Chapter 815 Talents are rare
"Your Highness, does the Khan mean to use Liu Xunyi's head as a sacrifice to Hulan?"

"Hulan died unjustly. We will not be human beings if we don't avenge him!"

"We will make Liu Xunyi pay for his blood debt with blood!"

"Hulan was a warrior of the Wanggu tribe. He should have died fighting for the Khan. But he died in the hands of a Han Chinese today. It is totally unjust!"

"Liu Xunyi used despicable means to sneak attack Hu Lan, which cannot be counted at all!"

At night, when the mentally exhausted Hu Lie returned to the camp from Wan'an Palace, Wang Dechen and seven or eight Wanggu warriors who had been waiting for a long time could not wait to surround him. They were all filled with anger and fury, and they all demanded an explanation from Hu Lie.

At this time, they all tied a white cloth on their heads to show their mourning for Hulan.

"Enter the account first!"

Hu Lie turned a deaf ear to everyone's complaints, pointed to the central army tent, and said calmly: "I have been busy running around since the end of the 'Nadam Festival', and I am very tired now. Can you allow me to go into the tent to drink some water and take a breath?"

"This……"

After hearing this, several warriors of the Wanggu tribe looked at each other in bewilderment. At Wang Dechen's signal, they slowly made way for him.

"General Wang, what does the prince mean? He..."

"You wait outside. No one is allowed to act rashly without my order!" Wang Dechen waved his hand impatiently and chased after Hu Lie without looking back.

"Your Highness, the Khan..."

Inside the tent, Hu Lie took the wet towel handed to him by Yin Zhan, wiped his face a few times, and then picked up the water bag and drank it all in one gulp. When he felt a little less tired, he cast a meaningful look at Wang Dechen who was hesitant to speak, and said with a smile: "Why does a mere Hu Lan make our General Wang so impatient?"

"Your Highness, Hulan is not an ordinary person. Let's not talk about his status in the Wanggu tribe, just talk about his importance in the Khan's heart..."

"What weight?" Hu Lie frowned, pretending to be unhappy. "He met the Khan for the first time today, what weight can it have?"

"This……"

"Moreover, how can a defeated general have the face to discuss his weight in front of the Khan and me?"

Gradually noticing Hu Lie's abnormality, Wang Dechen was secretly shocked and thought, "What the prince means is... Hu Lan's death is not a pity?"

"That can't be said," Hu Lie corrected him. "Hulan was, after all, a brave warrior of the grasslands, and a talent highly recommended by your General Wang. How can his death not be a cause for regret?"

"What exactly is the prince up to?" Wang Dechen was stunned. "Why do I feel more confused the more I listen? Should Hulan... die?"

"Hulan should not die, but he should die." Hu Lie sighed, "He should not die because Hulan was in his prime and should have made great contributions to the Khan and Mongolia. It is a pity that he died tragically today. He should die because the rules of the competition have long been established. There is no limit on time, venue, or moves. If Hulan had not underestimated the enemy, how could Liu Xunyi have taken advantage of him? What's more, you instigated Hulan to kill Liu Xunyi in public today, but Liu Xunyi killed you in return... It's obvious that you shot yourself in the foot, and no one can do anything about it."

"That being said, though..."

"This competition is fair. We cannot allow Hulan to kill Liu Xunyi but not Liu Xunyi to kill Hulan." Hu Lie interrupted, "Today, not only the leaders of various tribes and alliances are watching the competition, but also many foreign envoys. Do you want the world to laugh at us Mongols for being able to win but not lose?"

"This..." Hu Lie's words hit the nail on the head, and Wang Dechen was speechless.

"The Khan and I have considered it over and over again, and we believe that although Liu Xunyi's moves are somewhat vulgar, they do not violate the rules set in advance." Hu Lie said expressionlessly, "Therefore, you Wanggu tribe should not pursue Hulan's death any further, so as not to give others a handle against you."

"Since the Khan and the prince have made the decision, we in the Wanggu tribe naturally have nothing to say." Wang Dechen nodded dejectedly, "I wanted to use the opportunity of the martial arts competition to eliminate the trouble for the prince forever, but the result is..."

