You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 136 Unity is the Most Important Thing
In the fourth year of the Xuanhe era, the political situation changed rapidly, just like the wind bends the grass.

The changing situation in Yan was a series of twists and turns, leaving those involved feeling breathless.

Chen Shao looked at the military report, which read:

"The Juyong Pass is a natural fortress, its walls weighed down by heavy snow; the Jurchens trampled over corpses to enter the pass."

With only a few days left until the New Year, Wanyan Zonghan captured Juyong Pass, and the Liao chancellor Zuo Qigong surrendered Yanjing.

After killing Li Chuwen, the Han Chinese prime ministers Zuo Qigong and Yu Zhongwen opened the Yingchun Gate and surrendered to the Jin dynasty.

Empress Dowager Xiao Puxian led three hundred Khitan palace soldiers to defend the Dabeige Pavilion. After the pavilion was breached, they escorted the Empress Dowager to escape and seek refuge with Yelü Yanxi.

Xiao Gan led his troops away from Yanjing, held fast to Jianji Mountain, established the Great Xi Kingdom, and proclaimed himself Emperor of the Great Xi.

The Jin soldiers pursued them, but were repelled by Xiao Gan's troops at Jianke Mountain.

Yelü Dashi led over ten thousand Khitan soldiers on a westward escape.

Immediately afterwards, Song general Tong Guan dispatched Zhao Liangsi to Yanjing to demand the return of the cities in Yanjing in accordance with the terms of the "Alliance at Sea".

Chen Shao closed the military report and remained silent for a long time. The situation had come full circle, and although the process had changed, the outcome was largely the same.
It has come to this.

Nearly 150,000 Western Army soldiers left the pass and headed to Hebei, but less than 90,000 returned before the end of the year.

Moreover, this was done without any imperial edict; the Western Army returned voluntarily from the bottom up.

The prestige of the Song Dynasty had plummeted to its lowest point, and most of the military officers in the Western Army no longer obeyed the orders of the imperial court.

Cai Jing's decision to disband the Imperial Guards and tolerate Chen Shao's growing power in the Northwest was made under the premise that victory in the campaign against Liao was inevitable, and now the situation is beyond repair.

The misjudgment of the outcome of the campaign against Liao caused the Song Dynasty to pay a price far greater than it appeared on the surface.

The historical downfall was also largely related to this misjudgment.

Previously, Chen Shao only read history and cursed a few times, but he didn't really understand it.

Now that he stands in this position, he truly understands that the Song Dynasty court has, in fact, lost its authority.

After the Jingkang Incident, Zhao Gou was no longer able to command the various armies.

The military report was sent seven days ago, and by the time it reached me it was December 25th, just before the New Year.

The various government offices of Dingnan Army are preparing for the year-end.

Wei Li rushed over, but before he could speak, he saw the same military report on Chen Shao's desk as his own and realized that Chen Shao already knew.

"General!"

His tone was a little excited, and his face inexplicably turned red. Chen Shao glanced at him but did not say anything.

Chen Shao was speechless. The Song Dynasty was in trouble, why are you so agitated? No matter what, you were once a high-ranking official of the Song Dynasty. You were demoted and banished from the capital. Do you really have that much resentment?
Do you intend to fight back?

Wei Li didn't mention anything, found a seat, sat down, and waited for Chen Shao to speak first.

Two young officials sat beside him, taking notes with paper and pen.

Chen Shao and Wei Li are the current central figures of the Dingnan Army. Compared to the cumbersome bureaucratic system of the Song Dynasty, the central figures of the Dingnan Army are extremely simple, consisting of only two people.
Wei Li carried out Chen Shao's instructions, maintaining absolute autonomy in the overall direction. Fearing he might overlook something, Wei Li always had two scribes present to record it, which they would then review later.

Chen Shao rubbed his temples, and after a moment of silence, said, "After the Jurchens take Yanjing, I'm afraid their ambitions will grow, and they might betray the alliance and head south. Before they make a move, we should trade with the Jurchens as soon as possible for anything we need."

At this time of year, it is really not advisable to stir up trouble; one careless move could easily make one a traitor to the nation.

We must unite as many people as possible. Because the historical trend is that the Jurchens will sweep across the Central Plains and destroy the Liao and Song dynasties.

What I need to do is go against the tide, which means I have to put in more effort than others.

Wei Li quickly said, "General, the Jurchens have countless Khitan scriptures. I think we can buy more of them."

"Scriptures?"

