Chapter 22: Shocking the Emperor

  A gang of thieves from Mount Qian Niu, initially fleeing in the vicinity of Ji'nan Prefecture, were pursued by Zhang Shu Ye's troops and escaped westward into Da Ming Prefecture. They repeatedly repelled government forces, plundered villages, captured Wu Cheng, occupied Mount Qian Niu, and for a time had the upper hand. However, they encountered Xu Jia Zhuang, suffered a defeat, took Xia Jin but ran into an iron plate. Xu Wei feigned a strong military presence, frightening the leaderless thieves to flee in disarray.

  Zhang Shuye, who had been chasing all the way, easily destroyed the bandit's lair on Mount Qian Niu, and this group of bandits officially announced their disbandment. The good news flew into Dongjing Kaifeng and was transmitted to the Imperial Secretariat, where the Imperial Secretariat Envoy Tong Guan led the army to attack Liao but retreated to Taiyuan. The person in charge of the Imperial Secretariat was Cai Yao, who knew the affairs of the Imperial Secretariat. This man was the son of Prime Minister Cai Jing, but he had turned against his father for power and profit. Although he now sat in the second chair of the Imperial Secretariat, which controlled the country's military affairs, on the one hand, he faced attacks from his father, and on the other hand, Tong Guan was pressing down on him.

  Jinan, the good news of the two governments arrived, Cai Shu thought the opportunity had come. Last time Tong Shu and himself led the army to attack Liao, they were defeated and returned, which made the officials very angry. They had already moved with a sense of responsibility, although several scapegoats were pushed up, but the emperor's anger was not yet dissipated. This is just right, several times repelling the government army, the bandits who raided Jinan and Daming actually even eliminated their dens. If this matter were placed in ordinary times, it would be insignificant, but at this critical moment, it can be played out.

  Cai Yi did not hesitate at all and brought the urgent report into the palace to see Emperor Taizong of Tang.

  Today, Emperor Huizong of Song is devoted to Taoism and aspires to become an immortal through self-cultivation. State affairs were initially handled by Cai Jing and Tong Guan, but now that they are old, their sons and nephews have risen to prominence. Especially Cai You, who had been close to the emperor since his days as the Crown Prince, has a particularly special relationship with him.

  Entered the Forbidden Palace, inquired about the whereabouts of the official's residence, and it turned out to be in the Dou Qi Pavilion for cultivation. When arriving at the Dou Qi Pavilion, only one eunuch was seen serving outside the door. The emperor dislikes being disturbed when cultivating. Cai You patiently waited outside, thinking about his words later. Waiting left and right, he bowed his head and counted a few hundred ants, finally waiting for a bell to ring inside the pavilion. Cai You subtly handed over an ingot of silver, smiling but not speaking.

  That little eunuch was also expressionless, and put it in his sleeve, only then did he enter to report. Not long after, he came out and said that the official family had summoned him. Cai You slightly adjusted his clothes and hat, and after confirming with the inner attendant that there were no mistakes, he entered. This is because today's emperor values Confucianism and elegance, and when using officials, there are standards to follow, and one's appearance must be outstanding. Those in power in the court, such as Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and Liang Shi Cheng, all have dignified appearances, how could Cai You dare to be careless?

  In the Dou Qi Ge, there was one person, wearing a San Qing robe, with a Wu Lao crown on his head, sitting cross-legged on a rush cushion, facing inward. All around him were stacked scriptures and books. He casually picked up a volume, but didn't study it, merely stroking it. It was the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, Zhao Ji, known as the Dao Jun Huang Di.

  "Your subject, Cai E, requests an audience with Your Majesty! Our Emperor..." Cai E secretly pushed against the golden mountain, and knocked over the jade pillar in a grand gesture of respect.

  "Less nonsense, speak up if you have something to say, otherwise, you'll be punished." Emperor Daojun opened the book and seemed to be reading.

  Cai Yi's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the emperor must be furious about the recent defeat on the front lines. He hastily reported: "Your Majesty, good news!"

  The Emperor's hand paused for a moment, then he snorted: "You suffered a great defeat and returned. You can say it was a strategic retreat to preserve your strength and wait for an opportunity to advance. Can I still believe in your victory reports?"

