[Fantasy] Clouds Dance and Moon Rises (Complete) - 13-15

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

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But reality is not like that.

With great power comes great responsibility and risk. She did experience the extreme satisfaction and bliss that power brought, but it was also accompanied by extreme exhaustion and loneliness.

Now she simply had no time for indulgence, no time for debauchery. The only thing she could do was face her courtiers with a cold and domineering attitude, resolutely making them understand who the master was. This made her feel as if she were living behind a mask, but now she knew it was unavoidable. Since she had chosen this path, she would continue on it. She had no complaints about it.

But deep down, she longed for a haven of rest. Because she truly felt so tired of living.

Someone she could take off her mask, carefree, showing her weaknesses and pouring out her heart. Someone she could be completely herself without scheming or being on guard. Someone she could release her pressure through.

She didn't trust the Tanguts for such things. Although she herself was now practically a Tangut, and although the Great Xia was a Tangut kingdom, it was precisely because she understood the Tanguts so well that she didn't trust them. She believed that all the Tanguts in her palace might have some connection to the outside world, and that every word she uttered in front of them might be relayed through various channels—this was the law of Western Xia, something she was powerless to change.

Therefore, she didn't trust the Tanguts.

But this Han Chinese before her was different. He had a unique experience. He was alone in the Great Xia, and the only person he could rely on was herself. And he had proven his loyalty. Most importantly, for some reason, only when she was with him did she feel free to wear a mask. Only

in his presence could Empress Dowager Liang truly relax. Only then could the pressure she had been suppressing be released without restraint. To put it more bluntly, she felt that this Han Chinese was the only thing she truly and completely possessed, someone she didn't have to worry about betrayal, someone she didn't have to feign affection for; every single thing was entirely her own private possession. Only with him could she truly escape the burden of life.

Therefore, this Han Chinese man has become her personal lover and spy.

And his performance has not disappointed her; he is exceptionally skilled, intelligent, and courageous. He infiltrated the enemy's lair for two years, achieving numerous merits in dismantling Liang Yibu's forces—such talent and courage are truly rare. He was once a military officer in the Eastern Dynasty, a capable subordinate of Zhe Keshi; his military prowess must be considerable.

Perhaps she can find an opportunity to promote him in the future. Li Qing, though Han Chinese, was highly valued by both Emperor Yizong Liang and her husband Bingchang, and was loyal throughout his life, a true national hero.

This Tang Yun, though young, is steady, experienced, and responsible. With proper training, who says he can't become her own Li Qing? Currently, Sa Chen and Mei Le Du Bu both hold military power. Although they are her confidants, they also have their own tribal interests to protect. If one day her decisions conflicted with the interests of these powerful tribes, would they still be so obedient?

Empress Dowager Liang wasn't sure. The Tanguts always prioritized their own tribal interests. And the Liang family, by all accounts, were Han Chinese, not even Tanguts. Currently, these high-ranking officials and chieftains obeyed her orders because she was Qian Shun's mother, the Empress Dowager of the Great Xia. Long-established hierarchical distinctions made them subservient. Once Qian Shun came of age and truly held power, he would be the true ruler of Xia, and the loyalty of these officials would immediately shift to him.

At that time, no one would even give her a second glance.

If she wanted to maintain control of power then, she needed an army truly her own, an army that obeyed only her commands. The Six Guards of the Imperial Enclosure and the Xingqing Prefecture Guard could originally be trusted, but their military commanders came from various tribes. Now, anyone who was Tangut had to be treated with caution.

If Tang Yun could be trained and given military power, he might be able to lead an army completely independent of local tribes,

one that was entirely loyal to her. In Western Xia, Empress Dowager Liang was acutely aware of the importance of having an army completely loyal to her .

However, thinking about this now was still a bit premature; Qian Shun was only eleven years old and would need several more years before he could rule in his own right. She still had ample time to consolidate her power…

*********************************************** (Separator)

As Renduo Baozhong left the Western Xia palace, he couldn't help but look back at the simple palace gate.

The entire Great Xia had fallen into the hands of this woman… Although he now held considerable power, Empress Dowager Liang still held supreme authority, and Emperor Qian Shun remained under her control. The symbol of the entire Xia kingdom's righteousness still lay with Empress Dowager Liang.

Although her surname was Liang, her descendants bore the surname Li, and that was enough.

Moreover, the cunning and shrewdness this woman displayed made her someone not to be underestimated. That Han Chinese man named Tang Yun actually gained her such favor—was this a veiled threat to us, the high-ranking officials? This Han Chinese was actually a spy she planted among Liang Yibu's men, playing such a crucial role in this coup, and yet we, the high-ranking officials, were completely unaware of this beforehand.

Was this a message to us that this victory wasn't entirely due to our strength, that she had her own faction?

If she could place people among Liang Yibu's men, perhaps she also had people hidden among us, the high-ranking officials? Was she making such an implication? So far, she's only shown us Tang Yun; of course, one Han Chinese man is insignificant. But how many unknown forces haven't been revealed?

As a seasoned commander, Renduo Baozhong certainly knew that those unseen enemies were the most dangerous.

And Tang Yun, that Han Chinese man, was just that—just a Han Chinese man. How dare he have the authority to submit a secret report alone? Renduo Baozhong felt a surge of displeasure. Even if he had saved the emperor, so what? It was still us, the high-ranking officials, who supported the operation of the entire country. Even if Tang Yunli's merits were great, he was still just a person, a lackey. In any respect, he was absolutely not qualified to be on equal footing with us; in fact, such a thought was a ridiculous joke.

It's like the difference between gods and mortals; no matter how capable a mortal is, he's still a mortal and can never become a god. The principle is the same.

However, Ren Duo Baozhong felt that in Empress Dowager Liang's eyes, Tang Yun was qualified to be on equal footing with him, or at least close to his level. That's how he felt. When he met Tang Yun in the palace earlier, Empress Dowager Liang introduced Tang Yun's background to him, as if introducing a colleague.

At least the fact that he was summoned when she had a private audience with him meant that Empress Dowager Liang already considered Tang Yun someone who was qualified to interrupt her conversation.

Ren Duo Baozhong considered this a disgrace.

He was just a servant, a petty opportunist; what did he amount to? Even if he was respectful in front of him, his mere presence was an intolerable insult. Such a person is like an ant; a mere flick of the wrist would crush him.

However, he is Empress Dowager Liang's confidant. If I deal with him now, what will Empress Dowager Liang think? A woman's thoughts cannot be judged by common sense. Perhaps she won't turn against me for a Han Chinese. Perhaps she will think I'm deliberately eliminating her power, that I harbor rebellious intentions.

Perhaps she won't react at all, or perhaps the opposite…

After much deliberation, Ren Duo Baozhong suppressed his resentment and slowly rode back to his residence. He always believed that those with foresight and patience are true heroes, and those who can endure are the ultimate winners. He felt he had time to wait…

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Great Song Dynasty, Hedong Circuit, Fengzhou.

Fengzhou was formerly the territory of the powerful Dangxiang clan, Zangcai. Later, the entire clan submitted to the Song Dynasty and were granted the surname Wang. The present-day Fengzhou is a new city; the original old city was captured by Yuanhao during the reign of Emperor Renzong. The Song Dynasty established a new city within the territory of Fuzhou, and from then on, Fengzhou fell under the influence of the Zhe family. Although the court now appoints officials to govern the region, as a military prefecture that only governs one county, it is impossible to avoid the influence of the Zhe family.

At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, and even during the Five Dynasties period, the three prefectures of Hedong, Linzhou, Fuzhou, and Fengzhou were always the settlement of the Dangxiang Qiang vassals. The Zhe family of Fuzhou, the Yang family of Linzhou, and the Wang family of Fengzhou were known as the Three Towns of Hedong. Later, the Yang family had no successor, and Linzhou was controlled by the Zhe family. In the first year of Qingli, Li Yuanhao, taking advantage of his great victory at Haoshuichuan, plundered Hedong, attempting to annex the three prefectures in one fell swoop and drink from the Yellow River. After failing to capture Fuzhou and Linzhou, they finally conquered Fengzhou, salvaging their reputation. The Song court also seized the opportunity to terminate the Wang family's status as a regional military governor, handing over all three prefectures to the Zhe family, who were most loyal to the court.

Of course, decades later, with the ebb and flow of power, the Song Dynasty has gradually regained its advantage over Western Xia, and is gradually reclaiming lost territory; most of Fengzhou's former territory has been recovered. Even Hequ, the military masterpiece of Li Yuanhao's life and a place of pride for Western Xia, has been incorporated into the Song Dynasty's territory. However, it would be a grave mistake to think that Western Xia is no longer able to threaten Hedong. Although Western Xia has been declining since Yuanhao's death, they still maintain a free rein over the border regions.

Last March, Liang Yibu of Western Xia sent envoys to the Song Dynasty to apologize and negotiate peace, demanding annual tribute and requesting Lanzhou in exchange for Saimen and Anyuan fortresses. The edict from the Song emperor revealed his short-sightedness.

"The province submitted a memorial, and sent an envoy to the capital, repenting and offering the territory of Lanzhou. The area from Suizhou to Yihezhai was also demarcated. However, the matter of the gates being sealed and the return of the Xia state is also known. I, as the ruler of all nations, have always upheld great trust. Considering your initial succession as a vassal state, I promptly granted you the territory and annual tribute. How could I have imagined that after receiving these gifts, you would immediately launch a rebellious campaign? This has angered both domestic and foreign powers, and both gods and men. Because your reign is short and your power is limited, I temporarily refrained from launching a large-scale attack, employing a moderate strategy for border control. Now you send an envoy to court, claiming repentance, yet upon receiving your initial letter of thanks, you immediately raise the issue of demarcating the territory. Moreover, the former territory of the western vassal state, the old land of China, is already recorded in previous edicts and cannot be returned. Although the demarcation of the territory was discussed, it is still under the jurisdiction of the court." The troops should also be separated. However, the request to block the gates is quite inappropriate. East of Dingxi, there has already been a previous edict. Except for the new borders of Hedong and Linyan Roads, where the previous agreement stipulated that each road's military commissioner should establish moats and watchtowers according to previous edicts, the unresolved borders of Lanmin Road have also been addressed by the Lanmin Road military commissioner, who has been instructed to appoint officials according to the previous edict. The commissioner from Xia will be awaiting arrival to review the previous orders and discuss the demarcation together. Since Xia began paying tribute and receiving gifts during the Yuanfeng era, and has repeatedly invaded the border, a separate oath can be submitted after the borders are cleared, and then regular tribute and annual gifts will continue as before.

This edict did not reject the peace talks, but when the news spread, the border people believed that peace between Song and Xia was imminent and that the border would soon be peaceful again, leading to a relaxation of defenses. Tens of thousands of Song farmers gathered to cultivate hundreds of miles of wasteland along the border. As a result, seeing an opportunity to gain an advantage, Liang Yibu immediately changed his mind for a petty profit. Even while the envoy was still in Bianjing (Kaifeng), he launched a military campaign to plunder Yan and Lin prefectures, abducting over ten thousand households from the border region.

This incident also brought the Song Dynasty's military and civilians back to reality, jolting them from their previous victory over the Western Xia. The Western Xia was, after all, a formidable threat in the northwest, and could not be

easily defeated in a single victory. Although the Western Xia was now weakened, it still possessed the ability to threaten the entire western border of the Song Dynasty. As long as the Western Xia state existed, Shaanxi would never be truly safe. Of course, for the Western Xia, it was even more of a loss. They missed their last chance for reconciliation with the Song Dynasty. At that time, the old party had not yet fallen from power; if they had genuinely wanted peace, they might have succeeded. However, Liang Yibu's shortsighted and foolish actions made it impossible for the old party to convince the people that the Western Xia was harmless, and the matter was dropped. From then on, all areas of Shaanxi returned to a state of war, constantly preparing to face a Western Xia invasion.

Fengzhou was the only frontline of the Song Dynasty that simultaneously bordered both Liao and Xia. In other words, this place is the first to be affected in any border conflict. Therefore, its security is unsurprisingly chaotic. Not only are the locals fierce and warlike, but many border bandits also make it their hideout. Many caravans and merchants from the interior also stop here to rest and unload their goods. Thus, Fengzhou is both a heavily fortified military stronghold and a hub for black markets and horse markets, a transit point for smuggled goods from three kingdoms, and a paradise for daring individuals, adventurers, and speculators.

Upon entering Fengzhou city, Han Yue noticed that many of the residents dressed like them. There were also many other caravans of outsiders in the city, their faces and expressions suggesting they were not benevolent. The streets were filled with people carrying various weapons—knives, clubs, iron whips, short swords, and the like—it looked like a grand gathering of outlaws.

The soldiers on the city walls were all heavily armed and fierce-looking, clearly seasoned veterans. They showed no interest in the affairs of the city.

