You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 69 United We Stand
Chen Shao shook his head.

He didn't believe Han Shizhong would run away.

The current difficulties are something I'm facing for the first time, but for Han Shizhong, they probably don't amount to much.

After ten years as a low-ranking soldier in the Western Army, what dangers hadn't he seen? Why would he want to run away?
Does he not want to give up his future?
If things really come to a head, he can still rely on his bravery to run away.

Knowing Chen Shao as he did, he would most likely bring him along. After holding out for six days, Tong Guan would naturally bestow lavish rewards upon them, thus humiliating the Western Army generals.

Their promise to share wealth and status was not just empty words; the two of them were deeply bound together.

Han Shizhong knew Chen Shao's influence and his ability to curry favor with superiors, which were exactly what he desperately needed.

Chen Shao knew Han Shizhong's abilities and relied heavily on his military skills to open up opportunities for himself.

Only by working together can the two make progress together. Not only did Chen Shao know this, but Han Shizhong was even more aware of it. He couldn't get ahead in the Western Army, but he had a chance by following Chen Shao.

However, both of them harbored great ambitions and were unwilling to live a mediocre life.

Seeing that he didn't believe him, Yang Cheng stopped talking and said instead, "Commander, how long are we going to hold out? Give me a definite answer so I can mobilize our manpower."

Chen Shao thought for a long time, then silently raised three fingers.

Yang Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "Three days, we'll hold out for three days. Tomorrow, should we withdraw some soldiers to let them get out of the mud and rest? I'll encourage some civilians to come up and take their place for a while."

Chen Shao shook his head, craned his neck and looked westward. The Western Xia army camp appeared faintly in the rain.

He had realized that his troops were very strong and could not be replaced by laborers and civilians.

The people from several fortified villages gathered together and actually contributed a great deal of effort.

Moreover, morale had not been lost, so there was no need to take risks. He was still soaking in the mud and water, and even if he would fall seriously ill afterward, at least for now, he could hold on with the strength in his heart.

People are the most precious asset in this chaotic world, and Chen Shao now regards all these people as his private property.

The people he promoted, like Yang Cheng, were his core group. Even if he were transferred away in the future, as long as these people remained, the area covered by the fortress would be his territory.

Chen Shao's real purpose was to gain the support and influence of everyone he could command here.

If he wanted to rise to prominence, he had to start from scratch. Even though Tong Guan had appointed him as the military commissioner of Yan'an Prefecture, nominally the highest-ranking official in Yanzhou, Yan'an Prefecture was still Lao Zhong's territory.

Without his approval, he cannot implement any of his decrees.

Yang Cheng and the others also looked at Chen Shao with new respect, as he had been there almost every day for the past six days.

Chen Shao was calculating in his mind when Han Shizhong had left. He should be back soon. He wondered if they had encountered the Western Xia supply convoy.

If they could raid their supply train, it would be extremely beneficial. The Western Xia had been exhausted in the past five years and was now relying entirely on squeezing the border prefectures and tribes.

Their supplies are ten times scarcer than those of the Song Dynasty. They are just waiting to win the battle and plunder some of their resources, or to extort some annual tribute from the Song Dynasty to make a living.

Conversely, if Han Shizhong failed to find their supply train and instead met with misfortune, it would be as if he had lost an arm, and he would still have a long way to go.

Where can we find such a suitable henchman again?
Even Yue Fei was far less useful than Han Shizhong at this point. In fact, he might even cause trouble for himself.
At this time, Yue Fei was definitely a troublemaker, the kind who would dare to talk back to his superiors at the drop of a hat, and if he got angry, he would even overturn the table.

"These Xia bandits, they think they're something special because they think they can eat Xihe's army alive and defeat Liu Fa, but it turns out they can't even take down our mere fortress."

Chen Shao chuckled and continued, "I think this Richard is just an overrated mediocre guy. He wants to break through our defenses quickly, but he's unwilling to concentrate all his forces for a fierce charge. He's dragging his feet and won't achieve anything great."

Yang Cheng watched him smile easily, even raising his voice on purpose, knowing he was trying to boost morale. He secretly admired him: What a hero! He wasn't so great at first, but now we're truly impressed! If this Commander Chen had been replaced with Commander Xuan, he might have wiped out Western Xia long ago.

Richard stood on the watchtower, gazing across the river at the fortress.

The camp had been burned again and had not yet been repaired. The moats had also collapsed after days of heavy rain, leaving it in a mess and unrecognizable state. On the remaining walls, only the shadows of seven or eight people wandered like lonely ghosts, with the leader carrying a tattered banner.

But we just can't seem to take it down!

He hated these Song people intensely; their existence had almost ruined his plans.

Next, it remains to be seen what unreasonable demands the emperor and his ministers of the Song Dynasty will make.

It will definitely be even more demanding than the previous one.

In fact, the Song Dynasty's sudden relent and agreement to peace talks at least indicated that it was willing to negotiate.

The insightful people within Western Xia had already figured out the reason: seeing the Liao Dynasty overthrown by the Jurchens, they wanted to withdraw and reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun that they longed for.

The Western Xia were adept at seeking the greatest benefit amidst the power struggles of these great nations.

This was definitely a great opportunity for them, but unfortunately they were too weak and were stopped by a mere five fortified villages.

The rain and mist suddenly shifted, and the sound of footsteps pounding in the mud could be heard. People peered out from the stockade walls, the moat, and even the city walls to see what was happening.

He saw about sixty or seventy people stumbling and walking through the heavy rain. Richard didn't have Han Shizhong's abnormal eyesight, so he couldn't tell who they were.

Several groups of people watched as this motley crew stumbled and crawled through the mud, desperately struggling to get closer.

A junior Western Xia officer on the watchtower shouted, "Who goes there!"

"If they go any further, kill them on sight!"

The group of people were shivering from the rain and exhausted from walking through the mud.

"Quickly report to the Prince of Jin: the Meicang tribe has rebelled and surrendered to the Song Dynasty, resulting in the loss of all their provisions! The provisions are completely lost!"

Upon hearing his shout, Richard's expression immediately changed.

He silently cried out in his heart, "All is well now."
If he reports it secretly, I can still conceal the matter, burn my bridges, and lead my men in one last charge.

Now that this has been announced, everyone knows, and the news will spread rapidly.

The already low morale will be completely destroyed.

Richard's hands fell limply to his sides. He knew he had lost, lost to a group of unknown Song soldiers.

He didn't even bother to investigate the Yeli tribe's crime of losing supplies and fodder; instead, he decisively ordered a retreat.

If the front lines are lost, the pressure on my brother the Emperor will increase several times over. I must return to the capital immediately, bring back the elite troops under my command, and stand by his side.

Otherwise, who knows what evil deeds those treacherous officials would commit.

As for this military expedition, which forcibly conscripted troops from nearby prefectures, whether his retreat would leave these areas vulnerable, and how many cities the Song Dynasty would seize the opportunity to recapture, Richard was no longer concerned about any of that.

(End of this chapter)