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

Chapter 238 The Song Dynasty has killed loyal officials yet again!
Two days later, at noon, outside Xiangyang City, on the banks of the Han River.

Deng Deng Deng~~
With a series of heavy footsteps, an elderly man nearing sixty with a white beard slowly descended from the five-story ship, escorted by eighty-eight imperial guards.

Meng Gong led more than a hundred officials and officers from the Jinghu region to step forward and pay their respects with great ceremony.

"This humble general, Meng Gong, respectfully welcomes Prime Minister Wei! Zhao Shuo's 300,000-strong army is marching menacingly towards Jinghu. The soldiers and civilians of Jinghu long for a high-ranking official of the court to oversee the campaign, just as children long for their parents or a parched land yearns for rain. Upon learning that Prime Minister Wei is coming to command the troops, everyone is overjoyed and excited."

In other dynasties, a military leader like Meng Gong would have been on equal footing with the prime minister. Even if they weren't, such a grand ceremony wouldn't have been necessary.

However, the Song Dynasty relied on civil officials to control the military. Unless Meng Gong was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and held the official title of Grand Academician, he would not be able to rival Wei Liaoweng.

Otherwise, they would only be able to perform elaborate rituals like they do now.

If Meng Gong was like this, then one can only imagine how others were.

"Welcome, Lord Wei!"

The more than one hundred officials and officers followed closely behind, paying their respects to Wei Liaoweng with great ceremony.

"Haha! General Meng, no need for formalities! Everyone, no need for formalities!"

Wei Liaoweng hurried a few steps forward, took Meng Gong's hand to support him, and said, "As for how to deal with Zhao Shuo's 300,000-strong army, I am far inferior to General Meng! I came to Xiangyang this time for only two things. First, to boost the morale of the entire army, so that the soldiers and civilians in the Jinghu region are in high spirits and loyal to the country. Second, to use my position as prime minister to raise funds and supplies, so that General Meng has no worries about the rear."

"Not at all, Prime Minister Wei, you are too modest. Uh, this is not the place to talk. I have already prepared a banquet in Xiangyang to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey. Prime Minister Wei, please!"

"General Meng, please!"

The Han River ferry crossing was less than a hundred paces from the north gate of Xiangyang City, and the group was about to head towards the north gate to enter the city.

Wei Liaoweng wore a smile, appearing as a kind and honest elder, and his words just now were also very dignified, but what he was thinking was not so simple.

However, since he was new to the area, there was no need for him to be overly stern upon first meeting the main officials of Jinghu, lest he offend the entire Jinghu officialdom.

He said that he believed his military talent was inferior to Meng Gong's, which was true, and that he had no intention of interfering with Meng Gong's military plans.

However, that does not mean he is not prepared to expand his influence within the military.

At the very least, the kind of thing that happened in Henan, where a general voluntarily surrendered a city to Zhao Shuo, must never happen again.

So what should we do?
Should we execute a few generals who lacked firm resolve as a warning to others? Or should we find fault with a few high-ranking generals and let them redeem themselves through meritorious service?

Or should we distribute more rewards? This would be the quickest way to achieve results, but with a major war looming, the court is desperately short of money, and we simply don't have the funds!
Wei Liaoweng had not yet decided on the specifics of how to proceed.

Unfortunately, at that very moment—

"General Meng!"

With a shout, a junior officer rushed out of the city and whispered a few words in Meng Gong's ear.

"understood."

Meng Gong's expression changed slightly, then he waved his hand, ordering the junior officer to leave.

"Ok?"

Wei Liaoweng keenly sensed something was amiss and asked, "General Meng, what has happened?"

"Uh...it's nothing. I just received an urgent report that Zhao Shuo's vanguard has left Tongbai Mountain and entered our Jinghu region."

"So, are we just going to let them advance unimpeded? Have we even deployed our troops yet?"

