"Why wouldn't Daming Prefecture need to be attacked? That's the number one city in Hebei!" Wanyan Talan feigned ignorance.

"Du Chong, the defender of Daming Prefecture, heard the military situation here a few days ago and abandoned Daming Prefecture to escape behind us. He's probably already gone to Bianliang. Daming Prefecture is basically an empty city. Just send someone to take it. Why would we need to turn back with a large army?!" Wushu became increasingly impatient. "What about going south to capture the Song Emperor? Uncle, you know that the Song Dynasty's Zhao family has only one of those left. Kill him, and the Song people's flowery world is in our hands."

"That sounds good!" Talan was also getting impatient. "Is the southern climate the same as the north? And the Song people aren't all useless. Look at Lou Shi in Shanzhou. With all his military strategies, he couldn't capture it with a hundred thousand troops for months. What if you encounter someone similar who relies on a large city to drag you down? Do you think Lou Shi is incompetent?"

"I'm not being arrogant, but the reason Shanzhou is difficult to crack is because the Song Emperor can't control it. But the Huai River region is directly controlled by the Song Emperor himself. How can you compare them? Besides, it's precisely to prevent heroes like those Han Chinese in Shanzhou from constantly rising up that we need to eliminate the Song Emperor as soon as possible!"

"You're just insatiable, wanting to take the Central Plains' flowery world for yourself. Saying it's for the sake of Shanzhou? Doesn't that seem hypocritical?"

"So what if that's the case? Is it not allowed?!" Wanyan Wushu finally got angry. "Don't think I don't know that Nianhan took Hebei and occupied Hedong. This time, the Emperor has secretly promised you the Jingdong East Circuit and even a Lordship of the Lu Kingdom! Since he can grant you the Lu region, why can't he allow me to take the Central Plains for myself?! I dare to ask the Emperor face-to-face in Shangjing about this reason! The Emperor and all the Bojilie will definitely not disapprove of my idea!"

Talan's eyes widened, and he stroked his beard in silence, clearly touched by Wushu's key point.

The Jurchen, Xi, Khitan, and Han leaders in the Eastern Route Army of the Jin Dynasty all pondered upon hearing this, and they all understood the Jin Dynasty's highest-level internal division... However, no one had anything to say because human nature has always been like this.

Young people who have come of age without official positions, territories, or honors will naturally become radical young and middle-aged factions; while older people who already have a foundation, once inertia sets in, are unwilling to bother anymore... Before the expedition, Talan and Wushu were both without foundations compared to Nianhan of the Western Route Army, so the cooperation between uncle and nephew was smooth. But now that the Jingdong East Circuit has been conquered and the Jin Emperor has already made promises, Talan naturally only wants to focus his attention on the area around his 'Lu Kingdom'. Correspondingly, Wushu naturally becomes even more eager to continue south.

"I'll only say one thing." Wanyan Talan thought for a long time, but insisted on one thing. "The Emperor's decree is here. There's absolutely no way to violate the decree. Otherwise, if Wushu, you want to go south, why would I bother to oppose you? As I see it, Wushu, you should turn around and take Daming Prefecture. By the way, send a fast horse to Zhongdu to obtain a Bojilie document from your elder brother before going south. What harm is there in that? You can also advance from the west of Liangshanpo, avoiding Liu Guangshi in southern Lu!"

Wushu Yan finished a cup of strong wine on the table and sneered at Talan: "A general stationed outside has the right to make his own decisions. Clearly, as long as my uncle, the supervising deputy commander, nods, I can go south. But my uncle spends all day with those Song people, learning nothing, but only learning the Song people's inefficiency and just treating me like a ball to be kicked... Uncle, I only have one sentence today. If I don't use your 60,000 troops and instead send 20,000 troops with General Han to capture Daming Prefecture and only take the remaining 30,000 troops south, do you allow it or not?"

Talan was momentarily tempted, but hesitated again. The Jurchens were sincere in their actions at this time. After a little thought, the supervising deputy commander simply replied:

"Wushu! I do have some doubts. Allow me some time to fly a hawk and ask a trusted confidant!"

Wushu naturally had no objections, allowing the other party to leave the seat. He then raised his cup to drink himself, and then picked up the wine pot to invite the Jin generals in the hall to drink wine and eat meat, and urged a group of Song Dynasty dancers who had been driven out to freeze to return to dance for entertainment.

Let’s leave the unrestrained joy to focus on Wanyan Talan, who wrapped in a brocade robe and went to the back hall of the mansion. After sitting down, he asked the Song Dynasty servants here to call for someone… After a while, a Song Dynasty scholar in plain silk clothes and agile hands and feet came in a hurry.

When this person arrived in front of Wanyan Talan, bowed and saluted, and raised his head, it was a man with a proper appearance and about thirty-six or seven years old.

