You have truly caused me great suffering!

People are something that people try very hard to maintain and win over, especially afraid of doing it wrong.

Some people, however, easily squander their resources and don't take them seriously at all.

Chen Shao casually fiddled with the seeds brought by the caravan, his mind preoccupied with the affairs of the Hebei rebels.

Thanks to Zong Ze's efforts, the Hebei rebels were able to set aside their hatred and choose to stand with the Song Dynasty.

This is already rare.

You, Zhao Ji, sent Cai You to wreak havoc in Hebei. It's only been a few days. Have you already forgotten?
But he completely disregarded public opinion in Hebei.

Recalling their few meetings, Chen Shao still had a deep impression of Zhao Ji.

No wonder he could fool Li Anbi, Ma Zhi and others so easily. Sitting on the high dragon throne, Zhao Ji was very good at intimidating people, whether in appearance, temperament or cultivation and knowledge.

But once you get to know it, you'll know what it is.

Thinking back to the chaos and devastation, many of the people in Hebei were no longer afraid of death.

He only regretted that he died too easily and could not avenge his family, because Hebei was truly too tragic.

The fighting prowess of Yue Fei's army later proved everything.

Chen Shao sighed. A person like Zhao Ji alone was enough to change history, causing countless families to be broken and people to die, and even leaving regrets for future generations.
Even if countless people like the Hebei rebels were gathered together and given a renowned general like Yue Fei as their commander, it would still be difficult to change the situation.

The cruelty of history is heartbreaking to contemplate.

So many heroes and great men have failed to realize their ambitions; I must seize this opportunity now.

We cannot give someone like Zhao Ji the opportunity to continue living a carefree life and causing harm to the Central Plains.

In fact, given Chen Shao's current status, it would be very easy for him to indulge in eating, drinking, and having fun.

But he dared not, fearing that things would go wrong. If things went wrong, it wouldn't just be his problem, but he would become a sinner for all time.

Seeing him holding the seeds without speaking, Xu Jin asked, "General, do you see anything wrong with these seeds?"

"No, I was thinking about things in Hebei."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jin feared that Chen Shao would lead his troops to Hebei, and that it was not advisable for the Dingnan Army to advance eastward at this time.

The further Chen Shaoli is from Dingnan Army, the more people will be unable to restrain themselves. Once he reaches the east, some people will inevitably have evil intentions.

After all, if Chen Shao were killed at this time, the Dingnan Army would definitely fall apart and become small forces, and would never have the chance to compete for the Central Plains again.

"General, how about we send a top general to the Hebei battlefield?" Xu Jin suggested, taking the initiative to prevent Chen Shao from going.

Chen Shao shook his head and said, "No, the situation in Hebei is too complicated right now. All sides are hostile to us. If we send people there rashly, we will probably become the target of everyone's attacks. I can't let my men go to Hebei to suffer."

Xu Jin breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the commander understood, that was good. Now, both the Jurchens and the Song Dynasty wished for the commander's death.

In fact, Chen Shao understood this better than he did, but he just didn't say it. If he died, the entire Northwest would probably fall into chaos again.

The Dingnan Army was an extremely powerful force that he single-handedly united. Apart from being all subordinates of Chen Shao, they did not have much in common with each other.

It's difficult for anyone to win over the public.

"By the way, I heard the Western Army is coming."

Chen Shao nodded; the arrival of the Western Army was something he had expected.

However, he did not expect that the Zhe family army would also come.

In the Western Army today, Old Zhong is old and ineffective, and he stays at home to retire.

Liu Yanqing, the late Prime Minister, made a complete laughingstock of himself during the campaign against the Liao. However, the Liu family's foundation was indeed solid, and even now, with Liu Guangshi in charge, they still possess considerable strength.

Among the Western Army, the four families that were originally the most powerful were Zhong, Liu, Yao, and Zhe. The Zhe family was known for only caring about their own small territory, so the Western Army was now led by Yao Gu.

This time, Yao Gu was in charge of leading the troops to defend the emperor.
-
The area near Yifang in Lanzhou Prefecture is surrounded by mountains, and two rivers flow through these mountains.

One of them is the southern tributary of the Lanshui River. The Lanshui River splits off near the county seat of Langu County, and the direction of the northern valley corresponds to the front of Kugu Village.

The southern tributary flows through Yifang to Loufan, where it joins the Fen River.

The other river is the Wei River, which originates in the Lüliang Mountains west of Yifang, meanders through the mountains, and flows into the Yellow River.

