Chapter 393: Up and Down

This light snow at the beginning of the eleventh lunar month in the ninth year of Jianyan was truly insignificant to the natural changes of the seasons, and it brought no direct alteration to the already fully unfolding war situation.

But whether civil or military, east or west, Song or Jin, nearly every discerning person had already realized that this snow was enough to serve as an omen.

A crisis was brewing.

Yet before the crisis arrived, on that gloomy winter afternoon after the snow, Great Ming City in Great Ming Prefecture first welcomed several hundred elite Song cavalry arriving from the east. The lead rider held high a banner with the character "Tian," and behind him was another banner with "Zhang." After some exchange at the city gate, the people of Great Ming City, upon a brief inspection of their identities, dared not show any negligence and immediately opened the gates wide, letting the hundred riders enter.

The two leaders among the arrivals were none other than Tian Shizhong, Vice Commander of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp, and Zhang Zigai, who had previously served in the Forward Army of the Imperial Camp but was pushed back to the Right Army by Yue Fei himself and now led the Beiwei Army.

The two entered Great Ming City and were met by Wang Gui, Vice Commander of the Forward Army of the Imperial Camp, along with Tang Huai, Commander of the Central Army, who had come upon hearing the news.

"Commander Tian," Tang Huai, not skilled in words, merely greeted as Wang Gui exchanged pleasantries. "Was the journey smooth?"

"I am the Vice Commander; the Commander is my Military Governor," Tian Shizhong immediately corrected coldly. "The journey was fine, but we ran into some trouble near here... Why are there so many logging teams clogging the roads?"

"The Marshal gave the order directly, starting the day after we took the city, and it hasn't stopped. We didn't ask either; the more fortifications and timber, the better," Wang Gui, knowing the other liked to put on a cold front, didn't mind his tone and explained casually.

"That makes sense," Tian Shizhong said, indeed just asking casually, then pointed at two large banners faintly visible in the western part of the city. "Has Commander Zhang arrived?"

"He has, and he's with our Marshal near the west water gate. They said to invite Vice Commander Tian over directly once you arrived," Wang Gui, done with pleasantries, led the way without further ado.

Hearing this, Tian Shizhong frowned more and more but ultimately didn't ask further. He let Zhang Zigai take his accompanying subordinates with Tang Huai for some hot soup while he himself hurried with Wang Gui to see Yue and Zhang.

Passing the two large banners and nearing the west water gate, they saw few flags or senior officers. Only a hot air balloon painted with a tiger face was already inflated, swaying slightly on a rammed earth platform raised two or three zhang high, apparently ready. Yue and Zhang, in casual clothes, were waiting beside the balloon. Seeing Tian Shizhong and Wang Gui approach, they waved and immediately climbed into the large basket.

In this era, even idle people dared to float around in hot air balloons, so a tethered one was nothing special. Tian Shizhong understood and, without any fuss, quickly removed his outer armor to avoid overheating and followed Wang Gui into the basket.

Then, under the command of the famous Bei Yanbei, the soldiers below carefully removed counterweights and released ropes with winches, but only let the balloon rise another four or five zhang. All four ropes were securely tied to corner towers and trees around the platform... clearly still worried about accidents, lest a basket crash wipe out four major generals of Hebei and drain the Northern Expedition campaign's momentum.

But this height was enough.

After all, this stable and spacious elevated platform was incomparable to narrow wooden watchtowers. The four took out the crystal telescopes bestowed by the Emperor and observed. The surrounding camps, roads, rivers, markets, and trees were clearly visible, especially the layout inside Yuancheng opposite Great Ming City. Without the cover of its four-zhang-high walls, the interior was almost completely exposed.

They could even clearly see through the telescopes that the Jin troops in Yuancheng were pointing at the rising balloon, seemingly already used to it.

Indeed, it must be noted here that Great Ming City, which gave Great Ming Prefecture its name, was no longer the prefecture's seat. Yuancheng, separated by a river, was now the seat of Great Ming Prefecture—the so-called "Beijing City" in the traditional sense of the Great Song.

The reason for this change was no longer traceable.

But from the geographical vantage point of Tian Shizhong and the others looking down, this shift of the city's main body seemed natural—Yuancheng on the opposite bank was located in the narrowest area between the forks of the Yellow River's northern channel. To the east, it directly bordered a branch of the Yellow River; to the west, another branch was only about ten li away. Adding the Yongji Canal, which passed through Great Ming Prefecture after crossing the western river and turning north, three waterways through Great Ming Prefecture almost pierced the entire Hebei region.

