The prince is more stable

Chapter 685 Sacrifice your life for righteousness
Looking at this Liao cavalry, Wang Chong felt increasingly uneasy.

Having traveled extensively throughout the country, Wang Chong was already intimately familiar with the geography of places like Yanyun, Liao, Northwest China, and Western Xia.

At this moment, he was located between Xijin Prefecture and Datong Prefecture in Yanyun.

Half a month earlier, news of the Song and Liao signing the Treaty of Hejian had spread throughout the land. In other words, theoretically, the Liao army should have completely withdrawn from the Yan-Yun territory. There should be no Liao army on this land, let alone a well-equipped 3,000 cavalry.

What exactly is the purpose of this Liao cavalry force's continued patrols in the Yan-Yun region, disregarding the Treaty of Hejian?

Wang Chong was just an ordinary merchant. Although he was skilled in martial arts, no matter how high his personal martial arts skills were, he was no match for an organized army. He would be swallowed up by the army in an instant.

The kind of martial arts master who can wipe out an entire army with a single Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms... sorry, that's impossible in reality.

When Dongfang Bubai encountered an organized army, he could only obediently bend over and silently shed tears of humiliation.

Therefore, Wang Chong and the others dared not make any move and could only watch helplessly as the Liao army drew closer and closer.

A moment later, the Liao army arrived in front of them, but to Wang Chong's surprise, the Liao army stopped in front of Wang Chong.

Wang Chong's heart sank, and he hurriedly stood up with his brothers and bowed to a general leading the Liao army.

The Liao general in charge was very young, probably not even thirty years old, but he had a very sharp aura and exuded a chilling aura of someone who had survived a hundred battles.

With eyes like those of a hawk, the general stared at Wang Chong and rattled off a string of words. Wang Chong immediately blinked blankly and put on a forced smile.

"General, I am a Song person, and what you are saying... I'm sorry I don't quite understand, haha."

The general stared at him and mumbled a string of words, but Wang Chong still smiled obsequiously, his eyes clear.

After a while, the general finally confirmed that Wang Chong and his group could not understand the Khitan language.

Wang Chong's body trembled slightly, and the dozen or so brothers behind him also turned pale.

They had been trading between the Western Xia and Liao dynasties for many years, so how could they not understand the Khitan language? However, this Liao army was acting strangely and clearly had ill intentions. Wang Chong and the others pretended not to understand in order to protect themselves.

Finally, the Liao general switched to the Central Plains Mandarin, which sounded a bit awkward and the intonation was off, but Wang Chong dared not pretend not to understand anymore, otherwise it would be going too far.

"Are you... merchants from the Song Kingdom?" the general asked hesitantly.

Wang Chong nodded and bowed, his face displaying the mercenary air of a businessman: "Yes, I have been doing business in the Song Dynasty for many years, traveling between Kaifeng and the Northwest to sell horses and goods, earning a little money for my hard work."

The general stared at him coldly, his gaze like a sharp arrow piercing Wang Chong's heart.

"Why are you here?" the general asked again.

"I have come from Yanyun Hejian Prefecture and plan to go to Datong Prefecture to collect a batch of goods and then sell them in the Northwest."

The general sneered: "Hejian Prefecture and Datong Prefecture are both cities of my Great Liao. You are doing business in Liao cities, yet you don't understand the Khitan language?"

Wang Chong felt a chill run down his spine, breaking out in a cold sweat, but he forced himself to remain calm and force a smile.

"Of course we have been to the cities of Liao. Merchants are driven by profit and can go anywhere in the world, but we really don't understand Khitan. Whether in the cities of Liao or Western Xia, we can only make a deal by hiring a local interpreter. Please understand, General."

Then Wang Chong cautiously said, "I've heard that the Song and Liao dynasties have reached a peace agreement, and Hejian Prefecture and Datong Prefecture have been returned to the Song Dynasty. General, what is the matter with you and your family...?"

When the topic of peace talks between the two countries came up, the young general's face immediately turned violent. He suddenly raised his whip and lashed it hard across Wang Chong's face.

Given Wang Chong's reaction speed, he could have avoided the whip, but he ultimately refrained from doing so.

