Chapter 2: Guo the Immortal, Fear Not, For I Am a Benevolent Sovereign

Atop the Xuanhua Gate of the Southern City Wall, a middle-aged man stood draped in a Taoist robe, clutching a sword. This was none other than Guo Jing, the notorious charlatan of the late Northern Song Dynasty. Beside him stood an elderly man, thin and withered in frame yet standing with a rigid, upright posture—this was Zhang Shuye, a renowned minister of the late Northern Song. Also present were Sun Fu, the Minister of War and concurrent Privy Council co-administrator, along with several other officials from the Ministry of War.

Guo Jing had been brought here by Sun Fu. Zhang Shuye was also accompanied by several of his own officials. Zhang Shuye’s eldest son, Zhang Bofen, spoke up in a rage: "Minister Sun, I have never heard of any success coming from relying on ghosts and deities. The Jin barbarians are currently laying siege to the city; the only proper course is to use military strategy to defend against them. Are you not afraid of being laughed at for blindly trusting in supernatural nonsense?"

Sun Fu was furious. "How dare you! Master Guo is a man sent by Heaven to save our Great Song, and the Emperor has already appointed him as the commander-in-chief for defending against the enemy! Do you intend to defy the imperial decree?"

As Zhang Bofen prepared to retort, Zhang Shuye stopped him. After all, Sun Fu was one of the Emperor's most trusted men. To cross him so openly would not only risk their positions but, if they were arrested, would leave no one capable of defending the city.

The Jin army had besieged the city twice. The first time was earlier that year; when the siege began, various royalist armies gathered in the Eastern Capital, and the Jin forces eventually retreated empty-handed. Now, the second siege was underway, and the royalist armies were still on the road, unable to reach the Eastern Capital in time. However, a force of 30,000 led by Zhang Shuye had fought their way through the blood and carnage to enter the city, leaving only about 10,000 men remaining. This was why Zhang Bofen was so incensed: they had organized troops and fought valiantly to defend the capital, yet Sun Fu had invited a Taoist priest to deceive everyone.

But Sun Fu was the Minister of War and a co-administrator of the Privy Council. In the Song Dynasty, the government was divided into the Eastern and Western Secretariats. The Eastern handled civil administration, while the Western—the Privy Council—managed military affairs. Being a co-administrator was equivalent to a vice-chancellor. To Zhang Bofen, Sun Fu was a high official, and even Zhang Shuye’s rank was lower than his.

Zhang Shuye cast a cold glance at Guo Jing and asked, "When will Master Guo launch the troops?"

Guo Jing replied, "I shall launch them now, but there is one condition."

"What condition?"

"Everyone on the gate tower must descend!"

Zhang Shuye said in a deep voice, "Impossible!"

Guo Jing smiled and said, "Minister Sun, if others remain on this tower, the sorcery will not be effective."

Zhang Bofen could not help but exclaim, "Absurd!"

Sun Fu immediately commanded, "Do as Master Guo says! All garrison soldiers must descend from the walls!"

Zhang Bofen protested, "No! Absolutely not!"

"You dare defy me? I am the co-administrator of the Privy Council and Minister of War. His Majesty has given me full authority over the defense of this city. This is a military order! If you refuse, you will be dealt with under military law!"

Zhang Shuye quickly restrained his son. He said, "We can descend, but I must remain on the tower. Otherwise, you shall not perform your spell today!"

Guo Jing rolled his eyes and said, "That will do."

Thus, everyone descended from the gate tower, leaving only Zhang Shuye and Guo Jing behind. This scene of history was about to unfold. If the historical Zhang Shuye had known that Guo Jing’s antics would lead to the fall of the Eastern Capital, would he have risked his life to stop him?

The fall of the Eastern Capital, Bianliang, was by no means a simple matter of a group of people being captured in Chinese history. Much like the fall of Constantinople in 1453 brought a massive shock to European history, the Jingkang Incident triggered a trend of valuing female chastity in China. Furthermore, the fall of the Central Plains further influenced the ideology of the Southern Song, leading scholars to become even more conservative—a conservatism that directly impacted the later Ming Dynasty.

Guo Jing raised his sword and began to mutter incantations. Below, the soldiers he had prepared looked up, bewildered by this "Master Guo." This was perhaps the most absurd scene in Chinese history: a grand dynasty like the Song entrusting its national fate to a wandering charlatan.

Guo Jing shouted, "Open the gates!"

Zhang Shuye asked, "What?"

"I said open the gates!"

"Why would you open the gates?"

"Naturally, to let them go out and engage the Jin barbarians. They are now protected by divine soldiers!" He pointed at the soldiers—a band of local ruffians and scoundrels he had scouted out in the city based on his "Taoist calculations."

