The prince is more stable

Chapter 778 The sun is fading
Imperial power is actually a business transaction, requiring negotiations with various parties.

The terms have been agreed upon. As your subject, I support you in becoming emperor and will spare no effort to help you govern the country well.

If they can't reach an agreement, then it's a matter of "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

The world is not inherently good or beautiful; ordinary people simply cannot imagine how dark things are hidden behind the sunlight.

At this moment, Zhao Xiaoqian was also in the shadows. Looking at Zhao Ji's gritted teeth but forced to compromise, Zhao Xiaoqian smiled.

For Emperor Huizong and the Empress Dowager, this was a very serious deal; they took it seriously.

"Give me the military power of Yanyun, and I can pacify Liaoxia for Prince Duan. Within two years of Prince Duan's ascension to the throne, he might become a wise and virtuous ruler, and under your rule, the Song Dynasty will be unified. That would be enough for you to boast before the ancestral tablets," Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

Emperor Huizong smiled noncommittally.

He wasn't very interested in unifying the country under the Song Dynasty; he only wanted to be emperor, live a life of luxury and debauchery in the harem, hold imperial power, and be surrounded by beautiful women.

A person's ambition determines their height and achievements.

Zhao Ji was not Zhao Xu. He did not have lofty ambitions. He became emperor for the sake of power and to enjoy a peaceful and prosperous era, allowing all kinds of desires in his heart to run wild without anyone stopping him.

Even before he has ascended the throne, Zhao Ji already possesses the potential to become a ruler who will bring about the downfall of his country.

Seeing that the two sides had reached an agreement, the Empress Dowager was overjoyed and said with satisfaction, "In that case, I will make it a deal with you two. Your Majesty... when the court discusses the new emperor, I ask you two to speak your minds and firmly support Prince Duan."

After a pause, the Empress Dowager seemed a little uneasy, so she added, "What Zi'an wants, Prince Duan has already given. If you put such conditions in front of Prince Jian, he might not agree. Besides, I have heard that Prince Jian is violent and tyrannical, unlike Ji'er who has the demeanor of a refined gentleman. Choosing Prince Duan is the best decision you have ever made."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "What the Empress Dowager said makes a lot of sense. I have always felt that Prince Duan is much better than Prince Jian. For the sake of the long-term stability of the Song Dynasty, I will firmly choose Prince Duan."

The four sat inside the hall, exchanging smiles.

A deal regarding the transition of imperial power has been truly reached.

Unable to eat at the palace banquet, Zhao Hao and his son tactfully got up to take their leave.

As Zhao Hao walked out of the Celebration Hall, he was clearly in a good mood. His fat body moved slowly, and he hummed an unknown, slightly risqué tune.

Zhao Xiaoqian, supporting him with one hand, suddenly asked, "Father, do you think Prince Duan believed us just now?"

Zhao Hao sneered, "I don't believe it. You're his enemy. If you were him, would you so easily believe that your enemy would turn against you?"

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "That's what I think too. At this time, we can't rely on anyone to form an alliance."

Zhao Hao glanced at him and said, "You've already formed an alliance with Zhang Dun?"

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed: "That's right, things are getting more and more interesting now. Zhang Dun supports Prince Jian and firmly opposes Prince Duan. I have allied with him."

"Today, the Empress Dowager supports Prince Duan, and I have also formed an alliance with Prince Duan. My father and I are able to benefit from both sides and play both sides, so that we can offend neither of them."

Zhao Hao hummed in agreement and said, "However, this kind of situation, where one side can play both sides, can only be kept secret for a while. We must be especially careful in our actions, otherwise, once the secret is exposed, we will face a two-pronged attack."

Zhao Xiaoqian calmly said, "It's alright. I heard that His Majesty fell into a coma last night. This time it's quite serious, and he may be nearing his end. The army in Yanyun should be mobilized."

"I have a large army at my command, let's see who can surround and annihilate me."

Zhao Hao looked around and said in a low voice, "I have already ordered my assassins to make two hundred of those red cannons that you built, and they are being secretly transported to the capital. With such a divine weapon, we have nothing to fear from the Imperial Guards of Bianjing."

"Father, be careful during the transport, lest someone notice."

