When the military report reached Tokyo, Zhao Jiu initially felt as if a weight had been lifted, because, as he had emphasized, the Jin army had indeed come. However, soon, as the military intelligence from Shaanxi Province was gathered, he fell into a state of bewilderment and doubt.
This bewilderment and doubt were twofold.
Firstly, on a larger scale, the division of the Jin army's field armies into eastern and western forces after so long of combat was common knowledge. However, this time, he only received military intelligence from the western force, without any reports from the eastern force… Logically, the Battle of Xiaowu Slope should have undoubtedly struck at the eastern force, but why was the eastern force completely silent?
Moreover, the continuous intelligence coming from the Taihang Mountains was also somewhat off. It seemed that most of the *meng'an mouke* settled by the Jin in the south-central region of the Hebei Plain showed no signs of large-scale mobilization. This was crucial intelligence that Zhao Jiu had specifically requested Ma Kuo to relay daily… And this was very strange, because the *meng'an mouke* on the Hebei Plain were themselves the main component of the eastern force, with a small part belonging to the western force's ranks.
If the western force deliberately avoided full mobilization to achieve a surprise effect, concentrating only on elite cavalry, it would be understandable and consistent with the current intelligence.
But what exactly was going on with the eastern force? Were they not planning to participate in the war?
Of course, it was also possible that the eastern force would be mobilized later, or that some elite troops were passing through the complex Yellow River waterways in eastern Hebei, preparing to bypass the capital region of the east and launch attacks further afield, causing delays along the way… All of these were possibilities.
However, the detailed military intelligence from the western force side was also fraught with uncertainties.
Logically, after Wanyan Loushi's sudden deployment of troops, he should have continued along the lines of the previous victory, capturing Fuzhou and Danzhou south of Yan'an Prefecture. But why did he head south towards Tongguan?
And after capturing Tongguan, where would he go next?
Would he head east to attack Shaanxi Province, or would he head west to attack Chang'an? Logically, he should attack Chang'an to encircle Fuzhou and Danzhou from the south. But if that were the case, why send a detached force to contain Shaanxi Province?
Unfortunately, with Tongguan cut off, communication with Chang'an had to detour through the Luo River, inevitably causing further delays, which was truly perplexing.
In short, various doubts filled Zhao Jiu's mind, making it difficult for the officials of the Strategic Planning Office of the Privy Council to reach a conclusion, which in turn triggered misgivings and indecision at the highest levels of the Song Dynasty's central government.
However, the seriousness of the military situation allowed no delay. The imperial court, on the evening of the fourth day of the new year, that is, the day after receiving the news, regardless of the late hour, temporarily convened a court meeting in the Wende Hall… The four chief councilors, the officers of the Strategic Planning Office of the Privy Council, the ministers of the six ministries, and the scholars and attendants were all present, along with officers of the Imperial Guard above the rank of commander, seeking a decision and a quick response, but without summoning anyone else.
"Given the unclear military situation of the Jin army, Zhang Jun, Yue Fei, and Zhang Rong should strictly guard their defense zones and not move rashly!" After the court meeting began, Wang Boyan, on behalf of the Privy Council, put forward a basic prerequisite for response.
And this prerequisite was, in fact, recognized by the vast majority of those present.
Because these three all faced the enemy-occupied areas directly, and behind them lay the vital heartland of the Song Dynasty. Behind Zhang Jun was Huainan and the southeast; behind Yue Fei and Zhang Rong was Tokyo and Nanjing, the heartland of Henan, which had just begun to recover after suffering a large-scale invasion last year.
"The river troops of the Imperial Guard's Central Army and the troops within Tokyo should also not move rashly." As the discussion continued, new opinions were quickly put forward, but soon met with some opposition.
"Then, can the Imperial Guard's Rear Army be dispatched to provide reinforcements?"
"Han Shizhong should be sent to Luoyang, the Western Capital, to observe the situation in case of unexpected developments…"
"Han Shizhong must be sent. His troops are recuperating in western Huai, and their money, food, and supplies are all of the best quality. He is meant to be a mobile force for reinforcements… But I don't think he should be sent to Luoyang, the Western Capital. He should first go to Nanyang and wait for the situation to become clear before proceeding further!"
"Going to Nanyang naturally means reinforcing Guanxi through Wuguan, but in the evening, Guanxi sent an urgent message via a small path along the Luo River, saying that it had not…"
"Although Guanxi has sent a message saying that it has not been urgently attacked, from a broader perspective, Guanxi is more important. Because once Guanxi is attacked, Tokyo will be too far away to help. Therefore, if Commander Han really goes to the Western Capital, he might fall for the Jin's feint, diverting troops from the main target!"
