A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 459 Listen up, Liao rebels on the other side!
"Song Twelve, why are you speaking so rudely?"

Yelü Gou'er was truly furious.

If it weren't for the fact that Song Xuan had some "medical skills,"

He wouldn't tolerate that.

Moreover, this is within the territory of the Liao Dynasty, so why are the Song people becoming more and more rampant?

Song Xuan didn't indulge him at all:
"Yelü Gou'er, am I speaking rudely for the first time?"

"you!"

Yelü Gou'er was furious and could only angrily flick his sleeves.

Because he discovered that what Song Xuan said was true, how could this person have become so sharp-tongued at such a young age?

Thinking back to Song Xuan's performance in the Song court, Yelü Gou'er had even less to say.

At least within the Great Khitan court, such a scenario would have been impossible.

Unless someone wants to rebel.

Lü Gongbi clicked his tongue in amazement.

After Song Zhuangyuan crossed the border, he treated the Khitans far too aggressively.

Although this place was one of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, it had already fallen under the control of the Khitans.

Since this isn't within the territory of our Great Song Dynasty, we shouldn't be too forceful, otherwise no one will stand up for us!
Song Xuan showed Yelü Gou'er absolutely no mercy:
“I see that you’ve lost your mind since your son got injured. Let me ask you something.”

"Your Khitan spent so much money to purchase this precious glass artifact depicting a gyrfalcon hunting a swan. From the emperor down to the ministers, who dares not to value it?"

"You, Yelü Gou'er, practically never leave that treasure behind, day or night."

“The most normal thing is that once we cross this river from within the territory of the Song Dynasty, we can…”

"Even if there are not tens of thousands, there should be at least three thousand elite Khitan soldiers here to welcome and escort them."

"Now you suddenly say you're not free to deal with the remaining rebels and are asking my Song soldiers to escort you. Think about it carefully, is that right?"

"Or are you Khitans deliberately using the pretext of suppressing bandits to destroy this treasure, thus finding an excuse to start a war with my Great Song Dynasty!"

Faced with Song Xuan's accusation, Yelü Gou'er blinked subconsciously, completely dumbfounded.

He was stunned again.

Yelü Gou'er certainly knew how much His Majesty valued this treasure!
He found that Song Xuan's words made perfect sense.

In short, the current situation is definitely not right.

After Song Xuan's reminder, Lü Demao also realized what was going on.

He gave Yelü Gou'er a wink.

“Scholar Song, perhaps someone is deliberately trying to cause trouble. I will discuss this further with the Prime Minister and confirm the authenticity of the source of the information.”

“My father-in-law also told me about the fierce infighting among the Khitan nobles. I didn’t believe it at first, but now it seems to be true.”

"Yelü Gou'er, someone doesn't want you to receive credit before His Majesty of Liao. Think carefully about who you've offended before you come and talk to me!"

Song Xuan pursued and killed him again, and Lü Demao dared not retaliate.

Even Yelü Gou'er, the dignified Prime Minister of the South, remained silent.

The internal feuds within the Khitan were extremely severe.

If Han Derang dared to kill members of the royal family, then the internal strife among the other nobles was even more likely.

They are not a monolithic group; internal strife is a very normal occurrence in any dynasty.

Even among Khitans of the same surname, there would be mutual hatred and killing.

Before Yelü Longxu's father, the succession to the Liao throne was always fraught with bloodshed, and after Yelü Longxu's death, the succession to the throne for his sons was also fraught with bloodshed.

Even when the Jurchens rose to power, the Khitans were still fighting amongst themselves for the throne.

After the two of them left, Lü Gongbi looked at Song Xuan:

"Twelfth Brother, wasn't your tone a bit too harsh just now?"

"This is, after all, Khitan territory."

“Baochen, let me tell you, we can still treat people warmly within Song territory, after all, they are guests, and we cannot be too forceful.”

Lü Gongbi nodded slightly in agreement.

Song Xuan watched them leave:

"Now that we've entered Khitan territory, we're guests. Isn't it normal for guests to be a little assertive?"

Lü Gongbi indicated that he understood somewhat.

Who is the master?

Everyone has to serve the guests.

However, he still felt that Song Xuan was being a bit too forceful.

Yelü Gou'er was a prominent Southern Chancellor in the Liao Dynasty, so how could he be reprimanded like this by the Song Dynasty's deputy envoy?

