Chapter 404: Somniloquy

Now, after Wang Bolong fell in battle, the Jin army was shaken from top to bottom, their morale shattered, to the point where they began to harbor thoughts of avoiding further combat. Thus, long before Gao Qingyi came to see Wushu, the midday high-level military council had already produced a wide variety of discussions from a purely military standpoint.

For example, among those who advocated sending a heavy force south, there were not only those who suggested attacking Dongjing, but also those who proposed a thousand-li lightning raid on Shaan-Luo to cut off the logistics of the Zhao Song lord in Hedong... Of course, compared to the straightforward and simple former plan, the latter was somewhat baffling, because not only did half of the Hedong side's logistics come from Guanzhong and half from Shaan-Luo, and not only would a thousand-li raid on Shaan-Luo have its own impact on their own supply lines, but if they did that, the Song army's Hedong contingent, which controlled the Zhiguan Pass and had plenty of cavalry, could simply abandon Taiyuan and march back, enveloping the Jin army in turn.

Suffice it to say, among the southern advance faction, fortunately no one suggested sending the entire army to attack Jinan.

Of course, sending a heavy force south, whether to attack Dongjing or to go directly to Shaan-Luo to cut off the Song army's Hedong logistics, was essentially a gamble on winning in the south.

The gamble was on mobile warfare capabilities, which would severely test the Jin army's own logistics and supply; the gamble was on whether Heaven's timing would favor the Great Jin, because once the freezing period ended, the Song navy hidden in the belly of the camp at Yuancheng would swarm out and, with absolute superiority, control the Yellow River channel; the gamble was on the resolve of Yue Fei and the Zhao Song lord, because as things stood, Yue Fei had likely stored a large quantity of military supplies in his camp, while the Hedong side simply had two supply routes, and whether the tactic of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" would succeed depended largely on whether the two supreme commanders could be swayed by the situation.

Beyond that, how many troops to send south and how many to leave behind to watch Yue Fei had also become a difficult problem.

Naturally, there was a southern advance faction, and there was also a northern advance faction, and the northern advance had two schools of thought: one suggested retreating to the area of Zhending Prefecture and Hejian Prefecture, building defensive lines on the spot, and blocking the Jingxing Pass; the other was to go back and rescue Taiyuan, taking advantage of the moment when the Song army on the Hedong side was forced to chew through the Queshugu road, to gather a heavy force at Taiyuan and fight a decisive battle with the Song army.

As for the northern advance, it had a bit of a "what the hell" feel to it... Going to Zhending was almost equivalent to directly abandoning Yuancheng and Taiyuan, and saying they would fight a decisive battle with the Song army at Taiyuan seemed like a trap no matter how you looked at it. Not to mention anything else, if you went to Taiyuan, your forces would be maximized, but wouldn't the Song army's Hedong contingent be even larger? And what if Yue Fei quickly broke Yuancheng and then chased after you from behind?

As for staying put, that still seemed like a viable option, and indeed many hoped to reorganize the attack, but wasn't the attack thwarted and morale shaken? So they had to restore morale first.

However, these discussions were only about military matters, analyzing pros and cons from a military perspective, and they were all short-term operational considerations for the next phase, lacking a long-term view.

In response, Wanyan Wushu, who had the authority to decide, even though he was so angry at Wang Bolong that he nearly choked, could keenly sense that these plans were all superficial arguments. Relying solely on these things, he, the ruling prince in command at the front, could not make a final decision.

Then, Gao Qingyi appeared.

Gao Qingyi's personal goal was undoubtedly to persuade Wanyan Wushu to continue trying to rescue Yuancheng.

But that didn't prevent him from laying out the logic of the situation for Wushu... Specifically, this man came, first, to remind Wanyan Wushu that when calculating military accounts, he must also calculate political accounts, and must consider popular sentiment and regional ethnic politics; second, he warned Wanyan Wushu from a military standpoint that the situation was already very bad. If a decisive battle was to be fought, they must do their utmost to stretch the Song army's supply lines, shorten their own logistics lines, and absolutely ensure that the new Yanyun army participated in the battle.

In a word, they could gamble, but since they were going to gamble, they had to change their thinking, unite all forces that could be united, and then, at the most advantageous place for themselves, throw all their strength into it at once!

