You have truly caused me great suffering!

As the New Year approached, rumors were circulating everywhere that Wanyan Zonghan had taken Yelü Yanxi back to the Jurchen homeland.

The Jurchen army is about to retreat.

This claim is quite popular because foreign tribes used to do this frequently.

Of the five capitals of the Liao Dynasty, only Xijing Prefecture was captured by Chen Shao; the others, including Yanjing, remained in the hands of the Jurchens.

There weren't many Jurchens, and the things and territory they seized were more than enough for them to enjoy.

But Chen Shao didn't believe a word of it.

Historically, after conquering the north, they always dreamed of destroying the Southern Song Dynasty.

Even towards the end of the Jin Dynasty, when the Mongols were already on their way, they were still attacking the Southern Song Dynasty.

They're saying the north was lost and the south will compensate.
Chen Shao, listening to their discussion of this matter in his office in Taiyuan Prefecture, put down the report in his hand and said, "Regardless of whether they leave or not, I'm going to make this clear today: even if the Jurchen Tartars retreat, I will still go and fight them."

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"The Jurchens' strength has not been damaged, and Gubeikou is still in their hands. They can move south at any time. Emperor Taizu of Song said, 'How can I allow others to snore beside my bed?' With such a vicious neighbor who can move south at any time, we can't do anything."

Officials in Taiyuan may not be unaware of this, but subconsciously they still prioritize Hedong.

They believed that the defenses of the various prefectures in Yunnei were impregnable and that Hedong was not threatened by the southward advance of the Jurchen Tartars. Since they could not conquer Weizhou, they should take the opportunity to expand in other directions.

"No matter what rumors circulate, we just need to continue stockpiling grain, manufacturing weapons, and preparing for war."

"After the New Year, we'll fight half a year of messy battles to make the newly recruited troops a fighting force. I think the decisive battle will be next autumn. As long as the frost season this year isn't too bad, we'll drive the Tartars back to their homeland."

Chen Shao really enjoys the feeling of having a large army at his disposal.

I don't need to rack my brains to figure out how to motivate others; I can just do my job well.

This stalemate with the Jin Kingdom has lasted for almost half a year. In fact, the strength of both sides has not weakened, but rather increased.

Chen Shao, judging others by his own standards, could foresee Wanyan Zonghan's thoughts: when the army was strong and well-equipped, who would want to retreat to their home base?

Would Chen Shao retreat to the Northwest?

It's possible that Wanyan Zonghan went to Huining Prefecture, accompanied by Yelü Yanxi. It definitely wasn't to discuss withdrawing troops; it was most likely a political maneuver.

He wanted to gain the support of the Jin state to fund his campaign after the New Year.

Chen Shao also had some understanding of the internal affairs of the Jin Kingdom, and the internal strife there was even more intense.

It remains to be seen whether Wanyan Zonghan will be able to persuade the others, especially Emperor Wanyan Wugumai.

If it were still his Western Route Army fighting against him, it wouldn't be as simple as just holding the Yunnei-Yanmen defense line; he would have to conquer cities and territories and drive out the Tartars.

The people of Taiyuan Prefecture had been used to Chen Shao's autocratic rule from the beginning, and when they heard him speak, they stopped mentioning the Jurchen's withdrawal.

Chen Shao also secretly became more vigilant, feeling that these rumors were most likely released by Jurchen spies.

Although Guangyuantang arrested many Jurchen spies, it is clear that they did not arrest them all.

Chen Shao and Wanyan Zonghan both had many Liao Dynasty loyalists under their command, and they were all originally from various prefectures in Yunnei.

These people included Han Chinese, Khitans, and other mixed non-Han peoples.

Because of the war, countless people were displaced and there was no opportunity to conduct a census and register the population, so it was too convenient for them to send spies to each other.

After the previous targeted elimination, what remains are deeply hidden and possess a certain degree of camouflage ability.

After finishing dealing with the day's reports, Chen Shao left the yamen to go home. As he reached the gate, he happened to see a carriage being escorted by someone.

Chen Shao sent his personal guards to inquire, and they learned that the family members were his cousin Liu Guanglie's relatives.

He hurried to greet him, and when the carriage curtain was lifted, a familiar face was revealed.

"When did your sister-in-law arrive?"

Liu Guanglie's first wife was the daughter of a military officer surnamed Zhang from Fuyan Road, and her background was similar to that of Chen Shao's aunt.

That's how it is in the Northwest; even a concubine's daughter from a military family wouldn't marry a concubine's son from another military family.

Because a concubine's daughter is still a daughter, she is a good tool for marriage, while a concubine's son is just a high-ranking household slave.

