Chapter 8: The Crucial Moment of Life and Death

At this moment, Chen De felt somewhat perplexed; as a modern person, how could he utter the words expressing his willingness to die for the commander without hesitation? He watched as Wei Ti pat his own shoulder and quickly cupped his hands in salute, saying, "General, you flatter me; I am truly honored."

Wei Ti sighed, saying: "Wende, since the An-Shi Rebellion, the civil officials of the Central Plains have all claimed that military men disrupt the state, harboring deep resentment towards us. The emperors of the Central Plains are both fearful and resentful of the border garrison households. Currently, their call for surrender is merely an attempt to weaken the power of Taiyuan. Once the world is at peace, it will be the time to eliminate us. Do you not remember the lesson from the past when the Wei-Bo garrison households were so powerful? After they submitted to the Central Plains, in a single night, tens of thousands of families were all executed by the Yellow River"

Song Wende cupped his hands in salute to Wang Gui, then turned to Wei Ti and said: "General, given the circumstances, it would be better to surrender to Song."

"I don't know which bastard did this, but I will definitely kill him with a single blow," Wang Gui said resentfully, as he used his small knife to cut the arrow shaft embedded in Wei Ti's shoulder, the blood oozing out and staining his collar red

Seeing the two men full of generosity and spirit, Wei Ti smiled faintly, just as he was about to speak. Suddenly, the sound of a bowstring echoed, and a Song soldier, peering cautiously from behind the stone mountain, fell to the ground, covering his eyes and screaming in agony. Xin Gu, with a blank expression, put away his corner bow, as if the arrow that had just been shot was not his.

A confidential report was received indicating that Wei Ti and others had escaped by a small boat along the Min River. In response, Cheng Fangwu immediately dispatched swift horses to notify all Song army outposts along the river to closely monitor the riverbank. Although it was known that the enemy consisted of only eight individuals, and despite the difficulty of hastily requisitioning boats, Cheng Fangwu still led over one hundred and fifty elite soldiers to pursue them by boat. At this moment, the Song army lit torches and began searching the forest in groups of five, while Cheng Fangwu personally led twenty of his trusted soldiers, positioned in the middle and slightly behind the search formation.

The Song army, however, did not have such concerns. Although the soldiers were equally fearful of the occasional cold arrows shot by the Northern Han troops, they still pressed on under the strict orders of their officers, especially as the encircling Song forces closed in ever closer. Seeing the Song army gradually catching up, Wei Ti and the others could not help but quicken their pace. The pursuing Song soldiers, recognizing that the encirclement was complete and intent on capturing the four alive, ceased firing arrows and merely followed closely behind.

Wei Ti and his companions had just dealt with several soldiers from the far left flank of the Song army. Taking them by surprise, they seized seven crossbows. Only Bai Yanzan sustained a cut on his left arm during the resistance from the Song soldiers. The five were about to take advantage of the chaos to inflict further damage on the Song forces when they noticed that the enemy was not in disarray; their defense was urgent and well-organized. Wei Ti understood that they had encountered seasoned troops who had been in battle for a long time. With a silent sigh, he ordered everyone to stealthily retreat through the thickets.

"And the good men of the books!" Although he already knew the outcome in his heart, the unanimous determination of everyone to die together still moved Wei Ti. Especially Chen De, whom he held in high regard; although they had known each other for a short time, he was still willing to swear to follow him to the death. Wei Ti reached out and patted Chen De's shoulder, saying: "Chen De, I originally intended to grant you a life of wealth and honor, but alas, fate does not allow it, and you will accompany the old general to his grave here.

Wei Ti and his companions cautiously advanced slowly through the thicket. It was not that they did not wish to move faster, but any increase in their speed would attract a rain of arrows from the Song army, drawn by the sound. Although the thicket blocked most of these errant arrows, those that penetrated still possessed tremendous lethality. Wei Ti's long-time bodyguard, Pan Jiu, was struck in the left knee by an arrow in this manner. He was a tough man; realizing he could not escape with the others, he chose to stay behind to cover their retreat. After killing three Song soldiers, he was ultimately overwhelmed and killed by the advancing troops.

Chen De felt that Wei Ti's eyes were fixed on him in the darkness. Remembering Wei Ti's kindness in sheltering and nurturing him during this period, the soldier's blood surged, and he could not help but exclaim: "I swear to follow the general to the death." The other five had no objections and echoed: "We are willing to serve the general unto death!"

