aircannonsinc Chapter 147 Decision Making
Chapter 147 Decision Making
Zhao Yu gestured for a chair to be brought over, indicating that Hong Qi should sit down and speak: "The Beggars' Sect disciples are spread all over the world, so they must have gathered the most information. Tell me, what is the current situation of the Jin army?"
Hong Qi casually tossed the remaining chicken bones he had been gnawing on the steps, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and his expression became much more serious.
"The situation is not good. The Jurchen vanguard marched south, slaughtering all the villages along the way. They burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities. Those Jurchen soldiers are all skilled in archery and horsemanship, and are fearless. Ordinary village militias simply cannot stop them."
He paused, his voice lowering slightly: "A few days ago, some brothers passed through Tangzhou and saw them massacring a village. They couldn't stand it and tried to stop them. They wanted to punish a few of the leaders, but... sigh."
A long sigh, the unspoken words already understood.
Although the Beggars' Sect disciples were skilled in martial arts, they were ultimately outnumbered when facing a well-organized Jurchen cavalry force.
Silence fell over the hall.
The Song generals had mixed expressions, a mixture of indignation and barely concealed fear.
The Jin army had won one victory after another in recent years, and the Song army feared them like tigers. This fear had been growing for a long time.
Zhao Yu shook his head, tapping his fingertips on the table: "So, your thinking was wrong from the start. To confront the Jurchens head-on is to use your weaknesses to attack their strengths. In martial arts battles, everyone knows to avoid the enemy's strengths and make good use of their movements. How come you forgot this principle when facing the Jurchens?"
"What Your Majesty means is..." Wang Chongyang's eyebrows twitched.
"A battle of wits." Zhao Yu's gaze swept over the crowd. "Our Great Song Dynasty has many martial arts masters, skilled in lightness skills, hidden weapons, and poisons. Why waste these strengths and insist on fighting the Jurchens head-on? Wouldn't that be foolish?"
Hong Qi leaned forward and said, "Stop beating around the bush, just tell me your plan."
Zhao Yu did not answer immediately, but turned to Wang Chongyang: "Master Wang, you and I both advocate taking the initiative to attack. Tell me, why must we go out of the city to meet the enemy?"
Wang Chongyang stroked his beard and said solemnly, "It is precisely because the soldiers' morale is low and their training is inadequate that we must take the initiative to fight. If we can win one or two battles, the morale of the army will be boosted."
"As the saying goes, prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat. Our army has suffered repeated defeats at the hands of the Jin people and is already afraid of battle. If we cower in the city and dare not fight, our soldiers will only become more and more fearful, and in the end, we may not even be able to hold the city."
"That's exactly right." Zhao Yu nodded, then looked at Qiu Qianren. "However, it's understandable that Minister Qiu is worried about defeat. But what I want to say is that our army will absolutely not lose this battle."
Upon hearing this, even Wang Chongyang looked surprised.
Although he advocated for war, he dared not easily claim certain victory.
The Jin army's formidable fighting power is known throughout the land; Zhao Yu's confidence is perhaps a bit excessive.
Ignoring the astonishment of the crowd, Zhao Yu's gaze fell on Hong Qi: "Brother Hong, among the heroes of the martial world who have come to aid Xiangyang, could you pick out some skilled individuals who are adept at lightness skills and know how to stealthily move around?"
"That's easy," Hong Qi said, patting his chest. "There are plenty of brothers in the Beggars' Sect who are good at scaling walls and leaping across rooftops. Add to that other skilled fighters who will come to help, and getting enough people together won't be a problem."
Zhao Yu then looked at Qiu Qianren.
Qiu Qianren immediately stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said in a deep voice, "The entire Iron Palm Clan is at the command of the Emperor."
"That's good."
Zhao Yu stood up and walked to the map, pointing his finger at the location of the Jin army's vanguard camp: "When two countries go to war, it's a dead end that leads to national subjugation and annihilation. The Jin people won't just stand by and watch us reclaim our homeland, and we can't let them slaughter our people. Since it's a life-or-death struggle, there's no need to talk about any rules of the martial world."
