If you go south, it will be equivalent to giving up the Central Plains and a large area of territory, and the Song Dynasty will be even more unstable. After some fierce debate and thinking, Zhao Gou finally made a decision. He stood up and glanced firmly at the ministers in the court, then said in a deep voice: "I have decided to fight in person! I believe that as long as we unite as one, we will be able to stabilize the situation and protect the country of the Song Dynasty! If we lose, I will also seek to fight with Zhao Yingluo’s way of peace talks!” In the end, he still wanted to fight for his throne. Emperor Zhenzong could repel the Liao people in his own expedition, so why couldn't he repel his sister?
The hundreds of thousands of troops led by Zhao Yingluo crossed the Yangtze River like strong winds and huge waves. The sound of iron hoofs crushing the waves of the river shocked everyone's heart. They have only one goal: to approach Jiankang City and capture Zhao Gou. Zhang Jun, the guard in Jiankang City, was standing anxiously on the city wall, looking into the distance. When the flags of Zhao Yingluo's army became clearer and clearer in his sight, he couldn't help but take a breath. "Hurry! Ask the court for help as soon as possible!" Zhang Jun shouted to the messengers around him, his voice full of urgency. However, he knew in his heart that even if the court's reinforcements arrived, it would take time. This period of time is undoubtedly the most dangerous for Jiankang City. Just when Zhang Jun was anxious, dust suddenly rose in the distance, and an army was rushing towards Jiankang City. Zhang Jun took a closer look and was immediately surprised - that was the flag of the imperial court, and reinforcements had arrived!
However, as the reinforcements gradually approached, Zhang Jun's heart sank again. Because he found that the number of the supporting army was far smaller than Zhao Yingluo's army. After receiving the report from the spies that it was an official expedition, Zhang Jun hurriedly led all the officials in the city to greet him. After getting off the imperial ban and ascending the tower, Zhao Gou looked solemn, followed by a group of courtiers such as Zhao Ding, Qin Hui, Huang Qianshan and others. "Zhang Jun, how is the situation now?" Zhao Gou asked hurriedly as he got off the chariot. Zhang Jun smiled bitterly, pointed at Zhao Yingluo's army outside the city, and said: "Your Majesty, you have seen it. Zhao Yingluo's army has already arrived at the city, but our strength is very different..." Zhao Gou looked in the direction of Zhang Jun's finger and saw Zhao Yingluo's army approaching the city like dark clouds, with a fierce momentum. As the emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Gou had always been timid and cowardly, and had no interest in war and bloodshed. When he actually saw Zhao Yingluo's army of more than 200,000 people arriving at Jiankang City, he was filled with fear and uneasiness. "What should we do? If Jiankang City falls, wouldn't my life be in danger?" Zhao Gouzi paced anxiously, his face pale. Zhao Ding on the side couldn't help but sigh inwardly when he saw this. He knew that Zhao Gou's character was not suitable for the important task of emperor. But at this moment, the safety of the Song Dynasty and the people depended on Zhao Gou, and he had to step forward. "Guan Jian, as the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, how can you retreat at this moment?" Zhao Ding stepped forward and said sternly, "Jiankang City is the barrier to the south of the Yangtze River. Once it is lost, the consequences will be disastrous. You must climb the city wall in person to boost morale. , in order to stabilize the morale of the military." Zhao Ding's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting his heart hard. "I...do I really want to go?" Zhao Gou asked in a trembling voice. "Your Majesty, you have no choice." Zhao Ding said categorically, "As the emperor, you must shoulder this responsibility. Otherwise, the country of the Song Dynasty will cease to exist." Zhao Gou took a deep breath and tried to calm the fear in his heart. He knew that Zhao Ding was right. As the emperor, he must stand up and fight for the safety of the Song Dynasty and the people. Like a raging tide, the hundreds of thousands of troops led by Zhao Yingluo rushed to Jiankang City overnight. The majestic sound of war drums and the uniform footsteps of the soldiers were intertwined, shocking everyone's heart.
The defenders of Jiankang City stared nervously at the densely packed enemy camps outside the city, their hearts filled with fear and uneasiness. After the army rested for a day, early the next morning, following Zhao Yingluo's order, the soldiers rushed towards Jiankang City like tigers out of their cages. However, at this moment, Zhao Yingluo noticed that the flag on the city wall had been replaced by the royal flag. That was the flag of the emperor's brother Zhao Gou, and he actually came to Jiankang City to supervise the battle!
A trace of complicated emotions flashed in Zhao Yingluo's eyes. She was well aware of the grievances between herself and her imperial brother, but at the moment, she was more concerned about the country of the Song Dynasty and the safety of the people. Therefore, she temporarily ordered the siege to be stopped, and ordered people to shout into the city, asking to meet the emperor's brother. Zhao Gou had no choice but to show up at the tower. He stood on the high tower, looking at the dark army outside the city and the heroic Zhao Yingluo, with mixed feelings in his heart. He knew that the conflict between him and his sister was irreconcilable, but at this moment, he had to remain calm and not lose the majesty of the emperor in front of the army. "Brother, please come and be safe." Zhao Yingluo shouted loudly, with a sense of majesty and domineering in her voice. "Zhao Yingluo, you rebelled against the imperial court and committed the following crimes, which is a heinous crime! I care about the relationship between my brother and sister, and advise you to retreat early, otherwise..." Zhao Goose shouted with a sharp heart. Zhao Yingluo sneered and said: "Brother Emperor, don't you know what you have done? Today I will list the six major crimes you have committed since you succeeded to the throne, so that you can understand why you are not suitable to be the emperor!" When Zhao Gou heard this, his face suddenly turned pale, "What nonsense are you talking about? What crime am I guilty of?" "Crime 1: Allowing my father and brother to be captured by the Jin army and go north without rescuing them!" Zhao Yingluo shouted sternly, "As a prince, you should step forward to save your father and brother from danger. However, you are greedy for life and fear death, regardless of the life and death of your father and brother. .This is the same crime!” "Crime 2: Preoccupying the south of the Yangtze River with no intention of regaining the Central Plains and the homeland to the north, and refusing to return Kaifeng!" Zhao Yingluo continued to shout, "As an emperor, you should put the country and the country first. However, you are greedy for comfort and do not think about progress. This crime is 2. also!" "Crime 3: Re-employing Qin Hui and other capitulating factions does not prioritize the country and the country of the Song Dynasty!" Zhao Yingluo's voice became louder and louder, "As an emperor, you should distinguish between right and wrong and re-employ the loyal and the good. However, you re-appointed the treacherous minister Qin Hui and others, which led to the chaos in the court. This is the third crime!" "Crime Four: Twice colluded with the Jin Kingdom and Xixia to use troops to provoke civil strife against me!" Zhao Yingluo continued to list Zhao Gou's crimes, "As the emperor, you should maintain the stability and unity of the country. However, you colluded with foreign enemies to provoke civil strife, resulting in the destruction of life. This is the fourth crime!" "Count Five: Imprisoning the war-fighting soldiers and officials has caused public resentment!" Zhao Yingluo's voice became more and more passionate. "As the emperor, you should comply with public opinion and reuse the war-fighting soldiers and officials. However, you imprisoned them, causing public resentment to boil. This is the fifth crime!" "Crime Six: Not listening to the Emperor's instructions is considered unfilial!" Zhao Yingluo shouted sternly, "As an emperor, you should abide by filial piety and obey the Emperor's instructions. However, you ignored the Emperor's instructions and it is considered unfilial. This is the sixth crime! "