Chapter 783 Mongolian Prince (I)

Thanks to Zhao Xin's efforts to turn the tide, the conflict between Liu Xunyi and Long Yu that was on the verge of breaking out was temporarily resolved.

Although he was resentful of the Mongolian Khan's rudeness, "returning home" was just an angry remark from Liu Xunyi. After all, the marriage was related to the peace between Song and Mongolia, so how could he arbitrarily deviate from the emperor's "peace" policy just because of Long Yu's ridicule?
As the saying goes, "When you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head." Now that he had arrived in Helin, even if Liu Xunyi was resentful, he could not force his way into Wan'an Palace, let alone force the powerful Mongolian Khan to meet him.

Therefore, under Zhao Xin's "peaceful settlement" and Su He's consolation, the indignant Liu Xunyi and others had to give up the idea of ​​meeting the Mongolian Khan and followed Long Yu to Hu Lie's camp.

Along the way, no one had the leisure to appreciate the exotic scenery of Helin. Everyone was heavy-hearted and looked gloomy.

Hu Lie's camp was located about two miles outside of Horqin City. On the vast grassland, dozens of yurts of different sizes were scattered around.

There was a fence outside, with watchtowers at the four corners. Soldiers with bows and crossbows kept sentry duty day and night, and soldiers with swords and knives patrolled alternately below. In front of the camp gate stood a row of stakes, with more than a dozen sturdy men in armor standing on the left and right, guarding the camp strictly.

Although this camp was located in the heart of Mongolia, its defensive posture was no different from that of a garrison camp during foreign campaigns, except that its scale was much smaller than that of a garrison camp with tens of thousands of troops.

After all, this camp was only used when Hu Lie returned to Khorin to report, and the soldiers living in the camp were all Hu Lie's trusted guards, totaling only a few hundred people. They came and went with him, and were not stationed here all year round.

In fact, Hu Lie had a large and magnificent official residence in Khara-Khara, but he never lived in it. He even did not allow people to waste energy and financial resources to repair and clean it. Over time, it almost became dilapidated.

When asked why, Hu Lie only said that he had been leading troops outside for many years and was used to eating and living with the soldiers. If he did not hear the drums for a day, he would lose his appetite and feel uncomfortable. Therefore, letting him live in a red pavilion and enjoy wealth and splendor would be a torture, far less comfortable than sleeping on horseback.

He did not live in a palace, was not greedy for gold and silver, did not fight for titles and rewards, and was not obsessed with power... Such a unique "Mongol prince" was deeply trusted and appreciated by the Mongolian Khan. He was often praised by other powerful nobles for his "hard work and thrift, no laziness and no waste, and he was one of the few descendants of Temujin's family who maintained the temperament of his ancestors.

Because of this, Hu Lie was deeply loved and respected in the Mongolian army. The southern army he led was one of the most powerful armies in Mongolia, and was not inferior to the famous western army. It could be called "the king of kings".

After many twists and turns, it was not until noon that Long Yu finally led Liu Xunyi and his party to Hu Lie's camp.

Before the leading Long Yu could steady his horse, a man in armor and with a scimitar on his waist came forward with his men in big strides.

The leader was about thirty years old, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, a strong build, a majestic demeanor and an extraordinary bearing. From his resolute eyes, dark skin, calluses on his hands and two shocking scars on his face, it was not difficult to guess that he must be a brave warrior who had experienced many vicissitudes of life and had been on the battlefield for a long time.

"Are the people coming here the princess and the envoys from the Song court?"

As he got closer, the man's eyes swept past Long Yu and the Mongolian soldiers and went straight to Liu Xunyi and Zhao Xin who were at the back of the team.

"Exactly!"

As Liu Xunyi answered loudly, he, Feng Tianba, Li Haitang and others surrounded Zhao Xin and came to the camp gate like stars surrounding the moon.

"General Yin Zhan pays homage to the princess!"

Upon seeing Zhao Xin, Yin Zhan's eyes suddenly straightened, and he led everyone to kneel on the ground, kowtowed to Zhao Xin respectfully.

"Yin Zhan?" Zhao Xin frowned slightly and asked hesitantly, "Your last name is 'Yin'? Could it be..."

