Chapter 255: Stuck in the mud, not polluted

During the first year of Qinzong's reign, due to the need to completely control power and also because of the opportunity and excuse of the Jin people's invasion to the south, he replaced high-ranking officials such as the prime minister, the Privy Council, and the six ministries in the Song Dynasty court like a revolving lantern. He also purged Huizong's favorites such as Wang Fu, Cai You, and Tong Guan.

As the saying goes, a new emperor appoints his own ministers. There is nothing wrong with the new emperor using his own people. However, Qinzong's foundation was not solid. He was eager to monopolize power as soon as he ascended the throne, which seriously damaged the interests of the old forces.

He could do whatever he wanted in the court, and he could also carry out large-scale confiscation of property in Bianliang under the pretext of raising money for the Jin people. He could also replace the prime minister, the secretary, and the prefect as he pleased. However, running a country was not that simple, and it was not something that could be managed by the emperor alone or a few deputies.

Take an ordinary county as an example. Although there are only a few official officials such as the magistrate, the county magistrate, the chief clerk, and the county lieutenant, there are thousands or even tens of thousands of related clerks. The clerks are mainly recruited from the children of local prominent families, so that the county affairs can be managed effectively.

Qinzong was too hasty in seizing power, and although he quickly gained control of the court on the surface, the local situation did not change much.

The officials who lost power during the change of imperial power were still the owners of a large amount of land among the people, or the gentry who had previously depended on them, and they still held the right to speak among the people.

Zhao Kuangyin established the Song Dynasty and made great contributions, claiming that he shared the world with the literati and officials.

Since the current emperor is messing around, let's replace him with an obedient one. So the interest groups took a fancy to Zhao Gou, the Prince Kang who has a weak presence among the princes.

Although Zhao Gou did not proclaim himself emperor at this time, he used Huizong's name to win over the hearts of the people. Huizong's former subordinates who had lost power during Qinzong's reign soon gathered under Zhao Gou's command, allowing him to quickly gain a base of support.

Zong Ze was nearly 70 years old at this time. How could he not know that Zhao Gou's criticism of Qinzong was an act of disloyalty? But Qinzong's accession to the throne was both hasty and unreasonable.

Huizong was only 44 years old when he abdicated. In any dynasty or emperor before him, there had never been a precedent of an emperor who held real power and then voluntarily abdicated.

There were even rumors among the people that Zhao Huan had usurped the throne, and after Zhao Gou's remarks were made in Marshal's Office, many officials and generals in Cizhou supported King Kang.

Under these two backgrounds, Zong Ze was coerced by Cizhou officials to join Prince Kang's camp. He didn't care whether Zhao Gou had a secret decree from the emperor or not. As long as they could repel the Jin army and recover the lost territory, it wouldn't matter who became the emperor.
It's better for the meat to rot in the pot than for the dog to take it away.

Song Jiang's unclear relationship with the Jin people might lead to the collapse of Baozhou's defense line, which touched Zong Ze's bottom line, so he went to King Kang to question him.

As soon as he left the Marshal's Mansion, Zhao Gou called Gao Shize to the back hall and commented meaningfully: "Zong Ze is so old, but he is so energetic, but he is a little pedantic."

"It's fine if he's just pedantic, but this old thief clearly doesn't respect you. There have been rumors about Cizhou recently, and I'm afraid he's to blame for indulging you. Your Highness must be on guard."

"Defend?"

After hearing Gao Shize's reminder, Zhao Gou shook his head and said, "Zong Ze is the deputy marshal of the army. He not only has a high prestige in Cizhou, but also has 20,000 troops. I think I am not strong enough to stop him. I am afraid that he will turn to the court. In addition, the rumors suddenly appeared in Cizhou. I am afraid that Yang Chang is related to it. Maybe we have denigrated him too much, and he sent people to retaliate."

"It is precisely because Yang Chang intends to retaliate that Your Highness has to deal with Zong Ze. Otherwise, if the rumors spread to other places, it will seriously affect Your Highness's image."

"Handle? How?"

"We can first clip off his wings, and then find a way to transfer him away from Cizhou. However, this person has a very strong character, so it's better to act more gently."

