The prince is more stable

Chapter 427: Confusion between the Enemy and Us
The entire northwest Hebei was in chaos.

The 40,000-strong Liao army rushed out in full force and headed south like a whirlwind.

Yelu Chun has issued a death order to the entire army, requiring them to intercept and annihilate Shao Jing's Song Guoxiang Army before they meet up with the main force of the Longwei Camp in the south.

The generals under the Liao army did not understand why Yelu Chun gave this order, but no one dared to ask.

Yelu Chun, who was riding on a horse and personally accompanying the army, had a dark face and a look of anger. Everyone could see that Yelu Chun wanted to kill someone, but no one with a little bit of eyesight dared to approach him and offend him.

However, the Liao army generals were well aware that sending out 40,000 troops was a very extreme decision. After the army set out, it would either be a great victory or a great defeat, and the consequences were difficult to predict.

It was so strange and unreasonable for Yelu Chun, who was always calm and wise, to make such a decision.

In comparison, Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi, who were lying in ambush ten miles away, were even more confused.

Although the situation was not clear, it was certain that the Liao army came out in full force, which meant that the Xiang army had successfully lured the enemy and the tactical goal set by Duke Zhao was achieved.

Zhang Rong said: "It's so satisfying, so satisfying!"

Zhe Keshi said: "If we rely on asking for instructions to fight, we won't be able to catch up with any of the dishes."

While urgently reporting the military situation to Zhao Xiaoqian in the rear, Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi also hurriedly ordered a fight against the Liao army.

The two armies each led 5,000 soldiers from the Dragon Guard Camp and set up camp 20 miles south of the Liao army camp. The positions of the two armies formed a horn with each other, like a crab's big claws, with the claws pointing towards the Liao army camp. Once they encountered an enemy attack, the claws would immediately close and cut off all invading enemies.

The array has been set up, and the scouts have been sent back to the Dragon Guard Camp to report military intelligence. All that remains is to engage in battle.

But until this moment, Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi still didn't understand what had happened to make Yelu Chun so upset that he actually ordered all 40,000 Liao troops to leave the camp. The posture he put on was not just a decisive battle, but a fight to the death.

At the same time, the two of them felt a little solemn. After all, the gap between the enemy and us was a bit big. The two armies had only 10,000 people in total, while the Liao army had 40,000.

So, did Shao Jing and Feng Sheng dig up the Yelu family's ancestral tombs, driving the Liao army commander mad? Otherwise, why would Yelu Chun make such an impulsive decision and launch a full-scale attack without any warning?

After the scout reported the military situation, Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi knew that the situation was urgent. They met in a hurry and asked in unison what had happened.

Everyone is confused, so naturally there is no answer.

"Could it be that...something happened to the wing troops ahead who were luring the enemy?" Zhe Keshi said with a frown.

Zhang Rong said with a strange expression, "Can this... be called an 'accident'? The mission of the Xiang army is to lure the enemy out. Now that the enemy has been lured out, isn't that exactly our goal?"

Zhe Keshi said with a grim expression, "But this... is too much temptation. We can easily wipe out thousands of troops, but now there are only 40,000. What did Shao Jing and the others do to provoke that old fox Yelu Chun to be so impulsive?"

Zhang Rong also sighed, "I guess Shao Jing stirred up a hornet's nest, but I don't know what happened...Brother Zhe, will the ambush continue?"

Zhe Keshi smiled bitterly and said, "Of course we must continue. The Xiang army is so brave, how can our Dragon Guard Battalion be inferior to them?"

"What are we afraid of with 40,000 Liao soldiers? Even a single iron ball can kill a person. If we combine our forces to form 10,000 flintlock rifles, we won't be able to destroy 40,000 Liao soldiers!"

The two looked at each other and nodded vigorously.

No matter how many enemy troops there are, just kill them.

The Dragon Guard Battalion is the most elite imperial guard of the Song Dynasty, bar none. Isn't it a basic operation to fight one against four?
"By the way, send out scouts to support the troops under Shao Jing and Feng Sheng, and ask those two guys what they did, you bastards! I asked you to lure the enemy, but you fucking forced the Liao army to launch a general attack. I wish I could kowtow to them!" Zhe Keshi said angrily, gritting his teeth.

An hour later, the scouts came to meet up with the 5,000 troops under Shao Jing and Feng Sheng. When this army met up with the troops under Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi, they collapsed on the ground exhausted, gasping for breath, and looked like human beings.

Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi immediately found Shao Jing and Feng Sheng panting with their tongues hanging out in the crowd. The more they looked at them, the more they felt that these two were real dogs.

"Forty thousand Liao soldiers came out in full force without regard for the consequences. What on earth did you do?" Zhe Keshi asked bluntly.

Shao Jing and Feng Sheng were exhausted, but their eyes widened in confusion. "I don't know. We heard that the Liao army had left the camp in full force, and we were shocked. We knew we couldn't win, so we ran back immediately."

Zhang Rong frowned. "You really didn't do anything? Did Yelu Chun go crazy and suddenly mobilize his entire army to hunt you down?"

Shao Jing smiled bitterly and said, "I really don't know. Before this, my 5,000-man army was hiding in a forest ten miles away from the Liao army camp. This morning, we managed to capture a hundred or so Liao army vanguards alive. Then, we heard that the Liao army had rushed out in full force and was chasing us like crazy."

Feng Sheng was also puzzled. He said, "It's indeed very strange. Although we were lurking near the Liao army camp, we didn't provoke them. Who knows what Yelu Chun might have done wrong..."

