Chapter 400: The Embankment Slope's Surface

As the twelfth month arrived, the main forces of the Song and Jin armies converged at Great Ming Prefecture.

Across the entire Great Ming Prefecture battlefield, the Song army's Hebei theater forces, comprising the Imperial Camp Forward Army, Right Army, and Navy, totaled just over sixty thousand combat troops and over seventy thousand accompanying civilian laborers; the Jin army, consisting of five Wanhu units from the Longde Prefecture Marching Command, four Wanhu units supported by the Hedong theater, and four Wanhu units from the local Great Ming Prefecture Marching Command, amounted to thirteen Wanhu units with one hundred thirty thousand infantry and cavalry combat troops, plus an indeterminate number of civilian laborers—conscripted levies—numbering around two to three hundred thousand for logistics transport.

The disparity in troop strength between the two sides was stark, even without emphasizing the Jin army's unprecedented powerful cavalry cluster of sixty to seventy thousand.

Moreover, the Jin army also controlled the administrative authority and command over nearly all surrounding counties and prefectures, ensuring peripheral support and coordination. More importantly, Yuancheng, the capital of Great Ming Prefecture, a strategic choke point in Hebei with a circumference of forty li, remained under Jin control.

With this situation, coupled with Biaoge and Ali to the north and Wang Bolong to the northeast, the Jin army had already assumed a posture of encirclement from the outset.

From the Jin army's perspective, the Song army was beset by internal and external troubles, so it made little difference.

Of course, given the Song army's deployment, encirclement or not was meaningless—the Song army seemed unwilling to withdraw, prepared to endure this internal and external predicament, perhaps even aiming to snatch a victory from the tiger's mouth and take Yuancheng head-on.

Enough digression; back to the present. The Jin army's linked camps and fortifications were vast, boasting of shaking mountains and moving seas. Yet, in the first few days of the twelfth month, the battle situation surprised everyone—not because the fighting wasn't fierce or large-scale, but because the Jin army was unilaterally taking a beating.

Facing the massive Yuancheng, the Song army deployed systematically: artillery on three landward sides, ships on the river side, bombarding without cease. Simultaneously, troops were organized methodically—some dug tunnels, others leveled ground, some began formally constructing giant siege towers, and others concentrated small, disassemblable ballistae and eight-oxen crossbows to pinpoint and eliminate threatening watchtowers on Yuancheng's walls.

In contrast, the Jin army within Yuancheng was not disheartened. With the arrival of a seemingly endless stream of reinforcements, the defenders' morale surged. Some hastily assembled artillery carts within the city began returning fire from behind the walls.

Moreover, after entering the twelfth month, they dispatched small suicide squads almost every night to launch sorties.

However, compared to the outside, the city was at a clear disadvantage: first, the number, scale, and positional flexibility of their artillery were limited; second, the Song army had a distinct inner ring of fortifications around the city, rendering the sorties often fruitless.

As days passed, though Yuancheng was not yet besieged on all sides, it suffered significant weakening and destabilization. Dozens of watchtowers—over a dozen of the most threatening—were systematically destroyed within days. Sections of the walls began to crack under artillery bombardment, and casualties became an increasingly unavoidable issue within the city.

Unbeknownst to those outside, Gao Jingshan, to ensure a continued supply of timber and building materials for artillery and wall repairs, set an example by dismantling even his own mansion, spending his days only at Cuiyun Tower—which was spared solely because it served as the inner high point of the city's northern half, convenient for observation and command.

During these days, the main Jin army west of the Yellow River, let alone shaking mountains and moving seas, never even had the chance for a full-scale assault, as they immediately witnessed the advantage of the Song navy, as warned by Wanhu Ali and Biaoge.

Frankly, the Jin army had anticipated and recognized the navy's ability to block the river. Earlier, at the Huai River, Han Shizhong's sea vessels entering the Huai had denied the Jin army the possibility of crossing. Later, Zhang Rong led the Liangshanpo navy into the Yellow River, controlling its course, creating a strategic advantage that essentially cut off the Jin army's plans for a major southward push from the lower reaches. Even this time, the Jin army had gathered with the mindset of sweeping away Yue Fei's forces during the window when the Yellow River froze.

Yet, even so, they truly lacked sufficient understanding of the navy's formidable control in such narrow terrain.

Of course, they quickly realized that armor, warhorses, and dense troop formations were almost a joke before the mobile eight-oxen crossbows.

The Yellow River, several hundred paces wide, along with an absolute deterrent range of six to seven hundred paces on both banks, instantly dashed the Jin army's unrealistic hopes, leaving them with an imposing but useless momentum, unable to maneuver or support Yuancheng. Consequently, while the city fell into a clear disadvantage due to the Song army's encirclement and obvious numerical disparity, the peripheral Jin army, which should have counter-encircled the Song with its own numerical advantage, found itself in the awkward position of being unable to organize an attack due to the Song navy's presence.

Even under the protection of the Song navy, the Song army's logistical supplies continued to flow steadily along the Yellow River.

This situation, frankly, did not exceed the expectations of the Jin high command, but it still dealt a severe blow to morale.

"Spread the army out, scatter it for two hundred li, and cross the river together—what then? How many ships with eight-oxen crossbows does Zhang Rong have? Can he really stop us?"

"And if we cross in a dispersed manner? Isn't General Ali and General Biaoge on the other side? After crossing, with such narrow terrain and eight-oxen crossbows on both sides, can we even deploy our forces to attack?"

