Chapter 226: The Man from Shaanxi

Zhao Jiu did not immediately set out on the imperial campaign after entrusting the orphan at Yiyou Gate. In fact, after securing the loyalty and operational capacity of the central government through that act, he first convened a full grand court assembly, clearly stating the strategic goal of holding Guanzhong at all costs, and then demanded that the entire court mobilize all its capacity to support military operations.

Of course, the most important point was to make certain military arrangements before the imperial campaign.

As a passive defender, how to deploy troops was always a huge dilemma... After much deliberation, it was almost identical to the previous response: Zhang Jun needed to defend the Huai River and Jingdong, Yue Fei had to be moved to face the Jin army head-on at Kaifengfu and Damingfu, otherwise, what would happen if the forty to fifty thousand troops gathered at Damingfu from the eastern route army marched south?

The troops that could be mobilized in the short term seemed to be the same ones as last time, and the numbers and speed of their concentration in Guanzhong had already been fully ascertained by Wanyan Loushi through his previous strategic reconnaissance... This was an open scheme, an unavoidable open scheme, and the terror of Wanyan Loushi was already beginning to show.

Of course, neither Zhao Jiu nor the entire Great Song court would sit idly by and wait for death.

Therefore, as the His Majesty officially set out westward after the grand court assembly, the order for the Southeast Imperial Camp Rear Army to move north was issued immediately. At the same time, the court issued rewards for recruiting "righteous armies" and "militias" in Guanxi, the Central Plains, the Two Huai, and even Bashu and the Southeast, offering official ranks, noble titles, and slots for Imperial Academy students to encourage powerful families to contribute men, effort, and money.

And these were the contents of the court bulletins that the accompanying Jinshi Liang Jiaying had been reading a few days earlier.

As for the present day, the first day of the fourth month, Secretary Liang, seeing the imperial banners arrive and the His Majesty and the Imperial Guard enter the camp, reported his identity, completed the handover, and then received the task of reading the bulletins from his fellow graduate, the Qijulang Yu Yunwen, who was also a Jinshi... According to Yu Yunwen, the His Majesty had repeatedly instructed that this was the most important task for the accompanying Jinshi, and no one was to be negligent or distort it... But when Secretary Liang took the day's bulletin and read just a bit, he was stunned on the spot, then dizzy and panicked.

However, this time it wasn't because Liang Jiaying from Guangzhou had little experience; the proper Jinshi directly accompanying the imperial entourage were all equally panicked. Some wept on the spot, some were greatly alarmed, some beat their chests and stamped their feet, and some even tried to barge into the tent to see the His Majesty, only to be stopped by the prepared Imperial Guard.

No other reason—this bulletin directly recorded the event of His Majesty Zhao entrusting the orphan at Yiyou Gate!

The article was personally written by the Qijulang Yu Yunwen, who was present, and then submitted to his old friend, Compiler Hu Quan. Except for the part scolding the Retired Emperor, the rest was fully recorded... Faced with such a strongly emotional political event concerning the foundation and fate of the state, these young political elites having these reactions was only natural.

What they didn't know was that even when the Imperial Academy students were copying the bulletins, this supplement had already caused chaos in the Academy. Fortunately, the Sacrificial Wine of the Directorate of Education, Chen Gongfu, had some courage and personally led the Directorate's guards to block the gate with their bodies; otherwise, these students, knowing that His Majesty Zhao had already set out the day before, might have gone to burn down the residence of the Imperial Uncle Zhao!

As for the completely innocent Imperial Uncle Zhao, the head of the Imperial Clan Court, and his entire family, they had already dismantled their own gate two or three days earlier upon receiving the news, and then the whole family, including several sons, slept in the courtyard day and night, enduring mosquitoes and dew, not daring to return to their rooms.

But back to the present, after the emotional outburst, everyone fell silent—with a great war imminent and the Son of Heaven so determined, what could a minister do?

