Chapter 567: Prelude to the Twelve Golden Medals

Yancheng, the main tent of the Yue Family Army's central command.

The warmth of the victory report had not yet faded when a new, even heavier chill descended.

On the case table lay three newly delivered yellow-silk imperial decrees placed side by side.

It was not just one.

There were three.

They arrived in succession, sent by different envoys via express delivery, less than twelve hours apart.

The first decree's tone was still relatively mild.

"You reported victory at Yancheng; I am greatly pleased. Yet the isolated army has long been exposed, its edge dulled. For the troops' sake, you should hold Yancheng firmly, consolidate the gains, and avoid further reckless fighting. The needed grain and supplies have been urgently ordered to the relevant offices."

The second decree's tone turned stern.

"The previous order is clear: command your troops to hold Yancheng and not advance rashly. I have heard the Jin invaders are reinforcing, intending a counterstrike. Your forces are weary from bloody battle—how can you again venture into danger? You should quickly plan a withdrawal to Xiang-Deng to ensure safety. Earnestly!"

The third decree was almost a direct rebuke and command.

"After repeated edicts, you actually ignore them? Scout reports show your vanguard still roaming north—what is the meaning of this? I sympathize with the soldiers and hate to be harsh, but state law and military discipline cannot be lightly discarded. Order Yue Fei to gather his forces at once; within five days, withdraw to the Cai Zhou line and await orders! No mistakes allowed!"

Inside the tent, the faces of officers such as Zhang Xian, Wang Gui, and Yue Yun had turned ashen.

The air in the tent had frozen, as if water could be wrung from it.

"Five days… withdraw to Cai Zhou?"

Wang Gui's voice was hoarse, brimming with restrained fury.

"From Yancheng to Cai Zhou, even a swift horse needs two days! With the army carrying wounded and equipment, how could five days be enough? This is clearly an impossible demand!"

"Moreover, our army just won a great victory, morale is high, and Bian Liang is within reach! To retreat now would shatter the troops' spirit—what was the point of all that bloodshed?"

Zhang Xian clenched his fists until they cracked.

"What 'for the troops' sake,' 'ensure safety'… every sentence seems caring, but in truth each word is a blade at our throats—forcing us to abandon our gains, to destroy our own Great Wall!"

Yue Yun, young and hot‑headed, had his eyes red with anger.

"Father! This is no edict—it's clearly… a death warrant!"

Yue Fei sat upright in the chief seat, his face as still as water.

His gaze slowly swept over the three yellow‑silk decrees; every stroke of the vermilion markings revealed the chill and calculation within the walls of Lin'an Palace.

How could he not know this was a death warrant?

The first decree told you to 'hold firm,' cutting off any chance to pursue the victory.

The second ordered you to 'return the army,' shaking the morale of your troops.

The third directly commanded a retreat, setting a deadline; missing it would be defiance of the edict.

Step by step, the drums beat tightly, leaving no room to breathe.

What is even more frightening is the timing of these decrees.

They came just after the victory at Yancheng, when the whole army was exhausted and urgently needed rest and replenishment, while the Jin forces, newly defeated, were in the sensitive process of shifting troops and commanders.

To withdraw now would be to hand over, without a fight, the situation just won and the strategic initiative bought with the soldiers' lives.

The Jin army will certainly not let this chance slip; it will surely pursue and chase.

By then, a withdrawal would very likely turn into a rout.

"Imperial Court… you are trying to drive us onto a road to death."

Wang Gui slumped into his seat, his voice full of bitterness.

Yue Fei did not answer right away.

He closed his eyes, and many scenes flashed through his mind.

The fallen Iron‑Guard soldiers of the Yancheng bloody battle, who could never rise again.

The fleeting warmth and strength of the jade pendant in his bosom.

The warning in the Shi Dun secret letter.

And… the burning pain and hope from long ago, when his mother etched the four characters 'Serve the nation with loyalty' onto his back.

Loyalty to the ruler.

Service to the nation.

When the ruler's will and the nation's interest diverge, where should one go?

Outside the tent, the autumn wind wailed, rolling the 'Yue' banner and emitting a dull thud.

As if the countless silent sobs and cries of the Zhongyuan refugees.

A long while passed.

Yue Fei opened his eyes.

His eyes were bloodshot, yet they had become a deep, tranquil pool of resolute cold.

"The decree is the Imperial Court's decree."