"Hmph... With all due respect, Biaoge and his men are all Bohai people—that's why they couldn't take it!"

"In that case, we might as well urge Commander Gao to surrender early and let the Jurchen warriors handle it themselves."

"Even for the Jurchen, didn't General Ali fight? Can't his words be heeded?"

"General Ali was brave in his day, but now he's old!"

"So, in this Great Jin, only you, the Golden Tablet Lord, are effective? There are sixty thousand armored Imperial Camp troops of the Song on the other side! If you're so tough, take your Wanhu and try crossing! We'd be happy to come over and rest!"

At Liguzhen, the core stronghold of the main Jin camp, in a large household courtyard flying two banners, as Ali and Biaoge crossed the river to pay another visit, a military council among the Wanhu level resumed. But soon, arguments broke out, quickly becoming heated, chaotic, and off-topic.

Faced with this, Wushu had long grown impatient. Meanwhile, Marshal Bolisu, seated beside Wushu at the head, remained expressionless and silent, making the Prince of Wei cautious—he didn't want to steal the spotlight, especially since the arguments, on the surface about one thing, were actually directly tied to Bolisu's authority.

However, as the arguments drifted further from the battle itself, the Jin regent prince could no longer tolerate it. After a moment's hesitation, he turned and gestured for his attendant, Taishinu, to lean in:

"Tell the Marshal to feel free to deal with Wanyan Bendu however he sees fit. I will only support and cooperate!"

Taishinu understood and immediately slipped behind Wanyan Bolisu, whispering in his ear.

This was hitting the mark.

Across the table, having received the promise, Bolisu immediately spoke up from his seat: "Wanyan Bendu!"

A sharp shout silenced the courtyard instantly.

But then, the Wanhu who had argued the most fiercely and was almost the youngest in the courtyard merely sneered, then cupped his hands in a nearly provocative tone: "What orders does the Marshal have? Has the Marshal changed the rules for us Jurchens since taking office, so that we can't even speak in a military council? When the Founding Emperor was alive, even the low-ranking officer present could criticize his mistakes to his face!"

"In a military council, not discussing military matters but instead groundlessly slandering colleagues—that is the act of destroying the tradition of military councils, isn't it?" Bolisu, sitting motionless, replied coldly, then issued an order. "Wanyan Bendu is too self-serving and deliberately disrupts the council. He should be whipped twenty times. Does anyone object?!"

With these words, the courtyard fell utterly silent. Not only was Wanyan Bendu stunned on the spot, but even Wushu, who had just privately made the promise, was momentarily taken aback.

Now, Wanyan Bendu's troublemaking and tantrum were certainly real, and everyone knew the reason: he was dissatisfied and unwilling to accept Bolisu as Marshal.

Consider this: in terms of closeness, though a distant relative, Wanyan Bendu had been raised under Aguda's command since childhood, making him a direct subordinate of Aguda; in terms of faction, he came from the Eastern Route Army, and in this battle, the Eastern Route's nine Wanhu far outnumbered the Western Route's four Wanhu; stepping back further, as the commander of the Longde Prefecture Marching Command, Bendu had brought his five Wanhu, which also gave him a much stronger force than Bolisu's Taiyuan direct subordinates.

Even before the twelfth month, when Wushu and Bolisu had labored to gather the Hedong forces, Bendu had been the one organizing the camp here. Back then, he hadn't been shouting that Ali was old, Biaoge was Bohai, or that they should cross the river in dozens of columns.

But now, he was saying this in front of Ali and Biaoge?

In a word, Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at the Duke of Pei—even those unfamiliar with this Han allusion understood what was going on.

Precisely because of this, with the battle stuck in an awkward stalemate, it was normal for Bendu to vent his frustration and for Bolisu to use the opportunity to assert his authority. But the problem was, for a few complaints, Bolisu wanted to whip a commander—the standard third-in-command in the army—twenty lashes. That exceeded expectations.

This was no longer the era when Zhan Han had beaten Wu Qimai with twenty blows of a cudgel!

Times had changed.

"I have a golden tablet bestowed by the Founding Emperor—who dares to whip me?!" After a moment of silence, Wanyan Bendu snapped back to reality and flew into a rage. He tore his golden tablet from his belt, brandished it, and shouted left and right. "You marching Wanhu, look at your own golden tablets, then look at mine—are they the same? My future was publicly promised by the Founding Emperor himself! I'd like to see who in this army dares to whip me?!"

By the end, he was practically shoving the golden tablet under Bolisu's nose.

But this action and these words finally provoked a thunderous rage from one person. In the blink of an eye, while Bolisu remained silent, Wushu suddenly stood up, grabbed the horsewhip from the table between him and Bolisu, and lashed it wildly at the advancing Wanyan Bendu's head and face.

The poor Golden Tablet Lord, who had just been brimming with arrogance, thinking himself invincible in the army, found himself being whipped by one of the two surviving regent princes who were direct sons of the Founding Emperor, and likely the true master of the Eastern Route Army. He dared not resist at all. In his panic, the only thing this Golden Tablet Lord, who was actually a generation senior to Wushu, could do was quickly tuck the golden tablet into his chest, clutching it to prevent accidental damage, and then stand there with his head bowed, enduring the relentless lashing.

