The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 157 Military Report
In the Liao State, at the capital city of Dading Prefecture.
The military report from Datong Prefecture was delivered to the palace at top speed.
The Liao Emperor had been injured during a hunt and was now unconscious. All state affairs were being handled by the Second Prince, Yelü Shege, and the Grand Preceptor, Yelü Ding. The urgent military report quickly fell into Yelü Shege's hands. As soon as he opened it, he was furious, "The Song people dare to tear up the peace treaty! Do they think our Great Liao has no one left? Look at this report!"
Yelü Qin's expression changed. He took the report, read it, and then angrily said, "Our Great Liao hasn't even started the war, and that insignificant Song dares to cross the line! Your Highness, rest assured. Once our Liao cavalry marches south, we will teach those foolish Song people a painful lesson."
Yelü Shege pondered for a moment, then raised his hand, "No, perhaps this is a good opportunity."
Yelü Qin was stunned, "Your Highness?"
Yelü Shege's handsome face showed a flicker of uncertainty. He spoke quickly, "My imperial father has always favored me. While he is unconscious, the power of the court should naturally fall to me, and I should act as regent. But the Grand Preceptor's influence is too great. Dealing with him is like trying to skin a tiger. Now that the Song army dares to invade, this might be our chance. Every day Imperial Father remains unconscious, our situation becomes more dangerous."
Yelü Qin's eyes lit up as he understood. He cupped his hands and said, "This official will immediately send someone to deliver the urgent military report to the Grand Preceptor's residence."
Yelü Shege smiled faintly and nodded slightly.
At the same time, in the Great Song, at the capital city of Shengjing.
A scout rode a fast horse, holding a military report high, and was granted special permission to gallop through the official roads straight into the palace.
In Chuigong Hall, the emperor was drinking ginseng soup.
Zhao Fu picked up a black pill and placed it in his mouth. He swallowed the pill with the ginseng soup. At that moment, the chief eunuch Ji Fu hurried in and bowed, "Your Majesty, a military report from the Northwest."
Military reports took precedence over all else. Without waiting for Zhao Fu to summon him, the scout delivering the report had already knelt in Chuigong Hall. He held a small wooden tube high above his head, waiting for the emperor to open it.
Zhao Fu's eyes gradually widened. He sat on the throne, unable to regain his composure for a long time.
As if summoning all his strength, he pushed himself up from the armrests and stood, his body swaying slightly. Ji Fu, sharp-eyed as ever, quickly rushed forward to support the emperor's right arm. Zhao Fu stood in Chuigong Hall, only two feet away from the small wooden tube, but he didn't dare to take that step.
In Chuigong Hall, the attending eunuchs and maids didn't understand what was happening.
The chamberlains on duty today didn't understand what was happening.
Ji Fu, who was supporting Zhao Fu, didn't know what was wrong with the emperor.
Even the scout delivering the report didn't understand that what he held in his hands wasn't just a military report—it was the vast, boundless territory of the Great Song's three provinces!
Zhao Fu suddenly stepped forward. He moved so quickly that Ji Fu couldn't keep up. He grabbed the military report, opened it, and read it. Panic, worry, anxiety, and wild joy flashed through his cloudy, aged eyes. In the next moment, he suddenly calmed down. He placed the report on the desk and ordered Ji Fu, "Summon Xu Bi, Wang Quan, Chen Linghai... Zhou Fang, Wang Zhen."
Ji Fu's heart skipped a beat. He knew something major had happened. He secretly glanced at Zhao Fu and saw the emperor calmly looking ahead, his expression indifferent, as still as an ancient well.
An hour later, all the first-rank officials of the court had entered Chuigong Hall.
Two hours later, they began to leave one by one.
The expressions of these first-rank officials were varied and colorful. The last to leave Chuigong Hall was the current Left Prime Minister, Xu Bi. Now nearly seventy years old, his sparse, graying hair and gaunt frame made his official robe seem too large. As Xu Bi walked out of Chuigong Hall, the sun was setting. He stopped in the square in front of the hall and stood still for a moment.
