You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 128 The Last Fight

The sound of horns rang out in the darkness east of Xiping Prefecture.

The Western Xia scouts who were keeping watch on the Dingnan Army camp straightened up from their squatting positions.

Outside Xiping Prefecture, the Dingnan Army lit bonfires all over the mountains and fields. Although, based on their rich experience in battle, they could tell that the bonfires were a feint, the actual number of troops was no more than a thousand.

However, since the army was marching across a vast plain, such a force was sufficient to serve as the vanguard, to establish a presence and expand the perimeter of the main force. This was perfectly normal.

As the vanguard, the Xia soldiers in Xiping Prefecture actually held a rather fragile position, being the most easily abandoned and discarded force.

During the daytime battle outside the city, Dingnan Army defeated a battalion of Iron Falcon heavy cavalry, which made the Western Xia people dare not challenge Dingnan Army's flank heavy cavalry, and they only kept watch.

Ultimately, amidst the unease of the Xiping Prefecture troops, nothing happened that night.

The Dingnan army did not attack the city, and they did not know whether to be happy or regretful.

Staying in the city, every day was filled with fear. The city's food supply had long been insufficient, and each person's ration was very limited.

People were guarding the city walls, managing to get a bite or two of food, but they didn't know if their family members at home had already starved to death.

However, they gradually discovered that the Dingnan Army would do this every night.

They took turns launching feigned attacks and setting fires, keeping the city's defenders on edge and unable to sleep.

This tactic is insidious and can only be used by the side that has the upper hand.

The Western Xia garrison in the city could only curse; they had no other recourse.

Ten days later, Wu Jie's troops began to approach the salt lake.

The reason they were ten days behind Han Shizhong was that they were reorganizing their troops and escorting the Dingnan Army's supply train to this place.

Behind their camp, construction began on a new fortress.

The construction was much faster this time than before, because with the accumulation of experience, Chen Shao's supply corps had become the most skilled group of people in building fortresses.

Moreover, he has no shortage of labor.

Chen Shao had too many men under his command. He bought hundreds of thousands of able-bodied young men from the Jurchens, who could work as long as they were fed.

These people originally had a major problem with getting food, so this was a good opportunity to provide work relief.

There was a high hill where the rear army camp was located. Chen Shao was riding a horse, wearing double layers of heavy armor just like his personal guards. He had paid attention to his diet and nutrition from the beginning, and his bones were well developed. Although he was not used to wearing such heavy armor, he could still bear it. However, he was a little clumsy on horseback.

Chen Shao also intended to train himself, wearing heavy armor and riding a horse, knowing that he would need this skill sooner or later.

On the battlefield amidst thousands of troops, every extra day spent there is a test of a man's resilience.

It's not just about physical improvement, but also about mental well-being.

Sometimes he felt the heroic ambition of a man who could conquer the world, roam the battlefield, and achieve unparalleled fame.

They feel they should turn the world upside down and take everything into their hands. Once you're in this heroic career, you'll be completely captivated if you have any ambition!
But sometimes, he would feel a little scared, fearing that something unexpected might happen and cause the excellent situation to collapse in an instant.

Chen Shao didn't understand why such powerful figures in history, who could have easily taken a step back and become wealthy men, living a leisurely life at home and having as many concubines as they wanted, would still strive forward and challenge fate and God.
Now he understands, this is what a real man truly cherishes!

Money, food, and women all have their limits; even the most beautiful woman will eventually become tiresome after you've had your fill. But power is the only thing that truly makes countless heroes bow down in its presence.

Han Shizhong rode up from below, carrying a lance with a long, double-sided head.

Chen Shao had never seen him use it before, but now he was showing it off.

"Han Wu, you've worked hard." Chen Shao said with a smile as Han Wu approached.

"It's nothing more than lighting fires and waving flags, what's so hard about that? On the contrary, I feel sorry for those Xia thieves in the city!"

Everyone present burst into laughter.

The situation is indeed favorable. The Western Xia has no trump cards left; they can only gather all their strength for a final blow.

As for those who fled to the Helan Mountains to resist, they became just like the Uyghurs in the Hexi Corridor, a small force that was not worth fearing.