"Dechen, how could I not know what you are thinking?" Hu Lie's expression eased, and he said with emotion, "But some things need to be left to nature, and not be rushed."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Even if Liu Xunyi returns alive, he will still be dead..."

"Forget it!" Hu Lie changed the subject, "Let's talk business first. In today's competition, Liu Xunyi and his team won two out of three games. According to the previous agreement, I will not covet the territory of the Song Dynasty anymore. As the saying goes, 'A man of honor cannot go back on his word'. Since I promised them, I should keep my word and do what I said."

"Your Majesty's words are law, of course, but in this case... I'm afraid that only 100,000 dan of rice will not be able to solve the predicament of our southern army." Wang Dechen hesitated, "If we don't find a way to raise food, I'm worried that... there will be a mutiny."

As soon as these words came out, a cold look suddenly flashed in Hu Lie's eyes.

"According to our original plan, send a message to Anchen and Suizuo, ordering them to lead people south in the name of collecting grain during the autumn harvest." Hu Lie was determined and ordered slowly, "After entering the Song Dynasty, Anchen will negotiate the handover matters with the Song government. Suizuo will lead people to Xingyuan, Xiangyang, and Jiankang to quickly collect grain. If necessary, there will be some friction with the Song Dynasty's border defense, and all the consequences will be borne by this king."

Although Hu Lie kept saying "raising food", in fact the method of "raising food" still could not avoid the word "robbing".

Just as Liu Xunyi said to Su He from the bottom of his heart, this competition was a matter of life and death for the Song Dynasty, but it was an insignificant farce for Mongolia.

After all, no matter whether Liu Xunyi wins or loses, Hu Lie has no intention of missing out on the autumn harvest of the three prefectures of Xingyuan this year.

"In this case, Liu Xunyi will surely die." Wang Dechen sneered, "When the war breaks out in the three prefectures of Xingyuan, the court will definitely regard Liu Xunyi as a traitor who colluded with foreign countries, and will cut him into pieces."

"Just like Liu Xunyi used a despicable move to kill Hu Lan, in this game of life and death, no one needs to pretend to be a gentleman, and no one needs to care about the means."

"I wonder what the Khan's attitude is on this matter..."

"The Khan's idea is bolder than yours and mine." Hu Lie raised his eyebrows, and his tone gradually became strange. "The Khan doesn't care about the gains and losses of a state or a prefecture, and he is not even interested in how we raise military rations. What he cares about... is Liu Xunyi and Li Haitang."

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?" "It is not my intention, but the Khan's."

"This..." Wang Dechen was stunned. He looked at Hu Lie, who was very secretive, and asked tentatively, "What does the Khan mean?"

"The Khan did not issue any clear edict, but he repeatedly mentioned four words when he mentioned Liu Xunyi and Li Haitang."

"What four words?"

“Talent is hard to come by!”

"hiss!"

Just these one sentence made Wang Dechen unable to suppress his inner shock any longer. He subconsciously took a breath of cold air, and his eyes were indescribably complicated.

Although the Mongol Khan only mentioned that "talent is rare", the profound meaning contained in it is not simple at all.

Hu Lie and Wang Dechen were both extremely intelligent people, how could they not understand the true intention of the Mongol Khan?

The phrase "talents are hard to come by" is enough to show that the Mongolian Khan wants to win over Liu Xunyi and Li Haitang and persuade them to surrender. It seems that their performance at the "Nadam" today has deeply touched the heart of the Mongolian Khan.

"No wonder! No wonder!" Wang Dechen suddenly realized, "No wonder the Khan was so indifferent to Hulan's death. It turns out... he wanted to win over Liu Xunyi."

"The Khan's love for talent is truly moving, but he knows nothing about Liu Xunyi and Li Haitang." Hu Lie said with a wry smile, "The Khan knows that people's minds are unpredictable, so he did not make a holy decision, but instead handed the matter over to me to decide."

"Great Khan Holy Ming!"

"The Khan is wise, but I want to ask for your opinion." Hu Lie stared at Wang Dechen, who was feeling mixed emotions, and asked with interest, "Do you think we should win over Liu Xunyi and Li Haitang?"