After a while, he sighed and continued on his way.
In Chuigong Hall, Zhao Fu paced back and forth dozens of times. He hadn't had this much energy in a long time. After discussing the Northwest military situation with his first-rank officials, he immediately began strategizing and making deployments with his ministers. Though he should have been exhausted, he was instead incredibly excited.
After another round of pacing, Zhao Fu suddenly turned around, "Ji Fu."
The emperor had been wandering around the hall, and though Ji Fu didn't understand why, he had to follow him around several times. Now that the emperor had stopped, Ji Fu quickly responded, "Your servant is here."
Zhao Fu, "What do you think of the portrait they painted of me last year?"
Every year on Zhao Fu's birthday, palace artists would paint a portrait of the emperor. Ji Fu smiled, "Your Majesty's majestic appearance, with your prominent nose like a mountain peak, was captured vividly."
Zhao Fu, "I think it wasn't good enough."
Ji Fu was stunned.
"Summon the palace artists! Have them paint another portrait of me!"
The emperor's casual whim immediately set the palace into a flurry of activity. Ji Fu, seeing the emperor's joy, couldn't help but feel genuinely happy as well.
The next morning, news of the Northwest war spread throughout the court.
The officials were shocked.
Tang Shen, as the third-rank Right Vice Minister of Works, had known that war in the Northwest was inevitable, but he hadn't expected Su Wenyun and Li Jingde to act so quickly! Why had they suddenly taken action? Even Grand Preceptor Zhou wouldn't dare to start a war lightly. This was a major conflict between two nations, and it required the emperor's seal of approval.
Tang Shen pondered this matter with his head lowered. In Zichen Hall, the officials were already in an uproar. However, since the war had already begun, after the officials finished arguing, Zhao Fu waved his hand, and the hall immediately fell silent. His voice was steady and resonant, "The Liao people have bullied the Song for too long. Those three provinces of divine land are all territory of the Great Song. Every time I think of this, my heart aches, and I cannot sleep at night!"
The officials immediately responded in unison, "We are willing to share Your Majesty's burdens."
Zhao Fu's gaze swept over the faces of these officials. In the next moment, his tone was decisive, "I have decided to send an additional one hundred thousand troops to the Northwest!"
Even the pro-peace faction among the officials could only grit their teeth and respond loudly, "We obey Your Majesty's command!"
In Shengjing, news of the war between the two nations spread throughout the city in an instant.
The officials were all busy. War was no easy matter. Provisions had to be prepared before the troops moved. The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works immediately began transporting military funds and provisions to Youzhou. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel were also busy. The emperor wanted to send an additional one hundred thousand troops, but where to mobilize these soldiers was a difficult problem.
In the Left Prime Minister's residence, the core members of the Xu faction were also in heated debate.
"The Song and Liao have coexisted peacefully for twenty-six years. Now, suddenly, we are starting a war, and it is being led by the Great Song. This is utterly absurd!"
"Although we signed a peace treaty, the Liao people have been encroaching on our borders every year. Now we are simply repaying them in kind."
"That's easy for you to say, Liu daren. That's the Liao State, with thirty thousand iron cavalry! How can we defeat the Liao? This is like smashing an egg against a rock, courting destruction."
"You...!"
"Clink—"
The crisp sound of a teacup being placed on the table rang out. The officials who had been arguing immediately fell silent and turned to look at Xu Bi, who was seated at the head of the table.
Half of Prime Minister Xu's face was in shadow, making it hard to see his expression clearly. His voice was drawn out, "Whether we are willing or not, this war has already begun. Arguing about it now is meaningless. This may not be a disaster. As the saying goes, misfortune may be a blessing in disguise!" Xu Bi turned to his student and smiled, "Xian Zhi, your opportunity has finally come."
Three days later, the court mobilized one hundred thousand troops, with General Wei Lü as the commander and Minister of Justice Yu Chaosheng as the supervising envoy. They marched west toward Youzhou.