"Within the Khitan Kingdom, there are many tribes, many of whom are Buddhists. The Khitan scriptures are the most complete among all countries, especially in the Western Capital Prefecture. Now, under the command of the General, there are many Buddhist tribes. If we can obtain the scriptures, we can interpret them."

Chen Shao nodded. "That's very good."

Buddhism is very popular in the Western Regions now. When I went on my westward expedition, I saw the murals and sculptures in Dunhuang with my own eyes.

The Jurchens do not believe in Buddhism, but it is possible that there are insightful individuals within their ranks who could recognize the value of these scriptures.

Chen Shao immediately said, "Send Zhai Fengda to Yunnei Prefecture in person to acquire all the scriptures held by the Jurchens!"

“Other books too!” Chen Shao added.

He suddenly realized that books are actually useful.

There were also many Buddhist scriptures in the Western Xia, and their Tangut royal family also worshipped Buddhism, but when Li Qianshun left, he either took them with him or burned them.

"Regarding finances."

Chen Shao laughed and said, "This western expedition has yielded a great harvest. If it's not enough, we'll squeeze some money out of other places. This money has to be spent."

On the Jurchen side, the sale of live people in Yunnei Prefecture has been banned. Although there are still some people selling them secretly, the numbers are not comparable to before.

However, the Jurchens overthrew the Liao Dynasty and plundered so many things, many of which they did not realize were of any use.

Now is the perfect time to acquire them; otherwise, once they realize what's happening, they won't be willing to sell for any price.

Just like with the raw meat, the Jurchen high command even reprimanded Wanyan Balisu, but he was genuinely unconvinced.

Chen Shao was anxious, but at this moment, he had to remain calm.

Although he knew the Jurchens were about to invade the south, he couldn't explain it to those around him.

Now that it is the New Year, he can send someone to make contact with the Jurchens under the guise of wishing the Central Plains a Happy New Year.

Buy as much as you can, and sell as much as you can.

This would give the Jurchens more luxury goods and fewer practical items for combat.

In the back and forth, the difference in combat strength will become apparent.

After conquering the Xia dynasty and the Hexi Corridor, Chen Shao learned some lessons: often, the outcome of a war is determined before the fighting even begins.

Before deciding to start a war, do as many right things as possible to add weight to your scales.

Then, the moment the fight begins, victory will naturally tilt in your favor.

"With the New Year approaching, let's gather everyone together to discuss matters and celebrate at the same time."

After Chen Shao finished speaking, Wei Li immediately nodded and said, "Hexi is too far away, so there's no need to come."

“Just have the Zhai and Zhang families send someone over. Officials from Liang, Gan, Su, Gua, and Sha need not come,” Chen Shao said. “Such meetings should be organized frequently so that everyone can get together and speak their minds, lest conflicts fester in secret. We are all people who have suffered setbacks in the Central Plains and Western Xia. Now that we have finally come together and things are looking up, we must unite even more.”

Wei Lishen agreed, got up to take his leave, and went to arrange for someone to deliver the message.

In less than two days, important figures from all over the Dingnan Army gathered in Xiping Prefecture.

Although the commander didn't say why he had called everyone here, many people had already guessed the main topic of the meeting: the recent major event was that the Jurchens had captured Yanjing Prefecture.

Chen Shao also came to Xiping Prefecture from Xingqing Prefecture.

Xiping Prefecture has convenient transportation, with access to all directions. It also has the Yellow River waterway, and with the canal dug by Yang Cheng, it already has considerable carrying capacity.

Chen Shao had considered moving to this place several times.

In Xingqing Prefecture, many things were still controlled by Tangut nobles. Simply transferring them out of Xingqing Prefecture would have the same effect as moving the capital.

This is the most ruthless move to dismantle the old forces.

However, it is very difficult to implement.

Because his military power was at its peak, and his subordinates were all newly promoted officials, both civil and military, they were capable of crushing the remaining old forces of the Tanguts. He could forcibly relocate the center of the Dingnan Army without having to worry about anything else.

Moreover, he is about to lead his troops to the Central Plains, so it's best to finish this matter as soon as possible.

The delegation was very well-organized, including General Han Shizhong, who personally came to Xiping Prefecture after deploying his troops to continue the attack on Helan Mountain.

After Han Shizhong entered the city, he was accompanied by several bodyguards.

When they left, it was still autumn, but now the wind was howling and cutting like a knife. These guards had smeared their faces with grease and covered the gaps in their armor completely. They followed behind Commander Han with their hands on their swords, looking around.

Han Shizhong laughed and scolded, "What are you looking at? If Xiping Prefecture were located in Yan'an Prefecture in Shaanxi, it wouldn't even be considered a big city."

