You have truly caused me great suffering!

Wanyan Zongwang's Jurchen Eastern Route Army was no different from the Western Route Army.

They were all extremely cruel, plundering the people of Hebei and indulging in killing and cruelty.

The people of Hebei deeply resented the Jin soldiers.

In fact, they performed even better than the people of Yunzhong. Yunzhong had been under the rule of foreign tribes for too long, and when they first encountered the Jurchen Tartars, many people thought of surrendering.

If you can survive under the Khitans, you can survive under the Jurchens.

Later, the Jurchen Tartars taught them a lesson.

Hebei is different; not only are the people there more fierce, but the resources are also abundant.

Hebei has plenty of fertile land, giving it more resources to resist than the barren Yunzhong.

In fact, there's also Pharmacist Guo and his ever-victorious army, who are just as cruel.

Wherever they go, only one in ten survives.

The people and soldiers of Hebei rose up in a fierce counterattack, and righteous men emerged from all over the country like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Regardless of what they did before, they are now united in fighting against the Jin army.

Zong Ze personally persuaded several refugee leaders to surrender. Despite the hardships, they fought a guerrilla war against the Jin army and won all thirteen battles.

While everyone was burdened with deep-seated hatred and fighting to the death, the Song Dynasty actually sent people to negotiate peace.

In an instant, the crowd was agitated, everyone's faces turned red, and a murderous aura filled the air.

Prince Kang, Zhao Gou, was quite frightened by the atmosphere around him and quickly went to see Zong Ze.

Zong Ze simply stared at them coldly without saying a word. His silence at this moment was tantamount to acquiescence.
Gradually, the crowd lost control of their emotions, and some people cried out loudly, recounting how their relatives had been killed by the Jurchen Tartars.

Their voices were hoarse and cracked, heartbreaking; some beat their chests and wept, while others silently shed tears.

Finally, someone mounted on horseback, pounded his chest with both hands, and roared like thunder: "What do our lives matter if we make peace with the Jurchen Tartars! What do our hatred matter!"

Everyone looked over and saw that the man's eyes were wide open, bloodshot, and he was fiercely scanning the entire scene.

Suddenly, with a bang, someone smashed into the wooden plank of the carriage.

Almost everyone present roared in response.

Prince Kang, Zhao Gou, was extremely anxious and kept giving him meaningful glances.

Wang Yun, the Minister of Justice, lifted the carriage curtain, glanced around, and ordered his guards to quell the chaos.

Several guards circled the carriage and saw that these so-called rebels were actually just a group of ordinary people.

They were wearing tattered clothes, neither military robes nor official uniforms, which immediately gave them a bit more courage.

Lu Yuhou was still shouting: "Scatter! Scatter! You all have the guts to cause such a scene! This is the imperial carriage, blocking the road is tantamount to rebellion! That guy on horseback, no matter what kind of person you are, in my hands, I can make you round or flatten you as I please! You damn bastards, a bunch of troublemakers, if you dare to cause trouble again, fine, fine, but if you do something wrong, I'll tie you to the back of the carriage and drag you there, neither alive nor dead!"

Their guards joined in the commotion, brandishing swords and spears, and for a moment their morale soared.

They have an innate sense of superiority when dealing with ordinary people, but this only applies to the people of the Song Dynasty.

When facing the common people of the Song Dynasty, the Imperial City Guard even felt that it was an honor for them to bully them.

They didn't even bother to go to Bianliang to inquire about it. We specialize in bullying scholars and officials; beating ordinary people is already giving them too much credit.

Several militiamen immediately went to meet Lu Yuhou. Lu Yuhou was taken aback, then sneered with his drunken eyes, "Looks like there really are some who aren't afraid of death. Not to mention you, even Zong Ze can't do anything to your grandfather! Do you really think you're some kind of nobleman from Bianliang!"

"Let me tell you the truth, we are from the Imperial City Guard. Why are we showing off these few country bumpkins like they're some kind of treasure? Are we trying to blackmail the Emperor's personal guards? The Huan River in your godforsaken place is huge. Even if you threw a hundred or so people in, the waves wouldn't even make a ripple!"

What he said was actually true; the Imperial City Guards weren't afraid of Zong Ze at all. But you shouldn't be telling the truth at this time.

