[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-44":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},1558210,2024,"Chapter 44","shao-song-chapter-44",44,"\u003Cp>As it happened, after Shi Wenbin had left, Zhao Jiu, who had done such absurd things, had no intention of stopping this imperial council. On the contrary, having lain in the imperial tent all day and let his thoughts scatter in countless directions, he was now preparing to handle serious matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, as the sunlight slanted westward, at the personal order of this Zhao sovereign, several eunuchs carried out a number of chairs and benches, arranged seats within the curtained area before the imperial tent, and invited the various key central officials and close ministers to take their seats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Zhao Jiu himself, who was already wearing a round-collared red robe, personally returned to the tent to put on a hard-winged hat that Minister Lu had been longing for day and night, and then sat upright in a grand armchair with its back to the entrance of the imperial tent… Of course, by now, based on the political acumen and political sensitivity of a Song official, Minister Lu had no time to care about any hat or no hat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And sure enough, after the Zhao sovereign sat down, the first thing he uttered was a long string of official titles, which made the atmosphere on site even more solemn:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister of the Eastern Administration (Lu Haowen), Minister of the Western Administration (Wang Boyan), Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate (Zhang Jun), Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp (Wang Yuan), Chief Eunuch of the Palace Eunuch Bureau (Lan Gui), several Secretariat Drafter and Court Receptionists (Hu Yin, Yang Yizhong), and this Academician Lin (Lin Jingmo), who has just entered the Jade Hall (Hanlin Academy)… and most crucially, me, the Son of Heaven of the Great Song. Minister Lu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant is here.\" Lu Haowen, seated in the first position on the left, immediately rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Lu, half a year ago, I was still just an ordinary prince; less than half a year ago, I fell into a well…\" At this point, Zhao Jiu instinctively faltered for a moment; he hadn't expected that nearly half a year had already passed. \"In any case, regardless of the reason, I am still somewhat confused about the official system and titles of the Great Song. But no matter how confused I am, I roughly understand that the gathering of us here today at least resembles a proper central government, doesn't it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty speaks truly.\" Lu Haowen dared not show the slightest negligence and immediately responded with a serious expression. \"The Song inherited the Tang system. Although there have been many discussions about reform, the fundamentals of governance have never changed: the Son of Heaven issues orders from the center, and the chief ministers of the Secretariat-Chancellery deliberate on state affairs before the sovereign. Today, although there are vacancies and dispersals everywhere, the two administrations and the key posts within the palace all have proper key officials accompanying Your Majesty. Therefore, before this imperial tent, it is undoubtedly a proper central government, naturally capable of issuing orders…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, Lu Haowen grew even more serious, but couldn't help pausing for a moment before continuing: \"However, Your Majesty, Minister Li (Li Gang) and Grand Counselor Xu (Xu Jingheng) are not here after all. If there are serious decrees to be issued, why not wait a little? Even if we cannot wait for Minister Li, Grand Counselor Xu and Privy Councilor Zhang (Zhang Que) are in Huaidong and Huainan; they can be summoned by fast horse!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the surrounding officials either sneered inwardly or felt helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, others were one thing, but Lin Jingmo, the former Prefect of Shouzhou who had just skipped the qualification of Fiscal Intendant to enter the Hanlin Academy and was now full of ambition as a Hanlin Academician, was almost contemptuous to the point of disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This young Academician Lin, who had only experienced a few of the sovereign's maneuvers, saw it with exceptional clarity… The sovereign clearly wanted a central government without so many formidable ministers, wanted a cowardly chief of civil officials like Minister Lu, wanted to be able to act according to his own will. Wasn't this speech laughable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, as the only successful Minister of the Eastern Administration at this time, while the Minister of the Western Administration had committed a major offense, and when he should have seized power and risen to the top, he had ended up in such a state. Didn't Lu Haowen feel ashamed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, thinking of the sovereign's willfulness these past days, every civil official present in this central government should feel ashamed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, thinking up to this point, young Academician Lin suddenly froze, because he suddenly realized that since he himself was also here and hadn't stopped the sovereign from crossing the river to deliver ducks or from spitting that mouthful today, didn't that mean he was also quite shameful? It seemed he hadn't even managed to snatch the task of drafting documents! He was a proper Jade Hall Academician!