You have truly caused me great suffering!

Hebei, Zhending Prefecture, borders the mountain stronghold to the east.

Yue Fei and a few trusted confidants sat in a simple tent, looking at the wooden diagram in the middle.

In fact, he no longer needed to look; he knew the local terrain and the positions of both sides' troops perfectly well.

Before the battle even began, he had ventured into the outskirts of Zhen Ding Prefecture countless times.

Especially near the defensive line.

Zhang Xian had a gruesome wound on his face and held a bone club in his hand. He said, "The Tartars' attacks these past few days haven't been as fierce as they were a few days ago. Are they preparing some kind of trick again?"

Yue Fei remained silent, his eyes slightly closed, his mind filled with information from all the fronts.

Wuhui Ridge is undoubtedly the most important. It is said that the Dingnan Army has the advantage. Once they break through Wuhui Ridge, they can take the opportunity to move south and surround Wanyan Zonghan's army.

On the other front, the situation is far from optimistic. That scoundrel Du Chong is guarding such a well-prepared defense line in Daming Prefecture, yet he is hiding and refusing to fight.

Daming Prefecture was not just a simple city; once it lost its defensive value, the consequences would be disastrous.

The Tartars could plunder Hebei East Road and Shandong prefectures with impunity.

Zong Shuai has already led his men to provide support, but it may not be that simple. The Hebei troops are probably not yet capable of fighting the Tartars in open terrain.

Yue Fei sighed, then realized his men were discussing the Tartars' slowing down of their attack, and said, "This is Zong Han preserving his strength."

Wang Gui was stunned and asked, "Are the Jurchens like this too?"

The use of the word "also" was very clever, and everyone else sighed.

Du Chong, that fellow, also wanted to preserve his strength, and he was genuinely afraid of being captured by the Jurchens when he went into battle.

The more they thought about how he was known for his cruelty and bloodthirstiness, the more contemptuous the crowd became.

Such a person deserves to be torn to pieces, yet he occupies a high position.

When the Jin army first marched south, he repeatedly cut off their supplies, which was truly despicable.

They are audacious when dealing with their own people, but become cowardly when dealing with the Tartars.

Yue Fei also cursed a few times; he had long known that Zong Wang wouldn't stay still.

As a renowned commander of the Jurchens, once he launched his attack, it was indeed as powerful as thunder!

At this moment, a group of people suddenly entered from outside. Yue Fei looked at them, somewhat stunned.

He had been to the palace and participated in the palace coup alongside Zong Ze, which resulted in his martial rank being raised three levels.

Therefore, Yue Fei recognized the servants of these people, as if they were flattering the Japanese army.

"General Yue."

"Don't dare to take it seriously."

"The Emperor issued an edict, and the Privy Council ordered the General to lead his troops to Bianliang to defend the capital."

Yue Fei's eyes widened, and his intimidating appearance startled the messenger, who took a step back.

"A fierce battle is raging here. If I retreat to the capital, what will become of Zhen Ding Prefecture?"

The Japanese army captain who delivered the order spoke with a trembling voice, saying, "This is an imperial edict, plus a privy council assignment. We are merely relaying the order. This is a troop mobilization order. Please keep it safe, General."

Imperial edict
It still carries considerable weight at this time.

The messenger captain quickly withdrew from the camp, sensing that something was amiss.

Most of Yue Fei's men were Hebei militiamen who were defending their homeland against the Jurchen army.

If we were to retreat to Bianliang at this point, wouldn't that mean leaving our hometown folks under the Jurchen's iron hooves?

Who would dare to say that?
The tent was deathly quiet; you could hear a pin drop.

Yue Fei was conflicted. After waiting for an unknown amount of time, he suddenly stood up and said, "This matter is clearly caused by treacherous people in the court who have accepted bribes from the Jurchen Tartars and want us to voluntarily release Zhen Ding Prefecture."

"If the Tartars can't win, they'll resort to such underhanded tricks. We must not let them have their way."

After Yue Fei finished speaking, he walked to the table, used a pencil made of lead to write a letter, and handed it to Zhang Xian.

"It must be handed over to Commander Zong."

Yue Fei's tone was very solemn. Zhang Xian was his fellow townsman and had always followed Yue Fei, so he could naturally sense his feelings.

Yue Fei knew very well that this matter was unlikely to go wrong; it must be the Emperor's decree, and the Privy Council had also agreed.

His refusal to leave was tantamount to disobeying the imperial order, and perhaps only Commander Zong could save him.