They must avoid gambling in the wrong direction, or even gambling in separate pieces.

With this line of thinking, the previously somewhat confused Wushu regained clarity and quickly made a decision... The logic was very simple, and it basically followed Gao Qingyi's intentions... To ensure that the new Yanyun army, which was still being prepared and assembled, could be committed if necessary, and to ensure that the decisive battle could be launched in a place favorable to their own logistics, the location had to be in the north. For this reason, the southern advance plan had to be rejected.

And while abandoning the southern advance plan, in order to maintain military and popular morale, they couldn't just pack up and leave, returning to the rear. The 'best' plan at the moment seemed to be to continue boosting morale and continue trying to attack Yue Fei.

And to be fair, losing a Wanhu was certainly shocking, but to completely lose composure and change the original strategy just because of that would be an even greater invitation to chaos.

With his resolve made, Wushu, on the one hand, appointed Gao Qingyi as his personal interpreter, and on the other hand, discussed and deliberated with Bolisu. After exchanging views, Bolisu clearly also approved of Wushu's judgment... In fact, Bolisu himself also hoped to maintain his strategic plan, rather than completely change course due to a single setback.

This was already evident from his insistence on attacking that day and his priority on calming the troops today.

Once the two had agreed, the next step was to vigorously stimulate and restore morale.

First, Bolisu, in his capacity as Marshal, ordered the opening of military supply depots, including the stores of surrounding counties and prefectures, to generously reward the lower-ranking soldiers.

Then, Prince Wei Wushu personally stepped forward, overruling all objections, to promote some Han supplementary soldiers who had performed outstandingly in the previous battle to the rank of field Meng'an and Mouke, while many officers who were already Meng'an or Mouke were granted hereditary Mouke status. Field silver tablets were issued on the spot, hereditary documents were written out immediately, and then, in front of everyone, they were uniformly sent to Yanjing.

The morale in the army was temporarily boosted and began to recover.

Of course, just these matters alone were destined to take three or four days, and next, they would have to reorganize the attack, and even need to conscript new troops.

In a daze, no one noticed that it was already the latter half of the twelfth month, and the New Year could be counted on one's fingers.

For the next year, from the Song perspective, it would be the tenth year of Jianyan, while from the Jin perspective, it would be the sixth year of Huangtong... However, no one knew whether, come next year, the Two Rivers region would be under Jianyan or Huangtong.

Let's go back to the day when Gao Qingyi's silver tongue moved Prince Wei Wushu. While the Jin army was still at a loss over Wang Bolong's death, on the Hedong front, Niu Gao's unit, subordinate to Li Yanxian, was the first to storm and capture Yangliang North Pass.

And this time was actually four or five days later than the worst-case scenario Bolisu had anticipated.

In other words, the Song army on the Hedong side had neither performed a miracle nor fallen short. They had simply, steadily, and at an ordinary pace that everyone expected, opened up the Queshugu... taking about forty-odd days in total.

As for the process, there was little to say.

On the Jin army's side, they had carried out Bolisu's arrangements before he left. Besides stubbornly defending Yangliang South Pass, North Pass, and the Lingshi City in between, they also set up multiple camps at various strategic points along the valley, resisting layer by layer. And once thwarted, they would retreat without hesitation, only seeking to delay, not to fight to the death.

For the Song army, the entire process was a saturation attack mode.

They had catapults. The Zhao lord himself had decreed that Direct Academician Mei Li supervise the construction of a batch of small, light catapults, whose key feature was standardized component sizes. They were then fitted with wheels and used animal power for traction. Starting from Yangliang South Pass, these catapults were constantly being worn out and constantly being replenished, ensuring they remained in use.

At the same time, there were offers of amnesty to the Han army, Yi army familiar with the terrain using small paths to raid and outflank from behind, night attacks by the main force, fire attacks, frontal assaults, including the Poxi Army climbing high and using camels as platforms to fire small ballistae—every available tactic was employed.

With all these methods, plus the Song army's numerical advantage allowing them to rotate troops and fight day and night without pause, they finally pushed north along the Fen River channel, steadily opening the Queshugu, smashing through both passes, and capturing Lingshi City.

