The prince is more stable

Chapter 1032 Negotiations break down
The commanders-in-chief of the Song and Liao dynasties finally met on the battlefield.

Prior to this, Zhong Jianzhong and Yelü Chun had never met. Both were commanders-in-chief, like generals on a chessboard, the pillars of the two armies, and they would not easily meet the enemy.

Today, the two armies faced off on the plains outside Xingqing Prefecture. The soldiers of both sides were attacking and defending the city, and the commanders of both armies showed no fear in front of their soldiers.

A makeshift shed was temporarily erected on the open plain between the Liao army's vanguard and Xingqing Prefecture.

Only Zhong Jianzhong and Yelü Chun were sitting in the shed. Neither of them had any guards with them, and they didn't even have any weapons on them.

Inside the shed, there was a table and two chairs, on which were exquisite food and fine wine.

The battlefield was filled with the murderous aura of the two armies, but the two commanders in the tent chatted and laughed as if they were old friends reuniting, and there was no trace of murderous intent in their eyes.

Yelü Chun took the initiative to pour wine for Zhong Jianzhong, and then filled his own cup.

The two men finished their drinks, and Zhong Jianzhong stroked his beard and laughed heartily, saying, "I never thought that I, the commander, would have a day when I could drink and discuss things on the battlefield. This wine even has a touch of solemnity to it. How wonderful!"

"Continued Cup!"

Yelü Chun smiled and refilled his cup, then drank with him again.

"I've heard that General Zhong is the most trusted general of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. It's a pity that I never met you before. Today I finally get to meet you. It's the greatest fortune of my life," Yelü Chun said with a smile.

Yelü Chun had led troops for many years and was already in his sixties. Although he had suffered many defeats in battles against the Song Dynasty, it was undeniable that he was indeed the most important general of the Liao Dynasty. If it weren't for the mysterious firearms that suddenly appeared in the Song army, it would have been hard to say who would win if the two armies had only fought with cold weapons.

This person is indeed quite capable.

Zhong Jianzhong was much younger than him, only in his early forties. He used to be a commander in the Bianjing Dragon Guard Battalion. Later, he was discovered by Zhao Xiaoqian, and his career took off. In just a few years, he had commanded many battles involving tens of thousands of people.

Both were military generals, and their soldiers had even clashed on the battlefield. Today, they finally met, and setting aside their hostile stance, there was still a sense of mutual respect between them.

The two men sat calmly in the shed, both within range of the two armies' fire, but they showed no fear. Instead, they chatted amiably, and cheerful laughter occasionally echoed from the shed.

After a few rounds of drinks, some things just had to be said.

After a long silence, Zhong Jianzhong looked up at the well-organized and menacing Liao army formation in front of him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Is the army that Prince Yelü has brought to the city gates today aimed at our Song army?" Zhong Jianzhong asked with a smile.

Yelü Chun laughed heartily: "Why would I come after you? General Zhong, don't forget that Song and Liao are allies now. My Great Liao would never lay a hand on an ally."

Zhong Jianzhong laughed, "So the 100,000-strong army besieging the city wasn't coming for my Song army after all. I was almost scared by you."

Yelü Chun's face stiffened. These words were clearly a bit sarcastic, putting him in an awkward position.

It's something they both know perfectly well, but they're both pretending not to understand.

Yelü Chun sighed and said, "The truth is that His Majesty the Emperor of our Great Liao is thousands of miles away and has no idea about the war situation in Western Xia. He has issued several decrees to me, ordering our army to immediately capture Xingqing Prefecture."

"I led my troops here with great enthusiasm, only to find that Xingqing Prefecture has actually been captured by your army. The current situation is putting me in a very difficult position."

“Our two armies are allies. Now that your army has captured Xingqing Prefecture, I should lead my troops to retreat and continue to wipe out the remaining enemies in the Western Xia territory. However, the imperial edicts of the Emperor of the Great Liao are urging us to take Xingqing Prefecture. If I retreat, I fear I will not escape punishment.”

