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

Chapter 194 Squeezing the last bit of value out of the Jin Kingdom!
"If you put it that way, I might consider it. However, you'll have to agree to a few conditions."

Zhao Shuo certainly couldn't let the Jin Kingdom, which was on its last legs, go, but with readily available benefits, why not take them?

For example, Shanxi Province, with its strategic location and rugged terrain, is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Although it is currently garrisoned by conscripted troops, Zhao Shuo would still have to suffer at least several thousand casualties among his Eight Banners soldiers to take it. Zhao Shuo would then have to provide compensation to these fallen Eight Banners soldiers. Wouldn't it be better to take Shanxi without shedding a drop of blood?
And then there's Bianliang City.

Zhao Shuo believed the Jin envoy who said there were 2.4 million soldiers and civilians in Bianliang. However, how could it be possible that the city had enough food to feed 2.4 million soldiers and civilians?

With so much grain, the Jin Dynasty could have trained hundreds of thousands of regular troops long ago!

However, to be fair, the Jin Dynasty could always scrape together enough food to feed an army of over 100,000 for three years.

The rest of the people were, to put it bluntly, the Jin dynasty's human shield and food reserves.

The Jin dynasty has become so ruthless that it will be very difficult for Zhao Shuo to take Bianliang.

Moreover, Bianliang City had talented people gathered by the Jin Dynasty in its twilight years, and beautiful women of all kinds. It would be such a pity if they were all devoured by the Jin army.

Even if Zhao Shuo's attack was extremely fierce, and he captured Bianliang before the Jin Dynasty ran out of supplies, the Jurchens could easily have set fire to the city, burning all the soldiers and civilians to death as a sacrifice for the Jin Dynasty, right?
Why doesn't Zhao Shuo take this opportunity to make a hefty profit, seize all the best resources of the Jin Kingdom, and then destroy it?
The Jin envoy, Wanyan Nashen, was unaware of Zhao Shuo's intentions. Overjoyed, he quickly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please speak freely. Your humble servant is all ears."

Zhao Shuo thought for a moment and said, "Firstly, since Wanyan Shouxu is willing to demote himself to the King of Henan, there is no need to keep the Shanxi Province, right? All the cities in the Shanxi Province must be handed over to me. Of course, you can also relocate all the Jurchens in Shanxi to Bianliang."

"This is only natural."

With the war having progressed to this point, the Jin dynasty was already unable to hold onto Shanxi. Moreover, how could they possibly negotiate peace with Zhao Shuo without conceding significant losses?

The Jin dynasty court had long been prepared to cede Shanxi.

Zhao Shuo's permission for the Jin dynasty to relocate Jurchens was a delightful surprise to Wanyan Nashen.

As far as Zhao Shuo was concerned, since Bianliang already had over two million soldiers and civilians, sending more Jurchens wouldn't significantly increase the difficulty of the siege, but it would consume more of the Jin's grain reserves.

Furthermore, wouldn't it be easier to deal with the Jurchens if they were all gathered together?
Zhao Shuo continued, "Secondly, the western border of Henan is marked by the Sanfeng Mountains. The Nanyang Basin west of the Sanfeng Mountains belongs to me. The Jin court must send envoys to all cities that have not yet surrendered to make them submit to me."

"As Your Majesty has said."

"Thirdly, our army has already entered Nanjing Road, which is part of the Jin Kingdom, so it is impossible for us to give up the territory we have captured. How about this, we will divide the two countries with the Dabie Mountains and the Shi River as the boundary. The territory east of the Dabie Mountains and the Shi River will also be mine."

Zhao Shuo didn't actually know where the detachment he had sent was now. However, the main objective of this detachment was to threaten Bianliang rather than to conquer cities and territories, so it probably wouldn't capture many cities.

The Dabie Mountains and the Shi River are traditionally the dividing line between Anhui and Henan.

Zhao Shuo's current goal is to swallow up northern Anhui and northern Jiangsu, which are occupied by the Jin state.

As a result, Wanyan Shouxu, the King of Henan, lost even the territory of a single province.

Although Wanyan Nashen looked troubled, he nodded emphatically and said, "There should be no problem with this matter."

Zhao Shuo continued, "Fourth, my navy is newly established and is in dire need of officers and soldiers. Haven't all your Yellow River naval officers and soldiers been transferred to Bianliang? Give me all the Han Chinese officers and soldiers among them."

"According to the order!"

Wanyan Nashen was overjoyed with this condition.

The Jin Kingdom has abandoned the Yellow River defense line and transferred all its naval officers and soldiers to Bianliang. What naval force does Zhao Shuo need to fight the Jin Kingdom?
Who would Zhao Shuo use these naval forces to fight? The Song Dynasty, of course!

Zhao Shuo continued his fierce struggle with the Song Dynasty, which the Jin Dynasty was naturally happy to see.

