I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 121 Taking the Opportunity to Subdue Huyanqing

"There are so many extraordinary people under Lord Zhao's command. This new compass and quadrant are really useful. If it weren't for such a much more precise nautical surveying instrument, our army would not have been able to sail hundreds of miles away from the coastline without any shoreline reference, capture Lijin in one fell swoop, and cut off the Ji River."

On the north bank of the Ji River, at the dock outside Lijin County, a group of government troops' warships were resting after a long voyage.

On the largest warship, a weathered man in his early thirties, dressed in leather armor and a civil official's robe, listened to the reports from his scouts while fiddling with a new toy. After listening, he couldn't help but sigh, and then prepared to report to Zhao Zicheng to discuss the next steps.

This man was none other than Huyan Qing, the commander of the Pinghai Army of the Great Song Dynasty and the deputy envoy for the negotiations of the "Maritime Alliance".

Hu Yanqing's troops were part of the imperial guards directly under the court, not local garrison troops. Normally, Zhao Zicheng would never be able to mobilize them. However, due to the chaos caused by Song Jiang's rebellion that devastated Qingzhou, Zhang Shuye used his authority over the Eastern Circuit of Jingdong to coordinate and allow Hu Yanqing to temporarily cooperate with Zhao Zicheng.

Hu Yanqing was initially not convinced, but a few days ago, Zhao Zicheng had a deep talk with him, provided him with some new equipment, and analyzed the pros and cons. Hu Yanqing then temporarily put up with it.

Later, Hu Yanqing used the new navigation equipment given to him by Zhao Zicheng to conduct a practical demonstration of "long-distance raids without coastal reference points," and almost bloodlessly captured Lijin County at the mouth of the Ji River, which was controlled by the Liangshan army. This proved Zhao Zicheng's ingenuity, and Hu Yanqing's admiration for him deepened.

The compass that Zhao Zicheng gave him wasn't actually a particularly sophisticated device; it was just an order of magnitude more accurate than the compasses originally used by people in the Song Dynasty.

As for the "quadrant instrument," that thing is not the same as the quadrant instrument of the Ming and Qing dynasties in later history. It's just that Zhao Zicheng was used to using this name.

Zhao Zicheng drew inspiration from the artillery quadrants seen in later military videos during the design process, simplifying them according to their basic principles. Its primary purpose was to measure the precise angles of elevation between the sun and stars and the horizontal plane—these details are unimportant; a layperson only needs to know that this device is not difficult to make. Once completed, it allowed for more precise latitude measurements, achieving an accuracy one or two orders of magnitude higher than the methods used by the Northern Song Dynasty.

……

After confirming the latest enemy situation brought back by the scout ship, Hu Yanqing immediately reported to Zhao Zicheng, who was also on the same fleet.

"Lord Zhao, Song Jiang has probably been frightened by us. His navy has now changed course and moved eastward. We can't be sure if it's just a feint. But in any case, he has completely given up on going north by sea to surrender to Liao."

Since leaving Jinan and returning to Laizhou some time ago, Zhao Zicheng has been with Huyan Qing, busy trying to win over this talented man who is skilled in both literature and martial arts. Zhao Zicheng also personally participated in this sea raid.

After all, it took too much time to win over Yue Fei before, so now we need to focus on communicating more with Hu Yanqing to "quickly increase our intimacy level".

The History of Song states that "Huyan Qing was fluent in foreign languages ​​and also had extensive knowledge." He could speak the languages ​​of the Liao and Jurchen peoples, as well as the Goryeo dialect, and possessed a wide range of knowledge. He had recently been appointed by the court as the deputy envoy for the "Maritime Alliance" negotiations and was also responsible for escorting ships on the sea routes. In that era, someone who had traveled to several foreign countries, experienced the customs and cultures of different places, and communicated with officials from various countries was already considered a remarkable scholar.

