A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 466 Nonsense and Unreasonable

Although Liu Congde's words were harsh, Wang Yufeng still agreed with them.

After all, in his eyes, Song Zhuangyuan was a formidable figure who had fought his way up from the imperial examinations, and his intelligence was far beyond that of ordinary people.

With a mind like mine, I certainly can't fathom why people do these things.
Lu Demao was even more puzzled when he saw Xiao Hui come out of the room, looking like a completely different person.

He found it unbelievable ever since he heard the news.

The sudden fire last night was unusual, and today's incident is even more unusual.

Lü Demao could only look to Yelü Gou'er beside him, hoping that he could give him some answers.

But Yelü Gou'er was equally clueless and couldn't figure out what the Prince of Yan was up to.

Song Xuan then sent Liu Ping and his men to infiltrate the Khitan ranks and observe how they commanded their cavalry.

Although Liu Ping had some doubts, he readily agreed.

Xiao Cishi was also stunned for a moment. He did not expect his father to come out with a big smile on his face and even invite him to come down and get to know Song Xuan.

Although I didn't understand, I still did it.

Song Xuan looked at the many cavalrymen, all of whom were riding two horses.

The armor had to be placed on a cart drawn by a slow horse; even with this kind of setup, the Song Dynasty couldn't afford it.

Xiao Hui led Song Xuan on horseback and explained that heavy cavalry would be equipped with three horses, with the armor placed on another horse, and they would take turns riding it.

To avoid being blocked by someone and unable to create an effective distance before putting on armor.

When an army is traveling, large numbers of soldiers don't wear armor because they're exhausted from walking.

Under Xiao Hui's guidance, Song Xuan focused on observing the Khitan heavy cavalry, whom he had only seen in movies and TV dramas.

To be fair, the horse's lips, hooves, and eyes were not covered, and the entire warhorse except for its hindquarters was encased in iron armor.

Even if it's an armored warrior, if his archery skills aren't good, he can only stab the shoes, or he can use a heavy hammer to break through the armor to cause damage.

The soldiers wore iron helmets, which included neck guards to protect their faces.

Stabbing and slashing techniques are really ineffective.

Trying to ambush their weak points from behind would likely not yield any chance of surviving their first attack.

"This is the Iron Forest Army?"

Xiao Hui said with a hint of pride, "Not bad."

"I'll have the chance to witness their power firsthand."

Song Xuan had never seen an army in the Song Dynasty that wrapped up its warhorses; such an army was extremely rare.

The main weapon of the Khitan heavy cavalry was the spear, and their secondary weapons were armor-piercing weapons such as maces, iron whips, and iron pincers.

After the group made contact and set off, Song Xuan instructed them to focus on learning the strengths of the Khitan cavalry and not to be arrogant or complacent.

“Song Zhuangyuan, in my opinion, the weaknesses of your Song Dynasty’s cavalry are too obvious.”

Seeing that Song Xuan really didn't intend to issue any orders, but only ordered the escort of the treasure, Xiao Hui also showed interest in having a conversation.

After all, Song Xuan was the first person to be able to figure out the unspoken political rule that if the emperor lost first, the ministers could not win.

What pleased Xiao Hui most was that Song Xuan was a Song person, not a Khitan, so he posed no threat to her.

Furthermore, Song Xuan's rosy promises gave him a glimpse of his chance to gain military merit and be ennobled, so naturally he wouldn't harbor much hostility towards Song Xuan.

"Oh?" Song Xuan said, riding his horse, "Commander Xiao, please speak freely."

"You have too few warhorses, making it impossible for you to learn to rest on horseback during marches and conserve the energy of both men and horses."

Xiao Hui pointed to the warhorse he was guarding:
"You will soon experience how one person with two horses can achieve continuous travel, which is extremely advantageous whether in pursuit or retreat."

"Thank you."

Song Xuan chuckled softly:
"Our Great Song Dynasty doesn't even have many domestic horses, let alone warhorses!"

Xiao Hui understood that even if the Khitan sold warhorses to the Song people, they would all be castrated, and they would never give them a large number of high-quality, fertile warhorses.

Even if there's only a small amount of smuggling across the border, it's not enough to truly form a fighting force.

That's absolutely impossible.

If they continue with this method of riding alone, the loss of their warhorses will be enormous.

"There's nothing I can do about this."

Xiao Hui quickly moved on from the topic and had her son take people to the front to inspect the area and confirm that there were no problems.

