Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Inside the capital city, in the main hall of the Jin Dynasty.

"What a Song state! I never expected it. In just a few months, they have become so audacious."

"My Great Jin didn't go looking for trouble with them, but they came to fight back on their own, hahahaha..."

When Wanyan Lie learned of the fall of Xiangzhou Prefecture, he was so angry that he burst into laughter in the palace.

He simply couldn't understand where the Song army got the audacity to send a large army all the way to Xiangzhou Prefecture.

However, Wanyan Lie didn't take it too seriously.

After all, apart from Xiangzhou Prefecture, the four most important prefectures of the Jin Kingdom did not suffer any losses.

The Song army appeared to be conquering cities and territories with unstoppable momentum, seemingly poised to dominate the land.

However, upon reviewing the battle report, it was found that the Jin army had lost only a dozen or so men. The remaining several thousand soldiers calmly withdrew from the occupied towns upon learning of the Song army's advance.

Therefore, although the Jin army appeared to be in a complete rout, its actual usable strength was not lost at all.

However, the Song army's imposing presence still frightened some Jin officials.

They believed that the Jin dynasty had oppressed the Song dynasty for years, which led to the Song people's awakening and unity, and their determination to fight the Jin dynasty to the death.

In terms of population, the Song Dynasty was twenty times larger than the Jin Dynasty. Even if one Jin person could be exchanged for ten, the Jin people would still be the first to perish.

Therefore, these officials suggested that they take this opportunity to make peace with the Song Dynasty, redefine the boundary between their territories, and take advantage of the Jin Dynasty's current strength to extract as much benefit as possible from the Song Dynasty.

However, the anti-Song faction, led by Wanyan Loushi, unanimously believed that the Song army's actions were merely a bluff, and that the country's strength was not as formidable as it had appeared. They believed that as long as they concentrated their forces to make a breakthrough, they could surely march all the way to the walls of Bianjing as they had done before.

Both sides, advocating peace and war, hold their own opinions, and both sides' views have merit.

Therefore, the crucial decision-making power ultimately rested with Wanyan Lie.

In fact, Wanyan Lie was also a strong advocate of war, but he also had another identity: the king of the Jin Dynasty.

As a king, Wanyan Lie has to consider many more complex issues. At present, he has no intention of launching a counterattack against the Song army.

Because, strictly speaking, the right to make this choice was not in their own hands, but in the hands of the Murong clan of Northern Yan.

There was a treaty between the Northern Yan and the Song Dynasty that stipulated that if the Song Dynasty were invaded by the Jin Dynasty, the Northern Yan would have to intervene and mediate.

Although the Jin state had its own military and political system, it was still nominally a vassal state of the Northern Yan, and many things depended on the attitude of the Northern Yan.

The two previous southward campaigns against the Song state were both launched when the Northern Yan was facing foreign invasion.

Currently, with the fighting in Northern Yan having ceased, the Jin state is uncertain about the current situation in Northern Yan and whether it will intervene when the Jin army launches its southward campaign.

Of course, Wanyan Lie was more concerned about the current national strength of Northern Yan, and the inextinguishable fire that could bring people back to life.

"Let's put the matter of Song aside for now. What is the current situation of Yan? Can anyone tell me?"

The Ninth Prince, Wanyan Kang, immediately said, "Father, my spies who went to Yanjing have reported back that the war in Yan has just ended, and there is a severe shortage of food and fodder in various places."

Food shortages have begun to occur in Yanjing City, and the situation has deteriorated to the point that even relief rations cannot be distributed.

It's not even spring planting season yet, and this year many people in the Yan Kingdom will likely starve to death again.

The Eighth Prince, Wanyan Zhuo, also said, "Ninth Brother is right, Yanjing City is truly in dire straits now."

I heard that the pensions they gave to the families of those who died in battle were reduced to a bushel of millet.

This was only a temporary relief payment; you have to understand that in the past, the relief payments issued by the Yan Kingdom started at three shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain, plus salt and money.

