Chapter 328

The wind blows, the grass bends low, and cattle and sheep are seen.

At this time, the Houtao region was truly encircled by the Yellow River… The great river, arriving at the upper-left corner of the zigzag shape, suddenly split in two. One branch followed the traditional zigzag course and turned, while the other chose to continue northward, only changing course upon encountering the Yinshan Mountains. It then traveled along the Yinshan until it turned south with the mountain's terrain, merged with the branch, and then surged onward together.

Here, the river was several thousand paces wide, with a gentle current, making it extremely easy to divert water for irrigation. Coupled with the Yinshan Mountains shielding it from wind and snow, this land was suitable for both farming and herding—the reputation of a "southern-style paradise beyond the Great Wall" was no empty boast.

And now, in the midst of summer heat, this place actually felt pleasantly cool, which could only be attributed to its abundant water and northerly location.

"Truly a heaven-blessed land."

In the morning, about thirteen or fourteen li southeast of Wulahai City, Jin Wushu reined in his horse on a hillside. After gazing at the surrounding scenery for a long while, he finally let out a sigh of admiration. "Who would have thought that a place like this could have such a landscape? I only thought it was strategically important before."

The lame battalion commander, Wanyan Tuhesu, riding beside him, looked back at the surroundings. With no choice, he steeled himself to respond: "The Prince of Wei is right. It truly is a fine place, much better than our homeland."

Wushu nodded slightly but did not continue the conversation… Because he knew very well that Tuhesu was not the type to engage in such talk, nor could he truly understand the heartfelt admiration Wushu felt for the splendor of the land. Of course, he did not refute or mock him either, because he knew that such feelings were deeply personal, and others had no obligation to share his resonance.

In fact, Wushu himself had only begun to develop this mindset of appreciating the land since that snowy night crossing on the Huai River, and even then, it was just a fleeting moment in a drunken haze. But it was only after the Huai River incident, as he encountered more setbacks and difficulties, that this intoxication with and appreciation of natural scenery became clearer and more frequent.

After the so-called "Wooden Dragon River Crossing," Wushu even had an illusion that, compared to people and events, the mountains, rivers, wind, snow, rain, and thunder were more worthy of his closeness. It seemed that being near these things allowed him to better feel what strength and gentleness, grand trends and fine details, light and darkness truly meant.

Of course, this was likely due to heightened sensitivity after being injured.

Whether physical or psychological trauma, many people who suffer setbacks or injuries on the battlefield become sensitive—sensitive in every sense of the word.

For example, Wushu's third brother, Wanyan Eriduo, increasingly turned to Buddhism. Another example was Wanyan Loushi in his later years, whose body was covered in wounds, making him extremely sensitive to weather changes. From this perspective, it was very likely that after taking that blow, Wushu had suddenly opened the door to a new world a bit more.

Enough digression. After finishing his sigh, Wushu checked the time and continued westward. A Da and A Er led two hundred armored cavalry ahead, split left and right, while Tuhesu and the seven or eight hundred armored cavalry following behind moved slowly with Wushu himself.

Their trip was not to sightsee or to scout Wulahai City, but to meet with the Kereyid chieftain, Hurjagus, according to the terms agreed upon the day before.

The Kereyid tribe was the largest Mongol tribe near Kedun City. Back then, Hurjagus, having been promised control of Kedun City, accepted the entreaty of Yelu Yanshan and also invited the anti-Jin sentiment-filled Khabul Khan to jointly send troops into Houtao.

But to be honest, the entire campaign up to this point had not gone smoothly. First, it was mainly because the Western Xia general guarding the Yinshan Mountains, Li Liangfu, was very resilient. He deployed his troops properly, firmly controlling each fortress and Wulahai City, while the Mongols, fearing casualties, only engaged in skirmishes with Li Liangfu.

However, suddenly, a tremendous reversal occurred.

The Western Xia emperor arrived, the Khitan army arrived, and then the Jurchen army arrived. After that, the Western Xia emperor was protected by Li Liangfu and fled.

At this point, the intensity of the war underwent a massive change… The Jurchens and the Khitan, who had regained their fighting courage, used iron and blood to show the Mongols, who had just begun to make a name on the steppe, what true war was.

So an army could actually have this much iron armor?

So battles could be fought without specific loot?

So war could expend warriors and livestock like this?

