Chapter 337: The Audience

Zhao Jiu had a reason for sending Wang Yan to receive Ma Kuo: the area where Ma Kuo and his subordinates were currently active was basically the same territory that Wang Yan's old Eight-Character Army had controlled before crossing the river, so they knew the roads well.

Beyond that, it also carried the meaning of showing regard and conveying specific information.

After all, Wang Yan had risen from general to minister—not quite the pinnacle of officialdom, but he had reached a high rank. And if Wang Yan could reach this point by bringing back a thirty-thousand-man Eight-Character Army from the Taihang Mountains—even if he quickly lost control of that force—then there was no reason Ma Kuo should fare worse than Wang Yan.

Of course, these were minor details, trivial matters. The key point was that the Imperial Majesty, having just gained a slight advantage in the Guanshi direction, could not wait to summon Ma Kuo—his determination to recover the Two Rivers was enough to silence everyone.

It was hard to imagine that, after five or six years of this Majesty's rule and so many resolute political purges, anyone would still dare to counsel him face-to-face to suspend or slow down the Northern Expedition.

Weren't they afraid of being branded a surrenderist faction in the Court Gazette, having three generations of their family sidelined, or simply exiled?

"Your subject heard that Your Majesty had just returned from the northwest and, while passing through Shanzhou, could not wait to send Grand Commandant Wang across the river to seek out your subject for a talk. Your subject's heart is filled with gratitude. And your subject indeed has a thousand words concerning the situation of the Two Rivers to report to Your Majesty. But before reporting, your subject has one thing he must say—if he does not say it, then the thousand words that follow absolutely cannot be spoken..."

On the river embankment, facing the Imperial Majesty who had come to greet him in person, under the watchful eyes of a host of civil and military close officials including Wang Yan, Liu Hongdao, Fan Zongyin, Lu Benzhong, Ren Baozhong, and Liu Yan, Ma Kuo performed the grand salute. Before the Imperial Majesty could step forward to help him up and shake his hand, he directly bowed his head to speak—almost impatiently, even somewhat discourteously.

"Minister Ma, speak," Zhao Jiu said. Having been tempered by experience, he simply made a gesture of raising his arm and urged the other to speak.

"Your Majesty, you must not underestimate the Jurchens just because of our previous victory at Yaoshan and the northern barbarians' retreat beyond the river. If you cross the river for a Northern Expedition now, I fear there is a nine-in-ten chance of a great defeat and retreat." Ma Kuo raised his head, speaking earnestly. "We should conserve our strength and bide our time, waiting for Heaven's timing..."

On the river embankment that afternoon, the Imperial Majesty, upon hearing these words, could not help but let out a soft, amused laugh.

Seeing this, Ma Kuo grew even more anxious and quickly spoke again: "Your subject is absolutely not uttering empty threats to frighten you! Your Majesty, the Northern Expedition is a matter of utmost importance. Once we cross the river for the expedition, if we cannot hold a major town north of the river for a long time, the morale and will of the people and the army will be disheartened. Moreover, the north of the river is devastated, the people's hearts are unsettled. If the Imperial Song crosses the river but cannot properly pacify the common people, there will also be some obstacles."

Zhao Jiu's expression became completely solemn: "I will certainly act with prudence. Summoning you here this time is precisely to hear the true situation north of the river before making a decision."

Only then did Ma Kuo's emotions calm slightly.

However, at the same time, the civil and military officials around them could not help but exchange glances, and even Wang Yan, who had accompanied Ma Kuo all the way south, looked somewhat awkward.

To be honest, everyone had sensed that there was a problem with Ma Kuo from the very beginning.

Of course, this problem was not about Ma Kuo's stance being questionable—if this man's stance were questionable, then there would be no one in the world with a reliable stance. Nor was it about the content of his advice being problematic—as the only military leader who had steadfastly remained in the Two Rivers to resist the Jin behind enemy lines, he was the sole expert on this topic. Only he could refute others; no one else had the standing to refute him.

This problem actually referred to Ma Kuo's mindset being out of step with the times.