This naturally made the place a transportation hub for Hebei under the Song's previous territorial state.

In comparison, Great Ming City, which the Song army had occupied only a dozen days earlier, guarded only one waterway east of Yuancheng, making it seem more like a functional satellite city.

Even further east, over ten li from Great Ming City, next to another Yellow River branch, was Gucheng Town. Some said that was the original location of Great Ming Prefecture's main city.

Enough digression. Tian Shizhong watched for a while in the basket, then suddenly put away his telescope and pointed in shock at a spot opposite: "Are those trebuchets?!"

"Yes!" Yue Fei, without even looking, knew where he was pointing. "All twenty of them. It's been eight years since the Nanyang battle; how could it be hidden? They not only have trebuchets but also hot air balloons..."

"Why haven't I seen them?" Tian Shizhong, just coming to his senses, asked in surprise.

"The Jin know how to make trebuchets; they understand the principle at a glance. But hot air balloons are different," Wang Gui, adding a shovel of coal to the balloon's central furnace, laughed. "The Jin balloons' openings can't withstand the heat. We've been in Great Ming City for over ten days. When we launch ours, Yuancheng initially launched theirs too. They tried three times, burned twice, and seem to have one left, but they're reluctant to use it again, probably saving it for the siege."

"I see," Tian Shizhong nodded, then shook his head as if suddenly realizing something. "That's not what I meant. I was thinking, these two cities are only a river apart, a mere five or six hundred paces. What if they switch to mud balls or wooden balls coated with gunpowder or oil? Commander Wang, how dare you let the two Military Governors get into this basket?"

"No," Wang Gui quickly explained with a smile. "Not to mention whether they have such wooden balls, look closely, Commander Tian. Their trebuchet positions are fixed, all aimed at the river... Besides, this balloon flies up every day to spy on the enemy city's military situation. They've long seen everything. They don't know there are important people in this balloon. Would they build a new trebuchet just for sniping?"

Tian Shizhong was stunned for a moment, then raised his telescope to look carefully. Indeed, as Wang Gui said, the trebuchet positions in Yuancheng, near the eastern port, were completely immobile, apparently fixed in advance, likely aimed at the river outside the city.

But after seeing clearly, Tian Shizhong didn't relax; instead, he grew more serious. In his view, Gao Jingshan's arrangement was the correct approach—locking down the river to prevent Zhang Rong's navy from sneaking into the city or repeating his trick of seizing the river to ferry the Forward Army's main force across... This was a strategic deployment, absolutely useful.

Moreover, fixing the trebuchet positions freed up manpower, requiring only a few supervisory troops to manage the laborers.

On the other hand, aiming the trebuchets at this side, hoping to fire a few shots at Great Ming City beyond effective range and get lucky, that would be truly misguided.

"What do you think?" Yue Fei spoke again, as if continuing Wang Gui's earlier words.

"Difficult!" Tian Shizhong sighed, but inexplicably changed the subject. "Marshal... let me first report something. The day before yesterday, after the snow, at a place called Sunsheng Town northeast of Xiajin County, my unit of three thousand men swept north and encountered a large Jin force. We suffered a major defeat, losing over half... According to the survivors, it should be the main force of Jin Wanhu Wang Bolong. Counting Wang Gang's defeat at Liaocheng earlier and Li Bao's rash landing after a naval victory—winning first, then losing—we've made some progress, but we've already lost three battles."

Yue Fei frowned slightly at this, showing no extra expression, and simply nodded.

It was Zhang Rong who finally stopped observing the river area, carefully put away his telescope, and couldn't help asking on the spot: "I've heard of this Wang Bolong's name too. I only know he's a Wanhu of the Eastern Route Army... Is he a Han? What's his background?"

"Although Wang Bolong is a Han, he grew up and lived beyond the frontier," Yue Fei, seeing Zhang Rong ask, finally explained, but spoke as if reciting from memory, clearly well-versed. "In the second year of the Jin state's founding, he surrendered tens of thousands to Aguda and immediately became a hereditary Meng'an... But at that time, there were plenty of bandits from Liao territory surrendering to Jin—Han, Khitan, Xi, Bohai—so it wasn't special... Only later, after the Jin fought for twenty years and Aguda died, most of those bandits faded away without a trace. Only Wang Bolong participated in the entire campaign to destroy Liao, was awarded Wanhu and Military Governor, and during the Jingkang Incident, he served as the vanguard of the Eastern Route Army, fighting all the way from Baihe to Dongjingcheng. His troops' treatment, daring, and ferocity were no different from the Jurchens. He himself stood out and became a pillar of the Jin army... In recent years, he has been stationed around Hejian Prefecture. Because he often personally leads charges, he's called the number one fierce general of the Eastern Route Army, his reputation even surpassing Elubu's."