"This……"

Wang Dechen was stunned and thought for a long time but didn't know how to start.

"There are no outsiders here, so you can speak your mind."

At Hu Lie's urging, the frustrated Wang Dechen tore off the white cloth on his head, hesitated for a long time, and then slowly spoke: "I have to admit that Liu Xunyi and Li Haitang... are indeed rare talents. If they can be recruited into the army, especially under the prince's enlightened policy towards the Han people, their future will definitely be bright. Similarly, if the prince can get their assistance, it will undoubtedly be like adding wings to a tiger, and icing on the cake."

"You mean... to win them over?"

"No!" Wang Dechen's eyes straightened and he denied it. "Although talents are hard to come by, people's hearts are even harder to come by. Let's not talk about Li Haitang, let's just talk about Liu Xunyi. You and I have all witnessed his loyalty to the Song Dynasty. It would be extremely difficult to persuade him to surrender."

"Yes!" Hu Lie nodded without denying it. "What if we fail to win him over and he ridicules us instead? Wouldn't that make us laugh? Perhaps... this is also the reason why the Khan is unwilling to speak out."

"For the Khan and the prince, whether or not they can win over Liu Xunyi is a minor matter, but losing face is a major issue." Wang Dechen echoed, "Although I haven't had much contact with Liu Xunyi, judging from his performance in the past few days, he is clearly a foolish loyalist to the Song Dynasty. What's more..."

Having said this, Wang Dechen's voice stopped abruptly, and a hint of weirdness emerged in his eyes.

"What's more?" Hu Lie became curious and asked anxiously.

"What's more, even if he agrees to surrender, we will never accept it!"

"Why?"

"Your Highness, don't forget how the leader of the Central Plains martial arts world died?" Wang Dechen said disdainfully, "It was because Liu Xunyi was lurking beside Luo Tianjin as a traitor that the Song Dynasty was able to defeat the well-established Xianwang Mansion in one fell swoop. As the saying goes, 'If you are disloyal once, you will never be employed again.' Liu Xunyi is a despicable villain who is best at using his mind and cheating others. If he agrees to surrender, there is a high probability that he has evil intentions, and he might jump out and bite us back one day."

Wang Dechen's words awakened Hu Lie from his dream, and at the same time, he was still frightened by his secret sympathy for Liu Xunyi. He nodded slowly with a serious mind and said, "There are so many talented people in the world. The Khan and I don't need to take the risk of winning over Liu Xunyi."

"No matter how capable Liu Xunyi is, if he is not loyal, all his talk is in vain." Wang Dechen said, "What's more, Mongolia is the most powerful country in the world, and talented people from all over the world come here to join it. Why should the Khan and the prince care about little Liu Xunyi and Li Haitang?"

"You are right, my Lord!" Hu Lie said righteously, "A thousand-mile dam is destroyed by an ant hole. I will never let Liu Xunyi become a scourge around me, and I will never repeat the mistakes of Luo Tianjin. I have made up my mind. I will never try to win over Liu Xunyi and Li Haitang. Tomorrow, you and I will go to the palace together to meet the Khan and explain the pros and cons to him."

"Your Majesty, please understand!"

In fact, Hu Lie rejected this matter so easily and directly. Although Wang Dechen’s reminder was important, the more important reason was buried deep in his heart.

From the beginning to the end, Hu Lie did not have the slightest affection for Liu Xunyi, and even felt a little repulsed, and did not want to keep him by his side.

Although Hu Lie would never admit it, the root of the problem... was nothing more than his sensitivity towards Zhao Xin.

Wang Dechen also had a clear understanding of this matter, but he did not mention Zhao Xin at all when he was advising.

First, he acknowledged Liu Xunyi's talent to cater to the Mongolian Khan's vision. Then, he used Liu Xunyi's past misdeeds to discredit him, which not only satisfied Hu Lie's inner thoughts, but also gave him a reasonable step to explain to the Mongolian Khan.

Wang Dechen's cunningness can be seen from his ability to guess his superior's intentions, share his master's worries, and use the ways of a minister to perfection.

……

(End of this chapter)