The late spring of the fifth year of Jianyan saw a sudden shift in the political winds in Yanjing, the capital of the Jin Dynasty.

However, the news reached the Central Plains in early summer. At that time, Zhao Guan Jia (Emperor Zhao) was reviewing troops at Yuetai, west of Tokyo City. Specifically, he was inspecting the newly formed Imperial Cavalry.

To be honest, the review process did not leave a very good impression on Emperor Zhao.

"What's happening over there?" After the review, Zhao Jiu returned to the viewing platform... which was Yuetai itself, the high platform from which Yuetai Camp and Yuetai Town took their names. After dismounting and ascending the platform, he did not rush to order the troops to disperse and return to camp, nor did he immediately seek out Qu Duan and others for questioning. Instead, he pointed to a bustling area not far from the camp and asked with a blank expression.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, those are the citizens of Tokyo. Having heard that Your Majesty is reviewing the Royal Army, they have come out of the city to observe..." Hu Shijiang, the Minister of War accompanying him, immediately bowed in response.

But before he could finish speaking, Zhao Jiu coldly retorted, "Observe, then observe. How did they end up in the middle of the camp and the troops? Are vendors allowed to set up stalls right in front of the camp? Is this observation or are they here to watch the fish and turtle show?!"

The fish and turtle show was a popular form of entertainment in Tokyo, where performers would guide fish and turtles to form lines and cooperate on command, a rudimentary form of aquatic circus... and Emperor Zhao's use of this metaphor showed his anger.

Although Emperor Zhao was furious, not to mention the lucky Hu Shijiang, even the four Chancellors, the several commanders and deputy commanders of the Imperial Camp, and the cavalry officers like Qu Duan who had just arrived with the army, although they all became stern, were still somewhat puzzled.

They were not puzzled as to why Emperor Zhao was angry. In fact, these people knew that the Emperor's mood would definitely not be good today, but they still couldn't understand why he was unhappy about this matter... What harm did it do for the common people to watch?

For a moment, some even felt that this emperor was exasperated and making trouble for no reason.

Of course, as Zhao Jiu continued to scold, these people finally understood somewhat: "Other countries wish they could join the army when watching their own military parades, but only the Great Song treats its own military parades as a joke! It's only been a few years since the Jingkang Incident! Once things stabilize, you still look down on the military?! How many more times do you have to suffer that loss before you learn your lesson? Back then, Gao Qiu turned the Imperial Guards of the capital into a troupe of jugglers. What were the consequences? Didn't you see them?"

The series of questions made the meaning extremely clear. Only the words were a bit harsh, so everyone turned their gazes to the four Chancellors. Before the four Chancellors could step forward to smooth things over, Yan Xiaozhong, the Prefect of Kaifeng, proactively stepped forward to admit his mistake: "This matter is my dereliction of duty, I did not handle it properly..."

"Of course you are derelict!" Zhao Jiu saw Yan Xiaozhong step forward and stand next to Hu Shijiang, but his anger did not subside as he gripped his riding crop. "In peaceful times, it is right to use civil officials to control military officers, but now we are still at war! I have repeatedly emphasized the separation of civil and military, the same rank and level. Why, in the blink of an eye, have you civil officials oppressed the military officers again?! The military orders of a Jiedushi (military governor) leading a commander can actually be ignored by a prefect! When a Tongzhi Guan (military commissioner) enters the Chongwen Yuan (where the Capital Province and the Privy Council are located), he must bow and greet a junior editor! A Prince leading three Jiedushi conscripts a retired Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examinations) into his staff, and it is his prerogative if the man refuses to go, but why is it that the literati praise him and want to give him an official position?! To me, you people deserve to be captured and sent to the Five Kingdoms City to live in cellars!"

The last sentence was completely out of control.

However, after being subjected to such humiliation, the many accompanying central officials on the platform remained silent. Even the remonstrating officials did not come forward to play the big shot... The reason was simple: this emperor was not one who frequently lost his temper, and the previous times he had lost his temper were in the military and he had killed people.

Of course, this time, it could barely be considered in the military.

Furthermore, apart from the last sentence, which was an outburst, the rest of Zhao Guan Jia's words were all aimed at specific issues.

