Chapter 117 Three Decrees

Zhao Jiu learned about the death of Xiyin in late May, and at the same time, he also learned about the deaths of Wanyan Wuben, Wanyan Hala, and the Qin Hui couple.

To be fair, he was a little caught off guard... How could they all be dead? If they were all dead, what was he still fussing about?

At that moment, he had the intention of turning back south, because the south was already well prepared.

Of course, this official quickly regained his clarity, which was that the deaths of these people, whether it was so-and-so who died encountering the 'Khitan bandits', or Xiyin who publicly committed suicide in Huanglong Prefecture, were essentially caused by him and the Song Dynasty.

There was no need to dwell on the specific form.

Moreover, now that things had come to this point, he had to give Saibei a conclusion and give the entire war a result.

With this thought, Zhao Jiu immediately issued a decree appointing Liu Hongdao, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War who had just arrived at Juhua Island as a special envoy from Tokyo, to temporarily act as the Liaodong Pacification Commissioner, and also issued an edict summoning important officials and leaders from East Mongolia, Goryeo, Khitan, Xi, and Bohai to come to Juhua Island to witness the final surrender of the Jin Kingdom.

Of course, he had to comply with the people's wishes and let Yue Fei bring back the three Xuan Kings—originally, it would have been more appropriate for Liu Yan, who was already dealing with some public and private affairs in Liaoyang, to do this job. It seemed like a waste of talent to have Yue Fei, a Marshal, do it, but Zhao Jiu knew that after the Nuzhen's mess, there was no real war to speak of in Saibei. It seemed that Yue Fei's presence in Juhua Island to support him was the real use of his abilities.

Enough idle talk. Time passed by, and Zhao Guan's family allowed Yanjing and Tokyo to do their own thing, while he himself lingered and waited in the narrow mountain and sea pass north of Yuguan and south of Yiwulü Mountain.

Sometimes he went to the island, sometimes on land, sometimes he climbed mountains, sometimes he waded in water. Most of the time he was writing his *Miscellaneous Records of the Journey to the West to Subdue Demons*, and occasionally he needed to deal with some political disturbances.

The so-called disturbances were naturally brought by envoys from all sides.

Among them, there were not only envoys sent by the various tribes of Saibei, who had heard the news of the summons and were testing the waters with various reactions, but also envoys from other countries who had learned of the war's outcome relatively late and had a longer journey.

Of course, Western Liao was indispensable. Although they had received repeated promises from Zhao Guan's family, Tokyo, and Yanjing, their envoys still came in batches, just waiting for Zhao Guan's family to finally decide to send tens of thousands of strong Nuzhen men and hundreds of thousands of families of various ethnic groups to the Western Regions to consolidate the foundation of their country.

Western Liao was the western barrier of the country in Zhao Jiu's mind. Not to mention that they could still fleece sheep, even if they couldn't fleece sheep, it was worth supporting and assisting them unconditionally. And the special national conditions of Western Liao, with tens of thousands of people facing thousands of miles of land, also led them to almost accept any input of population with similar culture... Not to mention Khitans and Nuzhens, Zhao Jiu even planned to send some knowledgeable and reasonable Yanyun clans over, and in the future, criminals and demoted officials could also be appropriately exported, and Western Liao had no reason to refuse.

No matter how chaotic the imported population here was, it was more trustworthy than the Gaochang people and the religious Turkic and Karakhan people, right?

Therefore, this all-round alliance between the Song Dynasty and Western Liao was almost a natural alliance. As long as future generations did not create any problems, it would continue for a considerable period of time.

Of course, this was also the fundamental reason why Zhao Jiu urgently wanted to convene a meeting of all forces in Saibei, because not every neighbor was Western Liao, and he needed a formal framework.

