You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chen Shao's timing in advancing his army was very opportune.

When the Western Army arrived, he entered the territory of Weizhou, which relieved the pressure on Hebei.

Although Zong Ze might not appreciate it, Chen Shao didn't care, and both sides got what they wanted.

I'll hold off Wanyan Zonghan, and you all help me hold off Wanyan Zongwang.

Otherwise, it would be quite dangerous for these two to attack Dingnan Army together.

At Taibai Mountain in Weizhou, on the two flanks of the main camp where they were stationed, Wu Lin dispatched small detachments of troops to control the branching mountain roads.

When large numbers of cavalry are engaged in combat, they need room to maneuver and must be able to be mobilized at critical moments, rather than being crammed together.

When the Lingwu army entered Weizhou, it was already late spring, and a light drizzle was falling incessantly.

Although the rain has stopped, the roads are still a bit difficult to travel on.

The central command tent, heavily guarded, was located in a bamboo grove, where Zhu Lingling was riding over.

Old Zhu was both highly skilled and daring. He came from Longshou Mountain with only a dozen or so personal guards.

After passing through one camp after another, the group finally entered the central army camp.

This was Chen Shao's residence, so it was naturally heavily guarded, and he even made no attempt to conceal the fact that a main road had been built for retreat.

If we win, that's fine; if we lose, the first thing we need to do is make sure the commander can escape.

There was no other way; the honor and disgrace of the Northwest Pacification Army did not depend on one or two victories or defeats, but on Chen Shao himself.

Even if the Silver, Summer, and Spirit Legions are all defeated, and the war is a complete disaster with most of the soldiers lost, as long as Chen Shao is safe, he can still establish his own power and dominate the region once he returns to the Dingnan Army.

Although their strength has been damaged, their foundation remains. After a few years of recuperation, they can raise another 100,000 troops.

From the camp gate inwards, there were guards in bright armor on duty, each carrying a spear and halberd.

These carefully selected, seven-foot-tall men stood guard all the way, taking turns in three shifts to ensure that there was always someone on duty.

When Zhu arrived outside the central command tent, he saw that torches made of tallow were arranged all around the tent, illuminating the surroundings.

The weapons in the hands of the guards gleamed with a dazzling cold light in the firelight. A flag officer came out from a few dozen paces away and loudly ordered the group to dismount.

Although the flag officers were full of vigor and had an imposing presence, they dared not neglect such an important general as Zhu Lingling, and hurriedly returned to their tents to report his arrival.

A moment later, someone ushered him inside.

"Commander!"

"Old Zhu, you're here."

Chen Shao and the others were gathered around a table, which they knew without a doubt was a sand table.

Zhu Lingling took off her cloak and stepped forward, where someone made room for her.

Sure enough, everyone was discussing troop deployment, and Old Zhu chimed in a few times, making some very insightful points.

After the discussion was nearly complete, Chen Shao asked, "Why did you come all this way in person?"

"I have come specifically to persuade the Commander-in-Chief to return to Taiyuan."

Zhu Lingling looked serious, a far cry from her usual carefree and playful demeanor when she was with Chen Shao.

He seemed to be taking this matter very seriously.

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Shao said, "I am certain that we will not lose this battle."

“There is no such thing as a predetermined victory or defeat in this world. Even if you can be extremely meticulous, you can still make a mistake.” Zhu Lingling said, “General Wu is quite resourceful. The commander-in-chief also needs to train new talents. Let him be tempered in Weizhou. Maybe he will become a true gem.”

Wu Lin was somewhat tempted, but he felt that his status was not as high as Old Zhu's, so he remained silent.

However, her eyebrows and eyes trembled slightly, clearly indicating that she really wanted to seize this opportunity.

Chen Shao sat down in the chair and began to think carefully.

Zhu Lingling had spent a long time with Chen Shao and knew him well, so she didn't say anything more at this point.

The fact that he made a special trip from Longshou Mountain, especially with a major battle imminent, shows how much he valued this matter.

Ultimately, in this world, it all comes down to strength.

Liu Guangshi, who was not fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits, caused widespread anger and resentment, and morale plummeted.

Chen Shao didn't endure the hardship; instead, he came, which drew dissatisfaction from everyone, who hoped he would quickly return to Taiyuan to enjoy a comfortable life.

