public opinion
Qin Hui asked about the peace talks again, and Zhang Tonggu said coldly, "Tell your emperor to take off his dragon robes in three days and come here to kneel and receive the emperor's order."
Qin Hui felt a chill run down his spine, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He knew the Jin envoy would have all officials kneel to receive the imperial edict, but he hadn't imagined the emperor would be asked to kneel in his own robes, even in his own residence. Wasn't that putting himself on the spot? He had already become a pariah because of the peace talks, and if he were to make the emperor kneel in the Qin residence to receive the edict, those patriotic reasons would probably eat him alive.
"If the Prime Minister's residence welcomes the angel with such fanfare, I'm afraid it will attract assassins again." Qin Hui suppressed his fear and thought, "If we really want to do what the angel wants, it would be better to secretly place the angel somewhere else."
Zhang Tonggu's sharp eyes swept across Qin Hui's pale face, and a hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Just do as the photographer wishes."
Qin Hui was as if he had been pardoned, and hurriedly called his servants: "Go and invite Lord Gou Longruyuan to come over for a chat." He looked at the darkening sky outside the window, and the sound of evening drums from Lin'an City came from afar, making him even more anxious.
When Gou Longruyuan hurried over, Qin Hui was pacing back and forth in his study.
"Your humble servant greets you, sir." Gou Longruyuan bowed, but he didn't know why Qin Hui called him in so late at night.
"Ruyuan," Qin Hui suddenly turned around, a friendly smile on his face, "I'm afraid my residence is not safe. Why don't we temporarily arrange for the Jin envoy to stay at your residence? What do you think?"
Gou Longruyuan's heart skipped a beat. This assignment seemed strange, but then he thought, if he could use this opportunity to curry favor with Prime Minister Qin, wouldn't his future career be bright? He immediately bowed and said, "Your humble servant is honored. I will return home and prepare."
"Wait a minute." Qin Hui pressed his shoulder. "Don't make a big fuss about it, or it might attract assassins." He added meaningfully, "If this succeeds, I will speak well of you to the emperor."
Gou Longruyuan nodded in agreement.
In the twilight, lights in thousands of houses in Lin'an City lit up one after another. This should have been a scene of peace and prosperity, but it was overshadowed by the arrival of the Jin envoy.
The next morning, Qin Hui and Gou Longruyuan walked into the palace in the morning dew.
Inside the palace walls, Zhao Gou was teasing a white parrot in the imperial garden. The early winter sun shone through the mist onto the courtyard, giving the parrot's feathers a metallic sheen.
"The Jin envoy demands that the emperor take off his dragon robe and kneel down to receive the emperor..." Qin Hui's voice became lower and lower, and was almost inaudible at last.
The golden hairpin Zhao Gou was using to tease the bird suddenly froze in mid-air. The garden was completely silent; even the parrot tactfully shut its beak. After a long pause, Zhao Gou slowly turned around, the sunlight illuminating his face, which had instantly turned pale.
"What do you suggest?" His voice was as light as a feather falling to the ground, but it made the two of them shudder.
Qin Hui lowered his head and replied, "Your Majesty...I will obey you." He clenched his hands into fists in his sleeves, digging his nails deep into his palms. He didn't want to be the sycophant who was instigating the emperor to kneel down and accept the emperor's orders in the eyes of others.
Zhao Gou sighed deeply and looked toward the north. There were his parents and brothers, his longing for them, and his ancient capital, Bianliang, which he yearned for. "For the Emperor's coffin, my mother and brother..." he choked out, "I will kneel to receive it."
The two men fell to the ground and shouted, "The emperor's benevolence and filial piety are witnessed by heaven and earth!" A trace of relieved sneer flashed across Qin Hui's lowered face.
Last night, Han Shizhong sneaked into Liang Hongyu's house and was about to climb in through the window when a dart flew out from inside and hit Han Shizhong in the left shoulder. Han Shizhong covered his left shoulder with a groan and fell back into the house. The window frame closed behind him with a snap.
