Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 543: The Days Come, the Days Come

On the morning of April 17th, outside Qiantang Gate in the northwest of Lin'an City, beside the Jiuqu Congci Temple and the water of Beishan Mountain next to Wang Xian Temple, there was a cemetery under two orange trees. In front of the low mound was a small stone tablet with the words "Tomb of Jia Yiren" written on it.

"Yiren" was the title given to women of noble birth in the Song Dynasty. It seems that after a wealthy family fell into decline, the old lady of the family passed away. Although she had a title, it was still difficult to build a large tomb, so she could only be buried in such a hasty manner, and was very inconspicuous among the surrounding cemeteries.

At this time, more than ten men stood in front of the tomb. Luo Huaiyan pointed at the cemetery and said to a middle-aged man in his thirties, "Are you sure this is the place?"

The middle-aged man flinched a little, but nodded. "It's right here. My father had to erect a tombstone like this to prevent Qin Laogou from finding it. He also planted two orange trees around the grave. It's been twenty years, and these two orange trees... are already so tall... It's already been twenty years..."

Speaking of this, the middle-aged man burst into tears for no apparent reason, and soon his face was covered in tears.

Luo Huaiyan sighed, then placed a few ingots of gold in the middle-aged man's hands: "Loyal and righteous men, thank you for your hard work."

The middle-aged man didn't look at the gold ingot in his hand. Tears streamed down his face, and he just shook his head repeatedly: "My father told me before he died that sooner or later, there would be a day like this, sooner or later, there would be a day like this when Marshal Yue would be vindicated. Even if my father couldn't see it, I would see it. If I couldn't see it, my children and grandchildren would see it. Now, has that day finally come?"

Liu Huai turned around and looked at this person.

Twenty years ago, after Yue Fei was unjustly killed in the Dali Temple, if the procedure had been followed, he would have been hastily buried in a corner of the Dali Temple.

However, the jailer Huai Shun was moved by Yue Fei's loyalty and righteousness, so he smuggled Yue Fei's body out regardless of the danger and buried it here. He also erected a monument and used the Dali Temple's engraved lead bucket and Yue Fei's personal jade pendant as evidence, hoping that Yue Fei would be rehabilitated and buried there in the future.

However, Huaishun did not live to see this day. He passed away several years ago and handed over this important task to his son before his death.

That is the middle-aged man in front of you named Huai Kang.

Originally, Liu Huai thought that it would take him a lot of effort to find this little-known figure recorded in unofficial history, but he did not expect that with the help of Yang Tan, he only had to flip through the past roster of minor officials in the Dali Temple to successfully find Huai Shun and trace his family.

Later, Luo Huaiyan approached Huai Kang as a member of the Shandong Volunteer Army. After displaying many flags and drums captured from the Jin army, he finally gained his trust. On the day of leaving Lin'an, Luo Huaiyan persuaded Huai Kang to take Liu Huai to Yue Fei's tomb to pay his respects.

However, this was not a vindication from the court.

Liu Huai said sternly, "Brother Huai, today we are only paying tribute to Marshal Yue and cannot clear his name. But Brother Huai, don't worry. The Crown Prince will ascend the throne soon, and then someone will naturally exonerate Marshal Yue."

Huai Kang put the gold aside, then tremblingly took out a jade pendant from his bosom and handed it over: "This is a token taken from Marshal Yue. In this way, I can truly wash away the sins of my family."

Liu Huai was somewhat moved. He leaned forward, picked up the gold ingot, and stuffed it into Huai Kang's arms. He then pushed the jade pendant back and held Huai Kang's hands, saying, "Brother Huai, the sins were committed by Qin Laogou and the nobles in the court. You are all ordinary people, innocent and without any sin."

Huai Kang shook his head and said, "No, my father said that anyone who did not stand up in the Dali Temple that day, and anyone who did not speak up for Marshal Yue in the court, will be punished. However, this kind of crime cannot be punished by the county magistrate in the human world, but it has been recorded by the King of Youdu.

