Warfare is dynamic and chaotic. On a micro level, today's arrangements might be useless tomorrow, only to be surprisingly effective the day after, and then become an Achilles' heel the day after that.

However, it's impossible to simply ignore it, right?

After all, quantitative change leads to qualitative change. Only by consistently making rational and correct responses can one increase fault tolerance on a macro level, making the command system – along with logistics, troop strength, morale, and climate – a true determinant of victory or defeat.

Of course, the outcome of such a large-scale campaign ultimately depends on a decisive main battle or the gain or loss of a strategic location. Everything before that is merely groundwork, preparing the ground for a better outcome at the final moment.

Now, Qu Duan traveled west overnight to return to Fu Prefecture. There, he would be under the unified leadership of Hu Yin along with the Wu brothers, becoming one of the three military commanders in the Shaanxi region. From a practical power perspective, this seemed like a reduction, as he had previously controlled the command of two armies... but without a doubt, his rank had increased. This was now a proper pacification commissioner (jing lüe shi), the pinnacle of achievement Western Army generals dreamed of before the Jingkang Incident.

In fact, even in the current Guanzhong region, only Liu Xi, son of Liu Zhongwu, as the Pacification Commissioner of the Xihe Circuit, barely maintained the qualifications of a traditional Western Army general.

But it was conceivable that as the importance of the Guanzhong war was elevated to an immeasurable level, according to Zhao Guan Jia's (Emperor Zhao) usual generosity, as long as military performance was strong, the various Western Army commanders would receive unprecedented rewards. This was their opportunity, and Qu Duan's return was a highly representative signal.

With Qu Duan gone, Zhao Jiu did not delay. The next morning, he led his army westward through Si Shui Pass and within three days, returned to a 'strategic location' that in the past would have been enough to determine the course of the empire – Luoyang City.

The reason for saying 'in the past' was because this ancient capital had already been massacred and burned once by the Jin people. This time last year, it was still a wasteland. A year was not enough to truly revitalize it and rebuild its former glory.

However, this did not mean that Luoyang had no value.

"Although Luoyang City no longer exists, the Luoyang Basin is still a vital strategic area, and the location of the Western Capital of the Great Song," Zhao Jiu, clad in military attire, led a force of over three thousand troops to the front of the old city of Luoyang that afternoon. He reined in his horse and looked around for a long time, sighing sincerely. "Zhang Rong's ships are limited. Once the Jin army crosses the river in multiple directions, they may not be able to cover everything, but this place cannot be ignored."

"Not to hide it from Your Majesty," Liu Ziyu, with a leather belt fastened around his waist, rode forward and spoke proactively. "There were concerns within the Privy Council before. The last time Your Majesty stopped in Luoyang, the Jin people only sent Wanyan Saba, a commander of little importance, with only five thousand troops to Ji Jin. That general had been repeatedly defeated by Grand Commandant Li. He was defeated as soon as he arrived, and his entire army was wiped out during the retreat, like a joke..."

"You think that Wanyan Loushi deliberately sent a useless commander with a few thousand weak soldiers to make us believe that Luoyang would not be attacked from the Hedong (Shanxi) region?" Zhao Jiu asked thoughtfully. "But in reality, this time the Jin army is attacking in force, with ten thousand troops gathered in Hedong. Perhaps an elite surprise force will head south from Ji Jin to attack Mianchi?"

"That is a consideration, but it may not only be Ji Jin; Changquan and Mengjin are also possibilities," Liu Ziyu replied calmly. "In any case, Luoyang must be properly defended."

Zhao Jiu nodded, but remained silent, instead looking directly at two men who had been standing not far in front of his horse for a while... These two were the Da (Big) Zhai and Xiao (Small) Zhai generals, from powerful local families in Henan, who had entered the Imperial Guard due to their meritorious service in fighting the Jin people. Behind them was the old city of Luoyang, with only collapsed city walls, which had not been repaired. Several hundred soldiers could be clearly seen standing guard within the city.

"Your subject will certainly fulfill his duties and serve as a northern shield for Your Majesty," Zhai Xing, the Big Zhai of the two, had been waiting for this opportunity and stepped forward to respond quickly.

