Chapter 1283: There Is Still a Chance for Revival and Restoration

With such overwhelming momentum in their favor, they never thought of changing the dynasty, never thought of granting offices and promising rewards, never tried to win over hearts and minds, never even had the gentry and wealthy clearly state their stance or lay out their terms. All they knew was to demand money, demand craftsmen who could generate profit, demand ports open to trade, demand that their own goods be exempt from taxation. Compared to the realm, compared to the hearts of the gentry, what do these things even count for? If this isn't shortsightedness, what is?

In fact, precisely because the Zhao Family Army put forward such terms, Minister of Personnel Zhao Nanxing even wanted to negotiate. He felt that since the other side was so mercenary and so crassly profit-driven, couldn't they be swayed with wealth and goods? And since this was peace talks, one side named a price and the other bargained — there had to be some back-and-forth. If he could spend more silver and coin to preserve the territory, then perhaps there was still a chance for revival. If he could reduce the silver and coin demanded, that would also be a merit — far better than being made the scapegoat later.

Moreover, every minister and eunuch in the delegation shared a very consistent view of these young men of the Zhao Family Army. They felt that these youths were not necessarily without a heart inclined toward good. Though they had committed such lawless and monstrous evils, they displayed no arrogant or domineering words or conduct. In dealing with others, they were very proper and measured; though cold, the decorum remained.

Could it be that behind these young men, there truly was some deeply wicked, cunning, and treacherous figure pulling the strings? If they could persuade these few to turn from evil and toward good, then the situation could be reversed in an instant. At the very least, because of that, the terms of these peace talks could be made somewhat more favorable to the Great Ming.

Only, everyone had misjudged. Zhao Jin was not arrogant in any way, nor did he display any viciousness or ill temper. At all times, he maintained the courtesy and deference of a young man toward his elders. It was just that once he laid out these terms, he would not yield a single inch.

"Your Excellency, in meeting me this time, you have only two options to choose from: agree or disagree."

"Since these are peace talks, can there be no discussion?"

"There can be discussion, but the terms I have proposed cannot be reduced or altered."

"Can they truly not be reduced?"

"They cannot!"

"What kind of reasoning is this? Since these are peace talks, discussion means give and take. Am I not even permitted to reject something?"

"You may reject, but the terms I have proposed cannot be reduced or altered."

"The Southern Metropolitan Region is the land where the dragon arose. Can this be discussed?"

"If the lands north of the Yangtze are not given, I will immediately lead troops to assault the capital."

Everyone who attempted to negotiate came away utterly humiliated, without a single victory. The situation was critical; the other side could march on the capital at any moment, and the likelihood of them taking it was high. Under such circumstances, not the slightest concession could be wrung out. They could only agree to every term put forward by Xuzhou. By now, the envoys were instead congratulating themselves — it was truly fortunate that this Zhao Family Army had risen from the countryside and had a rather narrow vision, not putting forward too many demands. Otherwise, there would truly have been no way to negotiate.

"If you submit to the imperial court now, being enfeoffed as a king is not out of the question. The fief could be Shandong and the Southern Metropolitan Region's lands north of the Yangtze — eternal wealth and nobility, and you could cease war and have peace. What is so bad about that?"

"Young Master Zhao can be enfeoffed as a king. Young Master Zhao's several brothers, talents such as yourselves, could be enfeoffed as marquises and dukes. Surely that is better than waging great war, braving life and death."

Once it was certain that the terms could not be softened, the envoys instead became unrestrained. They began to offer Zhao Jin and his companions all sorts of conditions. Deep down, they still harbored some thought of persuading the other side, of using stratagems. They felt that they, having navigated the treacherous waters of politics and officialdom for many years, were surely superior to these few green youths. While laying out various conditions, they artfully sowed discord.

But the result left them rather disheartened. Let the wind howl and the rain lash — I remain unmoved as a mountain. These several young men all seemed utterly impervious to any persuasion.

