vrcanaries Chapter 337 Seeding the Way of the Teacher
Chapter 337 Seeding the Way of the Teacher
"However, Zhao Huan still failed Zhong Shidao's painstaking efforts. Regarding whether or not to move the capital, Zhao Huan, who is usually timid, was surprisingly unwilling to flee!"
"Even in the court, some people mocked Zhong Shidao for being cowardly and refusing to listen to his opinions. Surely they weren't afraid that he would run away and be seized by someone else!"
"Alas... In short, Zhao Huan acted as if he hadn't received Zhong Shidao's letter and didn't reply. It's a pity that General Zhong, who was seriously ill, was still worrying about Zhao Huan. All his efforts were in vain!!!"
"However, the Song court's questionable actions didn't stop there. As we all know, the pro-peace faction has always held the dominant position in the Song court."
"Therefore, Tang Ke and his group, in their panic due to the Jin army's advance on the city, resorted to any means necessary to negotiate peace with the Jin army. Zhong Shidao once tried to mobilize those four men to return to defend the emperor, but they were stopped by this group."
"The actions of the Song court are unparalleled in history; few can compare to them."
"The Song army was generally puzzled as to why the vast majority of them were so loyal to such a court."
"So Zhang Shuye turned back shortly after setting off. Who could have predicted that the Jin army's peace negotiations were merely a delaying tactic?"
"Judging from the results, Zhong Shidao's idea was very reliable, but unfortunately Emperor Qinzong insisted on going to the north with Emperor Huizong and was unwilling to adopt it!"
The emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty other than Huizong and Qinzong: ...
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: The Song court never takes the right path, and they never even consider whether they can defeat the Jin people!
Da Tang Wei Wu Mei Zheng: He's panicking but not running away. I don't know what he's doing. It seems he didn't do anything in the end, since he got caught. I hope all his efforts were in vain!
Sang Hongyang of the Great Han Dynasty: However, the Song court is indeed not very strong, and it loves to cause trouble. Even if it comes, it may not be able to defend the capital city of Bianjing!?
A Han Dynasty official: Don't you feel humiliated by constantly compromising and signing agreements?
……
Such behavior shamed the emperors and ministers of the Song Dynasty in various times and places. They simply could not understand how things had come to this point, and why they were still unwilling to listen to the voices of loyal ministers.
Must we wait until the enemy is at our gates before we regret our actions?
Those two worthless brats, they're infuriating!
In another timeline, Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu, and others are still choosing a successor: ...
No way!? Such a tragic account could be the future of their Song Dynasty?!
It's hard to believe that Emperor Huizong, who seems so gentle, could do so many things, and that his son could be so treacherous!
If only Emperor Zhezong were still alive…
……
During Emperor Zhezong's reign, Zhong Shidao and Zhong Shizhong twitched at the corners of their mouths, not knowing what to say about Zhao Huan's outrageous actions!
From what Miss Lin said, one could tell how critical the situation was in the Northern Song Dynasty at that time!
There's a real sense of frustration, like they're the only ones who're anxious, while everyone else has given up and just given up!
Thinking of this, the Zhong brothers exchanged another glance, sighed, and felt a deep sense of frustration.
Then, Lin Ke's voice came through the small screen.
"And Emperor Qinzong of Song, Zhao Huan's actions directly infuriated Zhong Shidao to the point of fainting."
"As a veteran official of several dynasties, he had witnessed the prosperity of the Northern Song Dynasty, and he did not wish for the Northern Song, which had been raised by him and whose people had guarded the region for generations, to perish like this."
"So, dragging his ailing body and forcing himself to stay awake, as if he were hanging on by a thread, he stubbornly asked those around him: 'Your Majesty, has he agreed to tour Chang'an?'"
Those around him naturally couldn't answer this question and could only sigh silently.
"General Zhong will not receive Zhao Huan's reply. Perhaps he understands in his heart that his emperor has not heeded his advice."
"Thus, General Zhong Shidao, a veteran of decades of battlefield experience, died on his way back to the capital without hearing Emperor Qinzong's answer, at the age of seventy-six."
"As a military general in the late Song Dynasty, Zhong Shidao can be considered to have died in despair. However, this was not an isolated case. Weren't there many military generals who died in despair during the late Northern Song Dynasty and even the Southern Song Dynasty?"
