You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

"Master Zhao, you've heard this all over the place, have you? Tell me, what about His Majesty's affair... is it true or false?"

"Is it really that amazing?" A young carpenter rubbed his hands together, both cold and curious.

Old Zhao slowly swallowed his steamed bun, smacked his lips, and his dim, yellowish eyes looked particularly deep in the morning mist: "Young man, in this world, it's better to believe that things are true."

"I've been a night watchman for thirty years, what strange noises haven't I heard?"

"Your Majesty, regarding this matter..."

He looked around and saw that the alley was empty before saying, "I have an old buddy who used to be a cook at Longshan Temple. He knows a thing or two about this."

"He said that what His Majesty used might not be Taoist magic or Buddhist supernatural powers..."

"What is that?"

"Yes...invite the gods!"

Old Zhao lowered his voice considerably: "I've heard that His Majesty possesses an ancient mirror, a treasure passed down from the Shang and Zhou dynasties!"

"On the battlefield, His Majesty bit his fingertip, smeared the blood on the mirror, and then chanted an incantation..."

"Guess what?"

Several neighbors held their breath, craning their necks.

"Then heavenly soldiers and generals will emerge from that mirror!"

"They were all towering, blue-faced, fanged divine generals, riding flaming warhorses and wielding axes as big as doors!"

"When the golden dog slashed at it, there was a series of clanging sounds, but not even a white mark was left!"

"Wanyan Zongbi was lifted off his horse like a chick by a divine general, who tore him in half with a single rip!"

Several neighbors shuddered simultaneously, their faces turning pale, yet they also felt a cruel sense of pleasure.

"This...is this witchcraft? Or..." The young carpenter's voice was dry.

"Whatever it is, as long as it can kill the golden dogs and keep us safe, it's a good method!"

Old Zhao concluded, "Anyway, His Majesty is no ordinary man."

"We're so lucky to have such an official as our boss."

"I feel much more at ease when I'm on night watch, as if His Majesty has summoned divine soldiers to guard me in the shadows."

"Yes, yes, that's reassuring!" the neighbors nodded in agreement.

……

Meanwhile, in the capital of the Jin Dynasty, in the main hall of the imperial palace.

The once majestic and solemn palace, filled with the ruggedness of the steppe empire and the arrogance of conquerors, was now shrouded in an almost stagnant heaviness and oppression.

Huge tallow torches flickered on the walls, casting shifting light and shadow on the faces of those inside the hall—some ashen, others filled with astonishment and uncertainty—reflecting their turbulent emotions.

The air was filled with a scent mixed with sandalwood.

Everyone's gaze, whether openly or secretly, involuntarily fell upon the empty seat below the imperial steps, a seat that originally belonged to the Grand Marshal, King Wanyan Zongbi of Yue.

On the dragon throne, Emperor Wanyan Dan of the Jin Dynasty had a gloomy face, his young face showing a haggardness and anger that did not match his age.

He unconsciously held a jade thumb ring in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Wanyan Zongbi, his uncle, a pillar of the state, the commander of the southern expedition, actually...

died?

He did not die of illness, nor was it an accident. He was killed in battle amidst a vast army when he was about to cross the river and had superior troop strength.

This news struck him like a thunderbolt from the heavens, shattering his ambition to destroy the Song dynasty since his ascension to the throne, as well as his complex feelings of both reliance on and fear of his powerful uncle, leaving only a cold reality and a humiliated rage.

Snapped!

A detailed battle report from the front lines was slammed heavily onto the imperial desk by Wanyan Dan, breaking the suffocating silence.

"Tell me everything," Wanyan Dan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling edge. "How did Fourth Imperial Uncle die?"

"How did an army of over 100,000 men lose?"

"How did Zhao Gou of the Southern Dynasties manage to 'fly' across the river and take the marshal's head?"

He deliberately emphasized the word "fly," his tone filled with sarcasm and disbelief.

