Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

1115 AD.

That summer, a major event occurred in the Song Dynasty!

While the Liao, Yi, and Jin kingdoms in the north were engaged in a fierce battle, a turmoil broke out within the Zhao Song dynasty, which had originally participated in the attack on the Liao.

Cai Jing, the Grand Tutor of the Song Dynasty, returned to the capital ahead of the Song army's northward march and launched a rebellion directly in Bianjing!

Relying on the Imperial Seal of the State, Cai Jing listed Zhao Ji's ten major crimes and issued a decree to the world, deposing Zhao Ji from the throne! After capturing Bianjing, the imperial city, Cai Jing ascended the throne in Bianjing with the support of many of his followers! The name of the country was: Lai!

The members of the Zhao Song imperial family who were still in the capital were imprisoned by Cai Jing in several dilapidated palaces in the imperial city. In order to show his benevolence, Cai Jing did not kill all of these members of the imperial family.

Cai Jing also appeased the people of the capital by opening a royal granary in the city to distribute grain to all the residents, thereby winning their support.

Furthermore, Cai Jing sent a message to all the military and prefectural governments of the entire Song Dynasty, stating that the Song Dynasty had long been without virtue, and why didn't all the virtuous and wise men in the world join together to overthrow the Song Dynasty and establish a new order? His Great Lai Kingdom welcomes all people of insight to come!

As soon as this news came out, the four hundred military prefectures and counties of the Zhao Song Dynasty were thrown into chaos!

In areas near the capital, such as Hebei East Road, Hebei West Road, and Jingdong West Road, many of Cai Jing's followers responded to the news. Even if there were still loyalists to the Song Dynasty among the local officials, they were suppressed immediately. These places quickly changed hands, from Song territory to Cai Lai's territory.

The southern regions, being a bit far away, received the news a little later, but when they did, it felt like an earthquake had struck! Cai Jing's disciples naturally responded enthusiastically, and those with ulterior motives, especially those in remote areas, also became active!

Of course, over the years, the Song Dynasty still had many loyal followers, especially in Liangzhe Road. When Zhang Shuye, who was originally besieging Fang La, learned of Cai Jing's rebellion and his intention to incite the division of the country, he decisively stopped the war with Fang La, issued a proclamation to denounce Cai Jing, and led his troops back to the capital to provide reinforcements!

Fang La breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the Ming Cult had suffered heavy losses in the battle with Liangshan and had been suppressed by Zhang Shuye for some time. Now that Zhang Shuye had stopped fighting, the Ming Cult had managed to preserve its territory in the south.

However, without the suppression of Lord Wang and the Buddha, and having lost many combat forces, Fang La essentially became the sole ruler of the Ming Cult.

After securing the Ming Cult's territory in Jiangnan, and seeing that Cai Jing had established his own state, Fang La thought about it and, unwilling to be inferior, gritted his teeth and, relying on the remaining members of the Ming Cult, established his state with Liangzhe Road as the base, Fujian Road as the backup, and Hangzhou as the capital, combining politics and religion. He decisively declared his own state as well!

The name of the country is the same as the Ming Cult.

On his way back to the capital, Zhang Shuye learned that Fang La had actually rebelled, which infuriated him!

What the hell are you, Fang La? Who do you think you are? I beat you into a coward not long ago, and now you're rebelling too!

But Zhang Shuye had no other choice at this point. The most important thing now was to unite with the loyalist armies from other directions, march back to the capital, and kill Cai Jing!

He hadn't expected Cai Jing to be so ruthless, actually deposing the Zhao Song imperial family, which Zhang Shuye found somewhat amusing.

Back then, the emperor felt that the four great bandits of the Green Forest posed a threat to the Zhao Song imperial family and kept sending people to quell the rebellion. But what happened? Now, of the four bandits, one has been destroyed, one has surrendered, one has been crippled, and the remaining one is no longer even within Zhao Song territory. None of them truly destroyed the Zhao Song dynasty.

On the contrary, it was Grand Tutor Cai Jing, who was second only to the emperor in the court and who claimed that everything he did was for the Song Dynasty, who was the first to overthrow the rule of the Zhao Song imperial family!

As for Fang La... whatever, whatever. What Ming Dynasty? It doesn't sound very good.

On the way, Zhang Shuye also learned about Zhao Ji's whereabouts. Zhao Ji, who was forced to retreat under the walls of Bianjing, was not dead, but was leading his men to retreat towards the Western Army. Moreover, Cai Jing did not kill the members of the royal family, but imprisoned them.

This surprised Zhang Shuye. Did Cai Jing want to rebel, or not?

……

Outside Nanjing city.

During this period, Tong Guan led his troops in a continuous assault on Nanjing.

He didn't know when Ren Yuan's people would come to help, but he just wanted to prove himself!

I was able to earn military merit on the Western Xia battlefield! I can do it here too!

To be honest, once Tong Guan got serious, and with Zhao Ji and others who were holding them back absent, the Song army, relying on its numerical advantage, actually managed to fight the cavalry led by Yelü Si to a draw on the Nanjing battlefield!

"Master! Master Tong!"

A messenger, his face filled with fear, rushed into Tong Guan's tent in a panic.

Tong Guan, dressed in military uniform, was wolfing down his food in his tent. His face was still covered in smudges of some unknown substance, and a blood-stained sword leaned against the table, clearly indicating that he had just come down from the battlefield.

"What's wrong? Have the Yelü family attacked again?"

Tong Guan put down the half-eaten steamed bun in his hand, picked up his battle sword, and prepared to go back to the battlefield.

"No, no, it's the capital!"

The messenger saw Tong Guan preparing to draw his sword and quickly stopped him.

"Capital?"

Tong Guan was taken aback.

What's wrong in the capital?

"Something's happened in the capital! Grand Tutor, no, Cai Jing has rebelled!"

"Bang!"

Tong Guan lost his grip on the knife and it fell to the ground.

He was completely stunned.

Cai Jing rebelled? That old guy is actually capable of rebellion? Are you kidding me?

Wait a minute, didn't the Emperor return to the capital? How could Cai Jing still be rebelling? And where is the Emperor?

Do you know what the crime of spreading false information is?

Tong Guan looked at the messenger, and the aura of a superior burst forth from him.

"My lord! This is absolutely true! I would never lie!"

"The old traitor Cai Jing has seized the capital. Relying on the Imperial Seal, he issued a proclamation to the world, listing the emperor's ten major crimes, abolishing the throne of the Zhao Song imperial family, imprisoning the members of the imperial family in the capital, and declaring himself emperor! The country's name is: Lai!"

The messenger didn't hesitate and quickly relayed all the information he knew!

Tong Guan stumbled back several steps, grabbing the table for support; he found it utterly unbelievable.

WTF?

Did Cai Jing really rebel and even create a new country name?

Ren Yuan didn't even declare himself emperor, nor did he destroy the Song Dynasty, yet Cai Jing actually did this?

"You mean... the Song Dynasty no longer exists?"

After a long while, Tong Guan finally came to his senses.

"Yes, sir, the Song Dynasty is gone."

"What about us?"

Tong Guan looked at the messengers. If the Song Dynasty were gone, what would they be?

But what Tong Guan saw was the same bewildered look in the messenger's eyes.

Yes, Lord Tong, I also want to ask you, if the Song Dynasty is gone, what are we?