Inside the inner hall of the palace city in Bianliang.
Although Zhao Kuangyin held many grievances against Southern Song, and looked down with deep contempt on Zhao Gou and Emperor Qinzong, seeing Southern Song finally stop fleeing in panic and instead raise the banner of northern expedition still stirred his emotions.
Whether it was Han Shizhong's skillful use of troops, Wu Jie's steady defensive command, or Yue Fei's careful training and preparation before marching north, all made Zhao Kuangyin nod repeatedly in approval.
Even though Zhang Jun's later defeat was ugly, the fact that he could directly clash head-on with Jin elite troops proved that the invaders were still human, not foes beyond the reach of force.
It was precisely because of this that Zhao Kuangyin grew even more furious at Zhao Gou.
With soldiers willing to fight, military and people bound by blood hatred, under such circumstances, appointing the worthy and accumulating strength while waiting to launch a northern expedition to wash away humiliation could well have achieved something like the restoration of Emperor Guangwu.
But instead…
How could such a shameless and contemptible person appear?
Especially after seeing the rift between Yue Fei and Zhao Gou, Zhao Kuangyin could only sigh helplessly.
"Yue Fei is finished."
The words were simple, but they carried deep regret throughout the hall, causing Liu Han to raise his voice slightly in response.
"Yue Fei understands warfare, excels in battle, and can govern local regions. He advances and retreats with proper measure and truly has the bearing of a great general. How could he possibly fail?"
Zhao Kuangyin did not answer. He only shook his head slightly, his face still full of heavy emotion.
Seeing Liu Han, the Court Physician, look unconvinced, Zhao Pu had no choice but to step forward and explain.
"What His Majesty means is not that Yue Fei will be defeated by the Jin invaders, but rather that Zhao Gou may intend to move against Yue Fei."
Liu Han's expression immediately turned pale with shock. Yet on careful thought, it did not seem impossible.
The light screen had mentioned rumors that during the search of mountains and seas, Zhao Gou had been frightened into impotence by Jin troops. Such stories might be false, but it was likely true that Zhao Gou had no heirs afterward.
For an emperor to lose his line of succession was almost equivalent to becoming a useless man. This meant that choosing an heir from collateral branches would be inevitable, something Zhao Gou would naturally resent.
As a physician, Liu Han had personally seen many people with bodily disabilities or severe illnesses develop distorted and erratic behavior. Zhao Gou might well be the same.
These tangled thoughts were quickly sorted through in Liu Han's mind, and he fell silent.
"My heart is… hard to settle."
Zhao Kuangyin sighed, now faintly understanding why later generations hated Zhao Gou so deeply.
To be honest, after hearing all this, he himself wanted nothing more than to dive into the light screen and slap Zhao Gou awake. But that was all it could ever be, just a thought.
On the light screen:
[ Lightscreen]
[During Jin's campaign against Song, the core of Jin's power was driven by three figures: Wanyan Zonghan, Wanyan Zongbi, and Wanyan Chang.
Among them, Wanyan Zonghan led the destruction of Liao and the invasion of Song, holding immense authority. Wanyan Zongbi, known as Jin Wushu, was his foremost vanguard.
Wanyan Chang's role was more unusual. He was known in Jin's upper ranks as a master of political manipulation.
Whether it was employing large numbers of Khitan and Han Chinese as lower-level officials to maintain stability, or establishing the puppet state of Qi to have Han fight Han, all were the work of Wanyan Chang.
This reflected the different strategic paths within Jin.
Wanyan Zongbi believed in simple brutality. In his view, as long as Zhao Gou's head was twisted off, Song would naturally collapse. He represented the hardline war faction.
Wanyan Chang, however, worried about the endless Han uprisings in Hebei. He hoped to use peace negotiations to weaken Han resistance and stabilize Jin's existing base of control. Thus, he became the leader of Jin's peace faction.
After Wanyan Zongbi's failure in the search of mountains and seas, the war faction suffered a setback. Wanyan Chang quickly exerted his influence and released his well-trained hound, Qin Hui, back to Southern Song to convey intentions of peace to Zhao Gou.
