Chapter 399: Besieged from Within and Without

The Jin army retreated. The Song army began a large-scale rest and reorganization while clearing the battlefield and guarding against possible surprise attacks.

Without time to set up tents, many Song soldiers lay down and slept directly on the open ground.

The exhaustion from last night's labor and today's fierce battle was truly wearying, and the warm winter afternoon sun only deepened this drowsiness, so much so that many soldiers, still in their armor, fell asleep the moment they lay down.

The civilian laborers were no exception.

In this situation, the hot soup and pastries prepared around noon were left untouched except by the few on duty. Large quantities of steaming broth and pastries had to be taken back, reheated, and kept ready to avoid chaos when these men ate in a concentrated rush toward evening.

Tian Shizhong was also tired, but sitting on a small mound, he did not fall asleep immediately like those around him, because Yue Fei had once again pushed his military plan to the very edge of Tian's tolerance.

It was like this every time, every step. Years ago, when facing Li Cheng, it had been the same, and now it was still the same. The other man had a firm grasp of his character and limits, so much so that Tian, who clearly harbored resistance and a desire to preserve his forces, was repeatedly used by him.

And he could neither vent his anger nor show his resentment; he could only grit his teeth and carry on.

If only I were a Military Governor myself... Tian Shizhong sighed inwardly. He knew that Yue Fei must have tipped off Zhang Rong in advance, unlike himself, who only realized the possibility at the last moment and found himself backed into a corner.

Of course, Tian Shizhong also had a vague suspicion: Yue Fei might not have been deliberately scheming to manipulate him. Rather, he had a plan in mind but needed to personally verify its feasibility... For instance, today, if the battle hadn't gone so smoothly, if the navy's suppression of the shore hadn't been so effective, he might not have actually executed this plan. He might instead have had his Beiwei Army hold the cavalry at Yuancheng at a certain cost, then launch a vigorous assault on the city, breaching the walls when they were at their most precarious, as a conservative measure.

Of course, thinking this way, it seemed he was making excuses for the other man's manipulation of him, which was truly laughable.

For a moment, he felt extremely conflicted.

And so, Tian Shizhong thought for a while, tossed and turned for a while, but ultimately could not resist the growing drowsiness and gradually fell asleep.

Then, as with most people, he didn't sleep long—one or two shichen, or two or three—and woke before evening. Those who didn't wake were roused, and then it was another busy evening and first half of the night: lighting campfires, eating and drinking, setting up tents, tallying military merits, counting casualties, and even having the accompanying jinshi scholars boost morale and comfort the wounded and dying.

Besides this, the civilian laborers had to work even harder. They continued through the night to complete the defensive lines, build pontoon bridges, transport supplies, and clear the battlefield.

Only in the latter half of the night did they rest a little again, and then they resumed a somewhat normal rhythm.

Over the next few days, Yue Fei did not actually announce his military plan. Zhang Rong and Tian Shizhong also pretended nothing was amiss, going about their routines... strengthening the northern defensive line, building camp fortifications, and setting up numerous artillery pieces north and south—all standard siege measures, with no one saying a word.

After Tang Huai captured a large number of boats in advance, he once again employed his "land-sailing" technique, sending a considerable portion of the steamships to the westernmost area to sweep and take control of the western branch of the Yellow River's northern channel—a natural course of action.

After all, after that day's battle, everyone had witnessed firsthand the powerful role of this navy with its extreme ranged projection capability in such a narrow area. Moreover, the main army still relied primarily on the Yellow River for supply. Once they controlled the western branch of the northern channel and opened up Xiaowu Sao, it would greatly shorten transport time between the battlefield and the Dongjing direction, while also improving transport efficiency.

There was no reason not to do it.

Of course, during this period, small-scale military clashes were inevitable, time and again.

A few steamships turned back and moved along the river, continuously bombarding the eastern wall of Yuancheng, probing for weak points. Shaohe and Ali also came to reconnoiter repeatedly, but that was all they could do. After that battle, they had already realized that their own forces alone were insufficient to break through the Song army, especially as the Song army's northern defensive positions grew increasingly solid and complex.

The fighting on the northern line was mostly scattered skirmishes between scout cavalry.