Starting from Hehejin and proceeding along the Weishui River Valley, one only needs to bypass the mountain range around the Black Tea Mountain, which is hundreds of feet high, to threaten Hehe County, a key pass to the west of Lanzhou.

Therefore, this place has always been a key area for defense.

The Jurchen Tartars were on the verge of taking over Hedong, which further elevated the importance of this region.

At this time, Chen Shao held Yingzhou and took advantage of the situation to capture Datong, and the threat from the Jurchen Tartars in the Hedong direction was gone.

However, the Zhe family still deployed a large number of troops here, totaling as many as eight thousand people.

The Zhe family's troops were indeed sufficient at this time. The defensive line that was originally supporting the Dingnan Army near Nuanquan Peak had become dispensable because the Dingnan Army had captured Dongsheng Prefecture.

At this moment, along the Wei River Valley, dust and smoke rose everywhere, and the banners of the Song army fluttered and drums resounded, advancing eastward with great momentum.

Yao Gu took command, and together with Zhe, Liu, and Zhong, the four forces gathered their main force in the mountains. They then sacrificed a horse to the heavens at Hehejin and swore an oath before setting off on their campaign.

He also sent urgent reports to Bianliang and Taiyuan.

Report to Chen Shao in Taiyuan that the Jurchen army is pressing down on Bianliang, and the entire Western Army is determined to fight to the death. They want to advance through Hedong to protect the Song Dynasty.

The report to Bianliang stated that the Western Army had received the Emperor's favor for generations, and that this attack would surely blunt the enemy's advance, annihilate the Jurchen Tartars, and also subdue the Yanshan Prefecture.

We hope the imperial court will continue to provide supplies of grain and provisions.

However, in their report to the court, they still listed the number of troops dispatched this time, saying that Yao Gu had 50,000 troops, Liu Guangshi's Fuyan Army had 40,000 troops, all of whom were well-trained and brave; and the Zhe family had 20,000 troops, which, although not many, could all be called a fighting force.

As for the Zhong family army, it was led by Xiao Zhong as a support force.

Furthermore, it was clearly stated that such a military force was sufficient to defeat the Jurchen eastern army, and that as long as the imperial court provided timely supplies, it was not impossible to reach Huining.

In reality, their forces totaled only around 40,000 soldiers, a figure that was largely exaggerated; they were purely there to collect provisions and pay.

Yao Gu even went to Yongle City to tell Lao Zhong that Fuyan Road was Liu's territory, and hoped that Lao Zhong would restrain the various units of the Western Army.

Do not use the pretext of protecting the rear guard to interfere, otherwise it will disturb the morale of the troops at the front. If the Fuyan army is forced to abandon the easily defeated enemy and cross the river to turn back, then it will be difficult for us to meet again.

He said he wanted the old general to restrain the Western Army, but in fact the Western Army had their own fixed territories and had never invaded each other for over a hundred years.

To put it bluntly, it was to have Old Zhong warn the Dingnan Army, since among the Western Army, only the Zhong family and Chen Shao of the Dingnan Army were related.

When Lao Zhong saw Yao Gu, who was full of self-satisfaction, he couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks.

Saying you reported 110,000 troops is underestimating the Song Dynasty. Why don't you report 200,000?

After Yao Gu returned, he lost all remaining affection for the old Zhong family and scolded him. The next day, he did something outrageous.

They sent men to pursue the messenger, who then altered the account given to Bianliang. Besides boasting about the impressive strength of the Western Army and implying certain victory, they also changed the narrative.

I will not go into detail about how many people each of the four major families sent, but I will only say that this time the Western Army marched eastward, there were a total of 200,000 Western Army soldiers who had been nurtured by the imperial court for a hundred years.

If the imperial court were to give him 200,000, Yao Gu would still pay according to the original amount.

Moreover, he stated that his 200,000 men would not be satisfied with merely defeating a few fleeing Tartars.

These soldiers from the Northwest should lead 200,000 elite troops to wipe out the Jurchens and restore order to the court.

In the past, Old Zhong would never have allowed this memorial to be sent out in the name of the Western Army.

This almost completely destroyed all the goodwill built up by the Western Army through years of fighting to the death. After seeing this, the officials in the court would have even less trust in the Western Army in the future.

Outside Yongle City, Old Zhong, who had been out of the public eye for a long time, came to Little Zhong's camp.

Judging from his complexion, he looked much better than when he returned from the battlefield against Liaodong.

