The anxieties and wait of Zhao Guan Jia and the Nanyang central authorities did not last long, because the Jin people could not afford to waste too much time and let the opportunity slip away... Regardless of the success or failure of the early raids, they had to continue their advance. So, as the late autumn season of September arrived, the Jin people's subsequent forces gradually managed to gather, and the clues to the Jin people's main force began to emerge one by one.

Among them, the information from Wanyan Loushi arrived first.

This Jin general, recognized within the Jin army and arguably by the Song army as a consistently victorious general, the most reliable under Wanyan Zonghan, led the main force of the Jin army's Western Route Army, numbering 50,000, across the Yellow River, landing at Yanhekou, going upstream, and heading straight for Yan'an.

The message was significantly delayed, but calculating the time, it was not much later than the five-way raid. Moreover, according to Yuwen Xuzhong's report from Wang Shu, the local Pacification Commissioner, Qu Duan, the prefect of Yan'an, abandoned resistance and directly chose to withdraw. It was possible that Yan'an had already fallen.

Regarding this, Zhao Guan Jia and the members of the central authorities could not voice any criticism.

After all, the disparity in troop strength was so great, and Wanyan Loushi's record and reputation were well-known. Avoiding direct combat to preserve strength was a reasonable choice. Moreover, Nanyang had long communicated to Guanxi and Li Yanxian that they should delay as long as possible and hold out as much as they could, without any additional demands... Therefore, Qu Duan's actions this time were not really something to fuss about.

However, everything fears comparison. The news of Zhang Suo, a minister of such high rank, dying for his country, and Xin Daozong, an arrogant young noble whom Zhao Guan Jia secretly looked down upon, dying in battle had just arrived. Then Qu Duan came along and proactively abandoned Yan'an, inevitably leading to some comparisons in people's minds.

But as mentioned earlier, based on the current information, knowing only that he abandoned Yan'an left one speechless.

The second general revealed after Wanyan Loushi was somewhat surprising, yet also within expectations... also belonging to the Western Route Army, namely Wanyan Yinshuke, the Commander of Taiyuan.

Due to Li Yanxian's successful counterattack and Wanyan Loushi leading the main force of the Western Route Army across the river, the military situation in Shanxi and Hedong gradually became visible to the Song army. At this time, everyone realized that Wanyan Yinshuke, the number two general of the Jin army's Western Route Army, remained completely stationary, stationed in Taiyuan.

His presence not only successfully received the defeated Wanyan Saba, but also nipped Li Yanxian's somewhat bold strategic plan in the bud, and Hedong quickly fell into a stalemate.

And by this point, the Jin army's Western Route Army's troop deployment was basically roughly determined:

Wanyan Loushi, in fact, assumed the task of commander of the attacking main force, leading 50,000 troops across the Yellow River to sweep through Shaanxi;

Wanyan Yinshuke led 20,000 troops to garrison Taiyuan (Taiyuan Basin), while the troop strength of Wanyan Gushen and Yelu Yudu was unknown, garrisoning Hezhong Prefecture (later Linfen area), jointly ensuring the Jin people's control over the Shanxi and Hedong area, and also ensuring Wanyan Loushi's rear;

Wanyan Saba (Wanyan Seli's younger brother), Wanyan Balisu (Wanyan Yinshuke's younger brother), and Yelu Mawu each led 5,000 to 10,000 troops to participate in the raid.

Up to this point, there may still be details that are not clear enough, such as Yelu Mawu's sudden rise, the transfer of Yelu Yudu's military power, and the unknown troop strength of Wanyan Gushen, but the strategic deployment of the Western Route Army has been clearly demonstrated, with both offense and defense, orthodox and unorthodox tactics.

And this seemed to prove once again that the Jin Kingdom's Western Route Army was still the strongest, most battle-hardened, and strategically and tactically savvy force among the Jin people.

Time continued to move forward. Before the Double Ninth Festival on September 9th, with the continuous arrival of messengers from the Tokyo Garrison Headquarters, the remaining Jin army deployments were completely exposed. This time it was much simpler - Wanyan Zonghan, the Grand Marshal of the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Eliduo, the Left Deputy Marshal and Third Prince, Wanyan Talai, the Right Deputy Marshal, and Wanyan Wushu, the Marshal's Left Supervising Army and Fourth Prince, were all in the Daming Prefecture area. Moreover, Wanyan Talai and Wanyan Wushu, after the subsequent troop arrivals, immediately divided their forces and crossed the river southward, the former departing from Puzhou (northeast of Kaifeng) and the latter from Zhengzhou (west of Kaifeng), bypassing the fiercely resisted Huazhou (directly north of Kaifeng), attempting to launch a fierce pincer attack on Tokyo.

