The prince is more stable

Chapter 672 Killing the Rabbit as a Warning to the Horse

There's a saying from an ancient time: "When humans think, God laughs."

To put it another way, "When the Liao Dynasty implemented reforms, Wang Anshi wanted to laugh."

It's quite laughable that the Khitans, who couldn't even figure out the problem that the most intelligent Han Chinese people on Earth, actually tried to imitate it.

After chatting with Xiao Fengxian for a while, Zhao Xiaoqian became a little impatient. Xiao Fengxian, being perceptive, immediately took his leave.

Just before he was leaving, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly called out to him.

"I will give you 10,000 mu of fertile land in Yanyun that the Song Dynasty occupied, and I will make clear arrangements for your retreat so that you will have no worries."

Xiao Fengxian was taken aback, then overjoyed, and bowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Highness. I will serve you with my life."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled slightly, intending to correct him, saying that he was not serving himself, but serving the Emperor of the Song Dynasty.

However, Zhao Xiaoqian stopped speaking as if he had remembered something, and smiled in tacit agreement with Xiao Fengxian's statement.

For Zhao Xiaoqian, the word "loyalty" has now become a philosophical question; whether it represents unity or opposition requires time to resolve.

Xiao Fengxian hesitated for a moment, glanced at Zhao Xiaoqian's expression, and cautiously said, "Your Highness, there is a Xiao Wuna in the Liao Kingdom. I don't know if Your Highness..."

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked, immediately understanding his meaning, and then smiled: "Looks like you've made contact?"

Xiao Fengxian said with a wry smile, "It was Xiao Wuna who discovered me first..."

Zhao Xiaoqian narrowed his eyes and said, "That's an old fox. It's normal that he discovered your identity. Now that you two have revealed your identities, you should cooperate sincerely and work together from now on."

"I'll say it again: I've already arranged your escape route. If the Liao Kingdom falls, you will still be officials of my Great Song Dynasty, and you will have enough wealth, property and land to enjoy for several generations."

…………

In the following days, the Song and Liao dynasties became embroiled in a protracted dispute.

The general direction of the negotiations remained unchanged: the Liao Kingdom would certainly not be able to hold onto the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. The current point of contention between the two envoys was the three cities in the Bohai Bay that Zhao Xiaoqian was demanding.

As an envoy of the Song Dynasty, Xu Jiang finally displayed his talent as a top scholar at the negotiating table. Faced with the Liao officials' unyielding stance, Xu Jiang argued his case with reason and conviction.

Sometimes he would quote classical texts and invoke "since ancient times," sometimes he would threaten with the might of the Song Dynasty's military, and sometimes his words would flow like a gentle stream, calming the Liao officials who were on the verge of exploding. At other times, he would slam his fist on the table like a bandit, pointing his finger at the Liao officials and cursing them, shouting, "If you're not convinced, then fight!"

In short, it's very divisive.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but feel a deep respect. This old fellow had so many faces; the top scholar was indeed quite something.

The matter of negotiations was left to Xu Jiang, and Zhao Xiaoqian no longer concerned himself with it.

Today, the negotiations have become a mere formality. The specific details have already been predetermined. The so-called negotiations are the last shred of face that the Liao emperor is desperately trying to save, and are purely for the benefit of the Liao people.

At least on the surface, the people needed to know that the Liao Kingdom had not suffered a loss this time. The Liao and Song dynasties had always been brotherly states, and now that the younger brother was being somewhat rebellious and wanted a larger share of the family property, the Liao Kingdom, as the elder brother, naturally had to give in to him...

Of course, whether this self-deceiving argument could be believed by the people of Liao was a matter for Yelü Yanxi to worry about.

The country has fallen to such a state that even a drafty thatched hut, no matter how well it is concealed, cannot keep out the cold wind from blowing into your trousers.

In the stables in the backyard of the Hejian government office, Zhao Xiaoqian was bonding with his Akhal-Teke horse.

The man and the animal stared at each other through the wooden fence of the stable for a long time, and neither of them spoke.

After a long while, the Akhal-Teke horse suddenly snorted and turned its huge head to one side, seemingly showing some disdain for Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said softly, "My dear, let me ride you for a bit, okay?"