Zhang used to see Chen Shao frequently, but after Chen Shao joined the army, he rarely saw him again.

Now that her little cousin, who used to hang out with her husband every day, had become such a high-ranking official, Zhang couldn't help but feel a little nervous, and she wasn't as casual in her speech as before.

"It took half a month to travel this road, Shao-ge, you've become even more valiant."

Two little girls poked their heads out and called out with smiles, "Uncle Shao, Uncle Shao."

Chen Shao chuckled, rummaging through his pockets for a gift while secretly planning what to give.

It took less than half a month to travel this distance?

Chen Shao glanced at the Fuyan army escorting them and understood what was going on.

This mother and her three children were probably driven here by that old bastard Liu Yanqing.

They were brought in as lobbyists.

Because Liu Yanqing asked Liu Guanglie to ask Chen Shao to rescue Liu Guangshi and his brother who were being held captive by the Zhe family, Chen Shao saw through his cousin's intentions and didn't pay much attention to the matter, only sending Guo Hao to inquire about it.

Now Chen Shao has occupied Hedong, while the Zhe family's territory is bordered by Hedong Road to the east, Yinxia to the west, and Dongsheng Prefecture, which Chen Shao has just conquered, to the north.

The Zhe family's territory was entirely within Chen Shao's domain, in all directions.

It could be said that they were completely surrounded by Chen Shaotuan.

No one would believe that the Zhe family hadn't secretly pledged their loyalty to Chen Shao.

If he really wanted to rescue Liu Guangshi, it would have been a simple matter of saying a few words.

Liu Yanqing had no connection with Chen Shao, so he could only rely on the kinship route through Chen Shao's aunt's side to save his two beloved sons.

However, this also served as a reminder to Chen Shao that he also needed to be careful of the Western Army.

Those who can be united should unite; those who cannot be united should be suppressed as soon as possible.

This Liu Yanqing really doesn't take his illegitimate son seriously, having someone bring his mother and three children over in just half a month.

"Sister-in-law, you must be tired from your journey. Please come in and rest. I'll have someone prepare a courtyard for you."

"Brother Shao, you're so busy, I can't bear to trouble you."

Chen Shao laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, you weren't this polite before."

Zhang blushed. She had never been so polite before; in fact, she often gave people the cold shoulder.

It's all because her husband and mother-in-law are too good to this cousin.

Her personality is actually very similar to her aunt's; both are quite assertive, shrewd, and shrewish, and quite shrewish in daily life.

Chen Shao ignored the several military officers from the Fuyan Army who came to escort them. Even though Liu Yanqing had spoken, they were still Liu Guanglie's wife and daughter.

You managed to bring the carriage here in just half a month?
Back in the inner quarters, Madam Zhang learned that Zhong Lingxi was pregnant, and she fawned over her even more, treating her like a precious treasure.

Because Zhong Lingxi wasn't very familiar with her, she felt a little awkward seeing her sister-in-law being so enthusiastic, but they quickly became acquainted after chatting for a while.

Chen Shao sat to the side, deep in thought. Liu Yanqing had already sent the mother and her two children here, so there was no need to say anything more.

To be honest, Chen Shao didn't really want to mess with the Zhe family, because there was no need.

Even if the Zhe family were to be targeted, it would have to wait until the very end.

Don't underestimate them just because they're small. If you actually try to chew on them, you might break two of your teeth.

Liu Yanqing couldn't possibly be unaware that the Fuyan Army was divided up between him and the Zhe family; he must have accepted his fate.

This time it was a major blow, but a military family like the Liu family can still recover.

However, in the future, among the four major families of the Western Army, they will probably become the weakest one.

The Fuyan Army was once the strongest force in the Western Army. It was supported by Tong Guan and became the main force in the campaign against Liao. They had already suffered a heavy blow.

This defeat of Liu Guangshi is the last straw.

If I don't help, the land might be completely divided up.

Chen Shao sighed. At his current position, he could no longer make decisions based on personal likes and dislikes.

The Liu family cannot fall yet. If other military families were to swallow up Fuyan Road, it would not be in Chen Shao's current interest.

The Western Army should be dispersed as much as possible.

Seeing his cousin's two daughters standing timidly in the room, Chen Shao beckoned and peeled an orange for them.

The two of them only knew Chen Shao, so they stood in front of him.

The older one is only seven years old and her name is Liu Ting, while the younger one is five years old and her name is Liu Yan.

"Uncle Shao, everyone says you've become a high-ranking official, is that true?" Chen Shao patted her head and smiled, "I suppose so."

"Great! Do you remember? You said you'd buy me a whole truckload of sugar figurines when you made it big!"

