I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 308 Zhao Yu's sons officially enter officialdom
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The recapture of Yanjing is certainly a joyous and celebratory event.

But now is not the time to celebrate.

It is worth noting that Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) in history also recovered Yanjing and governed the prefectures and counties, and even recovered Juyong Pass, Gubeikou Pass and Songting Pass.

The year after the recapture of Yanjing, the Jurchens, citing the Northern Song Dynasty's harboring of the Liao general Zhang Jue as a pretext, broke the alliance and marched south. At that time, the Northern Song Dynasty had already emptied its treasury to pay for the ransom of Yanjing, the people were filled with resentment due to exorbitant taxes, and the Song army was in a state of decadence amidst the empty celebrations of the recaptured territory. Yanjing, once considered a bulwark, became a springboard for the Jurchens' southward advance due to its dilapidated defenses and depleted military strength.

The Jin army then split into two routes and marched straight towards Bianliang (Kaifeng), the capital of the Song Dynasty. Emperor Huizong of Song hastily abdicated the throne to Emperor Huan of Song.

Following this, under the brilliant rule of Zhao Huan, the Northern Song Dynasty was caught in a cycle of war and peace. Zhao Huan then detained the entire royal family and clan in Bianliang (Kaifeng), which led to the Jingkang Incident. Zhao Ji and Zhao Huan were captured and taken north, and thousands of people, including the imperial family, clan members, and ministers, became prisoners. Their gold and silver treasures were looted, and the Northern Song Dynasty, which had lasted for nearly two hundred years, came to an end.

Therefore, although Zhao Yu had recovered Yanjing, he felt no relief whatsoever; instead, he felt even more burdened. He knew that the recovery of Yanjing was merely the first step in a long march, and the real tests and challenges had only just begun.

"The lesson of Emperor Huizong is right before my eyes. If I don't learn from this, I fear the recapture of Yanjing will be nothing more than a fleeting moment, ultimately vanishing into nothingness. No, if not handled properly, it's hard to say whether the recapture of Yanjing will be a benefit or a drawback."

It was precisely because Zhao Yu was aware of all this that, after recovering Yanjing, he ordered Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese to issue an imperial edict ceding five prefectures in Yan, three prefectures in Pingluanying, Juyong Pass, Gubeikou, Songting Pass, Yuguan Pass, and the Liaoxi Corridor. At the same time, he sent high-ranking officials from Liao to serve as envoys to cede these territories and accompany the Song army to recover them.

Having made preparations, Zhao Yu ordered Liu Fa and Li Miao to lead the Northern Auxiliary Army to take over Tanzhou, Jingzhou, Gubeikou, and Songting Pass, including Nan'ankou; he ordered He Guan and Xu Huiyan to lead the Western Auxiliary Army to join forces with the Western Army to attack Juyong Pass, determined to capture it; he ordered Zhong Shidao and Qiu Yu to lead the Eastern Auxiliary Army to take Shunzhou and Jizhou, and to prepare to reinforce the Northern Auxiliary Army and the Tiger Army; and he ordered Song Jiang and Wu Yong to lead the Tiger Army to take Pingluanying, Yuguan, and the Liaoxi Corridor.

Zhao Yu instructed his generals and commanders to first use diplomacy and then force. In other words, it would be best to recover these areas through political means. If it was impossible to recover these areas through political means, then they should resolutely send troops and never act out of sentimentality.

……

For this imperial expedition, Zhao Yu brought along all his older sons.

Like the eldest son Zhao Yan, who was the son born to Zhao Yu by Shen Fuling.

Zhao Xiu, the second son of Zhao Yu, was born to Wang Chuchu.

Zhao Da, the third son, was the son Guo Wei had with Zhao Yu.

Zhao Di, the fourth son, was the first son born to Zhao Yu by Ma Xiaojiao.

Zhao Kai, the fifth son, was the first son of Zhao Yu born to Wang Yisu.

Zhao Wei, the sixth son, was the first son born to Zhao Yu by Guo Ting.

