Chapter 16: From Now On, You Shall Be My Loyal Hound and Fierce Claw
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Unwilling?
This caught Zhao Ning somewhat off guard. Well, well, the emperor’s words no longer carried weight!
It seemed these bureaucrats had taken a stand against His Majesty!
Being the emperor of the Song dynasty was no easy feat; the process for issuing edicts was complicated, involving multiple layers of review.
At a time like this, those stubborn fools still insisted on preserving their pitiful pride?
In fact, before the Ming dynasty, the issuance of imperial decrees was always a complex affair, serving as a check on imperial power.
It must be remembered that prior to the Ming, there were prime ministers, who were the highest-ranking officials in the state.
Only after Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the prime ministerial system did the emperor become both the head of state and the chief executive, simplifying the decree process to a cabinet draft and imperial approval.
But this was the Song dynasty; the Council of State was not a cabinet, and its power remained considerable.
Zhao Ning said, “Bring the brushes and ink.”
If you won’t write it, I will do it myself!
The palace maids hurried to prepare the writing materials.
Zhao Ning picked up the brush and began to write.
When finished, he handed the edict to Wang Huaiji, instructing him to take it directly to the Secretariat for processing.
Zhao Ning said, “If anyone refuses to approve it, dismiss them! If they approve, record their names and report back to me!”
Was that so difficult?
Some wanted to resist, but don’t forget, there were plenty eager to rise in rank.
Don’t waste my time with your so-called integrity to oppose me. If you truly had honor, then go outside Dongjing and fight the Jurchens with your lives!
Wang Huaiji swallowed his pride and said, “Yes!”
“By the way, summon the person who killed Xu Bingzhe this morning.”
“Yes, I will find him immediately.”
Zhao Ning continued examining the tax records, but even after a whole morning, he had only scratched the surface.
He suddenly realized a fundamental problem: the officials in the court had serious ideological issues.
Damn it, in the future when I issue new policies and decrees, I still have to look to the Secretariat’s mood?
This rule has to change, or rather, the people must be replaced!
In times of peace, there is a method of governance suited to peace, where things can be handled slowly and tactfully.
But this is not a peaceful time; a massive border crisis and the threat of national collapse loom before us. If you continue to cause trouble, don’t blame me.
Right now, I must gather a group of loyalists; otherwise, even the smallest task will be fraught with difficulty.
Before long, a young man waited respectfully outside the hall.
After being summoned, the young man laid down his sword and entered the Hall of Literary Virtue.
“Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty.”
“Were you the one who killed Xu Bingzhe?”
The young man’s heart sank; fear rose within him. Could the emperor be planning to discard him after use?
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What is your name?”
“My name is Jing Chao.”
Jing Chao!
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Zhao Ning had not expected this man to be Jing Chao!
Jing Chao had originally been a squad leader in the Imperial Guards.
After the Jingkang Incident, the Jurchens established the puppet Qi regime, with Liu Yu as its emperor; Jing Chao was personally promoted by Liu Yu.
In the early Southern Song, Yue Fei attacked Yingzhou (Zhongxiang, Hubei), where Jing Chao was the defending general.
Yue Fei attempted to persuade him to surrender, but he refused. Yue Fei launched a fierce attack, and Jing Chao was defeated and committed suicide.
Jing Chao was a minor figure who chose to side with Liu Yu in turbulent times, thus opposing the Song army.
But by choosing to leap to his death in the end, he showed gratitude for Liu Yu’s patronage.
This man was known as a “match for ten thousand,” mainly due to his great strength—likely capable of arm-wrestling with Yang Zaixing himself.
“What position do you currently hold in the Hall Guard Division?”
“I serve as a Direct Commanding Officer.”
A Direct Commanding Officer was a low-ranking junior officer in the palace guards, a very minor post.
“From now on, you shall be the Deputy Commander of the Hall Guard Division.”
At the emperor’s words, Jing Chao was stunned.
What was the difference between Deputy Commander and his previous rank?
To put it simply, the Deputy Commander of the Hall Guard Division reported to the Commander of the Hall Guard Division—known as the Hall Marshal—formerly held by Gao Qiu and Wang Zongshuo, also called the Grand Marshal.
The three main guard offices constituted the three major guard departments, with the Hall Guard Division holding the highest status.
The Deputy Commander was second only to the Commander and Vice Commander of the Hall Guard Division.
Currently, the Vice Commander was Gao Qiu, who also oversaw the Imperial City Division. This meant the Deputy Commander was just below Gao Qiu’s rank.