The guards, whom he had selected from the newly recruited troops of Xixia, widened their eyes upon hearing this. "My God, are there any cities more prosperous than Xiping Prefecture?"

Han Shizhong threw down his riding whip and asked, "Do you know Bianliang?"

Han Shizhong himself had never been to Bianliang, but that didn't stop Han Wu from boasting. After all, he had heard a lot about Bianliang when he was in the Western Army. He casually mentioned a few things, which dazzled his personal guards.

"I wonder if we'll ever have the chance to see it for ourselves."

Han Shizhong said with great enthusiasm, "Follow me and work hard, and you'll be able to go anywhere in the world!"

Just as they were about to enter the Qi Prince's residence in Xiping Prefecture, they suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves. It was Wu Jie arriving with officials from the Salt and You factions.

He had once served as a foot soldier under Han Shizhong. Although their positions were now comparable, he still greeted Han Shizhong with great courtesy.

Han Shizhong laughed heartily. He noticed a young officer standing closest to him, a stranger to Han Shizhong, and immediately suspected he was a relative of Chen Shao, someone who had pulled strings. Otherwise, how could someone he didn't recognize be standing next to Wu Jie?

He came from the Western Army and had suffered from a lack of connections in his early years, so he took this kind of thing very seriously. He smiled and asked, "Wu Jie, what is this?"

“He is my younger brother,” Wu Jie said. “Wu Lin, why don’t you come and pay your respects to Commander Han?”

Upon hearing that he was Chen Shao's younger brother and not a relative of Chen Shao, Han Shizhong became much more relaxed. He smiled, patted Chen Shao's shoulder, and said, "Not bad, a handsome young man. Learn well from your brother. Your brother is a skilled warrior. In the future, our Dingnan Army will have another capable general."

"Thank you, Commander Han." Wu Lin was not intimidated at all, and clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute.

The military officers from Yanzhou all came forward to greet Han Shizhong, and he responded to each of them with a smile, remembering them all very clearly.

The two men, each with their own men, headed towards the Qi Prince's residence.

Han Shizhong said, "It has been a long time since I last saw the General, since we parted ways in Xingqing Prefecture."

Wu Jie nodded and said, "Since the General personally led the army to conquer the Hexi Corridor, I haven't had the chance to pay my respects."

In the eyes of these two experts, Chen Shao's campaign in Hexi was actually quite remarkable.

Because he made no mistakes along the way, and smoothly and effortlessly took over Hexi.

This is already quite remarkable.

The best commander is one who uses strength to defeat weakness and avoids making mistakes.

It is better to avoid making mistakes than to be full of clever schemes. It is better to go to more trouble than to give the enemy even the slightest opportunity.

If the forces are evenly matched, then the situation should be reversed.

Upon arriving at the Prince's residence, the two were immediately led the way by Chen Shao's personal guards.

Upon arriving at a large lobby, before even entering, one could hear Zhu Lingling's signature loud voice.

Han Shizhong couldn't help but purse his lips. Yinzhou was the farthest from here, yet Zhu Lingling was the first to arrive.

Upon entering the hall, sure enough, Old Zhu was standing in the middle, speaking animatedly and gesturing wildly as he talked.

Chen Shao listened with great interest, and the people around him occasionally laughed in agreement.

"Good minister, minister of Jin, please sit down."

The two groups bowed to Chen Shao and then found their seats.

Zhu Lingling continued her story, and Han Shizhong, who had been listening from the middle of it, gradually understood that she was telling him interesting stories about the Qiang leaders of Yinzhou after they entered the city.

Although Han Shizhong felt some contempt for Zhu Lingling's flattery, he also knew that the man was indeed capable.

The Qiang tribes of Hengshan were originally the most resilient group of tribes. They were ruled by the Western Xia for more than a hundred years, but they refused to surrender and continued to resist.

Although there were times when they were forced to provide warhorses and soldiers to the Western Xia, they would immediately rebel if you exploited them too much.

If they lose a fight, they just disappear into the mountains.

However, under Zhu Lingling's efforts, all the leaders of the Qiang tribes in Hengshan came to Yinzhou City, and the herdsmen were no longer subject to the control of the tribal leaders and chieftains.

Most of the warhorses of the Dingnan Army came from the Hehengshan Ranch.

Moreover, he had a keen eye for talent and offered his daughter to the military commander early on. After establishing this relationship, he became even closer to the military commander.

Zhu Lingling alone was in charge of Yinzhou, Longzhou, and Hongzhou, all three of which were important gateways for trade with Yan'an Prefecture and Fuyan Road in Shaanxi Province. Their locations were extremely important, which also showed Chen Shao's trust in him.