The Tongzhi Guan bowing to the junior editor was a common occurrence in the Chongwen Yuan recently. The Jiedushi's military orders being ignored by the prefect referred to an incident encountered by Yue Fei's troops, who had arrived in the front lines to suppress the rebellion... Before Yue Fei arrived at the Jizhou front, he established a forward camp and immediately sent Zhang Xian, the Tongzhi Guan of his Beiwei Army, with documents to Fuzhou next door to request provisions. As a result, the Prefect of Fuzhou refused to provide grain and ordered all towns and villages not to allow Zhang Xian's troops to enter until Liu Hongdao's documents, the Jiangxi Pacification Commissioner, arrived, at which point the grain was allocated.

Even Yue Fei could not tolerate this and directly filed a complaint with the Emperor, which had been going on for several days.

As for the Prince's conscription, it goes without saying that it was about Po Hanwu (Han Shizhong). He had conscripted a Jinshi who had abandoned his post and returned home during the chaos into his staff, but the Jinshi directly replied, "I am unwilling to be a 'Meng Er'," meaning an official who benefits from family connections... That was fine, and it could even be said that Han Shizhong deserved it. But the key point was that this person later became famous because of it. As a result, when a vacancy occurred a few days ago, a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel actually recommended this person to fill the position, on the grounds that he had "integrity."

Two trivial matters involved two of the Emperor's most trusted generals, coupled with another major incident today, it was no wonder that the Emperor's anger was growing and he seized the opportunity to erupt.

In fact, looking at it now, there were indeed a few blisters on the corners of Zhao Jiu's mouth, a sure sign of being overheated.

Enough with the digressions. The Emperor's anger was excessive. With Chancellor Lu, whose status was transcendent, absent, the remaining four Chancellors seemed somewhat embarrassed... Because both Han and Yue's matters were inseparable from the Capital Province, and the so-called Tongzhi Guan saluting the junior editor naturally referred to the Privy Council, the four Chancellors, who should have come forward to dissuade the Emperor, were unable to respond for a moment.

Moreover, the last sentence was indeed excessive. Not to mention the several Chancellors, no civil official wanted to suffer such humiliation... As for Yan Xiaozhong and Hu Shijiang, who had been scolded for no reason, Yan Xiaozhong was someone who had experienced extraordinary events and had no extra reaction. Hu Shijiang's face was already pale.

Presumably, if Emperor Zhao had not repeatedly emphasized in the Dibao (official gazette) that the resignation of important officials due to anger was detrimental to the country, Hu Shijiang would have removed his hat and left immediately.

"Your Majesty," At this awkward moment, Wang Yuan, the Commander of the Imperial Camp, proactively stepped forward. "These matters can be discussed on a case-by-case basis. Why should Your Majesty be angry? I will order the troops to drive away the vendors in front of the camp and reorganize the camp..."

"This situation is also caused by you military officers belittling yourselves!" Zhao Jiu became even more furious when he saw that it was Wang Yuan who was trying to smooth things over. "Why can't you understand the basic principles? Do you think I don't know that you are trying to please a few Chancellors and Ministers? You only know how to please civil officials! Why can't you say, 'If it weren't for the old thieves holding military power, where would you gentlemen be sitting and talking'?! I truly pity you for your misfortune and resent you for your lack of ambition!"

Wang Yuan was scolded severely and could only retreat. When Zhao Ding and the others heard the last two sentences, they could no longer ignore it and prepared to step forward to interject.

"Those two matters don't need to be discussed!" Seeing the Chief Administrators step forward, Zhao Jiu took a few breaths and managed to suppress his anger first. Then, he made a decision before Zhao Ding could interject. "The Prefect of Fuzhou is banished to Qiongzhou! The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel is immediately dismissed! As for the matter of civil and military officials saluting each other, if I hear that you are having high-ranking officials salute low-ranking officials in the public offices, both parties will be banished to the Jin Dynasty, which is a land of barbarians who do not observe etiquette!"

Seeing that the Emperor's attitude had softened slightly, and that he had managed to get rid of a few troublesome matters, although he was a bit harsh, the several Chancellors breathed a sigh of relief. They were about to respond when Zhang Jun gave Li Qiong, who was somewhat at a loss, a look, signaling him to reorganize the order around the camp... But at this moment, one person who had long been unable to bear it, driven by his stubborn nature, stepped forward directly.

