Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 435: Try anything possible when desperate!

The fall of Chang'an City happened without any warning, so that all the powerful people in the city were trapped in the city, except for those who moved east with their families when the Jingsai Army saw the situation was not good when they broke through Danzhou.

The fall of the city that night immediately caused panic among all the dignitaries in the city. They all packed their bags overnight and wanted to escape from Chang'an City at night. However, in such an emergency, the Jingsai Army had anticipated it and had blocked all the city gates, so they could not escape.

Just when these powerful people were in despair, the Jingsai Army took control of the entire city and immediately issued an order to reassure the people.

Public Security Order Notice:
Citizens of Chang'an City:

[Now I have sent the Jingsai army into the city only to quell the chaos and bring peace to the country, and have no intention of disturbing the people. Wherever the army goes, it will not harm the people at all. All the merchants, houses, and workshops in the city are under the protection of our army. Everyone just needs to live their lives in peace and do their business as usual, without panicking and fleeing.

Our army will ensure the safety of those who abide by the law and do not cause trouble, so that they can have a stable place to live and work. However, if there are scoundrels who want to take advantage of the chaos to burn, kill, rob and harm the good, once they are caught, they will be beheaded and shown to the public, and there will be no tolerance!
I hope the people of Chang'an City will tell each other, not to have any false thoughts, and work together to protect the peace in this area.

Issued in August of the first year of Shaosheng by the Jingsai Military Governor's Office. 】

As soon as the notice was issued, the whole city was filled with silence.

The powerful people in Chang'an City also quietly returned to their homes, cautiously staying indoors, but sent servants to find out what was going on outside.

But the next day they heard that the entire Wen family had been massacred, and the powerful and influential people were so frightened that they could not sleep all night.

Some people thought of the old incident of Huang Chao's attack on Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty, and were afraid that the Su rebel would do it again and "trample the bones of officials and nobles on the streets." However, the news came again soon, and this time the powerful and wealthy were slightly relieved, because it was said that the Wen family was slaughtered because Wen Yanbo colluded with Western Xia.

Many people sneered when they heard this. Everyone knew that it was probably because Zheng Chaozong wanted to avenge Wen Yanbo's massacre of the entire Zheng family. Using such an excuse was a bit laughable.

But no matter what, the Jingsai Army's willingness to use this excuse shows that they have no interest in slaughtering the powerful.

However, the powerful people did not think that the Jingsai Army had no desire for their wealth. Many of them were already prepared to donate money to ward off disaster, but in the following period of time, the Jingsai Army did not come to their doorstep.

What they didn't know was that Su Yun had no interest in plundering the wealth of the powerful, and at the moment the Jingsai Army's energy was fully focused on controlling the entire northwest.

Chang'an City was captured, but the strength of the entire northwestern Song army was still very strong. The reason why the six routes in Shaanxi did not have much strength to aid Chang'an was because they had to stay there to guard against the Western Xia people, not because the six routes were empty.

Moreover, there were tens of thousands of troops in Chang'an City. After the city was broken, some generals withdrew their troops from Chang'an City, but there were also surrendered generals such as Zhou Huaiyu who surrendered together. There were a total of more than 10,000 troops. These troops also had to be reorganized into the Jingsai Army as soon as possible.

Which of these things is not much more important than plundering the wealth of the powerful?
But for the powerful and wealthy, it doesn’t matter how Wen died. What matters is that the excuse used by the Jingsai Army proves that the Jingsai Army had no intention of slaughtering the powerful and wealthy.

As for whether Wen Yanbo is dead or not... Well, he was naturally prestigious when he was alive, but he is dead. For those of them who fell under the control of the Su rebels, that was already a matter of yesterday.

Of course, Wen Yanbo’s death caused a huge stir in Bianjing City and even in the entire Song Dynasty!
In other words, Wen Yanbo’s death was just the surface, and the fall of Chang’an City was the major event that truly shocked the court and the country!

That’s Chang’an City!
Although Chang'an City was not the core ruling area of ​​the imperial court and its importance declined compared to the Tang Dynasty and other periods, it does not mean that Chang'an City was not important.

On the contrary, Chang'an City is extremely important.

This is the ancient capital of 13 dynasties with a profound historical and cultural heritage. It is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization and carries numerous historical relics and cultural traditions. Therefore, for the imperial court, this is an important symbol of cultural heritage and national pride.

