The prince is more stable

Chapter 455: The Grandson's Escape
When the troops head straight for Feihu Bingmasi, the deal between Zhao Xiaoqian and Yelu Chun will also begin.

It can be said that the fundamental purpose of the Song-Liao campaign of advance and retreat was this transaction.

Late at midnight, Zhang Rong and Zhe Keshi led their troops to patrol the area twenty miles around again. After confirming that there were no ambushes, Zhao Xiaoqian ordered 10,000 soldiers from the Dragon Guard Battalion to encircle the Feihu Bingmasi on three sides.

Feihu Bingmasi is a small fort-style town where military and civilians live together. The population is about 10,000. The Liao Kingdom has more than 10,000 permanent soldiers and horses stationed here, but the number of Liao troops often increases and decreases.

It cannot even be called a "city" because it does not even have city walls. Inside it there are military training grounds, garrison camps, military offices, and various residential areas.

All buildings are enclosed fortress structures, which is its only form of defense.

When the Liao Kingdom set up a military headquarters here, they probably didn't expect that the Song army would one day break through the border of more than 400 miles and arrive at the city. Therefore, there is no city wall here at all. To the attacker, it is completely defenseless.

At midnight, three groups of Song troops took advantage of the night and quietly approached Feihu Bingmasi from the east, south and west.

A firecracker rocket, with dazzling fireworks swaying at its tail, soared into the sky and then exploded in the air.

Then there was a roar of killing that was like a tsunami, and the three Song army units rushed into the Bingmasi like a tiger into a flock of sheep.

There were only a thousand Liao soldiers left in the Bingmasi. These thousand men were purely cannon fodder and were abandoned by Yelu Chun.

Under the overwhelming influx and crushing of tens of thousands of troops, these thousand people were completely annihilated before they could even react.

The Song army first occupied the Bingmasi office, then set fire to the Liao army camp until everything of the Liao army was taken over. The Song army then began to massacre and loot the people in the area around Bingmasi.

Zhao Xiaoqian acquiesced to the actions of the Longwei Camp.

This is a necessary stage in war and also Zhao Xiaoqian's promise to his soldiers: after crossing the border, they do not have to abide by military law and can plunder civilians.

In the Bingmasi, more than 10,000 Liao people suffered an unexpected disaster.

The Song army, blinded by rage, first carried out indiscriminate looting, and then, under the command of their generals, they began to kill intentionally, first killing the young and strong, then the elderly, and the women and children were detained together.

There was no good intention in letting them live. In the eyes of the Song army, women and children were not enemies, but commodities that would be escorted back to Zhending Prefecture and sold to human traffickers in the future.

What followed was a carpet-style plunder, and all valuable gold, silver, cattle, sheep, furs, and eventually even salt, iron, and farm tools were looted.

When the Feihu Army was caught in a war and bloodbath, and the Liao people's screams and cries could be heard from a long distance away, Zhao Xiaoqian, in a simple tent outside the army, squinted at the Feihu Army in the distance where flames were rising into the sky, and finally felt relieved.

The Feihu Military Command has been actually controlled by the Song army.

As for the various killings and lootings of the Liao people by the Song army, Zhao Xiaoqian did not take it to heart.

If a military commander still has mercy on the people of the enemy country and is so soft-hearted, how can he be qualified to be a commander?

What the Song army did to the Liao Kingdom at this time was nothing more than a replica of what the Liao army did to the people of the Song Dynasty. Every bite and every drink was the result of cause and effect.

"Send someone to tell Zhong Jianzhong not to just focus on looting, but to send troops to set up defenses on the south bank of the Juma River and on the east and west sides of Bingmasi to guard against enemy counterattacks." Zhao Xiaoqian said.

A moment later, Chen Shou hurried over and said, "Prince, the envoy Yelu Chun is almost at the west bank of the Yishui River. He wants you to keep your promise."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "I am very satisfied with this deal. Let's go, take Yelu Yanxi with us, and go meet the secret envoy."

The west bank of the Yishui River is not far from Feihu Bingmasi, only about four or five miles away.

Zhao Xiaoqian did not dare to be careless about this transaction. He took two thousand soldiers and led Yelu Yanxi to the west bank of Yishui.

During the past few days of traveling and the surprise attack on Bingmasi tonight, Yelu Yanxi had been in a daze, being escorted and led away by the Song army soldiers in a daze.

At first he was in despair, thinking that the Song army was going to execute him. But as the journey took longer and longer, and the direction was also north, Yelu Yanhui's despair gradually faded away and turned into excitement.

They wouldn't have taken him so far to execute him, taking five days to travel. What psychopath would travel hundreds of miles just to execute someone? Were they worried that his remains would pollute the local environment?

He had a vague feeling that he was about to escape.

It is not known what kind of deal the Liao Kingdom reached with Zhao Xiaoqian, but in any case, he was soon no longer a prisoner.

Standing on the bank of the Yishui River, Zhao Xiaoqian and Yelu Yanxi looked side by side at the other side of the Yishui River in the distance.

It was late at night and the water was calm. In the pitch-black darkness, one could vaguely see slight ripples on the water and the sound of gurgling water.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at the river and suddenly said, "Over a thousand years ago, Prince Dan of Yan saw Jing Ke off right here by the Yishui River, right?"

Yelu Yanxi's mood had returned to calm at this time. He knew that he would no longer be a prisoner and would be qualified to have an equal dialogue with Zhao Xiaoqian.

