"If General Han had not fought bravely and shed blood in battle, how could we have ever returned to our holand? We might have died old in a foreign land!"
In another carriage, an elegant woman nearing her fifties, wore a delighted expression on her face: "Is this General ’Odd-eyed’? Truly a person of remarkable presence and a pillar of the state!"
The scene was profoundly moving.
However, Zhao Haiping’s performance was just an act, while the sentints of the other two and Empress Dowager Wei were genuinely heartfelt.
They were indeed grateful.
This elegant woman, nearing fifty, was none other than Empress Dowager Wei, the birth mother of Prince Nine, Emperor Gaozong of Qi.
According to historical records, after General Han Fuyue was wrongfully executed and the peace treaty was signed between Qi and Jin, at the repeated requests of Emperor Gaozong, Empress Dowager Wei was released by Jin and allowed to return to the Qi Dynasty.
For Emperor Gaozong, the return of his brother, Emperor Yingzong, was absolutely undesirable, but bringing back his birth mother not only demonstrated his filial piety but also helped stabilize his rule without undermining his authority, thus he was very proactive about it.
Upon Empress Dowager Wei’s return to the Capital City Da Liang and her first eting with Emperor Gaozong, she asked, "Why do I not see General ’Odd-eyed’?"
It was rumored that General Han Fuyue had one large eye and one small, thus earning him the nickna ’Odd-eyed General.’
Emperor Gaozong could only reply, "He died in prison," which infuriated Empress Dowager Wei who imdiately expressed a desire to renounce the world and beco a nun to atone for Emperor Gaozong’s sins. After much pleading from Emperor Gaozong, Empress Dowager Wei did not beco a nun but chose to spend her life in the palace dressed in Taoist robes.
The reason was clear, General Han Fuyue was simply too renowned.
His resounding victories had instilled fear in Jin, so frequently discussed that even Empress Dowager Wei, while still in Jin, had often heard of General Han Fuyue’s military exploits and was eager to et him upon her return to Qi.
As for Emperor Qihui and Emperor Yingzong, their feelings were much like those of Empress Dowager Wei at this ti.
In fact, according to historical reality, Emperor Qihui had passed away five years earlier, and when Empress Dowager Wei was brought back to Qi, Emperor Qihui’s coffin was brought back as well.
However, in this slice of history, Emperor Qihui lived longer than in actuality, and although he was old and plagued by illness, the prospect of returning to his holand invigorated him, showing signs of a brief resurgence.
As for Emperor Yingzong, his mindset was that he was willing to take any role in Qi just to return.
Historical records show that when Empress Dowager Wei returned, Emperor Yingzong held her hand and pleaded, "If I could return south, I would be content to simply be the Master of the Taiyi Palace, I have no other demands of my brother (Emperor Gaozong)!"
It was clear to Emperor Yingzong that Emperor Gaozong had no intention of allowing him to return; his chances of returning to Qi were slim.
Once back in Qi, even if he could no longer be emperor, he would at least be a worry-free mber of the royal family, which was far better than enduring humiliation day after day in Jin.
Thus, these three critical figures, Emperor Qihui, Emperor Yingzong, and Empress Dowager Wei, were all deeply grateful to General Han Fuyue.
After all, throughout the long years, various rumors had reached Jin. They vaguely heard that after General Han Fuyue had achieved several major victories, Emperor Gaozong suddenly ordered a retreat. It was General Han Fuyue who, despite imnse pressure and without logistical support from Qi, achieved another great victory at Zhuxian Town.
And the reason they were able to return to Qi was not because of Emperor Gaozong, but because of General Han Fuyue.
This fact was not included in the peace treaty between Qi and Jin, but instead in the treaty between the Zhao Yi Army and Jin.
Those involved knew exactly who had pulled them out.
At this mont, facing a General Han Fuyue who still outwardly showed a willingness to obey as a subject, they were naturally filled with imnse gratitude.
Zhao Haiping could not help but reflect on human nature.
It is often said that barbarians are like beasts, fearing power but devoid of gratitude. Aren’t these royal emperors the sa?
He had no doubt that if Emperor Qihui or Emperor Yingzong were in Emperor Gaozong’s position, General Han Fuyue would likely have t a similar fate. Even if he wasn’t wrongfully executed, the best he could hope for was a gloomy end.
But after these two emperors endured so much suffering in Jin, facing a General Han Fuyue who commanded his troops and answered to no one, they were tearfully grateful, treating him even closer than their own father.
After this performance, Zhao Haiping left the carriage of the two other royals temporarily at Da Ming Prefecture.
By then, Zhao had already stationed the main forces of the Zhao Yi Army in Da Ming Prefecture, effectively making it the capital.
Dongping was the capital of the pseudo state of Chu. Zhao Haiping had previously stationed there only to quickly assimilate Chu’s remaining accounts and fully take over Chu’s administrative region. However, Dongping was ultimately too remote.
There were only two appropriate places for the capital, one being Qi’s original capital Da Liang, and the other being the forr northern capital, Da Ming Prefecture.
The fake state of Chu had not stayed in Da Ming Prefecture because of the strong resistance from the local populace, but to Zhao Haiping, this was actually an advantage.
As for why he didn’t go to Qi’s forr capital, Da Liang...
Because it was Qi’s old capital, it carried too much political significance. If the Zhao Yi Army truly chose to station there, it would clearly signal intentions of usurping the throne. Moreover, its southern location might also lead Qi to have so unsavory thoughts.
Therefore, they ultimately chose Da Ming Prefecture, closer to Jin, to show that the main goal of the Zhao Yi Army was still to move northward and resist Jin.
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