Through armor and fur robes, such whipping could hardly cause any real harm, and a few lashes to the face were bearable, but the intimidation and humiliation were immense. After twenty lashes, Wanyan Wushu returned to his seat, continuing to play dumb in silence, while Wanyan Bendu dared not utter another word, obediently returning to stand among the Wanhu below.

The other Wanhu were also speechless.

"Let me be direct!"

Bolisu, as if nothing had happened, spoke again once the situation had calmed. "With the Yellow River not frozen, and the current situation with the river blocked by the Song navy, forcing a pincer attack from north and south won't work—not only can we not deploy our forces, but the fortifications on both sides are no joke. General Ali may be old, but he's a seasoned veteran with strict discipline; General Biaoge's men are mostly Bohai, but precisely because of that, they are likely the most eager to fight to rescue Commander Gao. If those two say it can't be done, then it can't be done!"

Hearing this, Wushu couldn't help but glance at Ali. This veteran, who had once been so critical of him, remained silent this time, showing no reaction even to Bendu's 'accidental' insults, letting Biaoge alone argue with Bendu.

Perhaps he really was getting old.

"If it can't be done, it can't be done, but we can't just wait for the river to freeze," Wanyan Tuhesu said, stepping forward with a slight limp, trying to smooth things over for his commander and the Marshal after Bolisu's somewhat fair statement. "We need to do something—either hinder the Song army's siege or support the city. We can't just wait! Otherwise, what will Commander Gao inside the city think of us? And we won't be able to justify ourselves to the hundreds of thousands of troops."

"Exactly my point." Bolisu nodded slowly, looking around. "Everyone, share your ideas as much as you can!"

The crowd exchanged glances, ultimately looking mostly toward Ali and Biaoge.

To put it bluntly, these two were fighting on home ground, but now their geography was limited, and they still had to listen to their opinions.

But clearly, these two had been indirectly scolded by Wanyan Bendu earlier, and whether out of pique or something else, they still stood there, too lazy to say much.

After waiting a while, Elubu, who was quite familiar with Ali and was now considered a subordinate of Wanyan Bendu, let out a sarcastic laugh and said almost jokingly:

"How about we find a way to cut off the Yellow River?"

Everyone burst into laughter, and it was only then that Ali finally spoke calmly: "It's feasible!"

The laughter in the courtyard stopped abruptly.

"No joking?" Elubu pressed further.

"No joking." Ali replied calmly to his old friend. "The Yellow River in Hebei is not following its proper course now... Rather than calling it the Yellow River, it's more like Hebei's water system borrowing the Yellow River's channel, or the Yellow River's channel encroaching on Hebei's water system. Under these circumstances, the river in front of us has more Yellow River water during the high-water season, but during the dry season, it's more Hebei's own water, with slow currents and mixed sources. Plus, the river has too many branches; cutting off one fork won't cause a disaster."

Everyone suddenly understood, and then became energized.

But soon, Balisu realized something and asked seriously: "If what General Ali says is true, with two hundred thousand laborers here, how many days would it take to complete?"

"If the Song army doesn't interfere, thirty to fifty thousand laborers—any more is useless... about twenty to thirty days." Ali remained calm. "And after cutting it off, we must guard against the difficulty of crossing the muddy riverbed."

Everyone fell silent, and Balisu gave an awkward smile: "Twenty to thirty days—we might as well wait for it to freeze!"

"I was just elaborating on Elubu's words." Ali also laughed.

"The situation is difficult; I ask the old general for some guidance." Wushu spoke again, but this time he stood up, made a deep bow to Ali, and then sat back down.

Ali glanced at him and finally stopped smiling: "To support Yuancheng now, there are ways—send small groups to cross the river from the south, find some small boats, switch to water routes to reach the port area southeast of Yuancheng. In theory, it's still possible to get in... The Song army can't truly seal it off from all sides... But that's only in theory; it's impossible to get organized units in."

Everyone nodded, becoming a bit more serious—regardless, if they could get into the city now, even just a few people or a few dozen, it would be a huge morale boost for the defenders inside.

Even if the chance of success was small, it was worth a try.

"Secondly," Ali continued calmly. "Cutting off the Yellow River is certainly a joke, but we can cut off the Yongji Canal to disrupt the Song army..."

Wushu, Balisu, and the others perked up again, because the Yongji Canal was right next to Ligu Town and also cut through the Jin army camp.

"What's the significance of the Yongji Canal?" Balisu urged.

"The Yongji Canal is an artificial canal, drawing water from the Qi River and Huan River into the river ahead... It crosses the Yellow River, reaches below Yuancheng, and then cuts through the Song army camp." Ali said calmly. "And because of the forced diversion and artificial construction, when this river is drawn out from the Yellow River on the opposite bank, its position is actually lower, like a hanging river. If we cut it off downstream, it will inevitably flood the Song army camp. Depending on the situation, with luck, it might split the Song camp into three parts; with bad luck, or if they handle it well, it will still cost them considerable effort."

Everyone finally perked up—this finally sounded like a proper plan.

Balisu nodded eagerly.

Wushu even left his seat, went forward to take Ali's hand, and praised him repeatedly.

But Ali directly shook his head: "This isn't my idea. I'm an old Jurchen man—what do I know about hydrology and geography? This was something Commander Gao said before, which I remembered. Today it came to mind, and I thought it was feasible, so I'm just showing off on the spur of the moment... And as for this kind of thing, none of us know how effective it will be. We can only say that since it hasn't frozen yet, we need something to placate the troops' morale below, so we'll give it a try."

