When news of Wanyan Zonghan's defeat reached the Jin Dynasty, the entire country was shocked. A political storm was brewing in the Jin Dynasty, and the two forces, led by Wanyan Gao and Wanyan Zongpan respectively, could no longer suppress their contradictions.
Wanyan Gao wrote to Emperor Wanyan Sheng of Jin, requesting that another 100,000 troops be sent south to join Wanyan Zongwang, who was still in Hebei, and to concentrate all forces to conquer Hebei.
The Hedong and Hebei routes were blocked by the Taihang Mountains. The Song army was mainly composed of infantry. It would obviously take a long time for the Song emperor to send reinforcements to the Hebei route. This window of opportunity was enough for the Jin state to conquer cities and fortresses in Hebei.
However, the pro-peace faction members Wanyan Chang and Wanyan Zongpan submitted a memorial demanding that Wanyan Zongwang withdraw his troops, for three reasons.
First, at this time, the morale of the Song people was high, and spring was approaching. If troops were deployed now, the Jin soldiers would inevitably fall ill due to the heat of the south once summer arrived, greatly weakening their fighting capacity.
Second, Wanyan Zonghan's defeat shows that the Song Dynasty was not as weak as the Jin court imagined, or that the former Emperor Huizong was cowardly, but the new emperor of the Song Dynasty was an iron-blooded ruler whose will was comparable to that of the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty!
Third, the Jin state had annexed the entire territory of the Liao state in a short period of time, but its internal bureaucratic system had not yet been established, and the issues of economic trade and agricultural land had not yet been resolved. If it were to launch a southward campaign under immense pressure, it would inevitably cause internal and external turmoil in the newly established empire.
Wanyan Gao rebuked Wanyan Zongpan for exaggerating the dangers, pointing out how proud the Great Jin Dynasty's founding emperor was when he started his rebellion, managing to wipe out the Liao Dynasty with only 2,500 primitive soldiers. What was the weak Song Dynasty compared to that?
If we do not take advantage of Zhao Huan's weakened state to launch a southward campaign now, it will be an even more difficult and arduous battle once the State of Song recovers.
Wanyan Zongpan practically berated Wanyan Gao in court, saying that his desire to raise an army in the south was surely a ploy to seize military power and follow in the footsteps of Cao Cao.
For a time, the Jin court was in an uproar, with people on both sides hurling insults at each other, neither able to convince the other.
Finally, a few days later, rumors about Wanyan Gao spread from somewhere in Shangjing, the capital of the Jin Kingdom, saying that he could now just endure it, since he would be the emperor in the future anyway.
These words quickly spread throughout the capital and reached the mouth of Emperor Wanyan Sheng, causing Wanyan Gao to rush to the palace that very night, trembling with fear and insisting that he had not done it.
The shrewd and calculating Wanyan Sheng immediately declared that he would never believe those rumors, and that the bond between the brothers was purer and clearer than the spring water of Changbai Mountain.
Just two days later, news came from the west of the Jin Kingdom that Yelü Dashi, a remnant of the Liao Kingdom, had fought a battle with the defenders of Qingzhou in the western border of the Jin Kingdom before fleeing.
This news was nothing to the Jin Dynasty before, and it didn't even cause any waves in the court, because in the eyes of the Jin people, the Liao Dynasty had been completely destroyed, and Yelü Dashi was at most barely surviving. How could he be a match for the rising Jin Empire?
However, the situation is different now.
This time, the Jin Kingdom was thoroughly humiliated by the Song Kingdom, which they looked down upon from the bottom of their hearts. Heaven knows if that scoundrel Yelü Dashi is going to follow in the footsteps of that brat Zhao Huan!
After news of Yelü Dashi's affair reached the imperial court, the pro-war faction, led by Wanyan Gao, gradually weakened under the dual pressures of sensitive public opinion and uncertainty regarding the western border.
Moreover, Wanyan Zongpan's memorial also mentioned that the capture of Han officials like Liu Yanzong by the Song Dynasty was a huge loss for the Jin Dynasty. The Jin Dynasty urgently needed to cultivate officials who were good at governing the country, rather than generals who only knew how to fight.
Time flies, and it's already the end of March. The ice and snow in Hedong have melted, the temperature has risen, and spring has arrived.
Today, the emperor personally inspected the construction of the monument on the Tai Liao Plain, and listened to reports on the progress of the construction of the Martyrs' Shrine and the distribution of pensions to fallen soldiers. He was about to go back and quietly catch up on his sleep.
But at the door, he ran into Han Chenchen, who was also on her way to find Zhao Huan.
"Consort Han, do you need to see me?"
"I have been unable to sleep at night lately, tossing and turning in bed."
Zhao Huan entered the room, sat down, and the eunuch poured tea and brought out pastries.
Zhao Huan said, "Consort Han, what is it? Tell me and I will hear it. You don't need to hold back. Just say what's on your mind."
"Your Majesty, I would like to ask whether Your Majesty intends to take back Yanyun. I have no intention of interfering in politics, but I would like to know Your Majesty's opinion on this matter, because my father and two elder brothers are still in Yanjing."
Zhao Huan immediately knew what Han Chenchen was thinking; she was probably worried about the safety of her family.
"The land of Yan and Yun originally belonged to China. Reclaiming Yan and Yun is something I must do. Consort Han, please do not worry."
"Your Majesty, will war break out in Yanyun next?"
Seeing that Zhao Huan was not pretentious, Han Chenchen blurted out.
To be honest, Han Chenchen was shocked that Zhao Huan was able to defeat Wanyan Zonghan. She hadn't expected that the Song Kingdom could actually defeat the Jin Kingdom's elite troops.
She was naturally happy that her husband was so great, and her infatuation quickly escalated to worship.
But now that the Song army has finished fighting in Hedong, the next step north is Yanyun, which is what Han Chenchen is really concerned about.
"Consort Han, rest assured, I guarantee your father will be safe and sound."
Seeing that Han Chenchen still looked worried, Zhao Huan comforted her, "Your father sent me a letter half a month ago. Wanyan Zongpan wants to negotiate peace with me, so the war in Yanyun can't start for the time being."
To be honest, if we look at this from a higher perspective, Zhao Huan would not want to fight again now, because this time, not counting the casualties in Hebei and Zhong Shizhong's side, the Song army suffered heavy casualties in Hedong Road alone. Although they won against Wanyan Zonghan, it can be described as a Pyrrhic victory.
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