The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 185: After Pharmacist Guo, the Southern Song Dynasty’s Response

Qiu Chuji's words were like a thunderbolt falling on his head. Guo Jing, a descendant of the previous emperor? Right now, the biggest threat facing Chang'an is Guo Jing. Could this person be here to recruit people on Guo Jing's behalf?
The man's expression turned cold, revealing a hint of anger. "Master Qiu, are you trying to deceive me by saying that I don't know the world? Who in the world doesn't know that Guo Jing is the son-in-law of Genghis Khan, and his ancestor is Guo Sheng of Liangshanbo? Now you tell me that he is a descendant of the Guo family of the Later Zhou Dynasty. This is simply ridiculous."

However, facing the angry words, Qiu Chuji smiled slightly and shook his head gently, looking at him with a bit of pity, "If Guo Jing was from an ordinary family, how could he have gone from being a mere Mongolian consort to a Han marquis? He is not even thirty years old now, but he already controls the Three Jins and is about to take over Guanzhong. His foundation and great undertakings are already established."

"If the Han family wants to rise, it must be Guo Jing. This man is different from the Mongols. Since he joined the army, he has rarely killed the people under his rule. He has registered the people and restored trade. How could these methods be done by the Mongols who only know how to burn, kill and rob?"

Then, Qiu Chuji stared at him meaningfully and said, "Hundreds of years ago, Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin bullied orphans and widows and usurped the Later Zhou Dynasty. A hundred years later, the descendants of the Guo family rose up, reclaimed the old country, and restored the glory of the Han people. You have the same surname as Guo Jing, so why not join him?"

The man's expression darkened. Although they were both surnamed Guo, their situations were so different. He was just a governor-general in Chang'an, while Guo Jing was the leader of a region. The gap was really too big.

"My ancestors were used by the Liao Kingdom. Later, the Liao harem interfered in politics and excluded the Han people. My ancestor Yaoshi had no choice but to surrender to the Song Dynasty. However, after the Liao Kingdom was destroyed, the north faced the Jin army and was defeated in the first battle. He surrendered to the Jin people again, but was eventually defeated. My family of Guo has fallen from grace since then. By the time of my generation, I have fought hard but I am only a general with a thousand soldiers."

It turns out that this man's name is Guo Kaiyuan. His ancestor was Guo Yaoshi who defected to the Jin Kingdom and was also one of the Han surrendered ministers who contributed to the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty. Of course, whether he surrendered or not, the Northern Song Dynasty would definitely not be able to be saved. Judging from the outrageous actions of Zhao Ji and his son, it was only a matter of time.

As for individuals, Guo Yaoshi changed his allegiance several times and had a terrible reputation at the time, no different from those slaves of three surnames. Later, his military power was taken away by Wanyan Zongmou and he was eventually no longer employed.

Once Pharmacist Guo fell, the Guo family quickly declined. Over the past hundred years, the family lost its former glory and could barely rule a region.

At this time, he was already tempted, but even if he wanted to surrender, he had to sell it for a good price. "Master, my ancestors changed their allegiance several times. If I betray the Jin Kingdom again, how can my descendants survive?"

Qiu Chuji knew that this person wanted to make conditions, but he was unwilling to agree on behalf of Guo Jing, because he was not worth the price. "Although Guo Jing is a Mongolian prince consort, most of the people he can use are Han people from the north. You don't have to worry about being excluded. Your ancestors are indeed notorious, but you have turned to Guo Jing and returned to the Han family. As long as you make contributions, he will definitely not treat you unfairly. By then, you have washed away the shame of your family, and there is nothing you can't do. Are you satisfied with this?"

In this era, a family's reputation is enough to influence several generations and is one of the most important signs. If the sign is damaged, everything will be hindered.

Not to mention anything else, just the thought of washing away the shame is enough to make Guo Kaiyuan excited, but the only question is, can Guo Jing succeed?

Just as he was deep in thought, Qiu Chuji suddenly said, "It's getting late, General, please go back. This matter is of great importance, and I hope you will consider it carefully."

I have said what I needed to say. As the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little. This kind of thing should be done slowly and not pushed too hard.

Guo Kaiyuan's eyes flickered and he nodded, "Okay, I'll think about it carefully, Taoist Priest, goodbye."

Then, the gate of the Taoist temple opened. Guo Kaiyuan tightened his cloak and disappeared into the wind and snow.

Snowflakes were floating in the sky. Qiu Chuji picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup. The faint fragrance of tea lingered in the courtyard. The young Taoist Zhiqing walked out of the hall and asked in surprise, "Uncle Master, did he agree?"

Qiu Chuji narrowed his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, "I haven't agreed yet, but this matter is 90% certain."

The young Taoist priest was somewhat puzzled, "May I ask, Master, how do you see that?"