"Your Majesty, I believe that this disposal is inappropriate." Li Guang, the Censor-in-Chief, replied solemnly.

"Which matter is inappropriate?" Zhao Jiu, who had been about to turn around, looked at him coldly. "Or are they all inappropriate?"

"It is inappropriate to exile the Prefect of Fuzhou to Qiongzhou."

"Specifically, where is it inappropriate?"

"Fuzhou is adjacent to Qianzhou. Qianzhou is the core of the Five Ridges Rebellion. Before the Jingkang Incident, the Qian rebels of Qianzhou were notorious. After the Jingkang Incident, the remnants of military rebels, bandits, and rebellious armies from the southeast and Jingxiang all flowed into the area around Qianzhou. Fuzhou has suffered greatly from it and has not been pacified for several years... The Imperial Vanguard Army is known for its military discipline. How can Fuzhou trust them? In this situation, it is reasonable for the Prefect of Fuzhou to order the state to be on high alert!" Li Guang replied, stiffly, amidst the slightly worried gazes of the crowd. "Your Majesty cannot be partial simply because you favor Yue Fei. This is unfair."

"Well said." Unexpectedly, perhaps because venting his anger had relieved some of the pressure, Zhao Jiu had regained some reason at this point. "But how do you explain his blatant violation of the law, which led to delays in military affairs? Can it be that civil officials violate the law for the good of the country and the people and are excusable, while military officers are considered to have malicious intentions and should rather be wrongly killed if there's any doubt? Isn't that also unfair?"

"Your Majesty's words today are rather harsh..." Li Guang could no longer restrain himself.

"Indeed, they are harsh." Zhao Jiu nodded with his hands behind his back, looking thoughtful. "As the Son of Heaven, looking down upon all officials, what civil officials, what military officials? Emphasizing it intentionally only makes the two estranged... Since that Prefect of Fuzhou is excusable, let him join the army, change him to a military officer, and transfer him to be an adjutant in the Imperial Camp's command, accompanying the Imperial Vanguard Army to suppress the rebellion. Is that considered lenient treatment? Of course, if he is unwilling to go, it is not too late to go to Qiongzhou. What do you think?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Guang was immediately speechless, his tongue tied... And in the depths of his heart, a sentence arose almost instantly, which was 'This person is intelligent enough to reject remonstrance'.

Of course, this sentence only appeared for a moment before disappearing immediately, because the Censor-in-Chief knew after all that this Emperor was a bit too angry today, but he was usually very reasonable. Moreover, 'intelligent enough to reject remonstrance' was said of the King Zhou of Shang, who ruined his country, while this Emperor was equivalent to Emperor Guangwu, who re-established the country. He had followed this Emperor from Nanyang all the way here, and the experience and reality were there, making it impossible to falsify.

In addition, how could Li Tai Fa (Li Guang's courtesy name), who was in the position of 'half a Chancellor', not be aware at this time? The root of this matter was that the Emperor's ambition for the Northern Expedition was gradually being hindered by reality, and he could not help but knock on the only bureaucrats who had the power to directly hinder the Northern Expedition.

Of course, knowing was knowing, but Li Guang still spoke again seriously: "Your Majesty, even if he is transferred to a military officer and enters the Imperial Vanguard Army, is it inappropriate? He has a grudge against the Imperial Vanguard Army..."

"If he is retaliated against and bullied there, I will definitely give him an explanation." Zhao Jiu said dismissively. "For example, if he really dies in the army, I will demote Yue Fei, regardless of whether Yue Fei knows about it or not, and transfer him to be a civil official, to serve as a Minister in the Capital Province... Equal treatment, fair and just!"

Li Guang was completely speechless, and the surrounding Chancellors and important officials also looked at each other and exchanged glances. The meaning was very clear: this matter could be discussed later, or a letter could be written directly to warn Yue Fei. There were always ways. As for the Emperor's mood today, don't expect him to speak properly, and everyone else should shut up too.

Amidst the silence, Li Qiong had already reorganized the order around the Yuetai Camp. Zhao Jiu also sat on the prepared throne on Yuetai, and then summoned Qu Duan, Liu Qi, Li Shifu, Zhang Zhongfu, Zhang Zhongyan and other Imperial Cavalry generals, and then slowly said with a blank expression:

"I have wronged you all. I only gave you a mere half a year and a meager few million strings of cash and silk, and you were able to recruit more than eight thousand cavalry for me... Truly remarkable."

