Chapter 70: The Great Gift

"Any progress on the Khitan side?" Turning his head, Liu Chengyou looked at Xiang Xun and asked.

Xiang Xun replied succinctly: "No latest word from Han Tong yet, but in my humble opinion, the Liao emperor's imperial camp will cross the river within a day or two."

"Slower than I expected by quite a bit!" Liu Chengyou muttered.

Xiang Xun took the initiative to explain: "According to scout reports, the Khitan army returning to their homeland is a motley mix, carrying countless treasures, along with officials of the various offices, monasteries, and bureaus of Jinyang and their families. The numbers are extremely large, and with the transport of all sorts of supplies and valuables, it's less like the Khitan are withdrawing and more like a large-scale migration."

"Besides, they still have to face constant harassment from the righteous army—how could they possibly move quickly..."

"Mm..." Liu Chengyou acknowledged softly, then instructed: "Send word to Han Tong to keep a close watch on the Khitan's movements, as per the previous order—one report per day."

After a pause, Liu Chengyou added: "Tell him to be careful!"

Sensing the hint of concern in Liu Chengyou's tone, Xiang Xun couldn't help but offer reassurance: "Your Highness need not worry. Though Han Tong's command lacks flexibility, with Yang Ye assisting him, there should be no trouble. Yang Ye's shrewdness—you know it well..."

"Go."

After Xiang Xun departed on his orders, Liu Chengyou braced his hands on the city wall and let out a heavy breath of turbid air. The pressure was still considerable.

Shaking his head as if to clear his mind, Liu Chengyou turned to Zhang Yanwei and directly ordered: "Send word to the follow-up troops to speed up. With only the First Army here, I lack confidence in my heart. The mountain roads are rugged—have Sun Li and Murong Yanzhao take men to repair and clear the roads, reducing obstacles. Also, make preparations here at Linlu to receive them!"

"Yes!" When Liu Chengyou was serious, Zhang Yanwei dared not be careless, and answered solemnly.

Having said that, he looked at Ma Quanyi: "The situation is urgent, and no slack is permitted. These next few days, you'll have to work hard!"

"Yes!"

A bit later, Liu Chengyou received two pieces of news—one piece of good news, and the other could also count as good news.

The first piece of news was delivered by a young messenger who came to pay his respects, and it gave Liu Chengyou some pleasant surprise.

"Have any of you heard of this Luo Yangui?" In the cramped county office hall, Liu Chengyou put down the letter and asked those around him in confusion.

Those around him all shook their heads, indicating they didn't know. It was Zhang Yanwei who responded proactively: "He's probably just some nobody who heard our army was here and came seeking to join."

"This nobody, however, intends to give me a great gift!" A rare excitement appeared on Liu Chengyou's brow as he passed the letter around: "Over a thousand war horses—truly mouth-watering!"

As soon as Liu Chengyou said this, the few close ministers present all showed surprised and delighted expressions, and Zhang Yanwei hurriedly took the letter.

"Bring the messenger up to the hall!" Seizing the moment, Liu Chengyou instructed his guards.

The letter came from a man named Luo Yangui, who claimed to be a Commander of the Xing Shun Army of the Shi Jin, having previously been forced to serve the enemy. This time, as the Khitan withdrew north, he had been dispatched with men to escort over a thousand captured Jin army war horses to the Southern Capital (Youzhou). He happened to be passing through Xiangzhou at the moment, and upon hearing that the royal army was advancing east, unwilling to continue suffering humiliation at the hands of the barbarians, he wished to offer all the war horses in his hands to Hedong as a token of his sincerity to follow.

"This Luo Yangui—for the Khitan to entrust so many war horses to his escort, it seems he enjoys considerable trust from them..." While waiting, Liu Chengyou remarked casually.

The several people present quickly scanned through the letter as well, showing both joy and suspicion.

"Your Highness, could this be a trap!" Hearing Liu Chengyou's words, Zhang Yanwei immediately chimed in.

