I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 264 Zhao Yu's identity as a time traveler is exposed.

...

November of the tenth year of the Hongwu reign.

Liao commander Xiao Sixian (who is also the younger brother of Xiao Fengxian, the most notorious traitor in the Liao Dynasty) and deputy commander Xiao Wuna led a large army of 100,000 (actually about 7,000) to attack the Jurchens on the orders of Yelü Yanxi and extinguish the newly ignited rebellion.

Xiao Sixian led this elite Liao army to gather north of the Yazi River, preparing to cross the river overnight to launch a surprise attack on the Jurchen army.

Unexpectedly, Wanyan Aguda had the same idea. He personally led 3,700 Jurchen soldiers, marching at night with drums and torches, and reached the river at dawn, crossing it on the ice.

The Jurchen army had only crossed a third of the river when they encountered the Liao army at Chuhedian.

At that time, a strong wind suddenly arose, and dust covered the sky. Wanyan Aguda commanded the Jurchen army to take advantage of the wind and launch an attack on the Liao army. With fewer troops attacking more, the Liao army was routed.

Wanyan Aguda pursued the Liao army to Wolunluo, killing and capturing countless Liao soldiers, as well as their carriages, weapons, and treasures. Several Liao generals, including the Liao deputy commander Xiao Tabuye, Cui Gongyi, Yelü Fuliu, and Xiao Geshi, were killed.

Wanyan Aguda incorporated the captured Liao soldiers into the Jurchen army, which grew to 10,000 men.

The great victory at Chuhedian strengthened the Jurchen army and enhanced its military prestige, laying the foundation for the establishment of the Jin Dynasty.

At this time, the Jurchen army had cut off the passage from the Liao capital Linhuang Prefecture directly to Huanglong Prefecture, which controlled the Jurchens in the north, thus opening the northern border gate of the Liao Dynasty and cutting off the supply of materials from the economic zone centered on Ningjiang Prefecture to the Liao Dynasty.

Wanyan Aguda used captured carts and horses to replenish the Jurchen army's equipment, used prisoners of war to replenish the Jurchen army's manpower, and rewarded the officers and soldiers who participated in the battle with a full-day feast to boost morale.

After that, the Jurchen army took advantage of the victory and advanced in two routes. Wanyan Wulugu beheaded Xiao Tabuye, the military governor of Liao, and captured Binzhou.

Wanyan Wudubu and Wanyan Pucha defeated the Liao generals Chigou'er and Xiao Yixue's army east of Xiangzhou.

The Liaowuhu and Jisai armies surrendered.

Wanyan Wulugu defeated the Liao army again west of Xianzhou and, together with Wanyan Loushi, captured Xianzhou.

Thus, the initial phase of the anti-Liao war was successfully concluded.

During the anti-Liao war, the Jurchens gradually developed into the most powerful ethnic group in Northeast China, and Wanyan Aguda became the military leader of the anti-Liao war.

Consequently, the conditions for the clan system to transform into state organs gradually matured.

After Wanyan Aguda's military campaign resulted in his victory and the killing of Liao general Yelü Xieshi, the prime minister Wanyan Sagai sent his eldest son Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Huandu's son Wanyan Xiyin to advise Wanyan Aguda to establish a state and declare himself emperor.

After the Jurchen army successively captured Binzhou and Xianzhou, Wanyan Aguda's brother Wanyan Wuqimai, along with Wanyan Sagai, Wanyan Xibusi, and others, supported Wanyan Aguda in establishing a state.

On the first day of the first month of the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign, Wanyan Aguda ascended the throne, establishing the Jin dynasty and adopting the reign title Shouguo.

After the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, the original tribal alliance chief system was abolished, and Wanyan Aguda proclaimed himself emperor and established the Bojilie system.

At the same time, the reformed Meng'an-Muke system was implemented in the areas where the Jurchen tribes were active and in the newly occupied territories to adapt to the rapid development of the slave-owning state and foreign wars.

