The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 413 Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors
The distance from Daxingcheng, the capital of the Jin Dynasty, to the Mongolian grasslands was several hundred kilometers. In that era, a delegation of more than a thousand people, with their carriages and supplies packed together, would take at least two months to travel.

Limited by the technology of the time, without airplanes, trains, cars, railways, or highways as we know them today, traveling long distances was an extremely painful experience.

In his previous life, Wu Chengyu drove from Beijing to Ulanbutong in Inner Mongolia, a journey of 400 kilometers, all on the highway, and arrived in the same day. There was no need for such a hassle.

Even setting aside the arbitrariness that comes with power, in terms of quality of life alone, any ordinary person in later generations would far surpass the emperors and princes of today.

The delegation consisted of more than two hundred people, with eight hundred cavalrymen accompanying them. Apart from Wanyan Hongxi and his men, Wanyan Honglie left Sha Tongtian, Peng Lianhu, Liang Ziweng and others in Daxing City to take care of Bao Xiruo. He himself set off with Wu Chengyu and Yang Kang.

Wu Chengyu believed that his previous plan to join forces with Wanyan Honglie to travel to the Mongolian grasslands was very wise. Although the journey was arduous and exhausting, he didn't have to worry about anything.

No need to worry about getting lost, no need to endure wind and rain, you can rely entirely on hunting wild animals to fill your stomach, all supplies are prepared for you, and someone will take care of you when you are hungry or thirsty. Compared to the miserable state I was in before, wandering the streets alone, it was like night and day.

Just like now, he was sitting in the carriage. Although it was a bit bumpy, his body was nestled against the soft and beautiful maid. He closed his eyes to rest, and every now and then he would open his mouth. The beautiful maid would immediately put the cut fruit into her mouth, and he felt indescribably comfortable.

If you ignored Yang Kang, who was sitting next to Wu Chengyu with a bitter and resentful expression, the atmosphere in the carriage might have been even more restless.

Wu Chengyu opened his eyes and glanced at Yang Kang, who had been keeping a long face and not saying a word: "Alright, who are you trying to impress with that long face? Your father only took you to the grasslands to protect you."

But Yang Kang, being a child, didn't answer his master's question and turned to look out of the carriage. Wu Chengyu was too lazy to indulge his bad temper and continued to enjoy the service and feeding from the beautiful women beside him.

Yang Kang was angry for a simple reason: he didn't care about going to Mongolia with the delegation; what he cared about was Wanyan Honglie's attitude in handling the incident of the Nalan family assassinating him.

If it were the same Wanyan Honglie who had given up the fight for the throne, and someone were to assassinate Yang Kang, given his deep love for his son, it would definitely have stirred up a hornet's nest.

If a prince doesn't care about the throne, as long as he doesn't betray the country, he'll dare to fight anyone. If the Lan clan sends someone to assassinate Yang Kang, then bloodshed is inevitable.

However, when he decided to seize the throne, immediately unite with the Nalan clan, and seek to leverage their power, Wanyan Honglie chose to tolerate their assassination attempt on Yang Kang.

He would certainly send the bodies of the five assassins back to the Nalan clan to express his dissatisfaction, but he would not take any revenge. At the same time, because he was leaving Daxing City for several months and was worried about Yang Kang's safety, he chose to take Yang Kang with him.

While this was certainly for Yang Kang's safety, in Yang Kang's view, it was also a compromise by Wanyan Honglie for the sake of power, the weakest and most incompetent escape.

Everyone could understand, but Yang Kang alone understood but would never accept it, because it meant that his son was not that important to Wanyan Honglie.

From the day he set off with the mission, Yang Kang, in a fit of anger, no longer wanted to pretend to be Wanyan Honglie's dutiful son. He remained silent all day, his face grim, and he resolutely refused to ride in the same carriage as Wanyan Honglie, insisting on squeezing into Wu Chengyu's carriage, thus delaying many of Wu Chengyu's good deeds.

The mission had been on the road for over a month and was about to enter the outer reaches of the Mongolian steppe. After traveling all day, the men and horses were exhausted. As night fell, with no village or shop in sight, the mission had no choice but to set up camp by the roadside.

