Chapter 453
Private Visit on Weibo
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The Yan family were founding heroes of the Song Dynasty. Their ancestors followed Zhao Kuangyin in his campaigns and made many military achievements. By the time of Yan Zhengu's father, Yan Xiaoguang, the family had declined and had no family background to speak of, and made a living by engaging in agricultural production.
However, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; because of their ancestors' glory, the Yan family was still respected in the village.
Yan Xiaoguang was born with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a full beard, and was highly skilled in martial arts. He hated evil as if it were his enemy and was the best hero in the area.
Yan Xiaoguang had no sons, only one daughter, Yan Zhengu.
From a young age, Yan Xiaoguang carefully taught Yan Zhengu and also invited a master to teach her martial arts.
Yan Zhengu was a martial arts prodigy; she could learn any martial art, no matter what anyone taught her.
Thus, Yan Zhengu had already mastered extremely high martial arts skills at a young age.
She was particularly skilled at using the twin swords, male and female. When she wielded them, only a white light could be seen, and no figure could be seen. She could take the enemy's head in the midst of a vast army.
Historically, the Jurchens marched south, breached the outer city of Bianliang (Kaifeng), and captured Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji), Emperor Huan (Zhao Huan), and the vast majority of the imperial family and clan members of the Northern Song Dynasty, resulting in the Jingkang Incident.
Han Chinese from all over the country who were unwilling to be subjugated and enslaved rose up in rebellion against the Jin dynasty.
Among them, the "Eight-Character Army" led by Wang Yan of Taihang Mountain was the most famous. Every one of them had the eight characters "Loyal to the country, vow to kill the Jin invaders" tattooed on their face to show their determination to resist the Jin.
Influenced by this, Yan Xiaoguang and his daughter Yan Zhengu rose up in rebellion, calling on loyal and patriotic people to unite against the Jin army.
Because of the prestige of the Yan family ancestors, and because Yan Xiaoguang and his daughter Yan Zhengu were well-known heroes in the area, and most importantly, because many people at that time wanted to contribute to the country and drive out the Jurchens.
Therefore, Yan Xiaoguang and his daughter Yan Zhengu quickly raised a rebel army.
When the Jin army marched south and entered an uninhabited territory, and the Song army's garrison generals collapsed without a fight and abandoned the city and fled, Yan Xiaoguang and his daughter Yan Zhengu led their righteous army to fight against the Jin army several times and won every time.
Gradually, the reputation of "Yan Family Army" spread among the Jin army.
Originally, the Jin army intended to use Yizheng as a pretext to encircle Yangzhou.
However, not wanting to encounter the rebel army led by Yan Xiaoguang and his daughter Yan Zhengu, they changed their route from Gaoyou, heading south along Hongze Lake and advancing towards Yangzhou.
The Yan family father and daughter learned of the Jin army's movements and prepared their troops overnight to go to Yangzhou to reinforce them. They arrived outside Yangzhou at dawn.
At this time, Zhao Gou and his entourage were fleeing Yangzhou in a panic, preparing to cross the Yangtze River and escape to the south of the Yangtze River.
At that time, the Jin army had reached the north bank of the Yangtze Bridge, only a few miles away from Zhao Gou's party.
Because Zhao Gou fled so decisively, he was only accompanied by a palace maid and a few eunuchs, with no guards at all.
Fortunately, Yan's army arrived in time, saving Zhao Gou's life.
While sending men to escort Zhao Gou across the Guazhou River to the south, the Yan family army also deployed its forces to meet the Jin army.
The two armies met on the Yangtze Bridge. Yan Xiaoguang took the lead, brandishing his spear and rushing to the center of the bridge to block the Jin soldiers' advance. Yan Zhengu, on the other hand, brandished her twin swords, rushed across the Yangtze Bridge, and charged into the enemy ranks, heading straight for the Jin army's vanguard commander.
If it weren't for the timely arrival of the Jin army's vanguard with its main force, the entire Jin army vanguard might have been annihilated.
When Wanyan Zonghan learned that the Jin army had been defeated by a rebel army, he was furious and ordered the annihilation of the Yan family army.
Yan Xiaoguang and his daughter Yan Zhengu led from the front, defeating the Jin army in succession.
Seeing this, Wanyan Zonghan devised a plan to lure the enemy deep into his territory.
Upon seeing this, Yan Xiaoguang believed that the opportunity should not be missed and wanted to lead his troops to pursue them across the Yangtze River Bridge to the north.
