Chapter 1 The End of the Spring

As the spring of Jianyan Year 10 came to an end, almost everyone in the world, from north to south, east to west, from Mongolia to Goryeo, and even the Jurchens themselves, seemed to share a common understanding.

The Great Jin Dynasty was, in effect, already finished.

The ten-year war between the Song and Jin dynasties was over.

However, the defining moment of this war's end, or the so-called fall of the Great Jin, was destined to be a subject of endless debate.

Some said that the Jin Dynasty was a tribal alliance, founded on military prowess, so when Zhao Guan Jia (Emperor Zhao) ordered a full-scale assault on the third day of the second month, the nation was effectively destroyed beyond doubt.

Others argued that the Jin Dynasty was only regarded as a legitimate state because it had entered Han territory, adopted certain Han systems, and gained a degree of institutional and popular support. Therefore, the true sign of the Jin Dynasty's demise was when the Jurchens abandoned Yanjing, the so-called national exodus from Han lands, and their return to the northern frontiers.

Still others claimed that the Jin Dynasty ended when Wanyan Wushu ventured south to Cangzhou, only to be unceremoniously beheaded by Zhao Guan Jia without even getting to taste a *huoshao* (baked wheat cake)... because Wanyan Wushu was the last Jin statesman with strategic vision, military experience, and political acumen, and the de facto commander of the Jin forces in the later stages of the Song-Jin War.

However, considering that the Jin Dynasty still held thousands of miles of territory beyond the Great Wall, possessed six major tribes and over two hundred minor Jurchen tribes, maintained a certain reserve of armaments and countless gold and silver treasures, and, more importantly, still had a ruler, a ruling prince, two chief ministers, several ministers, and several generals… well, all things considered… there were still some who, clinging to procedural correctness, believed that the Jin Dynasty had not yet fallen and that the Song-Jin War was not over.

In late March and early April, as Lü Yihao, surrounded by tens of thousands of armored soldiers, returned to Yanjing, this Grand Commander of Hebei became the central figure of this stage of the Northern Expedition. Qin Wang (Prince of Qin) Han Shizhong, who had arrived earlier, voluntarily yielded the former Shangshu Tai (Ministry of State Affairs) of the Liao Dynasty. Lü, the Grand Commander, promptly established a temporary Grand Commander's Office there and, in accordance with previous decrees, began extensive work. Countless administrative orders were issued from this location.

Zhao Guan Jia, who was slowly heading north along the coastline after leaving the Yellow River, also fully cooperated by issuing decrees, granting almost every request from Yanjing.

Yanshan Circuit was re-established, with Lü Yihao concurrently serving as the Pacification Commissioner, without a doubt. Datong Circuit was formally established, and Ren Baozhong and others received their official appointments as Pacification Commissioners. However, the proposals from the Tokyo (Eastern Capital) regarding the Pacification Commissioners of Hedong Circuit, Hebei East Circuit, and Hebei West Circuit were all rejected, and military control was maintained under the name of the Grand Commander's Office.

This last point caused some ripples in the officialdom of Tokyo and local areas, and the waves were growing.

Soon, as countless documents of appointment and removal were directly issued from the Grand Commander's Office in Yanjing, the local officials who had surrendered north of the Yellow River began to be formally screened based on their 'performance in spring plowing'. Approximately forty percent of the officials were allowed to remain in their posts, while the *jinshi* (successful candidates in the imperial examinations) who inspected the spring plowing, those participating in the Northern Expedition as advisors, and the literate military officers began to be widely transferred to local positions.

This meant that the Tokyo officialdom had gained almost none of the rewards they had most eagerly anticipated from this Northern Expedition.

However, the interesting thing was that the emotions, which should have been filled with anger and dissatisfaction, were clearly mixed with a sense of fear and trepidation… Moreover, this fear seemed to outweigh the dissatisfaction and anger.

In short, after ten years of effort, according to the prevailing understanding of the time, the high-ranking Emperor rightfully took and enjoyed the largest share of the credit and prestige.

Now, in this feudal empire steeped in Confucian values, no one could question this Emperor anymore. In the currents of time and history, guided by power, Zhao Jiu of Cangzhou had become an anchor, a fixed point.