"We did fight a battle." Meng Gong was really unwilling to go into details, but said, "As you know, Prime Minister Wei, Zhao Shuo's Eight Banners army is all cavalry, and they are exceptionally fierce. Our army suffered a minor setback."

Wei Liaoweng pressed on, asking, "What exactly is this 'minor setback'? Who fought this battle? What are the casualties on both sides?"

Having no other choice, Meng Gong had to tell the truth: "Our army is led by Commander Liu Zheng. He led a thousand loyal soldiers against a single commander of the Han army. Now, now... only a dozen or so riders escaped back to Xiangyang."

"This is a minor setback? It's clearly a crushing defeat!"

Wei Liaoweng flew into a rage and said, "I am not going to Xiangyang now. You bring Liu Zheng to me bound right now! It is one thing that the Zhongshun Army is the elite of our Great Song Dynasty and cannot defeat a single commander of the Han army. However, the fact that only a dozen or so riders escaped is clearly the fault of the officers and soldiers who failed in battle!"

In reality, Wei Liaoweng was not as angry as he appeared.

The Battle of Xiangyang was primarily a defensive siege, while Liu Zheng fought in open field battles; a loss was simply a loss. However, Wei Liaoweng, with his extensive experience in internal power struggles, saw this as a golden opportunity to establish his authority within the Jinghu Army, and he was not about to let it slip by.

Before long, Liu Zheng, whose left arm was injured, was brought before Wei Liaoweng, bound hand and foot.

"The guilty general Liu Zheng pays his respects to Chancellor Wei!"

Wei Liaoweng sat under a parasol, glanced at Liu Zheng a few times, and said, "You are Liu Zheng? You look tall and handsome, a real man. Why is it that you, leading the elite Zhongshun Army of my Great Song Dynasty, are no match for a single Han army commander?"

"Lord Wei, please allow me to report..."

Liu Zheng was thoroughly fed up. The Tongbai Mountain battlefield was a full 450 li away from Xiangyang. After his defeat, he rushed over on horseback to report the military situation at the front line to Meng Gong.

Meng Gong was knowledgeable in military affairs; once he explained things clearly, no one would blame him.

But who knew that Wei Liaoweng would also arrive today?

He originally entered Xiangyang from the west gate, only to learn that Meng Gong had gone to the north gate to meet Wei Liaoweng. Given the urgency of the military situation, Liu Zheng couldn't afford to fail to inform Meng Gong in time.

Liu Zheng specifically instructed the soldier who delivered the message to tell Meng Gong secretly and not to let Wei Liaoweng know. Unexpectedly, Wei Liaoweng still found out.

Left with no other option, Liu Zheng recounted the entire battle to Wei Liaoweng in detail.

Finally, he said, "This battle was all due to my underestimation of the strength of the newly surrendered Han army. I was greedy for merit and acted rashly, resulting in the loss of nearly a thousand soldiers. I beg Prime Minister Wei to punish me."

"Bad talk!"

Wei Liaoweng sneered, "What kind of person is Zhang Jin? He's just an unknown Jin general who surrendered, and he leads a newly surrendered army. But you, Liu Zheng, are General Meng's top general, and the Zhongshun Army is a powerful force in our Great Song Dynasty. If you had fought bravely, how could you have suffered such a defeat?"

"I can clearly see it was you, Liu Zheng, who wavered and intended to surrender to Zhao Shuo. That's why you didn't fight bravely and instead fled the battlefield, causing the entire army to collapse. Guards!"

"exist!"

"Punish him according to military law!"

"Yes!"

Wei Liaoweng led the imperial guards forward to drag Liu Zheng away.

The Song Dynasty had its own system in place, and for the prime minister to kill a commander was as easy as crushing an ant.

Meng Gong quickly said, "No! Lord Wei, you know that Liu Zheng is my most valiant general. With a great battle imminent, we need men now. Please spare his life!" "Hmph, need men?" Wei Liaoweng said dismissively, "Are you going to say next that Liu Zheng is a fine man and shouldn't be killed?"

