I, Am a Living Yama; Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm

Chapter 140: The Most Insidious Plot in History! A Betrayal of the Emperor! Shocking the Court of Great Zhou!

The hall fell silent.

Everyone was deep in thought.

Yang Yi raised an eyebrow. Yue Fei?

After a while, Xu Jingzong spoke, his tone measured.

“Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, our Great Zhou has already taken over most of the north in just three to four months. Such speed is astounding. Instead of expanding further, it would be wiser to stabilize the areas we have already conquered.”

Many officials nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, Lord Xu’s words are wise and prudent.”

“That’s right. Our Great Zhou should first stabilize the rear before pursuing further conquests.”

“The resistance forces in the north of the Song Dynasty are stubborn. We might as well leave them alone for now.”

Wei Yuanzhong added his voice.

“Lord Xu’s reasoning is sound. In military campaigns, haste is the greatest folly. Our army has annexed enemy territory at a rapid pace, but such gains must be consolidated.”

He continued, “The Song Dynasty has twenty-six routes, four capitals, thirty prefectures, two hundred and fifty-four counties, sixty-three prisons, and one thousand two hundred and thirty-four districts, of which we currently control seventy percent in the north.

“This newly acquired land amounts to nearly one-fifth of Great Zhou’s existing territory. If our aim were merely to kill and plunder, our army could advance without much concern. However, if we intend to expand and assimilate this land into our empire, we must proceed cautiously.”

The hall murmured with agreement as Wei Yuanzhong concluded.

The sheer size of the Song Dynasty’s northern territory loomed large in their minds. The northern seventy percent alone was comparable to one-fifth of Great Zhou’s domain. Adding to the challenge, the land annexed from the Qing Dynasty last year was still far from fully pacified, with remnants of resistance lingering.

Moreover, it had been only three months since the northern Song territories were conquered.

Wu Zhao’s expression remained calm, her demeanor unreadable. Yet, in truth, she leaned toward a temporary truce.

In his report, Heichi Changzhi had described Yue Fei’s resistance as fierce and unrelenting. The Great Zhou army, after months of relentless campaigning, was at its breaking point—stretched thin and weary.

The conquered northern territories of the Song Dynasty had not yet been properly governed, and if the rear was left unstable while the resistance intensified at the front, the gains of the past months could quickly unravel.

After all, the northern people of the Song Dynasty were known for their resilience.

Wu Zhao’s thoughts were interrupted when Yang Yi stepped forward and bowed.

“Your Majesty,” he began, his tone steady, “in my humble opinion, if our army halts now, the northern territories we have gained will inevitably be retaken by Yue Fei’s forces.”

The hall erupted in murmurs. All eyes turned to Yang Yi in astonishment.

Even Wu Zhao looked surprised, her phoenix-like eyebrows arching as she leaned forward slightly.

“Minister Yang, why do you say this?” she asked, her voice calm but curious.

Yang Yi straightened, his expression grave.

“Your Majesty, while the officials of the Song Dynasty are incompetent, the common people are fiercely tenacious.

“This means the northern territories we have conquered are inherently unstable.

“If we do not eliminate Yue Fei and his resistance forces soon, the people of the north will inevitably rally around him. They will see our Great Zhou as incapable of defeating him, and though they may resent their emperor and court, no one willingly allows their country to fall.

“If Yue Fei is left unchecked, he will inspire hope among the people to expel us, the foreign invaders. At that point, with an unstable rear and a stretched front, our army will face certain defeat.”

A heavy silence fell over the hall.

Xu Jingzong stroked his beard, his brow furrowed in thought.

“Minister Yang, your points are valid. However, how can we continue to expand without stopping to reorganize?

“The resistance army led by Yue Fei cannot be eliminated in a short time. If we press forward without securing the rear, a rebellion could trap us between two fronts.”

He paused before adding, “I still believe that stability must come before further conquest.”

Many nodded, their agreement clear. Yang Yi was undeniably wise, but Xu Jingzong’s words were practical.

Yang Yi, however, smiled faintly.

“Lord Xu, your concerns are reasonable, but not stopping doesn’t mean committing all our forces to fighting Yue Fei. What I propose is maintaining a state of readiness while keeping the war limited in scope.”

Zhang Jianzhi frowned.

“Minister Yang, such an approach risks giving the Song people opportunities. In their territory, if we don’t commit fully, they’ll exploit any gaps and use their knowledge of the terrain to launch small, effective attacks against us.”

He added, “In my view, your proposal is riskier than either halting to stabilize or going all out for victory.”

The hall murmured again. Zhang Jianzhi’s argument made sense.

Yang Yi, however, remained unperturbed.

“Minister Zhang,” he said evenly, “your assessment is incorrect.

“My proposal to reduce the scale of the war serves three purposes:

“First, to allow our Great Zhou forces time to recover from exhaustion.

“Second, to prevent instability in the rear by avoiding overextension.

“Third, because eliminating Yue Fei and his Northern Song Patriot Army doesn’t require a large force.”

His last point sent a ripple of confusion through the hall.

Zhang Jianzhi frowned deeply.

“Minister Yang, General Heichi’s reports suggest that defeating Yue Fei will require significant effort. How can you claim it doesn’t require a large army?”

Yang Yi’s smile widened. Instead of responding directly, he turned to Wu Zhao and bowed.

“Your Majesty, I have a plan that will cause the remaining resistance of the Northern Song to collapse without us losing a single soldier.

“It will strip the southern Song court of its remaining support among the people and enable Great Zhou to take the northern territories without effort.”

The hall fell silent once more.

Everyone stared at Yang Yi, their expressions a mixture of shock and doubt.

Wu Zhao’s eyes glimmered with interest. She had not expected Minister Yang to have such a bold idea.