Everyone sighed even more.

And so, today's military council did not end without results.

First, they certainly unified their thinking and strengthened Commander Balisu's authority; second, the Jin army finally found a strategy to try that seemed feasible against the enemy.

Of course, everyone knew in their hearts that this could only be a 'stopgap measure' to deal with the situation. They still had to wait for the river to freeze before they could truly launch a major battle to settle things.

Nothing more was said that day. Everyone hosted a banquet to entertain and reward Ali and Shaohe. Even though Wanyan Bendu had lost face, he dared not defy the Fourth Prince again, so the gathering ended on a barely half-pleasant note.

Then, toward evening, Wushu personally went to the downstream riverbank to see Ali and Shaohe off to their camp as a consolation... The Song army's warships couldn't possibly cover every angle... There was always a chance to communicate on the river.

Leaving aside how Ali and Shaohe, after returning to camp, would cut off the Yongji Canal, that evening, with a waning moon and sparse stars, Wushu had intended to turn back after seeing the two off. But thinking of Ali's words about 'stopgap measures,' he knew that to truly launch an attack, he had to wait for the Yellow River to freeze. This made him anxious and irritable, so he decided not to rush back to camp. Instead, taking advantage of the darkness, he led Taisinu and a group of attendants along the Yellow River levee, close to the water, walking slowly downstream, having his attendants test the ice at the edges along the way—meaning to observe the freezing conditions.

After all, the temperature situation was already very delicate.

For example, at the Yongji Canal, because the Jin camp had left it unattended, a thick layer of ice had already formed on top. Soldiers had to break through a palm-thick layer of ice to get water. On the Song army's side of the Yongji Canal, they probably had to rely on constant ice-breaking to maintain transport.

The same was true for the Yellow River channel. Often from early morning to evening, Song army laborers were constantly breaking ice, trying to delay it as much as possible.

Under these circumstances, if there were one or two more temperature drops, a snow or ice storm, it might truly begin to freeze over gradually.

And so, Wanyan Wushu followed the river upstream under the cover of darkness. As he walked, he could clearly feel the ice along the riverbank growing wider and thicker with time. But when he reached the downstream area directly opposite the Song army camp, there were only ice shards at the river's edge... This was understandable, because Wushu saw with his own eyes that even late at night, there were many Song army laborers on the river holding torches in small boats, breaking ice through the night. What surprised Wushu especially was that there was also considerable activity around the Song army's warships. Clearly, the ships anchored in the river had already caused freezing in just the first half of the night, forcing the Song army to take such measures.

From this, it seemed that the freezing of the Yellow River was unavoidable. The Song army knew this as well, but they were just doing their best to delay it in order to transport supplies and control the river.

It was the beginning of the twelfth month, past midnight, with a strong northwest wind. The moonlight and starlight overhead were both dim—a typical cold winter night.

However, at this time, the camps on both banks were dense and vast, with campfires stretching for dozens of li. Wushu stood on the inner side of the levee, seeing the fires on both banks reflecting off each other, with faint light from the river rising from ice crystals and water in the darkness. In glimpsing a bit of the situation, he also felt a moment of daze.

The great river surged for ten thousand li, and when it reached the lower reaches, it split into two, then into five. It seemed vast and magnificent, but in reality, the water volume inside was already far less abundant than in the upper reaches. Even the water source had changed, making it hard to find the root.

In fact, Wushu thought to himself, if it weren't for this, the river might not freeze every year.

But then, on second thought, the great river was still the great river. Even in low water, even as just a single branch, it was still magnificent, still allowed boats to roam freely, making hundreds of thousands of troops sigh in frustration at the river, unable to advance an inch.

Compared to this heavenly timing and earthly geography, what were mere human affairs? And with what mindset should one face the grand trend?

Should one learn from the words in the Southern Zhao official's gazette, rousing the spirit that man can conquer heaven? Or should one go with the flow and scatter? Or do one's best and listen to heaven's will, acting according to one's strength?

In a daze, this Jin ruling prince was momentarily lost in thought again.

But just as the Fourth Prince was about to sigh with emotion as usual, suddenly, Taisinu, disregarding etiquette, directly pulled Wushu up onto the levee. Wushu came to his senses and saw two boats heading straight for the western bank. The figures on the boats, illuminated by the glow from both banks, clearly showed flashes of light and shadow, apparently elite Song soldiers in armor.

Perhaps it was a small elite Song army squad crossing the river for reconnaissance. Although it didn't seem to be aimed at him and shouldn't be too dangerous, a gentleman does not stand where danger lurks, and there was no need... Wushu thought as he hurriedly climbed the levee with Taisinu and the other attendants, preparing to turn back.

This action, however, exposed their whereabouts. The two boats instead headed directly toward them.

By the time Wushu reached the other side of the levee and heard the sound of boats colliding with thin ice on the other side, he was about to mount his horse. But just then, the other side spoke with a smile:

"I wonder which Jin general it is, not sleeping at night but coming to the river to enjoy the view?"

Wushu heard the other's voice was loud and his words calm, and knew he had encountered a high-ranking Song general. His heart stirred slightly, and as he mounted his horse, he signaled to Taisinu and the others.

Taisinu and the other attendants quickly drew their bows and nocked arrows, just in case, while also taking down a large shield and mounting their horses to shield Wushu. On the other side of the levee slope, there was also the sound of bowstrings and clattering armor, clearly preparing as well.