Of course, during these forty-odd days, the Zhao lord hadn't been completely idle... He and the accompanying Chancellor Lu Yihao were stationed one at Xiangling and the other at Linfen, separated by the Fen River. They were still busy pacifying the people, establishing logistics depots, and participating in decisions on various matters at the front and rear, working nonstop.

"What pattern is woven into this carpet?"

At noon that day, at the same time Niu Gao entered Yangliang North Pass, inside the cramped and narrow county government hall of Xiangling County at the foot of Guye Mountain, the Zhao lord suddenly raised an interesting question in public.

Since the lord had spoken, those below naturally had to respond. So everyone bustled about, quickly circling the luxurious and excessively large red Persian carpet spread on the hall's floor, trying to discern the pattern.

Soon, the confronting lion and antelope at the top of the carpet were identified. Among the four plants below, the rose and briar bushes and the palm tree, which were originally native to northern and central China, were of course quickly recognized.

However, for the remaining two distinctly featured plants—a flower and a tree—no one dared to draw a conclusion.

"Your Majesty," said Academician Fan Zongyin, a man well-versed in literature, cupping his hands. "This tree closely resembles a lacquer tree, but the fruit deliberately shown on it is truly puzzling..."

Zhao Jiu immediately looked at Direct Academician Mei Li.

Mei Li dared not be negligent and immediately cupped his hands in reply: "To report to Your Majesty, I truly do not recognize this tree, but as for the nuts in the basket beneath the tree, I have some conjecture... If I am not mistaken, this should be a nut from a type of lacquer-like tree native to Persia, called the 'A Yue Hun Zi' (pistachio). Its interior is moist, oily, and crisp, and chewing it fills the mouth with fragrance. It is a Persian specialty... But this item is very susceptible to moisture, and once damp, it easily molds. So at the southeastern ports, it is only seen occasionally and is not traded as a commodity. Furthermore, it is said that this tree is extremely sun-loving and only grows in the Persian mountains. If transplanted, it would certainly not bear such fruit."

"If that's the case, then it truly is the 'orange of Huainan becoming the trifoliate orange of Huaibei'," Fan Zongyin exclaimed loudly. "There is a similar relative among the lacquer trees, which is the Chinese pistache... The bitterness of the Chinese pistache is known throughout the world, yet unexpectedly, in Persia, it becomes the fragrant 'A Yue Hun Zi'."

Zhao Jiu slowly nodded. Of course, he knew what this was... pistachios. But it was quite enlightening to learn that pistachios and the Chinese pistache were of the same genus, both being types of lacquer trees.

"And what about this last flower?"

After nodding, Zhao Jiu continued to sit before the carpet and pressed further.

"This might just be a common purple-red flower of Persia..." Fan Zongyin replied with a light laugh. "Flowers are too common. There are countless species of flowers under heaven, tens of millions. There's no need to identify every single one."

At these words, Mei Li, who had been about to explain, found it difficult to speak.

"This is Persian safflower," Zhao Jiu finally said helplessly from his seat. "It is one of Persia's most famous specialties, with purple flowers and red stigmas... The most valuable part is precisely this red stigma. It is both a sacred medicine for gynecological ailments and a top-tier spice, a fine health product... So, although the flower petals are white or purple, it is called 'safflower' (red flower). Top-grade safflower can be exchanged for an equal weight of gold."

Fan Zongyin was momentarily embarrassed.

Fortunately, Zhao Jiu paid him no mind and directly addressed one of the people beside the carpet below the hall: "Minister Xiao, since the Grand Secretary Yelu Dashi has advanced into the Karakhanid Khanate, seizing three thousand li of territory and reaching right up to the Transoxiana, and is now sending gifts to me, there is no way he would only send a Persian carpet without also sending Persian safflower, is there?"

That person immediately bowed respectfully, then looked up with a smile, speaking with a clear Hebei accent: "Your Majesty jests. Since I, a foreign minister, have come bearing the special products of Persia and Transoxiana to pay tribute to Your Majesty, how could I fail to present Persian safflower?"