Only as long as Chang'an City existed, the Song Dynasty could proudly say that it was the successor of the Han and Tang Dynasties and was the orthodox Chinese dynasty. If Chang'an City was lost, the Song Dynasty would be just a local power in a corner!

Of course, this orthodox name is important, but what is more important is the military significance.

Chang'an is located in the Guanzhong Plain, with dangerous terrain and surrounded by mountains and rivers, making it a natural military defense fortress.

Although the political center of the Song Dynasty was in Kaifeng, Chang'an City was extremely important in the strategic defense of the northwest and was an important frontier position against the invasion of minority regimes in the northwest.

In other words, as long as Chang'an City is there, Bian Jing will feel safe. If Chang'an City is lost, I am afraid that the officials of the Song Dynasty court will feel uneasy when sleeping at night!
The more crucial point is that Chang'an City is the most important hub connecting the Central Plains and the Northwest. If we lose Chang'an City, we will be in danger of losing the entire Northwest!
When the news of the fall of Chang'an City reached back to Bian Jing, it was August 15th of the first year of Shaosheng in the Song Dynasty, which was the Mid-Autumn Festival. The whole city was already filled with festive celebrations, and people were singing Su Shi's Water Melody everywhere.

"When will the bright moon come? Ask the sky for wine..."

Su Shi had been serving as an official in the local area over the years. After Su Yun's rebellion, Su Shi was put into cold storage and demoted to Lingnan. However, good poems would not stop being circulated among the people just because of the official's own experience.

After hearing this poem, Zhao Xu, the young steward of the Song Dynasty, felt very uncomfortable. However, he could ban Su's studies because Su Yun rebelled. This kind of poetry was circulated among the people, and he could not ban such poetry. If he did that, it would not be a good thing for him, the young steward of the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Xu has always taken his father Zhao Xu as his role model, and has been diligent and conscientious in his work. He personally attends morning court sessions, meets with officials, holds family gatherings during festivals, and celebrates times with the people.

For example, today he would first have a family gathering, and then go up to the city wall at night to enjoy the moon with the people. He did not slack off at all.

Before hearing "Song of Water Melody" tonight, Zhao Xu was in a very good mood, because he heard that the diagnostic team was about to arrive in Chang'an City. Based on this progress, the siege of Chang'an City might be about to be lifted.

Therefore, Zhao Xu was in a very good mood. He even had the leisure to carefully watch the people in the city placing offerings to worship the moon.

However, when the moon was hanging high in the sky, knights came at the speed of a gallop on the Imperial Street of Bianjing City, regardless of the large number of pedestrians on the road, which immediately reduced the joy in Chang'an City... Oh, no, the knights could only temporarily disturb the tourists on the street. After the knights passed, the tourists just discussed it for a while and then immersed themselves in the joy of the parade again.

However, what the tourists did not know was that not long after the knight entered the palace, the prime minister, four heads of households, senior officials, etc., who were spending the holidays with their families, were all urgently summoned and entered the palace overnight!

The delicacies from the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet had not yet been removed, but the candlelight in the Purple Palace was already flickering and the chill was biting.

Zhao Xu's knuckles turned white as he clutched the urgent military report. The four large cinnabar characters "Chang'an has fallen" on the parchment made his eyes hurt.

The prime minister stumbled forward, his beard trembling as he swept across the table: "Your Majesty! The diagnosis army is still on the way, it must be that thief Su Juzheng who cheated!"

The Privy Councilor Cai Jing suddenly knelt on the ground, and the iron mace hit the blue bricks with a dull sound: "The northwest defense line is completely lost. If Xixia takes the opportunity to advance eastward, the three states west of Chang'an will be in danger!"

Before he finished speaking, the sound of drums could be heard outside the palace, but it could not cover the suppressed sobs of an old minister.

Zhao Xu suddenly overturned the table, and the crisp sound of the wine cups breaking startled everyone into silence.

"I have long said that Su Xue should be executed!" He glanced at the ministers with bloodshot eyes, "Now, that Su Ju is conquering cities and territories under the banner of 'serving the people'. Once Wen Yanbo dies, the morale of the northwest army will be in chaos!"

Cheng Yi, the head of the Censorate, suddenly looked up and said, "Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to reward the troops who are loyal to the king and send envoys to negotiate peace with Xixia."

"Negotiation?!" Zhao Xu laughed in anger and kicked over the embroidered cushion, "How courageous was my ancestor Emperor Taizong when he personally conquered the Northern Han!

