Chapter 514: Deepening Rift

The news of the great victory below Zhao Prefecture City and the successful night raid, as if grown wings, swept over the smoke-filled Hebei Plain and swiftly returned to Liangshanpo, still shrouded in a tense and divided atmosphere.

Inside the Hall of Gathering Righteousness, the atmosphere was eerie.

Dai Zong's detailed victory report included not only the numbers of enemy heads taken and weapons and horses captured, but also emphasized how the Northward Aspiration Army won against odds, how they launched a night raid amid tens of thousands of troops to break the enemy, and how the Jin army fled in terror at the mere news.

Each sentence of the report struck like a loud slap across the face of Song Jiang, seated at the head.

Listening to Dai Zong's report, his usual composure, the expression he tried to maintain, nearly cracked.

His hand resting on his knee unconsciously clenched his robe, the joints trembling slightly from excessive force.

Inside the hall, no one cheered.

The leaders who supported the Northward Aspiration had already left with Lin Chong;

Those remaining were mostly Song Jiang's direct followers or those with ambiguous attitudes, bound by the talk of Mandate of Heaven and appeasement.

Hearing these glorious exploits, their faces showed no joy, only a complex, hard-to-describe expression—shock, disbelief, and a deep sense of panic and unease.

The more successful the Northward Aspiration Army became, the more it highlighted the cowardice and shortsightedness of those who clung to the marsh and merely talked about appeasement.

"Good! Well killed!"

Only Li Kui, that blunt man, felt his blood boil and, heedless, slapped his thigh and shouted.

"Instructor Lin truly is a hero! He made the Jin dogs roll in piss and shit! This is satisfying!"

He glared, looking toward Song Jiang.

"Brother, what are we waiting for? Quickly muster the troops, join Instructor Lin and the others, and go kill the Jin dogs together!"

"Tie Niu! Stop talking nonsense!"

Song Jiang let out a harsh shout, his face dark enough to drip water.

His chest heaved violently as he forcibly suppressed the surging qi and blood and the shame of being slapped in public.

"Lin Chong and the others… acted without authorization; though they luckily won, they deserted the stronghold, sowing division among brothers—this trend cannot be allowed to continue!"

He avoided the main point, never mentioning the righteous cause of resisting the Jin, and fixated solely on the word 'division'.

"The foundation of our Liangshanpo lies in loyalty and righteousness, in unity!"

"If everyone acted like them, ignoring the stronghold's orders and doing as they pleased, our Liangshan would have long since fallen apart!"

His gaze swept over the hall's occupants, his tone deliberately filled with anguish.

"The matter of appeasement concerns the futures of all brothers and the stronghold's future; it is a carefully considered plan—how could it be changed on a whim?"

"The Northward Aspiration Army's actions may seem brave, but in reality they place our brothers in peril and put the entire Imperial Court against us!"

"This is certainly not a lasting solution!"

No sooner had his words fallen than several trusted leaders in the crowd voiced their agreement.

"Brother Gongming is absolutely right!"

"The Northward Aspiration Army respects no superiors; their hearts deserve death!"

"Appeasement is the right path; why waste strength in a deadlock with the Jin barbarians?"

These voices echoed in the now-empty hall, sounding somewhat hollow and feeble.

Wu Yong watched coldly, smirking inwardly.

He had not left with Lin Chong, but remained in Liangshan, for his own deep reasons.

At this moment, he slowly shook his feather fan and spoke unhurriedly, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Brother Gongming, the Northward Aspiration Army rose in the nation's crisis, stemmed the tide, saved the people of Zhao Prefecture from fire and water, and raised the might of our Han people in the north."

"Such heroic deeds have stirred the whole world."

"We here idle talk of appeasement while they bleed on the front lines—how should we judge these two words 'loyalty and righteousness'?"

He paused, then his tone turned sharp.

"Moreover, the Imperial Court itself can barely hold on, the northern front has collapsed, the south is in turmoil—if we discuss appeasement now, Brother, how much strength does the Court still have to 'settle' us?"

"I fear we would merely be thrown into a bottomless pit to serve as cannon fodder against the Jin barbarians."

These words were like a dagger, once again viciously stabbing the appeasement faction's most unwanted harsh reality.

"Master Wu! You…" Song Jiang, his face white with rage, pointed at Wu Yong, his fingers trembling.

He had not expected Wu Yong to openly voice dissent at this moment, each sentence striking straight at his heart.

"Chief Song."

A cold, emotionless voice suddenly rang out, like a snake spitting its tongue.

The ever-shadow-like figure stationed in the corner, "Zeng Tu," stepped forward slowly, his gaze beneath the black robe sweeping over Song Jiang, an undisguised warning.

