You have truly caused me great suffering!

The weather was hot; even in the early morning, there was a lingering heat.

Zhong Shidao sat in the carriage and lifted the curtain to look outside.

Taiyuan City was already in a state of order. There were few able-bodied men on the streets; most of them had gone out to work as laborers transporting civilians or to the front lines to build military camps.

Compared to the bustling and lively scenes of everyday life in the city, this city now resembles a battlefield, with a chilling and menacing atmosphere rising up.

Even the Dingnan Army, which was not short of manpower, mobilized all available personnel at this time.

Whenever there is a war, the area east of the river will demonstrate its extraordinary mobilization capabilities and unfathomable resources to the world.

Zhong Shidao nodded secretly. At least during his time in Taiyuan, he felt that the Dingnan Army's arrangements were not wrong.

In such a major battle, both sides have sufficient strength; it all comes down to who makes fewer mistakes.

Whoever makes a big mistake is likely to lose, while whoever can stay calm and reduce mistakes will have an infinitely high chance of winning.

Commanding thousands of troops is no easy task. It's easy to say you won't make mistakes, but it's actually impossible; you can only try to minimize them.

Sometimes the mistakes that determine the defeat of a major battle are somewhat accidental, and you could never have imagined that they would have such serious consequences.

For example, at Wuhui Ridge, Wanyan Xiyin guarded the pass, and he did a great job.

His only mistake was that he looked down on the barbarians and didn't value their lives.

In the eyes of the Jurchens, was this wrong?

Isn't this just common sense?

Back then, when Xiahou Yuan was at Dingjun Mountain, he personally went to the front line to build fortifications. His intention was good; he wanted to share weal and woe with the soldiers.

But this very action gave the enemy an opportunity, resulting in a crushing defeat and the loss of lives.

Almost on his first day in Chen Shao's study, Zhong Shidao immediately became involved in the preparations for the war.

Even the seventy-something-year-old Zhong did not expect Chen Shao to trust him so much, so he really threw himself into the war.

In Taiyuan, their role in the local government offices and government offices was sometimes no less important than that of the front lines.

Old Zhong fought for over fifty years, almost without stopping; he knew too much about warfare.

Moreover, he was always on the front lines, and he understood better than anyone else what the soldiers on the front lines wanted and needed.

According to the messenger who returned from the front lines, the Zhong family army, which had followed Xiao Zhong eastward, immediately began fighting upon arriving at the front.

The routes through the Taihang Mountains are all firmly in the hands of the Dingnan Army, which can easily outflank and attack the Hebei side and rear. This advantage is too great.

Therefore, both Jurchen forces were heading towards Bazhou and Xiongzhou, while the Tartars who came out from Beigukou were also rushing to Baigou River to provide support.

The battlefield was basically fixed near the Baigou River.

It was that name again. Lao Zhong was a little dazed. Baigou River was the place where the Song Dynasty was defeated when it was founded. The Song Dynasty rose to power and swept across the world. Its national strength continued to rise, but it was here that it was cut in half.

Baigou River was the place where the dreams of their Western Army and Tong Guan were shattered.

Two hundred thousand Western troops, marching in a mighty force from the northwest, arrived here, only to be dealt a fatal blow by Xiao Gan and Yelü Dashi.

Looking back on the last march, it was a nightmare; every step I took now seems like a mistake.

When the Zhong family army returned to their old territory, they were greeted by the military commander in charge of logistics as soon as they arrived at the front line.

They quickly set up a camp to rest. The camp was made of fresh timber and the moat was shallow, so it was clear that it had been built in the last few days.

According to the messenger who returned with the news, the camp, though new, was fully equipped. The tents were of the finest quality, all transported from the Bianliang arsenal a few months prior, and were reportedly allocated by Cai Jing himself.

Even more remarkably, the government urged them several times and strictly forbade any falsification.

This left the Song Dynasty officials in the court at a loss for words.
The stables were spacious enough for the warhorses to rest, with fresh hay and thick linen sheets laid out inside.

