Chapter 415

"What's wrong with him? Has he been like this the whole time?"

On the fourteenth of the first month, just one day before the Lantern Festival, inside the city of Taiyuan, after Wu Jie had left and the Imperial Majesty had re-entered the inner city, he pointed at the silent man sitting cross-legged in the hall and asked curiously.

This man was none other than the Jin Jun Battalion Commander Wanyan Salaihe, who had been captured three nights prior when Xihe fell.

"Yes."

Dong Xian, the Commander of the Imperial Guard Central Army, standing at attention to one side, stepped forward with slight embarrassment and cupped his hands in explanation. "Let Your Majesty know, this wretch has been in this sorry state ever since the city fell... he won't surrender, won't die, won't flee, won't resist. On the road, he eats when given food, drinks when given water. If you speak to him politely, he answers normally, but the moment you mention military or political intelligence, he refuses to utter a word, let alone talk about surrender..."

"Oh!"

The Imperial Majesty, being widely experienced after all, immediately had a moment of realization in his heart... wasn't this just nonviolent non-cooperation?

Now, those around him couldn't possibly see what the Imperial Majesty was thinking, but with that "Oh," it didn't stop them from immediately realizing that His Majesty had already formed his own judgment on the matter. And since His Majesty had given a judgment, they, as his ministers, naturally had to try their best to pretend they understood the Imperial Majesty's meaning.

"Does Your Majesty mean that this man is trying to emulate Su Wu?" Fan Zongyin, the Chief Academician of the Jade Hall and the most distinguished attendant official accompanying the army, stepped forward and spoke.

"How could he possibly be like Su Wu?" Zhao Jiu was almost speechless. "Su Wu was detained while on an embassy; he was an envoy himself. This wretch is a military officer; his task was to fight and defend the city... he lost the battle, the city fell, what integrity does he have to preserve?"

Fan Zongyin looked slightly embarrassed.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty." Niu Gao also stepped out from the side, bowing earnestly. "Since this man didn't die at the start, he must have a desire to cling to life. Putting on this act now is just because he still has some lingering awe of the Jin State's might... wait a while, and he'll naturally surrender."

Niu Gao was rough on the outside but shrewd within, yet after these words, Salaihe, sitting on the ground being humiliated, just pretended not to hear, which made Zhao Jiu grow even more thoughtful.

"Your Majesty." Dong Xian was also growing impatient. "As far as your servant is concerned, it doesn't matter whether he surrenders or not. If Your Majesty finds him displeasing, just have him beheaded. There's no need for Your Majesty to accommodate a prisoner's wishes..."

"No matter." Zhao Jiu waved his hand dismissively. "Your merits are so clear-cut, they won't be overlooked..."

"Your servant didn't mean that..."

"Let's not talk about that for now." Zhao Jiu finally fixed his gaze back on the man in the hall. "Regardless, this northern expedition has finally gained its first Jin Battalion Commander who abandoned the darkness for the light... this is a tremendously good thing."

The hall fell into dead silence for a moment. Even Dong Xian and Niu Gao were stunned, and Salaihe, who had been keeping his head down, finally lifted it in bewilderment, clearly not understanding what was going on.

"Issue the decree." Zhao Jiu continued to instruct. "Although Salaihe bears the guilt of participating in the southern invasion and the Jingkang Incident, in consideration of his being the first Jin imperial clan member and Battalion Commander general to surrender, We shall treat him with courtesy as agreed... grant him the surname... Jin, the given name Buhui, bestow the title Duke Guizheng, grant him a residence in Dongjing, and permit him to attend council meetings."

"Your servant congratulates Your Majesty." Just as Salaihe grew more and more flustered, and many of the military officers in the hall were still dazed, it was the Three-Illuminations Academician Fan Zongyin who was the first to come to his senses and proactively offer congratulations. "And your servant believes that such a fine affair should be published in the official gazette and made known throughout the realm. At the same time, this matter should be used as a standard, and dispatches sent to all parts of Hebei to urge the surrender of Jin prefectures, counties, and armies."

"Well said." Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly, then turned his head to look at Dong Xian. "When Xihe was taken, were there any writings of Duke Guizheng captured in the city?"

Dong Xian was still dazed, probably not even having realized who Duke Guizheng was, but Niu Gao quickly reported: "Let Your Majesty know, there were not only writings, Duke Guizheng also wrote a military journal in Khitan script, recording his major and minor experiences since joining the army... it should be usable."

"Then it's even easier. There are Khitan guards in Our Red Heart Company. Later, find some of them to help Duke Guizheng write a few surrender proclamations in Khitan script and send them out together. Especially don't forget the Jingxing direction. I hear Yelu Ma Wu is about to withdraw. I don't expect Yelu Ma Wu to surrender, but it might have a miraculous effect on many of the Khitan-origin Meng'an and Mouke under Ma Wu's command." Zhao Jiu continued giving orders as usual. "The letters must be carefully written, the handwriting and tone must match Duke Guizheng's military journal habits..."

Upon hearing this, everyone, without exception, finally understood and all voiced their agreement.

And Salaihe finally couldn't help but speak: "Your Majesty, why must you so blatantly reverse right and wrong? I clearly have not surrendered!"

"Whether Duke Guizheng surrenders or not is not for Duke Guizheng himself to decide, but for Us to decide." Zhao Jiu said from above, unconcerned. "Let me make it clear to you: with just one order from Us, not only will the gazette say so, but even the official histories will record that Duke Guizheng Jin Buhui surrendered to Us today. And as for the many advisors from the Southeast Council here in the hall today, if We just ask them a favor, when they go back and write their private notes like you wrote your military journal, they will likely be happy to write that you surrendered to Us today... At that time, not only the present, but the official and unofficial histories of the future will all uniformly tell the world that Duke Guizheng Jin Buhui surrendered to Us today."

The hall erupted in laughter, with many people chiming in agreement, while Salaihe was already dumbfounded.

