The prince is more stable

Chapter 640: A famous teacher
Zhao Xiaoqian had experienced the same departure scene and ceremony many times before.

Every time he went on a campaign, he and his soldiers would bring good news to the Song Dynasty. It was because of these good news that Zhao Xiaoqian gradually turned the tide of the Song Dynasty and transformed this dynasty, which was criticized by later generations for its weakness, into a different one.

The Song Dynasty was no longer weak.

It was given new life, infused with new vitality and an indomitable will.

Perhaps even Zhao Xiaoqian himself did not realize that the Song Dynasty was now unknowingly moving towards the direction of the powerful Han and prosperous Tang dynasties.

That goal, which was once out of reach for the Song Dynasty, is now within sight at its bright finish line.

It's not that hard to achieve. As long as we grit our teeth, go a little further, and don't deviate from the right path, then in the history of China, besides the powerful Han and Tang dynasties, there might be another "powerful Song".

What did Zhao Xiaoqian do?
He merely turned the steering wheel slightly, bringing the Song Dynasty's wheels back on track.

Banners fluttered and danced in the wind on the parade ground in the northern suburbs.

The thunderous drumbeats seemed to strike people's hearts, their heartbeats trembling with the rhythm of the drums, and the long horn blasts conveyed a sense of tragic heroism and striving spirit.

Standing on the high platform, Zhao Xu couldn't help but feel his heart surge with excitement at the magnificent scene before him, and his face couldn't help but turn red.

"How I long to personally lead an expedition, to command thousands of troops like Zi'an, and to take the enemy chieftain's head from among a million soldiers..." Zhao Xu murmured.

Every man harbors a dream of martial arts and a dream of becoming a general.

In my dream, I hold the commander's seal, strategizing and commanding thousands of troops who fight bravely and shed blood on the battlefield for my orders.

Even emperors have this dream; they wish they could have conquered this empire with their own hands.

Zhao Xiaoqian heard his mutterings and smiled, saying, "If Your Majesty wishes to personally lead the expedition, I am willing to serve as Your Majesty's deputy commander and charge into battle for Your Majesty."

Zhao Xu sighed with a wry smile and said, "I am no longer a child and cannot act recklessly. Even if I really wanted to lead the army in person, would the civil and military officials in the court agree? At that time, I don't know how many people would curse me as a foolish ruler, accusing me of being ambitious and disregarding the well-being of the people."

Looking up at the 50,000 Imperial Guards of the Song Dynasty on the training ground, Zhao Xu felt a surge of emotion as the dense and orderly ranks exuded a silent and murderous aura.

"Zi'an, I have come personally to see you off on this expedition. You should know that this battle is of great significance." Zhao Xu's tone grew more serious.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I am determined to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun for the Great Song Dynasty and further annihilate the Liao army. After this battle, Your Majesty will become the greatest emperor in the history of the Great Song Dynasty, and your name will be remembered in history, and your achievements will shine in the ancestral temple."

Zhao Xu smiled: "With Zi'an here, I am very relieved. You will definitely not let me down. I am waiting for your good news in Bianjing."

When the emperor saw them off, the ceremony and the scene were even more extraordinary.

Accompanying them were not only civil and military officials from the court, but also Taoist priests from Yuqing Palace.

After Zhao Xu inspected the 50,000 Imperial Guards, the Taoist priests set up an altar in front of the Imperial Guards and began to divine good and bad fortune.

After a series of mystical rituals with his eyes rolling back, the priest performed some kind of magic trick, and a yellow talisman descended from the sky.

The Taoist priest accepted the talisman with great joy and presented it to Zhao Xu with both hands: "Your Majesty, Heaven has decreed that this battle will be auspicious and a great victory will be achieved!"

Zhao Xu glanced at the talisman with a delighted expression and handed it to Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled slightly, knowing full well it was a psychological encouragement tactic, but he still cooperated by raising the talisman and shouting, "Pass down what Heaven has decreed and circulate it to all the soldiers!"

A general of the Imperial Guard raised the talisman high with both hands and ran wildly towards the ranks of the Imperial Guards below the platform, shouting as he ran: "This battle will be auspicious! This battle will be auspicious!"

Sure enough, the entire army was overjoyed and cheered loudly.

This kind of divination ritual before going to war might not be believed by even children a thousand years from now, but in this era, it is an excellent way to boost morale.

As you can see, when the Boxers charged towards the Anglo-French allied forces, they didn't shout any heroic or righteous slogans, but rather "invulnerable to swords and spears."

At this moment, just as at that moment.

A so-called divine decree was more powerful than a thousand pre-battle mobilizations from the commanders and generals. The morale of the 50,000 Imperial Guards was instantly boosted, and the soldiers roared like hungry wolves about to be released from their cages to tear their prey apart.

On the high platform, Zhao Xu and Zhao Xiaoqian exchanged a smile and nodded.

"The morale of the troops is high," Zhao Xu said with satisfaction.

Zhao Xiaoqian shouted, "Order the entire army to set off!"

As the roaring soldiers marched out of the camp, Zhao Xiaoqian turned to Zhao Xu and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I have been ordered to go on the expedition."

Seeing this, Zhao Xu couldn't help but get excited. He held his arm with both hands and said, "Take care, Zi'an. I'm counting on you!"

Zhao Xiaoqian paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "My father is in Bianjing, and his behavior may be somewhat absurd. My mother is in Fanglin Garden. I ask Your Majesty to be understanding and take care of her so that I will have no worries."

Zhao Xu smiled: "Your father is also my imperial uncle. I will naturally take care of him in Bianjing. I will also frequently send palace maids to look after and reward your mother. So, Zi'an, do not worry."

Zhao Xiaoqian pursed his lips.

His sudden remark just before setting off on the expedition was naturally significant.

