You have truly caused me great suffering!

Although Xiao Shi was a powerful figure outside, she dared not neglect any of the proper etiquette when she returned to Chen Shao's residence.

She prepared boxes of gifts meticulously and visited each person in turn.

Especially the principal wife, Zhong Lingxi.

Some pregnant women, worried about their bodies changing shape, like to wear loose-fitting clothes to cover up.

Huanhuan had no such thoughts at all; she did whatever made her comfortable, and it was quite obvious that her lower abdomen was a bit round.

Counting the days, I think I conceived around the New Year, and if everything goes smoothly, I should give birth in the fall.

Even now, with the warmer weather and the increased body temperature after becoming pregnant, her spring clothes are getting thinner and thinner, and she's been exposing herself a bit.

Fortunately, there were no outsiders in the inner quarters.

In this era, the principal wife held a natural authority over the concubines; their respective ecological niches were remarkably restrained.

Even though Huanhuan was considered a very kind first wife, Xiao was still somewhat reserved.

After all, we don't see each other on a regular basis, so there's no way to build a relationship.

Huanhuan asked a few questions about the Western Regions, but then started yawning, clearly uninterested in the trade of jade, horses, and silk, or how much money could be made.

She instinctively said a few more words, advising Xiao, a woman, to avoid showing her face in public, and especially to keep her distance from men.

Xiao simply lowered her head and agreed.

After they finished chatting for a while, Madam Xiao wiped away her sweat and breathed a long sigh of relief.

I thought to myself that I should come back more often in the future.
This lady seems easy to get along with and not very scheming. It shouldn't be difficult for me to win her over.

The two Hu female slaves following behind her had never seen Madam Xiao so humble and subservient before, and they both lowered their heads and dared not say a word.

"Where is the Prince of Dai?"

These two Hu women were two of the dozen or so capable assistants she had carefully selected.

Actually, even without Huanhuan's reminder, she knew that she should reduce contact with men outside to avoid gossip.

They were usually used to convey orders and manage different affairs, somewhat like a scaled-down version of Wu Zetian and Taiping Wan'er.

After all, everything she had came from Chen Shao. If she lost this man's favor, everything would be a castle in the air.

The two Hu women she brought this time were not her most capable subordinates, but they were the best in terms of figure and appearance.

One of them said, "Reporting to Madam, the Prince of Dai has gone to the Academy of Works."

Madam Xiao nodded and said, "Have you remembered the materials and colors of Madam's clothes and the furnishings in her room?"

"I remember everything."

"Alright, when we get back, we'll gather as many fine pieces as possible according to Madam's preferences."

"Yes."
-
Han Shizhong did not wait to persuade them to surrender before launching the attack.

After Yinchengfang had gathered enough troops, he immediately led them straight to Wuhuiling.

The Battle of Weizhou began with a stalemate between the Lingwu Army and the Jurchen Tartars, with both sides probing each other in Weizhou.

Later, with the establishment of the Daizhou camp, the Lingwu army began to gradually encroach upon the territory, reverting to its old ways from the Northwest.

Finally, Han Shizhong and Wu Lin took turns defending the area, and then cleared out the southern part of Weizhou in half a month.

While the main Jurchen force had moved south, leaving the army relatively weak, those fortified villages were not easy to capture.

No one dares to deny the formidable strength of Han Shizhong's army of warriors who were capable of destroying a nation.

More than 5,000 main cavalry, coupled with 30,000 auxiliary troops, is truly unprecedented.
Moreover, this army was the army that the Prince of Dai had started with, and thus received special favor.

The rewards for promotions were truly generous.

Like all qualified fortresses, Wuhui Ridge is not simply a strategic pass, but a defensive system formed by the surrounding forts and strongholds.

Han Shizhong's sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, were watching over both battlefields simultaneously.

High above, there was a fortified village where Weiming Litong was leading his troops to attack the outer perimeter.

Meanwhile, on the river valley road beneath their feet, cavalrymen were arrayed, ready to meet the approaching enemy cavalry.

Throughout history, strong armies guarding fortified villages have never remained holed up inside. Instead, they have always taken advantage of the terrain to launch attacks at any time, choosing their vanguard to fight, and cooperating with the garrison on the fortified villages to inflict maximum casualties on the enemy.

Everyone was waiting for Han Shizhong's order; a great battle was about to break out.

Unlike Yinchengfang, the valley roads below Wuhui Ridge are not suitable for dismounted combat.

Although this place is mountainous, it is large enough to deploy a large army.

At this moment, half of the several thousand cavalrymen dismounted and formed an arrow formation, facing east. The other half spurred their horses back slightly, leaving men to guard the empty mounts, ready to launch a counterattack at any moment.

Dust billowed up from the west, and the thunderous sound of hooves indicated that countless cavalrymen were charging towards them at breakneck speed.

Han Shizhong glanced at the sky one last time, then turned back to squint at the swirling dust, and decisively ordered: "The vanguard shall dismount and attack the city. Also, give Zhe Yanye an order to stand firm and not allow these Tartars to press down on him!"