Even within the territory of the Song Dynasty, the Khitans would not dare to reprimand our prime minister in such a way!
"Besides, I think there must be a conspiracy behind this situation."

"conspiracy?"

Song Xuan summoned Liu Ping and asked him to call all the soldiers over.

After everyone crossed the river, they led their warhorses in a circle.

Song Xuan stepped onto the cover plate on the shaft of the mule cart:

"Brothers, I have just received news that there is internal strife in the Khitan. We are likely to encounter ambushes by scattered soldiers along the way."

Song Xuan's promotion left everyone speechless.

"But the task assigned by the Emperor must be completed. Anyone who backs down now can simply take a boat back and wait for my return on the other side of the Baigou River."

"I will naturally not blame you. After all, it happened suddenly. I thought it was a normal mission, but I did not expect to encounter trouble."

"What are you saying, Scholar Song? Do you mean to look down on us Imperial Guards?"

"Yes."

Yang Wenguang shouted loudly:
"If even the yamen runners of Kaifeng County can fight to the death against the top scholar Song, how can we, the Imperial Guards, retreat in the face of battle?"

"Yes."

"Isn't it just internal strife among the Khitans?"

"We brothers will just have to watch the show."

"Yeah."

"Hahaha."

These imperial guards on site were "selected" themselves; who doesn't have a bit of confidence?

It's just an internal rebellion within the Khitan. If the entire Khitan were to rebel, that would be truly wonderful.

Han Yi, the chief envoy, was shocked to hear this, as he had never expected that the Khitans would be in internal strife.

Could it be that Yelü Longxu suddenly died?
But not a single word got back.

Song Xuan rode his bicycle, listening to the crowd's discussion:
"Now everyone sharpen their swords and spears, string their bows, and have the auxiliary soldiers and chariots follow in the middle, waiting to cook a meal."

"If we suddenly encounter the enemy, we should drive the mules into the wagon circle as we have been trained, quickly form a circle around the wagons, and resist on the spot."

"We will travel over two days to reach Zhuozhou City, which is 100 li away."

"Here."

The crowd responded in unison.

Song Xuan instructed Liu Ping to continue making arrangements and to send scouts ahead to investigate and ascertain the situation.

He felt there was a high probability of internal strife within the Khitan, but he received news just after crossing the border, which seemed unusual.

Haven't the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun always been of value for united front work?
The local people wouldn't necessarily rebel directly; they would instead flee to the Song Dynasty to maximize their gains.

Upon hearing Song Xuan's arrangement, Yelü Gou'er was momentarily at a loss for what to do, as he couldn't recall who was trying to frame him.

There was a slight disturbance.

What if this treasure gets damaged?

His Majesty will surely be furious.

You'll be in deep trouble then.

“Prime Minister Nan, this matter is indeed very strange. We should send our own people to seek help from Prince Yan Xiao Xiaomu of Youdu Prefecture immediately. He has always been kind to people and certainly has no other intentions.”

Lü Demao offered his suggestion: "This is the safest approach."

"Indeed, this news is strange from the inside out."

……

"For now, it's best for us to remain here and not make any moves."

Han Yi quickly tugged at Song Xuan's sleeve:
"Vice Envoy Song, within the territory of my Great Song Dynasty, you would knowingly avoid treacherous mountains, so why are you so determined to go your own way once you're in Khitan territory?"

"You must know that the human heart can be far more dangerous than a tiger!"

“We should cross the Baigou River immediately and return to our Great Song territory. We should not rush. We should wait until we receive definite news before heading towards Zhongjing.”

Song Xuan gently gestured for Han Yi to loosen the hem of his robe, and whispered:
"Envoy Han, after thinking it over, I suspect this message is fake. They just want us to retreat so they can seize the opportunity to mock us even more."

Hearing Song Xuan's guess, Han Yi raised an eyebrow slightly:

Why do you think it's fake?

"The Khitans spent so much time raising taxes to raise enough money to buy this treasure. How can they not send someone to welcome it because of this trivial matter of rebellion?"

“Vice Envoy Song, what you said is too subjective.”

Han Yi still disagreed, believing that avoiding risks was the safest course of action.

“Look,” Song Xuan pointed to the Han people who had helped them cross the river:
"They remained completely calm, which shows they hadn't heard a single word from them."

Han Yi looked over and saw that the people rowing the big ship were indeed chatting and joking around, showing no signs of tension whatsoever.

"This is Zhuozhou. I've never heard of that tribal rebellion before, but I guess it must be somewhere beyond the Great Wall or in Liaodong."