Once Taisinu and the others were ready, Wushu laughed from his horse: "The Great Jin's Privy Councilor, Prince of Wei, Wanyan Wushu, is here. I wonder which Song general shares my taste, coming to the river to enjoy the view late at night?"

There was obvious commotion on the other side, but it quickly quieted down. Then the same general continued speaking lightly and with a smile: "The Great Song's Hebei Circuit Marshal, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Forward Army, Yue Fei, is here! Fourth Prince, since we've met by chance, why not come over the levee slope for a chat?"

Wushu was stunned for a moment, and Taisinu and the others also murmured briefly. But soon, Wushu smiled wryly: "I've long heard that Marshal Yue is the best in Hebei with bow, horse, saber, and spear. Even in the army, he's only slightly overshadowed by Prince Han due to seniority... With your peerless bravery, if I go over there now, I'm afraid I'll be shot through with an arrow... If Marshal Yue is interested, why not come over here? I'll certainly treat you well."

The man on the other side, Yue Fei, laughed even more at this: "Don't fool me, Fourth Prince. Even if my martial skills are strong, at this distance, taking a Jurchen heavy arrow would leave me dead or crippled... Why ask for trouble?"

"True, true." Wushu nodded repeatedly, sighed, but then seemed thoughtful. "If that's the case, we won't shake hands and make peace. How about we chat across the levee slope?"

"Chat about what?" In the darkness, Yue Fei gripped the hard bow on his back and, for some reason, became solemn. "Things have come to this. Does the Fourth Prince want to reason with me, discuss the times and trends?"

"Even if we're meeting with weapons drawn, why can't we reason?" Wushu said dismissively. "Besides, meeting here on the levee slope at midnight, though we can't see each other's faces, is still a rare opportunity. And even if what we say is wrong or bad, we don't have to worry about losing morale or inviting impeachment."

"The Fourth Prince misunderstands." Yue Fei sighed in response. "It's not that I think this place is unfit for conversation, but some words truly need not be said... The Jurchens invaded China, killed our people, plundered our goods, destroyed our cities, and seized our territory... Is there any justification for that?"

"General, you start with muddled words." Wushu sneered in reply. "The Two Rivers were once Song territory, and today they are Jin territory. In the past, you called yourselves China, but having lost the Two Rivers, what kind of China are you? Only half a China. As for the Great Jin, it now occupies the Two Rivers, establishes institutions, holds civil examinations, reveres Confucius and honors the Confucians—can it not also be called a Chinese state?"

"Barbarians and savages, monkeys wearing caps—can they be called China?" Yue Fei looked disdainful.

"This is even more muddled." In the twilight, behind the shield, Wushu on horseback remained unflustered. "The Khitans merely held the Yan-Yun region and yet could call themselves a great Chinese state, inheriting the Huaxia tradition—and even you acknowledged that. Now that the Great Jin fully occupies the Two Rivers, why can't it be called China? You must understand, the source of legitimacy lies in rule, not in righteousness... In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Northern Wei occupied Han lands and became Sinicized, thus becoming the legitimate dynasty. The Sui and Tang inherited it and unified the realm. The likes of Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen, on the other hand, became separatist and counter-temporal states—how similar to today! Even setting that aside, you say we invaded from beyond the borders, but your own Great Ancestor of the Song did a filthy deed, seizing the Chai family's foundation—does he deserve to say the Great Jin's acquisition of the state is illegitimate?"

"What the Fourth Prince says seems to have some reason." Unexpectedly, Yue Fei admitted frankly. "But speaking of this, I cannot help but make things clear to the Fourth Prince... You say the source of legitimacy lies in rule, not in righteousness. Then let me ask: the Jurchens have stolen the Two Rivers, treated the people as slaves, enforced harsh laws, and driven the common people to abandon their homes and businesses, either fleeing south for survival or rebelling on Mount Taihang—both numbering no less than a million—is that false? Not to mention that you once made slaughter a common practice here, filling the four wilds with stench... Can this be called rule?"

"That was in the beginning. The rise of a state inevitably involves warfare. The Great Jin also took shape day by day." Wushu blurted out a quibble, but regretted it as soon as he spoke.

"So, the Fourth Prince believes that the Jin's slaughter was inevitable, and that the Great Song's acceptance of the abdication over a hundred years ago was illegitimate?" Yue Fei sneered.

"My original intention was just that neither of us should point fingers at the other—we're both laughable." Wushu gave an awkward laugh.

"Indeed." Yue Fei continued sneering without pause. "The Fourth Prince believes a state's legitimacy lies in rule, not righteousness. Yet the Great Song has ruled for over a hundred years, with flourishing culture and countless subjects, and you say it is as laughable as the Jin, which has ruled the Two Rivers for ten years, slaughtered for three to five years, and tyrannized for three to five years... I wonder who is truly laughable?!"

Wushu fell silent and did not reply.

"Moreover." Yue Fei's voice grew clearer. "Even if I admit today that the Great Song's accession was illegitimate, what of it? Does the Great Song's moral authority today still rest on that throne a hundred years ago? Is it not that our Sovereign leads millions of people to drive out the barbarians, restore China, and unify the four seas? After the White Horse Shaoxing, our Sovereign has made it clear that the state has a new and old division. Your so-called Jin, compared even to the old Song, appears laughable—how dare you compare it to the new Song of today? Why don't you compare an insect to a bear or tiger and say they are the same kind?"