Previously, when Zhao Zicheng was in Hangzhou, it was difficult to win over his trusted civil officials, as secrecy was a challenge; at most, he could only win over some wealthy merchants. Now that he has arrived in Dengzhou and Laizhou, Huyanqing is the first important civil official he wants to completely bring into his inner circle.

After reviewing the current situation using the map, Zhao Zicheng asked in a consultative tone, "Have you found out any definite movements of Song Jiang's cavalry and infantry?"

Hu Yanqing looked troubled: "Our army only has scout boats, which cannot go deep inland to scout. At most, we can go upstream along the Ji River... There are fewer Liangshan bandits on the south bank of the Ji River, but I don't know about the others."

Zhao Zicheng nodded slightly. Without cavalry scouts to follow up in time, and with only naval reconnaissance, this was all they could do.

Seeing that Zhao Zicheng only nodded without giving a direct answer, Huyan Qing had no choice but to ask again, "Should our army follow up and pursue them as soon as possible?"

Zhao Zicheng raised his hand: "No rush. Since we don't know whether Song Jiang's cavalry and infantry retreated eastward with the navy, we can't go deep into enemy territory alone. I'll send the cavalry from Jinan Prefecture into Qingzhou first to scout out the details."

If any remnants of Song Jiang's forces remain to hold the city and cover the rear, we will then gather our forces to besiege and annihilate a portion of the enemy. As for the cavalry scouts, they need not attack the city; they can simply cut off the rearguard left behind by Song Jiang.

After achieving victory on land, our army will then pursue by water; only in this way can we be absolutely certain of success.

Hu Yanqing thought for a moment: "Your Excellency's method is certainly sound, but if it buys Song Jiang a few more days to escape, sailing all the way to the eastern part of the Dengzhou-Laizhou Peninsula..."

Zhao Zicheng said: "I have said many times that he cannot escape to the Jin Kingdom! Once we find that he has such a tendency, our army can sail directly across the Bohai Sea, go straight to Shamen Island, and block his way north!"

"And as I've said many times, even if he manages to escape to the Jin Kingdom, which is still nominally an ally of our Great Song Dynasty, wouldn't he be afraid of gaining a bad reputation and being repatriated? I know Song Jiang well; he values ​​his reputation. He may be disloyal and rebel against the court, but he certainly wouldn't want to be branded with the infamy of injustice."

Zhao Zicheng had previously advised Zhang Shuye not to worry, and later also talked to Guan Sheng about it.

Now he was simply repeating it to Hu Yanqing, so he had already recited it very fluently, without even waiting for Hu Yanqing to finish expressing his question.

Hu Yanqing paused for a moment after being interrupted before reorganizing his words: "I know that the Prefect has analyzed it in this way before, but I think there is another possibility - if we let Song Jiang go east, and then force him to a dead end in the future, what if he becomes desperate and crosses the sea all the way east to Goryeo?"
Having served as an envoy to the Jin dynasty for several years, I believe myself to be the person most knowledgeable about the Liao, Jin, and Goryeo situations. Others may not know Goryeo's attitude, but I am very clear about it. On the surface, Goryeo is friendly to our Great Song Dynasty, but in reality, it previously advised our Great Song against allying with the Jin to attack the Liao, and even secretly colluded with the Liao. After the Liao were truly defeated by the Jin, it then pleaded with the Jin for the right to attack Baozhou in Liao.

In short, Goryeo's attitude was ambivalent, consistently obstructing progress while also seeking its own benefit. Ironically, Goryeo's double-dealing was never exposed. If Song Jiang had gone to Goryeo, people would have only assumed he was forced into a corner, and no one would have thought he was going to become a traitor.

"I fear that if Your Excellency does not pursue the matter diligently enough, it may leave loopholes, allowing Song Jiang to spread overseas."

After Hu Yanqing made this point clear, Zhao Zicheng was slightly startled, but he didn't show it on the surface.

