The prince is more stable

Chapter 386: Evil Guests in the Deserted Village
For the Liao Kingdom, both Zhang Lan and Liu Qianliang were useful.

Even toilet paper has its uses, let alone the two officials of the Song Dynasty.

But people's values ​​also vary. Liu Qianliang was too confident. In fact, for the Liao Kingdom, Zhang Lan's value was much higher than Liu Qianliang's.

The Liao Dynasty did not have the problem of emphasizing culture over military affairs. As a country founded on nomadic tribes, although it had been established for more than a hundred years, they still valued the use of force.

The Liao people did not understand Zhang Lan's personal martial arts ability, nor were they clear about his strategy, wisdom, courage, and other aspects.

But the Liao people knew that Zhang Lan was carrying many military secrets about the Song Dynasty.

For example, the defense situation of the Song Dynasty on the northern border, the personality strengths and weaknesses of high-level civil and military officials of the Song Dynasty, the approximate military strength of each city, the city's defense, the combat effectiveness of the army, etc.

The Liao people really needed these important military secrets.

So Zhang Lan's value is actually much higher than Liu Qianliang's.

It has to be said that allowing people like Zhang Lan to defect to the Liao Kingdom was definitely a danger and a huge loss to the Song Dynasty.

When the city of Zhending was in turmoil, Zhang Lan, leading more than ten generals, was riding slowly in the snow.

At this moment, Zhang Lan already knew the news that the Longwei Camp had entered the city, and he also knew that Liu Qianliang and his group of officials had been captured by the Longwei Camp. None of them escaped, except for him, Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan was riding on a horse and suddenly felt like laughing.

In this battle with Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhao Xiaoqian may have won, but he did not lose either.

It's just a matter of starting over in a new place, and the official position may even be better than that in the Song Dynasty, and the person will be more valued.

The real losers are Liu Qianliang and others.

At this time, Liu Qianliang and the others must have been squatting on the ground with their hands on their heads, being beaten by the soldiers of the Longwei Camp. Their families and property had all fallen into the hands of Zhao Xiaoqian.

But he, Zhang Lan, swaggered towards a better future.

Why is the gap between people so big?
Zhang Lan really wanted to laugh out loud. Yes, he was very proud and confident. He felt that he and Zhao Xiaoqian were both winners, but they won in different ways.

His victory is like a fish that swims away decisively before the net is closed on its head and escapes disaster. This is also a victory.

The more than ten generals following him were in good spirits. Zhang Lan had promised them that they were all comrades and that after they defected to the Liao Kingdom, he would guarantee them a bright future.

The road was long and they were more than ten miles away from the city. In this heavy snow and wind, if nothing unexpected happened, the Dragon Guard Battalion would not be able to catch up with them.

After passing through two more villages and crossing a ridge, they would reach the Liao army camp, where Liao officials were waiting to pick them up.

The weather tonight is really bad. The cold wind blows on our faces in gusts, like being scratched by countless knives, and everyone's face hurts.

The road and light ahead were blocked by heavy snow and fog, making it impossible to see the road clearly. The horse under my crotch stumbled several times and almost fell into the wasteland beside the road.

After walking for a long time, one of the generals finally couldn't stand it anymore. He pointed to the faint light ahead and said, "General, there seems to be a village ahead. Why don't we go into the village to take shelter from the wind and snow, stop for a while, and then continue on our way?"

Zhang Lan decisively refused: "No, if the Dragon Guards find out we've escaped, they'll definitely send troops out of the city to hunt us down. They're right behind us. We can't let ourselves fall into their hands just for the sake of a moment's pleasure."

The general shouted in the snowy wind, "General, with such severe snow and wind, I'm afraid the Dragon Guard Battalion won't be able to pursue them for long. We're suffering, and so are they. A short rest won't hurt us. The brothers are almost exhausted. At least let us have something warm to drink before we continue on our journey."

Zhang Lan hesitated for a moment. To be honest, he couldn't stand traveling in such bad weather. He even suspected that the biting cold wind had scratched his face, otherwise why would his face be so painful?

So Zhang Lan thought for a while, then gritted his teeth and said, "Forget it, let's go into the village and rest for a while. We're only allowed to stay for half an hour. After half an hour, there's no time to waste. We must set off immediately."

…………

It was late at night and the people in the village had already gone to bed. Even if they were still awake, they would not light a lamp at this time. No one in the poor village was willing to waste lamp oil.

Zhang Lan and others entered the village and looked around. They found that only one house at the west end of the village had light on, while the other houses were dark and silent.

With no other choice, Zhang Lan and the others could only walk towards the only house with light.

Not long after, Zhang Lan arrived at the door of that family. He found that the house was very new, and the gate was painted with varnish. The house inside was very spacious, and it was actually a three-in-one mansion. It seemed that they were a wealthy family in the village.

Zhang Lan smiled with interest, then quickly exchanged glances with his generals.

After resting, the master and servants of this rich family were afraid that they would not survive. Since they had to escape from the Song Dynasty anyway, they might as well do one more job before leaving and make some money.

As for the people inside, of course they cannot be allowed to live. Otherwise, would they be allowed to live and file a complaint?

Standing outside the door, Zhang Lan silently took two steps back. A general behind him stepped forward and kicked the door shut.

