Trois canards mandarins et une paire et demie

Chapitre 25

Hearing Zhao Kuangyin's words, Xiaoxuan felt as if her heart was on fire. Looking at Yanyu, who was still standing there sulking, she couldn't help but shout angrily in a low voice, "What are you still standing here for? Hurry up and write a letter to Jinyang City to report the emergency. The sooner you speak, the sooner someone can make preparations, and you might be able to survive. Don't you understand? Then go and ask for reinforcements. Maybe it will make a difference."

Upon hearing this, Yan Yu walked to the table, picked up a pen, and began to write furiously.

"Jinyang City is already surrounded by my Song army on all sides. Even if your friend could shoot a letter into Jinyang City to inform the people of my plan, how could he possibly break through my army and rush to Xijing to deliver the message? What a joke! Does your friend have wings?"

Xiao Xuan was taken aback upon hearing this, then turned to Zhao Kuangyin and said, "Uncle, thank you for reminding me, I'm sorry!" After saying that, she walked to Zhao Kuangyin, took off his jade belt, and handed it to Liu Yanyu along with her own large pearl necklace, saying, "This is all I can do for you. Once we leave this tent, everything will depend on you."

"Xiao Chuo..." Yan Yu looked at Xiao Xuan and softly called out her name, but felt as if something was blocking her throat.

"Xiao Chuo, this boy has accused you time and time again. Where is the affection between friends in his words? Although I and Hua Rui have only met you once, we have treated you with courtesy and even given you treasures. Is this affection in your heart less important than this boy's cold-heartedness?"

“Uncle! If I hadn’t met him, and instead met you, then no matter what, I would want to help you, the hero in my heart, take Jinyang City. But I met Yanyu first, how can I forget all the feelings I had for him just to appease or flatter you, Uncle? I can’t do it. My heart reminds me that I have a good friend in Jinyang City, a friend who also wants to become a hero, and I can’t forget him.”

With his head down, listening to Xiaoxuan's words, Yanyu's hand holding the letter trembled slightly.

"Even if he brings reinforcements, are you confident that your Khitans can win?"

"As long as Liao is willing to send troops, I guarantee we will win."

"What a joke! I'd like to ask you, what do you Khitans have to defeat my Great Song's encirclement from all sides?"

Xiao Xuan looked at Zhao Kuangyin, smiled slightly, and pointed to the Song army camp, saying, "Uncle, you have a military tent, but what about those soldiers? It's been raining non-stop for days. You have a military tent set up for you to rest, but what about the other soldiers? They're soaked in the rain all day long, and with their homesickness, how many of them have fallen ill? Have you noticed?"

Zhao Kuangyin was startled upon hearing this. For the past few days, the army physician had frequently mentioned the soldiers falling ill, but he had been preoccupied with the prolonged siege of Jinyang and dismissed the physician as meddling and making a fuss, dismissing him as irresponsible. Now, hearing Xiao Xuan's words, he felt a growing sense of panic. Xiao Xuan's voice echoed in his ears, "The day I was captured by your Song army, I noticed soldiers were sick in the camp. Riding here to your tent, I found that the number of sick soldiers had only increased. It seems some have contracted typhoid fever, and without timely treatment and control, the disease has spread rapidly. If other armies were to come to our aid, even with your large Song army, they would be weak and exhausted, and coupled with the homesickness after a prolonged siege, the outcome of this battle is truly uncertain."

Upon hearing Xiao Xuan's words, Yan Yu quickly took the jade belt and pearls from her hands and said to Xiao Xuan, "I'll go right now." Then he strode out, paused briefly at the tent entrance, turned to look at Xiao Xuan, and instructed her, "You must live." After saying that, he walked out of the tent without further hesitation.

Watching Liu Yanyu leave, Zhao Kuangyin asked in a deep voice, "Do you think he can deceive the soldiers of my Great Song Dynasty?"

"He can't be fooled, but he can be fooled by the belt in his hand."

Zhao Kuangyin smiled upon hearing this and said, "A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan! Indeed! If I hadn't agreed to let you go to Jinyang City that day, how could we have encountered this trouble today! It's truly a case of a woman's kindness ruining a great undertaking." He then sneered and said, "Even if that brat can deceive my soldiers and reach Xijing, do you think Jinyang City would belong to the Zhao family or the Liu family before he brings reinforcements?"

Xiao Xuan lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then said, "Uncle, the most important thing for an emperor is to love his people like his own children. The most important thing for a general is also to love his soldiers like his own children. If you don't cherish your soldiers, then they will fall and die one by one. Who will fight for you and risk their lives for you in the future? Are you so eager to take Jinyang City that you don't care about the lives of your own soldiers?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin remained silent. Han Zhifan, who had been holding a knife to Zhao Kuangyin's neck, was already drenched in cold sweat.