The two brothers stood on a low building in Yongle City, looking down at the Zhong family army, which was fully prepared for battle.

“Brother, everyone outside says your health isn’t good anymore. Why don’t you go out and move around more? It’s so annoying to see that Yao Gu jumping around like that.”

In the Western Army, as long as Lao Zhong is still in charge, it won't be Yao Gu's turn to cause trouble.

Actually, Xiao Zhong's problem is his personality; he's too arrogant. Otherwise, he would be more qualified than Yao Gu.

Old Zhong chuckled, "I'm getting old and don't want to move around. I'm happy to have some peace and quiet! If Yao Gu wants to move, let him go."

"Him? He might not have that ability!" Xiao Zhong said unconvinced.

Only in front of Lao Zhong would he speak his mind.

Old Zhong chuckled: "Sometimes, a person's ability determines the success or failure of a matter, but many times, it is the times that create heroes."

"Brother, do you really think Yao Gu this time..."

Old Zhong reached out to stop him from continuing, and slowly said, "He has a chance. Regardless of whether you look down on him or not, judging from his actions these past few days, he probably won't be able to seize this opportunity."

Xiao Zhong originally looked down on Yao Gu, but he trusted his elder brother. When the Song Dynasty was about to form an alliance with the Jurchens and Tong Guan was eager to attack Liao and take Yan, Zhong Shidao wrote a letter to advise against it.

He bluntly stated that if China allied with the Jurchens, the world would surely descend into chaos.

It has now come true.

Old Zhong slowly said, "Chen Shao's territory was originally the land of the Xia bandits, and between it and the Central Plains, there is our Western Army. This is his fatal flaw, which makes Chen Shao dare not advance eastward at all. Yao Gu is different. He can kill his way to Tokyo without any scruples, defend the emperor and relieve his difficulties, and make unparalleled contributions."

“If the court really drives out the Jurchens, the next target will definitely be Chen Shao. His current territory is too narrow and long, and he has not been able to acquire fertile lands like Lianghuai, Jinghu, Jiangnan, and Hebei, so he does not have enough food to support him.”

"So how much land he can acquire before the Jurchen Eastern Route Army is driven away will determine the subsequent situation."

Xiao Zhong felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but ask, "Brother, is Chen Shao really going to rebel?"

In his view, Chen Shao was quite responsible, taking the initiative to strike and block the aggressive Wanyan Zonghan at such a critical moment for the Song Dynasty.

Moreover, on the surface, they always showed great respect to the Song Dynasty.

Zhong Shidao remained silent, standing with his hands behind his back in the wind, showing no signs of the decline and decay of old age.

"He's also on the verge of firing, but whether he fires or not isn't up to the arrow." Zhong Shidao's weathered face showed a rare calm. To be so composed when discussing such matters meant that he had long since seen through everything.

He knew that at this moment, he had to survive.

Even if it means holding on, it must be done when the overall situation is settled, because the Zhong family needs to take the helm.

The situation is still very complex, and it's hard to say which way it will tilt.

If the Song Dynasty could defeat Wanyan Zongwang, and then use its resources and foundation to support the Western Army against Chen Shao, things would be very different.

Whenever the nation is in peril, the Song Dynasty is never short of talented people. I heard that Li Gang recommended and promoted several officials who have shone brightly on the Hebei battlefield.

Especially Zong Ze, Zhang Suo and others.

As for the Northwest Dingnan Army, it is also full of talented people. Who knows what kind of sparks will fly in this clash?

Seeing his brother's expression, Xiao Zhong suddenly didn't want to ask any more questions. He was a border general of the Song Dynasty, and now that the capital of the Song Dynasty was besieged by foreign tribes, all he had to do was go to the emperor's aid and fulfill his duty as a military general.

As for the family's future, let my elder brother decide. He has always seen things more clearly and accurately than I have!

After Xiao Zhong went down, he gave an order, and the army sprang into action.

The Zhong family army, with a total of over 20,000 infantry and cavalry, along with the civilians mobilized in the garrison, numbered a total of 50,000. They marched eastward with great momentum.
-
Liu Guangshi, the young master Liu, has been a pampered and spoiled young man since childhood.

After losing power and being convicted, Liu Guanglie, the youngest son born out of wedlock, rescued him from Bianliang. After that, he no longer concerned himself with the military affairs of Fuyan Road and handed them all over to Liu Guangshi.

He also completely freed himself from restraints and firmly grasped Fu Yanjun in his hands.

