"What an enjoyable gathering!"

Under the wooden shed in front of the imperial tent on the northern slope of Mount Bagong, Zhao Jiu, surrounded by Grand Councilor Wang Boyan, Commander of the Imperial Guards Wang Yuan, and several drafters from the Chancellery, heard hurried footsteps and an unavoidable smell of wine from behind before he even turned around. He shook his head and chuckled.

"We were out of line, Your Majesty. Please forgive our behavior."

Lu Haowen and the others had been frightened by the commotion all over the mountain and the river. Seeing that the Zhao Emperor hadn't personally taken to the field and maintained such a calm demeanor, they instantly felt a wave of relief. Supported by Zhang Jun and others, they struggled to apologize.

"What's there to forgive?" Zhao Jiu finally turned around, still unperturbed. "After so many days of anxiety, today the reinforcements have arrived, effectively isolating the Jin forces on the north bank and securing a small victory. Coupled with the reunion of you old colleagues, enjoying a few drinks is only natural."

Lu Haowen and the others were still tipsy and couldn't tell whether the Emperor was being sarcastic due to his bad mood or genuinely magnanimous because he was in a good one. They could only apologize again collectively and prepare to have Chancellor Lu and Commissioner Zhang inquire about the military situation.

However, before they could speak, Zhao Jiu gracefully stepped aside and pointed to the two figures behind him, saying, "Imperial Censor Ma has returned from his inspection of Jinghu and has important matters to report. Grand Academician Zhang has also just returned, and I want to hear his words as well. You've arrived at the perfect time; you can all listen together..."

Lu Haowen and the others were confused, but after glancing at the two elderly officials with long beards standing behind the Emperor in the firelight, almost everyone felt a chill run down their spines. It turned out that the so-called Imperial Censor Ma was none other than Ma Shen, the Palace Censor who had gone to inspect Jinghu a long time ago; and the so-called Grand Academician Zhang was none other than Zhang Suo, the former Pacification Commissioner of Hebei West Road, who had risen and fallen with Li Gang!

This Imperial Censor Ma was, first of all, the most senior of all the censors at the current court; secondly, he was Lu Haowen's academic predecessor (a direct disciple of Cheng Yi, who abandoned his official career to study under him when Cheng's school was banned); thirdly, he was highly valued by Li Gang, the Prime Minister, and had close ties with Xu Jingheng, the former Censor-in-Chief and current Deputy Prime Minister, as well as Zong Ze, the Grand Councilor and Governor of Dongjing; finally, judging from his interpersonal relationships alone, one could guess that he had been a staunch advocate of war even before Zhang Jun jumped out!

In fact, if that weren't the case, this Imperial Censor Ma wouldn't have been dispatched to Jinghu by the previous court.

As for Zhang Suo, he was even more of a right-hand man to Li Gang, only lacking the ultra-hard qualifications of Deputy Commander Zong Ze, but he was still qualified to be both a general and a minister. He had also been demoted and was only recalled after reaching the Jinghu area. Now that he had just returned, he happened to arrive at Mount Bagong.

In short, although these two had not been involved with the court due to their trips to Jinghu and their demotions, and had avoided many troubles, their status, seniority, qualifications, and reputation were undeniable.

To put it bluntly, Ma Shen could replace Zhang Jun at any time, and Zhang Suo could strip Chancellor Lu of even the slightest semblance of dignity at any moment. How could Lu Haowen, Zhang Jun, and the others not be afraid?

Back to the present, Zhang Suo greeted Lu Haowen with a bow, but Ma Shen cast a disdainful glance at the group of drunkards before continuing his serious report:

"Your Majesty, before I arrived, the rebellions in the Xiangyang and Nanyang areas had been quelled. As for the rebel leader Li Xiaozhong, he is not the same Li Xiaozhong who impeached Prime Minister Li during the Jingkang Incident for his incompetence in military affairs and was wanted. The latter changed his name to Li Yanxian to avoid being wanted, and has rejoined the army in Hedong. He is now fighting the Jin in the Shanzhou area and has achieved significant results, but I don't know if the court here has received the news..."

