You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 133 Stabilizing Hexi, the Former Homeland of the Han and Tang Dynasties

Chen Shao and his men continued to rest and recuperate in Ganzhou, without rushing to continue their westward expedition.

He had his own plans. Chen Shao had been preparing for the western expedition for a long time, and he knew every step of it by heart and had carefully considered it countless times.

Therefore, Chen Shao was very patient and proceeded step by step according to his plan.

Seven or eight civil officials who had come from Xingqing Prefecture sat with Chen Shao in the residence of some Tangut nobleman.

Under the grape trellis, there were some wines and some roasted meats.

He has been able to relax these days, after all, the bloody battle in Xiliang City had taken a toll on his energy.

It takes a long time for an ordinary person in their past life to grow into a ruthless warlord who can always be on high alert and take care of everything.

Chen Shao often comforted himself in this way, using it as a reason to rest during the tense days.

Cui Bao, who was appointed as the prefect of Ganzhou, was a scholar from Yinzhou. He had accumulated merits and earned the position of prefect, so he was naturally in a good mood.

He said with a smile, "Hexi has been isolated in the desert for so many years. Although it is said to be the ancient land of the Han and Tang dynasties, it has actually been separated from the Central Plains for four hundred years. Things have changed, and it is truly lamentable. I remember a few years ago, there were even Qinghai Yellow-headed Uyghurs who impersonated the envoys of the Khan of the Ganzhou Uyghurs to pay tribute to the current Zhao Song emperor and even received a considerable reward!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shao frowned and asked, "How did you know?" He was astonished that Song had done something so shameful.

"When they returned, they were intercepted and severely beaten by the Western Xia soldiers in Yinzhou. All their rewards and treasures were confiscated, and they were tortured and interrogated. This matter was widely known in Western Xia, and almost everyone knew about it."

Chen Shao curled his lip. Western Xia and the Song Dynasty, is there anything else of value?
With the Western Xia mountains separating them, the Song Dynasty never had any intention of taking over Hexi. Even if they wanted to conquer Hexi, they would have to get past the Western Xia first.

They planted many spies and traitors in the Yinxia Hengshan area and also bribed many traitors. But they didn't inquire about Hexi at all, which shows they were quite pragmatic.

Ultimately, the Song Dynasty needed to reclaim far too much lost territory.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, the former Shuofang Prefecture, the various prefectures of Lingwu, the Protectorate General of Liaodong, the Hexi Corridor, the Anxi and Beiting, and Jiaozhi and Hanoi.
The Song Dynasty tried almost all of them, but failed to conquer any of them.

Seeing that these people were about to start mocking and criticizing the Song Dynasty again, Chen Shao had no interest.

This is actually just like the Chinese national football team. In his previous life, Chen Shao could get together with a few close friends to criticize the Chinese national football team.
But sitting at the table and listening to foreigners mocking and ridiculing me was something I couldn't stand.

He couldn't afford to show a sullen face, lest he appear anxious and lose face, which would be even more embarrassing.

Chen Shao pondered for a moment, then, with an air of nonchalance, said, "Let's all discuss why our capture of Gansu and Liangzhou this time was easier than previous battles."

"In the future, we should make the most of our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, and continue to work hard."

Chen Shao is a very pragmatic person; instead of chatting idly, he would rather summarize his experience.

Upon hearing this, everyone exclaimed that it was the general personally leading the army, and their morale soared.
The flattery was automatically filtered out, but one thing Pang Ge mentioned made Chen Shao thoughtful.

He said that one thing played a crucial role in this victory: the armor.

The infantry formation of the Dingnan Army had such a high rate of armor that the enemy could not break through their defenses.

The Western Xia was a major salt and iron-producing region with a high iron ore output. Previous rulers would exchange this salt and iron for money.

Even in his most difficult times, Chen Shao preferred to raise money from his own household rather than sell his iron.

This led to the creation of complete armor and uniforms for the entire army.

Cui Bao, who came from a civil service background and had worked in the bureaucratic system of Western Xia, raised another point.

That is, Li Qianshun's Sinicization of Hexi actually helped them destroy the original tribal system in the area.

Historically, Li Qianshun was about to Sinicize all the prefectures in Hexi.

In fact, reform is a very dangerous thing; you must only reform when you have absolute control.

Because reform means touching vested interests, you have to make sure you can handle their backlash.

Historically, Li Qianshun relied on Richard's victory over Tong Guan to gain sufficient deterrence to carry out reforms.

This hasty reform resulted in a backlash from the old nobles, who immediately surrendered Xingqing Prefecture after their defeat.

