In the afternoon, at the end of Shenshi and the beginning of Youshi, the sun has not yet set.
The setting sun shines through the thin autumn clouds and falls on the earth, reflecting the gorgeous burning clouds in the western sky.
In the early autumn of July, the whole world in Saibei seems to be that kind of withered yellow color. The weather is getting colder, the grass and trees are swaying in the wind, and the sky is also orange. Only the sunset glow on the edge of the clouds still shines with purple light.
To the north of Anlong Sai, the road along the Qingshui River is extremely wide, and at the end of the road there are densely packed numerous cavalry swarming towards it. This place is the throat from Xixia to Yanzhou, guarding two channels.
One passage is along Qingshui, which is the Yanhe River in later generations, to the northwest. The other one goes directly to the north, and there is a small road to Xixia Longzhou.
However, the terrain of this road is narrow and is not conducive to the passage of large armies. Therefore, if Li Yuanhao wants to pursue the traitors, he must take the right path faster.
Since the west bank of Qingshui is surrounded by hills and mountains, the main road is on the east bank. Fan Zhongyan has now set up Anlong Village on the east bank. It is located in Jianhua Town, Ansai District, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province in later years. It lies in the middle of the road like a natural moat, blocking the middle. Truncated.
At this moment, Xia thieves were coming like a tsunami outside the stronghold wall, and black clouds were pressing down on the city to destroy it. The Song army on the stronghold wall looked nervously at the outside of the stronghold. All kinds of bows, arrows, and firearms were available, and catapults were ready. The grenade is at your feet.
The soldiers were crouching quietly behind the wall. The Xixia thieves in the distance were getting closer and closer. Fan Zhongyan stood on the wall and looked to the north. When the enemy was almost three hundred feet closer, he shouted: "Win the string!" "
This string does not refer to the crossbow, but to the Eight Ox Crossbow.
In the Han Dynasty, one foot was 2.31 meters. By the Song Dynasty, it became 3.33 meters. About three hundred feet was one thousand meters. This distance happened to be the attack range of the Eight Bull Crossbow.
I saw more than 20 large crossbows placed on the wall of the village. The crossbows were more than three meters long. There were three crossbows in total, two forward and one reverse. When pulled alone, the distance the bowstring could pull could reach 155 centimeters, and the thrust generated could reach Let the range easily reach one thousand meters!
But this crossbow is very powerful, but its disadvantages are also obvious, that is, it is very difficult to string it. According to historical records, it took thirty soldiers to pull the hinge to open it, and the iron arrow, which was three feet five inches long and five inches thick, was very powerful, but its accuracy was average.
In the era without scopes, this thing was not as convenient to operate as a sniper rifle, and it was very difficult to move and aim. Therefore, unless you are dealing with that kind of large-scale legion, there is no need to aim at all, otherwise it is still very difficult to snipe the enemy.
The only record of a sniper kill of an enemy general in history was during the Battle of Chanzhou, when the Liao army attacked the city. Zhang Gui, a soldier guarding the city, was startled. He hurriedly clicked his teeth and fired his crossbow. The arrow came out with a thunderous movement, and the result was a perfect hit. He defeated the Liao general Xiao Taolin, which directly contributed to the birth of the Chanyuan Alliance.
However, it is unrealistic to kill the enemy with a sniper, but Li Yuanhao brought an army here this time, so the power of the Eight Ox Crossbow can still be demonstrated. But basically, deterrence is more important. With the speed of the Xixia cavalry, the enemy can reach the city in less than two shots.
But obviously Li Yuanhao looked at the wall above Anlong Village and saw the sharp giant arrows protruding from the wall. Under the setting sun, it reflected a strange white light, which still made him feel an inexplicable sense of threat.
Since he wanted to invade the Song Dynasty, it was impossible not to know about the defensive equipment on the wall of the Song Army's stronghold. Thinking of Xiao Taolin's tragic situation, which was said to be torn apart, Li Yuanhao still issued an order to stop advancing.
The two sides faced each other three hundred feet away.
