Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 60 Entering the Urn

"The one who attacked the camp is Zhao Dezhao, the eldest son of the Song emperor! Fan Shoutu, come out and face your death!"

Outside the tent, a roar suddenly rang out.

Although the voice was somewhat immature, it carried a fierce and courageous quality, like the first roar of a young tiger, piercing through the sounds of fighting outside the camp and clearly penetrating the ears of everyone in the Northern Han camp.

"Hahaha! This is truly heaven's help!"

Upon hearing the sound, Fan Shoutu rushed out of the tent. When he saw the thin figure on horseback, he was shocked. His eyes flashed with intense joy, and his breathing became rapid.

He never expected that the one who launched the night raid on the camp was actually Zhao Kuangyin's eldest son, Zhao Dezhao!

This is a once-in-a-millennium feat!

If we can capture Zhao Dezhao alive, we can not only claim credit and reward from His Majesty, but also use him as leverage to perhaps exchange for the entire Luzhou region!

With such outstanding military achievements, how could being appointed a king or prime minister be a mere pipe dream?

Fan Shoutu burst into laughter, then immediately turned to his generals and sternly gave them an order:

"Pass down the order: the entire army is to be mobilized and capture Zhao Dezhao alive! Whoever captures Zhao Dezhao will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold and promoted three ranks!"

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

Upon hearing this, the Northern Han soldiers' eyes lit up. They grabbed their weapons, mounted their horses, and charged towards Zhao Dezhao, who was surrounded by a thousand elite Song cavalry, like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey.

"Your Highness! The enemy has a large and powerful force; we cannot afford to linger in battle. It would be better to retreat for now!"

Amidst the chaos of battle, Li Chuyun shouted so loudly that his voice could be heard throughout the entire battlefield.

Seeing that the Northern Han army had indeed come out in full force, Zhao Dezhao turned pale, his expression filled with fear, and he shouted hoarsely:

"Retreat! Protect me and get me back!!"

After saying that, he took the lead in turning his horse around and galloping towards a valley outside the camp.

A thousand elite Song cavalrymen followed closely behind, deliberately scattering their formation. Weapons, provisions, and other supplies were scattered all over the ground, making it look exactly like a panicked and routed army.

"Hahaha! You ignorant brat, treating the battlefield like a game? Coming and going as you please?"

Seeing this, Fan Shoutu grew even more contemptuous. Laughing loudly, he ordered again, "All troops, give chase! We cannot let Zhao Dezhao escape! We must capture this brat alive!"

The Northern Han army camp instantly erupted in excitement. Soldiers with horses mounted their mounts, while those without strode forward in pursuit. The entire army mobilized, surging like a tide towards the direction Zhao Dezhao had fled.

Fearing that the credit he had just earned would slip away, Fan Shoutu personally led his elite cavalry to the forefront, relentlessly pursuing Zhao Dezhao's troops without daring to relax for even a moment.

In the darkness of night, the two groups of men, one after the other, sped towards a valley south of the Northern Han army camp like two shooting stars.

Zhao Dezhao deliberately controlled his speed, neither letting the Northern Han army catch up nor letting them completely lose sight of their target, always maintaining a distance of an arrow's length.

Half an hour later, Zhao Dezhao led the Song army's elite cavalry into a narrow valley.

This valley is surrounded by steep slopes on three sides, with only the entrance connecting to a plain. The terrain is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Seeing Zhao Dezhao lead his troops into the valley, Fan Shoutu suddenly became wary and abruptly reined in his horse. The army immediately stopped at the entrance of the valley, neither advancing nor retreating, and their formation remained perfectly intact.

"General, this place is treacherous; there might be an ambush!"

The lieutenant beside him frowned, staring intently into the dark depths of the valley, and solemnly reminded him.

Those present had all crawled out of piles of corpses; Zhao Dezhao's tricks couldn't fool them at all.

Fan Shoutu remained silent, mentally calculating the time. Then he looked behind him, and shortly after, two scouts galloped up, dismounted, and knelt to report:

"Report! General! Murong Yanzhao's troops are still stationed in place and have not been moved!"