Within just half a month, the casualties suffered by the Mongols might have exceeded the deaths from a year of mutual plundering on the steppe. At this point, both Mongol leaders, Khabul Khan and Hurjagus, wanted to simply leave.

But they could not easily withdraw.

Because Yelu Dashi would not let them go. If they left, how could the already struggling Khitan resist the ferocious Jurchens? In fact, Yelu Dashi personally controlled Wulahai City, which guarded the northern entrance to the Yinshan Mountains, precisely to control the Mongols' retreat route.

And it was precisely because of this that Wanyan Wushu finally persuaded Hurjagus by allowing the Mongols to leave the Hetao region from the east. As for Khabul Khan, his Kiyat tribe's territory was more to the east, directly oppressed and influenced by the Jurchens. He had also been elected Khan by the eastern tribes and had been hostile to the Jurchens for a long time, so he was unwilling to easily go along with the Jurchens, let alone accept the condition of crossing the river under Jurchen surveillance.

But even just Hurjagus's defection was enough to shake the Khitan's fighting spirit.

So on this day, Wushu decided to come in person to hold a covenant with Hurjagus south of Wulahai City… This place was very close to the Kereyid tribe's original camp southwest of Wulahai City, and also very close to Wulahai City itself… In a sense, Wushu had guts.

Of course, the fact that Wanyan Balisu personally led twenty thousand troops further southeast, using tall grass and trees for cover, following behind to set a trap, was another matter entirely.

The location was predetermined: two small slopes with a barely passable valley floor between them, perfect for a covenant.

At noon, Wushu led his men to the north side of the eastern slope. After waiting a while, seeing the sun reach due south, he finally ascended the slope and, as agreed, raised his banner… another five-colored sun-holding flag.

In fact, this flag was very common in Chinese history, used by both the Song and Liao dynasties. The Jurchens initially did not understand the meaning of the "five virtues holding the sun" representing a sage ruler. They only saw on the battlefield that this flag's status was far higher than others for both Song and Liao, so they simply adopted it. After twenty years of campaigning, this flag naturally acquired its own specific meaning among the Jurchens: it represented the status of the Jurchen field commander.

After waiting for a while, no flag appeared on the opposite slope, nor did anyone come out to explain. Something seemed amiss.

Wanyan Wushu and Tuhesu exchanged glances, both calm… Clearly, while they wanted to covenant with the Kereyid tribe, if the Kereyid were being tricky and had colluded with Yelu Dashi to surround them, that would be even better!

Time passed bit by bit. Wushu saw no Kereyid people, nor did he encounter the expected ambush. There wasn't even any extra commotion, and even distant Wulahai City was quiet… If anything was unusual, it was that the wind today was rather noisy.

The summer wind, having crossed the Yellow River, which was several li wide, had long become cool, but was forced to stop at the foot of the Yinshan Mountains, which blocked north and south. As a result, the wind surged back and forth at the mountain's base, carrying the sounds from the not-too-far, not-too-close Mongol camp and Khitan camp from afar.

But it only carried them from afar. Today, the wind was just a bit louder, the sounds a bit greater. Nearby, there was no trace of troops at all.

After waiting a while longer, with no other choice, Wushu pursed his lips in a signal. A Da and A Er, his two Xi clan attendants, understood and each led a hundred riders around from behind the slope, preparing to get a clear look behind it.

Seeing the two hundred riders disappear behind the slope and then appear on the opposite slope, clearly finding nothing… Wushu and Tuhesu were furious. So the Kereyid hadn't been tricky; they had simply stood them up!

But just at that moment, A Da and A Er, who had just climbed the opposite slope, looked back. An instant later, they charged down from the slope like madmen, heading straight for Wushu.

Wushu and Tuhesu exchanged glances, anger turning to joy.

Tuhesu couldn't help but spur his horse forward to meet them and ask: "What is it? An ambush after all? How many?"

"It's not an ambush! It's people!" A Da shouted from afar.

"People are an ambush!" Tuhesu roared in anger. "And why are you shouting so loud? Who's going to take responsibility if you scare them off?"

"The people aren't here!" A Er shouted back from his horse. "No need to worry for now… Please, Fourth Prince and Battalion Commander, turn back quickly and rejoin the main army!"

Wushu was baffled: "If the people aren't here, why are you panicking? If there's no need to worry for now, why do you want us to go back?"

By now, A Da had reached the foot of the small slope. He rolled off his horse, knelt directly, and panted as he replied: "Fourth Prince! There are too many people! We must leave immediately!"

