Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 200: After a century, the sheep-leading ceremony reappears!

Although Cui Li and Meng Gong had occupied the palace, the battle to capture Bianliang was not yet over.

The Jurchens inside the city were unwilling to accept the fate of national destruction and the extinction of their people. Even after the city walls fell, they continued to fight in the streets, temples, courtyards, and rooftops, and even deliberately set fires to hinder the Song army's attack.

The Song army was no saint either; if you set fires, I'll set fires too. In the end, when they encountered resistance, they would throw countless torches into the fire and burn the stubborn Jurchens alive.

The battle for Bianliang lasted for a full day and night. One-third of Bianliang was burned to the ground, and large areas of the remaining two-thirds of Bianliang were also reduced to ruins.

More than 400,000 Jurchens perished in this unprecedented catastrophe.

However, even at this point, the Jurchens' calamities were not yet over!

On the night the Song army took control of Bianliang, Commander-in-Chief Zheng Qingzhi entered Qingcheng Palace, located five li outside Fengqiu Gate of Bianliang City.

Qingcheng Palace was a palace where the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty fasted and rested before and after offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth.

There were two such palaces: one located outside Nanxun Gate, which served as a sacrificial palace for Heaven and was called Nanqingcheng; and the other located outside Fengqiu Gate, which served as a sacrificial palace for Earth and was called Beiqingcheng.

What decent houses are available outside Bianliang city?

Therefore, the central command of the army that besieged Bianliang in history was located either in North Qingcheng or South Qingcheng.

During the Jingkang era of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Jin army besieged Bianliang (Kaifeng), and the Jin general Zong Han stationed his troops in Qingcheng. Emperor Qinzong of Song, Zhao Huan, voluntarily entered Qingcheng and surrendered to the Jin army.

Historical records indicate that when the Mongol general Subutai attacked Bianliang, he also stationed his troops at Qingcheng. After the Jin general Cui Li controlled Bianliang, he surrendered to Subutai, and it was here that he handed over the men and women of the Jin royal family to the Mongols.

Then, at Subutai's command, all the men among them were killed on the spot.

As for the women, the historians only left a few words: "Their hardships were even greater than those during the reigns of Emperors Huizong and Qinzong."

In any case, it is impossible to verify whether Zonghan and Subutai were stationed in the North or South of Qingcheng in history.

This time, Zhao Shuo and the Song army jointly destroyed Bianliang, but the Song army used the South Qingcheng Palace as its central command, while Zhao Shuo used the North Qingcheng Palace as his central command.

"Your Majesty, I have come to see you today to discuss the aftermath of the Battle of Bianliang," Zheng Qingzhi said bluntly.

Zhao Shuo waved his hand slightly and said, "What's there to discuss? Just stick to the previous agreement. The wealth and women in Bianliang City will belong to me, and the rest will belong to your Song Kingdom. Don't you want to avenge the Jingkang Incident? Do with them however you want."

Besides Empress Tudan, there are still quite a few women in Bianliang.
For example, the wives and daughters of various important officials, and the Jurchen women who migrated from Shanxi.

Although many died yesterday, there are still over 100,000.

There are even more men, still over 600,000.

Zhao Shuo had already looted all the gold and silver, and even the timber was gone. There was really nothing of value left in Bianliang City now, except for these hundred thousand or so young women.

Zheng Qingzhi said, "That is true, but there is a key figure among them, namely Emperor Wanyan Shouxu. He is a man, but he is now in the hands of your general Cui Li and is still in the Bianliang Palace."

Zhao Shuo frowned slightly and said, "So what? Cui Li is my subordinate, so Wanyan Shouxu is naturally my prisoner."

During the war, Cui Li would naturally not risk escorting the emperor out of the city. Now, the war has just ended, and Wanyan Shouxu has not yet been delivered to Zhao Shuo's camp.

Of course, Zhao Shuo already knew about this.

Zhao Shuo didn't actually have a good impression of Cui Li.

