The prince is more stable

Chapter 688 Fierce Battle in the Dead of Night

Zhao Xiaoqian had heard of the name Xiao Chouwo when he was in Hejian Prefecture.

After the signing of the Treaty of Hejian, Yelü Chun, the garrison commander of Nanjing, obediently withdrew. However, Xiao Chouwo was unwilling to accept this and led three thousand Liao cavalrymen away from Xijin Prefecture in anger. The entire cavalry force disappeared without a trace.

The Imperial City Guard's spies reported this news to Zhao Xiaoqian, who did not ignore it at the time. He knew how much destruction three thousand Liao soldiers would cause on the Yan-Yun land, so he ordered Zong Ze to send Song troops to pursue them.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Chouwo came specifically for him.

At this moment tonight, he finally encountered Xiao Chouwo here, or rather, Xiao Chouwo had come specifically for him.

At this time, the numbers on both sides were not equal. Chen Shou and Jia Jiu's imperial guards and experts combined numbered only about four hundred, while Xiao Chouwo had three thousand iron cavalry.

Four hundred against three thousand, the advantage lies in...

Well, Zhao Xiaoqian was also a little apprehensive. Although his side had firearms, if the enemy used their tactics properly, the firearms might not be able to suppress them.

"All troops, form ranks!" Chen Shou roared passionately, his expression showing no fear, but rather a hint of excitement.

As Zhao Xiaoqian's personal bodyguard, Chen Shouhe's imperial guards rarely went into battle and had almost no opportunity to fight. Unexpectedly, they got their chance to fight tonight.

Everyone who joins the army longs to make a name for themselves; otherwise, what's the point of being a soldier? Chen Shou had long been envious of his former comrades in the Palace Guard who had achieved merit and been promoted.

The four hundred imperial guards quickly sprang into action, facing west and strictly following the firearms training manual, forming a three-section firing formation.

Jia Jiu and a dozen or so martial arts masters silently surrounded Zhao Xiaoqian. From this moment on, Zhao Xiaoqian's personal safety was entirely in Jia Jiu's hands.

Wu Erlang sat by the campfire, tears streaming down his face as he devoured the roasted mutton. The afternoon's journey had already exhausted him.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat on a large rock behind the formation, pulled out his short-barreled flintlock pistol from his waist, and carefully inspected the mechanism and prepared ammunition.

In the silence, a chilling atmosphere of impending battle gradually filled the world.

The surroundings were extremely quiet. The murderous aura emanating from the hundreds of people seemed to have intimidated even the insects and birds around them, who dared not make a sound.

Just now, Wu Erlang reported that Xiao Chouwo's ​​cavalry has been chasing him and is at most ten miles away. Zhao Xiaoqian believes he will arrive soon.

Sure enough, an hour after an incense stick burned, the rumble of horses' hooves came from afar.

Zhao Xiaoqian's lips curled into a smile, his expression neither sad nor happy.

“They’re here…” Zhao Xiaoqian murmured.

The sound of horses' hooves was chaotic, and the distance was getting closer and closer. Chen Shou couldn't help but feel nervous. This was probably the first time he had personally commanded a battle, and his performance was rather awkward.

Although he didn't participate much, Chen Shou followed Zhao Xiaoqian for many years and learned a lot about how the Song army fought and confronted the enemy.

"The enemy is here! All troops prepare! First platoon—!" Chen Shou roared, his eyes blazing.

Listening to the distance of the horse's hoofbeats, Chen Shou nervously and silently calculated the number of steps the Liao army would take to enter firing range.

“Eight hundred steps, six hundred steps, four hundred steps… No rush, let’s get a little closer,” Chen Shou murmured.

Soon, when the three thousand Liao cavalrymen were about three hundred paces away, Chen Shou finally roared.

"First row, let go!"

A deafening roar erupted, like a thunderclap in the quiet night, catching everyone off guard.

Immediately afterwards, three hundred paces away, came the sound of men and horses falling, followed by screams, curses, and the general's furious shouts...

The vanguard of three thousand Liao cavalrymen fell, but the charge did not stop; the cavalrymen behind them continued to charge towards the front of the Imperial Guards.

After firing the first shot, Chen Shou finally calmed down and ordered very calmly, "Second platoon, fire!"

Another loud bang followed.

"Third platoon, fire!" Chen Shou roared. "Those in the back, hurry up and load your ammunition!"

Three volleys of gunfire erupted, plunging the opposite side into darkness. It's unclear how many casualties were inflicted on the Liao cavalry, but judging from the screams from the other side, it can be roughly estimated that these three volleys of bullets caused at least several hundred casualties to the Liao army.

Chen Shou dared not relax for a moment. While urging the Imperial Guards to load their weapons, he shouted hoarsely, "How many of our troops did we bring?"

"Less than a hundred," a member of the Imperial Guard replied.

"Load a whole swarm of ammunition, and when the Liao army gets within a hundred paces, unleash a swarm of attacks!" Chen Shoudao said.

Zhao Xiaoqian watched with a smile as Chen Shou directed the battle. From his initial nervousness and awkwardness to his current orderly demeanor, he was gradually showing signs of becoming a mature general.

However, after three volleys, the Liao army on the opposite side suddenly fell silent and made no move.

The distance ahead was pitch black, making it impossible to see the Liao army's movements. Presumably, Xiao Chouwo felt that the heavy casualties incurred at the very beginning of the battle were unsustainable and was planning to change tactics.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked around, observing the surrounding terrain.

In later generations, Yanyun was part of the Hebei Plain, where there were very few mountains, only occasional hills, and the vast majority of the terrain consisted of endless plains and forests.