"What do you think?" Liu Chengyou asked Guo Rong.

Guo Rong pondered for a moment, but held a different view: "Not necessarily. Think of Wu Xingde at Heyang—for Luo Yangui to make this decision, he can be said to understand the times and know what is right. However, the specifics will only be known once we question the messenger."

Before long, the lean-built messenger was brought up. Seeing Liu Chengyou seated in the main position, he knelt and bowed without hesitation: "This humble one pays respects to the Prince!"

"Rise and speak!" Liu Chengyou said in the tone of one in a superior position.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Tell me about your Commander Luo's situation on this journey!"

"Yes!" The young messenger seemed to have prepared his words in advance, though perhaps due to nervousness, he spoke somewhat haltingly, but his meaning was clear: "My general, under orders from the Khitan general and Yelu Shuogu, departed from the Eastern Capital to escort war horses to Youzhou. But the brothers have suffered enough oppression from the barbarian bandits and are unwilling to leave their homeland. The general is even more reluctant to journey far to the northern lands, and has long harbored thoughts of turning back. Upon hearing that Your Highness was leading the elite Hedong forces eastward, he gathered the men to come and pledge their allegiance!"

What the man said differed little from what was in the letter. After thinking it over, Liu Chengyou asked: "Where is your general now?"

"To answer Your Highness, I was sent by the general while passing through Tangyin County. Where the general's main force is now, this humble one truly does not know." The messenger replied, looking quite honest.

Liu Chengyou's brow furrowed involuntarily, and he glanced at the Linlu County Magistrate, who was fortunate enough to be seated below.

Facing Liu Chengyou's questioning gaze, the magistrate didn't react at first. It took a quiet prompt from Xiang Xun before he suddenly realized and answered nervously: "Tangyin County is about a hundred li to the southeast. If they wish to come and defect, the main force should follow the Tang River westward, then cross the Huan River northward..."

Listening to his description, Liu Chengyou formed a rough picture in his mind. At this moment, Xiang Xun, with cold eyes, asked the messenger: "When you escorted the war horses north, there must have been Khitan army supervisors with you—how did you deal with them?"

"After my general made his decision, to prevent word from leaking, he gathered the brothers and had all the Khitan supervising officials accompanying us executed!" The messenger answered crisply and honestly.

Being chosen as a messenger, the man was naturally shrewd, and he could see the suspicion in Liu Chengyou and the others. Gritting his teeth, he knocked his head hard against the floor: "Prince, my general and the rest of us are utterly sincere—the sun and moon bear witness. This humble one speaks not a single word of falsehood; I beg you to believe us. The general's side is short-handed and burdened with the war horses—I implore Your Highness to send troops to rendezvous with us quickly."

Seeing the messenger's sincere expression and earnest tone, Liu Chengyou finally waved his hand and offered words of comfort: "Rest assured. Since you come to defect with true hearts, I shall, on behalf of Hedong, sweep the mat to welcome you. Now then, you've come all this way to deliver the message—rest in the city for now, and I shall discuss the matter of dispatching troops with my subordinates..."

After settling him down and sending men to "protect" him, Liu Chengyou swept his gaze around and asked directly: "What do you think?"

"Judging by his words and demeanor, it doesn't seem feigned!" Guo Rong spoke up, offering his advice: "Send someone to scout things out first, then decide how to proceed."

"Then so be it!" Liu Chengyou waved his hand, then murmured: "Why hasn't Han Tong reported this news?"

As for the second piece of news that gave Liu Chengyou slight surprise, it was that Liang Hui, a bandit chief in Cizhou to the north, had gathered a band of ruffians, organized a righteous army, and suddenly marched south to seize Anyang city. It felt rather audacious, as if the bandit had grown bold beyond his station...

As the saying goes, speak of the devil—after night fell completely, Han Tong sent word with intelligence from the south: the Khitan's northern-moving vanguard had already entered Liyang and would head north shortly. Attached was indeed information about Luo Yangui's contingent.