Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Song Huizong only read the first sentence and had the urge to tear the letter into pieces.

"The Generalissimo of Sichuan Gorge wishes to ask if the Emperor of Song is okay..."

This damn thing is in the format of "Certificate of Credence", and the so-called "respect" is purely polite.

Moreover, Ju Ming had previously proclaimed himself a "general" and deliberately upgraded himself to a "general marshal" when writing the letter.

In the pre-Qin Dynasty, the marshal was only the commander-in-chief of the Chinese army, but in the Tang Dynasty it was different. The marshal was often held by a prince or prince, and the deputy marshal was held by a minister with outstanding prestige.

For example, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty served as the marshal of the Western Campaign.

During the Jingkang period, Zhao Gou also proclaimed himself the marshal of the world's military forces.

"Sichuan Gorge" is not "Sichuan-Shaanxi". It probably refers to the Sichuan area, and it can also extend a little further.

With Song Huizong's intelligence and erudition, he understood what Ju Ming meant when he saw the first sentence.

Although there was no clear-cut statement about founding a country and proclaiming himself emperor, Sichuan was already regarded as a country. Ju Ming claimed to be Grand Marshal, that is, as a prince, he was writing a letter of credence to Song Huizong!

The following content is roughly as follows:

First, it condemned Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty for imposing excessive taxes and excessive taxes, which caused hardship and resentment among the people in the world.

Second, Zhu's army was in obedience to the people, not rebellion or rebellion.

Third, it condemned Song Huizong for provoking border provocations and should not have sent troops to attack various areas of the Sichuan Gorge. He also said that this was a matter for the Xia Dynasty, and borrowing troops from Dali was an act to attract barbarians to cause chaos in the Xia Dynasty.

Fourth, there are currently 100,000 soldiers in Sichuan Gorge. If Song Huizong still wants to fight, Ju Ming is willing to lead his troops to Tokyo to meet his old friend.

Fifth, now that there have been natural and man-made disasters for many years, Ju Ming did not want to see wars and disasters, so he chose to temporarily suspend the war and negotiate.

Sixth, in order to show his sincerity in negotiations, Zhu Ming was willing to marry the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty, and asked to marry the Song Dynasty Emperor Ji and the daughters of the Zhong and Zhe families.

Seventh, because Song Huizong took the initiative to provoke the war, he must compensate for the loss of money and food, two million guan in money and 200,000 shi in rice.

Eighth, the family members of some civil and military officials under Ju Ming's command, as well as some old friends, must not be made difficult by the court and must be sent to Sichuan safely.

Ninth, if Song Huizong agrees to the above conditions, Ju Ming promises to return the land of Shaanxi.

After patiently reading this "letter of credence", Song Huizong was furious at first, but each of the conditions became more and more outrageous, and by the end he felt infinite fear.

Because the imperial court really has no money and no troops to deploy.

Nowadays, not only is there a red thief in Sichuan, Jing Lake also gives birth to a bell thief (Zhong Xiang).

Song Jiang fled to Hebei and resurrected. In Hebei and Shandong, bandits such as Gao Tuoshan, Zhang Di, Zhang Wanxian, Sun Lie, Wu Hu, Yang Tianwang, Prince Li, Xu Jin, Liu Dalang also appeared. The above are all bandits with a scale of over 10,000, excluding those with only a few hundred or thousands in number.

Bandits even appeared in Kaifeng Mansion!

There are three reasons for uprisings in Shandong and Hebei this year: first, the Yellow River burst its banks again, making it difficult for the government to provide relief; second, the Xicheng Office established by the eunuch Li Yan was too exploitative in Shandong; third, the redemption of Yanjing and the Six Prefectures of the Liao Kingdom In this land, no taxes could be collected, but money and grain had to be poured into it. All the money and grain were distributed among the people of Shandong and Hebei.

Even if Ju Ming didn't rebel, these bandits would still appear.

In history, Gaotuoshan was known as an army of 300,000 people. It was defeated by Yang Weizhong and Xin Xingzong and accepted the recruitment. Zhang Di's so-called army of hundreds of thousands was suppressed by Liu Guangshi, and he was defeated and died. Zhang Wanxian claimed to have an army of 100,000 people, but he was defeated and recruited. Sun Lie claimed to have an army of 100,000, but was defeated by Liang Fangping...

At this time and space, the Western Army was at war with Ju Ming, and the imperial court was completely unable to suppress the northern uprising, resulting in the complete erosion of Shandong and Hebei, leaving only local officials and gentry to recruit troops to deal with it.

Take Shandong as an example. Qingzhou, Qizhou, Weizhou, Laizhou, and Mizhou are all gone and have completely become the territory of the peasant rebel army.

The local aristocratic families either recruited troops to resist, followed in the rebellion, or fled with their families.

Capable local officials such as Zhang Shuye and Zongze, with the support of wealthy families and powerful men, are struggling to resist the expansion of the rebel army.

Li Qingzhao's hometown and her secluded place were all occupied by the rebels. The couple were so frightened that they fled to Xuzhou.