But at the same time, some obvious signals gradually increased. For instance, Wang Bolong, who had ignored Gao Jingshan's orders, suddenly moved south again, almost pressing up to Xiajin. For another, Song scout cavalry reported that Jurchen cavalry were gradually concentrating around Mingzhou and Xiangzhou on the western side of the river, making armed reconnaissance there increasingly difficult.

What this portended was self-evident.

However, as time passed and urgent preparations continued, the Song army's intentions were becoming increasingly obvious. Some things the common laborers and soldiers wouldn't care about, but in the eyes of senior commanders, they meant something entirely different.

First was the westward shift of the Song army's main position. The vast Song military zone between the old Great Ming city and Gucheng had almost entirely moved to directly north of Yuancheng. As for the original eastern branch of the Yellow River's northern channel, the Song army was clearly gradually abandoning it, merely holding the two key points of Great Ming city and Gucheng. After the Song army took control of the more convenient western branch, even Gucheng began to loosen somewhat.

It was almost imaginable that in the worst-case scenario, the Song army might abandon its military deployments on the eastern bank, merely holding Xiajin and Great Ming city in a siege, while Gucheng would be held if possible, and abandoned if not.

Second, after completing the impregnable northern defensive line, the Song army, without any pause, immediately began constructing a defensive line south of Yuancheng, with a layout almost identical to the northern one.

This was somewhat excessive.

In comparison, the inner walls meant to trap the city, prevent escape, and block communication with the outside, as well as the necessary siege positions, were noticeably lagging and delayed.

Moreover, the artillery positions were a bit too large and too far off.

Of course, at this point, it was still only speculation and doubt. What truly made Gao Jingshan on the walls of Yuancheng strongly aware of a certain possibility was the transport of supplies.

Although Gao Jingshan had thought of burning the scattered boats in the Yellow River branch west of Yuancheng as soon as Yue Fei moved his camp and built fortifications, just as he had tried to charge the Song army's main formation to meet reinforcements... his thinking was correct, and his actions were resolute, but he simply did not succeed.

Yue Fei also immediately ordered Tang Huai to send troops to seize those boats. Facing messengers from Yuancheng, the mostly Han Chinese officers and locally conscripted fishermen who made up the navy showed extreme resistance to orders... At their level, they couldn't know that the Fourth Prince's main army was coming; they only knew the Song army was coming, leading to widespread wavering and delay, greatly diminishing the effectiveness of Gao Jingshan's order to burn the boats.

In this situation, most of these boats quickly fell into Song hands after their second "land-sailing" operation, becoming an important part of the Song army's supply chain for transporting materials from the Dongjing direction via Xiaowu Sao.

Consequently, a large number of boats shuttled back and forth, day and night. Large ships generally traveled along the Yellow River, transferring goods directly at the shore, while smaller boats would enter the somewhat narrow but still passable Yongji Canal, transferring goods inside the Song army's positions for maximum transport efficiency.

This also allowed the Jin army inside Yuancheng to observe from their elevated position and catch a glimpse.

Weapons, armor plates, large timbers, cloth, grain, and jars and pots that might contain wine, oil, salt, sauce, or vinegar—these were all expected. But on this day, when Gao Jingshan received a report and personally witnessed the Song army suddenly beginning to transport coal, he finally became somewhat alarmed.

Although he still dared not think about it, did not want to think about it, a ridiculous notion, once it appeared, repeatedly assaulted the mind of this Jurchen commander, who absolutely possessed sufficient strategic vision and military experience: he and this city of Yuancheng—forty li in circumference, once the great Song capital of Beijing, and absolutely the first key point for the Song army's advance into Hebei—were very likely just bait or a weak point. Yue Fei's true goal was to use this city and its defenders, including himself, the Field Marshal, to bog down the main Jin army for a long time, giving the Song army in the Hedong direction ample time to break through the more strategically valuable Taiyuan.

One day in late November, under a clear, cloudless sky, north of Yuancheng, Yue Fei and a group of trusted officers were inspecting the siege positions.

Although the fortifications and military deployments on the other three sides seemed somewhat perfunctory, the fighting between the two sides gradually became more frequent and routine as the siege positions were built.

The so-called siege positions did not necessarily mean setting up numerous catapults or building many siege towers. Rather, it was more about clearing obstacles and creating favorable conditions for these decisive siege weapons... such as filling in ditches along the planned routes for siege towers, throwing wooden palisades around those routes to provide cover for supporting troops, or launching surprise attacks to burn parts of the weakly defended sheep-and-horse walls.

