Volume 6 Chapter 29: Dying (Part 2)
Wanyan Wushu set out in the middle of the night, ignoring the Yanyun New Army that collapsed and defected along the way. On the evening of the next day, when the Jin nobles evacuated to Gubeikou, he encountered Han Shizhong's Beiwei Army which was advancing rapidly.
After interrogating them, Cheng Min, the commander of the Beiwei Army of the Left Army of the Imperial Camp, was overjoyed. He did not even bother to advance north to Fan Yang to take over the surrendered troops. He just asked his lieutenant to continue northward, and he personally escorted Wanyan Wushu to Baosai to meet Han Shizhong.
After another day and a half of hard work, they arrived at Baosai, but Han Shizhong didn't know what to do with this man.
In fact, according to his temperament and spirit at that time, Marshal Han should have cut the man into pieces with the rusty dagger first, but the war had come to this point and Beijing was about to be captured. The Jin Dynasty, which had invaded the surrounding areas and was invincible and defeated Han Shizhong from the Hutuo River all the way to the Huai River, had actually disappeared from the concept as early as Huolu... So, it was not surprising that Han Shizhong felt a little discouraged at this time.
Besides, from a legal point of view, Wuzhu is still one of the two ruling princes of the Jurchens, and everyone knows that he has always been in charge of military and political affairs among the Song army. For the Song army, he is the number one figure, so it is not easy to deal with him without authorization.
Therefore, Han Shizhong only found the dagger that he almost threw away, wrote a note by himself, and asked Cheng Min to lead the team to escort the other party to the east to find Emperor Zhao, and let the emperor make the decision personally. As for himself, he went directly north to prepare to take over Yanjing and clean up the area for the arrival of Prime Minister Lu Yihao in the rear.
By the way, Zhao Jiu is not in Hejian now, but in Cangzhou.
Emperor Zhao did not follow the army to Yanjing but went to Cangzhou. People below had different speculations, but there were two mainstream theories.
Some people say that the emperor had long ago falsely claimed that he was Zhao Jiu of Cangzhou instead of Zhuozhou, the ancestral home of the Zhao family. Moreover, from Bai Ma to Wulin, there were many talks about establishing a new Song Dynasty to succeed the old Song Dynasty. I'm afraid that he had long had some intention of establishing a new sacrifice that was known to everyone. Today, he wanted to take advantage of this great victory to settle this matter.
Some people even maliciously speculated that news would soon come out that Shaolin Temple and Dongxiao Palace would have some excessive surprises.
In addition, some people speculated that the emperor wanted to make way for Prime Minister Lu, so that this prime minister who was resentful of Yanjing could get what he wanted, enter Yanjing first, and then do whatever he wanted... He didn't want to steal the limelight from Prime Minister Lu.
Both statements make sense. In fact, Zhao Jiu did have these two considerations, but at the same time, he had another clear and direct, simple and ordinary reason... This official just wanted to go downstream and see what the Yellow River estuary looked like in this era.
The three branches of the Yellow River flowing north reunite in Hejian Prefecture, and then flow northward and eastward to the sea from the northern border of Cangzhou. This last section of the river flowing into the sea actually passes through the border between the Song and Liao countries due to strong artificial factors, so it is also called the Boundary River.
Zhao Jiu was waiting for Wanyan Wushu on the Cangzhou side at the so-called end of the boundary river.
To be more specific, the fourth prince of the Jin Dynasty was actually met in Nigu Village, which was more than ten miles away from the estuary.
The meeting between the two was unusually calm, even too calm.
Zhao Jiu received the message and turned back from the estuary. When he returned to Nigu Village, Wanyan Wushu had already been tied up on the rammed earth platform in the center of the military camp. After being searched, he knelt directly at the end of the platform. The sword and dagger he carried with him, along with Han Shizhong's note and the description of the origin of the sword by the attendant Tai Shi Nu, had already been placed on the table under the dragon flag at the other end of the platform.
Then, Zhao Jiu also sat behind the desk under the dragon banner.