Wu Lin glanced at Zhu Lingling, who, whether intentionally or unintentionally, spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, "Don't worry, our commander is the most obedient to advice. He is so intelligent, how could he not distinguish between advantages and disadvantages? He just cherishes his soldiers and doesn't want to stay in the rear to come here to boost morale."

Chen Shao glanced at him sideways and said irritably, "Are you trying to call me out with words?"

"How dare this humble general!" Zhu Lingling grinned and laughed heartily.

Old Zhu's perspective on problems was quite different from other generals. When fighting, he often didn't care about temporary wins or losses, and he was also the general who could hold on the most.

Despite the heavy losses suffered by the Yinzhou troops, he didn't even flinch, completely ignoring the casualties of his own troops, focusing only on the front line.

In this renewed war with Wanyan Zonghan of the Jurchen, the outcome was not that important to him.

The most important thing is that Chen Shao is alright. Even if we can't take Weizhou, we won't lose the territory we've already occupied. We can just gather our strength and try again a few more times.

After letting out a long sigh, Chen Shao said, "What you said makes sense. I will return to Taiyuan tomorrow. You will have to make your own decisions about the front lines."

Actually, those guys on the front lines are all better at fighting than him, and they all have battle records.

The Lingwu army left, but the main camp outside Taiyuan City was not idle.

With the capture of Datong Prefecture, Shuozhou suddenly became a safe rear area.

Therefore, Qu Duan, who was in charge of defending Shuozhou, left a battalion of troops behind to guard the city, while he himself led his troops to Taiyuan, ready to support the front line at any time.

Of course, this is just the stated reason. In reality, everyone knows that it is to infiltrate Hedong and then occupy this territory.

The Song Dynasty is now besieged by the Jurchens, losing both its prestige and control over the provinces.

This is a golden opportunity; if we don't take Hedong now, we'll be in trouble later if we want to conquer it.
Each city would require the expenditure of troops, money, and provisions, and countless lives would have to be sacrificed.

Take Taiyuan for example. When the Song Dynasty and Wang Bing were in their most desperate situation, Chen Shao came to Taiyuan. He didn't even need to do anything; he just had to wait for them to leave.

Taiyuan has now been thoroughly infiltrated, from the inside out.

The wealthy and powerful people in Taiyuan were eager for Chen Shao to clash with the Song Dynasty, as opening the city gates would be a great achievement for them.

Limited effort yields unlimited benefits.

Chen Shao genuinely wanted to finish the Battle of Weizhou before returning home, so he didn't plan to leave this time.

Now that he was about to leave Mount Taibai, he called Zhu Lingling and Wu Lin to conduct a final inspection of the road at the summit for one last night.

The moonlight, like water, reflected the continuous mountain range. Chen Shao said, "Don't feel too much pressure. Just treat the battle of Weizhou as a test against Zonghan. In the future, we'll have to fight these Tartars for a while."

Zhu Lingling, who had fought a fierce battle with Wanyan Zonghan, nodded and said, "Wanyan Zonghan is not to be underestimated. He makes decisions without hesitation and is a man of great courage. Moreover, his troops are seasoned veterans and extremely powerful in open field battles. Their infantry can withstand cavalry attacks and even turn the tide. However, I think they lack siege tactics and experience in defending cities. We should make good use of them."

Wanyan Zonghan besieged Taiyuan for nearly 300 days but failed to capture it.

It's important to understand that Taiyuan was an isolated city at that time, and there were still many surrendered soldiers. Crucially, Tong Guan had just fled, and the Huanqing Army was eager to return home, so morale was low.

Even so, he held out until he ran out of ammunition and food before finally throwing himself into the river and dying.

Wu Lin said, "Marshal, General Zhu Ling, rest assured, I will do my best!"

In fact, while it's true that the Lingwu army was advancing on Weizhou, the most intense battle was actually fought on Li Xiaozhong's defense line.

Even if Wanyan Zonghan were to fight, he wouldn't commit too many troops to Weizhou; at this point, he most likely still wanted to reclaim Datong.
-
After Chen Shaobing left Taibai Mountain and entered Weizhou.

Wanyan Zonghan sensed that war was about to break out, and after a period of rest, he also had the idea of ​​starting a war.

