The prince is more stable

Chapter 692 Thunderous Means
Xiao Chouwo led three thousand Liao cavalry on unauthorized action, and the imperial court in the capital was indeed unaware of it.

At that time, Yelü Yanxi was fully committed to making peace with the Song Dynasty, and then focusing on dealing with the Jurchen rebellion while preparing for his ascension to the throne.

The Liao Dynasty was already teetering on the brink of collapse. How could Yelü Yanxi possibly anger the Song Dynasty at this critical juncture, especially Zhao Xiaoqian?

"Xiao Chouwo... he deserves to die!" Yelü Yanxi's face turned ashen as he slammed his fist on the table.

Xiao Fengxian's expression was also unpleasant. After signing the Treaty of Hejian with the Song Dynasty and returning to Shangjing, he was subjected to a lot of criticism. The Liao people even called him a traitor... Although it was true, the point was that he was criticized.

Only in recent days has the storm in the capital gradually subsided, and fewer people are criticizing him. After all, people have regained their senses and know that Xiao Fengxian was merely an executor of the peace treaty, and the real person who gave the order was the regent, the crown prince.

He had already endured the insults, but then the Song Dynasty suddenly broke the peace agreement and started fighting again, killing many Liao people. The peace agreement was essentially signed in vain, and Xiao Fengxian's insults were all for nothing.

In particular, Xiao Fengxian also had a hard time explaining things to Zhao Xiaoqian. The two countries had agreed to a peaceful handover of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, but the Liao people had caused such a big incident, and it is said that Zhao Xiaoqian was seriously injured.

Xiao Fengxian was terrified from the bottom of his heart, fearing that this would affect his future... his future in the Song Dynasty.

"Your Highness, the most urgent matter at hand is to immediately send an envoy to Song to explain the situation to Zhao Xiaoqian in person..."

"Furthermore, our Great Liao should also take a stand and declare Xiao Chouwo a traitor of the Great Liao, launch a nationwide manhunt, and send troops to cooperate with the Song army in suppressing and killing Xiao Chouwo. Only in this way can we appease the Song army's wrath; otherwise, the situation will only become more serious," Xiao Fengxian said in a deep voice.

Yelü Yanxi looked somewhat at a loss and unconsciously glanced at Xiao Wuna beside him.

Xiao Wuna, of course, was in cahoots with Xiao Fengxian, so he calmly said, "Your Highness, I believe that what Vice Envoy Xiao said is reasonable. The Liao Dynasty is not as powerful as it used to be. We must not provoke the Song Dynasty now. We must take a stand to appease Zhao Xiaoqian's anger. Xiao Chouwo must die!"

Yelü Yanxi's eyes flashed with a hint of murderous intent, and he nodded, saying, "Alright! I'll trouble you, Fengxian, to make another trip to the Great Song Dynasty and explain things to Zhao Xiaoqian in person. Also, send 3,000 elite Pishi soldiers from Shangjing to the border to cooperate with the Song army in annihilating Xiao Chouwo."

"If you encounter him, kill him. Send Xiao Chouwo's ​​head to Zhao Xiaoqian's tent in Xijin Prefecture. This is the sincerity of our Great Liao."

The two bowed and accepted the order.

Clearly, Yelü Yanxi had decided to abandon Xiao Chouwo, the Liao emperor's son-in-law and military commander, and even dispatched the Pishi Army to Shangjing to pursue and kill Xiao Chouwo.

The Pishi Army, with a strength of only 30,000, was directly under the command of the Liao emperor and was the elite of the elite.

Its nature was equivalent to the Imperial Guards of the Song Dynasty, or the Imperial Guards. When the emperor mobilized this force, it showed how serious the matter was.

…………

Yanyun, Xijin Prefecture.

The Song army's slaughter of the Liao people continued. Their stated reason was to avenge His Highness the Prince.

The attack on Zhao Xiaoqian, which resulted in serious injury, was a turning point in the relationship between the two countries. After the incident, the Song army's attitude towards Yan and Yun changed drastically.

