[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-97":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},1558263,2024,"Chapter 97: Fangcheng (To inform everyone, Chapter 7 was mislabeled, not missing a chapter)","shao-song-chapter-97",97,"\u003Cp>Over the next two days, Yelu Ma Wu went without a single return, and Wanyan Yinshu still had not arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhao Emperor dispatched a newly appointed Personal Guard officer, the so-called minor functionary Chengxinlang Zhai Biao, ordering him to use his advantage as a local native to cross the river and scout the opposite side of the Rushui. However, Zhai Biao came and went in haste, and instead bluntly brought back messengers from Han Shizhong, Wang De, and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combining the information brought by the latter, the court above and below reached a simple and direct conclusion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanyan Yinshu had indeed recently advanced his army to the foot of Zhongyang Mountain, less than a hundred li from Ruyang. But soon, presumably after Yelu Ma Wu failed to strike and learned that Ruyang City had received considerable reinforcements, this man made a prompt decision. He took only his main force brought from Taiyuan and directly changed course northward. While Han Shizhong and Wang De were cautiously recalling their main forces, he used his cavalry advantage to slip through the gap east of Fangcheng Mountain, cross Yingchang Prefecture, then capture Ye County in Ruzhou, and head straight north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the route, Wanyan Yinshu was likely planning to rendezvous with his younger brother Wanyan Balisu, then combine their forces and withdraw together to Hezhong Prefecture (Hedong region, later the Linfen area), before turning back to his old stronghold, Taiyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this conclusion was too easy, which instead made people suspicious. The court at Ruyang City also had no intention of acting rashly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, as more and more messengers arrived from Han Shizhong, and Wang De personally returned to Ruyang, the central command finally accepted the fact that Wanyan Yinshu had withdrawn his troops. And after Wang De rapidly led the main force of the Imperial Camp Central Army back, the Zhao Emperor himself set aside all his confusion and directly ordered the court to continue its westward march.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By mid-March, the court arrived at Fangcheng, located at the foot of Fangcheng Mountain in the northernmost part of Tangzhou. Since this place sat at the junction of five prefectures—Dengzhou, Ruzhou, Caizhou, Yingchang Prefecture, and Tangzhou—its position was critical. So after a brief rest at the foot of Fangcheng Mountain, the court halted here temporarily, then immediately summoned subordinate officials from all directions to gather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the summons, Han Shizhong, who had made proper arrangements in the north, hurried back with Liu Yan, Yang Yizhong, Hu Yin, and others. Several important ministers from the Nanyang area also came one after another to greet them. As information from all sides converged, the court finally extracted from it a piece of military intelligence that was both incredible and yet made everyone suddenly understand—it turned out that just a few days earlier, around the beginning of March, Li Yanxian, almost single-handedly, had led the remnants left behind by Fan Zhixu in Shanzhou and recaptured Shanzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shanzhou lay between the Western Capital Luoyang and the Jingzhao capital Chang'an, giving it a prominent strategic position. If Wanyan Yinshu had learned of this at the foot of Zhongyang Mountain at that time, then his turning back was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, despite Li Yanxian's great achievement, the Zhao Emperor did not immediately give him a formal pronouncement. Instead, he waited another two days until Pivot Minister Yuwen Xuzhong presented the matter in public, and only then did Zhao Jiu bestow rewards upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Appoint Li Yanxian as Pacification Commissioner of Shanzhou!\" Under the slanting spring sunlight, the Zhao Emperor, clad in a large red robe, spoke without even a furrow of his brow. \"The Privy Council and the Imperial Camp are to immediately deliberate on the relevant official rank and gracious rewards, and they must be delivered swiftly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuwen Xuzhong, dressed in a purple robe, stood motionless before the imperial presence. Another high-ranking official in purple, namely the other Pivot Minister Wang Boyan, along with the fully armored Imperial Camp Commander-in-Chief Wang Yuan, immediately stepped forward. They paused briefly, and seeing no one object to the appointment of Pacification Commissioner, they then solemnly accepted the order, after which the three of them returned to their respective positions in the ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let it be said that this meeting held at the foot of Fangcheng Mountain was not an ordinary meeting of the Chancellery, but a grand court assembly that gathered all the civil and military officials of the court, the generals of the Imperial Camp, and the remaining local civil and military officials of Jingxi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, such