You have truly caused me great suffering!

Peace and prosperity are not found in music and dance, but in the sounds of rice threshing in the villages.

As if by prior arrangement, in the Hexi Corridor, across the Hengshan Mountains, on the Xingqing Plain, at the Yinxia Fortress
And there's also the land east of the river.

They are all holding "Autumn Festival" celebrations.

They worshipped the land god to give thanks for the harvest and to pray for favorable weather in the coming year.

By this time, the autumn harvest was basically complete, and overall it went smoothly.

The officials of Hedong were truly as if they had won a battle, and they were indeed exhausted.

The biggest challenge this autumn harvest, especially in Hedong, is the shortage of manpower.

In various places, under the guidance of gentry and officials, a shrine was first built under the community tree to offer sacrifices such as pigs, sheep, melons and fruits, and the ceremony was presided over by a respected elder.

Then the people shared the meat and rice from the community, enjoying the fruits of the harvest together.

Villagers drink together with newly brewed rice wine or village wine, while wealthy locals prepare "community rice," which involves slicing pork, mutton, melons, ginger, and other ingredients into chess pieces, placing them on top of rice, steaming it, and then sharing it with their fellow villagers.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they would sing and dance and perform in the village.

Villagers beat drums and sang songs, dancing around bonfires. In wealthier villages, they pooled their money to build a stage and put on a show to thank the gods.

They also hold pig and goose races, where each family gathers their slaughtered livestock for a sacrificial ceremony, where the gods "judge" the competition, creating a joyful and lively atmosphere.

When Chen Shao arrived in Fenzhou, he presided over the local sacrificial ceremony at the altar on the outskirts of the city.

The battles on the front lines are indeed important, but only by ensuring adequate production in the rear can the supplies and provisions for the war on the front lines be provided.

Having witnessed the dire situation of the Western Army and having served in its lower ranks, Chen Shao knew all too well the importance of food to the soldiers.

In fact, if there is war on the front lines, everything in the rear will come to a standstill. That is not support for the war, but a hindrance.

This means that destruction is not far off.

Just like during the Jingkang Incident in history, the two emperors in Bianjing would no longer hold any folk celebrations.

The more orderly and composed the rear is, the greater the hope of victory in the war, and the more confident everyone will be.

A large crowd gathered in the countryside outside Fenzhou.

Those who came today are all symbols of status, so everyone is all smiles.

Chen Shao read a sacrificial text on the main altar, and then led the crowd in worshipping Heaven.

The people below, both men and women, were all joyful.

They wore various colorful clothes, all of which were orthodox and had not been tainted by the Hu people after they entered the Central Plains. Their styles and aesthetics were indeed magnificent.

The atmosphere was like that of the New Year. Looking at their expressions, Chen Shao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He was always in a good mood whenever there was such a joyous gathering, especially after witnessing the calamities brought about by war and poverty.

Chen Shao still remembers clearly the appearance of those dead laborers when he was the grain transport commissioner on the Hengshan front.

Since arriving in this era, he has seen too many people, including kings and generals, emperors and beauties, but those common laborers occupy a place in his memory so clearly.

Behind them are families.

The capable hold positions, and the foolish benefit from them.

Having reached this position, Chen Shao has never been an extreme egoist or someone who places excessive importance on his own desires.

If Chen Shao were starving and on the verge of death, he might resort to any means necessary to survive.

But now that he has taken this position, he naturally has a sense of compassion and can be more magnanimous.

Along the way, he made compromises and gave up many things.

Even at this point, he did not suppress those who were clearly hostile to him, such as Li Gang and Yuwen Xuzhong.

Looking at the jubilant people, their smiling faces, Chen Shao knew that the foundation of his power lay among the people, not in the imperial court.

The opinions of those high-ranking officials in the court could not stop him from continuing his rapid advancement.

Thinking of this, Chen Shao smiled and stepped down from the altar, joining everyone in dancing and celebrating.
-
Autumn is here, the horses are fat, and the harvest is in full swing.

The canals and roads in Hebei are still under construction, but Hebei is not the only supply line that can reach the front lines.