"Marshal Yue." Wushu finally became solemn. "I thought you, as a marshal of a state, would have lofty discourse. Who would have expected such vulgar words?"

"It was the Fourth Prince who wanted to speak with me!" Yue Fei said across the river embankment, without any courtesy. "Besides, if your Great Jin had any merit, why would you bring humiliation upon yourself?"

Wushu was momentarily choked with anger, and both sides fell silent across the embankment slope for a moment.

After a moment, Wushu calmed down and changed his approach: "These fancy things are the words of scholars. We are men who have muddled through the military—we shouldn't chatter like the gazettes. As for whether the Great Jin has any backing, Marshal Yue, our Great Jin certainly has something to rely on. Before you, behind me, these hundreds of thousands of elite Jin troops—are they not our backing and foundation? The current situation is that the two armies are evenly matched, facing each other across the river has become a fact. Yet we have repeatedly sought peace with you, and you have ignored us, instead pouring the entire state's strength to cross the river and attack... I have read your gazettes and know one thing: for this war, you have exhausted every means of extraction, laboring the people and wasting resources, draining the pond to catch the fish. Moreover, the forward imperial camp and the rear scholar-officials stand in stark opposition, the state is nearly split—is it worth it? Even if you succeed in the future, how long will it take you to stabilize and unify the state?"

At this point, Wushu paused and waited. Hearing no response for a long while, he paused slightly and continued:

"And if you truly cross the river to attack, can the Song army make our great army flee in panic? Not to mention elsewhere, just here—in the cold of winter, both soldiers and civilians should be at home, warming their kang and celebrating the New Year. Yet you have dragged over a hundred thousand soldiers and civilians into the wilderness, making them work hard all night along the river, breaking ice against the wind... And breaking ice is just a perfunctory measure. The key is that your forces are already caught between internal and external difficulties. In three to five days, when the river freezes as usual, and my great army presses forward—let's not talk about victory or defeat—just think of the countless innocent lives that will be lost on both sides. How can your conscience be at ease?"

Wushu waited again, and the other side remained silent. This encouraged the Fourth Prince slightly, so he continued: "I also know that Marshal Yue is a man of Hebei, from Xiangzhou... Ten years ago, when the great army marched south, it was I who captured Xiangzhou... So I know Marshal Yue's desire to recover his homeland. But for the sake of personal gain, to cause blood to flow and shields to float across the realm—is this the virtue of a general?!"

Wushu waited a third time, and hearing no response from the other side, grew even more encouraged and continued his performance: "Marshal Yue, listen to my words..."

"Wushu!"

At that moment, Yue Fei on the opposite side suddenly spoke. His voice was so loud that, across the embankment slope, it startled Wanyan Wushu.

After the start, Wushu laughed: "I'm listening, Marshal Yue! Please speak! I've been waiting!"

"Some of the things you said just now are indeed hard to refute." After the angry shout, Yue Fei became calm. "For example, you said that once war begins, regardless of victory or defeat, countless innocent lives will be lost on both sides... Who can refute that?"

"Indeed..."

"But being irrefutable does not mean I have no words for you." Yue Fei continued solemnly. "The only thing I can say in response is to tell you that when the time comes, the soldiers and people will fight to the death for the state. As a military man, I will certainly be among them and at the forefront! If we win, we win together; if we lose, we lose together. If I die on the battlefield, my soul will return to the Yue Platform, and my body will merge with the green mountains! And if I am fortunate enough to survive, I will surely gather the remaining people, tend to the wounded and mourn the dead, and then work with one heart and one mind to rebuild peace! These words can be sworn before the sun and sky, before the rivers and mountains, before the hundred thousand soldiers and people behind me, and also before you tonight!"

Wushu remained silent.

"As for what you said about war and peace... Since you read the gazettes, you should know that the reasoning behind this could go on for three days and three nights without end, enough to refute you dozens of times." Yue Fei remained calm, but his words grew increasingly forceful. "But today I don't want to speak of grand principles. I only ask you a few questions... In the ten years of war between our two states, wasn't it you who first engaged in widespread slaughter and plunder? Wasn't it Nianhan and your second brother Wolibu who rushed to march south? Why, when you were strong, did you massacre cities and seize land, plunder goods and kill people, and now that we are attacking, do you speak of valuing peace?! The Humiliation of Jingkang was only ten years ago; the fall of the Two Rivers was only nine years ago; the massacres in the Central Plains were only eight years ago—and yet you expect us to pretend nothing happened and simply forget?! Now that things have come to this, what use is there in saying these things? You must understand: since you dared to do barbaric deeds, you should be prepared to suffer the consequences of war!"

Wushu remained silent, but Taishinu, who was holding the shield beside him, could clearly see by the distant firelight that the Fourth Prince's lips were already twitching slightly.

After the twitch, this Fourth Prince of Jin suppressed all his surging emotions and said through gritted teeth: "So, it still comes down to a trial by arms?"

"That was always my intention. It was the Fourth Prince who dragged in all these twisted arguments, forcing me to speak with you across the embankment slope." Yue Fei's voice regained its composure. "As for this battle... Fourth Prince, I have one more thing to say. Where do you get the confidence to think you can break my camp before I break Yuancheng? My army may be smaller, but they are like dragons and tigers, not like your Jurchens, each one a short-legged toad on horseback! Do five or six thousand toads expect to hop across this river?!"

Wushu was dumbfounded, not knowing how to reply.

