New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

Lin'an City.

Since Wanyan Zongbi suddenly withdrew his troops, the new emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Gou, felt quite content with his life.

He entrusted all government affairs to the Right Chancellor Huang Qianshan and the Privy Councilor Wang Boyan, while he himself led a group of concubines to tour Wushan by day and West Lake by night, indulging in revelry on painted boats every night and pointing out the landscape from the towers, displaying a spirited and ambitious demeanor.

This is the life an emperor should have. Otherwise, what was the purpose of the emperors in those history books who were scheming against each other and killing their brothers?

"Your Majesty, the Left Chancellor, Li Gang, requests an audience."

Whenever Zhao Gou was in a good mood, Li Gang would always have to spoil the mood.

He was simply fed up with living in constant fear and wanted to relax a little after the Jin army withdrew. How did he become a debauched and indulging in sensual pleasures?

It seems that Li Gang is still useless; he is too straightforward in his dealings with people and doesn't give the emperor any face at all.

"I won't see him." Zhao Gou refused Li Gang's request to see him without hesitation.

Why would I call him up and have him yell at me, ruining my good mood for no reason? Isn't that just asking for trouble?

After dismissing the eunuch who came to deliver the message, Zhao Gou was about to indulge in some refined pursuits and compose a couple of new poems when the sound of footsteps ascending the tower came from below, which enraged His Majesty the Emperor.

When will this old man ever stop?

Just as Zhao Gou was about to find an excuse to get rid of Li Gang completely, the first words spoken by the eunuch stunned him on the spot.

"Your Majesty, there is an official from our dynasty downstairs who claims to have escaped from Liaoyang and requests an audience."

"Escaped back from Liaoyang?" Zhao Gou frowned slightly. If the other party was indeed an official who had escaped back to the Song Dynasty alive, he seemed to have no reason not to see this person. "Did you find out his name and what official position he held before the fall of Tokyo?"

He said his name was Qin Hui, and he passed the imperial examination in the fifth year of the Zhenghe era. He once served as the Vice Censor-in-Chief.

"Qin Hui?" Zhao Gou had heard of this name before. Although he was a smooth talker, he also had excellent handwriting. Even his father, who created the unique "Slender Gold" style of calligraphy, admired him quite a bit. "Did he actually escape from Liaoyang City? I'm actually quite interested in that."

He ordered the eunuch to bring the person up. Zhao Gou sat down in the chair. A pot of West Lake Longjing tea that had just been brewed was just beginning to fill the air with its aroma. It was the perfect way to pass the time while listening to stories, a truly top-notch experience.

After only a short wait, a middle-aged man in tattered clothes and disheveled hair hurriedly went up the tower under the supervision of two imperial guards. Upon seeing Zhao Gou, who was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, he immediately knelt down and said, "Your subject Qin Hui pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Flat body."

With several guards protecting him, Zhao Gou was not worried about his safety at all, and said, "Please take a seat."

Qin Hui got up from the ground, looking flattered. As soon as he sat down on the stool, Zhao Gou began his questioning: "Qin Qing has come from Liaoyang, so he should know what exactly happened in the Jin Kingdom. Could you please enlighten me?"

Qin Hui answered without hesitation: "Your Majesty, a year ago, I accompanied the two late emperors to Liaoyang. When we passed through Youzhou, I had the good fortune to have a secret conversation with Wanyan Xun, the commander of the Jin army in Youzhou at the time. I saw that he was ambitious and had the intention of replacing Wanyan Wuqimai. So I secretly persuaded him and finally managed to turn him against the Jin. The current internal strife in the Jin is caused by this man. It was because he captured Liaoyang that I was able to escape."

"I see." Qin Hui's words were concise and to the point, and Zhao Gou immediately understood. "No wonder Wanyan Zongbi suddenly withdrew his troops. It seems that he received news that Liaoyang City had changed hands. The internal strife in the Jin Kingdom is actually a good thing for our Great Song. At least before Wanyan Xun's rebellion is quelled, our Great Song will be free from war. This can be considered as giving me a chance to catch my breath."

If Wanyan Xun launched the mutiny at Qin Hui's instigation and successfully lifted the siege of Lin'an, thus preventing a repeat of the tragedy of the second year of the Jingkang Incident, then Qin Hui could be considered to have performed a remarkable feat.

Zhao Gou cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Qin Hui, his expression solemn yet tinged with gratitude: "On behalf of all the people of the Great Song Dynasty, I thank Minister Qin for his assistance."

With the emperor adopting such a humble posture, how could Qin Hui dare to accept it? He immediately stood up from his stool, bowed to the emperor, and said, "It is my duty to be loyal to the court. I dare not accept Your Majesty's gift."

Qin Hui kept his head down, and no one saw the smile that appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He claims to be saving all people from the suffering of war, but isn't he just afraid of dying? He was overjoyed to hear about the internal strife in Jin?

It seems that this new emperor of the Song Dynasty, like his two predecessors, has inherited the Zhao family's sophisticated self-interest. He has no need to worry about not being able to gain a foothold after returning to the Song Dynasty.

"What is the current situation in Tokyo? Does Qin Qing have any definite news?"

Qin Hui pondered for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts: "My escape this time was a near-death experience, and I have indeed not paid attention to other news. However, I have heard some rumors that General Zong Zezong, the garrison commander of Tokyo, led 30,000 troops northward, intending to reclaim the three towns that had been ceded earlier. However, it seems that the campaign was unsuccessful, and General Zong was forced to withdraw his troops. As for other news, I am really not very clear about it."

It seems that Li Gang's analysis was wrong. Wanyan Zonghan's withdrawal had nothing to do with Tokyo. Instead, it was indeed a rebellion orchestrated by Qin Hui.

"Good, very good." With this discovery, Zhao Gou's mood improved considerably once again.

He had originally planned to take advantage of the peace and tranquility of the world to go to Guangling to confront Tang Qian and demand an explanation, since it was that kid Tang Qian who had disobeyed the imperial decree and almost scared him into having some kind of illness.

But now that Qin Hui has returned to court, he no longer needs to pay attention to Tang Qian's arrogance.

Although that kid was despicable, he did manage to withstand Wanyan Xieye's all-out attack, relieving a lot of pressure on Lin'an. Besides, Tang Qian had always been the son-in-law of the Song Dynasty, and he was still of great use, so he couldn't be touched.

While Tang Qian's open scheme was effective, it was far less effective than Qin Hui's radical approach. With this man by his side to assist him, what was there to fear about the Jin army's future counterattack?

"Tell me, what strategy should our Great Song Dynasty adopt towards the Jin Dynasty to achieve peace throughout the land?"

Seeing that there was no one else around except himself and Zhao Gou, Qin Hui lowered his voice and said, "If you want peace in the world, let the south stay in the south and the north stay in the north."

Zhao Gou's eyes lit up upon hearing this; Qin Hui's words had struck a chord with him.

They are truly kindred spirits.