People in the martial arts world have guts, but they're not stupid. In this situation, they can't resist, or they'll surely be killed.

With a sharp crack, a bloody welt appeared on Wang Chong's cheek.

Wang Chong immediately covered his face and let out a scream. A dozen brothers behind him glared at him and were about to step forward to argue, but Wang Chong turned his back and quickly gave them a disapproving look.

The Liao general, mounted on his horse, stared at him coldly and said slowly, "Don't let me hear any more nonsense about 'peace talks.' That was a decision made by those spineless cowards in the capital, and I don't recognize it!"

Wang Chong stopped screaming and, enduring the pain, nodded repeatedly with a forced smile: "Yes, yes, I misspoke, please forgive me, General."

The general ignored Wang Chong. In his eyes, Wang Chong and his group were nothing but ants, not worth paying much attention to.

Looking up at the blinding sun, the general turned and shouted a string of Khitan words to the three thousand Liao cavalry. Then all the Liao cavalry dismounted and squatted or sat down to replenish their rations and water.

Wang Chong and the others tactfully stepped back a few paces, giving the only patch of shade on the ground to the general.

At this moment, Wang Chong stood under the scorching sun. The general did not speak or pay attention to him. Wang Chong dared not leave, nor did he dare to stay. He was quite hesitant for a moment.

The general was pleased with Wang Chong's gesture of giving up the shade. He raised his hand and called out, and several Liao generals gathered around the shade. Like ordinary soldiers, the generals took out pieces of dried beef and mutton and began to gnaw on them.

The Liao generals ate and talked in hushed tones, while Wang Chong and the others stood not far away, listening to their conversation.

Perhaps Wang Chong's feigned inability to understand the Khitan language had worked, because the Liao generals no longer seemed to mind his presence during their conversation. Wang Chong stood silently under the blazing sun, listening intently to their conversation. The more he listened, the more shocked he became. After a long while, Wang Chong casually turned his back, afraid that the Liao generals would notice the unusual expression on his face.

Several brothers quietly approached him, their faces showing shock, clearly indicating that they had also understood the Liao general's conversation.

It turns out that the Liao general in charge was named Xiao Chouwo. He was the Liao emperor's son-in-law and deputy commander of Nanjing. Two days ago, he led three thousand Liao cavalry out of Xijin Prefecture, but he had mobilized his troops without authorization and disobeyed the order to go to the capital.

The Treaty of Hejian stipulated that the Liao army should immediately withdraw from the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. However, Xiao Chouwo refused to comply. He harbored deep hatred for the Han people and planned to lead three thousand cavalry to patrol between the prefectures of Yan and Yun, using guerrilla tactics to ambush various Song armies and incite Liao landlords and clans in various places to rebel against the Song Dynasty.

What shocked Wang Chong and the others even more was that this morning, Xiao Chouwo had received intelligence from his informants in Hejian Prefecture that a sizable caravan had left the city. What was strange about this caravan was that their camels, mules, horses, and goods were all purchased and requisitioned temporarily at the market.

In other words, this sizable caravan didn't look like a business at all, and the guards in the caravan were all young and fierce-looking, exuding a military aura that they couldn't fake.

At this very moment, Xiao Chouwo sat under the shade of a tree, analyzing the origins of this caravan with the Liao generals.

After several Liao generals discussed the matter among themselves, Xiao Chouwo gradually made a judgment.

There must be important figures from the Song Dynasty in this caravan. They disguised themselves as merchants and left the city, perhaps because it was related to the handover of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun between the Song and Liao Dynasties. Their destination might be Xijin Prefecture.

Xiao Chouwo made an even more startling statement, believing that the fact that the caravan consisted of several hundred people meant that the important figure must be a prominent minister of the Song Dynasty, perhaps even Zhao Xiaoqian, the Prince of Hejian of the Song Dynasty.

If it really is him, then Xiao Chouwo must decisively launch a surprise attack to intercept Zhao Xiaoqian's party. Whether he is killed or captured alive, Zhao Xiaoqian's fate will cause great turmoil to Yanyun and even the Song and Liao states.

