Online Game: Me, with Unparalleled Comprehension

Having finished his explanation, Wu Feng did not linger any longer. He used the Lingbo Weibu technique, and with a swift movement, he leaped down from the city tower, landing silently, and headed straight for his residence in Weiyuan City.

With the battle over, Han Yu and the others would handle the remaining cleanup matters; he didn't need to worry about it.

All he wanted to do at that moment was return to his residence, sit cross-legged, cultivate his internal energy, digest the massive amount of experience gained from this battle, and continue to improve his own strength.

Upon returning to his residence, Wu Feng went straight into his room, closed the door, and sat cross-legged on a futon.

Taking a deep breath, he simultaneously activated the True Northern Darkness Divine Art and the Nine Yang Divine Art, his profound internal energy rapidly flowing through his meridians, while the proficiency indicator at the edge of his vision kept flashing.

News of the great victory at Weiyuan City did not linger for long on the border of Yan and Yun.

Those players who infiltrated the border cities of the Song Dynasty, posing as merchants and refugees, announced the results on the world channel as soon as the Song army was defeated and its commander Cao Bin was killed.

The player channels of the groundbreaking virtual martial arts MMORPG "Jianghu Dream" have no boundaries. In less than half an incense stick's time, the player chat boards of major Song Dynasty cities such as Kaifeng Prefecture, Yingtian Prefecture, and Luoyang were already exploding with activity.

[World Channel - Commoner Scholar]: Holy crap! The front lines are in chaos! The entire 300,000-strong Northern Expeditionary Army of the Song Dynasty is wiped out! Even the commander-in-chief, Cao Bin, has been beheaded!

[World Channel - Iron Spear Little Tyrant]: Really? 300,000 Imperial Guards! The entire wealth of the Song Dynasty? Gone just like that?

[World Channel - Jiangnan Misty Rain]: Absolutely true! My brother was a scout outside Weiyuan City and witnessed the Yan Yun Army slaughtering Song soldiers like cutting melons and vegetables. They captured over 100,000 who surrendered, and their corpses stretched for miles!

[World Channel - Escort Lao Zhou]: It's over, it's over, the Song Dynasty is completely finished! They can't even beat Yan Yun?

[World Channel - Bianjing Wine Lover]: Hurry up and drink! Kaifeng is no longer safe! That General Wu Changfeng even slaughtered the Liao capital, Shangjing. Now that he has defeated the Song Dynasty, who knows when he might attack again!

[World Channel - Lone Wolf of the North]: Runyanyun! My friend moved to Youzhou a long time ago. The taxes there are low, it's safe, and there are experts stationed in the city. It's a hundred times better than here in the Song Dynasty!

[World Channel - Business Road]: Tongrun! Yanyun is now recruiting civil officials, craftsmen, and military generals. The treatment is much better than in the Song Dynasty. Moreover, they do not favor civil officials over military ones. There are resources for practicing martial arts and military merits for fighting. Only a fool would stay in the Song Dynasty to wait to die!

Messages kept flooding the screen.

Many players who had settled in the Song Dynasty, including those focused on life skills and martial arts, had begun packing their bags, selling their assets, and migrating in groups to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

This wave of panic and migration eventually reached the Song Dynasty imperial palace—the Zichen Hall—through secret passages and the mouths of eunuchs.

On the golden throne, Zhao Guangyi was still waiting for news of victory from the front lines. Beside him was a newly drafted imperial edict of reward, waiting only for Cao Bin to recover Yan and Yun before announcing it to the world and establishing his authority in the court.

But when the eunuch, his voice trembling, delivered the news that "300,000 troops had been wiped out, Cao Bin had died in battle, and the Yan-Yun army was approaching the border city," he trembled all over, his knuckles on the armrest turned white instantly, and then his body went limp, and he slumped directly onto the cold throne.

The hem of his dragon robe slipped to the ground, his crown was askew, and his usual dignified demeanor was completely gone, leaving only a deathly pale face and disbelief.

His mouth was open, and a hoarse sound came from his throat as he muttered absentmindedly to himself. His voice was as soft as a breeze, yet it sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silent hall:

"Defeated...defeated...over 300,000 troops...just like that...how is this possible..."

"Those are 300,000 Imperial Guards... the entire elite force of our Great Song Dynasty... how could they be defeated by a bunch of bandits who have taken over the mountains..."

"Wu Changfeng... what kind of monster is he... the Liao Kingdom can't defeat him, and neither can our Great Song Dynasty..."

