Chapter 144: Sinister Betrayals and Shattered Loyalties
Yue Fei turned sharply at the sound of footsteps approaching through the frigid morning mist. The sky was a pale gray, heralding the first light of dawn. A young armored general strode toward him, his face pale, eyes filled with unspoken sorrow. It was Zhang Qian, his trusted subordinate.
“What is it, Zhang Qian?” Yue Fei’s voice carried both concern and authority.
Zhang Qian halted a few steps away, his hands trembling.
“General Yue,” he began, his voice cracking, “the north is lost.”
Yue Fei’s eyes widened, his heart sinking like a stone.
“What happened? Could it be enemy reinforcements?”
Zhang Qian shook his head, his expression bitter.
“If only it were reinforcements,” he muttered. “We would fight them to the last man without hesitation. But this…” He took a shaky breath, then continued. “It’s the Emperor’s decree. He has ordered all southerners to return south and all northerners to return north. Anyone found out of place is to be forcibly repatriated immediately.”
For a moment, Yue Fei was silent, his expression frozen in disbelief. “What?” he finally whispered, his voice hoarse.
The Emperor’s decree felt like a thunderclap. How could Zhao Ji betray his own people ? The north had already fallen to the Zhou Dynasty—what little remained of Song territory was slipping through their fingers.
This decree was a dagger to the heart of their resistance. Worse, it tore apart the unity of the nation. Southerners and northerners were one family. Driving a wedge between them would only sow further discord.
Yue Fei clenched his fists, trying to suppress his rising fury. “Why? Why would the Emperor issue such an order?”
“He’s been negotiating with the Zhou Dynasty,” Zhang Qian replied bitterly. “The agreement was made—‘southerners return south, northerners return north.’ It’s already been finalized. We’ve been ordered to lead our troops back to Lin’an. If we refuse, we’ll be branded as traitors.”
Yue Fei’s jaw tightened. The Emperor’s betrayal cut deeper than any enemy blade. He had devoted his life to defending the Song Dynasty, only to be abandoned in its moment of greatest need.
“General,” Zhang Qian’s voice trembled, “what should we do?”
Yue Fei didn’t answer immediately. He stared into the distance, his thoughts a turbulent sea. How could he face his soldiers? How could he explain that their sacrifices were for naught? The men who had bled for their homeland were now being cast aside.
As the sun climbed higher, news of the decree spread throughout the city. The soldiers’ outrage was immediate and unrelenting.
“This foolish emperor,” one soldier spat. “How can he be so blind?”
“We’ve defended the north with our lives,” another shouted. “And this is how he repays us?”
“Despicable!” a third voice rang out. “The Emperor sits safe in the south while we fight and die for the Song Dynasty. He’s abandoned us!”
Their anger turned to despair. Men who had once stood firm in the face of overwhelming odds now questioned their loyalty. By nightfall, some had already deserted, their faith in the Emperor shattered.
The following morning, a lone messenger arrived at the camp, breathless and disheveled. “The Zhou Dynasty is… recruiting Song soldiers,” he announced between gasps. “They’re offering… two taels of silver a month. All who surrender… and pass the examination… can join their ranks.”
Gasps of disbelief echoed through the camp. Two taels of silver? It was double the pay they had received from the Song court—when the court had bothered to pay them at all.
“It must be a trick,” one soldier muttered, his voice tinged with suspicion.
“I thought the same,” the messenger admitted, “but my cousin lives in Tong Cheng, under Zhou rule. He says they’ve announced a one-year tax exemption and redistributed land to the poor.”
“Redistributing land?” another soldier asked incredulously. “To the peasants?”
The messenger nodded. “It’s true. Everyone there knows about it. The Zhou Dynasty is trying to win over the people.”
Silence fell as the soldiers absorbed the news. The Zhou Dynasty, their sworn enemy, was offering more to the common folk than their own Emperor. Doubt and resentment festered, and more men began to abandon the army.
Days turned to weeks. As soldiers continued to desert, Yue Fei stood on the city walls, watching the once-unbreakable army crumble. Just a month earlier, the men had been united, their resolve unshakable. Even the enemy commander had praised them as the last hard bones of the Song Dynasty. Now, the Emperor’s betrayal had broken them without a single arrow fired.
The chill of early winter crept into Yue Fei’s bones as he stared into the horizon, his heart heavy with unspoken grief. Behind him, footsteps echoed again—a reminder of the countless decisions he had yet to make. But this time, he did not turn around.