You have truly caused me great suffering!

The battlefield within the clouds is a scene of chaotic fighting.

The scouts on both sides spared no effort, and each of them lost several horses in the process.

Even so, the news did not spread very quickly.

However, both sides knew that Yin Shuke had already been defeated and that Han Shizhong was rushing to Datong Prefecture.

Wanyan Zonghan was extremely anxious and wanted to return to Datong as soon as possible, but the light cavalry of Yinzhou kept harassing him from the side.

In the mountains, they rode horses just like they did on flat ground, engaging in open battles, clashes, retreats, archery, and ambushes.
They bite tightly, never letting go, but they also won't stop fighting to the death.

In such a day and night, the army could only march a few dozen miles.

For the soldiers of Yinzhou, the losses were devastating. The well-equipped Jurchen western army was far superior to the Yin Keshu army, which had been caught off guard.

This was the most powerful enemy they had ever encountered.

However, Zhu Lingling still ordered them to hold on tight.

When a squad was defeated, he would lead his troops to continue harassing the enemy. One night, he tirelessly commanded and directed the troops, even personally going to the front lines to fight the enemy.

In every raid, the Yinzhou soldiers exerted their utmost effort, undaunted by death. The corpses of the dead and wounded on both sides lay uncollected on both sides of the road.

After such a long and fierce battle, Zhu Lingling was covered in injuries and her voice was hoarse from shouting. Now, every time she shouted out a military order, she felt a sweet and moist sensation in her throat, as if a knife was cutting her throat, causing waves of excruciating pain.

However, he was as hard as iron and showed no intention of backing down.

Even if it means wiping out the entire Yinzhou army, we must buy Han Shizhong time to attack the city.

Commander Zhu Ling, who loved his soldiers like his own children, was indeed very attentive to them and frequently issued policies to protect their rights.

But once the war started, he only cared about victory or defeat, regardless of the number of casualties. Moreover, he didn't care about the Yinzhou soldiers or the Hengshan Qiang soldiers at all, because he didn't consider them his strength.

Ultimately, he didn't see himself as a powerful figure in Yinzhou or a chieftain in Hengshan; he saw himself as an original shareholder of Chen Shao's Northwest Group.

People who are aiming for higher goals naturally won't have the idea of ​​preserving their own strength.

Would Chen Shao not see the importance of capturing Datong Prefecture and then intercepting the enemy halfway? Would he lower his own status because of the weakened strength of the Yinzhou army?

The Jurchens were also getting anxious; they had never encountered such a determined force when dealing with the Liao army.

In fact, even at its peak, the Liao army was not known for its protracted warfare.

Such head-on field battles were rare. In positional warfare, where attrition and endurance were crucial, the Liao army was even less effective than the Song army's field units.

In the numerous battles during Emperor Taizong Zhao Guangyi's campaigns against the Liao Dynasty, which involved numerous engagements and skirmishes, the Liao army never gained an advantage, except for the final battle where Zhao Guangyi's central army wavered and fled on the banks of the Gaoliang River.

Later, during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, the Liao people launched a large-scale southward invasion, penetrating deep into the territory of Chanzhou. The Liao people also bypassed the large-scale field battle groups of the Song army at the junction of Hedong and Hebei Roads.

Utilizing the high-speed battlefield mobility of their large cavalry force, they shattered the Song army's defense system and swept south.

However, the Song army fortified and fortified very few cities along the way. Finally, at Chanzhou, despite their desperate efforts, they failed to defeat the Song army that was holding the city and fighting in the field, and even lost Xiao Dalin. They were forced to conclude the Treaty of Chanyuan and then retreat.

In terms of endurance and stamina in open battle, the Liao people were far inferior to the Song and Western Xia armies. These two were truly capable fighters, often fighting to the last few men before retreating.

The Qiang soldiers of Hengshan were precisely the group that persevered and endured the most hardship during the century-long war between Song and Xia.
-
Both sides frantically sent out scouts, who frequently encountered each other on the road, and every encounter resulted in a fierce chase and battle.

On this land, the cold wind howled and snowflakes filled the sky, yet the battle raged fiercely.

One-on-one, squad-to-squad, battalion-to-battalion—all levels of combat are available.

Near Datong Prefecture, a dozen or so riders were galloping wildly through the snowy night.

As the dozen or so riders raced for their lives, the one in the lead suddenly spurred his horse.

