!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, Xiyin, ignoring the increasingly heavy rain behind him, turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Qin Hui and the other two sat back down in a daze, then continued to stare at each other repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew how long passed. Listening to the sound of rain outside the tent gradually fading, it was Hong Ya who first smiled bitterly: \"It's absurd to say, but to want to change these things, one must first do these things; the very person who repeatedly does such things is actually the one who detests them the most, acting out of necessity... Lord Qin, which side is easier than which?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Gui opened his mouth to speak, but could only sigh in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>",2563,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","0c4f4d319b79b9a443853988afc58dbe2008cda83bdf0785d30bd74ff42a5e80","shao-song-chapter-352","shao-song-chapter-350",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]