Chen Shao originally thought that the main reason why a city could be captured so quickly was that the city was not strong enough to withstand the attack.

Now, after listening to his subordinates, he felt that what they said made a lot of sense.

The defenses of Liangzhou and Ganzhou are incomparable to those of Xiazhou and Yinzhou.

Generally speaking, the closer a place is to the core of the Central Plains civilization, the more its urban architectural style reflects the characteristics of the Central Plains.

On the grasslands, a hundred years ago, even the places where the Great Khan grazed his livestock were nothing more than a cluster of tents, where they could set up camp and leave at any time.

Migrating across the entire grassland, their fighting style has always been offensive, replacing defense with offense. The weaker side either engages in a decisive battle with the enemy on the grassland or uses the vast desert grassland to escape everywhere. There is no such thing as defending a city.

The Khitans in the north had broken out of their previous system, evolving from a tribal alliance of the Xiongnu and Turks into an imperial system, and began building fortresses.

These cities along the Hexi Corridor were built as early as the Han and Tang dynasties due to the prosperity of the Western Regions trade routes, but their defensive capabilities were actually quite limited.

With these conditions in place, and considering the points raised by everyone, Chen Shao was full of confidence for the upcoming western expedition.

He took a sip of wine with delight and said with a smile, "Fine wine in a luminous cup!"

Halfway through reciting the poem, Chen Shao realized it was unlucky and quickly shut up.

It's best not to compose poems casually during battle. Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao was full of vigor and high spirits, but after drinking, he wrote a poem, which was then burned by Zhou Yu.

"Come on, let's drink! Let's take Guasha and then celebrate our victory at Yumen Pass!"

News of the Dingnan Army's capture of two cities spread, causing widespread panic throughout the Hexi Corridor.

In the vast desert, a tent under the moonlight resembles a tomb.

All around, the horses stood quietly, the camels lay peacefully, and the soldiers huddled around bonfires; the oppressive atmosphere made few people speak.

Outside Suzhou City, several Uyghur tribal chiefs sat cross-legged with somber expressions, their faces illuminated by flickering torches in the wind.

This group of Uyghurs dressed in a style reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty, but their faces featured curly hair and high noses, combining the physical characteristics of both Turks and Uyghurs.

Their clothing was just like that of the Han people, and the generals even wore many worn-out Mingguang armors. The weapons they used were large swords, battle axes, spears, and hook guns, and each person was also equipped with a longbow. It was basically the equipment of the Tang Dynasty's border army.

It's obvious at a glance that they were loyal subjects of His Majesty the Heavenly Khan, who helped the Tang Dynasty expand its territory and guard the borders.

The Long family of Suzhou were descendants of the royal family of Yanzhe, one of the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions during the Tang Dynasty. After the fall of the ancient city of Bogdaqin in Yanzhe, they migrated to the Hexi and Longyou areas.

Initially, Ganzhou and Suzhou were under the control of the Long family. However, after the fall of the Huiqi Empire, one of the larger forces, the Pang Special Service Department, fled to Hexi, drove the Long family out of Ganzhou, and took over their territory.

The Dragon King had no choice but to lead his people out of Ganzhou and occupy Suzhou. Here, the people of Yanzhe and Tuhun, especially the descendants of the Tang army left behind in the Anxi Protectorate after the Tang lost control of the Western Regions, completed the first ethnic integration. Therefore, they adopted a considerable amount of Han culture, learned a lot of the characteristics of the Tang army in terms of strategy and tactics, and even their weapons, equipment and uniforms were very similar.

After retreating to Suzhou, the Long family submitted to the Guiyi Army of the Jinshan Kingdom and paid tribute, becoming its vassal. However, the Jinshan Kingdom later lost in its struggle for supremacy with the Ganzhou Huiqi, who drove them all the way to the walls of Shazhou City, forcing Zhang Yichao's descendant, the Jinshan Emperor, to sign a treaty of surrender. From then on, the Huiqi Khan became the father and the Jinshan Emperor the son, and the two sides formed a father-son relationship. The Jinshan Kingdom was renamed the Dunhuang Kingdom, and the Long family of Suzhou was freed from the control of the Guiyi Army.

After Li Yuanhao rose to power, he conquered Suzhou. Because of its remoteness, he established a garrison there, appointing a member of the imperial clan as a permanent vassal king with considerable independence. Although the Long clan lost its ruling position, it was still governed by the Uyghurs, who comprised more than half of the population, though they were subordinate to the Tangut imperial clan.

Long Qiluo said in a deep voice, "Chen Shao moved the Uyghurs from Ganzhou to Yinxia, ​​scattering their chieftains and their people."