Because it was a snowy night, and the Jurchen knights following behind him were exhausted and reacted slowly, although they hurriedly tried to stop their horses, some of them were already out of control and crashed into the back of his horse, causing several knights to tumble off.

Amidst shouts and neighing, the fallen riders struggled to their feet. In the heat of the moment, their tempers were naturally short. One of them, already rolling to his feet, was ready to cause trouble for the one in front: "Olentai, did you see your mother? Why did you stop? You caused us to fall from our horses!"

The Jurchen Tartar who was being insulted simply reined in his horse and stood still, staring blankly ahead, his mind filled with nothing but confusion.

Several men rushed up to pull him away, but Orontai, whether from the cold or from fear, pointed his whip and shouted, "Look ahead! Look ahead!"

A dozen or so Jurchen knights, already in a sorry state, stared blankly northward, both on and off their horses.

Only now did they understand why Zonghan had made such a grand show of force, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Datong is lost; Datong has been shattered.

In an instant, all the Tartars couldn't stand it anymore; everything they had looted was in Datong Prefecture!
"Go back quickly and tell Zonghan to take back the city!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the pursuers caught up. When they saw the ruined city of Datong and the Dingnan Army flag on the wall, they burst into laughter.

Enraged, the Jurchen Tartars drew their swords, and the two sides clashed again beneath the walls of Datong.
-
As the fight drew to a close, a sound came from afar. Everyone looked up and saw a cluster of torches emerging from the hillside beside the road.

Behind these torches was an endless torrent of torches, their light illuminating the sky and making the horizon glow slightly.

The sounds of shouts and neighing horses could be heard at this moment. A large group of people and horses were spread out on both sides of the road and were surging towards this place.

In the distance, one could hear the whistling and echoing of the scouts ahead, a signal commonly used by the Jurchen army.

Wanyan Zonghan has returned.

I got back a little late, just a hair's breadth away.

The Jurchens never defended a city.
They started their rebellion in 1114, and more than ten years have passed since then. They have defended the city only a handful of times.

The only defensive battle was when Yelü Yanxi launched a counterattack. With Yelü Yanxi's abilities, he was able to capture more than 20 cities in succession, including Tiande, Dongsheng, Ningbian, and Yunnei.

So when Han Shizhong reached the city walls, he charged in, dug up the soil, and planted explosives, creating several breaches. The Jurchen Tartars inside the city, their blood boiling, actually opened the gates and launched a surprise attack.

Han Shizhong was overjoyed and personally led the charge. After a bloody battle, at great cost, he broke into the city.

Once inside the city, the real killing field began. Han Shizhong, with his extensive experience, ordered the capture of the city gates and high ground, and set fires in the city to divide and conquer the Jurchen troops.

In this battle, his main force of heavy cavalry suffered more than 30% casualties, and the auxiliary troops of the Cloud Camp also suffered heavy losses.

Heavy snow fell overnight, landing on Wanyan Zonghan's cloak, and soon his shoulders were covered with snowflakes.

A biting wind swept in, and even his beard was covered in icicles, but Wanyan Zonghan stared intently at the north city wall with his bloodshot eyes wide open.

The Jurchen Tartars were all furious and wished they could immediately attack the city, because they had all left behind a lot of spoils of war in the city.

Wanyan Zonghan immediately ordered an attack on the city. Firelight completely enveloped the area below the city, and countless blazing torches piled up, illuminating the city of Datong behind them and casting a majestic silhouette in the darkness.

The shouts of battle echoed through the night, and the roars of countless people crashed against the walls of Datong and scattered, adding ten times the murderous aura to this chaotic snowy night!
Wanyan Zonghan was indeed a skilled military commander. Even at night, he was able to command and coordinate his troops in an orderly manner, with the Jurchen soldiers constantly moving back and forth in the darkness.

Squads of men rushed forward, and the wounded and dead were carried down in a flowing stream. This time, they finally stopped using live laborers to fill the gaps; they went in themselves!

On the city wall, Han Shizhong directed the attack from both sides, ordering the continued siege of the Tartars in the city while simultaneously firing dozens of stone cannons that the Liao people had previously deployed on the city wall.

Because of the high frequency of launches, these old machines have fallen apart, and no one has bothered to clean them up.

Some people got impatient and started throwing stones down, but this had very little power and was a waste of resources. If the military officer saw this, he would inevitably kick them.

As Zonghan issued his orders, the Jurchen generals loudly accepted them, spurred their horses forward, and rushed their troops into the snow-covered city. The sound of drums and horns grew even louder.

