Chapter 290 King of the South Courtyard?

As the saying goes, 'A precaution makes the boat safe'. Although Puluhu ran the fastest and survived to the end with great caution, he was still taken control by his lucky mentality and made a hasty decision to board the 'pirate ship'.

Such an obvious trap is designed to catch fools.

In fact, the cavalrymen who blocked the road upstream were hundreds of Night Owl Army led by Shi Qian. These people were special talents, good at spying, arson, and assassination, but they had almost no combat effectiveness in a head-on fight.

The Night Owl Army appeared on the south bank of the Fen River because Yang Chang predicted that the Jin army might retreat to Wenshui or Qi County, so he asked Shi Qian to go around to the northeast of Pingyao for surveillance before the battle.

If the Jin army evacuated towards Qi County, the Night Owl Army would bluff and contain them. If the Jin army evacuated towards Wenshui, the Night Owl Army would cooperate with Ruan Xiaoqi to contain them from crossing the river, allowing their companions to destroy as many of their living forces as possible.

The officers and soldiers of the Night Owl Army were scattered all over the place for surveillance. They did not wait until the Jin army evacuated to Qi County, but heard that some people were heading towards the south bank of the Fen River. Shi Qian then gathered his forces and moved closer to the Fen River, and then encountered and scared away Puluhu.

If Buluhu had been braver, he might have escaped from the encirclement by now. However, he was too cautious to move forward and finally fell into the crude trap.

A dozen fishing boats had just left the south bank of Fenshui River. They didn't know that there was a group of sailors in the shadow of the riverbank on the north bank. These people had submerged their bodies underwater early on, with only half of their heads exposed above the water to breathe. From the south bank, no one could be seen at all.

After Ruan Xiaoqi blew a whistle, the sailors submerged their heads into the water at the same time. They were as nimble as loaches underwater and soon swam to the bottom of the boat in the middle of the river.

"Huh? In this water..."

"I can't row!"

"You too? Looks like you're stuck and tangled in some waterweed?"

"This is the center of the river. What kind of water plants can grow so tall?"

When all the boats around him had problems, Puluhu immediately realized that something was wrong and quickly drew his sword and shouted, "We've been tricked. There's something strange in the river. Get ready for battle!"

"How to fight?"

"Stab it into the water! Where the oars are!"

"yes."

As the guards came to the side of the boat with weapons in hand, the fishing boat began to sway from side to side as if it had been hit by huge waves. About twenty Jin soldiers lost their balance and fell into the river.

"Don't panic!"

Puluhu held onto the board and shouted, trying to calm the guards, but the shaking on horseback was different from that on the boat, and everyone showed panic, especially as blood continued to flow out of the river, which once again stimulated the Jin soldiers' fragile senses.

dong dong dong.
Hua Hua Hua.
The Jin soldiers on the boat were like divers, falling into the Fen River in different postures, and the splashes of water were also colorful.

Soon, more than a dozen boats were turned upside down.

"I'm a good swimmer and I'm not afraid of falling into the water. I'm not afraid of you!"

Just before Puluhu fell into the water, he was still cheering himself up. His calmness was outstanding among men. However, he sank rapidly as soon as he entered the water, and no matter how hard he pushed or kicked, it was of no use.

Oops, I forgot to take off my armor.

At this time, he was covered in iron armor, so no matter how good he was at swimming, it was of no use.

After choking on some water, Puluhu suddenly felt his hand being grabbed and something hard hitting his vest, but the armor completely blocked the damage.

咕噜 咕噜
Before Puluhu could rejoice, he completely lost control of his body. He was then shaken and forced to gulp water, and soon lost consciousness.

When he regained consciousness, he suddenly found that his hands and feet were tied and someone was discussing him.

"Brother, this piece of iron should be sunk into the river. Why did you go to so much trouble to pull it ashore and ask me to help him breathe. I haven't even kissed a young lady yet, but this big bearded man has ruined my lips. Brother, you have to compensate me."

