Chapter 419: Yellow and Green

A spring thunderstorm arrived without warning, asserting its authority while turning what should have been a large-scale melee between the two armies into a messy, indecisive battle.

That night aside, for the next three days straight the spring rain drizzled incessantly, turning the plains into a muddy quagmire.

For a time, both armies were utterly miserable, yet each harbored deep misgivings, and neither side dared to withdraw easily.

Among them, the Song army quickly seized Huolu County, then proceeded to build large stockades along the county line. Conscripted laborers and soldiers, working in the rain, felled timber from the rear mountains, dismantled old camps, transported supplies, and erected new fortifications, enduring immense hardship... The Jin army was no less busy. To avoid losing tactical control of that high ground, they too began moving their camps forward on a large scale. The camps originally evenly spaced around Shiyi were dismantled, and a large number of conscripted troops summoned from the rear were also made to labor in the rain, extending their camp line all the way from Shiyi toward Huolu County.

And because of the objective fact of both sides' massive troop numbers, coupled with the necessary auxiliary soldiers and laborers, the camps on both banks of the Taiping River presented a terrifyingly vast expanse.

As for the Song army's camp, not counting the scattered outposts and rear-guard units, even the newest central camp alone had expanded to nearly ten or twenty times the size of the original Huolu County town. The Jin army's camp, to facilitate cavalry sorties and support, and due to the advance toward the Taiping River, took on a bizarre herringbone shape stretching twenty or thirty li... Its head was a mere few li from the Taiping River, while one foot rested on Shiyi and the other extended to a position a few li before the Hutuo River, facing the logistics headquarters at Zhending City across the river.

But the suffering was by no means limited to the low-level laborers. These days, soldiers also had to patrol the river in the rain as a precaution, officers were frantically busy ensuring combat readiness, and high-ranking commanders at the level of Controller-General and above were even more occupied with military planning for a full-scale battle that could erupt at any moment, including discussions that went beyond purely military matters.

Just as Wu Jie had said, neither side had any room to maneuver left. For now, hundreds of thousands of troops were using only the Taiping River—a stream not even worth marking on a map—and this rain as their final excuse to delay. The rain could stop at any moment... Under such total pressure, no one could stand aloof, and no one could shirk responsibility or pressure.

Not only that, but as the rain continued to drizzle and both armies built their camps on a large scale, gradually closing in on each other, several other matters were also confirmed.

First, the casualties from that day's battle.

There wasn't much to say about that. It was a messy fight, the engagement was short, neither side could inflict effective casualties, and the thousand or so losses were scattered among various units—not even as many as the losses caused by the rain over these past few days... Because they had to build camps in the rain, many soldiers caught colds, and there were also many losses from slips and falls.

Second, the issue of how to handle Hu Yantong.

This time, there was no doubt that Hu Yantong had violated the general order to set up camp by the river and had crossed the river to attack on his own authority... In principle, military discipline is paramount before a major battle, and he should have been dealt with severely... But in fact, not only did Han Shizhong defend his subordinate, but Wu Jie, Li Yanxian, and even Wang Yan—several of the senior commanders—were almost unanimous in believing that Hu Yantong should be given a chance to redeem himself through merit.

The reasons were plentiful. Wu Jie, who was in charge of the camp's daily affairs, gave the reason that His Majesty the Emperor had previously decreed that anyone in the Imperial Camp who dared to fight, even if defeated, could be pardoned. Besides, yesterday Hu Yantong had not caused massive losses to his own unit.

This was quite thought-provoking.

And the preoccupied Emperor Zhao Jiu indeed showed no inclination to make an issue of this with the senior commanders... Therefore, the final result was that Hu Yantong was demoted by four grades, fined one year's salary, but still allowed to act as Controller-General.

Considering that a Controller-General's two most important privileges—independent command of troops and the right to submit secret memorials directly to the throne—were both left intact, Hu Yantong's punishment was essentially a case of raising the club high and bringing it down lightly.

