Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 227: Dilemma
Liu Huai looked up and down at Liang Yuan'er, who was tightly bound with iron chains. He circled around her twice before saying, "I was scared to death. I thought you would break free from the chains with a snap, then shout and come over to kill us for our country."

Liang Yuaner was speechless.

Who are these people in the Loyal Army? Do they have such rich imaginations?
"The commander is joking."

Liu Huai paused, glanced over the document Wang Shijie had sent him, and frowned before asking, "Are you from the Fourth Meng'an of the Wuxing Army?"

"Yes."

"Do you know Zhang Yu, the fourth general of the Wuxing Army?"

"I know. He is our general."

"Well, I'll tell you the truth. Zhang Yu and the three Mouke stationed in Lianshui County were all killed by our army." Liu Huai said frankly, "I don't believe you haven't made any assumptions. If that's the case, how can you convince me that you're not seeking revenge for your benefactor?"

Although he had guessed it before, Liang Yuaner was still stunned for a moment when he heard Liu Huai confirm the matter.

"Flying Tiger General." Liang Yuan'er's lips moved for a moment before he said, "I'm not going to say any nonsense like we meet on the battlefield, or that life and death are determined by fate. I just want to say that the dead are gone, and no matter what I do, he won't be able to come back. As a general of a hundred men, shouldn't I consider the 1,000 living Han soldiers of our Meng'an Army?"

"Oh?" Liu Huai said with a half-smile, "Are you so optimistic about our Zhongyi Army that you think the Wuxing Army will be defeated?"

Liang Yuan'er was tied up and couldn't make any big movements. For a moment, he could only shake his head and say, "It's not that I think one side will definitely win, but I feel that no matter which side wins, the Fourth Meng An Han'er Army is doomed."

"General, the Wuxing Army has a total of ten Meng'an, nine of whom are Jurchens. Only our Fourth Meng'an is a Han soldier, so we are naturally marginalized. Otherwise, how could General Zhang... Zhang Yu, as a dignified marching Meng'an, lead three Moukes to confront the Song State at Lianshui?"

"When Zhang Yu was here, our Han army still had some say, some hope of survival, and some protection from oppression. But now, there's really no way out. General, that bastard Meng Tian, the guardian of the country, forced our Fourth Meng'an into the mountains today and gave us a death order to attack the mountain stronghold."

Liu Huai laughed: "Not only that, but also because of Zhang Yu's death, are you, the marching marshals, also going to be executed?"

Liang Yuaner was a little embarrassed when he heard Liu Huai point out the matter. After a moment of silence, he whispered, "What the general said is right."

Liu Huai's smile remained unchanged, but he began to think in his heart. Aside from the fact that he was about to be killed by the team, what Liang Yuan'er said should be correct.

Behind the moat and wooden fence of the camp is a wide troop transport passage, where soldiers can move freely. Liu Huai can easily gather elite troops in the mountain stronghold on the east side and directly swallow up the invading enemy through the crisscrossing paths in the mountains.

To be honest, a single Meng An... humph... what good can a thousand men do in this kind of terrain? They can't even block the main roads around them!

In fact, Liu Huai had already guessed that Meng Tian, the guardian of the country, would most likely use the Fourth Meng'an's previous order to attack the mountain stronghold, causing the Loyalty Army to mobilize its main force to encircle and kill the stronghold. The Wuxing Army would then concentrate its elite forces to attack the Loyalty Army camp from the front.

The fourth Meng'an is just a delicious bait.

The price of Sidu Meng'an being surrounded and killed in exchange for the destruction of the Loyal Army was a simple exchange, and the deal was made very clearly. Of course, it was unlikely that Sidu Meng'an, as the exchanged one, could accept this result calmly.

After roughly guessing Meng Tian's intention to defend the country, Liu Huai looked at the man in front of him again: "Since that's the case, let me ask one more question: did you come here on your own, or was your military commander Zhang Jueming sent to you?"

Liang Yuaner hesitated for a moment. "I dare not hide it in front of the Flying Tiger General. My second brother did agree. But there were really no words. I could only let the General know and make a tacit understanding."

Liu Huai's smile faded. "So what does Zhang Jueming want?"

Liang Yuaner hesitated for a moment before saying, "If Meng Tian, the guardian of the country, really pushes us into a desperate situation and leaves us no room for maneuver, I hope the Flying Tiger General will accept us."

"That's impossible." Liu Huai immediately shook his head. "How could anyone know if you were feigning surrender? Liang Yuan'er, you're also a seasoned soldier. How could you not know that if just a few dozen people started making a commotion back there, something terrible could happen? If I asked you all to lay down your weapons, remove your armor, and disperse and settle down, would you, the Fourth Meng'an, agree?"

Liang Yuan'er shook his head again. "Our General Zhang is newly promoted and can't control the crowd. If he tries to do something like that, there's no doubt that someone will mutiniate right there. So, how about our army feinting an attack on the stronghold and putting on a show?"

"What are you dreaming about?" Liu Huai's good temper finally wore out, and he cursed at Liang Yuan'er: "Are you blinded by greed or something? Are you here to feign surrender? And a damn feint attack?

"I ask you, do I care if you set up sentries and beacons on the mountain? Do I care if you set up camps and forts in the mountains? Do I care if you dig a path through the dirt hill? Do you think I should just sit there and watch you do all this? If you turn against me and the feint becomes a real attack, wouldn't I be a fool? To tell you the truth, the military order I gave to the stronghold commander Wang Shilong is that if the Jin bandits dare to enter these hills, he will use all means to fight them. I don't intend to change this military order!"

Liang Yuaner was completely discouraged: "What do you want to do, Taiwei?"

Liu Huai finally said, "I want a promise... not just a verbal promise, but a pledge of allegiance. I want you to switch sides at the critical moment! If you don't dare and must come now, then I want the heads and seals of one Marching Meng'an or ten Marching Moukes as proof!"

Liang Yuaner shook his head: "We can't do it... We..."

Liu Huai stepped forward to interrupt, tapping his chest and saying, "The Zhongyi Army and the Wuxing Army are enemies, not friends. We punish the people and punish the criminals, while you lead beasts to eat people. Now that we are the enemy, I give you a chance to turn things around, but you are still nitpicking and whining. What's wrong with you? You are so sharp-tongued, why don't you dare to bargain with Meng Tian, the guardian of the country, and instead use the Zhongyi Army's easy talk to force me? What, just because I am a good person, does that mean I deserve to be put at knifepoint?"

Without waiting for Liang Yuan'er's reply, Liu Huai summoned Chen Wenben into the general's tent. "Chen Liulang, I have received military orders. You must remain in the stronghold for the next few days and not participate in the battle. When communicating with this fellow, do not draw anyone's attention and speak directly to me."

Chen Wenben bowed in agreement.

"Give this fellow back his armor and weapons," Liu Huaifu said again. He turned around and sneered at Liang Yuaner, "You must return to the camp tonight and tell Zhang Jueming my request! Whether it succeeds or not is irrelevant. At most, I'll have to use some tricks to deal with you. Tsk, a bunch of men hanging around in the Hu army, what do you think?"

Half an hour later, Liang Yuaner, who was fully dressed and blindfolded, was led to the mountain stronghold. He then took a small path to the top of a dirt hill, and the black cloth on his face was lifted.

Chen Wenben remained silent, just pointed in a direction, then turned and left.

Liang Yuan'er held the knife and stood in the bleak autumn wind at night. He looked to the south, then to the north, and for a moment he sat paralyzed on the top of the mountain, lost in thought.

(End of this chapter)