The prince is more stable

Chapter 220 Friends, not enemies
Zhang Xiaoyi stood in the yard, looking up like an idiot, motionless, staring at the Kongming lantern rising higher and higher, with the smile on his face growing deeper and deeper.

The footsteps around him were getting closer and closer, but Zhang Xiaoyi was not anxious at all.

The news has already spread, and his personal safety is no longer so important. As long as Zhao Xiaoqian and the soldiers are not killed, he has no regrets.

A figure jumped in from the wall outside the yard. Zhang Xiaoyi's eyes showed determination as he stared at the knife at the figure's waist.

He wanted to fight to the death, forcing the figure to draw his sword, and finally die under his sword.

He didn't want to be captured alive because he didn't know if he could endure the torture. He didn't want to be forced to confess, and go through the process of facing death with indifference to begging for life, making his life a joke.

He wanted to die suddenly at the height of his glory.

The footsteps outside were getting closer and closer. The figure that had climbed over the wall had jumped into the yard and was heading straight towards him.

Zhang Xiaoyi gritted his teeth and ran towards the man. As soon as he got close, he punched the figure hard.

The fist that was thrown out with all the strength of the body was caught by someone, and the finger bones hurt as if it hit an iron plate.

Looking up, the figure's true appearance was revealed. It was a man in his thirties.

"Did you release the Kongming lantern just now?" the man asked coldly.

Zhang Xiaoyi didn't bother to hide it and sneered, "Not bad."

"To inform the Song army outside the city?" the man asked again.

Zhang Xiaoyi kept silent.

"Are you going to take any action tonight? Are you planning to attack the capital of Western Xia?" the man asked.

Zhang Xiaoyi remained silent, as he knew he couldn't say a single word at this moment.

The man was getting impatient: "This is a serious matter, hurry up and tell me!"

Zhang Xiaoyi sneered: "I'm afraid of death. Why don't you try putting a knife to my neck? Maybe I'll confess."

The man heard the hostility in Zhang Xiaoyi's words, so he slowed down his tone and said, "I am also a Song Dynasty person. If you are the one who released the Kongming lantern, I am your friend, not your enemy."

Zhang Xiaoyi nodded: "I believe it!"

He said he believed it, but his expression was full of sarcasm, and it was obvious that he didn't believe a word of it.

The man was anxious. The footsteps outside had already found their way outside the wall and were about to rush in the next moment.

"You bastard! How could I meet such a stubborn person like you!" The man cursed, grabbed the back of Zhang Xiaoyi's collar with one hand, and dragged him to the wall on the east side of the yard.

Zhang Xiaoyi was dragged by him and staggered without any dignity. He immediately struggled hard, but the man was so strong that no matter how hard he struggled, he could not break free.

The houses were simple and dilapidated, and there was even a wide crack on the earthen wall on the east side. The man dragged Zhang Xiaoyi to the wall, took a look, and then kicked the earthen wall.

With a loud crash, the cracked earth wall collapsed instantly, and the man walked out of the wall with Zhang Xiaoyi in his arms.

Dragging Zhang Xiaoyi, he walked eastward. There was a residential area nearby. The man turned left and right, moving freely among the residential areas.

During the period, they encountered several groups of Xixia officials in the alley. They were obviously participating in the search for Zhang Xiaoyi. The man drew his sword and killed them all in the blink of an eye. Then he used the knife to slit their throats one by one. The officials died before they even had time to call for help.

Zhang Xiaoyi was shocked to see the man was so ruthless and actually attacked the officer.

"Killing your own people? You are really willing to spend a lot of money to deceive me!" Zhang Xiaoyi said admiringly.

The man said coldly: "I said, I am a Song person, not a Xixia person!"

"If I were from Xixia, I'd throw you in jail right now and torture you with all sorts of instruments. If you don't confess, why would I bother trying to help you out? Stupid!"

Zhang Xiaoyi's eyes flickered, and his faith was somewhat shaken.

"Are you...from the Imperial City Bureau?" Zhang Xiaoyi asked tentatively.

"No! We don't eat government food." The man replied.

"'We'? How many of you are there? Where do you come from?"

This time it was the man who remained silent.

The man silently led Zhang Xiaoyi through the dilapidated alleys. When Zhang Xiaoyi was dizzy, the man finally led him to a house that was even more dilapidated than the previous one.

After entering the house, they didn't turn on the lights and sat in the dark. The man's eyes were shining and he stared at Zhang Xiaoyi without blinking.

After a long pause, the man slowly said, "You and I each have our own defenses, but one of us must speak the truth first, or else we might miss something important. It seems you're unwilling to speak first, so why don't I tell you the truth first?" "I'm a Song person, but not a member of the Song court. We entered Xingqing City in batches half a month ago and have been lurking there. Meanwhile, some of our companions have gone out of the city to inquire about the Song army's movements..."

