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The heavy snow had temporarily stopped, and the wind was light. Inside the Jurchen camp, surrounded by water on three sides, bonfires blazed brightly in the tents. In the central tent, six iron basins held roaring charcoal fires. The decorations, furs, weapons, and even the people present, all contributed to a solemn and imposing atmosphere. Zongwang sat behind a long desk, looking at a tattered letter in his hand.

Wanyan Shamu, Han army commander Liu Yanzong, General Sai La, and others sat nearby, occasionally exchanging glances or speaking in low voices. They were already somewhat aware of the situation when they arrived. The letter, torn in half, had been given to Zongwang by Wanyan Shamu, and the scout captain was still standing below, awaiting questioning. Zongwang stared at the letter for a long time, his expression shifting, before finally slamming it on the desk.

"Hmph, the Southerners are trying to deceive me!" he said immediately. After looking at the expressions of those below, he frowned and looked at the scout.

"Tell me, what was the situation at the time? When, where, and under what circumstances did you encounter that person and obtain this letter?"

"Yes..."

The scout captain bowed and began to recount the events.

As winter deepened and heavy snow began to block the mountains, the Jurchens' patrols and sweeps had become less frequent than before. Their scout team encountered the other party on a road in the mountains ten miles away from the Mu Tuo Ridge camp. There were three people, with the messenger in the middle, who appeared to be a Wu Dynasty official, flanked by two guards. That road, a little further on, would lead to the outskirts of Bianliang City.

The Jurchen patrol team, consisting of five men, was specifically responsible for this area, attempting to cut off Bianliang's connection with the outside world – an impossible task, given Bianliang's size. Even if tens of thousands of Jurchens were deployed, they likely couldn't surround the entire city. However, even if they couldn't completely block it, they could intercept some messengers going in and out. Upon seeing the three individuals, the five scouts immediately gave chase.

Both sides were on horseback, and the other party was alert. Seeing the Jurchens approaching, they turned to flee, returning fire with arrows. The Jurchen scouts immediately returned fire, hitting the official in the back.

The three riders plunged into the rugged terrain of the nearby mountains. The Jurchen scouts pursued relentlessly. Eventually, due to his severe wound, the Wu Dynasty official fell from his horse, landing in a dried-up riverbed. His two Wu Dynasty guards were unable to rescue him in time.

The Jurchen scouts split up, some continuing the pursuit, while others detoured to the river valley to search for the Wu Dynasty official's body. They discovered the letter. After falling into the riverbed, the Wu Dynasty official had apparently tried to tear up the letter and throw it away, but he lacked the strength. He tore the letter in half and tossed it aside, and the wind blew away a small portion. They recovered the remaining larger portion.

The scouts didn't dare to examine the letter closely and handed it to their superior. After reading it, the superior deemed the matter significant and passed it to Shamu, who was responsible for such matters. Shamu, after reading it, immediately summoned Zongwang.

Zongwang looked at the scout: "From the moment you saw the Wu Dynasty official fall from his horse and into the riverbed, until you detoured down, did the Wu Dynasty official's corpse ever leave your sight?"

The scout said, "Because of the detour, there was a brief period, but no more than ten breaths."

"Hmph." Zongwang pondered for a moment. "Was the corpse brought back?"

"They brought it back," Wanyan Shamu said from the side. "I have already examined the body."

Wanyan Shamu was a half-brother of Aguda, ranked eleventh. Zongwang's expression softened slightly, and he said, "Eleventh Imperial Uncle, what was the result?"

"Judging from his body, he was certainly a person accustomed to luxury, and there were no signs of binding on his limbs. This matter is not small. I examined it repeatedly and believe he was not forced to come."

With Shamu saying this, Zongwang fell silent. He was rough in nature but meticulous in his thinking. After a moment, he slapped the long desk: "However, the people of the Southern Dynasty are mere clowns. How could they have such courage?"

"Our army has defeated over 300,000 Wu Dynasty soldiers in this area in the past month. They have run out of options. A cornered dog will jump over a wall. It's possible that someone is scheming, though it's hard to imagine."

"Mm." Zongwang nodded. "Commander Liu, select several people from the army who are most proficient in Han studies and calculation methods to come to this tent. Also, someone! Please summon General Guo Yaoshi and his subordinates Zhang Linghui and Liu Shunren to the main tent to discuss military affairs."

