173: Chapter 53 Capturing the King

Wanyan Honglie was conceited because he had the capital to be so.

As a prince of the Jin Dynasty and a contender for the throne, he possessed power, influence, and men.

Simultaneously, as a commander who had fought many battles, he deeply understood the strength of an army. Even famous Jianghu experts like Ouyang Ke, Master Lingzhi, and Sha Tongtian had to give way when facing a structured military force.

Knowing that the emotional gamble with Yang Kang's family had failed, Wanyan Honglie, out of resentment and spite, resolutely chose to use power and force as an external tactic.

Thus, he led his troops to pursue Yang Tiexin and the others.

Initially, he planned to bring only a hundred elite soldiers.

After all, he was operating across borders. Even though the Jin Dynasty was strong and the Song Dynasty was weak, he couldn't mobilize too many people for a private matter.

A hundred elite soldiers, plus Jianghu experts like Ouyang Ke, seemed sufficient to him.

Later, Ouyang Ke mentioned that Meng Li was difficult to deal with. Out of caution, Wanyan Honglie added another two hundred elite soldiers.

After catching up with them, he did not immediately order his subordinates to seize them.

Because on this trip, he wanted to bring Bao Xiruo and Yang Kang back alive, not wipe them out entirely.

Meng Li spun two stories, saying he wanted to try fighting three hundred men alone.

This suited Wanyan Honglie's intentions perfectly.

In his view, Yang Tiexin and the others' greatest reliance was Meng Li.

If he could defeat or even subdue the opponent, it would further demonstrate Wanyan Honglie's power, helping to make Bao Xiruo and her son "change their minds."

But Wanyan Honglie never expected this!

The formation was set, and the battle was imminent. After Meng Li made his move, Wanyan Honglie found himself swept away from his own camp by an invisible force, flying before Meng Li in a flash, captured with ease.

This...

Where is this Prince?

What is this Prince doing?

Who is this Prince?

With his brain stalled, Wanyan Honglie asked these three existential questions in his heart.

Others were equally dumbfounded.

The spearmen who had set their formation and were ready to fight thought: Weren't we about to fight? How did the Prince fly into the opponent's hands in the blink of an eye?

Wanyan Honglie's confidant Xie Bin and the other soldiers were also completely bewildered.

Ouyang Ke, Master Lingzhi, Sha Tongtian, and the others sensed the fluctuations of True Qi and roughly understood what was happening.

Then, they cursed Meng Li's cunning in their hearts.

He had agreed to fight three hundred men alone and even told two stories to set the mood. When the atmosphere was just right and they were all ready to watch the show, he went straight for the leader!

The young man has no martial ethics!

At the same time, they were deeply alarmed.

Because they had never seen Transferring Flowers and Grafting Trees, they didn't understand the method of seizing someone from a distance.

Yang Tiexin's group was also stunned by Meng Li's deceptive maneuver, but their shock soon turned to joy.

With Wanyan Honglie captured, they had hope of escaping!

"Your Excellency truly has great methods," Wanyan Honglie said through gritted teeth after coming to his senses.

Although he spoke through gritted teeth, there was a hint of genuine admiration in his heart, though it was mostly wariness and even fear.

Meng Li had too many tricks, and they were completely beyond his expectations.

He couldn't help but be wary and fearful of such a person.

Meng Li laughed softly. "You flatter me."

Having said that, he moved quickly, sealing several of Wanyan Honglie's Major Acupoints and grabbing him by the throat with one hand.

Wanyan Honglie's face instantly turned pale, and he felt his whole body go limp, unable to muster any strength.

Opposite them, Xie Bin immediately shouted nervously, "Your Excellency, do not harm the Prince!"

Meng Li glanced at him, vaguely remembering that the man was a die-hard loyalist of Wanyan Honglie.