"What a good archery technique." Wang Gui and Chen De exclaimed simultaneously

Upon hearing these words, Wei Ti's frostbitten face twitched violently. After a long pause, he finally sighed and said: "Very well, everyone has their own aspirations. You may take someone's head and present it to that Song general for credit. Just let those few men go free; they are all brave men."

The soldiers of Northern Han did not carry bows and arrows with them, and in this situation of enduring blows without retaliation, the Northern Han soldiers who crawled out from the sea of corpses and rivers of blood were filled with resentment. Fortunately, they did not run far before entering the woods by the shore, where the dense branches blocked the increasingly accurate arrows shot from behind. Only then did the Northern Han soldiers breathe a sigh of relief, slow their pace, and gradually gather around Wei Ti.

Although nine soldiers from the left wing were ambushed and killed, Cheng Fangwu was not angry. He calculated in his mind that the enemy, capable of killing nine of his men without losing a single one, must have at least five fierce soldiers. With only seven of the enemy fleeing, their commander would certainly have the most guards around him. Thus, Wei Ti must be among the large group attacking the Song army, and the traces of the Northern Han scouts discovered ahead were merely bait. Cheng Fangwu smiled slightly; even though Wei Ti was well-versed in military strategy and exceptionally brave, he could not compensate for the disadvantage in numbers. The ambush on the Song soldiers only revealed their own position. All that was needed was to slowly press forward with the main troops, and it would only be a matter of time before they were caught like fish in a net. Therefore, Cheng Fangwu ordered a captain to lead twenty soldiers to follow the traces of the Northern Han scouts ahead, while he himself led the remaining soldiers to converge on the left wing. The soldiers he brought were all seasoned veterans who had been in battle before. The recent loss of nine men was merely due to carelessness. If the Northern Han army dared to disturb them again, they would at least have to leave behind one or two corpses to escape. "Even if it takes three to exchange for one, victory is assured," Cheng Fangwu thought to himself, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Song Wende did not carry any weapons, slowly making his way up the mountain step by step. At this moment, Wei Ti and the other three also saw clearly, their expressions all strange. The look of disappointment on Wei Ti's face flashed away in an instant. Once he reached the top of the rocky mountain, Wang Gui and Xin Gu immediately surrounded him from both sides, hands resting on their waist knives, waiting to see how he would explain himself.

Before long, Song Bing's courage grew bolder again. Under the urging of the officer, he raised his portable rattan shield and slowly advanced up the mountain. Wang Gui took four arrows from his quiver, holding them with the fingers of his right hand, ready to shoot in succession. From the crowd of Song troops below the mountain, a figure emerged. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than the Tu Hun army's commander, Song Wende, who had not arrived in time.

Wei Ti let out a sound of disdain, glancing around at his companions, nearly all of whom bore injuries. Song Wende was nowhere to be found, seemingly struck at a vital point by the Northern Song army. Thinking of how Song Wende had followed him for over a decade, Wei Ti could not help but feel a pang of sorrow in his heart. He spoke in a deep voice to those around him: "What Cheng Fangwu said is indeed correct. This time, we are in a precarious situation in Shu, and it is likely that we will find it very difficult to escape. I have resolved to fight to the death. You are all fine young men; your choices are yours to make."

The soldiers of Northern Han hurriedly ran on the pebble beach by the river, their steps uneven. Soon, the Song army's ships also reached the shore, and under the officers' shouts, the soldiers jumped off the bow. These Song soldiers were originally fierce troops from the northern regions. When they stood at the bow to shoot arrows, their balance was unstable, resulting in arrows that were either weak or inaccurate. However, once they firmly planted their feet on the ground, their shots became both precise and powerful. Chen De had also practiced evading and blocking in the dark during his special forces training, so he remained unscathed. Yet, he could hear several Northern Han soldiers around him groaning softly, clearly having been struck by the Song army's arrows. These men were all brave warriors; as long as they were not hit in vital areas, they continued to run without stopping. Before long, a scream echoed from behind, as the Song army's captain vented his anger by stabbing the boatman who had brought them out.

As the people of Beihan rushed into the forest, the leading Song troops did not dare to pursue them too closely, merely watching from outside the woods and shooting arrows at the shadows. Before long, a Song officer arrived with his personal guards, having chased them down. Knowing that Wei Ti and others such as Tu Shu were unarmed, the Song soldiers boldly lit torches. The officer then called out: "Commander Wei, I am Cheng Fangwu, a subordinate of the esteemed Zhang Wangji, the Inspector of the Nine Provinces. I have just beheaded the rebel Zhang Alang. You, Commander, are a guest from afar; please come to Chengdu Prefecture for a discussion."

