I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 148 If they want me to negotiate, then I'll fight to the bitter end.
"Pfft! Crack!"

On the third day after Zhao Zicheng arrived in Bianjing, the Song and Jin armies on the east city wall were still engaged in fierce fighting, and the sounds of swords slicing through flesh and breaking joints were naturally incessant.

Near the two horse-faced mounds in the northeastern section of the battlefield, the Jin soldiers climbed with particular vigor. As the siege ladders successfully reached the city, the Jin soldiers below seemed to be injected with chicken blood, rushing upwards with all their might.

However, compared to the boisterous scenes of shouting and fighting elsewhere on the battlefield, the atmosphere in this most intense battleground was eerily oppressive. The sounds of weapons clashing, parrying, and the piercing of flesh and bone subtly drowned out the shouts, making one feel as if they were in a silent slaughterhouse, where everyone had become a silent killing machine.

Yue Fei, with fifty warriors and a battalion of Bianjing imperial guards that Li Gang had just assigned to him, fiercely defended the two horse-faced walls, preventing the Jurchens from gaining a foothold on the walls no matter how fiercely they attacked.

Indeed, Yue Fei and his entourage, whom Zhao Zicheng brought with him, were incorporated into the city's garrison by Li Gang the day after Zhao Zicheng arrived in the capital, where they underwent rigorous training. This was also Zhao Zicheng's request, hoping to contribute to the defense of Bianjing as soon as possible.

Although Li Gang's status declined due to the defeat of Yao's army, he still retained some authority to command the city's garrison before the Jin army completely withdrew, so arranging this small matter was naturally no problem for him.

In the previous fierce battles, many officers of the Imperial Guards were killed or wounded, and some troops were scattered. Yue Fei was already a battalion commander before Zhao Zicheng went into mourning, and in the past two years he had made many meritorious contributions in Goryeo and Japan. Now he was temporarily transferred to the garrison of Tokyo, and was given the low-ranking position of battalion commander, so naturally no one objected.

Li Gang then found him a battalion severely damaged by officer casualties and put it under Yue Fei's command. Yue Fei then mixed in Zhao Zicheng's guards, whom he had brought with him, and together they worked together to hone their skills in battle, with remarkable results.

Zhao Zicheng wasn't expecting Yue Fei to achieve any further merit in the defense of Bianjing; he was merely preparing for a side benefit during the negotiations. Yue Fei had never fought against the Jin army before; his previous battles were against bandits, Koreans, and Japanese.

Historically, Yue Fei's performance when he first faced the Jin army was not good. People need time to grow. Taking this opportunity to let him see the strongest enemy of the era and get used to it in advance is a good thing.

On the other hand, nearly half of the fifty or sixty guards Zhao Zicheng brought were former Han Chinese from the Liao Kingdom's Yan Yun region who had been forced to surrender after killing the Han family father and son. The other half were carefully selected retainers from the Murong family over the years. All of these men were skilled in martial arts, and if Zhao Zicheng were to attempt a long breakout after the negotiations failed, he would need their united protection.

Although those captured Yan Yun swordsmen had surrendered to Zhao Zicheng and admired the strong, they had not yet directly served Zhao Zicheng or killed any enemies. These people needed to undergo a baptism of fire, to fight alongside him, and to be tested before they could complete their transformation; this was all just a convenient step.

Therefore, at this moment, facing the Jin soldiers' assault on the city walls, Yue Fei also ordered the Yan Yun swordsmen who had just surrendered a few months earlier to be at the forefront of hand-to-hand combat, allowing them to undergo baptism in this relatively low-intensity battlefield environment.

Of course, large-scale military operations are definitely different from street fights. Yue Fei also consulted Li Gang and equipped these people with heavy armor such as infantry armor, and also issued extra weapons to ensure a combination of long and short weapons. He would never let them fight to the death with just a sword, because swords are too fragile and not suitable for large-scale military operations. Even a broadsword would not be enough.

