The prince is more stable

Chapter 280: It’s Hard to Distinguish Between Gratitude and Grudge

The trap was so complete that there was no chance of a comeback.

The enemy commander was clearly aware that this ambush had fallen into the enemy's calculations from beginning to end.

The so-called Zhou Zhi case in Bianjing, the so-called collusion between the commander of the northern border city and the officials of the capital, the so-called emperor's rage in the Golden Palace, and Zhao Xiaoqian leading more than 300 imperial city officials to rush out of the capital on business...

If it was a trap from the beginning to the end, then all the fanfare created and the solemn departure from the capital were all fake.

All that fog was released and all that big fuss was made just for this ambush today.

Although he was in a desperate situation, the commander suddenly wanted to laugh.

As expected, there are no fools in this world. The lesson that Zhao Xiaoqian had learned in the Hejian Prefecture Gorge has been repaid to them double today.

How could one look down upon someone who could hold Zhao Xiaoqian's position? Did one really think that after being fooled once, he would be foolish enough to do it again?

This time, Zhao Xiaoqian's counterattack was ruthless. He calmly lured the enemy into a gathering, then surrounded and annihilated them. This calm and composed mind, this ability to plan calmly, and this momentum of a lion stalking a rabbit...

Everyone in Bian Jing said that this relative, the Duke of the County, was a rare talent in the Song Dynasty. After experiencing it personally today, I found that the rumors were indeed true.

It's not unfair to fall into the scheme of this talented person and be defeated by him!

Outside the battle formation, Zhao Xiaoqian was protected in the center by the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the more than 200 fearless enemies in the middle of the battlefield.

Although they had fallen into a trap and were at the end of their rope, these more than 200 enemies still launched charges again and again. With every gunshot, groups of people fell down, but they remained unaware, as if they were born with some mission more important than life.

After a long time, Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes became more and more disappointed.

"Another assassin..." Zhao Xiaoqian murmured.

There is no need to interrogate them. It can be seen from their reckless charge that they do not care about life. They are equally indifferent to their own lives and the lives of others.

Moreover, Zhao Xiaoqian also realized that the burly commander behind the enemy camp should not be the mysterious mastermind behind the scenes.

In other words, apart from annihilating more than a thousand enemy forces, there was basically no other gain. The survivors captured in this battle were all dead soldiers, and it is likely that nothing valuable could be obtained from them.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian's gloomy face, Zhong Jianzhong, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but wonder, "My Lord, they've surrounded us, and not a single one has escaped. Why are you so unhappy?"

Zhao Xiaoqian forced a smile, shook his head, and said, "The person hiding behind the scenes is not simple."

Zhong Jianzhong pointed to the battlefield and said, "As long as we capture him alive, the Duke and his Imperial City Division will surely be able to find clues."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled bitterly. Zhong Jianzhong was a general leading troops, and his idea was still too optimistic. If Liu Dan from Bingjingwu was present, he would definitely cry out loud just by looking at the enemy's charging posture.

"Old Zhong, pass the order down. Leave a dozen or so alive, including the commander in the middle. Kill the rest. Let's end this quickly."

At Zhong Jianzhong's command, the attack pace of the 5,000 soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp suddenly accelerated.

The rounds of gunfire became more intense, the encirclement became smaller and smaller, and more and more enemies fell. In less than an incense stick of time, the battle was over.

The foot and hillsides of the mountains were littered with corpses of both our enemies and ourselves. Some were injured and unable to move, lying on the ground groaning and screaming, while others even had their limbs missing and were scattered somewhere unknown.

The battlefield is a Shura field, like hell on earth.

Zhao Xiaoqian walked towards the center of the encirclement step by step, stepping on the blood and broken limbs on the ground.

Looking around, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "First, treat the wounds of our soldiers, gather the remains of our fallen comrades, dress them properly, and bury them on the spot."

The soldiers took action one after another. Although the battle was not brutal, the casualties among the 300 subordinates of the Imperial City Division were not small, almost more than half of them.

The Dragon Guards, however, suffered virtually no casualties. Armed with firearms, no one could get within a hundred paces of the formation. While the soldiers treated the wounded and collected the remains, Zhao Xiaoqian's gaze shifted to the last dozen or so survivors in the encirclement, including the burly commander.