This is a man who can't sit still. This time, he marched eastward with the Zhe family army, and Liu Guangshi and the Zhe family also engaged in some intrigue and power struggles.

Normally, the Zhe family is most familiar with the mountains and terrain of the area when traveling from Lanzhou to Hedong.

Moreover, as a border town bordering the Liao, Xia, and Mongolian territories, the Zhe family cavalry had been fighting against various nomadic tribes on the grasslands for many years. Although they were small in scale and poorly equipped, they were experienced and had strong combat capabilities.

The Zhe family infantry were known for their ability to carry heavy loads and move quickly, making them a top-tier infantry force. In the original historical account, after the Jurchens swept through northern China, Jurchen generals assessed the elite troops produced by the Northern Song Dynasty and unanimously agreed that the Zhe family infantry was the best in the world.

With teammates like that, you should just stick with them. When you actually get to the battlefield, you should also learn from their opinions and listen to their advice.

But Liu Guangshi didn't think so. He thought that the Zhe family had sent so few people that they didn't deserve the same military pay as him. They should just obediently follow behind and pick up the scraps.

Similarly, the Zhe family wasn't exactly honest either. For a regional military governor like them, preserving their strength was paramount. "I've exhausted my resources for your Great Song Dynasty, and I fear what I'll receive isn't a reward, but rather the disbandment of my regional military governorship."

The Zhe family's army, familiar with the terrain and possessing considerable combat strength, was originally intended to advance as the vanguard, spreading out to serve as scouts for the main army. The Fuyan army would then follow up, ready to support the vanguard at any time.

However, during the military council, Zhe Keqiu insisted on using the excuse that the Zhe family's forces were too weak to withstand heavy losses and could only be used to cover the flanks of the main army, resolutely refusing to lead the charge.

At this time, Liu Guangshi was full of vigor and had just led his troops, and had not yet fought against the Jurchen army.

This man later became known for his cowardice, but at this moment he was truly unafraid of battle.

He felt that the Jurchen army was nothing special, and if Chen Shao could win, why couldn't he, Liu Guangshi, win?

Zhe Jia's insistence on not being the vanguard played right into Liu Guangshi's hands.

Then you might as well go to the rear guard and cover the rear, instead of providing cover on the flanks. We don't need your cover.

Zhe Keqiu was unhappy again, and the two argued all the way. Finally, Yao Gu stepped in and allowed the Zhe family to proceed on the right wing.

Then he secretly discussed with Liu Guangshi that he would deduct a portion of the Zhe family's grain and salary and give it priority to the Fuyan Army.

Liu Guangshi had this in mind all along, which is why he put on a show of reluctantly agreeing, giving Yao Gu face.

In this way, all the details regarding the deployment of troops were finally finalized. Then came the grand and imposing scene of the troops setting off!

Liu Guangshi led his 3,000 cavalry as the vanguard. When his father, Liu Yanqing, was defeated at Baigou River, Liu Guangshi always felt it was because Yang Keshi was incompetent.

Xiao Gan's sudden attack from the flank prevented the army from maneuvering effectively, ultimately leading to their defeat.

How could the Western Army not be able to fight?
From childhood to adulthood, Liu Guangshi had always heard that the Western Army was the most powerful army in the Song Dynasty.

Now that I am in command, I am confident that I can force the Jurchen Eastern Route Army to turn back and continue to pick on the weaker targets in the north.

Such arrogance, inherited from the self-reliant commander Liu Guangshi, was very common in the Fuyan army. Everyone was resentful and wanted to wash away the shame of the disastrous defeat during the campaign against Liao.
-
In the Wutai Mountains, Wu Lin led the Lingwu Army to establish a firm foothold.

The surrounding counties practically worshipped them, because if the Jurchens were to break through Yingzhou, they would be the first to suffer.

Taiyuan was right behind them.

Chen Shao was inspecting the military camp in this area, making arrangements for the offensive against Weizhou.

The personal guards who came in brought military reports from various places, including a letter from Yao Gu.

Chen Shao sat down on a wooden stool under the arrow tower and began to browse the military reports to see if there were any important events. He was surrounded by a group of military officers.

Chen Shao paid no attention to the Western Army's expedition.

It's up to you whether you want to come or not!
To be honest, after the campaign against Liao, he no longer took the Western Army seriously.

