Chapter 869 - 74: Breaking Kaifeng, The End of Song (Part 1)

"Ka... Kaifeng..." He finally squeezed out those two words, his voice filled with incredulous terror.

Kaifeng, that was the Longxing land of the Great Song, where the ancestral temples stood. Though not the capital today, its symbolic meaning was immeasurably great!

If Kaifeng were to fall, it would be no different from grinding the Great Song’s face and very foundation beneath one’s heel!

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, take care of the imperial dragon body!" Qin Hui was the first to react, dropping to his knees with a thud. His voice carried a sobbing tone, yet could not conceal his inner panic. "I... we deserve ten thousand deaths! To have let the barbarian raiders run so rampant!"

"It is all because the commanders at the front are incompetent, delaying military decisions..."

"Incompetent? Delaying military decisions?!" Vice Director of the Secretariat Wang Shu could no longer hold back; his beard and hair bristled as he cut in harshly, "Had it not been for you lot deceiving the Emperor’s ears, driving out the loyal and upright, withholding border pay, so that the armaments decayed and the soldiers’ hearts grew cold—how would there be today’s calamity?!"

"That Wanyan Digü’s landing at Donglai is not of yesterday—have you ever truly taken it seriously?"

"Have you ever dispatched elite troops and capable generals in time to encircle and annihilate him?!"

"Vice Director Wang! This is a time of dire peril; how can it be the moment for mutual denunciations!" Wan Qixie shrilled back. "The urgent affair now is to send troops at once and relieve Kaifeng!"

"Send troops? From where are the troops to come? Where is the grain and fodder?" Zhao Ding spoke, grief-stricken and bitter. "The forces of Jing Lake are still on the road; the armies of Shaanxi are being held down by Tubo; the elite of the Two Huai are scattered to various places... In such haste, how many can even be transferred to Kaifeng?"

"And who can command them?"

Zhao Ding’s grief-stricken questioning was like a heavy hammer striking every heart; the hall fell into an even more awkward silence.

From where are the troops to come?

Who is there to be the general?

This question, aimed directly at the core, rendered all quarrels pale and powerless.

In this dead stillness, an Imperial Censor, known always for his uprightness, low in rank yet with considerable repute for integrity, suddenly stepped out and spoke in a ringing voice: "Your Majesty! My lords!"

"The present situation is no longer something ordinary commanders can cope with!"

"If we are to turn back the raging tide at the brink of collapse, we must invite the Gu Clan of Julu out of seclusion!"

At these words, the whole hall was shocked!

Unmindful of the astonished gazes, that Imperial Censor continued his impassioned speech: "Though the Gu Clan has already withdrawn from the world, their disciples and old associates are spread throughout the realm, and their prestige in both army and among the people is profound!"

"If we can invite the Gu Clan to come forth and, with their reputation, issue a high call, then the loyal troops who now merely watch and wait in various places will surely gather in response like clouds!"

"With their stratagems to oversee the whole situation, which power in all directions would dare not retreat?"

"With their incorruptibility to rectify officialdom and manage grain pay, how could military supplies be lacking?!"

"At this autumn of life and death for the city, only the Gu Clan can stabilize the overall situation, lift the siege of Kaifeng, and pacify the chaos in the Four Quarters!"

Once these words fell, the entire Chuigong Hall fell silent again!

But before Zhao Gou could say anything,

a chorus of rebukes erupted at once.

"Absurd!" Qin Hui jumped out first, his voice sharp, laced with barely concealed panic. "The Gu Clan has already gone into seclusion—how can they be lightly disturbed?"

"Once such a precedent is set, where will the court’s majesty be placed?!"

"Are we to say that the Great Song’s rivers and mountains cannot do without that Gu Clan?"

"Moreover, the Gu Clan has long been absent from the court and does not understand the current situation. If they hastily come down from the mountain and—if... if anything goes awry, who will bear that responsibility?!"

He never once mentioned the Gu Clan’s capability, only desperately hammering on "the court’s majesty" and "unknown risks."

And as soon as his voice stopped, someone instantly followed up.

"What Chancellor Qin says is entirely right!" Wan Qixie promptly echoed. "The Gu Clan’s influence is too great. If they seize the chance to draw power to themselves, I fear it will become a tail too big to be wagged!"

"The disaster of regional warlords in previous dynasties must not be overlooked!"

"By then, we might not be driving away wolves, but inviting tigers!"

"Does Your Majesty truly wish to stay long in the Chuigong Hall, ignorant of all affairs?"

"..."

Voices of rebuttal burst forth all at once.

Plainly, before this, these people had not a small amount of discord among themselves; yet the moment the words "Gu Clan" were uttered, all those disputes were instantly pushed down.

