You have truly caused me great suffering!

Inside Genyue, after his initial shock subsided, Emperor Huizong was still gripped by lingering fear.

Liang Shicheng died; he was killed right in front of those ruthless officials.

Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) was a political man, and he absolutely refused to believe that his eldest son was unaware of this matter.

Although he had the new army in the capital, his son had just organized hundreds of thousands of people and fought fiercely with the Jurchen Tartars outside the city for several months.

These people have been under the command of Zhao Huan and Li Gang since the start of the war.

Judging others by his own standards, Zhao Ji immediately concluded that this was a palace coup orchestrated by Zhao Huan in order to completely seize imperial power.

If it weren't for Liu Qi and Wang De protecting him in time, he wouldn't have made it back!

With Liang Shicheng and Tong Guan both dead, Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) began to regret his actions.

Back then, we should have protected that lackey Tong Guan to the death. Although he had gotten himself into a terrible mess, he still controlled a considerable number of troops.

Now that Tong Guan is dead, the only troops he can rely on are the 30,000-strong new army that Gao Qiu trained for him at all costs.

Gao Qiu was truly risking his life this time. In order to repay Zhao Ji's kindness, he persisted in his duties even when he was seriously ill, daring not to slacken in the slightest.

Ask questions when you don't understand, learn when you don't understand, humbly seek advice from military generals, and personally go to the Northwest to select young military officers.
Just as the new army in the capital was beginning to show its prowess, Gao Qiu died of illness on the eve of the Jurchen Tartars' southward advance.

At this moment, Zhao Ji felt a sense of loneliness. His closest ministers were Liang Shicheng, Tong Guan, Wang Fu, Cai You, and Gao Qiu.
Three died, and two were expelled from the capital.

Cai Jing could be considered one of his confidants, although there was some distrust between them. At this time, Cai Jing was already very old and not far from death.

Cai Jing has held power for so many years, cultivating countless loyal followers and henchmen in Bianliang. He must already know the news, yet he hasn't sent anyone to communicate with Zhao Ji. In Zhao Ji's eyes, this is clearly a betrayal.

Only then did he realize that while he was enjoying his life in Genyue, his power was being gradually eroded.

Once power is lost, it's easy to lose it again; it's almost impossible.

Emperor Huizong of Tang considered a million possibilities, but he never considered one: that his son was actually a coward and a fool who had no intention of seizing power from him and was even more afraid than he was, hiding in the inner palace and not daring to come out.

In the matter of hiding in the inner palace and refusing to show themselves, the son finally resembled his father.
-
Cizhou, Gushan Camp.

After the Jurchen Tartars withdrew, the righteous army on the mountain slowly came down to clean up the ruined prefecture.

Zong Ze personally led some rebel leaders to the capital to accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty and investiture.

According to past practice, it would be sufficient to bring some military officers into the capital at this time, with a maximum of about a hundred guards.

But Zong Ze arrived with five thousand men.

In the autumn wind, this group of people, though dressed in tattered clothes, seemed to be in good spirits.

After all, they were the first to directly confront the Jurchens and were rooted in the Jurchens' transportation and supply lines, never withdrawing from Hebei.

Looking at the long queue, Yue Fei, who had stopped his horse by the roadside, had a solemn expression on his face, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

The events that occurred in Bianliang have spread throughout the land. After all, it happened in front of Xuande Gate, and countless people have heard and witnessed it, making it impossible to suppress the news.

Just a few years ago, Liang Shicheng was one of the most important figures in the Song Dynasty.

Aside from Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji), he was probably the most powerful person.

Not even one.

Now he was actually smashed to death in front of Xuande Gate.

At this time, if Commander Zong led his troops to Bianliang without making a statement, it would be considered as a statement.

That was exactly what Zong Ze was planning.

The literati of the Song Dynasty, especially the truly capable civil officials, were much bolder than the military generals.

Just then, Zong Ze's carriage passed by, and he saw Yue Fei through the curtain.

"Pengju, come to the car."

Zong Ze lifted the carriage curtain, said a sentence, and then coughed more than a dozen times.

Yue Fei dismounted, jumped into the carriage, and looked at Zong Ze, whose face was still a little red from coughing. He crossed his arms in the cramped carriage and said, "General Zong."

