Chapter 1: The Awakening of Shin Wang...

  As for Emperor Taizong, Zhongze was so angry that he hated the fact that iron couldn't be turned into steel! Just then, one of Zhongze's old stewards rushed over and whispered something in his ear as he lay on the sickbed.

  Upon hearing the old steward's words, Zong Ze's eyes lit up despite his pale face, and he forced himself to say: "Ask him to come over." He then turned to the various generals and said: "I'm done for now. The defense of the Eastern Capital will have to rely on all of you generals from now on. There's no need to stay here watching an old man like me. You should quickly go and set up a new defensive line to resist the Jin army's next attack." After saying this, the various generals departed one after another. Only Yue Fei was kept behind by Zong Ze.

  At this time, a middle-aged man came in from outside. Yue Fei took a look and recognized him as Ma Kuo, who was still being pursued by Emperor Gaozong of Song for deserting the military camp.

  "Ma Kuo, you don't lead the army to resist the Jin, what are you doing here?" Zong Ze was helped up by Yue Fei and sat on a soft couch.

  Ma Kuo smiled and said: "The emperor ordered me not to cross the Yellow River, what can I do? Also, I want to tell you a huge secret, don't tell anyone else."

  Yue Fei was somewhat perplexed, but Zong Ze, the old general, spoke up and said: "What secret? Although the Emperor does not allow you to cross the Yellow River, can't you defend the south bank of the Yellow River?"

  He shook his head and Ma Kuo said, "I still want to follow Xing Wang Qian Sheng to drive out the Tartars and recover the rivers and mountains, welcome the holy car to protect the family and defend the country! Rather than following Kang Wang's escape from the Golden Army. Let me tell you a secret, now Xing Wang has led his army westward and entered the Taihang Mountains. The reason for spreading false news is that Kang Wang has always been in contact with the Golden Army...

  "How dare you! Ma Kuo, do you know what you're saying? You even dare to utter treasonous words?" Zhong Ze said sternly at once.

  "Haha, General Zong Ze. I knew you would say something treasonous when I heard that Prince Xing was in the north. He told me himself on Mount Wuma when I left. General Zong Ze will surely be disappointed by Emperor Kang's (now the current emperor) evasiveness and escape. Especially since he knows he is still alive on Mount Wuma, after hearing about the defeat of Prince Xing's righteous army at the hands of the Jin army, he will definitely become disloyal. You and millions of soldiers and civilians will be deceived by him." Ma Kuo remained calm as ever.

  Looking at the two men's contemplative appearance, Ma Kuo said: "The King of Xin once said that he would not drive away the Jin army and would never go to the south. He is determined to think for the country's hatred, family feud, and the people. However, now the King of Xin does not have a commander-in-chief to lead the anti-Jin army. So, he wants to ask you to be one person. You will know after reading this letter."

  Ma Kuo immediately handed a handwritten letter from Zhao Chen to Zong Ze. Zong Ze looked at it, and his face showed a surprised expression. The handwriting of the king was also a good handwriting inherited from the royal family of Zhao, although it was far inferior to that of Zhao Gou. However, it was much better than ordinary people. Zong Ze took one look and could recognize the other's handwriting because he had seen some congratulatory words written by the princes for Huizong's birthday. The handwriting of the princes had been seen by all the ministers at that time.

  What's important is not how King Xiang of Zhao's handwriting looks, but that he had predicted everything several months ago, which is what shocked Zong Ze the most. King Xiang of Zhao had made detailed descriptions of all of Zhao Gou's actions and had also described his personality, which was exactly as he knew it to be.

  Finally, Zhao Kun implored General Zong Ze to consider the great importance of the Song Dynasty's mountains and rivers, and to let Yue Fei serve as his Grand Marshal. Zhao Kun's words were filled with sincerity and entreaty. A high-ranking prince like him actually attached such great importance to a minor general, who was also a prisoner awaiting punishment. This deeply moved and surprised Zong Ze, who knew Yue Fei's abilities well.

  "Pengju, take a look. Since General Wang's situation is fine and the army has left Wumashan for Taihangshan, it won't be bad for you to go there either. You know my situation, I don't have much time left. Under the Emperor's weak policies, our future efforts against the Jin dynasty will likely suffer greatly. So, I won't stop you from going north to join General Wang, and in fact, because General Wang values you so highly, I hope you'll go. However, you must think clearly: the struggle for the throne and court politics will be fierce in the future. If you join General Wang, you will inevitably fall out with the Emperor, so everything is up to you." Zongze handed the letter from General Wang to Yue Fei, speaking with a heavy heart.