Before Song Xuan had to wait long, Xiao Hui had her men lie on the ground to listen, demonstrating her ability to listen to the ground.

Experienced people can judge the number and distance of distant cavalry to obtain information.

Song Xuan was very interested in this skill, so he asked Liu Ping to ask if anyone knew about it, especially how to judge quantity and distance.

He then ordered Di Qing and the others to learn from the experienced Khitan man they had just met.

Seeing Song Xuan's curiosity, Xiao Hui was not discouraged at all, and even ordered her men to learn the advantages of the Khitan cavalry.

He discovered that Song Xuan was not as bad-tempered as the Prince of Yan had said; on the contrary, as long as there was no hostility, he was very easy to get along with.

They would then launch attacks in batches, and then assess the number of cavalry and the distance traveled to determine the outcome.

This continued for several days.

Bird watching.

Song Xuan looked in the direction Xiao Hui was pointing:

“I know that. Back then, when the Prince of Yan was lying in ambush on the mountain, I saw birds circling around him.”

"Hahaha."

Xiao Hui clicked her tongue twice.

The Prince of Yan originally thought that Song Xuan was just a scholar and would certainly not understand.

They underestimated the Song people, which is why they suffered such a great loss.

"That's right. Whether it's cavalry or infantry, they can determine the approximate location of enemy ambushes by observing birds in flight."

Listening to Xiao Hui's explanation, Song Xuan looked at the mud brick Great Wall above.

I estimate that we have already reached the vicinity of the Badaling Great Wall.

During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Tuoba clan built the Great Wall here to defend against foreign tribes.

During the Northern Qi dynasty, they continued to build the Great Wall, extending it all the way to the Shandong coast.

It wasn't until the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty that more than eighty years of construction were carried out here, resulting in its current scale.

"However, since you Liao people are able to control this place, you can build those sections of the Great Wall and construct passes in key locations."

Song Xuan pointed to the Great Wall above:
"Those rebellious tribes probably never had the chance to reach the territory of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun."

After passing this section of the mountain, the area becomes suitable for horseback riding.

"Repair those dilapidated sections of the Great Wall?"

Xiao Hui felt that Song Xuan was being rather unrealistic, as the outside world was all Liao territory.

The Liao dynasty's vast army consisted entirely of light cavalry.

If the Great Wall were built, would it be defending against the army of the Liao Dynasty or the insignificant rebel tribes?

It takes several days to travel from places like Liaodong to get here.

Not to mention the large number of soldiers stationed in Liaodong from Tokyo, the troops in Nanjing alone could meet them head-on and annihilate them before they even had a chance to break in.

“Repairing these sections of the Great Wall is pointless.”

Xiao Hui patted her beloved horse's neck:

"With this, our Great Khitan can suppress and annihilate all foreign tribes."

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything more.

He remembered that the Jurchens first crushed the Khitans, and then they crushed the Northern Song Dynasty.

Especially in cavalry battles, the Khitans were completely overwhelmed and unable to fight back.

"We only attack, we never defend."

"really."

Song Xuan didn't want to argue about Xiao Hui's false propaganda. He raised his riding whip and said:
"If I were to set up an ambush above, firstly, I would be unable to control the startled birds, and secondly, I would be unable to quickly cut off the cavalry's escape or allow them to turn and run away."

"Ah."

Xiao Hui was somewhat taken aback by Song Xuan's comprehension ability, which was also a kind of clash in the martial arts demonstration.

The Song people did not have a large-scale cavalry force, so they could only use infantry to block them.

But cavalrymen are swift as the wind; even if an ambush is set up, what can be done?
Placing some logs across the ground or throwing stones down from above would only disrupt the formation.

As long as the Song people come down from the mountain, they will inevitably suffer even greater blows.

"Especially our Khitan light cavalry, who employ the signature tactic of wolf pack hunting, would cause massive damage if you led the Song people up there."

"Oh?"

Although Song Xuan understood somewhat, he still said aloud:
"I hope Commander Xiao can offer a brief explanation."

Song Xuan was certain that men of Xiao Hui's age would find it difficult to shake off their bad habit of being a know-it-all.

"Alright, you just keep an eye on it."

Xiao Hui asked her second son to make some preparations.

Xiao Wugu didn't understand why his father would tell the Song people such a thing. Wasn't he afraid that the Song people would learn it?
"Dad, something's come up."

Xiao Hui asked Song Xuan to wait a while before following his second son.

"I don't know."