At the beginning of the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Aguda proposed a set of policies to develop a slave economy based on the Jurchen system.

As his rule expanded, in order to adapt to the rule of various ethnic groups, Wanyan Aguda, to a certain extent, adopted the feudal political and economic system of the Liao Dynasty, marking the beginning of the feudalization of the Jin Dynasty.

Soon, news of Wanyan Aguda establishing the Jin Dynasty reached Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital, and was delivered to Zhao Yu by Li Yan, Yang Jian, and Yuwen Xuzhong.

Seeing that Wanyan Aguda had indeed established the Jin Dynasty just like in history, Zhao Yu not only paid closer attention to the Northeast and the war of annihilation between the Liao and Jin dynasties, but also had a little bit of anticipation.

If Zhao Yu hadn't traveled through time, this era would undoubtedly have belonged to Wanyan Aguda, the era of the Jurchens.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) was incompetent and tyrannical, indulging in artistic creation, particularly calligraphy, painting, and garden design. He was extravagant, dissolute, and ambitious, and he heavily relied on treacherous officials, leading to rampant corruption and factional strife within the Northern Song Dynasty. He lacked any effective governance strategy, imposing heavy taxes on the people, causing widespread suffering. This resulted in numerous peasant uprisings, such as the Song Jiang Rebellion and the Fang La Rebellion, which exhausted the Northern Song Dynasty's resources and its elite army, ultimately leading to the Jingkang Incident, one of the most humiliating historical events in Han Chinese history.

Yelü Yanxi, however, was inherently arrogant, extravagant, and dissolute, neglecting state affairs. During his reign, the Liao Dynasty was rife with internal conflicts, with nobles vying for power and the political system becoming utterly corrupt. Simultaneously, he adopted a repressive policy towards the Jurchen and other ethnic minorities, continuously increasing taxes and exploitation, which provoked strong resentment and resistance from these groups. The Liao army, weakened by long-term corruption, became undisciplined and its fighting capacity declined sharply. Faced with the Jurchen army's attacks, it suffered repeated defeats and was utterly unable to mount any effective resistance.

In contrast, Wanyan Aguda not only possessed exceptional military talent, frequently achieving victories against superior numbers, but he was also adept at employing people, uniting the various Jurchen tribes and continuously expanding his power. Politically, he actively promoted institutional reforms, establishing a political system adapted to the nation's development, which led to the continuous strengthening of the Jin Dynasty's national power and military strength.

Such emperors as Zhao Ji and Yelü Yanxi were utterly powerless against Wanyan Aguda, both militarily and politically. Their rule ultimately collapsed, while Wanyan Aguda led the Jin Dynasty to rise on the stage of history, ushering in a new era.

Now that Zhao Yu has replaced Zhao Ji, defeated Yelü Yanxi, and even Li Qianshun, it is unknown what the outcome will be when he faces Wanyan Aguda.
The key point is that if Zhao Yu defeats Wanyan Aguda, he will be able to catch up with Liu Che and Li Shimin and become one of the greatest emperors in history.

What real man could resist such temptation?

However, before engaging in battle with Wanyan Aguda, Zhao Yu's first priority was to resolve the problems within the Zhao Song Dynasty itself. Only then could he focus wholeheartedly on defeating Wanyan Aguda without any worries.

Based on this, Zhao Yu asked Yuwen Xuzhong, who had returned to his side, "What is the situation with the remnants of Fang La?"

Yuwen Xuzhong replied, "Quickly wipe them out."

After Fang La was executed, Song Jiang led his elite Tiger Army to search the mountains and set them on fire, conducting a thorough search of Fang La's rebel army. Finally, they found the most stubborn member of Fang La's army, who was also a core follower of Manichaeism, in a very hidden cave.

A bloody battle ensued, with the core followers of Manichaeism fighting to the last man.

In that battle, thousands of core Manichaean followers actually used the terrain to inflict tens of thousands of casualties on the Tiger Army.