This tactic essentially cut off the power of these chieftains and leaders, and as compensation, distributed some money to them.

However, tribes can be passed down through generations, but money can be spent quickly.

"The Dangxiang people of Suzhou cannot stop Chen Shao; the troops of Xiliang Prefecture are much stronger than them."

Do you want to lose your people?

Everyone shook their heads.

Long Qiluo said, "Then we only have one path left: to seek refuge with the Western Uyghurs!"
-
At the foot of Suzhou, Chen Shaoding's army launched another fierce attack.

The flames burned half the sky red, and the shouts of battle were deafening.

Amidst the smoke and fire of battle, the defenders on the city walls desperately fought back against the Dingnan Army soldiers who kept rushing up the walls. The two sides used the city walls as their battlefield and engaged in a fierce and desperate struggle.

The Uyghur soldiers of the Long family fled, leaving the Tangut nobles in the city with very few troops.

Chen Shao led his troops into Suzhou. Standing on the city wall, he looked around and saw corpses everywhere, their severed heads and limbs a gruesome sight, and the heavy stench of blood was nauseating.

The dead were piled up like mountains, with severed limbs, headless torsos, headless heads, charred corpses, intestines and entrails, and bare bones scattered everywhere. The air was thick with the stench of blood, smoke, and flames.

Chen Shao cursed inwardly, these remnants of Western Xia were truly stubborn, refusing to surrender even in the face of death.

Fortunately, the cities controlled by the Tanguts no longer exist.

The next two cities, Guazhou and Shazhou, were both Uyghur territory.

Inside the palace, Li Anquan, the Liang King of Western Xia, was pinned to the ground by the Dingnan Army.

Surrounding him were his nephews, nieces, and trusted generals, all gritting their teeth as Chen Shao and his men strode in.

"This man is Li Anquan, the pseudo-King of Xia Liang, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Hexi Army." After kicking him, Meizang Pangge stepped forward and said to Chen Shao with a smile.

"What do you have to say?" Chen Shao asked.

Li Anquan was obese and remained silent upon hearing this. His face was contorted with rage as he struggled to get up and rush toward Chen Shao, but he was held down firmly.

Seeing that his leg was injured, wrapped in white cloth and still slightly bleeding, Brother Pang raised his leg and kicked the wound several times.

Li Anquan gritted his teeth and roared in pain, while the people around him glared with hatred and struggled to get up.

Mezang Pangge hated these Western Xia royals to the bone. Their Mezang tribe had been tortured and suppressed for nearly a century and was on the verge of extinction.

"General, skin this bastard alive! I'll take the knife!"

Chen Shao also hated the King of Liang of Western Xia to the extreme. If it weren't for his desperate resistance, the casualties of his men would have been much smaller.

This westward expedition will also proceed much more smoothly.

But he still suppressed his anger and said, "Hang him, then cut off his head and bury him in the Western Xia Imperial Mausoleum. His family should be escorted to Bianliang!"

Li Anquan resisted to the very end, and his status among the Tangut people must have been very high.

Torture and kill him would have two consequences: first, it would deter other remnants of the Western Xia, and second, it would incite hatred among the Tangut people.

Chen Shao felt that given the Tangut people's character, the second one would definitely have a greater impact, so he chose to give this bastard a decent living in order to win over the hearts of the Western Xia people.

Mei Cang Pang Ge grinned maliciously and said, "Fine! I'll hang him."

Chen Shao nodded and strode away from the Liang Prince's residence, leaving behind screams of agony.

He did not linger in Suzhou City. Now that all the powerful enemies had been eliminated, the next step was to ride the wave of victory and quickly bring his troops to the city gates to put them under enough pressure.

Guazhou was mainly inhabited by powerful Han Chinese families, and the Uyghur leaders of Shazhou had both cooperated with Chen Shao. They had secretly agreed to attack Lingwu in Shuofang together.

However, because Li Qianshun ultimately chose to die standing and lead his troops in a decisive battle, they did not have time to keep their appointment and launch a pincer attack.

Chen Shao made the decision on the Xingling battle situation in one night.

Of course, it's unrealistic to expect them to give up resistance just because they had made contact before.

After capturing Suzhou, Chen Shao took a break. The journey between each prefecture in the Western Regions was extremely long. The further west they went, the longer the battle line became, and the more problematic the transportation and supply of provisions and supplies became.

Chen Shao was fighting very fast, so he had to stop and wait for his supplies.

In fact, there's no need for him to rush things. He should take it slow and let the two states of Kuala Lumpur and Sacramento weigh the pros and cons themselves.