Those below acknowledged the order and left. Zongwang returned behind the long desk and reviewed the letter, which was divided into several pages. He picked out two of them and set them aside. After Guo Yaoshi, Zhang Linghui, Liu Shunren, and others arrived, along with several artisans and secretaries, he handed the pages of the letter to Guo Yaoshi: "General Guo, please look at this first, and then… circulate it."

"Yes." Guo Yaoshi nodded in agreement. The letter being circulated was divided into five pages, four of which contained complex calculations and diagrams, each page with a small portion missing. Guo Yaoshi initially only looked at the words, but his expression changed as he began to browse, becoming serious. After reading it, he didn't speak but passed it to Zhang Linghui, who passed it to Liu Shunren, and so on, to the secretaries and artisans. Some looked puzzled, while others changed color. One secretary bowed to Zongwang and requested, "May the commander grant me paper and brush."

Zongwang's eyes showed appreciation, and he waved his hand: "Provide him with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Also, bring a table and chair for him to sit."

Soon, everyone had read it once. The letter was circulating among the secretaries and artisans, being repeatedly examined and discussed. Zongwang observed the expressions of the crowd.

"This is a letter intercepted from the Wu Dynasty today. The matter is too significant, and this commander cannot discern its authenticity. Therefore, everyone must come together to identify and discuss it." He raised his hand. "Please speak frankly about your views."

Among the surrendered soldiers, Zhang Linghui was somewhat unlearned, while Liu Shunren had some ideas. At this time, he first cupped his fist and said, "Reporting to the commander, this humble officer believes that this matter is merely a bluff by the Wu Dynasty people. The Wu people are timid and cowardly, but they always love to play various tricks. There are countless self-righteous people among them. This letter is probably some self-important calculation, after all, it's too difficult to imagine…"

"Oh? General Liu thinks it's fake?" Zongwang looked at Guo Yaoshi, "General Guo, what do you think?"

"Brother Zhang's words make sense." Guo Yaoshi said, "The Wu Dynasty respects heaven and ancestors. The Yellow River is highly revered in the Wu Dynasty. If it's true as this letter says... wanting to breach the Yellow River to retreat our army, not to mention us, but millions of people in Bianliang City, few can escape. Moreover, if the Yellow River bursts its banks, the area around Bianliang City will be flooded for hundreds of miles, which is a disaster for the Wu Dynasty. Those who do this will be cursed by the entire country, and behind them, there will probably be eternal infamy..."

The letter being circulated described the plan to breach the Yellow River dikes and use the floodwaters to drive back the Jurchen army. It began with grand declarations, saying: Battles can be lost, cities can be threatened, but the country cannot be destroyed, and integrity cannot be lost. After this, the formal plan was introduced, with diagrams, specific plans, extensive calculations, and so on, meticulous and detailed, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.

After Guo Yaoshi finished speaking, Zongwang frowned: "General Guo also thinks it's fake..."

"However... it's not." Guo Yaoshi hesitated for a moment and said, "The Wu Dynasty scholars are indeed fond of boasting, and it is difficult to achieve practical things. However, there are also many who are strong-willed and resolute, believing in 'better to be a shattered jade than a whole tile.' Our army's southward advance is unstoppable, but... there are small-scale resistances that are quite resolute. With the war outside Bianliang City developing to this point, if there are Wu Dynasty officials who are desperate enough to do this great injustice to the world, using the flood to retreat the troops, with millions of people dying alongside, Yaoshi thinks... it's not surprising. Therefore, it's difficult to judge."

At this time, most of the secretaries called into the tent were Jin or Liao people, but there were still some who understood Confucianism. After Guo Yaoshi finished speaking, they also bowed in agreement, saying that although Wu Dynasty scholars were weak, there were indeed some who were resolute in calculating such matters, and some were particularly fond of such things for the sake of their posthumous fame.

But then someone said that even if some people did this, if the plan were sent to Bianliang, it would surely be stopped, and perhaps it was a trap.

However, after this statement, someone reminded them that there was a passage in the letter that seemed to say that before the war, the ships around Bianliang had already entered the city. Once the Yellow River burst, allowing the emperor and high officials in the city to board the ships, it would still be in time. Although the Wu Dynasty would suffer heavy losses, the central government would still remain, with only the loss of one city. Although the Jurchens were powerful, half of the country's troops were already here. This flood would feel as if half of the Jin Dynasty had been lost. The Wu Dynasty had indeed made many mistakes before, but it was not too late to learn from them and strive for improvement.

