Magical Water Margin: They all call me brother

Page 151

However, reality proved incredibly harsh. The Qi army, after a series of bloody battles, achieved victory, but it was a Pyrrhic one, losing more than a third of its forces, with elite veterans suffering particularly heavy casualties. They were no longer capable of launching a large-scale offensive in the short term. The exhausted army desperately needed rest and replenishment.

"Kaifeng must be saved, but the siege of Licheng must not be lifted!"

Liu Hong's gaze swept over the generals, his expression resolute.

"Lu Junyi, Guan Sheng, Lu Zhisheng, Yelü Dashi, listen to my command! Lead the Imperial Guards and all cavalry of the First, Second, and Fifth Legions to follow me! Go to rescue Kaifeng! Approximately how many men can we gather?"

After some calculation, the four generals discovered that of the four thousand Imperial Guards, three thousand remained after a fierce battle with the Iron Pagoda. Guan Sheng and Lu Zhisheng, with a combined six thousand cavalry, had four thousand left. Yelü Dashi's twenty thousand cavalry had also suffered heavy losses, leaving thirteen thousand men.

The four legions combined can still muster 20,000 cavalry, which is barely acceptable.

Liu Hong took a deep breath, his tone tinged with helplessness and determination: "Song Jiang, guard Qi, pacify the soldiers of the four legions, and provide relief to the dead and wounded. You will handle the aftermath."

"Chao Gai, Li Jun's naval mission remains unchanged: continue to besiege Licheng."

"Huyan Zhuo will temporarily take command of the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Legions. As long as Song Jiang handles the aftermath and replenishment work for one battalion, you will immediately gain command of that battalion and be deployed to the Licheng battlefield! I fear that Wanyan Aguda will send reinforcements. Your task is to use the remnants of these four legions to starve Jin Wuzhu while blocking any possible reinforcements!"

"Follow me!!!"

Huyan Zhuo immediately picked up his double whips and looked at the four ravaged legions. He saw how many battalions were still available to be mobilized. The first wave of mobilization consisted of thirty-six full-strength battalions, totaling 36,000 men. Huyan Zhuo immediately pulled them to fill the encirclement of Licheng and prepare to besiege the city and attack the reinforcements.

Meanwhile, Song Jiang urgently mobilized all officials to recover from the casualties of the four legions, began to continuously replenish the ranks of soldiers, and assigned the new camp to Huyan Zhuo so that she could command more troops.

After barely resolving all the issues in Shandong, Liu Hong led 20,000 cavalrymen in a whirlwind advance, along with most of Liangshan's elite troops, straight towards Kaifeng!

Chapter 445: The Great Square Formation Engages in Bloody Battle

Both Liu Hong and Wanyan Aguda were top-notch shrewd individuals, and they dispatched their rescue forces at almost the same time.

Just two days after Liu Hong led most of Liangshan's elite troops, nearing Kaifeng, Wanyan Zongwang's 50,000 Jin cavalry were less than 50 li from Licheng!

The difference was that the people around Kaifeng were too busy hiding from the Jin army to even see Liu Hong's reinforcements arrive. They were so grateful that they welcomed the Qi army with food and drink.

The people near Licheng were terrified when they saw the arrival of the Jin reinforcements. They rushed to inform Huyan Zhuo and Chao Gai, so that Huyan Zhuo could mobilize his troops and launch a defense during the precious time when Wanyan Zongwang was setting up camp and resting at night.

At this moment, the number of troops that Huyan Zhuo could mobilize had only increased from thirty-six battalions to fifty battalions, with a total of fifty thousand infantrymen. The cavalry had all been taken away by Liu Hong, and the organization of the four legions had been crippled. They were now temporarily restored to their original battalion-level structure.

With no other option, facing the onrushing Jin cavalry, Huyan Zhuo personally led the entire army to meet the challenge! Flags waved, and war drums suddenly sounded! Fifty battalions of Qi infantry, like precise and ruthless war machines, began to operate with astonishing speed and efficiency.

They quickly contracted and coalesced, forming fifty massive and well-organized Liangshan square formations, each a thousand men in a single battalion. In the center was a 20x30 square formation of six hundred infantrymen. The outermost perimeter consisted of three densely packed rows of spears, three, four, and five meters long respectively, their countless sharp tips pointing diagonally forward, creating a terrifying forest of death. The fourth and fifth circles were filled with hook-and-sickle spearmen and giant axe-wielding troops. Spears held the line, hook-and-sickle spearmen broke through cavalry, and giant axe-wielding troops provided the final blow.