Qu Duan opened his mouth below, but could only quickly bow and plead guilty... And the other Imperial Cavalry generals instantly felt that the Emperor's words were as pleasant to hear as those of Commander Qu, except that Commander Qu, although his words were pleasant to hear, dared not easily imprison his colleagues or even superiors now, while the Emperor's pleasant words might lead to a loss of their heads. So, they also bowed, not daring to look up at him.

That's right, the reason that truly triggered Emperor Zhao's anger today, or rather, the reason that triggered Zhao Jiu's greatest anger today, was also the reason why the officials were willing to be slightly tolerant of Emperor Zhao, and also the reason why Qu Duan did not sarcastically comment on the civil-military dispute just now, lay here... The Imperial Cavalry, with an authorized strength of 15,000, had been forming for more than half a year, but only 8,000 had been recruited. Without a large-scale horse cavalry, how could the Northern Expedition be launched?

With donkeys?!

"Your Majesty, it is truly not that your subject is incompetent. The cavalry of Guanxi that I could collect, I have already collected as much as possible." In any case, when asked directly, the others could 'shut up' and 'lower their heads', but Qu Da could not avoid it. So, he opened his mouth for a long time and could only brace himself and reply: "Your subject..."

"You have collected as much as possible, and there are only eight thousand? I remember the Imperial Cavalry's authorized strength of 15,000 was something you personally promised in the memorandum you submitted that day, right? And you even thought it was too few at the time?" Zhao Jiu interrupted him and coldly retorted. "Commander Qu, you only managed to recruit eight thousand for the authorized strength of 15,000... Do you know that even Zhang Boying at his most absurd did not dare to give me such empty numbers?"

The Yuetai platform has existed since the Warring States period of Wei. After the Great Song established its capital in Bianliang, this place became the place where Emperor Taizu of Song reviewed troops, raised cavalry, and practiced equestrian archery. It was theoretically the first imperial platform, so there is no need to elaborate on its regulations. However, after Emperor Zhao returned to this platform, the atmosphere had not been good, and as the Emperor's words became increasingly harsh, the situation was more often one of complete silence. Even the model of morality, Wan Qixie, did not dare to rashly come to the rescue of his ally.

"Are you being questioned?" After a long time, Zhao Jiu himself sighed helplessly first. "Was it that you rashly boasted and deceived the Emperor that day, or are you incompetent today?"

Qu Duan raised his head and replied helplessly: "To let Your Majesty know, I dare not deceive the Emperor, nor am I incompetent, but I did exaggerate somewhat before, and there are indeed some difficulties at present..."

"I don't understand your erudite words that can be used for both civil and military affairs. Say something that I can understand." Zhao Jiu leaned back in his seat, urging impatiently.

"What your subject was thinking that day was, if I could collect all that could be collected in Guanxi, there would still be 20,000 cavalry..." Qu Duan carefully replied.

"Twenty thousand cavalry?" Zhao Jiu directly laughed out loud.

"But Your Majesty has an order that the cavalry of the Imperial armies should not be moved. Liu Qi's small number of cavalry should also be left to Wu Jie. I am not good at plundering."

"That was your original intention... What else?"

"There are also the Fan cavalry." Qu Duan finally got to the key point. "What your subject was thinking at that time was that Lou Shi had twice swept through Guan, and the Western Army's cavalry was wiped out. All the horses in Guanxi were also taken away. War horses had to be temporarily purchased from Qing Tang, and Qing Tang's supplies were also limited. Only 10,000 horses would arrive at the most in a year, and they had to be distributed to the other armies of the Imperial Army. How could I get 15,000 cavalry? In addition, Your Majesty agreed to let Li Shifu lead the Fan cavalry into the Imperial Army. Therefore, your subject had the intention of recruiting Dangxiang Fan cavalry in the Hengshan, Douling, and Roulangshan areas. Those places can definitely recruit a full strength of 15,000 cavalry..."

Zhao Jiu glanced at Li Shifu, who did not dare to raise his head behind him. He had a slight understanding in his heart, but he was still puzzled: "Then why couldn't you recruit them?"