He spoke hastily, his tone urgent, as if he still regarded the Imperial Majesty and the entire court as they were during the Jingkang era—outwardly grand but inwardly rotten, unwilling to listen to advice, unable to accomplish anything, caring only for face and prestige, with no regard for the actual situation at the front... Thus, this Northern Circuit Grand Administrator seemed to have a mindset of fearing that if he showed even a hint of weakness, it would cause the Imperial Majesty and the accompanying officials to misjudge, leading to disastrous consequences.

This mindset was, of course, very wrong, yet it was also understandable.

Because the betrayals and hardships Ma Kuo had experienced were far beyond what the officials south of the river could comprehend. Moreover, he had been isolated in the north, surrounded by enemies on all sides. It was only natural that his mindset was off, even somewhat narrow.

The best example was Wang Yan, who was also present. After two years in the Taihang Mountains, Wang Yan's mindset had nearly collapsed. He saw everyone as a traitor, changed his sleeping spot three or four times a night, and finally forced his subordinates to tattoo their bodies together as a show of loyalty.

After returning, he was still narrow-minded, harboring a vague resistance to any orders, dispositions, or military arrangements from above, and unable to open his heart to his subordinates. Even a former confidant like Little Fan, the military advisor, once promoted and given a share of military authority, became someone he could not tolerate.

To put it bluntly, it was already somewhat pathological.

Therefore, although there were reasons for it—one could even say the reasons behind this pathology were worthy of respect—Zhao Jiu still transferred him from his independent command post and made him a high-ranking local official.

Compared to that, Ma Kuo's being out of step was nothing at all.

In fact, the Imperial Majesty, understanding the other's mindset, made some accommodating gestures. He led the man into the military camp behind him, seated him in the main hall borrowed from Zhang Rong, and specifically had him sit while the other civil and military officials stood in attendance. Having thus made his attitude clear and his posture correct, after a few more exchanges, the audience soon became proper.

"How many people are there in the Taihang Righteous Army now?"

"For Your Majesty's information, the Taihang Righteous Army is, of course, countless. Your subject roughly estimates that there are always over a hundred thousand able-bodied men hiding in the mountains. But that is the total number; your subject cannot control or deploy them all. As for those under... when your subject assisted the Prince of Xin in raising the banner in the northern Taihang, the ones directly before us amounted to only thirty or forty thousand, of which about twenty thousand were able-bodied men fit for battle."

"That's already good," Zhao Jiu nodded in praise. "The southern Taihang region is limited in area. Back when the Eight-Character Army came south with thirty thousand men, I estimated that Minister Ma's side was about the same number. Besides, in the past two years, the Jurchens have had regular main forces stationed in Taiyuan, Longde Prefecture, and Hezhong Prefecture. It's inevitable that the mountain bases were divided, suppressed, and restricted... Twenty thousand is good."

"Your Majesty sees a thousand li clearly... As Your Majesty says, at first there were fifty or sixty thousand, with thirty thousand usable able-bodied men. But in the past two years, the Jurchens have squeezed us hard, so the numbers have decreased. But to be honest with Your Majesty, even with twenty thousand able-bodied men, when it comes time to risk their lives, your subject may not be able to deploy them properly." Ma Kuo was being quite honest.

"What do you mean?" Zhao Jiu was momentarily surprised, but then realized. "Is it because you came from the northern Taihang, and the locals of the southern Taihang don't accept you?"

This time it was Ma Kuo's turn to be slightly taken aback, but he quickly recovered: "Exactly as Your Majesty says. There are two main groups... One group is from the northwest of the southern Taihang, from Taiyuan in Hedong Circuit; the other is from the southeast of the southern Taihang, from Weizhou in Hebei West Circuit, right opposite this place. Both are based on mutual-aid societies... They have never really accepted your subject's authority, and when the time comes, your subject may not be able to deploy them."

"Be more detailed."