As he spoke, Yelü Chun looked up at him, his eyes filled with sincerity: "General Zhong, although we have just met, we have long admired each other. Besides, the Song and Liao countries have a prior alliance, agreeing to share food and resources with the Western Xia."

"General Zhong, you don't want to see this old man unjustly accused and imprisoned, do you?"

Zhong Jianzhong's cheek twitched a few times.

As expected of someone who's grown old and shrewd, they quickly seized the moral high ground.

"What Prince Yelü means is..."

Yelü Chun said in a deep voice, "Please, General Zhong, open the city gates and allow my Liao army to enter. My army will not have many troops entering the city, ten thousand will be enough. Then I can report back to His Majesty."

Zhong Jianzhong remained silent for a long time, then sighed and said with regret, "It is very unfortunate. Before your army arrived, the Emperor of our Great Song Dynasty also issued a strict order to me to capture Xingqing Prefecture, occupy it and defend it well, and it must be exclusively occupied by our Song army."

"Our Great Song Dynasty's treasury has been empty in recent years, and we are just hoping to get some meat from the grain and official granaries in this city. Besides, our army has suffered considerable casualties in order to capture this city. If we allow your army to enter easily, the soldiers will definitely be dissatisfied, and I'm afraid I won't be able to control them."

Yelü Chun frowned upon hearing this: "General Zhong's words... seem a bit unreasonable, don't they? The Song-Liao alliance was agreed upon, and the two countries should share the Western Xia territory. Logically speaking, no matter who conquers any city, the troops of both countries should jointly enter and occupy it, so as not to violate the alliance agreement."

Zhong Jianzhong said calmly, "Song and Liao are indeed allies, and Xingqing Prefecture should rightfully be garrisoned by both armies. However, as Prince Yelü said, our emperors are unaware of the battlefield situation, and their decrees clearly state that they can only occupy the city alone, not co-garrison it."

"Prince Yelü wouldn't want to see me punished for disobeying imperial orders, would he?"

Yelü Chun was immediately speechless, and his face gradually turned ashen.

I thought my shamelessness was unmatched, but I never expected the other side to be just as shameless. Who is this subordinate, that he is so brazen?

Both of them, without prior arrangement, brought up their respective emperors as scapegoats, and both spoke with such composure that it seemed to be true.

What should we do now?
There's no way to break their trick.

After a long silence, Zhong Jianzhong broke the awkward atmosphere. "How about this: our two armies each clear out the remaining enemies within the Western Xia territory and completely wipe out the remnants of the Li family dynasty. Whoever captures a city, whoever obtains the money and provisions, keeps them to themselves. Whoever occupies a territory, they each guard it well. Our two armies will each do their own thing and not interfere with each other. What do you think?"

Yelü Chun sneered.

You've already occupied Xingqing Prefecture, the wealthiest city in Western Xia. What other profits can you possibly make from the other cities? What a load of rubbish!

Besides, even if our army were to attack other cities, given your shameless character as commander-in-chief, would you really refrain from seizing or occupying them?

The alliance between our two countries is more fragile than the love between a scoundrel and a scoundrel. I would rather believe in love than believe that your Song Dynasty will abide by the alliance.

Zhong Jianzhong had already made his point, and Yelü Chun's expression grew increasingly grim.

Having said all that, there was no need to maintain any meaningless decorum. Yelü Chun was determined to take Xingqing Prefecture. If he did not garrison this city, the Liao army's war to destroy Xia would lose most of its meaning.

"General Zhong, please reconsider and be lenient. If I don't send troops to Xingqing Prefecture, it will be very difficult to explain to the capital. Our army has come from afar, and we cannot return empty-handed," Yelü Chun said with a gloomy face.

