Having exchanged a few polite words, the monarch and his minister slowly entered the hall together.

At this point, Zhao Jiu finally perceived the frailty of the other man's body, confirming his suspicions that it was likely a last flare of vitality. As he supported the figure who, in his youth, had traveled the land for a decade, renowned for his robust health and unrefined manner, he could barely feel any weight at all.

However, the more apparent this became, the more cautious Zhao Jiu grew... because at this moment, 'Grandfather Zong' was practically 'invincible' to him, the Emperor.

Indeed, it wasn't just Zhao Jiu. Figures like Hu Yin, the so-called Deputy Minister of Censors, Lin Jingmo, the Emperor's confidant and literary official, and Lan Gui, the Grand Overseer of the Inner Attendants Bureau, all became wary after witnessing the scene and comprehending its implications. Those like Wan Qixie, Wang Shan, and Guo Zhongxun were even somewhat apprehensive.

Regardless, having come this far, they had no choice but to exchange glances and carefully enter the hall.

"Why all the caution?" Zong Ze, supported by the Emperor, settled into the prepared seat of honor on the left. He then summoned his son to his side. Seeing Zhao Jiu take his seat without hesitation while the others remained standing, he couldn't help but smile. "Are you perhaps finding my hospitality inadequate? Today is merely a private gathering; do not feel constrained simply because the Emperor is present."

The Emperor, of course, imposed no such constraint!

Hu Yin and the others felt increasingly helpless but forced themselves to sit. Since Chancellor Zong had opened the door, they dared not follow the formal banquet protocol of seating based on official rank. Instead, they adhered to the custom of private gatherings, arranging seats by age and background. Consequently, the four *jinshi* (successful candidates in the imperial examination) – Guo Zhongxun, Lin Jingmo, and Hu Yin – ended up on the left, while a motley crew including Lan Gui, Wan Qixie, Liu Yan, and Wang Shan cautiously took seats across from them.

The feast was simple, the wine was subpar, and the dishes were few. Understandably, given their state of anxiety, no one felt inclined to enjoy it.

"I hear the Emperor won a victory at Yanling?"

As expected, no sooner had everyone settled in and taken a few bites, without even pouring wine, than Zong Ze, who had just declared it a private gathering, abruptly pressed for an answer.

"To inform the Grand Commandant, Yanling was indeed a great victory." Guo Zhongxun, hearing this, perked up and eagerly spoke. "Over a dozen *meng'an* were annihilated, and the *wanhu* Pucha Hubalu was also killed. The enemy retreated from Zhongmu, and Wanyan Talan also..."

"I was asking the Emperor." Zong Ze strained to glance at his adjutant, who immediately lowered his head in silence.

"That is correct," Zhao Jiu said simply. "However, this battle was a desperate act forced upon us, a fight for survival. As such, the circumstances leading to it are not worth praising, and the outcome is yet to be determined."

"Let's set aside how it began; the result deserves some recognition," Zong Ze replied, squinting at the Emperor under the candlelight. He slowly shook his head. "In the five years of war between Song and Jin, victories have been few and defeats many. Every victory is worth celebrating, let alone such a resounding one. In my view, with Changshe recovered, the Five Rivers region will return to the hands of the royal army. The Jin forces are now cut off to the north and south, and the situation has taken a turn for the better..."

"I cannot agree," Zhao Jiu countered, shaking his head. "The Jin army has over two hundred thousand households in the east and west, perhaps three hundred thousand in total. A mere dozen *meng'an* are not enough to shake the overall situation. Furthermore, the final outcome of this battle depends on the situation of Han Shizhong and Yue Fei in the coming days."

"Then what would constitute a favorable outcome?" Zong Ze lowered his head in thought and asked again with a serious expression.

"In my view, forcing the Jin people across the Yellow River as quickly as possible is the only crucial task," Zhao Jiu replied directly. "I only ask that it not unduly delay the spring plowing in Henan..."

"That is indeed true," Zong Ze agreed, leaning on his son's arm, lost in thought. "The Emperor is the Son of Heaven and should consider matters from a broader perspective... But after all, it is a great victory for the royal army, and that cannot be denied. Moreover, Han Shizhong and Yue Fei are both talented generals; I trust the overall situation will not be delayed... Let us drink a toast to celebrate the victory of the royal army."

Everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief and quickly raised their cups in agreement. Even Zong Ze himself managed to take a small sip from the cup his son held up.

