Song Xiu

Chapter 111 Calculating the Destruction of a Kingdom from the Temple of Jiase
After crossing the Yangtze River, Li Congjia traveled for a while longer before arriving outside Chuzhou City.

Looking at the "Song" battle flag flying high outside Chuzhou City, Li Congjia sighed deeply.

I don't know what kind of person the Prince of Taiyuan is, but he is indeed very worried right now.

After his identity was verified, Cao Bin led Li Congjia to Zhao Dexiu's command tent.

"With Guohua here, there is no need to worry about matters in the south."

As soon as Li Congjia entered the tent, he heard hearty laughter.

Following the sound of laughter, Li Congjia saw a young man in a purple robe sitting upright in a general's seat, his eyes burning with intensity.

Realizing that the man was Zhao Dexiu, Li Congjia followed Cao Bin and Lu Duoxun closer, then bowed and said:

"Greetings to the King of Taiyuan."

Even though Li Congjia was actually the crown prince of the Southern Tang Dynasty, his status was not esteemed in front of Zhao Dexiu.

After Li Congjia paid his respects, Zhao Dexiu began to scrutinize him carefully.

Having heard too many of Li Congjia's incompetent words in his previous life, Zhao Dexiu now sees him in person and thinks that, judging from his appearance alone, Li Congjia is quite dashing.

Indeed, he shows signs of being a saint with double pupils.

In his previous life, Zhao Dexiu had been quite interested in Zhao Guangyi's "Banquet at Zhaomen" and had a general understanding of Li Congjia's life.

According to historical records, Li Congjia was not a foolish ruler; he was merely an average person.

Recalling some records about Li Congjia from his previous life, Zhao Dexiu said:

"Chongguang must have had a long and arduous journey."

Chongguang is Li Congjia's courtesy name.

Li Congjia was somewhat surprised to see Zhao Dexiu address him by his courtesy name; it was a sign of closeness.

"With boats providing transportation throughout the journey, I do not feel tired."

Having developed some goodwill towards Zhao Dexiu, Li Congjia continued to answer respectfully.

After hearing Li Congjia's answer, Zhao Dexiu gestured for him and Cao Bin to take their seats.

At this moment, besides Zhao Dexiu's subordinates, Tian Chongjin and Pan Mei were also in the command tent.

As for Wang Quanbin, Zhao Dexiu sent him to guard the grain route.

After Li Congjia took his seat, Zhao Dexiu took the initiative to introduce Li Congjia's identity to Tian Chongjin and Pan Mei.

Early this morning, Tian Chongjin and Pan Mei heard Zhao Dexiu summon them, saying that the surprise troops had arrived today.

Filled with curiosity, Tian Chongjin and Pan Mei waited inside the tent.

Upon learning Li Congjia's identity, both Tian and Pan were shocked.

Did Cao Bin bring back the Southern Tang crown prince as a local specialty during his mission?
After Li Congjia sat down, Zhao Dexiu continued:

"I have a matter that I need Chongguang's help with."

As soon as Zhao Dexiu finished speaking, Li Congjia cupped his hands and asked:

What troubles the Prince of Taiyuan?
Please feel free to give your instructions.

In his heart, Li Congjia regarded the Song army as the enemy.

However, bound by the tributary relationship, Li Congjia was outwardly obligated to uphold his duties as a subject.

This is politics.

"Now Li Chongjin has rebelled, causing turmoil and unrest in Huainan."

I wish to borrow troops from your country to join my army in suppressing the rebellion.

Upon hearing this, Pan Mei, who was unaware of the situation inside the tent, was the first to begin to think.

Indeed, he had previously believed that the Song army's advantage in the Huainan battle was no longer obvious.

However, the reduced advantage does not mean that the Song army is helpless against Li Chongjin.

For example, in the past few days, Zhao Dexiu ordered Wang Quanbin, Li Hanqiong and others to lead troops on expeditions from time to time to pacify the prefectures and counties near Chuzhou.

Zhao Dexiu's tactic of "nibbling away at the enemy's territory step by step" was effective.

Currently, the counties and prefectures west of Chuzhou in Huainan are basically under the actual control of the Song army, and the Song army's supply lines have been stabilized under this tactic.

