Power transition
Deep in the imperial palace of the Jin Dynasty's capital, a bloody storm and a change of power had just occurred.
The young Emperor Wanyan Tan sat stiffly on the oversized gilded throne, his small body wrapped in an intricate dragon-patterned robe, trembling uncontrollably. His face was as pale as paper, his pupils dilated as he stared fixedly at the steps below.
Above the hall, the thick smell of blood was indissoluble, mixed with the strange sweet smell of burning spices, making people feel sick.
On the scarlet carpet, dripping blood slowly spread, flowing in winding patterns, outlining several bodies lying in bizarre postures. One, its elegant purple robe drenched in blood, its graying head tilted to one side, its hollow eyes facing the throne. It was the emperor's great-uncle, Wanyan Zongpan. Another, its beard bulging, its eyes wide open even in death, was the once-powerful Wanyan Chang.
Wanyan Zongbing stood atop the hall, longsword in hand. Thick drops of blood dripped from the blade's tip, slowly falling into the pool of blood with a monotonous, yet startling, "tap...tap..." His black armor, drenched in blood, resembled a demonic being freshly emerged from the bloody pools of hell. A thick murderous aura permeated his entire being, forcing all the surviving ministers within the hall to prostrate themselves on the ground. No one dared to raise their heads, no one dared to breathe.
Wanyan Zongbing slowly turned around. His gaze passed over the warm corpses at his feet, past the trembling ministers, and finally to the young emperor, whose body was trembling slightly with fear on the throne.
He spoke, "Your Majesty." His voice was slightly hoarse from the killing, and each word was like iron, hammering into the cold air of the hall.
"Henan and Shaanxi... those were taken from the Song people inch by inch by Nianhan, Loushi, and countless other great Jin warriors, sacrificing their lives and blood!"
He suddenly raised his hand and pointed southward, his armor clanging as he moved, his killing intent surging. "Now! Just because of these termites!" The tip of his sword suddenly slashed at the corpse on the ground. "Because they are afraid of death, because they secretly colluded with the Prime Minister of the Southern Dynasty and exchanged private letters! Are you going to hand over the territory of my Great Jin and the glorious military achievements of my Jurchen men? How can such a thing be justified in this world?"
Wanyan Tan shuddered violently, his lips moved, but no sound came out.
Wanyan Zongbing took a step forward, his boot soles treading in the pool of blood. He stared at the emperor with a gaze as sharp as a knife, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, with unquestionable compulsion:
"This isn't peace! This is treason! This is treason!"
"Your Majesty, please—"
His voice suddenly rose:
"Issue an edict immediately!"
"Tear up the alliance! Assemble the army!——"
“Heading south!!!”
The last two words were filled with a murderous aura that caused the dust on the beams to fall down.
Wanyan Tan's thin body trembled violently, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes was completely extinguished. He trembled and stretched out his cold, stiff hand. An equally pale eunuch beside him, almost crying, pressed an imperial brush dipped in ink into his bloodless hand.
The tip of the pen was suspended above the scroll of imperial edict that had been prepared long ago, full of ink and about to fall.
Just like the hot tears that rolled down the young emperor's eyes, which he could no longer bear, and the crumbling kingdom.
…
On the Huai River, the chill of late winter lingered, and water vapor mixed with the fishy smell of soil filled the Song army's water camp outside Chuzhou City.
Liang Hongyu stood on the ship in a silver black armor. The cold wind on the river made her red robe rustle. At this moment, she looked forward, staring at the north bank.
It's too quiet.
Ever since the Song and Jin dynasties reached a peace agreement and divided the Huai River into two parts, this borderland has never been truly peaceful. Small groups of scouts occasionally engaged in skirmishes, but in recent days, the feeling has changed. Instead of a clamor, there's a suffocating, poised silence. Jin patrols on the north bank seem to have decreased, but the ones that do appear are elite cavalry, their eyes alert and fierce, definitely not your average garrison troops. Farther out, several unusual plumes of dust have risen for several days in a row. They're not cooking smoke, but more like the traces of large-scale troop movements or relocations.
"Madam," Deputy General Qiu Feng approached quickly, her voice low and serious, "another group of brothers sneaked over last night, and lost three. I risked my life to bring back some news."