However, none of this mattered anymore, because on the third day of this continuous spring rain, which was the first day of the second month of the tenth year of the Jianyan era, Qu Duan and Liu Qi led the remaining portion of the Imperial Camp cavalry, along with Zhang Xian's and Zhang Zigai's units, and arrived at Huolu County.

The Song army was both surprised and delighted by this.

The joy came from Qu Duan bringing a relief force of sixteen or seventeen thousand troops. Moreover, whether it was the ten thousand Imperial Camp cavalry or the two units of Personal Guard troops, they were among the Song army's finest fighting forces. Their timely arrival naturally boosted morale. But the worry was that the entire western part of the Hebei region had also been hit by the rain. To avoid being ambushed by the Jin army and to ensure a safe arrival, Qu Duan had chosen to march along the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains. This, however, meant that this relief force had been plagued by various floods and mountain torrents over the previous few days, to the point that by the time these elite troops arrived at Huolu, they were utterly exhausted and had suffered heavy attrition along the way.

One must understand that, according to Qu Duan, when he parted ways with Yue Fei at Great Ming Prefecture, he, Yue Fei, Zhang Rong, and Tian Shizhong had all agreed that the infantry main force of the Hebei Field Army might not be able to make it in time for the decisive battle. Therefore, Yue Fei had temporarily and fully replenished the three units that were following the Jin army on horseback... For instance, the long-axe heavy infantry Personal Guard unit of the Imperial Camp's Right Army had a full establishment of four thousand men. After several hard battles at Great Ming Prefecture, casualties and injuries had reduced its effective strength to only three thousand. But to ensure sufficient support for His Majesty here on the northern expedition, Yue Fei directly transferred troops from his own command to bring it back up to four thousand men, then sent them north as mounted infantry.

However, encountering rain three days ago, along with flooding, small units losing their way, camps collapsing at night, and illness, by the time they reached Huolu, Zhang Zigai's command had only about three thousand men left. Furthermore, because a large number of pack animals carrying equipment had been lost, nearly half of the men were unarmed.

The situation was roughly similar for the remaining ten thousand or so troops.

It was precisely for this reason that as soon as Qu Duan arrived, he, along with Liu Qi and Zhang Zigai, clearly proposed before the Emperor that the troops must be properly rested before any battle was joined.

But without a doubt, their proposal met with unanimous opposition from Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, Wu Jie, Wang Yan, Wang De, and Li Qiong... These six men were of one mind. They openly stated that as soon as the rain stopped, battle should commence.

To this, Emperor Zhao Jiu seemed noncommittal.

In fact, after the argument had persisted for a while, around midday, he simply withdrew from the main hall of the Huolu County office and disappeared.

However, the dispute was still settled, because besides the Emperor, there was another person in Huolu whose status was clearly above all the generals and who could easily silence everyone.

The Grand Viceroy of Hebei, Lü Yihao, ignoring the fact that he had caught another chill from his earlier fall into the water, had hurriedly braved the rain to arrive on the second day after the Emperor moved his headquarters to Huolu, accompanied by the civil officials of the Imperial Secretariat.

Shortly after the Emperor left, this Grand Councilor and Viceroy, supported by Academician Mei, entered the hall. With just a few rebukes, Han Shizhong and those below him withdrew somewhat sheepishly... There was no help for it; the basic rules were clear. In the Great Song, a Grand Councilor was a Grand Councilor. Even if the saying went, "When the realm is at peace, heed the councilor; when the realm is in danger, heed the general," and even if military men had seen their status rise sharply in the tenth year of the Jianyan era, political tradition still held sway. A Grand Councilor was still a Grand Councilor.

The most obvious manifestation was this: a military commander had to reach Han Shizhong's level of merit to obtain a Commandery Prince title, and even then it was unique in the realm. But Grand Councilors, upon retiring peacefully, generally received princely titles. Some, like the Duke of the Realm or the Chief Councilor, could even be Princes of the Blood with a single-character title.

