Chapter 15 Already

It was almost autumn, and the midday sun wasn't terribly harsh, but Zhu Shengfei was drenched in sweat, because the thing he worried about most had finally happened.

You must know, the Two Sages weren't the father and elder brother of some founding emperor; they themselves were retired supreme emperors, the former rulers and paternal figures of the current official... On the day of the Jingkang Incident, maintaining the dual existence of the Two Sages was itself a preservation of their basic imperial status... In other words, there was no such thing as familial propriety versus courtly propriety.

Even if explained with the most absurd theory, you three are all Sages, all Emperors. Stripped of your Emperor identities, simply as sons seeing your father and elder brother returning from a five-year hunt... that's your father. What's wrong with kneeling? Why make things difficult for us?

But Zhu Shengfei was very clear that if the Zhao Emperor was willing to do that, he wouldn't have asked the question!

Answer with kneeling, this Emperor is the sitting Emperor, and if he really gets angry, he can kill him! Answer without kneeling, it's not that he can't fabricate a reason, but he'll lose all reputation among the literati... This is called sowing discord within the imperial family, making the Emperor appear unfilial and unbrotherly.

"Your Majesty."

Just then, a man stepped forward out of turn; it was none other than Imperial Censor Li Guang, who solemnly faced the Emperor. "Father and son, a natural bond; brothers, an essential order. Why debate about 'We'?"

These words were what Zhu Shengfei was thinking, but hearing them, the Minister of Rites not only didn't feel relieved, but stared at Li Guang with a somewhat exasperated expression.

"Why not debate about 'We'?" Zhao Jiu said thoughtfully.

"Precisely so."

Li Guang didn't need to look at the expressions of his other colleagues; he knew he was relapsing into his old habits. His personality had always been like this: whenever he saw an opportunity to stand up and argue, he would rush forward without regard for the consequences. And the bigger the occasion, the less he could control himself. He would regret it when he got home, listen to people's advice, and then rush forward again next time... He could only say that at this point, he had no choice but to face it head-on.

"Ministry of Rites." Zhao Jiu chuckled, not directly agreeing with Li Guang, but instead calling out to Zhu Shengfei.

"Your subject is here." Zhu Shengfei was startled, but he still braced himself and bowed respectfully at Li Guang's side.

"If you're having trouble, go ask my father and elder brother, and see what kind of ceremony they want me to perform?" Zhao Jiu waved his sleeve in dismissal.

This could be considered a solution!

Zhu Shengfei felt a sense of relief, quickly bowing and retreating, then turning and leaving.

Rounding the dock, the group of the Two Sages disembarked. Dozens of people embraced each other, weeping bitterly and losing all composure. But others were one thing; the Two Sages themselves had been emperors, and especially between the Two Sages during the Jingkang Incident, they had various disagreements, aware of the sensitivity of imperial power. So they had long kept an eye on the dragon banner. Now, seeing a purple-robed official approaching from afar, they quickly composed themselves.

As Zhu Shengfei approached, he sighed inwardly.

Speaking of which, the Supreme Daoist Emperor was famous for his handsome looks, but he was almost fifty years old, and had suffered for five years on the Songhua River. His temples were already gray, and he was so thin he was barely human. Putting on a red robe and a hard-winged hat, he could almost catch the wind. And although the Yuan Sheng Emperor was only thirty-two years old, he had been suppressed since his youth. After five years on the Songhua River, he probably hadn't had any soybeans or sorghum to eat. Although his frame was still there, he actually had a little gray at his temples as well.

"Minister Zhu!" Seeing Zhu Shengfei approaching, the Supreme Daoist Emperor actually recognized him; after all, he had personally awarded him the *shangshe* degree.

"Your Majesty!" Hearing these words, Zhu Shengfei almost knelt to welcome him, but thinking of the situation behind him, he simply bowed solemnly. "Your subject, Zhu Shengfei, Minister of Rites, greets the Supreme Daoist Emperor, the Supreme Yuan Sheng Emperor... The Emperor has sent me to ask."