Zhang Rong understood, then sighed: "If it's such a figure and such troops, losing in the field is normal... And Hejian is directly north, isn't it? In the current situation, it's right that Commander Tian's unit ran into him north of Xiajin."

"Two Military Governors, I'm not asking for sympathy," Tian Shizhong's expression remained grim. "Victory and defeat are common in war. A loss is a loss... The key point is, Wang Bolong didn't come south before, but now he does. Doesn't that match the military intelligence you reported earlier, Marshal? The Jin army has clearly made a major decision, mobilizing in force, preparing to surround us from all sides."

"Yes," Yue Fei said seriously, holding the balloon's thick rope. "A few days ago, a messenger from the Imperial Camp cavalry on the upper Yellow River reported that a Jin cavalry force of several thousand suddenly emerged from Longde Prefecture to block the Taihang Path and pressure Huaizhou, apparently worried about reinforcements from Hedong. Scouts recently learned that the opposite bank is conscripting troops on a large scale... They say they're recruiting three hundred thousand men... Looking at this, plus your encounter with Wang Bolong northeast of Xiajin the day before yesterday, we basically know the Jin army will launch a major attack, and it might involve thirteen or fourteen Wanhu!"

Even though Tian Shizhong had anticipated this, he still changed color at the words.

"What's there to go on about?" Zhang Rong grew impatient. "In the past few years, didn't the Emperor and the court come up with all sorts of contingency plans? According to those calculations, eight out of ten times, this is the result... And it really is like this... Pengju, you called us here to set a response strategy, not to scare people."

"In my opinion, there's nothing to discuss about the response strategy," Tian Shizhong shook his head repeatedly. "I'm well aware of the various plans discussed by the Military Academy and the Privy Council before. Now the Jin army is mobilizing both the Eastern and Western Routes to converge, nearly doubling our strength, and with their cavalry concentrated, we're almost powerless in field battles. We can only find a defensive line, hold out through the winter when the river freezes and dries up, and then plan for the future..."

"Correct," Yue Fei admitted frankly. "We can't win in the field with our forces. Reckless fighting will only ruin the overall situation... But how to defend? Where to defend? That's exactly why I called Commander Tian over today."

Tian Shizhong was somewhat relieved, but then hesitated: "Marshal, to be blunt, to maintain the current situation, we have to hold cities. And to make a move after winter, we also need to hold the river..."

"Correct."

"And here in Hebei, the Yellow River splits into two channels and five branches. Counting from south to north, Great Ming Prefecture sits between the third and fourth branches... We've essentially taken both eastern branches, now positioned between the second and third..."

"Why are you both talking nonsense?" Zhang Rong couldn't stand it anymore. "Just say how we'll defend after the river freezes."

"Commander Zhang, what I mean is, we're now between the eastern and northern channels of the Yellow River. The fork is only about ten li wide around Great Ming City, but it widens further back. Especially past Xiajin, it suddenly broadens, and by the sea, it's the entire Cangzhou, a gap of nearly three hundred li from north to south... These days, you two have been advancing at the river forks, while my Right Army handles the rear downstream, spreading our forces across several prefectures, truly stretched thin... This defeat at Sunsheng is proof... The area between the second and third branches is too vast. Without reinforcements, I fear we can't even hold the front at Xiajin."

"Are you saying we need to pull back?" Zhang Rong couldn't help frowning. "Pull back to where?"

Tian Shizhong, holding the long rope by the basket, looked at Yue Fei, but Yue Fei just stood with arms crossed, lost in thought, saying nothing.

Helpless, Tian Shizhong couldn't be bothered with formalities and spoke his mind directly: "Where to pull back is for you two Military Governors to decide. But the Right Army's forces are too spread out. Once the river freezes in winter, without the water barrier, we can't even maintain our current posture, let alone advance further. Otherwise, we'll be cut apart and swept away by the Jin army! In my opinion, if we fall back to the line from ten days ago, relying on the second branch for defense, we can at least report to the court... Just give up this half of Great Ming Prefecture!"

