A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 251 The Liao Kingdom's Invitation, Unyielding Will

"Wanyan Zonghan?"

In the main hall of Liangshan, Guan Luoyang met the group of people who claimed to be the Liao Kingdom's delegation. After the leader introduced himself, Guan Luoyang's expression became rather subtle as he carefully examined him.

This general, who in some time and space would be a powerful figure, leading his troops to conquer cities and killing countless people under his long spear and iron hooves, now appears as an envoy of the Liao Kingdom.

Although his clothes and accessories were all of the highest quality, his brows and eyes were furrowed, and there was a hint of resentment in his eyes and brows. It was clear that he had been living a very unhappy life since the Wanyan family was destroyed.

"Oh!"

Guan Luoyang sat in the main seat and unconsciously smiled. His gaze swept over the bright jewels and jades presented by the Liao envoys, and he said, "As the saying goes, when you give a gift, you must have something in mind. You have sent such rare and valuable treasures. What does the Liao Kingdom want from me?"

Wanyan Zonghan chuckled softly, "Chief, you jest. Our Liao Kingdom is a vast country with thousands of mountains and rivers, and countless treasures. Anything that catches the eye of our Liao Emperor can have as many as we want."

"We only brought these small gifts to show our respect as we wish to travel around Liangshan."

Guan Luoyang cleared his throat and said, "That sounds nice, but everyone in Liangshan has their own things to do and doesn't have much time for your empty talk. I'll ask you one more time, don't you really have anything important to say?"

Wanyan Zonghan felt a little uneasy. This leader of Liangshan had his likes and dislikes written all over his face, and he was in the prime of his life, so his attitude towards the Liao Kingdom was very unfriendly.

However, upon further reflection, he realized that the Song and Liao dynasties had been enemies for a long time, so such animosity was normal. But Liangshan had been able to reach its current scale because both ambition and strategy were indispensable. As long as Chen Ming was capable, the entire leadership of Liangshan would be able to discern which approach was most advantageous to them.

Upon thinking of this, Wanyan Zonghan cupped his hands and said, "Although I am not talented, we have come on behalf of the Liao Kingdom. We have an important matter to discuss with Liangshan. I would like to ask the chief to gather the strategists and generals to listen together."

"It's nothing more than the Liao Kingdom wanting to form an alliance with Liangshan. Why are they being so evasive and mysterious?"

Before they arrived, their voices preceded them. Li Kaixian walked in from outside the hall, followed by Lu Da and Lin Chong.

When they heard that an envoy from the Liao Kingdom had arrived, they came over out of curiosity and happened to overhear what the envoy was saying.

They bowed to Guan Luoyang, who casually waved his hand and said, "Strategist, now that you're here, why don't you have a word with this envoy?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Li Kaixian was the most courteous, and when he turned to face Wanyan Zonghan, he still had a smile on his face, but the words he uttered were not so polite.

"The Song Dynasty's border troops are like an iron wall, firmly suppressing the Liao Kingdom and keeping it outside the borders. It must have been quite difficult for this group of envoys to sneak across. So why should the Liao Dynasty offer us any rewards or favors?"

Wanyan Zonghan was about to speak.

Li Kaixian interjected, "What do you mean by a vast country with countless treasures? Don't try to fool people with that. I've heard that the Liao Kingdom is in constant turmoil and hasn't been pacified for long. Let's not even talk about the size of their army; just consider the generals leading those troops. I'm afraid they might not even be as numerous as the troops under our chieftain's command."

This so-called delegation was originally dispatched from the Liao Kingdom's border army. Upon hearing Li Kaixian's extremely contemptuous words, all the Liao envoys immediately showed anger, and some couldn't help but put their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Lu Da suddenly turned his head and glared at the man. The Liao envoy trembled all over, as if a ghost or bodhisattva whose shape he could not discern had suddenly come close to his nose. He was so frightened that he took two steps back.

Wanyan Zonghan's eyebrows shot up, and he said in a resounding voice, "Our Liao Kingdom has countless generals and fierce warriors; how could outsiders possibly know them all?"

"There are rising stars in the court, such as General Aliqi of Dongxian and Song Mingyu. There are also imperial relatives, such as Yelü Dezhong, the younger brother of the current emperor of Liao. His family has four sons, Zongyun, Zonglei, Zongdian and Zonglin, all of whom are skilled in both literature and military strategy, capable of calming the hearts of the army and brave warriors who can charge into battle."

"There are also General Bao Misheng, Tianshan Yong, and others, who are half monks and half laymen. They have received the supreme and profound Buddhist teachings of Vajra Fu Neng Sheng and Ming Wang Kundali. Whenever they perform rituals on the battlefield, they can take the initiative and prevent all evil from invading."

"There is another one who must be mentioned, namely Wuyan Guang, the current Southern King of Liao and the commander-in-chief of the border army. This commander-in-chief is proficient in the formations of all schools of thought and has read extensively on Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Mohism, military strategy, and Yin-Yang theory. A few years ago, after fighting three bitter battles with Han Shizhong, he was trapped in a desperate situation. However, he had a great enlightenment and made rapid progress. He was reborn and every move he made was brave enough to be defeated by ten thousand men."