Under the firelight, a torrent of black-clad Jurchen warriors, their eyes red, surged toward Datong City once more.

Behind them, the Xiazhou troops also crossed the Sanggan River and came to launch a surprise attack.

The soldiers of Yinzhou held on tightly, and despite suffering heavy casualties, they refused to retreat.

Wanyan Xiyin, who was assigned to cover the rear, resisted with all his might despite his inferior forces.

The light cavalry of Yinzhou were only meant to hold back the flanks, while the main force broke through from the middle.

Wanyan Xiyin had been fighting for ten years and had never seen such a chaotic battle situation. Now, the two flanks that were tied down also began to send troops to counterattack.

The chaotic battle in the open field at night quickly lost its order, with large and small battle groups fighting everywhere. Both sides were desperately trying to break through the Jurchen lines to buy time for Han Shizhong in Datong.

One was to desperately block the advance of the Dingnan army, thus providing cover for Zonghan to recapture the city.

Nighttime battles are always the most brutal and deadly, with formations completely out of control, and it's nothing more than fighting life for life.

The casualty figures on both sides skyrocketed, and no one knew exactly how many people had fallen in this fierce night battle!

However, both sides possessed a strong fighting spirit, and neither retreated even in this intense exchange of blows.

Anyone familiar with military strategy should understand after witnessing this battle that the two strongest groups in the world have officially begun their conflict.

This clash was intense from the very beginning, representing a contest of fighting will between two newly emerging groups.

As the Jurchen Tartars began their counterattack, reserve troops from Yinzhou were gradually dispatched to meet them.

The elite troops that attacked head-on rushed forward and then retreated. Wanyan Xiyin's Jurchen heavy infantry always seemed to be about to be broken through, but they always gritted their teeth and held on, and the final blow was slow to kill him.

Zhu Lingling and Wanyan Xiyin were like two gamblers who had lost their minds, no longer caring about anything.

Meanwhile, the Xiazhou soldiers who had crossed the Sanggan River were also speeding up their march, with troop after troop moving back and forth, and messengers galloping in all directions, relaying military orders.

From the air, the long, winding army, carrying torches, stretched out like a fiery dragon to the horizon.

A chilling killing intent emanated from the ranks of this army. The archers had already tuned their bows, and their quivers were overflowing with arrows.

The cooks quickly started a fire by the roadside and cooked porridge and rice, which the soldiers along the way could take and eat whenever they wanted to replenish their energy.

Countless scouts galloped back and forth, constantly surveying the enemy situation ahead. Li Xiaozhong and several deputy generals and staff officers made decisions and deployments based on the reported military intelligence.

On the two-story arrow tower of Datong city wall, Han Shizhong watched without moving as the fierce battle raged not far away, which had been going on for a whole night.

He stood tall and straight, motionless.

Beneath his eyes lay a battlefield of unprecedented chaos and carnage, with blood-red flames, pervasive stench of blood, and mad screams.

Behind him was Datong City, which was also engulfed in flames and filled with the sounds of battle.

The Tartars in the city slowly began to organize themselves. As dawn approached, they gathered in several government offices and residences and put up a fierce resistance.

The sounds outside told them that their army had returned.

As long as they hold the city and wait for Zonghan to lead his army to retake it, they can retaliate at will and chop all these enemies into mincemeat.

They will also march on their homeland, slaughter their parents, wives, and children, and make them bleed to death! Let everyone taste their rage.

Although the war had reached a point where it was not in the Jurchens' favor, they still did not believe they would lose.

The sky was sometimes bright and sometimes dark, and the firelight from the battlefield also cast flickering light and shadow on the arrow tower, painting the tall city walls with a dark, blood-red hue.

No one in it knows whether they are in purgatory or in the human world.

After a night of stalemate in the battle, the Jurchen slaves, laborers, and servants in the city began to riot.

The defection of these people greatly reduced the pressure on Han Shizhong.

Fighting both inside and outside the city simultaneously, the slightest mistake could lead to total defeat.

He didn't even dare to go up to the city wall to fight the enemy; he could only stay at the highest point of the arrow tower and oversee the entire situation.

Han Shizhong's elite troops were all orthodox Western Army soldiers, mainly composed of the Xihe Army formerly under Liu Fa.

The city of Datong, once in their hands, played a role a hundred times greater than it had in the hands of the Jurchen Tartars.

They were all seasoned veterans of battle and accustomed to defending cities!