He spoke, his voice not loud but clear and firm, suppressing all agitation in the tent.

"But the battle is being fought by our Yue Family Army."

"We understand the situation before us better than the high officials in Lin'an City."

He rose, walked to the map, and pointed his finger at it.

"The Jin army has just been defeated; its commander Wanyan Zongbi, eager to regain face, is summoning elite forces from the Zhen‑ding and Da‑tong directions to move south. Their vanguard has already reached Zhengzhou."

"Our army, weary from bloody battle, has lost seventy percent of its arrows, the wounded fill the camp, and grain supplies… barely last three days."

"If we now withdraw as ordered, the Jin cavalry will tail us; we will have no defensible position and will surely suffer a crushing defeat."

He turned his body, his eyes like lightning, sweeping over the officers.

"Therefore, this edict cannot be fully obeyed."

Inside the tent, utter silence.

"Father!" Yue Yun cried out.

"Marshal!" Zhang Xian and Wang Gui were also greatly startled.

These words are practically open defiance of the edict!

"Let me finish speaking."

Yue Fei raised his hand to stop them.

"The edict says 'do not advance without permission,' so we will not advance. Recall the vanguard and hold the existing defenses at Yancheng."

"The edict says 'withdraw the army and consider plans for Xiang and Deng,' so we will 'consider.' Have the rear support troops begin packing supplies, making a show of gradual southward movement to put the envoy's mind at ease…"

"The edict limits 'withdraw to Cai Prefecture within five days'…"

He paused, his voice firm and resolute.

"Transferring Yancheng's defenses is complex, moving the wounded is difficult, transporting grain and fodder takes time… five days is absolutely impossible."

"We need time."

"At least ten days."

"In these ten days we will strengthen the defenses, gather nearby militia, collect as much grain and fodder as possible, and secretly send the severely wounded south."

"After ten days, we will decide according to the situation."

"If the Jin forces' offensive is not fierce, we may indeed gradually move south to avoid their sharp edge and preserve our strength."

"If the Jin forces launch a full-scale attack…"

A cold light flashed in his eyes.

"Then Yancheng will be their burial ground!"

"Even if we fight to the last soldier, we will never easily relinquish the recovered inch of land!"

"As for blame from the Imperial Court…"

Yue Fei's mouth curled into an extremely faint, extremely cold arc.

"All responsibility, I Yue Fei will bear alone."

"Just say I am greedy for merit, recklessly advancing, defying the edict, and disregarding imperial grace."

"It has nothing to do with you all."

"Marshal!"

All the generals knelt together, tiger eyes brimming with tears.

"We wish to follow the Marshal unto death in battle! How could we let the Marshal bear the blame alone!"

"Exactly! If we defy the edict, we defy it together!"

Yue Fei looked at these brothers before him who had shared life and death with him; a warm surge rose in his chest, his throat tightening.

But he quickly suppressed his emotions.

"All rise. It's not yet a matter of life and death."

"Remember, the envoy is still outside. On the surface, everything proceeds as usual, with full propriety, we plead hardship, emphasize difficulties. We must let them see that we 'are strenuously carrying out the edict,' merely 'lacking the strength.'"

"In secret, do as I just said. Act swiftly and covertly."

"Especially grain and fodder… Wang Gui, you personally handle it, using all connections, even if buying at high prices from the populace, even if… seeking aid from our 'friends' to the north. Food is now the most vital thing."

"Zhang Xian, organize the troops and prepare for war; defenses must not slacken in the slightest. Pay special attention to internal affairs; in these extraordinary times, anyone who spreads rumors and undermines morale, no matter who, will be dealt with by military law!"

"Yue Yun, take your personal guard detachment, keep watch on the envoy's party, and also note whether any suspicious persons are active inside the city."

Orders were issued one after another, clear and distinct.

The generals received the orders and hurried away.

Inside the tent, silence returned.

Yue Fei stood alone, gazing toward Lin'an, his eyes deep and inscrutable.

"The twelve golden plaques…"

He inexplicably recalled that ominous phrase.

Although only three edicts have arrived now.

But the urgent, irresistible pressure they carry is strikingly similar!

"Your Majesty… Chancellor Qin…"

"You cannot tolerate Yue Fei, nor the hope of recovering Zhongyuan from the north, can you?"

He murmured to himself, filled with endless weariness and sorrow.

Lin'an, the Qin mansion.