Yue Fei could never bring himself to abandon the defenses of Zhen Ding Prefecture and hand over his homeland and elders to the demonic Jurchen Tartars.

Is it really the end of the problem if we withdraw our troops to the vicinity of Bianliang?

What the court fears now is nothing more than Zongwang attacking the capital region again. But if they were to cede Zhen Ding Prefecture, Zonghan's army would inevitably march there sooner or later.

Isn't this like drinking poison to quench thirst?

Or perhaps the emperor in Bianliang only cared about the safety of his city and didn't care about Hebei at all.

Seeing that Yue Fei had fought well in Zhen Ding Prefecture and blocked Wanyan Zonghan, he wanted to transfer him to his side to protect him.

How can such short-sightedness, absurdity, and cold-bloodedness possibly win over the public?

In the past, Yue Fei might have considered it for a long time, but having personally experienced the last palace coup, he had essentially lost his fascination with imperial power.
In such a royal family, it's really hard to imagine anyone feeling much loyalty to the emperor.
-
As dawn broke, mist shrouded the banks of the damp soup.

Zong Ze rode his horse across a pontoon bridge with the civil and military officials and his personal guards who were with him.

When he looked back, he saw countless soldiers gradually emerging from the white mist.

The long, continuous torches became blurry and indistinct in the hazy air;
From a distance, they look like floating fiery clouds.

There was no sound of drums or horns, only the sound of footsteps, the gentle clanging of metal armor, and the occasional cough and neighing of horses.

This is the Hebei militia. Although everyone knows that the journey is fraught with danger, they have no complaints.

Because everyone knows that they are fighting for whom—for this land of Hebei beneath their feet.

After crossing the river and walking for several miles, Zong Ze frowned. In a corner not far away, there was a small village, with some shrubs and a bamboo grove growing nearby.

To the west of the village, there are large areas of dry land covered with weeds and low trees, planted with vegetables, as well as some rice paddies.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that farmers were already cultivating the land.

Zong Ze went over and asked a few questions. The farmer wasn't afraid at all. He just said that he came early to irrigate the fields because he was afraid that his neighbors would take the water from him.

"The Tartars can plunder everywhere they go when they invade this area. What exactly is Du Chong doing? He can't even evacuate the people properly?"

"If the Tartar cavalry comes here, how many people can survive in this small village? They will all become Tartars' slaves, and we will even provide them with food and fodder!"

Wang Shan sneered, "Everyone says Du Chong is hiding in the city, and it seems that's really true. He clearly hasn't done anything!" Wang Shan was a member of the rebel army and hated Du Chong the most because Du Chong would kill any rebel he caught.

Even those who surrendered were beheaded to earn military merit.

At this moment, the scouts returned and reported that there were traces of Tartars not far away.

Zong Ze had no choice but to station his troops there.

He led a group of men on horseback eastward along the main road between the dry lands to determine the location of the central army.

Then the order was given, and before long, many troops began to form ranks in the vicinity.

Zong Ze stood there and observed for a while, but his vision was not very clear in the fog.
He wondered how he should face the Jurchen army if they arrived.

The surrounding ground has some rice paddies and small ponds, which are not suitable for deploying people or horses, and do not seem to be able to serve as a barrier.

It's best not to assemble the soldiers in such a dense, close-knit group here.

Otherwise, if the front lines can't hold out, they can easily be pushed back and cause the entire army to collapse; large, densely packed camps will also be unable to reinforce the front.

Zong Ze was deploying his troops when a man on horseback approached from a distance.

Judging from his travel-worn appearance, he must have been working day and night. Zong Ze found him somewhat familiar.

"you are?"

"Commander Zong, I am Zhang Xian, the cavalry commander under Commander Yue."

Zong Ze nodded; Yue Fei's side was the only place he was satisfied with.

By using the territory of Zhen Ding Prefecture, they blocked Zong Han's army, giving the Hebei troops a great boost and greatly improving their morale.

Zhang Xian handed over the letter, and Zong Ze blushed more and more as he read it.

Finally, he threw it to the ground and cursed, "This is utterly absurd!"

"What exactly is Wu Min doing? How could the Privy Council issue such a military order? Isn't that making us a laughing stock!"

Wang Shan bent down and picked up the letter, then looked puzzled after reading it.

"Go back and tell Pengju that there is no need to pay attention to it. I will write a letter on his behalf!"

In the Song Dynasty, if a military man defied an imperial edict, it was a matter of utmost importance.