After a brief silence, a general dressed in a magnificent fur coat and with a rugged face suddenly stepped out of the ranks. He was Wanyan Balisu, one of Wanyan Zongbi's deputies, who had survived the Battle of Huangtiandang and led the remnants of his troops back north in this defeat.

His eyes were bloodshot, his beard and hair bristling, like a wounded beast. He clasped his hands and roared, "Your Majesty!"

"I swear I will not rest until I avenge this!"

"The Southern Dynasties are using deception!"

"They must have used some kind of sorcery or evil magic to assassinate the marshal!"

"Our soldiers are not lacking in courage; they were simply caught off guard!"

"Your Majesty, please grant me another 100,000 elite troops. I am willing to lead the vanguard, pacify the Jianghuai region, capture and kill Zhao Gou, and use his head to appease the spirit of the Marshal in heaven!"

His words stirred up a sense of shared hatred among some of the generals, who also came from military backgrounds and were known for their fierce and courageous nature. Several of them chimed in with their opinions:

"Yes! Blood for blood!"

"The marshal cannot have died in vain!"

"The Southern Dynasty won one battle by sheer luck, and now they think they're invincible? Our Great Jin cavalry isn't all dead yet!"

However, many ministers, especially those in charge of civil affairs and finance, or more meticulous civil officials and nobles, showed expressions of indifference or even worry.

Left Chancellor Wanyan Zongxian coughed lightly, stepped forward, and said, "Your Majesty, General Balisu is commendable for his loyalty and bravery, and his desire for revenge is understandable."

"However..."

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious, "At this point, it would be unwise to suggest a large-scale southern expedition."

"Oh?" Wanyan Dan glanced at him.

"Your Majesty is wise," Wanyan Zongxian said slowly, "The defeat in this battle is no small matter."

"The marshal died, the central army was defeated, tens of thousands of elite troops were lost, and countless weapons and provisions were abandoned. In addition, most of the newly built ships and crossbows of the navy were destroyed."

"The soldiers have just suffered a defeat, and their morale is low; this is one point."

"After this victory, no matter how the Southern Dynasty tries to outmaneuver its troops, their morale will be greatly boosted. Han Shizhong and his ilk will take advantage of the situation to reorganize the river defenses, and in the short term, the defenses will only become stronger and harder to break through."

"Forcing a crossing at this time would likely lead to a repeat of past mistakes; this is the second point."

"With years of military campaigns in the country, the newly annexed territories of Henan and Shaanxi are unstable, and there are also frequent disturbances caused by unruly people in Shandong."

"If we devote all our efforts to the southern expedition, our rear will be left vulnerable, and if anything goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable. Moreover, the movement of a large army consumes mountains of money and provisions, and the national treasury is already showing signs of exhaustion. This is the third point."

With each statement he made, the voices of the pro-war faction in the hall weakened a little. Although many generals were full of dissatisfaction, they knew that what Wanyan Zongxian said was true.

"What Zongxian said is the way of governing a country with wisdom and experience."

Another important minister, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Wanyan Xu, interjected: "The most urgent task is not revenge, but to consolidate the defenses and mitigate the impact of this defeat."

"In the Jianghuai direction, Heshilie Zhining and others should be ordered to consolidate the defensive line, secure key points on the north bank, and prevent the Southern Dynasty from taking advantage of the victory to launch a counterattack and harass across the river."

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"At the same time, we must strictly control the news, try our best to appease all the tribes, and be especially wary of the Song people using the 'beheading of the commander' incident to spread rumors and shake the hearts of the people in our newly annexed Han territories."

"Contract the defenses? Does that mean the marshal's blood was shed in vain?" A young, hot-blooded royal general couldn't help but growl.

"It's not that the blood will be shed in vain, but rather that we cannot shed any more unnecessary blood!" Wanyan Xu emphasized. "To fight again now would play right into the hands of the Southern Dynasty!"

"They'd love for us to lose our minds and continue pouring our troops into that quagmire in the Jianghuai region!"

"Your Majesty, you should suppress your anger for now, adopt a policy of concealment, conserve your strength and build up your military power, and at the same time send out spies to penetrate deep into the Southern Dynasty."

