Building a Harmonious Song Dynasty

Chapter 66

He spent several anxious days, hoping to resolve the affairs of the Song Kingdom as soon as possible so he could return to the Liao Kingdom. Finally, good news arrived.

Ao Luwo stood with the ministers of the Song Dynasty beneath the imperial palace, where Zhao Huan announced his decision: he would personally lead an expedition to the capital, vowing to annihilate the remaining forces of the Wanyan clan of the Jin Dynasty.

The imperial court was in an uproar, with countless ministers kneeling and pleading for Zhao Huan to retract his decree. However, the core ministers of the Privy Council—Qin Hui, Cai Xiao, Liang Shicheng, Li Gang, and Zhao Gou himself—remained unmoved, their expressions unchanged. They had been discussing this decision for many days.

Zhao Huan was in high spirits; the Privy Council and the ministers of the Six Ministries had already been persuaded. Why would he pay attention to the objections of others? So he continued to discuss the next matter.

"After I personally destroy the Jurchens and restore peace to the Liao Kingdom, the two capitals, Zhong and Shang, should naturally be returned to the Liao Kingdom. However, shouldn't the Liao Kingdom also return the remaining sixteen prefectures of Yanyun that we have occupied? Only such cooperation can show sincerity."

Ao Luwo was filled with unease upon hearing this. Didn't these words mean exchanging the two capitals, Zhong and Shang, for the two capitals, Xi and Nan? Nanjing was extremely important; how could it be ceded back to the Song Dynasty? However, he dared not say no at this moment and could only say, "I will certainly convey the Emperor's opinion to my father, and I believe we will receive a reply soon."

Zhao Huan appeared confident and didn't press him. He continued to arrange various matters for the army's northward march. The last point of discussion was to determine the candidate for regent.

With the Emperor away from the capital and the prince only two years old, the regent naturally had to be chosen from among the princes. Before the regent was announced, everyone instinctively thought that Zhao Gou was the obvious choice. None of the other idle princes were capable of doing anything, and besides Zhao Gou, there was only the imprisoned prince, who was even less likely to be chosen.

When this matter was discussed, the ministers of the Privy Council frowned. Although they all proposed that Prince Kang oversee the country, the emperor had not approved it. Gradually, everyone became aware of the emperor's intentions.

Zhao Huan knew that no one else besides Zhao Gou could oversee the country. If he wanted to personally lead the army, he would have to make Zhao Gou the regent. If he couldn't find a suitable regent, he would have to replace Zhao Gou as the one leading the army.

He hesitated for a while on the dragon throne, but finally decided to make Zhao Gou the regent. He thought that once he destroyed the Jin dynasty and took back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun from the Liao, his strength would be sufficient, and Zhao Gou would no longer pose a threat to him. Besides, with Prince Zhu He in the palace, he was not afraid of Zhao Gou rebelling.

Winter passed and spring came; time flew by in the midst of busyness. Ao Luwo returned to his country long ago. Before him, Li Yunluo, who had developed a face full of measles, was sent back to Western Xia even earlier. The reason for her sudden rash was obvious: it was caused by poisoning by Zhao Gou's men.

After seeing off the people from various countries, preparations for the emperor's personal expedition were in full swing. General Zong Ze, who was far away on the border, personally returned to the capital to escort Zhao Huan to the expedition. The troops he led, together with some of the imperial guards transferred from the palace, became Zhao Huan's personal guard, which was quite a large undertaking.

Zhao Gou, who was about to become regent, was waiting for a "distinguished guest" with Qin Zhen in Zhenlongfang. Before long, a tall and imposing young man in silver armor entered their room. Upon seeing him, Qin Zhen immediately stood up and rushed over, shouting, "Big brother!"

This man was none other than Yue Fei, who returned to the capital with Zong Ze!

It had been a long time since they last met, and Qin Zhen was quite excited to see Yue Fei. Qin Zhen ran up to him, ready to pounce on him, but fortunately Yue Fei grabbed her shoulder and pressed her down in time. Otherwise, Zhao Gou's already not-so-good-looking face would probably have turned green.

They are no longer children. Qin Zhen is almost fifteen years old, and Zhao Gou and Yue Fei have grown into adults. It would be inappropriate for them to hold hands and hug each other like before, especially since Yue Fei is such a meticulous person.

