"Zhao Tidian, please come in. My family is waiting for Zhao to mention it in the living room. Jia Yidao's personal attitude is courteous, and his voice maintains the humility that a subordinate should have, and there is no arrogance like the prime minister's doorman and the seventh official.

Zhao Jiaren strode into Jia Yidao's residence, which was provided by the government to the residence of high-ranking officials passing by. As soon as he entered the brightly lit living room, he smelled the smell of chrysanthemum mosquito incense, and Jia Rudao was already waiting inside. This is a very high level of courtesy, and even in their own home, the host of high status rarely takes the initiative to wait for guests. For ordinary guests, it is only after the guests have settled in the reception place that the master appears under the guidance of the servant's entourage.

There was only Jia Yidao in the living room, and the servant retreated after inviting Zhao Jiaren in. Zhao Jiaren was actually a little hungry, and when he saw several dishes on the table, he was even more hungry. However, Jia Rudao's posture is obviously to talk about things. Zhao Jiaren warned himself in his heart not to eat too much.

Seeing Zhao Jiaren's performance, Jia Rudao laughed, "Haha." Jiaren, our two families are world friends, you stand so straight, and you secretly swallow saliva. It's too outrageous. ”

When Zhao Jiaren heard this, he was no longer polite. After sitting down, he confessed his sin, and picked up his chopsticks and stuffed a large piece of fish into his mouth. Swallow the fish, sandwich a large piece of scrambled eggs and continue eating. Jia Yidao didn't care, Zhao Jiaren had been fighting on the river all day for the past two days, and it would be strange if he wasn't hungry. He poured wine for the two of them, and drank slowly while he slowly ate the grass.

After a sharp thrust, Zhao Jiaren felt so hungry and panicked. Picking up the teacup and pouring two sips, he asked Jia Rudao: "Jia Gong, I don't know what to call me here." ”

Jia Rudao held the wine glass and said with a lot of concern: "Send a boat in Ezhou City today. I will go into the city to-morrow, and you must send me. ”

During the day, Zhao Jiaren did receive two ships that came out of the Ezhou Water Gate. Since the battle was fought more than a month ago, after the Mongol naval army defeated the Great Song naval army and captured a large number of ships, the Ezhou naval army retreated in the city and did not dare to come out. Seeing that Zhao Jiaren swept through the Mongolian naval army for several days in a row, and there were no Mongolian warships on the river, the Ezhou naval army finally dared to send ships to Hanyang City on the other side of the river. Zhao Jiaren didn't expect that the ship that came was actually inviting Jia Nidao to enter Ezhou.

"Jiaren, there is no soldier who must be saved, and there is no city that must be defended. Keep the waterway, and the city of Ezhou will be at ease. It's up to you. Jia Rudao was worried when he said this, and he could see that he was under a lot of pressure in his heart.

Without waiting for Zhao Jiaren to persuade him, Jia Rudao suddenly let out a long sigh, and the whole person suddenly became sharp, "Since ancient times, it has been difficult to die alone, and this time it is time to serve the country." But I looked ahead and backwards, and I was really asking for my own hardship. ”

Hey, hey! You don't want to change so much, okay! Zhao Jiaren secretly scolded himself in his heart, but he could fully understand Jia Yidao's reaction. Zhao Jiaren's victory today is the result of his painstaking preparation over the past few years. Every ship, every soldier, every artillery, Zhao Jiaren knows it well. But Jia Nidao does not have such conditions, holding the title of privy envoy, assuming the important task of the ambassador of Xuanfu in western Beijing, Hunan, North and Sichuan, and Jia Nidao's subordinates are basically people they don't know, and many of them have only now met for the first time. It's strange if you have a spectrum in your heart.

didn't wait for Zhao Jiaren to come up with words of encouragement for Jia Nidao, but saw Jia Nidao move the plates and chopsticks on the table. Several chopsticks are arranged in an arc, with one dish on each side of the left end of the arc and two dishes on the right side of the top of the arc. After putting it up, Jia Rudao asked Zhao Jiaren, "Does Jiaren think this picture can be understood?" ”

Zhao Jiaren took a pair of chopsticks from the scrambled egg plate on the left, and then said: "This side is Hanyang and Ezhou, and over there are Huangpi and Yangluobao in Jiangbei." If it is someone else, either only Yangluo Fort or only Huangpi will be released. I don't think the two places are interconnected. ”

Being held by Zhao Jiaren without a trace, Jia Rudao smiled slightly, pointed to this simple topographic map and said: "Originally, the Mongolian army could go back and forth on the river and do whatever they wanted. Now the Han River is in my hands, and the Lü clan is heading south from Chongqing. The upstream has been worry-free. Now that Jiaren was able to cut off the river, the Mongol army had become a self-defeating trap. How much grain and grass can they bring when they cross the river, if they go out in the field like this, they will probably have to wait for death in a few months. ”

Saying this in high spirits, Jia Rudao stopped. Zhao Jiaren had been thinking about this kind of thing for several years, and he naturally asked, "Since Jia Gong thinks that the Mongol army wants to break through Ezhou to reverse the situation. Why did Jia Gong go to Ezhou. ”

Jia Rudao took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He said with a firm gaze: "Ezhou must not be lost. If there is a loss, Ezhou will not be lost, and it is only a matter of time before the Mongol army is defeated. If Ezhou falls......"

