In the Song Dynasty, there was no law or order.

It was late afternoon and early evening, and the sun had not yet set.

The setting sun shone through the thin autumn clouds and fell on the earth, reflecting a gorgeous fiery cloud in the western sky.

In early autumn in July, the whole world in the northern part of the Great Wall seemed to be that kind of withered yellow color. The weather turned cold, the grass and trees swayed in the wind, and the sky was also orange-yellow. Only the sunset glow on the edge of the clouds was still flashing purple light.

To the north of Anlong Pass, the road along the Qingshui River was extremely wide, and at the end of the road, countless cavalrymen swarmed in. This place is the throat of Xixia to Yanzhou, guarding two passages.

One passage is to follow Qingshui, which is the Yanhe River in later generations, to the northwest. The other one goes directly to the north, and there is a small road to Longzhou, Xixia.

However, the terrain of this road is narrow, which is not conducive to the passage of the army, so if Li Yuanhao wants to pursue the traitor, he naturally has to take the right way to be faster.

Since the west bank of Qingshui is close to hills and mountains, the main road is on the east bank. Fan Zhongyan has now set up Anlong Village on the east bank, which is located in Jianhua Town, Ansai District, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province in later generations. It is like a natural moat across the middle of the road, cutting it off in the middle.

At this moment, the Xia bandits outside the village wall are surging like a tsunami, and the dark clouds are pressing down on the city, and the Song army on the village wall is nervously looking outside the village. All kinds of bows and arrows, firearms are available, catapults are ready, and barrels of grenades are placed at their feet.

The soldiers crouched quietly behind the village wall. The Xixia bandits in the distance were getting closer and closer. Fan Zhongyan stood on the village wall and looked far to the north. Almost when the opponent approached about 300 feet, he shouted: "String up!"

This string does not refer to the crossbow, but to the eight-ox bed crossbow.

In the Han Dynasty, one foot was 2.31 meters, and in the Song Dynasty it became 3.33 meters. About three hundred feet is one thousand meters, which is exactly the attack range of the eight-ox crossbow.

I saw more than 20 large crossbows on the wall of the village. The crossbows were more than three meters long. There were three crossbows in total, two straight and one reverse. When the bowstring was pulled, the distance it could be pulled could reach 155 cm. The thrust generated could easily reach a range of more than one thousand meters!

But this bed crossbow was powerful, but its disadvantage was also obvious, that is, it was very difficult to string it. According to historical records, it took thirty soldiers to pull the winch shaft to pull it open, and the three-foot-five-inch-long and five-inch-thick iron arrows were powerful, but their accuracy was average.

In the era without scopes, this thing was not as convenient to operate as a sniper rifle, and it was very difficult to move and aim. So unless you were dealing with a large-scale legion, you didn't need to aim at all, otherwise it would be very difficult to snipe the enemy.

The only record of sniping an enemy general in history was during the Battle of Chanzhou, when the Liao army attacked the city. Zhang Gui, a soldier defending the city, was startled and hurriedly fired a crossbow. The arrow flew out like thunder and hit the Liao general Xiao Tallin, which directly led to the birth of the Chanyuan Alliance.

However, it is unrealistic to snipe the enemy, but Li Yuanhao brought a large army this time, and the power of the Eight Ox Crossbow can still be reflected. It's just that the deterrent significance is basically greater. With the speed of the Western Xia cavalry, the enemy can be killed to the city within two shots.

But obviously Li Yuanhao looked at the wall above Anlong Village from a distance and saw the sharp arrowheads on the wall. Under the setting sun, it reflected a strange white light, which still made him feel an inexplicable sense of threat.

Since he wanted to invade the Song Dynasty, it was impossible for him not to know the defense equipment on the wall of the Song Army. Thinking of Xiao Tallin's miserable state, Li Yuanhao still issued an order to stop advancing.

The two sides confronted each other three hundred feet away.

In fact, both sides saw each other as just dense black dots, and the military flags fluttered in the wind, and they froze for a moment.

