Autumn leaves had yet to fall, and the flames of war had already died down.

In the late summer and early autumn of the fourth year of Jianyan (1130 AD), the war between the Song and Jin states came to a complete end. With Yue Fei's Imperial Vanguard escorting a large number of refugees from Hebei back across the Yellow River, the battle lines returned to their pre-war positions.

Moreover, almost as if by mutual agreement, as the two armies retreated to their respective safe zones, both the Song and Jin immediately began an organized de-escalation along the border.

Large numbers of field troops were systematically withdrawn from the front lines, auxiliary soldiers and laborers were dismissed, and both sides tacitly retained only garrisons in key locations for surveillance and necessary defense.

The rear areas were similarly demilitarized, with military units returning to their garrisons and civilian officials reassuming control of local affairs.

This mutual understanding stemmed from several factors. First, the recent war had taken its toll on both sides. Coupled with a host of internal problems and troubles that both sides could anticipate with their eyes closed, neither wanted to expend further energy in mutual attrition. Second, almost all discerning individuals realized that the strategic balance between the two sides had fundamentally shifted. For the foreseeable future, neither country could inflict a fatal blow on the other. The Jin army lacked the capacity to destroy the Zhao Song dynasty or seize large swathes of its territory. Conversely, it was unlikely that the Zhao Song, having been on the defensive for the past five or six years, could suddenly transition to the offensive. The long-discussed strategic stalemate between the Song and Jin across the Yellow River had officially solidified.

Under these circumstances, only Zhang Rong's Imperial Navy retained 'freedom of movement.' As for the other areas, it wasn't that large-scale skirmishes were prohibited, but rather that they were deemed unnecessary.

Besides, as the old saying went, there was a hierarchy of urgency. Or, to put it another way, internal stability must precede external defense. With the attainment of strategic equilibrium, the priorities of certain matters were finally adjusted.

July saw the "flowing fire" star, unmistakably signaling the arrival of autumn, but the intensity of the summer heat remained stubbornly high.

On this day, a caravan of donkey carts and mules arrived at the ruined capital of Luoyang and headed straight for the site of the old imperial palace. The soldiers and their families in the garrison living area built against the city walls had long become accustomed to this sight. In recent days, officials, both civil and military, scholars, and merchants traveling between Tokyo and Guansai would invariably visit the place where Counselor Wang had died for his country, burning incense and composing poems.

And this person, who could gather so many donkey carts and mules, along with attendants and followers, was clearly a proper civil official, so such a visit was inevitable.

Of course, these people were ignorant. Unlike the passersby who came to join the spectacle and show their faces for Counselor Wang's reputation, the Supervising Censor Wanqiu, who was passing through this place today, was no mere charlatan. He was a true colleague of Counselor Wang, even considering the latter his 'benefactor.' After receiving his official appointment in the Nanyang Palace that day, Wanqiu Yuanzhong served in the Privy Council, directly under Wang Zhongmu's command.

Therefore, despite his extreme fatigue and urgent schedule, Wanqiu Xie insisted on visiting the ruins of the old palace in Luoyang to offer incense and candles to Counselor Wang, bowing in deep reverence.

However, after shedding several lines of muddy tears, Supervising Censor Wanqiu should have followed the example of the visiting scholars and officials and composed a mourning poem on the newly plastered remnants of the broken walls. But for some unknown reason, he picked up his brush and dipped it in ink, but could not produce a single word. Instead, he abruptly recalled the poem 'Ruined Palace' that Zhao, the Emperor, had once written for Luoyang, 'Of grand palaces, ten thousand rooms, all turned to dust. In prosperity, the people suffer; in destruction, the people suffer.' In the end, he could only abandon his brush, hide his tears, and leave.

Not only that, after leaving the ruined capital of Luoyang, Wanqiu Xie continued his journey west, taking the ancient Xiaomian Road, passing through Shanzhou, entering Tongguan, and traveling incessantly along the Wei River, but he remained depressed. This depression, in turn, made him feel increasingly uneasy.

Now, Wanqiu Yuanzhong was an insightful person. He understood his own thoughts clearly: the so-called depression was caused by what he had seen and heard before and after the war. First, he had crossed the river with the Imperial Vanguard and witnessed the 'deserted villages' of Hebei. After returning, he had heard of his benefactor's actions. Naturally, he felt depressed after the memorial service. As for the uneasiness, it was because he was constantly annoyed that he could not escape these emotions.