In addition, the Gao clan of Dali and the Li clan of Vietnam also sent batches of congratulatory envoys. There was a wave from Taiyuan-Yuancheng, a wave from Huolu, and a wave from the Nuzhens fleeing Yanjing. Basically, they were reactions after obtaining news from Tokyo and realizing that the world was about to change and hurriedly reporting back to their countries. Even Japan, after Huolu, because of Minamoto Tametomo and Taira Kiyomori writing letters to their country, caused Taira Tadamori to come to court again.

All in all, in the past, it would have been considered a small gathering of all nations.

Moreover, it did indeed include the main neighboring countries of the Song Dynasty.

However, the envoys were not only from foreign countries. These days, or rather, after the news of Zhao Guan's family leaving Yuguan was spread, Tokyo also began to send special envoys non-stop, and repeatedly made formal requests to return to the capital.

Putting aside other things, just talking about Tokyo, to be honest, Zhao Jiu certainly understood their anxiety, but he had already made up his mind and did not have the slightest soft heart. Basically, all the special envoys sent were sent to the north to be employed and used under the command of Yanjing... Liu Hongdao was a typical example, but it was not just Liu Hongdao. Before and after him, quite a few large and small officials from Tokyo were dealt with in this way.

And soon, the Secret Pavilion of Tokyo also realized the problem, or rather, began to become more sophisticated. For example, after Liu Hongdao, they sent Zhao Shiyan, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan who was more concerned with formalities but had great political influence, to come and pay his respects.

But this official immediately issued an edict after hearing the relevant news, ordering the Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan, who was still on the road, to directly turn to Huolu to worship the martyred soldiers, and then go to Yanjing to establish a place of worship modeled after Yue Fei's platform. The Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan originally came with a political mission, but after receiving the new mission from Zhao Guan's family and thinking about the matter of comforting his eldest son's soul, he simply abandoned Tokyo's challenge and wholeheartedly did what the official wanted, and of course, he also went to Yanjing to be arranged.

From beginning to end, he never left Yuguan.

After the Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan, Lü Benzhong simply came... Everyone knew that this was just a famous playboy who only knew how to write poetry. It was like throwing a meat bun at the official; no one would care if it was gone... But even so, Zhao Guan's family was still calm and collected. Anyway, he was short of writers, so he accepted it without hesitation and summoned the other party to Juhua Island to accompany him.

During this period, Lü Benzhong was initially a little uneasy because of the pre-war exhortations, which led to Zhao Jiu personally comforting him, which was an insignificant matter.

And finally, in June, when many Saibei envoys arrived at Juhua Island one after another, Tokyo's 'big move' also arrived... Concubine Pan Xian, with the seven-year-old Princess Yiyou, appeared outside Yuguan.

Zhao Guan's family, who had long known that the mother and daughter were coming, and even approved it himself, was quite calm about this.

There was no reason to push his wife and daughter away.

Therefore, while Zhao Jiu allowed Concubine Pan and his daughter to accompany him, he sent Shao Chengzhang to return to Yanjing to inquire about the health of Chancellor Lü Yihao and to tidy up the old palaces of Liao and Jin in Yanjing as a place for Concubine Pan and her daughter to stay when they returned... Obviously, even Concubine Pan had been 'naturalized' by Yanjing.

It was entirely conceivable that after this incident, Tokyo would inevitably become more panicked, but there was no need to think too much about it for the time being, because not long after Concubine Pan and Princess Yiyou arrived at Juhua Island, everyone who should have come had come, and even those who shouldn't have come had come.

The seven or eight Mongolian leaders led by Habu Khan of East Mongolia, the seven or eight Khitan clan leaders led by Yelu Yudu, the Goryeo marshal Kim Busik, the Bohai clans, the five Xiao of the Xi, plus the three Jin kings who were about to arrive, these were the objects that Zhao Jiu had clearly or approximately summoned, and were the main parties involved in this meeting on Juhua Island.

It was only natural that they came.

As for the Western Liao envoys, the Dali Gao clan envoys, the Vietnamese Li clan envoys, and Taira Tadamori from Japan, although these people were not summoned by Zhao Jiu, they happened to be there, and at the very least, they could act as the atmosphere group... Moreover, they were indeed the objects of future extension of some matters, so it was better to have them than not to have them.

