Chapter 9: Frightened Horse

Zhou Shengchenya looked from a distance and saw that although Xiao Wen was only wearing single clothes, he still showed his bravery.

The opponent was already galloping. Zhou Shengchen clamped his legs on the horse's belly, holding the horse's reins with one hand and holding the ring-shou knife out of thin air with the other.

As Xiao Wen rushed over, he was amazed in his heart: Zhou Shengchen held the knife smoothly, which showed that he was extremely powerful.

Not daring to be negligent, Xiao Wen saw that the distance between the two men was approaching, and Xiao Wen was not polite. He just shouted, released the reins with his left hand, held the gun behind his back with both hands, and stabbed straight ahead.

The stab of the iron spear almost reached his chest, but Zhou Shengchen leaned over amid a burst of exclamations from everyone.

Letting go of the spear thrust, he slashed the ring-shou knife in his hand towards Xiao Wen's head.

Because Xiao Wen knew he would hit with one hit, his strength was too old at this time and he could no longer recover his body.

But when Zhou Shengchen's blade was about to reach Xiao Wen's head, he threw the ring-headed sword away.

Everyone was shocked again, watching helplessly as Zhou Shengchen's hands grasped the iron gun in Xiao Wen's hand.

Xiao Wen escaped the disaster and when he wanted to withdraw the iron gun again, he felt that he could not resist the opponent's strength.

In desperation, he had no choice but to let go of the gun.

Zhou Shengchen grabbed the gun in his hand and was about to raise his arms and shout when Xiao Wen pulled out a short knife from his waist.

No longer daring to hesitate, Hong Xiaoyu, who was watching the battle from a distance, immediately triggered the crossbow machine, and a crossbow arrow flew toward Xiao Wen like a meteor.

It was too late for Zhou Shengchen to stop him and he quickly waved the iron gun in his hand.

With a "ding" sound, the crossbow arrow was separated by the iron gun and flew to the side.

Xiao Wen drew out his short knife, not to stab the opponent, but to kill himself. But when the blade of the short knife in his hand was about to reach his throat, his mount became frightened because it was passed by Zhou Shengchen's iron spear.

"Herod" let out a long hiss, and the horse suddenly jumped up with its front hooves. Xiao Wen was not careful and let go of his dagger. Then he lost his balance and fell off the horse.

Nan Xiao's soldiers and generals exclaimed at the same time, but saw Xiao Wen stand up immediately.

The frightened horse showed its bestiality, roaring and kicking wildly, causing the ground to ring with a "Dongdong" sound and sending up clouds of smoke and dust.

Xiao Wenwen was extremely embarrassed and annoyed. At this time, if another horse was frightened and went crazy, it would be even more difficult for him to handle it.

He ran a few steps and grabbed the reins of his mount with his left hand. After all, the horses were like ferocious beasts, and the strength with which they became so frightened could be described as unparalleled.

Even so, Xiao Wen's legs were standing in place as if they had taken root. No matter how the Crazy Horse jumped and roared, he just held the reins with one hand and remained as still as a pine tree.

When Nan Xiao's soldiers saw this, they wanted to come forward to help. But the soldiers and generals of Beichen were worried that they would cause trouble again, so they drew their swords and shouted to stop them.

Zhou Shengchen watched indifferently, slowly walked towards Xiao Wen, and said: "The second prince is indeed like a god, he can stop a startling horse with one hand."

Seeing the horse gradually settling down, Xiao Wen loosened the reins. Looking at Zhou Shengchen, he sighed, cupped his hands and said, "Even if I have such strength, I will never be able to defeat King Xiao Nanchen. If I dare to call myself a god, King Xiao Nanchen will be even more of a god!"

While he was talking, Zhou Shengchen was already approaching: "Second Prince, don't worry about it. Victory or defeat is a common matter for military officers."

Gritting his teeth, Xiao Wen continued: "I was going to commit suicide in order to fulfill my promise."

