I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 310 Song Dynasty
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The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, ceded to the Khitan by Shi Jingtang during the Five Dynasties period, became an inescapable obsession for successive Song Dynasty emperors.

At the beginning of his reign, Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, put the recovery of the Yan-Yun region on his agenda. He knew that the Central Plains, which had just experienced war, needed to recuperate and was unwilling to rashly resort to force. Therefore, he established a "sealed treasury" with the accumulated money, intending to use it to redeem the Yan-Yun region from the Khitan. If the Khitan agreed, he would use the money to buy back the Yan-Yun region; if they did not agree, he would use the money to develop his army and forcibly recover it.

Unfortunately, Zhao Kuangyin passed away suddenly before he could realize this plan, and the idea of ​​"sealing the treasury" was shelved.

After Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Guangyi, ascended the throne, his attitude toward recovering the Yan-Yun region became even more radical. He believed that the Khitan occupation of the Yan-Yun region was a disgrace to the Central Plains dynasties, and that if the Yan-Yun region fell into Khitan control, the Central Plains would be defenseless.

Therefore, after destroying the Northern Han, Zhao Guangyi disregarded the army's exhaustion and immediately launched a northern expedition, heading straight for Youzhou.

Initially, the Song army made good progress and even besieged Youzhou. However, the Khitan reinforcements arrived quickly and defeated the Song army at Gaoliang River. Zhao Guangyi was shot by an arrow and fled in panic. The first Northern Expedition ended in a disastrous defeat.

Undeterred, Zhao Guangyi launched another large-scale Northern Expedition, but due to poor command and disharmony among the various armies, he was defeated by the Khitan once again. The renowned general Yang Ye was captured and killed in this battle.

The two disastrous defeats in the Northern Expeditions severely weakened the Song Dynasty, forcing Zhao Guangyi to abandon the idea of ​​militarily recovering the Yan-Yun region and instead adopt a defensive strategy.

During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, Zhao Heng, the Khitan launched a major invasion southward, directly threatening Chanzhou, which shocked the Song court and the public.

At the strong urging of Chancellor Kou Zhun, Emperor Zhao Heng personally went to the front line to supervise the battle, which greatly boosted the morale of the Song army and repelled the Khitan attack.

Subsequently, the Song and Liao dynasties signed the Treaty of Chanyuan, agreeing that the Song dynasty would pay "annual tribute" to the Liao dynasty, and the Liao dynasty would recognize the legitimacy of the Song dynasty. The two sides then ceased hostilities.

Although the Treaty of Chanyuan brought nearly a century of peace between the Song and Liao dynasties, it also meant that the Song dynasty temporarily abandoned its ambition to recover the Yan and Yun regions, exchanging money for a temporary peace.

After that, Emperor Renzong of Song, Zhao Zhen, and Emperor Yingzong of Song, Zhao Shu, especially the former, were sidelined by the bureaucratic and gentry groups. They lacked the ambition and lofty aspirations of their ancestors to unify the country. During their reigns, the relationship between the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty was relatively stable. Although there were occasional frictions, no large-scale war broke out.

During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu supported Wang Anshi's reforms, attempting to prepare for the recovery of the Yan-Yun region by enriching the country and strengthening its military. However, due to internal conflicts caused by the reforms and defeats in foreign wars, he failed to achieve his goal and could only leave behind the saying: "He who recovers Yan-Yun will be king."

During the reign of Emperor Zhezong of Song, although the Song Dynasty achieved some victories in the war against Western Xia, it was still powerless to change the situation of the Yan-Yun region being occupied in the face of the powerful Liao Dynasty.

The core reasons why the emperors of the Song Dynasty were so attached to the Yan-Yun region were as follows: Strategically, the Yan-Yun region was mostly mountainous and served as a natural barrier for the Central Plains against northern nomadic tribes. Losing Yan-Yun would allow northern cavalry to penetrate deep into the Central Plains and threaten its heartland. Economically, the Yan-Yun region had developed agriculture and a dense population, making it an important source of wealth and soldiers. Symbolically, Yan-Yun had been the territory of the Central Plains dynasties since ancient times, and ceding it to the Khitan was a great humiliation. Recovering Yan-Yun was an important symbol for the Song emperors to prove their legitimacy and demonstrate the dynasty's strength.