But soon, before he could respond, he heard a commotion from across the river embankment, then clearly the sound of a boat starting and armor rubbing. After a moment, just as the Fourth Prince was about to speak again, a different voice rang out:

"Prince Wei of the Great Jin, our Marshal has already left. He said that although this brief meeting in the night ended on bad terms, we must not lose courtesy... So he left his sword here as a gift..."

Wushu was caught off guard, unsure whether to thank him or give something in return. Then he heard the other side continue: "He also said that from the Han Commandery Prince down, countless people in the Great Song want to flay Prince Wei alive. If Prince Wei is defeated in battle, you might as well, in memory of tonight's meeting on the embankment, use this sword to kill yourself. When your corpse is fought over, and this sword is recognized, it can count as a merit for our Marshal."

Wushu was dumbfounded again. He wanted to lose his temper, but knowing Yue Fei had already left, making a fuss with a personal guard would be beneath him. So he sat on his horse, listening to the commotion, and let the second boat leave as well.

After a moment, Wushu let out a long breath and laughed awkwardly to Taishinu: "Yue Fei is a vulgar man, but I cannot lose face. Fetch that sword. In this battle, I will use it to slaughter Song men to my heart's content!"

Taishinu had no choice but to go up the embankment to search. He found a precious sword at the foot of the embankment, carried it back, and handed it to Wushu.

The Fourth Prince took the sword, acted as if nothing had happened, and went straight back to camp... As for the debate on the embankment slope that night, he told no one.

Leaving aside Wushu's remarkable composure, in the next two days, the Jin army cut off the lower reaches of the Yongji Canal but found nothing amiss with the Song army. Finally, the Jin side cautiously launched two more hot air balloons... One burned, one survived and made a report, and only then did the Jin army learn... that on the western side of the Song army's position, they had already begun building earthen mounds, and behind several of these mounds were huge pits connected to the Yellow River channel for water storage... perhaps also to serve as docks in the future.

Therefore, when the Jin army cut off the Yongji Canal, the Song army simply dug a connection between the canal and these huge pits, remaining completely unflustered.

In other words, the Song army had long prepared for the Yongji Canal tactic, rendering the Jin army's effort fruitless.

But it didn't matter, because in these few days, first a northwest wind blew, and the Yongji Canal was completely frozen. The Yellow River, with its slower current, also struggled to hold up. Many large steamships began sailing into the prepared docks within the camp.

Then, after a light snow, the temperature dropped further. Small steamships could no longer stay afloat and disappeared from the river surface.

By this time, the Jin army was already itching for action, only worried that the river was not frozen solid enough. A premature attack would let the Song artillery lined up on the opposite embankment make dumpling soup of them in the murky water.

Nevertheless, the Jin army began sending troops to seize positions south of the Song camp.

And soon, on the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, with another northwest wind, soldiers reported that the Yellow River had frozen to over a foot thick. Even stone cannonballs could not smash much of the ice at once.

The long-awaited opportunity for battle had finally arrived.

That day, the Jin army held another military council at Liguzhen. This time, aside from the necessary frontline officers guarding against a Song surprise attack, almost all the marching commanders gathered—over a hundred men in a noisy crowd, waiting for orders.

But on that same day, a messenger suddenly arrived from the southwest, saying he was delivering a document from the Zhao Song Sovereign to the Fourth Prince Wushu. He left the letter outside the camp and departed... The Jin soldiers dared not be careless and quickly presented it.

Wushu took the letter in confusion before the assembly but dared not open it. He looked at Bolisu.

Bolisu naturally understood his meaning... The Zhao Song Sovereign had chosen not to send it earlier or later, but precisely when the river had frozen and the Jin army was assigning battle tasks—it was surely deliberate.

It might have been written long ago, kept in the opposite camp, and only sent today.

In such a situation, it was nine times out of ten mockery or ridicule meant to damage morale... What else could it be? Could it be encouragement for the Fourth Prince?

But after a moment's thought, Bolisu smiled and said on the spot: "Although the Zhao Song Sovereign has made progress in Hedong, news keeps coming from behind, and everyone knows that at most he has just opened the Queshu Valley. If he left this letter early, he has even less to rely on... If we don't read it, we'll appear afraid of him! And if he boasts of falsehoods or speaks vulgar words, it will only make him look ridiculous!"

At these words, many of the commanders nodded in agreement, saying it was fine, that the more the Zhao Song Sovereign mocked, the more it showed the Fourth Prince's capability.

Wushu himself, thinking of that night's debate with Yue Fei on the embankment and how he had even accepted the sword with composure, felt that no words could provoke him. So he nodded and prepared to open it.

"Let me serve Prince Wei!" At that moment, the Golden Tablet Young Lord Wanyan Bendu suddenly stepped forward and said respectfully. "Although a sovereign of a state should not be too base, just in case, let me open and read it instead..."

Wushu had no objection, and he was pleased to see Wanyan Bendu setting aside his arrogance and integrating with the group. So he handed the document over.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Wanyan Bendu opened it, took out a thin sheet of paper, glanced at it, and froze on the spot. Then, without a word or reading a single character, he looked awkwardly at the Fourth Prince.

Wushu was momentarily confused but could not help rising, snatching it, and reading it carefully in his seat.

One look was enough—on this piece of paper, aside from the familiar signature of Zhao Jiu of Cangzhou below, there was actually only a single sentence:

"Wushu, I have always been at ease with your handling of affairs. When the moment comes, do not panic just because the man opposite you is Yue Pengju. Roll up your trousers and work hard!"