In Tokyo and Hebei, civil and military officials were only worried about being abandoned by the Emperor, and had no right to be angry or dissatisfied.

Perhaps that was why Zhao Guan Jia was so reckless, allowing Yanjing to encroach on the authority of Tokyo, while he himself didn't even show his face, but instead went along the river and into the sea, doing some absurd things.

On the third day of the fourth month, Zhao Guan Jia, who had genuinely performed ancestral rites in Cangzhou, continued north into the Yanjing Prefecture region (which at this time included most of later Tianjin). After arriving at the Ju River, he immediately issued an edict abolishing the title of Daming Prefecture as the Northern Capital, renaming Yanjing as Beijing. At the same time, he appointed Yue Fei as commander and Yelu Yu Du as deputy commander, to lead the Eastern Mongolian and Goryeo armies, cross the border in pursuit of the Jin ruler, advance to the Liao region, and sweep through the northern territories.

At this point, everyone finally understood the final clemency that Zhao Guan Jia had granted to the Jin Dynasty after Wushu's death—Liao Wang (Prince of Liao), the Great Crown Prince, Wanyan Wubenn, must die.

Only after his death would the Jurchens be given another chance to come and hear the conditions.

"So, Wanyan Wushu knelt for an entire afternoon, not even daring to ask for a *huoshao*, and in the end, this was the result?"

Inside Yanjing City, within the Shangshu Tai, Qin Wang Han Shizhong put down the relevant documents after reading them behind his desk, suddenly let go of them, and then turned to smile at the people beside him. "Once Wanyan Wubenn is dead, wouldn't it be Er Lu Guan and Talan who take over? At that time, wouldn't we be able to deal with the Jin Dynasty however we want?"

"Not only that."

Xing Wang (Prince of Xing) Ma Kuo shook his head in response. "Now that the Jin Dynasty has abandoned the Yanyun aristocratic clans and gone beyond the Great Wall, if there is still a court structure, then it is one where Wanyan Wubenn makes all the decisions, but the military power has already been divided into the direct line of the Wanyan clan and the other Jurchen tribes… Guan Jia's intention, I fear, is to continue to dissect them, forcing out chaos, and removing the Wanyan clan from within the Jin Dynasty."

"If that's the case, then the Jin Dynasty will truly be destroyed from the inside out, root and branch," Han Shizhong said with a strange sense of感慨 (*gan kai*, mixed feelings of sadness and sentimentality).

"Isn't it good for them to be destroyed from the inside out, root and branch?"

Just then, Lü Yihao's voice suddenly came from outside the hall. The generals below Han Shizhong turned to look, and sure enough, they saw the Grand Commander Lü, whose expression had been much brighter in recent days, walking in with a cane. Behind him were also the Minister of Works, Hu Yin Hu Mingzhong, and the civil officials Fan Zongyin, Yu Yunwen, and others, who all stepped forward to greet and pay their respects.

Not entirely unexpectedly, Lü Yihao treated Han Shizhong and Ma Kuo with courtesy, and then slowly turned to the main seat, and it was not until this Grand Commander directly opened the documents that had already been placed on the table and began to write instructions that the civil and military officials below Han and Hu took their seats and continued the previous topic.

"Where is Prime Minister Lü's mind wandering?" Han Shizhong said, holding his belt in the seat. "I was just thinking about Wanyan Wushu's appearance before his death… According to what Cheng Min told me when he came back, Wanyan Wushu, a dignified ruling prince of a country, knelt in front of Guan Jia for half a day, not daring to say a word, not even daring to ask for a *huoshao* to his face… Saying he didn't want to ask, and didn't dare to ask… It's really laughable!"

"What's so laughable? Isn't that human nature?"

Hu Yin said expressionlessly. "He was somewhat unconvinced in his heart, and still had some spirit of facing death, so he was unwilling to beg for food, and didn't want to humbly ask for mercy for the Jin Dynasty… But after all, he came to surrender when he was at the end of his rope, and wanted to exchange his life for a glimmer of hope, so he didn't dare to show any extra expression, fearing that if he did something wrong, he would end up losing his life for nothing… He was so afraid of the Jin Dynasty's future that he dared not even hear about it."

"Indeed."