The butterfly effect brought about by Ju Ming also caused Guo Yaoshi to be short of money, food and soldiers, and he was unable to stop the invasion of "Emperor Xi". If the Jin State had not sent troops to destroy the Xi State, Medicine Master Guo would not even have been able to gain a foothold in Yanjing.

Cai Jing had been living in Tokyo and was urgently recruited into the palace at this time.

"What can Duke Lu teach me?" Song Huizong asked.

Cai Jing could hardly see. Even if someone stood in front of him, he could only see a black shadow.

Facing the emperor's inquiry, Cai Jing wanted to say goodbye. But his most powerful ally now is Zhu Meng, and Zhu Meng relies entirely on Hua Shi Gang, so this thing cannot be canceled.

Cai Jingdu is already in his 70s and 80s, his eyesight is blind, and the current situation is still in a mess. There is no need for him to wade into troubled waters.

But this guy is so greedy for power that he even plans to regain his prime ministership, even if he wants to make a fuss about it.

Cai Jing asked: "I heard that Zhu Thief has sent a letter. Can I have a look at it?"

Song Huizong asked the rest to leave and read Ju Ming's letter himself.

After hearing this, Cai Jing thought carefully: "Nowadays, there are all kinds of bandits, and the Zhu bandits are a serious problem. But the Zhu bandits have occupied Sichuan and defeated all the officers and soldiers. They cannot be eliminated quickly. Since the Zhu bandits are willing to negotiate, they can be stabilized first. , try to preserve the imperial military strength. After the Zhu bandits return to Sichuan, next year focus on annihilating the Shandong and Hebei bandits. After the north is stabilized, go to annihilate Jinghu Zhongxiang. Then rest for a year or two, raise enough money and food, and then go to encircle and suppress the Zhu bandits! "

Song Huizong nodded: "This is what the old man said to seek the country."

Now there are rebellions all over the country, which has made Song Huizong's mind very confusing. Cai Jing helped to clear things up, and the situation seemed to be clear all of a sudden.

Cai Jing also said: "The corruption in Shandong was all caused by Xicheng. It is because Xicheng was eliminated that it calmed the people's hearts."

Hua Shigang couldn't give up because Zhu Meng was Cai Jing's ally.

But Xicheng was able to do so because Li Yan was Wang Fu's lackey.

Song Huizong hesitated and said: "The Xicheng Institute raises a lot of money and food every year. If it is abandoned, I'm afraid there will be even more money and food shortages."

Cai Jing said: "If the West City does not stop, there will never be peace on the Jingdong Road. Even the capital and the west of Beijing will become rife with thieves. I heard that there are bandits in Kaifeng Prefecture, and it is the West City that provoked the civil uprising. Even if Your Majesty is reluctant to part with it, , it should be reestablished after the bandits are exterminated."

"Then get rid of Xicheng!" Song Huizong made up his mind.

Cai Jing added: "You can marry the emperor's concubine, but you cannot marry the daughter of a general. Otherwise, the red thieves will never be eradicated."

Song Huizong asked: "What should I do if the Zhu thief insists?"

Cai Jing said: "Then marry a daughter from a wealthy family, not a daughter from a poor family!"

Song Huizong sent Cai Jingli out of the palace and gave him some goods as a reward, and then called Li Bangyan to discuss.

The next day, he summoned Shi Yuangong.

Shi Yuangong came with that letter and was solely responsible for the negotiations.

Looking at the majestic palace, Shi Yuangong couldn't help but think of the time when he went to Beijing to take the exam. He was short of money and could only rent a house in the suburbs, but now he has the qualifications to enter and leave the palace.

This feeling is so good!

"Shi Yuangong, the shogunate of the Grand Marshal's Mansion in Sichuan Gorge, has met His Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty." Shi Yuangong bowed and bowed.

Such a title made Song Huizong furious, but he could only smile: "Give me a seat."

When Shi Yuangong sat down, Li Bangyan said: "I have a close personal relationship with Duke Yuanzhang and Brother Chenggong, but I have never met you. Where is your fairyland?"

Shi Yuangong said: "I used to be a civil servant, but the government exploited me excessively, and my family all died of illness and starvation. Fortunately, I was taken in by the Generalissimo, and I have been following the Generalissimo for many years."

These words made Song Huizong a little embarrassed, and he pretended to say: "I, the Song Dynasty, have always been kind to scholars, but I only hate corrupt officials who ignore the emperor's life and make the local people miserable. If I had met Shi Qing earlier, I would have promoted him to the capital. official."

"Your Majesty, you are ridiculous." Shi Yuangong smiled slightly. This foolish king actually wanted to buy himself with a high official and a generous salary.

Li Bangyan said: "Your Majesty has read Brother Chenggong's letter. The Zhu family raised the army out of helplessness. Your Majesty plans to confer Duke Yuan Zhang as the Sichuan Gorge Economic Envoy and the Duke of Shu, and confer Brother Chenggong as the Sichuan Gorge Comfort Envoy. , Marquis of Hanzhong, and Commander-in-Chief Prince Consort."