At the four corners of the large square formation were smaller 10x10 musketeer squares, capable of close combat using the bayonets on their muskets. Once approached, the musketeers would retreat into the inner squares to fire from within. Each square was like a mobile, spiked steel fortress.

This Liangshan formation lacked offensive power and mobility, so the Battle of Qingzhou adopted a line formation.

However, his defensive capabilities were extremely exaggerated and defied the heavens. When Liangshan lacked cavalry, it was with this that he defeated Huyan Zhuo's armored cavalry.

Now, Huyan Zhuo has also mastered this formation, using it to defend against the Jin reinforcements.

Even more terrifying was that these fifty phalanxes were not isolated, but rather coordinated with each other, forming a massive, well-organized defensive system. The passages between the phalanxes were meticulously calculated, serving not only to mobilize reserves but also to divert and divert the momentum of cavalry charges, trapping them in a deadly crossfire.

Twenty minutes after Huyan Zhuo assembled his troops and formed his battle formation, the earth began to tremble, startling Huyan Zhuo so much that he broke out in a cold sweat—he was only twenty minutes faster than Wanyan Zongwang. If he had been any slower, and the Jin army's iron cavalry had attacked before the formation could be assembled, then he would have been truly doomed.

She held her breath and gazed westward, where the torrent of Jin cavalry was already approaching on the horizon! The thunderous roar of ten thousand horses was like the collapse of the heavens and the earth, enough to instantly rout any untrained army. Wanyan Zongwang was also stunned when he saw the Qi infantry stretched out in a long line.

What the hell is this design? A long, single-line formation?

"All troops! Concentrate superior forces! Break through from the center!!!"

Wanyan Zongwang had never seen such a strange formation before and mistook it for a long, single-line snake formation. Therefore, he decided to break through from the center, as this formation was the easiest to attack: if you strike the head, the tail cannot reach you; if you strike the tail, the head cannot provide support; if you strike the center, both the head and tail will be severed.

Upon receiving the order, the Jin army immediately switched to a wedge formation. A massive number of cavalry, like an extremely sharp triangular cone, roared and charged towards the Qi army! The previously overwhelming and terrifyingly scattered wave of charges was forcibly restrained and shaped by an invisible giant hand! The well-trained Jurchen cavalry displayed astonishing tactical skill. While galloping at high speed, they rapidly adjusted their positions, with their most elite Iron Pagoda heavy cavalry at the core, flanked by lightly armed cavalry and valiant Mouke cavalry, forming a massive and ferocious wedge-shaped attack formation in an instant!

The tip of this massive wedge was formed by hundreds of heavily armored warriors and their horses, clad only in eye sockets, wielding long-handled axes, maces, or thick lances. Like a moving steel wall, they formed the impenetrable core of the entire formation! Following closely behind were cavalry units wielding scimitars and maces, tasked with expanding the gains and tearing open the wounds. The entire wedge formation resembled an incredibly heavy siege hammer forged from flesh and steel, or a deadly poisoned arrow aimed at the heart of its prey!

"Woo——!!!"

The bugle call to attack became deep and oppressive, no longer a scattered whistle, but a terrifying shriek that tore through the air! The overwhelming Jin cavalry, with the force of a tidal wave, launched a desperate charge towards Huyan Zhuo's seemingly impenetrable square formation!

Their objective was clear—no longer attempting to disperse their attacks across multiple formations, but concentrating all their power on a single point, using absolute momentum and destructive force to forcibly tear a breach! The thunderous roar of hooves echoed across the mountains and plains, coalescing into a continuous, deafening thunderclap! The earth trembled violently beneath their iron hooves, the dust they kicked up resembling a yellow dragon flying close to the ground! The Ironclad Cavalry at the forefront of the wedge formation lowered their lances, crouched low, their eyes gleaming with a fanatical, all-consuming light; they had completely transformed themselves into part of their weaponry!

"Hold on!"

"Keep the spear tip level!"

