[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-433":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},1558599,2024,"Chapter 433: Preservation (Continued)","shao-song-chapter-433",433,"\u003Cp>Jin Fushi returned to Kaijing with seventy-eight heads and an army of thirty thousand, requesting from the Goryeo king, Wang Kai, the authority of the axe and halberd for exclusive military command. Wang Kai, the Goryeo king who had spent more than half his life in the era of Li Ziqian, showed no superfluous reaction. He issued an edict retroactively designating the nobles of the Western Capital as rebels and directly granted Jin Fushi's request—a response that could be deemed perfectly appropriate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately thereafter, the two sides held a formal axe-and-halberd ceremony in the hall. There was no trouble throughout the entire process, nor any unnecessary exchange between lord and minister, as if Jin Fushi had truly been sent by Wang Kai's order to pacify the Western Capital and was now returning to campaign against the Jurchens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the troops below, the aristocratic yangban, and the common people showed little reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: in the twenty years prior, more than a decade had been the era of Li Ziqian's autocracy… The existence of that era had taught everyone where they should go. The king knew to endure, to go with the flow; the nobles knew to attach themselves, to pick sides, and to seize benefits; the common people knew to mind their own business and let things be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this was precisely why Jin Fushi dared to act. At this stage, Goryeo had this tradition of powerful ministers, and because the yangban were interconnected, almost as one body, even when a powerful minister was eliminated, it was difficult to pursue his family… For instance, Li Ziqian's nephew was still a high-ranking minister of the state and an important figure in Jin Fushi's faction that had overthrown Li Ziqian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after Jin Wushu finished handling matters in Kaijing (installing his own people, laying down contingency plans) and then led the main Goryeo army of thirty thousand out of the capital, he couldn't help but feel some lingering fear… Although he had been fully prepared for all this and knew the probability of success was high, his heart was still uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, while he was confident about affairs within Goryeo, the external situation was turbulent and completely beyond his control. Moreover, it was precisely because of the changing external circumstances that he had instigated this near-coup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wielding the power of a small state is truly difficult!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nevertheless, even so, Jin Fushi continued to wear his wide robes, ride in his carriage, grit his teeth, and urge the army westward, heading toward the Yalu River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third month of the tenth year of Jianyan, Goryeo officially launched military operations against Jin, advancing into Liaodong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to bear the brunt was the Posu Circuit (both banks of the Yalu River). This circuit was home to a large number of Bohai tribes and many Goryeo people. After the Jurchens took control, they had stationed the Pusan tribe, a core Jurchen tribe, here to guard it. Before Pusan Beilu, who died at Huolu, was transferred as a Wanhu, he had long served as the Grand Coordinator of this circuit… So what state the Pusan tribe was in at this time was self-evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was entirely foreseeable that the Goryeo people would likely advance directly, threatening the hinterland of Liaodong, while the Eastern Mongol Khan Khabul would also send troops to attack the Zhongjing Circuit, threatening the Liaoxi corridor. The drama that His Majesty Zhao longed to see—forcing the Jurchens to lose their footing front and rear without expending troops and to actively reveal their weaknesses—was about to unfold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, before watching this grand drama, a novel first appeared in Hejian Prefecture, and the protagonist of that novel was none other than His Majesty Zhao himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Jingcheng, Zhao Jiu, who had just finished breakfast in his small courtyard and was preparing to go fishing outside the city, asked in astonishment of the visiting Minister of Works, Hu Yin. For as soon as Hu Mingzhong entered, he requested that His Majesty dismiss his attendants. Even Liu Yan and Shao Chengzhang, who were on duty that day, were sent out. But after dismissing everyone, all that was handed over was a stack of manuscript drafts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the 'His Majesty's Literature' that Your Majesty ordered me to write,\" Hu Yin said, this time much more seriously. \"Your subject's literary talent is insufficient, but I do have speed. I also copied many story plots, and this first piece is already complete.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was speechless inside but immediately put on a cheerful expression: \"Minister Hu, you have worked hard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty might as well take a look first,\" Hu Yin suddenly smiled. \"Give a critique.