You were indeed able to fight hard in Shaanxi before, but to be suppressed by Tong Guan for so long, there must be some internal problems!
Even fierce generals like Liu Fa, Liu Zhongwu, and Wang Hou couldn't get anywhere in the Western Army.

Only a few military families remained the eternal "Brahmins" of the Western Army, aloof and self-important. Firstly, as a group driven by self-interest, the Western Army had too many factions, and the lack of a truly powerful figure to control them meant they had no upper limit.

They have no chance of winning in the competition, and they're not even good enough to be fighters.

Moreover, they lack ambition and their upper class indulges in extravagance, just like those in Bianliang, showing a complete mismatch.

The lower-ranking soldiers had no way to rise in rank, and while fighting in Shaanxi and Western Xia, they would also fight to protect their families.

Once they left this place, the poor soldiers of the Western Army below, fighting for their lord's future, suddenly had their fighting power halved.

At the slightest disturbance, he acts like Pigsy from the Journey to the West, clamoring to divide the luggage and return to his hometown in Shaanxi.

The Huanqing Army, which was considered to have some sense of responsibility, was left in Hedong by Wang Bing and has now moved eastward early.

What remained were the Western Army soldiers who had fled directly back to their hometowns from the battlefield against Liaodong.

In the eyes of Chen Shao and his Dingnan Army, such a Western Army was utterly laughable and looked down upon.

Both were fighting far from their hometowns, but one battalion of soldiers from Yinzhou, even after losing half their men outside Datong Prefecture, did not retreat an inch.

Upon learning that they intended to travel from Hedong, Chen Shao ordered all checkpoints to clear the way for them.

Hurry up and go to the battlefield near the capital to test the waters, fight against Wanyan Zongwang, and let everyone see what the Western Army is really like.

Did our Dingnan Army's victory over Wanyan Zonghan and the capture of the prefectures within Yunnei truly have any real merit?

They learned that Xiao Zhong had not joined them, but had instead set out alone to cover the various routes.

Chen Shao laughed and said, "Old Zhong is indeed no pushover."

Wu Lin, who came from the Western Army, had some respect for Old Zhong. Upon hearing this, he said, "I'm afraid Grand Commandant Zhong can no longer control Yao and Liu. Otherwise, it should be Young Zhong who is in command this time."

"Let them pass, no one should stop them. I want to see if Yao Gu and Liu Guangshi are really capable of fighting. Don't put all the blame for the mess of the Liao campaign on Tong Guan. Tong Guan is guilty, but which of the generals who led the Liao campaign is clean?" Chen Shao threw the military report in his hand at Wu Lin and laughed, "Look at the letter he wrote to me. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was going to destroy the Jin."

Wu Lin caught the military report, read it quickly, and couldn't help but click his tongue in disapproval.

Although many of them came from the Western Army, after reading the military report, they all couldn't help but have the same thought:
You guys really think highly of yourselves!

After Liu Guangshi, also known as Liu Yanei, took over the Fuyan Road, he, being ambitious and eager for quick success, expanded his forces and wanted to restore the Fuyan Army's structure as soon as possible.

Given this severe loss of key personnel, it would be a miracle if the Fuyan Army's combat effectiveness didn't decline even further after expanding its army in such a short period.

The military officers of Lingwu Camp studied military strategy every night. After a little thought, they knew that the fighting power of the Western Army must have been greatly reduced.

Moreover, everyone in the Western Army knew that Liu Guangshi was notorious for his extravagance and was one of the most notorious playboys in the army.

How did he support his extravagant lifestyle? Apart from a few sources of income such as land sales, most of it came from the continuous military expenditures of the imperial court for various routes in Shaanxi.

With the Western Xia destroyed, the court was focused on conquering the Liao Dynasty, and its investment in the Western Army was already decreasing. Liu Guangshi further embezzled and misappropriated funds, so the army's expenses and funds were usually only 50% or 60% of what they were.

It's fine to just defend the territory on ordinary days; you can usually get by. But once you go to war, how can you expect the army to have high morale and fighting power?

Starting with Wu Lin, the Lingwu Army was no longer just a group of simple military officers. Back in the Western Army, they might have simply followed orders from their superiors and fought however they were told.

But now, they all think about these things very seriously. War is never just about charging into battle.

In the Dingnan Army, even a minor military officer must possess some basic military skills.

This is what makes Chen Shao's Dingnan Army different from any other army in the world. They invested a great deal of effort and resources in training their middle and lower-ranking officers.

Seeing his officers spontaneously gathering together to discuss the difficulties and predicaments facing the Western Army, he realized that they were facing a series of challenges.