"Musketeers! Ready—"

Faced with the Jin army's terrifying charge, Huyan Zhuo's central command orders were precisely transmitted to every formation through flag signals and drumbeats. Although the soldiers looked tense and were drenched in sweat, their well-trained bodies gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed on the ever-approaching, increasingly clear wave of death ahead.

"Fire!!!"

When the Jin vanguard cavalry charged within two hundred meters, the musketeers standing at the front of the square opened fire, and the cannons behind the square also ignited. A hail of lead bullets and cannonballs rained down on the charging cavalry, like a deadly storm! Instantly, they were thrown to the ground, men and horses falling to the ground! The Jin cavalry at the forefront seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall, riddled with bullets, men and horses alike, screaming and rolling to the ground.

But the cavalry that followed showed no fear. Although their formation was disrupted, their momentum was not stopped. The rear cavalrymen trampled over the corpses of their comrades and continued their charge! They even drew their bows and nocked arrows when they were within a hundred meters. Iron-rimmed bows with steel arrows fired clouds of black smoke, symbolizing slaughter and death. Not only were the unarmored musketeers killed in droves by the Jin army's powerful arrow rain, but even the heavily armored spearmen suffered casualties.

Just as the two armies were exchanging fire and suffering heavy casualties, the Jin army, after enduring a second volley of musket fire and suffering heavy losses once again, finally saw its third rank of cavalry, wielding long spears and maces, charge fiercely into the Liangshan formations!

"boom!!!"

The clash between heavy cavalry and heavy infantry sounded like a thousand thunderbolts exploding simultaneously! When the lead horses neighed and crashed into the hail of spears, they were instantly pierced by three or four lances. Some unfortunate cavalrymen, before even engaging in combat, had a spear pierce their horse's neck and another plunge into its chest, instantly unhorsing them. Many more cavalrymen were halted by the dense spear barrage and then fell to arrows and slingshots raining down from behind!

But the immense kinetic energy also shattered spears, sent infantry flying, their arms twisted and bones broken! Groups of infantry were smashed to the ground, resulting in incredibly heavy casualties on both sides.

Moreover, the mobility of the Liangshan formation could be compensated for by the range of firearms. Although the Jin cavalry was indeed fierce, they could not break through the formation in one fell swoop. Once they stopped, they would be covered by the flanking fire of the adjacent formations. The muskets on both sides fired continuously, and hundreds and thousands of bullets came down like locusts, causing blood to flow on the flanks of the Jin cavalry!

The battle quickly entered its most brutal phase of attrition. The Jin cavalry launched wave after wave of charges, attempting to break through these "iron hedgehogs" with sheer numbers and ferocity. The Qi army's square formation, however, stood like a rock, suffering heavy losses with each impact, but each time inflicting equal casualties on the Jin with spears, arrows, and firearms!

The battlefield had become a massive, chaotic grinder of flesh and blood. Around the phalanx, the corpses of Jin cavalry and dead horses piled up like mountains, severely hindering subsequent charges. Inside the phalanx, infantry casualties were equally heavy. Soldiers were constantly being shot down by flying arrows or hacked down by Jin soldiers who fearlessly charged into the formation. Reserves quickly filled the gaps, stepping over the corpses of their comrades to continue fighting.

Huyan Zhuo sat in the center, constantly adjusting the position and firepower of the square formation according to the battlefield situation. He witnessed an entire square formation suffer more than half its casualties after enduring several heavy cavalry charges, and was eventually completely overwhelmed by the torrent of Jin cavalry. But he also saw that before the square formation collapsed, a hook-and-sickle spearman tripped his horse, and a giant axeman swung his giant axe and directly killed a Jin soldier.

One to one!

This was an almost impossible exchange ratio for infantry against a large-scale elite cavalry charge! These Qi soldiers, who had undergone four or five years of training, were able to exchange blows with a large Jin heavy cavalry. Wanyan Zongwang was dumbfounded. After several unsuccessful charges, he quickly ordered his cavalry to return.

No, the other side is just a farmer who's been training for four or five winters, dressed in armor and armed, trying to trade one-for-one with my Great Jin's cavalry, whom I've trained and hunted for decades in the Changbai Mountains and Heilongjiang River region? What kind of trade am I supposed to do?! The enemy looks like they have at least 50,000 men. Do I have to wipe out all 50,000 cavalry to exchange for their 50,000 infantry?!