A Er also arrived, adopting the same posture: "Fourth Prince, go quickly! Before they discover us!"

Wushu grew even more exasperated. He cracked his horsewhip in the air: "Explain clearly! What exactly is going on?"

A Da and A Er exchanged glances. It was A Da who first suppressed his panic and replied: "Fourth Prince, there's no ambush, and no enemy nearby. It's just that there are too many people in the Mongol camp and by the river. If we're discovered and pursued, we simply cannot resist."

"Balisu is leading twenty thousand iron cavalry right behind us…" Tuhesu also grew frantic.

"If that's the case, it's even worse. Balisu must not come over." A Da was almost in tears. "Though it's unclear from a distance, the uniforms are mostly red and white—it seems Song army reinforcements have arrived!"

Hearing the last sentence, Wushu was momentarily stunned, then his expression changed drastically. But he was still puzzled by A Da and A Er's panic… Even if the Song army had accepted Yelu Dashi's invitation and come here, how many could they have brought at this point?

With this thought, Wanyan Wushu did not hesitate. He directly reined his horse forward and headed for the opposite slope. Tuhesu, equally disdainful, also reined his horse and followed.

A Da and A Er had no choice but to turn and follow.

Moments later, under the bright afternoon sun and amidst the noisy summer wind, as Wushu and Tuhesu reined their horses to the top of the eastern slope, they both drew in a sharp breath of cold air in the middle of summer.

For no other reason than what A Da and A Er had said—there were too many people!

As far as the eye could see, from the outer channel of the Yellow River at the foot of the Yinshan Mountains, all the way to the Kereyid camp more than ten li from the river, and then to the Khitan cavalry camp behind Wulahai City, everywhere was filled with red-and-white intermingled, slightly glimmering streams of people, carts, horses, and banners. This surging red tide, like rolling waves, was also extending toward the Kiyat camp further south.

Further away, on the river channel beyond the reach of clear vision, though indistinct, it was clear that countless people and livestock were still coming this way along the river, and countless supplies were continuously emerging from the river on simple rafts and wooden platforms.

This scene was as if the normally placid Yellow River had suddenly come alive, reaching out with a dragon claw bearing three fingers to grab the Khitans and the Mongols in one grip!

Under the sunlight, facing such a situation, Wushu and Tusu both felt an unprecedented sense of fear!

This was a fear they had never experienced before!

To be fair, the two of them, having lived through the Great Jin's founding wars, were certainly well-traveled and knowledgeable.

If you said the enemy army before them was large, was it larger than the population of Bianliang? If you said they were all troops, that wasn't remarkable either, because the Khitans and the Song had both arrayed massive armies before the Jurchens—was this force larger than the Song army that had come to relieve Taiyuan?

Was it because the enemy had many livestock and many cavalry?

That wasn't right either. At the Battle of Hubudagang, the Khitan cavalry and livestock had been as vast as the sea.

But Wushu and Tusu still felt fear... because they knew that this dense tide of men and military might before them was likely the greatest enemy the Jurchen army had ever faced in its history!

The Khitans were incompetent, the Khitan army at Hubudagang was incompetent, but who dared say that Yelu Dashi and his followers, who had kept fighting for years after the Great Liao fell and only grew stronger, were incompetent?

If they were incompetent, then why, after nearly half a month, hadn't the numerically superior Great Jin Western Route Army driven them out of the Houtao region?

The Han were incompetent, the Song army at Dongjing, on the Hebei Plain, and outside Taiyuan was incompetent, but who dared say that the main force of the Song Imperial Guard, which had gritted its teeth and fought back step by step from the Huai River, was incompetent?

Would an incompetent Song army appear here?! Would it appear at the foot of the Yinshan Mountains?!

This is the Yinshan Mountains! Even Zhao Kuangyin never came here!

As for the Mongols, after all these years, had the Great Jin actually done anything to Khabul Khan?

Of course, the more important point was that while the enemy had grown stronger through the crucible of war, the Jurchens had grown more decadent, their combat power declining more than before—that was also a fact.

But regardless of the reasons, this was the first time since the founding of the Jurchen state that they had truly felt fear from a military perspective... Even if the Battle of Yaoshan were fought again, they wouldn't feel any dread; it was the Song who would count themselves lucky. But this time, the Jurchens had finally begun to fear!

