The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 165 Entering Kaifeng, Seeing Yang Kang Again
Su Ming also nodded approvingly, "We really need to investigate it thoroughly. If things continue like this, all the villages everywhere will be massacred."

It is strange no matter how you look at it that such an army was not placed on the front line to fight the Mongols, but instead was sent to the rear to massacre the villages. Even if they were killing innocent people to claim credit, that was something that happened on the front line. This place is thousands of miles away from the front line, and they cannot falsely report their military exploits even if they took heads.

Hong Qigong took out the gourd from his waist and took a sip of wine. His old face was full of vicissitudes, and he sighed, "Alas, this old beggar has seen too many things like this. Ever since the war between Mongolia and the Jin Dynasty, the north has been in chaos. Mongolia killed people, and the Jin Dynasty also killed people. It's just that the people below suffered."

"In the past few years, many people have joined our Beggars' Sect, but life has become increasingly difficult. I really don't know when it will end."

Su Ming took out some dry food from his arms and handed it to the little girl beside him. He watched her carefully hold the biscuit and eat it slowly. "After the world is unified, perhaps the war will disappear. Brother Qi was on a tour in the north. You should know the current situation. The Jin Kingdom is in danger. It is just repeating the mistakes of the Song Dynasty. Sooner or later, it will be destroyed by Mongolia."

"That being said, too many people died. Mr. Su taught the people well. Fortunately, it was Guo Jing who attacked Shanxi. If it was another Mongolian, I don't know how much blood would have been lost."

The little girl ate half of the cake and hid the remaining half in her arms. After finishing, she kept licking the residue on her hands. Su Ming's eyes flickered slightly, "Seventh brother, you are joking. Guo Jing can be where he is today because of his own efforts. I am just doing my best."

"What are you going to do with this girl, brother? Send her to the Beggars' Sect?"

Hearing this, Hong Qigong hurriedly shook his head, "How can I send her to the Beggars' Sect? There are enough beggars in the world. With wars raging everywhere, everyone's life is hard. Where would they get the extra money to give us? There is no future in being a beggar. I plan to go to Taiyuan and send her to Guo Jing. With his ability, it's easy for him to protect a girl."

...The three of them walked and stopped along the way and soon arrived in Kaifeng.

If you want to find the source of these Jin soldiers, you can only come to Kaifeng, because the incident happened around Kaifeng, and those Jin soldiers are well-equipped and are not an ordinary army.

Su Ming entered the city and went directly to the Quanzhen Taoist temple. He donated some silver, then took out Ma Yu's token and registered in the temple. The Quanzhen Taoist priests who presided over the temple at that time had been replaced and were no longer the familiar people.

Since Hong Qigong had to go to the branch of the Beggars' Sect and it was inconvenient for him to go, he left the little girl to his care.

On the way, Su Ming also learned the little girl's name. Her surname was Fang and her given name was Xiaoxiao. There were seven people in her family, and they were all slaughtered by the Jin soldiers. If she had not gone out to dig wild vegetables at that time, she would not have lived to see Hong Qigong's arrival.

……

Late at night, Jin Dynasty Palace.

Wanyan Honglie, wearing a bright yellow robe, sat at his desk reviewing memorials. Genghis Khan's return to the grassland made everyone in the Jin Dynasty feel relieved. The Mongolian barbarians were finally gone, and they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The Jin Kingdom had completely abandoned Hebei, Zhongdu and other places, and set up a defense line on the Henan border relying on the terrain. While the war was over and the political situation was stable, Wanyan Honglie planned to reorganize the court, crack down on corruption, and carry out internal reforms.

However, his actions were resisted by court officials as soon as they began. Not just one or two, but the entire bureaucratic system. Corruption was common in every dynasty, but the resistance to reform was too great.

It was bigger than he had imagined. He thought that after moving the capital, he could eliminate the influence of some old forces. However, he did not expect that after arriving in Kaifeng, Wanyan Honglie was still restricted in every way.

If he had been a bad emperor and delegated power, he could have lived a very comfortable life, but he was an emperor who liked to do things. He did not want to be a king who lost his country, and even more did not want to perish with the Jin Dynasty.

The internal reforms died before they even began, and his ministers also advised him not to start a war at a time of national crisis. However, if bureaucratic corruption was not curbed, the taxes collected from below would never be implemented.

Whether it was expanding the army, training the army or other matters, nothing could be done. Many times, the money given by the court was enough, but after manipulation, only one or two tenths of it could be used in the right place.

If you don't take it and I don't take it, how can we get rich? Anyway, it's all the court's money, so it's a waste if we don't take it.

