Chapter 143 PY transaction?

In order to facilitate Song Jiang's entry into Beijing, the imperial court allowed Liangshan to use the Guangji River for navigation.

The Guangji River connects to Liangshan Lake in the east and Bianliang in the west. It is one of the main water transport routes in the Northern Song Dynasty. However, Song Jiang's posture of advancing by both land and water seems a bit like he is going to attack the capital.

When the army passed through Dongming County and was only a hundred miles away from Bianliang, they received shocking information.

At Wu Yong's suggestion, Song Jiang ordered the entire army to set up camp and rest on the spot, and sent Dai Zong and Yan Qing to Tokyo to inquire about the news.

While waiting for news, intelligence from the front was passed to each camp, causing panic among the people. Many leaders clamored to return to Liangshan. Among them, the three Ruan brothers were the most violent.

Since it was the navy that was in a bad mood, Song Jiang sent Li Jun and Zhang Heng to appease them. However, these two were not keen on the amnesty, so the appeasement effect was minimal.

Dai Zong and Yan Qing had not returned yet, and the mood of the navy was in danger of spreading to the cavalry and infantry.

In other words, the list was reported to the court, and the large army was stationed in the wild at this time, otherwise Song Jiang would want to settle accounts with the three Ruan clans later.

Just as Song Jiang was drinking to drown his sorrows, Wu Yong, who was patrolling the camp, returned to the central army camp and suggested that Yang Chang go and appease the navy.

"Is he okay?"

"I just passed by Yang Chang's camp and heard him talking and laughing with Wu Song. He didn't seem to worry about the government troops breaking their promises at all. The atmosphere was the best among all the camps. Maybe he knew some inside information when he was in the capital? Besides, he has a good relationship with Ruan Xiaoqi, so it should be right to send him to appease them."

"Hearing what you said."

Song Jiang thought of Yang Chang whom Su Yuanjing had chosen, and thought to himself that the two of them had traveled together for half a month. Could it be that the prime minister had promised him something?
Got to give him something to do.

"That makes sense. Then send him. I'll talk to him in person."

"Alright."

After the two men finished talking, they walked out of the central army together. Commander Yang did not refuse Song Jiang's instructions and immediately went to the three Ruan's camp to comfort them.

Yang Chang was a man admired by Chao Gai, and the three Ruan brothers benefited greatly from his advice. After chatting for a long time, they not only calmed everyone's emotions, but also deepened the friendship between the two sides.

At noon the next day, Dai Zong returned using his magical powers.

As soon as he arrived at the central military tent, he saw Song Jiang and Wu Yong waiting outside.

"how?"

"It's okay, it was just a false alarm, huhu"

"Hurry up and have a drink of water first."

After hearing this, Song Jiang calmed down a little and led Dai Zong into the big tent.

Dai Zong swallowed a few gulps of water, then stroked his chest and said, "The troops gathered around Tokyo are the troops led by Tong Shumi to recover Yandi. The emperor recently appointed him as the envoy to lead the Western Army and the Imperial Army totaling 150,000. They will set out to the north on the 14th of this month."

"Recover the Yan territory?"

Song Jiang frowned and was stunned for a moment, then said disdainfully: "Isn't it a war with the Liao Kingdom? Can Tong Guan command troops?"

"Uh"

Dai Zong didn't know how to answer, so Wu Yong hurriedly reminded him.

"Although Secretary Tong knows nothing about military affairs, the Western Army should not be underestimated. Who will be the commander of the Western Army?"

"Zhongshidao."

"Old General Zhong? Then this Northern Expedition may not be impossible."

Hearing the conversation between the two, Song Jiang couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

"What a pity! If only we were the ones to march north, we would surely be able to bring everyone great honor."

"We are not entitled to such merit. We should prepare well for the meeting with the emperor. It is still several days before the 14th. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, I suggest that we wait until Tong Guan's army leaves before setting off."

"Military Advisor is right. Thank you, Dean Dai, for going to Tokyo again. You and Yan Qing will wait in the city and report back if there is any situation."

"Okay, I'll be leaving in a minute."

April 14th, Ouchi Saigū.

Tong Guan had been waiting here early in the morning. He came to pick up Zhao Ji and inspect the troops at the parade ground. After the ceremony, the troops were dispatched to the Northern Expedition.

Zhao Ji fasted here for three days. Only when he heard the eunuch reminding him that the time had come did he and Tong Guan pass through the Duansheng Garden in the palace and leave.