However, Wang Tuoli of West Mongolia, after hearing the relevant news, actually disregarded everything and led only a hundred or so riders to travel lightly through Dading Prefecture, even faster than the five Xiao of the Xi clan, which really made Zhao Jiu have to admire this guy's loyalty.

Relatively speaking, it seemed a little insincere that King Wang Kai of Goryeo suddenly sent the old minister Kim In-cun directly from Gaegyeong... At the very least, he should have come in person. Who was he looking down on?

In fact, compared to other envoys, and even tribal leaders who were summoned and even participated in the prior discussion of certain matters, Kim In-cun had not been summoned for seven or eight days after arriving on the island, and even when Kim Busik went to question Kim Busik after arriving on the island, he only ended up in a quarrel.

However, Kim In-cun was finally notified that on June 17, he would have the opportunity to meet the Emperor, because the protagonist of this Juhua Island conference had finally arrived—Wanyan Digunai, Wanyan Wulu, and Heshilie Liangbi had arrived in Jinzhou together and would land on the island to enter the Dalong Palace Temple to pay homage to Zhao Guan's family.

The reason why it took more than a month to arrive here was that the Jin Kingdom also had to bring over the former puppet Qi ruler Liu Yu, Fu Liang, one of the two towns in Hebei established by Li Gang but who sold Chang'an, and Li Qi, the Deputy Commander of the Navy, and other obvious Zhao Song traitors and generals from Huining Prefecture at the same time. At the same time, they also had to try to collect the gold, silver, pearls, jade, and other valuable treasures stored in Huining Prefecture and Huanglong Prefecture and deliver them together to show their sincerity.

With all kinds of matters properly arranged, and then coming with Yue Fei, it was actually considered fast.

Of course, regardless of whether it was fast or slow, it did not delay Liu Yan, the Prince of Liaoyang, from hurrying back after hearing the news.

"Your Majesty's divine troops swept across the land, stabilizing the world, expanding the territory in the east, west, south, and north. The Chinese and barbarians all surrendered at the sound of the wind. Your achievements shine in the records, and your mighty spirit shakes the heavens and the earth... At this opportunity, blessed by your Majesty's holy grace, I am summoned to meet you. Goryeo vows to uphold the righteousness of sovereign and subject and to cultivate the duties of a vassal state for generations. My loyalty is as clear as the bright sun. If there is any change, may the gods strike me down."

In the tenth year of Jianyan, on the morning of June 17, the sun was bright. In an ancient temple by the sea, an open-air conference related to the order of the entire northern frontier for decades or even hundreds of years began. But at the very beginning, the old Goryeo minister Kim In-cun took the opportunity to greet the emperor and tried to blackmail him... With Zhao Jiu's order, everyone else stood up and returned to their positions, but only he lay on the ground respectfully saying the words that this official's ears had been hearing so much these days that they were about to get calluses.

It was really a bit immoral.

"Scholar Kim..."

Zhao Jiu was too lazy to fool around with him and directly interrupted him in public. "Did you say these words to some Jin nobles ten years ago?"

"Your Majesty sees everything clearly and has an unforgettable memory."

The white-haired Kim In-cun directly raised his head and said earnestly, "These words are exactly what Kim Busik, the ruler of our country at the time, said in his memorial to the Jin people, congratulating the Jin people on capturing Tokyo and completing the Jingkang Disaster... My writing is insufficient, so I used them."

Zhao Jiu was stunned for a moment, and then dumbfounded—was that really the case?

In fact, not only Zhao Jiu, but all the envoys from various countries, the tribal leaders, and the Song civil and military officials present, as well as the monks from the Dalong Palace Temple who were serving cold drinks and seafood, were all numbed by this Goryeo envoy.

It could only be said that Goryeo produced talented people! Marshal Kim Busik was already very remarkable, but now an old man who came to meet the Emperor on behalf of the King was also so excessive.

"Is that so?"

