[History of the Song Dynasty Palace] [35] [Author: Xu Muxi]

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter Thirty-Five: 100,000 Naval Troops Annihilate Caishi; A Farewell Song Bids Farewell to Jiangnan.
It is said that after creating the Beiyuan Makeup, the Later Lord still felt it was insufficient. He and Empress Xiao Zhou studied day and night, making tea and milk into slices to create various fragrant teas. When brewed, their aroma was so enticing that it would make Lu Tong drool and Lu Yu stop his carriage. Among them, the most famous were dozens of varieties, such as Jingting Milk Tea and Guzi Tea. The Later Lord also ingeniously incorporated fragrant foods from foreign lands into his culinary creations, gathering them all together. These were cooked into dishes, made into cakes and pastries, or boiled into soups, totaling ninety-two kinds, each one fragrant and delicious. The Later Lord personally named each dish and included it in the cookbook, with categories such as "harmonious cooking" and "wearing powder pouches." Many of these were things not found in Jiangnan. It is unknown how much manpower and money were spent to create these ninety-two kinds of food. Having acquired so many fragrant delicacies, the Later Lord wanted to boast to his officials. He ordered the imperial chefs to prepare a grand feast with all the newly made foods, and summoned all the imperial relatives and ministers to the palace. This feast, called the Inner Fragrance Feast, was a source of great pride and extravagance for the Later Lord. The officials and ministers all sighed inwardly, but none dared to offer any advice. During the day, the Later Lord never lit candles at night. Instead, luminous pearls hung throughout the palace. As night fell, these pearls emitted their own light, illuminating several feet, making it as bright as day. The concubines and palace maids, accustomed to this, disliked the oily smell and smoky aroma of candles. They would cover their noses or close their eyes, daring not to approach. The Later Lord once wrote a poem, "Jade Tower Spring," describing the splendor of his palace and mentioning the lack of candles: "Her evening makeup is finished, her skin is as white as snow; in the spring palace, Chang'e (the Moon Goddess) stands in a line!" The flutes and pipes faded into the clouds and water, the song of "Rainbow Skirt" lingered on the breeze. Who now scatters fragrant petals in the spring breeze? Drunk, I pound the railing, my emotions still lingering. When I return, let's not let the candlelight illuminate the red flames, but wait for the clear moonlight to shine on our horses' hooves.
Reading this poem, "Jade Tower Spring," by the last ruler of the Southern Tang, one can imagine the abundance of female favorites, the extravagance of song and dance in the Southern Tang palace, and the ruler's own unbridled
extravagance. The last ruler only sought immediate pleasure, indulging in five days and nights of revelry, unaware that Emperor Taizu of Song had already conquered the Southern Han. The Han ruler, Liu Chang, surrendered to Song and became a prisoner. The Song court had already mobilized troops, training its navy at Jiangwu Pond and preparing warships, intending to sweep across Jiangnan in one fell swoop. The last ruler, still somewhat sensible, was terrified upon hearing the news of the Southern Han's demise. He sent his brother, Congshan, to petition the Song court, requesting to relinquish the title of his state and change his official seal to "King of Jiangnan," and requesting an imperial edict to address him by his given name. They thought that this would at least prevent the Song army from advancing south and allow them to prolong their lives.