In early summer, the Duansheng Garden is covered with fresh green and bright flowers.

The two of them were walking leisurely, when Zhao Ji suddenly stopped halfway, called Tong Guan and said, "Recovering Yanyun is of great significance. I have been fasting here for the past few days, thinking hard about how to defeat Liao, and I have come up with three strategies, good, medium and bad. You can follow them when you go."

"I obey your command. Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Seeing Tong Guan bowing and standing solemnly, Zhao Ji reached out and plucked a peony from the roadside, frowned and said: "Yanjing is the ancient land of the Han people. It has been controlled by the Liao Kingdom for nearly two hundred years. I don't know what the local people think of the Song Dynasty. If they treat the Song army like a royal army, you can use public opinion to successfully capture it, and I will surpass my ancestors. This is the best strategy."

"Um"

Tong Guan also wanted to defeat the enemy without fighting, but he guessed that the possibility of this was very slim, so he waited quietly for Zhao Ji to continue.

"Do you remember that at the beginning of the month, Yelu Chun sent an envoy to Baigou (the border between Song and Liao) to ask me to recognize him as the new emperor of Liao?"

"Of course I remember that Your Majesty asked me to use the fact that Yelu Yanxi was alive as an excuse to have the garrison expel the Liao envoy."

"Ah."

Zhao Ji nodded and continued, saying solemnly: "If the two countries go to war, there will be great suffering. I think that Song and Liao have had peace for a hundred years, and I really don't want to start a war again. But the premise is that Yelu Chun is willing to submit to Song. I can allow him to split the land and be crowned king, and Yan will still be governed by the Khitans. This is the middle policy."

"That's the worst option"

"If the people of Yan do not admire Song and Yelu Chun is unwilling to submit, the only option left is military force. The Jurchens are so powerful, I am worried that Aguda will also want to reap the benefits, so it is important to preserve the military strength. You must put the overall situation first when you go!"

"I will definitely live up to your majesty's high expectations."

"Let's go to the training ground."

In order to preserve his strength, Zhao Ji only wanted to gain benefits for free without putting in any effort, which led to a serious strategic misjudgment of Tong Guan and laid the groundwork for his subsequent defeat.

On the second day after Tong Guan left for the expedition, Song Jiang led the Liangshan troops on the journey and arrived in Tokyo on April 16. He stationed outside Xincao Gate awaiting orders.

Su Yuanjing went to the palace to request an imperial decree, requiring Liangshan to select three to five hundred soldiers and horses, and for all of them to enter the city in military uniforms tomorrow so that the people of the capital could have a glimpse of their style. The emperor would also lead all officials to the Xuande Tower to watch.

How can we disobey the emperor's decree?
Song Jiang then asked Pei Xuan to pick some strong and sturdy men to accompany the 107 heroes into the city for the review.

On the morning of the 17th, hundreds of people from Liangshan formed a battle formation, entered the city from Xincao Gate and headed west, passing through Guishizi, Tushizi, Panlou Street, Dongjiaolou and other streets, until they ended at Xuande Gate south of the Forbidden City.

When the people of Tokyo heard the news, they lined the streets early to watch. Street vendors doing business could be seen everywhere, watching the legendary heroes of Liangshan as if they were watching a festival parade.

Yang Chang rode a tall white horse, wearing an embroidered robe and golden armor, holding a newly forged phoenix-wing gold-plated spear, and walked side by side with the heroic Hu Sanniang, making him particularly eye-catching in the crowd.

On that day, in addition to the civil and military officials of the court, Zhao Ji's several adult sons also went up to the Xuande Tower to watch.

King Kang Zhao Gou was joking with others when he suddenly saw Yang Chang riding a white horse in the team. He immediately took two steps forward and stretched his neck, thinking to himself that he had searched high and low for you, but it turns out you are the leader of Liangshan.

It is rumored that the heroes of Liangshan are all stars in the sky, no wonder their martial arts are so powerful.

I don't know how the emperor will arrange it. Can I come to be a guard in the palace?

Prince Kang was very young and had very naive ideas. Not far away, Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji also saw the prince consort whom he had never met after being pointed out by Su Yuanjing.

He stroked his beard and nodded slightly, sighing that Zhao Fujin had good taste and that his appearance alone was far superior to Cai Yu's.

