Chapter 238: Looking Back

In late May, midsummer, 80,000 Song troops under Wu Jie’s command advanced to Yaoshan and set up camp thirty li from the Jin army. Among them, probably because the summer heat was oppressive, the Jin army chose to build their stockade by a marsh, while the Song army, to maintain a clear field of view against cavalry raids, chose to camp against the mountain.

Of course, both sides were confined to the plateau terrain between Yaoshan and Mount Wulong, a mere thirty-plus li long and ten-plus li wide. Those near the marsh were not far from the mountain; those on the gentle slopes at the mountain’s foot were also quite close to the marsh.

And this terrain, combining plateau, marsh, hills, and ravines, made the routine small-unit probing after both sides set up camp difficult and complicated.

After all, as the saying goes, a plateau runs horses to death, and shallow water can drown a man. With this kind of broken terrain, if you had a satellite view, matched with the light green of summer, it would probably look like a smooth expanse. But actually running or walking on it—that was another matter entirely. For scouts and small units, a shallow puddle, a dirt ditch two or three zhang wide, a small patch of woods, a low hill—all were potentially deadly, treacherous environments.

In fact, after just two days, as the Song army camp gradually took shape and both Song and Jin armies had roughly spied out each other’s positions, following a summer downpour, the two sides tacitly stopped wearing each other down with small units.

But that didn’t mean the commanders on both sides would stop probing.

That same afternoon after the rain ended, Wu Jie took the initiative to send an envoy to visit Wanyan Loushi, demanding that he fulfill the unfinished one-on-one duel from Fangzhou. In response, Loushi calmly replied, saying he was the Jin commander-in-chief; if there was to be a duel, it could only be between Minister Yuwen and himself. As for Grand Commandant Wu wanting to come, his second son Mouyan would take his place.

Wu Jie was not angry at all. Early the next morning, he wrote another letter, saying that since Marshal Loushi was unwilling to duel, why not agree to meet three days later, right here at the foot of Yaoshan, in the middle of the two armies’ camps, draw up battle lines, and then combine both armies to fight to the death.

The letter was sent off in haste again, and this time, Loushi replied just as quickly, directly agreeing.

When the news spread, the entire Song army was shaken.

“So, they’re arguing again?”

In a spacious camp on a certain mountainside of Yaoshan, Zhao Jiu was sitting on a small stool, eating a melon with his head down.

“Yes.” Yang Yizhong stood with his hands clasped, his expression somewhat helpless.

“Liu Xi and Wu Jie again?” Zhao Jiu continued, head still down.

“No, this time it’s Vice Commander Wang De and Grand Coordinator Liu Qi.” Yang Yizhong quickly explained. “Vice Commander Wang said he wants to be the vanguard in three days, and that all the army’s cavalry should be given to him. He also said…”

“Also said the three western route armies are incompetent, can’t fight, are useless?” Zhao Jiu swallowed a mouthful of melon and interjected casually.

“No, Vice Commander Wang said the three western route armies are all impoverished, and giving the cavalry to Liu Qi and his brother Liu Xi is useless.” Yang Yizhong corrected him immediately.

“‘Impoverished’ is going too far.”

Zhao Jiu made a token rebuke, then tossed aside the melon rind, wiped his mouth slightly, stood up, walked to one side of the open ground, and looked at the lush green Yaoshan, taking several deep breaths.

The air after the rain was fresh, and being at the foot of Yaoshan made it even more refreshing.

Why? Of course, because plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis.

But at this thought, Zhao Jiu became dazed again.

Now, Zhao Jiu had been the Emperor for a full three years. Some things had become blurred. The notebooks in his tent initially only recorded ‘Song dynasty figures, common knowledge, and experiences’ he thought of or encountered. But now, they gradually began to record this sudden recall of later-era knowledge.

This wasn’t any deep consideration, nor was it about his own identity—like whether he was that ordinary college student or this ordinary Emperor… and so on, the philosophical deep thoughts of who am I, where do I come from, where am I going.

In fact, it wasn’t just the notebooks. Many of his actions and many of his words, when it came down to it, were merely out of survival instinct.

Because over these three years, Zhao Jiu was very clear about what state he was in… In the first year, his life could be lost at any moment, his status as Emperor could vanish at any time, the fleeing small court around him could be destroyed at any time, and the Zhao Song dynasty could fall at any time. In the second year, things seemed a bit better, but he was still practically suffocated by the Jin army’s pressure. In the third year, things improved a lot more, but in truth, the existence of 200,000 Jin troops still made the country and himself seem precarious.

In this state, Zhao Jiu often buried his emotions, his deep thoughts, and those specific ideas unique to a time traveler deep in his heart.

These three years, he dared not enjoy life, dared not stop phenomena he found disagreeable, and except for the very beginning, he even dared not look into the lives of the common people at the bottom… because he was afraid it would shake his resolve to resist the Jin.

Resist the Jin! Resist the Jin!