Now you want me to bow to a foreign country? Pass the order! Order the troops to attack Chang'an City immediately and recapture it within half a month!"

He grabbed the imperial seal on the desk and smashed it hard on the conscription edict, leaving deep red blood marks on his fingertips from the seal button.

Prime Minister Zeng Bu said loudly: "Your Majesty, I think Cheng Zhijian is right. The court should immediately negotiate peace with Xixia. After the peace negotiation, the six armies of Shaanxi can be mobilized to retake Chang'an City. As long as Chang'an City is preserved, the northwest will still be the barrier of the Song Dynasty. If Chang'an City is lost, Bianjing will be in danger!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the civil and military officials in the court were shocked.

Zhao Xu figured this out and was so shocked that he fell down on the dragon chair. The Purple Palace fell into a dead silence, with only Zhao Xu's heavy breathing echoing in the empty hall.

The old eunuch stepped forward tremblingly, trying to support the emperor who was slumped on the dragon throne, but was pushed away by Zhao Xu.

The moonlight outside the palace had been obscured by dark clouds at some point, with only a few pale rays shining through the window lattices, making the faces of the ministers look uglier than those in mourning clothes.

How to do?
This question is hanging on everyone's mind at this time.

Zhao Xu looked at Ni Yongzhi, the person he trusted the most. Ni Yongzhi was one of the Eight Masters of Cheng's School. Originally, Zhao Xu appointed him as the Chief Affairs Officer of the Privy Council. He was responsible for the delivery of military and political confidential documents, coordination between internal and external parties, often participated in military decision-making, directly connected with the Privy Envoy to grasp military secrets, and controlled the Privy Council for Zhao Xu.

Because he is very capable, he has recently been promoted by Zhao Xu to the position of Zhongshu Sheren. Not only does he hold enormous power, but his actual official position has been promoted several levels, much faster than Su Juzheng's previous promotion!

Zhao Xu directly called out his name and asked, "Ni Sheren, you have been in the Privy Council for a long time and are also very knowledgeable about the military. What should we do in the current situation?"

When Zhao Xu asked this, many ministers looked unhappy. Zhao Xu ignored their opinions and took the initiative to ask such a young man with little experience, which made them feel uncomfortable.

However, Ni Yongzhi was determined to take the lead, so he stepped forward, clasped his hands and said, "The current situation, if we do not handle it properly, will lead to a world-shaking situation. I am a humble official, so I should not say much. Since the emperor has asked, I will speak boldly.

Your Majesty, now... we must negotiate peace with Xixia! As the saying goes, to resist foreign aggression, we must first stabilize the internal situation. Now that Su Ni has become powerful, if he is allowed to take over the northwest, Xixia will rise again. Moreover, if Su Ni occupies the northwest, he can attack Luoyang in the east and Sichuan in the south.

You are all familiar with history. If the power occupying Guanzhong takes over Sichuan and Shu, what will that mean?"

When these words were spoken, not only Zhao Xu's face changed, but also the officials in the court changed their faces.

In history, there were three most famous forces that took over Guanzhong and Bashu.

First, it was the Qin State. After Shang Yang's reforms, the Qin State gradually became stronger. It first occupied the Guanzhong region and continued to develop its strength based on Guanzhong.

During the reign of King Huiwen of Qin, the Qin State sent Sima Cuo and others to lead an army south to attack and destroy the two countries of Ba and Shu, and incorporate the Ba and Shu region into the territory of Qin.

This laid a solid material foundation for Qin to further unify the six kingdoms. The rich resources and fertile land in the Bashu region provided Qin with sufficient food and manpower.

Later came the Han Dynasty. Liu Bang first entered Guanzhong during the Chu-Han War. Although Xiang Yu was very powerful at that time and Liu Bang was forced to accept the fiefdom, he used Guanzhong as his base to recuperate.

Afterwards, Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's melee with the princes in the east and sent troops to attack Bashu and Hanzhong areas, gradually occupying this area.

In the end, Liu Bang won the Chu-Han War and established the Han Dynasty by relying on the resources and manpower advantages of Guanzhong, Bashu and other places.

After that came the Tang Dynasty. In the early days of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan established himself in the Guanzhong region, and the world had not yet been completely pacified.

