You have truly caused me great suffering!

The emperor, accompanied by his officials, went to Genyue and gave the retired emperor a severe dressing-down.

The scholars of the Central Plains, who have always regarded loyalty and filial piety as paramount, surprisingly did not criticize this extensively.

On the contrary, there was an unusual silence from the general public to the officialdom.

Remaining silent on such matters is itself a form of support.

The Song Dynasty had suffered under Zhao Ji for too long.
From civil and military officials to ordinary people, everyone deeply resented Zhao Ji, who had been emperor for nearly twenty years.

You concentrated imperial power to its highest level since the Song Dynasty, and then used it to almost drain the national strength of the Song Dynasty to support your own eating, drinking, and merrymaking.

Even Cai Jing was tormented by him.

The only beneficiaries were perhaps his close advisors, palace maids, eunuchs, concubines, and Taoist priests.

There was a small family banquet in the palace that evening; there weren't many people, but the dishes were exquisite.

This was personally ordered by Zhao Huan; since the Emperor ascended the throne, he has rarely issued imperial edicts in this regard.

Thanks to Emperor Huizong's extravagance, the palace had some renowned chefs.

After his triumphant day, Zhao Huan decided to entertain his Empress Zhu Lian, as well as his son and daughter.

Both the son and the daughter were born to Empress Zhu Lian, and both were born when he was the crown prince.

Don't assume that just because Zhao Huan is the crown prince, the people in the Eastern Palace live a comfortable life. Because of Zhao Ji's suppression, life inside and outside the Eastern Palace is quite ordinary.

Geng Nanzhong, who had been suppressed for nearly ten years as the Crown Prince's teacher, couldn't take it anymore and ran away.

Prince Zhao Chen is nine years old and is the Crown Prince of the Song Dynasty. His daughter, Princess Roujia, is only four years old and is being held in Zhu Lian's arms.

After Zhu Lian sat down, he discovered that the wine was red wine.

Zhao Huan laughed and said, "This is Liangzhou wine sent by the Prince of Dai! Your Majesty, please have a taste!"

Seeing the cheerful Emperor, Zhu Lian felt a little worried. After hesitating for a long time, she finally said, "Your Majesty, this time..."

Zhao Huan waved his hand and said, "We're happy today, so let's not talk about anything else and just enjoy this time as a family."

Zhao Chen smiled and said, "I'll fill Father's cup."

"Good, good, good son!" Zhao Huan looked at his eldest son, who was lively and adorable, and felt even better.

Very little wine was transported from the Western Regions; most of it was brewed in places like Taiyuan, and it was a niche beverage.

Only royalty, nobility, and literati enjoyed this dish; it was rarely seen among the common people because it was too expensive and the taste was not popular.

But those who love it truly love drinking it.

For example, Li Qingzhao often went to Song's place for drinks because of her connection with Song.

Zhu Lian came from a prestigious family and was very disciplined. Historically, she refused to participate in the "sheep-leading ceremony," wrote the "Song of Lament" to express her determination, and ultimately drowned herself.

They belong to the group of people who performed the best during the Jingkang Incident.

Originally, she intended to use her role as empress to advise some officials.

Regardless, the Emperor Emeritus is still your father; how can a son insult his father?

But for some reason, seeing him so happy was rare for Zhu Lian, and she couldn't bear to say anything more.

The couple was very loving. Historical records state that Zhu Lian was "of virtuous character, skilled in poetry, calligraphy and painting," and that he and Zhao Huan were "devoted to each other."

Before Zhao Huan ascended the throne, Zhu Lian assisted the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace, handling household affairs, accompanying him in his studies, and even helping to take care of Zhao Huan's emotions (Zhao Huan was lonely due to the neglect of his father, Emperor Huizong of Song).

After ascending the throne, Zhu Lian, as empress, actively participated in the management of the inner palace, "reduce unnecessary expenses to help the military," and worked with Zhao Huan to deal with the crisis of the Jin army pressing in.

Moreover, perhaps because he lacked paternal love himself, Zhao Huan also attached great importance to and doted on his son Zhao Chen.