And so, after making a fuss for a while, the group of accompanying Jinshi had no choice but to each take their bulletin, in various states of mind, and go read it to the military officers in the army... The Imperial Guard was different from others; because there were many accompanying civil officials and scholars, it was truly a case of "Jinshi entering the capital," and every soldier had to be read to.

"Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking bluntly, but is this really useful?"

As summer began, the sky grew dark more slowly. In the central army tent, Liu Ziyu, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs accompanying the army, watched for a long time through the open tent flap. When he finally turned back, he couldn't help but speak to His Majesty Zhao, who was standing in the shadows, also watching the scene outside with his hands behind his back. "The matter of entrusting the orphan concerns the foundation of the state. Putting such a thing in the bulletin for officials, scholars, and Imperial Academy students to know is already somewhat shocking. As for ordinary soldiers... sufficient pay, clear rewards and punishments, and a balance of kindness and authority are enough. Telling them this—they may not even understand what 'great righteousness' means!"

Qu Duan, also in the tent, instinctively sneered, ready to mock, but catching sight of the His Majesty stopping his observation and turning around, he forcibly swallowed his words.

"What Minister Liu says is very true."

Unexpectedly, Zhao Jiu, who had turned back to his seat with his hands behind his back upon hearing the words, did not directly refute him. "For soldiers to risk their lives, pay, rewards, punishments, kindness, and authority are the most fundamental things. Without these, trying to inspire soldiers with empty words of righteousness is laughable... But since the establishment of the Imperial Camp Army, the court has exhausted the nation's strength to nurture soldiers and guarantee their pay. Although there are still many malpractices and chaos, there is simply no way to do more in this area for now. At this moment, boosting morale before battle is also a move of last resort."

Seeing the His Majesty turn back, several guards in the tent immediately lit candles, and Liu Ziyu personally lowered the wide tent flap before turning around.

"As for whether the soldiers understand great righteousness?" Zhao Jiu said, spreading out a map and continuing with a smile. "Do they or don't they? It's best if they do; it doesn't matter if they don't. Everyone is risking their lives, and the accompanying scholars shouldn't be left idle. As long as one in a hundred understands, it won't be in vain for these Jinshi to talk for a few days."

Liu Ziyu was even more speechless and could only nod.

At the same time, as the lamps in the tent were lit one by one, their light, complementing the campfires outside, illuminated the faces of many accompanying high officials in the tent. Among them was clearly the Privy Councilor Wang Boyan... Below the Privy Councilor were the various staff officers and compilers of the Bureau of Military Affairs' Department of Military Topography, Hanlin Academicians, Secretaries, and Qijulang with escort duties, as well as accompanying Imperial Camp and Imperial Guard generals—no fewer than twenty or thirty people, already crowding the central army tent.

It was in this state that Zhao Jiu began to have the Qijulang Hu Hong lay out the map.

"Your Majesty, it would actually be more comfortable to enter the pass..." The defender of Sishui Pass, who had come out to greet them, was actually a civil official by origin and from a famous family. He was a newly appointed commander of the Eight-Character Army, named Fan Yihong, and he spoke cautiously upon seeing this. "Entering the pass, there are large houses, and meals are more casual."

"I have already entrusted the orphan; why would I think of large houses?"

Zhao Jiu didn't look up, rubbing the crude map as he spoke. "Let's not talk about that. Today, military intelligence arrived saying that Wanyan Loushi sent his son Wanyan Huonü to split forces and make a rapid attack on Danzhou (southeast of Yan'an, next to the Yellow River, present-day Yichuan). Wu Jie hastily left Luochuan to support him, but was defeated again by the father and son Loushi. Danzhou had no support and surrendered directly. With Danzhou lost, Fuzhou (southwest of Yan'an, on the main route of the North Luo River leading to the Guanzhong Plain, around present-day Fuxian) is now under attack from two sides. Coupled with Wu Jie's heavy losses, what do you think should be done? Defend or withdraw?"