As the laughter gradually subsided, Zhao Jiu paused for a moment, then continued speaking to the already stunned Salaihe: "Duke Guizheng... the root of all matters in the world lies in victory and defeat. Since you have been defeated and cannot die for your principles, why should you have the final say over your reputation beyond the grave? I still remember that during the Jingkang Incident, after our dynasty's Retired Emperor and Sage Emperor entered the Jin camp for the second time, he still wanted to return to the city. But Zhan Han mocked him, saying that since he had been defeated, how could he still expect to be treated with courtesy? The Retired Emperor and Sage Emperor could only stand by speechless. Later, when he was completely captured and escorted away, he wasn't even allowed to cry out... This moment is exactly like that moment... Weren't you present that day?"

Salaihe, beyond being dumbfounded, gradually turned red-faced, but remained completely silent.

The Imperial Majesty had also lost interest by then, and with a casual wave of his hand, someone took him away, and countless officials went to carry out the Imperial Majesty's words.

However, this matter was just a small interlude, hardly worth mentioning in the grand enterprise of the northern expedition.

In fact, right there near Taiyuan, Han Shizhong, the Prince of Yan'an Commandery; Li Yanxian, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard Central Army; Ma Kuo, in charge of the entire army's logistics camp supervision; and even Wang Yan, Wang Zongtong, the head of the Imperial Majesty's accompanying staff—the so-called high-ranking commanders—almost none of them came to watch the excitement... And Zhao Jiu was well aware of what they were busy with.

Now, from a broader perspective, the handling of Salaihe was far less significant than the fall of Xihe.

The fall of Xihe meant that behind the Song army, at least the Hedong front army, there were no longer any large Jin strongholds or organized Jin military forces with combat effectiveness. Because of this, the logistics line from Henan to Taiyuan was completely secure, and the main Song forces on the Hedong front could leisurely converge on the Taiyuan Basin... The fact that Niu Gao and Dong Xian, two generals who had gradually emerged during this northern expedition, had gathered here together with Salaihe was clear proof of this.

At the same time, considering that Datong to the north was already open, and both sides of the Yanmen Mountains and the front and rear of the Hutuo River had fallen into Song hands, it could be said that the Jundu Jing, Puyin Jing, and Feihu Jing passes were all under Song control. Moreover, with the advance on Longde Prefecture, the Fukou Jing should also be about to, or already have, fallen into Song hands... The strategic significance of the Jin army's control of Jingxing was constantly weakening.

This seemed to be confirmed by intelligence from the front that Yelu Ma Wu showed signs of withdrawing his troops.

One could only say that although the Black Dragon King Wang Sheng was defeated at the Pingxing Stockade, it couldn't be said that his military deployment there was entirely worthless.

In summary, with logistics open, forces re-concentrated, and the enemy's control of the main military thoroughfare ahead having fallen into a kind of chicken-rib situation, the necessity for the next military action was already crying out to be taken.

The only thing to consider was the Imperial Majesty's decision.

Many speculated that the several high-ranking commanders would probably wait until after the Lantern Festival to jointly request battle, urging the Imperial Majesty to dispatch troops... After all, as one of the Great Song's most important festivals, they could certainly wait a single day.

"Are they making dumplings?"

On the day of the Lantern Festival, the Imperial Majesty did not stay in the city, nor did he go to the Fen River to watch the newspaper and fish as a way to avoid things. Instead, he took a rare interest in inspecting the military camp, and after making a circuit, he set his main destination for this trip as the cooking camp.

As for Li Yanxian and Ma Kuo, perhaps their status was a bit too high, but they couldn't help it—their time in private dealings with the Imperial Majesty was limited, and to a certain extent, they were quite concerned about their dignity. So at this moment, they too were feeling their scalps tingle and their faces stiffen.

"Let Your Majesty know."

The poor cooking camp, with its hundred or so chefs and several thousand auxiliary laborers, had already been dumbfounded when the Imperial Majesty, in a plain-colored robe, led several hundred civil and military dignitaries in splendid clothes and gleaming armor surging in. Now, when a few cooks who had been watching the filling being chopped were asked directly, they were even more stunned into silence. This forced the bald-headed monk, Master Dahui, who was helping catch pig's blood in the back, to hurry over and pick up the conversation. "Isn't it the Lantern Festival? General Ma gave an order, opened up some meat from the storehouse for a little extra meal... they are indeed making dumplings."

Zhao Jiu didn't recognize him at all, just took him for a clever manager among the cooks, and nodded slightly, but then quickly shook his head repeatedly.

The monk Dahui was quite experienced; he had even chatted and laughed with His Majesty back at Fenghuang Mountain in Hangzhou. Seeing this reaction, he just acted as if nothing was wrong. But Ma Kuo was momentarily flustered, hurriedly stepping forward and cupping his hands: "May I ask Your Majesty, is there something amiss?"

"Indeed, there is."

Zhao Jiu was a bit helpless. "Who eats dumplings during the Lantern Festival? During the New Year, wasn't it northern dumplings and southern rice cakes, both distributed together?"

"Your Majesty speaks truly." Ma Kuo was half relieved, half helpless. "But in a hurry, and in a military camp, we really didn't know how to follow the customs..."

"How about launching a hot air balloon?" Han Shizhong, utterly bored, suddenly interjected from behind, patting his belt.

Everyone was speechless, turning their heads in unison to look at him.

And even though the reckless Han Wu had been the reckless Han Wu for decades, he still felt a bit awkward at this moment and could only mutter sheepishly.

But the Imperial Majesty, standing with his hands at his sides in front of a large pile of fillings, thought for a moment and then nodded: "It's possible, and we can even hang some large characters under the hot air balloon... Liangchen, go do it yourself!"

Han Shizhong was stunned on the spot. After a long while, he came to his senses and asked back: "Is Your Majesty asking your servant to write a poem or a lantern riddle?"