The situation was becoming clearer, and after the Tartars gathered their troops, Zhu Lingling and Han Shizhong took the opportunity to launch a joint attack.

On the south bank of the Baigou River, along the water's edge, rows of earthen mounds are slowly taking shape.

On the riverbank, thousands of Dingnan soldiers, stripped of their armor, shirtless, and covered in mud, were working tirelessly to build dikes and bridges.

Shovels and hoes flew about, scattering loose soil as they dug it out. Amidst the billowing dust, soldiers loaded the soil, chanting as they carried it to the riverbank, continuously building up and thickening the dam.

In addition to digging and transporting soil, soldiers worked in groups of four, carrying simple wooden rammers and stones to compact the soil layer by layer.

Then tread on it gently to compact it. The advantage of this is that it can be put into use immediately.

The Tartars on the opposite bank, after gathering their troops, actually retreated.

They also knew that there was no hope of crossing the river to attack and completely defeat the Dingnan Army.

So they readily gave way, because the Jin Dynasty couldn't afford to waste any more time.
Logically, the Dingnan Army should have continued to wear them down at this point. As long as the other fronts could hold, the Tartars would collapse sooner or later.

However, the Dingnan Army was different from the Song Army. Their goal was not to drive the Tartars out, but to kill as many of their soldiers as possible in order to prepare for the future Northern Expedition.

Therefore, Han Shizhong chose to cross the river.

If you want a decisive battle, then I will fight you.

Baigou River is not a single river, but rather a stretch of marshland dotted with several waterways.

Many of these ferry crossings were now under the control of the Dingnan Army.

After Zonghan and Zongwang joined forces to cross the river, they gained a foothold and even recaptured some of the crossing points.

However, the overall terrain still favored the Dingnan army.

The auxiliary soldiers who are working are mostly from Yunnei, and some are laborers from Hebei.

Hebei laborers are generally thin, but these lean-looking soldiers were working incredibly hard. Their shouts were deafening, and the veins on their skin bulged from the exertion.

Although everyone was sweating profusely and their lips were cracked, not one of them slacked off in the slightest!
They were so badly harmed by the Tartars that they wished they could build a bridge immediately, rush over, and devour those Tartars alive.

After the Jurchens rose up, their cruel and brutal methods did indeed help them establish their authority.

However, relying on this kind of killing is obviously not going to work. In the past, it was just that we happened to encounter the Song Dynasty's own weakness.

Now that there is someone who can rival them, the brutality of the Jurchens immediately becomes a great help to the Dingnan Army.

Everyone wanted to join the Dingnan Army.

Besides the soldiers building the dam, hundreds of people were also busy along the Baigou River, cutting timber to prepare materials for the bridge.

These people were just as quick and efficient, and their workload was no less than that of those who were carrying out earthwork.

The Jurchens couldn't afford to waste time and were eager for battle, so they even gave up part of the Baigou River valley and ferry crossing. The Dingnan Army was the same; they were afraid that if they were a step too late, all the credit would be taken away, so they immediately threw themselves into a frantic preparation to cross the river!

Although the generals always say that they will launch a northern expedition in the future, who knows when that will be?

And what if they don't launch the Northern Expedition?
This is the last chance!

The Tartar emperor personally mobilized all the forces of the Jin dynasty to come and support their two armies. At that point, the hope of annihilating the Tartars was dashed.

The only option is to kill as many as possible, because the Tartar population is limited, and it is not an easy task to increase the population.

Chen Shao will not give them the opportunity to raise the next generation.

If they lose this battle, they will surely flee back to their northern stronghold. At that time, the recapture of Youyan will be accomplished with a simple proclamation, and there probably won't be many military achievements.

This was a rare opportunity. While the auxiliary troops and laborers were busy at work, the soldiers were resting and preparing, cleaning their weapons and mending their armor, ready to fight to the death at any moment!

Meanwhile, on the opposite bank, there were also hundreds of knights, scouts, and patrols wandering around.

Such scouts and sentries are enough to form a small cavalry unit.

The soldiers of Yinzhou fought their way through the city, one after another serving as the vanguard, charging ahead in armor and weapons.