It is precisely for these reasons that successive emperors of the Song Dynasty always regarded the recovery of Yan and Yun as their own responsibility. From Zhao Kuangyin's "sealing of the treasury" to Zhao Guangyi's two northern expeditions, and then to the forbearance and preparation of later emperors, this obsession ran through the early history of the Song Dynasty and became an important factor affecting the relationship between the Song and Liao Dynasties and even the fate of the Song Dynasty.

It wasn't until Zhao Yu ascended the throne and after more than a decade of diligent governance that the Zhao Song Dynasty finally and completely recovered the Yan-Yun region, achieving unification and no longer being ridiculed as a crippled dynasty confined to a corner of the country.

The present-day Zhao Song Dynasty was only missing Yunnan and Liaodong compared to the late Ming Dynasty in history, but it had the Hetao region, so in reality, they were not that different.

From then on, Zhao Yu could finally refer to the Zhao Song Dynasty as the Great Song.

In fact, this had always been Zhao Yu's obsession. Because he failed to recover the Yan-Yun region, he was always unwilling to call the Zhao Song Dynasty "Great Song," because he felt that the Zhao Song Dynasty was unworthy of the title "Great Song."

Upon receiving news that Zhang Jue had led his more than 30,000 troops out of Pingzhou, through Yuguan, and north into the Liaoxi Corridor, and that the Tiger Army had taken over all the fortresses and strongholds of the three prefectures of Ping, Luan, and Ying, as well as key passes such as Yuguan and the Liaoxi Corridor, and that Song Jiang and Wu Yong had begun to deploy the "Guan-Ning-Jin Defense Line" according to the military plan pre-established by the Song Dynasty, Zhao Yu and the ministers of the Song Dynasty were all very excited.

Emperor Zhao Yu's biggest concern during this campaign was Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji). No one could threaten Zhao Yu's throne, nor could anyone threaten the safety of the Song Dynasty. Therefore, Zhao Yu brought Emperor Huizong along.

Just in case, Zhao Yu even brought out Zhao Ji's only son, Zhao Huan.

Back when the war between Liao and Jin was still unclear, and Liao even held a huge advantage, Zhao Yu had already determined that Jin would be the victor.

Zhao Yu used this as a pretext to strip Zhao Ji of his title of top scholar.

To be honest, Zhao Ji was very dissatisfied at that time. He felt that Zhao Yu was too arbitrary. The Jurchens were just a group of extremely backward savages. How could they possibly defeat the once powerful Liao Empire?
It should be noted that the Liao Dynasty was once a powerful force that made the Northern Song Dynasty tremble with fear! Its iron cavalry swept across the northern frontier like the wind, causing the Central Plains dynasties to tremble in its shadow.

However, the facts proved Zhao Yu's foresight and wisdom.

The Jurchens rose to power with overwhelming force, not only defeating the Liao Dynasty but also advancing with unstoppable momentum, almost swallowing up the entire Liao territory.

This was something Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) had never anticipated.

Looking back at the situation after this outcome, Zhao Ji realized just how wrong he had been.

If Zhao Ji had become the emperor of the Song Dynasty, he would definitely have chosen to ally with the Jin to destroy the Liao in order to recover the Yan-Yun region.

In that case, the Liao Dynasty would surely perish, and the Song Dynasty would become neighbors with the Jin Dynasty. There would be no longer a buffer zone between the two sides. Moreover, the Jin Dynasty, having annexed the entire Liao Dynasty, would certainly become unprecedentedly powerful.

Looking at the Jin Dynasty after its rise, its acts of burning, killing, looting, and desecrating graves clearly showed that it was a group of inhuman beasts, greedy and cunning. If the Song Dynasty had been adjacent to it, it would have never had a peaceful day.

Thinking of all this, Zhao Ji couldn't help but feel a sense of dread, secretly relieved that he wasn't the one who needed to make the decision.

Zhao Ji looked at Zhao Yu sitting on the dragon throne, his heart filled with mixed emotions. His younger brother was far-sighted, and every decision he made seemed to foresee the future, leading the Song Dynasty onto a more stable path. It could be said that in just a few years, he had made no mistakes in his plans, left no gaps in his military campaigns, and secured the great cause.