Li Shimin and other generals led their troops to pacify various separatist forces, including some forces occupying the Bashu region, and incorporated Bashu into the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty, with Guanzhong as its core, achieved national prosperity through effective governance and development of the Bashu region. The Bashu region also played an important role in the economic and cultural development of the Tang Dynasty.

It can be said that whoever occupies Guanzhong, once he takes Bashu, will have the power to completely conquer the world!
Thinking of this, everyone in the hall felt as if they were falling into an ice cellar.

The iron mace in Cai Jing's hand fell to the ground with a clang, causing a series of echoes: "Does Su Ni really want to emulate the Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties?"

Zeng Bu wiped the sweat from his forehead, suddenly turned around and bowed to Zhao Xu again: "What Ni Sheren said is absolutely right! If Su Juzheng gets involved in Bashu, our army will be attacked from all sides and will have no chance of winning!"

Zhao Xu tightly grasped the armrest of the dragon throne, his knuckles turning white. "How can I explain to my ancestors about the matter of negotiating peace?"

Ni Yongzhi knelt half a step, with his forehead touching the ground: "Your Majesty, in the Treaty of Chanyuan, Emperor Zhenzong temporarily promised annual tribute in exchange for a hundred years of peace;

Today, using a temporary measure to stabilize the northwest defense line is to accumulate strength for recovering lost territory in the future! "

He raised his head suddenly, his eyes flashing with determination, "Besides, negotiating peace is not a sign of weakness! I am willing to lead the delegation to Xixia in person, and use the cession of Lanzhou and Xizhou as bait in exchange for their staying put.

But the conditions must be clearly stated - if Su Ni gets involved in Bashu, Xixia must join forces with the Song Dynasty to fight against the traitors! "

"Absolutely not!" Li Zhichun, the Imperial Counselor, suddenly stepped out, his official uniform soaked with cold sweat, "Lan and Xi are the barriers of the northwest. Ceding these two states is no different from drinking poison to quench thirst.
If Su Ni knew that the imperial court was showing weakness, he would lead his army eastwards! "

He turned to Zhao Xu, his voice trembling, "Your Majesty, why don't you issue an edict immediately to pardon the Song army generals in the northwest, and promise them high positions and generous salaries, so that they can fight to the death to retake Chang'an!"

There was a loud thunder outside the Zichen Palace and heavy rain poured down.

Zhao Xu looked at the blurred palace walls in the rain, and vaguely recalled the lofty ambitions and passion of his father, Emperor Shenzong, when he implemented the political reforms.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered the painting "Visiting Putu on a Snowy Night" hanging in his father's study - Emperor Taizu asked for advice on a snowy night and finally ruled the country. And what should he choose?

"deliver an imperial order."

Zhao Xu's voice was particularly clear amid the sound of rain. "Appoint Ni Yongzhi as the ambassador for peace talks and leave for Xixia in three days."

He paused, his eyes sweeping across the shocked faces of the ministers, "At the same time, order the Clinic Department to temporarily suspend the attack on Chang'an and consolidate the defense line around the state first. In addition..."

He clenched his fists and said, "Send a message to the Bashu garrison commander. If Su Ni shows any signs of heading south, burn down the plank roads and clear the fields at all costs!"

When the court was dismissed, the rain had not stopped.

Zeng Bu looked at Ni Yongzhi's receding back and whispered to Cai Jing, "This boy is too sharp and might become a great threat to the court in the future."

Cai Jing stroked his iron mace and sneered, "Let's see if he can escape from Xixia unscathed.

If the peace talks fail, it will be his death."

Two days later, on the top of Chang'an City, Su Yun was wearing a straw raincoat and looking towards the east.

Raindrops dripped down the edge of his hat, soaking the secret report in his hand.

Su Yun shook his head and then laughed: "If the country doesn't perish by ceding territory to appease the empire and appeasing the outside world to stabilize the country, Qinglan, send a message to Duyuan. The actions of the emperor and his ministers of the Song Dynasty should be known to every citizen of the Song Dynasty."

Ping Zicheng nodded and said yes, then sighed, "The emperor and his ministers of the Song Dynasty are desperate and are desperate. The Xixia people were eyeing them covetously, but now the Song Dynasty has exposed its weakness. Under such circumstances, I am afraid that the Xixia people will immediately raise troops and march south."

Su Yun did not seem to be worried, but smiled and said, "That's just right. I was worried that I had no reason to persuade my uncle-in-law to surrender. With the interests of the country at the forefront, I think he should make a choice."

(End of this chapter)