After a loud bang, the sound of a knife being unsheathed was heard from inside the door.

Zhang Lan's expression tightened, and he immediately gave his general a look. This wealthy family must have a master guard. Zhang Lan and his men didn't dare to reveal their whereabouts. It wasn't because they couldn't defeat them, but they were afraid of alerting the rest of the village and causing them to flee and report the incident. If they were tracked down by the Dragon Guards, it would be a disaster.

"Be more polite." Zhang Lan said with a smile.

Since there are servants guarding the house, it will be difficult to get the last bit of profit. It is better to meet them politely, take a short rest and then set off immediately without any unnecessary trouble.

The door opened, and a servant in blue came out. He looked at Zhang Lan and the others expressionlessly and said coldly, "Who are you? Why are you kicking on the door so late at night? What do you intend to do?"

Zhang Lan calmly stepped forward and saluted, smiling, "I am a merchant from Yingtian Prefecture in the south. I was planning to go to Zhending Prefecture to sell my goods, but unexpectedly encountered a snowstorm, making the journey difficult. I can't bear it any longer, so I'd like to rest for a while at your house and eat some warm food before continuing on my journey. I hope the host here will help me."

The servant looked them over and said coldly, "My master is not available, so please find another place."

As he said this, he was about to close the door.

Unexpectedly, a female voice came from inside the door, saying elegantly and calmly: "Let them in and bring them to the front hall to serve tea."

The servant hesitated for a moment, then opened the door.

Zhang Lan and others were overjoyed. They hurriedly expressed their gratitude and strode into the yard.

Walking into the yard, Zhang Lan and others keenly discovered that there were many servants and guards under the corridors on both sides of the yard. Each of them was holding a knife and staring at Zhang Lan and others with cold eyes.

Zhang Lan and the others felt their scalps tingle, secretly thanking their lucky stars that they hadn't used any violence, otherwise they would have been in big trouble tonight.

When did this village outside Zhending City have such a wealthy family that looks mysterious and powerful?
The servants took more than ten of Zhang Lan's generals into the side rooms of the courtyard, while Zhang Lan was invited into the front hall to be served tea.

After entering the door, Zhang Lan was shocked and his eyes became dull.

There was a woman sitting in the hall, wearing plain clothes and a plain skirt, without any makeup. However, her plain appearance was still captivating.

It was simply because this woman was so stunningly beautiful, the kind of stunning beauty that a man would never forget after one glance at her.

The woman sat in the hall. Seeing Zhang Lan looking at her in a daze, she frowned slightly and said in a cold tone, "I have a distinguished guest at my humble home late at night. Please forgive me for my poor hospitality. Please take a seat."

Zhang Lan came back to his senses, nodded foolishly, and seemed to float into the hall.

At this moment, a crazy idea popped up in his mind involuntarily.

How could such a beautiful and stunning girl be buried in a remote village and wait for her youth to pass away? It would be such a pity and a waste if her beauty was not appreciated by someone who loved her.

Such a beauty in the world should be paired with a hero like Zhang Lan. It is a match made in heaven.

Late at night, in a deserted village, the door of this stunning woman happened to be knocked on. What could this mean?
This is a fate sent by God!

Therefore, even if I have to take the risk of fighting with those guards and servants tonight, or even sacrifice a few generals, it will be worth it as long as I can abduct this girl.

Zhang Lan gritted his teeth and made a decision secretly.

He is such a hero, and his career is on the rise. It would be an honor for this girl to devote herself to him.

In the front hall, Zhang Lan had just sat down when a maid came out from behind the screen, holding two cups of steaming tea.

The woman in the hall smiled at him, motioned for him to drink tea, then she picked up the cup herself, elegantly covered her face with her sleeve, and took a sip.

Seeing her elegant posture, Zhang Lan, as a warrior, couldn't help but become more and more fascinated.

Zhang Lan then took a sip from the cup, then exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! Could this be the 'Mingyu Tea' from Bianjing? I've heard it's been all the rage in the capital for the past year and is quite popular. I never thought I'd be able to taste it. And on this snowy night, I've finally gotten my wish."

The woman smiled sweetly and said, "It seems that the distinguished guest is also a person of great knowledge and experience. If tea could know, it would definitely regard the distinguished guest as a close friend."

Zhang Lan's eyes flickered as he smiled and said, "Tea is an elegant thing. It is my honor to be regarded as a confidant by it. However, what I hope more is that I can be regarded as a confidant by you, young lady."

The woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly, saying, "Your Excellency and I have just met today, so your words are a bit reckless."

In order to win the favor of the beauty, Zhang Lan, who was obviously a military commander, racked his brains to find all the elegant and flowery sentences he had accumulated throughout his life.

Fortunately, his subordinates didn't see this, otherwise they would have been frightened.

Seeing the woman saying "Meng Lang" but smiling so charmingly, Zhang Lan couldn't help but feel his heart agitated and he became more and more fascinated.

This woman is so strong! I must get her!
"After talking for so long, I still haven't asked for your name, young lady..." Zhang Lan continued in a literary manner.

The woman seemed to have a natural charm. She glanced at him lightly and said, "I am from Bianjing. My surname is Zhao and my name is... 'Niao Niao'."

(End of this chapter)