"For Your Majesty's information, the leader of the first group is called Zhang Heng. His unit claims to have ten thousand men, but they are mostly family members who went up the mountain. By your subject's estimation, he really only has about two thousand core troops. However, although this man's forces are few, he has extremely deep roots around Taiyuan. Any dealings with the people of Taiyuan in the Taihang Mountains, or inquiries about the Jurchen military situation in Taiyuan, all rely on him. Last year, when the Jurchens were pressing the southern Taihang hardest, this man led his two thousand men from Fenzhou across the Fenshui River to go to Gujishan for provisions, and the Jurchens didn't even notice him along the way... A man like this, your subject dares not easily absorb."

Zhao Jiu understood and nodded repeatedly.

Not only him, but several of the nearby close officials who knew something of military affairs also became serious... It must be known that Gujishan is the Luliang Mountains, the main mountain range in the northwest of later-day Shanxi Province. Zhang Heng's move from the Taihang to the Luliang was equivalent to crossing the entire Shanxi Province unscathed during a Jurchen sweep. Although it was crossing through the narrowest gap at the southern end of the Taiyuan Plain, it was still enough to show his capability.

At the very least, this man had deep roots in the Taiyuan Plain. Not only did no one dare to inform on him, but he also had a clear understanding of the Jurchens' deployments, which allowed him to seize the gap and pass through boldly.

Such a super-local power broker could produce miraculous results if used well. Ma Kuo would have to be mad to risk absorbing this man.

"When you leave, I will write him a grand imperial decree, promising him the future prospect of a Commanding Officer. If he doesn't understand the value of a Commanding Officer, I can casually promise him some other prospect." Zhao Jiu thought for a moment and immediately made a political commitment.

"Your Majesty's judgment is clear. Zhang Heng was originally a great magnate from Taiyuan. He will certainly be willing to serve the state. But the problem is that we are far apart. An empty decree may not be enough to win his trust." Ma Kuo expressed some difficulty.

"Then let him go to Gujishan, contact Yan'an Prefecture from the upper reaches of the Yellow River, and receive some military equipment from there... It will also serve as my test of his mettle, to see if he's just putting on a show!"

"That would be excellent!"

"What about the other group?"

"The other group is a case of strong troops and horses," Ma Kuo said, regaining his composure, also helpless. "This man is called Liang Xing, known as Little Brother Liang. He is only twenty-seven or twenty-eight this year. He was originally an old subordinate of Military Governor Yue, who got separated from him north of the river. Later, during the Battle of Yaoshan, Military Governor Yue crossed the river and met him once. Hearing that he had set up a stronghold in the mountains with several hundred men, Yue not only didn't take him away but told him to work hard in the Taihang Mountains, awaiting the official army's Northern Expedition. He gave him the rank of Commander and left him many weapons and armor..."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Zhao Jiu said with a wry smile, already guessing what was going on in his heart.

"It should have been a good thing," Ma Kuo said, clearly exasperated. "But this man is young and hot-tempered. On one hand, he relies on the weapons and armor Military Governor Yue left him to train his troops and expand his strength. On the other hand, he refuses to accept my deployments, saying I am just a figurehead, and that he is a proper general of the Imperial Camp's Forward Army—how could he listen to my words? He has contradicted me to my face several times, attacked county towns at the foot of the mountain without authorization several times, privately colluded with other strongholds several times, and even sent his leaders to my strongholds to instigate internal conflicts. For the sake of the greater situation, I have been unable to control him! Even when I obtained a military order from Military Governor Li of Shanzhou, he ignored it, saying he only recognizes Military Governor Yue, not some Military Governor Li."

Zhao Jiu was stunned for a long moment before letting out another dry laugh: "I'll try to have Yue Pengju give you an explanation... How many troops does this Little Brother Liang have?"

"A full four thousand able-bodied men, and their equipment is the best in the southern Taihang," Ma Kuo said, his expression growing even more helpless. "At least three hundred sets of iron armor, over a thousand sets of leather armor, and over a hundred crossbows... The key is that he is a local, born and raised at the border of Weizhou and Huaizhou. He has been received by Military Governor Yue, and with this kind of strength, all the righteous men in Xiangzhou, Cizhou, Weizhou, and Huaizhou on this side of the southern Taihang listen to him."

