Chapter 0010: The Rebellion has begun
When Su Yin returned after completing his mission, he happened to pass through Yizhou and encountered two shifty-eyed individuals discussing how to report Zhao Kaishan's plans for a rebellion to the authorities on a rural path
They do not have a household registration and belong to the category of pure illegal residents, making it impossible for the authorities to investigate them.
Although Zhao Kaishan genuinely feels that Su Yonglin is a peculiar person, he is already in a position where he must act, as Su Yonglin possesses both connections and wealth, which are crucial support that he urgently needs
The rebel army has just risen up, and their equipment is certainly not very good. They need to capture cities and territories, and gradually become stronger by seizing equipment from the Jurchens. However, they cannot be completely unprepared.
Zhao Kaishan was greatly shocked and executed the two traitors, expressing his gratitude to Su Yin
Do not mention the predominantly Han troops; even the Jurchen soldiers themselves are in a deplorable state. This can be corroborated by the military intelligence gathered by Su Yin.
The Jin dynasty had a powerful army, but as long as its military could be defeated, it would be finished
Before going to Lin'an to kill Sun Yuanqi, he instructed Su Yin to contact Zhao Kaishan, informing him that they planned to land at the old place in Juzhou, and asked him to arrange for reliable people to assist, facilitating the transfer of all supplies to a safe location
To be precise, even the Song army of that year was not as good
The new generation of the Jin army is no longer able to exert effective pressure on the Southern Song in terms of combat capability
They cannot be considered a qualified army; however, to this day, the once valiant and skilled Jurchen soldiers have either perished, aged, or taken on roles as officials or landlords, and the sharpness they once possessed has long since faded.
The time for the agreed-upon uprising is drawing near, and Su Yonglin's final task in the Southern Song Dynasty is to eliminate Sun Yuanqi, which has now been accomplished.
The workers in the salt production facility were secretly recruited by the Su family from among the displaced people from various regions—primarily due to the frequent peasant uprisings, which could not be completely eliminated. The Su family thus recruited these displaced individuals to work in the salt production facility
Their situation is undoubtedly dire, and it is far from the belief held by some during the Southern Song Dynasty that they were invincible across the world.
The Southern Song army may not appear strong, but it possesses considerable resilience. More importantly, even after defeating its army, there remains a significant distance before it truly faces its demise
Driven to the brink of endurance, Zhao Kaishan resolved to rise up against all odds, expel the Jurchens, and reclaim what rightfully belonged to him
During the reign of Emperor Jin Xizong, a group of fierce generals from the Jin army, who had previously defeated the Song forces, took turns to launch campaigns against the nomadic tribes of the grasslands. Despite years of warfare, they could not achieve stability. Even Wanyan Zongbi, known to the Song people as Jin Wuzhu, led an army of 80,000 northward to suppress them but did not gain any significant advantage.
One of Su Yonglin's tasks for Su Yin was to find brave men who were willing to rebel against the gold. Su Yin made a decisive decision, captured these two individuals, and delivered them to Zhao Kaishan
Although they are very reliable and will not disclose the whereabouts of the core members of the Su family due to the dangers of smuggling salt, it is still unrealistic to expect them to rebel by heading north
It is clearly not advisable to rise in rebellion using bamboo spears carved like those of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang.
They are all the most direct confidants of Su Yonglin, each of whom Su Yonglin can call by name, and they are definitely to be taken away
Su Yin then informed Zhao Kaishan of his own task and Su Yonglin's hopes. Zhao Kaishan was deeply surprised but was very willing to engage in further contact with Su Yonglin
First, tackle the weaker opponents, then confront the more challenging ones, gradually developing from weakness to strength
On March 11 of the 28th year of Shaoxing, upon a single command from Su Yonglin, the ships gathered on Sujia Island in the northeast of Dinghai County began transporting a large quantity of money, grain, and military equipment to Shandong
The individuals whom Su Yonglin can truly regard as allies are the core team and the workers of the salt production facility who have already embraced his influence and broken free from their mental shackles
Su Yonglin treats them with considerable generosity, and they are also loyal to the Su family. They have received an education and are the spark in Su Yonglin's heart, so taking them away is not an issue
In addition, the two to three thousand part-time members do not receive any related benefits, as they are considered temporary workers, earning money on a per-task basis
The corruption of the Jin army is certainly good news for Su Yonglin, but there is even better news.
Zhao Kaishan is a major landlord in Yizhou, a traditional powerful figure, and holds significant influence in the local area
The Su family's material and financial resources are abundant, but the manpower primarily relies on individuals such as Zhao Kaishan and others
They do not participate in the core operations; they simply wait for the salt to be produced, board the ship to collect the salt, and then transport it to various locations for sale, ultimately returning with profits to share with the Su family. Other matters do not significantly involve them.