Chen Shao nodded in satisfaction.

As the Western Army marches eastward, Chen Shao wants to give them a piece of advice: Don't easily reveal your true abilities, or others will know that you are really incompetent.

He had a strong premonition that the Western Army was about to pull off another big attack.

It might be even more humiliating than the campaign against the Liao.
-
Zhe Kecun and Fu Yanjun are almost going crazy.

As any general knows, the newer the composition and the larger the size of the army, the more chaotic its organization.

At this time, it is all the more necessary for the commander-in-chief to be hardworking and meticulous, to inspect all units at any time, to keep the army in control, to solve the problems that keep emerging, and to keep the morale of the troops in check.

Fuyan Army is recruiting soldiers on a large scale. Everyone knows that there are many new recruits in the camp who will soon be embarking on a long march. It is precisely the time when the commander-in-chief needs to play a role.

However, Liu Guangshi's reputation as a "young master" was not for nothing; even during his campaigns, he still carried hundreds of cartloads of luggage with him.

This place is filled with all sorts of fun and playful items.

Aside from the central army he led, Liu Guangshi could barely manage to move around and appease the barbarian troops, but he simply didn't have the energy to look after the other units one by one.

In his carriage, there was also a squad of female soldiers who would practice with him in real combat every night.

Liu Guangshi was listless every day and had no energy left to inspect the area.

If the commander-in-chief is tired for even a minute, his troops will be able to be tired for ten minutes in return!

As they walked, Zhe Jiajun realized something was wrong, especially Zhe Kecun.

Since the Five Dynasties period, the Zhe family had been the hereditary governors of prefectures and states, controlling the Western Xia and serving as a bulwark for the northwestern border defense of the Northern Song Dynasty.

They were quite pragmatic, unlike other generals in the Western Army.

He went to Yao Gu several times to complain, but Yao Gu just laughed it off and didn't take it seriously.

Liu Guangshi was extremely smug. Sometimes when he passed a high place, he would ride up to overlook his army and think that his army was so powerful that it seemed to be able to devour the world!
The insignificant Wanyan Zongwang is no match for him; he could be captured with ease!
Zhe Kecun saw that Yao Gu didn't care, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue marching with them.

However, a shadow had already fallen over the outcome of this eastward advance.
-
Heading east from Wutai Mountain and crossing the Taihang Mountains, one enters the territory of Weizhou.

Several hundred cavalry squads advanced along the valley. At each dangerous mountain pass, they first scout out from a distance before cautiously approaching on horseback.

After the detachment of troops provided cover, a group of soldiers would break out. If they could ride horses, they would ride; otherwise, they would dismount and walk, climbing straight to a high point to survey the surrounding area and check for any traces of the enemy.

This cavalry unit belongs to Hu Yantong's cavalry under the Lingwu Army.

Huyan Tong was among the first few hundred riders.

The Lingwu Army, a large-scale cavalry group formed by Chen Shao, is a newly established force still in the process of integration. However, many of its battalion commanders are drawn from elite troops from various units.

For example, Hu Yantong was transferred from the Helan Mountain Army Corps and was originally Han Shizhong's subordinate.

Unlike Liu Guangshi, Hu Yantong did not have the airs of a spoiled brat. When he was sent out to scout ahead, he could only lead by example, firmly control his troops, and personally teach them how to fight, hoping to train this cavalry force as quickly as possible.

The Lingwu Army has too few battles. Although the annihilation of the Western Uyghurs was clean and efficient, the opponent was too weak. Within the Dingnan Army, this was not considered real battle experience.

After dispersing his men to cover various locations, Huyan Tong personally led a small team to the mountain pass in front of him. He dismounted halfway up the pass, set up horse posts, left twenty or thirty men to guard the area, and then led more than ten personal guards and several generals to the top of the pass.

Clearly, there were no enemy traces, so Huyan Tong took several generals with him to check the enemy situation together.

If the various states within the Yunnei region are to be connected into a unified system, then Weizhou must also be taken over, which could even threaten the capital of Yanjing.

If the war in Hebei and the capital region were to turn even slightly favorable, Chen Shao could even cut off Wanyan Zongwang's retreat and seize the opportunity to sweep through Yanshan Prefecture.

He was even more audacious than Zhong Shidao had imagined; instead of continuing to consolidate Hedong, he continued to expand.

Huyan Tong led the vanguard and had already cautiously advanced seventy or eighty li in two days, which was indeed not fast enough for a cavalry unit.

