Volume 3 Chapter 3: Turbulence in the Jianghu (Part 1)
Faced with the unexpected event and a wave of internal waves in the court that seemed sudden but was actually expected, Emperor Zhao still chose to maintain the established policies and political structure, which was the simplest way to make some repairs... To put it bluntly, during the national war, internal stability always comes first.
Tolerate each other for the sake of the country, tolerate each other for the sake of the country, that's probably what it means.
As for letting Lu Yihao go to the southeast, different people must have different interpretations, but from Zhao Jiu's point of view, Lu Yihao is definitely the most suitable one:
First of all, this person is capable and courageous. He can get things done after he takes charge of a place. Moreover, this person was driven here from Yangzhou by Li Gang. He is very familiar with Yangzhou and the southeast. He can get started when he returns. But being able to get things done is the most important thing at the moment.
Secondly, it was the so-called political considerations... Zhao Jiu was not deaf or blind, he certainly knew that Prime Minister Lu Shu had recently aroused public anger in Tokyo City, and sending such a person to the southeast was both a protection for Lu Yihao himself and a certain punishment for him, a compromise with some officials in the palace that day, but also a kind of warning.
After all, Lu Yihao's trip to Yangzhou this time, like Li Gang's previous role in the southeast, is like a hanging sword, reminding some people at any time not to mess around.
Li Gang can't suppress you anymore, and Lu Yihao, just do your job honestly.
However, in general, everyone still knew the big picture, and the prestige that Emperor Zhao had just accumulated had not yet been exhausted, so the conflict in the palace that day was ultimately limited to the Chongzheng Palace and did not spread too much.
Even if it really spreads, it doesn't seem to matter.
You have to know that at this time, Dongjing City was basically an empty city with a population of less than 200,000 except for the soldiers. No matter how lively the discussion was, it could not form the so-called public opinion, let alone cause political influence and cause the students to bang on the door... because there were no students! Even a certified student who came back would basically be directly admitted and then sent to various places in Henan to serve as an official.
In short, the sudden incident was bound to be of far-reaching significance and was bound to have countless chain reactions, but if it was only discussed at the highest level, the tone would be set early and quickly implemented... Let alone other things, the most direct one was that when the Jin envoy Gao Jingshan heard the "preconditions" of Emperor Zhao, he remained calm, just smiled, and did not say anything more, and directly asked for his leave.
It was obvious that the Jin army was just testing the waters. Seeing that the Zhao Song Dynasty was so determined, they simply gave up the negotiations. They neither pretended nor made empty threats.
It can only be said that if the Battle of Huai River only made Wanyan Wushu, Ali and Olubu, the three high-ranking Jin army leaders, realize the change of their opponents, then the recent great invasion made the entire Jin Kingdom realize the top-down change in the Zhao Song court.
Therefore, at this time, there is no point in pretending or making false threats.
Of course, after all, they were sending the princess back, and Gao Jingshan and his party were not buried in the Genyue ruins for no reason. At the end of March, in late spring, this Jin official came and went in a hurry, leaving the city almost at the same time as Lu Yihao, and crossed the river from Huazhou, preparing to return to Daming Prefecture.
Moreover, at this moment, as the Zhao Song government returned to the old capital, there were heavy troops along the Yellow River, and Daming Prefecture was the key point for the Jin army to control the Yellow River. On the left, it could support Liu Yu in Jinan, Jingdong, and on the right, it could guard against heavy troops around Tokyo, and it could retreat to sweep the Hebei Plain. However, after the withdrawal of troops and when a military confrontation was formed, they immediately followed the arrangement of Nianhan and stationed more than 20 Meng'an and four or five generals here, which became the front-line hub of the Jin army.
Therefore, when Gao Jingshan rushed to Huazhou, people on the other side of the river had already sent a boat to pick him up...The person who came was none other than the former Wanhu Da (Shangbai Xiada) who was under the Changsha City.