"On this trip to the capital, I will report your achievements. As you can see, I am in poor health." Zong Ze sighed and said, "I am certain that the Jurchens will return, and at that time, we may have to rely on you."

Yue Fei initially wanted to be modest, but then he realized that he did indeed have the ability.

In this day and age, he can no longer be modest. When the Jurchens invade the south again, won't they still have to rely on them to hold them off?

Thinking of this, he could only say in a deep voice, "Yue Fei dares not fail to exert his utmost strength!"

"Do you know why I brought these people with me on this trip to the capital?"

Yue Fei hesitated for a moment and said, "I shouldn't speak ill of Commander Zong, but I do have some thoughts, though I don't know if they're right or wrong."

Zong Ze was quite frank. He chuckled and said, "Nothing else, I'm just here to support our government!"

He pointed to the Taoist temples by the roadside and said, "See? When you get to Bianliang, you can find these Taoist temples and gardens every few steps. They keep groups of idle people inside. They don't have to do anything all day. The imperial court has to spend a lot of money to support them."

"Our Great Song Dynasty can no longer be ruled by the retired emperor. To put it bluntly, if he continues to govern the Great Song Dynasty, the country will soon perish!"

As Zong Ze got excited, his blood surged and he couldn't help but cough again.

Yue Fei looked at him with some concern, as General Zong had been unwell for some time.

While fighting the Jin invaders in Hebei, he was unable to rest and recuperate properly, and his condition worsened day by day.

"Although I haven't spent much time with the current emperor, I think he should be better than the retired emperor."

The two were talking when suddenly the sound of horses' hooves came from outside.

They didn't have that many warhorses themselves. Zong Ze and Yue Fei exchanged a glance, then lifted the carriage curtain and walked to the front of the carriage.

A cavalry force swept past like a whirlwind, kicking up clouds of yellow sand.

Zong Ze's eyes widened as he tried to see more clearly, but Yue Fei had already shouted, "They are soldiers from Yinzhou!"

Back then, he served as a squad leader of brave soldiers under Wang Bing, leading several fellow villagers and confidants to spy on the military situation in Yingzhou.

They thought they were going to spy on when the Jurchens would move south, but they unexpectedly saw Meng Nuan guarding Yingzhou. After lying in the grass for several days, they even saw the Yinzhou soldiers step into Yingzhou for the first time.

These soldiers left a deep impression on Yue Fei.

Zong Ze watched them rush north and seemed to understand something.

"Are you going to see Du Chong?"

Yue Fei nodded.

Zong Ze suddenly felt a pang of regret. Du Chong had driven him to the brink of despair. They were fighting guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines, and Du Chong had repeatedly withheld his military rations, causing the rebels to starve and flee down the mountain.

He could no longer tolerate it and resorted to using someone else to do his dirty work, but he did not expect that the knife would be so sharp.

These cavalrymen, moving in an unbroken line, galloped past the ranks of the rebels, creating a stark contrast.

No wonder they were able to travel such a long distance, from the northwest into Yunzhong Prefecture, and sweep through Shuozhou and Yingzhou, which were in a period of vulnerability, even faster than the Jurchen Tartars.

Judging from the military reports afterward, this was an iron army that could fight Jurchen warriors in the open field, and even with more than half of its soldiers killed or wounded, it did not retreat.

Although Du Chong was cruel and bloodthirsty, being bloodthirsty did not mean he was warlike.

In fact, Du Chong avoided the Jin soldiers like the plague. He killed refugees and displaced people who were much weaker than him, and at most, he killed some bandits.

Can he handle the elite cavalry of Yinzhou?

Zong Ze knew that the Jurchens would definitely make a comeback, and in the meantime, he hoped that the Song Dynasty would not fall into internal strife.

“Pengju, go and invite the military officer in charge of this force. I want to have a chat with him.”

Although this task was somewhat difficult, Yue Fei did not hesitate. He immediately jumped off the carriage and looked up through the dust to find the flag.

Once he found it, he rode over on horseback, where his guards demanded, "Who are you!"

"I am a subordinate of the Junior Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, and I have come here to request an audience with the general here."

After the guards dispersed, a rider emerged from behind, clad in light armor. He sized up Yue Fei and asked, "Are you the Junior Minister of the Imperial Clan Court who is fighting against the Jin in Cizhou?"

"Exactly!"

