Chapter 42: Hunting Up

  "What Brother Zhou said is quite right. However, the matter of Liao and Jin making peace is not entirely false. The two countries have been fighting while negotiating, which is a common occurrence. Nevertheless, even if that's the case, we should speed up our alliance with the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty. After all, even if Liao and Jin make peace, allying with the Jurchens can still divide the strength of the Liao people, making preparations for the recovery of Yan. The high-ranking officials of the two departments are being overly anxious!" By this time, Ma Kuo no longer dared to speak directly about the emperor's mistakes, instead shifting the blame onto Cai Jing and Tong Guan.

  Huining Prefecture, the ice on the banks of the Chuihu River has melted. In Bianjing, the capital city to the east, the snow and ice had already thawed and plants were sprouting at this time of year, but here in the northern region, it was still a vast expanse of white snow, with an icy landscape stretching as far as the eye could see. Only on the surface of the Chuihu River did cracks begin to appear in the ice, revealing the rushing water beneath, heralding the arrival of spring.

  A group of people and horses came along the road, a dozen or so warhorses galloping along the road. Judging from their attire, they should be Jurchen nobles going out for a hunt. The riders on horseback were all wrapped in fur coats, carrying large bows and hunting spears, skillfully driving the warhorses without trimmed manes, rushing through the snow-covered ground that reached their ankles. Their lively shouts broke the silence of the forest, shaking off the accumulated snow on the branches of the trees by the roadside, splashing up a piece of snowy mist.

  Wanyan Zonghan sat on horseback, a sturdy and robust man like most Jurchen nobles at the time, full of vigor. Unlike the civilized Liao and Song dynasties, this emerging nation's elite had not yet turned power and status into private property that could be passed down to their children. Noble blood did not guarantee inheritance of power and status; every Jurchen noble son had to prove his strength and bravery in battle to deserve his position, otherwise he would be driven out by the soldiers' whispers from his military and leadership positions. But unlike other Jurchen nobles, Wanyan Zonghan always wore a bright smile on his face, which was rare among the Jurchen nobles who had fought their way up in a harsh environment. However, those who knew the inside story knew that this son of the Chancellor Sua was the most cunning and ambitious one among the Jurchen nobles. His smile was like his waist knife and bow and arrow, a weapon that he could wipe away like blood splattered on his face if necessary, revealing his ferocious true face. But at this moment, he seemed like an enthusiastic host, smiling and pointing with his whip towards the nearby forest to introduce to Zishan behind him: "It's been snowing for seven or eight days in a row, but today it finally cleared up, just in time for the spring hunt. Let's go out and stretch our limbs. The prey had all hidden deep in the mountains to avoid the wind and snow, but now that the weather has cleared, they're coming out to forage. This forest has the best snow chickens and deer, we can come out and surround them. Master, you won't mind killing animals, will you?"

  Zhi Shan didn't wear his kasaya today, but instead wore a piece of deerskin like most Jurchen women. He had a bow and arrow on his back and a sword at his waist. Upon hearing this, he smiled and said: "This monk is a Chan Buddhist priest, I don't observe the precepts of abstinence from wine, meat, or killing, so you don't have to worry."

  Just as they were talking, the good horse's front hoof stepped into a hole in the snow, and its front leg softened. The warhorse knelt down, and Guli Han was shocked. Before he could reach out to rescue him, Zhi Shan shouted loudly, his arms violently pulling on the reins while exerting force from his waist, his legs fiercely clamping onto the horse's belly. The warhorse let out a loud whinny and actually lifted its front hoof out of the snow pile.

  "Good, good horsemanship!" Sticky rarely couldn't help but applaud and praise, the casual Jurchen guards also responded with a thunderous applause that only insiders would have, these proud knights who had just escaped their barbaric state hadn't yet learned how to hide their emotions.

  "Haha, sorry about that!" Zhi Shan gently patted the neck of his horse with his palm to calm it down, as it had been slightly startled: "It's been a long time since I last rode a horse, almost fell off!"

  "Great Monk!" For some reason, Zhan Hu changed his title for Zhishan: "With riding skills like yours, you're considered top-notch in the Great Song Army, aren't you?"

  "Lang Jun laughed and said, 'For a rider of my level, there are as many as the number of carts in the Western Army, let alone the Imperial Guards who serve before the Emperor's palace in Tokyo Castle.'"

  "Is that so? I don't believe it!" A sly smile spread across his face: "If the Great Monk has such abilities, then even in our great Jin army, he would be considered top-notch. When our great Jin Emperor first rose up in arms, we had only a few thousand soldiers and a few hundred suits of armor, yet we were able to defeat the Liao army time and again. If your Song army is so formidable, you should have already destroyed the Liao kingdom on your own, why bother coming to form an alliance with us?"

  Zhi Shan didn't answer immediately, he noticed that Lang's pupils had shrunk in a dangerous way, narrowing into a slit, just like the moment before a cat pounces on its prey. He cleared his throat and said: "Lang Jun, have you ever hunted fierce tigers?"