Fan Zhongyan looked outside the camp leisurely, with his hands behind his back, looking relaxed.

Shan Yuweiliang's defection was a huge blow to Xixia. If Li Yuanhao hadn't caught him and killed him, it would have had serious consequences for both his prestige and the internal stability of Xixia.

So he wasn't the one who was anxious anyway.

After a while, Li Yuanhao really sent a knight to the camp and shouted to the top: "Where is your leader?"

"This guy is so brave that he dares to come here to die? Sir, let me shoot him!"

A young general in silver armor said to Fan Zhongyan.

The young general was Zhe Jimin, the inspector of Linfu Road. Although he was only a middle-lower-level seventh-rank officer, he inherited his father's bravery and was still quite brave and good at fighting.

Fan Zhongyan waved his hand and said, "No hurry, go ask him what's going on. If he asks about Shan Yu Weiliang, just say you've never seen this man."

"Yes."

Zhe Jimin poked his head out, looked down and shouted, "Where did this blue-armed thief come from? What are you doing?"

The knights below were not surprised. The soldiers in the army were used to being rough, not nobles or scholars who were polite and refined. There were often small-scale conflicts on the border between the Song Dynasty and the Xia Kingdom, and it was normal for both sides to curse each other.

He shouted, "My king wants you to hand over Shan Yu Weiliang!"

"Get lost."

Zhe Jimin shouted, "Your grandfather has never heard of this person."

"How dare you!"

The knight shouted, "The traitor Shan Yu Weiliang has obviously escaped into Song territory and you have hidden him."

Zhe Jimin bent his bow and shot an arrow, hitting the knight three feet in front of him, and shouted, "Your grandfather said he has never seen him, and if you dare to talk nonsense again, I will kill you."

"Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz!~~~"

The knight watched the arrow in front of him penetrate three inches into the ground, and the feathers at the tail of the arrow shook and made a crisp sound, and couldn't help swallowing his saliva.

If the arrow had been shot at his throat or face, it would have penetrated directly with this force.

Seeing this, the knight did not dare to continue to entangle, and turned his horse's head and went back.

After a moment, he came to Li Yuanhao, repeated the other party's attitude, and then said: "My king, it seems that they want to protect the traitor!"

Li Yuanhao's face was very ugly.

He was a step slower.

In history, Shan Yu Weiliang did not catch up, but was tied up by Guo Quan and Li Wei and sent back to him directly, allowing him to pick up an advantage.

Now Fan Zhongyan came, but he would not let him pick up this loophole.

So although Li Yuanhao did not know that he easily caught Shan Yu Weiliang in history, at least now, he could already feel the difficulty of the Song army.

Thinking of this, and looking at the Song army soldiers who were waiting solemnly on the wall in the distance, Li Yuanhao thought carefully and decided to talk first to see if he could get Shan Yu Weiliang back at the negotiation table.

"Who is the other side's commander?"

"There is a big flag with the word Fan on the top of the city wall. I think it is Fan Zhongyan."

"Go, tell Fan Zhongyan that I am willing to retreat 200 feet, leaving only 30 soldiers with me. I hope he can also bring 30 soldiers to the front of the two armies and talk to me in person."

Li Yuanhao told the knight to go back and talk.

In fact, it is almost impossible for the two commanders to meet in front of the two armies. It is impossible to achieve Zhuge Liang's scolding Wang Lang to death in front of the battle in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

After all, all is fair in war. The two sides met close to each other. If the other side prepared an ambush with archers and killed the commander, wouldn't it be the end?

But Li Yuanhao also had his own considerations.

First, he knew that the range of the Eight Ox Crossbow was far, so he didn't want to take risks. His army retreated 200 feet, and he himself was about 300 feet outside Anlong Village. He should be very safe.

Second, he boasted of his bravery. He followed his father to march and fight when he was very young. He went to the battlefield and killed the enemy countless times. He was not afraid at all.

