The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 513 Peace Negotiation
Yanjing!

Talan and Jin Wuzhu were staring at each other, both with very unpleasant expressions.

After their defeat in Kaifeng, the two men had a contest to see who could escape the fastest, and before long they both fled back to Yanjing.

However, both of them were terrified by the firearms of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Talai had long been a proponent of peace with the Jin dynasty, so that was fine.

This was the first time that Jin Wuzhu had been completely defeated and subdued. Now, Jin Wuzhu was finally beginning to accept the appeasement-oriented thinking of Talai.

Talan: "This war can't go on any longer. I suggest sending an envoy to the Northern Song Dynasty to negotiate peace with them. From now on, the Yellow River will be the border, and the two countries will temporarily cease hostilities."

Jin Wuzhu was extremely unwilling, but considering the advantages of the Northern Song Dynasty's firearms, he had no choice but to nod: "For now, this is the only option..."

Before he could finish speaking, a spy chief rushed in, shouting urgently, "Something terrible has happened! Our spies infiltrated in the Northern Song Dynasty have reported that that fellow named Yue Wenxuan is preparing to send troops to attack again."

"What?" Talan and Jin Wuzhu were both shocked at the same time: "How is that possible? The Northern Song Dynasty just mobilized the entire country's army, with hundreds of thousands of troops besieging Kaifeng. In that battle, how much grain did they use to feed the men and horses? How much ammunition did they use to bombard the sky with firearms? How could they possibly launch another major war?"

The spy chief looked embarrassed: "Li Gang thought so too, but Yue Wenxuan wouldn't listen to Li Gang's advice at all, saying that he would sell everything he owned to send troops to fight us."

Talan asked anxiously, "What on earth has gone mad with him?"

Jin Wuzhu: "Yue Wenxuan isn't the kind of person who would fight a war even if it meant selling everything he owns. He's always used a steady and methodical approach, advancing slowly. What happened this time?"

The spy chief said, "They know about Zhao Ji's death and say they want to bring his coffin back to the country."

Lazy Tat: "..."

Jin Wuzhu: "..."

That's fucking ridiculous!

Even Zhao Ji's biological son, Zhao Gou, didn't say he wanted to bring his father's coffin home, and you, a fake prince, come here pretending to be filial and saying this? And you even said you'd sell everything you own to fight? This isn't how you act as a filial son!

Jin Wuzhu was so angry that his nose was crooked: "He's just putting on an act, a fake prince playing a fake filial son, trying to put on a show for the world, but using our Jin Kingdom as a scapegoat."

Talan: "That's how Han people are. They prioritize filial piety. A fake prince has to put on such a show to look more like a real prince."

Jin Wuzhu: "Then what should we do?"

Talan: "Actually, this makes things easier. Weren't we just discussing peace talks with the Northern Song? We can take advantage of this opportunity to make peace even easier. We can use Zhao Ji's remains as a bargaining chip. As long as the Northern Song agrees to peace talks, we will send back Zhao Ji's remains and his concubines. Wouldn't that settle things?"

Jin Wuzhu: "Huh? Good idea!"

After the two finished their discussion, they quickly dispatched an envoy...
-
Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng!
After Emperor Zhao Shi personally led the campaign to recapture Kaifeng, he did not return to the palace but instead went back to Jiaodong to continue "the emperor guarding the country's gate."

He was accompanied by a large number of Northern Song officials.

This made it seem as if Kaifeng had returned to the embrace of the Southern Song Dynasty, with efforts underway to restore it led by former Southern Song officials such as Li Gang.

But I am an old minister, yet I use new methods.

Li Gang absorbed many of Yue Wenxuan's new ideas and studied the latest innovations of the Northern Song Dynasty every day.

The palace area was reduced by almost half, and a large number of palaces were re-isolated and converted into shops or luxury mansions, sold to the wealthy.

There is also a continuous influx of people returning to Kaifeng...

It seems to be thriving! The only thing that makes Li Gang unhappy right now is that Yue Wenxuan wants to "exploit the enemy's resources and continue fighting."

As a civil official, he had no authority over the affairs of military officers.