Historically, after taking control of Bianliang, this guy was determined to emulate Liu Yu of the late Northern Song Dynasty and become a puppet emperor of a foreign ethnic group.

He banned marriages throughout the city, gathering all the beauties of Bianliang for his own pleasure. Anyone who disobeyed was immediately killed. Among them were the wives of Wanyan Baisa, the wife of Wanyan Changle (of the same clan), the wife of Tumen Hutukmen (of the same clan), the wife of Zhang Bohao (of the same clan), Nie Shunying (of the same clan), and the wives of the famous minister Wanyan Sulan… the list goes on.

However, Cui Li has now made a great contribution by capturing Wanyan Shouxu, and there is no possibility that he will become a puppet emperor. Therefore, Zhao Shuo is prepared to acknowledge his identity.

Of course, if Cui Li really dares to act recklessly, Zhao Shuo wouldn't mind chopping off his head.

Zheng Qingzhi said, "Of course we understand that Wanyan Shouxu is Your Majesty's prisoner. But we wonder how Your Majesty plans to deal with him?"

"Of course, kill them."

"And what happens after you kill him? Our Song Dynasty is willing to exchange half the men in Bianliang City for Wanyan Shouxu's head, as an offering to the spirits of our ancestors. I wonder if Your Majesty can grant this request?"

Why go through all that trouble?

Since he was already dead, he was simply buried. Zhao Shuo didn't really care who owned Wanyan Shouxu's body. But since the Song state had offered it, he figured he might as well take advantage of the situation.

The remaining men were mostly Jurchens.

Those who are strong and brave can be sent to the Balu Camp. Those who are less physically strong can be used for farming, road construction, and city building; they are quite useful.

He said, "How about this: you exchange half the men of Bianliang for half of Wanyan Shouxu's corpse. Forget about heads. Three days later, execute him publicly outside Bianliang. Then we'll split it in half, you and I each get half, how about that?"

"To be punished according to the law, with each family receiving half? That would be excellent!"

Even if only half a head is offered as a sacrifice at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, it's still much better than nothing, right?

Moreover, splitting it in half is much more satisfying than beheading it, Zheng Qingzhi readily agreed.

Three days later, a five-zhang-high platform was erected in front of the Beiqingcheng Palace, named the Altar of Heaven. Today, Zhao Shuo will use the life of Emperor Wanyan Shouxu of the Jin Dynasty to sacrifice to Heaven on this platform, thus proclaiming the demise of the Jin Dynasty.

"Wan Sheng! Wan Sheng!"

"Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"

"Long live the King!"

……

Around the high platform, 50,000 Song soldiers and 50,000 of Zhao Shuo's troops stood in neat rows, full of vigor and cheering, waiting for this crucial moment.

At the same time, more than three thousand Jurchen men, women, and children knelt on the ground, filled with humiliation.

They were all the Wanyan clan members in Bianliang City.

The person in the lead was none other than Wanyan Baisa, the Pingzhang Zhengshi (Chancellor) of the Jin Dynasty.

Wanyan Baisa knelt at the front, holding a tray aloft. Inside were the household registers of the Jin Dynasty and the imperial seals of the Jin emperors, symbolizing the complete submission of the Jurchens.

"Bring it up!"

"Yes!"

With Zhao Shuo's order, Wanyan Shouxu, the last emperor of the Jin Dynasty, was bound hand and foot and taken to a high platform, where he was tied to a pillar.

"I am innocent! I am innocent!"

Although Wanyan Shouxu knew he was doomed, he was still filled with resentment and said, "I served as a high-ranking official for ten years, as crown prince for seven years, and as emperor for five years. I know I have committed no great sins. Yet the dynasty that has been passed down for a hundred years has ended with me, and I am ranked alongside the ancient, licentious, and tyrannical rulers. What kind of justice is this?! Heaven is unjust! Heaven is unjust!"