Looking at each other from both sides, they were actually just dense black dots. The military flags were fluttering in the wind, and they froze for a moment.
Fan Zhongyan took a long time to look outside the village, his hands behind his back, his expression relaxed.
Shan Yu Weiliang's defection was a huge blow to Xixia. If Li Yuanhao had not captured him and killed him, it would have had serious consequences for both his prestige and Xixia's internal stability.
So it's not him who's anxious anyway.
After a while, Li Yuanhao sent a knight, galloped to the base of the stronghold, and shouted to the top: "Where is your principal?"
"How courageous is this guy? How dare he come here to die? Sir, let me shoot him!"
A young man in silver armor next to him said to Fan Zhongyan.
The young general is none other than Zhe Jimin, the inspector of Linfu Road. Although he is only a middle- or lower-ranking seventh-grade officer, he inherited his father's bravery and is still quite brave and good at fighting.
Fan Zhongyan waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, go and ask him what's going on. If you ask about Shan Yu Weiliang, just say you've never seen this person before."
"yes."
Zhe Jimin then stuck out his head, looked down and shouted: "Where did the blue-rolled thief come from? What do you want Master Qi to do?"
The knights below were not surprised. The soldiers in the army were used to being rough. They were not nobles or scholar-bureaucrats, and they were very polite. There were often small-scale conflicts on the border between the Song Dynasty and the Xia Kingdom, and it was normal for both sides to curse.
He shouted: "My king asked you to hand over Shan Yu Weiliang!"
"roll."
Zhe Jimin scolded: "Your father has never heard of this person."
"Be bold!"
The knight shouted: "The traitor Shan Yu Weiliang obviously fled into the Song Dynasty and was hidden by you."
Zhe Jimin bent his bow and nocked an arrow, and then shot out an arrow, hitting the knight three feet in front of him. He scolded: "If you say you haven't seen it before, you haven't seen it before. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will kill you." .”
"Buzz buzz buzz buzz!~~~"
The knight looked at the arrow in front of him that was inserted three inches into the ground. The tail of the arrow swayed and made a crisp sound, and he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
If the arrow had been shot at his throat or face, with this force, it might have penetrated directly.
Seeing this situation, the knight did not dare to continue to pester, turned his horse's head and went back.
After a while, he came to Li Yuanhao, repeated the other party's attitude, and then said: "Your Majesty, looking at their appearance, it seems that they just want to protect the traitor!"
Li Yuanhao's face looked ugly.
He took a step slower.
Historically, Shan Yu Weiliang did not catch up with him, but Guo Quan and Li Wei kidnapped him and returned him directly so that he could take advantage of him.
Now that Fan Zhongyan is here, he will not let him pick up the slack.
So although Li Yuanhao didn't know that he easily captured Shan Yu Weiliang in history, at least now, he could already feel the difficulty of Song Jun.
Thinking of this, and then looking at the Song soldiers who were waiting solemnly on the wall of the stronghold in the distance, Li Yuanhao decided to talk first and see if he could get Shan Yu Weiliang back at the negotiation table.
"Who is the opponent's general?"
"At the top of the city is a banner with the word Fan. I think it is Fan Zhongyan."
"Go and tell Fan Zhongyan that I am willing to withdraw two hundred feet, leaving only thirty soldiers with me. I hope he can also bring thirty soldiers over and talk to me in person in front of the two armies."
Li Yuanhao told the knight to go back and talk again.
In fact, it is almost impossible for the two generals to meet in front of the formation. It is impossible for Zhuge Liang to curse Wang Lang to death in front of the formation in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms".
After all, soldiers are always willing to be deceitful, and the two sides are meeting very close to each other. If the other side prepares an ambush with archers and crossbowmen, and kills the general, it would be the end of the world.
But Li Yuanhao also has his own considerations.
First, he knew that the Eight Ox Crossbow had a long range, so he still did not want to risk his life. His army withdrew two hundred feet away, and he himself was about three hundred feet away from Anlong Village. He thought it should be very safe.
Second, he prides himself on being brave. He followed his father on the march and fought in battles when he was very young. He has personally gone to the battlefield and killed countless enemies without any fear at all.
