He had to prepare for the worst so as not to be in a hurry when the time came. "Also prepare some ships and make plans to escape southward. Once Yangzhou city is defeated, we will take a boat and escape southward by sea." After giving all these instructions, Zhao Gou slumped down on the dragon chair and felt dizzy. He thought of the days when he grew up in the palace, of his determination to be a wise and mighty emperor, of the hard work and effort he had put in for the Song Dynasty... all of this was in vain at this moment. Outside Yangzhou City, the army led by Han Shizhong has launched a fierce attack on Yangzhou City. Although the defenders led by Guo Wei tried their best to resist, they still could not block the opponent's offensive. Guo Wei stood on the tower, looking at the dark enemy troops in the distance, his heart filled with fear and despair. He knew that he was now in a desperate situation. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the opponent's attack. "General! We can't hold it anymore!" A deputy general ran to Guo Wei and said breathlessly, "The opponent's offensive is too fierce. Most of our people have been killed or injured!" After hearing this, Guo Wei sighed and said: "Pass my order and ask all the soldiers to withdraw to the inner city. We concentrate our forces to defend the inner city and wait for the arrival of reinforcements." The deputy general responded and turned around to leave, while Guo Wei continued to stand on the tower, looking at the enemy troops in the distance. He knows that he has done his best now. The rest is up to God. At the same time, in the camp outside Healthy City, General Zhang Jun was also anxiously waiting for the arrival of reinforcements.
He knew that the troops he had now could not resist Zhao Yingluo's army. If the reinforcements cannot arrive in time, Healthy City will really fall. He was pacing back and forth, anxious. Suddenly, a spy rushed in, knelt in front of him and said: "Report! The reinforcements from Sichuan have arrived in Huangzhou! They are coming to Jiankang!" Zhang Jun was overjoyed when he heard this and asked hurriedly: "Are you sure? The reinforcements from Shu have really arrived in Huangzhou?" The spy nodded and said: "It's absolutely true! I saw it with my own eyes!" Zhang Jun burst out laughing when he heard this. He felt as if he had seen the dawn of victory. He knew that as long as the reinforcements from Shu could arrive in time, they would have enough troops to resist Zhao Yingluo's army. However, he was not happy for long. Ten days later, he was given even worse news, "Report! Zhao Yingluo's army has captured Yangzhou City! They are marching towards health!" Zhang Jun was stunned when he heard this, as if he was struck by lightning. He knew that his hopes had been completely dashed. No matter whether the reinforcements from Shu can arrive in time, they can no longer change this defeat. …… In Lin'an City, Zhao Gou was also anxiously waiting for the news. He knew that his fate was in the hands of others. Neither Guo Wei nor Zhang Jun can change this fact. He was pacing back and forth, anxious. Suddenly, Feng Yi, the chamberlain who had replaced Zeng Xue as the inner-intellectual general, rushed in and knelt in front of him and said, "Report to the official family! Yangzhou City has been lost! General Guo Wei retreated to the south of the river." When Zhao Gou heard this, he collapsed on the ground as if he had been struck by lightning. He felt as if the whole world had collapsed. After a while, he recovered and asked in a trembling voice, "Then... that health Where is the city? Did General Zhang Jun defend Healthy City?" Feng Yi shook his head and said, "Back to the official house, there is no news from Health City yet." The atmosphere in the court hall was extremely tense. The expressions of the civil and military ministers were solemn. They all knew that the current situation was urgent and there was no need to delay. Zhao Gou sat on the dragon chair, and said with trembling hands, "My dear friends, the situation is very critical now. Han Shizhong has captured Yangzhou, and Guo Wei has withdrawn Chen Bing to the south of the Yangtze River. What should we do?" The court hall suddenly fell into silence. Ministers all know that the current situation is very serious and they must come up with an effective countermeasure as soon as possible. However, no one is willing to risk making an immature suggestion at this time.
They are all waiting for someone to break the silence and come up with a practical solution. At this moment, Zhao Ding, who succeeded Zhu Shengfei as Privy Councilor, stood up. After saluting Zhao Gou, he said impassionedly: "Officials, I think that the only way now is to conquer in person! Only by your Majesty in person can we boost morale and stabilize the morale of the army. In the past, when Emperor Zhenzong faced the invasion of the Liao Kingdom, his personal expedition defeated the spirit of the Liao Kingdom. , and protected the country of the Song Dynasty. Your Majesty should also follow Emperor Zhenzong’s example and fight in person to boost the morale of the army!" As soon as Zhao Ding finished speaking, there was a buzz of discussion in the court hall. Some ministers agreed and believed that personal expedition was indeed an effective method; some ministers opposed it, believing that personal expedition was too risky and that if something went wrong, the consequences would be disastrous. When Zhao Gou heard Zhao Ding's suggestion, he hesitated in his heart. He knew that personal expedition was indeed an effective way to boost morale and stabilize military morale. However, he also knows that there are also huge risks in personal expedition. In the event of defeat or other unexpected circumstances, the consequences would be disastrous. At this moment, Huang Qianshan stood up. He glanced at Zhao Ding, with a sneer at the corner of his mouth, and then bowed to Zhao Gou and said, "What Mr. Zhao said is wrong. Now Han Shizhong has captured Yangzhou, and Guo Wei has withdrawn Chen Bing to the south of the Yangtze River. The situation is not good for us. It is extremely unfavorable. If the officials rush to conquer in person, I am afraid they will be in danger. In my opinion, it is better to go south to avoid its sharp edge and plan for the future." Qin Hui also took the opportunity to echo: "Your Majesty, what Mr. Huang said is absolutely true. It is wise to go south. It can not only avoid the military disaster for the time being, but also preserve our strength for the future." There was a fierce argument in the court again. The ministers who advocated personal expedition and the ministers who advocated going south expressed their opinions and argued with each other. Zhao Gou sat on the dragon chair, listening to the arguments of the ministers, and his heart became more and more confused. Zhao Gou was shaken when he heard Qin Hui's suggestion. Listening to the arguments of the ministers, I felt increasingly confused. He felt dizzy, as if the whole world was spinning. He didn't know what the right choice was for him. He felt helpless and hopeless. At this moment, Zhao Ding stood up. He bowed deeply to Zhao Gou, and then said impassionedly: "Your Majesty! Huang Qianshan and Qin Hui's suggestions are really harmful to the country! Going south will dampen the spirit of the government and the public, and make the Song Dynasty The country is even more unstable. Officials should go on a personal expedition to boost morale and stabilize the morale of the army. If they fail to win, they can still negotiate with Zhao Yingluo and find a peaceful solution. If they go south, it will be even more difficult to keep the throne!" As soon as Zhao Ding finished speaking, there was a chorus of agreement in the court hall. Those ministers who advocated personal conquest all expressed their agreement with Zhao Ding's opinion, believing that personal conquest was the only way out. Zhao Gou was shaken when he heard Zhao Ding's refutation. He knew that Zhao Ding's words made sense. Although there are risks in personal expedition, it may also turn the situation around.