It seems that the State of Yan is currently facing a very difficult situation.

Wanyan Lie's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he stroked his chin repeatedly with one hand, seemingly plotting something.

Suddenly, another scout came to report from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, the disciples of the Dongyu Sect have sent intelligence that the Yan Kingdom is mobilizing grain and provisions from its army to alleviate the crisis in Yanjing."

These words immediately sparked a murmur of discussion within the hall.

Wanyan Lie's eyes narrowed, and he asked uncertainly, "Is what you're saying true?"

The scout looked up and said, "The disciples of the Dongyu Sect also said that Yanjing has sent Murong Ke to visit Shangjing, presumably to ask the king for grain."

"Hahahaha~"

Wanyan Lie laughed heartily.

"Notify the granaries to prepare provisions and fodder, so that when Murong Ke arrives, he can take them back with him."

Wanyan Kang asked, puzzled, "Your Majesty, what does this mean?"

Wanyan Lie said with a smile, "The Yan Kingdom is currently in a very difficult situation, which is why we sent Murong Ke here in person."

Everyone should have some understanding of what kind of person this second prince of the Great Yan Kingdom is.

He was a very shrewd and calculating sage. The best way to deal with a sage is to poison him and make him mute before he can speak.

However, he was also a martial artist with unfathomable cultivation, even possessing the ability to summon the living dead.

What should we do when we encounter someone like this? Naturally, we should anticipate their thoughts before they even begin to cause trouble and proactively take care of things for them.

In this way, conflict can be avoided, and then mediation can be established to secure sufficient benefits for my Great Jin.

Apart from the fourth prince Wanyan Zongbi and the second prince Wanyan Puyan, no one else in the hall understood the meaning behind these words.

Soon, Wanyan Zongbi asked, "What should we do about the Song state?"

"The State of Song? Hmph."

Wanyan Lie merely snorted disdainfully.

"Let Wanyan Guang and Wanyan Wo go to Bianjing together and tell the Song emperor and his ministers that I am very angry about their breach of the agreement and that their emperor must explain this matter clearly."

The other ministers were puzzled when they heard this.

Wanyan Loushi stood up and asked, "Your Majesty, are we only questioning the Song state and not taking any other action?"

Wanyan Lie gave a cold smile: "Of course not, it's just a hunter's trick to toy with its prey. Let the Song court..."

Let's celebrate this false victory. After dealing with Murong Ke, we'll give these treacherous rulers and ministers a good beating.

Upon hearing this, the courtiers instantly understood Wanyan Lie's meaning and all burst into laughter...

Within the capital city of Bianjing in the State of Song.

"The victorious army has returned!"

News of the Song army's successful northern expedition and the recapture of lost territory quickly spread throughout the city.

Countless people took to the streets to vent their grievances and injustices suffered over the years.

The Jurchens were a nightmare that the people and soldiers of the Song Dynasty could never shake off for the rest of their lives.

But today is a day that makes the entire Song Kingdom proud and elated.

Commander Ye Fan led the Northern Expeditionary Army back in triumph.

When Ye Fan appeared majestically in the army, clad in flower-embroidered armor, and marched toward the palace gate, the cheers of the people surged forth like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down.

"General Ye! You are the savior of our Great Song Dynasty!"

"General Ye! The God of War of the Great Song Dynasty!"

"General Ye! The last great general of the Song Dynasty!"

With a smile on his face, Ye Fan rode a chestnut warhorse and greeted passersby with a beaming smile.

At this moment, the system's voice kept ringing in my mind:

"Ding, congratulations to the host for gaining 200 Luck Points."

"Ding! You have gained 50 Luck Points."

"Ding……"

With each "ding," Ye Fan's luck value, which was originally only three digits, finally exceeded four digits, successfully entering the 2000-point mark. It continued until it reached 2450 points before gradually slowing down.

"I truly am the chosen one! Hahahaha!"

Feeling his fortune restored and the cheers of the people, Ye Fan felt that a glorious life was already beckoning to him.