This even included building tamped-earth command platforms at a safe distance, arranging staging areas for reserve troops, and so on—all part of constructing the siege positions.

Correspondingly, the city's defenders would not just stand idly by. Besides demolishing buildings to build catapults and establish artillery positions, they also needed to send out suicide squads for harassment and set up temporary large crossbows on advantageous towers for precision elimination.

"Is it over there?"

Stopping on the other side of the Yongji Canal northwest of the city, using the riverbank for cover, Yue Fei pointed toward a clearly hastily added fortification on the city wall opposite, where figures could be seen moving.

"Yes."

A battalion commander in charge of the front line immediately responded. "Let the Marshal know, that spot is the most forward position among the northwest corner towers of Yuancheng, and also the first place where a fixed large crossbow was installed. It hadn't been fired yet, and we assumed it was out of range. But yesterday, a flat-bottomed boat fully loaded with military equipment passed through the Yongji Canal here. When it slowed down a bit, the crossbowman on the wall couldn't resist and fired, punching a large hole in the boat. The boat managed to sail a few dozen steps further before becoming immobile. It took us great effort to salvage the supplies..."

"What are you suggesting?" Yue Fei listened carefully and asked calmly.

"Set up an eight-oxen crossbow here, where they can't reach us, and use our range advantage to suppress that position," the battalion commander replied on the spot. "Every time they set one up, we destroy it."

"Agreed," Yue Fei said casually. "But don't use the navy's. Later, have the army staff officer give you a document, and go to the craftsmen's camp to collect a newly delivered one..."

"This officer understands," the battalion commander blurted out.

Yue Fei nodded and was about to continue his inspection, but at that moment, a horseman galloped up and shouted from several dozen steps away: "Marshal! Staff Officer Huang urgently requests you to come to the riverbank. He says a high-ranking official from Dongjing may have arrived. He has already gone to the river!"

Yue Fei immediately became solemn, and the surrounding officers also grew serious. Huang Zuo, the commander in charge of the northern city affairs, directly cupped his hands and volunteered: "Marshal, do not worry about this place. This officer will do his utmost."

Yue Fei nodded again, said nothing more, and turned his horse to head back.

But just then, suddenly, from that spot where figures had been moving, a shout rang out, followed by a crossbow bolt flying over... but unfortunately, the bolt wobbled, barely crossed the Yongji Canal before losing momentum, and slid onto the riverbank.

Yue Fei reined in his warhorse, looked up, and asked seriously: "Headwind?"

"Indeed, headwind," Huang Zuo shook his head with a forced smile. "In the middle of winter, isn't it always a northwest wind?"

Yue Fei nodded several times, then suddenly took his bow from his horse. Raising it while mounted, he took a brief aim, drew, and loosed—the arrow flying with the wind... This arrow, of course, did not hit the crossbowman on the distant enemy tower, who held the height advantage. Hitting him would have taken a true immortal. But it did not miss either. The arrow flew straight and struck down a sea eagle that had been circling northwest of the city, now just entering range, from midair.

Clearly, this Hebei Marshal had long since noticed this flock of birds that must belong to the enemy.

One arrow fells a vulture. If it had been Zhao Jiu who shot it down, there would surely be a flood of flattery, and it might even make it into the official gazette. If it had been Han Shizhong who shot it, he would probably be holding his belt and composing half a poem... But since it was Yue Fei who shot it, it was just a shot. The gyrfalcon fell on the riverbank opposite the Yongji Canal, and the man didn't even look at it, just reined in his horse and left, going to find the important official from Dongjing.

He rode swiftly to the banks of the Yellow River further northwest. There, on one side, logistical supplies were being continuously transferred, and on the other, many civilian laborers were in small boats along the shore, smashing the thin ice on both sides. Amidst all this, the figure of a high-ranking official in a purple robe on the riverbank stood out far too prominently.

Yue Fei dismounted early and hurried forward. As he drew near, seeing his staff officer Huang Zong and others all looking solemn and respectful, he became even more cautious in his heart.

However, even with sufficient mental preparation, when he got close and the high official in the purple robe turned around, Yue Fei was still startled for a moment. Then, surprisingly, as a marshal himself, he was the first to cup his hands in salute and respectfully offer his greetings.