"Stop talking nonsense. Just because of this iron lump, does it mean that this person has an extraordinary status? Can ordinary soldiers afford it? My brother strives for credit for you, but you despise his beard. Grandpa doesn't have a young lady to compensate, do you want it, Hu people?"

"A barbarian woman? It's not impossible to make do with her."

"Get out of here, you are just trying to climb up the pole, right? Don't forget who saved your life."

Hearing Ruan Xiaoqi say this, He Cheng scratched his head and suddenly became serious, changing the subject and asking, "Brother, you captured Lou Shi alive last time, so this time it won't be another big fish, right?"

"Can I be so lucky?"

"why not."

He Cheng was halfway through his words when he suddenly pointed at Puluhu and reminded him, "Brother, this guy is awake and was eavesdropping on us just now!"

"Eavesdropping? You mean you can speak Chinese?"

Ruan Xiaoqi narrowed his eyes, stretched out his hand to grab Puluhu's collar, and said coldly: "If you don't want to suffer, tell me the truth. First, tell me who you are? You can wear a set of iron armor, so your status in the Jin Kingdom is not low, right?"

"I"

Puluhu swallowed hard, calculating frantically in his mind.

He did not dare to reveal his true identity, fearing that Yang Chang would use it to threaten the Jin army. However, even the prince of the Jin Dynasty wanted to save his life, and Yang Chang and the Jin Dynasty were at loggerheads, so any Jurchen name would be inappropriate.

"You won't say it, right?"

"No. Did you capture me? I haven't asked for your name yet."

Buluhu suddenly turned the tables, which made the angry Ruan Xiaoqi stunned. He thought, is this guy crazy? Why did he answer my question irrelevantly?
At this moment, He Cheng next to him sneered, "What's the matter? Are you still looking for revenge? My brother is known as the living devil in the underworld, so why should I be afraid of you?"

"Living Yama Luo Ruan Xiaoqi?"

"Have you heard my story?"

"Ah."

Puluhu nodded, thinking of a plan, and said solemnly: "Your Excellency captured General Lou Shi alive, which makes you very famous in the Jin army, and also among the surrendered generals of our Liao country."

"Are you a surrendered general from the Liao Kingdom?"

Ruan Xiaoqi and He Cheng were both stunned.

"My name is Xiao Feng, a distant relative of Concubine Wen."

"Princess Wen?"

"She is Xiao Sese who was sentenced to death by the Liao Emperor. Don't you know her? Her brother-in-law is the general Yelu Yudu who rebelled against Liao. He is leading his troops to attack Liaoshan at this moment."

"Oh"

Ruan Xiaoqi nodded without knowing what was going on, mistakenly thinking that he had captured a Jurchen noble. When he learned that he was just a surrendered general from the Liao Kingdom, he immediately lost interest and let go of his hand.

Seeing his disappointed face, Buluhu quickly added, "General Ruan, the Jurchens do not trust us and have divided the surrendered Liao generals into different camps of the Jin army. I have seen the might of General Yang these days and am willing to join him. I have some friendship with Yelu Yudu. If the general can trust me, I would like to persuade General Yelu to switch sides and then help General Yang capture Taiyuan."

"Can you persuade Yelu Yudu to surrender?"

"I'm 90 percent sure."

"He Cheng, what do you think?"

Seeing Ruan Xiaoqi asking him for advice, He Cheng spread his hands helplessly and reminded him: "Brother, our words don't count in this matter." "That's right, wait until you meet Yang Taiwei later, and then you can talk about it in detail."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Puluhu readily agreed, thinking that if he could deceive these two people in front of him, deceiving Yang Changxin would be no problem. After all, the temptation of Yelu Yudu was great, and as long as he did not show his weakness by then, there would be hope of escaping.

In the Battle of Pingyao, the Jin army lost more than 8,000 people on the front battlefield and while fleeing. Heifeng got Puluhu and dared not to flee to Fenshui. Finally, he led the remnants to flee in the direction of Qixian and Tuanbai Town.

