Chapter 725
I will show Gongsun Yuan what war is!
After a moment's thought, a glint of light flashed in Xiao He's eyes. He stopped worrying about the veracity of the speculation and immediately made his decision:
"Regardless of whether that person is Gongsun Yuan or not, as long as there is even a slight possibility, we must prepare a foolproof plan."
"If he really is Gongsun Yuan, then this is a golden opportunity bestowed upon us by heaven. Next time we fight, we must capture him alive and take him hostage."
“Gongsun Yuan is Gongsun Kang’s biological son. I don’t believe that Gongsun Kang would disregard the safety of his own offspring.”
"At that time, we will be able to use Gongsun Yuan as a hostage to restrain him and force him to submit."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement and said in unison:
"Grand Marshal's insight is brilliant!"
Just then, a scout entered the tent and reported:
"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, this humble general has ascertained that the Liao army commander who came to attack the city today is none other than Gongsun Yuan, the son of Gongsun Kang, and his deputy is Xu Kuan."
Upon hearing the scout's report, everyone in the tent exchanged knowing smiles.
Deng Ai's prediction was indeed correct; the reckless Liao army commander today was none other than Gongsun Yuan, the son of Gongsun Kang.
The opportunity to capture Gongsun Yuan alive is now very close.
Just as everyone was discussing, the tent flap was lifted again, and a soldier reported:
"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, dinner is ready. Please enjoy it with yourselves, Grand Marshal and all the generals."
Upon hearing this, Xiao He waved his hand:
"Okay, bring it up."
"Here!"
Before long, several soldiers entered the tent one after another, carrying steaming dishes and jugs of fine wine into the tent and placing them on the table in front of everyone.
The aroma was enticing, instantly dispelling the fatigue inside the tent.
Xiao He picked up the wine pot in front of him, poured himself a full cup, then gestured for everyone else to pour, and said with a smile:
"Today our army has won a great victory, defeating the vanguard of the Liao army and blunting Gongsun Yuan's momentum. This is a great joy."
"Let's continue discussing our next steps while we eat, and also celebrate today's victory!"
Everyone responded in unison, filled their glasses with wine, raised them with both hands, and focused their attention on Xiao He.
Xiao He raised his glass first and drank the wine in one gulp.
Everyone downed their drinks, and the fatigue of the past few days dissipated.
The group then picked up their bowls and chopsticks and, while enjoying their dinner, continued to discuss the subsequent battle plans.
...
Deep within the Liao army camp, in a makeshift commander's tent, candlelight flickered.
Gongsun Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, the dull pain in his forehead still lingering, but his consciousness gradually cleared.
He blinked blankly before realizing he was lying on a cot, covered with a fur coat that felt cold.
After a moment of confusion, everything that had happened before flooded back into my mind like a tidal wave.
Xu Kuan's heavy blow, and the disappointment and determination in the other's eyes before he fainted, all flashed before his eyes.
Gongsun Yuan sat up abruptly, veins throbbing on his forehead, and he forced out a furious shout through clenched teeth:
"Xu Kuan! Come in here!"
Hearing the angry shout from inside the tent, the guards standing at the entrance immediately tensed up and, without daring to delay, hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered.
"Your Highness is awake. What are your orders?"
Gongsun Yuan looked down at the two men from his high vantage point, his anger undiminished.
"Where is Xu Kuan? I'm asking you, where is Xu Kuan!"
His gaze was like a knife, sending chills down the spines of the two guards, who dared not even lift their heads.
One soldier swallowed hard, his voice barely audible:
"Your Highness, General Xu is currently on the west side of the camp, organizing soldiers to build defensive fortifications, tidying up tents, and counting the casualties of this battle, as well as settling the wounded..."
"Send him to see me immediately! Right now! Immediately!"
Before the guard could finish speaking, Gongsun Yuan interrupted him sharply, his roar causing the tent to tremble slightly.
He slammed his hand on the low table beside the bed and roared:
"Tell him that if he dares to delay even for a moment, I, the young master, will not forgive him!"
"Yes, yes! I'll go right away!"
The two guards responded immediately, scrambling to their feet and bowing as they left the tent.
The two dared not linger for even a moment, and ran all the way to find Xu Kuan.
The tent returned to silence.
Gongsun Yuan sat on the couch, his chest heaving violently, the image of being knocked unconscious by Xu Kuan replaying in his mind, his anger growing wildly.
Before long, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the tent, indicating that Xu Kuan had arrived.
