Chapter 1 A Sign

The light snow in the eleventh lunar month of the ninth year of Jianyan was insignificant in terms of the natural evolution of the world, and even less so in terms of the current war situation.

However, whether they were men of letters or warriors, from the Song or Jin dynasties, almost all discerning people realized that this snow was enough to be a harbinger.

A crisis was brewing.

However, before the crisis arrived, on this snow-covered afternoon under the gloomy winter sky, Daming City in Daming Prefecture was the first to welcome hundreds of elite Song cavalry coming from the east. The leading rider held a Tian (田) character flag high, followed by a Zhang (张) character flag. After exchanging a few words in front of the city, the people of Daming City, after briefly verifying their identities, dared not delay and immediately opened the city gates, letting the hundred riders inside.

The two leaders of the group were none other than Tian Shizhong, the Deputy Commander of the Right Army of the Imperial Guards, and Zhang Zigai, who had previously served in the Vanguard Army of the Imperial Guards but was actively pushed back to the Right Army by Yue Fei and now led the Beiwei Army (back-mounted army).

As the two entered Daming City, Wang Gui, the Deputy Commander of the Vanguard Army of the Imperial Guards, who had heard the news, came to greet them with Tang Huai, the Military Control Officer of the Central Army.

"Commander Tian," Wang Gui greeted, as Tang Huai was not good with words. "Was the journey smooth?"

"This general is a Deputy Commander; the Commander is my Jiedushi (military commissioner)," Tian Shizhong immediately corrected coldly. "The journey was fine, but when we approached here, we encountered some trouble... Why are there so many logging teams, almost blocking the roads?"

"Marshal directly issued the military order. It started the day after the city was broken and hasn't stopped since. We didn't ask. Anyway, the more fortifications and planks, the better," Wang Gui knew that the other party liked to act aloof, so he didn't mind the tone and explained casually.

"That's true." Tian Shizhong indeed just asked casually and then pointed to the two large flags that could be seen in the distance to the west of the city. "Has Commander Zhang arrived?"

"He has. He is with our Marshal near the water gate on the west side of the city, saying to invite Deputy Commander Tian over directly when you arrive." Since it was just a greeting, Wang Gui didn't say much and directly led the way.

Hearing this, Tian Shizhong frowned even more, but in the end, he didn't ask any further questions. He just asked Zhang Zigai to take his entourage to have some hot soup with Tang Huai, while he and Wang Gui hurried to see Yue Fei and Zhang Rong.

After passing the two large flags and arriving near the water gate on the west side of the city, they didn't see many flags or high-ranking officers. There was only a hot air balloon with a painted tiger face already inflated, gently swaying on a rammed-earth platform that had been raised by two or three zhang (ancient Chinese unit of measurement), seemingly ready. Yue Fei and Zhang Rong were standing next to the hot air balloon in casual clothes, waiting. Seeing Tian Shizhong and Wang Gui coming, they beckoned and immediately jumped into the large basket.

In this day and age, there were already idlers who dared to ride hot air balloons everywhere, so there was no need to mention this kind of tethered hot air balloon. Tian Shizhong understood and didn't hesitate. Just to prevent overheating, he quickly removed his outer armor and followed Wang Gui into the basket.

Then, under the command of the well-known Commander Bei Yan, the soldiers below carefully helped remove the ballast and release the ropes with hinges, daring to only let the hot air balloon rise another four or five zhang (ancient Chinese unit of measurement) high. Moreover, the ropes on all sides were tied to the watchtowers and trees on all sides of the platform... Apparently, they were still worried about an accident. If the four great generals from Hebei were lost in one basket, the luck of the Northern Expedition would also be leaked.

However, this height was enough.

After all, this kind of stable and spacious elevated observation platform was not comparable to narrow and cramped wooden observation platforms. The four took out the Emperor-bestowed crystal telescopes in the basket and observed. The surrounding military camps, roads, rivers, markets, and trees were clearly visible, especially the layout of Yuancheng (City of Yuan) across from Daming City. At this time, without the cover of the four-zhang-high city wall, the internal layout was almost completely exposed.

They could even clearly see through the telescopes that the Jin soldiers in Yuancheng were pointing at the rising hot air balloon, seemingly used to it.

Yes, it must be mentioned here that Daming City, which gave Daming Prefecture its name, is not the capital of Daming Prefecture today. Yuancheng, separated by a river, is the current capital of Daming Prefecture, also known as the 'Beijing City' in the traditional sense of the Great Song Dynasty.