Zhao Jiu came back to his senses, suppressed his inner desire to complain, and forced himself to look at Kim Busik on the side. "Minister Kim, is that the case?"

"To let Your Majesty know, this article is indeed what Han Fang and I wrote ten years ago... The first half is what Han Fang said in Goryeo, boasting about the military achievements of the Jingkang Disaster, and the second half is part of the memorial I wrote on behalf of Goryeo." Kim Busik didn't know what to think in his heart, but his face was extremely calm. He calmly stepped forward and replied calmly, "I have made Your Majesty laugh."

Of course, he was laughing. In fact, not only Zhao Guan's family was laughing, but this matter was made in front of so many envoys and important officials, and it was feared that the whole world would laugh together.

Moreover, the joke was twofold. One was that Kim Busik and Goryeo's repeated changes made people laugh, and the other was that Goryeo's internal infighting to prevent Kim Busik, who already had military power, from gaining a reputation from Zhao Jiu was almost self-harming, which made people laugh.

It could only be said that Kim Busik's psychological quality was a bit too strong.

Of course, Zhao Guan's family was not someone to be trifled with. He hesitated for a moment and simply said directly in public:

"In that case, Minister Kim, would you like me to issue a clear decree, announcing to the world, and make you the King of Goryeo? I can crown you in public today, and save Goryeo from being laughed at again?"

Kim In-cun, who was ordered to come, turned pale. How could he have imagined that his plan to provoke, which sacrificed eight hundred of his own men, would instead encounter such an unconventional Zhao Song official?

However, to Kim In-cun's surprise, Kim Busik stood aside and replied almost without hesitation: "Your Majesty... Goryeo has enjoyed the country for more than two hundred years and has long been imbued with virtue and education. Although there have been some helpless actions between the rise and fall of great powers, it is not enough to continue the national lineage. Moreover, our King ascended the throne at a young age. For the first ten years or so, state affairs were mostly controlled by powerful ministers, and for the next ten years, he encountered the struggle between the two capitals. It is already very good to be able to maintain it with difficulty. It cannot be said that he has lost virtue and is incompetent, and should not have this disaster. As for external ministers, although I am grateful for Your Majesty's repeated mentions, since I am a minister and have received Goryeo's grace for decades, how can I go against the virtue of a minister and lose fifty years of integrity in one morning? Please, Your Majesty, understand."

"I naturally understand."

Zhao Jiu glanced at Kim In-cun, who was relieved, and did not care. He just discussed with Kim Busik seriously, "But Minister Kim, if you want to maintain Goryeo and maintain the Wang lineage, then I have to discuss some internal and external affairs of Goryeo with you..."

Even though Kim Busik was prepared, he couldn't help but sigh slightly at this time.

"Scholar Zheng Jichang has been an envoy to the Song Dynasty many times, and his literary name has spread throughout the world. He is also the person who held the treaty of the Jinhe Alliance. Now that you have killed him, may I ask, Goryeo, or you, Kim Busik, how will you explain to me, to Lin Ya of the Western Liao, to the two Mongolian Kings, and to the King of Gaochang?" Zhao Jiu asked calmly.

As soon as these words came out, Tuoli and Habu Khan glared over, as if they really remembered what Zheng Jichang looked like.

"In addition," Zhao Jiu continued to ask, holding his ignorant daughter from the side to his lap before Kim Busik could answer, facing the sea breeze. "When I was on the Northern Expedition that day, there was a clear decree to Goryeo, asking you to abide by the Jinhe Alliance and the virtue of belonging to the state, to send troops to attack Liaodong, and it was agreed that for every day you were late, you would have to pay ten thousand strings of military expenses to feast the soldiers... You were more than a hundred days late. What should you say?"

Kim Busik was silent for a while, and Kim In-cun on the ground also lowered his head and said nothing. Even the many envoys from other countries and the tribal leaders sneered, because everyone knew that this was a dead knot that Goryeo had to face... It wasn't something you could easily survive by maintaining internal unity. Otherwise, the battle would have been fought in vain.