Xiao Zhai, Zhai Jin, also quickly stepped forward, respectfully stating: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. Our family has lived in Luoyang for generations. We know every fordable place and every point that needs defense in the north. With us brothers on the northern front, Your Majesty can sit peacefully in Luoyang."

Zhao Jiu nodded, still without saying a word, but turned to look at Privy Councilor Wang Boyan behind him, who was panting slightly... This man was already very old.

"Your subject will certainly fulfill his duties," Wang Boyan cupped his hands on his horse and then carefully dismounted.

Zhao Jiu acted quickly, dismounting before Yang Yizhong could, and helped the somewhat breathless Councilor Wang off his horse.

Wang Boyan dismounted, looking slightly embarrassed, but still making an effort to cup his hands towards Zhao Jiu: "Please forgive Your Majesty's amusement. I have become an old wreck, no longer with the vigor to follow you into battle like in the past."

Zhao Jiu could not help but smile upon hearing this: "Unfortunately, I still cannot let Councilor Wang be the Governor of Jingzhao (Xi'an). Please bear with being the Governor of Henan (Luoyang) for now."

Wang Boyan was rarely stunned, and then also smiled.

The two were referring to a hypothetical scene from their first meeting... Four years ago, Zhao Jiu had not yet climbed out of the well. He was still Prince Kang on a mission to the north, passing through Hebei. As a result, halfway there, the Jin army broke through Zhen Ding Prefecture, defended by Liu Ziyu and his father, and cavalry went directly south to Cizhou and Xiangzhou. At that time, everyone advised him not to continue north, and Wang Boyan, who was in Xiangzhou, personally led troops in armor to welcome Prince Kang.

The two met on the banks of the Yellow River. Prince Kang was greatly moved and reassured him, saying that when he returned to see the Emperor, he would definitely recommend Wang Boyan as Governor of Jingzhao and make him a confidant.

But now, things were different, and people were different. Wang Boyan had long thought that the Emperor had forgotten the past. Zhao Jiu had indeed 'forgotten'... except that Yang Yizhong had mentioned it to him inadvertently... However, no matter how many coincidences and ambiguities there were, like Lü Haowen, as senior officials retained at the beginning to stabilize the situation, the two men had been together as ruler and subject to this day. Some things, whether true or false, ultimately did not affect their feelings for each other.

After laughing, Zhao Jiu supported Wang Boyan and turned to look at the Zhai brothers, who had already realized something: "You two are working hard here. In a few days, militiamen from Ruzhou and Nanyang should be coming to fill the vacancy left by Commander Niu... I don't want you to do anything else. Protect Councilor Wang for me and preserve Luoyang, and that will be a contribution to this battle!"

Despite some understanding, the Zhai brothers were still shocked, but they did not dare to ask too many questions. They had to bow their heads in agreement and salute Councilor Wang.

Wang Boyan, who had dismounted, did not pay attention to the Zhai brothers immediately, but only cupped his hands towards Zhao Guan Jia again: "Your Majesty, south of the Yellow River, from Chang'an to Bianliang, has been the backbone of the empire since ancient times. Luoyang is the heart of China... The so-called 'living in China and overlooking the world' refers to this place... I am a minister of the state and have been ordered to be here, so I will certainly live and die with Luoyang. Your Majesty, please rest assured and go west."

Zhao Jiu nodded.

He knew that this "China" referred to its original meaning, which was the Central Plains or the capital. The period after Emperors Yao, Shun, and Yu very likely saw the establishment and expansion of the empire in the Luoyang Basin. Therefore, in many ancient books, this word could specifically refer to Luoyang.

However, now was not the time to delve into these academic issues, nor was it the time to be moved by the resolve in Wang Boyan's words... After all, now that Zhao Jiu himself had the awareness of entrusting his future to others and sacrificing himself, everyone below the senior ministers, no matter who they were, should at least have the awareness of sacrificing everything on the surface.

Of course, shouting slogans now was not purely perfunctory and a pretense, because swords and soldiers were right in front of them. When it really came to that point, anyone could be forced to make a decision... At that time, the false could not be true, and the true could not be false.

