Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Recapture Yan and Yun!

These four words struck the heart of the Song Dynasty with a weight heavier than a thousand pounds.

No one can say for sure what level of achievement this is. All that is known is that in the more than one hundred years since the founding of the Song Dynasty, no one has ever been able to do it, and no one has ever dared to even dream of it.

Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin was a man of great talent and ambition. He pacified the country through the Chenqiao Mutiny and secured the court by releasing his generals from their military power over a cup of wine. He spent his life fighting in the north and south, but ultimately failed to conquer Yanyun and died with regret.

Emperor Taizong, Zhao Guangyi, inherited his brother's ambition and led his army north to recover lost territory. However, he suffered a crushing defeat at the Gaoliang River and fled in disarray. From then on, the Song Dynasty shifted from offense to defense against the Liao Dynasty and never launched another large-scale northern expedition.

This achievement surpasses that of anyone in this dynasty; officials and scholars alike can only trace it back along the long river of history.

Like Huo Qubing sealing the wolf's lair and displaying the might of the Han Dynasty in the northern desert, like Guo Ziyi rebuilding the Tang Dynasty and turning the tide, like Li Guangbi quelling the An Lushan Rebellion and restoring the broken land.

It is not about temporary military achievements, nor about the gains or losses of a single city or battle.

It washed away the century-long humiliation of the Song Dynasty, brought back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, which had been occupied by foreign tribes for 148 years, into the Chinese territory, and freed the Han people from the harassment of the Liao cavalry and the pain of lost territory.

The news traveled along the post road day and night back to Kaifeng, sweeping through the capital of the Song Dynasty like a thunderclap.

In the streets and alleys, people spread the news, cheers rose and fell, and every household was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, just like celebrating the New Year.

The elderly people, leaning on their canes, gazed in the direction of the Yan-Yun region, tears streaming down their faces, murmuring to themselves, expressing their century-long hopes.

Young men were eager to join the army, wanting to go to the border, continue the fight, and recover more lost territory.

In the imperial court, the New Party and the Old Party, who had been arguing endlessly, put aside their prejudices and submitted memorials requesting His Majesty to reward Chen Zhan, Zhao Qingtan, and all the soldiers on the front lines.

All the civil and military officials wore expressions of joy, and their backs straightened a bit.

After a century of humiliation, the Song Dynasty was finally able to hold its head high and was proud of itself. As subjects of the Song Dynasty, they also shared in the glory.

Deep within the palace, Empress Dowager Gao Taotao, who was under house arrest, nearly dropped her teacup upon hearing the news. Her face showed disbelief, and she remained speechless for a long time.

A moment later, the disbelief transformed into immense joy, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up, his eyes welling up with tears.

Although she had long been stripped of her real power and placed under house arrest in the deep palace, she no longer had the glory of ruling the country.

But in essence, she was still the Empress Dowager of the Song Dynasty and the grandmother of Emperor Zhezong Zhao Xu.

Women in the imperial harem were supposed to live deep within the palace and not concern themselves with politics. Now, being under house arrest has actually relieved her of the conflicts and pressures of the court, allowing her to gradually reconcile with herself.

Moreover, Zhao Xu, this young emperor who was just over ten years old, had made too many outstanding achievements.

This achievement of recovering Yan and Yun and expanding territory will surely be passed down to future generations and be recorded in history. As Zhao Xu's grandmother, she will also benefit from this and be recorded in history.

Gao Taotao thought to herself that even if the two late emperors, Taizu and Taizong, knew in the afterlife, they would praise her for "teaching their grandson well," whether they liked it or not.

Thinking of this, all the anger from being stripped of power, the resentment and grievances in my heart vanished without a trace.

She herself was not a person who brought disaster to the country and its people. When she was in power, although she tried her best to suppress the new party and give important positions to the old party, she had her own selfish motives and prejudices. However, she never did anything bad to harm the people or sell out the country. All she wanted was to maintain the stability of the Song Dynasty and protect the Zhao family's empire.

Seeing Zhao Xu achieve such extraordinary feats and witnessing the Song Dynasty's growing strength, she felt only joy and pride.

Zhao Xu, a boy who was only a little over ten years old, surpassed all the emperors of the dynasty with this achievement.

He became the most legendary emperor of the Song Dynasty after Emperor Taizu.

In just a few years on the throne, he nearly doubled the territory of the Song Dynasty, making its borders almost comparable to those of the Han and Tang Dynasties at their peak. This glory is enough to illuminate the entire history of the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty general's tent, far away in the Yan-Yun region, was brightly lit.

Chen Zhan sat behind his desk, holding a report of victory from the Western Xia border in his hand. His expression was calm, without the slightest hint of elation, as if the recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun was merely a matter of course.

He raised his hand and summoned Wang Guangzu: "The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun have been recovered, and the people's hearts are gradually stabilizing. In a few days, you will lead a small contingent of troops back to the capital to report to His Majesty, inform him of the situation in Yanyun, and bring back the wounded soldiers and prisoners of war for proper resettlement."

