Jiang Zuo Alliance
After Wang Yue and his companions settled by Taihu Lake, they visited every scenic spot around the lake and every interesting place in Suzhou, Huzhou, Changzhou, and the surrounding areas. They didn't miss a single one. If Su Tan'er hadn't been pregnant and unable to overexert herself, they probably would have traveled even farther.
They stayed by Taihu Lake for nearly half a year, enjoying themselves so much that they lost track of time. By the time they thought about leaving, Su Tan'er was already several months along and traveling had become inconvenient.
So, after Su Tan'er sent a letter to their family in Jiangning, she decided to stay and see out her pregnancy.
A great deal had happened during Wang Yue's nearly yearlong journey south. In the first month of Jinghan's ninth year, the Jin and Liao kingdoms agreed to peace, and the two nations suspended their war.
The peace talks also revealed to the Jin Kingdom just how weak the Liao Kingdom was. So, by the end of the second month, once the Jin forces were ready, they couldn't wait to attack the Liao Kingdom again. In less than a month, they had advanced to the outskirts of Shangjing.
By the beginning of the fourth month, the Jin Kingdom had captured Shangjing and then gone on to take Central Capital. The Liao Kingdom was forced to flee west, barely managing to survive.
Wang Yue hadn't spent all his time sightseeing, either. During this period, he had brought dozens of bands of water bandits operating along Taihu Lake completely under his control.
At the same time, the Secret Guard had secretly taken control of the large and small mountain strongholds in the surrounding prefectures and counties. Their strength had grown rapidly, and they now had a