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

Chapter 860 Life's Choices Are Always Difficult

"Oh, isn't this our great hero? What brings you to my humble abode?"

Hearing these sarcastic remarks, Hou Anyuan, reeking of alcohol, earnestly said to the two Khitans, "Would you believe me if I said I missed?"

Liu Ba crossed his arms and said, "If you were to say this to the King of Han, do you think he would believe you?"

"After the arrow was shot, it did not kill Wanyan Xiang on the spot, but instead opened a hole in the head of the Mongol who ambushed Wanyan Xiang."

"Heh, to be frank and honest, if you hadn't shot that arrow, Wanyan Xiang might have taken a solid hit on the top of his head with that blow."

Hearing this, Hou Anyuan finally showed signs of anger and embarrassment: "In such a chaotic situation, what could I do? It was already good enough that I risked my life to shoot an arrow, what more did you want?"

At this point, Hou Anyuan felt a pang of regret.

When his old friend Shi Wang invited him to go archery, Hou Anyuan always thought that shooting arrows from afar was cowardly, and that fighting hand-to-hand was the mark of a hero, so he always brushed it off.

Who could have predicted that this one arrow would be all it took to change the situation in Linhuang Prefecture?

After letting out two low growls, Hou Anyuan also felt bored, and then looked at the distraught Yelü Chen family: "What's wrong with him?"

Liu Ba shook his head and replied, "Ever since he learned that the slaves the Mongols had captured were all Khitans, he has been like this."

"Hey, if you ask me, he's just ignorant and can't grasp things. He seems completely oblivious to the nature of the Mongols, having wasted all those years in Linhuang Prefecture."

Yelü Chenjia finally spoke, his words filled with bitterness: "It's not that I don't know, but... but that I feel..."

Liu Ba interjected, "But they felt that with Cao Zhuowo there, and with the Jin army there, they would protect the Khitan tribes."

"Have you been eating too much mutton these past few days and messed up your brain?"

Yelü Chenjia's face turned pale and uncertain, but he finally sighed and said, "What is that scoundrel Cao Zhuwo doing? Isn't he in Linhuang Prefecture? He doesn't even care about this kind of thing."

Liu Ba retorted again: "How can he manage? What can he use to manage? Half of the able-bodied men who could fight died with King Sa Ba in Linhuang Prefecture, and the other half were thrown into Daming Prefecture by you."

Among the soldiers Xiao Ping brought were even thirteen-year-old children. What was Cao Zhuowo supposed to do?

"Ah..." Yelü Chenjia let out a low growl, scratching his face until several bloody marks appeared. After a moment, he looked up and said, "Zha Ba, what do you think we should do? I'll listen to you!"

Faced with the harsh reality, the Yelü Chen family finally gave up all their illusions.

The Jin dynasty was truly willing to completely sell out the Khitans and even Linhuang Prefecture in exchange for the Mongol help. The Khitans needed to save themselves.

Liu Ba sighed: "Go back to your tribe now. Once you hear about the turmoil in Heishuipu, don't hesitate. Immediately take those who can and are willing to leave and head into the Yanshan Mountains."

The Jin dynasty is preoccupied with its own problems, and the Mongols are too far away to reach them. If they can just sneak into the Yanshan Mountains, they'll be able to make contact with the Prince of Han sooner or later.

After a moment of silence, Yelü Chenjia, his face covered in blood, bowed to Liu Ba and then left without regard for the darkness.

Hou Anyuan was drinking cold water to sober up when he finally said, "Old Liu, I can't stay any longer. Even though I have the excuse of being drunk, there's still a chance someone might try to find out what's going on."

Given this situation, what else do you have to say?

Liu Ba scratched his head and said, "The three forces of Jin, Khitan, and Mongol will definitely not live in harmony. Didn't Wanyan Xiang take a liking to you? Look for an opportunity by his side."

Hou Anyuan nodded, knowing he couldn't stay any longer, and got up to leave.

In the cold night wind of the grassland, Hou Anyuan couldn't help but purse his lips, feeling a bit disgusted.

How did he, a perfectly respectable Flying Tiger Army general and garrison officer, become a confidant of the Jin Dynasty's Right Guard General in such a muddled way?

This is truly heartbreaking!

Of course, personal concerns must give way to matters of national importance.

The next day, Hou Anyuan, now dressed in new armor, went hunting with Wanyan Xiang.

Although Hou Anyuan was Wanyan Xiang's savior in a sense, there was no scene of them becoming close friends, giving each other clothes, or sharing food.

Wanyan Xiang's actions were nothing more than spending a fortune to buy Hou Anyuan's potential and to give him a chance at a better future. However, if Hou Anyuan wanted to become a trusted confidant, he would still have to undergo considerable tests.

Hou Anyuan was naturally happy about this, but he was the only one who was incorporated into the Jin army and cut off from the other Flying Tiger Knights, which made him have to be extra careful.

Wanyan Xiang led more than twenty knights away from Heishuipu and traveled three or four miles eastward along the Huanghe River. Sure enough, a Mongol troop was already waiting there.

"You all stay here."

Wanyan Xiang rode his horse north, and one of the Mongol people came to meet him.

Hou Anyuan craned his neck and looked into the distance, and sure enough, it was Dalitai.