By contrast, a Direct Commanding Officer was six ranks below the Deputy Commander.
You could understand it as a sudden leap from a minor seventh-rank official to a first-rank dignitary.
A direct ascent to the heavens!
Why such a promotion?
Simple: to demonstrate the emperor’s absolute power over life and death!
To tell everyone: look what happens when you follow my orders.
Of course, it was also a convenient way to add some ruthless players to the Imperial Guards.
The emperor’s maternal uncle, Wang Zongshuo, was a decadent wastrel.
But Zhao Ning was not moving against him yet; even a wastrel had his uses.
Zhao Ning spoke solemnly, “What, do you refuse?”
Only then did Jing Chao regain his senses and quickly say, “What merit do I possess to deserve Your Majesty’s mercy!”
“This is no easy post. You will have many people to kill in the future. Are you prepared mentally?”
“Your Majesty does not abandon me; I shall brave fire and water!” Jing Chao was overjoyed, feeling he had soared to new heights.
“Good! That’s exactly the talent I need. Go down and collect your official seal.”
“I take my leave.”
So another loyal pawn was gained.
How could the emperor manage affairs without his own pawns?
At this moment, Wang Huaiji was sweating profusely. The ministers were stubborn as ever, especially those in the Secretariat, who, having studied the classics for days, stubbornly refused to yield.
And the result?
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After replacing three officials, the edict was finally approved.
Since the founding of the Song dynasty, this was only the second time such a situation had arisen.
The last time was during Wang Anshi’s reforms, when the Secretariat officials refused to draft the edicts. Emperor Shenzong simply replaced them with Wang Anshi’s confidants to cooperate with the reform.
By noon, the emperor’s edict was finally issued.
It publicly declared Xu Bingzhe’s crimes, a formal announcement by the court.
The punishment was also stated: confiscation of his property!
At midday, Gao Qiu, too proud to even eat, led his men arrogantly to Xu Bingzhe’s residence and ransacked the house, driving all the family members out.
All money, paintings, gold, and silver utensils were seized by the Imperial City Division.
Some guards of the Imperial City Division had served for decades but had never participated in a house search before.
This first time was thrilling and tense; though uncertain of the depth of the matter, coming and going was quite enjoyable.
Because Gao Qiu, in order to pave the way for himself, privately pocketed a small portion of the loot during the search and distributed it to his men.
The guards realized: house searches could be profitable. “Master Gao, please lead us on more of these!”
Zhao Ning turned a blind eye to this as long as it didn’t affect the bigger picture; he simply had no time to micromanage.
He was comparatively humane, at least permitting the women of Xu Bingzhe’s household to be dismissed rather than punished harshly.
Once Xu Bingzhe’s guilt was publicized, Dongjing City erupted within a day.
Messengers hurried about, drawing crowds of onlookers.
The execution of Xu Bingzhe’s head was like pouring oil onto a small fire.
The pro-war sentiment blazed like a wildfire.
With popular support so strong, the pro-peace faction in court who had been energetic all night suddenly withdrew, no longer daring to speak recklessly.
On the twenty-seventh day of the eleventh lunar month, three days after Zhao Ning’s arrival, he had reviewed most of the tax and revenue records.
That morning, he summoned Zhang Shuye again.
Zhang Shuye submitted his city defense coordination plan.
Zhao Ning was very pleased after reviewing it.
After lunch, he led a group out of the palace to inspect the city with Zhang Shuye.
Zhang Shuye’s defense plan was straightforward, primarily including the following points:
First, station guards at the city gates, dividing them into five routes—front, rear, left, right, and center—with 10,000 troops each. Each section of the city wall would be manned by 10,000 soldiers, with an additional 10,000 as reserves to be flexibly deployed day and night. All necessary weaponry would be transported to the battlements.
This was the same tactic Li Gang had used during the first defense of Dongjing last year—simple but effective.
The Song dynasty possessed the most advanced siege defenses in the world.
Moreover, Dongjing’s walls were the strongest of the era, unmatched even by the famed Constantinople, which paled in comparison.
Second, gather a group to prepare military provisions to supply the defending soldiers.
War is won with food; soldiers must eat, and hunger weakens them. Thus, ample supply of provisions was vital.
Third, organize the common people for logistics support.
Stone, fire oil, wooden boards, timber, and so forth—all could be utilized in the defense. Relying solely on the court’s preparations would be insufficient.
The power of the people is truly great!