"Firstly, to ascertain its true strength; secondly, to seek out opportunities for internal division."

"It would be safer to wait until I have recovered my strength, until internal changes occur in the Southern Dynasty, or until Zhao Gou's 'miracle' is exposed and the people's hearts are scattered, before planning a southward advance!"

This rhetoric of "keeping a low profile and waiting for the right opportunity" clearly resonated with many pragmatic ministers. A direct confrontation would result in too many losses; it was better to stabilize the core of the government first.

Just as the pro-war and pro-defense factions were deadlocked, and Wanyan Dan was frowning as he weighed his options, a clear, cool voice, with a scholarly air yet undeniably arrogant, rang out:

"What you all said has not touched upon the fundamental issue."

Everyone looked over and saw that the speaker was Zhang Hao, a native of Bohai, who was the newly appointed Hanlin Academician and was known for his extensive knowledge, prodigious memory, and mastery of Chinese classics. He stepped forward and bowed to Wanyan Dan.

"What insightful opinions does Zhang Daizhi have?"

Wanyan Dan patiently asked. Although Zhang Hao was not a member of the Jurchen nobility, his knowledge and insights could sometimes offer different perspectives.

"Your Majesty, I have recently thoroughly examined numerous official reports and rumors from the Southern Dynasty, as well as the scattered and chaotic descriptions brought back by our defeated soldiers."

Zhang Hao spoke calmly, seemingly trying to dispel the fog of panic in the hall with rational analysis:

"Absurd and unfounded claims about Emperor Zhao Gou of the Southern Dynasties, such as taking heads with flying swords, killing people with a glare, and commanding divine soldiers."

"This is clearly a rumor spread by ignorant and foolish people, or perhaps the Southern Dynasty court deliberately spread it to disrupt the morale of our army and intimidate the people. It is not credible."

He paused, then looked at the hesitant generals: "Generals, you are all seasoned veterans. You should know that when two armies clash, arrows rain down and swords and spears gleam like a forest. No matter how skilled you are in martial arts, how can your flesh and blood truly withstand a million soldiers?"

"The saying 'to take the head of a general from among ten thousand troops' has existed since ancient times, but it is nothing more than relying on courage and strength, seizing the opportunity, and leading a small number of elite troops to launch a surprise attack. There is absolutely no miracle of a single person breaking through the formation."

"Does Zhang Daizhi mean that Zhao Gou is not a sorcerer, but just a martial arts master?" Wanyan Balisu couldn't help but ask back.

"Exactly," Zhang Hao affirmed. "The martial arts world of the Southern Dynasty has a long tradition of inheritance."

"People like Wang Chongyang of the Quanzhen Sect, Hong Qigong of the Beggars' Sect, and Huang Yaoshi of Peach Blossom Island are all outstanding figures whose martial arts are truly unique and far surpass those of ordinary soldiers."

"I deduce that Zhao Gou's success this time must be due to the assistance of such top-notch experts, or even that he himself has mastered considerable martial arts skills."

"In conjunction with Han Shizhong's frontal containment, select elite troops to launch a surprise attack while our army is engaged in fierce fighting on the front lines and the central army is relatively relaxed, and carry out a decapitation strike."

"This is a brilliant tactical coordination, not some kind of magical power."

"Zhang Daizhi's words make sense."

Wanyan Zongxian nodded in agreement: "However, even so..."

"His personal bravery and cunning in warfare, combined with his status as the emperor of the Southern Dynasty, made him far more dangerous than ordinary martial arts masters or generals."

"Our army has just suffered a defeat, and it is indeed not appropriate to immediately launch a large-scale retaliatory attack."

"In your opinion..."

Wanyan Dan finally spoke again, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "What should we do now? And what strategy should we take against the Southern Dynasty?"

After a moment of silence in the hall, Wanyan Xu cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the words of Zhang Daizhi and the Left Chancellor can be put into practice without conflict."