The curtain was lifted, and Xu Kuan walked in, looking up at Gongsun Yuan on the couch with a calm and unwavering expression.
He showed neither respect nor apology, but simply spoke in a flat tone:
"The prince has woken up."
This calm tone instantly ignited all the pent-up anger in Gongsun Yuan's heart.
He stood up abruptly, rushed to Xu Kuan, pointed at his nose, and shouted angrily:
"Xu Kuan! What kind of attitude is this?! How dare you speak to me, the Crown Prince of Liao, in such a tone? Do you even respect me as the Crown Prince of Liao?"
Xu Kuan looked down at the hand that Gongsun Yuan was pointing at, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, but he remained silent, simply standing there quietly, letting Gongsun Yuan vent his anger.
This silence, in Gongsun Yuan's view, was an even more blatant provocation.
Seeing this, Gongsun Yuan's anger intensified, his chest heaving violently, and his tone becoming increasingly sharp:
"Speak up! How dare you ambush me, this young master, and lay a hand on me?"
"I ask you, have you taken Huyang City? You failed to capture the city, yet you dared to attack me, the heir apparent! How dare you!"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and all the anger in his body poured out.
Xu Kuan slowly raised his eyes, looking calmly at Gongsun Yuan, without anger or fear, only deep disappointment.
He recalled Gongsun Yuan's chaotic commands on the battlefield, and the soldiers who died because of his pointless orders. His disappointment in this pampered and arrogant prince deepened.
He felt that even making an explanation was unnecessary.
Seeing that Xu Kuan remained silent, as if his angry words had only hit a cotton ball, Gongsun Yuan's anger burned even more fiercely.
He went from criticizing Xu Kuan's rudeness to his incompetence, and then to his blatant disrespect and treason, each word harsh and sarcastic.
This angry outburst lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before Gongsun Yuan gradually felt his mouth dry and his throat hoarse. His anger also subsided a little as his physical strength was depleted, and he finally stopped scolding.
He glanced at Xu Kuan, who remained standing there, his expression unchanged, and commanded:
"I've been cursing for so long, my throat is parched. Are you blind? Don't you know to pour me a glass of water?" Xu Kuan raised his eyes and said coldly.
"If Your Highness would like some water, please help yourself."
One sentence, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, left Gongsun Yuan stunned for a moment.
He stared at Xu Kuan in disbelief, as if he were seeing this person for the first time. The arrogance on his face froze instantly, then was replaced by a deeper rage.
"Xu Kuan! Who do you think you are?! How dare you disobey me?! You dare disobey my orders, are you planning a rebellion?!"
Gongsun Yuan stared wide-eyed at Xu Kuan, his eyes filled with murderous intent, as if he wanted to devour Xu Kuan alive.
Faced with Gongsun Yuan's rage and threats, Xu Kuan coldly replied:
"Your Highness, do you know how many people we lost in that battle just now?"
Before Gongsun Yuan could speak, he continued:
"Because of your reckless command, because of your arrogance, how many Liao soldiers shed their blood on the battlefield, how many compatriots returned to their homeland?"
"Do you know? After this battle, only Xun Shi survived among our generals; all the others perished on the battlefield!"
Xu Kuan stepped forward and questioned:
"Now, we have suffered heavy losses, Huyang City has not been captured, and our food supplies are running low. Do you know what we should do next?"
"Besides cursing and putting on airs like a prince, what else can you do?"
A barrage of questions struck Gongsun Yuan's heart like a heavy hammer.
He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, wanting to roar, but found that he couldn't utter a single word.
All the anger seemed so pale and powerless in the face of these cold facts.
In particular, the aura emanating from Xu Kuan at this moment was completely different from the respectful and obedient Xu Kuan of the past, making him feel uneasy.
Gongsun Yuan stood frozen in place, his face turning pale and then red, but he couldn't utter a single word.
His previous rage had vanished without a trace, leaving him bewildered. His eyes darted around, and he dared not meet Xu Kuan's gaze any longer.
Looking at his disheveled appearance, Xu Kuan's disappointment deepened:
"Your Highness, I advise you to return to Xiangping as soon as possible."
"What did you say?!"
Gongsun Yuan looked up abruptly, staring at Xu Kuan in disbelief, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
Then, blinded by rage, he shouted angrily:
"Say it again, Xu Kuan, how dare you send this young master away? You have some nerve!"
Xu Kuan was not afraid at all and warned:
“I advise you to go back, because you don’t know how to fight and you’re not qualified to command this army.”
