The hard-won victory after months of torment allowed almost everyone a rare moment of uninhibited indulgence. And for Zhao Jiu, this battle seemed to hold a unique significance.

Therefore, on the day of the battle, just as he had endured on the city wall all morning before ultimately losing control in public, the Zhao Emperor behaved similarly after the war... He forced himself to inspect the battlefield, trying his best to play the role of an enlightened emperor to win hearts, but then, after summoning the meritorious officials who fought during the day, he lost control due to the wine and indulged in a thorough intoxication.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already noon the next day.

"I...朕 (zhèn, Imperial 'I')..."

Zhao Jiu sat up, somewhat warily looking at the few people in the chamber: two young eunuchs, the senior eunuch Lan Gui, and Yang Yizhong. He opened his mouth to speak, but was momentarily incoherent. "Do you have anything to say to me?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty," Yang Yizhong quickly bowed and reported, "Commander Han just reported this morning that scouts following the Jin soldiers discovered that the remnants of the Jin army had already reached Mengcheng last night. The two units that had previously disappeared, as Commander Han predicted, were preparing to cross the Northern Fei River at Kantuan Town upstream. Upon hearing the news, they also hurriedly turned back to Mengcheng... As for their next movements, we must wait for the scouts to report again, but in any case, the sieges of Guang Prefecture and Shou Prefecture have indeed been lifted."

The Zhao Emperor nodded continuously, but still seemed somewhat dazed. After a long while, he picked up a hot towel brought to him personally by Lan Gui and wiped his face casually before continuing to ask, "Anything else?"

"Yes..." Yang Yizhong quickly replied again, "The former... Martial Arts Graduate, Ma Kuo from Didao in Hebei, originally blocked by the Jin army in the Fei River area, crossed the river overnight after the Jin army turned to the Wo River to join forces with Wanyan Wushu last night. This person carries the seals and handwritten letters of Commander Zong and Senior Grand Commandant Yang, saying that he has important matters to report to Your Majesty. Because Your Majesty had not risen, Grand Councilor Lü is currently receiving him."

Zhao Jiu clearly reacted to the name Ma Kuo, because he seemed to have heard it somewhere before, possibly a famous person. But after not being able to recall it, he continued to shake his head blankly: "Anything else?"

"Yes."

Yang Yizhong bowed again, causing Lan Gui to frown slightly. He was clearly extremely dissatisfied with the encroachment on the powers of the Inner Court and the Inner Inner Court by a military official to this extent. However, with Kang Li's previous example, plus the imperial court wandering outside, he was isolated and helpless for the moment and could not lash out. "Grand Councilor Lü and Grand Commandant Zhang have both stated that because the area north of the Huai River is unstable, to prevent any mishaps, they request that Your Majesty immediately cross the river to the Bagong Mountain camp to rest, so that he can join Chief Administrator Wang and gather the Eastern and Western Councils to discuss important matters together!"

The Zhao Emperor nodded slightly on the couch, handed the hot towel back to Lan Gui, and seemed to have regained some composure, but continued to ask, "Anything else?"

Yang Yizhong paused, thought for a moment, and then carefully reported, "The wounded and fallen soldiers have all been transported across the river since yesterday; and as the weather turns warmer, according to Your Majesty's instructions, the large tomb on Bagong Mountain is being built and excavated at an accelerated pace, connecting it to the tomb of Zhang Yongzhen, the Grand Master of Harmonious Loyalty; and the rosters that Your Majesty instructed to compile when inspecting the wounded and distributing the spoils yesterday, which record the actual number of soldiers, equipment, and warhorses in each army, are progressing very slowly because the generals are resisting. Even with several more days, my subordinates and I fear we can only get a rough estimate..."

"That's not what I'm asking about," Zhao Jiu suddenly interrupted.

"Your Majesty..." Yang Yizhong hesitated upon hearing this, and then became even more careful. "Your Majesty naturally has many other matters, such as the location of the imperial court, the use of troops against various rebellions, the transportation in the southeast, Jingxiang, and Shu regions, the promotion and placement of officials, and certain judgments of extra military intelligence. But these matters must be discussed by the councilors of the Eastern and Western Councils before Your Majesty, and are not matters that a humble person like me can speak of."

Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment. He actually wanted to directly ask if he had lost control after drinking yesterday, and if he had 'revealed heavenly secrets'. But seeing the other party so cautious, he felt somewhat bored... To put it bluntly, now that things have come to this, even if he drank too much and said things he shouldn't have, even if rumors of a fox spirit spread everywhere, could anyone do anything to him now?

It must be known that, at this moment, aside from the military threat of the Jin people, the only person who could pose a substantial threat to him, Zhao Jiu, was Li Gang, Grand Councilor Li.

However, as for that sole threat, let alone the fact that Li Gang has some affection and cares about the overall situation. Even if, in the worst-case scenario, Li Boji suddenly went crazy with the Empress Dowager, Consort Pan, the imperial heir, and Zhang Que, Xu Jingheng, and Yuwen Xuzhong on the outside, after this battle, Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun, as well as so many soldiers and civilians here at the Shou Prefecture camp, would probably only recognize him, the Bagong Mountain version of the Zhao Emperor, right?!

