I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

...

Influenced by the novel and TV series "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", when people mention Dali, they think of the Duan family and believe that the Duan family, the royal family of Dali, is the ruler of Dali.

In fact, there was another Gao family in Dali, whose status was in no way inferior to that of the Duan family. In fact, it could be said that the Gao family was the true ruler of Dali.

In the past, Zhao Kuangyin, mindful of the Tang Dynasty's defeat, used a jade axe to draw a line across the Dadu River as the boundary, declaring, "This place is not mine," thus preserving the Dali Kingdom.

Not long after, the Dali Kingdom came to the reign of Emperor Shengde of Dali, Duan Suxing.

Duan Suxing was particularly fond of visiting prostitutes and was also ambitious and fond of grandiose projects. He built a huge palace in Kunming and planted a large number of flowers and plants.

He planted yellow flowers on the Chun Deng Embankment, naming it "Golden Ridge Around the Way"; and white flowers on the Yun Jin Bridge, naming it "Silver Ridge Around the City." Every spring, he would take courtesans and wine, traveling from the Jade Table Three Springs upstream to the "Nine-Bend Flowing Wine Cups." Men and women would sit in rows, playing games with grass and wearing flowers, making merry day and night. It is said that "flowers bloom when sung, and grass moves when danced," so Duan Suxing "ordered singers to be near flowers and dancers to be near grass."

It can be said that Duan Suxing became more and more debauched during his reign.

Therefore, the Prime Minister Gao deposed the increasingly dissolute Duan Suxing and enthroned Duan Silian, the great-grandson of Duan Siping, as emperor.

After Duan Silian succeeded to the throne, the Gao family, just like Dong Zhuo in the past, used their merit in supporting the emperor to rise above all other families.

As a result, the Yang family of Dali lost power and then took a desperate gamble, with Yang Yunxian openly rebelling.

Duan Silian was powerless to quell the rebellion, so he had no choice but to ask Marquis Yue, Gao Zhisheng, to send troops to destroy it.

As a result, the Gao family prospered, and Gao Zhisheng occupied the entire territory of Shanshan Prefecture.

Seeing this, Duan Silian had no choice but to promote Gao Zhisheng to the title of Marquis of Shanshan and grant him the two directly administered territories of Baiya and Rudian, giving him military and political power. From then on, the Gao family served as prime ministers for generations, wielding immense power in the court.

This further weakened the imperial family's power, exacerbating the crisis in Duan's rule.

At the height of the Gao family's power, Gao Shengtai deposed Duan Zhengming and declared himself emperor. Only after his death did he "return power to the Duan family" and install Duan Zhengchun, thus beginning the era of the Duan family as complete puppets.

Now, Duan Zhengyan has the title of emperor but no military or administrative power. The decision to depose or install emperors, as well as military, political, and social affairs, is entirely up to Prime Minister Gao Liangcheng.

To put it simply, the Duan family and the Gao family of Dali were a pair of puppet emperors and powerful ministers who held real power for a century.

It can be said that the Duan family was the clay emperor in the temple, while the Gao family was the real abbot behind the scenes who controlled the incense offerings and determined fortune and misfortune; the Duan family was the puppet emperor performing on the stage, while the Gao family was the puppeteer pulling the strings and controlling the whole show; the Duan family was the facade of the Dali Kingdom, while the Gao family was the behind-the-scenes owner who controlled the kingdom; the Duan family was like the Zhou emperor, while the Gao family was like the hegemon of the Spring and Autumn Period. The emperor had only a nominal title, while the hegemon held the power of life and death.

To put it simply, Duan Zhengyan actually did not want to fight the Song Dynasty to the death.

Duan Zhengyan understood that establishing friendly relations with the Song Dynasty was the foundation of his country, and he attached great importance to strengthening ties with the Song Dynasty. Therefore, after he became the emperor of Dali, he often sent tributes to the Song Dynasty, including local specialties such as Dali horses, musk, bezoar, and fine felt. He also sent magicians to Beijing to perform for Zhao Yu.

Even when faced with the perilous situation of the Song Dynasty attacking Dali, Duan Zhengyan advocated for peace talks, seeking to persuade Zhao Yu to agree to Dali's autonomy, rather than fighting the Song Dynasty to the bitter end.

The real advocate for war was Prime Minister Gao Liangcheng.

