The March wind swept through the apricot blossoms, and in Tokyo City, it was the season for savoring thinly sliced mutton, chopped sheep's head, and braised lamb trotters.

On this particular day, it was the end-of-month holiday. In the afternoon, Councilor of the Department of State Affairs Zhao Ding, as usual, declined most guests and instead read a book beneath the old apricot tree in his courtyard.

But after finishing half of the new book in his hand, the esteemed Councilor was seized by a rare desire to stir. He rose, went to the back hall to find his wife, and announced,

"I shall not dine at home today..."

"Does my lord have an appointment?" Madam Zhao asked, surprised. "Why tell me at this hour?"

"No appointment, just a whim," Zhao Ding replied with a gentle smile. "It has been too long since we visited the South Market of the Cai River. Let us change our clothes and go for some chopped sheep's head."

Madam Zhao couldn't help but chuckle, yet she also felt somewhat awkward. "How can I go out? You go with Fen'er, my lord, and bring some back for me."

"Nonsense," Zhao Ding waved his hand dismissively. "Times have changed. His Majesty has said repeatedly that we should emulate the Tang dynasty's openness, where women freely frequented markets and streets. Moreover, His Majesty and the two imperial concubines have often gone out themselves, to the Xuande Tower, the Hanfang Garden, even sneaking into the Night Market on Horse Trading Street at night. As the Councilor of the Department of State Affairs, I should set an example."

Madam Zhao was still a little hesitant, but after a moment, she found herself longing for the sheep's head meat by the Cai River. In the end, she couldn't resist nodding her agreement.

So Zhao Ding summoned his son, Zhao Fen, and ordered him to lead two servants to scout ahead. He also called six or seven Imperial Guards responsible for security, instructed them to remove their armor, and changed into ordinary cloth garments himself. When his wife emerged, wearing a veiled hat and accompanied by several of their younger children, the group of more than ten people boarded three large mule carts hired by Zhao Fen and headed directly for the Cai River area south of the city.

In the afternoon, with spring blossoms in full bloom, they had only passed the Vermilion Bird Gate and had yet to reach the market south of the Cai River when, in the gentle southern breeze, they began to catch the scent of roasting meat. The younger children immediately started clamoring... Only Zhao Fen, the eldest son of the Prime Minister, showed no interest.

After all, before the Jingkang Incident, Zhao Ding had been an incorruptible official in the Kaifeng Prefecture. He was incorruptible because he refused to compromise with others, yet his recommender was the former Chancellor Wu Min, and he couldn't be dismissed. So, he was simply marginalized. In those years, Zhao Ding's meager salary couldn't afford the delicacies of the finer restaurants, and Madam Zhao, being frugal, often bought cheap sheep's head and sheepskin from the South Cai River to supplement their meals. Poor Zhao Fen, practically the top young master of the court, having grown up in Bianliang, was only accustomed to eating sheep's head. Where would he find any interest in it now?

Of course, let's digress a little here. Wu Min committed a major political blunder during the Jingkang Incident: protecting Cai Jing, his patron, and advocating for peace before the Jin army crossed the Yellow River. The former led to his repeated demotions during the reign of Emperor Qinzong, while the latter prevented him from ever recovering his position during the Jianyan years.

However, Wu Min was indeed an interesting character. Although he had been recommended by Cai Jing, he also recommended two people: Li Gang and Zhao Ding.

Thus, in the early Jianyan period, Wu Min, though unable to truly regain an actual position, was able to restore his political privileges with the help of Li Gang. Now that Zhao Ding had become the Councilor of the Department of State Affairs, he had not forgotten the kindness of Wu Min's recommendation. He had Wu Min, who had been promoted to oversee the Dongxiao Palace, appointed as the Pacification Commissioner of Guangnan West Circuit... It was conceivable that if Yue Fei's suppression of the rebellion was successful and given the special treatment afforded to officials in the Liangguang Circuit during the Song Dynasty, Wu Min, provided he made no mistakes, might very well return to Bianliang after a term in office.

One can only say that the Jingkang Incident turned the world upside down. Who could have imagined that a casual promotion by a former Chancellor of an official in the Kaifeng Prefecture would lead to a second chance today?

"Cut three whole sheep's heads, one for each table, slice five jin of mutton, one jin for this table, and two jin for the other two tables. Also, make some soup noodles with lamb offal. Two jugs of sweet wine, not for this table... How much altogether?" After crossing the Cai River, Zhao Ding casually approached a stall displaying a sheep's head, sat down by the river, and, as he had done years ago, ordered the sheep's head casually. He knew that these tables were communal and that one had to pay first.

