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

Having decided to submit to the emperor, Zhao Huan naturally wanted to ensure that the relevant etiquette was performed to the utmost perfection.

That night, he burned incense and bathed, and led his clansmen to the ancestral hall to announce to their ancestors: "I surrender!"

Of course, it wouldn't be so brutal. Instead, he would kneel before the ancestral temple, tearfully recounting to his ancestors the various hardships he had faced since ascending the throne, how great the Jurchens were, and how the world viewed him, and so on.

In short, the whole argument boils down to one thing: we are ashamed before our ancestors and have no choice but to submit to them.

After leaving the ancestral temple, Zhao Huan led his officials to worship in the direction of the Jin state to the north, his attitude as sincere as that of a filial son.

"From this day forward, the Great Jin is the father country of my Great Song. My Great Song should be loyal and filial to its emperor and father, and fulfill its duties as a good subject."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Behind him, all the officials bowed in worship, each feigning a look of deep sorrow and grief.

After the ceremony was completed, Zhao Huan personally wrote his name on the letter of state sent by the Jin state.

Just as he was about to stamp the document to officially make it effective.

"Your Majesty! No!"

Suddenly, Zhou Xianwu broke through the surrounding guards' obstruction and knelt before Zhao Huan.

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

At Ye Fan's command, a large group of guards immediately surrounded Zhao Huan, drawing their swords and angrily confronting Zhou Xianwu.

Zhou Xianwu held his sword to his neck, tears streaming down his face, and said, "In the four hundred years since the founding of the Great Song Dynasty, there has never been a ruler who has submitted to us. Your Majesty, please think twice. Do not be blinded by the enemy's momentum. Show the spirit of an emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan hesitated for a moment, his imperial seal, which was about to be placed, did not land on the letter of state.

"His Majesty."

Seeing this, Ye Fan quickly offered some advice.

"The Jurchen army is assembled outside the city. If we do not receive a reply by tomorrow, they will launch a full-scale attack on Bianjing."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan immediately ceased his hesitation.

He directly stamped the imperial seal on that humiliating letter of state.

"Your Majesty!"

Zhou Xianwu was heartbroken when he saw this.

Zhao Huan ignored him, carefully put away the letter and handed it to Lai Ba, instructing him in a stern voice: "Minister Lai, you must deliver this letter to the Jin envoy immediately, and there must be no mishap."

Lai Ba carefully put away the official letter, bowed to Zhao Huan, wiped away non-existent tears, and turned to walk out of the palace gate.

Zhao Huan then said, "Immediately issue an order to the whole country that from this day forward, the Great Jin is the suzerain state of our Great Song. All citizens of our Great Song shall regard the Jin people as their sovereign and shall not engage in any disloyal acts."

Ye Fan: "Your subject obeys!"

"Oh my God!"

Unable to accept this reality, Zhou Xianwu looked up to the sky and roared.

"Is this the Great Song Dynasty? Is this the Great Song Dynasty that I have always longed to protect?"

Ye Fan's eyes turned cold: "Take this treacherous minister who has no respect for his emperor and father into custody."

Upon hearing this, the guards immediately drew their guns and moved closer to Zhou Xianwu.

"Go away!"

Zhou Xianwu roared, his eyes fixed intently on Zhao Huan.

Zhao Huan felt a chill run down his spine from his gaze and immediately looked away.

"His Majesty!"

Suddenly, Zhou Xianwu knelt down again.

"Your humble servant has one last request of you."

Suppressing his fear, Zhao Huan asked, "Speak, what is it?"

Zhou Xianwu gave a sad smile: "After I die, please have my eyes hung outside the gate of Bianliang Palace."

Zhao Huan frowned, and then Zhou Xianwu continued, "Your Majesty, I wish to see with my own eyes how the Jurchens' iron hooves trample into this palace. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Xianwu suddenly twisted his fingers together and gouged out his own eyes in front of everyone.