Yue Fei smiled and patted Qin Zhen on the shoulder, his eyes full of brotherly affection. Then he bowed to Zhao Gou and said, "This humble general greets Your Highness."

Zhao Gou's face also showed a smile. He helped Yue Fei up and said, "Brother Yue, don't be so formal. You must be tired from your journey. Please sit down."

His smile dispelled the awkwardness between the three of them, and they gradually rediscovered their former connection.

Volume Two: Soaring Eagles 123 A Brief Reunion of Three

The three chatted for a while, and then the topic gradually turned to the main issue. Yue Fei asked, "His Majesty is going to personally lead the expedition this time. How did you ministers agree to such a major and dangerous undertaking?"

Qin Zhen explained, “The most dangerous thing is not the battlefield, but the Emperor’s suspicion. Everyone knows that the Emperor wants to take credit for the victory to silence some people and prevent Zhao Gou from becoming too powerful and giving others leverage against him. What’s wrong with that? As long as things are handled properly, Zhao Gou and I can easily resolve our current predicament. With you all here on the battlefield, there’s nothing to worry about. Do you really think the Emperor needs to personally ride into battle? It’s just for show.”

Seeing Zhao Gou's calm and collected expression, Yue Fei boldly said, "I've also heard similar rumors at the front lines. They say that the Emperor urgently summoned you back to the capital at the end of last year because he was afraid that you would gain great merit in destroying the Jin Dynasty. It seems that there is some truth to this."

Qin Zhen only gave a cold laugh, but Zhao Gou said, "You shouldn't have allowed such words to continue to spread in the military camp. Those who spread rumors and mislead the public... should be executed immediately."

Yue Fei was shocked and quickly apologized, saying, "This humble general knows his crime."

Qin Zhen couldn't stand it any longer and called out Zhao Gou's name. Zhao Gou raised his hand to signal Qin Zhen to be quiet, then turned to Yue Fei and said, "Today is our third day of discussions here, so I will naturally not punish Brother Yue. However, you must remember that the morale of the army is the most important thing. No matter whether these words are rumors or facts, they must not be spread to the ears of the soldiers."

"Yes, I will immediately reorganize the camp upon returning."

Qin Zhen breathed a sigh of relief; she certainly didn't want to see Zhao Gou and Yue Fei clash.

"Zhenzhen, let's get down to business. Tell Brother Yue everything you know."

Qin Zhen nodded. Yue Fei listened attentively as well.

"I've received word. My father has been in contact with the Western Xia people for three years now. He's been urging the Western Xia emperor to ally with the Jin to destroy the Liao, but the Western Xia emperor, seeing the Song army aiding Liao, hasn't dared to launch a full-scale attack. He's only secretly sending a thousand-strong elite force to aid the Jin. I suspect my father's purpose is simply to drag Western Xia into the war so he can find a reason to send troops against them. However, when the Western Xia envoys came to the capital earlier, I also learned that he might be planning to use them for something before Western Xia withdraws, but the specifics haven't been confirmed yet. Brother, you should send more people to keep an eye on the Western Xia's movements in the future."

Yue Fei tentatively asked, "This time, His Majesty personally led the expedition, but what is Lord Qin plotting in collusion with the Western Xia? What is his intention?"

Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen exchanged a glance. They naturally knew that Qin Hui did not have any good intentions towards Zhao Huan at this point, but they had not investigated the matter thoroughly and did not know how to explain it to Yue Fei.

"We'll tell you the details once we find out. Maybe we're just overthinking it." Zhao Gou paused slightly, then continued, "We're telling you this so you'll pay close attention to the thousand-man squad. That might be the most elite squad in Western Xia, so don't underestimate them. Leave the rest to us."

Yue Fei replied, "This humble general will remember this, and I will swear to protect the Emperor with my life."

The three finished their meal. Yue Fei had just arrived in the capital and had important matters to attend to, so he left first. After he left, Qin Zhen sighed to himself.

"What, are you worried that Brother Yue will get into trouble while following the Emperor?"

Qin Zhen nodded and said, "Yes. Although the Emperor trusts General Zong, my elder brother was once your bodyguard. The Emperor will definitely not give him an important position, and may even suspect him. What do you think will happen if you don't trust your own people on the battlefield?"

Zhao Gou sneered, "These all depend on your own choices, Your Majesty. We can't control what might happen, so why worry now?"

