New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

In the first year of the Jingkang era, in the capital city of Kaifeng.

After two courses of treatment, Wanyan Xieye's illness was effectively controlled. The Jin army commander, who had almost died not long ago, was restored to his former vigor and strength under the care of the Song imperial physician.

His recovery brought a sigh of relief to the entire Song Dynasty court and also eased the atmosphere in the Jin army camp. Wanyan Zongwang kept his promise, and the negotiations between the Song and Jin sides to make peace officially began.

Inside the Chongzheng Hall of the Song Dynasty imperial palace, Wanyan Xun, the Jin army's envoy in charge of negotiations, presented Emperor Zhao Huan with a peace treaty drafted by his commander-in-chief, Wanyan Xie.

"The Song Kingdom shall compensate my Great Jin with five million taels of gold, fifty million taels of silver, ten thousand head of cattle and horses, cede the three towns of Taiyuan, Hejian and Zhongshan, and send a prince to accompany my army to Liaoyang. If your country has no objection to the above conditions, my army will immediately return north."

Before Wanyan Xun could finish speaking, it immediately caused a commotion in the court. Before Emperor Zhao Huan could respond, the pro-war faction, led by Li Gang and Zong Ze, glared angrily at Wanyan Xun.

"With such harsh conditions, isn't the Jin army far too arrogant?"

It should be noted that in the previous battle, the Song army won several victories in a row. Even if they were to face the Jin army again now, Li Gang did not believe that his side would lose. If Zhao Huan had not advocated for peace talks, this arrogant Jin boy would not have been able to enter the capital city of Bianjing at all.

"The soldiers and civilians in our city are united as one, and a million local militia from all around are marching to the capital to defend the emperor. Do you really think that our Great Song Dynasty is afraid of you little barbarians?"

"Prime Minister, be careful with your words." Before Wanyan Xun could reply, Zhao Huan, sitting on the high platform, spoke first. He waved for the two men to leave, then turned to Wanyan Xun with a fawning look in his eyes. "In recent years, our Great Song Dynasty has been plagued by wars and natural disasters, and the people are already under unbearable burdens. Are there any room for negotiation on the conditions proposed by your country?"

Li Gang and Zong Ze exchanged a glance and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. With the emperor leading the way in advocating peace, even if they were determined to fight the enemy, it seemed that they were powerless to reverse the situation.

Wanyan Xun smiled faintly. This peace negotiation was initiated by the Jin army because they could not capture the city of Bianjing. Logically, they should be the ones showing weakness. However, he exuded an aura of dominance: "You Song people have a saying: 'Ask the sky, then bargain on the spot.' Since we have made our demands, you can naturally raise objections until we reach a result that is acceptable to both sides, and everyone will be happy."

Zhao Huan frowned slightly and tentatively gave the results of his discussions with his ministers: "If your side can withdraw its troops, our Great Song is willing to compensate the Jin Kingdom with two million taels of gold, twenty million taels of silver, two thousand cattle and horses, and cede the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. As for sending a prince to Liaoyang as a hostage, that is not impossible. However, which prince to send will be decided after discussion between my ministers and me."

The importance of Taiyuan, Hejian, and Zhongshan to the Song Dynasty is self-evident. If they were lost, it would be tantamount to opening the gates to the south. The Jin army could come and stroll around the city of Bianjing at any time if they wanted to go south. Zhao Huan was unwilling to experience such a dangerous situation a second time.

In the maritime alliance previously signed by both sides, it was agreed that the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun would belong to the Song Dynasty. Now that they have been ceded to the Jin Dynasty, Zhao Huan can comfort himself by saying that he has never recovered the lost territory and can treat it as a dream.

What he said represented the bottom line for the Song Dynasty. If the other side refused to sign the peace treaty, Zhao Huan would have no choice but to have Li Gang lead the entire city's imperial guards in a desperate battle.

Wanyan Xun pretended to ponder for a moment, revealing an expression of difficulty in making a decision: "I am but a lowly general, and my words carry little weight. I cannot make the decision myself. I must return to the camp and report to the commander-in-chief for a decision."

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and Wanyan Xun continued, "For the sake of the long-term friendship between the Jin and Song dynasties, I have a suggestion: we can send a prince as a hostage and exchange him for a princess. If the two countries can form a marriage alliance, we can certainly avoid fighting each other again."

A princess marrying into the Jin? A marriage alliance? Isn't this just forcing the Song Dynasty to marry a Jin princess? Why can't the princes of the Song Dynasty marry the princesses of the Jin Dynasty, but instead force the princesses to marry those barbarians? This is blatant humiliation.