In a word, all emotions could wait until after the war to be discussed.

Therefore, Zhao Jiu simply nodded, then directly mounted his horse, but as if remembering something, he looked at the Zhai brothers.

The Zhai brothers immediately understood. Big Zhai turned his head and nodded slightly towards the city, which had no walls to protect it. A young knight with a scar on his face led a horse out of the city, first kneeling and saluting Zhao Jiu, calling himself Zhai Cong, the eldest son of Zhai Jin. Then, he led about two companies of soldiers plus dozens of auxiliary soldiers and a dozen mule carts into the ranks.

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu did not hesitate any longer, leaving Luoyang directly and continuing westward.

To be precise, he was heading southwest. He did not take the main road through Mianchi and Shanzhou... Across the river, it was too easy to be discovered by the Jin army's scouts... Instead, he followed the Luoshui River south of Luoyang City, upstream through the south of the Erxiao Mountains.

In this way, Wang Boyan took up residence in the Luoyang Palace, and a brand new Jin Wu Dui flag was raised over the ruined city of Luoyang. Zhao Jiu, however, kept a low profile, leading his imperial army for more than ten days, through the Luoshui trails south of Guo Prefecture and north of Shang Prefecture, finally arriving at Lantian, an important town in Guanzhong.

Arriving at this place, Zhao Jiu joined forces with Huyan Tong's troops, who had arrived earlier. He also received thousands of bronze masks and flags left here by Han Shizhong... At this time, this Imperial Guard force, now numbering more than four thousand, put on the distinctive bronze masks of Han Shizhong's troops and raised the banner of Xu Shian, a senior general of Han Shizhong's troops, and continued westward under the cover of Huyan Tong's troops, arriving in Chang'an on the eighteenth day of the fourth month.

At this time, large armies had already gathered around Chang'an. In addition to the Jingzhao defense troops originally organized by Yuwen Xuzhong, troops from the Xihe Circuit, the Qinfeng Circuit, and even the Xingyuan Prefecture had all arrived. The Imperial Guard Left Army of Han Shizhong's troops, which had arrived from Wuguan Pass, and the various units of the Imperial Guard Central Army, which had arrived from the main road north of the Xiaoshan Mountains, had already set up positions and garrisoned on both banks of the Wei River.

Upon arriving at Ba Bridge, Huyan Tong went directly to the north of the Wei River to join Wang De's troops. At this time, only the 'Xu Shian's troops who are good at defense' came to Chang'an... Yuwen Xuzhong, as the Pacification Commissioner, naturally could not come out to greet them, and even could not leave the Prime Minister's Mansion.

However, Zhao Jiu saw Zhang Jun, Zhang Deyuan, the Transportation Commissioner of the five routes of Sichuan, who had changed into a green robe to welcome him, inside the city gate.

"Your Majesty!"

When Zhang Jun saw Zhao Jiu, he suppressed his desire to prostrate himself. Upon reaching the city, he eagerly rode forward. "On the road, I heard that Your Majesty entrusted his future before the Yiyou Gate, I am truly..."

"Don't say these things," Zhao Jiu continued to rein in his horse and enter the city without stopping, nonchalantly. "Just tell me how you came so quickly? What is the military situation in Shaanxi?"

"I was delayed last time due to the spring rains, which was extremely shameful. I have been handling affairs in Xingyuan Prefecture (Hanzhong), so I arrived very quickly..."

"How many troops did you bring?"

"Ten thousand from the Xihe Circuit, ten thousand from the Qinfeng Circuit, ten thousand from the Xingyuan Prefecture... I originally wanted to recruit troops from the various Qingtang tribes, but they are all waiting and watching."

"It doesn't matter... Last time you didn't arrive due to the spring rains, and Loushi didn't see you in Tong Pass for a month. I am afraid that he underestimated you this time he sent troops. Your thirty thousand troops, at least twenty thousand, are unexpected."

"I am ashamed. Sichuan previously supplied grain to Nanyang. The Western Army has only been rebuilt for a year. These twenty thousand troops may not be as good as the four or five thousand elites that Your Majesty brought..."