He, emboldened by the might of his conquest of Xia, marched westward, his advance unstoppable.

Given the size of the states of Guagua and Saskatchewan, is it really necessary for them to fight each other?

Of the two prefectures of Guazhou and Shazhou, only the cities of Guazhou and Shazhou had Tangut troops stationed there.

Elsewhere, the area was entirely controlled by Han Chinese powerful families and Uyghur tribes, forming a fixed pattern of rule over many years:
The Tangut military supervisor held the power of life and death, and the stationed troops were always a deterrent. The Han Chinese were farmers, the Uyghurs were merchants, and the Tibetans were nomads; social classes were solidified but there was no fierce conflict.

Now that Chen Shao has arrived, this entrenched system will soon be shattered.
-
In Suzhou, Zhang Ying, who had just taken office, was extremely busy. He was setting up officials and assigning duties, pacifying the common people, rectifying officialdom, adjusting the officials and subordinates under Suzhou, and implementing the various laws and regulations formulated by Chen Shao. He was very busy.

There were many things that needed to be communicated with Chen Shao at any time, and since Chen Shao lived in the military camp, he often had to travel between Suzhou and the central military tent.

He used to be a schoolteacher, and in the early days of the Dingnan Army, he was conscripted as a minor official.

As a result, because he handled government affairs quickly and was quite capable, he was promoted to Tongpan of Yanzhou.

This is unimaginable in other places, so Zhang Ying was overjoyed and worked even harder. This year, due to his outstanding performance, he was transferred to this place and directly promoted to prefect.

He lived in the Western Regions for a long time, and in such a harsh environment, he had to be flexible and adaptable in order to teach and educate people. He was indeed very resourceful in his work.

Upon arriving at Chen Shao's central command tent, Zhang Ying smiled and said, "General, I am currently drafting a list of rewards and compensation for those who attacked Suzhou, and I am also reorganizing the Uyghur troops who did not withdraw from Suzhou. This will require you to personally appoint the generals and officers."

"Compensation and rewards/punishments are crucial to the morale of my Dingnan Army; the reorganization of the Uyghurs is crucial to the timing of the Commander-in-Chief's next move. Every day we wait is another day of wasted food and provisions, and the cost of military pay alone is countless. I dare not delay. I have just managed to get things sorted out. Commander-in-Chief, please take a look and see if there is anything amiss."

Chen Shao glanced through it but didn't look at it carefully; he believed Zhang Ying would do these things better than he could.

He hasn't been idle these past few days either, devising strategies, analyzing military intelligence, inspecting military camps, appointing officers and soldiers, reorganizing the army, and other such tasks have been extremely demanding.

Commanding troops in the field is truly a demanding and exhausting task, requiring a natural-born leader; most people simply cannot do it.

Chen Shao was starting to understand Tong Guan. He was almost seventy, so it was normal for him to be a little confused. It would be abnormal if he could handle such important matters of command and manage them so well.

But it's wrong of him to cling to that position at seventy.

Although Tong Xuanshuai was greedy in the first half of his life, he was generally worthy of the Song Dynasty and the trust that Emperor Huizong placed in him.

However, this time his reputation has been ruined in his later years, and there's no way to clear it up.

Chen Shao's views on everyone changed with his experience. At first, he looked down on Tong Guan, but after he took command of the troops, he realized that although the eunuch had been leading troops for twenty years, he was by no means mediocre.

I looked down on him back then, purely out of ignorance and fearlessness.

Now that Tong Guan is old, senile, cowardly, and deceitful, he truly deserves to die.

"You've worked hard these past few days, having to divide the work into several portions by yourself. It must have been really tough on you."

After hearing this, Zhang Ying felt a warm glow in her heart, thinking to herself that following the general would be worth it even if she died from exhaustion.

I originally thought I would spend my whole life teaching, living a poor and mediocre life.

I never imagined that this ambition of mine would one day be realized, that I would be able to rule a state and establish a great career!
Under Chen Shao, there were many capable people who were frustrated and unable to achieve their goals.

In the early stages of their ventures, there were too many opportunities and too little talent, which gave them a chance to stand out.

Today, they have become the backbone of the Dingnan Army, playing an unassuming yet extremely important role.

As a military commander, Chen Shao knew how to delegate authority. If he always held onto power and refused to let go, his subordinates would become dependent on him and would never be able to grow up to be able to stand on their own.

Moreover, he is neither a prophet nor a genius, and he cannot guarantee that his opinions will always be correct.