"If you weren't the heir of the Gongsun family, or the son of the commander-in-chief, you would have died under the enemy's blade long ago, becoming a battlefield ghost, just based on your reckless command on the battlefield today."
“You don’t even have a chance to stand here and yell at me.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Kuan exuded a strong killing intent that instantly enveloped the entire tent.
Gongsun Yuan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, his whole body stiffened, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
This was the first time he had seen Xu Kuan like this; it seemed that if he dared to say another word, Xu Kuan would immediately take his life.
Gongsun Yuan trembled with fear, his previous arrogance vanished, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond, so he could only stare blankly at Xu Kuan.
Xu Kuan snorted coldly and said:
"Your Highness, I'm telling you one last time: if you want to stay in this military camp and on this battlefield, you must put away your princely airs, obey my orders absolutely, and stop giving orders recklessly and causing trouble."
"But if you don't want to follow my arrangements and continue to do things your own way, then please go back immediately and live a peaceful life as the crown prince."
"This is war, not a place for you to recklessly and childishly take your life."
After saying that, Xu Kuan didn't look at Gongsun Yuan again and turned to walk out of the tent.
Xu Kuan stepped out of Gongsun Yuan's tent, stopped, and turned to look at the two guards standing at the tent entrance:
"Keep a close eye on the young prince and never leave his side. If he shows any sign of leaving the camp or acting on his own, immediately send someone to report to me. There must be no mistake."
The two guards, having already experienced his rage earlier in the tent, dared not be negligent in the slightest and quickly bowed in response:
"I will certainly do my best to guard the post and will never be negligent!"
Xu Kuan said no more and turned to walk deeper into the camp.
At this moment, the Liao army camp was filled with the oppressive atmosphere of defeat.
The soldiers suffered a crushing defeat in the previous battle, with heavy casualties. Their former high morale had vanished, and they all looked dejected.
Xu Kuan hurried through the camp, instructing his soldiers to fortify the camp, guard against a surprise attack by the Han army, count the casualties, and collect the bodies of the fallen soldiers…
A familiar figure came into view.
Xun Shi was dragging his injured left leg, limping as he busied himself.
Noticing Xu Kuan's gaze, Xun Shi dragged his injured leg forward and asked:
"General Xu, we all heard you arguing with the Crown Prince in the tent just now, and we were worried that you would suffer a loss."
Xu Kuan waved his hand dismissively, saying:
"It's alright, I just explained the rules of the military camp to him, it's nothing serious."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Xun Shi's injured leg:
"How's your leg? Has the injury worsened? Why aren't you resting in your tent?"
Xun Shi smiled and gently patted his leg:
"It's nothing serious, just a superficial injury, it won't affect your ability to walk."
Xu Kuan sighed, a hint of regret creeping back into his eyes:
"I regret that I let Gongsun Yuan come along."
"He was ignorant of military affairs, arrogant and conceited, only thinking about taking credit, and gave reckless orders, which caused us to suffer heavy losses."
"More than ten thousand brothers lost their lives in vain, and of all the generals, only you and I are left alive."
Upon hearing this, Xun Shi couldn't help but agree:
"The Crown Prince has indeed gone too far. He only cares about his own selfish desires and insists on attacking Huyang City by force, without any regard for the lives of the soldiers."
"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in this situation."
Then, Xun Shi said again:
"General, it's too late for regrets now. In my opinion, it would be better to send the Crown Prince back directly, so that he can stay in the rear and live a peaceful life as the Crown Prince. Let him stay in the military camp and stop delaying important matters and giving orders indiscriminately."
Xu Kuan slowly raised his head and said, word by word:
“That’s exactly what I was thinking too, but I won’t force him to leave. If he can put away his princely airs, face reality, obediently follow my orders, and stop causing trouble, then I’ll let him stay in the military camp.”
"I'll let him see with his own eyes what real war is, and what it's like to lead troops into battle."
"But if he continues to act willfully, arrogantly, and refuses to listen to advice, insisting on giving orders haphazardly, then I will not be polite and will definitely send someone to forcibly send him back. I will absolutely not allow him to harm my Liao army again and cause my brothers to die in vain."
Xun Shi immediately understood Xu Kuan's implication.
He was giving Gongsun Yuan one last chance. If Gongsun Yuan did not repent, Xu Kuan would probably do everything in his power to eliminate this threat, even if it meant offending the Gongsun family.
Xun Shi deeply agreed and nodded, saying:
"General, rest assured, I understand your meaning. If the Crown Prince shows no remorse, I will certainly stand by your side and help you stabilize the morale of the army." (End of Chapter)