"Report! Zhao Kuangyin's army is still stationed in Zezhou and has not yet moved out! Only Li Chuyun and Zhao Dezhao are leading three thousand Song soldiers as the vanguard!"

As a seasoned general, Fan Shoutu always attached great importance to intelligence work.

As early as the beginning of the Battle of Zezhou, he sent out scouts extensively, ordering them to report on the movements of the Song army every half day.

This is precisely the moment when the scouts will report military intelligence for the last time today.

Upon hearing the scout's report, Fan Shoutu's last shred of apprehension vanished completely, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter:

"Both Zhao Kuangyin and Murong Yanzhao remain inactive, and there are no other Song troops within Luzhou! Therefore, the only force in this valley is that brat Zhao Dezhao's three thousand elite soldiers!"

"That brat Zhao Dezhao wants to use himself as bait to lure me into a trap, so I'll just go with the flow and play along!"

Knowing yourself and the enemy is the only way to survive a hundred battles.

Now that we have figured out the other party's background and intentions, the so-called ambush has completely lost its deterrent effect.

Without a moment's hesitation, Fan Shoutu, his blood boiling at the thought of capturing Zhao Dezhao alive, immediately drew his sword and gave the order in a stern voice:

"Pass down the order! The entire army, change formation! Shield bearers in front, spearmen close behind, with shields protecting the flanks on both sides, form a defensive formation and advance steadily!"

"kill!!"

The battle cries shook the heavens and the earth. Fan Shoutu took the lead, leading five thousand elite Northern Han soldiers in a charge into the depths of the valley.

At the same time, Zhao Dezhao, who had already rushed to the deepest part of the valley, suddenly reined in his warhorse and slowly turned around.

The look of extreme fear on his face had not completely faded, but his eyes had become clear and sharp.

Upon seeing this, Fan Shoutu immediately sneered:

"Zhao Dezhao! At this point, what are you still pretending for? You went so far as to use yourself as bait to lure me into this trap, didn't you? Now I've fallen into it! And what can your mere three thousand soldiers do to me?"

"All troops, listen to my command! Form ranks! Capture the thief! Collect the reward!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the messenger beside him suddenly raised a banner.

The five thousand Northern Han soldiers behind him immediately moved as ordered. The shield bearers on the left and right flanks raised their shields in unison, forming two solid shield walls. Their eyes scanned the high slopes on both sides warily, while the army steadily pressed towards the direction where Zhao Dezhao was.

Seeing this, Zhao Dezhao simply stopped hiding it, clapped his hands lightly, and first bowed to Fan Shoutu, praising him:

"General Fan truly deserves to be called a famous general of the Northern Han Dynasty. Knowing that it was a trap, he still dared to bravely charge in. I really admire his courage."

Then, he abruptly changed the subject, reaching for a war drumstick from the messenger beside him. He weighed it lightly in his palm, looking at Fan Shoutu with a half-smile:

"However, General Fan, who told you that I only brought three thousand elite troops this time?"

Having said that, he slammed the war drumstick down hard on the war drum beside him!

"Thump—!"

The deep, heavy sound of war drums resounded through the valley like thunder.

Fan Shoutu's heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of foreboding instantly swept over him.

The next moment, as if to confirm his premonition, a scorching heat wave suddenly swept in from both sides of the valley!

"Song...it's the Song army!!"

At the same time, a terrified roar suddenly rang out from within the Northern Han army formation.

As Zhao Dezhao sounded the war drum, countless torches suddenly lit up on the high slopes on both sides of the valley!

The blazing torches, like twinkling stars, instantly illuminated the entire valley as if it were daytime. The firelight reflected on the faces of every Northern Han soldier, making it clear to them that the high slope was filled with densely packed figures of "Song soldiers" wielding weapons.

At a glance, it seems there are no fewer than ten thousand!

"How is that possible?"

Fan Shoutu was struck dumb, completely stunned, his face turning deathly pale, and he couldn't help but cry out in shock:

"Where...where did you get so many soldiers?!"