The prince is more stable

Chapter 569 Return to the City to Deploy Defenses
Two hours later, the fire in the Liao camp gradually died down.

No one put out the fire, so it died out naturally. After there was nothing left to burn, the fire gradually weakened.

There were basically no living people in the Liao camp, but there were familiar faces everywhere.

Literally "acquaintances", most of the bodies of the Liao army soldiers lying on the ground were burned to charcoal, showing various strange and twisted postures. They must have experienced unimaginable pain and wailing before dying.

The Song army soldiers entered the camp, counted the results of the battle, and cleaned up the battlefield.

Zhe Keshi slowly walked into the Liao camp, looked around, and stood in front of the sandbag trench. Zhe Keshi observed even more carefully and nodded frequently.

"Xiao Wuna is a talented general, but unfortunately, his defense in the face of firearms can only prolong the lives of his soldiers for a moment at best. He can only defend without attacking, and the defeat cannot be changed." Zhe Keshi murmured his evaluation.

Of the 20,000 Liao troops, more than 10,000 corpses were found inside and outside the camp, and about 4,000 to 5,000 surviving Liao soldiers escaped.

Zhe Keshi barely completed the task assigned by Zhao Xiaoqian and left half of his troops for Xiao Wuna, which was enough.

Xiao Wuna had made some contributions, and he was able to bring back half of the troops alive. Yelu Hongji would probably hold his head and give him a big kiss.

It was a win-win situation for the generals on both sides.

But for ordinary Liao army soldiers... their feelings are not important, they are just a string of numbers in history books.

"There is no need to pursue the desperate enemy any further. The military clerks should count the casualties and the number of Liao troops annihilated, write a military report, and report the victory to His Royal Highness the Prince!" Zhe Keshi gave the order.

Hearing the painful wails in his ears, Zhe Keshi frowned.

Those were wounded Liao army soldiers, some of whom were shot, and some were dying from burns.

Zhe Keshi calmed himself down and said in a cold voice, "His Highness has said that no prisoners will be taken in this battle. Give those surviving Liao soldiers a quick death and send them on their way."

The Song army soldiers responded immediately, lined up, and began to attack the injured Liao army in a net-like manner.

The boundaries between justice and evil become blurred in war. When the knife points to the enemy's neck, no one cares about the so-called good and evil. Creating killings and corpses is the instinct of the army.

Inside the Liao camp, a massacre slowly unfolded. All the Liao soldiers, alive or dead, had their necks slashed by the swords of the Song army.

Scenes like hell on earth were being played out repeatedly in the Liao camp. The bloody scenes were nauseating, but the Song army officers and soldiers seemed to have awakened their murderous nature and were tirelessly reaping the lives of the Liao army.

Zhe Keshi was a general who had experienced life and death over the years and had fought many battles. This situation did not arouse any emotional waves at all.

"Your Highness has lived up to his trust. The Western Army has perfectly annihilated the enemy and won a great victory!" Zhe Keshi suddenly laughed a few times and said, "Come here, bring the merit book! I want to commend my men!"

…………

After a day and night of rapid march, Zhao Xiaoqian set out from the Jumahe Henan Camp with two thousand soldiers, and finally arrived at Zhending City in the afternoon of the next day.

Before they saw the city, the scouts ahead reported that there was nothing unusual in Zhending City, but the city gates were closed and martial law had been imposed, with stricter checks on people entering and leaving the city.

Seeing that the flags of the Song Dynasty were still flying on the top of the city, Zhao Xiaoqian breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, fortunately, Zhending City was not lost. I almost became a widower..." Zhao Xiaoqian patted his chest with a look of fear. His heart, which had been beating fast all the way, finally settled down in his stomach.

General Xu standing next to him looked very tired. He was a scholar, and he could not bear the long journey on horseback. But seeing that Zhending City was not lost, General Xu finally smiled with relief.

"God bless the Song Dynasty, God bless our country! Fortunately, Zhending City is still in our hands. Otherwise, we would not be able to give an explanation to the government and would be ashamed of the people of Zhending Prefecture."

Zhao Xiaoqian hummed and said, "We underestimated the enemy this time. The Liao monarch and his ministers are not incompetent. Their decisions and plans were all correct. It's just that they were a little unlucky..."

As he led his army closer to the city gate, the soldiers guarding the city saw Zhao Xiaoqian's flag from afar and were immediately excited, bowing to him in salute.

Zhao Xiaoqian dismounted and looked at a wing army captain and asked, "Has there been any unusual activity in Zhending City in the past few days?"

The captain replied, "Since yesterday, there have been some suspicious civilians outside the city. They are all young and strong men. They disguised themselves as people carrying loads and tried to sneak into the city. They were arrested by General Shao."

“How many suspicious people have been apprehended?”

"About a hundred people. Perhaps some of them managed to sneak into the city. General Shao is currently ordering a city-wide search for unfamiliar faces."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded. His guess was correct. These suspicious people were probably ordered to sneak into the city, intending to create chaos and seize the city gate.

Waving his hand, he ordered his two thousand soldiers to enter the city. Zhao Xiaoqian remained outside the city gate and pointed to the arrow tower on the city wall. He said, "Tell Shao Jing and Feng Sheng to come see me."

Although he missed the three girls, Niao Niao, Zhao Xiaoqian knew the priorities and decided to finish his business first.

Not long after, Shao Jing and Feng Sheng hurried to the arrow tower and greeted each other as soon as they met.

Zhao Xiaoqian introduced General Xu to the other two generals. After exchanging greetings, Zhao Xiaoqian asked, "Have you interrogated the suspicious individuals you captured?"

Shao Jing said shamefacedly, "I've interrogated them. I used too much force and killed more than a dozen people..." Zhao Xiaoqian's expression remained unchanged: "It doesn't matter. I just want the results. What did they confess?"