Han Shizhong couldn't help but recall the last time when the military commander made a slip of the tongue and accidentally uttered the angry words "take in Bianliang".

Old Zhu Teng immediately jumped out, saying he wanted to be the vanguard.
He was in a very difficult position and remained silent, probably because the general had already distinguished between close and distant relatives.

Thinking of this, Han Shizhong felt somewhat annoyed. He was one of the earliest to follow the military commander, and it was he who rescued him from the Western Army and gave him the official position of captain.

He has accomplished countless merits in his life, yet the Emperor of the Song Dynasty hasn't given him a single feather. What was the point of him to disappoint the General for them?

Even if the general really takes that step, what can I do?
Aside from charging into battle for him, there was really no other way. If he were to truly betray the commander, probably none of his men would be willing to follow him.

The Dingnan Army ate the military governor's provisions, their families cultivated land allocated by the military governor, and their relatives lived within the military governor's fortified village.

This time, many of the women among the captives purchased from the Jurchens were directly assigned to meritorious bachelors in the army.

The land of Dingnan Army, and the soldiers there, have become one with the military commander.

Unless he dies suddenly, no one can take his place.

The only shortcoming of the military commander is that he has no children, which is worrying. If he were to die young, the Dingnan Army would likely fall apart immediately.

"Liangchen, what are you daydreaming about!"

When Chen Shao's voice came, Han Shizhong came to his senses. It turned out that Zhu Lingling had already finished speaking.

He quickly stood up and said, "When I heard about Brother Zhu Ling's great achievements, I was reminded that I had not yet been able to capture Li Qianshun, and I felt sorry for Commander Jie."

"It was only a matter of time." Chen Shao chuckled. "I've witnessed firsthand the stubbornness of the Western Xia royal family. When the dynasty fell, not a single prince was willing to surrender—Prince Qi, Prince Liang, and Prince Jin were all afraid of death."

Chen Shao spared none of the many princesses and imperial concubines of Western Xia; they were all sent to Bianliang to offer their victories. He feared that these women of the imperial clan, like the men, might cause him to have no chance of survival.

I heard that in Bianliang, Emperor Huizong was quite kind, giving them some money and a house so they could make a living on their own.

They were not allowed to leave Bianliang, and someone would go to count the number of people every month.

Because these people were not actually surrendering, but were captured, and in principle they should be killed or sold.

A short while later, Li Xiaozhong brought Zhang Tianwang in; the two of them were from the Xiazhou faction.

Once Chen Shao saw that everyone had arrived, he ordered the banquet to begin.

Inside the lobby, everyone sat casually, without any deliberate ranking.

This is unimaginable in the Central Plains.

Because Chen Shao's subordinates were each responsible for a region, but they did not have a subordinate relationship.

Zhu Lingling was in charge of the line from Yinzhou to Hongzhou, which is Hengshan, and was Chen Shao's largest source of warhorses and soldiers.
Wu Jie and Yang Cheng were the top civil and military officials in Yanzhou and Youzhou, respectively, which were the financial backers of the Dingnan Army—the salt and iron mines.
Xia Prefecture, needless to say, has become a region directly bordering the Jurchens. Li Xiaozhong has 50,000 troops under his command and is ready to fight at any time.
Shuofang Lingwu, being the foundation of the Western Xia royal family, was once again visited by the old Western Xia nobles, led by the Yeli tribe, who were relatively quiet.

The Zhang and Zhai families in the Hexi Corridor are particularly low-key;
There are also some special cases, such as the Meicang tribe, which was the first to follow Chen Shao and has become Chen Shao's de facto personal guard tribe.

The entire Meicang tribe moved to Xiping Prefecture, preparing early for Chen Shao's relocation of the Dingnan Army's capital. Pang Ge and Meicang Canrong sat not far from Chen Shao.

After the banquet began, everyone chatted and laughed, toasting each other and getting up to offer a drink.

Chen Shao was very satisfied; at least on the surface, it was indeed a united conference.

The main hall of the Qi Prince's Mansion can be considered a semi-open hall. The side facing the left gate has no wall, only some large pillars supporting it, making this palace like a huge balcony. Standing in the hall behind the left gate, one can enjoy the snow-covered scenery of the Qi Prince's Mansion.

A broad view can broaden one's mind. Chen Shao didn't know this before; he just thought that those palaces were built so magnificently that it was simply extravagant and wasteful.

Only then did I realize that there was a reason for all of this.

You only realize how good something is after you've experienced it.

