I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 279 Helping the weak, creating a situation where the snipe and the clam fight.

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The day after Jin envoys Helu and Dadiwu arrived in Bianliang (Kaifeng), the receiving envoy Zhao Liangsi was instructed to tell them: "The court is holding the imperial examinations to select talents for the country. His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty will not have time to meet with you these next few days. You can stay at the Tongwen Hall to rest, or you can go out for a stroll to relax."

Helu and Dadiwu naturally chose the latter.

So Zhao Liangsi led Helu and Dadiwu around the capital every day to visit and explore.

They first ascended the Mingtang Hall to gaze upon the Imperial Street.

The Mingtang, where the Song Dynasty promulgated decrees, received court officials, and performed sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, was located east of the Daqing Hall and behind the left side gate of the Xuande Tower. The Mingtang was a self-contained courtyard surrounded by a cloister, with gates on all four sides: Pingshuo Gate to the north, Qingyang Gate to the east, Ying Gate to the south, and Zongzhang Gate to the west. The square in front of the Mingtang was the center of Bianliang City, the most prosperous area of ​​the city and the heart of the Song Dynasty.

The imperial palace was magnificent and towering; brothels and painted pavilions were adorned with beaded curtains and exquisite windows; carved carriages raced and fine horses galloped; gold and jade glittered, and silk skirts wafted with fragrance.

The two Jin envoys stood in the Mingtang Hall, dazzled and dumbfounded. They had never imagined that the Zhao Song Dynasty could be so prosperous.

They also visited Yuan Qingcheng's agricultural base, Hu Street, a popular gathering place for foreigners, various luxury stores, a glass workshop, and a soap workshop.

The boundaries between residential and commercial areas in Bianliang City have been blurred, and there are no time restrictions on commercial activities, with both night markets and morning markets.

The development of commerce and the economy promoted the development of entertainment life for citizens. There were many brothels and theaters in Bianliang City, attracting huge crowds and creating a lively atmosphere.

Helu and Dadiwu loved Bianliang City. They were not only fond of the royal palace architecture, but also had a great interest in the daily life, food and entertainment of the people of Bianliang. However, what interested them most was the rich goods of the Zhao Song Dynasty, such as those beautiful glass mirrors, glass windows that could make the whole room bright, soaps that made people smell good after washing, and the rich goods brought by foreign merchants.

According to Helu and Dadiwu's observations, the Song Dynasty was the true Celestial Empire, with all nations paying tribute and being extremely wealthy.

Zhao Liangsi told Helu and Dadiwu that the goods they saw were traded between the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty. The Liao Dynasty traded gold and silver, horses, cattle and sheep, ginseng, furs (fox fur, sable fur, etc.), fish from the Northeast (such as freshwater fish from the Liao River basin, and salmon, a specialty of the Jurchen people), wild animals (deer, bears, etc.) and their products (deer antlers, bear bile), honey, pine nuts, mushrooms and other mountain products with the Song Dynasty. They also traded daily necessities and even grain.

The speaker may have meant no harm, but the listener may have taken it to heart.

Upon hearing that many of the goods the Liao Dynasty used to trade with the Song Dynasty were specialties of the Jurchen people, Helu and Dadiwu couldn't help but think, 'If the Khitan can trade with the Song Dynasty, why can't we Jurchens?'

Helu and Dadiwu secretly plotted, their eyes gleaming with unprecedented light. They realized that this was not just a simple diplomatic mission, but a crucial opportunity to open up trade routes for their Great Jin Kingdom.

Helu and Dadiwu knew that although the Jurchen tribe had a vast territory and a sparse population, it was rich in resources. If they could find a suitable market, it would greatly promote the prosperity and development of the tribe, and thus enable them to achieve final victory in the war against the Liao Kingdom.

The following day, Zhao Yu received the Jin envoy at Chongzheng Hall.

Helu and Dadiwu knelt down and said, "Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. When we came, our emperor instructed us to convey to Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty that because the Khitan ruler was incompetent and immoral, he launched a military campaign against the Liao Dynasty and has now won a great victory. We request Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty to confer titles upon our emperor."

After speaking, he presented the official letter.

Zhao Yu accepted the official letter presented by the eunuch and unfolded it for a close reading. The letter was earnest in its wording, yet it concealed the vigor of a rising power—it stated the "great righteousness" of attacking Liao, enumerated Yelü Yanxi's incompetence, and explicitly stated that the Jin army had won a series of great victories. Finally, it focused on the core demand: "to ask His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song to bestow upon me an honorific title."

Zhao Yu lightly tapped his fingertips on the Xuan paper, then looked up at Helu and Dadiwu below the steps. Although these two Jin envoys were dressed in coarse cloth and close-fitting clothes, their brows carried a fierce courage that seemed to have been forged in the mountains. At this moment, they stood with their heads bowed, appearing respectful, but the expectation in their eyes could not be hidden.

"I have heard that your emperor has won consecutive victories against the Liao ruler." Zhao Yu's voice was not loud, but it carried the composure unique to an emperor. "The Liao dynasty has lost its virtue and has oppressed the Jurchens too much. Your lord has raised righteous troops to attack them, which is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people."