Did this guy also realize that Song Jiang might escape to Goryeo?
To date, Hu Yanqing is the first person to see this possibility. Zhang Shuye hadn't seen it before.

Zhao Zicheng thought he could easily fool everyone.

Zhao Zicheng then took a deep breath: "Although there is indeed such a possibility, it is extremely slim. As an official and a general, one must first and foremost prioritize the lives of the people and soldiers. Rashly pursuing them alone might ensure that Song Jiang's escape route is cut off, but what if he launches a desperate counterattack and causes heavy losses to our army?"
Besides, only you and I have noticed this possibility so far; even Magistrate Zhang hasn't. If you don't speak up and I don't speak up, who else will know? Since no one knows, even if this situation occurs in the future, you and I cannot be blamed.

If Song Jiang really escapes to Goguryeo, he won't pose any threat to our Great Song Dynasty. We can then pursue him when the time is right, or let him and the Goguryeo people fight amongst themselves. Why bother reporting every little detail to the court and causing trouble?

Hu Yanqing and Zhao Zicheng had only known each other for ten days and did not know each other very well.

Previously, he had a stereotypical view that Zhao Zicheng, as a member of the imperial clan, must be so loyal and righteous that he would not care about personal gain or loss and would do everything he could to eliminate evil.

Unexpectedly, Lord Zhao was a pragmatic person who cared more about the soldiers and the people, and was not someone who disregarded costs entirely for the sake of loyalty to the emperor.

Of course, this situation cannot be described as absolutely good or bad. Loyalty to the emperor is certainly good, and cherishing soldiers is also good. In practice, officials must weigh these two aspects and cannot completely disregard costs.

"So it turns out that Your Excellency is so considerate of the soldiers and the people. I was too stubborn before. Since Your Excellency is determined to do so, and to be on the safe side, I will not say anything more."

Hu Yanqing uttered those last words through gritted teeth. He knew that saying them signified his personal allegiance to Lord Zhao. This allegiance might not be a direct superior-subordinate relationship, but it carried a hint of factionalism.

After hearing this, Zhao Zicheng's brows completely relaxed.

Winning over civil officials is indeed much more difficult than winning over military generals. Military generals can talk about chivalry, respect for the strong, or confide in heroes and valiant individuals who are generous and righteous.

Civil officials, on the other hand, should pay more attention to methods and approaches, taking into account both practical benefits and long-term prospects, while also giving the other party a way out and subtly influencing them without hurting their feelings.

At this moment, Hu Yanqing finally planted a seed in his heart that "if he really lets Song Jiang's remnants escape to Goryeo in the future, it will not be considered as raising bandits to enhance his own power," so that he would not expose this matter.

This decision was made jointly by Zhao Zicheng and Hu Yanqing; they were already in the same boat, and neither of them could jump ship prematurely.

After bringing up the topic a little, Zhao Zicheng seized the opportunity and said, "Brother Huyan, I don't know much about the affairs of being sent as an envoy to various countries, but in the past two years, the court has repeatedly negotiated with the Jin people, and the terms of the negotiations have been repeatedly reversed."

The court initially intended to issue an imperial edict to the Jin, which enraged the Jin, who punished the envoy and demanded further negotiations using an equal letter. Later, I heard that the chief envoy was unable to travel due to unforeseen circumstances, so you went to the Jin alone to meet with their ruler. The Jin again rebuked our Song for its rudeness, saying that since the chief envoy could not come, a new one should be sent later; how could we allow someone without proper authority to deliver the letter so casually?

These humiliations have been so unfair to you. But if our Great Song Dynasty remains strong and can suppress the Jin, then everything is fine, and we can eventually regain our face. But if the balance of power shifts, and our Great Song Dynasty can no longer suppress the Jin, all your previous compromises might be brought up again. I'm truly worried about you.”

