Chapter 518

Just as the Northward Aspiration army energetically governed Black Cloud Stronghold and solidified its base, the False Song Imperial Court in Dongjing Bian Liang remained immersed in a suffocating haze of stupidity and internal strife.

In Xuangong Hall, the endless debate topic, which had been about whether to acknowledge or employ the Northward Aspiration army, quietly shifted to how to more honorably make peace with the Jin state whose forces loomed over the Yellow River.

Seated on the dragon throne, Zhao Heng (Emperor Zhenzong of Song) had an ashen complexion, the dark circles under his eyes growing ever heavier, as if his vital spirit had been drained.

Listening to the ministers below argue over territorial cession and indemnity amounts, he felt waves of dizziness and vertigo.

"Your Majesty! The Jin invaders are insatiable, demanding three million each of silver and silk, and also demanding the cession of the three prefectures of Zhongshan, Hejian, and Taiyuan! This is a proposal that shakes the foundations of the state—absolutely unacceptable!"

An elderly minister with white hair, tears and snot streaming, prostrated himself on the ground, weeping blood as he pleaded.

"Minister Li, your words are mistaken!"

The peace faction ministers immediately stepped forward to rebut, their tone impassioned, as if they themselves were the loyal ministers capable of stemming the tide.

"Now the Jin are arrogant and powerful, their blades pointed straight at the Yellow River!"

"If we do not temporarily avoid their front, granting them wealth and land to make them withdraw troops, once the capital is lost, the ancestral temples will be overturned, and Your Majesty's safety will be worrisome!"

"This is enduring a moment's pain to preserve the foundation for myriad generations!"

"Moreover, more than half of those three prefectures' lands have already fallen into the hands of the Jin invaders; it is merely going along with the current."

"Absurd!"

Another war faction general, his hair standing on end with rage, his voice like thunder.

"Those three prefectures are the northern barrier; once ceded, there will be no defensible positions north of the Yellow River, and the Jin invaders' cavalry could set out in the morning and arrive by evening, straight upon Bian Liang!"

"This is drinking poison to quench thirst, destroying the Great Wall!"

"The urgent task is to muster all troops, hold the Yellow River, and simultaneously issue an edict ordering all troops across the realm to rally to the throne! Especially that Northward Aspiration army, though originating from the grassroots, its combat strength is formidable, and it can……"

"Shut up!"

A powerful chancellor shouted to interrupt, his face bearing a cold frost.

"Northward Aspiration army? Merely a band of brigands who refuse to submit to imperial rule! Relying on a little minor merit, they dare to be arrogantly self-important!"

"If the court were to rely on such forces, would it not be lowering its own status and causing heroes across the realm to feel apprehensive?"

"Moreover, if we allow its power to grow, it will surely become a grave internal threat!"

"At present we need to concentrate our strength to contend with the Jin state; how could we again create unnecessary complications and provoke these restless bandits?"

Seated on the dragon throne, Zhao Heng listened to this familiar, endless argument, and wearily closed his eyes.

"How could he not know that ceding land and paying indemnities is an enormous shame?"

"How could he not know that the Northward Aspiration army might be useful?"

"But what he fears more is the iron hooves of the Jin, the safety of the capital, and the instability of the dragon throne."

"Finally, he weakly waved his hand, his voice as thin as a spider's silk:"

"Never mind... let the matter of peace be as Minister Wang Ai Qing proposed..."

"As for the Northward Aspiration army… strictly order all local offices to monitor it closely, not allowing it to disturb localities, nor allowing it to engage the Jin without authorization, lest it disrupt the overall peace situation."

"This order effectively condoned the frontline commanders' blockade and suppression of the Northward Aspiration army, and also chilled the hearts of countless loyal and brave souls still struggling in the north."

"When the news spread, both court and society were shaken."

"Especially those False Song border troops and local guardians still stubbornly resisting in Hebei, Shanxi, and elsewhere, upon hearing this news, were struck as if by lightning, and even the last spark of hope was completely extinguished."

"It is precisely against this backdrop that several special units, carrying despair and unwillingness, broke through layer after layer of obstacles and appeared outside Black Cloud Stronghold."

"Leading them were two commanders."

"One is named Zong Ying, about thirty years old, formerly a commander-in-chief of the Zhen Ding Fu Lu, born into a military family, his visage stern, yet his brow is shrouded with an irrepressible grief and fatigue."