"Sir, latest news from Yancheng. Yue Fei has received the edict, outwardly compliant, has ordered the vanguard to withdraw and begun organizing supplies. But according to our observers, the fortification of the defenses has not ceased, nearby militia continue to rally to him, and there is no sign of immediate retreat."

Wan Si'e reported in a low voice.

Qin Hui sipped his tea leisurely, hearing this without surprise.

"If he truly obeyed and withdrew just like that, it would be unlike Yue Fei."

"Nevertheless, this first step has at least been taken."

"The suspicion of defying the edict already rests on him; the difference is only in degree."

He set down his teacup.

"On the envoy's side, keep applying pressure. Every other day, go urge an update on progress, with an attitude growing stricter each time. Let the rumor that 'Yue Fei is delaying the edict and seems disloyal' slowly spread."

"Also, pass word to 'that person' in the Yue Family Army; we can begin preparing a 'letter of allegiance.' The content… just gather some of Yue Fei's 'private resentment toward the Imperial Court, colluding with northern bandits, deliberately nurturing rebels for self-preservation' words and deeds. Make it plausible enough to invite speculation."

"As for the Jin side, also leak a word: say Yue Fei is trapped by the Imperial Court's edict, unable to advance or retreat, exactly a good opportunity to use troops."

Wan Si'e noted everything down, then hesitated: "Sir, in this way… are we pressing too urgently? If Yue Fei really takes desperate measures, or the Jin forces seize the chance to launch a major southern advance, the situation could become hard to contain."

Qin Hui glanced at him, his gaze deep and cold.

It's precisely to make him take a dangerous path.

It's precisely to let everyone see how Yue Fei, holding his troops arrogantly, refuses to submit to the Imperial Court's restraint.

As for the Jin army marching south...

He smiled, but his smile held no trace of warmth.

Let them fight; it's fine. Let the emperor, let all civil and military officials, see whether without Yue Fei, this realm can truly be held.

Also let the world see whether war or peace is truly 'for the country and the people'.

Wanqi Yun felt a chill rise from within, dared not speak further, and bowed his body to retreat.

Qin Hui sat alone in the warm pavilion, his fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop.

Wind-and-Wave Pavilion...

He chanted the word again, his eyes gradually turning fervent and sinister.

Soon.

Very soon.

Black Cloud Stronghold.

Chen Wen woke from a brief breath regulation, his brows furrowed.

Just moments ago, as he tried to sense the southern situation with Script Perusal, the vision he saw grew even more chaotic and ominous.

The chains around that sword suddenly increased manifold, nearly enveloping it in a golden cocoon.

Around the cocoon, black surging tides churned and gathered, poised to erupt.

What made his heart pound even more was that several extremely fine, barely perceptible black lines faintly emerged from within the cocoon.

The insider……has it already begun to move?

He immediately summoned Wang Ru.

In the south, within the Yue Family Army, have there been any recent movements from the Wang Jun we've been monitoring?

Wang Ru nodded, her expression grave.

Yes. Just an hour ago we received a 'Feather Plume' intelligence report: last night Wang Jun secretly left the camp for about half an hour, meeting a man disguised as a peddler. The peddler's identity is being verified, but his movements are suspicious. Today, Wang Jun, in the baggage camp, complained even more vehemently about unfair distribution of provisions, and deliberately mentioned to several low-ranking officers the Imperial Court's 'difficulties,' implying that the Marshal... mistreats the soldiers.

Chen Wen's eyes turned cold.

As expected, it has begun. Sowing discord, fabricating conflicts, gathering 'evidence'… an old tactic, but effective.

Have our people be extra vigilant; we must obtain solid evidence, preferably by catching them at their next meeting. But likewise, we must not expose ourselves.

Also, remind Shi Dun to have him pass a message to Yue Fei in just four words—'Internal treachery has moved; inspect provisions and arms carefully.'

Wang Ru noted it down and quickly left.

Chen Wen walked to the window, gazing at the dark southern sky.

The mountain rain is about to come, the wind fills the tower.

The prelude of the twelve golden tablets has already begun.

The true storm is frenziedly growing in the gap where orders flow back and forth and undercurrents surge.

All he can do, aside from hastening the nurturing of the token and aside from the northern harassments, is only this long-distance delivery of a warning, whose successful arrival is uncertain.

Brother Pengju...

He let out a low sigh.

This net from all directions……can you……tear it open?