The two men crossed the river in separate boats. It was already dark when they reached the other side, so they simply stayed at the ferry and asked someone to get fresh fish from the river. They found a house at the Hebei ferry, lit a fire, made fish soup, and then drank wine together.
You know, Gao Jingshan and Da (Bai on top and Da on bottom) are naturally acquaintances... Thanks to the great development during the Sui and Tang Khitan periods, Liaodong has become a civilized highland from a cultural perspective, but geographically it is a civilized frontier. The Jurchens, Bohais, Goryeos, Khitans, Xis, Hans, and even some Mongols live together there, and have their own set of cultural characteristics and logic of behavior.
The reason why the Jurchens were able to rise to power, apart from the corruption of the Liao and Song dynasties and the heroes of Wanyan Aguda's generation, was that they had the support of the Liaodong region, which had a developed civilization, or at least a fairly developed military civilization.
In fact, after Wanyan Aguda started his rebellion, he spent a lot of energy and time to integrate the Liaodong ethnic groups in the form of tribal alliances. As soon as the Jin Dynasty was established, in the so-called most basic Meng'an Mouke system, people from the Xi, Khitan, Goryeo, Bohai, and Han ethnic groups all held high positions. The so-called Jurchens, who numbered less than 10,000, were by no means a single Jurchen ethnic group that emerged from the deep mountains and forests.
Of course, Liaodong was a place that was too chaotic, with civilization and barbarism, backwardness and advancement coexisting. This did lead to a chaotic system within the Jin Dynasty, but this chaos was concealed by the Jin Dynasty's continuous and powerful expansion.
Back to the present, the Gao family behind Gao Jingshan, you can say that he is from the Bohai ethnic group, but it is also fine to say that he is from the Goryeo ethnic group, because the two ethnic groups are actually one family. It is nothing more than that there is a political entity of the Goryeo Kingdom now, and whether you can depend on it is the only difference... In fact, some of Gao Jingshan's fellow tribesmen once raised troops in Liaodong to fight against Wanyan Aguda, trying to seize control of Liaodong.
It's just a defeat.
Therefore, Da (Bai on the upper part and Da on the lower part) and Gao Jingshan are definitely old friends and acquaintances, and can even be barely called compatriots.
"The Song people really don't want to negotiate peace?"
After three rounds of drinks, both sides were slightly tipsy and talked about family matters for a long time. Then the young Da (Bai on top and Da on bottom) raised his glass and asked the main question.
"I don't even want to talk..." Gao Jingshan answered simply. "The Zhao Song government is indeed tough."
"I'm going to say something silly today." Da (Bai on top, Da on the bottom) sneered at what he said. "Our Great Jin has been established for nearly fifteen years. Although we are invincible in every attack and war, we can't afford to waste time against a country like the Song people with billions of people... They all say that I buried fifteen Meng'an under the city of Changsha, but they don't mention how many people have been consumed in the wars with the Song people over the years."
"That's the truth." Gao Jingshan knew that the other party was resentful, so he hurried to persuade him. "But after all, we lost the war. We just don't let you lead the troops as a general. You are still the hereditary Meng'an, the garrison commander of Daming Prefecture. This place is so important. If there is a war in the future, as long as you keep calm and don't make any mistakes, you can always lead the troops out again..."
"Of course I know that according to military discipline, I should have been beheaded long ago. This sentence is only because my brother died for the country, and our Da family is the most noble family in our Bohai clan. If I were beheaded again, I am afraid it would cause more trouble, so I will give a lighter sentence." Da (white on top and Da on the bottom) shook his head. "But General Gao, I still have two big complaints about this punishment..."
After all, Gao Jingshan was older and more thoughtful, so he did not respond to what he said, but just stood up and served himself some fresh fish soup.