  Yue Fei received the letter and took a look, not only was he impressed by King Zhao's understanding of everything, but also deeply moved by the king's high regard for himself.

  Yue Fei's lifelong ambition was to serve the country and recover the lost territories. To achieve this, it wasn't just about winning battles with swords and guns, but also required mature political experience and correct strategies for struggle. Of the twenty-four memorials submitted by Zong Ze in one year, as well as many military documents, most were reviewed by Yue Fei. The words and actions of Zhao Gou were a frequent topic of discussion among them.

  The people of Tokyo are united in their desire to cross the river and attack the north. Zhao Xiang is trying to please the Jin State by restricting Zong Ze's actions. In the intense battle against the Jin, Yan Zhongli dies in combat. Zong Ze single-handedly persuades Wang Shan and others to surrender. Under the immense pressure and bloody resistance against the Jin, Zhao Xiang's small court stabs him in the back with an edict "to disband the army that is eager to save the king".

  Gaozong said in the imperial edict: "Thus, under the name of diligent king, you are the source of trouble for the rebels." This made it impossible for Zongze to be summoned from outside to lead the army. Zongze was deeply troubled and could not speak out, but he endured it silently to maintain the dignity of the court. Some problems were really unsolvable, and he was forced to stay up all night, pacing back and forth in his room, until he finally fell ill. The cause of Zongze's illness, why it worsened day by day, was seen with his own eyes by Yue Fei. He saw it with his own eyes, felt the pain in his heart, and deeply knew that his benefactor Zongze had now fallen seriously ill, actually being deliberately forced into this state by Gaozong. This method of killing people with a soft knife was more cruel than using a shining steel knife to kill people.

  Through this period of Zong Ze's patient teachings, through Yue Fei's own personal experiences. Yue Fei has gradually matured, he is no longer impulsive as before. He also saw through the young Emperor Zhao Gou who was four years younger than him.

  If there hadn't been the time-traveling special forces soldier Zhao Jun, following the original historical trajectory, Yue Fei would have had to rescue the country and its people. On one hand, he would have had to fully utilize his command abilities, obtain more military power and a higher position from Emperor Gaozong, strive to influence the situation, inherit the will of Zong Ze, cross the river early, defeat the enemy, and recover our lost territory.

  On the other hand, he must also seize the opportunity to engage in a battle of wits with Zhao Gou, pushing him as much as possible from surrendering to resisting war. He would push one step at a time, calculating each move carefully, and would not openly break with him unless absolutely necessary. The matured Yue Fei knew that he still had to walk a long way together with Zhao Gou, and must both unite and struggle with him. Because they were not of the same mind, nor of the same heart.

  Yue Fei yielded to circumstances and prioritized the overall situation in order to achieve his ambition of recovering the rivers and mountains. Zhao Gou yielded to circumstances and repeatedly showed favor, but it was to utilize Yue Fei to protect his own emperor position, driven by selfish motives.

  In summary, therefore, Zhao Gou did not hesitate at all when killing Yue Fei. And Yue Fei was not afraid of Zhao Gou's anger when he recommended the then-not-yet-emperor Xiaozong as crown prince. In fact, Yue Fei was not a fool, he just single-mindedly wanted to fight against the Jin army and recover the rivers and mountains. Even if it meant death, he would not regret it. As a result, the loyal and brave Yue Fei was killed with a "false" crime, and a generation of loyal and good people suffered an eternal injustice.

  At this time, Yue Fei had already seen through Zhao Gou. However, at this time, Yue Fei saw in Zhao Dan's letter a generation of sage and wise ruler and a big stage for his own development and talent.

  Zhao Xun was born to Empress Li, while Zhao Gou was born to Consort Wei. By birth, Zhao Xun would be more suitable for the throne than Zhao Gou. Moreover, at this time, Zhao Gou was unable to have children due to physical reasons. Either Prince Zhao Xun or his descendants would inevitably be the next emperor. This is a matter of bloodline succession, which even Zhao Gou cannot change.

  So, following the King of Xin, as long as the King of Xin does not die. Yue Fei knew that he would have a greater role to play. At this time, Yue Fei did not know that he would be reused by Zhao Gou in the future. Now, his official position was lowly, and he could be valued so much by the King of Xin, a feeling of being willing to die for a friend surged in his heart.