After speaking, he turned to Li Guanglu, softened his tone, and instructed him: "Lord Li, the Yan-Yun region is vast and has many cities. The troops currently stationed here are insufficient to defend it properly. I have personally written a letter to the young emperor, asking him to dispatch troops to join you in defending Yan-Yun, pacifying the people, restoring local order, and preventing a counterattack from the remnants of the Liao people."

Wang Guangzu and Li Guanglu bowed simultaneously and replied in unison, "Yes, sir! Rest assured, we will not fail in our mission!"

The two spoke respectfully, their eyes filled with admiration.

Having followed Chen Zhan in battle for several months, they had long been impressed. Now, having achieved unparalleled feats, he remained humble and composed, meticulous and thoughtful, which instilled even greater awe in them, making them willing to submit to his orders.

After Wang Guangzu got up, he did not leave immediately. He stood there, looking hesitant, as if he wanted to say something but stopped.

Chen Zhan took in his expression and smiled faintly: "Lord Wang, please speak freely, there's no need to be so reserved."

Upon hearing this, Wang Guangzu scratched his head, a hint of embarrassment on his face, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Hey, I'm a bit greedy, but may I ask, sir, is the matter with the Liao Dynasty just settled like this?"

"The lord has ordered that the Western Xia be completely wiped out and no future troubles be left. However, the Liao Dynasty is stronger and has a deeper foundation than the Western Xia. Although it lost Yanyun this time, it still has a large army in its hands and its foundation is not damaged. I'm afraid it will make a comeback in the future and invade the borders of our Great Song Dynasty."

He did feel somewhat resentful and worried.

The Yan-Yun region has been recovered, but the Liao Dynasty remains the greatest threat to the Song Dynasty and will inevitably cause trouble in the future.

He knew that Chen Zhan was a man of deep thought and long-term planning, and he asked this question in order to find out Chen Zhan's plans.

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhan looked towards the direction of Yan Yun outside the tent: "The terrain in northern Liaoning is complex, mostly Gobi desert, and its vast territory makes resupply difficult."

"Now that autumn has arrived and the weather is getting colder, our army's supply lines will be easily cut off by the Liao people, putting us in a passive position."

"The time is not yet ripe for us to enter Liaodong. We will wait until next spring when the weather warms up before leading our troops north to completely eliminate this threat from Liaodong."

Upon hearing this, Wang Guangzu suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly: "Your Excellency has considered everything very well; it was I who was too hasty."

"Then I will reorganize the troops tomorrow and return to the capital. I will also report your plans to His Majesty so that His Majesty can rest assured."

The next day, at the crack of dawn, the sound of bugles rang out from the Song army camp in the Yan-Yun region.

Wang Guangzu led 20,000 troops on his way back to the capital. Most of these 20,000 troops were wounded soldiers and Liao prisoners of war, while the strong and uninjured young soldiers who remained behind continued to follow Li Guanglu and defend the Yan-Yun region.

At this time, Yanyun was already showing signs of winter, with howling winds and a sharp drop in temperature.

But most of the soldiers remained in high spirits and showed no fear.

The reason for this was simply that the Song Dynasty had too much money, and the soldiers received generous pay, eliminating any worries about the future.

Zhao Qingtan had already doubled the soldiers' pay as Chen Zhan had requested, and tripled it during wartime.

In addition, soldiers who made meritorious contributions such as being the first to charge into battle, breaking through enemy lines, beheading enemy generals, or capturing enemy flags were all richly rewarded, with a minimum of thousands of taels of silver. If their achievements were outstanding, they could also obtain official positions and bring glory to their families.

Standing on a high point in the military camp, Chen Zhan watched Wang Guangzu's army gradually disappear into the distance, and sighed inwardly.

Sometimes, he really felt that the Song Dynasty was the stupidest dynasty.

Throughout history, there have been many emperors who, despite lacking money and food, still engaged in reckless military campaigns.

Emperor Wu of Han's northern expedition against the Xiongnu, while enhancing the nation's prestige, also exhausted the country's resources and earned him a reputation for being a warmonger.

Emperor Yang of Sui launched three campaigns against Goguryeo, which exhausted the people and wasted resources, ultimately triggering a popular uprising and leading to the downfall of the Sui Dynasty.

Some emperors, lacking money, food, and the ability to lead troops into battle, could only passively defend themselves, helplessly allowing foreign tribes to invade.

However, the Song Dynasty, especially the mid-Northern Song Dynasty, was a very special period.

The national treasury was full, with ample provisions and abundant resources. The silver and grain in the government granaries were piled up like mountains, enough to support large-scale wars.

This wealthy and prosperous dynasty was constantly harassed by foreign tribes such as the Liao, Western Xia, and Tubo, suffering repeated defeats and only able to maintain temporary peace by paying annual tribute. It was both laughable and infuriating.

The reason why the Song Dynasty could not win was never because it lacked money or food, nor because its soldiers were not brave enough, but because the court was corrupt, officials were inactive, generals were afraid of war and avoided battle, and rewards and punishments were unclear.

If such generous salaries and rewards had been provided earlier, if the system of rewards and punishments had been clearly defined earlier, and if talented generals had been given important positions, the Song Dynasty would not have been oppressed by foreign tribes for a century, and the Yan-Yun region would not have been occupied for 148 years.