Xiao Hui listened to his son's words, stroked his beard, and laughed heartily:

"How can you lack even this much magnanimity? And you claim you're going to be prime minister?"

"Father, you don't actually believe that the Song and Liao dynasties are brothers and that a peace treaty will last for a hundred years, do you?"

"I don't believe it." Xiao Hui chuckled lightly.
"But even if I were to pass on my skills to Song Xuan, would the Song Dynasty really appoint him as a commander to lead troops into battle?"

"will not."

Xiao Wugu shook his head with absolute certainty, saying that these were things that Song Dynasty military officers would do.

Even if Song Xuan was Cao Liyong's son-in-law, it wouldn't make a difference.

"Where did the Song people find so many cavalrymen?"

This question made Xiao Wugu Ni shake his head even more. Even if the Khitan sold warhorses to the Song people, they would control the number.

"So there's no need to hide these tactics. Even if you give them to him, he'll never have a chance to use them in his life."

Xiao Hui said smugly, "He actually wanted to build the Great Wall here just now, what a joke."

"Build the Great Wall?" Xiao Wugu looked at the dilapidated mud bricks on the mountain.

"What's the use?"

"In an attempt to block the rebellious tribal cavalry."

Xiao Wugu listened to his father's words:

"Only a Song dynasty person would have such an idea. It's utterly useless except for wasting a lot of money."

"Therefore, we don't need to hide anything. Let's open Song Zhuangyuan's eyes and let him see the cavalry tactics of our Great Khitan."

"My child understands."

Xiao Hui sent her son to make preparations and ordered the entire army to stop and rest for a while.

Song Xuan told Yang Wenguang and the others to observe how the enemy's cavalry fought.

"Twelfth Brother, is it useful for us to watch how the Khitans fight?"

Di Qing said with considerable worry, "They can ride two or three horses each; our Great Song Dynasty truly cannot compare."

"Let's take a look. We won't lose anything anyway. What a great opportunity!"

The Khitan cavalry marked the open area in the mountains.

Then Song Xuan and the others saw that Xiao Hui divided the team into several small squads and rode over to fire volleys in turns.

Continuous harassment, probing, and weakening were used to contain the enemy forces.

"Your aim is really good."

"Hahaha." Xiao Hui had already ridden back and pointed at his men, saying:

"In the chaos of the battlefield, the chances of killing the enemy commander by relying solely on archery skills are slim."

"I've heard that both within the Khitan people and among those foreign tribes, there are skilled archers who can shoot eagles?"

“Yes.” Xiao Hui said, holding a riding whip, “These kinds of people usually charge alongside the Iron Forest Army.”

"If the enemy's formation is disrupted or their weak points are exposed due to the harassment by the light cavalry, then..."

"Then the Iron Forest Army will seize the fleeting opportunity and launch a devastating breakthrough, piercing straight into the heart of the enemy."

"So you're saying the heavy cavalry weren't there to kill ordinary soldiers, but rather to break up formations and destroy the command system?"

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Xiao Hui laughed heartily and then waved her hand.

"Waaaah—waaaah."

The sound of a bull horn tore through the sky.

"Great Khitan—May you be victorious!"

Then ten heavy cavalrymen charged toward Xiao Hui.

Song Xuan subconsciously tightened his grip on the reins.

Imagine a small tank, a war machine, charging towards you; anyone would be nervous in that situation.

These ten heavy cavalrymen transformed into a steel torrent, accelerating rapidly, their hoofbeats sounding like thunder.

Wang Bao instinctively placed his large shield in front of Song Xuan's warhorse.

Wang Bao was a top-notch heavy infantryman of the Song Dynasty, but even he couldn't withstand the charge of heavy cavalry.

Even the young Di Qing paled slightly as he watched the iron cavalry charging towards them.

Song Xuan spoke up first: "Commander Xiao, we don't need to make jokes like this."

"No need to worry." Xiao Hui chuckled. "I already gave instructions."

The warhorse only began to slow down after fifty paces, but the inertia was too great, and it continued to charge slowly.

Xiao Hui was not satisfied at all. With a wave of his hand, soldiers threw out thirty or forty arrows.

The arrows either struck the ground or landed with a clanging sound on the heavy cavalry's armor; they were difficult to pierce flesh when thrown.

Looking at the expressions on Song Xuan's face and those of the Song soldiers surrounding him, Xiao Hui was extremely satisfied with the exercise.

The threat of heavy cavalry charges.

