Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

"Prince, their troops have moved!"

At the main tent of the third prince of the Oirat, his close advisors rushed to report.

"Oh, how many of them left?"

"As I see, almost all of the cavalry have been withdrawn."

"Very good! Now it's our turn to take the lead, hehehe..."

……

Beneath the azure sky, a vast cloud of dust once again billowed in.

All the soldiers on and off the Zhanghe River immediately straightened up and stood ready for battle.

However, upon seeing the enemy's face, all the soldiers couldn't help but tremble.

This was because the cavalry formation, which was in no way inferior to the one that appeared in the morning, was accompanied by a large number of infantry.

If this was the case for the soldiers, one can imagine the situation on the riverbanks, in the central area, where the mission's civil officials, palace maids, eunuchs, and logistical staff worked.

Inside the main tent, Xiang He urgently summoned the person in charge to discuss countermeasures.

"What should we do? The imperial envoy has not returned yet. There are only a little over a thousand soldiers in the camp, and almost all of them are soldiers."

The Tatars outside number at least three or four thousand; I'm afraid we won't be able to stop them.

If they break through our defenses, we're doomed!

The civil officials were obsequious and wailed incessantly.

They had initially thought that as envoys from a superior nation, traveling thousands of miles to the Oirat Mongols, even though the journey would be arduous, they would at least receive the highest level of hospitality upon arrival. Perhaps they could even experience some exotic customs.

Little did they know that instead of experiencing the exotic charm, they would first witness the blades of a foreign race!

Hearing the comparison of the opposing forces again at this moment, a deep gloom lingered, and the aura of death enveloped his mind and body.

"Lord Xiang, what should we do now...?"

Faced with his colleagues' persistent questioning, Xiang He gave a wry smile and forced himself to inquire about the situation.

Upon hearing that the enemy had not attacked immediately but instead surrounded them, Xiang He sighed, "Right now, we can only fight to the death. If we can hold out until the Imperial Envoy or reinforcements arrive, we still have a glimmer of hope."

If not...

"Gentlemen, perhaps today is the day when we can all serve His Majesty and the Great Wei with utmost loyalty!"

Xiang He's words silenced everyone in the tent.

Suddenly someone said, "Lord Xiang, since the enemy did not attack immediately, do you think it would be possible to send someone out to negotiate with them..."

If their only goal is money, then perhaps we can pay to avoid disaster.

Upon hearing this, many people remained silent.

This is because the possibility is extremely low.

The enemy before them was clearly a regular Tatar army, numbering in the thousands, how could they possibly be some kind of bandits or brigands after money?

Sword Comes

But the hope of surviving still meant that no one objected.

Xiang He sighed inwardly. Although he knew the chances were slim, he was not willing to die if he could live.

Perhaps the enemy doesn't necessarily want to fight to the death with them. After all, there are two or three thousand people in the camp. If they really fight, the enemy might not have the upper hand!

It wouldn't hurt to see what their purpose was.

So Xiang He asked who dared to be the envoy.

No one answered; everyone was looking at him.

Xiang He was speechless and could only pack up and head to the enemy's front line.

The closer Xiang He got to the enemy lines, the heavier his heart became.

Those tall, mighty warhorses and the dark, gleaming weapons brought him immense pressure.

Fortunately, the other party seemed to know his purpose and did not intend to attack him.

After announcing their purpose, a seven-foot-tall, burly man rode slowly towards them on a black horse, his gaze disdainful.

"Who are you?"

The Wei Kingdom had a century-long entanglement with the Tatars and Oirats, and there were many people who were well-versed in the Mongolian language.

This mission naturally has no shortage of such people.

"I am an official of the Great Wei. May I ask who you are and why you are harassing us?"

This alliance and marriage with the Oirat was a state secret, and Xiang He did not disclose it until he was certain that the other side knew about it.

The black-horse general touched the sword at his waist, deliberately letting Xiang He see the Tatar totem on it, the meaning of which was self-evident.

After confirming that Xiang He had seen clearly, he smiled and said, "Our leader is always hospitable. Hearing that your princess has arrived on the grasslands, our leader has specially prepared wine and ordered us to come and welcome the princess and all the distinguished guests."

We hope you will do us the honor and not disappoint our leader's good intentions.

Perhaps finding their leader's words amusing, the soldiers around them couldn't help but laugh.

Some seemed to have thought of something, their faces showing a lewd expression.

Xiang He's face darkened, and his heart sank.

The fact that they even knew about the princess clearly indicates they came prepared.

There's no turning back now.