Zhao Zicheng's words were by no means alarmist; he drew upon the lessons learned from the troubles caused by envoys of ancient Central Plains dynasties when they went on missions to other countries.

For example, Zhao Zicheng read "Those Things of the Ming Dynasty" in his previous life, and later went to read "History of Ming" because of this. He noticed that during the Imjin War of 1589, Shen Weijing, the diplomatic envoy who was responsible for mediating between the Ming court and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was killed by the Ming Dynasty for "insulting the court".

Historically, the Central Plains dynasties regarded foreign countries as "tributary states." The Song Dynasty's initial contempt for the Jin Dynasty was definitely more severe than the Ming Dynasty's contempt for Japan. It was only later, when the Song Dynasty was constantly being chased and beaten by the Jin Dynasty, that it gradually lowered its stance.

But a single speck of dust from the times can become a mountain on an individual's shoulders. How many individuals will perish as this attitude subtly shifts?
Those who work in diplomacy must maintain the emperor's dignity and the prestige of the Celestial Empire when in court. But when they encounter powerful barbarians, with a knife already at their throats, can an envoy truly fulfill their mission without uttering any conciliatory words? Impossible.

Shen Weijing of the Ming Dynasty was killed by his own people because he talked too much of a conciliatory thing and wasn't firm enough in confronting Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Meanwhile, Huyan Qing had suffered so much at the hands of the Jurchens over the years; could he really have refrained from uttering even the slightest inappropriate flattery or obsequious words? These were all potential time bombs.

Before the breakdown of relations between the Song and Jin dynasties, these potential problems might lack the conditions to be triggered. But once relations between the Song and Jin dynasties broke down, all of these problems exploded.

Hu Yanqing had vaguely thought about this issue before, but it wasn't clear enough for him, and he didn't dare to think about it too deeply, so he kept avoiding it.

Now that Zhao Zicheng had finally pointed out this concern, he panicked a little, as if a deep wound in his heart that he had never wanted to face had been exposed and laid bare in the sunlight.

"What does Lord Zhao mean by telling me all this? These things are true, but they can't be changed, so it's better not to think about them." After thinking about it for a while, Hu Yanqing felt cold sweat starting to break out on his forehead. Out of his instinct for self-preservation, he wanted to avoid the topic.

But Zhao Zicheng wouldn't let him play the ostrich: "Actually, there is a way out, which is why I said, Brother Huyan, you should think about your options."

"What good advice does Your Excellency have for me?!" Upon hearing this, Hu Yanqing immediately switched from his previous evasive and dodging attitude to one of humbly seeking advice, almost kneeling down before Zhao Zicheng.

That feeling is just like the gangster boss played by Tony Leung Ka-fai, who one second wanted to use a nutcracker to pinch the other person's hand because the old Chinese medicine doctor said he had kidney deficiency.

The next second, because the other party said "I can cure it," he immediately became arrogant and then obsequious, calling himself a miracle doctor.

Zhao Zicheng carefully considered the situation before adopting a empathetic stance, saying, "Among the important officials in the court these days, how many are truly discussing the matter at hand? Aren't they just forming cliques, attacking each other for the sake of attacking each other?"
Tong Guan's decision to attack the Liao Dynasty was indeed correct, but he was too hasty. But did those who opposed the campaign truly believe it was wrong? No, they simply didn't want the credit for the campaign to fall on Tong Guan's faction! Ultimately, the current political situation resembled the factional strife between the Niu and Li parties in the former Tang Dynasty—a mere struggle for power!

A hint of fear flashed in Hu Yanqing's eyes. He seemed to be struggling with whether or not he should listen to such disrespectful words in private.

But the other person had already had a very deep conversation with me, and after being so open and honest, it seemed a bit unreasonable to treat me like a stranger again.

So he simply took a deep breath and continued to respectfully bow, saying, "Please explain further, Your Excellency!"

