The general trend of the world in the second half of the eighth year of Hongwu's reign in the Great Song Dynasty definitely surprised most people. The land of China, which had been in chaos since the arrival of the Xuanhe War, suddenly reached the point where the two Song Dynasties were reunited in the winter of this year.
Emperor Zhao Huan of the Southern Song Dynasty, who thought he would use a "Battle of Chibi" to resist the heavenly soldiers of the Northern Song Dynasty, actually chose to "surrender" without a fight. He took the imperial title, professed his vassalship, and became King Wu of the Song Dynasty. , with ten territories including Huaihe, Liangjiang, Zhejiang, Guangxi, and Fujian.
Although Zhao Huan's State of Wu still had vast land, a large population, abundant financial resources and a fairly capable land and water army. However, the acts of ceding land, paying tribute, and professing vassalage had greatly damaged the morale of the people in the Southern Song Dynasty. Even the scholar-bureaucrats in the southeast who had always supported Zhao Huan felt discouraged. No one shouted to fight or kill anymore, but started to inquire. The rules of the Northern Dynasties imperial examinations - as long as there is a chance to take the exam and become an official, no matter how difficult the exam is, everyone can have a direction to work hard, and they will not want the wealth of killing people and setting fires...
However, beneath this calm surface, there are still raging undercurrents.
Just in the twelfth lunar month of the eighth year of Hongwu, news came from Beijing that the emperor would tour south to Shandong in the spring of the ninth year of Hongwu to worship Confucius!
The territory of Shandong Road in the Northern Song Dynasty was different from the territory of Shandong Province in later generations. The dividing line between Shandong Road and Huaidong and Huaixi Roads was the Huaihe River. In other words, people from Xuzhou, Haizhou (Lianyungang), Bozhou, and Suzhou are all from Shandong!
The residence of the Shandong Road Transfer Envoy, that is, the capital of Shandong Road is not in Jinan, but in Pizhou City, Zhao Gou's original capital.
In addition, the Shandong Road Xuanfu Division established to eliminate Zhao Gou's puppet Song Dynasty has not been abolished. Shandong Road Xuanfu Yue Fei is still the military and political leader in Shandong. The several armies that Yue Fei brought to Shandong are still at a high level of combat readiness.
Zhao Kai, an official, would not be without his accompanying troops when he patrolled Shandong in the south. Adding in the several armies controlled by Yue Fei, the number of Northern Song troops on Shandong Road is likely to reach 200,000!
What are so many troops doing in Shandong?
Just to worship Confucius?
Of course, undercurrents are not only surging in Shandong, but also under the calm surface of Jinling City, the capital of Wu State, there are undercurrents everywhere.
First of all, the "Tube Factory", "Explosion Pot Factory", "Gunpowder Factory", "Armor Factory" and "God's Arm Crossbow Factory" managed by the Ordnance Room of the Privy Council are all working day and night to make various weapons, ammunition and arrowheads. Even during the Chinese New Year, the craftsmen were not allowed to take a break, and they were even offered five times the wage to make the craftsmen work overtime.
Secondly, Zhao Huan promulgated the "Edict for Recruiting Vietnam" on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, established the Annan Road Camp, Navy and Army Capital, General Manager, Strategy and Recruitment Department, and ordered the prince Zhao Chen to go out to pacify the army and serve as the commander-in-chief of the capital, and ordered Su Wang Zhaoshu served as the deputy general manager of the capital. At the same time, he also ordered the prince Zhao Chen to promote Guangdong and Guangxi, and Zhao Chen's teacher He Su was appointed as the transit ambassador of Guangdong and Guangxi... In other words, Zhao Huan had already transferred the military and political power of Guangdong and Guangxi, including the navy and land army. They were all handed over to his son Zhao Chen!
Zhao Huan's son Zhao Chen is no ordinary prince. He is not only a violent prince raised after Zhao Kai, a tyrant, but he also has a full set of full-time East Palace officials.
The original rule of the Song Dynasty was to "suspicious everything". Everyone looked like the ancestor (Zhao Kuangyin). Military generals had to be on guard, while civil servants could not directly touch military power. Princes had to be trained as artists, and even the prince who was preparing to succeed him was sitting on the throne. The moment before the dragon chair is placed, it must be circled, but His Royal Highness cannot be allowed to have a large group of personal soldiers and officials, otherwise there is no guarantee that the prince will not wear a yellow robe...
Zhao Chen was the first prince to truly have his own soldiers and a full set of subordinate officials.
This complete set of Dong Palace officials is a lot of institutions! There is a "mentor group" headed by "Third Wife" and "Three Young Masters". There are attendants called guests of the prince. There is the Zhan Shifu, which is in charge of the officials and government affairs of the East Palace. There was Zuo Chunfang who assisted the prince in issuing orders and delivering documents. There are also a lot of bureaucracies in charge of the prince's food, clothing, housing and transportation. In addition, the three temples in the East Palace... are not temples for burning incense and worshiping Buddha, but Jialing Temple, Shugeng Temple, and Pu Temple, which are in charge of the property of the East Palace.
In addition to the above civil service systems, Zhao Huan also prepared a military attache system for Zhao Chen - Shi Ling Fu. Zhao Chen's 3,000 young new army was led by Shi Ling Fu. Each army had only 300 troops, which was only equivalent to one Battalion, but equipped with a general officer. The ten rate officers were all from Wu Jinshi background, and had led soldiers in the New Army and had actual combat experience.
If we take into account the high quality of the Young New Army itself, with the tenth rate of the East Palace as the base, it is enough to support an army of tens of thousands of people.