Zhang Rong shook his head repeatedly: "Great Ming Prefecture absolutely cannot be abandoned!"

Tian Shizhong was speechless, but the other's rank was far above his, and a naval commander not understanding land affairs was common. He didn't bother arguing, just stared at Yue Fei.

Yue Fei, leaning against the chest-high basket, stood with arms crossed in silence for a moment, then finally spoke calmly, first to Zhang Rong: "Let me say a few things... First, the Right Army of the Imperial Camp is already undermanned. Now it's guarding Binzhou, Dizhou, Dezhou, Bozhou, plus the newly acquired half of Great Ming Prefecture—over a dozen cities. The forces are dangerously scattered. Once the river freezes and loses its barrier, if the Jin army gathers in force, first, we can't hold it; second, even if the Jin ignore us, the Right Army can only hole up in cities, unable to delay or block effectively... We do need to abandon some places, and early, to free up strength for key points. I fully understand and agree with the Right Army's difficulty."

"Exactly my point," Tian Shizhong quickly said earnestly, but only Wang Gui smiled back at him in the large basket.

Zhang Rong just kept shaking his head.

"Second," Yue Fei turned back to Tian Shizhong. "I also understand Commander Zhang's meaning. He's not making things hard for your Right Army. He wants to find cities with water ports to protect the fleet during the river freeze... As it stands, the best places are Gucheng Town nearby, Hanzhang Town upstream, and Shanghusao... To protect these places, whether Great Ming City exists or not makes no difference."

"It's not just that I treasure my own fleet," Zhang Rong interjected earnestly. "The key is that with the fleet in hand, the Jin Army will be wary and dare not launch a large-scale river crossing, lest our navy cut off their retreat... So, from a strategic perspective, from Shaoxing (Baima) to Puzhou, and then to this fork in the road at Great Ming City, we need to seize as many positions as possible before the freeze sets in."

Tian Shizhong also sighed.

In truth, he had fully woken up halfway through Yue Fei's words... He had just been inwardly blaming Zhang Rong, this rough fellow, for disregarding the difficulties of the Imperial Camp Right Army, but he had also forgotten that the Imperial Camp Navy had its own hardships.

If the Jin Army took advantage of the freeze to burn and destroy the ships, not to mention how the Song Army would find a way to advance on Great Ming Prefecture come spring, even Dongjing would be in real danger.

One must understand that the Jin Army now not only blocked the river channel east of Great Ming Prefecture, but also on the west side—that is, the area dozens of li behind Xiaowu Sao from that day—there had always been a fleet stationed there that had been beaten by Zhang Rong into hiding.

Without ships, no matter how capable the navy, wouldn't the offensive and defensive positions be reversed? By then, forget Dongjing being in danger; we ourselves would have our supply lines cut off and be locked north of the river as an isolated force... No matter how we fought, we'd collapse.

From this perspective, the Imperial Camp Right Army could indeed be sacrificed or suffer losses, but the navy could not be allowed to fail... With this thought, Tian Shizhong's face turned grim again. Because if he were in Yue Fei's position, or in the position of the several chancellors back in Dongjing, he would also prioritize agreeing with Zhang Rong's opinion.

However, he still managed to find a reason: "If we're talking about defending Dongjing... what if the Jin Army takes advantage of the freeze to bypass here and go directly through the undefended east, via Jinan, to attack Dongjing? So the lower reaches must also be defended."

Even he felt awkward saying this... How long would the freeze last? As long as the navy was preserved, would the Jin Army withdraw or not?

"Not bad." Unexpectedly, Yue Fei did not call out the reluctance in these words, but instead nodded in agreement. "This must also be considered."

However, this kind of response made Tian Shizhong even more vigilant, because he knew Yue Fei was not the type to be muddleheaded.

Zhang Rong stamped his foot: "He's right, I'm right, everyone's right—but can war be something where everyone comes out well? Especially this battle, which is of great importance. According to the official gazette, the fate of the state for the hundred years before and the two hundred years after is all bet on this. How can we just muddle through! You, Yue Pengju, called us here today—you have to give us a clear plan and assignment!"

"I do have to give a clear plan."

Yue Fei, upon hearing this, instead folded his arms in the basket and smiled rarely. "Brother Zhang, Brother Tian, it's not just that you two have difficulties and ideas—I, Yue Fei, also have mine..."