"Regardless of this for now!" Qu Duan was about to speak, but Liu Ziyu stepped forward first, speaking seriously. "Your Majesty, although apart from Loushi's forces showing some signs, the military situation elsewhere is still unclear, and even Grand General Han is probably still on the road, since the imperial procession is about to enter Luoyang and all military situations are within our projections, I believe we should decide on the general strategy for this westward campaign as soon as possible, so that we have a fixed plan in mind to prepare for any changes in the front-line operations!"

"What general strategy?"

Zhao Jiu asked seriously. "Does the Bureau of Military Affairs have a proposal?"

"Yes." Liu Ziyu replied loudly. "The current situation is becoming clear: the Jin army is attacking in the west while feinting in the east, with nearly two hundred thousand troops on both the eastern and western routes... Over fifty thousand troops, combined with the puppet Qi army, are trying to use Damingfu as a node to hold Jingdong and pin down the Imperial Camp Forward Army and Imperial Camp Right Army. Meanwhile, one hundred and fifty thousand troops are combining forces to move west, intending to swallow up Guanxi..."

"This is nonsense!" Qu Duan finally couldn't help but interrupt with a shout. "The Bureau of Military Affairs handles the nation's vital military affairs. These matters were known to everyone a month ago, yet now you present them before the imperial presence as if they were important military intelligence... Is this how the Bureau of Military Affairs does its work?"

"Deputy Commander Qu!" Liu Ziyu, known for his bad temper, couldn't tolerate Qu Duan and immediately shouted back. "Today is the first day of the fourth month. What exactly is 'a month ago'? And in between, there were the events at Yiyou Gate, the grand court assembly, and then the march to this point! Besides, military intelligence is serious; some information always needs to be confirmed repeatedly..."

"With your kind of confirmation, you'd have already doomed His Majesty!" Qu Duan was fearless, sneering as he bypassed the "month ago" issue. "Don't think I don't know. You have a personal grudge against Ma Kuo, the Chief Controller of Mount Taihang. You always interpret his messages with selfish motives, which led to you putting personal grievances above public duty last time in Nanyang! I ask you, what good has your repeated confirmation done? Has Ma Kuo ever deceived you? Your father threw him into prison, the Jin released him, yet he abandoned his family to resist the Jin. Such a loyal and righteous man, why would he deceive you? Just because he has a grudge against you? Even if he has a grudge against you, he has no grudge against His Majesty, nor against the people of the Two Rivers, Guanxi, and the Central Plains! In my opinion, you, a civil official's son who plays with swords and learns a bit of military basics, are just putting on airs. The Jingkang Incident happened because national affairs were controlled by people like you and your father..."

Liu Ziyu had been enduring until now, but when the other party finally mentioned his father who died for the country, he completely lost all restraint. He even let out a cold laugh, then, word by word, with his hands behind his back, he recited in the tent:

"Not to establish a career in Guanzhong, but to come boating on the river."

The tent fell silent, and Qu Duan's face flushed red.

Just then, Zhao Jiu, who had been quietly listening to the two of them tear into each other, suddenly laughed: "Yang Yizhong."

"Your servant is here." Yang Yizhong stepped forward upon hearing his name.

"Roll up the tent flap again." Zhao Jiu ordered calmly. "Let the officers, soldiers, and accompanying Jinshi and clerks outside see the commotion here clearly, so they won't be curious."

Yang Yizhong was startled for a moment, but he stepped past the embarrassed Qu Duan and Liu Ziyu to personally roll up the tent curtain.

"You, continue." After the tent flap was reopened, Zhao Jiu casually pointed at Liu Ziyu.

"As you command!"

Liu Ziyu took several deep breaths, forcefully suppressing the anger in his chest, and continued his report to the His Majesty. "Let Your Majesty know, the Bureau of Military Affairs believes that whether we intend to defend or fight, to win this great campaign, the primary task lies in the word 'isolation.'"