"Wanyan Balisu and Yelu Mawu's troops should be considered support from the Western Route Army to the Eastern Route Army, counting them as 20,000. Then around Tokyo, there are 120,000 of the Jin army's main force?!" Inside the increasingly lively and crowded military quarters of the Yu Mountain camp, Chen Gui, the Minister of War who had come to visit today, could not help but look grim after hearing this military situation.

"So what if there are 120,000?" Chancellor Lü Yihao coldly retorted. "That's only 20,000 more."

"So what if there are 120,000?" Chen Gui almost laughed out of anger. "Chancellor Lü! Lord Chancellor! The Jin people have 20,000 more, and we have lost Zhang Suo, which means we have 20,000 less. With one increase and one decrease, hasn't it changed from the original 200,000 against 100,000 to 180,000 against 120,000? Before it was two against one, now it's three against two. That's dangerous enough."

"Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Eliduo will not cross the river. According to the Jin people's combat habits, they should stay in the Daming Prefecture and Puyang area to supervise the army. Wanyan Eliduo might even withdraw as soon as possible." Hu Hongxiu, having endured several beatings in officialdom, was much more honest. He was now carefully responding. "And to protect their rear, 20,000 to 30,000 troops should be left in the Daming Prefecture and Puyang area as reserves and to provide support."

"Is this what a military advisor of the Privy Council should say?" Chen Gui, almost sixty years old, immediately retorted, making Hu Hongxiu dare not respond. "If the Jin people want to leave a large force in Daming Prefecture to control the Yellow River, doesn't Garrison Commander Zong have to deploy troops to defend against it on the Huazhou side?"

"Minister Chen." Liu Ziyu cupped his hands in response. "Military Advisor Hu means that, as things stand, from an overall perspective, we can't say we have no troops to deploy, but we are constrained by the overall situation, and what we can do is actually limited."

"Are we just going to sit by and watch Tokyo fall into enemy hands again? That's the legitimate capital of the country!" Chen Gui angrily retorted. "It shouldn't have been lost during the Jingkang Incident! It's not like I haven't been there. Such a big city, so many soldiers, warehouses filled with supplies, it should have been defended!"

"What's the use of talking about the Jingkang Incident now?" Lü Yihao sighed, putting his hands together, and once again sided with Liu Ziyu, his subordinate in name only. "Minister Chen, we all know that you regret not being able to rescue the Emperor that day, and because you were later recognized by the world as being good at defending cities and knowledgeable about military affairs, your regret has never diminished. You even wish you could replace Garrison Commander Zong to defend Tokyo... But those of us who personally experienced the Jingkang Incident feel that the current situation is ten times better than during the Jingkang years. At least we don't have to take the blame for our superiors and then be inexplicably kidnapped by our subordinates and sent into the Jin camp."

Chen Gui paused slightly, and others in the quarters fell silent.

Lü Yihao continued to sigh, putting his hands together: "The events of the Jingkang Incident, that was a time when the country was about to perish, and evil omens appeared frequently. All sorts of incidents, when viewed at the time, seemed to make sense, but when viewed from afar now, they seem absurd and ridiculous... Like fathers and sons fighting, brothers quarreling, can you imagine a cautious person like Chancellor Yuwen also participating in it that day? And once you get caught up in such things, what absurd and ridiculous things can't you do? But what about him today?"

The quarters were already silent, and everyone from Wang Boyan downwards was thoughtful and reminiscent.

"And the disputes between the New Party and the Old Party..."

Lü Yihao continued to stand in front of the large desk that had only been set up half a month ago and slowly sighed. "Everyone says that Chancellor Lü in Nanyang City is a 'three-clause chancellor,' and Chancellor Xu in Xiangyang City is a 'stacked-clause chancellor.' But as Zhang Deyuan said on the Baihe River earlier, during the siege of Tokyo during the Jingkang Incident, it was actually these two who urged Emperor Yuan Sheng to change the teaching content of the Imperial Academy, pardon the Yuan You partisans, and remove Wang Shu from the ancestral temple... As a result, the people in Tokyo City made up jokes to mock them... I'm old and don't remember very clearly, how did it go, does anyone remember?"

"Reporting to the Chancellor."