Wanyan Zonghan turned to look at Guan Luoyang, "To be honest, Chief. A few hours ago, when you were fighting those Song soldiers, we were watching from the sidelines. You were indeed incredibly powerful and a leader among men, but if we were to compare you with our commander's current abilities, I'm afraid you would be slightly inferior."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Li Jun walked into the Hall of Righteousness laughing loudly, bursting into laughter, "Chief, I just saw a few old oxen flying in the sky outside. How funny, how really funny!"

Li Kaixian laughed and said, "It's certainly strange that an old ox can fly, but what's so funny about that?"

Li Jun shook his head and said, "Being able to fly isn't a big deal, but when I tried to rescue them, the old ox shook its head at me and refused to come down."

"I asked it why, and it said that someone had such a big breath that it blew it into the sky. This person not only had a big breath, but also smelled terrible. It would rather float in the sky than be away from that person and get covered in the stench."

Wanyan Zonghan said in a deep voice, "Commander Li!"

"Oh my, General Wanyan is here! It's been a long time."

Li Jun turned his head and said in surprise, "The last time we met was when that transformed King Wuyan Guang thought he had made great progress and dared to challenge General Han on the border river with only a few small boats. As a result, he was defeated and forced to retreat back to Liao Kingdom."

Wanyan Zonghan sneered, "The two generals are evenly matched. As for Commander Li, I beat you so badly that your bones were broken. I haven't seen you in the army since. I thought you had died of illness."

Li Jun did not continue to get angry as he expected; instead, he smiled and remained silent.

Guan Luoyang's voice slowly came over: "Li Jun, was this the person who injured you back then?"

Wanyan Zonghan was startled and quickly said, "Chief, Liangshan is currently at the height of its power, but you must know that the tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind. Not to mention the troops in various parts of the Song Kingdom, there are still 300,000 elite troops on the border alone, including 80,000 cavalry and 70,000 naval troops."

"Once the Song emperor makes up his mind, the border troops will set off at sunrise and arrive at Liangshan at sunset. With the addition of the imperial guards and other troops, they probably won't give the chieftain any chance to scheme. The only one in the world who can help Liangshan is our Great Liao."

Guan Luoyang asked Li Jun calmly, "How badly were you injured back then?"

Li Jun respectfully said, "Three ribs on my right side are broken, my right arm is congested with blood and I can't move it, and most importantly, my heart meridian is damaged. I often feel chest tightness and can't muster any energy."

Guan Luoyang nodded.

Wanyan Zonghan said, "You..."

call!!!!

Guan Luoyang exhaled a breath of green mist, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the hall.

Wanyan Zonghan had no time to dodge and was struck by the azure energy. He was sent flying backward and suspended in mid-air, every bone and tendon in his body trembling.

clack clack...

After a series of cracking sounds came from his body and the surrounding azure energy dissipated, he fell to the ground, clutching his chest and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Three ribs on the right side are broken, the right arm is swollen, and the heart meridian is damaged. The injuries are almost identical, without any difference.

Despite the humiliation, Wanyan Zonghan managed to stand up with the help of the Liao soldiers on his left and right, and felt a sense of peace in his heart.

Since Guan Luoyang didn't kill him directly, it proves that his words had actually had an effect, and the alliance between Liangshan and Liao was not entirely hopeless.

"good!"

With blood and foam at his mouth, Wanyan Zonghan laughed and said, "It was my fault for being impolite. I once injured a key general of Liangshan. How can I make up for it with just a few precious jewels?"

He broke free from the support of the two people beside him, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Guan Luoyang, and said, "The chief cherishes his soldiers like his own brothers, which is enough to move even ghosts and gods and make them praise his benevolence. Since that is the case, I suppose the chief would not want to see them make a painful sacrifice in the future battles with the border troops."

"If we form an alliance with the Liao Dynasty, the coordinated deployment of our forces will surely minimize casualties on both sides."

Wanyan Zonghan felt a pain in his chest, gasped for breath, and before he could catch his breath, he hurriedly said the rest of the sentence.

"Our Liao Kingdom only needs to defeat Han Shizhong's border troops, which is the biggest threat. We can leave the Song Kingdom's territory untouched. This vast territory will be under the control of the Liangshan leaders from now on."

After listening to him, Guan Luoyang nodded slightly and said, "I did want to reduce unnecessary casualties, so from beginning to end, I never intended to give the border troops a chance to come back and fight me."

The expressions of the many Liangshan generals in the hall changed slightly, and they all fell silent.

After spending time together, they instinctively felt that Guan Luoyang was definitely not the kind of person who would collude with foreign tribes.

However, the border troops' problem is indeed very troublesome and almost unsolvable. Given Emperor Tianming's style, he will definitely recall the border troops to attack Liangshan.