Upon hearing these words, the Hebei rebels' anger doubled.

More people crowded around the peace negotiation carriage, and the guards hurriedly tried to stop them.

Inside the carriage, Zhao Gou was so anxious that he kept slapping his thigh. These officials from the Imperial City Guard were used to being arrogant and domineering.

I didn't expect that I really couldn't tell the difference between them. Is this the time to show off?

These people dared to fight the Jurchen Tartars, risking their lives, so what were they afraid of?
Sure enough, the crowd was getting closer. Zhao Gou hurried to look for Zong Ze, but found that he had disappeared.

Zhao Gou was furious and looked worried as he anxiously searched for Zong Ze in the crowd.

Seeing the rebel army advancing one after another, the Imperial City Commander of the Imperial Guards was furious: "Do you really want to die?"

As he spoke, he drew his riding whip, flicked it in the air, and then lashed it down.

He was on horseback, looking around at the people. There was a tall, imposing man who was looking at him coldly, with one eye bigger than the other, and his gaze seemed to be full of mockery.

He lashed out at the man with a whip, swift and powerful.

It's obvious they've ripped off quite a few people.

The man reached out and grabbed the whip, which was about to explode on his body with a crack, but he managed to catch it.

Without even flinching, the man seized the opportunity, flicked his whip, and shouted, "Get down here!"

This attack was powerful and heavy, and Lu Lu Yuhou, being very obedient, obediently dismounted.

Lu Yuhou, who was able to become the Yuhou of the Imperial City Guard, must be from a powerful and wealthy family, born to enjoy a life of luxury.

He had enjoyed a life of luxury in Bianliang for over a decade, and at a young age, his body had become mostly worn down, compounded by excessive drinking. He felt as if the man holding the whip possessed the strength of nine oxen and two tigers with a single pull. He could no longer maintain his balance and fell to the ground with a thud, his head and feet bruised and swollen.

Zhao Gou, inside the carriage, saw through the gaps how valiant this man was and became even more frightened.

When the Hebei rebels saw the commander fall from his horse, they all kicked him, and soon blood was drawn.

When there are many people, the situation becomes extremely difficult to control, especially after bloodshed occurs.

Countless people rushed forward, determined to drag out the officials who were negotiating peace.

The garrison commander, upon landing, was about to shout and order his men to come up and seize these ignorant troublemakers.

Suddenly, someone kicked him on the head, and he immediately lost consciousness. The group of people ignored him and stepped on him to approach the convoy.

The accompanying guards drew their weapons, cold sweat pouring down their faces.

Suddenly, someone, due to extreme tension, stabbed.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd looked down in disbelief, blood streaming from their chest.

With a deafening roar, the Hebei rebels, who were on the verge of exploding, completely lost control.

"Kill them!"

"kill!"

Shouts erupted in response, and the atmosphere became ten times more frenzied than before!
Yue Fei, who was the first to pull Lu Yuhou away, walked to Zong Ze's side and asked with a slightly worried look, "General Zong, are we not going to do anything about it?"

Zong Ze shook his head slightly, signaling him not to speak.

The pro-peace faction in the court is now restless and is making a series of outrageous statements.

It's time to let them feel the anger of the people and soldiers of Hebei, and to teach them to restrain themselves and stop being so shameless.

"The Ninth King cannot die."

If a prince were to die, the matter would be far too serious. Zong Ze was aware of this.

Yue Fei nodded, led his men through the crowd, and walked to Zhao Gou's carriage.

By this time, the angry crowd had already broken through the defenses of the peace delegation's accompanying guards, and Minister Wang Yun was dragged out and beaten to death.

Zhao Gou was also beaten black and blue, and then Yue Fei protected him and escorted him out of the crowd.
-
Inside the Genyue Garden, Emperor Huizong of Song leaned against his couch, wearing only a soft satin undershirt and with his hair down.

The weather was still very cold, but his room, despite having the windows open for ventilation, was still filled with warmth.

On the small table made of rosewood in front of him, there was a cup of wine and two dishes of dried fruit.

The incense burner, shaped like a three-legged crane, exudes a faint fragrance of sandalwood.

Emperor Huizong clapped his hands in time, displaying a relaxed and unrestrained demeanor.