During the palace coup, the emperor threw himself into her arms and refused to leave no matter what.

Zhu Lian always knew that he had no ambition. If he could live a peaceful life, he wouldn't be emperor.

The reason he kept fighting with the Third King Zhao Kai was because Zhao Kai was so aggressive.

Zhao Huan was drinking alone, getting a little drunk, when he suddenly said, "You know, there are two things I fear most in my life."

“In the past few years, I was most afraid that my father would depose the crown prince and establish him as the new crown prince, because I knew that Zhao Kai was a mean and ungrateful man with a vicious mind. If he were to take the throne, he would definitely not let our family go.”

"Later, I became most afraid of Wanyan Zongwang. You know, after my ninth brother returned, he came to the palace and told me about the tragic situation of the captured civilians and officials in the Jin camp."

At this point, Zhao Huan suddenly felt a churning in his stomach. Recalling his ninth brother Zhao Gou's description, he almost vomited.

Suddenly, Zhao Huan smiled and said, "Now, I'm not afraid of anyone."

When he got to the point of getting emotional, he completely forgot to refer to himself as "I, the Emperor," and Zhu Lian looked at him with some heartache.

As a couple who had gone through thick and thin together, she knew her husband all too well.

He was indeed severely suppressed by the Emperor Emeritus.
Emperor Huizong of Tang (Zhao Ji) was very kind to those around him, except for those who could threaten his position.

Within the royal family, the only one who could threaten him was the crown prince.

As a result, Zhao Huan was tragically afflicted with setbacks for more than a decade, living in the shadow of his family of origin from childhood to adulthood.
Now that he is the emperor, he actually feels that he has a powerful backer.
The invincible Dingnan Army was his powerful backer.
-
In Taiyuan Prefecture, Chen Shao looked at Wang Yin's report and scratched his head.

He read it again carefully and realized that he had indeed read it correctly.

This father and son were truly capable, but Zhao Huan certainly exceeded his expectations.

In Chen Shao's eyes, Zhao Huan had little presence, after all, he really had no responsibility for the Song Dynasty being attacked at its doorstep in the early period.

However, after his father pushed him into power, he failed to turn the tide and instead made many questionable moves, prompting people to curse him.

Historically, Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) wanted to find a scapegoat so he could escape and pass the throne to this son.

Zhao Huan truly did not want the throne and explicitly refused, saying, "I am foolish and incompetent, and powerless to save the country." Under these circumstances, Zhao Ji ordered his men to knock him unconscious and forcibly lift him onto the dragon throne.

The level of abstraction is in no way inferior to that of the Jin emperor Wanyan Wuqimai, who was beaten twenty times by Zonghan and his men for stealing some spoils of war.

However, Chen Shao didn't care too much. Since Zhao Huan was so cooperative, he wouldn't mind doing nothing himself.

Giving Zhao Huan some promises and benefits was already part of Chen Shao's plan.

If Zhao Huan were to cooperate with them in Bianliang, everything would go smoothly.

By this time, Wang Yin and his team had discovered that Wu Min was the person behind the scenes working for Zhao Ji, which greatly annoyed Chen Shao.

At a time like this, if he still has the mind to plot and scheme, no matter what his purpose is, I will definitely not let him go once I have the chance.

At this time, all our focus should still be on the battle on the border between Hebei and Yan.

Not long ago, the Zhe clan also officially dispatched troops to the battlefield.

Of the various routes in Shaanxi, only Liu Guanglie remains in command, while Yao Gu has remained unmoved.

Chen Shao was quite at ease with this situation, as it posed no threat to him whatsoever.

As for Yao Gu and his Western Army, it's up to you whether you go or not. Once the war is over and you haven't participated, you can completely withdraw from the stage of history.

Thinking of this, Chen Shao couldn't help but glance at the map, his gaze settling on the Baigou River.

What surprised Chen Shao the most was Pharmacist Guo.

This bastard's intentions are now crystal clear, and everyone understands.

No wonder he betrayed us again; he was plotting to let the two sides fight while he profited.