However, Emperor Taizu still harbored thoughts of Jiangnan. Although he treated Congshan with great respect upon his arrival in Bianjing, he was secretly preparing for a southward advance. However, Lin Renzhao, the Southern Tang's garrison commander of Jiangdu, was intelligent and brave, and could not be underestimated. Taizu wanted to eliminate Renzhao before advancing. While he was devising a plan, Jiangnan coincidentally sent Congshan to Bianjing to pay tribute. This was in the fourth year of the Kaibao era. Upon seeing Congshan's arrival, Taizu immediately devised a plan. He kept Congshan in Bianjing, appointed him as the military governor of Taining Army, and granted him a residence. Congshan dared not disobey the imperial decree and had no choice but to remain in the capital to serve, writing a letter to the emperor. Upon
receiving the letter, the emperor submitted a memorial begging for mercy and requesting that Congshan be sent back to his country. Emperor Taizu, however, issued an edict to the Later Lord, saying, "Congshan is very talented, and I intend to employ him as an advisor. Now that the North and South are united as one family, you have nothing to worry about!" The Later Lord was at a loss for words, and not knowing why Emperor Taizu was keeping Congshan and refusing to send him back, he frequently sent people to Congshan's residence in secret to gather information. Emperor Taizu heard that messengers from Jiang Congshan frequently traveled to and from Congshan's residence, so he secretly made preparations. When Congshan entered the palace, a court official led him to a separate room. The room was empty except for a portrait hanging above it. The court official deliberately pointed at Congshan and asked him if he recognized the person in the portrait. Upon seeing this, Cong Shan exclaimed in surprise, "This is a portrait of Lin Renzhao, the garrison commander of Jiangdu in our country. Why is it hanging here?" The court official, hearing this, deliberately hesitated and said, "You are already a subject of our dynasty, serving in the capital. It would be fine for you to speak; however, His Majesty admires Lin Renzhao's wisdom and courage, and sent an envoy to persuade him to surrender. He has already obeyed the decree and is offering this portrait as proof." Saying this, the official led Cong Shan to a mansion, where everything was fully furnished and filled with treasures.
The official then said to Cong Shan, "This mansion was prepared by His Majesty for Lin Renzhao to live in. After he enters the court, will he not be afraid of high office and great wealth?" Cong Shan was greatly surprised and suspicious upon hearing this. Returning to his mansion, he immediately wrote a letter and sent it to the Southern Song court, informing the emperor that he should investigate whether Lin Renzhao's intention to surrender to the Song was true. Upon
receiving the letter, the emperor immediately summoned Renzhao to court and questioned him about whether he had received an edict from the Song emperor. Ren Zhao replied that he had not. The Later Lord, suspecting Ren Zhao of deceiving the court, did not investigate further and immediately ordered Ren Zhao to host a banquet, secretly poisoning the food. Ren Zhao, unaware of this, returned to his private residence after the banquet, where the poison took effect, causing him to bleed from all seven orifices and die. When
this news reached Bianjing, Emperor Taizu, hearing of Lin Ren Zhao's death by poisoning, was overjoyed! He immediately began selecting generals and soldiers to prepare for a southern invasion, while simultaneously ordering Cong Shan to convey an edict to the Later Lord, summoning him to court. The Later Lord feigned illness and refused to attend. Emperor Taizu then declared that the Later Lord had disobeyed the imperial edict and harbored rebellious intentions, and appointed Cao Bin as the commander-in-chief of the southwestern expeditionary force; Pan Mei as the supervisor; and Cao Han as the vanguard, leading 100,000 troops to march south immediately. Cao Bin received his orders and bid farewell to the generals. Emperor Taizu instructed him, "When Wang Quanbin led his army to pacify Shu, he slaughtered many surrendered soldiers, and my heart is still uneasy. This time, as you march into Jiangnan, you must not kill or oppress the people. You must use both kindness and severity to win their submission. Even if you are fortunate enough to defeat the enemy, do not kill in anger. If there is fighting within the city, you must still eliminate the tyranny and maintain peace. Do not harm Li Yu's family. Remember my words." Cao Bin bowed and accepted the order.
Emperor Taizu then drew his sword and bestowed it upon Cao Bin, saying, "Anyone below the rank of deputy general who disobeys orders may be executed first and reported later." Cao Bin accepted the sword, thanked the emperor, and withdrew. Pan Mei and the others, seeing this, were all terrified. They warned each other to abide by military discipline and dared not disobey orders. Cao Bin then led his large army in a mighty march towards Jiangnan.