From dawn till dusk, and into the night, the battle raged for another day!
Inside the city's government office, a large number of Jurchen Tartars and Yunzhong Camp troops gathered and surrounded the place. Then they poured oil from the Liao people's treasury.

They no longer wanted this government office; at this point, as long as they could kill or wound the enemy, it would be worthwhile even if they had to overthrow Datong Prefecture.

Any means are acceptable.

Even the Jurchen Tartars, no matter how skilled in battle, were afraid of fire. The troops of Yunzhong Camp blocked the outside, set up flammable materials and traps, and then began to set fire to force the Jurchen Tartars out.

They used makeshift fortifications to shoot arrows and prevent the Tartars from breaking out.

Several of the most intense battlefields remained deadlocked, with the urban street fighting being the first to break the deadlock and make progress.

The people of Yunzhong, including the sons of powerful families like those in Yunzhong Camp, were terribly bullied by the Jurchen Tartars.

They also paid the price for their brutality.

As the Jurchen Tartars emerged, their bodies ablaze with flames, one after another, burning rockets were launched at the layers of fuel that had been laid out.

After these Tartar strongholds were breached, the remaining resistance in the city grew weaker and weaker and was no longer a threat.

The liberated troops of Yunzhong Camp were able to defend the city, greatly reducing the pressure on Han Shizhong.
-
At the foot of Datong City, the city had already been turned into a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

The Xia Prefecture troops finally arrived. Apart from small-scale battles with the Jurchen Tartars in the mountainous area at the border of Ying Prefecture and Yunnei, the Xia Prefecture soldiers did not participate in any major battles.

Their personnel were well-equipped, and they did not act recklessly during the march. Li Xiaozhong used his troops very carefully.

This gives them relatively abundant energy, and at this moment, when they are thrown into the battlefield, their orderly ranks appear particularly terrifying.

Li Xiaozhong's fighting style differed from that of Han Shizhong and Zhu Lingling; his troops also reflected the style of their commander.

In terms of decisive action and long-distance raids, he was certainly not as capable as Han Shizhong. However, when it came to discipline and setting up battle formations, his abilities were still quite strong.

The Xiazhou troops were among the first to prepare for the battle against the Jurchens, and Li Xiaozhong had been studying the Jurchens' troops, tactics, and strategies.

They were well prepared in all aspects, and upon arriving at the battlefield, they finally engaged the enemy.

They set up their formations, forming ranks one after another, with different types of soldiers clearly distinguished, and the square formations were orderly and well-organized.

Snowflakes swirled down, blanketing the world in silver. The boundary between heaven and earth seemed indistinguishable amidst the dancing snowflakes.

The sudden appearance of this well-prepared force completely crushed the Jurchen Tartars who had been fighting for a day and two nights.

Wanyan Zonghan saw that the defenses on the city walls were getting stronger and stronger, showing no signs of weakening; and Wanyan Xiyin was unable to completely repel the enemy in front of him.

This newly emerged force looks like it won't be easy to defeat.

The worst part was that I rushed back without a place to rest or recuperate, let alone cook a meal.

With things having come to this point, the only option left is to withdraw the troops.

Without hesitation, Wanyan Zonghan immediately issued the order after thinking it through. Although this might cause him to completely lose face among the Jurchen upper class and inevitably strip him of some power.

However, Zonghan remained decisive because he knew that if he continued to drag things out, the losses would be even more severe.

In his view, the lives of his men were more valuable than those of the enemy.

The Jurchen Tartars had now launched a fierce attack, and the casualties they hadn't experienced in a long time had stirred up the ruthlessness in their blood.

They will gradually discover and correct their mistakes, such as being overly protective of their own warriors' lives, underestimating their enemies, and engaging in excessive killing.

However, the Jurchen tribes were still too small in size, and their tolerance for mistakes was inherently low.

If it weren't for the collective failures of the Liao and Song dynasties, there would never have been such great victories in history, leading to the later establishment of the glorious Jin dynasty.

Although none of the Jurchen Tartars wanted to retreat, no one dared to disobey Zonghan's orders.

As the drums and horns sounded, the troops below the city slowly withdrew, forming ranks and retreating, preparing to withdraw from the battlefield.

Zhu Lingling did not choose to pursue, but instead moved closer to Datong Prefecture. Although his troops were known for their endurance and willingness to sacrifice, they were already nearing their limit.

Li Xiaozhong chose to pursue them relentlessly, but the Jurchen Tartars, even in this situation, retreated in an orderly manner, launching counterattacks from time to time, especially their amazing archery skills.