Gao Liangcheng set lofty goals in his youth, taking society as his learning. He was not playful from a young age, unlike other scions of noble families. He was fond of learning both literature and martial arts, and his ambition was to serve the world. In his youth, he led righteous troops and local militia to eliminate the rebellion and expand the territory. After the chaos in Anzhou Prefecture, he rescued the survivors from the jaws of death. Not long ago, he led the army of Dali to quell the rebellion of the thirty-seven tribes of Wuman. He was nicknamed "Duke Protector of the Law" and showed extraordinary wisdom and courage.

It can be said that Gao Liang has made great contributions to the peace and stability of the southwestern border region.

For this reason, the Duan dynasty bestowed upon Gao Liang the title of "Duke of China".

Gao Liangcheng was undoubtedly a powerful figure. He believed that Dali's defenses were impregnable and that even if the Song army attacked, they would be unable to conquer Dali.

Therefore, under Gao Liangcheng's advocacy, Duan Zhengyan wrote those three letters to Zhao Yu, and Dali also decided to fight against the Song Dynasty.

Gao Liangcheng was convinced that he could turn the tide and save Dali this time, and he once again became a hero of Dali, further enhancing the Gao family's reputation and prestige.

However, it is counterproductive.

The Song army easily broke through Longshou Pass and Longwei Pass, and their army pressed in.

Faced with this situation, Duan Zhengyan and his ministers quickly discussed countermeasures.

Some said, “I believe we should defend the capital! Our capital is backed by the Cangshan Mountains as a natural barrier and borders Erhai Lake as a moat. The city walls are all built of bluestone, more than ten feet thick and two ren high, with numerous crenellations. Powerful crossbows and rolling stones can be mounted on the city towers. Moreover, the city’s food supplies can last for three years, and wells are scattered throughout the streets and alleys. Even if a million Song troops besiege the city, they will find it difficult to cross the line! Furthermore, the people in the city have long been favored by the emperor and will surely unite against the enemy. This is the best strategy to wait in comfort for the enemy to tire themselves out and hold the city in anticipation of any change in the situation!”

Some objected: "This is a mistake! Although the capital is fortified, the Longshou and Longwei passes are the gateways. Once these gateways are lost, the city is nothing more than an isolated fortress! The Song army has flying monsters that can hurl lightning and fire to destroy the city. How can ordinary city walls withstand such attacks? Now, there is no way to climb Cangshan Mountain, and no sails to cross Erhai Lake. We are trapped by the Song army from both the front and the rear. We are like turtles in a jar! I believe it would be better to travel lightly, with personal guards, and sneak out of the west gate, fleeing along the mountain paths to temporarily avoid the Song army's advance. We can wait until they run out of supplies and retreat, and then slowly plan our recapture. This is the strategy of preserving our strength and planning a comeback!"

"What cowardly words of a mere child!" A furious shout echoed through the palace. A man stepped forward and said, "In my opinion, both defense and retreat are tantamount to national ruin. The best course of action now is to take advantage of their exhaustion from their long journey and the impending spread of disease. Our army should defend the city and fight! I beseech Your Majesty to personally lead the expedition, ascend the city walls to inspire the army, and I will lead my elite troops out of the city to meet the enemy. We will surely behead the Song general and hang his head on the city gate, so that they will know that justice cannot be deceived! This is a desperate battle, a strategy of fighting to the death!"

Those who advocated defending the city blushed and angrily denounced the deserters' arguments; those who advocated fleeing trembled and pleaded that holding the city was tantamount to waiting for death; those who advocated fighting drew their swords and struck pillars, shouting for a fight to the death.

Some people advised Duan Zhengyan, Gao Liangcheng, and others to send someone to sue for peace.

However, Duan Zhengyan's three letters had already blocked the path to peace, making Duan Zhengyan, Gao Liangcheng, and others dare not surrender.

Secondly, rashly advocating surrender would allow figures like Duan Zhengyan and Gao Liangcheng, who had no chance of surrendering, to be executed to establish their authority.

Therefore, for a time, no one dared to stand up and advocate for peace talks, and the debate in the palace was endless, with people debating whether to "defend," "retreat," or "go to war."

Such a debate will not yield any results; in the end, Duan Zhengyan and Gao Liangcheng will have to make the decision.

However, this idea was really hard to come up with, which led to Duan Zhengyan and his minister arguing until the early hours of the morning without reaching a conclusion.

At midnight, Gao Liangcheng left the Dali Palace looking exhausted and gloomy.

surrender?

