Song Xiu

Chapter 153 Yanqing Fears and Submits to the Unpredictable Emperor
The prison door creaked open, and the smell of rust mixed with mildew wafted out.

Led by Lü Yuqing, Zhao Dexiu walked step by step toward the dark dungeon of Kaifeng Prefecture.

As Lü Yuqing walked ahead, he spoke:
“I showed Fu Yanqing the forged imperial edict as soon as he was imprisoned.”

After reading the forged edict, Fu Yanqing remained silent, seemingly determined to deny it to the death.

When it came to denying it to the death, Lü Yuqing showed no concern.

With witnesses and physical evidence present, even if Fu Yanqing denies it to the death, the Fu clan's crime of treason is undeniable.

Zhao Dexiu remained silent as he listened to Lü Yuqing's account.

After Lü Yuqing led Zhao Dexiu to the outside of a prison gate, he bowed to Zhao Dexiu and said:

"Fu Yanqing is being held inside."

"Your Majesty, I will keep watch outside. Please feel free to ask me anything."

On that day in Chongyuan Hall, Zhao Dexiu specified that Zhao Pu, Zhang Zhao, and Lü Yuqing would jointly try Fu Yanqing.

Logically speaking, to ensure the fairness of the trial, no one else should be allowed to see Fu Yanqing before the three-person joint trial.

Normally, if Zhao Dexiu were to meet Fu Yanqing, Zhao Pu and Lü Yuqing wouldn't say anything, except for Zhang Zhao.

There are honest ministers in the court.

When Zhang Zhao became stubborn, he even confronted Zhao Kuangyin to his face.
Although Zhang Zhao's temperament was sometimes disliked by those in power, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Dexiu knew that the newly established dynasty needed upright officials like Zhang Zhao, so the father and son were quite lenient towards him.

To avoid getting Zhang Zhao's spittle on his face, Zhao Dexiu had no choice but to resort to a sneaky trick.

Of course, to achieve this secret maneuver, Lü Yuqing's assistance was indispensable.

"You're very kind, Lü Qing."

After nodding in acknowledgment, Lü Yuqing bowed and left.

Before leaving, Lü Yuqing glanced at Lü Duan, who had been following behind Zhao Dexiu, and a satisfied look appeared on his face.

After Lü Yuqing's figure disappeared, Zhao Dexiu strode into the shadows and arrived at the front and back of the prison door. His gaze fell on Fu Yanqing's tightly shackled hands.

"Lord Fu, how have you been?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it broke the silence of the prison.

Fu Yanqing was the court's number one criminal, and his cell was empty.

"How are you?"

Upon hearing the voice, Fu Yanqing, whose face was gaunt, looked up at Zhao Dexiu.

"So it's the Prince of Jin who has arrived."

"It's rare that Your Highness would still address me as Lord Fu. I just wonder, in Your Highness's opinion, am I in any good condition?"

As he spoke, Fu Yanqing chuckled and raised the heavy shackles in his hand. The shackles swayed, and a sharp sound rang out inside and outside the cell.

"Whether I'm well or not, isn't it all thanks to Your Highness?"

Fu Yanqing's words were laced with undisguised sarcasm.

Fu Yanqing would certainly recognize Fu's handwriting.

After seeing the forged edict, he knew he was doomed.

With Fu Yanqing's shrewdness, he could easily figure out that the sudden turn of events was orchestrated by Zhao Dexiu.

Does the truth of "spreading rumors to mislead the emperor" and "forging imperial edicts to plot rebellion" still matter now?
Fu Yanqing's sarcasm angered Lü Duan.

As the saying goes, "A subject dies when his lord is humiliated," and Lü Duan instinctively wanted to step forward and refute him.

Before Lü Duan could speak, Zhao Dexiu stopped him.

"It is normal for Lord Fu to harbor resentment after suffering such a great calamity."

After stopping Lü Duan, Zhao Dexiu looked at the food that had been eaten in the prison and said softly:
"According to Prefect Lü, when Lord Fu was first imprisoned, he was on a hunger strike. Since he was willing to eat now, it seems that Lord Fu has changed his mind."

If I'm not mistaken, does Lord Fu wish to hear the court's verdict in person?

Although Zhao Dexiu's voice was soft, his words caused Fu Yanqing's expression to change slightly.