"When?"

Liu Ting rolled her eyes. "Have you forgotten the time you tricked me out of my New Year's money?"

Chen Shao suddenly thought of the possibility of bringing his cousin Liu Guanglie back to take charge of Fuyan Road.

Now, the relationship between him and Bianliang has become increasingly complicated. It's no longer the time when his cousin can get things done by simply sending gifts and having meals and drinks.

Especially after Wei Li and Geng Nanzhong returned to Bianliang, he remained in Bianliang, but he was of little use.

Seeing that the two little girls had dark circles under their eyes, Chen Shao asked Cui Die to take them to sleep first.

Chen Shao stood up, feeling that the matter depended on Liu Guanglie's attitude.

The bond between father and son is a difficult thing to define.

Even if Liu Yanqing treated his cousin badly, he was still his biological father. If Liu Guanglie were to go back and inherit the Fuyan Army, Liu Yanqing would definitely be unhappy.

He might even think that his family business has been stolen.

Moreover, it also depends on what my aunt thinks. If everyone thinks that harmony in the Liu family brings prosperity, then what I'm doing would be a bit excessive.

Chen Shao took a deep breath and decided to ask his aunt and cousin for their opinions.

If they all truly want him to save Liu Guangshi, he will go against his conscience and save him this once; if they don't have such deep feelings for the Liu family, he will help his cousin's illegitimate son seize power.

Thinking of this, Chen Shao returned to Huanhuan's room, deliberately sat down next to them, and sighed deeply.

Madam Zhang immediately asked, "Why is Shao-ge sighing?"

"When I saw my two cousins, I saw the shadow of my aunt in their eyes and brows, which made me miss them terribly."

Zhang's eyes lit up, and she said, "Why don't we bring Mother-in-law over?"

“Sister-in-law, write a letter and I’ll send someone to pick you up! Taiyuan to Fuzhou isn’t a short distance, and I’m afraid my aunt will have a long and tiring journey.”

Zhang thought to herself, "That mother-in-law is stronger than me, why is she working so hard?"

The two women were actually quite similar; both were daughters of military officers in the Fuyan army, and both were in good health.

Chen Shao nodded, then went out to send a messenger to ask his cousin to return to Taiyuan.

Upon his return, regardless of whether his cousin intends to inherit the family business or not, Chen Shao has no intention of letting him stay in Bianliang.

If they don't want to go back to Fuzhou, they can stay with me in Taiyuan. It's good to have a relative by your side.

Western Army
Chen Shao silently reviewed the key figures of the Western Army in his mind.

In reality, the only ones with real talent are Yao Gu and Zhe Keqiu.

Although the Zhong family were nominally the leaders of the Western Army, both the old Zhong and the young Zhong were getting old.

However, no one from their Zhong family has emerged who can stand on their own.
-
Zhending Mansion.

Yue Fei was ordered to set up defenses here in preparation for resisting another southward invasion by the Jurchens.

The city of Zhending was high and deeply fortified. It had held out briefly before, but due to isolation and lack of support, and the Jin army's diversionary maneuvers, it eventually fell.

This time, Wanyan Zongwang did not leave any troops behind. He simply looted the place and then hurriedly retreated back to Yanshan Prefecture.

Of the cities they conquered on their southward march, only Zhongshan and Hejian were occupied.

Having learned from their previous experience, Zong Ze and Yue Fei began to set up outer fortifications to support the defense of Zhengding Prefecture.

This is also the experience they gained from fighting in Gushan.

After two or three months of intensive construction, the rammed earth walls of the two outlying mountain strongholds, east and west of Zhen Ding Prefecture, have been piled up to a height of more than two people.

The rammed earth layer is covered with countless round ramming pits, which, when frozen in winter, become as hard as iron and stone.

The rammed earth walls of the fortress were already more than a person thick, yet Yue Fei still felt they were insufficient.

A large group of laborers braved the wind and snow to carry the quarried stones up the mountain to protect the foundation of the village wall.

After this construction, the area outside Zhen Ding Prefecture vaguely resembled the famous military prefecture of yesteryear.

Hebei, starting from the Yan and Zhao regions, had several versions of gods, but it was cut off during the Tang Dynasty.

It rose again at the end of the Tang Dynasty, but by the Song Dynasty, it had been completely weakened.

However, its fundamental strength remains, and its war potential is terrifyingly high.

At this moment, the weather in Hebei is extremely cold, with light snow falling.

There are still large groups of laborers working hard and tirelessly in the vicinity.

Some people used logs and thick ropes to drag stone slabs up the mountain, some repaired the battlements on the village walls, and others set up large pots to boil a mixture of glutinous rice juice and mortar to fill the gaps in the stone wall foundations.