Despite his resentment, Zhao Huan was at a loss. If he did not agree to the other party's conditions, the Jin army might stay outside the city and refuse to leave. With a tiger lurking next to his bed, how could he sleep peacefully?

Having been forcibly placed on the dragon throne, Zhao Huan nearly perished along with the capital city of Tokyo. Now that he had finally managed to bring the other side to the negotiating table, he felt this was an excellent opportunity. Only by getting rid of these plagues could he bide his time and revive the Song Dynasty.

Given enough time, he is willing to give the world a prosperous Song Dynasty.

If we can help him secure his position as Emperor of the Song Dynasty, what harm is there in sending a princess to him?

"My daughters are all still children, and most of the princesses bestowed by the Emperor have already married. The only one of suitable age is Princess Yifu, Zhao Yuanzhu, who is still unmarried. I can issue an imperial edict to order her to follow the Jin army to Liaoyang City."

Wanyan Xun only intended for Zhao Huan to send a princess of the Song Dynasty, not for his own benefit. He simply wanted to use this princess to keep Tang Qian firmly trapped in Youzhou. He didn't care which princess it was. Even if Zhao Huan sent a palace maid, as long as he married her to Tang Qian, the boy would have no chance of escaping.

As for the commander-in-chief, it was easy to explain. Tang Qian saved Wanyan Xieye's life at a critical moment, and Wanyan Xieye naturally wanted to repay Tang Qian's promise by asking for a Song woman to marry him. This was not an excessive request, and it was more like Wanyan Xieye repaying Tang Qian for saving his life.

As for Tang Qian, there was even less to worry about. His life was still in his own hands. If he was told to go east, Tang Qian wouldn't dare to go west. Besides, he was helping Tang Qian get married and start a family. In fact, Tang Qian should thank him, since he was bringing back a princess of the Song Dynasty. By marrying her, Tang Qian would become the Imperial Son-in-Law of the Song Dynasty, a true member of the imperial family. This was a great honor for his ancestors.

Wanyan Xun didn't care about the specific person to be chosen, but Zhao Yuanzhu was terrified by her brother's decision. As a golden branch and jade leaf of the Song Dynasty and the most favored daughter in front of her father, how could she possibly be sent to the Jin Kingdom for a marriage alliance?

The legendary Jurchens were all barbarians who ate raw meat and drank blood. They were cruel by nature, smelled terrible, and had no sense of tenderness towards women. Just thinking about the desolate and uninhabited heartland of the Jurchen Kingdom made Zhao Yuanzhu turn as pale as a sheet.

However, she was also a woman of her own mind. Seeing that her brother Zhao Huan was really going to draft an imperial edict, Zhao Yuanzhu knelt outside Yanfu Palace for two whole hours, hoping that her brother would retract his decision.

Unfortunately, Zhao Huan had already decided to sacrifice his younger sister, and no matter how much she tormented herself to gain sympathy, it would be to no avail: "Among my sisters, only you and Yingluo are of suitable age. As early as the beginning of last year, Yingluo was betrothed to Xiang Ziyi by Father. For the sake of the Zhao family's country and the restoration of the prestige of our Great Song Dynasty, I beg you, Sister Yuanzhu, to sacrifice yourself. On behalf of all the people, I thank you, Sister."

Zhao Huan indeed took a step back and was about to perform a grand salute to her. Zhao Yuanzhu knew that she could not accept the emperor's bow, so she immediately kowtowed heavily to the ground: "Your Highness is willing to marry into the Xiang family in place of Sister Yingluo. Your Highness, considering that Your Highness has not had the love of a mother since childhood, allows Your Highness and Sister Yingluo to switch identities. Please grant your request."

"Nonsense! Yingluo and Xiang Ziyi's marriage was bestowed by the Emperor Emeritus, how can it be switched?"

“My younger sister is naturally willful and is not the best choice for a marriage alliance. If she causes trouble in the Jin Kingdom, the Song and Jin might even face war. On the other hand, Yingluo is beautiful and has a gentle and well-educated nature. She is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. If she marries into the Jin Kingdom, she will surely be able to live in harmony with her husband, and the two countries can naturally coexist peacefully.”

"Hearing you say that..." Thinking of the fact that this younger sister in front of the Emperor is spoiled and arrogant, and usually willful and capricious, she is not at all like a princess. It is indeed inappropriate. It is a small matter that she was killed by the Jurchens, but it is a big matter that she angered the Jurchens and invaded the south again. In order to give the Song Dynasty a chance to recuperate, it seems that it is not unreasonable to switch her with Zhao Yingluo.