"Hehe, transporting goods by hiding during the day and traveling at night, and deliberately avoiding towns along the way, will not be discovered. This is our trump card for securing our rule. I treasure it dearly. There will be no accidents."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded.

Imperial power changed hands, and each side employed its own schemes and tactics, but in the end, it was strength that mattered.

When Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he did not patiently persuade Li Jiancheng to relinquish the throne to him; in the end, he only achieved his goal through bloodshed.

Zhao Xiaoqian's task is the same.

The purpose of making deals with Prince Duan and forming an alliance with Zhang Dun was merely to delay and deceive others; the Yan Yun army was Zhao Xiaoqian's last source of confidence and strength.

When you're in the game, don't always think of yourself as the chess player, trying to crush your opponent on the chessboard.

Calm down and think about it. First, you need to step outside the chessboard, look around, and make sure you are not a piece, much less a sacrifice. Then, calmly play against your opponent.

Throughout history and across the world, there are countless examples of failures, and they all share a common flaw: they all thought they were the players.

Zhao Xiaoqian's thoughts repeatedly strayed from the chessboard, like a tiger in the forest, alertly observing his surroundings.

If it's clear it's not a pawn, then it's self-preservation.

Only by recognizing oneself as a chess player can one be qualified to strategize.

At this moment, the mention of the Yan Yun army added a sense of solemnity to Zhao Xiaoqian's mind.

The Yan-Yun army was his source of confidence and strength, but they also bore the heavy responsibility of guarding the borders of the Song Dynasty. Less than a hundred miles north of Youzhou lay the territory of the Liao Kingdom.

At a time of great upheaval in Bianjing, the capital of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Xiaoqian valued the peace and tranquility of the borders even more. If the Liao army were to invade the border because of his transfer of troops from the Yanyun garrison, Zhao Xiaoqian would become a sinner of the Song Dynasty.

Father and son walked out of the palace gate side by side. Zhao Xiaoqian summoned Chen Shou, who had been waiting outside the palace gate. "Send a trusted confidant to the capital of Liao to meet with Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian and convey a few words..." Zhao Xiaoqian whispered his instructions.

…………

The Liao Kingdom came to the capital.

After Yelü Yanxi ascended the throne, the Liao Dynasty's national policy was completely changed.

The Khitans have now come to terms with reality and have proactively shifted from offense to defense in military matters, with the Liao army on the border beginning to retreat northward.

Although the alliance signed between the Song and Liao dynasties was not very reliable, the Liao rulers and ministers no longer had time to care about such matters.

A ceasefire with the Song Dynasty does not mean peace.

What's causing the Liao emperor and his ministers so much trouble right now is the Jurchen tribe in the northeast.

After Wanyan Polashu completed the unification of the Jurchen people, this ancient and suffering minority tribe suddenly showed amazing vitality and fighting power.

With the grain and military supplies provided by the Song Dynasty via the sea route, the Jurchen tribe was even more powerful. With less than 10,000 Jurchen warriors, they captured Jizhou and Yingzhou in just a few months, and finally broke through Huanglong Prefecture.

Huanglongfu was an important military town of the Liao Dynasty. With its capture by the Jurchen tribe, the Liao emperor and his ministers were greatly alarmed and finally took the matter seriously.

Just then, the Song and Liao dynasties signed a peace treaty, and the two countries ceased hostilities. As a result, Yelü Yanxi hastily transferred troops from the south to the northeast to quell the rebellion.

Unfortunately, the Liao Dynasty was in decline, and its military had also begun to decline. After all, the corrupt atmosphere in the country had long infected the army, and the Liao army could not be of one mind, so its combat effectiveness naturally declined sharply.

Nearly 50,000 Liaodong troops were drawn from the south, and together with nearly 100,000 troops from the Northeast Military Command, a total of over 100,000 men rushed towards Huanglongfu in a desperate attempt to recapture it.

However, at this time, the Jurchen tribe had united various ethnic groups that had suffered under the oppression of the Khitan, such as the Bohai, Xi, Sheng Jurchen, Dalugu tribe, and even some members of the Khitan tribe. Then, Wanyan Polashu recruited soldiers and expanded his army to 100,000 men.