Upon hearing this, Hong Qi's heart skipped a beat, and he had a vague premonition of something bad.
"Since it is a life-or-death struggle, then we must use any means necessary."
Zhao Yu turned around, his gaze calm: "I order you to take poison and infiltrate the Jurchen camp. Don't engage them directly; simply put the poison in their kitchens, wells, and even their horse feed. No matter how fierce the Jurchens are, once poisoned, can they still be a match for our Great Song army?"
"Once their vanguard is rendered ineffective, our main force will seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack, and victory in this battle is assured."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Song generals in the hall all showed joy on their faces and their eyes lit up.
If you can win easily using this method, who would be willing to risk their life?
However, Wang Chongyang and Hong Qi both frowned, their faces showing difficulty.
"Your Majesty," Wang Chongyang pondered for a moment before speaking, "when two armies are locked in battle, resorting to poison and assassination is ultimately a heretical and ungentlemanly act. If word gets out, it will likely damage the prestige of our Great Song Dynasty."
Hong Qi nodded in agreement: "We Beggars' Sect disciples are all upright and honorable men. Such sneaky dealings are certainly not our forte. Moreover, if we poison them today, what if the Jurchens follow suit and poison our water sources in the future? How will we deal with that?"
"What a gentleman would do?"
Zhao Yu sneered, his voice suddenly turning cold: "Master Wang, would you dare say such a thing to the people slaughtered by the Jurchens? Go tell those children who have lost their parents, those women who have lost their husbands, that the court had a way to repel the Jurchens, but gave up because they wanted to uphold some gentlemanly code. See if they will appreciate your efforts."
"During the Jingkang Incident, when the two emperors were captured and millions of people died tragically, why didn't the Jurchens show us any respect?"
Wang Chongyang's face turned pale, he opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent.
He spent his life seeking the Dao and caring for all living beings, but Zhao Yu's words struck a nerve, leaving him unable to refute them.
Faced with the lives of countless people, the so-called gentlemanly dignity is indeed as insignificant as a feather.
Hong Qi was still somewhat conflicted: "That's true... but the brothers are all renowned figures in the martial arts world. If word gets out that they're doing this kind of poisoning, their reputations will be ruined."
Zhao Yu countered, "Is reputation more important, or human life? As for the Jurchens' retaliation, you needn't worry. They are skilled in archery and horsemanship, but in terms of martial arts, they are far from being a match for the martial arts world of the Central Plains."
"I will arrange for skilled soldiers to patrol the water sources and kitchens of each camp day and night, and also dispatch physicians knowledgeable in pharmacology to accompany the army. As long as we are well prepared, even if the Jurchens want to retaliate, they will have no way to do so."
The reasons had been explained clearly, but Hong Qi still couldn't bring himself to say no. Just as he was hesitating, Qiu Qianren took a step forward.
"Your Majesty, the entire Iron Palm Clan is willing to accept this mission. We have many skilled martial artists in our clan; infiltrate the enemy camp and poison them—that's our job."
Qiu Qianren was not a gentleman to begin with, and he did not have the same chivalrous baggage as Hong Qi.
In his view, any means were acceptable as long as the Jurchens could be defeated.
Provoked by Qiu Qianren's words, Hong Qi gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, it's better for the Jurchens to suffer than for the common people. My Beggars' Sect will take this job."
"Good." Zhao Yu showed approval. "Chief Hong is very righteous. I have already arranged the specific division of labor. Brother Hong, you will lead the best martial artists to infiltrate the Jin camp and poison them. Be sure to be discreet and do not linger in battle."
"Qiu Qing, select some capable men to be in charge of guarding and patrolling our army's various battalions, and strictly prevent the Jurchens from retaliating by poisoning."
"The rest of the troops should reorganize their armor and weapons, and conserve their strength. The day the poison takes effect will be the day the main army strikes. In this first battle, I will annihilate the Jin vanguard and let them know that my Great Song is not a soft persimmon to be squeezed."
"As you command."
The people in the hall bowed in unison to obey the order, their previous gloom vanished, and fighting spirit ignited in everyone's eyes.