"For external affairs, we should temporarily adopt a defensive posture, consolidate the defense lines along the Yellow River and Huaihe River, and especially strengthen the construction of water fortresses and train the navy to prevent the Southern Dynasty's navy from advancing north."

"Domestically, we will accelerate the integration of the Central Plains, select Han officials, restore production, replenish the treasury, and train soldiers."

"Furthermore..." Zhang Hao added, "As I just analyzed, the Southern Dynasty's success this time was largely due to the formidable strength of its unorthodox martial arts forces."

"Zhao Gou's ability to command unruly figures like Hong Qigong and Huang Yaoshi shows that he had already begun to integrate the power of the martial arts world and bring it to his own use."

"This is not only a strategy for beheading on the battlefield, but also a way to intimidate all sides and win over the hearts of the people."

"If our Great Jin wishes to restrain them, and even to defeat them in the future, we must carefully consider this approach and take action."

"The Southern Dynasties had a martial arts world, and our Great Jin also has fierce warriors. Between the grasslands and the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River, there is no shortage of warriors with superb skills and fighting techniques that are no less than those of the Southerners."

"However, they are scattered among various tribes, some serving as guards, others as wandering knights, not forming a cohesive unit and thus unfit for important tasks."

"I believe that the court should issue an imperial edict to recruit warriors throughout the country who are exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts, either with generous rewards or official positions."

"Regardless of whether they are Jurchen, Bohai, Khitan, or Han, select the best to form an elite battalion."

"This battalion does not emphasize military formations and ranks, but specializes in infiltration, reconnaissance, harassment, breaching strongholds, and decapitation."

"Following the tactics of the Southern Dynasties in this battle, we will use a small, elite force to carry out extraordinary tasks."

"In peacetime, it can monitor the local area and suppress misconduct; in wartime, it can be a dagger inserted into the enemy's belly, or used to spy on military intelligence, or burn supplies, or... assassinate key figures."

The mention of the word "assassination" sent a chill down the spines of many in the hall.

Isn't this exactly using their own methods against them?

"However, relying solely on domestic warriors may not be enough to contend with the deep-rooted martial arts heritage of the Southern Dynasty."

"I believe we should look beyond our borders. The Tantric sect of the Great Snow Mountain Temple in the Western Regions has strange and powerful martial arts styles that are very different from those in the Central Plains. Moreover, its followers are fearless, have a firm belief in Buddhism, and are easy to control."

"They had previously sent men south and made contact with the Southern Dynasty. It is said that they lost some men, and it is feared that they have already had a falling out with Zhao Gou."

"This is a golden opportunity."

"Your Majesty may send an eloquent envoy, well-versed in the affairs of the Western Regions, with generous gifts, to the Great Wheel Temple in the Snow Mountain to meet with its Dharma King and Tantric Living Buddha, and explain the advantages and disadvantages."

"One could say that Emperor Zhao Gou of the Southern Dynasties disregarded Buddhism, persecuted monks, and destroyed Buddhist implements."

"Secondly, they promised great benefits, such as gold, silver, and treasures, and even if they acquired land in the Southern Dynasty in the future, they were allowed to spread their religion, build temples, and recruit many disciples."

"As long as we can persuade the Tantric sect to send their true masters, or even a Dharma King or Venerable, to come east and join my elite troops."

"Then my Great Jin will also have a force that can be called a 'surprise weapon'."

"His bizarre martial arts skills are perfect for dealing with the routines of the Central Plains martial arts world, and his religious fanaticism makes him a weapon that makes him fearless of death."

"It will be of great use in the future, whether in battlefield combat or in special operations against Zhao Gou and his elite guards."

"Thus, we can recruit internally and forge alliances externally, employing a two-pronged approach."

"It can both make up for the shortcomings of our army in terms of top-level military strength and deal with the threat of the Jianghu forces in the Southern Dynasty."

"It also demonstrates to the outside world that our great nation is open-minded and eager to seek out talent. This is a strategy that combines offense with defense and aims for long-term success."

"We beseech Your Majesty's wise judgment."