Ma Kuo nodded heavily. "If you put it that way, Guan Jia actually understood Wushu's intentions, and was just waiting for Wushu to speak…"

"Waiting for more than an hour?"

Lü Yihao flipped through several documents on the table in front of him and suddenly sneered. "You are princes and ministers, and this is all the insight you have?"

Ma Kuo immediately shut his mouth, Han and Hu were also helpless, and even Fan Zongyin and others, who were about to speak, fell silent… Of course, they knew that Lü Yihao himself had no malice, but was simply in the habit of doing so… But fortunately, it was them, fortunately, they were still in the final stages of the Northern Expedition. If Wang Yan was here, or if it was in ordinary times, this one sentence would have created a pair of enemies.

"What does Prime Minister Lü think Guan Jia was considering?"

After a moment, Han Shizhong, with a strong sense of ownership, reopened the topic… After all, although the other party was a Prime Minister, a Grand Commander, and old and in poor health, and needed to be respected, he was not really afraid of him at this point.

"What could Guan Jia be considering?"

Lü Yihao continued to look through the documents, shaking his head in response. "Nothing more than that he knew Wushu's thoughts from the beginning, as you said, and prepared to wait a little, but later, after waiting for a long time, he was moved by the scene, and became no different from the other party, and became afraid of the future in his heart…"

Hearing the last words, Hu Yin's heart stirred slightly, while everyone else was stunned.

"What is Guan Jia afraid of?" Han Shizhong was momentarily stunned, then panicked for no reason.

"You, His Highness Prince Qin, Marshal Han Yuan, the Emperor's backbone, what are you afraid of?" Lü Yihao suddenly looked up, staring at this top military official with a mocking smile.

Han Shizhong immediately held his belt, puffed out his chest, and laughed back: "Look at what Prime Minister Lü is saying, how can I also become afraid?"

But after laughing, for some reason, Han Shizhong's heart was even more flustered, and even the smile gradually disappeared.

"What could he be afraid of?"

Lü Yihao picked up his pen and continued to read and approve documents, then continued to shake his head. "To be a minister of the highest rank, the best in the world, Prince Qin is not enough, so he also adds a commandery prince title to the brothers in the army… Isn't this enough to make one feel fear from the bottom of one's heart?"

Han Shizhong wanted to speak but stopped, Ma Kuo also vaguely understood, and even Fan Zongyin, Yu Yunwen, and others lowered their heads.

And Lü Yihao continued to mutter, rambling:

"And, in addition to worldly wealth, there are also meritorious names, and that so-called 'drawing the sword in drunken revelry'…

"You, Han Liangchen, have also read books, and you should know that if the *Song Shi* (History of the Song Dynasty) is compiled in the future, you, Han Shizhong, will probably have a separate biography. If a *Southern Song History* and a *Northern Song History* are separated, then you might be able to rank in the top three of the biographies in the *Northern Song History*…"

"At most the top five…" Han Shizhong couldn't help but interject.

"Top five is top five." Lü Yihao didn't care. "But regardless of whether it's the top three or the top five, can you really properly hold on to this wealth and fame until death?

"How much stuff you have in your belly, don't you know?

"What if your descendants cause trouble, what if you don't keep up with Guan Jia's footsteps in the next thirty years… what if you end up with a tarnished reputation in your later years, what will you do?

"It's cold at the top… Prince Qin, Marshal Han Yuan, are you really not afraid?"

Han Shizhong initially wanted to interject again, but in the end, he remained silent for a while, then slowly put down the hand holding his belt, and stroked his knee for a while, feeling embarrassed: "Prime Minister Lü's words are clear, how can Shizhong not be afraid?"

Hearing these words, Yu Yunwen, who had arrived here the day before yesterday to deliver the imperial decree, buried his head even lower.

"You see… you are so afraid of your meritorious achievements, what about Guan Jia? Aren't Guan Jia's meritorious achievements even heavier than Mount Tai? Then how can he not be afraid?" Yu Yunwen was afraid, but some people were not afraid. Lü Yihao raised his head and responded calmly, as if it were just a casual conversation.

Little did he know that everyone in the hall, including several civil and military officials of the highest rank, as well as clerks and other middle-level officials, had long been holding their breaths and dared not make any extra movements.