Qiu Chuji stood up, put one hand behind his back, and said proudly, "He is an ambitious man. As long as there is an opportunity, he will definitely seize it. The Jin Kingdom is about to sink. His ancestors changed sides several times, so why can't he do the same?"

"Let's arrange a meeting with the Wang family in the city tomorrow. They are followers of my Quanzhen Sect, and I can't just watch them get dragged down."

The young Taoist priest saw Qiu Chuji's clever expression and could not help but feel a little respect for him. "Zhiqing, please arrange for someone to deliver the letter right away."

……

Taiyuan, Marquis’ Mansion.

Hua Zheng sat in the pavilion, looking at the snowflakes falling in the yard, with deep longing in her eyes. She didn't know how her husband was doing, where was he now?

Opposite her, Huang Rong was leaning over her desk, writing on letters one after another. She wrote very quickly, almost as soon as she finished reading. Hua Zheng took the letters she had reviewed and compared them with her own thoughts. She couldn't help but nod secretly. She was still more thoughtful.

Soon, the letters on the desk had been answered, and Hua Zheng personally poured her a cup of hot tea and ordered someone to make steaming hot snacks and sent them to Huang Rong, "Sister Rong'er, take a rest first, come and have some tea."

Huang Rong looked up and smiled at her, saying softly, "Thank you, sister."

Hua Zheng stared at her and said sincerely, "What are you talking about? If it weren't for your help, I don't know how long I would have been busy. If anyone wants to thank you, I should be the one to say thank you."

"I'm not afraid of leading troops to fight, but I'm really unfamiliar with these mundane things. And the people below me are not easy to deal with. If you're not careful, they'll take advantage of you."

"Guo Jing is fighting in Guanzhong, and as his wife, we can only help him look after the family. Fortunately, you are here, otherwise I would definitely be too busy."

Huang Rong smiled sweetly, and then revealed a trace of worry, "Sister, you are joking. I am just sharing my husband's worries. There is no need to thank him. I am only worried about the war in Guanzhong now. I don't know how long it will take."

"If it takes too long, and the South decides the winner, that will be bad."

Hua Zheng grabbed her hand and soothed her, "Don't worry, Guo Jing has already broken through Tongguan, and the two armies will meet. As long as we take Guanzhong while the Jin army is unable to rescue, the war will be won. Guo Jing has won so many battles, he will definitely be able to do it."

……

Song Dynasty, Lin'an.

Emperor Zhao Kuo sat on the throne, looking serious, but his eyes seemed focused, but in fact his soul was wandering, and only a shell remained. The court officials below had already noticed the emperor's abnormality, but no one said a word. They were used to it. Besides, the emperor didn't care about things, and the power fell into the hands of others. How could they, the civil officials, be happy to help the emperor to take power?
Without someone who can suppress them, isn't it convenient for these civil officials to seize power, get promoted and make money? Over the years, powerful officials have come one after another, but the Song Dynasty is still standing. Isn't it because of this?

But today, the atmosphere in the court is different. The war has already come right under their noses, and they can no longer turn a blind eye.

"Humph, I've long said that we must not make enemies with the Jin people, but you insisted on stopping the annual tax and the silver for rewarding the army and providing relief to the people. Now that the Jin people have crossed the river, what should we do?"

"Yes, they have even breached the Yangtze River. The Jin army will soon take over Jiangning, which will be even more difficult to resist. Do you have any plan to repel the enemy?"

After two people advocating peace spoke up, the court fell silent.

As soon as the war broke out, the court of the Song Dynasty was filled with the voices of the pro-war factions. They believed that the Jin Dynasty had been severely damaged by the Mongols, with heavy casualties, a sharp reduction in military strength, and a significant decline in combat effectiveness. They believed that the Song Dynasty must be able to fight.

However, the direction of the war was beyond their expectations. The Jin Kingdom was unstoppable from the beginning, and the border defense troops were defeated. The Jianghuai area was filled with smoke of war.

As the war progressed, the Song Dynasty recovered its breath and quickly counterattacked, forming a stalemate with the Jin Dynasty. However, what the Song Dynasty officials did not expect was that the Jin Dynasty emperor Wanyan Honglie actually risked his life to go to the front line to encourage the Jin army. Afterwards, the Song Dynasty was defeated and the front line was completely collapsed. The Jin Dynasty marched straight in, crossed the river, and was about to reach Jiangning, which is now Nanjing.

We have already reached Jinling, so how far can Lin'an be?
When the peace faction was speaking out, the officials of the war faction could not help but say, "The Jin ruler Wanyan Honglie risked his life to personally supervise the battle, which led to the defeat on the front line. This battle was not because our Song soldiers were not attentive, but because of the situation. When Kaifeng was lost, Emperor Gaozong crossed the river to rebuild the old country. Now, the Jin people are here too. Can we still escape?"

