The video takes us to ancient times; Li Er transforms into the Tongtian Emperor of Shu Han.

I am filled with righteous indignation!

Although he had already guessed that the outcome of this Longxing Northern Expedition would not be good.

But to see such an ending, to see the almost laughable reasons for this failure.

Countless emperors couldn't help but speak out in condemnation.

They all wished they could sit in Zhao Shen's position and slowly devour this bastard!

But they also knew that after this battle, even the strongest ambitions would be unable to be sustained.

After all, Zhao Shen bypassed the three provinces and the Privy Council in this battle, and directly issued the imperial edict to Zhang Jun to send troops.

If he wins, he naturally won't need to explain a single word to the court officials.

But they lost this battle.

Moreover, the vast majority of the court were pro-peace factions who were terrified of the Jurchens, and the retired emperor, a pro-surrender faction, was above him.

Some emperors, such as Liu Bang, Li Er, and Zhu Yuanzhang, conquered the country themselves.

For them, defeat was defeat. With a single command to lead the troops into battle again, the officials could only obediently try to find ways to mobilize troops.

But for Zhao Shen, there was no chance of defeat.

Once defeated, he would never be able to raise his head again. The civil and military officials, as well as the long-serving retired emperor, would not give him the chance to lead the troops into battle again.

"This is probably the fundamental reason why countless emperors who once thought of restoring the dynasty eventually gave up their ambitions."

After a long silence, Zhao Shen finally spoke with a wry smile.

Aside from a few truly infatuated and decadent rulers, who wouldn't want to be a revived ruler whose name will be remembered for all time?

But for them, the opportunity is fleeting, and there's only one chance.

Those who seize the opportunity and succeed will become the leaders of a revitalized China.

Just like when he issued the decree to launch a northern expedition, even if it could not be accomplished in one fell swoop, as long as he could capture several cities, he would have a reason to convince the officials and prove to the retired Emperor Zhao Gou that the Jurchens were not invincible!

When the time comes to send troops again, the entire court will be united in their hatred of the enemy.

He lost, and he couldn't explain it to anyone.

The pro-war faction he relied on will once again lose face in the court.

Not to mention sending troops again, his power and prestige as emperor will also plummet.

"It is indeed difficult for a leader to restore the dynasty."

Is it difficult to be the founding emperor of a nation?

difficult!

Not only must one's personal abilities be outstanding, but favorable timing, location, and human factors are also indispensable.

Compared to founding a nation and conquering the world, being a ruler who restores a dynasty presents a different kind of difficulty.

For all the officials in the court, you only have one chance to demonstrate your abilities and realize your ambitions.

If you fail, they will take turns advising you on what to do next, until you retract your decision.

The defeat at Fuli dealt a near-devastating blow to Zhao Shen's ambitions.

He would naturally not give up the goal he set when he was young, but he also knew that the next opportunity was probably far away.

In June of the same year, under pressure, he reinstated pro-peace officials, ordered Tang Si to step down as Right Chancellor, and sent people to the Jin army camp to negotiate peace.

The terms for the peace talks between the Jin and the Jurchens were exactly the same as before.

In order for the Song Dynasty to become a vassal state, in addition to paying annual tribute, it was also necessary to cede six prefectures to the Jin Dynasty and return all the surrendered Jin soldiers.

Perhaps it was the last bit of resentment in his heart that made Zhao Shen unwilling to accept the terms of submission and annual tribute.

Upon receiving the envoy's report, he declared that he would never again submit to the Jin people, and if the Jin people insisted on doing so, he would mobilize the entire Song army to fight them again.

When the words "I would rather perish than submit to the Jurchens" reached their ears, they revised the treaty.

The title of "subject" was changed to "uncle and nephew," and the annual tribute was changed to "annual payment."

Although it was just a change of address, for Zhao Shen, after the defeat at Fuli, this was all he could do.

"I guess this is what obsession is."