The reason for this change is no longer known.

However, judging from the geographical situation that Tian Shizhong and others were observing from a high vantage point, the migration of the city's main body seemed natural - Yuancheng, across the river, is located in the narrowest area in the middle of the Yellow River's northern branch. It directly borders the Yellow River branch to the east and is only ten miles away from another branch to the west. In addition, the Yongji Canal, which passes through the western river channel and turns north at Daming Prefecture, almost runs through the entire Hebei region through three waterways that pass through Daming Prefecture.

This naturally made this place a transportation hub for the Hebei region before the territorial state of the Great Song Dynasty.

In comparison, Daming City, at the foot of the Song army, which had only been occupied more than ten days ago, only guarded a waterway to the east of Yuancheng, and seemed more like a functional companion city to the opposite side.

Even a dozen miles east of Daming City, there is another old town, Gucheng, next to another Yellow River branch. Some say that was where the original main city of Daming Prefecture was located.

Enough with the digressions, Tian Shizhong looked in the basket for a while and suddenly put away the telescope, pointing in surprise to a place on the opposite side: "Are those counterweight trebuchets?!"

"Yes!" Yue Fei knew where the other party was pointing without even looking. "There are twenty of them. It's been eight years since the Battle of Nanyang, how could it be hidden? The opposite side not only has counterweight trebuchets but also hot air balloons..."

"Why haven't I seen them?" Tian Shizhong asked in surprise, just recovering.

"The Jin people can make trebuchets. The principle of counterweight trebuchets is easy to understand at a glance, but hot air balloons are different." Wang Gui, who added a shovel of coal to the furnace in the middle of the hot air balloon, smiled and replied. "The Jin people's hot air balloons are not resistant to burning. When we came to Daming City ten days ago, we released them here, and Yuancheng on the opposite side also released them at first. They released them three times, burning them twice. It seems there is one left, but they are reluctant to release it again, probably to be used during the siege."

"I see." Tian Shizhong nodded, and then shook his head as if he had suddenly woken up. "That's not what I meant. What I originally meant was, these two cities are only separated by a river, a mere five or six hundred paces. What if they change to mud bombs or wooden bombs coated with gunpowder and oil? Commander Wang, how dare you let the two Jiedushi (military commissioner) get in this basket?"

"It won't happen." Wang Gui quickly explained with a smile again. "Let alone whether they have such wooden bombs, Commander Tian, take a closer look. The trebuchet positions on the opposite side are fixed, and they are all aimed at the river... Besides, this hot air balloon flies up every day to see the military situation inside the opposite city. They have already seen everything. They don't know that there are important people in this hot air balloon. Would they have to specially build a new trebuchet for sniping?"

Tian Shizhong was stunned and took the telescope again to look carefully. As Wang Gui said, the trebuchet positions in Yuancheng, near the eastern port, were completely still, seemingly fixed in advance, probably aimed at the river outside the city.

However, after seeing clearly, Tian Shizhong not only did not relax but became even more serious. Because in his opinion, Gao Jingshan's arrangement was the right way to do it... locking the river to prevent Zhang Rong's navy from attacking the city from here, and also to prevent Zhang Rong from using the old trick of relying on occupying the river to lead the main force of the Vanguard Army of the Imperial Guards across the river... This was a strategic arrangement and absolutely useful.

Moreover, after fixing the trebuchet positions, manpower can also be freed up, and only a few supervisory troops are needed to supervise the civilians.

On the contrary, aiming the trebuchets at this side, hoping to fire a few shots at Daming City outside the effective range, hoping to get lucky, would be unreliable.

"How is it?" Yue Fei spoke again, seemingly continuing Wang Gui's words.

"Difficult!" Tian Shizhong sighed, but for some reason, he directly changed to a strange topic. "Marshal... Let me tell you one thing first. After the snow a few days ago, in a place called Sun Sheng Town northeast of Xiajin County, my 3,000 troops were wiped out while sweeping north. They encountered a large Jin army force and were directly defeated, losing more than half of their numbers... According to the defeated soldiers, it should be Wang Bolong's main force, a Jin army Wanhuzhang (commander of ten thousand households). Including Wang Gang's defeat in Liaocheng before, and Li Bao's rash landing after the naval battle, winning first and then losing, although we have made progress here, we have already lost three battles."