After the banquet, Chen Shao returned to his residence. He had brought his family with him this time and did not intend to let them go back.

The Prince Qi's residence is better than the place I live in Xingqing Prefecture.

Without Chen Shao saying anything, Wei Li began to make arrangements one by one.

First, Zhai Fengda was sent as an envoy to Yunnei Prefecture to continue negotiations with the Jurchens and purchase books and collections from the Khitan Xijing Prefecture.

Then, he sent people to Bianliang to deliver generous gifts to Emperor Zhao Ji. This time, Chen Shao learned his lesson and had Cai Tiao send back many rare treasures to Cai Jing.

The Song Dynasty's rulers and ministers were not as pragmatic as he had imagined; Chen Shao and the others had misunderstandings with each other.

Chen Shao thought the other party must respect him, but it turned out they didn't take him seriously at all;

Cai Jing and others thought that Chen Shao should consider himself one of their disciples, but Chen Shao positioned himself as a hero of the time.
Since that's the case, then I'll give you a little incentive. As long as you can buy them and not disrupt the trade between the Dingnan Army's merchant caravan and the Central Plains, then the money spent will be worthwhile.

Such a thing would have been impossible in other dynasties.

How could a normal emperor or a wise prime minister like Cai Jing possibly agree to let powerful regional military governors continuously profit from the Central Plains?

Moreover, Chen Shao's caravans have entered the Central Plains and opened up countless waterways. In times of peace, they transport all kinds of goods, but once war breaks out, they become supply routes.

The Dingnan Army's ability to transport supplies had already been proven during the suppression of Fang La.

Therefore, this matter would have been extremely difficult in other dynasties.

But in the Song Dynasty, it could be done by spending some money, which was really considerate.

Therefore, Chen Shao was happy to spend the money.
His act of offering tribute to the emperor also gave Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) considerable face.

Of course, this was not entirely a meeting of unity, and Nori Jun and others were quite dissatisfied.

The military commander refused to return to Xingqing Prefecture, and the interests of the Yeli tribe were once again violated. He could only return to Xingqing Prefecture in a fit of anger.

Along the way, they cursed Chen Shao and his confidants without reservation, but they were unaware that Guangyuantang had recorded everything clearly.

A knife aimed at them is already being sharpened; Chen Shao doesn't need evidence to deal with them now.

Dissatisfaction is a path to self-destruction!

Because they were remnants of the Western Xia dynasty, and the Western Xia emperor was still in the Helan Mountains. What if they rebelled?

Since your interests conflict with those of these newly rising figures under Chen Shao, do you really expect Chen Shao to help you instead of his own trusted confidants?

Punishing your own people requires evidence; punishing your enemies only requires the right opportunity.
-
The last day of the fourth year of the Xuanhe era.

Xiping Prefecture, inside the Prince Qi's residence.

Chen Shao and his wives and concubines gathered together and celebrated the New Year in a lively atmosphere.

The absence of the Zhe family member left him with some regret.

As the lamps were lit, Chen Shaoju's main room was as bright as day, filled with the sounds of laughter and chatter from women.

He was always casual and unrestrained at home. After being served by the Zhu sisters to bathe and change his clothes, he changed into a silver-red silk cross-collar undergarment with dark patterns. He no longer used his hat and head covering. He tied his loose hair back with a gold thread with jade pendants and walked out of the bedroom barefoot and clean.

"Greetings to the master." Zhang Yinghan and Zhai Rui stood up and curtsied.

"We're family, why all the formalities!" Chen Shao waved his hand and laughed, "Tonight is New Year's Eve, the whole family stays up to welcome the New Year, we don't care about seniority, and there are no taboos."

Chen Shao, having eaten and drunk his fill with his men, sat to the side and watched them drink.

After becoming the top leader, Chen Shao found himself valuing 'unity' more and more, hoping not only for his subordinates to be united, but also for the inner circle of the household.

He was somewhat glad that he had married a naive and innocent young wife. Although she would sometimes go against him, at least she didn't know how to be jealous.

As long as they don't cause trouble for themselves, and don't engage in backstabbing, sabotage, or sabotage, everyone can get along well, and Chen Shao finds it pleasing to the eye.

He and his men had drunk quite a bit, and now, feeling rather tipsy, he looked around and saw a row of beautiful women before him. Overjoyed, he leaned against a soft pillow and said, "Let's not stand on ceremony today. Have fun and help yourselves to whatever you want to eat."

"So long-winded," Zhong Lingxi said with a grin, still showing no respect for Master Chen.

Chen Shao ignored her and, seeing that Li Shishi hadn't eaten much and seemed full, pulled her over and hugged her.