Not everyone dares to face it head-on!
In the agricultural era, the pressure that cavalry put on infantry was immense, not to mention overwhelming them, their combat power posed a great threat to the infantry.

"Scholar Song, you really have guts!"

Xiao Hui smiled and said, "At least I wasn't so scared that I wet my pants."

"Commander Xiao, you don't need to say anything more. Wang Bao, quickly help me down and walk a few steps."

Song Xuan beckoned Wang Bao to help him dismount.

He didn't wet his pants, but to be honest, his legs were a little numb.

It would be a lie to say Song Xuan wasn't nervous when the Khitan heavy cavalry charged in formation.

Not everyone has the ability to face a tank coming straight at them, let alone have a tank run over them.

"Hahaha."

Xiao Hui burst into laughter.

He dismounted from his horse and took the opportunity to stretch his legs.

Although Xiao Hui knew that the heavy cavalry wouldn't actually charge, she was still a little nervous about facing a direct charge by them.

If something goes wrong, not only will Song Xuan be caught, but Xiao Hui won't be able to escape either.

After their performance, the Khitan soldiers began to clean up the battlefield, and it was time to cook their meal.

Song Xuan sat on the grass: "After seeing it today, I can see that heavy cavalry is still quite useful."

"It's not very useful in the mountains and forests, unless it's a plain."

Xiao Hui felt that Song Xuan was very genuine.

He wasn't arrogant like many scholars, so he was willing to talk to Song Xuan more.

“However, Commander Xiao, I have a way to counter this.”

Upon hearing Song Xuan's words, Xiao Hui instinctively sat up straight: "What did you say?"

"I said, I've thought of a way to counter heavy cavalry."

"Impossible!" Xiao Hui waved her hand and said:

"Even if your Song soldiers are all heavily armored and their spear formations are like a forest, they will certainly not be able to stop the Khitan Iron Forest Army from charging wave after wave."

"Moreover, it won't just be a thousand-man squad attacking; there will be more following behind, like waves crashing into your central army formation."

"Faced with this situation, it's hard for anyone not to flee immediately."

"Commander Xiao, let me share my personal insights on how to deal with heavy cavalry."

Song Xuan lightly pounded his numb thigh: "Listen to see if there's any possibility of it being put into practice."

Xiao Hui nodded.

He knew that Song Xuan was a smart man. Although he had never fought in a war, he was still capable of being a strategist and giving advice to these Han Chinese.

"I will use chariots to deal with your heavy cavalry."

"A car formation?"

Xiao Hui frowned immediately: "You want to use the chariot formation for defense?"

"Of course, only those who survive have the right to retaliate."

Xiao Hui looked at Song Xuan and realized that this man truly had a talent for fighting. If it wasn't taught to him by his father-in-law, then he must have figured it out on his own.

It's a pity he chose the path of a civil official.

Song Xuan snapped his fingers:
“Commander Xiao, I will use chariot formation to slow down your heavy cavalry. As long as they can’t run, their armor and tack will be very heavy and make them difficult to move.”

“My soldiers will find a way to cut off your horse’s leg. The cavalryman will fall off on his own, and it will be a big problem whether he can get up.”

Song Xuan's words made Xiao Hui's heart tighten:
"A car formation is a good idea, but you'll need quite a few cars."

"Otherwise, I can just set up one layer. Even if I sacrifice the heavy cavalry in front, I can still break through your chariot formation and strike straight at your center."

"And there are also light cavalry constantly harassing your wagon formation."

"Commander Xiao, have you forgotten about the ballistae of our Great Song Dynasty?"

Xiao Hui was well aware of the power of the Song Dynasty's ballistae. The reason why the Song and Liao Dynasties were able to make peace was because the Liao commander-in-chief had been shot to pieces by the Song ballistae before the decisive battle.

Song Xuan casually picked up a twig and drew a simple diagram on the ground:
"First, you used light cavalry to harass me, which was enough for my chariot formation to take shape and prevent it from being broken up by the cavalry."

"At this time, I will scatter barbed wire around the outer edge of the wagon formation, and the wagons will also have long spears sticking out to act as barricades."

"Although there won't be many ballistae, they can still be effective in defending against cumbersome heavy cavalry."

"When your men charge in, they may be ready to die, but the warhorses cannot. At that time, you need to blindfold the warhorses."

“Not bad.” Xiao Hui looked at the simple attack and defense diagram drawn by Song Xuan: “But I am confident that my heavy cavalry can break through your chariot formation.”

"That's for sure. I'll show some weakness and let more heavy cavalry charge in."

