Chapter 33: Campaigns to the East and West

Zhao Huan’s bold proposal left everyone present in stunned silence. His thinking was simply too audacious; while their own capital was still under siege, he was already contemplating a surprise attack on the enemy’s capital.

“Your Majesty, I believe this plan is feasible. In history, the strategy of ‘besieging Wei to rescue Zhao’ was precisely such a maneuver,” Yue Fei was the first to step forward in agreement.

Li Gang cast a glare at Yue Fei but voiced his dissent. “Your Majesty, in theory this plan is sound, but in practice, it will be extremely difficult to implement!”

Zhao Huan nodded. “Explain your concerns in detail.”

Li Gang pondered for a moment before addressing him: “First, we do not know the exact location of the Jin capital. Even if we wished to launch an attack, it would be nearly impossible without that knowledge.”

Zhao Huan nodded again—Li Gang’s words were reasonable. In those days, with underdeveloped transportation and communication, the Song had long focused on safeguarding their southeastern territories and truly knew nothing of the Jin court.

“That part is not difficult. I know where the Jin capital is. It’s right here!” As he spoke, Zhao Huan pointed to a spot on the map. “Here!” (Harbin, Heilongjiang Province)

“This place?” Li Gang hesitated. If Zhao Huan hadn’t been the emperor, he might have accused him of inventing such a location out of thin air.

“Your Majesty, may I ask how you came by this information regarding the location of the Jin capital?” Li Gang inquired with some hesitation.

“Oh, I captured a Jin spy two days ago and extracted the information from him. The source is absolutely reliable. You may trust it,” Zhao Huan replied.

Li Gang thought privately, “What if this spy deceived you? If he gave you a random location, would we really send our army off on such a wild gamble? It’s far too reckless.” He kept these thoughts to himself, merely offering a veiled reminder: “To launch a surprise attack on the Jin capital, traveling from Zhejiang to that place would take at least two months. Relying on such a plan to relieve the siege of Bianjing is rather unrealistic.”

Zhao Huan nodded but did not abandon his idea. “We cannot solve the immediate crisis, but if we wish to eradicate the Jin threat at its root, this is a shortcut.”

Li Gang hadn’t expected Zhao Huan to think so far ahead; while he himself was worried only about the siege at hand, the emperor was already plotting the destruction of the enemy nation.

“Your Majesty, are you suggesting that, while the Jin forces are spread thin, we launch a decisive attack and destroy their capital in one blow?” Zong Ze asked in astonishment. The leap in thinking was almost too great for them to follow.

“Yes, offense is the best defense. I am certain that Emperor Taizong of Jin, Wuqimai of the Wanyan clan, could not possibly expect us to circle around and strike Huining Prefecture. Wanyan Zonghan has led three hundred thousand troops south; the Jin heartland will be left undefended. A force of one hundred thousand will suffice!” Zhao Huan replied softly.

This revelation landed like a bombshell, leaving the group bewildered. They had never conceived that war could be waged in such a way. Their thinking had always been too rigid; now, Zhao Huan’s words forced them to reconsider.

“Han Shizhong, I entrust this matter to you. Can you accomplish it?” Zhao Huan asked.

Han Shizhong was one of the few naval commanders in the Song army. Yet he was known for his penchant for risk and glory, which made Zhao Huan uneasy; this plan was theoretical at best. The sea route was long, the northern regions occupied by Jin forces, and once Han Shizhong led his sixty thousand marines beyond Zhejiang, they would have to fend for themselves. The difficulties were obvious.

Before the age of eighteen, Han Shizhong had led a roguish life and was exceptionally bold. Hearing Zhao Huan’s plan, he was immediately eager to try. “Your Majesty, I will not fail you!” he declared.

“Very well. Han Shizhong, hear my command: I appoint you Grand General of Distant Expeditions, with Yang Zaixing as your deputy and Zhang Jun as your military adviser. Lead sixty thousand marines to conquer Huining Prefecture!” Zhao Huan ordered.

“I accept your command!” Han Shizhong knelt and bowed deeply.

Zhao Huan reflected for a moment and cautioned, “On this expedition, once the Jin army learns of your movements, they will surely withdraw north. You must not linger in battle, or you could be encircled by Wuqimai and Wanyan Zonghan.”

Han Shizhong quickly agreed.

Yue Fei then offered, “Your Majesty, I suggest that Wu Jie lead the Western Army to attack the Jin flank from the west, thus relieving the pressure on Bianjing.”

Li Gang shook his head and advised, “Your Majesty, that is unwise. Wu Jie is still needed to defend against the Western Xia. If we redeploy his forces and Western Xia exploits our weakness, it would be disastrous for our army.”

Zhao Huan had little regard for Western Xia, which he considered a petty and troublesome nation. Western Xia was weak and had lost more than it had won in its conflicts with the Song. Yet the former Northern Song court still paid them yearly tribute—a humiliating arrangement.

He drew a deep breath. Only in the heat of battle did he realize how stretched their three hundred thousand troops truly were.

“Western Xia must not be neglected. If Western Xia and Jin unite in their assault, the Song will be hard-pressed to defend itself,” he mused. “However, the Jin are notoriously arrogant and, at this point, unlikely to ally with Western Xia. That may change later, though. Here’s what we’ll do: issue orders for Wu Jie to leave ten thousand men to defend and dispatch scouts to closely monitor Western Xia’s movements. He will then lead fifty thousand troops west to attack the Jin flank. If Western Xia makes any move, he is to withdraw immediately.”

The generals offered no objections; indeed, as Zhao Huan said, the Jin had always looked down on the Song, considering their conquest a trivial matter. In such circumstances, there was little chance they would seek cooperation with Western Xia.

Poor communication was the issue that troubled Zhao Huan most. Even with imperial edicts sent at top speed, it would take at least a day for them to reach their destination. On a battlefield where situations changed by the hour, a day’s delay could render any command obsolete.

Having settled their strategies, the assembly dispersed. The great machinery of the Song war machine began to operate at full speed. Meanwhile, the mansion of the “Great Song Daily”—an office under the Ministry of Rites—was brightly lit as more than a dozen people worked through the night to prepare the next day’s issue.

The Ordnance Department was also ablaze with light. Batch after batch of Jingkang Thunder weapons were being packed and sent to the camp of the Feathered Army.

War was imminent!