Fu Yanqing raised his eyes and looked at Zhao Dexiu with a wary gaze:

"The court officials all praised His Highness, saying he closely resembles His Majesty, but they were all mistaken."

Your Highness is not a second His Majesty; Your Highness understands people's hearts better.

I once thought that Your Majesty was already at the pinnacle of power before ascending the throne, so why would you need to risk launching a coup?

Today I finally understand.

"It turns out that at that time, His Majesty considered himself Emperor Xuan of Jin, and His Highness Emperor Jing of Jin."

Perhaps because he had figured out something that had been bothering him for a long time, or perhaps because he felt that his defeat to Zhao Dexiu was not unjust, Fu Yanqing laughed after he finished speaking.

Fu Yanqing's laughter made Zhao Dexiu squat down slightly.

This posture allowed him to clearly see the changes in Fu Yanqing's expression.

"Fu Gong has been able to weather the storms of the world for decades, and he truly has a remarkable character. Even with the death penalty imminent, he can still laugh. No wonder he has been able to guard Hebei for so many years."

Zhao Dexiu first praised Fu Yanqing, then changed the subject:
"Speaking of Hebei, doesn't Lord Fu want to know about Daming Prefecture?"

Upon hearing Zhao Dexiu mention Daming Prefecture, Fu Yanqing's laughter abruptly ceased.

Daming Prefecture was Fu Yanqing's base of operations, with half of the Fu clan residing in the capital and the other half in Daming Prefecture.

Fu Yanqing's reaction was keenly observed by Zhao Dexiu.

Seeing that the test had worked, he continued:

"A few days ago, there was a military report from Daming Prefecture that Fu Zhaoyuan, after learning that Lord Fu had been imprisoned, led his troops to expel the court officials and closed the city gates, thus creating a separatist regime."

He has such audacity!

Fu Zhaoyuan is Fu Yanqing's second son, and also Fu Yanqing's most valued son.

When Fu Yanqing arrived in the capital, he left Fu Zhaoyuan in Daming Prefecture as a precaution.

Upon hearing that Fu Zhaoyuan, after receiving the news, did not immediately lead her people to flee to the Khitan, but instead thought of raising an army to resist, a look of panic appeared on Fu Yanqing's face for the first time.

"After years of chaos, it became almost a regular occurrence for the sons of military governors to rebel in the regional military commands."

Which predecessor does the second son of Lord Fu want to emulate?
Unfortunately, he didn't know that times had changed. I had already dispatched Cao Bin, the deputy envoy of the Divine Martial Army, to lead troops north. It wouldn't be long before news of victory arrived from Daming Prefecture.

Zhao Dexiu's words intensified the panic on Fu Yanqing's face.

Fu Yanqing knew that Zhao Dexiu was telling the truth.

The Imperial Guards were far more powerful than the Tianxiong Army, and with Zhao Dexiu's repeated victories, the imperial court's military might had already taken deep root in people's hearts.

Fu Yanqing had previously felt that there was no hope of openly rebelling, so he thought of starting from the political level.

Fu Zhaoyuan is young and has no prestige. How could he possibly defeat the Imperial Guard?

Zhao Dexiu had been paying close attention to Fu Yanqing's emotional changes.

Unbeknownst to her, Zhao Dexiu had completely seized control of the conversation.

"Master Fu is a veteran of countless battles. Why don't you guess how many days it will take Cao Bin to breach the city?"

Zhao Dexiu's question immediately broke Fu Yanqing's defenses.

Enraged, Fu Yanqing unleashed tremendous strength. In desperation, he dragged the heavy iron chain and lunged at the fence. Gazing at Zhao Dexiu so close at hand, he pounded the fence with his hands, roaring incessantly:

"The Fu family has rendered meritorious service to the country, truly meritorious service to the country!"

"Why must you exterminate them all? Why?!"

The angry roars and the clanging of the chains mingled together, seemingly shaking the entire cell.

Although Fu Yanqing was only a few steps away from Zhao Dexiu, those few steps seemed like an insurmountable chasm because of the fence.

The thick fences at this moment are a concrete manifestation of the power in Zhao Dexiu's hands.

Why did Fu Yanqing still have the mind to mock Zhao Dexiu after being arrested and imprisoned?