"To let Your Majesty know, Li Shifu and his son's incident made Western Xia somewhat alert. In addition, the Battle of Yaoshan shocked Western Xia, so the border was strictly controlled." Qu Duan shook his head repeatedly. "Although Your Majesty gave a lot of cash and silk, those Fan cavalry could not wait to come, but the main mountain roads were blocked, so they really couldn't get through... But Your Majesty, the Western Xia people will slacken off sooner or later. Give your subject another half a year, and I will definitely gather the full number for Your Majesty!"

"Cavalry! Western Xia... Jin Dynasty..." Zhao Jiu sighed to the sky, and then remained silent for a long time without opening his mouth.

Seeing the Emperor like this, Zhang Jun, the Privy Councilor, stepped forward and offered some consolation: "Your Majesty, according to Yue Pengju (Yue Fei) and Lv Anlao's (Lv Zhi) Pacification of Jin Strategy, we must first recover Jingdong and Shanbei... Even if we launch the Northern Expedition, we may not be able to cross the river until next year or the year after. By then, there is no need to worry about the cavalry being delayed."

Zhao Jiu looked up at the dragon banner that was fluttering slightly above his head, but shook his head repeatedly: "De Yuan (Zhang Jun's courtesy name) is thinking too lightly. How can newly recruited cavalry be the same as cavalry trained for a year? Even cavalry trained for one year is not the same as cavalry trained for two years... The Fan cavalry are familiar with horsemanship but do not obey discipline, while the Han cavalry have just mounted their horses and need to be trained. Qu Da, I ask you, with your current eight thousand cavalry, can they withstand Wanyan Lou Shi's charge in the Battle of Yaoshan?"

Qu Duan's face turned from red to white, and then from white to red. He honestly said a truth: "Your subject dares not lie. Not to mention now, even if they are really trained and prepared for another year or two, how can these eight thousand cavalry withstand Wanyan Lou Shi's desperate charge with seven thousand cavalry that day? If they could have withstood it, Li Yongqi would not have died, and Liu Xi would not still be working as a helmsman on the Yellow River..."

The scene froze for a moment. Liu Qi and Li Shifu once raised their heads, but still cowered and lowered them.

After a long time, a gentle breeze rose on Yuetai, and the flags fluttered together, showing great majesty. But the Emperor did not speak, and the platform was still silent. The monarch and his officials, civil and military, could only stare at the dragon banner above their heads and the various flags around them, each in a daze. On the other hand, in the cavalry ranks not far away, some Fan cavalry had long been unable to bear it and were whispering to each other, moving around, and asking questions, gradually becoming lively.

Qu Duan could not stand it any longer. He wanted to speak several times to ask to go and reorganize the troops, but he dared not open his mouth each time.

I don't know how long they waited, but this stalemate was finally broken... Liu Yan, who had left Yuetai sometime ago, suddenly galloped in with dozens of Red Heart Team cavalry. The Red Heart Team cavalry were all armored cavalry. Their armor reflected dazzlingly in the midday sun, startling the Fan cavalry into submission. Liu Yan ignored the atmosphere and directly ascended the platform. Then, in front of everyone, he presented Emperor Zhao with a wooden box specially used for holding memoranda.

Needless to say, this was the secret memorandum exclusively enjoyed by military officials. What puzzled these central officials was that this wooden box was actually tightly sealed with three chicken feathers stuck on it with paste?!

But soon, as the officers above the rank of Tongzhi, plus Emperor Zhao himself, saw the chicken feathers and became extremely serious, these clever civil officials realized that this was probably an indicator of the severity of the message.

However, Zhao Jiu opened the chicken feather memorandum, quickly read it, but then relaxed on the spot, as if it were a false alarm.

Seeing this, Zhao Ding frowned slightly, waited for a while, and then stepped forward to ask: "Your Majesty, may I ask what kind of serious military matter it is? Can you tell us?"

"It's not a very serious matter, but I will tell you sooner or later." Zhao Jiu handed the memorandum directly to Zhao Ding, and then continued to look up at the sky, but informed them readily. "Was Oqima (Wanyan Sheng) not suffering from a stroke? Nikan (Wanyan Zonghan) is leading the Grand Marshal and the State Councilor Bojilie... But just ten days ago, Wanyan Wushu (Wanyan Zongbi) and his two brothers killed Nikan, forced Oqima to abdicate as the Supreme Emperor, and established the Crown Prince, their nephew Hola (Wanyan Dan), as the National Lord, and changed the era name to Huangtong, moving the capital to Yanjing."

