The prince is more stable

Chapter 641 The war is about to begin
Zhao Xiaoqian's attitude towards the recapture of Yanyun was more serious than ever before.

This battle not only concerns the fate of the Song Dynasty, but also the honor, disgrace, rise and fall of myself and the Chu King's lineage.

In this era, the fate of powerful and wealthy families was closely tied to the fate of the nation and its dynasties.

If the war goes poorly or the army is defeated, Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhao Hao will face severe consequences. They may not be beheaded, but they will at least be exiled to the central government, and their descendants will never be able to recover their power.

The strategic vision of a commander-in-chief cannot be limited to the battlefield.

Therefore, before the war began, Zhao Xiaoqian had to lay out all his plans in advance and mobilize all available resources to launch an offensive against the Liao Kingdom from multiple directions.

Jia Shi and his group of experts were clearly also part of Zhao Xiaoqian's plan.

Wouldn't it be a waste not to use these exceptionally skilled fighters? They're always by his side, rarely encountering any danger, and they eat so much—a bunch of muscular men are practically developing potbellies. If Zhao Xiaoqian doesn't make use of them, he'll feel like he's missing out.

Jia Shi was clearly reluctant to accept Zhao Xiaoqian's order, as it conflicted with Zhao Hao's orders. Although they were father and son, Jia Shi was ultimately Zhao Hao's loyal follower, so naturally, Zhao Hao's orders took precedence.

"Your Highness, it's not that I disobeyed orders, but His Highness gave me a death order, and anyone who disobeys will be executed. Please don't make things difficult for me, and let us brothers stay by your side to protect you."

Zhao Xiaoqian's smile faded, and his face revealed an air of authority that even Zhao Hao had never shown: "Jia Shi, you've been with me for so long, you should know my temper. When I send you out on business, I'm not consulting you."

Jia Shi's face immediately showed a bitter expression: "Your Highness..."

"In this army, I am the sole commander-in-chief. I am the only one in command. Everyone under my command must obey my orders unconditionally. Everyone, including you!" Zhao Xiaoqian emphasized.

Jia Shi's scalp was about to explode, but the oppressive aura emanating from Zhao Xiaoqian was suffocating even for a master like him.

No matter how skilled a rough-and-tumble martial artist is, he can't withstand the pressure of a commander who commands 100,000 troops. They're simply not in the same league.

After a long silence, Jia Shi finally lowered his head and said, "Please give your instructions, Your Highness."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded in satisfaction and said, "I want you to leave the group tomorrow and go straight to the capital of Liao. Disguise yourselves and lie in wait in the city."

"As our campaign to recapture Yan and Yun progresses, we will seize the opportunity to spy on and assassinate important ministers of the Liao court, especially those Liao ministers who can influence the Liao emperor's decisions in the Yan and Yun campaign, as well as Liao ministers who are hostile to and oppose the Song Dynasty."

Zhao Xiaoqian's gaze was icy cold as he said in a low voice, "There are Imperial City Guards lying in wait in the capital, but you don't need to contact them. You don't need to ask permission to kill Liao officials either."

"In short, once you experts enter the capital, you can act with impunity and no one can control you, unless you are too weak and are killed by the Liao people."

Jia Shi understood. He realized that Zhao Xiaoqian's purpose in sending them to infiltrate the capital was to use them as a group of highly skilled assassins, whose targets were the radical Liao officials who hated the Song Dynasty.

“I understand. My brother and I will set off first thing tomorrow morning,” Jia Shi said readily.

Zhao Xiaoqian patted his shoulder and said, "Take care of yourselves. You have no one to rely on when you infiltrate Liao. I cannot protect you. You will have to rely on yourselves. Once you feel that everyone who deserves to die is dead, you can return to the Juma River camp and meet up with me."

"Yes, Your Highness, rest assured, we brothers will certainly live up to your expectations."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him with a smile and said, "Jia Shi, I know that you are experts carefully selected by my father and sent to my side. And if I'm not mistaken, you are not some Jianghu people recruited with a lot of money, but my father's assassins, right?"

Jia Shi was not surprised at all by Zhao Xiaoqian's guess; after all, they had spent so much time together that they would eventually understand something.

Some secrets simply cannot be kept from people you've known for a long time.

Jia Shi hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Zhao Xiaoqian asked curiously, "How many assassins like you are around Father?"

Jia Shi pursed his lips tightly and didn't say a word.

"There's no need to keep this from me now, is there? Besides, I am my father's son, his own flesh and blood. You will all be the inheritance my father leaves me in the future," Zhao Xiaoqian said with dissatisfaction.

Jia Shi remained silent, his lips pressed tightly together.

"Alright, let's change the subject. Will you truly protect me and my father to the death? If we are captured by our enemies, will you really commit suicide by biting poison at the slightest provocation?"

Jia Shi finally spoke: "Yes."

"Open your mouth and let me see the poison hidden inside. Take it out so I can examine it..." Zhao Xiaoqian said with great interest.

Jia Shi pursed his lips again, remaining silent.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed: "I really can't stand you like this... When you were eating more than ten kilograms of my food every day, I didn't see you resisting like this."

Then Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly asked, "If I and your mother fell into the water at the same time, who would you save first?"

"Save the young master." Jia Shi finally broke his silence and answered decisively.

If my father and your mother fell into the water at the same time, who would you save first?

"Save His Highness."

"...Aren't you curious why my father and your mother fell into the water at the same time?"

