Chapter 278: Go along with the crowd and become a freeloader?

Seeing the two of them singing the same tune, Wu Song suddenly felt that he was too superficial before, and then curiously asked: "Why do we have to wait until February next year? Is there any explanation?"

"this one"

Lin Chong stroked his beard and said calmly, "You have to choose a good day to get married. For something as big as becoming king, you have to find a good day. Besides, you have to leave time for preparation."

"What do we need to prepare for this?"

Shi Qian put his face forward. He had long been expecting Yang Chang to declare himself king, and now he was so excited that he could not sit still.

Wu Song and Lin Chong smiled at each other, and they both thought of the unlucky guy who became the Observer General in Weisheng. The rebellious items found in his home were made in Tokyo by Cai Jing's butler Zhai Qian.

"Since you are wearing the yellow robe, you must prepare the dragon robe. Brother Wu, Tongbi Yuan Hou Jian is a master of this art. Do you know if he has received instructions from the general?"

"Hou Jian? I don't know, and he didn't tell me."

"Zhao Huan and Zhao Gou have both come to confer awards, and the Grand Commandant has just received the saltpeter document, so this matter may have just been decided."

Lin Chong pinched his chin and muttered to himself, then poked Wu Song's arm and reminded him sternly: "Brother Wu, when you return to Weisheng during your inspection, remember to check with Hou Jian. If it has not been done, put it on the schedule. It is less than a hundred days away from February. It will take a lot of effort to embroider the dragon robe. You have to leave time for Hou Jian."

"That makes sense. When I return from Luzhou, I will go look for Hou Jian."

Wu Song had an expression of sudden enlightenment, but he didn't know that Yang Changding would be in mourning for Zhao Fujin in February of the next year, and the real protagonist was actually himself.

"Don't you need the imperial seal to rebel? Do you still need to ask Jin Dajian?"

"hehe."

Lin Chong waved his hands at Shi Qian who was talking to him, and replied with a smile: "Don't worry about the jade seal. The process of establishing a country and becoming an emperor is complicated, and the naming of the country is very particular. Wouldn't it be troublesome if the wrong one was engraved?"

"that's true."

Shi Qian nodded with a frown on his face.

Lin Chong gave the direction of the topic, and the three of them chatted excitedly about the matter in the tent, drinking bowl after bowl of wine.

Shi Qian could not drink as much as Wu Song and Lin Chong. As the wine screener, he was the first to show signs of drunkenness and began to loudly talk about his experiences on the mountain.

"I am Shi Qian, the flea on the drum. Although I was a thief before I went to Liangshan, I always kept the word righteousness in my heart and made many contributions. Unfortunately, few people look at me in the eye."

"Brother Shi Qian, you've had too much to drink. Who would look down upon the commander of the Night Owl Army?"

Wu Song was still sober from his drunken state, patting Shi Qian's back to comfort him. Lin Chong also quickly agreed: "Brother Wu is right. General Yang has few commanders under his command. How can you have such an idea?"

"Brothers, you misunderstood, hiccup."

Shi Qian stood up and raised his hand, swallowed his saliva and explained hurriedly: "I didn't say now, I was talking about the previous gathering at Liangshan. I tried hard to integrate into the vision of the brothers, but no matter how great the merits are, I am still a thief, and their eyes cannot be fake. Only General Yang treated me sincerely. I am really glad that I decisively left Song Jiang."

"I too, leave that hypocrite, come, come, have some wine, and don't mention the past any more."

Lin Chong had drunk a lot just now, and when Shi Qian reminded him of his past, he couldn't help but complain about Song Jiang's disloyalty. He thought that if it weren't for Yang Chang's help, it would have been impossible for him to take revenge.

Gazing down, he saw the wine in the bowl glowing, reflecting the face with the gold seal.

As the saying goes, appearance reflects the heart. At this moment, Lin Chong was calm and resolute, as if the mountains and rivers could not be shaken. He had swept away the decadence he had in Liangshan. He did not feel inferior because of the tattoo. Instead, he thought that it was the memory of the first half of his life. Covering up the tattoo was equivalent to forgetting his roots.

