Chapter 598: Response! The Choice of Jin and Song

Jin, Shangjing Huining Prefecture.

The urgent military report tolled like a funeral bell, shattering the tranquility of a winter morning.

"Luoyang has fallen?!"

"Wanyan Balisu defeated and fled? In just a day?!"

"Northward Aspiration-Yue Alliance? Yue Fei?!"

Furious and incredulous roars echoed from deep within the imperial palace all the way to the outer court's council hall.

The Jin high officials, who had just been overwhelmed by pressure from the steppes, were stunned by this sudden, fierce blow from the south.

Inside the hall, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed almost to drip water.

Wanyan Zongbi (Wuchu) had an ashen face, standing at the front of the military officers, staring at the military report in his hand that detailed the course of the Battle of Luoyang.

"The southern gate was taken by a cavalry surprise attack, broken in a single strike, the defenders had no time to react……"

"The siege forces coordinated well, their containment was strong……"

"The enemy's newly crafted weapons are quite powerful……"

"Fugitive soldiers say that their army formation seems to be aided by some strange power; their charge speed and gate-breaking might far exceed reason……"

He slowly lowered the military report, scanning the civil and military officials in the hall—some startled and angry, some panicked, some silent.

"Did you all hear that?"

His voice was not loud, yet it pressed so hard that people could barely breathe.

"We were guarding against the wolves of the steppe, but the fox from the south has already sneaked into our home and torn down our eastern gate!"

An elderly official stepped forward, trembling: "Grand Commander, Yue Fei has returned from the dead, and he has rallied the northern bandits, his arrogance soaring. Luoyang is a vital stronghold of Zhongyuan; this loss is no small matter! We must immediately mobilize a great army, march south to retake it! Otherwise, the He-Luo region will not be safe, and Zhongyuan will tremble!"

"Mobilize troops? Mobilize troops from where?"

Another general rebutted, his tone tinged with anxiety.

"On the northern steppe, the Mongol tribes united, their forces exceeding a hundred thousand, frequently probing south, their momentum surging! The Datong-Fengzhou line bears immense pressure, our troops are already stretched thin!"

"The Western Xia people are also restless, their intention to profit from the fire is obvious!"

"To the south… aside from Yue Fei's force, bandits rise up everywhere within False Song territory; though they lack great strength, they still tie down our troops."

"Moreover," he looked toward Wanyan Zongbi, "Grand Commander, the various princes at home… have recently shown much movement."

His final words, spoken in a lowered voice, made everyone's heart turn cold.

The old emperor is gravely ill, the heir undecided; several princes who hold military power have already been stirring with hidden currents. If we now draw their troops south for deployment, internal strife may arise.

Wanyan Zongbi remained silent.

How could he not wish to immediately send troops, to crush that damned Yue Fei and whatever alliance he has?

But the reality is, the Jin Kingdom's vast war machine, under pressure from all sides and with internal hidden dangers, can no longer concentrate its forces at will against a single direction as it once could.

"Luoyang…… cannot be retaken for now."

After a long while, he spat out a sentence, filled with reluctance and cold resolve.

A commotion rose in the hall.

"Grand Commander!"

"Are we to just let Yue Fei run rampant?!"

Wanyan Zongbi raised his hand, silencing the clamor of the crowd.

"It's not that we won't retake it; it's that we currently lack the strength to go all out to retake it."

"Issue orders to the Hebei and Hedong circuit troops: strictly monitor the Mianshan and Luoyang directions, reinforce defenses, clear the surroundings, implement a policy of strong points and clear the wilderness!"

"Order Wanyan Balisu to gather the routed troops, hold firm at Yanshi and Gongxian, retreat no further! If more land is lost, bring your head to see me!"

"At the same time……"

A cold light flashed in his eyes.

"Send someone to secretly contact Lin'an."

Upon these words, everyone was stunned.

"Grand Commander, contact with the southern dynasty……?"

"The False Song Imperial Court can barely protect itself; what use is there in contacting them?"

Wanyan Zongbi said coldly:

"The False Song Imperial Court may be unable to protect itself, but they fear Yue Fei's rise even more!"

"Yue Fei can today rebel against Song and take Luoyang; tomorrow he could threaten Lin'an! Those southern emperors and chancellors want him dead more than we do!"

"Tell that Qin minister in Lin'an, if they can send troops from the south, or provide grain and materiel to restrain Yue Fei, once my Great Jin pacifies the northern troubles, Luoyang…… might not be unable to 'return to its rightful owner'."

His calculations were made very precisely.

Using False Song's fear and hatred of Yue Fei, to drive the tiger to swallow the wolf, at least preventing Yue Fei from advancing north with full strength.

To buy time for Jin, first address the more imminent steppe threat, and stabilize the interior.

Those in the hall glanced at each other; although feeling somewhat awkward about secretly communicating with the old enemy, upon reflection it seemed also a feasible poisonous plan amid the current predicament.

"Moreover,"

Wanyan Zongbi added, his tone grim.