Therefore, Chen Shao did not interfere in matters within their authority. Even if their arrangements were not entirely in line with his wishes, Chen Shao would not point them out, but wait for Wei Li to discover the impropriety and make corrections.

However, when it comes to the establishment of a local government, it is impossible for him to remain completely aloof, especially when it involves personnel and financial power. Many things require him, as the supreme leader in both military and political affairs, to step in, coordinate, and make final decisions.

When it came to the appointment of officials in Suzhou, Chen Shao took the list and looked at it carefully.

If there are any doubts, ask Zhang Ying what considerations led to this arrangement and what his achievements are.

The two talked and talked until dusk, when servants came up to light lamps, and they were surprised to find that it was already late.

Chen Shao shook his head, his neck already sore. He said weakly, "Alright, let's decide on the main officials. As for the next level down, we shouldn't do everything ourselves. We should give these officials some autonomy as well."

Zhang Ying disagreed, intending to consider each point individually before making a decision.
-
Hebei.

Tong Guan's headquarters remained stuck in an awkward position, neither advancing nor retreating, neither fighting nor making peace, deceiving his superiors and subordinates.
The order of the camp was in complete chaos, with more and more laborers and defeated soldiers retreating, and Tong Guan did not order a regrouping.

The various forces were at a loss, and some of them began to voluntarily retreat to the Northwest.

They had no military discipline along the way, looting whatever they could find, causing immense suffering throughout Hebei.

The Huanqing Army was annihilated north of the Gaoliang River, and the Fuyan Army, utterly humiliated, retreated to the south bank of the Gaoliang River. Defeated soldiers and laborers continuously fled, everyone like walking corpses, telling everyone they met about the carnage at the front, criticizing Liu Yanqing's cowardice, and hating the old and young Zhong for withdrawing their troops without providing support. In short, everyone was cursing, including the emperor; the situation had deteriorated to an unimaginable degree.

The world only knows that the Song Dynasty's conquest of the Liao Dynasty was a disgrace, seemingly due to the incompetence of the Song soldiers. But they don't know what the Song Dynasty did to these frontline soldiers.
In addition, Tong Guan, for some unknown reason, pretended to be dead here, cutting off all communication between the south bank of the Baigou River and this area.

In the area south of Gaoliang River and north of Baigou River, Song soldiers and civilians were mixed together, and the military supply transportation system completely collapsed.

Everyone was utterly disheartened and disappointed. The soldiers were clamoring to cease hostilities and return to their hometowns in Shaanxi, while the laborers were eager to finish their service and return home.

Everyone was cursing. How could such a great Song Dynasty not produce a single true hero? They couldn't even take down this isolated city of Yanjing!
The chaos here is even worse than before.

Finally, the old general tacitly approved of the phenomenon of many veteran Western Army generals leading their troops back.

The Western Army began an organized retreat and stopped fighting altogether.

Didn't your court and Commander Tong dismiss our generals? We're going back to the Northwest, do whatever you want!
If you're so capable, send troops to quell the rebellion!
Actually, it's not really Lao Zhong's fault. If he hadn't given in, there might have been a real mutiny.

The Western Army's patience had reached its limit; this battle had left them utterly humiliated.

Although both the old and young Zhong families were prestigious, they dared not easily intervene at this time. They could only carefully organize their Zhong family army and report to the court to request a retreat.

Hebei is now a powder keg; a slight misstep could plunge it into complete chaos.

Bianliang is a place with no natural defenses. If the soldiers who started the commotion actually managed to reach Kaifeng, the heart of the capital region, then things would get really interesting.

The Jurchens didn't have to do anything; they just had to follow behind.

When news of the Western Army's retreat reached Chen Shao's camp, he was preparing to embark on the western expedition.

After reading the military report, I remained silent for a long time.

At this point, even if he were asked to write a letter to Tong Guan again, he wouldn't bother.

It's probably useless to write it down; when people get old and become senile, they really can't be woken up.

Even powerful emperors like Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang could not escape the common fate. What virtue or ability did Tong Guan possess? It would be strange if he could revive the dynasty.

This person has fallen apart.

In Chen Shao's eyes, he was now a living dead man, a real eunuch in the guise of Marshal Xuan.

Chen Shao decided to focus on his own affairs first and prepare for the worst, as the Jingkang Incident might still occur.

I must have the strength to go beyond the pass and fight against the Jurchen cavalry!
Chen Shao's Dingnan Western Expeditionary Army set off for Guasha, which was formerly known as Dunhuang!
Dunhuang is nestled to the south by the majestic Qilian Mountains, to the west by the vast Lop Nur, to the north by the winding Beisai Mountains, and to the east by the towering Sanwei Mountains.

