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

In the imperial study, the firelight illuminated Li Qingzhao's slender profile.

Her gaze fell on the gloomy sky outside the window, and the anxiety of being suspended in mid-air with nowhere to put her foot down was more agonizing than any definite bad news.

Just then—

"Good news..."

A faint, fleeting cry, as if from a distant dream, was torn apart by the howling north wind and seeped into the hall.

Li Qingzhao was startled and suddenly looked up.

She held her breath, listened intently, and her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Was it the howling of the wind?

Or was it a hallucination caused by excessive worry?

"Green Stamen!"

"Did you...did you hear anything? Was someone shouting just now?"

Green Bud was startled by her pale face and the strength in her hand. She quickly focused her attention and listened carefully, but the only sound outside the hall was the whistling of the wind cutting through the palace. "My lady, I didn't hear clearly, perhaps it was the wind..."

Her words were abruptly interrupted!

"Good news!!!"

This time, the voice was clear, loud, and filled with explosive ecstasy, like thunder splitting through thick dark clouds, rolling in from the direction of the front court!

As if struck by lightning, Li Qingzhao abruptly rose to her feet and rushed toward the palace gate with almost uncontrollable speed. With all her might, she forcefully pushed open the two heavy, carved palace doors with a loud crash!

The biting wind, carrying snowflakes, lashed at her face, and the sight before her made her forget to breathe.

Along the long imperial road, a dozen or so high-ranking officials in crimson robes and scarlet robes were stumbling and running wildly!

They had long abandoned their usual dignity; their official hats were askew, their robes were stained with snow and cement, but their faces were beaming with almost maniacal, tearful smiles.

Leading the pack was Lu You, a man in his fifties who was known for his integrity and upright character.

He clutched a scroll of apricot-yellow paper tightly in one hand, while waving the other frantically. His voice was hoarse and distorted from excitement and running, yet he roared with all his might:

"Secretary Li! Secretary Li! Great news! Huge news—!!!"

Behind him, the Vice Minister of War was practically supported by his colleagues as he ran, his face streaked with tears and his beard covered in icicles, yet he could only shout, "We won! We won!"

"His Majesty has won!"

"The Northern Expedition...a complete success!"

A high-ranking official in the Privy Council lost his official boots while running, so he simply ran barefoot in the snow, waving his arms and crying out, "Heaven has eyes!"

May our ancestors bless us!

"Shangjing! Shangjing has been liberated! The Jin Dynasty... the Jin Dynasty is gone!"

"The humiliation of Jingkang has been avenged today! A century of national hatred has been washed away in a single day!!!"

More officials, eunuchs, and palace maids, having heard the news, poured out of various palaces and gathered on the imperial road. The crowd grew larger and larger, all looking at the group of ministers who had rushed to report the good news, their faces a mixture of disbelief and rapidly rising elation.

Lu You finally rushed to Li Qingzhao, his hands trembling, and urgently shoved the dusty, warm document of victory into her hands:

"Mrs. Li... Madam Li!"

"Quick! Look!"

"On the day of Bingchen in the eleventh month, the royal army trampled through the capital!"

"The Jin ruler, Wanyan Dan, led his imperial clan and officials, groveling in surrender!"

"The Imperial Seal of the State, maps, and registers are all presented here!"

"The Jin Dynasty...is now gone!"

"Completely destroyed!!"

The officials behind him could no longer contain themselves and knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly towards the north, their wailing and hysterical laughter intertwined.

"Long live the Emperor! The Emperor is divinely mighty! Heaven blesses the Great Song Dynasty! Heaven blesses China!"

Li Qingzhao's hands trembled violently, almost unable to hold the silk that was both light as a feather and heavy as a mountain.

She suddenly opened the book, her gaze sweeping rapidly over the words that seemed to penetrate the paper, as if they carried the scent of gunpowder and blood.

"The royal army marches forth with unstoppable momentum..."

"The barbarian chieftain Wanyan Dan, bound and carried in a coffin, with a jade disc in his mouth and a sheep at his side, led his clan, officials, carriages, and religious artifacts thirty li outside the north gate of the city, prostrating himself and pleading for the protection of his leader..."