This , nothing out of the ordinary. Besides, these private merchants and caravans all paid a hundred strings of cash as a gate tax upon entering, and left a cut of twenty horses on their return. It was a win-win situation, and nobody wanted to cause trouble. Everyone here was there to kill the Tangut dogs for the court,

but these people weren't Tangut dogs. The city's residents were mostly armed swordsmen and archers. Those who dared to settle in such a dangerous, war-torn place were generally unpleasant laborers who preferred fighting and punishing the ruthless, and some were even from the vassal states. Therefore, of the more than three thousand households of Han and vassal men in the city, ninety-nine percent were registered as soldiers in the patrol and military system.

According to the Shaanxi military system, every able-bodied man who volunteered as an archer was given two qing of land; if they joined the army with horses, they received an additional sixty mu. However, many of these men were unwilling to work the land, selling the land given by the government and indulging in drinking, gambling, and prostitution. They served the government in peacetime and fought for them in wartime, exchanging heads for rewards. The government turned a blind eye to their relationship with the caravan merchants. So whenever a new caravan entered the city, a large number of armed idlers would swarm around them, fawning and ingratiating themselves, asking if they needed companions, bodyguards, or guides. If this scene were in an inland military prefecture, it might be mistaken for a mass rebellion.

This city was essentially a melting pot of outlaws.

Yet, this very city felt familiar to Han Yue. The atmosphere here was very similar to the cities of the Liao Dynasty, although the city walls were much larger and more fortified. Might makes right; whoever has the biggest fist calls the shots—order maintained purely by force.

The caravan navigated the city with ease, heading towards the Lin Family Inn.

All the inns and taverns in this city were operated by the government, or rather, the Zhe family, behind the scenes. The local government seemed unconcerned about whether this chaotic social order would cause instability in the city. Outside the city were large military camps, with two cavalry commands. The city itself had nearly a thousand soldiers, and nearby fortresses housed thousands more, enough to suppress any unrest.

Perhaps it was precisely because the Zhe family was in charge that a strange order was maintained amidst the chaos. Perhaps the Zhe family was the biggest owner of the border trade, which was why they allowed such disorder to persist. After leaving Xianzhou, a large caravan joined the pack. Song Jiang said that was the arrival of the Zhe family's wife. However, Han Yue hadn't yet met this so-called eldest daughter of the Zhe family, Zhe Yue Ru.

After all, her father was the renowned general Zhe Ke Shi. Although a woman, her status was practically that of a noblewoman, a world apart from these lowly outlaws, even though the Zhe family themselves engaged in the same kind of shady dealings.

Upon arriving at the Lin Family Inn, they found the doors wide open, with the innkeeper and staff already waiting to greet them. It's true that connections make things easier; with the Zhe family's influence, the others naturally wanted to take advantage of their connections. Outside, a group of out-of-town caravans watched with envy but were powerless to stop them. A large crowd crowded the entrance, some wanting to go in, others out, creating a noisy commotion. The shopkeeper ignored the others, simply smiling broadly as he ushered the Zhe family's caravan inside. It seemed Song Jiang had some influence with the Zhe family's wife, as he even followed her in, suggesting the higher-ups wanted to discuss something.

Han Yue didn't care. His main focus was on squeezing into the courtyard and securing a good spot. However, everyone around him was a seasoned veteran, and as a novice, his inferiority was immediately apparent. After a long day of struggling and sweating profusely, he was still last, forced to rest at the inn's entrance. Han Yue was furious and wanted to cause a scene, but looking at the fierce-looking men around him, and the frequent patrols of soldiers, he realized there were many whose martial arts were comparable to his own. Even within the caravan, there were quite a few skilled fighters. After much deliberation, he resigned himself to his bad luck.

One of his companions, however, was perceptive and came to his defense. After getting some food, Han Yue stuffed a mouthful of dried mutton into his mouth, swallowed it with hot soup, and then thought about where to stay. He couldn't very well spend the night at the inn's entrance. Just as he stepped inside, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of someone turning the corner, and he immediately froze, quickly slipping inside.

The newcomer didn't notice anything amiss. The streets were filled with noise and suspicious-looking bandits, drawing his attention elsewhere. He hurried past the Lin Family Inn, but Han Yue caught a glimpse of him.

Wasn't that Fang La, one of Sun Erniang's men? What was he doing here?

Han Yue looked closely, certain he wasn't mistaken. The young man was indeed Fang La, Sun Erniang's confidant.

Could it be such a coincidence that Sun Erniang and her group had also come to Fengzhou?

Although it was just a guess, Han Yue decided it was best to avoid him. While he didn't know the specifics of Sun Erniang's actions, her daring to rob government troops of their weapons, kill hundreds of soldiers, and her connections with the Western Xia clearly indicated she was no ordinary bandit; it was practically a rebellion. He was currently a merchant, and it was best not to be implicated.

So, he ducked into the courtyard.

Of course, while this hiding place allowed him to evade Fang La, he also failed to see the two travel-worn men and women approaching from the other direction. Especially the woman; if Han Yue had taken a glance, she would have recognized her as Su Hu, the trusted palace maid of Consort Liu. She would have immediately understood why they had come…

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Inside the Empress Dowager's palace, the gates were tightly shut, candlelight flickered, and the sounds of a man and woman breathing heavily with passion echoed from the palace beams. The palace maids had all retreated far away; these were all the

Empress Dowager's confidantes, and no one dared to utter a word about what was happening here. Tang Yun was naked, revealing his well-defined muscles, embracing Empress Dowager Liang and pressing her body against the imperial couch. Empress Dowager Liang's body trembled with excitement, her hands merely stroking Tang Yun's strong back. Her two full breasts were squeezed flat, her legs spread apart, clamped between the man's powerful waist, and she could only moan and pant.

This Han man was truly a master of seduction, incredibly skilled in bed, always bringing her to the brink of ecstasy. With him, she no longer needed her former lovers. She'd heard that Empress Wu Zetian had bestowed the title of "Ruyi Jun" upon her lovers, and Tang Yun truly deserved it.

Tang Yun's expression was utterly lewd, a lascivious grin on his face, his hands roaming over Xiao Liang's chest. His expression made it seem as if the woman before him wasn't the noble Empress Dowager, but a prostitute. The woman beneath him seemed to relish this degrading humiliation, showing no signs of life, giggling lasciviously, her eyes filled with a lust that could drive any man in the world mad.

This woman was the Empress Dowager of Western Xia. The most powerful woman in the world!

Who could have imagined that such a supreme woman would summon him in front of so many people, and that beneath her trailing gold-embroidered gown lay naked flesh? In this setting, having just received high-ranking officials, was she wearing only this one garment? Waiting for his arrival like this?

Danger and excitement, nobility and debauchery—this was the woman known as the Mother of Western Xia.

The thought of his semen entering such a noble body, defiling such noble flesh, was enough to drive him mad with excitement.

Legend had it that Empress Dowager Liang was a harlot; as the daughter-in-law of Meicang Ebang, she had an affair with Liang Zha. After Liang Zha's death, she ruled as Empress Dowager, and again committed adultery with ministers, her scandal known throughout the land. Meanwhile, the younger Liang was no less blatant than her aunt. Tang Yun had heard that she had countless male lovers. After Bingchang was imprisoned, the younger Liang became even more unrestrained, attracting men to the palace daily as Empress, indulging in debauchery—and her husband was still alive then!

Later, Bingchang died of grief and indignation, perhaps partly due to the lingering anger caused by the younger Liang's licentious behavior.

Now, he truly witnessed the lustful appetite of this beautiful Hu woman.

In the Song Dynasty, even marital relations required adherence to propriety. But before this Empress Dowager of Western Xia, all etiquette was utterly meaningless. The two first chased and frolicked naked in the palace, feeling no shame whatsoever. Then Tang Yun pounced on her, pressing his eager penis against her thigh.

The hot touch made the woman tremble, her labia immediately becoming wet. She twisted her body eagerly, yearning for the man's hard flesh to penetrate her and instantly fill the emptiness of desire within her.

They rolled around for a while, but it was only foreplay; neither wanted to finish quickly. They sat up together, embracing each other. A layer of pink gauze draped over Xiao Liang's body, creating a hazy, alluring sensuality.

Tang Yun's lips met hers, saliva flowing and swirling between their mouths. His right hand slipped under the empress's armpit, encircling her body and holding her tightly in his arms. Her two soft, large breasts pressed against his body, and the movement of their bodies stimulated her nipples through the thin veil. His left hand slid down her smooth back, probing into her buttocks, where they were already soaking wet. Tang Yun touched a handful of sticky, slippery fluid.

The empress dowager, her sensitive area being invaded by the man, let out a soft moan, her breathing becoming rapid. One hand hooked around the man's neck, tilting her head back and fiercely sucking on his lips, while the other hand grasped Tang Yun's erect penis and wildly rubbed it.

Tang Yun's fingers stirred inside her, feeling the empress dowager of Western Xia, a mature woman and mother, deeply aroused. Her labia minora opened and closed slightly, and when he inserted his fingers, he could feel the hot, tender flesh inside gripping and sucking them in, constantly secreting lustful fluid. His only thought at this moment was to please this woman at all costs. Furthermore, defiling her noble status would give him unparalleled mental stimulation. His fingers moved even faster at Xiao Liang's genitals, making gurgling sounds.

Empress Dowager Liang squinted, her mouth tightly sealed, her tongue probing Tang Yun's mouth, swirling and sucking his saliva, a thin trickle running from the corner of her mouth. Tang Yun, in turn, teased her gums and the base of her tongue, their tongues intertwining, their kisses filled with loud smacking sounds.

Xiao Liang, unable to withstand the stimulation, continuously released her juices, which flowed down her thighs onto Tang Yun's legs, soaking a small patch of the brocade on the imperial couch. Tang Yun helped her stand up, and she simply lifted her left leg, hooking it around Tang Yun's right leg. Tang Yun's right hand naturally cupped the back of her raised left leg, so that Empress Dowager Liang was essentially half-hanging on Tang Yun. Because her noble body was only partially covered by a light veil, almost completely naked, the scene was extremely lewd.

Inside the most prestigious Empress Dowager's palace in Western Xia, an atmosphere of debauchery filled the air.

Tang Yun had already laid Empress Dowager Liang down on the couch. He straightened his back, his erect penis standing tall like an angry dragon. The large glans was purplish-red, and the veins on the shaft bulged. He slowly parted the woman's fair legs, preparing to enter her. Empress Dowager Liang gently pushed against his chest, stopping him.

He looked at the woman before him in confusion. Empress Dowager Liang sat up and knelt between Tang Yun's legs, bending down and slowly taking the man's huge penis into her mouth. Tang Yun leaned back, immediately feeling a warm, soft, pleasurable sensation on his penis. He braced himself on the floor with his arms, hissing as he inhaled, his abdominal muscles tensing, and his buttocks slowly wriggling.

Is this true? The Empress Dowager of Western Xia actually committed such a despicable act against someone of such lowly status. Even prostitutes in brothels wouldn't do this.

Empress Dowager Liang sucked on the hot, magnificent penis, as if it were raining after a long drought. No one, including her husband Bingchang, had ever given her this feeling. The strong, pungent scent of male semen stimulated her senses, and his robust physique exuded a unique masculine aroma that intoxicated her.

She loved this smell so much; none of her previous male lovers had ever given her this feeling. It wasn't an effect achieved through appearance or body odor, but a spiritual sensation. "I want him to belong only to me!" An indescribable emotion welled up within Empress Dowager Liang.

Tang Yun wasn't thinking about any of that at the moment. The overwhelming pleasure emanating from his penis made him so engrossed that he couldn't think of anything else. As expected of a mother who had already given birth, the stark contrast in their identities created a powerful sensual stimulation. Tang Yun even began to enjoy this illicit affair. It wasn't just about defiled a woman's body; he felt he was defiling a nation. This was incomparable to his relationship with Yao Ning, and this Empress Dowager's technique was far superior.

She didn't take the entire penis in; instead, she vigorously licked the small opening on the glans with her tongue, or scraped the ridges behind the glans, specifically targeting sensitive areas. After licking for a while, she would spit it out, tilting her head and opening her mouth wide to lick the shaft and scrotum, gently holding the two scrotums in her mouth and wriggling them with her tongue. While licking, she would look up at the man, her expression both alluring and wanton, truly captivating.

Tang Yun even wondered if he was hallucinating. Was this the Empress Dowager of Western Xia? Was he dreaming? Such a noble and decisive woman, the most powerful female monarch in the world, was actually licking his testicles with such a lewd expression.

If Tang Yun had initially hesitated and dared not act freely, he had now completely let go. Showing restraint and servility now might backfire; he would enjoy this mature and wanton beauty before him first. After

licking for a while, Tang Yun gently pushed her away, pulled his penis out of her mouth, the viscous fluids connecting her mouth and glans like spider silk. He gently lifted her and placed her on a jade table. It was carved from a single piece of top-quality white jade, the tabletop covered with brocade and fur. The woman lay on her back, and the man's hips pressed between her legs, his strong penis thrusting in.

