You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 102: This is the first move

Inside Bianliang City, at Tong Guan's residence.

Tong Xuanshuai's face turned ashen.

Now, without the need for Khitan spies to investigate, their personnel configuration has been completely exposed.

Such a matter as the campaign against Liao should ideally be known only to a few people in the decision-making level, but the powerful and influential people in Bianliang completely disregarded this.

In order to get more of their own children into the military and gain merit, they attacked and sabotaged each other, leaking all the information.

What's most infuriating is Cai You, who actually had the audacity to kick me out and let me lead the troops to attack Liao.

Yelü Chun, the Grand Marshal of the Liao Dynasty and the garrison commander of Nanjing, sent people directly to the Northern Song court to inquire whether the matter of the Song Dynasty attacking the Liao Dynasty was true.

Why did they betray the Song-Liao alliance?

In this matter, the Song Dynasty was in the wrong, because the Treaty of Chanyuan clearly stated that the Song and Liao were brother states.

The Song Dynasty was caught in a dilemma: admitting it was wrong, and denying it was also wrong.

No one in the imperial court spoke of attacking Liao, but the common people, even three-year-old children, were all shouting for an attack on Liao and the return of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

The Liao delegation went to the Honglu Temple every day to block the gate and curse people, which made the people of Bianliang who were watching them tremble with anger, but they were helpless.

The fighting on the front lines was really terrible.

Even if you talk a good game and have all the right arguments after losing a battle, it's all useless.

Tong Guan looked at the group of advisors and said, "Has Gu Zhi not returned yet?"

"The Emperor invited him to stay for a meal."

Tong Guan nodded. This was rare good news; at least Zhao Liangsi had truly gained His Majesty's favor.

Of all the bad news, the one that Tong Guan feared the most was actually the most absurd one—Cai You wanted to replace him as the head coach.

This matter may seem absurd, but it may not be impossible for it to happen. How many absurd things have the current officials done?

Cai Youming publicly broke with his father Cai Jing, but everyone knew that their discord was only superficial.

Otherwise, with both father and son being close confidants of the official and wielding immense power, they would have long since aroused the official's suspicion.

"Gentlemen, since the Emperor is currently enjoying great favor, we will not wait any longer."

Tan Zhen smiled and said, "When he comes back, we will tell him about what we talked about today."

Tong Guan nodded and said, "Now, the whole world knows that I am going to attack Liao, and everyone knows about my troop deployment."

"But it doesn't matter. Once the war starts, we can change our formation. Even if the Liao people are on guard, it won't be of much use. I heard that Yelü Chun has recruited eight battalions of resentful soldiers in Liaodong, totaling more than 28,000 men, in addition to 5,000 imperial guards and 2,000 martial soldiers."

They marched in a grand procession to attack Liaodong, but before they even reached the destination, their disgruntled troops mutinied. Such an opponent is hardly worth mentioning!

Tan Zhen nodded and echoed, "With Commander Xuan on the front lines, there's bound to be no mistake."

"The most urgent task now is to gather enough supplies for the army. One hundred thousand men is no small number. If, like Yelü Chun, we are unable to pay our soldiers, then the same thing that happened with the Eight Camps of Resentful Soldiers will happen again in Hebei, and we will all be doomed!" Tong Guan said. "What good strategies do you all have?"

When money was mentioned, everyone fell silent.

In the Song Dynasty today, all money-making projects are controlled by Wang Fu and his associates, and they have already plundered enough.

I really can't squeeze any more out.

Tong Guan sneered and said, "Since none of you will speak, I will! What is the largest expense in the capital every year?"

Tan Zhen said, "It is Commander Xuan. The biggest expense in Bianliang, the capital, is the cost of building up the army. The 600,000 imperial guards around the capital pay 3 million taels of grain and tens of millions of strings of cash in military pay every year."

Tong Guan nodded, but didn't say anything more, yet it was frightening enough.

What is Xuan Shuai going to do?
Mobilize the Imperial Guard?
That's not something you can just move around easily; raising and commanding troops is a matter for the Privy Council. The high rank of leading troops is held by the Three Military Commands.

This was established by the ancestors of the Great Song Dynasty.

Since such a large expense is all within the Three Military Commands, and is allocated annually by the Three Departments, the Three Military Commands are Tong Guan's territory, but the Imperial Guards eat and drink his food, yet are not under his jurisdiction.

That was Gao Qiu's power.