Yue Fei frowned slightly upon hearing this, without any extra expression, just nodded.

Zhang Rong, on the other hand, finally stopped observing the surrounding area of the river, carefully put away the telescope, and couldn't help but ask on the spot: "I have heard of this Wang Bolong's name for a long time. I only know that he is a Wanhuzhang (commander of ten thousand households) of the East Route Army... Should he be a Han Chinese? What is his background?"

"Although Wang Bolong is a Han Chinese, he has always grown up and mingled outside the Great Wall." Yue Fei explained slightly, seeing that it was Zhang Rong who spoke, but once he opened his mouth, he knew everything like the back of his hand. "In the second year of the founding of the Jin Dynasty, he surrendered to Aguda with tens of thousands of people and immediately became a hereditary Meng'an (chieftain of a thousand households)... However, at that time, there were many bandits from Liaodi (Liao territory) who surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, including Han Chinese, Khitans, Xis, and Bohai people, so it was nothing... Only later, the Jin Dynasty fought for twenty years, and Aguda died. These bandits had long disappeared without a trace. Only Wang Bolong participated in the destruction of the Liao Dynasty, was granted the title of Wanhuzhang (commander of ten thousand households) and Jiedushi (military commissioner), and even served as the vanguard of the East Route Army during the Jingkang Incident, fighting all the way from the Bai River to Dongjing City. His troops' treatment, courage, and bravery were no different from the Jurchens. He stood out and became a pillar of the Jin army... Over the years, he has been stationed in the Hejian Prefecture area. Because he often personally put on armor and charged ahead, he is known as the number one fierce general of the East Route Army, and his name is still above Elubu."

Zhang Rong suddenly understood and sighed: "If it is such a figure and army, it is normal to be defeated in the wilderness... And Hejian is not the due north... In the current situation, Commander Tian's troops should have run into him north of Xiajin."

"Two Jiedushi (military commissioner), I am not asking for leniency." Tian Shizhong's face was still not very good. "Victory or defeat is common in military affairs. If we lose, we lose... The key is that Wang Bolong did not go south before, but now he is going south. Isn't this in line with the military intelligence reported by the Marshal before? The Jin army seems to have made a major decision and is launching a large-scale attack, preparing to encircle us from all sides."

"Yes." Yue Fei held the thick rope of the hot air balloon and said seriously. "The cavalry army of the Imperial Guards in the upper reaches of the Yellow River sent messengers a few days ago, saying that a few thousand cavalry from the Jin army in Longde Prefecture suddenly locked the Taihang Pass, pressing on Huaizhou, seemingly worried about reinforcements from the Hedong direction. Scouts have recently learned that a large number of conscripts are being levied on the opposite bank of the river... It is said that 300,000 people are going to be conscripted... In this way, plus Wang Bolong being encountered by you northeast of Xiajin a few days ago, we basically know that the Jin army will launch a large-scale attack, and maybe there will be thirteen or fourteen Wanhuzhang (commander of ten thousand households)!"

Even though Tian Shizhong had expected it, his expression changed at this time.

"What's the fuss about?" Zhang Rong was a little impatient. "In the past few years, didn't the official and the court come up with a lot of contingency plans? According to those calculations, eight out of ten times this is the result... And it is indeed the case... Pengju, you called us here to decide on a response strategy, not to scare people."

"According to me, there is nothing to discuss about the response strategy." Tian Shizhong shook his head repeatedly. "I am familiar with the various programs discussed by the Martial Academy and the Privy Council before. Now the Jin army is mobilizing the east and west routes to join forces, almost doubling our strength, and the cavalry is heavily assembled. We are almost powerless to fight in the field and can only find a defense line, defend until the winter when the Yellow River's water level is low and the river freezes over, and then plan for the future..."

"That's right." Yue Fei said frankly. "We can't win in the field at all. Reckless battles will only ruin the overall situation... But how to defend? Where to defend? This is why I called Commander Tian here today."

Tian Shizhong was slightly relieved, but then he seemed a little hesitant: "Marshal, forgive me for speaking frankly. If we want to maintain the situation at present, we must defend the cities, and if we want to do something after the winter, we must defend the river..."

"That's right."

"And here in Hebei, the Yellow River is divided into two routes and five forks. Counting from south to north, Daming Prefecture is located in the middle of the third and fourth forks... We are equivalent to taking all two forks on the east route, located between the second and third forks..."