As he traveled, he meticulously set up numerous sentries and deployed the widest possible perimeter of surveillance, demonstrating Hu Yantong's considerable caution.

In the past, he might have been wary, but he would never have been so organized.

Because in such situations, the officers would explain to them what to do over and over again every night.

When the troops came out, the words spoken by those generals suddenly became concrete.

Hu Yantong felt a little amazed and secretly thought that the officers were right; learning those things was indeed useful.

Looking down from a high vantage point, the area where Weizhou and Wutaishan meet is uninhabited.

All that remained was a rural landscape ravaged by the Jurchen Tartars, and no trace of the enemy could be found.

The group climbed straight up to the top of the mountain pass. They were all elites selected from among them, including Hu Yantong. They did not stop their physical training for even a single day.

After climbing to the top of the mountain pass, which is over two hundred feet high, they showed no signs of fatigue, except for being drenched in sweat.

Standing on high ground, the mountain breeze swept in, refreshing the mind and body. Several soldiers took off their helmets and stood facing the wind. But Huyan Tong glared at them fiercely, and the soldiers sheepishly put their helmets back on.

"Get ready to come down with me and take a look!"

After Hu Yantong finished speaking, everyone focused their attention and looked around. The numerous spurs of the Taihang Mountains extending eastward were right before their eyes.

The towering Mount Taibai stands above the surrounding mountains, about twenty or thirty miles away, like a giant tower reaching for the sky.

The Tang River meanders through the valley below, and a road wide enough for a large army to pass through it.

The fertile river valleys on both sides of the river have been cultivated by the hardworking people of Weizhou. At this time, there are already green wheat seedlings in the fields, but no one is working. Only the faint traces of dilapidated villages can be seen.

These villages had clearly been ravaged by the Jurchen Tartars; there was no sign of human life, and the houses were only charred and marked by fire. Only wild dogs with red eyes could be vaguely seen wandering through these village ruins.

Huyan Tong immediately understood that the Jurchen Tartars were plundering villages and counties in the vicinity, which meant they were gathering strength to prepare for a counterattack.

However, it wasn't from here; otherwise, this place should be full of Jurchen sentries.

Along the way, they did not encounter any Jurchen scouts.

"Let's go down and take a look!"

A group of people came down from the mountain, and halfway down, someone suddenly felt something was wrong.

Hu Yantong turned his head to look at the fields on both sides.

The scarecrows used to scare away birds were quite terrifying; upon closer inspection, they were clearly made of skin peeled off and stuffed with straw.

Dozens of heads hung from the trees, and the bloodstains on the ground had dried. Fortunately, it was early spring, so the decomposition was slow and the smell wasn't too strong yet.

The closer you get to the village, the more horrific scenes you see. There's a skeleton burned black, surrounded by burn marks, clearly burned and then struggled to survive before being surrounded and tormented.

Looking at these corpses, Hu Yantong and the others could easily imagine how the Jurchen Tartars drove away the people and then committed violence after they arrived here and discovered this village.

The Lingwu Army remained calm, showing little indignation; at most, they cursed the Tartars as inhuman.

Most of the soldiers in Lingwu Army were from Western Xia. This area was formerly the territory of the Liao Dynasty. Military officers such as Huyan Tong were originally from the Song Dynasty, while the perpetrators of the violence were Jurchens.

Although this place is located in the relatively barren Yunzhong Prefecture, Weizhou still has a lot of fertile land thanks to the irrigation from the Tang River.

However, these well-tended crops, with their green wheat seedlings ripening, will not be harvested by their owners.

When Huyan Tong arrived at the village, he observed the bloodstains and traces of burning and determined that the Jurchen Tartars had arrived about ten days ago.

It's unlikely that anyone will come again in the near future.

He immediately ordered his men to set up several scouts in the area, while he himself continued to lead his men to investigate.

Within Weizhou Prefecture, there are very few cities; if you really count them, there are only four major cities: Lingqiu, Feihu, Guangling, and Ding'an.

It seems that, just like when they were in Yunnei, the Jurchens gathered in the city, enjoying the service of the Liao slaves while constantly sending people out to raid, slaughter the people, and collect supplies.

Hu Yantong recorded all these details, compiled them into a military report, and sent it back to the army.

As for how to fight, that depends on the outcome of the generals' discussions.
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Liu Guangshi's army finally reached Hedong and approached the Taiyuan area.

