Song Qingshu nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "I, the County Princess, Yelü Qi..." When his eyes fell on Xiao Banhe, he paused, then added him as well. "We'll lead a suicide squad and stay behind to cover the retreat."
He then summoned Xia Qingqing and Bing Xue'er. "Qingqing, Bing Xue'er, you and Mister Jin Qing will lead the main force east. The cities to the east probably haven't learned what happened in Shangjing City yet. With Mister Jin Qing along the way, getting through the checkpoints shouldn't be a problem."
Yelü Chucai's name came from an allusion in the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals: "Though Chu has talent, Jin is the one that puts it to use." Thus, he was named Chucai, with the courtesy name Jin Qing. Considering that although he was descended from Liao Country royalty, Liao Country had long since fallen by the time he was born, he should have been considered a Jin Dynasty man. Yet his talent for statecraft went unused by the Jin Dynasty, and he instead later became an immortal minister of the Mongol Empire. One had to admit that his name had been chosen brilliantly.
Song Qingshu paused before continuing, "A few hundred li from here lies Pingding Prefecture, which is Blackwood Cliff territory. The Sun Moon Holy Cult and the Golden Snake Camp are allies now. Take my token and give it to Cult Master Ren; he will help you return to Golden Snake Camp territory. After that, I'll have to trouble you and Ninth Princess to properly settle the Yelü family, the Xiao family, and the others."
Bing Xue'er shook her head. "No, I'm staying with you. First, I'm not skilled at handling government affairs, so I wouldn't be much help there. Second, I still have