You have truly caused me great suffering!

What Guo Hao held in his hand was a standard short-handled musket commonly used by the Song army, which was ten feet long.

This type of musket is slightly shorter than the long spears used by infantry, because more agility is required in mounted combat.

His men wore armor that was rare and complete with the standard uniforms of the Dingnan Army, a type of armor that was hard to come by in the Western Army.

At a glance, there should be more than five hundred riders.

This is what Yang Yizhong saw. To be honest, there weren't many people, but his palms were already sweating.

The opposing force wasn't blocking the way; those battle-hardened Yinzhou cavalrymen leaned forward slightly, their spears cocked, ready to charge at any moment.

The reputation of the Yinzhou soldiers was earned in Yunnei, where they fought to the death against the Jurchens, losing half their troops but refusing to retreat.

"My name is Yang Yizhong, a captain in the Capital's New Army."

Guo Hao nodded and said, "Since they are the new army of the capital, why are they heading north to aid the enemy? Are they perhaps going to surrender to the Jin?"

Yang Yizhong had unspeakable bitterness in his heart, because the imperial court, for the sake of face, did not publicly acknowledge the peace negotiations.

Although everyone knows it.

However, the peace negotiations in the Song Dynasty were indeed conducted in private, solely to expedite the withdrawal of the Jin troops.

If history is revised later, it can be erased and denied.

“I am acting on the orders of the Emperor and the Retired Emperor. Both of them have ordered me to travel north on a secret mission. Please make way for me.”

"What is being carried in the vehicle?" Guo Hao asked.

Yang Yizhong shook his head and said, "The two emperors gave orders, how dare I ask further?"

Guo Hao sneered and said, "Yang Yizhong, last night at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), you loaded these two carts of gold, totaling 100,000 taels, west of Yanfu Palace! When the Inner Palace was weighing them, because the amount exceeded the limit, the eunuch Huang Nian stole one ingot, and you pretended not to see it."

“At dawn you set off from Yanfu Palace, and to avoid being noticed, you even changed the canvas at Chenqiao Post Station.”

Yang Yizhong's face turned grim. He turned to look at his subordinates, realizing there was definitely a mole among them.

Many of the young military officers in the new army of the capital were promoted from the Western Army, especially the Zhong family army, which made significant contributions.

How many of these people are Chen Shao's men is really hard to say.

"Since you know this, why don't you make way? Are you plotting a rebellion?!"

Yang Yizhong gritted his teeth and said, cursing inwardly, "Since you've investigated so thoroughly, how could you not know what the Emperor instructed me to do when we set off at dawn today?"
This was the idea of ​​the two sages, and I was ordered to do it. Why are you making things difficult for me?
Guo Hao held his gun horizontally and said, "Yang Yizhong, your ancestors were loyal and brave for generations. Your father was renowned in Western Xia, and everyone in the Northwest knew of his loyalty and courage. Now you want to grovel and go to the Jin camp to offer gold."

"You've completely disgraced the Yang family!"

Yang Yizhong was immediately filled with shame and embarrassment.

If Guo Hao only scolded him, that would be fine, but bringing his father along would really make Yang Yizhong lose face.

Yang Zhen indeed had a good reputation in the Western Army, and his ancestors were all men of unyielding integrity. Why did he have to do this in secret today? Wasn't it because he was afraid of losing face if word got out?

The royal family is afraid of losing face, but isn't the Yang family afraid too? Speaking of which, our Yang family's reputation has always been better than that of the royal family.

Guo Hao and Yang Yizhong both came from the Western Army and had heard of each other.

Facing the Yinzhou soldiers who were ready to fight at any moment, Yang Yizhong sighed inwardly. He realized that he could no longer argue with them.

After the other person mentioned his father, every word I uttered felt light and airy.

"If you truly intercepted the two saints' gold, then..."

Guo Hao chuckled and said, "The Dingnan Army is not afraid."

"Then come on!"

Yang Yizhong brandished his spear and stood guard in front of the carriage. He was acting on the emperor's orders and could not simply hand it over.

The Dingnan Army detained Yang Yizhong's convoy, neither returning the goods nor releasing him.

The city of Bianliang was unusually quiet, as if no one knew about the incident.

Indeed, many people don't know this, but Emperor Zhao Huan and Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) certainly do.

Neither of them commented.

This is a somewhat embarrassing story. The reason Zhao Huan gave it to him was because he was afraid that Wanyan Zongwang would make a comeback.

The feeling of the Jurchen army pressing in was just too terrible, so he wanted to spend money to buy peace.