The Two Sages both looked solemn, and the other princes who were crying also composed themselves.

"What does my Ninth Brother have to say?" The Supreme Daoist Emperor wiped away his tears, cautiously and eagerly. "Why didn't he come in person?"

"The Emperor is precisely troubled by this matter." Zhu Shengfei drooped his eyelids as he spoke. "Just now, the ministers started arguing. Some said the Emperor should kneel, others said a bow would suffice... The argument couldn't be settled, so the Emperor sent your subject to ask the meaning of the two Supreme Emperors."

The Supreme Daoist Emperor had originally been sobbing, but hearing this, his tears flowed even more profusely.

The Yuan Sheng Emperor couldn't help but stomp his foot. "Where is there any need for kneeling? As people who have lost their homes, we rely entirely on Ninth Brother's generosity. This time, we are going to ask for a position as a *Taiyi gongshi* (official of the Palace of Supreme Unity) to settle down. It would be good enough if I didn't bow to Ninth Brother... Even if it's true, as the rumors from the northern country say, that Ninth Brother resents us because of Empress Xing, it would be proper for him not to see us today."

You are the elder brother; even if I killed you, I could find Tang Taizong to cover it up. Kneeling my ass! Zhu Shengfei was speechless, and looked again at the key figure, the Supreme Daoist Emperor.

Although the Supreme Daoist Emperor had the status of a ruler and father to rely on, he was also cautious. He wiped away his tears, stepped forward, and grasped Zhu Shengfei's hands with his tear- and snot-covered hands, earnestly asking, "Minister Zhu, tell me the truth... What exactly are Ninth Brother's intentions? I heard bad rumors on the road! Please be sure to make it clear to Ninth Brother that having experienced the northern country, I am disheartened and have no other thoughts. I only seek to be a *Taiyi gongshi*."

If only you had known this sooner!

Zhu Shengfei sighed inwardly, but said aloud, "In that case, there will be no problem with the ceremony?"

"There was never any problem... The key is that I want to ask Minister Zhu to give me some pointers. What is Ninth Brother thinking?" The Supreme Daoist Emperor simply held onto Zhu Shengfei's hands and refused to let go.

After Zhu Shengfei tried to break free several times but couldn't, he felt helpless. In addition, there was a certain sense of loyalty between ruler and subject, so he couldn't help but lower his voice and reply, "The Emperor does have grievances."

"How deep are these grievances?" Zhao Ji still refused to let go.

Zhu Shengfei thought again and again, and could only lower his voice and roughly recount several of the Emperor Zhao's resentful words.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji had only heard half of it, not even hearing "opposing Cao in everything," and he burst into tears on the spot, shocking Zhu Shengfei into complete silence. He quickly went to help him up, and then there was another great commotion, leaving Zhang Rong, who was standing to the side, dumbfounded... The latter still couldn't understand how someone like this could have harmed so many thousands of people and turned them into thieves in order to build some garden back in the day?

A hundred paces away, Zhao Jiu, who was watching the farce at the dock from afar, remained seated, but the surrounding officials mostly had grim expressions. Even the commanders and generals behind Zhao Jiu began to exchange glances privately.

But no matter what, Zhu Shengfei still came over, and the slight gleam of snot and tears on his purple robe made many people thoughtful.

"Your Majesty." Zhu Shengfei bowed, with an air of having completed his mission. "The Two Sages have decreed that a bow is sufficient for a family meeting, and the princes, dukes, and lords other than the Two Sages should pay their respects to the Emperor with full ceremony..."

"Then let them come over." Zhao Jiu remained seated, unmoving.

Zhu Shengfei was once again dumbfounded, but this time, he dared not say more, and could only turn and leave.

"Your Majesty."

Lü Haowen, Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, and other prime ministers could no longer hold back, and stepped forward one by one.

"Now that things have come to this, the prime ministers need not say more." Zhao Jiu still remained seated, unmoving. "Don't delay the meeting of the imperial family."