Zhao Kuangyin had lost count of how many times he had sighed.

Changing the title from "subject" to "uncle and nephew" and the annual tribute to "annual gifts" was probably Zhao Shen's last fig leaf for himself.

"There should still be a chance. Kill Shao Hongyuan to stabilize the morale of the army, and at the same time, personally lead the troops to the battlefield to boost morale. Perhaps we can launch a counterattack."

Liu Che thought for a moment and said.

Although he didn't understand military affairs, he understood the morale of the army.

In the initial battles, Li Xianzong was able to win one victory after another, and even when the Jin reinforcements arrived, he still had the strength to fight. All of this shows that the Song army had not been completely defeated.

As long as we can win back the morale of the troops, there is still a chance.

"Don't bring yourself into this, Emperor Wu of Han."

Li Er said helplessly.

"There are many obstacles in the court, and some things cannot be done just because you want to."

"The difference between a dynasty's golden age and its decline is like heaven and earth, and even the emperor is not in control of his own destiny."

"Moreover, judging from the battle that Emperor Xiaozong witnessed, the Song army was initially victorious but then suffered a defeat. When the Jin army arrived, the Song army was routed. He himself was not absolutely certain of victory. If he were to personally lead the expedition at this time, wouldn't that be a repeat of the Jingkang Incident?"

Viewing this battle from God's perspective, one would naturally feel that it was not a complete defeat.

However, from Zhao Shen's perspective at the time, the Song army collapsed at the first contact. If he were to personally lead the expedition again, wouldn't that just be handing another emperor to the Jurchens for nothing?

This is a high-stakes gamble where the gains and losses are disproportionate.

Even if it succeeds, it only means there's hope for a counterattack.

If they were defeated, the emperor would be taken north, and the retired emperor above him would be a typical surrenderist.

No one could guarantee what state the Song Dynasty would fall into.

"Perhaps Emperor Xiaozong did not do everything perfectly, but he did his best and did everything he could."

"The defeat in this battle was due to discord among the generals and the fault of Shao Hongyuan, not to Emperor Xiaozong."

"And he didn't really give up on the Northern Expedition completely, but..."

Although Zhao Shen suffered a great blow after the Longxing Peace Treaty, he still did not give up his ambition to launch a northern expedition.

A brief period of peace was restored between the Song and Jin dynasties. He worked diligently to govern the country, reformed the bureaucracy, dismissed incompetent officials, and while emphasizing finance, he also allowed the people to recuperate and actively provided relief to the people.

During this period, the people's livelihood returned to prosperity for the first time, and the world was peaceful and prosperous. This period is known in history as the Reign of Qianchun!

After the Song Dynasty's national strength recovered rapidly and the bitter consequences of the Longxing War were digested, Zhao Shen once again had the idea of ​​launching a northern expedition.

With his deliberate support, the pro-war officials, led by Yu Yunwen, regained dominance in the court.

Later, Yu Yunwen resigned from his position as prime minister and was reassigned as the military governor of Wu'an Army, in charge of commanding the Sichuan and Shaanxi regions.

Both sides agreed on a time when their troops would simultaneously rise up in the east and west and converge in the Central Plains.

However, things did not go as planned.

Two years after taking office, Yu Yunwen died in office before the uprising could begin.

Zhao Shen's last ambition and hope for the Northern Expedition vanished with the death of Yu Yunwen.

"With Yu Yunwen dead, the court no longer has such a capable and resolute minister who advocates war."

"In other words, Yu Yunwen's death became the last straw that broke Emperor Xiaozong's back."

From the moment he ascended the throne, everything Zhao Shen did was for the purpose of counterattacking the Jin Dynasty, restoring the Central Plains, and returning the old capital.

Even after signing a peace treaty and securing a humiliating peace, his efforts to revitalize the country were still aimed at launching a counterattack.

The defeat at Longxing did not defeat him, but the death of Yu Yunwen made him completely lose hope of the Northern Expedition.