"At most, Prince Xiao Xiaomu, who was left to guard Nanjing, was assisting in the military campaign. The main battlefield should be in Liaodong, which is the area around the capital of the Liao Dynasty."

Song Xuan's words, delivered with composure, still left Han Yi somewhat worried.

“Vice Envoy Song, I admit that there is some truth to your analysis.”

Han Yi shook his head again:
"As envoys, we are entrusted with the imperial mission and represent the Song Dynasty. We must prioritize stability in everything we do."

Song Xuan expressed his understanding.

Historically, administrative systems have never wanted unexpected events to occur; their most important task is to maintain stability.

"How about this, I'll go and investigate myself, and then decide whether to advance or retreat."

"It's too dangerous." Han Yi refused again.
"As the deputy envoy, how can you personally take such a risk? Let Liu Ping go. Better safe than sorry."

“This is not within the territory of the Great Song Dynasty. If something happens to you, the Great Song Dynasty will not be able to mobilize troops to cross the Baigou River to rescue you.”

"Also, I don't want anything to happen to you!"

Seeing that Han Yi was unable to communicate effectively, Song Xuan decided not to say anything more.

"Twelfth Brother, is the Khitan truly in internal strife?"

Liu Congde was quite nervous.

Internal strife means war is imminent. He only had four hundred cavalrymen and one hundred auxiliary troops, along with a number of other guards.

He felt that if a battle broke out, his small force would inevitably suffer a crushing defeat.

"possible."

Song Xuan comforted Liu Congde, saying:

"But this is the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, what internal strife could there be here?"

"That's good, it'll make it easier for us to run around then."

Liu Congde also felt that his horseback riding skills were not proficient enough, and it seemed that he still needed to practice.

As for abandoning the rest of the people and running away, Liu Congde had no qualms about it.

Song Xuan summoned Di Qing and the others, and asked him to lead a ten-man team to accompany him on the journey.

Liu Ping quickly dissuaded him, saying, "Scholar Song, there's no need for you to personally lead the team to investigate. I can go."

"Do you think I'm capable of commanding an army?"

Faced with Song Xuan's question, Liu Ping was speechless for a moment.

"But that's too dangerous. The future of our brothers rests on your shoulders. How can I let you take such a risk?"

"Okay, send me a team over here."

With Wang Bao's help, Song Xuan passed on the armor while saying:

"I'll personally lead a group to scout around twenty miles away. If we encounter any danger, those fifty men will be enough to cover my retreat. What do you say?"

“This.” Liu Ping looked at Han Yi beside him: “Don’t look at him, he can’t control me.”

"Song Twelve, don't go too far!"

Han Yi said, somewhat exasperated:
"Who was it that initially said that we should discuss what happened?"

"it's me."

"Okay." Han Yi pointed at Song Xuan:

"How can you, a dignified top scholar of the Song Dynasty, treat your own words as mere farts!"

"Envoy Han," Song Xuan said, donning his armor, "our discussion just now went well."

Han Yi: ? ? ?
"I didn't agree."

Song Xuan mounted his horse.

"Envoy Han, we've already discussed this. Even if we didn't reach a conclusion, that still counts as a discussion."

"You!" Han Yi was furious with Song Xuan.

"You're absolutely unreasonable."

"Remember to ask next time."

Han Yi, a man in his fifties, was so angry at Song Xuan that he jumped up and down.

He knew Song Xuan was always resourceful, but he didn't expect him to be this resourceful!

That's absolutely outrageous!

Song Xuan thumped his armor:

"This is the armor bestowed by the Emperor himself, the sage-king of virtue and civil and military affairs. If I were to back down upon hearing a false rumor, how could I possibly live up to the Emperor's great favor!"

Han Yi's eyes widened.

He hadn't expected Song Xuan to be wearing Emperor Taizong's armor, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Liu Ping instinctively reached out to bow.

After all, it was a sacred relic of Emperor Taizong.

Song Xuan took the spear from Wang Bao, twirled it, and gestured for Hongying to obey.
"Envoy Han, please wait for my good news."

Song Xuan has already put on Emperor Taizong's sacred relics, so how can Han Yi refute him?

Han Yi was truly surprised that Song Xuan was not only favored by the Empress Dowager, but also so much loved by the Emperor.

Why would the Emperor bestow such imperial armor upon Song Xuan?
Is this a proper reward to be bestowed upon the top scholar of the Song Dynasty?