"What do you mean?" Zhao Jiu's spirits lifted slightly.

"It means doing our utmost to prevent the various Jin army units from converging in Guanzhong." Liu Ziyu's breath gradually steadied. "The Jin army is divided into three, but in the end, we will have to face with all our strength only the army that enters Guanzhong. Therefore..."

"Therefore, the most urgent task is to do our best to block reinforcements from Taiyuan to Loushi." Zhao Jiu understood in his heart and spoke it out directly. "But Danzhou is already lost. What if the Jin army crosses the river from Yan'an and Danzhou to reinforce?"

"They won't." Qu Duan explained before Liu Ziyu could. "Your Majesty may not know, but on both banks of the upper Yellow River, starting from Longmen, the mountains are many and the roads narrow. If the Jin want to gather from northern Shaanxi, the only grain route between Hedong and Hexi is the Yan River within Yan'an Prefecture. Then they would have to go around from Yan'an Prefecture city before heading south... This route, even if the Jin already have Yan'an Prefecture, Jinning Army, and the three prefectures beyond the river to levy grain locally, can only supply fifty to sixty thousand men at most, no more! Back then, the Five Route Campaign against Xia failed precisely because logistics were ignored. Loushi must be at least three parts better than our court's civil officials."

Zhao Jiu slowly nodded: "I understand what you mean... It's not that Loushi didn't want to concentrate a large army from the start, but that operations in northern Shaanxi are limited. He still has to rely on the Hedong Jin army to support him from Hezhongfu. So you want me to deploy heavy troops between Shanzhou and Tongzhou to do our best to cut off Pujin and Fenglingdu, blocking the main enemy force in Hedong?"

"That's exactly the idea." Qu Dang still answered first.

Zhao Jiu slowly nodded, but then shook his head: "Can Li Yanxian's troops in Shanzhou defend both prefectures?"

"Not enough!" Qu Duan replied immediately. "The enemy has a hundred thousand. Even defending across the river, we'd need sixty to seventy thousand, and they'd have to be elite troops..."

Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment, because he immediately understood Qu Duan's meaning. When he looked at Liu Ziyu again, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, who had just been arguing with Qu Duan as if they were mortal enemies, also remained silent.

And with that, Zhao Jiu knew there was no second strategy: "Is it absolutely necessary for Han Shizhong to go to Tongzhou?"

"It must be Grand General Han."

Liu Ziyu spoke again, seriously this time. "Your Majesty... Tongzhou is bordered to the north by the already lost Danzhou, to the west and south by the Luo River, and to the east by the Yellow River. On the Yellow River, although the Pujin pontoon bridge has been burned, the ferry remains. It is the only place for the Jin army to cross the river from Hedong."

"This place is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one." Wang Yuan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp, who had been silent, also interjected. "With this terrain, it can be held by a great general with tens of thousands of elite troops, and might even yield surprising results. But conversely, if you are sparing with troops here and the enemy takes advantage, it will be a complete massacre... Your Majesty, this is no time for hesitation, and you absolutely cannot be sparing with elites or great generals! We are the weaker side after all; if we can trade, we should trade!"

Zhao Jiu nodded heavily, then looked at the accompanying Privy Councilor Wang Boyan, who had remained silent. Seeing Wang Boyan immediately bow his head, the His Majesty then turned to look at the young Academician Lin.

Young Academician Lin understood, and with the assistance of Qijulang Hu Hong, he lowered his head to draft the imperial edict.

"But if Han Shizhong, Yue Fei, Li Yanxian, Zhang Jun, and Zhang Rong all cannot be lightly moved, am I to fight Wanyan Loushi using only the Imperial Camp Central Army and the various route troops from west of the Pass?" Even knowing he had issued an absolutely rational and correct decree, Zhao Jiu's expression rarely showed such displeasure.