First, there was a scholar from Jiangnan named Fan Ruoshui, who had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations in the Southern Tang Dynasty. He then plotted to return to the Song Dynasty to seek wealth and power. In his spare time, under the guise of fishing, he would take a small boat and travel back and forth on the river, sometimes east, sometimes west, measuring the width and depth of the river with great precision. He would tie a long rope from the south bank to the north bank, measuring it dozens of times, thus his knowledge of the river's dimensions was accurate to the millet grains. Now, hearing that the Song court was about to send troops to pacify Jiangnan, he secretly went to Bianjing (Kaifeng) to present his strategy for pacifying the south and request the construction of a pontoon bridge to support the army. Emperor Taizu, upon seeing Fan Ruoshui's strategy, immediately summoned him to court for questioning. After meeting Emperor Taizu, Ruoshui presented him with a map and description of the Yangtze River. Emperor Taizu carefully examined the map and saw that the Yangtze's twists and turns and its dangerous sections were meticulously described, including the width and depth of the river near Caishiji. Emperor Taizu, after reviewing the map, was overjoyed and exclaimed, "With this map, Jiangnan is now in our grasp!" He appointed Fan Ruoshui as Right Assistant Grand Master and ordered him to the front lines. He also issued an edict ordering the construction of several thousand yellow and black dragon boats in Jinghu, dispatching envoys to supervise their completion within a specified timeframe. Furthermore, he ordered large boats loaded with giant bamboo to sail eastward from Jingzhu.
At this time, the border generals stationed in Jiangnan, seeing the Song army arrive, suspected that the Song had sent troops to patrol the river and prepared cattle and wine to reward the Song army, so they did not send troops to intercept them. It was not until the Song army reached Chizhou that Song general Ge Chan sent scouts to investigate, only to discover that the Song army was not patrolling the river but had actually invaded the south. The city was completely unprepared and had no way to resist. They had no choice but to abandon the city and flee. Cao Bin captured Chizhou without bloodshed and immediately marched on Gangling. Only then did the Jiangnan troops arrive to fight, but the Song army took advantage of their momentum and routed them. Cao Bin then led his troops to Shipai. Fan Ruoshui had already been ordered to rush to the front lines to construct a pontoon bridge. He first supervised the trial construction in a secluded spot on the riverbank, then moved it to Caishi, where it was completed in three days, with no discrepancies in dimensions. Upon seeing that the pontoon bridge was finished, Cao Bin ordered Pan Mei to lead the infantry across the river first. The soldiers traversed it as if returning to flat ground.
A scout reported to Jinling, and the Later Lord, upon hearing the news, hurriedly summoned his ministers to discuss strategies for defending against the enemy. The scholar Zhang Ji advised, "I have thoroughly examined the books and have never heard of a pontoon bridge being built on the river. This must be a rumor spread within the army. If it were true, then the Song army's commander is a fool; what is there to fear?" The Later Lord laughed, "I also suspect there is no such thing. They must be deliberately spreading rumors to intimidate our army." Before he finished speaking, a scout arrived with the report, "The Song army has already crossed the Yangtze River." Upon hearing this, the Later Lord became somewhat alarmed and immediately ordered Zheng Yanhua, the military governor of Zhenhai and concurrently the Chancellor, to lead 10,000 naval troops, and Du Zhen, the commander-in-chief, to lead 10,000 infantry troops, to cooperate in resisting the Song army. He also personally instructed, "Our army must coordinate land and water operations to achieve victory; please do not shirk responsibility!" Generals Zheng and Du obeyed and withdrew. Zheng Yanhua, commanding the warships, headed straight for Fuliang, advancing with drums beating, intending to cut off Fuliang and prevent the Song army from supporting both ends. Pan Mei, hearing of the approaching attack on Fuliang, immediately selected five thousand archers and positioned them on both banks. When the Jiangnan warships reached the point of attack, a drum sounded, and arrows rained down like locusts. Countless Jiangnan soldiers were killed, and unable to withstand the onslaught, they were forced to retreat. Du Zhen's infantry had already rushed from the shore. Pan Mei, without waiting for them to form ranks, led his troops in a fierce charge, like a raging storm. Du Zhen's men, still panting and exhausted from their retreat, were no match for the sudden attack of the Song army. In no time, they were decimated and scattered. Both the land and naval forces suffered a complete defeat. The Later Lord, upon hearing the news, was extremely anxious! He had no choice but to recruit civilians into the army and issued an edict that those who donated money and grain would be granted official titles and ranks. Unfortunately, the people of Jiangnan were generally weak and frail. The mere mention of "being a soldier" terrified them, and they would flee in terror. Who would willingly risk their life? Even wealthy families hoarded their grain for their own use; how could they possibly offer it up for a position that offered neither food nor clothing? Therefore, despite repeated pleas, no one obeyed.