It's obviously a privately bestowed item. These kinds of sacred relics need to be registered; they can't be issued so easily.

Wang Chong, also a deputy envoy, looked anxious:
“Brother-in-law, we should retreat to the other side for now. Otherwise, if we all pile up on the north bank, we will all die if any thieves get close.”

"Shut up!" Han Yi snapped at his brother-in-law, Wang Chong. "What are you retreating for!"

Wang Chong stood there, at a loss. It was the first time he had been scolded by Han Yi.

Han Yi was also angered by Song Xuan.

"Don't say that," Liu Congde said, shaking his head.

"Twelfth Brother really looks like a commander in this armor."

Wang Yufeng never expected that his brother-in-law would have such thoughts at this point.

But he subconsciously continued the conversation:
"If the top scholar of the Song Dynasty were to become a young general, it would be quite feasible."

"Nonsense," Liu Congde reprimanded his brother-in-law.
“How can Twelfth Brother be a general of the Song Dynasty? It’s an insult to his status.”

Liu Ping grabbed Yang Wenguang and said that if they encountered the enemy, they must bring Song Zhuangyuan back with them.

Otherwise, I don't care what kind of family you are from, I'll chop you down and use you as a sacrifice to the flag.

Yang Wenguang nodded repeatedly, patting his chest and promising that he would protect the life of the top scholar, Song.

Song Xuan lightly nudged his horse's belly and, seeing the fifty cavalrymen gathered there, immediately ordered Di Qing to lead a group of men to scout ahead.

"drive."

Di Qing immediately led his men to set off, intending to scout at least ten miles before sending someone to report to his twelfth brother, and then proceeding to make a decision.

Everyone looked at Song Xuan, never expecting that the top scholar Song would personally lead the investigation.

"Gentlemen, let's cut to the chase." Song Xuan held a long spear in his hand.

"We cannot let the Khitans underestimate our Song soldiers. They are just a few rebels. If we kill them, we can show the Han people of Yan and Zhao the bravery of our Song soldiers."

"Wan Sheng!"

Yang Wenguang, gripping the reins, watched as Song Xuan rode his horse from one end and touched their spears with his own, his expression growing increasingly excited.

"Wan Sheng."

"Wan Sheng!"

Song Xuan directly swung his gun:

"Set off."

The group rode away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Yelü Shucheng was greatly shocked to see Song Xuan dressed in armor and holding a long spear, mixed in with the army.

After all, in his mind, Song Xuan was a scholar.

Can a scholar wield a long spear?
However, Song Xuan did not give off the impression of the scholar he had in mind.

When Lü Demao saw that Song Xuan had personally led the investigation, he was greatly alarmed:
“Prime Minister, Song Xuan must not cause trouble for our Khitan, otherwise there will inevitably be conflicts between Song and Liao, and our Great Liao will be in the wrong.”

Yelü Gou'er didn't have many men left, so he mounted his horse and said, "I'll take a few men and go check it out myself."

"The Southern Prime Minister is not someone to be taken advantage of."

"fart."

Yelü Gou'er didn't even wear armor, nor did he prepare any:

"If we are outdone by these Song people, what bravery do we Khitan people have left?"

So Yelü Gou'er mounted his horse to go and see, and Yelü Shucheng followed on his horse.

"Report! The Prince of Yan, the Chancellor of the South, and all the Song people have crossed the river. They should arrive here in less than an hour."

Xiao Xiaomu nodded and told him to go and rest.

"Father, after they receive the news, will the Song people be so frightened that they turn back immediately?"

Xiao Tali burst out laughing as he spoke.

This can be considered as fulfilling His Majesty's instructions and curbing the arrogance of the Song people.

"That's possible."

Xiao Tali was riding his horse behind the mountain, then jumped down:

"Let's go up the hill and see if they've run away."

"I will listen to my daughter."

Xiao Xiaomu also dismounted and led his personal guards up the mountain to investigate. His men were hidden in the shady side of the mountain, so as not to be discovered by the Song people in advance.

After the men went up, Xiao Xiaomu carefully observed the area but did not notice any scouts approaching.

It seems that the Song people were quite cautious.

Du Fang was from Xiongzhou. He passed the imperial examination at a young age and had a very good impression of Xiao Tali.

He would be willing to marry her and even be promoted.

After all, such a beautiful girl with a good background, who wouldn't want to marry her? "Your Highness, it seems the Song people are scared, they might just run back."