Ma Kuo's resentment was plain to see, and what this Little Brother Liang had done was indeed not in the interest of the greater situation, but Zhao Jiu could only smile bitterly.

It wasn't just Zhao Jiu. Everyone in the military tent, civil and military alike, knew: if it was this hard for Ma Kuo to cross the river and have an audience with the Emperor, how could Yue Fei, even if cooperative, reliably deliver a military order to Liang Xing's hands? And then how could Liang Xing trust an empty piece of paper?

Unlike that Zhang Heng, this Liang Xing's matter would almost certainly become a messy, unsettled account.

"How about I give you a Military Governor's commission?" After thinking for a long time, the Imperial Majesty also felt awkward and tried again. "Wait a few days, take the Military Governor's ceremonial regalia before you return."

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your deep favor, but times are different now. The southern Taihang is heavily guarded on three sides. Your subject can only take small paths through the mountains. Carrying a Military Governor's ceremonial regalia would be too conspicuous. And if I only bring the seal and the decree, those stronghold leaders won't believe it..." Ma Kuo replied with difficulty.

"Why wouldn't they believe it?" Lu Benzhong could not contain his curiosity and couldn't help interjecting to ask.

"Of course, it's because of the Prince of Xin," Zhao Jiu said with a sneer, before Ma Kuo's expression could turn awkward. "After the Two Sages returned, the Jurchens must have spread rumors in the mountains, saying the Prince of Xin was a fake, that the real one had long since returned... Little do they know, this brother of mine still has some integrity."

Lu Benzhong suddenly understood—as time passed, the southern Taihang could more or less hear news from south of the river. The matter of the false Prince of Xin was gradually exposed, and Ma Kuo's credibility in this regard was also slowly bankrupted.

"Whether you take it or not, it must be reported!" Zhao Jiu thought for a moment and said seriously. "After Minister Ma leaves, I will have the Court Gazette publish the full details of your meeting with me, from Little Brother Liang to Zhang Heng, to the matter of granting the Military Governor commission—all of it published... Having something is better than nothing."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Ma Kuo was greatly relieved.

"The safest route to the Taihang Mountains now should still be the one through Jiezhou (north of Shanzhou), right?"

"Yes."

"I will also have Li Yanxian send you some military equipment specifically. Strong troops and sturdy horses are the most reliable."

"Forgive me for speaking bluntly," Ma Kuo quickly became serious again. "Your Majesty had best not send any good military equipment—crossbows, great axes, and iron armor should not be sent at all. Used leather armor and ordinary swords and knives would be best..."

"Afraid the Jurchens will intercept them along the way?"

"Yes."

"You have worked hard," Zhao Jiu said, unable to contain his emotion. "Operating behind enemy lines is truly difficult."

Ma Kuo did not offer any modest disclaimers; he simply sighed where he sat.

That concluded the inquiry into Ma Kuo's own situation. A moment later, Zhao Jiu pulled himself together again, but instead of speaking directly, he swept his gaze over the close ministers accompanying him. At once, at least three or four of them understood his intent, but it was the white-haired and white-bearded Ren Baozhong who moved the fastest.

This man stepped forward, immediately cupped his hands toward Ma Kuo, and said: "Chief Ma, I am Ren Baozhong, a Gentleman-in-Waiting of the Palace Gate, accompanying the imperial carriage to advise on military affairs. I have a question for you, Chief. You said as soon as you came ashore that now is not the time for a Northern Expedition... Then may I ask, Chief, when can the Northern Expedition take place? You must have a plan in mind."

"Correct," Direct Academician Lu Benzhong also turned serious. "Chief Ma, you have indeed worked hard in the north, but you may not know that His Majesty has also faced extreme difficulties in the south. There are always those who want to abandon the Two Rivers for temporary peace, and every so often they force His Majesty to purge many people. These people gather in the south, relying on Dao-learning academies, echoing each other to get things done, and are subtly forming a faction—this cannot be ignored. If the Northern Expedition is delayed too long here, it will be hard to unite the people's hearts in the south."

Ma Kuo frowned slightly, clearly unable to digest this all at once.

