Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Hearing that the governor of Kaifeng was beaten to death, Zhao Huan was so frightened that he could not sleep all night. He summoned the courtiers in the middle of the night to discuss military and political affairs.

Zhang Shuye said: "Your Majesty, how can the red thief be so kind? Can't he understand that those who buy food are all sergeants in disguise? Knowing that they are sergeants, but still selling food is just to disturb the hearts of the soldiers and civilians in Tokyo. That's not allowed. Send people out of the city to buy rice again!"

"According to the report, from tomorrow onwards, no one is allowed to leave the city!" Zhao Huan agreed immediately. He was afraid that the people would rush to the palace.

Zhong Shizhong said: "Zhang Xiaochun resisted the decree and did not abandon Taiyuan, and the Xixia troops did not withdraw from Shaanxi. This is considered even, no one owes anyone. While the food in Tokyo has not been exhausted, the Jin people must be urged to hurry up. River suppresses thieves!"

Zhao Huan told Geng Nanzhong: "Master Geng is responsible for this matter."

"I obey the decree." Geng Nanzhong bowed.

The monarch and his ministers talked a lot. After all the ministers left the palace, Zhao Huan suddenly called the eunuch: "Go and invite Li Bangyan into the palace."

Li Bangyan, who was fucked to the end, met the emperor again like this.

Zhao Huan asked, "Are Li Qing and Zhu Thief old acquaintances?"

Li Bangyan quickly clarified the relationship: "Your Majesty, I have only met the Zhu Thief a few times, so how can we say we are old acquaintances? To say that I colluded with the Zhu Thief is purely a frame-up!"

"I summoned Li Qing not to call for punishment," Zhao Huan expressed his thoughts. "I want to confer Li Qing the title of Grand Scholar of Guanwen Palace, and reinstate Li Qing as Minister of Rites and in charge of Honglu Temple. I will go out of the city tomorrow to meet the red thief. Let’s get in touch. If you have meritorious service, you can be promoted to deputy prime minister.”

Li Bangyan suppressed the joy in his heart and pretended to be confused: "What does Your Majesty want to talk to Zhu Thief?"

Zhao Huan said with difficulty: "Go and ask the Zhu Thieves, if I cede Shaanxi and Lianghuai, the Zhu Thieves will agree to withdraw their troops and return the Northwest Road to Beijing and the prefectures and counties of Kaifeng Prefecture."

"According to the order!" Li Bangyan accepted the order with his hands raised.

Zhao Huan warned: "This matter must be kept secret and not allowed to be known to outsiders."

Li Bangyan took the opportunity to give Geng Nanzhong some eye drops: "Most of the middle-class and noble people around your Majesty are Yuan Cong who lived in the palace in the old days. They had close contacts with Geng Gong. When the ministers were dismissed from office, they wanted to see your Majesty but could not. I heard that even the red thieves The envoy Shi Yuangong asked to see His Majesty but was stopped by the palace officials. Naturally, I can keep it secret, but that is not necessarily the case for those nobles. I am afraid that when Your Majesty summons me tonight, the news will have already leaked out. "

Zhao Huan felt that Geng Nanzhong was becoming more and more domineering, so he chose to summon Li Bangyan alone at night.

Li Bangyan bowed to leave, and Zhao Huan suddenly shouted to stop again.

"What other instructions does your Majesty have?" Li Bangyan asked.

Zhao Huan said: "Wait a moment and bring him the birth date and horoscope of my nineteenth sister. If the negotiation can be completed, I will grant another marriage."

Li Bangyan was surprised and said: "Didn't the Shunde Emperor's concubine promise to serve as an attendant?"

Zhao Huan said: "There is a mismatch in seniority. Emperor Shunde is my imperial sister, but Shizhi Xiang is my cousin. The Supreme Emperor was confused and messed up the mandarin duck book."

In the early morning, Li Bangyan left the city with his mission and soon met Ju Ming smoothly.

Zhu Ming smiled and cupped his hands: "Brother Shimei, long time no see. Congratulations on your being re-employed."

Li Bangyan shook his head and sighed: "Oh, Zhao Huan is not worthy of being a king. Not to mention his cowardly character, he is also inconsistent in doing things, and he is easily swayed by the villain's slander."

"What does he want to do?" Ju Ming asked.