Wanyan Xiyin looked at the people below with a fierce and resolute gaze.

Although Yinchengfang had fallen, Wanyan Xiyin was still unwilling to give up. In any military campaign, the most important thing for a general is to seize the initiative.

If we cannot recapture the strategic pass of Yinchengfang, it will be as if we have lost a gate to Wuhuiling. The Western Barbarians on the other side can attack us at any time without worrying about being surrounded from the rear.

If he could recapture Yinchengfang and, with the help of the newly arrived 50,000 Changsheng Army, Wanyan Xiyin was confident that he could block the Dingnan Army's eastward and southward advances, completely sealing them off in Weizhou.

The goal is to ensure that the main force of the Jurchens destroys the Song Dynasty, and then occupy the cities of the Song Dynasty to fight a decisive battle against these western barbarians.

At that time, with the city in their own hands, the Jin Kingdom would become the defender, making the battle much easier.

Outside the walls of Wuhuiling, cavalrymen were assembled, ready to charge at any moment, determined not to let the Dingnan Army easily reach the foot of Wuhuiling and attack the city.

But with just a glance, Han Shizhong knew their fighting strength. Their formation was broken, they were in complete chaos; what good were their ferocity and savagery if they were just weak and unruly?

These Tartars, I don’t know where the Jurchens found their tribal vassal troops from, no wonder Wanyan Xiyin didn’t leave them in the village, this bunch of mixed barbarians probably doesn’t know how to guard the village!
They were born on the grasslands and had never seen any stockades, moats, or fortresses.
Everyone rode horses, moving swiftly like the wind; battles were fought with cavalry charging into each other.

Han Shizhong made a decision in an instant. The number of Tartars preparing to launch a surprise attack nearby was frightening.

However, the light cavalry I prepared were enough to hold them off; the main force should still be used to attack the fortress.

It all depends on whether the Jurchen warriors will come out.

At Han Shizhong's command, the flags of his personal guards fluttered, conveying their commander's decision to the various battalions. Then, the two commanders, who had dismounted and were in armor, immediately turned. Amidst the clanging of armor, they turned down the mountain, converging in their respective directions—either attacking or defending.

As expected, the Jurchens remained the same as always, treating their auxiliary soldiers and servants as if they were human beings. They ordered an attack as soon as the fighting began, before any opportunity had even arisen.

Logically, the attacking force should be allowed to approach the stockade wall before launching a flanking attack or a flanking maneuver.

Forming a two-pronged attack.

The mixed barbarian Tartars surged down from the mountain like a torrent, tumbling and leaping as they rushed down from outside the various fortresses.

These people, after being abducted or conscripted, were in a daze, with no one to lead them, and relied entirely on their brute force to kill.

Arrows rained down rhythmically from the Dingnan army's formation, each volley killing more than ten of the mixed barbarian Tartars.

But their charge did not stop; they became even more frenzied after seeing blood. Finally, someone crossed the death zone blocked by the rain of arrows and crashed headfirst into the mountain-like array of Dingnan Army soldiers.

The sounds of weapons and armor clashing rang out. The armored soldiers who were standing in front to protect their archers suddenly bent their forelegs and braced their hind legs on the ground, lowering their center of gravity and holding their shields in front of them.

Soon, they felt countless heavy bodies crashing heavily into the shields in their hands!

The troops led by Han Shizhong were skilled in both horsemanship and infantry; they could charge into enemy lines and break through enemy lines on horseback, and were equally formidable in foot combat.

But it's not like the old days when infantry fought exclusively. They no longer have the long, heavy shields with sharp points that could be driven into the ground that the infantry used to carry in formation.

If it were the shields from the Western Army, these mixed barbarian Tartars would smash their heads against them and it wouldn't necessarily shake them much.

These Dingnan soldiers are now armed with ordinary cavalry shields, and they are taking all the damage with their own bodies.

The mixed barbarian tribes charged down from the heights with tremendous momentum. The massive collision caused the armored soldiers' formation to crumble instantly, and the first mixed barbarian Tartars to crash down were also dizzy and disoriented.

Neither side carried long weapons, so they couldn't form ranks and engage in a direct confrontation before clashing.

These miscellaneous barbarians on the grasslands nowadays don't even have many sets of armor. Han Shizhong noticed this and secretly reminded himself that next time he should prepare long-handled weapons so that he could stab some of them during a charge.

These mixed-race Tartars were planning to risk their lives to break through the enemy lines, allowing the others to rush in and slaughter them indiscriminately.

Seeing these already fragile formations crumble under the impact, the front ranks of both sides were thrown into disarray.

The remaining barbarians pushed and shoved each other, as if they could win by rushing in and fighting.

But then, a row of Southern Dynasty armored soldiers appeared before them.

These were the soldiers who had just finished firing their last volley of arrows and were now retreating. They quickly threw down their bows, drew their shields, and brandished their swords, forming a line of more than ten men.