The benefits of Xiazhou soldiers drinking hot soup and rice porridge on the road became apparent, giving them the energy to resist the cold wind and fatigue.

They fought intermittently along the way, pursuing the main force of the Jurchen western army eastward.

Li Xiaozhong only ordered a retreat after pursuing the enemy to Baideng Mountain, where Tartars from Changqing, Hongzhou, Tiancheng, and Huai'an came to their aid.

Zonghan's face was ashen; this was the biggest defeat the Jurchens had suffered since they started their rebellion.

A large group of knights were making their way eastward through the swirling snow.

The warhorses snorted loudly, and the riders urged their mounts on. Both horses and riders exhaled white breath, and everyone was cursing loudly.

They lost not only Datong Prefecture, but also countless spoils of war. But Zonghan thought further ahead: the Jurchens were beginning to lose.
This was something they had never considered before; it was no longer possible for their army to march south.

The Western Route Army will likely always be trampled by the Eastern Route Army.

Large swathes of territory to the west may have been lost forever, and these enemies were clearly not comparable to the Liao army.

Once they occupy Datong, taking it back will be incredibly difficult. If even the seat of Yingzhou is so hard to conquer, let alone Datong!

For the first time, a feeling of dejection arose in his heart. Even someone as strong as Zong Han felt somewhat intimidated by the soldiers.

Countless lives were lost in an instant, but they continued to charge forward.

Faced with Jurchen warriors who were stronger than them, these men held on tenaciously, fighting to the bitter end when they were losing, and doing their best to kill as many enemies as possible when they were winning; they pursued relentlessly when they were winning, determined to achieve the greatest victory.

At this point, he couldn't even care less about the struggle between the Western Route Army and the Eastern Route Army; he was worried about the fate of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty.

After sweeping through the Liao Dynasty and witnessing the weakness and incompetence of the Song people, a formidable enemy appeared.
Zonghan then sent people to Huining Prefecture to report the disastrous defeat and to request the emperor to personally lead the expedition.

Compared to invading the Song Dynasty from the south, he felt that the Dingnan Army was their mortal enemy and their greatest threat.

Invading the Song Dynasty was merely icing on the cake; conquering the Song Dynasty only added further glory to the Jin Dynasty's cause.

The Song Dynasty had no ability to launch a counterattack; they didn't even have the courage.

However, the Dingnan Army was a force capable of taking the life of the Jin Dynasty.
-
Li Xiaozhong deployed defenses at Baideng Mountain, east of Datong, with the defense line connecting the Great Wall to the north and the Sanggan River to the south.

Meanwhile, Datong Prefecture was working overtime to repair the city walls and reinforce the fortifications to prevent the Jurchen Tartars from making a comeback.

The city had countless slaves and mountains of wealth and treasures, yet there wasn't even time to take stock of them.

At this moment, a group of people arrived from the west, and the city's defenders were on high alert.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the Jurchen auxiliary troops had been captured and released, and were coming to join them with equipment abandoned by the Helan Mountain Legion.

Most of these people were from the Liao Dynasty's Tokyo Prefecture, Zhongjing Prefecture, and Shangjing Prefecture. It was impossible for them to go back, not to mention that Datong Prefecture was in between.

Even if they went back, they would continue to be enslaved by the Jurchen Tartars. Therefore, their only way out was to surrender to the Dingnan Army.

At first, some people still had doubts, but they were completely convinced after the Dingnan Army defeated the arrogant Jurchen Tartars.

The Yinzhou soldiers entered the city to rest and recuperate. Han Shizhong dispatched the Yunzhong Camp and newly surrendered troops to help the Yinzhou soldiers collect corpses and wounded along the way, and to hunt down and kill the Jurchen scouts.

Although the battle was won, it was a fierce victory. Of the three armies, only the Xiazhou Legion suffered relatively few casualties; the other two armies needed to rest and recuperate.

Because most of the government offices in the city were burned down, Han Shizhong now lives in an empty mansion belonging to a wealthy family.

Because he had to climb to a high place to direct the operation, he didn't leave the field and was completely unharmed.

Sitting imposingly in his chair, Han Shizhong directed his staff officers to write a letter to Chen Shao.

Basically, he recounted the battle, and after writing it down, he asked Zhu Lingling, who was sitting next to him and was covered in wounds, to supplement it.

Zhu Lingling thought for a moment and said, "The soldiers fought bravely in this battle. I request the commander's approval to distribute all the spoils from the city as rewards!"