Of course, Han Shizhong and Li Yanxian were by no means timid men. Their silence now was likely for another reason.

"Grand Councilor Lü!"

The two great generals, Han and Li, left directly. Qu Duan, exhausted to the point of collapse, also dispersed in disarray. Wang Yan, Wang De, and the others truly did not know how to deal with a Grand Councilor of such renown and so they too withdrew with murmured apologies. Only Wu Jie, after the crowd had dispersed, hurriedly chased after them alone. "Please wait a moment. Your subordinate has a heartfelt request."

Rain dripped down from the eaves in a steady stream. At the end of the corridor in the rear hall of the county office, Lü Yihao turned back, pausing briefly while leaning on his staff. Mei Li, holding an umbrella, tactfully stepped aside into the rain.

"Grand Councilor Lü." Seeing this, Wu Jie immediately stepped forward and bowed sincerely. "Please hear your subordinate out."

"Speak," Lü Yihao said. Although his earlier fall into the water and subsequent chill had left him pale, his spirits seemed good.

"Could the Grand Councilor please go and persuade His Majesty again?" Wu Jie straightened up and spoke earnestly.

"Persuade him about what?" Lü Yihao asked seriously. "Why should I persuade him?"

"Your subordinate is worried that His Majesty might be unable to decide to commit to battle because of this rain," Wu Jie said, even more earnestly. "Before, at Taiyuan, His Majesty showed some hesitation, and now this rain has made it even more obvious... The Taiping River has swollen, crossbows cannot be used, logistics are difficult, and Commander Qu and his troops are indeed in poor condition..."

Lü Yihao nodded slightly but just stood there leaning on his staff without speaking, making it unclear whether he agreed with the other's concern or with his description.

"Grand Councilor... at a time like this, if His Majesty, swayed by Commander Qu and the others' words, decides to use the floodwaters as an excuse to rest and recuperate before fighting, or even waits for Marshal Yue to come down the river for a pincer attack, then we will miss the opportune moment instead." Having said this, Wu Jie couldn't help but let out a long breath.

Lü Yihao showed a bit more interest: "How so?"

"Think about it, Grand Councilor Lü," Wu Jie replied seriously. "Heaven sends rain, crossbows cannot be drawn. Our army loses its powerful crossbows, which is indeed a disadvantage. But doesn't the Jin army also lose its strong bows? Moreover, the plains are soft and muddy, which is bad for cavalry. The Jin army has more cavalry, so they are at an even greater disadvantage here."

Lü Yihao nodded again immediately.

"As for using the rain as an excuse to wait for Marshal Yue, that is even more inappropriate. Because of this rain, Marshal Yue has already sent his elite troops to reinforce us. The remaining infantry main force will only arrive even more slowly. On the contrary, the more it rains, the more we must abandon the idea of waiting for large reinforcements," Wu Jie continued to explain.

Lü Yihao kept nodding.

"However, these are not the key points. The key is that our army cannot lose its momentum because of the rain," Wu Jie quickly pointed out the crux.

"Oh?" Lü Yihao spoke again.

"Please think about it, Grand Councilor... Not from the perspective of us decision-makers, nor from the perspective of the Jin army's decision-makers, but only from the perspective of the common soldiers below... Since the war began, haven't we won battle after battle, advanced without stopping, without a single setback? And from the perspective of the Jin army's soldiers, haven't they suffered one defeat after another, been overwhelmed, and retreated on a large scale?" Having said this, Wu Jie paused briefly before continuing his explanation. "At this moment, if we stop our advance because of the rain and fail to strike the Jin army right before us, it will be the first obvious sign of hesitation and cessation of hostilities since the war began. So-called rest and reorganization only benefits Commander Qu and the reinforcements he brought. For the main force of 150,000 troops brought from Hedong, it would be a demoralizing setback, and it might even boost the Jin army's morale... Sacrificing the morale of 150,000 men for the combat effectiveness of just over 10,000—that is a case where the disadvantages outweigh the advantages."

