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

On November 12th, on the north bank of the Bian River, at the Jin army camp.

The cold wind howled, and the weather in the Song Kingdom entered its coldest period.

However, today was an exception; although it was extremely cold, the blazing sun overhead was dazzling.

Wanyan Loushi stood by the Bian River, gazing silently at the water.

By this time, a thick layer of ice had formed on the river, and several fast horses carrying supplies were galloping back and forth on the ice.

This is Wanyan Loushi testing the thickness of the ice layer to see if it's thick enough for cavalry to cross the river smoothly.

After a series of experiments, he was satisfied with the thickness of the ice layer.

"The Song army possesses Chu's firearms, so we must launch a preemptive attack before they can launch their offensive, and use the advantage of our cavalry to annihilate them all in one fell swoop!"

This was Wanyan Loushi's plan. He knew how terrifying Chu's firearms were, and the enemy on the other side of the river was no longer the weak and easily bullied Song army of the past.

To win, you have to take an unconventional approach.

The Jin dynasty's only advantage was its cavalry; only by utilizing it to its fullest potential could they turn defeat into victory.

"General, the ice on the river is intact, allowing our Great Jin cavalry to cross smoothly!"

Upon hearing the report from his subordinate, Wanyan Loushi showed no emotion on his face.

"Send men across the river to find out exactly what the enemy is doing! I don't believe they haven't thought of what we can think of."

Wanyan Loushi is currently most worried about two things.

First, the plan was discovered. When the cavalry were crossing the river, the Song army suddenly opened fire and broke through the ice.

He understood that with Chu's firearms, especially its cannons, it was a certainty that a single shot could pierce through the ice.

The second concern was that there might be traps such as caltrops and spikes laid on the ice to hinder the cavalry's advance.

Regardless of which one, Wanyan Loushi had to ensure there were no omissions before he could feel at ease.

The scouts immediately responded and stealthily made their way to the other side of the ice.

What remains is a long wait, waiting for the time to make a decisive move.

On the Independent Brigade's side, Yue Fei and Lin Fei sat inside the large tent, warming their frozen hands by the stove.

Neither of them spoke, and the tent was unusually quiet.

Yue Fei was a man of few words, and Lin Fei was even less so.

Lin Fei, in particular, was as quiet as a virgin. He remained remarkably silent about anything unrelated to military affairs.

The two are now working together and seem quite content.

The atmosphere was just too oppressive.

At this moment, Han Ming ran into the tent, bowed to the two men, and said, "Commander, Staff Officer Lin, a Jurchen scout has been spotted on the Bian River. Should we detain him?"

Yue Fei shook his head: "No need, let him be."

Lin Fei remained silent, only slowly rubbing his hands together on the charcoal brazier.

Han Ming frowned: "Should we withdraw the machine gun positions along the coast?"

Yue Fei: "No need. Tell all the formations to continue as usual. There's nothing to do."

"understood."

Han Ming glanced at the two of them and quickly left the main tent.

He simply couldn't stand the eerie silence inside the tent.

After Han Ming left, Yue Fei said, "Does the enemy really not notice anything?"

Lin Fei shook his head: "We've done everything we could. Now let fate decide."

Yue Fei was still somewhat worried: "Chief of Staff Lin, aren't we taking too much of a risk? What if the Jurchens discover something and abandon the crossing?"

Lin Fei said expressionlessly, "Then we'll take the worst possible approach: first, recapture Bianjing, and then find a way to eliminate the Kang Prince's forces."

Yue Fei raised an eyebrow, wanting to say something but not knowing how to begin.

Lin Fei glanced at Yue Fei and said in a deep voice, "Do you still harbor any illusions about the Song Dynasty?"

Yue Fei shook his head: "To be honest, I don't know how to feel when I hear you say that."

Lin Fei: "Therefore, it was right for the military commander to send me to assist you. He had already seen that you still had feelings for the Song Dynasty. With me here, you won't take a wrong step and fall into eternal damnation."

Yue Fei lowered his head and remained silent, his eyes fixed on the flames leaping in the brazier.

"You are a Song citizen, and it's only natural to have feelings for everything related to the Song Dynasty. But you are also a soldier, a graduate of the Jinling Military Academy, and the Commander's most prized student."

What are the duties of a soldier? To obey orders and fight bravely against the enemy. If you truly care about your country and your fellow countrymen...

Then we shouldn't push them back into that bottomless abyss. The tragedy in Bianjing happened so recently; do we really want it to repeat itself?

Yue Fei: "Don't worry, Staff Officer Lin, I can still tell right from wrong."

Lin Fei continued, "The Commander asked me to stay by your side to devise tactical strategies, which was just a side task. In fact, with your abilities, it's not impossible for you to launch a northern expedition and recover the lost territories."

The only thing he's worried about is that you can't keep your heart straight and are easily swayed by worldly concerns. I don't know how to advise you.

The only thing I can do is analyze the situation for you, but ultimately, the decision is still yours.

After speaking, Lin Fei fell silent again, resuming his posture while warming himself by the fire.

Yue Fei took a deep breath, his eyes instantly becoming incredibly firm, as if he had finally made up his mind.

……

On the Jin camp side, Wanyan Loushi waited for a full two hours before the scout he had sent out finally returned to the Jin camp, his face flushed.

"General, we have already investigated. There are no traps on the ice. It's just that the enemy camp is well-defended, and the trenches made of sandbags are manned by riflemen."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Loushi immediately stood up and began to ponder.

"Just as I expected, we must take immediate action."

Then he asked, "Are you sure there are no obstacles on the ice? Have you checked it thoroughly?"

The scout thought for a moment and then said, "Indeed, I did not find any traps to block the cavalry, but I found some coal on the ice, which was probably laid for more than ten miles."

"coal?"

Wanyan Loushi instinctively felt a jolt of surprise.

"Yes, coal, please take a look, General."

As he spoke, the scout took out some coal he had collected from his pocket and handed it to Wanyan Loushi.

Wanyan Loushi weighed the coal in his hand, his eyes full of suspicion.

Why would they throw coal onto the ice? Could it be a trap?

Upon hearing Wanyan Loushi's words, the scout immediately replied, "General, I don't know what it's for, but I've examined it carefully, and it's just some ordinary coal."

Wanyan Loushi sat back down at the main desk, placed the coal he was holding on the desk, and began to examine it and ponder.

"What is the Chu army up to by dumping such good coal on the ice, stretching for miles?"

"Could this be a trap? Perhaps I should send a small group of cavalry to test the waters first?"

"No, once we test them, the surprise attack will lose its effect. We must use the power of thunder to annihilate them in one fell swoop."

"only……"

For a time, Wanyan Loushi was plunged into mental turmoil.

"Perhaps this is just a smokescreen by the Chu army?"

Thinking of this, Wanyan Loushi's eyes lit up.

"That's right. The reason why the Chu army did this is because they didn't have much ammunition. They wanted to use this empty city stratagem to force our Great Jin not to take the initiative to attack."

"If I launch a full-scale attack now, the Chu army will definitely not expect it."

Once he made up his mind, the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became of his judgment.

"Order the entire army to abandon camp and launch a full-scale attack!"