Chapter 299: A Beauty in Troubled Times

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The strategy Zhang Chun gave Yuwenzhizhong was written in just three characters — Yuanyang Lake.

With the vast intelligence network Yuwenzhizhong commanded, he naturally learned with ease that this was a place name — Angguli Nao, northwest of Zhangbei County — the Khitan ruler's spring hunting grounds and seat for handling military and political affairs.

But Yuwenzhizhong did not know what meaning Zhang Chun had hidden in this place name.

Not until Yuwenzhizhong received intelligence that Yelu Yanxi had vanished, and no one knew where he was.

Yuwenzhizhong immediately thought of Yuanyang Lake.

Thus, Yuwenzhizhong gathered Zhang Jun, Zhang Shuye, Liu Fa, Li Miao and others, and laid an inescapable net at Yuanyang Lake, waiting for Yelu Yanxi and his party to walk right into it.

That Zhang Chun practiced the art of divination was no longer a secret in the Zhao Song dynasty.

Of course, some also suspected that besides the Imperial City Bureau, the Eastern Depot, and the Brocaded Guards, Zhao Yu had a fourth — or even a fifth — intelligence network in his hands.

Not only outsiders harbored such doubts; even the three spymasters Li Yan, Yang Jian, and Yuwenzhizhong themselves had their suspicions.

Because there were many things these three spymasters did not know, yet Zhao Yu and Zhang Chun did.

Although Li Yan, Yang Jian, and Yuwenzhizhong had never compared notes with one another, they all suspected that one intelligence network was run by Zhang Chun — otherwise, Zhang Chun could not possibly know so much.

It was not that Li Yan, Yang Jian, and Yuwenzhizhong had never thought of investigating those one or two hidden intelligence networks; but first, they could never get a trace of them; second, the funds for all intelligence networks came out of Zhao Yu's personal purse, costing the court not a single coin, so they had no way to begin an investigation at all.

Precisely because of this, and because the Imperial City Bureau, the Eastern Depot, and the Brocaded Guards planted agents in and spied upon one another, Li Yan, Yang Jian, Yuwenzhizhong — and the men of the Imperial City Bureau, the Eastern Depot, and the Brocaded Guards alike — all fell into a delicate balance. They were wary of one another, yet secretly vied with each other, allowing Zhao Yu to see clearly everything about the Zhao Song dynasty; no person, no matter could be hidden from him.

In the eyes of these intelligence men, beneath the court of the Zhao Song dynasty dark currents surged; every man was both a player in the game and a mover of the pieces, each step requiring careful thought lest the whole board be lost.

This was not Zhang Chun's first move — at every critical juncture Zhang Chun would act, and whenever Zhang Chun acted, she had almost never failed.

Therefore, with Zhang Chun's tip, under Yuwenzhizhong's direction, Zhang Jun, Zhang Shuye, Liu Fa, Li Miao and others made thorough preparations here at Yuanyang Lake. Once Yelu Yanxi and his party arrived at Yuanyang Lake, they dared guarantee that not even a single fly could fly out.

The result proved Zhang Chun right once more: a few days later, Yelu Yanxi and his party truly arrived at Yuanyang Lake.

Because veteran general Liu Fa led the force, the Song army waited until Yelu Yanxi and his party had fully entered their pocket formation before they began to act.

Just as Yelu Yanxi raised his precious bow to hunt swan, and Yelu Aoluwu prepared to hear Yelu Yanxi's order and take his own life, horns blared from all sides at once — like a thunderbolt of ten thousand jun, shaking the vast Yuanyang Lake — and in an instant the surrounding Song soldiers appeared as suddenly as ghosts.

The precious bow in Yelu Yanxi's hands jerked to a halt; the arrow had not yet left the string, and the air had already frozen into a tense standoff. He looked up in astonishment to see, on every side, Song troops pressing in like a black cloud, banners blotting out the sun, encircling this sacred hunting ground.