Liu Tang was so angry that he pursued them hard, while Yang Changze picked up the corpses leisurely. It was not until noon that day that they crossed to the north bank of the Fen River and met the so-called surrendered general Xiao Feng.

After Ruan Xiaoqi's brief introduction, Puluhu began to promote himself vigorously, hoping that Yang Chang would give him a chance to poach people, but he lied and did not choose the right target.

Xiao Feng, the King of the Southern Courtyard in the novel? Is there a historical prototype?

During the recovery of Liaozhou, Yang Changzeng asked Gao Qingyi to convey a message to persuade Yelu Yudu to rebel. At that time, he only proposed cooperation, but this man boasted that he could make Yelu Yudu surrender?

Since you are so impressive, let me see your true face.

Yang Chang looked at Puluhu and silently chanted a spell. The [Eye of Insight] was like a monkey's fiery eyes, which immediately revealed the other party's true form.

Name: Puluhu (Wanyan Zongpan)
Cultivation: Mortal

Attributes: Control (calm, cautious, alert, command bonus)

Skills: Horseman, Hunter, Swordsman, Spearman

Possessing special skills: controlling the bowstring (bow and arrow special skills, can shoot stably in any posture, including but not limited to left and right bow, using hands and feet together, controlling the bowstring with mouth, etc.)

Oh my god, it turns out you are the prince of Jin Dynasty. How dare you trick me?
[Control] is a good attribute. No wonder I can lie without blushing or beating my heart. If I didn’t have [Eye of Insight] and was sensitive to the name Xiao Feng, I would have almost been tricked by you.

"Brother, look at this."

"Ok?"

Yang Chang did not expose Puluhu directly, but smiled at Ruan Xiaoqi and said, "Since General Xiao is so sure, it is reasonable for us to surrender. Let us take Wenshui first today. We haven't found a place to stay for the night yet."

"Yes, yes, that's what my brother said. Xiao Feng, are you okay?"

"I I didn't."

How could Pu Luhu dare to say no? While secretly lamenting that Yang Chang was difficult to deal with, he was also ready to escape to Wenshui, but Yang Chang's next words made him dumbfounded.

"By the way, who was in charge of guarding Xiao Feng before?"

"It's He Cheng."

"What's going on?"

Yang Chang turned his head to look at He Cheng and said seriously, "As the saying goes, one thing should not trouble two masters. You will be the one to escort Xiao Feng throughout the journey. Don't lose him."

"Don't worry, General. Even if I lose my mother, I can't lose him."

Seeing He Cheng patting his chest to make a promise, Ruan Xiaoqi couldn't help but tease him: "When Xiao Feng was drowning and couldn't breathe, it was He Cheng who helped him breathe and survive. This guy complained that he had never kissed a young lady, but he kissed a big bearded man first, and even asked me for a Hu woman. Can you help him realize his dream, brother?"

"You want some Hu women?"

"not me."

"Everyone has their own preferences. There's nothing wrong with liking a Hu woman. Xiao Feng is related to the Liao Emperor's Concubine Wen. Maybe he can satisfy your wish."

Yang Chang raised his hand to interrupt He Cheng and deliberately turned the topic to Puluhu.

I expected to see his panicked expression, but he reacted very quickly and immediately agreed with a smile: "I will do my best, but the girls on the grassland get married early, and it is difficult to find girls with good looks and figures, but there are many women who have been married."

"Uh, my brother."

When He Cheng was at a loss, Yang Chang pointed to the river and said with a smile: "Whether it's a young girl or a young woman, wait until the war is over. Go ahead, take Xiao Feng and leave by water first. Everything will be easy after you win."

"Eh"

Puluhu wanted to cry but had no tears, but he had to be taken away with a stern face.

