I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 278 Jade Flower Strategy: A Gamble on the Empire Before the Emperor

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Zhao Yu instructed Liang Shicheng to convey his imperial decree, ordering Zhao Ji to come to the Yuhua Pavilion for an audience.

Zhao Ji immediately followed Liang Shicheng to Yuhua Pavilion.

Yuhua Pavilion is located behind Xuanhe Hall. When Zhao Ji arrived, the prime ministers Cai Jing, Cai Bian, and Su Shi, the chief ministers He Zhizhong, Zhang Shangying, and Yu Shen, as well as Tang Ke, Li Gang, Zhao Ding, Chen Gou, Zhong Shidao, and others whom Zhao Yu had newly promoted to assist the prime ministers in the central government, were all present. Lü Yihao, who had come to Bianliang City (Kaifeng) with the Jin envoy, was also there.

In the past two years, many of the prime ministers appointed by Zhao Yu in his early years, such as Xu Jiang, Li Qingchen, Lü Huiqing, Zhao Tingzhi, and Guo Cheng, have passed away one after another. Prime Minister Zhang Dun, Privy Councilor Zeng Bu, Vice Prime Minister Han Zhongyan, and Right Vice Minister Su Zhe have also been absent from court recently due to illness.

At this stage, Zhao Yu has appointed Cai Jing as acting prime minister, Su Shi as acting privy councilor, and Cai Bian as acting vice prime minister.

In fact, those who didn't attend court basically didn't return.

However, in view of their great contributions to the Song Dynasty, Zhao Yu did not allow them to retire, but instead gave them a "paid leave". If there were any important matters in the court, Zhao Yu would send people to their homes to discuss them with them.

However, given the age of Zhang Dun and others, their political careers, and even their lives, had already come to an end.

The only thing that surprised Zhao Yu was that Su Shi, who should have died long ago, was still very healthy and energetic at the age of seventy-five, perhaps because he was highly regarded by Zhao Yu. It seemed that he could outlive his younger brother Su Zhe.

Therefore, Zhao Yu promoted Su Shi to acting Privy Councilor, putting him in charge of military affairs to counter the Cai brothers, Cai Jing and Cai Bian.

In addition, Zhao Yu attached great importance to cultivating new talents after he ascended the throne.

Tang Ke had been diligently helping the court manage the Yellow River for many years. Under his management, it cannot be said that the Yellow River never flooded, but the harm it caused to the people of the Zhao Song Dynasty was minimal.

Later, because of his meritorious service in managing the Yellow River, Zhao Yu promoted Tang Ke to Minister of Revenue.

Historically, when Tang Ke served as prime minister, although he strongly advocated for peace talks and the cession of three towns, he also ordered the troops that came to the aid of the emperor not to act rashly when they gathered. As a result, the troops dispersed without a fight, and he was impeached by the censor and dismissed from his post as prime minister.

However, Zhang Chun analyzed that the Song army at that time was indeed vulnerable. This was not a question of whether to fight or not. Later history has proven this point. Upon calm analysis, Tang Ke's proposal was actually correct. If Zhao Huan had listened to Tang Ke, at least the Jingkang Incident and the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty would not have occurred.

Later, when the Jurchens wanted to depose the Zhao family and install Zhang Bangchang as emperor, Tang Ke signed the agreement to save the people of the city. However, after the fall of Bianliang (Kaifeng) and the Jingkang Incident, he committed suicide by poison, which can be considered as giving an explanation to the Zhao family.

Overall, Tang Ke was arguably the most capable of all the prime ministers employed by Zhao Huan, and he remained remarkably clear-headed throughout.

Faced with a charlatan like Guo Jing, he directly confronted him, deliberately embarrassing him, and asked, "Old soldier, is this childish nonsense really effective?" Guo Jing had no answer.

Later, it was Zhao Huan who deposed Tang Ke, and Zhao Huan and his ministers then employed the charlatan Guo Jing. As a result, at the critical moment of the war between Song and Jin, Zhao Huan and his ministers actually withdrew the garrison and used 7,777 regular soldiers to defend the city. They were easily killed by 500 Jin cavalrymen who rushed into the city, and Bianliang was finally captured.

In addition, Tang Ke's last piece of advice to Zhao Huan was to flee before the Jurchens arrived and not to stay in the city to defend it. At that time, Zhao Ji and Zhong Shidao also gave Zhao Huan this advice. Judging from the results, they were undoubtedly the people who made the most accurate judgment of the situation at that time.