"Has Heaven ever been unjust?"
Zhao Shuo, his face full of disdain, said, “Since their rise, the Jurchens have owed countless blood debts to both the Mongols and the Han Chinese. To the Mongols, there is the hatred of the Mulu incident and the reduction of their population. To the Han Chinese, there is the humiliation of the Jingkang Incident, the hatred of the conscription of soldiers, and the hatred of the seizure of land and the abuse of women. Such hatred can only be resolved with blood! Now, the cycle of karma has come back to haunt all the Jurchens. As the emperor of the Jurchens, is it not only right that you die today?”

"The state established by the Jurchens today deserves to perish! Not a single man of the Wanyan clan shall live! Guards!"

"exist!"

"First, behead all the men of the Wanyan clan below the stage!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" *Pfft pfft pfft!*
At Zhao Shuo's command, armored soldiers who were already prepared stepped forward and beheaded all the Wanyan clan men who had surrendered, including Wanyan Baisaisa!

"what!"

"Killed!"

"father!"

"elder brother!"

"Husband!"

……

The remaining Wanyan women wept and trembled with fear, looking utterly pitiful.

But so what?

Weren't the women of the Zhao royal family pitiful during the Jingkang Incident? Weren't the women of ordinary people sold to the Jurchens pitiful? Weren't the people who starved to death during the siege of Bianliang pitiful?

After the Jin Dynasty had been established for a hundred years, were the Han Chinese people who died tragically at the hands of the Jurchens, and the Han women who were abused by them, no longer pitiful?

It can only be said that karma is cyclical and retribution is inevitable; they deserve all of this! Whether they are Jurchen men or women!

The men and women of the Wanyan clan were not spared either!
Now, only the last man of the Wanyan clan remains, Wanyan Shouxu.

Holding the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade, Zhao Shuo approached Wanyan Shouxu and proclaimed loudly, "Today, I slay Wanyan Shouxu, the last emperor of the Jin Dynasty! From this day forward, the Jin Dynasty will cease to exist!"

puff!
The cold light gleamed as it cleaved down toward Wanyan Shouxu's head.

puff!
Under Zhao Shuo's immense strength and the sharpness of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, Wanyan Shouxu was directly cleaved in two!

Whoops!

Pfft!
Blood and fragments of Wanyan Shouxu were scattered all over the altar, and his two halves of body fell heavily onto the altar.

"Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"

"Long live the King!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

The 100,000 soldiers below the high platform cheered in unison. Among them were Han Chinese, Khitans, and Mongols. They shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and their voices shook the heavens!

Needless to say, the Khitans and Jurchens had a deep-seated hatred for each other, having been wiped out by each other. When the Jin Dynasty rose to power, the massacres and humiliations inflicted on the Khitans were no less severe than those inflicted on the Song Dynasty.

Even before their rise to power, the Mongols had been threatened by the population decline of the Jurchens. They never forgot the grudge of Ambaghai's wooden donkey.

Zhao Shuo's killing of Wanyan Shouxu was tantamount to avenging their blood feud!
The people of Song felt even more proud and elated.

Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, it had been exceptionally incompetent in warfare. Not only could it not recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, but it also had to pay annual tribute to the Liao Dynasty. Later, the Liao Dynasty was destroyed by the Jin Dynasty, and they had to face the Jin Dynasty, which was even more ferocious than the Liao Dynasty.

The Jingkang Incident is a shared memory and source of shame for all Song people.

Although Zhao Shuo led the army to capture Bianliang, it was ultimately their own forces that conquered it.

It's as if they themselves destroyed the Jin Dynasty.

The shame of Jingkang has been avenged today!
That felt so good!
Xin You and Lu Zibu exchanged a glance, both extremely excited.

Although the Jin Dynasty had long been on its last legs, its destruction today was merely a formality.

However, knowing is one thing, seeing it with your own eyes is another!

They witnessed the annihilation of the Wanyan clan and saw Wanyan Shouxu cleaved in two!

Who can say that they didn't contribute to this?