"But I am afraid of being separated from Guan Jia, what is Guan Jia afraid of?" Han Shizhong paused for a moment and took the initiative to ask, he was truly curious.

"Guan Jia is also afraid of being separated from you," Hu Yin suddenly interjected. "Too close causes trouble, too far causes suspicion, causing the ruler and his subjects to feel uneasy… So, if Guan Jia does something crazy one day, don't be suspicious, it may just be that he lost his composure out of fear."

"Indeed," Ma Kuo seemed to have remembered something, and was momentarily filled with感慨 (*gan kai*, mixed feelings of sadness and sentimentality). "Some things are destined to be unclear… And 300,000 Imperial Guards are still a bit too many. After this Jin crisis, I'm afraid we'll have to make a painful decision."

Han Shizhong also nodded slightly.

"This has always been the case," Fan Zongyin couldn't help but say. "The word on the street is… Prince Qin, Prince Jin, or Prince Wei may take over as Chief Councilor, enter the Secret Pavilion. The title of Marshal is just a formality, and the three Commandery Princes, Zhenrong, Longde, and Longxi, also seem to have something in store."

These words immediately caused a commotion in the hall.

"You underestimate Guan Jia too much," Lü Yihao allowed the hall to be chaotic for a while, only lowering his head to deal with the last remaining document. After finishing the approval and putting down his pen, he感慨 (*gan kai*, mixed feelings of sadness and sentimentality) in the seat, and as soon as he opened his mouth, the hall fell silent. "Of course Guan Jia is also afraid of not being able to maintain the friendship between ruler and subject, but is Guan Jia not afraid of how to govern, how to explain the handling of the two rivers to Tokyo? Is he not afraid of how to deal with the devastated lands of Hebei? Is he not afraid of how to explain to the southeast that they have to wait until Hebei is stable and the Jin Dynasty is completely destroyed before increasing taxes? If he is not afraid, why would he hide away to repair the Yellow River?"

"Repair the Yellow River…" Han Shizhong followed up with half a sentence, as if he hadn't reacted.

"Repairing the Yellow River… is the meaning of being so afraid that he doesn't dare to face anything, because repairing the Yellow River will definitely not go wrong," Lü Yihao explained seriously. "It's like Guan Jia raising fish and planting mulberry trees in the harem before… Raising fish and planting mulberry trees will definitely not go wrong."

"This is a bit… a bit absurd, right?" Ma Kuo also became a little uneasy.

"What's so absurd?"

Lü Yihao glanced around at the people. "Several of you, the Prime Minister and close officials who have been with Guan Jia for a long time, quite a few know Guan Jia's intentions. Didn't you see Minister Hu silent for a long time?"

Everyone looked at Hu Yin in surprise, and seeing that he had no intention of refuting, they became even more awe-stricken.

"From the beginning, Guan Jia was afraid of doing things, but the situation at that time was there, and he had to do it… This is the心魇 (*xin ye*, a psychological burden or trauma) caused by Guan Jia having to take on the responsibility of the world during the Jingkang Incident… It has always been like this!" At this point, Lü Yihao was lost in thought. "I have always thought that during the Mingdao Palace incident that day, Guan Jia did not lose his memory at all, but after gathering his courage, he needed an explanation to搪塞 (*tang sai*, fob off) the people of the world! In the end, although Guan Jia is the Son of Heaven, he is also a mortal… It's very hard."

No one refuted, because after ten years, no one believed the story of Zhao Guan Jia's amnesia anymore, and even Lü Yihao's statement was a private consensus among the people and in the officialdom. It was just that this matter ultimately involved Guan Jia, and everyone usually didn't say it openly, but in private exchanges, even the old people in Tokyo City thought this chew was too rotten.

However, at this time, it does corroborate Zhao Guan Jia's inherent nature of being afraid of doing things, being afraid of taking responsibility, and being afraid of dealing with chaotic situations.

Even Hu Yin fell into an almost迷茫 (*mi mang*, bewildered) memory… It's not that Hu Mingzhong had other ideas, but that he suddenly realized that he, too, was very afraid of some things back then, just like Guan Jia.