Even if the Liao Kingdom were to cede Yan and Yun, the Song army would likely not agree. In that case, the Liao Kingdom would probably not tolerate it any longer, and the two countries would abolish the peace agreement and restart the war.

Regardless of whether Yan and Yun can be preserved in the future war, at least the Liao state will have lived up to the expectations of its ancestors.

This was Xiao Chouwo's ​​idea. He couldn't think too much about the consequences that were too far in the future. He only wanted the Liao Kingdom to rise up in resistance, defend Yan and Yun to the death, and live up to the Liao army's reputation.

When Wang Chong and the others heard Xiao Chouwo's ​​assessment that Zhao Xiaoqian was very likely among the caravan that departed from Hejian Prefecture, their expressions changed. They exchanged silent glances, all revealing extreme panic.

The Song Dynasty's current glory owes much to this young prince, who is an indispensable figure.

If something were to happen to His Highness the Prince, no one could say for sure what the future of the Song Dynasty would be. Perhaps the Song Dynasty would regress to the humiliating and weak era of the past, and its people would still be unable to hold their heads high in front of the Liao people and suffer their bullying.

Anyone in this world can die, even the Emperor of the Song Dynasty can die, but His Highness the Prince absolutely cannot die.

He alone had the fate of the nation and its people tied to his shoulders. Without him, the Song Dynasty's just-upright spine would bend again, and it would continue to bow down to the Liao people, losing all its dignity.

Xiao Chouwo chatted freely with his Liao generals in Khitan, while his brothers, including Wang Chong, gathered together and whispered among themselves.

"What should we do? These bastards actually dared to plot against His Highness the Prince! We won't stand for it!" one of the brothers said through gritted teeth.

Wang Chong said coldly, "Don't be impulsive, and don't show that ghostly expression. If the Liao people see us, none of us will survive!"

"Everyone smile, keep your expressions relaxed, talk and laugh like you're having a casual chat!" Wang Chong commanded in a low voice.

The group of brothers immediately forced out smiles that looked more like they were crying.

“We must not let these bastards succeed in their schemes. Someone must go out and report to His Highness the Prince,” Wang Chong said in a deep voice.

"How do we run? The Liaoning dogs are watching us." another brother said anxiously.

Wang Chong remained silent for a moment, then suddenly revealed a sorrowful expression and sighed, "Brothers, today I, Wang Chong, have failed you all..."

Why are you saying such discouraging things, brother?

Wang Chong sighed, “We’re probably not going to survive today. That Liao general is very shrewd. Whether we understand Khitan or not, he will definitely not let us go. The fact that they dare to talk about us so openly shows that they already consider us dead.”

Everyone was stunned, and despair appeared on their faces.

“I… I still have parents, wife, and children to support…” one of the brothers said, his eyes already brimming with tears and his voice choked with emotion.

Wang Chong lowered his head, holding back the tears that were about to spill from his eyes, and sighed, "Today is an unlucky day, an inauspicious time, and it is the day when you and I, brothers, must part ways!"

Composing himself, Wang Chong gritted his teeth and said, "Since we're already doomed, let's fight it out! We're nothing but ants; if we die, we die. But His Highness the Prince is of the nation's fate and cannot be harmed!"

"The people have longed for peace for a hundred years, and now it is finally about to be realized. If Your Highness dies, the world will be plunged into war again. I would rather die than let the Liao dogs succeed!"

“Now, the youngest among us… Wu Erlang, it’s you. Listen, we’ll pause briefly to approach those Liao generals and launch a surprise attack. We’ll trade our lives for yours to hold off the Liao army. You then grab a horse and run away quickly. We can only hold them off for a moment. Whether you survive or not depends on your fate.”

Wang Chong paused, then said in a low voice, "Wu Erlang, if you manage to escape alive, remember to immediately search for His Highness the Prince's whereabouts and deliver the message before the Liao army ambushes him!"

Wu Erlang shook his head silently, tears streaming down his face.

Wang Chong's voice was stern: "You little brat, did you hear me?"

"If the message is delivered, please also tell Your Highness that we brothers entrust our parents, wives and children to Your Highness's care. In the next life, I, Wang Chong, will definitely repay Your Highness's great kindness."

(End of this chapter)