"Why are you all talking nonsense?" Zhang Rong became more and more unable to listen. "Just say how to defend after the ice freezes over."

"Commander Zhang, what I mean is that we are now in the middle of the east and north routes of the Yellow River. The fork is only about ten miles wide around Daming City. The further back, the bigger the opening, especially after Xiajin, it suddenly widens, and when it reaches the sea, it is simply the entire Cangzhou, nearly 300 miles wide from north to south... These days, the two of you have been advancing here at the fork of the river, while my Imperial Guard Right Army is responsible for finishing up downstream, spreading our troops in several prefectures, which is really weak... This defeat in Sun Sheng is proof... The area between the second and third forks is really too wide. Without reinforcements, I am afraid that even the Xiajin side cannot be defended."

"Are you saying we have to retreat?" Zhang Rong couldn't help frowning. "Where do we retreat to?"

Tian Shizhong held the long rope next to the basket and looked at Yue Fei, but Yue Fei just let go of his hands and stood with his arms folded, lost in thought, without saying a word.

Helpless, Tian Shizhong was too lazy to do these pretentious things and directly said his true thoughts: "Where to retreat is up to the two Jiedushi (military commissioner), but the Imperial Guard Right Army is spreading its troops too far. After the ice freezes in winter, without the obstruction of the river, let alone continuing to advance, even the current posture cannot be maintained... Otherwise, we will be divided and swept away by the Jin army! According to me, if we retreat to the front line ten days ago and rely on the second fork of the river to deploy defenses, we can at least explain to the court... Let's just give up the half of Daming Prefecture that we just got!"

Zhang Rong shook his head repeatedly: "Daming Prefecture must not be abandoned!"

Tian Shizhong was extremely speechless. However, the other party's official position was much higher than his, and it was common for a naval general not to understand land matters. He was too lazy to argue with him and just stared at Yue Fei.

Yue Fei leaned against the chest-high basket, silent for a moment with his arms folded, and finally spoke calmly, but first said to Zhang Rong: "Let me say a few points... First of all, the Imperial Guard Right Army has few soldiers. Now it is guarding Binzhou, Dizhou, Dezhou, Bozhou, plus the newly acquired half of Daming Prefecture, more than a dozen cities, which is really a serious dispersion of troops. Once the ice freezes and the river is lost, the Jin army will gather in large numbers. Firstly, we cannot defend them at all, and secondly, even if the Jin army ignores us, the Right Army can only shrink in the city and cannot play any delaying or blocking role... We really have to give up some places, and we have to give up early to free up our hands to exert our strength in key places. This Marshal knows the difficulties of the Imperial Guard Right Army very well and agrees with them."

"That's exactly what I mean." Tian Shizhong quickly looked at each other sincerely, but only Wang Gui smiled at him in the big basket.

Zhang Rong just shook his head repeatedly.

"Secondly," Yue Fei turned his head to Tian Shizhong again. "This Marshal also knows what Commander Zhang means. He is not making things difficult for your Right Army. What he wants is to find some cities with water ports to protect the fleet during the Yellow River's freeze. Judging from the current situation, the best places are actually Gucheng (Old City) nearby, Hanzhang Town upstream, and Shanghu Sazhou. It doesn't matter whether you have Daming City or not to protect these places."

"It's not just that I treasure my own fleet," Zhang Rong also seriously interjected to explain. "The key is that the Jin army will be afraid if they have a fleet in hand and will not dare to cross the river in large numbers, so that our navy can lock their retreat... Therefore, in terms of general strategy, from Shaoxing (Baima) to Puzhou, and then to this fork of the Yellow River at Daming City, we must try to occupy as much as we can before the freeze."

Tian Shizhong also sighed.

In fact, he had completely woken up when he heard half of Yue Fei's words... He had just complained in his heart that Zhang Rong, a rough man, did not consider the difficulties of the Imperial Guard Right Army, but he also forgot that the Imperial Guard Navy also had its own difficulties.

If the fleet is burned or destroyed by the Jin army during the freeze, let alone how the Song army will find a way to advance to Daming Prefecture in the spring, even Tokyo will be really dangerous.

It must be known that the Jin army is not only locking the river channel on the east side of Daming Prefecture but also has a fleet on the west side, that is, dozens of miles behind Xiaowu Sazhou on that day, which Zhang Rong had beaten so badly that it did not dare to show its head.