"Strengthen intelligence gathering on the steppe, especially regarding that Ye sugai. Also, investigate carefully: in the Northward Aspiration Army and Yue Fei's Army, just where does that 'strange power' come from! I do not believe there is power that comes from nowhere in this world!"

Lin'an, a secret room in the premier's residence.

Qin Hui's condition is worse than that of the Jin sovereigns and ministers in Shangjing.

His eye sockets were deep-set, white hair grew thick at his temples, and the fingers holding his teacup trembled slightly.

The news of Luoyang's fall reached him a day later than it did the Jin, yet it dealt him a heavier blow.

"Yue Fei…… Yue Fei……"

He kept repeating that name, his voice filled with bone‑deep hatred and… a trace of fear he himself refused to admit.

The farce at Wind and Waves Pavilion has already ruined his and the Imperial Court's prestige.

Now, Yue Fei is not only alive, but he has also captured Luoyang!

This is tantamount to publicly slapping him, slapping the entire Imperial Court—a resounding slap!

What's worse is that after the news of Luoyang's recovery spread, in Lin'an City the previously suppressed discussions of 'corpse verification' and 'authenticity of the tattooed characters' flared up again, growing ever more intense.

In streets and alleys, teahouses and taverns, even in private gatherings of low‑ranking officials, one could hear mockery of the Imperial Court, sympathy for Yue Fei, and praise for him.

"Look! Marshal Yue simply isn't dead! The Imperial Court killed a fake!"

"Serve the country with loyalty! This is a true hero! What about the Imperial Court? Besides framing the loyal, what else can it do?"

"I've heard the people of Luoyang are greeting the royal army with baskets of food and jars of drink! If Marshal Yue had not been restrained years ago, how could the Central Plains have come to this?"

Rumors and gossip, like poisonous thorns, made Qin Hui sit and stand uneasily.

"Prime Minister, the Jin envoy has arrived." His trusted aide reported in a low voice.

Qin Hui's spirits lifted, but he immediately asked warily, "Is it secret?"

"Extremely secret, disguising themselves as northern medicinal merchants, they slipped in via the waterway and entered straight through the rear garden's hidden gate."

Inside the secret chamber, the candlelight was dim.

The Jin envoy removed his mask and handed over a personal secret letter from Wanyan Zongbi.

The letter was short, but its meaning was blunt: join forces to deal with Yue Fei, and Jin could temporarily halt its southern invasion and promise future 'shared' benefits.

After reading it, Qin Hui's face shifted unpredictably.

Collude with Jin? If this were leaked, he, Qin Hui, would be an eternal sinner condemned for all ages.

But not collude?

Yue Fei has steadied his footing in Luoyang; his strength will surely swell rapidly. By then, the first to be settled will likely be him, Qin Hui!

Moreover… the emperor's condition has grown increasingly grave, with several princes eyeing him hungrily. If he cannot now establish a great achievement and secure his position, once the emperor passes and a new sovereign ascends, his premiership may not be preserved.

Power and life now hinge on this single thought of dealing with the enemy.

He struggled for a long time.

Qin Hui's eyes finally flashed with a hint of ruthless resolve.

He picked up his brush and, on a blank sheet of paper, wrote only four characters:

"Grain supplies, armaments."

He then placed the note into the special envelope brought by the Jin envoy and returned it.

He did not lift his head, nor did he add a signature.

But the meaning was clear to both sides.

The Jin envoy took it, bowed slightly, put his mask back on, and withdrew silently into the darkness.

Qin Hui sat alone in the gloom, motionless for a long time.

The tea cup in his hand had long gone cold.

He knew he had stepped onto a dead‑end road with no turning back.

But for power, for survival, he had no other choice.

"Yue Fei…"

He muttered hoarsely into the void, as if cursing.

"If you want to be a hero, to reclaim the rivers and mountains…"

"I'll let you know—this world has no room for heroes!"

"Just wait… to the north are the Jin invaders, to the south the Imperial Court, within the Iron Crow…"

"I'll see how long you can hold Luoyang!"

And on Luoyang's city wall,

Chen Wen stood shoulder‑to‑shoulder with Yue Fei, gazing at the order gradually restoring within the city, the endless stream of people coming outside to enlist or bring supplies, and far beyond, the vast northern expanse.

"The Jin will not be slow to react."

Chen Wen said calmly.

"They cannot yet launch a full‑scale attack, but they will surely impose a tight blockade and try to exert pressure from other directions."

Yue Fei nodded, his gaze stern.

"The False Song court certainly won't stand idly by. At this very moment, the envoy from Lin'an is probably already on the road."

The two exchanged a glance, each seeing the same understanding in the other's eyes.

The tree wishes for calm, but the wind will not cease.

The recovery of Luoyang is merely the beginning.

The true tempest comes from the murderous intent of the south and north, which has only just begun to unfold.

But at this moment, standing on Luoyang's city wall, holding elite troops, with the people's hearts behind them, plus the 'Star Pattern Order' and that miraculous 'aid' as their basis,

they harbor no fear in their hearts.

only a growing resolve to carve a bloody path out of this chaotic world's chessboard.