"I understand a little of this... 'At the first drum, morale rises; at the second, it flags,'" Lü Yihao said, seeming completely convinced by the other's argument. He leaned on his staff with one hand and stroked his beard with the other. "Military Governor Wu, what you say makes excellent sense."

Wu Jie felt relieved for a moment.

"But Commander Wu..." Lü Yihao stopped stroking his beard and sighed slightly. "Why didn't you explain these reasons directly to His Majesty? Why must you have me relay them instead?"

Wu Jie was momentarily speechless.

"Is it because you fear that speaking bluntly might displease His Majesty? Or because you are afraid that saying this in public would offend Qu Duan to the death? And then someone would dredge up old matters and call you an ingrate?" Lü Yihao pressed on without pause.

Wu Jie could only look around awkwardly... Fortunately, Mei Li had been perceptive enough to retreat very far away.

"Military Governor Wu!" Lü Yihao supported himself on his staff with both hands, his tone growing heavier. "I will ask you one more thing."

"Please speak, Grand Councilor," Wu Jie said, lowering his head respectfully, not daring to be negligent upon hearing the change in tone.

"Do Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, Wang Yan, Qu Duan... do they know these reasons you've just stated?" Lü Yihao asked slowly, looking up.

The tall Wu Jie thought for a moment and replied seriously: "To let you know, Grand Councilor, your subordinate roughly surmises... Commander Qu's march was arduous, and his unit has indeed suffered heavy losses. At this moment, he probably hasn't had time to think it through... And if your subordinate may say something improper, Commander Qu's nature is what it is. Though talented, he can never quite escape his own framework. Even if he later understands in his heart, he will likely be tormented by indecision."

Lü Yihao was noncommittal: "And what about Wang Yan?"

"Wang Commander... Wang Commander has just been given command of the army's elite and is feeling pleased with himself. Though he likely understands this principle in his heart, he may not be willing to think it through so thoroughly, and inevitably gets bogged down in verbal arguments." Wu Jie answered fluently.

"Then let's set aside Wang De, Li Qiong, Liu Qi, and the like for now." Lü Yihao remained composed. "But what about the two, Han and Li? Don't they understand either?"

Wu Jie finally fell silent.

"Are you trying to say that the two of them clearly understand, yet act fawningly, unwilling to openly contradict His Majesty?" Lü Yihao suddenly turned his head to look at the rain lines outside the corridor and gave a wry smile. "Is that what you mean?"

Wu Jie quickly shook his head: "This general merely accepted His Majesty's commission to lead the entire army. Having taken this responsibility, I dare not harbor even the slightest hope of luck."

"It is of course excellent that Wu Military Governor has such a mindset." Lü Yihao finally turned back with a solemn expression. "But you have gotten one fundamental thing wrong..."

"Please instruct me, my lord."

"And that is... although His Majesty's mind was shaken, since he already made his promise at Taiyuan, he will absolutely not waver again on a major matter like sending out the army." Lü Yihao looked up at the other man and explained seriously. "And as for the two, Han and Li—one followed His Majesty as a pillar of support during the court's wanderings, and the other was entrusted with a lone army in Shaanxi for ten years across a vast distance... in their hearts, they mostly choose to trust His Majesty. Rather, it is you, Wu Military Governor, who, in my old man's view, is likely commanding such a large army for the first time. The burden on your shoulders is extremely heavy, to the point that you lose sight of some things, and seeing certain situations makes you restless and impatient."

Wu Jie was momentarily dazed... Could it be that the one wavering was himself?

"But rest assured, Wu Military Governor." Lü Yihao continued to look up at him and spoke calmly. "At Yaoshan, and in the Northern Expedition, His Majesty entrusted you with the command of the central army without hesitation, and even the two, Han and Li, had not a single word of complaint. This shows that His Majesty's exclusive appointment and deep trust in you are unique... So if you have something to say, go directly to His Majesty and speak frankly; if you have concerns, express them without doubt. There is no need to go through this old man."