He flipped through Han Shizhong's note in front of him, and looked at the story about the Yue Fei-Wanyan Wushu Caopo Nianli incident that the attendant had learned from Tai Shi Nu, then put it aside and turned to look at the Yellow River on one side without saying a word, and did not even look at Wanyan Wushu.
To be fair, if Zhao Jiu wanted to talk, he certainly had countless things to say. If he wanted to see, he could also walk up and take a closer look.
After all, the person opposite him was Wanyan Wushu, the fourth prince of the Jin Dynasty.
Yue Fei, Wanyan Wushu and Qin Hui were the representative figures of this era.
This is not just caused by some legendary novels... Let's go back to Wushu... Whether it was the ten years that Zhao Jiu personally experienced or in another time and space, this fourth prince of the Jin Kingdom was the actual pillar and military and political commander after the death of the veteran generals who founded the Jurchens. All the wars between Song and Jin, all the diplomacy between Song and Jin, and all the confrontational strategies between Song and Jin, could not avoid this person, or it can be said that this person was the military and political leader of the Jin Kingdom against the Song.
From this perspective, he can even be called Zhao Jiu's main opponent in the past ten years, even though there were Nianhan, Lou Shi, and Wuqimai.
Because among these people, no one has such a strong representativeness and presence in this war as Wanyan Wushu.
Emperor Zhao could have asked the other party what the scenery of Bagua Mountain on the Huai River was like that day and whether he had taken a close look at it.
When you withdrew your troops from Nanyang, what did you, Wanyan Wushu, think of Wanyan Talan?
When Yaoshan collapsed, did you see Wanyan Loushi's charge clearly?
Do you still remember Han Chang?
Have you forgotten Puluhun?
Do you know Zhang Yongzhen and Hou Dan?
Do you regret retreating under the Yinshan Mountains that day?
Did you know that Wanyan Wolun wanted to disguise himself as a pawn to escape, but was reported on the way, and the outcome of the last Wanhu in the Battle of Huolu was already clear?
As long as he, the official, or the victor, wanted to, he could set up a banquet, give the other party some respect, and talk about heroes over a warm glass of wine, and pretend to be nice. He could also let people grab the other party's hair, accuse him of crimes and classics, and use swords and axes to kill him... and jokingly talk about how he was thirsty for the blood of the Huns and how he was hungry for the flesh of the barbarians.
The so-called "to be vulgar in place, to be elegant in place, to be dramatic in place, and to be frank in place" means to be vulgar in place, to be elegant in place, to be dramatic in place, and to be frank in place.
However, Zhao Jiu did not move at all, nor did he look at the other party. He just turned his head to look at the "Boundary River" that seemed somewhat calm but surging.
Unexpectedly, Wanyan Wushu didn't say anything either.
This ruling prince of the Jin Dynasty, who was responsible for the survival of his own family, tribe, and country, certainly had countless reasons to speak, countless political demands to express, and must have countless complex emotions... such as fear, sadness, anger, and grief.
But for some reason, Wushu, who also wanted to talk, did not speak.
Dressed in white and with his hands tied, he just lowered his head and knelt at the other end of the rammed earth platform, looking at the rammed earth under his knees without saying a word, as if he was waiting for the verdict that might come at any time.
But the verdict has yet to come.
Wanyan Wushu was delivered at noon that day, and Zhao Jiu returned an hour later. Then the two of them sat and knelt, one turned his head to look at the Yellow River, and the other lowered his head to wait for the verdict, and they continued to confront each other...until dusk and the sun set, neither of them made a single move.
Moreover, because of the diversion, the boundary section of the Yellow River does not have such a fast-flowing water, but the northern flows plus the Sanggan River converge here, and finally present a sparkling scene under the setting sun.
But as time passed, even this scenery gradually faded.
On the other side, Hu Yin followed Lu Yihao to the north, and Yang Yi Zhong was ordered to return to Tokyo to prepare for something. Emperor Zhao was accompanied by Liu Yan, Shao Chengzhang, as well as Tian Shizhong, Zhang Zigai, and Cheng Min.