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There's no time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as young Academician Lin's emotions were complicated, Zhao Jiu, who had listened expressionlessly and attentively, directly rejected this suggestion with one sentence, then continued speaking freely. \"What I mean is, others are one thing, but you gentlemen before me today, who have been accompanying me all along, have probably already understood…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The civil and military officials of the central government present remained silent, with no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My original intention was to block the Jin army here for a while, to boost the people's morale, and then go to Nanyang or Yangzhou to stabilize, issue orders, rebuild the general situation, and re-establish the state!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhao Jiu couldn't help raising his voice. \"However, these past few days on Bagong Mountain, I have seen people like Liu Guangshi, who fear the enemy like tigers and arbitrarily speculate about my intentions, slandering me as being as shameless and afraid of death as he is. I have also seen the military morale wavering in various places like Bagong Mountain and Xiacai City, with many soldiers thinking that I, the sovereign, and you gentlemen of the central government are nothing but cowards who only know how to flee. And today, this Jin Wushu has come to bully me to my face, as if he takes me for my weak and easily bullied elder brother… If this can be endured, what cannot?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lu Haowen and the others heard the last two sentences, their eyelids couldn't help twitching. Others were one thing, but Minister Lu couldn't avoid it no matter what, and could only steel himself to ask again: \"Then what does Your Majesty think should be done?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An edict should be issued immediately and proclaimed to the world!\" Zhao Jiu in the grand armchair remained expressionless, his posture unmoving. \"There is no need to wait until we reach Nanyang or Yangzhou, nor to wait for Minister Li or Grand Counselor Xu. Right here on Bagong Mountain, I will proclaim my intentions to the world!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"May I ask what Your Majesty's intentions are?\" In the midst of complete silence, Lu Haowen continued to steel himself and press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First, to clearly establish that Song and Jin are enemies and at war! And since war has begun, it is natural to call upon all regions to come to the aid of the throne and resist! So-called regardless of age, regardless of region, all who consider themselves Song people, when encountering Jin soldiers, should defend their land and fight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was actually something expected. Given the sovereign's formality today, it could only be this kind of matter. But Lu Haowen, the Minister of the Eastern Administration, although he had anticipated it in his heart, still couldn't help falling silent for a moment, and with some hesitation turned his head to glance at his theoretical political enemy, the only remaining banner of the peace faction in the court, the Privy Councilor Wang Boyan, who had now become a vegetative figure in the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if expecting this minister to come out and share the responsibility with him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And interestingly, after meeting Lu Haowen's silence, Minister Wang unhesitatingly seized the opportunity to stand up and then declared loudly: \"Your servant seconds the motion!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course he seconds it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Academician Lin, who had been watching all this from the side, almost shouted in his heart. The sovereign's intention had been completely revealed months ago when he recalled Minister Li, and now he had appeared on the front line of the battlefield. This determination to resist was absolute to the extreme! And the only legitimate chief minister who could check the sovereign, Minister Li, although not here, was an even more famous war hawk than the sovereign. What was there to hesitate about in such a matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you fear the sovereign stirring up trouble again, now is not the time to fear! And as a dignified chief minister, regardless of your stance, how can you be afraid of trouble at a time like this?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look at Wang Boyan, Lu Haowen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just as young Academician Lin was sighing a thousand times in his heart, the Censor-in-Chief Zhang Jun, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp Wang Yuan, and even several Secretariat Drafters had already stepped forward under Hu Yin's lead to second the motion! And young Academician Lin, slightly stunned, realized that besides himself, only Yang Yizhong and Lan Gui, two people who shouldn't speak, had not stepped forward! And then, looking up, he directly met the sovereign's questioning gaze… So Lin Jingmo also quickly jumped out and was the last to second the motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: And\u003C\u002Fp>",1603,"2026-06-06T07:45:46.639Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","2689dab6e8829b88e75cc37bde449b3751fddd70dd21a6af73267319f9614b16","shao-song-chapter-45","shao-song-chapter-43",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]