Just like this time, Zhao Yu not only made full use of the Liao-Jin war to recover the Yan-Yun region, but also established a barrier between the Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty. More importantly, as long as the Song Dynasty handled it well, the Liao and Jin Dynasties would continue to wear each other down in the future, while the Song Dynasty would reap the benefits. It can be said that the Song Dynasty had all the benefits, both in terms of substance and appearance.

What impressed Emperor Huizong even more was that, up to this point, the Song Dynasty had not paid much of a price and had fully preserved its national strength, making it perfectly capable of remaining invincible in the upcoming three-way power struggle.

Only at this moment did Zhao Ji truly submit to Zhao Yu, and finally admit that it was indeed better for Zhao Yu to inherit the throne from Zhao Xu than for him to do so.

With his inner turmoil resolved, Zhao Ji, as a member of the Song imperial family, was undoubtedly one of the beneficiaries of the Song Dynasty's increased strength following the recapture of the Yan-Yun region.

Therefore, Zhao Ji was also very happy at this time. In his excitement, he suggested to Zhao Yu: "Your Majesty has now recovered the entire territory of Yan and Yun and completed the unification. This is a great event. I suggest that Your Majesty hold a banquet to celebrate and let the emperor and his ministers enjoy themselves together."

Although Zhao Yu didn't particularly like holding banquets, Zhao Ji's words made sense. He had already unified the country, so he definitely needed to celebrate, especially since there were still many, many things to deal with.

Therefore, Zhao Yu accepted Zhao Ji's suggestion and ordered Liang Shicheng to arrange a banquet at Yaochi Palace.

Outside the Yaochi Palace lies the Yaochi Pond, its shimmering blue waters a picturesque and uniquely charming sight. The Yaochi Pond is a beautiful lotus lake, vast and horseshoe-shaped, located in the heart of the imperial palace district of Yanjing. Within the Yaochi Pond is a small island called Yaoyu, and the Yaochi Palace sits atop this island.

Emperor Zhao Yu and his ministers here drank wine, composed poems, wrote lyrics, sang, acted in plays, and made merry.

The banquet was attended not only by members of the Song Dynasty's imperial family and ministers, such as Zhao Ji, Cai Bian, and Tong Guan, but also by Liao people including Xiao Puxian's daughter, Xiao Sese, Yelü Aoluwo, Yelü Huluwa, Li Chuwen, Xiao Fengxian, Liu Yanzong, and Shi Li'ai. Outside the palace, tall bamboos and cypresses stood amidst lush trees; inside, wine cups clinked and laughter filled the air. The tableware used for the imperial banquet was exquisite and dazzling. Fine wine and delicacies, beautiful music and lovely women, and an abundance of fragrance created a heavenly atmosphere. The emperor and his ministers gathered together in perfect harmony, their joy boundless.

Upon witnessing this scene, regardless of how excited or thrilled the Song Dynasty officials were, many Liao people, though outwardly putting on a brave face, in reality, even cowards like Yelü Huluwa and treacherous ministers like Xiao Fengxian, couldn't help but feel a sense of desolation and helplessness when they thought of the once incomparably powerful Liao Empire, which was now almost being divided up by the Song and Jin dynasties.

Especially Yelü Aoluwo.

No matter how incompetent or foolish Yelü Yanxi was, or how badly he harmed the Liao Empire, even if he was almost executed, it could not change the fact that Yelü Yanxi was his biological father and the emperor of the Liao Empire.

Therefore, in Yelü Aoluwo's ​​heart, no matter what Zhao Yu did, he could never compare to Yelü Yanxi.

Moreover, Zhao Yu had never done anything for Yelü Aoluwo. Even when he forced Yelü Yanxi to abdicate in his favor, it was only for the sake of the Song Dynasty and for his own benefit.

Moreover, Yelü Aoluwo will never forget that Zhao Yu deposed their Liao emperor and slept with their Liao empress, Yuanfei, and his mother, Xiao Sese.

These are all the shames that Zhao Yu brought to the Liao Empire.

One day, when the Liao Empire is restored and revived, he will definitely settle this score with Zhao Yu and the Song Dynasty.

