The prince is more stable

Chapter 399: Old Friend in the Snowy Wind
From the perspective of the Liao Kingdom, the chaos in the officialdom of Zhending Prefecture and the subsequent purge were naturally welcomed.

The more chaotic the Song Dynasty is, the higher the chances of Liao’s invasion being successful.

Even a genius like Zhao Xiaoqian has limited energy after all. At this moment, he is busy dealing with internal affairs of Zhending Prefecture. If the Liao army suddenly attacks, Zhao Xiaoqian will probably be in a panic.

In particular, this purge of the Zhending Prefecture officialdom also involved many generals in the Song Dynasty army. As a result, the morale of the Song army was bound to be unstable. It would be considered polite if the soldiers did not mutiny. How could they have the motivation to take up swords and fight?

It has to be said that the ideas of the Liao Dynasty's court officials were very reliable, reasonable and rational.

According to normal reasoning, Zhending Prefecture should indeed be in chaos, and Zhao Xiaoqian should indeed be in a panic at this time.

The Liao army took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, and their winning rate was several times higher than before.

After weighing the pros and cons, Yelu Hongji felt a slight sense of unease in his heart and gradually disappeared, and a confident smile appeared on his face again.

He felt like he was okay again.

"Send a fast horse to inform Yelu Chun of the truth about what happened in Zhending Prefecture. Tell him that speed is of the essence in war. Before Zhao Xiaoqian has finished dealing with the internal affairs of Zhending Prefecture, launch an attack immediately and capture Zhending City within a month."

"If the war goes smoothly, I will dispatch more troops until I capture the nine counties of Zhending, then I will march to Daizhou and aim at Taiyuan Prefecture of the Song State."

The smile on Yelu Hongji's face grew deeper and deeper. Thinking back on the uneasy feeling he had just had, it seemed funny.

As the emperor of Liao, how could he think so highly of that young man from Song?

No matter how powerful he is, he is just one person after all, too insignificant.

One person can never change the fate of a country. This time, the Liao Kingdom wants to use swords to tell the Song Kingdom that even if they have invented some firearms, the Liao Kingdom still has the final say in the world, so they should continue to pay tribute to the Liao Kingdom honestly.

"I obey your order." Yelu Otera said respectfully.

Yelu Hongji suddenly remembered something and asked, "Is the Song envoy Su Shi still in the capital?"

"Yes, he is still in the capital, still living in the inn."

Yelu Hongji frowned: "I have already sent troops to the Song Kingdom. There is nothing left for the two countries to discuss. Why doesn't he leave?"

"I don't know, but I've heard from colleagues that Su Shi indulges in alcohol and women every day at the inn, and... many officials and scholars from our Liao Kingdom come to visit him, and everyone is honored to receive a word of advice from Su Shi. The dignitaries and beauties in the capital are actually flocking to him and admiring him endlessly."

Yelu Hongji frowned even deeper, feeling as if he had swallowed a fly alive. He felt very uncomfortable and nauseous.

"What on earth does he want to do by staying in Shangjing?" Yelu Hongji was a little angry.

Yelu Wute La also felt a little disgusted and said, "These days, several famous courtesans in the capital, as well as several daughters of powerful families, are said to have had one-night stands with Su Shi... This old man is going too far!"

Yelu Otera then revealed a vicious expression and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, Su Shi refuses to leave. It would be better to burn down the inn. Your Majesty can then write a letter to the Emperor of Song, saying that the Song envoy died in an accident and offering a few simple apologies."

Yelu Hongji shook his head. "No, Su Shi is an envoy after all. Killing an envoy would have grave consequences. This precedent cannot be set. I will formally hand him a letter of credence, asking him to return home at once."

Seeing that Yelu Wutera was still indignant, Yelu Hongji couldn't help but ask curiously: "Why do you hate Su Shi so much? He also took away your daughter..."

Yelu Otera hurriedly said: "I don't have a daughter, I just..."

As Yelu Otera spoke, tears welled up in his tiger eyes for some reason, and the strong man sobbed, "A courtesan I like also sneaked into the inn a few nights ago to seek pleasure..."

Yelu Hongji looked at him in astonishment. His gaze passed through the top of his head and he saw the vast green grassland that had haunted his dreams...

"You... have been wronged." Yelu Hongji sighed sympathetically.

"I don't feel wronged, because Su Shi never slept with her."

Yelu Hongji was surprised again: "Why?"

Yelu Otera said indignantly, "Because Su Shi despised her, he sent her away without even touching her. He treated the beauty I longed for so dearly as a worn-out shoe and didn't even bother to touch her. This is a great disgrace! ... This old bastard shall not die a good death!"

