I became a saint by picking up corpses in Water Margin

Chapter 405 Warning
Yang Chang was stunned when he heard this.

What the hell?

My father-in-law wants to abdicate again, but the throne is not in your hands at all, so your abdication is illegal.

The reason Zhao Gou was able to become the emperor was because you issued an edict to pass the throne to his son. What's the big deal about passing it on to an outsider now?
If the news gets out, the throne can be taken back? Do you think this is just a game?
If I agree to this, won't I become a laughing stock in history?
Thinking of this, Yang Chang pulled Zhao Ji closer and reminded him in a deep voice: "You are now the emperor emeritus. Legally, you can't abdicate. Besides, you have abdicated twice. It would be a joke to abdicate again. I don't really need it."

"I know I know."

Zhao Ji nodded in agreement, and then said, "Let's go in and talk slowly."

He knew that with Yang Chang's strength, it would be no problem for him to declare himself emperor, and there was actually no need to do so.

It's just that the old guy wanted to stay in Yangqu, but because of his annoying identity as the emperor, neither the civil nor the military officials under Yang Chang's command liked him, so he asked someone to come up with this idea.

The person who came up with the idea was none other than Tang Ke, Zhao Ji's former prime minister and now working for Yang Chang.

Even though he exercised power as prime minister, no civil or military official was close to him. All the important civil and military officials were on Yang Chang's side, which was in stark contrast to the Zhao Song Dynasty.

To put it bluntly, the prime minister is just a title, and Tang Ke also has real administrative power, but there are too many people who can directly reach the emperor, so the power of the prime minister seems unimportant.

Before that, all the literati and officials of the Song Dynasty were concentrated in the hands of the two brothers Zhao Huan and Zhao Gou.

The officials under Yang Chang's command now basically come from the army and local promotions, and the administrative methods are also biased towards military management, which is still a gap from a normal country. Therefore, Tang Ke, the prime minister of Jin State, is just Yang Chang's logistics manager, but he is more professional than Li Ying, Chai Jin and others.

After entering the palace hall with everyone, Yang Chang asked Zhao Ji to sit in the honorable seat but was rejected. Finally, after his repeated insistence and request, Zhao Ji sat with him.

However, as soon as he sat down, Zhao Ji did not shy away from his two daughters and Wu Song, and immediately pulled Yang Chang and said earnestly: "Prince Jin, you don't know that my previous two abdications were all forced and had no choice, so they don't count."

"No."

Yang Chang looked Zhao Ji up and down, thinking that this guy was speaking sincerely, and immediately asked, "The emperor was coerced by the Jin people, and Zhao Gou could say that he had no choice but to pass the throne, before the Jingkang incident."

"At that time, the Jin army was approaching Bianjing, and the people in the court were in a panic and almost out of control. I was coerced by Wu Min, Li Bangyan and others and had to pass the throne to the crown prince. Afterwards, I looked for an opportunity to escape and prepared to mobilize the troops from Huai and Yang to take back power. Unfortunately, the crown prince was no longer as weak as before, and he restrained me everywhere. In the end, he was tricked back to Bianjing and placed under house arrest."

Zhao Ji spoke with great emotion, and his two daughters were moved to tears, but his two sons-in-law could not empathize with him.

What do you mean?
So it's all someone else's fault?

If you were a competent emperor, would you allow the Jin people to ride on your face and attack your capital? And would you be coerced by the crown prince and his ministers?

Sometimes I think about my own reasons. How many peasants have revolted over the years? Have I worked hard?
"Cough cough."

Yang Chang cleared his throat and reminded him, "Grand Emperor, no matter what the cause of these things is, now that the dust has settled, it is definitely not possible to regret, so I appreciate your kindness, but forget about the abdication."

"Don't be afraid, dear son-in-law."

Zhao Ji wanted to continue to persuade him, but was interrupted by Yang Chang, "From what you said just now, it seems that you are dissatisfied with the one in Bianliang, and you probably don't want to go back. Then you can stay in Yangqu for the time being, and you can take care of the two princesses."

"Listen to me, my dear son-in-law. I was not joking just now. On the way back, I heard Maode tell me a lot of things. The Crown Prince and King Kang are not the masters who can establish a career. Instead of letting the two brothers kill each other, it is better to give the throne to my dear son-in-law, end this chaotic world as soon as possible, and let the people return to normal life. It can also be regarded as accumulating merit for our Zhao family."