They did better than their parents expected!
Twenty years ago, when the two went deep into the grasslands to visit Zhao Shuo, did they ever imagine this scene?
Moreover, both Xin You and Lu Zibu have now become important figures under Zhao Shuo. With the rise of the Han people, both of them have also risen to prominence. The feeling of personal destiny and national destiny being intertwined, and the sense of accomplishment, is simply wonderful.

If they had stayed in the Song Dynasty to serve as officials, how could this have happened?
It must be said that the crucial decision made twenty years ago was my father's wisest decision and the most critical step in their lives!
Although the Eight Banners Han soldiers felt a sense of satisfaction, they were not as excited as Xin You and Lu Zibu, after all, Zhao Shuo had beheaded too many important figures in front of them.

Moreover, since their return from the western expedition, their horizons have broadened considerably, and they no longer feel that the Jin Dynasty is any remarkable country.

With the king's command, the army marched out and annihilated the Jin Kingdom; it was only natural.

However, on the other hand, they were still very happy to have witnessed the downfall of a great nation and the death of an emperor.

Moreover, the distribution of over 100,000 Jurchen women is just around the corner, isn't that a good thing?
In conclusion, the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" from 100,000 soldiers beneath the altar resounded through the heavens, and the Jin Dynasty was destroyed!

At night.

"Your humble servant, Tudan Zhezhe, pays respects to Your Majesty! Please... please Your Majesty perform the... sheep-leading ceremony!"

A woman who looked to be in her early twenties, with a beautiful face and graceful figure, but who was only wearing a sheepskin, gold rings on her wrists and ankles, and a collar around her neck with a hemp rope hanging from it, knelt in front of Zhao Shuo.

This woman was Empress Tudan, wife of Wanyan Shouxu.

Zhao Shuo only learned her name now: Tu Dan Zhe Zhe.

Today, Tudan Zhe Zhe is dressed like this, of course, to carry out the traditional Jurchen custom of "leading the sheep ceremony".

This ceremony required prisoners to wear only sheepskin, with a rope around their necks, and to be led like sheep, signifying that they were at the mercy of others.

After the Jingkang Incident, Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty, along with Empress Zheng, Empress Zhu, and thousands of their entourage, were captured and taken to Huining Prefecture, the capital of the Jin Dynasty. The Jin people held a ceremony to present the captives. They ordered the two emperors, their consorts, members of the imperial family, princes, imperial sons-in-law, and princesses to perform the "sheep-leading ceremony."

Empress Zhu, wife of Emperor Qinzong of Song, could not bear this humiliation and committed suicide here.

That was in 1127.

But now it is 1228.

A hundred years later, karma came back to bite him, and Zhao Shuo was about to have the Jin Dynasty empress perform the sheep-leading ceremony.

However, Tudan Zhe Zhe dared not die like Empress Zhu.

Initially, Tu Danzhe naturally wanted to die. What was so scary about death? As the queen of a nation, how could she suffer the humiliation of the enemy?
However, her father, mother, and her clansmen pleaded with her to obey Zhao Shuo at all costs and not to displease him in the slightest.

It's a very simple principle: although Zhao Shuo wanted to kill the Wanyan family, there was still the Tudan family left.

The Tudan clan had a long history of intermarriage with the Jin dynasty royal family, forming a tradition of "men marrying princesses and women marrying into the royal family." The family produced a total of six empresses.

What if Zhao Shuo really angers him and orders the massacre of the Tu Dan family?
So, after receiving instructions during the day, Tu Dan Zhe Zhe obediently bathed and changed clothes, accepting the attire with a sense of humiliation.

"So good."

Seeing that his apprentice, Dan Zhe Zhe, was so obedient, Zhao Shuo nodded in satisfaction and picked up the hemp rope.

Zhao Shuo was quite interested in the first female protagonist of "The Queen of Tasting". At his position, what kind of woman hadn't he had?
The key is the bonuses from the identity.

Tudan let out a soft moan, her eyes reddening and her face flushed. She felt both ashamed and embarrassed, and moved herself following the guidance of the hemp rope.

(End of this chapter)