He was subtly telling Zhao Xu that his father was in Zhao Xu's hands, so he shouldn't worry about Zhao Xu's intentions. Even though he held a large army, he remained loyal to the emperor and the court.

"A thousand years of glory rests on this battle; I await Zian's report of victory." ...

The ceremony for sending off the troops showed that the imperial court was serious this time.

Previous expeditions were, strictly speaking, small-scale wars with the Liao Dynasty. Although Zhao Xiaoqian annihilated 150,000 Liao troops, it is remarkable that the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty still maintain diplomatic relations to this day.

The envoys of the two countries exchanged visits and official letters, and the contents of these letters even emphasized the so-called "brotherly relations" between the two countries.

That's right. Even though the business deal fell apart, the friendship remained. Zhao Xiaoqian wiped out 150,000 Liao troops, but the two countries still didn't break off relations.

until today.

With Zhao Xiaoqian leading 50,000 imperial guards on their departure, the Song emperor and the Council of State Affairs will officially issue a proclamation of conquest to the world today.

The target of the campaign was the Liao Dynasty, and the objective was the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

The content of the manifesto was naturally righteous and justified.

Since the traitor Shi Jingtang surrendered Yan and Yun to the Liao Kingdom, the Central Plains have been humiliated for a century, the Song Dynasty has lost face, and the Liao Kingdom has usurped the throne, slaughtering countless Han people in Yan and Yun for a century. The Great Song Dynasty, having received the mandate of Heaven, cares for the common people. How can it bear to see the people of Yan and Yun suffering in vain?
Today, Prince Zhao Xiaoqian of Hejian has been ordered to personally lead an elite imperial army on a northern expedition to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. If the Northern Liao knows that they are following the will of Heaven, they should quickly return Yan and Yun, and prevent any casualties, thus defying the grace of Heaven…

The proclamation was written by the Hanlin Academy. It was a beautifully written article about conquering the Liao Kingdom and recovering the Yan and Yun regions, which was so inspiring that it made one's blood boil.

The proclamation not only had a legitimate cause but also a righteous reason. After reading the whole thing, one gets the feeling that if the Song Dynasty did not recover Yan and Yun, it would be a disservice to its ancestors and the people, and even a violation of the will of Heaven.

This battle is unavoidable.

On the march, Zhao Xiaoqian endured the monotonous journey, but still issued several military orders.

Some were given to the camp at Juma River, some to Zhending City, and some to Zhen Qing, Xiao Wuna, Xiao Fengxian, and others who were lurking in Shangjing of Liao.

Even before the major battle began, the secret front had already become active.

War is not only about fighting to the death on the battlefield, but also about strategic maneuvering and wits outside the battlefield.

The battlefield was not only in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, but also in the court and streets of the Liao capital.

After three days of marching, the 50,000 Imperial Guards still hadn't left the capital region. Zhao Xiaoqian, mounted on his horse, had a map of the cities of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun automatically forming in his mind, and he was constantly planning how to launch the first battle.

Now that the first month of the Lunar New Year has passed, it is the beginning of spring. The weather is no longer so cold, but riding on horseback in the spring breeze still carries a bit of chill.

On the fourth day, as Zhao Xiaoqian watched Chen Shou and the others set up their command tent, a thought suddenly struck him, and he called out to Jia Shi, who was busy at work.

Jia Shi is a master, and so are the other ten.

This group of men was specifically assigned to Zhao Hao because he was worried that his son might encounter danger on the battlefield.

At the time, Zhao Xiaoqian was still very naive and really thought that Jia Shi and other experts were martial arts figures recruited by Zhao Hao from the common people with a lot of money. Now Zhao Xiaoqian finally realized that these people were not martial arts figures at all, but Zhao Hao's assassins.

It's unclear just how vast Huo Die's shady power is, or how many experts and talents it contains. But one thing is certain: Jia Shi's group of experts is definitely not simple.

It would be a waste to keep such talented people around; talented people should be placed where they can make a difference.

Zhao Xiaoqian was the commander-in-chief of an army. No matter how fierce and brutal the battle was, the enemy could not possibly rush into his command tent and capture him alive. If it really came to that, the life or death of the commander-in-chief would no longer matter.

"Jia Shi, come here." Zhao Xiaoqian beckoned to Jia Shi.

Jia Shi put down his work and ran over, his face still bearing his usual honest smile. Anyone who didn't know him would mistake him for an old farmer they'd met on the road.

Who would believe that this seemingly honest and simple fellow once lifted a 300-pound grain cart with one hand, making the usually arrogant Chen Shou as subdued as a white snake under Leifeng Pagoda? From then on, Chen Shou became as obedient as a concubine bought by a wicked family in front of him.

At this moment, Jia Shi stood in front of Zhao Xiaoqian, bowing slightly and smiling憨憨地.

"What are your orders, Prince?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled at him: "It's the fourth day of the march. It will take about another half a month to reach the Juma River camp. However, you and your group of skilled brothers will be leaving the army tomorrow..."

Jia Shi was taken aback: "Why?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed: "You guys eat too much. I'm afraid I can't afford to feed you. I was almost thinking of sending you muscle men to work as prostitutes and date rich women..."

Jia Shi was dumbfounded: "Your Highness, forgive my bluntness, but this reason... isn't it a bit insincere?"

"Ah, you recognized me? Okay, to be honest, I need your help with something, you experts."

"Please give your orders, Your Highness."

"Tomorrow you will leave the group and travel ahead in disguise to the capital of Liao."

Jia Shi immediately looked troubled: "Your Highness, His Highness's intention is for us brothers to protect you day and night, and not to concern ourselves with anything else. We cannot leave your side."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "I will explain to my father. Just follow my orders."

(End of this chapter)