"When do you think they'll come out to fight that final battle?" Chen Shao asked impatiently.

At this point, he disregarded the importance of patience and the need to avoid underestimating the enemy and making rash advances—these were the words he spoke most often to his generals.

At that time, he remained absolutely calm in Youzhou City.

Now all he wants is to get into Xingqing Prefecture as soon as possible and use the Western Xia imperial palace as a military camp.

Seven days passed, and the fortified villages behind were almost ready for use. The Dingnan army pressed forward again.

The small camp built by the vanguard leader, Pang Ge, has been roughly set up.

The camps of the Dingnan Army were always set up with exceptional precision. However, the camp where Pang Ge was located had its trenches dug rather shallowly and were hastily completed. The palisades were scattered here and there, failing to form a dense barrier.

The stockades were crooked and uneven, clearly indicating that they were not buried very deep in the ground. Even the watchtowers were not built to their usual height.

Although Meicang Pangge was a barbarian general, the barbarian generals and soldiers in the Dingnan Army were similar to the Song people.

They were never careless, especially when it came to setting up camp. The Western Xia and Song people had been entangled for a century and were already quite similar. After being brought under Chen Shao's control, they became a group of rudimentary soldiers.

Normally, if the soldiers built their camp like this, the officers and soldiers in charge would have already been whipped and beaten. But this time, no one paid any attention, and everyone seemed completely lax.

Even the soldiers on night patrol and the scouts sent out were all listless, looking out from the Xiping Prefecture city tower not far from the camp.

You could even see that the scouts sent out at night had already returned to the camp gate, where they and the guards had lit a fire and were sitting around it, chatting and laughing in hushed tones.

Mei Cang Pang Ge was in his own military tent, lying on a leather mat on the ground, humming softly.

Han Shizhong and Chen Shao, standing some distance away, laughed and cursed, "Anyone can see that this guy's behavior is a ploy to lure the snake out of its hole."

Chen Shao smiled and said, "Your acting is indeed terrible. Even if you're leading a group of cavalry and the construction is poor, no one will fall for it."

When a real fight broke out, Pang Ge and his men mounted their horses and fled.

Chen Shao cursed inwardly, thinking how Li Qianshun had managed to hide his final blow.

The situation has reached a point where it's beyond human control; we might as well just go out and have a good, decisive battle.

If you really can't bear to die, then surrender!

As he spent more time on the battlefield, Chen Shao calmed down and began to study things like battle formations.

Before making a decision, he was on edge, standing on high ground all day, surveying the terrain of Shuofang, his face taut as if he were a great general.

After the plan was finalized, the army was fully deployed and carried out according to the plan, and he was completely relaxed.

With the encirclement complete, if they don't fight back, and three or five more fortresses are built behind them, Chen Shao himself won't be in a hurry anymore.
-
Outside Xingqing Prefecture, in the camp of Prince Lichage of Jin, several messengers who had come from Yeli Chongshan's camp were resting in a corner of the tent.

They had risked their lives to gather intelligence from behind the Dingnan army. Then they rushed back, but of those who went out to deliver the message, less than one in ten survived, and those who returned were all severely wounded.

Richard stood in the tent, pacing back and forth.

Those standing in the tent were all Richard's trusted advisors and strategists.

Everyone looked solemn, with a mixture of fear and tension.

All eyes would frequently be drawn to Richard's face, but he remained expressionless, simply pacing slowly in the tent.

Richard was actually not very old, only in his thirties, but he was already the most meritorious member of the royal family in the Western Xia court.

The Battle of Tong'an City was a lifeline for the Western Xia Dynasty; without that battle, the Western Xia might have perished long ago.

The sheer number of Western troops, numbering over 100,000, was even greater than it is today. Moreover, the Tibetans in the Hehuang region were also eager to help Tong Guan launch a flanking attack on the Hexi Corridor.

Fortunately, Richard defeated the famous Song general Liu Fa in time, thus averting the crisis.

This time, everyone had no choice but to believe him again.

Prince Richard of Jin was always decisive and extremely autocratic. Apart from discussing military affairs with a few close confidants, he never sought the opinions of other generals, but simply ordered them to carry them out.