It must be known that he, Wanqiu Xie, had idled away his middle age and only gradually gained an official position through opportunistic actions in Nanyang. His ambition was to be a good official, a high-ranking official. He usually did not care about his reputation before or after his death. It wasn't that he couldn't have these feelings of depression, after all, people were not inanimate objects, how could they be without emotions? But the problem was that, for some unknown reason, the higher his official position became, the more easily these meaningless emotions appeared. This was even more evident this time.

That was why he felt uneasy.

Of course, what kind of person was Wanqiu Yuanzhong? Although he felt uneasy in his heart, it never showed on his face. And when he arrived at the posthouse outside Linwei City that evening and heard that someone had come to visit, knowing that his trip west to see the Emperor was to do important things, he immediately put on an unapproachable posture:

"No matter who it is, tell the person outside that I am a Supervising Censor of the Palace, a dignified member of the imperial court, a close advisor to the Emperor. This time I am traveling west to meet the Emperor, and I will not engage in private dealings with anyone..."

The attendant, a veteran who retired from the Imperial Vanguard, naturally went out to convey this message properly.

However, after a moment, the attendant returned again.

"The visitor claims to be an old friend from northern Shaanxi?" Wanqiu Xie hesitated for a moment. "A civil official or a military general?"

"He didn't bring any attendants. His clothes look like a civil official's attire, but he has a strong build and is riding an extremely sturdy horse. He also speaks in a somewhat sarcastic tone..." The attendant, who had only recently joined Wanqiu Xie after the war, described the visitor in detail, clearly not recognizing him.

Before he could finish speaking, Wanqiu Yuanzhong simply chuckled and went out to greet him in person.

As expected, the visitor was none other than Supervising Censor Wanqiu's 'old friend from northern Shaanxi,' Qu Duan, who had rendered outstanding service in the recent Battle of Yaoshan.

Upon seeing each other, Qu Duan immediately curled his lips and said, "Supervising Censor Wanqiu, are you coming to Guansai this time to emulate Yang Zhen and be a man of 'four knows'? Why don't you look in a bronze mirror and see yourself? Do you really think you can become a high official for three generations?"

Wanqiu Xie didn't say a word in front of him. After returning to the small courtyard where he was staying, he stroked his beard and sneered, "Regardless of whether it's four knows or five knows, at this juncture, it's fortunate that you, Qu, have remained in the military. If you had really transitioned to a civil position and dared to bother me, I would have shouted 'thief!' in public first..."

The two exchanged a few sarcastic remarks, then sat down in the courtyard. Only then did Qu Duan become serious. "If that's the case, Supervising Censor Wanqiu, you are not wary of military generals, but rather wary of civil officials? What's the reason for this?"

"What reason could there be?" July saw the 'flowing fire' star. The days were hot, but the evenings gradually became cooler. Wanqiu Xie sat with his hands clasped, not bothering to hide his thoughts. "After this war, which of you military leaders is not under the Emperor's thumb? The Emperor wants to reorganize the Western Army here. Liu Xi refuted him with a single word. The remaining three major military leaders, you Qu, Wu, and Liu, do you really dare to resist?"

"According to the regulations of this dynasty, the Emperor can manipulate military generals at will," Qu Duan sighed, shaking his head. "It's just that this Emperor can shoot arrows on horseback, so it's particularly noticeable... But if that's the case, why are you wary of civil officials if you are not wary of military generals? First reorganize the army, transfer tens of thousands of Western Army troops to the Imperial Guard, arrange the troops and horses well, have tens of thousands of brave soldiers guarding the area, and then distribute the idle fields in Guanzhong. Who would dare to make trouble? Who could make trouble?"

Wanqiu Xie scoffed and remained silent.

Qu Duan was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and also began to chuckle. "I understand... Counselor Wang died for his country, and Counselor Lu has just been promoted to Duke. The Department of State Affairs and the Privy Council both have vacant high positions. The officials below are like crows fighting for meat. You are determined to be a treacherous minister and don't want to be seen as someone's follower."