The good news is that after the war, Xu Ning and Yan Qing found the gold and silver treasures hidden by Fang La's rebel army in that cave.

Yuwen Xuzhong personally led a team to calculate that these gold and silver treasures were not only numerous but also extremely valuable—worth at least thirty million strings of cash.

Song Jiang guessed that Fang La must have sent the gold and silver treasures he had looted from cities such as Hangzhou to this place to hide them, in case of emergency, or to use them to make a comeback.

Song Jiang and Yuwen Xuzhong secretly exclaimed, "Heaven bless our Great Song!"

If Fang La were to escape, and given the vast amount of gold and silver he possessed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Yuwen Xuzhong quickly led a trusted group, under the protection of Xu Ning and Lin Chong, to escort the gold and silver treasures back to Bianliang (Kaifeng) and hand them over to Zhao Yu. After completely annihilating the core members of Fang La's rebel army, Tong Guan dispatched Song Jiang and Liu Fa to continue leading the Tiger Army and the Western Army to suppress the remaining forces of Fang La's rebel army.

Starting in May of the tenth year of the Hongwu reign (1380), shortly after Fang La was executed, the Song army launched separate campaigns to suppress Fang La's rebel forces.

Lü Shinang moved to Huangyan, where Zhe Kecun and Yang Zhi pursued him. Fang La's rebel army held Duantou Mountain, but was ambushed by the Song army. Lü Shinang and more than 30 other leaders were killed in battle.

Qiu Rixin led Fang La's rebel army from Shan County, Yuezhou, to fight against Yao Pingzhong's and Guan Sheng's forces at Taoyuan. He was defeated and killed.

Hong Zai was no match for Liu Yanqing and his son Liu Guangshi, and was thus recruited into the imperial army.

Last month, the last of Fang La's rebel forces, namely the Fang La rebels in Xianju County, Taizhou, were surrounded by Song Jiang in the Yongkang Mountains.

Their troops persisted in fighting, vowing never to surrender.

Zhao Yu didn't really understand these Manichaean fanatics.

It should be noted that, according to Zhao Yu's supreme instructions, those Fang La's rebel army who surrendered were allowed to return to their freedom after three years of labor reform to repair the infrastructure they had damaged, in order to show their willingness to spit on and drown the Manichaean Buddha statues. Only those who were unwilling to surrender or leave Manichaeism were executed.

In other words, Zhao Yu actually gave those who mistakenly joined Fang La's rebel army a way out.

Yet these core followers of Manichaeism, like flames ignited by fanatical faith, were obsessively fanatical. Knowing full well that the road ahead was one of endless darkness and destruction, they remained stubbornly unrepentant, determined to perish with that illusory darkness. Even when faced with a life-or-death choice, they refused to extinguish their unwavering devotion and obsession. They firmly believed that only through endless struggle and sacrifice could they cleanse the sins of the world and reach that distant, unattainable otherworld. In their eyes, death was not the end, but a gateway to a sacred paradise, a transcendence and liberation.

In response, Zhao Yu couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, feeling both helpless at the stubbornness of Fang La's remnants and amazed by the complexity and fickleness of human nature.

As for how to deal with them, what else could Zhao Yu do but show no leniency and grant their wish?
According to the information gathered by Yuwen Xuzhong, the Song army could completely wipe out the last Fang La rebel army within a month at most.

With such a small number of Fang La's rebel army, there was no need for hundreds of thousands of troops.

The key issue is that the discipline of the Western Army is truly baffling. Wherever they went, they burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities.

The gentry and landlords in Jiangnan who had narrowly escaped death sent messages to Zhao Yu through various channels, saying that the Western Army's discipline was too poor, countless innocent people had been killed, and the economy of Zhejiang and Jiangsu had been severely damaged.

Zhao Yu knew perfectly well that the countless innocent people who were supposedly killed were merely using this as an excuse by these gentry and landlords.