So saying, this official, clearly of Xi origin from the Western Liao, rummaged through the pile of gifts behind him, took out a box, and respectfully presented it: "Let Your Majesty know that my king campaigned last year and only settled the Karakhanid Khanate in the first half of this year, annexing its north and subjugating its south, slightly opening a route to Transoxiana. Among the tribute items collected this year, the most precious were no more than three kinds: eighty-four jin of Persian safflower, thirteen boxes of green jade, and twenty-four panels of Persian carpet. My king dared not be presumptuous in the slightest. The items presented to Your Majesty are all the finest of their kind, and he sent half of everything. As for the green jade, he sent it all to Your Majesty, as a small token of respect... This box contains exactly one jin."

As he spoke, the man carefully handed the wooden box to a eunuch, who was none other than Shao Chengzhang, one of the three Deputy Directors of the Palace Eunuch Service.

Shao Chengzhang took it and opened it in the hall for all to see. Inside was a whole box of dried Persian safflower stigmas, crystal clear and bright red, with a pungent, fragrant aroma. He couldn't help but marvel.

Zhao Jiu then smiled and said: "When the envoy returns, tell your Grand Secretary Yelu Dashi that I deeply appreciate his sincerity and I also understand what he truly wants. But those things are absolutely not something that can be bought with any treasure... And conversely, as long as our two nations are at peace and our civilizations are one, once the western route is open, there will naturally be silk going west to trade for these treasures. Why does he need to scrape heaven and earth to send them to me? Of course, if the Grand Secretary Yelu Dashi sends more seeds and Persian craftsmanship next time, I would also be happy to see it."

The envoy’s heart stirred slightly, but since the gifts had only been delivered halfway, it was not appropriate to broach formal topics directly. He immediately clasped his hands, gave a wry smile, and repeatedly agreed.

Zhao Jiu did not mind this. Instead, he simply began distributing: “Alright then, of the twelve Persian carpets, send this largest one to Commander-in-Chief Zhang of Qingzhou (Zhang Jun). Then one to Prime Minister Lu of Dongjing (Lu Haowen), one to Prince Han of the front lines (Han Shizhong), one to Prime Minister Lu (Lu Yihao) in Linfen City across the Fenshui River. As for the remaining eight, place one each in the Hall of Literary Virtue, the Hall of Assembled Excellence, the Secret Pavilion, the Public Pavilion, the Capital Secretariat, the Bureau of Military Affairs… ah, and one each at the Imperial Academy and the Military Academy.”

Shao Chengzhang, the Chief of Palace Attendants, standing by, quickly held up the box of saffron and acknowledged the order.

“As for the forty-two boxes of Persian saffron…” Zhao Jiu looked thoughtfully at the saffron in Shao Chengzhang’s arms. “One box each for the three Empresses Dowager, the Imperial Consort, and the Virtuous Consort in the palace. One box each for the various prime ministers and military commanders. Five boxes each for the Secret Pavilion and the Public Pavilion. Keep five boxes here for the close attendants serving before the throne, distribute them fairly. Give the remaining few boxes to Father-in-Law Wu, have him sell them on our behalf to raise military funds.” Saying this, Zhao Jiu couldn’t help glancing at Fan Zongyin on one side, then broke into an involuntary laugh. “This one box is a special reward for Academician Fan… Learning may be distant, but even in Persia, one should acquire it through study. There is nothing shameful in it. Matters of learning—just strive and study.”

If it had been a direct reward, it might have carried a hint of humiliation. But with that last remark, Fan Zongyin found it hard to take offense. He solemnly acknowledged the order in public. And when he actually took the entire box of saffron from the stern-faced Shao Chengzhang, drawing envious glances from many in the hall, and smelled its peculiar, pungent fragrance, he felt that this turn of events was not so bad after all.

After the Persian saffron, the envoy displayed the green jade. As expected, its unique color once again drew murmurs of wonder.

In truth, there was no need to elaborate on the carpets. As for the Persian saffron and the green gems, for humanity they were truly gifts from heaven. Humanity’s pursuit of spices and medicines, and of precious stones, is fundamentally rooted in the most basic five senses… the former appeals to smell and physiological needs, the latter to sight and aesthetic needs.

Before the Industrial Revolution, their value was beyond doubt, destined to be hard currency and luxury goods. And here in China, on the front lines of Hedong, scarcity made them even more precious.

