Chapter 274: Before fighting against the outside world, one must first make peace with the inside
In September of the second year of the Jing Kang period, Zhao Gou ascended the throne in Jezhou and changed the reign title to Jianyan.

The various troops under the former Marshal's Office were incorporated into the newly established Five Imperial Armies and became the emperor's direct troops.

The Imperial Camp was divided into five armies: front, rear, left, right and center. Most of the armies were reorganized from various routes, but the Liangshan Army was independent and served as the center army of the Imperial Camp.

Because of his contribution in supporting the enthronement of the emperor, Song Jiang was appointed commander-in-chief of the Imperial Camp Army, appointed as Grand Marshal, and granted the title of Marquis of Yuncheng. The leaders of Liangshan who followed him were all promoted, but they still belonged to the Imperial Camp Army.

Zhao Gou relied too much on Song Jiang and ascended the throne within the influence of Liangshan, which caused dissatisfaction among Wang Boyan, Huang Qianshan and others.

They suggested making Yingtianfu the temporary capital on the grounds that Jeju City was small, and opposed promoting Song Jiang to the position of deputy privy envoy, on the grounds that Song Jiang was short, ugly, and came from a bandit family.

In fact, Song Jiang held military power, and being appointed as the deputy envoy of the Privy Council was just an additional title, but the civil officials were very wary of this and did not allow him to get involved in civil service positions.

The Song Dynasty's system of emphasizing civil officials and suppressing military power was designed so that civil officials could use logistics to prevent generals from becoming too powerful. Therefore, although Song Jiang had a large number of troops, he could not continue to rob after becoming an official soldier. He also did not have the territory and real power like Yang Chang. All military supplies had to be funded by the local government.

The civil service group represented by Wang Boyan and Huang Qianshan, behind whom stood the landlords and gentry from various states and counties. They were the money bags that enabled Zhao Gou to fight for the world.

After weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Gou had no choice but to compromise and agreed to establish the capital in Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture (now Shangqiu, Henan) and declare sovereignty to Zhao Huan in Tokyo, 300 miles away.

As the saying goes, there is no two suns in the sky and no two rulers in a country. Soon after Zhao Gou ascended the throne, he had people copy the imperial edict and send it to various places, inciting officials from all over the country to defect and recognize him as the orthodox.

Not long after, Zhao Gou's imperial edicts began to appear in the streets of Tokyo. In him, he denounced Zhao Huan for being disobedient and unfilial, and for his failure to resist the Jin army, which had caused the capital to suffer two disasters. He said that he was entrusted by Huizong to turn the tide and had the ability to restore peace and stability to the people. His means of attacking the people's hearts were so piercing that every word was heartbreaking.

Zhao Gou believed that the edict of succession was a sign of righteousness, and that Zhao Huan would soon give up the throne due to internal and external troubles, as he had his own accomplices in Tokyo to help cause trouble.

However, Zhao Gou underestimated Zhao Huan's determination, and he also underestimated Li Gang's influence.

To deny Zhao Huan is to deny Li Gang, because the latter was one of the treacherous ministers mentioned by Huizong, and the people's emotions are simple and unpretentious. The people in the capital saw Li Gang's performance in the two defense battles of Tokyo.

Another point is that after the Jin army withdrew, Emperor Qinzong Zhao Huan carried out a purge of court officials. Although he failed to eliminate all the "traitors", he promoted his confidants to important positions. Li Gang was appointed prime minister after the turmoil.

Soon after these "reactionary notices" appeared, Wang Zongchu imposed martial law on the city of Bianliang and restored the previous curfew system.

On the third day of October, Li Gang went to Ruisi Hall to meet the emperor.

Emperor Qinzong Zhao Huan was seen leaning on the imperial desk with both hands, staring at the notice spread out on the ground with his head lowered and brows furrowed.

Li Gang looked at the size of the paper from a distance and guessed that it was a copy of Huizong's edict of succession to the throne, as well as Zhao Gou's imperial edict to the officials and people of Tokyo.

"Your Majesty, take care. Don't listen to these nonsense. Be careful not to upset your body."

"How can I not read it? My father and King Kang are both talented writers. They say that I am a tyrant and you, Li Gang, are a treacherous minister. It's really like the thief crying thief. It's ridiculous."