"The explanation was limited. They were just ordinary Liao soldiers, disguised as civilians, sneaking in. Following the orders of Liao General Yelu Otera, they agreed to set fire to the city walls at midnight tomorrow, using a signal fire outside the city walls as a signal to create chaos. Then, they would cooperate with the Liao army to open the gates."

Shao Jing shook his head and said, "That's all they know. They don't know anything else. I don't believe it, so I used some tricks. But no matter how severe the torture, they can't reveal anything more."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "That's enough for me. Now I can be sure that Yelu Otera's target is indeed Zhending City."

Shao Jing said, "Yes, I also received an urgent military report from General Zong Ze the day before yesterday. General Zong told me to be wary of the Liao army attacking the city. He asked me to be vigilant and strictly check those entering and leaving the city gates."

"Then I became alert and ordered the city gates closed and the entire army on alert. I also prepared stones, kerosene, hooks, sickles, rolling logs, and other items for the city defense and stored them on the city walls."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "Well done, this is the quality that a general under my command should have. Those who just eat and wait for death are not worthy of being my subordinates."

After being praised by Zhao Xiaoqian, Shao Jing couldn't help but smile happily, but then quickly restrained himself.

"I have also requested Li Qingchen of the Zhending Prefecture to assist in the investigation. I have ordered the officers to conduct a thorough search for any Liao spies who have sneaked into the city. There may be some who have sneaked in, but with such strict defenses, this small number of troops won't cause much trouble."

Zhao Xiaoqian said, "If nothing unexpected happens, Zongze's troops have already reached the position to intercept the Liao army. Yelu Otera's plan to change the route and attack Zhending City will probably fail. He won't be able to reach Zhending City at all."

Shao Jing said solemnly, "Whether the Liao army comes or not, it is always right for me to do my duty well."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded approvingly, then patted his butt and turned to go down the arrow tower.

As soon as he took a step, someone grabbed his sleeve.

Turning his head, he saw General Xu staring at him with a righteous look on his face: "Where are you going, Zi'an?"

"Go home, my three wives are still waiting for me. I haven't seen them for several months, and I miss them so much..." Zhao Xiaoqian said innocently.

General Xu said dissatisfiedly: "Commander-in-chief, shouldn't you inspect the city defenses after returning to the city? After all, the Liao army may attack the city."

"What inspection? Didn't Shao Jing finish all the work?" Zhao Xiaoqian turned to look at Shao Jing and said, "Have you prepared all the supplies for defending the city? Is the morale of the soldiers okay?"

Shao Jing clasped his fists and said, "No problem. Supplies have been stockpiled on the city walls. The soldiers are excited to hear about the battle and their morale is high. They are all looking forward to the Liao army's attack on the city. It would be a good opportunity for our soldiers to show their face in front of His Highness and prove that we are no less powerful than the Imperial Guards."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at General Xu again and spread his hands, saying, "Look, everything's ready. Why would I inspect it? Is it fun to just show off my presence?"

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian return to his lazy and unserious self, General Xu stamped his feet in anger: "Do you really have to see your wife at this time?"

Zhao Xiaoqian's expression changed: "Of course, no one wants you, but someone wants me!"

General Xu was about to say something, but Zhao Xiaoqian grabbed him and led him down the arrow tower.

"I almost forgot about you. I'll have Chen Shou arrange for you to stay at the inn in the city. He'll treat you to delicious food and drinks. Oh, there are brothels in the city, but this is a border town, so the quality of the girls is unavoidable... Hehe. Anyway, authenticity is the most important thing. I suggest you just accompany him for a few drinks and some songs. I don't recommend staying overnight."

"Of course, if Mr. Chongyuan is really hungry, it's the same even if you turn off the lights. The conditions in the border town are like this. Mr., please try to overcome it. As a man, what you pursue is just that last shiver. Once you grit your teeth and close your eyes, the shiver will be over. There's no need to be too demanding about the process."

While Zhao Xiaoqian was pulling General Xu, he kept on sharing his experience of being the third in the imperial examination.

General Xu was dragged by him, stumbling down the tower. His face flushed as he argued, "The battle isn't over yet, how could I be so nervous? Zi'an, you're going too far. You're judging others by your own standards..."

"Ah, yes, yes, you are a gentleman, and a gentleman is not a eunuch. Have you never thought about women in your life? In short, Mr. Chong Yuan, relax. I have entered the city today, and there will definitely be no mishaps in Zhending City."

General Xu was no match for the young man's strength, and after struggling for a while, he had no choice but to accept his fate and be dragged away by Zhao Xiaoqian.

The Song Dynasty didn’t know whether to be thankful or helpless for having such a commander.

"Zi'an, it's best not to let the court officials in Bian Jing know about your current behavior, otherwise the impeachment memorials before the emperor will fill up the entire hall." General Xu sighed helplessly.

"Don't worry, sir. I only show this kind of virtue in front of people I know. In front of strangers, my upright face is simply awe-inspiring..."

He walked down the city wall and entered the city. Chen Shou, Jia Shi and other imperial guards led the way. When the people in the city saw Zhao Xiaoqian, they whispered about him in surprise, then consciously stepped aside, saluted and made way.

Zhao Xiaoqian was very friendly and kind in front of the people. He nodded and greeted strangers frequently as he walked.

After personally escorting General Xu to the inn to stay, Zhao Xiaoqian excitedly went straight to his own residence.

The Liao army did not attack the city, but Zhao Xiaoqian's personal war had slowly begun. Tonight he had to fight the women for three hundred rounds.

The struggle between men and women is nothing more than riding and being ridden.

The changes of yin and yang lie only in the state of lying down and lying down.

(End of this chapter)