[History of the Song Dynasty Palace] [39] [Author: Xu Muxi]

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Suspicion Leads to the Prince's Suicide; Old Grudges Resolved; Brother-in-Law Dies
on the Frontier. It is said that Liu Jiyuan, following the Emperor Taizong's orders, was about to lead the Song army into the city. Suddenly, a general stood firm on the city wall, refusing to surrender to the Song. Taizong asked who he was, and his attendants replied, "It is Liu Jiye, the military governor of Jianxiong Army of the Northern Han." Taizong had long heard of Liu Jiye's loyalty and bravery and intended to recruit him. He immediately ordered Liu Jiyuan to speak kindly to him and persuade him to surrender. Jiyuan then sent a trusted confidant into the city, telling Jiye his deep grievances and urging him to lay down his arms and surrender to save the lives of the people.
Jiye had no choice but to weep bitterly! He laid down his arms, opened the city gates, and let the Song army in. Taizong entered the city and first summoned Jiye, appointing him as the Right General of the Imperial Guard and bestowing upon him generous rewards. Liu Jiye, originally surnamed Yang, was from Taiyuan. During the reign of Liu Chong, he repeatedly distinguished himself in battle and was granted the surname Liu. After surrendering to the Song Dynasty, he reverted to his original surname, using only the character "Ye" in his given name. He is the same person known in popular novels as Lord Yang.
The Northern Han Dynasty, founded by Liu Chong, lasted for four rulers until Ji Yuan, before its demise.
After Emperor Taizong destroyed the Northern Han, he ordered the destruction of the old city of Taiyuan, renaming it Pingjin County, and establishing Yuci County as a prefecture. He dispatched envoys to relocate the people of Taiyuan, and ordered the burning of houses in Taiyuan. Countless people, young and old, men and women, perished in the fires. Emperor Taizong then departed from Taiyuan, intending to use his victorious army to attack the Liao Dynasty and recover lost territories. Pan Mei and others argued that the army was exhausted and supplies were insufficient, urging Emperor Taizong to withdraw his troops back to Bianjing. Only the imperial guard Cui Han believed that the opportunity should not be missed and advised Emperor Taizong to advance to avoid another attack.
Emperor Taizong was overjoyed! He then set off from Taiyuan and arrived at Yizhou. Liu Zi, the Liao governor, and Liu Yuande, the judge of Zhuozhou, surrendered the city one after another. Emperor Taizong left troops to garrison the city and advanced to capture Youzhou. Liao generals Yelü Xidi and Yelü Xida led their troops to fight, but were defeated and fled by the Song army. Emperor Taizong ordered Song Wo, Cui Yanjin, Liu Yu, and Meng Xuanzhe to take advantage of the victory and besiege the city, while sending troops to conquer other places, including Jizhou and Shunzhou, to demand their surrender. Youzhou was well defended by Liao general Yelü Xuegu and had not yet been captured. Emperor Taizong personally supervised the attack, day and night, and it seemed that the city could not be held. Suddenly, news came that Liao chancellor Yelü Sha was coming to the rescue of Youzhou. Emperor Taizong then personally led a large army to the Gaoliang River to meet the enemy. The soldiers fought bravely, and Yelü Sha also led his troops to resist. For a time, drums and gongs sounded, and banners fluttered. The Liao army suffered heavy casualties and gradually could not hold on, so they retreated. Seeing the Liao army defeated, Emperor Taizong led his troops in a rapid advance. Suddenly, a cannon boomed, and the Liao army attacked from both flanks. The left flank was led by Yelü Xiezhen, and the right flank by Yelü Xiuge. Xiuge was a renowned Liao general, possessing both wisdom and courage, and commanded elite troops. The Song army, exhausted from previous battles, could not withstand the onslaught of these two elite forces and quickly crumbled. Yelü Xiuge seized the opportunity to penetrate the central army. Emperor Taizong, seeing this, panicked. Fortunately, two brave generals, Fu Chao and Huyan Zan, risked their lives to protect him, and they broke through the encirclement, heading towards Zhuozhou. The Song generals also retreated in succession, and upon reviewing their troops, they found they had lost over ten thousand men. It was evening, and they were about to enter the city to rest when Yelü Xiuge, leading his Liao troops, pursued them again. The Song army, terrified, fled in disarray upon hearing of the Liao pursuit.
