Song Huizong only read the first sentence and had the urge to tear the letter into pieces.
"The Generalissimo of Sichuan Gorge wishes to ask if the Emperor of Song is okay..."
This damn thing is in the format of "Certificate of Credence", and the so-called "respect" is purely polite.
Moreover, Ju Ming had previously proclaimed himself "General" and deliberately upgraded himself to "Generalissimo" when writing the letter.
In the pre-Qin Dynasty, the marshal was only the commander-in-chief of the Chinese army, but in the Tang Dynasty it was different. The marshal was often held by a prince or prince, and the deputy marshal was held by a minister with outstanding prestige.
For example, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty served as the marshal of the Western Campaign.
During the Jingkang period, Zhao Gou also proclaimed himself the Grand Marshal of the World's Armed Forces.
"Sichuan Gorge" is not "Sichuan-Shaanxi". It probably refers to the Sichuan area, and it can also extend a little further outward.
With Song Huizong's intelligence and erudition, he immediately understood what Zhu Ming meant when he saw the first sentence.
Although he did not have a clear-cut plan to establish a country and proclaim himself emperor, he already regarded Sichuan as a country. Ju Ming called himself a generalissimo, that is, as a prince, he was writing a letter of credence to Song Huizong!
The following content is roughly as follows:
First, he condemned Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty for imposing excessive taxes and excessive taxes, which led to hardship and resentment among the people in the world.
Second, Zhu's army was in obedience to nature and in response to the people, not rebellion or rebellion.
Third, he condemned Song Huizong for provoking border provocations and should not have sent troops to attack various areas of the Sichuan Gorge. He also said that this was a matter for the Xia, and borrowing troops from Dali was an act to attract barbarians to rebel against Xia.
Fourth, there are currently 100,000 soldiers in Sichuan Gorge. If Song Huizong still wants to fight, Ju Ming is willing to lead his troops to Tokyo to meet his old friend.
Fifth, there have been natural and man-made disasters in recent years. Ju Ming did not want to see wars and disasters, so he chose to temporarily suspend the war and negotiate.
Sixth, in order to show his sincerity in negotiations, Zhu Ming was willing to marry the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty, and asked to marry the Song Dynasty Emperor Ji and the daughters of the Zhong and Zhe families.
Seventh, because Song Huizong took the initiative to provoke the war, he must compensate for the loss of money and food, two million guan in money and 200,000 shi in rice.
Eighth, the family members of some civil and military officials under Ju Ming's command, as well as some old friends, must not be made difficult by the court and must be sent to Sichuan safely.
Ninth, if Song Huizong agrees to the above conditions, Ju Ming promises to return the land of Shaanxi.
After patiently reading this "letter of credence", Song Huizong was furious at first, but each of the more outrageous conditions made him feel infinitely frightened at the end.
Because the imperial court really has no money and no troops to deploy.
Nowadays, not only is there a red thief in Sichuan, Jing Lake also gives birth to a bell thief (Zhong Xiang).
Song Jiang fled to Hebei and resurrected. In Hebei and Shandong, bandits such as Gao Tuoshan, Zhang Di, Zhang Wanxian, Sun Lie, Wu Hu, Yang Tianwang, Prince Li, Xu Jin, and Liu Dalang also appeared. All of the above were over 10,000 in size.
Bandits, those whose number is only a few hundred or a few thousand are not counted.
Bandits even appeared in Kaifeng Mansion!
There are three reasons for uprisings in Shandong and Hebei this year: first, the Yellow River burst its banks again, making it difficult for the government to provide relief; second, the Xicheng Office established by the eunuch Li Yan was too exploitative in Shandong; third, the redemption of Yanjing and Six Prefectures of the Liao Kingdom
In this land, no taxes could be collected, but money and grain had to be poured into it. All the money and grain were distributed among the people of Shandong and Hebei.
Even if Ju Ming didn't rebel, these bandits would still appear.
Historically, Gao Tuoshan claimed to have an army of 300,000 people, but was defeated by Yang Weizhong and Xin Xingzong, and accepted the call for peace. Zhang Di claimed to have an army of hundreds of thousands, but was suppressed by Liu Guangshi, and was defeated and died. Zhang Wanxian, known as the army of 100,000, was defeated and called for peace. Sun Lie
The so-called 100,000-strong army was defeated by Liang Fangping...
At this time and space, the Western Army was at war with Ju Ming, and the imperial court was unable to suppress the northern uprising. As a result, Shandong and Hebei were completely corrupted, leaving only local officials and gentry to recruit troops to cope with the situation.
Take Shandong as an example. Qingzhou, Qizhou, Weizhou, Laizhou and Mizhou are all gone and have completely become the territory of the peasant uprising army.
The local aristocratic families either recruited troops to resist, followed in the rebellion, or fled with their families.
Zhang Shuye, Zongze and other capable local officials, with the support of wealthy families and powerful men, are struggling to resist the expansion of the rebel army.
Li Qingzhao's hometown and her secluded place were all occupied by the rebels. The couple were so frightened that they fled to Xuzhou.