The Akhal-Teke snorted again, and this time Zhao Xiaoqian saw clearly that the horse truly disdained him.

"Such arrogance, truly a high-class product!" Zhao Xiaoqian secretly praised.

Having come into this world, riding horses was no stranger to Zhao Xiaoqian, and he naturally had experience in how to treat his mount well.

So Zhao Xiaoqian tried to reach out and stroke the long horse's face, which was the first step in building a bond between rider and mount.

To everyone's surprise, the Akhal-Teke horse still arrogantly turned its head away. Seeing his hand relentlessly reaching out, the Akhal-Teke horse became impatient and opened its mouth to bite. Zhao Xiaoqian reacted quickly and withdrew his hand.

"Damn it, this arrogance is a bit too much! No matter how precious you are, you're still just an animal. Don't you have a clear understanding of your own position?" Zhao Xiaoqian was a little angry.

"Pfft—" The Akhal-Teke snorted disdainfully.

Zhao Xiaoqian even noticed that the guy rolled his eyes.

Who would believe that a beast could roll its eyes?
"Don't force me to kneel down and beg you," Zhao Xiaoqian gritted his teeth.

Chen Shou, who had been standing behind him, couldn't help but step forward and say, "A good horse recognizes its master and needs to be tamed."

Zhao Xiaoqian said coldly, "You mean I should fight this beast?"

Chen Shou said awkwardly, "Uh, usually when herdsmen on the grasslands tame wild horses, it really is a fight between man and horse. If the man wins, the horse will only recognize you as its master from then on."

Zhao Xiaoqian's cheek twitched, and he said dejectedly, "...If I fight it, the odds are at most 30/70."

Chen Shou asked, quite surprised, "Does the Crown Prince think he has a 70% chance of winning?"

"It kicked me three times with its hind legs, and I passed away on the seventh day after its death."

Chen Shou: “…………”

Looking at Zhao Xiaoqian again, he was already squatting by the fence in front of the stable, his head drooping helplessly. The autumn wind was bleak and the leaves were falling around him. The black and white scene was very sad.

“...I can’t even beat a beast.” Zhao Xiaoqian said with utter desolation.

Chen Shou hesitated, his lips trembling. He could help with taming the horse, but once tamed, it would only recognize him as its master. The prince had finally obtained this prized horse, and for it, he had even mobilized his army, making a long march of hundreds of miles. As a result, Zhuozhou City of Liao was plunged into chaos, and the Liao's pastures were wiped out on his orders.

BMWs are hard to come by, and if Chen Shou were to tame them, the young master would probably want to skin him alive.

Therefore, Chen Shou really couldn't help with this matter.

The two stood by the stable for a long time. The Akhal-Teke horse not only did not empathize with Zhao Xiaoqian's low spirits, but also let out a brief neigh, as if casting a mocking spell on him.

"Damn it, this is outrageous! I wiped out hundreds of thousands of Liao soldiers, and I can't even handle a beast like you!" Zhao Xiaoqian finally snapped.

"Chen Shou, go and get a live rabbit, quick!"

Chen Shou was taken aback, but he quickly turned and left. He returned shortly afterward, carrying a rabbit that was kicking its legs.

Zhao Xiaoqian ordered the rabbit to be hoisted up, then stepped back a few paces, stood in front of the Ferghana horse, pulled out the short-barreled flintlock musket he had personally crafted from his belt, and aimed at the rabbit.

With a loud bang, the flintlock pistol exploded with a flash of fire and a wisp of white smoke, and the rabbit was riddled with blood and gore.

The gunshot came so suddenly that it startled Chen Shou. The Akhal-Teke horse in the stable let out a terrified neigh, its hooves pacing back and forth restlessly, its big head shaking nervously up and down.

With a cold face, Zhao Xiaoqian lifted the rabbit, which was as dead as could be, and brought it in front of the Akhal-Teke horse so that it could see the rabbit's fate.

Then Zhao Xiaoqian threw away the rabbit and pressed the short-barreled flintlock pistol against the forehead of the Akhal-Teke horse.

BMW was indeed intelligent; the moment the gun barrel was pressed against its forehead, Zhao Xiaoqian finally saw fear and apprehension in its eyes.

"You beast, want to bet whether my gun has any bullets in it?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked coldly, poking its forehead.