Li Bangyan said: "He planned to cede Lianghuai and Shaanxi in exchange for the marshal's withdrawal, and marry the Shunde Emperor to the marshal."

They have already reached the city of Tokyo, so how can there be any reason to withdraw?

But it's still possible to coax the foolish king. Anyway, he won't leave anything in black and white, only a verbal promise.

Zhu Ming said: "It is okay to withdraw the troops, but I am afraid that Zhao Huan will not keep his word, so he must let Zhong Shidao hand over Xianyang and Chang'an first!"

Li Bangyan asked tentatively: "Marshal is really willing to withdraw his troops?"

Ju Ming smiled and said: "Since we already have Shaanxi and Lianghuai, why can't we just accept it when it's good? As long as the peace talks succeed, I will recommend Brother Shimei to be the Dazai."

"My wealth and honor are all given by the marshal, and peace talks will definitely be facilitated!" Li Bangyan was overjoyed.

He really wanted to promote peace talks, which could not only please Ju Ming and leave a way out, but also stay in the Song Dynasty and enjoy power. This was perfect!

Li Bangyan was very happy and took out the birth dates of the 19th princess.

Ju Ming glanced at it and saw that it was another little loli. Her name was Zhao Yingluo, and she was only fifteen years old in two months.

Putting his birth date aside, Ju Ming personally sent Li Bangyan out of the camp and gave him thirty shi of grain to ship to the city.

Sending food at this time is more valuable than sending anything else.

Li Bangyan did not hide anything and even deliberately showed off. He took a boat with food and swaggered back to the city, and ordered the defenders to open the water gate to let them go.

Now that you have been exposed, let's expose it more thoroughly and use the power of thieves and soldiers to increase your own status!

Sure enough, seeing that Li Bangyan was able to bring food back from the bandit camp, the soldiers guarding the city all looked at him differently. Some officers even took the initiative to escort him, just to take the opportunity to get close to Li Bangyan.

After the news came out, many officials, big and small, also quietly visited his residence, and Li Bangyan used this opportunity to re-cultivate party members.

Geng Nanzhong couldn't sit still and sent people across the river to talk secretly with the Jin people.

Wanyan Zongwang summoned Shi Liai: "Mr. Shi, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty is capricious and has sent people to contact the Zhu thieves again. If our army remains unmoved, I am afraid that the Song Kingdom will really want to negotiate peace with the rebel thieves."

Shi Liai said: "The Song people really don't want to give Taiyuan, so they have no choice but to give up. Anyway, Zhongshan has been obtained. But we have to be tough verbally, so that the Emperor of Song can redeem Taiyuan with gold and silver, and he has to agree to let our army enter Tokyo City. "

"Gold and silver are easy, but entering the city may be difficult." Wanyan Zongwang said.

Shi Liai said: "Then let the Emperor of the Song Dynasty depose the prefect of Cizhou. This magistrate named Zongze blocked the back of our army and defended the city, and refused to supply our army with food and grass. After the Song Dynasty deposed him, our army's The retreat route will be completely clear, and we can take advantage of the situation to occupy Cizhou and obtain its military supplies."

Wanyan Zongwang nodded: "Just do as Mr. Shi said."

…

Tokyo, Tokyo.

Geng Nanzhong had already quarreled with Li Bangyan: "Your Majesty, the red thieves cannot be trusted. The Jin people just went south to plunder, but the red thieves want to change the dynasty. This year, Shaanxi and the Huaihe River will be ceded. What will happen if the red thieves come again next year?"

Li Bangyan sneered: "The Jin people just plundered? Then why did they cede Zhongshan and Taiyuan?"

Geng Nanzhong said: "The Jin people want Zhongshan and Taiyuan, but they only want a few state capitals. But the Zhu thieves want Lianghuai, Shaanxi and the Fourth Road, dozens of state capitals!"

Li Bangyan said: "The Zhu thieves did not ask to enter the city. Why do the Jin people want to enter Tokyo?"

The seed master interjected: "Your Majesty, the Jin people must not be allowed to enter the city, otherwise the city of Tokyo will be robbed!"

Geng Nanzhong said: "Let alone give up Xianyang and Chang'an, otherwise the Zhu thieves' soldiers will attack Tongguan. Your Majesty, Li Bangyan must have been bribed by the Zhu thieves. Someone saw him bringing back a shipload of grain from the thieves' operation!"