Wanqiu Xie shook his head repeatedly. "Qu, you are talented in both civil and military affairs, but you just happen to have a mouth."

"So what if I have a mouth? I'm still the commander of the Imperial Cavalry," Qu Duan retorted proudly. "The imperial edict was issued a few days ago!"

"Is that so?" Wanqiu Xie was slightly taken aback, then shook his head. "Then why did you come here? Did you really just come to argue with me?"

"There is indeed something," Qu Duan said seriously at this moment. "I'm involved in a lawsuit... Supervising Censor Wanqiu, do you know Guo Cheng?"

"Of course I know General Guo Cheng. He was already a famous general during Emperor Shenzong's campaign against the Western Xia," Wanqiu Xie said thoughtfully. "He has been transferred to the Huanqing and Jingyuan areas, which is to say, the northern Shaanxi area... And northern Shaanxi is where you and the Wu brothers started out. If there's a lawsuit between you, I can imagine what it's about without you telling me. It's nothing more than you seizing his military power or you ostracizing his descendants, right?"

"If I hadn't been able to gather the troops from the hands of these useless people at that time, how could I have accomplished anything?" Qu Duan frowned and simply admitted to this matter.

"Then you should just tell the Emperor this..." Wanqiu Xie said dismissively. "Since the Emperor has made the appointment, he still values you in his heart."

"The key is that Guo Cheng is about to die," Qu Duan frowned even more. "He's a veteran general of four reigns, who has always had military merits. After Grand Commandant Yang's death, he's the most senior person in the Western Army. But he's been in poor health for many years and has only been recuperating in the fortified villages in Huanqing Road. Originally, I had been competing with his son, Guo Hao, for many years. Two years ago, I took advantage of the chaos and gained the upper hand, but I didn't push him too hard, mostly out of respect for this old general. But unexpectedly, he suddenly came forward in person... Two days after the edict appointing me as the commander of the Imperial Cavalry was issued, Guo Cheng was still recuperating in the fortified village on the border of Jingyuan Road, waiting to die, but a memorial had already been sent to the Emperor, openly impeaching me for ten major crimes I committed in northern Shaanxi two years ago."

"Only ten major crimes?"

"In fact, I committed more than twenty major crimes back then, but what's the point?" Qu Duan said indifferently. "If you really want to talk about crimes, that idle poem and Wang Shu's affair are enough to kill me, where would it be Guo Cheng and Guo Hao's turn?"

"That's true, so what are you afraid of?"

"Isn't the Emperor about to reorganize the entire Western Army into the Imperial Rear Army? And since he wants to reorganize the army, he should give the Western Army generals some consolation. If the Emperor wants to give the dying old general some face at that time, what if he suspends my command of the Imperial Cavalry?" Qu Duan finally got to the point. "And I won't hide it from you, the Guo Cheng and Guo Hao father and son are from the same hometown as the Wu brothers. I'm also afraid that those two rascals, Wu Da and Wu Er, are also involved in this matter. I was feeling anxious when I happened to hear that you were coming, so I personally rode the Iron Elephant over to welcome you, also wanting to seek your advice on this matter."

Wanqiu Xie finally smiled again. "You're just worried and confused..."

"What do you mean?" Qu Da finally perked up.

"Let me ask you," Wanqiu Yuanzhong stroked his beard and said. "Guo Cheng is a dying man, why would he impeach you before he dies? Doesn't he know that you are the Emperor's favorite? Isn't he afraid that you will take revenge on his son after he dies? Such a senior general, risking his own last bit of dignity and his son's future, just to vent his anger? If you were Guo Cheng, would you do this?"

Qu Da chuckled for a moment. "If it were me, I would naturally do this."

Wanqiu Xie's face darkened for a moment.

But Qu Duan continued to laugh. "But I also understand what you mean... It's because Guo Hao hasn't made any meritorious contributions this time, and he's watching as the Western Army is about to be reorganized. That's why his father sacrificed his reputation like this, to remind the Emperor not to forget that the Guo family has been loyal for two generations and four reigns, wanting the Emperor to give his son a future for his sake... This kind of thing, as long as you promise Guo Hao a position, it will directly disappear."