Tong Guan was naturally unhappy. He could let it go before, but now that he was going to attack Liao, did the Imperial Guards not know how much they consumed every year?
During these years of campaigning against Liao, what difference would it make if you ate a little less?

Tong Guan stood up, walked around the hall a few times, then suddenly turned around and shouted: "The Imperial Guards are said to number 600,000, what a load of rubbish!"
Every expense at the Jinshui Bridge camp is military expenditure. Even the captains of the Imperial Guards dare to be arrogant and disrespectful in front of me!

Regardless of the Imperial Guards stationed outside the capital, the large sum of money allocated from the Privy Council to the Imperial Guards in Beijing each year, which is truly a pity, is a huge waste of resources!

The Imperial Guards in the capital have long been lax in their duties. They are nominally 600,000 strong, but in reality, less than 50,000 are fit for battle! Your Majesty must reorganize the Imperial Guards' troop numbers and address their corruption. We don't need much; just enough to siphon off 200,000 troops annually for their expenses and rewards. We can then use this as a foundation to help Your Majesty conquer Liaodong and Yan!

Tan Zhen had a bad feeling. Commander Xuan was getting anxious. He was disregarding Liang Yinxiang's feelings and was going to take action against Gao Qiu and the Imperial Guards.

These words are clearly not meant for our own ears, because everyone knows that.

These words are meant for the emperor; who should say them?

Everyone quickly clenched their buttocks, afraid that if they got up to relieve themselves, Commander Xuan would mistakenly think they were volunteering.

At this moment, Wang Bing, who was usually taciturn, suddenly stood up, walked to the center of the hall, clasped his hands and said, "Commander Xuan's words are invaluable and of great benefit to the country. This humble general is willing to present them to His Majesty!"

Tong Guan's eyes were full of approval. He nodded and said, "You are a key general, and you should not be distracted at this time. Tan Zhen, go and speak to him."

A fleeting look of panic crossed Tan Zhen's eyes. He stood up, bowed, and said, "Don't worry, Commander Xuan, I will definitely persuade the Emperor."

In his heart, he had already cursed Tong Guan's ancestors for eighteen generations over and over again.

When Tong Guan uttered the words "Imperial Guards," he realized that such a major undertaking was beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.

Among Xuan Shuai's subordinates, it seems that only he is barely qualified to speak.

To be honest, Tan Zhen also wanted to facilitate the Northern Expedition, but he didn't intend to sacrifice himself right away.

Inside the hall, everyone else sang praises to him, and Tan Zhen could only turn a funeral into a celebration, cheerfully expressing his determination to everyone.

I will definitely be loyal to Commander Xuan, no matter what difficulties I face.

Tong Guan sat at the head of the table, looking at them silently.

He was certainly afraid, but what could he do now that things had come to this?

Could it be that he's really like that idiot Yelü Chun, leading starving soldiers to the front lines?

The entire Song Dynasty was waiting for good news, as if victory was within their grasp. They could wait with their eyes closed, but we had to consider many things.

Mobilizing the Imperial Guards is a major event. The families of the Imperial Guards are different from those in the Northwest; these men are original shareholders from the founding of the Song Dynasty.

Over generations, the breadth of their network and the depth of their foundation are simply unimaginable.

Unless a group of people storms in from the outside and ignores the rules to kill them all, it will be difficult to shake them.

If Tong Guan himself wanted to fight the Imperial Guards, the various factions in the court would fight for a long time, and it was possible that there would be no result for a year or two.

Therefore, it is necessary to involve the Emperor so that he can personally issue the order. At present, the Emperor's authority is the greatest among all the monarchs in the history of the Song Dynasty.

Even if the emperor were brought in, it would only be a matter of financial strategy, targeting money rather than the power to reorganize the army.

The Imperial Guards needed reorganization, a matter shared by all factions in the court, with both the new and old factions having many criticisms of them.

However, no one succeeded in taking action. During the Northern Song Dynasty, many prime ministers were exceptionally courageous. It wasn't that they were afraid, but rather that it was genuinely difficult.

Reorganizing the finances of such a large interest group as the Imperial Guards would inevitably affect the interests of many military families, who were the bulwark of the imperial family.

People's hearts should not be easily swayed.

Now, Tong Guan, in order to launch the Northern Expedition, is also going to have to tackle this tough issue.

In some ways, he was indeed more manly than those officials with genitals.