After a day or two of fighting side by side, these captured Yan-Yun swordsmen quickly forgot their former master, Han Chang, and gradually became loyal to Zhao Zicheng—after all, these people were originally Han Chinese from the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan-Yun and had no identification with the Jin Dynasty. They had previously fought alongside the Liao army against the Jin people, but after the Liao Dynasty was completely destroyed, they felt that the Jin Dynasty's system offered better prospects for military men, so they followed the Han family to surrender to the Jin.

Now that we've discovered that there are also wise rulers among the Han Chinese in the Song Dynasty who are skilled in martial arts, discerning, and fair in rewarding and punishing, why bother becoming a traitor?
Especially after these two days of fighting, some news has started to circulate among the soldiers. It is said that "the emperor is fickle, sometimes making peace and sometimes fighting. When he can't win and wants to make peace, he punishes those who advocate war to appease the enemy. Who would want to fight for such a muddle-headed emperor? On the other hand, the Duke of Xiu is really righteous. Have you heard about Zhao Liangsi, the former Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies?"

He had made great contributions by offering advice on the restoration of the Yan state, but because of the Jurchen invasion, the retired emperor said that he had brought about the war and wanted to kill him as an apology. Fortunately, Li Youcheng, who was then the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, strongly advised against it and saved Zhao Liangsi's life.

But do you know where those reasons that Right Chancellor Li gave for his remonstrance, and those pieces of evidence proving that the Jurchens had long harbored wolfish ambitions, came from? They were provided to Right Chancellor Li by Duke Xiu, who disregarded personal gain! Just because Zhao Liangsi had worked with Duke Xiu and negotiated with the Jurchens together, Duke Xiu generously helped him without considering his own interests!
Where else in this world can you find such a hero who only seeks to serve the country, take the blame for his colleagues, and doesn't care about his own official rank or fame? Even his colleagues who had only worked with him for a short time were not left to die. He was so righteous, how much more so those who served him? As long as you work hard, following Duke Xiu will definitely lead to a bright future!
This kind of loyalty is even more remarkable than that of Emperor Gaozu of Han and Emperor Zhaolie of Han. Look at General Yue! I heard that four years ago, when he first joined Duke Xiu's army, he was just a newly enlisted soldier! And now, how successful he has become! Duke Xiu treats him with a level of loyalty that rivals even Emperor Zhaolie's treatment of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun!

What did Han Chinese warriors fear most in this era? It was being misled by laymen, being looked down upon by scholars, and being unable to distinguish between rewards and punishments. What did they most want to follow? It was righteous heroes, responsible and capable individuals who could handle any situation, and who were fair in their rewards and punishments.

Zhao Zicheng didn't personally gain much from saving Zhao Liangsi, as Zhao Liangsi wasn't a top talent but merely an ordinary capable minister skilled in diplomacy. However, the demonstration effect of saving Zhao Liangsi was far-reaching and far-reaching.

It's somewhat similar to Liu Bang releasing Yong Chi and Cao Cao releasing Zhang Xiu, demonstrating to the world tolerance and the ability to take responsibility.

Zhao Zicheng said that if he was willing to go to such lengths to save Zhao Liangsi, how much more so would he expect others who were more loyal and devoted to him?
Understand the applause!

Just like those big shots in the Beijing entertainment circle in later generations, they can lose money in business and their film investments can go bankrupt, but they can't lose their dignity. To be a big shot, you have to give people the impression of being consistent and capable of handling things, so that others will recognize you as a big shot.

If the eldest brother is preoccupied with the short-term gains and losses of a single game, then he has degenerated into an ordinary businessman, and what right does he have to call himself the eldest brother?

……

It must be admitted that the battlefield of the defense of Bianjing was the most relaxed battlefield that the Song army could find at the moment, with ample military supplies, reinforcements, and the thickest city wall fortifications to rely on.

The Jin army had actually abandoned its all-out attack shortly after Zhong Shidao's arrival, opting instead for a stalemate. Had it not been for the Yao family army's failed sneak attack and subsequent losses a few days earlier, Wanyan Zongwang wouldn't have even been willing to launch another forced siege to establish his authority.

