The prince is more stable

Chapter 240 Canyon Ambush
Being praised for his cautious use of troops, Zhao Xiaoqian, despite being very thick-skinned, couldn't help but blush.

How could he understand military tactics when he had never been involved in a field he had lived in for two lifetimes?
The specific tactics and battle plan of the Western Xia War, and the command were all given to Zhong Jianzhong. Zhao Xiaoqian knew his own limitations and left the areas he didn't understand to professionals, so laymen shouldn't talk nonsense.

The reason he ordered the scouts to cross the mountain and investigate was simply because he was afraid of death.

But apart from making him blush, Zhong Jianzhong's praise also made him feel very happy. After entering the court for so long, he gradually understood why officials like subordinates who flatter them.

Because it's comfortable.

Who doesn't like being flattered? It just depends on whether you deserve it.

"Lao Zhong, when I first met you, I had a hunch that you were a good chatterbox!" Zhao Xiaoqian patted his shoulder and said with a smile.

The soldiers were actually quite dissatisfied with Zhao Xiaoqian's caution. After all, no one would think that someone would ambush them in the capital of the Song Dynasty. Even if they were very brave, they would not be so reckless.

But Zhao Xiaoqian was the commander-in-chief, and his orders had to be carried out.

The scouts divided into two teams and began to climb the two peaks on the left and right sides of the canyon, while the rest of the soldiers rested outside the canyon.

After a long time, the scouts came back one by one, and as expected, they all reported that there was nothing unusual on the mountain.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but frown again, the uneasy feeling in his heart still did not dissipate, but it was not appropriate to let the scouts go up the mountain to explore again at this time.

If you search for something that clearly doesn't exist a thousand times but still can't find it, the commander will be ridiculed by his soldiers for being paranoid and cowardly.

"Order the army to pass through the canyon in batches of 3,000 men and horses. Not all of them can enter, otherwise if something goes wrong we will all be wiped out." Zhao Xiaoqian said.

Zhong Jianzhong also felt that Zhao Xiaoqian was too cautious at this time, and his expression was a little disapproving, but he still obeyed the order.

Three thousand troops entered the canyon in batches, and the 30,000 people were divided into ten batches in total. Zhao Xiaoqian, Chen Shou and other guards stayed at the end.

After the fifth group of soldiers passed through the canyon safely, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but smile at himself.

He also felt that he was overthinking it. He had clearly experienced the swordplay on the battlefield of Western Xia, so why did he become more timid after returning to the capital of the Song Dynasty?

After passing through the canyon today, the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp may talk about him behind his back when they return to the capital camp.

"The sixth batch is ready to be approved." Zhao Xiaoqian raised his hand with a lazy expression.

The sixth batch of 3,000 soldiers followed orders and lined up, heading towards the deep canyon.

Chen Shou, who had been quietly standing behind him, suddenly said, "Sir, could I send a few of my brothers to carry the general's banner and go with this group of comrades?"

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him in surprise: "Why?"

Chen Shou grinned. "This canyon looks a bit strange. Perhaps there really is something sinister going on there. Carrying the commander's flag through it is a way to test whether there is an ambush. If there is, the enemy will surely attack the commander's flag. If not, the prince will definitely be safe when passing through the canyon."

Zhao Xiaoqian had already let down his guard. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded and said, "Let's give it a try. Tell the brothers to be careful. Although the scouts have explored the area, it's not necessarily reliable."

Chen Shou clasped his fists and accepted the order. With a wave of his hand, a dozen imperial guards raised their flags and followed the sixth group of soldiers into the canyon.

After waiting for a long time, there was no movement in the canyon. Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and was about to say some dirty talk to relieve his boredom, but at this moment, something unexpected happened.

After the sixth group of soldiers walked two miles into the canyon, an unusual sound suddenly came from the canyon.

At the same time, rumbling sounds were heard from the hillsides of the high peaks on both sides, and the sixth group of soldiers who had already entered the canyon also screamed in horror in the canyon.

Zhao Xiaoqian's heart sank, and he looked hurriedly towards the top of the canyon. He was horrified to find that the mountainside above both sides of the canyon was covered in smoke and dust, and countless huge rocks were rolling rapidly from the mountainside into the canyon, and finally smashed heavily into the ground inside the canyon.

Zhao Xiaoqian's body shook violently, and the uneasy feeling in his heart was finally confirmed to be not groundless.