In this respect, Song Jiang is the opposite.

At that time, Yang Chang used the "magic medicine" to remove the scars on Zhu Tong and Wu Song, but Song Jiang was very angry because he did not enjoy it. He asked An Daoquan to use poison to remove the gold seals. After a long period of "Jade Scar Removing" care, the gold seals on his face were barely removed, but if you look closely, you can still see fine scars.

Later, Lin Chong and Song Jiang became estranged because of Lin Chong's attempt to stop the killing of Gao Qiu.

In order to appease and show goodwill, this guy took the initiative to ask An Daoquan to remove the golden seal for him, but was unfortunately rejected by Lin Chong.

Lin Chong stared at the wine bowl in a trance and saw that his reflection suddenly turned into Song Jiang, who was kneeling before Gao Qiu with his butt sticking out.

"Doing justice for the heavens? Ugh!"

"Brother, you scolded me well. Song Jiang is a hypocrite. If he had followed the example of General Yang and established his own regime, I would have respected him as a man. But in the end, he only knows how to lick the emperor's boots."

"Him? Self-reliant?"

After hearing Shi Qian's words, Lin Chong showed a sarcastic expression and teased: "Li Kui repeatedly shouted 'kill Tokyo and seize the throne', how dare Song Jiang respond? He only wants to work hard for the Zhao family."

"He now supports Zhao Gou to become emperor, which can be regarded as the realization of his original ideal, but too many brothers have died. By the way, after Li Kui disappeared, have you heard from him again? Gao Qiu has been identified as a traitor, and Song Jiang can now take him to enjoy wealth and honor."

"I don't know. When Brother Wu received Song Qing last time, did he mention Li Kui?"

"A reckless man is not worth my concern."

Wu Song shook his head in disdain, picked up the wine bowl and drank it in big gulps.

Only a few people knew about this matter. At that time, Yang Chang told Hu Sanniang and did not even mention Wu Song. Later, they forgot about it after a long time.

If Yang Chang and Song Jiang had not had a head-on conflict, this matter might have been forgotten forever, but things often do not develop as expected.

While Wu Song was touring various places, envoys from the Jin Kingdom also came to Yingtian Prefecture at the end of the year, presenting Zezhou, Huaizhou, Weizhou and Xiangzhou ceded by Emperor Qinzong as gifts, and recognized Zhao Gou as the legitimate emperor of the Song Dynasty.

Gaining recognition from major powers would help Zhao Gou consolidate his throne.

Moreover, the envoys brought valuable gifts, so the Kingdom of Jin kept Huizong and others in Shangjing on the pretext of keeping them as guests. Zhao Gou knew that the other party wanted to use them as hostages, but he did not dare to say a word and immediately held a banquet in the palace to entertain the delegation.

The chief envoy of the Jin Dynasty, Yang Tianji, was from the command of the Jin Army Marshal Nianhan in the west. He was quite arrogant when he met Zhao Gou. The deputy envoy, Liu Yan, was from Erlido. He always had a smile on his face and looked approachable.

Although it was a good thing that the Jin people returned the territory, Zezhou among the four states was occupied by Yang Chang at that time. Zhao Gou had no confidence in taking over a place that even Nianhan could not conquer.

It is true that Zhao Gou hated Yang Chang, but his focus at this time was on Bianliang.

It had been over a hundred days since he ascended the throne in September, but Huizong's edict had not had as much effect as expected. The military and civilians in various states did not support him as they had hoped. Instead, half of the officials sent to convey the edict did not return to Nanjing alive, and civil unrest broke out in many places under his rule.

Needless to say, all this was Zhao Huan's counterattack, or the means of Li Gang and others.

At this time, Zhao Gou had to guard against Zhao Huan and send troops to various places to quell the rebellion. He really didn't want to provoke Yang Chang again, but the Jin people would not give gifts without reason. He was afraid that he would suffer the consequences, so he looked worried at the banquet.

Prime Minister Huang Qianshan guessed the emperor's intention and personally escorted the delegation back to the post station to rest after the banquet. He had an in-depth exchange with the deputy envoy Liu Yan. Only then did Zhao Gou understand the Jin people's intentions.

