Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 178 The Song Dynasty overestimated its own strength, and the world was shaken!
Seven days later, Wang Ji, escorted by fifty cavalrymen, passed through Dasanguan Pass and officially entered the Hanzhong region within the territory of the Song state.

Hanzhong, within the city of Mianzhou.

“I intend to kill Zhao Shuo’s envoy, Wang Ji. What do you think, Master Xun?” Zhang Xuan, the commander of Mianzhou in the Song Dynasty, looked solemnly at his trusted advisor, Xun Mengyou.

"Ah? Commander Zhang, what makes you say that?" Xun Mengyou exclaimed in surprise, his face full of astonishment.

Zhang Xuan had clearly given this matter considerable thought, and said in a deep voice, "Zhao Shuo has sent an envoy to our Great Song Dynasty, saying that he wants to borrow a passage through our Song Dynasty to attack the Jin Dynasty in Henan. Will the court agree or not?"

"If the court agrees, let's not even talk about the saying 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' (meaning that if one of the two is gone, the other will be vulnerable). Who knows if Zhao Shuo is just using this as an excuse to launch a war against the Jin, Mongol, Western Xia and our Great Song? What benefits are left? If Zhao Shuo takes advantage of this opportunity to annex the prosperous prefectures and counties of our Great Song, how should the court respond?"

“If the court doesn’t agree, won’t Zhao Shuo force his way through? If Zhao Shuo succeeds in forcibly passing through, not only will he fail to protect the Jin Kingdom, but even our Great Song will offend Zhao Shuo and bring trouble upon ourselves. Therefore, for the sake of the world and for the sake of the Great Song, I must kill Wang Ji.”

"If I kill the envoy and Zhao Shuo is enraged and forces his way through, my Great Song Dynasty can stop him if it can, but if it can't, it can use my head to appease Zhao Shuo's anger. Trading my own safety for the court's freedom of action is a worthwhile deal!"

"Commander Zhang, you're foolish!" Xun Mengyou quickly advised, "If it were an envoy of the Mongol Khan seeking passage through our Great Song, then it would be a foreign invasion of China. Commander Zhang, you risked your own safety to kill the Mongol envoy; who among the discerning people of the world wouldn't praise you as a hero? Even if the court were forced to hand you over to the Mongols, they would understand that you are a loyal subject of the Great Song and would take good care of your descendants. However, Wang Ji was not an envoy of the Mongol Khan, but an envoy of Zhao Shuo!"

Zhang Xuan frowned slightly and said, "What's the difference? Are you referring to the rumor that Zhao Shuo is a descendant of Emperor Taizu?"

Xun Mengyou smiled wryly and said, "It is uncertain whether Zhao Shuo has the blood of Emperor Taizu, but it is a well-known fact that Zhao Shuo has Han blood and treats Han and Mongol people equally. It is an undeniable fact that when Zhao Shuo attacked Shaanxi, the Han people in the Jin army not only responded in droves but also shouted 'Welcome the Emperor Zhao from the North.'"

"Commander Zhang, do you think the Song Dynasty is stronger now, or is Zhao Shuo's kingdom stronger? Throughout history, the general trend of the world has always been that the north unifies the south, never the other way around. If one day Zhao Shuo unifies the world and becomes a sage ruler, how will posterity judge your actions today?"

Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and said, "I have done my utmost for my country, and I only ask that I have a clear conscience!"

"Even if you have a clear conscience, you still have to use your power in the right place! If Zhao Shuo leads his troops to attack, and you die fighting for the Song Dynasty, even if Zhao Shuo later unifies the world, you will still have a reputation for loyalty and valor. But why kill Zhao Shuo's envoy? Perhaps future generations will judge you as a fame-seeking clown, or as an ignorant fool, or even accuse you of being the culprit who caused the downfall of the Song Dynasty! What are you after?"

"This……"

Xun Mengyou's words actually persuaded Zhang Xuan.

Historical records indicate that the Mongols sent Subuhan as an envoy to request passage through the Song Dynasty, but he was killed by Zhang Xuan.

However, this time the envoy was not from Mongolia, but from Zhao Shuo.

By killing the Mongol envoy, he took all the blame for the disruption of the peace agreement between the Song Dynasty and the foreign tribes, thus earning a lasting reputation.

What was the purpose of killing the envoy of the "Northern Zhao Emperor"? Was it to sabotage the peace talks between the two Zhao Emperors and leave behind a legacy of infamy?
Xun Mengyou continued to persuade him: "Furthermore, whether or not our Great Song agrees to allow passage is naturally a decision for His Majesty and the officials of the court. Why should you, a border general, overstep your bounds? Do you think you are wiser than His Majesty or smarter than the officials of the court?"