My father said that Qin Laogou would be cut into pieces, but he, a coward who aided and abetted the evil, could not avoid being boiled in oil. Today, today I can finally..."

After saying this, Huai Kang finally burst into tears.

Liu Huai sighed again and again, looking at this little man who was also recorded in history books, and couldn't help sighing in his heart: If the nobles of Song State at this time could have three points of integrity and two points of backbone like the common people, they would have recovered the Central Plains long ago.

Liu Huai could only comfort Huai Kang repeatedly, and only after the other party's emotions calmed down did he begin to worship.

Although it was called a worship, there were no offerings such as Tailao (a type of sacrifice). There were only a few chickens and ducks, a jar of light wine, and a few incense sticks.

Led by Liu Huai, Lu You, Bi Zaiyou and others were divided into two lines and saluted respectfully towards the small mausoleum. Then Liu Huai poured wine into bowls and placed three bowls in front of the mausoleum together with sacrificial meat and other things. Finally, he filled a bowl for himself.

"Marshal Yue."

Liu Huai said slowly in a voice that only he could hear: "Your path is blocked."

"You've tried, my father has tried, and I... I've tried too. I've tried everything, but I've found that this road has reached its end and I can't go any further."

"Next, I'm going to try another way."

"If I fail in the end, please don't blame me when I get to the bottom..."

As he spoke, Liu Huai drank half a bowl of wine, poured the remaining half on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "Enjoy your meal."

"Enjoy your meal." More than ten people followed suit and drank half of the wine in their bowls.

"Let's go. The dead are gone. We, the living, will handle the rest of the affairs." Liu Huai said in a deep voice, then bowed to Huai Kang and said, "Your father has made great contributions to the nation. Not to mention that the King of Youdu will show leniency, your father will also have a place in the future."

As he spoke, Liu Huai jumped on his horse and said to Huai Kang, who was already stunned: "Brother Huai, we are leaving today. I hope you can take care of yourself and we will meet again in the future."

Looking at the back of the galloping warhorse, Huai Kang looked at the low grave, then held the jade pendant in his hand and touched the gold in his arms. He felt mixed emotions in his heart and tears fell again.

After Liu Huai arrived at the ferry crossing north of Lin'an City, someone came to report.

"Prime Minister Yu went to the post station to visit Xin Wu Ge, saying he had something important to discuss." The military advisor from the Tianping Army was no warrior, and he knew that such a thing was taboo. After he finished speaking, he began to defend Xin Qiji, sweating profusely: "General, Fifth Brother knows his limits and would never betray Shandong."

Liu Huai nodded and said to the guards beside him, "How many hours until the boat sets sail?"

Luo Huaiyan looked at the sun and said, "Three quarters of an hour left."

Liu Huai walked to a tea stall and sat down: "You all get on board first, I will wait here for three quarters of an hour."

Meanwhile, inside the inn, Yu Yunwen stood with his hands behind his back, looking at a poem written on the white wall of the main courtyard. After a long silence, he asked, "Xin Wulang, did you write this poem too?"

Xin Qiji looked respectful, but his words were anything but respectful. "Prime Minister Yu, today is the day we set out for the north. Once we reach the north, we will continue to fight the Jin bandits. If Prime Minister Yu is truly here only for this little matter, isn't that a bit disrespectful of me?"

Yu Yunwen wasn't angry, but simply chuckled before returning to his seat. "Then let me get straight to the point. Xin Wulang possesses both literary talent and strategic strategy. Why wouldn't he stay in the Song Dynasty? When I said that Wulang would become the Privy Councilor someday, I wasn't being perfunctory, but was sincere."

Seeing Xin Qiji remain silent, Yu Yunwen continued, "If you're worried about involvement in Shandong, I can personally discuss this with Geng Jiedu and Duke Wei. I won't let you get blamed."

