Chapter 4: The Emperor Leads the Army in Person

“Ah, so this fellow is Zong Ze.” Zong Ze—one of the four great generals who resisted the Jin during the Southern Song. Just last night, Zhao Huan had been pondering how to find Zong Ze, and now, the man had appeared before him of his own accord, saving Zhao Huan the trouble.

“Good. I hereby promote you to Minister of Works. Establish an Armory within the Ministry; your task is to manufacture weapons. Here are some drawings—gather all craftsmen, work day and night to produce them. Once a batch is ready, send it to the front lines immediately. Speed is essential. Do you understand?” With these words, Zhao Huan handed several sketches to the eunuch beside him.

The eunuch hurriedly and carefully delivered the drawings to Zong Ze.

Though Zong Ze was a civil official, the histories record that he had studied weaponry. Now, upon seeing such exquisitely detailed designs, he was instantly absorbed, his mouth agape in awe. “What…what is this?”

“This is called a chariot crossbow,” Zhao Huan explained. “This is merely a rough sketch. First, build a prototype according to these drawings and test its effectiveness. In theory, its range is a thousand meters. If it works, mass-produce them and send them to the front lines at once.”

Zhao Huan was truly anxious. In history, the disaster of Jingkang had ended in tragedy for Emperor Qinzong Zhao Huan—he died in exile, his bones never recovered.

“A thousand meters?”

Zhao Huan realized they had no concept of a thousand meters, so he clarified, “That’s roughly two li.”

“It can shoot so far?” Zong Ze could not help but be skeptical. If this were true, the weapon would indeed be devastating.

“Approximately. Time is short—you must produce it as quickly as possible. The sooner you finish, the fewer casualties our soldiers will suffer.” As an emperor who had traversed from a later era, Zhao Huan held a deeper reverence for life.

“Your servant obeys!” Zong Ze was visibly excited. Impetuous by nature, he wasted no words, seized the drawings, and hurried off to begin the work.

Having addressed these matters, Zhao Huan rose once more from the dragon throne and said to Li Gang, “Let us go—I will accompany you.”

These words from Zhao Huan left the officials utterly dumbfounded.

“Your Majesty, you must not! You are worth a thousand gold, and to venture forth is far too dangerous!” An elderly man with graying hair immediately stepped forward to object.

From memory, Zhao Huan recognized him as Li Ruoshui, Minister of Rites—a loyal minister who, years later, would be tortured to death by the Jin for defending Emperors Huizong and Qinzong.

“In the grand city of Bianliang, with a million souls and only a mere hundred thousand Jin troops outside, what is there to fear? Today I shall ascend the city walls and declare to the Jin: the people and soldiers of our Song Dynasty are not to be bullied!” Zhao Huan’s voice rang out with strength.

“But, Your Majesty, it is still too dangerous…”

“Let us speak no more of it. My decision is made. I hope all my ministers will join me in facing the crisis of our Song Dynasty today!” Zhao Huan addressed the assembled officials.

They were startled, and hastily knelt, vowing with solemn oaths to lay down their lives and never betray the Emperor’s grace.

Zhao Huan truly left the palace, arriving at the garrison of Kaifeng.

The imperial procession was magnificent; Zhao Huan sat in a spacious dragon carriage, feeling a surge of heroic spirit. Under heaven, whosoever dares affront China—no matter how distant, must be punished! In later ages, these words would become a mere slogan, but here and now, Zhao Huan knew they would become the pride of every Chinese heart.

Crowds of Kaifeng residents gathered around the imperial procession, lining either side in chaotic fashion. Some were curious to see the Emperor’s face, others were terrified by the Jin army’s encirclement. At this moment, Zhao Huan was the one who could ease their fears.

The imperial guards felt great pressure to secure the area, responding to the crowd with some violence.

Zhao Huan simply stepped out from his dragon carriage.

“My people, do not be afraid. I will never abandon you. I have decided to lead the army myself. All able men may enlist and join me in battle! Whoever earns merit shall be rewarded!”

The Emperor was the greatest celebrity; his golden words, if spoken by others, might be doubted, but from the Emperor, they were absolute. Because of Zhao Huan’s proclamation, enlistments soared. The Emperor himself leading the charge had a profound effect on soldiers and common folk alike.

“Everyone says the Jin have a hundred thousand soldiers—can we really defeat them?” At that moment, a childish voice piped up, untimely and clear.

Silence! A deathly quiet descended.

The bustling crowd fell silent instantly. The child’s parent was terrified, hurriedly covered the child’s mouth, and scolded, “You little rascal, what do you know? Don’t speak nonsense!”

“How dare you disrupt military morale! Beat this brat to death!” came a shrill command directed at the guards.

Several guards rushed forward, trying to snatch the child from his parent.

“Spare us, Your Majesty, spare us!” The parent was frantic, dropping to the ground in supplication, their forehead striking the earth with dull, desperate thuds.

“Stop!” Zhao Huan shouted, casting an irritated glance at the man who had given the order.

“Your Majesty, this lowborn dared disrupt the army’s morale—by law, he should be executed!” The man tried to explain, seeing Zhao Huan’s displeasure.

Zhao Huan ignored him, instead approaching the child, picking him up, and asking, “Little one, how old are you?”

“Four years old!”

“You’re already four—not a three-year-old anymore. Tell me, are you afraid now?” Zhao Huan asked with a smiling gaze.

“I’m not afraid.”

“Oh? You just said the Jin have a hundred thousand soldiers—why aren’t you afraid?” Zhao Huan was amused.

“Because my brother said, as long as he’s here, he’ll protect us.” The child’s voice was still immature, but unwavering.

“Your brother? Who is your brother?” Zhao Huan grew more interested.

“My brother is Yue Pengju!” The child looked at him as if surprised he didn’t know.

Heavens! This boy is Yue Fei’s younger brother—what a treasure I’ve stumbled upon. Zhao Huan had been planning to investigate whether a man named Yue Fei existed, and now the matter was settled.

“Forgive us, Your Majesty—the child is just talking nonsense,” the parent stammered, nearly losing all composure. To speak so freely before the Emperor was surely suicidal.

“It’s all right!” Zhao Huan waved his hand. “Go home and tell your brother to come find me in the army camp. I want to see if he’s truly as formidable as you say.”