At this moment, Vice Minister of War and concurrently Director of the Waterways, Liu Hongdao, for some reason also stepped forward and said seriously: "In truth, when the south discusses military affairs, they also have their difficulties. In recent years, to recover the Central Plains, pacify the West of the Pass, and also to support the two hundred thousand troops of the Imperial Guard Army, taxes in the south have been extremely heavy, and the common people have many complaints..."

"But the people of the Two Rivers are in dire straits like being in fire and water!" Ma Kuo, upon hearing this, was greatly startled and hastily rose to argue. "Do I need to elaborate on the brutality of the Jurchens? In the past, as soon as the Eight-Character Army left, we scattered from the northern Taihang Mountains, and within half a year we had restored our former strength of thirty thousand men. This shows how much the people of the Two Rivers have suffered. The Jurchens have settled their Meng'an and Mouke in the Two Rivers, forcibly seized land, and forcibly enslaved Han Chinese—I have said this a thousand times already, and I fear the central authorities are all tired of hearing it... But Vice Minister Liu, do you know that the Jurchens still have a hair-cutting edict? They are forcing the people to shave their heads like theirs."

Liu Hongdao was caught off guard.

"Although this edict has gradually relaxed, that is only because the people resist every single day, and because His Majesty won the victory at Yaoshan! Those with violent natures still carry it out... Last year in Shizhou, there was a Han official who passed the Jin examination under Nianhan's Marshal's office and became a County Magistrate. He first shaved his own head, then stood in the street, decreeing that no one's hair should be longer than his, or they would be beheaded... Vice Minister Liu, how do the hardships of the Jiangnan people compare to those of the Two Rivers? How can you use such words to obstruct the Northern Expedition?!" Ma Kuo scolded in succession, his emotions agitated, clearly provoked once again.

Faced with his anger, not only was Zhao Jiu somewhat flustered, but Ren Baozhong and Lu Benzhong also resented Liu Hongdao for ruining the situation... Ren Baozhong in particular, though he said nothing, was secretly anxious about the hair matter, fearing that Zhao Jiu would take note of it and then come to detest him—he hated Liu Hongdao's loose tongue to the extreme.

As for Liu Hongdao, after a slight pause, he also grew indignant: "Chief Ma! When did I ever say a single word against the Northern Expedition? On the contrary, it is you—why did you advise His Majesty not to launch the Northern Expedition as soon as you came ashore?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Kuo immediately lost his composure; in an instant, the rims of his eyes turned red: "It is precisely because I burn with anxiety day and night, longing for the imperial army to march north, that I am so torn between hope and fear, terrified that one wrong move will repeat the story of Yanyun! Vice Minister Liu, must I flatter you and all the high officials, and refuse to speak for the scholars and people of the Two Rivers, for that to be considered proper and reasonable?"

Liu Hongdao was utterly embarrassed and fell silent.

"Ma Qing, you need not mind them," Zhao Jiu, seeing the situation was beyond control, could only speak up again himself. "I will handle everything... Their original intention was to ask you about the true situation in the north! For instance, how many troops do the Jurchens have?!"

Ma Kuo forcibly steadied his emotions, turned back, and cupped his hands in reply: "To report to Your Majesty, I am truly unclear about the total number of Jurchen troops at present... but I can roughly calculate it."

"How do you calculate it?"

"During the Jingkang era, at the height of the Jurchens' power, the total number of troops was very simple," Ma Kuo said seriously. "The Eastern and Western Route Armies each had ten Wanhu, one hundred Meng'an. But at that time, each Meng'an had no supplementary troops—roughly each Meng'an had five or six Mouke, five or six hundred cavalry. In other words, the Eastern and Western Route Armies each had sixty thousand men! This was the Jurchens' foundation for establishing their state!"

Zhao Jiu nodded slowly.