It turned out that there had been major adjustments within the Jin Dynasty. Because both of his sons had died for their country, Nianhan had been busy with mourning and was in a depressed mood and did not want to lead the troops, so he petitioned Wuqimai to resign as the right deputy marshal.

Nianhan had a high prestige in the army, and his resignation would not affect his control over the Western Route Army. As a mature political leader, Wuqimai did not believe that the number one man in the Jin army would lose his desire for war because of the loss of his son. After several attempts to retain him, Wuqimai found that Nianhan, who had lost his son, only wanted to take a concubine and leave a successor. He did not recommend his brother Alan to succeed him as marshal, but recommended his more prestigious deputy Wushi.

Wuqimai had been thinking about the Western Route Army for a long time, and thought that no matter how high the prestige was, it would not stand the test of time. As long as Erlido and others worked hard to win more battles, they would soon be able to overshadow Nianhan's achievements.

Nianhan's father Sagai had been prime minister for many years, and his power was deeply rooted within the Jin Dynasty. So after Nianhan resigned as the right deputy marshal, Wuqimai appointed him as prime minister and secretly gave him Zhao Gou's wife Xing.

Don't you want to have a son? I'll send you a beautiful woman to help you.

Wuqimai thought that if he trapped Nianhan in Shangjing, his influence on the front-line army would become weaker and weaker. However, Nianhan, who became the prime minister, returned the favor and took the initiative to propose that Erlido cooperate with the Western Route Army and join forces with Zhao Gou, whom he supported, to first capture their enemy Yang Chang who was entrenched in Shanxi, and then go south to destroy the Song Dynasty depending on the situation.

The suggestion of giving away the four states of Ze, Huai, Wei and Xiang also came from Nianhan.

After listening to Huang Qianshan's report, Zhao Gou frowned and asked, "If several armies were to encircle Shanxi, even if Yang Chang was very powerful, he would not be able to take care of everything. Why did Nianhan give up the command? Just because his two sons were gone?"

"I heard that this man only had two sons and one daughter, and he had few wives and concubines who were all old. He died suddenly this year. Anyone would be disheartened."

Huang Qianshan spread his hands with the same expression as Nianhan, but his mind was filled with excitement. He believed that Nianhan had done too much evil to Song, and that the loss of his son in middle age was his retribution.

“So that’s how it is”

Zhao Gou suddenly realized, but his brows were furrowed. He then muttered to himself, "Nianhan is close to my father's age. This age will not affect his ability to have a son. Moreover, with his status in the Jin Dynasty, is he afraid that he can't find a woman? I'm just afraid that he will use this as an excuse to deliberately weaken my military strength."

"Your Majesty, don't be suspicious. I think Nianhan stayed behind because he was busy having a son. Besides, although Zezhou is difficult to attack, the other three states have no ruler and few soldiers, so we can easily take them down. Zhao Huan ceded the land, and you recovered the lost land. Isn't it clear who should be the emperor of the Song Dynasty?"

"You are right, but Zezhou is easy to defend but difficult to attack."

"His Majesty."

Huang Qianshan bowed and added his advice: "Since we are focusing on Erliduo, if the Jin army succeeds elsewhere, we can take advantage of the victory to seize the land. If the Jin army attacks passively, we just need to help support them."

"Wonderful, wonderful!"

Zhao Gou twisted his sparse beard and exclaimed "wonderful" several times, then asked again: "According to your opinion, who should I send out from the five armies of my imperial camp to fight?"

"It has to be Song Jiang, the Central Army."

Huang Qianshan blurted out without thinking.

"Draft an edict. Forget it. Summon Song Jiang to see me immediately. I want to give him instructions in person."

"Yes."

The Imperial Camp Central Army, as Zhao Gou's guard force, was always stationed in Yingtian Prefecture and was not sent out to suppress bandits or rebellions.

It was almost the end of the year and there was frost and snow outside.

After meeting the emperor, Song Jiang returned to the Taiwei Mansion and saw that the hall was full of familiar faces, including important generals such as Wu Yong, Hua Rong, Qin Ming, and Hu Yanzhuo.