Xiao Hui was taken aback.

“But once your heavy cavalry enters, their speed will inevitably slow down, making it the perfect time to trap them. In this way, I will not only have a spear formation to meet them, but also leaping soldiers to cut off your horses’ legs.”

Although Xiao Hui had never experienced having his horse's leg cut off in the midst of a chaotic battle, he felt it was possible.

The greatest losses for heavy cavalry came from the horses' legs.

After all, such heavy armor requires the support of the warhorse's four legs.

Xiao Hui's battles were all cavalry duels.

Aside from the very beginning, he was taken by his uncle to serve as a vanguard and earn military merits in Goryeo.

Song Xuan didn't mention one more thing: using gunpowder, enough to scare away warhorses without harming people. The Four Great Inventions flourished in the Song Dynasty, and that's no exaggeration.

"In that case, I will feign defeat and wait for you to pursue me."

Xiao Hui chuckled lightly: "If I can't break through your turtle shell, I'll lure the snake out of its hole."

"It's difficult, I can't catch up with you."

Song Xuan threw away the branch he was holding:
“Commander Xiao, if I had a large number of cavalry, would I need to engage in this inconvenient chariot warfare with you?”

Xiao Hui's lips twitched.

He picked up a twig and smeared Song Xuan's sketch, not wanting the others to notice.

"That's true."

Xiao Hui threw away the branch in her hand:
"No wonder he was the top scholar who passed all three levels of the imperial examinations; he's got a sharp mind."

"Oh, so this doesn't count as theoretical talk?"

Faced with Song Xuan's delight, Xiao Hui was also deeply moved and said:
"Of course not, it's really possible. It's a pity I don't have a daughter, otherwise I would definitely marry you."

"Cao Liyong has always had such keen insight, from his youth to his old age!"

Xiao Hui did not believe that Song Xuan had actively chosen Cao Yong.

After all, Cao Li held a high position and wielded great power, making him arguably the most important figure in the Song Dynasty's military, and even the Khitans respected him for his influence.

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan chuckled a few times: "Commander Xiao, would this chariot formation work in the Northwest?"

Xiao Hui thought carefully for a moment, then said thoughtfully:

"Disaster!"

"The northwest is mountainous and the roads are rugged. If you want to build a defensive wagon formation, you can't even form one. But if you pile them up together, you might be able to defend against the Tangut people's attack."

"But they will rush down from the surrounding mountains, so you have to be careful when you encounter such terrain."

"The Tanguts are best at using small groups of troops to harass the enemy, then feign defeat to lure them deep into their territory, and using their familiarity with the terrain to their advantage."

"When His Majesty personally led the expedition against Western Xia, the Ge army was defeated in the same way."

Song Xuan nodded.

In the northwest, if you want to launch an attack, you still need to train cavalry; chariots can only serve as a transition.

It would be best to learn from the Mongols and use mares and beef as provisions, so as to minimize the pressure on logistical supplies.

Once inside the territory of the Western Xia, they would eat and drink whatever the Western Xia people wanted, and incidentally destroy everything.

Before long, the Tangut people will become increasingly impoverished, and then what's the point of fighting a war?

Xiao Hui chuckled lightly: "Actually, I think being able to command an army of 100,000 is strong enough. Not many people in this world have Han Xin's abilities."

Although they inherited the legitimate lineage of the Tang Dynasty, they held the early Han Dynasty figures in high esteem.

The surname Xiao is derived from Xiao He.

Song Xuan also rested against the tree trunk:
"I never expected Commander Xiao to have such insight. He will surely be a formidable figure on the battlefield in the future. It's a pity he was born at the wrong time."

"Haha, you flatter me."

Xiao Hui felt more and more that Song Xuan was her confidant.

"If there are too many people, food for the people and horses will be a big problem, and the battle lines will be stretched too thin."

"Just like when Liu Bei went to war against Eastern Wu, they didn't fight you head-on, they just wore you down, and you couldn't afford to wear them down."

"Yes, too many people is troublesome," Xiao Hui remarked.
"The troops were scattered and the internal command was not coordinated. Some people felt that the Tanguts would be destroyed, so they competed for credit and everyone was outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant."

"I get angry just thinking about it!"

"Don't be angry. There are too many factions within your organization, so it's normal for them to hold each other back."

Song Xuan wiped the sweat from his brow, took the fan, and began to fan himself.
"This is a problem left over from when your Khitan people established their state. Even if the Liao Dynasty were to fall one day, this problem would still be unsolvable."