Though they had not succeeded in persuading them, no one felt particularly disheartened or disappointed. They even breathed a sigh of relief — this errand was finally done. Reading history or hearing others recount it, the peace talks between the Northern Song and the Jin, and between the Southern Song and the Mongols, were all utterly humiliating, every step fraught with terror, with envoys even being directly seized and taken to the north to be confined and suffer in misery. But these peace talks were clean and efficient, without the slightest dragging of feet.

More crucially, all the various terms reached could be covered up with a different phrasing. The officials and offices of the Great Ming still remained, so one could hardly speak of ceding territory or the like. Even without these Xuzhou bandits, weren't the local government offices everywhere bullied to the point of suffocation by powerful families and gentry? Now it was merely a change of personnel. Since that was the case, they need not worry about leaving behind a bad name in public opinion and the history books, and in officialdom, they would not be unable to recover. Zhao Nanxing had even already thought of a way for his own comeback.

Regardless of whether they were forced to shoulder the blame and be scapegoats, the civil officials in the delegation all planned to retire on grounds of age or illness after returning. The current situation was far too complicated. Though these Xuzhou bandits were shortsighted, for now they were still fierce and difficult to oppose. The Great Ming was grievously wounded in vitality, and no one could say what upheavals might follow. It would not be too late for everyone to return and observe for the time being.

During these peace talks, quite a few people made hints to Zhao Jin and his brothers. As long as they made a gesture, these officials were immediately willing to "condescend to serve." However, these young Xuzhou bandit chiefs were utterly impervious to such overtures and gave no response at all. Many in the delegation, whether on their own account or entrusted by others, had come with intentions of currying favor and defecting. In their minds, for bandits like these who had achieved such a situation through martial valor alone, if they wanted to grow larger and seek greater things, they would inevitably need the help of scholars to establish a proper system, even if just for appearances.

They themselves were court ministers, renowned scholars of the realm — figures one would have to invite several times just to secure their presence. Now that they were taking the initiative to show goodwill, shouldn't these ignorant Xuzhou local bandits be beside themselves with joy? To do so was already a loss of face. If not for the consideration that Xuzhou was close to Jiangnan, where there were still many figures waiting with open doors to offer their services, how could they have been so disregardful of their own dignity?

Unexpectedly, the hints were useless. Some who were driven to desperation privately made explicit overtures, yet Zhao Jin's side still ignored them. This truly filled the envoys with soaring resentment. Truly, they had eyes but failed to recognize gold inlaid with jade. How could bandits who so disregarded scholars possibly last long? They were indeed shortsighted local bandits. Though no one discussed it with each other, they all arrived at the same thought: such bandits must be exterminated as thoroughly as possible. These were outlaws irreconcilably opposed to the scholarly class.

Compared to everyone else's various hidden agendas, Wang Zaijin's attitude was just as peculiar as his identity and his act of volunteering for the mission. When they left the capital together, every envoy, from Zhao Nanxing on down, had worried that Wang Zaijin would fail to read the situation, that he would obstruct and make difficulties over the terms proposed by the other side, fighting for the Great Ming's interests and the like. Those were the court's interests anyway, and had nothing to do with them. If Wang Zaijin, out of principle and personal grudges, refused to yield a single step, then none of them would have any way to account for themselves. They had to remember that this new Minister of War was not an unlucky wretch shouldering blame and responsibility like the other envoys. Yet, to everyone's surprise, Wang Zaijin raised no dispute over any of the terms proposed by the Zhao Family Army.

At every official peace talk meeting, Wang Zaijin was present, but he never uttered a single word. After Zhao Nanxing and the other few agreed, he would also nod. He turned a blind eye to everyone's acts of hinting and fawning, and offered no opinion on any step of the peace talks. This wooden, indifferent state struck everyone as strange. But since no one wanted to stir up trouble, it suited them all just fine. Such silence even made Zhao Nanxing nervous, suspecting that this man was looking for evidence to use in a lethal attack later. In the end, however, there was still no movement.

