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

The next day, in the Imperial Study.

"Your Majesty, yesterday we searched the city and found 326 women, all of whom have been delivered to the Jin army camp. The Jin camp sent a letter saying..."

He greatly admired His Majesty's actions and planned to dispatch a Jin envoy to personally discuss the withdrawal of troops with His Majesty after noon today.

Hearing Ye Fan's report, Zhao Huan was very pleased: "Thanks to you, Your Majesty, among all the officials, only you understand my difficulties."

Sigh, look at them all, always shouting for war and killing. If they could really win, how could the Song Dynasty have fallen to such a state?

Sending women to the enemy is indeed detrimental to the nation's dignity, but compared to the stability of the country, what does this small matter of national dignity matter?

Ye Fan hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Your Majesty has already devoted yourself to the country and its people with great effort."

If a subject does not understand His Majesty's difficulties, then it is truly unacceptable.

Zhao Huan: "With my brother here, I can rest assured. By the way, let's leave the matter of receiving the Jurchens to Minister Ye."

"The minister obeys the order."

After accepting the order, Ye Fan turned around and walked out of the Imperial Study.

Zhao Huan couldn't help but sigh, "Ah, peace will be here soon."

Upon hearing Zhao Huan's voice as Ye Fan reached the door of the Imperial Study, a cold smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

……

At noon, Wanyan Wo, acting as an envoy, swaggered into the gates of Bianjing.

The Imperial Guards maintained order at the scene, separating the crowds on the left and right.

Ye Fan, who was in charge of receiving guests, immediately went up to him: "Prince Wanyan, it's been a long time."

"Hehe, so it's the Right Chancellor. Have you been sleeping well lately?"

Wanyan Wochong Ye Fan revealed a meaningful smile.

Ye Fan's lips twitched a few times, and he cupped his hands in response, "Thanks to the prince, I've been sleeping well these past few days."

"Hahaha."

Wanyan glared at him, then looked at Guo Huang, Li Gang and the others behind Ye Fan, and his face darkened.

At this moment, the two of them were staring intently at Wanyan Wo with eyes that looked as if they were about to spit blood.

Wanyan Wo strolled forward, and as he passed the two men, he suddenly said, "The Jin warriors really like the women of your Great Song Dynasty."

Enraged by such public humiliation, Li Gang prepared to draw his sword.

But Guo Huang, standing to the side, firmly pressed his palm down, giving him a look of suppressed resentment.

"Hahaha."

Wanyan Wo laughed and walked forward, stepping directly into the stirrups and mounting a royal horse.

"Come, take me to see your emperor. It's time to discuss how to withdraw the troops."

"please."

Ye Fan also mounted his horse and rode alongside Wanyan Wo toward the palace gate.

Veins bulged on Li Gang's forehead; he wished he could rush up and chop Wanyan Wo into eight pieces.

But Guo Huang dissuaded him, saying, "Minister Li, since the matter has already occurred, there's no point in pursuing it further. Why not first see how the peace talks go?"

If an agreement can be reached, the Jin army can withdraw its troops; if not, then another decision will be made.

"Ugh!"

Li Gang sighed heavily, feeling utterly humiliated.

The people on both sides of the street were furious when they saw the Jurchens visiting.

The men, especially those whose female relatives had been taken away, were filled with rage as they watched Wanyan Wo swaggering on horseback.

As they passed a street corner, Wanyan Wo cast a meaningful glance at Ye Fan.

Ye Fan understood and immediately turned his head towards the crowd.

Two onlookers mingled in the crowd exchanged glances, then suddenly shouted, "You damned Jin traitors, give me back my wife's innocence!"

As he spoke, he suddenly threw two stones at the Jin delegation.

This single act stirred up a huge wave of resentment. The people of Bianjing, who already harbored deep grievances against the Jurchens, were completely thrown out of control by these two individuals with ulterior motives.

"Kill the Jin traitors!"

"Give me back my wife!"

Amidst the uproar, the people, filled with indignation, began to storm the defensive line set up by the Imperial Guards.

"Oops!"

Guo Huang and Li Gang's eyelids twitched simultaneously, and they immediately prepared to stop them.

however……

"You Jin thieves, I'll kill you all!"

Suddenly, the guard post on one side was overturned by a group of furious people.

This is like a crack appearing in a dam, instantly triggering even greater chaos.

Countless civilians used this opening to tear apart the entire defensive line established by the Imperial Guard.

