You have truly caused me great suffering!

In autumn, the grass and water plants on the Lingwu Grassland are lush and green.

In the barracks, Wu Jie sat in front of a wooden map, watching his personal guards wash their warhorses.

The terrain of Liaodong is clearly visible on the map.

Wu Jie traced lines on the wooden map with his finger, searching for locations for troop deployment and ambush, as well as routes for transporting supplies.

At this moment, a rider galloped in from afar, dismounted upon reaching Wu Jie, and walked to his side, clasping his hands in greeting: "General, secret orders from Taiyuan!"

Wu Jie's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly tensed up, his face even turning slightly red.

A myriad of possibilities suddenly flooded his mind.

Are they going to switch responsibilities with the frontline?
After receiving the secret order and unfolding it, Wu Jie's expression gradually calmed down.

But he still seemed somewhat excited.

When I first started out, I fought a bloody battle in Youzhou, but I never felt this tense.

It turned out that he wasn't being sent to the eastern front, but rather to be conscripted from Tibet.

"Sound the drums to gather the generals!"

Wu Jie nominally commands a considerable number of troops, but it is not appropriate for him to take too many people with him when the Prince of Dai orders him to conquer Tibet.

We need to adopt an elite force strategy.

Because fighting on the plateau presents numerous limitations, and the best horses to choose are the finest horses from the Hequ region of the plateau.

These horses were in large numbers in the Guiyi New Army in Hexi.

After losing the Guiyi Army, the Zhang family's biggest business was controlling the horse breeding and livestock raising of the foreign people who had come to join them.

When Wu Jie was stationed in Xiping Prefecture, he made many preparations, including going to the eastern front to fight the Jurchens and going to the west to conquer the Tibetans.

So when he saw Chen Shao's order, a series of plans immediately came to mind.

Once most of the people had arrived, Wu Jie calmed himself down and said, "The Tubo have been invading for years, and the Prince of Dai has reached his limit and ordered my troops to annihilate them."

Upon hearing this, the generals were greatly disappointed, thinking that they were about to launch an eastern expedition.

The result was that I was assigned to work for the farm protection team.

Wu Jie suddenly laughed and said, "When we reach Jishi Mountain, we will build a city to defend it. Wherever our army goes, those who surrender will be escorted to Liangzhou, and those who do not surrender will be killed without exception."

With a whoosh, everyone in the camp was excited, for they were about to expand their territory.

Furthermore, what does it mean that those who surrender will be escorted to Liangzhou, while those who do not surrender will be killed without exception?

Isn't that just about completely eradicating the barbarians from this land?

There were Tibetans within the Dingnan Army who herded livestock under the Zhang family and had been subservient to the Zhang family for over three hundred years.

Since the target is Jishi Mountain, then Qinghai and Tibet are all enemies.

This can be considered a major battle.

Twenty years ago, Tong Guan pacified the border, and the Qusiluo regime of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was defeated by Wang Hou.

In the third year of Chongning, Tong Guan launched the "Chongning Hehuang Campaign," and together with Wang Hou, he eventually destroyed the Qing Tang regime and recovered Qing Tang City.

The Song Dynasty renamed Shanzhou (Qingtang) to Xining Prefecture and established Huangzhou (Miaochuan) as the seat of the Longyou Protectorate. The Central Plains dynasty regained control of the Hehuang region after 337 years since the An Lushan Rebellion.

Then, using this as a springboard, they attacked Western Xia.

Unfortunately, the Tibetans here were never completely conquered.

The Song Dynasty attempted to establish military settlements and pacify the Tibetan tribes here, but the remnants of the Qinghai-Tibetan forces colluded with the Western Xia and launched continuous rebellions.

Less than two years later, the Song Dynasty was forced to abandon Huangzhou, and Qingtang fell into chaos once again.

The Song Dynasty's record in the Northwest has always been like this: it can capture some victories, but it often cannot hold them and quickly loses them again.

Even after Chen Shao conquered Western Xia and reclaimed the Hexi Corridor, they continued to attack Liangzhou, simply because it was their only remaining target for plunder.

The formation of the Hexi Farmers Protection Team was essentially a way to deal with them.

This battle will bring Qinghai and the source of the Yellow River into the territory.

Moreover, the king's order was very clear: he had no intention of establishing a system of control over the area, leaving subjugated tribal leaders to continue ruling.

Instead, it's about changing the race of people on this land.

It may seem like a bit of a hassle now, but in the long run, it will prevent the lingering hidden danger from erupting at any time.

Moreover, as the climate cools, this land can no longer support so many people; leaving them here means they will slowly be eliminated by nature.
-

Wu Jie's troops moved with great speed.

Just ten days later, Chen Shao received news that Wu Jie had already set out on the expedition.

His troops were mainly cavalry, and they were as aggressive as fire and as swift as the wind.

Looking at the new map hanging in the study, Chen Shao gently traced it with his finger.

Although the conditions in Qingtang area are not as good as before, it is not entirely undevelopable if the nomadic economy can be transformed into an integrated agriculture and animal husbandry economy.