Zhao Gou nodded frequently when he heard this, and hurriedly asked: "The two generals Qin Guangbi and Zhang De in Cizhou were very close to me before, and Liu Qian and Wang Boyan are confronting Xiangzhou. Can we use this excuse to transfer Qin and Zhang away from Zongze's command?"

"Uh"

Gao Shize twirled his beard and thought for a while, then nodded and responded, "The reason is quite sufficient, but since Qin and Zhang are loyal to Your Highness, it doesn't matter whether they are transferred or not. Why not start by controlling Liu Hao first?"

"Liu Hao? Can you do it?"

"Zong Ze has a problem with Song Jiang. His Highness asked Liu Hao to support Wang Boyan. I think Zong Ze has no reason to refuse. He is afraid that the military strength of Cizhou will be weakened. If Yang Changzhen rebels and sends troops from Luzhou, it will be troublesome. I heard that Yang Chang is very good at fighting."

"this one"

When Zhao Gou heard Yang Chang's name, he recalled the time when he was knocked away by Yang Chang in Tang Mazi Tea Shop.

You don't take me seriously. Is there no one in the world who can control you?
No, you are also from Liangshan, but you are bullying me because I don’t have anyone from Liangshan under my command?
Thinking of this, Zhao Gou smiled happily and said, "Don't worry, I will secretly send Song Jiangnan in a while and let the Liangshan heroes fight against each other."

"But if that happens, Zong Ze will definitely come again to interrogate me."

"Then it depends on Song Jiang's ability. It is said that he has many talented people under his command. Can't he deal with a sixty-year-old man? Besides, he has more soldiers and horses than Zong Ze. If we can't use civil skills, we can use military skills!"

"Your Highness, this is a brilliant plan. Let Song Jiang control Zong Ze first, and then let him deal with his former subordinate. However..."

Gao Shize was talking happily when he suddenly remembered the rumors in Cizhou, so he changed the subject and reminded him: "It is rumored that Yang Chang successfully assassinated Wuliebu, which led to the retreat of the Jin army in the east. If Yang Chang is really so powerful, I am afraid Song Jiang may not be so."

"Humph."

Zhao Gou snorted coldly and said, "Who doesn't flatter himself? Wulibu was the Marshal of the Eastern Army. How did the assassin sent by Yang Chang avoid the heavy guards in the army and successfully escape? I have already understood this matter clearly. Wulibu was addicted to lust. He died suddenly of a 'stroke on horseback'. It's really not as mysterious as the outside world says."

"That's it"

Gao Shize nodded in agreement as if he had suddenly realized something, "However, Yang Chang has stopped Nianhan many times, proving that he is indeed capable. Of the three armies on the Hebei defense line, only Song Jiang's is left, and the tens of thousands of soldiers he has are important support for Your Highness. I suggest that you don't fight Yang Chang head-on, let the court consume them first, and we can just sit back and reap the benefits. Don't forget that the Western Army has not yet expressed its stance."

"Yang Chang's opponent is Nianhan. I don't want to help him. If he didn't know the current situation, I wouldn't accuse him of separatism and rebellion. I didn't expect the court to have no reaction, but Yang Chang is so vindictive. It should be difficult for him to reap the benefits without doing anything."

"Your Highness."

Gao Shize interrupted Zhao Gou and reminded him mysteriously: "The reason why the court did not react is probably that its attention is all on Daming Prefecture. The emperor regards Your Highness as a thorn in his flesh, so how can he care about Yang Chang? You should send someone back to the Tokyo court to tell the public about Yang Chang's "evil deeds" and put pressure on the emperor."

"The king is sending someone back to Tokyo? It's not something that an average person can do, right?"

"Ordinary people can't do it, but Zhan Du can."

"Zhandu? He's really suitable."

Zhao Gou, who had been frowning, finally smiled when he heard the name, and then ordered someone to summon Zhan Du to see him.

When Olib invaded for the first time, Zhan Duyin actively defended Hebei and was promoted by Emperor Qinzong to be the Pacifier of Zhongshan, and the commander-in-chief of the armies led by Ma Kuo, Song Jiang, and Lu Junyi.

