thefictionvixens Chapter 63, Part 2: Invite Guo Jing.
Chapter 63, Part 2: Invite Guo Jing.
In Yizhou Prefecture, Yang Kang, dressed in plain clothes, was drinking with Guo Jing in a small courtyard.
Since September of last year, most of the members of the Tianxia Society in Yizhou Prefecture have moved to Yanjing.
Yang Kang's family, needless to say, included Yang Tiexin, Bao Xiruo, his children, and even his unborn daughter Hua Zheng, all of whom went to Yanjing.
When the Quanzhen Sect successfully supported the imperial court and bestowed titles upon its officials, Qiu Chuji was undisputedly given the title of Imperial Preceptor.
Qiu Chuji and Wang Chuyi also issued an edict to all Quanzhen Buddhist followers in the country, and began to discuss religious management strategies in Yanjing.
However, Guo Jing refused to leave, no matter how much everyone invited him.
Snowflakes drifted down one by one in the evening glow.
Two-year-old Guo Fu stumbled and ran around in the courtyard.
Huang Rong, standing to the side, looked at her daughter while glancing with some unease at the side where Guo Jing and Yang Kang were sitting opposite each other.
"Brother Guo is a hero of the world. With his three-foot sword, he can achieve unparalleled feats and leave his name in history."
"Why waste your life in this small courtyard, spending all your time with the younger generation?"
Yang Kang said with a smile.
The snowflakes drifted gently down beside the two of them, but had no effect whatsoever.
Yang Kang had no prejudice against any particular faction. Even his Imperial Guards could cultivate various advanced internal skills, so he naturally wouldn't be stingy with Guo Jing, whom he needed to win over.
The complete versions of the "Nine Yin Manual" and "Nine Yang Divine Skill" had already been given to Guo Jing.
However, Guo Jing's cultivation of internal energy was not as rapid as his. During the two years he lived in Yidu, Shandong, he only managed to achieve a minor level of mastery.
But with his current martial arts skills, this slight chill naturally couldn't harm him.
"With your overwhelming power, the Song Dynasty will be destroyed sooner or later, and unifying the world is a foregone conclusion."
"Your only concern is the Mongols, but are you afraid of the Mongols? I don't understand why you would need my help."
Guo Jing shook his head with a hint of self-deprecation.
He did not have the idea of defending Xiangyang as in the original story.
Just like the wavering in the hearts of countless scholars at this time, a Han emperor and a nomadic emperor were completely different things to people like Guo Jing.
The Mongol invasion of the south and the destruction of the Song Dynasty was not just the fall of a country, but the fall of the entire world. It was a life-or-death crisis for the entire Han civilization. Yang Kang, dressed in plain clothes, was drinking with Guo Jing in a small courtyard.
However, the unification of the Central Plains by the Han emperor Yang Kang was a matter of destiny and an inevitable trend.
Although he might feel a little sorry for the fate of the Southern Song Dynasty, he would never intervene to stop it, and would even be happy to see it happen.
After years of cultivating his awkward position, Yang Kang finally reaped the rewards.
When he was weak, he was neither considered a Jurchen nor a Han Chinese by the Song people to the south.
But when he is powerful enough, he can be regarded as a master by the remaining Jurchens and as a monarch by the Han people in the south.
Besides these, Yang Kang needed someone to further embellish his identity with the destiny bestowed upon him by the Mongols.
"Brother Guo, your childlike heart has remained unchanged for many years, which is truly commendable."
"I once said that you would one day rival a figure like Li Yu, the Duke of Wei of the Tang Dynasty. How can you belittle yourself like this?"
"Brother Guo, do you know that if you were to come out of seclusion and assist me, you could be worth 100,000 soldiers?"
Yang Kang said sincerely.
"With your current martial arts skills, even 100,000 soldiers would probably be no match for you."
"I am but a humble villager, utterly incapable of shouldering such a great responsibility."
Guo Jing politely declined.
Of course, it wasn't entirely because he disliked Yang Kang's actions, but rather because he genuinely didn't know what he could do in Yang Kang's empire.
"Brother Guo remains unchanged, seemingly unaware of what he truly means to himself."
Yang Kang sighed slightly and patiently began to speak.
"After Genghis Khan's death, the founding generals of Mongolia gradually died out."
"Of the core ministers, only Subutai and you are still alive."
"In the hearts of the Mongols, you are already a legendary hero."
"If I can gain your assistance, the tribes of the grasslands will surely be won over, and I can save myself from a lot of unnecessary killing."
Yang Kang said indifferently.
"Unnecessary killing? What do you want to do?"
Guo Jing sensed a hint of murderous intent in Yang Kang's words.
"Subutai has invited Chagatai back from the West. The Kurultai has been held, and Chagatai is now the new Great Khan of the Mongols."
"At the earliest this year, or at the latest next year, Chagatai will bring the remaining remnants of the Mongol army to cause me trouble."
"As you know, I have never liked Chagatai, so I will show him absolutely no mercy."
Yang Kang paused, his gaze darkening.
"After Temujin, there was no justice in Mongolia."
"Brothers kill each other, and nobles tyrannize and humiliate ordinary herdsmen."
"In my army, there are increasingly more nomadic herders fleeing to the south."
"I am not worried about whether the Great Qian can defeat the Mongols, but the era of Genghis Khan has only just passed, and there will definitely be no shortage of tough guys on the grasslands."
"Although Möngke, Kublai Khan, and others are under my command, they are still young and lack prestige. After Tolui's death, less than one in ten tribes were willing to surrender to me with them."
"Although I am also a prince consort of the Golden Family, and Hua Zheng's husband."
"But I didn't grow up on the grasslands, so I'm still an outsider to Mongolia. Those tough guys won't truly submit to me."
"To reduce future troubles, I need to kill many people before I can subdue the grasslands."
"You were born on the grasslands, and I think that's definitely not the outcome you wanted."
Yang Kang remained silent, looking directly into Guo Jing's eyes.
Are you threatening me?
Guo Jing asked in a daze.
"We're just stating the facts!"
"You said that I am the same kind of person as Genghis Khan. In fact, you should understand that for us, killing is never the goal, but only a means."
"The Mongols were few in number and found it difficult to effectively control the conquered territories, so they had to use killing to intimidate and subdue the vast lands."
"Although I don't have such worries, I have too many things to do, and I can't waste too much energy on conquering the grasslands."
"If Brother Guo doesn't come out to help me, I'll have to resolve this hidden danger in the simplest way possible."
As Yang Kang spoke, he glanced at the young Guo Fu, who was still jumping around happily in the courtyard, and suddenly remembered Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo's suggestion to re-establish a marriage alliance with the Guo family.
He then shook his head and put the matter out of his mind.
Just thinking about Guo Fu's appearance in the original novel, and the thought of her becoming her son's wife and later the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty—it's truly unimaginable.
Guo Jing remained silent.
He already had a vague idea of how the situation would develop.
Chagatai will inevitably launch an attack, but no one thinks Chagatai is a match for Yang Kang.
The only difference is what position Mongolia will occupy after the war.
Should he return to the center of that power struggle?
Guo Jing hesitated.
"Brother Guo, you can rest assured and consider it. We still have plenty of time at the moment."
"But don't be too late. If you haven't found the answer by the time Chagatai dies, things may be beyond our control."
Yang Kang spoke silently, then got up and left.