"There is no ship of food, only thirty dan," Li Bangyan admitted generously, without any scruples, and instead began to accuse Geng Nanzhong, "You are the one who was bribed by the Jin, right? Your Majesty summoned you at night, and I went to steal in the morning. We will go to the camp and the Jin people will come to negotiate in the afternoon. Who leaked the news to the Jin people? Who colluded with the palace people to spy on His Majesty?"

"Nonsense, how could I spy on His Majesty? Don't you dare to spit on others!" Geng Nanzhong quickly denied.

You said something, I said something, Zhao Huan was so noisy that his head was buzzing.

One moment I felt that Li Bangyan was right, and the next moment I felt that Geng Nanzhong was right as well. Zhao Huan was completely unable to decide whether he should join forces to suppress the thieves or negotiate peace with the rebels.

He wants to come together!

Zhao Huan finally spoke: "Zhao Zongze returns to the capital and tells him to stop guarding Cizhou. Then order Zhongshidao to give up Xianyang, but Chang'an must be defended, and then give up Chang'an after the Zhu thieves withdraw their troops."

Zhang Shuye was stunned by these words and said in disbelief: "Your Majesty, if we unite with the Jin, we will unite with the Jin, and if we make peace with the Zhu Thief, we will make peace with him. We can only choose one of the two. How can we show favor to both the Jin and the Zhu Thief at the same time?" "

"I must show my sincerity, so that the Zhu Thief and the Jin can rest assured, otherwise it will be detrimental to the people of Tokyo if it continues." Zhao Huan also used the people as an excuse.

…

Cizhou.

Zongze received the imperial edict and was so angry that his chest heaved. He spent all his efforts to defend the city, but the emperor actually called him back to the capital at this time.

After thinking over and over, Zongze said to the envoy who delivered the decree: "This is a disorderly destiny, which is really hard to accept. As for the serious crime of resisting the decree, after the Jin people retreat, I will go to the capital to accept the punishment. Angel, please come back!"

The messenger stopped talking and then bowed to say goodbye.

Not long after the envoy left, someone arrived with thousands of soldiers and horses, and Zongze immediately went to greet him personally.

It was Zhang Suo who came. He was appointed by Li Gang as the envoy to Hebei to recruit a large number of bandits and militiamen to fight against the Jin Dynasty. Regardless of whether they actually obeyed the command or not, at least in name, there were more than 100,000 soldiers in Hebei who accepted Zhang's leadership.

Since the alliance between Song and Jin, Zhang Suo was kicked out and ordered to disband the anti-Jin troops.

"Brother Rulin, among the officials in Hebei, you are the only one who is still fighting against the Jin," Zhang Suo sighed. "When I returned to Beijing this time, I brought thousands of soldiers and horses, all of whom are determined to fight against the Jin. I hope you will Brother Lin can treat them well. The main force of the Jin Kingdom's Western Route Army has already penetrated the northern states and counties, and may go south this month."

Zongze cupped his hands and said, "If the city is destroyed, all we can do is die."

Zhang Suo introduced: "This is Wang Yan, a fierce general under my command. He has passed the martial arts examination and has followed Zhong Jinglue to conquer Xixia twice."

"Greetings to the Grand Administrator!" Wang Yan stepped forward to pay homage.

Zongze took Wang Yan's hand and said, "You can tell he is a warrior just by looking at him!"

Wang Yan said: "As long as you fight against the Jin people, you will never frown even if you die."

Zhang Suo then pointed to a young general behind Wang Yan: "This man's name is Yue Fei. He is a strong man whom Zhu Thief once asked for. I have personally tested him and taught him. He is quite skilled in martial arts and is the most brave among the three armies."

Zongze took Yue Fei's hand again: "A good man must not become a thief, and come with me to fight against gold."

"I am willing to die for the prefect!" Yue Fei saluted respectfully.

Zongze said: "The garrison in Cizhou is enough. If we add more troops, we will be short of food. Are you willing to lead troops to kill Mingzhou or Xiangzhou and recover those cities that surrendered to the Jin people?"

Yue Fei said happily: "My hometown is in Xiangzhou. If you go there, you can recruit countless righteous men!"

Zongze nodded and said: "Well, General Yue will go to Xiangzhou, General Wang will go to Mingzhou, and I will hold on to Cizhou. The three states are all here, and they are horns for each other, which can make the Jin people like awns on their backs."