Wanyan Zongwang was doubly proud. Not only had he marched straight into Bianjing and returned laden with cargoes, but the Song even sent troops to escort him along the way. There were no more taunts or harassment from the common people along the way; instead, there were banners everywhere. Proclamations of respectfully sending the Jin envoy northward and vowing eternal peace between the two countries were a common sight.
Jin Emperor Wanyan Sheng had no intention of destroying the Song. They knew they lacked the strength to rule the entire Central Plains. As long as the Song didn't default on their annual tribute payments, they would tacitly accept the tyrant Zhao Huan. Once Jin grew strong enough to destroy him, they could mobilize their forces southward to destroy the Song.
Zhong Shidao led his troops to escort them along the way. Soon, Zhong's army arrived at the south bank of the Yellow River and waited for the Jin troops to arrive.
At this time, Zong Shidao led the Zong family army to build fortifications on both sides of the south bank of the Yellow River. These fortifications were camouflaged in order to paralyze the Jin soldiers.
Tang Ke, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, and Geng Nanzhong, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, accompanied the army for escort.
Tang Ke and Geng Nanzhong trudged forward, stepping slowly to face Zhong Shidao. Tang Ke pointed at the fortifications the soldiers were constructing and asked, "General Zhong, what are you doing?"
Zhong Shidao didn't answer. These two men flattered the Jin invaders, forcing civilians to make way for them along the way, setting up tea stalls to comfort the Jin soldiers wherever they passed, and doing their best and most diligently. Zhong Shidao already felt disgusted.
Geng Nanzhong was furious when he saw that Zhong Shidao didn't answer. "Old Zhong! My Song Dynasty and Jin have already reached peace. What are you thinking of building fortifications here?"
During the Song Dynasty, civil officials exerted considerable influence over military commanders, sometimes even holding them above them. Tang Ke and Geng Nanzhong, one of them a minister of the Right and a minister of the Secretariat, while the other a minister of the Council of State, signed the documents of the Privy Council. They were later promoted to minister of the Left and minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Both of them held numerous titles, rising to the rank of prime minister. Consequently, they constantly suppressed Zhong Shidao.
Zhong Shidao then said softly, "In compliance with the Emperor's order, our army is here to encircle and annihilate the Jin thieves, blocking them on the south bank of the Yellow River. This is where they will be buried!"
Tang Ke and Geng Nanzhong were horrified. This teacher was stubborn and unyielding. He was known for his stubbornness during the Huizong era, always doing what he said he would do. Disobeying an imperial order was child's play for him.
Geng Nanzhong couldn't help but feel suspicious: "Nonsense! The Song and Jin are still allied. Your Majesty personally escorted the Jin envoy to the palace gates, and now you're talking about suppressing the bandits under imperial orders? Where is the imperial edict?"
Zhong Shidao rolled his eyes and said, "This is a top military secret. Your Majesty only has a verbal order, not an imperial decree."
Tang Ke sneered, "So there's no imperial decree. Master Zhong, I wonder if you're defying the decree and acting on your own initiative to stop the Jin soldiers here?"
The two men had been scornful and contemptuous of him all along the way. They had been fawning and servile to the Jin, and Zong Shidao couldn't help but be furious: "The Jin are bullying our Song. Even without the Emperor's order, I, Zong, will not let them go. If the Jin thieves want to return to Hebei, they must first step over my corpse!"
Tang Ke and Geng Nanzhong were horrified. This kind of teacher-student relationship was really going to start a war.
Tang Ke pointed at him and said, "You, you, we Song and Jin finally reached peace. You actually want to stir up trouble again? Aren't you afraid that the war will break out again?"
Geng Nanzhong interrupted Tang Ke and whispered, "Old Zong, even if you destroy Wanyan Zongwang, don't forget that they still have Wanyan Zonghan's Western Route Army. The main force of the Great Jin Dynasty is still there. How can they give up!"
Zhong Shidao angrily said, "You two don't understand the art of war, and you only know how to talk nonsense. If we cripple Wanyan Zongwang's Eastern Army right now, what will become of the remaining Western Army?"