Although the Western Army had poor discipline, why would they plunder those destitute civilians, especially when they were given orders?
Those who were truly persecuted by the Western Army were actually the gentry, landlords, and the wealthy class they depended on.

During the Fang La Rebellion, these people survived the chaos that swept across almost the entire Jiangnan region, either through their own military strength, by secretly funding Fang La's rebel army, or simply by good luck.

Unexpectedly, after barely surviving Fang La's rebel army, they were met with the arrival of the government-bandit Western Army, who extorted, burned, killed, and looted, making them even more despicable than Fang La's rebel army.

They really can't hold on much longer.

That's why I wanted to get rid of these plague gods as soon as possible.

To this end, they even went so far as to tell Zhao Yu that they had learned their lesson this time and would definitely cooperate fully with all the court's reforms.

Zhao Yu felt that the Western Army had also gained enough.

Crucially, with the Liao-Jin War already underway, the Western Army should return to the border to prevent any unforeseen events.

Therefore, after discussing with Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu and others, Zhao Yu issued an imperial edict: ordering Tong Guan and Liu Fa to lead the Western Army to withdraw from Jiangnan and return to the Northwest.

At the same time, Zhao Yu issued an imperial edict: bestowing upon Song Jiang the titles of Military Governor of Zhenhai Army and Transport Commissioner of Liangzhe Circuit, giving him full authority to handle the aftermath in the Jiangnan region...

……

After finishing his official duties, Zhao Yu checked the time. It was not yet noon, and there was still quite a while before he could have lunch.

I realized it had been a while since I'd visited Yuan Qingcheng.

To be honest, Yuan Qingcheng's idyllic rural life is incredibly relaxing to watch. Everything in her life exudes a leisurely quality; she grows vegetables, chops firewood, and cooks—time seems to slow down, making one feel particularly at ease and comfortable.

Sometimes, when Zhao Yu was tired and weary, he would spend a day or two at Yuan Qingcheng's place, which would wash away all his fatigue and worldly troubles. It was like a pure land in the world, where one's soul could be cleansed and brought peace.

Since there was nothing much to do today, and he had two days off in the next two days, Zhao Yu decided to stay at Yuan Qingcheng's place for a couple of days.

With this in mind, Zhao Yu set off for Yuan Qingcheng's agricultural base.

After more than ten years of development, Yuan Qingcheng's agricultural base has become a real agricultural base, and it no longer resembles Genyue Wansui Mountain.

In autumn, upon arriving here, one is greeted by vast expanses of rice paddies undulating in the breeze. A variety of fruits and vegetables hang heavily from the branches, their vibrant colors creating a scene reminiscent of a vivid oil painting spread across the fields. The air is filled with the aroma of fermenting fruit and the fresh scent of freshly cut straw, and even the wind carries the rich scent of harvest.

Unfortunately, it's winter now.

When Zhao Yu found Yuan Qingcheng, she was simmering something over a low flame in an earthenware jar.

Zhao Yu glanced at the classic cooking method in "The God of Cookery" and the surrounding ingredients, and guessed that Yuan Qingcheng was making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for him.

Zhao Yu hugged Yuan Qingcheng from behind, and his hands, quite unruly, directly grasped Yuan Qingcheng's pear-shaped breasts.

They've been married for so long, and Yuan Qingcheng has given birth to five children for Zhao Yu. How could she not know who had held her?
Besides, who else but Zhao Yu would dare to hug her or treat her so lightly?
Yuan Qingcheng said in a coquettish tone, "Your Majesty, please don't ruin my delicious soup."

Zhao Yu laughed and said, "It's just a jar of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. I'll just compensate you."

At first, Yuan Qingcheng didn't pay attention to what Zhao Yu said. She even twisted her body a couple of times so that Zhao Yu could hold her tighter.

But soon, Yuan Qingcheng was taken aback: 'How did he know I made Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? I've never made Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for him before, I've never even told him I could make it…'

……

(End of this chapter)