At this moment, the palace maids and guards outside had all retreated beyond the wall, each with something plugged in their ears, standing there expressionless and motionless.

Lying on the jade platform, enduring the man's defilement, Empress Dowager Liang squinted her eyes, taking deep breaths and savoring the pleasure of the enormous penis moving inside her. This wasn't the first time she had committed adultery with Tang Yun. The man's strong waist, his masculine physique, and his powerful weight pressed against her parted legs, widening them further.

This man's technique was truly exquisite; he must be a seasoned womanizer.

Besides her, he must have other women…

For some reason, a hint of jealousy crept into her mind, which was already filled with pleasure. No! This man is mine! This treasure belongs only to me! Suddenly, with a touch of annoyance, she forcefully clamped her legs around the man moving back and forth on top of her, pulling his buttocks deeper with each thrust of her feet, while pushing her hips forward to allow the penis to penetrate even further.

She gritted her teeth and inhaled deeply, feeling the man's muscular physique and powerful strength on top of her. That strength bound her body, even blurring her vision. Tang Yun's face and her husband Bingchang's face overlapped in a dreamlike blur, as if the man penetrating her with that enormous penis had become Bingchang's embodiment. His strong, powerful body exuded a powerful allure, making her body heat up, her lower abdomen throbbing, and her vaginal muscles gripping the invading penis tightly. She trembled, approaching orgasm.

After several dozen thrusts, Tang Yun pulled the woman up. Between Liang Taihou's legs was a swamp; her legs were weak, and her desire to be penetrated grew stronger. She half-lay on Tang Yun, letting him move her around.

Tang Yun felt triumphant. He held Liang Taihou's waist, supporting her buttocks with his hands, and assumed a horse stance, scooping one of her legs up. Liang Taihou understood and scooped up, wrapping her legs tightly around him, her feet hooked together, her arms around his neck, her body suspended in the air. Tang Yun's strong arms easily supported her weight. He reached down and positioned himself. Empress Dowager Liang felt a hot, fleshy mass pressing against her vulva. She knew it was the man's glans. The woman trembled, and a stream of fluid flowed down her body.

This shameful position gave her a perverse sensual pleasure.

Tang Yun supported her thighs and whispered in her ear, "I'm going to enter." Empress Dowager Liang was too weak to speak at this point. She let out a soft moan and twisted her body, urging him to hurry up and penetrate her. Tang Yun lifted the woman's buttocks and thrust upwards. His glans broke through the barrier of her labia and squeezed into the mature woman's body. The warm, moist vaginal canal immediately gripped his penis tightly. The man's muscles tensed, and he let out a comfortable gasp.

Xiao Liang felt a hot, massive object forcefully forcefully enter her lower body, filling her cavity completely. Her vaginal fluids were squeezed out in large quantities, and the hot glans touched her cervix, making her shiver. In that instant, she felt as if she were ascending to heaven; it was so pleasurable. Under the influence of her mind, every movement of the man amplified her pleasure.

She couldn't help but desperately hug the man's head, pressing it against her chest, arching her back with all her might, letting out a long, sighing moan.

Tang Yun, excited and panting heavily, wrapped his arms around Liang's plump thighs, steadied himself, adjusted his position, and lifted her body rhythmically, thrusting his hips repeatedly.

Her buttocks slammed and bounced, enveloping his penis, and the fluids swirling around her repeatedly reached her clitoris. The pleasurable, tingling sensation stimulated Liang's nerves; she tried to press her body tightly against Tang Yun, the two of them entwined tightly together. Unable to bear the intense pleasure of flesh rubbing against flesh inside her vagina and the powerful stimulation of the glans rubbing against her clitoris, the woman involuntarily tilted her head back, her thighs clenching and relaxing, letting out wanton moans.

Tang Yun's skin was flushed, his back covered in sweat. He hadn't expected Empress Dowager Liang to be so thirsty. She was indeed at the peak of her sexual desire; although she had given birth, her vagina wasn't loose, and her muscles were still strong. As soon as he penetrated, he was gripped tightly by the slippery walls, the cervix feeling like a small mouth sucking at his glans—it was incredibly pleasurable. He continued to exert his powerful physique, thrusting forcefully, the flesh colliding with each other making crisp "slap! slap!" sounds.

"Ah...ah...oh..." Empress Dowager Liang held Tang Yun's head and neck, uttering meaningless, indistinct syllables. She held him tighter and tighter, almost pressing him into her body. A surge of pleasure coursed through her body like waves of madness. She wildly tossed her head from side to side, her long, black hair flying wildly with each movement.

After a while, Empress Dowager Liang's breathing became increasingly rapid. She could no longer utter any sounds, only simple "Oh...oh...oh..." accompanied by heavy panting.

Holding her breath, she squeezed Tang Yun's waist with all her might to prevent him from moving her, pressing her feet against his tailbone to make him arch his back. She lowered her buttocks, swallowing almost the entire length of his penis, the glans reaching its hilt. The contractions of her inner flesh grew more intense, twisting her waist and grinding it in circles, causing his penis to churn within her. The movements were small, but quick, the glans constantly rubbing against her clitoris, each rub like an electric shock, accumulating enough energy for the final explosion.

Tang Yun sensed her unusual state; her vagina was gripping him tightly, and he could feel the heat of her inner flesh. He stopped moving, gripping her plump buttocks tightly, his fingers digging into her flesh. His penis, moving in tandem with her movements, thrust relentlessly, trying to reach the deepest part of her vagina.

Suddenly, Empress Dowager Liang stiffened, her muscles tensing. Her nails dug into his flesh as she held him by the neck, and she forced out a piercing scream: "Ah—"

"Ah...ah...ah..." The volume was so loud that Tang Yun broke out in a cold sweat, afraid that someone outside would hear.

Tang Yun felt that her vaginal muscles had contracted to their limit, clamping his penis so tightly that there was no gap, and he couldn't move at all. Her buttocks twisted and ground desperately, and after about ten seconds, her straight back went limp, and she slumped weakly onto Tang Yun's shoulder, her sweaty face pressed against his, trembling and panting, her whole body shaking slightly.

Tang Yun felt that the force of her vaginal grip was not as strong as before, and it resumed its writhing motion of tightening and loosening. A warm liquid gushed from the deepest part of her vagina, soaking his penis. He couldn't help but start stirring his penis, which was still buried in her vagina, again. With his stirring and the writhing of her vaginal muscles, the viscous fluid surrounding his penis flowed out from the gap at their junction and onto Tang Yun's scrotum.

At this moment, Tang Yun's lower abdomen was also filled with a great deal of lust. He slowly laid the Empress Dowager Liang's limp body down on the imperial bed. On the bed, he leaped down on her, his hands gripping her shoulders, thrusting his hips forward with force. Because much of the vaginal fluid from Xiao Liang's orgasm was still inside her, the thrusting produced a very lewd, wet sound. The white, sticky fluid inside her vagina was constantly scraped out by his large glans, flowing down her buttocks to her anus, and then onto the carpet.

Xiao Liang was still in the afterglow of her orgasm, her arms limply at her sides, her two white, fleshy legs draped over Tang Yun's hips, her eyes glazed over. She stared at the ceiling. Her body swayed with each thrust of the man, her large breasts drooping softly on her chest, trembling alluringly.

Tang Yun kissed her, his lips sucking on her large, purple nipples, taking them into his mouth. At the same time, he tightened his grip, his engorged, hard penis thrusting repeatedly into her vagina, his scrotum slapping against her plump lips, scattering the sticky fluid seeping from her vagina.

Gradually, Tang Yun felt the tingling, itchy sensation on his glans... The pressure increased, his penis slowly swelling, and the feeling of tightness and distension in his lower abdomen became more and more pronounced. He quickened his thrusts, penetrating fully each time. He spread Empress Dowager Liang's legs wide apart, then placed her calves on his thighs, his hands gripping her knees, effectively straddling her hips. His inner thighs clamped around her buttocks, a position more conducive to full penetration.

Empress Dowager Liang had already orgasmed once, making her body more sensitive. She had also regained some strength. She enjoyed the pleasure of the friction between her inner flesh and thrust her lower body to meet his penetration, her hands tightly gripping his waist.

Slowly, Empress Dowager Liang's sensation returned, perhaps due to the heightened sensitivity after her orgasm, this time it came much faster than the first time. Her moans quickened, her body twisting restlessly, her buttocks thrusting upwards, hoping for deeper penetration.

Finally, Tang Yun felt he couldn't hold on any longer; a tingling, itchy sensation spread from his glans. Unable to bear it any longer, he thrust his hips forcefully, pounding in dozens of times, each time penetrating to the very end. Finally, he grabbed Empress Dowager Liang's shoulders, slamming his hips forward until they were pressed tightly against her vulva, their pubic hair intertwined. Empress Dowager Liang's body stiffened again, her back arching, her mouth agape but unable to utter a sound, her breath catching in her throat.

She held on for five more breaths, and with the contraction of his penis, streams of hot, thick semen gushed out under immense pressure. Because Tang Yun's glans was pressed against the very end of the woman's vagina, the entire ejaculation occurred at the very tip. Empress Dowager Liang whimpered, her clitoris spurting fluid again, her body trembling, her vagina convulsing intensely.

Silence fell over the hall.

The final ejaculation was over, and Tang Yun, panting, lay on top of his empress, his now-soft penis still inside her. Because of the large amount ejaculated this time, streams of milky-white fluid flowed from between Empress Dowager Liang's labia, dripping onto the bed…

A long while passed…

"Tang Yun, you have rendered outstanding service in suppressing this rebellion, and you have saved my life once again."

"Your Majesty, my loyalty to the Great Xia is as clear as day. Those treacherous officials who have deceived the emperor will be punished to the death." "

As for the Emperor, I entrust you with his care."

"Your Majesty, I obey."

"There is one more matter that I cannot leave without your assistance, but I do not know if you dare to go."

"I would gladly face any danger, even death!"...

*************************************** (Separator)

Liao Kingdom, Xijing Circuit, Ningbian Prefecture.

Although this area belongs to both the Song and Liao dynasties, the natural environment is essentially the same: rolling hills interspersed with sand dunes and grasslands, unsuitable for farming and herding. Beyond the Great Wall, the Song Dynasty only had three fortified cities: Fengzhou City, Baoning Village, and Yong'an Village. The Song Dynasty didn't even consider the vast northern area worth establishing fortifications or garrisons there.

For both the Song and Liao dynasties, this was a tacitly agreed-upon buffer zone; neither side stationed troops or established posts there. While ostensibly part of Song territory, the border peoples of the three kingdoms frequently traveled secretly, and many underground horse markets were located here.

For Han Yue, this place was a return to familiar territory. Ningbian Prefecture was one of the three cities of the Liao Kingdom's Hetao region. He had escaped from here. And now, just over two years later, he had returned as a private merchant in the Song Dynasty. Han Yue couldn't help but sigh at the vicissitudes of life. But... He wondered if the current governor of Xijing was still Prince Chen, Xiao Yanliu, and whether the princess with whom he had a passionate affair was still alive.

He recalled his audacious act of seducing the princess into adultery, a momentary impulse. The princess, outwardly dignified and noble, harbored a burning desire, a fact unknown to outsiders. It was more a mutual seduction than a direct confrontation.

Of course, dwelling on this now was pointless; he could never return to the past. The wooden plaque erected by the Liao government office he had just passed still bore his wanted poster, though weathered and worn, and ignored by the local barbarian tribes. It signified that he remained a fugitive in Liao.

He was currently in a lush, water-rich area near the Yellow River, inhabited by various tribes. While administratively under the jurisdiction of Ningbian Prefecture of Liao, the tribes largely operated independently, ignoring the Khitans' orders. The Ningbian Prefecture government... In other words, they only came once a year to collect taxes and collect tribute; the rest of the time, not even a single official would show their face. They probably knew about the private trade between the two countries, but since they got a share of the profits, they turned a blind eye.

At this moment, the vast grassland became bustling with activity, teeming with people. The arrival of the Southern Dynasty caravan made the place as noisy as a festival, and the herdsmen, like at a market, drove their livestock in large, bustling groups. These grassland peoples were mostly hospitable and extremely generous. They would say what they wanted directly, and once an agreement was reached, they would exchange horses for valuable Song coins, tea, and all sorts of bamboo and ironware.

The open space along the riverbank was crowded with people; the natural flat ground became a market, with thousands of herdsmen gathered there. Even some dressed as Liao and Han soldiers led their horses and cattle here, exchanging them for hard copper coins and gold and silver.

The Zhe family's caravan was the most mysterious; clearly, they had been here for a long time... Someone was waiting for them. They didn't bother with ordinary herders; they simply unloaded their crates and formed a tight circle with the mysterious, unknown people, providing ample cover. Several burly men, armed with knives and bows, patrolled the outside, ruthlessly shooing away anyone trying to get closer, even ignoring the Liao soldiers.