However, as they set down their cups, the atmosphere tightened again as Chancellor Zong continued:

"Your Majesty, why was Du Chong, a high-ranking minister, personally killed by you in the hall?"

"His son, Du Yan, personally reported that Du Chong had agreed not to fight with Talan, violating the explicit decree issued at Mount Bagong in the past..." Zhao Jiu replied concisely, but then let out a sigh. "In truth, even on these grounds, it was still debatable whether to kill him or not. However, if I did not kill him, I would neither be able to effectively seize military power and intimidate the commanders of the Tokyo Garrison, nor would I be able to dispatch troops immediately; and second, my heart would not be at peace!"

"Your Majesty is truly candid today," Zong Ze said with a smile.

"I dare not be anything but candid before Chancellor Zong," Zhao Jiu replied with a respectful bow.

"In that case, I remain curious about one thing... Why is your heart not at peace?" Zong Ze asked with a knowing smile.

"It is because this escape from Nanyang to Yanling to gather troops resulted in heavy losses along the way," Zhao Jiu answered patiently.

"I do not believe it," Zong Ze suddenly said, shaking his head.

"Why?"

"In the past, in Hebei, you did not even concern yourself with your father, brothers, mother, and sisters. How could you possibly care about ordinary soldiers?" Zong Ze's tone remained calm, but his words carried a hint of sternness.

Anyone in the hall with a heart condition would likely have collapsed on the spot, preceding Chancellor Zong's own demise. But even those without such ailments wished they could cover their ears. Hu Yin, who was usually outspoken and uninhibited, could barely contain himself.

However, Zhao Jiu paused for a moment and then, like Zong Ze, who was 'about to die and feared nothing,' delivered a bombshell:

"Why should one family weep when an entire army weeps? The calamities of war and the chaos in the realm have resulted in the deaths of countless millions... As the Son of Heaven, one must, of course, speak of filial piety in front of outsiders. But in truth, how can I possibly find the time to care about a mere family? I should be thinking about military equipment, provisions, and currency, caring for the soldiers, defending the cities, and striving for peace in the realm. Anything else is inconsequential."

The first to react to these words was Hu Yin, the Deputy Minister of Censors. He immediately stood up from behind his desk, his face flushed and eager to speak. However, he found himself at a loss for words and could only stand there, stunned.

Zong Ze and Zhao Jiu both turned to glance at him, but paid no further attention. They continued their conversation as if they were merely exchanging pleasantries:

"In the past, in Hebei, I never saw you consider peace in the realm."

"Let's not dwell on the matter of the well. Just putting myself in my former position, how could I have ever imagined becoming the Emperor?"

"There is some truth to what you say. But that logic only holds water before the two Emperors were taken north. After the two Emperors were taken north, why did you hastily abandon the people of Hebei, cross the river southward, and ascend the throne? And after ascending the throne, why did you completely abandon the plans for Hebei?"

"I suppose I was young then, bewitched by Huang Qianshan, Kang Li, and others. I lacked convictions and was momentarily discouraged, losing my faith. It is true that I have forgotten these matters, but it was indeed my fault," Zhao Jiu replied slowly.

Hearing the latter half of his response, Zong Ze fell silent. After a long pause, he sighed and said, "I will not quibble over the words about the well and forgetting the past. But you are being overly candid today. Do you perhaps think I am a dying man?"

"I speak from the bottom of my heart," Zhao Jiu replied calmly.

"Your Majesty's words today are quite reasonable, but I must beg your pardon for not believing you," Zong Ze said, shaking his head slowly.

The atmosphere in the hall froze again, and the others in attendance were utterly helpless.

In truth, no one needed to be particularly astute or foolish to understand what was happening. There was an insurmountable obstacle between the Emperor, who now firmly advocated resistance against the Jin, and Chancellor Zong, who was also a paragon of resistance. Zhao Jiu could not explain his decision to abandon Hebei around the middle of the first year of Jianyan, nor could he ever make amends for it.

You say you are resisting the Jin, but who was it that abandoned Hebei and rushed to ascend the throne?

You say you won a great victory, annihilating a dozen *meng'an*, over ten thousand people. But may I ask, do the people of Hebei number among the tens of millions?

You say you have worked so hard and endured so many hardships. May I ask, has anyone suffered as much as Chancellor Zong, who has single-handedly risked his life to maintain the old capital and resist the invasion?

Most importantly, Zhao Jiu could appease anyone else, offering words of comfort and saying "Let us wait for the future" or "Let us observe what comes next"... But Chancellor Zong was a man in his seventies, terminally ill and on the verge of death. How could he be asked to wait for the future and observe what comes next?