Lu Junyi and Ma Kuo were defeated successively, and Song Jiang subsequently evacuated to Hejian Prefecture, causing the complete collapse of Baozhou's defense line. Zhan Du's Zhongshan Prefecture became an enclave.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Zhan Du had no choice but to abandon Zhongshan and flee south, but he was stopped by Zhao Gou's men on the way and sent to Daming Prefecture to meet him.

Prince Kang threatened to welcome the emperor back to the throne, which was already an act of treason, but Zhan Du was under Zhao Gou's roof at the time and could only pretend to be nice to him, waiting for an opportunity to return to Tokyo to apologize.

Because Zhan Du's disguise was so good, he deceived Gao Shize and Zhao Gou and finally escaped and returned to Beijing. Zhao Huan had been exhausted recently. He thought that Zhao Gou's rebellion would be attacked by the military and civilians in various places. However, he did not expect that King Kang was so popular that many counties in Hebei, Henan, and Shandong all raised their flags to support him.

Bad news kept coming back to the capital. In addition to ordering Liu Qian to lead troops to quell the rebellion, Zhao Huan also had to clean up the mess of "abusing the former emperor."

The incident of the Imperial College students forcing the emperor to abdicate happened again outside the Xuande Gate. More than a hundred Imperial College students and hundreds of minor officials in the capital demanded that Qinzong and Huizong meet on the tower, responding to the emperor's unfilial behavior with practical actions.

Qinzong and Huizong were already at loggerheads, and the two had not had any contact for half a year. In order to resolve the crisis of filial piety, Zhao Huan made many arrangements before he managed to calm the matter down.

In order to pretend to be a filial son, Zhao Huan often had to pay his respects to Huizong and allow his old ministers to pay him an audience in Longde Palace. This brought many hidden dangers to Qinzong's rule, but he had to quench his thirst with poison.

In early April, Zhan Du arrived in Tokyo to meet the emperor and pay homage to Emperor Qinzong in the Chuigong Hall.

He was in Cao's camp but his heart was with Han, so naturally he would not do anything for Zhao Gou. Instead, he sold out Zhao Gou, Gao Shize and others, and revealed everything he had seen and heard in Hebei and Daming Prefecture, as well as his own speculations.

After hearing this, Qinzong became furious. He pushed the table in front of him in anger, and the memorials were scattered all over the floor.

"Villains, they are all villains, traitorous villains!"

"Your Majesty, calm down."

Seeing the emperor angry, Zhan Du hurriedly bowed and added: "What I just said may not be entirely true. Take Song Jiang's collusion with the emperor as an example. In fact, it is just a rumor among the people."

"Even if Song Jiang has no ties to the Jin, his joining the rebellion against King Kang is treason. It's a pity that I promoted him to the position of Imperial Secretary. He is such a traitor!"

"Well, King Kang replaced the emperor and appointed Song Jiang as the governor of Shun'an Army. His generals were also given official positions of fourth to eighth grades according to their previous merits."

"Appoint officials on behalf of the retired emperor? The retired emperor is not qualified, so what qualifications does he have? Zhao Jiu! I am blind!"

Qinzong had no place to vent his anger, so he stepped on a memorial and crushed it repeatedly, as if he was stepping on Zhao Gou.

Zhan Du had the "stain of surrendering to the enemy", so how could he dare to speak up at this time? He just knelt on the ground and waited for his fate.

After a while, Zhao Huan calmed down a little. He turned around and saw Zhan Du kneeling on the ground. He waved his hand and said, "Zhan, what are you doing here? Get up and talk!"

"In order to save my life, I once followed the enemy in Daming Prefecture. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"You have fallen into the mire but have not defiled yourself. You are a true gentleman of noble character. Although I am 'blind', I am not confused."

Qinzong was so excited that he stepped down the steps to meet him, personally helped Zhan Du up, and said solemnly: "You are not only innocent, but also meritorious. I will reward you well."

"I am ashamed to accept this. I wonder what your majesty is going to do about Wei Sheng Yang Taiwei?"

"Plan? What plan? Yang Chang blocked Nianhan for me. He is the pillar of the Song Dynasty. If Zhao Jiu can't win him over, he will discredit him. How could I be fooled by such a childish trick?"