Han Yue stood on a high slope, curiously looking in that direction. His martial arts skills were exceptional, and his eyesight far surpassed ordinary people. He could see from afar that the crates contained pieces of leather and iron armor, similar in style to those worn by the Liao army. He wanted to examine them more closely, but Song Jiang hurriedly pulled him aside, saying that such matters were taboo and he shouldn't risk his life.

Those who came here were all seasoned veterans, buying and selling from upstream to downstream. In just two days, the Song Dynasty caravan had left almost everything they brought here; even Han Yue, the inexperienced and cunning merchant, had sold everything. What they took back were herds of tall horses and furs.

"Brother, shall we take these horses back? Or perhaps we'll keep them there?" Han Yue was an expert on warhorses, and the horses he had chosen were highly praised by Song Jiang. However, Han Yue found it strange—why take the horses back?

The people of the Central Plains didn't know how to raise horses. It would be more practical to exchange them for money.

"Don't worry, brother, someone will take them when we return to Song territory." Warhorses were strategic resources, and Han Yue couldn't imagine who would take them. Could it be the government? Han Yue knew a little about horse prices in the Song Dynasty; a good horse cost three hundred strings of cash. He had twenty good horses, which was six thousand strings of cash. Subtracting the cost and adding the money to bribe the government, the profit from this trip would likely be no less than a thousand strings of cash. An ordinary person couldn't earn that much money in a lifetime; such exorbitant profits were astonishing. With a few more trips, he might become richer than a country.

Traveling west along the Yellow River, they returned to Song territory in just one day. The trip was truly uneventful, and Han Yue was marveling at how easy it was to make money when she saw a large group of people waiting for them at the mountain pass ahead.

"The Zhe family?" A sudden unease rose in Han Yue's heart as she watched the Zhe family's caravan break away from the main group and head towards regrouping. The private merchants, on the other hand, remained calm and unhurried, clearly

accustomed to this scene. Some even called for their men to gather their horses, while Song Jiang said, "These are our next buyers; we'll just sell our horses to them here."

The Zhe family!? Han Yue finally understood; it was indeed impossible to bypass the Zhe family. The Zhe family secretly condoned smuggling and trade, profiting from it. All passing private merchants had to pay them protection money, and they also received a cut of the profits from the transactions, receiving a lump sum upfront. Finally, the horses obtained by the private merchants were sold back to them, further strengthening the cavalry of the Hedong Road forces—truly a win-win situation, benefiting both the public and the private.

And the Zhe family's caravan—their trade was even more remarkable: weapons and armor. Could it be that the Zhe family is secretly colluding with the Liao Dynasty? That's highly unlikely. The Zhe family has always prided themselves on loyalty and righteousness, and the Song court has placed great trust in them. Before Emperor Zhenzong, countless members of the Zhe family died on the front lines of the war against Liao, their hatred running deep. Could it be… the current rebellion in Shangjing Road? Are they secretly aiding the Liao rebels?

This is a serious matter! After all, the two countries have the Treaty of Shanyuan; this is a clear breach of the treaty! It could trigger a war between the two countries!

Even in the Song Dynasty, this would be a capital crime of treason!

However, this is just speculation. The Zhe family's caravan brought back the most horses, perhaps over a hundred, but among the various barbarian tribes in Ningbian Prefecture, besides the Khitans, who could afford such a large quantity of weapons and armor? And clearly, this wasn't for the Khitans; those small tribes neither had the resources nor the courage, knowing that in the Khitans' eyes, this would be treason.

"Brother, does the Zhe family usually receive goods here?"

"No, not really. In the past, after returning, we wouldn't go to Fengzhou, but instead cross the old road of the County River and go straight to Baoning Village. That village is a military town, without civil officials, making things easier. Unlike Fengzhou City, which is crowded and noisy, so many horses entering the city would be too conspicuous."

"Have you ever received goods in this desolate wilderness before?"

"No, what are we? How can we compare? Brother, we rely on the Zhe family's official position for our livelihood, so we wouldn't dare to cheat or renege. We always deliver the goods directly to them, and they just wait. Today… could something be wrong?" To be honest, Song Jiang was a seasoned江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) person, and Han Yue's reminder immediately made him frown. The Zhe family was the biggest local tyrant, practically a regional governor. When had they ever come out to wait for them in this desolate wilderness?

However, seeing other private merchants laughing and joking, he certainly wasn't surprised. They simply drove the horses over and began delivering the goods in the wilderness. Many of the people from the Zhe family seemed to be acquainted with these private merchants, greeting them frequently with smiles and banter. The rest, judging by their skills, were mostly soldiers in civilian clothes. They had exchanged their horses for easily portable gold and silver ingots, as well as tea and salt permits, with very few copper coins. This suited the private merchants perfectly; they were all beaming with joy. Even after being exploited at every turn, they had still made a considerable profit.

When Song Jiang and Han Yue arrived, Han Yue looked closely and noticed that the Zhe family lady from before was not among them. Looking around more closely, she saw the lady in the distance talking with several people, seemingly arguing, gesticulating wildly and becoming extremely agitated. Later, those people forcibly pulled her horse away, followed by dozens of riders. The Zhe family members opposite seemed to have been watching them intentionally or unintentionally, and seemed relieved after they left.

Something's off...

Han Yue muttered to himself. At this moment, the handover of their last batch of warhorses was complete. Song Jiang, carrying a large bag of money and salt permits in one hand and a large bag of gold in the other, came over excitedly.

"Brother, I haven't lied to you. This large sum of money is between us. If you want your business to last, I'll never cheat you. We just need to combine our capital and resources, what do you say? Your horse-judging skills are truly exceptional, far surpassing mine. If we join forces, within ten years, I guarantee you'll have a fortune. If you have other plans, we can settle accounts after we've finished our meal, how about that?"

"Meal? Where are we going to eat?" Han Yue's mind wasn't on that at all. His long experience as a stable boy made him extremely sensitive to danger. He immediately sensed something was amiss.

"It's the Zhe family official who prepared the food and wine, brother. This is an immense honor. To make a living on this road, the Zhe family's word is like an imperial edict." Song Jiang's mind was filled with thoughts of taking the opportunity to build connections, hoping to curry favor with one of the Zhe family's managers so that wealth would flow in. Meanwhile, the other merchants had already followed them in groups towards the mountain pass ahead, clearly having no doubts and sharing the same idea.

"Food and wine? Where would we get food and wine in this desolate wilderness? Are there any villages or towns nearby?" Han Yue's gaze wasn't on the other merchants, but on the horses, which were being led in another direction without accompanying them.

"Villages or towns? There aren't any here." Song Jiang finally understood.

"There's no village in sight, no shop in sight. Where would they get food and wine?" Han Yue was now feeling flustered and confused.

"This... I'm afraid it's... a meal prepared in the city."

"If that's the case, why not wait in the city as usual? And why prepare a meal? Has this ever happened before?" Han Yue became increasingly suspicious, and Song Jiang, being a meticulous man,

turned pale , his earlier excitement vanishing completely.

"No, this is the first time."

"Brother, I'm afraid there's a trap!" The two were dawdling at the very back of the group, talking amongst themselves. A sudden thought flashed through Han Yue's mind, "Brother, we can't go! They might be trying to silence us!" Song Jiang was startled and quickly turned their horses around, about to slip away, when they were spotted by several burly riders patrolling nearby. These men were dressed as cavalrymen, wearing light armor, carrying swords and bows.

"Gentlemen, where are you going?"

"We two are just looking for a place to relieve ourselves. May I ask what brings you here?"

"My master has shown you immense favor by preparing a meal and drinks. How can you refuse? Is there something you're up to?" These cavalrymen appeared to be officers from the Hedong cavalry, private soldiers of the Zhe family, and spoke very rudely.

"Gentlemen, please don't joke. My brother and I have simply upset stomachs..."

"In that case, come with me. I also need to relieve myself."

With that, the leader grabbed their horses and led them to the bottom of a small hill. It appeared to be a dried-up riverbed, overgrown with shrubs. Several other men had also arrived, some even carrying bows and arrows.

Upon seeing this, Song Jiang fully understood what the other party meant. He calmed himself down, threw down the two bundles, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Gentlemen, if you spare our lives, please accept this money."

The leading man laughed loudly, "You clever bastard, but if I finish you off here, the money will still be in my pocket, hahahaha..." He then threw his head back and laughed loudly.

Just as he was laughing, a flying knife struck him squarely in the neck, blood gushing out instantly, and he tumbled off his horse.

"So fast!" Han Yue hadn't even seen how Song Jiang made his move; his actions were truly lightning fast. Immediately afterward, three bows fired simultaneously, and Song Jiang cried out as an arrow shot him off his horse. Han Yue twisted his body, almost instantly turning off his horse and hiding under its belly, the two arrows missing their mark.

Run! That was the only thought in Han Yue's mind. His opponent was clearly a seasoned assassin skilled in mounted archery; the speed and force of the arrows indicated a formidable foe. The Hedong cavalry truly lived up to their reputation! He quickly sat up, ready to spur his horse and flee, but once again realized his misjudgment. He had initially thought the opponent wouldn't have time to fire a second arrow, but he hadn't expected that among the Song people there were skilled archers whose mounted archery was no less than that of the Khitan elite cavalry.

From the beginning, each of the opponents had drawn two arrows, probably not expecting that there were such skilled horsemen among the Han merchants, who had managed to dodge their two-arrow attack. Immediately, they drew their bows and nocked arrows. Han Yue had barely settled in when three more arrows rained down, their speed and force astounding.

There was no way to dodge!

Han Yue was shocked. His opponents were clearly experienced veterans; seeing his exceptional horsemanship, they had all aimed at his horse. Han Yue executed a swift, sweeping turn, leaping off his horse. His own warhorse, too, was struck by the three arrows and collapsed with a pitiful neigh.

What a close call! If they had targeted him, he wouldn't have had time to dodge. Unfortunately, his skill had also led them to misjudge the situation, shooting at his horse first—a terrible loss of a fine steed. The moment his toes touched the ground, he shot forward. The three riders didn't have time to draw another arrow from their quivers; one of them drew a saber to meet him.

This was a fight to the death!

Han Yue leaped ten feet into the air. The man swung his saber in a backhand strike, a flash of light slicing through Han Yue's arm, sparks flying from his iron arm guard. Then, the man was kicked in the chest. A powerful surge of Yin energy shattered his sternum through his armor, causing him to groan and spit blood as he fell from his horse. It was the Eight-Step Lotus Kick, a signature move of the Maitreya Sect. Using the recoil, Han Yue leaped into the air as if weightless, lunging at the second man. The man, who had just drawn his arrow, had no time to react and was kicked in the neck.

Only after the third man also fell did Han Yue's feet touch the ground, and he staggered a few steps to his feet. A large patch of blood covered his shoulder—the third man's wound. Elite soldiers are indeed elite; even though Han Yue had fought with all his might, wasting no time, that little bit of time was enough for the third man to draw his bow and aim at his neck.

He was lucky to have dodged the arrow at such close range…

After killing these assassins, he looked at Song Jiang and saw that he had an arrow in his shoulder, but he was still conscious.

"Brother, hurry! Head towards Liao!"

Without another word, the two helped him onto his horse and rode up the earthen slope. But then, the sounds of battle cries and thick smoke rose faintly from the distant mountain pass, clearly indicating that the private merchants were in grave danger, being hunted down by countless government troops. The Zhe family army was indeed formidable; even these few soldiers were highly skilled. If the larger force over there was of this caliber, the outcome would be a foregone conclusion.

"Such ruthless methods!" Han Yue's eyes widened in fury. The Zhe family seemed intent on having their cake and eating it too.

"You corrupt officials! How vicious! I will avenge this!" Song Jiang gritted his teeth. "Brother, there's no time to lose, let's head to Liao!"

"Liao?" Han Yue asked, puzzled. Was this guy planning to go to Liao?

"Brother, do you know Hong Niangzi of Hebei?"

"Her name is legendary." Han Yue thought to himself, who didn't know Hong Niangzi? A legendary figure in the Northern Green Forest, whose every move shook the surrounding areas.

"Brother, I've come to worship at the temple of Lady Hongniang, and I'm in charge of the Hedong trade route for her. Throughout the north, whether Liao or Song, there are shrines dedicated to Lady Hongniang. Once we enter Liao, these treacherous dogs won't be able to catch us. Brother, you have plenty of ways to ensure our safe return to the Great Song!"...

********************************** (Separator)

Zhuolun River, Nuanquan Peak.

Although Zhuolun River isn't a major river, it lies at the border of the Song, Liao, and Xia kingdoms. Originating in Liao territory, flowing through Western Xia, and finally merging into the Quye River within Song territory, Zhuolun River has witnessed countless battles and wars for over a hundred years. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers from the three kingdoms perished along this river in foreign lands.