As soon as the army arrived, hot meat soup and flatbread were served, and the horse feed troughs were filled with fine feed.

There were also civilian laborers who boiled hot water for the soldiers who had traveled a long way to soak their feet. The civilian laborers who ran around the camp were so eager to feed the soldiers that they wanted to feed them by hand.

Aside from fighting wars, they hardly have to worry about anything.

The Western Army fought battles their whole lives, only to find out that the Dingnan Army lived so well and that battles could be fought like this.

This battle is seen by many as the last stand, and the officials in Hedong have long been determined to put all their manpower and resources to the line.

But that's it!
From the very beginning of the Song Dynasty, Hedong was not well-regarded, after all, the northern Hankou was backed by the Khitan, which brought too much trouble to the founding of the Zhao Dynasty.

After Jinyang City was destroyed, Hedong never rose again.

This opportunity has finally come again; it's their chance to turn things around.

The officials of the Hedong faction were also at their peak in terms of combat effectiveness within the imperial court during this period.

They were going crazy for anything related to the front lines, and anyone who dared to oppose them was attacked mercilessly.

Anyone who dares to obstruct the government's order to support the front lines, or even raises the slightest objection, might just roll up their sleeves and punch you if they meet on the road.

At worst, I'll be dismissed from my post, and going back to my hometown in Hedong might not be a bad thing.

When Zhong Shidao arrived at Chen Shao's Prince Dai's residence, the carriage went directly into the courtyard where the study was located.

Starting from the street, guards were stationed layer upon layer, every fifty paces.

Upon entering the mansion, one finds it teeming with armored soldiers, their figures like clay and wood sculptures, heavily guarding the place, so that not a single cough or spit can be heard.

Such grandeur was something Zhong Shidao had only ever seen in Tong Guan before; now Chen Shao's power and status had surpassed Tong Guan's.

Moreover, since his fate was tied to the fate of the Dingnan Army, he would naturally be heavily guarded and would not dare to be negligent.

Once inside, the place was already packed with people.

Zhong Shidao glanced outside and confirmed that it was early morning, and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

When he came in, people simply nodded slightly, which was enough to acknowledge him.

Meanwhile, Chen Shao, dressed in ordinary robes, was among the crowd, carefully reading through the reports alongside the shogunate's advisors and scribes.

Master Zhong walked in, and someone naturally gave up their seat.

He sensed the atmosphere in the study and felt that this was truly the best commander-in-chief he had ever encountered in his life, the one preparing for war.

Inside the hall, a wooden map of Hebei's mountains and rivers had already been prepared. It was covered with marks and dots, all made based on military intelligence reports from various places over the past two days.

As they read the reports, everyone would occasionally come to the map to check the location corresponding to the military situation in the reports.

"The two Tartar forces have joined together and are now like a long snake, stretching from Hejian to Xiongzhou. Now is the perfect time for a decisive battle at Baigou River. I think we should strike while the iron is hot! The Tartars fear the heat, especially those wearing heavy armor. We should use our superior number of bows and crossbows to wear them down and harass them."

"Zongwang's troops either fight a decisive battle here, or they should get out of Hebei. Then we will chase them to Yan, recover our lost territory, and annihilate the main force of the Tartars."

Chen Shao frowned and said, "It would be best to stop them in Hebei and fight them there."

Zhong Shidao quickly joined in the atmosphere, his mind seemingly filled with images of thousands of troops. He interjected, "Zong Han's troops are easy to stop; they've already been pinned down by the cavalry. If Zong Wang's troops want to retreat, our forces can't stop them unless Guo Yaoshi intervenes."

Chen Shao immediately said, "Send someone to make contact! Put aside any grudges or grievances and ask him what his conditions are."

He quickly added, "It's nothing more than sending someone to ask. If it doesn't work, it's just a waste of breath. If it does work, it will be very beneficial."

Whether Guo Yaoshi will intercept Zong Wang is really hard to say; nobody knows what he's thinking.

Moreover, the current situation is very chaotic, and anything can happen.