The two men did not stray too far from their personal guards, yet they managed to keep their conversation from being heard by their subordinates. Hou Anyuan could only stare at their expressions.

A moment later, the two seemed to start arguing, throwing their gifts at each other before returning to their respective camps, as if their negotiations had completely broken down. Hou Anyuan looked at Wanyan Xiang's stern face, feeling both pleased and anxious.

We can't just stand by and watch the Jin Dynasty and the Mongols break down in negotiations; we have to do something!

While Hou Anyuan was loitering around Wanyan Xiang, Liu Ba wasn't idle either.

What are you doing here?

Xiao Ping wasn't surprised to see Liu Ba in the military camp. He just frowned and whispered to him, "Get out of here! This is no place to stay!"

Liu Ba pointed to a large group of people around him: "These are all local merchants who have come to support the troops. You have gathered so many refugees. How will you settle them if you don't rely on these people?"

How many refugees are there exactly here?

Xiao Ping sighed: "There were at least two thousand people, driven here from seven or eight tribes in the north. If you include those who died that day and those who died on the way, those damned Mongols have ravaged more than four thousand people. Damn it!"

Liu Ba pulled Xiao Ping aside and said sincerely, "This can't go on. Our Khitan tribe still has the power to resist. If we are tormented a few more times, we will truly become meat on the chopping block."

"Let me ask you this: if the Jurchens conscript men again, and then the Mongols come and swallow up several more tribes, how will you defend yourself then?"

Xiao Ping remained silent for a moment upon hearing this, but still did not give a direct answer. Instead, he pushed Liu Ba again and said, "You can talk about these things later. Let's leave now!"

It wasn't easy for Liu Ba to infiltrate the military camp, so he wouldn't agree to leave. He just pulled Xiao Ping aside and spoke to him in a low voice.

During the struggle, the two naturally attracted the attention of others, and soon a Khitan warrior blocked their path.

For some reason, Xiao Ping sighed upon seeing this, then pulled Liu Ba's arm and walked into the camp.

After passing through a chaotic mass of refugees, the two arrived side by side at an inconspicuous military tent.

A thin general raised his head and a smile appeared on his lips: "Long time no see, Zha Ba."

Liu Ba was stunned when he saw this person. After a moment, he sneered and said, "Old Cao, it really has been a long time."

The person in the tent was Cao Zhuwo, the military governor of the Six Courts and the actual controller of the Khitan tribe.

The two last met on the battlefield of Daming Prefecture, when both the Han and Jin armies first deployed Khitan light cavalry.

The old monk and Zhaba, two former Khitan rebels who had been betrayed, went berserk that very day, directly defeating the Jin army's light cavalry with their inferior forces and causing Yelü Wowo to flee in disarray.

"How have you been living in Han areas all these years?"

"It's alright. We have a ruler who is even stronger than the Great King Saba. The conquered territories will be shared with us Khitans as places to settle down. It's just that the rules are a bit strict. We all have to change our surnames and customs before we can settle down."

Fortunately, this matter was already settled during the reign of the founding emperor, so I don't need to worry about it.

How are you?

Cao Zhuowo raised his arm: "The knife you slashed me with last year injured my tendons and bones, and it hasn't fully healed yet. It hurts whenever it rains."

Liu Ba sighed: "Why don't you come with me to the Han lands? I know some good physicians. You originally had a Han surname, which was bestowed upon you by the Tang emperor, so you won't have to suffer twice."

Cao Zhuowo, however, spread his hands and said, "The Duke is in Yanjing, so I will maintain order here. It would be easy for me to leave, but what about all these Khitan soldiers?"

The two chatted happily, unlike their previous mortal enemies, as if they were old friends.

However, both of them knew that since they had already distinguished themselves as enemies in Daming Prefecture and even further away in Linhuang Prefecture, it was impossible for them to be of one mind and one heart now.

Liu Ba stepped forward and said sincerely, "Old Cao, you have to help me."

Breaking the alliance between the Mongols and the Jin invaders would benefit the Han King, but the biggest beneficiaries would be the Khitans. Don't you understand the despicable things the Mongols have done here?

The Jurchen bandits want to gain the aid of the Mongols, but they have to pay a price, and our Khitan tribe is that price!
Old Cao, I can't say anything about you and that traitor who want to be loyal to the patron, but are you really willing to drag all the Khitan men into this fire pit?

Cao Zhuowo listened quietly, remaining silent for a long time before finally asking, "How many men did Lord Feihu send to Linhuang Prefecture?"

Liu Ba shook his head and replied, "Of course it's just me."

Cao Zhuowo sneered, but did not press the matter: "Zha Ba, you have your reasons, and I have my principles. Let's pretend we never met today. You may leave now."

Liu Ba's cheeks twitched a few times, and he was about to speak again when Xiao Ping pulled him away.

"Zha Ba, you scoundrel, you're so ignorant! Are you waiting for the governor to stab you? Hurry up and get out of here!"

Liu Ba grabbed Xiao Ping's arm and whispered, his voice tinged with a pleading tone: "We Khitans can die, but to be sold like livestock is too humiliating!"

Seeing that Liu Ba was still tearing at the object, Xiao Ping looked around and said in a low voice, "The Jiedushi came here in disguise, which is also a plan. Don't move rashly, just wait."

After saying that, Xiao Ping pulled and dragged Liu Ba out of the military camp.

(End of this chapter)