Hearing Du Fang's remarks, Xiao Ge chuckled:
"I've heard that both Han Yi and Song Xuan were Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and Song Xuan was even the top scholar in the imperial examinations, achieving the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations. Are all Han Chinese Jinshi cowards?"

Everyone could tell that Xiao Ge was making veiled criticisms, but no one was willing to speak up for Du Fang.

Of the people present, he was the only Han Chinese pretending to be a Khitan; the rest were all legitimate Khitan nobles.

Their racial contempt is constant.

Du Fang's actions were akin to fanaticism among converts. Now that he was a subject of the Liao Dynasty, he naturally had to distance himself from the Song people.

Even though they humiliated the Song people in this way, they still couldn't gain the respect of the Khitans.

"Brother Hua, please don't say that," Xiao Tali said, holding his riding whip.
"I have heard that the last Song man who passed the imperial examination in three consecutive years is now the prime minister of the Song Dynasty. When he was sent as an envoy to the Khitan, his archery skills impressed even His Majesty."

Du Fang smiled at Xiao Tali, thanking her for speaking up for him.

"hehe."

Xiao Ge actually harbored some affection for Xiao Tali.

However, Xiao Tali knew that Xiao Ge gained the emperor's favor by flattering the emperor's confidants, and was a master of sycophancy.

Therefore, Xiao Tali loathed him. If His Majesty hadn't sent him to deliver the message, Xiao Tali wouldn't have wanted to talk to such a person.

"If the Song people truly had so many talented individuals, they should have reclaimed the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun long ago, instead of leaving us standing on this land."

Xiao Ge chuckled: "I have no respect for the Song people."

Yelü Renxian shook his head:
“Brother Hua, don’t underestimate the people of Song. I’ve heard that those who pass the imperial examinations in Song are all exceptional individuals.”

"Unlike the Jinshi of my Great Liao, if they were to return to the Song Dynasty, they probably wouldn't even be able to pass the basic imperial examinations."

"Hahaha."

Xiao Ge couldn't help but burst into laughter: "So that's how it is!"

Although Yelü Renxian was telling the truth, it still hurt Du Fang, causing him to break down again.

The difficulty of the imperial examinations held by the Liao Dynasty was definitely not the same as that held by the Song Dynasty.

This is also why, after Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty, scholars from the north simply could not pass the examinations as those from the south, so he specially set up a system of separate examinations for the north and south.

Xiao Tali glanced at the handsome Yelü Renxian, wondering why he didn't understand that some things shouldn't be said to outsiders.

Who says Yelü Renxian didn't understand human relationships? It's just that he didn't need to take the Han people too seriously.

Xiao Xiaomu stopped everyone and made them all squat down, because he saw a rider passing by quickly.

He didn't have to wait long before one of his men came to report.

It turned out to be a messenger sent by Yelü Gou'er to deliver a message to the Prince of Yan.

Xiao Xiaomu accepted the letter, which stated that they needed to arrive in Zhuozhou within two days and requested that three thousand soldiers be sent to escort them.

Such a treasure must not be lost or damaged.

After reading it, Xiao Xiaomu frowned; he had indeed forgotten about it.

After all, he wanted that precious item that cost millions of dollars to buy.

Xiao Xiaomu initially wanted to advise against it, but his daughter persuaded him not to submit a memorial.

His Majesty is currently unwell and easily loses his temper.

After reading it, Xiao Tali smiled and said, "At least the Song people didn't choose to flee back, which is excellent."

"Tsk." Xiao Ge glanced at it:
"Du Fang, you, as a Han Chinese, don't even understand the behavior of the Song people. How can His Majesty consult you on how to handle relations with the Song Dynasty in the future?"

The customs of the Han people in the Yan-Yun region did not change, mainly because the Khitans wanted to occupy this territory permanently and use the Han people to fight against the Han people.

Du Fang was completely outmaneuvered; his face turned ashen, showing none of the composure he would later display as the prime minister of the Liao Dynasty.

Both father and son served as prime ministers of the Southern Court and were deeply trusted by the Liao emperor.

"okay."

Xiao Tali put the letter away:
"Father, it seems these Song people have some courage. Let's see how our Khitan warriors scare them so badly they wet themselves."

"Ah."

Xiao Xiaomu received news that the Song scouts had appeared on the other side of the river.

He immediately told everyone to lie down and not to show their heads to avoid being discovered.

“It seems the Song people are quite wary.” Xiao Tali also lay down on the grass.