Fearing that something might happen to him and ruin everything, Xiao Xuan found some strips of cloth and rope in the military tent and tied Zhao Kuangyin up tightly.

"Unless you kill me, neither of you can escape," Zhao Kuangyin said coldly.

“We will not kill you. The reason I had Lord Han point his knife at you is because I know you are a military emperor. Although my hairpin is pressed against your temple, I have not practiced any martial arts, and the hairpin is not very powerful. If I make a mistake, you will surely capture me. That is why I had Lord Han do this to you. Tying you up now has no other purpose. As long as you agree to withdraw your troops, I will release you.”

"What if I don't agree?"

"Then I'll wait for reinforcements to arrive before we talk about it."

"What if there's no reinforcements?" Zhao Kuangyin asked Xiaoxuan again.

"Then I'll take a gamble. I'll use you as a hostage to force your Song army to withdraw from Han territory."

"Hahaha, so you're a gambler too!" Zhao Kuangyin laughed. Looking at Xiao Xuan, he pondered for a moment and said, "It seems you've made up your mind to help this Han person. I refuse to believe that Heaven will help you but not me. Fine, I'll take the gamble. If Jinyang City doesn't surrender within three days of the dike breach tonight, then I will withdraw my troops."

No one is a fool, and Zhao Kuangyin is no fool either. If flooding Jinyang City fails to force surrender, then the situation three days from now is truly unpredictable. Originally, flooding Jinyang City had a very high chance of success, but now a mishap has occurred halfway through—the young man who went to fetch reinforcements has run away—making the timeline much more urgent. If surrender cannot be forced within three days, the Khitan army will likely arrive, and with so many sick and weak soldiers in the army, as Xiao Chuo said, the outcome will be difficult to predict.

Each of the three was preoccupied with their own thoughts, and they remained silent in the military tent.

Time passed slowly, and Xiao Xuan and Han Zhifan watched Zhao Kuangyin intently, not daring to be careless in the slightest. Zhao Kuangyin was, after all, a founding emperor, and his courage was beyond the reach of ordinary people. He was determined to gamble with Xiao Chuo, so he had no intention of escaping at all. Judging that the sun was setting outside the tent and night had fallen, a smug smile appeared on Zhao Kuangyin's face.

With a deafening roar, Xiao Xuan and Han Zhifan were so startled that the hairs on their bodies stood on end. What was that sound? The dam had burst!

"Keep an eye on him!" Xiao Xuan shouted to Han Zhifan, then rushed to the tent entrance and lifted the curtain. In the darkness, a giant silver dragon charged towards Jinyang City. Xiao Xuan stared in disbelief as the white dragon crashed into the vulnerable city of Jinyang.

The wind was cold. Xiao Xuan stood outside the tent, the night wind blowing past her ears seemingly carrying the shouts from Jinyang City. How many more people would die this time? The soldiers could hide or run away, but what about the helpless children? What about the poor people? Even if they knew the news, could they escape this catastrophe?

Looking down at the ground beneath her feet, the word "hero" gradually blurred in Xiaoxuan's mind. No matter what kind of war it is, no matter who the enemy is, as long as there is war, there will be innocent lives sacrificed. On this battlefield, perhaps there are no heroes at all. The heroes on the battlefield all have the blood of innocent people on their hands. They once existed in her heart, but at this moment, they vanished into thin air along with the rolling dragon.

Turning and entering the tent, Xiao Xuan looked at Zhao Kuangyin and said, "Uncle, perhaps it was a mistake for us to meet. If we hadn't met, you might have always been the hero I admired. But from this moment on, you are no longer the hero in my heart."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin gave a wry smile.

What followed were three long days, and heaven knows how unbearable those three days were.

Inside Zhao Kuangyin's tent, the three were engaged in a psychological battle of unimaginable tension. Xiao Xuan remained silent, her gaze shifting unpredictably, leaving you unable to decipher her thoughts.

Military intelligence reports were constantly being relayed to Zhao Kuangyin outside the tent. The southern side of Jinyang City had been breached by floodwaters, which had inundated the city. However, before the waters had receded and before the Song army could take any action, the people of Jinyang had already blocked the floodgates with debris and erected various obstacles along the collapsed city walls to prevent an attack. The situation was critical; morale in the Han court was low, and Chancellor Guo Wuwei attempted to surrender to the Song, but was beheaded by Liu Jiyuan. Liu Jiyuan declared his determination to live and die with Jinyang City.

