Chapter 167

"Is there such a thing?"

Zhao Jiu, clad in a bright red robe, was slightly taken aback. "The Ten Commanders are imitating the founding emperor's sworn brotherhood?"

"Your Majesty!" Ma Gao, kneeling at the front, was frantic and desperate on the ground. "Let Your Majesty know, we ten brothers swore brotherhood only as a common fraternity among the grassroots, seeking our own bond of loyalty—it's a common thing in the martial world. How dare we claim to imitate the founding emperor's sworn brotherhood? And how could we harbor any treacherous intent?"

"Your Majesty, let Your Majesty know, this matter is truly unforgivable!" Mo Qixie stood there, looking down from a height without even glancing at Ma Gao, merely pointing at the man as he continued sternly. "Once the Ten Commanders swear brotherhood, they become one body. From then on, if one disobeys, all ten follow; one honored, all honored; one harmed, all harmed. Then the tens of thousands of troops under the Eastern Capital Rear Guard Command will be utterly uncontrollable... Such men gathering a great army inside and outside the Eastern Capital—is that not holding Your Majesty's and the court's safety in their hands, manipulating it at will?"

"We absolutely have no treacherous intent, and how would we dare manipulate Your Majesty?!" Ma Gao grew more frightened with each word, yet he turned to look at Yue Fei, Yue Pengju, who stood to his left front. "Grand Marshal Yue, please save us brothers of the Eastern Capital Rear Guard Command! You must know we are innocent!"

Yue Fei opened his mouth to speak... He was familiar with these men, sharing a bond of camaraderie, and according to His Majesty Zhao's current arrangement, the Eastern Capital Rear Guard Command was about to be disbanded and merged with his own Jizhou Pacification Office into the Imperial Camp Forward Army, making them his subordinates.

As his subordinates, he ought to speak in their defense.

However, the problem was that Yue Pengju was half a scholar. He had known from the start that this sworn brotherhood of the Ten Commanders would invite enormous trouble. If they had truly been wandering the martial world, it might have been acceptable, but now that His Majesty was unifying the command structure, no Son of Heaven could tolerate such behavior among the generals of his own Imperial Camp Army. Yet the men kneeling before him comprised nearly eighty percent of the Eastern Capital Rear Guard Command's strength—the greatest legacy left by Zong Ze—and they had just fought bitterly for months, risking their lives for the nation. They were genuine national heroes. How could he not save them?

These complex thoughts swirled through Yue Fei's mind in an instant. After that instant, he gritted his teeth, rose, clasped his hands toward the official behind him, and spoke solemnly:

"Your Majesty, let Your Majesty know, these men's sworn brotherhood was indeed ill-considered, but most of them come from humble origins and act rashly. To say they harbor treacherous intent is too severe. I beg Your Majesty, in light of their meritorious service at the Battle of Changshe, to show leniency..."

Yue Fei was, after all, a newly appointed military commissioner with considerable imperial favor, and those truly in the know understood that he was a man from Hebei, specifically chosen by His Majesty Zhao to take over the Hebei exile faction of the Eastern Capital Rear Guard Command (that is, the men kneeling here, the so-called Ten Commanders and others). His position was extremely solid.

He was originally a figure from this very faction!

In fact, if not for this reason, how could the upper and lower ranks tolerate a Grand Marshal who was only twenty-six or twenty-seven? Even Li Yanxian and others' rejection of Yue Fei would never have stopped at this point.

Thus, once he spoke, he stirred many to waver slightly, ready to watch the situation and curry favor.

However, below the official, the councilors remained seated and motionless. Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and Li Yanxian, the military commissioners, merely watched coldly, showing no intention of speaking up... Especially Han Shizhong, who had been trapped at Changshe, who was one of the commanders of that battle, and who was now the foremost general in the army. If anyone wanted to speak, they couldn't bypass him. But this Grand Marshal Han simply did not move! Instead, he cast a cold glare at Yue Pengju, who was so eager to protect his men before even taking command!

And if the civil and military high officials remained silent, who dared to speak?

"Your Majesty." Mo Qixie waited a moment, and seeing that only Yue Fei had risen to plead, he relaxed, then sighed. "I believe what Grand Marshal Yue said is truly laughable... Because some things—can they be judged by intent? In matters of the world, we judge by deeds, not intent! I also believe that among the Ten Commanders, perhaps nine out of ten are loyal, but you must know that the founding emperor was once a loyal minister of the Chai family. Yet how did the Song replace the Zhou? Was it not because a group of brothers in the army draped a yellow robe over him?"