an event should have been held after the Emperor arrived at Nanyang, which was only a hundred li from here, and it should have been held in the temporary palace that Liu Ji (the Fiscal Commissioner of Jingxi) had painstakingly built for the Emperor. By then, everyone would have washed away the dust of travel and refreshed their spirits, naturally making things more efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some unknown reason, following the Emperor's own proposal, this grand court assembly, which everyone had long anticipated, was ultimately held in a muddled fashion right there in the wilderness at the foot of Fangcheng Mountain, with only a curtain screen set up on either side… The Emperor even refused to ascend the famous Golden Peak of Fangcheng Mountain to hold the meeting using the temples and Daoist abbeys on the summit, and he also declined the suggestion to enter the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the accompanying Imperial Camp Central Army soldiers numbered over ten thousand, displaying their might with great fanfare. Arrayed according to their respective units, they filled nearly half the wilderness at the foot of Fangcheng Mountain. Looking out from the small hill by the mountain where the meeting was held, it did indeed have a certain imposing air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, there was also discussion about this matter among the court. Some idle people naturally only said that the Emperor was being willful and impatient again. But aside from that, those with true insight believed that the Emperor was using the wilderness and the armed soldiers to remind the assembled ministers that, although Nanyang was right before them, the nation was still in a time of crisis, and they should maintain a sense of urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, a very small minority believed that the Emperor had always placed great importance on military affairs, and he might simply have felt it necessary to respect the frontline generals and saw no need to delay, so he directly held the court assembly at this crossroads location, with no other considerations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the present, after Li Yanxian's great merit was settled, Lu Haowen and Xu Jingheng, the two Chancellors of the Eastern Administration, stepped forward in turn to present various matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In various parts of Jingxi—Ruzhou, Caizhou, Yingchang Prefecture, Henan Prefecture (where the Western Capital Luoyang is located), as well as Shanzhou in Guanzhong and the commanderies of Jingzhao—there are all vacancies. Your ministers, having received your command, have drafted appointments for each location and respectfully request Your Majesty's review.\" Lu Haowen, naturally also in a purple robe with a hard-winged hat, took a document from his sleeve and stepped forward from the ranks for the fourth time with a solemn expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I trust the Chancellors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief eunuch of the Palace Domestic Service, Lan Gui, quickly ran down to receive the document. Zhao Jiu opened it, looked it over, then closed it again and handed it back to Lan Gui, instructing him to keep it carefully. \"But I have one word… Appointments of this kind must take into account the opinions of the various Defense Commissioners, Control Commissioners, and Pacification Commissioners. They are facing the enemy at the front and always have reasons for their provisional appointments. Do not casually replace those they have temporarily appointed. And if there is indeed a conflict in appointments, you must arrange proper positions for those being replaced and provide reassurance… You must understand that at this time, everything is focused on resisting the Jin. The rear must not easily contend with those on the front lines.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your minister understands the stakes involved.\" Lu Haowen waited quietly for the Emperor to finish speaking before solemnly acknowledging the order, then slowly withdrew back into the ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Lu Haowen withdrew, it was not the other Chancellor, Xu Jingheng, who followed, but rather the Acting Censor-in-Chief, Zhang Jun, dressed in a crimson robe, who stepped forward and reported with a bold air: \"Your Majesty, the Censorate has a deliberation… Previously, when the Jin army invaded Jingxi, many prefectures fell, and there were numerous instances of officials suffering defeat, losing territory, and abandoning the people. More than a month ago, at Bagong Mountain in Shouzhou, Your Majesty issued a clear decree, stating that as long as Your Majesty and the court did not retreat, officials were not permitted to retreat again. Now, we beg to ask how this should be handled, and we request Your Majesty's clear instruction!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as these words were spoken, several officials in crimson robes standing behind the four Chancellors, level with the remonstrance officials, including even one official in a purple robe, immediately changed color, then became tense and uneasy. Among them, the Prefect of Tangzhou, Yan Xiaozhong, who had indeed 'lost his territory and been captured,' had a dark complexion that made it impossible to tell whether he had 'changed color.