Chapter 129: Wanyan Liang

Wanyan Liang once owned a fan, upon which he had inscribed a few lines: "I have three ambitions: First, to have all matters of state determined by my hand; second, to lead armies into distant lands, capture their rulers, and hold them accountable for their crimes; third, regardless of status or kinship, to take all the world’s greatest beauties as my wives!"

The implication was clear: he craved absolute power. He wanted all affairs of the state to be subject to his decision, all armies to be under his command, and every beauty in the world to belong to his household.

"Your Majesty, for the sake of caution, we must prepare for an evacuation," Wanyan Satan said at this moment.

Wanyan Wuqimai slammed his palm against the table and retorted, "This place is the home of our people. You tell me to evacuate—where exactly do you intend for me to go?"

Wanyan Liang stepped forward again: "Your Majesty, now that our Great Jin has been established, the capital of Shangjing is ill-suited for governing the entire realm. In my view, it would be better to move the capital to Youzhou. This would not only strengthen our control over the country but also allow us to evade the current sharpness of the Song army’s advance."

Moving the capital? To be honest, Wanyan Wuqimai had never contemplated such a thing. Although the Jin had invaded the Song, they had no intention of occupying the Central Plains; their goal was merely to force the Song to acknowledge them as suzerain and pay annual tributes.

However, that seemed increasingly difficult. Wanyan Zonghan had yet to fully subdue the Song, and already the Song were playing a clever game of feigning one path while advancing by another.

"Your Majesty, this must not be done!" another Jurchen noble interjected. "This is the land where our Jurchen people grew up. Relocating the capital is a matter of profound importance; we cannot decide it rashly, lest it shake the very foundations of our nation."

"But in the current situation, is there any better alternative?" Wanyan Liang countered. "Do you truly believe the thirty thousand Imperial Guards currently defending the city can withstand an assault by the Song army?"

The Jurchen were a nomadic people. After Wanyan Aguda declared himself emperor, he was preoccupied with the war against the Liao and had little time to develop Shangjing. It was only after Wanyan Wuqimai ascended the throne that development truly began. Even so, Shangjing could not compare to the cities of the Song Dynasty; lacking thick, sturdy walls, it was indeed ill-equipped to repel a Song offensive.

The gathered Jurchen nobles fell silent. Though they were loath to admit it, Wanyan Liang spoke the truth.

"Report! An urgent eight-hundred-li dispatch! Your Majesty, Wuchang City is in critical danger and requests reinforcements!" A messenger’s voice echoed from afar.

"Report! An urgent eight-hundred-li dispatch! Your Majesty, Songjiang City is in critical danger and requests reinforcements!" Another messenger arrived close behind.

Wanyan Wuqimai’s face darkened significantly. He struck the table and barked, "Reinforcements, reinforcements! All you know how to do is demand troops from me. Is there no one here who can actually ease my burdens?"

Wanyan Liang stepped forward once more: "Your Majesty, I am willing to go to Wuchang City to buy time for you."

"You would go alone?" Wanyan Wuqimai asked.

"As long as it buys time for Your Majesty, I would not shrink from death," Wanyan Liang replied with feigned sincerity.

Wanyan Wuqimai frowned. Given Wanyan Liang’s display of loyalty, it would be improper to continue ostracizing him, yet he had always harbored suspicions of treason. However, this provided a convenient excuse; since Wanyan Liang had volunteered, he would grant his request.

"Liang’er, your loyalty is commendable. But remember, you must return alive," Wanyan Wuqimai told him.

Wanyan Liang departed with the decree. He was a clever man and knew that Wanyan Wuqimai deeply mistrusted him. Every suggestion he had made in the court, whether correct or not, had been dismissed. Since that was the case, he wisely chose to head to the front lines to build military merit and wait for the right moment to act.

Yang Zaixing, leading twenty thousand elite troops, swept through the defenses and arrived at the walls of Wuchang City.

"Lads! We have swallowed the insults of the Jin for far too long! Today, we have finally struck at their very lair. What are you waiting for? Follow me and charge!" Yang Zaixing roared, surging to the front.

Shanyu Xiong, the commander of Wuchang City, saw the vast, dark mass of the Song army outside and felt his legs tremble. With a shaky voice, he asked a nearby soldier, "Has the letter requesting reinforcements from Shangjing been sent? Why do I see no sign of relief?"

"General, it has been sent. Wuchang is less than a hundred li from Shangjing. Do not panic; the reinforcements are likely already on their way," the soldier replied.

"Send another! If they don't arrive soon, I cannot hold this city!" Shanyu Xiong cried out in desperation. Having never imagined the Song would actually attack, the city lacked even the most basic defensive equipment.

"General, give the order to fire! The Song army is within our range," advised his deputy, Yelu Hong, a surrendered general from the Liao. Watching Shanyu Xiong’s cowardice, he could not help but feel a sense of contempt.

"What do I know about how to fight this battle? Yelu Hong, I leave this to you! I order you to hold back the Song army until the reinforcements arrive!" With that, Shanyu Xiong turned and fled.

Watching him, Yelu Hong could only shake his head. Was this truly the same Great Jin that had once been so indomitable? Shanyu Xiong was a second-generation noble who had never experienced the wars against the Liao; his position was merely the result of his ancestors' legacy.

In fact, Shanyu Xiong was a distant relative of Wanyan Liang—their families were linked through Wanyan Zonggan, Wanyan Liang’s father. Why Wanyan Liang had specifically requested to come to Wuchang rather than Songjiang remained a mystery.

Shanyu Xiong, terrified by the sight of the Song army, had abandoned the post and left the mess to the Liao defector, Yelu Hong.

"Fire!" Despite his disgust for Shanyu Xiong, Yelu Hong knew he had to stall the Song army; if he failed, Shanyu might escape punishment, but he, as the deputy, would surely lose his head.

A rain of arrows poured down.

Yang Zaixing, having anticipated this, roared, "Raise shields!"

With a loud clatter, the sky seemed to bloom with small wooden umbrellas. The arrows thudded against the shields with a crisp, rhythmic sound. While the pace of the Song advance slowed, they continued to close the distance to the walls.

"Men, prepare the rolling stones and logs! As soon as the Song army approaches, wait for my command and drop them!" Yelu Hong ordered the defenders.