Zhong Shidao was now fully engaged. He stood up, leaned on the table, and said, “In any war, the tactical arrangements may be complicated, but the strategy is often very simple.”

Especially in the context of field battles, there are essentially only two choices: fight or not fight!

"Whenever we do not fight, we should build deep trenches and high walls to wear down the enemy's morale and wait for an opportunity. Whenever we do fight, we should choose the right time to force the enemy into a battle under unfavorable circumstances."

Now that Zonghan's troops are blocked on the road, they are in a disadvantageous position, facing attacks from both sides. This is an excellent opportunity for a decisive battle!

"As for Zongwang, while asking Guo Yaoshi, we should prepare for the possibility that Guo Yaoshi will not participate. It would be best to achieve some results at Zonghan's place and force Zongwang to come to the rescue."

Chen Shao nodded.

Inside the hall, a group of people began to discuss in detail the combat effectiveness of the various troops, how to allocate and use military forces, and how to transport and replenish supplies.

When it comes to these specific matters, things become tedious and troublesome.

Every major battle is supported by countless intricate and meticulous preparations. But as a commander, one must pay attention to everything and ensure that everything is arranged perfectly.

The group discussed for two or three hours straight, only briefly gathering together to eat something, including tea and snacks, which were all provided.

Hungry people can grab it and eat it.

As darkness gradually fell, they finally managed to get a rough idea out of the situation.

The staff and secretaries would then work through the night to turn these decisions into written military orders and distribute them to various locations.

In the Prince of Dai's residence, several hundred messengers were gathered, ready to be dispatched to various places at any time.

Important figures from Hedong, such as Li Tangchen and Zhang Xiaochun, would occasionally cross the Taihang Mountains to travel to Hebei before returning.

The defenses need to be inspected, troop strength needs to be adjusted, and the command structure needs to be streamlined. As the regional commander and chief clerk of the shogunate, his position and power are high enough, and the responsibilities he bears are equally heavy!
Everyone held their breath, with no time to relax, focused solely on winning this battle.

It wasn't until Zhong Shidao came out of the Prince of Dai's mansion and got into the carriage that he seemed to wake up from that state of complete immersion.

Sitting in the carriage, Zhong Shidao seemed to be deep in thought.

After participating for the past few days, he felt that although the battle had not yet begun, the Dingnan Army was already in an invincible position.

Even if they suffer some setbacks, they will eventually win; it's just a matter of how much they win.

No one can defeat them.
Unless the Tartars are truly as rumored, invulnerable to swords and spears, and invincible to ten thousand.

Zhong Shidao has fought for fifty years. What army is invincible and impervious to swords and spears?
It's just an exaggeration by the defeated to console themselves.

He sighed, thinking of Xiao Zhong who was at the front lines, and silently said to himself: Duanru, you've never fought in this kind of camp before, have you? You should have understood my good intentions on your first day at the front.
It's not that I lack loyalty to the Song Dynasty, but the mandate of heaven has arrived, and the mandate of heaven cannot be defied.
How could someone like you or me possibly reverse or fight against this?

After everyone left, Chen Shao stood up and stretched.

Putting down the mountain of documents and military reports piled up in the main hall, he strode towards the inner courtyard, looked up at the twinkling stars, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

After separating from Da Hu and the others in front of the inner courtyard, they arrived at a courtyard.

Inside, the lights flickered, and as soon as Chen Shao pushed the door open and entered, several maids immediately came forward to help him change his clothes.

Seeing his tired appearance, Li Shishi lowered her eyelashes: "Have you eaten?"

"not yet."

Li Shishi quickly ordered that some wine and dishes be prepared.

She didn't offer any advice or say anything about Chen Shao taking care of his health.

Because Li Shishi knew that if the young master wanted to conquer the world, he had to be willing to die without complaint. Since she had followed him in this life, she naturally felt the same way.

He's willing to risk his life for what he's doing, so why would anyone hesitate to let him work so hard at this time?

I felt sorry for him, but the only thing I could do was not to cause trouble and try my best to help him get better.