"Please wait a moment, esteemed guests, it will be right here... A total of eight hundred cash." The stall owner, seeing that his customers were distinguished and had ordered a lot, was overjoyed and hurried to serve them.

Hearing this, Zhao Ding was initially surprised that the sheep's head meat and sheepskin were much more expensive than in previous years. But considering that a small half of the country was still occupied and the important sheep-producing region of Hebei was still in the hands of the Jin people, he quickly accepted this fact and signaled to the servant to pay.

However, after receiving the money, the stall owner, perhaps seeing that this family was clearly of extraordinary origin, hesitated for a moment and then continued to ask, "Esteemed guests, mutton is cheap these days. Would you like some mutton as well?"

Zhao Ding was slightly taken aback and asked curiously, "Do you sell mutton here now?"

The stall owner quickly replied, "Esteemed guest, it's clear that you are familiar with Tokyo City. Before the Jingkang Incident, stalls along the Cai River would never sell mutton, but things are different now... Top-quality mutton is only three hundred cash a jin. Why don't you cut a few jin? I'll have my wife cleanly stew a very tender jin into mutton broth and serve it to your table with dipping sauce. And for the other few jin, thick slices, we can use that for the noodles instead of the lamb offal?"

Zhao Ding's appetite was immediately piqued, and he nodded in agreement. The servant immediately paid, and the stall owner, having made a big sale, was overjoyed and went back to cut the meat himself.

However, as he waited, Zhao Ding couldn't help but furrow his brow.

"Father," Zhao Fen said with a smile, understandingly. "Are you wondering why the sheep's head and sheepskin are so much more expensive, while the mutton is so much cheaper? And why it's being sold here by the Cai River?"

"Indeed," Zhao Ding said, surprised. "Do you know?"

Zhao Fen couldn't help but smile again. "It's simple, really. It's just that Father is busy with official duties and doesn't know the situation here. But I often go to the Imperial Academy, which is not far from here, so I know a bit..."

"Then speak directly, don't play coy."

"It's because the palace no longer eats mutton. And before the Jingkang Incident, the palace used to consume ten thousand sheep a year..." Zhao Fen dared not be secretive with his father, so he quickly answered. "May I ask, without that ten thousand sheep and only the remaining sheepskin, sheep's head, and lamb offal, scarcity makes things valuable, shouldn't the price increase? And the palace is now frugal, not using so much mutton, but the sheep from Guanxi still have to come here, so the mutton naturally becomes cheaper, and it flows to the Cai River."

Zhao Ding immediately understood and clapped his hands in admiration.

"Father doesn't know, but there was a whole incident about the sheep's head and mutton in the palace before..." Zhao Fen, seeing his father's admiration, was eager to continue.

"What incident?" Zhao Ding asked, curious.

"It's said that in early spring, although His Majesty doesn't like to eat mutton on a large scale, he occasionally wants to drink lamb broth or mutton soup. So he asked Feng Erguan if there was a cook who knew how to make mutton soup. As a result, Feng Erguan actually found a cook in the Gao family who used to be skilled at making soup with sheep's head in the household of Grand Commandant Gao and sent her to the palace... Who would have thought that the cook only used the meat from the sheep's face to make the mutton soup, and three bowls of soup required five sheep's heads! Not only that, but after using the sheep's heads, she specifically threw them on the ground and forbade others from using them again. The other cooks in the palace, who had been accustomed to His Majesty's frugality, picked them up, preparing to make soup, and were scolded by her as 'wretches'!"

Zhao Ding was stunned, and Madam Zhao urged from the side, "What happened then?"

"Later, the palace servants reported it to His Majesty, who was also stunned for a long time. He sent the cook away again and mocked himself as a wretch... It is said that the Gao family's bad luck this time had something to do with this cook!" Zhao Fen naturally told his mother the outcome clearly.

Madam Zhao sighed without saying a word, and Zhao Yuanzhen, the Prime Minister Zhao, shook his head repeatedly. "Everyone says the old dream of Tokyo is good, but who knows whether it was a beautiful dream or a nightmare... But His Majesty is also someone who has experienced such prosperity, so why doesn't he dream the old dream?"

The mutton broth, chopped sheep's head, and thinly sliced mutton began to be served one after another. The two tables next to them immediately became lively, and the young children on his table also chattered incessantly, prompting Madam Zhao to quickly quiet them. But for some reason, Zhao Ding, who had been so interested, suddenly lost his appetite.

However, Zhao Fen, realizing something, couldn't help but ask, "Father, are you not going to present that book to Uncle Meng?"