Seeing Yue Fei acting so strangely, the two exchanged glances and then both grew solemn... Tian Shizhong grabbed a thick rope beside him, while Zhang Rong took off his finely crafted imperial cotton jacket, draped it over himself, and stood with his hands on his hips.

"Think about it—I'm only thirty-three this year, yet I've been appointed as the Marshal of the Hebei theater. Everyone in the world says I've met an enlightened ruler, but isn't there also someone secretly saying I've just had incredible luck, that I'm a favorite courtier, that His Majesty only gave me simple, meritorious tasks to do, which is why I've achieved this? And aren't there also sycophants who flatter me daily, saying my nature is deep and resolute, that I'm a natural-born commander?" Yue Fei ignored their small movements and continued to smile with folded arms, speaking with emotion. "But no matter what outsiders think, for me, ever since His Majesty personally appointed me marshal that day and gave me command of a theater, though I didn't show it on my face, in my heart I was determined to wash away the shame of the Jingkang Incident, to repay His Majesty's grace in recognizing my talent. I also resolved long ago to fight this battle well, to achieve earth-shattering merit, so that the world would not look down on me... And of course, I definitely wanted to take back Hebei properly and bring my brothers home... National enmity, family hatred, fame and lifelong aspirations—all rest on this battle."

Wang Gui sighed softly and said nothing.

"The Marshal's heart of utmost loyalty in serving the state is known to all under heaven," Tian Shizhong said with a dry laugh, still gripping the rope.

"That's for sure. I saw you were someone with a cold exterior but a warm heart when I first met you eight or nine years ago," Zhang Rong added something extra. "You like to drink, and when you drink too much, you like to lose your temper. When you're wronged, you know how to cry. When you find someone to talk to, you never stop... Last time I went to your home to see your mother, she told me all about it."

"That's not what I mean." Yue Fei was momentarily embarrassed. "What I'm trying to say is, while I certainly want to repay my sovereign's grace, achieve success, and fulfill my lifelong aspirations, ever since I received the appointment that day, I have never had a single day of peace in my heart..."

"Take Wang Gang's defeat, for example. Though I knew it was a case of ordinary arrogance, underestimating the enemy, and coveting merit, and I didn't show it on my face, I still couldn't help worrying about our own combat effectiveness..."

"When Li Bao won a victory at sea, I only reported his merit on the surface, but at night I was so happy I couldn't sleep. Later, when he suffered a defeat on land, I was so anxious I couldn't sleep again..."

"Then later, at Gao Jingshan—he's a seasoned general after all. He arranged Yuancheng opposite like an iron bucket, without a single flaw. I didn't show it on my face, but in my heart I grew increasingly uneasy, walking on eggshells every day..."

"In just ten days since arriving at Great Ming City, I've gone up in the hot air balloon nine times... Every time, after hearing battlefield reports and realizing the situation was growing more and more pressing, not knowing how to break the deadlock or how to face those in the army, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I couldn't help but hide up here, chase everyone else down, and stay alone to observe the terrain, ponder the situation, brew plans, and even make secret decisions."

"Actually, I'm the same," Zhang Rong replied with relief. "Fortunately, I don't have to pretend. When I'm annoyed, I just put on a cotton jacket and pace back and forth on the riverbank..."

Tian Shizhong swallowed his saliva. He had wanted to say he was the same too... He had always thought of himself as someone with a sense of responsibility, but since leading the Imperial Camp Right Army out alone this time, he had developed a habit of inexplicably squeezing things, breaking and crushing many items... But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"In any case!" Yue Fei sighed. "You have your own difficulties and thoughts in your positions—I understand all of that. But as the Marshal of the Hebei theater, I also have my own difficulties and thoughts. After much deliberation, it comes down to two points: first, preservation; second, advancement. Preservation means preserving the three armies, ensuring that under the Jin Army's large-scale siege, we don't ruin the overall situation due to any oversight on our part. Advancement means that if we can take Great Ming Prefecture, thoroughly open up the situation before us, and force the Jin Army into a position where they have no support front or back, then we should try our best to take it!"

"Marshal!"

Tian Shizhong gripped the thick rope tightly, finally showing some helplessness, even a pleading tone. "I've been worried from the start that you'd think this way, because based on your usual military strategy, whenever there's a plan, no matter how outlandish, you always want to carry it out! But Commander Zhang just made it clear... This concerns two hundred years of national fortune... Even if there's a way, we should make a conservative decision! Let's preserve ourselves, alright?!"