All his previous preparations and composure instantly flew out the window.

It turned out that the visitor was none other than the outstanding figure among the current civil officials, the Minister of Works Hu Yin, styled Hu Mingzhong, a man of immense seniority, great merit, and extremely high status.

Although Hu Yin was only a few years older than Yue Fei and was merely one of the six Ministers, he was undoubtedly Yue Fei's patron. He had also acted as the Censor-in-Chief, a position equivalent to half a Grand Councilor, served as the Grand Coordinator for the Guanzhong region, and previously, as Minister of Works, had overseen the entire logistical construction for the Northern Expedition... Among the so-called Three Famous Officials of the Jingkai Imperial Academy, the one who could now hold Zhao Jiu and Zhang Jun in check, even manipulate them, was none other than this Minister Hu.

Even Chen Gui and Liu Ji, the two Vice Grand Councilors, would probably feel inwardly weak when facing this man.

Moreover, unlike other civil officials, Hu Yin, due to his pro-war stance, was heavily involved in military planning. He accompanied the imperial carriage at the Battle of Yanyang, served as Grand Coordinator for Northern Shaanxi at the Battle of Yaoshan, oversaw logistics at Pingxia, and managed rear-area transport for this Northern Expedition. He had repeatedly stepped in to restrain Han Shizhong, arrested Qu Duan, promoted the Wu Jie brothers, caused the death of Yang Zheng, and of course, in his early years, he had personally recommended Yue Fei, then commanding a motley army, to be directly appointed as a Military Governor.

His ability to suppress and intimidate military commanders was naturally unique.

A figure like this... how could he be treated as an ordinary Minister? And with his arrival, all words and preparations seemed to become pale and futile.

"Marshal Yue."

Hu Yin turned his head, saw Yue Fei arriving, and with a calm expression, directly cupped his hands. "The various Grand Councilors are fully aware of your plans, and I have also received your private letter... Military affairs are serious; do not waste time. Where is your central army command tent? Take me there immediately, and summon Zhang Rong and Deputy Commander Tian Shizhong. I have words to speak."

"I shall respectfully follow your instructions, my lord." Yue Fei grew even more tense, but could only cup his hands in acknowledgment.

And so, after a brief meeting by the riverbank, Hu Yin immediately went into the central army command tent. He did not speak with Yue Fei, and even when Yue Fei invited him to take the seat of honor, he refused. He also declined food and drink, simply standing with his hands clasped... This made the atmosphere even more oppressive.

Tian Shizhong was easy enough; he was currently supervising the construction of an earthen mound north of Yuancheng. When he heard Yue Fei's summons, he rode over swiftly and arrived in no time. But Zhang Rong had gone 'exploring' downstream on the western fork of the northern channel of the Yellow River. They waited for over an hour until the afternoon before he finally arrived, very late.

"Everyone else, leave."

Seeing that Zhang Rong had also arrived, Hu Yin finally spoke, but his first act was to dismiss all the miscellaneous personnel.

Yue Fei, Zhang Rong, and Tian Shizhong looked at each other, feeling that all their previous thoughts and confidence were gone. Yet they had to brace themselves and face him, their hearts growing even more uneasy.

And sure enough, as soon as all the staff officers and attendants had left, leaving only the four of them in the tent, Hu Mingzhong's first words sank all three of their hearts to the bottom:

"The Privy Council's public opinion is that the three of you, Yue, Zhang, and Tian, toy with the enemy and let them escape, hoard troops for your own importance, and rely on imperial favor to become arrogant. I deeply concur."

As soon as these words were spoken, Tian Shizhong's face turned pale, and Zhang Rong was momentarily at a loss... possibly also because he hadn't understood what those three phrases meant... and Yue Fei could only quickly cup his hands:

"My lord, allow me to explain!"

"Can Marshal Yue allow me to finish?" Hu Yin retorted coldly.

Yue Fei could only remain silent.

"The Privy Council believes that the Hebei theater army arbitrarily abandoned three prefectures, causing over a hundred thousand common people to become refugees in the depths of winter. This both constitutes the crime of abandoning territory and sharply increases logistical pressure. The military supplies and equipment that the state spent three years accumulating have been needlessly wasted beyond the plan... On this point, no matter how much you three argue, you cannot change the fact of the turmoil and trouble you have already caused the state... Is that so or not?" Having said this, Hu Yin, standing to one side in the central army tent, finally looked around at the three of them and formally pressed the question. "You three may first speak on this matter."