Liang Hongyu's hand trembled slightly as she lit the candlestick. In the warm yellow light, the man's dark white clothes were mostly soaked with blood.
"General Han, if you were to sneak into a woman's bedroom at night, I'm afraid it would damage your reputation," she sneered, but she had already ripped open the bed curtains and tore off the white silk. Han Shizhong chuckled, then collapsed back onto the embroidered cushion, sweat dripping from his forehead. "General Liang's darts are three times more poisonous than the rumors say."
The candlelight crackled and sparked. Liang Hongyu knelt before him, deliberately using a little force as she pierced his shirt with her dagger. The man gasped, and the corners of his lips curled up. The bloodstain on his bronze skin was hideous, and her fingertips, dipped in the elixir, suddenly trembled. Three years ago, at the Yellow River ferry, it was this shoulder that had shielded her from an arrow.
"Bear with it." She pressed the powder heavily onto the wound, only to see Han Shizhong suddenly grab her wrist. His hand, rough and warm from years of holding a knife, pressed his thumb against the throbbing spot of her pulse.
"General Liang's hidden weapon skills..." He approached, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, "Why do you only attack old injuries?"
Liang Hongyu's ears burned fiercely, and her crimson cheeks looked even more charming in the candlelight. She threw the blood-stained handkerchief in his face and said, "I should have poisoned it earlier."
Before she could finish her words, she was dragged into his arms. The moment the candlestick fell over, she clearly saw two candlelight points reflected in the man's eyes, like a wolf in the snowy night.
The aroma of medicine mixed with the smell of blood filled the tent. Han Shizhong suddenly lowered his head and used the tip of his tongue to sweep away the remaining medicine powder from her fingertips.
"Bitter." He frowned, but took her finger deeper into his mouth. Liang Hongyu's leather belt suddenly loosened, and the dart that had injured him was pressed against his Adam's apple.
"General, do you know..." She panted as she pressed the blade down, "The last time I treated you so frivolously, the grass on my grave is already three feet high?"
Outside the window, the night watchman's drum struck three times. Han Shizhong chuckled, letting the blade draw a line of blood as he suddenly rolled her into the curtains. Liang Hongyu's exclamation was swallowed between his lips and teeth. He gently removed the silver hairpin from her hair, and her lush, seaweed-like hair immediately cascaded down from the headboard, gleaming metallically in the moonlight filtering through the openwork window lattice.
Han Shizhong rubbed his hand into her hair, "Madam, your hair is like black gold, I love it very much."
Liang Hongyu stretched out a delicate hand and stroked his wound, "General, I can love you, but you must be restrained. You are still injured."
The wound did not feel any pain from her touch, but it itched instead. The stronger desire went straight to the bottom of his heart. He buried his head deeper, and his lips and teeth fell on her shoulders and neck. "Madam, you are so beautiful, I can't control myself."
When Liang Hongyu woke up the next day, Han Shizhong had returned to his room at night, and only the residual warmth from last night remained on the bed.
She got out of bed and opened the window. A white dove suddenly flew in and landed on the window frame. She took out the note from the small bamboo tube tied to the pigeon's leg. It was written in Qiu Feng's beautiful handwriting: The official must take off his dragon robe and kneel to receive the envoy from the Jin Kingdom.
The tenderness of last night was instantly shattered by this news. She hurriedly washed and dressed, put on the suit of clothes that Han Shizhong had prepared for her yesterday, and went to knock on Han Shizhong's door next door.
Han Shizhong opened the door and saw Liang Hongyu, so he smiled and said, "Madam, you miss your husband so soon?"
Liang Hongyu reached out and covered his mouth, which had become very talkative since they got together, and said, "Be careful, there are ears on the other side of the wall."
Han Shizhong pulled her into the room, and the door closed behind him with a bang. He pushed her against the door, and his lips were about to fall on hers.
Liang Hongyu put her hand against Han Shizhong's chest, her fingertips poking at the wound he had bandaged last night. She raised her eyebrows and smiled, "General, you've been tossing and turning all night, and you're still so restless today?"