The prime ministers didn't want to argue, but thinking of the more important matter of settling and handling the Two Sages that was about to happen, they were temporarily intimidated by the Emperor's aura and dared not speak again.

Moreover, the Emperor had been staying in the inner palace for a long time and suddenly reappeared at Baimajin to welcome the Two Sages. The civil and military officials of the court, not to mention the military officials, even among the civil officials, were somewhat intimidated. Now that the prime ministers were also afraid to speak because of their concerns about the imminent important matter, it seemed that the Emperor was having his way... Even Li Guang and others no longer argued.

However, just when everyone thought that the Emperor was going to openly violate the proper rites, after a moment, as Zhu Shengfei led the Two Sages, princes, dukes, and lords to arrive, the Emperor did not sit still as they had expected, making things difficult for the Two Sages. Instead, he took the initiative to rise and bow to the two red-robed figures from afar: "Greetings to the Supreme Daoist Emperor, greetings to the Supreme Yuan Sheng Emperor."

The three emperors met, peacefully and harmoniously. The ministers were relieved, and even Li Guang sighed.

"Greetings, Ninth Brother!" The Yuan Sheng Emperor took the lead in bowing in return.

"Greetings, Emperor." The Daoist Emperor also bowed in return, cautiously calling his ninth son, whose appearance he was familiar with, "Emperor."

"Greetings, Emperor." Zhao Huan woke up and immediately changed his form of address.

"The two Supreme Emperors must have had a difficult journey." Zhao Jiu chuckled and bowed again.

"Not as difficult as the Emperor." Zhao Ji, with his red and swollen eyes, looked sincere. "I have been in the northern country for several years and have often heard of the Emperor's victories in the south. In addition to being overjoyed, I also know that the Emperor has worked hard... No one in history has had such a difficult time in restoring the country as the Emperor."

At this point, Zhao Ji paused and then looked at Zhao Jiu seriously. "Knowing that the Emperor has such divine martial prowess and brilliance, I should have entrusted the affairs of the state to him earlier... As for my leadership, it was absurd and unbearable. The humiliation of the northern country was entirely my own fault."

Zhao Huan paused and quickly followed up, "I, as your elder brother, also hate myself for being blind."

Zhao Jiu shook his head and chuckled, ignoring the Two Sages and turning to the others behind them. "You are my brothers... After five years apart, your voices and appearances have changed. Why not report your names in order of age so that I can get to know you again? This will also be considered formally welcoming you back."

The princes were not fools. Many of them had been troublemakers during the era of abundance. Hearing this, they naturally behaved themselves.

"Greetings, Emperor." One of them stepped forward first. He was so thin that he was practically skin and bones, and he was leading three young boys with him as he bowed deeply. "Your subject, Zhao Kai, Prince of Yun, is the third in the line. These are my three surviving sons... Last year, I had a serious illness in the north. If the Emperor had not won a great victory at Yaoshan, and the Jin people had been afraid and respectful, granting my request for clothing and medicine, I would never have been able to see you today... Having experienced this, I know that no one but the Emperor can handle the affairs of the world. And I am aware that my past actions were absurd and shameful, so I dare to ask the Emperor to strip me of my title and demote me to a commoner. Being able to return to my hometown with my wife and children would be enough to comfort me in this life."

"You are Zhao Kai?" Zhao Jiu looked him up and down, nodded, and said a strange thing, then smiled and passed it over. "If you're not feeling well, take a rest... Your sister-in-law has already returned first, and is probably living in her parents' home. Go back and find her."

Although he didn't mention the matter of titles and arrangements, his casual tone was revealing. Zhao Kai felt a sense of relief and quickly retreated.

Zhao Jiu continued to stand with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the other princes step forward one by one, bowing respectfully.

It could be seen that life in the Five Kingdoms City had taken a toll on these imperial relatives, both physically and mentally. Many of them were barely human. Many officials couldn't help but shed tears at the sight, breaking the silence. Even many military officials who had been prepared also sighed and relaxed.