"We, the Dingnan Army, have nothing to say to you, but since it is the Junior Minister of the Imperial Clan Court of Cizhou who is fighting against the Jin, we must go and meet him. Lead the way!"

Yue Fei led him to Zong Ze's carriage.

Zong Ze had already dismounted from the carriage and was waiting by the roadside, while also watching the elite cavalry of Yinzhou.

This scene of thousands of troops was completely different from the marching of his own soldiers.

A short while later, Yue Fei and the others arrived, and after being introduced, they exchanged greetings.

"I am Li Yanqi, the cavalry commander under Commandant Qu Duan. I have long admired your courage in defending Cizhou alone and refusing to retreat!"

Zong Ze chuckled and said, "Your ability to defeat Zong Han in Yunnei and recapture Datong is what truly shows your skill."

These men were stationed with Qu Duan to guard Shuozhou and did not participate in the Battle of Datong, but it was fought by their own brothers, so Li Yanqi did not offer any explanation without being polite.

"The troops of Yinzhou live up to their reputation. Where is Commander Li headed?"

Li Yanqi, holding the riding whip, cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "We won the battle, and the Emperor gave us some rewards, so I went to fetch them."

Upon hearing this, Zong Ze realized he had guessed correctly; these people had indeed gone to Daming Prefecture to demand money.

Will Du Chong give it to me?
Will a conflict break out?
Zong Ze was very worried that the Song Dynasty could not afford to fall into chaos.

"The situation in Hebei is turbulent. The Jurchens have invaded the south, and we have incurred huge expenses everywhere. If those assets have been temporarily taken by others, please give Daming Prefecture some time to recover them."

Li Yanqi chuckled, "Don't worry, Junior Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, our Dingnan Army is the most reasonable."

They didn't talk much, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then Li Yanqi mounted his horse and took his leave.

After they left, Zong Ze's face showed even more worry. The conversation hadn't lasted long, but he had already sensed the imposing aura emanating from these people.

When they arrived, they must have received some kind of delegation of authority, and Zong Ze had no doubt that they would dare to take action.

Something might really go wrong in Daming Prefecture.
-
In Taiyuan Prefecture, road paving construction has begun.

There was not a single moment of delay.

Many children were lying on the roadside watching the laborers work. In fact, the roads near Taiyuan could be leveled a little.

You don't even have to move.

The most crucial part is still the north.

When Chen Shao was outside the city, the people around him were laughing heartily, and he himself also showed a smile appropriate to the occasion.

These officials and military officers from Hedong were genuinely happy, as the repair of this road would be entirely beneficial to both Hedong and the front lines.

Chen Shao had more to consider than they did, the first being money and provisions.

Merchants in Hedong can bear part of the cost, but then they will receive salt permits, which means they will lose some income.

The money hole wasn't plugged; they just kept robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Chen Shao has been thinking a lot these days, and he still feels that he has not put enough pressure on the court, so much so that the money and grain have not been delivered.

Although it's better than at the beginning of the war, it's still nothing compared to the current status of the Dingnan Army.

The expenses on all fronts, along with supplies from ourselves and the Song Dynasty court, were barely managed to cover 70% of the costs.

Just as Chen Shao was thinking about how to ask the official in Bianliang for more, a rider galloped in from afar.

The guard familiarly took the military report he handed over, and the scout turned back.

Chen Shao opened the military report, and after reading it, he stood there stunned.

Everyone around him was watching him.

Chen Shao said, "Liang Shicheng is dead."

"How did you die?"

Chen Shao handed the military report to Liu Jizu, who was closest to him. Liu Jizu held the report and read it aloud.

A gasp of amazement rose from the crowd.

Li Tangchen immediately said, "This is a struggle between the Emperor and the Retired Emperor, and it has escalated to the point of killing in front of the Emperor!"

Their reasoning was correct, but what Li Tangchen failed to realize was that the officials of the Song Dynasty were far more powerful than the emperor.

Neither of the two saints knew about this.

To say that Yuwen Xuzhong committed a crime of passion would be incorrect. He quickly grasped the situation and seized the only opportunity.

At this point, unless you're a god, no one can fully understand the situation.

This event was entirely accidental.

Chen Shao felt the same way; like everyone else, he believed this was a carefully orchestrated scheme by the old faction officials around Zhao Huan.