Upon hearing this, Helu hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise! My emperor often says that the Great Song Dynasty is a celestial empire. If we receive Your Majesty's investiture, it will be like an eagle gaining wings. We will surely be able to wipe out the Khitan as soon as possible and restore peace to the northern frontier!"

Da Diwu echoed, "We have been in Bianliang for many days and have witnessed the prosperity and abundance of the Great Song Dynasty, as well as its strict laws and regulations. Only then have we understood what 'legitimate' truly means. The actions of a great power are in accordance with the Way of Heaven and the will of the people. Our Emperor longs to forge a sworn brotherhood with the Great Song Dynasty, to jointly pursue development, to engage in trade, and to share in a peaceful and prosperous era. We earnestly request Your Majesty to consider the suffering of our Jurchen people under the oppression of the Khitan and grant us investiture, so that our Great Jin may be given its proper name and bring blessings to all people."

Zhao Yu nodded slightly, his gaze deep, as if weighing the pros and cons, or perhaps looking to the future: "Friendly relations between the two countries and trade between them are naturally beneficial to the country and its people."

Newly established regimes seeking investiture from powerful states are essentially a strategy to consolidate their legitimacy and gain practical benefits by leveraging external authority. The Jin Dynasty's early pursuit of investiture from the Song Dynasty or the Liao Dynasty is a typical example.

It is important to understand that when a new regime is first established, its foundation of rule is often unstable, and it needs to use the form of " investiture" to prove the "legitimacy" of its status to the people, tribes or other forces.

Moreover, the East Asian world has long had a "tribute system" centered on the Central Plains dynasties, and " investiture" was regarded as a symbol of a regime gaining "divine approval" and "legitimacy".

For minority regimes, receiving investiture from traditional powerful states (such as the Song and Liao dynasties) could send a signal to their people that "their rule conforms to the general order," thus reducing internal dissent.

The Jurchens were under the long-term rule of the Liao Dynasty. After Wanyan Aguda rebelled against the Liao and established his own state, he could gain recognition from the various Jurchen tribes and other conquered tribes through investiture by the Song Dynasty or the Liao Dynasty, thus avoiding internal divisions.

Moreover, in the interactions between ancient regimes, " investiture" was an important way to establish relations. A new regime could be incorporated into the existing international system and gain recognition from other powers through investiture by a major power.

Without official recognition, a new regime might be seen as "rebellious" or "barbaric," facing the risk of being suppressed by other powers. Conversely, gaining recognition from a major power could reduce the possibility of external military intervention and create space for its own development.

Although the Jin Dynasty has won a series of military victories, it still needs such recognition to demonstrate to the surrounding tribes that it has been "recognized by a major power" and to enhance its deterrent power.

Crucially, investiture was often accompanied by tangible political and economic benefits:
On the economic front: After receiving investiture, one can legitimately engage in trade with major powers (such as exchanging "tribute" for rewards or entering their markets) and obtain much-needed materials (such as ironware, silk, and grain).

On a political level: The Jin dynasty could potentially gain indirect military support (or at least non-interference) from a major power, or even leverage that power to contain other rivals. Previously, the Jin could alleviate its economic weaknesses by trading with the Liao dynasty for goods and daily necessities. However, with war now raging between the Jin and Liao, the Liao would certainly not be willing to support its enemy. Therefore, if the Jin could trade with the Song dynasty, it would undoubtedly open a door to prosperity and power. The Song dynasty, a prosperous and powerful empire with extensive trade routes, possessed a market vast and abundant in resources that would tempt any regime eager for development.

In short, if the Jin dynasty could obtain investiture from the Song dynasty, it could quickly resolve its legitimacy crisis, integrate into the international system, and gain practical benefits by relying on the existing authority.

Therefore, the Jin envoy brought a large amount of tribute to Zhao Yu this time.

Putting aside everything else, they sent Zhao Yu ten boxes of wild, thousand-year-old ginseng from Changbai Mountain alone.

It can be said to be full of sincerity and high expectations.

Zhao Yu asked his ministers, "The Jin state is asking our Song Dynasty for investiture. What do you think?"

In fact, the Zhao Song Dynasty was already in an uproar over this matter.

Ministers who supported an alliance with the Jin to destroy the Liao argued that the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun had been occupied by foreign tribes for over two centuries. This was not only a geographical loss but also a national humiliation that successive emperors and ministers of the Song Dynasty could never forgive. Now, the Liao Dynasty was declining, while the Jin Dynasty was rising rapidly. The Jin army was winning battle after battle against the Liao army. Crucially, the Song Dynasty was stronger than ever before. If the Song and Jin united, they could surely destroy the Liao in one fell swoop, reclaim the five prefectures of Yan, pacify the three prefectures of Luan and Ying, and all the passes. With this strategic location, they could consolidate the northern border defenses and finally fulfill the wishes of their predecessors.

Moreover, the Liao Dynasty had long coveted the Zhao Song Dynasty. Now that its power had waned, if the Song Dynasty did not seize the opportunity and waited for it to recover, or if the Jurchens became even more powerful after taking over Liao territory, it would miss the best chance to recover lost land.