Zhong Jianzhong sighed, "Please forgive me, Your Highness, but I'm afraid there's no way to make an exception this time. If I let the Liao army into the city, not only will the Emperor punish me, but my soldiers will also be dissatisfied, which could lead to a mutiny. The consequences would be too severe."

Yelü Chun was no longer the carefree and amiable man he had been just moments before. Now, his face was clouded with gloom, and a hint of murderous intent flickered within him.

"So, General Zhong really refuses to open the city gates?"

Zhong Jianzhong completely ignored his murderous intent and sighed with regret, "If it really can't be opened, your army should withdraw quickly and look for another opportunity. Your Highness should not covet Xingqing City."

Yelü Chun stood up abruptly and said slowly, "In that case, don't blame me for being rude. As far as I know, your army has less than 60,000 soldiers, while my Great Liao has 100,000 brave warriors. If you refuse to open the city gates, I will have no choice but to order an attack on the city!"

Zhong Jianzhong, without raising his eyebrows, smiled and said, "Your Highness can give it a try. If you can conquer this city, I will hand it over without hesitation."

Yelü Chun flew into a rage: "Arrogant!"

Zhong Jianzhong clasped his hands in a fist salute to him: "Take care!"

Yelü Chun: "…………"

Inside the makeshift shed, the harmonious atmosphere between the two vanished, replaced by a chilling killing intent that gradually permeated the open plain where the two armies faced off.

The two stood up at the same time, staring directly into each other's eyes, neither showing any intention of compromising.

After a long while, Yelü Chun suddenly smiled.

"In that case, I shall take my leave."

Zhong Jianzhong smiled and said, "This general is in the city, awaiting Your Highness's arrival."

The two stared at each other intently for a moment, then turned away simultaneously.

Yelü Chun walked towards his army formation, while Zhong Jianzhong walked towards the city gate of Xingqing Prefecture.

He had only turned around and taken a few steps when he suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind him.

A hundred-man Liao cavalry unit suddenly broke through the enemy lines and charged towards Zhong Jianzhong at lightning speed.

The warhorses kicked up yellow dust, and the cavalrymen sped up. Some of them spurred their horses on while nocking their bows, already aiming at Zhong Jianzhong's back.

Yelü Chun, who was originally heading towards the army formation, was taken aback. He had not ordered the shooting of Zhong Jianzhong. He wondered who had given the order to this Liao army.

Just as he was about to shout to stop them, Yelü Chun suddenly seemed to remember something, his open mouth immediately closed, he stopped and turned to watch the cavalry rushing towards Zhong Jianzhong, his eyes filled with a complex and unfathomable look.

Zhong Jianzhong certainly heard the sound of horses' hooves behind him, but he was not flustered at all and continued to walk with a calm and unhurried pace.

On the city tower of Xingqing Prefecture, under the banner representing the Song Dynasty and its commander, Song soldiers, positioned high above, had already raised their flintlock muskets.

Faced with the sudden attack by the Liao cavalry, the Song soldiers on the city wall did not panic. Under the command of their general, they each aimed at the hundred-man cavalry charging towards Zhong Jianzhong.

Before the Liao cavalry could fire arrows at Zhong Jianzhong's back, the Song soldiers on the city wall had already opened fire.

After a deafening roar and billowing white smoke, the mournful neighing of warhorses was heard, and Liao soldiers screamed as they fell from their horses.

As the yellow dust outside the city dissipated, behind Zhong Jianzhong, the entire hundred Liao cavalrymen had been killed by the Song army on the city wall, leaving not a single one alive. Only a hundred warhorses stood still, pawing the ground restlessly.

This change came suddenly and ended just as suddenly.

In the blink of an eye, a hundred lives vanished from the world, as if they had never existed.

Zhong Jianzhong paused, but he did not turn around. After standing there for a moment, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Alright! Prince Yelü, let's begin from this moment on!"

A fierce northwest wind blew, and Zhong Jianzhong's hearty laughter echoed between heaven and earth, reaching even the Liao army's ranks.

(End of this chapter)