In this light, the emperor wasn't so bad; he knew how to limit his father's power.

If Emperor Huizong of Song were given even a little bit of imperial power, who knows what kind of trouble he would cause.

"General, should we..."

Chen Shao nodded and said, "I support the current emperor because he has given us some military rations since he ascended the throne."

"When that retired emperor was in power, he didn't give any money at all. Moreover, if the retired emperor gained power, people like Wang Fu, Zhu Mian, and Li Yan would come out again to cause trouble for people."

"These men are all incredibly wealthy. If we could kill them, it would be enough to feed all the powers within the Song Dynasty."

The crowd was inexplicably excited upon hearing this; the commander's expression of support for one side was no small matter.

It might just shake up the entire global situation.

However, no one knew whether he was just talking or if he would actually follow through.

Chen Shao paused only slightly before saying, "I think it's time to head east."

Hedong, while not exactly a monolithic entity, was essentially Chen Shao's territory.

He heavily relied on local people from Hedong; they chose Chen Shao, not the other way around.

In this way, the interests of both sides are bound together, and the Dingnan Army, which is advancing rapidly, has now been bound to another force.

Once the roads between Taiyuan and Yingzhou are built, Dingnan Army and Hedong will be even more closely connected.

The large army gathered in the various prefectures of Yunnei could reach Taiyuan in no time. Now that this territory was secure, those who followed Chen Shao would naturally not be content with the status quo.

They will spontaneously seek greater benefits.

Expansion is imperative.
-
Bianliang City.

A group of officials gathered at Li Gang's residence, including Wu Min, who had been vying for power with him recently.

Now that the Jurchens have just withdrawn, everything is in ruins and there are still many things to be done.

But suddenly, a large crowd of people gathered outside the city, all wanting to enter the city to quell the situation.

Li Gang was a little angry; they were all just there to cause trouble. Only when Zong Ze arrived did he feel relieved.

He didn't trust other people, but he trusted Zong Ze's men.

The new army in the capital did not allow any troops to enter, so Zong Ze could only lead Yue Fei, Wang Shan and others into the city.

The Hebei troops remained outside the city.

As soon as they entered the city, carriages and horses were waiting to take them to Li Gang's residence.

Zong Ze and the others stepped inside, and the people inside all stood up.

"Brother Rulin!"

Zong Ze was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and had some connections with these civil officials.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone took their seats. Wu Min spoke first, saying, "The current situation is very clear. If we don't rescue Shutong and let him be convicted, the treacherous faction will definitely regain control of the court. Although the Emperor isn't showing his face, he's definitely on our side!"

Li Gang nodded and said, "Not only should we rescue Shutong, but we should also request the execution of Cai Jing, Cai You, Wang Fu, Zhu Mian, and Li Yan! Once these traitors are killed, the truth will be set!"

Wu Min also agreed to execute the traitors. He pondered and said, "I think we can bring out Cai Jing and his son first, otherwise it will be too difficult."

Killing only the last few, one by one, is indeed relatively easy to achieve.

If we try to take drastic measures right away, they will definitely resist. Cai Jing is a cunning and shrewd fellow, not easy to deal with.

Wang Fu was a sycophant who relied entirely on the emperor's favor. He had no real ability, and his biggest backer, Liang Shicheng, was also dead.

Zhu Mian and Li Yan were even more so; they were merely tools for the emperor to amass wealth and had no real power, making them easy to kill.

Furthermore, there is another point he did not explicitly state here: No matter how much people hate Cai Jing, he is a scholar-official. If we kill him today, wouldn't the New Party come to kill us tomorrow if they gained power?

After so many years of factional strife in the Song Dynasty, the worst that could happen to someone who failed was being banished from the capital and losing their central decision-making power. There was no reason for such noble and upright officials to be beheaded.

Li Gang was straightforward and outspoken. Upon hearing this, he said, "If we don't kill Cai Jing, how can we win over the people!"

Inside the room, a group of old party officials were now divided into two factions, arguing fiercely about whether or not to kill Cai Jing.

Zong Ze coughed lightly, stood up and said, “Gentlemen, I don’t think it’s time to discuss who to kill yet. Right now, we should contact everyone and strengthen our forces to secure our own position. The new army in the capital is in the hands of the Emperor Emeritus. Although I don’t know why he hasn’t made any moves, he will eventually figure it out.”