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Zhao Emperor's expression also did not change, and he spoke without hesitation, clearly having discussed the matter privately: \"My decree has two limitations. One is geographical… With the principle that as long as I have not retreated, officials may not retreat, then wherever I am, what lies before me can be tolerated, but what lies behind me cannot. Thus, I pardoned the fugitives of Jingdong for this reason, but executed Ding Jin. Applied to the present, since I have traveled westward from the Huaihe River to this point, naturally the Jingxi North Circuit can be pardoned, but the Jingxi South Circuit cannot. The other is temporal… I issued this document at Bagong Mountain. After the decree arrives, it must naturally be followed. But if the defeat occurred before the decree arrived, it is also not appropriate to be overly harsh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, those few officials who had changed color almost all breathed a collective sigh of relief. However, seeing the Palace Censor Hu Yin standing motionless below Zhang Jun's vacant position without changing his expression, some who had heard certain rumors felt a renewed sense of doubt and alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But,\" Zhao Jiu paused slightly, then continued with a stern face, \"setting aside the decree, in the past, when Chancellor Li was alive, he often argued for severely punishing those who had excessively lost their integrity or were incompetent, in order to rectify the scholar-official ethos. Yesterday, Palace Censor Hu Yin also submitted a memorial, saying that if anyone in a high ministerial position decides the fate of millions with absurd actions, they absolutely cannot be pardoned… I quite agree! Where is Fan Zhixu, Grand Academician of the Hall for Aiding Governance and Prefect of Dengzhou?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A high-ranking official in a purple robe, whose position was second only to the four Chancellors, turned pale upon hearing this. Trembling, he stepped forward, bowed, and tried to speak, but found himself momentarily at a loss for words… He showed none of the bearing of a great minister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Academician Fan,\" Zhao Jiu frowned slightly at the sight. \"I have heard that fifteen years ago you were already promoted to Vice Director of the Right of the Secretariat, holding the substance of a chief councilor. Since then, you have held key posts in the capital and governed major commanderies without pause, truly one of the most prominent ministers in the realm. How can you be so pathetic that you cannot even manage a reply?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your… Your minister is but a civil official. I beg Your Majesty to judge me by the ancestral laws of the dynasty, and not compare me to the likes of Liu Guangshi. I only ask for an outcome like Zhang Bangchang's, and I will be grateful for Your Majesty's grace.\" Fan Zhixu, over fifty years old, was so terrified that he lost all composure for a civil official. He removed his hat and knelt directly, causing the many civil and military officials standing solemnly around to burst into an uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his words, it was clear that he knew this Emperor dared to kill high officials, and he was thus gripped by a fear of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment. This matter had been fiercely debated between him and several Chancellors and close ministers over the previous two days… But apart from Hu Yin, no one supported his desire to 'execute for the sake of the state.' And the Zhao Emperor also understood to some extent that with a secondary capital ahead and people's hearts yearning for stability, while the front lines were still struggling, actually killing Fan Zhixu would instead provoke collective discontent among the civil officials, potentially leading to serious consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially now, because he, the Zhao Emperor, had been acting so drastically, the civil officials at court were already showing signs of uniting in opposition to him. And moreover, there was a legal basis for not killing top-level scholar-officials… After the fall of the Eastern Capital, the three admonitions carved on a stone tablet by Song Taizu in the Ancestral Temple had gradually become known… He, the Zhao Emperor, naturally did not care about this, but he could not withstand the civil officials using it as a basis to oppose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be understood that no matter how high Liu Guangshi's position was, he was only a military official. Killing him would merely set no precedent and violate the system, but this matter had explicit written constraints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And given the current situation, at this moment, Zhao Jiu truly needed the civil officials to exert themselves on his behalf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it must also be said that the Zhao Emperor simultaneously felt that killing a man did not have to be done in a hurry, nor did it require a formal execution by law… Especially since this man truly could not be formally executed by law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Zhao Emperor was lost in silent thought, not only Fan Zhixu but also the several Chancellors, the standing Censor-in-Chief Zhang Deyuan, and the other officials were already in a state of utter turmoil. How could they not realize that the Zhao Emperor's killing intent had still not subsided?