The soldiers were rewarded with thousands of taels of silver for each achievement: being the first to charge into battle, beheading enemy generals, and capturing flags. Coupled with the allure of official positions and titles, how could the soldiers not fight desperately?
With soldiers fighting bravely and charging ahead, how could we not win the battle, or lose territory?

A few days later, the reinforcements sent by the young Emperor Zhao Xu arrived in Yanyun as scheduled.

They had a force of 50,000, all of them battle-hardened young soldiers, well-equipped and in high spirits.

After the reinforcements arrived, Chen Zhan personally summoned the generals of the reinforcements and instructed them to cooperate with Li Guanglu to defend Yanyun, pacify the people, reorganize the local area, and strictly prevent the remnants of the Liao people from causing trouble.

Only after all matters were arranged did Chen Zhan leave with peace of mind.

He bid farewell to Li Guanglu and the reinforcement generals, and together with Jingzhe, Qingming, and Lidong, mounted his horse and galloped towards the border of Western Xia.

Although the Western Xia had been defeated, Li Bingchang had already fled to the Western Regions.

Within the territory of Western Xia, the traces of war are still clearly visible: ruined cities, barren fields, and displaced people—everywhere exudes the desolation of the war's aftermath.

The Song army continued to clear out the remaining forces within the territory of Western Xia. Shuangjiang, Bailu, and Guyu, along with the men of the Twenty-Four Towers, cooperated with the army to search for and capture the remaining generals and soldiers of Western Xia, kill the stubborn resisters, pacify the people, and restore local order.

The commander's residence of the Great Song Dragon God Guard was temporarily located in Xiliang Prefecture, a former important town of Western Xia.

Inside the mansion, Zhao Qingtan sat in the main seat. In front of her stood a secret agent from the Dragon God Guard, who was bowing his head and reporting the latest intelligence with a respectful expression.

"Commander, as of today, nearly half of the Western Xia royal family has been killed. The remaining royal family members have either been captured or killed in battle. Only a few top experts are protecting the Western Xia ruler Li Bingchang and his son Li Qianshun as they flee westward into the Western Regions."

"The terrain in the Western Regions is complex, with numerous tribes, making it difficult to pursue and capture them."

As the supreme commander of the Dragon God Guard, Zhao Qingtan commands the most elite secret agent force in the Song Dynasty.

As early as when the army first entered Western Xia, a large number of spies were sent deep into Western Xia territory to gather intelligence and track the whereabouts of the Western Xia royal family. Now that the Western Xia royal family has been defeated and Li Bingchang has fled to the Western Regions, the spies have done their best.

Zhao Qingtan nodded slightly, her tone calm and without any ripples: "Well, let's ignore him. Li Bingchang is already a stray dog, having fled to the Western Regions. He can't cause any big trouble."

"Pass down the order: cease the pursuit, concentrate forces to wipe out the remaining forces within Western Xia territory, appease the displaced people, and restore order within Western Xia territory as soon as possible."

"Yes, Commander!" the spy replied, bowing.

Zhao Qingtan paused for a moment, then asked, "What's the situation on the Tibetan side?"

Upon hearing the mention of Tibet, the spy's expression changed slightly, and his tone became somewhat grave: "Commander, something is not right. The territory of Western Xia is vast and its resources are quite abundant. The various Tibetan tribes have sent troops, wanting to take advantage of the situation and grab a share of the spoils."

"Now that the Western Xia has been defeated, several major Tibetan tribes have begun to garrison troops on the southwestern border of the Western Xia, seizing cities and people and occupying territory, showing no intention of withdrawing their troops."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingtan frowned slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.

"Let's go, turn around and head to the southwestern border of Xiliang Prefecture to meet these Tibetans."

Zhao Qingtan stood up. "Go and inform Miss Shuangjiang."

"Yes, Commander! I will proceed immediately!"

The spy dared not delay for a moment, bowed in response, and quickly left to convey Zhao Qingtan's orders.

Zhao Qingtan mounted her horse, followed by more than a dozen elite Dragon God Guards, all of whom were highly skilled in martial arts and fearless in the face of death.

She slapped the horse's back, and the steed neighed loudly, leaping into the air and galloping towards the southwestern border of Xiliang Prefecture. The sound of its hooves was rapid, kicking up a trail of yellow dust, its momentum magnificent and invincible.

At this time, the Western Xia was already a mere shell of its former self. The small remnants within its territory were leaderless and would be wiped out by the Song army sooner or later.

Dali remained relatively peaceful. In accordance with the previous agreement with Chen Zhan, it did not send troops into Western Xia territory. Instead, it dispatched troops to guard the border between Dali and Western Xia, focusing on protecting its own territory and preventing the remaining Western Xia forces from fleeing south. This was considered fulfilling its obligations under the alliance.

Only the Tibetans, ambitious and eager, seized the opportunity to cause trouble.

The Tubo Kingdom of today is no longer the powerful Tubo Dynasty of yesteryear. (End of Chapter)