"What do you mean? The emperor asked them to abdicate? Why don't I understand?"

Yang Chang frowned with a puzzled look on his face, thinking, don't you think that since you are still the emperor, your two sons should listen to you?

Zhao Ji explained: "I personally wrote a letter in the name of the emperor to persuade them to abdicate, and announced it to the world to show the virtue of the King of Jin. If the two brothers do not obey, your son-in-law will lead the army to attack southward. I am willing to accompany the army and serve as a lobbyist for you."

"Your Majesty, are you serious?"

"I have my way."

When Yang Chang heard this, he couldn't help but look at the two princesses, thinking, is your father crazy? How dare he join the army as a lobbyist?
Unexpectedly, they all responded with affirmative expressions, which made Yang Chang even more confused.

At this time, Zhao Ji added: "My dear son-in-law, you wiped out the Western Xia in one month, and wiped out the Jin people in Hebei in another month. You can destroy these two powerful enemies in a snap, so how can his two brothers resist?"

"Let me think about this."

Yang Chang did not reply immediately, but turned to ask Zhao Fujin, "Where have you been placed these two days since the emperor returned?"

"At Xunde's house."

"What the princess said is correct. The emperor is in my house, and I dare not neglect him in the slightest."

Seeing Wu Song stand up to explain, Yang Chang nodded and said, "Then serve me well. I haven't been home for a long time, so let's take our time first."

"Yes, then we won't bother you anymore."

When Zhao Fujin heard Wu Song say this, he waved to Zhao Ji on the stage and said, "Dad, let's go home first and let my brother-in-law have a rest."

"Okay, dear son-in-law, you must consider it carefully. I will wait for your news."

Zhao Ji did not forget to remind before leaving, and was more proactive than Yang Chang.

First he lost his power and was placed under house arrest, and then he lived as a captive for several years. Not only did Zhao Ji give up his power, he also figured out many things.

Especially on the way back, when listening to Zhao Fujin telling the story of Yang Chang, Zhao Ji suddenly felt that letting the country belong to the Yang family might be the best outcome for the Zhao family, as his children could live longer.

He was willing to act as a lobbyist, and it wasn't just talk.

Experiencing Zhao Fujin's magic along the way actually made Zhao Ji feel the passion of his youth. Which man has not dreamed of fighting in battles? Even the emperor is no exception.

Yang Chang escorted Zhao Ji out of the palace, then turned around and asked Zhao Fujin in a low voice, "Why is the emperor like this? Did he meet anyone in the past two days since you returned to Yangqu?"

"I heard that Tang Ke and Wen Huanzhang both visited my younger sister's house."

"It's indeed them!"

Yang Chang was just about to send someone to tell them, but these two men came together at the right time, so Zhao Fujin made an excuse to go back to the back house.

When they returned to the front hall, Yang Chang immediately asked in a reproachful tone: "Who among you came up with the idea of ​​the Emperor's abdication?"

"No one is talking, it seems everyone has a role, don't you think it's superfluous?"

"Your Majesty, calm down."

Wen Huanzhang took over the conversation and said, "Although we are related to this matter, the original intention is still the emperor himself. His status in Yangqu does make many people dissatisfied, and he is not on good terms with Zhao Huan, so he has no choice but to come up with this idea."

"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, if the name is not right, the words will not be right. Since the emperor has this intention, why don't you go with the flow?"

The two sang the same tune. Seeing this, Yang Chang shook his head and sighed, "The key is that this abdication is not right. The emperor has abdicated twice. It would be a joke to abdicate again. I am not like Zhao Gou who seeks fame for nothing."

"Then just hit me."

Wen Huanzhang suddenly took up the topic and made a serious suggestion: "Marshal Lin has troops, so you can go south to take Bianjing first. As long as you take the Western Court into your pocket, Zhao Gou's pseudo-court, which has moved to Hangzhou, will have nowhere to jump around, and Shandong Liu Yu is even less worth mentioning."

"Your Majesty is the bravest in the world, and all the soldiers in the army are willing to fight to the death. It is just a matter of time before you unify the world. If you can go beyond the border and destroy the Jin Dynasty, then your territory will exceed that of the Han and Tang dynasties, and the door to a prosperous era will be opened."

Tang Ke, who has always been cautious, dared to say this at this time, which surprised Yang Chang.

