"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

"The entire army, follow!"

"Don't wait for the infantry! Take the dry rations, mount your horses, and find another packhorse to carry the armor! The entire army moves north!"

"Throw away those pots and ladles! Once we enter the Taihang Xing, Zezhou is so large, it won't miss a ladle!"

On the afternoon of the fourth day of the first month, just a few days into the tenth year of Jianyan, with the ice and snow yet unmelted and the waterways still frozen, countless cavalrymen were hastily marching east across the plains north of the Yellow River, east of Wangwu Mountain, and south of the Taihang Mountains, creating a chaotic scene.

"I wonder in the palaces on high, what year it is tonight?"

Amidst this chaotic scene, surrounded by several knights on a hillside to the north, a heavily armored general of imposing stature sat astride an exceptionally sturdy warhorse, uttering words of wild presumption.

They were, of course, words of wild presumption.

After all, this was the height of the New Year festival, the scene before them was clearly one of war and turmoil, and the location was evidently the old lands of Henan, the present-day region of Meng and Huai.

From any perspective, this poem was terribly inappropriate.

However, many of the high-ranking officers around the general seemed to understand the deeper meaning in their Dutong's (Commander's) lines… Wasn't the main force of the Imperial Guard Cavalry currently 'wondering in the palaces on high, what year it is tonight?'

That's right, the one reciting the poem was Qu Duan, the Dutong of the Imperial Guard Cavalry. The many individuals around him who echoed his sentiments were also officers of the Imperial Guard Cavalry. And the reason these supposedly both literary and martial officers of the Imperial Guard Cavalry agreed with the poem was simply that the current situation of the Imperial Guard Cavalry truly matched the mood of the Great Scholar Su's poem.

It should be said that, previously, in order to prevent the main force of the Jin army from crossing the Yellow River in a reckless move, the heavy cavalry of the Imperial Guard Cavalry and a portion of Li Qiong's subordinate Eight Character Army, totaling over thirty thousand troops, were thrown on both sides of the Zhi Pass to serve as a defense. They did not participate in the crucial battles of Daming Prefecture and Taiyuan Prefecture. At that time, the Imperial Guard Cavalry was very dissatisfied.

But now, with the two loud explosions before the New Year, Daming Prefecture and Taiyuan Prefecture opened their gates together, the situation completely changed. In a matter of days, reports of victory flowed in from the north like water, but the Imperial Guard Cavalry only passively learned of the news, naturally becoming even more dissatisfied.

It was as if they had been thrown to the back of someone's mind, or as if they had been isolated from the core battles. In any case, there was a sense of unease at being abandoned.

As mentioned before, the high-ranking officers of the Imperial Guard Cavalry were, for the most part, rare individuals who were both literary and martial. How could they not know what the fall of Taiyuan Prefecture and Daming Prefecture meant from a military and political perspective? And how could they not know how those Jinshi (scholars who passed the imperial exams) who followed the army under Taiyuan City, the 'advisors in waiting' left behind in Sparrow Mouse Valley, including the councilors, secretaries, and officials in Dongjing, would portray these two great victories in the official reports?

But so what?

Then this great victory had nothing to do with them!

The victory at Daming Prefecture was solely directed by Yue Fei. Zhang Rong and Tian Shizhong were all holed up in that large fortress, unable to avoid meritorious service, and no one else could get close to it. And when Taiyuan City fell, everyone else was there, but the Imperial Guard Cavalry was hundreds of miles away, unable to join in!

At this time, wasn't the Great Scholar Su's poem perfectly appropriate?

However, no matter how much dissatisfaction they felt, they absolutely couldn't complain about the arrangements of the Emperor and the central government, so they could only hint at their feelings through poetry, and then quickly change the subject.

"Will we make it in time?" After a moment of silence, Liu Qi, the Deputy Dutong of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, looked at the troops hastily setting out from the foot of the hill and seemed visibly uneasy.

"Hard to say," replied Tongzhi Guan (Military Commander) Zhang Zhongfu, frowning. "We are cavalry, it's true, but the north knew about it almost two days before us. Zezhou is definitely ours, but it's hard to say about Longde Prefecture."

"If that's the case, wouldn't this battle be a complete waste of our time?" Liu Qi couldn't help but sigh deeply upon hearing this.

