Grenade Fears Water
Chapter 46: Inside the Tent (Part 1)
The story goes that, whether or not Scholar Lin seconded the motion, it didn't affect the rare show of spine from the two East and West Prime Ministers, Lü Haowen and Wang Boyan!
After all, the previous issues were acceptable, including allowing Li Gang to assist the imperial heir in the event of an emergency. These were all open to discussion. Everyone knew that the current situation was tantamount to national subjugation, and who knew when this small court and half-nation would collapse? Were the 20,000-plus Jin troops just across the river a figment of the imagination?
However, even so, if the idea of "losing the Song but not the world" and "taking the land for our own use" could pass through the two houses and be issued as a formal edict, then even if Lü Haowen and Wang Boyan managed to survive the Jin onslaught at Mount Bagong alongside Zhao Jiu, they deserved to be held down by Li Gang, Zhang Que, Xu Jingheng, and other scholar-officials and drowned in the Huai River.
In fact, even if Zhao Jiu wanted to privately convey these words to important officials like Li Gang and Zong Ze through an imperial order, it was almost impossible. Besides Scholar Lin who seconded the motion, everyone else reacted strongly to Zhao Jiu's words. Even the radical faction, led by Secretariat Drafter Hu Yin, who usually cooperated with Zhao Jiu, expressed direct opposition. Yang Yizhong, most devastated of all, knelt down and wept!
However, after all the commotion, everything Zhao Jiu wanted to say and do, except for that final sentence, was basically accomplished.
"Therefore, once the war begins, regardless of north or south, young or old, everyone has a duty to defend the land and resist the Jin!"
"Read the next one!" In the central tent of the Jin Kingdom's Huaibei camp, Wuzhu showed impatience. "Military Advisor Shi has repeated it; this is the first one..."
"Yes!"
Shi Wenbin, the military advisor who had once again narrowly escaped the wrath of the Jin Fourth Prince, quickly put down the document. He picked up another one from the desk. This time, he glanced at it first to make sure it wasn't a duplicate before continuing to read, "I, by the grace of Heaven..."
"Just get to the point; we've heard that many times!" This time, it wasn't Wuzhu who was impatient, but Commander Elubu who slammed the table and reprimanded him. "Although all the tribes in the world understand the Han language, what's the point of repeating these roundabout words over and over?"
"Yes, yes!"
"This decree is actually announcing the appointment of Li Gang, the prime minister raising troops in Yangzhou, promoting him to the level of Pingzhang Jun Guo Zhongshi, overseeing all three provinces..." Shi Wenbin quickly scanned the decree and explained to Elubu and all the Jurchen, Khitan, Xí, and Han generals in the tent.
"Isn't Li Gang already the Song people's foremost prime minister?" someone couldn't help but ask. "If he's promoted again, isn't it just an empty title?"
"It's different."
Although there were many Song Dynasty defectors in the tent, most were afraid to speak rashly. Shi Wenbin hurried to explain. "This decree, combined with the previous decree in which the Zhao Song emperor declared that he would never retreat, implies entrusting the empire to him… In the event that the Fourth Prince is victorious and the Zhao emperor collapses, Li Gang can easily support a new ruler in Yangzhou along with Empress Dowager Meng!"
"That makes sense." Wuzhu nodded in realization, but then frowned slightly. "But Military Advisor Shi, what do you mean by 'in the event I am victorious'?"
Shi Wenbin was so frightened that the hairs on his body stood on end. He immediately fell to his knees with a thud.
"Get up." Without waiting for the other to apologize, Wuzhu waved impatiently. "I didn't kill you the previous two times you brought back that kind of reply. Why would I kill you for this today? Even if I wanted to kill you, I'd have to wait until you finish reading this pile of stolen Song documents!"
"If there are any more documents, read them quickly!" General Ali also grew impatient. "Don't delay things!"
Shi Wenbin hastily thanked him and scrambled to his feet. He rummaged through the pile for a long time and finally found another unread document. However, after glancing at it, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Why are you crying again?" Wuzhu was utterly speechless.
"Reporting to the Fourth Prince," Shi Wenbin said, struggling to hold back his tears, but unable to stop them from flowing. "This is a document addressed to all defectors from the Jingkang Incident until the recent New Year… It says that before the New Year, because of the Jin army… because our great Jin army is powerful, and we should not force people to do things against their will, those Song Dynasty civil and military officials who were unarmed or exhausted after fighting to the end, and were forced by the Jin people to temporarily submit to the Jin court or army, can all be pardoned and allowed to return to the Song… Except for three types of people!"
"Which three?" Wuzhu glanced at Shi Wenbin, who was crying uncontrollably in front of him, and then looked at the numerous defectors in the tent, who were momentarily stirred up. He asked coldly.
"First, those military commissioners who violated orders, falsely reported military intelligence, or fled without a fight, such as Liu Guangshi. Second, those who acted as accomplices, committing acts of attacking and suppressing the Song army, state officials, and civilians, such as Liu Yu, the governor of Jinan. Third… third, those who have accepted military positions in the Jin army, offered strategies, and hold positions in the enemy country, such as Shi Wenbin, the magistrate of Yishui…" After struggling to finish reading, Shi Wenbin tried to control his emotions, but tears still flowed down his face like a river.
After a moment of thought, Wuzhu suddenly stroked his beard and laughed loudly. After laughing, he shook his head repeatedly, "Old Shi, I understand… This actually means that everyone is pardoned, but you three are just too conspicuous, so you can't be pardoned no matter what! Otherwise, even though the world is vast, how would the Zhao Song emperor across the river ever have heard of anyone like you three?"
Shi Wenbin wept even more upon hearing this.
Wuzhu found it amusing, but he repeatedly urged the other to continue reading the decrees… After Shi Wenbin finished reading them breathlessly, the Fourth Prince finally waved away the irrelevant people. He then gathered with Generals Ali and Elubu, as well as seventeen or eighteen Jurchen, Khitan, and Xí Meng'an (commanders of a thousand households). He even left behind the Song traitor certified by the official Imperial Song, Military Advisor Shi Wenbin, holding an expanded military meeting.
"No matter what, these documents only prove that my plan has succeeded!" Wuzhu raised his head and puffed out his chest, showing none of the discomposure he had felt the previous night when he personally whipped Shi Wenbin a dozen times after seeing that silk scroll. "The Song emperor has been provoked by me and is issuing decrees randomly. Most importantly, he's not running away now! The day after tomorrow, we can try to build a pontoon bridge and cross the Huai River!"
"Why so hastily?" Ali couldn't help but frown and question. "I don't understand the Song emperor's decrees, but it seems to be true that the Fourth Prince's plan has succeeded. Since the Song emperor has clearly issued decrees saying that he will defend Mount Bagong and not retreat a single step, and has also allowed his prime minister to take the imperial heir behind to prepare for the worst… why are we still in such a hurry to cross the Huai River? Can't we be more cautious and wait for more supplies to be ready?"
"There are three reasons," Wuzhu replied proudly, with an air of confidence.
ps: Thanks to the new alliance master 君忆星. Needless to say, he is also an old book friend… but why does the former General Zhengxi of Han want to be a group leader?