The scene looked harmonious, so harmonious that it almost made people forget the Emperor Zhao's previous impatience, forget his sulking and absence from court, forget his recent "opposing Cao in everything," forget that he had just been sarcastic, asking Zhu Shengfei if he wanted to kneel.

The only accident occurred with a twenty-year-old young man.

"What did you say your name was?" Zhao Jiu suddenly frowned.

"Ninth Brother, Your Majesty, I am the Eighteenth... Prince of Xin!" The young prince looked panicked. "Don't you recognize me?"

"You are clearly the Nineteenth!" Zhao Jiu roared in anger. "Did you go crazy after visiting the north?! Don't you know that the Prince of Xin is in the Taihang Mountains?!"

The man suddenly realized and quickly corrected himself: "Your Majesty, don't be alarmed. When the Eighteenth Brother escaped, I was afraid the Jin people would pursue me, so I falsely claimed to be the Eighteenth Brother..."

Only then did Zhao Jiu nod.

"Why must Your Majesty deceive yourself?" The Jin envoy Wulindaa Zanmo, who had been watching coldly from the side with the Two Sages, couldn't bear it any longer. "Now that the Two Sages have been released, it's time to formally negotiate peace. At that time, the five prefectures of Jingdong will be given to you, and you should also take out the people in the Taihang Mountains..."

"Those are matters for those who negotiate peace, what does it have to do with me?" Zhao Jiu said coldly. "Don't forget my words."

Wulindaa Zanmo sneered and said nothing more.

In this way, after waiting for a while longer, Zhao Jiu finally met with these people one by one, and everyone knew that the key moment had finally arrived. Even Wulindaa Zanmo watched with interest and perked up.

Sure enough, Zhao Jiu hesitated for a moment, then returned to the Two Sages with a serious expression, nodded, and said earnestly, "I was only guarding the country on behalf of my father and elder brother. Now that my father and elder brother have returned, it is right for me to abdicate and cede the throne."

As soon as he said these words, the surrounding civil and military officials, along with the Two Sages in front of him, almost shuddered at the same time in the hot summer... The Two Sages were naturally frightened, and the other civil and military officials were also alarmed.

It must be known that if someone else were to play the game of three resignations and three retentions, it would be called filial piety and procedural justice, but who didn't know what this emperor was like? He shouldn't have this kind of attitude.

However, just when everyone was hesitating whether to bite the bullet and play a double game of three resignations and three retentions with the Emperor, the Emperor did something that shocked everyone to death. He turned around in public and drew a knife from Yang Yizhong's waist... Ignoring the Supreme Daoist Emperor who was so frightened that he fell, he still publicly slashed open his own red robe, broke off the hard-winged hat on his head, threw them both on the ground, and then, wearing only a common cloth military uniform under his robe, turned to go to the army behind the dragon banner to mount his horse and leave.

The event happened suddenly, and even Han Shizhong and others were clearly stunned, actually allowing the Emperor to walk into the army, seize a horse, and then mount it, but then rein it in and say:

"The palace and throne of Tokyo City I have returned to the Two Sages. It is their own business who will take them, but as the saying goes, the Han and the traitors cannot coexist, and a great country cannot settle for partial peace! Today, those who want to fight can abandon their official positions and follow me to Nanjing to take Jingdong! Today, those who want peace can defend their official positions and support the Two Sages, escort them back to Kaifeng, and then go and form a brotherhood alliance with the Jin Kingdom... There is no middle ground between the two."

After saying this, he was about to whip his horse eastward.

The surrounding officers panicked for a moment, and actually reined in their horses together. Even the Imperial Guards who were protecting the dragon banner instinctively wanted to pull it down.

"Han Shizhong!"

Lü Haowen, who had been hiding during this peace negotiation, stepped forward, past the dumbfounded Zhao and Zhang, and shouted loudly. "Quickly stop the Emperor... If the Emperor really escapes past the officials this time, you will be a sinner for all time!"