Such a cruel scene shocked even Ye Fan, and the surrounding guards were all so stunned by this sudden turn of events that none of them dared to take a step forward.

"Hahaha……"

Zhou Xianwu, who had lost his eyesight, got up and burst into wild laughter.

"This is the Song Dynasty: a corrupt ruler and incompetent ministers, destroying its own defenses, aiding the enemy in begging for peace, and even willingly becoming its subjects!"

"I am certain that the Great Song Dynasty is doomed. It is pitiful that the people of my Great Song Dynasty will be plunged into an endless hell because of the incompetence of this foolish ruler!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Amidst maniacal laughter, Zhou Xianwu held a sword directly to his neck.

In an instant, blood splattered, and the laughter came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone was so stunned by Zhou Xianwu's actions that they couldn't utter a single word.

Finally, Zhao Huan sighed and said, "Guards, give Zhou Qing a proper burial according to the rites of a marquis's household, and as he wished, hang his eyes outside the Bianliang Palace."

I want him to know that the day he speaks of will never come. The Song Dynasty will recover; it certainly will.

These words were more meant for the officials than for Zhao Huan to say; they were simply Zhao Huan comforting himself.

After saying this, he left with his officials without looking back.

Gao Mingli, who was collecting the body, quickly walked to Zhou Xianwu's corpse. Seeing his tragic death, his eyes reddened, and he then took off his cloak to cover him.

"Lord Zhou, you have done your best. The state of the Song Dynasty today is not your fault. Now, you can rest in peace..."

"Don't worry, when that day comes, our family will come to be with you. You won't be alone."

As he spoke, the old eunuch's tears fell like a burst dam onto the corpse.

Suddenly, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Snow fell in August; the end of summer that year was exceptionally cold...

The next morning, news of the Song Dynasty's submission to the Jin Dynasty spread throughout the capital, causing a nationwide uproar.

Many scholars and students went to the palace in Bianliang without explanation and begged Zhao Huan to rescind his decision.

However, the die was cast, and Zhao Huan completely disregarded the students' enthusiasm, ordering the Imperial Guards to disperse them.

As a result, hundreds of students committed suicide by poisoning themselves outside the palace gates that day, hoping to prove their loyalty and persuade the Zhao family emperor to change his mind.

Unfortunately, their deaths caused not a ripple in the palace.

Unlike the scholars, the common people in the city reacted coldly to Zhao Huan's actions, and the garrison soldiers were so hungry that they began to eat bran, and had no interest in paying attention to these matters.

By this time, they had lost all hope and their leader had been lost; they no longer cared about defending their homeland.

The day was spent amidst the diverse clamor of different social classes within the city.

On the morning of the third day after Zhao Huan signed the letter of submission...

"Woo~~"

Thousands of horns sounded, accompanied by the muffled beating of drums echoing outside the city.

"This is the bugle call of the Jurchens! The Jurchens are about to attack the city!"

The soldiers on duty, familiar with the enemy's bugle calls, immediately roused the distracted defenders on the city walls.

However, when these defenders saw the massive, dark mass of Jin soldiers outside the city, they did not react excessively.

When Lai Junchen received the news, he glanced at the city wall and was so frightened by what he saw that this scholar, who had never experienced war, immediately soiled himself.

The next moment, he drew his sword and gave the order:

"The whole army obeys the order!"

Everyone turned their attention to him.

But then Lai Junchen threw down his sword and said, "Put down your weapons, open the city gates, and welcome the warriors of the suzerain state into the city!"

Since Emperor Zhao Huan had decreed that no one should be disrespectful to the Jurchens and that seeing them should be like seeing the emperor, Lai Junchen naturally had to obey the imperial order.

As the city gates slowly opened, Wanyan Loushi roared and pointed his sword: "Warriors, charge into the city!"

"Oooooooo-"

In an instant, like a stampede of horses, the Jin soldiers, like leeches moving at high speed, frantically poured into the prosperous capital of the Song Dynasty.

This time, Bianjing City has truly fallen.