"Your Majesty, forgive your servant for speaking bluntly, but this is precisely the reason Loushi attacked from Yan'an... That place is the northwest of the realm, and the Imperial Camp army can hardly reach there. If in the end we can actually combine the entire Imperial Camp Central Army with the six route troops of Shaanxi to oppose Loushi, that would already be great fortune," Liu Ziyu replied boldly. "However, where the war will ultimately go, no one knows!"

Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly... Wasn't this exactly the logic?

That Wanyan Loushi didn't even bother to celebrate the New Year, sparing no expense to lead tens of thousands of troops south for strategic reconnaissance—wasn't it all to ascertain the strength, support speed, and support range of each route's troops?

If there were none of these calculations this time, that would be laughable.

And as things stood now, this arrangement was indeed the most rational and correct.

However...

"What were we saying at the start?" Zhao Jiu snapped back to himself, momentarily dazed.

"Danzhou has been lost, Wu Jie has been defeated twice. Now Fuzhou has few troops. Should we defend it or abandon it?" Qu Duan stepped forward and reminded him cautiously.

"Defend or abandon?" Zhao Jiu stared at Qu Duan, inquiring.

"Both defend and abandon!" Dusk was approaching outside the tent; the soldiers had already gone to eat. Under the lamplight, Qu Duan stared at the expressionless Zhao Jiu, his eyes blazing.

To this, Zhao Jiu said nothing, but turned his gaze to Liu Ziyu, Hu Hongxiu, and the others.

Liu Ziyu first glanced at Qu Duan's stern face, then also stepped forward and replied seriously: "The Bureau of Military Affairs also believes we should both defend and abandon!"

"What does that mean?" Zhao Jiu's expression did not change; he merely raised his hand to indicate he should continue.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this is precisely what your servant was about to say on behalf of my colleagues in the Bureau of Military Affairs..." Liu Ziyu clearly had already formulated an idea. "To hold Guanzhong, first, we must isolate the Hedong army as much as possible, preventing the Jin army in Guanzhong from growing too strong. Second, we must rely as much as possible on the hilly terrain of northern Shaanxi, resisting layer by layer, without needing to fight to the death or a decisive battle. Instead, we should exhaust and wear down their elite cavalry in the mountains of northern Shaanxi, while forcing them to split their forces to garrison various points. Then, when the summer heat arrives and they are exhausted and unbearable, we can open up, either seeking battle in the wilds or luring them under strong city walls..."

Zhao Jiu slowly nodded, then looked at Qu Duan again.

"Your servant sees it the same way," Qu Duan quickly replied. "Northern Shaanxi is the key to this battle. Defend if we can, abandon if we cannot. But we must resist and harass, we must preserve our effective forces. When the enemy's strength is exhausted and our troops grow sharper, then depending on the situation, we will either fight or defend."

Zhao Jiu nodded heavily, about to speak, but then closed his mouth.

At that moment, Qu Duan knelt directly inside the tent and kowtowed in reply: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, if you still use Wu Jie to defend Fuzhou, I fear he is not up to the task!"

Unexpectedly, faced with Qu Duan's dramatic display, no one in the tent except for Fan Yihong from Sishui Pass showed any particular reaction, as if they all knew he would do this.

"How so?"

Zhao Jiu's expression remained unchanged, but he appeared curious. "I've heard people say, 'Qu Duan is both civil and military, Wu Jie is both brave and resourceful.' This Wu Jie is your equal in reputation. Even though he lost two battles, it was only in field engagements being unfavorable. Can he not even defend Fuzhou?"

"Your Majesty," Qu Duan said from the ground, his face full of candor, speaking urgently. "That 'brave and resourceful' talk is just to make the phrase match when comparing him to me... If that Wu Jie were truly brave and resourceful, how could he have been defeated so badly?"

Zhao Jiu finally gave a cold laugh.