The Akhal-Teke horse dared not move, nor did it dare blink its large, bright eyes. The man and the horse seemed to have time frozen, locked in a stalemate.

After a long while, the gun barrel that had been pressed against the Akhal-Teke horse slowly withdrew.

The Akhal-Teke horse looked at him with its innocent, large eyes.

Zhao Xiaoqian calmly continued loading the gun and bullets, then pointed the gun upwards and pulled the trigger.

Another loud bang startled the Akhal-Teke horse, its large eyes filled with even greater fear.

Zhao Xiaoqian pressed the gun against its forehead again, his face cold as he slowly said, "I'm giving you one last chance. Let me ride it, or you'll be completely ruined like that dead rabbit. Remember this, you beast: a horse that I can't ride, no matter how precious, has no value in living and can only be killed."

The Akhal-Teke horse nervously shook its large head.

Then, a miraculous scene unfolded. It finally lowered its noble head, bowed before Zhao Xiaoqian, and even stuck out its tongue to lick his palm in a very obsequious manner.

Chen Shou, standing nearby, stared in shock. He knew perfectly well what the horse's action meant and exclaimed in delight, "It's actually been tamed? This... doesn't make sense!"

Zhao Xiaoqian's expression changed from anger to joy, and he reached out and patted its big head.

The Akhal-Teke horse did not resist at all; instead, it lowered its head so that he could pat it more easily.

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "The rarer the animal, the more intelligent it is. That's definitely true."

Chen Shou was filled with admiration for Zhao Xiaoqian and sincerely said, "Your Highness is brilliant! This tactic of killing the rabbit to warn the horse is excellent. This humble general has learned a lot."

Zhao Xiaoqian said, "Bring me the saddle and reins, I'll equip it with them, and today I'll test what the legendary Ferghana horse is really like."

I personally saddled and put the reins on the Akhal-Teke horse. Throughout the process, the horse stood obediently in the stable, without moving, and cooperated very well as its new owner put the saddle and reins on it.

Holding the reins, Zhao Xiaoqian led the Akhal-Teke horse out of the stable and out of the government office through the back door.

It was inconvenient to ride a horse in the city, so Zhao Xiaoqian led it out of the city, followed by Chen Shou and a group of imperial guards.

Once outside the city, looking around at the vast, empty plains, one immediately feels the immensity of the world.

Zhao Xiaoqian finally mounted his horse and let out a hearty laugh.

"Giddy up!" Zhao Xiaoqian spurred the horse's flanks, and the Akhal-Teke galloped off.

The surrounding scenery rushed past, and the summer breeze, carrying waves of heat, brushed against his face. Looking back at Chen Shou and the Imperial Guards, they were also riding their horses at full speed, but they were getting further and further away from him.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but exclaim, "What a beast! No wonder it's a BMW! From now on, you'll be working for me!"

The Akhal-Teke horse galloped along, neighing merrily, seemingly quite pleased with its new master.

"Since you're working for me now, let me give you a catchy name."

The horses continued to neigh merrily.

"It's decided, from now on I'll call you 'Gou Sheng' (Dog's Leftovers). A humble name is easier to raise, you'll definitely live to be a hundred, do you like it?"

The lightning-fast speed suddenly stopped, and Zhao Xiaoqian was almost thrown off his horse. The Akhal-Teke horse stopped without warning and kept shaking its big head, its body moving erratically as if it were having a seizure.

"Gousheng, what's wrong? Gousheng, is something on your mind? Gousheng, is there something on your mind that you want to tell me?" Zhao Xiaoqian leaned down on horseback, stroking its neck, and asked softly with concern.

The Akhal-Teke horse, enraged, let out a long, unwilling neigh, then reared up on its hind legs.

Its forelegs hovered in the air for a long time before landing, and then a dark gun barrel was pressed against its forehead once again.

"Gousheng, you have such a long face, you can't be so shameless..." Zhao Xiaoqian said coldly.

The Akhal-Teke horse immediately quieted down, snorting dejectedly.

Zhao Xiaoqian was delighted and turned to greet Chen Shou and the others who had caught up with him with a bright smile.

"It likes the name I gave it; look how happy it is."

(End of this chapter)