"What do you mean by that, Deputy Dutong?" Zhang Zhongfu clearly misunderstood and tried his best to comfort him. "We are cavalry, and we should be used for field battles. It's good to have merit in capturing cities, but even if we suffer losses in seizing these empty lands, why worry too much? Just focus on the field battles in Hebei!"

"A field battle may not even happen," Liu Qi said softly, revealing a piece of information that only those at the Dutong level would know. "The logistics costs are much higher than previously planned, and we can only last for another three months at most… That's why Dutong Qu was willing to take a beating from the Emperor to give it a try… What do you say, if the Jin retreat decisively, giving up all the land in Hebei and Hedong, retreating to the walls of Yanjing, then considering the spring planting, what if the Emperor simply goes with the flow and calls a truce, only to rest for a while?"

Zhang Zhongfu's expression didn't change upon hearing this, but he was shocked in his heart. He immediately reined his horse forward a few steps, coming to Qu Duan's side, looking at him as if seeking confirmation.

After all, he was his direct and trusted subordinate. Qu Duan, riding on the new 'Iron Elephant,' had no choice but to nod slightly. "What Deputy Dutong Liu said is the truth… But in my opinion, Qu Da, a decisive battle will still be fought… Because the war has reached this point, the Emperor has no reason to stop. If he stops, letting go of the main Jin army, and then sends troops again in two years, that would truly be a waste of military resources and manpower."

Zhang Zhongfu nodded slightly, but after a moment of thought, he solemnly requested, "Dutong, no matter what, it's always right to advance to Longde Prefecture as quickly as possible… The Jin army has lost Daming Prefecture and Taiyuan Prefecture, and Longde Prefecture, sandwiched in between, has become a dead end. There is absolutely no reason to hold it. It's always a merit to seize it… How about I personally supervise the army in the front?"

Qu Duan thought for a moment and couldn't refuse, so he immediately nodded. "Go ahead… Be quick, but be careful!"

Zhang Zhongfu immediately responded, spurred his horse down the slope, and galloped away with several trusted officers.

Once he left, Qu Da, with only Liu Qi and a few guards like Xiahou Yuan by his side, couldn't help but turn back and complain, "Why tell these things to those below… It was already chaotic enough, wouldn't it be even more chaotic now? Moreover, the Jin army hasn't lost its fighting power just because it lost two cities. What if one or two of them have a brain fart and we lose another battle? Who would be responsible then?"

"Why blame me, Dutong?" Liu Qi shook his head repeatedly. "In the current state of affairs, would it not be chaotic if I didn't say anything? Besides…"

"Besides what?" Qu Duan stared at the chaotic army below, responding perfunctorily.

"Besides…" Liu Qi sighed behind him. "Dutong, let's be honest. Based on your actions in Guanxi that day, it's really difficult for you to obtain a great banner, but you can't stop those below from wanting to advance, can you? Even me, although I don't expect to become a Jiedushi (military governor), how can I not want to establish merit, to ask for a favor in front of the Emperor, so that my elder brother can have a good outcome? He's still just a commoner who has been pardoned, feeling ashamed of our family. Moreover, is it just our cavalry that's like this? I don't believe that Wang De doesn't want his eldest son to have a bright future, doesn't want his second son to return to the army and receive an enyin (privilege based on rank)! Although it's difficult for you, everyone is the same!"

Qu Duan sighed upon hearing this, knowing that what the other party said was true, so he stopped talking. The cavalry below continued their chaotic advance.

Leaving aside Qu Duan, who received the news and quickly sent out troops thousands of miles away, let's talk about Zhao Guan Jia's side in Taiyuan City. Although he was relieved of his military responsibilities due to Wu Jie's arrival, he was still extremely busy for several days after the New Year.

First of all, military discussions still had to be attended, and armchair strategy still had to be done.

Secondly, in addition to military discussions, Zhao Guan Jia had been constantly walking around with his close ministers and 'advisors in waiting', comforting the army everywhere.

For example, on the morning of the first day of the New Year, Zhao Guan Jia, after washing his hands, ate with the wounded soldiers who were settled in the city. Not only that, but after he sent Wang De to lead the army north to attack Dingxiang and Yanmen in the afternoon, he took the opportunity to give up the inner city and return to living in the camp outside the city.

On the second day of the New Year, he ascended the city again, participated in city defense repair activities, and carried soil to repair the city with Yang Yizhong.