Zhang Xiaoyi was slightly moved, and he seemed to believe that this person was not from Xixia.

"We heard that two days ago, a Song army unit was active within a hundred miles outside Xingqing City. There were about four to five thousand of them. They were dressed in strange attire, and each soldier was armed with a strange weapon. This was the only unit of their kind in the Song Dynasty. I suspect it was from the Dragon Guard Battalion."

"To be more specific, the commander of this Song army is named Zhao Xiaoqian, correct?"

Zhang Xiaoyi was shocked and looked at the man in horror.

In the darkness, the man seemed to see his expression clearly and nodded.

"What is your relationship with Zhao Xiaoqian? Did you have any agreement with him? Do you intend to take Xingqing City? Tell me now, or you will miss out on a major event and endanger the Crown Prince's life."

Zhang Xiaoyi keenly noticed that the man in front of him called Zhao Xiaoqian "Crown Prince".

Nowadays, people usually call Zhao Xiaoqian "Marquis of the County", and few people call him "Crown Prince", except for the royal guards around Zhao Xiaoqian.

The man continued, "What was the signal you released that Kongming lantern just now? Did you and the Crown Prince agree on an operation tonight? Since last night, Xingqing has locked the city gates tightly and launched a massive hunt for criminals. Has the situation changed? Are the Crown Prince and his men in danger?"

A series of questions pressed forward, and Zhang Xiaoyi hesitated.

The man in front of him was very smart. In fact, he had guessed a lot of the truth. Even if Zhang Xiaoyi didn't say a word, his guess was basically true.

Zhang Xiaoyi gritted his teeth and said, "The Marquis and I agreed that tonight at midnight, we would cooperate internally and externally. I would help him seize the city gate and occupy Xingqing City. Unexpectedly, something went wrong and I was exposed. From last night until today, I have been hunted by the government."

"The Kongming lantern I just sent out was my final warning, telling the Marquis that the city is in danger and that nothing can be done. Retreat immediately."

The man smiled, and in the darkness only his white teeth could be seen shaking.

"As expected of a prince, he has a big appetite and is very courageous! Haha!"

Zhang Xiaoyi finally couldn't help asking, "I wonder who you are..."

"Don't worry about who I am. If the prince wants Xingqing City, we will help him seize Xingqing City and conquer the enemy's capital. It should be considered an unparalleled achievement, right? The prince will have an explanation to us later." The man said proudly.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaoyi roughly judged that this person did not seem like an enemy, and what he meant was that he insisted on helping Zhao Xiaoqian capture Xingqing City in such a dangerous situation. It was obvious that this person had a close relationship with Zhao Xiaoqian.

Since he could be trusted, Zhang Xiaoyi simply let him go.

"Okay, no matter who you are, if you really want to help the Marquis, I am willing to fight for him again!" Zhang Xiaoyi said.

The man reached out and patted his shoulder, smiling, "You are a real man. Your Highness is lucky to have a friend like you. It's a pity that we are born to hide in the dark, otherwise I would have made friends with a man like you."

…………

Outside Xingqing City, in a canyon twenty miles away from the western suburbs.

The canyon was narrow and cramped, only allowing three people to walk side by side. Even during the day, it would be difficult to spot any trace of people unless one looked carefully inside, not to mention that it was already night and it was pitch black.

Zhao Xiaoqian and five thousand soldiers were squatting in the canyon at this moment, with people holding grass in their mouths and horses holding grain in their mouths, but the five thousand men and horses did not make a single sound.

It was already 11am, only half an hour left before the midnight agreed upon with Zhang Xiaoyi to start the uprising.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked a little anxious and looked up at the sky from time to time.

He felt a little uneasy. Yesterday, he had planned to send a thousand soldiers in disguise to sneak into Xingqing City and open the city gate with Zhang Xiaoyi. However, Xingqing City was suddenly closed yesterday and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

When Zhao Xiaoqian heard the news, his heart sank and the feeling of uneasiness became stronger and stronger.

Although he suspected that something might have happened in the city, Zhao Xiaoqian still led his troops to find this canyon and hide there without sending out the news from Zhang Xiaoyi.

As a general, one must be able to adapt to changing circumstances. In a situation where there was almost no intelligence, Zhao Xiaoqian chose to observe closely and look for opportunities.

It doesn’t really matter whether the capital is captured or not. The worst that can happen is that we lose an opportunity to make a great contribution.

Zhao Xiaoqian was worried about Zhang Xiaoyi's safety. If Zhang Xiaoyi lost his life because of him, it would be a lifelong regret for him.

After a long time, a lieutenant looked towards the dark sky and suddenly raised his hand and pointed.

"Marquis, a lamp has risen up, so high! It's a red light!" the general said in surprise.

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately looked up and stared at the swaying Kongming lantern in the distant sky.

The Kongming lantern is red.

Red means danger!
(End of this chapter)