Song Wende said: "However, the sovereign is incompetent, ... ... "

"Yes," Singud replied, as he caressed the bowstring, squinting his eyes towards the mountains below. The Song soldiers were astonished that there could be such a great distance in the world from which one could hit a target. They were all so frightened that they crawled on the ground, and even the two officers took a few steps back.

Seeing that the Song army did not immediately attack the mountain, the four of them sat down to rest among the boulders. At the moment of their escape, Wei Ti had also been struck by an arrow on his shoulder. This arrow was shot with considerable malice, piercing the area where the shoulder and tendons are interconnected. If he were to recklessly remove the arrow, it would likely render his right arm useless.

Before he finished speaking, Wei Ti interrupted him, shouting angrily: "The military households in the region are the foundation of our existence. No matter how foolish the ruler of Taiyuan may be, he still relies on the Tuhun youth to defend against the strong Liao to the north and resist the Song to the south. If we were to surrender to the south, there would be no place for us to survive in this world." After saying this, he sighed deeply: "If I were to submit to the Song today, it would provide a pretext for that treacherous minister Guo Wuwei, and the Tuhun youth would likely find it even harder to raise their heads again." He paused, then resolutely stated: "You go back and tell the people below, in the Tuhun army, there are only generals who meet their end by beheading."

Song Wende's face showed a look of shame as he spoke softly, "It is I."

Originally resting with his eyes closed, Chen De quickly opened his eyes and smiled, saying: "Brother Wang, your words make me feel like an outsider. Although I do not hold an official position, Commander Wei has already included me in the Tuhun army, how could I stand apart from this matter"

After the Song army called out, they saw no response from the forest for a while, so they began to search within. Cheng Fangwu, the scout of the Song army, was not anxious; this place was already deep in the heart of Shu. He was certain that the people from Northern Han were unfamiliar with the area. As long as the Song army set up checkpoints and traps at key locations, Wei Ti and the others would only have the option of surrendering.

Wei Ti smiled and said: "This minor injury is of no consequence. In warfare, the foremost principle is to be ruthless. A soldier like me fears most of all dying at the hands of civil officials or being humiliated by jailers. Now, even if I were to die on the battlefield, it would be a wish fulfilled. General Yang sent you to accompany me on this journey with the intention of helping me regain the Emperor's trust in the army, but I never expected to involve you in this matter."

However, the Song army did not give the people on the mountain much time to reflect. More than twenty soldiers armed with rattan shields crouched and ran up the mountain, while over sixty archers followed behind, shooting arrows to cover their advance. In an instant, a rain of arrows fell near the rocks where Wei Ti and the others were hiding, forcing the five of them to press tightly against the rocks, unable to shoot back. Despite this, Wang Gui was still struck in the left shoulder by an arrow that fell from the sky. Chen De, on the other hand, was tightly curled up behind the rock, gripping his battle knife with both hands, his fingers straining to the point of turning white at the knuckles. Wang Gui noticed that he was too tense, so he patted his shoulder, while using his knife to cut off the arrow shaft lodged in his shoulder, smiling kindly at him and making a gesture as if to slash at the enemy.

Song Wende suddenly knelt down and said in a trembling voice, "General, the sovereign is foolish, and treacherous officials are in power. I, a young general, am also left with no choice!" He raised his head and continued, "When we left Taiyuan, Chancellor Guo ordered someone to inform me that if I do not bury you in Song territory, my entire family would be in danger. The sovereign and the chancellor have long regarded me and the Hu army's young men as thorns in their eyes and flesh in their bodies, eager to eliminate us at once. General, why not defect to the Song dynasty?"

This small hill is not particularly high; what is remarkable is that, apart from a few massive stones that seem to have fallen from the sky at the summit, the ground is covered with small gravel. Aside from some wild grass and low shrubs, there are no tall trees to provide cover, resembling a natural fortress. Wei Ti led Chen De, Wang Gui, and others to retreat from this rocky hill. The pursuing Song army no longer pressed too hard, instead surrounding the rocky hill from all sides. From a distance, it appeared that two officers were discussing something while pointing at the hill.

