The prince is more stable

Chapter 646 A Proclamation Sent to the Capital
Being a general and being a father are actually quite similar.

Being too lenient with soldiers is like spoiling children; spoiling a child is like killing a child, and it will never do them any good for their future.

Strictness is necessary when it's needed; excessive pampering will only turn a child into a useless person.

The same applies to his soldiers. In order to win their support, he catered to their every whim. While this made their daily training easier, it only led to their deaths on the battlefield.

Zhao Xiaoqian did not indulge his soldiers; he was well aware of the effort required for an army to be called "elite."

In actual combat on the training ground, close-quarters fighting between comrades-in-arms was something that no general throughout history had ever done, but Zhao Xiaoqian did it anyway.

And they did it again and again.

In the military, survival is governed by the law of the jungle. Those with strong fists receive better treatment, while those with weak fists are relegated to the children's table or even excluded altogether and are simply dismissed.

On the second day of training, the competition between new recruits and veterans continued.

Yesterday's battle was fierce and chaotic. The new recruits returned to their tents with bruises and swelling on their faces. The general coldly tossed them a wild vegetable pancake and a bowl of hot pot soup. In response to the recruits' complaints, the general just sneered.

This is the treatment you get after losing a battle; if you don't want to eat, you'll go hungry.

Then, news came from outside the camp that His Highness the Prince had personally ordered that the victors be rewarded, and that all the veterans would be given meat to eat their fill.

The new recruits were furious at such unfair treatment, and they flew into a rage, but were reprimanded and suppressed by the generals.

Only the victors get to eat meat; the losers don't deserve it. You can't win a fight, yet you want to eat meat? Have you no shame?

One sentence sent shivers down the spines of the new recruits, yet they remained speechless and embarrassed.

Then the leader slowly told the new recruits that there would be another close-quarters battle tomorrow, again between new recruits and veterans. If they were still losers tomorrow, they wouldn't even get to eat wild vegetable pancakes. They would have to go back to camp and squat in a corner to drink cold water. They would only deserve to drink cold water to fill their stomachs.

As night fell, the new recruits' breathing became uneven in the pitch-black tents.

The next morning, after the troops were mustered at the drill ground, Zhao Xiaoqian ordered the continuation of yesterday's training procedures, including close-quarters combat between new and veteran soldiers.

This time, the new recruits behaved completely differently from yesterday. Everyone rushed towards the veterans as if they were fighting for their lives, punching them, headbutting them, and biting them.

Some clever new recruits even knew how to fight in small groups of three or five, using small coordinated attacks to gang up on veterans.

The veterans of the Dragon Guard Battalion did not expect that the new recruits would make such great progress in just one night. Caught off guard, they suffered a great loss, and many of them were knocked unconscious and carried away on the spot by the new recruits.

After a period of confusion, the veterans finally began to take these greenhorns seriously, and the shouts of battle filled the training ground.

This time, the two sides were evenly matched.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood by the training ground, observing for a long time with a blank expression, before finally revealing a slight smile and turning to leave.

The result is no longer important; the recruits' spirits have been awakened.

Upon returning to the government office, they encountered Yelü Nanxian gracefully boarding a carriage, supported by a palace maid who was not entitled to a name.

Today is the day Yelü Nanxian is sent to Zhen Ding City. The Juma River camp is now a war zone and is no longer safe.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood in front of the main gate of the government office, arms crossed, quietly watching her back.

As if sensing something, Yelü Nanxian paused in his movement to board the carriage and subconsciously turned his head to look.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled at her, waving goodbye like a handsome male lead in an idol drama. His waving gesture was so dashing that he wished he could look in the mirror right then and there.

"Can't you not go to work? I'll support you!" Zhao Xiaoqian shouted passionately.

There's no way around it, the atmosphere and the visuals are just too perfect. Not saying this line would be an insult to a classic.

Yelü Nanxian stared at him blankly, completely bewildered.

Seeing the smirk on Zhao Xiaoqian's face, Yelü Nanxian, though she didn't understand, vaguely realized it might not be a compliment. So she rolled her eyes at him, her expression returning to its usual coldness, and silently entered the carriage.

She remains as proud and aloof as ever, her persona intact.

As the carriage was about to depart, Chen Shou approached and whispered, "Your Highness, I have already dispatched more than twenty imperial guards to escort the Liao princess..."

After a pause, Chen Shou asked hesitantly, "After the princess settled down in Zhen Ding City, did the young mistress of the Prince's mansion conceal this matter from her?"

Zhao Xiaoqian's cheek twitched slightly: "What do you think? You think I'm troublesome enough? A bunch of women wielding sticks, beating me up, pulling my hair, spitting on me, is that a sight to behold?"

Chen Shou said awkwardly, "Young Madam is gentle and virtuous, it's not that bad... Besides, Young Madam should already be used to the young master's philandering nature."

"What do you mean by a womanizer? Can you call me a womanizer? Which woman haven't I truly loved? I've sworn an oath to each of them, to be faithful for life, to be absolutely devoted. Do you dare say this isn't true love?"

Chen Shou nodded solemnly: "It is indeed true love. Every true love of the young master is pure gold, as clear as day."

Zhao Xiaoqian squinted as he watched the carriage slowly start moving.

As the carriage was about to depart, the curtain inside the window was lifted slightly, revealing a pair of captivatingly beautiful eyes.

Her beautiful eyes were fixed on him, containing emotions he couldn't understand, faintly visible, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed inwardly. Regardless of their future relationship, she was ultimately a woman with a tragic fate; he would simply wish her a peaceful life in the future.