Seeing his army in disarray and realizing they were unlikely to withstand the attack, Emperor Taizong spurred his horse and fled south.
However, darkness had fallen, and he could no longer discern the path. Hearing shouts of battle behind him, Taizong, desperate to escape, tightened the reins and whipped the horse wildly. The horse, in its frenzy, bolted forward and suddenly lurched into the mud. He cried out for help, but there was no one around. He looked up to the heavens and sighed, "I was misled by Cui Han's words and have brought myself into danger. Now, though I regret it, it is too late!" Just then, he saw a flash of fire ahead, and a troop of soldiers approached.
Taizong, unsure whether they were enemy or his own troops, grew even more anxious! When the army was close enough, he saw a large banner bearing the character "Yang." Taizong exclaimed with joy, "It is Yang Ye!" and cried out for help. The general who came forward heard his cries and indeed it was Yang Ye.
It turned out that Yang Ye had been ordered by Emperor Taizong to transport grain and supplies to Taiyuan to aid the army. He had been gone for several days before returning, just as Emperor Taizong was in danger. Yang Ye hurriedly jumped into the mire, pulled Emperor Taizong ashore, and led the imperial horse ashore as well. Only then did he turn around and, with a young general in tow, bow and say, "Your Majesty, I have arrived late to rescue you; I deserve death!" Emperor Taizong said, "If it weren't for you, my life would have been in danger. What crime have you committed?" He then pointed to the young general and asked who he was. Yang Ye respectfully replied, "This is my son, Yan Lang." Emperor Taizong praised him repeatedly, "This boy is truly a thoroughbred!" Just then, a cloud of dust rose behind them, and Emperor Taizong exclaimed in alarm, "The pursuers are coming again! What should we do?" Yang Ye said, "Please let Your Majesty go ahead for a while, while my son and I fight off the enemy." He then went to fetch Emperor Taizong's imperial horse, but the horse had already collapsed on the ground and was no longer fit to ride. Yang Ye then reported to Emperor Taizong, "The imperial horse is no longer usable. Please allow Your Majesty to ride on my horse first." Emperor Taizong replied, "With a formidable enemy at hand, how can you be without a horse? I see one of the donkey carts carrying supplies and weapons can be freed up for me to ride on temporarily." Upon hearing this, Yang Ye quickly freed up a donkey cart for Emperor Taizong to ride on, ordering his soldiers to protect him as they proceeded, with all supplies and weapons also to accompany him. He and Yan Lang then
reined in their horses to await the enemy. A short while later, the troop of soldiers arrived. It was a group of Song generals, including Meng Xuanzhe, Cui Yanjin, Liu Tinghan, and Li Hanqiong, leading their defeated and ravaged troops as they retreated. Pan Mei, also dejected and disheveled, approached and asked Yang Ye if he had seen the Emperor. Yang Ye then recounted what had happened. Pan Mei said, "What should we do if there are pursuers behind us?" Yang Ye replied, "My son and I were just thinking of repelling the enemy. Now that the Marshal and the other generals are coming, what are we afraid of?"
Hearing this, Pan Mei felt deeply ashamed. Yang Ye was forced to reorganize his remaining troops and prepare for battle.