This message struck directly at Zhao Gou's deepest desires, and it was one of the main reasons Qin Hui was able to rise to high office with astonishing speed.
The peace agreement was ultimately possible largely due to a major reshuffling of power within Jin's leadership.
Not long after Yue Fei's third northern expedition, Emperor Taizong of Jin fell ill and died. Within the next two years, key war faction leaders such as Wanyan Zongfu and Wanyan Zonghan died in succession. Wanyan Chang gained full control and swiftly concluded peace talks with Southern Song, historically known as the Tianjuan Peace Agreement.
The terms were simple. Southern Song would acknowledge Jin as overlord and offer annual tribute of two hundred fifty thousand taels of silver and two hundred fifty thousand bolts of silk. In return, Jin would cede Henan and Shaanxi back to Song. Other matters, such as returning the coffins of Emperor Huizong and Empress Wei, were also included but need not be detailed.
For Zhao Gou, such terms were extremely favorable. Recovering Henan and Shaanxi through negotiation alone was more than enough for him to boast loudly.
Thus, even though Jin derisively referred to Northern Song as "Jiangnan," treated the peace as an imperial edict, and explicitly demanded that wherever Jin envoys went, Song officials and Zhao Gou himself must kneel to receive them, Zhao Gou was still very willing.
It could only be said that some ministers at the time still retained a sense of shame. Through maneuvering, Zhao Gou used the excuse of mourning Emperor Huizong's death to avoid personally meeting the envoys, having Qin Hui kneel in his place. The Tianjuan Peace Agreement was thus concluded.
Compared to later treaties, this peace agreement did not gain much notoriety, because both Jin and Song war factions were dissatisfied with it.
Yue Fei famously said, "In name, the land returns to us, but in reality, it is only held in trust."
From this, it is clear that Yue Fei's understanding was very sharp. Just like the modern saying that what cannot be obtained on the battlefield cannot be gained at the negotiating table, his grasp of war was extremely accurate.
Wanyan Zongbi, Jin Wushu, was even more direct. Half a year later, he launched a violent coup and physically eliminated Wanyan Chang's faction. One year later, in 1139, once preparations were complete, he tore up the peace agreement and again marched south.
At that time, exactly ten years had passed since Yue Fei and Han Shizhong had achieved the Huangtiandang entrapment and the victory at Niutou Mountain.
For Jin Wushu, this was an opportunity to wash away past humiliation.
For Yue Fei, whose ambition was to recover the lost lands, this was also a chance that could not be lost.
The southern invasion came with overwhelming force. The northern counterattack was driven by determination for success.
In this period, the two great generals of Song and Jin were finally about to face each other directly on the battlefield.]
Li Shimin nodded in approval at the later generations' words on war and negotiation.
"This is not only true on the battlefield. Between states, and even between people, it is always the same principle."
"Between Song and Jin, without the achievements of Yue, Han, and Wu, why would Jin bother with peace talks?"
"But with such fierce generals already in place, why should Song have sought peace at all?"
Li Jing nodded heavily.
"This principle is quite simple. The fall of Northern Song came from failing to understand such a simple truth."
Pei Xingjian then raised his head and asked,
"Master, then for Jin, was pursuing war wiser, or was pursuing peace better?"
"Peace," Li Jing answered without hesitation.
"The fact that Jin still needed Khitan and Han officials shows their shortage of manpower. In terms of national strength, Jin was weak and Song was strong. If Jin wished to conquer, only a swift victory would do."
"For swift victory, heaven's timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony are all indispensable. Shouyue, analyze these three."
Pei Xingjian did not decline. Discussing military, politics, and history was what he most enjoyed. Looking up at the map, he thought while speaking.
"Advancing from north to south, flat lands are passed first. The south has many mountains and waterways, making it difficult for elite cavalry to operate. Thus, heaven's timing is unfavorable."
"The greatest convenience of southern advance is supply, shifting from land transport to water transport, reducing losses to perhaps one-tenth. However, with the Yellow River diverted into the Huai and flooding for thousands of li, canal transport becomes difficult to use. Thus, geographical advantage is also lost."
"As for human harmony, although the peace agreement was shameful, Jin signed it and then violated it. That alone means they lost human harmony."