One Piece of Song Dynasty

However, Song Qinzong did not make any response. The failure of two large-scale rescue operations in Taiyuan caused him to completely lose confidence in the army.

At this time, Song Qinzong no longer had any hope of defeating the Jin people by force. He pinned his hopes on peace. He and the ministers judged that if the land cession and compensation treaty could be fulfilled, the Jin people would definitely retreat.

Chen Hengbo said that the Jin people detained my peace envoy in the stronghold, which refers to Zong Wang's detention of Wang Yun. When Wang Yun was sent as envoy to Zong Wang's army, the situation was not like that of Li Ruoshui's envoy to Zong Han's army. One reason is that Zong Wang and Zong Han have different personalities. Zong Wang is easy-going and Zong Han is dignified. Another reason is that Wang Yun and Zong Wang had met once, and they had some friendship. A few months ago, when Zong Wang withdrew his army and returned to Yanjing, Wang Yun and Cao Zhuo were ordered to visit him in Yanjing.

Originally, Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty sent Wang Yun and Cao Zhuo to visit Zongwang again this time and asked for taxes to be ceded to the three towns. However, Cao Zhuo refused to go and said: "As soon as possible, raise the troops from all over the world to control the key points, and the bandits will come again." Song Qinzong was very angry at Cao Zhuo's refusal and ordered him to leave the capital and serve as a palace watcher.

Wang Yun was demoted out of the capital by Wu Min a few months ago, and now he has been transferred back. He agreed to go to Zongwang's army to test the Jin Kingdom's intentions.

The highest decision-making level of the Jin Kingdom was far away in the northeast. Since it was unable to grasp the dynamics of the front lines in Hedong and Hebei in a timely manner, Jin Taizong ordered the Marshal's Office to take long-term measures based on the actual situation and did not need to ask for instructions on everything. The marshal of the two armies was nominally served by Jin Taizong's younger brother Xieye, Wanyan Gao, but he stayed in the capital as Banbo Jilie and governed the state affairs together with Wanyan Zongqian. The Marshal's Mansion is actually located in Zong Han's army. Zong Han is the deputy marshal and the commander-in-chief of the West Route Army. In fact, he is the supreme commander of the East and West Route Army.

Before sending troops, Zong Han convened a meeting with senior generals of the Jin Army at Marshal Yunzhong's Mansion to discuss policy issues towards the Song Dynasty. It was decided at that time to implement the peace agreement reached by Zong Wang on behalf of the Jin Dynasty and the Song Dynasty. If the Song Dynasty could cede the land of the three towns and pay compensation, the Jin army would stop moving south. If the Song Dynasty did not cede the three towns, they would seize them by force. At that time, Zong Han had no plans to cross the Yellow River, but he had the idea of ​​​​drawing the Yellow River as the boundary with the Song Dynasty and governing it.

However, after successfully capturing Taiyuan and Zhending, Zong Han considered the situation on the battlefields in Hedong and Hebei and believed that the Song Dynasty court was corrupt and the army was vulnerable, so he made redeployments at a meeting of senior generals of the Pingding Army and set the operational targets of the eastern and western armies. The change was to meet up at the foot of Tokyo Castle.

When Wang Yun arrived at the Jin Army, he encountered Zong Wang attacking Zhending City. After the city was broken, he stayed in Zhending, trying to figure out Zong Wang's true feelings towards the Song Dynasty.

Zong Wang looks easy-going on the surface, but in fact he is very scheming. In order to paralyze the Song Dynasty and make the Song Dynasty relax its vigilance and take no precautions, one day Zong Wang said to Wang Yun: "It is okay not to cede the three towns, but the Song Dynasty must present the five chariots and crowns to the Jin Dynasty and give the emperor the title of the Jin Dynasty. , and King Kang must go there in person for the peace negotiation to succeed."

Wang Yun didn't know what the plan was, so he believed it to be true and thought it was an excellent opportunity. He immediately sent his follower Li Yu back to Tokyo to report to the court.

Song Qinzong quickly summoned Tang Ke, Geng Nanzhong, Nie Chang and other prime ministers for a meeting to discuss. They believed that this plan was feasible. Song Qinzong then ordered Taichang Liguan to discuss the title of the gold master, ordered Kang Wang Zhao Gou to go to Zong Wangjun as an envoy, and appointed the new Shangshu Zuocheng Wang Yu as deputy envoy.