The deployment was barely complete when the Liao army caught up. Their two vanguard generals, Wu Huannu and Wu Lixi, charged forward. Yang Ye leaped onto his horse, brandishing his sword, and shouted, "You dog-like barbarians, come and give up your lives!" Wu Huannu and Wu Lixi, enraged, charged at him. Yang Ye fought them both fiercely, showing no fear. Yan Lang, fearing for his father's safety, hurriedly thrust his spear into the fray. Wu Lixi, seeing this, immediately met Yan Lang's attack. Yang Ye and Wu Huannu clashed, but after only a few exchanges, Yang Ye cleaved Wu Huannu in two with a single stroke. Wu Lixi, panicked, was unhorsed by Yan Lang's spear, and a final blow sealed his fate. Seeing Yang Ye and his son victorious, the other generals rushed to their aid. The Liao army, having lost two generals, dared not fight back and hastily retreated. They were pursued by the Song army for a while, who seized numerous weapons before finally withdrawing. Upon returning to Dingzhou, they met Emperor Taizong. Emperor Taizong ordered Meng Xuanzhe to garrison Dingzhou; Cui Yanjin to garrison Guannan; and Liu Yanhan and Li Hanqiong to garrison Zhengding. He also left Cui Han, Zhao Yanjin, and others to support the various garrisons before returning to Bianjing (Kaifeng). From then on, he maintained good relations with the Liao people.
When Emperor Taizong attacked Youzhou, Taizu's eldest son, Prince Wugong Dezhao, was in the camp.
After the army was defeated, Taizong disappeared, causing panic throughout the camp, with everyone suspecting that Taizong had been murdered. The generals discussed the matter extensively, and some proposed to enthrone Dezhao to appease the troops. Before this could be implemented, Taizong was found. When this news reached Taizong's ears, he was greatly displeased! The successive losses of troops and the forced return from the campaign only fueled his anger! Therefore, for two months after returning to the capital, he neglected the matter of Taiyuan and did not reward the generals, causing resentment among them. Dezhao, unaware of Taizong's thoughts, thought that Taizong had simply forgotten about the matter and went to the palace to request that Taizong reward the generals for their merits.
Upon hearing this, Taizong became even angrier! He shouted, "Having returned defeated, what reward is there left?" De Zhao, still unconvinced, repeated, "Although the campaign against Liao was unsuccessful, the Northern Han was ultimately pacified. I implore Your Majesty to reward them accordingly, lest the soldiers be left without hope." Seeing his insistence on rewarding merit, Emperor Taizong became even more suspicious that he intended to win over the soldiers and gain their hearts. He slammed his fist on the table and angrily said, "It's not too late to reward them after you become emperor!" These two sentences revealed his suspicions.
De Zhao, with his fiercely independent nature, could not bear it. He sullenly withdrew from the palace and returned to his residence. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and from that angrier came sorrow. He remembered that both his parents were dead!
He had no one to rely on. Although he had his stepmother, Lady Song, and his brother, De Fang, one was imprisoned in the West Palace, and the other was only a young man, still unaware of the ways of the world. Thinking it over and over, all the sorrows welled up in his heart. He felt that life was meaningless, and hardening his heart, he drew a sharp sword from the wall and committed suicide. By the time others learned of this, the body was already a bloody mess, the spirit long gone, having been dead for some time. They could only report to Emperor Taizong. Upon hearing the news, Taizong feigned great shock and immediately ordered his entourage to go and see
the body. There lay Dezhao, stiff and lifeless on his bed, his eyes wide open. Taizong feigned grief, weeping and saying, "Foolish child! Foolish child! I was only angry for a moment, and spoke without restraint. Why have you done this?" He then embraced the body and wept bitterly. He immediately ordered the family to give the body a proper burial, and upon returning to the palace, issued an edict posthumously granting Dezhao the title of Grand Chancellor and the title of Prince of Wei. He
also posthumously honored Dezhao's merits at Taiyuan, rewarding the living and the dead, and further enfeoffing his younger brother Tingmei as Prince of Qin, thus finally respecting Dezhao's wishes. But let's leave that aside for now. Let's
turn to the Liao army's decisive victory over the Song army, returning in triumph. Emperor Xian of Liao, angered by the Song people's unprovoked invasion, sought revenge. He predicted that the Song army, having just suffered a defeat, would surely lose heart and that this would be the perfect opportunity to advance. Thus, he ordered Han Kuangsi, the garrison commander of Nanjing, along with generals Yelü Sha and Yelü Xiuge, to lead 50,000 troops to invade Zhenzhou.