Because in Fu Yanqing's mind, his failure in the political struggle meant nothing more than death, and he was not afraid of death.

Fu Yanqing's Achilles' heel lies in the continuation of his family line.

Many of the clansmen he brought to Bianjing were from collateral branches; he placed the hopes of the Fu clan in Daming Prefecture.

Knowing he was doomed, Fu Yanqing still wanted to hold on until the day of the verdict, just to find out how the court would punish the Fu family. But now, Fu Yanqing's only hope had been seized by Zhao Dexiu.

How could this not drive Fu Yanqing crazy?
The roar was right next to his ear, but Zhao Dexiu's expression remained unchanged.

Amidst the roars, Zhao Dexiu calmly replied:

"I don't like anyone to be beside my bed."

From the perspective of the Song Dynasty, its neighbors included the Khitan, Southern Tang, and Western Shu.

From Zhao Dexiu's perspective, besides the enemy forces, there were also powerful military governors with deep roots throughout the country beside his bed.

Does it matter whether the Fu family has made contributions to the country?
Does it matter whether Fu Yanqing himself is of high moral character?

None of this mattered to Zhao Dexiu.

For Zhao Dexiu, the important thing was that when a force threatened him, he either had to accept reform like Murong Yanzhao and Shi Shouxin, and temporarily retire.

Or they would end up like Fu Yanqing, with their entire clan imprisoned and executed.

Zhao Dexiu's answer was like an icicle, shattering the momentum that Fu Yanqing had painstakingly built up.

Fu Yanqing's face was growing increasingly ashen.

The world has been in chaos for too many years, so chaotic that Fu Yanqing has forgotten that imperial power should be supreme.

A feeling of despair enveloped Fu Yanqing's heart.

At this moment, Fu Yanqing laid down all his reliance and pride in front of Zhao Dexiu.

The emperor's power is overwhelming; all that remains is submission.

"Please, Your Highness, please leave a bloodline for the Fu family."

The Fu family cannot perish in my hands.

Fu Yanqing's plea was tinged with sobs.

Zhao Dexiu smiled in response to Fu Yanqing's request.

The reason he still addressed Fu Yanqing as "Lord Fu" was because he still had value to him.

If it has value, it's not impossible to make an exception.

"When the Imperial Guards searched the Fu residence, they found dozens of secret letters, most of which were correspondence with the military governors of various towns."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yanqing's lips parted slightly, and he gradually realized Zhao Dexiu's purpose.

I have read most of the contents of the letters.

The letter mainly concerned embezzlement of military rations and the imposition of unauthorized customs duties.

I am very dissatisfied with those charges.

I hope that Lord Fu can help the country.

Zhao Dexiu came to see Fu Yanqing today because he wanted Fu Yanqing to do him a big favor.

The crime of forging an imperial edict was enough to completely destroy the Fu clan, but was Zhao Dexiu's entire scheme merely aimed at the Fu clan?

Zhao Dexiu's idea was to use Fu Yanqing's forged imperial edict to thoroughly implement the "abolishing the branch prefectures" policy.

To ensure the thorough implementation of this new policy, it is essential to eliminate the stubborn local military governors.

It wouldn't be difficult for the imperial court to punish the military governors; how many military governors in the country have clean hands?
However, any political action must avoid sweeping generalizations; otherwise, if the military governors of the entire country unite, the foundation of the Song Dynasty will be shaken.

Moreover, at the beginning of his reign, Zhao Kuangyin promised to "start anew with the world" in order to stabilize the foundation of the Song Dynasty.

Unable to launch a sweeping generalization or dredge up old grievances, Zhao Dexiu had only one best way to punish the stubborn local military governor:
Instruct Fu Yanqing to use the charge of being an accomplice to implicate those disobedient military governors.

As for who obeys and who does not, Zhao Kuangyin already had a list, and this list is currently in the hands of Zhao Dexiu.

With a glance from Zhao Dexiu, Lü Duan took out a list and placed it in front of Fu Yanqing.

Looking at the names on the list, Fu Yanqing's face turned ashen.

If he had a choice, he wouldn't want the Fu clan to cut themselves off from all the military governors in the world, but unfortunately he has no choice now.

By the dim light in the cell, Fu Yanqing memorized the names on the list one by one.

"I have noted it down."

