Chapter 55: Escort
Military orders are as unshakable as a mountain. As a soldier, even knowing a mission carries life-threatening danger, one cannot refuse. Therefore, Jiang Chenghan only paused briefly before accepting the task without the slightest hesitation.
Kou Shijun had arranged for the envoy delegation to depart the day after tomorrow. He told Jiang Chenghan, "You have been away from home for many days. Go back today to see your family first. However, do not speak to anyone about matters related to this mission." Kou Shijun acted this way not out of distrust for Yan Jingshu and the others, but because where there are many people, there is loose talk. The Jiang household had many servants, and if word were to accidentally leak out, it would be unfavorable.
This time, Jiang Chenghan did not agree immediately. Instead, he was silent for a moment before saying, "I will wait until this mission is completed before returning home. Otherwise, I would have to find reasons to hide it from them. My family still doesn't know I have returned from Tianming Pass, let them continue thinking I am still at Tianming Pass."
Although Kou Shijun forbade him from speaking about the mission, he could hide it from others but not from Yan Jingshu. Even though the fake Zhao Dali had been captured, who could guarantee other situations wouldn't arise? Ultimately, this trip was still extremely dangerous. Since that was the case, it was better not to let Yan Jingshu know, to spare him from constant worry day and night.
Kou Shijun had urgently recalled Jiang Chenghan from Tianming Pass, and not many people knew about it. Since Jiang Chenghan also did not want his family to know, Kou Shijun said nothing more, as fewer people knowing would make things more secure.
For the next two days, Jiang Chenghan did not return home and stayed at the Governor's residence. He was already very familiar with the personnel in the Ningcheng army. Without needing to go to the military camp himself, he selected fifty outstanding and formidable officers just by looking at the roster.
Since Yan Jingshu had confessed everything and knew he might be assigned a secret mission, he had been preparing for it. After over two years of investigation, he could now be one hundred percent certain that none of these fifty men had any issues.
Two days later, shortly after the ostensible envoy procession grandly left Ningcheng, Jiang Chenghan, disguised and leading the real Da Qi envoy along with the fifty other officers, left Ningcheng in several separate groups.
With the fake envoy procession openly drawing the fire of Bei Di, Jiang Chenghan's group smoothly entered Danu territory. However, because they had to conceal their tracks, their progress was slower, and it finally took them five days to reach the Danu royal city.
By this time, the envoy group that had left Ningcheng before them had also arrived at the Danu royal city but had not immediately met with the Danu king, using the need to rest as an excuse. Jiang Chenghan then swapped the real envoy with the impersonating deputy envoy to proceed with the alliance matters.
During this period, Jiang Chenghan and his men did not reveal their identities, continuing to provide covert protection until the alliance between Da Qi and Danu was successfully signed. Just as the envoy procession, along with Princess Chanya's wedding entourage and the treasures and livestock Danu was presenting to Da Qi, were about to return to Da Qi, they executed the substitute stratagem again, extracting the Da Qi envoy and Princess Chanya from the group. They then disguised themselves as an ordinary merchant convoy heading to Da Qi.
On the road, Jiang Chenghan had been somewhat worried that the noble Danu Princess Chanya would be unaccustomed to the conditions and uncooperative. But contrary to expectations, the seemingly delicate Princess Chanya did not complain at all during the journey, which saved Jiang Chenghan a lot of worry.
However, compared to the journey there, The return trip was noticeably more difficult. The new Bei Di king, Muto, was quite obsessed with Princess Chanya and naturally did not want her to be taken by Da Qi. By striking now to kill the envoy, he could sabotage the alliance between Da Qi and Danu while also obtaining Princess Chanya, killing two birds with one stone.
Therefore, on the way back to Da Qi, the envoy procession was ambushed and attacked by a group of vicious bandits. Over half of the envoy's guards were killed or injured, the envoy was seriously wounded, the alliance document was burned, and the 'Princess Chanya' was kidnapped.
Although Jiang Chenghan's group was traveling a distance behind the envoy procession, he had people monitoring their movements. So once he learned the procession had been ambushed, he knew Bei Di had struck. He immediately quickened the pace, planning to rush back to Da Qi before the Bei Di discovered that the 'Princess Chanya' they had captured was an imposter.
However, things do not always go as one wishes. Just half a day after the envoy procession was ambushed, the men Jiang Chenghan had arranged for rear guard duty sent a signal informing him that the Bei Di troops had caught up again.
At this time, they were still two days' journey from Da Qi. Bei Di cavalry could travel a thousand li in a day, and with the envoy and Princess Chanya in tow, they would likely be overtaken before long.
Jiang Chenghan's mission was to safely escort the envoy and Princess Chanya into Da Qi. This was the absolute priority. Therefore, he made a quick decision: he ordered thirty of the fifty men to continue escorting the envoy and princess, while he took the remaining twenty to engage and delay the Bei Di pursuers, buying time for the escort group.
They happened to be at a narrow mountain path. Jiang Chenghan led his men to set up multiple traps on the mountainsides and felled large trees to block the road.
However, the pursuing Bei Di troops were numerous, consisting of over five hundred strong men. Although Jiang Chenghan's men set traps in advance and managed to ambush and kill some, they could not eliminate them all. Ultimately, because the Bei Di forces set the mountain ablaze, Jiang Chenghan and his men were left with no choice but to reveal their position and engage the Bei Di cavalry in direct combat.
The Bei Di cavalry were mostly fierce and brave. Although Jiang Chenghan's men were also elites of the Da Qi army, the enemy's numbers were great, and gradually they showed signs of decline, becoming somewhat unable to cope.
Jiang Chenghan certainly did not want to watch his comrades fall one by one. He was well aware of the principle of to catch bandits, first catch the king. So while fighting, he also subtly and slowly moved towards the direction of the Bei Di cavalry commander.
[擒贼先擒王 (qín zéi xiān qín wáng): lit. to catch bandits, first catch the king; fig. to defeat the enemy by first capturing their leader]
Fortunately, perhaps because Jiang Chenghan had fiercely cut down dozens of Bei Di soldiers in a short time, the Bei Di commander could no longer remain calmly on his horse. Cursing loudly, he ignored the dissuasion of those around him, his face contorted, and charged at Jiang Chenghan with his blade.
Jiang Chenghan was afraid he wouldn't come. He immediately went to meet him.
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