When Yue Fei received the battle report from the emperor, he looked at the intricate markings on the map and led Liang Zifan, commander of Yuanshuo, Xia Dechao, commander of Daizhou, and Jin Mahao, commander of Pingding Army, to attack Xinzhou fiercely.
Jin Wushu was defending Wuzhou when he heard Yue's army had begun to attack Xinzhou. He was shocked and ordered the troops in Ruzhou to reinforce him while he led his cavalry from Wuzhou to rush to Xinzhou.
As the saying goes, when you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can get stuck in your teeth. Jin Wushu wasn't as formidable a fighter as he was in history, at least not now. Of course, perhaps it wasn't that Jin Wushu couldn't fight, but rather that the Jin Dynasty had already been defeated by the time he set out. So, even if Jin Wushu could fight, it was too late to turn the tide.
The cavalry had great mobility and could travel from Wuzhou to Xinzhou in less than a day. However, just when they were halfway there, the defeated soldiers of Xinzhou retreated and Xinzhou fell.
The commander of Xinzhou was Jin Wushu's favorite general Na Ketie. At this time, Na Ketie was retreating to Wuzhou with his men in a dusty state, and happened to meet Jin Wushu's reinforcements.
Jin Wushu reined in his horse and asked in surprise, "Na Ketie, what are you doing for a living? Why are you here?"
Na Ketie was dejected: "General, the Yue army is too powerful. Our army is simply no match for them. I have no choice but to retreat with these people."
Jin Wushu was furious and lashed Na Ketie with his whip. "It was you who deserted the battlefield, yet you dare to find excuses! You have only 3,000 armored men guarding Xinzhou. Even if it were 3,000 pigs, Yue's army wouldn't be able to capture them all in half a day. If you can hold out for another hour, my cavalry will arrive."
Na Ke Tie argued, "General, don't be fooled by the Song people. We are defending Xinzhou with all our might. But the Yue Family Army is like a group of tigers just out of their cage. We, the warriors of the Great Jin Dynasty, are not afraid of a single tiger, but a whole group of them."
"Excuse! You coward!" Jin Wushu waved the whip and kept whipping Na Ketie, who cried out in pain.
Zhao Huan was commanding the headquarters in Nanjing Prefecture and was continuing to discuss how to advance with a group of generals when suddenly a soldier from Yue's army came to report outside the door.
"Report! Your Majesty, the battle report of Xinzhou!" The soldier handed over the letter in his hand.
Nangong Lian'er took the letter and handed it to Zhao Huan.
Zhao Huan opened the letter and was surprised. Then his face lit up with joy: "Yue Fei has already conquered Xinzhou!"
The generals exchanged glances of surprise and delight. How could it be so fast? Xinzhou was easy to defend but difficult to attack, forming a pincer attack with Wuzhou and Ruzhou. A forced attack would require a heavy siege, flanked by enemy reinforcements. What had happened to Yue's army? They had taken Xinzhou so easily. With Xinzhou taken, Wuzhou and Ruzhou would be vulnerable.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, what method did Yue Fei use to achieve such swiftness?" Wang Zongchu still couldn't believe it. Not only him, but the other generals also couldn't believe it.
Zhao Huan laughed and said, "That's unknown. Yue Fei's loyalty and bravery are commendable! I will definitely issue an edict to encourage him to be diligent."
"Your Majesty, the envoys from the Jin Kingdom have arrived in Nanjing Prefecture." The messenger came in and bowed.
Zhao Huan was stunned: "The Jin envoy?" Then he smiled: "They are here to seek peace. Come, follow me to the main hall to meet this envoy."
The emperor personally led the army, so he had to show his support. The Nanjing government office temporarily became Zhao Huan's bedroom.
Although the main hall of the government office was not luxurious, it was covered with yellow silk and finely carved by craftsmen, giving it a royal atmosphere.
Gu Nu was a little unsure; this was his first time coming as an envoy seeking peace. In the past, the Jin envoys were the masters wherever they went, but now they were the grandsons.
When Gu Nu came in, he was a little confused. There were a lot of generals standing in the hall, and he didn't know which one was the emperor.
Zhao Huan personally led the army as the chief commander, not wearing a dragon robe, but a general's uniform.
Gu Nu recognized Commander Zhao Huan. Standing next to him was a handsome young soldier. It was Nangong Lian'er, a woman disguised as a man. He was slightly surprised to find the commander so young.
"The Great Jin envoy, Gu Nu, may I ask, Commander-in-Chief, is His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song present?"
It is impolite not to reciprocate. This made Gu Nu appear to be courteous and considerate, and Zhao Huan could no longer put on airs.
"I am Zhao Huan, the Emperor of the Great Song. What brings you here as an envoy?"
Ba Gunu was taken aback; he hadn't expected the young commander before him to be the Emperor of the Great Song. He didn't argue, saying his last name was Bagu, not Ba. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Song, I have come by the order of the Emperor of the Great Jin to establish everlasting peace with the Great Song. I hope Your Majesty will show compassion to the people, end the war, and restore peace to the world."
Zhao Huan snorted, "You Jin people are untrustworthy, and your words are like farts. You tore up the Huining Agreement privately, and now you want to seek peace with me again? Go back and tell Wanyan Sheng that I will attack Huining Prefecture and wipe out his lair!"
Gu Nu was taken aback; he hadn't expected the emperor to speak so crudely. He immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Song, it was your Majesty who first refused to pay the annual tribute, and then our Lord, under the instigation of Wanyan Jiu, launched the war..."
"Bullshit!" Zhao Huan interrupted him: "You Jin people are nothing. Why do you want me and the Song Dynasty to pay you annual tribute?"
One must bow under the eaves, and now it was the Jin that was defeated. Ba Gu Nu had no choice but to humbly say, "Your Majesty, there is no need to mention the past. My Lord has said that if the Song and Jin are reconciled, the Great Jin is willing to return the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."
The generals were in an uproar when these words were spoken. Returning the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun was a very favorable condition.
Only eight states have been recaptured so far. While the Song Dynasty's power makes recapture of the remaining eight easy, the military expenditure is enormous. Continuing the war would inevitably result in heavy casualties. A peaceful resolution would naturally be the best option.
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