In all fairness, everyone knew that Zhao Jiu had already done very well, even surpassing expectations ever since the battle on the Huai River. But sadly, when facing Zong Ze, what he had done... was probably not good enough!

It was a deadlock.

Compared to this impasse, the words that both parties had avoided speaking but were now so blatant as to alarm Hu Yin were meaningless between the two men in the hall. You say you are the key to resisting the Jin, but wasn't the Jin invasion caused by your Zhao family?

To this, Zhao Jiu's reply was: please do not hold the things those people did against me, who was just a child at the time.

And Zong Ze did not dwell much on the matter.

"I think Your Majesty's words today are half true and half false," Zong Rulin finally said with a soft sigh. "I truly do not know how much of it is to comfort this old man who is about to die."

"They are all sincere," Zhao Jiu replied without hesitation, as if he had long prepared his attitude and words for facing Zong Ze. "I resolved to resist the Jin to the end and recover the lost territories since I was at the Mingdao Palace in Bozhou. But I also know that among all the people in the world, Zong Ze is the least likely to believe me. I cannot explain..."

Many people's hearts stirred slightly.

But Zong Ze still seemed unmoved. After a moment of silence, he instead brought the matter further into the open: "Your Majesty, for over a year before this, I single-handedly defended Tokyo, and could be said to have turned the tide against the current, right?"

"That is naturally so."

"And today, dying in my post, I could also be described as having devoted myself to the utmost, right?"

"That is inevitable."

"Then surely history will not speak ill of me, right?"

"That is correct."

"And Your Majesty is also astute... You probably know that I am fearless today."

"I understand, approximately," Zhao Jiu said with a sudden smile. "Unless I recover the lost territories in the future and vindicate myself, then whatever you say today is what the world will believe in the future."

"So that is why Your Majesty is so courteous today..."

"If I were not sincere, wouldn't it have been better to hide in Yanling for a few days, wait for you to pass away, and then come here?" Zhao Jiu said, cutting to the chase.

Zong Ze was silent for a moment, but still slowly shook his head: "Actually, I have been stubbornly waiting for Your Majesty. As long as you do not arrive, I am unwilling to die."

"I know, that is why I came here today," Zhao Jiu said seriously.

"This sounds like you are urging me to die?" Zong Ze laughed again.

"Does that matter to you at this point?" Zhao Jiu replied with a wry smile.

"Your Majesty, my reputation was not good when I was young..."

"I have heard a little about it."

It must be said that, if not for the Jingkang Incident, Zong Ze's reputation in history would likely not have been good. In the thirty years of his official career before the Jingkang Incident, this later leader of the resistance against the Jin and national hero had two very strange political labels: crude and a member of the treacherous faction...

The former was merely a personal habit, which could now be seen, from the perspective of a national hero, as daring to speak frankly and having a bold personality. The key was the latter.

When Zong Ze went to take the imperial examination, he immediately spoke out in defense of the great traitor Cai Que. As a result, he not only received the lowest ranking but also saw his career completely collapse. The reason why he was later able to barely become a prefect was due to the promotion and care of another great traitor, Lü Huiqing...

Therefore, if he had truly retired successfully at the age of sixty and died peacefully in his hometown, he would have been just another remnant of the treacherous faction in the corner of a history book. Even if he were fantasized about in a time-travel novel, he would likely be portrayed as a villain, perhaps even exiled to Lingnan to satisfy the readers.

However, the sands of time have washed away many things. Who would have thought that when faced with the destruction of one's country, it would be such a badly perceived old man who would step forward, both turning the tide and devoting himself to the utmost until his death?

"Then I will not be too concerned..." Zong Ze continued slowly.

"I came here for this," Zhao Jiu replied seriously. "Whatever you ask, I will surely grant it."

"Only three things," Zong Ze sighed softly.

Everyone held their breath.

"This son of mine is not very talented, but after all, he is my son, and I have my own selfish desires. The reason why I have not allowed him to take office is not to feign some kind of attitude. It is because the entire Tokyo Garrison has been assembled by me alone. If he were to take office early and gain a reputation, I fear that it would make villains think differently... I ask Your Majesty to properly handle this matter after my death." Zong Rulin said, pointing to his son, who couldn't help but cry upon hearing these words.

This was not a challenge, but rather a standard act of entrusting one's family. Hearing these words, most of those who had been tense breathed a sigh of relief and felt somewhat saddened as Zong Ying shed tears... after all, it was an old minister entrusting his family.