Xin Qiji finally spoke, but instead of agreeing or refusing, he asked another question: "Prime Minister Yu, whether in terms of literary talent or strategy, Liu Dalang is a hundred times better than me. Why didn't you keep Liu Dalang?"

Xin Qiji didn't know that Liu Huai had already confronted Yu Yunwen, so he was very curious why Yu Yunwen didn't win over Liu Huai.

Yu Yunwen opened his mouth, then shook his head and laughed: "Originally, I wanted to say something like Shandong can't do without Liu Dalang, but in the dark room, there's no need to be perfunctory."

Yu Yunwen looked into Xin Qiji's eyes and said word by word, "Because Liu Dalang is an extremely determined person. Many determined people will not turn back until they hit the wall, but Liu Dalang will not turn back even if he hits the wall. He will only bang himself to death against the wall.

But you, Xin Wulang, are different. Although you are resolute, you are also able to adapt tactfully. I think, with your vision, it is not difficult to see that the world's affairs will be decided between the Song and Jin. Since you want to resist the Jin, then the sooner you come to the center of the Song Dynasty, the sooner you can intervene in world affairs. Isn't that much better than wasting time in Shandong? I guarantee that you will be the chief official of a prefecture within two years. How about it?

Xin Qiji fell silent again.

It should be said that the conditions given by Yu Yunwen were already very favorable.

Xin Qiji is only 23 years old this year, and will be 25 in two years. Even though he has made great contributions in several battles in Huaixi, it is still too shocking for him to become a prefect or governor at this age.

However, this time Xin Qiji's silence didn't last long. He quickly revealed his composure and said, "Prime Minister Yu is truly a wise man, able to discern people like a mirror. I'm certainly not as resolute as Liu Dalang. If things in the north prove hopeless, Liu Dalang will likely fight to the bitter end. I, on the other hand, will likely flee to the Southern Dynasty and attempt to restore order. I won't follow Liu Dalang into a desperate struggle."

Yu Yunwen nodded, but did not underestimate Xin Qiji because of his self-explanation.

The question of whether it is better to die heroically for one's ambition or to endure humiliation and live in disgrace for one's ambition has been debated for a thousand years, and there will be no answer even if we debate for another thousand years.

Cheng Ying's mortar and pestle, the moon shining in the west, it's not easy for anyone.

"But..." Xin Qiji paused, raised his head, and looked directly into Yu Yunwen's eyes. "But, this southern wall that stretched across the world was finally breached by Liu Dalang. How could I give up Shandong, give up directly confronting the Jin thieves, and come south of the Yangtze River to become a rich and noble official?"

As he spoke, Xin Qiji stood up and bowed to Yu Yunwen: "Prime Minister Yu, I am grateful for your love, but I cannot remain content with my own affairs. Farewell."

Afterwards, Xin Qiji walked out of the inn with the last two personal guards, mounted his horse, and left.

But Yu Yunwen was not angry. He also stood up, turned around, looked at the white wall and thought for a moment before turning around and leaving.

Only ink marks that had not yet completely dried were left on the wall.

It is:

Outside the mountains, there are buildings outside the Qingshan Tower,
What time does the West Lake singing and dancing close?

The warm wind makes the tourists drunk,
Just call Hangzhou Bianzhou.

After leaving the posthouse, Yu Yunwen did not return to the government office to work. Instead, he slowly came to the top of the city wall and stared out at the water gate in a daze.

No matter what, the situation in the world is finally developing in a positive direction.

This day was April 17th, the 32nd year of Shaoxing.

Seeing Xin Qiji galloping towards him at the dock, Liu Huai laughed out loud, then stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder and said, "I thought you were going to be an official in Jiangnan!"

Xin Qiji also smiled and said, "With my lively personality, what's the point of living in Jiangnan? Following the rules and being an official will suffocate me to death."

Liu Huai's smile deepened. He turned around to look at the vast city of Lin'an, sighed, and said, "Qi Ji is like Qu Bing, but Lin'an is not Chang'an. Let's go, get on the boat together! Let's go back to Shandong together!"

