Chapter 273 Self-rescue and transformation

Erlido could not let the man go, and it was only natural for him to meet him, so he agreed to Geng Yanxi's request.

At the beginning of the Song-Jin War, Olib captured the city of Yanjing and set up the Marshal's Office there, as well as the Privy Council and government offices at all levels, which was a relatively independent existence.

Erlido's return to Yanjing was the headquarters of the Eastern Army, so he felt more confident than in Zhending Prefecture. Huizong and others also received better care during their stay here.

Huizong's residence in Yanjing was the private residence of the former prime minister of Northern Liao. In addition to being served by maids and servants, the number of guards inside and outside the mansion was greatly reduced. The freedom and comfort here were better than before in Zhending Prefecture.

Erliduo sent Saili (Wanyan Zongxian) to bring Geng Yanxi to pay a visit to Huizong. On the way, he kept praising the marshal for his kindness and for meeting his every request for food, clothing and other expenses.

When the two men reached the street entrance of the mansion, Geng Yanxi saw a familiar purple-robed official being led in.

"General Saili, that is..."

"Your Highness's companions are housed in a nearby block and come here from time to time to pay their respects."

"Is it possible for the Supreme Emperor to see his subjects often? On behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Kang, I would like to thank Marshal Erlido for his care."

Seeing Geng Yanxi bowing, Sai Li calmly waved his hand and said meaningfully: "Not to mention you Song officials, even Guo Yaoshi, Zhang Linghui and others are allowed to visit the emperor. The Marshal often says that he and Prince Kang are friends, and friends should help each other. Don't forget to convey our goodwill when you go back."

"Really?" Geng Yanxi pretended to be surprised and nodded quickly to agree: "Of course, of course."

After a while, Geng Yanxi and Saili entered the mansion. Huizong was meeting guests in the front hall at that time.

Geng Yanxi didn't care who was there to see him. He stepped over the threshold and bowed, tears streaming down his face as he said, "Your Majesty, I am late in coming to protect you. I am guilty."

"You are."

"Geng Yanxi, you traitor, what are you doing here?"

Before Huizong could finish his words, a man in a purple robe suddenly appeared from the shadows.

Geng Yanxi looked up in the direction of the voice and found that it was someone he knew from the Imperial College.

"Qin Xuezheng? Why are you here?"

"Yes, you guys"

"Your Majesty, this is Geng Nanzhong's son, one of the supporters of the traitor King Kang!"

Qin Hui pointed at Geng Yanxi and roared angrily. At this time, Sai Li strode in from outside the hall and shouted coldly: "Is there something wrong with my ears? Didn't the emperor pass the throne to Prince Kang? How did he become a traitor?"

"General Saili." Qin Hui looked at Saili and his tone weakened a little. He reminded him softly, "General, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"

"Did the general say anything nonsense?"

After Saili finished speaking, he first looked at Zhao Ji, then at Geng Yanxi on the ground.

Zhao Ji saw that the truth could no longer be concealed, so he raised his hand to signal Geng Yanxi, saying, "Stand up. King Kang sent you as an envoy. Go back and tell him to govern the country well and live up to my expectations."

"Grand Emperor, His Majesty is still alive. What are you doing?"

"Before, treacherous ministers harmed the country, and I was forced to abdicate. The current emperor is also unable to run the country, so I have to pass the throne to King Kang."

"What? For such an important matter for the country, we should write to the ministers for discussion. How can we go back on our words so easily?"

Qin Hui was stunned on the spot. He guessed that Huizong was coerced by the Jin people, but hearing Zhao Ji say it so easily now, it seemed to be true. He thought, aren't you pushing the Song Dynasty into division by doing such a frivolous thing?
In fact, for Zhao Ji, there was no difference between passing the throne to Zhao Huan and Zhao Gou, because he had no intention of abdicating.

How could a healthy emperor in his forties retreat and give up power? If the Jin army had not advanced so quickly and a group of people with ulterior motives in the court had not caused trouble, he might still be the emperor of the Song Dynasty.