Han Shizhong, wearing his jade belt, was dazed for a moment before he woke up and immediately dismounted. He grabbed a horse's leg in the middle of the cavalry, and Wu Jie and Wang De quickly dismounted as well, each grabbing a horse's leg. Even Qu Duan, after being glared at by Han Shizhong, could only dismount and follow suit.

As for Li Qiong, Liu Qi, Li Shifu, Yang Yizhong, Liu Yan, and more than a dozen other commanding officers such as Qiao Zhongfu and Zhang Jing, they had to dismount and kneel together, surrounding the Zhao Emperor and his mount.

"Prime Minister Lü is not keeping his word!" Zhao Jiu sneered on horseback, his first public display of emotion today. "You didn't say that at the fish pond..."

"Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Lü Haowen, despite his age, bowed and said, "A mere Two Sages... Why must the country be divided?"

"Your Majesty!" Zhao Ding, the chief of the Department of State Affairs, also knelt quickly, pointing to the sky in public. "Your subjects have long had a plan that all members of the imperial clan who return this time will be stripped of their titles and made commoners. The Supreme Daoist Emperor will be settled in the Mingdao Palace, and the Supreme Yuan Sheng Emperor will be settled in the Dongxiao Palace! A mere Two Sages will never be able to divide the country! Please return to Tokyo with the main force, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!" Zhang Jun, the chief of the Military Affairs Department, also bowed. "If Your Majesty wants to fight, just say so directly. Why must you do this?"

The other civil officials woke up and saw that things were not going well, so they also knelt down... For a time, there was a dense crowd of civil officials bowing and military officials kneeling, but Zhao Jiu only sneered on horseback.

After the civil officials bowed, Wang Shu, the Minister of Punishments, became increasingly angry and pushed Liu Dazhong, the Minister of Personnel, in front of him with all his might. "It's all you people, always pretending to put the country first, but again and again, you're just selling your integrity for fame, using the Two Sages to suppress the Emperor! If the country is in trouble, it's all because of you people."

Liu Dazhong was caught off guard and fell to the ground. He was also enraged and turned to speak, but knowing that he couldn't defend himself at this time, he could only pound the ground with all his might, choking with anger and unable to speak.

At this moment, Li Guang, the Imperial Censor, who had been looking down for a long time, suppressed the various emotions in his heart, looked up and slowly said, "Your Majesty! Your subject also believes that the Two Sages can be placed in various places..."

The Daoist Emperor and the Yuan Sheng Emperor heard this and burst into tears, quickly expressing their positions in front of the dragon banner.

The Daoist Emperor first bowed to the man on horseback: "Let Ninth Brother know that I am clear that being able to return to Henan alive this time is entirely due to Ninth Brother's efforts. For me, I am already fortunate, and I have no desire for power or position."

The Yuan Sheng Emperor was even more direct: "Ninth Brother, don't think that we are the kind of people who would abandon the relationship between ruler and subject. I am willing to set off immediately to the Dongxiao Palace and not stop."

However, Zhao Jiu only shook his head repeatedly upon hearing these words: "If it is only like this, I am sorry, but I cannot agree!"

The Two Sages were completely frightened, feeling that their lives were about to end today, and the several chief ministers were also powerless.

"Your Majesty!" Li Guang regained his composure and asked again, "What exactly must Your Majesty do to stop acting up?"

"Who told the censor that I am acting up?" Zhao Jiu turned his head and looked at the tall ships of the Imperial Navy on the Yellow River to the north.

"Your Majesty." Another person spoke, it was Li Jing, an imperial censor, who said with righteous anger, "The Two Sages are really not enough to shake Your Majesty's throne. Even if Your Majesty is angry, sending them to live in a Daoist temple is enough. Why must you go to this extent? Do you really want to openly commit patricide and fratricide?"

"Li Jing." Zhao Jiu finally turned his head on horseback, his eyes full of coldness. "And who told you that I am doing this because of the Two Sages?"

Li Jing became even more anxious, but just as he was about to speak again, he suddenly remembered some of the things written in his brother Li Gang's letter, and seemed to realize something. Not only that, but among the other civil officials, up and down, many people also seemed to realize something, and the area under the dragon banner suddenly became silent.