After the review, Zhao Ji ordered an audience in Wende Hall, and then went downstairs to return to the court.

Song Jiang and others led the group in kowtow, then turned east and left to Donghua Gate to prepare to enter the court.

No weapons were allowed when entering the palace. Everyone had to take off their military uniforms and belts outside the palace, and put on the red and green brocade robes bestowed by the emperor. Only when they were dressed neatly could they enter the court.

At ten o'clock that day, the emperor ascended to the Wende Hall.

One hundred and seven people entered the court one by one and stood in a small formation in the hall.

The palace chief official praised and bowed, and led the dance in the daily ritual.

Song Jiang loosened his knees and knelt down first. When he shouted "Long live" three times, his voice was the loudest.

Yang Chang was kneeling in the third row behind them. He saw Heisablang's usual perky butt, which was particularly conspicuous in the crowd, and thought to himself that his butt was about to stick out to the sky.

Zhao Ji saw Song Jiang with his face pressed to the ground, his pious look very different from the others. He thought that he was indeed extraordinary to be the leader of Liangshan, but his humility was too disgusting, so he allowed him to sit with the other heroes according to their rank, and later held a royal banquet to entertain everyone.

That evening, at the Grand Tutor’s residence.

Cai Tao (the fourth son) pushed open the door of the study and saw Cai Jing writing on rice paper. When he got closer, he saw a single word: "thief".

"You're back? How's the situation?"

"Third brother said that the emperor was very pleased and wanted to confer titles on Song Jiang and others."

"Liangshan and the Cai family have a deep grudge against each other. How can we allow them to gain power? Do you have any advice on my plan to eliminate the bandits?"

"My third brother said that it was the responsibility of the Privy Council and it was inconvenient for him to interfere in the Ministry of Rites. He suggested that I go to my eldest brother."

When Cai Jing heard this, he didn't handle the last stroke properly, so he put away his brush, crumpled up the rice paper, held it in his hand and frowned.

"The eldest is a rebellious son, and I think the third is unreliable. Ask Zhai Qian to prepare the carriage. Your father is going out now."

"Father, you."

"You can't trust your own people, so you have to look for outsiders."

"Yes."

Cai Jing's eldest son Cai You was favored by Zhao Ji, but he conflicted with Cai Jing for power and they fought against each other, which eventually led to a rift between father and son and the two of them becoming enemies.

The third son, Cai Huo, had just been appointed Minister of Rites. At this position, there was no longer any father-son affection between them. He took the initiative to move closer to the favored Cai You, and was unwilling to work for the aging Cai Jing, so he could only seek help from outsiders.

Before Tong Guan led his troops to the Northern Expedition, he had left a backup plan in the Privy Council. However, Cai Jing was worried that the upright officials in the court might cause trouble, so he took the initiative to find Su Yuanjing.

After nightfall, Cai Jing came to the door in person, and General Su was quite surprised.

Su Yuanjing personally went out to greet him, carefully ushered him into the front hall, bowed and served him tea, and curiously asked, "Grandmaster, you have come to my humble abode. What instructions do you have?"

"I am an old man who has retired and is at home. How dare I give orders to the Grand Commandant?"

Cai Jing held the tea bowl in his hand and murmured, "I heard that the Liangshan bandits paraded through the city this morning, and your majesty even held a banquet to entertain them. I wonder if they have been granted official positions? These people are extremely vicious, so we must be careful and cautious."

"Uh"

Su Yuanjing was stunned when he heard this, and replied awkwardly: "Your Majesty is in a good mood today, and ordered Prime Minister Wang and the Ministry of Personnel to prepare for the appointment. I am a lowly official, and my words do not carry much weight. Is the Grand Master making a mistake?"

"Why should Su Gong be so modest?"

Cai Jing smiled faintly, looked at him seriously and said, "Before Tong Shumi left Beijing, he received a report from Zhang Shuye that Song Jiang had left troops in Liangshan, and now they are stationed outside the city of Tokyo. There is no guarantee that he will not rebel again. As the Grand Marshal of the Palace, Su Gong should consider the safety of the court."

"I really don't know. What advice do you have, Grand Master?"

"When I was a prime minister, I was always worried about the flooding of the Yellow River every year. In addition to strengthening the river bank, the best way is to divert and control the water. I also gave this advice to Song Jiang and others. I only hope that Mr. Su will remind Your Majesty not to let the wolf into the house."