Zhao Ding held the memorandum in his hands, but before he could open it, he and everyone behind him were stunned.

"On the second day after Hola ascended the throne, he abolished the Grand Marshal and Bojilie system. In Yanjing Shangshutai (the Secretariat), he established the Capital Province and the Privy Council, imitating us. Wanyan Woben, his great uncle, was made the King of Liao, Grand Tutor, and Pingzhang Jun Guo Chongshi, which is equivalent to our Grand Chancellor who manages both civil and military affairs; Wanyan Eliduo, his third uncle, was made the King of Jin, Chancellor of the Capital Province, and Marshal; Wanyan Wushu, his fourth uncle, was made the King of Wei, Privy Councilor, and Deputy Marshal. These two are basically in charge of political and military power, and Wanyan Xiyin was made the Deputy Chancellor of the Capital Province." Zhao Jiu kept talking, looking up at the sky, as if he were telling a story, but when he said this, he could not help but pause slightly before continuing, "Then, he also appointed the surrendered official Qin Hui as the Deputy Privy Councilor... Three days after the reform, he sent envoys south, intending to negotiate peace with us again. This memorandum is the message from the envoys, which was transmitted through Zhang Rong."

"Qin Hui has actually become the Deputy Privy Councilor of the Jin Dynasty?" Zhao Ding was surprised and noted this point first.

Hearing this, Emperor Zhao sighed: "Everyone has their own ambitions. Liu Yu has proclaimed himself Emperor, and Zhe Keqiu can also surrender... A Censor-in-Chief is not worth forcing."

"The Jin Dynasty is so chaotic, isn't this a blessing from heaven for our Royal Song?" Zhang Jun reacted and was overjoyed for a moment. "Your Majesty, Nikan was the greatest meritorious official of the Jin Dynasty. Wanyan Wushu and these people killed Nikan and forced Oqima to step down, they are courting their own doom!"

Zhao Jiu shook his head repeatedly: "That's not the case. The Jin Dynasty has only been established for a few years and is still mixed with those savage customs... This matter needs to be sorted out. It is nothing more than that after Aguda's death, Oqima, Nikan, and Aguda's sons stood in a three-legged balance. Then, Oqima suddenly suffered a stroke or became weak, and the balance was suddenly lost. Nikan and Aguda's sons fought for power, and then Nikan won first and lost later, losing his life. There are not so many tricks. The situation below may not be chaotic. Perhaps the three families will unite and the Jin Dynasty's military and political affairs will be unified, making it more difficult to deal with."

Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, and the others nodded, all saying that they were indeed concerned about this.

"However, this matter can also be discussed from a fundamental perspective." Emperor Zhao continued to speak eloquently. "After all, the Jin Dynasty has hastily transitioned from a barbarian tribe to a vast country, with such a large territory and a mixture of various ethnic groups. Moreover, they do not cultivate morality, but engage in excessive killing and looting. Their systems are also inconsistent. There have always been many obvious problems, and internal strife has always existed, but because they have been successful in military matters for the past twenty years, plundered gold and silver mountains have allowed them to squander, which has concealed and delayed these internal struggles. Now that they are gradually being blocked by us on the banks of the Yellow River and can no longer make progress in military affairs, they will naturally have internal troubles."

Zhao Ding and the others nodded even more, and even Qu Duan, who was both civil and military, nodded repeatedly... They sincerely felt that Emperor Zhao's summary was accurate and that these words could be directly published in the Dibao.

Qu Duan had already thought of a name for Emperor Zhao -- "His Majesty's Discourse on the Essence of the Jin Bandits' Political Change".

Speaking of which, the Emperor's words were insightful, winning everyone's heartfelt admiration and nodding. But for some reason, Yang Yizhong, who was also considered both civil and military and had been standing silently behind him, did not nod.

In fact, this trusted Imperial Guard general who had been with Emperor Zhao for a long time felt that something was strange, because things had been a bit off since the Emperor mentioned Qin Hui. In Yang Yizhong's opinion, the Emperor did not seem to be feeling sorry for Qin Hui's defection, but seemed to have let go of something, as if he had been relieved.

Otherwise, where would he get the mind to say those later nonsense?