"How could we write poems or lantern riddles?" Zhao Jiu turned back, speechless. "Poems and lantern riddles have too many characters. Written small, they can't be seen; written large, they can't be hung steadily... I remember there are eight hot air balloons in the camp. Fly them all today. You go and write eight big characters... 'Shangyuan Ankang, Tianxia Daji'... Write them on large wooden boards, make them neat, stable, and bigger than a dou measure!"

The reckless Han Wu, who had traveled north and south, dominated the realm, and considered himself the foremost under heaven, could only nod blankly at this moment, then turned around in a daze to go work as a laborer.

And the Imperial Majesty turned back again to speak with the cooks and laborers: "Let's continue. I'm not saying dumplings are bad; my point is mainly about customs... How do I remember that the Lantern Festival has always been about eating glutinous rice balls and noodles?"

"Let Your Majesty know." At this point, Ma Kuo had no choice but to step forward again. "According to custom, that is indeed the case. But today in the army, we simply can't make those, because military rewards must be substantial. If there's meat, you have to give meat, and it can't be spread out; it must be visible and tangible... Glutinous rice balls have sweet fillings, not good for putting meat in... If you put meat in noodles, the soldiers can't see how much meat is in each other's bowls, and there will be suspicions."

Zhao Jiu nodded: "This reasoning is correct, just like the principle of giving whole eggs... But if that's the case, with dumplings, you can't tell how much filling is inside either, can you?"

"Your Majesty is wise, it is indeed so. And because there are so many men in the army, to prevent the pot from spoiling, the dumpling skins have to be extra thick, to the point where they can't be fully cooked through." Ma Kuo smiled bitterly as he replied. "But after all, it's the Lantern Festival, so we have to have some kind of gesture. It's just about making the best compromise."

"What filling?" Zhao Jiu set aside that question for the moment, leaned in to sniff the mountain of filling piled on the chopping board, and pressed the cook further.

"Half pork, half mule, horse, and donkey meat." The Great Wisdom Monk explained briefly. "Various offal and a little mutton will be made into soup later, and a very small amount of chicken, duck, fish, and meat is for the officers... Aside from that, as a special case today, each man gets a cup of sweet wine, which must be collected and drunk on the spot."

Zhao Jiu nodded slightly.

"The pork was bought from the surrounding towns and villages. The mule, horse, and donkey meat came from animals that dropped dead while we were transporting supplies." Ma Kuo added further. "These two types are the most plentiful; nothing else compares... The unstrained wine is all private brew collected from Hedong. There isn't much of it to begin with, and considering there might be a major battle soon, we didn't dare stockpile too much."

At the last sentence, many observant people stole a glance at the Zhao Emperor's reaction.

However, after hearing this, Zhao Jiu just nodded and seemed about to leave, which disappointed quite a few people.

But after taking a few steps, just as he had urged the crowd to turn back, this Emperor seemed to suddenly think of something, turned his head back, and curiously pressed the ordinary cook: "Can you make flatbread? The kind that's crispy on the outside and soft in the middle? Some are pan-fried in oil, some are baked over a fire."

"Your Majesty jests." The Great Wisdom Monk laughed on the spot. "How could I not? That's a crispy flatbread, also called a hard baked cake. Back in the Han Dynasty during the Partisan Prohibition, Zhao Qi sold this very thing in Shandong. North and south of the Great River, anywhere there's wheat flour, they make this kind of fire-baked crispy flatbread."

Hearing the anecdote about Zhao Qi, Zhao Jiu glanced at the man for a moment, seeming to find him familiar, but too lazy to look into it, and simply continued the serious discussion of culinary arts:

"Then how about this: split the meat filling in half. Use the pork filling for dumplings as before. Boil the mule, horse, and donkey meat, then chop it into filling. When the soldiers come to collect their wine, take a hot crispy flatbread straight from the pot, cut an opening with a knife, and stuff the cooked meat filling inside. That way, the filling is in the bread, but it's all out in the open—doesn't that make it fair? And this baked cake is a Hebei specialty, so it wouldn't be a wasted festival."

A bread stuffed with filling... who didn't understand that?

It was just that meat was precious, even a little offal had to be made into soup, and the valuable meat had to be carefully prepared; few people would handle it this way.

However, as Ma Kuo had said before, the army had its own logic. Fairness was paramount, and real ingredients were paramount. So this method of directly stuffing hot flatbread with cooked filling was also appropriate.

Of course, the more important point was that since the Emperor had said so, could you really say it was inappropriate?

As for what 'baked cake' or 'Hebei specialty' meant, no one pursued it.

So, after a brief discussion, everyone chimed in agreement.

Among them, after Han Shizhong left, the military leaders were headed by Li Yanxian, Wang Yan, and Ma Kuo. Li Yanxian was cold and aloof, Wang Yan was also arrogant, and Ma Kuo was earnest and simple. The lower-ranking officers naturally didn't dare to speak up... But as for those 'officials awaiting consultation' from the southeast, the first batch had already taken up posts in Hezhong and Linfen. With the appointment for Taiyuan Prefecture imminent, which one of them wouldn't be considerate of the Emperor?

One said that the Emperor's distribution of rewards was all open and above board, fitting the style of the wise rulers of old.

Another said that this was the Emperor's benevolent thought, showing care for the soldiers, uniting superior and subordinate, and that they would surely be able to strike straight at the enemy's lair.

Someone else even said this was a tremendous military innovation that should be promoted throughout the army... It was unclear how stuffing a flatbread with meat instead of vegetables counted as an innovation.

Going even further, one of the southeastern acquaintances finally couldn't help but point out the Great Wisdom Monk, saying that the monk slaughtering pigs for the army was practicing true Buddhism and would become a Buddha in the future, and that the Emperor personally concerning himself with the meat rations for the Lantern Festival was like 'governing a great state as one cooks a small fish'—a different approach that achieved the same effect.

This drew exclamations of wonder from countless people, and also panicked the Great Wisdom Monk, who quickly declared that he only helped catch the pig's blood and did not actually kill any living thing.

"I remember the Great Wisdom Monk as well."

