vrcanaries Chapter 377 Zong Ze: Failed to Cross the River
Chapter 377 Zong Ze: Failed to Cross the River
At this very moment, Song Dynasty emperors from other timelines all turned their gazes toward the comment that had caught their attention.
These words instantly enraged them, especially Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu, whose eldest son, Zhao Ji, was a great man!
Like begets like, and his offspring are indeed of the same lineage as him! He just can't understand why he's so afraid of these Jurchens!
He has none of the demeanor of a father, yet he claims to be carrying on his father's and brother's legacy, but he can't even last three seconds!
With a fierce fire now burning in Emperor Shenzong's usually calm eyes, the atmosphere in the court became even more oppressive.
For a moment, the court officials who had been whispering were now completely silent. No one wanted to be the first to speak up and advise the emperor, lest they become cannon fodder!
After all, the root of this problem lies with the Zhao family.
……
Lin Ke continued, "Zhao Gou's actions do not diminish his reputation as [Wanyan Gou]. He has no desire for the situation in the Song court to improve. It's just a matter of what kind of person Zhao Gou is, or rather, what kind of person the Song court is."
“From Emperor Huizong to the present Southern Song Dynasty, there is no shortage of wise people in the court. Even Wang Yan himself knows that this proactive war plan will most likely be interrupted by Emperor Gaozong.”
"Therefore, he did not bring the Eight-Character Army back to Zhao Gou's side at all, but continued to garrison Kaifeng, at Zong Ze's beck and call."
"If we bring them here, who knows who will take over such a brave and fearless army? That would be truly disastrous!"
"On the other hand, Wang Boyan and Huang Qianshan were determined to ruin their plan. On one hand, they persuaded Zhao Gou to seize Wang Yan's military power, and on the other hand, they left Ma Kuo without any troops!"
"Originally, Ma Kuo was well aware of the court's nature and had no expectations at all. However, before the troops were dispatched, Wang and Bo ordered him not to cross the river on horseback."
"How can he fight like this? He can't even get aid from the imperial court, and now they're restricting his military operations."
"These officials in the court are constantly fearful of the Jurchens, unwilling to stand up, and frequently suppress military generals. I wonder what they did to deserve becoming military generals in the Southern Song Dynasty!"
"When the news reached Zong Ze, if I were him, I would probably be so angry that I would curse. People say that you can't win if you don't have a lot of cards in your hand. Song Chao had a lot of cards in his hand, but he just didn't play them, and that's why he lost so badly!"
"Therefore, Zong Ze was also feeling utterly dejected at this moment. He was old and frail, and had witnessed the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty. He had originally wanted to realize his ambitions and recover lost territories, but alas, Zhao Gou was utterly useless!"
"What could be done? This old general still wanted to sincerely persuade Zhao Gou and appeal to his emotions. He submitted more than twenty memorials in a row, hoping to rouse Zhao Gou to the point that he might be willing to fight for the Zhao family!"
“Even if these words were stone, he could warm them up. Besides, the wording and sentence structure of Zong Ze’s memorials were nothing more than urging him to express his stance.”
"Zong Ze didn't force him. If it were a minister from another dynasty, he might have already started cursing. Is it so hard to give an order and get approval? It's not like he's the one who's going to risk his life or lead the army in person!"
"Zong Ze has done so much; his loyalty is consistent in both words and deeds, whether it's maintaining order in Kaifeng or stabilizing the surrounding area."
"Isn't the effort to contact the anti-Jin forces in the two rivers region all for the purpose of crossing the Yellow River, attacking the Jin army, realizing the Northern Expedition, recovering the lost northern territories, and wiping away the humiliation of Jingkang?!"
"But Zhao Gou acted as if he didn't see any of this. As a descendant of the Zhao family, he saw the territory left by his ancestors lost and the Northern Song Dynasty destroyed. Now, as a subject, he was asked to help him fight back, but he refused!"
Everyone in the Song Dynasty (despises!): ???^????
Judy, the Great General Who Conquers the North: I'm so angry! This guy is just trying to ignite my anger!?
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: The history of the Song Dynasty is truly infuriating! I would like to ask @Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, how did he give birth to this son?!
Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji: ...This...that...
Cheng Yaojin of the Tang Dynasty: Get lost! How can these men be so loyal! I almost wish they would execute me first and report later!
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty (his eyes lit up): The person upstairs is right. @Emperor Zongze of the Song Dynasty @Emperor Yue Fei of the Song Dynasty, I agree to your plans for the Northern Expedition. That bastard Zhao Gou dares to object?!
Wanyan Jiu Mei of the Great Song Dynasty: ...
Emperor Zongze of the Song Dynasty: Your Majesty, we will do everything in our power to recover our lost territories!
Yue Fei, the great Song Dynasty general: We, your subjects, will certainly do everything in our power to recover our lost territories!
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: The Song court was an incompetent ruler, and being a military general in the Southern Song Dynasty was also unlucky. They insisted on seeking peace, wasn't that just surrendering?
Big Han Liu Zhuzhu: This is truly an eye-opener. I've seen tyrannical rulers before, but I've never seen a Song court like this!
……
The conversation between Zhao Kuangyin and Zong Ze in the live broadcast room seemed to stir up a thousand waves.
This put Emperor Zhao Gou and his ministers in a dilemma. If they refused again, the people's hearts would be unsettled!
Moreover, Emperor Gaozong and his ministers were not unaware of how they were regarded in later generations, and now that Lin Ke had revealed it, their reputations were likely to suffer even more.
Our ancestors were just like that. Weren't they afraid that military generals would become too powerful? Wasn't the reason for emphasizing civil affairs and suppressing military affairs precisely to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Tang Dynasty?
Well, with the ancestor speaking, how could he dare to refuse?
……
Lin Ke continued, "But Zhao Gou betrayed far more than just Zong Ze as a loyal minister!"
"Times have changed. Ministers who bury themselves in their work and only know the word 'loyalty' will not be given important positions. This only applies to cases like Zhao Gou of the Song Dynasty!"
"Which other capable emperors could have done worse than Zhao Gou?!"
"Therefore, throughout his life, Zhao Gou either betrayed this loyal minister or that loyal minister. Of course, his father and brothers were the same, repeating the same path over and over again!"
"Therefore, the memorials that Zong Ze painstakingly wrote were like stones sinking into the sea, without making a ripple. Perhaps he knew this in his heart, or perhaps he still held expectations."
"In short, Zong Ze was writing these things shortly before his death, so it's not hard to see why he was so obsessed with 'crossing the river' at the end of his life."
"Like Zhong Shidao, Zong Ze was deeply troubled, and his body eventually gave out."