The prince is more stable

Chapter 419: The Liao Envoy Arrives Suddenly
"War" and "morality" have always been in conflict.

War does not talk about morality with the enemy. Any means that can strike the enemy and strengthen oneself are allowed, including all kinds of despicable, dirty and inhumane methods.

Zhao Xiaoqian had no pressure to plunder the villages and tribes of the Liao Kingdom. "A kind person cannot command an army" means that if you are cruel to your own people, you will be even more cruel to your enemies, including the people of the enemy country.

If after the war some so-called "gentlemen" condemn him for being unrighteous, it would be better to drag him to the battlefield and see if he survives. Then we can talk about the topic of "righteousness".

For thousands of years, China has become more and more cowardly, and the reason for its failure is the word "gentleman". Once labeled as a gentleman, it is basically equivalent to being morally kidnapped. Many despicable means are too embarrassing to be used, but the enemy is very good at using them.

"I can hit you, but you are not allowed to fight back, otherwise it would be unkind."

How is this still playing?
A thousand years later, the saying was changed: "I can sanction you, but you are absolutely not allowed to retaliate, otherwise it will destroy peace and break the rules." Listen to this unreasonable pirate logic...

Of course, if you were to be a pirate yourself, the emotions would be very different.

Zhao Xiaoqian gave the order decisively, crossing the border to plunder the Liao Kingdom. We should return the favor in the same way others have treated us in the past.

After being stunned, all the generals under his command were delighted.

In the hundred years since the founding of the Song Dynasty, no commander has dared to give such an order. I have to say, it's so cool, and it's refreshing to hear.

Watching the generals happily leaving the tent, not long after, thunderous cheers came from outside the tent.

The entire Dragon Guard Camp was in an uproar.

Now, not only did Duke Zhao give the soldiers an opportunity to make a fortune, but more importantly, this time they were actively plundering the Liao Kingdom.

The Song Dynasty has been established for a hundred years and has been constantly plundered and harassed by the Liao Kingdom in the north. Now it is our turn to plunder the Liao Kingdom.

Whether or not one makes a fortune on this trip is no longer important. The main thing is the process of plundering the Liao Kingdom. How proud it would be.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat in the general's tent, feeling puzzled by the cheers of the soldiers outside.

What's there to cheer about?
Is there any difference between robbing the Liao Kingdom and robbing the Western Xia?

When one's own strength and confidence are strong enough, isn't it natural to plunder neighboring countries?
Zhao Xiaoqian is a pragmatic person. His character has not changed at all after living two lives. He hates being morally kidnapped and hates hypocritical nobleness and righteousness. He also believes in the law of the jungle between countries.

When you are strong, don't talk about morality to others, because others don't understand the so-called morality. Others obey you not because of your morality, but because of your fists.

If you don’t believe it, wait until you are younger and try talking to others about morality to see if they will talk about it.

Five thousand soldiers were left to garrison the main camp, and the remaining twenty thousand or so were all sent out in batches. Zhong Jianzhong personally led the main force of eight thousand soldiers, and the rest were divided into five batches, each heading in a different direction.

As usual, Zhao Xiaoqian did not move.

Zhao Xiaoqian had no interest in robbing on horseback in such a cold day. He was too delicate and could not endure any hardship.

Standing outside the general's tent, Zhao Xiaoqian, wrapped in a bearskin, watched the generals inspect the troops. As they marched out of the camp one group after another, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but exclaim, "What perfect warriors..."

"Not only did he fight diligently and loyally, he even went out to rob the army's rations and feed himself, without requiring me, the commander, to worry about anything. How could Zhao have deserved this..."

He turned around and ordered Chen Shou: "The five thousand soldiers who stayed in the camp should not be idle. Fence off a piece of land next to the camp and make it bigger. I estimate that after these killers are released, they will rob a lot of cattle and sheep from the Liao people. Let's fence off the land and raise cattle and sheep. From now on, we can eat roasted whole lamb for every meal. Tsk!"

…………

Two days later, news from various Song army units reached the main camp.

Zhong Jianzhong led the troops and attacked in five groups separately, forcing Yelu Chun's troops to the north. Wherever the army passed, they burned, killed and looted Liao villages and tribes, killing countless Liao people and looting countless cattle, sheep, money and Liao women.

What the Song army had done to the Xixia people when they penetrated deep into the heartland of Xixia was now repeated exactly.

Of course, the looting process also encountered resistance. The Liao people in the village tribes were extremely surprised. They never thought that one day the Song people would dare to cross the border and loot them.

Then the Liao people felt extremely humiliated and angry, and the Liao people in the villages and tribes organized themselves to resist the Song army.

However, the resistance of the Liao people was ultimately futile. Needless to say, the consequences of civilians fighting against regular troops were obvious. After one round of volleys, almost all the young and strong men in the village were wiped out. Then there was a bottom-lineless and inhumane killing, burning the village, robbing people, and stealing money, cattle, sheep and women.