The butterfly effect brought about by Ju Ming also caused Pharmacist Guo to be short of money, food and soldiers, and he was unable to stop the invasion of the "Emperor Xi". If the Jin Kingdom had not sent troops to destroy Xi Kingdom, Pharmacist Guo would not even have been able to gain a foothold in Yanjing.
Cai Jing had been living in Tokyo and was urgently recruited into the palace at this time.
"What can Duke Lu teach me?" Song Huizong asked.
Cai Jing could hardly see. Even if someone stood in front of him, he could only see a black shadow.
Facing the emperor's inquiry, Cai Jing wanted to get rid of Hua Shigang. But his most powerful ally now was Zhu Meng, and Zhu Meng relied entirely on Hua Shigang to gain a foothold. This thing could never be eliminated.
Cai Jingdu is already in his 70s and 80s, his eyesight is blind, and the current situation is still in a mess. There is no need for him to wade into troubled waters.
But this guy is so greedy for power that he even plans to regain his prime ministership, even if he wants to make a fuss about it.
Cai Jing asked: "I heard that Zhu Thief has sent a letter. Can I take a look at it?"
Song Huizong asked the rest to leave and read Ju Ming's letter himself.
After hearing this, Cai Jing thought carefully: "Nowadays, there are all kinds of bandits, and the Zhu bandits are a serious problem. But the Zhu bandits have occupied Sichuan and defeated the officers and soldiers from all walks of life. They cannot be eliminated quickly. Since the Zhu bandits are willing to negotiate, they can be stabilized first.
, try to preserve the imperial military strength. After the Zhu bandits return to Sichuan, next year they will concentrate their forces to exterminate the Shandong and Hebei bandits. After the north is stabilized, they will then go to annihilate Jinghu Zhongxiang. Then rest and recuperate for a year or two, raise enough money and food, and then go to encircle and suppress the Zhu bandits!
"
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty nodded: "This is the advice of an old man to seek the country."
Nowadays, there are rebellions all over the country, which has made Song Huizong's mind very confusing. Cai Jing helped to clear things up, and the situation seemed to be clear all of a sudden.
Cai Jing also said: "The corruption in Shandong was all caused by Xicheng. It is because Xicheng was eliminated that it calmed the people's hearts."
Hua Shigang could not give up because Zhu Meng was an ally of Cai Jing.
The Xicheng Institute was able to do so because Li Yan was Wang Fu's lackey.
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty hesitated and said: "Xicheng Institute raises a lot of money and food every year. If it is abandoned, I'm afraid there will be even more money and food shortages."
Cai Jing said: "If the West City does not stop, there will never be peace on the Jingdong Road. Even the capital and west of Beijing will become rife with thieves. I heard that there are bandits in Kaifeng Prefecture, and it is the West City that provoked the civil uprising. Even if Your Majesty is reluctant to part with it,
, it should be restored after the bandits are exterminated."
"Then get rid of Xicheng!" Song Huizong made up his mind.
Cai Jing added: "You can marry the emperor's concubine, but you cannot marry the daughter of a general, otherwise the red thieves will never be eradicated."
Song Huizong asked: "What should I do if the Zhu thief persists?"
Cai Jing said: "Then marry a daughter from a wealthy family, not a daughter from a poor family!"
Song Huizong sent Cai Jingli out of the palace and gave him some goods as a reward, and then called Li Bangyan to discuss it.
The next day, he summoned Shi Yuangong.
Shi Yuangong came with that letter and was solely responsible for the negotiations.
Looking at the majestic palace, Shi Yuangong couldn't help but think of the time when he went to Beijing to take the exam. He was short of money and could only rent a house in the suburbs, but now he was qualified to enter and leave the palace.
This feeling is so refreshing!
"Shi Yuangong, the shogunate of the Grand Marshal's Mansion in Sichuan Gorge, has met His Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty." Shi Yuangong bowed and bowed.
Such a title made Song Huizong furious, but he could only smile: "Give me a seat."
When Mr. Shi Yuang sat down, Li Bangyan said: "I have a close personal relationship with Mr. Yuan Zhang, Brother Chenggong, but I have never met you. Where is your fairyland?"
Shi Yuangong said: "I used to be a civil servant, but the government exploited me excessively, and my family all died of illness and starvation. Fortunately, I was taken in by the Generalissimo, and I have been following the Generalissimo for many years."
These words made Song Huizong a little embarrassed, and he pretended to say: "I, the Song Dynasty, have always been kind to scholars, but I only hate corrupt officials who ignore the emperor's life and make the local people miserable. If I had met Shi Qing earlier, I would have promoted him to the capital.
official."
"Your Majesty, you are so flattering." Shi Yuangong smiled slightly. This foolish king actually wanted to bribe himself with a high official and a generous salary.
Li Bangyan said: "Your Majesty has already read Brother Chenggong's letter. The Zhu family raised the army out of helplessness. Your Majesty plans to appoint Duke Yuan Zhang as the Sichuan Gorge Economic Envoy and the Duke of Shu, and confer Brother Chenggong as the Sichuan Gorge Comfort Envoy.
, Hanzhonghou, Prince Consort Commandery."
