Chapter 31: Oh, Not Bad; I Can Even Rack Up Popularity While Lying Down

Shi Li'ai had been so infuriated that morning he nearly met his ancestors, but he had finally regained his composure. His words were now being accepted by almost everyone.

Previously, a faction within the Jin army had favored a swift victory, emphasizing a lightning-fast campaign. Wanyan Zonghan himself had been a proponent of this strategy. From his perspective, such a mindset was logical; after all, his 150,000-strong army consumed ten million jin of grain every month. Remaining at Kaifeng for three months would mean depleting thirty million jin. It was currently the dead of winter, and with no crops in the fields and the Song people hoarding supplies or fleeing south, the surrounding prefectures were enforcing a scorched-earth policy. Furthermore, resistance continued across the regions north of the Yellow River. To prepare for a three-month siege, they needed at least five months’ worth of supplies—a daunting task for Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang.

The fall of the Northern Song in history was an accidental event, brought about by the suicidal policies of Emperor Huizong, Emperor Qinzong, and their ministers. A careful examination of historical records reveals a series of baffling, almost magical blunders on their part. Despite the ferocity of the Jin offensive, they had failed to fully swallow the prefectures of Hebei and Hedong. Ultimately, the Jin army's arrival at the gates of Kaifeng was little more than a decapitation strike against the Song dynasty.

Despite the Jin soldiers’ formidable combat prowess, they were still human and needed to eat. As Zhao Ning observed, the Jin’s greatest weakness was their deep penetration into Song territory, which stretched their supply lines thin. Whenever the Jin attempted to forage, the local populace resisted; even if they could not defeat the invaders in open battle, they would emerge periodically to harass the troops and burn their grain. This inevitably led to exhaustion.

This was why Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang had wanted a swift victory. Yet, the defenses of the Eastern Capital did not permit it. Consequently, they turned to a strategy of simultaneous sieging, fighting, and negotiating—using fake peace talks to sow internal discord among the Song and lure them out of the city. Now, Zhao Ning had sealed off even that avenue. Such was the current state of affairs.

Wanyan Zongwang remarked, "A temporary halt to the siege is possible, but for how long? Prolonged inactivity works against us. The Song relief armies are on their way, and if things turn out like they did early this year, we will have no choice but to retreat."

He was referring to the first siege of the Eastern Capital earlier that year, when hundreds of thousands of relief troops had gathered at Kaifeng. Shi Li'ai countered, "The elite Song forces from the Shaanxi circuits have been pinned down at Tongguan by Loushi. However, the Song army consists of more than just the Shaanxi troops. Forces from the south, Shandong, Huaidong, and Jinghu are all currently on the march."

Wanyan Xiyin suggested, "Marshal, why not negotiate with them again? Signal our willingness to talk and have them send representatives to our camp. We can decide our next move after that."

Wanyan Zongwang added, "I also believe negotiation is the best policy. If the resistance in the Eastern Capital proves too stubborn, we should shift our goals, extract some wealth from the Song, and return north."

When Wanyan Zongwang spoke, silence fell over the tent. This touched upon the political power struggle within the Jin court. Marshal Wanyan Zonghan was a staunch advocate for the total destruction of the Song. Earlier that year, he had laid siege to the vital northern military hub of Taiyuan for nine months, eventually grinding it into submission. Conversely, Wanyan Zongwang had bypassed the northern garrisons entirely during his first southern campaign. This difference highlighted their conflicting political philosophies: one sought to systematically flatten the Song, while the other preferred rapid, hit-and-run strikes. Both were pivotal figures in the Jin royal clan; Wanyan Zonghan was the primary architect of Wanyan Aguda’s founding success, boasting immense prestige, while Wanyan Zongwang, as Aguda’s son, possessed exceptional military talent and commanded a significant following.

After a moment of contemplation, Wanyan Zonghan said, "We can negotiate, but we must also keep fighting—the two are not mutually exclusive. Order the men to build two hundred trebuchets within the month!"

Wanyan Zongwang asked, "And if we still fail to break the city?"

Silence returned to the tent. Only Wanyan Zongwang dared to speak to Wanyan Zonghan in such a manner. Liu Yanzong stepped in to mediate: "Our grain is insufficient, and the provisions within the city may not be ample either. Let us negotiate first to probe their situation."

And so, the Jin commanders reached an agreement: pretend to negotiate while secretly accelerating the construction of siege engines for the next all-out assault.

Early on the morning of the second day of the twelfth month, the Song troops on the battlements received the Jin request for peace talks. The news spread rapidly through the city, and people spontaneously pulled out the Emperor’s treatise, *Strategies for Defending Against the Jin*.

"Isn't this exactly what the Emperor predicted?"

This was a "sun-tzu" gambit—an open scheme. The Emperor had predicted their actions, told them of his prediction, and even knowing they were being watched, the Jin felt compelled to follow the path he had laid out. The commoners of the Eastern Capital were truly enlightened. "Damn! The Emperor was right!"

This caused a flicker of helplessness among the Jin high command, who felt as though they had been completely seen through. Of course, they never mentioned it, tacitly agreeing that it was merely a stroke of luck on the part of the Song Emperor.

Victory in war, however, is not decided by predictions, so the Jin remained confident. But as for the demands for peace, as soon as they reached the city, the commoners erupted.

"If any dog official in the court dares to go out and negotiate, I’ll kill him right here!"
"Right! No negotiations!"
"Fight to the end!"
"Defend our homes!"
"What is there to fear? The Emperor even predicted their desire for peace; he must have more plans in store!"

The Jin request for talks had, in effect, bolstered Zhao Ning’s popularity once more. Zhao Ning thought to himself: *Not bad, I can gain popularity even while lying down.*

However, some in the Eastern Capital did not share this sentiment, particularly within the officialdom. These officials began submitting memorials to Zhao Ning, analyzing the pros and cons. Their main argument was: "Our successful defense proves the Jin cannot breach the city. Now that they realize our strength and have come to sue for peace, this is the perfect opportunity to conclude the war."

Were these officials stupider than the commoners? No. Then why were they so eager to negotiate? Because their position determined their perspective. For the commoners, peace meant paying indemnities, which the court would inevitably extract from them; if the city fell, they were the ones who would suffer. For the officials, peace also meant paying indemnities, but the court would not touch their personal wealth. If the court dared to try, they would immediately brandish the classics and launch a verbal assault on the Emperor. Moreover, the elite feared death more than the commoners and were far more willing to compromise. They had endless wealth and no desire to lose their lives in a moment of fervor. Such is the inherent weakness of the ruling class. This was the reality of the situation.