"If even the natural barrier of the Yangtze River can't stop the enemy, where else can we escape to? If we can't repel the Jin army and retake the Yangtze River defense line, we won't be able to escape even if we run to Qiongzhou."

"That's easy to say. The army on the front line has suffered heavy losses. What can we use to fight?"

"The morale of the Jin army has just reached its peak. As long as we hold the city and wait for their morale to drop, it will be time for us to counterattack. Our navy is still on the Yangtze River. As long as we can hold on, clear the countryside, and let the navy block the waterway, their food supply will be cut off, and we may be able to keep them on the south bank of the Yangtze River and avenge our previous defeat."

"Your Majesty, this is truly a critical moment for our survival. Please order the soldiers on the front lines to hold their ground, organize the people to retreat, and clear the fields. We must not allow the Jin army to get supplies, otherwise they will collapse without a fight."

"Moreover, the Mongolian consort Guo Jing from the north has already breached Tongguan and will soon take Guanzhong. The Jin people will definitely not sit idly by and watch him grow stronger. As long as we hold on, our chance will come. I hope the emperor will think twice."

The voice echoed in the hall with such force that the officials of the peace faction were so shocked that they said nothing.

Taking this opportunity, the ministers in favor of war immediately seconded the proposal, "Please think twice."

The deafening sound rang in his ears. Zhao Kuo suddenly came back to his senses, with a bit of confusion in his eyes. Then he nodded gently, "That's great. I'll do as you say."

The emperor had said it before the court, so the pro-peace officials below could not say anything more. They couldn't slap the emperor in the face on the spot, right?
Since Shi Miyuan's death, the peace faction lost its influence and its status in the court plummeted. Fortunately, after a period of civil strife, they emerged with a new leader, but the war faction overcame the decline in the court and competed with them.

The conflict between the two parties caused chaos in the Song Dynasty court, which made it impossible to use money, food and manpower to fight back against the Jin army. This was also the reason why the front line was caught in a tug-of-war.

Today, although the pro-war faction caught the pro-peace faction off guard, the matter is not over yet.

The next day, the peace faction submitted a memorial, saying that they would send envoys to negotiate with the Jin people and end the war, but Zhao Kuo directly wrote the word "yes" on the memorial.

At the same time, the pro-war faction also submitted a memorial, turning the proposal in the court into an imperial decree, and Zhao Kuo also wrote the word "yes" on it.

Two completely different orders were issued at the same time. The generals on the front line were confused. Some of them led the people to retreat and clear the fields, while others thought that the court wanted to negotiate with the Jin people and that war would not break out, so they did not follow the orders.

Seeing the performance of the Song soldiers, Wanyan Honglie did not attack immediately, but quickly ordered the Jin army to capture cities, plunder food and grass, and prepare for the next round of war. At the same time, he personally met with the Song envoys on the north bank of the Yangtze River, hoping to paralyze the rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty.

……

The snow fell intermittently for three days and three nights, and the land of Guanzhong was covered in silver.

Before the war, Guo Jing had already ordered his men to prepare baggage, so the Han army had no shortage of warm clothes. There was plenty of coal in Jinzhong, so he also ordered his men to cut it and make it, and send it to the army to use to keep warm.

Half a month passed. Qiu Chuji had organized many people in Chang'an City and many of them were interested in surrendering. There were also many people in the Jin army who wanted to surrender. Seeing that the time had come, Guo Jing ordered the army to set out and prepare to attack Chang'an.

Such a long preparation naturally had miraculous effects. The military craftsmen built hundreds of catapults, and the stonemasons prepared a sufficient number of trebuchets.

With the enhanced catapult in hand, Guo Jing sent out 20,000 troops to quickly capture the cities around Chang'an. These cities were part of Chang'an's defense system, but Guo Jing led the catapults all the way, and the army in Chang'an could not move easily. After fighting several battles and being chased and beaten by the Han army, they stopped seeking death in vain.

Ten days later, Guo Jing had razed the cities around Chang'an and pulled out the nails left by Xu Ding one by one. The improved catapult exerted great power. The rammed earth walls could not withstand several rounds of bombardment and cracks were created in less than half an hour. The morale of the soldiers defending the city dropped to the extreme and they had to surrender.

Inside the city of Chang'an, Xu Ding was sitting in the garrison mansion and listening to the reports from his generals. His heart sank to the bottom. The other side was advancing too fast, leaving no room for reaction.

That new siege weapon broke his carefully constructed defense system in a short time. Originally, these cities could consume Guo Jing's military strength, but they were terrified by the catapults and had to surrender.

Few cities can withstand half an hour of bombardment, because after half an hour, the city walls will collapse, and continuing to defend will only mean seeking death.

In the end, Guo Jing arrived at the city of Chang'an without much effort.

(End of this chapter)