The next day, Song Jiang learned that the Jin army reinforcements had arrived, which accelerated the reconstruction of the army. Twelve more battalions, totaling 12,000 men, marched from Qingzhou to the front line to make up for Huyan Zhuo's losses and give her more resources to fight Wanyan Zongwang to the death!

Chapter 446: Ghost Fanlou Imperial City Secret Passage

As the battle at Licheng intensified, Liu Hong also arrived in Kaifeng.

Outside the city, the Jin army's camps stretched for dozens of miles, their lights like stars and cooking smoke like clouds. The sounds of patrols' hooves and shouts filled the air, completely surrounding the isolated city.

Liu Hong, cloaked in a dark cloak, ordered his cavalry to set up camp at Chenqiao Post Station, thirty kilometers away. Behind him stood eight hundred carefully selected, impeccably silent elite soldiers from Liangshan. Each of them had eyes as sharp as an eagle, a calm demeanor, and wore black cloaks over their armor. Their weapons were wrapped in strips of cloth to prevent them from reflecting light and making noise.

The eight hundred warriors followed Liu Hong, boarded a small boat, passed through the reeds, and easily found an entrance to the Ghost Fanlou. They descended one by one, their movements as swift as cats, without making a sound, and returned to the Ghost Fanlou.

This is the old Kaifeng city from the Tang Dynasty, which was flooded by the Yellow River and buried under silt. Later generations rebuilt Kaifeng on the site and excavated part of the underground world as a drainage system. It is intricate and maze-like, and most of the exits have long been lost to history.

But Liangshan had no fear. The Ghost Fanlou underground in Kaifeng was one of Liangshan's branch bases, and everyone was very familiar with it. The army marched silently in absolute darkness, illuminated only by the faint light of torches. Sometimes the mud was ankle-deep, and sometimes they had to wade through icy, bone-chilling sewage. Strange rustling sounds came from all around, and rats, insects, snakes, and ants crawled everywhere. The passageways were numerous and branching, like an anthill; one wrong step could trap them underground forever.

Liu Hong and his group strolled leisurely through the damp, sewage-soaked passageways of the Ghost Fanlou, the air thick with the stench of decay. The only sounds were dripping water and their own labored breathing. Finally, they stopped before a pagoda, before a seemingly unremarkable, heavy ironwood door that blended almost seamlessly into the surrounding rock face. The door was unlocked, yet intricately carved with lotus scrolls, hinting at the extraordinary world beyond.

"Brother, I know this well, let me do it."

Yan Qing emerged from the crowd and knocked on the door with a peculiar rhythm. A moment later, the door silently slid open a crack, and a warm, sweet, and distinctly different fragrance from the decay of the outside world wafted out, as if instantly shutting out the coldness of the underground world.

Liu Hong stepped inside, and found that the interior was not the cramped cave he had imagined, but a meticulously renovated and luxurious underground courtyard.

A high-hanging dome, inlaid with luminous pearls and fluorite emitting a soft white light, mimicking starlight. A gentle breeze carries the fragrance of sandalwood and precious flowers. Thick Persian carpets cover the floor, Suzhou embroidery screens hang on the walls, and Ru ware porcelain sits atop rosewood furniture—everything is exquisitely elegant, a stark contrast to the despairing and filthy underground world outside. It's as if one has stepped into another world.

Clearly, this is an extremely special place in the Ghost Fanlou, a secret pleasure place for those giants who control the underground order or the extremely wealthy.

"The King of Qi has arrived. Please forgive me for not greeting him from afar; this is against the rules."

Suddenly, a melodious, soul-stirring voice came from behind the screen. She did not rise to greet her, but instead languidly leaned against a chaise longue covered with snow-white fox fur, like a datura blooming in the underworld, beautiful, enchanting, and deadly alluring.

Liu Hong curiously examined the flower blooming in the dark underground.

Her skin wasn't pure white, but rather possessed a warm, jade-like luster, like the finest mutton-fat jade flowing elegantly under the lamplight. Her eyebrows were naturally dark, her lips naturally red, and her eyes seemed to hold the misty rain of Jiangnan and the brilliance of the Milky Way. With each glance, she possessed a nonchalant yet captivating charm, both innocent and alluring, making one's heart sway at the mere sight of her.