During this period, at least on the surface, the primary focus of the Jin state was still on dealing with the Mongol tribes to the north and the Tatars
In this wave, Su Yonglin's northward journey will still take away some individuals, but not many
The various Mongolian tribes represent the external threat that they have never been able to eliminate. The wars between the Jin dynasty and the Mongols were far from glorious, lacking the ferocity displayed during the conquest of the Song dynasty.
In addition to the core team of three hundred and seventeen members at the Su family private salt group, there are also over seven hundred salt workers and their families at the salt production facility, as well as two to three thousand peripheral part-time members responsible for the frontline smuggling of salt.
He was originally supposed to be an accomplice of the feudal rulers, but unfortunately, he encountered the Jin Dynasty, which had not yet ascended to a feudal regime, and was harmed in his core interests by the policies of the Jin Dynasty, leading to great dissatisfaction
Su Yonglin was overjoyed upon learning the news and immediately sent Su Yin back with some gold and silver to secretly pay a visit to Zhao Kaishan, recounting his identity and experiences as a private salt trader, as well as his aspirations.
Some individuals are so physically weak that they are unable to wield heavy weapons. Their formations are chaotic, with uncoordinated movements; those in the front are jostled by those behind, resulting in utter disarray. They lack the bravery of their fathers or grandfathers.
The two individuals hit it off immediately and thus decided to collaborate in rebellion
A substantial amount of wealth, provisions, and military equipment, all of which have been accumulated over many years of the Su family's illicit salt trading career
After the Xiangxing Treaty between the Song and Jin dynasties, both sides refrained from warfare for nearly twenty years. During this period, there were no elite troops stationed along the Song-Jin border for military preparedness, and the Southern Song did not deploy its main forces to guard against the Jin, nor did the Jin state.
At present, the Jin Dynasty, like the true dynasties of the Central Plains, is also facing the threat from the northern grasslands, causing great concern and agitation.
The speed of this corruption is indeed remarkable
In Su Yonglin's view, the Jin state is merely a hollow shell with a strong exterior but weak interior, where class contradictions and ethnic conflicts intertwine, capable of igniting the sparks of rebellion anywhere.
Even if there is money to support these individuals, Su Yonglin does not have the energy to provide them with political lessons as well
The Song army, which Zhao Kuangyin had personally nurtured, was ultimately disbanded only after the treaty was signed with the Liao state, managing to persist for about forty to fifty years.
Apart from the border troops stationed in the northern and northwestern frontier regions of the Golden Empire to guard against the cavalry from the steppes and the Western Xia army, there are essentially no elite forces capable of inflicting significant casualties on the rebel army
They have settled in various places with their families, developing into subordinates in the process of the Su family's illicit salt trade, with some even being subordinates of subordinates
After Su Yin returned, he informed Su Yonglin about this matter
During the reign of Jin Taizong Wanyan Wuqimai, the Mongols on the northern grasslands were a constant threat to the Jin state
Rebellion has begun
A year ago, Su Yonglin and Zhao Kaishan met at sea by boat, and they felt an instant connection. Subsequently, they swore an oath of brotherhood, pledging to become sworn brothers. They agreed that on a specified date, both would invest all their possessions into this uprising, fighting the Jin people to the death.
The core team is primarily composed of elite enforcers, operating under a militarized management structure, which serves as the main support for the Su family to establish a foothold in the private salt trading sector, receiving salaries and benefits
Of the summoned Jurchen strong men, seven or eight out of ten are unable to draw a hard bow, and more than half of those on horseback are swaying and could fall off at any moment; their swordplay and spear handling are merely for show.
Su Yonglin thus reached an accurate conclusion
They will be the sparks before the great fire spreads.
The Southern Song Dynasty was far more difficult to deal with than the Jin Dynasty
Once all preparations for departure are completed, the Su family's belongings and people will board a ship heading north to meet with Zhao Kaishan and others, and then they will initiate a grand uprising.
Su Yonglin's grand strategy has never changed
At that time, the local military leader summoned the able-bodied men from the local Meng'an Moke households for military drills, wanting to assess their combat effectiveness, but the outcome was a complete disaster
Over the course of several years, Zhao Kaishan lost a considerable amount of land to the southern migrating Jurchens, despite his repeated protests, which proved to be of no avail, as the encroachments continued unabated
Su Yonglin has invested all the family assets of the Su family into this uprising
The Jin army has indeed fallen; it has deteriorated to this state in just over twenty years.
In the 26th year of the Song Shaoxing era, the 1st year of Jin Zhenglong, which was the year before last, Su Yin, while operating in Shandong, gathered intelligence on a military exercise conducted by the Jin troops.