Li Gang and others were ultimately too young, so Zhao Yu promoted Tang Ke, who was a bit older, to the court to keep things in check.

Li Gang and others have been Zhao Yu's key trainees for the past ten years. Most of them have been trained at the grassroots level, served in frontier positions, entered the army as supervisors, and served as transport commissioners, and were in charge of the economy.

Now, Zhao Yu has boldly appointed new people, transferring Li Gang and others who are not very old to the central government to assist in governance. This is clearly to cultivate new prime ministers and chief ministers, and they have already been involved in the work of prime ministers and chief ministers.

Seeing that Zhao Yu respected experienced veteran officials, dared to appoint talented young ministers, and even made good use of the strengths of treacherous officials—for example, the removal of the shackles from the princes and members of the imperial clan was supported by Cai Jing—Zhao Ji truly admired Zhao Yu's way of employing people.

Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; one must harmonize all the flavors to achieve great things.

Looking at the scene before him, Zhao Ji was filled with mixed emotions. He wondered if he could have done just as well if he had defeated Zhao Yu back then.
After waiting for a while, Zhao Ji learned that Cai Jing and others had rushed over because something had happened.

Last winter, Taihu Lake in Jiangnan not only froze completely, but the ice was so solid that vehicles could pass through it. The cold weather killed all the famous citrus fruits of Dongting Mountain in Taihu Lake. Snowfall in Hangzhou was not only more frequent than usual, but also extended into late spring.

People in Jiangnan are saying that the abnormal weather is caused by the heavy resentment resulting from years of killings in the region.

The key issue is that such abnormal weather could affect this year's spring planting.

If the weather does not warm up soon, there is a high possibility that this year will be plagued by a severe famine due to food shortages, which could lead to turmoil in the Song Dynasty.

Three days later is Grain Rain, which is directly related to the timing of sowing. If the weather doesn't warm up, things will get serious.

Therefore, Cai Jing and others came to request that Emperor Zhao Yu personally plow the fields, praying for blessings from Heaven to reassure the people, and at the same time proclaiming to the world that the court was actively responding to the natural disaster and would surely protect the people from suffering.

Besides this incident, the Liao Dynasty also belatedly learned that the Jin people had sent envoys from the sea to the Zhao Song Dynasty to request investiture. They hurriedly dispatched envoys to Zhuozhou to request to be sent to the Zhao Song Dynasty, hoping that the Zhao Song Dynasty would not have any contact with the Jin Dynasty and that the Jin envoys would be captured and handed over to the Liao Dynasty. The Liao Dynasty would be extremely grateful for this.

This matter seems to have become a thorny choice between two options.

Many high-ranking officials were asking Zhao Yu to come up with a major plan so that they would have a direction for dealing with the Jin and Liao envoys.

After the chief minister finished his report, he left.

Lü Yihao then stepped forward to report that he had already settled the Jin envoy at the Tongwen Academy outside the city and requested to return to Dengzhou...

By the time Lü Yihao finished his report, it was already dark.

At this moment, Zhao Yu prepared to get up and go back to rest.

Zhao Ji hurriedly stepped forward and reported, "I wish to speak privately with the Emperor."

Zhao Yu then remembered that he had called Zhao Ji over to have a chat with him.

Unexpectedly, Cai Jing and the others delayed things, and he almost forgot about the matter.

Zhao Yu then sat back down and asked Zhao Ji, "Are you unwilling to give up the position of top scholar?"

Emperor Huizong replied, "Your subject dares not."

Although Zhao Ji answered "I dare not," a barely perceptible hesitation and resentment flickered in his eyes. Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, illuminating his face and revealing a complex and subtle expression. He lowered his head slightly, his hands clenched tightly, as if trying his best to suppress the turmoil within him.

Seeing this, Zhao Yu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 'Zhao Ji, having been pampered since childhood and lacking experience, is torn between a thirst for power and a fear of failure, making him sometimes indecisive and sometimes stubbornly radical. Alas, it's still his problem with history: ambitious but lacking in ability.'

Zhao Yu had Liang Shicheng bring Zhao Ji and Mo Chou's examination papers, handed them to Zhao Ji, and asked, "Are you better at policy discussions than Mo Chou?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Huizong was extremely embarrassed!
Although Zhao Ji had wanted to fulfill the long-cherished wish of the previous emperors of the Song Dynasty since childhood—namely, to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun—he actually knew nothing about the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, nor about the Liao and Jin dynasties.