However, Zhao Jiu was visibly stunned. This was not only because he had not received the expected challenge, but also because he heard something else in Zong Ze's words.

"Do not doubt my words, Your Majesty." Seeing this, Zong Ze simply raised his hand and pointed to someone at the opposite table. "Wang Shan, come out and tell Your Majesty about your favorite drunken saying, 'The rich and poor, the noble and lowly, will be redefined'..."

Hearing this, Wang Shan quickly stepped forward and bowed to Zhao Jiu and Zong Ze. Whether it was out of fear or sadness at seeing Zong Ze's state today, he was in tears when he raised his head, unable to say a word.

"I have long heard of Wang Qing's words, and I quite agree with them," Zhao Jiu said, realizing what was happening, and sitting upright with a solemn expression. "In these troubled times, it is indeed a time for the rich and poor, the noble and lowly, to be redefined... However, Wang Qing, there are two paths to redefine nobility, poverty, and wealth. One is to be disloyal and unjust, to fall into depravity, to create chaos, to make insatiable demands, and then to cause trouble in vain. The other is to follow the trend, like Zong Ze, who secures the realm with all his heart, who brings order and peace to the people, and who earns his own fame... Zong Ze has pointed you out today not to put pressure on you, but to have me take care of you in the future. You must understand."

Wang Shan, who had walked all the way in from outside the city without even removing his armor, could only repeatedly kowtow to the two men in the hall.

Seeing this, Zong Ze became impatient again, and with a wave of his hand, he continued to address the Emperor above: "Your Majesty is clever, it is good that you have realized it... Then the second matter is about the Tokyo Garrison. I hope Your Majesty will properly settle them, considering their contributions to the country."

"That is inevitable," Zhao Jiu replied immediately.

In fact, Zhao Jiu had realized from the beginning that Zong Ze was not concerned about his son's official position. The first thing that Chancellor Zong was referring to was to remind Zhao Jiu, through the matter of his son, that the Tokyo Garrison was a group of military bandits, and that the Zhao family had lost the hearts of the people in Hebei. The Emperor's identity did not give him as much cohesion over these people as it did over the other government troops, so it was necessary to maintain a certain level of high pressure and prestige, and even to carry out some purges, otherwise, they could truly cause trouble!

However, even with Zong Ze's status, he couldn't say such words directly. He could only point to his son and Wang Shan, who was right in front of him, and use them as an excuse to suggest it.

And the second thing was to remind Zhao Jiu, conversely, that despite the need for pressure, this was ultimately an important force in the resistance against the Jin. They could be restrained, adjusted, recruited, and purged, but they could not be abandoned.

Returning to the present, Zong Ze laughed as he handed over these matters so simply: "Today, I spoke like an old fool, being overly demanding, but it seems I was also in sync with Your Majesty."

Zhao Jiu finally managed to smile again, but then became solemn, as he vaguely sensed something.

"But I still have to play the bad guy!" Zong Rulin sighed again, putting away his smile. "If Your Majesty agrees to my last request, I can fulfill my wish today... I am presumptuous, but I ask Your Majesty to take a solemn oath in public to recover the two Rivers!"

Everyone in the hall was completely silent, even Wan Qixie felt that Zong Ze had gone too far.

"What kind of oath?" Contrary to expectations, Zhao Jiu was still quick to respond, despite being taken aback.

"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, you can only swear to Heaven."

"Since I am the Son of Heaven, if I swear to Heaven, will Heaven's will be partial? Moreover, Heaven's will is vague. I am the ruler of the people, why not swear to the people?" Before anyone else could interject, Zhao Jiu instead cooperated appropriately.

"Very well." This time, it was Chancellor Zong who was a little stunned.

Hearing this, Zhao Jiu immediately sat still, raised his finger to the sky: "If I cannot recover the two Rivers in this lifetime, destroy the Jin Kingdom, plow its lands, and sweep away its lairs, uniting all the rivers and mountains of the realm, then may I live without joy and die without a whole body."

"Your Majesty is speaking too gravely!"

Everyone except Zong Ze knelt down almost simultaneously as the Emperor took his oath. Guo Zhongxun, Wan Qixie, and others were even more flustered and tried to dissuade him. But as the saying goes, how could they possibly object when the Emperor and Chancellor Zong were speaking here?

"Your Majesty is young and vigorous, to live without joy is indeed a venomous oath." After hearing the oath, Zong Ze smiled, but then asked with a serious expression: "But why die without a whole body?"

