War is destructive to humanity, but it is also the ultimate tool for testing everything.

Since Wanyan Wushu went south, although the strategy he implemented did not provoke substantial opposition, he had been dealing with everyone in a standoffish manner throughout the process, and had always been subjected to questioning from the entire army about his motives for advancing. All of this was due to the defeat eight or nine months ago.

Correspondingly, the Zhao Emperor in Nanyang City was even more uncomfortable. These days, as the supreme commander of the weaker side, he had to receive and digest countless terrible frontline military reports every day. Unlike what he had originally expected, the fall of Nanjing, the Tokyo Garrison Headquarters' lower-than-expected blocking efficiency, and Han Shizhong's previous defeat could be described as one worse than the other.

In the end, whether or not to persist in the established strategy of defending Nanyang City became a problem.

In fact, Zhao Emperor himself had wavered several times in the past few days.

However, Zhao Jiu was still considered good, because except for his temporary indulgence on the Double Ninth Festival, he could hide his fear in his heart and not reveal it, so as not to lose his composure. But the others were not so 'calm'... After Madam Liang Hongyu personally rushed to Nanyang to report Han Shizhong's defeat and the determination to defend Changshe to the death, the entire Nanyang City began to waver on a large scale.

Not to mention the inevitable tide of people fleeing south, nor the fact that the Yushan Camp killed hundreds of deserters, just to say that those around Zhao Emperor, the central government there also began to gradually favor letting Zhao Jiu himself go to Xiangyang unconditionally first.

It cannot be said that going to Xiangyang first is a problem, this was originally one of the planned strategies.

But the problem is that the front line is already so precarious. If Zhao Emperor takes the initiative to go to Xiangyang at this time, then the Tokyo Garrison Headquarters troops, which have already shown signs of total disorder, and the few isolated cities between the Five Rivers are likely to disappear in an instant... The former will surrender and go south to become military bandits; the latter basically has no way out.

More importantly, Zhao Jiu cannot imagine what he can do in the future if Yue Fei's trip is in vain and he doesn't even know where to go, and he loses Han Shizhong again!

Therefore, Zhao Emperor chose to stay in Nanyang with the toughest stance, and triggered a comprehensive panic in the central government. The incidents in the middle were enough to write a separate "Nanyang Xingzai Ji in the Second Year of Jianyan."

At this time, another person must be mentioned, that is, the newly appointed Deputy Chief of the Privy Council, Lü Yihao. This newly appointed prime minister was the most direct and rude of the seven or eight prime ministers that Zhao Emperor had experienced in the past year or so, but he was also the only one who took the initiative to recognize Zhao Emperor's adventurous style in this kind of thing.

Thanks to the existence of this person, and the combination of the Emperor and the Prime Minister's absolute power, the 'Xiangyang forces' within the Department of State Affairs, the Privy Council, and the Yushan Camp ultimately did not succeed.

Of course, Zhao Emperor did not allow Lü Yihao to add punishment in this matter... With the situation at hand, all differences and disputes should not cause additional losses to one's own side.

However, as Wanyan Wushu led the army to arrive under Nanyang City, things came to an end in the manner of 'the other shoe finally landing', and everything had been settled.

Up to this point, not only were Zhao Emperor and Wanyan Wushu unable to escape, each determined to continue their grievances with the other in Nanyang, but the two sides also actually placed the final result of the fourth large-scale offensive and defensive battle between the Song and Jin Dynasties as a bet on Nanyang City.

On November 11th, the second day after the Jin army arrived under Nanyang City, the two sides quickly broke out in battle, but the process and results were unremarkable.

The Jin people's equipment was not complete, so how could they attack the city? It was nothing more than driving the people of Jingxi to forcibly rush to the city and fill the river, so as to deter the people in the city and create an atmosphere of terror.

And the Song-Jin war had reached its fourth year, and was even about to enter its fifth year. The people on the city had long been tempered into iron hearts. There was no humanistic thought or struggle at all, but they kept attacking and did everything to prevent the filling of the river.

As for Wanyan Wushu and Zhao Emperor, neither of them went to the front line. The former was supervising the construction of the camp, and the latter was inspecting the city to appease the people.

This was the case for three consecutive days.

In fact, it was not until the fourth day that the Jin army's camp, which included 35,000 main troops, 6,000 to 7,000 newly surrendered Han troops, and 20,000 to 30,000 laborers and craftsmen, totaling 50,000 to 60,000 people, was completely completed. It was not until the morning of the fifth day that Zhao Emperor appeared on the city wall for the first time.

"Your Majesty, look, these days we have been observing from a high position and have seen clearly... The Jin army has three ten-thousand household banners this time, and there are 40,000 soldiers, including the rebel general Zhang Yu's troops, of which 20,000 are cavalry." On the morning of the fifteenth, Liu Ziyu pointed remotely from the only remaining watchtower in the northern barbican of Nanyang City, explaining to Zhao Jiu and the two accompanying Prime Ministers Lü (Wang Boyan was sent to Xiangyang by Zhao Emperor because he supported the withdrawal to Xiangyang). "And they could have relied on the advantage of the cavalry to surround three and leave one, but they still forcibly surrounded all four sides, undoubtedly determined to take this city by force!"

