HLnovel Chapter 314 Li Gang
Chapter 314 Li Gang
During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song
When Zhao Xu heard this, he almost collapsed!
He never imagined that any descendant of the Zhao family would think so simply, and even be so cowardly!
He dared to agree to such harsh conditions; wasn't he afraid the Jurchens would trick him and waste so much money? What a great opportunity!
Zhao Xu was so angry at his grandson that he wished he could rush into his time and shake the water out of his brain!
Don't you dare let the Jurchens lead you by the nose! What the hell are you cowardly about!
Then, he stared intently at the small screen, determined to find out what other trouble Zhao Huan had gotten himself into!
……
The live broadcast continues.
Lin Ke sighed again: "With conditions like these, you agreed without even thinking about it. Don't you feel ashamed? Don't you feel humiliated?"
"Could it be that the Jurchens are so powerful that you have no choice but to kneel down and agree?!"
"But if that were true, the Song Dynasty would not have produced figures like Zong Ze, Yue Fei, and Xin Qiji!"
"At that time, all the civil and military officials stammered and hesitated, leaving only people like Li Gang, who angrily expressed his rejection of the conditions."
Lin Ke's expression was one of utter disappointment, while people from other timelines were also furious upon hearing this!
Of all the officials and military officers present, only Li Gang believed that this was unacceptable! In any other dynasty, would anyone tolerate this?!
Even if things don't go your way, don't let your head cloud your judgment. Take a good look at the current situation!
Luckily, I didn't end up with a boss like that, otherwise, as his subordinate, I would be working myself to the bone and getting no credit!
……
"Of course, it wasn't realistic to fight head-on at the time, but there was no need to immediately agree to everything the Jurchens said."
"In Li Gang's view, giving money, cattle, and sheep is acceptable, but ceding territory is not!"
"The Song Dynasty originally thought it could regain the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, but it only got six. If it loses Taiyuan, Hejian... and the other three towns, then the Song Dynasty will be in real danger!"
"Such a simple principle, there's no reason why Emperor Qinzong of Song and his ministers wouldn't understand it!"
"But Li Gang's subsequent words were met with a barrage of curses from the ministers, because the Jurchens' demands included princes and ministers as hostages!"
"In his opinion, the prince doesn't need to go. After all, he represents the dignity of the Song Dynasty's imperial family, so it's perfectly acceptable to let those ministers go!"
Ministers: You son of a bitch... %?
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: I think Li Gang is right, those ministers are all a bunch of cowards!
A spoiled young master from the Song Dynasty: In this way, he will probably be targeted by that group of people!
A romantic scholar from the Tang Dynasty: After all, if you can live on money, why gamble with your life!
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: Are these people out of touch with reality?
……
"Clearly, Li Gang's words broke the defenses of the ministers. His intention was to have Emperor Qinzong use the peace talks to delay until Zhong Jiajun and Yao Pingjun's Western Army came to the capital to provide assistance, at which point the Song Dynasty would be in a more advantageous position!"
"But these weak scholars in the court don't understand. They only know that Li Gang's words are telling them to die, to gamble their lives on that tiny chance. So they can't let Li Gang stay in the court any longer!"
"Therefore, the civil officials, led by Li Bangyan, joined forces to ostracize Li Gang, hurling insults at him, saying things like, 'You think you're so capable? Stand up straight and don't surrender!'"
"What kind of brain does this person have that allows them to engage in political infighting during a national crisis? They should at least think this through. What time is it now?!"
"At some point, when the Jin army was at the gates of the city, these people did not stand up to take responsibility, but instead shifted the blame to Li Gang."
"How weak they were in the face of the Jurchens, wishing they could be their underlings and agree to their requests!"
Lin Ke was furious when she said this, because Song Shi really was prone to high blood pressure!
"And Li Gang, he witnessed all of this, from the ministers' criticism to Emperor Qinzong's weakness."
"Often, it's unlikely that one person alone can turn a crisis into an opportunity."
"All the civil and military officials in the hall agreed to the Jin people's request. Even Emperor Qinzong of Song himself had no choice, so they accepted the Jin people's demands in their entirety!"
"As for Li Gang, judging from the records in the History of Song, it can be seen that during this period he was either dismissed from office or sent to other places, which gives the impression that he both needed to use him and did not want to trust him."
"Subsequently, the Song Dynasty dispatched an envoy to the Jin camp, led by the Junior Minister Zhang Bangchang, who also served as a hostage. Another prince held hostage was none other than the later 'famous' Zhao Gou!"
A spoiled young man from the Song Dynasty: No wonder he went south a second time not long afterward; he even agreed to this request!?
A farming expert in the Ming Dynasty: But Li Gang is in a bit of a predicament, having been saddled with Emperor Qinzong of Song and his cowardly ministers!