But now people were under his roof, and it was obvious that Zhao Gou was secretly colluding with the Jin people. At this time, Erlido's confidants were also present, so Zhao Ji had to be cautious.

He was afraid that Qin Hui, who advocated war, would anger Sai Li, so he angrily shouted, "Who should I pass the throne to? Do I have to listen to outsiders' opinions? Who will own the Song Dynasty?"

"Overlord"

"I have a few words with Geng Qing. You can stop here today."

"Uh, I'm leaving."

Qin Hui bowed, glared at Geng Yanxi before turning around, and then strode away.

Because there were outsiders present, Huizong said a lot of polite words. During his conversation with Geng Yanxi, he learned that he was going to Shangjing. Although he was mentally prepared, he still felt a little disappointed.

At this moment, Princess Xing Bingyi got the news and mistakenly thought that Prince Kang had sent someone to pick her up, so she happily came with Concubine Wei.

After a round of greetings, Concubine Wei, who had not been favored before, dared not say much because of Emperor Huizong's presence. Xing Bingyi was anxious, so he asked presumptuously: "Councilor Geng, did the king send you here to contact the emperor?"

"Uh"

Geng Yanxi was stunned at first, then bowed his head and saluted and replied: "This is the original intention of the king, but Marshal Nianhan insisted on not doing it. He wanted to take the emperor to Shangjing to meet the emperor of the Jin Kingdom, so."

"Ah? Then we..."

"They must all go with the Emperor."

After hearing this, Xing Bingyi was horrified and felt dizzy and almost fell down. Fortunately, Saili was alert and rushed forward to support him.

"Princess, be careful."

"Thank you."

Seeing Saili's fiery eyes, Xing Bingyi was so scared that he quickly broke free.

When the Jin army marched south this time, they abducted four female members of the royal family: Empress Zheng, Concubine Wei, Princess Xing, and Princess Xunde. Among them, Zhao Fujin and Xing Bingyi were young and beautiful, and attracted the most attention along the way.

A rough Jurchen man like Saili, who was used to seeing the grassland women of the north, couldn't help but feel covetous when he saw the picturesque beauty of the south. Some of them even wanted to desecrate Zhao Fujin, but the incident was eventually discovered and she was killed by Erlido.

After Zhao Fujin was rescued by Yang Chang, the hot Xing Bingyi became a new target. The surrounding Jin guards looked at her as if they wanted to eat her alive.

Geng Yanxi saw Xing Bingyi lose her composure and quickly said to comfort her: "Princess, don't worry. Marshal Nianhan said that this is a customary practice. After you have seen the Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, you will probably be released soon. In addition, the Emperor has just issued an edict to pass the throne to the King. You will soon be the Queen."

"Queen?"

Xing Bingyi looked at Zhao Ji in astonishment, only to see him nod slightly. She was sure that she was not dreaming, but when she thought of the looks in Saili and others' eyes, she was afraid that she would not be able to come back.

Geng Yanxi saw her worry and reassured her again: "Marshal Erliduo is very friendly with the king. He promised to take care of you on the way to Shangjing. Please rest assured, Princess, and accompany the emperor to the north."

"Geng Qing, there is no need to say more. The princess is sensible and knows the importance of things. If you have nothing else to do, go back early."

"minister"

"Wait a minute."

With Zhao Ji's final decision, Geng Yanxi didn't have to waste any more words, but he was interrupted by Xing Bingyi's shout.

She took off a golden earring in public, walked up to Geng Yanxi and handed it to him, saying, "Please tell the king that I hope to meet him soon, just like this earring."

"Don't worry, Princess. I will definitely bring it to you."

"besides."

Xing Bingyi suddenly leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "Councilor Geng is a close friend of the king. Do you know that he has a mage named Fan Rui under his command?"

"Fan Rui?"

Geng Yanxi didn't react for a moment, and Xing Bingyi continued to remind him: "Nickname: Devil King of Chaos."

How could a normal person have such a crazy nickname? When Geng Yanxi heard the words "Devil of the World", he immediately thought of the group of Liangshan heroes and quickly remembered this person.