"That's why there's that line in the poem: 'Unfortunately, the Song emperor was not Emperor Wu of Han. The fate of the Northern Song Dynasty at its end did not lie with loyal and brave ministers, but with the emperor and that group of surrender-oriented civil officials.'"
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: "I feel sorry for these military officers! My heart is sinking!"
Cheng Yaojin of the Tang Dynasty: Actually, it would be better if Zhong Shidao went at this time. Even if he went back to command with his illness, most of those people would not listen to him, and in the end, they would still be defeated and the city would fall!
A spoiled young man from the Song Dynasty: ...Sigh...Why can't I avoid making the wrong choices!
An official from the Sui Dynasty: Zhao Huan bears a great deal of responsibility for Zhong Shidao's death!
……
Lin Ke sighed, then continued, "Zhong Shidao's death deeply saddened Zhao Huan, but as much as he was saddened, he couldn't heed his dying words."
"The Jurchens are coming in a menacing manner. Anyone with a brain wouldn't harbor any illusions; these people will just take the money and leave!!!"
"But Zhao Huan's thought process is different from others. He still harbors illusions. This makes one have to admire Wanyan Zongwang's strategy. Perhaps from the first siege of the capital, he understood that the Song court's leaders could easily throw themselves into disarray with a little intimidation!"
"So this time he's resorting to the same old trick, still using the demand for peace to restrain the Song court, but secretly he's still heading towards Kaifeng in Song territory. This time, however, I'm afraid he'll disappoint Zhao Huan!!!"
"However, I don't quite understand. In this kind of crisis, if it were Li Longji, he would probably have already been preparing to flee."
"Zhao Huan actually had the mind to prepare a birthday banquet for Zhao Ji, which was the banquet we mentioned earlier that ended in discord!"
"The relationship between the father and son was so tense for a time that it was said that Zhao Huan did not inform Emperor Huizong of the news of the Jin army's attack, leaving Zhao Ji completely unaware of the war situation. Was he afraid that he would run away?!"
"The rift between Zhao Huan and Zhao Ji went far beyond this; shortly after Emperor Huizong returned to court, a ceremony was held to appoint the crown prince."
"By establishing a crown prince to consolidate his power during a time of national crisis, he is clearly wary of Emperor Huizong of Song!"
"And in the imperial court, the saying goes, 'what the superiors do, the inferiors follow.' Emperors Huizong and Qinzong were busy with internal strife, and so were the officials. In our view, it seemed that they knew they couldn't resist the Jin people, so they gave up in advance, as if doing anything else was better than resisting the Jin."
"Such absurd and laughable behavior actually existed in history a thousand years ago. Of course, as far as the Song court was concerned at that time, it had almost run out of generals, so Zhong Shidao's method was the best choice!"
"However, people are still different. When faced with the crisis of their own dynasty, some choose to shrink back and become tortoises, while others choose to bravely move forward."
"For example, anti-Jin groups emerged in the Taihang and He areas. Due to the turbulent situation in the late years, the people who were the first to suffer were led by peasant rebels to fight against the Jin people in the mountains."
"There are few historical records of this uprising. Under the leadership of Song general Ma Kuo, the rebel army grew to hundreds of thousands in a short time. However, the enemy outnumbered us, and the city was eventually breached by the Jin army."
"Sometimes it's truly laughable. The court repeatedly misses opportunities. What should have been a great situation has been squandered, with those who should be given important positions not being promoted, and those who shouldn't be trusted being trusted."
"Didn't such officials set out an ideal of bringing peace to the world for generations to come? How come the common people dared to fight against the Jin people when they spontaneously rose up, but you officials and rulers could only cower and be afraid when facing the Jin people?!"
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: ...
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: Damn it, if we could reach these people, we'd skin them alive and stuff them with straw!
Song Dynasty civil officials: (′°Δ°`) How ruthless…
General Judy, the General Who Conquers the North: Being unable to fight and being afraid to fight are two different things. If the Song court hadn't made a mistake in its decision-making, how could the disparity between us and the enemy have been so great!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: "The key point is that the fear of gold among the later emperors seems to be hereditary!"
An official from the Han Dynasty: Well, the Song court is now powerless to reverse the situation. Zhong Shidao has already passed away, so which general can take on the responsibility?
……