Xiao Hui frowned again: "How can you be so sure?"

"Isn't the Tang Dynasty stronger than your Liao Dynasty?"

Faced with Song Xuan's question, Xiao Hui sighed softly.

He didn't know how to refute it.

The factional struggles within the Liao Dynasty were incredibly intense.

All the political struggles that erupted were overt.

They've been vying for dominance behind the scenes countless times.

"You don't need to worry. This kind of thing is normal. Every dynasty has its own problems."

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
"I've heard people say that as long as it's still functioning normally, we shouldn't make any changes easily, otherwise even bigger problems will arise."

Xiao Hui did not understand Song Xuan's words.

"Everyone is clearly aware of the problem, so why don't we make changes?"

"This is a very simple principle."

Xiao Hui was truly confused now; his eyes were full of doubt.
"How is it too simplistic?"

Song Xuan waved his fan:

"Commander Xiao, I only have one question for you: are you willing to cut off a piece of your own flesh and give it to the others?"

"That absolutely won't work!"

Song Xuan shrugged: "That's the reason. Even if you're willing, others aren't. How can you change that?"

Xiao Hui fell silent immediately. He stood up and left, wanting some peace and quiet.

Yelü Gou'er watched as Xiao Hui kept showing off her martial prowess along the way, while Song Xuan didn't make a fuss and even had his men learn from her.

Nowadays, some people even try on the heavy armor of the Khitans and act as heavy cavalry to experience it firsthand.

The sight of the thin Song man (Sang Yi) moving freely in the heavy armor of the Khitan drew gasps of amazement.

The Khitans, who had also worked as bodyguards in the county government, began introducing their Han Chinese friends to those around them, and no one could argue with that.

Despite his thin appearance, he is incredibly strong!

Of course, some Khitans didn't believe it and immediately started to challenge them. Iron hammers flew everywhere, and they directly pried open the Khitans' hands that were holding the hammers.

I was immediately convinced.

This competition made the Khitans more and more directly aware that there were also capable people among the Song people.

The Khitans have always respected capable people, so they gathered around Sang Yi and started commenting on him. They never expected that the Song people would have such an extraordinary person!

Yelü Gou'er initially thought it was just an excuse, but how did the act between the Song and Liao sides become so real?

Not only was Yelü Gou'er confused, but Prince Yan Xiao Xiaomu, upon receiving the report, was also speechless.

This is not the outcome he wanted!

"They didn't have a fight?"

"No."

Xiao Xiaomu told him to go and investigate again.

“The Prince of Yan is indeed acting strangely.”

Han Lu's eyes showed a look of confusion:

"Even if Xiao Hui was strict in military discipline, Song Xuan was not an easy person to deal with. Didn't any conflicts arise between them?"

"I don't understand either."

Xiao Xiaomu held the reins.

This is different from what they had envisioned.

"Yes."

Han Lu rode his horse, frowning as he pondered.

Xiao Hui actually carried out the Prince of Yan's order, and mixed the cavalry with Song Xuan, and even conducted martial arts exercises together.

That's what they say, but who told him to actually do it the way he wanted?

The key point is that Song Xuan has lost his previous arrogance and is now cooperating with them.

"Your Highness, I can't figure out where things went wrong."

Although Han Lu inherited his family's learning, he still had very little experience in this area.

What can you do if you've never seen this before?
Xiao Xiaomu remained silent for a long time: "I remember when Song Xuan was shooting arrows, Xiao Hui was also there. He was also very angry at that time."

"He didn't have any good feelings towards the Song people either, so how did he go from being unwilling to getting along with them?"

"Prince Yan, why don't we call Xiao Hui over and ask her indirectly?"

Han Lu coughed lightly:
"In my opinion, Song Xuan is cunning by nature, and I'm afraid that Commander Xiao will be deceived by him."

"Ah."

Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan nodded and sent someone to invite him over.

“Father, why don’t I go find Song Xuan and inquire about him indirectly so we can verify each other’s information?”

Xiao Tali volunteered, and she also felt that something was wrong.

"Row."

Xiao Xiaomu did not refuse, as he had very few sources of information at the moment.

Yelü Renxian followed.

Xiao Hui was summoned by the King of Yan. He was troubled by the matter of cutting off his own flesh, but he composed himself and rode to the rear guard.

“Tari, that Song Xuan is cunning by nature, I’m afraid you’ll suffer.”

Yelü Ren spoke first: "How do you plan to test him?"