"Hey! All right!"

Zhang Xuan pondered for a long time before finally nodding helplessly and saying, "Then I will escort Wang Ji out of Mianzhou and onto the road to Lin'an. I hope His Majesty and the officials of the court are wise and capable enough to handle this matter properly!"

However, both Zhang Xuan and Xun Mengyou overestimated the current Song emperor Zhao Yun and the Song government officials.

Zhang Xuan and Xun Mengyou were on the border of the State of Song, so they naturally understood how terrifying Zhao Shuo's army was.

But Zhao Yun was only in his early twenties, and before ascending the throne, he was just an ordinary commoner. After his ascension, power was continuously held by Shi Miyuan, whose main task was to enjoy himself in the harem. Hearing nothing but flattery every day, how could he possibly have any ability to govern the country?

Although the Song Dynasty's prime ministers, including Shi Miyuan, were not mediocre, they were not exceptionally talented either. They could only infer Zhao Shuo's strength based on various intelligence reports.

Meng Gong led 10,000 loyal soldiers to the Jin Kingdom and is now left in Bianliang, the Jin capital. He still has no way of judging the strength of Zhao Shuo's army.

The Song Dynasty's secret intelligence agency, the Imperial City Guard, did have some personnel in Shaanxi. However, they could only report back on Zhao Shuo's attacks on Shaanxi. For example, the defection of conscripted soldiers in Fengxiang City, people calling Zhao Shuo "the Zhao Emperor of the North," and the fact that Zhao Shuo suffered nearly 20,000 casualties in his attack on Tongguan.

The Imperial City Guard could not determine the exact strength of Zhao Shuo's army.

To put it bluntly, if the Imperial City Guard could even make such accurate judgments, then why did the Song Dynasty suffer such a humiliating defeat during the Kai Xi Northern Expedition, even losing the head of Chancellor Han Tuozhou?
Therefore, in the eyes of the Song emperor and his ministers, although Zhao Shuo had taken all of Shaanxi, he had suffered heavy losses at Tongguan, and his strength was only so-so, only slightly stronger than the Jin Dynasty.

Moreover, Zhao Shuo is a more dangerous enemy than the Jin Dynasty!
The claim that Zhao Shuo possessed the blood of Emperor Taizu has now spread throughout the country. Although it is unknown which branch Zhao Shuo actually belonged to, in terms of their closeness to Emperor Taizu, Emperor Zhao Yun of the Song Dynasty was at most on par with Zhao Shuo.

Because Zhao Yun himself belonged to the most distant branch of the Taizu lineage. Anyone who possessed the Taizu bloodline could not be more distant than him.

Now, the Han Chinese soldiers in the Jin state are all calling Zhao Shuo "Your Majesty Zhao" and have voluntarily surrendered. How can this be allowed to happen?

Back when the Kai Xi Northern Expedition took place, I didn't see you welcoming the royal army with food and drink!
If Zhao Shuo were to invade the State of Song, what choices would the Song officials and soldiers make? It's simply unimaginable.

When it came to this matter of "there can only be two suns in the sky," even Zheng Qingzhi, who had always advocated "allying with the Mongols to destroy the Jin," quickly changed his stance.

Therefore, when Wang Ji was summoned by the Song emperor and his ministers, they had already decided to "ally with the Jin against the Mongols".

"Borrowing a road is absolutely out of the question!"

After hearing the conditions Wang Ji stated, Xue Ji, Shi Miyuan's confidant, was the first to speak up, saying, "It is true that our Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty are sworn enemies, but the Song Dynasty naturally has its dignity. How can we allow foreign troops to freely enter and leave our territory?"

Qiao Xingjian, who had always advocated "allying with the Jin against the Mongols," quickly followed suit, saying, "What sincerity is there in this so-called five-year peace agreement? Your king's intention to annex our Great Song is blatantly obvious. If our Great Song were to agree to this condition, it would be utterly foolish!"

Wang Ji, with a cold expression, looked at Shi Miyuan and Emperor Zhao Yun of the Song Dynasty and said, "Do the words of the two ministers, Xue and Qiao, represent the will of the Song Dynasty?"

Shi Miyuan nodded slightly and said, "Your Excellency may think so."

Zhao Yun sneered, "Zhao Shuo is being extremely unreasonable. Even if the Mongols wanted to pass through my Great Song, shouldn't the Mongol Khan send an envoy? As a subject, what right does Zhao Shuo have to reach any agreement with my Great Song?"

Ok?
Upon hearing Zhao Yun's words, Zheng Qingzhi felt a surge of disgust.