"I have something to say."

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu, holding his daughter, suddenly became serious before the other party could speak. "The most important thing for a country is its army. Today's matters and future matters will probably have to go back to the war itself..."

Everyone immediately became solemn.

"This battle was mainly fought by the Song and Jin, and all the countries and tribes north of the Yangtze River participated in the war." Zhao Jiu continued to speak slowly and seriously, "Let's not talk about before the Jingkang period. Counting from the Jingkang period, it has been almost twelve years. In these twelve years, the cost of the war is not just the casualties of a battle like Huolu or the previous Yaoshan...

"The loss and recovery of land is on a scale of tens of thousands of miles, and the change of hands of cities is probably more than a thousand times...

"The accumulated deaths and injuries of soldiers are hundreds of thousands, and the civilian casualties in the war are probably counted in the millions...

"Han, Nuzhen, Tangut, Khitan, Xi, Goryeo, Bohai, Mongolia, and even Gaochang and Japan, all have soldiers wearing armor and participating in the battle...

"The Liao State perished for this, the Western Xia perished for this, and the Western Liao, Eastern Mongolia, and Western Mongolia were re-established because of this...

"The Han people suffered the most deaths and injuries and were humiliated the most. The Khitan were divided into two, and the Bohai tribes almost lost half of their population in the war. It is not clear about the Nuzhen, but they probably lost nearly half of their population. The rise and fall of countries and the survival of tribes are all attributed to this battle..."

Zhao Jiu spoke slowly, and the faces of the envoys from various countries and the tribal leaders below became more and more serious. In the end, the entire front courtyard of the Mahavira Hall of the fully packed Dalong Palace Temple was almost silent. Even Princess Yiyou noticed some kind of atmosphere and leaned towards her father's arms, regardless of the slightly hot weather.

"Therefore, I have called you all here today, because this battle is not only a matter between the Song and Jin Dynasties, but the rise and fall of your countries and the survival of your tribes are also here." Speaking of this, Zhao Jiu finally looked at Kim Busik again. "Minister Kim, Marshal Kim... I will not pursue your changes during the Jingkang Disaster. After all, at that time, I was chased by Wuzhu and hid in Bagong Mountain. What about you? But after the fall of Western Xia, the Jinhe Alliance was established, and all countries decided on the right and wrong of this battle. I ask you, does Goryeo recognize it?"

"Of course I recognize it!"

Kim Busik did not dare to hesitate for a moment. "Goryeo belongs to the Song, not the Jin. This battle follows the will of heaven, carries on the Chinese and resists the barbarians... On major issues of right and wrong, there is no room for error."

"Then tell me again now, since you are based on the Jinhe Alliance and admit that you are resisting the Jin from the Song, what exactly is going on with Zheng Jichang's matter and the delay in sending troops for more than three months?" Zhao Jiu continued to ask seriously. "Do you think these things are just verbal tricks? Even if they are just words and paper, in such a grand war, they are also going to determine the rise and fall of the country, right?!"

Kim Busik did not hesitate and knelt on the ground first.

To put it bluntly, Kim Busik was originally a sensible person. This matter could of course be explained with the Jinhe Alliance, but even without this explanation, going back to the fundamental interests, Goryeo would have to pay the price for its hesitation in the war... Especially since the Song Dynasty had now won a complete victory, and Yue Fei's troops were even blocking Goryeo's return route around Liaoyang in conjunction with the Khitan. Moreover, the Zhao Song official was not easy to get along with.

Didn't you see why Western Xia perished?

"Zheng Jichang died in a private fight in Goryeo, not related to great righteousness. If Your Majesty wants to pursue this matter, I am willing to pay for it with my life." After a moment of silence, Kim Busik could only kowtow and let himself be slaughtered. "As for the delay in sending troops, it is because my Goryeo is empty and exhausted, and it took a long time to complete... However, as Your Majesty said, there was a clear decree at that time, and I have nothing to say, so Goryeo is willing to be punished by the whole country, but the national treasury is really empty, so please, Your Majesty, understand... It would be of no benefit to Your Majesty and the Song Dynasty to mess up Goryeo and make the people miserable."