However, Yue Fei happened to be caught up in this offensive and was sent by Li Gang to the battlefield where the hand-to-hand combat was most intense to block the breach and act as a fire brigade, which also allowed Zhao Zicheng's direct troops to grow rapidly.

Every soldier who survived such a battle could become a seed for resisting the Jin, and upon returning home, they could pass on their experience and confidence in dealing with the Jin people.

As another wave of Jin soldiers' attacks was about to be repelled, Yue Fei pulled his double-hooked iron spear from the corpse of a Jin soldier, Mouke, and flicked it in the wind, sending a spray of blood. Looking around, his comrades were also fighting an orderly and bloody battle, forcing the enemy back and leaving the Jurchens with a field of corpses, while their own casualties were completely under control.

The youngest of the surrendered Yan and Yun soldiers, Dugu Jian, was also carrying a strange, extra-long and heavy horizontal sword weighing over twenty pounds. The blade was five and a half feet long, and with the hilt, it was nearly seven feet long. He was wielding it with both hands, fighting bravely against the enemy. He directly blocked the entrance to one of the Jin soldiers' siege ladders, hacking and slashing there. The pile of Jin soldiers' corpses at the entrance to the ladder was already as high as the crenellations.

Yue Fei had previously heard Duke Xiu mention the young man's exploits, saying that the young man fought Duke Xiu's father-in-law in the Goryeo royal palace, and fought to the death for dozens of moves before being defeated, wounded, and captured. This was already extremely rare, making him the absolute number one among the Yan Yun swordsmen, whose martial arts were far ahead of the others.

However, after being defeated that day, he was devastated and in a daze. During the time he was locked in an iron cage, he reflected on his defeat every day.

After being released, both Duke Xiu and Yue Fei themselves sparred with him. However, the young Dugu Jian was clearly not yet accustomed to the wondrous martial arts of Dou Zhuan Xing Yi, and his fierce and powerful attacks were often deflected and neutralized, putting him in grave danger.

Finally, after much agonizing thought, he had a long and heavy sword forged, weighing over twenty jin (approximately 30 catties) and seven feet long including the hilt, and began to study new sword techniques.

Based on his original swordsmanship, he attempted to improve it by focusing on brute force rather than complex and sophisticated techniques. He no longer sought elaborate and exquisite moves, but rather aimed to overcome skill with brute force.

When Zhao Zicheng saw this scene, he was secretly amazed by the high level of his understanding.

In the past two years, when my father-in-law was occasionally lucid, he personally instructed Zhao Zicheng on the essence and secrets of using the enemy's own methods against them. He once mentioned that when the enemy's offensive was too powerful, the counterattack would sometimes be weak.

More than thirty years ago, my father-in-law had met a peerless master from the north, also from the Liao Kingdom. When the master's palm technique was used to its fullest extent, even with my father-in-law's skill at that time, he was unable to completely return the attack.

Unexpectedly, this young man, Dugu Jian, through his own efforts in figuring things out, also broke through his limitations and made great progress, reaching a new level and beginning to pursue the "heavy sword without edge, great skill without artifice".

However, he is still not quite there yet. This newly forged thick-backed, broad-bladed long sword is only about twenty jin (approximately 10 catties) and is already sharpened. He still has to rely on the blade to kill enemies. It is still far from being as good as the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword, which weighs seventy or eighty jin (approximately 35-40 catties).

If we were to force a comparison, the sword Dugu Jian was using at that moment was somewhat like a German two-handed sword made of Solingen stainless steel, but more than twice as heavy. Even as a blunt weapon, its power was comparable to that of a heavy axe or hammer. To borrow a term from Mount & Blade, it could inflict slashing, stabbing, and blunt force wounds.

Such a heavy sword blocking the entrance to the siege ladder truly terrified the Jin soldiers. As a leader of the squad was also brutally killed by Dugu Jian, along with his weapon and armor, the surrounding Jin soldiers, fearing the cruel military law that "if a squad member dies in battle, the entire squad will be executed," continued to swarm forward.

"Everyone, charge forward! The Jurchens are fighting to the death! They'll be executed under military law even if they go back, so let's send them to their doom right here!"

