"Guo Ting, I know all too well that soldiers are buried on the battlefield, their loved ones weeping. However, I cannot rest easy until this calamity is eradicated. Sooner or later, there will be a war between Song and Mongolia. If I don't fight, Kublai Khan will attack. It would be better for me to take the initiative and drive the Mongols back to graze on the grasslands."
Chen Guoting knew that it was useless to persuade him any further. The emperor had already decided to go to war. Although war was dangerous and the people would suffer, in the long run, it would be beneficial to the Song Dynasty.
"I wonder how Your Majesty wants to fight?" Chen Guoting asked.
Zhao Huan let out a long sigh. "I don't know either, which is why I wanted to ask you. I want Yue Fei to guard against the Mongol army in the Heilongjiang area in the north, and use Han Shizhong's troops as the main force to first capture Xixia, which is occupied by the Mongols. Once Xixia returns to the Song Dynasty, I can mobilize troops to attack from the other side and seize the Heilongjiang area. Finally, I can completely crush them and attack their grassland nest."
Since persuasion was impossible, the only option was to help Zhao Huan. Chen Guoting said, "Your Majesty, why don't you try a two-front war? Han Shizhong's troops in the northwest can attack Xixia, and Yue Fei's troops in the north can seize the Heilongjiang and Linheng lines."
Zhao Huan was shocked. "Then the Song Dynasty would be fighting on two fronts, northwest and north. This way, we would be attacked from both sides. Fighting on two fronts is a big taboo in military strategy. I'm afraid it's not advisable."
Chen Guoting smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. Fighting on two fronts means fighting against two countries. We took Xixia in the west and advanced to Heilongjiang in the north, both of which were battles against Mongolia. It was Mongolia that was attacked from both sides, and we were the attackers."
Zhao Huan was delighted when he heard this: "So this plan is feasible? I have thought about it as well, but I am afraid it is not feasible, so I wanted to ask for your opinion."
"Your Majesty is the greatest emperor of all time," Chen Guoting smiled and poured a cup of tea for Zhao Huan.
"Ah?" Zhao Huan was stunned for a moment. "Old Chen, you're not the type to flatter me. Why are you praising me?"
Chen Guoting smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am not praising you. I dare not say that there will be no one like him in history, but at least Your Majesty is worthy of the title of the first in history, haha."
Zhao Huan shook his hands frantically: "No, no, no! Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, each of them has been passed down through the ages. How can I compare to them?"
Chen Guoting nodded. "The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang are too far away. At least the Qin Emperor and Han Wudi couldn't compare to Your Majesty. The Qin Emperor was tyrannical, and Han Wudi was reckless. Even the Emperor of Tang had the Weishui Alliance. To be disrespectful, I'm afraid Taizu couldn't compare to Your Majesty in terms of achievements. Your Majesty destroyed the Jin and Mongols, and reduced corvée labor and taxes. There is hope for the revival of the Song Dynasty."
Zhao Huan was a little flattered: "Well, after hearing what you said, I also think that I am indeed very powerful. Hehehe."
"Hahaha..." Chen Guoting laughed along.
Before leaving, Zhao Huan gave Chen Guoting two kilograms of tea. Chen Guoting accepted it without hesitation, and took five hundred taels of silver. Zhao Huan would have given Chen Guoting fifty thousand taels, or even five hundred thousand taels, if Chen Guoting had wanted it.
Chen Guoting wanted the five hundred taels of silver not for himself, but for a village called Qinjia Village at the foot of Jiuxian Mountain. There was a small river at the entrance of the village, which made it difficult to travel. He wanted to use the money to build a bridge, which would make it more convenient for the villagers to travel.
When Zhao Huan heard that it was because of this matter, he left two thousand taels without saying a word, saying that he would contribute to Qinjia Village.
After the bridge was completed, Chen Guoting ordered a stele to be erected. However, it wasn't his own name that was engraved on it, but rather a name donated by Emperor Zhao Huan of the Song Dynasty. From then on, whenever officials passed by the bridge, they had to dismount and kneel in obeisance.
After leaving Jiuxian Mountain, Zhao Huan returned to the capital. He had to return to the palace the day after tomorrow to avoid worrying everyone. While he still had some free time, he wanted to have fun.
Zhao Huan was alone with nothing to do. After entering the city, his mind was not wandering. He unknowingly came to Laifu Lane again. Through the window, Zhao Huan saw Tian Yingying from Laifu Inn still drinking alone at the table.
Zhao Huan remembered what Old Li had said to him: If you really like the girl from the Tian family, you might as well be thick-skinned and give it another try.
Tian Yingying didn't know how much she had drunk. Every evening she would sit at the table alone and drink like this. Because she couldn't forget Han Zhongyong, he was a hero, and he was also the person who was deeply engraved in her heart.
It was already closing time, and the waiter, Dazui, was clearing the tables. He looked at the shopkeeper, sighed, shook his head, and went back to the kitchen.
The door creaked open, and Tian Yingying, without even looking up, said, "We're closed. We're no longer accepting customers. Go somewhere else."
"I'm not here to drink." Zhao Huan said.
Tian Yingying raised her head: "Is it you?"
"It's me."
"If you don't drink, what are you doing here?" Tian Yingying looked at him with drunken eyes.
"Stay in the hotel!"
"Big Mouth, Big Mouth!" Tian Yingying called out twice, but Big Mouth didn't respond. He went to the kitchen to wash dishes.
Zhao Huan said nothing, walked over and snatched the wine jar from her hand: "Don't drink it."
"Who are you? Why do you care about me? Get out! The guest rooms are full, leave now!" As he said that, he tried to grab the wine jar.
Zhao Huan refused to give it to her. With a loud slap, Zhao Huan was slapped in the face. He did not dodge.
The blow was so heavy that Zhao Huan's left cheek swelled up.
Tian Yingying was stunned for a moment: "Why don't you hide?"
"You shouldn't live like this." Zhao Huan said.
"What?" Tian Yingying was stunned.
Zhao Huan threw the wine jar out. With a loud bang, the aroma of wine filled the air and the wine jar was smashed to pieces.
With a "pop!" sound, Zhao Huan's right cheek also swelled up.
"Miss Tian, I know you are thinking about him. But people shouldn't live like this. I also know you are not afraid of death. You want to go and find him, right? If it weren't for your father's curse, you would have followed him to the underworld long ago." Zhao Huan said lightly.
Tian Yingying was furious: "Who! Who are you talking about?"
Zhao Huan said word by word, "Han Zhongyong, if he were alive, would he want to see you like this?"
"Who told you that!" Tian Yingying screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice so loud that it even disturbed the man washing dishes in the kitchen.
"Boss, who bullied you?" Dazui rushed out from the kitchen, holding a kitchen knife. When he rushed to the lobby, he found Zhao Huan. He saw that his cheeks were like a pig's head.
"Get lost!" Zhao Huan looked at him coldly. Dazui was startled and for some reason, he quietly retreated back to the kitchen with the kitchen knife in hand.
Zhao Huan looked at Tian Yingying again: "Does it matter who told me this? If you still love him, you should live the way he wants to see you."
"Who are you?" Tian Yingying looked at him in surprise.
"I am the one who killed Han Zhongyong. He died for me."
Tian Yingying was shocked: "What did you say?"
"I am the current emperor, Emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Huan!"
"Get out!" Tian Yingying pointed at the door, a tear streaking down her pretty cheek: "Get out!"
Tian Yingying was filled with disgust. This man was shameless to the extreme. He was so fearless that he pretended to be the emperor. Did he think this was funny? He used other people's wounds as capital to pick up girls.
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