"Fifthly, I have heard that the Jin Kingdom still has quite a few talented people. Now, Wanyan Shouxu only has such a small territory left, so it would be useless to have so many talented people. Later, I will have Yelü Chucai write a list, and you can send these talents over. Don't worry, I have plenty of elite soldiers and fierce generals under my command, and I will not take your military officers or Jurchen scholars."

Historical records indicate that before the Mongols captured Bianliang, they adopted a similar strategy: first, they negotiated peace with the Jin people, and Yelü Chucai provided a list of civil officials with certain governing abilities to be offered by the Jin state.

Of course, accepting the civil officials sent by the Jurchens did not prevent the Mongols from washing their hands of the matter and continuing their attack on Bianliang.

Zhao Shuo would never complain about having too many talented people.

He was in dire need of ordinary young and middle-aged immigrants to the West, let alone administrative officials.
Wanyan Nashen said, "If it is only Han Chinese civil officials, then I, as an outsider, can agree."

Zhao Shuo said, "Sixthly, my army has gone on a long and arduous expedition, and it cannot return empty-handed. So let's do this: according to the precedent of the Da'an Agreement, you shall bring three million taels of gold and thirty million taels of silver to reward my army."

Pfft!
Wanyan Nashen immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, have mercy! Your Majesty, have mercy! Our Great Jin has been at war for years, and our national treasury is depleted. Let alone three million taels of gold or thirty million taels of silver, we can't even come up with one million taels of gold or ten million taels of silver!"

Zhao Shuo's expression turned cold, and he said, "That's your problem. In short, three million taels of gold and thirty million taels of silver, not a single tael less! If the gold and silver are not enough, then use jewelry, cloth, timber, livestock, craftsmen, and women to offset the cost."

"Note that these women are only those who were in Bianliang City before today. If you try to use women from other cities in the Jin Kingdom as substitutes, I will not accept them. Furthermore, from now on, the Jurchens of Shanxi shall not relocate other people into Bianliang City."

"That...that..."

Wanyan Nashen dared not resist directly, and could only weakly ask, "If our country agrees to Your Majesty's six conditions, will Your Majesty agree to make peace with our Jin Kingdom?"

"How is that possible?"

Zhao Shuo shook his head and said, "There is a seventh condition. You've heard of the decree I issued to destroy the Jin dynasty, right? After the Jin dynasty is destroyed, I will permanently reduce the land tax in Shandong and Hebei from 40% to 30%. Now that the Jin dynasty has submitted to me as a vassal state, it can be considered as if the Jin dynasty has been destroyed. But how will I collect taxes from Henan? Without these taxes, how can I exempt Shandong and Hebei from taxes?"

"So, Your Majesty means..."

"Alright then, I won't make things difficult for you. The Song Kingdom will offer me 17 million strings of cash every year, while the Jin Kingdom, being weak, will just offer a paltry 4 million strings of cash in tribute."

"What? We also have to offer four million strings of cash?" Wanyan Nashen rolled his eyes, almost fainting on the spot.

Zhao Shuo gave him no room for negotiation, saying, "That's right, it's valuables worth four million strings of cash. If even a single coin is missing, then Wanyan Shouxu is unwilling to remain the King of Henan, and I will raise an army to demand it myself!"

"This...this...this..."

Wanyan Nashen looked troubled and said, "This matter is of great importance, and I, as an outsider, am truly unable to make the decision. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to report back to Bianliang and request the court to make a decision."

"Alright. But you must hurry. If you don't receive a definite answer within three days, I will continue my advance and annihilate the Jin Kingdom!"

"Yes."

Wanyan Nashen dared not delay and hurriedly headed towards Bianliang.

It was only 240 li from Sanfeng Mountain to Bianliang. Wanyan Nashen rode a fast horse and arrived in Bianliang in less than half a day, where he went to the palace to report on matters.

Wanyan Shouxu and the other prime ministers had been waiting in the palace hall for quite some time.

The current prime ministerial team of the Jin Dynasty consists of seven people.

Besides Prime Minister Yilapua, there were also Pingzhang Zhengshi Wanyan Baisa, Canzhi Zhengshi Hou Zhi, Canzhi Zhengshi and Shumi Fushi Tejiakaqika, Shangshu Youcheng Shijiashilu, Shumi Fushi and Zhi Kaifeng Fu Saniyabu.

In addition, Wanyan Nashen, who went to negotiate with Zhao Shuo, was also a Vice Minister of State Affairs.

"No! Zhao Shuo's seven conditions must not be agreed to! This is another great humiliation! Well, in order to avenge the Jingkang Incident, he signed the Da'an Agreement with us in Zhongdu! And now he wants to sign another one in Bianliang! Our Great Jin would rather perish than suffer such humiliation again!"