"A real man must have a mind as broad as the river and the sea. How can he despise his own body so much? Although the second prince said something righteous, I never agreed." Zhou Shengchen said with a smile.

Xiao Wen was surprised and couldn't believe his ears.

"Well, what King Xiao Nanchen means is," he said hesitantly.

"We should do our best to be fair and aboveboard, and not fight based on temporary victory or defeat. We don't want Nan Xiao to use property to redeem us, let alone negotiate terms."

Zhou Shengchen said it calmly, Xiao Wen was shocked when he heard it.

"If the second prince is killed or injured here today, the fight will only be bigger in the future. Why don't we continue to discuss trade and don't stick to this matter." Zhou Shengchen continued.

Xiao Wen shook his head and sighed, feeling ashamed.

Nanxiao's soldiers originally thought they were all going to die here, but they didn't expect to hear such words.

They looked at each other and couldn't believe this was true.

These people couldn't believe it, and naturally the soldiers and generals of Beichen couldn't believe it either.

Military strategist Xie Chong blinked his eyes many times in astonishment. His usually deft mouth could not form a complete sentence like "Hmm, ah".

Hong Xiaoyu was anxious for a moment and took a few steps forward and said: "Your Highness, even if you can't kill Xiao Wen, you should force Nan Xiao to negotiate for peace!"

Waving his hand, Zhou Shengchen said calmly: "Even if I get a lot of money, what is it worth in terms of long-term trade?!"

Don't want everyone to argue anymore, Zhou Shengchen turned to look at Xiao Wen: "The second prince can take people back, I will send you off personally."

These words were even more unbelievable and made the people at the scene hesitate.

Xiao Wen was stunned on the spot, not knowing what to say.

"Come here, prepare meals for the Second Prince and others! After they have eaten, arrange a big boat!" Zhou Shengchen immediately ordered.

The soldiers and generals of Beichen looked at each other, not knowing how to obey this order. It was the military advisor Xie Chong who woke up first and quickly ordered: "Hurry up and make steamed cakes, porridge and rice!"

Only then did Hong Xiaoyu and others become convinced that King Xiao Nanchen really wanted to act like this and had no choice but to make arrangements according to the order.

Xiao Wen hesitated for a long time, then simply relaxed his mind, cupped his hands and said: "Your Highness's magnanimity is unparalleled in the world!"

Zhou Shengchen didn't say anything more, he just ordered people to send many felt mats and spread them on the open ground.

"Please." He stretched out his hand to indicate and took the lead in sitting down.

Xiao Wen no longer hesitated and simply sat next to him.

Seeing this, other Nanxiao generals gradually sat down with suspicion in their hearts.

"It has been raining the past few days, which is indeed not conducive to our fight. Recently, there have been more sunny days, and the roads are no longer muddy. I expected that the second prince would come as a 'guest', so I made preparations in advance to avoid being accused of waiting. Not a considerate guest."

Zhou Shengchen said it calmly, and even though Xiao Wen felt embarrassed, he still laughed with him.

"I think I am somewhat heroic, but compared with King Xiao Nanchen, there is a huge difference." Xiao Wen said with emotion.

Zhou Shengchen smiled and replied: "Since I have come from afar, I also want to solve the chaos around me. There is no need to be polite, the second prince. If you want to visit again, I will still receive you wholeheartedly."

After hearing what he said, Xiao Wen pondered for a moment and asked tentatively: "Does King Xiao Nanchen want to clear up the chaos around him?"

"Yes." Zhou Shengchen nodded calmly, and then said, "along the Yangtze River and Huaihe River, there are frequent floods. Some unscrupulous generals support their troops and respect themselves, which makes the Northern Chen government more chaotic and the people displaced."

Looking at Xiao Wen, he continued: "They are in chaos. Even Nan Xiao is disturbed."

Xiao Wen nodded silently and did not respond for the time being.