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough!\" Zhao Jiu suddenly sighed. \"Strip him of all his official titles and honors since his entry into service, and demote him to be placed under house arrest in Zunyi Army…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officials below almost all breathed a collective sigh of relief… Since his life could be spared, they naturally could not care about the Zhao Emperor suddenly changing to such a severe punishment, especially since this Emperor had just genuinely shown killing intent again. However, after Fan Zhixu hastily expressed his gratitude for the imperial grace, and the Personal Guards stepped forward to publicly strip him of his cap and robes and drag him out, almost everyone became confused again… What kind of place was Zunyi Army?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does anyone else have anything to present?\" Zhao Jiu watched Fan Zhixu being dragged out of the curtained enclosure before continuing to inquire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only minister standing in the center, Censor-in-Chief Zhang Jun, was about to withdraw upon hearing this, but then suddenly remembered something. It seemed that the debate over Fan Zhixu over the previous two days had been so intense that everyone had hastily forgotten it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just as Zhang Deyuan was about to take the opportunity to present his memorial, he looked up and met the Zhao Emperor's expressionless face. His heart stirred slightly, and he refrained from speaking, turning back directly… It could only be said that ever since he received that slap from his closest subordinate, Hu Yin, this foremost confidant of the Emperor had become much more composed, but he was still far superior to others in gauging the Emperor's thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that this man had originally liked to pander, but now he used a roundabout, passive approach to deal with things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as soon as Zhang Deyuan returned to his position, Hu Yin beside him and Yan Xiaozhong, the Prefect of Tangzhou, opposite him, both stepped forward simultaneously. At the same time, Liu Ji, the Fiscal Commissioner of Jingxi, who was diagonally across from him, also stirred restlessly, only refraining from immediately stepping out due to some subtle state of mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, the Censor-in-Chief once again lost his composure—how could he not realize that he had made a terrible mistake? He must understand that now, with civil and military officials gathered in force, this was no longer the Bagong Mountain of old, where he only had to keep an eye on the overly energetic Zhao Ding and be mindful of the deeply calculating young Academician Lin to handle everything!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Fangcheng Mountain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Bagong Mountain, there were only graves and military camps, but on Fangcheng Mountain, there were over a dozen Buddhist temples and Daoist abbeys alone!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention that Zhang Jun's composure, which he had suppressed for barely a month, was now stirred up. Hu Yin and Yan Xiaozhong stepped forward together. Their eyes met, and each paused for a moment, neither hiding their appreciation for the other, but neither showing any intention of yielding either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Liu Ji, the Fiscal Commissioner of Jingxi, dressed in a purple robe, could no longer restrain himself. He stepped past the two of them, cupped his hands towards the imperial seat, and said: \"Your Majesty! Your minister presumes to inquire—since Fan Zhixu is gone, who can take up the post in Dengzhou? Moreover, since Your Majesty has resolved to make Nanyang a secondary capital, should Dengzhou be elevated to Nanyang Prefecture, following the old precedent of Kaifeng Prefecture?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu smiled slightly, then actually rose from his imperial seat, walked over to Liu Ji's side, and took his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor Liu Ji, Liu Prefect, a man in his forties or fifties, was meeting this Emperor for the first time and did not know his temperament or habits. How could he withstand this? His face immediately flushed red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when Lu Haowen and the others saw this, they knew that Liu Ji would either be greatly promoted or suffer a major loss… However, even so, they still felt a twinge of jealousy, because they had loyally followed the court in its eastward and westward wanderings for nearly a year. Even if they had no great merit, they had toiled without reward, yet it seemed they had never had their hands held by the Zhao Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, these intelligent men were all well-versed in ancient and modern history. Seeing that Liu Ji, just from the Emperor taking his hand, first turned red in the face, then tears began to fall, they suddenly understood—it turned out that the Emperor taking Liu Ji's hand at this moment was not a simple and crude act of bestowing favor, but an extremely clever one!