Unlike the Southern Song Dynasty, the Northern Song Dynasty did not "control the military with civil officials," but rather had a system of separation of power between civil and military officials.

Civil officials are not superior to military officials!

Li Gang was only in charge of domestic affairs and had no say in military matters.

Seeing that the army was preparing for the "Northern Expedition to reclaim the coffin of the Supreme Emperor," Li Gang was extremely anxious and repeatedly advised that "we should not exhaust our military strength and should allow the people to rest and recuperate," but Yue Wenxuan just smiled mysteriously and disagreed.

I'm feeling terribly unwell...

Then a soldier ran into Kaifeng and shouted, "The Jin envoy has arrived and requests an audience with the Emperor of our Northern Song Dynasty!"

Li Gang: "Huh? He wants to see the Emperor, he should go to Jiaoshui County, why did he come to Kaifeng?"

The soldier said awkwardly, "When the Jin envoy set off from Yanjing, the Emperor was still in Kaifeng. But halfway there, the Emperor went back to Jiaoshui... The Jin envoy didn't expect the Emperor to go back to Jiaoshui, so he foolishly came to Kaifeng."

Li Gang couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. That was true. No one could have imagined that the Northern Song Dynasty, having clearly recaptured Kaifeng, would not return to Kaifeng to establish its capital, but instead continue to have the emperor stay in such a small county as Jiaoshui County.

Very outrageous!
"What should we do?" Li Gang said, "We'll have to ask Young Master Yue for help..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a soldier ran up to him and saluted, saying, "Young Master Yue has ordered that he has no official position and is not suitable to meet the envoy. He requests that Prime Minister Li meet the envoy on behalf of the Emperor."

Li Gang was both amused and exasperated: "I have no official position in the Northern Song Dynasty. Although everyone calls me Prime Minister Li, that's just a polite way of addressing me. The only official position I have that is truly recognized by the court is a minor instructor in Huizhou, Lingnan, in the Southern Song Dynasty. Is it really appropriate for such a lowly official to meet with an envoy?"

The civil officials from the Southern Song Dynasty all laughed awkwardly upon hearing this.

All of them, the pro-war faction, were demoted by Zhao Gou and Qin Hui in collusion. Some were made instructors in small counties, while others didn't even have an instructor position and were completely exiled. Some even had tattoos on their faces and had become "traitorous exiles."

Seeing Li Gang's embarrassed look, I thought of my own current identity, and I felt a bitter smile mixed with my own embarrassment.

The messenger said, "Young Master Yue said, why bother with all that?"

Li Gang: "..."

Okay, whatever.

Li Gang, steeling himself, went to see the envoy.

When the envoy heard that the person who came to see him was Li Gang, he did not dare to underestimate him. He immediately threw out a bunch of incoherent words. He had been very fierce at first, saying that the Jin Kingdom was not afraid of war, but in the end, he suddenly showed his fear and said that he was willing to negotiate peace with the Northern Song Dynasty, and that the two countries would temporarily suspend their war. He said that as long as the Northern Song Dynasty agreed, he would return the remains of Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, to the Northern Song Dynasty.

Li Gang was a little confused after hearing this.

Previously, Zhao Gou had always begged the Jin state for peace talks, offering them various benefits.

He was used to this rhythm, so why was it the Jin Kingdom that came to negotiate peace this time? And why did they even offer to return the remains of the Supreme Emperor?
He stared blankly for several seconds, then suddenly realized that Young Master Yue's "militarism" was actually a show for the Jin Dynasty, meant to intimidate them so that they would eagerly seek peace.

Times change!

Li Gang wasn't so stupid as to be unaware of such a strategy; it's just that he had been living in the weak and oppressive Southern Song Dynasty for too long, and therefore hadn't yet gotten used to how to conduct diplomacy in a powerful country.

After figuring it out, Li Gang slapped his thigh hard, then his face darkened as he said to the Jin envoy, "Returning only the remains of the Supreme Emperor is not enough. You must also return the Retired Emperor (Zhao Huan) and all his concubines, not one less. Otherwise, there is no point in discussing peace."

(End of this chapter)