Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Chapter 343 A foolish ruler and incompetent ministers On the first day of the third month, Shen Lang, who had been resting in the palace for half a month, came to the capital of the Song Dynasty, Bianzhou Prefecture, with Zhou Xianwu.

Bianzhou Prefecture, covering an area of ​​150 square kilometers, was the most prosperous city in the Song Dynasty.

Bianzhou Prefecture had a resident population of about 1.8 million. It was a thriving commercial center, with ships coming and going in the port and peddlers carrying loads along the streets.

Shen Lang sat in the carriage heading to Bianliang Palace, lifted the curtain, and looked out at the streets on both sides.

Everywhere you look, the restaurants are packed with people, and the owners warmly greet every customer who enters.

The young prostitutes in the brothels leaned over the windowsill, striking seductive poses and casting flirtatious glances at passersby.

Street vendors enthusiastically hawked their wares, while a group of porters helped customers deliver their goods.

The Bianliang before my eyes is even more prosperous than Jinling, and it has a rhythmic feel reminiscent of the painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival".

Everywhere he looked, there was a bustling cityscape and wealthy people, which made Shen Lang wonder if this was actually during the full-scale war between the Song and Jin dynasties.

With this question in mind, Shen Lang, led by Zhou Xianwu, arrived at the inn near Bianliang Palace to rest.

Looking at the magnificent decorations of the official residence, Shen Lang couldn't help but sigh that the Song Dynasty was indeed extravagant. If this house were sold as an inn, it would fetch at least three taels of silver a day.

"Please rest here, Your Excellency. I must return to the palace to consult His Majesty, so please excuse me."

"Lord Zhou, you've had a hard time. Please make yourself at home."

After seeing Zhou Xianwu off, Shen Lang continued to examine the decorations of the official residence, while also feeling curious about the current situation between the Song and Jin dynasties.

"Dingyuan".

"What are your orders, Duke Zhenguo?"

"Please go to a tavern or teahouse on the street and ask around to find out what the current situation is between the Song and Jin dynasties."

"Yes."

Ban Dingyuan is now a student in the staff department of the Jinling Army Academy. His purpose in accompanying Shen Lang on this mission to the Song Dynasty is to prepare for understanding the current situation between the Song and Jin Dynasties.

Not long after he left to receive his orders, Zhang Ye, the postmaster in charge of the post station, came to Shen Lang with a plate of dishes.

"Lord Duke, these are your dishes. Are you satisfied?"

The food and wine that Zhang Ye sent were incredibly lavish, including fish and meat, and most importantly, they were quite exquisite, clearly indicating their high value.

Shen Lang smiled and said, "Zhang Yicheng, I am new here and not very familiar with the current situation in your country."

I've heard that the Song and Jin dynasties are at war, so why is Bianzhou Prefecture so peaceful?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ye immediately replied, "Your Excellency Zhenguo may not know this, but now that the Song and Jin dynasties have begun peace talks and both countries have ceased hostilities, the city is naturally peaceful and tranquil."

Shen Lang asked in confusion, "Oh? But I heard that the Jin army was eyeing us covetously this time, with 150,000 troops stationed on the opposite bank of the Bian River. Are they just going to stop fighting like this?"

Zhang Ye replied, "The Jurchens are nothing but a bunch of barbarians. All they want is gold and silver. Our Emperor Zhao has always regarded money as something external, so sending some over will suffice."

"The Jin Kingdom is making such a big fuss just for some material possessions. That doesn't make sense, does it?"

"What the Duke of Zhenguo said is correct, but at present, during the Song-Jin peace talks, the fourth prince of Jin, Wanyan Wu, has taken a fancy to Princess Fujin."

The argument was that if Princess Fujin were sent to marry the Fourth Prince, the two families could form a marriage alliance, and the war would naturally cease.

Shen Lang closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly: "If I remember correctly, Princess Fujin is only fourteen years old, isn't she?"

The marriage age for royal children is sixteen. Is Emperor Zhao already so eager to send his daughter away for a political marriage?

Zhang Ye laughed and said, "Your Excellency Zhenguo may not know this, but Princess Fujin and the fourth prince of the Jin Kingdom are in love with each other. This marriage is a beautiful story between the Song and Jin Kingdoms."