The elder one is relatively young, and he is the younger brother who succeeded his elder brother. He has some airs of a yamen official. After drinking a glass of wine, he became even more careless: "General Gao, please judge. I must take the responsibility for the battle that day, but what about the right deputy marshal? He was the real commander-in-chief on the battlefield that day. Why did I lose my ten thousand households, my power to lead troops, and was fined gold and silver, but he didn't even lose his official title?"
"General, you're overthinking." Gao Jingshan was relieved when he heard this, but he put down his bowl and laughed. "The treatment of the Right Deputy Marshal is the same as yours... You are the first noble in Bohai, and they are from the Wanyan clan. Your brother died for the country, and they are the king's brother and confidant, so you are just not allowed to lead the troops, and the Right Deputy Marshal, according to this discussion, although he still holds the position of Right Deputy Marshal, he will definitely not be able to lead the troops again next time! Both sides are actually the same!"
"If we just look at it this way, then it's the same!" Da (white on top, big on bottom) sneered. "But what if we include Liu Yu?"
Gao Jingshan was slightly startled as he picked up the soup bowl: "What does this have to do with Liu Yu?"
"You still don't know?" Da (white on top, big on the bottom) sneered more and more. "A few days ago, Prime Minister Nianhan and the eldest prince had discussed with the king face to face. If the Song people are unwilling to pay tribute and cede the land of Guanzhong and Jingdong, then Liu Yu will be made emperor... Jinan, Qingzhou, Zibo, Laizhou, Dengzhou, Mizhou, Yanzhou, seven major states are all under the jurisdiction of this surrendered prefect! And today, since General Gao has returned, as long as he enters Daming Prefecture, the king's envoys will get the news and will directly cross the river to Jinan to make him the emperor."
Gao Jingshan's expression remained unchanged, but he was shocked in his heart... Although this news had been spread all over the place for a long time, when it came to them, these people were still shocked.
After all, this is the emperor! He is the ruler of a country!
Of course, Gao Jingshan, who lowered his head to sip the fish soup, soon came to his senses, but put down the bowl again and calmed down a little: "It actually makes sense. In this great invasion, the Western Army won a great victory and took all of northern Shaanxi, but the Eastern Army returned empty-handed and did not get even a single inch of Henan. The more this is the case, the more we must hold on to Jinan, the foothold in Henan, in order to plan for future victories... On the contrary, in northern Shaanxi, Zhe Keqiu didn't want to be the emperor, right?"
"I asked Zhe Keqiu there, and he didn't want to, so he just stopped." Da (Bai on top and Da on bottom) answered casually.
"That makes sense. The situation in the west is very good. There is no need to establish an emperor." Gao Jingshan said earnestly.
"Reason is reason, comparison is comparison." Da (white on top, big on bottom) finally held the cup and looked at each other coldly. "I didn't say whether Liu Yu was right or wrong to be the emperor, but comparing Liu Yu with myself and the right deputy marshal, I can't help but feel chilled..."
Gao Jingshan's heart moved slightly, and he hurried to drink the soup again, but unexpectedly the soup bowl was empty. He felt embarrassed and could only pour the wine.
Da (white on top and big on the bottom) was young and energetic after all, and he didn't care about these actions at all. Instead, he took advantage of the alcohol and said what was hidden in his heart directly:
"It's true that the Wanyan clan is the head of the Jin Kingdom. They can do whatever they want, and I can't say anything about it, but they should always be fair in rewarding and punishing the people below, right? Our Da clan and your Gao clan led countless men from Bohai and Goryeo to follow Taizu to raise an army here. Many people died before and after, but we didn't see the Wanyan clan give our Da clan a kingship, give your Gao clan a governor, and then give each of them a state to live happily! How can a southerner who has just surrendered for more than a year become an emperor and lead seven such rich states just because he can flatter?! I'm speaking frankly today, the king (Wanyan Wuqimai), the prime minister (Wanyan Nianhan), and several princes are unfair!"
Gao Jingshan was in mixed emotions and remained silent.