Wanyan Honglie sighed quietly, "State affairs are difficult!" The Jin Dynasty's court is now like a quagmire. He has smart and capable talents but nowhere to display them. The powerful people below are holding him back, and he cannot kill people indiscriminately.

Because these ministers are intermarried with each other, their connections are complicated and one move can affect the overall situation. It may be fun to kill them all, but what about the consequences?
You never know when the generals at the border will open the gates and let the Mongols in. Don't test the officials' integrity, because they don't have that kind of thing. Using foreign powers to bully others is not just a patent of later generations.

If he were given a few years, Wanyan Honglie would be able to slowly clean up the court and develop his own confidants, but what he lacks now is time. Although the Mongols have retreated, their next wave of offensive will definitely be more fierce.

Moreover, his predecessor left him a huge mess. As soon as he ascended the throne, he surrendered to Mongolia and offered tribute, and then moved the capital and ran away in disgrace.

Although doing so could preserve the vitality of the Jin Dynasty to the greatest extent, it had a great impact on the emperor's prestige. The talents below did not care whether they were good or bad, they only knew that the emperor had abandoned them and ran away with the civil and military officials.

It was precisely because of this that there were so many internal conflicts in the Jin Dynasty court. Unfortunately, his prestige as an emperor was greatly damaged, and he was unable to reconcile the conflicts in a short period of time, thus twisting the officials into a knot.

"Go and fetch the prince."

A moment later, Yang Kang stepped into the palace and bowed, "Your son pays homage to the emperor." His movements were correct and meticulous.

Wanyan Honglie waved his hand, a trace of kindness flashed in his eyes, "Please stand up, what have you been busy with these days?"

Yang Kang replied respectfully, "Father, I have been checking the information in the Privy Council recently, and deducing the future offensive of Mongolia with my men, and I plan to prepare in advance."

After he finished speaking, he looked up at Wanyan Honglie and noticed his tired face. "Father, the affairs of state are very important. Please take care of your health. The responsibility of the Jin Kingdom depends on you alone. You must not make any mistakes."

Wanyan Honglie narrowed his eyes slightly, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened. "It's enough that you have this filial piety. It's okay for you to go to the Privy Council to take a look, but you don't have to get too involved. The most urgent task now is to urge the states to pay taxes and money. Only with money can we do things. Do you understand?"

Yang Kang thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Father. I will keep them in mind."

"Just back off."

"My son, please retire."

After Yang Kang left, Wanyan Honglie's brows showed even more fatigue, and there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes. His son was smart and had the same personality as him, but he had a narrow vision and was not worthy of being used.

Without the threat of the Mongol army, the internal conflicts of the Jin Dynasty could no longer be suppressed. With the enemy outside, everyone could still unite to face the enemy for their own lives and interests. Now, the Mongol army has left the north, leaving only a small army to attack cities and seize territories. It can be said that the crisis of the Jin Dynasty has been temporarily resolved. However, the Jin Dynasty has been established for more than a hundred years, and a large number of conflicts have accumulated internally.

It can be said that the current problem of the Jin Dynasty is not external but internal. However, Yang Kang did not realize this at all. He was still thinking about defending against the Mongols and making achievements. His thinking about the current situation was too superficial.

Forget it. I'll arrange for him to work in another government office in a few days to give him more experience.

……

In the palace late at night, Su Ming walked between the palaces, looking at the tall palaces and the inner courtyard full of weeds around him, and complained, "This Jin Dynasty's palace is not that good, it's not as good as the Southern Song Dynasty's palace."

After staying in Kaifeng for a few days, Su Ming had been analyzing and thinking about the movements of the Jin court with the help of the Beggar Gang's information channels, while Hong Qigong had also been tracking the affairs of the Jin soldiers and now had a clue.

Su Ming had come in for a walk when he passed by Kaifeng before. At that time, the imperial palace was in ruins everywhere, the palace had collapsed, and there was no one to be seen within miles. It had become a paradise for animals.

As the Jin Dynasty moved its capital, the declining Kaifeng regained its former glory. A million people moved to Bianliang. Crown Prince Wanyan Kang supervised the construction of the imperial city and mobilized 300,000 soldiers and civilians to rest. It took a year to complete the rest.

To this day, the construction of Kaifeng has not stopped. With nearly one million people pouring into a city at once, the urgently needed daily necessities will be an astronomical figure. Fortunately, Bianliang has the convenience of water conservancy, and the transportation of grain is very fast, which is much easier than when it was in Zhongdu.