Yue Fei shook his head in response: "I'm not taking reckless risks. I've been looking at this terrain and thinking through many possibilities. From the moment I had an idea, I started preparing. The supplies and plans are already roughly in place—that's why I called you here! And I think the timing is just right... The Jin Army's main force is about to arrive but hasn't yet—they're at their most lax. The small rivers have frozen, but the main river channel hasn't yet. They can't move freely left and right, and there's no absolute danger... This is an opportunity!"

"I know what opportunity the Marshal is thinking of—blowing up the city with gunpowder!" Tian Shizhong was almost frantic. "The lower ranks don't know, but we do! That day when we were with His Majesty at Wushan, watching the gunpowder blast rocks, who wasn't tempted? His Majesty saved up so much gunpowder, unwilling to use it anywhere else—the meaning is clear! But that plan was just a contingency. How can we bet 90,000 elite Imperial Camp troops and two hundred years of national fortune on a single explosion? What if it snows and the gunpowder gets wet and doesn't go off? What if it does go off, but Gao Jingshan is tough and grits his teeth to block the breach? If we rashly attack under such tight defenses now and can't take the city quickly, we'll have to worry about being blocked at the city walls by the Jin cavalry waiting to the north, and the entire army will be choked! Then how will we face His Majesty? The only option will be to slit our own throats at the city walls!"

"Everything you said is absolutely correct."

Yue Fei nodded in agreement. "Gunpowder is an unconventional method, but we absolutely cannot stake the lives of our three armies on a single gunpowder explosion... That's just an unconventional trigger. We must have a comprehensive countermeasure to follow it up... I really do have a complete plan for attacking the city! Even if the gunpowder fails, we can still attack the city steadily while properly repelling the enemy!"

Tian Shizhong was completely helpless.

Zhang Rong also seemed to want to speak but held back.

"This is what I'm thinking." Yue Fei ignored their reactions and returned to his usual calm demeanor. "If we can break Yuancheng, given the scale of these two cities, it will be enough to safely store the steamships... Commissioner Zhang, isn't that right? Then you won't have to worry about where to store your warships in winter, or whether to sail the steamships back to Henan."

Zhang Rong glanced at the river channel sandwiched between the two cities and the artillery on the opposite bank, then nodded helplessly.

"And if we want to break the city before the freeze, we need sufficient troops—on one hand to ensure we can attack the city with full force, and on the other to jointly block the northern reinforcements... Isn't that right, Commander Tian?" Yue Fei then looked at Tian Shizhong.

Tian Shizhong let out a long breath, suppressed his dissatisfaction, and forced himself to respond: "Yes."

"Then can you personally bring 15,000 men here to block the Jin reinforcements from the north for me?" Yue Fei continued to ask seriously. "Only then will I have enough strength to attack the city..."

Even though he was by the stove, Tian Shizhong felt his scalp go numb and his whole body turn cold. "My forces are already undermanned... How can I bring another 10,000-plus men here? Should we just abandon the three prefectures and over ten cities?"

"Abandon them." Yue Fei replied calmly. "My comprehensive countermeasure for you is very simple. You're worried you don't have enough troops to defend so many places, right? I'll make the decision—just abandon those three prefectures and over ten cities. Only defend the two narrowest river crossings at Xiajin and Gaotang, along with Jinan and Qingzhou, as a defensive line... Can't you defend that?"

Tian Shizhong was stunned, hardly believing his ears. He immediately retorted: "Abandon three prefectures? How will the Marshal explain this to His Majesty and Dongjing? Do you know that abandoning those three prefectures will cause the chancellors, scholars, and common people in the rear—who know nothing of military affairs—to directly start a riot!"

"But this way, at the very least, we can ensure that even if we lose the battle, we can preserve the defensive line." Yue Fei replied bluntly. "As for the rear... First, according to His Majesty's instructions before departure, the chancellors in Dongjing can at most question us, but cannot interfere with our operations. Second, this battle concerns the fate of the state—how can we waste troops on peripheral matters for the sake of face or rear-area disturbances? Losing the overall situation would be a disaster for a hundred years. Third, if there are any consequences from this, I will bear them myself! Just tell me—if you defend like this, can you scrape together 15,000 Imperial Camp Right Army combat troops for me?"