Zhao Jiu listened with animated delight, clapping his hands right there in front of the chopping board, completely ignoring the Great Wisdom Monk's explanation. "And for such a grand and good occasion, if the Great Wisdom Monk can cultivate by slaughtering pigs, how can I not personally go into the kitchen to make baked cakes for the soldiers? This matter should be done with my own hands... Those of you with official duties, go about your business. I'll stay here today and help the Great Wisdom Monk fire the stove and bake the flatbread!"

The cooking camp fell into dead silence, with only the sound of boiling water gurgling in the pots.

This wasn't to say that these people couldn't now eat their own words, nor that no one dared to remonstrate. Rather, it was that this seemingly clueless Emperor—did he truly not understand some basic worldly principles?

Most importantly, if this Emperor wanted to do something frivolous and outrageous, who could stop him?

In the end, after much fuss, Li Yanxian, Ma Kuo, Wang Yan, Fan Zongyin, and other high-ranking military officials were all driven out. The few 'officials awaiting consultation' who had just lavished praise on the Zhao Emperor stayed behind with him, muddle-headedly firing up the stoves... But even so, they didn't dare let these southeastern luminaries handle the oil pots; they could only let them tend the soup pots.

Who knew what kind of stories these people would fabricate about the Zhao Emperor's hypocritical antics in their notes tonight?

However, setting aside these annoyances, the Zhao Emperor's baked cakes did have some miraculous effect... After the news spread, countless officers and soldiers peeked in through the front and back gates of the cooking camp, staring from several hundred paces away. No one knew what they actually saw, but they all claimed to have seen it clearly.

One said they personally saw the Emperor pressing the flatbread by hand. Another said they personally saw the Emperor chopping the meat filling. Someone else said they personally saw the Zhao Emperor tying a cloth around his waist to protect from grease, personally cutting open the flatbread and stuffing the filling... It seemed they ignored the fact that the Zhao Emperor was only helping to fire the stove!

By the afternoon, no one knew how the rumor had spread, but before the meal was even served, it had already exploded across the dozens of li of camps inside and outside Taiyuan city. Everyone said that the Zhao Emperor and a great monk had jointly invented a kind of baked cake to feast the entire army. The baked cake tasted incredibly good, as if it were heavenly dragon meat!

"The meal hasn't even been served, so how do they know it tastes so good? And comparing it to dragon meat... who has ever eaten dragon meat? I only know horse meat is too coarse! Not as good as donkey meat, and certainly not as tender as dog meat!"

Outside the south gate of Taiyuan city, north of the main army camp, in a thatched shed providing hot water by the roadside, Wang Yan listened to these reports and was practically furious. "Besides, the main camp stretches for dozens of li, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and laborers, and a total of one hundred and thirty-seven cooking camps. Does everyone think the Emperor is like the Great Sage Equal to Heaven from the *Journey to the West Miscellany*, with a body-splitting technique? The few pots the Emperor cooked wouldn't even be enough to distribute to the Imperial Guard."

There were only four people in the shed—Han Shizhong, who had just returned from writing, and the three commanders Li Yanxian, Ma Kuo, and Wang Yan. No one else, not even the commanders of the regular troops or personal attendants, was allowed near. Hearing Wang Yan's words, the other three just sat silently in the shed.

After a long while, Wang Yan couldn't hold back any longer and gritted his teeth: "Is the Emperor avoiding us like this because he's afraid we'll request a battle?"

"What else could it be?" Han Shizhong stroked his wrist and smiled wryly in response.

"Isn't this fear of battle?" Wang Yan suddenly became exasperated.

"Naturally, it's fear of battle." Li Yanxian replied calmly. "But this fear is not fear of the enemy, but fear of our own inadequacy... Because once we march east, nine times out of ten we'll have to fight a decisive battle immediately, and this northern expedition will be completely settled... Wanting to be a bit more cautious at a time like this is only human nature."

"Correct. If anyone said the Emperor was afraid of the enemy's strength, that would be a joke." Han Liangchen remained composed. "Ever since the Huai River, the Emperor has never feared hardship or the enemy. This is just about seeking stability. He probably wants to wait for Yue Fei's main army to advance, let the Jin army's morale falter, and then strike with our combined forces."

"But can this matter be avoided?" Wang Yan was still somewhat angry. "If we exit the Jingxing Pass eastward now, the Jurchens haven't yet shaken off the panic of Taiyuan and Great Ming falling. To survive, they'll have no choice but to grit their teeth and fight. A single battle can win it for us, and after the battle we'll still have the leeway to sweep through the old lands of the state. We might even be able to stockpile enough military grain before the army withdraws, leaving behind an elite force of thirty to fifty thousand to strike straight at Yanjing... But if we delay for stability, insisting on waiting for that bastard Yue Fei to arrive, even if we win, with insufficient logistics, who knows how many cities and how much land we'll be able to take?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Now, the personal grudge between Wang Yan and Yue Fei was impossible to resolve—neither the Heavenly Emperor nor the Emperor himself could mediate it. Everyone knew this, so his unwillingness to wait was only natural... In fact, not only was Wang Yan unwilling to wait for Yue Fei to join the battle, but how could Han Shizhong or Li Yanxian be willing either? Even Wu Jie, who had gone north to Datong to deal with the Mongols, Qu Duan, who was in Longde Prefecture in the southeast, and Wang De, Li Qiong, Wang Sheng, and the entire army of nearly two hundred thousand on the Hedong side—who among them was willing to wait for Yue Fei?

Only Ma Kuo was without personal desires in this military matter, but with the atmosphere around him, how could he offend his colleagues over such a thing?

Beyond that, and setting aside factionalism and personal grudges, what Wang Yan said also made sense.

Yue Fei's main force was still in Great Ming Prefecture, and they were all large infantry units. Facing the Jin army's main force of over a hundred thousand, they couldn't just abandon their defensive positions and advance recklessly—that would be a suicidal gamble. So they could only advance north by capturing cities and fortresses layer by layer. Advancing steadily like this and then fighting a decisive battle was certainly stable, but first, delays could lead to changes, and the opportunity for battle would be wasted. Second, with hundreds of thousands of troops and laborers stationed here, supplies were draining like water—how would that be accounted for?

