Chapter 010: Taking Qin Hui to Resist the Jin

The words of the official Zhao Ji are indeed very clear

Moreover, if the bandit leader demands an exorbitant price, I shall have to use this three million to entice the various armies in Hebei and negotiate with the bandits. However, the art of commanding troops lies in the combination of both reward and punishment; having only silver without sufficient loyal soldiers is inadequate. Therefore, I also wish to draw some strong men from the Imperial Guard and the Victory Army, along with several thousand horses, to accompany me northward. Additionally, I would like to appoint a few civil and military officials as my right and left arms to travel to Hebei together. I humbly request my father to grant this as well.

"I do not require many soldiers," Zhao Kai understood Zhao Ji's intentions, and he also looked down upon the army in Dongjing. Therefore, he said, "I will only bring two to three thousand men to Hebei. In addition to the six hundred men under the command of the fifth officer, I would also like to have three to four hundred officials for personal matters, over a thousand cavalry from the victorious army's first general, as well as three hundred infantry who accompanied me into the palace today, and several hundred soldiers from the Tianzi Bureau who care for the horses. Furthermore, I would like to select five thousand horses from the Moutuo Gang horse farm for transporting goods." In addition to the six hundred men under the command of the fifth officer, I would also like to have three to four hundred officials for personal matters, over a thousand cavalry from the victorious army's first general, as well as three hundred infantry who accompanied me into the palace today, and several hundred soldiers from the Tianzi Bureau who care for the horses. Furthermore, I would like to select five thousand horses from the Moutuo Gang horse farm for transporting goods.

As for the cavalry stationed at Moutuo Ridge for horse breeding, it is not a significant matter; if it is given, then it is given. Military horses can also be provided; although the number of 5,000 is considerable, it is not impossible to produce.

"Father Emperor," Zhao Kai continued to feign being a 'traitor' in front of others, so he said to Zhao Ji, "These three million taels of silver, money, and silk are no small amount. With the few hundred men under my command in the Imperial City Division, it is likely insufficient to escort this silver across the Yellow River

Upon hearing this, Qin Hui trembled and hurriedly attempted to decline, but Zhao Ji had already spoken: "Indeed, Qin Hui is quite capable, so let him be your Chief Clerk!"

After a few humble remarks, he changed the subject and asked Zhao Ji, "Father, now that the Yanshan Prefecture is already under the control of the Jin bandits, whether we cut off or not makes no difference to the Jin people. Therefore, in order to demonstrate our sincerity for peace talks, we can only offer money... We must at least provide a year's tribute, right?"

Zhao Kai certainly did not wish to seek peace with the Jin state; if he did, wouldn't it mean that going north to resist the Jin would become an act of treason? He is the chosen one, how could he possibly engage in the act of seeking mercy through betrayal? However, Zhao Kai was somewhat clever; he understood that it was essential to unite with Emperor Huizong of Song at this moment, to prevent the Song court, which was being forced to resist the Jin, from turning against him immediately after leaving the capital of Dongjing.

Although the quality of these thirty thousand military horses is not particularly good, the quantity is certainly considerable. If five thousand are given to Zhao Kai, there will still be twenty-five thousand left available, which is sufficient. In any case, Zhao Ji has already made up his mind; when the Jin invaders arrive, he will order his men to hold Kaifeng City at all costs and will resolutely not leave the city, so there is no need for many military horses.

Additionally, Zhao Kai also wanted to deceive Emperor Huizong of Song for several million in peace negotiation funds...! ... When it comes to peace negotiations, it is impossible to come empty-handed; one must certainly offer money and women!

"The annual tribute... that amounts to three million!" Zhao Ji nodded and said, "Li Bangyan, how much savings does the national treasury currently have? Can we produce three million in goods?"

Because he is currently stuck in the Tokyo Kaifeng Prefecture

Upon thinking of this, Zhao Ji smiled and said to his son Zhao Kai: "As the ancient saying goes: A ruler with loyal ministers will not lose his country; a father with honest sons will not lose his family... Sanlang, you are indeed my honest son! If it were not for your entering the palace to offer counsel, I would no longer be the supreme ruler, and I might have even lost my country!"

What? The Song Dynasty is actually that wealthy! Upon hearing Li Bangyan's words, Zhao Kai immediately regretted it. He was in a daze and momentarily forgot how much wealth the Song Dynasty actually possessed (in fact, the original Zhao Kai did not know the specific amount either). As a result, he only asked for a sum that seemed large to him—three million. Unexpectedly, the national treasury of the Song Dynasty actually held tens of millions of guan in wealth. If he had known, he should have asked for a much larger sum, at least ten million!

His words may be sincere, or perhaps they are meant to placate Zhao Kai, this "loyal subject"—after all, the six hundred soldiers who are loyal to Zhao Kai are still stationed outside the Chongzheng Hall

"Alright," Zhao Ji nodded, "Both soldiers and horses can be provided... Sanlang, you just mentioned wanting a few civil officials and military officers. Who do you want? Tell me, and I will assign them to you!"

"Father, I understand your intentions," Zhao Kai said with a smile. "This is actually my intention as well... We have not yet attempted to negotiate peace with the Jin thieves, so how can we be in such a hurry to flee? Compared to abandoning the vast and beautiful lands of the Central Plains, even if we were to receive an annual tribute of three hundred thousand taels of silver along with the territory of Yanshan Prefecture, it would still be a very worthwhile deal... Compared to abandoning the vast and beautiful lands of the Central Plains, even if we were to receive an annual tribute of three hundred thousand taels of silver along with the territory of Yanshan Prefecture, it would still be a very worthwhile deal...