Given the Prince of Jin's status and accumulated prestige, everyone merely listened to the drums.

Today, however, he remained silent and even summoned his generals, which seemed rather strange. Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the tent.

Dozens of guards escorted a person into the tent.

Everyone looked over and were all taken aback, only to see that the Prince of Jin had actually knelt down before that person.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

It turns out that His Majesty the Emperor himself has come!
Everyone in the tent knelt down, placing their left arm across their chest.

"Everyone, please stand up."

“We have been fighting the Song people for so many years, and this is not the first time we have been driven to the brink of defeat by them, but every time, we have been able to fight back against all odds.”

"Now the opportunity has come again. That Chen Shao has already set up camp in Xiping Prefecture, and he's going to build that damned fortress right at our doorstep. Are we just going to be afraid of the Song people and withdraw our troops back to Xingqing Prefecture, not daring to fight them to the death? The Song people have already set up the battlefield, are we, the sons of Xixia, not going to go?"
"I hope that you all can join me in reenacting the events of our ancestors, when 200,000 Song soldiers perished on the outskirts of Xingqing Prefecture, their corpses piled up like mountains."

"This time, I have purged those former nobles to make room for you all. I will join you in storming into the Song army's camp and slaughtering them all!"

Li Qianshun shouted the last few words in a loud and stern voice.

Everyone in the tent was so provoked by the emperor's words that they seemed to lose their footing, their blood boiling, and they couldn't wait to kill the enemy.

Looking at the generals whose emotions had been stirred up, Li Qianshun sighed inwardly.

With our ancestors above us, I have done everything to the best of my ability.

If they lose again, then the Western Heaven's fate is sealed, and it's beyond human control.

His actions also reflected the extreme nature of the Tangut people.

In times like these, one or two ruthless individuals always emerge, leading their people in another struggle.

If they win, they can dominate the Northwest for another hundred years!

Everyone's eyes were on him, and at that moment, everyone considered it an honor for Li Qianshun to even glance at him.

If the emperor were to give the order, commanding all the generals present to their deaths, not a single one would flinch!
Night gradually fell, and the Dingnan Army's camp fell silent in the darkness.

Two of Chen Shao's three main forces were concentrated here, led by Han Shizhong and Wu Jie.

Only Li Xiaozhong's Xiazhou troops remained unmoved, still guarding against the Jurchens.

Chen Shao had always been wary of these Jurchen Tartars.

Although he had drunk with Wanyan Balisu and their business dealings went smoothly, he never trusted the Jurchens.

After a probing attack on Xiping Prefecture, Han Shizhong's army set up camp there, adopting a posture of relying on fortified positions and engaging in open-field warfare.

Both the army camps and the outer city wall of Xiping Prefecture, several miles across the river, appeared dark and gloomy. Only a row of guards on the city wall made a sound like a sob when the night wind blew.

Xiping Prefecture, originally called Lingzhou City, was an impregnable fortress of the Tangut people standing amidst the Yellow River's network of waterways, and also the most tragic witness to the rise and fall of the Western Xia Dynasty.

The Xingling Plain became the granary of the Western Xia Dynasty, known as the "Jiangnan of the North," entirely because it was the key to the Yellow River, allowing for irrigation of farmland.

Han Shizhong and Wu Jie also learned from past mistakes and built their camps as high as possible.

Because Xiping Prefecture is surrounded by the Yellow River, and six water gates were dug for navigation, the garrison often breached the dikes to flood the enemy. When Tong Guan attacked Xia, they breached the dike here and drowned more than 10,000 Song soldiers.

The city also contains the spiritual totem of the Tangut people. On a high platform inside the city, the armor of Li Jiqian is preserved. After each bloody battle, it is polished with salt and displayed, and is called the "Taizu War God Platform".

After the Song army's defeat at Yongle City, they retaliated by massacring the Lingzhou merchant caravan, and the corpses piled up at the water gate, causing a plague.

Therefore, the people here also harbor deep hatred for the Song people.

Although Chen Shao called himself the Dingnan Army, in the eyes of the Western Xia people, they were no different from the Song army of the past.

At this very moment, in the main tent of Yeli Chongshan.