Yan Zhengu advised, "The enemy outnumbers us, so it seems unwise to take risks and advance rashly. Moreover, the Jin army is not completely routed; perhaps this is a Jin army ploy."
But Yan Xiaoguang, confident in his martial arts skills and eager to serve his country, ignored his daughter's advice and said, "I have already wounded fourteen Jin generals. The Jin army is nothing but a joke. Watch me cut off Nianhan's head!"
After speaking, Yan Xiaoguang took the lead and rushed across Yangzi Bridge.
Yan Zhengu had no choice but to escort the troops across the bridge.
Upon seeing this, when Wanyan Zonghan ordered the Jin army to retreat, he specifically dispatched two teams of elite archers to ambush in the narrow sections of the road ahead.
When the Yan family father and daughter arrived as swiftly as the wind, the Jin army unleashed a barrage of arrows.
Even though Yan Xiaoguang, who was at the forefront, was highly skilled in martial arts, he turned into a hedgehog.
Two liters of arrowheads were later pulled from Yan Xiaoguang's body.
Yan Zhengu, who was holding the line at the rear, saw her father die tragically, and that two-thirds of the rebel army had been killed or wounded. She was in a deadly situation with no way to retreat, so she wielded her twin swords and charged forward bravely.
The rebels fought bravely, each one striving to be the first, charging and killing among the Jin army. Their blades flashed, like tigers among sheep, slaughtering the Jin soldiers until their flesh and blood were torn apart.
Yan Zhengu killed several enemy generals in quick succession, and even charged into the Jin army's ranks, attempting to kill their commander, Wanyan Zonghan.
But ultimately, exhausted and unable to fight any longer, he took the mighty sword and slashed his neck, thus sacrificing himself for his country.
Zhao Gou had promised to reward Yan Xiaoguang and Yan Zhengu handsomely, but once he was safe, he completely forgot about it.
It's also possible that at that time, Zhao Gou, who only wanted to survive, was focused on negotiating peace with the Jin Dynasty and forgot about the father and daughter who risked their lives to save him and the small righteous army.
To be honest, Zhao Yu once suspected that this was just a beautiful legend, or a story made up by people at the time.
Even regarding Hua Xiangrong's affair, Zhao Yu once thought it might just be a story.
Unexpectedly, Hua Xiangrong and Yan Zhengu really existed in this era, and Zhao Yu even encountered them.
After questioning him closely, Zhao Yu learned that Zhang Bangchang knew that Zhao Yu liked to collect extraordinary women with high martial arts skills, so he specially sent people to inquire where such extraordinary women could be found, and as a result, they found out about Yan Zhengu.
Zhang Bangchang sent someone to talk to Yan Xiaoguang, saying that as long as the Yan family was willing to offer Yan Zhengu to Zhao Yu, he would recommend Yan Xiaoguang to join the army, make meritorious contributions, and let him go to the border to fight for his own merits and restore the glory of his ancestors.
Yan Xiaoguang was not the kind of person who would sell his daughter for personal gain, but the people Zhang Bangchang sent were very good at persuasion.
He said to Yan Xiaoguang: "A loyal minister should serve Your Majesty with the finest maiden in the palace. Your daughter is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and has a heroic and spirited appearance. Entering the palace to serve Your Majesty can not only bring you joy in the inner palace and ensure the continuation of the imperial lineage, but also protect the emperor with a sword and assist in managing palace affairs. This is a great event that will bring glory to your ancestors and make your name go down in history."
Moreover, His Majesty's talent and strategic brilliance are unparalleled throughout history. He destroyed the Liao Dynasty and recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun; he pacified the Western Xia in the west and swept away the dust of the Helan Mountains; he drove out the Jurchens in the north and reclaimed the former Liaodong territory; he expanded westward into the Western Regions and subjugated thirty-six kingdoms; he subdued the Tibetan Empire in the south and pacified the Tibetan Plateau; he crossed the sea in the east and incorporated Korea and Japan into his territory, expanding the land by thousands of miles and creating an unprecedented golden age. Your daughter is fortunate enough to receive His Majesty's favor and stand by the side of a wise ruler; this is truly an honor beyond measure!
These words struck a chord with Yan Xiaoguang.
Bearing the spiritual shackles of the glory of the Yan family, Yan Xiaoguang longed to replicate his ancestors' achievements. He firmly believed that only through imperial rewards and promotions could he realize the value of "bringing honor to his ancestors and securing titles for his wife and children." He hoped to prove his abilities with his martial arts and military merits and gain recognition in the officialdom.