Soon after, the old master who was calculating also praised in his mouth and reported to Zongwang: "The Wu Dynasty's learning of calculation and earthwork is indeed exquisite. The calculations in this letter are indeed the peak of their work. It's a pity that a small part was torn off, but it also has the effect of a 'stone from another mountain' on our dynasty's learning of calculation..." Then he regretted it, praised it, and wished he could see the small half that was torn off.

Everyone had their own ideas, but it was difficult to determine the authenticity of the letter—mainly whether the other party was truly determined to do this. Not long after, Shamu said, "Even if the other party really wants to take this dangerous move, it will only be effective during the spring flood season next year. Our army is already prepared for the siege in heavy snow. As long as we break the city this winter, there is really no need to think too much about this matter."

Zongwang nodded. In fact, many people in the tent had this kind of thinking, but Zongwang was not a reckless person: "Imperial Uncle is right, but we must also consider the worst consequences. Now the Wu Dynasty army has all been scattered by me, and the remnants are distributed around. Next, let the army accelerate the preparations for the siege. Within five days, I want all kinds of equipment to be completed and launch a general attack. And in this regard... send scouts to find out the surrounding situation and figure out which side wants to do this, and then... General Guo, you are responsible for this matter. Crush them for me!"

Everyone took their orders.

"Yes!"

The tent shook with the sound.

Zongwang tapped his finger on the table. After everyone left, he walked around the tent a few times, returned to the table, picked up the last two pages of paper that he hadn't shown Guo Yaoshi and others, and browsed through them.

These last two pages mostly contained persuasive content, and the top part was a depiction of the long-term consequences after Zongwang's army was swallowed up by the flood. The letter mentioned many internal problems of the Jin Dynasty, saying that Aguda was a generation of heavenly pride. After he started the uprising, the Jin people were full of vigor, and talents emerged in large numbers, but there were also hidden dangers.

After Aguda abdicated, the successor was not Aguda's own son, but his fourth brother, Wugumai. Wugumai was a stable person, more than enough to maintain the status quo, which was Aguda's painstaking choice, but it also illustrated a problem. Among the Jin people, talents emerged in large numbers, which was a situation of strong branches. Now that Aguda was dead, it was difficult to say what the situation would be in the third generation.

Among the Jurchens, Marshal Nianhan was also a man of great talent. With Wugumai in power, Zongwang and others could still contend with him, but what if there was no Wugumai? The Wu Dynasty's strategy of uniting with the Jin to resist the Liao was a difficult-to-correct hatred, but if the most powerful Second Prince Zongwang and his tens of thousands of troops in the Jin Dynasty were destroyed in this place, the only person in the Jin Dynasty who controlled the military power that could settle the world would be Marshal Nianhan.

The Jin Dynasty's east and west armies invaded the Wu Dynasty southward, but Zongwang arrived in Bianliang first, while Nianhan was blocked by the fortified city of Taiyuan. It was said that Zongwang had repeatedly issued military orders, ordering Nianhan's army to quickly advance south, but Nianhan was slow to move despite being able to bypass Taiyuan. Could there be a rift between the two? At this time, breaching the Yellow River was only a loss of one place, but within a few years, the Jin Dynasty would inevitably be in chaos. The Jurchens suddenly rose up and gained the world, but they had no foundation. If they could not recuperate and strive for improvement, they would surely die within a few generations, and they would no longer be a threat to the Wu Dynasty...

The last two pages, word by word, showed the letter writer's understanding of the internal affairs of the Jin Dynasty, and every sentence was aimed at the heart.

In fact, Nianhan's failure to move in Taiyuan was also out of caution. This was the first time they had invaded the Wu Dynasty, and if the entire army went south, leaving Taiyuan on the way, if the Western Army really came to intercept the road, it was really hard to say what would happen to the hundreds of thousands of troops trapped in the hinterland of the Wu Dynasty. Zongwang could naturally understand this concern, but the letter was not polite. The sentences above made him feel that it was both provocation and possibly true. At least, after reading these, he first felt that the other party might really be using the method of breaching the Yellow River.

As for those seemingly provocative remarks, he had tried to normalize them as much as possible, but it was impossible not to think about what had already been seen and said so clearly.

In this sense, whether this letter was true or false, it had at least played a certain role.

Thinking of this, Zongwang slapped the table.

The Wu Dynasty scholars were a bunch of clowns, but this one not only showed his understanding of the internal affairs of the Jin Dynasty, but these clownish tricks also made people feel particularly angry.

If there was an opportunity to catch this person one day, he would have to skin him alive with his own hands!

Zongwang thought of this Wu Dynasty villain whose identity was still unclear, and such thoughts flashed through his mind.

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