"Because if I die, I will only die in armor on the front lines of the Song-Jin war..." Zhao Jiu replied calmly. "And in the past few days, the armored corpses I saw under the city of Changshe were mostly mutilated. Because in the current battles, the armor of both armies is excellent. Once it comes to hand-to-hand combat, one must first chop off the limbs and then pry open the helmet to kill them. One rarely sees a whole corpse."

"I see, I seem to have been narrow-minded." Zong Ze was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly felt relieved, and his whole body seemed to soften. "I have always been crude, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

"I have always been unworthy, I am already ashamed to have earned your understanding with a single word," Zhao Jiu replied earnestly.

"Let us drink!" Zong Ze said with a forced smile. "In any case, I have fallen to the Emperor's disadvantage today... Perhaps there are things to look forward to in the future."

Zhao Jiu quickly raised his cup.

For a time, the hall was filled with the clinking of cups.

Not only that, but after drinking halfway, Zong Ze, with a hint of drunkenness, insisted on going to the courtyard to enjoy the moon... Everyone knew that the weather was still cold and that it would be bad for his body, but on the one hand, enjoying the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was a reasonable thing to do, and on the other hand, everyone could see that this Chancellor was truly unable to hold on any longer. Having seen the Emperor today, he had fulfilled his wish, but he was afraid that his condition would worsen at any moment. At this time, it was meaningless to go against him.

Therefore, everyone carefully moved the banquet to the courtyard to enjoy the moon together.

After drinking to their heart's content, Chancellor Zong first sighed at the moon, and then laughed bitterly: "Today is a good day for the festival and the moon is full, and I have reunited with the Emperor in the capital. I should have written a poem or song to express my feelings, but I am old and useless, and I cannot write any lyrics at all..."

The people around him sighed in their own ways, and some were eager to try.

"No, that's not right." Before anyone could act, Zong Ze shook his head again and sighed. "I have never been good at this in my life. When I was young, I spent ten years traveling the mountains and rivers of the world. I was not a born scholar. What lyrics can I talk about? However, if it were not for those ten years of leisurely travel, seeing all the beautiful rivers and mountains of the world, knowing the magnificence of the rivers and mountains and the abundance of the people, I would not have been so resentful of the arguments for peace after the Jin invaded, and then ended up dying away from home..."

The people around him naturally sighed and echoed his sentiments.

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu, who was sitting in front of the hall, did not change his expression and drank his wine as usual, but his heart was stirred several times.

Since he had started in the hall, he had wanted to dismiss everyone several times and then tell Zong Ze frankly that he was not the one who abandoned the two Rivers, and that he would do this and that. However, he had suppressed this impulse several times, because it was meaningless, and might even make his originally gradually quiet heart fall into fear and doubt... But at this time, hearing these words, Zhao Jiu's heart was stirred again, and that impulse reached its highest point.

After all, among the people Zhao Jiu had come into contact with since his transmigration, most of the so-called high-ranking officials and pro-war factions were only motivated by loyalty, Confucian classics, personal grudges, and the benefits of the system. Few of them could give him the kind of pure, natural love for the country that Zong Rulin had just given him.

Seeing the magnificence of the mountains and rivers, and feeling proud, one would not allow others to humiliate them. Isn't this the way an elite scholar inspires the most basic patriotism?

However, if that were all there was to it, Zhao Jiu would only admire and respect this newly met national hero, but not be so out of control. The real reason why he had so many impulses was actually the almost humble attitude of the other party today.

It really was humble!

And this almost humble attitude could probably only be noticed by Zhao Jiu, who had been the emperor for more than a year. The others could only see Zong Rulin's arrogance and overbearingness.

The key was Zhao Jiu's identity as the Emperor... To put it bluntly, what was the point of an oath to an emperor? Moreover, it was just an oath taken in the hall in front of a few people? And what real damage was caused by those painless and harmless taunts?

Not only that, what Zhao Jiu was seeking by coming here was the control of the Tokyo Garrison. Did the other party make any substantial excuses or threats?

No! The other party even took the initiative to hand over the command, didn't he?

It could be said that this Chancellor Zong had been dragging on until now, first pretending to wait for a result from Yanling, and then, after receiving the news in the past two days, he was simply thinking about whether he could meet Emperor Zhao and then make a symbolic handover in person to reduce the disputes.

He didn't even ask, and didn't dare to ask, whether Emperor Zhao would take over the troops and then, after the situation stabilized, return to Nanyang and abandon Tokyo, which he had been struggling to defend for more than a year?