Shi Yuangong cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but my Lord does not accept the canonization of the Song Dynasty."
Song Huizong was looking for face and establishing his authority. Although Sichuan was also divided, the official titles he conferred were very different from the official positions that Zhu's father and son received themselves.
A normal rebel would definitely agree, but he didn't expect Shi Yuangong to refuse outright.
Song Huizong no longer wanted to talk and just continued fighting!
Shi Yuangong was taken away from the palace in this way. When he went out, a light snow suddenly fell in the sky. This was the first snow in the five years of Xuanhe in the Song Dynasty.
Two days later, a battle report came from Jingxi Road: Tong Guan retreated to Yingchang Prefecture (Xuchang), Zhang Guangdao led his troops to capture Xiangcheng and Yancheng, and the rebels were still 250 miles away from Tokyo.
The capital was shaken, and the officials and people were in an uproar.
There are even eunuchs and civil servants preparing to welcome the new king. Because once Yingchang is broken, Tokyo will no longer have a barrier, bandits can march straight in, and there are no soldiers in Tokyo city at all.
Cai Jing actually wanted to return to the prime minister, instigating the remaining party members to impeach Wang Fu, and put all the blame on Wang Fu.
Song Huizong summoned Shi Yuangong again and no longer mentioned the canonization of Zhu and his son.
Moreover, there will be no detours this time.
The emperor himself was not able to speak, so he asked Li Bangyan to speak: "The Zhu family cannot establish the Yuan Dynasty and proclaim the emperor!"
Shi Yuangong smiled and said: "Okay."
Li Bangyan added: "Two million guan of money and 200,000 shi of rice are too much. The imperial court only gave 200,000 guan of money and 20,000 shi of rice."
Shi Yuangong was still smiling: "Okay."
Li Bangyan said again: "The Zhu family not only wants to return the land of Shaanxi, but also Jingxi Road, including Jinzhou."
Shi Yuangong put away his smile: "Farewell!"
"Don't be impatient." Song Huizong quickly persuaded him to stay.
If the negotiations broke down, Song Huizong was already ready to hunt Jiangnan.
Li Bangyan said: "Please tell me everything."
Shi Yuangong said: "Xiangcheng and Yancheng can be returned to the Song Dynasty. Deng, Xiang, Tang, and Suizhou (Nanyang Xiangyang Basin and surrounding mountainous areas) will not be able to obey the order."
Li Bangyan looked at the emperor.
Only Xiangyang in the Nanxiang Basin is prosperous, while the other prefectures and counties are all vast and sparsely populated.
If the Red Thieves occupied it, it would have little impact on the Song Dynasty's finances and taxes, but its strategic significance would be extremely important, because they could go north to attack Tokyo at any time!
Negotiations reached a deadlock again.
Song Huizong was upset and sent Duke Shi Yuang out of the palace with gifts, and quietly summoned Cai Jing to inquire about matters.
This responsibility was so great that Cai Jing did not dare to make up his mind. He only said: "The red thieves have already taken over."
Song Huizong was so depressed that he had the idea of breaking the jar.
Yes, the red thieves have already taken over there, and they will have nothing to lose by terminating the negotiations. On the contrary, they are afraid that the thieves will invade Tokyo.
At least we can get Shaanxi back!
Shi Yuangong was summoned for the third time, and the matter of Nanxiang Basin was no longer mentioned.
Li Bangyan said: "Your Majesty is willing to marry Emperor Xunde, who is fourteen years old and is a good match for Brother Chenggong."
Shi Yuangong said: "Are you too young?"
"This..." Li Bangyan explained, "the older concubines are already married."
Shi Yuangong said: "My lord heard that Emperor Maode was both talented and beautiful."
Li Bangyan said: "Empress Maode has married Cai Ji, the son of Duke Lu (Cai Jing)."
Shi Yuangong said: "You can remarry with Li."
When Song Huizong heard this, he clenched his fists tightly and the veins on his forehead swelled.
Li Bangyan said: "Not only is she married, but she also gave birth to a son."
Shi Yuangong said: "This son can be left to the Cai family."
Li Bangyan said: "The two empresses are sisters from the same mother. It doesn't matter who they marry."
Shi Yuangong said: "My lord happened to marry both of them."
Li Bangyan looked at the emperor.
Thinking of the bandits two hundred and fifty miles away, Song Huizong nodded slightly.
Li Bangyan added: "Daughters of the Zhong family can be granted marriage, but daughters of the Zhe family do not."
Shi Yuangong said: "Okay."
The negotiation was concluded, and Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty did not allow the eunuchs to follow him, so he sat alone in a quiet room to breathe and cultivate his mind.
Soon, the sound of breaking porcelain was heard from the quiet room, which scared the eunuch guarding outside the door to shrink his neck.
Ju Ming deliberately asked to marry the already married Emperor Ji, just to tear off Song Huizong's fig leaf!
Ju Ming had no regrets about this, because until this moment, this foolish king was still recruiting Huashi Gang indiscriminately.
(Thanks to the leader of Silver Moon in the Void for the reward, O(∩_∩)O~)