Chapter 618

Luoyang.

The main hall of the Marshal's residence.

The atmosphere has grown even more solemn compared to a few days ago when Chen Wen was here.

Yue Fei remained seated in the place of honor.

But a layer of unshakable gloom lingered over his brow.

Core commanders Lin Chong, Wu Yong, Zhang Xian, and Wang Gui sat on either side.

Wang Ru also returned from the passageway, taking a seat below Wu Yong, her expression stern.

In the center of the hall hung the latest situation map of the Luoyang vicinity.

Many new markings had been added to it.

The color.

It had also become more varied.

"The situation is all here."

Wu Yong pointed at the map, his voice steady, but his speech a bit faster than usual.

"To the south, the vanguard of False Song's Wang Jun, numbering twenty thousand, has already approached the southern foothills of Mount Lu, less than a hundred li from our Luoyang."

"Although they have temporarily halted, their reinforcements continue to gather. The False Song's Secretariat has issued an edict appointing Wang Jun as Pacifier of the North Grand Commander, overseeing troops of Huainan, Jinghu, and Jingxi—three routes—said to number two hundred thousand, to suppress us 'rebels'."

"Though hard to believe, their total strength likely amounts to no less than seventy or eighty thousand."

His finger moved toward the northwest.

"On the Jin front, Wanyan Zongbi has retreated to defend Yanshi and Gongxian, appearing to hold his position."

"According to the latest intelligence from the Hebei righteous armies, the Jin's Upper Capital has sent an envoy bearing rich gifts, secretly entering Wang Jun's False Song camp."

"Though the details of their secret talks are unknown, the number of Jin troops in Wang Jun's camp has increased from over a hundred cavalry to over three hundred, and they have been equipped with more heavy armor and siege equipment."

"Moreover, the Jin armies of Hebei's various routes have been frequently mobilizing, with signs of troop increases toward the south bank of the Yellow River."

Finally.

Wu Yong's finger pressed heavily on the map's northern region, the vast area north of the Yellow River.

"The most troublesome part is here."

"The frequency of those gray cavalry we previously encountered is increasing."

"Their range is no longer limited to Hebei and Hedong."

"Three days ago, scattered Jin cavalry fleeing across the Yellow River reported that, north of Zhengding Fu, they saw a large unit of cavalry with strange attire, horses like dragons, men like ghosts, marching southward, numbering not less than several thousand, bearing a banner of azure wolf and white deer never seen before."

"Wherever they passed, Jin remnants that refused to submit, bandit strongholds, and even small tribal groups were either slaughtered or absorbed."

"Their conduct is brutal, leaving no room for mercy."

"Yesterday, the scouting squad we sent north of the Mengjin ferry returned its final report, saying that in the Heyang area they discovered traces of large-scale activity by unfamiliar cavalry, suspected to be moving east along the north bank of the Yellow River."

"Their vanguard may already have approached the vicinity of Zhengzhou."

Wu Yong lowered his hand.

He looked toward Yue Fei.

"That is to say."

"Our forces now face: to the south, the great army of False Song's Wang Jun pressing our borders; to the west, the Jin troops of Yanshi eyeing us hungrily; and on the north bank of the Yellow River opposite us, there is an unknown-origin but extraordinarily strong force of unfamiliar cavalry drawing near."

Our forces currently: to the south, the False Song's Wang Jun's great army presses the border; to the west, the Jin Kingdom's Yanshi forces stare covetously; on the north bank of the Yellow River…… there is a force of unknown origin, but with extraordinarily fierce combat strength, a strange cavalry, now approaching.

"Three sides."

"All are enemies."

All are enemies.

The hall fell into complete silence.

Only the occasional crackle of the charcoal fire could be heard.

All three sides are under attack.

This comes faster and more directly than the anticipated 'multi-front pressure'.

The collusion between False Song and Jin is now a foregone conclusion.

And those northern 'gray cavalry' are very likely the vanguard of the 'Yuan' spawned by the Iron Crow Army!