On the third day of the New Year, he personally inspected the civilian labor camps, comforted the civilian laborers supporting the front, and even wrote a letter in Han Chinese for an old Tangut soldier, instructing the Tangut soldier's wife to be careful of the calf in their cow's belly.

There were countless such actions.

Of course, all of this was completed under the gaze of countless close ministers, guards, and many southeastern 'advisors in waiting' who were good at writing stories… He went everywhere with more attendants than a full-strength command battalion.

It could only be said that as long as Zhao Guan Jia himself wasn't embarrassed, then the embarrassed ones were others.

"We are going to lose a battle."

Back to the present, on the afternoon of the fourth day of the first month, after touring the military camp, Zhao Jiu, having received the news, entered the city to participate in a military discussion. Upon seeing Wu Jie, Han Shizhong, and others, he blurted out something shocking.

"What makes Your Majesty say this?"

In an eerie silence, the yellow-faced Wu Da steeled himself and answered the Emperor.

"The fall of Taiyuan City was too easy, the army is arrogant," Zhao Jiu said calmly, avoiding the main seat and sitting to the side.

"That is indeed a concern," Wu Jie said with a smile. "But please, Your Majesty, be clear-sighted… Arrogant it may be, but the fact that Taiyuan City was so easily obtained and that the overall situation is in Your Majesty's grasp is also true. There is a reason for the arrogance… Moreover, in such a national war, matters of victory and defeat are common. As long as it doesn't affect the overall situation, some things are actually just that."

Zhao Jiu thought for a moment in his seat and found it irrefutable. Moreover, he had always trusted the Marshal Wu Jie and others when it came to military matters, so he didn't say anything more about this matter. Instead, he asked about the military situation in a serious manner, "I heard that Yelu Ma Wu would rather see heads exchanged than surrender?"

"Let Your Majesty know," Wang Yan said, stepping forward from the side. "Not only is he unwilling to surrender, but he also replaced the envoy's head with the heads that were to be exchanged and sent them back."

"What exactly is he, a Khitan, plotting?" Zhao Jiu sneered. "With the capital he has in hand, if he goes to Western Liao, Yelu Dashi can bestow him the title of Northern Chancellor, only slightly lower than the few who are named Xiao, and stronger than Yelu Yu Du! On the contrary, if he stays in the Jin, can the Jurchens truly treat him with sincerity?"

"These things are hard to say, as long as one holds on, life and death don't matter," Li Yanxian, standing with his hands clasped, couldn't help but interject. "War is like a tide, the waves are towering, the mud and sand are all mixed together, and the difference between people is just this breath…"

"There's reason in that," Zhao Jiu also said thoughtfully, but for some reason, he only said this one sentence and didn't say much more.

It should be said that Wang De led an army of twenty thousand to the north to attack Dingxiang and Yanmen, while the Prince of Yan'an, Han Shizhong and below, Li Yanxian, Ma Kuo, Wu Jie, and Wang Yan all remained in Taiyuan City to take overall command. At this time, they were all in the Emperor's presence, so seeing the Emperor remain silent, the hall, though full, was silent.

After a moment, Zhao Jiu, realizing that he was affecting the atmosphere, shook his head and stopped making any comments. He continued to ask about the military situation, "Yelu Ma Wu is unwilling to open the way, what about Salihu, who is trapped in a dead end?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty," this time it was Li Yanxian's turn to report… Obviously, there was a tacit understanding between these Marshals, with each being responsible for and assigned to different tasks in front of the Emperor. "Salihu is still silent, guarding the city to the death."

"He doesn't believe that Taiyuan has fallen?" Zhao Jiu frowned.

"There's no reason not to believe," Li Yanxian said seriously. "The heads of several Meng'an (Jurchen military unit) and dozens of Mouke (another Jurchen military unit) from Taiyuan City have been sent to him, as well as the reinforcements that were dispatched to replace Deputy Dutong Li's Tangut light cavalry in besieging the city. He shouldn't not believe it…"

"Then he is pretending to be dead," Zhao Jiu didn't know whether to laugh or be angry. "This kind of person is also common… Blocking his ears, not surrendering, not fighting, waiting to die… Knowing that if this continues, no matter what the result, We will not spare him, and Wushu (Jin general) will not spare him, but he still doesn't dare to move… Is that what it means?"