If Xiao Chouwo were to change his tactics, he would likely have no choice but to attempt a flanking maneuver.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but remind him, "Chen Shou, there's been no movement from the other side. What do you think Xiao Chouwo plans to do?" Chen Shou looked around and said, "He'll probably choose to flank them."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled: "Alright, you decide for yourself."

Chen Shou nodded and then shouted, "Send out two hundred men, one hundred on each side, in a two-section formation to guard the flanks!"

The Imperial Guards moved swiftly, and soon, with Zhao Xiaoqian at the center, the four hundred Imperial Guards quickly formed a three-sided encirclement formation.

Sure enough, after a moment of silence, the sound of horses' hooves came again.

This time, the sound of hooves came not only from the front, but also from the left and right flanks, and Xiao Chouwo chose to attack regardless of the cost, charging from three sides simultaneously.

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Xiao Chouwo is a bit crazy... Is he in such a hurry to get rid of me?"

Fortunately, Chen Shou had arranged his troops in advance. When the Liao army charged from the flanks, the Imperial Guards remained fearless, like hundreds of emotionless machines, methodically and strictly following the training manual.

When the Liao army charged within three hundred paces, Chen Shou ordered his men to fire. Gunfire erupted from three sides simultaneously, followed by another chorus of men and horses falling to the ground.

In the dead of night, in the pitch-black, deserted wilderness, no one knew that a fierce battle between the Song and Liao dynasties was underway.

Looking at the entire history of the Song and Liao dynasties, perhaps tonight's battle was the closest the Liao dynasty ever came to turning the tide.

Because the target of this attack is Zhao Xiaoqian, and Zhao Xiaoqian is only guarded by four hundred imperial guards, if Zhao Xiaoqian can be killed in this battle, it will be a huge shock to both the Song and Liao dynasties, and may even have unpredictable consequences for both countries.

Zhao Xiaoqian's life or death now indeed carries the weight of determining the rise and fall of two countries.

If Yelü Yanxi, who was far away in the capital of Liao, or Yelü Chun, who had already withdrawn from Xijin Prefecture, knew that Xiao Chouwo had seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Zhao Xiaoqian tonight, they would probably regret it so much that they would jump up and down and slap themselves in the face.

With three thousand Liao cavalry against four hundred Song soldiers, the outcome was still uncertain. If Xiao Chouwo could lead ten thousand troops to kill Zhao Xiaoqian tonight, perhaps the history of the Song and Liao dynasties would be rewritten.

Unfortunately, it's just a hypothetical scenario; it's not a fact.

The fact is that four hundred Song soldiers were not at a disadvantage against three thousand Liao cavalry. From the start of the battle until now, the Liao army had suffered hundreds or thousands of casualties, but the Song army had not suffered any casualties.

Because at this moment, the Liao cavalry had not yet charged within a hundred paces of the Song army's front line.

This time, the Liao army's three-pronged attack failed once again.

The other side fell silent again.

After arranging the Imperial Guards' formation, Commander Chen walked up to Zhao Xiaoqian and whispered, "Your Highness, we're probably running low on ammunition. It can only support two Liao army charges, and even a full swarm can only fire twice..."

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow and smiled, "After two charges, I think the Liao army doesn't have many men left. If all else fails, we'll fight them with swords."

Chen Shou said solemnly, "But with you here, Your Highness, I am somewhat distracted. Perhaps we should have Jia Jiu lead Your Highness to retreat first, so that I can concentrate on fighting the enemy."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and cursed, "Me, the dignified commander-in-chief of an army, have I become a burden to you?"

"As I just said, I will live and die with you, and that decision will not change," Zhao Xiaoqian said solemnly.

Chen Shou grew anxious: "Your Highness..."

"Stop talking nonsense. Quickly reorganize the troops and wait for the Liao army's next attack. I'm definitely not leaving tonight. If word gets out that I'm abandoning you all and trying to escape, how will I ever have the face to command thousands of troops again?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, "It's only at times like this that I start to care about my pride a little... Ultimately, I'm still not experienced enough and too shy."

Chen Shou forced a smile, indicating that it was very funny.

Judging from his expression, he seemed genuinely anxious.

The Song army's greatest asset right now is its firearms. If it runs out of ammunition, it will lose its advantage and be unable to cope with the Liao army's charge.

At other times, Chen Shou might not have cared. If he ran out of ammunition, he could fight the enemy in close combat, leaving his life and death to fate.

But today, Zhao Xiaoqian is here. If something happens to him, the entire Song Dynasty will collapse. As Zhao Xiaoqian's personal bodyguard, Chen Shou will likely be nailed to the pillar of shame for a thousand years and endlessly cursed by future generations.

Therefore, Chen Shou is under a lot of pressure at this moment.

Hundreds of paces away, the shouts and curses of the Liao army generals could be faintly heard.

Chen Shou's expression hardened, and he said in a deep voice, "The Liao army is about to attack again!"

Zhao Xiaoqian gestured with his chin toward Chen Shou and said, "Go do your own thing and don't worry about me. If it comes to the point where I have to fight to the death, I won't be a burden to you. I can give it a try when it comes to wielding a knife."

Chen Shouchao bowed to him, then turned and hurriedly returned to the rear of the formation.

The neighing of warhorses could be heard from afar, and then the warhorses began to run, accelerating with lightning speed.

Zhao Xiaoqian remained quietly seated in the back, even leisurely cutting off a piece of lamb leg roasting over the campfire and slowly putting it into his mouth.

However, for some reason, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly felt a pang of heart palpitation and a vague sense of unease.

Intuition is a mysterious thing, and those who value it often save their lives in life-or-death situations.

At this moment, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't explain where this feeling of unease came from, and he hesitated whether to trust his intuition.

(End of this chapter)