To put it bluntly, if they waited until the Yellow River was in full flood, and Yue Fei, Zhang Rong, and Tian Shizhong advanced by land and water, broke through to Hejian, and then formed a pincer movement with the Hedong side against Zhending... Even if they won decisively, would the logistical supplies still be enough to support the army continuing north to attack Yanjing?

Of course, waiting for Yue Fei had its advantages, and not waiting for him and advancing east immediately also had its own arguments. But no one on the Hedong side would advocate waiting for Yue Fei, and the decision rested solely in the hands of the Zhao Emperor.

"After all, it's the Lantern Festival." Seeing the consensus, Han Shizhong, as the leader of the group and the nominal marshal, had to state his position. "Let's get through today... Tomorrow morning, we'll go see the Emperor together."

The others, though their attitudes differed, could only nod in agreement.

And so, while the Zhao Emperor was making baked cakes, the several commanders began to drink tea in boredom... waiting for a batch of baked cakes.

However, just as the commanders were drinking tea and waiting for the baked cakes, a Red Heart Cavalryman with a bell on his horse suddenly arrived with a report.

"What is it? Is there an imperial decree?" Han Shizhong, taking the lead, stood up and demanded.

"No." The rider dismounted, cupped his hands, and bowed. "Reporting to the Commandery Prince. The Imperial Camp Cavalry has reported that Commander Zhang Zhongfu suffered a major defeat at the hands of Jin army cavalry in She County, in front of the Fukou Pass... Commander Qu Duan sent a joint letter with him, begging for punishment. The Emperor received the news in the cooking camp and ordered us to deliver it to the various Military Governors for their perusal."

With that, ignoring the changed expressions of the four commanders, the Red Heart Cavalryman stepped forward and handed over a document, then turned back to take a basket from his horse, placed a dozen or so steaming hot baked cakes on the table, mounted his horse, and left.

As soon as he was gone, Han Shizhong ignored the baked cakes, tore open the document, and read it. But after only a few glances, he slammed the document onto the table, furious: "Compared to Zhang Zhongfu, Wang Sheng's performance at the Bottle-Shaped Stockade was practically a face-saver!"

Li Yanxian and the others took turns reading it, and their expressions were equally terrible.

Simply put, Zhang Zhongfu's defeat three days ago was a major defeat, and one with absolutely no excuse.

According to the military report, the Jin army, as everyone had predicted, knew they couldn't hold Longde Prefecture and strategically abandoned the place. But this area had always been the core garrison zone for five Wanhu of the Jin Eastern Route Army, and many high-ranking Jin officers had their families and property there.

So, as soon as Damingfu exploded, Jin Wushu responded to the requests of the various generals in Longdefu by splitting off eighty mouke, totaling eight thousand cavalry, to rapidly enter Longdefu. They split into groups to seize the families and valuables of the people, and to burn as much of the remaining property and military supplies as possible.

But the Jin army moved quickly, and the Imperial Guard Cavalry, originally southwest of Longdefu, moved just as fast. They were only slightly delayed along the way at the Taixing Pass. By the time the vanguard, Zhang Zhongfu, led five thousand cavalry into the heart of the Shangdang Basin where Longdefu was located, the Jin army's withdrawal was only a little more than half done. Seeing the large Song army force, they were terrified, abandoned the evacuation of the surrounding small towns outright, and hastily prepared to withdraw through the Fukou Pass.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhongfu did not go after the large cities but instead chose to actively pursue and harass the enemy.

The first half of the pursuit went exceptionally smoothly. The Jin army had no will to fight and had initially split into small groups, so facing the large Song cavalry force, they could only flee in panic... For a time, Zhang Zhongfu's unit inflicted heavy casualties, captured many, and seized a great deal of territory.

However, as Zhang Zhongfu's troops pursued across the Turbid Zhang River and reached the area of Shexian and Licheng between the Clear Zhang and Turbid Zhang Rivers, the various Jin army units naturally converged due to the terrain. Seeing the Song cavalry in hot pursuit, the Jin cavalry, now reduced to fewer than five thousand, finally lost their patience.

To protect their families and property, after scouting that the main Song cavalry force behind them was still maintaining the pursuit with about four thousand riders, the five thousand Jin iron cavalry also split in two. One thousand cavalry continued escorting the families and baggage north, while the other four thousand quickly assembled, turned around to meet the enemy, and engaged in a massive cavalry battle with an equal number of Song cavalry on the edge of the Shangdang Basin.

The battle process had no drama or complexity. Two groups of heavy cavalry of almost equal numbers met, with similar equipment, theoretically a complete match. But the battle lasted from morning until afternoon, and in the end, the Song cavalry gradually faltered, was completely routed by the Jin army, and Zhang Zhongfu fled in disgrace.

If the Jin army hadn't been unwilling to prolong the fight and hadn't pursued, the Song cavalry might have suffered heavy casualties on the banks of the already-thawing Zhang River.

To be fair, there was nothing unexpected about this battle... Cases of overreaching for glory had been very common recently; this was just one more.

Moreover, the Imperial Guard Cavalry had been considered from the start to be less experienced in combat than the Jin iron cavalry.

Add to that the fact that the Jin army had the motivation of protecting their families, giving them the spirit of an aggrieved army, so losing was just losing.

But having this happen at such a critical juncture was very bad... because it would remind everyone that the main Jin army was still there, and their core cavalry strength was still intact.

Even worse, in field battles, once the Jin cavalry's strength converged to form a heavy troop group, their combat advantage would become even more pronounced.

This battle might further shake Zhao Jiu's resolve to immediately launch a decisive battle, and it might also greatly boost the morale of the main Jin army force that was rapidly withdrawing north.

In fact, considering that after Zhao Jiu learned of this news, he immediately forwarded it to the four marshals who were holding a small meeting, it was probably already a silent reminder.

That was why Han Shizhong was so furious.