"interesting."

Xiao Xiaomu nodded, guessing that Yelü Gou'er's words seemed to have no effect in front of the Song envoy.

Even though he sent messengers, the Song people still sent scouts.

Di Qing reined in his horse, and a bridge appeared before him. Three miles behind the bridge, the outline of a mountain could be seen, the easiest place to ambush someone.

However, while riding a horse allows for a quick passage, it presents a problem for the mule carts that follow.

"Go and report to Scholar Song immediately."

When Song Xuan galloped up, he also reined in his horse and surveyed the area around the river.

"Send someone to observe along both banks of this bridge, and I will go to the bridgehead to take a look."

"Here."

After giving his instructions, Yang Wenguang escorted Song Xuan to the middle of the bridge, while he led his men to guard the north end of the bridge to prevent anyone from suddenly appearing.

Song Xuan took out a monocular telescope from his pocket, zoomed in, and began to look towards the mountain.

"Yo ho."

Song Xuan chuckled softly:
"These people's ambush is too obvious. Those birds are circling around them. They really look down on me."

Di Qing knew that Song Xuan possessed a wonderful treasure: the ability to see a thousand miles.

He squinted and looked into the distance; there were indeed some black dots flying around.

"Twelfth Brother, should we still go over there?"

"I don't know if they were Khitans in disguise, or from some other tribe."

After Song Xuan put away the monocular telescope, he began to consider whether he should try to probe the area.
"Yang Wenguang".

"exist."

"Go and select thirty brothers with strong arms. They will follow me to draw my bow and shoot arrows, to startle the enemy and see who is lying in ambush."

Yang Wenguang quickly advised, "Scholar Song, this test is too dangerous. Why don't you let me lead the team?"

After thinking for a while, Song Xuan agreed and told Yang Wenguang to shoot the arrows at the right spot and then run back immediately.

"I remember."

Yang Wenguang went to select people, preparing to venture out and try his luck.

Xiao Xiaomu slightly raised his head and cautiously looked over:

"The Song people have stopped, probably because they suspect there is an ambush here. Pass on my order: all of you be careful."

"We must not expose ourselves before the Song Dynasty envoy arrives."

"Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain."

This shows how much Xiao Xiaomu dotes on his daughter; otherwise, he wouldn't have done something like this.

It was truly intimidating to the Song envoys, as long as ten thousand cavalrymen appeared before them.

These men had never seen so many cavalrymen before, so they were naturally intimidated.

"If you ask me, we should just take control of these Song soldiers and prevent them from going back to report."

Xiao Ge lay on the grass, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, and offered a cheerful suggestion.

Xiao Xiaomu shook his head; he didn't want to cause any friction or conflict.

Moreover, it seems that the Song general is a cautious person. He only sent out a group of people to observe, and if anything goes wrong, they will definitely turn around and run back to report.

Only by luring all the Song envoys here can we better deter them.

Otherwise, what's the point of just intimidating some Song soldiers?
"Everyone lowered their heads; a Song scout was approaching."

Xiao Xiaomu quickly gave the order, and the surrounding guards immediately lay down on the ground, even lowering the flags.

Yang Wenguang was the first to take the lead. He carefully surveyed the surrounding mountains, which were actually not very high.

However, the bridge just happened to be built here, making it obvious that people wanted to control the bridge for combat.

The top scholar Song was right; these birds were indeed circling around.

The sound of horses' hooves clattered.

He squeezed his legs tightly around the horse's belly and drew his bow to shoot an arrow.

A signal arrow was fired, and more than thirty arrows were immediately launched.

buzzing.

Xiao Ge was contentedly chewing on some wild grass, looking at the blue sky where birds were flying by.

It is really comfortable.

Suddenly, an arrow appeared in front of him.

Then it plummeted.

"what!"

Xiao Ge cried out in alarm as the arrow pierced his groin.

He almost became a eunuch on the spot.

"Be careful."

Xiao Xiaomu quickly protected his daughter. He hadn't expected that the Song people wouldn't pass quickly, but instead chose to fire arrows.

Du Fang's arm was grazed by a stray arrow and bled.

Arrows launched in this way lose their power once they reach a certain height.

But there are just too many unlucky people.

Some soldiers were hit by arrows.

In particular, Xiao Ge's scream caused the Song soldiers riding down the mountain to turn around and fire arrows again to prevent them from launching a sneak attack.