"That's probably the case," Li Yanxian said concisely.

"Also a problem," Zhao Jiu was also somewhat helpless. "What else? How about the east, west, south, and north?"

"The south, Longde Prefecture, has already had Deputy Dutong Li send troops to advance cautiously…" This time it was Ma Kuo who answered.

"Is it to save face for Qu Duan and the Imperial Guard Cavalry?" Zhao Jiu shook his head but was too lazy to say more. "What about the north?"

"Let Your Majesty know that the defending army of Xinzhou does not believe that Taiyuan has fallen, and the resistance is strong. However, Wang De is still a decent hero, after leading his troops to advance, he fought five fierce battles in two days, and he has also won consecutive victories. The Baijing Stronghold, the Chitang Pass, and the Shiling Pass have all been taken. He should already be near Xiurong, the capital of Xinzhou. Once Xiurong is taken, Dingxiang will be right in front…" This time it was Han Shizhong reporting. "Take Dingxiang, and you can advance to Yanmen and threaten Datong."

"In that case, it can be considered a smooth progress," Zhao Jiu nodded noncommittally, but looked at Wu Jie with some suspicion.

There was nothing else, since Taiyuan City had fallen, and based on the current progress, each direction was in a state of mopping up. And this kind of mopping up couldn't be done cleanly in a short time. As for Wanyan Salihu and Yelu Ma Wu's attitudes, although somewhat unexpected, they were not unusual in times of war, and it was enough to say it once… So, what did he want to say by specifically summoning him to enter the city for a military discussion this time?

Wu Da certainly understood and immediately bowed and stepped forward, saying the fundamental reason for inviting Zhao Guan Jia to participate in this military discussion: "Let Your Majesty know that there are generals who are discussing… Yanmen and Datong certainly need to be taken, but since the advance to Xinzhou is smooth, and Yelu Ma Wu at Jingxing is unwilling to surrender, then can we send an army from the north of Mount Wutai, go through Puyin Xing (Puyin Pass), and exit Pingxing Zhai (Pingxing Pass) … If successful, the Jin army will inevitably be thrown into chaos, and Jingxing will immediately fall without being attacked… Moreover, our army is gathered in Taiyuan, our military strength is extremely abundant, and there is no reason to waste military supplies here."

Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment before asking, "Who exactly is this 'general'?"

"It is Wang Sheng, the Deputy Dutong of the Imperial Guard's Left Army," Wu Jie dared not hide anything.

Zhao Jiu nodded. It was only right for this person to request a battle, but he was still noncommittal. "Then what do you few think, is this feasible?"

This sentence was still nonsense. If these people thought it was not feasible, they wouldn't have called him here.

"After discussing, we believe that it is feasible," Sure enough, Wu Jie bowed and answered, as expected.

"If that's the case, then let the Scholars issue an edict," Zhao Jiu said with an unchanged expression, nodded in agreement, but added a few words. "Whether it's Wang Sheng or someone else who goes, how many people they lead, you can discuss it yourself, Wu Jie will summarize the decisions and report to Me… However, just as I entrust the rear to you Councilors because you Councilors can avoid favoritism, you must also put military affairs first and not delay military strategies."

These words were not serious, not even a warning, but Wu Da still quickly agreed, and the other Jiedushi also expressed their opinions one after another.

Zhao Guan Jia just smiled, not caring, and then the military discussion ended, and he left in a composed manner.

However, after leaving the inner city of Taiyuan, Zhao Jiu did not head south out of the city to the camp south of the city, but instead had most of the close ministers and followers return directly, while he, along with Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan, led a portion of the Imperial Guards, reined their horses out of the west gate, and slowly rode south along the Fen River.

It should be said that it was already after the New Year holiday, and in theory, the freezing period should end at any time, but this kind of thing still depended on the weather, and the Fen River was still frozen in fact, as if waiting for a specific spring breeze.

Zhao Jiu walked south along the river bank, and within sight, he could see many soldiers busily coming and going on the shore… Those were normal activities such as fetching water, fishing, and cross-river communication, transporting supplies, etc… So, when he reached the southwest corner of the city, at the gap left by the explosion a few days ago, the Emperor dismounted again and had a brief conversation with the soldiers fetching water there. He learned that the ice layer was indeed thinning somewhat, so he gave some instructions, telling these people to be careful of the melting ice, and so on.