"After fighting for so many years, I am tired of war, and I am naturally willing to be merciful."

Zhao Jiu finally nodded, but looked at Lü Benzhong on the side. The latter understood and immediately took out a piece of paper that had been prepared long ago from his sleeve, and then took a half step forward to await orders. "But some things, as the final statement, you can make suggestions, but if I don't allow it, you don't have to insist anymore... Otherwise, even if I don't want to, I will have to bother Marshal Yue again."

Yue Fei quickly got up and cupped his fists, but sat down again after Zhao Jiu waved his hand... His return this time was indeed to do the job of frightening people.

"Yes."

On the other side, Kim Busik, kneeling in the hall, had not yet responded, but Kim In-cun rushed to kowtow and agree.

Zhao Jiu glanced at the two Goryeo people, too lazy to pay attention, and just looked at Lü Benzhong.

Lü Benzhong immediately stepped forward and announced the final disposition of Goryeo:

"First, Kim Busik is granted the title of Duke, with the actual fief of Seogyeong (Pyongyang), and is the Marshal of Goryeo, the Privy Councilor, assisting in the government of Goryeo. Without the decree of the Chinese Son of Heaven, he shall not be changed without authorization..."

Kim Busik and Kim In-cun each raised their heads in astonishment.

"Second, return the land and cities occupied by this expedition, and return the looted money, silk, and population, without allowing any of it to be brought back into the country."

"Third, Goryeo must participate in the *Edict on the Integration of Chinese Politics and Culture*, the *Edict on Friendly Commerce and Navigation between the Great Song and Goryeo*, and the *Edict on Joint Defense of the Northern Frontier*."

After reciting these words, Lü Benzhong stopped and retreated directly, while everyone above and below was still at a loss.

To be fair, everyone still understood the first article, which was nothing more than the meaning of greatly punishing Goryeo by supporting Kim Busik. Goryeo was a small country with a small population, and Seogyeong and Gaegyeong had always been completely opposed to each other. Separating them directly was almost like forming a country within a country, which was almost no different from a direct split.

Of course, Kim Busik himself had already made up his mind to grit his teeth and accept it, and then hand it back to Wang Kai after his death... It was better than letting Yue Fei randomly choose a martial artist from Liaoyang to do this, right?

He was the fish, and they were the knife.

And the second article was even more in line with the meaning of the title.

However, what was the third article? It sounded terrifying!

"Your Majesty..."

Sure enough, Kim Busik was sweating profusely and tried his best to ask, "May I ask, what are the Three Edicts?"

"You don't need to worry." Zhao Jiu responded calmly. "The first two articles are the disposition of Goryeo and you, and the Three Edicts are originally the fundamental matters of today's Juhua Island, and everyone must participate in them. They are not directed at Goryeo... The Nuzhens have not been dealt with yet. When they come, they will be announced together."

Kim Busik was slightly relieved, but couldn't help but continue to talk about a crucial matter: "Your Majesty, the other lands obtained by sending troops are fine, but Baizhou was originally the old land of Goryeo..."

"This matter belongs to the *Edict on Joint Defense of the Northern Frontier*. A major article in this edict is to delineate the borders and prevent future wars." Zhao Jiu blurted out, "As for the so-called Baizhou, wait until this edict is announced, and then you can say what you want... Is there anything else?"

"Your Majesty." Kim Busik closed his mouth and said nothing, while Kim In-cun tried his last effort. "The matter of the Duke, there is no precedent in Goryeo..."

"There will be in the future." Zhao Jiu was still calm. "This matter belongs to the *Edict on the Integration of Chinese Politics and Culture*. Not only Goryeo, but all countries and tribes must unify their titles and connect their official ranks... Moreover, no country is allowed to object to the matter of the Three Edicts. Whoever dares to disobey what I point out is an enemy, not a friend. I would rather plant mulberries for ten years and raise fish for ten years to eliminate the black sheep and return peace to the world."