"You, you." Tang Ke was so angry that he was shaking all over. "You acted on your own. If we lose, can you bear the responsibility? I will go back and report you to the emperor!"
Zong Shidao smiled faintly and said, "If Lord Tang returns to the capital to see the emperor, it will be at your discretion."
Tang Ke and Geng Nanzhong knew they couldn't persuade him, so they decided to return to Beijing in anger. Zong Shidao couldn't have asked for more, as it saved them from nagging.
The Eastern Route Army, led by Wanyan Zongmou, sang along the way, and with only half a day's journey left, they would reach the southern bank of the Yellow River. The soldiers were filled with joy at the thought of their imminent return to the Great Jin.
It is said that Tang Ke and Geng Nanzhong left the army in anger and wanted to return to Beijing to report to the emperor.
Tang Ke said, "Master Geng, it's too late to return to the capital and tell the emperor. Zong Shidao is already on the south bank, preparing to stop the Jin troops. If we lose, the Song Dynasty will be in danger."
Geng Nanzhong pondered, "Why don't we head to the Jin camp right now? Tell Wanyan Zongwang to bypass Master Zhong and cross the Yellow River from the west. That way, we won't start a war."
Tang Ke was delighted: "This is a brilliant plan!"
So the two of them turned their horses around and headed towards Wanyan Zongmou's Jin camp.
Wanyan Zongmou was surprised to hear that two ministers from the Song Dynasty were coming to see him, but he and Wanyan Ang still met them.
As soon as the two men saw Wanyan Zongwang, Tang Ke said, "Deputy Marshal Zongwang, you absolutely cannot go to the front."
Wanyan Ang, who was standing next to him, was a little puzzled and asked, "Why can't we go?"
Geng Nanzhong took over and said, "That teacher has secretly deployed troops and built fortifications on the south bank of the Yellow River. He intends to capture you all in one fell swoop."
"What!" Wanyan Zongwang was shocked: "You Song people are not trustworthy!"
Tang Ke actually fell to the ground in panic. "Marshal, please calm down. It's not that we're breaking our promise. It's that you're disobeying the orders of your teacher and secretly ordering your annihilation on the south bank of the Yellow River."
Geng Nanzhong followed up, "Indeed, Zhong Shidao lied and claimed to be following the Emperor's orders. In reality, he was secretly disobeying the Emperor's orders."
Wanyan Ang slammed the table and stood up. "Are you saying that Zong Shidao claimed to be under the Emperor's order to annihilate us?"
Tang Ke hurriedly got up from the ground and said, "That's right, Song and Jin have already formed an alliance. Our Lord only asked us to escort him, and he has no ulterior motives."
Wanyan Zongmou was about to explode in anger when Wanyan Ang stopped him. Wanyan Ang's eyes rolled. "Thank you, my Lords, for reminding us that we have saved our Great Jin from being surrounded and annihilated. Please return and inform your Emperor that our Great Jin will not pursue this matter."
Tang Ke and Geng Nanzhong exchanged a glance, both delighted: "In that case, we will return to the palace to see the emperor immediately!"
Wanyan Zongmou wanted to get angry, but Wanyan Ang smiled and sent the two away.
After Tang Ke and Geng Nanzhong left, Wanyan Ang's expression changed immediately. He drew his sword and chopped a wooden table in two: "The dog emperor of Song is cunning!"
Wanyan Zongwang was greatly surprised: "What do you mean by this, Prince Yun?"
Wanyan Ang put away his sword and said, "When I was in Bianjing, the emperor was very submissive to me in order to paralyze us. It turns out he had this plan all along!"
Wanyan Zongwang was shocked when he heard this: "Are you saying that it wasn't that Zong Shidao disobeyed the emperor's order, but that the Song emperor had long wanted to wipe us out?"
Wanyan Ang nodded. "Zhao Huan was quite cunning. Yao Pingzhong's raid on the camp failed, and he knew someone had leaked the information. So, he quietly planned to surround and annihilate us on the way, under the guise of escort. Tang and Geng were unaware of this, and they thought we were disobeying orders, so they came to report it to us. If it weren't for these two, you and I would probably not see the sun tomorrow."
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