Having been here once before, Su Ming was familiar with the route. He walked through the garden, passed the Funing Palace and the Qinzheng Hall, and came to the East Palace. Throughout the dynasties, the East Palace has been the residence of the prince.

There were imperial guards patrolling the palace, but they couldn't even see Su Ming's shadow. He walked and stopped along the way and stepped into the East Palace.

By the time of this incident, Yang Kang had already returned to his bedroom. He was wearing a white silk robe and was constantly reading reports.

There were palace lanterns in the hall, illuminating the hall and reflecting Yang Kang's handsome profile, his straight nose, his sword-like eyebrows slanting into his temples, his angular face, and his extraordinary temperament.

As the atmosphere changes with the environment, the body changes with the environment. After living in the palace for a long time, Yang Kang naturally became imbued with the solemnity of the palace, and his temperament was also very different from when he first met Su Ming.

He was concentrating on his desk when suddenly a voice suddenly sounded in his ear, "Should I call you Yang Kang or Wanyan Kang?"

In an instant, Yang Kang felt as if his heart stopped for a moment. This secret had been hidden deep in his mind for many years, and no one had called him Yang Kang for a long time.

He looked up suddenly, his eyes flashing with ferocity, and suddenly saw a figure standing in front of him.

It's him!

Looking at the figure in front of him, the memory of the death came to his mind again. It seemed to be a night like this one. He met Su Ming, offered him a plan, and then he followed the plan and solved the future troubles. He thought everything would be buried by time, but he didn't expect this person to come to his door.

He subconsciously wanted to call for help, but when he thought about the fact that the person was right in front of him, if he waited for the guards to come, it would be too late. So he quickly changed the subject and avoided asking the question, "Senior, long time no see. How have you been these years?" As he spoke, he forced a stiff expression on his face, looking very awkward.

Su Ming took in his expression and smiled faintly, "You have improved a lot over the years. Your role as the crown prince is not in vain."

After making up his mind to lower his head, Yang Kang adopted a respectful attitude, "I am right, Senior."

"Oh? Seeing you again, it seems that you have forgotten everything that happened back then. If it weren't for my advice, how could you have solved the problem of your origins and driven the Quanzhen Sect to help your father Wanyan Honglie ascend the throne, and you would have become the crown prince naturally."

Yang Kang's heart sank, and he said quickly, "Senior, you are so kind, how dare I forget you, I have always kept it in my heart, but you are so elusive, I cannot repay you, so I have come this time to thank you very much."

Su Ming walked forward and picked up a report. "Come to think of it, it's still my fault?"

Yang Kang did not argue, and immediately gave in, "I spoke out of turn, please forgive me, senior."

"Forget it. I won't bother with you." Su Ming flipped through the report and read it quickly.

Seeing that Su Ming's attention was all on this, Yang Kang immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Sweat kept dripping from his forehead. He gently wiped the sweat off his face and whispered, "Senior, please sit down." Then he gave up his seat.

It's quite interesting.

Su Ming was too lazy to be polite with him, so he sat down and quickly flipped through the reports. After three quarters of an hour, he had almost finished reading the reports on the table. Some of these reports came from the border troops, and some came from the Secretariat, the Three Departments and the Privy Council. They were all secret reports from within the Jin Kingdom.

Yang Kang also brought tea and snacks and waited quietly by the side, not daring to disturb him or look him in the face. He could only observe him with his peripheral vision. However, the more he looked, the more surprised he was. The appearance of the man in front of him seemed to have not changed at all, as if he would never age. What kind of old monster was this man?

After reading it, he had a rough estimate of the situation in the Jin Kingdom, and then he turned his gaze to Yang Kang, "It seems that your father's position is not easy to sit in. As his son, why don't you share the burden for him?"

"Senior, you are joking. Although I am the crown prince, I cannot speak lightly on national affairs or interfere in the affairs of the court. My father is a capable man, and I cannot compare to him. I can only do my best to assist him."

The words were simple, but they revealed the predicament that the father and son were in at court: they had too few confidants and it was difficult to control the government.

Before Wanyan Honglie ascended the throne, he had a large number of people under him. After he became emperor, these confidants were quickly sent to important places to serve and dispersed, resulting in him having few available people in the court.

Apart from other things, there must be ones in the army, in important provincial capitals, and in other government offices. Otherwise, he, the emperor, would not be able to hold on to his position securely.

"Back then, you helped my father and I out of a difficult situation with just a few words. My father and I have never been able to repay you. Now that you are here, I can finally repay you."

"If you are willing, I can tell my father that I can give you high positions, generous salaries, gold, silver, treasures, and beautiful women. If you are willing, we will definitely fulfill your wishes."

(End of this chapter)