If the Tang Empire won, it would say to its opponents: "You damn well behave yourself in the future, or be careful that I wipe out your entire clan. Pay tribute obediently every year!"
<..."I obey the decree!"
Zhao Huan then said, "Zhong Qing, I entrust the land of Hebei to you. You must work with Zhan Du to relieve the siege of Hejian!"
Zhong Shizhong said, "I will fulfill the Emperor's trust even at the cost of my life!"
"You are the pillar of my nation, and I do not want you to risk your life. I want you to come back alive!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
When the Song emperor personally led the expedition, local righteous armies gathered and responded. In a short time, even the prefectures that had been captured by the Jin army rose up in resistance. Some people shouted from the city walls, "Long live the Holy Emperor! Long live the Song Dynasty!"
While the imperial guards and militias were thriving throughout Hebei, in Cizhou, a 68-year-old man spent just over a month gathering 100,000 troops, forming a formidable army.
As the supervisor of the new army, Wang Kuian took the young man named Yue Fei to Cizhou after finding him, where they met Zong Ze.
Wang Kuian never expected that Zong Ze could gather so many people in such a short time. Some of these people had become bandits during the war, while others had formed a righteous army after the country fell to the enemy.
He looked at Zong Ze again. Although he was nearly seventy years old, he was full of energy, spirited, and walked with a powerful stride. He spoke with a strong voice. This army, composed of scattered soldiers from various places, all called Zong Ze "Lord Zong".
These leaders were all visited by Zong Ze personally, who appealed to their emotions with righteousness. For example, Wang Shan, the former bandit king, was moved to tears by Zong Ze's words and held Zong Ze's hand, saying, "Lord Zong is so righteous. How dare I not serve the court and share the Emperor's burdens!"
After the troops were assembled, Zong Ze trained them day and night, maintained strict discipline, and displayed a grand and imposing demeanor.
This hastily assembled army was destined to rise like a star in the sky during the Battle of the Two Rivers, and Yue Fei, the Blade of the Empire, also emerged in this battle!