"Three million taels of gold and thirty million taels of silver, how could we possibly come up with that? Zhao Shuo has absolutely no sincerity in negotiating!"

"What's more, there will be an annual tribute of four million strings of cash! Where would we get so much money to flatter him?"

"Let's fight Zhao Shuo! He's here to destroy our Jin Dynasty! These seven conditions are the greatest humiliation for our Great Jin!"

Upon learning of these seven conditions, the five prime ministers were all enraged and vowed to fight Zhao Shuo to the death!

Of course, they can endure humiliation, but the most crucial point is that they simply can't come up with such a large sum of money! It's completely impossible for them to endure humiliation and reach an agreement!
However, Wanyan Nashen was a Jin dynasty scholar who had passed the imperial examinations and was the younger brother of the famous minister Wanyan Sulan. He was quite capable.

He thought about it carefully the whole way, but felt that Zhao Shuo's conditions were not entirely unacceptable.

Wanyan Nashen coughed lightly and said, "Gentlemen, please calm down for now. Think about it, if we don't give Zhao Shuo the land he's demanding, can't Zhao Shuo take it himself? Also, we might not be unable to raise the five million taels of gold and fifty million taels of silver that Zhao Shuo mentioned."

Wanyan Shouxu's eyes lit up slightly, and he asked, "How do we collect them?"

"We'll use timber from Bianliang to make up the difference!"

When Emperor Hailing of the Jin Dynasty was in power, he intended to move the capital to Bianliang. He mobilized the entire nation, drawing three out of five commoners and two out of three artisans, totaling more than two million people. It took three years and hundreds of millions of yuan accumulated by the Jin Dynasty over several decades to rebuild Bianliang and construct countless magnificent palaces and towering buildings.

Putting aside everything else, just talking about timber, the giant trees in Hedong and Shaanxi have been almost completely felled, and the manpower and resources spent are simply astronomical.

These timbers can now be transported across the Yellow River to the sea and used directly for shipbuilding!
Wanyan Nashen said, "Your Majesty, when Zhao Shuo spoke to me, he specifically mentioned the word 'timber.' Clearly, he has his eye on the timber of Bianliang City. Whether he uses it to build palaces or naval ships, it will be of great use to Zhao Shuo. I believe it can be worth a considerable amount of money."

Yilapua shook his head and said, "Even if Zhao Shuo is willing to use timber as payment, he will definitely try to lower the price. I'm afraid there will still be a large shortfall."

Wanyan Nashen said, "There are also women! When the Zhongdu Agreement was made, royal women were not included in the selection. Now, to put it bluntly, if the Great Jin is determined to be destroyed, offering these women to Zhao Shuo can be considered as preserving some bloodline for the Great Jin royal family, can't it?"

"Furthermore, Zhao Shuo didn't specifically mention this time that it must be Jurchen women, so wouldn't Han women also be acceptable? The court has relocated 2.4 million soldiers and civilians to Bianliang. The men can be conscripted to guard the city, so these women are not very useful. Why not sell them to Zhao Shuo?"

"Is this..."

The prime ministers and Wanyan Shouxu looked at each other, all feeling that if they followed Wanyan Nashen's method, the number Zhao Shuo had proposed could not be completely unattainable.

As for the annual tribute of four million strings of cash?

Let's just wait it out, it's much better than the country collapsing on the spot!

Yilapua frowned and said, "Are you sure that after we've paid such a high price, Zhao Shuo will keep his promise and stop attacking our Great Jin?"

"I believe!"

Wanyan Nashen said, "It's a very simple principle. Zhao Shuo's subordinates have even shouted 'Long live the King!' Zhao Shuo's disloyalty to the Mongols is obvious. He wants to be the emperor! The emperor's word is law, and his words are golden. How can we break our promise to the world for the sake of my small Jin Kingdom?"

"it is good!"

Now, Wanyan Shouxu was overjoyed and completely ignored the words "tiny Jin Kingdom". He said, "What you say, my dear Nashen, is right. Now hurry back to Sanfeng Mountain to see Zhao Shuo and tell him that my Jin Kingdom has fully agreed to his seven conditions!"

"According to the order!"

……

……

Zhao Shuo made no attempt to conceal the news of the peace agreement reached with the Jin Dynasty and quickly informed the entire army.

Zhao Shuo's troops were not much of a threat.

Since they've already shouted "Long live the King!", then of course they'll just do whatever Zhao Shuo decides.

Besides, what more could one ask for than gaining control of nearly two provinces without lifting a finger or shedding a drop of blood?
The Jin dynasty's submission can be considered a form of annihilation, right?

And most importantly, three million taels of gold and thirty million taels of silver—what does that even mean?
When they besieged Zhongdu, they also obtained a great deal of wealth. However, this wealth was divided between Genghis Khan and all the steppe warriors, with ordinary Eight Banner soldiers only receiving half of what the steppe warriors received.