"Governor of Dongjing Zong Ze sent a memorial as early as last October, and I have already pardoned him. Moreover, there was an imperial decree a few days ago stating that anyone who is dedicated to resisting the Jin can be recruited and settled on the spot. I believe Governor Zong must have made arrangements." The noise from the mountain and below the mountain grew louder and louder, but Zhao Jiu remained unmoved, standing there calmly and talking with Ma Shen.

Lu Haowen and the others heard the commotion from the mountain and below, and coupled with the effects of the alcohol, they felt as if they were in a dream, but they dared not speak rashly.

"Yes." Ma Shen also paused for a moment before continuing to report to the Zhao Emperor. "Therefore, that Li Xiaozhong in Xiangyang and Nanyang was just a routed soldier from the Jingkang Incident. Because he knew of Li Xiaozhong's reputation but didn't know that Li Xiaozhong had changed his name after being wanted, he assumed that the man was dead. So, he impersonated him, along with his brother, one named Li Xiaozhong and the other named Li Xiaoyi, using other people's names to lead a group of routed soldiers to create chaos in Jinghu..."

At this point, Ma Shen couldn't help but become serious. "Your Majesty, I impeach Huang Shu'ao, the former defending officer of Xiangyang and now the Transport Commissioner of Hubei, for abandoning his post without a fight, abandoning the famous city to the rebels, resulting in months of continuous military chaos! Afterwards, he falsely reported military intelligence, deceiving the central government!"

"Remove him from his post!" Zhao Jiu nodded in agreement. "Continue... Has this Li Xiaozhong's rebel army been dealt with? Has Xiangyang been recovered?"

"The rebel army has naturally been dealt with," Ma Shen replied sternly. "A mere rebel army, lacking any organization, quickly became powerless after several battles and was easily driven away by Fan Qiong, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards. Now they have fled to Jingnan... However, I believe that Xiangyang cannot truly be said to have been recovered!"

"Is it Fan Qiong?" Zhao Jiu was no longer as ignorant as he had been when he first arrived. He sighed softly. "Because I killed Liu Guangshi?"

"It's not just Liu Guangshi..."

Ma Shen quickly continued his report, but before he could finish, a fire suddenly broke out at the waterway at the end of the western passage of Mount Bagong, followed by a mountain-shaking roar... It must be known that the Zhao Emperor's imperial tent was located on the northern slope of Linhuai, and although there was no direct passage connecting it to the waterway, the linear distance was extremely short. So, the sudden fire illuminated half of the mountain in a crimson glow, and the nearby clamor caused Ma Shen and Zhang Suo to be momentarily stunned, not to mention the tipsy Lu Haowen and others.

"It's fine, Lord Ma, continue." Zhao Jiu also glanced back, but continued to urge him on. "Will Fan Qiong definitely rebel?"

"He may not rebel openly, but eight or nine times out of ten he will use his troops to build his own power and not obey orders," Ma Shen replied, regaining his senses. Looking at the Zhao Emperor, he had a different kind of meaning and increased his volume. "Not only did Your Majesty kill Liu Guangshi, but more importantly, Your Majesty just issued many decrees, clearly defining the great righteousness of resisting the Jin... Fan Qiong was appointed by the Jin in Dongjing in the past, forcing the two Emperors to leave the city, killing righteous people who resisted the Jin, and supporting Zhang Bangchang. He is also aware of all his crimes. Once he receives the news, how can he not be afraid?"

"So, was I too hasty?" Zhao Jiu sighed slightly and simply turned around and sat down on his broken chair. "All of you, please sit down..."

The crowd thanked him in confusion, and Ma Shen continued to report from his seat: "Your Majesty, I believe that the many decrees issued by Your Majesty previously, although there are some debatable points, are ultimately matters that clarify the great righteousness. And at this time of turbulent hearts, such actions outweigh the flaws... If Fan Qiong really rebels, it will be a self-inflicted disaster!"

Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly: "Who is the enemy and who is on our side must be clear... After those decrees were issued, I was once uneasy, but after today, I will never regret it again!"

Ma Shen quickly agreed.

In this way, Ma Shen and Zhang Suo each reported some information about the Jinghu area, but most of it was within Zhao Jiu's expectations. It was nothing more than a chaotic situation where the world was in turmoil, and soldiers and bandits rose up everywhere... The only information that aroused Zhao Jiu's interest again was Zhang Suo's mention of Zhong Xiang, the Heavenly Great Sage of Dongting Lake.