"I know you have to be cautious, but I, an old man waiting to die, don't have to have any concerns. Guan Jia won't hold this against me," Lü Yihao smiled suddenly, seeing the reaction of the people around him. "Moreover, I have even more outrageous things to do… Did you think I invited you here today to chat?"

Han Shizhong and Ma Kuo quickly got up, and Hu Yin, who had recovered, also stood up unhurriedly. Fan Zongyin hesitated for a moment before standing up, and then Yu Yunwen quickly followed.

"Marshal Han… There is something that Guan Jia wants to do, but is afraid of dirtying his hands, and I also want to do, but I don't care about, I don't know if you care about it or not?" Lü Yihao said with a smile.

"Prime Minister Lü, please instruct," Han Shizhong said somewhat awkwardly, quickly cupping his hands.

"Confiscating homes and killing people."

Lü Yihao spoke calmly. "The city defenses and checkpoints of the various states in Yanyun have all fallen into our hands… The local big clans are either the *jiedushi* (military governors) of the late Tang Dynasty, or the *cishi* (prefects) of the Five Dynasties, with hundreds of years of foundation in every family, and countless private soldiers and servants in every family, and they may even have hidden armaments… And now we want to grant land based on military merit. Other than the other four circuits, where will the land in Yanshan Circuit come from? Moreover, the two rivers are devastated, and we need to provide relief and control the rivers, and we can never have too much money and grain!"

Han Shizhong instantly understood, and Hu Yin wanted to speak for a moment, but in the end, he didn't open his mouth.

"First, point to the matter of the new army, and let them hand over their weapons, then inspect the land, check the hidden population, release the slaves, and finally, in the name of being rebellious, clean up the big families among them…" Lü Yihao glanced at Hu Mingzhong in the seat before continuing. "As long as anyone dares to have any disobedience in the middle, you can directly send troops to uproot their centuries-old family assets from the root!"

"Prime Minister Lü, rest assured."

Han Liangchen quickly patted his chest. "Since Guan Jia and the Prime Minister have this intention, is Shizhong still afraid of losing his reputation?"

"Minister Hu, please work hard with the others on the matter of knives and land inspection," Lü Yihao then looked at the theoretical owner of this matter again. "If you don't know the details, go ask Zheng Xiunian… I will personally take care of the matter of investigating rebels."

Hu Yin reluctantly nodded.

"Chief Administrator Ma," Lü Yihao finally looked at Ma Kuo. "There are quite a few military supplies captured in Yanjing and Fanyang… You have to work hard to supply Marshal Yue's expedition to conquer the Liao region."

"That's natural," Ma Kuo naturally had nothing more to say about this task.

"There is also a private matter that I would like to ask Academician Yu to help with."

Saying that, Lü Yihao suddenly stood up with a cane, then眯起眼睛 (*mi qi yan jing*, squinting his eyes) at Yu Yunwen, who was hiding behind Fan Zongyin. "Please inform Prince Wei privately on my behalf, I won't show up… Please send someone suitable to Jinzhou… either Peach Blossom Island or Chrysanthemum Island (Juehua Island)… anyway, capture Guo Yaoshi, who has fled to the island after hearing my message, and bring him to me… Everyone says that I, Lü Yihao, don't hold grudges overnight, but I have remembered this matter for twelve years! I can't let me, the Grand Commander of Hebei, die with regrets, can I?"

Yu Yunwen was stunned for a moment, and immediately bowed and replied: "This matter is simple… Please wait for good news, Grand Commander."

Lü Yihao then nodded in satisfaction.

Two days later, Yue Fei, who had already left Yuguan, received the口谕 (*kou yu*, verbal imperial order) from Zhao Guan Jia behind him via the Crimson Heart Team, and then, without much hesitation, briefly stayed on the road, and then temporarily summoned two people: "Guo Jin, Yang Zaixing… This matter needs to be reported to the imperial presence. You two have both been to the imperial presence, so I will entrust this matter to you. Bring two *du* (military units) of men is enough… Deputy Commander Li (Li Bao) will send a ship to pick you up! Try to capture them alive!"

The military order had been issued, and with Yue Fei's strict military discipline, Guo and Yang had no choice but to accept, even though they were unwilling to go to some Chrysanthemum Island or Peach Blossom Island.