This wasn't one of the reasons they had agreed upon beforehand for refusing Zhao Shuo's passage!
If they don't want to pass through, they don't want to pass through; if they want to ally with the Jin against the Mongols, they don't want to ally with the Jin against the Mongols. Why insist that Zhao Shuo is a subject and not qualified to form an alliance with the Song? Isn't this a public humiliation of Zhao Shuo? What's the point of all this?
It seems that His Majesty was disgusted by the phrase "the Northern Zhao Emperor" reported by the Imperial City Guard, and lacked sufficient shrewdness, which is why he spoke so recklessly.

He was saying outwardly that Zhao Shuo was not qualified to reach a peace agreement with the State of Song, but inwardly he meant that Zhao Shuo was not qualified to be compared with him.

This is going to be difficult. If it turns out that "allying with the Jin against the Mongols" is not a reliable strategy, and we want to change our stance, who knows how much more trouble it will cause.

Of course, despite this, Zheng Qingzhi could not contradict the emperor in front of foreign envoys, much less overturn the court's decision to "ally with the Jin against the Mongols".

He could only smooth things over by saying, "In any case, Your Excellency has come a long way for the peace talks between our two countries. If you are not in a hurry to return, you can stay in Lin'an for a few more days, so that our Great Song can do its best to be a good host."

"No need!"

Wang Ji was almost laughing in anger, saying, "Aren't you really afraid that our army will forcibly pass through our territory? At that time, the Jin Kingdom will still be doomed! The Song Kingdom probably won't even have five years of peace!"

"What a joke!" Zhao Yun had completely let loose at this point, saying nonchalantly, "Your king couldn't break through the Jin Kingdom's Tongguan defense line, so how could he possibly break through my Great Song's Hanzhong defense line? In short, if Zhao Shuo's army wants to pass through my Song Kingdom, fine, go ahead and attack my Great Song's fortified cities!"

"Very well! So be it, Your Majesty!"

"Someone, escort Mr. Wang back to Guanyi!"

There was no point in arguing, so Wang Ji returned to the post station, retrieved his horse, and, with his entourage, went back to Shaanxi.

No sooner had Wang Ji left than the Song Dynasty court began to take action.

The Song Dynasty not only ordered all cities in Hanzhong to prepare for war, but also ordered Gui Ruyuan, the military commissioner of Sichuan, to mobilize troops to support Hanzhong.

They even published the Song Dynasty's resolution to "ally with the Jin against the Mongols" in the official gazette, ordering local officials to prepare provisions and weapons to support the Jin, and referring to the Mongols as an "enemy state." This might have been acceptable before, but anyone found secretly colluding with the enemy state in the future would be treated as a traitor.

If it weren't for the various goods produced in Zhao Shuo's workshop, which involved the interests of countless powerful figures in the Song Dynasty, the trade routes between the Mongols and the Song Dynasty would probably have been cut off by the Song court.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the world!
For the people of Song, it was utterly disgusting.

Firstly, the hatred between the Song and Jin dynasties had lasted for over a century, and the humiliation of the Jingkang Incident was something no one could forget even for a day. Yes, many people were unwilling to launch a northern expedition before, but wasn't that because war would lead to increased taxes, affecting people's lives?

Now that the Song Dynasty is going to "ally with the Jin to resist the Mongols", all regions are preparing food and military supplies. When a major war breaks out, how can the court not increase taxes?

They provided money and supplies, but instead of striking at their sworn enemy, they were just giving them a lifeline. How frustrating is that?

Secondly, the concept of "brothers fighting among themselves but uniting against external threats" is one of the most important traditional Chinese values. Whether Zhao Shuo was a descendant of Emperor Taizu is another matter, but it is certain that he had Han Chinese blood, a fact universally acknowledged and which he himself did not deny.

Zhao Shuo's equal treatment of Han Chinese and Mongols also proved his stance.

Currently, large swathes of Central Plains land are still in the hands of the Jurchens. Shouldn't Zhao Shuo and the Song Dynasty first join forces to wipe out the Jurchens, and then determine who is superior?

How could the Song Dynasty court help the Jurchens fight their own people?
The Song Dynasty couldn't even recover the lost territories of China on its own, and it even prevented its own people from doing so. What kind of nonsense is that?
The people of the Song Dynasty felt that having such a court was a disgrace.

They even felt that Zhao Shuo's proposal of "five years of peace" was very sincere. It's a simple truth: who wouldn't want to unify the world and become the supreme ruler of China? Didn't you, Zhao Yun, want that too? You just lack the ability.

If Zhao Shuo said that after destroying the Jin dynasty, he would maintain peace with the Song dynasty forever, it would be a sign that he was not sincere and was ready to go back on his word at any time.

