"Speak on!"
"Your Highness, this is a ferry crossing on the Yellow River. The Jin people want to head south, and this is the only way. Over ten thousand of them have already crossed the Yellow River, but Liang Fangping burned the pontoon bridge when he fled!"
"If Your Highness wishes to be a loyal minister of the Great Song, we can march north directly. Although the ten thousand Jin cavalry are valiant, the elite Western Army in Your Highness's hands is not to be underestimated! As long as we hold the Yellow River, the Jin people will certainly not be able to cross it before winter sets in!"
"But if Your Highness wishes to go further, Lord Xu of Daming Prefecture has been cultivating this area for so long. It can serve as Your Highness's foundation, and when the opportune moment arrives, Your Highness can naturally soar to the heavens!"
As Qin Hui spoke, he pointed to two directions on the map.
After he finished speaking, Zhao Zhen's conflicted expression became even more pronounced.
One was Huazhou in the northwest, and the other was Daming Prefecture in the northeast. One path led to being a loyal minister of the Great Song, and the other led to that supreme throne.
Both paths lay before him, yet he did not know which one to choose...
"Your Highness, as the saying goes, it takes the bones of thousands to make one general's success. Those who accomplish great deeds are not bound by trivialities. In any case, Kaide Prefecture is not a place to linger. I implore Your Highness to make a swift decision!"
Seeing that Zhao Zhen had fallen silent, Qin Hui licked his lips and lowered his voice again.
"If I were to go to Daming Prefecture, what would become of you?"
After a long period of hesitation, Zhao Zhen finally raised his head again.
"No matter what the Prince decides, Qin Hui will pledge his life to follow Your Highness!"
As Qin Hui spoke, he knelt on one knee before Zhao Zhen.
Zhao Zhen's influence in the court had been directly dismantled by the Emperor in a rather dishonorable fashion.
However, with Xu Churen's support and Zhao Zhen's hundred thousand troops, Qin Hui keenly grasped that in this chaotic era, this was likely the greatest opportunity of his life!
"Aren't you afraid that I might fail?"
Hearing this, Zhao Zhen's pupils contracted again.
"Your Highness jokes. What if Your Highness fails? If one fears losing, why would they sit at this gambling table?"
"Hahahaha! Well said! Issue an order! The army will depart at dawn tomorrow for Daming Prefecture!"
"Yes!"
Upon hearing Zhao Zhen's words, Qin Hui's heart was filled with ecstatic joy.
At this moment, Zhao Zhen had no other strategists by his side, and the military generals were simply not a match for him.
If Zhao Zhen were to succeed in ascending the throne this time, he would essentially be reaping the rewards of supporting the emperor for himself.
However, whether this merit would actually reach him remained to be seen, and it all depended on the capabilities of the Jin people!
Twenty thousand troops sounded like a lot, but once they entered the heartland of the Great Song, whether they could break through Bianliang before reinforcements arrived was now up to fate!
As Zhao Zhen made his decision, the already precarious situation of the Great Song Dynasty became even more chaotic.
And by the time Han Mo received the news, five days had already passed!
"My lord, are you alright?"
Seeing the wry smile on Han Mo's face, Shao Bowen asked with concern.
"I am fine. It is just that, I have inadvertently nurtured another wolf for the Great Song dynasty..."
After a long sigh, Han Mo poured himself another cup of tea.
"My lord is referring to Prince Xin's entry into Daming Prefecture?"
Hearing this, Shao Bowen immediately understood his thoughts.
"The princes of the Zhao family are indeed all ambitious!"
Han Mo could only offer a bitter smile at the current situation.
At this moment, all that was needed was to block the Yellow River, and once the reinforcements arrived, the Jin people would be begging for mercy.
Not only would they have to disgorge what they had consumed, but they would also lose their lives.
Yet, at this critical juncture, Zhao Zhen had inexplicably harbored ulterior motives.
"It is difficult to fathom the human heart, but is this not normal in royal families?"
Seeing the bitterness on Han Mo's face, Shao Bowen smiled.
"Sir, you say it so lightly. However, if Bianliang were to fall, do you know how many people would die? What crime have the women and children of this entire city committed?"
"My lord, you still have opportunities. I don't think this situation will be as bad as you imagine. Isn't there General Li and the others?"
Seeing that Han Mo's mood was a bit low, Shao Bowen said with a smile.
"That's right, you are correct. I just don't know how they are doing. If I calculate the time, the Jin navy should be searching for them everywhere by now!"
Finishing the tea in his cup, Han Mo could only try his best not to dwell on Zhao Zhen's affairs.
"General Li and General Yue are both brave and wise, and the soldiers in our fleet are also valiant and skilled. The Jin navy is not to be feared. However, the former Emperor has already sent people to urge you three times. Are you truly not going to pay your respects?"
"Why should I go? Since he is already the former Emperor, shouldn't he be more obedient?"
"But my lord, aren't you afraid that the former Emperor might suddenly become the Emperor again one day?"
"Do you think that will happen? Even if he himself wishes it, would the ministers in the court agree? An emperor who only knows how to flee, is he still the Emperor of the Great Song?"
As Han Mo spoke, he placed the three scrolls on his desk into a box nearby.
In less than half a month, Zhao Ji, the former Emperor, had issued three imperial decrees successively, ordering him to go to Jingkou to welcome him.
However, Han Mo had ignored all three of these imperial decrees.
After all, he, the former Emperor, was different now. He had not come here alone.
He had brought a large group of imperial concubines, princes, royal relatives, and his own trusted ministers.
If all these people were to come to Mingzhou, wouldn't it be like bringing a bunch of troublesome lords upon himself?
Rather than having them come to Mingzhou and cause him trouble, it would be better to let them wreak havoc in Yangzhou city at their own convenience.
At most, they could torment the taxes around Yangzhou as they pleased, as Han Mo did not care about that money anyway.
"My lord, another envoy has arrived at the door..."
As they were speaking, Jiang Yan's voice suddenly came from outside.
"Tell him to wait in the main hall. Say that I am seriously ill and have not yet risen. I will receive the decree after taking my medicine!"
Seeing that the fourth imperial decree had arrived, even Shao Bowen couldn't help but want to laugh. If this pace continued,
Han Mo would soon become the minister in the history of the Great Song who had refused the emperor's summons the most!