This also meant that the combined strength of these few armies before them, the sum total of all these forces gathered together, had finally, for the first time, overwhelmed the Jurchens.

In fact, as he thought this, Wanyan Wushu suddenly realized why the Song army had come here... They wanted to assemble a force that could directly overwhelm the main Jurchen army!

Facing the Jurchens who had dominated the realm for twenty years, facing the Great Jin state that still controlled twenty wanhu, the Han who had nearly been annihilated, the Khitans who had effectively been annihilated once, and the newly risen Mongols—the three allied armies appearing here and joining together was itself an indescribably great victory, both military and political!

"Prince Wei!"

Just as Wanyan Wushu's mind was shaken, Tusu suddenly pointed to a Song force emerging from the riverbank where the troops were dividing. That Song force had bright armor and orderly ranks, clearly of special status, or else they wouldn't still be wearing armor while on the march.

And in the center of this Song force, a conspicuously prominent banner was being escorted.

The banner was extremely large in form, with three tails fluttering in the wind in a very peculiar style. Tusu only pointed, and Wushu immediately understood what it was... The only thing was that, for some reason, a black and a white standard had suddenly appeared on either side of this banner, adding a bit of extra momentum.

"Fourth Prince, let's go!" Ada carefully tugged at Wushu's skirt armor from below his horse. "With so many enemy troops, if we're discovered and then entangled by Mongol light cavalry, with Song heavy infantry following up, we'll truly be in danger..."

"We can't leave!" Wushu snapped back to his senses, but his breathing seemed to quicken. "The more critical the moment, the less we can leave..."

"Fourth Prince!" Tusu was also breathing heavily, but from his horse he reached out and pressed down on the whip in Wushu's hand. "I understand your meaning—the more critical the moment, the less we can show weakness. But with so few of us now, charging in would just be throwing our lives away! Even the twenty thousand troops under Bolisu lying in ambush behind us must be careful... What I fear most isn't us, but that the twenty thousand ambushers might mistakenly think we've succeeded and charge headlong into battle!"

"Then we still can't leave!" Wushu turned back, his face terrifyingly pale. "You go tell Bolisu to withdraw. I'll go meet the Song!"

"Fourth Prince!" Tusu suddenly flew into a rage. "This isn't the time for stubbornness! The other wanhu were right—you're fair-minded, a good prince, a good king, but you're too fixated on the Zhao Song Emperor! You've been brooding ever since the Huai River... But what's the use of this kind of stubbornness?!"

"Fourth Prince!" A'er beside them was almost in tears. "The Song have spotted us! The Kereyid Mongols must have told the Song army... Let's go quickly!"

"Even if they didn't, with such a big banner standing here for half an hour, the Song would send troops to investigate!" Tusu grew even angrier. "Fourth Prince, let's go at once!"

Wushu looked at the several streams of light cavalry—whether Song, Mongol, or Khitan, he couldn't tell—rushing toward them from afar, then looked back at Tusu, but still gritted his teeth and shook his head.

"Fourth Prince!"

Seeing this, Tusu was not angry but instead sighed, his tone softening slightly. "I truly understand the Fourth Prince's feelings, but we should still leave now. Let Ada and A'er skirmish with the enemy a bit to avoid losing morale... If my leg weren't lame, I would stay and skirmish with the enemy myself... But things are different now—for me, for you, and for the greater situation."

Wushu let out a scornful laugh, whether in disdain or self-mockery.

But no matter what, the usually coarse Tusu didn't get angry this time. Instead, he continued earnestly: "In truth, I share the Fourth Prince's resentment. These past two years, I've often hated that I wasn't on the battlefield at Yaoshan, often thought that if I had been there with two or three thousand more troops, could I have pulled down that dragon standard? Then all of Guanxi would be in our hands, and we'd be besieging Dongjing right now?"

Wushu, looking at the allied army formation in the distance, finally showed some emotion.

"But how can matters of the world be settled by mere resentment and wishful thinking?"

Tusu grabbed Wushu's hand and continued sternly: "Did Huonu swallowing his resentment help or harm the Great Jin? If you, the Fourth Prince, swallow your resentment today and die here, would that help or harm the Great Jin? Fourth Prince, you know military affairs too. You should know that terrain like the Hetao is a dead end for cavalry... You can see that from the Mongols' performance earlier. When we had the advantage, they were thwarted, and then they couldn't even retreat easily. Now that the Song heavy infantry has arrived, they have the advantage! If I were the Song commander, knowing the situation of our forces, I would deploy the army properly—infantry in the center, cavalry on the flanks—and press forward majestically from west to east... At that point, what should we do?"