"Chen Shou, have Li Qingchen find her a good residence and assign a dozen or twenty imperial guards to protect it. Have the government cover her daily expenses, and I'll settle the accounts with Li Qingchen later. Also, find her some maids and servants from the government. Give her as much treatment as possible that a princess should have."

"Yes."

After Chen Shouying finished speaking, he couldn't help but ask, "The young master must truly love her, right?"

"That's right. It's better for the eight of us to live a good life together from now on than anything else."

Chen Shou reminded him at the right moment: "Nine, Your Highness, there are nine. Have you forgotten that there is a Miss Li Qingzhao in Bianjing?"

Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly realized: "Yes, from now on, the nine of us will share the days..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Xiaoqian sighed sadly, "Nine people... how can they possibly live a good life? We're lucky if there aren't any murders in the backyard."

…………

Liao Dynasty, Shangjing.

The palace was cold and solemn. Yelü Hongji's face was ashen, and the regent grandson Yelü Yanxi, who sat beside him, also looked very unpleasant.

Before the two men lay a proclamation, sent from the State of Song.

The Song Dynasty has officially declared war on the Liao Dynasty!

Since ancient times, there has been a fixed procedure for formal warfare between two countries, and the declaration of war is one of the steps in it.

The proclamation before Yelü Hongji was written by the scholars of the Hanlin Academy of the Song Dynasty. It was a beautifully crafted and exquisitely written piece.

Not only was the Liao Dynasty described as heinous and deserving of the wrath of both gods and men, but the list of Liao's crimes from its very founding was also enumerated.

First, there was the coveting of the Central Plains, the usurpation of royal land, the illegitimate acquisition of the country, and the perverse actions of emperors throughout history.

The text begins by citing classical texts and starting with the founding of the Liao Dynasty. It first denies the legitimacy of the Liao Dynasty from a legal perspective. Then it recounts how the Liao Dynasty repeatedly violated the Song Dynasty over the past century, raided the borders, killed and plundered border people, and forced the Song Dynasty to sign the Treaty of Chanyuan by military force, extorting annual tribute.

Finally, it mentions that the Liao Dynasty stole the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, usurping their territory to intimidate the Song Dynasty.

The Song emperor, in accordance with the will of Heaven and the opportune time, could no longer tolerate the situation and thus led his royal army to attack the northern barbarians, eliminating a scourge for the world and relieving the people of this century-long affliction.

A proclamation condemned all the emperors of the Liao Dynasty from ancient times to the present, swiftly seizing the moral high ground and condescendingly accepting the mandate of heaven to punish evil with righteousness.

At this moment, Yelü Hongji was filled with anger, but his heart sank to the bottom.

The State of Song eventually sent troops.

In fact, this was exactly what the Liao emperor and his ministers had expected.

Given the Song Dynasty's military strength, which was now far greater than before, a northern expedition against the Liao Dynasty was already a foregone conclusion; it was only a matter of time.

Which emperor would talk about "peace" with a country that possesses such terrifying, even invincible, military strength? That would be insane.

After the Liao army suffered several defeats at the hands of Zhao Xiaoqian, with a total of 150,000 soldiers killed, the Liao court also experienced a fierce power struggle.

The outcome of the struggle was already clear: Yelü Hongji had to step down to the second line, appointing his grandson Yelü Yanxi as regent. The Liao emperor's power was divided in two, and new forces gradually emerged in the court.

In the past few months, Yelü Hongji has exhausted all his efforts to balance the court and suppress dissenting voices within the country.

At the same time, Yelü Hongji also ordered the mobilization of able-bodied men from across the country to join the army and reorganize and train the troops in preparation for the war that the Song state would inevitably launch in the future.

These tasks alone had already kept Yelü Hongji extremely busy. After finally pacifying the country, the Song state's declaration of war was sent to the capital.

The war has officially begun, and the diplomatic platitudes of "good neighborliness between the two countries" and "eternal brotherhood" that used to gloss over the truth are no longer mentioned.

From this moment on, the Song and Liao dynasties became formal enemies, and the two sides could only fight to the death.

"If the Southerners want war, then let us fight! The warriors of my Liao Kingdom are invincible, why should we fear the Southerners!" Yelü Hongji roared furiously in front of his ministers at the court assembly.

Yelü Yanxi, who was standing next to him, stood up and said with a bitter expression, "Your Majesty, I received a report from Nanjing yesterday that the Song army's troops at the Juma River camp have made unusual movements."

Yelü Hongji said coldly, "The Juma River camp, under Zhao Xiaoqian's command?"

"Indeed, according to the spy's report, Zhao Xiaoqian arrived at the Juma River camp from Bianjing a few days ago, bringing with him 50,000 Song imperial guards, all of whom are elite troops guarding the Song capital, and all of them are equipped with firearms."

"Adding to the original 50,000 to 60,000 troops at the Juma River camp, Zhao Xiaoqian now commands 100,000 Song troops, all equipped with firearms and composed of elite Imperial Guards."

Yelü Hongji closed his eyes in pain, his breathing becoming increasingly heavy and rapid.

The 100,000 Song soldiers were all equipped with firearms.

How to fight this battle?
Previously, Zhao Xiaoqian only had 30,000 Dragon Guards under his command, yet he had completely subdued the Liao army, which had suffered a staggering 150,000 casualties.

Now he commands 100,000 troops. Is there any army in the world that can stop him?

(End of this chapter)