Zhao Ding continued to shake his head. "Meng Yue is incompetent for half of his life, always just dabbling in the arts, but he actually wrote a simple and unadorned notebook. I have been his colleague in the Kaifeng Prefecture for many years, and it's hard to refuse him now. This *Dongjing Menghua Lu* (东京梦华录) must still be presented to His Majesty, but I am just lamenting His Majesty's frugality."

"Uncle Meng is from the Prime Minister's clan and was much more extravagant than Father when he was in the Kaifeng Prefecture. He could afford the Cai River and the Fanlou Restaurant. If it weren't for the Jingkang Incident, he would have likely drunk himself to death in this dream for the rest of his life," Zhao Fen said, having figured out that his father's mind had been touched by the *Dongjing Menghua Lu*, and because he really didn't like eating sheep's head, he was happy to chat with his father here. "But it is precisely because of this, suddenly encountering the Jingkang Incident and fleeing to Yangzhou with his clan, experiencing the chaos of war and disaster, temporarily taking refuge in the southeast, that he then yearned for the prosperity of Bianjing. At the depths of his feelings, he was able to return to simplicity and write this book."

"You can say these words, which shows that you have grown up. In my opinion, there is no need to rush into the imperial examinations. Just study the classics for a few years. It's also a good time to find you a marriage partner," Zhao Ding said, stroking his beard, relieved. "It will be convenient for you to manage the family affairs for your father."

"It was all delayed in the past few years..." Madam Zhao, who was watching over the younger children, suddenly interjected.

"Speaking of His Majesty's frugality..." Zhao Fen, seeing his mother interject, quickly smiled at his father again. "A while ago, when they were cracking down on excessive favors and hereditary privileges, rumors spread, and there were many ridiculous words in the Imperial Academy, saying that His Majesty had been taken over by demons in the Mingdao Palace, otherwise, having only lived in the Kang Prince's Mansion in the past, he wouldn't be so frugal!"

"Shut up!" This wasn't a particularly serious rumor, and it was widespread, so Zhao Ding didn't panic as he scolded his son for saying everything in one breath. "Didn't you know that His Majesty fell into a well and lost his memory? Why spread such absurd theories? Moreover, His Majesty's frugality is not so simple. If you think about it, the palace used to consume ten thousand sheep a year for meat alone. How much waste was there? And His Majesty saved these resources, even digging fish ponds and raising chickens and ducks to provide meat himself. He also had Consort Pan personally lead the palace maids in raising silkworms. Although it may seem like a show, it's enough to put him in an unassailable position!"

"His Majesty is indeed frugal," Zhao Fen quickly replied with a slightly solemn expression, but immediately, he lowered his voice and continued, "I heard that later, His Majesty gradually remembered the past?"

"Perhaps," Zhao Ding sighed. "That's why I had those doubts before... Why hasn't His Majesty dreamed the old dream?"

"Why?"

"Perhaps he has other dreams?" Zhao Ding shook his head slightly. "His Majesty once publicly stated his ambitions... to emulate Wei Wu by swallowing Liaodong and then cracking his whip in the East Sea; to unite the nine provinces and erect a monument to record the meritorious officials; to make the world prosperous and burn the memorial at the Mingdao Palace."

"The people are also tired, but it can be a little bit of prosperity... The three things are actually just saying one thing," Zhao Fen replied casually. "It's just to endure hardship and bide one's time, and then destroy the Jin and unify the country."

"That's right, that's what His Majesty means." Zhao Ding, having regained his composure, replied while finally picking up the mutton broth to dip in the sauce. But for some reason, the delicious food he had been looking forward to only tasted good for a couple of bites, and then he lost interest. So he put down his chopsticks again, just watching the beautiful scenery around him and sighing. "In fact, Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang could be called a small state of prosperity after only a few years of not waging war. The *Book of Jin* also says, 'The mountains and tombs are solid, and the Central Plains are a little bit of prosperity'... If we don't seek a northern expedition and negotiate peace with the Jin, with just this half of Henan, with His Majesty's current frugality, the presence of many upright officials, and the removal of redundant officials and troops, with a little management, we could be called a small state of prosperity in a few years."

"Forgive my bluntness, His Majesty will not allow it, the two hundred thousand Imperial Army will not allow it, and even the refugees from the two rivers will not allow it," Zhao Fen shook his head this time. "Father, although my name has the character 'Fen', I grew up in Bianjing, so it's fine. You, however, grew up in our old home in Hedong, don't you remember? Why do you say these things?"