After two days of fierce fighting, Yue Fei had learned about the military law of the Jin people. So every time his men killed an enemy's strategist, he had to be prepared to wipe out an entire hundred-man squad of the enemy. In such a close encounter, the brave would win, and he absolutely could not back down!
In today's battle, Yue Fei personally killed one of the Jin soldiers, and Dugu Jian also killed one. Therefore, we must slaughter both hundred-man squads of the Jin army here! Not a single one can be left alive!
The Song soldiers around Yue Fei, witnessing their commanders and warriors slay enemy generals and fight to the death, were unusually inspired. Since the Jin refused to retreat, and since they were determined to use such brutal military law, they decided to give them a swift and merciful end!
After a fierce and brutal battle to defend the city wall, two entire squads of a hundred Jin soldiers were killed on and around this section of the wall. More than a hundred corpses were piled up on the top of the wall, and dozens more lay at the foot of the wall.

These two centurion squads were not at full strength; they had suffered losses in previous battles, and each squad actually only had about eighty men. All one hundred and seventy infantrymen were killed here. Having been baptized in blood and fire, Yue Fei and his men were fully inspired to fight the Jin army to the bitter end.

……

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

While Yue Fei and others were fighting and training on the front lines, Zhao Zicheng arrived in Bianjing and was received by the new emperor Zhao Huan the next day.

Zhao Huan greatly appreciated Zhao Zicheng's willingness to come to Bianjing.

He was also somewhat fearful. He had previously worried that Zhao Zicheng's reputation in Jiangnan was too high because of his petition to abolish the Flower and Stone Tribute, the killing of Zhu Mian, and the defeat of Fang La. If he were left in Jiangnan by the retired emperor, he would have a great appeal, and the retired emperor would be able to intercept resources from the southeast to supply the small court.

However, Zhao Zicheng was still summoned back by imperial decree without delay, waiting for the Emperor Emeritus's order or trying to sell himself to a higher bidder.

Therefore, Zhao Huan had to reward Zhao Zicheng handsomely and promote him to a higher rank, otherwise the people of the world would not be convinced, and Zhao Huan would not be able to summon troops from other places to come to the aid of the emperor. If you don't reward someone who has given so much face by putting aside their local power to come to the capital, then you are even less likely to reward others who come.

As for how to reward Zhao Zicheng, Zhao Huan was initially undecided, so he discussed it with Li Gang, saying, "You were once the prefect of Xiuzhou, so you must know about the state of the Duke of Xiu's mourning period in his hometown."

But Li Gang spoke with great impartiality, stating that he had no contact with Zhao Zicheng during those two years, and only inquired about the situation before leaving on orders. He also truthfully said that Zhao Zicheng had given him some materials, which were circumstantial evidence that the Jin people had long ago "plotted to break the treaty," and that he had used them to save Zhao Liangsi.

Li Gang hadn't originally planned to say those last words at this point, but the emperor insisted on asking for details, and he didn't want to deceive the emperor, so he did.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan was deeply impressed by his distant cousin's noble character of "putting the interests of the country first and disregarding personal gains and losses," and a sense of respect arose spontaneously within him.

All of this led to the highest possible reward bestowed upon the emperor and his ministers during their final audience.

"Your subject, Prince Cheng of Xiuguo, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"You have risked your life for the country several times, demonstrating extraordinary loyalty and righteousness, and are truly a model for the imperial family. At this critical moment for the nation, others may have a way out, but we members of the Zhao family have no way out. I hope that you, my virtuous brother, will join me in overcoming this difficult time together."

After Zhao Huan offered words of comfort, Zhao Zicheng immediately looked greatly surprised: "How dare I accept Your Majesty's title of 'brother'!"

Zhao Huan: "How could I not accept this honor! I have already checked the genealogy and found that you are a sixth-generation descendant of Emperor Taizu, making you my distant cousin. Zhao Zicheng, please accept the title!"

Zhao Zicheng immediately bowed respectfully, cupped his hands, and waited solemnly.

"Zhao Zicheng, Duke of Xiu, is hereby appointed as the Prince of Xiu, and promoted from Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies to Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. He shall be in full charge of negotiating with the Jin people from this day forward, and shall personally go to the Jin camp to persuade the barbarians with reason and justice, and make sure they withdraw their troops."