They engaged in open-field battles with the Jurchen Tartars, suffering heavy losses, but also honing their skills thoroughly.

Although he is now just sitting and resting, his clothes and armor are worn out, and he is thin, his proud and sharp spirit has already emerged from its cocoon!

They came from the Hengshan area and were used to hardship. In the past, they were repeatedly abused by the Song and Xia dynasties in battle, and they had no armor and very few weapons.

Now that they have enough to eat every day, are fully equipped with armor and weapons, and have their families taken care of, they can focus solely on killing enemies and achieving merit.

Suddenly, a small cheer erupted from the riverbank. A pontoon bridge had been built, and a group of soldiers, shirtless and wearing only shorts, simply ran to the other side to continue construction. Soldiers who knew how to swim even entered the water and swam to the other side to continue working.

There was also a shirtless military officer with both feet in the water, loudly giving orders.

Immediately, more than ten soldiers began to don armor and take up arms. In addition to the swords they carried for self-defense, each soldier also carried a crossbow and a foot bow.

They surged aboard the raft, ready to cross to the other side as pioneers, to be the first to reach the Jurchen camp and establish a small foothold.

The auxiliary soldiers and laborers who were working on the earthen ramparts, as well as the cavalry who were resting and waiting for orders, all kept looking towards the riverbank. When they saw the group of armored soldiers crossing the river, everyone cheered loudly!

These vanguard soldiers were not ordinary armored warriors, but rather elite heavily armored cavalry carefully selected by Han Shizhong.

When the Iron Falcons of Western Xia were destroyed, they hid all their armor.

Chen Shao could only follow the blueprints to make more than two hundred suits of armor and buy several hundred fine horses from the Western Regions as mounts.

Although there are not many of these people, their mere presence forms an impregnable line of defense.

Just then, the scouts sent out to the north suddenly sounded the urgent whistle of horns, immediately drawing everyone's attention!

The soldiers who had been working together in the trench rolled over and shouted, "Get into the earthen ramparts and put on your armor!"

A large group of soldiers, covered in dirt, rolled and crawled up the earthen rampart and filed in through the opening in the rampart.

The soldiers who were tamping the earth also dropped the hastily made wooden tampers, rolled down, and picked up the bows and crossbows that were placed beside them. They took out the arrows and crossbows from their quivers and stuck them one by one into the still somewhat loose tamped earth. In an instant, the earthen mound, which was only half a person high, was covered with a row of tall grass!
The assembled cavalry all rose to their feet, producing only a single, resounding clang of metal striking metal.

Then they mounted their horses and, in groups of ten, went west along the gap left in the earthen mound, then crossed the narrow horse path left in the ditch, like several long dragons, heading north to meet them!

"Those Tartars are truly shameless!"

Both sides tacitly sought war, but the Jurchens, seeing that the Dingnan army was indeed building dikes to cross the river, could not resist coming to harass them.

To the north, a few scouts had already retreated south, glancing back and occasionally firing an arrow as they went.

Behind them followed several dozen Jurchen light cavalry, wearing only half armor, carrying no long weapons, with conspicuous flags on their backs, all wielding horse bows, pursuing them at a leisurely pace while firing arrows.

Arrows flew back and forth in the air, but due to the distance, neither side could be considered accurate. These Jurchen light cavalry did not seem to have any intention of launching a fierce attack on the outpost.

Behind them, however, one could see several Jurchen banners fluttering in the wind, and thousands of Jurchen armored cavalry, like dark clouds surging in the sky, slowly pressing in!
Large numbers of Jurchen troops arrived one after another!

Han Shizhong was also alarmed. He stood on his high place, hands on his hips, and sneered: "Just as you predicted, these Tartars have arrived!"

"Well done!" Zhu Lingling laughed heartily, picked up his weapon, and walked down the path, as if he were about to lead his troops to press forward.

If the Tartars want to ambush the Dingnan army while they are crossing the river, then we should withstand their attack and begin a counterattack.

With a wave of Han Shizhong's hand, the command flag was waved, and countless small boats were pushed out from the reeds.

The soldiers boarded the ships and headed towards the opposite shore.

These were the tools they deliberately hid to cross the river, in preparation for the Jurchen Tartars to return.