"Princess, please understand. I am a Han Chinese!" Yin Zhan said bluntly, "I am honored to serve as your lieutenant general. I am here on your orders to welcome you and the envoys from the Song Dynasty."

"You are Han Chinese?" Feng Tianba was shocked and asked in disbelief, "But how could you ..."

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and he has recruited many talented people from all over the world. I am not the only Han Chinese under his command." Yin Zhan seemed to have guessed Feng Tianba's thoughts, so he interrupted, "Although I am a Han Chinese, I have followed Your Majesty for more than ten years, and I have already sworn my loyalty to you until death."

"you……"

"Ahem!" Before Feng Tianba could express his anger, Liu Xunyi suddenly coughed twice, interrupting him and bowing to Yin Zhan. "I am Liu Xunyi, the 'Song Dynasty Marriage Envoy', and I am here to escort the princess!"

"It turns out to be Mr. Liu, disrespectful!"

Yin Zhan returned the greeting with a bow, and then looked up and down at Feng Tianba, Li Haitang, Ding Qinghong and the others, and finally cast his gaze on Long Yu, saying loudly: "The prince has ordered that the camp is too small to accommodate so many people and horses, and ordered you to leave all the accompanying soldiers, carriages, and baggage outside the camp, and you will accompany the princess into the camp on foot."

Long Yu took the order to organize the army, and then entered the camp with Liu Xunyi and others.

The layout of the camp was similar to Sui Zuo's Jingbei camp, and it attracted countless curious eyes wherever it passed. Especially when they saw the graceful Zhao Xin and Pan Yuyin, all the soldiers stopped to watch with surprise on their faces.

A moment later, the group arrived outside the central military tent.

"You all have come from afar, and you must be exhausted. I have prepared some milk, wine and barbecue. Please come into the tent and rest!"

Before Yin Zhan could report, a steady, deep, yet elegant voice suddenly came from the tent.

"Everyone, please come in!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhan hurriedly opened the tent curtain and let everyone into the tent.

Su He, Long Yu and Ya Kun entered the account first without hesitation, followed by the carefree Feng Tianba, the trembling Li Haitang, the expressionless Ding Qinghong, the slightly shy Wu Chan and the anxious Pan Yuyin, and finally the confused Zhao Xin and Liu Xunyi with mixed feelings.

In the central army tent, the person sitting at the head was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a copper hat with a golden top, a tuft of black hair hanging in front of his forehead, and a braid on each side, hanging down on his shoulders, a typical Mongolian three-piece hairstyle. His clothes and appearance were exactly the same as Wang Xutong in the past, but his figure was far from being as bloated as Wang Xutong's, on the contrary, he was very strong.

He has big ears, big eyes, big mouth, teeth like shells, eyes like pearls. His skin color is not as dark as that of a person who lives in the open air all year round, nor is it full of pits as imagined, on the contrary, it is surprisingly white. There is neither the ferocity and violence left over from years of killing, nor the arrogance and domineering formed by years of high position. His expression is neither humble nor arrogant, but unexpectedly calm and gentle, especially his pair of extremely deep phoenix eyes, which exude a sense of maturity, shrewdness, calmness and sophistication that seems to be able to see through people's hearts.

Although he does not have the arrogant aura of intimidation without even getting angry, the composure in his every move is far more important than the intimidation without even getting angry.

At first glance, this man doesn't look like a general commanding thousands of troops to capture cities. Instead, he looks like a mature and experienced Confucian scholar with strategies in his mind.

This mighty Wuhan man, who is a master of both military and literary skills, is none other than the younger brother of the current Mongol Khan, the prince in charge of the military and state affairs of the Han area south of the desert, and the man Zhao Xin is about to entrust her life to, Hu Lie.

It is worth mentioning that, in addition to Hu Lie, there was also a young general in his thirties sitting next to him in the tent. He was tall and strong, had a dignified appearance, and was awe-inspiring.

This man's name is equally well-known and frightening. He is a trusted general of the Mongol Khan, a general who can compete with Mongol warriors such as Hulagu, Uriankhai, and Alihaya at a young age, Wang Dechen.

Now, Wang Dechen and his 100,000 elite troops are affiliated with the southern army, and are known as Hu Lie's right-hand man together with Wulianghetai.

Wang Dechen's 100,000 elite troops were completely different from Sui Zuo's 50,000 soldiers. All of his men were battle-hardened and ready to die. Their combat power was second to none even among all the Mongolian armies.

