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

Chapter 761 My Only Wish is to Stabilize the Han Lands (Part 2)
Liang Su's letter truly embodies the essence of the strategists of the Spring and Autumn Period.

First, a tragic consequence is described, then the facts are broken down and clarified step by step, and two possible outcomes are presented.

Of course, it's simply a matter of those who follow the will of Heaven prosper and those who defy it perish, and the will of Heaven is in my hands.

Liang Su was the only one who was a disciple of Shi Gao, Shi Ju's father. His casual discussion of the location of the Shi family's ancestral graves was bound to irritate people.

Shi Ju angrily crumpled the letter, slammed it on the table, and after panting and fuming for a moment, he finally unfolded the letter again and began to read it carefully once more.

Liang Su's letter was quite substantial, not only discussing the overall situation of the world, but also clearly explaining the internal struggles within the Jin army.

To put it bluntly, during the period of prosperity, everyone benefited; the Jurchens got the meat, and the Han people could also get a taste of the soup.

Now that the Jin state is on the verge of collapse, and the Jurchens themselves are almost starving, how could they possibly care about the lives of the Han people?
Even if you unite and defeat the Song army, what then? Even if the Song state comes to sue for peace, what then?
With the main force of the Eastern Jin exhausted, and the Han army sweeping through Hebei, they will be able to connect with Shandong. In addition, with a portion of the Central Plains, Liu Dalang's power is already established. Who can shake him now?
It's a pity that Shi Ju won't even be able to return to his hometown to worship his ancestors by then, but Liang Su can guarantee that he will be able to bury Shi Ju back in the Shi family ancestral tomb.

Shi Ju sneered.

Has Liang Mengrong lost his mind? Does he really think conquering the world is as easy as pulling up a radish? Liu Huai has only been in power for three or four years. Whose empire can be conquered in three or four years?

However, Shi Ju had studied history books and received a good education.

He suddenly thought of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, from Liu Huai's surname and the large banner with the character "Han" that he was displaying.

When Emperor Gaozu conquered the country, didn't it only take him seven years?

The situation then was so similar to today. Countless people wanted to rebel and become kings, but Emperor Gaozu relied on his outstanding military capabilities to defeat the "despair of the world" and establish the Han Dynasty, which lasted for more than four hundred years.

Liu Huai is much the same now. No matter how large the battlefield is or which side is fighting, as long as he appears, he will surely be victorious in every attack and battle.

Could it be that there is a divine will at play here?

Mao Jin Dao... Mao Jin Dao...

These days, no one can escape this kind of thinking. However, Shi Ju was a Confucian scholar after all. After sweeping away the supernatural and strange ideas from his mind, he finally picked up the letter written by Liu Huai.

This letter was more direct than the previous recruitment letter, even directly promising official positions and including all of Shi Ju's subordinates in it. It clearly stated everything about the rules for appointment and dismissal in prefectures and counties, the scope of central government assessments, and the factors for evaluating military officers.

If it were just these things, it wouldn't be so bad, but the last sentence in Liu Huai's letter completely disoriented Shi Ju.

"In this world, besides me, who else can help Lord Shi realize his ambitions? We clearly share the same aspirations, so why can't we join hands to completely stabilize the Han lands and achieve great things?"

Shi Ju sat behind the desk, looking at the words on the letter, his breathing heavy, and even his vision gradually blurred.

"To stabilize the Han lands..."

Shi Ju muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair, looking up at the top of the tent. His mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, and he didn't know what to think about for a moment.

After a moment, Shi Ju finally turned around and looked at Du Wuji in front of him: "Du Dalang, if I were to join Liu Dalang in Shandong, would you follow me?"

After Pucha Shijie led the Jurchen troops across the river, this place became Shi Ju's personal fiefdom. In his turbulent emotions, he spoke without restraint.

Meanwhile, Du Wuji, thinking that his group's plan had been discovered, was startled and knelt down on one knee, saying, "Lord Shi, I am a stray dog, and my life, honor, and disgrace are all in your hands. Naturally, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Shi Ju smiled slightly: "What if I surrender to the Song state?"

Du Wuji was slightly taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he actually drew a dagger from his waist.

Shi Ju's personal guards immediately drew their swords, but Shi Ju's smile remained unchanged: "What, if I surrender to the Song Kingdom, you will kill me?" Du Wuji knelt on the ground, holding the dagger in both hands, and earnestly said, "Lord Shi is from Hebei and may not see clearly. We have lived in Henan for a long time and already know that the Song Kingdom is no safe place. Ordinary people who go to Huainan can still find a way out by becoming slaves or servants, but if someone of your high position, Lord Shi, is in a position of power, they will inevitably suffer humiliation at the hands of those Jiangdong rats."