Wushu showed neither anger nor joy at these words, but whether it was an illusion or not, there was even a hint of pleading in his gaze toward Tusu.

Seeing this, Tusu's tone completely softened: "Regardless, Fourth Prince, what we need to do now is leave quickly, see Bolisu and have him turn back and withdraw, then return to the main camp, strike camp immediately, and retreat from this place surrounded by water on all sides before making further plans! Fourth Prince, now is not the time to fight to the death! We must not engage recklessly!"

Wushu stared at Tusu, and Tusu stared back at Wushu. They gazed at each other for a moment, but as the distant cavalry drew closer and closer, Wushu finally looked up to the sky and sighed.

In truth, didn't this Fourth Prince understand this reasoning? But precisely because he understood, he was unwilling to retreat. Because retreating from this place surrounded by water was essentially a complete withdrawal, and it meant that after being maneuvered by the master of that dragon standard, he had been constrained and passive at every turn for months, almost toyed with in the palm of the other's hand.

Even if he had initially planned a strategic contraction, abandoning both ends to fall back to the traditional Hebei and Hedong regions, retreating on his own and being driven back or forced back were hardly the same thing!

But what could he say?

Was Tusu wrong?

In a sense, the matter was unsolvable. Just as at the foot of Yaoshan, when he saw that great standard descending the mountain and could do nothing about it, now that this great standard had appeared here, it had already suppressed him strategically.

The supreme art of war is to attack the enemy's plans; next is to attack their alliances; next is to attack their army.

What the Zhao Song Emperor had done this time was more like attacking plans and alliances, while he, Wanyan Wushu, had chosen a conservative strategy from the start and never thought on that level. Of course, if he had the skill and courage of Wanyan Loushi, he could have countered attacks on plans and alliances with an attack on the army, but the problem was that he didn't.

With this thought, Wushu glanced once more at that crimson tide, then turned his horse and rode away.

Tusu followed immediately, while Ada and A'er exchanged a glance, then instead mounted their horses. A'er hid slightly behind the hillside, while Ada pulled up the five-colored sun-holding banner, planted it on the slope, and stood motionless.

Meanwhile, Zhao Jiu was naturally not going to be affected by a small-scale skirmish ahead, and the specific outcome of this battle might not even reach him.

After arriving here today, the Great Song army, which had originally contacted the Khitans and Mongols as reinforcements, did not stop for a moment. They immediately set out to join their allies at the three camps, and then the Emperor turned with the main force toward the south side of Wulahai City... That was where Yue Fei had selected the main camp location the day before. The Song army had already agreed in letters with the two Mongol tribes to set up a stockade between their camps, linking their positions to fight the enemy together.

Of course, they had definitely not waited for a reply before appearing directly in the rear and taking action. And now, it was clearly intended to control these two forces and further secure their say when facing the Khitan main force.

Setting that aside, for some reason, halfway through the march, the Emperor's dragon standard and the accompanying black yak and white yak standards stopped. The original plan to take the lead and meet the three allies at the Kereyid camp was also changed—now, the Emperor would receive the three leaders in this wilderness, surrounded by his own army.

This seemed somewhat arrogant.

But the accompanying generals naturally raised no objections. On the contrary, upon receiving the oral decree, they became excited and each set off to invite the three leaders.

Hurjatus responded immediately. He dared not refuse, because his camp was close to the Yellow River and exposed in the wilderness. With Song cavalry swarming up to his camp, he had to maintain his status as an "ally."

Khabul Khan's behavior was quite interesting. When the Song army first appeared, he, whose camp was farthest away, directly led his troops out of the camp to take cover, showing every intention of fleeing if things went wrong.

But seeing that the Song army maintained sufficient friendliness, even providing some food and gifts, and probably knowing that in this water-surrounded, militarily complex terrain he couldn't easily escape—and being a man who had once pulled Wanyan Wuqimai's beard, not lacking in courage—after a moment's thought, he directly agreed and prepared to come alone on horseback.

However, Yelu Dashi, who was closest, did not leave the city immediately. He only sent Yelu Yudu and Zhao Heda to pay respects to the Zhao Song Emperor.

Then the two of them were stopped by the Song army over a hundred paces from the dragon banner.