At this point, the four no longer thought about how to escape the pursuit of the Song army, but focused solely on killing more enemies. Wang Gui turned around and released an arrow, and with a sound of "bang," a Song soldier clutched his throat and fell in response to the shot. Chen De praised, "Excellent archery." He also shot an arrow in quick succession. The pursuing soldiers behind were so frightened that they all hid behind the tree trunks. The four continued to fight while retreating, gradually ascending a small hill with few trees.

"General, no!" Wang Guilian quickly stepped forward to advise, while Cang Yan drew his waist knife and held it against Song Wende's neck, shouting: "This is the end for this treacherous master seeking glory, this pig and dog."

Hearing such outrageous words, Wang Gui and Chen De exchanged glances, unable to believe that the Prime Minister of Beihan had actually colluded with the enemy to harm his own general. However, Wei Ti's expression remained as calm as water. After listening to An Wende's words, he finally let out a sigh and said: "Wende, at this point, I will not hide anything from you. Your father and I are close friends. Twenty years ago, during the bloody battle at Yangwu Valley, he exchanged his life for mine. Since then, I have treated you as my own son. But this time, you are mistaken."

The rain of arrows shot by the Song army gradually thinned out, and the heavy footsteps of the armored soldiers grew closer. Wei Ti and Wang Gui exchanged a glance, and suddenly let out a loud roar, charging out from behind the massive boulder and crashing into the advancing Song soldiers who were raising their shields. These Song soldiers, who were cautiously approaching, were caught off guard and immediately felled two of their number by Wei Ti and Wang Gui. Chen De and Xin Gu reacted a bit slower, but they too raised their blades and plunged into the disordered ranks of the Song soldiers, slashing left and right. The Song soldiers, who were cautiously approaching, were caught off guard and immediately felled two of their number by Wei Ti and Wang Gui. Chen De and Xin Gu reacted a bit slower, but they too raised their blades and plunged into the disordered ranks of the Song soldiers, slashing left and right.

Wei Ti stared intently into his eyes and said coldly, "All along this journey, I have had the feeling that there might be a spy informing the Song army. Wende, what do you think?"

"Not bad," Wei Ti praised, "You must have hunted rabbits on the grasslands before." He had saved Xing Gu, who was on the verge of starvation, during a patrol beyond the frontier. Unexpectedly, this man was skilled in archery and swordsmanship. Although he was usually taciturn, he had always been grateful for the life-saving favor. The Tuhun army was primarily composed of warriors from various ethnic groups, so Wei Ti did not mind that Xing Gu was a Liao person and took him in as a personal guard.

Wei Tiuhui waved his hand to indicate that there was no need for politeness, then raised his head to fix his gaze on the direction of the Song army's torches, his eyes sharp as if piercing through the darkness. He said: "Since we are to engage in a life-and-death battle, the immediate priority is to seize a few suitable bows and arrows. If we remain silent now, the Song army will surely think that we are fleeing in panic, and soon they will enter the forest to track us down." Seeing that everyone was listening attentively, he commanded: "Bai Yanzan, take Yan Silang to a distance and create some noise to lure the Song army into pursuit. I, along with Wang Gui, Chen De, Xin Gu, and Pan Jiu, will lie in ambush in the forest. If any Song archers come after us, we will take the opportunity to attack and seize their bows." Everyone clasped their hands in agreement and proceeded to act according to the plan.

Wang Gui clasped his hands and said: "Commander Wei has killed me, and I knew this day would come since I joined the army. However, Brother Chen, who is not originally a soldier, has also suffered this unwarranted disaster alongside us."

As he watched Song Wende's figure gradually fade away, until it merged into the ranks of the Song army, Wei Ti finally closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought

Song Wende's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately he did not speak. With a blank expression, he stepped back and respectfully bowed three times in front of Wei Ti, then left with the same expressionless demeanor

After the Song army advanced into the forest, the torches immediately illuminated the surroundings. Drawing out the thick-backed saber from his waist, they pushed through the grass. The skilled scouts quickly discovered the escape route of the Northern Han troops. Cheng Fangwu was about to reorganize the scattered search formations into three parallel lines, each spaced ten feet apart, to advance swiftly when he suddenly heard several cries of despair from the left flank. At this moment, the Song troops in the forest halted their steps, and five men formed a small circle to prepare for the enemy.

Upon hearing this, Song Wende opened his eyes wide and said: "General, what is wrong with a loyal minister choosing a master to serve?"