"The method of stimulating generals."

Xiao Tali blurted out:

"He's a young man, he certainly can't handle being provoked."

In her understanding, it was normal for many Khitan youths to fight and be strong.

Could the Song people have avoided this?
"Makes sense."

Yelü Renxian nodded repeatedly: "But how did you provoke him?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'll see when we get there. Anyway, this is our Khitan territory."

"It's not that I'm praising Song Xuan, but in my opinion, Song Xuan's behavior by that small bridge that day was calm enough, and he was definitely not someone you could easily provoke."

Yelü Renxian sighed, "The Song people are becoming more and more difficult to deal with."

Xiao Tali disagreed with his words, but he didn't say anything.

At this moment, Song Xuan sat to the side, eating with the soldiers around him.

His actions drew the attention of many Khitan soldiers.

After all, there is a distinction between superiors and inferiors.

The royal family and the empress's family would not share the same food with them.

If it were only once or twice, it would be fine, but Song Xuan always ate communal meals with these Imperial Guards.

Many Khitan soldiers passed the story down by word of mouth, and some who didn't believe it came to see for themselves.

The two Khitans guarding the treasure in Kaifeng County were also chatting with the others.

Song Xuan, who was quite prestigious in the Song Dynasty, even invited them to have dinner together on New Year's Day.

Although there is no such thing as equality between officers and soldiers now, Song Xuan had long been used to traveling in the wild.

Are you suggesting I can cook three dishes and a soup? Just eat whatever's available, as long as you don't get poisoned.

Looking at Song Xuan's nonchalant attitude, Liu Ping realized that he himself couldn't quite do it.

After all, if you finally become an official, but then you have to eat the same food as ordinary soldiers, what's the point of going through all that trouble to become an official?
"What about the Khitan armor?"

Sang Yi also had armor, which Song Xuan had obtained from the Privy Council for the protection of him and his apprentice.

"My lord, I must say, the Khitans' armor is better forged than that of my Great Song Dynasty."

Sang Yi shook her head slightly:
"The quality of our warhorses is exceptional, but in terms of weaponry, we are indeed somewhat lacking."

Song Xuan nodded:
“That makes sense, especially regarding cavalry. We have a natural weakness in that area. I’ll find a chance to bring back some good horses.”

Yang Wenguang immediately perked up: "Scholar Song, we've acquired fine horses, but the Khitans might not let us go back."

"Let's get this done first, then we'll think about what comes next."

Song Xuan, holding his bowl, laughed and said, "I also want to be as majestic as someone with two or three horses."

The group of people sitting around chuckled; they were truly envious of the sheer size of the Khitan people.

These imperial guards were among the best soldiers in the capital city of Tokyo.

When they arrived in Khitan territory, they finally understood what it meant to compare goods and discard them.

The Khitans' military equipment was indeed superior to that of the Song Dynasty.

"Most importantly, I need to find one or two of the strongest warhorses for Wang Bao, so that he doesn't crush the ordinary warhorses."

"Hahaha."

The crowd burst into laughter; in truth, most of them envied Wang Bao.

Wang Bao went from a strong man who couldn't get enough to eat to a man who is now married and living a carefree life, all thanks to Song Xuan, which brought him his happy days.

Faced with laughter, Wang Bao remained silent, only continuing to add more rice to his bowl.

He had long known that his life belonged to Song Xuan.

That's why I stood in front of him without hesitation, holding my shield.

Song Xuan then asked them what other discoveries they had made, mainly about the military equipment of the Khitans. Whenever they had free time, they would go to Lü Gongbi to dictate their findings.

He was responsible for organizing the records so that the differences could be seen.

"In reply to Your Highness, the Song people ate there."

In the Liao Dynasty's system, daughters of powerful and wealthy families did not have titles such as Princess of the County or Princess of the Prefecture.

Only the emperor's daughters would receive such a title.

Even if Xiao Xiaomu was the Prince of Yan, as long as the emperor did not grant his daughter a title, she would not receive the treatment of a princess.

However, this place is the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and Xiao Tali is the most beloved daughter of the King of Yan.

Therefore, after Han officials addressed the princess according to custom, many people naturally followed suit and addressed Xiao Tali in the same way.

Xiao Tali had gotten used to being called a fake princess. She looked in the direction of the soldiers and found that Song Xuan was eating with a group of soldiers.

She was very confused.

"Song Xuan is good at winning people's hearts; the Han people love to perform this kind of act the most."