Han Shizhong, who came from the Western Army, felt that such a request was somewhat unbelievable.

But the thought that the commander-in-chief was Chen Shao, not one of the officials or grand commanders of the Western Army, gave him a glimmer of hope.

“Rewards, compensation, and medical treatment all require money, and the Jurchen Tartars will pay for it for us.” Zhu Lingling smiled and said, “The military commander will definitely agree. If he doesn’t agree, I will go to Taiyuan and persuade him to agree in person.”

In Lao Zhu's eyes, this was something that would benefit his group's business and was of paramount importance.

Han Shizhong then asked, "How is the situation in Yingzhou now?"

Zhu Lingling said, "I have already assigned Meng Nuan to guard Longshou Mountain, so don't worry."

Upon learning that there were still troops remaining in Yingzhou, Han Shizhong nodded, thinking that fighting alongside these two men would be quite beneficial.

Everyone was reliable and no one held us back. Even in such a bloody and fierce battle, we didn't feel regret or anger afterward.

Even if you lose, it's just because you're not as skilled as others, and you can die without regrets.

This was simply unimaginable in the Song Dynasty army in the past.

It is very common for things to hinder each other.

Han Shizhong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Now, of all the prefectures in Yunnei, only Weizhou remains."

Zhu Lingling said, "We cannot rush things regarding Weizhou."

He had a plan in mind: if he could take over Weizhou, it would border Yanshan Prefecture.

At that time, the Jurchen eastern route army, marching south, will have no choice but to send troops to their rescue.

They themselves would be caught in a situation where they were attacked from both sides, while the Song Dynasty would be completely free of pressure.

After analyzing the Zhang Jue incident in Liaodong, he felt that at this time, the Song Dynasty might even launch an attack.

After all, the Dingnan Army was far from its main camp and its foothold in the newly occupied land was not yet secure.

With the threat of the Jurchen Eastern Route Army gone and no pressure at all, how could the Song Dynasty allow the Dingnan Army's power to continue to expand?

Zhu Lingling spoke with a firm tone, saying, "Our troops and supplies are limited. The grain and fodder we have received from the Song Dynasty so far are just a drop in the bucket. If we continue to expand the battle lines, I'm afraid we won't be able to cope."

"You must know that haste makes waste! We should first consolidate the prefectures within the Yunnei region, especially Yingzhou and Datong, to guard against a counterattack by the Jurchen Tartars. That is the right thing to do."

Han Shizhong frowned and thought to himself, "This old Zhu is a Qiang man, yet he speaks in such a refined and literary way, as if he has read more books than I have."

However, what he said makes a lot of sense; if the fighting continues, the battle lines will soon be stretched to an infinite length.

Most importantly, it was still deep winter. One hard battle was manageable, but forcing the soldiers to fight continuously would inevitably lead to the camp being destroyed.

Moreover, they traveled eastward, conquering one place and then leaving, leaving very few people behind.

In some places, no one was even left behind.

Only when the military governor extends the Northwest Pacification Army's methods to the various prefectures within Yunnan can it be considered that he has truly occupied this land.

Otherwise, they would be making the same mistake as the Jurchens: if they lost a battle, others could quickly sweep through Yunnei and reclaim those lands.

If we can establish a firm foothold in all these cities and territories
As soon as Han Shizhong closed his eyes, the complete wooden map of the Dingnan Army appeared in his mind.
-
In Datong Prefecture, the sky gradually brightened.

But the sky remained gloomy, with no sun in sight, and the snowflakes continued to fall without stopping.

Some of the soldiers guarding the city wall looked up, caught a few snowflakes, and discussed with their comrades that the snow looked even heavier than yesterday.

His comrades ignored him, leaning against the low wall to recover their strength. The battle had taken a heavy toll on these soldiers.

After pushing myself to my physical limits, I was sustained entirely by adrenaline, and I don't know how long it will take to recover.

On the arrow tower of the south gate of Datong Prefecture, a thick layer of snow had accumulated. Looking down from here, one could see the perspective of Commander-in-Chief Han Shizhong on that day.

The soldier who reached out to catch the snow suddenly imagined himself as General Han, commanding thousands of troops.

He put on a stern face and pretended to look down. From the city gate to the drawbridge over the moat, there was no snow, because it had been trampled into a muddy mess by the large groups of laborers coming and going.

There were too many laborers, and he felt dizzy after watching for a short while.