  "Your Majesty, please forgive me. As the deputy of the Privy Council, there are some things that even if I have the heart to do, I am powerless to do." The tone was one of helplessness and frustration. Everything was being pushed onto him, after all, he was only the second-in-command, with the first-in-command above him, falsifying military reports had nothing to do with him.

  The Emperor Daojun snorted coldly, but did not refute him. After a moment's hesitation, he asked: "Where does the swift report come from?"

  Tsai Yu hastily presented the military reports from the Grand Preceptor's and Ji'nan Prefectures, saying loudly: "Thanks to Your Majesty's great good fortune, our officers and men have fulfilled their duties, and the bandits that plagued Hebei and Shandong have been eliminated!"

  Zhao Ji did not express his opinion, and after the palace attendant presented the military report, he took a brief look at it, seemingly impatient, and said: "I am not feeling well today, you tell me about it."

  "Yes, sir!" Cai Yi responded with a single word, and before he could say anything else, he heard the official's permission to take a seat. He secretly rejoiced, knowing that there was an opportunity!

  After taking his seat, Cai Yong cleared his throat and began: "Your Majesty, after the defeat of our great army's strategy... a portion remained to guard Taiyuan, while the rest retreated back to Henan. Those bandits in Hebei and Shandong took advantage of the situation and rose up, invading and harassing the counties, causing trouble for the villages. Among them was a group of thieves, led by someone who called himself 'Sai Yide', wielding a long spear, more ferocious than anyone else. At first they were just a few dozen people, doing some petty thefts, but gradually grew in power, gathering in the mountains and forests, plundering villages and towns, committing all sorts of evil deeds, with deep guilt. A few days ago, this group of bandits attacked and broke into Wucheng County, burning and killing indiscriminately... those innocent common people suffered unprovoked disaster, with heavy casualties, forced to flee their homes..." At this point, his tone was sorrowful, his face filled with grief, and he couldn't continue speaking.

  Zhao Ji heard this and slightly turned his head, asking: "Why wasn't this reported?"

  "This, Your Majesty has been diligent in his cultivation recently, and I had already made arrangements to go, so I didn't dare disturb you." Cai Yi's nonsense. After the Wu City massacre report came up that day, he was afraid of offending the already unhappy emperor, so he suppressed it and didn't report it. Now, with a victory won below, it has become his arrangement.

  All he saw was Zhao Ji nodding slightly with his back to the outside, as if in agreement: "Continue."

  "After plundering Wucheng County, this gang of damned bandits rushed straight to Xiajin..."

  Zhao Ji inserted a sentence: "But wasn't it also the hometown of Ma Renyu during the Taizu era?"

  "It's true! Your Majesty, it's only fitting that these bandits meet with misfortune. Xiajin has always been a place of martial valor, and especially under its jurisdiction is Xu Family Village, which is even more remarkable. The men in the village are all highly skilled in martial arts." Cai You asked.

  The Emperor Dao said without hesitation: "No."

  Cai You continued, "Xu Zong was a fierce general of the Western Army, originally under the command of Zhong Yi. The Tanguts feared him like a tiger, and he was forced to retire as the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards. At that time, I petitioned to retain him." Although this was true, Xu Taigong had actually offended Tong Guan's confidant, and Tong Guan had signaled Cai Jing, who in turn pressured Gao Huan, forcing Xu Taigong to submit his resignation. Cai You was already at odds with his father at that time; whatever you agreed with, I would oppose, and whatever you opposed, I would agree with. That's why I submitted a memorial requesting his retention.

  Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji seemed to have some impression: "And then?"

  "Xu Zhang, although retired, his loyalty to the emperor and concern for the people never slackened. He raised two sons who became accomplished men, the elder son received imperial favor and served in the Imperial Guard. The younger son, though still young, was a brave and clever youth, when bandits arrived at Xu's village, they demanded money, grain, cattle, and horses, otherwise they would slaughter everyone in the village, not leaving a single person!" Cai You paused intentionally at this point.

  "What reason is this! The world, it is my world! How can I tolerate rebellious thieves running amok!" Indeed, Zhao Ji was enraged, the memorial in his hand flew out, frightening the eunuchs who scurried to pick it up.

  "It's true! The villagers were all timid and afraid of trouble, but only this Xu Zang's second son dared to refuse the bandits' demands! He beheaded the bandit leader on the spot, and under the cover of the county magistrate's escape, he gathered the young men in the village, cleverly devised a plan, and annihilated the invading bandits. Moreover, he pretended to have a large force and scared away the main force of the bandits who were attacking Xiajin County. His brother was defending the city, and the two brothers worked together inside and out, which led to this great victory!" Cai You spoke with flying eyebrows and high spirits. Zhao Ji listened with frequent nods, feeling slightly relieved in his heart.