He repeated himself over and over, speaking incoherently, his bloodshot eyes staring blankly out of the hall.

He seemed unable to believe that the Northern Expeditionary Army, which he had placed high hopes on to consolidate his imperial throne, had been completely annihilated.

On either side of His Highness, the eunuchs, palace maids, and other servants all bowed their heads low and bent over like shrimp, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Everyone knew that the emperor was in a state of madness, and anyone who stood up would die. They could only kneel in silence, letting a deathly silence and panic permeate the hall.

Not long after, hurried footsteps were heard outside the hall, and several civil and military officials who had heard the news rushed inside.

Some of them were Zhao Guangyi's confidants, their faces as pale as paper;

Some were centrists, their eyes darting around;

Others were former officials who harbored resentment and were now expressionless, each with their own hidden agendas.

The current officials' rise to power was illegitimate in the first place.

The late Emperor Zhao Kuangyin possessed unfathomable martial arts skills and was in his prime, yet he suddenly died in the palace, his death shrouded in mystery.

Subsequently, princes and grandsons died mysteriously one after another, and anyone with discerning eyes could see the reason behind it.

Throughout the court, apart from Zhao Guangyi's cronies whom he had personally promoted, the vast majority of people outwardly submitted but inwardly harbored resentment.

Zhao Kuangyin was a man of great talent and strategy, a peerless martial artist. His prestige was earned through solid military power and the stabilization of the country.

And what about Zhao Guangyi? He was only good at playing power games and was ruthless. He was incompetent at governing the country and even worse at fighting wars.

Now that the 300,000-strong army has been wiped out in one fell swoop, the Song Dynasty will never have the strength to launch a northern expedition again. Not only will it be unable to recover Yan and Yun, but it will also thoroughly enrage the decisive and ruthless General Wu Changfeng.

Many ministers who followed Zhao Kuangyin to watch the martial arts competition remember that Zhao Kuangyin had once issued an imperial edict appointing Wu Feng to guard the northern border, but Zhao Guangyi refused to acknowledge this after taking power.

However, in the hearts of the ministers, only the late emperor's appointment counted, and Wu Feng was a Han Chinese, not a Khitan barbarian.

Since both are ruled by Han Chinese, what difference does it make who you serve as an official for?

Moreover, the Zhao family had already stripped the military generals of their power after the "banquet where the generals released their military power," leaving them powerless even if they wanted to fight.

Civil officials only cared about their lives, wealth, and official rank; they would attach themselves to whoever won, without any psychological burden.

Why would someone risk their life to serve an emperor who was illegitimate in his ascension to the throne and had just dragged the country into dire straits?

Nobody's that stupid.

Many ministers had a flash of determination in their eyes, and they were already secretly planning how to pledge their loyalty to Yan Yun and how to protect their official positions and family property in front of the new master.

Inside the Zichen Palace, morale has collapsed, and the overall situation is on the verge of collapse.

But at this moment, the border between Song and Yan is a completely different scene.

Holding the military tally personally bestowed upon him by Wu Feng, Han Yu led 50,000 light cavalry, advancing along the border city.

The garrison troops in those border cities of the Song Dynasty had long been terrified by the news of the disastrous defeat in the Northern Expedition. They didn't even have the courage to fire an arrow when they saw the banners of the Yan Yun Army.

Some surrendered directly, some abandoned their cities and fled, and the few that put up a stubborn resistance were also taken down by Han Yu in one fell swoop, almost without breaking a sweat.

More importantly, the Yan Yun Army was disciplined and did not commit any offenses after entering the city. They did not disturb or harm the people or rob grain; they simply took over the city's defenses and changed the flags.

For the people of the border town, it was simply a change of rulers, and these rulers were Han Chinese, not the brutal Khitan Liao Dynasty of the past.

They will support whoever provides them with a way to survive and whoever ensures their safety, and naturally they have little desire to resist.

The streets and alleys are still full of life, shops are open as usual, farmers are in the fields as usual, and life goes on as usual.

After taking control of the city, Wu Feng immediately made arrangements.

The three civil officials, Zhang Heng, Guo Ziyu, and Chen Mingyuan, were directly dispatched to the newly occupied border town.

These three men were already adept at governing domestic affairs. Cities like Youzhou, Shunzhou, and Tanzhou were stable and orderly under their leadership, and the people were loyal to them. Now that the three men are gone, the existing cities already have a mature management system, and there will be no unrest.

The safest approach is to allocate resources to areas that urgently need improvement.