Han Shizhong grabbed her hand, lowered his head, and bit her fingertips. "Miss Liang, you were so cruel last night, yet you're pretending to be serious today?" His voice was low and hoarse from the morning, and his warm breath brushed against her ears. "Who was the one who held me tightly last night?"
Liang Hongyu's ears felt hot, and she raised her knee to push against his waist. Han Shizhong was already on guard, so he stepped aside and pinned her wrist to the door. He leaned in close, his nose almost touching hers. "Madam, why are you so angry so early in the morning?"
She struggled but couldn't break free, so she simply looked up and glared at him: "Han Aman!"
"I'm here." He chuckled. It was the first time he heard her call him that. His thumb stroked the beating pulse on her wrist. "What do you want, Madam?"
Liang Hongyu gritted her teeth and suddenly stepped on the tip of his boot. Han Shizhong felt pain and his grip loosened. She took the opportunity to pull away and slapped the note on his chest with her backhand: "Stop it, something serious has happened!"
Han Shizhong unfolded the note and his smile froze instantly.
"The emperor wants to take off his dragon robe and kneel to welcome the golden envoy?" His eyes suddenly turned cold, and his knuckles were clenched white. "Ridiculous!"
Liang Hongyu leaned against the table with her arms folded. "The Jin army's march south this time is ostensibly to negotiate peace, but in reality it's a humiliation. If we really force the emperor to kneel, the backbone of the Song Dynasty will be broken."
Han Shizhong was silent for a moment, then sneered, "Qiu Feng's news is timely." He strode to the table and pulled out a map of Qin Hui's mansion. "The Jin envoy is now in Qin Hui's mansion. Why don't we sneak in at night and kill the treacherous prime minister and the Jin envoy?"
"No." Liang Hongyu held his hand. "If you kill the envoy, the Jin Kingdom will surely invade."
Han Shizhong clasped his fingers with hers and asked, "What do you think, Madam?"
Liang Hongyu stroked his palm with her fingertips and smiled slyly: "Why don't we..."
Qin Hui was in the hall discussing the details of receiving the imperial edict with Gou Longruyuan, Wang Shu and others when he suddenly heard someone outside shouting, "Where is Lord Qin?"
The tone sounded a little strange. Three big men had walked in from outside. They all had sullen faces and stared at the people in the room without greeting.
The three were none other than Yang Yizhong, Jie Qian, and Han Shiliang, the imperial guards' generals. Han Shiliang was Han Shizhong's cousin. This morning, Han Shizhong had handed him the note Qiu Feng had given him, instructing him to stir up patriotic sentiment among the other two imperial guards and the rest of the court officials, to create public opinion and pressure the emperor into abandoning his absurd idea of kneeling to receive the Jin envoy.
Han Shiliang had been fanning the flames against the two generals early in the morning, leading to the scene where three generals broke into the capital hall.
Yang Yizhong clasped his hands together and said, "Excuse me, Lord Qin, there are rumors that the emperor will kneel to receive the imperial edict. Is this true?"
Although Qin Hui was the prime minister, these three were people around the emperor, specifically responsible for the emperor's safety. Each of them was the emperor's favorite general, and he could not afford to offend any of them. He could only smile and say, "The three generals are the emperor's guards. You can ask the emperor directly. Why do you come here to ask me? It happens that I have something to report to the palace. Will you three accompany me to see the emperor?" After that, he left with a smile.
Han Shiliang did not expect Qin Hui to be so treacherous. He kicked the ball back and asked Gou Longruyuan next to him.
"Your Excellency, Censor, yesterday we heard you and Lord Qin tell the Emperor to kneel before the enemy's edict and that the Emperor should humble himself. Now the soldiers and civilians in the city are rushing in. If they surge, how can we suppress them? How can you, as ministers of state, incite the Emperor to such a humble act?"
Gou Longruyuan thought he'd landed a good assignment, but it turned out to be a hot potato. No wonder Prime Minister Qin had suddenly placed the Jin envoy in his residence; it turned out he was being made the scapegoat. If mishandled, this matter could lead to disaster. Furthermore, of the three marshals, only Zhang Jun advocated peace, while Han Shizhong and Yue Fei strongly advocated a decisive battle with the Jin. If they later rebelled, he would be hard to explain.