Upon hearing of the Liao army's invasion, Liu Tinghan hurriedly consulted with Cui Yanjin, Li Hanqiong, and others to discuss strategies for both offense and defense. Cui Tinghan said, "Our army has just suffered a defeat and has not yet recovered its strength. If we fight now, the outcome is unpredictable. I think we should use a feigned surrender to lure them inside, then ambush them. We will surely win." Liu Tinghan said, "Yelü Xiuge is a famous general of the Liao; he may not fall into a trap." Li Hanqiong said, "Let's first offer them provisions. They will surely believe it's genuine and will accept it." Tinghan nodded in agreement. The plan was decided, and they sent men to the Liao camp to offer provisions and surrender. Han Si, seeing the provisions, believed it was not a feigned surrender and agreed to enter the city the next day. The messenger was dispatched, and Yelü Xiuge advised, "Southerners are often deceitful; this might be a trap to lure the enemy." Kuang Si said, "If they were deceitful, why would they offer up provisions?" Xiuge replied, "This is precisely a strategy of giving before taking." Kuang Si said, "Our troops previously defeated hundreds of thousands of Song soldiers, demoralizing them and filling them with fear. Now, hearing of our approaching army, they have surrendered. I believe they are sincere, and there is no need for further suspicion." Seeing that Kuang Si would not heed his advice, Xiuge had no choice but to leave the tent and instruct his men not to act rashly, but to wait for his orders before setting out.
Han Kuang Si and Yelü Sha, seeing that the Song general had surrendered, thought Zhenzhou would be easily obtained.
The next day, they led their troops straight to Zhenzhou. Upon reaching the city, they found the gates wide open and no one in sight. Kuang Si was about to spur his horse into the city when Liu Wuxiong, the cavalry captain, stepped forward and advised, "General, you should not advance lightly. Since you have surrendered, why are you not coming to welcome us?" Kuang Si, upon hearing this, also became very suspicious. Suddenly, a cannon fired, and Liu Tinghan charged out from the west of the city, while Li Hanqiong charged out from the east, shouting, "Barbarian bastards, don't run! Come and surrender!" Kuang Si realized he
had been tricked and spurred his horse to flee. His men, seeing their commander gone, rushed forward in disarray, disrupting Yelü Sha's rear guard. Yelü Sha, unable to control the situation, was forced to retreat. Suddenly, another cannon fired, and Cui Yanjin led a contingent of Song soldiers, attacking from the flank and blocking their path. Kuang Si and Yelü Sha's troops, attacked from both sides, could only fight desperately, trying to carve a bloody escape route.
Unexpectedly, Song generals Cui Han and Zhao Yanjin, having received news of the Liao invasion of Zhenzhou, each led a force to their aid. They arrived just in time, charging forward and trapping Kuang Si and Yelü Sha in the center, preventing them from breaking out. Just when the situation was extremely critical, a great shout suddenly arose from behind the Song army lines. A general, brandishing his sword, led his elite troops in from the north, charging in. It was Yelü Xiuge
. Han Kuangsi and Yelü Sha, seeing their reinforcements, were overjoyed! They followed Xiuge and fought their way out of the encirclement. The Song army pursued them for a while, beheading over ten thousand and seizing countless supplies and provisions. They chased them all the way to Suicheng before withdrawing their troops and returning to their respective territories to report their victory to the Song court.
Upon receiving the report, Emperor Taizong discussed the matter with his court officials, saying, "The Liao people's invasion of Zhenzhou this time was unsuccessful, so they will surely invade other places. I think the Daizhou route is of utmost importance, and we must send a capable general to guard it to ensure its safety." The officials all said, "Your Majesty has great foresight and should send a capable general to prevent the Liao army from invading." Emperor Taizong said, "I have one person who is sure to be able to do the job." He then ordered Yang Ye to come to the palace, and Yang Ye came upon receiving the summons. Emperor Taizong said, "You are familiar with the border situation and possess both wisdom and courage. I hereby appoint you as the Prefect of Daizhou to defend against the Liao people." Yang Ye bowed his head in gratitude, and Emperor Taizong bestowed upon him a baggage and ordered him to take up his post immediately.