Tian Shizhong stared at the man before him with an extremely complex gaze, but surprisingly shook his head while affirming:

"Yes! But how can 15,000 men block the three Wanhu units of Ali, Shaohe, and Wang Bolong that have already appeared to the north on open ground? Especially Ali and Shaohe's two Wanhu units, stationed at Guantao just north of Yuancheng—a mere twenty or thirty li away."

"I have a way!" Yue Fei blurted out.

Tian Shizhong almost cursed, but suddenly remembered something, his heart stirred slightly. Yet he didn't press further, only forcibly suppressing some guess and unease, slowly shaking his head: "The opposite bank isn't blind. How can we quickly get the main force across the river to set up a defensive line?"

Yue Fei turned his head to look at Zhang Rong, who had been silent for a long time.

Zhang Rong was startled, then realized. Even though they were in a basket high in the air, he still lowered his voice and pointed at the eastern river channel: "Pengju! I, Old Zhang, certainly trust you... But in this situation, how can I get my fleet through? There are artillery pieces pressing down from above! The water has already become much shallower!"

"This is the key." Yue Fei's tone finally became somewhat strained. "Brother Zhang, not too many... Just get a dozen or so ships and two or three thousand men through to seize a foothold... If you can do it, I'll go all out. If you can't, then we'll honestly retreat and set up a defensive line... How about it?"

Zhang Rong stared fixedly at the other man, saying nothing for a long time.

Meanwhile, Tian Shizhong gripped the thick hemp rope beside him, his fingers almost bent to a dangerous degree, but he didn't dare make a sound.

Wang Gui, who had been silent for most of the day, wanted to speak but held back. He could only stand by helplessly. After a while, he simply picked up an iron shovel, ready to add coal to the hot air balloon's stove.

But Yue Fei reached out and stopped this action.

"This is 'courtesy before force,' right? If I don't agree, once we get down from this basket, will you directly issue a military order?" Zhang Rong's tone trembled slightly. "Forbidding me to speak?"

"Brother Zhang!" Yue Fei sighed in midair. "We serve as soldiers for our rations... Is it just for rations? Why do we serve? After three or five years of peace, have we forgotten the aspirations of those days and the people of those days?"

Zhang Rong also sighed, then gritted his teeth: "Since you bring up those days, fine. Just as you trusted me back then, almost going alone to lure the Jin Army to Suotou Beach, I should trust your character and ability today... Three thousand men, twenty small steamships—I'll have Xiao En lead the team!"

Having said this, the Imperial Camp Navy Commander simply turned his face to the east, avoiding the western waterway in an escape-like manner.

Tian Shizhong, standing by, wanted to speak but didn't know how to begin, so he could only grip the hemp rope even harder. However, soon the Commander Bei below, at Wang Gui's signal, began to pull the hot air balloon down. The rope tightened, and he had nothing left to squeeze. At a loss, he simply crouched in the basket and covered his head.

Then, still no sound.

As for Yue Pengju, he took a deep breath at this moment, then tried hard to go over his plan once more—one that had first taken root the very day he arrived and was now already memorized by heart—yet he could not calm his mind no matter how he tried.

After a moment, the hot-air balloon was slowly pulled down. With Marshal Yue at the lead, one Military Governor and two Vice Commandants leaped nimbly out of the basket one after another, then all departed with composed expressions and brisk strides, walking away with heads held high—a sight that secretly impressed low-ranking officers like Bei Yan.

And moments later, drums began to sound within Great Ming City to assemble the generals. When the city's military officers had gathered, Marshal Yue Fei of the Hebei Theater Army sat fully armored at the head, Zhang Rong sat slanted to the side wrapped in a cotton-padded jacket, and the two Vice Commandants, Tian and Wang, also sat at the upper seats to left and right, each expressionless and stern-faced—truly a scene of imposing dignity.

"This Marshal already has a foolproof plan. I will surely break Yuancheng and take full control of Great Ming Prefecture within this month," Yue Fei commanded calmly, looking around with a proud gaze. "Each of you follow your military orders and step up your preparations!"

From Zhang Zigai, Tang Huai, and Zhang Xian on down, the tent erupted in clamor. Only the four highest-ranking generals sat motionless, clearly having already reached an agreement and confident in their plan, not joining in the pointless uproar of these ordinary officers.

And so, soon enough, the generals gradually grew solemn, and their courage rose in unison.

PS: Sacrificing a new book, *Divine Constable: I Have a Classic of Mountains and Seas*.