Chapter 56: A Meeting of Equals

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“Along with you, there will also be thirty thousand Jin prisoners!” But what Zhao Huan said next made Hu Quan’s face turn bitter. As expected, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world; those thirty thousand Jin prisoners were like thirty thousand ticking time bombs, ready to explode at any moment!

“What is it? Do you have some concerns?” Zhao Huan noticed the unnatural expression on Hu Quan’s face and inquired.

“Your Majesty, may I ask how many local troops will be assigned to me?” Hu Quan asked.

Zhao Huan shook his head and replied, “I have long decreed that local recruitment of troops is forbidden. All military forces in the Song Dynasty are to be part of the central army, governed by the Three Departments and under the dispatch of the Privy Council. So I cannot allocate any troops to you.”

Hearing this, Hu Quan’s expression grew even more troubled. He said, “Your Majesty, I fear I was too hasty in accepting this task.”

Zhao Huan, seeing Hu Quan’s current demeanor, could not help but smile. He said, “You should look at this from another perspective. Now, Songjiang County lies in ruins and needs rebuilding. To develop such an impoverished region, what do you need most?”

Hu Quan shook his head in confusion. Although he could speak eloquently on governance, he truly had little experience managing such a place.

Zhao Huan guided him, “What you need most is people. Won’t you need to build roads and houses? All of that requires manpower. Where will you find these people? Hiring local peasants would cost a fortune. But now, what you have are slaves who require no wages. You just need to set them to work—what a bargain!”

Hu Quan inwardly grumbled, so after all this, the emperor simply wants to give me less money? He felt like he’d boarded a pirate ship.

Unfortunately, it was easy to get on this ship, but getting off was another matter entirely.

Hu Quan and Zhao Huan spent an entire afternoon in discussion. When the palace gates were about to close, Hu Quan reluctantly took his leave. Through this exchange, he suddenly felt enlightened. Although Zhao Huan had only offered a few suggestions, Hu Quan was now convinced that if he could implement them, Songjiang would surely become a prosperous place.

Having finally settled the issue of the thirty thousand prisoners, Zhao Huan was in high spirits. And soon after, something else occurred that brought him even greater joy.

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Western Capital, Luoyang.

Wanyan Zongbi commanded fifty thousand Iron Pagoda cavalry outside Luoyang, challenging the city.

“Yue Fei, I respect you as a true man. If you have any guts, come out and fight me! Don’t cower inside—the way you’re acting is hardly manly at all!” Wanyan Zongbi taunted.

Meanwhile, inside the city, Yue Fei was reviewing his troops on the parade ground. Before him stood thirty thousand elite Song cavalrymen. The young men were in high spirits, though their weapons were peculiar—there were three types among them. Upon closer inspection, they were the very weapons Yue Fei had devised the other night to break the Jin Iron Pagoda formation.

“Remember, do not be afraid. Just fight as we do in our daily drills,” Yue Fei instructed his soldiers.

The men were indeed nervous. Facing the Iron Pagoda cavalry inspired a natural fear; they had never been a match for the Jin before, and now they confronted the very elite of the Jin army. Their confidence was clearly lacking.

“Do not fear,” Yue Fei continued, “when the time comes, follow me into battle. The Iron Pagoda may be formidable, but only until they meet you. I’m telling you now: you are their nemesis. Today, we will bathe the Iron Pagoda in blood!”

“And I have good news: our general has dealt a crushing blow to the Jin outside Zhendin City, capturing over thirty thousand prisoners and executing more than fifty thousand Jin soldiers. Our brothers have set us a fine example outside Zhendin. What are we waiting for? Today, we too will rout the Jin and make our names known!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!” Inspired by Yue Fei’s passion, the soldiers shouted in unison. Their morale surged—people are like that; in a competitive environment, hearing that another unit has achieved great feats naturally spurs them on to make their own mark.

“Good! The whole army, move out!” With that, Yue Fei took the lead, riding out at the head of his men.

As they were leaving the city, Yue Fei turned to Gao Chong and said, “I have only one request: obey orders and do not advance recklessly. Once you’ve broken through the Iron Pagoda lines, return at once. If you get caught in the enemy’s encirclement, not even the gods can save you.”

Gao Chong nodded, “Don’t worry, I know my limits.”

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Though they had steeled themselves, as the thirty thousand light cavalry rode out and saw the fifty thousand gleaming Iron Pagoda cavalry, many Song soldiers felt their knees turn to jelly. The battle had not even begun, but the sheer spectacle of the enemy formation was already intimidating.

The fifty thousand fully armored Iron Pagoda cavalry were a sight to behold. Bathed in sunlight, they gave the impression of a city clad in golden armor.

“Hahaha! Yue Fei, I didn’t expect you to come out this time. But you won’t be so lucky today. I swear you will not return alive!” Wanyan Zongbi was a war fanatic. Upon seeing Yue Fei, he became visibly excited. For him, facing such a worthy opponent was truly a blessing.

“Heh, I could say the same to you. This time, if you have the guts, don’t run away,” Yue Fei retorted.

“Hmph! Enough talk—let’s see what you’re really made of. Take my axe!” With that, Wanyan Zongbi spurred his horse forward, swung his massive axe, and, using the momentum of his charge, brought it down in a mighty blow aimed at Yue Fei.

The giant axe whistled through the air, its power evident. Wanyan Zongbi was renowned for his strength, and with his horse’s speed behind him, Yue Fei dared not meet the blow head-on. He deftly dodged to the side, then countered with a thrust of his Liquan spear at Wanyan Zongbi’s back.

But Wanyan Zongbi was a master of martial arts; it was as if he had eyes on his back. Even with his back to Yue Fei, he twisted agilely in the saddle, skillfully evading the strike.

In a flash, the two had exchanged dozens of blows, yet neither could gain the upper hand. They truly were evenly matched opponents.