Yang Ye took his leave and set off with his sons Yan Yu and Yan Zhao, heading to Daizhou overnight. Yan Zhao, also known as Yan Lang, had surrendered to the Song Dynasty with his father and was appointed as a court official, changing his name to Yan Zhao. Yang Ye had once said that this son resembled him, and therefore, he always had him accompany him on military campaigns. Upon arriving in Daizhou, they found it was freezing cold, but Yang Ye did not slacken in repairing the city walls. In the blink of an eye, winter ended and spring returned, and it was the fifth year of the Taiping Xingguo era. Taking advantage of the warm weather and the lush vegetation along the border, the Liao Dynasty launched another large-scale invasion. Led by Yelü Sha and Yelü Xiezhen, they led an army of 100,000 and headed straight for Yanmen. Yanmen was located north of Daizhou and was the most crucial pass; if Yanmen fell, Daizhou could not be defended either. Having received intelligence that the Liao army had reached a considerable size, Yang Ye said to Yan Yu and Yan Zhao, "The Liao army boasts 100,000 men, while our army only numbers 10,000 to 20,000. Even if each of us fought ten against one, we would find it difficult to win. We must rely on strategy, not brute force. We must first intimidate them and show them our strength before they underestimate us." Yan Zhao said, "My idea is to launch a surprise attack from a hidden route, striking the Liao army's rear. This will surely lead to victory." Yang Ye said, "That's exactly what I wanted. We don't need too many men; we just need to launch a night attack." "If we can make them panic and collapse, we can win." They immediately decided to select several thousand elite troops and send them out from the western pass of Yanmen Pass, circling around to the northern pass. Just as the night was dark and the stars were dim, they saw several large, dark camps set up below Yanmen Pass. They ordered Yan Yu to lead three thousand men to attack from the left; Yan Zhao to lead three thousand men to attack from the right; and Yang Ye to lead a hundred elite cavalrymen to storm the Liao army's central camp. The three groups, with their mouths gagged, charged swiftly into the Liao camp. With a shout, they charged in.
Yelü Sha, Yelü Xiezhen, and the others, who had only anticipated an attack from within the pass, were startled by the Song army suddenly attacking from behind. They were terrified, thinking a flying general had descended from the sky. Everyone fled in panic, having no will to resist. Inside the central camp was a Liao prince consort, holding the official position of Attendant-in-Ordinary and Military Governor, named Xiao Duli, known for his bravery. Seeing the Song army rush into the camp, Xiao Duli, wielding his axe, charged forward to fight, shouting, "I, Xiao Duli, am here! Who dares to come and die?" Just then, Yang Ye arrived on horseback, and the two clashed. Xiao Duli was no match for Yang Ye; after only a few exchanges, Yang Ye let out a roar like a thunderclap. Startled, Xiao Duli hesitated, and Yang Ye swept him off his horse with a single blow to the head. Seeing Xiao Duli's death, the Liao soldiers were terrified, fleeing in panic and trampling each other to death. Yelü Sha and Yelü Xiezhen, seeing their troops scattered beyond repair, also fled for their lives. Yang Ye and his son pursued them for a while, then regrouped their army and entered Yanmen Pass. After inspecting their troops, they found only a few dozen wounded. They rested for a day and then rode back to Daizhou, announcing their victory.
After this setback, the Liao people henceforth called Yang Ye "Invincible Yang," and upon seeing his banner, even if they were alarmed, they dared not engage in battle.
The Liao emperor, Xian, upon hearing of his army's defeat, was furious! He personally led his troops in a large-scale invasion of the Song Dynasty, ordering Yelü Xiuge to lead the vanguard into Waqiao Pass. The soldiers guarding the pass, having heard of the Liao army's two defeats, assumed they were incompetent and opened the pass themselves to meet the Liao army, forming ranks facing the water. Yelü Xiuge led his elite cavalry across the river to the south. The Song generals, taking advantage of his smaller force, did not intercept him, waiting until the Liao army had crossed the river before engaging them. Xiuge's men were all highly trained elite soldiers. How could the Song army withstand them? They were utterly defeated and fled, unable even to defend the gates, scattering and fleeing into Mozhou. Xiuge pursued them to the walls of Mozhou, besieging the city and launching a fierce attack. News of the defeat reached Bianjing, and Emperor Taizong issued another edict for a personal campaign, mobilizing troops and marching north. En route, however, news of repeated defeats of the imperial army arrived, and they hastily reversed course, advancing towards Daming. Upon hearing of the Song emperor's personal campaign, the Liao emperor, recognizing the overwhelming strength of the Liao forces, feared he could not resist and withdrew his troops.