It remains the standard action of a sword-and-shield infantryman in armor engaging the enemy.

Lower your center of gravity, use your left hand to lift the shield and deflect the enemy's weapon, step forward, and thrust out with your long sword!

This is practically their specialty.
Back then, when facing the Western Xia cavalry, they didn't have enough warhorses to fight the enemy. They clashed with swords and shields, and the old Western Army was not afraid of anyone.
Muscle memory from over a decade ago was awakened, allowing him to return to the battlefield fighting methods he was most familiar with.

With flashing blades, the Dingnan Army soldiers had already taken three steps forward and thrust out three swords!

The formation remained orderly, advancing and stabbing three times in unison, like a dozen or so killing machines.

More than ten bloody paths suddenly opened up in front of them!
The long, agonizing screams of the mixed-barbarian Tartars echoed through the mountains. Their immense momentum was abruptly halted, and they were utterly annihilated!
At the command of the military officers beside them, the armored soldiers immediately retreated in unison.

Then another dozen or so armored soldiers took turns advancing, performing the same routine: lifting shields, advancing, and raising swords!

Blood splattered and screams echoed. In just one shift, the hundreds of mixed barbarian Tartars pouring down from the mountain were killed and lost the courage to fight.

Those who hadn't yet reached the front quickly stopped and began desperately pushing backward.

So this group of people crowded together in front of the Dingnan Army Helan Mountain Corps' formation, shouting, crying and cursing in various foreign languages, and were slaughtered like cutting melons and vegetables!
Han Shizhong held a unique position in the Dingnan Army. The number of troops under his command was never the largest, and at its peak, it was only twenty or thirty thousand.

But among them, the most numerous were the defeated soldiers of the Hengshan Jingyuan Army, from which Chen Shao rose to power.

They were all elite troops from Guanzhong who had fought against the Western Army and the Tanguts for many years, and under Chen Shao's leadership, their pay and supplies were never lacking—in fact, they were quite plentiful.

Even when the elite troops in the Western Army were not fighting, they would only conduct drills once every five or ten days.

Here, they train almost every two days, gaining rich practical experience.

This force would be considered the elite of the elite wherever it is deployed.

They are adept at mounted combat, whether it's long-range raids, scout reconnaissance, or heavy cavalry charges.

After dismounting, they could form orderly arrow formations with bows and crossbows, firing in shifts. When it came to close combat, whether advancing step by step with long weapons, forcing their opponents to exchange blows, or engaging in close-quarters, dangerous fights with swords and shields, these elite soldiers of the Dingnan Army feared no one!
Even the 100,000-strong imperial guard, which was the most precious asset of Zhao Kuang when he founded the dynasty, was no more than this.

These were no more than a few nomadic steppe barbarians, barely organized into a cohesive army, relying solely on instinct to fight as light cavalry. How could they possibly be a match for them? Not to mention the vast difference in equipment between the two sides!

In the blink of an eye, the surging Hu tribes were driven back by the slaughter. The Hu tribes surging up from both sides were so frightened that they stopped far away, hesitantly drawing their bows and scattering their arrows.

The Dingnan soldiers, already covered in blood from the fighting, casually shielded their vitals as the arrows came flying at them, letting the arrows ricochet off their heavy armor and create sparks.

Amidst the rain of arrows, the armored soldiers, seemingly quite relaxed, calmly reorganized into a three-sided square formation facing the enemy.

Then, armored soldiers drew their bows again, unleashing volleys of arrows that drove the Tartars further away from the mountain path.

Before them, the mountain path was piled high with the corpses of various barbarian groups, and the wounded were still struggling and groaning.

The Dingnan Army had little interest in finishing off these Tartars.

On the walls of Wuhui Ridge, Guo Yaoshi watched the battle unfold with his brows furrowed deeply.

Is it not a terrible waste to sacrifice lives just to create an opportunity?

The grasslands are home to many mixed nomadic tribes with a large population, but the Jurchens can now only conscript some tribes from the former Khitan Daotaling Commandery and Fengsheng Prefecture.

Further west, the more formidable Tatar and Kereit tribes had already cut off the roads.

Shouldn't we make better use of these miscellaneous barbarians now to enhance our own fighting strength?

As expected, the Jurchen Tartars still don't treat foreigners as human beings.

The fighting strength of the mixed Hu people was really lacking, no wonder they had been suppressed by the Khitans for over a hundred years and had not been able to resist in the slightest.

The Western barbarian army was slaughtered as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

"Xi Yin, should we order those troops down the mountain to retreat? How many more lives will we lose?"

Wanyan Xiyin coldly replied, "How would I know if I didn't try? What's the point of killing so many of these people?"

He then turned to Alixi and said, "Don't send our own people out yet. Use these captives to wear down every single Western barbarian we kill. Once we've destroyed this powerful army, the entire Southern Dynasty will be open to us Jurchen warriors!"

"Back then, we could capture as many people as we wanted. The Han Chinese from the Central Plains were like grazing grass on the grasslands—we could never run out of them!" (End of Chapter)