Thirdly, Zhao Shuo enjoyed a very good reputation among the people of the Song Dynasty.

"Sealing the wolf and dwelling in the Xu" and "carving the stone at Yanran"—which Chinese man wouldn't feel his blood boil upon hearing these phrases?

The Song Dynasty has been timid for nearly three hundred years, yet it has still been unable to bring the ancient lands of China under its control.

Zhao Shuo, however, expanded his territory, and even the legendary "Tocharian" was only one of his fiefdoms. He even controlled parts of India.

Countless valiant men of the Song Dynasty felt a surge of pride and pride when they spoke of Zhao Shuo.

If it were just a dispute between two countries over legitimacy, that would be one thing, but now that the Jin dynasty is at odds with Zhao Shuo, everyone is truly unhappy.

For the scholar-officials of the Song Dynasty, they were mainly divided into three factions.

The first faction shares the same view as the imperial court: if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. In order to preserve the Song Dynasty and everyone's wealth and prosperity, they should ally with the Jin Dynasty to resist the Mongols.

The second faction, sharing similar sentiments with the common people, believed in first destroying the Jin dynasty. They reasoned that later, when Zhao Shuo and Zhao Yun vied for power, they could simply fight each other, leaving the outcome to fate.

There is also a third faction, who have long been disillusioned with the court and are willing to let things be as they may.

Inside Lin'an City, at the Yue Mansion, in the rear courtyard flower hall.

"Brother Yizhai, what do you think of the imperial court's plan to ally with the Jin against the Mongols?"

Feng Quji, a martial arts scholar from the Song Dynasty, asked a handsome man who looked to be around forty years old.

The "Brother Yizhai" he mentioned was naturally his former classmate and friend, the owner of this mansion, Yue Fei's grandson, and Yue Lin's son, Yue Ke.

To be fair, the Southern Song court treated Yue Ke fairly well.

Two years ago, the Southern Song court posthumously honored Yue Fei with the title of Zhongwu (Loyal and Martial). Yue Ke was promoted to Chaofeng Dafu (Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices), Si Nong Shaoqing (Vice Minister of Agriculture), and was in charge of the finances of Zhejiang and Jiangdong, the military and grain supplies of Huaidong, and was responsible for reporting the military and literary affairs of the imperial army and managing the military farms. His official rank was sixth grade.

However, when the imperial court's plan to "ally with the Jin against the Mongols" was mentioned, Yue Ke still looked unconvinced.

He sighed deeply and said, “The court is wrong! Indeed, in recent years, our Great Song Dynasty has won more battles than it has lost in its wars with the Jin Dynasty. However, that was when the Jin Dynasty was on the offensive and our Great Song Dynasty was on the defensive. When the Jin Dynasty suffered defeats, it was merely because it could not swallow up the cities of our Great Song Dynasty, which was not a big deal.”

"But when Zhao Shuo attacked the Jin Dynasty, it was Zhao Shuo who was attacking and the Jin Dynasty that was defending. The Jurchens have a blood feud with both the Mongols and the Han Chinese. Moreover, their total population is less than three million. I'm afraid that once the country is destroyed, the entire race will cease to exist."

"Therefore, when the country is destroyed and the people are wiped out, the Jurchens will inevitably fight like cornered beasts and unleash their full potential. It is not surprising that they have concentrated a large force on the Tongguan defense line and Zhao Shuo has been unable to break through for a while."

"The court thought Zhao Shuo's strength was nothing special and chose to ally with the Jin against the Mongols. Does our Great Song's Hanzhong defense line have the danger of Tongguan? Are the soldiers of Hanzhong in danger of national destruction and extinction? The court thought that if Zhao Shuo could not break through the Tongguan defense line, he could not break through our Great Song's Hanzhong defense line. This is a huge mistake."

Feng Quji nodded slightly and said, "So, Brother Yizhai, do you think the court should agree to Zhao Shuo's proposal to ally with the Mongols to destroy the Jin?"

"Of course. If we agree to Zhao Shuo's proposal, he won't have to force us to pass through, which will reduce the casualties of countless soldiers and civilians of our Great Song Dynasty. Isn't that a good thing? Zhao Shuo has promised five years of peace, which will allow the court to use the time to govern diligently and reorganize the army. Isn't that a fortunate thing?"

"Then why don't we..."

Feng Quji originally wanted to say, "Why don't we jointly submit a petition to the court and ask them to change course?"
But he immediately realized that since the court had already made a decision on such a major military and national matter, how could it possibly change its mind so easily? He and Yue Ke were of low rank and position, so even if they jointly petitioned the court, it would be a waste of effort.