Suppressing his anger, he said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your kindness, but we have other important matters to attend to and cannot accompany you."

"Hehe, that's not up to you."

At the command of the Black Horse General, the knights on either side immediately spurred their horses forward, glaring menacingly at Xiang He.

Xiang He's expression changed, and he said sternly, "Do you all intend to provoke another war between our two nations? Have you forgotten the pain our Great Wei suffered last year in its conquests?"

The Black Horse General's face turned cold. He raised his hand to stop his men, then sneered, "You dare to be stubborn even when you're about to die. Go back now. I'll give you fifteen minutes, or you can lay down your weapons and come visit my grasslands."

Or...?

The Black Horse general revealed a cruel smile, drew his sword from his waist, and gently stroked it, saying, "Either let me cut off your heads one by one."

"you……!"

Xiang He was ultimately a Confucian scholar-official, lacking in resourcefulness, and he suppressed his anger as he returned to the camp.

The others, upon learning the outcome of the negotiations, found themselves in a dilemma.

"Or maybe we should just agree to their demands... After all, we can't beat them..."

A person made a suggestion in a low voice, and from his bowed head, it was easy to see that he understood the meaning behind his suggestion.

surrender!

If you can't beat them, then surrender.

What a simple and wise choice.

Xiang He looked at him in shock, and then realized in a daze that although the others around him did not speak, their eyes had already expressed their cowardice and fear of death.

"Foolish! You, you are unworthy to receive the emperor's bounty and utter such words! How can you be a subject of my Great Wei!"

Xiang He's rebuke made the man feel ashamed, and he suddenly raised his head and said angrily, "Does my lord think I want to do this?"

If the Imperial Envoy were still alive, we would still have the strength to fight, and I would never have made such a suggestion.

But the current situation is that the imperial envoy has taken all the elite troops away. What can the remaining troops do?

If a fight really broke out, I'm afraid they wouldn't even last the time it takes for an incense stick to burn...

"Does Lord Xiang intend to stand by and watch everyone die innocently?"

When faced with life and death, there is never a single choice between fighting and surrendering.

At least, those currently in charge of the camp are not all fearless and heroic men willing to sacrifice their lives for their country.

Therefore, when Xiang He was rendered speechless by this person's rebuttal, others also began to express their opinions.

"By the way, why did the Imperial Envoy leave at this time? Could it be that he knew something beforehand, so..."

Suddenly, someone spoke up with suspicion.

The tent fell silent instantly.

Everyone understood what he meant.

Xiang He was stunned. "What do you mean? General Zhu is trapped in Yinmu Forest. The situation is urgent, and that's why the Imperial Envoy led troops to his aid. This matter was decided upon by us all. How dare you make such wild guesses and slander the Imperial Envoy!"

This place is Oirat territory, and there are Oirat people in the delegation. Since Zhu Dahe was previously besieged, based on the location information brought back by the soldiers who sent for help, they could naturally determine where Zhu Dahe was besieged.

Jia Lian found a guide and led the cavalry there, with the aim of returning quickly.

Although Xiang He's rebuke stopped the man's attempts to sow discord among the troops, the seeds of doubt suddenly took root and sprouted in everyone's hearts.

Yes, the enemy arrived as soon as the imperial envoy left.

Could it be that the imperial envoy knew there was danger and therefore fled for his life in advance?

No wonder the imperial envoy refused to send a few commanders to the rescue, insisting on going himself.

Perhaps they foresaw this situation, which is why they withdrew in advance.

With so many cavalry under his command, even if they encountered enemies along the way, they could still safely return to Ganning Pass after a fierce battle...

The Imperial Envoy has abandoned them all!

Once this thought took root, several generals lost all will to fight, and their faces became listless.

Upon seeing this, Xiang He felt utterly despondent.

Before, they could have fought to the death. Even if they were to lose, they would at least scratch off a layer of the enemy's skin.

Now, there is no hope.

Those inside the tent had no will to fight, let alone those outside.

If he remains obstinate, even without the enemy's intervention, these very people in front of him could easily skin him alive...

"The princess has arrived!"

Princess Zhaoyang slowly stepped into the tent. Facing the various expressions on the faces of the people inside, she seemed to know everything. She quietly walked to the innermost part of the tent, then turned around and looked at everyone.

"I am aware of the situation outside."

Even with the Imperial Guards around me, the current number of usable troops in the camp is less than two thousand.

The enemy numbered four or five thousand, and half of them were cavalry.

The disparity in strength between us and the enemy is too great; if a war breaks out, we have absolutely no chance of winning.