Although Tan Zhen's expression was subtle, Tong Guan was a master of reading people's expressions.

His own men were all afraid, including Wang Bing.

At this moment, Tong Guan couldn't help but think of someone else, the young man known as Leng Tou Shao.

Once, just because he and Cai Jing spoke a little too loudly, he glared at him and lifted the curtain to go inside.

In retrospect, his recklessness was an act, but his audacity was real.

If only he were truly my loyal subordinate.
Bianliang, inside the ceremonial courtyard.

Yelü Dashi, the military governor of Liaoxing Army of the Liao Dynasty, was looking at Jia Xian, the chief clerk of the Court of State Ceremonial of the Song Dynasty, across from him.

Jia Xian was also forced out. Faced with the gaze of this Khitan royal, he remained silent and simply kept his head down.

"I am the military governor of the Liao Dynasty. What rank is Clerk Jia?"

"Rank 8"

Yelü Dashi nodded. "Even if I don't say it myself, does Chief Clerk Jia think it's your responsibility to receive the Liao Dynasty's military governor?"

Jia Xian lowered his head again and didn't say a word.

This ruthless behavior thoroughly enraged Yelü Dashi, who slammed his fist on the table.

All the Song and Liao guards outside rushed in. Yelü Dashi sneered and said, "Since you Song people are determined to break your promise and attack Liao, then I, Yelü Dashi, along with the Khitan men and the Han men of Yan, will await your army!"

After speaking, he walked away.

Yelü Dashi left decisively because he knew that this trip would not change the mind of the Song Dynasty.

He came to see how the Song Dynasty was preparing.

The result was an unexpected surprise: they learned exactly who in the Song army was doing what job.

The land of Youyan, which is Nanjing of the Liao Dynasty, had long since received news of the Song-Jin alliance.

Song Dynasty officials, under the pretext of buying horses, traveled by sea to the Jin Dynasty, and the two countries made an agreement:

The Jin army captured Liao's Zhongjing, and the Song army captured Yanjing. Neither side's troops could cross the border. After the fall of Liao, Song acquired the Yan-Yun region and paid the annual tribute paid to Liao to Jin. Wanyan Aguda verbally agreed that Song could recover territory including Xijing and Ping and Ying prefectures.

These matters were completely leaked by the Song Dynasty, and it was the emperor who, while drunk, revealed them himself.

Even the King of Goryeo saw this clearly and sent a special message: "Liao is a brotherly country; preserving it can secure the borders. Jin, on the other hand, is a tiger and wolf; we should not befriend it!"

However, despite what the King of Goryeo said, he had already sent envoys to Kim Heeje three years ago to flirt with the Kim Kingdom and prepare to acknowledge them as his father.
-
Yelü Dashi left Bianliang in anger, and the Song-Liao alliance was now only in name.

The campaign against Liao is now even more certain.

The entire city of Bianliang was immersed in a joyful atmosphere, as if they had already recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun without even having fought a single battle.

At this moment, Tan Zhen suddenly presented a memorial to the emperor, arguing that the Imperial Guards were poorly trained and lacked combat effectiveness, and that "five-sixths of the nation's resources are used to support the army." He suggested that the number of Imperial Guards be investigated to save on national fiscal expenditure.

The official looked anxious and left without saying a word.

The whole country was shaken, and everyone was waiting for the bigwigs to take action or make a statement.

Meanwhile, the important figures awaited the emperor's decision.

Cai Mansion.

Although Cai Jing became more shrewd with age, he was, after all, getting old and his energy was often waning.

Today, I ate something light early and then went for a nap.

Fortunately, he slept quite well and didn't get up until the very end, served by a group of concubines.

After getting up and washing up briefly, two maids helped him take a walk in the back garden to stretch his muscles.

They had only walked a little over halfway when the steward of the inner quarters rushed in to report. After hearing the steward's report, Cai Jing couldn't help but frown, his disdain completely undisguised. "What is he doing here again? Still so impatient! Tell him I'm not seeing him!"

Cai Jing rarely gets angry these days, so this outburst is no small matter. After all, he's getting on in years; one wrong step and he could be dead.

The old steward dared not say anything more, and after bowing, he was about to leave.

He had only taken a few steps when Cai Jing suddenly called out to him, "Fine, let him in!"

He sighed inwardly. His eldest son was impetuous and lacked patience. He always lost his temper when things went wrong. If anything happened, father and son were one, and Cai Jing knew he wouldn't be able to escape responsibility. He decided it was best to give him some instructions on how to act.