Next, over a thousand Song armored cavalry, without waiting for the two to return and report, directly under the command of the Imperial Camp Cavalry Commander Qu Duan, galloped straight to the foot of Wula Sea City, then circled the city walls, shouting the name of Yelu Dashi… of course, calling him Dashi Linya, still maintaining a certain respect.

"Let me go for you!"

On the city wall, listening to the incessant noise of "His Majesty invites Linya Dashi for a meeting," Xiao Woli La spoke softly to his king.

"No need."

Yelu Dashi, who had been lying on the battlements, looking down at the Song army formation all morning and afternoon, suddenly laughed and stood up. "After all, he is the legitimate emperor of Zhao Song, and the strongest commander here. It should be me going out of the city to pay respects… Actually, if I didn't trust him, I wouldn't have easily crossed over to Houtao after learning Xingling had changed hands that day… We entrusted our lives to him back then, let alone now? Now he is the relief army we formally invited with documents, the one who saved our lives this time!"

As he spoke, at Yelu Dashi's signal, several personal guards stepped forward and began helping the Western Liao ruler remove his armor right there on the city wall.

Xiao Woli La thought for a moment, then sighed softly again: "I'm afraid he is young and impetuous, and will insist on lording it over you! The people here may not know you have already claimed the title of Khan in the Western Regions, and even if they do, they'll likely pretend not to know. What will you do if he demands you swear allegiance?"

"Yes, what then?" Yelu Dashi, now revealing a cloth robe under his armor, suddenly changed expression. "But if I don't go, what then?" As he spoke, without waiting for Xiao Woli La's reply, Yelu Dashi turned and went down the wall, leaving only a light remark. "This city is the key to Houtao—you hold it!"

Xiao Woli La could only nod at his king's retreating back.

On the other side, having descended the wall, Yelu Dashi called for no extra guards, nor did he deploy troops. Wearing only a cloth robe and carrying a single blade, he mounted his horse and ordered the city gates opened.

As he exited the gate, the Song cavalry who had been shouting for Linya Dashi had already reined in their horses. Thinking a messenger was coming out, they crowded around and barked: "Where is Linya Dashi? Our master summons him!"

Yelu Dashi immediately threw back his head and laughed. Only after finishing did he calmly reply: "I am Yelu Dashi. Gentlemen, please lead the way!"

The surrounding Song riders were stunned for a moment and hurriedly went to summon Qu Duan. But by the time Qu Duan arrived, Yelu Dashi had already, under the eyes of the Song cavalry, ridden alone toward the dragon banner… and they dared not stop him.

Even Qu Duan could only sneer a few times and then ignore it.

And so, after an afternoon of this, the sun had already begun to change color and dim, while the summer wind howled as before, carrying countless clamorous sounds. It was under these circumstances that Yelu Dashi rode alone to the front of that famous dragon banner.

Frankly speaking, ever since before the campaign, thanks to the words of Yelu Yudu, he had already formed a deep impression of that dragon banner.

But clearly, there was no particularly young noble beneath the banner. Dashi turned his head, asked frankly, and was directed by a guard to an especially tall tree by the roadside, where several rings of armored soldiers were indeed gathered.

Now, although there were trees in Houtao, they were still sparse compared to the south. This tree in particular was extremely tall, quite old, with a canopy like a pavilion or an umbrella… So Dashi thought nothing of it, assuming only that this Zhao Song ruler, accustomed to comfort, was cooling himself there, or perhaps the tree's scenery had stirred the poetic inspiration of this ruler, said to be quite skilled at composing poetry and lyrics.

But regardless, Dashi couldn't be bothered to think deeply. He simply dismounted and walked toward the tree on foot.

However, upon reaching the tree, he still saw no noble, only another gesture from the armored soldiers. Only then did Yelu Dashi notice that over a hundred paces behind the tree lay a marsh, where people were busy at work, and beyond the crowd, someone in splendid attire seemed to be standing solemnly.

Dashi had no choice but to walk forward again. When he was still several dozen paces away, he didn't see the distant Hebul, but instead the somewhat nervous Hurzahusi coming toward him. Clearly, he had already greeted the Zhao Song ruler, and now, seeing Dashi arrive, was being dismissed.

Hurzahusi gave Yelu Dashi a slight bow, then jerked his chin toward the back of a cloth-robed figure standing solemnly by the reedy marsh. At the same time, several gorgeously dressed Han and barbarian officials, realizing who had arrived, were startled by his attire but still crowded forward, ready to exchange pleasantries.