They clearly abandoned the peaceful takeover of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and instead took up their usual firearms and swords.

Reasoning with barbarians is useless; firearms and swords are the only language they understand.

The Song army was powerful at this time, so they used their power to intimidate people. Whether you submit or not, you must kneel down first. If you kneel down, you may be spared and reformed. If you don't kneel down, you must not be spared.

In just a few days, Zong Ze's tens of thousands of troops swept across the area north of Yanyun. Wherever the army passed, the local clan militias either fled at the mere sight of them or surrendered and accepted their fate.

Zong Ze's generals showed no mercy, focusing on eliminating all ethnic groups other than Han Chinese in the Yan-Yun region.

After clearing out the villages, towns, and counties, the army marched straight down to cities such as Shunzhou, Ruzhou, Tanzhou, and Jizhou.

When the Song army arrived, the city gates were opened wide. Liao officials who were temporarily maintaining control of the city came out to welcome the Song army and voluntarily returned the government's power. They did not encounter any resistance or dissatisfaction.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were now a living hell for the Khitans.

The Song army was so bloodthirsty from killing the Liao people that the Khitans, who had previously been unwilling to leave their homeland, now wished their parents had more legs to run far away.

After taking over the city, the Song Dynasty officials immediately took office. A quick count revealed that only Han Chinese people remained in the city, while people of other ethnicities had all fled.

Meanwhile, Zhong Jianzhong in the south was not idle either. His 50,000-strong army split off from Hejian Prefecture and within a few days captured Zhuozhou, Mozhou, Xinzhou, and other cities, and continued to advance westward, with its troops pointing towards Yingzhou, Shuozhou, and Yunzhou...

The recapture of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun was a long process, and if the two countries were to peacefully hand over the prefectures, it would normally take at least six months.

However, after Zhao Xiaoqian's attack, the Song army unilaterally accelerated its actions, and within just a few days, most of the cities in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun had fallen into the hands of the Song army.

Moreover, the Song army, driven by rage, swept across Yan and Yun, killing and eliminating at every turn. The local resistance forces that existed in various places finally became fearful under the sweeping force of the Song army, and some fled and some scattered. The two Song armies encountered virtually no resistance.

The backyard of the Xijin Prefecture government office.

Zhao Xiaoqian lay on the bed, a newly purchased maid carefully serving him his medicine. The bitter medicine, more bitter than life itself, made Zhao Xiaoqian's face contort in pain. The maid hurriedly fed him a piece of maltose that she had prepared.

The subtle sweetness masked the bitterness of the medicine, and Zhao Xiaoqian's expression returned to normal. He lay back on the bed and took a long breath.

He was incredibly lucky this time; he was knocked away by a horse but managed to survive. It's as if Heaven saw that he hadn't completed his mission and couldn't bear to let him die.

Someone like him, who has the protagonist's halo, wouldn't die so easily. Theoretically, Zhao Xiaoqian could stand alone in front of the battle lines during a battle, take off his pants and urinate in the direction of the enemy, and do his best to provoke them, saying, "Come and hit me while I urinate, come and hit me while I urinate."

Arrows shot from the opposite side would all circle around him... well, theoretically that's how it is.

Having been sent to Xijin Prefecture for several days, Zhao Xiaoqian's injuries have improved considerably with the doctor's treatment. He obediently drinks his medicine every day, and the burning sensation in his internal organs has subsided, indicating that his internal injuries are slowly healing.

Besides his internal injuries, Zhao Xiaoqian also had many other wounds, such as an arrow wound on his shoulder blade and various abrasions from being knocked down by a horse. It is said that when he was carried back, Zhao Xiaoqian was covered in blood and looked like a dead man. Chen Shou and Jia Jiu both wished they could slit their own throats on the spot.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't think it was his good constitution that allowed him to survive such severe injuries; he mostly attributed it to God's blindness.

After lying in bed for several days, Zhao Xiaoqian really wanted to go out for a walk, but he was too unable to move. He turned to look at the maidservant serving him.