Faced with Meng Nuan's attempt to persuade him to surrender, Guo Yaoshi simply and politely saw the envoy out, without agreeing to intercept Wanyan Zongwang.

From his perspective, the more intense the battle between the two sides and the more casualties, the happier he would be.
-
A misty haze hangs over the Baigou River.

A large contingent of troops is desperately trying to cross the river!
Covered in mud, disheveled and exhausted, the Jurchen infantrymen were struggling to form ranks and cover the crossing.

Meanwhile, the rest of the infantry were doing their best to gather materials and build rafts.

Among the troops crossing the river, there were at most one or two hundred cavalrymen. At this moment, despite their mounts swaying and struggling to move, they were doing their best to protect the infantry formation.

They were originally armed and ready to fight, but today they are fighting to cross the river only to escape.

They traveled swiftly northward, and by the time they reached this point, many auxiliary troops had fallen behind or suffered losses.

Even those who managed to hold out until this point were utterly exhausted.

Behind them, nearly three thousand Dingnan Army knights were keeping the large Jurchen vanguard, which was crowded at the ferry crossing, at bay. They did not press forward, as if they were waiting for the arrival of the follow-up troops.

Previously, the two sides had engaged in a skirmish to seize Baigou Post Station, which lasted for nearly a day and a night, but Dingnan Army reinforcements arrived faster and in greater numbers.

This caused the Jurchen vanguard army to be defeated and flee.

Meanwhile, the Jurchen soldiers, who were known for their ferocity and warlike nature, merely gathered at the ferry crossing and showed no intention of launching an attack to drive the Dingnan army cavalry further away.

Even within the array, he merely kept looking back to see the progress of the rafts being built.

One can't help but suspect that once the rafts are ready, this precarious formation will collapse on its own, with thousands of soldiers scrambling to cross!

The reason for this situation is that on the other side, their vanguard general is being besieged.

The commander of this army was Wanyan Chang, also known as Talan, who was the commander of the six routes under Wanyan Zongwang.

He was Wanyan Aguda's cousin, and was known for his bravery. He had always served as the vanguard in Zongwang's army.

If Wanyan Chang dies, none of his personal guards will survive.

The Jurchen Tartars' eastern army had almost never suffered a defeat. Since its inception, it had enjoyed smooth sailing, and wherever it went, it could easily wipe out the enemy with a mere bump.

This was the first time they had ever experienced such a difficult retreat while being pursued by the enemy.

However, at this moment, some Jurchen warriors volunteered to cover the rear, fighting to the last man to ensure the main force's safe retreat. This sense of unity remained.

At this moment, chaotic fighting was taking place on both banks of the Baigou River; it was a real, fierce battle.

No one can easily extricate themselves from this situation.

The Dingnan Army behind them was also patient enough to know that these people had no intention of fighting and were just eager to cross the river.

Once the river is crossed, a final assault will be launched, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Therefore, they were not in a hurry to advance and press forward, but instead circled at a distance, occasionally drawing their bows and shooting arrows.

After fighting the Jurchens for a long time, the Dingnan Army was no longer as reckless as it had been at the beginning, and began to pay attention to strategy.

In terms of fighting style alone, the Dingnan Army was actually the wilder and more aggressive side.

This is completely contrary to the experience of the Central Plains army fighting against the northern barbarians since the founding of the Song Dynasty.

Ultimately, it comes down to mobility; even if the Dingnan army can't win a decisive battle, they can retreat.

Their cavalry strength was truly outrageous, somewhat resembling the peak Mongol army of several centuries later.

The general leading the group was Zhe Yanye. His face was covered in rain and mud, one foot in the stirrup and the other on the saddle, as he leisurely watched the army gathered by the Baigou River.

The equally exhausted Dingnan Army knights around them were all eager to try, constantly casting their gazes over, as if they wanted to fight.

However, Zhe Yanye never let them charge.

These Tartars are already desperate and are definitely thinking of volunteering for battle. If we rush over now, the Tartars will have no way out but to turn back and fight to the death.

This essentially gave the Tartars an opportunity to fight a desperate battle.

They deliberately charged forward when they thought they could cross the river.