I drew my sword today not to force Lord Shi. But if Lord Shi truly wishes to surrender to the Song Dynasty, though I cannot stop him, I will still plead with my life. In my opinion, rather than surrendering to the Song, Lord Shi would be better off declaring himself emperor; then we could all become high-ranking generals or similar officials.”

After staring into Du Wuji's eyes for a moment, Shi Ju said seriously, "I have taken to heart Du Dalang's advice. However, the idea of ​​establishing myself as emperor is absurd. Not to mention that Henan is a battleground, and we would be battered by various armies. I am not destined to be emperor."

However, Liu Dalang of Shandong is extremely harsh on powerful families like yours, while the State of Song might be more lenient. Why do you actually want to pledge allegiance to Liu Dalang?

Du Wuji remained kneeling, but continued to speak: "Because Liu Dalang is a man who follows the rules."

Shi Ju laughed a few times as if he had heard a joke before saying, "Liu Dalang still follows the rules? Do you know how many Jin envoys he has killed? Now the court treats this guy as a madman."

Du Wuji's words remained sincere: "Of course, this is also following the rules, but what Liu Dalang followed was not the rule of not killing envoys in war between two countries, but his rule of absolutely not negotiating peace with the Jin Kingdom."

Furthermore, they were upholding the principle of "expelling the barbarians and restoring China." Master Shi, if it weren't for Liu Dalang's unwavering adherence to this principle, the entire Shandong province would have descended into chaos during the internal strife in Dongping Prefecture.

Shi Ju suppressed his smile, pondered for a moment, and then raised his chin: "Continue."

Du Wuji: "It is precisely because Liu Dalang adheres to his own rules and laws, and does not yield an inch, that we, the local tyrants of Henan, have a clear understanding of how much money, grain, and land we should hand over, and what rules we should abide by."

Both the Song and Jin dynasties were vicious tigers that devoured people; there were no rules to be followed with them. Take the Song dynasty, for example: today they shout about recovering lost territory, tomorrow they kill or demote those who advocate war, and the day after they say they want to launch a northern expedition. Those caught in the middle are torn apart by these conflicting narratives.

Du Wuji felt that he had spoken more today than in the past few days, but in the end, they were heartfelt words from his own small group, so they were sincere and earnest.

Shi Ju nodded again, but looked at Du Wuji with a strange gaze: "Du Dalang, have you been wanting to defect to Shandong for a long time?"

Du Wuji tucked the dagger back into his waistband and said solemnly, "I dare not deceive you, Master Shi. It wasn't actually that long ago, but the court's oppression of Henan and of us Henan men is getting heavier and heavier, so I had no choice but to seek a way out."

But this solution ultimately requires Master Shi's approval before it can be implemented.

Shi Ju folded the letters in his hand and placed them on the oil lamp. Only after both letters had turned to ashes did he say to Du Wuji, "What happened today is between you and me. Do not make a fuss about it."

Du Wuji wiped the sweat from his forehead, stood up, and agreed.

He originally thought this was the end of it, but unexpectedly a military envoy called out his name and entered, holding up a token and loudly proclaiming: "Where is Prime Minister Shi Ju? Prime Minister Liangbi, the Grand Marshal wants to convene a military meeting and summons the Han Chinese army commanders and those of the rank of Meng'an and above to participate."

Upon hearing this, Du Wuji was greatly shocked and instinctively reached for the dagger at his waist. Looking at the military envoy's neck from the side and behind, his face contorted with rage.

Shi Ju took the token, examined it carefully, and then threw it back: "Now that we are facing the enemy, the Chenzhou army cannot be without personnel. You should go back and tell the Grand Marshal and Prime Minister Liangbi that I will arrive in a while, but I will be alone."

The military envoy hurriedly took the token, his face showing a troubled expression: "Lord Shi, this is a military order."

Shi Ju picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said, "After I cross the river, let the Grand Marshal execute me on the grounds of disobeying military orders."

Although the military envoy was a mid-level officer, he didn't dare to respond to such remarks. He could only lower his head awkwardly, say "I obey," and then immediately turn and leave.

"I'll have to trouble Du Dalang again. Tell Zhang Shu and the others that I'm going to the other side of the river to attend a military council. No matter what happens, hold the camp tight. Whoever attacks, fight them back." After giving his instructions, Shi Ju stood up and began to put on his armor: "Then take fifty armored soldiers and come with me."

Du Wuji's right hand had been resting on his waist the whole time, and only now did he excitedly respond loudly, before turning around and leaving impatiently.

Regardless of whether Shi Ju was swayed by his words, he was ultimately destined to become a complete adversary of Pu San Zhongyi and He Shi Lie Liangbi.

In any case, this is fantastic news for the people of Henan.

(End of this chapter)