Whether it is a country or an individual, if evil deeds are sown, there will inevitably be evil consequences.

Just as the Liao people treated the border people of the Song Dynasty in the past, the Song army is now treating the Liao people in the same way. It is a tit-for-tat, very fair.

They advanced with great force, committing all manner of atrocities, until they were about fifty li from Yelü Chun's army. Surprisingly, Yelü Chun's 40,000 Liao troops remained motionless. Yelü Chun's reaction was beyond Zhao Xiaoqian's expectations. He had never expected this Liao prince to be so patient. He didn't come out to rescue the nearby villages and tribes being plundered, only a few dozen or even a hundred li away, and he watched helplessly as his own people were plundered and slaughtered.

After all, he is an old fox who has cultivated himself into a spirit, and his concentration is truly extraordinary.

From this, Zhao Xiaoqian also confirmed that the reason why Yelu Chun did not move his troops was indeed that he was waiting for reinforcements from Shangjing or Xijin Prefecture.

Simply put, Yelu Chun was no longer confident of winning against the 30,000 soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp with his 40,000 Liao troops under his command, and he would rather swallow his anger and shrink than face the enemy head-on.

Being a little cowardly is better than being defeated. The consequences are completely different.

During these two days, many cattle, sheep and Liao women were continuously sent from the north, all of which were looted by the Song army.

The cattle and sheep are generally skinny. After all, it is winter and the grass is withering. It is lucky for the cattle and sheep to survive, so it doesn't matter if they are a little thin.

As for the women of Liao, Zhao Xiaoqian took a look with great interest and found that these women were generally mediocre in appearance and quite chaste. They were locked up in the barracks with their hands and feet tied, and were shouting and cursing in Khitan, but no one could understand what they were saying.

There were hundreds of Liao women, but Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't even find one with an 80-point appearance. He returned home disappointed.

Looking at the spoils of war taken by the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but miss the three women in Zhending City.

Compared with these Liao village women, my wife is truly a beauty.

How can a man who is used to having sex with a lioness still be interested in a wild dog?

Counting the days, it has been more than ten days since he last saw his wives. Zhao Xiaoqian's kidney fire is a little strong. The camp is actually not far from Zhending City, about dozens of miles away.

But the difficulty lies in the fact that the road is blocked by heavy snow and is rugged and difficult to travel. It is too tiring to go back and forth. Zhao Xiaoqian is such a lazy person, and it is really not in line with his character to make such a hard journey just to vent his kidney fire.

Looking down at his left and right hands, Zhao Xiaoqian sighed sadly and ordered Chen Shou and Jia Shi to guard the general's tent. He then quietly took out a long-treasured picture album and a stack of straw paper...

The next day, the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp had not yet returned to the camp, but were still burning, killing and looting outside.

But Zhao Xiaoqian had already planned to let Zhong Jianzhong withdraw his troops.

The purpose of testing Yelu Chun has been achieved. After confirming Yelu Chun's attitude, there is no need to allow the soldiers of the Longwei Camp to plunder, and there is also the risk of being ambushed by the Liao army.

As soon as the military order was issued, Chen Shou came to report.

Outside the camp, an envoy from the Liao Kingdom requested to see him.

The envoy's name was Xiao Zhengyou. He was a clerk in the Liao army under Yelu Chun. He was sent to the Song camp on Yelu Chun's orders.

The two major surnames in the Liao Dynasty were Yelu and Xiao. Most of them had some relationship with the royal family. This envoy named Xiao Zhengyou was probably one of them. However, he was an inconspicuous clerk in the army. Obviously, his relationship with the royal family was quite distant, and it was barely possible to have a connection with him.

Zhao Xiaoqian was not in a hurry to meet the Liao envoy, but sat in the general's tent and pondered.

The two countries are at war, and the Song army currently has the initiative. Why did Yelu Chun send an envoy at this time?

Chen Shou stood in front of Zhao Xiaoqian, waiting quietly for his instructions.

Zhao Xiaoqian pondered for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Did the Liao envoy come alone? Did he bring any entourage with him?"

"There is only Xiao Zhengyou outside the camp gate, and no followers are seen." Chen Shou replied.

"What's this person's expression like now?"

Chen Shou was stunned.

Brother, I'm just the head bodyguard. I'm only responsible for making moves and can't read other people's expressions...

After thinking for a moment, Chen Shou hesitated and said, "Xiao Zhengyou is standing outside the gate. He looks... a little impatient. He's pacing back and forth frequently, and he seems to have no patience."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "Even in such a situation, the Liao people still can't change their arrogance."

"Since he's so impatient, let him wait outside the camp for another half an hour. It's so cold outside, it's a good chance to help him calm down."

"Chen Shou, go pick a fatter sheep, slaughter it, clean it, and marinate it with salt and rice wine for half an hour before bringing it back."

(End of this chapter)