During the Han Dynasty, this was a vital route for merchants from the Western Regions to cross the Jade Gate Pass and head east into the Central Plains!

This oasis is like a treasure bestowed upon the desert by heaven. It is not very large, but the land is fertile. In this natural basin close to the desert and Gobi, the snowmelt of the Dang River nourishes the fertile soil, the lush trees block the black wind and yellow sand, the grain is guaranteed to be plentiful even in drought, and the fruits are fragrant all year round!

Dun means big; Huang means Sheng.

Dunhuang is undoubtedly a miraculous city on the ancient desert road.

During the reign of Emperor Wu, the Han Dynasty was at its peak, and its military might shook the world.

In order to completely sever the passage and connection between the Xiongnu and the Western Qiang, and to safeguard the security of the border and the Silk Road.

Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, established Jiuquan Commandery and Wuwei Commandery in Hexi.

They also adopted measures such as defense, land reclamation, and immigration to continuously enrich and strengthen the construction of Hexi.

Later, Jiuquan and Wuwei prefectures were separated and divided into Dunhuang and Zhangye prefectures respectively.

They also built the Great Wall and beacon towers from Lingju through Dunhuang to the present-day Lop Nur salt lake, and established Yangguan and Yumenguan passes.

Emperor Wu of Han made a grand gesture, establishing four commanderies and securing two passes to ensure the smooth flow of the Silk Road.

The actions of a powerful ruler are indeed extraordinary.

This road has also become a bridge connecting Eastern and Western civilizations.

From then on, Chinese silk and advanced technology spread continuously to Central Asia, West Asia and Europe.

Jade, agate, and exotic animals from Europe, the Mediterranean coast, and the Western Regions were transported to China over long distances.

Envoys, soldiers, merchants, and monks traveling between East and West all had to pass through Dunhuang, a vital Silk Road route, making it the "throat and key" of communication between East and West.

General Li Guangli of the Second Division conquered the Dayuan Kingdom and captured Ferghana horses; Zhao Ponu defeated the Gushi Kingdom and captured the King of Loulan. Both victories were achieved by using Dunhuang as a base for supplying provisions and troops.

Therefore, there are a large number of Han Chinese here, accounting for more than 80% of the local population. As a result, a strange scene has emerged: after the Western Regions were cut off from the Central Plains, there were a large number of Han Chinese in the two prefectures of Guazhou and Shazhou.

Instead, the area east of Guasha, closer to the Central Plains, was occupied by Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Tanguts.

But precisely because of this, the Han people of the Western Regions have been cut off from the Central Plains for over a hundred years. These isolated Han people established the Guiyi Army and founded the Jinshan Kingdom, still carrying on the culture and bloodline of the Han people.

Later, the rulers of the Golden Mountain Kingdom's erroneous policy of relentlessly suppressing local ethnic minorities caused them to make enemies everywhere.

Isolated in a foreign land, unable to gain the support of the Central Plains, and unable to win the hearts of the local people, its fate was already sealed.

Gradually, the glory of the Guiyi Army faded. The Jinshan Kingdom gradually declined, and instead, they had to respect the Ganzhou Uyghurs as their father Khan. Later, the Tanguts rose to power and established the Western Xia, and they could only rely on the Western Xia for their livelihood.

The Tanguts occupied the two most important cities here, while outside was the domain of Uyghur leaders and powerful Han Chinese.

They are a powerful local clan that originated in the specific land of Dunhuang. The oldest family among them can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. Since the Han Dynasty, they have served as officials in Shazhou for generations, and their influence has remained strong over time. Naturally, they have formed a powerful family force that firmly controls this desert oasis and has monopolized the political and economic lifeline of the Dunhuang region for many years.

The Uyghurs were further divided into several factions.

At this time, the Uyghurs were Buddhists, and in addition to the tribal soldiers, they also had armed monks.

The situation is very complicated.

Chen Shao led his mighty army to Hulu River, and from there, the next stop was Guazhou.

The desert is solitary and straight, and the long river falls into the sun.

The scenes from the ancient poems were now vividly before his eyes, and Chen Shaocai realized that these poets were truly geniuses among geniuses.

The description is absolutely spot on.
As dusk fell and the sun set, the soldiers of the Dingnan Army were setting up camp, preparing to establish themselves on the banks of the Hulu River.

The felt tents stretched out like mushrooms that suddenly appeared on the riverbank, extending endlessly.

Although it was unlikely that any of the forces in Guazhou would take the risk of launching a surprise attack, the troops deployed on the outer lines still meticulously dug trenches and set up barricades, making defensive preparations in accordance with regulations.