The steward hurriedly withdrew, and a short while later, he led Scholar Cai You into the garden.

At first glance, Cai Jing frowned. From afar, he could see Cai You running towards him with a joyful expression and beaming eyes.

Cai Jing felt a pang of resentment. He was such a shrewd man, his interpersonal skills were unparalleled. How could his son, whom he had tirelessly taught since childhood, have not learned even a single thing?

Cai Jing stood there coldly watching him. Cai You walked closer and said with a smile, "Father, have you heard? That old eunuch Tong Guan is going to punish Gao Qiu!"

In a single sentence, his ignorance and shortsightedness were laid bare; he had only seen the matter as a power struggle between Tong Guan and Gao Qiu.
How stupid!

Cai Jing's face was gloomy, and he said coldly, "Commander Tong and Grand Commandant Gao are both important ministers of the state. Even if they disagree on political matters for the sake of the country, what does that have to do with me, a retired official? What does it have to do with you!"

Cai You seemed completely oblivious to his father's displeasure, and continued with a nonchalant smile, "Father, you can't even understand this? Everyone thought Tong Guan would always have to consider the reputation of the Hidden Minister, but we didn't expect him to be so bold."

He doesn't even consider that last New Year's Day, he suffered heavy losses, and it was the Hidden Prime Minister who covered for him. Now, he's short of funds for his campaign against Liao and needs to mobilize the Imperial Guards. Everyone knows the Imperial Guards are Gao Qiu's moneybags and, more importantly, the Hidden Prime Minister's domain!

Cai Jing raised his eyebrows and remained silent, unwilling to look at his eldest son, seemingly unable to accept that such a fool was actually his own flesh and blood.

Looking at his father's expression, Cai You hesitated before asking, "Father, you don't know yet, do you? I'm not trying to be mean, but after all these years as prime minister, you didn't have a single useful confidant? After you were dismissed, you didn't have a single informant left!"

"Fine, he's still my own son after all," Cai Jing sighed and snorted. "Why would I bother digging into this? Didn't you hear me say that I'm retired now and should be enjoying my old age? You should leave as soon as possible and come less often so I can live a few more years?"

"Father, what are you saying? If you don't take advantage of the Prime Minister's influence to make the most of your connections and pave the way for your son, how will I be able to revitalize our Cai family in the future!"

Cai Jing, furious, laughed and sat down, saying, "Very well, then let me hear your brilliant ideas. What do you want to do?"

"Is that even a question!" Cai You exclaimed in surprise. "Of course, we should seize the opportunity to join forces with the Hidden Chancellor, remove Tong Guan from the position of Marshal of the Liao Expedition, and let me take command of the various forces to recover Youyan. If my son is granted a princely title, then our Cai family will truly be the second most powerful family in our Great Song Dynasty after the imperial family!"

Cai Jing laughed heartily, but as he laughed, his expression gradually turned ugly.

He snorted heavily: "You can't even see the origin of this fight, yet you dare to underestimate Tong Guan? Is he trying to fight Gao Qiu? He's handing the Emperor a knife!"

"Hand over the knife?"

Although Cai You was foolish, he had been in officialdom for a long time and had seen a lot of struggles, so he could easily understand the underlying principles.

Unfortunately, he was too power-hungry and obsessed with replacing Tong Guan. He was so engrossed in it that when Cai Jing said those few words, he was stunned and didn't come to his senses for a long time.

If what Dad said is true, the seriousness of this matter will be amplified even further.

It's best to avoid getting involved for the time being.
Cai Jing looked at his son and could only shake his head helplessly. However, his days were numbered, and the future of the family depended solely on this son.

Even if his behavior is despicable, we can only help him to the end.

He sighed deeply and slowly explained, "Tong Guan wants to attack Liao. Everything is ready, but the key issue is finance. I have been in charge of the country's finances for many years, so how could I not know that the country is in dire straits and has reached a critical moment?"

"What kind of person is Wang Fu? He's just as short-sighted and greedy as you. Can he be controlled?"

Cai You was somewhat unconvinced and stubbornly refused, but considering that he needed his father's help, he reluctantly accepted it and decided not to argue with his father.

Why did my father resign as prime minister? It was because the emperor feared his power was too great and his faction too numerous.