However, the number of Jurchen troops that came this time seemed to be quite large. On the other side of the river, more than a hundred Jurchen riders could be seen advancing along the riverbank.

A small number of Jurchen troops also crossed the river to the east, seemingly intending to control both sides of this valley! When the scouts returned, a loud gong and drum sounded from the cavalry ranks that had already crossed the trench and formed their lines.

It turned out that the group that had crossed the river had already put on their armor with the help of the auxiliary troops, and their horses were also fully armored.

Hundreds of armored cavalrymen who were the first to cross the river as the vanguard let out a unified shout, laid their broadswords flat, and the blades gleamed in the blazing sun.

When the vanguard general stepped forward and raised his hand to strike, the hundreds of armored cavalrymen immediately and in unison marched towards the slowly advancing Jurchen Tartar army!
Beneath the helmets, each face was cold and resolute, silent and determined, showing no sign of wavering in the face of the advancing Jurchen cavalry!

They gripped their weapons tightly, each one powerful and strong, and even as blood and flesh flew everywhere in the fighting, they remained unshaken.

Facing the heavily armored and elite cavalry of the Dingnan Army, and the low earthen rampart overgrown with arrows and tall grass, the Jurchen leader Mouke hesitated slightly.

Looking around, all I could see were the faces of Jurchen men, their expressions hardened.

He knew that this time, there would be no return. Even if he broke through this terrifying defensive line, there would be endless waves of Western barbarians coming after him.

As the vanguard, they had no chance of survival!
"Fight to the death!"

The Jurchen leader, Mouke, roared and led his men in a charge, even tearing off and throwing away their precious longbows and quivers.

Later, some of the Tartars rode on horseback and shot arrows.

To be fair, this skill is indeed impressive, but it's no longer of any use at this point.

Since there was no chance of survival, the Tartars were ready to charge.

They were met by a line of heavy cavalry, whose biggest weakness was their slow speed when pursuing.

It would be very frustrating if the enemy escaped or attacked from the flank using speed.

But at this point, defense is all they need to do, which couldn't be better for them.

They wielded long weapons with long blades and wide blades. After each battle, they would hand over their weapons and armor, which would be repaired or replaced by special auxiliary troops.

Their daily routine consists of maintaining good health; they don't need to do anything else.

The horses are well cared for, the weapons and armor are well maintained, and they are well fed and well equipped.

Raising an army for a thousand days can be spent in just one moment.

Facing the charging Tartars, they moved in perfect unison, raising their swords and slashing repeatedly.

The Jurchens, who were once invincible and unrivaled, could not even break through the defenses of these mere two hundred men.

Countless crossbow bolts came from all directions.

Soldiers hidden along the riverbank, soldiers on boats on the river, and soldiers on the embankment were all shooting arrows.

In addition, there were several hundred scouts.

The Dingnan Army had clearly anticipated this move.
The Jurchen Tartars, who had intended to launch a surprise attack and ambush their troops en route, never expected to be met with such a formidable force when they arrived at the riverbank.

There were even heavily armored cavalry advancing in formation, their blades already as sharp as walls. Guided by their fluttering banners, they annihilated the vanguard of the Jurchen cavalry and then pressed towards them!

Looking around, Puliyan, the commander of the Jurchen Western Route Army, could no longer see much of the high fighting spirit on the faces of his men.

The morale of the Western Route Army had been dampened by this Dingnan Army.

They lost their self-confidence.

The warhorse also sneezed uneasily, taking two steps forward and two steps back.

Upon realizing this, the man named Tetris suddenly felt a surge of anger!
When have we Jurchen armored cavalry ever been afraid?

He couldn't accept this fact, especially just now. Cowardly and wavering thoughts kept flashing through his mind, although he eventually forced them down, he still felt deeply ashamed.

He suddenly drew his long sword and raised it into the air, roaring fiercely, "Charge these barbarian dogs! Engage them now! These barbarian dogs are no match for us! We Jurchen warriors are invincible! When we see the enemy, we only charge forward, never retreat!"