Seeing that the two men truly didn't know the reason, Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi were speechless. "The 40,000 Liao troops are approaching. Let's engage them first. The 5,000 garrison troops will rest here and then withdraw a mile to the south, ready to reinforce at any moment." Zhang Rong sighed, "Before the Duke of Zhao's reinforcements arrive, we'll have a fierce battle."

…………

The rear base of the Dragon Guard Camp.

Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhong Jianzhong sat in the general's tent and had a very pleasant chat.

They didn't talk about military or national affairs, but about love and romance.

Which girl in Bianjing City is the prettiest and most attentive? Which widow with the half-closed door offers good value for money? Unlock all kinds of new knowledge. And which girl in the brothel seems enthusiastic, but in reality, her attitude is not right. Her hypocrisy is all over her face. I'm too lazy to act. Avoid, avoid...

When two grown men get together, what else can they talk about except women?
Don’t think that men’s topics of conversation must be politics, military, economy, etc. A very cruel reality is that the more loser a man is, the more topics they can talk about.

Only poor people care about the world situation and economic GDP all day long. The topics among the powerful and rich are mostly about trivial matters and love affairs.

Of course, the powerful and wealthy also talk about the situation and the economy. Once they start this topic, they will inevitably reach cooperation or binding in terms of interests. Simply put, after they finish talking about it, they really have to do so according to the topic.

Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhong Jianzhong did not talk about interests, as they could not agree on this issue.

But when it comes to romance, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly realized today that Lao Zhong has been having quite a bit of fun over the years.

Zhong Jianzhong was not poor. His family had been loyal officials for generations, and they had land, houses and property. Think about the "Zhong Family Army" that was famous in history. Without sufficient capital and property, could they have the naming rights for this army?

So, although Zhong Jianzhong, who seemed honest and simple, was already middle-aged, he had also been a romantic man in the past. Bianjing was prosperous and full of dazzling flowers. How could a rich and high-ranking young man not be romantic?
Zhao Xiaoqian felt a little disheartened after the conversation. Although he had several women at home and outside, compared with Zhong Jianzhong's romantic life, Zhao Xiaoqian found that he was just a pure little virgin who had never seen the world.

After traveling through time for so long, Zhao Xiaoqian found that he seemed to have hardly ever been involved in the world of pleasure. By chance, he met two courtesans and later married them both.

What’s the difference between this and investing in stocks and becoming a major shareholder?

"Old Zhong, when we return to Beijing in triumph, please take me to see more of the world." Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, "In front of you, I'm just a younger brother, really..."

Zhong Jianzhong sneered, "Don't make a fuss, Lord. Who in Bianjing doesn't know your great name? Even now, the girls in the brothels are still singing half of your poems. I wonder how many beautiful women are eagerly waiting for you, Lord, to receive your sweet rain and dew."

"A polite remark?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked in surprise and uncertainty.

Zhong Jianzhong said seriously, "I'm not being polite. From what I've heard, all the courtesans in the Bian River and Zhouqiao brothels in Bianjing are looking forward to your visit. Unfortunately, I heard that you have a strange habit and only accept 'Zuihuayin' as your brothel guest. I wonder how many courtesans have had their hearts broken."

Zhao Xiaoqian slapped his thigh suddenly and said with regret: "Bad habits are deadly! When I return to Beijing in the future, I will definitely treat everyone equally and not let the courtesans down..."

As they were deep in conversation, Chen Shou's urgent voice came from outside the general's tent: "My Lord, the scouts ahead report that Yelu Chun has mobilized 40,000 Liao troops and is charging towards Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi's troops. Please make your decision, Lord!"

Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhong Jianzhong were stunned.

Zhong Jianzhong blurted out without hesitation: "Impossible! Yelu Chun would never commit such a major military taboo!"

"No commander would do such a thing as sending out all 40,000 Liao troops without leaving any escape route for himself."

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Is there a trick going on? Reinforcements have arrived from Shangjing and Xijin Prefecture. Is Yelu Chun planning to use his military tactics on us?"

Zhong Jianzhong said calmly, "If the Liao Kingdom had reinforcements, our scouts would have noticed it. It's obviously unreasonable that neither the Imperial City Office nor the military scouts reported it."

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said, "Yelü Chun has mobilized his entire army and is preparing for a decisive battle. This cannot be without reason. The Liao army's actions themselves are contrary to common sense. I don't know what exactly happened up there."

Zhong Jianzhong looked at him and said, "My Lord, it's too late to investigate the cause. Forty thousand Liao troops are charging towards Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi's troops. If we don't rescue them, we will suffer great losses at the front."

Zhao Xiaoqian also nodded and said, "That's right. No matter what happens in front, we should rescue them first. Since the Liao army has all left the camp, we should all leave the camp as well."

"Even if Yelu Chun led his army to celebrate our birthday in Zhending Prefecture, it wouldn't satisfy him!"

Zhao Xiaoqian turned and shouted to Chen Shou outside the tent, "Order the Dragon Guard Battalion to muster their troops immediately and march north. Lao Zhong and I will personally lead the troops to join Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi's forces."

Outside the tent, Chen Shou obeyed the order, and then there was a commotion in the Dragon Guard Camp. The sound of orderly footsteps came and went, war horses neighed, and weapons clashed.

An incense stick of time later, all 20,000 soldiers in the Dragon Guard Camp were assembled. Under the leadership of Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhong Jianzhong, the soldiers hurriedly rushed north towards Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi's troops.

(End of this chapter)