Exhausted, desperate, and resistance was futile, the dozen or so enemies had given up resistance, threw away their blades, and sat cross-legged on the ground, ready to be killed.

The commander raised his head and looked directly into Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes, fearless and full of determination and composure to die.

Zhao Xiaoqian also stared at him for a long time, then slowly said, "You should be a military general of my Song Dynasty, with an official rank and rank, right?"

The general remained silent.

Zhao Xiaoqian said coldly, "It's no use not saying anything. The Imperial City Bureau can investigate. Within a day, they'll be able to find out your name, which army you serve in, and your wife, children, and ancestors for eighteen generations. They can all find out clearly."

"To save both you and me from trouble, why don't you just tell me straight out."

The commander slowly lowered his head, still gritting his teeth and saying nothing.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed. He was not surprised by his reaction. He could only say that the mastermind behind the scenes was really capable. He could make so many people willingly become his loyal followers and would rather die than reveal any useful information.

What means were used to control him, or was it his sheer personal charm that made people willing to die for him?
Zhao Xiaoqian was not sure. He only knew that if he wanted to train a group of death warriors, he would definitely not be as good as the mastermind behind the scenes, because he did not have inhumane control methods, nor did he have the personal charm that would make people die for him.

He is just an ordinary man who is obsessed with wine, women, money and power. A mortal cannot let too many people die for him.

"Who is it? I'm getting more and more curious..." Zhao Xiaoqian murmured.

Even though he knew that the dozen or so living people could not answer his question, he still couldn't help but ask it.

After a long time, the commander suddenly raised his head and stared into his eyes.

"I know your name is Zhao Xiaoqian. We've been waiting for this opportunity to ambush you for a long time. I'm sure you've been planning this for a long time too..."

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes lit up. It was good that he was willing to speak. No matter what he said, it was a good signal.

"That's right, this is a setup, targeting you. More importantly, I want to find that person who hasn't shown up." Zhao Xiaoqian said frankly, "It seems that the setup I set up still hasn't achieved its effect. That person has been hiding in the dark, but he sacrificed your lives."

The commander sneered, "You don't have to sow discord. Now that the deed has been done, we have no hope of survival. Zhao Xiaoqian, even though you and I are enemies, I still have to say that you are a man. With you, the future of the Song Dynasty may be different."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked him straight in the eye and said slowly, "I'm sure you are a military general of the Song Dynasty, or at least you used to be. And... you are also a patriotic general?"

"Haha, there's no need to test me. It's useless. Zhao Xiaoqian, your reputation is known throughout the world. You were the one who made the muskets that surrounded us today, weren't you? In the Song-Xia War, our Great Song Dynasty had never gained such a huge advantage since its founding, and it was all your fault."

"Everything you have done is what many civil and military officials and citizens of the Song Dynasty dream of achieving. Fortunately, you have done it, and fortunately, you are a Song Dynasty person."

"Zhao Xiaoqian, you have the ability to change the fate of our nation. I was reluctant to ambush and kill you today, but I had no choice..."

The commander paused, then continued, "You don't need to ask my name or my origins. You know I won't tell you. My worthless life ends today."

"I hope that with your Great Song, the situation will be different. I hope you can wash away the century-long shame of the Great Song... Before I die, I will tell you one more thing to relieve your worries."

"The more than a thousand men we dispatched today represent the majority of that man's strength. Since he has fallen for your scheme, he is seriously injured and will not pose a threat to you for the time being."

The commander's smile became brighter and brighter, and there was a different light in his eyes, but Zhao Xiaoqian felt heavier in his heart. He knew that this man was determined to die and he would not live.

"Zhao Xiaoqian, you don't need to investigate my origins. My entire family was wiped out long ago, leaving me alone. What you've done can be considered an indirect way of avenging my family. What you just said is the only way I can repay you. Finally, I still want to say 'thank you'."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dagger shining with cold light was taken out from his arms without warning, and it was stabbed into his own neck with lightning speed. This was not enough, the dagger inserted into the neck also slashed horizontally, and the hot blood spurted out immediately, and the man fell to the ground and died.

When he was dying, there was still a smile on his lips, as if he was regretful, unwilling, and relieved.

(End of this chapter)