Without the fleet, wouldn't the navy have to change its offensive and defensive positions no matter how capable it is? At that time, let alone Tokyo being dangerous, these people might also have their logistics cut off and be locked in Hebei, becoming an isolated army... How to fight, how to collapse.

From this point of view, the Imperial Guard Right Army can really be sacrificed and lost, but the navy is not allowed to lose... Thinking of this, Tian Shizhong's face became ugly again. Because if he were in Yue Fei's position, or in the position of the several ministers behind him in Tokyo, he would definitely agree with Zhang Rong's opinion first.

However, he still tried hard to find a reason: "If we say we want to defend Tokyo... What if the Jin army takes advantage of the freeze, bypasses this side, and directly attacks Tokyo from the empty east, going through Jinan? It can be seen that the downstream must also be defended."

He himself said this awkwardly... How many days will the freeze last? As long as the navy is preserved, will the Jin army retreat or not at that time?

"That's right." Unexpectedly, Yue Fei did not pursue the reluctant meaning in these words. Instead, he nodded in agreement. "This also needs to be considered."

However, this kind of statement made Tian Shizhong even more vigilant because he knew that Yue Fei was not this kind of muddle-headed person.

Zhang Rong stomped his feet: "He is right, I am right, everyone is right, but is it possible for everyone to be good when fighting a war? Especially this war is of great importance. According to the Dibao (official gazette), the fate of the country for the next one hundred years and the two hundred years after that is at stake. How can we muddle through? Yue Pengju, you called us here today, you must have a saying and a division of labor!"

"I really have to have a saying."

Yue Fei heard this, but instead stood with his arms folded in the basket, smiling with difficulty. "Brother Zhang, Brother Tian, it's not just that you two have difficulties and ideas. I, Yue Fei, also have them..."

The two saw Yue Fei so strange, but they couldn't help but look at each other, and then each became awe-inspiring... Tian Shizhong pinched the thick rope on the side, while Zhang Rong untied the Emperor-bestowed exquisite cotton jacket, put it on, and stood with his hands on his hips.

"I am only thirty-three years old this year, and I have been appointed Marshal of the Hebei front. Everyone in the world says that I have met a wise lord, but who has not secretly said that I have had great luck and am a favorite minister, and that the official usually lets me do simple and meritorious things, so I have this achievement? And who has not flattered me, saying that I have a calm personality and am naturally a talented marshal?" Yue Fei ignored the two's small movements and continued to sigh with a smile. "But no matter what outsiders think, anyway, for me, since the official promised me the title of Marshal on the spot that day and gave me the responsibility of a front, although I don't show it on my face, I have made up my mind in my heart to avenge the shame of Jingkang to repay the official's kindness; I also made up my mind long ago to fight this battle well and make a great contribution so that the world will not underestimate me... Of course, I definitely want to take Hebei back and take my brothers home... National hatred, family hatred, and the desire for fame are all in this battle."

Wang Gui sighed softly, without saying a word.

"The Marshal's loyalty to the country is known to the world." Tian Shizhong dryly laughed while pinching the rope.

"That's for sure. I saw that you were a cold outside and hot inside when I first met you eight or nine years ago." Zhang Rong said something extra. "You like to drink, you like to get angry when you drink too much, you know how to cry when you are wronged, and you can't stop talking to people when you talk... Last time I went to your house to see your old mother, she told me all about it."

"That's not what I meant." Yue Fei was embarrassed for a moment. "I mean to say that although I want to repay the Emperor's grace, succeed in my career, and fulfill my long-cherished wishes, I have never been at ease since the day I was appointed..."

"Like Wang Gang's defeat, although I know that it is the reason for ordinary arrogance, underestimation of the enemy, and greed for merit, and I don't show it on my face, I can't help but worry about my own combat power..."

"Li Bao won a battle at sea, and I just reported his merits on the face, but I was so happy that I couldn't sleep at night. Later, he lost a battle on land, and I was so worried that I couldn't sleep..."

"Later, there was Gao Jingshan here. After all, he is a veteran general, and he arranged the opposite Yuancheng like an iron barrel, without any mistakes. I don't show it on my face, but I am increasingly uneasy in my heart, as if I am walking on thin ice all day long..."

"I have been to this Daming City for only ten days, and I have been on the hot air balloon nine times... Every time I heard the news of the battlefield, I knew that the situation was becoming more and more pressing. I didn't know how to break the situation, nor did I know how to face those people in the army. I couldn't hold back for a while, so I couldn't help but hide up here, drive the others away, and just observe the terrain, think about the situation, brew plans, and even make secret decisions by myself."

