New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

While the siege of the outer city raged on, Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, inside the imperial city, was on tenterhooks.

Even with his nails digging deep into his flesh and tucking them into his sleeves, he couldn't hide his slightly trembling arms. Despite the freezing winter weather, his back was still soaked with cold sweat, his pale face devoid of color, and his eyes constantly glancing outside the hall, filled with fear.

He desperately wanted to know the situation of the battle outside the city, but he was also extremely afraid that a messenger eunuch would rush over with news of the city's fall. If the news came that the city had been breached, wouldn't he, the emperor, be doomed?

Amidst this atmosphere of torment, news from outside the palace kept arriving inside.

"The Jin army has ascended the outer city walls!"

"Li Gang, Vice Minister of War, led his troops to recapture Chenqiao Gate!"

"The Jin army's catapults have advanced thirty zhang!"

Each military intelligence report was like a thunderclap, sending Zhao Ji's mood soaring to the clouds and plummeting to the bottom, while also proving to the assembled courtiers just how intense and bloody the battle outside the palace was.

Amidst the nods of the crowd, Prime Minister Wang Fu stepped forward and said, “The fierce fighting in the outer city demonstrates the determination of the people and soldiers of Dongjing to defend the capital. Your Majesty should now ascend the city wall to encourage the soldiers. Only with the unity of the emperor and the people can we defeat the Jin army.”

"Go up to the city wall?" Zhao Ji nearly shook his neck off. "As the emperor, how can I risk my life? Boosting morale is something the crown prince can handle."

Suddenly called out by name, Zhao Huan's neck shrank back. Arrows on the battlefield have no eyes. Even a king's legs were weak at this moment, let alone himself.

But the emperor's command was not to be disobeyed; Zhao Ji had already spoken, and as his subject, he could only obey, unless…

Just as Zhao Huan was hesitating about whether he should faint and pretend to be dead, another military report from outside the main hall came to his rescue just in time.

"Your Majesty is overjoyed! The Jin army, having failed to capture the city after a prolonged siege, has sounded the retreat!"

"Wanyan Xie has really retreated?" Upon receiving a positive reply, Zhao Ji, who had been hunched over, finally straightened up. "Good, very good, excellent. Issue the order to reward the three armies. Once the Jin army is defeated, all meritorious officials will be rewarded."

The ministers in the hall also secretly breathed a sigh of relief and bowed respectfully, saying, "May Heaven bless Your Majesty, may Heaven bless the Great Song Dynasty."

Zhao Ji sighed inwardly, knowing that his life was not meant to end. However, he also knew that today was just the beginning, and the Jin army's more intense attacks were yet to come. He had been able to sit on the throne for decades, so he was certainly not a fool. The Jin army's temporary retreat was his chance to escape the city. If he could not seize this fleeting opportunity, he would really die in the city.

"The Jin army has invaded our territory, which is my fault. I have been muddle-headed for decades, unable to protect the country and its people. Thinking of this, I feel deeply ashamed before my ancestors. I am not a good emperor. Guards, draft an edict: from this day forward, all taxes shall be reduced by 50%, all shipments of precious stones and flowers shall be suspended, the palace's food, clothing and other necessities shall be halved, and the throne shall be passed to Crown Prince Zhao Huan."

"Huh?" A look of confusion flashed across Crown Prince Zhao Huan's face. He thought he had misheard. His gaze swept around the silent hall, and the bewilderment on his face was quickly replaced by panic.

This time, he was truly prepared to simply pass out.

Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) had always favored Zhao Kai, which kept the two brothers in a constant struggle. Zhao Huan had considered all sorts of possibilities, but he never expected that he would inexplicably inherit the throne.

This was a position he had once coveted, but now he would never dare to sit in it.

With the Jin army at the city gates, if the city falls, this newly enthroned emperor will be beheaded before he even gets comfortable sitting on the throne.

Seeing that Zhao Huan was still standing there dumbfounded and made no move, Zhao Ji cursed inwardly, wishing he could take off his dragon robe and force the boy to wear it. With the country in crisis, how could Zhao Huan, as a son, not share the burden of his old father?

"Your Majesty is in good health and in the prime of life. Your son would never dare to overstep his bounds. Moreover, there is a large army pressing in from outside the city. Abdicating at this time would be detrimental to the morale of our defending soldiers. The matter of passing on the throne should not be done so hastily. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider."