"At the same time, there was also the Ever-Victorious Army obtained during the Liao conquest," Ma Kuo continued his proper explanation. "How many troops the Ever-Victorious Army initially had no longer matters, but when Guo Yaoshi, fickle and treacherous, rebelled against Great Song, he took with him a claimed fifty thousand men. I estimate he actually had over forty thousand... However, because the Ever-Victorious Army had considerable contact with the Jurchens and most of its men were from Liaodong, they were not inherently afraid of the Jurchens. Coupled with their fickleness, they aroused suspicion. As a result, after Guo Yaoshi surrendered, the Jurchens, united from top to bottom, within a few years confined the generals, lured and killed the officers, and basically purged the Ever-Victorious Army's leadership. In the process, because some officers resisted, they even pit-killed seven or eight thousand men along with their troops. In the end, only about twenty to thirty thousand remained, completely broken in spirit, mostly scattered and used as supplementary troops for various Meng'an."

At this point, Ma Kuo paused slightly and concluded: "In other words, the Ever-Victorious Army, counted as thirty thousand men, was entirely taken over by the Jurchens. But this force had long been completely swallowed up by the Jurchens, and there was no longer a single independent military unit with its own organization."

Hearing this, Zhao Jiu nodded and couldn't help but glance at Liu Yan, who stood solemnly to one side. Liu Yan also looked visibly dejected.

"Besides the Ever-Victorious Army, there were also fifty thousand men of the Righteous-Victorious Army," Ma Kuo continued his earnest explanation, unaware of Zhao Jiu's subtle movement. "The Righteous-Victorious Army was raised by Great Song just before the Jingkang era, after acquiring the Ever-Victorious Army, specifically to check Guo Yaoshi. They were recruited from among the Han people of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, and their treatment was even better than that of the Imperial Army... But the Han people of Yanyun had never been loyal to the Imperial Song. As soon as the troops were fully equipped and organized, the Jurchens marched south. The entire fifty thousand of the Righteous-Victorious Army surrendered, and the Jurchens accepted them properly, using them directly."

This time, Zhao Jiu showed no reaction at all.

"Besides the Ever-Victorious Army and the Righteous-Victorious Army, there were also the surrendered troops from Taiyuan and Hebei. Adding all these together, I dare to assert that although the Jurchens had twenty Wanhu, calculated by Meng'an and Mouke, only one hundred and twenty thousand men, in reality, including these auxiliary Han surrendered troops, they certainly had far more than a full two hundred thousand! Moreover, the surrendered Liao troops from beyond the passes at that time could not have simply vanished. When Wanyan Wuqimai sent Nianhan and Wolibu to lead the Eastern and Western Route Armies south, he could not have left no national foundation beyond the passes. Therefore, I venture to say that at the height of the Jurchens' power, they surely had close to three hundred thousand men." Ma Kuo paused slightly here, then looked up at Zhao Jiu.

Before Zhao Jiu could speak, Lu Benzhong interjected with slight confusion: "But three hundred thousand was only at the Jurchens' peak. Since then?"

Ma Kuo was momentarily exasperated.

Seeing the situation was turning bad, Zhao Jiu finally nodded: "Chief Ma is afraid there will be people like you. He wants to warn the court not to focus only on the twenty Wanhu of the Eastern and Western Routes, but to understand one thing clearly: once we cross the river and launch the Northern Expedition, the roles of attacker and defender will reverse. What we face will no longer be the familiar twenty Wanhu. Those surrendered troops and veteran soldiers scattered beyond the passes for five or six years without fighting, under the marching commands, can still be summoned... One should estimate the enemy on the generous side."

"This is exactly my intent," Ma Kuo let out a long breath.

"But Ma Qing, I understand your meaning," Zhao Jiu said solemnly. "Yet supporting three hundred thousand troops is not the same as supporting two hundred thousand, is it?! Moreover, crossing the river—would we cross all at once? Without leaving a rearguard? And for a Northern Expedition of three hundred thousand troops, not to mention post-war pacification or even rewards, just the grain and funds consumed by three hundred thousand men over half a year—how much would need to be prepared?"

The civil and military officials around them were all startled upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty! For the Northern Expedition across the river, three hundred thousand troops are absolutely necessary!" Ma Kuo gritted his teeth in response. "However, Your Majesty does not necessarily have to support all three hundred thousand as Imperial Guard troops. Counting our twenty thousand in the Taihang Mountains is also feasible. Besides that..."