Cai You had a sudden inspiration and promptly joined the enemy in a counterattack, severely damaging his father's reputation. As a result, he unexpectedly gained the position of Vice Minister of State Affairs.

They had quite a moment of glory.

Cai Jing, observing his son's expression, clearly understood his thoughts. He immediately sneered, "No need for pretense. Your position is a result of your own abilities. Aren't they all part of the Cai family? As long as you hold onto your position, I'm only pleased. It's a pity you can't achieve anything..."

"I!"

Cai You was about to retort, but Cai Jing didn't give him the chance and continued, "This time it all depends on whether His Majesty can make up his mind. If he has the courage to take action against the Imperial Guards, then the situation can still be saved. If not... even if Tong Guan captures Youyan, he won't be able to hold it!"

"Why?"

Cai Jing said, "The campaign against Liao is not just about military affairs; we must also consider financial matters. Currently, the country's military strength is weak, its finances are scarce, and its people are exhausted. Everyone knows this situation, but no one dares to speak out."

"To appease the powerful clans of Yan, to stop the Jurchens from advancing south, and to rebuild order in Youyan, all require financial support. Where will this money come from?"

Everyone thought the Song Dynasty was wealthy, but the phrase "丰亨豫大" (Feng Heng Yu Da) was actually invented by Cai Jing to please Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji).

However, Cai Jing, who had served as the prime minister of the Song Dynasty for more than a decade, had always been patching things up and was the one who understood the Song Dynasty's current predicament best.

Unfortunately, the officials were fond of grandiose projects.
That scoundrel Tong Guan wouldn't listen to me; he insisted on attacking Liao at this time.

None of these people are capable; they're all more trouble than they're worth. This situation can only be resolved by a group of exceptionally capable individuals; otherwise, to put it bluntly, the country is already showing signs of collapse.
Although Cai You often opposed his father, he still had great faith in his father's abilities and judgment.

With his hopes of being made a king dashed, Cai You's expression became somewhat embarrassed.

But she couldn't just turn around and leave, so she stepped forward, pushed aside the maid, and helped Cai Jing walk with him in the garden, making small talk: "Since that's the case, His Majesty will most likely decide to reform the Imperial Guards. There are hundreds of thousands of Imperial Guards stationed in the capital, and everyone knows how deep-seated their problems are. Many famous ministers over the generations haven't been able to figure it out, and now it's even worse... I think if His Majesty is going to take action, he'll definitely use you, Father!"

This time, Cai Jing did not ignore his eldest son's words, but frowned seriously and thought about it for a long time.

He definitely wants to return to power. Having tasted the intoxicating feeling of being at the top of power, who would want to step down?

Even if he were over seventy this year, or even eighty or ninety, he would still want to sit in the position of prime minister.

However, this matter is too tricky.

Finally, Cai Jing shook his head and said, "Logically speaking, at this point, no one can reverse the deep-seated problems within the Imperial Guards. Previous emperors wouldn't have even dared to think about it, let alone do it. But the current emperor's power is too great; perhaps he really can accomplish this. Unexpectedly, unexpectedly, Tong Daofu, who was cautious his whole life, had such a deep-seated obsession with being granted a princely title at the end, and was actually capable of doing this—truly a do-or-die act."

Cai You stared blankly at his father, never expecting that Cai Jing, who was always so confident and could see right through everyone, and who had so many people under his control, would back down this time.

He's too cowardly to even step out of the mountains.

What person doesn't love their own father?

Even though he betrayed Cai Jing and sided with Liang Shicheng back then, in his heart, Cai Jing was still like a high mountain, his greatest support.

When faced with intractable problems, one can always find the answer in Cai Jing's words; nine times out of ten, what he says comes true.

Now, seeing his father finally admit that there are things in this world that he cannot do, Cai You felt a sudden emptiness in his heart.

Seeing Cai Jing's dejected and aged appearance, a rare feeling of fatherly affection arose in his heart. He carefully helped him up and slowly strolled in the garden.

Just then, someone came in and whispered to Cai Jing, "Master, someone from the Northwest has come and says they wish to visit you."

"The Northwest?" Cai Jing asked, "Who are they?"

"A subordinate of Chen Shao, the military commissioner of Dingnan Army."

　Thank you to Fengmeng, Jiyan, book friend 20191002112132525, and Yinanping for the generous donations! I'm asking for monthly votes at the beginning of the month! *fist bump*
　　
　
(End of this chapter)