Zhao Dexiu was quite satisfied with Fu Yanqing's cooperation.

But what he needs Fu Yanqing's help with today is not just these things.

Zhao Dexiu looked at Fu Yanqing and said:
"Doesn't Lord Fu think that the claim of treason by forging an imperial edict, involving only a few traitorous officials within the country, is too simplistic?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Yanqing's body trembled.

Who else do you want me to bite?
Seeing Fu Yanqing's surprise and doubt, Zhao Dexiu's face showed a cautious expression.

“The enemy state has never given up its desire to destroy our Great Song.”

In my opinion, the state of Shu is quite suspicious in this matter!

Zhao Dexiu always remembered Meng Chang's act of leading troops to support Zhou Xingfeng when the Wuping Kingdom was destroyed.

If the Shu army had entered the borders of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Dexiu would have had a legitimate reason to launch his campaign against Shu in the future.

Unexpectedly, when the general from Shu heard that Zhao Dexiu had sent troops to block them, he did not set foot on the border of the Great Song Dynasty. After the news of the battle on Dongting Lake spread, the Shu army retreated directly.

Zhao Dexiu, who had always remembered this incident, would not allow the Shu Kingdom to escape this time.

Zhao Dexiu's idea made Fu Yanqing smile wryly.

"On the one hand, they abolish the subordinate prefectures, and on the other hand, they launch a western expedition against Shu. This is truly a tactic that turns the world upside down!"

The continuous rain made Zhao Kuangyin's journey back to the capital quite difficult.

The flood destroyed many sections of the official road, directly delaying Zhao Kuangyin's journey back to the capital.

Upon learning of the unfavorable weather, Zhao Kuangyin, preoccupied with matters of state, initially intended to ride ahead and return directly to Bianjing.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he had this idea, he was strongly advised against it by the court officials who accompanied him.

"Even a son of a wealthy family would not sit under a dangerous roof, let alone the emperor."

As the saying goes, water and fire are merciless. Zhao Kuangyin was indeed a master of martial arts, but even the strongest personal martial prowess is useless when faced with natural disasters.

Not only did other ministers strongly advise against it, but Zhao Guangyi himself did as well.

The guilt of "negligence" already filled Zhao Guangyi with dread. If he failed to fulfill his duty to protect the emperor and Zhao Kuangyin were to encounter some accident on the road, he would truly be beyond redemption even by death.

Zhao Guangyi led his ministers to stand guard outside Zhao Kuangyin's imperial tent in the rain.

"If Your Majesty insists on returning to the capital, please execute us first."

Faced with the obstruction of his ministers, Zhao Kuangyin had no better solution at the moment.

If it were a military conflict in the court, why would Zhao Kuangyin be so anxious?
Left with no other choice, Zhao Kuangyin could only place his hopes on Zhao Dexiu demonstrating exceptional political acumen.

Just as Zhao Kuangyin was deeply worried in his tent, the second wave of messengers, which had been delayed due to bad weather, finally arrived at Mount Song.

Shortly after the messenger rushed into the tent, the ministers suddenly heard Zhao Kuangyin's bursts of laughter.

Before the ministers could even ponder why Zhao Kuangyin was laughing, Zhao Guangyi noticed that the rain outside the tent was gradually subsiding.

Finally, the long-awaited sunlight finally fell from the sky.

The ministers, basking in the sunlight, saw Zhao Kuangyin emerge from behind the tent with a joyful expression.

Zhao Kuangyin also noticed that the weather had suddenly cleared up.

Upon seeing Zhao Kuangyin emerge, Zhao Guangyi quickly stepped forward and said:
"Although the weather has cleared up, I hope Your Majesty will calm down your eagerness to return to the capital and send scouts to investigate the road conditions first."

Zhao Guangyi's suggestion surprised Zhao Kuangyin.

"I am at ease with the Prince of Jin overseeing the court, so why should I return to the capital?"

After answering Zhao Guangyi with a puzzled look, Zhao Kuangyin gazed at the increasingly bright sky and said with a smile:

"Now that the rain has stopped and the sky has cleared, we should continue our journey up Mount Song to pray for the Empress Dowager!"

Zhao Kuangyin's rapid change of heart left Zhao Guangyi and his ministers speechless.

Your Majesty, you are so fickle.

(End of this chapter)