“The jade comes in finished pieces and individual stones.” Seeing the full thirteen chests of green gems, Zhao Jiu was even more delighted. He immediately looked around and laughed. “This makes it much easier to divide… Take the best carved pieces and give one each to the Empresses Dowager, the Imperial Consort, the Virtuous Consort, the chief ministers, and the military commanders. For the remaining stones, give one to each scholar in the Secret Pavilion, one to each Commander-in-Chief, and one to each close attendant here in the hall today, including the envoy and the guards—everyone has worked hard. Take the rest outside to the main camp and the camp across the river to display them. Tell the officers and men throughout the army that I intend to use these treasures as rewards for the first to scale Taiyuan.”

With that, the Emperor finally rose. Stepping around the carpet, he personally took the lead in picking up two Persian turquoise stones. He tossed one into the box in Fan Zongyin’s arms and held the other in his hand, playing with it.

Immediately afterward, Yang Yizhong, Ren Baozhong, Mei Li, and the rest of the civil and military close attendants stepped forward in order of rank, each taking one stone and tucking it into their sleeves.

However, when it came to the envoy’s turn, this man surnamed Xiao hesitated for a moment, then still clasped his hands and bowed solemnly to the Emperor, not rushing to take a gem.

Zhao Jiu understood and did not mince words: “I know what Yelu Dashi wants. What he wants is people, isn’t it? Khitans, Xi people, even Han—he wants them all. Those who willingly go to him, those captured in battle, even exiles—he doesn’t care, am I right?”

The envoy recalled the instructions of his sovereign before leaving, knowing that this journey of several thousand li had been made for these most crucial words. He dared not show the slightest negligence and immediately replied solemnly: “Your Majesty sees clearly. That is precisely my sovereign’s intent!”

“It’s like this,” Zhao Jiu said, no longer vague. “People themselves are priceless. Wanting people is not unacceptable, but you should not expect to trade these treasures for them. Instead, Liao must strictly uphold the Jinhe Alliance and follow the principle of our two civilizations being one.”

The envoy quickly added: “Let Your Majesty know, separated by thousands of li, my sovereign has no time to dispatch additional troops to assist, but he has already ordered General Yelu of the Yinshan Mountains to obey Your Majesty’s commands.”

“As for the Yinshan matter, both our houses know the truth of it,” Zhao Jiu shook his head in response. “Even without your sovereign’s order, Yelu Yu would not dare defy my will… What I mean by upholding the alliance lies within Liao itself!”

“Your subject is terrified. Please, Your Majesty, enlighten me,” the envoy said, growing even more serious.

“Since Liao has now reached the Karakhanids and controls most of the Western Regions, its foundation is set. Though not a realm of ten thousand li, it is a state of several thousand li with fifty thousand armored soldiers… But now that the state is established, have you implemented the civil service examinations? Have you established an official written language? Do you carry an edict to transport books on this journey? Have you maintained the East-West Road? Have you established laws and issued clear decrees to define the state’s succession?” Zhao Jiu asked earnestly. “Logically, I am at war now and should not meddle in affairs thousands of li away. But first, travel between our two states is inconvenient, and your journey here was not easy—some words are better said while we have the chance. Second, I consider Yelu Dashi a kindred spirit. Once I speak, he will naturally understand my meaning. Some things can only be done while he is still here to do them… To put it bluntly, if I lose here, or if he falls ill there, some things will become nothing but bubbles and morning dew.”

“Your Majesty jests,” the envoy surnamed Xiao thought for a moment, then replied solemnly. “My sovereign, thousands of li away, heard of Your Majesty’s northern expedition and had a firm opinion. He said that the balance of power between Song and Jin has long since reversed. Your Majesty’s ten years of effort are no less than Goujian’s perseverance. Jin’s twenty years of military might have long grown weary and dull… Victory or defeat in this campaign lies in the state, not the army; in the many, not the soldiers; in the momentum, not the battle… Your Majesty will surely achieve complete success! It is precisely for this reason that he sent me, a humble subject, despite the haste of events, to urgently request an audience with Your Majesty.”

“We still have to fight,” Zhao Jiu shook his head. “Fight well, and we can save several years of effort. Fight poorly, and we might have to start over for another ten years… How could it be so easy?”

The envoy nodded, not arguing. After a brief pause, he continued: “If that is the case, as long as our Great Liao does those things in the Western Regions, will Your Majesty then send the Khitan prisoners of war to our state?”