He was quite surprised that Chen Shao had taken the initiative to provoke the war.

These barbarians from the west seem to know no fear; like a pack of wolves from the northwest, once they've bitten, they won't let go.

Since the start of his rebellion, Wanyan Zonghan has always believed that the Jurchens are the hunters, while the other races in the world, though numbering in the hundreds of millions, are nothing more than a flock of lambs.

Until this group from the Northwest dealt him a heavy blow.

This time, Wanyan Zonghan lost the prefectures of Yunnei, the general Yin Shuke, and nearly 20% of the Jurchen soldiers.

The loss was enormous, but Emperor Wanyan Wugumai of the Jin Dynasty did not take action against him. Instead, he issued an edict ordering him to prepare for war and to reclaim the lost territory.

They even supplemented his forces with 20,000 troops from the Bohai Sea.

Wanyan Zonghan also understood the emperor's meaning. He needed the Western Route Army to regain its former glory, otherwise the Second Prince Wanyan Zongwang's achievements would be too great, and the old emperor Aguda's faction would have no rivals.

Even as emperor, he might not be able to control them.

Even so, he was still very grateful to Wanyan Wuqimai and vowed to drive the Western barbarians back to the deserts of the northwest.

The shadow of war has begun to loom over Weizhou. However, neither side is a force that needs to fight to the death, so they will inevitably escalate their efforts until one side feels that it is ready enough to launch an attack and begin the war.

At this time, the Jurchen army had already reached the outskirts of the capital, but the city was unusually quiet.

The people of Bianliang were unsure whether they should be alarmed, since Bianliang was originally a city that rose to prominence as a military town.

But the people here have not seen war for generations.

I occasionally hear people talk about how Emperor Taizu served as the Commander of the Palace Guard and followed Emperor Shizong in his campaigns in the south and north. I always think it's a very old story.

At this moment, within the palace, rumors suddenly spread that the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, who had not appeared for a long time, intended to pass the throne to the Crown Prince.

This single stone stirred up a thousand waves, instantly turning the strangely calm city of Bianliang into a boiling cauldron.

An eerie atmosphere pervaded Donghua Palace.

The hall is now packed with people.

Needless to say, those who are here at this moment are either the Crown Prince's close associates or those who are on good terms with the Crown Prince's confidants.

It is unknown how many people are trying to get to Donghua Palace at this moment, but cannot find a way in.

Even with the most fervent desire, no one dared to believe it until everything was completely certain.

We've all lived in Bianliang for a long time, and everyone knows how much the current emperor values ​​his power.

Why would he suddenly abdicate?

Everyone was puzzled, and at this moment, many people thought of Li Gang's ten admonitions.

One of the conditions was that he should abdicate in favor of the crown prince, who would then take charge of the government.

Could it really be because of Li Gang's advice?

In an instant, Li Gang's status rose even higher.

That's not the case at all. The only people who could understand the emperor's thoughts were probably people like Cai Jing and Liang Shicheng.

He's just tired of the mental strain.
Whether Li Gang's advice was a wake-up call or opened up new avenues of thought for him is anyone's guess.

When the Jurchen army pressed in and the country was in peril, Emperor Huizong, who had enjoyed a life of luxury, was unwilling to shoulder the responsibility.

He lacked the patience to handle endless state affairs and help the Song Dynasty overcome its difficulties, so he wanted to escape.

It's that simple.
People tend to overestimate this peaceful emperor because many people view him through the lens of what an emperor is.

In truth, when did Zhao Ji ever possess even the slightest air of an emperor? Not at all!

If you view him as an ambitious but incompetent, pleasure-loving wastrel, many things suddenly make sense.

He indulged in extravagant pleasures, squandering the Song Dynasty's wealth, and then chose to flee when faced with danger.

Inside the Genyue Garden, in the Chunhe Hall where Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) handled state affairs, people were kneeling all over the ground.

They were all Zhao Ji's confidants and close ministers.

Except for Tong Guan, who fled and dared not return to Bianliang, and Gao Qiu, who was too ill to come, almost everyone else was present.

They all implored Emperor Huizong to retract his decree and reconsider. Their power stemmed from the emperor; what would happen to them if he abdicated?
However, Zhao Ji had already made up his mind.