  Seeing Yue Fei's appearance, Zong Ze smiled slightly. He knew what Yue Fei had chosen. Zong Ze looked at Ma Kuo and said: "You take him away, that's all I can do. Tell your lord, Shi Wang, that Peng Ju is a rare military genius, don't mistreat him." Ma Kuo bowed and said: "Please rest assured, General Zong."

  Then, Zong Ze said to Yue Fei: "Peng Ju, while I still have some power, I approve you leading your troops north. Take my token, from now on, you can only walk your own path. Remember, the one who can recover our rivers and mountains, and drive away the Jin dogs, is the wise ruler."

  Yue Fei took the token, immediately knelt down with tears streaming down his face. He knew that this farewell was a permanent one with Zong Ze. "Don't be so weak! I hope that in the underworld, I will see the day when the Jin army is driven out by you!"

  Yue Fei left, but Ma Kuo did not follow him. Ma Kuo still had a mission on his hands. Yue Fei led his eight hundred brave warriors to head north immediately and rushed towards the direction of Taihang Mountain.

  In Zhao Jun's large camp, Zhao Jun took out some treasures and distributed them to the Tangut generals. Seeing their silly faces, he secretly laughed. These were all treasures looted from the Jin people, and Zhao Jun used these treasures to win over the hearts of the Tangut generals, who would certainly be loyal to him to the death.

  "These women are the nobles of Khitan, Jurchen and Bohai people, and I don't know which generation of old emperor's offspring they are. Anyway, they are the royal family of the original Liao country, with a very noble status." Zhao Xun pointed at the row of captives kneeling in front, the beautiful noblewomen of Khitan, Jurchen and Bohai tribes, and said with a smile: "These are rewards for you, not many things, not worth much money, don't be polite." A group of barbarian generals were overjoyed, knelt down to thank him.

  For many years, these barbarian chieftains had never made such a huge fortune. In the past, although they charged forward and shed blood and sweat, they had never received such generous rewards. The Jin state was very stingy with its generals of other tribes, especially compared to the Song state, which had limited wealth and was extremely frugal, and had never seen a leader as generous as Zhao Xun.

  Money can make a ghost grind, if you want the horse to run, you have to feed it well, just eating grass is not enough, horses also have tempers, at critical moments they will kick their hooves and that's the end. When the horses are in high spirits and can run, then the master can think about what he wants to do. Wealth is an external thing, as long as you have enough it's fine, people who do great things cannot take money too seriously, even if the big boss eats meat, he should also give his subordinates a sip of soup, only then can everyone be united in their efforts.

  Zhao Zhu knew that if he didn't put in his own blood, who would be willing to risk their lives for him. The big boss eats meat, the people below drink soup, when there's wealth everyone gets a share, the more wealth is distributed, the bigger it becomes, both top and bottom benefit, with a hundred advantages and not a single disadvantage.

  "Follow me and work hard, I guarantee you'll have a fortune and a house full of beautiful women. After we drive out the Jin dog, I promise you'll enjoy wealth and glory without end." Zhao Xun said with a big laugh.

  Xin Wang, who is handsome and of noble status, is getting married, so Zhao Qing'er is naturally delighted. One day, she clings to Xin Wang's wife, Shuang Er. She knows that Shuang Er is a lady from a prestigious family and was originally Zhao Chen's first wife. In order to gain favor with Xin Wang, she must first win over Shuang Er's good feelings. Therefore, the two can be said to have become extremely close and intimate sisters.

  Apart from the marriage of King Xing and Zhao Jun, another thing is the establishment of the General's Mansion. The General's Mansion will be the central hub of King Xing's army in the future. From formulating strategies to specific implementation, everything was independently completed by the General's Mansion. At the same time, this is also the first time that the military has completely stayed out of things, and has not participated from start to finish.

  The General's Headquarters was also established and formulated by Gao Yunfei. At the same time, Zhao Chen was also fortunate to have found Gao Yunfei and was glad that he didn't kill this man who had such great use. This Gao Yunfei indeed had vision, his ideas were fundamentally different from those of the bandits. When he arrived at the places occupied by the Righteous Army, the first thing he did was to move all the books and scrolls from the state government offices, military command centers, and schools back to the headquarters. The second thing he did was to go to the large prisons to find people, and one by one, he found the Han Chinese officials and scholars from the state government offices, military command centers, and schools, and those with real talent and learning were all retained in the General's camp. After the establishment of the General's Headquarters, these people were immediately recruited by him and became the first batch of officials in the General's Headquarters.

