AWB Chapter 306 The Northern Expeditions of the Song Dynasty
Chapter 306 The Northern Expeditions of the Song Dynasty
"We're both envoys, yet others dare to ask such questions, while our Song Dynasty is inexplicably looked down upon. Don't ask why; it's simply because our military is too weak!!!"
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: (??? ? ??? )……
Lin Ke sighed, then continued, "But Emperor Huizong had no choice but to agree to this sum of 200,000 taels for military expenses."
"But the people in the court were naive. They didn't expect that the Jurchens would take the money and do nothing, and that Xijing had no intention of being given to the Song Dynasty. It was truly a free gift."
"However, Prime Minister Wang Fu hoped to finish this matter quickly so that he could have some fun and show off his achievements, so the Han territory was handed over in April of that year."
A Song Dynasty official: ...These people are beyond saving...
A certain romantic scholar from the Tang Dynasty: Just for a laughable achievement, they disregarded the enormous cost the Song Dynasty paid!
"As for the several prefectures that the Song Dynasty had taken over, the Jurchens had been there for half a year. They considered them their own and knew that the Song Dynasty would soon take them over. They believed that it was foolish not to take advantage of the situation."
"They looted the city thoroughly, and the residents fled. They practically ransacked the entire city, taking with them the wealthy, their gold and silk, and their children before leaving."
"To be honest, the Song Dynasty gave a lot of money and manpower to these prefectures. The two consecutive defeats in the campaigns against Liao have greatly damaged the Song Dynasty's national strength. In the end, all they got back were these empty cities. What a huge loss!"
"Furthermore, there's another problem. Yanjing Circuit encompasses one capital and six prefectures. In the fifth year of the Xuanhe era, the Song Dynasty led 100,000 Song troops into the city, but the defense lines for these prefectures along Yanyun Circuit were stretched too far."
"So, does that mean the Song army has to distribute its forces to these frontline defenses? Are 100,000 men really enough?"
"Furthermore, the Song Dynasty's several diplomatic and military defeats have given it a weak and ineffective image. So, once the Liao Dynasty is gone, Zhao Ji, why don't you guess who the Jurchens will target next?"
Emperor Yizong of Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Ji: ...Danger! Danger!
Judy, the General Who Conquers the North: I'm afraid they'll decide to attack the Song Dynasty soon!
A bystander in the Ming Dynasty: ...We have absolutely no advantage, and we can't even win a fight...
A romantic scholar from the Tang Dynasty: So in the end, the main force fled south and settled in a remote corner of the country.
The optimist Su Dongpo: ...I really didn't expect that in just twenty years, the Northern Song Dynasty would come to an end.
……
During the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty
Emperor Huizong looked on in disbelief. Could his Song Dynasty ever have fallen into such a state?
Was allying with the Jin to destroy the Liao really a foolish move?
A wave of panic washed over him. How could he possibly bear the responsibility of being the ruler of a fallen kingdom?
Thinking of this, he closed his eyes. He had only recently ascended the throne, and the political situation was not yet that bad.
But does he still have a chance?
……
Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty
Upon hearing this, Zhu Di had absolutely no idea what Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, was up to!
Negotiations can go wrong, and war can go wrong too!
Why did they have to put that eunuch Tong Guan in charge? Were they out of their minds, or had the Zhao family been poisoned by cinnabar?!
He's so angry he could die! He might as well find a block of tofu and smash his head against it!
……
In another timeline, Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu, and Empress Dowager Xiang had several question marks slowly appearing above their heads!
This is their future, this is the future of their Song Dynasty!?
But! There's absolutely no indication that this kid will become an official like this in the future!?
……
Back to the live broadcast room.
Lin Ke sighed and continued, "So what can I say? Tong Guan and the others took over empty cities. Can that be considered an achievement?"
"Clearly, this could not be considered an achievement. On the contrary, these six prefectures became a burden on the Song Dynasty. The two large-scale campaigns against Liao both ended in disastrous defeats, and the manpower and material resources involved were considerable expenses."
"Not only did they reclaim the devastated city, but they also further weakened the already weak Song Dynasty. If the Jurchens were to attack the Song in a short period of time, they would probably be unable to resist."