The matter had reached an impasse. Not only did the Ten Commanders, who knew a bit of history, feel a chill in their hearts, but even Yue Fei felt he had been too young and impulsive... Because he had long anticipated that the conversation would lead to this point, had long known that Ma Gao and the others had committed a grave taboo, and had even long suspected that this situation was deliberately orchestrated by His Majesty Zhao to rectify the matter. Yet he still couldn't restrain himself and had walked right into it.

But why?

Yue Pengju asked himself and quickly reached a conclusion. First, it was due to his own nature. Second, with the deaths of Zhang Suo and Zong Ze—two men he regarded as half-fathers—a psychological barrier had been left in his heart that he couldn't immediately overcome. Third, it was because His Majesty Zhao's performance over the past few months had left an excellent impression on him, making him forget that this young man in the bright red robe, expressionless when silent, was actually an official—a Son of Heaven.

And a Son of Heaven surnamed Zhao at that!

Leaving aside the wild thoughts of those below, Zhao Jiu, expressionless, nearly lost his composure upon hearing that line about "the founding emperor was also a loyal minister of the Chai family" and almost burst out laughing...

You see, Wang Shan and Mo Qixie were both men he had brought from the Eastern Capital. But to avoid overcomplicating things, he had only tipped off Wang Shan, letting that military officer who had sworn loyalty to him before Zong Ze's seat expose himself and bring up the topic, so he could use it as a springboard. He had never instructed Mo Qixie to play the bad cop, only asking Scholar Lin to chime in when necessary. Yet this fellow had jumped in on his own and performed to such an extent.

So, was it true that emperors naturally favored treacherous ministers?

And was Zhao Da truly a loyal minister of the Chai family?

Could the logic of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms be applied to this era?

How little confidence must the Song emperors have had, that even after their country had prospered for a hundred or two hundred years, they still trembled at this line?

Of course, Zhao Jiu couldn't figure it out. Though his surname was Zhao, he wasn't of this Zhao lineage. The Zhao clan's engineering dog had its own laughable logic.

And finally, as His Majesty Zhao's thoughts reached this point, he actually let out a laugh... Hearing this, the councilors and military commissioners below, who had been stern-faced, along with the civil and military officials and the dozen or so involved parties, all felt their emotions churn.

The fearful grew more fearful, the impatient more impatient, the delighted more delighted, and the bewildered more bewildered.

"I believe all of you have a point."

His Majesty Zhao put away his smile, and his opening words were somewhat absurd. In such a matter, even if everyone had a point, how could it be that "everyone had a point"? Since it had been brought up, could it end peacefully?

"I truly trust General Ma, and I know that when the Ten Commanders swore brotherhood, they had no rebellious intent—otherwise, why would they have risked life and fortune to aid the battle at Yanling? I also believe what Minister Yue said is very true: in the Yanling-Changshe campaign, the Commanders rendered meritorious service to the state, and I must remember it and do my best to protect them. But what Minister Mo said also makes perfect sense... Since ancient times, how could military commanders arbitrarily swear brotherhood, stepping outside public order to form a private system? If this matter is left unaddressed, they will eventually come to no good end. And if it is addressed, with such a crime, whether executed or flayed, who could say anything against it, looking through all the histories?" His Majesty Zhao's words were full of nonsense, but they made countless people below tremble with fear.

After all, the final note of this speech was still "executed or flayed"!

"However, before his death, Grand Marshal Zong spoke to me, urging me to properly handle the various armies of the Eastern Capital Rear Guard Command." At this point, Zhao Jiu let out a faint, lingering sigh. "Ministers, whether you are court councilors, renowned generals of the state, men of vast learning, or seasoned veterans, is there no one who can devise a plan that satisfies both sides? One that eliminates the risk of this matter entirely while preserving the Commanders and not disheartening our meritorious officials?"

This seemed to circle back, as if it were still about a "cup of wine to release military power." If that were the case, everyone was more than familiar with the concept and could certainly play it out in myriad ways.