Yelu Dashi ignored them all, walking straight through the group with his hands behind his back, then called out with a laugh: "His Majesty is thoughtful, knowing the reeds here are about to bloom, and specially summoned Dashi over!"

Unexpectedly, the young man—that is, the Zhao ruler—turned his head, gave the newcomer a brief once-over, then slowly shook his head: "Linya Dashi overestimates me. I stopped here with no particular intention. I merely dismounted to relieve myself along the way, but found dozens of floating corpses in the reeds, all dressed as Western Xia people—likely your men's handiwork—and already rotting… Fearing they would pollute the water and soil, I stopped here to supervise the laborers in burying them and cleaning the marsh. As for these reeds, though they look the same as those in your homeland, they will be burned later."

Yelu Dashi, walking slowly forward, was taken aback for a moment, but quickly stopped a dozen paces away, put his hands behind his back, and laughed again: "His Majesty is kind and benevolent. I hear His Majesty believes in Buddhism?"

"Those bald donkeys should believe in me!" Zhao Jiu replied, also with his hands behind his back, but his feet did not move an inch.

Dashi likewise did not move, laughing repeatedly: "His Majesty is indeed exactly as the rumors say… not at all like the previous Zhao Song rulers."

Zhao Jiu also laughed: "Linya Dashi hurried from Lanzhou all the way north here—when did you have time to hear rumors about me? Only from Yelu Yudu and Zhao Heda? You must know, what kind of man I am—you won't see clearly unless you come closer yourself."

Yelu Dashi kept laughing, but after finishing, under the watchful and wary eyes of Liu Yan and the others, he walked forward with his hand on his blade, stopping only two or three steps from Zhao Jiu. He first straightened up and carefully scrutinized this young ruler, then finally bowed solemnly with a respectful gesture:

"Liao and Song are brother nations. Dashi pays respects to Your Majesty. Your Majesty manipulates heaven and earth, orchestrates the grand scheme, and easily destroyed Western Xia—Dashi has yet to congratulate Your Majesty."

Zhao Jiu finally stepped forward two paces, reached out, and grasped the other's hands by the marsh where corpses were still being dug up, then said earnestly: "I have known for a long time that Linya Dashi is a rare great hero and bold man in this world. To meet you today is an honor beyond measure… Let us defeat the Jurchens together, then burn incense and sacrifice to heaven and earth with Linya Dashi, and re-establish the covenant between our two nations!"

Yelu Dashi raised his head and nodded gladly.

Meanwhile, Zhao Jiu, still holding the man's hands without letting go, turned his head to look at a richly dressed official: "Minister Zheng, I need to borrow your reputation, renowned among the nations, to suppress the Jurchens' arrogance… Go see the Jurchens. Tell Wushu that, thanks to his cooperation, I have annihilated Western Xia and brought the Imperial Camp's Forward Army, Central Army, Left Army, Rear Army, and Cavalry Army—sixty thousand men—along with sixty thousand surrendered Tanguts here. And now, having met Linya Dashi here, I have allied nearly two hundred thousand troops, with Western Xia's reserves to supply us until the autumn harvest… As they say, never heard of two hundred thousand men fearing anyone, and as they also say, with a sharp blade in hand, the urge to kill arises. Since I claim to have ample troops and provisions, no less than the Jurchen warriors, I naturally invite him to lead his great Jurchen army and hunt with me on this field!"

The famous Goryeo scholar and international friend Zheng Zhichang's heart tightened at first, but after a moment's thought, he felt a sudden clarity and nodded firmly, then straightened his chest: "Your servant is willing to serve Your Majesty like a dog or a horse… but should I set a date for the hunt with the Jurchens?"

"No need to set a date." Zhao Jiu still held Dashi's hands without letting go, then calmly gave the order. "Because from tomorrow, the two hundred thousand allied Song, Liao, and Mongol troops will move together, advancing from south to north in a united formation, then sweeping from west to east… If Wanyan Wushu wants to fight, he can meet us head-on or stand still—I will naturally meet him… And let Linya Dashi accompany me then."

At the end, Zhao Jiu naturally looked at the man before him. Yelu Dashi, whose hands were still held, had only smiled throughout, and now smiled again at these words. But after that single smile, he turned solemn and nodded heavily:

"The one who knows Dashi—it is Your Majesty!"