As for Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji), he didn't care since he wasn't the one paying for it.

As long as it doesn't interfere with my enjoyment, it's fine.

However, since this minor skirmish took place near Bianliang, it was inevitably witnessed by many people.

Most officials in the court remained silent.

Only the generals in the new army of the capital, who were young and impetuous, frequently went to their superiors to report that Yang Yizhong's fate was unknown and demanded that they lead troops to Pan Town to at least bring Yang Yizhong back.

But every time I tried to contact them, it was like throwing a stone into the sea; I received no response.

Guo Hao continued his inspection tour of Pan Town, and the soldiers who were changing shifts around him all turned to look at them.

Previously, the Dingnan Army had been far away and in a peaceful state; this was the first time it had shown its fangs.

This incident also serves as a reminder to the Song Dynasty that this is a formidable force capable of defeating the Jurchens, and you had better listen carefully to what they have to say.

Inside Yanfu Palace, in the royal treasury.

Zhao Huan and Shao Chengzhang are currently checking how much gold and silver they still have.

Having lost 100,000 taels of gold, Zhao Huan was very distressed, his face darkened, and he sighed repeatedly.

Shao Chengzhang was somewhat helpless.

He was definitely against peace talks; although this guy was a eunuch, he had a fierce and unyielding nature.

However, the actions of the Dingnan Army still upset him. Chen Shao didn't respect the imperial court at all. Sure enough, in the Northwest, once the army is strong and powerful, it is easy for them to become arrogant and disobedient.

The imperial treasury still contained a considerable amount of wealth, most of which was obtained through the confiscation of Tong Guan's assets.

Zhao Huan sighed. If he could send these things away in exchange for the Jurchens not advancing south and allowing him a few days of peace, he would be very willing.

Now that the first payment of reparations has been stolen, what will happen if Wanyan Zongwang blames them?
Hearing the sigh, Shao Chengzhang comforted him, saying, "Your Majesty need not worry. You can send someone to Taiyuan to ask Chen Shao to retake Yanshan Prefecture. With both Yanshan and Yunzhong Prefectures in Chen Shao's hands, he will surely devote all his efforts to defending against the Jurchens. The Tartars will be unable to advance south, and Chen Shao will be unable to extricate himself from the situation. This is the perfect opportunity for Your Majesty to work diligently to revitalize the Song Dynasty!"

Zhao Huan was easily swayed, and after listening, he looked up and asked, "Can you really stop the Jin army?"

"They marched from Dongsheng Prefecture of the former Liao Dynasty to Yunnei, and are now even attacking Weizhou. The land they have gained has all been snatched from the jaws of a tiger, fought hard against the Jin Dynasty. Now only Yanshan Prefecture remains, which they will surely be able to take."

"That's good, that's good. I am a foolish man and even more inept at writing. Send someone to tell Doctor Wu to write on my behalf and persuade Chen Shao to send troops."

“A few days ago, he wrote several letters urging for provisions, and we gave them to him. We told Minister Li not to stop him, because how can the soldiers fight Yanshan without provisions?”

Chen Shao petitioned for grain, which Zhao Huan had already approved, but Li Gang and Wu Min kept delaying the distribution.

Moreover, he was constantly urged to personally lead his troops to the capital.

Looking at the self-proclaimed foolish official, Shao Chengzhang felt a mix of emotions.
As expected of the noble and old-fashioned scholar-officials, the crown prince they personally trained perfectly meets their requirements.

Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time. If it weren't for foreign invasions and the rise of powerful regional powers, this emperor might have been hailed by civil officials as an unparalleled wise ruler.

At least in historical records, their evaluation will not be low.

After taking stock of the treasury, Zhao Huan ordered it to be well guarded and instructed Shao Chengzhang to be especially careful of the people coming from Genyue.

Although he was foolish, he had served Emperor Huizong for decades and knew his father's character all too well. Now that the Jin army had retreated, he would surely be short of money in a few days and would definitely set his sights on this sum.

Zhao Huan refused to give it to him because the court was desperately short of money and needed it everywhere.

His father spends money without any limit, often throwing away tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time, and does nothing of any use.

Just outside Yanfu Palace, an official was waiting on the palace road.

Shao Chengzhang examined the carriage carefully and said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, ahead is Prefect He of Kaifeng. He is still resentful about the recent theft of gold and is determined to investigate."

Zhao Huan immediately felt a headache coming on. "Do I need you to investigate?"
I already knew who did it. Everyone knows it was my money. I'm not worried, so why are you?