Following Commander Chen, you may not know anything else, but you must be an expert in building fortifications.

Who hasn't enthusiastically built fortresses on the vast lands of Yinxia and Xingling? If you haven't, you must be a greenhorn, not a veteran of the Dingnan Army.

Although the Dingnan Army was only established two or three years ago.

Along the way, Chen Shao personally witnessed the Buddha statues carved into the ravines and cliffs, as well as the camel bells in the desert, the mirages in the vast sea, the autumn colors of the poplar trees, and the clear springs and oases.
While exotic scenery is certainly beautiful, it becomes boring after a while. What I feel most deeply every day is the scorching sun during the day, the biting autumn wind at night, and the endless yellow sand when the wind blows.

No wonder the poets left behind:

Why should the Qiang flute lament the willows, for the spring breeze does not reach Yumen Pass?
In the group, there was an additional battalion of Uyghurs. They were very familiar with the area and were leading the other battalions to fetch water from the river to bathe and wash their horses.

After Chen Shao arrived and set up camp, he did not immediately launch an attack, as he was still unsure of the will to resist among the various forces.

Therefore, he sent many envoys to various places to summon people to surrender, as surrendering at this time would bring the greatest benefits.

As long as they resist for even a day, their treatment will decrease, and if they resist to the end, they will end up like the Tanguts.

It must be said that his attempt to persuade them to surrender was quite effective.

The next day, some powerful Han Chinese came to join them. They had no ambition to dominate the region, so they didn't care about changing the dynasty.

Moreover, it's under the rule of their own people, so there might even be benefits.

Then, one after another, some Tibetans came to join them.

After the fall of their dynasty, the Tibetans lived a very unfortunate life, always at the bottom of society.

They were usually nomadic in the high mountains, suffering from exploitation and bullying from all sides, and they hoped that Chen Shao could bring a stable order.

On the fifth day, Chen Shao was in his camp hosting a banquet for the newly surrendered Han Chinese powerful figures.

Suddenly someone came to report that the governor of Guazhou, Yaoluoge Xili, had led two thousand Uyghurs westward to seek refuge with the Western Uyghurs.

Chen Shao held his wine cup in silence for a while. The place called Xizhou Uyghur was the Turpan of later generations.
These people don't trust me, perhaps because they fear that I will strip them of their leadership and separate them from their people.

To be honest, you have a really good eye for people.
That was indeed Chen Shao's plan.

Compared to the Han people, they trusted the Western Uyghur Kingdom, which belonged to the same clan and people, more.

The next day, the Yaoluoge family offered a thousand horses and ten camels of cloth as tribute, praying for Chen Shao's protection.

This family was the leader of the Uyghur caravans and had been managing the jade trade routes for the Western Xia. Chen Shao gladly accepted and gave them a return gift, assuring them that they could continue doing business.

As for what happens next, we'll talk about it after we've completely conquered the territory; we also have our own caravans.

This group can join, but it's impossible for them to continue monopolizing this trade route.

This place is too profitable; we can't let anyone else make money here.

Because arriving in Guazhou required traversing a long stretch of desert, Chen Shao didn't bring much of his heavy siege equipment.

Once fewer people surrendered, Chen Shao officially dispatched troops to deal with the Tanguts in the city.

The two states combined had no more than five thousand cavalry, and with King Li Anquan of Liang dead, they were leaderless.

No one doubted the outcome; they were all watching to see if the Dingnan Army was truly as invincible as rumored.

Let's see how long it takes them to take it down.

The results came faster than they had imagined.

The desire for military merit among the Dingnan Army was almost obsessive.

During a siege, seeing those around you running faster than you makes you want to give them a helping hand.

As the evening breeze rose and the mournful sound of the Qiang flute filled the air, the last ray of sunlight gradually disappeared at the horizon, and Chen Shao had already breached the city walls.

On the city wall of Guazhou, a group of heavily armored warriors with spears stood before Chen Shao.

As he looked down over the ancient city, an idea came to mind.

The splendor of the Dingnan Army's westward expedition may well have been the Song Dynasty's emperor and his officials' vision of Tong Guan's campaign against the Liao Dynasty.

At the time, they must have all felt that Tong Guan should do the same.

Actually, there really is a chance.
If only they hadn't planted so many privileged children in the military to gain merit;
If only they hadn't cut back and reduced the Western Army before the war;
If only they could have used the right old and young generals instead of the cowardly Liu Yanqing;
If only they could maintain military discipline and refrain from burning, killing, and looting in Yanjing.
In this war against Liao, they had countless opportunities, all of which they perfectly avoided.