Inside and outside the tent, there were many Xia army generals, mostly Dangxiang nobles from Yinxia and Liangzhou.

Each of them was fully armored, and the flickering firelight cast long shadows on their faces, making them appear even more profound.

Even at the end of an empire, there are always loyal ministers and generals.

Inside the large tent, all was quiet and still. The tables and desks, along with the wooden diagrams, had all been cleared away and were no longer needed.

Only the generals in the tent, holding wine bowls, followed the short, stout, and burly figure in the center with their eyes.

That short, stout, and sturdy figure naturally represents one of the last hopes of Western Xia: Yeli Chongshan, the commander of the Silver Xia Army.

He endured so much in Xiazhou, and finally retreated in disgrace. His generals gossiped behind his back about how cowardly he was, and even said some more outrageous things, but he pretended not to hear them.

Because his men were unaware of the power of fortified village tactics, he was driven almost mad by the torment.

Having abandoned Xia Prefecture, leaving the Yinxia Army without a foundation, Yeli Chongshan never forgot his desire for revenge.

But at this moment, his not-so-tall body stood straight, hands behind his back, his gaze slowly sweeping over the generals, every part of him exuding a sharp and murderous aura!
Everyone inside the tent remained silent, as if waiting for something.

The silence outside the tent was broken when everyone outside uttered only two words: "They're here, they're here!"

Amidst these low cries, a Tangut general pushed his way through the crowd.

As he passed by, everyone patted him on the shoulder, and everyone's eyes turned to him eagerly.

The Tangut general who arrived was none other than Wei Mingji, the commander of the Xiping Army, who led all the Iron Falcons of Western Xia.

Behind him was Yelijin, the deputy commander in charge of military intelligence and reconnaissance!

Yeli Chongshan remained motionless, his gaze as sharp as a knife, fixed on the faces of the two generals.

Yeli Jin, covered in dust and looking travel-worn, glanced at Yeli Chongshan, then immediately bowed and said in a deep voice, "Wu Jie's main force of the Dingnan Army has already set up camp less than fifteen miles away from our army. Scouts from both sides have already made contact!"

"How is the Prince of Jin doing?"

"They've already been deployed!"

Yeli Chongshan's voice suddenly sharpened: "Where is His Majesty?"

"His Majesty is going to war with the army!"

Exclamations of surprise immediately rang out from inside the tent.

Has the Emperor of Western Xia, the King of the Tanguts, finally reappeared on the battlefield?

Yeli Chongshan abruptly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he shouted, "Good!"

"Bring me the wine!"

Yeli Chongshan's personal guards were already prepared, carrying stacks of wine bowls to distribute. Others carried wine jars, filling bowls for each of the Xia army generals standing nearby.

Since the fall of Yanzhou, the Western Xia has relied on Shuofang to maintain the overall situation, and has plundered all available grain and fodder.

The Dingnan Army built numerous fortresses and strongholds on the land of Western Xia, and the nearby people flocked to join them, making it impossible to harvest grain.

Brewing wine is a wasteful activity that consumes a lot of grain and has long been prohibited. These generals have not held a wine bowl in their hands for who knows how long.

Today, everyone held their wine bowls, but no one was paying attention to the wine. Everyone slowly moved forward, surging towards Yeli Chongshan; those outside the military tents all wanted to squeeze to the tent entrance.

Yeli Chongshan held a wine bowl high in his hand and said, "My ancestors and forefathers of the Dangxiang people are above. I, their unworthy son, am here to do my utmost to save the Great Xia Kingdom from ruin!"
In this final battle, Yeli Chongshan will fight to the death. If he retreats even slightly, every soldier in the army will be willing to cut off his head! May the spirits of our ancestors protect our Xia nation and ensure its eternal existence!

He turned to his generals: "Gentlemen, greetings! Victory is assured in the future!"

The Western Xia generals, their blood boiling, shouted at the top of their lungs, "Victory! Victory! Victory!"

Yeli Chongshan clinked wine bowls with everyone before leaving the military tent. Regardless of which general he was, everyone clinked their wine bowls with him and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

The entire Western Xia was ready to fight to the death!

Yeli Chongshan smashed his wine cup.
"Go to war!"

(End of this chapter)