She wore only a pale red silk dress, the fabric as thin as a cicada's wing, which barely concealed her breathtakingly mature curves. Her full, proud breasts rose and fell slightly with her breath, her waist was so slender it could be encircled by a single hand, and the curves of her long, voluptuous legs were faintly visible beneath the hem of the dress. She didn't intentionally expose herself, but the perfectly chosen concealment only fueled a frenzied desire to see more.

As she gestured for everyone to sit down, a jade bracelet slipped off her wrist, revealing a section of her slender arm. Her movements were as languid as a cat's, yet every subtle gesture exuded a strong aura of feminine hormones.

Without any verbal provocation, the woman's very existence is a primal and intense suggestion of desire, like a walking, walking, top-grade aphrodisiac that constantly exudes an alluring fragrance.

When she spoke, her voice wasn't crisp and clear, but rather slightly husky and magnetic, like a feather gently brushing against the heart, or like fine, aged wine, mellow and intoxicating.

"Your Highness Prince Qi, you have come to my humble abode late at night, armed and weary from your journey. Are you here to rescue me?"

A faint smile played on her lips as her gaze lingered for a moment on Liu Hongying's handsome and cold face, seemingly quite interested in the iron-blooded aura about him that seemed so out of place in this warm and inviting place.

"With a formidable enemy at hand, let's skip the formalities. I've heard that the old emperor dug a secret passage that leads directly from the palace to your boudoir."

Having seen many beautiful women, Liu Hong found Li Shishi's allure ineffective against him, so he directly stated his purpose.

“Tell me where that secret passage is, and take me to the Kaifeng Palace. Then I can save you from Kaifeng and give you some money so you can live a comfortable life in Shandong—otherwise, you can just wait to become a prostitute in the Jurchen army.”

Chapter 447: Liu Hong of Ghost Fanlou Cleverly Enters the Palace

Li Shishi wanted to say something more, but realizing that Liu Hong seemed completely unaffected by her charms, she could only nod. Leading Liu Hong and his eight hundred elite troops, she walked through the interior of the Ghost Fanlou, emerging like ghosts from a highly secluded rockery cave in the deep palace gardens. Moonlight shone on their armor, which was covered in dust and mud, giving it a cold, sharp glow.

Liu Hong waved his hand, ordering most of the armored soldiers to remain inside the secret passage. He then led only Lu Junyi, silently through the Imperial Garden, directly to the brightly lit palace. Along the way, there were almost no palace guards, and many palace maids had been sold to the Jurchens; the palace's defenses were extremely weak. The two encountered no obstacles along the way. The passing eunuchs barely glanced at them, hurrying about their tasks.

Inside the palace, Emperor Qinzong of Song was anxiously discussing with his trusted ministers, including Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, Tong Guan, and Yang Jian, how to raise the enormous indemnity and people demanded by the Jin dynasty. A somber mood hung in the air, filled with sighs and lamentations; the once magnificent and resplendent hall was now devoid of its former sacred grandeur. Suddenly, the guards outside the hall seemed to be trying to stop someone, but they failed. Liu Hong flapped his wings, shaking off the remaining imperial guards, and then pushed the palace doors open with a mighty thud!

"Tread, tread, tread."

Liu Hong, wielding a staff and sword, fully armored, strode into the heart of the Song Dynasty's highest power. Lu Junyi followed like a demon god, his Samadhi True Fire erupting forth, instantly spreading a chilling aura.

"Your Majesty! Your subject, Liu Hong, has arrived late to your rescue! Please forgive me, for I am unable to perform the full ceremony due to my armor!"

Liu Hong's loud voice drowned out the noise in the hall. He did not kneel down, but simply clasped his hands in a salute.

The people in the hall were horrified, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight! Emperor Zhao Huan was so shocked that he jumped up from his dragon throne, his finger trembling as he pointed at him: "Liangshan... no, Prince Qi? You... how did you get in?! The Jin army... the Jin army is still outside the city!"

Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, and the others were initially shocked, then their eyes flashed with extreme vigilance and sinister intent. They never expected that the leader of Liangshan, whom they had been trying to suppress, kill, and annihilate, would appear before them in this way, as if a divine soldier had descended from the heavens!

Ignoring the shock of the crowd, Liu Hong got straight to the point, his tone somber and urgent.