"I remember now. He is under the command of the military governor Song Jiang. I don't know the princess."

"I heard that this man has great magical powers. If Your Majesty uses him, nothing will go wrong."

Xing Bingyi couldn't say it clearly at this time. She was worried that she would not be able to come back after going to Shangjing, so she was still trying to save herself. Even though "Fan Rui" had touched her before, his invisibility ability was so shocking that she thought only he could save her.

"Hmm? I understand."

Geng Yanxi was stunned at first, then nodded in agreement, wondering who Fan Rui was? On the eve of King Kang's ascension to the throne, the princess actually recommended him alone?

This person seems to have some magical powers. Could it be that he was instructed by the emperor?
Geng Yanxi said goodbye to everyone and walked out with this doubt, not noticing Qin Hui waiting at the door. "Councilor Geng!"

"Qin Xuezheng? You haven't left yet?"

"Qin wants to confirm the succession, but I don't know if the emperor is just saying it verbally."

Qin Hui had just finished speaking when Geng Yanxi pulled out the imperial edict from his bosom and unfolded it, saying with a playful look on his face: "Read it yourself. This is written by the retired emperor himself. King Kang is the chosen one by heaven, and Zhao Huan's accession to the throne is not legitimate."

"it turns out."

Qin Hui swallowed his saliva, then looked at Sai Li and sneered, "What a destiny, what an unfair position. King Kang is really good at tricks. He thinks the Song Dynasty is not chaotic enough."

"If there is nothing else, I will."

"Are you in a hurry to go back and pass on the imperial edict? Since Prince Kang is going to inherit the throne, why don't you take the emperor with you?"

"Together? No."

Geng Yanxi shook his head and explained, "At the request of Marshal Nianhan, the emperor must go to the capital first. As for when he will return, the emperor of the Great Jin will have to give the order."

"what?"

"Get out of the way!"

Sai Li became impatient and pushed Qin Hui, who was speaking in a sarcastic tone, away, saying sternly, "Stop making such a fuss. You are going to Shangjing as well. I heard that you insist on fighting against Jin. Do you think you can come back from Shangjing? Ha, let's go."

"I"

Qin Hui staggered a few steps to stand firm, and when he saw Saili and Geng Yanxi leaving, he couldn't help but shudder.

He once escorted Prince Su to the Jin camp as a hostage. He was one of the few Song officials who were sent to the Jin army as an envoy. Later, during the reign of Emperor Huizong, he was sent out of the city by an insider. Under the order of Emperor Qinzong, he went to the Jin camp to verify and demand the return of the hostage, but was detained by the Jin people.

When Qin Hui came to Yanjing last year, he inquired about the situation in the Kingdom of Jin. He heard that Shangjing was far away and cold, with scarce resources and difficult conditions. And with Saili's assertion just now, he was afraid that he would die in a foreign land.

Your Majesty is nepotistic and self-willed, Prince Kang is ambitious and colludes with foreign enemies, and the Emperor Emeritus treats the country as a joke. Who should I continue to uphold my integrity for?
No, I have to save myself and live for myself.

While Qin Hui was thinking about it, the guard came forward and reminded him: "Qin Yushi, are you okay? We can't stay here for long, we should go back."

"Oh ok. Let's go."

The reason why the lieutenant was so polite was that Qin Hui bribed him with gold and silver.

As he was walking on the way to his residence, he recalled what he had seen and heard today, and realized that his future and destiny might depend on Nianhan, so he suddenly stopped halfway.

"I have one thing I don't understand. The Jin army has two marshals, left and right. If they encounter an undecided matter, who will they listen to in the end?"

"I usually ask the emperor for instructions."

"What if there is no time to ask for instructions?"

"Marshal Nianhan is of high seniority and has extensive experience, so Marshal Erliyuan should apologize and give way."

"I see."

Qin Hui was sure of what he was thinking, so he continued to ask: "I heard that Marshal Nianhan is also in Yanjing. I wonder where he lives?"