Tetri's fierce roar finally ignited the ferocity of his Jurchen warriors. Hundreds of armored cavalrymen shouted in unison, spread out their ranks, and laid down their long cavalry weapons, kicking their horses hard in the flanks. Amid the neighing of their warhorses, the iron cavalry kicked up dust.

On the banks of the Baigou River, where countless battles had taken place, under the bright sun, facing the massive Dingnan Army cavalry closing in like a wall, they mustered their last strength and launched an attack!

Meanwhile, to the south, the Dingnan army was constantly crossing the river, with more and more people surging ashore to join the battle.

On the embankment, several military officers were positioned in staggered positions, directing everyone to cross the river and to stop firing at any time.

Only after the heavily armored cavalry had advanced a certain distance did they wave the command flag to allow their archers to cross the river.

On the raft, there are people and horses, just waiting to cross the river.

Amidst the shouts, the brothers pushed even more rafts into the water. Then, the soldiers quickly donned their armor, grabbed their bows and arrows and weapons, and without hesitation, crowded into raft after raft as they were pushed into the water at the command!
The civilian laborers and auxiliary soldiers, who served as boatmen, were shirtless, their faces flushed, and their muscles bulging, as they used poles to push the heavy raft away from the south bank.

Then, one pole after another, they propelled the raft filled with armored soldiers toward the opposite bank, which was more than ten feet away!
Everyone had only one thought in their minds.

Charge in, fight your way into the Jurchen tribes, and utterly defeat them.

They fought their way out of Nuanquan Peak, into the mountainous Yunnei region, into Yanmen Pass, and into Hebei Province.

Now, we are about to attack Youyan again. We have never been afraid, and therefore we have never been defeated.

This time it's the same, victory is within reach, this may be the last chance.

Having fought our way here, no matter what kind of enemy we are, nothing can stop us from crossing this damned Baigou River!

With a heavy thud, another raft crashed into the north bank.

Before they had even come to a complete stop, more than ten soldiers had already jumped into the water.

Splashing white waves, both men and horses struggled to reach the riverbank!

Once ashore, or while in shallow water, they would leap onto horseback and charge into battle with a roar.

At this moment, the Jurchen's minion wave was being pushed forward step by step.

Behind them, rafts were continuously launched into the water, each raft crowded with Dingnan Army soldiers, who bravely struggled to cross.

Some infantrymen and crossbowmen who were skilled in swimming did not wear armor, but were bare-chested, carrying only a crossbow on their backs and a bag of crossbow bolts slung across their shoulders. They jumped into the water and rowed vigorously towards the opposite bank!
The water was already quite cold at this point, but wearing too many clothes could easily lead to drowning, and the cotton wadding would be too heavy once it got wet.

On the Baigou River, there were simple wooden rafts crowded with soldiers, floating heads, and a fierce spirit of fighting to the death to head north!
At this moment, no one was afraid of the cold anymore; their blood was boiling with heat.

Behind them, the subsequent rafts crashed into the north bank one after another.

The first dozen or so crossbowmen to land were already riddled with arrows, and many of them knelt in the water with their heads down, still holding their crossbows tightly in their hands.

That small patch of water had already been dyed a blush of red.

Meanwhile, more crossbowmen shouted and jumped into the water, creating waves, and charged forward with reckless abandon!

The hundred or so Jurchen armored cavalrymen desperately drew their bows and fired, and in the blink of an eye, many of them had already emptied a whole bag of arrows.

However, the number of Dingnan Army cavalrymen surging onto the riverbank increased, and the number of crossbowmen standing or kneeling on the riverbank, holding bows and crossbows and shooting arrows also increased!

With a sharp crack, a Jurchen man named Puliyanla, one of Zonghan's subordinates, broke his horsebow. The broken string struck his face, leaving a bloody mark.

His palms were covered in bloodstains. He threw down his bow and drew his sword, shouting, "These barbarians have gone mad! They're all mad dogs!"

With a roar, a crossbow bolt pierced his throat, and he fell backward, dead.

"Cross the river! Cross the river!" The Dingnan Army shouted loudly as they crossed the river, and then bravely marched forward, with everyone vying to be the first.

