nashuaworldcup Chapter 353 Zhao Huan's Letter of Surrender
Chapter 353 Zhao Huan's Letter of Surrender
"We know Emperor Qinzong well; he's not very courageous, easily fooled, and his most fatal flaw is his indecisiveness."
"But he insisted on spending money to ensure safety, so Wanyan Zongwang knew from his previous dealings with this Song emperor that the Song court was easily fooled."
"For the Jurchens, this is a win-win situation. Of course, it's a win-win situation for them. For example, they don't need to be afraid because this street fighting has caused casualties among the Jurchen soldiers."
"Then, he could use this as an excuse to ask the Song court for things that are not easy to obtain on the battlefield, but what does it matter to him what the Song court does!"
"However, the Song court is not what it used to be. The capital city of Bianjing is almost riddled with holes. If the Jurchens are determined to attack fiercely, the Song court is not prepared for a war."
"Therefore, the Song court's initial emphasis on civil affairs over military matters truly led to a very serious consequence in the late Northern Song Dynasty."
"The later Ming Dynasty learned from this lesson, but who could have imagined that Zhu Qizhen would lose more than 200,000 soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, which would be another serious consequence."
"It seems that every dynasty has learned from the lessons of the previous dynasty, but new problems will always emerge."
"Sigh, we've gone off on a tangent again. Emperor Qinzong of Song wasn't stupid. If the Jurchens didn't want to destroy the Song Dynasty, why would they invade Song territory? So when he first heard the news, his first reaction was: Are they trying to harm him!"
"However, since the Song court was also incapable of fighting the Jin people, it still sent He Li and Prince Ji to the Jin camp to sue for peace."
"As we all know, the Jin camp is a magical place. Once the pro-war faction goes in, they all come out as pro-peace. This was true for Zhao Gou, it was true for Qin Hui, and now it was true for He Li, who was also a pro-war faction."
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: I knew it! It was bound to come down to this damn bastard!
Judy, the Grand General Who Conquers the North (with a twitch at the corner of her mouth): It's always the same few spendthrift sons who repeatedly whip the corpses of their children!
Emperor Zhao Zhen, the greatest benevolent ruler of all time;...Was the Jin camp really that miraculous?
A street vendor in the Tang Dynasty: He had no choice. He couldn't compete with them. Who wouldn't want a strong and prosperous nation!
……
The people of Wanchao Shikong felt even more depressed when they heard this. Why was this record from the end of the Song Dynasty so heavy?
Don't they understand that by always giving in, they are ultimately giving the other party the opportunity to take advantage of them?
Even they could see clearly that these potential dangers needed to be properly addressed during the first defense of Kaifeng, otherwise they would have been in such a passive position.
However, they were certain that the Song Dynasty was not yet on the verge of collapse. After all, it had only been established for a little over a hundred years, and according to Miss Lin, it could survive for at least another 150 years!
No wonder Wanyan Gou lived so long!
……
Lin Ke continued, "When Prime Minister He Li and Prince Ji entered the Jin camp, the Jin people treated them very friendly, as if the two sides had never fought a fierce battle and were good friends!"
"He Li has been flattered by the Jurchens so much that his views immediately shifted from a pro-war stance to a pro-peace stance. It seems the Jurchens are indeed very good at deception; this is just the umpteenth example!!!"
Jin man: We're all good friends! Let's make peace!
He Li (wavering): Okay! I'll go back and tell the boss (bluffing)!!
"So, after He Li returned, he earnestly spoke to Emperor Qinzong of Song about the benefits of peace."
"Therefore, under the influence of what he saw and heard, Emperor Qinzong of Song gradually forgot his vigilance against the Jurchens, and the scales in his heart began to tip in favor of the Jurchens."
"He had even forgotten how he had been led by the nose during previous negotiations with the Jurchens, and how they had taken advantage of him. He actually believed their lies!"
"When the Jurchens saw that their plan had been largely successful, they sent men to follow the traitors to burn, kill, and plunder the people's property. It is said that some families committed suicide by hanging, while others perished in the flames."
"On the other hand, the Jin people demanded that Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) leave the city to negotiate with them. Whether Zhao Ji was afraid or for some other reason, Emperor Qinzong ultimately went instead."
"At the time, the people in the city advised him not to go, saying that the Jurchens were full of cunning and that His Majesty would surely meet a terrible end if he went!!!"
"Emperor Qinzong of Song still harbored illusions about the Jurchens and never imagined it would be a trap set by them, so he gladly went there anyway, only to find out it was a real trap!"
A spoiled young master from the Song Dynasty: ...I've just fallen into someone else's trap!?
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: So he was so easily fooled! I don't understand! I really don't understand!
Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu: Whoever wants this damn grandson can take him! I'm speechless!
Judy, the Great General Who Conquers the North: We definitely don't want that. With such a penny-pincher attitude, even the biggest fortune can be squandered!
The overweight Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi: Father! There are other families whose wealth surpasses even that of the Emperor!
Emperor Zhao Zhen, the greatest benevolent ruler of all time: (??? ? ???)...
……
Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu, made comments that were both laughable and pathetic. This grandson of his only thought was retreat! Retreat! Retreat!
If they remember correctly, this man only reigned for a year, how could he have squandered such a huge fortune!
Oh, and his dad got a share too! Anyone can have these two, father and son!
They definitely won't want it; earning money isn't easy for them!
……
"When Emperor Qinzong entered the Jin camp, the Jin commander did not see him, but only asked him for a letter of surrender."
"He Li really tricked the boss! The peace talks turned into a surrender. Zhao Huan was stunned. He Li didn't mention this! Oh my god, we've been fooled!"
"And Zhao Huan has reached this point, there's nothing he can do. After all, he's still in the Jin camp; if you're weak, you'll always be bullied."
"So Zhao Huan had no choice but to write this surrender document. But the Jin people, seeing that they had achieved their goal, wanted to cause trouble again. They said that the Song people were very talented in writing, so they demanded that Zhao Huan write the surrender document in the form of four-six couplets."
"After repeated deliberation and revision by the ministers, it was finally handed over to the soldiers. This surrender document is considered the most humiliating surrender document in the history of the Central Plains dynasties."
"If we're going to make a comparison, perhaps the humiliating agreements signed in the late Qing Dynasty can be compared as well."
"Let me also show you here: Your subject Zhao Huan (including Emperor Huizong of Song) owed you a debt of gratitude, which led to your attack and caused you to suffer greatly in the east, begging for your life..."
"The final paragraph: Kneeling on the ground, he thought, 'The Great Jin Emperor received the Mandate of Heaven, and his mercy in not killing was comparable to that of Tang and Wu... The Emperor's grace in giving me a second life...'"
Respectfully, I, along with my uncles, the prime minister and officials, the people of the entire Song Dynasty, monks and Taoists, social elites, and soldiers, will proceed to the outskirts of the city to present the surrender document.
I gaze upon your palace, awaiting your punishment. I am filled with trepidation, kowtowing again and again.
Lin Ke: Damn, this thing looks kind of disgusting!!!