Chapter 117: The First Peace Talks (Part 10)

Meanwhile, the Jin army was thrown into an uproar upon hearing that the Western Xia forces had suddenly withdrawn. Wanyan Zonghan was so incensed that he slammed his fist against the table.

"How dare the Western Xia act with such audacity, committing an act of betrayal against their allies!" Wanyan Zonghan fumed.

Wanyan Zongwang sneered, "Li Shunqian of Western Xia sent word claiming that a Song force of fifty thousand men suddenly besieged Xingqing Prefecture. He alleges they had to withdraw urgently to lift the siege."

"Absurd! Where would the Song find fifty thousand men? And even if they did, how could they have slipped past our eyes to reach Xingqing without us noticing?" Wanyan Zonghan gritted his teeth, feeling as though they had been toyed with by Western Xia.

Wanyan Zongwang shook his head. "It is highly probable that Western Xia and the Song Dynasty reached some secret agreement, which prompted their withdrawal."

At this stage of the war, Wanyan Zonghan realized that the Song was no longer the same dynasty it had been during the reign of Zhao Ji. In those days, the Jin could easily have annihilated them, but now, the two sides were evenly matched; annexing the Song would be a formidable task.

"Given the current situation, it seems our only option is to retreat," Wanyan Loushi remarked. "Our grain supplies are critically low. If we do not withdraw now, I fear we will be unable to cope when the Song forces launch their counterattack."

Wanyan Zongwang gave a cold laugh. "It appears, then, that this southern campaign will end in failure."

"Not necessarily," interjected Wanyan Chang. "The Song envoy is currently in our camp. We can demand a massive annual tribute, enough to cover all the expenses we incurred during this war."

"The money might be recouped, but the lives lost can never be recovered," Wanyan Yiyin retorted with a sarcastic edge. He was alluding to the fact that Wanyan Chang had led troops twice and suffered two defeats, losing nearly a hundred thousand men—a record unparalleled in the history of the Jin Dynasty.

Stung by the sarcasm, Wanyan Chang slammed his hand on the table and bellowed, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Wanyan Yiyin, unfazed, leaned back with a mocking smile. "What? Can you not bear to hear the truth about your own actions?"

Wanyan Chang had originally fallen into Liu Qi’s trap precisely because of his desperate desire to prove himself, which led to his reckless advance and ultimate defeat.

"Enough! We are in dire straits; why are you still bickering?" Wanyan Zonghan shouted, silencing them both.

"Let us hear your thoughts. What should be our next move?" Wanyan Zonghan scanned the room.

Wanyan Zongwang curled his lip. "Our path forward is blocked. Aside from retreating, is there any other road to take?"

The others remained silent, clearly in agreement.

"Very well. Since that is the case, we shall extract as much as we can from the Song during the negotiations. Someone, bring the Song envoy, Wang Lun, to me," Wanyan Zonghan ordered.

Soon, Wang Lun was brought in. As he entered the tent, he saw that it was packed with the elite of the Jin military; apart from Wanyan Zongbi, who was stationed in the Western Capital of Luoyang, every major Jin general was present.

Upon his entry, all eyes turned to him. The generals glared with such hostility that they seemed ready to tear him limb from limb.

Wanyan Zonghan had orchestrated this display to intimidate the envoy. Any ordinary man would have been paralyzed with fear under the gaze of such fierce warriors.

But Wang Lun was no ordinary man. Though a civil official, he was a notorious brawler from the streets of Bianjing, having been involved in countless fights and having even taken lives. Facing these ferocious generals, he remained entirely unfazed.

Seeing that everyone was seated and no one intended to offer him a chair, Wang Lun walked over to the general sitting at the very end of the row, yanked him to his feet, grabbed the chair, and set it down beside himself before sitting comfortably.

This sight stunned the Jin generals. Every previous Song envoy had been timid and submissive; Wanyan Zonghan had used this tactic many times, and it had never failed to shatter the opponent's resolve from the start. Clearly, it would not work this time.

"So, you are the Song envoy?" Wanyan Zonghan asked from his central seat.

"Indeed. I am Wang Lun, envoy of the Great Song, sent by the Emperor to negotiate with your forces," Wang Lun replied, neither humble nor overbearing.

Wanyan Zonghan asked, "Does your Emperor wish for us to withdraw?"

Wang Lun nodded. "Cooperation between the Jin and the Song would benefit both, while war brings only mutual destruction. It is time for both nations to consider the greater good."

Wanyan Zonghan snorted. "The Song and Jin were allies, but your nation acted with treachery. You deserve to be punished."

Wang Lun shook his head. "We were allies against the Liao. It was agreed that after the fall of the Liao, the sixteen prefectures of Youyun would return to the Song. Yet, your ancestors breached the pact and seized those lands. That was unjust. Now, the Jin army invades, burning and plundering; that is inhumane. A campaign born of such injustice is destined for failure."

Wanyan Zonghan was taken aback by Wang Lun’s sharp tongue. He had expected to lecture the Song, but instead found himself under fire.

"Audacious!" Wanyan Chang slammed the table. "You distort the truth! The sixteen prefectures were conquered by the Jin. We agreed that the Song would attack, but you could not take them. It was only when our iron cavalry arrived that the cities surrendered. Those lands were won by our own skill."

Wang Lun felt a pang of frustration. It was true that Tong Guan had led three hundred thousand troops to reclaim those lands, only to achieve nothing after half a month of fighting while suffering heavy casualties. When the Jin troops arrived, the cities had indeed opened their gates—a bitter irony for the Song.

"Be that as it may, our dynasty has since paid to redeem those lands. By agreement, they should have been returned to us," Wang Lun concluded.