Third, it didn't matter even if Fan Zhongyan agreed to come out. The two sides were in the middle of the formation, shouting from a distance, and there were personal guards holding shields. He didn't have to worry about the enemy firing cold arrows, but he could tentatively see if he could catch Fan Zhongyan.
If you catch Fan Zhongyan, it will be worth it. It will be worth more than ten mountains meeting Weiliang.
Even if the Song Army did not agree to his request, it would not matter. If the other side retreated into the city, he could spread the word that the Song Army was a coward and did not dare to come out. This would boost the morale of the army, whether it was to send troops to attack or retreat. , it can be considered as easy as a breeze.
So all things considered, Li Yuanhao has considered it very carefully, and it is beneficial to him in every aspect.
After receiving the order, the knight galloped back to Anlong Village, shouted Li Yuanhao's request to the city wall once, then turned his horse's head and left quickly.
Fan Zhongyan listened from above and suddenly began to think.
To go or not to go?
If he goes, there's no telling if Li Yuanhao has any conspiracy.
But if I don’t go, won’t I lose the reputation of the Song Dynasty?
While hesitating, Wang Deyong said: "My husband doesn't care what he does. If he wants to come, let him bring his own army. My husband must not take any risks."
"I'm not afraid of danger, and there's nothing dangerous. I just have two grenades in my waist."
Fan Zhongyan frowned and said, "I'm just wondering what's the point of going. I think Li Yuanhao is here to talk to me about Shan Yu Weiliang in detail. If I kill him directly, will Xixia collapse and destroy the country?"
"My husband plans to blow him up with a grenade?"
Wang Deyong said in surprise.
Fan Zhongyan said with a smile: "This beast brought a large army and swaggered into our territory of the Song Dynasty. Even if he was killed by me in front of the battle, it would be a legitimate thing. I am not a pedantic person, and I will not engage in any talks between the two countries. Don’t use weapons.”
"But there are dangers in being a husband like this."
Wang Deyong had seen the power of grenades, so he said politely: "If the distance is too close, the subordinate will be worried."
"It doesn't matter, I'll go out and meet this guy for a while."
As Fan Zhongyan spoke, he winked at Di Qing and the others. Di Qing, Zhang Yu, Zhe Jimin and other young officers immediately understood and put a few grenades on their waists, and then followed Lao Fan down the wall of the village.
Over there, when Li Yuanhao saw the gate of Anlong Village open, he knew that Fan Zhongyan actually dared to come out. He sneered in his heart that he was indeed a scholar of the Song Dynasty, but he was pedantic and did not know how to adapt.
He deliberately stayed outside the range of the bed crossbow and was surrounded by Iron Kites soldiers, just so that if the negotiation collapsed, he would take action immediately.
Although I don’t know if I can catch Fan Zhongyan, but if I do, the price-performance ratio will be too high.
When the time comes, the Song Dynasty will definitely pay a high price to exchange Fan Zhongyan back. He can ask for a huge price, extort money and food from the Song Dynasty, etc., and also force the Song Dynasty to send Shan Yu Weiliang back.
However, what Li Yuanhao obviously didn't know was that he had slandered Fan Zhongyan's body. Why didn't Fan Zhongyan want his life? He thought he was thoughtful, but he didn't know about grenades.
Fan Zhongyan felt that if he could simply kill Li Yuanhao, it would be much easier than continuing to fight the Song-Xia war later. Once Li Yuanhao died, I am afraid that the huge kingdom he had worked so hard to build would fall apart in an instant.
By then, the only enemy of the Song Dynasty would be the Liao Kingdom.
The Xixia army here slowly retreated, and on a hillside in the center of the formation, only Li Yuanhao and thirty armored cavalry were left watching condescendingly.
Seeing this scene, Fan Zhongyan frowned.
The opponent was on a hillside, and the grenade was originally not far away. An ordinary person could throw it seven to eight feet, which is considered good. Even a well-trained bombardier could throw it about ten feet.