Chen Shao laughed and said, "People say you shouldn't eat after noon, so I'll just have a little bit."

Li Shishi just smiled and didn't say anything. Chen Shao knew that his medical knowledge was no match for hers.

This is because I'm too lazy to correct myself.

He also lived a life where food was served to him, and no matter what Shishi prepared, he could just eat it.

Because of her pregnancy, Li Shishi was unable to serve him personally, so she asked for several strong maids and instructed them to prepare hot water for him to bathe.

When she changed her clothes and came over, she found that Chen Shao had already fallen asleep leaning against the wooden tub.

A soap towel was stuck to his forehead, and there was a slight snoring sound coming from his nose.
-
Under the same night sky, countless torches shone brightly in the ruined city of Ansu.

Squads of Jurchen troops stood solemnly, the stench of blood carried on the night wind, transforming the former site of the Ansu Army headquarters in Hebei, the capital of the Song Dynasty, into a scene resembling a hellish place teeming with countless evil spirits.

Ansu City, formerly a border town between the Song and Liao dynasties, has well-preserved rammed earth walls and complete defensive facilities such as battlements and watchtowers.

The moat that draws water from the Yi River is deeper and wider than that of ordinary cities.

After all, this place was the front line against the Khitan back then.

Yet, despite the formidable strength of this city, the Song army abandoned it without a fight, allowing it to fall into the hands of the Jurchen forces. The fighting capacity of the Hebei Xiang Army was truly utterly destroyed by the Song Dynasty.

This time, Zonghan returned with his troops, no longer caring whether the area was occupied by the Jin Dynasty or not, and completely disregarding the fact that this place was his own territory.

In just a short time, the city was already in ruins. All the houses were crammed with Jurchen soldiers, and the auxiliary troops such as the headmen and garrison commanders lived in tents set up in the streets.

All the furniture and furnishings were chopped up and used for cooking, and even the coffins that were used as temporary shelters in temples and monasteries suffered the same fate.

Outside the city, the tribes that were allied with the Jurchens ravaged the land. From morning till night, every village and town outside Ansu City was filled with plumes of smoke that never dissipated.

Most of the local people captured by the Jurchens, including young and middle-aged men, were driven to fill the moats outside the city or were killed indiscriminately.

A large number of women were driven into the city and abused and occupied by the Tartars. Their cries could be heard everywhere in the city at any time.

Every mealtime, these Song Dynasty women, their clothes tattered and their bodies covered in bruises, could be seen numbly struggling out to prepare food for these beasts.

If anything goes wrong, the whip will come rolling over and often tear off a large chunk of flesh.

Many women died from such humiliation and torture, and were thrown into the moat outside the city. For every layer of corpses laid down, a layer of soil was sprinkled on top.

Now it's layered upon layered, three or four layers already filled. After fighting for so long, these beasts have finally learned to guard against plague in the summer.

However, most people still seek to survive, after all, survival is a human instinct, and who wants to die?
Their peaceful and stable life was completely shattered when Tong Guan began his campaign against Liao.

First, Tong Guan conscripted laborers from the surrounding area, and after the disastrous defeat at Baigou River, countless of them were also slaughtered.

Immediately afterwards, the Jurchen Eastern Route Army, the Ever Victorious Army, and the Jurchen Western Route Army arrived in turn.

The Song Dynasty, which had not known war for decades, finally witnessed just how brutal these Tartars were. The demons under the scorching sun were far more terrifying than those in folk tales.

These surviving civilians in Ansu City, living like zombies, no longer hoped that anyone would come to save them from hell. They only hoped that one day they would have the chance to die in a sea of ​​blood with these Tartars!
Unbeknownst to them, not far outside the city, someone had already driven these vicious Tartars to the brink of despair.

The days when the Tartars could do whatever they wanted were coming to an end; at least in this war, they were the weaker party.

Such tragic scenes as those in Ansu were not uncommon in the Song Dynasty in recent years, but few of the officials who had come to power in the Song Dynasty would necessarily take them to heart.