Yelu Hongji stared at him blankly, not saying anything for a long time.

how to say?

It was cheated on, but not completely, but it was more shameful than being cheated on.

Looking at the tough guy Yelu Otera sobbing in front of him, Yelu Hongji felt disgusted.

The Chief Privy Councilor of my Great Liao is such a loser. He is not even as good as a weak old man from the Song Dynasty when it comes to snatching a woman. It's so shameful!
"Useless trash, get out!"

…………The weather in the north is dry and cold. After the heavy snow, the cedars on the ground are soft, but the cold wind is like a steel knife scraping against the face, stinging the skin and causing pain.

Zhao Xiaoqian, Chen Shou, Jia Shi and others rode their horses and hesitated on the road to Hengling Fort in the northern suburbs.

The horses had a hard time walking on the knee-high snow, almost moving one step at a time. Every time they took a step, they had to lift their hooves hard. The riders' walking posture looked strange, like a group of livestock that had just undergone sterilization surgery.

Zhao Xiaoqian was wrapped tightly all over, with a thick cloth covering his face, leaving only his eyes visible, his eyelashes covered with frost.

Looking up at the damn weather and then at the distant destination, Zhao Xiaoqian sighed.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and another year has passed. Thinking about how I have traveled through time, I have spent the past two New Year's Eves away from home and have been unable to reunite with my family.

Last year, because of the Song-Xia War, he led the Dragon Guard Battalion to celebrate the New Year with his soldiers in the territory of Western Xia.

This year is the same.

And today, when the New Year is almost approaching, he still has to travel so hard to find a damn woman.

Why did the pampered Prince of Chu suddenly become so miserable?
Just as he was lamenting his fate, Jia Shi suddenly raised his hand and pointed at a blur of houses in the distance, saying cheerfully, "Sir, Hengling Fort is just ahead."

After an hour of difficult walking, Zhao Xiaoqian and others finally entered the village.

Zhao Xiaoqian was not unfamiliar with this village, having been there before.

Last time, in order to understand the people's sentiments, Zhao Xiaoqian went out of the city and randomly found a village to understand the current situation of the farmers in the villages and fortresses outside Zhending City. He still remembered that before leaving, he secretly gave a silver ingot to a lonely old man.

He entered the village in a low-key manner and asked his imperial guards to inquire about Niao Niao's mansion. The group bypassed the village and came to the gate of the remote and slightly luxurious mansion in the north.

Chen Shou went forward and knocked on the door. The side door opened quickly, and a servant in blue looked at them warily.

Chen Shou was very polite. He had followed Zhao Xiaoqian for many years and knew very well about the affairs between the prince and that girl. Perhaps this girl would also be the future mistress, so naturally he could not be too rude.

Just as he put on an awkward smile, the servant in blue suddenly said, "The master has ordered that no outsiders be received. Please do as you please."

After saying this, without waiting for Chen Shou to speak, he slammed the door shut again.

Chen Shou stared blankly at the closed side door, not coming to his senses for a long time.

Zhao Xiaoqian behind him chuckled: "Chen Shou, you should reflect on yourself. Are you too ugly and scared people?"

Chen Shou pulled his cheek and silently stepped aside.

Zhao Xiaoqian personally went forward and knocked on the door.

After knocking twice, the side door opened again, and it was still the servant in blue.

Zhao Xiaoqian showed a carefree and uninhibited smile. Just as he was about to speak, the servant shouted impatiently, "You don't understand what I'm saying, do you? Whatever you want, please don't disturb my master!"

After saying that, the side door slammed shut again.

Zhao Xiaoqian kept knocking on the door, with one hand raised in the air. In this icy and snowy environment, he seemed as if he had been frozen and could not move.

Chen Shou, Jia Shi and other imperial guards and masters had their cheeks twitching constantly. They dared not laugh even if they were beaten to death, and they held it in with great difficulty.

After a long time, Zhao Xiaoqian finally thawed.

I have such a bad temper!

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately kicked the door hard.

The expected side door being kicked open did not happen, and the side door remained closed and motionless.

This time it was even more embarrassing.

"Jia Shi, kick it away! Damn it, this woman is going to make a scene, how dare she show disrespect to me!"

After receiving the order, Jia Shi naturally did not hesitate to be polite. He raised his foot easily, and with a bang, the side door was kicked open. Chen Shou and other imperial guards surrounded Zhao Xiaoqian, and the rest of the people rushed in.

The servants inside were stunned. It took them a while to realize that their door had been broken into. The servants were furious and turned around and shouted, "Hurry, someone is trying to break in! Protect the young lady!"

(End of this chapter)