Before him stood two newly recruited talented women, one singing softly and the other dancing gracefully.

Emperor Huizong bestowed names upon them: one was named Yao Xiaojiaonu, and the other was named Luo Zui Yangfei.

The two young women, both around thirteen or fourteen years old, cast their alluring glances at Zhao Ji.

An incense burner was burning inside, and the faint smoke made Zhao Ji feel very comfortable and at ease.

It is unknown whether it was because Chen Shao blocked the western army and Hedong did not fall, so Zhao Ji, who had already passed the throne to the crown prince in the original timeline, was still the emperor of the Song Dynasty.

Just as he was preparing to fight two opponents alone, he suddenly heard footsteps outside.

Then, a palace maid came to report that the high-ranking official Liang was requesting an audience.

Emperor Huizong complained, "This old servant is becoming more and more ignorant!"

He wanted to have him kicked out, but then he thought about the current situation and worried that something might have gone wrong at the front.

He dared not delay and summoned Liang Shicheng. Unusually, he did not let the two women leave, but instead embraced them, one in each arm.

This was also a reminder to Liang Shicheng that if there was nothing serious, he should get out of there quickly and not spoil his fun.

When Liang Shicheng entered, his face was pale. He lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, there has been a peasant uprising in Hebei. Wang Yun, who went to the Jin camp to negotiate peace, was killed, and the Ninth Prince was also seriously injured."

Zhao Ji was startled; his interest vanished completely, leaving only panic.

The Jurchens have now advanced to the vicinity of the capital province, and they are only able to rely on the Hebei righteous army to support them.

I never imagined that simply sending someone to negotiate peace would incur such public wrath.

He was getting impatient and immediately complained, "You chose a good job, they can't even do this simple task! The Imperial City Guard is incompetent too, what use are they to me!"

Liang Shicheng nodded and agreed, not daring to refute.

"Why are you looking down?! What do you plan to do?"

Liang Shicheng said, "This old servant believes that it is not appropriate to punish people at this time; we should appease the people's hearts."

Who was there at the time?

“Zong Ze happened to be there too, and it was he who saved the Ninth Prince.”

Zhao Ji lay down on the couch, gritting his teeth and cursing, "I saw it long ago: these ministers talk about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, but they're not really!"

"This civil unrest might have been instigated by him, or at least he must have tacitly approved of it."

Despite his incompetence, Emperor Huizong of Song was actually a reformer who heavily relied on Cai Jing and suppressed the old party.

He even erected a "Traitorous Party Monument" for those members of the old party, placing it at the palace gate so that ministers could see it every time they went to court. Therefore, he suspected that the old party members were secretly fueling the uprising, or that they had even orchestrated it.

However, Liang Shicheng, that old servant, is right. We cannot act rashly at this time; we must first appease the people.

This peace negotiation was proposed by Wang Yun, who was killed in battle. He suggested that the court cede the three towns of Taiyuan, Zhongshan, and Hejian to the Jin Dynasty in exchange for the Jin Dynasty withdrawing its troops.

The two countries reconciled and agreed never to invade each other again.

After much hesitation, Emperor Huizong of Song, almost gritting his teeth, said, "Reward Zong Ze handsomely and grant him an official position!"

Master Liang breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling at ease. He had been worried that the official might act impulsively.

At this time, we still need those who advocate war to hold the line at the front.

If they fail and the Jurchen Tartars truly besiege Bianliang, then the only person nearby who can save the city from this crisis is Chen Shao.

Chen Shaoke kept shouting that he wanted to kill the treacherous clique around the emperor.

After Liang Shicheng left, Zhao Ji completely lost interest in sex and lay dejectedly on the dragon bed.

In the subconscious of this absurd emperor, he was not unaware that under his rule, the Song Dynasty had been plagued by fires and disturbances over the years.

The distorted prosperity and splendor of Bianliang City is now the last fig leaf covering his heart.

Once this fig leaf is torn away, he will have to face the facts he least wants to accept.

That means he had squandered the entire vast Song Dynasty estate.

He, Zhao Ji, was a thoroughly incompetent ruler, and might even have become the ruler who brought about the downfall of his country.

Isn't he afraid?

Emperor Huizong of Song was never a courageous or decisive ruler.