Wushu did not react at first, but in but an instant, his eyes became bloodshot, and he felt as if something was churning at the back of his skull, rage directly surging into his heart. Then, under the gaze of the entire army's high command, he nearly tore this document filled with encouraging words into shreds.

But—there was a but after all—Wushu actually managed to suppress his fury. Trembling, he folded the paper, stuffed it into his bosom, and, breathing heavily, looked around at those nearby: "As expected, just some vulgar words."

Everyone naturally knew something was amiss, but before they could react, they saw this ruling Prince suddenly draw the precious sword at his waist. Then, looking around, he tremblingly pointed it at Wanyan Bendu before him, and spoke harshly: "I have heard that when the lord is humiliated, the vassal dies. Gentlemen, you are all chiliarchs, generals, commanders, and seasoned veterans, but if you still recognize this Great Jin Kingdom as the Wanyan clan's realm, then you should strive on the battlefield and avenge this shame for me, Wushu!"

Everyone else, including Bailsu, was stunned on the spot. Only Wanyan Bendu, disregarding the fact that he was actually a generation senior to Wushu, knelt directly on the ground, hugged Wushu's thigh, and swore oaths pointing to heaven. Moments later, Bailsu suddenly rose and took the lead, and the other generals also shouted their assent in unison, claiming they would avenge the Prince of Wei's shame.

Just as the Jin Army was caught up in a unity born from a minor incident, at the same moment, inside the Song Army camp across the river, Yue Pengju, who had convened a military council because the Yellow River had completely frozen overnight, was also plunged into astonishment.

Moreover, the instigator was still the Zhao Emperor, a thousand li away.

Or to put it bluntly, that Zhao Emperor, who had previously promised never to interfere with Yue Fei's actions, had suddenly sent ten golden plaques as imperial decrees.

At this very moment, ten golden plaques were laid out in a row, and the imperial messengers were actually ten army commanders. It was clear that these decrees had been delivered in advance through secret memorial channels. Moreover, these commanders were unaware of each other's existence, so much so that after stepping forward holding the secret memorial boxes bound with golden plaques, they all looked somewhat dazed.

"The golden plaques are genuine, and there is absolutely no way ten commanders would forge an imperial decree together. This must be the Emperor's own intention. And judging by the timing, it should be the Emperor's response after learning of this battle plan in Hedong," Hu Yin said, his face dark as he turned back. "But in my view, with a great battle imminent, there is no need to heed even the Emperor's decree... Is the Emperor, a thousand li away, going to remotely command the battle? Give all these golden plaques and boxes to me, and I will handle them myself."

Yue Fei, seated in the center, was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "This matter cannot be concealed. Perhaps the Emperor used this method precisely to make the entire camp aware... If we do not open them, the camp will surely waver."

Hu Yin was silent for a moment, then snatched a small box tied to a golden plaque from the nearest commander, tore it open directly, took out a slip of paper, looked at it, and froze there.

But after recovering, he immediately grabbed that slip and looked at the second, third, fourth... After seeing the sixth, he could not be bothered to look further, just shaking his head repeatedly, furious and exasperated: "Absurd! Absurd! Absurd!"

The commanders grew increasingly panicked. Tian Shizhong could not restrain himself; he stepped forward and opened one, and was also stunned on the spot. Zhang Rong, bewildered, had no choice but to look at Yue Fei. Yue Fei, helpless, could only rise solemnly, squinting his mismatched eyes, and peer at those slips of paper in Hu Yin's hands.

And this look was something else—Yue Pengju actually rarely laughed out loud in public.

It turned out that all the slips of paper in Hu Yin's hands bore the same words: Move the northernmost eight-ox crossbow on the dike forward ten paces to greet Wushu! No mistakes allowed!

After laughing once, Yue Fei suppressed his smile and continued to ask seriously: "Minister Hu, the Emperor's decree must be obeyed. But does it mean to move that eight-ox crossbow forward ten paces, or to move it forward ten times for a total of one hundred paces?"

"Move it one hundred paces—into the river?!" Hu Yin, furious and exasperated, threw down those slips of paper and walked away. After taking a dozen steps, he was still seething with indignation. "State military affairs, treated like child's play! Couldn't he just issue a proper decree to offer some encouragement? And were those wooden boxes free of charge?!"

Having said that, he ultimately could not abandon the military council, so he sat back down in a huff.

At this point, the entire hall erupted. Everyone crowded around to look, and only then did the officers realize the absurdity of the decree, feeling somewhat relieved. But soon, they became alarmed... because they immediately understood that this battle was not only known to the ministers in the Eastern Capital, but the Emperor himself was fully aware of it and had made a decision. He even knew the deployment of the officers and troops here, and understood the crux of the current situation... In fact, figures like Tian Shizhong had already vaguely realized why Minister Hu was so angry... When the Emperor had sent the golden plaques that day, he could not have known that Minister Hu would be here.

PS: Thanks to Laogui Bieheledalao for the new alliance, thanks to Tell Xiaoguo Dalao for the third alliance. Thanks to Weimang0930 Dalao, Shuyou Dalao, Shuyou Dalao, Zhenyucheng Dalao, DrFeng Dalao, Wuyan Dedaxigua Dalao, Nalan Qianxue Dalao, and others for their tips.

I am deeply grateful.