"Zhang Zhongfu deserves death!"

Wang Yan, clutching a horse-meat flatbread, grew angrier the more he thought about it. Finally, enraged, he slammed the flatbread onto the table, and the filling scattered.

The other three had equally grim expressions, but after exchanging glances, they managed to maintain some composure.

"How can you treat an imperial gift like that?" Han Shizhong said coldly.

Li Yanxian also frowned and looked at Wang Yan.

"Commander Wang, even if it weren't an imperial gift, back in the Taihang Mountains, we couldn't eat or sleep in peace. Now that we can sit here comfortably, how can we waste meat?" Ma Kuo also admonished him with rare seriousness, and he actively put down his own flatbread, carefully gathering the scattered filling.

Wang Yan was embarrassed for a moment, could only turn aside and bow his head in silence. After a long while, he picked up the flatbread from the table and swallowed it in two bites.

But the matter didn't seem to be over.

After the four of them had eaten a basket of over a dozen flatbreads, the atmosphere eased slightly. Just as they were about to drink some hot water and talk, bells jangled again, and this time, it came from within the city... The four looked up and saw it wasn't the Red Heart Cavalry, and they were even more puzzled.

However, anyone who could be a messenger rider was at least a sharp and clever person. Seeing the four marshals and their staff officers sitting in the roadside thatched pavilion, he turned directly and came over to report.

"Prince, Marshals!"

The rider dismounted without any panic. "Nothing major. It's just that Salaihe somehow hanged himself in his room with his belt... He left a suicide note in Khitan script, roughly saying that the Great Jin had risen for over twenty years by Heaven's mandate, and that the Jin founder, Aguda, was like a god. As a member of the imperial clan, he had received great kindness from the Great Jin founder emperor, raised in his camp. Now that the army was defeated and the city taken, although he had thoughts of survival, after thinking it over, he could not, under any circumstances, become the first person of the Great Jin to surrender, betraying the founder's grace... There was some other foul language that I won't repeat... My commander, Zhang, only ordered me to go to the central army camp to find the Yutang Scholar under His Majesty to make a report."

Having said this, the rider gave a slight bow and left calmly.

As for Han Shizhong and the others, they were stunned for a moment, feeling increasingly helpless, but could only remain silent.

Leaving aside their immediate silence, that evening, on the Lantern Festival, with a bright moon and clear stars, the generals had expected an imperial feast with senior officers, but there was none... Later, rumors spread that the Lantern Festival was almost like the death anniversary of Zong Zhongwu, and that His Majesty was feeling sentimental and sad, reflecting on the current situation, which was understandable.

The generals were somewhat relieved.

And indeed, it seemed to be the case. That evening, under the bright moon, Zhao Jiu, who had been making flatbreads all day, walked out into the moonlight. He did not summon his officials for a feast, but only led a few close confidants to sit idly in front of his central army tent, the usual archery range, gazing at the moon, as if nothing was wrong.

Meanwhile, in the camp, because the curfew had been specifically lifted, there were many similar scenes.

Many officers came out of the camp to look at the moon. There were no grand banquets, but many small ones. With a jug of rough wine and a basket of flatbreads, old friends, colleagues, civil and military officials, superiors and subordinates, there was a lively coming and going. Even the soldiers chatted more freely than during the day. And on the side of the camp facing Taiyuan City, under the eight large hot air balloons, many common people from the surrounding villages of Taiyuan Prefecture, who had gradually grown bold enough to return, came to watch... The army, because of His Majesty's order not to harm the people, did not forbid it.

But after all, it was a military camp. Although the curfew was lifted and many people were moving about, there was an air of "dare not speak loudly, for fear of startling the heavenly beings."

A clear proof was that throughout the vast camp, many old soldiers and scholars played flutes and pipes to express their nostalgia, and no matter how much noise people made, it could never drown out the sound of these flutes and pipes.

"A cup of rough wine, home is ten thousand miles away; the Yanran Mountains not yet carved, no plan to return.

Qiang flutes drone, frost covers the ground, men cannot sleep; the general's hair turns white, the soldiers weep."

In such a scene, it would be strange if Zhao Jiu didn't think of this poem.

"Your Majesty, since you recite this poem, you should know that from ancient times, raising an army has been difficult. Having gained Long, one should also desire Shu. What is there to doubt?"

Just then, a loud voice suddenly came from the direction of the back gate of Zhao Jiu's camp, that is, from the south.

Hearing this voice, Zhao Jiu showed no surprise at all. He calmly stood up, turned and walked to the side and rear, taking dozens of steps before meeting the person at the corner of his camp. He then reached out to support the other person, showing great courtesy:

"Lu Xiang, you have worked hard."

It turned out that this person was Lu Yihao, the Vice Commissioner of the Privy Council, who had been in Linfen to the south. He had traveled by night to arrive, and Zhao Jiu seemed to have been waiting specifically for him.

Lu Yihao, hand in hand with Zhao Jiu, walked to the front of the tent. Seeing the simple elegance there, he couldn't help but sigh: "It is your subject who has been willful... I shouldn't have insisted on rushing the journey, making Your Majesty wait so hard... If I had rested one night on the road and come, Your Majesty could at least have gathered the civil and military officials in the camp today for a peaceful Lantern Festival gathering."

"Those are all superficial matters. Since the Chancellor insisted on coming, how could I care about that?" Zhao Jiu laughed dismissively. "Besides, if Lu Xiang hadn't come, I would never have been at ease in my heart."

Lu Yihao also laughed.

The ruler and subject then sat down in front of the tent. Zhao Jiu specifically ordered Yang Yizhong to fetch some 'rough wine' to match Fan Zhongyan's poem.

After a short while, everything was ready. After Lu Yihao had eaten two hot flatbreads and drunk a cup of rough wine to warm himself, and had relaxed a bit, Zhao Jiu finally spoke:

"Is your health truly much better, Chancellor?"

