Moma Liangshan

Chapter 93 The Alliance at the Camp Gate: The Han People Isolated

Wang Hao said, "The Khitan are weakening and the Jurchen are rising. The millions of Han people in Liao should take advantage of this opportunity to make a business for their country!" His undisguised statement shocked not only Gao Chang and Gongsun Ping, but also Xue Burang. Ignoring the three men's surprise, Wang Hao continued, "Would the three of you be interested in a chat in the camp?" Xue Burang frowned and said, "Does the young master have the courage to temporarily hand over the command of this camp gate to me?" Wang Hao looked at Lin Chong and said, "All troops, withdraw! Form ranks twenty paces behind the gate!" Xue Burang then turned and shouted, "Both flanks, stand by! The central army, advance fifty paces!" Chen Song had already returned and, seeing this, instructed his men, "Two tables and six chairs below the gate!" In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the tables and chairs were ready. Wang Hao said, "Please, the three of you!" Then, he looked at Chen Song and instructed, "You and Lin Chong, come and sit with me!" Chen Song nodded and quickly came to Lin Chong, saying, "The young master invites you and me to sit!" Lin Chong looked towards the high ground a hundred paces away. Yang Zhi understood and nodded slightly. At this moment, inside the camp, five hundred soldiers and one hundred guards were under Yang Zhi's unified command. Outside the camp, the three-surname allied forces, though numerous, suffered from poor command and slow response. Two wooden tables were placed parallel to each other, with the gate of the camp as the boundary, and six wooden chairs were arranged around the outer edge of the tables. Wang Hao and Xue Burang sat in the main seats, Chen Song and Lin Chong sat on the west side, and Gongsun Ping and Gao Chang sat on the east side.

Wang Hao asked, "May I ask what the Xue family head's ambitions are?" Xue Burang frowned and replied, "Young master, you are merely a wealthy merchant of the Song Dynasty. What do the ambitions of the Xue, Gao, and Gongsun families have to do with you?" Wang Hao shook his head slightly and said, "There are generally two ways to do business. One is to trade goods from the Central Plains, such as silk, tea, porcelain, and armor, for furs, medicinal herbs, cattle, sheep, and warhorses from beyond the Great Wall; both parties trade fairly based on market valuations, without incurring losses for either; in other words, this is ordinary business. The other is to seek out those with lofty ambitions..." "Our allies, disregarding short-term gains and losses, use the abundant resources of the Central Plains dynasty to help them become powerful in their own region; once their hegemony is complete, we will reap great profits; this is a business for the nation and the people, and it is also the true purpose of my visit." Xue Burang smiled through gritted teeth and said, "Does the young master think that all the Han people of Liaodong are ungrateful villains?" Wang Hao's gaze swept over Gao Chang and Gongsun Ping, and he asked, "I wonder what favors the Liao emperor and his ministers have shown to the Han people of the north?" For a moment, Xue Burang, Gao Chang, and Gongsun Ping looked at each other, speechless. After a long while, Xue Burang said, "Young Master Wang has been in the Central Plains for a long time, far from the flames of war. I'm afraid you haven't witnessed the tragic scene of a million-strong army fighting to the death, have you?" Wang Hao unconsciously looked at Lin Chong and said, "Indeed, I haven't!" Xue Burang continued, "When the Jurchens captured Huanglong Prefecture, Emperor Tianzuo mobilized a million troops to quell the rebellion, but suffered a crushing defeat. Although I wasn't on the front lines, I witnessed that great battle firsthand. Our thousand-plus men were but a drop in the ocean in that war. Young Master, what are your intentions in encouraging us to rise up against Liao?" Wang Hao was unconvinced and said, "When the Liao court still had a million-strong army, the Wanyan clan started a rebellion with only a few thousand soldiers. They swept through the country like a whirlwind, conquering half of the northern lands within a few years."