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墨書 Inktalez
The Peculiar War God of the Song Dynasty
After hearing this, Qin Feng felt less worried; he thought he could buy off these Jin people with Silver!
But upon further reflection, he sensed something was amiss! He had previously given these Jin people Silver, yet they still tore up the treaty and launched the Southern Expedition Against Song.
How much Silver would it take to satisfy these Jin people? They were all fierce and ruthless individuals.
No, they were all fierce wolves; what they wanted was not just Silver, but also the beautiful Territory of the Great Song, food, and countless beautiful women!
They aimed to destroy the Northern Song and claim all of these for their own territory to dominate.
Before he could finish speaking, Wang Bin, the Taiyuan General sitting nearby, could no longer hold back. It was merely a Civil Official's wishful thinking; could the Jin people really seek peace?
Wang Bin's dark face showed anger, and he was also strategic. He said, "Lord Zhang, that statement is somewhat exaggerated! The Jin people want more than just Silver; they desire the vast Territory of our Great Song. How could a mere amount of Silver buy them off?"
"In the past, when the Liao Dynasty was around, the Jin Kingdom demanded a considerable amount of silver from us for raising horses and soldiers. At that time, they became the strongest overlords; how could they only want Silver now? They are certainly plotting to seize the vast Territory of the Great Song!"
The several generals at the table, clad in Black Armor, nodded in agreement, their faces showing smiles of acknowledgment.
Having guarded the borders for years, they understood their enemies' psychology well. They wanted not just Silver but also land, food, and beautiful women for their own enjoyment.
Although Wang Xiang also agreed, he did not show it as obviously; his smile was too faint.
Wang Bin was the highest General of Taiyuan! He was a passionate man who believed that negotiation with the Jin people was futile; they must rely on military force to drive them back into their own territory!
Due to differing opinions, he argued fiercely with Right Chancellor Zhang Bangchang, creating a rift between their words and hearts.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Bangchang felt dissatisfied. As Right Chancellor, he was primarily responsible for negotiations. However, Wang Bin contradicted him and insisted on fighting against the Jin!
"With your few tens of thousands, can you really defeat the hundreds of thousands of cavalry from the Jin? Don't throw your life away."
"Wang Bin, are you mocking me? You don't understand the intentions of the Jin; all you know is to send them gold, fattening their troops, and then they will come to invade our Great Song again. Is that what you mean?"
Wang Bin had no strong arguments left, but he appeared somewhat calm.
"That's not what I meant. Lord Zhang, you don't need to take it to heart. I feel we cannot always show weakness to them; we must defeat them to truly achieve peace."
Zhang Bangchang understood this as well. Wang Bin was still unconvinced; clearly, they were just a bunch of rough men who couldn't defeat the Jin. If they didn't send silver to them, how could they expect to retreat? They had already disagreed multiple times and argued several times; it was truly unfortunate to be sent to such a remote place.
It felt like the two were about to come to blows; if their argument escalated any further, they would start fighting.
During the Song Dynasty, civil officials held a much higher status than military officials. Even if they held the same rank, civil officials had significantly more power.
This created a situation where literature was valued over martial prowess, leading to a heavy emphasis on civil officials while neglecting military affairs at the borders. Naturally, these civil officials looked down on the military, considering them mere rough men who did not understand elegance and etiquette.
However, soldiers were not ordinary people; often there were strategizing generals who naturally resented such treatment and looked down on civil officials for placing themselves first.
Taiyuan General Wang Bin was such a person. He believed he had strategy and dared to fight fiercely against the ruthless Jin without yielding.
But Zhang Bangchang often sought peace and appeared submissive. The Jin clearly plundered food, beauty, and wealth while demanding large amounts of silver for their troops; how could there be peace?
The nearby generals also began to persuade them to stop arguing, insisting that as important ministers of the court, they should not be in discord.
What kind of situation is this? Civil officials and generals at odds—internal and external inconsistency.
Qin Feng also joined in urging them to calm down and carefully consider how to deal with the Jin. Yet it remained the same.
He said, "My opinion is actually somewhat similar to General Wang Bin's. I believe the Jin are like tigers and wolves; we must fight and defeat them to achieve peace. Simply seeking peace is useless."
He continued to watch, feeling that he had misspoken. After all, he was the Peace Envoy, here for Negotiation, so how did the discussion turn to fighting against the Jin people?
The Generals sitting there also showed expressions of surprise. Qin Feng was a Civil Official and was here for Negotiation; he should be standing with Lord Zhang Bangchang, so why was he siding with General Wang Bin?
Wang Bin's dark face broke into a smile, expressing his agreement and approval.
Zhang Bangchang felt something was off. On the surface, he was alone, but secretly, Brother Wang Xiang was on his side. They were fearful for their lives and supported his Negotiation.
He thought that with Qin Feng's arrival, the power of Negotiation would grow stronger, especially since he was appointed by the Emperor and would surely stand with him. How could it turn out like this?
Wasn't this a slap in the face? He was also eager to negotiate with the Jin people while these Generals were busy preparing for war, truly believing they could win?
Having some acquaintance with Qin Feng, he decided not to engage with these rough men any longer and let them discuss among themselves.
His face showed some anger as he said, "Since you Generals are so eager to fight the Jin people, then I, Zhang, will not accompany you. You can deliberate at your leisure!"
He stood up from his chair and started to walk outside, angrily shaking his sleeves as if very dissatisfied.
His expression seemed somewhat wrong, appearing aggrieved as he glanced at Qin Feng before heading out.
Qin Feng truly felt he had misspoken; he had actually upset Zhang Bangchang, an important figure in Negotiation!
He wanted to retain him, hoping to calm him down and explain that it was just a slip of the tongue.
The Generals were also trying to persuade Chancellor Zhang not to be angry, saying that they could discuss matters slowly and not be so hasty.
But he still shook his sleeves and left. It seemed that these Generals were completely out of touch; they knew nothing of wisdom and only understood fighting and killing.
Seeing Zhang Bangchang leave because of him made Qin Feng feel guilty. He planned to chase after him to sincerely apologize.
However, just as he took a step forward, a rough hand grabbed him, strong and forceful.
Turning his head to look, he was surprised to see Wang Bin, the highest commander of the Taiyuan garrison, smiling at him, seemingly very appreciative!
He said, "Brother Qin is indeed talented in both literature and martial arts, with profound thoughts. Unlike those Civil Officials in the court who are short-sighted and only know how to debate, it would be better for you to stay and discuss the War with us."
The other Generals nearby also showed appreciative expressions and smiled, inviting him to stay and discuss together!
He agreed. With this delay, Zhang Bangchang would probably have gone far. Even if he chased after him, it would only make him angry; it was better not to pursue.
He did not want to be a cowardly Civil Official negotiating with those fierce Jin people! He was unwilling to submit to them, begging for mercy and bowing down.
He wanted to be a warrior, fighting bravely on the battlefield. After all, he was skilled; even a general might not be able to defeat him.
"Since all of you Generals are so kind, I, Qin Feng, will comply and discuss the upcoming War together and make some preparations."
He sat down in his original position, feeling more familiar with them. However, he still felt that Wang Xiang was not a good person; he smiled while hiding a dagger and was very cunning.
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