"Not much better." Lu Yihao shook his head repeatedly, making no attempt to hide it. "Your subject is already sixty-six this year. At this age, I have been toiling on horseback since autumn, from Jiangnan to Henan, and then from Henan to Hedong. After months of this, I was already exhausted. Then I caught a cold in winter... Anyone with common sense knows that this is half a life gone. I may seem relaxed on the surface now, but internally I am weak, and it is destined that I will never fully recover... From now on, it will only get worse day by day... But the more this is the case, the more I feel a sense of urgency, as if I might not have enough time. That is why I rushed to see Your Majesty."

Zhao Jiu nodded, showing no surprise.

"Your Majesty, you should already know the purpose of my visit, but please allow me to state it directly." Lu Yihao changed the subject and got straight to the point.

"Please speak, Chancellor." Zhao Jiu's expression remained unchanged, clearly prepared.

"I have heard that during Your Majesty's time in Taiyuan, your heart was heavy, and you were quite anxious and fearful. I wonder if this is true. If it is, then may I ask Your Majesty, what exactly have you been anxious and fearful about these past days?" Lu Yihao took the third donkey-meat flatbread handed to him by Yang Yizhong and asked seriously. "That you have been reluctant to send the troops forward again?"

"It is true that I have become anxious and fearful, but specifically, I am more worried about how to clean up the situation after the war." Zhao Jiu replied calmly. "As for the war itself, although I have some doubts and fears, it will not delay the progress of the campaign."

Lu Yihao nodded slightly, not surprised, but pressed on seriously: "May I ask Your Majesty, are you worried about the spring plowing in Henan after the war, the refugees in Hebei, and the burden on Hedong?"

"Yes, but that's not all." Zhao Jiu shook his head. "These matters are troublesome, but can they be more troublesome than the situation after the Jingkang Incident ten years ago? Man can conquer nature. No matter how bad the situation, just clean it up seriously... The common people are more resilient than we think."

Lu Yihao finally showed a hint of surprise, but pressed on seriously: "Then may I ask Your Majesty, what exactly are you anxious and fearful about?"

"What I worry about is, if this battle is won, with no more Jin state pressing down on us from above, will the hearts of the people across the nation become scattered and disordered?" Zhao Jiu replied with a slight smile, speaking casually. "For instance, will factional strife arise again? Will some people stop at recovering the old territories, unwilling to even put in effort to attack Yanjing?"

"There will certainly be such people." Lu Yihao thought for a moment, then also smiled. "But it doesn't matter. These people are all empty talkers who won't amount to anything."

"But the scattering of people's hearts is far more than that." Zhao Jiu nodded and continued. "I have another worry: if this battle is won, the north will be recovered, but at the same time refugees will be everywhere. We will have to redistribute the northern farmland. Who should it be given to? Will families like the Plum Blossom Hans produce centuries of solid evidence and demand the restoration of their ancestral estates? Leaving the northern refugees still without a place to stand?"

The answer to this question was also simple—Plum Blossom Han, who the hell did he think he was? How many Command Departments did his family have?

However, Lu Yihao did not directly answer this simple question. Instead, he grew somewhat serious, because he realized that the Emperor's 'worries' must not stop here. So he simply lowered his head to eat the still-hot baked cake.

Sure enough, seeing the other man silent, Zhao Jiu continued to ramble on without pause:

"I also worry that after the war, the north won't be able to resume production for a time, and the south will have to provide aid. Can the south endure it? Will there be a north-south split? Will the southern gentry and commoners feel that I am deceiving them and lose faith in the court?"

"I also worry that Yanjing is one thing, but the lands beyond the passes are the Jin state's foundation. If we can win in Hebei, can we still win beyond the passes? If we pursue them out there and lose a single battle, will the Jin state rise again, leading to a back-and-forth tug-of-war with the Great Song?"

"I also worry that Dali and Southern Yue are one thing, but how should we maintain the balance between the Great Song and the Western Liao, the Eastern and Western Mongols, and Goryeo after the war? If we cannot strike straight at their lair, will Goryeo instead ally with the Jurchens against us? And if we wipe out the Jin in one go but lack the strength to control the lands beyond the passes, will the Mongols—especially the Eastern Mongols—seize the old Khitan lands of the Great Pine Forest and Huangshui, and rise from the north for the third time after the Khitan and Jurchens, becoming a new major threat to the Great Song?"

Having said this, Zhao Jiu finally sighed deeply: "Your Excellency Lu, I of course know your temperament, and I know you came here to urge me to send out the army. I also know you came after learning of the Hebei announcement, knowing that the Jin once tried to breach the river dikes... But if you know these things, how could I not? In fact, after hearing about this from Qu Duan this afternoon, I had already decided to send out the army. There was also an urgent dispatch to Datong Prefecture, ordering Wu Jie to make a prompt decision and bring as many trustworthy troops as possible south to rendezvous quickly... But my decision to send out the army does not mean I cannot worry, or should not worry... Your Excellency Lu, tell me, how should these matters be handled?"

Having finished his third baked cake, Lu Yihao was silent for a long time before cupping his hands: "Your Majesty's considerations go deeper than I thought... This time I was too rash... But forgive me for speaking bluntly, all these internal and external matters after the war, each one seems worthy of worry, but as long as Your Majesty grasps one point, none of them are worth worrying about."

"Please instruct me, Your Excellency." Zhao Jiu remained calm.

"As long as Your Majesty still holds the three hundred thousand troops of the Imperial Camp, you can look down upon the world externally and suppress all kinds of troubles internally." Having said this, Lu Yihao raised a cup of muddy wine toward the Emperor, then drained it in one gulp. "At that time, Your Majesty, wielding the prestige of annihilating the Jin and commanding the empire's finest troops, what are a few minor difficulties?"

"If that's the case, then I have one last worry." Zhao Jiu suddenly laughed again. "Your Excellency Lu, tell me, if this battle is won and the Jin state weakens, on what grounds should the state exhaust its annual revenue to continue maintaining three hundred thousand Imperial Camp troops? Even if I want to wield the prestige of annihilating the Jin and command the empire's finest, three hundred thousand is too many. Reducing the army and dismissing generals will be inevitable, won't it? At that time, will it cause unrest? Will it create discord and disaffection within the military?"