"It seems that becoming the commander is not something anyone can do!" the soldier said, completely convinced.

I was already dizzy and had a headache just from watching a few laborers enter the city, let alone the fierce battle that night.

Thinking back to that battle, the soldier wasn't too afraid. He even felt a little regretful that he hadn't been able to kill a few more and show off in front of his commander.

He tightened his robe, feeling the warmth it provided, and the soldier was content. He snuggled up next to his companion, finding warmth in each other's company.

"Brother Ma, keep an eye on things, I want to take a nap."

His companion nodded without saying a word, and soon the soldier's snoring could be heard.

My companion chuckled. He's so carefree.

A great victory, a good night's sleep—soldiers in chaotic times seem to have no other desires.
-
Even happier than the victorious soldiers were the civilian laborers coming and going.

They all looked very excited; the Jurchen Tartars had been driven away!

Even though the Song and Liao dynasties fought for a century, the Liao dynasty's hatred for the Song people was not even one ten-thousandth as deep as its hatred for the Jurchens.

The Jurchen Tartars truly ravaged them; those people were more ruthless than wolves and more vicious than ghosts.

They kill people in the city for fun, using them as live targets to shoot.

They recklessly broke down the doors of the city's residents, burning, killing, looting, and finally setting fires.

The list goes on and on.

The auxiliary troops in the Jurchen camp were in an even worse situation. The key issue was that these Tartars never fed their servants.

The vassal army went everywhere to plunder, and even after they plundered, some of what they gained was taken away by the vassal army, which was intended to starve some of the Liao vassal army.

Because the Jurchen population was small, they feared rebellion from the Liao people and, intentionally or unintentionally, sought to reduce the Liao population.

Now, carrying and dragging huge piles of things that Han Shizhong had left behind, they went in and out, loudly greeting the Dingnan Army generals guarding the city gate.

His overly familiar manner often made Dingnanjun suspicious: "Do I really know him?"

In Yanshan Prefecture, the Jurchens' breaches of cities were barbaric and bloody. The Liao people's breaches of their own cities were not much better. Even when the Song people breached a city, it was a catastrophe for the people inside.

In the era of cold weapons, battles, especially sieges, were always extremely brutal and bloody.

However, the situation was slightly better in Yunzhong Prefecture, because the Jurchens had already committed all the evil deeds.
It was extremely difficult for the Dingnan Army to find a few intact families to wreak havoc on.

Fortunately, there were still Liao people who were defeated, took the opportunity to escape, or hid and did not come out, who could fill the void in these towns.

In fact, it wasn't just the Jurchens; every time one of these northern barbarian tribes rose to power, they would wipe out the cities and towns of the land.

This was true at the end of the Jin Dynasty, at the end of the Song Dynasty, and at the end of the Ming Dynasty.
Their bloodshed and cruelty often exceed the limits of humanity.

Although these regimes (such as the Mongols, Jurchens, and Manchus) had strong military power, their small population base and weak logistical support made them unable to withstand a long-term war of attrition.

Massacres can force the enemy to give up resistance through the "terror effect," thereby reducing one's own losses.

The scholar-official class, local powerful clans, and civilian armed forces of the Central Plains dynasties were the potential core of resistance. Massacres could directly destroy these "resistance forces," and then support a group of spineless surrenderers to ensure the foundation of the new regime's rule.

However, once they encounter a tough opponent like the Dingnan Army, their massacres will turn into boomerangs that bounce back at themselves.

This helped the Dingnan Army quickly win over the hearts and minds of the people.

The Jurchen Tartars were driven away, and the overjoyed Liao people joined the Dingnan Army.

The cost of ruling them becomes infinitely low.

Compared to the cities in the Central Plains, it is not very large, but within Yunnei, it is one of the most prosperous cities.

Originally, this magnificent city was always bustling and lively during the year-end season, but after the Jurchen Tartars arrived, it basically disappeared.

Now that Han Shizhong has occupied Datong, people are actually walking around on the streets again, and some children have even gathered together to build snowmen.

Perhaps only children don't know how difficult this world really is.
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Outside Taiyuan City, Chen Shao was reading a military report.

He was indeed quite excited, but calmer than he had expected.

Because the fighting on the front lines seemed to happen suddenly.

In fact, everything had been planned by Chen Shao countless times, and it was proceeding according to his plan.

Although Chen Shao knew early on that fierce fighting was about to take place on the front lines, he still forced himself to go to bed on time and get up at cockcrow.