"Where are Zhang Yu's troops?" Before Zhao Jiu could speak, Lü Yihao frowned and asked.

"In the east, the craftsmen and the captured laborers are also in the east, all under Zhang Yu's unified control." Liu Ziyu immediately raised his hand and pointed.

"So, the east is the weakest?" Lü Haowen stroked his beard and said, as if he realized Lü Yihao's intention.

"Not only that." Liu Ziyu paused slightly and continued, "I would like to inform the two Prime Ministers that the Ministry of Personnel has discussed that since the Yushan Camp on the bank of the Bai River is empty, it is impossible for the Jin people to abandon such a good stronghold, and they may have made it a logistics camp there. Moreover, Minister Chen also said before that although the moat water comes from many sources, it is mainly drawn from the Bai River. The moat water level has dropped significantly in the past few days, but it is not caused by filling the river. It is most likely that the Jin army has done something like cutting off the water from the east. But in this way..."

"In this way, it seems too obvious." Zhao Jiu was also considered to have 'experienced military affairs' for a long time, and could not help but sigh with his hands behind his back after hearing this. "It seems like they are deliberately luring us to attack."

"That's right." Liu Ziyu frowned in response. "With the Bai River as an obstacle in the east, even if we can win a surprise attack out of the city, we will be instantly surrounded by the Jin army's cavalry."

Lü Yihao sighed with his hands together after hearing this, and gave up superfluous thoughts, but was still slightly unwilling: "But what about the moat?"

"There is no need to worry about the moat either." Because of the angle of view, Zhao Jiu looked far to the side before finding a section of the moat in his field of vision. He saw that it was filled with corpses, debris, and ice ridges, and its color looked particularly strange, and it reflected slightly in the morning sun. He paused for a moment before responding, "The ice in the palace's water tanks has been getting thicker and thicker these days, and it won't last for a few days. And Wanyan Wushu is in such a posture, he is simply going crazy. Maybe in two days we will see a proper offensive..."

Liu Ziyu hesitated.

"What?" Lü Yihao frowned in response amidst the mist of white breath. "Speak if you have something to say."

"We should be able to see proper siege equipment today." Liu Ziyu said in a deep voice, "In the east, countless cloud ladders and several goose carts were seen being sent to the direction of Wanyan Wushu's camp in the north yesterday, and today the moat is already frozen thick..."

Zhao Jiu nodded slowly.

"Also." Liu Ziyu said again, "Minister Chen requested that the last few watchtowers be dismantled after today..."

"What absurd words are these?" Lü Yihao was bewildered and could not help but change his expression.

"It's to defend against artillery." Before Liu Ziyu could speak, Zhao Jiu said calmly, "In a few days, when the Jin army's artillery vehicles are together, the high walls and high buildings will only become targets in vain. Once they are smashed, they will easily cause casualties."

"Minister Chen did say so." Liu Yanxiu nodded in response.

"Your Majesty," Lü Yihao finally couldn't bear it anymore. "This minister has only been here for a few months, and before that, I was mostly in Yushan. I haven't looked at this city in detail. After seeing it today, I feel uneasy... Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Chen Gui's method of defending the city is unheard of, and the system of this city is also..."

"What you said is unheard of is mostly what I decided together with him." Zhao Jiu directly interrupted the other party, "His methods and paths are absolutely no problem. And now that things have come to this, Prime Minister Lü, even if you have words, please wait a moment... Do not delay defending the city."

Lü Yihao immediately felt suffocated.

A moment later, as the sun shone, the smoke from the cooking fires inside and outside the city dissipated, and Zhao Emperor and others, who led the two Prime Ministers and some important officials to sit side by side on the watchtower of the barbican, naturally saw the Jin army's siege formation for the first time.

Correspondingly, the Jin army also came into close contact with this strangely shaped city for the first time.

There must be artillery positions in the city, so the Jin army built a high earthen platform three hundred steps away from the city wall. Wanyan Wushu came out to see for the first time today, but he also led three ten-thousand households and dozens of Meng'an to line up their seats here and watch calmly.

Logically speaking, no one should expect to break through a national capital that has been built for more than half a year before a large-scale artillery barrage begins. In fact, the Jin army's siege this time was still mainly driven by Zhang Yu's troops to drive laborers, but they invested two Meng'an's core armored soldiers. The target was only one place in the north of the city... Obviously a probing action.

But the problem is that, for some reason, from the perspective of the Song officials, and from the perspective of the Jin generals, this city still gives people the feeling that it can be captured in one fell swoop...

"Why does the city wall of this Nanyang City look a little short?" Wanyan Balisu moved back and forth behind the platform, jumping up and down, reaching out and gesticulating for a long time before getting on the platform. Then, as soon as he opened his mouth, he said the doubts in his heart. "Our platform is fifteen feet high. Comparing it like this, why does the city wall of this dignified Song national capital look less than forty feet? Not to mention Taiyuan and Tokyo, even ordinary Song border cities are not as good, right?"

The surrounding Jin generals heard this and compared with their fingers. Only Wanyan Wushu, sitting at the top, frowned slightly, as if he was sulking again... There was no way, his geometry was a bit poor. Not to mention comparing with Zhao Emperor and Chen Gui on the opposite side, there was still some gap between him and his subordinates. He really didn't know how to measure it.