Chapter 25: A stray dog, yet you dare to bark wildly before my army?

Wanyan Zonghan arrived at the front lines, shielded by layers of heavy Jin infantry.

The commander of the Jin army feared the Song military’s bed-mounted crossbows most of all. With a range of 1,500 meters, these weapons possessed power comparable to 21st-century sniper rifles. Years ago, when the Liao army stood before the city of Chanyuan, they were on the verge of crushing the Song forces and marching straight to Kaifeng. At that critical moment, the Liao general Xiao Talin was struck dead by a Song bed-mounted crossbow. The shock to the Liao army’s morale ultimately led to the historical Treaty of Chanyuan.

It is said that these crossbows were constructed by joining three large bows together, requiring the combined strength of thirty men to draw. In peacetime, they doubled as siege equipment; their massive bolts could be driven into city walls, allowing soldiers to climb up using the embedded shafts as handholds. Even the heavily armored Jin troops stood in fear of them.

Shi Li’ai had advised against Wanyan Zonghan going to the front, noting that beyond the bed-mounted crossbows, the Song’s "Divine Arm" crossbows were equally formidable. Yet, Wanyan Zonghan was intent on personally humiliating the Song Emperor, Zhao Ning.

Wanyan Zonghan was a man of tiger-like ferocity, possessing the temperament of an ambitious warlord. Having followed Wanyan Aguda through countless campaigns, he was arguably the primary architect of the Jin state’s founding, commanding enough respect that even the Jin Emperor, Wanyan Wuqimai, deferred to him. Furthermore, since Zhao Ning had challenged him to a dialogue, refusing would allow Zhao Ning to proclaim to the Song soldiers that the Jin commander was a coward. At this moment, the battle for the Song army was a battle of spirit. Thus, on many levels, Wanyan Zonghan had to appear.

Seeing a man clad in profound black, heavy armor arrive at the front lines under the protection of multiple defensive layers, Zhao Ning immediately grew alert.

Li Ruoshui felt a surge of energy as well. "Your Majesty, that is Wanyan Zonghan. Shall we use the Divine Arm crossbows?"

Zhang Bofen shook his head. "It is useless. At this distance, the lethality is greatly diminished. It would struggle to pierce even the shields, let alone the iron armor." As a civil official, Li Ruoshui naturally lacked such tactical understanding, but for a seasoned warrior like Zhang Bofen, it was clear: trying to kill an enemy commander during a standoff in this manner was nothing more than a pipe dream. Iron armor was not the flimsy material seen in stage plays; ordinary arrows could never penetrate it, which was precisely why the Jin army had rampaged across the North China Plain with impunity. While the Divine Arm crossbow was more powerful than standard bows, it was still insufficient to kill Wanyan Zonghan at this range.

The killing of Xiao Talin by the Song army in the past could only be attributed to a stroke of blind luck—a moment where fate had conspired against the Liao general.

"Is that Wanyan Zonghan who approaches?"

"Emperor of the Song, are you seeking to surrender?"

"Are you truly the Jin commander, Wanyan Zonghan?" Zhao Ning’s voice echoed near the city gate tower, amplified effectively by the "megaphone" he held.

Wanyan Zonghan gestured toward the ramparts, shouting arrogantly, "Emperor of the Song, my army of 150,000 stands at your gates. Kaifeng is surrounded, and your reinforcements from Shaanxi are blocked at Tongguan. A wise man submits to the inevitable; why not open the gates and surrender? I may yet grant you leniency."

Li Ruoshui was incensed and moved to curse the commander, but Zhao Ning held up a hand.

"Zonghan," Zhao Ning shouted, "if you could truly take Bianjing, why come here to speak with me? You only wish to humiliate me before your troops to break our morale. But our Song soldiers and people are united, and we swear to fight you to the death!"

"Hah! You spineless, pig-like cowards! If you do not open the gates, once I breach the city by force, you will face a very different fate!"

Shi Li’ai stepped forward, shouting, "Your Majesty, since last year, the Song army has retreated at every turn without a single victory. The heavenly troops of the Great Jin have marched south from Youzhou as if walking through an empty land. You know the disparity between us well. Why not surrender now? The Marshal is merciful; as long as you provide the wealth, everything is negotiable!"

"Who are you?"

"I am Shi Li’ai."

"So, it is you, old scoundrel!"

Shi Li’ai was taken aback by the sudden insult. Before he could respond, Zhao Ning continued, "You are a Han man, raised on the teachings of the sages, yet you act as an accomplice to tyranny. How are you any different from the beasts?"

Shi Li’ai had not expected the Song Emperor to be so adept at vitriol. Overcome with rage, he roared, "You foolish dog of an Emperor! Your state has lost its virtue, and the hearts of the people have withered. The mandate of heaven has shifted, and the throne must change hands—this is the natural order. If you defy heaven, you will surely face divine retribution!" Unlike Wanyan Zonghan, who relied on crude threats of violence, Shi Li’ai sought to frame the conflict in terms of political legitimacy. "If you surrender now, our Marshal will spare your life. Do not be ungrateful!"

"I have long heard that when you served the Liao, you were considered a man of virtue. Seeing you today, you are nothing but an ignorant fool!" Zhao Ning’s voice rose, resonant and sharp. "Listen well, all of you! Shi Li’ai, you are a Han man who has studied the classics, yet you do not think of your ancestral lands, choosing instead to serve barbarians for generations—and you take pride in it! If you had a shred of shame, you would return to the Great Song and join me in purging these invaders! Instead, you covet titles and rank, betraying your sovereign and your ancestors to serve the wicked! You are a rat-eyed, thieving cur, a stray dog without a home! You white-haired, gray-bearded old scoundrel, how dare you bark at me! Withdraw, lest you soil the blades of my Song warriors!"

At seventy-two years of age, Shi Li’ai was struck by the sheer intensity of the verbal assault. His chest heaved, and he gasped for air, pointing at the city tower while sputtering, "You dog of an Emperor... you dog..."

Wanyan Zonghan was stunned that the Song Emperor possessed such a sharp tongue. Seeing Shi Li’ai on the verge of collapse, he hurried to call for aid. "Quick! Take Minister Shi away to rest! Fetch a physician!"

Shi Li’ai was escorted away. Though a Han, he was highly valued by Wanyan Zonghan. Men like Shi Li’ai and Liu Yanzong were exceptionally capable, regardless of the moral quandary of their allegiance. Shi Li’ai was a scholar from the Yanyun region; it was the Song’s own failure to reclaim those lands that had left the Han people there under Liao rule. In truth, Shi Li’ai was not a cruel man—he had even tried to prevent the Jin army from plundering when they invaded Hebei. One could argue he shouldn't be judged for his position. But this was war, and war is the continuation of politics, where there is no room for ambiguity regarding one’s stance.

On the city walls, the Song ministers stood dumbfounded. When had their Emperor become so terrifyingly sharp-tongued?