Thinking of this, he hurriedly said, "I will go to the palace and report your wishes to the heavens." After saying that, he wiped the sweat off his face and left in a hurry.
When he entered the hall, he saw Qin Hui and Wang Lun were also there.
Qin Hui pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve and presented it to the emperor, his voice filled with tears as he said, "Your Majesty, I am acting in obedience to the emperor's order to negotiate peace, but the court and the people are puzzled. The people are calling me a spy and have surrounded my official sedan chair. Even within the court, some are speaking ill of me. I dare not incur such public wrath. I resign my position as prime minister."
Zhao Gou took it and opened it. It read: "Qin Hui is a spy."
Liang Hongyu had Qiu Feng print this note early in the morning and then spread it throughout the streets, so the people of Lin'an must have picked it up. She also had Qiu Feng incite the military and civilians to gather outside the palace gates to protest and kneel before receiving the imperial edict.
Gou Longruyuan stood by and just watched him perform quietly, thinking: There are quite a lot of dramas.
After Qin Hui finished crying, Gou Longruyuan reported, "The Qin envoys are refusing to yield, and the Lin'an military and civilians are furious. They are standing outside the palace, demanding an explanation from the emperor. The three palace commanders disagree. Yue Fei is coming to Lin'an, citing 'another small incursion by the Jin army.' Han Shizhong and the three guarding generals are also strongly opposed. What should we do about this matter? Please give your wise decision."
Zhao Gou was furious and cursed, "What's the point of me keeping you? Some resigned, some remained silent. Is there no one who came forward to share my worries?"
"Got it, got it!" After a long silence in the hall, Wang Lun suddenly shouted.
"The Book of Documents states, 'When the king's house is in mourning, the emperor will offer sacrifices in secret for three days.' Your Majesty is currently in mourning for his father, so how can he accept the imperial edict? The prime minister can accept the edict on your behalf."
"This is a very good plan!" Gou Longruyuan agreed.
Qin Hui, standing aside, smiled and said, "Since it is Lord Wang's suggestion, why not let Lord Wang persuade the Jin envoy?"
How come the ball was kicked to his side again? Wang Lun could only helplessly say: "I will definitely convince the Jin envoy."
As night fell, Wang Lun's sedan slowly rolled out of the palace gates. The noisy crowds that had gathered during the day had dispersed, leaving only a few scattered pieces of paper money swirling in the wind.
When the sedan chair reached Lin'an Street, most of the shops on both sides of the street were closed, only a few wine shops and teahouses still had lights on. The dim light leaked through the window cracks, illuminating the angry faces.
"Have you heard? The emperor must kneel before the Jin envoy to accept the imperial edict, and the Song Dynasty must become a vassal of the Jin people." A butcher with a face full of flesh slammed the table and stood up, causing the wine bowl on the table to clang, and his thick arms were still stained with unwashed blood.
A young man who looked like a scholar next to him suddenly clenched the folding fan in his hand and said, "How can the emperor of the Song Dynasty bow down to barbarians? How can this be disgraceful!" His handsome face was distorted by anger.
"Pah!" spat a one-eyed old man in the corner. He slammed his right hand, missing its index finger, on the table. "Back when Fang La started the uprising, I already said this imperial court was unreliable!" His one good eye flashed with a terrifying, murderous gleam. "Rather than surrendering to the Jin people in barbarian clothing, I might as well go back to my old ways and become a bandit."
At this moment, a ragged young man emerged from the darkness, his thin face covered in coal dust. "What bandits? They are the government forcing the people to rebel. We are protecting ourselves."
The butcher patted the boy's head and said, "You're right, kid. Protect yourself. As a last resort, we have to go back to the old way."
The voices of more than a dozen people echoed in a chaotic manner.
Wang Lun's sedan chair happened to pass by, and the curtain moved slightly. The young man, with sharp eyes, immediately shouted, "There's an official sedan chair!"