“If Liao can do those things, then of course I will send the people,” Zhao Jiu replied calmly. “Because if you do those things, it means Liao has settled down to become a branch of Chinese civilization. As the Son of Heaven, I would then have the duty to stabilize Liao’s foundation—a responsibility I cannot shirk.”

Having received these words, the envoy had no more doubts. He turned, took one Persian green gem, and then bowed respectfully in a grand ceremony to the Emperor, who sat only on a wooden stool. He then requested to take his leave, citing the need to meet with the chief ministers as a foreign envoy, and asked to cross the Fenshui River to pay respects to Prime Minister Lu.

Zhao Jiu naturally had no objection. He simply pointed at Yang Yizhong and ordered him to escort the envoy to see Lu Yihao, bringing along the carpets, Persian saffron, and gem ornaments.

And so, Yang Yizhong departed with the Western Liao envoy and several attendants. Mei Li and the other academicians hurriedly copied and filed the Liao state letters and documents. Shao Chengzhang, the Chief of Palace Attendants, quickly ordered people to dispose of the Persian treasures piled high in the hall, following the Emperor’s earlier distribution.

As for the other close attendants and servants, having gained a huge windfall for nothing, they were all eager and busily followed Shao’s orders to assist.

By the afternoon, the temporary court, following the Emperor’s instructions, opened the remaining seven or eight chests of green gems and displayed them in the camps outside the city. They announced the origin, explained the Emperor’s disposition, and clarified the rewards. This caused a great uproar in the vast camp, which was in its winter quarters outside the city.

However, there was always more work to be done. Not long after the uproar and excitement outside the city, the cramped main hall of the Linfen Prefectural Office welcomed another visitor from afar—though this one was not exactly an uninvited guest.

The visitor was none other than Minamoto no Tameyoshi, the leader of the warrior reinforcements specially dispatched by Emperor Toba of Japan to express friendship. The movements of this man and his troops had always been under Song court control.

It must be said that the Great Song and Japan were not really allies, and even their economic trade was very small in scale. The reason the two sides appeared to be on such warm terms was mainly that Emperor Zhao, disregarding economic laws, had privately engaged in precious metals trade to plunder wealth and support military expenses.

For both states, this trade was actually harmful in the long run. The Great Song lacked all kinds of precious metals, and using copper coins—the main currency in circulation—for trade was especially unwise. As for Japan, the loss of gold was certainly not a good thing.

But the problem was that this trade was conducted directly between the Zhao Song imperial house and the Japanese imperial house… Zhao Jiu, for the sake of military funds, had done so many things that drained the pond to catch the fish that he didn’t mind adding one more. On the Japanese side, it was the imperial house—specifically, Emperor Toba, who had just escaped his grandfather’s shadow and taken power, along with his trusted nobles—who could bypass other noble factions, the state, and the court to reap huge profits directly from this trade, thereby maintaining their power and luxurious lifestyle.

So the two sides were birds of a feather, hitting it off immediately. In particular, Zhao Jiu directly avoided empty titles and never mentioned any nonsense about suzerainty, which further reduced unnecessary obstacles to their trade.

Below the two rulers, the direct operators of this affair were Zhang Jun on the Song side and Taira no Tadamasa on the Japanese side—the one who, after suppressing pirates, controlled the Seto Inland Sea, and was the biological father of Taira no Kiyomori, who had brought Minamoto no Tameyoshi into the fold. He was the leader of the important Japanese warrior group, the Ise Heishi.

As for Minamoto no Tameyoshi, as the leader of the Kawachi Genji, a warrior group no less than the Ise Heishi, this mission to provide aid was not exactly a glorious journey.

In fact, Minamoto no Tameyoshi was far inferior to his old rival and contemporary, Taira no Tadamasa, in officialdom, conduct, and character. While Tadamasa’s official rank grew daily, his family accumulated more wealth, and his power expanded, Tameyoshi was plagued by troubles… harboring criminals, alienating colleagues, and having incompetent subordinates… Of course, the main issue was that a new emperor meant new favorites. Unlike Tadamasa, who enjoyed the continuous favor of both the retired Emperor Shirakawa and the current Emperor Toba, Tameyoshi could barely maintain his dignity under Shirakawa—he received his official rank only a year later than Tadamasa. But under Emperor Toba, the latter found fault with him in every way, loathing him to the extreme.