When Zhao Ji stepped down to the second line, it was clear that he intended to shift all the blame for the fall of the country onto Zhao Huan. Even the most foolish people could see through the old man's intentions. Changing the emperor at this time would surely chill the hearts of the entire city's garrison.

Even knowing the seriousness of the situation, Zhao Ji disregarded everything else in order to protect himself. He simply wanted to pass the blame to his son, then escape from Tokyo through the Zhuque Gate with his concubines and head south to continue being the carefree retired emperor.

Before Zhao Huan could argue further, Zhao Ji slammed his hand on the table: "You've been studying the classics since childhood, but have you forgotten all the principles of the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues? A subject must die when the ruler commands him to. Besides, I'm passing on the throne, not asking you to die!"

Before Zhao Huan could even kneel, his father’s angry rebuke struck him. He felt two eunuchs suddenly appear and grab his arms. These two were the emperor’s personal bodyguards, and they were strong and powerful. Under the astonished gazes of the assembled officials, they lifted Zhao Huan like a chick and threw him directly onto the dragon throne.

So... he's become emperor? Is the succession of a nation's ruler really this trivial? But he really doesn't want to sit on this throne.

Zhao Huan nearly coughed up blood. If he weren't Zhao Ji's own son, he would have loved to curse the other's ancestors for eighteen generations.

However, seeing all the court officials kneeling on the ground and shouting "Long live the Emperor!", Zhao Huan finally felt some comfort. After so many years of planning, he had finally achieved his goal. As for the Jin army outside the city, weren't they driven back by Li Gang today? This meant that the Song Dynasty had not yet truly reached the brink of disaster. If the garrison held out for a few more days, and all the armies from various regions came to the capital to defend the emperor, wouldn't he have a chance to turn the tide?

When the Jin army runs out of food and supplies and is exhausted, he will send envoys to negotiate peace. As long as he has enough time to recuperate, he does not believe that he cannot build a strong Song Dynasty with his civil and military achievements.

"Li Gang, Vice Minister of War, has come to pay his respects."

Lost in thought, Zhao Huan was pulled back to reality by a report from outside the hall. Li Gang, clad in armor and covered in blood, his hair disheveled, exuded a murderous aura, like a god of war returning from the depths of hell. His imposing presence caused all the ministers to unconsciously take a step back.

Looking up and around the main hall, a hint of doubt flashed across Li Gang's face, followed by a wry smile.

Because he saw that the person sitting on the throne at this moment was Crown Prince Zhao Huan, while the former Emperor Zhao Ji had long since disappeared.

Emperor Huizong of Song was known to be incompetent and foolish in the court, but Li Gang never expected that this emperor could be so shameless. Seeing that the country was in danger, instead of thinking about how to save the situation, he simply made a hasty retreat.

"Minister Li has achieved great success in the outer city today. I, the Crown Prince... no, I am very pleased. If he defeats the Jin army in the future, he will have made an unparalleled contribution and will be worthy of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

"The success in protecting Tokyo is not solely due to my efforts. Your Majesty should reward the soldiers who are still stationed on the city walls."

The extent of the battle today was unknown to these so-called high-ranking officials in the imperial court, but he witnessed it all clearly. The fighting at Caoxin Gate alone lasted for two hours. The corpses of the soldiers from both sides piled up like mountains below the city, and the water in the moat was stained a deep red with blood.

"The Jin army's attack on the city this time is not for the purpose of looting, but to truly destroy our Great Song Dynasty."

Li Gang's words sent a shiver down the spines of the officials present, and plunged the newly envisioned Emperor Zhao Huan into despair: "Do the Jin invaders truly intend to destroy our Great Song? What should we do?"

"Your Majesty need not be too pessimistic. As the saying goes, a desperate army is bound to win. We are now at a critical juncture of life and death. The hundreds of thousands of people in the city will definitely not want to see the Jin army breach the city. As long as we hold the city, we can naturally wait for reinforcements to arrive."

"Very well, as long as we can defend the capital, I will spare no expense, no matter how great the cost. Minister Li, please speak freely about any needs you may have. Even if it means demolishing the palace, I will ensure that the supplies for the garrison in the city remain uninterrupted."

It's just about holding on, right? I'm going all in.