When Tang Shen heard that Yu Chaosheng had gone to the Northwest, he was extremely surprised. That evening, after returning to the Minister Residence, he asked Wang Zhen, "You actually let Yu Chaosheng leave Shengjing?"
Wang Zhen was sipping tea. Hearing this, he turned to look at Tang Shen, "You already know?"
Tang Shen, "How could I not know? By this afternoon, the entire court knew!"
Wang Zhen smiled, "The emperor appointed him as the supervising envoy of the three armies and ordered him to go to the Northwest. What does that have to do with me?"
Tang Shen: "..."
"The Xingzhou case is still being investigated by the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice. Now that Yu Chaosheng is gone, which good and loyal official do you plan to harm next, Senior Brother?"
Wang Zhen suddenly laughed, "In your heart, is Yu Chaosheng a good and loyal official?"
Tang Shen countered, "Isn't he?"
"Not necessarily." Wang Zhen said lightly. Suddenly, he became interested and turned to look at Tang Shen, asking, "In little Junior Brother's heart, am I also a good and loyal official?"
Tang Shen: "..."
Tang Shen silently stood up, kissed Wang Zhen on the cheek, and then said, "In my heart, Senior Brother naturally is."
Wang Zhen laughed heartily.
The Northwest war had become the major event that everyone in Shengjing was paying attention to.
Three days later, the artist finally finished painting Zhao Fu's portrait. Zhao Fu was extremely satisfied and couldn't put it down, admiring it all day. He hung the portrait in Chuigong Hall, where he could see it every time he looked up.
The emperor was in high spirits, and the eunuchs and maids also benefited from this.
Ji Fu had been living very comfortably these days. He wasn't worried about the situation in the Northwest—that was something for the officials to worry about. All he knew was that since the emperor was so happy, everything must be fine.
Outside Chuigong Hall, Ji Fu sighed to his godson, "Life is getting more and more comfortable!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Fu had just finished instructing his godson, Xie Bao, when he saw a scout quickly walking in from the palace gates. Ji Fu's eyes immediately lit up. The last time a military report came from the Northwest, the emperor had been happy for ten days after reading it. Now that another report had arrived, it must surely be good news.
Ji Fu eagerly brought the scout into Chuigong Hall.
Zhao Fu, "Is this a military report from the Northwest camp?"
The scout knelt on the ground, holding a secret letter high, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this is not a military report. This humble servant has received a secret letter from the residence of the Second Prince."
Zhao Fu was slightly surprised. He ordered Ji Fu to bring the letter to him. As he read the letter, Zhao Fu's expression quickly darkened. He clenched the letter tightly, the force so great that it almost tore the thin paper.
"Useless!"
Zhao Fu suddenly shouted, startling everyone in the hall.
In the next moment, Zhao Fu's eyes closed, and he fell backward. Ji Fu, terrified, rushed forward and used his body as a cushion, preventing the emperor from hitting the ground. He groaned in pain, then looked up and shouted, "Quick, summon the imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician!"
Fortunately, this wasn't a recurrence of his headache. Zhao Fu had simply been overwhelmed by anger and fainted due to a sudden lack of breath. By nightfall, he had woken up. This unpredictable emperor stared coldly at all the eunuchs and maids in Funing Palace. The servants were all terrified, not daring to breathe loudly.
After a quarter of an hour, Zhao Fu withdrew his icy gaze. He stood up, and Ji Fu quickly draped a robe over him.
"Your Majesty."
Zhao Fu didn't respond. He walked silently to the desk, picked up a brush, and wrote an imperial decree, stamping it with the imperial seal.
Zhao Fu said indifferently, "Tomorrow, you will go and announce this decree."
Ji Fu, taken aback, carefully accepted the decree and said cautiously, "Yes, your servant obeys the order."
Zhao Fu, "First, go to the Fourth Prince's residence, then to the Fifth Prince's."
Ji Fu was both shocked and puzzled, "...Yes."