All the miscellaneous tasks were handled by the servants who followed him. Wu Chengyu brought two beautiful maids with him on the journey. They were both slightly plump and had fair skin, which made them feel the best to touch. Now these two beautiful maids were also busy.

Wu Chengyu and Yang Kang did not get off the carriage. There were no outsiders around. Wu Chengyu turned to Yang Kang and said.

"Alright, you have to have your own attitude when you encounter this kind of thing. You have to express your anger when necessary. If you act indifferent at the time, it will only make people think that you are too hypocritical and too scheming."

But all along, even with your sour face, Prince Zhao has still insisted on showing concern and care, and hasn't gotten angry no matter how much you throw a tantrum. So much time has passed; your anger should have subsided by now. You must continue to be Prince Zhao's most trusted and beloved son.

Yang Kang breathed a sigh of relief. He and Wu Chengyu had reached a tacit understanding, and he always believed that Wu Chengyu had been helping him because of his biological father, Yang Tiexin.

In addition, Wu Chengyu truly taught him profound martial arts. With Wu Chengyu's protection, Yang Kang's cultivation of the Innate Skill progressed rapidly in the past few days. Without even having to fight anyone, Yang Kang knew that his martial arts were far superior to what they used to be.

Furthermore, when the assassins from the Nalan clan tried to kill him, it was Wu Chengyu who intervened in time to save him. At this point, Yang Kang had complete trust in Wu Chengyu.

"Master, I understand. I will find a way to save face for Father later. Don't worry, Kang'er may not be good at anything else, but pleasing parents is what I've been good at since I was little."

By the time the bright moon was high in the sky, the entire delegation had set up their positions. The outermost perimeter was surrounded by wagons carrying supplies, with all the cavalrymen living together in the wagons to maintain a defensive formation.

In the enclosed central area, there were more than a dozen tents of various sizes. Apart from the few people with the surname Wanyan, those who could stay there were all officials of the delegation with some status. Of course, Wu Chengyu also managed to get into one. It was just right for the three of them to sleep.

It wasn't time to rest yet. In front of the two largest tents, there was an open space with several campfires lit. A cook had slaughtered a sheep and was carefully roasting it over the fire. Wanyan Hongxi and Wanyan Honglie were also sitting by the fire.

Just as he himself said, Yang Kang's slightest act of kindness immediately delighted Wanyan Honglie. At this moment, Wanyan Honglie was sitting with Yang Kang, holding his hand tightly and not letting go, and comforting him in various ways. Yang Kang responded obediently, and it was still a scene of fatherly love and filial piety.

Wu Chengyu sat behind Wanyan Honglie, watching Yang Kang, this young and cunning fellow, put on his show, inwardly grumbling. Meanwhile, the Third Prince, Wanyan Hongxi, sitting nearby, observed coldly for a long time before finally unable to hold back any longer.

"Alright, Sixth Brother, you're the one who spoils the kids the most among us brothers. A father should have authority. Look at the way you're behaving."

We're about to enter the Mongolian steppe, and soon we'll be dealing with those Mongolian savages again. Just thinking about those smelly savages makes me uncomfortable. My brother and I should discuss our plans for the future."

Wanyan Honglie immediately turned his attention away from Yang Kang, his face becoming serious.

"What Third Brother said is true. It has been several years since the last time you and I went to the Mongolian grasslands. According to the reports from the informants I planted among the Mongolians."

When we first met Temujin, his forces were quite strong, but not the strongest. He had to rely on Wang Khan for protection and recognized Wang Khan as his adoptive father. Apart from Wang Khan being slightly stronger than him, his Andajam was also comparable in strength.

However, over the years, Temujin has annexed many tribes, and his strength has expanded rapidly. He is no longer the same as before. His strength has already surpassed Wang Khan and even Jamukha.

Back when you and I went to Mongolia to bestow official titles upon them, we appointed Temujin and Wang Khan as Ja'udhuri, deliberately omitting Jamukha. Jamukha showed no outward expression at the time, but he must have been resentful. Now, suppressed by Temujin's power, he must be unable to contain himself any longer.”