Song Xuan, holding a monocular telescope, saw someone stand up and shouted:
"There are indeed a few people on the hilltop. Quickly inform the rear guard to prepare for defense. I don't think there are many of them."

"Here."

Immediately afterwards, the two warhorses broke away from the group and left.

Song Xuan observed Yang Wenguang and the others quickly flee back.

Having thus alerted the enemy, Song Xuan was somewhat pleased with himself.

These remnants of some tribe are really rough with their work. It's a shame they're just a fishing and hunting people; they don't even know not to disturb the birds when hunting.

Song Xuan also turned his horse around, went down the bridge, and made way for them.

"Twelfth Brother, should we retreat?"

Xu Xianchun, who could ride a horse, quickly stood in front of Song Xuan to protect him.

"I'm not in a hurry."

Song Xuan was still holding the binoculars:
"There's only one small bridge here. Let's see how many thieves there are. If there aren't many, we'll kill them and draw blood. If there are many, we'll shoot each other here for a while and then run away."

"understood."

Xu Xianchun held the shield up to prevent Song Xuan from being injured by a sneak attack.

Especially now that Wang Bao is gone, that large shield is also gone.

Xiao Xiaomu was surprised that the Song people had launched two waves of arrows at them. He quickly checked that his daughter was unharmed, stood up, and watched as the Song people fled.

"They have some nerve, daring to fire arrows!"

Although Yelü Renxian was unharmed, he was still somewhat alarmed.

Because he saw Xiao Ge almost have his penis shot off by the Song people, he also subconsciously experienced phantom pain.

But the real victim, Xiao Ge, has already broken down.

He was so scared that he peed himself.

Moreover, this is under uncontrolled conditions.

"These damned Song people, I'll take their lives!"

Especially since he had lost face so badly in front of the woman he liked, Xiao Ge became even more furious and embarrassed.

Xiao Tali didn't even look at him, but she couldn't help but glance at him again. She really didn't expect Xiao Ge to be so timid.

They were only subjected to two rounds of arrows, yet they were so frightened that they behaved so rudely.

Xiao Tali hurriedly inquired about the condition of the injured Du Fang.
As a Han Chinese, he still had value in the Yan-Yun region and could help his father stabilize the area.

Du Fang was deeply moved and said it was no problem.

Xiao Ge was so angry that he felt terrible.

"Since we can't hide it anymore, let's go down and show ourselves."

Xiao Xiaomu hadn't expected this unexpected turn of events; it seems there are capable people within the Song army.

The fact that they were able to detect the virus from such a great distance and respond in a timely manner was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

“Scholar Song, there really are people on the mountain.”

Yang Wenguang said with great joy:
"I heard someone scream. I guess there weren't many people. When I looked back just now, I didn't see many people stand up. I guess they were just a bunch of stragglers, nothing to worry about."

Song Xuan nodded, telling them to dismount and let their warhorses rest.

"We'll see what they're made of and see how many stragglers there are."

"Twelfth Brother, I feel there are quite a few people. If there are too few, the birds will soon land elsewhere and won't keep circling."

After Di Qing finished shooting the arrow, he was still not entirely at ease.

"If there are many of them, they won't seem like rebels."

Song Xuan chuckled softly:
"As for those Khitans who welcomed and escorted us, I wonder what their purpose was in lying in ambush there."

"Khitan?"

“Yes.” Song Xuan fiddled with the bow and arrow in his hand:
"The Khitans were deeply entrenched in internal strife, with extremely complex factions and fierce political struggles."

Without keeping Song Xuan waiting for long, Xiao Xiaomu immediately revealed the banner of the Great Khitan and led more than 10,000 cavalrymen to cover the opposite bank of the river.

Song Xuan first noticed a small group of people, but then more and more people arrived, constantly blowing horns.

The appearance of so many cavalry surprised Yang Wenguang and the other imperial guards, who even tried to pull Song Xuan away.

Song Xuan, however, glanced over unhurriedly:

"Indeed, when the number of people exceeds ten thousand, the vastness is boundless. I am so envious of so many cavalry!"

Not only Song Xuan, but many of the Imperial Guard soldiers had never seen so many cavalrymen gathered together at the same time, and some of them were hesitant to retreat.

The Song Dynasty had not fought a war for many years. In the past, when Emperor Zhenzong of Song went out, he could bring out all the imperial guards to show off.

From the time Emperor Zhenzong fell ill until Zhao Zhen ascended the throne, they had no opportunity to accompany the emperor on his travels, let alone see so many comrades during a group training exercise.