"Actually, I am the same." Zhang Rong said with a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, I don't have to pretend. If I am annoyed, I will put on a cotton jacket and walk back and forth on the river bank..."

Tian Shizhong swallowed. He wanted to say that he was the same... He had always thought that he was responsible, but this time he led the Imperial Guard Right Army out alone, and he liked to pinch things for no reason. Many things were pinched and broken... But he was too embarrassed to speak.

"In short!" Yue Fei sighed. "You have your own difficulties and ideas in your positions, and I understand them all, but as the Marshal of the Hebei front, I also have my own difficulties and ideas... After thinking about it, there are only two points, one is to preserve, and the other is to advance... Preservation is to preserve the three armies and ensure that under the large-scale siege of the Jin army, the overall situation is not ruined because of our loopholes here; Advancement is that if we can take Daming Prefecture, make the situation in front of us completely open, and force the Jin army into a situation where they have no support before and after, then we should try our best to take it!"

"Marshal!"

Tian Shizhong was holding the thick rope tightly and was finally a little helpless, even begging. "I was worried that you would have this idea from the beginning, because according to your usual military strategy ideas, as long as there is a plan, no matter how bizarre it is, you will always do it! But Commander Zhang said it clearly just now... It is about the fate of the country for two hundred years... Even if there is a way, we should make a conservative decision! Let's preserve, okay?!"

Yue Fei shook his head. "I am not taking risks casually. I have been thinking about many possibilities by looking at this terrain, and I have started preparing from the beginning when I had ideas. The materials and plans are already roughly in place, so I invited you here! And I think the timing is just right... The main force of the Jin army is about to arrive, but they are not yet here, so they are most lax. The small river has frozen, but the main river channel has not frozen, so they cannot run rampant and there is no absolute danger... This is an opportunity!"

"I know what the Marshal is thinking about, using gunpowder to blow up the city!" Tian Shizhong was almost exasperated. "People below don't know, but don't we know? Who wasn't moved by the gunpowder demonstration that we watched together with the official at Wushan that day? The official saved so much gunpowder and was reluctant to use it elsewhere, and the meaning is very clear! But that plan is just a plan. How can we bet 90,000 elite Imperial Guard troops and the fate of the country for two hundred years on one bombing? What if it snows and the gunpowder gets wet and doesn't explode? If it explodes, and Gao Jingshan is ruthless and blocks the gap, what should we do? Now, if we pass through such a tight arrangement and attack the city rashly, if we can't capture it quickly, we have to worry about being blocked by the Jin army cavalry waiting in the north, and the entire army will be choked to death! At that time, how will you and I face the official? We have no choice but to wipe our necks and die!"

"You are right."

Yue Fei nodded. "Gunpowder is a surprising method, but we must never put the lives of our three armies on one gunpowder explosion... That is just a surprising lead. There must be a foolproof countermeasure to follow it... I really have a complete siege plan! Even if the gunpowder fails, we can still steadily attack the city and properly defend against the enemy!"

Tian Shizhong was completely helpless.

Zhang Rong also wanted to say something but stopped.

"This is what I think." Yue Fei did not pay attention to the two's reactions but just returned to his usual appearance and spoke calmly. "If we can break Yuancheng, with the scale of these two cities, we can safely store the ships... Jiedushi (military commissioner) Zhang, is that right? You don't have to worry about where to store the warships in the winter or whether to drive the ships back to Henan."

Zhang Rong glanced at the river channel sandwiched between the two cities and the trebuchets on the opposite bank and nodded helplessly.

"And if we want to break the city before the freeze, we must have enough troops to ensure that we can attack the city with all our strength and that we can jointly defend against reinforcements from the north... Is that right, Commander Tian?" Yue Fei looked at Tian Shizhong again.

Tian Shizhong took a long breath, suppressed his dissatisfaction, and tried his best to reply: "Yes."

"Then can you personally bring 15,000 troops here to be my Jin army reinforcements from the north?" Yue Fei continued to ask seriously. "Only in this way can I have enough energy to attack the city..."

Although he was next to the stove, Tian Shizhong only felt his scalp tingling and his whole body cold. "My troops are already scarce... How can I bring more than 10,000 troops here? What about the three prefectures and more than a dozen cities?"

