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

Seeing the expectant look in Emperor Xiaozong Zhao Shen's eyes, Yue Fei felt an equally surge of emotion.

Remember in the last challenge he participated in, the founding emperor descended and single-handedly prevented the Jingkang Incident from happening.

But last time, he felt he was just hitching a ride.

Although he returned to the old capital, he felt a little less of a sense of belonging.

In his heart, the unstoppable Northern Expedition, which finally reached the outskirts of Bianjing, only to be recalled by twelve imperial edicts, remains a regret he will never forget.

He thought that after receiving the immortal's reward and being reborn, he would be able to find peace.

But now, they have an opportunity to go north, an emperor who firmly supports the northern expedition, and enough national strength to support it.

Zhao Shen single-handedly withstood all the pressure from the pro-peace faction within the organization, and the current situation is perfect for Yue Fei!

An opportunity that I never dared to dream of in the past has now appeared before my eyes.

Looking at Zhao Shen's outstretched hand, Yue Fei felt his blood boil again.

"Your Majesty, may I have full authority over the troops at the front?"

"That's how it should be. Yu Yunwen will cooperate with you on the flank, and the two armies will advance together. I hope General Yue will not disappoint me."

Zhao Shen answered without hesitation.

He was never an indecisive person; otherwise, he would not have dared to bypass the central government and order Zhang Jun to launch a war without declaring war.

As the review shows, even without a capable commander at his disposal, he was willing to trust Zhang Jun wholeheartedly.

But Yue Fei, who is now standing before us, is far more capable than Zhang Jun!

Furthermore, after Emperor Gaozong executed Yue Fei on fabricated charges, Yue Fei's actions during his lifetime were exposed without reservation.

He did not crave pleasure and lived in extreme poverty.

His Yue Family Army was known for its strict military discipline: they would rather freeze to death than dismantle a house, and starve to death than plunder!

Even though he died unjustly in prison, Yue Fei's army did not take any extreme actions.

It could be said that he was originally the sharpest knife in Emperor Gaozong's hands, a knife born specifically for the Northern Expedition!

With such a general and such a Yue Fei, how could Zhao Shen possibly fail him in the slightest!

Not only will he not let him down, he will also give him absolute trust!

Seeing this harmonious scene of ruler and minister, many people outside the sky began to murmur among themselves.

"Was Zhao Gou still alive at that time?"

"What I want to know now is, when Yue Fei, whom he discarded like a worn-out shoe and killed on trumped-up charges, returns and is treated as a national hero by Zhao Shen, will he be so angry that he dies?"

As a qualified bystander, Liu Bang had already learned to find amusement for himself.

"Putting everything else aside, if I were Emperor Xiaozong, I would definitely take Yue Fei to Zhao Gou and make him walk around in front of him a few more times, so that he would know how blind he was. It would be best if he could be so angry that he died, but it would be good if he was half-dead."

Li Er said with a smile.

"It's a pity that Emperor Xiaozong was nominally Emperor Gaozong's adopted son, otherwise I really would like to see that bastard die a couple more times."

Zhao Shen's regrets were about to be made up for, but Old Zhu was still somewhat dissatisfied.

Although the immortal's challenge was timely and made up for Emperor Xiaozong's regret, it was still somewhat imperfect.

"Old Zhu, you've hit the nail on the head! That's probably the most regrettable part of this challenge!"

Clearly, if the ending didn't kill the long-reigning Zhao Gou, it wouldn't be perfect in the eyes of most people.

"Come on, can't you all see the atmosphere in the court under Zhao Shen's rule?"

"Don't say he can't touch Zhao Gou. Even if he could, now is far from the right time. Yue Fei has been sent to him, but the situation he faces is not one where he can afford to be careless."

Zhao Kuangyin felt that these people were making unreasonable demands of him.

Officials in the imperial court deceived their superiors and subordinates, while officials below were preoccupied with how to exploit the people. All they shared was the desire to curry favor with the Jurchens.

If the Jurchens were to attack, their first thought would not be how to resist, but how to negotiate peace and how to kneel in supplication.

This is the Song Dynasty that Zhao Shen took over.

Despite his efforts to prepare for war and even his secret military campaigns, the pro-peace officials below him were not idle either.

Some were thinking about how to line their own pockets when paying tribute to the Jurchens, some were devising ways to exploit the people, and some even prepared surrender petitions well in advance, just waiting to offer their knees when the Jurchens marched south.

While Zhao Shen appeared to have pro-war figures like Zhang Jun and Yu Yunwen on the outside, in reality, when he first ascended the throne, the real power in the court lay with these pro-peace and pro-surrender factions.

If he hadn't bypassed three provinces and issued the edict directly to the border, the decree might not have even been sent out!

“What Zhao Heizi said is quite right.”

Old Zhu nodded in agreement.

"Zhao Shen bypassed everyone else and directly issued the order to launch a surprise attack on the border. This allowed the war to break out before anyone was prepared. But if everything were laid bare, it wouldn't be so easy to start a war."

"Oh? Is there any other question?"

Liu Che clearly did not realize the seriousness of the matter.

Or rather, he couldn't imagine a situation where the emperor's decree didn't count for anything.

Even though countless people criticized the mighty Han Dynasty for its militarism, it could still send out troops with a wave of its hand.

"The biggest problem is that the gentry of Jiangnan are unwilling to return to the old capital."

The capital of the Song Dynasty was in Jiangnan, so this place became prosperous.

The government's oppression of the people had nothing to do with these gentry; on the contrary, they enjoyed all the benefits of the capital being built in Jiangnan.

Under such circumstances, how could they be willing to spend money and effort just for the vague and uncertain "Northern Expedition"?

Within the sky.

Zhao Shen also discussed this issue with Yue Fei.

If war breaks out secretly, then other officials, even if they only want to maintain their current peaceful lives, will have to find a way to keep the war going first, and then consider whether to negotiate peace or continue fighting based on the outcome.

However, the immortals brought this matter to light through their inventory.

Even if he wanted to replicate the process of bypassing central officials and directly conveying imperial decrees, it would be virtually impossible.

Not to mention that if you want Yue Fei to lead the army, you can't do it secretly.

"Pengju, in your opinion, what should I do?"

After expressing his worries, Zhao Shen looked at Yue Fei with hopeful eyes.

He was the emperor, but even emperors have their own helplessness.

There are some things he knows how to do, but he can't do them himself!

From Zhao Shen's eyes, Yue Fei had already discerned his thoughts, which coincided perfectly with his own!

“Your Majesty, when I participated in the challenge with Emperor Taizu, I learned a lot. The most important thing was to do special things in special circumstances. The four words 'decisive and ruthless' are not only useful when facing external enemies, but also when facing internal ones.”

Seeing that Yue Fei understood his meaning, Zhao Shen was secretly delighted, but his face remained expressionless.

He reached out and patted Yue Fei on the shoulder.

"Then this matter, along with the reorganization of the Yue Family Army, will be entrusted to Pengju. I grant you the authority to act as you see fit, and anyone who dares to disobey may be executed first and reported later!"