Sure enough, after a brief pause, Fan Zongyin, a Secretariat Drafter, quickly stepped forward. After bowing, he spoke solemnly: "Your Majesty, I believe we could use the extraordinary merit at Yanling to grant the Ten Commanders additional ranks, then assign them in pairs or trios as Pacification Commissioners, sending them to the Southeast, Jingdong, Jingxiang, Guangnan, and Bashu to serve in pacification duties."

To be fair, this was a good idea. Promote them in rank, remove them from the main combat sequence, scatter the ten men apart, establish a hierarchy among them, and simultaneously strengthen local public security. It was clearly an enhanced, era-specific version of "releasing military power with a cup of wine."

One could only say that Fan Zongyin, despite lacking solid qualifications or achievements, had risen to the position of Secretariat Drafter at a young age (just thirty this year) and was highly regarded by the Nanyang court. In fact, before Zhang Jun departed for Bashu, he had once wanted to recommend this man to His Majesty Zhao as Censor-in-Chief... There was a reason for it.

His Majesty Zhao hesitated briefly upon hearing this, which was rare, but then slowly shook his head and delivered his verdict: "Not appropriate. This is putting the cart before the horse!"

These words were somewhat severe. Fan Zongyin paused slightly and immediately looked toward the councilors.

Prime Minister Lü Haowen, feeling compelled to protect the promising junior, had no choice but to rise and step forward: "Your Majesty, we truly do not know Your Majesty's thoughts. If such a disposition is inappropriate, how is it putting the cart before the horse?"

"It's simple." Zhao Jiu, seeing the councilors finally step forward, revealed his hand. "This victory today merely halted the Jin army's offensive. The fierce strike at Yanling-Changshe only eliminated a little over ten thousand enemies. The overall situation of the realm remains unchanged. As long as the barbarians are not completely eradicated, everything in the world must be based on resisting the Jin. The Ten Commanders have momentarily lost their way, but they harbor no ill intent..."

At this point, Zhao Jiu smiled faintly before continuing: "In fact, even if they did harbor ill intent, given the current situation, I could tolerate it, as long as they could resist the Jin! Therefore, today's disposition should aim to preserve the combat strength of the Ten Commanders and their troops for the future. How could we destroy our own Great Wall? I still hope they will drive out the barbarians and welcome back the Two Emperors for me!"

The first part was fine, but that last line about "welcoming back the Two Emperors"—those ministers new to this official naturally took it as a declaration of filial piety. But those who had been with him longer, especially the civil and military officials who had grown familiar with him, knew well... When these words came from this official's mouth, they carried a predatory undertone.

Thus, Lü Haowen and the others immediately became alert. His Majesty Zhao likely already had a plan in mind.

With this thought, Lü Haowen simply clasped his hands and replied: "If Your Majesty has an idea, why not speak it plainly? We will have no objections."

Well, before His Majesty Zhao had even spoken, the Prime Minister had already declared no objections. The few relatively principled civil officials below exchanged glances, helpless... This was only possible in the current situation, with so many matters unresolved. If this were the reigns of Shenzong or Zhezong, such a Prime Minister wouldn't last three days.

But then again, since the official "fell into the well," expelled Huang Qianshan, and executed Kang Lü, this Prime Minister had gone from a temporary Acting Minister of the Right to his current position, lasting nearly two years... This tenure was remarkable even in peaceful times, let alone the fact that he had been promoted to full Prime Minister and de facto chief councilor before the throne.

Why?

"I just thought of this." Seeing Prime Minister Lü so easy to handle, Zhao Jiu smiled in response. "The greatest fault of the Ten Commanders' sworn brotherhood is establishing a private system outside the public one. If this continues, no matter how pure their original intentions, they will eventually end up like Zhang Yu. This is what is meant by 'do not lightly test human nature'..."

Ma Gao and the other nine, who had been kneeling silently for a long time, were struck with renewed terror at the mention of Zhang Yu, yet also felt a glimmer of hope.

"In that case, why not turn the private into the public?" Zhao Jiu suddenly turned serious.

"What does 'turn the private into the public' mean?" Lü Haowen truly didn't understand.

"Expand the private system until it is as large as the public system—then public and private become one," Zhao Jiu explained patiently.