"What's your name?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked in a friendly manner.

The maid was startled and said cautiously, "This servant's name is..."

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately interrupted, "It's not important. There's something I need you to do. I'm going to lie down in the yard and get some fresh air."

The maid, who had been deprived of her right to her name, was somewhat troubled: "The doctor said that His Highness might not be able to move for half a month..."

"With a knife to the doctor's throat, he'll encourage me to get out of bed and run around right now." Zhao Xiaoqian said, "Never mind, I won't make things difficult for you. Call Chen Shou and Jia Jiu in."

The maid breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly left the room.

Soon Chen Shou and Jia Jiu entered.

Several days passed, and every time Chen Shou saw the seriously injured Zhao Xiaoqian, his face was filled with endless shame. Jia Jiu was even more ashen-faced, like a tomb raider who had just pulled the planks off his ancestors' graves, exuding an aura of death.

Chen Shou and Jia Jiu had different identities. Chen Shou was a military officer in the Imperial Guard, but Jia Jiu was a loyal bodyguard of Zhao Hao.

The assassin failed to protect the prince, and that cannot be explained away with a simple "dereliction of duty." Zhao Hao in Bianjing is probably about to receive the news and will most likely order him to commit suicide on the spot.

Therefore, Jia Jiu's current complexion suggests that he is already beginning to experience the state of someone about to die.

The two men entered and bowed. Zhao Xiaoqian patted the bed and said, "You two, find a way to get me into the courtyard. I need to breathe some fresh air."

Chen Shou was a rough man, and he didn't pay attention to what the doctor said. He was used to obeying Zhao Xiaoqian's orders and doing whatever he was told.

Chen Shou immediately summoned several imperial guards into the room, dismantled Zhao Xiaoqian's bed, leaving only a single bed board. The guards carefully carried Zhao Xiaoqian out, and he lay motionless on the bed, without aggravating his wounds.

Finally, they arrived at the courtyard. The imperial guards pulled on the bedding and moved Zhao Xiaoqian to the prepared soft couch. The maids hurriedly covered Zhao Xiaoqian with the blankets.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked up at her: "Are you stupid? In the sweltering heat of July, you're going to cover me with a blanket? What if I get heatstroke and you come to my rescue?"

The maid was startled and quickly removed the blanket from his body.

Zhao Xiaoqian turned to look at Chen Shou and Jia Jiu in front of him, and then said, "Jia Jiu, go and get twenty strokes of the military rod and have the Imperial Guards under Chen Shou carry out the punishment. Go now."

Chen Shou and Jia Jiu were a little surprised, but Jia Jiu still silently accepted the order.

After a while, Jia Jiu returned limping. The military batons had struck him hard; the Imperial Guards showed no mercy. An ordinary person would have been half-dead after such a beating, but Jia Jiu was still able to walk and stand. As expected of someone who practiced martial arts, his physical foundation was indeed quite good.

Seeing Jia Jiu's appearance, Zhao Xiaoqian nodded in satisfaction and said, "I have already punished the guards for their incompetence. Go and write a letter to my father to inform him."

After a pause, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly smiled at him: "There can be no double punishment. Since I've already punished you, I can't punish my husband again. From now on, stay by my side and work hard."

Jia Jiu and Chen Shou were taken aback. Only then did they realize the purpose of Zhao Xiaoqian's punishment with military rods.

Jia Jiu's eyes reddened, and his lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he remained silent. He simply knelt down on both knees before Zhao Xiaoqian and kowtowed deeply before getting up.

Jia Jiu knew very well that Zhao Xiaoqian was seriously injured, and His Highness the Prince of Chu would definitely not spare him. Once the news from Bianjing arrived, Jia Jiu would most likely not survive.

However, Zhao Xiaoqian punished him with twenty strokes of the military rod, which was considered a punishment, so the King of Chu could not punish him further, which was equivalent to saving Jia Jiu's life.

(End of this chapter)