Third, even if Fan Zhongyan agreed to come out, it would not matter. The two sides were in the middle of the formation, shouting at a distance, with personal guards holding shields, so he did not have to worry about the enemy shooting arrows, but he could try to see if he could catch Fan Zhongyan.

If Fan Zhongyan was caught, it would be worth it, more than ten Shanyu Weiliang.

Even if the Song army did not agree to his request, it did not matter. The other side was hiding in the city, and he could spread the word that the Song army was a coward and did not dare to come out. This would boost the morale of the army, and then whether it was to attack or retreat, it would be easy.

So taking all these into consideration, Li Yuanhao's considerations were quite comprehensive, and it was beneficial to him in any aspect.

After receiving the order, the knight galloped back to Anlong Village, shouted Li Yuanhao's request to the city wall once, and then turned his horse's head and left quickly.

Fan Zhongyan listened to it from above and immediately thought about it.

Go or not?

If he went, Li Yuanhao might have some conspiracy.

But if I don't go, wouldn't it bring disgrace to the Song Dynasty?

While hesitating, Wang Deyong said, "Why do you care about him? If he wants to come, let him bring his army. You must not take risks."

"I'm not afraid of taking risks, and there's nothing dangerous. I just need to carry two grenades on my waist."

Fan Zhongyan frowned and said, "I'm just wondering what's the benefit of going. I think Li Yuanhao came to talk to me about Shan Yu Weiliang in detail. If I kill him directly, will it cause the Western Xia to collapse and destroy the country?"

"Do you plan to kill him with a grenade?"

Wang Deyong said in surprise.

Fan Zhongyan said with a smile: "This guy brought a large army and swaggered into the territory of our Song Dynasty. Even if he was blown to death by me in front of the battlefield, it would be a legitimate thing. I am not a pedantic person, and I will not do the talk between the two countries without using swords."

"But it will be dangerous for you, sir."

Wang Deyong had seen the power of grenades before, and said tactfully: "If the distance is too close, I am worried."

"It doesn't matter, I will go out and meet this guy."

Fan Zhongyan said, and winked at Di Qing and others. Di Qing, Zhang Yu, Zhe Jimin and other young officers immediately understood, and put a few grenades on their waists, and then followed Lao Fan down the wall of the village.

Over there, Li Yuanhao saw that the gate of Anlong Village was opened, and he knew that Fan Zhongyan actually dared to come out. He sneered in his heart that he was worthy of being a scholar in the Song Dynasty, but he was pedantic and inflexible.

He deliberately stayed outside the range of the bed crossbow, and was surrounded by good players of the Iron Harrier Army, just to take action once the talks broke down.

Although it is not known whether Fan Zhongyan can be captured, if he is really captured, the cost-effectiveness is too high.

At that time, the Song Dynasty will inevitably pay a great price to exchange Fan Zhongyan back, and he can ask for a sky-high price, extort money and food from the Song Dynasty, and force the Song Dynasty to send Shan Yu Weiliang back.

However, what Li Yuanhao obviously did not know was that he coveted Fan Zhongyan's body, and Fan Zhongyan also wanted his life? He thought he was thoughtful, but he didn't know about grenades.

Fan Zhongyan felt that if he could kill Li Yuanhao directly, it would be much easier than continuing the Song-Xia war later. Once Li Yuanhao died, I am afraid that the huge kingdom he had worked hard to build would fall apart in an instant.

At that time, the enemy of the Song Dynasty would only be the Liao Kingdom.

The Xixia army slowly retreated here, and on a small hill in the center of the front, only Li Yuanhao and thirty armored cavalry were left looking down from above.

Seeing this scene, Fan Zhongyan frowned.

The opponent was on a hillside, and the grenade was not far away. An ordinary person could throw it seven to eight feet, which is considered good. Even a well-trained bombardier could throw it about ten feet.

As a result, Li Yuanhao was still in a high position, but it was much harder than throwing it to the ground. Fan Zhongyan was thinking about how to get closer?