Zhao Jin, the seventh son, was the first son born to Zhao Yu by Zhang Nan.

Zhao Ji, the eighth son, was the first son Li Qingzhao gave birth to for Zhao Yu.

Zhao Cun, the ninth son, was the first son born to Zhao Yu by Ye Shiyun.

Zhao Li, the tenth son, was the first son born to Zhao Yu by Han Yu.

Zhao Mian, the eleventh son, was the first son born to Zhao Yu by Cai Xuan.

Zhao Jian, the twelfth son, was born to Zhao Yu by Lady Zhou.

Zhao Qing, the thirteenth son, was the first son born to Li Lin and Zhao Yu.

Zhao Cheng, the fourteenth son, was the first son of Zhao Yu born to Zhang Chun.

In a way, Zhao Yu was quite lucky; all fourteen of his sons lived to adulthood.

In this day and age, this is truly a remarkable achievement.

Of course, Ye Shiyun's creation of the "Ye Shiyun Medical Classic" also contributed to this, as did Zhao Yu's practice of having all his sons practice martial arts to improve their health, as advocated by Li Lin.

However, even so, it can prevent infants from dying young.

Zhao Yu's fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth sons all died young.

One winter, Zhao Yu lost seven sons within a few months.

As for daughters, even more have died young in recent years.

That is why Zhao Yu stopped ranking his sons, so as to avoid having to re-rank them every time he lost a son, and to avoid having to evoke those bad memories every time he ranked them.

Of course, this was also because Zhao Yu had too many sons, making the ranking process too complicated.

Therefore, Zhao Yu's sons were only ranked fourteenth, and no one was ranked below them. At least, Zhao Yu did not rank them any further, but instead let them compare their ages and birth times themselves.

Now, Zhao Yu's older sons, the oldest of whom, like his eldest son Zhao Yan, is already fifteen years old, while the others number in the dozens at fourteen and in the dozens at thirteen.

With the aim of training his sons, Zhao Yu brought out all those among them who were willing to join the army.

However, Zhao Yu did not bring all his sons with him, but instead had them anonymously disperse to various armies, starting as lowly soldiers.

It is worth mentioning that some of Zhao Yu's sons chose to study at the Martial Arts Academy as early as when they got married. These included Zhao Yan, Zhao Xiu, Zhao Da, Zhao Di, Zhao Wei, Zhao Jin, and Zhao Qing. They had already mastered advanced military skills and had some experience in anonymous military service. It would be a waste of their talents to have them start from the bottom. Therefore, they had basically all become junior officers, either as commanders or as low-ranking supervisors.

Zhao Di was transferred to the Western Auxiliary Army and became the acting commander of the Shenji Battalion because of his outstanding performance at the Martial Academy and during his "internship" in the Shenji Army.

He Guan and Xu Huiyan knew that Zhao Di was a prince, and that his mother was Ma Xiaojiao, the greatest inventor of the Song Dynasty. They also knew that Zhao Di was a general who truly understood firearms. As generals of the Song Dynasty, He Guan and Xu Huiyan certainly knew the power of firearms and had witnessed those deadly weapons that could determine the outcome of a battle; they definitely wanted to possess them.

So He Guan and Xu Huiyan specially recruited Zhao Di and built a special Shenji Battalion for him. They also equipped Zhao Di's Shenji Battalion with firearms such as Li Lin guns, tiger squat cannons, heartless cannons, and swarm rockets, making the whole show of this.

As for the Western Army not having real cannons, and their Shenji Battalion not being particularly strong? He Guan and Xu Huiyan were not in a hurry. They believed that with Zhao Di's background, getting some real Li Lin cannons for the Western Army would be no problem at all.

