Since the beginning of winter last year, firstly it was because of the cold weather, and secondly because it signed a maritime alliance with the Southern Dynasty to jointly conquer the Liao Dynasty, which required coordinated actions by both parties. Therefore, throughout the winter, the Jin Kingdom was not in a hurry to launch an attack on the Liao Kingdom. The military operation was delayed until the following spring.
In the first month of the second year, according to the specific content of the maritime alliance between the two parties, it was time for the Song and Jin countries to send troops from the north and the south to attack the Liao Kingdom at the same time. However, the plan did not change as quickly as it did. At the end of last year, the Jiangnan La civil uprising broke out in the Song Dynasty. At that time, the three southeastern provinces were all occupied by the Fang La rebel army. The rebel army was so powerful that the entire southeast was shaken.
At that time, the treacherous minister Wang Fu held the position of prime minister in the imperial court. This guy finally squeezed out Cai Jing and became the prime minister. He became the master of one person and more than ten thousand people. Naturally, he wanted to dominate and dominate. What Wang Fu didn't expect was that not long after he succeeded Cai Jing as the narrow alley, La in the south of the Yangtze River rebelled, causing peace in the south of the Yangtze River.
At the beginning of the civil uprising, Wang Fu was afraid of being blamed by Emperor Huizong, so he reported the news from the Jiangnan area and sealed it in the Prime Minister's Office. He neither reported it to Emperor Huizong nor allowed people in the Prime Minister's Office to disclose any information to the outside world. Wang Fu's intention was to rely on local power to suppress the Fang La Civil Rebellion. At that time, he would report the relevant situation to Emperor Huizong, and Emperor Huizong would not be anxious and would not blame himself.
Wang Fu suppressed the news of the Jiangnan Civil War in the Prime Minister's Office; the local people in Jiangnan were anxiously waiting for the imperial court to send troops to suppress it. They did not see any movement from the imperial court for a long time. They felt strange. Through secret inquiring, they found out that Prime Minister Wang Fu had never thought about Emperor Huizong's report. Condition.
Local officials were anxious, so they bypassed Wang Fu's Prime Minister's Office and directly reported the situation of the Jiangnan Civil War to Emperor Huizong through special channels.
Emperor Huizong was very alarmed when he heard the report. This is a major event that affects the country and cannot be trivialized. The panicked Emperor Huizong, no longer caring about fulfilling the maritime alliance signed with the Jin Kingdom, hurriedly mobilized the original troops to be used to destroy the Liao Kingdom, plus some troops temporarily mobilized from the northwest, and combined them into one , a total of 200,000 troops, were placed under the command of Tong Guan, and rushed to the south of the Yangtze River to suppress the Fangla uprising.
Jin Guo did not know about this situation. The Jin State finally survived a winter, and finally waited until the first month of the next year to finally let go and launch an attack on the Liao Dynasty, but there was no movement from the Song State in the Southern Dynasty.
The Jin Kingdom thought that the first month of the year was the New Year for the Southern Dynasty. It was estimated that the Southern Dynasty was busy celebrating the New Year and could not take care of the coordinated attack on the Liao Dynasty. Therefore, the Jin Kingdom waited for another month and prepared to wait until the first month. The Southern Song Dynasty had celebrated the New Year and had time to conquer the Liao Dynasty together.
In February, there was still no movement in the Song Dynasty, and Emperor Wanyan Aguda of the Jin Dynasty became anxious. In order to coordinate the actions of the Jin and Song Dynasties, General Wanyan Hut and the palace guard Abo were sent to Tokyo of the Southern Song Dynasty to consult the Southern Song Dynasty court on the implementation of the alliance and to confirm when the Southern Song Dynasty would launch military operations against the Liao Dynasty. action.
Wanyanhute and Abo were ordered to travel at night and starry to Bianjing to visit relevant officials of the Song Dynasty and inquire about the implementation of the maritime alliance between Jin and Song Dynasty and when to prepare to send troops to attack Khitan. Due to various considerations, the Song Dynasty did not want the Jin Dynasty to know about the Jiangnan Civil War, so they suppressed the news of the Jiangnan Civil War and found various reasons to prevaricate Wanyanhu Te and Abo.