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the usually stern Hu Mingzhong break into laughter twice in a row—once before and now today—His Majesty Zhao felt his heart skip a beat in alarm, but he had no choice but to steel himself and read. And with Zhao Jiu's speed at reading novels, skimming ten lines at a glance, he finished the story in less than the time it takes to burn half an incense stick. Then the entire courtyard fell into dead silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was nothing else—the plot of this 'His Majesty's Literature' was too simple and too straightforward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It told of a certain His Majesty who, after winning victories, had unified the realm, with all barbarians submitting. But worried that his meritorious officials might grow proud and cause trouble, he often rebuked them. So he wrote a satirical allegory. As a result, when the satire reached a Commandery Prince who had raised the Eight-Character Army on Mount Taihang, that prince, being of a fiery temperament, directly took poison and killed himself to prove his innocence, and he published the story written by His Majesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a certain Commander Fan, a loyal subordinate of the Commandery Prince, became enraged and went back up Mount Taihang. What followed was the standard trope of Xue Gang's rebellion against Tang. The old His Majesty, who had driven the loyal minister to death, came to suppress the rebellion, but in his carelessness, he was shot dead by an arrow and died on the spot. Then his sons each rallied their marshals and princes to contend for the throne, and the realm fell apart. Commander Fan, with a stroke of luck, protected a true dragon and subsequently restored the honor of the Commandery Prince, the commander of the Eight-Character Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu knew full well what this essay was satirizing, but after a long silence, he still felt somewhat unconvinced, so he finally spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mingzhong, why didn't you speak up that day?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does Your Majesty want to hear the truth, or a lie?\" Hu Yin finally became serious again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What would the lie be?\" Zhao Jiu forced a playful smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The lie is that I understood it all that day, but I wanted to use Your Majesty's own spear to attack Your Majesty's own shield, so I deliberately waited until this satirical piece was finished before coming,\" Hu Yin said, folding his hands and standing, his expression unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the truth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The truth is that I was led astray by Your Majesty that day,\" Hu Yin said, still calm. \"Although I realized it immediately afterward, I thought that under the current great victory, with the realm in a fervor and Your Majesty's pride running high, a direct remonstrance might lead to undesirable consequences. So I borrowed this opportunity, like carving a mark on a boat to find a lost sword, waiting until Your Majesty's mood had calmed slightly before presenting this essay as a satirical allegory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could someone as clever as you be fooled by my frivolous, state-endangering actions?\" Zhao Jiu said after a long pause, forcing a smile to suppress his emotions. But in his heart, he still felt that Hu Yin was somewhat overstepping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty…\" Hu Yin remained expressionless. \"There are many reasons why I was fooled by Your Majesty. First and foremost, that day, Prime Minister Zhao was almost shot dead by Qin Wang's subordinates in a ditch; Qu Duan's men gave me several dozen lashes; and Prince Lu had a past of harboring the Vegetarian Demon Sect. These events were vivid and undeniable. Coupled with Your Majesty's words that day about no longer enduring what had been endured for the past ten years, I momentarily believed that the stories Your Majesty wanted to write were not only to warn the future but also to punish the past. In other words, I thought for a moment that these deeds were real and had already occurred, and Your Majesty had simply endured them in silence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was slightly taken aback but finally admitted: \"There is some intent to punish the past, but it's mainly to warn the future… The stories aren't that real either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is precisely the problem,\" Hu Yin sighed. \"If this essay were written to punish the past, it could be considered instruction. But if written to warn the future, is it instruction or execution… even if it was privately circulated?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu shifted in his seat to hide the deep irritation within him. Of course, he knew that before Hu Mingzhong, any pretense was useless: \"I thought that with Han Liangchen's magnanimity and the bond between lord and minister, it wouldn't come to this… After all, it's just a story.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Han Liangchen indeed wouldn't go that far. Even if he got angry in private, recalling Your Majesty's essay, he probably wouldn't dare to seek out servants,\" Hu Yin nodded in agreement. \"But what about Wang Yan? Could he truly bear it? What about the Prince of Jin? The Prince of Wei…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't the Prince of Wei just complaining that the Imperial Son-in-Law gets too many strokes of the military rod?\" Zhao Jiu was utterly helpless. \"It's true that I didn't think it through completely, but didn't you laugh at the Prince of Wei's part too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's because I had just come from the Prince of Wei's army and knew that the Imperial Son-in-Law was beaten with the rod every day, so I understood on the spot. How would outsiders hearing those words know the context?