The ruffians below looked left and right at each other: *Do we really have divine protection?*

Before Zhang Shuye could speak, Sun Fu shouted, "Did you not hear? The Master says to open the gates! Quickly, open them!"

The men hesitated, and the soldiers moved toward the gates in a daze. Just then, an angry voice roared, "Do not open the gates! Do not open the gates!"

Zhao Ning arrived on horseback, galloping at full speed. His hair was dusted with snow, and his hands were red and numb from the freezing cold.

Sun Fu was furious. "Who dares to cause trouble!" He turned around, and his heart nearly stopped—it was the Emperor himself. He hurried to lead the others over, fawningly saying, "Your Majesty, why have you come..."

Zhao Ning did not even look at them. He pulled hard on the reins, and the horse reared and neighed, coming to a halt. Zhao Ning took a deep breath. He did not bother searching for Guo Jing, but roared, "If anyone dares to open these city gates today, I will have his head!"

The soldiers who were about to open the gates stood frozen in terror. Seeing the Emperor, Zhang Shuye quickly descended from the tower. "Your Majesty, why have you come?"

Ignoring Zhang Shuye, Zhao Ning stared fixedly at the gate and shouted, "Get away from the gate, all of you!" The soldiers immediately retreated.

By now, Guo Jing, Sun Fu, and the others had approached. Zhao Ning’s heart was still pounding like a stormy sea. He took a few deep breaths, ignored everyone, and scanned the surroundings. Only when he was certain the gates remained closed did he exhale in relief. *That was close!*

It was said that when Emperor Qinzong of Song, Zhao Huan, was taken north, he lived in a thatched hut. *That was close! I almost ended up living in a five-star thatched hut in the North!*

"Your Majesty, it is snowing heavily. You should return to the palace immediately. If your health suffers, what will become of the people and the state..." Sun Fu said hurriedly.

Zhao Ning continued to take deep breaths, his body still tense. He had almost met the same fate as Zhao Huan. His palms were soaked in cold sweat. *These treacherous people are trying to kill me!*

"Your Majesty, I was just about to perform my arts to drive away the Jin barbarians. I did not realize I would disturb the imperial carriage. My crime is unforgivable!" It was Guo Jing, coming forward with a smug, self-righteous expression.

Despite his calm exterior, Guo Jing was inwardly panicking. He had claimed to possess "Divine Soldiers of the Six Jia," but he knew his own worth—it was all a scam to get free meals. If he actually had such powers, the Jin army would have been finished long ago. He had hoped to continue the ruse for a while longer before quietly fleeing the capital, but the pressure from above had been too great, forcing him to bring these ruffians out today to put on a show.

He had actually succeeded in history. The reason for his success was that Emperor Qinzong and ministers like Sun Fu were truly bizarre. Even with the prosperity of Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, Confucius had famously said: "The Master did not talk of strange phenomena, feats of strength, or spirits."

Once Zhao Ning regained his composure, he scanned the crowd and his eyes fell upon the man in the Taoist robe. This was Guo Jing. He took a few more deep breaths to steady his nerves.

"You are Guo Jing?"

"Your Majesty, I am."

"Do you truly possess the Divine Soldiers of the Six Jia?"

"I would not dare deceive the Emperor."

The Emperor asked again, "Can you drive back the Jin army immediately?"

"I have already cast the spells for them. As soon as they charge, the Jin bandits will collapse," Guo Jing said, his heart fluttering, yet he pointed at the group of ruffians at the gate.

"Can you perform this spell today?"

"It can be done today."

Even knowing Guo Jing was lying, one could not simply execute him on the spot. A portion of the people truly believed in his power, and to kill him would be to extinguish everyone's hope. Superstition is a difficult thing to explain away. However, Zhao Ning had his own ways of dealing with such people.

"Guards, tie him up," Zhao Ning ordered, pointing at Guo Jing.

Guo Jing froze, then fell to his knees in terror. "Your Majesty, have mercy!"

"Do not be afraid," Zhao Ning said in a gentle tone, much like a scoundrel coaxing a young girl. This eased Guo Jing’s fear slightly.

Zhao Ning looked at Wang Zongchuo and hissed in a low, angry voice, "What are you waiting for? Tie him up!"

Wang Zongchuo regained his senses and hurried to have his men bind Guo Jing. Guo Jing shrieked, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, have mercy!"

"Do not be afraid, Master Guo. I will not harm you," Zhao Ning said with a gentle smile. "You tied him wrong. You only need to tie his waist. Why have you bound his entire body?"

*Are you playing games?* The imperial guards quickly adjusted, leaving Guo Jing bewildered. Zhang Shuye and his son were also stunned, and Sun Fu and the others were even more confused. What was the Emperor doing?

Zhao Ning pointed at Guo Jing, his smile remaining gentle: "Lower him from the gate tower, gently."