"You may all rise. My mind is made up. I am happy to retire to the position of Supreme Ruler and enjoy a peaceful and prosperous old age."

Although Liang Shicheng understood Zhao Ji's thoughts best, he was also at a loss at this point.

Having served the emperor for decades without ever disobeying him, he couldn't care less about that now.

"Your Majesty, the affairs of the state are of utmost importance! Although the Crown Prince has always been upright, dutiful, and filial, he is not as wise and powerful as Your Majesty. Now that the northern barbarians are at the gates of the capital, if Your Majesty abdicates at this time, what will become of the people?"

"You old servant, you have no sense of propriety at all." Zhao Ji frowned and said, "My mind is made up, say no more!"

These days, he's had enough. Every day, just when he's feeling a little happy, some external news comes along and ruins his good mood, making him feel like he's sinking to the bottom.

Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) was a playful and pleasure-loving person, and such a life was worse than death for him.

The idea of ​​passing the throne to the crown prince and becoming the retired emperor himself seemed absolutely brilliant to him.

Once the Jurchen Tartars are driven out, and I regain power, the weak Crown Prince will be no match for me.

If it were necessary to cede territory and pay reparations in exchange for the withdrawal of the Tartars, then one would not have to bear the infamy.

This plan, which kills three birds with one stone, is laughable. This old servant doesn't understand it and still comes to offer advice.

Emperor Huizong rose and stormed off, leaving Liang Shicheng, Wang Fu, and the others looking deathly pale.

Only they themselves know best how many bad things they have done. If the officials step down, who can protect themselves?

It would be strange if those old party members weren't purged.

In Donghua Palace, the Crown Prince looked somewhat apprehensive. He held his Crown Princess's hand and whispered, "I only wish to be an ordinary prince like my father, to dutifully live out my life with you."

To be posthumously honored as a wise and virtuous king is an unexpected joy. Yet, the Emperor now intends to place me in this precarious position, and I, who have always been cautious in my words and actions, fearing only to invite disaster, have instead found myself in this very predicament!

The Crown Princess looked incredulous. She knew her husband was gentle by nature and thought he was hiding his talents, afraid that the Emperor would be wary of him.

Unexpectedly, her husband wasn't faking it; he really was a cowardly and timid man.

You won't take the throne? Once the Third King Zhao Kai ascends the throne, will your family still have a good life?
Crown Princess Zhu Lian was the daughter of Zhu Bocai, the military governor of Wukang Army. Although she was a woman, she was more responsible than Zhao Huan.

She was at least much better than her husband, she frowned and glared, her voice already tinged with anxiety:
"Your Highness should pull yourself together. If you do not ascend the throne, it will probably be passed on to Prince Jia. What will become of us then if he becomes emperor?"

Zhao Huan was a cowardly and incompetent man who was afraid of everything, but Prince Jia, Zhao Kai, was his Achilles' heel.

The mere mention of this person filled him with rage, for Zhao Ji, in his attempt to maintain balance, deliberately favored Prince Jia, Zhao Kai, who was not officially designated as the crown prince, while suppressing his own legitimate crown prince, Zhao Huan.

This was a warning to the officials in the court that he might not pass the throne to Zhao Heng, and that they should not crowd around the crown prince, lest they develop thoughts of a palace coup if they stayed too long.

Finally, amidst the tense waiting of the group, the officials from the Imperial Household Department arrived.

A group of people helped Zhao Heng to the Donghua Hall.

Only then did everyone realize that the one who came to read the imperial edict was Wu Min, a Hanlin Academician.

This further confirmed the extraordinary nature of the imperial edict.

Wu Min cleared her throat, her heart filled with shock and disbelief. She never expected the Emperor to do such a thing.

The abdication edict, under the guise of "the safety of the nation," transferred the responsibility of resisting the Jin to Crown Prince Zhao Huan, while he himself retreated to the background, calling himself "Emperor Daojun." His true intention was to evade responsibility for the Jin army's invasion, rather than genuinely "personally leading the expedition" or "abdicating the throne to a worthy successor."

The current emperor is truly cunning and self-serving, but utterly lacks any sense of responsibility. Calling him a foolish ruler is not an exaggeration at all.