Liang Hongyu turned her head suddenly, her eyes piercing: "Speak!"
"Of the ships moored on the other side, seven or eight out of ten have gone, leaving only the trestle bridge. They captured a Jin soldier, but he finally gave up after he couldn't stand it any longer, saying... that he was following urgent orders from some 'Four Great Masters' (Wanyan Zongbing) to assemble in the direction of Bianjing. He also shouted something like... 'The Southern Dynasty is untrustworthy, and the peace agreement is invalid!'"
The Fourth Prince? Liang Hongyu's pupils suddenly constricted. Wanyan Zongbing was the Jin Empire's most stubborn advocate of war; his return to power itself meant a tidal wave.
In an instant, countless fragments merged in his mind: the unusual reduction of personnel on the North Shore, the strange deployment of elite troops, and the rhetoric of "cancelling the peace talks"...
A cold shiver ran up his spine, only to be replaced by a blazing rage.
"Bullshit peace talks! The Jin people have evil ambitions and have never been sincere!" She yelled and slammed her fist on the side of the ship.
Then she turned and said to Qiu Feng, "Go and tell your husband this news."
Inside Han's residence, Han Shizhong grabbed the rough wolf hair brush, dipped it in ink, and spread out the thickened paper used for urgent military reports.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant, Han Shizhong, kowtows and reports at the risk of death: The Northern Tartar Wuzhu has usurped power and purged important officials who advocated peace. He is secretly gathering elite troops in the Bianjing and Luoyang areas. While seemingly withdrawing patrolling sentries, he is secretly mobilizing elite cavalry for frequent operations. The Jin thieves' ambition to abandon the alliance and invade the south is clear! The peace agreement is in danger of becoming worthless. The defense of the Huai River is urgent! I implore Your Majesty to allow me and other generals to take the initiative while the Jin troops are still unstable and their deployments are not yet complete. We can take the initiative to attack and weaken their morale and consolidate the borders of the Great Song Dynasty! If we allow their iron hooves to break through the Huai River, the whole of Jiangnan will be shaken, and it will be too late to regret! The military situation is urgent. I beg Your Majesty for your wise judgment!"
After writing, he took out the general's seal, blew on it, and stamped it heavily.
"Eight hundred miles in an urgent manner! Send it directly to the emperor! No county or state along the way can stop us. Those who delay will be subject to military law!" He stuffed the military report into a leather tube, sealed it tightly with sealing wax, and handed it to his most trusted personal guard of the Beiwei Army.
The personal guard clasped his fists in salute, then turned and left the Han residence. The sound of horse hooves soon rang out as they sped away towards the south.
Han Shizhong walked out of the Han Mansion and looked in the direction where the guards disappeared. He seemed to have heard the dull, thunderous sound of iron hooves gathering under the northern horizon.
Lin'an, the prime minister's residence.
Incense curled in the warm room, and Qin Hui, dressed in casual clothes, was leisurely sipping a cup of newly-promoted tea. A trusted official quietly entered and presented an urgent document.
"Prime Minister, Han Shizhong of Chuzhou, urgent military report from eight hundred miles away."
Qin Hui, without even raising his eyelids, grasped the heavy document in his fingers. The wax was torn off, and he unfolded the letter, his eyes quickly scanning the words that pierced through the paper with force and seared with anger.
He burned the letter into the incense burner beside him. The raging flames quickly burned out, leaving only a wisp of green smoke rising to the top of the beam. A hint of extremely cold sarcasm flashed across the corner of his mouth.
"The opinions of warriors only cause trouble."
Han Shizhong's move was a slap in the face. He had single-handedly brokered the peace agreement, his greatest political achievement, and the cornerstone of his ability to consolidate power and silence numerous voices within the court. If he admitted that the Jin Kingdom truly intended to break the alliance, wouldn't that prove the peace agreement Qin Hui had so vehemently advocated had completely failed? Would it prove that he had misjudged the military situation? His dormant political enemies, such as Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun, would immediately swarm over him and tear him apart.
