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

Chapter 685 Nothing ventured, nothing gained (Part 1)

"Prime Minister Yila, why aren't you in a hurry at all?"

The military commander of the delegation, Wanyan Suge, also asked anxiously.

Although the core members of this delegation number only twenty-odd, they are all well-rounded individuals skilled in both literature and martial arts, and quick-witted. They were carefully selected by Wanyan Yong from the younger generation.

Take Wanyan Suge for example. He was a general from the royal family. Although he was only thirty years old, he was incredibly capable and was a meritorious official in suppressing the Khitan rebellion in history.

This shows that Wanyan Yong really valued this visit and hoped that Western Xia would take action and cause trouble in Guanzhong.

Under such pressure, even seasoned veterans like Yiladao could remain calm and collected, but Wanyan Suge was under immense pressure, fearing that he might accidentally mess up the job.

Yila Dao drank a cup of wine, then smiled and said, "Didn't I tell you? No envoy can get things done with just words; you have to go with the flow. And what I'm waiting for is that flow."

Wanyan Suge was somewhat annoyed, so he became less polite in his words. He sat back down in his chair and muttered, "The power hasn't arrived, but the fine wine and women are plentiful. You've accepted them all, Master Yila..."

Yila Dao's smile widened, and he spread his hands, saying, "Brother Su, this is your fault. Didn't the King of Chu send you these things? If you didn't want them, who can you blame?"

Wanyan Suge said solemnly, "As a military officer, I am sent on missions as if into battle. I cannot be near women or drink alcohol."

Yila Dao clapped his hands and laughed: "You are truly the nation's prodigy. I am no match for you, no match for you at all."

Seeing the change in Wanyan Suge's expression, as if he was about to lash out, Yila Dao lowered his voice and said softly, "Then tell me, are your warriors, who have been resting and recuperating for so long, ready to go into battle and kill?"

Now that they had gotten down to business, Wanyan Suge could no longer maintain his composure: "Reporting to my lord, of course I can kill people."

"Then let's wait and be on high alert." Yila Dao put down his wine cup, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes: "I estimate it will be in the next day or two."

Wanyan Suge knew that Yila Dao meant something bad would happen in the next two days. He was instinctively a little nervous, but he still forced a smile and asked, "Why the next two days?"

Yila Dao said in a lecturing tone, "Because the autumn harvest will be over in the next two days, then all sides will make some moves. And those of us who are out there working hard should give our respective lords some explanation."

Wanyan Suge suddenly realized what was happening, but he couldn't help but become even more nervous.

There was another layer of meaning in Yiladao's words: the future course of the world would very likely be closely related to their actions in Western Xia.

"I...I'll go back and make some preparations." Wanyan Suge got up and paced back and forth in the house. Then he drew the short knife he carried with him, looked at the blade and said, "Don't worry, Lord Yila. I'm useless when it comes to strategy, but when it comes to fighting, the warriors of the Great Jin are not afraid of anyone."

Yila Dao smiled and said, "That's good. Now we'll have to rely on Su Ge's martial prowess."

Meanwhile, the Song envoy in the southwest corner of the Chu King's palace and the Wanyan Liang envoy in the northwest corner had already begun sharpening their blades, grinning maliciously as they prepared to make their move.

Yila Dao's methods were not based on divine calculations; rather, they were based on the timing of events, the geography of the land, and the sentiments of the people. Yet, his predictions were tens of thousands of times more accurate than those based on simple calculations.

The envoys sent by Wu Lin and Wanyan Liang were aware of each other's existence and knew that the other was in the Chu King's residence. However, because both sides had come in stealthily, they could not find out where the other was.

But Yiladao is different.

As soon as he arrived at the Chu King's residence, he unfurled the banners and started beating drums and trumpets, making quite a show of force.

This move forced Ren Dejing to personally greet the emperor's envoy with the rites due to a king or noble, causing chaos throughout the Chu King's residence. However, it also made it difficult for Yila Dao and his party to conceal their presence, allowing the other two envoys to easily discover their location.

This was naturally one of Yiladao's plans.

The saying goes, "If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain." Anyway, Yiladao's goal is to kill these two groups of envoys and make them come to him, which will actually save him some trouble.

As for the possibility that Wu Lin and the envoys sent by Wanyan Liang both backed down at the same time, Yila Dao believed that it simply did not exist.

This mission was not a routine birthday celebration, but a serious matter of national importance, not only concerning the situation in Kansai, but also potentially influencing the overall situation of the world.

Everyone has read history books; as the saying goes, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." If he dared to do it, why shouldn't I?

When all the envoys think this way, the situation will inevitably be a battle between Ban Dingyuan and Fu Jiezi.

