New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

In Youzhou City, the military commander Wanyan Xun also received an imperial edict from Liaoyang.

If it were six months ago, he, who had always been marginalized by the court, would have been overjoyed to be able to participate in a meeting of this caliber.

Although he also shared the surname Wanyan, his father had passed away, and he had a Liao mother, which meant that if Wanyan Xun intended to climb the ranks in a conventional way, becoming the commander of the Youzhou army would be his peak.

The emperor's current order summons the marshals stationed in the provinces to the capital, and the fact that even a lowly commander like himself is on the list is a signal that the court intends to utilize him.

But he had already begun making arrangements at Tang Qian's urging. The arrows in the warehouse were already piled up like mountains, and the docks by the sea were already under construction. Was it too late for such an imperial edict to arrive at this time?

The lingering dilemma in his mind made it extremely difficult for Wanyan Xun to make a decision.

Inside the Youzhou army's tent, Tang Qian and Wanyan Xun, who had been invited, took their seats as host and guest, respectively. Wanyan Xun went straight to the point: "This time, upon returning to the capital, I feel that something big will happen, but I cannot fathom His Majesty's true intentions. Brother Tang, you are able to foresee the future; could you enlighten me?"

Tang Qian frowned slightly. He didn't need to carefully recall the historical records. He only needed to rely on the fact that the Jin army once again marched south and besieged Tokyo in the winter of the first year of Jingkang to deduce what Wanyan Wuqimai was talking about when he summoned these generals to the capital.

"Some people in the court are restless and want to launch a second attack on the Song Dynasty. The emperor has summoned all the marshals back to Liaoyang, probably to gather troops and supplies in preparation for the attack on the Song Dynasty."

"A second attack on the Song?" Wanyan Xun's expression also turned serious. "We just signed a non-aggression pact not long ago, and they've already turned their backs on us?"

Even he, a Jin general, felt that the imperial court was somewhat unfair.

"Back then, the Song Dynasty submitted to the Liao Dynasty and paid tribute every year. Now that the Jin Dynasty is at its peak, it naturally intends to follow the Liao Dynasty's example. How can the reparations obtained from the treaty signed under duress satisfy the court's appetite? Even if it cannot destroy the Song Dynasty in one fell swoop, why not earn an extra 200,000 taels of silver every year?"

As for whether there will be casualties in the war, or whether the people will complain, these are issues that civil officials need to address, and how could they be taken seriously by the marshals who hold heavy troops?

"Does Your Highness see this as an opportunity to make a name for yourself? Are you planning to abandon our original plan?"

Wanyan Xun glanced at Tang Qian and said, "If I intended to return to the capital to participate in this matter, I wouldn't need to sit here and have a secret talk with you."

Hearing this, Tang Qian immediately breathed a sigh of relief. If Wanyan Xun had backed down in the face of battle, he really wouldn't have been able to escape.

"Your Highness has followed the army south to attack the Song before, but what kind of work did the Youzhou army do that time? They were just supply soldiers escorting grain and fodder. I imagine their treatment this time won't be much better. At most, they'll be the suicide squad at the front. The ones who charge into battle will be the ones with no power or influence, while the ones who swagger around will be the ones showing off their power. In short, they get the credit, and you'll bear the blame."

Wanyan Xun frowned in thought. His previous dilemma was the conflict between a normal promotion and a risky shortcut to advancement. Now, after listening to Tang Qian's analysis, the scales in his heart began to tip.

If he were to lead the Youzhou army to fight on the front lines, he would only be doing the work for the marshals in the rear, and in the end he would still gain nothing, so why would he bother to fight this war?

"The Jin army is indeed invincible and undefeated. It took ten years to destroy the Liao and two years to destroy the Song. Unfortunately, the court is divided among various marshals who hold military power. The imperial power of the Wanyan clan has been dispersed, and the various tribes are only superficially united. Such a regime may be able to conquer a vast country with the courage of a single man, but it cannot hold on to it."

The emperor of the Jin Dynasty was elected, which meant that the various lords who were qualified to compete would inevitably have to engage in open and covert struggles during the transition of imperial power. The tribes below would also follow suit and resort to underhanded tricks, which was common practice, and small-scale conflicts were also inevitable.

When a new emperor ascends the throne, it will be a bloody moment where the victors take all and the vanquished are condemned. Political enemies will inevitably be purged, and internal strife could easily erupt. If the two sides are evenly matched, this stalemate could last for a long time, and the decline of the Jin dynasty will be an inevitable outcome of historical development.

"Therefore, to repel external threats, one must first secure internal stability." Seeing Wanyan Xun remain silent, Tang Qian continued to quietly add fuel to the fire in his heart, "Only if Your Highness inherits the throne of the Jin Dynasty, and I mold you into the true Son of Heaven of the Great Jin, centralizing imperial power and resolving the hidden dangers of various warlord separatism, will it be possible to sweep southwards to attack the Song Dynasty and unify the Central Plains."

"Can you really do what you say?" Looking at the somewhat overly young man in front of him, Wanyan Xun's heart pounded. However, the temptation of the throne of the Great Jin Dynasty was too great. His father, Wanyan Wuyashu, had fought for the country for decades and was posthumously honored as Emperor Kangzong. Wanyan Xun felt that as a son, he had to ensure that the throne of his branch of the dynasty was legitimate.

It's just a matter of creating a few seemingly miraculous supernatural phenomena in front of those Jin Dynasty elders. For Tang Qian, who was quite good at physics in later generations, it wasn't a difficult task.

Tang Qian simply smiled and remained silent, but the confident aura emanating from him caused Wanyan Xun to ponder for a long time once again.

After another fierce internal struggle, Wanyan Xun finally made up his mind.

Then, a fine horse galloped out from the military camp outside the city, carrying Wanyan Xun's handwritten letter, and sped towards Liaoyang City.

In his letter, Wanyan Xun stated that he was unwell and it was not advisable for him to travel long distances. He told the court that if there were any orders to be made, they should simply send a secret command, and the Youzhou army would be at the emperor's disposal.

At this moment, all the marshals had already assembled in Liaoyang City. His absence as a commander had no impact on the plan whatsoever.

Wanyan Wuqimai glanced at the letter sent by Wanyan Xun and threw it aside: "I only thought that you were Emperor Kangzong's own son and that you had made meritorious contributions in guarding Youzhou and assisting the Seventh Princess in suppressing the mountain bandits. That's why I was going to promote you out of turn. Since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for not considering our kinship."

What did the Youzhou army do during the first attack on the Song Dynasty? Transport supplies? That certainly fits the image of those cooks. Since Wanyan Xun wasn't interested in achieving great deeds, what harm was there in transporting supplies for the army one more time?