By reclaiming wasteland in places like Minzhou and Taozhou and introducing advanced agricultural tools and farming techniques from their own institute, grain production can still be increased.

Moreover, this place was an important horse-breeding area, and in the later period, most of the horses of the Song Dynasty were obtained from here.

The reason for choosing to completely disperse and relocate the tribes here is that the people here are very difficult to tame.

After Wang Hou captured Qingtang, the remnants of the Tubo forces joined forces with the Western Xia to launch a counterattack, forcing the Song army into a long-term, low-intensity war.

Later, they had to withdraw, giving up much of the territory they had already conquered.

Wang Hou had no choice; even if he wanted to suppress it, the cost would be too high.

And what can you do? They surrendered when they saw your powerful army, but they'll rebel again after you leave.

Wang Hou has neither the right nor the means to relocate the barbarians inland. You are moving them to Longyou.

How could we possibly give up the land belonging to the local Han Chinese to cultivate?

What Wang Hou and the Song Dynasty could not do, Chen Shao could.

On the land of Dingnan Army, which was originally the land of Western Xia, there were countless fortresses and villages. The people in these fortresses were well-organized and were both farmers and soldiers.

The barbarians were dispersed and sent to work in the fortified villages, where they were given food and the labor force was increased.

Moreover, there is no need to worry about them rebelling, as all the fortresses and strongholds within the territory of Dingnan Army are full of martial virtue.

Each of them was formed to withstand the siege of the Western Xia army.

Strictly speaking, these fortified villages were Chen Shao's largest base of operations. His rise to power was based on these fortified villages.

Starting his career in the Northwest gave Chen Shao many skills that heroes who rose to power in the Central Plains could not use.

For example, the practice of plundering people and enslaving them in their own territory is a typical characteristic of nomadic peoples.

The Western Xia people did it, the Jurchen people did it, and the later Manchu Qing dynasty took it to the extreme, always going out of the pass to plunder large numbers of Han people and make them their slaves.

However, the Central Plains dynasties could not use it.

Because they don't have enough land to cultivate, and after you seize it, there's nowhere to house and care for them.

Are we supposed to let unarmed civilians manage them?
If weapons are distributed to the people, the government will worry that they will rebel.

Now Chen Shao can use this method to conquer Qinghai-Tibet.

With the Dingnan Army's current formidable power, the identity of their opponent is no longer even important.

Looking around, the Northwest is basically a bunch of mud chickens and clay dogs. What can really cause trouble for the Dingnan Army is probably the terrain and climate.

Fortunately, the goal at this stage is Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the altitude sickness is not yet obvious.
— Tanzhou.

Inside Han Shizhong's Hall of Honor.

Upon learning that the Prince of Dai had opened up another battlefield, Han Shizhong sighed.

The supplies delivered this year are noticeably less plentiful than last year.

Han Shizhong was not a civil official, and he was not actually very clear about the source of the supplies.

After the Jingkang Incident, the retired emperor was stripped of his power, and Cai Jing chose to cooperate with the Prince of Dai.

The Dingnan Army began to rely on both sides; the imperial court provided them with food, supplies, and provisions, while the Dingnan Army itself also received its own supplies.

Several military leaders sat below him, whispering among themselves, not discussing the battles at the front.

At present, they are only sending out small groups of troops to harass people everywhere, and the various battle situations are not worth discussing.

Han Shizhong glanced at his men and noticed that they all seemed to have gotten a bit chubby.

I don't know if it's because the autumn chill made me wear more clothes, or because I haven't fought in a long time and have gained weight.

Actually, gaining weight isn't a bad thing. If a real fight breaks out, who can guarantee they'll have a chance to eat every day?

Sometimes, during forced marches, soldiers would often ride at full speed for a whole day and night to find opportunities to engage in battle.

At this point, just like with horses, it all comes down to how much fat you have.

The King of Dai gave everyone a year to rest, which was originally for this very reason.

Han Shizhong rubbed his wrists and suddenly said, "What do you say?"

Everyone raised their heads and looked at their commander.

"Why do you think the Prince of Dai is launching attacks on all sides?"

Many of these military officers were newly promoted and were eager to climb the ranks and establish merit.

Upon hearing Han Shizhong's words, a young general stood up and said, "In my humble opinion, the Prince of Dai is certainly building his reputation through his campaigns, preparing for further advancement!"

Like a stone thrown into a still pond, this topic has always been a highly explosive one among the three main forces of the Dingnan Army.

Once it's brought up, it will receive an unprecedented response, regardless of the occasion, and then be discussed intensely.

Sure enough, this time was no exception. Some people have suggested that Han Shizhong lead his troops back to Hedong and help the Prince of Dai to don the yellow robe.

Then this number one merit would be his.

"General, Wang Chuan is right. If we don't act soon and let others go back before us, we'll regret it!"

"Get out! Get out!" Han Shizhong cursed. "A bunch of scoundrels, what do you know? The Prince of Dai ordered me, Han Wu, to stay here, but you're trying to get me to go back to Hedong."

“Don’t you know that the Prince of Dai hates people who abandon their posts? I’ve been following him since Hengshan, how could I fall for your tricks?”