They are no longer satisfied with merely clearing the north.

They began to turn their gaze toward the south of the Yellow River.

They turned toward the heartland of the Central Plains.

They turned toward... Luoyang.

"How is Wang Jun's side faring?" Yue Fei asked in a low voice.

"How is Wang Jun's side behaving?" Yue Fei asked in a deep voice.

Zhang Xian let out a cold snort.

"They have sent an envoy, arrogant and proud. He said that as long as Yue Commander is willing to 'turn over a new leaf', bind himself and go to Lin'an to plead guilty, dissolve the allied army, the Imperial Court can show leniency, only pursuing the chief culprits and not questioning the coerced."

He also said… if they remain obstinate, when the heavenly troops and the friendly state (referring to the Jin Kingdom) jointly break the city, it will be mutual destruction, and regret will come too late.

"Friendly state?" Lin Chong's eyes flashed with killing intent—"What a 'friendly state'! These court officials in their robes have truly fed the ancestors' dignity and the great righteousness of China to the dogs!"

"To scheme with a tiger for its hide is to invite one's own doom." Wu Yong shook his head. "The False Song Imperial Court now is likely also riding a tiger, hard to dismount. Inviting the Jin troops to invade has already been a grave wrong against heaven and earth. Now they are also entangled with this unknown-origin 'Yuan' force… internally, there may well be dissent and fear."

Wang Ru spoke at this moment, her voice clear and cold.

The Jing'an Si also has reports from its hidden posts in Lin'an.

Qin Hui's faction firmly advocates 'borrowing strength to suppress the rebellion', sparing no cost.

But there are also some senior officials and generals in the court who strongly oppose this, calling it 'drinking poison to quench thirst' and 'opening the door to welcome bandits'.

The two sides are deadlocked, and undercurrents surge in the Lin'an court.

However, the emperor (Zhao Zhen) is gravely ill and unable to attend to affairs; Qin Hui controls the Secretariat and the chancellorship, and opposing voices are temporarily suppressed.

After hearing this, Yue Fei fell into a long silence.

Fingers tapped lightly on the back of the chair.

"The False Song imperial court is no longer worth discussing."

"Its heart is corrupt, its governance chaotic."

"Colluding with foreign invaders, harming the loyal, destroying the Great Wall."

"Now it merely clings to life, a puppet at others' mercy."

His gaze sharpened.

"The true threat lies to the north."

"What is the intention of the Yuan vanguard moving south?"

"Is it to compete with the remnants of the Jin for resources?"

"Or… driven by the Iron Crow Army, coming specifically to exterminate us 'variables'?"

"Or perhaps both?"

Wu Yong pondered: "Observing their conduct, they are brutal and efficient, with clear objectives. Annexing the Jin remnants may be to expand strength, but their forces point directly at the Yellow River, threatening Luoyang; perhaps… exterminating us is also a key goal."

"After all, in the eyes of the Iron Crow Army, we are likely more of an eyesore than the False Song Imperial Court."

Yue Fei nodded.

"If so…"

He stood up and walked to the map.

"The enemy has three fronts, while we have only one city."

"Splitting troops to resist them, our strength is insufficient."

"We must concentrate our forces and strike at their vital point!"

His finger first pointed to the position of Wang Jun's army to the south.

"The False Song army, though numerous, harbors diverse motives, its combat effectiveness uneven, and its grain supply difficult to transport."

"Wang Jun appears fierce but is weak inside, seeking to preserve himself by borrowing the power of the Jin troops and the Yuan forces."

"This enemy force appears formidable, but is actually a paper tiger."

"We can send a commander, leading several thousand elite troops, relying on the strategic terrain of Lushan to build a defensive line, layering interceptions to delay their advance."

"Not aiming for total annihilation, only to hold them, drain their vigor, and confuse their morale."

"When their troops grow old and weary, internal strife may arise, offering a chance to break them."

