Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

Wanyan Zongpan finally couldn't help but ask, "What if the Southern bandits order their various tribes to besiege us at Huligai?"

“The Southern bandits can grant Huligai City to a certain tribe.”

“Once we go into the mountains, we may never come out, and Huligai City will be occupied by other tribes.”

"Therefore, we cannot afford to break ties with the Ming Dynasty,"

Wu Qimai said,

"When we leave, we should only kill the civil officials, and not slaughter the people of any ethnicity."

"The number of slaves taken away should not be too large, and the historical records of the Liao Dynasty should be preserved."

"After migrating to Huligai, immediately request the removal of the name of the Great Jin Dynasty and submit to the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty."

"Wouldn't the Great Jin Kingdom be destroyed?" Wanyan Zongpan couldn't accept it.

Wu Qimai said, "If we can negotiate peace, we can still save the Great Jin."

"If the Ming Dynasty is unwilling to negotiate peace, how can the Jin Dynasty still exist?"

“The Ming Dynasty doesn’t even need to send troops. It only needs to send envoys to various tribes to persuade their leaders to surrender, and it can turn the capital into an isolated city.”

Wanyan Zongpan was speechless.

Wu Qimai sighed: "The reason I acquiesced to your leaking of military intelligence to the Ming Dynasty was that I wanted the Ming army and those rebels to suffer heavy losses together."

"But the Ming army is too strong, and those rebels are too weak."

"I was out of my mind, thinking the Liangshan emperor looked down on this remote and impoverished place. Sigh..."

In fact, Wu Qimai did not regret it.

Even if he were to flee to Huli and become a tribal chief, it would be better than staying in Shangjing as a puppet emperor!

He was fed up with that kind of life, having to be subservient to others all day, and even being dragged out and spanked.

Wanyan Zonggu said, "Since Father is willing to relinquish the title of the state, then we can still go and negotiate peace."

“Tell the Ming envoy that the Great Jin will be annexed by the Ming Dynasty and that he will serve as a guardian of the Ming Dynasty.”

"Then the whole clan moved to Huligai, where they served as border guards for the Ming Dynasty for generations."

"There's no need to kill those civil officials; just make them give you some money and grain."

“If they were officials in the Ming Dynasty, they could still speak up for us.”

Wu Qimai nodded slightly: "That's feasible."

……

midwinter.

Wanyan Zonggu went to negotiate peace again, offering an incredibly low price.

Ma Kuo was shocked.

Wu Qimai is truly flexible and adaptable!

Ma Kuo found it difficult to refuse, because he also had to consider the subsequent governance.

If the Ming Dynasty wanted to maintain long-term stability in the Northeast, it simply needed to do the following:

First, to develop the Liaoning region in later generations, increase the Han population, and assimilate the Bohai, Khitan, and other ethnic groups.

Second, the Andong Protectorate was established, with the Jin capital of Shangjing as its center, to radiate influence to the surrounding areas.

It would be best to peacefully occupy Shangjing, where there are many Han Chinese and Khitans, and the Khitans can also speak Chinese.

As long as these people are preserved, especially Han Chinese artisans, it will save the imperial court a lot of trouble.

The worst possible outcome was that the Jin emperor was driven mad, and the city was burned down and the people were slaughtered to be buried with him.

In that case, the Ming Dynasty would have to gradually settle immigrants along the border.

In any case, we need to stabilize the situation first.

Ma Kuo said, "This matter is of great importance, and I cannot make the decision on my own. I must send someone to consult His Majesty the Emperor."

"However, three points must be made: if Wu Qimai wishes to submit, he must protect historical records and books, must not slaughter the people in Shangjing, and must not take away the Han, Khitan, or Bohai people from Shangjing."

This is what real negotiation looks like; all that before was just scheming and undermining!

Wanyan Zonggu said happily, "Please give me a definite answer before the river thaws."

Chapter 3481 The Merit of Destroying a Nation

Ma Kuo said, "I will send troops to Shangjing to keep an eye on things and prevent you from relocating your population."

After careful consideration, Wanyan Zonggu said, "At most, send three hundred men."

“Okay,” Ma Kuo immediately agreed.

Ma Kuo then summoned his generals to discuss the matter: "I do not intend to steal the credit for the destruction of the country from you generals, but if we can take down the Jin capital through negotiations, we can preserve the houses and people there."

"Once the Andong Protectorate is established, the houses in the city will not need to be rebuilt, and the population will not need to be relocated, which will save the court countless troubles."

“All of you generals are brave and loyal men. When we return to the capital, I will commend you for your achievements.”

The generals exchanged glances, all feeling somewhat displeased.

Ma Kuo continued, "If we push too hard, or even send troops to attack,..."

"Wu Qimai knew that the capital would be difficult to defend, so he would surely flee by boat."

"If he had enough time, he would abduct the people."

"If he escapes in a hurry, he will surely burn the city and massacre the people to ensure his own safety in the future."

"He's definitely requisitioning ships right now, and if he takes all of them away, how will we catch up?"

"Even if you generals were to fight, you would only gain an empty city that has been burned to ruins and whose people have been slaughtered."

“You can’t catch Wu Qimai. He can even escape all the way to the sea by following the Hunhe River and the Heilongjiang River!”