In the second year of Emperor Renzong's Jiayou reign, Song and Xia vied for control of the farmland on both banks of the Quye River. Sima Guang, then serving as the Tongpan of Tongzhou, suggested building a fortress on the west bank to solidify their position, which triggered a large-scale invasion by Western Xia. Guo En, a renowned general from Hedong, was forced by the eunuch supervisor to fight despite being at a disadvantage. He suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Duandaowu, dying for his country. Hedong lost its strategic stronghold, and the eastern bank of the Zhuolun River was almost completely swept away by the Xia army. To this day, this area remains under the de facto control of Western Xia.

Of course, Western Xia has been declining in recent years, and its control over the border has loosened. Many smuggling caravans from both sides pass through this area, and there are few official patrols.

Tong Guan and his two companions hid on a hilltop, while their target remained within their sight.

"Is that woman Rouge Tiger Sun Erniang? I heard she was killed in Huanzhou a couple of years ago. I didn't expect her to still be alive." The gloomy man beside him focused his gaze on the figure in the distance. "What audacity! She's managed to run a brothel in the capital for two years!"

"This woman's relationship with Han Yue is far from ordinary. I'm afraid she knows about Han Yue's crimes in the capital."

"What the master wants, she's probably involved too." The palace maid Su Hu beside her spoke in an icy tone. She was dressed as a male martial arts performer, holding a bow and arrow.

"Should we capture her and interrogate her?"

"What if the item isn't on her? We might alert Han Yue." Su Hu's cold tone was unsettling. "Besides, there are only three of us, and the enemy has a large and powerful force. If we rashly attack, we might end up being the ones who suffer."

"However, it's also possible that the item is on her. Han Yue clearly has ulterior motives. People like him would take such risks for nothing more than profit. He's willing to take such risks for great gain. And this Sun Erniang is a remnant of Maitreya, wholeheartedly opposed to the court. I'm afraid the major case in the capital a while ago was also related to her."

Su Hu fell silent. What the dead-faced man said wasn't without reason. Sun Erniang, this kind of "terrorist," just happened to know Han Yue, and the two of them just happened to appear in the capital at the same time, and then disappeared at the same time after the incident. Even she herself didn't believe it was just a coincidence. If Han Yue was entrusted by Sun Erniang to enter the palace, that was also a plausible possibility.

But it was only a possibility.

Sun Erniang had run to this place near the Song-Xia border, clearly waiting for someone. And according to their observations, this woman seemed to be plotting against someone, because she had ambushed many people in a nearby mountain hollow.

"When will your reinforcements arrive?" The final conclusion was still that they should seize this opportunity to capture Sun Erniang.

Tong Guan and Su Hu both stared at the dead-faced man. One was a palace maid, and the other a eunuch. Both had left the palace without permission and needed help outside. They still had to rely on this dead-faced man. This subordinate of Cai Jing knew the martial arts of the Maitreya Sect, and he had actually managed to summon reinforcements in this remote place in Hedong. Moreover, these reinforcements were the famous Hebei Red Maiden of the martial arts world. What was this person's original identity in the bandit world? Of course, given their status, they were merely curious.

"They will come when they are meant to!" The dead-faced man didn't care about their expressions at all...

When Tang Yun saw Sun Erniang, he still maintained his icy expression.

As for the purpose of this trip, he still couldn't figure it out. Empress Dowager Liang had actually summoned him to continue Liang Yibu's unfinished transaction and try to get his hands on that batch of weapons.

He was very puzzled by this. What use would the Western Xia have for these weapons? On the battlefield? The quantity was too small, not even enough for a single battle. As for imitation, the Western Xia's craftsmen had always been ridiculed by the Song Dynasty. The Song and Western Xia had fought for decades, each side experiencing victories and defeats, and the Western Xia had captured countless Song weapons. If they could replicate them, they would have done so long ago. Take the Divine Arm Bow, for example; at least a thousand were captured in the Battle of Yongle City alone, yet no one has been able to replicate it to this day. This was to be expected; even the Song Dynasty, the country of origin, couldn't manufacture them on a large scale, so what ability did the Western Xia have to surpass the Song?

Firearms were even more out of the question. The Song Dynasty strictly prohibited the import of sulfur and saltpeter into the Western Xia, so the Western Xia people simply couldn't produce gunpowder.

Therefore, Tang Yun really didn't know what Empress Dowager Liang needed these weapons for.

There was also a painting, which Tang Yun found even more strange. What painting could be so important? But no one explained it to him; all

he could do was complete his mission.

"So it's Lord Tang. Where is Lord Ma Kui?" Sun Erniang said with a smile, but a hint of hatred and cruelty seemed to lurk beneath that smile.

"Lord Ma Kui sent me here. What do you say? Perhaps you don't trust me, Tang Yun?" Tang Yun sneered, but it was clear to everyone that his smile was forced. The other party should be unaware of the events that had occurred in Western Xia. Whether it was Empress Dowager Liang or Liang Yibu, they were both from Western Xia. As long as the trading partner was Western Xia, what did it matter? He had brought tens of thousands of strings of gold and jewels, which he believed was the most important bargaining chip.

"Lord Tang, what are you saying? I'd like to wish you a successful promotion. Please!"

"Where to?"

"This is not the place to talk. The goods are all ahead and behind the mountain. Please come with me."

Tang Yun was taken aback. He instinctively felt that something was wrong, and it was somewhat different from what he had imagined. However, the quantity of military equipment was considerable, and it would certainly be transported by vehicles. It was understandable that travel on these mountain roads would be difficult. This is the border between Song and Xia. Perhaps the other side is also afraid of being double-crossed?

Seeing Tang Yun hesitate, Sun Erniang used his words to turn the tables on her: "Does Lord Tang not trust me?"

"Erniang is joking, please lead the way!" Tang Yun composed himself and finally waved his hand. Dozens of his men drove three large carts and followed the Song people leading the way, entering the mountain pass in single file...

In the distance, Tong Guan and his men watched what was happening before their eyes, somewhat unable to believe their eyes.

"Where did those cavalry come from?"

"They came from the west, could they be from Western Xia? Then that must be the border of Western Xia! Those people did come from the border of Western Xia. Our Great Song border, these Western Xia traitors just come here like that?"

"These remnants of the Maitreya sect actually colluded with the enemy country? They've really rebelled!"

Tong Guan cursed incessantly. Back then, he was a disciple of Li Xian. Although Li Xian was an eunuch, he fought for the country all his life, repeatedly defeating Western Xia and making great contributions to the country. Influenced by his predecessors, Tong Guan harbored no goodwill towards the Western Xia from the bottom of his heart, and his lifelong ambition was to destroy them as soon as possible. Now, seeing the Western Xia cavalry entering and leaving the border as if it were empty, how could he not be furious?

"I'm afraid that Sun Erniang is also up to no good. Those ambushing troops are probably prepared for these Xia dogs." Su Hu's tone remained cold. Tong Guan was stunned. Before he could speak, he heard shouts of battle rising from the opposite valley. Then, warhorses rushed out, and people fled in panic like headless flies.

"Fighting has started! When...when will our reinforcements arrive?" Tong Guan had followed Li Xian for a while and knew some military strategy. He realized that attacking now would be like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of hooves behind him. A large group of knights rode up, and the leader was very strong, holding a large bow. The deadpan expression of his face rarely showed a smile: "They've come!"

In the valley, Tang Yun led his men, desperately breaking out. All around were men dressed as bandits, wielding knives, guns, and crossbows, shouting and laughing, forming a tight circle, clearly not intending to let him leave alive.

He had never expected to underestimate them; a mere female bandit from the Song Dynasty could possess such a clear understanding of the political upheavals within Western Xia. The deal was cancelled the moment Liang Yibu died. Did they consider Liang Yibu dead? Whose money wasn't money? Or did they believe that Empress Dowager Liang's side had come with ill intentions and were preparing to strike first?

But there was no time to find the answers now; the most important thing was to break out.

Tang Yun kicked a charging bandit to the ground, thrusting her long sword into his chest. A nearby guard screamed in agony, struck in the eye by a stray arrow, dying instantly. The accompanying group

consisted of elite Western Xia soldiers, skilled in archery and horsemanship. In the chaos, several were first felled by a volley of arrows, then ambushed from all sides. Most had no time to draw their bows and arrows, and were forced to draw their swords for hand-to-hand combat. Clearly, the enemy's tactics were highly targeted, designed to prevent them from firing arrows in time.

In close combat, these bandits were exceptionally skilled and strong; in a short time, while they had felled a number of Western Xia soldiers, they themselves had also lost a significant portion. The remaining soldiers managed to seize bows and arrows, firing in all directions to maintain their formation and

force the bandits back. However, they were overwhelmingly outnumbered, and the enemy had displayed remarkable fearlessness; it seemed like there was no hope of victory. If the enemy was determined not to let them leave alive, they would fight to the death to wipe them all out. Tang Yun directed the remaining soldiers to form a circular formation, abandoning their gold and jewels, using shields to protect the outer perimeter, and slowly advancing. The bandits, surprisingly, also held shields, with archers behind them, slowly surrounding them, clearly waiting for their formation to break down.

"Lord Tang, what's gotten into you? Back then, under Grand Commandant Zhe, you fought fiercely against the Western bandits, slaying countless Xia dogs. What a hero you were! Now you've surrendered to the Western bandits and betrayed your ancestors, how come you've lost even this last bit of courage!"

"Slaughter these Xia dogs!"

"You dog of a Western bandit, today I'll capture you, skin you alive, and burn you alive!" The surrounding bandits immediately erupted in clamor.

Sun Erniang, holding a large shield and a crossbow, laughed heartily. Tang Yun knew she was deliberately trying to demoralize the troops, but he was utterly helpless.

"Sun Erniang! Aren't you also a traitor to your ancestors? You robbed the Song Dynasty's military treasury and then sold it to foreign countries. What kind of hero are you?"

"Hahahaha! I'm just a woman, not a hero! Come!" With that, he waved his hand, and the surrounding bandits roared and raised dozens of bows, waiting for the order to unleash a volley of arrows and then launch a decisive charge to completely break through the small circular formation of the Xia soldiers. A burly, giant monk, dressed in a flowing robe, his chest covered in black hair, wielding a large staff that must have weighed fifty or sixty pounds, stepped forward from the crowd and stood on the high slope.

"My children, kill me... Ah!"

The wild, rough roar only lasted halfway before falling silent.

All the bandits stared in shock at the bloodied iron arrow protruding from their leader's chest, and at the large troop of infantry and cavalry that appeared in the distance. The leader, a powerfully built man on a tall horse, still held his great bow.

Such a fast arrow! They'd barely heard the whistling of the wind before it pierced his chest.

Three hundred paces away?

Such a powerful bow! Such divine arrows!

Then, a hail of arrows rained down, the archer spurring his horse forward, firing repeatedly, and the bandits fell one after another. Then, countless soldiers and cavalry emerged from behind, leaping up and surging forward like a tide.

Sun Erniang was terrified, never expecting her perfect plan to turn out this way. Where did these people come from? Why hadn't any of her scouts reported back? How could so many people appear before her eyes so suddenly? Were they divine soldiers descending from the heavens? Could it be that the Western Xia traitors had turned her plan against her? But upon closer inspection, the general at the head of the group was clearly dressed in the colors of the Song Dynasty. Upon closer examination, he suddenly remembered the man's identity.

It was that military officer surnamed He! The number one archer in Hedong. Su Yanfu had fallen at his hands back then!

He had single-handedly repelled the Liao army, his divine arrows striking fear into the enemy!

The moment Sun Erniang thought of him, she knew something was terribly wrong. At that moment, only one word remained in her mind: Run!

Seeing their leader suddenly turn and mount his horse to flee, the remaining bandits recognized the Song soldiers and panicked. Seeing their leader's unstoppable bravery, they lost their composure and scattered in disarray. However, shouts of battle rang out from both sides, and large numbers of soldiers appeared all over the mountains, clearly indicating that the enemy had silently formed an encirclement.

But Sun Erniang's horse was obviously a Hengshan horse, extremely good at mountain runs, and she managed to break through before the encirclement closed in! The Song army was also surprised by the female bandit's desperate spirit and shouted to intercept her, with one group giving chase.

But the rest were not so lucky. Under the siege of the government troops, the bandits and Western Xia soldiers suffered heavy casualties. They were riddled with arrows like hedgehogs, and their corpses lay scattered on the ground.

Tang Yun thought he was going to die, but a group of men suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The bandits were thrown into chaos. Although they didn't know who the newcomers were, it was clear that this was a chance to escape.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, he roared, "Soldiers, retreat!" and then turned and ran. The soldiers around him immediately followed him out of the mountain pass. However, they hadn't gone far when those around him began to fall, struck by arrows. Some had two or three pierced through the body by a single arrow. Tang Yun's scalp tingled. He exclaimed inwardly that such terrifying archery skills existed in the world. Looking back, he saw a general dressed in the armor of a Song Dynasty military officer, already galloping after them. With a swift bow, whether it was bandits or Western Xia soldiers, none could escape his grasp. Did

the Song Dynasty really have such a fierce and ruthless general?!