Kim In-cun took several breaths, but dared not say more.

"Summon the Nuzhens!"

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu glanced at everyone around him and finally waved his hand to temporarily dismiss the Goryeo people and enter today's main course.

Everyone did not dare to neglect, and each returned to their seats solemnly, and then looked together towards the temple gate. As expected, after a while, armored soldiers swarmed in, bringing a group of people, and among them, the most eye-catching were of course the three young men who looked like Han children.

As for Liu Yu, Fu Liang, and others, they had been transferred to Yanjing long ago on land.

Back to the present, the courtyard was originally solemn, but with the entry of these three 'Han children'-like Nuzhen aristocratic children, it immediately caused everyone to whisper and talk, and even countless people to sneer and look down on them.

Two of the teenagers had already turned red.

However, the other one not only did not change his face, but strode forward after arriving in front of the emperor, and knelt down calmly in the place where Kim Busik had knelt before, kowtowing repeatedly. After raising his head, he said something even more shocking:

"Your son, Wanyan Liang, pays homage to his father, may his father live ten thousand years!"

Even though the seat was full of heroes from the north, who claimed to be knowledgeable and experienced, they were all dumbfounded at this time, and then the entire audience lost their voices, and the two teenagers behind him were also at a loss.

After a long time, it was actually Princess Yiyou in Zhao Guan's arms who broke the silence with wide eyes: "Father... When did I have another brother?"

Everyone tried their best to suppress their laughter, and the teenager who called himself Wanyan Liang, although his eyelids twitched when he heard this, still raised his head and did not move.

Up to this point, Zhao Guan's family was finally knowledgeable and experienced, and finally laughed loudly on the spot. After laughing, he pointed at the two people behind him:

"You two are really rude... Even now, you are unwilling to call me Father?!"

The two people behind him finally couldn't hold on, stepped forward together and bowed down, calling out 'Father, live ten thousand years'.

Zhao Jiu laughed again before nodding to signal: "Report your names."

"Your son, Wanyan Yong!" The smallest one bowed his head and replied, still red-faced.

"Your son, Heshilie Liangbi." The other one also reported.

The three of them unanimously used Han names, and after a little thought, Zhao Jiu matched them with the three people from the previous information—the orphan of the Great Crown Prince Wanyan Wuben, the orphan of the Third Prince Wanyan Eliduo, and the young master of the Heshilie clan, Wanyan Xiyin's student.

After matching them, Zhao Jiu put his arm around his daughter and continued to sigh: "To be honest, after I heard that Xiyin was dead, I once wanted Marshal Yue to directly attack Huining Prefecture, because since Xiyin was dead, I really don't know if the Nuzhen still have any chance of being sinicized, and naturally I had the intention of cutting off the roots... But after seeing the three of you, I breathed a sigh of relief."

"To let Father know, your son has been reading and studying since childhood and is quite familiar with poetry and literature. I dare not compare with Father's means of being a famous family for thousands of years, but it is enough to inherit the virtue of teaching and learning." Wanyan Liang could not wait to speak, and it was obvious that he urgently needed the position of the Nuzhen Guozhu, who had lost his father and most of his family, to protect himself and to avenge himself in the future. "Father sweeps the world, his prestige is mighty, and your son has a poem to offer to Father, to show a little of Father's ambition."

"Oh?"

Zhao Jiu was really interested.

"Your son asks Father to be gracious and allow your son to get up and recite."

"Good."

After a series of questions and answers, Wanyan Liang was the first to stand up, and then looked around. As expected, he strode past the two people beside him and recited a poem facing east:

"Ten thousand miles of books are united, how can Yan and Yun have separate borders?

With a million troops on the Yellow River, stand on the first peak of Taihang!"

Zhao Jiu was stunned in his heart and finally realized who this guy was, but there was no hesitation on his face. He just nodded repeatedly:

"Good poem, good poem!"