"Damn it! There really is an ambush! Didn't the scouts just..."

There was no time to investigate the responsibility, Zhao Xiaoqian widened his eyes and roared.

"Tell them to retreat! Two teams of musketeers go up the mountain and catch those bastards for me!" Zhao Xiaoqian ordered sternly.

The soldiers behind him were filled with fear, then anger. Without a word, they split into two teams and quickly rushed up the mountain. "Send people into the canyon to provide support. Ignore the dead for now, and pull out the living and injured. Quick!"

Zhao Xiaoqian turned his head, a look of immense anger on his face. He said gloomily, "Capture all the scouts who went up the mountain to investigate! Interrogate them and subject them to military court!"

"All troops, be on alert! Tell Zhong Jianzhong up ahead to send troops to surround these two mountains. Not a single bird is allowed to fly out!"

Orders were issued one after another, and the soldiers under his command obeyed them obediently.

Zhao Xiaoqian gritted his teeth and stared into the canyon. Rocks from the mountainside were still rolling down, and bursts of miserable howls from the soldiers could be heard in the canyon.

A thought popped up in his mind: this is a trap set in advance! Someone wants to murder him, or murder these 30,000 soldiers.

Thinking of Chen Shou's suggestion just now, to have someone carry the commander's flag through the canyon, this group of soldiers were immediately ambushed.

Zhao Xiaoqian had the answer in his heart.

This ambush is not aimed at these 30,000 soldiers and horses, it is aimed at him personally!

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes were red and he gritted his teeth.

If it weren't for Chen Shou's suggestion, if he had followed the last group of people into the canyon, his fate at this moment would be unimaginable.

Rocks rolled down the mountain like a meteor shower. If Zhao Xiaoqian was in the canyon, it would be hard to say whether he could survive. The enemy's attack was really precise and vicious.

I don’t know what the casualties of the sixth batch of 3,000 soldiers who entered the canyon are like at this moment.

After a while, the rocks on the mountain finally stopped, and the soldiers under his command rushed into the canyon to rescue their wounded comrades.

At this moment, gunshots were heard from the mountains on both sides, and it was obvious that the soldiers had discovered the enemy.

Zhao Xiaoqian issued another order: "Tell the soldiers to keep them alive! This matter is not over yet. We must find the culprit behind this!"

The gunfire on the mountain became more and more frequent, and Zhao Xiaoqian's face became more and more gloomy.

So, who exactly is the enemy? Is it the remnants of the Western Xia army, unwilling to lose their sovereignty and humiliate their country, or is it one of the two factions in the court?

After coming to this world, Zhao Xiaoqian made many friends, but of course he also inevitably had enemies. Moreover, the range of his enemies was so wide that he was unable to lock on the suspect for a while.

After a long time, the gunfire on the mountain finally became sparse.

After waiting for another half an hour, Zhong Jianzhong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and rushed over from the other end of the canyon in a rage. He was about to ask Zhao Xiaoqian if he was okay, but he saw a team of soldiers from the Dragon Guard Camp escorting five men who looked like mountain hunters wearing coarse shirts.

Zhao Xiaoqian stared at the five people, carefully examining their faces, and found that he didn't recognize any of them.

A commander of the Dragon Guard Battalion clasped his fists and said, "My Lord, our comrades discovered a group of unknown enemies on the mountain. They tried to flee, but we intercepted them and engaged them in battle. After the battle, we counted them and found that these five were the only ones left alive."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded, but did not rush to interrogate the five enemies. Instead, he looked at Zhong Jianzhong.

"What are the casualties in the canyon?"

Zhong Jianzhong and the soldiers around him felt warm in their hearts.

When encountering an incident, the Duke of the County is first concerned about the casualties of his comrades. Following such a commander, it is worth dying for.

Zhong Jianzhong's face was ashen as he said in a deep voice, "Of the six batch of three thousand soldiers, about two hundred were killed instantly by the rocks, and about a thousand were injured, with more than sixty seriously injured. They are currently being treated by the army doctors, and I don't know how many of them will survive..."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, "I have caused trouble for the soldiers..."

Zhong Jianzhong looked at him in confusion.

Zhao Xiaoqian pointed into the canyon and said, "This ambush was aimed at me personally. My flag followed these soldiers into the canyon. The enemy targeted my flag and launched a surprise attack. They wanted my life."

(End of this chapter)