He seemed inexhaustible in his patience.

After the conversation, he walked north again, arriving at the place where he had stopped his horse when he had first arrived under the walls of Taiyuan City. Looking at the camp in front of him, Zhao Jiu sighed slightly for some reason, and actually stopped his horse on the bank as he had done that day, motionless… Only this time, he was facing away from the city, looking at the ice river and the military camp, the opposite direction.

Of course, it was entirely conceivable that no matter which direction he faced, this time there should be no more Jurchen cavalry coming to raid the formation.

Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan understood Zhao Guan Jia's temperament, so they didn't take it to heart at first, and the two of them also stopped their horses and followed, without saying anything extra.

However, as the sun set in the west, the sun fell straight down, leaving only the afterglow, Zhao Guan Jia was still motionless… Moreover, the two could see clearly that the Emperor had no intention of watching the sunset… so they became somewhat helpless again.

So after waiting for a moment, Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan exchanged a look and then tacitly divided the work - Liu Yan turned around and rode away, entering the camp to find more manpower to make the necessary preparations, while Yang Yizhong, after hesitating for a moment, took the initiative to step forward and asked tentatively.

"It's nothing… I just don't want to enter the camp," Zhao Jiu said honestly. "I don't like the atmosphere in the camp these days."

Yang Yizhong, who had long sensed something from the subtle clues, was not surprised: "Is Your Majesty still worried that the city was taken too easily, leading to the army being too arrogant to suppress, and there will be a defeat?"

"Something like that!" In the setting sun, Zhao Jiu finally turned back and smiled. "But the atmosphere in the army is not just arrogance. What We are uneasy about is not just the defeat of an arrogant army."

Yang Yizhong thought for a moment on his horse, and said frankly, "Forgive my dullness, I can only see that the atmosphere in the army is indeed not simply high morale. In addition to requesting battles, many troops see the situation as being great, and there is a state of blind relaxation… I can't think of anything else."

"Of course you can't detect it," Zhao Jiu said with a relaxed smile. "The extra part of the bad atmosphere that We're talking about is actually that after the city was taken that day, everyone actually had a bit more of a blindly reverent attitude towards Me… This kind of atmosphere is probably something that We Myself can perceive more clearly."

"Isn't it a good thing that everyone reveres Your Majesty?" Yang Yizhong hesitated for a moment and asked softly.

"I also can't say whether it's a good thing or a bad thing," Zhao Jiu's gaze turned back to the military camp under the setting sun, and then he sighed slightly. "In theory, whether the Northern Expedition succeeds or fails, after the war, We will still need prestige to do great things. At this time, it is certainly a good thing for the army to revere Me. Even My actions when breaking through the city that day had a bit of a push-the-boat-with-the-current, an intentional and unintentional private thought of using the event to slightly establish authority… However, the reverence that We want is not this kind of superstitious reverence!"

"I am dull," Yang Yizhong seemed to understand a little, but didn't know what appropriate words to use to say it.

"What dull?" Zhao Jiu smiled again. "If even you don't know My thoughts, then I am truly a lonely man… What We want is for them to know that it is gunpowder, but also to understand that it is gunpowder that was created with the best formula after hundreds and thousands of experiments, and to know that it took four or five years of accumulation and forbearance to create this commotion!"

Speaking to this point, seeing Liu Yan coming with a few close ministers plus a group of civilians carrying torches and the like, the Emperor paused slightly, then turned back and added, "To put it bluntly, We want them to revere Me as a human being, not as a god."

Yang Yizhong suddenly understood… This was what he thought too.

Only in this way, these words were not easy to say… As a subject, it was not easy to say, as an Emperor, it was also not easy to say.

"Let's go, it's so cold, don't make so many people freeze on the riverbank," Zhao Jiu said after a moment, finally welcoming Liu Yan, spurred his horse and returned to the camp.

Under the glow of the setting sun, Yang Yizhong also quickly followed.

It can only be said that, no matter how the so-called overall situation was, Jianyan 9 had passed, and Zhao Guan Jia did not miss it, and Jianyan 10 had arrived, and Zhao Guan Jia was not particularly welcome.

ps: Thanks to Salted Watermelon for the support.

Happy May Day everyone… By the way, if there is an official event to write a side story, what content would you like to see?