Before he could express his opinion, Wen Huanzhang added impatiently: "In times of chaos, the people suffer. Everyone longs for peace. Since Your Majesty possesses extraordinary power, you should end the chaos in one go. Although being radical may cause unnecessary damage, I also know that you want to take it slow, but you would rather pay a certain price and unify the nine provinces as soon as possible."

"Yes, yes, yes. Only when the world is peaceful can we develop people's livelihood with peace of mind."

"Stop."

Yang Chang finally couldn't help himself, he stood up and said solemnly: "I didn't say I didn't want to go south, nor did I say I didn't want to unify the world, otherwise I wouldn't have destroyed Xixia, settled Hebei, and shocked the Jin people. But before dealing with the Zhao brothers, there are still 200,000 Xia soldiers in Guanzhong, so we have to deal with them first, right?"

"It's natural."

Wen Huanzhang replied cheerfully, "Taking Guanzhong first will be a greater deterrent to the Western Court in Bianjing. Your Majesty might as well take a two-pronged approach. While sending troops to Guanzhong, let the Emperor Emeritus issue an edict as well."

"That's doable."

Yang Chang stroked his beard and nodded, curiously asking: "By the way, Zhao Huan wanted to get rid of the Xixia royal family. Did he send troops to Guanzhong?"

"Yes." Wen Huanzhang answered affirmatively: "During the period when Your Majesty was recovering Hebei, I heard that the Western Court sent Liu Yanqing to lead 50,000 troops to the west to persuade them to surrender. However, there is no new news for the time being, but it is unlikely to succeed."

"Isn't this inevitable? If the Xia army in Guanzhong wanted to surrender, they would have surrendered to me long ago. Zhao Huan thought that if he held Li Qianshun, they would surrender obediently? What a fantasy."

"If you want to attack Guanzhong, the Xixia garrison is too small to move. Where will the king mobilize the troops?"

"We can just randomly draw 10,000 or 20,000 people from the surrounding states."

When Yang Chang said this, Wen Huanzhang and Tang Ke looked at each other in surprise. They all said in their hearts that the king was very ambitious and could defeat two hundred thousand with only ten or twenty thousand men. What could the Zhao brothers use to resist?
The two exchanged pleasantries for a long time. Before leaving, Wen Huanzhang suddenly turned back and reminded: "Since Your Majesty has the intention to annex the world, shouldn't you think about the name of the country and the year?"

"Ok?"

Yang Chang was stunned and couldn't help asking, "Isn't this your business? Think about it before letting me choose?"

"Your Majesty, if you say so, I will go and discuss it with Prime Minister Tang."

Wen Huanzhang responded by bowing, then said goodbye to Tang Ke and left.

Wen Huanzhang spoke first when they got on the carriage and asked, "Tang Xiang Jinshi is well-versed in history and modern times. In your opinion, what should the country be called?"

"Generally, the country's name is based on the title or fiefdom. The king's fiefdom is called Jin, perhaps..." "Jin is not auspicious, right? After all, the Sima family has a bad reputation."

"That's true"

Tang Ke twirled his beard and nodded, then his eyes lit up and he asked, "Your Majesty's surname is Yang, why don't you posthumously recognize Yang Jian as your ancestor and continue to use the name of the Great Sui Dynasty?"

"The second emperor of Sui died. I am not worthy of the king, am I?"

Wen Huanzhang gave his evaluation, and then gave his answer: "Emperor Wen of Sui accepted the abdication of Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou, and Emperor Taizu of Song accepted the abdication of Emperor Gong of Later Zhou. The name Zhou seems to be a good name for the country. If the Song Dynasty also abdicates, it would be like giving it back."

"Return it to whom? Zhou?"

Tang Ke shook his head and reminded: "Chai Rong's descendants are still here, and they are important ministers to the king."

"Yeah, why did I forget about Chai Jin? It seems I need to think about it carefully."

This kind of brain-demanding task naturally cannot be pushed to the "leader". If the "leader" wants to do it, he should do it as a multiple-choice question. If subordinates hand in questions with questions and answers, it means that the subordinates are incapable of doing the job and they will certainly not be reused.

Yang Chang was good at war, but the world was not at peace at that time, so his energy was mainly focused on the outside world.