"Our Emperor Emeritus is quite clever!"

Everyone fell silent again, seemingly recalling the series of measures the retired emperor had taken after ascending the throne and assuming personal rule, which had suppressed the ministers to their knees.

"Now, the only thing we can do is rescue Yuwen Shutong from prison and establish a moral order. Everything else will fall into place naturally," Zong Ze said. "I'll go and visit the generals of the new army in the capital. I'll appeal to their emotions and reason with them. If I can persuade them to abandon their evil ways and embrace the light, then the matter will be settled!"

Zong Ze was very skilled at persuading people, and many people would become his confidants in no time after talking with him.

This was the case for many of the rebel armies in Hebei.

Li Gang asked with some concern, "Brother Rulin, if you go alone, I'm afraid there might be someone in the new army in the capital who wants to harm you."

Zong Ze chuckled, "It's alright."

"Do you really have to go in person?"

Zong Ze looked at his colleagues, let out a long sigh, and said, "With something like this happening in Bianliang, we're definitely not the only ones watching. If we don't resolve this quickly, there could be unforeseen consequences."

He was actually somewhat dissatisfied with Li Gang and others.

We must act decisively on the very first day this happens; we can't let it linger overnight.

Yuwen Xuzhong was able to kill someone at Xuande Gate, how come you don't even have that much courage?

That very day, they coerced the government to demand Yuwen Xuzhong's release. Who would dare to confront the government?
He's hiding in the inner palace and doesn't want to go. Can't you force him to go?
Then, with swift and decisive action, he led His Majesty to seize the opportunity to take over the new army in the capital, completely undermining the authority of the retired emperor.

If all else fails, there are so many troops outside the city, all of whom you personally commanded.

Bringing in troops would be fine too!
Hedong, Taiyuan Prefecture.

Qu Duan was summoned back to Taiyuan and hurriedly rode over.

A familiar young figure sat inside the large tent, casually poking at the campfire in the center.

Beside him, his inseparable bodyguard Dong Dahu stood holding a knife.

Generals including Pang Ge also arrived and nodded to Qu Dian.

There were also some people he didn't recognize, but they seemed to be the general's newly recruited confidants in Hedong.

Although Qu Duan was arrogant, he wasn't completely outrageous. He stepped forward respectfully and bowed.

Chen Shao nodded and said, "Sit down, we have something important to discuss."

A guard brought over a chair and asked Qu Duan to sit down as well.

Chen Shao said, "Have you heard about what happened in Bianliang?"

Qu Duan nodded quickly. The matter had been widely discussed, with all sorts of rumors circulating.

There were even rumors that the retired emperor had died; there were also whispers that the emperor had died and the retired emperor had regained power.

Chen Shao said, "We have already mobilized officials from Hedong to create momentum for Yuwen Xuzhong in the court. After you return, lead your troops south. There's no need to rush; just the act of marching is enough."

Near Bianliang, we already have enough troops; three thousand cavalry is just right, any more wouldn't be good.

Chen Shao's real purpose in sending Qu Duan south was not Bianliang. What he truly wanted to intimidate was Luoyang, the western capital.

Qu Duan could only submit to orders here, silently keeping Chen Shao's instructions in mind.

Li Tangchen said with some regret, "It's a pity we're too far away. If the commander were in Bianliang, this would be a good opportunity for us."

Chen Shao turned slightly and glanced at him. Even though everyone here is one of our own, you can't be so blunt.

"We need to act quickly. Those old party officials in the court aren't all pushovers. If they beat us to it and get to the bottom of this, we won't be able to get involved."

Besides a group of officials from Hedong who cheered him on, he also had a secret network in the imperial court.

That was Cai Jing, his half-ally.

From the time the Jurchens marched south and Emperor Huizong abdicated, the shrewd and calculating Cai Jing began to look for a way out for himself.

Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for so many years and brought down countless people, how could Cai Jing not know that after Zhao Ji abdicated, all of them would suffer?

He knew better than anyone the fate of the losers. He had seen Tong Guan fall, and Liang Shicheng had also fallen, but Cai Jing was still someone people feared.

The way out he chose was Chen Shao, for which he was willing to send his eldest son to suffer.

Chen Shao didn't know what Cai Jing was thinking, or whether he would completely side with him.