Furthermore, the emperor feared the power of the rich and feared the tyranny of the rich, and what he most wanted to preserve was this cowardly peace. If a war broke out, the outcome would be unpredictable. In the event of defeat, he, the initiator of the peace proposal, would be held responsible. Even if he won, wouldn't these arrogant generals, whose achievements would threaten the emperor and make them too powerful to be controlled, be even more difficult to control? What good would that do for Qin Hui?
Right now, the most crucial thing is to maintain stability. Wuzhu has just come to power, so perhaps this is just bluffing, and there's still room for maneuver. Even if a war truly must occur, it can't happen now, and people like Han Shizhong can't take the lead and disrupt his plans. This matter must be suppressed to maintain the appearance of peace.
The warm room is still filled with fragrance and warm like spring.
The official kept his head down, held his breath, and dared not make a sound.
Qin Hui picked up the teacup, blew away the foam, took a sip, and spoke in a calm tone, even with a hint of fatigue:
"Border generals, eager to gain merit, are accustomed to making alarmist statements and making wild guesses about military intelligence in an attempt to destabilize national policy and confuse Your Majesty. How can such outrageous talk be allowed to reach the ears of Heaven?"
He put down the teacup and tapped his fingertips lightly on the smooth rosewood tabletop.
"Pass the word on. Such ridiculous military reports will be dealt with according to the old rules. Do not disturb His Majesty again."
"Yes," the official replied in a dry voice, lowering his head even more, and then he walked backwards and disappeared out of the warm room.
Silence returned to the pavilion, with only the occasional crackling sound from the incense charcoal.
Qin Hui looked out the window. The few late plum blossoms in the courtyard were blooming sluggishly. His gaze was deep and unfathomable.
Everything must be under his control.
In the tenth year of Shaoxing, the early summer breeze carried the parched heat of the Huaibei Plain. The ink on the so-called "peace agreement" had barely dried when, in just six months, the fragile covenant was shattered by the sudden rise of the northern iron hooves.
Wanyan Zongbing personally led the army, divided it into four groups, and marched directly into the hinterland of Henan and Shaanxi, which had just been "recovered" by the Southern Song Dynasty but had not yet been consolidated.
To demonstrate his sincerity, Zhao Gou did not send a single soldier, but instead appointed former Qi generals to garrison Henan, Shaanxi, and other areas. Wherever the Jin soldiers advanced, prefectures and counties were overwhelmed, and city walls collapsed. Within two weeks, large swathes of Henan were once again under siege, with smoke covering the sky and wailing everywhere.
The May wind, carrying the scent of war, blew to Shunchang Prefecture. This city on the banks of the Ying River was instantly pushed to the forefront of the storm.
In the Han Mansion in Chuzhou City, Qiu Feng hurried over and handed the battle report to Liang Hongyu. Liang Hongyu opened the battle report, which said: The vanguard of the Jin army has broken through Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture, and its front line is less than a thousand miles away from Shunchang.
After reading the battle report Liang Hongyu handed over, Han Shizhong said anxiously, "I submitted a memorial to the emperor long ago about the Jin army's southward advance. Don't you believe it? You haven't even sent a single soldier." He paced back and forth in the mansion with the report. "Shunchang is only a thousand miles away from Jiankang. If Shunchang falls, the Jin army can move south along the Yingshui River and head straight for the Huai River. The gateway to the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers will be wide open, and the consequences will be disastrous!"
Liang Hongyu stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder, saying soothingly, "I'm afraid it was Qin Hui who was obstructing the process and suppressing the memorial.
The two were silent for a long time before Liang Hongyu's eyes suddenly sparkled. "During the peace talks between Song and Jin, the emperor ordered Liu Qi to lead the 'Eight Character Army' to Bianliang to take over the defense. Most of the army's families are still in Shunchang, so his troops probably haven't returned to Lin'an yet. It would be better to send a letter to Li Qi and ask him to lead his troops to provide emergency assistance."
Han Shizhong heard this and looked at her with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Madam, how many soldiers does Liu Qi have?"
Liang Hongyu sighed, "I'm afraid there are less than 10,000 of them, but the strength of his 'Eight Character Army' should not be underestimated. You can write another letter to Yue Fei. His garrison is relatively close to Shunchang."
Han Shizhong stepped forward, held her hand, and said, "Madam, you have secret agents everywhere. We will do as you say."
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