Wu Jie quickly cupped his hands: "Your instruction is correct, Lord Lü."

"Of course, since we've come this far, this old man will relay it for you. With over a hundred thousand troops and myriad affairs to attend to, you may return now!" Lü Yihao turned his head unhurriedly.

Wu Jie, understanding the hint, quickly cupped his hands, took his leave, and departed.

After Wu Jie left, Lü Yihao lingered for a moment. When Mei Li silently came over to help hold an umbrella, the two of them gently turned out from under the corridor together, then unhurriedly walked out of the county office. Amid the misty drizzle, they slowly crossed the street and carefully climbed the slippery southern city wall. Once atop the wall, the Red Heart Squad guards rushed up from afar to protect them, leading Lü Yihao and Mei Li to the Zhao Emperor, who was gazing into the distance from under a wooden awning on the wall.

When the lord came to pay respects to His Majesty, those nearby naturally dispersed a bit. However, because the ground was slippery and Lord Lü was leaning on a cane, the Imperial Guard Commander Liu Yan and the Eunuch Bureau Director Shao Chengzhang dared not leave his side and remained standing on either side under the wooden awning. Even Mei Li and the others only withdrew with a few guards to another wooden awning a dozen paces away, not daring to go far.

"My lord, since you have caught a chill, there's no need to come up the wall in the rain." Zhao Jiu turned to look at him.

"First, a mere chill won't kill me immediately. Second, I am old and frail, and my constitution is already damaged—I cannot last long anyway... So I might as well indulge myself a little." Lü Yihao leaned on his cane and smiled in response. "Besides, with a great battle approaching, who knows how many will live or die. The life of a decrepit old man like me is insignificant. Your Majesty need not worry about me!"

Zhao Jiu also smiled: "My lord is broad-minded."

"The rain is gentle but the view is hazy. I wonder what Your Majesty has been looking at these past few days whenever you come up the wall?" Lü Yihao gently steered past the topic, squinting curiously but seeing nothing, and was slightly puzzled.

"First, I'm watching the water level." Zhao Jiu saw no need to be mysterious. "I noticed from the very first day—once the spring rain falls, the Taiping River turns a muddy yellow. The rain can't hide the river's sudden rise."

"Spring rain stirs gentle waves, reaching Pengcheng in one night. Passing beneath my Yellow Tower, crimson railings reflect the flying eaves." Lü Yihao recited slowly, then sighed. "The Taiping River was originally a small stream, but who would have thought a spring rain would make it the dividing line between two armies..."

"That's an illusion." Zhao Jiu disagreed. "Once the rain stops, as long as the river channel is clear, the water level will drop considerably in a day or two. I personally asked several local elders, and they all said spring rain is nothing like autumn rain—it can't last long. Even if the water doesn't recede, with a river only a few dozen paces wide after the rain, rafts and long timbers can form a pontoon bridge in no time. So it's still useless... In the end, as Wu Jinqing said, the only thing that can stop an army of over a hundred thousand is another army of over a hundred thousand. It's neither the Yellow River, nor the Mianman River, and certainly not this mere Taiping River."

"So, Your Majesty's resolve is firm?" Lü Yihao smiled slightly again.

"Indeed." Zhao Jiu replied calmly. "If I speak from the bottom of my heart, this battle is far too hasty... But the situation has reached this point—how can human effort control it? Even if I, as Emperor, have inner doubts, how could I possibly go against the general trend?"

"That is true." Lü Yihao seemed thoughtful. "Ever since Your Majesty blew up Taiyuan City, this battle became unavoidable."

Zhao Jiu slowly shook his head, lost in thought.

And Lü Yihao, leaning on his cane, also fell silent for a moment.