"Your Majesty, your servant didn't mean it that way," Qu Duan quickly explained. "In truth, if it were just about defending a single prefecture, either of the Wu brothers would be sufficient. If it were about fighting bravely in the field, even I am somewhat inferior to Wu Jie. But the problem is, as things stand now, Fuzhou will inevitably fall. After Fuzhou falls, we should gather the troops and retreat in an orderly fashion, then rely on the Jingyuan and Huanqing Routes to continue resisting step by step... How to deploy the troops of three routes and several prefectures? How to lure the Jin people westward? How to harass the Jin army from multiple sides? Wu Jie is somewhat lacking in this regard, because he has always been only a subordinate of mine and lacks the necessary authority!"

"Then who has this authority?" Zhao Jiu asked coldly without hesitation.

Qu Duan opened his mouth to speak, but under the gaze of Zhao Jiu behind the desk, through the flickering candlelight, he could not utter a word several times... After nearly a year, the chance to return to his long-dreamed-of homeland, regain military command, and participate in a major battle was right before his eyes, yet he dared not speak under this lord's stare.

Outside the tent, the soldiers were eating; this was the liveliest time in the camp before darkness fully fell. But inside this large tent beneath the dragon banner, it had long been deathly silent.

Everyone was watching Qu Duan.

And Qu Duan's mind was racing:

"Rather than building a career in Guanzhong, I came to the river to fish from a boat."

Thinking back now, with this poem, this Zhao Jiu, whose personal authority was now unshakable, could have long ago had him killed, or could have spoken to deny his almost-spoken request... Even if he wasn't boasting this time—the people, soldiers, and officials of the Huanqing, Jingyuan, and Yanfu Routes all respected him, because it was he who had protected the various routes of northern Shaanxi during the previous Jin invasions.

But then again, why hadn't he been killed?

Why did this lord just keep looking at him, without directly denying him?

There was only one answer.

"Your Majesty!" After who knows how long, Qu Duan finally spoke, almost using all his strength. And once he spoke, he could no longer control himself, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Your servant was wrong! Please grant your servant command of an army. Your servant will devote himself utterly to the state!"

Behind the candle flame, Zhao Jiu first slowly nodded, then slightly shook his head, then gave a light sigh, and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing this, Qu Duan's heart was filled with anxiety, then gradually with disappointment, and finally with despair.

But unexpectedly, after waiting a moment, Zhao Jiu, still in his armor, said nothing, but suddenly got up and walked to a corner of the tent behind him. He fetched a bow and arrows, turned back, and placed them on the desk. Only then did he speak to Qu Duan:

"Qu Duan... this bow and arrows are the ones I am used to using. Take them... If you again disobey orders, use private punishment on subordinates, or fail to rescue friendly forces, then either use this bow to shoot at me, or find an acquaintance among your old comrades-in-arms and have him use this bowstring to strangle you... There is no third path for us, lord and minister!"

Having said this, Yang Yizhong naturally stepped forward to take the bow and arrows and hand them to Qu Duan on the ground. At the same time, Zhao Jiu turned to the young Academician Lin on one side: "Let Hu Yin, in his capacity as Grand Coordinator of the Yanfu Route, take overall command of the military and civil affairs of the three routes in northern Shaanxi. Appoint Wu Jie as Grand Coordinator of the Jingyuan Route. Appoint Wu Lin as Military Supervisor of the Yanfu Route. Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp Qu Duan is to leave his post and be transferred to the post of Grand Coordinator of the Huanqing Route... The military situation is urgent. Give him the imperial decree and a golden token, and have him set out immediately tonight!"

Upon hearing these words, Qu Duan was ecstatic. He took the bow and felt an immense sense of relief.

As the saying goes, twenty years of military service, today returned to its beginning; a year's heavy burden, in an instant completely shed.

PS: Thanks to the 78th sponsor, classmate Pianxian Wuya... "Holding the silk scrolls, dancing gracefully beside the wine vessels"... Is that the origin? So it means a crow that can dance?