"Hey, Big Brother has returned to the capital. Why didn't Sister Shaofen come to see him?" Qin Zhen suddenly asked.

"I asked her to transport the firearms from the garrison to the north; she's busy with that right now."

Qin Zhen said, somewhat moved, "I thought you wouldn't bring out the things from Wei Factory."

"Am I that petty?" Zhao Gou looked up and said with a wicked smile, "No matter who leads the troops, the purpose of fighting is the same: to prevent the Jurchens from counterattacking. They... are a pack of hungry wolves."

Having suffered many hardships in battle, Zhao Gou knew that the Jin people should not be underestimated. If it weren't for the strong foundation of the Song Dynasty, which stopped the Jin Dynasty's southward advance early on, and the good cooperation between the newly promoted young generals and the remaining veteran generals, it's hard to say what the Jin Dynasty would have become if they had let the Jin Dynasty attack the Liao Dynasty for the past few years without intervention!

On the eighth day of the third month, an auspicious day calculated by the Ministry of Rites, Emperor Qinzong of Song, Zhao Huan, under the protection of Zong Ze and Yue Fei, personally led an expedition northward to join forces with the armies of Zhong Shidao and Han Shizhong to fight against the remnants of the Jin army.

Almost everyone thought the war was a foregone conclusion, and it certainly seemed to be so.

After Zhao Huan left, Regent Zhao Gou first went to the palace to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Zheng and Empress Zhu. In the Empress's Fengyi Palace, Zhao Gou was somewhat surprised to see Qin Zhen there as well. The two looked at each other, and Qin Zhen smiled helplessly.

Seeing the two of them looking at each other, Zhu smiled and said, "With the Emperor not in the capital, I was feeling bored in the palace all by myself, so before he left, the Emperor issued an edict to have Qin Zhen come to the palace to keep me company. Did that surprise you, my brother?"

Zhao Gou sneered inwardly. He had thought Zhao Huan hadn't taken any precautions before leaving, but it turned out he had a trump card up his sleeve. Zhao Huan thought that trapping Qin Zhen in Zhu's hands would deter Zhao Gou from acting recklessly, but he had underestimated the invulnerability of the imperial palace and placed far too much trust in Gao, the commander of the imperial guards!

"Your Majesty is indeed lonely in the palace. Why can't Qin Zhen come and keep you company?" He added half-jokingly, "Your Majesty should thank you for allowing me and Zhen'er to see each other more often."

Outsiders all believed that after Qin Hui opposed the marriage between Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen, the two never saw each other again.

Zhu was taken aback, not expecting Zhao Gou to be so direct. He laughed and said, "You two are really pitiful. If you want to see her in the future, just come to my palace. Let's see who dares to say anything then."

The affairs of state were complicated, and Zhao Gou was about to leave after sitting for a while. Before leaving, he cast a resentful glance at Qin Zhen. He did not believe that Qin Zhen did not know in advance that he was going to enter the palace. Why didn't he tell him?

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 124 Sisters' Mutual Hatred

Before Zhao Huan's expedition reached Liao territory, bad news came from the front lines. Ze and Yue Fei led their troops south to protect Zhao Huan, leaving the Bohai Bay area vulnerable. The remnants of the Jin army took the opportunity to attack Tokyo, and Tokyo fell.

It would be impossible for Zhao Huan to say he felt no fear whatsoever. He had never even held a sword before, so as he drew closer to the battlefield, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. He hadn't anticipated that the Jin army still had the capability to capture Tokyo.

But by then he was already in a difficult situation.

Upon receiving the order, Yue Fei immediately led his troops to take the lead in stopping the expansion of the Jin army's power, vowing to besiege them on the Liaodong Peninsula and prevent the Jin people from advancing any further.

Qin Zhen was the first in the palace to receive the news, because she had been in contact with Ji Wuhuan through the Blowing Flower Society. She had just received a letter from Ji Wuhuan. Although Tokyo had unfortunately fallen, he had managed to escape through a secret passage with the amnesiac Ji Wushuang.

Su Mufei had always cared about the siblings, so shortly after their escape, his men picked them up. Qin Zhen no longer needed to worry about their safety. She was only somewhat concerned about Ji Wushuang, who had lost her memory, and wondered if she would remember anything after seeing Su Mufei again. She hoped all three of them would be alright…

Just after finishing dealing with Ji Wuhuan's letter, Yuqin, a palace maid in Fengyi Palace, found Qin Zhen and said to her, "Miss Qin, Consort Zhu has taken the little prince to play in the garden again."