Seeing the sight, Yelu Aoluwu's face went pale as paper, and he instinctively took the curved blade from around his neck. He looked around and saw the Song army like a wall of bronze and iron, airtight, surrounding them completely; despair, like ice, slowly freezing his heart.

The first thought that crossed Yelu Yanxi's mind when he came back to himself was — flee, flee at any cost, he must not let anyone capture him.

But the situation before his eyes was like layer upon layer of iron netting, leaving Yelu Yanxi unable to move. The shouts of the surrounding Song soldiers and the thunder of hooves wove together like a prelude to death, echoing over the skies of Yuanyang Lake.

Yelu Yanxi looked about and saw Song troops everywhere, watertight; he thus realized deeply that at this moment he had already fallen into a desperate plight.

The only two things that kept Yelu Yanxi from utter despair were that the troops surrounding them were Song soldiers, not Jin, and that the Song army had merely closed in and showed no sign of striking.

Yelu Yanxi hoped these Song soldiers only wanted money — then he could spend some, pay some price, and still keep himself safe.

Yelu Yanxi glanced at Xiao Fengxian, signaling him to hurry forward and parley — to see what this Song force was about, what its purpose was, and whether they might let them go.

Although Xiao Fengxian was also unwilling to risk his person, he knew full well that the present situation allowed him not the slightest hesitation or retreat.

Thus, Xiao Fengxian steeled himself, stepped forward a few paces, and shouted at the top of his voice: "I am Xiao Fengxian, Privy Councilor of the Great Liao! I call the commanding general forth to speak!"

Xiao Fengxian's voice echoed across the open grassland, and before long a Song general rode out at a gallop and came to the front of the formation.

This Song general was tall and vigorous, powerfully built, his whole being radiating the heroic martial air and dignity of long campaigning. His gaze was deep and piercing, marked by wisdom and resolve, as if able to read every shift of fortune on the battlefield. His skin, long weathered by campaign, was dark and rough; his beard and hair were thick, his bearing steady — clearly no ordinary man at a glance.

This man was none other than the famed general of the Zhao Song dynasty, Liu Fa. He said in a deep voice: "I am Liu Fa, Commander-in-Chief of the Song Northern Auxiliary Army, specially bearing imperial orders to invite His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Liao to a meeting at our Bianjing."

The moment Liu Fa's words fell, whether Xiao Fengxian, who had been speaking with him, or Yelu Yanxi behind, or any of the other Liao people — all were struck as if by lightning, the color draining instantly from their faces.

Better to listen well than to speak well.

Liu Fa had made it perfectly clear: the so-called chance encounter, the hope of mere plunder, were all their own wishful thinking — from the very start, the Song army's target had been Yelu Yanxi, the Emperor of the Great Liao Empire.

'What kind of "invitation" is this before our eyes? It's plainly that they long ago had their eyes on us, set the snare, and are only waiting to draw it tight!' Xiao Fengxian opened his mouth, but his throat seemed blocked by something, and for a long while no sound came out: "An… an invitation for Your Majesty to go to Bianjing — this is plainly to seize Your Majesty and take him to the Great Song!"

Yelu Yanxi gripped his precious bow tightly, his knuckles white from the force, even the bowstring trembling faintly in his grasp. He stared fixedly at Liu Fa's utterly impassive face, a chill shooting from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

'That bastard Zhao Yu has finally made his move against Us!'

Yelu Yanxi gritted his teeth and muttered; the inescapable net before his eyes, the "imperial order" on Liu Fa's lips — all confirmed this was no sudden incident, but a long-laid scheme by the rulers and ministers of Zhao Song.

In truth, Yelu Yanxi had long sensed that his greatest enemy might not really be Wanyan Aguda, who had been hounding him like a reaper, but that Zhao Yu — who appeared so friendly toward him and toward Liao, yet in truth harbored wild ambitions.