Upon hearing this, Mo Qixie and a few quick-witted ones among the Ten Commanders below were already dumbfounded. But men like Lü Haowen and Fan Zongyin—scions of aristocratic families, steeped in poetry and classics, who had worn purple robes for generations—clearly still struggled to grasp it.

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu stopped being evasive and revealed the answer directly: "Let's do this. Today, among the various armies of the Imperial Camp, except for the Imperial Camp Rear Army, which is still in the Southeast, the main forces and their commanders are gathered here. As long as they actually lead a few thousand troops, eighty percent are present. My meaning is this: since the Eastern Capital Rear Guard Command values brotherhood and has united through sworn bonds, why shouldn't the entire Imperial Camp Army also value brotherhood? Let the Commanders on the platform, along with those temporarily acting as commanders, all come out. Right here at Heyin, with the councilors and Grand Marshals as witnesses, let them swear a great oath before me. Wouldn't that turn the private into the public?"

This time, not only Lü Haowen and Fan Zongyin, but the entire assembly—civil and military officials alike—were all dumbfounded.

"Your Majesty, this is not appropriate, is it?"

After a long pause, as His Majesty Zhao waited, just as he had expected, Lü Yihao—the more hot-tempered of the two Privy Councilors—managed to restrain himself from stepping forward to refute. Instead, it was Xu Jingheng who could not help but rise from his seat and object.

"I know it's improper." Zhao Jiu sat upright, sighing slightly toward Xu Jingheng. "But is there a better way? Before his death, Lord Zong entrusted the Dongjing Provisional Government to me, explicitly stating that many of these troops came from bandit and rebel origins and must be controlled, yet also saying that in the nation's time of hardship, they cannot be left unused... If a bit of court dignity can exchange for ten Commanders and their tens of thousands of troops to serve the country with peace of mind, what is there to begrudge? This deal can be made!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Lord Xu was about to speak again when Mo Qixie prostrated himself in the middle, kowtowing and shouting in response. "I was limited by my vision, narrow-minded, and even momentarily harbored petty thoughts of dividing civil and military spheres—truly ashamed! I failed to realize that with resisting the Jin as the priority, naturally all matters must defer to military affairs!"

Xu Jingheng's eyes went wide as he turned to look at Mo Qixie... momentarily speechless and also momentarily choked with anger.

Not only Lord Xu, but Wang Boyan, Lü Yihao, Liu Ziyu, and other key officials of the Privy Council almost all turned in unison to look at this familiar figure... After all this time in Nanyang, how had they never noticed that their own Privy Council harbored such a character?

And moreover, where had he suddenly found this confidence?

Given by His Majesty? Or found on his own?

Of course, look though they might, Mo Qixie's words still choked off Lord Xu and everyone else who wanted to object, leaving them unable to speak.

On the reviewing platform, silence fell once more.

After a moment, it was Lord Zhao who called out solemnly: "Commander Ma, what do you think of my method?"

"We naturally have no objections, only gratitude." Ma Gao, having recovered his wits, kowtowed repeatedly on the ground.

"That's good. I thought you might think me unworthy to be the one to swear this oath of brotherhood." Zhao Jiu said, then turned to look at the stunned Commanders of the Left, Right, and Center Armies of the Imperial Camp on his right. "And what do you have to say?"

"I..."

Now then, some, whether due to their origins or their conduct, actually looked down on their fellow officers. Hearing His Majesty's question, they instinctively wanted to rise and decline, but upon hearing those just-spoken words, their scalps went numb and they immediately changed their tune. "We consider this matter extremely appropriate."

"What does Liangchen think?" Zhao Jiu then asked Han Shizhong.

"Your Majesty's idea is truly ingenious." Han Shizhong quickly rose and clasped his hands. "But if the Commanders swear brotherhood with Your Majesty as their witness, what are we to do? If we also join in swearing brotherhood with Your Majesty, wouldn't that put us in the wrong generation?"

Han Shizhong's focus was always somewhat hard to pin down, but since Zhao Jiu had never intended to involve them in the first place, after a moment of bewilderment he immediately shook his head:

"You are court ministers, bound by court regulations—no need for sworn brotherhood... If there are fathers and sons, uncles and nephews among those present, only the elders need take part in the oath."

"Then I find it feasible." Han Shizhong answered crisply. "I am willing to be a witness."