Yue Fei did not shirk his responsibility.

However, under the gaze of the other two, he cupped his hands but hesitated to speak. Finally, he could only confess honestly: "Abandoning and defending the three prefectures was to concentrate our forces, but causing a hundred thousand Hebei commoners to become refugees was truly my oversight... I am the Marshal of the Hebei theater army. When Dongjing questions me, I truly have no words to defend myself... Only, military affairs are serious. I beg the various Grand Councilors in Dongjing and the Privy Council to allow me to atone for my crimes after the battle."

Hu Yin nodded, his face still dark as he continued: "The Privy Council also publicly discussed the military plan you submitted to the Bureau of Military Affairs. They all say you are ambitious and vicious, that to achieve personal glory, you are holding onto a heavy army and plotting rebellion..."

"Minister Hu." Finally, someone couldn't help but interrupt Hu Mingzhong. It was Tian Shizhong, who spoke with sudden urgency. "The Imperial Camp's Forward Army, Right Army, and Riverine Army here total sixty-five thousand men, plus seventy to eighty thousand civilian laborers, altogether one hundred and forty to fifty thousand people. Yet truly, not a single one of them deserves this accusation!"

"Do you two Military Governors also think this way?" Hu Yin ignored Tian Shizhong completely and looked directly at the other two.

Although Zhang Rong didn't understand those literary terms, 'ambitious and vicious' and 'plotting rebellion' sounded clear enough in meaning. He also immediately cupped his hands in indignation: "I'm the same!"

"Regardless, I absolutely have no such intention!" Yue Fei could only cup his hands helplessly, but unexpectedly, unlike Zhang Rong and Tian Shizhong, he did not show any emotion.

"Then do you know why the entire Privy Council thinks this way?" Hu Yin stared at Yue Fei and pressed on.

Yue Fei remained silent.

Seeing this, Hu Yin continued with a dark face: "It seems you do know... The Privy Council believes that by doing this, you are exposing Dongjing to the enemy, disregarding the safety of the million people in Dongjing, as well as the Empress Dowager, the Imperial Consorts, the Virtuous Consort, the various Imperial Princes, and the Princesses... Some say you are a worse power-hoarding mercenary than Fan Qiong, and others say you are a more laughable fraud than Liu Guangshi. And if the Privy Council only evaluates and discusses you in this way, the Secretariat has people who simply want to kill you!"

Hearing this, Yue Fei instead felt relieved. He calmly cupped his hands in response: "My lord, my true heart is as clear as the sun and the sky."

Hu Yin was silent for a moment, not replying immediately.

Instead, Tian Shizhong hurried forward again to explain: "Minister Hu... The Imperial Camp's Forward Army, Right Army, Riverine Army, and Navy total ninety thousand. The Navy is small. The other three armies combined, despite some losses, still have over eighty thousand combat troops. Now, the combined combat troops here are only a little over sixty thousand. The other city garrisons are not empty either. To the east, Xiajin, Gaotang, and Jinan form a continuous line. Behind us, Puyang is now in our hands. We can absolutely hold the line along the river with Baima... with Shaoxing, acting as the northern gate of Dongjing..."

"You just tell me this: once the Yellow River freezes, if the main Jin army abandons these city garrisons, abandons you as well, and drives straight to the walls of Dongjing, repeating the old story of the Jingkang Incident, how would you respond?" Hu Yin listened impatiently and interrupted him again.

Tian Shizhong was momentarily panicked, but quickly spoke again: "Minister Hu, times have changed. The Jin army will not abandon Great Ming Prefecture and go south!"

"That's right." Zhang Rong also became serious. "Minister Hu, just think about it. During the Jingkang era, the riverine navy was useless. Now, what about our Imperial Camp Riverine Army? If they dare to go south, as long as we endure the freeze, I will personally lock the Jin army south of the river... And then, from here, we might even be able to directly storm the Yellow Dragon Prefecture!"

Hu Yin nodded, glanced at Yue Fei who remained silent, and then continued solemnly: "So, let's set aside for now whether Dongjing can be defended or whether the Jin army will go south. Let's just talk about one thing: all three of you have also admitted that if the Jin army really does go south, even if they reach the walls of Dongjing, you will not come to its rescue... Right or wrong?"