"For example, after the handover of Yanjing was completed, the Song Dynasty had no money left to reward the Ever Victorious Army soldiers, so they could only let them occupy the uninhabited fields in Yanjing."
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty: The Song Dynasty ran out of money…
A Tang Dynasty official said: "After all, we have to pay a large sum of money to the Jurchens again!"
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: (?°?д°?)……
Judy, the Grand General Who Conquers the North: This place wasn't conquered by them... how can they possibly have a say in anything?!
Emperor Zhezong of Northern Song, Zhao Xu (speechless): ...
……
"Following the maritime alliance, Emperor Huizong of Song bestowed titles and ranks upon officials such as Wang Fu, Tong Guan, Cai You, and Zhao Liangsi, who had contributed to the negotiations with the Jin dynasty, as meritorious officials."
"Not only that, there are also monuments for those annoying officials, such as the Yuanyou Party Members Stele, and naturally there are also those they like and promote, such as the 'Restoration of Yanyun Stele' used to sing their praises."
"The Maritime Alliance has now concluded, but as mentioned before, the Yan-Yun region acquired by the Song Dynasty was not complete."
"Among them, there was a man named Zhang Jue in Pingzhou, who was originally the deputy military governor of Liaoxing Army in this area."
"During the turmoil at the end of the Liao Dynasty, he secretly accumulated strength and controlled Pingzhou. Later, he surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, and the Jin people allowed him to continue to govern the area without taking any action against him."
"In August of the fifth year of the Xuanhe era (1123 AD), Emperor Taizu of Jin, Wanyan Aguda, passed away, and his younger brother, Wanyan Sheng, ascended the throne as Emperor Taizong of Jin."
A spoiled young master from the Song Dynasty: ...I never imagined the Liao Dynasty would just disappear like that...
A farming expert from the Tang Dynasty: The key is that the Song Dynasty didn't actually contribute much; it was all thanks to the Jurchens!
General Judy, the Conqueror of the North: Besides the existing problems, Emperor Huizong of Song himself really bears most of the responsibility!
A Han Dynasty official: I've never seen anything like this before... It's utterly pathetic...
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: "They outlived Wanyan Aguda, and the Jurchens actually had his brother ascend the throne?!"
……
"After Emperor Taizong of Jin, Wanyan Sheng, ascended the throne, he immediately ordered the relocation of all Liao Dynasty officials who had surrendered, as well as residents of Yanjing, to their territory."
"But the Liao officials are willing, and the people of Yanjing are doing just fine; they have no desire to go to the north."
"After all, the people of Yanjing have lived here for many years, and they are unwilling to suddenly have to go to the north. However, at this time, an awkward problem arises."
"The fields in Yanjing have been occupied by Guo Yaoshi's ever-victorious army. Even if these people of Yanjing return home, they may not be able to live the same life as before."
"So when this group of Yanjing residents passed through Pingzhou and heard about Zhang Jue's deeds, they urged him to surrender to the Song Dynasty. Perhaps their purpose was this: Yanjing is now under the Song Dynasty, so if they become Song Dynasty citizens again, wouldn't they have a reason to return to Yanjing?!"
Zhang Jue: ? ? Am I part of your play?
A general from the Han Dynasty: If Emperor Huizong of Song agrees, isn't he afraid the Jin people will cause trouble? Isn't this a violation of the alliance?
A farming expert from the Tang Dynasty: What a pitiful bunch! But why couldn't they go back to the Song Dynasty? Why did they have to go with the Jurchens?!
A scion of a prominent family in the Ming Dynasty: Because the Song-Jin alliance stipulated that surrendered people could not be taken in, Yanjing can only be considered as something the Song Dynasty bought from the Jin people, so theoretically it belongs to them.
First Emperor: Ha... Bought back with money...
Liu Zhuzhu of the Great Han Dynasty: All those men were wasted on the campaign against Liao! Not only did they fail to win back the Liao, but they also squandered all the money they had made! What a spendthrift Emperor Huizong of Zhao!
Everyone in the Song Dynasty: ?_?…