Pan Mei believed that after some time, it would not be difficult for the Song army to directly attack Yangzhou.

Under Zhao Dexiu's tactics, the balance of power in the battle is gradually tilting towards the Song army.

So why did Zhao Dexiu go to the trouble of seeking reinforcements from the Southern Tang?
While Pan Mei was puzzled, Li Congjia also showed a look of hesitation:
"As a vassal state, it is only natural for our country to lead its troops to participate in wars when the suzerain state is in need."

However, the Jiangnan region is weak and likely cannot spare many troops to support Huainan.

Li Congjia did not refuse Zhao Dexiu's request, but he wanted to go through the motions without actually putting in any effort.

Li Congjia's words made Zhao Dexiu chuckle.

Is there no one in Jiangnan?

What a liar.

The Southern Tang Dynasty occupied the most prosperous region in the country, and years of war led to a large number of people from the north migrating to the south.

In terms of manpower and wealth alone, the Southern Tang Dynasty was not much inferior to the Song Dynasty.

If it weren't for the fear of the Southern Tang's strength and the worry that the war to destroy the Southern Tang would be protracted, Emperor Shizong of Zhou would have launched a full-scale attack on Jinling long ago after conquering Huainan.

"I understand that your country suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Huainan."

"I sympathize with your country's plight, and for this battle, 30,000 troops will suffice."

Zhao Dexiu sincerely held up three fingers in front of Li Congjia.

Looking at Zhao Dexiu's sincere face, Li Congjia's breathing became rapid.

Can the decision to transfer 30,000 soldiers to Huainan be called compassion?

"War soldiers" refers to elite troops.
Furthermore, judging from Zhao Dexiu's attitude, the Tang army entering Huainan will likely have to provide its own supplies, such as provisions and fodder.

To supply 30,000 elite troops for combat, at least tens of thousands of civilian laborers would be needed.

This battle will require a significant investment of manpower and resources.
After a quick mental calculation, Li Congjia's goodwill towards Zhao Dexiu vanished.

How is Zhao Dexiu's behavior any different from that of Emperor Shizong of Zhou back then?
At most, it's just a superficial cover-up!

Seeing Li Congjia's displeasure, Zhao Dexiu expressed his understanding.

Understanding the situation, Zhao Dexiu unceremoniously asked Lu Duoxun to present Li Congjia with writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

"When you travel far away, I will inform you that you are safe and sound."

This is the first time Chongguang has left his hometown. The Southern Tang ruler, who loves his son dearly, is probably waiting for Chongguang's reply.

I've also been wanting to see Chongguang's calligraphy.

Stop lamenting and start writing.

I'll check it after I finish writing it.

After understanding the deeper meaning behind Zhao Dexiu's words, Li Congjia felt even more aggrieved.

Li Congjia's integrity as a scholar prevented him from bowing his head.

Seeing that Li Congjia still had some backbone, Zhao Dexiu became interested:

Do you remember Zhong Mo's death?

Upon hearing Zhao Dexiu's words, Li Congjia's expression changed drastically.

What most people don't know is that Li Jing's decision to appoint Li Congjia as his heir was not smooth sailing.

Many senior officials, led by Zhong Mo, believed that Li Congjia was weak and lacked virtue, and was a devout Buddhist, making him unfit to serve the ancestral temple. They requested Li Jing to establish Li Congshan as the heir apparent.

Li Jing believed that Li Congjia had the appearance of a saint, and since Li Congjia was the eldest son, he insisted on making Li Congjia the heir apparent.

Subsequently, feeling his health deteriorating day by day, Li Jing launched a purge within the Southern Tang court to clear obstacles for Li Congjia.

This purge helped Li Congjia establish a foothold of power in the court.

However, this purge also created a hidden danger in the Southern Tang Dynasty—the next ruler of the Southern Tang could only be Li Congjia.

Otherwise, the political situation in the Southern Tang Dynasty could easily be shaken up again.

This was a result that Li Jing, Li Congjia, and the officials of the Southern Tang Dynasty were unwilling to accept.

This potential hazard was not a big deal in itself.

After all, before Cao Bin went on his mission to the Southern Tang, no one would have imagined that Li Congjia, as the crown prince of the Southern Tang, would one day be far away from Jinling.