But after a short while, gazing at the misty spring rain ahead, he seemed to realize something: "Your Majesty said earlier, 'First, I'm watching the water level.' Then what is second? We can't see the Jin army camp. Could it be this expanse of lush green?"

"Good eye, my lord." Zhao Jiu looked ahead and admitted frankly. "I noticed from the very first day as well—after the rain, the spring green is hard to hide. And these past few days of continuous rain, the green has visibly grown thicker..."

"Looking south from Huolu City, you can only see a corner of the Taihang Mountains. This spring green is mostly wild seedlings and weeds in abandoned fields." Lü Yihao mused. "All the land south and east of Huolu is excellent farmland."

"Yes, excellent farmland." Zhao Jiu picked up coolly. "And it's already the second month. The spring plowing and sprouting should have begun. With this spring rain, the farmers should be wearing straw rain capes to drain the waterlogging. But right now, most of the local farmers are actually penned up in the enemy camp across the river as conscripts... The remaining old, weak, women, and children have all fled into the Taihang Mountains."

"This mere Taiping River is just a yellow ribbon. Faced with this lush green as far as the eye can see, it truly is an unstoppable tide." Lü Yihao sighed with emotion. "No wonder Your Majesty's resolve is so firm. Even Commander Qu's arrival in such a sorry state couldn't sway Your Majesty's intent in the slightest."

"That said, military matters still come first." Zhao Jiu shook his head in explanation. "From the fact that Han, Li, Wu, and Wang all vouched for Hu Yantong, I knew they were using this to remind me that our army's morale is still high and the battle must not be delayed. Today's argument with Qu Duan makes it even more obvious... If not for their firm stance, how could I, an emperor who knows nothing of war, dare to be so resolute?"

Lü Yihao nodded, then suddenly laughed out loud.

Zhao Jiu turned back in confusion, only to meet the other man's slightly strange gaze.

"Your servant has lost his composure." Lü Yihao withdrew his gaze, somewhat emotional. "I was just thinking of the situation during Emperor Zhenzong's time... Before the Treaty of Chanyuan, the Son of Heaven of a great nation actually dared not cross the river, to the point that Lord Kou Zhun had to coax and trick him into crossing. Even so, afterward, when he recalled the matter, he still bore a grudge against Kou Zhun... From the Spring and Autumn period onward, where has there ever been such an emperor? And yet..."

"And yet the Great Song has had a whole string of such emperors." Zhao Jiu took over the words and couldn't help but smile. "And yet, here we are today, sovereign and minister, in a small town below Zhending Prefecture, barely over ten li from the Jin army's hundred thousand troops?"

"Exactly." Lü Yihao replied solemnly. "That is precisely what I mean."

Zhao Jiu smiled faintly and nodded, then paused briefly. For a moment, the sovereign and minister were both silent, and the rain seemed to ease along with their pause.

After a while, the Zhao Emperor, having watched the rain a bit longer, was about to speak again when Lü Yihao unexpectedly spoke first, startling everyone:

"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, 'A man's words are good when he is near death'... I have two things to say to Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty, in consideration of my position as a reigning chief councilor, to listen carefully. And if anyone in the future questions anything, Your Majesty may shift all the blame onto me."

Zhao Jiu said nothing, simply staring at him.

Lü Yihao, leaning on his cane, gazed ahead where the rain was growing weaker: "Your Majesty, that day outside Taiyuan City, the words Your Majesty spoke—I have pondered them every single day since. Based on my experience and ability, after much thought, aside from advising Your Majesty that night to remain consistent and not break your word, I have only come up with one additional method... And that is: The sovereign must take the lead!"

"Take the lead?"

"Take the lead." Lü Yihao answered firmly. "Your Majesty once said in Jiangnan that everything has a beginning. And the method of my entire life lies in these two words: 'take the lead.'"

"I would be glad to hear the details."

"It's not some profound learning, nothing compared to Lord Lü's transformation of family learning into original learning... Just a bit of insight, and extremely shallow at that—it means exactly what it says." Lü Yihao sighed in reply. "Applied to the present and the future, it translates into two specific suggestions, which are also the two things I wish to say."