Qin Zhen said with disgust, "Zhu Xuan again?" There are many ponds and rockeries in the garden. A single "accident" could take the life of a two-year-old child. Zhu Xuan's vicious thoughts have come to mind again!

Yuqin was a spy planted behind Zhu by Qin Zhen through the Grand Eunuch Li Yan'an, not to monitor the Empress, but solely to protect Zhu and her son. Zhu was kind-hearted, and with Qin Zhen's constant protection, she remained unaware of her sister Zhu Xuan's malice towards her.

"Inform the people around the prince to stall for a while. Then lure the empress to the garden and let the sisters deal with it themselves today. It's time to let the empress see her true colors."

As night fell, Qin Zhen still hadn't seen Zhu, and Yu Qin hadn't sent back any further information. Just as she was about to go to the garden to see what was going on, the Empress returned, surrounded by people, carrying the young prince Zhao Yi. However, she looked utterly exhausted.

She handed Zhao Yi over to the palace matrons and instructed them, "From now on, no one except the Emperor and I is allowed to take the little prince out of the palace, understand?"

Seeing Qin Zhen waiting to the side, Zhu forced a smile and said, "I'm really tired today, so please have dinner by yourself, little sister. I'll take my leave now."

Qin Zhen smiled and said, "Sister, please get some rest."

When she returned to her residence, Yuqin arrived shortly afterward. She said, "It was a close call today. Consort Zhu acted like a madwoman and almost died with the young prince. The Empress was terrified."

Where is she now?

"The Empress sent people to lock her back in her palace and instructed those present not to reveal it. It seems she wanted to keep this a secret."

Qin Zhen shook her head and smiled. This really seemed like Zhu's style. She probably couldn't bring herself to punish her own sister.

Seeing that Qin Zhen did not speak, Yuqin asked tentatively, "Miss, what should I do next?"

"Serve the Empress well. As for Consort Zhu, that's their family matter, we don't need to concern ourselves with it," Qin Zhen said. If she shouldn't have helped Zhu Xuan enter the palace earlier, then Qin Zhen had protected Zhu and Zhao Yi for many years, and now she had reminded Zhu. She had done more than enough. She didn't want to care about what happened after that. The only person she should worry about now was Zhao Huan.

The battle at the front has reached a stalemate again. It's really hard to understand how the Jurchens could hold out in Tokyo, which is like an empty city, for so long. Is it really true that being forced into a desperate situation will unleash the infinite potential of humankind?

Zhao Gou had just finished discussing the issues of grain supply and national treasury revenue and expenditure with his ministers at the Privy Council. Now, sitting alone in his carriage on his way back to his residence, he suddenly thought of Qin Zhen again, wondering why she had gone to the palace.

"Have Miss Liang come to my study to see me," Zhao Gou instructed Qingmei as he entered the Prince's residence.

Liang Hongyu quickly appeared before Zhao Gou and respectfully greeted him, "Your Highness."

Zhao Gou gestured for Liang Hongyu to sit down and asked, "Can you tell me why Qin Zhen entered the palace without my knowledge?"

Liang Hongyu's status is somewhat awkward. Since she was freed from slavery, she has served Zhao Gou along with Qin Zhen. However, Zhao Gou actually ordered her to take care of Qin Zhen, and she also helped Qin Zhen manage the Flower Festival. Therefore, it seems more accurate to say that she served Qin Zhen.

It would be impossible for her to tell Zhao Gou everything about Qin Zhen at this moment.

Zhao Gou could see her predicament, but he didn't press her. He simply said, "Say what you can say."

Liang Hongyu breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "Miss knew before entering the palace that the Emperor would summon her to accompany the Empress before leaving, which was actually to control the Prince as a hostage. However, Miss did not try to solve the problem, but entered the palace voluntarily. Presumably, she wanted to take the opportunity to rescue Consort Wei, who was also a hostage."

Consort Wei was Zhao Gou's birth mother, and Zhao Huan secretly kept her under surveillance. If Zhao Gou acted suspiciously, she would be taken hostage. Both Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen knew this. Did Qin Zhen enter the palace for Consort Wei's sake?

Although the reason was flimsy, Zhao Gou was secretly pleased for a moment.