The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 327 Acting, Everyone's Acting

News of the Northern Song army's advance into Huainan and its control of Chuzhou and Hongze Lake spread rapidly in all directions.

The first one to know this was, of course, the Southern Song Dynasty.

The news sent back by Zhang Jun reached Zhao Gou's ears immediately. Of course, Zhang Jun would not say that he had fled without a fight and abandoned Chuzhou. Instead, he boasted that he had fought the Northern Song for three hundred rounds, fought fiercely for ten days and ten nights under the walls of Chuzhou, and fought on despite being seriously wounded.

However, the Northern Song traitors were as cunning as foxes, using strange war chariots and weapons. They were cowardly rats who could only defeat themselves through scheming and trickery...

Yes, that's the situation! Really, Your Majesty, you have to believe me!

Zhao Gou was a little flustered.

The Northern Song Dynasty was getting closer and closer to the Yangtze River. Once it reached the Yangtze River, wouldn't that be right in front of my face?
No, we have to think of something.

He viewed the Northern Song Dynasty as a thorn in his side, but he dared not challenge it to a decisive battle. This was because the Northern Song army had withstood the Jin Dynasty's monstrous forces. Although Zhao Gou did not believe that the Northern Song was stronger than the Jin, he knew that the Northern Song was certainly stronger than himself.

If the Northern Song army were to actually cross the river, it would be a huge problem.

What he feared most about the Northern Song Dynasty was that it had a "prince".

When the Jin army arrives, the pro-war ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty will fight to the death. But if the Northern Song Dynasty comes, things are not so certain. These same pro-war ministers from the time of the Jin might very well depose themselves and install a new king. Not to mention the pro-peace faction, they are all just as useless as themselves, and they will be the first to kneel down in the face of danger.

How to do?How to do?
Just as Zhao Gou was at a loss, the Jin state also received the news.

Emperor Taizong of Jin listened to his subordinate's report with a very strange expression: "The Northern Song has already reached Chuzhou? They've attacked really fast. It would only take them a day or two to march from Chuzhou to the Yangtze River, wouldn't it?"

Jin Wuzhu said, "That only takes us a day or two, but for the short-legged Song people, it would take at least several months."

Emperor Taizong of Jin laughed: "That's true."

Jin Wuzhu: "This humble general requests permission to fight! Let us take this opportunity to attack the Jiaodong Peninsula of the Northern Song Dynasty. Perhaps this will be a great success."

"No!" Emperor Taizong of Jin shook his head: "This is the perfect time for us to watch the two factions fight. If we join the battle, we might force the two Song dynasties to join forces. Jin Wuzhu, you should hurry up and study the fire curse."

Jin Wuzhu had no choice but to give up.

Meanwhile, the pseudo-Qi state at this time...

Pang Di, the high-ranking official of the pseudo-Qi state who was in charge of the military affairs of Yi, Mi, and Huaiyang prefectures and concurrently in charge of the administration of Yi prefecture, was frowning as he looked at Li Cheng kneeling before him.

Pang Di was captured in the last battle with the Northern Song Dynasty. He begged for death but was released.

After returning, he was even unsure of where to go for a while.

Mizhou is now occupied by the Northern Song Dynasty, as is Yizhou.

As the general in charge of military affairs in Yi, Mi, and Huaiyang prefectures, two of these prefectures fell into the hands of the Northern Song Dynasty, leaving only Huaiyang still in the hands of the Qi Kingdom.

Left with no other choice, Pang Di led the Yan'an soldiers, who had been "released" by the Northern Song Dynasty, to Huaiyang and settled there.

The soldiers in Yan'an had lost all morale; not a single one of them mentioned going to fight the Northern Song army again. The issues of revenge or reclaiming lost territory were completely disregarded.

All the soldiers in Yan'an were thinking: The Northern Song Dynasty is so benevolent, they let us go back like this, how can we have the nerve to fight again?
They not only thought this way themselves, but also spread this idea to the people around them.

As a result, the benevolence and righteousness of the Northern Song army began to spread throughout Huaiyang.

The soldiers found out, the common people found out, and the local gentry found out...

Huaiyang was originally Song territory, and the people's hearts were with the Song. Now, hearing about the benevolent actions of the Northern Song, there was a subtle atmosphere in the city that wanted to submit to the Song. Pang Di didn't care about that; he just spent his days passing the time, writing letters to his elderly father at home.

As they were drifting along, they suddenly heard a report from one of their men that Li Cheng had arrived.

The bandit leader Li Cheng knelt before Pang Di and loudly proclaimed, "Lord Pang, I, Li Cheng, admire the State of Qi and wish to serve you as your servant..."

Pang Di said weakly, "Get up! I've long heard of General Li's might; from now on, serve me."

Li Cheng was overjoyed and turned all 50,000 of his men into Qi soldiers.

but……

These 50,000 Qi soldiers soon heard the stories circulating among the soldiers and civilians of Huaiyang...

"What? The Yan'an soldiers were captured by the Northern Song Dynasty, and they all came back alive?"

"Yes, the people of the Northern Song Dynasty were all good people. They captured us but didn't kill any of us. They released us all and even kindly left us three days' worth of provisions for the journey."

"General Pang was also captured alive, but he was also released, supposedly so that he could fulfill his filial duty."

Upon hearing this, the bandits' mouths gaped open: "So, those tens of thousands of our brothers who were captured might not be dead yet?"

They waited skeptically and foolishly.

After a while, new news came: the Northern Song Dynasty was rebuilding Chuzhou, and the people they were using to rebuild the city were the more than 20,000 men that Li Cheng had captured. They regained their household registration in Chuzhou and were allocated fertile land. Those with skills became craftsmen, and those who were literate were even promoted to become officials in Chuzhou, helping the officials sent by the Northern Song Dynasty to manage the new city.

Logically, Pondi should have ordered a ban on such information that could demoralize the troops.

But this official didn't care at all, letting the news spread wildly in Huaiyang City, mainly because he was a lazy bum who didn't do any proper work.

Other Qi officials in the area were outraged and immediately wrote a memorial to Daming Prefecture, accusing Pang Di of having treasonous intentions.

However, this memorial had to pass through the hands of Chancellor Zhang Xiaochun before it reached Liu Yu.

After reading the memorial, Zhang Xiaochun silently placed it on the candlestick and lit it...

Let's act together, that's all!
Just as Zhang Xiaochun finished burning the memorial, a servant rushed in, his face streaked with tears: "Master, something terrible has happened! Madam... Madam... has passed away..."

"What?" Zhang Xiaochun froze, then burst into tears.

He knew his wife had always been in poor health and had long been mentally prepared for her to pass away at any time, but upon hearing the news, he still cried his heart out.

Actually, this was his second wife.

Zhang Xiaochun's first wife, Ms. Ji, was frail and sickly and died young. To repay the kindness and guidance his father-in-law's family had shown him in his early years, Zhang Xiaochun decided to remarry his deceased wife's second sister. However, perhaps due to a family hereditary condition, the second sister was just as frail and sickly as his deceased wife, and was born blind in one eye. Her frailty, sickness, and disability made it impossible for her to get married.

But Zhang Xiaochun did not mind and married her as his second wife.

Unexpectedly, this second wife...

"Retribution! This is the retribution for betraying the Song Dynasty and surrendering to the Qi Kingdom!" Zhang Xiaochun cried out, "I want to go back to Song! I want to go back to the Song Kingdom!"

Servant: "Your father-in-law said... he has three more daughters."

Zhang Xiaochun: "..."

(End of this chapter)