Hebei had been neglected by the Song Dynasty's rulers and officials for a long time.

Historically, Du Chong once breached the Yellow River to block the Jin army.

Only someone completely inhuman and devoid of any humanity could do something like this.

After a long and arduous journey, they returned to the border area between Hebei and Youyan. The Tartars had been wreaking havoc in Ansu for several days, but finally quelled the unrest tonight.

They resumed their wartime posture, donned armor, and armed themselves with weapons. Each strategist formed a unit, and each commander roused himself to his feet.

They hastily gathered in the darkness of night, for no other reason than that Zonghan had arrived!

Outside Ansu City, in an open field, amidst the stench of blood and corpses carried by the night wind, countless torches shone, illuminating Zonghan's banner.

His journey was not smooth. When he heard that Wuhui Ridge had been opened up, Zonghan was so angry that he almost vomited blood.

The Western Route Army was now completely finished.

The immense merit accumulated from conquering Liaozhong could not withstand such a defeat. Fortunately, Guo Yaoshi was subdued by Zongwang and was considered a member of the Eastern Route Army.

They still believe that Guo Yaoshi's betrayal was the reason why Wuhuiling was carved out.

This is clearly a case of reversing cause and effect. It was precisely the fall of Wuhui Ridge that allowed Guo Yaoshi to confidently and boldly betray the cause.

Under the great banner, the Jurchen Tartars pulled out a folding chair from somewhere, and Zonghan sat on it.

As wave after wave of defeated soldiers were pulled over and knelt down by the moat, Zonghan's personal guards, the Meng'an armored soldiers, swung their swords and chopped off rows of heads, then kicked the headless corpses into the moat.

The screams and wails echoed through the night sky, and blood gushed everywhere, making the stench of blood in the air almost tangible.

The Jurchen Tartars' military tactics were very strict, to the point of being somewhat inhumane. When they were consistently victorious, these military tactics served more as a deterrent.

However, given the repeated failures, the actual implementation of this plan seems quite frightening.

The defeated troops that were brought in were mostly miscellaneous Hu people who had been captured after scattering, as well as Jurchen soldiers who had managed to escape from Yizhou and Zhuozhou.

The Hu people were really unlucky. They followed Zonghan and wanted to go south to plunder, but they never expected that they would be the ones being robbed.

They were tricked by the Jurchen Tartars and used as slaves and cannon fodder, their fate being similar to that of the pigs who later went to northern Burma.

You can rob, you can kill, but don't even think about running back to the grasslands to enjoy yourself.

We must leave our lives on the battlefield.

They discovered that, in the eyes of the Jurchens, they were no different from the civilians who were killed.

They were just different breeds and uses of animals. Some people used all sorts of means to beg for their lives, while the more stubborn ones simply cursed and swore in despair.

Most of the Jurchen warriors who escaped silently endured the blow. However, their remains were collected, and a huge pyre was already being built on the other side. Their bodies would be cremated later, and their ashes would be kept in the headquarters tents in Datong, which could be considered a kind of preferential treatment.

The main force of the Jurchens is now divided into two armies. Although Zonghan's western army is weaker in terms of troop numbers and equipment, its combat power is no less than that of Zongwang's eastern army, and it has always been able to maintain a balance of power with Zongwang's forces.

One of the reasons was the harsh military law implemented by Zonghan.

"If the sergeant dies in battle, all four of his men are executed; if the platoon leader dies in battle, all the sergeants are executed; if the centurion dies in battle, all the platoon leaders are executed."

Zonghan was a man of some talent. In history, in order to unite the people and ensure military supplies, the old Khan Wanyan Aguda and his ministers jointly established an ironclad rule: the funds in the national treasury could only be used during wartime, and no one was allowed to use them without authorization in peacetime. Violators, regardless of their status, would be punished with "twenty strokes of the cane".

On one occasion, Wanyan Wuqimai, who had already become the emperor of the Jin Dynasty, secretly opened the national treasury at night and took away 20 bolts of silk to reward his concubines.