"Please instruct me, my lord."

"First, in the great battle a few days from now, when necessary, Your Majesty may take the lead among the troops." Lü Yihao guided him patiently. "In my view, this is not dangerous, because the finest troops of the entire nation are gathered here. When the troops across the river outnumber ours, Your Majesty leading the charge is actually in the safest place in the world. Hiding in the rear, separated from the main army, would instead invite danger and calamity."

"That makes sense." The Zhao Emperor gave a reply that everyone present had anticipated.

"Second, after this Northern Expedition, there will be a thousand tangled threads. Your Majesty has already clearly explained the difficulties north of the Yellow River. And after much thought, I believe there is also a method of 'taking the lead in governing the state' to handle things properly!" At this point, Lü Yihao turned his head and looked at him seriously. "Your Majesty, in the past, when I was on the Yanshan Road, I saw that Yanjing had considerable geographical advantages—controlling Hebei and overseeing the passes beyond. If this Northern Expedition can fully recover the five circuits of the north, why not move the capital to Yanjing and redetermine the realm?"

Upon hearing the last eight words, Liu Yan and Shao Chengzhang, who had remained motionless, both shuddered slightly. Then they couldn't help exchanging glances behind the Zhao Emperor and Lord Lü, unable to hide the shock in their eyes. Not far away, the only civil official present, while shaken, also suddenly realized that this was likely a huge political gift from Lord Lü, who had promoted him, in return for his attentive service over the past few days.

However, contrary to the expectations of these few and Lü Yihao himself, the Zhao Emperor showed no surprise at all. He merely nodded faintly: "Lord Lü is absolutely right. Yanjing has kingly aura!"

It was as if this emperor had once again coincidentally agreed with this lord, with whom he had such a high degree of compatibility.

In fact, Lü Yihao was only slightly startled before immediately calming down, as if he had never said anything that would affect the fate and momentum of the entire realm.

And so, that afternoon, the rain stopped, and the spring sunlight appeared.

The Zhao Emperor personally issued an edict ordering the entire army to drain sewage and prevent epidemics. That evening, he summoned all the military governors and senior commanders to ask Wu Jie about his general plan after the battle began.

And Wu Jie, quite composed, laid out the provisional strategy that had been refined over the past few days.

"In general terms, the plan is to use the twenty thousand troops of the Left Army of the Imperial Camp as the vanguard to cross first and establish a foothold on the upstream western side, farther from the main Jin army camp." Zhao Jiu, seated on one side of the hall, summarized expressionlessly. "Then the light cavalry of the Imperial Cavalry Army, along with the Khitan and Mongol light cavalry—forty thousand light cavalry in total—will cross the river in force under the cover of the Left Army of the Imperial Camp. Sixty thousand troops will then converge on the high ground to contest it?"

"Yes." Wu Jie was concise.

"And after the cavalry moves out, Military Governor Li will take command of the Shaan-Luo portion of the Imperial Guard Central Army, plus part of the Imperial Guard Rear Army, totaling forty thousand men, to cross the river from the front and seize that high ground. With the high ground in hand, we engage the Jin Army with a hundred thousand infantry and cavalry, forcing them to commit their full strength first?"

"Yes."

"If that fails, then send Wang De and Li Qiong with their twenty-five thousand men across the river, feigning a decisive strike, to lure out the Jin Army's full force?"

"Yes."

"If that still fails, then dispatch Qu Duan's Imperial Guard Cavalry and Zhang Xian's Imperial Guard Vanguard Army's Beiwei Army, totaling over ten thousand, as another lure and also as a trump card... At that point, if the Jin Army doesn't reveal its reserve, this force becomes the trump card, and we settle the battle with one hundred forty thousand men. But if the Jin Army does reveal its reserve, this force becomes the bait, and I will then send Commander Wang, Yang Yizhong, and Zhang Zigai leading the entire army's elite heavy-axe infantry and some powerful crossbowmen, twenty to thirty thousand men, to cross the river together for an all-or-nothing gamble... Is that it or not?"