Zhang Rong was momentarily speechless, and Tian Shizhong also fell silent.

"Yes!" After a long while, it was Yue Fei who, suppressing all kinds of emotions, cupped his hands. "Ten years of effort are all focused here. And although Dongjing seems dangerous, it is actually not a concern. If the Jin state truly sends a large army south, I believe that Chen Gui can securely defend it for several tens of days, or even a shorter period. And I... I will not easily pursue them! Instead, I will intensify the siege of Great Ming Prefecture, to deter them from daring to go south!"

Hu Mingzhong looked deeply at the other man again and asked calmly: "What if the Empress Dowager in Dongjing issues an edict? What if the Secretariat and the Bureau of Military Affairs send urgent orders?"

"I will only recognize the Emperor's decree." Yue Fei gritted his teeth in response. "Before the Emperor left, he publicly granted me the authority of independent decision-making in Hebei."

"Do you know what the consequences will be if these words get out?" Hu Yin pressed on relentlessly.

"Probably after this battle, even if I achieve unparalleled merit, I will be despised by the lords in Dongjing, then shelved and never used again." Yue Fei replied calmly. "But conversely, if this battle can achieve unparalleled merit, I will die without regret, let alone being despised by others."

"Actually, the matter is just that simple."

Hu Yin nodded, finally clasping his hands behind his back and sighing. "Everyone knows that even if we take a step back ten thousand times, even if the Jin army really does go south and actually captures Dongjing, shaking the realm, times have changed. They cannot possibly win like they did in the Jingkang era. Instead, they would gain a city but lose the realm... Because the Emperor is in Hedong, and the clever people of the realm probably understand that since our Emperor could re-establish a court while in exile, he can naturally do it a second time. Moreover, the Emperor now personally holds three hundred thousand Imperial Camp troops, the main Jin army is pinned down, and with Guanzhong to respond, he can completely break Taiyuan, take Yanjing, and storm the Yellow Dragon... But Pengju, no matter how reasonable your calculations are, no matter how optimal from a military standpoint, since there is this danger of exposing Dongjing, the lords in Dongjing, whether in the Privy Council or the Secretariat, will probably hate you to the bone. Because they are in Dongjing! You have placed them in a position that is 'expendable,' or at least appears to be 'expendable'! How did Kou Zhun fall from power? You are a learned man; don't you know?"

Yue Fei just lowered his head and remained silent.

"And to be honest, this time, even I have come to despise you military commanders." Hu Mingzhong continued. "Do you know why?"

Yue Fei also thought of the other man's opening line, 'I deeply concur,' and finally became serious: "I am ashamed, but deep down, I truly never thought that you, my lord, and the other lords were truly expendable..."

"That's not what I mean, or at least not only that." Hu Yin clasped his hands behind his back and sighed. "What makes us despise you is that you always rely on the overall situation needing you, and then you force all the good-hearted people who care about the overall situation to work for you... You force the common people in the south to pay more taxes to support you, force Dongjing city to turn into a huge military camp, force cultural elegance and imperial ceremonies to all become your charcoal and catapults, force the Emperor, who is actually lazy and easygoing, to have no choice but to collude with you military men, abandoning the weight of being the Son of Heaven to become the biggest warlord... This coercion will not be slightly altered because you, Yue Fei, are loyal and serve the country, nor will it change because you, Zhang Rong, act on behalf of Heaven's way. It is the meaning of the hundreds of thousands of Imperial Camp troops, year after year, sucking the marrow from the state, preventing the state from functioning normally! In these past few years, as I was responsible for preparing the Northern Expedition's military supplies, the thing I thought about most often was this: these things are the people's fat and marrow gathered from the entire nation. If we consume them and fail to achieve our goal, what face do we have to face the elders east of the river?!"

Tian Shizhong, who was highly cultured, was somewhat bewildered, but Yue Fei could fully understand the other man's meaning. Unexpectedly, Zhang Rong also seemed to half-understand.

