The officials leaked secrets, Li Qiong rebelled, and the Northern Expedition of the Southern Song Dynasty failed
Song Gaozong and many of the generals of the Song Dynasty had a strong enthusiasm for the Northern Expedition and were eager to regain the lost territory in one fell swoop, and at this time, the military strength of the Southern Song Dynasty also had the ability to cope with the challenge.
The future of the Southern Song Dynasty seemed to usher in a historic turning point, however, this turning point was broken by the dereliction of duty of a petty official, who leaked military information, causing the Northern Expedition to come to naught.
Li Qiong, Zhao Ding and Zhao Jun cooperated tacitly, made all preparations for the Northern Expedition, and also received the support of Yue Fei and Yue Jiajun. Song Gaozong personally came to Jiankang and showed his determination to regain the lost territory, and hoped to boost morale through the method of the Son of Heaven Qilin.
Zhang Jun was very happy to have the opportunity to serve the country, he was full of confidence in Yue Fei and Yue Jiajun, but he was skeptical of Liu Guangshi.
Liu Guangshi was addicted to alcohol, and when facing a life-and-death crisis, his performance showed a strong selfishness, especially in the face of the 300,000 army of Pseudo-Qi, he did not choose to fight to the death, but chose to escape.
This behavior made Zhang Jun very unhappy, and although he knew that Liu Guangshi's army played an important role in the historical Northern Expedition, he insisted on dismissing him.
However, making such a major personnel change on the eve of the Great War could cause dissatisfaction among Liu Guangshi's soldiers. He was advised not to be too aggressive.
Zhang Jun firmly believed that the Northern Expedition was the key to the revival of the Southern Song Dynasty, so he resolutely opposed the two-minded Li Qiong joining the Northern Expedition. Zhang Jun believes that if Li Qiong escapes again, it will have a negative impact on the entire Northern Expedition plan.
Therefore, Zhang Jun sent Lü Zhi to convey the order and resolutely ruled out Li Qiong's participation. Although Li Qiong held a certain position in the army, his actions and thoughts did not change, which made Zhang Jun doubt his loyalty.
When Liu Yu learned of the Southern Song Dynasty's decision to go on a northern expedition, he was shocked. When the news was announced, it did not attract the attention of the scene, because Lu Zhi did not notice that someone was eavesdropping.
The little official immediately relayed the conversation he heard to Li Qiong. Li Qiong, Liu Guangshi's advisor, felt that the situation was not good, he did not want to be at the mercy of others all his life, and he was even more unwilling to give up power willingly.
So, he decisively led a part of the soldiers to betray the Southern Song Dynasty. Zhang Jun thought that all people would rebel, but he never thought that a small strategist would betray him at a critical moment.
Li Qiong led his 40,000 men to flee overnight and killed Lu Zhi. By the time the news reached the imperial court, Zhang Jun was unable to respond. The 40,000 people who originally belonged to them have now become Liu Yu's subordinates, and the conversation of the officials also leaked the news of the Southern Song Dynasty's preparations for the Northern Expedition.
Li Qiong knew that there would be nothing good to do with a rebellion of 40,000 men.
Liu Yu may be polite and polite to Li Qiong on the surface, but in fact he may use these 40,000 people to eradicate himself. Therefore, Li Qiong needs a strong ** that can protect his life and glory and wealth.
Li Qiong doesn't have any feelings for his family and country, he just hopes to live a comfortable life in troubled times. Liu Yu believed that the arrival of these 40,000 soldiers would bring him good luck, and his attitude towards Li Qiong also improved.
After Liu Yu surrendered to the Jin State, he had always hoped to establish a meritorious career, and now this opportunity was sent to the door, which was a great thing for him. The Southern Song Dynasty already had enough strength to confront the Jin State at that time, but it did not expect such a variable to appear.
Li Qiong revealed the news of the Northern Expedition to Liu Yu, and if he could report this news to his superiors, he could be promoted and rich. Liu Yu understands the importance of this news to the Jin country, and if he can take this opportunity to stand out in the Jin country, the future wealth will no longer be a problem.
However, the Jin State was in a difficult situation at home and abroad at this time, and had no time to take care of the Northern Expedition of the Southern Song Dynasty, which also gave the Southern Song Dynasty time to breathe and prepare. If the Southern Song Dynasty could seize this opportunity to successfully launch the Northern Expedition, it would have a significant improvement in both military strength and social status, and it would be difficult for the Jin State to be compared with the Southern Song Dynasty.
If your news is true, then we are like grasshoppers tied to the same rope, not only life and death together, but also easy to share glory and wealth. Liu Yu immediately sent someone to guard Li Qiong and hurriedly reported the whereabouts of the Southern Song Dynasty.
The generals of the Jin State who learned of this immediately rewarded Liu Yu and named him the king of Shu, and Liu Yu was overjoyed. After a little thought, the rulers of the Jin State understood Song Gaozong's intentions, and in order to avoid the worst-case scenario, they immediately made a thorough adjustment to the current situation, solved the problem of internal strife in the shortest possible time, and devoted all their forces and energy to fighting against the Southern Song Dynasty.
Years of planning in the Southern Song Dynasty came to naught in an accidental leak, and the betrayal of an ordinary petty official wiped out the original foolproof plan. After Zhang Jun learned about this, he was full of regret in his heart, but he couldn't get it back, so he could only watch his hard work go down the drain.
References: "Three Dynasties and Northern Alliance" and "History of the Song Dynasty".