According to Zhang Suo, Zhong Xiang had not yet officially raised his army at this time, and had even sent a 200-man king-protecting force during the Jingkang Incident. But in fact, Zhong Xiang had been organizing rural communities and establishing armies in Dongting Lake long ago, and had actually controlled Dongting Lake.

By this time, Zhong Xiang was even more unscrupulous, and began to spread slogans of equalizing wealth and poverty, as well as rumors that he should be the King of Chu... In Zhang Suo's words, this person's ambition had already been unleashed, and the counties around Dongting Lake had effectively lost control. It was unlikely that they could be brought back by means of appeasement. Jinghu would be even more chaotic in the future!

After briefly describing the various local problems, Zhao Jiu was about to take some measures when suddenly, a shocking commotion arose on the opposite bank of the Huai River - the Jin army, for some unknown reason, actually launched a full-scale attack on Xiacai in the northeast and southwest at night!

Looking around, Henan and Hebei were all lit up with fire, reflecting the Huai River, Mount Bagong, Xiacai City, and the Jin army camp as if it were daytime; listening with ears, southeast, northwest, four sides and eight directions, were all filled with shouts of killing, the sound of weapons and armor... This momentum was far more spectacular than the battle during the day!

After this commotion, no one on the mountain in front of the imperial tent could hold back, even Zhang Suo and Ma Shen stopped reporting. Lu Haowen, Zhang Jun, and others, who had already been frightened awake, could no longer bear it and got up to observe the situation... But these people observed for a long time and couldn't figure out the details. They could only turn around and ask others.

Interestingly, Zhang Jun, who took the lead, turned around but didn't dare to ask the Zhao Emperor, who was sitting there motionless. Instead, he pointed at Wang Yuan, the equally panicked and bewildered Commander of the Imperial Guards, and questioned him:

"Commander Wang, you are the Commander of the Imperial Guards. What is the current situation? Tell us quickly!"

Wang Yuan was speechless. If he knew, how could he be standing here doing nothing? He could only spread his hands helplessly.

Lu Haowen instantly woke up and quickly asked Grand Councilor Wang Boyan: "Lord Wang, you are the only Grand Councilor in the current court. What exactly is happening?"

Wang Boyan maintained the dignity of an important minister of the Song Dynasty, but only shook his head slightly and continued to look around... Who knew if he would be replaced by Zhang Suo in the next moment? And the current situation, combined with the Emperor's attitude, clearly indicated that there was something else going on. How could he be in the mood to be a stepping stone for Lu Haowen?

"Your Majesty!" Lu Haowen finally asked the person he should have asked. "What exactly is going on? Why did the fire break out in the western waterway? Why did you say earlier that there were Jin soldiers attacking? What is happening on the opposite bank of the river? Why did the war suddenly break out?"

"Chancellor Lu, please be calm." Zhao Jiu finally slowly opened his mouth and said, "According to what Han Liangchen said, both sides are just fishing. The current situation is not beyond what was expected, and we can all wait a little longer..."

"Your Majesty, don't joke around!" Given the current situation, even if Lu Haowen didn't want to cause trouble, he was finally exasperated. "It's so chaotic, how can we wait a little longer? With our army's fear of fighting, if we make a clumsy move, what if the camp explodes?"

Zhao Jiu shook his head repeatedly when he heard this: "If the generals above the commander level all know the situation and the camp still explodes, then when the Jin army really comes to attack, how can it not explode?"

"Are there really Jin soldiers?" Lu Haowen was stunned for a moment.

"There should be." Zhao Jiu, sitting in his seat, touched his golden belt and said calmly and honestly, "The Jin people's military tactics all come from hunting. They have always been accustomed to dividing their army into left and right wings. Since there are a thousand soldiers crossing the river in the east, there may be a *meng'an* who has already crossed the river in the west. Therefore, Han Liangchen sent military intelligence before he landed, talking about this matter and asking me to be careful. After he landed, I asked him about this matter again, and he proposed a plan to lure the enemy at night, and I also agreed to his plan... And judging from the movement on the opposite bank, Han Liangchen's guess should be correct. The Jin army should have indeed sent a force! Otherwise, they wouldn't have immediately attacked the city after seeing the commotion!"