While I'm away, he might be able to cooperate with me when he's in the capital.

Now that he's about to extend his reach to Bianliang, he wonders whether the Grand Chancellor Cai will welcome him or try to stop him.

Just as Chen Shao was arranging for Qu Duan to go south, many people were also sitting in the inner study of Cai Jing's residence.

Cai Jing himself was not present; he was in his bedroom meeting with a very important person.

Once the two of them finish their conversation, the decision of which side our group should support will be finalized.

At this time, those who could still enter this place were naturally Cai Jing's most trusted confidants and die-hard friends.

Having ruled the country for over a decade, with his protégés and former officials filling the court, Cai Jing was quite different from Liang Shicheng.

Liang Shicheng's confidants were bound together by shared interests, while Cai Jing's confidants were formed through a succession of mentors and disciples.

During Cai Jing's most troubled period, even a spacious inner study could not possibly accommodate his trusted confidants.

Since Cai Jing's career stalled, many of his followers lost heart and left to seek better opportunities elsewhere.

Those that remain are essentially purified, becoming extremely loyal.

At the height of Cai Jing's power, almost all the important positions in the government were controlled by Cai Jing's faction.

The so-called Cai Party, by its very name, is a new party that originated from Wang Anshi's reforms.

With the support of several emperors, the New Party had become a considerable political force.

Cai Jing nominally claimed to have inherited Wang Anshi's spirit of reform, but in reality, they were not completely unrelated, nor could they be said to have much connection.

Regardless of the methods Wang Anshi used to create the so-called New Party of the Great Song Dynasty, or whether his policies were too radical or reasonable, you can ignore them.

However, as a scholar-official, Wang Anshi's integrity and moral character were truly impeccable.

His guiding principle was to preside over and implement reforms to save the Song Dynasty from its incurable crisis, to ensure its survival and to remedy the ills of the time.

The so-called New Party, which claimed to have inherited the spirit of Wang Anshi, had completely changed its appearance. Especially after Cai Jing rose to power, their entire guiding principle became to attach themselves to the emperor's power, consolidate their own position, and enjoy wealth and honor.

At the same time, they were fully committed to targeting the conservative faction; whatever the other side supported, they were determined to oppose. The division between parties was nothing more than a struggle for power, and had nothing to do with whether or not a reform movement was taking place.

The old faction of the Song Dynasty was no good either.

The purpose of the old party was to firmly uphold the principle that the monarch and the scholar-officials should jointly govern the country, and the monarch should never infringe upon the interests of the scholar-officials, nor should he take any action to change this pattern.

Several generations of monarchs unanimously favored the New Party because it was indeed a good tool for expanding monarchical power.

The emperors of the Song Dynasty all wanted to have absolute imperial power like Zhao Ji, and they strived for it generation after generation.

What's the point of a monarch and scholar-officials ruling the world together? If one had the opportunity to seize all power, who would want to share the world with someone else?

Therefore, the New Party members who remained by Cai Jing's side at this time were not truly committed to reform; they were merely a group seeking to consolidate their own power and wealth.

They chose Cai Jing, believing that this elderly man could still lead them forward.

Just like it has been happening for the past ten years or so, the old party will be firmly trampled underfoot.

For the past ten years or so, they have been dependent on absolute imperial power. Although the current emperor has heavily relied on the old party since ascending the throne.

However, the old party was born to contend with imperial power, and the emperor will naturally understand after a while.

He will come back and value these people again; everyone who remains by Cai Jing's side thinks so.

But the current emperor seems to really be indifferent, showing no intention of taking back the imperial power from the old party. Instead, he keeps delegating power to Li Gang and Wu Min.

Everyone was starting to despair, but the sudden Xuande Gate Incident gave them a chance to turn things around.

Has the government finally started to care about power?
Logically speaking, Zhao Ji was their ally. It was Zhao Ji who single-handedly supported the New Party and completely suppressed the Old Party.

But most people still wanted to support the new emperor, because the retired emperor was truly terrifying.

Even Cai Jing felt deeply powerless in the face of his unparalleled and extravagant talent.

If we let him continue to govern, everyone will have to rack their brains to get money for him. We've been suffering like this for over a decade, and everyone is exhausted.

Under Zhao Ji's mismanagement, the Song Dynasty not only became dysfunctional, but also suffered from internal discord and mutual suspicion.