On the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhao Chen's East Palace subordinate officers, the East Palace Ten Commands, and 3,000 young new troops all gathered in the corridor inside Yuejiang Gate. Everyone was packed up, and some of them were accompanied by their family members. However, the family members did not wait in the corridor of Yuejiangmen, but boarded the ship anchored at the Yuejiangmen Pier in advance.
Zhao Chen bid farewell to Zhao Huan and Zhu Lian in the Xuanwu Hall inside the Xuanwu Gate of the north gate of the palace.
Zhao Huan, Zhao Chen, and Zhu Lian were all crying so much that they were almost in tears... parting for life or death!
Zhao Chen has traveled thousands of miles and may never come back in this life. Can he not be sad? If he is a good Crown Prince of the Southern Song Dynasty, he might become a Nanyang official. What is this?
Zhao Huan was even more sad... His son ran away, when could he run away? He is experienced in running away. The key lies in two points. One is to be resolute and decisive... You can't listen to the nonsense of those officials, otherwise you won't be able to run away!
Second, someone has to take over!
The late Emperor Zhuangzong hesitated for a moment and did not lead his ministers to force Zhao Kai to the dragon chair and put him in a yellow robe, so he died for his country. Otherwise, he would be the one who is now enjoying himself in Jinling City.
With such a lesson, Zhao Huan will certainly not make the same mistake again... And the person who was chosen by him is now sitting next to him crying!
Yes, it’s Zhu Lian, the concubine of King Wu!
In order to let Zhu Lian stay in Jinling City with peace of mind, Zhao Huan worked hard to hold hands with her in the past two months, and finally made Zhu Lian, who was in his thirties, pregnant again.
Being pregnant, of course it is inconvenient to run away... If a son is born, it will be used to fill Zhao Chen's vacancy.
Zhao Huan had twelve sons. In addition to the eldest son Zhao Chen, the second son Zhao Jin, the fourth son (the third son died in infancy) Zhao Yi, and the sixth son (the fifth son also died) Zhao Xun were all older. Zhao Huan was ready to take them away together. As for the other sons and daughters, they will stay in Jinling City and be taken care of by Zhu Lian.
The twelve sons took away four, leaving only eight... If one more could come out, making up exactly nine, then the nine roads of the Wu Kingdom would be divided into nine small kingdoms. Zhao Huan Each of his nine sons has a country!
In other words, even if we have to run a long way, we must not let go of the domestic benefits!
Zhao Huan's wishful thinking is gone.
Zhu Lian, who was "entrusted with a great responsibility" by Zhao Huan, cried and said to his son at this time: "Dalang, you are a good man. You should be ambitious in all directions. Don't think about your mother. She is guarding Jinling." , it will be okay, you should take more care in the south!"
What she said was not unfounded. In the letter written to her by her sister Zhu Fengying, she had already given full assurance that Zhao Kai would guarantee the status of Zhao Huan's heirs and their descendants as vassal kings... Even without real power, a title of prince and the wealth of being separated from the country can still be guaranteed.
In addition, Zhao Kai also promised to let Zhu Lian stay in Jinling, continue to live in the Jinling Palace, and also own all the properties held by Zhao Huan's Fengzhuangku... As long as Zhao Kai is given three hundred yuan every year Just a 10,000 bonus will be enough.
Therefore, Zhu Lian is relatively at ease now, and is willing to sit in Jinling on behalf of Zhao Huan and Zhao Chen to fight against Zhao Kai after their father and son Zhao Huan and Zhao Chen leave...
Zhao Huan wiped his tears and said, "I originally wanted to keep Da Lang and you to spend the New Year in Jinling before leaving, but unfortunately the sea breeze blows north in spring, and it will be inconvenient to go south by then."
In fact, the reason why Zhao Huan asked his son to leave quickly was not entirely because of the wind direction, but because he hoped that the ships that sent Zhao Huan south could return to Guazhou Port in Jiangdu (Yangzhou) as soon as possible. After the New Year, Zhao Huan would go to Jiangdu in the name of preventing pirates and personally direct the defense of the Huaihe River... Maybe he could defend it?
If it can be defended, then Zhao Huan can continue to be his emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Chen can also return north to Jinling, and Zhu Lian does not have to worry about being captured by Zhao Kai...
The family can be with He Meimei again!
Thinking of this, Zhao Huan sighed again and said with tears: "It's getting late...it's time to set off! Chen'er, my father will send you to the boat!"
Climb aboard... and go colonize!
When father and son Zhao Huan and Zhao Chen walked out of Xuanwu Gate crying, the corridor between Xuanwu Gate and Yuejiang Gate was already full of crying.
Running from the good Jiangnan to Lingnan...this is not over yet. I have to go to Vietnam, Champa, Chenla and Srivijaya in the future. It makes me sad just thinking about it!
...
At the same time, far away in Linhuang Mansion City on Beijing Road in the Kingdom of Jin, Wanyan Zonghan, Wanyan Zongxian, Wanyan Xiebao, and Wanyan Zongxian's sons were all shedding tears in the left-behind mansion!
They are sad too!
What a great place is that at the foot of Daxingan Mountains, on Beijing Road to the east of Thousand Miles of Pine Forest? I have to leave now. After the New Year, I have to leave as soon as spring begins and the grassland is full of green. And he didn’t know where he was going. He only knew that he had to cross the endless prairie and climb mountains and ridges before finally reaching his temporary foothold, Luntai City.
After recuperating in Luntai City, they have to continue on the road, either to Baghdad or Rome... The name is weird, it must not be a good place!
But it’s impossible not to go, but it’s impossible not to go. Because of the combination of “Dwarf Fort” and “Camel Tube”, life in the Great Jin Kingdom is getting harder and harder! Not only is it difficult to pass the Yanshan Pass in the south, but there are also many short-legged forts with "camel tubes" on the Monan grassland...