As a Northern Palace Guard, unable to gain the Emperor’s trust, what else could he do?

This time, Emperor Toba had simply had enough of Tameyoshi and was preparing to dismiss him and send him home. When this opportunity arose, it was like an exile, giving the man a chance to redeem himself through merit.

And so, Minamoto no Tameyoshi crossed the sea with cargo ships loaded with gold and sulfur, initially in a mindset of trying anything as a last resort, mixed with a touch of self-abandonment.

But the richness of Qingzhou, the majesty of Jinan, the beauty of Dongjingcheng—still like a heavenly realm even amid war—the magnificent mountains and rivers when crossing Shaanxi and Luoyang, and the immense military power he encountered upon reaching Hedong, all gave Tameyoshi an unprecedented shock.

What shocked him most was that the Great Song Emperor, who possessed and controlled all this, was personally leading the army and living in a county government office.

His mindset was constantly changing.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Zhao Jiu. He couldn’t care less about the mindset or stories of some token army commander. His pressure was already immense, and since crossing the river, he had been busy and exhausted enough. It was just that since the man had come, he had to meet him.

“Your Majesty, this man is called Minamoto no Tameyoshi…” At this time, there was no fundamental conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans, but that didn’t mean the eighteen-year-old Taira no Kiyomori would show him much respect. So although his tone sounded very formal, his posture carried a hint of veiled contempt.

“Your Majesty! Emperor! I am called Minamoto no Tameyoshi… Japan… reinforcements… leader!” But at that moment, what made both Kiyomori and Zhao Jiu freeze was that Tameyoshi suddenly kowtowed on the ground, then interrupted Kiyomori with a particularly awkward but unmistakably Chinese accent, introducing himself actively. “Your Majesty! I am here… on the Emperor’s orders… to die for Your Majesty!”

“Minamoto no Tameyoshi, how did you learn Chinese?” Zhao Jiu came to his senses and asked curiously.

“From, from Qingzhou… started, myself, learned from people on the ship,” Tameyoshi, who also had a chonmage hairstyle, kowtowed and explained with difficulty. “Just now, just now, the words were, were recited by someone… I memorized, memorized them. But, usually, I can, can understand.”

“It’s rare for you, Minister Minamoto, to be so thoughtful.”

Zhao Jiu suddenly understood, then forced a stiff smile and looked around for something. But after scanning the room, he seemed to realize something, then simply took a Persian green gem from his bosom, walked down, bent down, grasped the other’s hand, and pressed the gem into it. “You have come from afar. You deserve a reward, but I have nothing on me. Consider this a small token… I hope you will fight hard and live up to your reputation for valor… Go and rest now.”

Minamoto no Tameyoshi dared not lift his head to look. He only glanced at the gem in his hand, then kowtowed repeatedly, no longer forcing himself to speak.

Zhao Jiu nodded and then looked at Taira no Kiyomori. The latter was also somewhat dazed. After a long moment, he came to his senses and hurriedly led Tameyoshi away… According to Kiyomori’s earlier suggestions and discussions, these men would be given appropriate armor, then incorporated into the reserves of the Imperial Guard. When necessary, they would have to go into battle… This was called making the best use of everything—a few hundred men were still a force.

But the matter was not over yet.

As soon as Tameyoshi left, another intelligence document was delivered. Zhao Jiu looked at it and only felt weary—it turned out that the Mongols had finally dispatched troops. However, unlike the western Mongol king, Kurchakus, who directly led his troops into the Yinshan Mountains and sent messengers to Wu Jie and Hu Shijiang expressing willingness to obey orders, the eastern Mongol king, Khabul, had led his troops to the Black Water region north of Yunnei, without making any clear statement.

“What do you think?” Zhao Jiu handed the document to Ren Baozhong.

Ren Baozhong, wearing his headwrap, glanced over it briefly and immediately spoke: “Reporting to Your Majesty, this is not unexpected… Khabul’s mindset is actually very simple right now. Winter is cold, and he should naturally lead his troops south. This war is so large that he must participate, so he will certainly send troops. But Khabul’s territory is in the east, bordering Jin. We have no power to restrain him. Moreover, Jin has repeatedly sent envoys to bribe him. So he will inevitably sit on the fence, waiting to see how things develop before making a decision.”

