met free Page 1338
Page 1338
Chapter 1608 Is the Emperor Always Wise?
“I believe the chieftain is also a man of great principle,”
"I can request an imperial edict granting you amnesty,"
"All heroes, let us serve the court together!"
"It can also dispel the idea of alien invasion."
Li Kui had just been glared at by Zhao Yuan.
He dared not speak.
Hearing that Zhang Shuye had actually turned around and tried to persuade them to surrender,
Enraged, he jumped out again.
"We'll march on Tokyo!"
"I can become emperor myself!"
Why bother going to the emperor to suffer?
"We all share the surname Zhao, so why can't my brother be the emperor!"
This time, Zhao Yuan did not order Li Kui to retreat.
Instead, they echoed,
"Emperor Huizong of Song was such a foolish and incompetent ruler, he heavily relied on treacherous officials,"
"If we were to enter the imperial court, we would be harmed by them sooner or later."
Uncle Zhang shook his head.
"The current emperor is a wise and virtuous ruler,"
"However, he was temporarily misled by treacherous officials,"
"In time, things will surely be set right."
"We will certainly be given important positions then."
Zhao Yuan laughed.
"Zhao Ji (Emperor Huizong) was indeed talented in calligraphy and painting,"
"But he could not become a good emperor."
"Even someone as ruthless as Cai Jing could become prime minister multiple times."
"We must wait for Emperor Huizong to restore order,"
"I'm afraid the world has already perished."
"Is Lord Zhang also one of those who opposes the alliance with the Jin to destroy the Liao?"
Uncle Zhang nodded.
"Although I have never seen a golden man,"
"But they fought against the Qiang, Dangxiang, and Tibetan peoples,"
"These ethnic minorities grew up in impoverished lands,"
"They are indeed more valiant than us Han Chinese."
"If these Jurchens could defeat the Liao people, they must be even more ferocious,"
"To form an alliance with them is tantamount to seeking a tiger's skin."
"The Western Army generals who fought against the barbarian tribes for many years were all opposed to the alliance with the Jin to destroy the Liao,"
General Zhong Shidao repeatedly submitted memorials opposing this matter.
"But unfortunately, the court was full of sycophants like Tong Guan, Wang Fu, and Cai You,"
"Previously, Cai Jing also opposed the alliance with the Jin to destroy the Liao,"
"After he was forced to retire, the situation in the court became one-sided,"
"Finally, an alliance was reached with the Jin Dynasty."
Zhao Yuan shook his head and said,
"Although Tong Guan and his ilk were power-hungry and treacherous officials, Lord Zhang said so,"
"Push all the blame onto them,"
"It's unfair to them too."
Zhang Shuye asked, puzzled.
"They were the ones who advocated for the war, so what's unfair about it?"
Zhao Yuan laughed.
"I'm afraid the biggest advocate for war was Zhao Ji, wasn't he?"
"If it weren't for his single-minded desire to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun,"
"How could the pro-war faction in the government have gained the upper hand?"
Zhang Shuye couldn't deny that Zhao Ji was a proponent of war.
But as a subject of the Song Dynasty, all he could say was...
"The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun have always been the land of the Han people."
"It was simply stolen by the Liao Dynasty,"
"Furthermore, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun held a crucial strategic position,"
"If we could reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun,"
"We Han people can then rely on the natural defenses to defend ourselves."
"The northern barbarians once again intend to invade my Central Plains,"
"It won't be that easy then,"
"That's why the emperor wanted to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun."
When Zhao Yuan heard Zhang Shuye say this,
He couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Seeing Zhao Yuan laughing so loudly, Zhang Shuye...
His face immediately darkened.
Seeing Zhang Shuye's face darken, Zhao Yuan then spoke.
"It's truly laughable, in your opinion,"
"Whatever Zhao Ji did can be forgiven,"
"All the evil deeds in this world were committed by treacherous officials like Cai Jing."
"But I think otherwise!"
"If it weren't for Emperor Huizong of Song, that incompetent ruler who was so fond of pleasure,"
"How can Cai Jing's Fengheng Yuda have a market?"
"That would mean the world would truly be prosperous,"
"Would that allow Zhao Ji to build lavish gardens?"
"If Zhao Ji truly harbored the ambition to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun,"
"Why doesn't he use all that money to expand the military and prepare for war?"
"Instead, they were all used for pleasure."
"Zhao Ji only saw the Liao Dynasty declining in the last two years,"
"That's when the idea of taking advantage of the chaos came to them,"
"How could he be a truly ambitious and heroic ruler who aspires to reclaim the land of the Han people?"
"The most tragic thing is that Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) lacked self-awareness."
"The Song Dynasty soldiers lacked fighting spirit, yet they still tried to use wolves to devour tigers."
"In the end, it will inevitably result in letting the wolf into the house."
"The root of this chaos in the world is Zhao Ji,"
"That means killing Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and others,"
"As long as this emperor is still Zhao Ji,"
"He will then promote new Cai Jing and Tong Guan."
"Only by eliminating Zhao Ji can we succeed."
Only then can the world be restored to its former glory.
"Only then can we protect the land of the Han people."
After being lectured by Zhao Yuan, Zhang Shuye...
They were also talking until their faces turned red.
He couldn't refute it either.
However, we cannot approve of Zhao Yuan.
"The Song Dynasty has existed for over a hundred years; how could it be so easily destroyed?"
"If the Jurchens destroy the Liao Dynasty and see our Central Plains in chaos,"
“They will inevitably take advantage of the chaos and loot, and it will be the people of the Central Plains who suffer.”
Zhao Yuan laughed.
"Our Great Liang army is strong and well-equipped; sweeping away the Song Dynasty will surely be a swift and decisive victory."
"Within three years, we will surely unify the world."
Chapter 1609 A Bet
While talking,
Seeing Zhang Shuye's disbelief,
Zhao Yuan laughed.
"Why don't we make a bet?"
"If within three years, my Great Liang will unify the world,"
"Then you shall assist my Great Liang, shall you?"
Uncle Zhang, however, disagreed and laughed heartily.
"If the Great Liang can truly unify the world in three years, then it is the will of Heaven."
"I will do whatever you ask of me."
The night wind howled.
On the secluded path,
Only the clatter of horses' hooves could be heard.
Suddenly, Lin Chong noticed two horses stopped a few dozen paces ahead.
They hurriedly rode their horses to get there.
The two warhorses, however, continued running for a while despite their injuries.
But after the pain subsided,