New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

Tang Qian's analysis caused Wanyan Xun to fall into a brief silence, but he still rejected the other party's final suggestion: "Returning to the ancestral court by land is indeed a safe and fast shortcut, but the Youzhou army has too little resources. Even if we control the ancestral court, I do not have the ability to hold it. For the sake of achieving success in the future, what harm is there in me enduring for another two years?"

Thanks to the improved woodworking lathe and the arrow-making method provided by Tang Qian, the city defenses of Youzhou were indeed upgraded. However, Wanyan Xun did not have the confidence that 10,000 men could withstand the attack of hundreds of thousands of Jin troops.

“However, you are right. The longer this war between Jin and Song lasts, the more devastating the losses will be for the Jin army. With this ebb and flow, the strength of my Youzhou City will naturally rise as well. But…” Wanyan Xun shook his head with a wry smile, “I don’t know if the Song court can react quickly and drag this war into a protracted conflict.”

As it turned out, Wanyan Xun's prediction was correct.

After receiving Tang Qian's instructions, Ye Yilie followed in Tang Xiaoqi's footsteps and set off alone to Tokyo to deliver the message.

Upon receiving the news, Tang Huan, the Vice Minister of Revenue, immediately planned to change into his court robes and enter the palace to meet the Emperor.

Previously, Tang Xiaoqi returned to Tokyo and brought back news that Tang Qian planned to create an internal rebellion within the Jin Kingdom in order to serve the Song Dynasty. Unfortunately, this was just Tang Qian's plan and did not become a reality. If this matter were reported to the emperor, it would not bring any benefit to his son and might even increase the risk of his exposure.

The imperial court is now in a state of panic, everyone is on edge, and there's no telling who might use this news to gain the wealth and glory of the Jin Dynasty.

This time, in the letter that Ye Yilie brought back, Tang Qian indicated that the Jin state was making preparations for war and would soon launch a second attack on the Song. This was a foregone conclusion, and Tang Huan naturally needed to report it immediately so that the court could take precautions as soon as possible.

But on second thought, the emperor and his ministers would not believe Tang Qian's one-sided account without any real evidence. After all, just over half a year ago, the Song and Jin dynasties had signed a non-aggression pact, and now the Jin army was planning to make a comeback.

In the great battle of the first year of the Jingkang era, the Song Dynasty suffered heavy losses, and the Jin Dynasty also needed to recuperate. It was absolutely impossible for the war to reignite in such a short period of time.

Tang Huan paced back and forth in his study several times, but he still managed to suppress the urge to go to the palace. Instead of submitting a memorial to the court now, it would be better to discuss countermeasures with Li Gang, the Vice Minister of War. Li Gang was one of the few pro-war figures in the court, and only by letting him prepare early could there be a chance to defend the capital city of Tokyo once again.

Upon arriving at the Six Ministries, Tang Huan handed his son's handwritten letter to the Ministry of War, only to learn that Li Gang, the Vice Minister of War, had been convicted of disrespect for angrily rebuking the Emperor and the pro-peace officials present in court.

"Considering that Vice Minister Li had rendered meritorious service in protecting the city, he was only stripped of his official rank and title and was not sent to the Dali Temple. It is fortunate that he was spared his life."

Tang Huan was astonished: "When did this happen? How come I had no idea?"

His colleague sighed, "The imperial edict was issued yesterday, and Vice Minister Li has already left the capital."

After a long silence, Tang Huan stood up and walked out of the Six Ministries with slightly unsteady steps. At that moment, he felt that he had suddenly aged more than ten years.

When a country is about to perish, there will surely be evil spirits. The current court is already controlled by a group of treacherous villains who only know how to amass wealth and fawn over the enemy when they invade. The new emperor is indecisive and fickle, lacking judgment and acumen in political matters, and is ultimately not capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

These loyal and courageous officials, who were devoted to their country, had no power and could only lament that the Song Dynasty was in grave danger.

After racking his brains for a long time, Tang Huan suddenly had a flash of inspiration and walked out of the mansion once again.

Upon hearing that Tang Huan was visiting again, Prince Kang, Zhao Gou, though unwilling, still had to muster his spirits to meet him.

Upon seeing Zhao Gou arrive in a hurry, Tang Huan did not have time to bow and directly stated his purpose: "My son has learned in Youzhou that the Jin army is about to march south to attack the Song again. I urge Your Highness to do your best to persuade the Emperor to immediately organize the imperial guards in the city to strengthen the city's defenses in order to resist the enemy's invasion."

"The Jin army is attacking again? Impossible." Tang Huan's words made Zhao Gou's heart skip a beat. Last time the Jin army attacked, he almost lost his life in the enemy camp. He was still in fear. If the Jin army besieged the capital again, the Prince of Kang felt that he might not be able to save his life.

"Although the Jin Kingdom is not very trustworthy, why did they withdraw their troops in the first place if they were going to launch another attack after only six months? Is Minister Tang exaggerating?"

Tang Huan also found it unbelievable, but this was a message his son had gone through great lengths to send back, and Tang Huan firmly believed that Tang Qian would never joke about such a thing.

"As the saying goes, it's better to believe it exists than not to believe it doesn't. Regardless of whether the Jin army will march south in the short term, it's always good to be prepared."

Zhao Gou nodded in agreement: "After the previous battle, the number of imperial guards in Tokyo has only increased, which shows that Your Majesty has been taking precautions. I think that even if the Jin army attacks, we have the ability to repel them again."

Tang Huan shook his head with a wry smile: "As the saying goes, an incompetent general can lead to the downfall of an entire army. Now that Vice Minister Li has been dismissed, who in the court is capable of shouldering the great responsibility of defending the capital? If we don't make plans soon, we'll be caught off guard by the Jin army, and it will be too late to regret it then."

Zhao Gou frowned slightly: "According to Minister Tang, how should this matter be resolved?"

Tang Huan bowed deeply to Zhao Gou: "Your Highness, I am willing to die with you to remonstrate with the Emperor, hoping that the court will reinstate Minister Li."

"This concerns the life and death of the Great Song Dynasty. How can I stand idly by?" Zhao Gou was taken aback by the other party's seriousness and became somewhat solemn as well. "Minister Tang, rest assured, I will do my utmost to persuade Your Majesty to prioritize the well-being of the nation."

As Tang Huan walked out of the Kang Prince's residence, his mood finally lifted. Although the Song Dynasty was in grave danger, the royal family still had wise princes like the Kang Prince.

After a sleepless night, Tang Huan finally made it to the third watch of the next day. Dressed in his court robes, he stood in front of the palace gate, waiting for the start of the small court assembly.

As time passed, the officials arrived one after another. With a creak, the palace gates opened, and Tang Huan's gaze swept across the officials entering the palace, but he did not see Prince Kang, Zhao Gou. He asked the accompanying eunuch and learned that Zhao Gou had caught a cold the night before and was on sick leave today.

A night breeze blew by, and Tang Huan felt a chill run down his spine. After a long while, he let out a bitter laugh, his eyes filled with sorrow.