Seeing this, Da (white on top, big on the bottom) knew that he had been humiliated, but he didn't care. He was just looking for someone to vent his anger on. Did he expect to link up and force Yanjing to give him a Daming Mansion to stay behind? So he simply sneered and drank.
There was silence all night. At dawn the next day, Gao Jingshan entered Daming Prefecture and indeed met the king's envoy in the city. However, he ignored him and headed north. A few days later, he arrived in Yanjing and met the king, prime minister, the eldest prince Wanyan Wuben, and the fourth prince Wushu in the old palace of the Liao Dynasty. He reported what he had seen and heard in Tokyo.
Unexpectedly, the four nobles did not care. They just thanked him for his hard work and let him leave the palace.
That evening, it was already the turn of spring and summer, but the land of Yanjing was filled with constant sandstorms. Gao Jingshan went out again to pay a private visit to the fourth prince, Wanyan Wushu.
"Is this what Da (white on top and big on the bottom) said?"
Wanyan Wushu shaved off his beard and looked somewhat younger, but his tone became more mature.
"Yes." Gao Jingshan looked at her carefully.
"It doesn't matter. It's normal for him to have resentment." Wuzhu stroked his smooth chin, sitting on the soft futon, with a little emotion. "The key to this matter is not Liu Yu, Liu Yu is just an induction, the key is that we lost the war and got nothing... As for Talai, I want to skin Talai alive, but the king is biased. My brother and I want to deal with him, but the king only talks , saying that I lost no less soldiers than Talai, and I also lost the life of a million households... But our Eastern Army was defeated, while the Western Army won a great victory. Nianhan was arrogant for a while, and my brother had to follow the king."
"That's right." Gao Jingshan sighed. "As I traveled along the way, I did feel undercurrents surging... But in the case of Liu Yu, the people in the army who were dissatisfied were not just Da (white on top and Da on the bottom)."
"Is that so?" Wushu continued to frown. "But there is nothing we can do about it... General Gao, you are an experienced man, I will not hide it from you. Last winter, when we were heading south, my fifth uncle Xie suddenly fell ill. Now he has trouble even getting on a horse, I don't know how long he can last... The entanglement in the country will probably drag on for a long time! At this time, we can only rely on Liu Yu to delay for a while! Letting him become emperor is not only a reward for him, but also to make him and the Zhao family irreconcilable!"
Gao Jingshan was extremely shocked.
Wanyan Xieye is the fifth brother of Emperor Taizu and the current ruler. He is also the legitimate Anban Bojilie, the true heir and crown prince.
The political struggle between the three major factions was largely centered around the struggle for the throne between Wanyan Xieye, Aguda's direct line (that is, Wuzhu's brothers), and the king Wanyan Wuqimai and his son. Now that Wanyan Xieye is seriously ill, Yanjing will naturally be turned upside down. It is no wonder that the top leaders of the Jin Dynasty praised the person responsible for the southern expedition and let him go lightly, and it is no wonder that no one cares about the war, the frontline, and the dissatisfaction in the army.
However, the foundation of the Jin Dynasty lies in the military, and court disputes are often ultimately decided by the success or failure of the military on the front line and the size of the merits. So in this matter, can the princes really compete with Prime Minister Nianhan?
You are the ones who lost the battle! However, Nianhan's henchmen were well-organized and did not show any flaws, and they directly seized the entire northern Shaanxi.
Do you really expect a mere surrendered emperor to give you military merits? But wasn't this emperor still rushed to be made emperor by the prime minister? What does it have to do with you?
Thinking of this, Gao Jingshan wanted to persuade them again, but for some reason, he forced his words to remain in his stomach. Instead, he looked enlightened, then calmly stood up and said goodbye... Why should he, a member of the Gao family whose ethnicity was unclear, worry about the Wanyan family like this?
Are you worthy? If so, why not make you a governor and give you a state to live in?