Ministers who opposed the alliance with the Jin to destroy the Liao held a cautious and conservative stance. They emphasized that the Song and Liao had maintained a peaceful situation for nearly a century since the Treaty of Chanyuan, with no large-scale wars on the border. In particular, after Emperor Zhao Yu personally led an expedition and defeated Yelü Yanxi, the people were able to live and work in peace, and trade was conducted at the border markets, which not only saved huge amounts of military expenditure but also allowed the people's livelihood and economy to recover.

They believed that the Song and Liao dynasties had finally achieved true peace, and to abandon it would be to break faith with the world.

What worries them even more is that although the Jurchen tribes are powerful in battle, they are like untamed beasts. If they can rebel against the Liao today, it is hard to guarantee that they will not turn their spears against the Zhao Song Dynasty tomorrow.

Although the Liao Dynasty was weak, it could serve as a natural barrier for the Song Dynasty in the north. If the Liao Dynasty were to fall, the Song Dynasty would be directly bordering the emerging Jin Dynasty. At that time, facing a powerful and invincible army, there would be no natural defenses, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

They believed that it was a losing proposition to be greedy for temporary gains in lost territory and to invite trouble into the country, which was definitely not a good strategy for governing the country.

The two sides each held their own views, with one side focusing on the century-old national humiliation and strategic opportunities, while the other side adhered to the peace treaty and potential risks, and neither side was willing to back down.

The reason why Zhao Yu has not met with the Jin envoy these past few days is because the two sides have failed to reach a conclusion.

Ultimately, the decision rested with Zhao Yu himself.

After discussing with Zhang Chun and other ministers, Zhao Yu decided to establish relations with both the Liao and Jin dynasties, helping the weaker one and creating a situation where the two sides would fight each other, just as the Liao dynasty had used the Western Xia to continuously bleed the Song dynasty dry.

While this may seem a bit unethical, great power rivalry is often complex and realistic, involving not only superficial rules but also comprehensive strength—economic resilience, technological breakthroughs, military strength, and the ability to control the international landscape.

Ultimately, great power competition depends on who can maintain their footing in the long run and play their cards well.

Therefore, Zhao Yu's decision was approved by most of the ministers of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

After all, the result of doing so would not only ensure that the Zhao Song Dynasty would remain safe and invincible, but would also continuously weaken the Liao and Jin dynasties, and most importantly, it would be able to reap benefits from both sides.

Only after Emperor Zhao Yu and his ministers reached an agreement did Zhao Yu summon the Jin envoy to an audience.

At this moment, Zhao Yu asked his ministers for their opinions, and Cai Jing immediately stepped forward and spoke out righteously: "Your Majesty, the Jin have been oppressed by the Liao for a long time. Now they have rebelled against the Liao to protect themselves and have fought a bitter war with the Liao for two years. At this time, they are asking for investiture, firstly to use the prestige of our Great Song to consolidate their own position, and secondly to seek to deepen their friendship with our dynasty. In my opinion, we can grant their request for the time being and send envoys to the Jin to discuss the investiture ceremony and the details of the annual tribute."

Cai Jing's intention was that the Jin state could be officially recognized, but it would have to become a vassal state of the Song Dynasty, paying tribute annually and coming to court every year.

In other words, Cai Jing intended to treat the investiture of the Jin Dynasty as a transaction.

Before the Jin envoy could express his opinion, Zhao Yu said, "Taking advantage of someone's misfortune is neither the style of a great nation nor the way of a king. Since the founding of our dynasty by Emperor Taizu, we have established ourselves on benevolence and righteousness, and valued harmony above all else. How can we commit such an unjust act when others are in danger?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Jing immediately joined forces with Zhao Yu, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. In that case, our Great Song can grant his request and first confer upon him the title of 'Great Sage Emperor' on the Jin emperor. As for the details, we can send an envoy to the Jin Kingdom to discuss them in detail."

Zhao Yu said, “Excellent, just what I wanted. The Ministry of Rites shall prepare the documents and ceremonial objects for the investiture, and appoint Zhao Liangsi as the investiture envoy and Ma Zheng as the deputy envoy to go to the Jin Kingdom to invest the Jin emperor as the ‘Great Sage Emperor’. There must be no mistakes.”

Helu and Dadiwu were overjoyed and immediately knelt down to perform a grand ceremony to thank Zhao Yu for his generosity.

Zhao Yu smiled slightly and sent He Lu and Da Di Wu to Cai Jing's residence to discuss the details.

Three days later, Zhao Liangsi, Ma Zheng, Huyan Qing, Ma Zheng's son Ma Kuo, and others carried the necessary ceremonial objects and official documents for the investiture, as well as glass mirrors, glass windows, soaps, various luxury goods, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables that could be stored for a long time, which Zhao Yu had given to Wanyan Aguda, and went to the Jin Kingdom.

No sooner had the Jin envoy left than the Liao envoy, accompanied by his messenger, arrived at the Song Dynasty. As usual, he stayed at the Duting Post Station, waiting to be received by Emperor Zhao Yu…

……

(End of this chapter)