Chapter 69 Section VII

The official’s punishment of Liu Kai was exhaustive (the punishment has not yet come to Ma Kuo, it may be because the official regards him as an accomplice, and the crime can be reduced by one level, or it may be that he is still being used at present, and the default suspended sentence , if it belongs to the latter type, once it is his turn, he will not be as polite as he was to Liu Qi), but Shishi's punishment for officials is more severe.From then on, the official family could no longer get Shishi's permission to go to Zuixinglou to visit her.She and the official family will be forced to meet again on an unexpected occasion after the world is turned upside down, and that will be the last time between them.

It appears that everything is coming to an end.The celebration ceremony that broke up on the fifth day of June seems to be the last grand event for Tokyoites.An ominous sense of doom has quietly enveloped the hearts of Tokyoites, and it can never be wiped away.They also knew that the day of reckoning was finally coming. The development of the Pingzhou incident, as expected by Ma Kuo, Zhang Jue was defeated by the strengthened Jin army and fled to Yanjing to ask for shelter.The hesitant Northern Song Dynasty government first followed Guo Yaoshi's suggestion and took him in secretly and protected him. Later, under the stern criticism of the Jinren, they panicked and betrayed Zhang Jue. He was hanged and beheaded to the Jinren.The stern government of the Jin Dynasty obviously would not give it a piece of candy because of the obedient behavior of the Northern Song Dynasty government, which in turn became an excuse for continuous provocation and subsequent invasion.

But this kind of excuse doesn't make much sense. It is inevitable for the Jin people to use troops against the Song Dynasty. If there is no such excuse, they can make another one. Isn't it the easiest thing to make an excuse?At this time, Aguda had passed away, and the Jin government, with Wu Qimai as the second emperor, had already formulated a national policy of using troops against the Song Dynasty, determined to make the Northern Song Dynasty the successor of the Liao Dynasty.Border disputes emerge in endlessly, and incidents occur almost every day.Anyone with insight sees that a new war is inevitable.

Two years ago, Ma Kuo raised this possibility to the authorities, asking them to take precautions, but Wang Fu and Tong Guan accused him of worrying unfoundedly and ruining the diplomatic relations between the two dynasties. , It is harmful to the national economy.What a big hat!Now that this possibility has developed to such an obvious degree, even their group feels a little apprehensive.However, Xuanhe's political principle is "don't cry if you don't see the coffin".The day before the official arrival of the alarm of the Jin army’s invasion, they still did not give up the illusion that the Jin army might not come. Afterwards, they (including Jingkang and his ministers) still had the final illusion that the Jin army might not necessarily destroy the country of people and capture and kill the emperor and his ministers.

In the increasingly tense situation, the articles and suggestions written by Ma Kuo could really fill a counter.The authorities are perfunctory on the surface, but in fact they still ignore it accordingly.Rather than trusting his tiresome rainy-day plans, I'd rather trust my own fantasies and be happy for a few more days.However, Ma Kuo's status has become important, and even his gang will keep him in Tokyo for various consultations, to show their concern for the country, day and night. Afterwards, the military and political chiefs in Hebei changed several people. Hebei Xuanfu envoy Tong Guan once lost his love with the official family, was ordered to resign from office, and replaced him with the delicious Tan Zhen.Tan Zhenduan prepared a feast of human flesh, opened his crooked mouth, and prepared to swallow the whole of Hebei Road, but Guo Yaoshi's Changshengjun was a stone with sharp teeth, and two front teeth collapsed when he bit it down.Tan Zhen couldn't get enough of the banquet, so he had to go back to his hometown and still let Tong Guanlai be the envoy.The pacifiers on Yanshan Road switched from Zhan Du to Wang Anzhong, and from Wang Anzhong to Cai Jing like a revolving lantern.People have changed, but the policy remains the same. This is called "changing the soup without changing the medicine".A panacea for Hebei frontier defense issued by the court of the Northern Song Dynasty is to rely on Guo Pharmacist as the Great Wall.The size of the Ever Victorious Army gradually expanded to 40,000.The government of the Northern Song Dynasty placed all bets on the trump card of Guo Yaoshi, and a specific and slight version of Anlu Mountain in the Northern Song Dynasty was indeed taking shape.

The defense of Hedong is also tight. Nianhan's army has been stationed on the front lines of Yunzhou, Weizhou, and Yingzhou, watching them.Through the activities of Ma Kuo and Zhao Jie, Dong Pang'er and many other rebels were appeased. Dong Pang'er himself was renamed Zhao Xu, but the role of the rebels was not valued by the Northern Song Dynasty. These troops were scattered in Hedong and Hebei. The front line, was treated poorly.The rebel army maintained its own activities and was not willing to be used by the Song Dynasty. The border line is full of sorrow and mist, and war may break out at any time.This precarious situation is also reflected in the daily lives of Tokyoites.Since the Zhang Jue incident, the shadow cast on the hearts of Tokyo people has become more and more intense, and it cannot be wiped away.People seem to be waiting for the day to come.

But the day when this catastrophe really came was later than Ma Kuo expected.The internal adjustment of the nobles of the Jin Dynasty has repeatedly delayed the time to send troops.From the autumn and winter of the fifth year of Xuanhe to the dispatch of the Jin army in the winter of the seventh year of Xuanhe, there was a gap of two years.If the Northern Song government was really determined to make preparations to deal with this expected war of aggression, it still had plenty of time.But it doesn't do anything. These two years of precious time were wasted in the Northern Song government's fantasies and sitting around.

The Han nationality is a great nation, which has a glorious history and splendid culture like many other nations living in our country.In certain historical periods, such as the mid-Western Han Dynasty, the early Eastern Han Dynasty, and especially the early Tang Dynasty, it was stern and full of confidence.When it comes to dealing with the issue of ethnic minorities, it is bold and ambitious, and is good at getting along with them, absorbing and blending their essence, so that they can make great contributions to the civilization of the world under the leadership of a unified country. But in the Song Dynasty, this nation seemed to be a bit eclipsed, especially when it was in danger, it seemed to be powerless and inactive.Of course, this has a close relationship with the leadership of the ruler at that time.Not only Xuanhe monarchs and ministers, but also the entire Song Dynasty ruled in a negative and weak manner in dealing with ethnic minorities.The failure of the Liao war, the southward invasion of the Jin army, the long-term north-south division, the active surrender faction, and some local regimes drifting away from the unified court are all its inevitable consequences.The Xuanhe monarch and ministers who bear the brunt of course must bear greater responsibility.

To correctly and comprehensively evaluate ethnic relations in certain historical stages, the role of rulers cannot be excluded, no matter from the positive side or negative side, progressive side or backward side, this is the case. Of course, the people are the masters and creators of history.Like any period, the people of the Northern Song Dynasty were industrious, brave, and wise. They created a wealth of material wealth and spiritual wealth, especially in terms of scientific and technological inventions. They also carried forward the excellent tradition of daring to resist foreign oppression, and showed incomparable bravery, fortitude and tenacity, which were completely different from those of the rulers.These performances will be recorded in the second half of the novel.