The bow in this man's hand was like a death warrant in the hands of the King of Hell, taking lives as easily as cutting grass. "If he targets me, this is terrible!" Tang Yun seized a horse and galloped away like the wind. His men were terrified and dared not even meet his opponent's gaze. However, they hadn't gone far when Tang Yun realized he was alone. Looking down, he saw that all twenty-odd men had been shot down by that fellow, leaving him as a lone commander.

"Damn it!" The fear of death instantly gripped his heart!

Then, he felt as if time had stopped, and the world seemed to fall silent. This mysterious feeling lasted only a moment. Then, as if by instinct, he twisted his body, his waist knife transforming into a streak of white light, before being shattered by a bolt of lightning like a lone goose. Tang Yun coughed up blood. His body felt as if it had been violently shoved by the force of that thunderbolt. Even with his protective qigong, his vision blurred, his internal organs swayed, and he nearly fell off his horse.

The military officer chasing behind him exclaimed in surprise.

He had studied martial arts under a renowned master since childhood, diligently practicing archery. After mastering his skills, he joined the army to serve his country, earning the reputation of being the best archer in Hedong. He was virtually unmatched on the battlefield and was considered one of the top archers in the entire Song Dynasty. He only remembered that two years ago, a Liao military officer had dodged his "Eagle Charge" but was later knocked off his horse by his "Eagle Shot."

He never expected that today, a Western Xia military officer could catch his "Wild Goose Fall"—such lightning-fast arrow strikes! Able to strike iron and shatter stone, and to catch it with human strength—one in ten thousand.

A master!

It's truly exciting for masters to meet, and the military officer felt a surge of competitive spirit. Since he could catch someone's "Wild Goose Fall," let's see if you have the life to catch his ultimate move.

He took a deep breath, drew his three-stone-strong bow, nocked an arrow, and extended it to its full length. His robes fluttered without wind, a whirlwind rose from the ground, and in the vast天地 (heaven and earth), there was nothing but that great bow. Like a Kunpeng spreading its wings, it soared upwards, traversing thousands of miles, its sharp, timeless aura condensing into a single, cold, pointed tip.

Kunpeng Kill!

However, at this moment, Tong Guan's voice rang out behind him: "General He! That guy has escaped! General He, please send troops to pursue him immediately!" The military officer frowned, inwardly cursing him as a good-for-nothing who couldn't even catch a woman. Watching Tang Yun flee desperately on horseback, he snorted disdainfully and put away his bow and arrows: "

There are heroes among the Western bandits. Killing you now would be dishonorable. We'll meet again on the battlefield someday, and then I'll let you take this arrow." "

Having said that, he turned around, gave a whistle, and led his cavalry in pursuit of the direction Sun Erniang had fled...

The fourth year of the Shaosheng reign of the Song Dynasty, the eighth year of the Youmin'an reign of the Xia Dynasty, April 17th, Shimen Gorge.

Although it was summer, the north wind on the steep northwest mountains still carried a hint of coolness. Hundreds of Western Xia military flags fluttered in the wind, and squads of mountain cavalry galloped across the mountains as if walking on flat ground. In addition, densely packed infantry filled the valleys, moving like a black swarm of ants, their swords, spears, and halberds gleaming coldly, like a silvery ocean.

Since the Western Xia had stationed troops and established a camp here in the second year of the Youmin'an reign, this city had become a thorn in the side of the Song army in Jingyuan Road. Its geographical location was extremely dangerous, only thirty miles from Weizhou, bordering Xing and Ling to the east, and Tiandu to the west, with the Hulu River nearby, offering advantages for farming and animal husbandry. Previously, the Song army's hard scouting..." The scouts in this region were extremely arrogant, coming and going as they pleased. However, after the fortifications were built, the Song army's harassment decreased significantly.

Since the coup in Xingqing Prefecture three years prior, the Western Xia government had been completely controlled by Empress Dowager Liang. To stabilize the situation, a rare period of peace ensued on the Song-Xia border for the following year. Although small-scale conflicts continued, large-scale battles ceased entirely.

However, the Song Dynasty's new faction was in power, and its ambitions towards Western Xia were well-known. Its aggressive threatening posture remained unchanged, with fortifications constantly being built along the border, gradually encroaching on Western Xia territory. Meanwhile, with the Western Xia ruler being a female emperor, the conflicts between the imperial relatives and the royal family persisted. To divert attention from these conflicts, the border could not remain too peaceful. Therefore, after a year of peace, Empress Dowager Liang, believing her army was strong and well-prepared, decided to seek an opportunity to wage war. In

February of the seventh year of the Min'an era, Empress Dowager Liang sent envoys to the Song Dynasty, demanding... The Song Dynasty vehemently refused the request to re-establish the border. Following the advice of Chancellor Zhang Dun, the Song emperor abolished the demarcation of borders and ordered his troops to seize the opportunity to launch an attack. Empress Dowager Liang was furious and decided to strike first, launching a surprise attack on the Suide border, capturing Yihe Village, looting extensively, and rekindling the flames of war.

For Western Xia, this first battle of the new year was a resounding success, clearly a good omen. The tribal chiefs began launching frequent attacks, hoping to continue this good fortune. However, to everyone's astonishment, perhaps due to the Empress Dowager's reign causing an imbalance of power between the two, the battle of Yihe Village exhausted all of Western Xia's good fortune for the year. Aside from an initial heavy loss due to being caught off guard, the Song army gained no further advantage. The once-mighty Tangut cavalry, which had dominated the northwest, seemed to have lost its former ferocity, and their subsequent performance was truly the opposite of what the Western Xia generals had hoped for—a disastrous defeat. The Xia army not only failed to stop the Song Dynasty's advance, but also suffered repeated losses.

In March, tens of thousands of Xia troops invaded Linyan Road, besieging the city gates for several days. They even unusually deployed a large number of siege weapons, but failed to break through. Song reinforcements arrived in force, forcing them to lift the siege and retreat.

In August, tens of thousands of Xia troops raided Bao'an Army and attacked Shunning Village, only to be ambushed by Song general Zhang Yun leading reinforcements from Jingyuan Road. They suffered over a thousand casualties and were routed. In September

, Empress Dowager Liang personally orchestrated an operation, ordering the leaders of the Right Wing region to send envoys via a side road to Huanqing Road, falsely claiming they "wished to return their entire clans to Han" to lure the Song army into battle. Song generals Zhong Chuan and Zhe Keshi led troops to reinforce them. At Jiba Ridge, tens of thousands of Xia troops ambushed them, surrounding them from all sides. However, after a day of fierce fighting, they were unable to subdue several thousand Song soldiers. Zhe Keshi and Zhong Chuan led their troops in a fierce charge, cutting down the Xia army and disrupting their encirclement. The entire Xia army broke through the encirclement and retreated.

In October, due to repeated defeats at the front, Empress Dowager Liang personally assembled a large army and, accompanied by Xia ruler Qian Shun, led a campaign, claiming an army of 500,000 deep into Yan'an Prefecture. Yan'an's commander, Lü Huiqing, implemented a scorched-earth policy throughout the region. Unable to capture Yan'an Prefecture, the Western Xia army turned and besieged Jinmingzhai, swarming the city walls. The Song defenders, numbering 2,800, were outnumbered and almost entirely wiped out, leading to the fall of Jinmingzhai. All 50,000 shi of grain in the city were looted. Empress Dowager Liang's campaign finally restored face for Hongdezhai, and in her delight, she wrote to the Song Dynasty: "Yesterday, the Xia Kingdom discussed border issues with the court, but there were only minor differences. We were about to investigate when the court changed its mind and proposed establishing a border at Zuotuanpu. Out of respect, our country reluctantly complied, establishing several forts within our territory to protect our farmland. However, Lin Yan sent troops to pacify the entire region and repeatedly crossed the border to kill and plunder. The people of our country are outraged and wish to take Lin Yan." Ultimately, the emperor humbly surrendered, capturing only Jinming Village to demonstrate his military might, thus upholding the principles of a subject.

This account, ostensibly written in the tone of a subject, is in reality a display of power and boasting. However, even the generals within Western Xia didn't consider the battle particularly glorious. With hundreds of thousands of troops deployed, the only achievement was breaching a border fortress defended by 2,800 men; the seized provisions weren't even enough to cover the army's expenses—a truly disastrous outcome.

If this had happened during Emperor Jingzong's reign, it would have been a laughingstock, something no one would dare boast about.

However, Empress Dowager Liang didn't see it that way. She even presented the only five prisoners of war to the Liao Dynasty to showcase her military prowess. Western Xia's high-ranking officials secretly shook their heads at this; this was likely more than enough to fuel the Liao's ridicule and further diminish their respect for Western Xia.

Regardless, an inglorious victory is still a victory, and the Empress Dowager's personal intervention hoped to bring good fortune to the soldiers at the front. But the situation afterwards seemed to spiral out of control. This battle seemed like a final burst of energy for Western Xia, followed by a long period of darkness.

In December, Sun Lan, the prefect of Taiyuan, led his army to build Xialu City, a strategically vital location, otherwise the natural defenses of Hengshan would be shared with the Song. Tens of thousands of Xia troops were stationed on the border, waiting for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack. However, they fell into Sun Lan's trap of arrogance and were instead ambushed by the Song army,

suffering a crushing defeat. This strategic location thus fell into Song hands. This was the Xia army's record for the past year: six major battles, four defeats, failing to take an inch of Song territory and suffering repeated losses. But there were still victories and defeats. Looking at this year, it was truly appalling. It

was almost as difficult as when the dynasty was founded, with repeated defeats and the precarious existence of the state. In

January of this year, because the Xia army had been assembling a large force on Linyan Road to confront the Song army, the right flank tribes were stationed outside the river, hoping to advance. As a result, Wang Wenzhen, the commander of Jingyuan Road, exploited an opening and actually broke through the Xitian's treacherous Meiyan Gorge, burning the city and fortress to the ground and killing and wounding thousands. In this battle alone, the Song army suffered eight hundred decapitations, a truly disastrous defeat.

In February, bad news came from the west: tens of thousands of cavalry from the Khotan Black Khanate broke through Yumen Pass and advanced rapidly, capturing the three prefectures of Guazhou, Shazhou, and Suzhou. The Xiping Military Command was completely defeated, and the entire Hexi Corridor was now under the control of the Khotan cavalry. The Black Khan King Ahudu Dong'e secretly sent his son to the capital to submit a memorial, saying: "The Burmese medicine family has done wrong, and there is no other way to repay them. I have already sent troops to break through the three prefectures of Guazhou, Shazhou, etc. of the Xia Kingdom."

The Song emperor responded generously, and the two sides formally formed an alliance.

At the same time, the Xia army of more than 70,000 men attacked Suide City and failed again. Since the capture of this powerful city by the Song army during the Xining era, the Xia army had been hoping to recapture it, and this battle marked the tenth time that the Xia army had failed to retake it.

Undeterred by their defeat, the Xia army turned its attention to Linzhou in Hedong, besieging Shentangbao. Jia Yan, the military governor of Linzhou, led several hundred cavalrymen from his vassal state to patrol the Quye River. Upon hearing the news, he secretly traveled to Beilanpo. At that time, the Xia army was heavily besieging the city. Jia Yan led the charge, charging from the rear from a high vantage point. The Song soldiers, inspired by this, fought with the ferocity of one against a hundred, charging straight into the enemy lines, breaking through several encirclements. The Xia army's morale collapsed, and their more than 60,000 men were utterly routed by several hundred Song cavalrymen beneath the city walls. Seven Xia generals were killed in battle, and tens of thousands of soldiers wept and fled, trampling each other, leaving corpses stretching for miles. Jia Yan's fame spread throughout the land after this battle.

In March, the Xia army attacked Xialucheng for the second time, besieging it for six days without success. Zhang Gou, the prefect of Shizhou in Song, led reinforcements and decisively defeated the Xia army beneath the city walls. The Xia army retreated into Changbochuan in Hedong, holding their ground and defending the city. As a result, they were ambushed by the Zhe family army from Hedong. The two sides fought a night battle in the rain, and the Xia army suffered a crushing defeat, fleeing in disarray with over two thousand corpses behind. Zhe Kexing led his army to advance dozens of miles into Xia territory

, displaying their might before returning. It can be said that since the beginning of the year, the Xia army has suffered a series of defeats, utterly devastating, and seemingly enjoying their losses immensely. This doesn't even include recent battles. A dozen days ago, Wei commander Zhang Jie ordered the construction of a water fortress, which the Xia army attempted to seize, engaging in a major battle with Song general Zhong Chuan at Jincheng Pass, only to suffer another crushing defeat. Meanwhile, the Song army, seizing the opportunity, launched a large-scale counterattack into Xia territory. Bao'an army commander Li Yi decisively defeated Wei Mingji, captured Hongzhou, and burned the entire city. Huanqing commander Zhang Cun led troops into Xia territory, reaching Sanjiaochuan, and dispatched elite troops to capture Yanzhou. Three years after Zhang Yunping destroyed Youzhou, the "ancestral homeland" of Western Xia was finally completely devastated.