"I don't deserve such praise from you, Dalang." Xin Qiji had long been accustomed to Liu Huai's eloquence. He bowed and said, "It's just that this time I came south, I couldn't sweep the world and restore peace and order to the world. It's really a pity."

Liu Huai, who was walking in front, laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? The next time we come, it will definitely be the time to bring peace to the world!"

Xin Qiji also smiled and nodded, took a step forward, and boarded the ship that had already set sail.

……

Lin'an, Eastern Palace.

Zhao Shen was trying on the emperor's crown and robes. Although he tried hard to suppress the joy on his face, a smile still appeared at the corner of his mouth.

This was a rehearsal before the abdication ceremony. Of course, Zhao Gou did not have to attend, but Zhao Shen, as the crown prince, could not be negligent. Not only did he need to recite all the lines in front of the ceremonial officials, he also had to walk back and forth in a heavy ceremonial robe.

In the early summer when the weather is getting hot, it would be too painful to do this.

Shi Hao was a little nervous. He was very worried that there were spies of Zhao Gou among the eunuchs around him who would inform Zhao Gou of Zhao Shen's attitude, causing more twists and turns in the abdication ceremony.

At this time, Zhao Gou, who was in the palace, did not suspect the prince anymore, but waved to Yang Yizhong: "Zhengfu, come here."

Yang Yizhong strode quickly forward to the five meticulously painted paintings of ladies unfolded by the eunuchs. He glanced up at them before bowing to Zhao Gou. "Alas, spare the formalities," Zhao Gou said excitedly, "and see who among these is Dun'er's wife."

Zhao Dun was Zhao Shen's third son and was not yet married at the time. Zhao Gou wanted to take advantage of the abdication ceremony to get this done.

"The government is a dictatorship, and everything it does is right."

"If you want me to say it, just say it."

"Yes." Yang Yizhong only glanced at the painting of the lady and said, "Li Dao's daughter, Li Fengniang, would make a good wife."

"Okay." Zhao Gou said jokingly, "You actually know how to whisper to others."

Yang Yizhong shook his head solemnly: "Li Dao has died in battle. Li Fengniang is the descendant of a loyal hero. If she were a man, she would have been granted a position in the Imperial Guards and served as a guard for the emperor. Since she is a woman, she is still more than qualified to be a princess."

Zhao Gou suppressed his smile and nodded repeatedly, "I'm also interested in this woman, but not because she's the descendant of a loyal hero, but because Huangfu Tan said that this Li Fengniang has the destiny to be an empress."

Huangfu Tan was a doctor. In those days, doctors and witches were inseparable, so he could also read faces. He once cured Empress Dowager Wei's eye disease, so he was deeply favored by Zhao Gou.

Yang Yizhong was shocked when he heard this.

It turns out that Zhao Gou not only selected the next emperor, but also the next emperor after that.

Zhao Gou didn't care about Yang Yi's psychological activities. He just walked slowly to the portrait of Li Fengniang. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it. In the end, he nodded repeatedly.

……

Haozhou, Huaihe River.

"Your Majesty must not go to the Wokou camp. It's unclear whether the soldiers there will still be loyal to you. You should take these 100 cavalrymen and return directly to Bianliang. Only there are loyal subjects for your majesty."

"Your Majesty, upon returning to Bianliang, do not underestimate Wanyan Yong, but do not immediately start a war with him. You should wait and see."

"Your Majesty, although the Jurchens are a nation, their population is too small. Moreover, their families are all in their old homeland of Liaodong. They will definitely be loyal to Wanyan Yong. Your Majesty should make use of Han officials and serve as the emperor of the Han Dynasty. It is still unknown who will win."

"His Majesty……"

Li Tong held Wanyan Liang's hands and kept giving him instructions. After listening for a long time, Wanyan Yuanyi became impatient and said, "Mr. Li, please board the ship immediately. We will discuss these matters after we return to Bianliang."