Wang Yu was a little afraid of sending an envoy to the Jin army. His disciple Li Yunwen asked him eight questions to simulate the Jin's questioning, but Wang Yu could not answer any of them.

Wang Yu hurriedly entered the palace and asked Song Qinzong to resign as deputy envoy. Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty did not agree, but Wang Yu repeatedly insisted on his request and said: "I am angry with my ancestors, so I offer five chariots to the Kingdom of Jin."

Song Qinzong was shocked, but he didn't believe it, and asked: "Why didn't our ancestors give the dream to me, but to Qingye?"

Wang Yu replied: "I am doing what I am ordered to do, and my duty lies with me, so my ancestors gave me a dream to warn me."

Song Qinzong still didn't believe it and asked again: "How can we test it?"

Wang Yu was speechless and couldn't answer. At this time, He Su was present, and he scolded: "Wang Yu is arrogant, you can retreat." Wang Yu retreated in fear and trembling.

Two days later, Wang Yu went to the palace again and explained to Song Qinzong what he had dreamed about last time: "It is not the deceit of the minister, but Li Yunwen taught the minister to say this, and said to the minister: If you don't trust the dream, you can't avoid it. OK."

When Song Qinzong heard this, he couldn't help being furious and wanted to punish Wang Yu severely.

Wang Yu's father, Wang Yijian, once served as an official in the East Palace and had a close relationship with Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty. When he heard about this incident, he hurriedly wrote a petition to be excused from the trip. Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty then issued an edict: "Wang Yu deceived Dan to avoid trouble, returned Zuo Cheng's imperial edict, paid Shangshu Sheng to destroy it, appointed Shanzhou Tuanlian deputy envoy, and resettled in Xinzhou. My father Yi Jian was dismissed from his post and moved to the palace temple, and he died. Get out."

Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty re-appointed Feng Fu, who had just served as an envoy to the Privy Council, as the deputy envoy, and Gao Shize, the minister of the Imperial Academy in the East, as a council officer. He ordered them to prepare immediately and accompany King Kang as an envoy to Zong Wangjun.

On October , Zhong Shidao suddenly died of illness at home at the age of seventy-six. Song Qinzong came to pay homage in person and mourned for him. It was decreed that he should stay away from the imperial court for five days, and that he should be given a quilt, a coffin, a borneol, and a musk deer navel for his burial, and that he should be given as a gift to the three ministers of Kaifu rites.

Zhong Shidao was the most rare and sober military strategist before the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty. He had provided suggestions to Song Qinzong many times. Once, after Yao Pingzhong failed to rob the camp, he suggested: "If we send troops to rob the camp tonight, it will be unexpected by the Jin people. Even if we still can't win, it doesn't matter, as long as we send thousands of cavalry to rob the camp every night. In less than ten days, the Jin army will definitely escape." The second time was when the Jin army was retreating north, and he suggested attacking when it was crossing the Yellow River. Otherwise, it would be a trouble for the country in the future. When he served as the Xuanfu envoy to Hebei for the third time, he suggested that the imperial court mobilize troops from Guanzhong, Hebei, and Hedong to set up defenses along the lines of Cang, Wei, Meng, and Hua, and concentrate superior forces to prevent the Jin soldiers. The fourth time was shortly before his death. He judged that the Jin people would invade in a large scale, and suggested Song Qinzong to leave Tokyo quickly and go to Chang'an to avoid the enemy's edge.

However, it is regrettable that Song Qinzong did not adopt any of these valuable suggestions for cultivating teachers.

Song Qinzong did not understand military affairs at all, and none of the important ministers around him had "some knowledge of military affairs." These also seem to be normal. The most abnormal and terrifying thing is that Song Qinzong and his ministers all "laughed and doubted" after listening to the military advice given by Zhong Shidao, a military expert.

Zhong Shidao must have died of illness due to worry and anger. At that time, when many ambitious people heard the bad news, they all looked up to the sky and sighed, saying: God has no intention.

Jingkang Xiaoya wrote a poem praising Zhong Shidao, saying: What a magnificent man, with deep energy and energy. From the beginning to the end, bless my three saints. After a hundred battles, victory is expected. Bring troops to help, and the thieves give orders. It's a good idea to fold paintings, but no one will listen to it. Cut off land and increase coins, and ugly captives will become more powerful. The Great Wall relies on its vassal screen. If there is no reward, there will be no order in chaos. The flags are dim and the soldiers and the people are miserable. Yu Lie Zhao Zhao, Fang Ce alone flourished.