Now, the Xia army seems to have become accustomed to defeat; a genuine victory is a rare occurrence.

Amidst the mountains, Lian Du Huolan, the commander of the Left Wing Divine Valiant Army of Western Xia, rode forward on horseback, accompanied by a vast horde of ten thousand soldiers from the Lian Du tribe. The Lian Du tribe was a major branch of the Dangxiang people, and for this mobilization at Tiandu Mountain, they had drawn five thousand regular soldiers, plus the mountain barbarians from Hengshan Bubazi, bringing the total to over ten thousand. A tribe capable of mobilizing tens of thousands of able-bodied men at once in war was no ordinary force in the Bai Shang Kingdom.

This expedition was likely to retaliate for the Song army's incursion into their city, but Lian Du Huolan had little interest in it. The Song army hadn't even entered Lian Du territory, and for the past two years, the Song-Xia war had been largely a humiliating affair for Western Xia, with no way things going smoothly. Who could guarantee that this time Western Xia would turn its fortunes around? In his opinion, it would be best if the two sides never went to war, each quietly making a fortune through underground deals – wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

However, military intelligence from Song territory was unsettling. Encouraged by repeated victories, Song troops in Xihe Road, Qinfeng Road, and Huanqing Road had begun large-scale mobilizations, accelerating the construction of fortresses and scouting. Numerous scouts were brazenly crossing borders into Xia territory to gather intelligence, all indicating a potential large-scale military operation by the Song.

However, the Jingyuan Road, facing Shimen Gorge, seemed calm. Rumors circulated that the Song army in Jingyuan Road wouldn't act easily because of the heavy garrison at Shimen Gorge; their mission was to contain the Xia army and prevent them from providing timely assistance to other directions.

Was this true? Lian Du Huolan, a seasoned general, was well-versed in the art of war and deception. This could be a smokescreen from the Song army, but it could also be true. Furthermore, the commander of Jingyuan Road, the high-ranking official known as the Wei Commander in the Eastern Dynasty, was none other than Zhang Jie, whom the Dangxiang people both hated and feared.

Zhang Jie, who a few years ago decisively defeated a massive Tangut army of over 100,000 with a smaller force, and who nearly captured Empress Dowager Liang, has now returned to Shaanxi. Moreover, he has assumed the position of Military Commissioner and Pacification Commissioner of Jingyuan Road, the most powerful and important military route in the Song army.

According to the rules of the various routes in Shaanxi during the Song Dynasty, whoever was the commander of Wei

(Wei) could effectively mobilize the entire Song army in Shaanxi. A figure as prestigious and respected in the army as Zhang Jie, who could mobilize troops from other routes even when he was the commander of Qing (Qing), would have even greater authority now. Such a cunning and shrewd man's every move is carefully calculated. The current inactivity in Jingyuan Road suggests that the main force of the Song army may be hiding there, waiting for the Western Xia to reveal a weakness before launching a fatal attack.

Furthermore, the inactivity in Jingyuan Road itself is suspicious. It's not that there's no activity, but rather that the scouts sent out have found nothing. This abnormal situation can only indicate that the Song army is intentionally suppressing information.

If that's the case, what will the Song army do? Directly attack Shimen Gorge?

If they launch their own attack, what will happen? First, let the other forces launch feigned attacks. Once the army from Shimenxia has gone to reinforce other areas, then launch a surprise, all-out assault on the fortress. When it comes to the art of fortress defense and siege warfare, the Han Chinese are undoubtedly the masters. With sufficient preparation, success is not impossible.

But this Shimenxia… Even Duhuolan looked at the majestic fortress before him, then glanced at the supervising officer in a white cloak and iron armor, riding a horse not far away. This fortress of Shimenxia was built under the supervision of this supervising officer, who was also Han Chinese, having advised the Empress Dowager on its construction. Could a fortress built with Han Chinese technology be easily conquered by the Han Chinese?

For the past three years, everyone knew that this military supervisor was a favorite of the Empress Dowager, and no one knew what merits he had made, but he was deeply trusted by the Empress Dowager. The massive military and national undertaking of building the Shimenxia Pass was approved with just a word from him. Of course, even from the perspective of Lian Duhuolan, the pass was perfectly built, truly a vital strategic location for Western Xia, showing that this Tang military supervisor was not ignorant of military affairs. However, his background was too mysterious; no one knew what he had done before, and now he had suddenly risen above many commanding generals, which aroused suspicion among many.

However, when they tried to subtly inquire with the two veteran commanders, Wei Ming Amai and Mei Le Du Bu, they only received the vague answer, "He is a confidant of the Empress Dowager." Now, some generals speculated that this man was probably a relative of the Empress Dowager, specially placed here to gain prestige and merit on the frontier.

This massive mobilization involved the elite forces of the Six Armies of the Right Wing, totaling 170,000 elite troops and horses, assembled at Shimen Gorge. The fact that the supervisor of Shimen Gorge's construction was serving as the military overseer—did this represent some kind of hint from Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?

However, these matters were not his concern for the time being. Although the Liandu clan was a large tribe among the Dangxiang, they held little power in the Western Xia upper echelons, merely acting as followers. They simply followed orders—this was the Liandu tribe's consistent policy. The power struggles at the top were irrelevant to them; they observed the expansion of power from the sidelines, submitting to the victor—this was the common survival rule of the Dangxiang tribes, and also the Liandu tribe's. What

he should truly worry about now was how to preserve his strength in the impending war.

But just one day later, Liandu Huolan felt as if fate had played a cruel joke on him.

The situation, which had been calm the day before, had completely changed overnight!

The hidden main force of the Song army had finally appeared on the battlefield!

On April 18th, outside Meiyan Gorge, not far from Shimen Gorge, a massive army of Song soldiers suddenly appeared overnight. Banners from the Xihe Road, Qinfeng Road, and Huanqing Road Song armies were all visible in the ranks, clearly indicating that the Song army had painstakingly and secretly assembled its elite troops from the other three routes in the Weizhou-Zhenxu area, hiding for a long time before launching a sudden attack under cover of night. Before dawn, Song troops also poured into the mountains outside Shimen Gorge, a dark, endless mass.

The judgment of the Western Xia commanders, Wei Ming'a and Mei Le Du Bu, was absolutely accurate; the Song army was indeed planning a main attack on Jingyuan Road. The Song army's commander-in-chief was Wang Wenzhen, the Jingyuan Road commander, who claimed to have gathered 300,000 elite troops from four routes, preparing to crush Xingling. The 300,000 figure was undoubtedly a bluff, but the actual number was certainly at least 100,000. Even including reinforcements from the other three routes, Jingyuan Road had mobilized its entire force, clearly intending to decide the outcome in one fell swoop!

Although the Western Xia's assessment was accurate, they hadn't anticipated the sheer scale of the Song army's deployment. The defenders of Shimen Gorge were outnumbered and unable to launch an attack, while Meiyan Gorge, having been attacked by Wang Wenzhen earlier in the year, was in ruins and unable to defend itself.

The Song army's actions were unexpectedly swift.

By morning, the messenger from Meiyan Gorge arrived requesting reinforcements, and Zhe Keshi's vanguard troops had already reached the pass and engaged the defenders in fierce fighting.

By noon, news of the defeat arrived: the defenders had suffered a crushing defeat, losing over two hundred men, and Zhe Keshi had led over two thousand cavalrymen who had breached the pass and penetrated more than forty li into the territory. If no action was taken, the main Song force might advance unimpeded through Meiyan Gorge. However, the rest of the Western Xia army had not yet assembled, and reinforcements could only be sent from Shimen Gorge, a strategically important location, limiting the number of reinforcements that could be sent there.

Even Du Huolan couldn't understand why such a terrible situation had fallen on his shoulders. Two thousand Hengshan cavalry from the Liandu Commandery rushed to reinforce Meiyan Gorge, while the remaining eight thousand infantrymen were temporarily incorporated into other generals' ranks. The mighty Liandu Commandery was thus dismantled without even a reason!

Although he was resentful, he dared not disobey Wei Ming Amai's orders. These two old commanders held immense prestige in the army and were notoriously strict in enforcing the law. If he dared to disobey, he would immediately lose his head. Therefore, he could only lead two thousand cavalrymen to reinforce Meiyan Gorge with a death-defying resolve. The only slight consolation was that the "Empress Dowager's confidant," the supervising officer Tang Yun, had actually volunteered to go with him. Wei Ming Amai was happy to oblige, ordering Liandu Huolan to obey Tang Yun's command, and selecting two hundred skilled and valiant warriors from his personal guards to protect Tang Yun before respectfully seeing them off.

Liandu Huolan couldn't understand why this supervising officer wanted to go to his death with him; in his view, it was a suicide mission. Zhe Keshi was a renowned general, renowned throughout the land, and the Song army was numerous and powerful. How could he possibly be a match for Zhe Keshi? His role was that of a sacrificial pawn. Wei Ming Amai planned to sacrifice himself to delay the Song army and buy time for reinforcements to gather.

However, Tang Yun's presence gave him a glimmer of hope. With such an important figure by his side, perhaps those two old men, Wei Ming Amai and Mei Le Du Bu, wouldn't stand idly by if the situation became critical?

In the Meiyan Gorge, amidst the towering mountain paths, the shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth.

Countless Song cavalry and Western Xia cavalry chased and fought each other on horseback, stirring up clouds of dust everywhere. The Western Xia side consisted entirely of Qiang cavalry from the Fanluo tribe, skilled in mountain warfare. Steep slopes were no different from flat ground for them. The Song army, on the other hand, consisted entirely of Tibetan cavalry from Xihe, who had lived on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for many years and were even more adept at mountain warfare than the Qiang people. The melee had raged for an hour. Cavalry charged, swords and spears clashed, arrows flew, broken swords and bows littered the ground, and corpses lay strewn about. The Xia army, freshly defeated, was demoralized, while the Song army gradually gained the upper hand.

Amidst the chaos, a group of over a hundred Song cavalrymen, raising their banners and shouting wildly, charged directly into the densest crowds, their attacks unstoppable. At the heart of this fray was Miao Lü, a renowned Song general and the current military commander of Xizhou.

The Miao family was a well-established military family in the Xihe Road army. Miao Lü's father, Miao Shou, was a famous general during the reign of Emperor Shenzong. He had served under Wang Shao in expanding Xihe Road, capturing Manao City, defeating Guizhang, fighting fiercely at Lugushan, and conquering over 100,000 Qiang tribes, repeatedly achieving great feats. During the Yuanfeng Western Expedition, he fought a major battle at Lanzhou, rising to the rank of Commander of the Fourth Wing of the Divine Guard and Dragon Guard. His life's achievements were all in border affairs. Miao Lü joined the army at a young age, following his father in countless battles. His entire life was spent honing his skills in the military, holding military positions in Xihe, Qinfeng, Huanqing, and Linyan. During the reign of the old party, such a warmonger inclined towards the new party was naturally not given important responsibilities and was transferred to Fangzhou as prefect. Now that the new party is in power, they have not forgotten this valiant general and have recalled him to his hometown of Xihe, entrusting him with an important post.

Previously, when the army was dispatched, Commander-in-Chief Zhang Jie had ordered that attacks not exceed a hundred li. Zhang Jie held immense prestige in the army and was also the superior of the civil officials, so the generals dared not disobey. However, with such a powerful and formidable army of nearly 100,000 elite soldiers, couldn't they really do something else? During the military council, Miao Lü attempted to play a trick on Zhang Jie, but instead received a reprimand. However, he and his Xihe soldiers had assured him that they were there to earn merit and rewards; how could they earn merit without fighting?

So after setting out, he instigated the army commander Wang Wenzhen to attack Meiyan Gorge. His Xihe troops were considered strong and well-equipped, and there was no reason for them to be relegated to menial tasks. Wang Wenzhen was also a famous general from Jingyuan, a brave and fierce man, and did not want to be accused of being a coward. So he first sent his deputy general Zhe Keshi to lead troops to attack Meiyan Gorge, with Miao Lü leading troops to provide support. As a result, Zhe Keshi's attack went surprisingly smoothly, penetrating more than forty li into Meiyan Gorge in one battle. When Miao Lü led his army into the pass, he did not know where Zhe Keshi had gone.

Of course, Miao Lü did not care about this. If he could not find him, so be it. As long as he could find the damned Dangxiang people, that was enough. On the contrary, he regretted that he had known that the Western Xia dogs were so incompetent, and that Zhe Keshi had gotten the credit for the first time. He hurriedly led his troops deeper into the pass, killing people and burning villages along the way. When he encountered stragglers of the Xia army, he attacked them viciously. He fought his way to this place and finally encountered a large Xia army, and a fierce battle immediately broke out.