Emperor Taizong, upon receiving news of the Liao army's retreat, ordered Cao Han to deploy his generals and returned to Bianjing himself. Several days later, he again intended to launch a campaign against Liao. Court officials all flattered the emperor, arguing for the swift capture of Youzhou and Jizhou to recover lost territories. Only Zhang Qixian, the Left Remonstrator, submitted a memorial remonstrating against it, his words particularly incisive. Zhang Qixian was from Caozhou, a man of great wisdom and courage. When Emperor Taizu toured Luoyang, he had submitted a memorial in plain clothes. Of the ten points he submitted, four were satisfactory, but six remained unsatisfactory. Qixian firmly insisted they were feasible, which angered Emperor Taizu! He ordered his guards to lead him out, and upon returning to Bianjing, he said to Emperor Taizong, "During my recent tour of Xijing, I acquired Zhang Qixian. He can serve as your advisor in the future; do not forget this!" Emperor Taizong heeded these words. In the second year of the Taiping Xingguo era, the imperial examination was held, and Qixian failed. Emperor Taizong, not seeing Zhang Qixian selected, made an exception and appointed all those who passed the examination to official positions in the capital. Only then did Qixian receive an official appointment. He served as a prefect and later became a Left Advisor. At this time, because Emperor Taizong was again considering launching a campaign against Liao, Qixian submitted a memorial directly remonstrating against it. Emperor
Taizong greatly appreciated this and temporarily halted the campaign against Liao. Meanwhile, Zhao Pu, having been dismissed from his position as prime minister during the reign of Emperor Taizu and appointed as the military governor of the three cities of Heyang, knew that Emperor Taizu did not trust him and that he would not be reinstated. However, he was a man of great ambition and insecurity, and how could he not be resentful after losing his position? But because Emperor Taizu had seen through his actions and anticipated that there was no hope of regaining favor, upon arriving at his post, he devised a cunning plan to secure his future return to the position of prime minister. Zhao Pu submitted a memorial, briefly praising his younger brother, Guangyi, for his loyalty and filial piety. He lamented that outsiders accused him of speaking ill of his brother, but how could he dare to do so? He further stated that he had heard of Empress Dowager Zhaoxian's dying wish; he would not harbor any disloyalty, for no one knows his sovereign. He requested Zhao Pu's wise judgment. This memorial had two purposes: first, to control Emperor Taizu and prevent further punishment; second, to curry favor with Emperor Taizong for future use. Upon seeing Zhao Pu's memorial, Emperor Taizu fell into his trap and personally sealed it, hiding it along with Empress Dowager Zhaoxian's will in a golden cabinet. Emperor Taizu died, and Emperor Taizong ascended the throne. Zhao Pu entered the court and was appointed Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. However, due to Lu Duoxun's influence, he was ordered to attend court and remained idle in the capital, deeply unhappy. He longed to regain his position in the Privy Council and wield significant power, but Lu Duoxun was extremely shrewd and spread rumors that he had never wanted to make the Prince of Jin emperor. Although Emperor Taizong did not fully believe these words, he was quite displeased with them!
Seeing the unfavorable situation, Zhao Pu dared not act rashly. He had a brother-in-law named Hou Renbao, who had once served in the court. Lu Duoxun, who had a deep grudge against Zhao Pu, knew that Hou Renbao was his brother-in-law, so he transferred Renbao to Yizhou. Yizhou was located beyond the Nanling Mountains, close to Jiaozhou. Jiaozhou was Jiaozhi, which was annexed by Dali at the end of the Tang Dynasty and thus came under Tang rule. During the Five Dynasties period, it belonged to the Southern Han. After Emperor Taizu pacified the Southern Han, Ding Lian, the prefect of Jiaozhou, had once paid tribute to the Song court. After Lian's death, his younger brother Xuan succeeded him. Still young, Xuan was imprisoned by his subordinate Li Huan and claimed to be the acting prefect of the military government.