"The Emperor was captured by the Jin people. Even if the edict was written by him, he must have been coerced by the Jin people. It is also an indisputable fact that Prince Kang colluded with the Jin people. There is no need to worry about the subjects being deceived. You are the legitimate successor to the throne as the crown prince. You are the legitimate emperor of the Song Dynasty. Even if the Emperor really regrets it now, he is only the abdicated Emperor and has no right to pass on the throne again."

"That being said, Zhao Gou has already proclaimed himself emperor."

Zhao Huan punched the imperial desk, unable to hold back the anger that he had suppressed for so long. Rather than hating Zhao Gou for stabbing him in the back, he hated Huizong even more.

During Huizong's reign, whether it was to suppress Crown Prince Zhao Huan or because he admired the outstanding talents of Yun Prince Zhao Kai, he always favored him more than the crown prince.

Whenever Huizong gave a banquet to his ministers, he always asked Zhao Kai to attend. Even when he visited Cai Jing's house in disguise, it was still Zhao Kai who accompanied him. The crown prince was never seen. This led people to speculate that the emperor wanted to depose the crown prince and that some ministers were secretly colluding to do this.

When Zhao Kai was eighteen years old, he moved to an outer residence. Huizong granted him special permission to "enter and leave the Forbidden City without restrictions on morning and evening", and "built a flying bridge and double-decked walkway in the outer residence to facilitate coming and going". Huizong also visited his mansion from time to time.

He made exceptions to be appointed as Taifu and to be in charge of military power, all of which were done by Huizong in order to support Zhao Kai and suppress Zhao Huan. The most memorable scene occurred in July of the fifth year of Xuanhe.

At that time, Huizong was given a title of honor, the ministers were led by Wang Fu, the princes were led by Prince Yun, and the Crown Prince Zhao Huan became a clown.

Zhao Huan had lived in fear for more than a decade as a crown prince, risking being deposed at any time, before finally getting a chance to turn the tables. So was he able to be filial to Huizong? It was also because he was not ruthless enough as an emperor that he left himself with all these troubles.

At this time, Zhao Huan's heart had turned completely cold after reading Huizong's edict.

He ignored Li Gang's consolation and looked up, having made up his mind.

"As Li Qing said, the Song Dynasty has only one emperor. I will not yield to the traitors. Are you bullying me because I don't have any troops? You should quickly send a military order to the Privy Council to Shaanxi, ordering all the troops from Yongxing, Fuyan, Huanqing, Qinfeng, Jingyuan, and Xihe to come to the capital to defend the king. I know they were holding back before."

"all?"

Li Gang was shocked when he heard this, and hurriedly clasped his fists and advised: "The troops in Shaanxi are indeed reserved to defend against the Western Xia. The previous times we summoned troops to defend the king, the Western Xia took advantage of the opportunity to invade and seize several places. If all of them are transferred to Tokyo now, the northwest border will surely be swallowed up by the Western Xia. Your Majesty, please think twice!"

"Zhao Gou usurped the throne in Jeju and later established his capital in Nanjing. It is obvious that he is trying to attack Tokyo and seize power. I can no longer care about the threat from Western Xia. We must first stabilize the country before we can resist foreign aggression!"

Seeing that Zhao Huan was getting angry, Li Gang, who was always known for his straightforwardness, did not dare to directly defy him.

He changed his perspective and whispered, "Your Majesty, please stop being so angry. Have you forgotten that the last time the Western Army came to Beijing to defend the king, they were unable to form combat effectiveness because they did not have a general with sufficient prestige to restrain them. In addition, these six armies have no less than 200,000 soldiers, and Tokyo cannot afford them now."

"If Tokyo can't afford it, then we can transport food and fodder from various states. We can't just sit there and watch Zhao Gou attack us, right?"

"Have you forgotten how Wang Taiwei was defeated? Zhao Gou issued an imperial edict to deceive the people, which shows that he has no confidence in defeating Your Majesty. Without the help of the Jin people, he is nothing. The current plan is to send people to appease the states, and then go deep into Zhao Gou's sphere of influence to instigate rebellion. As the saying goes, give someone a taste of their own medicine. Fighting for the world is not about bravery and ruthlessness, but about the people's hearts and logistics."

"There are not many troops stationed in the capital. If Zhao Gou takes advantage of the situation and attacks, the Jin army may leave and come back." Zhao Huan frowned. Although he did not finish his words, his meaning was very clear.