Over the years, as emperor, he appointed favored ministers and close advisors.

They deliberately undermined the established personnel system of the Song Dynasty, which had been in place for over a century.

Furthermore, he seized imperial power and deliberately instigated factional strife.

The central ruling system of the Song Dynasty is now inoperable, and it is difficult to find a responsible person to handle anything.

Moreover, the scholar-official system was somewhat alienated from the emperor.

Your emperor doesn't play by the rules. He treats the old and new parties like toys, and they've been playing this game for decades, generation after generation, until they've all exposed each other's stupidity.

You sit high on your throne watching the show, playing the balancing act, and casually taking back the power that rightfully belonged to the scholar-official class. And you expect everyone to be loyal to you?
As for the other long-standing, intractable problems: including an ineffective military, the growing power of the Western Army, and the lack of a strong military force at the central level, the emergence of the Dingnan Army in the Northwest is even more terrifying!
The morale of the officials has deteriorated greatly, corruption and incompetence have become the norm, and everyone only knows how to indulge in luxury and enjoyment. It has been many years since a wise prime minister or upright minister has emerged!

He shook his head, swallowing his resentment for the time being, and began to read the imperial edict:
"I have inherited the glory of my ancestors and have been granted the right to hold the imperial regalia for seventeen years."

Whenever I think of the vastness of the world and the importance of the nation, I am always filled with trepidation.

Now that the Jurchens have committed treason and the border is in grave danger, I shall personally lead the Six Armies to punish them.

However, Crown Prince Huan is renowned throughout the land for his benevolence, filial piety, respect, frugality, and integrity. He is fit to inherit the throne and bring peace to the people.

He decreed that the Crown Prince should ascend the throne, and that I, the Emperor, should assume the title of Daojun Emperor, retiring to the Longde Palace to rest and recuperate until the end of my days. All officials and ministers should wholeheartedly assist me in safeguarding the dynasty.

Zhao Huan stood there stunned. The Crown Princess tugged at his sleeve anxiously, and Zhao Huan then tearfully accepted the imperial decree and expressed his gratitude.

Yuwen Xuzhong quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, this is not the time to weep!"

He finally saw through the Emperor and the Crown Prince; the father and son combined probably didn't have the courage of a child.

In recent years, officials have been ambitious and extravagant, squandering the capital accumulated by their ancestors. The national treasury is on the verge of bankruptcy, while the plundering has only intensified.

Apart from Bianliang, which was able to survive thanks to the influx of resources from all over the country, every other city in the Song Dynasty was in dire straits, with both public and private resources exhausted and the economy struggling to survive.

Now, the wars against Liao and Yanshan, which have resulted in heavy losses, have further weakened the Song Dynasty.

At least financially, the country was already facing bankruptcy after the redemption of Yanjing. The imperial court mobilized national resources mainly through financial means.

Now that this powerful tool has been lost, the Song Dynasty is actually somewhat like a tree without roots.

Even if the Jurchens were driven back, governing the country would still be an extremely difficult task. At this point, the emperor's decision to "retire gracefully" is surely despicable.

Wu Min quickly came over and led the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!"

He was also a member of the old party, and now that the crown prince had ascended the throne, it was time for him to make his mark.

He had been waiting impatiently for a long time. In fact, on his way here, he was already thinking about how to deal with Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and others.

For a time, shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" echoed throughout Donghua Palace.

Zhao Huan then ascended the throne and changed the era name to "Jingkang".
-
In recent years, the seasons have been out of order, with frequent severe weather, causing great suffering in the Hebei region.

Compared to the rainy and muddy conditions of spring, the area east and north of the Yellow River has been dry and rainless since the beginning of summer.

In Hebei, however, the weather has not gotten hotter since the beginning of summer; instead, it has become unusually damp and cold.

I've heard that there's a drought in Jiangnan, and floods are raging in places like Jiannan. This first year of the Jingkang era seems destined to be a time of chaos and disorder.

Gushan Mountain is located on the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains. Here, it rises abruptly, stretching as far as the eye can see, and is known as the "Spine of Cizhou".

Gushan Mountain is about 800 meters above sea level, with steep slopes and the Xiangtangshan Grottoes located in the mountains.