\" Hu Yin pressed relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was silent for a long time before finally asking the composed Hu Mingzhong in return: \"In the end, it's just a few words. How could you have been so certain that day that I intended both to punish the past and warn the future, yet today you mock me like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This brings me to the remaining two reasons,\" Hu Yin said, completely unruffled. \"Your Majesty, what subject would receive the exclusive right of private remonstrance from His Majesty and not be moved to tears of gratitude? That day, I had already sensed something was wrong, but I was stunned into confusion by another blow from Your Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am quite formidable, knocking out the famous minister Hu Mingzhong with two blows,\" Zhao Jiu said, unsure whether it was self-deprecation or sarcasm. \"Comparable to Lu Zhishen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It wasn't just the two blows; mainly, I already had internal injuries,\" Hu Yin said, stepping forward with a stern face, directly pressing the issue. \"Your Majesty… the reason I was momentarily deceived by Your Majesty—those were all secondary causes. The real reason I was willing to believe that Your Majesty's method was feasible and even took pleasure in it was that I knew from the start what Your Majesty was thinking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu's heart finally stirred, and he looked seriously at the other, waiting for the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty,\" Hu Yin let out a long sigh, speaking with emotion. \"When I read that story, I immediately thought of something Your Majesty had insisted on doing from the second year of Jianyan, including the third year, even when the state was in peril… I also remember the words Your Majesty used at that time: 'Emancipating the people'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Majesty Zhao's expression finally softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What Qin Wang's Jade Guanyin, what Zhang Jun's greed for wealth—Your Majesty made it very clear back then. It was about telling stories that these people had no malicious intent, no evil heart, but that a mere display of temperament or a single oversight could lead to the ruin of families below them,\" Hu Yin paused slightly. \"During the New Year period this year, while handling military supplies, I thought: why fight with all the nation's strength? It is to restore peace. But after restoring peace, what then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With the Jin state present, internal and external pressures override everything. With the Jin state defeated, the hierarchy between superior and subordinate will touch people's hearts most deeply,\" Zhao Jiu took over, summarizing for the other, and seized the opportunity to back down. \"My original intention was to remind the people of the realm that after internal and external matters, the issue of hierarchy would follow. But I was still too hasty and used the wrong method… I should have waited until the Yellow River was harnessed and the Yuan School was firmly established, then slowly proceed with this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is the meaning,\" Hu Yin admitted frankly. \"However, it was precisely because I knew in my heart of Your Majesty's compassionate intent and your eagerness that I was biased and overconfident. But this matter truly goes beyond that…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How so?\" Zhao Jiu's mood had improved, and his tone became much more amiable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing else,\" Hu Yin said, standing with his hands clasped, adding softly. \"I only wanted to say that while Your Majesty prides yourself on compassion, you may have just forgotten that when it comes to hierarchy, Your Majesty yourself is the one at the very top.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu looked up in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hu Mingzhong acted as if he hadn't seen it, continuing in a clear voice, standing calmly in the spring breeze to offer his counsel:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thus, a single oversight by Your Majesty can ruin the families of Commandery Princes and below; a single misstep can cause the realm to fall apart… Your Majesty, when it comes to hierarchy, all princes are beneath Your Majesty. When it comes to the realm, the princes are also part of the realm… Just as knowing that Your Majesty's original intent was good was the fundamental reason I was muddled that day, so too is it the fundamental reason that, flushed with great victory, Your Majesty repeatedly forgets this fact—and why I dare not fail to risk offending Your Majesty's dragon countenance… Your Majesty, governing a great state is like cooking a small fish. Please be cautious, and I also ask Your Majesty to preserve yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, Hu Mingzhong cupped his hands and withdrew, leaving behind only a copy of *The Record of Commander Fan's Return to Mount Taihang* and a long-silent, speechless His Majesty Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, His Majesty Zhao did not go out until the afternoon. He did not go fishing, nor did he update his novel. He merely spent half a spring day by the river, letting the wind blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thanks to His Majesty for remembering Chu (Long) (I remember, but you, me, and she have all grown old), and to the high-cold bird big shot for the sponsorship. This is the 221st and 222nd sponsorship of this book.\u003C\u002Fp>",2545,"2026-06-06T07:46:32.508Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","e4568b526954c0a44144fc5b3441f0b9f0628c948c34ce2f49e9cfc2836546d9","shao-song-chapter-434","shao-song-chapter-432",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]