"A century of stench has been swept away in a single day; the vast land has returned to the Han dynasty..."

"The army rejoiced, and the people celebrated with open arms..."

"I send this urgent letter to report the triumphant news!"

It's true! It's not a dream!

It's not the illusion I've been longing for!

An immense, overwhelming ecstasy erupted like a volcano that had been suppressed for a century, instantly shattering all her composure.

"Proclamation to the capital, and a proclamation to the entire world!"

"The Northern Expeditionary Army has recaptured the capital!"

"The false ruler of the Jin dynasty has surrendered!"

"From this day forward, the Jin Dynasty is dead!"

"The humiliation of Jingkang has been avenged today! A century of national hatred has been wiped clean in a single day!"

"The curfew is hereby lifted for the entire city of Yingtian Prefecture, and a three-day celebration will be held!"

"A five-day feast is hereby granted, so that all subjects of the realm may celebrate this unparalleled achievement and share in this everlasting peace!"

She practically screamed the last few words, her voice piercing the clouds and splitting rocks.

Instantly, the entire palace courtyard erupted in chaos!

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live the Northern Expedition! Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"

"God bless our Emperor! Reclaim the land!"

The cheers, cries, and shouts were like a tsunami, bursting forth like subterranean fire that had been suppressed for a century, soaring straight to the heavens!

Officials embraced and wept, regardless of rank or faction; palace maids threw their utensils and cheered.

The guards slammed their sword hilts on the ground, their armor clanging, and their roars thunderous.

The entire palace was engulfed in a state of pure, extreme, and frenzied chaos!

……

The good news spread like wildfire, centered on the palace, and instantly reached every corner of Yingtian Prefecture.

The heavy gloom that had previously shrouded the entire city was burned away by the ecstatic flames, replaced by jubilation that soared into the sky.

South of the city canal wharf.

The dark-faced laborer was carrying a sack when he suddenly heard a faint commotion in the distance. Before he could react, a boy came tumbling down the street, screaming at the top of his lungs as he ran:

"We won! The Northern Expedition was won! Shangjing has fallen! The Jin Dynasty is gone!"

"Clang! Welcome to the boundless fantasy continent, the entrance is here: p>"

He froze for a moment, then his eyes widened suddenly. He grabbed the child's shoulder, his voice trembling, "Kid! What did you say? Say it again!"

"We won! Good news! The whole city is shouting! The Jin Kingdom is dead!" The child's face turned red with excitement.

"ah--!!!"

The dark-faced laborer suddenly let out a beastly howl, violently throwing his tattered felt hat into the river. He turned and roared at the entire dock with all his might:

"Brothers! Did you hear that? We've won! Our army has captured the capital!"

"The Jin Dynasty! It's fallen! Fallen!!!!"

The dock fell silent for a moment, then exploded with a loud "boom".

The elderly laborer, who had been frowning and looking distressed, now had tears and snot streaming down his face. He beat his chest and cried out, "Heaven has opened its eyes! Our ancestors have shown their power!"

Another laborer jumped onto the barge, waving a tarpaulin and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Move the ball!"

"His Majesty has avenged us for a century! I'm overjoyed today!"

"Let's go for a drink!"

"A true Song Dynasty man isn't one who doesn't get drunk!"

At the dock, people, whether they knew each other or not, embraced each other, laughing and crying. Some people threw whole jars of wine into the canal as a form of mourning.

Many more people simply took off their tattered coats, ran around shirtless in the cold air, shouting wildly and releasing their almost bursting joy.

...

Jixian Academy, located in the east of the city.

The melodious chimes still echoed, and the scholar Wang, who had been the most worried, was sighing deeply as he read the chapter on "Siege" in "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu.

Suddenly, the academy gate was kicked open with a bang, and a young student tumbled in, so excited he was incoherent:

"Teacher! Fellow students! Good news!"

"News has arrived from the imperial palace: the Northern Expeditionary Army has captured Shangjing, the Jin ruler has surrendered, and the Jin Dynasty... is finished!"

"Thud!" The scroll in Wang Xueshi's hand fell to the ground.

He stood up abruptly, staring intently at the student, his lips trembling: "You...you say...it's true?"