There were even many teenagers who went all over the mountains and fields to collect tree branches and cut dry grass to prepare fuel for these large pots for boiling mortar.

Logically speaking, with the Lunar New Year approaching, people in the Central Plains should be preparing for the holiday and staying at home.

However, the Jurchen Tartars' southward invasion caused too much damage, and everyone was thinking about building up their defenses as soon as possible.

If we can hold them off, great; if not, we'll have to fight them to the death.

Amidst the swirling snowflakes, a group of people could be seen winding their way up the mountain path towards the fortified village.

These soldiers were all strong and agile men. Even in such cold weather, they still appeared full of energy and walked with vigor on the mountain path.

The laborers could tell from the blood-stained cloth wrapped around the hilts of the soldiers' swords that these men were veterans who had survived countless battles.

Strangely enough, no matter who they were before, as long as they followed Yue Fei, they all had a unique temperament.

I'd rather freeze to death than dismantle a house, I'd rather starve to death than plunder.
These two sentences sound like they're easy to do, but in reality, throughout history, very few armies have been able to do them.

With military discipline reaching this level, it would be strange if they weren't fierce in battle.

As they made their way uphill, the laborers around them quickly stepped aside and bowed respectfully.

In such cold weather, with the New Year fast approaching, the vast majority of the Song Dynasty people who had been recruited to work overtime had gone home for the New Year.

Those who remained here were all victims of the Jurchen Tartars who had caused their families to be destroyed and their lives to be lost.

With no one to rely on, they were able to barely feed themselves thanks to this newly formed and still small Yue Family Army.

Naturally, they were willing to show the utmost respect and awe to these military officers.

These guards were surrounding Yue Fei.

He performed exceptionally well in resisting the Jin army, and he also happened to be there during the turmoil in Bianliang.

Anyone who made a name for themselves during that incident received extremely high promotions and rewards, and Yue Fei was no exception.

In fact, Yue Fei was quite lucky; even in the original historical record, he rose through the ranks very quickly.

Yue Pengju joined the army at the age of nineteen, and by the age of twenty-three, he had already served as Bingyi Lang (a ninth-rank official). At the age of twenty-five, he was promoted to Commander of the Tokyo Garrison and Prefect of Yingzhou, and was further promoted to Wude Dafu (a seventh-rank official).

In contrast, Han Shizhong joined the army at the age of eighteen, made numerous military achievements, and was known for his daring charge when he first joined the army. He once killed the Western Xia military supervisor's son-in-law on horseback. However, for the next twenty years, he made almost no progress.

It can only be said that even in the dark environment of the Song Dynasty, Yue Fei was so fierce that he could not be ignored.

Having traversed more than half of the mountain path, Yue Fei could now clearly see the fortress towering atop the mountain. He stopped, looked back, and saw a great river winding its way through the mountains.

This is the Hutuo River, which flows down from Yunnei, where Dingnan Army and Nvzhenzhen held power, becoming an important waterway for transportation in Hebei Province and also an important geographical dividing line.

It flows one mile south of Zhen Ding Prefecture, forming a natural barrier for the city.

"We must defend Zhen Ding Prefecture this time!" The guard who came up with him suddenly said through gritted teeth.

Listening to the words of his personal guards, Yue Fei nodded. He had gained merit in strategizing in Bianliang, and since returning, he had become increasingly preoccupied.

In addition to working day and night to expedite the construction of the border defense system, they also had to manage the recruitment and training of the new army, oversee the storage of grain and fodder, and receive military supplies transported from the rear.

He kept his eyes wide open at all times, watching the north, concerned about the battle between the Dingnan Army and the Jurchens.

Even the toughest man, especially one around twenty years old, the prime of his life, can find it hard to keep up.

Not only did her face visibly lose a lot of weight, but her face and hands were also covered with cracks caused by the cold mountain winds.

Yue Fei stood upright with his hands behind his back. Looking around, all the surrounding mountains were white, and the wind swirled snowflakes, howling incessantly.

For some reason, the scene he had seen that day in the grass, where countless Yinzhou cavalrymen seemed to descend from the sky, chasing after those ferocious Jurchen Tartars, resurfaced in his mind.

And in Hebei, after being ravaged by the Jurchen Tartars, the land was a scene of carnage, with rivers of blood flowing like water.

Amidst the chilly mountain wind, Yue Fei's spirit soared like a rainbow.

Sooner or later, I will lead my troops out of Hebei and go to Yanshan Prefecture and Huanglong Prefecture!
Pursuing the fleeing enemy, we reined in our horses at Yanran! (End of Chapter)