Li Gang seemed to have a plan in mind, and answered without thinking: "Your Majesty, it is precisely because of the Jin people that I do not recommend transferring all the Western Army to Beijing. Hebei has been completely occupied, and the Jin people can move south unimpeded. There are no strategic points to defend around Bianjing. I suggest that we move the capital to Chang'an as a last resort."

"Stop!"

Zhao Huan interrupted Li Gang and asked angrily: "I am the emperor of the Song Dynasty. The traitor Zhao Gou has just usurped the throne, and I am so scared that I have to move the capital at this time? How do people in the world view me? What is your intention?"

"Ah? I dare not."

Li Gang knelt down with a start, slapped himself on the mouth, and apologized: "I was not thoughtful enough just now and did not think of this. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Get up."

Zhao Huan raised his hand and said meaningfully: "I believe you are speaking without meaning it. After all, you are a traitor created by the Emperor. If Zhao Gou succeeds, your end will be miserable. So you have to help me!"

"I will certainly sacrifice my life for the country, but there are tens of thousands of soldiers defending the capital, and generals such as Liu Guangshi, Yao Youzhong, and Xin Kangzong are also here. If it is just Zhao Gou's troops, they should not pose a threat to Bianliang. It is best not to transfer the Western Army to the battlefield. The most urgent task is to pacify the local people and ensure that Your Majesty is the only emperor of the Song Dynasty!"

"Your words are very good, but Zhao Gou is colluding with the Jin people. If the Jin army marches south again, what should we do?"

"His Majesty."

Li Gang stood up and said leisurely, "Nianhan went south around Taihang this time, first conquered Weizhou and Huaizhou, and sent people to seize Zezhou. When he withdrew his troops from Bianliang, he entered Zezhou from Baixing, hoping to defeat Yang Chang and penetrate Shanxi. However, in less than half a month, he retreated from Baixing in disgrace."

"Is this true? Does the Privy Council have any military reports?"

Zhao Huan opened his eyes wide and slammed the table in excitement.

Li Gang shook his head with a bitter face and replied, "Yang Chang never wrote a memorial to ask for merit. The loss of Zezhou may have been recovered by him. This information was sent back by Weizhou."

"Yang Chang is simply the nemesis of the Jin people, but now that he has become powerful, he is probably no longer under the control of the court."

"This kind of situation will occur when the vassal states have too much power. However, it is an indisputable fact that he has defeated the Jin army many times, and he has not openly rebelled against the court. He is much better than the traitor Zhao Gou. I think it would be good to win him over and help stop the Jin people." "Yes."

Zhao Huan slapped his thigh fiercely and shook his fingers as if waking up from a dream: "Yang Chang is such a brave general. If I don't win him over, won't I just hand him over to Zhao Gou? I must send someone to defeat him immediately."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Yang Chang has killed many Jin generals. He will not turn to Zhao Gou who is colluding with the Jin people."

"How can there be eternal enemies? There are only eternal interests in the world. I am afraid that Zhao Gou will give me enough benefits. No, I will not only promote him, but also give him a title of nobility."

"Your Majesty," Li Gang interrupted and reminded, "Yang Chang is already a Grand Commandant, the highest rank for a military officer."

"Isn't there a civil servant title? Give him all the titles that can be given to him."

Zhao Huan said with disapproval, and then added anxiously: "Oh, right, we need to find a suitable person to pass on the imperial edict. He was born in Liangshan before, and Song Jiang has joined Zhao Gou. If Zhao Gou sends his old friend from Liangshan to speak, the situation will be very passive for me. Do you have anyone to recommend?"

"Liangshan? Old friend?"

Li Gang paced around, twirling his graying beard, and suddenly turned around and clapped his hands, exclaiming, "I really thought of a person, but he was imprisoned as Zhao Gou's accomplice a while ago."

"What else can you say?"

"Based on my recent investigation, I found that he is different from others. Although there are some problems with his identity, he has not done anything to betray Your Majesty."

"Oh?" Zhao Huan became interested and asked hurriedly, "Who is he?"

"The former Grand Commandant of the Palace, Su Yuanjing."

"Him? He's really suitable. Bring him to me as soon as possible."

"Yes."

In mid-October, autumn leaves and winter comes, and the earth is covered with frost.

Yang Chang built a stone stove in the backyard, planning to cook a clay pot chicken meal for his family, while Hu Sanniang helped prepare the dishes.

This situation can be traced back to the Liangshan era.

