Chapter - 526 Sword Duels On Mount Hua (9) (2/2)

”I did … I heard,” Lu Wende answered.

”What did you hear?” Huang Rong pressed.

”That … that the Jin army are planning a sneak attack, must arrange defense, must arrange defense,” Lu Wende mumbled.

Huang Rong was angry, ”It's the Mongolian army, not the Jins!” she said.

Lu Wende was scared out of his wits, ”Mongolian army? That's impossible, that's impossible. The Mongolians have signed an agreement with our minister to fight the Jins together; they won't breach that agreement.”

Huang Rong was really angry, ”I said the Mongolian army! It is the Mongolian army!”

Lu Wende repeatedly nodded his head, ”If Miss says it is the Mongolian army, then it is Mongolian army.”

”The whole country and the people's lives are in the hand of 'Da Ren' [lit. big person – common term for government official]. Xiangyang is the Southern Song's first defense, Da Ren must really care about it,” Guo Jing said.

”Right, right,” Lu Wende said, ”What 'lao xiong' ['old chap'] said was absolutely right.”

Jing and Rong two people sighed. They leaped over the wall and went out, amidst the chaotic shouting, ”Catch the assassins! Catch the assassins!”

Two people waited for two more days, but did not see any increased activity on the city wall at all. ”This Commander is to be cursed!” Guo Jing said, ”Father-in-law was right, I'd better kill him and think about something later.”

”The enemy will arrive within the next few days,” Huang Rong said, ”Killing this dog government official is not enough. The city will certainly be chaotic, the troops will not have anybody to lead them; it will be difficult to fight the enemy.”

Guo Jing creased his brows, ”Then, what do we do?”

Huang Rong hesitated, ”The 'zuo zhuan' [lit. left biography] has a story called 'xian gao kao shi' [Xian Gao presenting a gift to an army]. We might be able to follow this example.”

Guo Jing was delighted, ”Rong'er, reading books truly brings endless wonders. What story was that? Quickly narrate it for me. Can we do it?”

Huang Rong said, ”We can do it, but it all depends on your body.”

Guo Jing was puzzled, ”What?”

Huang Rong did not answer, but she softly laughed.

A moment later she continued, ”Very well, I'll narrate the story for you to hear. During the 'chun qiu' period [spring and autumn, ca. 770-476 BC] in the Zheng country there was a merchant whose name was Xian Gao. While doing business out of town he came across the Qin army who was going to attack the Zheng country. That time the Zhengs were not prepared, therefore, if the Qins attacked they would surely perish. Even though Xian Gao was a businessman he was also a patriot. He cooked up a plan. He dispatched a courier traveling at night to alert his country, while he himself prepared twelve oxen and requested an audience with the enemy's general. He said he represented the Zheng government to present a gift for the Qin army. The Qin's army general thought that the Zheng had already prepared to battle; he did not dare to proceed and pulled the army back to their own country.”