Zhao Kaixin said: If you have money, pay the annual tribute; if you don't have money, fight against the gold thieves; you deserve to go to Wuguo City and drink the northeast wind

Zhao Kai cast a glance at the treacherous minister Qin Hui, who was huddled among the crowd, and a faint cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "I, the son, wish to appoint Qin Hui as the Left Censorate"

"Father, you flatter me; this is merely the duty of a son." Zhao Kai genuinely believed that his actions in compelling his father to resist the Jurchens were a great act of filial piety, and that he would surely be included in the "Classic of Filial Piety" in the future

The two brothers Zhao Huan and Zhao Kai resolutely refused to take up official positions, as they could not extricate themselves from the mess they were in, which was inevitably tied to the capital, Kaifeng. Since they could not escape this predicament, they naturally had to hold tightly to the military that ensured their survival

The matter of ceding land and paying compensation can actually be presented in such a positive light that even the high officials in the Chongzheng Hall are unsure whether they should refute it

During the Song Dynasty, there were high-ranking officials such as the Prince's Tutor, the Chief Clerk of the Prince's Mansion, and the Military Officer of the Prince's Mansion, but these positions were not regularly established; they were only held during the early period of the founding of the dynasty. After Emperor Taizong of Song came to power, princes became objects of suspicion, and naturally, their subordinate officials were reduced. Positions such as Tutor, Chief Clerk, and Military Officer completely disappeared from the Prince's Mansion.

Zhao Kai cast a cold glance at Qin Hui, thinking to himself: You are finished! Just obediently follow this king to resist the Jin dynasty!

Zhao Ji listened to this nonsense and nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself: I have never even tried ceding land and paying tribute! How could I have thought of abdicating and fleeing? Truly a moment of panic!

The Yanshan Prefecture was not originally passed down from our ancestors of the Great Song; it was territory purchased by my father from the Jin bandits, so we might as well consider it a loss. As for the annual tribute of three hundred thousand taels of silver... let it be regarded as a luxurious poison used to support the useless warriors of the Jin bandits. Perhaps after nurturing them for twenty or thirty years, the Jin bandits will become like the Khitan. Moreover, the Jin bandits, having taken our silver, will still need to use it to purchase our silks, porcelain, and lacquerware. The silver will merely pass through their hands, but in the end, it will return to the Great Song.

As he spoke, he caught sight of the imposing Liu Qi again, and thus he said: "And this esteemed gatekeeper also possesses quite a formidable presence; I, your son, wish to take him to Hebei to seek some achievements.

"Go ahead," Zhao Ji asked with a smile, "I wonder which civil official Sanlang is interested in?"

"Good," Zhao Ji nodded and smiled, "It is good to have money... Sanlang, you can confidently negotiate with the Jurchens. Our Song Dynasty has plenty of money to pay as tribute. I can first take out 2 million taels of silver, 500,000 strings of cash, and 500,000 bolts of silk from the treasury to offer you, to buy off the Jurchens."

Additionally, I would like to appoint a civil official and Chen Ji to serve respectively as the Chief Historian and the Chief Military Officer of the royal residence

Please be in front, the soldiers and horses are behind

"Are you going to mobilize the troops?" Upon hearing his son mention troops, Zhao Ji furrowed his brow slightly; he was willing to part with money, but not with soldiers.

Zhao Kai said: "Father Emperor, I shall not be polite in that case. In addition to the several officials from the Imperial City Division that I lead and the people from the Prince of Yun's residence, I also wish to have He Guan, He Ji, and He Xian, the three father and son, as well as the commander of the Shengjie Army, Xiang Ke.

Currently, the Moutogang Horse Farm, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Tianqi Regulatory Authority in the northwest of Tokyo, houses 20,000 military horses. Additionally, there are nearly 10,000 cavalrymen within the city of Tokyo, equipped with approximately 10,000 military horses. Combining both figures, there are over 30,000 military horses within the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Kaifeng Prefecture alone

The Eastern Minister of State, Dazai Li Bangyan, reported to the Emperor: "In response to your inquiry, since the beginning of the Xuanhe era, the court has been engaged in military campaigns for consecutive years, leading to enormous expenditures, and the treasury is increasingly depleted... However, there are still considerable assets in the internal treasury and the sealed warehouses, including approximately thirty to forty million copper coins, over three hundred thousand taels of silver, more than two hundred thousand taels of gold, and two to three million bolts of cloth and silk."

It is indeed not much... Zhao Ji stroked his beard and pondered for a moment. The personal troops under the Fifth Command were originally Zhao Kai's men, and those three to four hundred officials should also belong to Zhao Kai. He certainly could not keep He Guan and the three hundred men who entered the palace. Although the First Cavalry General of the Shengjie Army was elite, there were only a little over one thousand men, and the commander, Xiang Ke, had previously served as a commanding officer under the Fifth Command, having an extraordinary relationship with Zhao Kai. Zhao Ji was also not very reassured about leaving this troop within the Kaifeng Prefecture.

At the Chongzheng Hall, everyone's gaze shifted once again to Zhao Kai, the envoy for peace and the commander of the Hebei military forces.