Ever since witnessing the flooding of Jinyang, Xiao Xuan harbored a deep resentment. Whenever military intelligence was reported outside the tent, she would personally hold a knife to Zhao Kuangyin's throat. Han Zhifan, knowing their predicament, adopted a "I'd rather die than live" attitude. Only Zhao Kuangyin listened to the soldiers' reports outside the tent, secretly calculating his options. Although a steel knife was at his throat, preventing him from acting according to his own will, military campaigns were commonplace for him. Inside the tent, listening to the reports, he had a general understanding of the current situation.

"Three days have passed. I lost the bet, I'm leaving." Zhao Kuangyin said at noon on the fourth day.

Empress of Khitan - Empress Dowager of Khitan Chapter 47 Rumors

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:54:05 Word Count: 4225

Three days later, upon hearing the latest military intelligence that the Khitan reinforcements had left Xijing and were heading straight for Jinyang, Zhao Kuangyin made a decisive decision.

"Uncle, how can I trust you?" Xiaoxuan coldly commanded.

Zhao Kuangyin smiled and shouted to the outside of the tent, "Someone, convey my decree: break camp and return to the capital." Taking advantage of the moment when Xiao Xuan and Han Zhifan were surprised as they told him they had admitted defeat, Zhao Kuangyin decisively issued the order to the outside of the tent.

"yes!"

When the news spread, the Song army was overjoyed to learn they could return to the capital. In this rainy weather, in this stalemate, no one wanted it to continue; their hearts were already yearning for home.

Looking at Xiao Xuan, who had no expression in front of him, Zhao Kuangyin said, "If you want to kill me, then do it."

“Killing you won’t bring back the orphans, widows, and children who died in Jinyang City. Have someone prepare a carriage outside the tent immediately,” Xiao Xuan said.

Zhao Kuangyin frowned and called out loudly, "Someone prepare a carriage for me and place it outside the tent."

"Lord Han, put a big cloak on him. The three of us will get into the carriage together in a bit." After saying that, Xiao Xuan searched the two guards who had died on the ground and found two small knives. She handed one to Han Zhifan and took one for herself, saying, "Uncle, you'd better behave yourself when you get in the carriage. If you do anything unusual, I'm afraid you might get hurt."

"I said, kill me if you want. Kill me and take what's on me, then you can just lie and say it was my decree and escape," Zhao Kuangyin said unhappily. "There's no need for all that trouble."

“I said I wouldn’t kill you, but we need to live too, we need to get out of here. Once we’re both safe, I’ll let you go,” Xiaoxuan said.

"Kill me, and your friends will be happy, and you Khitans will surely be overjoyed. Why don't you kill me?"

Xiao Xuan looked at the small knife in her hand and slowly said, "For Jingniang, for Huarui, for those legends. Whether I kill you or not, it won't change anything. Why should I let my hands be stained with the blood of a hero like you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin gave a wry smile and remained silent.

A moment later, a report came from outside the tent that the carriage was ready.

Xiao Xuan and Han Zhifan helped Zhao Kuangyin out of the tent and were about to get into the carriage. A general waiting outside noticed something amiss. Why were two Khitans helping His Majesty out, instead of Song people? Where were the palace attendants inside the Emperor's tent? And why hadn't they left the military tent for several days?

Thinking of this, he reached out and stopped the three men. He said, "His Majesty just ordered the entire army to break camp and return to the capital. The camps are in great turmoil, and news has come that the Khitans have entered Han territory. It is extremely dangerous to go out. I wonder where His Majesty is going?"

Unexpectedly, even with Zhao Kuangyin's order, the soldiers outside the tent still had so many things to do. Xiao Xuan and Han Zhifan, who were holding knives hidden under Zhao Kuangyin's arm, were somewhat flustered.

Taking the opportunity, Zhao Kuangyin surveyed the military camp. Looking around, he saw many soldiers, pale-faced and trembling. Xiao Chuo hadn't lied to him; the illness in the camp was indeed worsening.

"You and your troops should set off immediately. I will find a quiet place with two friends to chat for a while. By my decree, no one is to disturb us."

"yes!"

"Help me into the carriage," Zhao Kuangyin said.

Xiao Xuan and Han Zhifan helped Zhao Kuangyin into the carriage. Xiao Xuan also climbed into the carriage, while Han Zhifan replaced the driver and personally drove the carriage out of the camp.

The atmosphere in the carriage was oppressive; neither Xiao Xuan nor Zhao Kuangyin wanted to speak. They simply let Han Zhifan drive the carriage without stopping until the moon and stars appeared in the sky.

"Lord Han, stop the car!" Xiao Xuan called out.

Upon hearing this, Han Zhifan stopped the carriage. Xiao Xuan jumped down from the carriage and called out to the passenger compartment, "Uncle, get off the carriage."