The more Ma Kuo spoke, the more agitated he became, yet the more agitated, the more difficult it was. In the end, he was momentarily unable to continue.

"We could also invite the Khitans and Mongols to help... As long as they can pin down the enemy a little, it would count?" Zhao Jiu seemed to see through his thoughts and asked tentatively.

"Yes," Ma Kuo's voice seemed somewhat lacking in strength, clearly still affected by the maritime alliance of that day.

"Your Majesty," Ren Baozhong gathered his courage and rose at the right moment. "I venture to say, if that's the case, the Tangut troops are also capable of enduring hard battles... Your Majesty does not need to keep recruiting and supporting them permanently. You could simply recruit several tens of thousands temporarily from the Ningxia Circuit when needed. For every able-bodied man sent, exempt that household from taxes for ten years! And once these Tangut troops cross the Yellow River, with no retreat, and having to consider their clans, they will certainly fight to the death."

Zhao Jiu was stunned for a moment, then nodded slightly, clearly tempted.

"But Your Majesty!" Ma Kuo spoke again. "Even so, we must ensure the troop numbers are actual."

Zhao Jiu was stunned again, then nodded again.

Then, in the silence of the tent, Zhao Jiu, the first to recover his wits, asked once more: "Earlier you said, 'conserve strength and bide our time'... 'conserve strength' means maintaining three hundred thousand troops and the logistics for three hundred thousand troops... What about 'the time'? When is it? When Jin Wushu's reforms trigger internal unrest?"

Ma Kuo took another serious look at this emperor, then bowed his head and replied earnestly: "Your Majesty, in the contest between great states, it is improper to pin hopes on the enemy's internal unrest... However, the Jurchens themselves were tribal barbarians. By Heaven's fortune, they destroyed one state in twenty years and swallowed the Two Rivers, expanding to the extreme. No matter how Jin Wushu reforms, he cannot escape abolishing the Jurchens' old wild systems from the top down and promoting Han imperial law... This kind of reform is easy for the civil side but hard for the military; easy at the top but hard at the bottom. When the Bogilie system was abolished, they had to kill Nianhan and imprison the ruler. What about the Wanhu? If they don't reform the Wanhu and directly reform the Meng'an and Mouke, is that possible? Therefore, if Your Majesty can truly conserve strength, then the so-called 'time' has already begun from the moment Wushu started touching the Wanhu. There is no need to wait specifically!"

Zhao Jiu nodded slowly.

With that, their exchange was concluded. Next, naturally, Zhao Jiu would say some polite words and perform some gesture of ruler-minister rapport.

But who would have expected that just as Zhao Jiu was about to say something, Ma Kuo suddenly stepped back several paces, knelt formally in the somewhat chaotic naval hall, and then performed a grand obeisance.

This caught Zhao Jiu and the others completely off guard.

"If you have any request, I will naturally grant it," Zhao Jiu immediately rose.

"I have no request. I am about to return to Hebei, and I do not know when we will meet again. This ritual is only proper," Ma Kuo replied with his head bowed, without any of his previous urgency or agitation.

But Zhao Jiu was instead flustered: "We parted for years, and you labored for over a month just to get here—how can you return in a single day? I have already prepared a residence and rewards for you in Dongjing."

Ma Kuo raised his head, his whole body relaxed: "Your Majesty's great kindness. But I came in haste only out of concern that the... that those in power at the center might be frivolous, unaware of the hardships of every matter, and lightly throw away the grand strategy. Having seen you today, I did not expect Your Majesty to already have such a thorough grasp of the overall situation. Since Your Majesty controls the grand strategy and understands the hardships of every matter, why should I stay longer? It is better to return early to Hebei to hold the people's hearts."

Having said this, Ma Kuo bowed again, then actually strode out directly.

Zhao Jiu was stunned for a moment. Several times he wanted to call him back, several times he wanted to chase after him, but in the end, he only waved his hand, signaling Wang Yan to follow and see off this Grand Chief of the Northern Circuit of Great Song.

PS: Typed in the car, threw up...