Hearing even Princess Zhaoyang say this, the few remaining people in the tent who wanted to take the gamble hesitated.

"So, I have a suggestion."

Upon hearing Princess Zhaoyang speak, everyone lowered their heads to listen to her instructions.

"You are all wise men or brave generals of our Great Wei."

Since we're destined to lose, we can't just throw our lives away.

I'm sure you all know that these Tatars are probably only targeting me.

Therefore, you now have a choice.

"Hand me over, and perhaps, I alone can buy you all a chance to survive."

Princess Zhaoyang's voice, though calm, carried a hint of mockery and seemed to express a sense of resignation.

She spoke as if it were none of her business, saying, "You all don't need to feel apologetic."

My purpose in going to the Oirat for a marriage alliance is for the sake of the Great Wei.

"Now that I am in grave danger, if I can save thousands of the fine men of my Great Wei with my own body, so that they may continue to serve the country loyally in the future, I will have no regrets even if I die."

After Princess Zhaoyang finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the tent, and everyone's face was a fascinating expression.

Suddenly, a man knelt down heavily and cried out in a deep voice, "Your subject deserves to die!"

"Your Highness, please retract your words! I swear to protect Your Highness with my life and will never allow Your Highness to fall into the hands of bandits!"

Men of vision, valiant generals, and the finest men of the Great Wei...

These words, spoken by Princess Zhaoyang, filled everyone with shame, a shame so profound they wished they could disappear into the ground.

Faced with life and death, these well-read men, deeply instilled with loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, were surprisingly less courageous and composed than a single woman.

Despite their long-standing advocacy of "receiving the emperor's bounty and serving the emperor faithfully," they have failed to live up to their promise.

Now that Her Highness's safety rests on their shoulders, they actually dare to surrender to the enemy in order to survive!

Don't they know what will happen to the princess if she falls into the hands of those Tatars?

No, they all know.

No one said it before; they simply chose to forget.

"Bang"

"Bang bang..."

A series of kneeling sounds left countless knee dents on the floor of the large tent.

"We, your humble servants, are willing to protect Your Highness to the death!"

"We, your humble servants, are willing to protect Your Highness to the death!"

Willpower is something that exists at two extremes.

Just moments before, he was listless and depressed.

At this moment, however, it was able to unleash a deafening power.

Looking at the civil and military officials kneeling down, and seeing the death wish on their faces, Xiang He suddenly understood what it meant to be a leader of troops and a recipient of awards!

Just like in the morning, facing a formidable enemy, under Jia Lian's leadership, everyone worked together and unsurprisingly won the battle.

He had initially thought that the reason why no one was willing to listen to him and why everyone was so dejected was because the situation was so bad.

Now that Princess Zhaoyang has arrived, her few words have reignited everyone's fighting spirit...

Although recognizing his own shortcomings was somewhat disheartening, seeing his colleagues who were ready to die for their cause filled him with boundless pride.

Excellent! These are truly worthy of being the civil and military officials of our Great Wei!

Then, with a thud, he knelt down alongside the others.

Faced with the oaths of allegiance from the crowd, Princess Zhaoyang paused for a moment, then said, "Do you all know that by doing this, you may all lose your lives in vain?"

"To serve Your Highness faithfully, even unto death, is my greatest honor!"

"I have no regrets even if I die!"

Facing the eager and passionate gazes of everyone, Princess Zhaoyang, with a deep look in her eyes, suddenly turned to look at her attendant.

The attendant hurriedly presented a precious sword inlaid with gold and jade.

Princess Zhaoyang took the sword, drew it out with her right hand and raised it high to the sky, saying in a deep voice: "I will remember your loyalty to the Great Wei."

"In that case, I will live and die with you all!"

The people in the tent looked up and, in a daze, saw that the princess was actually dressed in military attire, with a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, making her look like an invincible general who had been through many battles!

If even a princess is treated this way, what about her subjects?

Being able to serve the country and to be loyal to such a prince, at this moment, even death seems to become serene.

In front of the enemy's main tent, which faces the main camp from afar.

"General, the time is up. Should we wait any longer...?"

"No."

The general shook his head and smiled. He had already clearly seen that the opposing side had gone from being flustered and helpless at the beginning to actively setting up defenses.

He hadn't expected that, faced with such overwhelming military might, the usually weak Wei people would still have such fighting spirit.

I was hoping to win without bloodshed, but unfortunately...

"Give the order: the entire army will attack. Except for women, leave no one alive."

The messenger immediately ran off to relay the order.

The black-horse general then said to his officers, "The prince is still in their camp. Be careful and do not harm him!"

"Yes."

……