  "Your Majesty, after I returned to the capital from the front line, I received a military report and repeatedly instructed the local authorities. The imperial court's military strength is limited, and it must recruit brave and daring warriors from among the people to defend their homes. This summer, County Magistrate Xiajin clearly understood the imperial court's intentions and gave Xu Zhang's two sons an opportunity to prove themselves." Cai You's words first showed that this time the victory over the rebels was due to his own correct strategy, and of course, he took credit for it. Second, he also brought up his own followers, namely County Magistrate Xiajin. The merits of Xu Sheng and Xu Wei, the two brothers, were actually achieved under his spiritual guidance and with the specific implementation of County Magistrate Xiajin.

  Z Zhao Ji took the memorial from the eunuch's hand, seemingly wanting to take a look, but couldn't muster up any interest. He casually asked: "What is the name of Xu Zan's second son? How old is he?"

  "Hmm, the name is not very clear, and he doesn't seem to be very old." Cai You had already read the memorial, and in the grand governor's report, Xu Sheng and Xu Wei, two brothers, were only briefly mentioned. However, in the Jinan governor's report, 50 or 60 words were used to specifically describe Xu Wei's experience commanding battles, and his talent was evident on paper.

  At this time, he saw that the emperor seemed to have no interest in reviewing the memorial, and deliberately concealed Xu Wei's name. In those years when the emperor was still Prince Duan, he often took advantage of various opportunities to meet with him. Later, Prince Duan asked "Who is this person?", The eunuch who had received many benefits from him replied "Cai You", just like that, leaving an impression on Prince Duan, and he became what he is today. Xu Wei was not related to him, there was no reason for him to help with this matter.

  Since the founding of the Great Song Dynasty, especially in recent decades, there have been numerous cases of rebellions by local bandits. Normally, annihilating a few thousand bandits would not even be reported to the Emperor. This time, Cai You's detailed report, including his personal account of the battle, was only possible for one reason: after the disastrous defeat at the hands of the Liao Dynasty, the Emperor needed a victory to lift his spirits and stabilize his position.

  Judging from the current situation, this goal seems to have been achieved.

  "The imperial army, with its superior forces, attacked the Khitan people who were besieging Xizhou, and was defeated; these rustic youths gathered together, yet they could defeat several thousand cruel and brutal bandits. You are in charge of the secretariat, have you ever thought about the reason behind this?" After a long time, Zhao Ji asked.

  Cai Yi was momentarily speechless and hesitantly said: "Your minister is foolish, please instruct him."

  "What the imperial army lacks is precisely this courage to fight! What was it that Xu... Xu something?" The emperor asked this question once again.

  Cai Yi pretended to be silly: "Xu Zhang."

  "I was asking about his surname that time... Never mind, that Xu Zan's son, even if he came from a military family and received education from his father, but had never been to the army or battlefield, relying on his determination to defend his hometown, defeated the strong enemy. This kind of bravery is exactly what our official army lacks. The Imperial Secretariat and the Three Guards must pay attention to this issue." Zhao Ji instructed.

  Cai You repeatedly said yes, Zhao Ji paused for a moment and suddenly asked: "Ju An, you're almost fifty now, aren't you?"

  "Your Majesty, I am forty-eight this year." Hearing the emperor suddenly mention his own style name and ask about his age, Cai Yi's heart was filled with wild joy. It seems that today's presentation of merits has taken effect!

  "Hmm." Emperor Dao nodded and said, "You may withdraw. Those who have made contributions will be rewarded accordingly. In this tumultuous autumn of our nation, we must unite as one body, with the hearts of the people as one, in order to overcome these difficult times together."

  Cai Yi responded and bid farewell to the emperor. Just as he was about to leave, he heard the same question again from behind: "That Xu Zan's second son..."

  Cai Yi still did not answer, and instead turned back and bowed his head saying: "Your Majesty, are there any other instructions?"

  "A young man like Xu Zan's second son should be given the opportunity to hone his skills, and if he truly has talent, he can be appointed or even promoted beyond the usual ranks, in order to cultivate talent for the country."