"It doesn't matter," Jia Shi said indifferently.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but praise, "As expected of a death squad member, top-notch! ...It's just a bit unfilial." Jia Shi's lips curled up, "I'm an orphan, so it doesn't matter if my ancestors for eighteen generations fall into the water."

Zhao Xiaoqian understood and patted him on the shoulder: "Take care when you set off tomorrow. Jia Shi, the meaning of 'death warrior' is not that I want you to go to your deaths, but that I need your loyalty. I hope you can all live well, preferably until you are eighty years old before you die."

For some reason, Jia Shi's eyes suddenly welled up with tears after those few words.

My emotions, which had been as still as stagnant water, had not surged like this in many years.

A strange warmth gradually swirled in my chest, like drinking a pot of aged wine, warm and comforting.

…………

The next morning, while Zhao Xiaoqian was still asleep, Jia Shi and a group of experts had already packed their bags and disguised themselves as Liao people.

The group stood outside the command tent, knelt before the curtain, then rose silently, mounted their warhorses, and rode away from the ranks.

Chen Shou personally saw them off from the camp. Watching Jia Shi and the others walk away, Chen Shou felt a sense of loss and also felt that the responsibility on his shoulders was even heavier.

With the departure of the most skilled warriors around the Crown Prince, the heavy responsibility of protecting him now rests entirely on Chen Shou's shoulders. He also has to face the sword fights on the battlefield, and Chen Shou feels a long-lost sense of pressure.

Then the march continued, an endless march.

Zhao Xiaoqian had grown accustomed to the monotonous journey, and as the troops drew closer to the north, the tense atmosphere of war became increasingly palpable.

Once you leave the Gyeonggi region, the atmosphere becomes completely different.

The closer one gets to the border between the Song and Liao dynasties, the more expansive the land becomes, but the fewer villages and people there are.

The constant shadow of war, coupled with the Liao Dynasty's frequent raids across the border to plunder the Song Dynasty's border residents, resulted in a sparsely populated area within the Song-Liao border, with most of the fertile land lying fallow and uncultivated.

The Hebei Plain, a fertile land that should have been a rich granary for the Song Dynasty, is now a desolate place where not a rooster crows for miles around.

The people preferred to abandon their land and move south with their families to become refugees rather than stay long in this land where war and plunder had been a constant occurrence.

Zhao Xiaoqian saw everything and remembered every desolate and barren scene.

Some things need to be done step by step. What he needs to do now is to strive for peace.

When the enemy falls, peace will come.

With the world unified and foreign lands subjugated, the Song Dynasty would no longer have wars.

With peace, these barren lands will surely recover quickly, and cities and villages will be built rapidly—this is inevitable.

After marching for half a month, Zhao Xiaoqian and 50,000 soldiers finally arrived at the Juma River camp.

It was late February, the season of spring warmth and blooming flowers.

On both banks of the Juma River, the grass is growing and the birds are singing. In the distance, the Song army camp exudes a vibrant atmosphere in the bright spring sunshine.

The 50,000 Imperial Guards accompanying them gradually became restless. Looking at the large camp located in the distance, and the faint sounds of training and battle shouts carried on the wind, the soldiers' mood was filled with excitement and a little unease.

As they approached the main camp gate, Zhao Xiaoqian saw a group of generals standing in formation outside the camp, gazing with delight at the dark mass of imperial guards, and Zhao Xiaoqian leading the way.

After ordering the settlement of 50,000 soldiers and the opening of a new area next to the original camp for expansion, Zhao Xiaoqian rode forward alone.

As they approached the gate, Zhao Xiaoqian dismounted and walked. Generals Xu, Zhong Jianzhong, Zong Ze, and Di Zi, who had been waiting for him, came forward to greet him. The generals lined up in front of Zhao Xiaoqian and bowed in respect.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Prince."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "We're all acquaintances, no need to be so polite. Even if you bow very politely, I won't give you any red envelopes. No need for formalities!"

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian stepped forward and winked at Xu Jiang and Zhong Jianzhong: "Thank you both for taking care of things while I was away from the main camp."

Xu Jiang, with a stern face, coldly snorted: "How dare you come back with such a shameless face! Do you know that General Zhong and I have been overwhelmed with problems these days? We have to worry about all sorts of trivial matters in the camp. My hair has turned quite a bit white these days."

Zhao Xiaoqian said innocently, "The Emperor suddenly summoned me back to the capital. What could I do? Should I ask Mr. Chongyuan to write a memorial to Bianjing and scold the Emperor?"

Xu Jiang was taken aback, then angrily snorted and flicked his sleeve.

Zhao Xiaoqian then looked at Zhong Jianzhong and asked, "Has the Liao Kingdom made any unusual moves in recent months?"

Zhong Jianzhong smiled and said, "A month ago, scouts discovered that a small group of Liao troops were attempting to cross the Juma River to the south and plunder villages in our Great Song Dynasty. After I promptly dispatched troops to annihilate several Liao troops, they finally behaved themselves."

Zhao Xiaoqian surveyed his generals and smiled, saying, "Every year, Liao troops cross the border to raid and plunder our Song people. We cannot tolerate their behavior. Kill as many as they come, and..."

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian's smile deepened, and he slowly said, "Moreover, from today onwards, it's time for us to cross the border and rob them."

"The generals are reorganizing their troops, preparing to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and wipe away the century-long humiliation of our Great Song Dynasty!"

(End of this chapter)