Li Tong paused, first looking at He Boqiu and other Jingnan army generals behind him, then looking at Wanyan Liang, who had already come to some understanding, then took two steps back, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I can no longer serve you. I hope Your Majesty will take care of yourself."

Before Wanyan Liang could say anything, Wanyan Yuanyi became anxious: "Mr. Li, what are you talking about? The Huai River is right before our eyes. If we cross it, we can return to the Jin Dynasty. Why give up now?"

Li Tong kowtowed again and addressed Wanyan Liang earnestly, "Your Majesty, I spent the first half of my life as a treacherous minister, feeling I had a wealth of strategic plans but unable to display them. Although Your Majesty valued me, I still struggled to apply what I had learned. For the second half of my life, I want to live for myself. I want to see if I, Li Tong, am truly just a treacherous minister, or if I have been unlucky and have been left in the dust."

Wanyan Liang finally spoke with difficulty: "After what has happened, how can I still use you as a sycophant? Come back to the north with me, and you will be the prime minister, second only to the emperor. The national policy of promoting Han officials that you mentioned will ultimately require your implementation."

Li Tong's tone became more earnest. "Your Majesty was able to escape this time because of Liu Dalang's kindness. Although I am not a pedantic person, I still want to repay him."

Wanyan Yuanyi was very anxious: "Then your Majesty's kindness in promoting you..."

"Move the chariot..." Wanyan Liang waved his hand, interrupting Wanyan Yuanyi's words. He said solemnly, "He has repaid my kindness this time. Since everyone has their own aspirations, then... let's go our separate ways."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Tong kowtowed again, and did so three times.

Wanyan Liang also bowed and saluted deeply, and did this three times.

The three performances of the ceremony concluded the ten-year relationship between the ruler and his subjects.

Both sides stood up at the same time. Li Tong returned to the Jingnan army, while Wanyan Liang took more than a hundred Hezhameng'an captives released by the Jingnan army, as well as his own trusted ministers, and boarded the ship to cross the river.

As the sun sets, Wanyan Liang stands at the bow of the boat, looking at the sun that looks like a ripe orange, feeling the early summer breeze, enjoying the breath of freedom, and can't help but squint his eyes.

The last time Wanyan Liang crossed the Huai River, he was accompanied by loyal ministers and a large army. But this time when he returned, he only had a few ministers and a hundred armored cavalry.

He lost too much in this southern expedition.

……

Huaidong.

In an unknown mountain village.

An old farmer with skin as dry as wind-dried grapes sat blankly on the doorstep, staring at the sun that looked like a ripe orange, without saying a word for a long time.

The aroma of meat has spread throughout the village.

An equally shriveled woman sat in the house, looking at the boiling pot and constantly adding firewood to the stove. In the intervals, the woman looked like an old farmer, with empty eyes, staring at something ahead.

"The boss."

"Ok?"

The woman counted on her fingers and said, "I just calculated, we're losing money. Our third daughter weighs 15 kilograms."

The old farmer's eyes finally froze, then froze again. He just stared at the sun and muttered, "Yeah, what a loss."

"Third girl... Third girl weighs fifteen kilograms..."

The soft words were scattered in the wind filled with the aroma of meat, and then disappeared.

Although the Jingnan Army was fully committed to maintaining the Lianghuai region after it had suffered from the war, the famine during the period of shortage of food and clothing began after the army withdrew and returned to Shandong.

The Jingnan Army tried their best, but still couldn't save everyone.

……

Liaodong, Liaoyang Prefecture.

The sun sets in the west and the full moon rises in the east.

In the former garrison, today's imperial palace, Wanyan Yong was reviewing memorials, and Wanyan Fushou hurried over with a letter of victory news.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, great joy!" Wanyan Fushou shouted repeatedly: "The Tatar Wuge have been repelled!"

Wan Yanyong stared at the two huge dark circles under his eyes, raised his head, and a smile appeared on his face: "Zhi Ning and the others are so fast?"