As dusk approached, Liu Guangshi's central army set up camp in a flat area along the road.

His central army was large and imposing, with a lot of baggage and even unrelated people like cooks and musicians. It was fine when marching, but it became cumbersome and unbearable when it came to setting up camp.

In order to quickly gain merit and demonstrate his abilities, Liu Guangshi insisted on speeding up the army's march. As a result, the entire army was exhausted and by the time they reached their camp, they were in complete disarray.

In the flat areas near the river valley road, a considerable number of scattered troops had gathered, scattered haphazardly in various places.

Some commanders were more competent, diligently arranging overnight campsites, cutting timber to build stockades, and digging ditches.

Although it was inevitably rushed, at least the Western Army had not completely lost the qualities that an elite field force should have.

Some commanders, perhaps due to a severe lack of key personnel, or because the war was poorly organized from beginning to end, and the commander-in-chief did not devote the energy to overseeing and controlling everything, had their morale plummeted. At this point, they did not even set up camp, but haphazardly built stoves, went to the nearby river to fetch water, and then chopped firewood, just wanting to quickly eat a hot meal.

The chaos doesn't end there.

In order to gain the advantage of gathering firewood or fetching water, many military units even broke out into shouting fights.

The discipline of the Western Army has always been unbearable to look at.

If the soldiers hadn't been so exhausted and hadn't been eating so badly lately that they were completely drained of energy, these soldiers, who were seething with anger, might have started a huge brawl among themselves.

The arrival of the central army contingent exacerbated the chaos. The contingent of brightly armored soldiers, relying on their status as Liu Guangshi's personal guard, brazenly drove away the resting troops, ordering them to clear away the best spots where Commander Liu was about to set up camp.

Because Liu Guangshi brought so much stuff with him, most of the soldiers in the central army had to carry the excessive weight and measure the distance of several dozen miles on foot.

Everyone was exhausted and in a bad mood, so they didn't speak kindly when driving away the chaotic warhorses. Immediately, all sorts of shouts and curses rang out.

Nevertheless, Liu Guangshi was, after all, from a military family, and he understood all the basic principles of warfare. He also issued orders for organizing and setting up camp in a very logical and eloquent manner.

Any officer who gave an overly lazy or chaotic command was immediately reported by messengers dispatched by the central army. Then, the flag bearers arrived with armored soldiers, pinned him down on the spot, and gave him a thorough beating with military rods—a display of ruthless discipline in military matters.

This is also a characteristic of the Western Army: their military discipline is truly poor, and their military orders are truly strict.

When Chen Shaogang first joined the army, he was forced to listen to military orders. By the end, all he could hear was "Chop! Chop! Chop!"

After all this commotion, the various units encamped near the central army finally regained their composure. Despite their exhaustion, they busied themselves and quickly restored order, finally resembling the solemn and disciplined demeanor of a large army.

After the chaos was quelled, the central army began to set up camp. The other troops watched as magnificent tents were unloaded from the supply wagons and set up on a high spot.

The central command tents were connected to one other unit, covering an area of ​​over an acre! Fine felt strips and mats were unloaded from the carts, apparently to be laid on the floor inside the tents!

There were two or three hundred people just responsible for setting up camp for Liu Guangshi.

All sorts of familiar and unfamiliar furnishings were unloaded from carts and continuously transported into the tent.

Among the soldiers of Fuyan Army, everyone knew that General Liu lived a life of luxury, and they were all used to it.

However, during the march, the entire army was short of supplies and exhausted to the point of suffocation. It was a bit excessive for General Liu to continue acting this way.

Especially when that fresh-faced female guard squad came down, they were completely dumbfounded!

At this moment, a group of people approached the military camp, and the rider on horseback had a grim expression.

After being informed, the dozen or so men headed straight for Liu Guangshi's camp.

They were Chen Shao's Lingwu Army. They had come here today because the crops that the Lingwu Army had cultivated along the riverbank had been trampled clean by these soldiers.

They came to demand an explanation.

After hearing this, Liu Guangshi sneered repeatedly. What's wrong with his army trampling your crops on their way to war?
However, he felt that Chen Shao was now powerful and had some connections with the Liu family, so he could be considered one of their own.

Although he was angry, he did not retaliate, and instead treated the Lingwu Army soldiers well.

They were invited in, and it was said that they wanted to dine with them.

These Lingwu soldiers assumed Liu Guangshi was willing to pay compensation, so they entered the camp to discuss the matter. (End of Chapter)