Zhao Jiu nodded.

In recent days, with more intelligence coming in, his understanding of Borjigin Khabul had changed somewhat. Khabul, as a khan, had not unified the eastern Mongols through war. Rather, under Jin’s coercion, the various eastern Mongol tribes had elected him as a leader. He was not yet qualified to be a hegemon. Many of his actions still had to consider the opinions and attitudes of the tribal chieftains of the eastern Mongols.

But this did not mean he could not sit on the fence, because after the Jinhe Alliance, the entire eastern Mongol region was caught between the two powers.

In other words, it might not be Khabul sitting on the fence, but the entire eastern Mongol region—dozens of tribes—sitting on the fence together.

"Actually," Ren Baozhong glanced around the cramped hall, saw that none of the Mongol princes were present, and then lowered his voice again. "Your Majesty, let me say one more thing... Huerzhahusi probably feels the same way, it's just that his Kereyid tribe is to the west, sandwiched between Khitan and Great Song, nothing more."

Zhao Jiu nodded but gave no further words.

And so, Ren Baozhong continued holding the documents and spoke a few more sentences, when he suddenly noticed that His Majesty had at some point changed from propping his forehead with his elbow to pillowing his head on his arm, with eyes closed and silent... whether he was dozing or truly asleep, no one could tell.

But in either case, Ren Baozhong could only carefully set down the documents, then look around to alert the others. Once those nearby realized what had happened, they too carefully put down their tasks and filed out of the hall one by one.

At the same time, they did not forget to draw the curtains before the hall to provide some cover.

And it was under these circumstances that, around dusk, the military dispatch about Niu Gao breaching Yangliang North Pass arrived at this place.

This left the guards and close attendants stationed around the government office somewhat hesitant... because according to protocol, someone should have gone to wake His Majesty Zhao at this point. But Yang Yizhong had gone to escort the Western Liao envoy to Linfen and had not yet returned, while Liu Yan and Shao Chengzhang were busy arranging those green gemstones for the Commanders, and the news was nothing earth-shattering.

None of them wanted to be the one to play the villain. It was precisely because of this that Zhao Jiu did not see the document until after sunset, when Yang Yizhong returned.

"Prepare the edict and documents, notify Dongjing, Chang'an, and Vice Minister Liu in Luoyang (Liu Hongdao), as well as Chancellor Lu and Chancellor Yuwen, and the two Grand Coordinators Hu, and all the lords Han, Li, Ma, Li, and Wang. Tell them that I am moving the imperial presence northward. Also have the camp prepare meals early. Tomorrow at dawn, the armies on both sides of the Fenshui River shall set out together and head north with me!" In the hall where candles had been lit, Zhao Jiu finished reading the document, looked around at those present, and calmly issued an edict.

"May I ask Your Majesty, where will the temporary imperial residence be moved to?"

Fan Zongyin, as the chief of the close attendants, took the lead without hesitation.

"Inside the great camp ten li below Taiyuan city." Zhao Jiu replied calmly, then stood up and turned toward the rear courtyard amid a dead silence. Halfway there, he turned back. "And Wu Jie—have him rendezvous with me quickly as well. Yelu Yudu and Huerzhahusi too—tell them to converge on me!"

"Your Majesty..."

"Your Majesty."

More than one person instinctively opened their mouths, ready to say something... after all, the words "below Taiyuan city" were enough to stun them on the spot, and enough to leave them momentarily unsure where to even begin complaining—there were too many points of contention and doubts.

"Tell Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, Ma Kuo, and Wu Jie that I intend to spend the New Year below Taiyuan city, and they must accompany me for the New Year as well... If Yelu Yudu and Huerzhahusi can come, it would be best if they came too." His Majesty Zhao, as if he hadn't fully woken up, added another soft-spoken sentence, then yawned and turned back into the rear courtyard.

This time, no one offered advice, because they had realized that His Majesty was either talking in his sleep or completely serious—there was no middle ground.

That day was the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month.

PS: Dreamt that I went bald... woke up to find my hair still there, just a slightly receding hairline, and I cried from the emotion.