The prince is more stable

Chapter 241: Peeling off the cocoon
In life, it is inevitable to offend people.

But it is rare to find an enemy who would kill Zhao Xiaoqian in this way.

Zhao Xiaoqian really couldn't imagine how deep the hatred and resentment was that made his enemies willing to drag the imperial army into the fight to kill him.

Theoretically, only his father, who particularly liked to hook up with married women, could have offended someone so thoroughly, but Zhao Xiaoqian had never done such a thing. Why?

I have to say that this ambush was perfect, and the enemy had taken every detail into account.

The canyon that must be passed, the rocks that have been prepared on the mountainside, the timing of the general's flag passing through...

Every step was calculated very precisely. If Chen Shou had not suggested that the general's flag go out to test the waters, the 30,000 soldiers would probably be preparing to collect Zhao Xiaoqian's body by now.

He even took into account the psychology of his soldiers.

The army passed Hezhong Prefecture and was very close to Bianjing. The soldiers could not suppress their homesickness. Even though Zhao Xiaoqian saw that the canyon was dangerous, it was not convenient for him to go against public opinion and order a detour. Apart from passing through this canyon, Zhao Xiaoqian had no other choice.

There is no other explanation for Zhao Xiaoqian's survival except luck.

It is estimated that the ancestor of the Zhao family has used up all the human and ghost connections he could use in the afterlife.

Then the life-demanding rope of the Black and White Impermanence brushed against Zhao Xiaoqian's scalp and was wrapped around him, and a handful of water was released.

After the fierce battle on the mountain, the soldiers left five survivors, and these five survivors were very precious.

Zhao Xiaoqian stared at the five people who were tied up, looking them up and down with a gloomy look.

Although these five people were alive, they were all injured to some extent. Two of them were shot in the abdomen and were bleeding profusely. Their bodies were already shaky.

Zhao Xiaoqian crouched down as he approached, staring at one of them. He said slowly, "The victor becomes the king, the loser becomes the bandit. Now that we've lost, we should admit defeat. Tell us everything you know, and let's both be frank, okay?"

The five people didn't say a word, but looked at him expressionlessly, their eyes full of fearlessness and determination.

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed: "Do we really have to go through the motions? Pretending to be a hero now, then confessing under torture would be ridiculous."

"Have you heard of the Imperial City's Ice Well Service? There's a eunuch there named Liu Shan. He's an expert at torturing prisoners. Sometimes I get scared just by seeing him. Are you sure you want to weigh that pervert's weight?"

When the five people heard the words "Bingjingwu", a hint of fear flashed in their eyes, and then they quickly returned to normal.

However, Zhao Xiaoqian still caught this hint of fear.

Nodding with satisfaction, Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and smiled, "It seems that you have heard of Bingjingwu. You must not be an ordinary country bumpkin. Or, have you heard of Liu Dan? That would cover an even smaller area. So, are you from Bianjing? Are you the subordinates of some powerful figure?"

Finally, horror appeared in the eyes of the five people.

They didn't expect that with just a glance, Zhao Xiaoqian could quickly narrow down the scope to Bian Jing. Sure enough, those who can become big figures all have some abilities.

Zhao Xiaoqian was very satisfied with their reaction and continued, "Then let's continue our guessing game. The person who ordered you must be of high status. They set up an ambush on both sides of the canyon and prepared so many rocks in advance. You must have about a hundred people..."

"There aren't many people capable of pulling off this kind of show. Officials below the fourth rank in Bianjing can be ruled out; they don't have the ability. Therefore, he must be a prominent official in the court."

Zhao Xiaoqian stared into their eyes without blinking, and slowly read out their names one by one: "Zhang Dun? Xing Shu? Zeng Bu? The exiled Fan Chunren? Lü Dafang?..."

A series of names were read out, and each time Zhao Xiaoqian read out a name, he stared into their eyes, not missing any sign of something unusual.

However, I was disappointed in the end.

Except for the initial look of horror on the faces of the five people when they guessed the scope of Bian Jing, after that, whether they were on guard or they had not guessed the whole string of names correctly, the five people's eyes were no longer expressing any emotion, like a pool of dead water without life.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled bitterly: "It seems that interrogation and torture should be left to professionals. I can't do it..."