"Yes." Wu Jie remained concise.

"Then it's settled." Zhao Jiu was equally concise. "Let them dry out for a day tomorrow; the mud will firm up a bit. The day after tomorrow at dawn, we send the entire army across the river for the decisive battle... What about the pontoon bridge?"

"The Taiping River is not a swift or deep current. If we prepare long wooden rafts in advance and set them up on the spot, it will be easy and catch them off guard." Wu Jie answered without hesitation.

"Good, I won't ask about the remaining details." Zhao Jiu nodded, then turned to look around. "Does anyone have any objections to this plan?"

Qu Duan hesitated, about to rise, then paused as if to speak.

"I'll ask one more time: does anyone have any objections?" Zhao Jiu's eyes swept over the man, then he pressed again, raising his volume, his tone turning stern.

This time, Qu Duan fell completely silent. As for Liu Qi and Zhang Zigai, the two of them remained utterly quiet and expressionless.

Finally, seeing no one refute him, the Zhao Emperor sitting there made the final decision: "Then it's settled... Unless there is a major change in circumstances, this matter is decided."

Han Shizhong was the first to rise, and the other generals all stood up one after another. Then, led by the army's foremost general, they roared their assent.

The next day, the sun was indeed bright. After a full day of exposure, the previously somewhat muddy ground quickly dried. Although it couldn't be called firm, it was no longer impossible for horses to gallop lightly.

At the same time, perhaps due to the spring rain, everyone noticed that day that the fields on both sides of the Taiping River were covered in lush green as far as the eye could see, and the air was refreshing.

It was under these circumstances that the Song Army began large-scale drying and polishing of weapons, and preparing dry rations and clean water for the next day.

Clearly, the Song Army made no attempt to conceal this, and there was simply no need to. Correspondingly, the Jin Army refused to be outdone; they also began drying their weapons and preparing rations and water for the next day's battle.

What was most astonishing was that afternoon... Whether it was laborers disguised as real reinforcements, or elite troops who had secretly crossed to the north bank of the Hutuo River during the rain, or actual reinforcements... in broad daylight, about ten thousand cavalry, a full one hundred mouke of elite armored horsemen, crossed the river from the north bank of the Hutuo River and entered the camp right under the Song Army's noses.

Of course, the Song Army remained unmoved. Because, as the Zhao Emperor had said, at this point, unless there was a major change in circumstances, this battle was already decided.

But then... so, however, in the latter half of that night, or rather, in the early hours of the originally scheduled decisive battle day, the second day of the second month, just as the entire army and laborers were working overtime to prepare hot food for the morning, a spring rain as fine as ox hair began to fall again, causing the entire army's complexion to change.

"Prince of Wei." On the opposite bank of the river, inside the Jin Army camp that resembled a three-armed monster—specifically, the camp at the junction—Gao Qingyi was drenched, whether from sweat or rain, and was panicked. "It's raining again... Will the Song Army attack today?"

Under the torchlight, which was hardly affected, Jin Wushu, who had removed his hat, looked up at the sky. After feeling the rain for a moment, he turned back and roared with a ferocious expression:

"At a time like this, can we afford to guess that Zhao Jiu won't come?! Go find Hanlin Academician Cheng! Tell him to stop talking to those Song prisoners! After I finish the military council with all the meng'an officers and above in the army, we'll behead them to consecrate the banners!"

Gao Qingyi staggered away.

PS: Two things. First, thanks to the new alliance leader blackmoon413, this is the book's 203rd alliance leader.

Second, as mentioned before, there are separate additional rewards for posting fan content before May 15th. Some people still haven't contacted the admin. So, anyone who posted event fan content but hasn't contacted the admin, please be sure to check the pinned post in the review section.