"What are the Two Sages?"

Seeing this situation, Zhao Jiu not only didn't calm down, but became completely furious, and shouted directly on horseback. "I have long thought it through. They are just two useless people! If I wanted to kill them, I would lock them up far away and give them half a tael of arsenic every day, and let them die on their own. If I couldn't be bothered to care about them, I would throw them into Daoist temples to be watched, as you say. Why would I need to put on this act?! Does my throne need you to worry about it? No one can touch it since the restoration of Tokyo! You all say I'm worried about them shaking my throne? What are they going to use to shake it? Those red robes? Or have they cultivated to become immortals in the Five Kingdoms City?! The reason I'm doing this is not to have you deal with the Two Sages, but to use the Two Sages to deal with you! Just as you are not really respecting the Two Sages, but are using the Two Sages to control me!"

The Emperor's anger was truly extraordinary. The whole scene was solemn, and even Wulindaa Zanmo, who had been sneering and silent, became slightly serious. Only Han Shizhong and others under the horse knew that this was not about fighting for the throne or killing people. They looked at each other and slightly loosened their grip on the horse's legs, taking the opportunity to stretch their own legs.

After a moment, Liu Dazhong, who had regained his composure, stood up and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, your subject has something to say..."

"Speak."

"Your subjects are definitely not trying to use the Two Sages to control Your Majesty, but since ancient times, the world and the country have been the same in principle..."

"The world and the country are the same in principle?" Zhao Jiu raised his voice on horseback.

"Yes!"

"Then I happen to have heard a passage." Zhao Jiu said loudly. "It is precisely about the world and the country being the same in principle... Minister Liu, the world and the country are the same in principle, but now, in a family, the sons and younger brothers work hard, toiling all year round, and finally save up some grain and cloth, but the father and elder brothers take it all away to build gardens, hold banquets, and fill the harem. If they are slightly dissatisfied, they are whipped and abused, beaten to death without any concern. If it were you, would you be willing?"

Liu Dazhong was silent and unable to respond... Although he didn't know where these words came from, he knew that they were criticizing the extravagance and licentiousness of the Supreme Emperor, especially the Supreme Daoist Emperor, and this kind of criticism had long existed and was really difficult to refute.

But for some reason, many of the civil and military officials around him, when they heard these words, were completely possessed, and their whole bodies trembled. For example, Li Guang, who had originally wanted to help Liu Dazhong defend himself, now turned pale and his body swayed.

Zhao Jiu continued to say on horseback: "That's not all. After building gardens, holding banquets, and filling the harem, if there is still a little surplus, instead of caring about the sons and younger brothers at home who are still starving, they send the remaining money and silk to enemies and bandits..."

"Your subject is guilty!" Li Guang suddenly shouted among the officials, attracting Liu Dazhong's surprise.

Not only that, but the Supreme Daoist Emperor, who had long dared not speak, was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly covered his face and sobbed.

"Your Majesty..." Lü Haowen, who had woken up, suddenly spoke in a pleading tone.

Zhao Jiu paused slightly, but still continued to speak loudly: "The enemies and bandits take the money and silk and become rich and strong, and then come to the house to plunder and kill people. The father and elder brothers only let the sons and younger brothers go to their deaths... May I ask if it's acceptable for fathers and elder brothers to do this?"

"Minister Liu, I am asking you." In the wind, after a slight pause, Zhao Jiu took the initiative to urge. "You said that the world and the country are originally the same in principle. I ask you, is it acceptable for fathers and elder brothers to do this?"

"Your Majesty's words are sharp." Liu Dazhong said helplessly, but he still didn't dare to respond directly.

"The words are naturally sharp, but they are not my words. This is a record that I saw during my days of leisure in the inner palace." Zhao Jiu smiled and said. "Minister Liu, this is what the rebel Fang La said to the people of Jiangnan eleven years ago... And Zhang, the military commander on the river, was also forced to Liangshan at that time."