"Of course I remember," Zhao Ding said, even more saddened. "But it is precisely because I am from Hedong that I can say these things... I was in Huainan for a long time before, and I long ago realized that the people of the South see the war in the north as a burden... Moreover, the people of the South are indeed suffering."

"But no matter what, His Majesty will not allow it," Zhao Fen quickly advised again. "If Father says such things, he may be going against His Majesty."

Zhao Ding shook his head again. "Of course I understand this principle, but if I don't say it, these people from Henan and Jiangnan will find others to say it... Being in the middle of it, I can feel that most of the officials and people below don't want to fight."

"But those below still can't go against His Majesty," Zhao Fen said dismissively. "His Majesty holds the military power himself, and his confidants are all over the court... Isn't Father also considered one of His Majesty's confidants? Moreover, the two Emperors are in the north, and the Northern Expedition is the righteous cause. In such a situation, anyone who dares to advocate for peace will likely follow in the footsteps of Liu Guangshi and Du Chong."

Zhao Ding slowly shook his head. "You are mostly right in your words... But there is one thing, and that is that His Majesty's Northern Expedition is definitely not for the sake of the two Emperors."

"Who doesn't know that?" The sun was gradually setting in the west. Zhao Fen held a bowl of lamb noodles and smiled again and again. "If the Jin people really send the two Emperors back, His Majesty might have a headache instead. I'm just talking about the righteous cause... Just this one sentence is enough to silence the scholars of the world and force them to work together on the Northern Expedition! What's more, His Majesty holds the Imperial Army and many court officials in his hands?"

"That's right," Zhao Ding blurted out, but then furrowed his brow again. "But is His Majesty's attitude toward the two Emperors also known to the common people?"

"Of course," Zhao Fen quickly put down the lamb noodles and explained again. "Everything has been cleared up about the accumulated malpractices, and what's more, rumors of all kinds have spread. At the very least, the Imperial Academy is now tacitly aware of it."

"What are the common people... or the Imperial Academy saying about His Majesty?" Zhao Ding asked seriously. "Are there any inappropriate words?"

"There are inappropriate words, the most when they were cracking down on excessive favors and hereditary privileges, but with His Majesty's prestige of returning to the old capital and the great victory at Yao Mountain, there are always more defenses and praises... As for the two Emperors, involving the two virtues of filial piety and fraternal love, there is less discussion."

"Those inappropriate words... except for some that are extremely absurd, do you remember them?" Zhao Ding looked around, seeing that it was currently the dinner hour, the Cai River was full of boats, and there was constant noise on all sides. Even the words of the stall owner behind him and the guards at the next table could not be heard clearly, so he couldn't help but ask a few more questions. "Not just the way of filial piety."

"Of course I remember," Zhao Fen also looked around and wittily picked up the bowl and smiled. "I'll say a few interesting ones... Some people say that His Majesty knows his mistakes but doesn't correct them, and likes to put on a brave face... 'Zhao Jiu of Cangzhou' is proof!"

"What does that mean?"

"It is said that His Majesty made a mistake in remembering his family origin when he signed this in Huaishang after losing his memory, remembering the Zhao family of Zhuozhou as being from Cangzhou... This wouldn't matter, since he lost his memory... But later, he gradually remembered the past, but how could he not have realized it, yet he still used it again and again, showing that he is a person who loves face and doesn't want to repent."

"Signatures are all about being strange, and that signature of 'Zhao Jiu of Cangzhou' is already familiar to both countries, why change it? How do you know it's not something His Majesty did on purpose?"

"Actually, there is also this saying... saying that His Majesty hates the two Emperors for abandoning the country and is ashamed to be of the Zhao family of Zhuozhou, so he deliberately changed it to show that he is completely different from the two Emperors."

"That makes some sense, there are such speculations in the court... Are there any more?"

"Yes... saying that His Majesty is uneducated... 'Heaven's Mandate is not to be feared' is proof!"

"Heaven's Mandate can also refer to the changes in the sky, it's the same meaning, it doesn't matter... Would His Majesty really say that he, the Son of Heaven, is not to be feared? A few mistakes in words, nothing to mention! You must know that His Majesty was originally a pleasure-seeking prince, if he hadn't encountered great changes, why would he have ever thought of becoming an Emperor, let alone study what Heaven's Mandate or changes in the sky are?"

"That's the truth."

"Any more?"

"Saying that His Majesty secretly admires Lay Buddhist Li..."

"Nonsense! Lay Buddhist Li is almost fifty years old, about the same age as the Empress Dowager, how can such absurd words come about... At most, it can be said that His Majesty secretly admires Lay Buddhist Li's poetry and talent."