"That's exactly what I mean," Wanqiu Xie finally stroked his beard and nodded, but then asked curiously. "But Guo Hao is in his prime, and he has a proper military position in Huanqing Road. Why didn't he make any meritorious contributions in this great war?"

"Because it was me who transferred troops to the northern fortresses in Huanqing Road at that time, and I've always been annoyed by this rascal, so I specifically summoned his troops, but left him behind to take care of his father," Qu Duan said casually, as if he were saying that the Iron Elephant had been bred once yesterday.

"You should try to be a good person!" Wanqiu Xie grabbed his beard, temporarily exasperated.

"If I were as good at being a person as Wu Da, how would I have gotten involved with you?" Qu Duan still didn't care. "Wu Da is also your old friend from northern Shaanxi, has he come to find you today? You don't know yet, Wu Da is now in cahoots with Liu Ziyu, and with Hu Jinglue's promotion in the past, Zhang, Hu, Liu, and Wu are almost controlling all the affairs of Guansai, even Chancellor Yuwen is just a figurehead..."

Wanqiu Xie immediately fell silent.

It is said that birds of a feather flock together... This saying may be vulgar, but some things are indeed the case.

Wanqiu Yuanzhong knew that he was congenitally deficient, so he was determined to be a treacherous minister. Several times he did things that had already vaguely caused the upright ministers in the court to take notice... Under such circumstances, who with a proper path would come to associate with him? And before, he had finally found a path with Wang Shuzhan and Imperial Uncle Zhao, but unfortunately, he encountered the entrustment of orphans at Yiyou Gate. After this incident, Imperial Uncle Zhao was destined to have no more political achievements, and the Wang Shuzhan father and son also suffered a lot of embarrassment because of this. It was really Qu Da, who had an extra mouth, who was his biggest political companion at this time.

However, after being angry for a while, Wanqiu Yuanzhong thought about it and smiled again... Because no matter what, Qu Duan had come this time, and his words were so straightforward that the meaning of partnering up was already very clear.

And although both of them were outliers, one was a Supervising Censor of the Palace and the other was a commander of the Imperial Cavalry, which was enough to support each other.

Even that lawsuit, with this guy's 'civil and military' intelligence, he probably already understood it, but it was just an excuse to see him.

Compared to this, being taken advantage of by this rascal was insignificant.

With this thought, Wanqiu Xie sighed and was rarely more candid. "I can see it now, what you, Qu Duan, care about is not the Guo father and son, but the Wu brothers..."

"Don't you care about Liu Ziyu and Hu Yin, Zhang Jun?" Qu Duan retorted coldly. "This group of people are colluding together, connecting left and right, almost all the major officials and commanders in the world are as one, where is there room for us to exist? Guansai is saying that when the Emperor returns to Tokyo, it will be the day when Zhang Jun is appointed as Chancellor!"

"You still have shallow knowledge," Wanqiu Xie became more candid. "It is possible for Zhang Jun to be promoted to Chancellor, but whether we can exist depends on the Emperor, not them. To take a step back, even if this group of people gains power and wants to make things difficult for us, we can just hide a little, because although they have the upper hand for a while, they cannot always have the upper hand..."

"What do you mean?"

"Two things... One is that things that are united for a long time will inevitably fall apart, and the other is that flowers do not bloom for a hundred days." Wanqiu Xie was really confiding his innermost thoughts today. "The so-called things that are united for a long time will inevitably fall apart means that although these people are one now, it is only because there were senior ministers before, so they appear to be one. When it is their turn to handle national affairs, they will inevitably disagree with each other due to their age, political views, background, and habits, and they will inevitably split. And flowers do not bloom for a hundred days means that the Emperor is young and strong, and there will be many days in the future, and there are many things to do. Some of these people are either incompetent or have bad tempers, how can they always keep up with such a divine and martial Emperor?"

Qu Duan raised an eyebrow and blurted out again, "If they can't keep up, can we keep up?"

Wanqiu Xie shook his head repeatedly, feeling inexplicably. "What if we can't keep up? In this chaotic world, meeting such a wise ruler, you and I will do our best and make some achievements and merits. In the future, our posthumous reputation may be higher than those Chancellors in peaceful times, right? Even if we don't say us, those who died before, are they not worth anything for a lifetime? Why must we seek the highest position?"

