One Piece of Song Dynasty

On November , King Kang Zhao Gou entered the palace and bid farewell to Song Qinzong. Going to Zong Wang's army to negotiate peace at this time is definitely very risky. It is very likely that Zong Wang will take him hostage, and the result is very likely that he will never return like Su Wang Zhao Shu. Song Qinzong and King Kang both knew this, but they tacitly understood it. Song Qinzong was very worried that King Kang would be timid and unwilling to go, so he comforted him deeply and gave to King Kang the jade belt that the Supreme Emperor had given him when he decided to take the Zen position.

The next day, Kang Wang Zhao Gou and the Privy Councilor Feng Shu and others left the capital together with jade chariots. Feng Pu and others went ahead with the jade chariot, while King Kang stopped briefly at Dinglin Courtyard in the north of the city, waiting for the unprepared crown clothes and gifts.

On November , Zong Wang formally showed his cards to the Song envoy Wang Yun in Zhending Mansion. Zong Wang asked Wang Yun to quickly return to Tokyo to report to the court, requiring the Song Dynasty to send the land-ceding edict to Zong Wang's army within fifteen days. Otherwise, in fifteen days the army will cross the Yellow River and go straight to the capital.

Wang Yun was shocked and galloped back. When he reached Xiangzhou, he said to Wang Boyan, the magistrate of Xiangzhou: "The Jin people are very well behaved. It is advisable to store more grain and dendrobium in this state to prepare for defense. I heard from people in the prison camp that this time when we crossed the river to the capital, I'm afraid I have to stay until the beginning of next summer before returning to the teacher." Wang Yun gave Wang Boyan repeated instructions before leaving.

Wang Boyan was a Jinshi in the second year of Chongning, and he was fifty-seven years old. Before he passed the Jinshi examination, he was very talented and famous, and was favored by Wang Ben, the magistrate of Qimen County. Wang Bente built the Hall of Talents and asked him to be a private school teacher. Wang Ben also brought his nephew Qin Hui from Nanjing to Qimen to study with him. It is said that when Qin Hui was studying in Yingcai Hall, someone once predicted that in Qishan Xiaoyi, there would be two prime ministers in one academy.

Wang Boyan originally served in the imperial court of the capital. Because he presented "Ten Strategies for Border Defense in Hebei" to Song Qinzong, he was summoned by Song Qinzong and appointed as Zhilong Tuge and Zhixiangzhou. After the fall of Zhending Mansion, Song Qinzong issued an edict to move the Zhending Commander's Mansion to Xiangzhou, under the command of Wang Boyan.

When Wang Yun arrived in Cizhou, he told Zongze, the magistrate of Cizhou, what he said above.

After Wang Yun left, Zongze said to the people around him: "Wang Yun betrayed his country by envoy and made a big show of his power for the Jin people. I want to report this to the court, but please don't believe it."

On the way, Wang Yun met Feng Fu. Feng Pu learned that the situation had changed, so he returned with them.

Wang Yun, Ma Shiyuan, Yang Huan, Zhao Xiyan and others, together with Feng Fu, came to Dinglinyuan in the north of the city to pay homage to King Kang. Wang Yun said: "At that time, I said that the king could move forward only after the peace negotiation was successful."

Feng Pu said: "In this way, Li Yuzhi's words are false."

As Wang Yun and others returned to the capital, it soon became known inside and outside the court that the Jin people must win the three towns, otherwise they would march to the capital. The news spread quickly throughout the capital, and people were shocked.

In fact, the Jin people had no interest in cutting three towns at this time. They had a huge appetite and attempted to annex more territories of the Song Dynasty and plunder more wealth and beauties. The strategic goal of the Jin Army has long been clear, that is, the two armies will join forces under the city of Tokyo. Zong Wang asked Wang Yun to return to Tokyo to report to the court, saying that three towns must be cut before peace could be negotiated. This was obviously to confuse the Song Dynasty and make the Song Dynasty relax its vigilance and not take precautions. Wang Yun fell into Zong Wang's scheme inexplicably and rode back to Beijing to report. Song Qinzong and many ministers also fell into the trap, thinking that by cutting off three towns, they could negotiate a peace and let the Jin people retreat.