"Your Majesty! Ministers! Kaifeng has become a death trap! The Jurchens are making insatiable demands, and corrupt officials are taking whatever they want. At this moment, the people's hearts have been lost, and there is no hope of defending the city! I have defeated Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongbi in Shandong. My troops have lost more than a third of their strength and cannot recover in a short time, but I have already established a solid foundation in Shandong."

Your Majesty, I urge you to make a decisive decision immediately: abandon Bianliang and relocate the capital to my territory, Qingzhou! Relying on the natural defenses of Shandong, we can reorganize our troops, temporarily avoid the Jin army's advance, and dispatch reinforcements from the south. Only then can we gradually achieve a resurgence!

"Moving the capital?"

"Abandoning the ancestral temple and the imperial clan?"

"Go to your Shandong?"

Liu Hong's words were like cold water being poured into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar! The ministers, who had just been shrouded in worry, suddenly erupted in fierce opposition, like cats whose tails had been stepped on!

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!"

Cai Jing was the first to jump out, pointing his finger and cursing angrily.

"Liu Hong! How dare you advocate abandoning the state and discarding the ancestral temples! What are your intentions?!"

Gao Qiu interjected menacingly, his tone venomous: "Your Majesty! Liu Hong's proposal is fraught with malice! He clearly intends to emulate Dong Zhuo's relocation of the capital to Chang'an and Cao Cao's relocation to Xuchang, using the emperor to command the other lords! He wants to place Your Majesty and the court in his grasp, making them his puppets for separatist rule! His heart is utterly despicable!!!"

Another minister spoke even more sternly: "More than that! Judging from his entering the palace in armor and his overbearing attitude towards Your Majesty, this is a harbinger of Erzhu Rong's rebellion in Heyin! Your Majesty, this scoundrel has already revealed his rebellious nature and is by no means a loyal minister!"

"Take him!"

"Execute this traitor!"

Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, and others thought they had seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Their eyes were filled with murderous intent. They even wanted to take the opportunity to mobilize the palace guards to execute Liu Hong on the spot and completely eliminate this major threat!

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly became tense. The guards, loyal to the emperor, hesitated slightly, while Cai Jing and Gao Qiu's cronies were already itching to make their move.

However, they seriously misjudged the situation.

Faced with accusations and murderous intent, Liu Hong was not flustered at all; instead, a cold, mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He suddenly raised his hand and made an extremely simple gesture.

boom! boom! boom!

At the same moment, all the doors and windows of the palace were violently smashed open! Lin Chong, Qin Ming, Dong Ping, and other Liangshan warriors, leading eight hundred elite Liangshan soldiers, fully armored, with cold eyes and blood-stained armor, surged in like a steel jungle, instantly surrounding the entire hall! Sharp weapons were pointed directly at every minister in the hall, and the strong stench of blood and the murderous aura of battle assaulted the senses, making it almost suffocating!

Just moments before, Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, and their ilk had been clamoring to execute the traitors of the state, but instantly their faces turned deathly pale, their legs went weak, and they staggered backward, nearly collapsing to the ground. They then realized with horror that the man before them was not a general begging for an imperial edict, but a mighty lion who had just emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, wielding a powerful army and controlling absolute force!

But how did they suddenly storm into the palace? I admit that with the recent sell-offs of palace maids and eunuchs, the palace is in chaos, the Imperial Guards have suffered heavy losses, and their organization has been completely disrupted. The survivors are still responsible for guarding Kaifeng, so the palace's defenses are frighteningly weak. But surely it's not enough to allow eight hundred people to just barge in?

Liu Hong stepped forward, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the silent, trembling officials before finally settling on the still-shaken emperor. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable, authoritative force:

"Your Majesty! Ministers! The greed of the Jurchens was already clearly demonstrated by Jia Yi of the Han Dynasty! Trying to appease the Jurchens with money is like adding fuel to the fire! The fuel is finite, but the fire is infinite! The wealth of the Song Dynasty has its limits, but the greed of the Jurchens is insatiable!"

"At this moment, the southern armies have not yet assembled, and the Shaanxi army is trapped in Guanzhong and unable to cross Tongguan. The only ones who can protect Your Majesty are your ministers and the soldiers behind you who have just returned from the bloody battle in Shandong! The proposal to move the capital is not for personal gain, but the only good strategy to preserve the dynasty!!!"