Feeling shy with so many people around, Li Shishi struggled to get out.

Chen Shao ignored everything else and looked at Shishi with drunken eyes. She was still as beautiful as ever after not seeing her for several months. Her delicate oval face was flushed from the wine, making her even more charming.

Because she was being held in his arms on the soft couch, her long, slender legs were half-bent and lightly crossed under the thin, jade-colored floral pleated skirt, her figure graceful and charming, captivating the heart.

"Don't move, I'll hold you and keep watch with you."

After hearing this, Li Shishi stopped struggling. Chen Shao smiled and said, "You know what? That's why I rushed back from Hexi."

This statement is pure nonsense, but Li Shishi, being a woman, had limited knowledge and experience.

Most importantly, she herself was willing to believe it. Upon hearing this, her beautiful eyes became slightly misty, and she said softly, "My lord, important matters are paramount. Please do not let Shishi interfere with important business."

As the long night drew to a close, the east began to lighten.

Chen Shao suddenly opened his eyes, gently lifted the curtain, and tiptoed out of bed.

Shishi was fast asleep on the bed, her eyelashes long, her cherry lips slightly parted, her delicate face rosy and lovely, and with each long breath, the brocade quilt on her chest rose and fell gently.

She usually gets up before Chen Shao and helps him get dressed and have breakfast, but she was too tired last night to get up.

Chen Shao dressed himself and went outside, feeling somewhat dazed.

The fourth year of the Xuanhe era passed just like that.

Too many major events happened this year, many of which were enough to change the fate of the entire nation.

After a quick breakfast, Chen Shao headed straight for Wei Li's office.

The fourth year of the Xuanhe era has ended, but the turmoil of the times has not ended, and the following year will undoubtedly be even more important.
-
Bianliang City.

The defeat at the front did not affect the festive atmosphere in Bianliang City at all.

As the most prosperous metropolis in the world, the New Year celebrations were naturally extremely lively. Even from a later perspective, the festive atmosphere of the New Year was quite impressive.

Every winter in Bianliang has been exceptionally cold these past few years, but even in such frigid weather, the four gates of Bianliang remain wide open, and the imperial guards do not enforce the curfew!
The whole city was newly decorated, with lanterns and colorful decorations everywhere. The streets were bustling with people, and firecrackers and fireworks turned the night into day.

Men and women, adorned with flowers, strolled through taverns and theaters, the sounds of string and wind instruments continuing until dawn.

Liu Guanglie climbed to a high place and looked around. He saw that the surrounding area was filled with colorful lights, all converging on the majestic city of Bianliang.

The city of Bianliang, spanning dozens of miles, was also brightly lit that night.

All the buildings along the streets in the city were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and every shop had erected a canopy and set up a lantern mountain.

In the direction of the Forbidden City, countless lights were lit, and fireworks soared into the sky.

In the brothels and theaters, pretty young women adorned with floral decorations lean against the railings, half-drunk and half-laughing, while dried flowers and fruits fall like a rain of blossoms.

He was not happy, though, because his father, Liu Yanqing, had been betrayed by Tong Guan.

Tong Guan blamed Liu Yanqing for the failure of the campaign against Liao, especially the defeat at Gaoliang River.

Was Liu Yanqing responsible for the defeat at Gaoliang River? Undoubtedly, he was, and largely so.

But is he the only one who's bad at it?

That's not necessarily true.

At that time, Tong Guan was completely unable to take charge and hid in Hejian Prefecture, not daring to go north.
Even the old generals in the Western Army were not clean. In order to preserve the strength of the Western Army, they watched Liu Yanqing besieged without sending any troops to support him.
The imperial court inexplicably replaced the low- and mid-level military officers of the Western Army with a group of纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families), and as a result, they all ran away when the battle started.
The orders couldn't be passed down, and the soldiers lost control.
All of these factors contributed to the defeat, but Tong Guan shifted all the blame onto Liu Yanqing.

Liu Guanglie had a lot of resources at his disposal, all belonging to the Dingnan Army. He was hesitating whether to use these resources to save his father.

Just as he was hesitating, Cui Lin arrived.

"Third Master."

Liu Guanglie turned around, suppressing his emotions, and smiled, "You've come."

"Wishing Third Master a healthy and happy new year."

"Congratulations together."

Cui Lin lowered his voice and said, "Third Master, people are coming from the west."

Liu Guanglie sniffed, seemingly catching a cold, and asked, "What did you say?"

"The master sent word that we should fully cooperate with Third Master to rescue Old Liu."