Zhao Zicheng respectfully accepted the mission.

Zhao Huan breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to Zhao Zicheng, Zhao Huan was actually more nervous. He was afraid that Zhao Zicheng would be afraid of death and would not dare to go to the Jin camp to die for the empty title of a prince.

Zhao Huan: "You are indeed loyal and righteous! You dared to go into such a dangerous place! I entrust the important task of persuading the Jin people to you, my worthy brother! Now that you are a prince, you should no longer simply refer to yourself as 'your subject' when you become the ruler. Remember to refer to yourself as 'your subject brother'!"

Zhao Zicheng said, "Your Majesty's grace is boundless; I, your humble servant, would gladly give my life to serve my country!"

Then, Zhao Huan asked some detailed questions about how to conduct the mission and how to deal with any difficulties encountered by the Jurchens.

Zhao Zicheng also frankly stated his views: "I believe that if the Jin people make exorbitant demands, our Great Song can consider using gold and silver to persuade them to retreat, but we must never agree to cede territory."

If Your Majesty is worried about the Jurchens' coercion, you can ask the court officials to discuss and reach a consensus, that is, all the court officials should advise Your Majesty not to cede territory. In this way, the negotiating envoys will naturally not have the authority to agree to any of the territories. No matter how the Jurchens coerce us, I will firmly refuse to agree.

If the Jurchens want to kill the envoy to intimidate our Great Song, then the Jurchens are extremely treacherous and will have no moral standing whatsoever. At that time, the Jurchens will have no reason to criticize the government, and the cowardly and appeasing officials in our court will naturally have no reason to gossip and attack the government.

The reason why our Great Song Dynasty cannot unite as one is because there are still many cowards who harbor illusions, and even think that our Great Song Dynasty was also at fault in starting the war with the Jin Dynasty, and that the Jin people were punishing the guilty and relieving the suffering of the people. Such absurd views are simply laughable!
If my blood can wash away the skepticism and ridiculous views in the court, and let the people of the world see the true face of the Jin dogs and abandon their illusions, then what is the loss of my life!

In any case, Zhao Zicheng was confident that he could enter the Jin camp and that even if the Jin people made a move, he could fight his way out of the Jin camp in self-defense. At this time, of course, he had to make sure that he could speak well of himself first.

Furthermore, peace is achieved through struggle, while peace is lost through compromise. The Song court's intelligence network was so thoroughly compromised by the Jurchens that it was impossible for them to keep their secrets. No matter what plots Zhao Huan and he discussed, they would inevitably be leaked. So it was better to exaggerate and make the Jurchens truly believe that he was willing to fight to the death, thus convincing them of absolute injustice and uniting the morale and hearts of the Han people to fight the Jurchens to the bitter end.

Since ancient times, killing an envoy has been an extremely serious act of betrayal. No matter how many people the Jurchens had previously misled and deceived, or how many people had been given a way out to believe that the Jurchens were acting out of compassion and to punish the guilty, as long as they made the move to kill the envoy, all the Han Chinese people in the world could only give up their illusions.

At times like these, it's all about the brave prevailing when paths cross, making the Jurchens think his life is worthless. This way, the Jurchens will be less willing to kill someone worthless and incur a huge infamy. This is why Zhao Zicheng has been observing the mourning period and biding his time for the past two years. Ever since he participated in the negotiations to redeem Yanjing two and a half years ago, he realized that this day might come, and he has been waiting for this moment.

To ensure the legitimacy of future succession, is it worth temporarily sacrificing some farming? Efficiency and bureaucratic efficiency are both worthwhile.

Zhao Huan was deeply moved upon hearing this.

It was totally worth it to bestow the title of Prince upon this distant cousin! He was truly risking his life for it!
"So how exactly should we proceed to convince the Jin people?" Zhao Huan had been completely tricked by his cousin, and had even dismissed the eunuchs and palace maids beforehand, asking Zhao Zicheng to teach him in private.

(End of this chapter)