It's like sitting on a volcano; if anything major happens, it will immediately fall apart!

At this moment, Cai Jing was in his room having a private conversation with Liu Guanglie.

After learning that Chen Shao wanted him to cooperate in rescuing Yuwen Xuzhong and then suppressing Zhao Ji.

Cai Jing remained unmoved. In fact, he shared the same idea, but he would never reveal it to Liu Guanglie.

The Song Dynasty can no longer withstand further turmoil, and Zhao Ji will certainly cause more trouble after he ascends to the throne.

That's just the kind of person he is; no one understands him better than Cai Jing.

The current emperor favors the old faction, but so what? Back then, he only had the old faction around him. If he didn't use Li Gang, would he use Wang Fu?
Once his own people are also close to the government, he will naturally compare and weigh the options.

What emperor doesn't love his power? We, this new party, are here to help the emperor consolidate his power!

Liu Guanglie recounted the letter Chen Shao had sent to Cai Jing, and the room fell silent.

Cai Jing's old eyes were half-closed, as if he hadn't heard Liu Guanglie's words.

After a long silence, Cai Jing said calmly, "Since your cousin has a strong army and can intimidate Bianliang, let him do it himself. What more is there to say?"

Liu Guanglie smiled and said, "With the court in such an unstable state, and without the Grand Chancellor stepping in, when will the situation be stabilized? If things continue to be so chaotic, the Jurchens will likely invade the south again, and the consequences will be even more dire than this time. Grand Tutor, you are a veteran minister of the Song Dynasty. Do you really want to just stand by and watch all this happen?"

Cai Jing also had some grievances against Chen Shao, having heard that his eldest son was frequently beaten in Hedong.

Even though sending them there meant they'd get beaten up, Chen Shao, you should have just given them a token beating. Why did the fight keep going on and on?

He closed his eyes and shook his head: "I am old... I have received great favor from the Emperor, how could I do anything to harm him?"

Chen Shao sent Liu Guanglie here to contact Cai Jing. The biggest advantage of this was that Liu Guanglie didn't know much.

He's a very simple person and won't let Cai Jing steer the conversation off-topic. No matter what you say, I don't even think about it.

I relayed the message to my cousin, Liu Guanglie, who remained completely calm and said softly, “Grand Tutor, when the Jurchens marched south and besieged Bianliang, the retired emperor abdicated and fled, which already caused him to lose the hearts of the people.”

After this, may I ask the Prime Minister, is it possible for the Song Dynasty to return to its former state?
Moreover, no one in the world understands the affairs of the Song Dynasty better than the Grand Tutor. Internally, the treasury is exhausted, and externally, the military garrisons are too powerful to control. Except for Bianliang, the livelihoods of the common people are in dire straits.

Not to mention the Jurchens eyeing us covetously in the north, and besides our Dingnan Army, does the Song Dynasty have anyone else capable of defending against them?

Liu Sanye shouted these words with great force, having practiced them dozens of times at home, and after finishing, he seemed to want more.

Cai Jing opened his eyes, his old age vanished, and he eloquently declared, "How long will the fate of the Great Song Dynasty last? I dare not say."

But if your cousin comes to the capital, he will only be plotting a coup and causing chaos among powerful officials! After Wang Mang, there was still the Eastern Han Dynasty for two hundred years. After Cao Cao, the Han Dynasty lasted for several decades.

The Rebellion of the Eight Princes led to the southward migration of the Jin dynasty. After the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang dynasty lasted a century! And what became of the likes of Wang Mang and Dong Zhuo?

He wanted to warn Liu Guanglie and Chen Shao behind him, but Liu Guanglie didn't understand at all.

Having finished reciting most of his lines, Liu Sanye was now completely letting his true feelings show. He scratched his head and asked with dissatisfaction, "We're talking about our own affairs, why are you bringing up these characters from plays, like Wang Mang and Cao Cao? They've been dead for so long, what does it have to do with us?"

Grand Tutor Cai never imagined that one day he would suffer because he was too cultured. Looking at Liu Guanglie's glaring dissatisfaction, Cai Jing felt somewhat desperate.

That little bastard Chen Shao sent such a blockhead to negotiate with me; it's really going too far.

His attempt to bluff and intimidate him, hoping to gain more advantages, was utterly useless! (End of Chapter)