"James Lewis, go now and deliver my decree. Tell Grand Marshal Hall that I bestow upon him the Imperial Sword and appoint him as the Defender of the Eastern Capital. I do not want him to leave the city to fight, but I ask him to gather the remaining troops, strengthen the capital's defenses, and protect the lives of the millions in the city. When the Jin forces retreat, if he has defended the land and protected the people, he will be rewarded. Not only I, but even the people of Kaifeng will build a temple to honor him!"

James Lewis took the Imperial Sword with trembling hands, then looked up at William Harris.

"Your Majesty, I have one more thing. Grand Marshal Hall is, after all, a former minister of the retired emperor, and there is much criticism among the people..."

William Harris waved his hand and said loudly, "Tell Grand Marshal Hall that I am still the son of the retired emperor! As long as he sincerely resists the Jin and does his duty steadfastly, no one can touch him!"

With these words, James Lewis was finally at ease. Grand Marshal Hall, I will repay your kindness a hundredfold!

James Lewis left quickly, and David Carter sighed sincerely, "Your Majesty is truly generous to Grand Marshal Hall!"

"Is that so?" William Harris shook his head slightly, his gaze always on James Lewis. George Hall is nothing but a wild duck, but James Lewis is a phoenix, renowned alongside Han Shizhong and Yue Fei!

Chapter 5 Charles Harris Don't Run

George Hall took the initiative to approach, which made William Harris truly breathe a sigh of relief. At least it showed that, as emperor, he still carried some weight, and some old ministers dared not ignore him.

William Harris was dazed for a moment, then called David Carter over.

"Master Carter, you just said that Grand Preceptor Cai and Prince Todd are packing up their valuables and preparing to head south together?"

David Carter replied awkwardly, "That was just something I said, not necessarily reliable."

William Harris was displeased, "Don't play tricks with me. I'm asking you, is Samuel Todd usable or not?"

David Carter was secretly delighted, but dared not show it on his face. After all, in the Song dynasty, it wasn't fashionable to have a 'Eunuch of Nine Thousand Years.'

David Carter paused and said, "It's nothing remarkable. Just now, James Lewis said that Samuel Todd is unpopular and stole his father's credit. Actually, that's debatable. The credit for quelling the rebellion still belongs to Liu Fa, and James Lewis's father, Robert Lewis, also bribed many people, not just George Hall; he sent plenty to Todd, to Prince Todd as well. He even lost several times, suffering considerable losses."

After saying this, David Carter fully expected William Harris to be angry. After all, he had just bestowed the Imperial Sword, and the emperor relied so much on George Hall that he probably couldn't stand to hear anything bad about him. But when he looked up, he found William Harris smiling calmly, completely unruffled.

"I know what you mean. Crows are black everywhere!" William Harris was truly not surprised. In the twilight of this dynasty, no matter how much nonsense happened, nothing was shocking anymore.

Instead, William Harris chuckled and asked, "Master Carter, we're seeking life in the midst of death. Between two crows, I want you to find the blacker one. Who do you say it is?"

That was a question worthy of an emperor!

David Carter stared in astonishment, mouth agape. He had served William Harris for years, but the emperor after ascending the throne truly made him see him in a new light. Could it be that the dragon throne actually boosts intelligence?

But it didn't seem to work for the retired emperor!

David Carter shook his head slightly, then gritted his teeth and said, "Naturally, Prince Todd is blacker!"

"Why?" William Harris pressed.

"Let's not talk about the past. He abandoned Taiyuan, lost the army's support, and the pro-war ministers see him as a thorn in their side, wishing to get rid of him as soon as possible. He will most likely follow the retired emperor down the same dark path! Even if Your Majesty gives him face, he may not accept it."

William Harris's expression grew somber, and he sighed, "In terms of military strategy, Samuel Todd is still above George Hall. The pro-war ministers want to kill Samuel Todd, and that's not surprising. As long as Samuel Todd can muster the courage to truly change his ways and make me see his value, he can continue to stand firm. Otherwise, just for abandoning Taiyuan and fleeing back to Kaifeng, I could have his head!"

William Harris's murderous declaration made David Carter tremble with fear. This was no joke—a man ruthless enough to seize power from the retired emperor could do anything.

"Master Carter, here's what we'll do. Go to Samuel Todd's residence and tell him of my determination to defend Kaifeng to the death. Have him quickly come up with a plan and present it to me."

David Carter nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. This was a good idea; it could test Samuel Todd's attitude and see his abilities. If Samuel Todd could really come up with a way to defend Kaifeng, then even treating him as Liu Bei did Zhuge Liang would be justified.

David Carter hurried off.

In the grand hall, only William Harris was left.

Though he was the supreme ruler, holding all power, how many truly useful people did he have at his side?

James Lewis, David Carter, George Hall, Li Gang... such a meager lineup, and he was supposed to fight the ferocious Jin? It was truly too difficult. And the greatest enemy was always inside the city, in the court, in the Longde Palace!

Who knows if Charles Harris will flee south as in history? For now, it seems not just possible, but highly likely!

Charles Harris wouldn't foolishly run off alone; he would surely have escorts, and Samuel Todd and George Hall were precisely his two trusted aides.

And his own two trusted aides had already been sent out—now it was just a matter of whether things could be settled.

William Harris waited for two whole hours. David Carter did not return, but James Lewis led a high-ranking official in a purple robe, anxious and fearful, to William Harris.

"Your old minister George Hall pays respects to Your Majesty!"

George Hall was short and stocky, prostrating himself at William Harris's feet.

So this was the famous Grand Marshal Hall. To be honest, he was just an ordinary old man.