However, if the one who defies the imperial decree is a scholar-official, especially a renowned one, then it is not a big deal.

It might even become a heartwarming story, a shining point on someone's resume.

Throughout the Song Dynasty, countless scholar-officials defied imperial orders; dozens of such cases are recorded in the History of Song alone.

Judges like Bao Zheng, Fu Bi, and Wen Yanbo were known for frequently criticizing the emperor, often spitting on his face.

For a military officer to disobey an imperial edict is considered a serious crime of treason, while for a civil official to do so is to offer frank and direct advice.
-
Hedong, Taiyuan Prefecture.

Whether it was the renewed flames of war in Hebei or the power transitions within the Song court, it did little to affect the daily lives of ordinary people.

On the official road near Taiyuan, facing the rising sun, the world is suddenly filled with vitality.

Officials, merchants, and peddlers came and went on the streets, and another day began.

On Tonghua Street, directly facing the city, a carriage and a horse were seen slowly moving eastward.

The carriage was old and had no extra decorations. There was a rider on horseback next to the carriage, who was also dressed simply in a gray robe.

When he looked up at the rising sun, it seemed as if the sun was looking at him too, casting long shadows of carriages and horses across the street, making them appear somewhat lonely.

The man on horseback was Ma Kuo. He was originally going to train his troops, as they had planned for these next few years to be peaceful.

Dingnan Army, stationed in Yunzhong, kept the Jurchens outside the country's borders.

Unfortunately, while the Dingnan Army managed to hold them off, they themselves ran into problems.

When he looked up, the soft morning sunlight shone on his face, his beard stood on end, and he looked somewhat sad and lost. His square face and serious expression carried a subtle air of righteousness.

They, this group of people, who pride themselves on being righteous and upright, have ended up having to ask Chen Shao for help.

They also brought a cartload of valuables, which was tantamount to offering bribes.
The key point is that the ultimate goal of all these people's plans to train troops and seize power was to target Chen Shaolai.

Even those who pride themselves on justice will inevitably feel a sense of shame at this moment.

Sometimes, when Ma Kuo thought about Chen Shao's achievements, he was somewhat impressed. No wonder so many people joined his ranks.

What man wouldn't want to achieve great things?

Yunnei has been lost for two hundred years, and even now, since the founding of the Song Dynasty, there has never been an opportunity to recover it.

As a result, Chen Shao recovered them all in less than six months.

By this time, most military leaders would already be incredibly fierce and powerful.

But every time he saw him, Chen Shao was always smiling and treating him with politeness and respect. His eyes didn't lie; they couldn't be faked.

Ma Kuo had an excellent eye for people; how could he not see the valuable qualities in Chen Shao?

Ma Kuo was entrusted by Yuwen Xuzhong to ask Chen Shao to send troops to aid Daming Prefecture and block Wanyan Zongwang.

The court viewed Qu Duan's defenses in the Baima area as somewhat like watching a fire from across the river.

As they approached the Prince Dai's residence, the sound of horses' hooves echoed through the street.

Just as Ma Kuo was about to dodge, a voice suddenly came from the group: "Brother Zichong?"

Ma Kuo looked up in surprise and saw Chen Shao, whom he was looking for, reining in his horse and stopping.

He was dressed simply today, not at all like a prince of Dai.

He wore a blue robe on the outside, with a snow-white silk lining underneath. A white headscarf was tied in his hair bun. There were no other decorations, making him appear understated and neat.

"Where is Your Majesty going?" Ma Kuo quickly straightened his clothes and asked while clasping his hands in greeting on horseback.

He didn't expect that Chen Shao would recognize him on the street.

"A batch of wounded soldiers has been sent back from the front, and I was just about to go out to greet them. I've heard that you, Brother Zichong, are training troops with Grand Commandant Wang in Lianghuai. Could it be that you've come to Taiyuan to find me?"

Ma Kuo nodded and said, "Since Your Majesty has matters to attend to, I will wait for you at your residence."

Chen Shao chuckled, "I don't know when I'll be back, so I can't keep you waiting. How about this, you come with me, and we can talk on the way."

Ma Kuo was filled with many emotions. As the Prince of Dai, he was the one who came to him for a favor.

He always puts me first, even worrying that I'll just wait around.
No wonder the King of Dai was able to succeed.

Ma Kuo did not refuse, instructing his servants to wait at the Prince's residence, while he himself rode off to join Chen Shao's personal guard. (End of Chapter)