Zhao Zi said: "In a court rife with factional strife, the most important thing to avoid is 'giving people something to criticize for doing what is right for the country.' Even if you are doing good for the country, as long as someone finds fault with you in the details, everything is over. Sooner or later, a moral gentleman will stand on the sidelines and kick you when you're down!"

The situation described by Zhao Zicheng is similar to the issue of relocating the capital during the Chongzhen reign in later years. When Li Zicheng was about to reach Beijing, everyone knew that relocating the capital was better than waiting to die. However, Chongzhen had already killed too many scapegoats, so at the last moment, no one suggested it anymore.

However, when later generations look at this issue, they often only see Chongzhen's problems, while relatively ignoring the factional struggles at the end of the Ming Dynasty. In fact, factional struggles were the driving force behind all of this—without factional struggles, when someone suggested that Chongzhen do something shameful that "gains real benefits but loses reputation," Chongzhen could have pretended to turn a blind eye and pretended not to see or forget it.

However, with factional strife raging, Emperor Chongzhen could no longer feign ignorance. Once a faction did something that was "openly shameful but secretly profitable," its political enemies would jump out to remind the emperor, repeatedly urging him to take action. At this point, combined with an emperor who valued his reputation and was unwilling to personally shoulder the responsibility for the shameful act, he would kill the loyal ministers who had done the right thing.

An emperor who is obsessed with saving face, and a treacherous courtier who tries to remind the emperor of his loss of face—both are guilty of the same thing.

In the political arena of the Northern Song Dynasty, by the time of Emperor Huizong, the struggle between the New and Old Parties was clearly as fierce as that between the Donglin Party and the eunuch party at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

It's rare to find people who discuss the issue objectively and not personally. They support for the sake of supporting, and oppose for the sake of opposing.

Hu Yanqing was utterly terrified by the dark prospects that Zhao Zicheng further described.

Fortunately, Zhao Zicheng quickly offered his final answer:

"If the Way is not followed, we will take a raft and float on the sea. Shen Sheng died while inside, while Chong Er was safe while outside. If one day Song Jiang really goes to Goryeo, as long as you and I tacitly agree that this is something that could not have been predicted in advance, there is no third person in the world who understands navigation so well and can see through our previous mistakes."

At that time, I can completely help you "let the enemy go unpunished and pursue the enemy with merit". In times of crisis, I can go overseas to hunt down Song Jiang. At that time, a general in the field may not obey the emperor's orders, and the factional struggles in the court will not be able to do anything to you. Who can cross the sea to chase you and carry out the court's orders?
These words, spoken today, enter your ears, and once they leave this door, no third person will know them. Brother Huyan, think it over carefully and act accordingly. This matter brings me neither benefit nor harm. I merely see that I share a bond with you, Brother Huyan, and witness your arduous journeys on the seas, your willingness to brave dangers for the country, and I cannot bear to see you harmed by petty people in the future.”

At this point, Zhao Zicheng's persuasion had become an art form.

Huyan Qing was drenched in sweat, feeling that this escape route had been chosen exceptionally well. He immediately disregarded the fact that the two had no direct subordinate relationship and bowed deeply to Zhao Zicheng:
"Duke Xiu has truly given me a second chance at life! From now on, I will follow Duke Xiu's orders in all my actions! Alas, the infighting among the various factions in the court has left me with no way to serve my country. If all the rulers in the country had the magnanimity of Duke Xiu, how could my Great Song have fallen into such a state of decline, seemingly like a blazing fire but actually in crisis at every turn? Alas."

Zhao Zicheng patted him on the shoulder: "So, for now, we should hold back on the waterways and let Guan Sheng probe and drive Song Jiang away from the land. Once we confirm that Song Jiang's cavalry, infantry, and navy are all breaking out to the east, we will then pursue them. In this way, the enemy will not dare to linger in battle, and our army can achieve a complete victory with fewer casualties. As for whether Song Jiang will escape, there is no need to worry."

(End of this chapter)