"But if so, what if Wanyan Loushi really focuses all his forces on attacking Shaanxi Province? Given the importance of Shaanxi Province, once it is lost, it would truly isolate the east and west…"
"Can't we send the Eight Character Army to help? After all, Shaanxi Province is closer to the Central Plains, and transportation is convenient. If Wanyan Loushi really comes to attack Shaanxi Province, with the Imperial Guard's 200,000 troops, surely we can draw some to reinforce it?"
It must be said that the court meeting was effective, at least in allowing the ministers who knew nothing about military affairs to understand the situation somewhat.
But at the same time, it must also be admitted that the court meeting instead made the dilemma of some strategic choices clear and unmistakable. For example, where should the largest mobile force, Han Shizhong's troops, go, Chang'an or Luoyang? Should the Imperial Guard's Rear Army be dispatched to provide reinforcements at this time? Can Wang Yan's Eight Character Army be appropriately deployed to reinforce the west?
Each action had its advantages and disadvantages, but action had to be taken, otherwise it would be a delay in military affairs. And at this time, the Emperor and the chief councilors, who had a general understanding of the pros and cons, needed to make a final decision.
Of course, after two or three years of war, Emperor Zhao still had some experience and judgment. After a little thought, he had a rough conclusion in his mind:
First, when disputes arise in military matters, one should listen to the experts. Therefore, these disputes should be based on the opinions of officers such as Liu Ziyu, Hu Hongxiu, Wang Yuan, Qu Duan, Wang De, and Wang Yan.
Second, Zhao Jiu himself felt that Wanyan Loushi's dispatch of troops this time was a bit strange, appearing vague and uncertain. However, this vagueness, coupled with Wanyan Loushi's reputation, made it impossible to be careless… Therefore, while leaving room for maneuver in the overall strategy, one should also go all out against this leading force of Wanyan Loushi that had emerged.
"I have made up my mind."
After a little hesitation, Zhao Jiu spoke solemnly from his throne.
As the candlelight flickered, the twenty or thirty people in the hall listened seriously and quietly.
"Han Shizhong will go to Nanyang, pass through Wuguan, and go to Chang'an." Zhao Jiu said first.
"I second that." Lü Haowen, standing on the steps in the hall, answered first, and the other three chief councilors also bowed their hands in unison, expressing their agreement.
Of course, they agreed! Did they want to object?
This was originally a binary choice. The advantages and disadvantages had been clearly stated. The Emperor was supposed to choose one on the spot, and then the chief councilors would second it to reach a central decision.
Therefore, once the words were spoken, no one argued about it anymore. The close attendants, such as the junior scholar Lin, were already drafting the imperial edict on the spot, following the old precedent of the Eight Lords Mountain on the Huai River in the past.
The Emperor made a decision, the chief councilors agreed, and the inner secretariat issued the decree. Once the decree was completed, it was an imperial military and political order representing the highest authority of the empire and was not to be questioned.
"Your Majesty."
Just as Emperor Zhao made a strategic decision and was about to continue speaking, Wang Yuan, the commander of the Imperial Guard, suddenly stepped forward and reminded him of a small matter in public: "The fact that Xin Xingzong, the garrison commander of Wuguan, and Han Shizhong have a feud is well known. Military and national affairs are important, and precautions must be taken to avoid unnecessary changes."
Zhao Jiu suddenly realized, and his face showed understanding. He immediately turned to the close attendants who were writing the imperial edict and ordered: "Hanlin Academician Lin Jingmo."
"Your subject is here!" Lin Jingmo's heart skipped a beat, but he moved slowly and calmly.
"Once the edict is complete, you will personally deliver it. Then, I will give you a golden tablet to ensure that Han Shizhong proceeds to Chang'an without any incidents along the way."
Lin Jingmo calmly bowed his head and accepted the order, then continued to write the edict with his head lowered.
"Not only that." After being reminded, Zhao Jiu repeatedly ordered. "Send Hanlin Academician Li Ruopu to Li Yanxian's army in Shaanxi Province, Palace Censor Wan Qixie to Jizhou to find Yue Fei, and Secretariat Drafter Fan Zongyin to Xuzhou to find Zhang Jun… Send Erudite虞允文Yu Yunwen to Baimajin to find Zhang Rong… When you go to the army, you will all have golden tablets to represent my authority, but you are not allowed to interfere in military affairs. Your task is to coordinate the conflicts among the various armies and ease the discord between the local areas and the military."
Li Ruopu and Fan Zongyin, who were named, accepted the orders at that time.
However, Minister of Revenue Lin Qi then proposed that since Yu Yunwen was Zhang Rong's son-in-law, he should avoid suspicion, and that his qualifications were too shallow to be worthy of this task… The key point was that the situation at Zhang Rong's place was currently normal, and there was no need to send his son-in-law over to show sincerity. This would not only make the situation seem too tense but also seem to lack trust in Zhang Rong and his son-in-law.
Zhao Jiu, who had already hesitated about this appointment, immediately realized and changed the selection, ordering a Supervising Censor named Li Ruoxu, another brother of Li Ruoshui and Li Ruopu, to go to Baimajin to coordinate… And this was the purpose of the court meeting. The decisions that truly required a coin toss were naturally made by Emperor Zhao, but it did not prevent the ministers from filling in the gaps.