This is not a problem unique to Emperor Huizong's reign.

Historically, Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) also made a grave mistake because of this.

At that time, Song and Jin reached a peace agreement.

Logically, the Northern Song Dynasty should have presented a letter of credence to the Jin Dynasty to sign an alliance treaty.

However, Emperor Huizong and his ministers feared that failing to destroy the Liao Dynasty would give them cause for criticism, so they devised a clever plan. Instead of sending a formal letter, they had Emperor Huizong write a personal letter to Wanyan Aguda. Because Emperor Huizong lacked a clear understanding of the geographical scope of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, in his imperial letter to Wanyan Aguda, he only vaguely requested "the Yan territory and its prefectures and counties".

The actual Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun should have included the prefectures and counties jointly administered by Yanjing, the prefectures and counties jointly administered by Liaoxijing (Yundi), and the three prefectures of Pingluanying, as well as passes such as Juyongguan, Gubeikou, Songtingguan, and Yuguan, covering an important strategic barrier in northern North China.

In this way, the "Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun" could keep the Hu people outside the Great Wall, and there would be no need to worry that the Hu people would treat the Central Plains as their backyard, coming and going as they pleased.

However, Zhao Ji's statement only focused on "Yan land" and did not explicitly mention other areas, allowing the Jin Dynasty to narrow the scope of the cession by using the ambiguity of the text.

Taking advantage of the ambiguity in the Northern Song Dynasty's statements, the Jin Dynasty continuously narrowed the scope of land to be returned during negotiations, agreeing only to return Yanjing and six surrounding prefectures, and attaching a high ransom (i.e., tax money).

In order to recover the "Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun" as soon as possible, the Northern Song Dynasty was forced to accept harsh conditions.

As a result, the Zhao Song Dynasty not only failed to fully recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, but also exposed its own military and diplomatic weaknesses, leading to the Jurchen invasion, the Jingkang Incident, and the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty.

All of this is because Zhao Ji only had the romanticism of an artist, did not seek to understand his enemies, and governed the country based solely on his own preferences, which inevitably led to shortsightedness and recklessness.

This was like throwing a boulder into the long river of history, stirring up waves and ultimately pushing the Northern Song Dynasty into the abyss of destruction.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) lacked even the most basic understanding of the geographical scope of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, let alone their strategic significance. The vague phrase "Yan territory governs all prefectures and counties" in his imperial letter not only showed disrespect for national territorial sovereignty but also a carelessness regarding the fate of future generations.

Of course, Zhao Ji simply didn't understand the Liao and Jin dynasties, his two enemies, well enough; it doesn't mean he lacked the ability to discern, especially in matters related to literature and culture.

Therefore, Zhao Ji naturally knew that, in terms of this policy essay alone, Mo Chou was superior to him.

Zhao Ji thought Zhao Yu was asking him for a favor, so he immediately bowed and said, "Thank you for protecting me, Your Majesty."

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yu shook his head: "This matter is indeed related to you, otherwise, Mo Chou would not have been able to get the third place first and then the second place."

When Zhao Yu admitted his suspicions, and even acknowledged the accusations of "favoritism and corruption" leveled up, Zhao Ji was at a loss for words.

He was an arrogant person, even a very conceited one.

The reason he was willing to give up his royal title and participate in the imperial examination was because he was confident that he could win the top scholar position, which would allow him to completely break free from the constraints of the imperial family and vindicate himself.

He even thought that after he won the top scholar title, people would say that if he had inherited the throne, the Song Dynasty would definitely have been better.

Unexpectedly, Mo Chou appeared out of nowhere. Not only was he a skilled writer, but he also knew a great deal about the affairs between the Liao and Jin dynasties.

The key point is that the imperial examination did not test art, but rather the knowledge of governing the country and applying it to practical affairs; it tested profound wisdom concerning the rise and fall of the nation and the suffering of the people.

Although Zhao Ji was extremely unwilling, he had to admit that his skill in this area was indeed inferior to Mo Chou's.

Emperor Huizong was somewhat dejected, feeling that he had been too hasty and had underestimated the imperial examination. If it weren't for Zhao Yu's favoritism in helping him obtain the top scholar title, he would have been utterly humiliated.

Emperor Huizong was still very grateful to Emperor Yu.