As the peace talks drew to a close, the ministers and eunuchs of the delegation watched the various Xuzhou troops converge on Tianjin, including those several battalions that had threatened the capital and bombarded the city. Moreover, these movements were not concealed from them in the slightest.

"Could it be that the bandit army's lair truly faces some crisis, which is why they are in such a hurry to conclude peace talks and return? Did we agree too hastily?"

"I observe that the bandit army places no restrictions on our coming and going. Why not send an urgent message back to the capital, have the court muster troops to tail the bandit army, and also dispatch fast riders posthaste to Nanjing, ordering Jiangnan to raise a great army? With forces converging from all directions to exterminate the bandits, perhaps a great victory is possible!"

Normally, in such peace talks, each side should display its might, show its own strength, so as not to be underestimated by the other, and thereby secure the best price. Yet this Zhao Family Army seemed utterly ignorant of these rules and principles, preparing to withdraw on their own accord. Wasn't this openly telling everyone they were in a hurry to leave? Since they were no longer threatening the capital, what was the rush in these peace talks? What was there still to discuss about these terms? It seemed there might be room to maneuver after all.

It was only at this juncture that Wang Zaijin spoke: "Gentlemen, if the bandit army were to strike at the capital again, does the capital have any method to repel the enemy?" "Gentlemen, if we send troops to tail them, or muster troops for a joint encirclement, and the matter is leaked, can any of you guarantee certain victory?"

No one dared give a definite answer. A method to repel the enemy? A guarantee of certain victory? If such methods existed, why would they be suffering through these peace talks here? Yet the fact that the Xuzhou bandit army was retreating in such haste still made everyone's hearts itch unbearably. What if, by some chance, they could reverse this perilous situation? That would be a monumental, world-sustaining achievement, bringing unimaginable wealth and rank upon them.

"Gentlemen, whether or not the bandit army's lair has troubles is not something we can fathom. Do you gentlemen still not understand? This capital region and its vital environs — the bandit army comes and goes as it pleases, and we do not have the slightest power to interfere or obstruct." Wang Zaijin's expression was deeply despondent as he spoke these words, just as it had been after that defeat in battle.

His words naturally greatly displeased the other civil officials in the delegation, and even the eunuchs. Someone immediately questioned him: "Then why is the bandit army in such a hurry to leave? If there truly was a good opportunity and we let it slip by, then we would be the sinners against this realm and its altars."

"Indeed. If our dynasty were conducting peace talks with the Mongols or the Jurchens, both sides would make a great show of force, each fearing the other was not afraid enough, each fearing they had not pressured the other enough. But has no one noticed? These Xuzhou troops come when they say they will come, and leave when they say they will leave, utterly unconcerned with avoiding our notice. It is because we do not exist in their eyes. In their eyes, the Great Ming does not exist at all!"

When these words were spoken, everyone first felt anger, and then dejection. Because Wang Zaijin's words, though unpleasant to hear, contained not the slightest falsehood. Everything he said was the truth. Upon careful thought, those wishful hopes would vanish like smoke. After the dejection came despair and hopelessness. Even Zhao Nanxing, who had been constantly scheming for his own sake, looked utterly despondent, and even, uncharacteristically, exchanged a word with Wang Zaijin: "Is it truly over, then?"

"There is still a chance for revival and restoration!" Wang Zaijin said with great firmness.

Going out for a walk, talking about life with old friends, confiding in each other about the past — truly delightful. It's just that I drank a bit too much...

Should have come out sooner; my state is rapidly improving for the better.

Thanks to old friends "Yuan Heng Li Zhen, Duan Yichen, Yu Village, Qi Sanwen, Blessing of the Light Angel, Wind Dragon King" for the tips, and thanks to everyone for the subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you all.