Zhao Huan whispered, "Let's take a detour."

Shao Chengzhang was directing the ceremonial guard when He, carrying his official robe, caught up with him.

"Your Majesty!" He called out as he quickly caught up.

Although he was a civil official, he ran quite fast and soon arrived at the imperial carriage.

He Xian bowed respectfully, and Zhao Huan asked, "Minister He, why did you stop me?"

"Your Majesty, I have ascertained that Yang Yizhong, a captain of the Capital New Army, has been detained by Guo Hao outside the city and is currently in his army! I request Your Majesty to issue an order to mobilize the Capital New Army to accompany me to retrieve him!"

Zhao Huan rubbed his forehead, without lifting the curtain, and said, "I have already made a decision on this matter, my dear minister, you need not interfere."

"Your Majesty, although the Northwest Dingnan Army is strong and well-equipped, it is ultimately a subject of the Great Song Dynasty. The relationship between ruler and subject is a fundamental principle that cannot be violated! Now, a mere commander under Chen Shao dares to detain the Emperor's personal guards in the capital region. His intentions are despicable. Even though Your Majesty is benevolent, you cannot tolerate such evil deeds!"

Shao Chengzhang couldn't stand it anymore. So you think you're the only one who's righteous? Even if you're righteous, you have to consider the situation. What time is it now?

The Dingnan Army opposed peace talks because the matter concerned their own interests. They were fighting the Jurchens on the front lines, so what was wrong with asking their own court not to supply the enemy with materials?

The authorities aren't even investigating, yet you insist on upholding justice. What is that if not pedantry?
You'll only be satisfied if you force the Dingnan Army to march south, right? Then you can die for your country in Bianliang, leaving behind a good reputation and moving yourself to tears.

This kind of idiot is so infuriating, it makes your teeth itch, yet he thinks he's so great and everyone else is spineless.

"What! The Emperor has already made arrangements, yet you remain so aggressive. You keep talking about the proper order between ruler and subject, is this the proper etiquette between a subject and his subjects?!"

He stiffened his neck, looking indignant, "Your Majesty, please explain clearly what arrangements were made, otherwise it is my duty to intervene!"

Shao Chengzhang's eyes turned cold, and he gave a signal to the guards to stop the man. He then continued on his way with the imperial palanquin.

He was still shouting loudly behind the imperial procession.

Zhao Huan hesitated for a moment, then said to Shao Chengzhang from inside the imperial carriage, "Send someone to explain the reasons to him and tell him to stop making a fuss. It's better to keep this matter discreet."
-
It was nearly dusk, and the setting sun hung beautifully on the eaves of the imperial city.

He withdrew his gaze from the radiant sunset, then turned to look towards Genyue. The contrast between the bright and dark light in the east and west at dusk seemed to enlighten him, and he lowered his head and pondered for a long time.

He lowered his head in resentment and muttered to himself, "With barbarian vassals outside and corrupt eunuchs and treacherous officials inside, the country is doomed!"

Although the emperor sent someone to explain, which eased his mood somewhat, he still harbored great resentment towards the eunuch Shao Chengzhang.

The person who came to reason with him was of considerable influence; he was Yuwen Xuzhong, an advisor to the emperor and his ministers.

Yuwen Xuzhong, sitting in a pavilion outside the imperial city, looked at He sitting opposite him and said earnestly, "Does Minister He really not understand His Majesty's intentions?"

He gave a cold laugh, shook his head, and remained silent.

Yuwen Xuzhong stopped trying to persuade him. He must have heard the reasoning countless times, but he always dismissed it as cowardly talk.

Only he himself was loyal and righteous. Yuwen Xuzhong was so clear-headed that he knew long ago that it was useless to persuade such a person.

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said, "The city of Bianliang has been quite unsettled lately. Prefect, you should take good care of yourself."

He said dismissively, "Oh? Can we scholar-officials be punished for our words?"

Yuwen Xuzhong gave him a meaningful look, then shook his head, got up, and left.

He had already realized that the Dingnan Army had its own spies in Bianliang, and a great many of them.
The fact that the families of Cai You and Cai Tiao all entered the territory of the Dingnan Army inevitably leads to much speculation.

How extensive were Cai Jing's connections in Bianliang?
Even after his old party, which hated him to the core, came to power, they dared not touch him easily. Even though his eldest son's crimes were irrefutable, he remained at large.

If he really compromises with Chen Shao, or even joins forces with him, that would be terrifying.

...