"I knew Scholar Qin was quick on his feet!" Talan said without hesitation when he saw this person. "Today is not to force you to go to the hall and drink with those vulgar people, but there is something I want to ask you to advise on... After multiple military prefectures surrendered, the military situation in front is clear. Your Song Dynasty's new emperor is stationed on the Huai River, only five or six hundred miles away from here, with only Liu Guangshi in the middle. Wushu wants to lead his troops south to directly capture the Song Emperor, but he is too lazy to turn back to ask for instructions and only wants me, the supervising deputy commander, to give him convenience... What do you say?"

Scholar Qin was stunned when he heard this, but almost blurted out: "The Fourth Prince is the Emperor Taizu's son. Judging by the future, he has a great future. There is no need to offend him for this matter. However, once he is slightly obstructed on the way south, the fault will be attributed to the Deputy Commander!"

"Well said!" Talan extended a finger and pointed at the other party seriously. "This is the reason why both Marshal Nianhan and I admire you... But today is not to ask Scholar Qin to be an advisor, but Wushu is pressing me hard. Please make a quick decision for me!"

Scholar Qin was stunned for a moment: "How can I, a small surrendered person, make such a big decision for the Deputy Commander?"

"It's not like that. Scholar Qin is smarter than me. I do understand... You don't need to take responsibility, just say a word!" Talan was generous.

Scholar Qin was helpless, but felt absurd, so he bowed again and said: "Deputy Commander, please forgive me. I am, after all, a surrendered Song Dynasty person. My heart is already in chaos. Please give me half an incense stick of time. I will go back and think about it and immediately give the Deputy Commander a reply!"

"You may go." Talan didn't take it seriously. "I know Scholar Qin is quick on his feet and trustworthy. I'll wait here for your reply..."

Scholar Qin, who was also Qin Hui, Qin Huizhi, the vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel and a representative of the pro-war faction during the Jingkang period of the Great Song Dynasty, thanked Talan for his consideration and left in a hurry, but did not go far at all.

On the contrary, as soon as he stepped out of the door into the snowy ground, he stopped and sighed looking at the sky, not knowing what he was thinking, and then actually turned back to salute:

"Deputy Commander!"

"Speak!" Talan stroked his beard with satisfaction.

"Push this matter to Liu Guangshi!" Qin Hui bowed at the threshold. "Give the Fourth Prince a deadline and requirements. In addition to dividing his troops to capture Daming Prefecture, he also needs to break through the defense line of the six military prefectures south of Mount Tai led by Liu Guangshi before the end of the year. If he can, let him go; if he can't, don't let him go!"

"Wonderful!" Wanyan Talan stood up stroking his beard, greatly excited. "As expected, you are Scholar Qin!"

"Just to let the Deputy Commander know, I was once a Song official after all. Such words are also leaving it to fate and setting a binding agreement for myself." Qin Hui explained in a low voice, but Talan had already gotten up and left, unable to hear him at all.

Qin Hui had no choice but to lower his head and flee back to the courtyard in a hurry.

Without mentioning how complex Qin Huizhi's thoughts were, at the same time, Wanyan Talan also turned into the front hall, but found that for some reason, the hall was still as quiet as before. Thinking that everyone was waiting for his result, he went straight to sit down and calmly explained the strategy he had obtained.

"That's the whole story." Talan sat stroking his beard, looking extremely relaxed. "How about it, Wushu, do you dare to agree?"

When Jin Wushu heard this, he looked around and exchanged glances with many people in the hall, but remained silent for a long time. It wasn't until Talan gradually became impatient that he asked, "May I ask my uncle, whose staff officer's idea is this?"

"Scholar Qin." Talan didn't hide it. "The Emperor specially granted him to me when he came... Don't think about bullying him. I want to keep him for important use."

Jin Wushu nodded repeatedly, but the corners of his mouth slightly turned up: "It's not to bully him, but to specially feast him when I return from the expedition, and by the way, send him a few princesses, tens of thousands of bolts of cloth, and tens of thousands of strings of cash!"

Talan was confused.

At this time, Jin Wushu finally laughed loudly, leading all the Jin generals in the hall to laugh together, so that the laughter shook the roof tiles, and the snow accumulated on the tiles collapsed.

Talan was even more confused.

Jin Wushu finally stopped being mysterious: "Just to let my uncle know, just now, a military rider came to report that Liu Guangshi, taking advantage of the snowfall, actually abandoned the six military prefectures and fled south with his entire army! This is Heaven's will to destroy the Song Dynasty!"

Talan was only stunned for a moment, but suddenly got up, raised his cup, and smiled: "In that case, I wish Wushu a successful and meritorious achievement... However, you don't have to send any princesses to Scholar Qin, because everyone in my mansion knows that Scholar Qin is most afraid of his wife!"

Jin Wushu laughed even more when he heard this, laughing so hard that tears came out.