An official from the Han Dynasty said: "He's the only one who opposes it. It makes you think that the late Northern Song Dynasty was truly beyond saving!"
Du Ruhui of the Tang Dynasty: It's lamentable that even in the Southern Song Dynasty, military generals still couldn't rally this group of people!
Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu: ...Too weak...No wonder he's Zhao Ji's son...
The optimist Su Dongpo: Anyone can figure this out! Why can't they understand?!
……
Southern Song Dynasty
When Zhao Gou heard his name, he was very proud. What does this mean? It means that he will be remembered for all time!
Zhao Gou was lucky to have found this small square screen! Otherwise, how could he have been hit by it a few days ago and overheard the affairs of the Song Dynasty?
I'm a little embarrassed to admit how later generations praised him!
……
"In fact, from the alliance with Jin to destroy Liao and the maritime alliance, almost every choice made by the Song Dynasty in hindsight was wrong, which led to the current situation where the city is besieged by Jin troops and is in a passive position."
"And now, in order to preserve their own position, they've chosen to sign agreements that offer absolutely no benefit. I really want to ask those people, where's your shame?!"
"You should know that the Jin army took the money and land you gave them this time, and within just six months they've made a comeback. At that time, you lot will be able to enjoy a lifetime of travel to the north!"
"It's a pity about Li Gang. He wanted to persuade them that they couldn't back down in the long run! Otherwise, backing down would be a lifelong decision. But it turns out that good advice is useless to persuade someone who's determined to die!"
All emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty: ...
An official from the Sui Dynasty: Once I'm arrested, I won't have to worry about anything!
Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty: ...He enjoyed a life of luxury in the first half of his life, and then went abroad to study in the second half. But I heard that these two lived quite well!
A bystander in the Ming Dynasty: Aren't the common people the ones who suffer?
Judy, the Great General Who Conquers the North: This group of people is truly beyond saving!!
A minor official in the Qin Dynasty: Li Gang must be exhausted, having to manage the defenses and persuade them at the same time!
……
Jingkang Year 1
Upon hearing this, Emperor Qinzong and his ministers were dumbfounded. How could they still hold them against their own good?
Wait! That's not the point! The point is, if they heard correctly, the Jin soldiers took their things, were fine for half a year, and then swept in again!?
If the three towns of Taiyuan were ceded, wouldn't the Jin army be unstoppable next time? But I don't want to listen to what Li Gang is saying! It's as if he's the only capable person in the entire court!
……
Studio.
"Since the Song Dynasty has already decided to negotiate peace with the Jin and is prepared to be taken advantage of, where will the money come from?!"
"This wasn't the era of Emperor Shenzong or Emperor Zhezong. Even if they had money, Emperor Huizong had squandered it all, and they had already given a large sum of money to the Jurchens."
"So, I'm sorry, but these people have no choice but to exploit the lowest-income people."
"Therefore, instead of plundering their own pockets, the civil officials led by Li Bangyan ordered the extortion of gold and silver from the people. Anyone who dared not hand it over would be punished according to military law!"
"At this time, the morale of the soldiers and civilians in Kaifeng was high. They had repelled the Jin army, and everything seemed to be going well."
"However, once the situation improved in the later Song Dynasty, those who had surrendered began to stir up trouble again."
"It's as if they had some kind of confidence, that they didn't need to fight at all! Why bother with all that effort! It's completely unbelievable how they were shirking responsibility and making Li Gang responsible for the safety of the entire city."
"Emperor Qinzong of Song also received a letter from Wanyan Zongwang requesting peace shortly thereafter."
"The letter listed a whole bunch of reasons, like how we only went south because that brat Zhao Ji repeatedly violated the alliance... that we had no choice but to send troops... and so on, before finally saying that we, the Jurchens, made peace with your Song Dynasty!"
Zhao Huan was somewhat indecisive to begin with, so he was naturally very happy to receive this letter. He then discussed with his court officials what to do.
"But he did not expect that Li Gang would be the first to request to go to the Jin army camp to negotiate peace. However, Zhao Huan was afraid that Li Gang was too upright and would offend the Jin people, so he changed the person to negotiate peace."
"Therefore, Zhao Huan sent Li Zhuo with good food and drink to the Jin camp to negotiate peace."
Li Gang (sighing): I can't carry him! I really can't carry him!
"I wonder if Li Gang will feel sad after hearing Emperor Qinzong's idea. He and the soldiers and civilians in the city are fighting desperately against the Jin army, but Emperor Qinzong is only willing to negotiate."
"If we try to negotiate peace in such a humble manner, the Jurchens would laugh themselves to death. It's practically making them name their terms!"
