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

Is that really a head sandwiched between the two shoulders?

"The Jurchens want to negotiate peace and won't initiate war with the Song Dynasty. They love peace?"

"Was Tang Situi a visionary who was wholeheartedly devoted to the country?"

"How did you come up with these outrageous ideas?"

"If this continues, will people start trying to whitewash Qin Hui?"

Seeing that the comments on the screen were getting increasingly outrageous, Liu Bang and his men were not to be trifled with.

They had never imagined that anyone could be so good at washing.

Even Li Er, who had brought all the surrounding small countries under his control, couldn't hold back at this moment.

"Whether it's negotiating peace or doing anything else, the premise should never be selling out one's own country."

"He is a citizen of the Song Dynasty, and even the head of all officials in the Song Dynasty!"

"No matter what his reasons are, such a person should never do such a thing!"

"There's nothing to defend, and Yue Fei's judgment was absolutely correct. There has never been any peaceful coexistence between the Jin and Song dynasties. Even if the Song were willing to submit, they would definitely seize every opportunity to move south."

It shouldn't be hard to judge whether it's better to have a vassal state or to directly bring it under one's control.

"Emperor Taizong of Tang, during your Zhenguan era, weren't you willing to grant the surrounding small countries the opportunity to coexist peacefully as long as they were willing to submit?"

Some people use Li Er himself as an example.

Li Er simply chuckled at this.

"What is the situation of the small countries surrounding me? They are remote, poor, and their crops don't yield good harvests. What use are they to me? It would be better to let them develop on their own and pay tribute to me every year."

"But what about the Jurchens? The wealth of Jiangnan. If you were in their shoes, would you rather only accept the annual tribute from the Song Dynasty, or would you rather bring the entire wealthy Jiangnan region into your territory?"

How much silver was paid in tribute each year?

Compared to the total tax revenue of the entire Jiangnan region, it's just a drop in the ocean.

Moreover, after breaking through the last line of defense of the Song Dynasty in the south, a casual plunder would amount to more than the tribute silver received over several years or even decades!

"So what? That only proves that you, Emperor Taizong of Tang, were a tyrant at heart. How can you be sure that the Jurchens thought the same way as you?"

"Then why don't you wait and see?"

Li Er glanced at the comments on the screen and saw that they were all from the emperors of the Song Dynasty.

Are they too naive, or do they simply want to live in their own world and only believe what they want to believe?

The only difference between them is that some had such expectations for the Liao Dynasty, while others had such expectations for the Jin Dynasty.

The scene on the sky didn't keep them in the act for long.

As Yue Fei set off for the border overnight, the scene simultaneously cut to the other side.

Everything went as he had predicted.

After learning about Zhao Shen's future decisions and the eventual destruction of the Jin Dynasty, they could no longer remain calm!

In just over ten days, cities such as Chuzhou, Haozhou, and Chuzhou fell one after another.

With military equipment dismantled and no defensive weapons available in the city, countless Song soldiers didn't even have a chance to defend the city. Once the rout began, the army was forced to break up into smaller units.

Yue Fei arrived first, but could only do his best to gather the remaining 20,000 soldiers.

Faced with the overwhelming Jurchen forces, they had no time to solidify their defenses and could only retreat again and again.

By the time Yu Yunwen arrived with reinforcements, the Huai River region was completely undefendable, and only the natural barrier of the Yangtze River could barely keep the situation at a stalemate.

At this moment, the sky fell completely silent.

Those who just now shouted that Yue Fei was worrying unnecessarily and that the Jin people also hoped for peace have been thoroughly slapped in the face.

It is quite obvious that even without the events discussed on the sky, and even if the Jurchens were unaware of Zhao Shen's intention to march north, they would still not have let go of this piece of fat meat that was right in front of them.

The journey down from the Huai River region had long been part of their plan.

The difference in the outcome is that if the Song army's defenses were not secured in time, they would have taken advantage of the situation to force their way across the natural barriers and march south to destroy the Song Dynasty.

As things stand, Yue Fei and Yu Yunwen quickly deployed their troops along the natural defenses. If a direct assault might not yield any results, they could simply wait for the Song Dynasty's peace envoys.

That's how they've always lived.

They used military force to coerce the Song Dynasty into negotiating peace, gradually leading them from paying annual tribute to becoming vassals and paying tribute, and finally eroding their court officials step by step.

By now, in their eyes, the Song Dynasty court is completely at their mercy.

As for the cities they conquered, there was naturally no possibility of them being returned. Not only that, but the people in the cities would also be enslaved by them through plunder.

The able-bodied men stayed behind as laborers, the women stayed behind as rewards, and as for the old and young...

Apart from remote, sparsely populated mountain villages, in other places where the Jurchens discovered the area, very few people, young or old, survived.

After securing the defensive line, Yue Fei and Yu Yunwen stood on a high place and looked out, where firelight was everywhere.

Although one cannot witness it firsthand, one can imagine the dire straits the people living around those cities must be in.

"Pengju, do you really think there is still hope for our Great Song Dynasty?"

Although Yu Yunwen was a staunch advocate of war, after experiencing various events and witnessing countless scenes of devastation, his determination to fight to the death remained unchanged, but he had lost his former sharpness.

"There are countless Jurchen spies in the court, and the rest are weak and easily bullied. When war breaks out, they think about how to please the Jurchens and how to survive in their corner of the country."

"The border generals are also of varying quality. As you have seen from the immortal's inventory, there are quite a few people like Shao Hongyuan, but those who are truly dedicated to serving the country are becoming increasingly rare."

Yu Yunwen's eyes were filled with sorrow.

The current emperor has appeared too late.

After decades of peaceful life in a corner of the country, the former pro-war faction has either long since died or is as old and frail as he is.

Most people in the government only care about their own interests.

Even if the Jurchens moved south, they would still need officials to help them govern. In any case, the positions of most of them would not change, and their interests would not be affected.

On the contrary, if the Northern Expedition succeeds, more people will be promoted for their military achievements. Once power is divided, it will truly affect the interests of their civil service group.

He saw everything very clearly, and that's precisely why he felt even more desperate.

"You're right about most of it, but you're wrong about some of it."

"Just as you said, most people don't have the intention to launch a northern expedition, but as long as His Majesty has it, I have it, and you have it, that's enough."

Whenever this topic came up, Yue Fei's gaze remained as firm as ever.

"Can the two of us really overthrow the power in the court and shake the mighty Jin Kingdom?"

Yu Yunwen couldn't quite understand where Yue Fei's confidence came from.

Until I saw him turn his head and grin.

"Twenty-odd Jurchen spies, led by Tang Situi, have all been captured and imprisoned. If nothing unexpected happens, they will be beheaded and their heads displayed to the public soon."