Li Gang is only a theoretical threat.

So, after thinking for a while, Zhao Jiu actually smiled—now that he was past that period of self-abandonment, instead of being suspicious and fearful here, he might as well seriously think about serious matters. Since Wanyan Wushu has left, he will return sooner or later, so some things are actually urgent, and fortunately, he already has a plan.

With this thought in mind, the Zhao Emperor regained his composure and said, "Zhengfu is absolutely right. Although it is a rare victory, the situation is still urgent. Half a day of idleness is enough. Since there are so many affairs, let's not delay serious matters. We might as well cross the river earlier and discuss them with the two councilors."

Yang Yizhong naturally obeyed.

Thus, Zhao Jiu simply got up, washed up a bit, and then prepared to eat.

Before eating, however, the Zhao Emperor first sent Yang Dalang out to summon Hu Yantong, Zhang Jing, and Qiao Zhongfu's units, preparing to return together with the Imperial Guards.

As for waiting until Zhao Jiu had eaten a few bites, roughly filling his stomach, and seeing Yang Yizhong return to report, he then sent the Chief Steward of the Inner Court, Lan Gui, and others out for a walk... which was to have Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun continue to guard Xiacai and the Huai River, and notify the many important officials of the imperial court below Lü Haowen, including Zhao Ding, the prefect of Shou Prefecture, to take a boat to Huainan to discuss matters.

And as soon as Lan Gui left the door, Zhao Jiu himself also left the large residence originally occupied by Zhang Jun, without saying goodbye to anyone, or waiting for anyone, directly mounting his horse, casually leading Yang Yizhong and guiding the Imperial Guards, walked to the water gate to join Hu Yantong and the three generals, and then boarded a boat to Bagong Mountain.

On the other side, Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun knew that their real rewards were coming today, and they were so anxious that they were scratching their hearts, not to mention the civil officials below Lü Haowen who had received the notification, who also understood how important the matters to be discussed today were, and were all preoccupied, wishing they could go over there sooner... Only Grand Councilor Lü was here, and everyone was too embarrassed to cross first, so they waited for a long time at the inner crossing. After everyone had gathered, they modestly yielded to each other before hurriedly crossing.

And when Lü Haowen and a group of civil officials, surrounded from the front and back, returned to Huainan and arrived at the water village wharf at the foot of Bagong Mountain, they felt that the atmosphere was wrong. When they reached the mountainside, looking at the officers and soldiers along the way, each and every one of them was fully armored and in strict formation, lined up all the way from the mountainside to the small寨 (zhài, a type of fortified village) on the top of the mountain without stopping, they were even more perplexed.

But because the Emperor was waiting, and it was broad daylight, they couldn't stop to ask even a single question. And there was no time to think too much. It should be known that after going up the mountain, passing the small寨 (zhài, a type of fortified village) on the top of the mountain, it wouldn't take long before the Imperial Tent would be ahead.

Lü Haowen and others walked in, and seeing the Emperor sitting expressionlessly inside wearing a red robe and a turban with slightly crooked wings, Chief Administrator Wang Boyan, Imperial Camp Commander Wang Yuan, the newly arrived Minister of Personnel Lin Qi, and Zhang Suo, the Academician of the Dragon Diagram Pavilion, who should have rushed over from Shouchun not far behind today, were all solemnly waiting. Moreover, countless Imperial Guards who had just fought on the battlefield yesterday, surrounded the wooden shed with their hands on their sabers, causing their teeth to ache.

"Your subject..."

"No need for formalities," the Zhao Emperor waved his hand bluntly. "There are too many things, everyone sit down. Rise when you speak. Let's discuss matters directly!"

"Yes..." Lü Haowen and the others were all startled, and were clearly infected by the surrounding atmosphere.

"Have the official rewards for the generals been decided?" As soon as everyone sat down, the Zhao Emperor immediately asked without pausing for a moment.

Fortunately, the first matter discussed was not too outrageous, and everyone was prepared.

Therefore, Lü Haowen and Wang Boyan, who had just touched their buttocks to the stools, exchanged glances and rose together, even yielding to each other. Finally, Wang Boyan took the lead in the name of the Chief Administrator:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, from top to bottom, starting with Han and Zhang, Your subject believes that the two generals are either heroic and insightful, or calm and capable, and have both made great contributions. They should each be granted a Jiedushi (Military Commissioner) to show Your Majesty's favor!"

"Your subject agrees." Lü Haowen also immediately expressed his agreement, and no one around opposed.

The Zhao Emperor also nodded slightly.

It should be known that he is not purely ignorant of the official system now. Although he is still confused about what Chengxuan Envoy and Observation Envoy are, he finally knows that the Jiedushi (Military Commissioner) is the pinnacle of the status of military men in the Song Dynasty, the so-called well-deserved military establishment... After that, it is nothing more than two镇(zhèn, a military establishment) Jiedushi (Military Commissioner), three镇(zhèn, a military establishment) Jiedushi (Military Commissioner), and then Grand Protector, Junior Protector, and even Duke and Prince.