Feng Quji changed his tune and asked, "Then what do you think, Brother Yizhai, the future of our Great Song Dynasty choosing to ally with the Jin against the Mongols?"

Yue Ke did not answer directly, but said, "Recently, I have often thought about what Emperor Huizong of our Great Song Dynasty was like when he was captured and taken to the Five Kingdoms City. Therefore, I wrote a poem. I wonder if you would like to hear it?"

"Of course, I'm all ears."

"I, an old man, have long lingered in my carriage, listening to music and surrounded by fine silks. Ten miles of western Liang evoke memories of my former life; a hundred years in the south are like a fleeting shuttle. I swallow my sorrow, lamenting the willow's lament; no one remembers the festival, no one cares for the reeds. My lonely, loyal heart shines brightly like the plum blossom and the moon; I light the lamp and repeatedly ask, 'How is the night?'"

This poem describes Emperor Huizong's state of mind: recalling the glory of being emperor of the Song Dynasty, looking at his current miserable life, he was filled with regret and tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep.

Although Yue Ke did not directly answer Feng Quji's question, his meaning was already quite clear.

The fact that the Song emperor fell into Zhao Shuo's hands is much better than the situation that Emperor Huizong of Song was in back then, right?

It's much better for the Song Dynasty to be annexed by Zhao Shuo than by the Jin or Mongol dynasties, right?

To put it bluntly, even if Zhao Shuo annexed the Song Dynasty, so what? They would all still be loyal to the Zhao family anyway. What the Song Dynasty was like was none of Yue Ke's business!
……

……

Dongzhen Kingdom, Helan Road, Nanjing City.

"By my decree, Dongzhen Nanjing City is as impregnable as iron, and its soldiers fought bravely. However, our Mongol warriors are even braver, and in just ten days, they have conquered such a formidable city. Their achievements are truly remarkable. Of the spoils of war, I will take only one-tenth; the rest will belong to the loyal and valiant soldiers under my command!"

Ögedei Khan was indifferent to money, but very enthusiastic about power.

When the Mongols attacked Dongzhen, he and Tolui split their forces into two routes. This was because Dongzhen had two capitals: one was the capital city located north of Huligai Road, and the other was Nanjing City located on Helan Road.

Pu Xianwannu's main force has now invaded Goryeo territory, and the Dongzhen Kingdom's remaining troops number only 30,000. Ögedei Khan did not expend much effort to take Helan Road and capture Nanjing.

He was in a very good mood and rewarded his soldiers handsomely.

Ögedei even asked Zhenhai beside him with great interest, "Is there any news from your fourth brother's side? Have you taken all of Huligai Road?"

Zhenhai bowed slightly and said, "The news I received yesterday indicated that five days ago, Tolui Khan was still continuing his siege. The current situation is not yet clear. However, I just received a message from Zhao Shuo Khan."

"Oh? How is he?"

"Zhao Shuo Khan's attack on Shaanxi of the Jin Dynasty went very smoothly, but when he wanted to advance into Henan, he was blocked by the Jin Dynasty's Tongguan defense line and lost nearly 20,000 troops. Therefore, Zhao Shuo Khan sent an envoy to the Song Dynasty, requesting to pass through the Song Dynasty to attack the Jin Dynasty. As a result, the Song Dynasty not only rejected his proposal, but also wanted to ally with the Jin Dynasty against the Mongols."

"Oh? Is that really true?"

At this moment, Ögedei's eyes were practically shining, and he almost blurted out the word "good".

His two greatest threats were Tolui and Zhao Shuo. These two men wielded immense power, posing a serious threat to his throne.

Hearing the news of Zhao Shuo's defeat was even more gratifying than taking Nanjing, the capital of Dongzhen.

Ögedei thought to himself: "The Jin Dynasty is indeed not so easy to conquer. After I ascended the throne, my decision not to attack the Jin Dynasty, but instead to attack Dongjin and Goryeo, was truly a wise one!"
Just wait and see, once I conquer Goryeo, I will annihilate two countries in one battle! Zhao Shuo, on the other hand, only conquered Shaanxi, the territory of the Jin Dynasty.

That's something I, the Khan, can't match.

When I see this, how will Zhao Shuo still have the face to call himself the number one warrior of Mongolia? Who will dare to underestimate me, the new Khan of Mongolia!
Once I figure out how to deal with Tolui and take control of the main Mongol forces, it will be Zhao Shuo's turn next!

However, what Ögedei did not expect was that Zhao Shuo had already led his troops out of Dasanguan Pass.

The fall of the Jin dynasty is imminent!
(End of this chapter)