You have truly caused me great suffering!

Liangxiang Town.

A group of men arrived at the front-line barracks. Looking at the surrounding layout, the leader nodded repeatedly.

Looking at their formation and arrangement, they were all very well-organized.

"What a truly dignified teacher!"

Wang Shan sighed, then looked at Yue Fei beside him and asked, "Pengju, what do you think?"

Even Yue Fei, a man of few words, nodded and praised, "Indeed majestic."

Only the Dingnan Army could maintain an offensive posture when facing the Jurchen Tartars.

The two men came on behalf of Zong Ze. They wanted to join the battle, so they needed to inform the Dingnan Army.

After explaining their purpose, the camp secretary told them that Li Xiaozhong was currently commanding operations at the front.

"Then let's wait for him."

The clerk, busy organizing reports and intelligence, didn't even look up and said, "Commander Li is in charge of the siege and often doesn't return for three to five days. How can we just wait around?"

"Why don't you just go to the front lines and see him?"

Wang Shan hesitated upon hearing this, but Yue Fei readily agreed.

The scribe in the central command tent casually pointed to a guard and ordered him to escort a few people to the front line.

The troops in the camp were frequently moved around, and Yue Fei and others could feel the atmosphere of a great battle.

To be honest, he was a little envious.

Such morale and fighting spirit are rare and hard to come by.

During the past year or so, he led troops alone in Zhending Prefecture, which gave him a deeper understanding of this.

And they have come to understand more and more how rare this kind of momentum is.

Upon arriving at the front lines, the guards asked for directions and led them to a watchtower.

Li Xiaozhong's eyesight was not as sharp as Han Shizhong's or Lou Shi's; he could not see far.

Therefore, the watchtowers were closer to the front lines and were heavily guarded, covered in iron armor, with only a few observation holes showing.

When the guards led in two unfamiliar faces, Li Xiaozhong glanced at them curiously.

The guard stepped forward and whispered a few words to him.

Li Xiaozhong nodded, and Wang Shan and Yue Fei stepped forward to pay their respects.

Li Xiaozhong returned the greeting and said, "You two have come from afar, I am sorry for not welcoming you properly, I wonder what advice you have for me."

Wang Shan quickly replied, "No, no, I wouldn't dare."

"Commander Zong will soon lead his troops north, and he specifically sent the two of us here in the hope of discussing with the general how we can support each other."

"Let's work together to drive the Tartars out completely."

Li Xiaozhong chuckled, "Alright, the Lingwu Army will set off from Wuhui Ridge soon, and you can also recapture the towns along the way from the flanks."

Zong Ze is heading north, definitely to attack Yanjing, but their chances of being the first to capture the city are slim.

Li Xiaozhong wasn't afraid of them coming to join the battle. It was better for them to come than not to come, and it was better for them not to come than to hold them back. Even holding them back was better than stabbing them in the back.

As long as they stick to the agreement they reached, each fighting their own battles, delegating power, and allowing military officers at all levels to make their mark.

Fighting like this, even if the Song army comes from multiple directions, it won't do me any harm. I don't expect you to help me, so you can't trick me.

This was the strategy employed by the Dingnan Army to recapture Youyan.

From the very beginning of their campaign against the Xia dynasty using fortified villages and strongholds, the Dingnan Army placed great importance on finalizing the overall strategy before major battles and then resolutely implementing it.

That's what they used to build their business.

Wang Shan was overjoyed that he was so easy to talk to and was about to leave with Yue Fei.

Yue Fei hesitated for a moment, then said, "General, I would like to see here how the Dingnan Army defeats the enemy."

Li Xiaozhong was somewhat surprised, but still nodded, "Okay."

After saying that, he went to look at the battlefield through the hole.

Wang Shan and Yue Fei said goodbye with their hands clasped, and he hurriedly went back to report to Zong Ze.

Yue Fei also walked to the watchtower, and his eyesight was much better than Li Xiaozhong's.

Watching the battle below, he quickly became completely absorbed in it, as if he were also in the midst of the fighting.

Across from them, Xi Yin was covered in oily sweat and his temper was getting increasingly volatile, ready to explode at any moment.

The guards behind him presented him with a scented handkerchief, but Xi Yin didn't even bother to appreciate the delicate fragrance of the Southern Dynasty; he just wiped his face hard twice.

He casually threw the handkerchief on the ground, stood up, and stomped on it until it was black and grimy.

"Zonghan! Zonghan transferred all the troops away, leaving this mess for me, Xiyin!"

"They said the main force of the Dingnan Army would definitely go to Baigou River! Did they go to Baigou River? Isn't the main force of the Dingnan Army on the other side?!"