"I don't want them." Yue Fei said calmly. "My foolproof countermeasure is very simple on your side. Aren't you short of troops and can't defend so many places? I will decide to give up those three prefectures and more than a dozen cities... Just defend the two narrowest cities on the river channel, Xiajin and Gaotang, even Jinan and Qingzhou, as a defense line... Can't you defend them?"

Tian Shizhong was stunned and couldn't believe his ears. He immediately asked: "If you abandon the three prefectures, how will the Marshal explain to the official and Tokyo? Do you know that if you abandon those three prefectures, those ministers, scholars, and common people in the rear don't know anything about the military, I'm afraid they will directly cause chaos!"

"But this can at least ensure that if we are defeated and lose, we can preserve the defense line." Yue Fei said simply. "As for the rear... Firstly, according to the official's decree before his departure, the ministers in Tokyo can only question us at most, but they can't interfere with us; Secondly, this battle is about the fate of the country. How can we waste troops in vain at the end for the sake of face and the turmoil in the rear? Losing the overall situation will be a disaster for centuries; Thirdly, if this matter really has an end, I will bear it myself! You just say, if we defend like this, can you put together 15,000 elite Imperial Guard Right Army soldiers for me?"

Tian Shizhong looked at the person in front of him with an extremely complicated look but actually nodded and affirmed at the same time:

"Yes! But how can 15,000 troops block the three Wanhuzhang (commander of ten thousand households) of Ali, Shaoge, and Wang Bolong who have already appeared in the north on the flat ground? Especially the two Wanhuzhang (commander of ten thousand households) of Ali and Shaoge are stationed in Guantao, north of Yuancheng, only twenty or thirty miles away."

"I have a way!" Yue Fei blurted out.

Tian Shizhong was about to scold, but he suddenly remembered something, his heart moved, but he didn't ask any further questions. He just suppressed some kind of guess and anxiety and slowly shook his head: "The opposite side is not blind. How can the main force quickly cross the river to deploy a defense line?"

Yue Fei turned his head to look at Zhang Rong, who had not spoken for a long time.

Zhang Rong was stunned, reacted, and, ignoring that he was in a basket in mid-air, still lowered his voice and pointed to the river channel in the east: "Pengju! I, Lao Zhang, certainly trust you... But in the current situation, how can my fleet get through? There are trebuchets pressing down on it! The water is much shallower!"

"That's the key." Yue Fei's tone finally became slightly difficult. "Brother Zhang, don't need too many... Just a dozen ships and two or three thousand people to seize a position... If you can do it, I will let go and do something. If you can't do it, then let's honestly retreat and deploy a defense line... How about that?"

Zhang Rong stared at the other party for a long time without saying a word.

Tian Shizhong was pinching the thick hemp rope on the side, and his fingers were almost bent to a dangerous degree, but he didn't dare to make any sound.

Wang Gui, who had been silent for most of the day, wanted to say something but stopped, so he had to stand with his hands tied. After a while, he simply picked up the iron shovel and prepared to add coal to the hot air balloon's stove.

However, this action was stopped by Yue Fei.

"This is 'courtesy first, then force', right? If I don't agree, when I get out of this basket, will you directly issue a military order?" Zhang Rong's tone was a little trembling. "Not allowing me to speak?"

"Brother Zhang!" Yue Fei sighed in mid-air. "We are soldiers... Are we just soldiers for food? Why are we soldiers for food? After three or five years of peace, have you forgotten the thoughts of that year and the people of that year?"

Zhang Rong also sighed, and then gritted his teeth: "Since you mentioned that year, then okay, just like you trusted me that day, almost alone leading the Jin army to Suotuo Beach, I should also trust your character and ability today... 3,000 people and 20 small steamships, I will let Xiao En lead the team!"

After saying this, the Imperial Guard Navy Commander simply turned his face to the east, avoiding the waterway on the west.

Tian Shizhong was on the side, wanting to say something, but he didn't know how to open his mouth, so he could only pinch the hemp rope even harder. However, soon the Commander Bei below began to drag the hot air balloon down under Wang Gui's instructions. The rope tightened, and he had no place to pinch things, so he simply squatted in the basket and covered his head.

Then, still silent.

As for Yue Pengju, he took a deep breath at this time and tried to review his plan, which actually sprouted from the first day he arrived and was now familiar to him, but he couldn't calm down anyway.

After a while, the hot air balloon was slowly pulled down. Yue Marshal took the lead, and one J