"Couldn't we use the pretext of peace talks to buy time, while actually waiting for the reinforcements to come to the rescue? Wouldn't that give us more leverage then?"
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: Not to be blunt, but Zhao Huan seems a bit spineless!
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: Indecisive and spineless... the Northern Song Dynasty perished...
Fang Xuanling of the Tang Dynasty: A wavering emperor makes being a subject difficult!
A Qing Dynasty official said: "If one person is pulling in front, it's not okay for the people behind to lie down!"
……
"Li Gang understood the Jin people's purpose in negotiating peace, and he still analyzed the situation for Zhao Huan."
"If the Jurchens seek peace by ceding territory and paying reparations, they will inevitably become more demanding, leaving the Song Dynasty with only one path: destruction."
"Zhao Huan is easily swayed and lacks his own opinions. Now he feels that what Li Gang said is not without reason, but the journey has already begun, and there is no way to regret it now."
"So I always feel that sometimes it's not that the ministers aren't capable enough! It's that the emperor is prone to wavering, and who can sway him like that!?"
Everyone in Wanchao: (?????)……
Meanwhile, Li Zhuo and his group met Zong Wang. These men had only ever heard of the Jurchens' ferocity.
"He didn't know much about what was happening at the front, and coupled with his somewhat cowardly personality, he easily fell into Wanyan Zongwang's trap."
"So, Wanyan Zongwang knew from the past few days that the situation was in the bag, and first he gave a series of persuasive remarks:"
[This shows how powerful the Jurchens were, that the fall of the capital was only a matter of moments!]
The fact that we're not attacking now is just giving your Song Dynasty face. You should be grateful we're being offered money and land as compensation!
"Li Zhu and his few weak scholars had never seen such a scene before. They were quickly led astray by Wanyan Zongwang and, not knowing the war situation of the Song army, they did whatever Wanyan Zongwang said!"
"And Wanyan Zongwang's demands were indeed a bit excessive. At least the Liao Dynasty addressed him as a brother state, but now the Jin Dynasty wanted the Song Dynasty to address him as an uncle state."
"Besides tens of millions of taels of gold and silver, cattle and horses, they also want to cede the three towns of Taiyuan, Zhongshan and Hejian, and send the prime minister and a prince as hostages!"
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: Who did he hire?! ...? %...You coward...! %
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: ...This request is really excessive!
A spoiled young man from the Tang Dynasty: Why can't we find someone else to negotiate with? Why do we have to find a scholar?
An official from the Han Dynasty said: "Why not let Li Gang take over?"
A Qing Dynasty official: It's obvious that the choice of diplomatic personnel is very important; look how we've been manipulated!
……
Jingkang Year 1
Emperor Qinzong of Song, Li Bangyan, Li Gang, and others gathered together to listen to the live broadcast.
Upon seeing the comments made by Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, Emperor Qinzong of Song, Zhao Huan, felt uneasy and lacked confidence.
He only thought about seeking peace and didn't consider this possibility, and now things have gone wrong! The person has already been sent!
Zhao Huan jumped up and paced back and forth anxiously, muttering something to himself.
His eyes suddenly lit up as he thought of Li Gang on the other side. He strode forward, grabbed him tightly, and said with a look that said: "Our Great Song Dynasty can rely on you!"
Li Gang, entrusted with an important task: ...
Other ministers who witnessed the entire process: (?)
……
Back to the live broadcast room.
"These harsh conditions felt like the sky was falling to Li Zhuo and his group. Not only were they asking for money, but they also wanted to cede so much land. No one would agree to that blindly."
"Moreover, Taiyuan has not yet been captured, so this demand is extremely humiliating for the Song Dynasty!"
"The problem is that these people don't know. Fortunately, Li Zhuo also knows that he was just sent to negotiate. Although he didn't play any role, he still returned from the Jin camp to Emperor Qinzong of Song and informed him of the Jin people's demands."
"When Emperor Qinzong and his ministers heard the Jin people's demands, they were both shocked and terrified. Just thinking about how the Jin people were burly and fierce, they, a group of scholars, couldn't even withstand a punch from them!"
"So these weak-willed rulers and ministers immediately [slid down to their knees] and agreed to the Jurchens' demands, even though the Jurchens' demands were extremely unreasonable and excessive!"
Judy, the General Who Conquers the North: Now I know why later generations called the Song Dynasty the Weak Song!
A scion of a prominent family in the Song Dynasty: He absolutely refuses to acknowledge that these things belong to their Song Dynasty…
Fang Xuanling of the Tang Dynasty: If only he could hesitate for a moment...
Big Han Liu Zhuzhu: ...Just like that, we agreed to the enemy country's demands!?
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty: ...How can they be so cowardly!? Don't they see the current situation?
Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu: ...This is utterly shameful!
……