Everyone else, including Duan Zhengyan and the Duan family, could surrender, but Gao Liangcheng and the Gao family absolutely could not surrender.

Gao Liangcheng knew better than anyone that if Dali surrendered, he and the Gao family would face annihilation.

—Who told Gao Liangcheng to dare provoke Zhao Yu, even though he wasn't the emperor of Dali?

"Whether I defend or flee, I absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die!"

As soon as Gao Liangcheng arrived home, his nephew Gao Shouliang greeted him excitedly.

To be honest, Gao Liangcheng had a very bad impression of his nephew. He was dissolute, ambitious but incompetent, and spent years frequenting brothels, completely incomparable to Gao Liangcheng's other two nephews, Gao Shouzhen and Gao Shouchang. Yet, he was particularly eager to advance, even harboring ambitions to succeed Gao Liangcheng as the Prime Minister of Dali. His incompetence without his awareness greatly annoyed Gao Liangcheng. At this moment, Gao Liangcheng was in a bad mood and didn't want to say much to Gao Shouliang.

Unexpectedly, upon meeting, Gao Shouliang said with a look of pride, "Uncle, I have a plan to defeat the enemy!"

If Gao Shouliang had said anything else, Gao Liangcheng might have waved him away.

However, Gao Shouliang mentioned a way to repel the Song army, which made Gao Liangcheng hesitate.

After a moment's hesitation, Gao Liangcheng asked, "What's your plan?"

Gao Shouliang immediately stepped forward and said, "Uncle, I met a remarkable person today named Guo Jing, who is skilled in the Six Jia Orthodox Army Technique..."

To be honest, Gao Liangcheng didn't really believe in this kind of supernatural magic.

However, from the royal family to the common people, the Dali Kingdom generally believed in ghosts and gods, and presented a three-fold fusion of beliefs: "Buddhism as the core, witchcraft and ghosts as the foundation, and the local deity as the link." The belief in ghosts and gods had long permeated military and political affairs and daily life, and was one of the underlying characteristics of the "Fragrant Buddhist Kingdom".

Of the twenty-two kings of Dali, nine abdicated to become monks, using the myth of "Guanyin establishing the country" to strengthen the legitimacy of their royal power.

In Dali, every household, regardless of wealth, has a Buddhist shrine. People, whether old or strong, never put down their prayer beads. Tantric deities are regarded as righteous gods who protect the country and its people. Prayers for rain, disaster relief, and war are all blessed by Buddhist rituals. Major military and political matters are often decided by "divine pronouncements."

Furthermore, in folk customs, when encountering epidemics, funerals, or agricultural activities, people would always invite "ghost masters" or "priests" to perform rituals to exorcise evil spirits, worship ancestors, and divine the future. They believed that mountains, rivers, the sun and moon, and ancestors all possessed spirits, and that "the soul is immortal." They placed great importance on sacrifices to appease the spirits.

Prayers for a bountiful harvest, protection from disasters, and resolution of disputes are all offered to the local deity. During festivals, Nuo operas and shamanic dances are performed, and there is frequent interaction between humans and deities.

It can be said that the belief in ghosts and gods has been integrated into the daily life of the people of Dali.

In this extremely feudal place, facing a "reclusive master" like Guo Jing, Gao Liangcheng couldn't help but disbelieve him.

After being exposed by Zhao Yu last time, Guo Jing refined his story and added Dali characteristics to make his lies more convincing.

In addition, Guo Jing brought out his cat-and-mouse game.

This immediately convinced many people in Dali, and even Duan Zhengyan and Gao Liangcheng thought that Guo Jing was quite capable.

The key point, Duan Zhengyan and Gao Liangcheng thought, was that if Guo Jing could muster a force at this critical moment, even if he couldn't produce the so-called Six Armies, it would still increase their country's fighting strength.

Therefore, Gao Liangcheng gave Guo Jing a large sum of money and a venue, allowing Guo Jing to recruit the Six Jia soldiers.

Guo Jing issued a proclamation throughout Yangjumei City to recruit soldiers from the Six Jia.

Knowing that even the Emperor and Prime Minister of Dali were impressed by Guo Jing's methods, the recruitment notice for the Six Armies was met with overwhelming response, and the recruitment went surprisingly smoothly.

Guo Jing had his own recruitment criteria, namely, the number of divine soldiers could not be less than 7,777.

Their selection criteria were strict: they did not consider archery or martial arts skills, nor age, but only the birth date and time (the eight characters of the Chinese zodiac) – only those whose birth year was Jiazi, Jiayin, Jiachen, Jiawu, Jiashen, or Jiaxu were eligible.