"Not enough to describe even ten thousandth of Father's martial arts." Wanyan Liang turned back and replied earnestly.

"Give my son a seat." Zhao Jiu directly reached out and pointed at the other party.

Everyone immediately added desks and seats after Yue Fei and the princes, and Wanyan Liang was overjoyed, thanked him, and sat down grandly.

Then, Zhao Jiu looked at the remaining two kneeling 'sons': "How is your literature?"

The remaining two looked at each other. After a long time, Wanyan Yong carefully lowered his head and opened his mouth: "To let Father know, your son is the worst in literature among the three... Brother Liangbi is a prodigy in the country, and he is the most trusted direct disciple of Lord Xiyin when he was alive. He even opened Confucian schools in Yanjing early on to teach others... Your son has only read Confucian classics with them."

Zhao Jiu nodded and immediately looked at the other person.

Heshilie Liangbi understood and quickly replied on the ground, trying to maintain a calm appearance: "To let Father know... Your son is not good at poetry, but can write articles a little."

"It doesn't matter, each has his own strengths." Zhao Jiu didn't care. "Then let's not talk about poetry and literature... Liangbi, if you were made the Nuzhen Guozhu, governing the country, what would you have to do?"

Liangbi was slightly stunned, and then he remembered the conversation Xiyin had on the banks of the Huang River. He replied seriously: "Reporting to Father, if your son is in charge of state affairs, the first thing to do is to promote the Song system, establish Confucianism, and learn the Han language."

Zhao Jiu was thoughtful, but looked at Wanyan Yong again.

Wanyan Yong also understood and immediately answered nervously: "Your son's first priority is to recuperate and not cause any more trouble. As for promoting the Song system and establishing Confucianism, it is only natural."

"Father." Wanyan Liang, who was already sitting in his seat, also quickly spoke. "As my brother said, implementing the Song system and establishing Confucianism is only natural."

Zhao Jiu nodded and then fell into silence and thought.

Everyone in the audience, from Yue Fei down, knew that this official had a frivolous temper and was afraid that he would make a decision on the spot, so they held their breaths and prepared to witness the birth of the first Guozhu of the Nuzhen after the defeat.

And once this Guozhu was produced, it meant that the Nuzhen had completely surrendered, and it also meant that this comprehensive war, which had lasted for more than ten years, would come to an end, even from a procedural point of view.

But Zhao Jiu was really a little hesitant.

Wanyan Liang was good at writing poetry, but he was obviously a troublemaker. In addition, because of the death of his parents and family members on the banks of the Huang River, it was conceivable that the deliberate sarcasm and focused performance behind this person was forbearance and agitation, and he was afraid that he would cause internal and external troubles as soon as he took office.

Of course, Zhao Jiu was not afraid of this guy causing trouble. In fact, according to the current overall situation, no matter whether this guy caused internal or external troubles, the Nuzhen would eventually have to pay the bill.

So if he wanted to further provoke internal strife in the Nuzhen, then choosing this person first was fine.

Relatively speaking, Wanyan Yong's identity and personality seemed to be an important guarantee for the Nuzhen to stabilize and revive.

And Heshilie Liangbi was neither high nor low. His background made it difficult for him to completely stabilize the interior, but his words and performance seemed to guarantee that he would not cause trouble. Compared with the Wanyan brothers, he was indeed a little inferior.

However, the surname itself was the biggest temptation.

Of course, the key today was that these three people ran over to let him Zhao Guanjia choose, and it didn't matter who he chose... It was precisely because it didn't matter that Zhao Jiu hesitated for a while.

The scene was not spectacular, just like a wealthy family visiting a summer resort, but this was the Chinese Son of Heaven, this was the Zhao Song official who shot the eagle and captured the deer! With a word from him, he could determine the ruler of a country!

In a silence, Wanyan Liang's face was calm and complacent, but his heart was already breathing heavily. One side was nervous, and the other side was that he still could not suppress the ridiculous