When Zonghan learned of this, he immediately convened the "Bojilie Conference," where he dragged the emperor off the dragon throne and publicly flogged him twenty times.
Military discipline is, to a certain extent, linked to combat effectiveness. The better the military discipline and the stricter the military law, the stronger the combat effectiveness of the troops.

At this time, Zong Han had just arrived and began to kill the soldiers who had escaped from Zhuo and Yi prefectures, clearly to establish his authority.

The Jurchen soldiers who were watching the execution remained silent, not uttering a single sound.

In their hearts, Zonghan had already become a myth.

Before Zonghan arrived, the Jurchen generals stationed in several prefectures in northern Hebei felt a chill run down their spines, and cold sweat poured down their backs one after another.

The military officers in Hebei also bear some responsibility, at least for failing to stop Guo Yaoshi.

Even when Wuhuiling was breached, the Ever Victorious Army defected, and looted the surrounding towns, they remained inactive.

The disparity in troop strength was truly enormous, and with the Dingnan Army behind them, they were unsure whether to engage in a full-scale war with the Changsheng Army, and feared that the Dingnan Army might reap the benefits.

Fortunately, Zonghan did not pursue these matters, but only dealt with the people who had escaped from Zhuo and Yi prefectures.

The stench of blood hung in the night air, and the Jurchen warriors remained silent. Aside from the crackling of torches, the only other sounds were the sizzling of blood seeping into the earth.

Upon Zonghan's arrival, before he even entered the city, he had already beheaded hundreds of people.

This caused the Jurchen western army, which had become arrogant and complacent after their unstoppable advance since the start of the campaign, and was somewhat discouraged by their defeat in Yunnei, to be intimidated and regain their original formidable cavalry prowess!
Zong Han waved slightly, and his personal guards brought over his magnificent steed. Under the gaze of countless armored soldiers, Zong Han mounted the horse and roared loudly.

"Now everyone knows that there is a barbarian army from the Northwest whose fighting strength is indeed remarkable, and they can rival our Jurchen warriors!"
The current situation speaks for itself; for us Jurchens, every battle from now on will be a battle for life and death!

Just like when we rose up and overthrew the Khitan! If the war goes badly again, or if we are unable to support each other, I, Zonghan, will not hesitate to cut off hundreds more heads!

"As long as everyone summons the courage and fighting spirit they had when they followed the Old Khan, this army of the Northwest will one day become countless corpses, trampled under the hooves of our Jurchen cavalry!"
-
The Jurchen western route troops arrived one after another.

The northern border of Youyan suddenly became a battlefield where the two sides fought a bloody and fierce battle.

Both sides felt like they had been waiting for a long time.

Previously, when the Jurchen Tartars attacked the Yunnei defense line, I would grit my teeth in my dreams and hope that the Dingnan Army would come out of the Yunnei defense line so that we could fight a real battle.
Later, when the Dingnan Army attacked the Wuhuiling defense line, they were also tormented by this fortress and wished that the Jurchen Tartars would come down quickly so that they could fight each other.

Now we have finally achieved our goal.

Small-scale and large-scale battles have never ceased.

From the Jurchen perspective, this Dingnan army was far too warlike.

Once they've got their grip on you, they'll never let go; they'll fight you to the death.

The people who used to play this role and have this style were the Jurchens themselves.

Despite their reluctance to admit it, many Jurchen soldiers did feel fear when facing this army.

Although they had been away from the Changbai Mountains and Heilongjiang River region for over a decade and no longer needed to hunt and fish for a living, the Jurchens could still tell that when the Dingnan Army charged towards them, the glint in their eyes clearly showed that they were prey.
This is why the Jurchens liked to call them Western Barbarians.

In the eyes of the Jurchens, the Dingnan Army was truly barbaric. They were not even afraid of death, so how could they not be barbaric?
There are many factors that contributed to the unique character of the Dingnan Army.

For example, many of them were participants in the century-long war between Song and Xia, and grew up listening to their fathers and brothers tell stories of the war.

