You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 62 Sharing Wealth and Prosperity
Chen Shao immediately dismounted and asked, "Again?"

"How many came? Another eight hundred?"

Han Shizhong shook his head and said, "A little more this time."

"How many people came?" Chen Shao asked cautiously, a little nervous, swallowing hard.

"They're shouting that they have an army of 50,000, but in my opinion, these Xia thieves are talking nonsense. They're probably lucky to have 30,000 or 40,000."

Chen Shao was stunned.

Even if the figure of 50,000 troops is exaggerated, 30,000 to 40,000 would still be a considerable number. The Western Xia army was almost entirely composed of cavalry, and every soldier was skilled in riding and archery.

Although they knew before they arrived that the Western Xia might launch a large-scale invasion and engage in opportunism and adventure, they figured that a small country would not likely engage in a stalemate with a large country in terms of national strength and resources.

If we really judge them by their paper strength, the Song and Liao dynasties would undoubtedly be the dominant powers of their time.

He was silent for a moment, then asked, "Han Wu, what do you think?"

Hearing that Chen Shao's voice was somewhat hoarse, Han Shizhong was startled, wondering if he had frightened the commander.

He's young after all. I, Han Shizhong, have been fighting on the battlefield for over a decade. When I first went to the battlefield, Commander Chen was probably still wearing open-crotch pants.

Han Shizhong knew that his side's entire strength lay with Chen Shao. If Chen Shao became afraid and ordered everyone to retreat, Han Shizhong knew he couldn't stop him.

So he roused himself and said loudly, "Commander, rest assured, we have built a total of five new forts and stockades."

He squatted down, picked up a few stones from the ground, and piled them up in a makeshift manner. He said, “Look, these five fortresses have blocked the Xia bandits’ path. No matter which road they take or how they go, we can harass them from our high ground. If they want to get through here, they have to fight us and destroy us before they can pass.”

"Now that the roads are muddy, their food cannot be transported. We have already prepared for a scorched earth policy. If they don't want to eat tree bark, we can only fight quickly."

As Han Shizhong spoke, his tone became particularly serious, and he moved the stone again.

"If the Xia bandits fail to capture the city after a prolonged siege and their morale declines, they will surely have to retreat. At that time, we can pursue them relentlessly, capture several cities north of the mountain, and then, with Hengshan Mountain as our base, we can radiate outwards and recover the lost territory."

Chen Shao looked at him, his face serious as he fiddled with the pebbles, as if he could see the pebbles transform into a vast army.

Han Shizhong spoke very clearly and directly, and Chen Shao could understand him. Now they had the advantage of terrain.

Adding to the fact that it had been raining for days, the weather was also on their side.

The only problem is that we don't have enough men and horses.

Chen Shao couldn't help but ask, "Han Wu, aren't you afraid? The enemy has tens of thousands of troops, while we have less than ten thousand."

Less than ten thousand men—that was a clever way of putting it. Han Shizhong knew that the commander-in-chief still wanted to fight.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have called it "less than 10,000" when they had only 3,000 people, just to boost their morale.

Since they want to fight, that's fine. Han Shizhong has been a common soldier for so many years and is used to his superiors being afraid to fight or preserving their strength, which has made them fight countless humiliating battles.

Han Shizhong remained calm, crossed his hands, and said, “Commander, a true man should strive for merit and establish a career without risking his life or taking risks. Do you expect us to lead superior forces to sweep away the enemy? I would like to, but unfortunately, my ancestors were not worthy and did not give me this opportunity.”

"Moreover, the current situation is not that bad. Although we are not many people, we are not recruited new recruits who have never seen blood, but soldiers who have fought in battles. In addition, the commander has been running around these days, which has made our food and supplies plentiful, our weapons in good condition, and even our armor fully equipped."

"Although the Xia bandits are numerous, they have already fought a bloody battle with Liu Fa and have traveled a long distance from Tong'an City. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are exhausted. We also have troops from various parts of Shaanxi as our backup, while behind them are the Seven Qiang of Hengshan who are ready to bite them at any time."

"For people like you and me whose fathers aren't generals, this is our best opportunity. I, Han Wu, am overjoyed, what's there to be afraid of!" His tone wasn't loud, but it was powerful and resonant, stirring a surge of pride in Chen Shao's heart.

He stepped forward, grasped Han Shizhong's fist, and said, "Han Wu, this time I will risk my life to achieve great things and gain wealth together!"

Southwest of Hengshan.

Richard's tall figure sat astride his horse, his black cloak billowing in the strong wind.

The Western Xia troops marched in formation, each with a look of exhaustion on their face.

As Han Shizhong said, they did not have many men, but they had many cavalry and soldiers, but few laborers and people.

Moreover, these people were all elites of the Western Xia.

Such an opponent would be very difficult for the Song army to deal with if they were to engage in open field battles.

However, Han Shizhong and Chen Shao had already made up their minds to use the advantageous terrain to block them at Hengshan.

They were even prepared to abandon the fortress and deal with them in the mountains and forests.

Richard didn't really want to fight either; the Western Xia were already too weak to fight anymore, but he had no choice.

Otherwise, the conditions offered by the Song Dynasty would be too harsh.

As long as we can win one battle on the front lines, just one battle, and threaten the heartland of the Song Dynasty, preferably by massacring and plundering a few populous cities, we can intimidate the Song emperor and his officials.

Based on past experience, internal strife would break out within their court as a result, and they would often choose to compromise and make concessions.

He was the younger brother of the current emperor of Western Xia, a fierce and resourceful man who could draw a bow with a draw weight of two stones and shoot through heavy armor. He held military power for a long time and had many military achievements, especially in this desperate counterattack, where he killed Liu Fa, a famous general of the Song Dynasty.

With great power comes great responsibility. In fact, he felt that the battle of Tong'an City was the limit for both himself and Western Xia.

However, the country needs him to win another battle, as it concerns the future of Western Xia and whether it can avoid disintegration.

The Song, Liao, and Xia dynasties had stood in a tripartite balance for so long, and finally, the Song and Liao dynasties had both produced two incompetent rulers. His elder brother, however, was undoubtedly a ruler of great talent and ambition. If he could hold on and win one last battle, he could buy his brother time and opportunity.

He can definitely lead Western Xia to a truly glorious future.

The road ahead is difficult; even with his eyes closed, he can imagine how tough this battle will be, but he has no choice but to fight.

With all sorts of thoughts swirling in his mind, Richard, the Prince of Jin of Western Xia, finally let out a long sigh, impatiently flicked his whip in the air, and his sturdy horse with its snow-white hooves pricked up its ears and let out a long neigh.

His action immediately drew the attention of the soldiers nearby, causing their morale to drop.

Richard immediately realized that as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, he absolutely could not show such emotions.

He quickly straightened his back, spurred his horse to a high point by the roadside, reined in his horse, and watched the soldiers march.

The soldiers of Western Xia walked past the Prince of Jin, barely managing to muster some spirit.

The King of Jin said that after entering the Song city, he would kill, rape, and loot without restraint!

　Thank you to Garfield in the Kitchen, Memories of the World, and Phoenix Alliance for the generous donations!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)