Then his smile disappeared, and Zhao Xiaoqian said coldly: "Take them away and guard these five people with heavy troops. After returning to Bian Jing, hand them over to Liu Dan for disposal. I want them to give a clear account of their ancestors for eighteen generations!" The five people were taken to the rear of the army, and they were beaten by many angry soldiers during the period. Zhao Xiaoqian pretended not to see it.

Then Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Chen Shou and said, "The casualties of the brothers carrying the general's banner..."

Chen Shou lowered his head and remained silent.

Zhao Xiaoqian understood and sighed deeply, saying, "Give them a lavish burial, provide generous support to their relatives and children, and let the Prince of Chu's Palace provide for their parents until their death."

Chen Shou's eyes were red and he accepted the order with a sob.

At this time, Zhong Jianzhong hurried over with a few arrows in his hand.

"My Lord, something is unusual. When our soldiers were fighting them, they used bows and arrows, knocking down several of our soldiers. The arrows used are of a different design than ordinary bows and arrows."

Zhao Xiaoqian took it and looked at it, but his face was confused.

After all, he was just a high-ranking playboy in Bian Jing, so how could he know anything about the specifications of arrows?

Zhong Jianzhong explained, "Ordinary standard arrows are five inches shorter than this, and not as thick, and the feathers at the end aren't as wide and thick. In short, this arrow is two sizes larger than the ordinary standard arrows. It's a specially made arrow."

Zhao Xiaoqian was still confused and asked, "So?"

Zhong Jianzhong looked a little nervous and lowered his voice, saying, "This type of large arrow has always been equipped in the military. The bow and arrow that go with it is unique to our Great Song Dynasty and is called... the 'Divine Arm Bow'!"

Zhao Xiaoqian was shocked: "Divine Arm Bow?"

"Before the Duke of the County invented the flintlock rifle, the Divine Arm Bow had always been the most powerful weapon of the Song Dynasty. It was strictly controlled by the Military Equipment Bureau. Even the most elite Upper Four Armies in Bianjing were only allocated a few hundred of them. Officials also counted them every day to ensure that they were not allowed to be circulated."

Zhong Jianzhong looked at the arrow in Zhao Xiaoqian's hand and said solemnly, "The enemy used this kind of arrow in their counterattack today. Although I didn't see the Divine Arm Bow at the scene, I can be sure that this arrow must have been shot by it."

Zhao Xiaoqian said with a serious face: "Why would the Shenbi Bow, which is strictly controlled by the army, appear here? Could it be the army's..."

Having said this, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly stopped talking, then looked at Zhong Jianzhong and shook his head slightly.

Zhong Jianzhong understood and said nothing more.

Zhao Xiaoqian really wanted to imitate some of the male protagonists, put on an evil and confident smile, and say "It's getting more and more interesting."

But Zhao Xiaoqian knew very well that this matter was meaningless. His head had been put on the shelf by someone hiding in the dark. If it didn't work this time, there would be next time.

As the saying goes, a thief can steal for a thousand days, but you can never be on guard against thieves for a thousand days. How can you live a peaceful life in the future?

At this moment, he suddenly remembered the ambush he encountered in the dark alleys of Bianjing a long time ago. The enemy also used bows and arrows to assassinate from a distance. If the attack missed, they would fly away and never fight.

Today it is the bow and arrow again, and it is the Shenbi bow controlled by the army.

So, are these two incidents related? Are they the same group of people, or are they directed by the same person behind the scenes?

Why were they so eager to kill him? No matter how deep the hatred and resentment were, they actually used the divine arm bow to kill him. How was this different from executing a death row prisoner with a cannon? They thought too highly of him.

If it was because of the dispute between the new and old parties in the court, Zhao Xiaoqian actually hardly participated in it. He and his father Zhao Hao just hid behind the scenes and shouted a few slogans.

Even if the other party was provoked, the one who should be killed should be the irritable Prime Minister Zhang Dun. How the hell have I gotten in your way?
Therefore, the scope of suspects should have little to do with the struggle between the new and old parties. In terms of party struggles, Zhao Xiaoqian would definitely not be ranked, as he had never been involved at all.

Don’t think about the things you can’t figure out now. Wait until Liu Dan has interrogated these five people, and the truth will naturally come to light.

Zhao Xiaoqian came back to his senses and said in a deep voice, "The fallen soldiers will be buried on the spot with honor. After the wounded are treated, the entire army will pack up and continue their journey back to Bianjing first."

(End of this chapter)