"Zhang Xian."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"This sector is your responsibility. I give you five thousand troops; you must firmly hold the Lushan defensive line for half a month!"

"Received the order!"

Yue Fei's finger moved toward the northwest, the direction of Yanshi.

"The Jin's Wanyan Zongbi, newly defeated, has not yet recovered his vitality."

"His collusion with the False Song is mostly for self-preservation; he may not be willing to give his all."

"Moreover, facing pressure from the Yuan to the north, he likely dares not commit all of Henan's troops southward."

"For this sector, we will mainly monitor and distract."

"Wang Gui."

"Present!"

"Order you to lead three thousand cavalry, ranging west of Luoyang and east of Yanshi. Set up decoy forces, widely deploy scouts. If the Jin main force does not move, you stay put; if they dare move south, you will harass their flanks, cut their supply lines, and force them to retreat."

"Will obey!"

Finally.

Yue Fei's finger pressed heavily on the map, on the marked area of the Yellow River's north bank.

"As for this northern Yuan vanguard…"

His eyes turned icy.

"This is a grave internal threat."

"Their combat strength is formidable, their movements swift, and their objective clearly points to Luoyang."

"We must block them north of the Yellow River!"

"At the very least, before I settle the southern False Song army, we must not allow a single soldier to cross the Yellow River!"

"Lin Chong."

Lin Chong sprang to his feet.

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You shall command all cavalry, and draw the elite infantry of the Beiwei Army; immediately march north to garrison the Yellow River crossings at Mengjin and Heyin."

"Strengthen the defenses of the crossings, gather and control all boats."

"Dispatch more fast boats for scouting, closely monitoring enemy movements on the north bank."

"If they send small probes to test, annihilate them at the water's edge."

"If they come in large numbers…"

Yue Fei paused.

"Then we shall rely on the river and fight to the death!"

"Even if we fight until the last soldier, we will not allow them to cross the Yellow River by even half a step!"

"Do you understand?"

Lin Chong cupped his fists, his voice resonant.

The subordinate received the order! The Yellow River stands, we stand; if the Yellow River falls, we perish!

Yue Fei nodded.

The gaze swept over the crowd.

Everyone.

This is indeed the critical moment of survival and peril.

To the south is a paper tiger, to the west a sick wolf, to the north an evil flood dragon.

Our forces are besieged on all sides, isolated and without aid.

However——

His voice suddenly rose, ringing with the sound of metal and stone.

Therefore, we must unite wholeheartedly and seek life in death!

False Song is nothing to fear; the Jin state is already dead bones in a tomb.

Only the Yuan to the north is our mortal enemy!

First hold off the south, watch the west, concentrate all our strength, and block the north!

Wait to blunt its edge, then seek an opportunity to break the situation!

Before Mr. Chen returns east, he instructed us to hold Luoyang and preserve the fire seed.

Today's situation, though extremely perilous……

Yue Fei stood with his hand on his sword, his posture like a mountain.

But Yue Fei swears here——

As long as a single breath remains, I will never let Luoyang fall into the hands of foreign barbarians and demons!

Gentlemen!

Are you willing to follow me and fight one more battle?!

The officers inside the hall, their blood boiling.

They rose in unison, clasped their fists, and let out a low roar:

Willing to follow Marshal Yue and defend Luoyang to the death!

To slay the enemy and serve the nation—this very morning!

Although the sound was deliberately kept low, it still surged with an unyielding will.

Wang Ru watched this scene.

Her heart stirred slightly.

She quietly tightened her grip on the mother talisman in her sleeve that was linked to Chen Wen.

Calm.

It meant that the ruler's side had not yet experienced any drastic change.

But on the Luoyang side……

The true bloody battle, I fear, has only just begun.

Outside the window.

The sky was overcast.

The cold wind swept over the flagpole of the commander's residence.

That 'Northward Aspiration-Yue' allied army's great flag trembled violently in the wind.

Yet it never fell.