"The other, somewhat older, is named Zhang Jue, formerly a supervisor of the Hejian Fu, his face bearing the wrinkles etched by wind and frost, yet his eyes are as sharp as a lone wolf's."

"What they brought were not routed troops, but rather the several hundred core, most loyal and brave personal retainers under each of their commands."

"These soldiers, although similarly sallow-faced and with worn armor, still maintained the military's solemn and lethal aura in their ranks, starkly different from ordinary routed troops."

"General Lin! Heavenly King Chao!"

"Zong Ying saw Lin Chong and Chao Gai coming out to meet him; before they could speak, he dropped to one knee as if toppling a golden mountain and jade pillar, his voice hoarse and heavy with sorrow."

"The court… the court has decided to cede the three prefectures and make peace with the Jin invaders!"

"We have fought bloodied, defended the land and protected the people, yet in the court's eyes we have become a stumbling block to the peace agreement!"

"The superiors have strictly ordered us to abandon our defensive zones and retreat south to avoid battle… this, this is simply self-destruction of the realm, handing over millions of northern lives to the wolves!"

"He suddenly lifted his head, his tiger eyes brimming with tears, yet burning with an unyielding flame."

"Zong Ying has received deep favor from the state and dares not forget his roots!"

"But the court's actions truly chill one to the bone!"

"We warriors have the duty to defend the land; how can we sit idly by while our country and family are lost?"

"We have long heard that the Northward Aspiration army upholds high righteousness, fears no strong invaders, and its heart is with the people."

"Zong Ying, lacking talent, wishes to lead his men under your command, seeking no fame, only to fight the Jin dogs to the bitter end in this northern land, even if wrapped in horsehide and dead, to have no regrets in this life!"

"Zhang Jue beside him also clasped his fists firmly, his voice resonant:"

"Zhang Jue shares this intention!"

"Rather than follow that muddled court in a base existence, it is better to follow the true heroes of the Northward Aspiration army and have a good, satisfying battle!"

"Whether death or life, I seek a clear conscience!"

"Lin Chong and Chao Gai exchanged a glance, each seeing shock and solemnity in the other's eyes."

"They hurried forward and personally helped Zong Ying and Zhang Jue to their feet."

"Lin Chong said in a low voice:"

"Please rise, two generals! The Northward Aspiration army gaining your two generals and the many brothers who join is like adding wings to a tiger."

"The court is dim; it is not that we are disloyal, but rather that it fails heaven above and the people below."

"From now on, we shall be one family, united in heart and effort, jointly resisting external invasion!"

"The sky of this northern land won't collapse!"

Chao Gai also vigorously patted the shoulders of Zong Ying and Zhang Jue, his voice like a great bell:

"Good! All are brave fellows with guts!"

The Imperial Court doesn't want you, but the Northward Aspiration Army does!

The common people need you!

Once you come, you're brothers; from now on we'll eat meat in big chunks, drink wine in big bowls, and together kill the golden dogs!

The defection of these two False Song commanders is of extraordinary significance.

They not only brought hundreds of experienced, well-trained veteran soldiers, but more importantly, they represented the last batch of force in the False Song army that still had integrity and refused to submit, and their recognition of the Northward Aspiration Army.

Their arrival was like pouring a ladle of cold water into an already boiling oil pot, triggering a chain reaction.

In the days that followed, several smaller but equally unwilling-to-retreat-south False Song border defense units or local militias successively came to seek refuge.

The composition of the Northward Aspiration Army thus became more complex.

The original Liangshan faction, various rebel armies, and peasant conscripts have now been joined by organized False Song imperial troops.

How to integrate these forces of diverse backgrounds and still-unharmonized ideas, so they truly fuse into a single rope, has become a more urgent and complex challenge facing Lin Chong, Chao Gai, and especially Chen Wen, than dealing with the Jin army.

Chen Wen stood on the watchtower of Black Cloud Stronghold, watching the endless stream of people coming down the mountain to enlist, among whom were already units flying the False Song banner yet marching resolutely north.

He could clearly sense that the Northward Aspiration Army's Fortune Momentum was growing and coalescing at an unprecedented speed, but internally, several streams bearing the original imprint needed careful sorting and guidance.

"Water can carry a boat, yet it can also capsize it..."

He muttered to himself.

Absorbing these loyal souls of the northern lands is an opportunity, but also a great test.

Whether the integration succeeds will directly determine how long this Northward Aspiration banner can flutter in this chaotic age, and how many lost souls it can guide to find the thorny path leading to light.