He was a complete hedonist, somewhat clever, but utterly irresponsible!

In governing a country, he was only good at turning a barely functioning court into chaos, making it impossible to get anything done, and ultimately forcing the monarch to step in.

This process was repeated several times, and before anyone knew it, the emperor's power far surpassed that of the prime minister.

Moreover, the division within the Song court caused by the reforms was exacerbated under his rule. The factional struggles in the court reached their peak during his reign, and the scholar-official system could no longer form a united force to resist him. Instead, they all tried to curry favor with him.

It was by using methods that dismantled the Song Dynasty's ruling system that Zhao Ji gained unprecedented power compared to previous Song Dynasty monarchs.

Then this fellow did not use the power of the monarch to do anything, but instead used people to do things and enjoy himself without any scruples.

He considered himself a sage ruler far surpassing previous dynasties, capable of handling all changes and having no problem with anything.

But he himself felt a little guilty, knowing that he hadn't actually done anything, and had only used his absolute power to enjoy himself.

When the foreign tribes marched south, and a sudden upheaval confronted him, Zhao Ji was immediately at a loss.

Is it possible to expect a renowned minister to be stationed in the Council of State Affairs, so that he can step forward and salvage the situation?
The current head of the State Council is an elderly man named Cai Jing, who, after several rises and falls, is no longer able to control the political situation.

She was only good at managing finances, becoming Zhao Ji's money bag, and raising money for his entertainment.

The so-called "Hall of State Affairs" would be better off being merged with the Three Offices.

Cai Jing neither had the energy nor the ability to step forward in times of crisis.

Even when Cai Jing was in his prime, he didn't have this ability. He was capable, but his ability didn't lie in this area.

This is precisely why Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) trusted Cai Jing with confidence. The price was also fair: in times of crisis, he couldn't rely on his own prime minister.

In real history, the Jurchen army besieged the city. Similarly, in Bianliang, the prime minister was ineffective, the imperial guards were ineffective, and all the civil and military officials in the capital were ineffective.

Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) was utterly helpless. He simply abdicated and fled.

With such a fragmented ruling system, how could it not collapse at the first blow?
The peace envoy was killed by the people, so it was impossible to continue peace negotiations in the short term.

What should we do then?

Should we go to war with the Jurchens?

Zong Ze said that he won thirteen battles in thirteen battles, but that was because he used guerrilla tactics and did not engage in battle with the main force of the Jurchens.

The only force capable of truly defeating the Jurchens in a head-on confrontation was the Dingnan Army, which Emperor Huizong considered even more dangerous than the Jurchens.
Now that things have come to this, he doesn't even want to think about what to do; all he wants to do is escape!

They only thought about hiding in Genyue and continuing to enjoy themselves.

Li Gang's words in his Ten Admonitions, urging him to pass the throne to the Crown Prince, finally resurfaced in Zhao Ji's mind.

Perhaps this is one way.
Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) really didn't want to face this matter or this thorny situation.

Pass the throne to the crown prince, let him figure out a solution, and let him take the lead.

Once the Jurchens retreat, I'll figure out a way to regain power.
-
When the news of the Cizhou rebels killing Wang Yun reached Taiyuan, Chen Shao was ordering the purchase of seeds from all over the country.

These days, fighting a war is really not easy. When he used to read history books, he always saw generals as invincible.

Those in power only need to have a keen eye for talent and promote more capable people to their advantage, then they can rest easy and wait for them to conquer the world for them.

Now that I'm in the thick of it, I realize how terribly wrong I was, and the daily grind is driving me crazy.

Before transmigrating, no one told me that food would be so hard to come by.

If Chen Shao had the resources of Yang Guang, given his current territory, he would dare to raise an army of three to five hundred thousand.

No tactics or strategies were needed; they simply pushed forward horizontally, scaring the Jurchen Tartars to death.

Although the weather is still very cold, the Yunzhongfu pacification team in Taiyuan has already begun to busy themselves with sowing for the new year.

What they need to do is not just get the seeds.

They also needed to encourage agriculture and sericulture, and organize supervision.

Never underestimate the inertia of people. During the period of land reclamation in the fortified villages of Northwest China, there were instances where many newly recruited villagers boiled and ate all the seeds planted for land reclamation.