In short, the Han Taiwei that Han Shizhong had been thinking about has finally been safely secured, and this time it is definitely guaranteed to be ripe.

After Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun, the transfers and promotions of the remaining generals such as Wang De, Liu Bao, Wang Sheng, and Xie Yuan were also well known to Wang Boyan as Chief Administrator. Basically, everything that was said was approved, and even if there were disputes, they were only superficial matters... So it was decided one by one in just a moment.

At the same time, the scholar Lin, who never participated in this kind of dispute, sat under the wooden shed, and several secretaries of the Chancellery assisted, already writing quickly, quickly drafting decrees one by one according to the Emperor's requirements.

But after the official ranks, when it came to the assignments, everyone couldn't help but become nervous.

"As for the assignments of Zhang and Han, Your subject had previously made suggestions, and I hope Your Majesty will take them into consideration." Wang Boyan bowed in response.

"I understand what Chief Administrator Wang means," Zhao Jiu, sitting there, said casually and nodded, actually revealing his plan extremely straightforwardly. "Before, we had to fight, so I have not discussed these matters much, so as not to affect the morale of the army. But now that the battle is roughly over, some things cannot be delayed... Gentlemen, the arrangements for Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and the remaining generals, the reorganization of the army, I know that you all have various plans. But to discuss this matter, we must first discuss another fundamental matter, that is, if Wanyan Wushu really goes north next, where should we relocate the imperial court? Should we go to Yangzhou, Tokyo, or continue to Nanyang? Or, as Chief Administrator Wang has recently said, simply stay in Shou Prefecture? In any case, the Eastern and Western Councils must quickly decide this matter before me today!"

Wang Boyan and Lü Haowen exchanged glances, and did not dare to hesitate any longer. The former, being in the midst of answering, took the opportunity to bow and said, "Your subject still believes that the imperial court may as well remain in Shou Prefecture, residing behind Shouchun! And if Shou Prefecture is made the secondary capital, then the military will naturally be in order, the economy will be a continuous source, and manpower can also rely on the Central Plains. In the future, even if there is a major war, we can hold onto the Huai River... This place is far superior to the remoteness of Yangzhou, the flatness of Nanyang, and the emptiness of Tokyo."

Hearing these words, Zhao Ding and Lin Jingmo, who had a direct stake in Shou Prefecture, almost wanted to agree, but for some reason, they both held back... Therefore, when these words were spoken, there were few responses. Among the so-called important ministers and close ministers, only Wang Yuan was qualified to speak before the Emperor.

"Your subject still suggests going to Yangzhou, Yangzhou is stable." Now that things have come to this, Lü Haowen knew that it could not be avoided, so he braced himself and took half a step forward, insisting on his consistent argument from Nanjing (Shangqiu) under Zhao Jiu's calm gaze. "Moving to Yangzhou, firstly, the wealth and taxes of the southeast do not need to be transported these five hundred miles; secondly, in case of emergency, we can cross the Yangtze River at any time and rely on the natural barrier to defend; thirdly, Your subject begs to speak frankly, after today's battle, no one doubts Your Majesty's determination to resist the war, and Yangzhou has not yet crossed the Yangtze River after all, belonging to Huainan, and cannot be called temporary peace... Your Majesty has the heart to restore the country, and should find a suitable place."

Unexpectedly, this place that had been almost publicly rejected by Zhao Jiu on the road now has quite a few supporters, as the times have changed and things have changed.

"We have Shou Prefecture and Yangzhou, what about the others?" After a few people finished speaking, Zhao Jiu did not comment. "Before the Imperial Tent today, everyone can speak their minds freely."

"Your subject, Secretariat Drafter Hu Yin, believes that we can return to Tokyo to rectify the people's hearts!" Sure enough, Hu Mingzhong could not hold back long ago.

"..."

"..."

Zhao Jiu helplessly could only take the initiative to look at another key figure in silence: "Minister Lin, you are from the southeast, does Grand Councilor Li have any related words of advice?"

The so-called Minister Lin is naturally Lin Qi, the Vice Minister of Personnel, the one with the same name as the father of Scholar Lin, this person is Li Gang's spokesperson in the imperial court, and he said frankly upon hearing this:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, when Your subject came, I did not expect such a great victory, so at that time Grand Councilor Li only had a few words, which was to hope that no matter where Your Majesty goes, you must not hesitate, decide immediately, so that he can also move and join Your Majesty."

Zhao Jiu still did not comment, but continued to raise his voice and ask, "Does anyone else have any words to say?"

As soon as these words came out, Zhang Jun, the Censor-in-Chief, Lin Jingmo, the Academician of the Jade Hall, and Zhao Ding, the Prefect of Shou Prefecture, these three people of different ages, who were recognized as the backbone figures of the Bagong Mountain imperial court who had risen recently, almost all had a sudden feeling in their hearts... and then immediately realized something!

ps: It will be on the shelves tonight... Please give me a first order.