"This is what I scraped together with great effort. I don't know if it is good or bad, but since we are talking about Sichuan's money and grain, thirty thousand troops, plus the three armies in Shaanxi... With so many troops, are the military salaries and logistics sufficient?"

"Sufficient," Zhang Jun replied immediately. "While I set off, I also ordered Zhao Kai to scour Sichuan for money, grain, and materials, regardless of the cost. He not only advanced the revenue of Sichuan for two years, but also called on the wealthy families of Sichuan to donate money and materials..."

Zhao Jiu suddenly stopped his horse, speaking seriously: "Will this not incite a popular revolt?"

"I believe this battle is of great importance. If we lose, I am afraid that Sichuan will not be able to be saved, so I can't worry about it," Zhang Jun also stopped his horse, biting his teeth earnestly. "And I took the lead by forcibly selling all of my ancestral property and land to the wealthy merchants of Xingyuan Prefecture, obtaining five hundred taels of gold, which I have also brought with me... Everyone, from the top to the bottom, is speechless."

Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment, but could only helplessly nod his head, and then continued to rein in his horse forward: "Deyuan is thoughtful... What is the military situation in Shaanxi?"

"Wu Jie has been defeated three times. Fu Prefecture has been lost. Hu Mingzhong has retreated to the rear Ning Prefecture to manage the grain and grass I supplied to him. Qu Duan is going to Qing Prefecture to reorganize the troops of the Huanqing Circuit. Wu Lin is going to Yuan Prefecture to reorganize the troops of the Jingyuan Circuit. Wu Jie himself is leading the remnants to retreat to Fang Prefecture to continue to resist Loushi... In comparison, Huo Nu tried to cross the Liangshan Mountains to assist the Jin army of Hedong, and was defeated by Grand Commandant Han himself, which was as proper as expected."

"Fang Prefecture," Zhao Jiu sighed on his horse, with a feeling of chaotic thoughts.

"Fang Prefecture is directly south of Fu Prefecture," Liu Ziyu quickly reminded from behind. "The lower reaches of the North Luo River, but the key to Fang Prefecture is not on the Luo River, but on the city of the prefecture next to the Ju River, twenty li away from the North Luo River. There are rivers and mountains there, which can still be defended... but the North Luo River passage can no longer be controlled!"

"In other words," Zhao Jiu said vaguely. "If Loushi disregards everything and is determined to go south to the Weibei Plain, then there is actually no way to stop him? Has he already broken through Shaanxi and captured all three prefectures in less than a month?"

"It is unlikely that Loushi will abandon Fang Prefecture and go south, otherwise Wu Jie can lead his army to cut off his retreat," Liu Ziyu first replied sincerely, but after saying that, he himself was not sure, and added another sentence. "Even if Loushi really abandons the city of Fang Prefecture and goes south, the Wei River can still be defended. Our troop deployment is rapid, and the defense is still adequate."

Zhao Jiu shook his head, his face already extremely ugly.

Everyone dared not say more. When they arrived in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion, the troops went to settle in the city, and the central ministers, close officials, and accompanying generals directly followed His Majesty inside.

Yuwen Xuzhong had already led dozens of Guanzhong officials and Western Army generals waiting in the courtyard.

Entering the courtyard and closing the door, everyone formally saluted, and Zhao Guan Jia, who had been unable to hide his worries beside Zhang Jun and Liu Ziyu, had actually recovered his composure and calmly faced many people he was meeting for the first time.

After both sides were seated, Zhao Jiu, who had done his homework on the road, even specially summoned Liu Qi, the Military Supervisor of Xingyuan Prefecture (Hanzhong area), and asked him a few questions, holding his hand... According to Yang Yizhong's reminder, this person had once followed the entourage before Zhao Jiu fell into the well, and then returned to Guanzhong to serve as the Protector of Longyou. Later, Zhang Jun valued him and entrusted Yuwen Xuzhong to promote him to the actual commander of the Hanzhong army, largely because of his experience serving His Majesty.