In contrast, the 50,000 troops in the Jingbei camp looked like a mob. Ironically, even facing the 50,000 "mobs" of Sui Zuo, the Song army was still timid and incapable of fighting.

The difference in strength between the two countries is obvious.

Not long ago, the Mongolian army defeated the Dali army, and Wang Dechen took the lead and made great contributions.

Today, Wang Dechen came here to discuss with Hu Lie how to punish Sui Zuo, who has repeatedly failed in his work, as well as other Han affairs. It was purely a coincidence that he met Zhao Xin and Liu Xunyi at this moment.

After entering the big tent, Long Yu and Su He were the first to bow to Hu Lie and Wang Dechen, followed by Liu Xunyi and others.

When Hu Lie saw Zhao Xin for the first time, a gleam of light quietly emerged in his eyes that were originally as calm as water, as if he was surprised, curious, amazed, and satisfied...

He looked at Zhao Xin without any reservation, completely ignoring the strange looks from others, and stared at the upset Zhao Xin, making her feel embarrassed and annoyed, and at a loss as to what to do.

Seeing this scene, Liu Xunyi felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife, extremely bitter, but he could do nothing about it. He did not want to ruin Zhao Xin's selfless act because of his momentary impulse.

"Are you Zhao Xin?"

After a long silence, Hu Lie suddenly spoke, which caught Zhao Xin off guard and frightened her so much that her face changed.

"Yes."

When Zhao Xin met Hu Lie for the first time, she knew nothing about his temper, so she had to be extremely cautious in her words and actions.

"My beloved concubine, you have had a hard time on this journey. I have arranged for you to have maids and servants. If you need anything, please feel free to ask. I will grant it to you."

Hu Lie was a Mongolian man after all, and although he had studied Confucian culture for many years, his unconventional nature had never changed. Even though Zhao Xin was still in a state of restraint and uneasiness, Hu Lie did not hesitate to call her "my beloved concubine". Such frankness made Liu Xunyi and other Han people secretly smack their lips.

"This……"

However, faced with Hu Lie's enthusiasm, Zhao Xin seemed a little hesitant, as if at a loss.

"What's the matter?" Hu Lie frowned and asked, "Does my beloved concubine think that there is something wrong with my arrangement?"

"No!" Zhao Xin was shocked and replied hastily, "There is nothing wrong with the prince's arrangement, but... there is one thing we haven't clarified yet."

"What's the matter?"

"General Long said... the Mongolian Khan believes that the Song Dynasty is not worthy of establishing diplomatic relations with Mongolia and is only worthy of being your vassal state, so he avoided us." Although Zhao Xin had been trying to calm herself down, she still couldn't help but feel nervous in front of the powerful Hu Lie, and her words became more and more timid. "May I ask, Your Majesty, I wonder... is this true or false?"

Hearing this, Hu Lie was slightly stunned, and then he turned his hesitant eyes to the terrified Long Yu. Before he could open his mouth to explain, Hu Lie suddenly waved his hand and said seriously: "It's fake! It's pure nonsense. The Khan has no intention of underestimating the Song Dynasty."

"Can……"

"Long Yu spoke nonsense, so he will be punished with a hundred military sticks as a warning to others!" Hu Lie did not give Zhao Xin a chance to ask more questions, and said in a deep voice, "If anyone dares to speak nonsense and distort the Khan's edict in the future, I will never forgive him."

"Yes, sir!" Long Yu and Su He responded in unison.

"My beloved, Long Yu has admitted his fault and has been severely punished by me. I wonder if you are satisfied? If not, I can hand him over to you for disposal..."

"Your Majesty is very perceptive and impartial. I believe that what happened today was just a misunderstanding..."

"That's great! My beloved concubine must be exhausted from all the hard work, haha..." Hu Lie's attitude seemed approachable, and his tone sounded negotiable, but he spoke incessantly, leaving no room for Zhao Xin to refute him. "Military, political, and civilian affairs, and the peace between the two countries, these are all things a man should do. You are my woman, and you can enjoy wealth and honor in the future. Don't worry about other things, I will solve them for you. Right now, I have something to discuss with the Song envoy, my beloved concubine... go and have a rest first!"

……

(End of this chapter)