However, to Zhao Ji's utter surprise, Zhao Yu changed his tone and said, "If it weren't for you, Mo Chou would certainly not have gotten the top rank, and I might not have even admitted him for the second rank."

"What?!?!"

Emperor Huizong never imagined that if it weren't for helping him, Zhao Yu might have made Mo Chou one of the top three!

'Does that mean I'm guaranteed a spot in the top three?'

Once he understood the crux of the matter, the arrogant and conceited Emperor Huizong of Song could no longer accept it.

Losing to Mo Chou is one thing, but at worst he could have gotten third place, okay, that's assuming Zhao Tang's results aren't taken into account.

But he boasts of his exceptional talent; surely he shouldn't be among the top three?
Isn't that belittling him?
Zhao Ji looked at Zhao Yu, hoping that Zhao Yu could give him a reasonable explanation.

Instead of answering, Zhao Yu asked, "I ask you, which is stronger, the Liao or the Jin?"

Emperor Huizong thought to himself, "Is there even a question? Even though the Liao Dynasty lost eleven prefectures in Yan and Yun and had its northeast annexed by the Jin Dynasty, its territory was still comparable to that of the Song Dynasty, and its population was nearly ten million. The Jin Dynasty, on the other hand, was merely a small regional power with a population mostly in the hundreds of thousands. How could the Jin Dynasty possibly compare to the Liao Dynasty?"
But if the answer were really that simple, Zhao Yu wouldn't have asked him.

Then, Zhao Yu thought about how he wanted to make Mo Chou one of the top three.

'Mo Chou's strategy is sound; in this case, it means he's heading in the wrong direction?'

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) tentatively asked, "Is the Jin dynasty strong and the Liao dynasty weak?"

Zhao Yu asserted, "If our Great Song does not aid Liao, Liao will surely be destroyed by Jin."

'This is impossible!!!'

Zhao Ji did not believe Zhao Yu's words at all. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with astonishment, as if he had heard the most absurd statement in the world.

"The Liao Dynasty has been established for a century, with deep-rooted foundations. How could a newly emerging small state like the Jin Dynasty shake it? Furthermore, the Liao Dynasty possesses formidable military strength. Even after losing the Yan and Yun regions, the might of its iron cavalry is unmatched by the Jin Dynasty. How could the Jin Dynasty be stronger than the Liao Dynasty?"

The key point is that if Liao was truly stronger than Jin, then Zhao Ji and Mo Chou's strategic arguments were based on the wrong foundation. In that case, if Zhao Yu had actually placed them in the top three, there would have been no problem at all.

In this way, without Zhao Yu's protection of Zhao Ji, Zhao Yu would truly be a clown, even losing all the dignity of the imperial family.

At that time, even if Zhao Yu restored Zhao Ji's title of king, Zhao Ji would not have the face to accept it.

To put it simply, if Jin were truly stronger than Liao, and Zhao Yu pretended not to know this, taking advantage of the unclear situation between Liao and Jin to promote him to the top scholar, then stripped him of his title and restored his princely rank, and handled the matter officially, then Zhao Ji might have had no way out.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) didn't believe he was that bad, so he turned his head to the side, bowed, and said, "Your subject truly cannot agree!"

Zhao Yu did not say: "The Liao Dynasty appears powerful, but in reality, it is beset by internal and external troubles. Internally, there are numerous tribal conflicts, the nobility is corrupt, and the people are exhausted, having long lost their former vigor. On the other hand, the Jin Dynasty, under the leadership of Wanyan Aguda, rose from the land between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River. Its tribes are united, its army is strong, and its people are martial and highly motivated. With the Liao Dynasty's rise and fall, it is only a matter of time."

Instead, he said to Zhao Ji, "I'll make a bet with you. If Liao is strong and Jin is weak, I'll appoint you as prime minister; if Jin is strong and Liao is weak..."

Zhao Ji said resolutely, "Your Majesty, I am willing to dispose of me as you see fit!"

Zhao Yu smiled and said, "You and I are brothers. How could I possibly kill you over such a trivial matter?"

Zhao Ji's heart skipped a beat, thinking, 'You wouldn't kill me over a trivial matter, but if it's not a trivial matter...'

Zhao Ji glanced at Zhao Yu's ambiguous smile and felt a pang of regret for his recent actions, and even more so for his impulsiveness just now.

Fortunately, Zhao Yu simply said, "If you lose, you only need to paint a 'Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains' for me..."

……

(End of this chapter)