At that time, he was in charge of horses in the back mountain. He had a lot of free time on weekdays and often "developed" delicacies for Hu Sanniang. But now he is in charge of five states and millions of people, and he has too many responsibilities on his shoulders. He no longer has the leisure time he had before.

He returned to Shanxi from Zhending to rescue people, but before he had time to reunite with his family, he urgently went to Zezhou to inspect and deploy work. After dealing with all the military and political affairs in Zezhou, he also inspected various places in Luzhou. He just finished his work and returned to Weisheng.

After An Daoquan's treatment, Zhao Fujin's complexion was much better than when she was in Zhending. Also, thanks to Zhao Fujin's patient guidance every day, she finally got over the loss of her husband and miscarriage, and a smile was often seen on her face.

Seeing Yang Chang building the stove, setting up the pot, and lighting the fire by himself, with his face and clothes covered with dust, Zhao Fujin tugged at the corner of Zhao Fujin's clothes and whispered, "Brother-in-law can really cook? Isn't he a general who fights in battles? Why does he have to build the stove by himself?"

"You underestimated me, didn't you? Your brother-in-law knows everything."

“Is it delicious?”

"What do you say?"

Zhao Fujin shook his head slightly and did not explain too much to his sister. He thought that with Yang Lang's cooking skills, if he was second to Weisheng, no one would dare to claim to be first. You'd better not swallow your tongue later.

"Too."

Zhao Fujin nodded and murmured, "Brother-in-law is truly a dragon among men, no wonder you are all so devoted to him, but Sister Hu is busy, do we really not need help?"

"We can't help you with this job, so just wait and eat."

Seeing his sister staring at Yang Chang, Zhao Fujin suddenly leaned close to her ear and whispered, "By the way, your brother-in-law is back. Have you seriously considered what I told you a few days ago? Give me a definite answer whether it's okay or not."

"I have no idea."

Zhao Fujin saw his sister blushing and shook his head slightly, "I'll take this as your agreement. I'll discuss it with Yang Lang tomorrow."

Zhao Fujin lowered his head and said nothing. His cheeks felt burning hot and he seemed to be in a trance for a moment, as if his soul was wandering away.

The girl came to her senses only when the lid of the pot was opened and the aroma of chicken wafted into her nose.

Yang Chang was seen holding a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, greeting everyone with a warm face, saying: "Come on, come on, we were in a hurry today and the preparations were not sufficient, everyone gather around the stove to pick up the food for yourselves, if you can't reach it, just stand up, we are all family, don't be restrained."

"Huang'er, come and try your father's cooking skills. Most people can't make this pot cake well."

Hu Sanniang handed the chopsticks to Yang Huang first, as if she was Yang Huang's biological mother, while Zhao Fujin had already picked up the chopsticks and nudged Zhao Fujin with her elbow, reminding him, "What are you waiting for? Listen to your brother-in-law, don't be restrained."

"Oh"

Just as Zhao Fujin was about to step forward to pick up some food, the tall Wu Song stretched out his hand from beside Yang Chang, like a small mountain pressing down on him.

That day, in addition to Yang Chang and his wife and children, there were also Zhao Fujin and a few close maids. Only Wu Song was invited to the banquet. When Wu Song saw his chopsticks touching Zhao Fujin's, he quickly withdrew his chopsticks and apologized: "Princess, please don't blame me. Please go first."

"You're welcome, General."

"We are all family, there is no need to be so distant."

Seeing this, Yang Chang shook his head and then said with a smile: "Second brother, you can just call me little sister. Little sister, you can also call him second brother with us."

"two"

"No no no, Princess, this is not appropriate."

Seeing that the two were still reserved, Yang Chang did not force them any further, and changed the subject to ask Wu Song: "Second brother, I haven't cooked for a while, have my cooking skills declined?"

"Don't be so modest, Sanlang. The last time I ate clay pot chicken like this was a few years ago in Liangshan. It was really lively back then."

"Second brother also remembers it? At that time, Master Lu and Master Lin..."

Hu Sanniang took over Wu Song's words, but she stopped halfway through her sigh and pointed outside the door to remind him, "Second brother, someone seems to be looking for you."

"Ok?"

Wu Song turned around and saw his personal guard waving at him. He asked loudly, "What's the matter?"

"Song Qing has arrived at the posthouse and sent a letter requesting to see the Grand Commandant."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Iron Fan Song Qing!"

(End of this chapter)