Chapter 35: I have accomplished the king’s business, and won fame during my lifetime and after my death, but my hair has turned white!

[Zhang Anguo was executed in front of Geng Jing's tomb. Xin Qiji sat there for a day and a night. I don't know what he was thinking about, or what he confided to his elder brother in the underworld.]

[The Emperor of Song Dynasty admired him very much and asked him to come to the south to serve as an official, and Xin Qiji agreed. ]

【Xin Qiji led a troop across the border and stayed in the Southern Song Dynasty. 】

[That year, he was 25 years old, in the prime of his life. The world was so vast that he could roam freely and nothing could stop him from moving forward.

He firmly believed that he would become a hero and fulfill the wishes of Yue Fei and his grandfather through a fateful Northern Expedition.

Xin Qiji thought it was destined by heaven, but he didn't know it was the most painful joke of his life.

[Soon after entering the court as an official, Xin Qiji learned a new word from his colleagues who always smiled insincerely - a reformed person.

The so-called "reformed people" are the survivors who returned to the Song Dynasty from the occupied areas in the north. 】

[In addition to bearing the hatred of losing their country, they also have to endure the contempt of their compatriots. ]

[Many southern scholars believed that they had neither the courage to resist the Jin Dynasty nor the ability to receive a good education, and were extremely inferior and disgusting.]

【People’s gossip was scary, so the court no longer allowed “converts” to hold official positions, and only assigned them some sinecure jobs. 】

[It was the Song Dynasty that abandoned them and caused them to lose their homes.]

[It is also the Song Dynasty court that is disgusted with them and suppresses and guards against them everywhere.]

[Xin Qiji naturally ignored such heresy and focused on his own career.

He wrote "Ten Essays on American Plans" and "Nine Discussions", loudly calling for the feasibility and necessity of war.

At first, the newly enthroned emperor was also full of fighting spirit and was very interested in recovering lost territories and restoring the Central Plains.

But the emperor soon discovered how fierce the enemies in the north were and how difficult it was to defeat them.

The officialdom of the Southern Song Dynasty had been frightened by the defeat. Yue Fei's death silenced the pro-war factions, leaving only the weak and cowardly people clamoring in the court.

In addition, since the founding of the Song Dynasty, there has been a tradition of valuing civil officials over military officials, which has led to the disparagement of military generals.

It is easy to imagine how out of place a "converted person" whose mind was filled with leading troops to fight was in the officialdom at that time.

Xin Qiji's identity became very embarrassing, he was constantly excluded and had no place to stand in Lin'an.

Finally, the emperor said to him: "You are too impatient. Go to the countryside and gain some experience."

Xin Qiji looked around.

My fellow ministers, remain silent, like a row of stone statues, without warmth or emotion.

At this moment, Xin Qiji understood Yue Fei's loneliness.

When Yue Fei once stood here, it must have been a similarly lonely scene.

Everyone knows that Xin Qiji is a heroic sword, but no one dares to use it.

His edge is so sharp that others pale in comparison and become mere foils.

His purpose is so clear that he will not accept any form of compromise and will not adapt.

[No comfortable small group would welcome such a disruptive outlier.

No matter how dazzling and fearless he was in the past.

Therefore, the emperor gave Xin Qiji a new job, asking him to go to various places as a firefighter and handle various emergencies and miscellaneous matters.

"Wow! These bastards are making me, Zhang Fei, so mad!"

Zhang Fei held the spear and spoke sweetly.

It’s so frustrating.

He felt so aggrieved that he wished he could poke hundreds of transparent holes in the Southern Song officials right now!

"If such a person were in the late Han Dynasty, he would have been a great general. It's a pity that he was born in such an era."

Liu Bei was full of regret. The greatest regret in life is to have talent and ambition but be unable to realize them. It is indeed a pity that Xin Qiji was born in such an era.

Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang also shook their heads and lamented. They had all experienced the chaotic times at the end of the Han Dynasty, so they naturally knew how frustrating it was to see the stupidity of the court.