"I also find it feasible." Yue Fei quickly followed. For him, although this matter was somewhat absurd, if it could prevent Ma Gao and the others from being discarded and the Dongjing Provisional Government troops from being disbanded and left idle, then it was ultimately the best option.

"I concur." Zhang Jun quickly followed.

Li Yanxian looked around... Now then, he was actually extremely displeased with this matter, because it was too damaging to the court's dignity. Moreover, he prided himself on his merits, was a proper veteran of the Western Army, and had always upheld loyalty and righteousness, so he was naturally disdainful of these men who had repeatedly been bandits... But helplessly, with all the senior commanders above and below agreeing, and after the lesson of yesterday, he found it difficult to keep quarreling with His Majesty, so he silently rose and stood at attention, aligning himself with the other commanders.

Once Li Yanxian rose, Wang Yan, Wang De, and Lü Qing also rose and stood at attention. With the seven senior commanders standing, the Commanders and Vice Commanders below no longer hesitated. Bustling about, they immediately rose from their seats and came to the center to kneel before Lord Zhao along with Ma Gao and the others. Mo Qixie also quickly dragged Fan Zongyin away from that spot.

Zhao Jiu raised his hand in signal, and Yang Yizhong stepped forward to identify and call out the names of the military officers present.

Thus:

Independent commanding officers of the Imperial Camp Left Army—Xie Yuan, Cheng Min, Wang Sheng, Wang Quan, Yue Chao, Xu Shian, Zhai Chong—seven men in total;

Independent commanding officers of the Imperial Camp Right Army—Liu Bao, Tian Shizhong—two men;

Independent commanding officers of the former Dongjing Provisional Government—Wang Shan, Li Qiong, Ma Gao, Sang Zhong, Zhang Yong, Cao Cheng, Liu Wenshun, Li Hong, Ma You, Xu Yan, Qi Fang, Liu Zhong, Li Bao—thirteen men in total;

Independent commanding officers under the former Jizhou Pacification Commissioner—Zhang Xian, Tang Huai, Li Kui, Fu Xuan—four men in total;

Officers under Lü Qing, the Infantry Commander of the Three Yamen of the Western Capital—Niu Gao—one man;

Independent commanding officers of the former Imperial Camp Center Army—Hu Yantong, Fu Qing (the latter escorting the Chancellor's contingent)—two men in total;

Independent commanding officers of the former Eight-Character Army under Wang Yan—Meng De, Jiao Wentong—two men in total;

Independent commanding officers of the former Shanzhou Li Yanxian division—Zhai Xing, Zhai Jin, Shao Long, Shaoxing, Shao Yun—five men in total...

All told, there were inevitably many who had not been able to arrive in time... For instance, the several Center Army Commanders stationed at Nanyang and Xiangyang, as well as Hu Cheng and Wang Gui on the eastern front facing Jinan Prefecture, were likewise absent. And although Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan held ranks equal to these men, they stood above, clearly not counted among them... But regardless, roughly calculated, aside from the Rear Army, the core main forces of the various reorganized Imperial Camp armies were largely present—thirty-six men in total.

"How did you swear brotherhood at Fugou?" Amid the incredulous gazes of the several Chancellors and most civil officials, Lord Zhao asked unhurriedly about the professional procedure. "Did you bow to Lord Guan and burn incense?"

"To inform Your Majesty, we did not worship any deity at the time, but rather made a blood oath." Ma Gao answered with difficulty. "The ten of us cut our palms and let blood drip into wine, then raised the wine and swore an oath, and finally drank the blood wine together. That was considered done."

"Then that's simple." Zhao Jiu raised his hand in signal. "Liangchen, go down below the platform and personally bring a jar of imperial wine..."

For some reason, Han Shizhong's heart also began to pound, but things had reached this point and he dared not refuse... And after a moment, the wine was brought. Lord Zhao stood up, took a dagger from Yang Yizhong's waist, and then spoke before his seat: "All of you, raise your heads!"

The thirty-six officers raised their heads together and saw Lord Zhao in his red robe beneath the dragon banner directly grasp the blade with his bare hand, give it a slight scrape, and then publicly let several drops of blood fall into the wine jar before him. He then put away the dagger and signaled for the wine to be poured. By this gesture, it seemed he would not have the men below mix their blood and drink together... And seeing this, both civil and military officials present all grew solemn, because they realized that His Majesty was not fooling around—at the very least, he was not treating this matter with a frivolous attitude.