The crowd surged toward the Jin delegation like a tidal wave.

"Calm down! Everyone, calm down!"

"Please listen to me, everyone."

Guo Huang and Li Gang are still trying to stop the situation from spiraling out of control.

But speaking out in front of the irrational people did not calm them down; instead, it made the situation even more irreconcilable.

"Get out of here! You're no better than us! You promised not to let our women go to the Jin camp, but you've been lying to us!"

"We thought you were good people, but it seems you're no different from those corrupt officials!"

"Get out of my way, or I'll beat you all up!"

Guo Huang and Li Gang were quickly swallowed up by the crowd, and no matter how much they shouted, it was to no avail.

Meanwhile, the ten-member Jin delegation had been overturned to the ground by the angry crowd.

"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! Spare me! Spare me!"

A Jin soldier curled up on the ground, begging for mercy, but the enraged Song soldiers paid no heed and surrounded him, beating him mercilessly.

The entire streets of Bianjing were completely out of control, filled with shouts of fighting and killing.

Meanwhile, Wanyan Wo and several of his personal guards had already hidden in a safe place under Ye Fan's arrangement.

"Your Highness, please tell Your Highness that you must keep your promise to me."

"Don't worry, we Jin people always keep our word. We will definitely do what we promised you."

Wanyan Wo looked at his subordinate who had been brutally beaten on the street with lingering fear, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Ye Fan sneered. The purpose of his arrangement today was to prepare for the subsequent plan.

……

"What! How audacious! Absolutely audacious!"

In the Imperial Study of Bianliang Palace, Zhao Huan was terrified when he heard the news that the Jin envoys had been brutally beaten in the street. Of the twelve Jin envoys, four had been beaten to death, three were maimed, and two were unconscious. Wanyan Wo had even turned back to the Jin camp in anger.

We finally got a chance to negotiate peace, but then this unexpected turn of events happened?

What a bunch of troublemakers!

Isn't this just driving yourself into a dead end?

Zhao Huan cursed these ignorant people in his heart, wishing he could kill them all to vent his anger.

Ye Fan said, "Your Majesty, the Jin envoy (Wanyan Wo) said before he left that our Great Song Dynasty was completely hypocritical and had no sincerity in negotiating peace."

He will truthfully report back to the Jin camp that he is the commander, which suggests that the Song-Jin war is about to resume.

"What should we do? What should we do?"

Zhao Huan was so anxious that he was practically jumping up and down in the imperial study, his face contorted with constipation.

Ye Fan hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please do not worry. Although the Jin envoy was very angry, I managed to appease him after much persuasion. They said that the anti-Jin atmosphere in Bianjing was too obvious and not conducive to peace talks between the two countries."

"The time for peace talks between the two countries to resume will come when Your Majesty can dismiss these pro-war officials and guarantee that the people will no longer rebel against the Jin Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan immediately asked, "Do the Jurchens have any specific demands?"

"This was entrusted to Your Majesty by the Jin envoy before he left. He said that if these people are not dismissed, war between the two countries will soon resume."

Zhao Huan hurriedly opened it and saw a list of people who had to be dismissed: Zhou Xianwu, Guo Huang, Li Gang, Zhong Lue, Li Xing, Xin Shang, Yin Guanmu, etc.

They were all core members who advocated fighting the Jin people to the death.

Zhao Huan frowned. His remaining rationality told him that if all these people were dismissed, Bianjing would be in grave danger.

But then Ye Fan said, "Your Majesty, most of these people are military officers who hold military power. Now they are using the pretext of carrying gold to amass power and become arrogant."

If we do not restrain them now, who knows what kind of coup they might commit in the future? I urge Your Majesty to make a decision as soon as possible.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan broke out in a cold sweat.

What he feared most was losing his military power, which would threaten his throne.

Without any hesitation, Zhao Huan decisively issued an order: "Right Chancellor, you shall immediately draft an edict to dismiss Guo Huang and Li Gang from all their current positions and order them to remain at home pending further action."

Zhong Lue was relieved of his post as military commander, and his Western Army was temporarily placed under the command of Lai Juncheng. In addition, all the other officials on the list were also dismissed and investigated.

"Announce to all citizens that from this day forward, no one is to show the slightest disrespect to the Jin state. The ringleaders of today's disturbance will be severely punished as a warning to others."

"The minister obeys the order!"

Ye Fan loudly accepted the order.

With this order issued, all pro-war factions in Bianjing completely fell silent.