What others couldn't think of, Zhao Dexiu did.

Zhao Dexiu successfully exploited a bug to seize the Achilles' heel of the Southern Tang Dynasty.

Although Li Congjia was mediocre, he was not foolish. From Zhao Dexiu's questioning, he sensed a deep malice.

Li Congjia never imagined that Zhao Dexiu would have such a thorough understanding of the political situation in his Southern Tang Dynasty.

Thinking of the harm that malicious intent would bring to himself and the country if it came true, Li Congjia resolutely picked up his pen. The integrity of a scholar sometimes lies in taking a roundabout approach, a way to achieve his goal indirectly.

The exceptionally talented Li Congjia quickly wrote a letter home.

Then Lu Duoxun took the letter and handed it to Zhao Dexiu for review.

Seeing that the contents of the letter were largely in line with his own requirements, Zhao Dexiu nodded in satisfaction.

After sealing the letter with wax, Zhao Dexiu said to Li Congjia:
"Chongguang can go down and rest first."

After saying this, Zhao Dexiu then instructed Lu Duoxun:

"Find a chef from Jiangnan to prepare some dishes with the flavors of his hometown for Chongguang."

Zhao Dexiu's concern did not earn Li Congjia's gratitude.

Feeling deeply aggrieved, Li Congjia had long since stopped wanting to see Zhao Dexiu's hateful face.

With a sorrowful expression, Li Congjia rose from his seat and turned to leave.

The sorrow in his heart made Li Congjia forget to take his leave.

At this moment, Zhao Dexiu seemed to remember something:
"The word 'autumn' may fit the current season, but it is difficult to express the lingering sorrow."

It would be better to use spring.

How much sorrow can you have? It is like a river of spring water flowing eastward.

What does Chongguang think?

Li Congjia was stunned when Zhao Dexiu said this.

"Just like a river of spring water flowing eastward?"

After carefully considering the phrase, a look of joy appeared on Li Congjia's face.

"Wonderful, wonderful!"

That's so apt.

Overjoyed, Li Congjia turned around and respectfully bid farewell to Zhao Dexiu.

At this moment, Li Congjia seemed to have forgotten all the unpleasantness.

This gesture is to honor a kindred spirit.

Watching Li Congjia so engrossed in poetry, Zhao Dexiu thought to himself:
"It is truly a blessing for the Song Dynasty that the Southern Tang Dynasty will have such a ruler in the future!"

After Li Congjia left the tent, Pan Mei, who had already figured out some of the key points, looked at Zhao Dexiu and asked:

"Is the Prince of Taiyuan trying to bring all the elite troops in Jiangnan under our control?"

Li Congjia had only been in the tent for a short time when Pan Mei was able to keenly perceive the key points, truly deserving of his reputation as a famous general in the early Song Dynasty.

In response to Pan Mei's question, Zhao Dexiu nodded and said:

"Of course!"

Now that Pan Mei had guessed the key, Zhao Dexiu no longer wanted to hide his plans:

"Zhongxun believes that if our army wants to pacify Hunan and Hubei, what is the key point?"

The term "Huxiang" refers to the two kingdoms of Wuping and Nanping.

Upon hearing this, Pan Mei was stunned.

Wasn't the Battle of Huainan meant to quell the rebellion?

While quelling the rebellion, the King of Taiyuan actually began to contemplate destroying the kingdom!
Tian Chongjin was just as shocked as Pan Mei.

However, Tian Chongjin, having experienced Luzhou, quickly recovered from his daze—this was the case with the Prince of Taiyuan.

The moment the words "annihilation of a nation" came to mind, Pan Mei's spirits were quickly lifted.

Although the territory of Hunan and Hubei is not large, it is still land outside the borders of the Song Dynasty.

How can the achievement of quelling a rebellion compare to "expanding territory and destroying a country"?
The excitement made Pan Mei's thoughts exceptionally sharp.

"At the beginning of His Majesty's reign, the two kingdoms of Nanping and Wuping sent envoys to submit to our dynasty and established a tributary relationship with us."

"To conquer two nations, one must first establish a just cause!"

Pan Mei pointed out the primary factor in this battle.

The suzerain-vassal relationship brought many powers to the suzerain state, but with power came obligations.

The suzerain state has an obligation to protect its vassal states.

