Chapter 136: Establishing the Puppet Qi State

Wanyan Zongbi was at his wit's end in Daming City.

At this moment, a Song person requested an audience. Wanyan Zongbi was irritable and agitated; upon hearing that a Song person wished to see him, he subconsciously waved his hand and said impatiently, "Refuse him."

The guard left but returned shortly thereafter. He said to Wanyan Zongbi, "General, the man claims to have a strategy for dealing with the Song Dynasty."

Hearing this, Wanyan Zongbi frowned and said, "If that is the case, very well. Let him in."

Soon, the guard led a Song man inside. Wanyan Zongbi recognized him as Huang Guangxing, a former Song general who had surrendered some time ago.

"So, you are the one who claims to have a method to deal with the Song?" Wanyan Zongbi narrowed his eyes, staring at Huang Guangxing.

Under Wanyan Zongbi’s piercing gaze, Huang Guangxing could not help but feel nervous. He stammered, "Reporting to the Great General, I have an idea, and I hope it meets with your favor."

Wanyan Zongbi nodded and said, "Let's hear it. If it is truly feasible, I will reward you handsomely. But if you dare to use honeyed words to deceive me, do not blame me for being ruthless."

Huang Guangxing hurriedly swore he would not dare, then said to Wanyan Zongbi, "General, we Song people have an old saying: 'When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman reaps the benefit.' Right now, our Great Jin Empire could easily be that fisherman."

Wanyan Zongbi frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Huang Guangxing explained, "The Song people are deeply divided. Our Great Jin only needs to offer a small incentive to incite them into slaughtering one another. Once they have exhausted themselves through internal strife, we can launch our forces and easily conquer the Song Dynasty."

"That may be so, but how are we to make the Song people turn on each other?" Wanyan Zongbi had certainly considered this, but the people were not fools. Moreover, the new Song emperor enjoyed strong popular support, and the court was upright and clean; it was difficult to sow discord.

"It is simple, General," Huang Guangxing replied. "You could establish a puppet regime in places like Shandong, governed by Song people. This regime would pay tribute to the Great Jin for generations and serve as a buffer zone between the Song and the Jin. If the Song wants to attack our Great Jin, they must first destroy this puppet regime. It would essentially provide a protective shield for our Great Jin."

A sharp glint appeared in Wanyan Zongbi’s eyes as he listened. The strategy was excellent—using their own methods against them. The puppet regime would pay tribute to the Jin while attacking the Song, and in the end, it would be the Great Jin that stood to gain.

Wanyan Zongbi stared at Huang Guangxing and asked coldly, "If I am not mistaken, you are a Song man yourself. Why would you offer such a strategy to target your own country?"

Huang Guangxing felt his skin crawl under the general’s sharp gaze. He hurriedly knelt, kowtowing, and said, "General, please understand, my loyalty to the Great Jin is as clear as the sun and the moon."

Wanyan Zongbi waved his hand. "Your loyalty remains to be tested, but I want to know why you wish to target the Song."

Huang Guangxing answered truthfully, "General, I was a deputy commander in the Southern Defense Army. However, my superior listened to the slander of villains, suppressed me at every turn, and even demoted me to a common soldier. I felt deeply aggrieved. Since the Song treated me so unjustly, I have no reason to remain loyal to them. I wish to serve the Great Jin for the rest of my life."

Wanyan Zongbi nodded. "If the Song does not value a talent like you, that is truly their loss. From now on, you shall follow me. As long as you serve the Great Jin with all your heart, you will be well rewarded."

Huang Guangxing was overjoyed and pledged, "I will do everything in my power to live up to the General’s expectations."

Huang Guangxing had originally defected to Wanyan Chang, but the latter had not valued him, and after suffering two consecutive defeats, Wanyan Chang’s position in the army had plummeted. Thus, Huang had turned to the hawk-faction leader, Wanyan Zongbi. It proved to be a wise choice; Wanyan Zongbi was truly interested in his plan.

Wanyan Zongbi immediately had a memorial drafted and sent to Wanyan Zonghan and the capital.

He did not wait for a response from the capital. As the saying goes, a general in the field is not bound by every order from the sovereign; if they had waited for approval, Daming City would have already fallen.

Wanyan Zongbi began scouting for a proxy. His first choice was Zhang Bangchang. A scholar-official who had served as the Minister of the Right and other high-ranking positions, Zhang had been a staunch advocate for peace when the Jin first invaded. He had been sent by Zhao Ji to negotiate, only to be detained by Wanyan Zongbi upon arrival.

Given Zhang Bangchang’s seniority and prestige, he was the most suitable candidate for a puppet emperor. Wanyan Zongbi summoned him to the camp and informed him of the plan. He expected Zhang to accept with joy, but to his surprise, Zhang Bangchang flatly refused.

"Zhang Bangchang, offering you the throne of a puppet state is a gesture of respect! Do not choose to drink the punishment wine instead of the toast!" Wanyan Zongbi threatened coldly.

Zhang Bangchang knew that accepting this would be a crime punishable by the extermination of his entire clan. Though he was detained, his family was still in the Song Dynasty; if he accepted, his loved ones would surely be executed.

He refused firmly, weeping bitterly at Wanyan Zongbi’s feet and claiming he was unfit for the role. He cried so hard he fainted several times.

Seeing Zhang Bangchang’s absolute refusal and his distraught state, Wanyan Zongbi hesitated. He feared that if he forced Zhang to accept, the man would simply surrender to the Song the moment the Jin army withdrew, making a mockery of his own plans.