Zhao Yun couldn't help but wonder that if he had been born in a weak era like the Southern Song Dynasty, he would probably have died in depression as well.

Cao Mengde, who was known for his love of talent, also felt very sorry when he saw this.

"It is a pity and annoyance that a man like Ban Chao did not have a king who could control him."

[In 1168 AD, the 29-year-old Xin Qiji was transferred to be the Tongpan of Jiankang Prefecture. This was an idle position. Apart from attending banquets, he spent his whole day in singing and responding to others' questions.

Xin Qiji's spear, lance and armor have been left idle and covered with dust, but his swords, weapons and brushes, a literary path that leads to the sky, is slowly unfolding before his eyes.

Just like a whale entering the sea and turning into a dragon, let this decadent Southern Song Dynasty listen to the dragon's roar. 】

[Xin Qiji wrote "Song of Water Melody" at Zhao Yanduan's birthday banquet:
I heard that the Emperor of Qingdu wanted to hold back the immortal waves of the Milky Way and wash away the Hu sands in the northwest. 】

[Soon after, at Shi Zhengzhi's banquet, his style of writing changed again, and he composed a poem called "Man Jiang Hong":
In my sleeves are precious lights of five colors, I will repair the northwest sky someday. Come back, talk and laugh while protecting the Yangtze River, its waves are clear and blue. 】

[His lyrics are too sharp, and all the time, he is showing others his willingness to fight, but over and over again, in the end, it is just the sound of a sword alone, with no one responding.]

[The willow catkins and plum rain season in the south of the Yangtze River, the continuous slanting wind and drizzle, made Xin Qiji's idle worries even more sad. He could only climb the high building alone and look north from the railing. ]

[So Xin Qiji wrote "Shui Long Yin" in Shang Xin Pavilion

At sunset, at the top of the building, listening to the sound of the wild geese, a wanderer from the south of the Yangtze River looked at the Wu hook and patted the railings, but no one understood his intention to climb the mountain.

Datang.

Li Bai gently shook the wine glass in his hand, his eyes sparkling: "This poem is really a stroke of genius. At sunset, in the sound of wild geese, a wanderer in the south of the Yangtze River, with just a few words, he sketched out a sad and profound picture."

"There are so many emotions and ambitions hidden in Xin Qiji's poem that one can't help but be moved by it."

"Wu Gou looked around and patted the railings, but no one understood his intention to climb up."

Du Fu frowned.

He could feel the other person's worries about his country and the world, and his helplessness about his personal destiny, but when he saw his own broken mountains and rivers, wasn't he the same?

"The mountains and rivers are broken by the wind, and the catkins are blown away by the wind. My life is up and down in the rain."

Wen Tianxiang sighed and wondered if the imperial court had listened to Xin Qiji's advice earlier and paid more attention to armaments, the Southern Song Dynasty might not be like it is today, being overwhelmed by the Mongolian army?

Wen Tianxiang had reason to think so.

When Xin Qiji was in Chuzhou, he was close to the front line and was able to obtain intelligence about the Jin Kingdom continuously.

He learned from the complicated information that the Jin Dynasty's rulers and ministers were also indulging in wealth and pleasure, while the Mongols in the north of the Jin Dynasty were rising.

This caused Xin Qiji to worry, and he once predicted that the enemy would surely perish within 60 years, and that if the enemy perished, China would be in great trouble.

The Jin Dynasty would definitely perish within 60 years, and after its demise, the Southern Song Dynasty would face even greater threats.

It was 1173 AD, and the Jin Dynasty perished exactly 60 years later in 1234.

After the fall of the Jin Dynasty, the Southern Song Dynasty encountered a real enemy that could destroy the country.
This shows Xin Qiji's long-term strategic vision.

It’s a pity that the rulers and ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty did not have such a sense of crisis.