However, as soon as these words came out, Wanqiu Xie himself was a little dazed, and Qu Duan originally wanted to ridicule, but he had nothing to say in the end.

Just like that, not to mention how a treacherous minister and an overbearing general colluded in private, only to say that early the next morning, Wanqiu Xie continued his journey west, and the next day he entered Chang'an and met the Emperor. He was ordered to take advantage of the autumn harvest as a Supervising Censor of the Palace to investigate the ownership of the land around the Yongxing Army Road of the Jingzhao Prefecture in Guanzhong, in preparation for the land grant after the Western Army was reorganized and rewarded for their merits... This was a major task that was expected. Some other important ministers who had arrived successively were either reorganizing the army or surveying the land. There was no third major event in Guansai.

Therefore, Wanqiu Xie naturally had nothing to say.

Only after he received the order and was about to leave, he was stopped by Zhao, the Emperor, in public: "Guansai has been ravaged by Lou Shi many times, and there have been wars for several years. In some places, large households rely on their fortified villages and strong men to wantonly seize unclaimed land, and the powerful families in Jingzhao are the most numerous and strongest among them. Wanqiu Qing must be aware of this."

Of course, Wanqiu Xie was aware of this... The Emperor wasn't reminding him of any fortified villages. Even if there were fortified villages in Guansai, how would they dare to fart under the eyes of tens of thousands of troops? The Emperor was asking him to be strict and take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break up some of the big landlords and properly distribute the most fertile land around Jingzhao, which might be the most fertile land in the world... How could he not be aware of this?

Seeing Wanqiu Yuanzhong repeatedly cupping his hands in response, Zhao Jiu knew that the other party was a 'treacherous minister' who understood his intentions, and he was naturally satisfied in his heart. But then he seemed to suddenly remember something and continued to ask with a smile, "I heard that Qu Duan went to find you?"

"Yes."

Wanqiu Xie was rather candid. "This minister and Commander Qu once had a saying in northern Shaanxi... His subordinates first imprisoned this minister, and this minister later escorted him to Tokyo. It was rare to form a friendship."

"That's really an unbreakable friendship," Zhao Jiu smiled even more. "Did he only seek you out to reminisce?"

"That's not the case. After he went, he first asked this minister how to deal with Guo Cheng's impeachment... This minister told him to be generous and recommend Guo Hao for a future." At this point, Wanqiu Xie hesitated obviously, but he still glanced at Hu Yin and Bachelor Lin, who were standing on the side, and continued, "Later, he told the truth, which was that he was worried that the Wu brothers and Liu Chengzhi, Hu Jinglue, Zhang Yunyun and others would collude up and down, left and right, and would bully him in the future... Therefore, this minister also comforted him a few words and told him to do his duty in peace."

Zhao Jiu nodded with a smile and did not express any extra opinions: "I know. Wanqiu Qing will have to work hard on the land survey in Jingzhao... But you can rest assured that I will support you here. When this matter is settled, we will return to Tokyo together."

Wanqiu Xie did not dare to say more and then cupped his hands and said goodbye.

After Wanqiu Xie left, Zhao Jiu directly looked at Hu Yin on the side: "Mingzhong, Qu Da said you are forming a faction, do you have anything to say?"

Hu Mingzhong came out calmly and replied: "Qu Da is usually unruly and measures others by himself, so he is just worrying unnecessarily!"

Zhao Jiu nodded and then continued to ask calmly: "Then let's not talk about this, let me ask you again, after this matter is over, have you ever thought about returning to Tokyo to be a Chancellor?"

Hu Yin was obviously stunned for a moment, but then shook his head solemnly: "A Chancellor is one who governs the world, and this minister's temperament and talent are not enough to take on the responsibility of the world. This minister is presumptuous and still asks to stay in Guansai and be a local official for a term."

Zhao Jiu nodded again and continued to ask casually: "Then do you think Zhang Deyuan can be a Chancellor?"

Hu Yin finally fell silent.

Zhao Jiu looked at the other party for a while and realized what was happening, and nodded a third time.

ps: Thanks to the 104th Moe, Erdan is right... Who is this?

The 105th Moe, student Lianyun... Thank you for your tolerance.

Then I dedicate a new book--"My Senior Brother is a Sword Immortal"