The second day back in Yangqu.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

The newly established Privy Council of the Kingdom of Jin issued dispatch orders to Fenzhou, Weisheng, Jinzhou, Jiangzhu, Xixian, and Cizhou, requiring the large states to select 3,000 soldiers and the small states to select 2,000 soldiers, and to meet in Jiangzhu before mid-April.

Yang Chang was invincible in battle, and many people were eager to join him in making contributions. The transfer order made the garrisons in several states excited.

Originally, each state had few active soldiers, and after the corresponding troops were transferred away, there were only a few left. The only way to maintain order was to rely on reserve soldiers, but the reserve soldiers were eager to participate in the war, and the various military forces could not stop them.

The plan was to recruit only 15,000 troops, but in the end nearly 40,000 arrived in Jiangzhou, most of whom were reserve troops.

The reserve soldier system was a system similar to farming warfare that Yang Chang adopted when he was in office in Qinzhou to cope with the shortage of both manpower and food.

They train during the slack season and work during the busy season. As long as they are not recruited as formal professional soldiers, they can only eat their own food. However, the more than 20,000 reserve soldiers who were called up this time all brought their own food to participate in the battle.

Yang Chang's prestige and appeal reached a new height this year after he defeated the Jin army, destroyed Western Xia, and pacified Hebei.

In mid-April, we arrived in Jiangzhou as agreed.

Zhao Ji also traveled with the army. Before he set out from Yangqu, he took the initiative to arrange a marriage between Zhang Qing and Xing Bingyi as a punishment for Zhao Gou's collusion with the Jin people.

The last time he returned from Shangjing, Zhao Ji enjoyed the magic of flying.

He wanted to fly again this time, but Zhao Fujin was not his exclusive "driver". Before departure, he designated his own direct guard, led by former palace master Ma Baoguo, to provide protection throughout the journey.

Outside Jiangzhou City, 40,000 soldiers lined up neatly to welcome Yang Chang's inspection.

Zhao Ji stood watching from a distance and felt for the first time what prestige was. The soldiers shouted hard just to get Yang Chang's attention.

After seeing all this, he could not help but sigh to Zhao Fujin, "Maode has a good eye. Yang Chang is better than Tong Guan and Zhong Shidao. It's a pity that you didn't tell me earlier. If you had recruited him and made important use of him two years earlier, the Song Dynasty would not have become like this. Alas."

"With the ability of the King of Jin, do you think you can subdue him?"

Zhao Fujin's questions stunned Zhao Ji, who then smiled bitterly and said, "Whether he can subdue Yang Chang depends on my son's ability. Maybe it will be a good story between the monarch and his subjects. I will also have a chance to become an emperor through the ages."

“It’s too late to say this now.”

"Yes, it's too late. There's no use regretting."

Zhao Ji sighed and added, "But Yang Chang's future as my minister is definitely not as good as mine as my king, but it's not good!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"When the Prince of Jin is free, ask him to see me. There is something important to tell you."

"Oh? All right."

Zhao Fujin noticed that the words were spoken seriously and immediately took it seriously.

After Commander Yang finished his afternoon review, he ordered Zhang Qing to lead 3,000 soldiers as the vanguard to clear the way and go to Hezhong Prefecture in advance to prepare the ferry. The rest of the camps would rest and set off the next morning.

When the central army had discussed and dispersed, Zhao Fujin led Zhao Ji to see him.

When Yang Chang saw Zhao Ji coming, he was surprised, but out of politeness he still went forward to greet him and asked Zhao Fujin with a frown.

"Why is the princess here? Didn't Cao Zheng prepare a reception in the city? Why didn't he bring the emperor into the city to rest? The conditions in the camp are very simple, and the emperor might not be used to it."

"Concubine."

"Please don't blame Maode, King Jin. I asked her to bring me here. Compared to the hardships I endured in the Kingdom of Jin, the King Jin's tent is already very comfortable."

"The Emperor wants to see me for something?"

"Um"

Seeing Zhao Ji looking around and unwilling to speak, Yang Chang immediately said with a smile: "The people in the tent are all my close friends. If the emperor has something to say, you can speak up."

"There are some family matters that cannot be disclosed to the public"

"Ah."

Hearing this, Yang Chang waved his hand to signal King Cheng and others to leave, and then invited Zhao Ji to sit in the commander's seat.