In a short while, following His Majesty's oral command, the seven senior commanders each poured wine and presented bowls, offering the blood wine to the thirty-six officers below. Meanwhile, Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan together removed the imperial table before His Majesty, so that there would be no barrier between him and these officers.

"Gentlemen, when I returned to Dongjing and saw the desolation before me, I felt that all the former splendor and prosperity had turned into a spring dream." Zhao Jiu had already seated himself back in his place, looking at his still-bleeding palm and sighing softly. "At that time, Lord Zong was at his last gasp, afraid that I would one day adopt a compromising and appeasing attitude. On his deathbed, he forced me to swear to restore the Two Rivers. Yet he did not know that I, at that time, actually felt that a mere oath was insufficient to make clear my resolve... The Two Rivers have hundreds of prefectures and counties, tens of millions of people, a sea of blood debts—how could a few words of oath express the fury in my heart? But conversely, in the situation then and now, besides a few oaths, what else can make my heart clear? Therefore, today, the ten Commanders who swore brotherhood without authorization have committed a great offense, yet I absolutely will not be overly harsh. As long as you express your resolve to resist the Jin and save the nation, I can tolerate everything!"

At these words, the entire assembly fell silent. Many indignant civil officials also quieted down. Zhao Jiu looked around and said solemnly: "All of you, rise and hold your bowls!"

The thirty-six Commanders and Vice Commanders rose together and carefully held their bowls.

The seven senior commanders dared not be remiss and stood solemnly at attention on the right side. The Chancellors exchanged silent glances... Things having come to this, they had no choice but to lead the civil officials and all officials on the left side in rising and standing at attention.

"I will speak, and you will repeat after me!" Zhao Jiu sat in his seat and spoke solemnly. "Today, we, the thirty-six officers of the Imperial Camp Army, on behalf of the two hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Camp, swear an oath..."

Below, there was a moment of confusion, and no sound arose at first.

But just then, Yang Yizhong suddenly gripped the dagger, led Liu Yan to step half a pace forward on left and right, and then raised his voice in response: "Today, we, the thirty-six officers of the Imperial Camp Army, on behalf of the two hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Camp, swear an oath!"

"Today, we, the officers of the Imperial Camp Army, swear an oath together!" The thirty-six officers paused briefly, then raised their bowls and repeated in unison.

"Drink this blood wine, pay homage to the Son of Heaven, form bonds of brotherhood, entrust life and death to one another, rescue each other in good fortune and bad, share blessings and calamities, support each other in hardship." Zhao Jiu spoke fluently, clearly having prepared these words before today.

"Drink this blood wine, pay homage to the Son of Heaven, form bonds of brotherhood, entrust life and death to one another, rescue each other in good fortune and bad, share blessings and calamities, support each other in hardship." Following Yang Yizhong's repetition, this time the voices below were no longer uneven but gradually became neat and unified.

"For this one life, avenge the shame of the Jingkang Incident, revive the Song and destroy the Jin, support the people and save the nation, with absolutely no second resolve!" Zhao Jiu continued to lead the oath, but his eyes grew somewhat cold, because he knew that these men were his absolute hope, yet it was also these men—the vast majority of whom were merely soldiers of fortune, military bandits, and so-called righteous armies who plagued the people, fought over credit, shirked responsibility, and had extremely bad habits—his path was both obstructed and long.

"For this one life, avenge the shame of the Jingkang Incident, revive the Song and destroy the Jin, support the people and save the nation, with absolutely no second resolve!" The officers continued to swear. Things having reached this point, their originally chaotic thoughts were each put away.

"If anyone disobeys orders on the battlefield;

"If anyone disobeys orders on the battlefield;

"If anyone, constrained by factional interests or personal gains and losses, abandons a brother;

"If anyone, constrained by factional interests or personal gains and losses, abandons a brother;

"If anyone plunders the people or implicates the innocent;

"If anyone plunders the people or implicates the innocent;

"If anyone harbors selfish motives in matters of state;

"If anyone harbors selfish motives in matters of state;

"We shall jointly punish him, making his life not worth living and his death like a corpse beneath the steps!"

"We must jointly punish them, making life unworthy of their attachment and death like the broken corpse beneath these steps!" By the time he finished the last sentence, the generals below were already terrified; some truly believed in this, while others detected the Emperor's resolve from these oath words.