Lu Yihao also laughed again: "This is what I truly wanted to say... Your Majesty, may I ask a presumptuous question? No matter how difficult the post-war situation is, can it be more difficult than the situation after the Jingkang Incident ten years ago?"

"Of course not." Zhao Jiu smiled in response.

"At that time, even the Imperial Camp army was not properly organized, and Han Shizhong's subordinates almost killed His Excellency Zhao, forcing Your Majesty to flee in disgrace... So let me ask Your Majesty, will the mutual suspicion among people after the war be more severe than it was then?"

"Of course not."

"Then what did Your Majesty rely on to get through those days?" Lu Yihao suddenly became serious.

"Nothing more than believing that there were still some trustworthy and respectable people in this world." Zhao Jiu answered fluently.

"Exactly. There are always people like Zong Zhongwu who swim against the current and leave their names in history." Lu Yihao seemed lost in thought. "And I also understand Your Majesty's meaning—it's the saying that people can share hardship but not prosperity... The trustworthy people of today, as circumstances change tomorrow, might they become untrustworthy?"

"Will there be such people?" Zhao Jiu pressed without pause.

"There will be, but they will be a minority." Having said this, Lu Yihao raised his head, looking at the bright moon in the sky and sighing softly. "Your Majesty, I would like to ask one more question. People like Zong Zhongwu, Han the Commandery Prince, and Li the Military Governor are of course rare in the world. But the others by Your Majesty's side... I won't speak in grand generalities. Let me just talk about the hundreds of thousands inside and outside Taiyuan today... These hundreds of thousands, gathered under Your Majesty's dragon banner, risking their lives and families to attack the Jin and restore the Song—why? Are they all ancient heroes, all people like the Prince of Yan'an Commandery and Zong Zhongwu?"

"Of course not."

"Then are they trustworthy?"

"Of course they are trustworthy."

"Are they respectable?"

"Of course they are respectable."

"Why are they trustworthy and respectable?"

Zhao Jiu suddenly fell silent.

"Bright as the moon, when can I pluck it? Worry rises from within, unceasing." Lu Yihao pointed at the bright moon in the sky, then lowered his head to look at the Emperor, speaking earnestly. "It is because Your Majesty, the supreme ruler holding the empire's power, has spent ten years proving again and again that you are also trustworthy and respectable to them... It is precisely because Your Majesty treats people with sincerity and is trustworthy to them that they are trustworthy to Your Majesty. It is precisely because Your Majesty follows the great trend of restoring the Song and annihilating the Jin without wavering, and is respectable to them, that they are respectable to Your Majesty. Even Zong Zhongwu—if he had not trusted Your Majesty, how could he have entrusted himself to you back then?"

Under the bright moon, Zhao Jiu's mind was dazed for a moment... Was it so?

"Even Lü Haowen, Li Gang, Xu Jingheng, and even the likes of Zhao and Zhang; in the military, Han, Li, Yue, Wu, Ma, Wang, and others; and even myself—isn't it because of Your Majesty's trustworthiness that we have today's bond between ruler and minister?" Lu Yihao lowered his finger and sighed softly. "Your Majesty, occupying the highest position and contemplating the realm, it is normal to have those worries. But if Your Majesty yourself does not change your sincere heart after the war, does not enrich yourself at public expense, does not share hardship but not prosperity, how would the people of the world change? The mountain never tires of height, the sea never tires of depth. The Duke of Zhou spat out his food, and the world turned their hearts to him... The affairs of the world are roughly like this. I beg Your Majesty to relax your mind."

Zhao Jiu was stunned for a long time before finally laughing again: "In the old days, Wu Qi and Marquis Wu of Wei sailed down the West River, saying that the solidity of mountains and rivers lies in virtue, not in natural defenses. Isn't that roughly the meaning of Your Excellency Lu coming to see me tonight?"

Lu Yihao shook his head and laughed: "I only have Wu Qi's severity, not his divine skill in using troops."

Zhao Jiu nodded, then turned to look back at the tent behind him: "You few who have Wu Qi's divine skill in using troops—have you understood clearly?"

Lu Yihao looked in surprise and saw Han Shizhong at the head, with four marshals emerging from the Emperor's tent. Under the moonlight, it was clear that all four had embarrassed expressions, but they could not help but realize the situation and immediately laughed again.

The four became even more embarrassed. They could only cup their hands together and bow, paying respects to Zhao Jiu, saying they understood, and then bowing to Lu Yihao, saying that His Excellency's analysis was penetrating.

Zhao Jiu did not say much, only nodding: "Since you understand, all of you come join the feast and have a cup of muddy wine to make up for it... You people, if you have something to say, just say it. You came to see me one after another, and one after another you ran into each other... Not at all like Your Excellency Lu, who is so frank and composed. And what you said was all the same—troops and generals and such... Not at all like Your Excellency Lu, who struck at the root. Do you think I care about those things?"

The four were almost ashamed... Fortunately, the Emperor still did not know that they had agreed to come together, otherwise, even Han Wu the Rascal would have had to cover his face and flee.

The night passed without further incident. The next day, the sixteenth of the first month, the Emperor issued an edict, appointing Generals Dong Xian and Zhang Qi as vanguard commanders, and sending the army forth to Jingxing. At the same time, clear orders were sent to Qu Duan, Wu Jie, Yelu Yudu, the two Mongol kings of the East and West, Wang Sheng, Wang De, and Li Qiong, each to combine their forces, either to return to Taiyuan, or to venture slightly out of the various Taihang Mountain passes as probes, or to approach Jingxing from the north and south.

Once the edict was issued, the hundreds of thousands of troops around Taiyuan, north and south, rumbled into motion again, like a fist clenching tightly.

For a time, everyone above and below knew that, just as when they had advanced on Taiyuan, the Emperor's determination to press the main army into Hebei was irrevocable.