Zhao Pu feared that Renbao would remain in Yongzhou for many years without being transferred and would die of old age beyond the mountains, so he devised a plan to submit a memorial, stating that Jiaozhou could be taken. Emperor Taizong, upon seeing Pu's memorial, was indeed aroused by his ambition and planned to summon Renbao to the capital to inquire about the border situation. Lu Duoxun, being cunning and shrewd, knew Zhao Pu's intentions and was unwilling to send Renbao to court. He hastily reported to Emperor Taizong, "Jiaozhou is in turmoil; it is the perfect time to seize it. Summoning Renbao first will not only miss the opportunity but may also leak our secrets. It would be safer to secretly order Renbao to prepare troops and march straight in." Emperor Taizong agreed with his words. He then issued an edict appointing Renbao as the Transport Commissioner of Jiaozhou by land and water, with Sun Quanguang, Liu Cheng, Jia Shi, and others as commanders, to advance on Jiaozhou.
Renbao, having received the edict, dared not disobey. He could only prepare his troops and, together with Sun Quanxing and others, set off one after the other, reaching the mouth of the Baiteng River. There, the Jiaozhou navy was stationed along the river, with hundreds of warships arrayed on the water. Renbao led his troops in, charging ahead. Caught off guard, the enemy forces were thrown into chaos and scattered. The Song army captured two hundred warships, achieving a great victory. Just as they were about to advance, Renbao, acting as the vanguard and allied with Sun Quanxing and others as their rearguard, charged forward alone. He advanced swiftly and decisively, until suddenly he received a letter from Li Dehuan, who offered to surrender. Renbao, believing it to be a genuine surrender, was unprepared. That night, a shout rang out, and Li Dehuan launched a raid on the camp. The Song army, awakened from their sleep, were caught off guard, their armor and horses unsaddled, their weapons nowhere to be found. How could they possibly resist? They were slaughtered by the Jiaozhou troops, and Renbao died in the chaos. The transport commissioner, Xu Zhongyi, reported the facts to the emperor. Emperor Taizong issued an edict to withdraw the army, arrest Sun Quanxing, and immediately execute Liu Cheng and Jia Shi as a warning to the army. Quanxing, upon entering the capital, was also executed. Later, Li Dehuan sent envoys to pay tribute and present a memorial from Ding Xuan requesting to abdicate. Emperor Taizong, mindful of past mistakes, let the matter drop.
Zhao Pu's scheme failed, resulting in the death of his brother-in-law. His resentment towards Lu Duoxun intensified, and he wished he could immediately behead him to vent his anger. However, Duoxun was currently favored by the emperor, and there was no opportunity for him to intervene. Moreover, Duoxun was extremely cautious, fearing that Zhao Pu might incite court officials to impeach him. All official memorials were first submitted to him, and he would personally write in the inner palace, refusing to offer any personal favors but hoping for imperial favor. Therefore, all the court officials looked on with suspicion. Zhao Pu was at a loss, spending his days sighing and filled with resentment. Later, Prince Dezhao committed suicide, and Prince Defang soon followed suit, dying of illness. Zhao Pu had already discerned Emperor Taizong's thoughts and exclaimed, "The opportunity has arrived!"