After Zong Ze arrived, he used the rugged terrain of Gushan Mountain to set up beacon towers and built defensive fortresses in the mountains as the outer defense line of Cizhou City.

The terrain here is fragmented, with branching mountain paths, and the Fuyang River flows through it.

Zong Ze recruited volunteers here, taking advantage of the local people's familiarity with the terrain to resist the Jin army. He also set up granaries in the mountains to store anti-Jin supplies, serving as a rear base for Cizhou.

Not long after he arrived, he built a defense line against the Jin dynasty in this area.

A three-in-one mountain defense system is formed by Gushan (outer defense), Zishan (rear base), and Fushan (water source protection).

This area was originally a barren and impoverished place with a small population.

After being ravaged by the Jurchen Tartars traveling from east to west, the villages that were once numerous in the valley were all abandoned. Along the way, one could only see white bones scattered along the road, houses burned to the ground, a scene of devastation and devastation.

Hebei has many strategically important locations that have been contested by military strategists, and the Cizhou area is definitely among the top of them.

Originally, Zong Ze could only defend, but in recent days, this area has been teeming with Song troops.

The Fuyan Army and the Zhe Family Army joined forces and advanced eastward, with Yao Gu's troops providing support and Zhong Shizhong's troops providing cover, preparing to engage the Jurchen Tartars in a decisive battle!

Zong Ze had sent a team of men here early on to meet with Liu Guangshi, Yao Gu, and others.

Since we're going to fight, we need to coordinate. We need to be familiar with each other's commands and secret codes so that we can cooperate seamlessly.

The young general who came on orders was a burly young military officer who looked very imposing on horseback.

After they arrived at Liu Guangshi's tent, Yue Fei sat on his horse, his face as black as charcoal, silent and not uttering a word.

As soon as you enter the tent, you are greeted by a warm and fragrant aroma.

Although it is summer now, the weather in Hebei this year is colder than in previous years.

Especially at night, even if one sleeps outdoors wrapped in a thick cloak, one's hands and feet are still freezing cold when one wakes up after a night's rest, and a thin layer of frost may even have formed on one's helmet and armor.

I have no idea what kind of crazy weather this is!

This strange weather seemed to foreshadow a major event in the Song Dynasty.

Yue Fei saw that in the large tent, incense burners were hung in the four corners, burning not only the finest charcoal from Zhongnan Mountain, but also simmered agarwood slices.

Day and night, there are dedicated people to take care of it and carefully control the heat to provide Master Liu with an invigorating aroma.

This infuriated Yue Fei.

Looking at this large tent, it is about twenty or thirty paces in circumference and can easily accommodate fifty or sixty people.

The ground was leveled, and a bamboo mat was laid down first, followed by an oilcloth to keep out moisture.

The top layer is a carpet.

These men, once inside the tent, truly seemed out of place. Although they were all from military backgrounds, Yue Fei had no choice but to give up upon entering the main tent.

Inside the large tent, a banquet was underway, with everyone seated at separate tables in a rather formal manner.

Liu Guangshi, dressed in a brocade robe, exuded an air of elegance and refinement. He sat casually at the back of the table, and after drinking a little wine, he appeared even more radiant and energetic.

What brings you here today?

Liu Guangshi didn't speak, but simply asked a casual question.

On the small table in front of him were small dishes containing roasted, golden-brown lamb with skin, various fresh fruits, well-seasoned soups, and even fine sashimi carefully sliced ​​by a master chef brought from the capital. Under the lamplight in the tent, the thin slices of sashimi were crystal clear, as if they were made of crystal.

Upon hearing that they were about to discuss serious matters, Yue Fei immediately straightened up and said, "My lord wants to attack the Jin camp together with Lord Liu, but I must remind you not to confront the Jurchen Tartars head-on. You must learn to maneuver and deploy your forces!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangshi became somewhat unhappy.

I led this large army here myself, not on your advice!
Moreover, the military officer had one eye glaring while the other was squinting, seemingly with a mocking intent!
At this point, Liu Guangshi felt that the way to silence everyone's doubts was to win a battle as soon as possible.

Just like how the Dingnan Army gained everyone's respect immediately after defeating Wanyan Zonghan!
These people came to persuade me, probably because they feared I would achieve great things. (End of Chapter)