Zhao Huan knew very well that all the court officials wanted the war to end as soon as possible.

If they win, the military clique will become incredibly powerful, which will be detrimental to them and will cause a major change in the political landscape.

If they lose, it's another losing proposition. All the money they worked so hard to earn will be wasted on the battlefield, and the people's livelihood will inevitably suffer.

When people's livelihoods decline, it's natural that civil officials will lose sleep.

Given the emperor's temperament, he would definitely make them clean up this mess.

Therefore, the Political Affairs Hall, headed by Xu Churen, is now unable to sleep at night.

I always felt that the development of power in the Song Dynasty was like a runaway horse, completely out of control.

In contrast, the officials of the court did not want to fight the Jin Dynasty to the death; destroying the Jin Dynasty was too difficult.

They knew the emperor's temperament very well. This time, the emperor was not launching such a large-scale war to fight the Jin Dynasty to the bitter end, but to directly destroy the Jin Dynasty.

The goal is to recreate the glory of the former Tang Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty did indeed flourish over the past decade, but how easy is it to compare it with the golden age of the Tang Dynasty?

Even the mighty Han Dynasty, which launched a northern expedition against the Xiongnu, still could not destroy the Xiongnu despite Emperor Wu emptying the national treasury and plundering the people.

Even a powerful dynasty like the Han Dynasty took nearly three hundred years to quell the Xiongnu threat.

The emperor is getting more and more arrogant!

The ministers thought so.

Several pro-war figures in the court, such as Li Gang, Yu Yunwen, Zhong Shidao, and Zong Ze, would be impeached by officials across the country if the front lines suffered even the slightest setback.

At that point, even if the emperor tries to suppress it, he won't be able to.

When Emperor Xiaowu of the Ming Dynasty launched his northern expedition against the Xiongnu, he relied on the victorious record of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to silence those in the country who opposed the expedition.

The matter of Yao Gu had already caused a huge controversy in the court.

Inside the imperial court, undercurrents were also swirling, with the pro-war and moderate factions each using their power to install their own people.

Everyone knows that every war is the beginning of a redistribution of power.

If Zhong Shidao and Yue Fei were to reappear like Yao Xiong, this battle would definitely be impossible to continue.

Some people have even foreseen the situation: if the Jin dynasty is not destroyed, someone will have to step forward and bear the consequences.

The Marshal of the Military Governor's Office may be impeached, and Zong Ze, the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army, may also be removed from office.

Just like back then, when the emperor beheaded Tong Guan.

Imagine if Tong Guan hadn't fled on his own when the Jin army marched south, but instead had held Taiyuan and defended the northern line, would he still have lost his head?

Ultimately, everything depends on the actual results.

Just as Xu Churen was able to establish himself in the imperial court, be honored as the Prime Minister of the Empire, lead the Council of State Affairs, and issue imperial decrees, it was because his achievements in the new policies over the years were obvious to all.

Despite the sweltering summer heat, Tokyo was bustling with activity.

The streets and alleys were bustling with people.

Someone was selling small blocks of ice by the roadside in the shade, and many people crowded around, eager to pay.

In order to make more money in the summer, wealthy merchants hired a large number of people as early as winter to chisel ice from the banks of the Yellow River.

Some people bought large amounts of land outside the city, dug cellars, and stored ice blocks in the cellars.

Some people have also built swimming pools, and people line up every day.

These practices, driven by the trading companies, quickly became popular in Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Jiangling, Hangzhou, and other places.

Despite the ongoing war in the north, it did not hinder the emergence of various new things within the Song Dynasty.

Trading companies were also more active than ever that year.

The skies above the Song Dynasty were filled with jubilation, barely affected by the shadow of war.

The better the commerce and trade of the Song Dynasty, the better the performance of the Council of State, and the louder Xu Churen's voice will naturally be in the court.

This also involves the issue of establishing an heir apparent.

Consort Han's father, Han Lixian, was based in Youzhou, so naturally he had intricate connections with the Yanyun War Zone.

If a real power struggle were to break out, the Yan Yun war zone would naturally favor Consort Han.

However, the Yan-Yun War Zone was considerably weaker than the Council of State Affairs, which oversaw the administration of the Song Dynasty.

What's more, Yao Gu caused that mess.

If this Northern Expedition is thwarted, Consort Han's potential supporters will likely decrease by at least half.

Once this is done, Xu Churen can then find a way to bring Zhao Chen back to Tokyo from the southwest.

The palace was surrounded by lush trees, and the emperor fished by the lake.

The Grand Chancellor, the Hanlin Academician, the Minister of the Navy, the Vice Chancellor, and the Censor were all fishing with the Emperor.

Zhao Huan suddenly spoke up: "Minister Yu, tell me, how should I deal with Wanyan Dan at that time?"

Yu Yunwen said, "Naturally, they will be escorted to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and presented to Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong."

"Then what?"

Tang Ke said from the side, "Naturally, we should bestow upon that bandit chieftain the title of Marquis of Haihun as a warning to others."

The emperor frowned: "Marquis of Haihun?"

Yu Yunwen continued, "I believe we should execute him directly to nip this in the bud."

Xu Churen said, "Absolutely not. If Wanyan Dan is executed, it will surely enrage the remaining Jurchen tribes. Instead of weakening their strength, it will strengthen their cohesion."

Yu Yunwen said, “The Jurchens do not respect the Celestial Dynasty and have repeatedly violated the borders. I believe that there has never been a ruler who ruled the world with virtue. The barbarians in all directions respect the Emperor not because of the Emperor’s benevolence, but because the Celestial Dynasty’s military might shakes the world.”

He continued, “From the Zhou Dynasty onwards, the Qin and Han Dynasties were so powerful that the four barbarians submitted to them. However, the Jin Dynasty was in turmoil, and the Central Plains became weak. The Five Barbarian Tribes then wreaked havoc on the Central Plains. After that, the Sui and Tang Dynasties were so powerful that the Celestial Empire traversed the northern deserts and the western regions, and the whole world paid tribute to it.”

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