"This group isn't the main force, are they auxiliary troops?! Do they even have auxiliary troops like this?!"

In the Jurchen army, the concept of hierarchy was very strict. The guards were so frightened by Xi Yin's ability to scold even Zong Han that they trembled all over.

Xi Yin was going all out; he didn't intend to survive. He had been harboring resentment ever since the last time he returned to Wuling.

The main force of the Dingnan Army was supposed to cross the Taihang Mountains from Hedong to Hebei to fight their main force.

The results of it?
All three main forces were coming for him, and even Guo Yaoshi, whom he had assigned, turned against him halfway through and launched a counterattack.

This time, it's said again that the main force of the Dingnan Army will be mobilized!
As a result, not only were they not mobilized, but their troops actually increased.

However, all the soldiers under his command, the soldiers from Tanzhou and the soldiers from Shunzhou, were all transferred by Zonghan.

This thankless and arduous task, which required staying put, fell back on my shoulders.

Zonghan, Zonghan, we follow you because we want to use your high position to protect ourselves and get promoted.

I'm not here to die in your place!
Silver Arts can protect Datong until you die;

Lou Shi is dead because of your guard, An Su!
This time it's my turn, Xi Yin's turn. Youyan will be my burial ground!
After yelling a couple of times, Xi Yin seemed to feel a little better.

He relaxed and sat down again, gritting his teeth as he said, "You don't need to be afraid. I'm just going to vent my anger by hurling a few insults. We have a strong army here too. No matter how tough the Dingnan Army is, they won't be able to break through Liangxiang Town!"
"What if we hold out for ten days or half a month? If these Dingnan soldiers don't go to the Baigou River, they won't be able to stop the Jin army. Sooner or later they'll be surrounded in Zhuozhou, and then we'll drag them out one by one and chop them to pieces!"

Xi Yin spoke with bravado, but inwardly he was groaning in agony. The longer the battle went on, the more uncomfortable he became; it was no battle for a human being.

He knew the Dingnan Army was formidable from the moment they retreated from Yunnei, but he never imagined they were this powerful.

Even with all their effort and thought, they could not gain even a single victory against figures like Zonghan and Zongwang.

This is what Xi Yin fears most.

Unlike other Jurchens, he had genuinely read books from the Central Plains and knew about something called "royal aura."

A person who is undefeated will inevitably give the impression that he possesses the aura of a king.

Just as Xi Yin was lost in thought, a guard hurriedly came up the watchtower.

Xi Yin was already irritable and restless, and even in autumn, he only felt unbearably hot and bothered.

Seeing that the space upstairs was cramped and another person had suddenly appeared, the man's anger flared even more, and he immediately shouted angrily.

"Didn't I tell you? Guard all the military camps! Guard them well! I've allocated enough troops, and we don't lack any people. We've prepared all the weapons and provisions for you. If anything happens, just call for reinforcements."

How many reinforcements do I have here?

The guard was startled by Xi Yin's shout, but still leaned forward and whispered a few words in Xi Yin's ear.

Those inside the watchtower immediately heard a strange noise, as Xi Yin suddenly jumped up.

His millstone-like body suddenly leaped, causing the watchtower to shake a few times.

Xi Yin rubbed his right fist against his left palm, his fat bulging on his face, and cursed, "Again! More!"

Jurchen scouts learned that a large army was about to march east to join the battle from Wuhui Ridge.

Judging from the banners, they are still the Dingnan Army, and their armor is even more distinctive. They should be the personal guard battalion of that bird-like King Dai.

The Lingwu Battalion was indeed more imposing than the other Dingnan Army in appearance, after all, it was Chen Shao's personal guard.

Xi Yin laughed and cried at the same time, and finally shook her head helplessly. Her face looked rather comical, as if it was covered in sweat or oil.

Such a wicked man, if he were in the Central Plains, could stop a child from crying with just one glance.

However, he was very popular in the Jurchen camp. Everyone admired such men, believing that only those who looked like this were worthy of being generals of the Jurchens.

Xi Yin was completely desperate. He couldn't expect any reinforcements. The Great Jin Kingdom was almost drained dry by Zong Han and Zong Wang!

But the Dingnan Army is still reinforcing its troops!
Just how many troops are there?

At this time, Xi Yin was unaware that Wu Jie had dispatched 20,000 troops from Youzhou, who were advancing eastward under the leadership of Tian Sheng.

Chen Shao ordered Wu Jie to transfer 20,000 troops from Youzhou to fight in the Central Plains. Everyone in the Youzhou camp was eager to participate.

In the end, Wu Jie had no choice but to follow Chen Shao's example and secretly expand the forces of each camp, merging the original several camps into one, mobilizing nearly 40,000 men, which was publicly claimed to be 18,000.
-
Meanwhile, on another battlefield, Han Shizhong, accompanied by a dozen or so followers, simply observed the Jurchen army's movements from the riverbank.