At that time, at most a dozen or so Tartars will escape, while our side can reduce a lot of casualties.

Most importantly, it was a huge blow to the morale of the Tartars.

Seeing no chance to charge, the soldiers of Dingnan Army could only vent their dissatisfaction by emptying their quivers.

After Hubu Dagang, the Jurchen cavalry achieved many victories, defeating larger forces with smaller ones and pursuing the fleeing enemy.

However, since they clashed with the Dingnan Army, they have struggled greatly and suffered heavy losses, with even a great general like Yin Shuke missing from the army.

Now they're blocked on the riverbank again, forced to risk their lives to build a bridge, while the barbarians from the Northwest behind them leisurely watch like they're watching monkeys.

A surge of resentment and hatred welled up in the hearts of the Jurchen Tartars, who wished they could turn around and tear these northwestern barbarians to pieces.

Zhe Yanye took out some dried meat and biscuits from his pocket, put them in his mouth, chewed them a few times, and then tilted his head back to drink water and swallow them.

He then laughed and said, "What's the rush! Just wait for my orders."

He had a great disdain for the old Dingnan Army's style of disregarding their own lives, charging at the sight of the enemy without regard for their own safety.

It's as if the Tartars are some kind of rare commodity, and killing one means one less to go.
There are plenty of Tartars in this world, and Zhe Yanye deeply disapproves of the idea that the soldiers of the Dingnan Army value their lives so little.

Moreover, the reason why Wanyan Chang was able to be trapped on the other side was actually due to General Han's plan to lure the enemy.

He realized that in a place like Baigou River, it was best not to fight small battles, because a single misstep could easily lead to total defeat.

Han Shizhong hoped to utilize both land and water battles, especially naval warfare, to deliver a fatal blow to the Jurchen Tartars.

Even if a fatal blow cannot be delivered, it is best to at least break their bones.

So he was trying his best to divide the Jurchen troops on both sides of the river, using his numerical advantage to have his cavalry circle around to the Jurchen rear, and then his main army would press down from the north of the Baigou River.

Using the Baigou River and the flanking maneuvers of cavalry, the Jurchen Tartars were surrounded in small encirclements, and then defeated one by one.

Therefore, the Dingnan Army did not defend the river valley and ferry crossings to the death, but suddenly opened up many ferry crossings, which was an unexpected joy for Zongwang!
If the Dingnan army holds the river valley and ferry crossing to the death, then even if we manage to break through, we will suffer heavy losses.

Moreover, Zongwang also had to consider Zonghan; he absolutely could not abandon the Jurchen western army and Zonghan in Hebei.

Otherwise, even if they broke through the encirclement, the Jin state would completely lose the qualification to march south and fight a decisive battle with the Song Dynasty.

Once Han Shizhong's decision was implemented and troops were redeployed, many ferry crossings became more secure.

It was at this time that Wanyan Chang crossed the river.

But I didn't expect it to be divided up as soon as I got there.

As a promising young player whom Han Shizhong was grooming, Zhe Yanye was well aware of Han's plans, which is why he was able to command with such ease.

His cavalry, watching the Tartars flee, had long harbored resentment.

In the past, we would have charged long ago; these would have been considered military achievements.

In Zhe Yanye's mind, the battlefield he saw was much larger than the battlefield under his command.

As long as they are not allowed to return to the battlefield, that's fine. It would be best if they could take a bite out of them, but it's not worth sacrificing the lives of our men to defeat them.

Even if you manage to get past a hundred or so Tartars in the pocket formation set up by Commander Han, you'll just be trapped in another encirclement.

He was looking at the overall situation on the battlefield; it didn't matter who ate these Tartars.

The Dingnan army shot arrows while cursing!

Zhe Yanye listened, and it seemed like he was making a veiled criticism, so he couldn't help but frown slightly.

Those who came from the Western Army, especially those from the Zhe family of Fugu, valued the authority of generals.

Amid the shouts and curses of the Dingnan Army, another sound came from the side, as if another group of people were rushing in.