With this matter settled, Zhao Jiu decided again that the Imperial Guard's Rear Army would not be dispatched but would continue to be stationed in the southeast… Although there were some waves, it was still calmly passed with the support of the chief councilors.
"As for the Shaanxi Province aspect…"
Finally, when it came to the last key issue, Zhao Jiu instead calmed down somewhat. "For the Shaanxi Province aspect, the Imperial Guard's Central Army's Left and Right Deputy Commanders (Wang Yan and Wang De) should be sent west together to provide support."
"If the Imperial Guard's Central Army provides support to the west, what about Tokyo?" Minister of Rites Zhu Shengfei couldn't help but ask.
"First, let Yue Fei send some troops over to assist in the defense." Zhao Jiu replied frankly. "In fact, even if a large Jin army really comes to capture Tokyo, it won't be able to fall from the sky… Either it will cross the river from the north, or it will bypass Jingdong from the east, or it will come from Shaanxi Province in the west… But no matter where it comes from, as long as we arrange it properly, based on the current deployment of the Imperial Guard's troops, we can always mobilize troops in time to respond. On the contrary, if we lose our composure because of Wanyan Loushi's sudden advance south, and are afraid to do this and unable to do that, I'm afraid we will fall into the Jin's trap."
Zhu Shengfei immediately fell silent.
"Moreover, I have thought it over." Zhao Jiu became more and more calm as he spoke. "Wanyan Loushi's southward advance this time is extremely strange, but in any case, before he reinforces his troops, his strength is right there. According to Li Yanxian's report, it is roughly 40,000 to 50,000. According to the intelligence from the Taihang Mountains in Hebei, the *meng'an mouke* in Hebei have not moved. His western army also has to defend important towns such as Taiyuan, Yan'an, and Hezhong Prefecture. So the troops he can mobilize at one time are only 40,000 to 50,000… And with such strength, facing our military deployment that has taken a year to build up, if he attacks Chang'an, he can't take care of Shaanxi Province; if he attacks Shaanxi Province, he can't take care of Chang'an; if he tries to take both, he can't get either!"
The atmosphere in the hall eased slightly, and even the military personnel in the hall who knew about military affairs, such as Liu Ziyu, Hu Hongxiu, and Wang Yuan, all nodded slowly to show their agreement.
"And it's not just that," Zhao Jiu continued. "According to my view, no matter where he takes, as long as he can't succeed with one strike… even if he can succeed with one strike, it doesn't matter… Because our troops are right there. As long as we deploy them properly and allow the armies on the east and west sides to calmly work together and provide timely rescue, and coordinate the attack… I wouldn't dare to say victory, but we should always be able to force him to retreat."
The atmosphere in the hall became more and more relaxed, and several military generals who had not been qualified to say anything took the opportunity to shout to show their loyalty and recklessness.
Of course, in the midst of the relaxation, some people couldn't help but express a little opposition: "Your Majesty, although the armies are all imperial troops and most of them have the title of Imperial Guard, because the commanders have great power and are responsible for all matters related to money, food, troops, and promotions, they are actually forming their own factions. For example, in private, Li Yanxian's troops are simply called the Li Family Army or the Shaanxi Province Army, Han Shizhong's troops are called the Han Family Army or the Western Huai Army, and Yue Fei's and Zhang Jun's troops are naturally the Yue Family Army and the Zhang Family Army. And the Western Army, although currently slightly weak, has also been an independent army for hundreds of years and has its own elite troops and foundation. Then, may I ask on what basis does the imperial court expect them to listen to orders and then willingly expend their own troops and money to properly attack in coordination and rescue others? Once the imperial court gives an order, they may not dare to openly defy it, but what if they outwardly comply but secretly refuse to go? Can a few scholars and drafters who only know how to write poetry force tens of thousands of troops to face Wanyan Loushi, a famous general of the era, head-on?"
The speaker was Qu Duan. But unexpectedly, after these words were spoken, many people actually nodded up and down, and no one blamed him for looking down on those close attendants in his words and for being slightly malicious towards the commanders… Because what Qu Da said was the truth. The Song army has always been so unbearable, and watching friendly forces be annihilated is a traditional skill. As for the fact that the commanders currently have great power, which is a common saying among the people, it is also accurate.
And Zhao Jiu seemed to have expected this, so he simply spoke his final thoughts from the throne: "Therefore, I plan to have the chief councilors stay behind to guard Tokyo, while I myself will personally go to Luoyang, the Western Capital, to oversee the situation… Because without my personal presence, no one can control Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, the Western Army, and the Imperial Guard's Central Army to work together… What do you all think?"
ps: Before this chapter was posted, the Qidian backend showed that the updates this month were 147,000 words… mission accomplished.