Good health is more important than anything else.

Chen Shao thought about Zhu Lingling's suggestion to reward the troops for a while and nodded in agreement.

Although he is not wealthy at the moment, he should not ask his soldiers for money; instead, he should ask the Song Dynasty for it.

Don't ever think that the Song Dynasty was a sucker.

They have defended the east bank of the river and the western front for them, saving them countless amounts of money.

After the battle report from Datong was sent out, even the most hardline person should no longer talk about disbanding the Dingnan Army.

Further disciplinary action is needed, and then it's time to purge the court of corrupt officials.

Chen Shao drank a bowl of thin porridge, then asked Da Hu to make the stove burn brighter before opening the military report on the other side.

As he watched, his expression turned grim.

I hadn't noticed for a few days, and it had already reached the critical stage of Bianjing being in danger.

After Guo Yaoshi swept through Yanshan Prefecture, the Song Dynasty dispatched 30,000 reinforcements from Zhongshan to the north, but they were defeated in one battle.
Yelü Duo defeated 30,000 Song troops at Xiongzhou, killing over 10,000 and capturing 10,000.

Na Ye defeated the Song army, killing seven thousand men.

Gao Liu and Dong Cai defeated 3,000 Song soldiers and captured Guangxin.

Song Zhongshi's 40,000-strong army was stationed at Jingxing, but was defeated in one fell swoop by Zongwang. The Jurchens took advantage of the situation to attack and capture Tianwei Army.

Seven days later, they joined forces from all sides, captured Zhengding Prefecture, killed the prefect Li Miao, and plundered 30,000 prisoners. Five military towns near Zhengding Prefecture surrendered.

As Chen Shao looked around, he felt a toothache. He had no choice but to tell his cousin Liu Guanglie to evacuate from Bianliang first, lest he be trapped inside.

Because he couldn't say for sure when Bianliang was lost, he only remembered that it seemed to have been besieged twice.

Then Emperor Qinzong had a charlatan perform a ritual, and he opened the city gates himself, allowing the Jurchens to pour in.

The news of Wanyan Zonghan's defeat and the fall of Datong will likely reach the Jurchens' ears soon.

At that time, Chen Shao couldn't say for sure whether Wanyan Zongwang would continue his attack.

Because they are so close to Bianjing, it's unlikely they'll give up this opportunity.

Thinking of the methods Wanyan Zongwang used to defeat Zhang Jue, Chen Shao felt that he was even more troublesome than Zonghan.

This person is capable of fighting tough battles and manipulating people's hearts; he is truly a formidable opponent.

Because the New Year was approaching and the Dingnan Army had just achieved a great victory, the wealthy and powerful people of Hedong came in droves.

These past few days have almost made the ground in the barracks hard.

Although it was only early morning, a report came from the guards that many people had gathered outside the camp and brought a lot of things to entertain the troops.

You shouldn't hit someone who doesn't smile, especially someone who's smiling while carrying a gift.

From their actions, Chen Shao saw an opportunity to take over Hedong without bloodshed.

So he was always very polite.

Donning a cloak, Chen Shao, along with Da Hu and several guards, arrived outside the tent. Sure enough, they spotted a group of gentry waiting outside.

In such cold weather, these people who are used to comfort were all freezing like little kids.

But upon seeing Chen Shao, everyone smiled broadly.

The soldiers won a victory, which gave him, as the commander, a lot of prestige.
Chen Shao found it somewhat amusing. In fact, not only him, but everyone in the Dingnan Army was very popular these days.

Many clever individuals, who wanted to follow Lü Buwei's path and establish good relations with the Dingnan Army in advance, had already crossed Hengshan and entered the Dingnan Army's territory.

It's difficult to curry favor with Chen Shao and his group now. It wouldn't be bad to make connections with other powerful figures in the Dingnan Army!

Chen Shao chuckled and beckoned people to invite these local bullies in, intending to have a feast, make friends, and offer their allegiance.

These people all thought Chen Shao was a good person, easy to talk to, and unpretentious; it seemed like he could be won over.

Little did they know, Chen Shaoyuan was not as kind as they thought.

Their alliance with Chen Shao was solely based on the fact that Chen Shao controlled Yunzhong Prefecture in the north, which they saw as a potential source of profit.

However, in Hedong, once Chen Shao establishes a firm foothold, and his Guangyuantang merchant caravan arrives, they will truly devour these local bullies.
Land conquered by military force cannot often be bought with money. (End of Chapter)