As a result, Li Yuanhao was still at a high place, but it was much harder than throwing it to the ground. Fan Zhongyan was thinking about how to get closer?
The two sides slowly approached.
When they reached about seventeen or eighty feet, Li Yuanhao's soldiers shouted: "Stop!"
Fan Zhongyan had no choice but to rein in his horse and stop.
Because the opponent had raised crossbows in their hands, and the Song Army raised their shields, it seemed to be disadvantageous to the Song Army if they continued to move forward.
But even in such an unfavorable situation, Song Jun continued to move forward without obeying the other party's orders. Obviously something was wrong.
So in order to prevent Li Yuanhao from noticing, Fan Zhongyan had to follow the other party's instructions.
Li Yuanhao, on the other hand, had doubts in his eyes.
Under normal circumstances, he would definitely want the two sides to be as close as possible, so that he can catch the other side off guard.
But when he got closer, he discovered that the Song army did not bring any crossbows, and each of them had bulging bags on their waists. The Song soldiers also had their hands on their waists, as if they were hiding something.
This made Li Yuanhao suspicious.
When something goes wrong, there must be a monster.
He had a suspicious character to begin with, and Song Jun's strange behavior made him be cautious and not allow the two sides to get too close.
After all, compared to catching Fan Zhongyan, his own safety is the most important thing.
"Fan Xianggong!"
Li Yuanhao came out of the crowd, reined in his horse on the hillside, and shouted condescendingly: "You have been in Shaanxi for almost two years. We often write letters, and now this is the first time we meet."
While assessing the distance, Fan Zhongyan responded casually: "What the king said is that the Song Dynasty and Xixia are good neighbors and friendly. I wonder what the king wants to do when he suddenly brings so many soldiers and horses into our Song Dynasty today?"
Li Yuanhao said: "My subordinate encountered Weiliang in the mountains, rebelled and defected, and ran to the territory of Song Dynasty, so I hope that my husband can hand him over."
"oh?"
Fan Zhongyan smiled and said, "But I have never seen this person before."
"My husband is joking."
Li Yuanhao said with an ugly face: "Someone saw him fleeing into the Song Dynasty with his own eyes and was picked up by your army."
It seems that there are exquisite Xixia works all over the border of the Song Dynasty.
Fan Zhongyan frowned.
Although he has withdrawn the outer fortresses, strengthened the walls and cleared the fields, and carried out strategic defense contraction.
But there are still a large number of Hu and Han people living on the border between Xixia and Song Dynasty.
There are Dangxiang people, Qiang and Di people, and Han people.
They trade with each other and live in the surrounding hills and mountains. Fan Zhongyan cannot expel or move everyone back to the pass.
Therefore, it was normal for Li Yuanhao's careful work to discover Shan Yu Weiliang's traces and report them to him.
Thinking of this, Fan Zhongyan no longer denied it, but said: "General Shanyu came to surrender sincerely, and I have accepted him. If I make friends with the Song Dynasty, where will the majesty of the Song Dynasty be?"
"This is my own domestic matter in Daxia. I also hope that my husband will do it for your convenience and not interfere in our national affairs."
Li Yuanhao's tone became more and more unkind: "If my husband insists on not making friends, I don't know if you can bear the responsibility of provoking a war with Daxia."
"Is your Majesty threatening me?"
Fan Zhongyan also sneered: "You brought so many soldiers and horses and broke into our territory of the Song Dynasty without permission. You are already provoking a war. I advise you to leave, don't make any mistakes!"
Seeing that they couldn't reach an agreement, Li Yuanhao's eyes became colder and colder. He looked Fan Zhongyan up and down, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly turned his horse and left without hesitation.
This was beyond Fan Zhongyan's expectation. He instinctively touched his waist to get something, but in the end he did not take out the grenade.
Because the distance between the two sides was already far, and now Li Yuanhao did not advance but retreated, he left directly. The grenade could not be thrown at all. Throwing it now would expose the secret weapon, and the gain would outweigh the loss.
Forget it.
Fan Zhongyan could only look at Li Yuanhao's leaving figure with regret, and then turned his horse back.
(End of chapter)