The group of knights turned their heads and saw that more than a hundred Jurchen knights were coming in the rain. They were also thin and tired, but they were also full of killing intent!
This Jurchen cavalry force, which appeared out of nowhere, suddenly became a variable on the battlefield.

Without hesitation, Zhe Yanye immediately ordered his troops to split up and meet the enemy.

The arriving Tartar troops, seeing the Dingnan Army nearby and their own men struggling to cross the river, immediately drew their swords to fight and cover their own men's crossing.

The Tartars were well aware that the Dingnan Army cavalry roaming along the Baigou River were like a pack of hungry wolves, just waiting for the right moment to come up and bite them.

The two sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

The Baigou River under the moonlight, its blood-stained waters reflecting the cold moonlight.

Countless corpses floated on the river.

As the Jurchen Tartars were setting up rafts to cross the river, some very small warships suddenly emerged from the water.

They used small boats, searched from nearby areas, to separate the Tartars with soldiers and men familiar with the water.

Then, on the opposite bank, the Dingnan Army, three times the size of the Tartars, completely surrounded Wanyan Chang.

After the Dingnan Army appeared in the water, amidst shouts, the Jurchen formation suddenly collapsed!

Thousands of Jurchen soldiers discarded their weapons and removed their helmets, rushing headlong to the riverbank to fight for the unfinished rafts!
One by one, the straw rafts were pushed into the river amidst the fighting and scrambling, and the Jurchen warriors, having lost their armor and weapons, rushed to board the rafts.

In the struggle, these flimsy rafts collapsed instantly when hit by a wave, and countless people fell into the water!
Those who fell into the water swam desperately toward the still intact rafts, but those who had secured a spot simply paddled with all their might.

Amidst the river, shouts and curses filled the air. The struggle for the rafts yet to be launched into the river was even more brutal!

Zhe Yanye then ordered the entire army to charge.

Even at this point, his ordinary soldiers might not have realized his good intentions.

He still knew that he was hindering their charge to kill the enemy and gain merit.

This is the difference between soldiers and generals.

As a soldier, all you need to do is obey orders and bravely fight the enemy.

However, as a military commander, one must understand the commander's intentions and then fight in accordance with those intentions.

On the north bank of the Baigou River, Wanyan Chang, the vanguard of the Eastern Route Army, was also forced to the riverbank.

Watching the heads of people rise and fall in the river, with seven or eight people clinging tightly to a single log, they drifted away in despair with the current.

Many more people don't even have this one thing to rely on. After falling into the water, a wave crashes over them, and a whole bunch of heads disappear from the river!
Those were his trusted armored soldiers, the Jurchen troops of his own army. The sounds echoing in the night sky were no longer shouts, no longer anger, no longer the wails of the weak being slaughtered and abused by his own men.

Rather, it was the cry of these thousands of Jurchen men in extreme agony.

Wanyan Chang's eyes immediately turned red, and he shouted, trying to command his men to charge out.

But in the darkness, the Dingnan army swarmed in and quickly forced them to the riverbank.

The Dingnan army in the water shot arrows at their backs, and another large group of Jurchens fell.

Finally, in his frustration, Wanyan Chang was swarmed and cut down by the Dingnan Army soldiers who had been waiting impatiently.

Everyone was scrambling for his body. If you grabbed an arm, you could probably get promoted to captain; if you grabbed a leg, you might get promoted to lieutenant general; but if you grabbed his head, you'd be set for life!

This was the greatest victory achieved by the Dingnan Army after they broke through the Wuhui Ridge and encountered a large Jurchen force.

In this battle, Han Shizhong used his navy to divide the Jurchen troops, and then concentrated his forces on the north bank to kill Wanyan Chang, the Jurchen vanguard general.

On the south bank and in the water, Zheyan's troops killed more than a thousand Jurchen soldiers.

More importantly, Han Shizhong thus proved the feasibility of his battle tactics.

As for the bravery and skill of individual Jurchen soldiers, these qualities were diminished in such battles.

For the Dingnan Army at this time, it was a very important victory.

Cheers echoed along both banks of the Baigou River, resounding throughout the surrounding area. (End of Chapter)