Zhao Kuangyin, who was bound all over, was helped down from the carriage by Han Zhifan. Xiao Xuan approached him, took out a small knife she was carrying, and cut all the ropes binding Zhao Kuangyin. Then she instructed Han Zhifan, "Lord Han, give Uncle one of the horses pulling the carriage."

Han Zhifan frowned and said, "Your Highness, if we give him the horse, he will be much faster than the two of us. I'm afraid he will return to the Song camp, gather troops, and chase after us again."

“My Khitan troops have already set out, and the Song army is currently packing up. Do you think they will still have the time or interest to pursue us? Uncle is a veteran who has fought in many battles. He will think things through carefully. Give him the horse.”

Upon hearing this, Han Zhifan unloaded a horse that was pulling the carriage and handed it to Zhao Kuangyin.

"Xiao Chuo, I wonder if we will ever have the chance to meet again." Zhao Kuangyin said as he mounted his horse. "I am leaving now. Take care of yourself. If we are both alive and well, I will invite you to visit Luoxia Temple again in the future."

After uttering these words, Zhao Kuangyin rode off in a cloud of dust. Xiao Xuan, however, was filled with a thousand hesitations. He invited me to revisit Luoxia Temple someday... Zhao Kuangyin, who exactly are you?

The horses carried Zhao Kuangyin, kicking up dust as they galloped away. No one knew that this parting would be their last.

"Your Majesty, please get in the carriage." Han Zhifan watched Zhao Kuangyin's departing figure with unease and urged Xiaoxuan to get in. Xiaoxuan nodded and got into the carriage, and she and Han Zhifan rode towards Xijing.

The two endured hunger and thirst along the way without resting or stopping. When the carriage passed Xin County and was about to reach Dai County, they encountered Yelü Xian, who had gathered his troops from Xijing and was leading them there.

After days of heartache and exhaustion, Xiao Xuan longed to immediately snuggle into the arms of the gentle and considerate Yelü Xian and find a sweet, peaceful sleep. But when she emerged from the carriage under the blue sky and smiled at her husband, she was met with a face as cold as ice.

Seeing Xiaoxuan get off the train and stand steadily, Yelü Xian raised his riding whip and lashed it hard at her.

Hugh reacted quickly, leaping off his horse and lunging at Xiao Xuan, taking the whip's blow for her.

She never imagined that when she saw him again, he would greet her with a riding crop. Xiaoxuan's smile vanished, and tears streamed down her face instantly.

Liu Yanyu, who went to Xijing to ask for reinforcements, did not expect Yelü Xian to treat Xiaoxuan this way. He also jumped off his horse and stood next to Xiaoxuan, glaring angrily at Yelü Xian.

Seeing Yelü Xiuge blocking her way, Yelü Xian gritted her teeth and said fiercely, "Xiuge, get out of my way!"

Upon hearing this, Xiu frowned, ignoring the pain in his back, and stepped in front of Xiao Xuan, saying, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine's actions this time have their reasons, and we have not yet fully understood the truth of the matter. Please calm your anger."

Upon seeing this, Han Zhifan hurriedly knelt down and said, "I don't know what wrong the Imperial Concubine has done to anger His Majesty so much. Please forgive her, Your Majesty, considering her young age."

Yelü Xian remained silent on his horse. Gao Xun and Nüli, however, sneered and said, "What are you still saying? She's been captured by the Song people and taken to their barracks. What good can come of her? Do you expect her to be like she was when she first left Xijing?"

"Shut up! Nonsense!" Han Zhifan, kneeling on the ground, shouted angrily without raising his head: "Although the Empress was abducted, she remained pure and virtuous. The Song emperor was not so shameless as to have any designs on the Empress."

"You're talking nonsense!" Liu Yanyu pointed his spear at Gao Xun and cursed, "Which of your dog eyes saw what anyone did to her?"

“You little thief, how dare you insult your grandfather? If your Han Dynasty were so capable, would you need to come to my Great Liao to ask for help? In the eyes of my Khitan people, you Han Dynasty people are nothing but weeds, yet you dare to be so arrogant.”

"You!" Yan Yu wanted to curse but couldn't. He was still waiting for these so-called reinforcements to relieve the crisis in Jinyang.

A surge of anger welled up within her. Xiao Xuan finally understood what they were talking about and the source of his rage. Gently pushing Yelü Xiuge away, Xiao Xuan stared at Yelü Xian with wide, fearless eyes.

Touching her lower abdomen, Xiao Xuan said coldly, "Yelü Xian, hit here. If you're going to hit me, then please do it quickly and take your child out of me."