Upon hearing that his left flank army had been defeated, Wanyan Zongbi nearly flew into a rage.

"Li Shuai, the King requests your presence."

Li Xiu tidied up and, without delay, headed towards Wanyan Zongbi's headquarters.

He saw Han Chang bound hand and foot and kneeling on the ground in an open space not far from the Marshal's Mansion.

Han Chang struggled violently but could not break free. His mouth was stuffed with something, so he could not shout.

The executioner raised his broadsword and swung it down, and Han Chang's head rolled to the ground, covered in blood.

The headless corpse lay on the ground, with large amounts of hot blood flowing from its neck.

Yesterday, Han Chang was the commander of the right flank army, one of Wanyan Zongbi's favorite generals, leading tens of thousands of Jin soldiers, and was respected by countless people.

Now, however, he is decapitated, which makes Li Xiu sigh, "It's lonely at the top!"

He remembered drinking with Han Chang not long ago.

The guard beside him reminded him, "General Li, the King is waiting for you inside."

"Okay, okay." Li Xiu quickly went inside.

"This humble general pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Wanyan Zongbi's face looked as if he had been soaked in bitter water for three days and three nights before being taken out.

"Li Xiu, that brat Yue Fei is currently approaching my Fengcheng. What strategy do you have to defeat him?"

This is awkward!

Li Xiu secretly groaned, "Your Majesty, I told you not long ago that Han Chang is frivolous and not fit for great responsibilities, and you, instead, gave me a good scolding."

After Han Chang's right flank army collapsed, he came to me for advice again.

Although Li Xiu was grumbling to himself, he dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction.

"Your Majesty, Fengcheng is well-fortified. As long as our army holds firm and does not venture out, the Song army will naturally retreat when they are exhausted and running out of food."

Wanyan Zongbi was clearly unwilling to give up: "Is there no strategy to defeat the enemy?"

"Your Majesty, the Song army has mobilized the entire nation to march north with overwhelming force. Our army should naturally adopt a scorched-earth policy, letting Zhong Shidao and Marshal Zong Han fight to the death. When Yue Fei leads his exhausted troops to retreat, our army can then launch an attack on the main Song army in the east, and perhaps even capture Zhong Shidao alive!"

Li Xiu continued, "Please forgive my bluntness, Your Majesty, but the Liao King (Wanyan Zonghan) and the Yan King (Wanyan Zongwang) are weakening the main force of the Song army, which is advantageous to Your Majesty."

Wanyan Zongbi pondered for a moment and said, "What you say makes sense. You take a force of five thousand cavalry and quickly carry out a scorched earth policy. I will make sure that Yue Fei gets nothing!"

"yes!"

Huangfu Xuan, however, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this humble general does not agree with what Li Xiu said!"

What makes you say that?

Huangfu Xuan replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, Yue Fei's exhausted army is not a concern. Our army should engage them in full-scale battle!"

Li Xiu angrily retorted, "Stop talking nonsense!"

Huangfu Xuan said, "Your Majesty commands 30,000 Iron Cavalry. On the grasslands, how could the Song army be a match for Your Majesty's Iron Cavalry! Li Xiu, you are disrupting our formation and demoralizing the army. You should be executed!"

Li Xiu sneered, “The Song army has won against Han Chang and is at the peak of its morale. It would be obviously disadvantageous for our army to engage them at this time. We should defend Fengcheng!”

"I think you are a spy for the Song army. You know that His Majesty is a brilliant strategist, and the Iron Pagoda is sweeping across the world. Yue Fei is no match for you. That's why you deliberately made His Majesty avoid battle, in order to wear down our army's morale!"

"Huangfu Xuan, I think you are the real traitor of the Song Dynasty! With the war on three fronts and the situation unclear, there is absolutely no need for His Majesty to fight the Song army to the death at this time. What are your intentions in encouraging His Majesty like this!"

"Hmph! Li Xiu, I've long suspected you of having ties with the Imperial City Guard. Not long ago, you even met with Song Shang in secret. Don't think I didn't know, and don't think the King didn't know either!"

"Your Majesty is wise. The Song merchants have sold a batch of new muskets at a high price. You are aware of this, Your Majesty. This humble general is simply following your orders!"

"It's clearly you having an affair..."

"Enough!" Wanyan Zongbi said angrily.

Han Chang's entire army was routed, and Wanyan Zongbi was already furious. Now, his generals were quarreling again.

"I ordered you to find a way to defeat Yue Fei, not to fight each other here!"

Huangfu Xuan and Li Xiu bowed simultaneously: "This humble general knows his crime, please calm your anger, Your Majesty!"

Wanyan Zongbi snorted coldly, his brows furrowing slightly, the "川" character between his brows deepening even further.

Wanyan Zongbi had a resolute and stern face, especially his eyes, which were as cold as ice.

The moment he sat there, he exuded an aura of authority that commanded respect without a hint of anger.

He was a genius commander who, in the early days of the Jin Dynasty, almost swept away all the tribes on the western grasslands of the Jin Dynasty.

People on the grasslands would turn pale at the mere mention of his name. The Iron Pagoda's exploits on the western border of the Jin Dynasty were nothing but blood and flesh, pain and fear.

He was a veteran of countless battles, and with the passing years, time had bestowed upon him an even more profound and weighty aura.

"Issue my order: implement a scorched-earth policy!"

"yes!"

The last rays of light in the western sky disappeared over the vast grassland, and the entire sky turned bluish-black.

Fengcheng began to close its gates tightly, and the surrounding towns and villages also gradually became more restrictive in terms of entry and exit.

A cavalry unit of the Jin army chased after the merchants and civilians who had left the city gates in the morning and afternoon, and surrounded them all.

An officer shouted, "Men! Search them one by one, check them carefully!"

This immediately caused riots among the merchants and fear among the common people.

"Not a single one can be missed!"

The Jin army began their search, and no woman escaped. Even the cargo trucks were thoroughly searched inside and out.

Before long, a Jin soldier handed a letter to the officer. The officer opened the letter and his face turned pale.

He quickly presented it to Li Xiu: "General, this was found on the ground!"

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