Chen Shao stood atop the city wall of Guazhou, a thousand miles away, gazing towards the Central Plains, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Perhaps Emperor Huizong and his ministers enjoyed too much luxury, squandering the fortunes of the Song Dynasty.

So even with such a great opportunity right in front of them, these people still let it slip away.

Pang Ge, who was not hiding in the city, volunteered again to go and wipe out the remaining Dangxiang forces.

This place is different from the other states of Xingling. The people here do not side with the Dangxiang people, and even hate the Dangxiang nobles who were originally high and mighty.

The suppression went exceptionally smoothly. The remaining Dangxiang rebels captured by the Dingnan Army were not imprisoned, but interrogated and beheaded on the spot.

With Guazhou in hand, Shazhou is practically within reach.

More and more Uyghurs began to flee westward, either to join the Western Uyghurs or the Gaochang Uyghurs.

Given Chen Shao's current military might, he naturally wouldn't sit idly by. He sent people to contact the royal courts of the two Uyghurs.

If they dare to accept people from their territory again, they will be sent to punish them.

They were afraid that Chen Shao would use this as an excuse to send troops, and they were unwilling to offend Chen Shao for their sake, since the trade routes would still pass through Chen Shao's territory in the future to do business with the Central Plains.

As a result, many Uyghur leaders were sent over, and some powerful ones were too afraid to ask for their release.

For example, the Long family of Suzhou continued to migrate further west.

Inside the central command tent, Chen Shao stood ramrod straight, though the weather was already quite cold.

He glanced at the generals in the tent and said, "Gentlemen, this western expedition has reached its final stage. Today, the army will set off, striving to capture Shazhou as quickly as possible and achieve victory in one fell swoop!"

"Once the Hexi Corridor is opened up, our Dingnan Army will no longer have to live a life of hardship!"

The generals burst into laughter.

Some time ago, the Dingnan Army was indeed short of money, but that was the Dingnan Army's financial situation. The officials and soldiers below did not lack money, and even took the initiative to organize several fundraising events to support the military commander.

The general said this through gritted teeth, probably because he was remembering the hard times.

Chen Shao called out his generals in the tent and said:
"Wei fame and fortune!"

"The general is here!"

A general stepped forward with his fists clasped. Chen Shao drew his command arrow and shouted sternly, "I order you to lead your troops to attack the southern city of Shazhou immediately and cut off the enemy's waterway."

"Yes, sir!" Wei Minglitong accepted the command token, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and stepped forward.

After being captured by Han Shizhong in Youzhou, he was not given much responsibility until this time when the military governor finally trusted him.

Wei Minglitong also realized that the Dingnan Army's momentum was unstoppable, and the Northwest would inevitably belong to the Dingnan Army in the future.

"Brother Pang wasn't hiding!"

"The general is here!"

After Mei Zang Pang Ge was swept away by Li Qianshun's flood, everyone thought he was dead. Unexpectedly, he crawled out halfway and is now full of energy. He made numerous contributions during this western expedition and will definitely be promoted when he returns.

At this moment, he was in high spirits. Before Chen Shao could give the order, he said directly, "General, let me attack the West City. I have heard that the West City is in a low-lying area. I am willing to be the first to break through the city for you!"

Chen Shao glared at him and said, "Why don't you sign a pledge first?"

After thinking for a moment, Pang Ge scratched his head and chuckled, "This humble general was just speaking off the cuff. Please give your orders, Commander!"

"I order you to attack the north city."

"As ordered!"

"Yang Guangqi, I order your troops to continue the feigned attack on the eastern city to block the enemy's retreat. The light cavalry must not move rashly and must await news from Shazhou to provide reinforcements!"

Yang Guangqi quickly accepted the order; his opportunity had come again, and he was determined to seize it this time.

Chen Shao glanced around and continued, "All the other generals will be under my command and will follow me to attack the eastern city. Each battalion will take turns attacking, using a war of attrition to give the enemy defenders in the city no chance to catch their breath!"

"If we capture Shazhou, the western expedition will be a complete victory, and all the troops will be rewarded!"

The Yumen Pass lies to the west of the sandbar.

The mere mention of Yumen Pass evokes images of the vast desert landscape.

It exudes a profound sense of history, with a strong frontier atmosphere.

This place was a Silk Road security checkpoint during the Han Dynasty, a military town and granary during the Tang Dynasty, and was downgraded to a tax checkpoint during the Western Xia Dynasty.

It controls the old course of the Shule River and guards the northern gateway of the Silk Road.

Now, it's about to be taken over by Chen Shao!

(End of this chapter)