Upon hearing this, Liu Guanglie felt a sense of relief, though tears welled up in his eyes.

Brother Shao, you're still quite kind and righteous!
-
More than two hundred li northeast of Yanmen Pass lies Yingzhou, the former seat of the Liaoxi Jingdao Zhang Jiedushi.

Although the area of ​​the Western Capital Circuit of the Liao Dynasty was very vast in the past, all the people and talents gathered in the Datong Prefecture Basin.

Yingzhou is located at the southern end of the Datong Prefecture Basin, with steep mountains all around and difficult roads.

Mount Woyang in Yingzhou is 2,300 to 2,400 meters high and looks imposing.

A group of people were struggling to cross this place; they were the envoy sent by Chen Shao.

Originally, Chen Shao only asked Zhai Fengda to go to Yunnei Prefecture to find Wanyan Balisu.

However, Li Xiaozhong from Xiazhou insisted on concealing his identity and went to Datong Prefecture in person.

Moreover, instead of taking the traditional desert route, he borrowed a path from Zhejia in Fugu, passed through Shuozhou and Yingzhou, and was on his way to Datong Prefecture to meet Wanyan Xiyin, the Right Military Supervisor of the Jin Dynasty in the northwest region.

Li Xiaozhong has always been very bold. When he was young, he would go to the pastures in the heart of Western Xia to steal horses.

Now that they haven't completely broken ties with the Jurchens, the risk factor is actually very low. He's eager to see what his future opponent is like.

Even if the Song Dynasty and the Jurchens had a complete falling out, given the Jurchens' character, they would still try to win over Chen Shao to rebel against the Song.

Feeling emboldened, Li Xiaozhong took the opportunity to scout out the terrain and make contact with local powerful figures. In case a real fight broke out, the fate of these local bullies would be extremely important.

For a general, familiarity with the terrain is very important. Any place Li Xiaozhong has seen is as if it is engraved in his mind, and he generally will not forget it.

As Chen Shao bought prisoners from the Jurchens, the hidden benefits became increasingly apparent. Among them were many Liao officials who were in charge of confidential documents.

After being captured, they dared not reveal their identities and were treated as ordinary slaves.

After arriving at Chen Shao's side, and after several days of probing, he learned that there was no danger, so he took the initiative to reveal his identity and then drew up many old regional maps of Liao.

This group of people is now following the map.

The terrain is much flatter to the south and north of Yingzhou.

This terrain is a strategic pass that military strategists must contend for.

Back then, the Liao people established their military governor's office here. Even if the Song army suddenly defied the odds and wanted to recover all the prefectures in Yunnei and head straight for Xijing Datong Prefecture, Yingzhou, this strategic pass, would be extremely difficult to cross.

Li Xiaozhong, who was accompanying him, looked at the road in front of him and secretly calculated that once the war started, he must take Yingzhou first!
By holding this position, the Jurchen Tartars of Xijing Datong Prefecture would be blocked from advancing south.

Looking back, Shuozhou, Wuzhou, and other places were as if they were in his pocket.

Moreover, Yingzhou was a medium-sized granary in Xijing Road.

The reason is simple: Yingzhou has abundant water resources. The Sanggan River and Hunyuan River both flow through it, and the vegetation has not been damaged.

Although there isn't much flat land, the fields in the river valleys are rare, high-yield farmlands in the north.

Moreover, animal husbandry is very developed here. During the Liao Dynasty, the Shuowu prefectures, which faced the Song Dynasty directly, all relied on Yingzhou for grain.

Li Xiaozhong had many Liao people under his command, and he discussed things with them every day.

Since the Liao dynasty had already fallen, they naturally spoke freely and without reservation.

After the Xijing Road was destroyed by war, Yingzhou, with its strong foundation, should still be considered to have the largest reserves in the area.

After the Jurchens occupied the major states and cities, they could not actually govern the areas below because their population was too small.

It's somewhat similar to what happened to the Japanese in North China back then.

The Jurchen Tartars enjoyed their lives in Datong Prefecture, occasionally launching raids, while local powerful families undoubtedly fought each other for territory.

After the troops of the Zhang Jiedushi were conscripted and transferred by Yelü Yanxi, a local strongman named Li Mao gained the upper hand and seized control of Yingzhou.

He took control of all the local reserves and raised an army of two to three thousand men, with at least four to five hundred of them being armored and capable of fighting in battle.

This force was already quite large in the local military. The powerful local strongmen and lords within Yingzhou all had to give him some support, making him practically the local tyrant.