"This matter is extremely absurd!"

Lu Haowen was dumbfounded and didn't know what to say. But at this moment, Ma Shen, the Palace Censor who had been calm all along, suddenly spoke.

"Where is it absurd?" Zhao Jiu frowned slightly.

"I don't mean that Your Majesty should not have taken this strategy," Ma Shen rose from his seat and said, "After all, the country is in turmoil and at war. Since Your Majesty is both the Emperor and the Marshal, you can use any strategy in the front-line military camp... However, Your Majesty should not have abandoned the Grand Councilors of the East and West Palaces and directly implemented this strategy simply because of a word from Han Shizhong! Han Shizhong is a mere military man and cannot bear this responsibility!"

Zhao Jiu looked at Ma Shen and then at Zhang Suo, who didn't say a word, and couldn't help but smile dumbly.

"Why is Your Majesty laughing?" In the firelight that illuminated the sky, Ma Shen looked serious and his beard under his jaw trembled non-stop.

"I am laughing because I have found a talented person who can be entrusted with important tasks today," Zhao Jiu continued to laugh softly. "Just now, we were talking about how Jinghu will inevitably continue to be chaotic, and we also said that Huang Shu'ao, the former defending officer of Xiangyang and now the Transport Commissioner of Hubei, is incompetent... I was wondering who could go to Hubei to reorganize things for me and hold off Fan Qiong behind Xiangyang? Now it seems that Imperial Censor Ma is not afraid of the powerful and knows how to restrain himself, which is exactly what is needed! How about it, Lord Ma, would you be willing to go to Hubei again for me and be a Transport Commissioner and... How about a Regional Pacification Commissioner? I don't ask you to restrain Fan Qiong and Zhong Xiang, but only to temporarily stabilize the area and prevent a major chaos from occurring there?"

Ma Shen was stunned after hearing half of it... This was a Regional Pacification Commissioner all the way, and as for whether it was chaotic or not, where was it not chaotic now? Li Gang had just recovered from his illness in Yangzhou and immediately dealt with the Hangzhou military chaos in Jiangnan, and even if it was chaotic, it was still safer than the anti-Jin front line, right?

Therefore, this arrangement was clearly a promotion beyond his rank!

Moreover, Hubei did need a qualified civil official to stabilize the situation, and it was a place to do things. It couldn't be said to be a deliberate dismissal!

At this thought, even Ma Shen, who had been so tough just now, couldn't help but bow his head and thank him: "I am willing to share Your Majesty's worries and appease Hubei!"

"Good!" Zhao Jiu nodded in satisfaction.

However...

"However," Ma Shen thanked Zhao Jiu for his kindness, but felt that something was wrong, so he quickly spoke of the previous matter again. "Before I take office and receive the decree, I am still a Palace Censor, and there is nothing I cannot say. I believe that Han Shizhong's actions are extremely inappropriate. Not only did he bypass the Grand Councilors of the East and West Palaces and privately instigate Your Majesty to implement this strategy, but he is also suspected of disregarding the friendly forces in Xiacai City on the opposite bank of the river..."

"I, Zhang Jun, the Censor-in-Chief, am willing to vouch for Han Shizhong!" Suddenly, a person stepped forward with a smell of alcohol. "The war is fierce and things happen suddenly, so there are urgent powers. And I believe that this battle will be a great victory. There is no reason to investigate the merits of meritorious officials on the eve of the battle!"

Ma Shen was immediately speechless, and Zhao Jiu also looked at Zhang Jun, who had suddenly appeared, with great interest. The shouts of killing in the distance were still fierce, but the wooden shed in front of the imperial tent fell into a strange calm.

"I, I am also willing to vouch for Han Shizhong!" After an unknown amount of time, suddenly, another person stepped forward hastily, breaking the silence. It was Lin Jingmo, the Academician of the Jade Hall.

The Zhao Emperor's gaze swept over everyone present, and he suddenly lost his smile again... And, for some reason, after that tearful cry in the evening, although he was once indignant, after he recovered, he always felt that everyone in front of him was much more real and lovable.