Everything was for resisting the Jin; resisting the Jin was everything. This was because the Jin state and Jin army were always moving around you like a tiger, and you didn’t even have a fence.

Before the campaign, Zhang Jun held his hand and wept, saying things like, ‘In these three years, we have tolerated each other for the country, and this time we will surely win,’ and so on… The emotional conclusion of the latter half aside, the first half was indeed the truth. But Zhang Deyuan could never know that while others mostly tolerated matters of profit, he, Zhao Jiu the Emperor, tolerated his own personality and emotions.

Pretending to be a Psyduck for too long, sometimes you start to wonder if you really are just a Psyduck.

Of course, to outsiders, it certainly wouldn’t seem that way… not only because he, as the Emperor, had more or less withstood the pressure, held the Central Plains and the two Huai regions, and returned to the old capital, but also because he always abandoned reason at the final critical moment and used the most drastic means to push forward national affairs.

These actions, no matter how you looked at them, seemed like emotion over reason, like a hot-headed rush into things.

In fact, sometimes Zhao Jiu himself didn’t know whether his words and posturing towards those civil and military officials were an act or a genuine expression of his true feelings. Whether each decision he made came from reason or emotion. Whether the decisions made when backed into a corner with no way out counted as recklessness and ignorance, or a strong release of emotion.

At the very least, with all the incidents and decisions surrounding Imperial Consort Pan’s pregnancy this time, Zhao Jiu was truly somewhat confused.

Of course, whether releasing emotion or following reason, at this point, there was nothing more to say. Or rather, precisely because there was nothing left to say or think, he emptied his mind, letting these strange thoughts—practically equivalent to raising a death flag—surface within him.

As for raising death flags, Zhao Jiu was already in the position of ‘many fleas, no worry about the debt’.

“The melons here are good. Plenty of sunlight, so they’re big and fragrant.” Zhao Jiu snapped back to reality, then suddenly turned around and gave an order to the bewildered Yang Yizhong. “Don’t write letters. Have the messengers reporting military intelligence to Chang’an pass along a message along the way to Zhang Jun at Jingyaozhen, Minister Yuwen in Chang’an, and Imperial Consort Wu in Chang’an. Tell them that after this battle is over, I invite them here to Yaoshan to eat melons… As for these melons, distribute them all to the Imperial Guard below.”

Yang Yizhong listened to the order in confusion, but after taking two steps, he turned around and stared motionlessly at the Emperor.

“What is it?” Zhao Jiu clasped his hands behind his back, unconcerned. “Does Zhengfu think the melons here aren’t good?”

“It’s not that.” Yang Yizhong couldn’t help himself. “Your Majesty, in three days, there might be a decisive battle…”

“That’s not the case.” Zhao Jiu shook his head repeatedly. “Loushi and Wu Da are not pedantic scholars. Wu Da’s series of actions are just probing something. And if I were Loushi, I would just be using this reply to toy with us. In three days, he’ll still keep his camp closed and not come out, letting us grow restless and impatient in vain.” Saying this, Zhao Jiu laughed again. “In fact, even if we really do start fighting in three days, does that stop us from passing messages and eating melons?”

Yang Yizhong was silent for a moment, then nodded, turned, and prepared to dispatch the messengers and distribute the melons. But before he could take a few steps, he saw the sallow-faced Wu Jie approaching with Academician Xiao Lin. He quickly bowed in salute.

“Deputy Commander.” Wu Jie made a hurried bow to Yang Yizhong, then swiftly came before Zhao Jiu, bowed again, and spoke with a grave expression. “I venture to guess… Huonu has probably already gone to the camp at the Luo River mouth north of Fangzhou. My younger brother and Qu Da are likely to suffer a setback. The strategy of striking from both ends will probably fail.”

Zhao Jiu nodded, then laughed again: “Actually, it’s not a loss… Two for one, just consider it even. We still have a numerical advantage. And the smaller the local battlefield, the easier it is for us to command effectively.”

Wu Jie immediately breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression remained stern: “Indeed. After all, if Huonu doesn’t come, Loushi only has 30,000 troops here, including 10,000 Han troops. How can he face our 80,000? I’m just afraid he’ll avoid battle and wait for reinforcements from Longmen. If so, with our army’s strength, taking the initiative to attack would be too difficult…”

Zhao Jiu nodded, then shook his head: “Jinqing, I’m not as good as you at fighting… From now on, you don’t need to report every military matter to me. You can decide on your own… In this battle, just treat me as a dragon banner.”

Wu Jie bowed in response, then came and went in haste. Yang Yizhong, meanwhile, followed behind Wu Jie and slowly descended the mountain.

PS: Agreed on 150k, but actually, including this chapter, I’ve written 132k… I won’t say any useless words about starting over from today… Keep a tally! I owe 18k from last month.

But seriously… I feel like keeping a tally is an even more degenerate beginning. Ah, people!