Li Mao's ancestors were Han Chinese. For more than a hundred years, the various prefectures in Yunnei had been occupied, and the Xijing Road was inhabited by various ethnic groups.

Li Mao couldn't really say for sure which ethnic group he belonged to. He often thought that no matter which side he joined in the future, he would have to choose a suitable ancestor.

Those who pledged allegiance to the Song or Jin dynasties insisted on claiming to be Han Chinese, because the Jurchens truly hated the Khitan people to the core.

Li Mao's ancestors were all bandits. In the midst of chaos, he managed to establish himself by fighting with some of his old brothers.

Although he was illiterate, he was a magnanimous man. He didn't want to be a local tyrant; he only wanted to be a truly noble official, someone whose position could be passed down so that his descendants wouldn't have to risk their lives like he did.

With the various states within the Yunnei region still neglecting their respective interests, they hesitated, unsure of which side to side to pledge allegiance to.

The Jurchen army was strong, needless to say. Li Mao claimed to have several thousand brave soldiers under his command. Even when the Jurchen occasionally sent out a dozen or so cavalrymen, Li Mao dared not give them a chance.

He could only do his best to accommodate them, giving them whatever the Jurchens wanted. This angered the Jurchens of Datong Prefecture in Xijing, who would often send out scattered riders to try and gain some benefits.

They could reap huge profits without fighting, and the Jurchen Tartars weren't really so careless about life and death that they had to defeat Li Mao before they could talk.

The Jurchen people are currently digesting the enormous fruits of their victory, and fierce power struggles are taking place internally. They will not expand outwards on a large scale until the situation is more stable.

However, these Jurchen Tartars looked down on people outside their own tribe and did not regard people of other tribes as human beings.

Although Li Mao had tried his best to please them, he didn't get anything good in return. Every time the Jurchen cavalry passed by, they would rob gold and silver and immediately tie up women.

They beat and kill people at will, just like the 'angels' of the Liao Dynasty when they visited their tribe.

Many of Li Mao's men responsible for supporting them have already died at their hands.

These Tartars kill people when they are not satisfied, and then laugh wildly as they leave, not taking this place seriously at all.

This is also why Li Mao didn't decide to fully invest in the Jurchens; his family's resources were too meager, and if he were to be tricked by the Jurchens, he would be completely helpless.

Moreover, unless they were driven to desperation, who would be willing to surrender and serve such a group of demonic Jurchen Tartars?

As for the Southern Song Dynasty, it's even more incomprehensible.

Logically speaking, the Song Dynasty is currently in good standing, considered a great power alongside the Liao Dynasty, and has always been known throughout the world for its wealth.

In recent years, I've heard that they've launched a military campaign against the Liao Dynasty, aiming to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!

But Li Mao found it strange. Logically speaking, Yingzhou was also one of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, so why hadn't he seen a single Song soldier come here? Even if he wanted to seek refuge, he couldn't find anyone to rely on!
Moreover, the relationship between the Jurchens and the Song people was also uncertain. As a northerner, he understood the nature of these newly emerging nomadic tribes best. They were driven by the survival of the fittest and possessed an insatiable thirst for expansion and plunder.

After defeating the Liao Dynasty, the Jurchens were at the height of their power and military might. How could such a wealthy and powerful Song Dynasty not have designs on them in the future?

We mustn't surrender to the Song Dynasty one day, only to have the Jurchen Tartars attack the next.

Yingzhou is right below Xijing Datong Prefecture, and although it has a strategic advantage, our few thousand ragtag soldiers have absolutely no chance of winning against the thousands of Zhen women and Zhen soldiers of Xijing Datong Prefecture.

The prefectures within Yunnei are currently a blank slate, which the Jurchens can afford to ignore. However, things will be different once they actually start fighting the Song Dynasty.

If he were to change the banner of the Song Dynasty and force the Jurchens to launch a casual attack, his family's foundation would be doomed.

Whenever he thought of his troubles, Li Mao would sit in the Zhang Jiedushi's office, holding his Liao girl, who used to be from a prominent family, and sigh.

Damn it, in this chaotic world, it's hard to find a good master and even hope to have a peaceful life in the future!

Unable to figure things out, Li Mao had no choice but to put it aside for the time being.

Winter has arrived in the north, and the cold wind howls all around. There are no travelers on the roads, but Yingzhou has plenty of grain, meat, and wine.

Some women even keep their feet warm, so they can comfortably get through the winter and then figure out another way.

I, Li Mao, am also a hero of my time. No matter what, there's always a way out! Compared to those days when bandits suffered from hunger and cold in the mountains, this is like living in heaven!
(End of this chapter)