Everyone was instantly startled, some feigning drunkenness, hunched over their desks, others guzzling wine. Only after the sedan had driven away did the one-eyed old man offer a sinister smile and say, "See? These officials have to be wary of the people when they go out at night."
December 28th, the eighth year of Shaoxing, ushered in an unusually warm winter morning.
On both sides of the road from the Imperial Palace to the Censorate, the Imperial Guards stood in awe, their polished armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, their spears forming a forest.
Five hundred armored imperial guards walked out of the palace, with the emperor's guard of honor in the middle. Four maroon horses pulled an empty jade sedan chair. Behind the sedan chair were several ministers in crimson official uniforms, and behind them were ministers in green court robes.
The ministers in front walked fairly straight, but the officials following behind were a mixed bag. Some had loose robes, some walked unsteadily, and some kept stealing glances at the people on either side, their eyes flickering like thieves.
This bizarre procession marched majestically down the street. Soldiers and civilians on both sides watched the lively scene. Suddenly, a boy shouted, "These officials seem to be in disguise."
The children's childish voices tore through the disguise, and the people's discussions gradually grew louder, with bursts of sneers and curses erupting from the crowd:
"Isn't that Wang Er, the pork seller in West City?" someone suddenly exclaimed, "Why is he wearing a green robe?"
"The one in the purple robe is walking unsteadily. I'm afraid he's still drunk from all the drinking last night!"
"The Imperial Guards are impressive, but these officials can't even keep their steps in step. Could it be that the opera troupe has escaped?"
"Is there no one left in the imperial court? Even the fillers are dragged out for a stroll!"
The people's laughter surged like a tide, and the whole street was in an uproar.
Qin Hui, walking at the front of the procession, held his back erect, but cold sweat streamed down his forehead. Last night, Wang Lun had suggested having commoners impersonate officials, a plan he'd thought was flawless...
At this moment, he could only bite the bullet and continue to move forward with this team of "officials".
Qin Hui led all the officials to the Censorate. There was an incense table at the entrance of the main hall of the palace, behind the table was a throne, and the incense burner on the table was burning with purple smoke.
Wang Lun stood beside the incense burner and shouted, "Please issue the decree."
At this time, Zhang Tonggu walked out of the main hall holding a yellow silk imperial edict in his hand. He walked in square steps, looked straight ahead, and sat down steadily in front of the prime minister's chair.
Qin Hui hurriedly knelt before the incense table and kowtowed three times to the golden envoy, shouting, "Qin Hui, the guilty minister of Jiangnan, leads all the officials to welcome the imperial edict. Long live the golden master, long live, long live."
When the ministers behind him saw the prime minister kneeling on the ground, they also knelt down and shouted "Long live the prime minister".
Zhang Tonggu, who was sitting upright, saw the Song officials were so pious and smiled slightly, "Please bring the imperial edict into the palace."
When everyone arrived at the palace, Zhang Tonggu rode his horse straight into the palace gate and did not dismount until he reached the palace gate. A eunuch came over and hurriedly led the horse over. Another eunuch led Zhang Tonggu into the palace and sat him down.
Qin Hui and all the officials immediately knelt before the steps. An attendant took the imperial edict from the dragon chariot and handed it to Zhang Tonggu. Zhang Tonggu stood up and loudly announced to Zhao Gou, who was sitting behind a curtain in the palace: "Song Kang Wang Zhao Gou, the great Song Dynasty has been overthrown because of your stupidity, tyranny, and perverse actions. Your parents, brothers, and wife have all been captured by our army. Now that King Kang has repeatedly requested that the Great Jin rule the world with loyalty and filial piety, as a token of our favor to the world, we will return the lands of Henan and Shaanxi to the Great Song Dynasty and send back Zi Guan and the Wei family. You should submit a letter of surrender to the Great Jin and pay an annual tribute of 500,000 taels of silver and silk each."
Zhao Gou kowtowed three times before the ancestral tablet behind the curtain and shouted, "Thank you, Lord, for your grace."
The officials outside the gate also prostrated themselves and shouted, "Thank you, Lord, for your grace."
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