……

At the age of 35, Xin Qiji left Chuzhou and returned to Jiankang, where he became a councilor in the army. Every morning, he put on his military uniform and trained with the young soldiers. In a flash, he returned to the border ten years ago.

He was still young at that time, and he enjoyed taking revenge. Every day when he woke up, he would put on his armor and go into battle, planning how to defeat the enemy.

Now when he wakes up, he feels only infinite melancholy. His official duties are easy and his life is dull, but he still feels breathless. 】

[At the age of 36, a group of tea merchants in Jiangxi gathered thousands of people to rebel, and the court sent Xin Qiji to suppress the rebellion.

A month later, the rebels were wiped out, and the bandit leader tied himself up and surrendered to Xin Qiji. The surrounding rioters were frightened and dispersed on the spot.

[Xin Qiji had not fought enough and withdrew his troops in dismay. However, some people in the court began to have a grudge against him.

Will a northerner who is so good at fighting and so ambitious rebel one day? 】

[During a later inspection, Xin Qiji passed by an ancient battlefield. Decades ago, the Jin people and the Song people had fought to the death here, and the blood was three feet deep.

The situation today is worse than it was back then, but the imperial court no longer has the courage to fight. He wants to die for his country, but he has no chance. 】

[Xin Qiji remembered that he had a friend in the north named Dang Huaiying, with whom he had not been in contact for more than ten years.

He once said so confidently that he would fight back to the north and retake the land there.

Looking back now, it was just a joke made by a young man who had no idea of ​​the world.

In the center of the battlefield, Xin Qiji wrote a new song:
Under Yugutai, the clear river flows, how many people shed tears? Looking northwest to Chang'an, I feel pity for the countless mountains. The green mountains cannot cover it, after all, it flows eastward. I am sad at the evening by the river, and I hear partridges in the deep mountains.

Before this, he had already written: "I looked at the Wu hook and patted the railings, but no one understood my intention to climb up."

He also wrote: "I searched for him among the crowd for hundreds of times. Suddenly I turned around and found him there, in the dimly lit place."

But his most painful words will always be this one: "Looking northwest to Chang'an, I feel pity for the countless mountains."

The mountains and rivers are pitiful, the people are pitiful, and the frustrated people are even more pitiful. 】

[Later, by chance, Xin Qiji confiscated the landlords' property, confiscated their weapons, and founded an army in Changsha, named the Flying Tiger Army, built camps, and trained day and night.]

[When the ministers in the court heard about this, they took the opportunity to make a fuss and told the emperor that Xin Qiji was corrupt and used the embezzled money to support his own private army.

Military power has always been the emperor's most taboo thing, so he hurriedly arranged for Xin Qiji to go to Jiangxi to provide disaster relief.

The well-trained Flying Tigers later became a powerful force on the battlefield and achieved many military exploits.

From then on, Xin Qiji began to let himself go. 】

[You say I am corrupt, so I will be corrupt to show you. ]

[You say I am lustful, so I will marry a bunch of concubines. ]

[The enemy is pressing in, the country is declining, the prime minister doesn't worry, why should I worry? ]

[During this period of unemployment, he built a manor in Daihu, Shangrao, with a loft mansion on the high ground and a lotus pond and rice field on the low ground.

The design is elegant, the materials are exquisite, and the area is so large that even Zhu Xi was shocked when he saw it.

This was probably the happiest time in Xin Qiji's life. He was free from worries and focused on pleasing himself.

He named the manor "Jiaxuan" and also used it as his nickname, Xin Jiaxuan.

An interesting thing also happened. Every time he submitted a memorial to the emperor about the Northern Expedition, the censor would submit a memorial to impeach him, attacking him for being greedy for money, lustful, and indulging in pleasure. The manor was the best evidence.

During the 20 years of the Southern Song Dynasty, Xin Qiji was unemployed for 20 years and served as an official for the remaining 40 years, but he was transferred nearly times.

Suppressing rebellions, killing enemies, and governing a region have little to do with the Northern Expedition.