Liu Dazhong's face was pale, and he was tottering.

"However, who would have thought that after eleven years, these words would still be so fitting?" Zhao Jiu sighed to the sky. "I have been thinking about it these days... Thinking about the world, thinking about the country, thinking about the court, thinking about the north and the south, thinking about what this Song Dynasty is all about! Thinking about it, the past cannot be changed, and this Song Dynasty, no matter how dirty or rotten, is our own, isn't it? Therefore, all I can do is to accept the previous Song Dynasty, and then focus on the present and the future... This is my responsibility! I must not only inherit this country, protect it, and continue it, but also guide it forward, to take a transformative path!"

"To inherit and guide is called Shao, I shall Shao Song!" (The Filature of the Song)

"In the past, we couldn't take down Western Xia, and we couldn't beat the Jin people. Then why can't we abandon those old things, start from scratch, and create a new Song Dynasty?"

"Isn't it possible to create a Song Dynasty like the Han and Tang Dynasties, which can destroy Western Xia, defeat the Jin people, does not build Genyue Garden, does not use women to pay debts, does not pay silver, and where the Emperor can guard the country's gates and die for the country?"

"But some people, for some reason, clearly know what I want to do, but they are always unwilling to go forward with me, always wanting to go back, to go back to the era of abundance and prosperity! Now, the holy ruler of abundance and prosperity has been invited here for you, so that you can protect him and go to Tokyo to continue the abundance and prosperity, but you嫌弃 (dislike) that I am acting up?! Who is acting up?!"

At the end, Zhao Jiu was already in a state of excitement, but he restrained his breath on horseback and turned to say:

"Today I will make it clear, I am not doing this for the Two Sages, they are really not worth me putting on an act for, nor can I say that it is for the people, because even if I wanted the people to express their opinions, those from the two rivers can't come here. Today I am doing this for you... It is for you, the scholar-officials and bureaucrats who are indispensable for governing the country. Today I want you to make a clear distinction... Me and the Two Sages; the new and the old; war and peace; the people of the two rivers and the suffocating complacency; abundance and prosperity and fish ponds and mulberry forests; the old Song and the new Song... It is simply a state of coexistence of Han and traitors! You can only choose one! Everyone can only choose one!"

"Your Majesty is violating the agreement!" Before he finished speaking, a person suddenly spoke out, it was none other than the Jin envoy Wulindaa Zanmo. "It was agreed that handing back the Two Sages would allow us to exchange for peace with the five prefectures of Jingdong!"

"You can't hand over the five prefectures of Jingdong!" Zhao Jiu waved his hand impatiently.

"How is that possible? We have already taken Jinan... Your Majesty is quibbling and breaking faith!" Wulindaa Zanmo argued forcefully, his voice particularly piercing on the silent dock where only the wind could be heard.

"It is our Song Dynasty's ministers who are discussing war and peace with the Jin people, what does it have to do with you?!" Just as Zhao Jiu was about to answer, a person suddenly stood up from behind him, pointing at the Jin envoy with his hand. It was none other than Qu Duan, the commander of the Imperial Cavalry. "Are all these soldiers wooden? Tie him up and stuff his mouth with horse manure!"

Zhao Jiu turned his head to look, and Qu Duan quickly bowed down again to hug the horse's legs.

But at this time, without the Imperial Guards and those elite cavalry who came with the commanders and generals, the Imperial Navy beside Zhang Rong had already rushed forward, dragging Wulindaa Zanmo and several deputy envoys down. They couldn't find horse manure near the Emperor, so they made a ball of river grass and stuffed it into his mouth.

The scene quieted down. Zhao Jiu came back to his senses, took the whip from the horse, first pointed it at Zhu Shengfei, who was silent, and then finally pointed it at Lü Haowen: "No one can avoid it today. The Ministry of Rites wanted to pretend to be sick to avoid this, but I dragged them out... Except for Yue Fei and Zhang Jun who have something to do, and Li Yanxian who has to hold down Shanzhou, almost all the civil and military officials are here. Prime Minister Lü, starting with you, one by one, from me or from the era of abundance and prosperity?!"