Some, in order to be lazy, simply buried all the seeds in one hole.

They knew that if they planted the crops properly, they would have food to eat the following year.

But they just didn't want to work, thinking that since they had porridge to drink, it didn't matter if they didn't work.

Flowers come in a hundred colors, and people are different from one another. It's not that if you rescue a group of people from suffering, they will necessarily cherish it and then work hard.

Therefore, many things must be systematic, regulated, and standardized in order to continue to be implemented.

Chen Shao ordered Zhu Lingling to organize some agricultural protection teams near Yingzhou.

We must try our best to ensure that these lands are cultivated; if that's not possible, the auxiliary soldiers will have to do it themselves.

Chen Shao, who had just put on his cotton-padded coat and was preparing to go to Taiyuan, received a military report from the front lines.

In the past, Chen Shao would have thought that the Hebei rebels were so enraged that they killed Wang Yun, who had gone to negotiate peace.

But at this moment, he noticed something amiss; it would be strange if the pro-war faction hadn't been involved.

The factional strife in the Song Dynasty was so extreme that it used every possible means.

It's really hard to say whether this is good or bad.

Especially from the perspective of the Song Dynasty royal family, it might cause the royal family to distrust these so-called righteous armies in the north.

It's hard to say whether Zhao Gou's severe beating this time was directly related to his later determination to flee south and his refusal to stay in the north.

Moreover, the dignity of the Song Dynasty was once again completely lost.

Given the complex situation, Chen Shao was actually one of the players, so he couldn't see things clearly at this moment.

Perhaps only when the fog clears and time provides the answer can we clearly analyze right and wrong at this moment.

After reading it, Chen Shao casually handed the military report to Xu Jin, so that he could also see this extraordinary story.

Xu Jin skimmed through the text, then stood frozen in place.

After a moment, he said bitterly, "Outrageous! They actually want to cede Taiyuan! That scoundrel deserved to die! He should have died long ago!"

Chen Shao chuckled.

Xu Jin and his ilk have clearly come to regard Taiyuan as their own territory.

Wang Yun's attempt to force the court to cede Taiyuan was indeed despicable.

There is suspicion that they are trying to shift the blame westward.

If Taiyuan were ceded to the Jurchen Tartars, would they come to take it or not?
If they come, it will be a fierce battle between the Jurchens and Chen Shao, and they will reap the benefits.

Nowadays, apart from the troops of Li Xiaozhong and Wanyan Zonghan, the Dingnan Army in Yunzhong Prefecture occasionally engages in small-scale battles between scouts.

The overall situation has calmed down.

Both sides are accumulating strength for a major battle, which would be extremely costly.

Neither side wants to gamble everything and risk their lives.

If Wanyan Zonghan were to fight Chen Shao to the death, even if it were a Pyrrhic victory, it would only benefit other Jurchen nobles.

His own group of meritorious military generals was about to be completely marginalized from the power center of the Jurchens.

Chen Shao, on the other hand, was hesitant to commit his full resources to a decisive battle with the Jurchen Tartars.

He feared that the Song Dynasty would stab him in the back.

It doesn't necessarily have to be an open attack; given the Song Dynasty's nature, it's quite possible they'd secretly launch a sneak attack.

The hatred between Chen Shao and Wanyan Zonghan, and between the Dingnan Army and the Jurchen Western Route Army, is now so great that it is irreconcilable.

However, both sides must ensure that they do not pay too high a price when they eliminate the other, and they must also preserve their own strength as much as possible.

Xu Jin passed the military report to his entourage, and after reading it, everyone was filled with righteous indignation.

It seems they all consider Taiyuan as their own territory.

Chen Shao remained calm, because he had no hope for the Song Dynasty and therefore would not be disappointed.

In the past, I hoped they could be as good as possible, and I would write letters from time to time to ask the Song Dynasty to give me more time.

Chen Shao laughed and said, "Let him cede it if he wants. After he does, we will immediately lead our troops into Taiyuan."

After saying this, Chen Shao, accompanied by a group of guards and some agricultural experts, went to the city to check on the seeds he had acquired.

Even those with lofty ambitions must take things one step at a time, walking steadily and surely to achieve their goals. (End of Chapter)