The civil and military officials on both sides were also awestruck; Han, Zhang, Li, and the others had flushed faces and were fully alert... They had not sworn the oath, but this was absolutely Lord Zhao's warning and restraint toward them.

"Drink it!" Zhao Jiu paused briefly before speaking. "But think carefully—once you drink this wine, you will be comrades-in-arms who have fought together, sworn brotherhood, and pledged oaths. And since I have acted as your oath-witness, I will not abandon you... From today onward, if any of the Imperial Camp generals who swore the oath today, or the commanders not present here, encounter unfair military matters, local disputes, or personal difficulties, you may directly write a memorial and send it by fast horse to today's oath-leader, Imperial Guard Commander Yang Yizhong. He already oversees the Imperial City Bureau and will deliver your words directly to my presence..."

Upon hearing the last sentence, the three great commanders Han, Zhang, and Li felt a chill in their hearts; Lu Yihao and Xu Jingheng were also startled simultaneously, but how could they speak at this moment? And none of the thirty-six generals below were foolish enough to hesitate over this matter. As soon as the Emperor's words ended, they all raised their heads and drank down a full bowl of blood-wine that had no taste of blood and whose flavor was unknown.

Then, together they lowered their heads and bowed, showing the empty bottoms of their bowls upward.

"Smash them!" Zhao Jiu, seated there, finally broke into a smile. "After smashing them, today we will indulge ourselves—drink wine in large bowls, eat meat in large mouthfuls. Otherwise, how could we have the spirit of gathering in brotherhood?"

Below, there was an uproar, but the rammed-earth platform could not easily be shattered. Refined characters like Li Kui, Niu Gao, and Zhai Chong simply picked up the unbroken wine bowls, hid them in their sleeves, and prepared to take them home as keepsakes.

Shortly after, the feast resumed. Many of the officers below, and even some low-ranking civil officials, showed signs of relief, while several councilors and commanders grew increasingly alarmed.

But regardless, as the Emperor's imperial desk was brought up and fresh wine and meat were served, the atmosphere soon became lively.

Seeing this, amid the bustle, the always silent Academician Lin leaned forward and, across the seats, poured a cup of wine for the Censor-in-Chief Hu Yin, who sat one place ahead of him.

The latter withdrew his gaze from the imperial desk, turned back with a complex expression, and saw Academician Lin calmly raising his cup toward him: "Today at Heyang, the clouds are light and the wind gentle, but the road ahead is long and difficult. Yet fortunately, the soldiers share a common desire to serve the nation, and the state will surely gain a period of stability. This is a good thing. Why not drink a few more cups, Censor-in-Chief Hu?"

Hu Yin was silent for a moment before raising his cup in response: "As Academician Lin says, if the state can gain a moment of peace and the soldiers can show a revitalized spirit, that is certainly a good thing."

With that, the two drank together. After they finished, Hu Yin could not suppress a sigh in his heart... The road ahead was long and difficult; given the current situation, who in the world was not in the same position?

A poem says:

The Han lands north of the River, a hundred prefectures, the displaced people gaze southward, all full of longing.

I ask you, what is there to fear from the northern bandits? Sitting idle and marking territory is like being trapped in poverty and sorrow.

This enmity will not be shared under the same sky; if I live without killing the bandits, I will not rest in death.

You gentlemen only scheme for your own safety, without a trace of heroic spirit.

Thus you cause many scholars to become intoxicated, sealing their lips and never again speaking of current affairs.

I respectfully think that His Majesty is brave and wise, with a lifelong vow of vengeance as bright as the sun.

In the spring scenery, a thousand horsemen on the plain, looking into the distance, the dragon banner moves steadily.

The six armies bow and shout 'Long live the Emperor!' In gratitude, they are ready to sacrifice their lives without hesitation.

The southern breeze is gentle, the sky cloudless; the tooth-edged banners and coiled mounds worry under the yellow twilight.

Even the common folk can pay homage to the Son of Heaven; why should a brave man worry about the vermilion gates? Alas, the clear and muddy waters of the Jing and Wei are divided in his heart.

I wish to raise the dead Zhuge Liang of Mianyang, to become the Flying General of our Great Song.

(End of this volume)