  "That's natural!" Zhang Heng smiled and said: "In front of my good husband, what is a tiger?"

  "Was Mr. Lang alone when he went hunting for tigers?"

  "It's not natural."

  "That's it!" Zuo Shan laughed and said: "Lang Jun is not afraid of fierce tigers, but when hunting tigers, there are followers to assist. My Great Song is not afraid of Liao Guo, but when going north to conquer, we need your country's assistance, what's wrong with that? Moreover, mutual aid in an alliance is a reciprocal matter, can't your country alone destroy Liao?"

  "Haha!" Hearing Zhi Shan's words, Zhu Xian burst out laughing. The other party had just cleverly dodged his question and pointed out that the alliance was not only what Song sought, and it would be unwise to continue entangling in this issue. Such a clever person naturally wouldn't do such things. He chuckled and patted the rump of his mount, saying: "The great monk is right, only when Great Song and Great Jin join hands can we shoot down the fierce tiger that is Liao."

  It was already noon when the group of people led by Zhū Hǎn arrived near the hunting ground. Around a dozen bonfires, four or five hundred Jurchen people were standing or sitting, wearing only simple clothing made of hemp cloth or birch bark, with only a few wearing deerskin or sheepskin clothes. In the cold wind, they could only huddle around the fires to warm themselves. When they saw Zhū Hǎn and his entourage arrive, they all stood up.

  "The noble lord has arrived, quickly let the Aliji (meaning slaves in the Khitan language) get up and drive out the prey from the woods!" A sticky attendant rushed to the side of the bonfire and shouted loudly. The two leaders hastily turned around and loudly called out to the crowd, who quickly picked up their crude weapons such as wooden sticks, torches, and bows, formed a sparse horizontal line, and marched towards the depths of the forest. Meanwhile, the remaining people lit up the previously prepared bonfires one by one, forming an arc that surrounded the woods.

  About half an hour later, the forest transmitted a burst of birds and beasts, and then heard a burst of human voices. The sticky followers had already heated up their bows by the bonfire, put on the strings one after another, jumped onto the war horses, with a look of eagerness to try.

  "Hold on!" Zhan Han made a gesture, turned around and smiled at Zhishan: "According to our Jurchen custom, the first prey should be given to the guest, Great Monk please!"

  He smiled, strung his bow, put on his arm guard, flipped onto his warhorse, gently kicked the horse's belly twice, and the mount ran lightly into the empty space within the ring of fire. He took out a feathered arrow from his back, nocked it onto the string, waiting for the arrival of the first prey.

  The first animal to rush out of the woods was a yellow deer, which, frightened out of its wits, leapt over the snowdrifts at the edge of the forest and charged outward. But the fire and the shouting of the crowd drove it back. Just then, Zhishan exerted his strength and clapped his horse's belly, and the mount charged forward towards the yellow deer. The animal immediately sensed danger approaching and, with astonishing agility, leapt to one side, turning its head to flee back into the woods. At this moment, Zhishan lay flat on his back on the horse, drawing his bow to its full extent. As he released his thumb and index finger, a specially crafted crescent-shaped arrow cut through the yellow deer's neck. The animal's momentum carried it forward for over ten paces before it fell to the ground, leaving a trail of blood in the snow.

  "Also Loma!" Almost simultaneously, Khutulun shouted loudly, which in the Jurchen language means "good shooter". The surrounding attendants and other Jurchens also responded in unison. These Jurchens who deal with bows and arrows and wild beasts every day know how difficult it is to shoot a galloping yellow deer while riding a war horse.

  "Great monk, you have such good skills and vision, so I'll let you stay here as my close friend!" Khitan rode over with a smile: "Our Great Jin country isn't just for the Jurchen people, we also have Bohai people and Han Chinese. We want friends who are capable and resourceful. Land, houses, female slaves, gold - you can have as much as you want. Great monk, after we conquer the Upper Capital of Liao, I'll build a big temple for you and let you be the head shaman there. How does that sound?"

  "Gentlemen, if the two countries of Song and Jin form an alliance, then Great Jin will be my ally country, and I will be a vassal of your honorable king. If you have any business, how could I not exert myself? Whether it's in Great Song or Great Jin, what difference does it make?" Zhishan's tone was extremely polite, but Guan Han was very clear that the other party had resolutely rejected him. Guan Han was a very astute person, and with a hearty laugh, he said: "That's also true, anyway, once the alliance is formed, I and the Great Monk will be our own people. Isn't that right? Ha ha!" At this point, his tone had become extremely familiar.

  "Ugh!"

  At this time, a horn sounded in the crowd, and the two men's eyes turned to the field. The hunt had been going on for some time, and many animals with arrows stuck in them were lying in the snow. A group of deer ran out from the forest, led by a huge stag with enormous antlers that shone like a white crown in the sunlight. The stag looked around vaguely, then lowered its head and let out a low, rumbling bellow from its massive lungs, like thunder. Vapor shot out of its nostrils and quickly condensed into a ball of white mist. It pawed the snow with its front hooves while staring at its enemies with its bloodshot eyes.