"Hehe." Shen Lang got up and walked to the windowsill. "Wanyan Wo must be almost forty years old, and he has thirteen Hu women in his household."

It doesn't look like the mutual affection you described at all.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ye's face showed embarrassment, but he still said, "It is understandable that the Duke of Zhenguo is unfamiliar with the situation in the Song Dynasty since he is new here."

In short, the peace talks between the Song and Jin dynasties are progressing smoothly, and the Jin army will return north on the day Princess Fujin marries.

"Humph."

Shen Lang sneered and didn't speak to the guy anymore.

Because he had already learned the general situation of the Song and Jin dynasties from Zhang Ye.

"Lord Zhenguo, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave now."

Having nothing more to say, Zhang Ye bowed to Shen Lang's retreating figure and then left the official residence.

Analysis of the messages from the Jingwei Division shows that the Song Dynasty's high-ranking officials have been wavering in their stance on Jin Guofeng.

Whether to fight or make peace has always been the main focus of debate in the imperial court.

Emperor Huizong of Song was a cowardly and weak man with little opinion of his own. When faced with a problem that had risen to the national level, he could only hand over all the decision-making power to the prime minister and the six ministries, while he himself would hide in the back garden to admire rocks and paint.

These civil officials were constantly embroiled in factional infighting, making it impossible for them to reach a unified opinion or enact legislation to address the deteriorating situation.

Thus, every time the Jin state invaded, the Song state would argue in the court and at the local level, and even when the Jin army marched south to the walls of Bianzhou, they still couldn't come up with a clear plan or objective.

However, this didn't matter to Shen Lang at all; he had no intention of letting go of either Song or Jin.

"Whether it's the Song Dynasty or the Jin Dynasty, the ultimate winner can only be my wife."

……

Inside the martial arts training ground of Bianliang Palace, Zhou Xianwu held up a 98K rifle and demonstrated its uses to the assembled civil and military officials.

Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) also came to visit with great interest.

A soldier next to Zhou Xianwu skillfully released the safety, pulled back the bolt, loaded five bullets into the magazine, closed the bolt, and then held the rifle on his shoulder to aim at the wooden target for archery.

boom--

The moment the gun fired, a wisp of smoke rose from the muzzle, startling Emperor Huizong, Cai Yuanchang, and their ministers.

click-

After firing, the soldiers quickly pulled back the bolt, ejected the spent cartridges, and continued firing.

Only after all five bullets had been fired did Zhao Ji adjust his hat and ask Zhou Xianwu, "Is that all?"

Zhou Xianwu: "Yes, Your Majesty. The rifle can be loaded with five bullets at a time and can fire five times in succession."

As they were speaking, a guard dragged a wooden rake to the emperor and his ministers and asked them to inspect it.

When the officials saw the five holes pierced through the target, their expressions were quite varied.

"Your Majesty, this is a powerful weapon for the military and the nation. The State of Chu is willing to sell this rifle to our Great Song Dynasty."

In addition, there are even more powerful cannons and machine guns. Once we have built an army equipped with firearms, our Great Song Dynasty will no longer have to fear the Jurchens.

Zhou Xianwu spoke confidently to Zhao Ji, hoping to bring joy to the monarch.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji turned his gaze to Cai Yuanzhang: "Prime Minister Cai, what do you think?"

Cai Yuanchang replied, "Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but this firearm is nothing more than a strange and ingenious trick."

If His Majesty likes them, he can simply buy a few from the State of Chu to play with.

As for large-scale procurement, I believe it will only be a waste of resources and manpower.

Zhou Xianwu's pupils shrank: "Prime Minister Cai, if such powerful firearms were equipped in our Song army, would we still have to worry about the Jin Kingdom invading?"

Cai Yuanchang replied, "Our Great Song Dynasty has already decided to negotiate peace with the Jin Dynasty. Wouldn't it be useless to purchase these firearms at this time?"

Besides, if the Jurchens found out, they might misunderstand and think that our Great Song Dynasty harbors treacherous intentions. Let's just forget about it."