On November , Sun Zhan, a member of Zhongshushe, wrote a memorial, imploring Song Qinzong to make a decisive decision and abandon the three towns. Sun Zhan was originally a censor, but he was demoted from the imperial court by Wu Min because he wrote a memorial about the imperial student Fu Que, accusing Li Gang of hijacking the emperor. Not long ago, he was recalled to the imperial court by Song Qinzong to serve as Zhongshu Sheren.

He said in his memorial: "I was summoned back by grace, but I couldn't bear to worry about the country. I thought that the new prime minister was worthy of the country and would have some opinions on the border affairs in the north. However, Hu Jiaoxiu, a living man, once told me that Wang Rui, the envoy of Jin, came to invite me. When the land of three towns was cut off, he happened to be standing in the palace and heard what Wang Ru said in person. Wang Ru said: "Three towns are obtained today, and the troops can be withdrawn tomorrow. If the court does not allow it, the prime minister will lead troops from the east of the river to station troops." In the southern suburbs, encircle the southwest of the city; Prince Langjun led troops from Hebei, stationed troops in the northern suburbs, and surrounded the northeast of the city. If the army comes, not to mention attacking the city, the five hundred miles radius of the capital will be burned to the ground. , birds and beasts will not be able to gather together.

After Wang Ru retreated, the emperor asked Prime Minister Tang Ke: What should we do with the three towns? Tang Ke replied: If you don't give it, they will come; if you give it, I can't protect them from coming. The emperor asked three times, and Tang Ke answered the same question three times. The emperor was furious: You are the prime minister, why don't you make a decision? Tang Ke still answered like this.

When the minister heard about this, he couldn't help but sigh and said: At the beginning, the Jin people risked their lives to come here and saw that China was so big, and the troops of King Qin from all directions were coming day by day. If the general maintains a strong stance, strengthens the defenses, and does not send out a single soldier, making him unpredictable to me, but if we make peace with him, then everything will be safe. Unfortunately, Li Gang made a wild plan and sent troops to rob the stronghold. He was completely defeated and laughed at. Later, the Jin people despised the court and wanted to cut off three towns to blackmail His Majesty. Since the prime minister knew that the golden man was bound to come, how should he treat him when he came?

The three towns are important places in Heshuo. Once they are abandoned, the capital will not be protected by barriers, and your majesty will not be able to sleep peacefully for a day. Today, the capital has no strong mountains or passes, and only one Yellow River for defense. However, when the generals guarding the Yellow River saw the Jin army's cavalry raising dust, they fled away, as if animals were frightened and birds were frightened, and they did not know where they were.

Now, the ministers are hesitant and are afraid of taking the responsibility of abandoning the land; the generals are incompetent and lack the ability to defend the city from the enemy. If the Jin people come from all over the country and station troops in the city, as Wang Ru said, I am afraid that the worry for Sheji will not only extend to the three towns. Your Majesty should weigh the pros and cons and act arbitrarily. It would be better to lose three cities than to endanger the capital and regret it. "

Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty thought about it and was unwilling to bear the historical crime of ceding territory to the enemy. He issued an edict to convene a meeting of civil and military officials to discuss and vote on whether to preserve or abandon the three towns. The edict said: "I bend my will to discuss peace, and I will do everything. Even though I have crowns, chariot wheels, names, etc., I will not spare anything, just because I want to protect the land of my ancestors. The Jin people will definitely want to get the three towns, and now I want to take them. No matter what the interests and harms are, I want not to follow them. No matter what the interests and harms are, I should follow the crowd and do it. I dare not do it on my own.

The Yushitai was ordered to report to all officials, and on the eighth day of the lunar month, a meeting was held in Shangshu Province to discuss the matter. The relatives of the prime minister did not attend, and all officials were not allowed to wait and see. The official court is ordered to hold a meeting, which is concerned with the safety of the clan and society, and everyone must see the true interests. If the three towns are cut or not, how can we ensure that there will be no future troubles? If they are cut, how can we prepare for defense, and if they are not cut, how can we prepare for defense and not be reckless. I don't have any fixed opinions, I just follow the opinions of the public. "

On November , more than court officials came to Yanhe Hall for a meeting. They each stepped forward to receive pens and paper, and then lined up on both sides of the corridor according to civil and military order.