Sure enough, within a few days, former officials of the Jin residence, including Chai Yuxi, Zhao Pu, and Yang Shouyi, entered the inner court and secretly reported to Emperor Taizong that Prince Qin, Tingmei, was arrogant and lawless, and was plotting a coup. They also claimed that Lu Duoxun was in contact with Prince Qin and had illicit dealings with him. Emperor Taizong was very suspicious upon hearing this and secretly summoned Zhao Pu to court for questioning. Zhao Pu, mimicking Mao Sui, volunteered, saying, "If Your Majesty appoints me to a position in the Privy Council, I can better investigate treacherous plots." He then kowtowed and confessed, "As a former official, I was fortunate to receive the late Empress Dowager Zhaoxian's dying wish and was deeply grateful for her favor. Unfortunately, I suffered misfortune in Ganzhou and was thwarted by treacherous officials. I have no one to confide in regarding my loyalty. When I was previously demoted, some people accused me of slandering Your Majesty. I submitted a memorial to the throne, expressing my utmost grievances. The records are still available and can be reviewed." When Emperor Taizong first heard Zhao Pu's offer to serve in the Privy Council to investigate treacherous plots, he knew that Zhao Pu intended to use the prime minister as a bargaining chip to eliminate Tingmei. Later, upon hearing Zhao Pu's confession, Emperor Taizong immediately ordered the golden cabinet to be brought out. Upon opening it, he indeed found Zhao Pu's confession. He then said to Zhao Pu, "Everyone makes mistakes. I am not yet fifty, but I already know the errors of the past forty-nine years." He then personally appointed Zhao Pu as Minister of Works and concurrently Grand Councilor, enfeoffed him as Duke of Liang, and secretly ordered him to investigate Tingmei's rebellious activities. Now that his first step in the plan had succeeded, he was ready to move on to the second: to eliminate Lu Duoxun and vent his hatred. Alone in his room, he silently pondered, "The Emperor's actions indicate he intends to defy the dying wish and eliminate Lu Duoxun. I can no longer care about Prince Qin, Tingmei. I must do this and that to achieve my goal and avenge my past grievances." Having made up his mind, he secretly began to carry it out.
How did Zhao Pu frame Tingmei and even manage to eliminate Lu Duoxun? It turns out that Tingmei was not the biological son of Empress Dowager Zhaoxian, but rather the son of Emperor Taizong's wet nurse, Lady Geng. Lady Geng was young and beautiful, and was favored by Emperor Xuanzu, thus giving birth to Tingmei. After Emperor Xuanzu's death, Lady Geng married into the Zhao family and gave birth to a son named Tingjun, who became the Director of the Arsenal. Lady Geng was granted the title of Lady of Chen. Tingmei was impulsive and acted arbitrarily, without regard for suspicion. Because Lady Geng was his biological mother and Tingjun was his half-brother, they frequently visited each other. At that time, Emperor Taizu's second son, Defang, was only twenty-three years old and in excellent health. He suddenly died of a violent illness, just over a year after Dezhao's suicide. When Tingmei saw Defang die suddenly from a healthy illness, he recalled Emperor Taizong's treatment of Li Yu and suspected that there was something more to Defang's death than met the eye. He thought that Emperor Taizong wanted to break the promise made in the Golden Box and that's why he had taken such a cruel step. As the first person in the Golden Box who should have passed the throne, he was deeply afraid that he would not be able to escape disaster and was very worried. Because Dezhao and Defang had both died tragically, he felt quite indignant and unconsciously expressed his feelings verbally, often saying to others, "Emperor Taizong has betrayed his brother's wishes." As the saying goes, "Words are like arrows" and should not be spoken rashly. Tingmei's unintentional words were fueled by a group of sycophants who added fuel to the fire and reported to Emperor Taizong that Tingmei was plotting a rebellion. Emperor Taizong, harboring ulterior motives due to the unspoken instructions in the Golden Box, seized this opportunity to retaliate. He dismissed Tingmei from his post as Prefect of Kaifeng and appointed him as the Governor of Xijing. He specially promoted Chai Yuxi, who had reported the rebellion, to Deputy Privy Councilor, Yang Shouyi to Chief Privy Councilor, and Zhao Rong to the position of Eastern Gatekeeper. Thus, Taizong's true intentions became clear. With Zhao Pu secretly instigating the rebellion, these sycophants were happy to take the opportunity to speak ill of Tingmei. Taizong was determined to eliminate Tingmei. In this way, Tingmei was effectively put to death.
How did Tingmei meet his end? Let's find out in the next chapter.

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[History of the Song Dynasty Palace] [39] [Author: Xu Muxi]

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