Moreover, Yan Xiaoguang strongly advocated marrying his daughter to the emperor. If he could establish a relationship with the emperor and become the emperor's father-in-law, the Yan family's revival would be just around the corner.
Therefore, Yan Zhengu was presented to Zhao Yu by Yan Xiaoguang.
To be honest, Zhao Yu was quite surprised to have gained the help of two heroines, Hua Xiangrong and Yan Zhengu.
At the same time, Zhao Yu also felt very lucky.
They died tragically in history; one perished alongside the Jurchens, and the other died a bloody death at the Yangtze Bridge. Their remains were not even returned to their hometowns, leaving behind only a legend that makes later generations lament.
Now that Zhao Yu has traveled through time, he will definitely defy fate and give them a happy ending.
Without further ado, Zhao Yu took Hua Xiangrong and Yan Zhengu as his concubines and continued his journey to Jiangnan.
After leaving Yangzhou, Zhao Yu and his entourage arrived in Zhenjiang.
Not long after Zhao Yu ascended the throne, he upgraded Zhenjiang from a prefecture to a county.
This is the earliest city in the Liangzhe region to be upgraded from a prefecture to a county.
This is mainly because Zhenjiang is a strategic point at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal, bordering Yangzhou to the north, controlling Nanjing to the west as its shield, and facing the Wusong estuary to the east, making it a "key" to the waterways of Jiangnan.
From a military perspective, Zhenjiang is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the river on one side. With Beigu Mountain, Jinshan Mountain and Jiaoshan Mountain standing in a tripod formation, it is a natural river defense fortress that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.
In the event of war, this place would be a strategic location fought over by military strategists, as well as a hub for the transportation of provisions and weapons. Its gains or losses would determine the safety of the entire southeast.
From an economic perspective, Zhenjiang was an important hub for grain transport, with grain, salt, and silk ships from the north and south all transiting through it. The city was bustling with activity and merchants gathered there.
Historically, when the Jurchens first invaded the south, Emperor Huizong of Song fled to Zhenjiang.
Imagine if Zhao Ji had fled to Zhenjiang and, as Zhao Huan feared, had actually restored the throne there instead of obediently leading the escaped royal family and clan back to Bianliang (Kaifeng), wouldn't he have been spared being placed under house arrest by Zhao Huan, the filial son, and thus the Jingkang Incident might not have occurred?
After making a lot of money in Zhenjiang, Zhao Yu and his entourage went to Nanjing, the capital of the Jinling Kingdom.
It was Emperor Zhao Yu who changed the capital of the Song Dynasty from Shangqiu to Jiangning.
There were quite a few twists and turns in this matter.
At that time, Zhao Yu wanted to move the capital and also change the location of the four capitals.
This is no small matter.
Leaving aside the capital, the other three capitals, as secondary capitals of the Song Dynasty, were also strategically important for the survival of the nation.
It should be understood that a secondary capital is an "outer vassal" of the national capital, and it needs to guard strategic locations on all sides to form a pincer movement.
Furthermore, the secondary capital must be the core of the regional economy, requiring the gathering and distribution of wealth from all directions to replenish the national treasury.
The original Nanjing and Shangqiu were located in the Yellow River flood plain, with barren land and poor water transport, making them unsuitable as a secondary capital.
More importantly, since ancient times, when dynasties established secondary capitals, they all had the intention of having "three burrows for a cunning rabbit".
The painful lesson of the Jingkang Incident was that the Song Dynasty only had one core capital, Bianliang. Once it fell, the imperial family was captured, and the court and the country were leaderless.
Zhao Yu established the three capitals as secondary capitals to prepare for the worst—if the capital were to suffer from war, the emperor could move to the secondary capital, regroup, and command the people to come to his aid.
Furthermore, the secondary capital was also a symbol of the dynasty's majesty, bearing the mission of winning over the people and pacifying the local areas.
Looking at it this way, none of the three original secondary capitals of the Song Dynasty—Daming (Beijing), Luoyang (Xijing), and Shangqiu (Nanjing)—qualify, especially Shangqiu (Nanjing).
At that time, some ministers proposed:
Jiangning, known as the "Ancient Capital of Six Dynasties," enjoys the convenience of the Yangtze River waterway, where silk, tea, and grain from Jiangnan can be gathered and transshipped. Its surrounding area is dotted with polder fields, and its agriculture is developed enough to support hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. Establishing it as Nanjing would not only allow it to radiate to the economically important Jiangnan region, but also rely on the canal to continuously transport money and grain to the capital.