No wonder Puliyan cursed them as mad dogs; these Dingnan Army soldiers were indeed insane enough, and as opponents, they were truly terrifying.

Their faces were ferocious, their eyes wide open. Sometimes they were shot with arrows, but they didn't seem to feel any pain. They would pull them out and continue charging.

Even when pulling out the barbs, the flesh is pulled out along with the barbs, but the person doesn't seem to notice.

The Jurchen warriors had experienced this state of mind when they first rose up against a Khitan army that outnumbered them by dozens of times; they had once been in a state of frenzy.

But it's been more than ten years.
They are no longer the warriors who braved the harsh conditions of the Northeast, enduring ice and snow, hunting tigers and bears.

Each person had dozens of servants, and each person plundered their wealth.

They often felt fear when faced with this group of crazy Western barbarians.

They even called each other "barbarians".

From the very beginning, these people were fearless and possessed a kind of "savagery" that even the Jurchen Tartars couldn't understand.

Zhu Lingling calmly observed the battlefield and felt that the time was almost right; a large open space had been cleared on the opposite bank.

"Kill it!"

At the commander's order, a soldier took off his helmet, threw it to the ground, opened his eyes wide, and shouted loudly.

Shouts and the sounds of drums rose from the clouds, echoing and booming along both banks of the Baigou River.

The battlefield reverberated with a symphony of sounds, as if layers of thunder were rolling from south to north, making the Baigou River seem to part its waves to make way for the thousands of warriors fighting to the death heading north!
Amidst such fierce shouts, dust rose in the west, and amidst the mountains, along the road leading east, the banners of the Dingnan Army unfurled, and large cavalry units were continuously advancing eastward!

Are there still enemy troops?

Wanyan Zongbi, who was in charge of the raid, immediately realized that these were enemy soldiers who had slipped through Xi Yin's lines.

He was immediately alarmed. Had the defenses on the other side been breached?
Could Xi Yin really be that useless?

He wasn't unaware of how difficult things were for Xi Yin, but at this moment, people lacked empathy.

I wish all my comrades were gods descended from heaven.

Wanyan Zongbi was pale. Regardless of whether these troops had broken through Xiyin's defenses, even if they hadn't come, he was doomed.

In this world, there is probably nothing that can stop these Western barbarians from crossing the Baigou River and tearing apart the inescapable net laid by the Jurchen army!
We should have left long ago!

The force attacking from the west was indeed a cavalry unit led by Li Xiaozhong.

They captured Liangxiang Town, and Wanyan Xiyin retreated to Yanjing, abandoning the defense line along the Gaoliang River.

Li Xiaozhong did not immediately attack Yanjing, even though the achievement was so great.

He always remembered the strategy for this battle: to kill as many Jurchen Tartars as possible.

As for the city, it will be in our hands sooner or later.

Therefore, he sent men eastward to attack the main force of the Jurchen Tartars from the flank.

This indeed created an opportunity for crossing the river later.

Wanyan Zongbi gradually lost his ability to resist and suffered repeated defeats.

Although he managed to escape with his strength and the powerful horse he rode, he ultimately managed to survive.

However, almost all of Wanyan Zongbi's personal guards, the Mouke, were lost. The horse that had fought alongside him for years was eventually too badly wounded to get up again. Wanyan Zongbi, who had killed his own warhorse, was also covered in wounds and his clothes were soaked in blood.

After fleeing and fighting for dozens of miles to the north, they finally ran into the reinforcements who had arrived, and were able to remove their armor, bandage their wounds, and stop the bleeding.

Staring at Zongwang's banner, Wanyan Zongbi was lost in thought, completely unaware of the pain in his body.

At this very moment, in the main military camp where the Jurchen forces were stationed, shouts of battle were rising into the sky.

Three Jurchen armies marched in formation, their flags fluttering in the wind, their bugles echoing and stirring.

There was one route led by the emperor, and two other routes, one to the east and one to the west.

The Jurchen soldiers charged toward the Dingnan army, while more generals and their personal guards awaited the order.

Be ready to charge at any time.

He watched as groups of Jurchen warriors charged past him.

Wanyan Zongbi had only one thought in his mind.

The final battle has arrived. (End of Chapter)