He was surprised at Yang Chang's rude behavior. He thought to himself, I had clearly expressed my intention to surrender and even promised to help you incite the general to rebel, but not only did he not say a single good word to me, he was guarding against me like a thief. This man has no ambition at all, yet he chose to stay in Shanxi.

The ropes that bound his hands were not untied and he was still on board to prevent him from escaping.

Ruan Xiaoqi saw what Yang Chang meant, so after He Cheng left, he asked, "Brother, don't you believe him? I also think this man's identity is questionable. I'll bring a few captives to identify him."

"No need. I know whether it's a human or a ghost."

Yang Chang waved his hand and said sternly: "You take the navy and go first. You must keep an eye on this man. Let's take down Wenshui first today."

"Don't worry, brother. As long as he is on the water, I will be able to control him."

Ruan Xiaoqi clenched his fist and walked away in a leisurely manner. Yang Changsui asked Shi Qian to give him instructions in person, and sent someone back to Xiaoyi to tell Han Tao to follow, and then led the cavalry forward.

Yang Chang was undecided about how to deal with Puluhu. The simple and brutal approach would be to kill him and rob him of his treasures. But this guy was the eldest son of the Jin emperor after all. Perhaps if he could control him, he could recapture Taiyuan without bloodshed?
Threatening with Puluhu's life, the defenders of Taiyuan would have to give up the city if they wanted to rescue it, so that Pucha Shijianu and Yelu Yudu on the front line would be cut off from food, and the siege of Weisheng and Liaozhou would be lifted at the same time. The Jin generals would be punished for losing the city and territory. However, if the defenders did not rescue the people, Yang Chang would not waste food given his temper, and Wu Qi would then resent the frontline generals even more.

Both plans are traps and are unsolvable conspiracies.

Wu Shi just learned from Dai Zong yesterday that Talai had not yet broken through Fengyue Pass. He thought to himself, if Yang Chang was really that easy to defeat, would the Eastern Army need to intervene? If I don't let you suffer, you will think that the Prime Minister (Nianhan) is incompetent.

Talai had been attacking for months but had made no progress, and Puluhu had been sending troops for many days but there was no news. Wushi was just about to send someone to Fenzhou when the commander of Wenshui sent him information.

Yang Chang took the initiative to attack, and Puluhu was defeated in Fenzhou, which surprised Wu Shi at first, and then he revealed a mysterious smile.

Due to different political positions, Wushi was happy to see Buluhu defeated, but he approved of his strategy of using himself as bait. He immediately sent his general Mouliye to lead 5,000 troops to rescue Wenshui, and at the same time ordered Pucha Shijianu and Yelu Yudu to intensify the attack.

Mouli also ordered his troops to go out on the same day. When they reached Qingyuan County for rest, Yang Chang had already easily captured Wenshui.

Of course, since Ruan Xiaoqi's fleet was going upstream and its speed could not be compared with that of the cavalry, Puluhu was not sent into the battle.

Shi Qian led the Night Owl Army to disguise themselves as the Jin Army, easily opening the city gate and capturing the city. Liu Tang had no mission to lead troops at the time, so he asked Yang Chang for permission to follow him into battle. In the end, he took the most military merits by beheading the most people.

Because Liu Tang's performance that day was so dazzling, Shi Qian and Xuan Zan, who were traveling with him, were dumbfounded.

After some private communication, the two came to Liu Tang together after dinner, sat close to each other on the left and right, and looked at each other constantly, but did not say a word.

Liu Tang was frightened by the two men's stares. He stood up from the edge of the couch and asked in confusion, "Brothers, if you have anything to say, just say it. You staring at me like this makes me uncomfortable."

"There's something wrong with you."

"Not only is it wrong, it's also quite weird. Do you think we are brothers?"

Shi Qian and Xuan Zan sang the same tune, and Liu Tang immediately realized the problem. He thought to himself, I performed too well today, and they really found out? But I promised my brother not to tell anyone?
The two seemed to be well prepared, but I was not good at speaking.

How to do?
(End of this chapter)