Several days later, He found an anonymous letter while working at the Kaifeng government office. When he opened it, he saw that someone had reported his clerk for accepting bribes.

He frowned. Who could have placed the letter on his desk without being discovered?

This made him somewhat unhappy, but he didn't think much of it, assuming it was done by his subordinates in the government office.

He immediately summoned the clerk into his study and questioned him. When the clerk realized that the matter had been brought to his attention, he dared not argue and hurriedly knelt down to defend himself, saying, "I only accepted some money and did not do anything illegal or corrupt."

He said sternly, "There's no such thing as taking money for nothing. If someone gives you something, they must have something in mind. If they find out you've done something wrong, what will you say then?"

The minor official said, "The messenger was a merchant from the Western Regions. Since he's established himself in Kaifeng, he needs to bribe officials in various ways. Everything in Kaifeng is under your jurisdiction, sir, and they're having trouble making connections. They heard I have influence with you, so they sent some money. It was just a casual offering of incense; they didn't ask me to do anything. Please, sir, show me mercy this time..."

He remained silent for a moment with a stern face. He was really reluctant to punish this clerk, because although this clerk held a low position, he had followed him for many years and was quite proficient in various paperwork tasks.

Many things were not actually done by him, the prefect, but by the lower-ranking officials.

The officials of the Song Dynasty were all real big shots, and few of them did the actual work.

Especially for civil officials, minor officials had low status and heavy workloads in the Song Dynasty, even in the government offices of Bianliang.

This minor official is easy to use, but if someone were to suddenly replace him, it would be very difficult to get used to, and everything would be a step behind.

It's like asking the magistrate of Yuncheng County to deal with Song Jiang; they certainly wouldn't want to, since he did all the work and did it well.

Besides, the clerk really didn't do anything particularly heinous; he was just greedy for money. Which clerk in any government office doesn't try to find loopholes to make some money?
If it were any other official, they certainly wouldn't care. But He does have some principles, which is why he hesitated a bit.

Although the kneeling clerk was very respectful and remorseful, he didn't seem particularly afraid. Having worked in the government office for many years, he knew the seriousness of the matter and that admitting his mistake was enough.

As expected, after thinking for a while, He said, "Return the money you received. Make a note of this, so it won't happen again!"

The minor official hurriedly kowtowed and thanked him, flattering him to settle the matter. As for repaying the money, he had no intention of doing so. The merchant caravan from the Western Regions had plenty of money and cultivated extensive connections in Bianliang. Even minor officials in powerful government offices could get their hands on some. He wondered who was so malicious as to report him to the prefect.

Unexpectedly, things did not go as smoothly as expected. Soon, the Censor-in-Chief impeached He for favoritism, protecting clerks who accepted bribes and were morally corrupt. He himself was stunned that such a trivial matter had reached the Censorate.

Are the censors so free? And how exactly was this matter leaked?
Soon, the palace issued an edict to severely punish the corrupt official. The head of the Imperial City Guard even personally ordered the official's arrest and imprisonment, and upgraded the charge of bribery to include a series of crimes such as colluding with the Hu people, almost to the point of treason.

He's crimes grew increasingly serious, and impeachment memorials rained down upon the emperor like snowflakes.

He originally intended to ignore him, believing that the innocent would clear themselves, but a few days later, the imperial decree came down, directly demoting him out of the capital!

His appointment as deputy commander of the local militia in Cangzhou was a complete demotion.

In the Song Dynasty, civil officials were rarely punished so severely for such mistakes.

Even if He were slow-witted, he would have realized that someone was setting him up.

Thinking of what Yuwen Xuzhong had said a few days ago, He couldn't help but feel a chill of fear.

Has the Dingnan Army's power grown so rapidly in the current imperial court?
Thinking back to the fact that most of those who impeached him a few days ago were officials from Hedong, he broke out in a cold sweat.

He wanted to investigate Yang Yizhong's case, and this had only just happened when he was immediately retaliated against.

This shows that within Bianliang City, they had spies to monitor officials, censors to impeach officials, and important officials who could influence government policies.
Outside the city, they even dared to intercept the carriages escorted by the emperor's personal guards.

Even the caravan that offered bribes came from the Western Regions, the heartland of the Dingnan Army. He immediately felt as if a net had been cast over his head.

A chill ran down his spine. He had been demoted to Cangzhou. Along the way, if they wanted to, he wouldn't even be able to save his life. Judging from the attitude of those people in the court, even if he died, not a single one of them would speak up for him.

The Dingnan Army, located a thousand miles outside Bianliang, has already achieved such control. (End of Chapter)