Yelü Renxian narrowed his eyes, his face showing disdain.

"But then again," Xiao Tali lightly nudged the horse's belly:

"That day, Song Xuan rode alone to block the bridge, and all the Song soldiers were ready to charge. I saw it very clearly."

“Princess, you don’t need to be so surprised.”

"Those Han men like to demean themselves like this. They are clearly the top scholars of the Song Dynasty, but they insist on eating with these thieving convicts."

"It is a complete disgrace to the title of the top scholar of the Song Dynasty."

Yelü Renxian would not do that.

He was born superior to others, so how could he eat with these lowly people?

Xiao Tali also agreed with Yelü Renxian's words.

Everyone is born superior to others.

Otherwise, why would anyone call her a princess, and why would so many people fawn over her?
Xiao Tali also knew that her father planned to send her to the palace in the future.

However, the current crown prince is only ten years old and not yet of marriageable age.

Before Xiao Tali could even ride his horse over, he was stopped by someone.

Ren Fu chuckled and said, "No unauthorized personnel allowed."

"I am Xiao Tali, the daughter of the Prince of Yan. I want to see Song Xuan."

"Scholar Song said that no one is allowed to disturb us during the meal."

"Go and inform him."

“Scholar Song has given an order!” Ren Fu stretched out his hand: “Even if the emperor’s daughter comes, she must wait until he has finished eating before she arrives.”

"you!"

A flash of anger crossed Xiao Tali's eyes.

Yelü Renxian flicked his horsewhip through the air and said, "Get out of the way."

Before Ren Fu could speak, the surrounding soldiers immediately drew their guns and stepped forward:
"Back off."

The two sides were at war with each other.

Yelü Renxian's face turned extremely ugly. The Song people would not care whether they were of royal lineage or not.

Showing off your power won't work here.

"What utter nonsense about the Prince of Yan's daughter."

Ren Fu was even more blunt:
"Who knows if it's true or not."

Xiao Tali thought it was one thing for the commander Song Xuan to be rude, but how could his soldiers be so rude as well?

Are these soldiers trained by the top scholar of the Song Dynasty?

Soldiers came to report to Song Xuan.

"Ignore her, she's probably holding back a fart, let it sit."

"Here."

"Twelfth Brother, could it be that the Khitan woman has taken a liking to you?"

Di Qing chuckled and joked, and everyone started praising him again.

The top scholar of the Song Dynasty was already popular with many young ladies in the Song Dynasty. How could he not be popular with the young ladies of the Khitan when he arrived in Khitan territory?
Song Xuan leaned against the tree trunk, pondering what Xiao Tali was doing here. She certainly didn't have her eye on him.

Like the daughters of the empress and imperial concubines' brothers.

Most of them were to be sent to the Khitan palace, where incestuous marriages were arranged to protect their own interests.

Palace intrigue is what she should be learning.

Even if I find an opportunity to inject her with genes and then carry out some so-called gene exchange plan, Yelü Zongzhen is too young, and the timing is wrong.

"Could it be that she's here to find out some information her father wants to know?"

Song Xuan could only think about the "damaged treasure".

After all, Xiao Xiaomu knew the "truth," so it was normal for him to want to find out indirectly whether Xiao Xiaomu knew it or not.

After Song Xuan had eaten and drunk his fill, he ordered someone to invite Princess Xiao Tali, the daughter of the Prince of Yan, in.

Xiao Tali walked over alone, carrying a riding whip. She stood in front of Song Xuan, her sharp edge fully revealed.
"I've heard that scholars from the South are refined and courteous, but after meeting them today, I find they're only good at empty talk."

Song Xuan carefully examined Xiao Tali.

I heard that in the Yan-Yun region, she was rumored to be the most beautiful woman in the Liao Dynasty, and indeed she had a beautiful face.

But it is also full of aggression.

Song Xuan shrugged: "Xiao Tali, did I speak to you before?"

Xiao Tali was speechless, but still insisted:
"You deliberately tried to intimidate me just now, and you still dare to deny it?"

"If you want to see me, I have to see you. Who made this rule?"

Song Xuan interrupted her directly:
"I thought the Khitans had shed their barbarian label, but seeing them today, it turns out they were all just putting on a show. There must be countless rude people like you within Khitan territory."

Xiao Tali gripped the riding whip tightly: "You're talking nonsense!"

“Hey, let me correct you. Only barbarians talk nonsense.” Song Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly: “Otherwise, where do you think this word came from?”

(End of this chapter)