In other words, Liu Xi's younger brother, Liu Zhongwu's son, a famous general of the Western Army, who also served as the Pacification Commissioner of the Xihe Circuit, 'knew' him, Zhao Guan Jia, and was even Zhao Guan Jia's rare 'own man' among the various units of the six Guanzhong routes.

After both sides finished greeting each other, Zhao Jiu sat upright, but still did not ask about the military situation. Instead, he first opened his mouth to assign duties as discussed on the road:

He appointed Liu Xi, the original Pacification Commissioner of the Xihe Circuit, as the Chief Commander of the three western routes; appointed Liu Qi, the Military Supervisor of Xingyuan Prefecture, as the Pacification Commissioner of Lizhou Route (under Xingyuan Prefecture); appointed Zhao Zhe, the Military Supervisor of Qinfeng Circuit, as the Pacification Commissioner of Qinfeng Route.

Among the generals below, well-known Western Army generals such as Murong Wei were appointed as Military Supervisors of Qinfeng Route; Li Yanqi was appointed as Military Supervisor of Xihe Route; Zhang Zhong was appointed as Military Supervisor of Xingyuan Prefecture.

Also, in Yuwen Xuzhong's name, he temporarily issued a document to Hu Yin, giving him and Qu Duan and Wu Jie authority, allowing the two generals to promote the generals of the Jingyuan and Huanqing armies before the battle.

This was on-the-spot reward, and considering Qu Duan's previous arrangement, this was also within expectations, and the generals naturally seemed grateful... but how effective it would be was hard to say.

After patiently arranging these things, Zhao Jiu disregarded the sweat that had already soaked his cotton military uniform, and slowly inquired about the military situation from his seat, but only spoke to Yuwen Xuzhong at first: "Lord Yuwen, what about the Western Xia?"

"I invited troops from Western Xia long ago, but Western Xia has been slow to respond," Yuwen Xuzhong said awkwardly, standing up. "I am ashamed."

"I didn't expect them," Zhao Jiu said indifferently, but instinctively grabbed the saber tied to his leather belt around his waist, and then looked at the many Western Army generals on the left side of the hall. "I don't know the geography of Guanzhong... You are all veterans of Guanzhong. Can anyone tell me, can Fang Prefecture be saved?"

Dozens of Western Army officers looked at each other, all afraid to speak.

After a long time, Liu Xi, the person with the highest official position, the deepest qualifications, and the most solid family foundation in the seat, had no choice but to stand up and speak carefully:

"Your Majesty, excuse my bluntness, Wu Jie has been defeated again and again, and his troops have long lost the will to fight. Qu Duan and Wu Lin are gathering troops in Jingyuan Route and Huanqing Route recently, and cannot provide proper assistance for a while. If the Chang'an troops go to Fang Prefecture, perhaps it will have already been breached, and we will have to face the Jin cavalry in the wilderness... However, now that our army has sufficient supplies and strong troops, it is better to set up positions along the Wei River, the North Luo River, and the Yellow River, and Your Majesty can sit peacefully in Chang'an and wait for the heat of summer."

Zhao Jiu nodded, seemingly having expected this answer long ago.

"I don't recommend going to save them either," Liu Ziyu also gritted his teeth and stood up. "Your Majesty, not to mention whether we can save them or not, just say that the troops of Xingyuan Prefecture and Xihe Route are precisely what Loushi cannot predict, and we should treat them as a surprise force to be used for a great purpose!"

Zhao Guan Jia rubbed the saber in his hand, and then nodded again, without any expression at all... In fact, what else could he do? He didn't know the geography of Guanzhong, didn't know the abilities of these Western Army generals, didn't know which of these people were reliable and which were unreliable, and he didn't even have the opportunity to see the generals of Jingyuan Route, Yanfu Route, and Huanqing Route in person. The only thing he could do was to do his best and leave the rest to fate.

In fact, this was exactly what Wanyan Loushi wanted to see, forcing you to come to a battlefield you are not familiar with, using subordinates and armies you are not familiar with, facing enemies you are not familiar with.

It can only be said that at this moment, Zhao Jiu felt more and more that Wanyan Loushi was indeed a famous general of the Jin Dynasty.