In the original story, Wanyan Honglie led troops back to reinforce Yanjing and fought outside the city himself, sending Xie Bin into the city to seek help. Unexpectedly, Emperor Shizong of Jin refused to send reinforcements due to Wanyan Hongxi's persuasion. Xie Bin was in despair, but instead of hiding in the city, he begged to go out alone and die in battle alongside Wanyan Honglie.

Despite their opposing sides, such a loyal person was ultimately worthy of respect.

Hearing this, Meng Li replied, "Rest assured, I've only drained his strength."

"However, if you want him safe and sound, it depends on what you do."

Xie Bin understood instantly and immediately promised, "As long as you release the Prince, I will let you leave at once."

Seeing this, Wanyan Honglie wanted to say something but found he couldn't make a sound. Realizing Meng Li had done something just now, he felt both shocked and helpless.

Meng Li didn't believe Xie Bin's promise at all.

He stated plainly, "You seem to have mistaken one thing. I hold the heavier bargaining chip now, so the initiative is with me."

"I give you two choices: One, I kill Wanyan Honglie, and you, in your collective rage, rush forward to collect his body and seek revenge. Two, you withdraw immediately. Once you have left the Song Dynasty, I will release him."

"Impossible!" Facing Meng Li's conditions, Xie Bin refused without a second thought. "Once we leave, there's no way to guarantee the Prince's safety."

Then, he said sternly, "The Prince is the sixth prince of our Jin Dynasty. If Your Excellency kills him, you will not only face our pursuit, but the Jin Dynasty will also hold the Song Dynasty accountable, perhaps even starting another war."

"You know what the Song Dynasty court is like."

"To appease the Jin Dynasty's anger, the Song officials will certainly issue warrants for your arrest."

"By then, there will be no place for you in either the Jin or Song empires."

"So..."

Meng Li interrupted directly, "You don't need to worry about that. If the Jin and Song empires won't have me, I'll go to the Great Desert or out to sea."

Hearing this, Guo Jing spoke up, "That's right, my mother is in the Great Desert. We've lived there for over ten years."

Huang Rong also said, "I grew up on an island; I'm familiar with the sea."

Xie Bin's expression froze.

He hadn't expected Meng Li to say that, nor that they actually had connections outside the Jin and Song empires.

This immediately stripped his threat of its intended effect.

However, Xie Bin quickly added, "If you flee, the Jin Dynasty will surely start a war against the Song Dynasty. When the common people of Song suffer the hardships of war, and it's all because of your momentary impulse, can you bear it?"

At these words, the faces of Yang Tiexin and the others changed drastically.

Huang Rong cursed him for being shameless but felt helpless.

Meng Li smiled. "What you say makes sense. Let's change the conditions then."

"Let Guo Jing and the others leave first while Wanyan Honglie and I stay. Once they are safe, I will release him and leave on my own. How about that?"

Xie Bin only wanted to ensure Wanyan Honglie's safety now. Hearing this, he readily agreed, "Fine."

Guo Jing and Mu Nianci wanted to say something, but Huang Rong stopped them.

Then, Huang Rong said, "His Martial Arts are high; he can escape more easily alone. Staying behind would only hold him back."

"Correct," Meng Li agreed, then said, "Take the horses pulling the Dream Travel Residence and follow the original plan. Once I break away, I will regroup with you."

Then, as if thinking of something, he added, "Huang Rong, you ride with Nianci."

"Okay," Huang Rong agreed readily, understanding Meng Li's intention.

This was for her to keep an eye on Mu Nianci, lest she do something foolish and run back halfway.

Immediately, she pulled Mu Nianci and Guo Jing to the front of the Dream Travel Residence to unhitch the horses.

Before long, they were all mounted.

Huang Rong and Mu Nianci on one horse, Bao Xiruo and Yang Tiexin on another, and Yang Kang and Guo Jing on one each.

Once they had left, Xie Bin immediately said to Meng Li, "They have all left safely. Please release the Prince, Your Excellency."

...