To put it simply, in Yelü Aoluwo's ​​mind, Zhao Yu and Wanyan Aguda were no different; both were enemies he was determined to defeat.

However, the situation in the Liao Kingdom is currently extremely dire. He is merely a puppet in Zhao Yu's hands, with no autonomy whatsoever. Therefore, he can only endure and seek survival and development in the cracks.

'I want to emulate King Goujian of Yue, enduring hardship and humiliation to achieve my goal!'

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Emperor Huizong, who was fond of art, couldn't resist urging Emperor Zhao Yu to leave behind a piece of calligraphy to commemorate this particularly meaningful moment.

Emperor Zhao Yu really disliked doing this kind of thing, but Emperor Huizong was right; it was indeed a rather memorable moment.

In addition, he drank quite a lot of alcohol.

Then, Zhao Yu said with great enthusiasm, "Bring me brush, ink, paper, and inkstone!"

Hearing Zhao Yu say this, the ministers from both the Song and Liao dynasties were overjoyed. They all wanted to witness Zhao Yu wielding his brush and ink.

After all, Zhao Yu rarely did such things.

Someone might ask, did Zhao Yu know calligraphy?
Definitely.

Although the original owner was not as talented as Zhao Ji in art, he was still trained by Empress Dowager Xiang, so how could he not know calligraphy?

Zhao Yu's calligraphy was inherited from the original owner, and later incorporated Zhao Yu's state of mind, thus becoming Zhao Yu's calligraphy.

Of course, Zhao Yu's calligraphy certainly doesn't possess much artistry; it can only be described as acceptable, pleasing to the eye, and functional.

After Liang Shicheng and his men spread out the Xuan paper,

Emperor Huizong personally ground the ink for Emperor Yu, while Yelü Aoluwo held the brush for Emperor Yu like a filial son.

Zhao Yu took the brush from Yelü Aoluwo's ​​hand, concentrated, held his breath for a moment, and then gently began to write. Then, with great flourish, he completed a huge thousand-character essay in one go.

"Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless, the sun and moon waxed and waned, the stars and constellations were arrayed, cold came and heat went, autumn harvested and winter stored..."

Well, Zhao Yu's calligraphy is actually quite average. The only thing worth praising is its overwhelming momentum and domineering aura.

However, this did not diminish the praise from those present.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) was the first to flatter him: "Your Majesty's cursive script is like a monkey leaping over a tree, a dragon soaring in the water, flowing freely and majestically!"

Although Yelü Aoluwo was young, he had probably already adapted to this "Emperor Xian of Han"-like living environment. He then praised, "Father's cursive script, sometimes connected and sometimes broken, is like blooming spring flowers and scattered pearls. How wonderful!"

Tong Guan said, "Your Majesty's cursive script is like a bird flying out of the forest or a startled snake entering the grass."

Cai Bian said, "Your Majesty's cursive script is like a green pine lying on a high mountain, or a strange rock standing in a deep ravine."

Yelü Huluwa said, "Your Majesty's cursive script is full of ups and downs, and varied in style. It is like flowing clouds and water, and like lightning and thunder. It is no less than that of Zhang Xu and Huaisu."

Xiao Fengxian said: "You have only seen the surface. Looking at the whole book, it is as dynamic as a tiger crouching and a dragon soaring, as graceful as the gathering of wind and clouds, as unrestrained as the ocean, and as powerful as a rainbow. It is truly a way of expressing one's feelings through calligraphy. Only someone with a heart as vast as the world can do this!"

For a time, praises filled the air both inside and outside the hall.

Zhao Yu was also flattered and became somewhat arrogant.

To be honest, who doesn't like to hear flattery, especially when they have achieved success?

"Hahaha~"

Zhao Yu couldn't help but burst into laughter and continued drinking with his ministers.

Even when Zhao Yu was flushed and his eyes were blurry with drunkenness, Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese did not avoid suspicion, but instead helped Zhao Yu to the back palace to rest.

—That was originally where Yelü Yanxi rested in Yanjing City.

Yelü Aoluwo watched this scene silently, his heart aching as if being torn apart, his anger burning fiercely...

……

(End of this chapter)