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

Chapter 826 A gentleman can be deceived by his principles
The pain of losing a loved one is not a torrential rain, but a dampness that lingers for the rest of one's life.

After being heartbroken on the first day, Liu Huai maintained the composure necessary for a military and political leader at all other times.

Calm revenge, calm planning, calm marching, calm fighting.

Liu Huai even thought he was being a little too calm. Sometimes he wanted to cry again, but he found that he couldn't cry no matter what he did, and could only stare blankly at the sky.

This strange feeling persisted until the day Wei Sheng was buried.

On that day, Song State's prime ministers Yu Yunwen and Chen Junqing personally came to Suqian to see Wei Sheng off on his final journey.

The general from Mount Wutai, a high-ranking monk with the Buddhist name Fachi, once again donned his monk's robes, concealing his muscular physique, and began to preside over the religious ceremony.

On this day, Liu Huai not only cried, but was also in a daze. He did whatever the official in charge of rites told him to do, like a puppet on a string.

Such a normal demeanor seems somewhat out of place in this environment.

In fact, not only Xin Qiji and other trusted generals, but even Yu Yunwen and others who attended the funeral noticed Liu Huai's loss of composure.

However, Yu Yunwen and the others had come all this way not just for a funeral, but also to finalize the de facto boundary between the two sides. Since Liu Huai didn't actually cry himself unconscious on the spot, it was ultimately a good thing.

However, after Yu Yunwen began to have a formal conversation with Liu Huai at night, he felt that this guy might as well have just cried himself to death!

"Impossible. Xia Cai and Cai Prefecture cannot both be under your control at the same time. If you, Lord Yu, really want Xia Cai, then I will take Cai Prefecture to enrich myself."

What if I wanted both?

“We have many talented people here. Many of them who served in the Jin Kingdom have experience dealing with the Song Kingdom. We will have them speak with Prime Minister Yu.”

"It's not good for young people to have such big appetites."

"Young people have a good appetite, but old men like Master Yu should eat less to avoid indigestion."

"hehe."

Inside the mourning hall, Wei Sheng's memorial tablet was still placed on the offering table in the center, and Liu Huai and Yu Yunwen were already engaged in a heated verbal battle.

Of course, such private entanglements cannot be told to outsiders, so the two of them chased everyone else out, implying that only heaven, earth, and you knew.

Liu Huai sighed: "Prime Minister Yu, I know you want to appease your subordinates, but I also need to appease my generals."

What kind of monster is the Song army in Huaibei fighting this time? Apart from the city of Xia Cai, the three armies have achieved no real results, and they haven't even managed to defeat the Chenzhou army, which is disloyal to all sides.

Do you know how resentful those soldiers in Chenzhou are? They're just waiting for another battle with the Song army! If I cede both places, the Song state will be like a pair of pincers, holding several prefectures in Henan captive. How can the newly surrendered people possibly submit?

Upon hearing this, Yu Yunwen merely sneered and shrugged: "Then let those Han soldiers attack. You can't just give up on revenge because you're kind-hearted, can you?"
Liu Dalang, I'm too lazy to play mind games with you. Henan is in such a mess. Even if you really want to oppose the Song Dynasty, how many troops can you muster?
"I have the entire Song Dynasty at my back. Let's outlast each other in this war of attrition. I refuse to believe that the North, already exhausted to this extent, can outlast me."

Liu Huai sneered and remained silent, as if he were the one who was too lazy to engage in witty banter.

When Yu Yunwen realized he had failed to intimidate Liu Huai, his expression gradually darkened.

Admittedly, the northern treasury is empty, the army is exhausted, and they can no longer continue fighting, but how much better off can the Song state be?
The Song state did indeed have a rich history, and its people were indeed wealthy, but ultimately, the wealthy were the landlord class.

Do you really think it's easy to get money out of their pockets?
How did Wang Anshi lose?

Are you, Yu Yunwen, more awesome than Wang Anshi?

After drinking a cup of tea, Liu Huai said, "Lord Yu, I really don't want to discuss these baseless matters with you anymore. You must choose between Xia Cai and Cai Prefecture, otherwise there's nothing to talk about."

Yu Yunwen remained silent for a moment, his heart filled with doubt.

Caizhou cannot be lost because it is too close to Jingzhou and Xiangyang. If the Song state launches a northern expedition from Xiangfan, and the Han army suddenly attacks, sending troops to attack Tang and Dengzhou, and then marching south to block Xiangfan, then things will be very serious.

Xia Cai is one of the defensive gateways of Huaibei. With this city in hand, a defensive system of two cities flanking a river can be formed with Shouchun, and the western part of Huainan will be secure.

To put it more cynically, if the State of Song were to betray Liu Huai one day, this would be an excellent place to launch an attack.

In addition, Xia Cai is a place occupied by the Song army. If the army were to withdraw without cause, it would inevitably lead the court to speculate about the outcome of this northern expedition, and there would be unexpected twists and turns.

Seeing Yu Yunwen's troubled expression, Liu Huai could only shake his head and say, "How about this, I'll compromise a bit more. The magistrate of Xia Cai, and even the prefect of Shouzhou, can be appointed by the court. Of course, neither the prefecture nor the magistrate can issue orders outside of Xia Cai."

In addition, the Song army had to retreat south of the Huai River.

I will establish a garrison camp between the Ying River and the Fei River to garrison troops.

Lord Yu, if this is still not enough for you, then I have nothing more to say. However, I still have to advise you that the Song state is the one that is militarily incompetent.

What you can't get on the battlefield, don't expect to get through negotiations.

Yu Yunwen's breath hitched for a moment before he shook his head and chuckled, "Brother Liu's words are truly invaluable. I've learned my lesson. That's fine then. Only Bianliang..."