Wanyan Hongxi laughed loudly: "You planted the nails well back then. When you appointed them to official positions, you first promoted Temujin to the same rank as Wang Khan. Wang Khan was old, but his son Sangkun was not happy. Sangkun had a long-standing grudge against Temujin and was a good-for-nothing, impulsive and arrogant."

Then Temujin was given a slight advantage over Jamukha, causing Jamukha to harbor resentment towards Temujin.

Over the past few years, Temujin's strength has expanded rapidly, and Sangkun and Jamukha must have been threatened, now on the verge of having no choice but to fight.

If we go there this time, as long as we provoke them a little, Sangkun and Jamukha will surely join forces to fight Temujin. Once this war breaks out, these barbarian tribes of Mongolia will suffer heavy losses and will never again be a threat to our Great Jin.

Sixth Brother, you're usually a bit indecisive, which I don't think much of, but when it comes to scheming and plotting, you're definitely a master. It's only today that I've figured out all your plans.

Three words popped into Wu Chengyu's mind: "Two peaches kill three warriors." This Zhawuhuli was actually called the vanguard commander, which was just a nominal position. However, at that time, Mongolia was still under the jurisdiction of the Jin Dynasty. Being able to receive an official position from the Jin Dynasty meant that it represented its legitimacy.

Wanyan Honglie played a brilliant move, putting Temujin, his son, on par with his adoptive father, who was more powerful than him, while this adoptive father had a biological son who was dissatisfied with Temujin.

There was also Jamukha, who was mentioned alongside Temujin, but he held no official position, which directly caused the two sworn brothers to be outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds.

Under these circumstances, Temujin's power expanded rapidly. The Mongolian steppe was only so big, and those small tribes had already been annexed. At present, apart from annexing the forces of Wang Khan and Jamukha, Temujin had nowhere left to advance.

Wang Han and Jamukha were well aware that, in order not to sit idly by and wait for their demise, they would inevitably join forces and fight Temujin to the death. Coupled with Wanyan Honglie's previous instigation, there was no possibility of cooperation between the two sides.

Just as history has shown, Temujin quickly defeated Wang Khan and Jamukha, unified the Mongolian steppe, and within a few years, he led his troops out of the steppe, directly shaking the rule of the Jin Dynasty, and eventually joined forces with the Song Dynasty to destroy the Jin Dynasty.

In terms of hatred for the Jin Dynasty, the Mongols were no less than the Southern Song Dynasty. For many years, the Jin Dynasty implemented a population reduction policy in Mongolia, eliminating many small tribes. This is how Temujin's father was killed by the Jin Dynasty.

It is now the dawn before the rise of the Mongols, and at the same time, the beginning of the Jin Dynasty's descent into darkness.

Wanyan Hongxi and Wanyan Honglie discussed strategies for entering Mongolia, and then both of them laughed heartily, feeling quite pleased with themselves.

After Wanyan Hongxi finished laughing, he squinted at Wanyan Honglie and said, "The strategy to resist the Mongols was all planned by Sixth Brother. He has been secretly promoting it for many years, and it is time to reap the rewards. This is a great achievement, and Father will surely reward Sixth Brother handsomely."

Wanyan Honglie shook his head and said, "Third Brother also contributed a lot, so he deserves a share of the credit."

The atmosphere in the arena was very heated, but Wu Chengyu suddenly felt a chill. Just as Wanyan Hongxi was saying that he had accomplished a great feat and was squinting his eyes, Wu Chengyu sensed killing intent from him. He looked around and found that there were quite a few people around him who also had killing intent.

Just as Wu Chengyu was pondering, he suddenly heard Wanyan Hongxi call his name.

"This must be Mr. Tian Boguang, whom my sixth brother recently recruited. My servant was rude and missed out on Mr. Tian, ​​so I sent him to feed the dogs."

I've heard that Mr. Tian is a so-called top master. I don't know martial arts, so I don't know how powerful a top master really is.

We'll be camping here tonight. I wonder if Mr. Tian would be so kind as to demonstrate his skills to me?

(End of this chapter)