"When the time comes, you'll all shift the blame onto me, claiming you deserve credit for the success of the founding of the dynasty, but I'll take the blame for disobeying military orders?"

After a group of snickers, they all shut up. They didn't have such thoughts, but when the time came, it would definitely be as Han Shuai said.

He is the commander-in-chief; if he doesn't take responsibility, who will? Everyone was ordered to support him.

In the eyes of these soldiers, what else in the world could be more important than this?
If it were me, I would have been eager to overthrow the Song Dynasty and take its place long ago.

The Prince of Dai truly deserves to be called a dragon among men; he can endure this, which is no ordinary person.

However, Han Shizhong was indeed puzzled, not understanding what Chen Shao was up to.

Finally, after racking his brains, he still couldn't figure it out. Suddenly, an idea struck him: Old Zhu knows the Prince of Dai better than I do. I'll send someone to ask him.
-

Unlike the dense forests and wilderness of Gubeikou, where spies and sentries from both sides would fight to the death whenever they saw each other, with daily life-or-death battles taking place.

Zhu Lingling's troops were stationed on the west bank of the Ji River for defense, and the area was very peaceful.

On the other side, Zhen Wuchen was stationed, and Zhu Lingling would send people over to maintain good relations whenever she had free time.

Zhen Wuchen did not want to fight with Dingnan's army, as he was genuinely afraid of this force.

Having fought so many wars over the years, he originally thought that the Jurchens were unparalleled in bravery.

At Wuhui Ridge, he witnessed firsthand the army that had nearly brought the Jurchen Tartars to their knees, fighting with fearlessness and everyone vying to be the first to charge.

Zhu Lingling, dressed in light armor with a knife at her waist, was patrolling the riverbank.

Hu Yantong and the others followed closely behind him.

Seeing a small boat returning from the other side, Hu Yantong knew it was delivering wine to the other side.

"General, although Zhen Wuchen is known as the number one fierce general of the Ever Victorious Army, in my humble opinion, he is nothing special. General, what is your status? Why do you need to send him wine?"

Zhu Lingling laughed and said, "Zhen Wuchen is really nothing. I sent him wine to show the soldiers and civilians on the other side."

"Liaodong has been occupied by the Liao, Song, and Jin dynasties, and now by Guo Yaoshi. These people are all cruel and have killed countless people. The people of Liaodong, especially those in the Pinglu area, all miss the scholar-general Zhang Jue."

"I want to be more friendly and let them know that we are not aggressive and bloodthirsty. After we win the battle, many people will surrender, and we will save a lot of wine."

Hu Yantong seemed to understand, but did not ask any further questions. When he was fighting in the Northwest, his opponent was the Western Xia.

The two sides were sworn enemies for centuries, and when they met, they wished they could devour each other alive. Later, when they fought against the Jurchens, they were also mortal enemies.

In his mind, the enemy should be treated with the utmost ruthlessness.

At that moment, a rider galloped in from a distance.

Hu Yantong had sharp eyesight; from a distance, he could already tell that the man was Han Shizhong's personal guard.

"Why did this fellow send someone?"

He had a grudge against Han Shizhong, and the two were originally sworn brothers. Hu Yantong saved him many times.

However, as Han Shizhong was promoted, Hu Yantong treated him the same as before, showing absolutely no respect or awe.

Han Wu actually had the idea of ​​killing him.

If Chen Shao hadn't protected him, Hu Yantong would have actually been killed by Han Shizhong in history.

After dismounting, the newcomer clasped his hands and said, "Greetings, Commander."

Zhu Lingling nodded. "Did General Han send you?"

"Exactly."

After saying that, he handed a letter to Zhu Lingling.

Hu Yantong leaned over to take a look; that's just how he is, always a bit stubborn.

Logically speaking, these are letters between two commanders, how could a mere subordinate general like you be allowed to read them?

Upon seeing the letter, Hu Yantong realized he couldn't read and sheepishly withdrew his neck.

Thinking that Han Wu was illiterate before, but now he writes quite well, Hu Yantong sighed inwardly.

The gap between myself and Han Wu is indeed widening.

He wasn't ambitious and knew he wasn't cut out for it; he just wanted to fight desperately on the battlefield to prove himself.

After reading the letter, Zhu Lingling remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Qu Duan used to work with me in Yinzhou, and we still exchange letters frequently. According to him, the Prince of Dai is on the eastern sea, mainly for maritime trade routes."

"Now we're attacking Qinghai-Tibet, which is known as the Southern Silk Road and has a tea-horse trade. I heard about it when I was in Hengshan. The Hehuang barbarians are fickle. They allied with the Song to attack the Xia, and then allied with the Xia to attack the Song. They have no integrity. With them around, they will surely rob passing merchants."

“I believe that the western expedition to Qinghai is to protect trade routes. Opening up the sea in the east is also for the sake of trade routes. The Prince of Dai has a long-term vision. Since he values ​​trade routes so much, we should patiently wait for him for half a year.”

"Let's see how well the Prince of Dai has played his game in six months. Speaking of which, the Prince of Dai has unknowingly forged a long trade route connecting east and west." (End of Chapter)