Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 260 Surrenderists and South Korean Defectors

[Qin Hui?]

When this unexpected name rang in your ears, you were clearly taken aback, because judging from Han Shizhong's description, this person's political views were undeniably correct.

[This person's proposals can resolve irreconcilable conflicts between the North and South without causing casualties on either the Jin or Song sides, and even defuse the seemingly intractable issue of "Jin mutants"!]

[It turns out, this person was actually Qin Hui...]

[At this point, you feel utterly bewildered: Wow! So, it turns out this method is just investing money!]

Thinking about it this way, it really does solve all the problems mentioned above: as long as we surrender to the Jin Dynasty, we definitely won't need to launch a northern expedition, because everyone will die at the hands of the Jin people...

You couldn't help but roll your eyes: If this were the original historical timeline of the Jin-Song conflict, surrendering would have been tantamount to crippling the Song people, but at least the Jin wouldn't have wiped out the entire Southern Song population... But the current Jin-Song conflict is truly one of irreconcilable enmity!

[Because of the pollution brought about by the "celestial upheaval," the Jin people and the Southern Song people had become species-isolated. Any encounter between them would inevitably result in a life-or-death struggle, completely lacking the material foundation for establishing a unified dynasty... Therefore, the outcome of the Jin-Song conflict would either be the Southern Song annihilating the Jin, or the Jin annihilating the Southern Song—either way, it would be a lose-lose situation!]

In this context, what's the point of surrendering? The Jurchens will mutate upon meeting, and mutation means war. Even if you want to surrender, the enemy won't accept it...

[So you muttered, speechless, "The Jurchens have all mutated, why is Qin Hui still thinking about surrendering? Who would he surrender to...?"]

However, Han Shizhong smiled mysteriously: "You think we can't win?"

【Huh? You can vote for this?】

[Another unexpected answer caught you off guard, and seeing that you knew nothing about it, Han Shizhong couldn't resist playing around, so he deliberately started telling you...]

"Do you think Qin Hui was a fool? If he couldn't completely surrender, then what kind of surrenderist would he be?"

"In fact, the Song Dynasty could have surrendered all along..."

At this point, he suddenly asked you a question: "Do you know about those deserted ghost villages along the Song-Jin border?"

[A ghost village? You pondered, then slowly recalled a memory from long ago: unlike other places along the Song-Jin border, there were no living border residents, only one ghost village after another!]

The villagers of these ghost villages are all ordinary dead souls exiled from the Southern Song Dynasty. They are neither qualified to be reincarnated nor have much fighting power, so the court sent them to the border to farm, using them as cattle and horses to supply the border garrison and reduce the tax burden on ordinary people.

[You've met them before, and you pity their tragic fate of being exploited for their remaining value even after death... but you really don't understand why Han Shizhong suddenly brought them up?]

But Han Shizhong continued, "Do you know why they were assigned to do hard labor on the border?"

[You scratch your head: Isn't it because they're free, top-quality livestock supplies that don't need to eat or rest?]

[Han Shizhong: ...Besides that?]

【You shake your head.】

Han Shizhong coughed and said seriously, "What you said certainly makes sense... but that's not the main reason the court is doing this. The court's true purpose has always been only one thing!"

"This is... to prevent living people from escaping to the South!"

He slowly said, "The Emperor feared that the living would leave the Song territory, so he evacuated all the living from the border, and only filled the villages along the border with ordinary souls that were too weak to be reincarnated..."

Yes, the main reason why the border was filled with ghost villages has always been the same: to prevent Song people from defecting! Whether intentional or unintentional, defection was something "Divine Zhao Gou" could not tolerate! This answer is quite normal. Just like different countries along a normal historical timeline, the primary reason for setting up border checkpoints has always been to prevent internal defections and external crossings. Therefore, the relationship between the Song and Jin dynasties was no exception…

[But this answer is also quite unusual, because the international relations between the Song and Jin dynasties at this time were completely different from the original historical timeline. So what if the Song people defected? The Song people were the Song people, and the Jin people were the Jin people. How could the fundamental difference in their identities be changed simply by crossing the border?]

[Don't you see how the Jurchens turned into mindless, bloodthirsty monsters after crossing the border? Similarly, when Song people crossed the border into the Jurchen territory, it still caused the Jurchens to mutate. This proves that crossing borders is completely useless!]

[If that's the case, why is the imperial court going to all that trouble to create this ghost village border? If they've already fled, so be it; they wouldn't survive there anyway!]

Therefore, you are utterly confused, feeling that all of this is somewhat shrouded in mystery...

However, Han Shizhong then said meaningfully, "What if I told you that crossing the border can actually change one's identity?"

【you:?】

[Your first reaction is that he's talking nonsense! After all, you've seen the mutated appearance of the Jin people who crossed the border before. If crossing the border could really change one's identity, then why haven't they changed?]

[Besides, it's not like you haven't been to Jin territory before. Last time, during Yue Fei's Northern Expedition from Xiangyang, you went to Jin territory with those 300,000 Song soldiers. But when you met the Jin people, they still mutated... This proves that you didn't become Jin people because of crossing the border, right?]

So you scratched your head in bewilderment and told Han Shizhong everything you had seen and heard, hoping to get an answer from him. And he did indeed give you an answer, but the answer shocked you greatly...

His answer was: "This is all something the government did on purpose..."

"The Emperor is a true god among mortals when it comes to illusion, so illusion is merely a plaything that He can use however He pleases."

"He didn't want the northerners to migrate south, so he deliberately caused them to mutate after moving south, until they were wiped out by the border troops!"

"He didn't want the Southerners to migrate north, so He created ghost villages on the border to prevent them from crossing!"

"As for why you didn't turn into a Jin person after crossing the border with the Northern Expeditionary Army, it's because the Emperor has been using divine power to protect the Northern Expeditionary Army, thus suppressing your mutations..."

[You're stunned: If someone else had said these words, you might have suspected they were fabricated by malicious "anti-Song surrenderists," but the person saying them is none other than the renowned statesman Han Shizhong...]

Han Shizhong wouldn't make such baseless and outrageous claims, so the veracity of the above statements is almost 100%!

Therefore, you are completely confused: Could it be... true?

[Just as your thoughts were wavering, Han Shizhong grinned again: "And it is precisely because of this that Qin Hui spared no effort in continuing to advocate for surrendering to the Jin dynasty after the upheaval..."]

"So he wasn't wrong. Surrender really is the most beneficial solution for the people... at least compared to the government's plan to launch a northern expedition to destroy the Jin dynasty."

"How is it? After hearing these true secrets of heaven and earth, do you hate the Emperor? Do you hate the Song Dynasty?"

"Is it... that you want to defect to the north and become a Jin person who can enjoy sweet white steamed buns every day?"

Han Shizhong's voice, like a bewitching melody, echoed in your confused mind, gradually tempting your thoughts to waver...

……

(End of this chapter)