"Your Highness, Second Prince, when the food is brought, let's eat it first." Military advisor Xie Chong felt that Zhou Shengchen's words were strange, so he had to change the subject.

The Beichen soldiers each carried either a cake basket, a porridge pot, or a cauldron to deliver porridge and rice to the scene. Then the soldiers brought earthen jars and pottery vessels containing pickles and placed them in front of the Nanxiao soldiers.

There was some pride in his heart, but when faced with such a reception, Xiao Wen couldn't open his mouth or raise his hands, but his face was already red.

Picking up a steamed cake, Zhou Shengchen tore open half of it and handed it to him: "You are not allowed to drink alcohol for breakfast. We will make wine with porridge and rice. This is also evidence of the happy gathering."

Seeing his composure, Xiao Wen took it and took a big bite.

While eating, he picked up the topic just now: "King Xiao Nanchen is sincere and I am willing to help you with my soldiers."

After hearing this, military advisor Xie Chong couldn't help stroking his beard and smiling, thinking that Zhou Shengchen's idea of ​​stabilizing the war situation in Nanxiao and suppressing the rebellion was successful.

But he didn't expect that he heard Zhou Shengchen say casually: "I was just talking casually. As for whether to put down the rebellion immediately or ignore it for the time being, I haven't decided yet. I just said that if the second prince feels that the trade negotiations If things don’t go well, we may even collude with those traitorous generals and attack me together.”

Military advisor Xie Chong clenched his teeth when he heard this, and Hong Xiaoyu and others also looked blank.

Xiao Wen frowned and couldn't help but frown and said: "Your Highness, spare my life. If I don't repay you, that's all. How could I do such a scandal?!"

Zhou Shengchen immediately laughed, and the morning wind blew the scarf on his head flying.

He raised his hand to smooth the scarf, and then continued: "The second prince or Geng Jie, but this is a war between two parties after all, so don't worry about it."

Xiao Wen tried to refute it again, but Zhou Shengchen waved his hand and stopped talking about it.

After all, Nan Xiao's soldiers felt guilty and ate their meal with uneasiness, then hinted to Xiao Wen to return as soon as possible.

Zhou Shengchen naturally understood the fear of these people, so he ordered Hong Xiaoyu and others to arrange the boat.

The dead Nan Xiao soldiers will be temporarily buried, and the injured will receive temporary medical treatment. Xiao Wen saw that everything was ready, and then handed over his hands and said: "There are more than 2,000 of our horses left, so they are all left here by Your Highness."

"No need. I will order people to send them back in batches, Second Prince, but please feel free to go back." After Zhou Shengchen said that, he stood up.

Xiao Wen was so ashamed that he did not dare to raise his head, so he had to bow and stand quietly aside.

Everyone came to the dock and saw many warships of Nan Xiao cruising on the wide river, anxiously checking for information about Xiao Wen in order to take further action.

"They are anxiously waiting for the second prince." Zhou Shengchen said, looking at the warships on the river in the distance.

Xiao Wen cupped his hands and replied: "That's their bluff."

After thinking about it, Zhou Shengchen looked at him and said: "The world may be uneasy, and the second prince wants to calm it down. This mentality is good. But I heard that Emperor Nan Xiao cannot bear to use weapons in the world. This is another manifestation of benevolence. .”

Xiao Wen hesitated for a moment and replied hesitantly: "The emperor is kind and virtuous, I may be a little impatient."

"What I mean is that the second prince is rough and bold, while Emperor Nan Xiao is elegant and relaxed; the second prince is ambitious, but Emperor Nan Xiao is clumsy and simple." Zhou Shengchen said calmly.

Xiao Wen nodded first, then frowned.

"Your Highness means so," he said hesitantly.

"After all, it is the national affairs of the Nanxiao royal family. How can outsiders be the right ones?" After Zhou Shengchen said this, he immediately ordered Hong Xiaoyu and others to arrange for Nanxiao troops to board the ship.