The two sides slowly approached.

When they reached about seventeen or eighty feet, Li Yuanhao's soldiers shouted: "Stop!"

Fan Zhongyan had no choice but to rein in his horse and stop.

Because the opponent had raised crossbows in their hands, and the Song Army raised their shields, it seemed to be disadvantageous to the Song Army if they continued to move forward.

But even in such an unfavorable situation, Song Jun continued to move forward without obeying the other party's orders. Obviously something was wrong.

So in order to prevent Li Yuanhao from noticing, Fan Zhongyan had to follow the other party's instructions.

Li Yuanhao, on the other hand, had doubts in his eyes.

Under normal circumstances, he would definitely want the two sides to be as close as possible, so that he can catch the other side off guard.

But when he got closer, he discovered that the Song army did not bring any crossbows, and all of them had bulging bags on their waists. The Song soldiers also had their hands on their waists, as if they were hiding something.

This made Li Yuanhao suspicious.

When something goes wrong, there must be a monster.

He had a suspicious character to begin with, and Song Jun's strange behavior made him be cautious and not allow the two sides to get too close.

After all, compared to catching Fan Zhongyan, his own safety is the most important thing.

"Mr. Fan!"

Li Yuanhao came out of the crowd, reined in his horse on the hillside, and shouted condescendingly: "You have been in Shaanxi for almost two years. We often write letters, and now this is the first time we meet."

While assessing the distance, Fan Zhongyan responded casually: "What the king said is that the Song Dynasty and Xixia are good neighbors and friendly. I wonder what the king wants to do when he suddenly brings so many soldiers and horses into our Song Dynasty today?"

Li Yuanhao said: "My subordinate encountered Weiliang in the mountains, rebelled and defected, and ran to the territory of Song Dynasty, so I hope that my husband can hand him over."

"oh?"

Fan Zhongyan smiled and said, "But I have never seen this person before."

"My husband is joking."

Li Yuanhao said with an ugly face: "Someone saw him fleeing into the Song Dynasty with his own eyes and was picked up by your army."

It seems that there are exquisite Xixia works all over the border of the Song Dynasty.

Fan Zhongyan frowned.

Although he has withdrawn the outer fortresses, strengthened the walls and cleared the fields, and carried out strategic defensive contraction.

But there are still a large number of Hu and Han people living on the border between Xixia and Song Dynasty.

There are Dangxiang people, Qiang and Di people, and Han people.

They trade with each other and live in the surrounding hills and mountains. Fan Zhongyan cannot expel or move everyone back to the pass.

Therefore, it was normal for Li Yuanhao's careful work to discover Shan Yu Weiliang's traces and report them to him.

Thinking of this, Fan Zhongyan no longer denied it, but said: "General Shanyu came to surrender sincerely, and I have accepted him. If I make friends with the Song Dynasty, where will the majesty of the Song Dynasty be?"

"This is my own domestic matter in Daxia. I also hope that my husband will do it for your convenience and not interfere in our national affairs."

Li Yuanhao's tone became more and more unkind: "If my husband insists on not making friends, I don't know if you can bear the responsibility of provoking a war with Daxia."

"Is your Majesty threatening me?"

Fan Zhongyan also sneered: "You bring so many soldiers and horses and trespass into our territory of the Song Dynasty without authorization. You are already provoking a war. I advise you to leave, don't make any mistakes!"

Seeing that they couldn't reach an agreement, Li Yuanhao's eyes became colder and colder. He looked Fan Zhongyan up and down, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly turned his horse and left without hesitation.

This was beyond Fan Zhongyan's expectation. He instinctively touched his waist to get something, but in the end he did not take out the grenade.

Because the distance between the two sides was already far, and now Li Yuanhao did not advance but retreated, he left directly. The grenade could not be thrown at all. Throwing it now would expose the secret weapon, and the gain would not be worth the loss.

Forget it.

Fan Zhongyan could only look at Li Yuanhao's leaving figure with regret, and then turned his horse back.