At that time, the Song army had already breached Bailuzhou and advanced towards Xinlin Port, and had also divided its forces to capture Piaoshui and other places. Li Xiong, the military commander of Jiangnan, had seven sons, all renowned for their bravery. Seeing the Song army's unstoppable advance, with counties surrendering without resistance, Li Xiong knew the situation was hopeless. He sighed and said to his sons, "The state of affairs is such that I must die for it. You should also strive to uphold your principles and not lose your integrity, lest you ruin our family's reputation." His seven sons replied in unison, "If our father can die for loyalty, how can we not die for filial piety?" Li Xiong then led his seven sons in an attack on the Song army, but they were surrounded and fought until their arrows were exhausted and their swords were worn out. All eight men, father and sons, perished in battle.
Song general Cao Bin advanced directly to the Qinhuai River, forming a defensive line along its banks. The Qinhuai River, south of Jinling City, was a waterway leading directly into the city. Tens of thousands of Jiangnan troops, by land and water, arrayed themselves below the city walls, defending the riverbank. Pan Mei led his troops to the river, but due to the lack of boats, his men hesitated. Pan Mei resolutely declared, "My troops have been invincible since Bianjing, conquering all before us. No obstacle can hinder our army. Why should we be deterred by this narrow strip of water?" With that, he spurred his horse forward and crossed the river. Seeing their commander cross, the other troops followed suit, even the infantry wading to the other side. The Jiangnan troops, seeing the Song army crossing, rushed to stop them, but were overwhelmed by the Song army's charge and forced to retreat into their water fortress, where they held their ground. Just then, Li Hanqiong, the commander of the Song capital, arrived with a large ship laden with reeds. Taking advantage of the wind, he set fire to the southern city's water fortress, burning it down. The soldiers guarding the fortress either perished in the fire or drowned, and the fortress was breached in an instant. At this time, the Later Lord, believing the words of his advisors Chen Qiao and Zhang Ji, thought that the Song army had arrived and that as long as they held their ground and waited for the Song army to run out of supplies, they would retreat on their own, and there would be no need to worry. The defense of the city was left entirely to the commander-in-chief Huangfu Jixun, and the Later Lord did not concern himself with it. He only summoned monks and Taoists in the palace to chant scriptures, perform repentance rituals, burn incense, make vows, and pray for divine protection. He also personally wrote a memorial to Heaven, vowing to create a certain number of Buddha statues, Bodhisattva statues, and tens of thousands of monks and temples after the Song army withdrew. In the memorial, he called himself the Layman of Lianfeng, respectfully asking Heaven to quickly withdraw the Song army and save the besieged city. Besides chanting scriptures and making vows, he also had the leisure to wield his pen. It is said that he wrote a poem, *Linjiang Xian*, while besieged in the city. The poem reads: "Cherry blossoms have fallen, spring has gone; butterflies flutter lightly, flying in pairs. The cuckoo cries under the moon, west of the small building. Jade hooks and silk curtains, heavy with melancholy evening smoke! After the departure of the departing guests, the desolate scene of fading smoke hangs low over the remaining grass. The incense burner idly emits phoenix-shaped smoke. Holding only a silk sash, I turn back with lingering regret!"
Even within the besieged city, the Later Lord had the leisure to compose a poem, seemingly unconcerned about military affairs. Do you think there was any reason why this city of Jinling wouldn't be breached by the Song army?