Xiao Wen's face turned livid and he didn't say a word. After saying goodbye, he stepped onto the ship.

The wind on the river was floating, and dozens of large ships came and went many times, finally sending Xiao Wen and other soldiers back to the south bank.

They were busy until dusk when Hong Xiaoyu and others finally "sent off the guests" completely.

"Your Highness, why do you insist on doing this?" she asked in confusion.

Seeing the waterfowl gathering and the river and sky becoming the same color, Zhou Shengchen said silently: "If it could be solved by just killing, wouldn't the world have been peaceful a long time ago? Now that Xiao Wen is gone, if we can help him someday, wouldn't it be better than killing him? Or would it be more useful to ask for some money and silk?”

"But what if he becomes ruthless?" Hong Xiaoyu asked hesitantly.

"Then try to reform him." Zhou Shengchen murmured, looking into the distance.

After hearing this, Hong Xiaoyu and others couldn't help but shrink their necks and stick out their tongues.

Military advisor Xie Chong approached and said with emotion: "It is said that killing is easy, but convincing others is the hardest. After all, Xiao Wen is somewhat loyal and courageous, and it is indeed not easy for him to be able to say the words to help the king's army suppress the rebellion."

"We can't really ask him to cross the river to quell the rebellion." Hong Xiaoyu curled his lips and said.

"Yes, but he can eventually delay us from becoming our enemy. This is a rare opportunity for us."

After Zhou Shengchen said this, he immediately led everyone back to the big tent.

Standing in front of the sand table, Zhou Shengchen gave instructions:

Hong Xiaoyu led 30,000 troops to attack Yiyang County;

Xu Zheng led 20,000 troops to attack Ruyin County;

Lu Wanshan led 20,000 troops to attack Huaiyang County.

As a maneuver, Zhang Xiaoheng led 50,000 troops to assist in the response.

After the order was issued, Military Advisor Xie Chongxian asked in surprise: "Your Highness, is it appropriate to carry out such a large-scale counterinsurgency campaign?"

"From the military advisor's point of view, is there anything wrong?" Zhou Shengchen asked.

Xie Chong hesitated again and again, and said hesitantly: "Looking at it from below, there are three things wrong with it. First, these places are either guarded by vassal kings or guarded by important generals. They may be suspected of rioting in the place, but they have no obvious intention. A counter move.”

"To cause turmoil is to disobey the king's orders. I am doing justice for heaven, what's wrong with that?" Zhou Shengchen said calmly.

Nodding, Xie Chong continued: "These places are close to Nan Xiao. If they collude with Nan Xiao, wouldn't we be passive?"

Smiling, Zhou Shengchen replied: "This is the fundamental intention of my explanation of Xiao Wen. He was released before he could stabilize his mind. How could he have time to connect with the rebels? Furthermore, I made it clear during the dinner He would give up the idea out of shame or doubt, or because of hesitation."

After hearing this, Xie Chong was silent for a while, and then asked: "The third reason is that it is closely related to Nan Xiao. Ruo Nan Xiao saw that we were recruiting troops in Jiangbei. They crossed the river from Jiankang and went north to attack Shouyang and Zhongli. In this area, aren’t we suspected of inviting wolves into the house?”

Jiankang was Stone City, later Jinling City, where the capital of Nanxiao was located at this time.

The Shouyang and Zhongli areas in Jiangbei are important obstacles for Nan Xiao to go north.

Xie Chong was right. If King Xiao Nanchen used troops west of Jiankang, Nan Xiao might take the opportunity to attack there and gain an important base for plotting to move north.

Zhou Shengchen naturally understood Xie Chong's questions, and even did so intentionally. Because he knew that instead of letting Shouyang and Zhongli remain in the hands of the rebels, it would be better to "give" them to Nan Xiao.

The rebels may be able to withstand Nan Xiao's offensive, but both sides will always suffer losses, leaving Zhou Shengchen in a good situation where the snipe and the clam will fight and the fisherman will benefit.