"Yes, I've read your stories from the Central Plains too. Jing Ke's crossing of the Yishui River and his assassination of Qin Shi Huang was a truly earth-shattering act, a feat that will live on forever."

Yelu Yanxi turned to look at Zhao Xiaoqian and said with a smile, "Tonight, by the Yishui River, the Song army captured the Feihu Bingma Division. Congratulations to His Royal Highness the Prince of Zhao."

"I've heard that His Highness possesses both military and literary prowess. With such a feat accomplished tonight, his name will be remembered in history books as worthy of Jing Ke's. Why don't you improvise a lyric or poem to commemorate it?" Zhao Xiaoqian smiled faintly. "Do you know why Jing Ke's assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang failed?"

"I don't know, but I know that you people in the Central Plains never judge heroes by success or failure. As long as you try your best, it is a success and your reputation as a hero will not be diminished."

Zhao Xiaoqian said deeply: "Jing Ke's assassination of Qin failed because of too much ritual."

"Ah?" Yelu Yanxi was stunned. He would never have thought that Zhao Xiaoqian's angle would be so tricky and weird.

"Prince Dan presented beautiful women, danced by the Yi River, and even sang 'The wind whistles, the Yi River is cold.' He made a grand display, as if he had already succeeded. As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Jing Ke had exhausted his luck for success by the Yi River."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled faintly at Yelu Yanxi and said, "I don't like to talk nonsense when I do things, and I'm certainly not going to improvise lyrics. Seizing the Feihu Military Command is not a great victory. In the future, my Great Song will have more and more victories."

Yelu Yanxi narrowed his eyes and said, "The Song's increasing victories mean the Liao will also suffer increasing defeats. Is that what Your Highness means?"

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed heartily. "You've heard all this. When my generals captured you alive, they kept calling you a fool. I felt so sorry for you. You're obviously not stupid."

Yelu Yanxi: “…………”

He was stabbed before leaving. Being a prisoner was definitely not a pleasant experience.

Zhao Xiaoqian added: "I believe you should know that you will be free tonight..."

Yelu Yanxi obviously wanted to remain calm, but when he heard Zhao Xiaoqian say it himself, he still couldn't help but feel happy, and he couldn't suppress the curled corners of his mouth.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed again, "To be honest, I really don't want to leave you. We've only known each other for a month, and I still want to talk to you more about life..."

Yelu Yanxi couldn't help but said, "No, I don't want to."

"You've eaten a lot of delicious food in my Song army camp, right? Don't you miss it?"

Yelu Yanxi suddenly showed an angry look.

How dare you mention this!

You drank two bowls of mutton soup with steamed buns, they are all mine!

Yelu Yanxi will never forget that night when he was so hungry that his stomach ached and he almost had to dig up grass roots to fill his stomach.

Seeing Yelu Yanxi's furious face, Zhao Xiaoqian frowned. "Have I been supporting you for nothing all this time? You ate my food without saying thank you and acted so deadly. If you don't control your expression, I'll charge you extra for your food."

Yelu Yanxi was shocked. He realized that although he was about to escape, he was still in Zhao Xiaoqian's hands. It would be better for him to be honest before he escaped.

"Your Highness, was I a little too loud when I spoke just now? I'm really sorry." Yelu Yanxi said politely.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled: "You look much better in this dead state. It's worth my kindness in raising you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Shou behind him suddenly said, "Prince, there's a boat coming from the other side."

On the surface of the Yishui River, a small fishing boat cut through the waves and moved slowly and silently.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Yelu Yanxi and smiled, "Congratulations, you're released."

Yelu Yanxi suppressed his joy and tried to speak calmly, "Your Highness, may I ask what the conditions were that Yelu Chun agreed to with you?"

Zhao Xiaoqian turned around and gestured to the Feihu Army Division, which was surrounded by flames.

Yelu Yanxi had a complicated expression and said, "In other words, the four hundred miles south of Feihu Bingmasi will now belong to the Song Dynasty?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled. "That's understandable. Anyway, you're very valuable, so I can't bear to part with you. I really want to keep you in the Song Dynasty forever, and ask the Liao Kingdom for some benefits every now and then. It's a very profitable business..."

Yelu Yanxi's expression grew increasingly grim. He suppressed his anger and said, "The Song State claims to be the orthodox dynasty of the Central Plains, inheriting the profound teachings of the ancient sages. Don't you think that's rather immoral to say so?"

"My low quality is my personal matter, don't bring it up to the national level."

Zhao Xiaoqian gestured to the small fishing boat docked and said, "The mountains are high and the road is long. Take care, Crown Prince. Next time you go hunting, remember to bring more people with you. After all, there are more bad people than good people in this world..."

When the fishing boat docked, Yelu Zhong jumped off the boat and hurriedly saluted Zhao Xiaoqian and Yelu Yanxi.

Zhao Xiaoqian put on a smile and was about to greet him, but Yelu Zhong had no intention of chatting with him. He turned around and helped Yelu Yanxi onto the fishing boat, and he jumped on as well. The fishing boat immediately left the shore and sailed away into the dark night.

Zhao Xiaoqian's smile froze for a long moment. He sighed regretfully and murmured, "Is this really just a business deal, with no feelings at all? I still want to talk to him about the customs and practices of the Liao Kingdom..."

From the moment Yelu Yanxi boarded the fishing boat, the transaction was completely completed.

Zhao Xiaoqian turned and looked at the flames of the Feihu Bingmasi, muttering, "These killers have absolutely no idea that this Bingmasi is already part of the Song Dynasty. They're burning their own house."

(End of this chapter)