These people stood beside the platform, and no one dared to speak or disturb them the whole time. But as it was getting darker, they finally had to think of a solution.
Tian Shizhong hesitated for a moment, then carefully walked around behind Liu Yan and Shao Chengzhang and whispered, "Prince Liu, Master Shao, can we serve dinner to the emperor?"
Liu Yan and Shao Chengzhang came to their senses at once, and moments later, two servings of pork hot pot and some snacks and wine were served to them by Shao Chengzhang himself.
Zhao Jiu finally came back to his senses.
He looked at the food and wine on the table, glanced at the sword and the dagger, and finally turned his head to look at Wanyan Wushu in front of him, and said the first sentence of the afternoon:
"The execution shall be carried out in a fair manner and the head shall be displayed to the public."
As soon as he said this, Emperor Zhao picked up a pork bun and walked away while eating.
About half an incense stick of time after the official took Liu Yan and Shao Chengzhang away from the rammed earth platform, Cheng Min suddenly turned over and jumped onto the platform under the gaze of Tian Shizhong and Zhang Zigai.
Seeing this, Zhang Zigai, who had the home advantage, wanted to jump up, but was stopped by Tian Shizhong... Obviously, he felt that there was no need to conflict with Han Shizhong's confidants over such a small matter, especially since Zhang Jun had been in Qingzhou and Han Shizhong was in Yanjing in the northwest.
Wuzhu had heard the words "clear punishment" a long time ago, but he did not react at all until Cheng Min, who had been escorting him for two or three days, came to him with a knife. Only then did he raise his head and collapse to the ground.
"Anything you want to say?"
Cheng Min looked down at him and sighed slightly. He knew that although the man in front of him was about to die, he was a person of higher level than himself, so he remained polite.
"I knelt for the whole afternoon and I am extremely hungry."
Wushu answered seriously. "What did your Lord Zhao eat just now? Can you give me a taste?"
Cheng Min was somewhat confused, but he looked around and thought for a while, and finally felt that there was no reason not to let the other party have a full ghost, so he shouted directly to the soldiers below the stage:
"Bring a fire!"
“I want to eat that.”
Wuzhu suddenly pointed forward, and there was the table where Emperor Zhao had left. In a basket on top of it was a piece of firewood left.
"Then you will have to be rewarded by the government."
Cheng Min immediately shook his head. "How dare I, a commander, move? Besides, why didn't you ask for help when the emperor was here?"
"I don't want to ask."
Wushu opened his eyes wide and responded calmly. "I dare not ask for it."
Cheng Min was confused... He felt that the other party was a manly man in the first half of the sentence, but at the same time he felt that the other party was still pretending even when he was about to die. However, the second half of the sentence took a sharp turn and he had no idea what the other party was thinking.
So, just shut up.
After a while, a soldier brought a piece of roasted bread. Cheng Min picked one up and put it to Wuzhu's mouth, but Wuzhu just kept silent and shook his head.
Cheng Min was too lazy to care. He took a bite of the biscuit, then held it in one hand and waved with the other.
Immediately, several Beiwei soldiers who came with him to escort him stepped forward, dragged Wushu off the platform, and took him to the gate of Nigu Village. Then the soldiers on both sides pinned him down, and another soldier casually took out a standard military machete, and with just one strike, he beheaded the silent Fourth Prince Wanyan Wushu .
This knife also cut off the countless grudges between this man and the official, two marshals, and more than a dozen princes and dukes over the past ten years.
After the beheading was completed, another soldier brought a wooden barrel filled with quicklime, skillfully put Wuzhu's head in it, and tied it to the side of a warhorse.
Cheng Min nodded and left Nigu Village with the head.
He knew that Wanyan Wushu's attendant, Tai Shi Nu, would report the specific conditions brought by the dead man to Emperor Zhao or the two princes Liu Yan and Tian Shizhong, but that was none of his business.
Now he just wanted to show this head to everyone urgently.
Wuzhu has died at the age of thirty-eight, in the year of Bingchen, and the world is blessed with good fortune.