This was almost humble.

Of course, compared to the hope of restoring the rivers and mountains, it seemed that anything was worth it – Zhao Jiu could be sure that Zong Ze was not resentful at all when he saw him coming, but rather extremely happy and excited.

But this kind of emotion could only be understood between the two of them, and it came too late... and it was destined to be subtle.

"Does Your Majesty have any poems or lyrics?" In a daze, Zong Ze asked Zhao Jiu. "Vice Minister Hu and Academician Lin are both good at poetry and lyrics..."

"How could I have that ability?" Zhao Jiu said with a smile, and was about to decline, but after the words came out, he changed his mind as if possessed. "However, I have some feelings in my heart today, when I return to this old place..."

The people below did not dare to neglect him, and the Tokyo Garrison personnel, who had gathered after the banquet moved to the courtyard, offered paper and brushes, and lit lamps to help.

Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment, and then looked up at the moonlight again, and carefully used his Huang-style calligraphy to write an inappropriate poem.

As the saying goes:

The east wind brings a thousand trees of light at night,
And scatters stars like rain.
Fine horses, carved carts, perfumed roads,
Flute sounds, jade pitchers gleam,
All night the dragon lantern dances.

Moth brows, snow willows, golden threads,
Laughter softly spreading subtle scents.
I searched among them a thousand times,
Suddenly I turned my head, and there he was,
In the dimming light.

A *Qing Yu An* poem, forced to fit the Lantern Festival, was finished. Some of the people around him with the ability to appreciate literature were stunned, and it was passed to Zong Ze, but Chancellor Zong could no longer see clearly, so he could only let Lin Jingmo come forward and recite it.

After listening, Zong Ze first shook his head and smiled bitterly: "The population of Tokyo is now less than 200,000, and there have been no lanterns for several years... However, it is indeed a good poem, and a wonderful poem... Your Majesty?"

"I am here."

"This is not a poem of Li Qingzhao, right?"

"No."

"Then it means that Your Majesty is gradually remembering the stories of Tokyo from that time?"

"Yes." Zhao Jiu sighed and replied. "I remember... It is precisely the story of that time that is now engraved in my heart."

Zong Ze smiled and nodded repeatedly: "It's good that Your Majesty remembers, it's good that it's engraved in your heart... With this poem as the foundation, I am already satisfied. Please forgive me for being old, and allow me to go back and rest."

"Commandant, please go and rest." Zhao Jiu's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately stood up, leading his ministers to stand at attention.

Zong Ying, who had long been worried that his father's body could not hold on, quickly helped his father up, and under the gaze of everyone, they turned from the side of the hall into the backyard, until they disappeared from sight.

The next day, Emperor Zhao, who had moved into the grand and desolate Tokyo Imperial City, received two pieces of news.

In the morning, Zong Ying entered the palace wearing mourning clothes and informed Zhao Jiu that his father, the Grand Councilor of the Song Dynasty, the Commandant of Tokyo, and the Deputy Grand Marshal of Military Affairs, Zong Ze, had died peacefully in his bed at night, without a sound, at the age of seventy.

However, after the news spread out of the palace, there was a complete version, saying that Commandant Zong had left a poem called *Shier* ("To My Sons") before his death last night.

The poem said:

I knew all things would be empty when I died,
But I grieve that I cannot see the realm united.
When the royal army recovers Yanyun,
Do not forget to tell your father at the ancestral sacrifice.

And after leaving the poem, he became confused, until just before his death, when he had a moment of clarity, but he shouted "Cross the River!" three times before dying.

No one in Tokyo, from Emperor Zhao down, did not weep upon hearing this.

Only this matter was expected by everyone above and below, and it could not be called an accident.

In the evening, just as the city of Tokyo was immersed in sorrow, Han Shizhong suddenly sent a messenger flying to report that Wanyan Talan had run away wildly again, abandoning Zhengzhou and crossing the Yellow River north.

Only Yelu Ma Wu was caught off guard. He first ran into Li Qiong and other troops of Han Shizhong's advance force. The Jin army initially had the upper hand, but after Han Shizhong led the main force of the Song army, the situation immediately reversed. In the end, Yelu Ma Wu was defeated in a big battle under the city of Zhengzhou, and could only rely on the advantage of his cavalry to forcibly break away from the battlefield. However, he was unable to gain a foothold along the way, and did not even dare to cross the river. In the end, he could only escape west towards Xijing (Western Capital) Luoyang.

This news was somewhat unexpected.

ps: Good night everyone.