Just as the Western Army received orders to seize Juyong Pass, Xu Huiyan summoned He Guan's son, He Xian, and said to him, "Youzhou is a land of fertile plains stretching for thousands of miles. To the north lies a mountain range, with towering peaks and numerous obstacles. There are five passes in the middle, but only Juyong Pass allows large carts to pass and transport goods. This pass is strategically located, guarding both the north and south. The mountains are steep and the valleys are deep. One man can hold the pass against ten thousand. In the past, when Yanjing was the capital, this pass served as a shield, preventing the invasion of the barbarian cavalry from the outside and securing the safety of the capital region from the inside. If the enemy crosses Juyong Pass, Yanjing will have no natural defenses to rely on, and the flames of war will reach the capital directly. Therefore, throughout history, heavy troops have been stationed here, not only to defend the border, but also to protect the very foundation of the nation."

After a pause, Xu Huiyan continued, “The Juyong Pass is a natural fortification. It is flanked by two mountains, with a thoroughfare in the middle. The cliffs are steep and the streams flow across it. Even if ten thousand soldiers were to advance, one man holding the pass would be unable to do so. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Xiongnu once wanted to invade the south, but when they reached the pass, they saw its formidable defenses and dared not cross it. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Chen Xi rebelled and led his troops to attack Yan. When they passed through this pass, the defending general relied on its natural defenses to resist them. After several months, he could not conquer it and was eventually defeated and fled. This is because the place is not only characterized by high mountains, but also by streams and valleys, making it difficult to advance or retreat. Therefore, it has been known as a formidable pass since ancient times.”

He Xian, being so simple-minded, completely failed to understand what Xu Huiyan meant by saying that.
Seeing this, Xu Huiyan shook his head inwardly. He couldn't understand how He Guan, such a shrewd person, could have a son who was just a pure warrior.
Having no other choice, Xu Huiyan could only tell He Xian directly: "Go to the Shenji Camp and find the Fourth Prince. Tell him about the importance and danger of Juyong Pass, and also tell him that if Juyong Pass cannot be captured, Yanjing will be in danger. Ask him to bring some cannons to ensure that this battle is won without any mishaps."

He Xian then realized that it was because his father and Supervisor Xu wanted Li Linpao, but he couldn't get it himself, so he wanted to ask Zhao Di for a solution.

He Xian thought to herself, "Why go through all this trouble for something so simple?"

He Xian shook his head, then went to find Zhao Di and told him what Xu Huiyan had said.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Di's companion, Wu Lin, advised Zhao Di: "Your Highness, Juyong Pass is of paramount importance and cannot be lost. If we cannot persuade them to abandon the pass and surrender, and we must launch a full-scale attack, without the aid of cannons, given the pass's strategic importance and its ease of defense, our Western Army will likely suffer heavy casualties."

—After Zhang Chun found Yue Fei to be her son Zhao Cheng's study companion, the other four women pressured Zhang Chun to find good study companions for their sons as well, or they would not let Zhang Chun off the hook. Helpless, Zhang Chun found Wu Lin and Hu Quan to be study companions for Zhao Di.

Hu Quan also advised Zhao Di: "Now is the crucial moment to recover the Yanping region and complete the unification. I believe His Majesty will not be reluctant to part with a few cannons. Your Highness may want to give it a try."

After listening to Wu Lin and Hu Quan's persuasion, Zhao Di, who also wanted to make a contribution, was moved. He went to the Transport Department to find his ninth brother Zhao Cun, who was in charge of firearms, and said to him, "Ninth brother, you must help me this time."

Because they were both sons of five daughters, Zhao Di and Zhao Cun often played together when they were young, and could be said to have grown up together, so they had a very good relationship.

Faced with Zhao Di's request for help, Zhao Cun did not hesitate and said, "Fourth Brother, please speak freely."

Zhao Di bluntly said, "You can borrow ten cannons and five hundred cannonballs from Fourth Brother. Fourth Brother will return them to you after he finishes fighting at Juyong Pass."

Upon hearing that Zhao Di wanted so many Li Lin cannons and shells, Zhao Cun hesitated: "Father Emperor forbade the cannons from leaving the Shenji Army..."

Zhao Di clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Please! Fourth Brother, this is not a random use, but to attack Juyong Pass. If the garrison at Juyong Pass is willing to obey the Liao court's order to surrender the pass, I will return the cannons and shells to you intact."