"The Mandate of Heaven is set; do not lose the big for the small."

"Some variables cannot disturb the overall situation."

"The urgent task is to swiftly accomplish assimilation, so as to harness orthodox power to cleanse the world."

His use of 'assimilation' naturally referred to appeasement, and the phrases 'orthodox power' and 'cleanse the world' were filled with the Iron Crow Army's characteristic cold logic, meant to uphold their 'script'.

Song Jiang, as if grasping a lifeline, quickly nodded:

"Chief Zeng is quite right; I, Song Jiang, understand."

He drew a deep breath, forced himself to calm, ceased arguing with Wu Yong, turned to the crowd, and his tone became resolute.

"The matter of appeasement is imperative!"

"I have sent people to urgently contact the officials of Ji Prefecture and Yun Prefecture, laying out the benefits and drawbacks."

"As long as the Imperial Court offers suitable terms, all of Liangshanpo can turn from darkness to light and serve the nation!"

He tried to wrap appeasement's selfish motives in the banner of 'serving the nation,' but before the Northward Aspiration Army's solid achievements, his words rang hollow and ridiculous.

The debate in the Hall of Gathering Righteousness ultimately fizzled out under Zeng Tu's intervention and Song Jiang's forceful push.

Yet the division and hostility permeating the air grew deeper and more irreconcilable.

The Pacification Faction, with the Iron Crow Army's backing, more firmly set out on the road that seemed "bright" but was actually fraught with danger;

Meanwhile, the chief who remained in the stronghold, still harboring passion and reason, felt his heart shaken by the Northward Aspiration Army's victory report, plunging him into a more violent struggle and wavering.

Almost at the same time, in the Eastern Capital Bian Liang of the False Song, deep within the Imperial City.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Reverence, the atmosphere was equally oppressive.

On the Dragon Throne, Emperor Zhao Heng (Song Zhenzong) looked gaunt and hollow-eyed, clearly disturbed by the successive defeats in the northern borders.

On the desk lay piles of emergency memorials, and among them were several reports from Hebei stating that the Northward Aspiration Army had defeated the Jin forces at Zhao Prefecture, temporarily stabilizing the situation.

"Your Esteemed Ministers, just where does this Northward Aspiration Army come from? How can it repeatedly defeat the Jin troops?"

Zhao Heng's voice carried a faint, barely perceptible hope, yet was filled with apprehension.

"Your Majesty!"

Peace Faction officials stepped forward at once, their tone fierce.

"These are merely a branch of the Liangshan bandits; their bandit nature is impossible to tame!"

Their occasional small victories are nothing more than a fleeting rash, mere luck.

If the court were to recognize or support them, it would be no different than raising a tiger to invite disaster, fanning the flames of banditry!

Moreover, fighting the Jin would only provoke a stronger enemy, plunging our Great Song into greater peril!

In my view, we should strictly order local authorities to employ both blockade and pacification, never allowing them to grow strong!

"Lord Wang, your words are mistaken!"

A white-haired old official stepped forward trembling, one of the few who still dared to speak for the War Faction.

"Now the nation faces crisis, Hebei lies in ruin, and the imperial army collapses at the first touch."

"The Northward Aspiration Army dares to stand up, resist the powerful barbarians, and defend the cities—truly a rare act of righteous courage!"

"The court should win them over, bestow titles, provide supplies, so they can serve the state and become a valuable aid in resisting the Jin!"

"How can we abandon food because of a choke, cutting off our own arms?"

"Minister Li, your words are utterly wrong!"

"Are we to have the court ally with bandits?"

"In extraordinary times, we must resort to extraordinary measures!"

At once the imperial court erupted into uproar.

The Peace Faction held absolute dominance, regarding the Northward Aspiration Army with contempt and apprehension;

The War Faction was weak and few, and though they argued on principle, they could not turn the tide.

Seated on the Dragon Throne, Zhao Heng watched the bickering officials below, glanced at the memorials reporting the Northward Aspiration Army's victories, and a complex flicker passed through his eyes.

He both longed for a force that could resist the Jin and ease the court's pressure, yet deeply feared these uncontrolled 'righteous armies' and 'bandits'.

Finally, he wearily waved his hand.

"Forget it… let this matter be discussed later."

"The urgent task is to secure the Yellow River defenses and… well, maneuver against the Jin state."

His word 'maneuver' was spoken vaguely, but his intention to compromise and retreat was all too clear.

The debate over how to treat the Northward Aspiration Army was temporarily shelved amid the False Song court's incompetence and wrangling.

But the rise and success of the Northward Aspiration Army acted like a mirror, reflecting the fragmentation of Liangshan and the decay and weakness of the False Song court.

Differences intensified, contradictions deepened.

And the true storm was still brewing ahead.