Jiangning is bordered by Zhongshan Mountain to the east and the Yangtze River to the west, forming a defensive line with Zhenjiang Prefecture. With a naval force patrolling the river and a fortified city stationed on land, it was able to build an insurmountable defense line in the southeast.
Jiangning is located in the south of the Yangtze River, far from the north, and is also blocked by the natural barrier of the Yangtze River. It is the safest "retreat route". Even if there is a mishap in the north, as long as the southeast half of the country is still there and as long as the secondary capital is still there, the Song Dynasty will have the confidence to make a comeback.
Jiangnan remains the financial foundation of the Song Dynasty, and the hearts and minds of the gentry and common people are crucial to the stability of the empire. Establishing Jiangning as a secondary capital would not only demonstrate the court's emphasis on Jiangnan but also attract talent from all directions to gather there, facilitating the implementation of new policies, the establishment of workshops, and the recruitment of capable individuals, thus ensuring that the people of Jiangnan truly identify with the newly established Song Dynasty.
However, some ministers suggested that Hangzhou be established as Nanjing.
These ministers believed that Hangzhou, since the establishment of the Wuyue Kingdom during the Five Dynasties period, had the regulations of an imperial capital, with complete palaces and city walls, and could accommodate the imperial carriage without large-scale construction, which was far superior to Jiangning, which required the reconstruction of palaces and gardens.
Moreover, Hangzhou is located in the southeastern hinterland, with the natural barriers of Taihu Lake and the Yangtze River to the north, and the mountains of Zhejiang and Fujian to the south. It is even further away from the northern military forces than Nanjing. In the event of chaos, this place would be a perfect place for the emperor to stay.
Furthermore, Hangzhou was the most prosperous place in the southeast. The Grand Canal of the Song Dynasty connected Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou, and its transportation convenience was no less than that of Nanjing. Moreover, Hangzhou Bay faced the East China Sea, and the Maritime Trade Office was bustling with foreign merchants. Spices from Southeast Asia and treasures from the West were all gathered and distributed here, and the customs revenue was enough to fill the national treasury.
Furthermore, the prosperity of Suzhou and Hangzhou ensures a comfortable life for the entire nation. The area surrounding Hangzhou is fertile land, with mulberry and hemp fields and numerous granaries, guaranteeing the food supply for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. Such financial resources are beyond the reach of Jiangning.
In terms of cultural cohesion, Hangzhou is the cultural cradle of the South. Since the Five Dynasties period, a large number of literati, scholars, and prominent families have migrated here, resulting in numerous academies, a flourishing literary atmosphere, and the establishment of the Imperial Academy here, attracting scholars from all directions. Establishing Hangzhou as a secondary capital could not only win over the hearts of the Jiangnan gentry but also leverage its flourishing literary atmosphere to demonstrate the unbroken cultural lineage of the Song Dynasty.
More importantly, Hangzhou has more convenient water transportation. The Qiantang River connects to the sea, and inland waterway shipping can connect to the counties in Jiangnan. The sea route can connect to Southeast Asia and Western countries. If the Song Dynasty intends to develop the sea frontier, Hangzhou is a natural naval base and trading port, which is more advantageous for development than Jiangning.
This immediately divided the court into two factions:
One faction strongly supported Jiangning, saying that since ancient times, if Jiangning Prefecture had fallen, Hangzhou would have been indefensible. As for Hangzhou's transportation advantages, Jiangning Prefecture had them all, at most just a little further away. Jiangning Prefecture, on the other hand, could sit back and watch over the Central Plains, which Hangzhou could never match.
One school of thought highly praised Hangzhou, pointing out that the economic center of the Song Dynasty was in Jiangnan, so it was only natural to choose Hangzhou, which was close to the center and had convenient transportation, as a secondary capital.
Both sides held their own opinions and argued endlessly.
In the end, Zhao Yu overruled the objections of others and designated Jiangning as Nanjing.
As for why Zhao Yu chose Jiangning instead of Hangzhou, it was simply because Zhao Yu disliked the historical fact that Zhao Gou had made Hangzhou the capital while he was confined to a corner of the country.
After more than a decade of development, Nanjing has become prosperous. Although it still lags behind Beijing, it is certainly more bustling than Tokyo and Nanjing.
In Nanjing, Zhao Yu planned to stay for a while longer and take the opportunity to make an incognito visit...
...(End of chapter)