The generals thought it over carefully and agreed that Ma Kuo's words made a lot of sense.

For military commanders, there was actually not much difference between peace talks and sending troops.

Ma Kuo continued, "I need to keep an eye on the Jurchens and prevent them from taking away the people. The Jurchens have allowed me to take three hundred soldiers."

"I've already decided. I'll bring 150 heavily armored infantry, 100 musketeers, and 50 elite cavalry."

As he spoke, Ma Kuo smiled slyly: "Although the number of soldiers is small, they are all elite troops."

"Perhaps we won't even have to wait until spring, and there won't be any need for further negotiations. We can just arrest Wu Qimai right here in the capital!"

The last few words made the generals' eyes light up.

"I'll lead the troops!"

"I will definitely lead the musketeers."

"Don't anyone try to take it from me!"

"..."

One by one, they were all clamoring to go to the capital.

Ma Kuo said, "We must leave the commander-in-chief here to oversee the situation. If anything goes wrong in the capital, we must send troops immediately after the spring!"

Yang Yun, who held the highest military rank, said, "I'll stay. Each branch of the military must retain its general; you can draw lots yourselves."

Shi Biao and Gu San both command the emperor's heavily armored guards, so one of them must remain here.

They drew lots three times, and it was best two out of three.

In the end, Shi Biao was left behind, while Gu San led his troops to Shangjing.

Hua Rong refused to draw lots and instead left the deputy general of the Shenji Army behind while he led his troops to the capital.

Yang Zaixing is learning from Hua Rong...

Xu Ning was speechless. He commanded the middle-tier spearmen, while Ma Kuo didn't bring his troops at all.

Two days later, Ma Kuo set off with Yang Zaixing, Gu San, Hua Rong, and three hundred elite Ming soldiers.

The supplies were transported by horse-drawn sleds, and because the number of troops was small, it was barely possible even when the roads were blocked by heavy snow.

When they arrived outside the capital city, Wu Qimai quickly sent people to welcome them.

Zhang Hao cupped his hands and said, "All angels may enter the city, but three hundred soldiers must be stationed outside the city."

"His Majesty has done his best to procure daily provisions, which are delivered to the military camp at noon every day."

Ma Kuo angrily retorted, "Is this your country's sincerity in peace talks?"

Chapter 3482 One Against a Hundred

Zhang Hao flattered, saying, "The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are invincible; each one can take on a hundred men."

“Three hundred Ming soldiers are no match for thirty thousand Jin soldiers. How dare His Majesty allow so many brave warriors into the city?”

The generals laughed heartily upon hearing this, feeling quite pleased.

Ma Kuo questioned, "What if you turn against me without me bringing a single soldier?"

Zhang Hao was unable to make the decision himself and could only send someone to consult Wu Qimai.

After some haggling, Ma Kuo was allowed to bring fifty men into the city, while the rest of his soldiers had to stay outside the city.

Ma Kuo discussed with his generals and decided to take thirty cavalrymen and twenty musketeers in.

After settling the troops outside the city, Ma Kuo led fifty soldiers into the city.

The remaining soldiers' camp was surrounded by two thousand Jin soldiers, who were keeping a close watch on them!

Although the Jin Kingdom has always been short of food, the food supply in the capital city is certainly sufficient, and the surrounding farmland is being gradually developed.

Take the Hulan River basin as an example. The main stream is called Hula Hunshui, and the tributary is called Shuishui.

The fertile land on both sides of the river was either used for official military settlements or given to Jurchen soldiers, and was cultivated by serfs—most of whom were Han Chinese or Bohai people who had been captured.

That large area alone yields a huge amount of grain every year, and grain taxes cannot be levied arbitrarily.

Because those fertile farmlands belonged either to the imperial court or to nobles.

The former was directly transported to the capital as grain, while the latter was sold to the capital by nobles.

For example, even ordinary soldiers like Heza Meng'an were considered landlords, and the land they were granted was located around the capital city.

The requisitioning of military rations at the front lines led to widespread poverty, while people in the rear continued to use large quantities of grain to brew alcohol.

To welcome the Ming envoy, Wu Qimai held a banquet.

noon.

Ma Kuo went to the banquet alone, led by Wanyan Zonggu to the palace.

Walking through the streets of the southern city, Ma Kuo looked around for a while and said, "Compared to my last visit, the capital city seems much more desolate."

Wanyan Zonggu said with a forced smile, "This remote little town can't compare to Bianliang."

"How many people are left in the two cities, north and south?" Ma Kuo asked casually.

Wanyan Zonggu genuinely didn't know: "We'll have to check the household register for that."

Even after checking the household register, it's still unclear.

Serfs were not included in the household registration; they were the private property of the nobles.

In the early years of his rule, Ugham also worked diligently to improve the situation.

He wanted to clarify the household registration system and turn more slaves into free citizens, but after being sidelined, the matter became increasingly confusing.

Upon arriving at the gates of the imperial city, Ma Kuo observed the guards again.

They were all very young and lacked the fierce courage of seasoned veterans.

It's estimated that this is a newly formed force by Wu Qimai, as he doesn't trust his previous bodyguards.

If dozens of elite cavalry suddenly charged towards the palace, these guards would probably be no match for them.

After walking for another ten minutes or so, we arrived at the main hall where the banquet was being held.