In no time, street urchins and scoundrels flocked to join the ranks, and then transformed themselves into regular soldiers of the Six Armies.

According to the Daoist Canon, the Six Jia Zhengbing possesses boundless supernatural powers. They can summon wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning, break through strong cities and camps, drive wooden oxen and flowing horses, make painted figures on walls walk, make all kinds of grass bloom in the cold winter, and ward off water and fire and block weapons. With these seven thousand soldiers, they can defeat a million-strong army.

Guo Jing selected two people from among the applicants and entrusted them with important responsibilities: one was named Bo Jian, who was originally a street performer who knew some martial arts and stick fighting. Guo Jing appointed him as an instructor, in charge of training the Six Jia soldiers; the other was named Liu Wuji, who was originally a medicine-selling monk who often begged for money by standing upside down in the mud. He was dissolute and unrestrained. Guo Jing promoted him to commander, in charge of a team of Six Jia soldiers.

When selecting soldiers, Guo Jing not only required that their birth year conform to the six Jia numbers, but also personally examined their faces. If anything seemed inauspicious, he would refuse to let them in.

A silk merchant, with a heart full of patriotism, resolutely joined the army and presented his letter of request to fight in court, his words earnest and sincere.

A military officer nearby saw that he was quite courageous and wanted to recruit him as a deputy general, but Guo Jing resolutely refused.

Guo Jing scrutinized the merchant's face for a long time before saying bluntly, "Although you have great ambitions, your face is ominous, and you will surely face death within a month. If you take him under your command, I fear it will implicate us."

After recruiting 7,777 regular soldiers, Guo Jing ordered them all to wear strange clothes and masks, some with disheveled hair and bare feet, others with painted faces and tattoos, each one with a bizarre appearance, unlike ordinary people.

Guo Jing personally led this team, showing off their power and swaggering through the streets during the day.

The people of Yangjumei City, regardless of gentry or commoners, young or old, cheered and spread the news upon seeing this spectacle, believing that a divine being had descended from heaven to protect Dali and repel the Song army.

The people of Dali also revered Guo Jing as a god. When his name was mentioned, they would put their hands to their foreheads and call him "Master," their respect overflowing.

Only the insightful people in the city, seeing that the court was not thinking about strengthening the army and military, but instead indulging in such unorthodox practices, felt that Dali was doomed.

Someone went to see Duan Zhengyan and Gao Liangcheng and advised them: "Throughout history, no military campaign has ever succeeded by relying on such sorcery. If the court wishes to test it, it should assign a small number of troops and wait for them to achieve some success before gradually promoting them. If we entrust them with full authority now, and they fail, not only will we suffer heavy losses, but we will also be ridiculed by the world and future generations, tarnishing the court's reputation!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Liangcheng flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table and shouting, "Guo Jing is an extraordinary being born of a calamity; he knows every minute detail of the enemy's affairs. You may say this to me today, but if you divulge even a single word to outsiders, I will punish you severely for the crime of disrupting the morale of the army!"

The person who offered advice was rebuffed and had no choice but to retreat in frustration.

Seeing Guo Jing suddenly gain power and enjoy unparalleled glory, those who were somewhat skilled in divination and idle all began to imitate him.

There was a monk who had returned to secular life, named Fu Zhenglin, whom everyone called Mr. Fu. He also offered a plan to the court, claiming that he had a miraculous way to defeat the enemy and was willing to recruit "victorious soldiers" to defend against the enemy. The Dali court actually approved it.

Then there were also people like Liu Zhujie who sold medicine, merchants, and entertainers, all claiming to be well-versed in divine or Buddhist magic and to have good strategies for defeating the enemy. They all wanted to emulate Guo Jing and raise troops to make themselves powerful.

Duan Zhengyan and his ministers, in their desperation, readily agreed to all these people's requests, allowing them to recruit soldiers and horses.

In no time, recruitment of soldiers became extremely popular in Yangjumei City.

Each team had a more impressive name than the last, some called "Bodhi Warriors," some called "Western Arhats," and others called "Heavenly Generals."

These ragtag groups were all imitating Guo Jing. They wanted to gain some benefits from the Dali court by pretending to be supernatural.

These people also became Duan Zhengyan and his ministers' lifeline, hoping to rely on them to defeat the Song army that was about to besiege the city...

...(End of chapter)