"Huh? What do you want to do?"

"Nothing special. I have heard of your great name for a long time but never met him. I heard that he was the first to conquer Liao, so I admire you."

"So that's how it is. Marshal Nianhan is not in the city, but is stationed in the east of the city with his troops."

Although the Jin army captain gave the information, it was extremely difficult for Qin Hui to meet Nianhan at this time, because the day after Geng Yanxi left, he followed Huizong and his entourage out of the pass and headed north.

In early September, Geng Yanxi rushed back to Jeju and brought back Zhao Ji's edict of succession.

Zhao Gou saw it as if he had found a treasure. He thought to himself that he now had the righteousness in his hands and could finally shut up the gossips. It was also legitimate for him to fight for the world.

"Mr. Geng, you have had a hard time on the journey. You should go back and have a good rest. We will gather all the ministers tomorrow to discuss the imperial edict."

"My lord, there is also this"

Geng Yanxi took out a piece of brocade handkerchief from his arms and peeled it open to reveal the golden earrings of Princess Xing Bingyi.

"This is."

"The princess misses the king and is looking forward to meeting him again, but the journey to the capital is long."

"The Jin people want to keep her and my mother as hostages. I'm afraid they won't return them to me easily."

"This"

Zhao Gou suddenly interrupted, leaving Geng Yanxi stunned for a moment. He thought to himself, "The king thinks further than I do."

"Does mother have anything to say?"

"No."

Geng Yanxi shook his head at first, then added, "By the way, before the princess left, she specifically mentioned Fan Rui, a mage under the command of Song Jiedu, and seemed to hope that the king would use him."

"Why would the princess recommend Song Jiang's people?"

"I don't know"

"I understand, you should go back and rest."

Zhao Gou watched Geng Yanxi leave, and then asked his attendants to call Song Jiang.

Song Jiang was born in Liangshan Marsh and was a local tyrant in Jeju. Zhao Gou set up the Marshal's Office in Jeju and relied heavily on his Liangshan Legion.

In particular, the Jin army was allowed to leave and the veteran general Zong Ze died on the south bank of the Yellow River, which made many dependent troops mentally shaken and they were ready to defect to the court. Fortunately, the Liangshan Army was guarding Jeju City, and Zhao Gou later used Song Jiang as his arm.

Not long after, Song Jiang came as ordered. When he met the emperor, he was about to kowtow, but was stopped by Zhao Gou.

"General, there is no need to do this. Please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Song Jiang took advantage of the situation and stood up, clasped his fists and asked, "What is the matter that the king urgently summoned you for?"

"See for yourself."

"Oh"

Seeing Zhao Gou handing over the imperial edict, Song Jiang took it respectfully with both hands. As soon as he unfolded it and glanced at it, he was stunned and asked hesitantly, "This is..."

"This is written by my father himself."

"With this imperial edict, who dares to question the king? No, it's Your Majesty." Song Jiang reacted very quickly and addressed him before Geng Yanxi.

Although Zhao Gou was secretly happy, he still had to appear modest on the surface and responded disapprovingly: "I haven't gathered everyone to discuss it yet. It may not be appropriate for the general to address me like this now. What if..."

"There is no such thing as a chance of failure. If anyone dares to object, I will be the first to disagree. Your Majesty is destined by heaven. Long live your majesty."

After Song Jiang finished speaking, he crawled on the ground with his iconic buttocks raised high.

Zhao Gou had felt disgusted before, but now he was happy and enjoyed watching it. He hurried forward to help him up and said solemnly: "I already know your intentions, and I will not let you down!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will never be able to repay you."

Song Jiang was almost crying, but he felt a great sense of satisfaction in his heart.

At this time, he first thought of his old enemy Yang Chang, thinking, "So what if you are the governor of three towns, the general, and the son-in-law? Now I have the merit of supporting the emperor, and I will have all the official positions you have, and I will also have those you don't have."

Yang Sanlang, you will never be able to compare to me, Song Sanlang!

(End of this chapter)