"Uh"

Zhan Du saw that Qinzong was very confident and did not show any anger towards Yang Chang, so he could not help but whispered: "It is true that the remaining troops of Lu Junyi went to Weisheng and were accepted by Yang Taiwei. It is hard to say that he did not have any rebellious thoughts. Your Majesty should be aware of this."

"Asshole! Are you teaching me how to do things?"

"Ah? I dare not."

Qinzong, who had just been courteous to the wise, suddenly became excited when he heard this.

How could Qinzong not have thought of the reminder Zhan Du had just given? He had issued several official and private decrees to let Yang Chang lead the army to pacify Prince Kang, but was rejected for various reasons, so he had no choice but to use Liu Qian as the commander.

Of course, Yang Chang's reasons were valid. The three states under his command had few soldiers and little food, and he also had to defend against the threat from Taiyuan. He was powerless to quell the rebellion of King Kang.

How powerful the Jin soldiers in Taiyuan were is shown by the fact that various famous generals led large troops to rescue them twice, but in the end they returned empty-handed.

As an emperor, Qinzong has good political sensitivity, but now his rule is unstable, so he can only believe that Yang Chang is a loyal minister.

If Yang Changruo imitated Tian Hu and rebelled, Qinzong would have a legitimate reason to send troops to suppress him. However, Prince Kang had the same surname as himself, Zhao, and the lies he made up were almost indistinguishable from the truth. Qinzong believed that Zhao Gou was the threat.

Seeing Zhan Du lying on the ground again, Qinzong reached out to help him after venting his anger, and at the same time found an excuse for Yang Chang.

"There are many traitors who are traitors to King Kang. It is normal for Lu Junyi to seek refuge with his former brothers after his defeat. Li Gang originally proposed to establish a vassal state in order to stop the Jin army from advancing southward, and Yang Chang is the only governor who can stop them. Nianhan Biwolibu is also good at commanding troops. If the Jin army from the west breaks through the Shanxi defense line, can you and I, the king and minister, meet in Bianliang? Do you really think I don't know what's going on?"

"That's what your majesty said."

"Humph, Zhao Jiu wants me to transfer the Western Army through Jiangzhou to Pingbei to punish Yang Chang. This is just wishful thinking!"

Qinzong had a fake smile on his face, thinking that Liu Qian was blocked in Xiangzhou, and you, Zhao Jiu, are so concerned about the Western Army, so I will send my last resort to Damingfu to quell the rebellion, and see what you can use to resist.

While Zhan Du went to Beijing to lobby Emperor Qinzong, Zhao Gou's supporters in the court also received a task to cooperate in putting pressure on the emperor to send troops to punish Yang Chang.

However, a snake cannot survive without a head. After meeting the emperor, Zhan Du was slow to express his opinion at the court meeting, so the others were reluctant to speak.

Zhan Du abandoned Zhongshan and fled south back to Beijing, and everyone mistakenly believed that he had displeased Emperor Qinzong.

As a result, Zhan Du was promoted to Grand Secretary of the Council of State, and not only was he not punished, but he was given a higher title and reward. The traitor then realized that he had "betrayed" King Kang.

Immediately afterwards, the Privy Council issued an order, ordering the Western Army to come to Tokyo again to defend the king, but in fact it was to quell the rebellion of King Kang.

In late April, generals Yao Youzhong, Jie Qian, Zhe Yanzhi, Zhe Keqiu and others arrived in Tokyo with their troops one after another. The total number of their troops exceeded 100,000.

This time, Qinzong was really ruthless. He appointed Wang Zongchu, the Grand Marshal of the Palace Marshal's Office, as the commander-in-chief and led the Western Army to attack Daming Prefecture. This was tantamount to giving up the safety of the capital in order to eliminate the threat from Prince Kang.

At that time, Liu Qian had just been defeated by Wang Boyan and was taken to Daming Prefecture to surrender to King Kang. Zhao Gou was still happy when he heard the news that Wang Zongchu was about to send troops.

Zhao Gou was surprised when he heard this. He was just about to summon Song Jiangnan to fight the enemy, but an uninvited guest came to the Marshal's Mansion.

(End of this chapter)