As dawn breaks, the moon sets in the west, and the sun has not yet risen—it is the darkest time of day, and also the time to commit murder.

The first to make a move were the delegation sent by Wanyan Liang, which also consisted of twenty people. However, they did not move out as a group. After leaving two people behind, they sent three more to set fire to the side hall. Only then did the remaining fifteen people follow the path they had scouted and head northeast in the dark.

However, after traveling only a short distance and just arriving at the central area of ​​the Chu King's residence, these suspicious individuals were discovered by the palace guards, and a conflict was about to break out.

The leader of the Xijin delegation did not want to fight with the guards of the Prince's mansion. After leaving the two to continue the fight, he continued his charge towards Yila Road. At the same time, flames gradually rose in a side hall, and the once quiet Chu Prince's mansion became completely chaotic. Many guards and servants were awakened from their sleep and rushed to put out the fire.

However, the Xijin envoy discovered that the fire did not originate from the side hall he had ordered to be set on fire.

Damn it, there are still people taking advantage of the chaos!
However, at this point, there was no turning back.

As the fire grew larger, the Western Xia guards began to mobilize, and a dozen or so members of the Western Jin delegation, hidden in the shadows, rushed towards the location of the Eastern Jin delegation.

Although the Chu King's Palace occupied a huge area, it was still a king's palace after all. After walking for half an hour, they finally arrived at their destination.

However, the first thing the Xijin delegation saw was another group of men in black scaling the wall and entering.

Then, a fierce battle cry suddenly rang out in the courtyard.

"Song dog! Your Grandpa Wanyan has been waiting here for a long time!"

"Golden Dog! Today, I will use your head to pay tribute to Kansai!"

Curses and screams mingled in the chaotic night sky, and flames gradually rose from the houses.

"Hurry up! ...Who are you?! Stop right there!"

The Western Jin envoy originally intended to sit back and watch the fight, and then clean up the mess later. However, the Western Xia guards had already been fully mobilized, and one group of dozens of armored soldiers was running wildly along the street.

The Western Xia guards were already terrified when they heard the shouts of battle. When they saw more than ten suspicious men in black on the street corner, they immediately mistook them for thieves who had infiltrated the palace.

These Western Xia guards were not just a delegation of envoys with only personal weapons; they were fully equipped with armor, bows, and arrows, and immediately a volley of arrows rained down upon them.

"what!"

"Enter! We are envoys of the Great Jin! How dare you!"

Even though the Xijin delegation dodged the arrows immediately, two members still fell to the arrows, one dead and one wounded.

"My lord! What should we do?!"

The Western Jin envoy stared at the approaching Western Xia guards, his face contorted with rage: "Now that even the royal palace has been set on fire, the King of Chu will surely be furious!"

As he spoke, he pointed to the courtyard of the Eastern Jin delegation's residence, which was engulfed in chaos from the fighting: "Kill them all! Then we can survive!"

The Xijin envoy ignored the Xixia guards and kicked open the door, rushing inside.

"Traitors! Traitors of the Song Dynasty! Today I will deal with you all!"

And so, nearly fifty men, armed with short weapons and dressed in cloth, engaged in a chaotic battle in a not-so-spacious courtyard.

The head guard felt a chill run down his spine, but in such a chaotic scene, he didn't know what to do for a moment.

After more than thirty armored soldiers gathered around, the head guard knew he could not wait any longer and immediately led his troops to force their way in.

"Wait!" A loud shout came from the darkness, and a disheveled scholar arrived with two attendants.

The head guard recognized the man as Ren Degong and bowed respectfully: "Second Master, two groups of black-clad bandits rushed in and fought each other. It was a chaotic battle, and I could not distinguish them. Please punish me, Second Master."

Ren Degong, panting heavily, shook his head and said, "Don't overthink it, this isn't your fault. Now listen to my orders: you will command all the guards who have arrived. Surround this courtyard. Tie up anyone who has escaped!"

At this point, Ren Degong couldn't help but sneer: "Heh, you all want to be Ban Chao, huh? Kill me if you want! The one who survives is Ban Dingyuan!"

With a leader in mind, the head guard immediately took action.

Whether it was the Song or Jin envoys, when they entered the palace, their long weapons and armor had been taken away. At this time, each of them probably only had a short sword. The invincible warriors who used to break through enemy lines and kill enemies could only fight like street thugs in such a dark and chaotic battle, using the most ruthless methods to engage in the most bottomless slaughter.

The fire in the two side halls was not extinguished until the sun rose in the east and the sky brightened.

At this moment, the sounds of fighting in the courtyard ceased first, followed by the screams gradually weakening.

It seems that a winner has finally been decided.

(End of this chapter)