One hundred thousand Jurchen warriors defended Huanglongfu, and the Liao army could not take it at all. Several months later, the supply of food and provisions ran into problems, and the Liao army had no choice but to retreat in disgrace.

As for Huanglong Prefecture, which was occupied by the Jurchen tribe, and the vast cities and lands in the northeast, the Liao emperor and his ministers were helpless against them for a time and could only accept the status quo with resentment.

Whether the Liao emperors and ministers were willing to admit it or not, the reality was that the Liao Dynasty was indeed in decline. The Song Dynasty, which had once been crushed by the Liao army, was now feared like a tiger. Even the Jurchen tribe, which had always been regarded as slaves by the Khitans, could no longer be provoked.

Huanglong Prefecture was lost, as were the vast cities and lands of the Northeast. The Liao army tried to recover them but failed and could only accept the reality. Moreover, in order to appease the Jurchen tribe, Yelü Yanxi endured his disgust and sent an envoy to personally bestow upon Wanyan Polashu the official title of "Tiyin".

The official position, of course, had no real power. Its main function was to manage the internal affairs of the Liao royal family, roughly equivalent to the Zongzheng Temple in the Song Dynasty.

It's absurd to let a Jurchen traitor manage the internal affairs of the Liao royal family.

For several months, with both peace talks and appeasement, the Liao Kingdom seemed to have returned to peace, and the nobles and wealthy people in the capital continued to sing and dance, and the world was at peace.

No one noticed that this rotten empire, decaying to its core, was already teetering on the brink of collapse.

Early this morning, Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian were still asleep when they were hurriedly woken up by palace servants.

Yelü Yanxi summoned him.

The two men, dressed in official robes, hurried to the Liao Palace. After bowing in the hall, they looked up and saw Yelü Yanxi with a joyful expression. His face, which had been gloomy for many days, finally showed a long-lost smile.

Xiao Fengxian was Yelü Yanxi's brother-in-law, and the two had become quite familiar with each other over the years. So Xiao Fengxian asked with a smile, "Your Majesty looks radiant today. What brings you such joy?"

Yelü Yanxi picked up a secret memorial from the table and handed it to him, saying, "Take a look at it first."

Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian glanced at it and immediately showed surprise.

This secret report came from within the territory of the Song Dynasty. Although the Liao Dynasty had shifted to a defensive posture, its spies had never stopped monitoring and spying on the Song Dynasty.

The secret report only mentioned one thing.

With the Song emperor critically ill, Zhao Xiaoqian, the commander-in-chief of the Yan-Yun army, may have been distrusted by the emperor and has been relieved of his military command in Yan-Yun, rushing back to Bianjing.

Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian quickly exchanged a glance.

The matter mentioned in the secret report was hardly news to the two of them.

He had sent someone to inform the two of Zhao Xiaoqian long before Zhao returned to the capital.

As traitors to the Liao dynasty, Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian showed great loyalty to Zhao Xiaoqian this time. Although they occasionally had thoughts of betraying him, they ultimately gave up the idea rationally.

They have a clearer and more thorough understanding of the situation in the world. Regardless of whether Zhao Xiaoqian is the commander of the Song army in Yanyun, it will not change the situation between Song and Liao.

The fall of the Liao Dynasty was only a matter of time.

This is not pessimism, but an undeniable reality.

For the profit-driven Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian, this was the time to cling to the Song Dynasty and lay the groundwork for their future.

If we turn against them again now, what's the difference between that and joining the Kuomintang army in 49?
"Your Majesty, I have read the secret memorial. I wonder what Your Majesty's meaning is..." Xiao Wuna asked tentatively.

Yelü Yanxi laughed and said, "Heaven has not forsaken our Great Liao. The Song emperor is critically ill, and the world is about to be thrown into turmoil. Our Great Liao's opportunity has arrived..."

Xiao Wuna smiled bitterly and said, "No, there is no chance at all. Your Majesty should know that Zhao Xiaoqian was also urgently summoned back to the capital by the Song emperor. At that time, the late emperor also felt that the opportunity had come and sent three armies south, but the Song army annihilated more than 100,000 of them. With this lesson in mind, I urge Your Majesty to think twice."

(End of this chapter)