There was nothing to be done—they were all afraid of being held to account.

This mountain of the Gu Clan was, for everyone present, the most critical taboo.

There was no one who did not fear being held to account.

In their eyes,

even if the Great Song truly were to perish, given the influence of their families, they might not necessarily fall to the point of annihilation of clan and race.

But if the Gu Clan came down from the mountain, then they were certain to suffer annihilation of clan and race.

Because what they had done was indeed far too excessive.

Hearing these words, the flicker of intent in Zhao Gou’s eyes instantly cooled.

"What you all... say also has reason."

"The court... has not yet reached the end of the road. I... I trust that with the soldiers’ devotion, they can surely repel the barbarian raiders."

"The Gu Clan is a house of recluses; there is no need... to disturb them."

He spoke slowly, making his decision.

This is the impact that power brings.

Once one has tasted the flavor of power, unless he is a man of great resolve, it is impossible to put it down easily.

Even Zhao Gou knew clearly that even if the Gu Clan reappeared, his own position would not be affected in the slightest.

But as Emperor, what he cares about is not merely the power to control others.

There is also that dignity unique to the Emperor.

If he were truly to invite the Gu Clan out of seclusion again, would that not be admitting to the whole world that he is a muddle-headed ruler?

Zhao Gou would never admit such a thing.

The Great Song under his rule is still great!

His achievements are not inferior to any other Emperor!

Perhaps because the ministers at court have ceaselessly flattered him, this notion has long taken deep root in Zhao Gou’s heart; he absolutely cannot bow his head to the Gu Clan and admit his mistakes!

A council on a matter concerning the very survival of the Great Song thus came to an end under such circumstances.

And in the end Zhao Gou also made a decision he believed to be wise.

He urgently ordered part of the Imperial Guard Forbidden Army stationed in Yingtian Prefecture to march north, to strengthen the defenses of Kaifeng, including support from local garrisons for Kaifeng.

Zhao Gou truly believed this to be wise.

The Imperial Guard Forbidden Army of Yingtian Prefecture were, on the surface, the elite troops of the Great Song.

Added to that were the local garrisons.

How could they possibly fail to stop a mere Jurchen Alliance Army?

Perhaps precisely because of Yue Fei’s existence, Zhao Gou had formed a fixed impression of the strength of these Jurchen Alliance troops, thinking they were nothing much.

Yet he had never considered... that before Yue Fei, these Jurchen Alliance forces had always held the advantage!

.....

The situation shifted ceaselessly.

The wisest move Wanyan Digü made on this campaign was without doubt his strict prohibition against his soldiers engaging in large-scale plunder.

Just this alone is enough to reveal his ambition.

Previously he had allowed these men to loot freely, because he had never thought of taking root in the Central Plains.

But now?

This was him buying popular support.

So that not everyone, when facing this Jurchen Alliance Army, would hold a resolve to fight to the death.

And the effect of this measure was exceedingly successful.

All along the way, the Jurchen Alliance Army met almost no serious resistance, and advanced swiftly all the way to beneath the walls of Kaifeng City.

The court’s inhumanity had long since stirred up far too much resentment.

With Wanyan Digü’s explicit overtures, who would still be willing to die for such a court?

Moreover, this former world capital, the Great Song’s land of Longxing, though no longer as prosperous as in ages past, still had mighty walls and a wide moat.

Yet the garrison upon the ramparts looked flustered and uneasy.

This was where Zhao Gou erred.

Back when the Gu Clan held power, these Forbidden Army troops of Yingtian Prefecture might well have been called the foremost force of the age.

But that was only then.

Now these Forbidden Army units have entirely become gilding grounds for the sons of those in power, and all the fat within them has long since been carved up; how much fighting power can such an army still exert?

—Half a month!

Yes, only half a month!

This city of Longxing of the Great Song was utterly trampled under the iron hooves of the Jurchen Alliance Army.

The news spread, and the realm was shaken!

And that was not all—

Wanyan Digü then did something that left everyone utterly astonished: he did not destroy the Great Song’s ancestral temples, but with the rites of a subject, offered sacrifice to the successive former Emperors of the Great Song and to the five generations of Grand Tutors from the Gu Clan.

And during the ritual, he enumerated the crimes of the court before them, with the core accusation pointing straight at the Emperor Zhao Gou!

He not only branded him a muddle-headed ruler, but also placed upon him the label of unfilial!

He declared to the whole realm his determination to vie for the throne of All-under-Heaven!

The news spread, and Kyushu was shaken!

Northern Border.

Looking at the letter secretly delivered to him, Gu Hui let out a deep breath and slowly turned to the already barely restrained fury of Yue Fei: "Pengju..."

"Our chance... has come!"...

....

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