Speaking of Bianliang, Liu Huai couldn't help but chuckle: "I very much hope that Your Majesty can return the old capital. When that time comes, I will certainly prepare a grand feast for you."

Yu Yunwen's face immediately turned ashen. This was the climax of the day.

With the outcome of the Hebei campaign becoming clear, the events that had not occurred, yet which insightful people knew were destined to happen, were now laid out before everyone.

Bianliang, the capital of Xijin, can no longer be defended.

This is a truth that no one who has looked at a map would deny.

North of Bianliang, across the Yellow River, lies Daming Prefecture, where tens of thousands of Han troops, riding high on their victory, are eyeing the city with predatory intent.

To the east lies Guide Prefecture, which had already switched sides several months ago when the Flying Tiger Army intercepted Heshi Lie Liangbi.

To the south lies Chenzhou, the same Chenzhou of the Chenzhou Army. It is likely that both Shi Ju, who was in power at the time, and Li Tong, who would become the Henan Military Commissioner in a few months, wanted to seize this ripe fruit and achieve great fame in history.

The only relatively safe western side was now in danger because the Song army had occupied the entire Nanyang Basin.

As long as the Song army resolutely crosses the Fangcheng-Xia Road, then only the flat plain of Xuzhou will remain between them and Bianliang.

Anyone with a strategic vision knows that Bianliang, as an economic and commercial center, was simply impossible to defend when surrounded on all sides.

If Wanyan Liang and Pusan ​​Zhongyi had reacted quickly, they should have considered moving the capital to Luoyang and redeploying the defenses in Xingyang, dealing with the Guandong region in the same way they did at the end of the Qin Dynasty and the beginning of the Han Dynasty.

However, if this were the case, a very real problem would be placed before the rulers and ministers of the State of Song.

The so-called "recovery of the Central Plains and return to the old capital" was a common goal of the Northern Expeditions since Zhuge Liang, which was upheld by heroes, villains, and cowards throughout history.

Every Southern Dynasty would take this matter as a standard for national revival.

Alright, now that the old capital has been recovered, shouldn't the Emperor of Zhao Song move the capital back?

Not to mention that Lin'an has been the capital for so many years, once the relocation of the capital begins, there will be tremendous political resistance.

If the imperial court were to be moved to Bianliang, the situation would be that the Han army would surround the city on the east, north, and south sides, and the western side would be the front line against the Western Jin. The only passage to Xiangfan would be in the southwest.

Purely walking into a trap.

If Liu Huai had been a little more ruthless, he could have easily beheaded the Song court in one fell swoop.

However, on the other hand...

What if Liu Huai were to actually recapture Bianliang one day and then keep asking the Song court to return the old capital?

Agreeing is absolutely impossible, but how do I refuse?
It should be understood that this was no longer the time when the Jin army was powerful and Zong Ze's command of the Tokyo Garrison was in a precarious situation. Theoretically, the area now under Liu Huai's control was all Song territory.

To refuse, one must strip Liu Huai of his power, or confirm that he is indeed a traitor.

Yu Yunwen knew that once these countermeasures were used, Liu Huai would definitely not sit idly by and wait for his death; at that time, they would have to prepare for a major battle.

Is the State of Song truly prepared for a direct confrontation with Liu Huai?

There was no way to delay. Liu Huai only needed to submit one memorial every month, and the Song court would have to keep finding reasons to refuse. If this continued for two years, the Song would completely lose its last bit of popularity in the north.

Since the State of Song has discarded the Han people of the North like worn-out shoes, then the Han people of the North will regard the State of Song as worthless grass, which is the most terrifying thing.

Faced with Liu Huai's teasing gaze, Yu Yunwen remained silent for a long time before abandoning all political tactics. He stood up and bowed to Liu Huai, saying, "Brother Liu, I hope that for the sake of Duke Wei, for the sake of our past battles in Caishi, and for the sake of the fact that the situation in the world has finally begun to turn around, you will refrain from taking this course of action."

Liu Huai stood up as well as Yu Yunwen, and after the other party finished speaking with utmost respect, his expression immediately became even more unpleasant than Yu Yunwen's.

This was not only because Yu Yunwen used Wei Sheng as a plea, but also because he himself adopted a humble and subservient attitude.

Liu Huai, after all, was a time traveler. In his eyes, Yu Yunwen was not just a rival and comrade-in-arms, but also a famous minister who would stand in the annals of history as a national hero.

Even though he was mentally prepared to oppose these people, it was still hard for Liu Huai to accept when it actually happened.

Imagine if figures like Zhuge Liang and Yue Fei were to make humble requests; even the hardest heart would melt into tenderness.

Even if Yu Yunwen was not Zhuge Liang, he was still the half-Zhuge Liang appointed by Shi Ju, so Liu Huai ultimately softened his heart.

“Alas…” Liu Huai looked at Wei Sheng’s memorial tablet and sighed deeply. He said again, “Lord Yu, you may be the last bit of warmth I have for the State of Song. Please take good care of yourself and do not die.”

Yu Yunwen thought Liu Huai was just making a promise that as long as he lived, he would not attack the Song Kingdom. He breathed a sigh of relief, then stood up and laughed, "A gentleman can be deceived by his principles, but I have acted like a petty person today."

Liu Huai then said seriously, "Lord Yu, this is a private conversation, so I will not hide anything from you."

If one day I am able to establish a righteous and honorable nation, would you be willing to serve as my prime minister?

Upon hearing this, Yu Yunwen showed neither surprise nor anger. He simply turned his head to look at Wei Sheng's memorial tablet and remained silent for a long time.

(End of this chapter)