Han Shizhong has been riding high lately, charging ahead in several major battles, and everyone praises him as the number one general in pacifying the difficulties.

If things go smoothly, we don't even need to win this battle. As long as we withstand the final blow from the Tartars, then Youyan will be ours for the taking.

All fronts are progressing smoothly, and Li Xiaozhong has firmly tied down Xi Yin's troops along the line of Yanjing, Shunzhou, and Tanzhou.

Han Shizhong had nothing to worry about; there would be absolutely no unexpected enemies.

However, Han Shizhong still remained stationed at the front lines, overseeing the battle at all times, ensuring that his subordinates did not slack off in the slightest.

The battle has reached a critical juncture, and we cannot afford to relax in the slightest!
Han Shizhong keenly sensed that this battle would not end with the Tartars withdrawing from Youyan. Given the Prince of Dai's character, he would definitely launch a northern expedition.

The outcome of this battle will determine whether we, the people of this world, will march north or the Tartars will invade from the south.

The Dingnan Army and the Jurchens, with their elite troops numbering in the hundreds of thousands and their many renowned generals who had won countless battles, were vying for the initiative in this war and to win this decisive battle that would determine the fate of the nation!
After spying on the camp, Han Shizhong did not return to the central army, but instead went to a high hill with his personal guards and deputy generals.

Some of the guards spread food on the ground, and Han Shizhong and the others sat on the ground. Oil paper was spread on the grass, and dry food, braised meat and other things were haphazardly placed on it.

The dried meat from the Western Regions has all been eaten; now we get braised meat from Taiyuan.

To be honest, it's not as good as Western Region dried meat in terms of either flavor or practicality.

Fortunately, Taiyuan said that the new dried meat would be delivered soon, and the Western Regions were already working hard to produce it.

Fortunately, they weren't people who cared about such things. From Han Shizhong down, including the personal guards around him, some sat cross-legged, some squatted, and everyone was wolfing down their food.

After eating until you're about 70-80% full, pick up the water gourd and gulp it down in one go.

The stone projectiles flew through the air with a whistling sound, one after another without stopping.

The group followed the trajectory of the stones as they flew through the air until they crashed into the ground on the opposite bank, kicking up clouds of dust.

The Jurchens also had stone cannons, and occasionally a few would be thrown at them. If they hit, the destructive power would be just as astonishing.

They acquired all the artisans from the Liao and Bohai kingdoms, as well as the siege weapons and tools they had stockpiled over the years.

In the past, they used to rely on brute force, and there was no one in the world who could withstand a single blow from them, so they became too lazy to use that method.

Now they've all moved in to engage in a fierce battle.

However, their supplies couldn't keep up, and the stone projectiles here were piled up like small mountains, with hundreds of people pulling on ropes and shouting slogans to fire them.

On the Jurchen side, it took them ages to fire a single shot, and their accuracy was wildly off.

"Commander Han, the enemy's forces are gathering in greater numbers. Is a decisive battle about to begin?"

Han Shizhong nodded and smiled, "What, are you scared?"

"What's there to be afraid of? These Tartars are really tough. We've been fighting for so long and we still haven't wiped them out!" A young lieutenant said, "If you ask me, you've never fought against the Western barbarians. That's why they can hold out for a hundred years!"

Han Shizhong chuckled and said, "Western bandits, Western bandits, don't use those two words carelessly from now on."

The group smiled knowingly; most of the former Western bandits had become their own people.

In the words of the Prince of Dai: Do not say anything that is detrimental to unity.

Han Shizhong chewed a large mouthful of meat and said slowly, "Speaking of which, the Jurchen Tartars are really not as troublesome as the Western Xia people back then."

"The Jurchen Tartars have been winning ever since they started their rebellion. They don't know how to yield or stand firm. Even when they encounter a situation they can't win, they still fight it out. If this messy war were between the Western Xia and the Jurchens, they would have withdrawn from Youyan long ago, submitting petitions to surrender and secretly giving you a few more blows."

"After weighing the options, the court could only negotiate peace with them, allowing them to use the opportunity to gather strength and then make a comeback."

Han Shizhong spent half his life fighting against the Western Xia and knew them very well.

He continued, "Don't underestimate the Western Xia people. Those cunning bastards are very shrewd and know how to preserve their strength. The Jurchen Tartars are still unwilling to admit defeat. Anyone can see the situation clearly, yet they insist on gambling here and fighting head-on. I think if we kill more of the Tartars' fresh troops this time, what will they use to resist when we launch our northern expedition in the future!" (End of Chapter)