Speaking of this, Jia Rudao paused again.

Zhao Jiaren couldn't help but continue: "Jia Gong, if I block the Yangtze River, the Mongolian army dogs will jump over the wall in a hurry, I am afraid that they will storm Ezhou." ”

Jia Nidao didn't answer after hearing this, just when Zhao Jiaren felt that Jia Nidao would continue to be silent, but he heard Jia Nidao speak, "With me in Ezhou, Ezhou will never fall!" The momentum in the words made Zhao Jiaren very familiar, it was the spirit of breaking the kettle. Zhao Jiaren has made so many amazing choices in the past few years, and he is also uneasy and hesitant in his heart before making a decision every time. can think of the result of stagnating, Zhao Jiaren had to use this kind of courage to put life and death out of the way to force himself to make a choice.

Now that Jia Rudao has such an awareness, Zhao Jiaren smiled and said calmly: "With Jia Gong presiding, Ezhou will definitely be as safe as a rock." However, the Mongol army was probably in a hurry to intimidate Jia Gong, saying that if they were not allowed to return north, they would be burned and killed on Jiangnan West Road and Jinghu South Road. ”

This time, Jia Rudao did not answer immediately. He understood what Zhao Jiaren meant, there were about 100,000 Mongolian soldiers outside Ezhou City, if these 100,000 people really couldn't return to the north the same way, but broke the jar and slaughtered in the south of the Yangtze River, it would be a very terrifying thing. After thinking for a while, Jia Rudao sighed, "At this time, I can probably only negotiate peace." ”

As soon as he proposed peace, Zhao Jiaren was super unhappy in his heart. But though he was a nineteen-year-old boy in body, his mind was much superior. From the point of view of avoiding losses, negotiating peace at this time is not a wrong choice. The Great Song Dynasty did not have enough field troops and 100,000 Mongol troops to fight field battles on the Jinghu South Road.

Holding back his unhappiness, Zhao Jiaren said: "Jia Gong, if you negotiate peace this time. Let Mongolia write down the paperwork, our Great Song Dynasty does not cede land, does not call ministers, and does not pay tribute. Mongolia must compensate us with 100,000 taels of silver. The Mongols probably won't keep their promise, but we must not lose our morality. If they don't agree, we will fight them to the end. How long can the grain that these Mongols bring across the river last? Two months, three months? Even if it can last for half a year, when the rainy season comes, these 100,000 Mongolian troops will not adapt to the water and soil, and they will inevitably turn into dry bones. ”

“…… I know! Jia Rudao said simply. He already trusted Zhao Jiaren very much, and naturally knew that Zhao Jiaren would never want to compromise with the Mongols. Jia Rudao didn't want to make the slightest concession to the Mongols, but the situation of the Song army had only suddenly improved a few days ago, and he had only just adapted to the fierce changes in the war situation.

What needs to be said has been said, and the strategic decision that should have been made has been figured out. Jia Rudao took a glass of wine and drank it all, and said to Zhao Jiaren: "Tomorrow, you send me to Ezhou." ”

It was September 14 when Jia Rudao entered Ezhou, and the wind and sun in Ezhou were beautiful these days, and the river surface was quite stable. Escorting the convoy safely to the west water gate of Ezhou City, the Mongol navy peeped from a very distance, probably in case Zhao Jiaren's fleet suddenly rushed over to attack the flotilla on their shore.

Zhao Jiaren looked at Jia Rudao, dressed in a purple robe and carrying a goldfish bag, striding into Ezhou City, which was besieged by Mongolian soldiers on three sides. Doubts suddenly arose in his heart, at this time, Jia Nidao, who bravely went to the country, did not look like Jia Nidao who abandoned his troops and fled in the desert during the battle of Dingjiazhou.

Maybe after history changes, the future Jia Rudao will also change. Zhao Jiaren sighed secretly in his heart, and then ordered the fleet to turn around and head downstream to the Huangpi River. In the next two or three months, Zhao Jiaren's task was to suppress and eliminate the Mongol naval army. They are not allowed to cross the river from here.