"Yue Pengju." Hu Yin finally brushed the dust off his purple robe and then stood with his hands clasped in front of him. "I tell you plainly... For you to succeed this time, the various Grand Councilors have truly done their utmost. Lu Xiang dissolved the Secretariat. Zhao Xiang and Zhang Xiang almost forcibly suppressed the Privy Council. Chen Xiang staked his entire family of over a hundred lives as a guarantee, swearing that Dongjing city was impregnable. And I, following the reminder in your private letter, preempted Zhang Xiang's movements and came to this army to take command. As for the transport of fuel from the rear, you need not worry. Since I am here, there is absolutely no possibility of delays or shirking in the rear... Of course, now that it has come to this, saying these things seems a bit like taking credit... But for this battle, or rather this Northern Expedition, you must do your utmost, do your best to pin down the main Jin army, to achieve your unparalleled merit. Because even I must say on behalf of the lords in the rear: with such hardship, no one wants to go through another ten years!"

Tian Shizhong was overjoyed, and Zhang Rong was immediately relieved.

Only Yue Fei became even more serious. He could only cup his hands repeatedly: "I still say the same thing: the sun and the sky bear witness to this heart! Please, my lord, take the seat of honor and watch me achieve success!"

"I won't take the seat of honor. You are the Marshal, you take it yourself." Hu Yin turned and sat down in the chair to the left of the Marshal's seat, speaking calmly and with a hint of weariness. "Rest assured, from today onward, I will handle all matters of Dongjing on your behalf. As for military decisions, you must act wisely on your own... Beat the drum and assemble the generals!"

Yue Fei, hearing this, felt a mix of emotions, but he respectfully bowed toward the upper seat. Zhang Rong and Tian Shizhong, seeing this, quickly bowed to Hu Yin as well. Then Yue Fei sat down in the main seat, and Zhang Rong hurried forward to sit in one of the other seats to the side.

As for Tian Shizhong, he initially intended to step forward, but seeing all three seats taken, he obediently turned around, ordered the attendants and staff to beat the drum and assemble the generals, then obediently turned back. With full awareness of his place, he stood beside the three men, hand resting on his sword.

After three rounds of drumming, the generals gathered. Seeing Hu Yin, knowing he was the famed Minister Hu of the realm, they were also greatly startled. When this Minister Hu, in the name of the Dongjing Chancellor, issued an order on the spot—that Yue Fei should temporarily suspend the assault on the city, hold the ground defensively, and tie down the main force of the Jin Army—the officers, though increasingly shocked, could only exchange fearful glances.

And so it was. With Hu Yin's arrival, the Song Army no longer concealed its strategic intentions. As more and more supplies were continuously transported, around Yuancheng, inner and outer double-layered fortifications were built—what was called raising walls on seven sides, mounting artillery on six sides, piling up earthen mounds, and constructing shipyards without cease.

However, it was during this period that, from across the Yellow River, a constant rumbling gradually arose, and it became clearly visible that organized Jin Army troops were slowly gathering. At first, the Song Army could still dispatch forces for brief engagements to thwart them, but by the time the last few days of November arrived, as the Jin Army's main force stretched on endlessly, with countless infantry and cavalry assembling within days, the Song Army could no longer cross the river to challenge them.

By the first day of the twelfth month, the Jin Army's camps were gradually erected. With over a hundred thousand troops, plus no fewer than two to three hundred thousand conscripted laborers responsible for transport and logistics, their camps stretched for dozens of li across the plain, even completely enveloping several towns.

And on that very day, the royal banner of Prince Wei of the Jin Kingdom, Wushu, and the Five-Colored Sun-Praising Banner of Marshal Bolisu, appeared together on the opposite bank of the river.

Seeing this, Yue Fei did not hesitate. He assembled eight-ox crossbows and catapults, and in the presence of the Jin Army's main force, he continuously pounded the city walls. Within a single day, he smashed the four corner towers of Yuancheng's northwest corner, as a gesture of greeting.

Wushu and Bolisu were stunned for a moment. Then, without waiting to tamp earth for a command platform, they released a hot-air balloon that they dared not use for long periods, and personally piled up earth to look out. When they saw the various arrangements beneath the river embankment on the opposite shore, they exchanged glances and changed color.

But when they turned to look back at their own vast encampment behind them, they could not help but feel a surge of boldness, gradually rousing their spirits.

With such a multitude, even shaking a mountain would be possible—let alone dealing with an army that was ultimately caught in a situation of internal and external difficulties.