"The general will not dare!"

If Meng Gong dared to say that, Wei Liaoweng would surely quote Han Qi's famous saying: "Only those who are called out outside the Donghua Gate are true men."

To be honest, did Han Qi really think Jiao Yong had committed some serious crime?
It was merely a power struggle between Han Qi, a civil official, and Di Qing, the military commander, for control of the army.

The more Di Qing wanted to protect someone, the more Han Qi wanted to kill him. He wanted to make the generals and officers in the army understand who the real boss was.

Not the commander-in-chief, but a distinguished civil official who supervises the army!
Today's events are similar.

Wei Liaoweng was just worried about not having a way to expand his influence in the army when Liu Zheng delivered himself to his doorstep.

"I'm sorry you don't dare either."

Wei Liaoweng snorted coldly and said, "Let me tell you, General Meng, the useful people of our Great Song are the scholar-officials who are concerned about the world's troubles before enjoying its pleasures, and the soldiers and civilians who are loyal to the emperor and protect the country, not these two-faced cowards!"

"Prime Minister Wei has shown me great kindness!"

How Meng Gong wished he were facing his old superior, Shi Songzhi, instead of the self-righteous Wei Liaoweng!

Having no other choice, he knelt before Wei Liaoweng again and said, "I know Liu Zheng's character well; he is absolutely loyal to our Great Song. Zhang Jin of the Eight Banners is no simple man either; more than a decade ago, he was the Duke of Beiping of the Jin Dynasty. Moreover, the Eight Banners' weapons are sharper and should be superior to ours. In addition, those newly surrendered troops, thinking they have a powerful backer, are quite arrogant. Liu Zheng's defeat was not without reason!"

This is where the difference in ability comes in.

Although Liu Zheng was a powerful figure of his time, he was inferior to Meng Gong. If Meng Gong had led the army, he would never have committed the entire force to confront Zhang Jin head-on. Instead, he would have first sent out small detachments to test the strength of Zhang Jin's army before making a final decision.

"Hmm? Is that really the case?" Wei Liaoweng still looked doubtful.

"I'm afraid that's true!"

Boom!
Meng Gong kowtowed again and said, "This humble general is willing to swear on his own head that Liu Zheng is loyal to my Great Song Dynasty. Please, Prime Minister Wei, have mercy!"

"Please, Prime Minister Wei, have mercy!"

The other officials and officers also kowtowed, begging Meng Gong to intercede for them.

To reiterate, Wei Liaoweng only wanted to expand his influence within the army; he wasn't genuinely angry about the defeat.

Since Meng Gong had already yielded to this extent, he didn't want to go too far. After all, Xiangyang still needed Meng Gong to defend it.

He nodded slightly and said, "Alright, since General Meng is vouching for me, I'll trust Liu Zheng this time for now. However, you have to promise me two things."

"Please speak, Lord Wei!"

"First of all, it is a fact that Liu Zheng suffered heavy losses, right? He may be spared the death penalty, but he cannot escape punishment. He should be severely punished with forty strokes of the military rod."

Forty strokes of the military rod, even if the soldiers carrying out the punishment were lenient, would keep Liu Zheng bedridden for at least half a month, thus achieving Wei Liaoweng's goal of establishing his authority.

Meng Gong knew it was inappropriate, but he also knew it was the best outcome he could achieve in front of Wei Liaoweng, so he nodded and said, "Yes."

"The second matter is that, over the past two or three years, the imperial court's silver has flowed into Xiangyang like water. Some of it has been used for rewards, some for weapons, and some for city construction... Inevitably, there are some shameless individuals who have embezzled and enriched themselves. I will investigate this thoroughly, and I ask General Meng to cooperate."

"This...this is inappropriate, isn't it?" Meng Gong said boldly, "With a major battle imminent, it's inevitable that the soldiers will be filled with unease as Prime Minister Wei investigates embezzlement within the army. How can the soldiers fight bravely against Zhao Shuo under such circumstances?"