Under this obligation, the suzerain state cannot arbitrarily wage war against a vassal state if the vassal state is innocent.

Leaving aside the past, let's talk about the present.

Since becoming emperor, Zhao Kuangyin has repeatedly expressed his determination to reverse the trend of the Five Dynasties period to his ministers.

The prevailing trend during the Five Dynasties period was essentially to gain wealth, power, and even a sense of security through turmoil.

If this trend is not reversed, the chaos and warfare will never cease.

To reverse this trend, Zhao Kuangyin needed to show the world through his actions:
By obeying the king's command, one can also obtain what one needs.

Both the "Three Rules" established after the Chenqiao Mutiny and the lenient measures taken in the face of rebellion were products of this governing philosophy.

These measures have had a significant effect.

Less than a year after the establishment of the Song Dynasty, officials and common people in the Central Plains were increasingly identifying with the Song Dynasty.

Even in other regions, many people were willing to submit to the Song Dynasty.

For example, Zhai Shouxun, who was a confidant of Li Chongjin.

Because this national policy is gradually yielding good results, Zhao Dexiu, as the future emperor of the Song Dynasty, must not take the initiative to disrupt this process.

"If a vassal state is innocent, it shall not be attacked."

With the momentum of unification overwhelming, Zhao Dexiu could no longer suppress his sense of mission.

After weighing the two options, a common diplomatic tactic used in the Han Dynasty is about to reappear in the present day.

“I have already submitted a memorial to Your Majesty, requesting that Your Majesty send envoys to the kingdoms of Wuping and Nanping.”

Although the defeat at Lai'an damaged the morale of our troops, it was not entirely without its benefits.

Taking advantage of Lai'an's defeat, I deliberately created the illusion that the rebels were powerful and that our army could not take them down in a short time.

Given this illusion, it is entirely reasonable for His Majesty to order the vassal states to lead their armies to assist in the battle.

If the kingdoms of Wuping and Nanping fail to comply with the imperial edict, they will be charged with the crime of being attacked.

Zhao Dexiu currently possesses the power to dominate diplomacy with the Southern Tang, but he has no authority to participate in the diplomacy of the two kingdoms of Wuping and Nanping.

Furthermore, in order to expand their territory, they first needed Zhao Kuangyin's permission.

As for whether Zhao Kuangyin would agree to this matter after receiving Zhao Dexiu's letter.

"How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed?" This is a famous saying of Zhao Kuangyin!

If there was a chance of victory, how could Zhao Kuangyin refuse?

Pan Mei also felt that Zhao Kuangyin was very likely to approve Zhao Dexiu's request, and he was becoming increasingly excited.

"If our army can launch a campaign with a legitimate reason, then the only country we need to fear when attacking Nanping and Wuping is the Southern Tang."

“Li Jing had long coveted the territory of the two kingdoms, otherwise he would not have decided to move the capital to Hongzhou.”

Hongzhou is the modern-day Nanchang.

The gathering of the nation's elite forces in Nanchang clearly reveals their ambition to conquer Hunan.

"If our army attacks Erping, Li Jing will be filled with treacherous thoughts and lead his troops to steal grain from the fire, which will indeed be a great threat to our army."

However, this major problem is no longer a concern.

With Li Congjia in his grasp, Li Jing will inevitably be hesitant to act rashly.

Furthermore, with most of the Southern Tang's elite troops under our surveillance, it will be even more difficult for Li Jing to take advantage of the chaos to launch a westward attack!

Pan Mei revealed Zhao Dexiu's true intentions in his determination to control Li Congjia.

Tian Chongjin couldn't think that far ahead, but that didn't stop him from getting more and more excited as he listened.

"King of Taiyuan, let's fight!"

Li Chongjin is no match for the King of Taiyuan, who hesitated and stammered in Chuzhou.

After listening to Pan Mei's analysis, Zhao Dexiu burst into laughter.

Although it was in a military tent, the conversation between Pan Mei and him today was essentially a strategic plan for attacking the Hunan region.

Having finished his strategic planning, Zhao Dexiu firmly stated:
"I feel deeply ashamed of the defeat at Lai'an."

This humiliation cannot be washed away without the achievement of territorial expansion!

(End of this chapter)