  This matter, when spoken from Gao Yunfei's mouth, seemed simple. But the actual implementation was very complicated, especially in the chaotic situation of the Righteous Army. To think that it could all be settled within a short period of several days was almost impossible. However, Gao Yunfei really did manage to do it; he and over a hundred large and small officials and attendants from the Commander-in-Chief's office worked day and night, completing it in a miraculous manner.

  All of this was actually in Zhao Chen's eyes. Zhao Chen wasn't someone who could be easily fooled, whether he had the ability or not, how big a deal it was, whether it was difficult to handle or not, and whether the other party was talented or not. Zhao Chen could indeed see all of these things, that Gao Yunfei was truly a talented person, but just a bit afraid of death.

  The princess and the Zhao family discussed and prepared, following the rules and etiquette. As a prince of the Song Dynasty, the wedding had to be conducted in accordance with the most basic wedding rituals. Although it didn't require grand festivities, it was still more troublesome than ordinary people's weddings.

  King Xīn of Zhāo, Zhāo Xīn, married Zhāo Qīng'ér. Although the ceremony was simple, it was still complicated. Anyway, after coming and going for two or three days, Zhāo Xīn got drunk with his fellow officers and was sent to the bridal chamber in a daze.

  The day after the wedding, Zhao Xun immediately became busy. His eyes were now fixed on the map. In front of the righteous army was the Jin army, and behind them was still the Jin army. If the righteous army's attack was blocked, the Jin army could surround and attack the King's Righteous Army at will. The King's Righteous Army would soon fall into a situation where they were attacked from both sides. To protect their territory and expand it, not only did they need to launch extremely fierce attacks, but they also needed enough troops to block the Jin people's counterattack. If there was even a slight mistake, the entire army would be annihilated.

  Zhao Xun gritted his teeth, anyway, the soldiers and horses in his hands were getting more and more, and the people who defected to him, including civilians, righteous armies, and bandits, were numerous. The number of people at hand was sufficient, and even if the army was exhausted, it could be replenished with new recruits. As long as he could create a world where his banner would not fall, he would fight these dog-like Jin soldiers to the end, driving them back all the way. Zhao Xun didn't believe that with his own efforts in training super elite special forces and his thousand-year-old wisdom, he couldn't defeat those Jin dogs?

  The Jurchen people do not care about the gain or loss of a city or land, their army is limited in number and population is small, so they generally emphasize their strengths and avoid weaknesses, fully utilizing the speed advantage of their cavalry to annihilate the enemy's living forces through surprise attacks. If your army is defeated, won't your city surrender? The Jin army relied on this tactic to defeat the vast Liao state. However, when attacking the Song Dynasty, the Jin army also began to pay attention to defense and siege warfare.

  The Jin army cavalry is very powerful, with many Jin army cavalry being heavy armored cavalry, coordinating with light cavalry and infantry. There are also a large number of Jin army archers. Zhao Yun wants to win the victory, he must use wisdom and bravery to triumph.

  The General's Mansion held an emergency meeting, and the leaders of various armies rushed to attend. At this time, Gao Yunfei explained the current situation in detail: the war between Song and Jin was about to break out, and the Righteous Army led by Xiangzong was caught in the middle, facing a precarious situation.

  "But don't be intimidated by the immediate crisis, our righteous army has not fallen into desperation, on the contrary, all kinds of opportunities are coming one after another, now it's up to us to seize these opportunities. As long as we grasp them well, we can not only survive in desperate situations but also develop and grow stronger." Zhao Ze encouraged everyone.

  "We'll attack the Jin army, with a mix of real and fake moves, so they can't make too many preparations. Plus, our army is huge, and the Jin army has fewer men than us, we're sure to win! Haha!" Zhao Ze became more and more excited as he spoke, as if his troops had already broken into the cities and strongholds occupied by the Jin army, laughing loudly with joy.

  Zhao Song's laughter was infectious, and at critical moments, it could ease the tense atmosphere. Everyone's mood relaxed, and then they thought about it again - who is the commander-in-chief? Xinfeng Qian Sui, the son of the dragon, if he says so, it must be true. In this battle, following Zhao Song has always been a hundred victories in a hundred battles.

  At dawn, the soldiers of King Xiang's righteous army woke up to the sound of loud bugles. The tents began to disappear one by one. Horse-drawn carriages started to load up, and livestock began to leave their enclosures. People shouted and laughed, carrying hope and dreams, with their families in tow, embarking on a journey to find a safe haven amidst the war-torn land.

  The soldiers were fully armed and, under the guidance of the fluttering flags, they formed a neat formation, with an imposing momentum, and marched onto the battlefield in the north without hesitation.

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