Wan Qixie, the new star of the Privy Council who had just returned, stepped forward and cupped his hands, smiling. "At that time, this subordinate was in the Imperial Academy and happened to remember. It goes like this... 'Not caring about Taiyuan, but caring about the Imperial Academy. Not caring about autumn defense, but caring about the *Spring and Autumn Annals*. Not caring about catapults, but caring about Anshi (Wang Anshi). Not caring about Prince Su, but caring about Shu Wang. Not caring about Yanshan, but caring about Nie Shan. Not caring about Tokyo, but caring about Cai Jing. Not caring about Hebei, but caring about exempting candidates from the provincial examinations. Not caring about Hedong, but caring about Chen Dong. Not caring about the Second Prince, but caring about establishing a Crown Prince.'"

"Yes, that's it... Truly laughable!"

Lü Yihao continued to sigh, putting his hands together, and then sighed again. "And the matter of the sorcerer Guo Jing, and the matter of the monk Zongyin who was killed earlier, of course there's reason to it... When Tian Dan was trapped in Jimo, he had to consult the oracle every time he decided whether to send troops, and then he won every battle; even before Garrison Commander Zong was in Hebei, he had to consult the oracle every time he sent troops, but he lost every time... Isn't this all the same thing? In extraordinary times, when credibility is insufficient, you have to use ghosts and gods to fool the people below, to reassure the people and boost the morale of the soldiers. But throughout history, those who have done these things themselves and ended up getting themselves tangled up in them, and in the end have taken these things as their last hope, are just these two incidents during the Jingkang Incident!"

The military quarters were completely silent. Lü Yihao, having said this, waited for a moment, and then suddenly turned around and abruptly changed his face towards Chen Gui: "Minister Chen!"

"Lord Chancellor." Chen Gui was startled and quickly cupped his hands in response, bracing himself.

"I ask you, what's the use of your outburst today?!" Lü Yihao said with a mocking smile, clearly rebuking him. "You keep saying how things were during the Jingkang Incident, but how are you different from those idlers who relied on the Emperor's favor and ruined things during the great disaster?!"

Chen Gui was dumbfounded and was about to explain.

"You don't need to say anything." Lü Yihao sneered. "Don't you just think you have the ability to do something? But hasn't the Emperor allowed you to do something? A mere Mingjing scholar, first a Pacification Commissioner, then the Minister of War, promoted to a purple robe in one year, what great trust is that? You say you know how to defend cities, but Nanyang is now the auxiliary capital, where the Emperor and the central authorities are located, isn't it being entrusted to you?! Haven't troops been gradually transferred to Nanyang City these past few days? In the past few months, haven't you been allowed to freely conscript laborers to rebuild the city defenses? As for the overall military situation on the front lines, dozens of people from the Privy Council are eating and sleeping in this military camp, working day and night, what methods haven't we thought of? Even for today's matter, whether or not to provide support is just lacking a decision. How could it be your turn to question and make a scene in front of two chancellors and an entire Department of Military Personnel?!"

"This subordinate is ashamed." Chen Gui's face was flushed and he responded awkwardly.

"You don't need to be ashamed." Lü Yihao continued to sneer, putting his hands together. "If it were in the past, I would have risked losing my chancellorship to drive you out of the court, but the Emperor believes that Nanyang City will depend on you in the future, so I will tolerate you for now, and see how you defend the city with your heart... Go and deploy your troops quickly, don't let down the Emperor's trust."

Chen Gui had no choice but to respectfully acknowledge and take his leave.

It is said that everything has its counter. Chen Gui was also nearly sixty years old and the Minister of War... In fact, in this military quarters, only the two chancellors were older than him and had higher positions, able to discipline him. But Chen Gui was a new favorite of the Emperor, and how could someone like Wang Boyan offend him? So in the end, he fell into the hands of Lü Yihao, known for his strictness and brutality.

It was not unexpected.

Chen Gui came and went in a hurry, and the military quarters returned to its previous noisy debate, and Lü Yihao continued to close his eyes to rest.

Wang Boyan, who had been silent before, looked at the empty chair at the far end of the large desk, couldn't help but frown slightly, and then quietly stopped Wan Qixie:

"How long has His Majesty been gone? Who is accompanying him?"

"He has been gone for an hour." Wan Qixie quickly and respectfully replied. "Only Madam Wu is accompanying him in military attire and with a saber, Vice Commander Liu (Liu Yan) is leading the Imperial Guards, and Academician Lin is with him. It is said that seeing the weather was very good, and it was the Double Ninth Festival, they went to Yu Mountain to climb high... Perhaps they are reminiscing about the Two Emperors."

"It's not reminiscing about the Two Emperors, it's going to make a decision." Wang Boyan sighed. "You are young and have good legs, go and wait on the mountain, and come back with His Majesty."

"Yes, sir." Wan Qixie couldn't wait to receive this assignment and immediately responded and left.

Wang Boyan looked at Wan Qixie's departing back and shook his head repeatedly.