"General Meng, rest assured."

Wei Liaoweng stroked his three long strands of beard and said confidently, "Of course I know. With a major battle imminent, military matters come first. Even if something is discovered, the soldiers will be allowed to redeem themselves through meritorious service. As the saying goes, it's better to use mistakes to make amends. To redeem themselves through meritorious service, the soldiers will only fight even more bravely. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

This was indeed Wei Liaoweng's true thought.

If more rewards are issued, the court will indeed be strapped for cash.

Since that's the case, we can only create cards out of thin air.

There was no embezzlement among the Jinghu army? Wei Liaoweng would never believe it, not even if you beat him to death!

Having grasped the weaknesses of the generals, and given them the opportunity to redeem themselves through meritorious service, how could they not be extremely grateful to Wei Liaoweng and the Song Dynasty?

Meng Gong inwardly cried out in alarm.

Although he was an honest and upright official, the accounts of the Jinghu Army were impossible to audit!

The military funds allocated by the imperial court are simply not enough!
Meng Gong could only rob Peter to pay Paul, making the best use of his resources.

Take the Zhongshun Army, for example. How can their fighting capacity be guaranteed according to the military pay set by the Song Dynasty? Meng Gong must find a way to divert sufficient funds for rewards from other sources. For instance, smuggling horses from Tibet—many expenses simply cannot be recorded in the accounts.
Furthermore, Meng Gong dared to sign off on the extortion of logistical supplies by various civil officials.

As for the army under his command, there were even more messy situations, often caused by unavoidable circumstances. Strictly adhering to the Song Dynasty's system simply couldn't guarantee the army's combat effectiveness.

Originally, Shi Songzhi was his military supervisor, who understood him very well, and the two cooperated happily.

Now that Wei Liaoweng is taking him seriously, how will he respond?
However, as the military governor, it was his duty to investigate and punish embezzlement in the logistics department. How could he possibly obstruct it?

Meng Gong could only reply, "Yes."

Sure enough, less than three days later, something bad happened.

"What? Cao Shixiong is dead?" Meng Gong could hardly believe his ears after hearing his elder brother Meng Xi's report.

This Cao Shixiong was no ordinary man. According to historical records, when the Mongol army crossed the river, the Song army decisively destroyed the Qin Bridge, thus averting a national crisis for the Song Dynasty.

In the post-war assessment of merit, Cao Shixiong ranked first and Liu Zheng second.

Not to mention, Cao Shixiong later cooperated closely with Wang Jian of Diaoyu City and defeated the Mongol army several times.

Although these events have not yet occurred, Cao Shixiong is a famous general under Meng Gong, commanding a thousand loyal soldiers.

Meng Xi, his face bitter, said, "He is indeed dead. Wei Liaoweng was investigating the accounts and came across Cao Shixiong. He was straightforward and argued with Wei Liaoweng on the spot. Wei Liaoweng was furious and punished him with forty strokes of the military rod."

"Forty strokes of the military rod won't kill a person."

"But Cao Shixiong couldn't bear this injustice! Last night, after drinking heavily in silence, he slit his own throat! Now, there's a lot of talk in the camp, everyone's saying...everyone's saying..."

"What did they say?" Meng Gong pressed.

Meng Xi said, "Speaking of Emperor Gaozong's time, there was a Prime Minister Qin who caused the death of Yue Fei, ruining the promising situation for the Northern Expedition. Now, with Zhao Shuo's army pressing in, our Great Song has produced another Prime Minister Wei. First, he wanted to kill Liu Zheng, but after being stopped by the commander-in-chief, he was still unwilling to give up and killed Cao Shixiong!"

"With the departure of Prime Minister Qin, our Great Song Dynasty is left with only half of its territory. With the departure of Prime Minister Wei, I'm afraid even that half will be lost. The Great Song Dynasty... its fate is sealed!"

(End of this chapter)