Lü Haowen remembered the questions at the fish pond before, and could only bow and say, "Naturally, I will follow Your Majesty."

Next, Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, Liu Ji, and Chen Gui naturally answered one by one according to the fish pond agreement. Then, Zhao Jiu first avoided the complex-looking Li Guang, and looked back at Han Shizhong, who had just released the horse's legs not long ago and was dusting the dust off his jade belt.

Seeing this, Han Shizhong quickly held his jade belt and stood tall: "What are you saying, Your Majesty? Your subject sold his life to Your Majesty for this jade belt at Jinkou Town long ago."

Zhao Jiu chuckled, and then raised his whip to point at Li Guang: "Censor!"

Li Guang was silent for a moment, and asked in return: "Your Majesty... Was the previous Song Dynasty really that bad?"

"Not that bad, just bad enough in terms of national policy and military affairs." Zhao Jiu said frankly. "The economy and culture are top-notch... Minister Li, don't feel burdened. This matter is not about you dying and I living, it's just that the situation is like this, and it's inevitable... Back then, when Minister Xu retired, he had a glimpse of today's scene."

Li Guang nodded, and was about to bow and say: "Your subject..."

"Minister Li." Zhao Jiu interrupted before he could speak, shaking his head. "Minister Li, if you leave, I don't know when I can find another censor who has no selfish desires and dares to point out my shortcomings... Consider it my special invitation to you, trust me once, stay!"

Li Guang was stunned for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued to bow and say: "Your subject is willing to follow Your Majesty."

Zhao Jiu nodded in response.

"Your subject requests to resign." At that moment, Liu Dazhong, the Minister of Personnel, resigned frankly.

"Your subject also requests to resign." Zhu Shengfei, the Minister of Rites, also resigned with relief.

Zhao Jiu nodded in agreement.

After the two, all the officials of the Eastern and Western Administrations, the One Camp, the Six Ministries, the Nine Courts, the Five Directorates, plus the scholars, attendants, and recorders of the Jade Hall, the officials of the Censorate, the Imperial Guards, the Kaifeng Prefecture, the Huazhou region, and Quan Bangyan, a welcoming ambassador who had taken office in a hurry... A total of 373 people with official ranks followed, 299 of whom followed Emperor Zhao, including the chief ministers and the Censor, who was known as half a chief minister; 74 people resigned, including two of the six ministers, two of the nine ministers, and one of the five directors.

Not a single person followed the Two Sages.

After the discussion, everyone felt relieved. Chief Minister Lü Haowen still remembered that the Two Sages had been left there for a long time, so he took the initiative to ask about the resettlement of the Two Sages and the imperial clan.

Emperor Zhao, dressed in plain clothes, obviously had long had a plan, and directly issued a decree, properly settling the two supreme emperors in red robes... Among them, the Daoist Emperor was settled in the Dharma Hall of the Shaolin Temple, the Yuan Sheng Emperor was settled in the Dongxiao Palace, and all the princes, dukes, and lords, except for the Prince of Xin who had contributed but had not returned, were all demoted by three ranks and sent to Nanyang to be properly settled.

After the words were spoken, everyone was ready to return, and at this moment, Wan Qixi, a supervising secretary of the palace, suddenly stepped forward, requesting that the era be changed to Shaoxing on the grounds that the Two Sages had returned south!

This statement was immediately agreed and echoed by almost everyone.

"It's too wasteful." Zhao Jiu, who had been under the dragon banner and hadn't dismounted from beginning to end, although he also felt a bit of a virtuous moment, thought for a moment and slowly shook his head. "Official documents and currency molds will have to be changed... Forget it."

At this time, the Emperor's words were almost absolute, and everyone no longer insisted.

But, as if remembering something, Zhao Jiu pointed to the ground under his feet with his whip: "Is this Baimajin, Baima County?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is indeed Baimajin, Baima County."