Based on Li Jun and others' understanding of Han Shizhong, that dignified, solemn, and unsmiling general was probably somewhat blindly loyal. No matter how difficult it was, he would not betray the Emperor who had shown him favor at such a time.

"So, are we just going to feign compliance with the Liao Kingdom for now?"

Thinking this, Li Kaixian felt a surge of resentment. "Damn it, we just won a great victory, so why is it that the cruel and ruthless Emperor of Heaven has managed to accumulate such immense power?"

"If Heaven is unjust, will the Liangshan rebels, who act on behalf of Heaven, ultimately bear this stain...?"

"So I made a decision."

Guan Luoyang chuckled softly and said, "I'll hand you over to Han Shizhong."

Wanyan Zonghan burst into laughter: "Hahahaha, Chieftain's joke is not funny at all. What's the point of handing us over to Han Shizhong? Doesn't Han Shizhong know that our Great Liao is always looking to breach the border and take his head?"

"Of course he knows! But the Song emperor hasn't ordered war, so he can't send troops to Liao on his own initiative. If the chieftain doesn't know him well enough, he can ask this Commander Li."

Li Jun's expression was gloomy. He narrowed his eyes, and when he glanced at Wanyan Zonghan out of the corner of his eye, there was already a hint of unbearable killing intent in his eyes.

"That expression says it all, doesn't it?"

Despite being suffering from tuberculosis and other injuries, Wanyan Zonghan was in high spirits, convinced that Guan Luoyang was merely making empty threats, and was trying to gain more advantages for the upcoming alliance.

As for himself, he was a master strategist, only needing to add the final straw before his smile vanished, and he spoke with utmost sincerity, "Chief, if we are truly sent there, for Han Shizhong, it will merely be a reiteration of what he already knew. But for Liangshan, it will mean losing our only chance to avoid a bloody battle and achieve a great victory."

That's all I have to say.

Inside the main hall of Liangshan, all was silent except for Wanyan Zonghan's heavy breathing.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, then looked up at Guan Luoyang again, his eyes revealing a barely perceptible fierce confidence.

The people of the Song Dynasty have always been weak and easily tempted by profit, not because they were born easily swayed, but because of the overall social atmosphere.

Since their Emperor Taizong, the more powerful the Song people were, the more they were influenced by self-interest, and the more they talked about lofty ideals that they themselves would never practice.

Even the Liao Dynasty, after learning from the Song Dynasty's customs, became like that.

Individuals can hardly resist the influence of the general trend. These rebels also grew up in the State of Song. They are not obvious in normal times, but since they have already seized power, they will eventually reveal their true nature when it comes to a critical moment.

Only Wanyan...

A mixture of pride and pain flashed through Wanyan Zonghan's mind. Only the people of the Wanyan Jurchen tribe were like hearts made of gold, capable of making clear decisions and grasping both interests and dignity.

Therefore, even if Wanyan is the only one left, he will eventually stir up the world's affairs, successfully take revenge, and stand on top of everyone.

"He truly lives up to his reputation as Wanyan Zonghan. Even after surrendering to the Liao Kingdom, he still retains some of the qualities of a ruthless and ambitious hero, with a heart set on conquering the country and scheming against its enemies."

Guan Luoyang rose from the chief's chair, walked down the several steps made of earth and wood, and walked to the center of the hall, heading towards Wanyan Zonghan.

Wanyan Zonghan was panting, but a smile had already appeared on his lips. He watched as the person got closer and closer, waiting for Guan Luoyang to support him and hold his hand.

Guan Luoyang's pace was neither fast nor slow, and soon he was only inches away from Wanyan Zonghan, and then... they passed each other.

"I think I already explained how to deal with these people, Lu Da. Your reactions today are a bit slow."

Lu Da's spirits lifted, and he strode forward, grabbing Wanyan Zonghan by the neck with a slap.

Lin Chong, Li Jun, and the others reacted quickly and took action, capturing the remaining Liao envoys.

Wanyan Zonghan was completely bewildered and turned his head in disbelief, wanting to follow Guan Luoyang's figure, only to see Lu Da grinning and grabbing a large wad of strange-smelling cloth from somewhere, stuffing it into his mouth.

On the other side, Guan Luoyang had already walked out of the Hall of Gathering Righteousness and stretched.

Given the current situation, simply sending a few Liao envoys over is unlikely to make Han Shizhong abandon his allegiance and focus on targeting foreign enemies.

However, by the time these messengers arrived at Han Shizhong's tent, the situation was already quite different.

Shala la la...

The wind rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees, making them flutter like green butterflies, seemingly about to take flight from the branches.

Guan Luoyang breathed in the air with a relaxed air. The morning sunlight was wonderful, filtering through the trees on the mountain and casting dappled shadows on him.

With a flick of his wrist, a small object resembling a Rubik's Cube appeared in his palm.

With what I've learned and accumulated so far, it's time to meet myself ten years from now.

(End of this chapter)