Wanyanhu Te and Abo stayed in Bianjing for more than ten days, but did not receive any specific reply, so they were perfunctorily sent back home by the Song Dynasty.
The time soon came to the end of March, and the temperature in the north had risen. It was a good time to use troops. Wanyan Aguda was worried, so he sent Wanyan Hut and Abo to Tokyo again to negotiate for the alliance to implement Condition.
Before Wanyan Hute and Abo left, Wanyan Aguda specially summoned them.
During the summons, Wanyan Aguda instructed Wanyanhu Te and Abo to go to Zhao Liangsi, the specific signatory of the covenant, to inquire about the real situation in private before consulting the Southern Dynasty court about the relevant situation. When asked about the situation, there was a solid statement. In addition, if you see the Emperor of the Southern Dynasties, you must show utmost respect and do not make excuses, lest you offend the Emperor of the Southern Dynasties.
Wanyan Hute and Abo nodded in agreement.
Therefore, after Wanyanhu Te and Abo came to Bianliang again, they did not request an audience with the Southern Emperor. Instead, they first went to Zhao Liangsi, the specific signatory of the treaty. When the two parties were discussing matters again, they were bumped into by Yinzhi and the others, which led to the fight upstairs in Zuixian.
Wanyanhute and Abo, the envoys of the Kingdom of Jin, were very angry after the fight with Yinzhi and the others in Zuixian Tower. I thought to myself, we are envoys from the Kingdom of Jin to the Southern Dynasty. The Southern Dynasty received us in a serious manner and discussed relevant issues. How can we be so secretive and reduce ourselves to fighting with the people of the Southern Dynasty? ? ! Therefore, Wanyanhu Te and Abo urged Zhao Liangsi to arrange for them to meet Emperor Huizong as soon as possible. They wanted to ask Emperor Huizong whether the covenant signed between the Jin and Song Dynasties was valid and whether it could be implemented. If it is effective and can be implemented, when will the Southern Dynasty send troops to conquer the Liao Kingdom?
Zhao Liangsi was very clear about the current situation in the court.
The imperial army had just returned from suppressing the civil uprising in the south of the Yangtze River. It was not fully prepared and did not have the conditions to immediately send troops to attack the Liao Kingdom.
Zhao Liangsi thought about it and felt that the civil uprising in the south of the Yangtze River had subsided. After the court took over, its main focus would be on the implementation of the Song and Jin alliance and the joint expedition to the Liao Dynasty. It would not be an exaggeration to inform the Jin state of the situation now. Therefore, Zhao Liangsi told Wanyanhu Te and Abo about this situation.
After hearing what Zhao Liangsi said, Wanyan Hute and Abo felt uncertain and did not know when the Southern Dynasty would send troops. Therefore, Wanyanhu Te and Abo insisted on asking Zhao Liangsi for a specific time to send troops.
As for such a big thing as the specific time to dispatch troops, it was obviously not something that Zhao Liangsi could decide.
Under Wanyan Hute and Abo's repeated questioning, Zhao Liangsi, in addition to appeasing them to calm down, could only enter the palace ahead of them, go to see Emperor Huizong, and report to Emperor Huizong the envoys of the Kingdom of Jin. The situation of coming to Bianjing.
Zhao Liangsi entered the palace and saw Emperor Huizong. He knelt on the ground and shouted long live him.
Emperor Huizong looked down at Zhao Liangsi from the dragon chair. After he shouted long live, he waved his hand and said, "Zhao Qing is dead."
After Zhao Liangsi received the edict of Emperor Huizong's death, he stood up, bowed to Emperor Huizong again, and said: "Your Majesty, it has been more than half a year since I signed a maritime alliance with the Kingdom of Jin on behalf of the imperial court. Today, An envoy from the Kingdom of Jin came and visited me a few days ago to inquire about the imperial court's expedition to the Liao Dynasty. According to the Holy Majesty, I have arranged for the envoys from the Kingdom of Jin to live in the royal post, waiting for the Holy Majesty's summons."
