New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

In April of the second year of the Jingkang era, the Jin army squad responsible for escorting Song prisoners of war finally arrived outside Youzhou City.

Since the inner city was still under martial law, this group of prisoners, led by Emperor Zhao Huan of the Song Dynasty, could only be temporarily housed in a dilapidated temple in the outer city. Fortunately, in April, Youzhou was already experiencing warm spring weather. If they had arrived two months earlier, some of them would have frozen to death under the leaky walls.

Their destination was the Five Kingdoms City in the northernmost part of the Great Jin Dynasty. They had heard that the city was covered in heavy snow and ice for three seasons of the year, making it a truly barren land. They wondered if their pampered bodies could withstand such devastation.

As they were lost in thought, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the dilapidated temple. Zhao Huan and the group of prisoners all turned to look. A carriage stopped at the gate, and a young girl dressed in Jin dynasty clothing stepped out. Judging from her attire and demeanor, this girl's status in Youzhou City was definitely not low.

The sight of another girl who jumped off the carriage next caused Zhao Huan's pupils to narrow slightly.

This woman's temperament was no less than the former's, but she was dressed in the style of a Song person. Although she wore a moon-white cloak that concealed her body and face, her demeanor and refinement allowed Zhao Huan to be certain that the person walking slowly toward him was undoubtedly a Song person.

However, he had no clue who the other party was. Zhao Huan could not imagine that in Youzhou City today, there was a woman from the Song Dynasty who could walk side by side with the nobles of the Jin Dynasty.

"Princess Zhao Yingluo of Shunde greets Your Majesty."

Even after the two women arrived outside the room where he was being held, Zhao Huan still didn't recognize who was standing there. Upon hearing their self-identification, a look of disbelief flashed across Zhao Huan's eyes. He stood there stunned for a long time before staring at the Song Dynasty woman in front of him with astonishment, his tone filled with disbelief: "You...you are Shunde? Didn't you go to the Jin Dynasty for a political marriage? How did you end up here?"

Zhao Yingluo and Wanyan Xi exchanged a glance, and Wanyan Xi nodded slightly: "To make a long story short, I'll wait for you outside."

After watching Wan Yanxi leave, Zhao Yingluo turned to her brother and said, "Shunde was sent by the emperor to marry into the Jin dynasty. She is now the wife of Tang Qian, the son of Tang Huan, the Vice Minister of Revenue."

Admittedly, when she first heard that she was to be sent to marry a foreign ruler, Zhao Yingluo showed no outward expression, but deep down she still harbored a slight resentment towards her emperor brother. However, seeing Zhao Huan's current wretched state, Zhao Yingluo felt nothing but sighs and sorrow.

As a citizen of the Song Dynasty and a princess of the imperial family, Zhao Yingluo naturally hoped that the Song Dynasty could have a long and prosperous reign. Now that the country has been destroyed and her family has perished, and the emperor has become a prisoner, all her resentment has vanished at this moment.

"Tang Qian... is he the spy who relayed the news that the Jin army was preparing to launch a second attack on the Song? I see." Upon hearing this name, which sounded both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar, Zhao Huan immediately understood. No wonder Tang Qian was able to obtain firsthand information about the Jin army's movements and find an opportunity to send it back to the Song Dynasty. Just look at Zhao Yingluo's current status in Youzhou City; even his group of serious criminals could be easily visited. This shows how powerful Tang Qian's connections were in the city.

If he had listened to Tang Huan and prepared for the Jin army's invasion of Song earlier, would the outcome have been different? Thinking of this cruel fact, Zhao Huan was filled with remorse.

Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret in this world. Because of his cowardice and incompetence, he sought peace at all costs, dismissed Li Gang and exiled Zong Ze. In the end, he failed to protect the legacy passed down from his ancestors and became a king who lost his country. He was like a walking corpse in this world. Even if he died in the future, he probably would not have the face to meet Emperor Taizu.

"Did you come here today to see your brother make a fool of himself?" Zhao Huan gave a bitter laugh. "You weren't the one who was supposed to be sent here for a political marriage, so you're here to kick me when I'm down?"

Zhao Yingluo bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, I dare not. Your Majesty is passing through Youzhou, and I have only come to visit you. I have no other intentions."

"Whether it's genuine or feigned, everything in this world is no longer relevant to me. Laugh if you want. I've already lost such a vast empire, what else can I not afford to lose?"

Zhao Yingluo really wanted to refute Zhao Huan. Tang Qian had said that even if the capital city of Bianjing fell, the Song Dynasty would not be destroyed. Her father and brother were currently imprisoned, but there might be a day when they could be rescued and brought back to the Song Dynasty. However, with so many people around, she absolutely dared not say it so openly, lest it bring unnecessary trouble to Tang Qian.

"Your Majesty, there's no need to be so dejected. Please take care of your health..."

"Imperial body?" Zhao Huan wanted to laugh out loud, but he couldn't hide the bitterness in his heart. "The Emperor of Jin has already issued an edict, demoting me and my father to commoners. I'm just a worthless life now, what imperial body do I have?"

Faced with Zhao Huan, who was like a lump of mud, Zhao Yingluo could only sigh and shake her head. What good would it do for an emperor with no fighting spirit to be brought back to the throne in the future? The Song Dynasty was destined to perish again sooner or later if it was handed over to such a person.

Turning around to look at the other rooms where people were imprisoned, Zhao Yingluo finally lost her composure, unlike when she was facing her brother Zhao Huan.

She took a few quick steps forward to the door, where a newly installed fence kept her out. Zhao Yingluo reached in, trying to pull out the people locked inside, but no matter how long she stretched her arm, she couldn't reach the several women inside who had long since lost all their vitality.

"Eldest Princess, Fourth Princess, Ninth Princess, Nineteenth Princess, how come you've all been captured too? I'm Yingluo, why don't you all recognize me?"

These Song princesses had already been tortured beyond recognition on their way to Youzhou. Among them, Princess Maode, Zhao Fujin, was spared because of her outstanding appearance and was specifically requested by the Jurchens. The others, however, had all suffered varying degrees of humiliation and were now somewhat delirious.

Upon hearing the name Yingluo, the sisters' eyes glazed over, showing no reaction whatsoever. Only Zhao Fujin slowly raised her head, staring at Zhao Yingluo, who was already sobbing uncontrollably outside the door, for a long time before finally standing up and coming to the door. The surprise and joy in her eyes were immediately replaced by tears: "Yingluo? You're really Yingluo?"

When Zhao Fujin first learned that Zhao Yingluo had been sent to the Jin Kingdom for a political marriage, he was reluctant but helpless, always thinking that he would never see his eighth sister again. He never expected to meet her again under such circumstances.