Zhao Cun thought for a moment and said, "If it's not needed, then so be it. But if it is needed, Fourth Brother must send someone to inform me immediately, and I will go to Consort Zhang and Consort Li to mediate."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Di repeatedly assured him that he would definitely not use it if he could avoid it.

Zhao Cun didn't waste any more words. Instead, relying on the trust of the Transport Commissioner Lü Yihao, he secretly transferred ten Li Lin cannons and five hundred cannonballs to Zhao Di.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Cun's move stirred up a hornet's nest. His brothers, as if by prior arrangement, all came to him asking for firearms such as the Li Lin Cannon.

Zhao Cun immediately realized that something was wrong.

Zhao Cun quickly went to Zhang Chun and Li Lin to help him think of a solution.

After listening, Zhang Chun said to Zhao Cun, "Do you really think that Lü Yihao promoted you because he valued your photographic memory and arithmetic skills? He calculated that as soon as the war started, all the armies would want firearms, and the government wouldn't allow firearms to be introduced too early. He didn't dare offend these people, so he sent you to take the fall. But you acted on your own and gave them ammunition to criticize you..."

Zhao Cun didn't say that his sons Zhao Qing and Zhao Cheng were among those who asked him for the Li Lin Cannon, and that he only gave it to them to maintain harmony among their families. Instead, he humbly said, "Before I came here, my mother specifically instructed me that if I encountered any difficulties, I could ask the two ladies for help. My mother said that she and the two ladies were very close, and that the two ladies would certainly not stand by and watch me die."

Although they weren't there, both Zhang Chun and Li Lin could guess that Ye Shiyun must have said to Zhao Cun: "If you have any problems, go to Zhang Chun and Li Lin. They won't dare to ignore you. If they really do, don't be afraid. Just go directly to your father. With your mother's influence, even if you cause a huge problem, it can be solved. At worst, we'll just quit being officials. With a little guidance from your mother, you can become the richest man in the Song Dynasty."

Thinking of Ye Shiyun's fearless attitude, and looking at Zhao Cunqian's humble and composed demeanor, Zhang Chun and Li Lin both thought to themselves that they should be more cautious, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves to that woman who seemed to thrive on chaos.

Thinking of this, Li Lin briefly instructed Zhao Cun: "Now that you have entered officialdom, you must know when to advance and when to retreat, and understand gains and losses. You must not act rashly in anything you do. Firearms are a powerful weapon of our Great Song Dynasty, and you must not easily reveal their existence unless absolutely necessary. Although you were forced by your brothers this time, you should take this as a lesson and be cautious in your future actions. You must not be so reckless again..."

Then he said to Zhao Cun, "Go ahead and do your work. We will speak to the Emperor on your behalf."

Zhao Cun respectfully agreed, but inwardly he was wary. He understood that he had indeed been used by Lü Yihao this time, but this also made him see the treacherous and complex nature of officialdom.

Zhao Cunxin thought, 'If I want to establish myself in this officialdom, relying solely on my mother's protection is far from enough; I must learn to handle all kinds of situations independently…'

After Zhao Cun left, Li Lin and Zhang Chun found Zhao Yu and explained the matter to him.

Zhang Chun said, "This battle is of paramount importance and may involve a major assault, so the commanders of each army will inevitably want artillery as a precaution."

Zhao Yu knew Zhang Chun was right. If it were him, he would also try every means to get Li Linpao.

As for the various military commanders scheming against their own sons, Zhao Yu didn't care. 'They need to experience such things to toughen themselves up.'

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Yu said, "We can give them some cannons, but we must instruct that no one is allowed to use the cannons unless absolutely necessary."

After speaking, Zhao Yu looked north, thinking, 'The true strength of my Great Song Dynasty is probably about to be revealed.'

And so, thanks to Zhao Yu's sons, the Four Auxiliary Armies, the Western Army, and the Tiger Legion all acquired Li Lin cannons. Although few in number, they had now officially come into contact with the most advanced weaponry of their time…

……

(End of this chapter)