That day, the Later Emperor was in the palace watching a group of monks and Taoists chanting scriptures and performing rituals amidst the sounds of cymbals and incense smoke when he suddenly heard a series of cannon shots outside the city. Startled, he ordered his men to investigate and learned that the Song army was already at the city walls. He became anxious and personally went to inspect the city. Looking out from the ramparts, he saw the Song army already outside the city, having set up camp, their menacing aura filling the air, their banners obscuring the sun. Realizing the danger, he asked the guards, "The Song army has reached the city walls, why haven't you reported this?" The guards replied, "General Huangfu ordered that no report be sent, so we dare not reach Your Majesty." The Later Emperor was furious, saying, "The Song army is at the city walls, and you haven't reported it? They must be plotting something!" He immediately summoned Huangfu Jixun and demanded to know why he had concealed military intelligence. "The army is at the city walls, and you haven't reported it?" Huangfu Jixun replied, "The Northern army's momentum is too strong to resist. Even if I reported to Your Majesty daily, it would only cause you anxiety and panic in the palace, so I did not report it." Upon hearing this, the Later Lord was furious and said, "According to your logic, we can only let the Song army enter the city without any defense. This is clearly colluding with the Song army and betraying the country for personal gain. Such a traitorous minister should be beheaded immediately to serve as a warning to others!" He then ordered his men to arrest Huangfu Jixun and execute him. At the same time, he urgently summoned Zhu Lingyun, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, to lead the troops up the river to reinforce Jinling.
Zhu Lingyun, upon receiving the Later Lord's urgent order to reinforce Jinling, led a naval force of 100,000 men down the river from Hukou, intending to burn the pontoon bridge south of Caishi to cut off the Song army's retreat, shake their morale, and then intercept them. Cao Bin had already learned of this and summoned Wang Ming, the Commander of the War Boats, to give him a secret plan and order him to go to Caishi to block the approaching army. Wang Ming received the secret plan and sped off. Zhu Lingyun, leading his warships, sailed down the river under cover of night. Approaching the headwaters of the Caishi River, he gazed ahead and saw sails like clouds, seemingly thousands of warships arrayed there. Zhu Lingyun was greatly alarmed, and fearing interception due to the late hour, he dared not advance. He ordered his warships to anchor at Wankou for the night, waiting until dawn before proceeding. However, at midnight, suddenly the sound of war drums thundered, echoing across the river and sea. Many enemy ships appeared on the river, their torches illuminating the entire waterway. A large flag appeared, bearing a huge "Wang" character. On the shore, countless infantrymen arrived, also with countless torches lit, and a commander's flag flew out, bearing the character "Liu". The two sides attacked from both the shore and the river, shouts filling the air, making it impossible to discern the exact number of Song troops.
Unaware of the enemy's strength and fearing a nighttime battle would fall into their trap, Ling Yun hastily ordered his soldiers to set fire to the ships, blocking their approach. Unexpectedly, a strong north wind arose, and since his own warships were to the south, the fire, carried by the wind, instead of damaging the enemy ships, spread to his own, causing panic and disarray throughout the army. Ling Yun, also in a panic, ordered his ships to turn back, but their large size made maneuvering difficult, allowing the enemy to close in, leaping over the ships and attacking with swords and spears, hacking and slashing. Soldiers' heads rolled into the water, and in an instant, the ships were thrown into chaos as everyone tried to escape. Those who tried to jump ashore were met with fierce attacks from the Song army on land, forcing them to swim to safety. Ling Yun, now helpless, was about to jump into the water when suddenly a Song general rushed forward, shouted, seized Ling Yun, bound him, and took him away alive. The general who captured Ling Yun was Wang Ming. He followed Cao Bin's secret plan, erecting countless long logs and hanging flags on the floating islands, resembling sails from afar, as a feint. He also arranged for Liu Yu to lead infantry to attack from the shore, launching a pincer attack by land and water. As expected, Ling Yun fell into the trap and collapsed without a fight. In just half a night, Ling Yun's 100,000-strong navy was swiftly wiped out. In reality, the Song army consisted of only 5,000 naval troops and 5,000 infantry, a total of 10,000 men. Cao Bin's victory over the 100,000-strong Jiangnan navy demonstrates his skill in military strategy. The Later Lord, trapped in Jinling, desperately hoped for Ling Yun's arrival to defeat the Song army and lift the siege. Upon receiving news of Ling Yun's capture and the annihilation of his army, the Later Lord turned pale with fright and was helpless. He could only order Xu Xuan to rush to Bianjing overnight to meet with Emperor Taizu and plead for a truce.