“Scholar Song, it is still unknown whether they are friend or foe. Let’s retreat for now.”

"There is only one small bridge across the river. If we defend the bridge, it will make them wary."

After saying this, Song Xuan felt that the messenger sent by Yelü Gou'er had likely leaked the actual situation, so his plan to imitate Master Zhang and guard the bridge was probably doomed.

But we still need to say what needs to be said to encourage each other.

"They don't know how many people are behind us."

Song Xuan ordered, "Have the brothers line up in a row and display the banner of our Great Song Dynasty."

"Here."

The messenger carrying the flag began to relay Song Xuan's orders.

Although they didn't have Song Xuan's banner, they could at least use the banner of the Great Song Dynasty, which served as a substitute and saved them the trouble of carrying an extra banner.

"Even if they really charge, we can hold them off for a while."

Song Xuan held a bow and arrow in his hand.

"I want to see who the Song general is, that he could see through my plan so easily."

Xiao Tali cracked his riding whip, looking somewhat sullen.

She thought her idea was pretty good.

Who would have thought that the Song people would see through her plan, which gave her a sense of defeat.

Not only did they fail to surprise and frighten the Song people, but they were also outmaneuvered by them.

The Song people alerted them, and with Xiao Ge's screams, the truth could no longer be concealed.

Xiao Xiaomu, on the other hand, thought about it more deeply.

When the dozens of Song cavalrymen on the other side of the river saw my large army pressing in, they didn't turn and run away. Instead, they raised their flags.

Could it be that he's not afraid that he might actually be a rebel from some tribe in disguise?

They killed the Song envoy and framed the Khitan.

Given this incident, how could the people of Song believe such an explanation?
Xiao Xiaomu waved for his men to stop.

He was surrounded by the banners of the Prince of Yan, as well as various titles.

Xiao Ge spurred his horse forward and shouted curses:
"Which Han dog dared to shoot your grandfather? Step forward!"

A buzzing sound.

Xiao Ge's hat was shot off and hit the flagpole of the Prince of Yan.

Xiao Xiaomu was clearly bewildered and quickly ordered his men to step forward and block them.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Xiao Ge touched his bald head and glanced at his hat, which was nailed to the flagpole.

Xiao Ge saw the Han man on the other side of the river draw his bow and nock an arrow with lightning speed. Before he could react, his hat flew off.

Given the distance, he obediently rode back, only to find his saddle soaked again.

We'll skip the part where they make tough statements.

Xiao Ge dared not say anything more, fearing he would be spotted by the Song archers, and could only respond with resentful eyes.

Today, Xiao Ge was extremely embarrassed to have lost face twice in front of his beloved Xiao Tali!

If I don't avenge this, how can I have the face to live in this world?

Xiao Xiaomu's eyes showed surprise. To be able to shoot so accurately across a river, it seemed that the Song people were not to be underestimated.

"color!"

The Song people on the opposite bank of the river began to cheer loudly.

Shooting the enemy commander's flagpole is an extremely morale-boosting event.

Such archery skills greatly surprised the Khitans.

He could probably be compared to the Condor Heroes.

When did such a person appear among the people of the Song Dynasty?

"Father, be careful," Xiao Tali said with some worry. "It seems the Song people aren't very reasonable."

After all, they started shooting arrows right away.

Xiao Xiaomu waved his hand, indicating that the Song soldiers had shown mercy by not killing Xiao Ge with a single arrow.

The most important thing now is to avoid escalating the conflict.

Xiao Xiaomu ordered his men to step forward.

Xiao Hui was unaware that it was Song Xuan's suggestion that led to his utter failure in attacking the Ganzhou Uyghurs back then.

Moreover, they suffered heavy losses and were demoted by the emperor to serve as Xiao Xiaomu's subordinate.

Of course, the main reason was his own stubbornness and arrogance.

Song Xuan's schemes were, at best, icing on the cake compared to his own mediocre performance.

Xiao Hui rode her horse forward:
"I am Xiao Hui, the commander of the Nanjing Imperial Guards of the Great Khitan, both cavalry and infantry."

"Who is the leader among you Song people? Quickly state your name, lest the swords, which have no eyes, harm the innocent."

Song Xuan rode his horse onto the stone bridge, placing it across the middle:
"Listen up, you Liao rebels over there! Your grandpa is Song Xuan, the envoy of the Great Song Dynasty!"

(End of this chapter)