The greatest setback in his life was not on the battlefield, but in the officialdom. 】

[49 years old is another important year in Xin Qiji’s life.

He is almost at the stage of "knowing the destiny", but has not yet achieved "no doubts".

On the surface, Xin Qiji seemed to have accepted his fate and lived a leisurely life, traveling and sightseeing.

In fact, he was probably in extreme anxiety and urgently needed an answer to his life.

So this year, he contacted several important people, hoping to find that destined exit.

Among them are Lu You, Zhu Xi, and the rebellious and unappreciated Chen Liang.

That winter, Chen Liang and Xin Qiji met at Ehu Lake, went boating on the water, and talked for ten days, which became the famous "Ehu Meeting" in history. Xin Qiji left behind a famous work "Pozhenzi":
I look at my sword under the lamp while drunk, and dream of blowing the horn in the camp. Eight hundred miles of roast meat for my subordinates, fifty strings of music from the frontier. The soldiers are called up in the autumn battlefield. The horses are as fast as Lu, and the bows are as loud as thunder. I have done the king's business, and won a good reputation in my life and after my death. What a pity!

I have a lot of passion in my heart, but I can only command troops and kill enemies in my dreams.

Even if I had to be like Zhuge Liang, who spent half his life fighting for the Northern Expedition and had all his efforts come to nothing, I would still be willing to do so.

Even if I can't do anything about it, I still want a chance to give it my all.

But for thirty years, it has never appeared. 】

[At the age of 57, on a Qingming night, he sat alone by the pond drinking.

He was almost drunk when he saw his deceased grandfather Xin Zan, his elder brother Geng Jing, and his friend Chen Liang, all sitting across the table looking at him.

It seemed to be a silent reminder of how decadent, dissolute and wasted his life he was now.

He rushed out drunk and went crazy in the wild under the moonlight, cursing the court and blaming God: I have tried very hard to do it, but I can't do it, and no one can help me. I don't know what else to do.

[When he woke up the next day, he had been rescued and was lying on the bed. The order from the Ministry of Personnel also arrived.

From this day on, all of Xin Qiji's official positions were stripped away, and he became a commoner.

[The people in the court made it very clear that he should not mention the Northern Expedition again and not cause any more trouble.

Otherwise, his fate would be the same as his manor, reduced to ashes.

Xin Qiji understood what he meant, as he had had enough of being ostracized and attacked.

This kind of officialdom only makes him feel sick. 】

[When he was 67 years old, the imperial court rashly launched a northern expedition. Xin Qiji ran around everywhere but failed to stop it. Instead, he was accused of being pedantic and cowardly. ]

[The army then suffered a series of defeats, and just as Xin Qiji had expected, the army was completely routed.

The border was filled with smoke of war, and the Jin cavalry was ferocious and unstoppable.

The emperor was in the main hall, asking all the civil and military officials who could lead the troops to war.

After a deathly silence, someone bravely answered: Xin Qiji. 】

[The 68-year-old Xin Qiji was finally appointed as the Privy Councilor and presided over the Northern Expedition.

This was the opportunity he had dreamed of all his life.

But he was now old and sick, and would soon die, and he could not even set out to take one more look at the battlefield.

A month later, Xin Qiji died in bed. Before he died, he raised his right hand and shouted, "Kill the thieves, kill the thieves, kill the thieves."

[Three years after Xin Qiji passed away, Lu You also died of illness, leaving behind a quatrain: "When the king's army conquers the Central Plains in the north, don't forget to tell your father during the family sacrifice."

29 years later, a baby was born in Luzhou. His family named him Yunsun. When he grew up, he changed his name to a more familiar one: Wen Tianxiang.

[43 years later, the Song Dynasty fell.

On the cliff, the minister Lu Xiufu carried the emperor on his back and threw himself into the sea, 100,000 soldiers fought to the death, and 100,000 civilians committed suicide for their country.

(End of this chapter)