Emperor Taizu said, "I ordered Li Yu to come to see me, why did he disobey?" Xu Xuan replied, "Li Yu did not disobey orders, but was afflicted with illness and could not proceed. Moreover, Li Yu treated me with utmost respect, like a son treating his father, and there was nothing wrong with that. I beg Your Majesty to extend your grace and order the troops to cease fighting." Emperor Taizu said, "Since Li Yu regards me as his father, father and son should be one family. How can there be a confrontation between the north and south?" Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan was unable to refute it for a moment, and could only bow his head and plead, "Your Majesty, even if you do not care about Li Yu, you should at least consider the millions of lives in Jiangnan. If the army lingers, it will surely lead to widespread suffering. I implore Your Majesty to consider the virtue of Heaven and Earth in cherishing life and order the troops to cease fighting." Emperor Taizu said, "When I set out on the expedition, I already instructed the generals not to kill a single person indiscriminately. Li Yu, seeing the army had arrived, had already..." "Why should the sun rise and set, causing such widespread suffering?" Xu Xuan continued, "Li Yu has paid tribute year after year without ever being disrespectful. Your Majesty, why not show mercy and allow him to live?" Emperor Taizu said, "I will not harm Li Yu. As long as he presents his map and comes to court to see me, the war can be stopped." Seeing that Emperor Taizu had no intention of showing mercy, Xu Xuan said, "In my opinion, Your Majesty, to still attack someone as obedient as Li Yu is surely a waste of your grace." Emperor Taizu, angered by Xu Xuan's accusation of wastefulness, drew his sword and placed it on the table, saying, "Stop your incessant chatter! How can you allow someone to sleep soundly beside your bed? If you can fight, then fight; if you cannot, surrender quickly. If you say another word, you may draw this sword." Seeing Emperor Taizu's anger, Xu Xuan had no other choice but to take his leave and flee back to Jiangnan day and night.
When the Later Lord heard that Emperor Taizu refused to withdraw his troops, he became even more anxious. Suddenly, he received an urgent report from Changzhou that King Qian Chu of Wuyue, acting on orders from the Song court, was attacking Changzhou. At this time, the Later Lord had no troops to aid him and could only send a letter to Qian Chu, saying, "If I am not here today, will you not be here tomorrow? Once the Song emperor changes his allegiance, I fear you too will become a commoner in Daliang." Qian Chu ignored the letter and advanced, capturing Jiangyin and Yixing, and then Changzhou. Few prefectures and counties remained south of the Yangtze River, and the siege of Jinling intensified. Cao Bin sent someone to tell the Later Lord, "Things have come to this point; what is the point of besieging this isolated city? If you surrender early, you will be better off! Otherwise, when the city falls, there will be slaughter. Please make your own plans!" The Later Lord still hesitated.
Cao Bin wanted to attack the city, but he also worried that breaching the city would inevitably cause harm to the people. Even if he issued an order to prohibit it, it would be difficult to enforce. So he devised a plan, feigning illness and being unable to attend to state affairs. All the generals entered the tent to inquire after Cao Bin. Cao Bin asked, "Do you gentlemen know the cause of my illness?" Upon hearing this, some said it was a cold; others said it was due to overwork. Cao Bin shook his head and said, "What you say is not the cause of my illness." The generals were surprised and requested a doctor to examine him. Cao Bin said, "My illness cannot be cured by medicine. If you all sincerely swear that after the city is captured, you will not kill a single person unjustly, my illness will be cured." The generals all said, "Commander, please rest assured. We will each make a vow before you." They burned incense, swore their oaths, and withdrew.
The next day, Cao Bin ordered an attack on the city. After a day's siege, Jinling had fallen. Attendant Chen Qiao reported to the Later Lord, "The city has fallen, and the destruction of the nation is all our fault. We beg Your Majesty to quickly execute them to appease the people." The Later Lord replied, "This is the fate of the nation; your death is futile." Chen Qiao said, "Even if Your Majesty does not kill me, how can I face the world?" He then retreated to his private residence and hanged himself. Academician Zhong Qian of the Hall of Diligent Governance, upon hearing of the city's fall, donned his court robes and sat in the hall, gathered his family, and all committed suicide by poison. Academician Zhang Ji, who had initially agreed to die with Chen Qiao, remained arrogant and showed no intention of dying. The Later Lord, now at his wit's end, had no other choice but to lead his officials to surrender to the army. Cao Bin comforted him with kind words, treated him with the courtesy due to a guest, and invited him to the palace to prepare his journey. He then proceeded to Bianjing that very day.