"Absolutely true! I personally heard the messenger's shouts of victory, and an imperial edict has been issued to celebrate!"

"ah--!"

Scholar Wang let out a long howl, tears streaming down his face. He stumbled into the courtyard, faced north, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply as if overturning a mountain of gold and a jade pillar, his head touching the ground. His voice was choked with emotion, yet every word was resounding:

"Our ancestors, sages, and worthies, are above us!"

"The unworthy descendant Wang Pu has today heard the voice of Heaven!"

"The humiliation of Jingkang has been avenged! The regret of Youyun has been resolved! A century of humiliation has been completely washed away!"

"Your Majesty is divinely mighty, a feat unparalleled throughout history! The soldiers of the three armies have achieved legendary merits!"

"Even if I were to die now, I could die with a smile on my face and meet the sages of the past!"

After saying this, he fell to the ground and burst into tears.

The students around them were already excited, their youthful blood burning in their veins.

A student leaped onto a stone table, waving his arms and shouting, "Fellow students! Let's go! Let's go to the streets! Let's tell the whole city, let's tell the world, our Great Song Dynasty has risen up!"

"Yes! Let's go!" Countless voices echoed in agreement.

.......

Yuelailou Restaurant.

The silk merchant, Mr. Li, was drinking alone with a plate of fennel beans, while the accountant across from him was still muttering about grain prices.

The scarred veteran silently wiped the corner of the table. The faint commotion downstairs grew louder and louder.

"Bang!"

The door to the private room was flung open, and the innkeeper rushed in, his face flushed with excitement, his beard trembling: "Master Li! Mr. Zhou! Brother Liu! Great news! Huge news!"

"The officials who just passed by were banging gongs and shouting that the Northern Expeditionary Army had captured Shangjing and the Jin Emperor had surrendered!"

"The Jin Dynasty is gone!"

"Clang!" The wine glass in Boss Li's hand fell to the ground and shattered.

He seemed nailed to the chair, his eyes fixed on the shopkeeper. After a long while, he made a strange "hoarse" sound from his throat, then slammed his hand on the table, making the dishes jump.

"What...what did you say? Say it again!"

"The Jin Dynasty is gone! The Northern Expedition has been won! We've won everything!" the shopkeeper repeated hoarsely.

"Hahahaha—!!!" Boss Li burst into earth-shattering laughter.

He jumped up abruptly, kicked over the stool in front of him, rushed to the window, pushed it open, and roared with all his might at the street below, which was already boiling over:

"Listen up, you guys downstairs! You guys on the street! Men and women! Listen up, you bastards!"

"The Northern Expedition has been won!"

"Our Emperor has wiped out the Jin dogs' stronghold in the capital!"

"The emperor of the Jin dynasty has surrendered on his knees!"

"From this day forward, the Jin Dynasty will cease to exist in this world!"

The area downstairs fell silent for a moment, then erupted into even louder cheers.

Boss Li turned around, his face covered in tears and snot, yet his smile was maniacal. He pointed at the shopkeeper, then at the people at the table, and hissed, "Shopkeeper! Did you hear me?"

"Today, right now, I've booked the entire Yuelai Restaurant! Not just the private rooms, but the whole building!"

"Everyone here, every single one of you, has plenty of food and drink—it's all on me!"

"No! I'll invite them for three days straight! I want the whole world to celebrate!"

He rushed to the scarred old soldier, grabbed his hand, and cried out in a trembling voice, "Brother! Did you hear me?"

"We won! Your brothers didn't die in vain! Their blood has been avenged today!"

That night, every household in Yingtian Prefecture was brightly lit, illuminating every face contorted with joy.

Men, women, and children flocked to the streets, spontaneously marching, singing, dancing, and celebrating. Firecrackers rang from nightfall until dawn, as if to release the pent-up resentment accumulated over the past century.

The tavern's stock of wine was emptied, and the wine flag fluttered in the cold wind. Strangers toasted each other, exchanging a toast of "Congratulations!"

Children weaved through the crowd, shouting in their clear voices, "The Jin Dynasty is dead!"

The old woman burned incense in front of the door, kowtowed facing north, thanking Heaven and comforting the spirits of her deceased husband and son.