Emperor Huizong saw the memorial, thought for a while and said: "The matter of signing the alliance between the imperial court and the Jurchens was handled by Qing Qing. Zhao Qing knew the relevant situation. Originally, the imperial court had mobilized troops and horses to attack Liao; however, Jiangnan The civil uprising affected the imperial court's campaign to conquer the Liao Dynasty, causing it to be delayed. In addition, according to what you said, the Jurchen side did not seem to be well prepared, saying that they would wait until the spring of the next year to launch the expedition against the Liao Dynasty. It is already March, and the Jurchen army What is the situation on the other side? Did the Jurchen envoy explain it?"
Zhao Liangsi replied: "Your Majesty. After the covenant was signed, I was already on my way back. Emperor Jin sent a horse to catch up with me, saying that we still had important matters to discuss. I thought something about the covenant had changed, so I hurried back to see you. Emperor Jin. After Emperor Jin saw his ministers, he personally said to his ministers: "There is a cattle plague on the Jurchen land, so we have to return to the army for the time being, and wait until the appointed time next year to work together to fight against it." Your Majesty, I think that, in general, the Jin Kingdom It was because the weather was cold in winter, and Emperor Jin was afraid of breaking his promise to our dynasty, so he said this. Today, the Jin envoys came to Beijing and went to the minister's residence to report to me. The Jurchens have prepared their troops and horses, waiting for the situation in our dynasty. to act together.”
After hearing the report, Huizong thought for a while and said to Zhao Liangsi: "First of all, please contact the Jin envoys several times to try to appease them and let them calm down. I then summoned Grand Master Cai, Privy Council Tong and Dazai Wang. , I, together with them and your ministers, will discuss the matter of mobilizing troops and horses and raising food and fodder. Once everything is ready, the army will attack Liao and regain Yanyun's homeland."
Zhao Liangsi bent down and replied: "I will obey the imperial edict. I will take my leave."
Afterwards, Zhao Liangsi bowed down to salute Emperor Huizong and exited the hall.
On the second day, Emperor Huizong summoned Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Wang Fu, Zhao Liangsi, Cai You and others to the palace to discuss the matter of sending troops to attack Liao.
Upon hearing the call, Cai Jing and others hurriedly entered the palace, knelt on the ground, and shouted: "Long live my emperor!"
Huizong said: "All the ministers are equal."
Cai Jing and others stood up and stood on both sides of the hall.
Emperor Huizong said: "My dear ministers, before winter last year, the imperial court and the Jurchens signed an alliance, agreeing to attack the Liao Dynasty from the north and the south this year in the spring. It is now the beginning of spring, and envoys from the Jurchen side have come to the court to consult the court. Carry out the affairs of the alliance. What do you think?"
As soon as Emperor Huizong finished speaking, Tong Guan came out of his class, bowed to Emperor Huizong, and reported loudly: "Your Majesty, it is an established matter that the Song and Jin Dynasties will form an alliance and jointly attack the Liao Dynasty. At present, the civil uprising in Jiangnan has ended. After calming down, the army gradually returned. According to the alliance, our court should gather the army and go north to conquer the Khitan in order to regain the territory of the sixteen states of Yanyun."
When Emperor Huizong heard the memorial, he turned to look at Cai Jing and asked, "What do you think, Grand Master Cai?"
When Cai Jing saw the question, he walked out of the train, bowed to Emperor Huizong, and loudly said: "Your Majesty, the emperor is here to start. The old minister thought that since the imperial court had made an alliance with Jin, it was bound to abide by it. There can be no ambiguity about this. At present, , the thieves south of the Yangtze River have been wiped out, and the army has returned in triumph and is gathering around the capital. The sergeants are gearing up and their morale is high. They just take advantage of the victory in wiping out the Fang thieves. With the courage of all the soldiers to defeat the Fang thieves, they march north to attack the Khitan, and in one fell swoop Recover Youyan’s homeland.”