As a result, the Eight Banners soldiers who participated in the Battle of Zhongdu made a fortune.

How could Zhao Shuo possibly allow Ögedei to take away the points now?

The Eight Banners soldiers and the grassland soldiers under Zhao Shuo received the same treatment.

How much wealth can you get from this?

Thinking of the generous rewards that were about to be bestowed, the Eight Banners soldiers were so happy they could laugh in their dreams, and a burst of cheers erupted.

However, Meng Gong was different.

He wasn't particularly interested in material possessions. He valued loyalty, filial piety, and integrity above all else. This wasn't just about unwavering loyalty to the Song Dynasty; it also stemmed from a strong sense of national pride, a deep-seated hatred for the Jurchens and a relentless pursuit of justice in the face of the Jingkang Incident.
He immediately sought an audience with Zhao Shuo.

"Since the rise of the Jurchens, they have suppressed the Han people for a century, resulting in the humiliation of the Jingkang Incident and countless blood debts. As for the Mongols, there is even more hatred for the reduction of population and the hatred for the wooden donkey of Ambaghai Khan."

"Now that Your Majesty commands a mighty army, it is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people to annihilate the Jin Dynasty and slaughter the Wanyan clan to avenge the blood feud between the Mongol and Han peoples. How can we abandon our hatred and be satisfied with the Jin Dynasty becoming a vassal state and paying tribute? Your Majesty, I urge you to reconsider!"

Boom boom boom!
Meng Gong knelt down and kowtowed three times to Zhao Shuo.

Zhao Shuo smiled slightly and said, "Meng Gong, there's no need for that. To put it bluntly, isn't it just that you can't forget the blood feud between the Jurchens and the Han people, and you're determined to take revenge?"

"You can say that."

"Since that's the case, then go ahead and take your revenge!" Zhao Shuo said calmly. "It was an agreement I reached with the Jin Kingdom. What does it have to do with your Song Kingdom?"

"Your Majesty, you..."

Meng Gong was slightly taken aback at first, then a surge of joy welled up in his heart.

That's right! It was an agreement reached between Zhao Shuo and the Jin Dynasty, not the Song Dynasty. If Zhao Shuo didn't attack the Jin Dynasty, the Song Dynasty could have attacked it on its own!
The Jin Dynasty only had most of Henan left. If the Song Dynasty still couldn't destroy the Jin Dynasty, it might as well drown itself!
Moreover, who would be the main force in the Song Dynasty's destruction of the Jin Dynasty? Wouldn't it be Meng Gong?

"Restore the Great Song Dynasty and return to the old capital"—what kind of achievement do these eight characters represent? Meng Gong felt his blood boil with excitement when he thought of this.

He secretly suspected that Zhao Shuo was destined to become emperor. Even if Zhao Shuo was a descendant of Emperor Taizu, he was still too far removed from the relationships of Emperors Huizong and Qinzong. If he were to take severe revenge on the Jurchens, he would likely leave behind a reputation for cruelty and inhumanity.

However, the legitimacy of the Song emperors came from Emperors Huizong and Qinzong. With the humiliation of the Jingkang Incident preceding them, the Song emperors could exact severe revenge on the Jurchens without worrying about tarnishing their reputation.

Zhao Shuo is giving the Southern Song emperor and his officials a chance to avenge themselves!

I completely misunderstood Zhao Shuo!

Immediately, Meng Gong kowtowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty is a man of profound wisdom and foresight. I, your humble servant, have misunderstood Your Majesty with my petty mind. I will immediately submit a memorial to the court, mobilizing the entire army to annihilate the Jin Kingdom!"

"So good."

If the Song Dynasty were to destroy the Jin Dynasty, most of Henan would eventually fall into Zhao Shuo's hands. Even if the Song Dynasty failed to destroy the Jin Dynasty, it would still greatly weaken the Jin Dynasty's strength, making it much easier for Zhao Shuo to attack the Jin Dynasty again.

As for who has damaged the reputation of the peace agreement?

Zhao Shuo refused to believe that the Jin Kingdom could consistently raise the annual tribute of four million strings of cash!

So what if we keep collecting them?
Isn't there a famous saying from the Zhao family ancestor? "How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed!"
In any case, with the peace agreement reached, the Jin Dynasty sent envoys to hand over territory to Zhao Shuo. At the same time, it ordered Saniyabu, the Deputy Privy Councilor and Prefect of Kaifeng, to frantically amass wealth and tribute to Zhao Shuo.

Meanwhile, Meng Gong sent a memorial to Lin'an, requesting the court to mobilize the entire nation's troops to destroy the Jin Dynasty and avenge the humiliation of Jingkang!
For a moment, the world was shocked!
(End of this chapter)