"What day is today? Why are you all here?"

"The military advisor asked us to come here, saying that something big will happen to my brother." Hua Rong said and pointed at Wu Yong.

"Oh?" Song Jiang looked curious, "Big thing? What big thing?"

Wu Yong twisted his beard and said with a smile: "The Jin envoy just arrived yesterday, and today His Majesty summoned the Grand Commandant to the palace. If my guess is correct, our army in the imperial camp may have to march out."

"The military advisor is indeed amazing. You can all take a look at him."

Song Jiang handed over the imperial edict he had just received, and everyone immediately gathered around Wu Yong.

"The four prefectures of Xiang, Wei, Huai, and Ze are the recruiting envoys."

"So the Song army is near Bianliang, and the states on the north bank of the Yellow River are now empty of troops. It should be easy to capture these states."

"Commander Qin, look carefully, there is Zezhou!"

"Ah? Why is there Zezhou? Isn't this Yang Chang?"

A group of people were chattering about it, and they all knew that Yang Changke was not easy to deal with, but it would not affect Song Jiang's dispatch of troops.

As soon as Zhao Gou made the plan to send troops, Huang Qianshan began to actively allocate food and grass. He did not like Song Jiang, who came from a bandit family, and had been looking for opportunities to transfer the Liangshan army out of the capital.

When Song Jiang brought back the imperial edict, he ordered all the generals to prepare the troops, except Wu Yong.

"Why is the commander so worried?"

"We were born in the countryside, and were lucky to be trusted by His Majesty, so we could be promoted to high positions. However, this also caused jealousy among many civil and military officials in the court. This time, I was ordered to conquer the four states, and I am afraid that the next time I return to the court, there will be no place for you and me."

"What the commander said is correct. Your Majesty has established five armies in the imperial camp, but only the Central Army and the Rear Army are stationed in the capital. Liang Yangzu is close to Huang, Wang and others, so he will definitely push us out. This is what is called favoritism."

"You can't say that. After all, we have a magician."

Song Jiang sighed bitterly and added, "The Jin people are intimidated by Xiao Longnu's magic. Your Majesty has also asked Fan Rui about his abilities many times, probably for this day. I just hope that Zhang Jun's rear army can protect Your Majesty while we are away from the capital. I am afraid that the Song Dynasty will send troops to attack."

"Don't worry, Taiwei. If we seize Xiang, Wei, and Huai, it will be like holding a knife over Bianliang's head. How can they have the spare energy to attack Yingtianfu? Besides, the rear army of the imperial camp should not be underestimated."

"How dare I underestimate him? Zhang Jun was born in a poor family, but he won military merits with every sword and spear. By the way, Li Ying still doesn't want to be an official?"

"Ah."

Wu Yong nodded in affirmation: "Bai Sheng and Shi Xiu went there once each. He said he was tired of fighting and would rather be a rich man in Dulonggang."

"Before leaving, I asked Dai Zong to go again. The Liangshan heroes agreed to share the good fortune. He is very good at managing food and logistics, and I really can't bear to see such a pearl in the dust."

Song Jiang's words sounded high-sounding, but in reality he was dissatisfied with the fact that many people had switched to Yang Chang. He thought that since Li Ying did not follow the crowd, he should work hard to get him, which might be useful against Yang Chang in the future.

Wu Yong wanted to persuade Li Ying that a forced melon is not sweet. He had tricked Li Ying into joining Liangshan in the first place, and thought that if it didn't work out, he would just let it go. But when he saw Song Jiang's firm tone, he didn't say anything discouraging.

Of course, Dai Zong's efforts were in vain. Li Ying was determined not to board the pirate ship, and it was useless even if Song Jiang went to invite him in person.

The day after Dai Zong left, Li Ying drove away from Dulonggang with dozens of his clansmen. He was going to Shanxi to report the news to Yang Chang.

Du Xing lived a comfortable life in Weisheng and sent people to Dulonggang to invite him many times. Although Li Ying was the same age as Song Jiang, he disdained to go along with him.

If we become the running dog of the Jin people, wouldn't the Flying Eagle become a running chicken?
(End of this chapter)