"Uh"

Su Yuanjing swallowed his saliva and said, "I understand what the Grand Master means, but since Song Jiang has a backup plan, forcibly dispersing his troops may cause chaos. If we force these people back to Liangshan, won't the people of Shandong suffer again?"

"There are still three of the four great bandits, Tian Hu of Hebei, Wang Qing of Huaixi, and Fang La of Jiangnan. We can let Song Jiang lead the people to fight against the rebellion for the country. If he wins, he can be awarded a high position and generous salary. This can also test his loyalty."

Although Cai Jing was a well-known treacherous minister, these words touched Su Yuanjing's heart. He did not dare to guarantee that Song Jiang would not rebel again. If he committed any treasonous act in the future, he would inevitably be implicated.

But when he thought about the fact that Tong Guan had just sent troops to the Northern Expedition and the court did not have enough money and food to support multiple wars, Su Yuanjing immediately looked worried.

"Grandmaster, why don't we let them go to Yan as well? To help Tong Shumi recover the lost territory?"

"What are you thinking? Tong Shumi once failed in his expedition against Liangshan, so he sent the Liangshan army to his command, deliberately hindering the Northern Expedition Army? Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, and thieves against thieves, that is the right way."

"But I heard that the court is in trouble. If we raise another large army to suppress the bandits, I'm afraid."

"Liangshan has been robbing for many years and has accumulated enough money and food to support itself for a long time. They claim to be loyal to the emperor and the country, so why can't they prepare their own food and grass before going to war?"

"This"

Su Yuanjing looked at Cai Jing in shock and thought to himself, I consider myself to be quite talented, but compared to you, there is simply a world of difference. Do you want to wipe out Liangshan completely?

It is only right to take from the people and give back to the country.

Cai Jing left behind twelve words and Su Yuanjing pondered over it all night, hesitating.

The next day, before the three provinces had decided on the official positions, the Privy Council, in accordance with Tong Guan's instructions before his departure, submitted a memorial stating that Liangshan still posed a threat and suggested that the trapped soldiers of the court return to their original locations, and the rest be divided into five routes and transferred to Shandong, Hebei and other places.

Zhao Ji agreed with the report and immediately ordered the imperial commander to leave the city according to the memorial from the Privy Council.

Su Yuanjing was late for the court to meet the emperor. Upon learning of the situation, he urgently explained the pros and cons to the emperor, and requested the imperial edict to defeat the bandits as suggested by Cai Jing. Then he went outside the Xincao Gate to announce the decree.

When he arrived at Song Jiang's military camp, he saw that all the soldiers, big and small, looked angry, so he knew that the imperial commander had been there.

When Su Yuanjing was about to go to the central army to announce the imperial edict, Song Jiang had already come out with Wu Yong and a few others to greet him. As soon as they met, they started to complain to him.

"Alright, Your Majesty was deceived this morning. The previous oral instructions are invalid. I recommend you to make contributions to the country. Go and gather the leaders to the central army to listen to the announcement."

"Really? That's great. Thank you, Eun-sang."

Song Jiang swept away the morning gloom and signaled Wu Yong to gather the leaders, while he led the way for Su Yuanjing.

Soon, the 107 leaders of Liangshan knelt outside the central army tent.

Su Yuanjing unfolded the imperial edict in his hands and read it aloud in person.

"The decree said: Shun had the world, he promoted Gao Yao and the four seas obeyed him. Recently, he got Song Jiang and others, who obeyed the will of heaven and protected the country, and were loyal and righteous. Now Tian Hu usurped the title of decree and rebelled in Hebei. The decree appointed Song Jiang as the vanguard commander of the Pingbei Army, and Lu Junyi and Yang Chang as deputy vanguards."

The imperial edict brought by Su Yuanjing was much more pleasant to the ear than the previous oral order.

But all the leaders were shocked after hearing this, and they all looked at Yang Chang at the same time, as if asking, how come you are also a deputy vanguard?
Directly jumped from the fifteenth place to the third place?

Yang Chang was also confused at this time, thinking that according to the plot, the expedition to Liao should be launched first, why did they skip the expedition to Tian Hu? Could it be because Tong Guan got there first?

Song Jiang was also extremely shocked at the time, but remembering that Su Yuanjing had chosen Yang Chang as his nephew's son-in-law, he thought to himself that these two might have a PY transaction. Could it be that this guy was willing to divorce Hu Sanniang?
(End of this chapter)