Shi Yuangong cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but my Lord does not accept the canonization of the Song Dynasty."

Song Huizong was looking for face and establishing his authority. Although Sichuan was also divided, the official titles he conferred were very different from the official positions held by the Zhu family and his son.

A normal rebel would definitely agree, but he didn't expect Shi Yuangong to refuse outright.

Song Huizong no longer wanted to talk and just continued to fight!

Shi Yuangong was taken away from the palace in this way. When he went out, a light snow suddenly fell in the sky. This was the first snow in the five years of Xuanhe of the Song Dynasty.

Two days later, a battle report came from Jingxi Road: Tong Guan retreated to Yingchang Prefecture (Xuchang), Zhang Guangdao led troops to capture Xiangcheng and Yancheng, and the rebel army was still 250 miles away from Tokyo.

The capital was shaken, and the officials and people were in an uproar.

There are even eunuchs and civil servants preparing to welcome the new king. Because once Yingchang is broken, there will be no barrier in Tokyo. The bandits can march straight in, but there are no soldiers in Tokyo city at all.

Cai Jing actually wanted to return to the prime minister, instigating the remaining party members to impeach Wang Fu, and put all the blame on Wang Fu.

Song Huizong summoned Shi Yuangong again and no longer mentioned the canonization of Zhu and his son.

Moreover, there will be no beating around the bush this time.

The emperor himself was not able to speak, so he asked Li Bangyan to speak: "The Zhu family cannot Jianyuan and proclaim the emperor!"

Shi Yuangong smiled and said, "Okay."

Li Bangyan added: "Two million guan of money and 200,000 shi of rice are too much. The court only gave 200,000 guan of money and 20,000 shi of rice."

Shi Yuangong was still smiling: "Okay."

Li Bangyan said again: "The Zhu family not only wants to return the land of Shaanxi, but also Jingxi Road, including Jinzhou."

Shi Yuangong stopped smiling: "Farewell!"

"Don't be impatient." Song Huizong quickly persuaded him to stay.

If the negotiations broke down, Song Huizong was already ready to hunt Jiangnan.

Li Bangyan said: "Please tell me everything."

Shi Yuangong said: "Xiangcheng and Yancheng can be returned to the Song Dynasty, but Deng, Xiang, Tang, and Suizhou (Nanyang Xiangyang Basin and surrounding mountainous areas) will not be able to obey the order."

Li Bangyan looked at the emperor.

Only Xiangyang in the Nanxiang Basin is prosperous, while the rest of the prefectures and counties are vast and sparsely populated.

If the Zhu Thieves occupied it, it would have little impact on the Song Dynasty's finances and taxes, but its strategic significance would be extremely important. Because you can go north to Tokyo at any time!

Negotiations reached a deadlock again.

Song Huizong was upset and sent Duke Shi Yuang out of the palace as a gift, and quietly summoned Cai Jing to inquire about matters.

This responsibility was too great, and Cai Jing did not dare to make up his mind. He only said: "The red thieves have already taken over."

Song Huizong was so depressed that he had the idea of ​​breaking the jar.

Yes, the red thieves have already taken over there, so terminating the negotiations will not hurt them at all, but they are afraid that the thieves will invade Tokyo.

At least we can get Shaanxi back!

Shi Yuangong was summoned for the third time, and the matter of Nanxiang Basin was no longer mentioned.

Li Bangyan said: "Your Majesty is willing to marry Emperor Xunde, who is fourteen years old and is a good match for Brother Chenggong."

Shi Yuangong asked: "Are you too young?"

"This..." Li Bangyan explained, "the older Di Ji is already married."

Shi Yuangong said: "My lord has heard that Emperor Maode is both talented and beautiful."

Li Bangyan said: "Empress Maode has married Cai Ji, the son of Lu Guogong (Cai Jing)."

Shi Yuangong said: "You can remarry Li."

Song Huizong clenched his fists and the veins on his forehead swelled.

Li Bangyan said: "Not only is she married, but she also gave birth to a son."

Shi Yuangong said: "This son can be left to the Cai family."

Li Bangyan said: "The two empresses are sisters from the same mother. It doesn't matter who they marry."

Shi Yuangong said: "My lord happened to marry both of them."

Li Bangyan looked at the emperor.

Thinking of the bandits two hundred and fifty miles away, Song Huizong nodded slightly.

Li Bangyan added: "Daughters of the Zhong family can be granted marriage, but daughters of the Zhe family do not."

Shi Yuangong said: "Okay."

The negotiation was concluded. Song Huizong did not allow eunuchs to follow him and sat alone in a quiet room to breathe and cultivate his mind.

Soon, the sound of breaking porcelain was heard from the quiet room, which scared the eunuch guarding outside the door to shrink his neck.

Ju Ming deliberately asked to marry the already married Emperor Ji, just to tear off Song Huizong's fig leaf!

Ju Ming felt no compunction about this, because until this moment, this foolish king was still recruiting Huashi Gang indiscriminately.

(Thanks to the leader of Silver Moon in the Void for the reward, O(∩_∩)O~)