The Later Lord took his leave and returned to the palace. Cao Bin, with several horsemen, waited outside the palace. Those around him said to Cao Bin, "Commander, if you let Li Yu into the palace, what if he seeks death?" Cao Bin laughed and said, "Li Yu is indecisive. Now that he has surrendered, how could he possibly seek death? This is an overreaction."
The Later Lord indeed packed his belongings, hastily bid farewell to the ancestral temple and Prime Minister Tang Yue, along with more than forty others, and headed to Bianjing.
The Later Lord was accustomed to the pleasures of Jiangnan; he had never experienced such hardship. Moreover, the soldiers imprisoning him forced him to travel day and night, rising early and sleeping late, making his life extremely arduous. Although the Later Lord lacked ambition, in this state, recalling his past happiness in Jiangnan, he couldn't help but feel sorrow, and covered his face, weeping for a while. His life's mistake lay in his self-proclaimed elegance, which led him to indulge in wine and women, neglecting state affairs and ultimately resulting in the fall of his country and the destruction of his home. Even as a prisoner, he showed no remorse. On the journey, after a brief period of sorrow, he remained true to his old ways, composing another poem of farewell: "For forty years, my home and country, eight thousand miles of mountains and rivers! I have witnessed war many times, and now I am a captive. My waist is bent, my temples gray, most poignant is the day I hastily left the ancestral temple. The court musicians still play farewell songs, I weep as I face the palace maids!"
The Later Lord, filled with sorrow and lamentation, traveled with his officials to Bianjing. On the day they arrived in the capital, Cao Bin also returned in triumph.
The Emperor Taizu received the captives at Minghai Tower. Because Li Yu had previously served in the imperial court, an edict forbidding the public announcement of the state was issued, ordering Li Yu and his ministers to await punishment at the tower, dressed in white robes and gauze hats. Li Yu kowtowed, admitting his guilt, and then proclaimed the edict: "Heaven's virtue is based on cherishing life; the heart of a ruler is valued for tolerating disgrace." Since the chaos and turmoil, successive usurpers have seized power. The emperor, Li Yu, a false ruler of Jiangnan, inherited the legacy of generations, usurping the throne from a remote region. His father had long held the imperial favor; when he first ascended the throne, he did not report to the emperor, and the emperor showed him leniency and tolerance. Although he offered his allegiance, he did not rush to the emperor's aid. He amassed troops and fortified his camp, his schemes becoming increasingly apparent. The emperor wished to protect him from beginning to end, to dispel his doubts, and even issued a summons, hoping he would come to court; hoping to achieve a peaceful union, not to wage war. He ignored this, secretly plotting, sending a strong army to conquer his isolated city and bring him to justice. Hearing of his impending doom, the emperor repeatedly offered his assistance, yet he remained obstinate and unrepentant. The downfall of the dynasty was self-inflicted. In the past, Emperor Yao, in his illustrious reign, summoned the teachers of Danpu; Emperor Yu of Xia wept for his son, yet did not pardon Fangfeng's crime. Ancient texts clearly demonstrate this. I, the Emperor, believe in the principle of embracing the barren and extending grace to the wicked. In the past, when mule carts left Shu and blue canopies departed Wu, they were all subjects of usurped thrones, not subject to the regular calendar of the central court; yet, upon receiving imperial decrees, they were ranked as dukes and marquises. You, however, are a subject of the outside world, yet you have defied my grace. Compared to the emperors of Shan and Hao, you are not of the same ilk; therefore, I have elevated you to the rank of Grand Master of the Palace and bestowed upon you the title of Marquis; this is a preferential treatment, and all your transgressions are forgiven.
I now appoint you Grand Master of the Palace, Grand Tutor, Right General of the Thousand Oxen Guard, and still enfeoff you as Marquis of Disobedience. You shall obey this decree and never again betray my kindness.
Li Yu, upon hearing the decree, was filled with fear and gratitude. Emperor Taizu returned to his throne and summoned Li Yu to an audience.
What else could this matter be? Let us find out in the next chapter.

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[History of the Song Dynasty Palace] [35] [Author: Xu Muxi]

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