Wanyan Fushou presented the victory report and said, "Your Majesty, all the young and strong men of the Tatar tribe have come out to plunder the Khitans. Their homeland is far from stable. They seem to be threatened by other tribes recently. Wuge tried to retreat, but General Zhining saw through his plans and gathered his elite troops to defeat him in one fell swoop, killing 1,500 and capturing 2,000... Alas, General Zhining is short on troops, otherwise he would have captured all these Mongol people and made them our herdsmen."

Wanyan Yong listened while looking at the victory report in his hand. After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "That's good, that's good. The Tatars are loyal dogs of the Great Jin after all. Now there are wild wolves. Even if a loyal dog bares its teeth at its master, it will only be taught a lesson and the matter will be over. How can it be killed and eaten? Zhining's punishment was just right. It made the dog feel pain, but also gave them the strength to fight the wild wolf. He is truly a loyal minister and a good general of the country. He deserves a reward!"

Wanyan Fushou was also smiling happily.

The Liao border defense, which had been in turmoil for nearly two years since the Khitan uprising, has finally calmed down. How can one not be ecstatic?
……

Grassland, Onon River.

The moon is at its zenith, the stars are sparse and the sky is bright.

The victorious warriors hugged the enemy's wives and daughters by the campfire and drank, took out the bloody mutton from the big pot and put it in their mouths to chew.

Some people were singing, some were cheering, but there were also faint screams coming from one or two places.

The tents were arranged in layers like mushrooms on the grassland, but the area around the largest tent in the center was unusually quiet. The Khan's personal soldiers and trusted leaders were gathered around a bunch of bonfires, talking in low voices, and occasionally looking at the big banner representing the Khan's authority with fear.

A dozen shamans with disheveled hair and bare feet had obscure runes painted on their faces and bodies. They held various magical instruments in their hands, sang equally obscure songs, and kept singing, dancing, and praying around the Menggubao.

Their singing was sometimes loud and sometimes soft, echoing with the screams of the women in the Mongol yurt, like a chorus, one after another.

It was unknown how long it took before the screams of the woman in the yurt stopped, and the loud crying of the baby followed.

The night wind howled and the smell of blood gradually rose. The leaders seemed to sense some kind of uneasiness and stood up and looked at Mengwubao.

A tall man as strong as a mountain and wearing a golden crown opened the curtain and walked out holding the baby.

He looked around. The chiefs and warriors did not dare to look him in the eye and lowered their heads in submission.

The Khan removed a human head from his waist and held it up. "This is Wuge of the Tatars, a dog of the Jin! This dog once led the Jin people to the grasslands, stole our livestock, and insulted our wives and daughters. That day, I swore to the Eternal Heaven that I would take revenge. Today, the Eternal Heaven watched over us and cut off Wuge's head! Tomorrow, the Eternal Heaven will protect us as we march towards Liaoyang Prefecture and capture and kill the Jin emperor!"

"it is good!!!"

"kill!!!"

The chiefs began to clamor, but the Khan threw Wuge's head aside and held the newborn baby in his hands: "Although Wuge is just a dog, he still has a good name. This is my son, your future Khan, the one who will unify the Mongol tribes, the one who will lead you to destroy the Jin Dynasty and conquer the prosperous Central Plains! Today, I will name him after the Tatar Khan Wuge!"

The Khan looked around with a gleaming gaze, then raised his head and roared loudly, as if making a declaration and praying to the Eternal Heaven: "From now on, my son will be called Borjigin..."

The night wind suddenly stopped, and dark clouds instantly covered the moon. Amidst the strange phenomena in heaven and earth, the shamans were frightened and stopped singing.

The leaders were even more shocked, but the Khan continued talking and shouted out the name.

"Temujin!"

The night wind picked up again, the bonfire swayed, and sparks rose up and flew into the air.

A new era has arrived.

(Volume 3: The river is full of dragon and tiger chariots, and the military strategy is over)
(End of this chapter)