Zhao Ji seemed still uneasy, and told Zhao Fujin to stand guard at the door of the tent so that Yang Chang would not be able to figure out his thoughts.

When Yang Chang sensed that there was only Zhao Fujin in front of the door, he whispered, "Except for the princess in front, there is no one else within 20 steps of the tent. What is the matter with the emperor?"

"The emperor's family affairs are the affairs of the state. On the way back, I heard Maode tell me about your many heroic deeds. Today, I saw those arrogant and brave generals. King Jin, have you ever thought about how to deal with these experienced generals under your command in the future when we are all together?"

"What do you mean?"

"The King of Jin is very willing to give up his power. I heard that Lin Chong, Sun An, Zhu Tong, and Lu Junyi are your absolute confidants. They are now in charge of heavy troops and are your arms in conquering the world. However, the world will eventually be pacified, and some things need to be planned in advance."

Zhao Ji's words were almost straightforward, how could Yang Chang not understand? He immediately asked back: "What does the emperor mean?"

"My ancestors once gave up their military power over a cup of wine. With the bravery and prestige of the King of Jin, it would be easy for him to do it again."

"and then?"

Yang Chang actually didn't finish what he was saying.

He wanted to ask: Should we continue to emphasize culture over military power and follow the old path of the Zhao and Song dynasties? But asking that would be like being too aggressive and unkind to his father-in-law.

Zhao Ji continued to impart his experience.

"I know that the King of Jin still wants to defeat the Kingdom of Jin and establish an unparalleled feat, so I am not worried about the arrogant soldiers and brave generals. However, the world has been in chaos for several years. It will take time for you to regain the Central Plains and stabilize it. You may not have the energy and national strength to support the Northern Expedition. Moreover, Jin and Liao are wild and desolate places. It is actually not worth the loss to conquer them. As long as you firmly control Yanyun, the iron hooves of the grassland cannot enter."

"I understand all of this. What exactly does the emperor want to say?"

"I want to remind you that it is more dangerous for military generals to become powerful than for civil officials to abuse their power. The current generation of the King of Jin may be safe, but what about his descendants?"

"so?"

I could hear Yang Chang's tone was already impatient.

Zhao Ji knew that he could look down on everyone, so he patiently persuaded him: "The King of Jin was born in this era, so he naturally doesn't understand the troubles of his ancestors, and doesn't understand why our Song Dynasty emphasizes culture over military power. In fact, it is a summary of the experience of the previous dynasties. From the separatist regimes in the late Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms before that, it was the bitter wine brewed by the unrestrained military generals."

"I know this, but emphasizing culture over military power is not a good remedy. If a country does not have a strong military force, it will be targeted by foreign enemies. Both the common people and the rich will become lambs under the butcher's knife. The emperor should understand this very well."

"Cough cough."

Zhao Ji blushed and nodded, saying, "The Song army was not bad. It was mainly because there were too many treacherous officials in the court and the generals had their own selfish motives."

"Every generation has its own affairs. Since the Supreme Emperor has let go of the past, he might as well enjoy his life from now on. As for the affairs of the military commanders, I know what to do."

Yang Chang thought to himself, I come from the future, and my vision is higher than yours. Although I don’t have a perfect way to rule the world, there are always good strategies that future generations can learn from, which are better than your Zhao family’s approach of emphasizing culture over military.

Zhao Ji stopped trying to persuade him and sighed, "My Zhao family has ruled the country for more than a hundred years. Although our military achievements are not comparable to those of the Han and Tang dynasties, our civil governance is not inferior to them. The people live a prosperous and peaceful life. The King of Jin could really learn from them."

"I can spare it."

"It is not a good idea to emphasize culture over military power. All the emperors of the Song Dynasty know this, but we have persisted. Do you know why, King Jin?"

"do not know."

Yang Changzhi shook his head. He really didn't understand, so he showed a curious expression.

Zhao Ji replied: "The era ended by Taizu was the worst era in history. The Five Barbarians' Rebellion was far worse than it. When scholars were in chaos, they at least followed propriety, righteousness, and integrity, but when military commanders were in chaos, they didn't care about anything. Did you know that during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, people were no different from beasts, two-legged sheep were a recognized dish, and the Central Plains seemed to have returned to the wilderness."

"So that's why the Song Dynasty strongly advocates civil governance?"

"Yes, civil governance can promote ideas, and ideas can constrain behavior."

(End of this chapter)