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be known that the allusion of 'shaking hands in joy' occurred between Emperor Guangwu of Han and his founding minister, Li Tong, and the location happened to be near this very Nanyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And among them, Emperor Guangwu's qualifications for restoration were, at this moment, a most fitting parallel for the Zhao Emperor, who was in the midst of his own flight. And what was the occasion for this event? It happened precisely when Liu Xiu was being pursued and had no place to stand, and Li Tong sought out Guangwu and settled him in his home in Nanyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, this performance by the Zhao Emperor was not truly impromptu. With just this one handshake, he lightly attributed the primary merit for preserving Nanyang to Liu Ji. And Liu Prefect had always sought fame. During the Jingkang Incident, he had nearly slit his own throat to die for the country. Just a few days ago, when Dengzhou was defeated and Nanyang was in its most perilous state, he had also spoken of dying, 'to show that the Great Song also has a Fiscal Commissioner willing to die for the state.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a man like this, to receive such a handshake on such an occasion would likely bewilder his senses. It could only be said that the Emperor had recently acquired capable people by his side, because with the Zhao Emperor's level of historical knowledge, he would never have thought of this method!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, although they understood that the Emperor was performing and winning hearts, the other important ministers still lost their composure. The remaining civil officials at court, who had no official posts at all, were almost green with envy… Only someone like Han Shizhong, who wore a jade belt and often looked down on scholars, stood with his chest puffed out, looking around at the scenery, and had no idea what was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, this Grand Commandant Han probably thought that Liu Ji's blubbering was quite unbecoming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The preservation of Nanyang is entirely your merit, Liu Qing,\" Zhao Jiu said slowly, holding the other man's hand. \"I had previously considered the matter of Nanyang Prefecture, thinking to simply merge Dengzhou and Tangzhou into one, restoring the Han-era scale and old system of Nanyang... And I believed at the time that for the post of Nanyang Prefect, none but Liu Qing would be adequate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing these words, the Privy Councilor Wang Boyan beside him could not restrain himself and, disregarding the occasion, let out a sigh... One must know that back in the day in Hebei, when His Majesty was still the Grand Marshal, Wang Boyan himself had shouldered bow and arrows to lead troops as his escort. At a time when everyone generally believed the capital should be moved to Chang'an, His Majesty had also taken his hand and said, 'When I see the Emperor in the future, I will surely make you the Capital Prefect of Jingzhao'... In the blink of an eye, over a year had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, at this point, one could only borrow His Majesty's clever words falsely attributed to the Hermit of Yi'an: things are the same, but people are different—everything comes to a halt!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after this moment of reflection, based on that very sentence, Wang Boyan instantly concluded that this Liu Prefect had a great future ahead of him, and might even enter the central government to replace people like himself as a Councilor. But the supremely honored and important post of Nanyang Prefect was definitely not in his destiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I thought it over later,\" Zhao Jiu continued earnestly, still holding Liu Ji's hand. \"Liu Qing, your ability in logistics and construction is truly outstanding. There is a crucial place, far more important than Nanyang, where I must rely on you—and can only rely on you. I hope that Liu Qing will take the post of Pacification Commissioner for the Jingxi South Circuit while concurrently governing Xiangzhou, stationed in Xiangyang, to oversee for me the transport of supplies from Shu, the Southeast, and Jingxiang via the Dajiang and Han Rivers... You must understand, Liu Qing is a figure like Xiao He—I need you to manage affairs behind me. How could I use you as a mere Prefect?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ji's face was streaming with tears, and he immediately agreed repeatedly, almost swearing to die for His Majesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the matter of Nanyang Prefecture, let Tangzhou Prefect Yan Qing handle it temporarily,\" Zhao Jiu said casually, seeing that Liu Ji had agreed. This remark turned Yan Xiaozhong, who had just stepped forward to inquire about the matter, into a dark-red-faced man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty,\" at this moment, the Palace Censor Hu Yin beside Yan Xiaozhong could not help but remind him, \"The defending official of Xiangyang, Fan Qiong, has yet to arrive, and he has harbored the criminal subject Zongyin—his intentions are worthy of death!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a few steps away, the young Academician Lin, who had been uneasy in spirit lately, suddenly thought of something—in this way, hadn't all the old officials of Nanyang been cleared out in one fell swoop?\u003C\u002Fp>",4061,"2026-06-06T07:45:46.639Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","6dbaa90cf99e588c51f3e9d3bdeaf4fcb74a343ae6de7a704f7641578fd05b49","shao-song-chapter-98","shao-song-chapter-96",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]