Chapter 320 The Song Dynasty decides the Kingdom of Jin
"Princess, the Song Dynasty has regained its former glory." Wen Boyuan turned around and looked at Zhao Yingluo with a burning gaze, "It's time to consider joining forces with Wanyan Zongyi to deal a heavy blow to the Kingdom of Jin."
Zhao Yingluo frowned slightly. She knew the importance of this decision and the risks involved.
Although Wanyan Zongyi was extremely powerful, he was still a member of the Jin Kingdom. Joining forces with him was tantamount to seeking the skin of a tiger. However, the Song Dynasty wanted to avenge Jingkang's shame and restore its glory. This seemed to be another option that had to be considered.
"Commander Wen, it's not that I haven't considered your proposal." Zhao Yingluo spoke slowly, with a hint of helplessness in her voice, "But this matter is of great importance. If you are not careful, it may trigger crazy revenge from the Jin Kingdom."
Wen Boyuan nodded, expressing that he understood the princess's concerns.
He took a deep breath, presented a map, pointed to the border between the Jin Kingdom and the Song Dynasty and said: "Princess, please look, this is our border with the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Zongyi's sphere of influence is mainly concentrated here. He We have a common enemy - the Jin Kingdom. As long as we can cooperate with him, we will be able to defeat the Jin Kingdom in one fell swoop."
Zhao Yingluo stood up and walked to the map to observe carefully.
She had to admit that Wen Boyuan's proposal did have some feasibility.
Left Prime Minister Lu Yihao said with some concern, "But how can we ensure that Wanyan Zongyi will not betray us? After all, he is a Jinguo."
"The left prime minister is very worried." Wen Boyuan said after thinking for a moment, "But we can restrain him by signing a covenant, exchanging protons, etc. At the same time, we must also strengthen our own military strength just in case."
Zhao Yingluo nodded after hearing this. According to her understanding of Wanyan Zongyi, this person is definitely not the kind of treacherous person. Once the Song Dynasty joins forces with Wanyan Zongyi to help him regain the throne, they will negotiate to return to the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun. It's not impossible.
Wen Boyuan's proposal aroused criticism in the court, and the courtiers discussed it a lot and had different opinions.
Some people support the princess's decision and believe that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; others hold opposing views and believe that joining forces with Wanyan Zongyi is too risky.
After Grand Master Zongze heard this, he strode forward to express his support for Wen Boyuan: "Your Highness the Princess is wise! I have long been unable to stand the arrogance of the people of the Jin Kingdom! This time together with Wanyan Zongyi, we will definitely defeat the Jin Kingdom in one fell swoop!"
However, other veterans of the Cautious Sect were worried: "Princess, think twice! Wanyan Zongyi is a foreigner after all, how can we easily trust him? What if he betrays us?"
Just as the two sides were arguing, Han Shizhong stood up.
He had just returned from Tokyo East Road and was promoted to deputy envoy to the Privy Council, and he knew the war and military situation in the border areas well.
"Princess, ladies and gentlemen!" Han Shizhong said loudly after clasping his fists and saluting, "The last general is in charge of the army on the east route. He knows that the morale of our army is high and the soldiers are eager to fight. Moreover, General Yue Fei of Xingzhou is brave, good at fighting and resourceful. He is here to guard the border. Why should we fear the Kingdom of Jin? I think joining forces with Wanyan Zongyi is a feasible plan!”
Han Shizhong's words cheered up the atmosphere in the hall, and Zhao Yingluo also felt a little relieved. She knew this decision was not easy, but having these loyal soldiers supporting her made her feel extremely determined.
"Pass my order!" Zhao Yingluo stood up and said loudly, "Get in touch with Wanyan Zongyi immediately to discuss the specific plan to attack the Kingdom of Jin! At the same time, strengthen the defense of the border just in case!"
In the study of Wen Boyuan, the commander of the Imperial City Division, under the dim light, a secret letter was nervously unfolded. The messenger just returned from going to Beijing and brought Wanyan Zongyi's reply. Wen Boyuan read the contents of the letter word for word with piercing eyes. "Sir, how do Wanyan Zongyi respond?" The deputy on the side couldn't help but asked curiously.
Wen Boyuan put down the letter, took a deep breath, and a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes: "Wanyan Zongyi completely agrees to join forces with us in the Song Dynasty to jointly attack the Jin Dynasty court."
"This...this is really good news!" the deputy said excitedly, "In this way, our Song Dynasty will hopefully avenge its past humiliation!"
"Yes, but this is just the beginning." Wen Boyuan looked solemn, "Next, we need to plan more carefully."
The news quickly spread to the palace, and Princess Zhao Yingluo immediately summoned Wen Boyuan after hearing the news. In the gorgeous palace, the princess sat on the throne. After Wen Boyuan knelt down and saluted, he handed over Wanyan Zongyi's reply letter.
"Princess, Wanyan Zongyi has agreed to the alliance." Wen Boyuan reported concisely and clearly.
Zhao Yingluo took the letter and after reading it carefully, a trace of determination flashed in her eyes: "This is a great opportunity, we can't miss it."
"What the princess said is absolutely true." Wen Boyuan nodded in agreement, "But we still need to be cautious in this matter to avoid alerting the enemy."
"What are your plans?" Zhao Yingluo asked.
Wen Boyuan pondered for a moment and then replied: "We need to further discuss the specific cooperation details with Wanyan Zongyi, including the time of dispatching troops, troop deployment, etc. At the same time, we must also strengthen the border defense to prevent a sudden attack by the Jin Dynasty court."
"Very good." Zhao Yingluo nodded with satisfaction, "I'll leave this matter to you."
However, not everyone at court is optimistic about this alliance. When the news spread, some conservative veterans expressed concern.
"Joining forces with the rebels of the Jin Kingdom, wouldn't this be raising the stakes of a tiger?" an old minister said angrily.
"Wanyan Zongyi is so ambitious, how can we easily trust him?" Another minister also expressed similar concerns.
Privy Councilor Zhu Shengfei held a different view: "Everyone, today's Song Dynasty is no longer what it used to be. We have the ability to compete with the Jin Kingdom. Although Wanyan Zongyi was ambitious, his conflict with the Jin Dynasty court was also inevitable. Reconciliation. Why don’t we take this opportunity to defeat the Jin Kingdom in one fell swoop?”
Han Shizhong also stood up and supported Zhu Shengfei's point of view: "Master Zhu is right. We can no longer be passively beaten as we were in the past. Now is the time to take the initiative!"
The debate in the court lasted for several days, and finally Princess Zhao Yingluo overcame all opinions and made the decision to form an alliance with Wanyan Zongyi. She firmly believed that this was an excellent opportunity for the rise of the Song Dynasty.
In the days that followed, Wen Boyuan frequently exchanged letters with Wanyan Zongyi to discuss the details of cooperation. The two sides reached consensus on issues such as the time for sending troops and the deployment of troops. At the same time, the Song Dynasty also began to strengthen border defenses to prevent sneak attacks by the Jin court.
As preparations for the alliance gradually advanced, the morale of the Song Dynasty soldiers was high and they were eager for a battle. They knew that this war would be unlike any other. This is a key battle for the rise of the Song Dynasty and an opportunity for them to fight for national honor.