"Those who understand the truth naturally understand, but Father must also know that the people in this city like to point fingers at the secrets of the royal family and say these idle words, it can't be stopped."

"That's right... Any more?"

"Saying that His Majesty's talent is overflowing, but he is also frivolous in nature, and when he becomes manic and depressed, he also has some cruel aspects, and in some things, he is quite selfish and unscrupulous... So, he is actually very similar to the Supreme Taoist Emperor!"

Zhao Ding suddenly fell silent, and after a long while, he nodded. "Indeed!"

This time, Zhao Fen was indignant for His Majesty. "If that's the case, why is one a monarch of a fallen country, and the other a monarch of revival?"

"Because His Majesty has personally seen the people displaced, seen the city empty, seen the blood flowing into rivers, and has fundamentally added a bottom line for himself!" Zhao Ding sat rigidly, sternly. "For the Son of Heaven, power is boundless. The most important thing is not how wise and martial he is, but to know how to hold onto the bottom line and not to act arbitrarily... Look at His Majesty, his talent is overflowing, but he knows how to restrain himself; his nature is frivolous, but he knows how to conceal it; when he becomes manic and kills people, he only kills in war; even after Chen Dong's incident, he never arbitrarily punishes those who criticize the imperial carriage; and when political obstacles are encountered in the court, His Majesty also persuades when he can, and does when he can, never arbitrarily engaging in factionalism or implicating others; as for the scale of the harem and the expenses in the palace, it is even enough to shame countless Emperors... And these are all bottom lines."

"Father's words do have some truth."

"Not just some truth, according to my observations and thoughts, I think His Majesty's bottom line is even three points higher than the so-called wise monarchs in history!" Zhao Ding sighed even more.

"In that case, isn't His Majesty a rare Sage Ruler?"

"What do you think?" Zhao Ding suddenly glared at the other party. "If it weren't for a Sage Ruler in the court, how could I, someone who was a mere record keeper in the Kaifeng Prefecture for more than ten years, become the Councilor of the Department of State Affairs?! If His Majesty wasn't a Sage Ruler, but just like the Supreme Taoist Emperor, what would I be? One of the six villains?"

Zhao Fen was speechless on the spot, and the stall owner behind Zhao Ding, who was preparing to bring some side dishes, was startled, quickly lowered his head and pretended not to hear anything, and then secretly replaced the braised lamb offal with clean seasonal vegetables before coming over.

But Zhao Ding didn't say anything more, just lowered his head and ate the mutton.

After the meal, Prime Minister Zhao was rarely in high spirits. The next day, the Councilor of the Department of State Affairs still went to the palace to see the Emperor and presented his old friend's *Dongjing Menghua Lu*. His Majesty Zhao was delighted, personally collecting the original copy and promising to publish it. However, citing the reason that words were not enough to serve the country, he refused to reward Meng Yue with an official position for the merit of presenting the book. Only at Zhao Ding's request did he allow the Department of State Affairs to use Meng Yue's previous official position as a basis to give him some assignment.

However, although His Majesty Zhao was reluctant to give Meng Yuanlao an official position, he still brazenly used his book. Everyone knew that since obtaining the *Dongjing Menghua Lu*, His Majesty had used the book as a basis, spending the days searching for those delicacies.

Just like that, two more days passed. With the arrival of military officers from the Huaidong direction in the capital, the Martial Academy reopened... That's right, here we must say a little more. His Majesty Zhao is indeed an uneducated person. The Great Song Dynasty originally had a systematic Martial Academy, but the effect was not good... But in any case, now is not the time to dwell on these things, because on the day the Martial Academy reopened, the Jin envoy Wulinda Zanmo arrived in Tokyo City.

Moreover, this Jin envoy with the surname Wulinda, had been sent to the Jin-Liao relationship in his early years, and then several times between Song and Jin, which can be said to be the most professional heavyweight envoy in Jin... Therefore, his arrival immediately aroused attention in the court and the public, from princes and ministers to peddlers and laborers, there was endless discussion.

And Wulinda Zanmo indeed 'lived up to expectations', and came up in the interviews of the Department of State Affairs and Privy Council with the clarification - Jin has the intention to maintain the status quo with the Song Dynasty to negotiate a peace, so as to calm the more than six years of strife.

Even though everyone had expected it, the Jin's active declaration of peace still shook the court and the public.

After all, according to the clear rules of His Majesty Zhao, no one inside the Zhao Song Dynasty was allowed to propose peace on their own initiative... Whoever advocated peace would be killed!

And now, the Jin people had actually taken the initiative to seek peace, so people couldn't help but be restless.