Among the Yinzhou soldiers who constituted a large proportion of the Dingnan army, the Qiang people of Hengshan were inherently martial and fearless. You Jurchens were only forced to go to sea to fish for pearls and go up the mountain to catch eagles because you were oppressed by the Liao Kingdom.

But what about the Qiang people of Hengshan?

They were forced to fight and die by the Western Xia, besieged and attacked by the Song Dynasty year after year, and were also plagued by internal strife, rebelling against the Western Xia every few years.
Their living conditions were even worse than those of the Jurchens.

Most importantly, they also possessed the advantage of having served the emperor.

For the Han people of the Central Plains, this was the best stimulant, the ultimate temptation in the world.

As it happens, Chen Shao is the kind of person who truly rewards merit without any limit.

The generals in the Dingnan Army, such as Wu Jie, Qu Duan, Wu Lin, and even Han Shizhong, all rose from the ranks of common soldiers.

These few are lucky to have parents; their clans and families haven't given them any help whatsoever.

Today, no other nation in the world, including the Jurchen Jin Dynasty, has been able to achieve this.

Furthermore, starting with Chen Shao, the Dingnan Army no longer had the habit of drinking soldiers' blood, and their military pay was sufficient. The discipline within the army gradually became stricter.

All of these factors combined to create the unique character of the Dingnan Army.

Han Shizhong had already advanced to Yongqing, and the troops fighting Zong Han in Xincheng were Li Xiaozhong's forces.

That is, the Xiazhou Army Corps.

At this moment, in Li Xiaozhong's tent, Xiao Zhong and he sat facing each other, discussing the battle at the front.

Xiao Zhong always felt that among Chen Shao's generals, Li Xiaozhong was the best.

The two had many similar views.

During his time at the front lines, Xiao Zhong was truly impressed by the Dingnan Army, both in terms of logistics and their ability to readily deploy large cavalry legions.

Although he already knew that the Northwest had no shortage of warhorses, Xiao Zhong was still quite envious.

Those horses that were eliminated from the Dingnan military horse farm and used as pack horses were considered treasures in their army.

Fortunately, the battle is now a positional war, and infantry are still very useful.

At this moment, someone came in and said that Hu horses were spying on the camp.

The two of them came out together and went to the watchtower to look down.

A strong wind blows, and looking around, mountains and rivers come into view.

Zong Han's scout teams appeared along the road, kicking up plumes of dust, and large Liaodong horses bounced through the dust.

Behind them stretched deep trenches and high walls, with numerous military camps and thousands of laborers still working feverishly to complete the task.

Large convoys of wagons and horses, like a thin thread, continuously arrived from the east, replenishing the battlefield with large quantities of grain and supplies.

Zhong Shizhong, with a broad mind, pointed to the Hu horse spying on the camp and said, "This must be a big shot in the Jurchen camp."

Li Xiaozhong nodded. Although these Tartars wore ordinary armor and did not display any banners or ceremonial guards, they tried their best not to attract attention.

However, with dozens of riders appearing at the same time, each riding a tall and fine horse, Li Xiaozhong knew that the newcomers must be important generals in the Jurchen army, who had come to assess the military situation.

They maintained their positions well, making it difficult for arrows to penetrate them; even if they did, their penetration power would be insufficient.

In general, in typical battles, such as those between the Song and Liao dynasties or the Song and Xia dynasties, both sides would maintain a cavalry force warning barrier.

A buffer zone, about ten miles long, was established between the two armies, with each side patrolling and guarding the area.

Occasionally, you can even hear them cursing each other in their village dialect, or exchanging a few arrows.

But things are different now. The Dingnan Army won't fight a coordinated battle with you. If you dare to get close, I will definitely launch a spearheaded attack.

Sure enough, a large contingent of cavalry soon emerged from Dingnan's army.

Zong Han and his men, who had come to spy on the camp, also immediately withdrew.

Zong Han, mounted on horseback, grew increasingly grim. Just as the military reports had described, the Dingnan Army was like mad dogs, ready to tear apart any Jurchen soldiers they encountered. (End of Chapter)