At this moment, Miao Lü was bloodthirsty, like a raging bull charging through a thousand troops. A valiant Xia general, clad in blue armor and riding a white horse, wielded a large bow, shooting down several Song soldiers. Enraged, Miao Lü swung his sword and charged straight at him. The Xia general abandoned his bow and arrows, wielding a greatsword and riding like the wind, breaking through the crowd and closing in on Miao Lü's horse. His iron greatsword swung swiftly, like lightning. One of Miao Lü's personal guards parried with his bow, but his bow broke and his arm was severed, causing him to fall from his horse. However, Miao Lü didn't even blink, and swung his greatsword at

Miao Lü's head. The Xia general hadn't expected Miao Lü's ruthlessness and couldn't dodge in time. He took the blow to the shoulder, his armor shattering and blood splattering. As the two horses collided, Miao Lü drew his iron mace and smashed it down, instantly crushing the Xia general's head and helmet to pieces, sending his corpse tumbling from his horse.

As soon as the Xia general died, the surrounding Xia soldiers cried out in alarm and wailed, rushing to seize the body. The Song army surrounded them, and in a fierce battle, several Xia soldiers fell on each side. Unable to succeed, the Xia soldiers turned their horses and fled. However, the Song army was caught up in the killing frenzy. Seeing the Xia army collapse, they immediately launched a full-scale attack. The Xia army, which had only suffered sixty or seventy casualties in the previous fierce battle, was now being chased from behind by the Song army. In the blink of an eye, more than a hundred of them fell from their horses. The rest were truly terrified, abandoning their armor and weapons and fleeing in despair, with no will to fight left.

Miao Lu was overjoyed at the sight and spurred his horse to give chase. The Song army had long since lost its formation. Thousands of cavalrymen formed a long earthen dragon galloping through the mountains, raising clouds of dust that choked people's eyes and filled their mouths with dirt.

Just as the pursuit was in full swing, a sudden roar of battle cries erupted overhead. Miao Lü was startled and looked up to find himself surrounded by towering mountains. Countless Western Xia cavalrymen charged down from the nearby hills, shouting wildly, raining down arrows.

Miao Lü only had time to shout for his troops to form ranks before the Xia army surged forward. In an instant, the Song and Xia armies collided like two floods, creating countless bloody waves, and the Song army's ranks were cut in two.

However, unexpectedly, although the Song army had been ambushed, they were only initially stunned and quickly recovered. This Xia army was not large, at most only a thousand or so men. Although their ranks were broken, the Song army, mainly composed of cavalry, was not known for its discipline; chaotic fighting was their forte. At this moment, they simply fought individually. Thousands of soldiers clashed in the valley, smoke and dust filled the air, and smoke from what appeared to be a fire drifted over, further obscuring visibility.

The Song army was now truly in high spirits. Despite continuous fighting, they showed no signs of fatigue and instead grew increasingly fierce. It was clear that even the Western Xia ambush force was starting to falter!

Among the Xia soldiers, Lian Du Huolan, riding a large black horse, wielded a long spear and dismounted a Song soldier, taking a spear wound himself, but fortunately, his armor protected him from injury. Seeing that the surrounding Song troops were increasing in number, clearly indicating that reinforcements were closing in, and his own forces were being forced to retreat step by step, he knew the ambush had failed. If they didn't leave soon, they risked being surrounded by the Song army.

"My lord! Retreat!"

Tang Yun, also wielding a long sword, fought his way back towards the outer perimeter. Seeing Lian Du Huolan finally manage to break through, and seeing the surrounding dust and smoke obscuring the grass and roads, he shouted, "Retreat!"

and led the way into the dust cloud.

Seeing their commander lead the retreat, the Xia army turned and fled. The Song army, having won two victories in a single day, was brimming with morale. Miao Lu was overjoyed and repeatedly urged his officers to immediately lead a pursuit. Countless Song cavalrymen formed a long, dragon-like line, chasing into the billowing dust. The dust kicked up by countless hooves further obscured visibility in the valley.

After chasing for an unknown amount of time, the Song cavalrymen in front, wondering why the path was shrouded in dust, suddenly spotted the silhouettes of Xia cavalrymen within the dust. They drew their bows, ready to shout and fire, when suddenly their charging mounts lost their footing. With a instinctive cry, they tumbled off the ground. Behind

them, the Song soldiers, their vision obscured by the smoke, lost their footing and plunged down the cliff in droves…

**********

...

The battlefield had been cleaned up, but the bloodstains still testified to the ferocity of the battle that had taken place two days prior.

The Song army had been driven back, and the various armies on the right flank, under Wei Ming'amai's strict orders, had marched day and night and finally arrived at the front lines today. Meiyan Gorge was now teeming with soldiers and generals; standing atop the mountain, one could see a vast, dark mass of troops and soldiers filling the valley below, along with endless military tents.

He glanced at Tang Yun standing not far away, noticing his calm expression, as if he had only done something insignificant. However, the Western Xia officers and soldiers around him looked at Tang Yun differently now—with a sense of camaraderie between soldiers, a kind of admiration and respect. Mei Ledu Bu was familiar with this look, for his subordinates always saw him that way.

An army has its own logic; a general who can win battles is always welcome. Ordinary soldiers were too distant and vague in the eyes of the imperial court; they only respected heroes and subconsciously obeyed leaders who could lead them to victory.

Tang Yun truly embodied this.

No one expected that he, with just over two thousand men, could actually successfully repel the Song army. At that time, Meiyan Gorge had already fallen, yet he, with just over two thousand men, managed to turn the tide. The main Song army behind, perhaps intimidated by the defeat of the vanguard, halted their advance, and the tens of thousands of troops slowly retreated back to their starting positions.

A few thousand men had frightened tens of thousands.

Moreover, his battle at Meiyan Gorge was truly brilliant. He used smoke to obscure the Song army's vision, cleverly leading the pursuers to a precipice. Then, ambushes sprang up from all sides. The Song army, chasing too hastily, couldn't stop, and were further pressured from the outside by the Xia army. In the chaos, many men and horses fell off the cliff. Miao Lü, realizing he had fallen into a trap, led his remaining troops out of the encirclement and escaped the pass. Tang Yun then rallied his remaining troops, marched straight ahead, recaptured the pass, and personally led scouts to gather intelligence. Meanwhile, Song army commander Zhe Keshi's forces detoured through Meiyan Gorge, severely crippling the Song vanguard and halting their offensive.

Afterwards, over two thousand Song soldiers and horses were recovered from the cliff below, meaning that this battle annihilated over a thousand Song cavalrymen, while the Xia army suffered almost no losses.

This was far more impressive than the much-touted victory at Jinmingzhai by the Western Xia. Tens of thousands of Xia troops, facing two thousand eight hundred Song soldiers, outnumbered the enemy by several times, ultimately suffered thousands of casualties. In the Battle of Meiyan Gorge, Tang Yun's forces were roughly equal to the Song army's, and he suffered minimal losses while annihilating over a thousand Song soldiers. Moreover, the Song army's losses consisted entirely of their valuable and scarce cavalry, battle-hardened elite troops—an unbearable blow for the Song army.

Perhaps it was precisely the Xia army's unexpected skill in battle that halted the main Song force's advance.

From this perspective, this might be the first truly significant victory for the Xia army since the resumption of the war between Song and Xia.

What exactly is the background of this enigmatic Han Chinese?

Meile Dubu, after all, was a shrewd old man who had lived for decades; he always felt there was something special about Tang Yun that he couldn't quite understand. Yet this man was favored by the Empress Dowager, appointed as the most trusted deputy commander of the Six Guards of the Imperial Guard and concurrently the Inspector General. Although nominally still under Meile Dubu's command, his actual power was almost equal to his own. Even the fourteen-year-old Xia ruler, Qian Shun, had a good impression of him.

Such a person… Meile Dubu suddenly remembered someone: Li Qing!

A Han Chinese favored by the Liang and Bingchang emperors, a general known as a national hero. Later, he devoted himself to helping the Western Xia royal family reclaim power from the maternal relatives, ultimately dying in a Liang dynasty conspiracy. Tang Yun's rise to power now truly resembled that of Li Qing. Both were surrendered generals, both made great contributions on the battlefield, and both enjoyed the favor of the Xia ruler...

Perhaps this is a person I need to pay close attention to...

Mei Le Du Bu withdrew his gaze, realizing he had been lost in thought the entire way, unaware that he had reached the pass. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself; he wasn't even sure if he could handle the major trouble he was facing, yet he still had time to think about these things. The Song

army outside the pass hadn't retreated; tens of thousands of troops remained stationed twenty or thirty miles from the pass. Facing such a powerful enemy, he still had the mind to consider other things.

Although the Xia army was currently assembled, the fatigue from the long march wouldn't dissipate immediately, and each army would need several days of rest before going into battle. And after the Song army's defeat at the Battle of Meiyan Gorge, although they had withdrawn from outside the pass, their subsequent actions made Mei Le Du Bu extremely uneasy.

They had actually begun to construct camps on a massive scale outside Shimen Gorge, and tens of thousands of laborers from the rear of the army had gone to the front lines to transport earth, timber, and stones, actually building city walls there. Every day, the soldiers and civilians covering the ground looked like a dense swarm of ants busily working, while the Song army's city walls were rising and extending at an astonishing rate. The Xia army had tentatively sent several cavalry units to harass the Song army, but all were repelled. The cavalry that outflanked the Song forces also failed to find an opportunity to attack, as the Song army's rear was heavily guarded.

Clearly, the defeat at Meiyan Gorge did not discourage the Song general, and his objective was obvious: since the Western Xia had built a city at Shimen Gorge, the Song army would build a city blocking the entrance to Shimen Gorge in return, to see who could ultimately prevail.

It must be said that Wang Wenzhen's move struck at the heart of the Western Xia. The construction of the city at Shimen Gorge effectively pushed the Western Xia's defensive line forward, placing them in a position where they could attack or retreat at will. However, the Song army's construction negated this advantage, and both sides lost a buffer zone of several dozen miles, resulting in cities facing each other. Future battles in this area would inevitably become primarily fortified city defenses. Because once either army stepped out, they would almost immediately reach the other's gates.

In terms of fortified city defense tactics, the Western Xia was no match for the Song Dynasty.

Therefore, this was a crucial battleground. Under no circumstances could the Song army's attempt succeed! Meile Dubu had already decided that five days later, the entire army would be mobilized, launching another overwhelming attack on Yongle City!

That night, Meile Dubu held a grand victory banquet to congratulate Tang Yun on his great achievement.

After the feast, the officers returned to their camps to rest with women, but Tang Yun politely declined the beauties offered to him and returned to his own tent. He lay down fully clothed, but couldn't fall asleep. No one knew what he was truly thinking, not even himself.

Although he had been highly valued by Empress Dowager Liang in Western Xia for the past three years, constantly receiving promotions and titles, and to outsiders he should have been living a life of unparalleled glory, he knew in his heart that these three years had not been satisfactory. At least, what he had obtained was not what he hoped for, and what he hoped for remained elusive.

Three years ago, he had escaped death in Fengzhou, but had botched his mission. Although Empress Dowager Liang had not blamed him, his appointment had gradually drifted away from the ranks of the First-Rank Hall. Although the Empress Dowager Liang's trust in him remained undiminished, and she even entrusted him with the important position of General Ban Zhijun, allowing him to advise on confidential matters and express his opinions on important military and national affairs, he was no longer the person who controlled all secrets. Now, he could only know what the Empress Dowager Liang wanted him to know.

That was what he desired, and what would best help his ambitions.

For the past three years, he had been wondering if the trip to Fengzhou years ago had affected his image in the Empress Dowager Liang's eyes, leading to the current situation. What secrets did that trip to Fengzhou hold? What was the significance of those Song army's military supplies and firearms? Why did Sun Erniang suddenly turn against him and kill him?

He asked himself if he had done anything wrong. Was it because Sun Erniang had a personal grudge against him that led to the later conflict? Or was the connection between Sun Erniang and her group and Liang Yibu much deeper than he had imagined? After Liang Yibu's demise, were they worried that the Western Xia would think they were also Liang Yibu's henchmen, so they struck first? Or did they think the Western Xia would double-cross them, so they turned against him at the last minute? Or had Sun Erniang and her accomplices already planned to discard her after she had served her purpose?

Many possibilities exist, but only Sun Erniang herself could provide the answer.

However, no one can find her now. This woman is indeed formidable; she seems to have vanished into thin air. The Song Dynasty government is searching for her, and bandits are also posting notices to find her. The Western Xia are also secretly pursuing her, but after three years, no one has found her whereabouts. The only known fact is that the Song general who pursued her was the renowned He Guan, the foremost archer of Hedong. After he escaped back to Western Xia territory, a heavy snowfall hindered the pursuers, saving Sun Erniang's life. Since then, there has been no further news of her from either the legitimate or criminal world.

Her fate remains unknown. Therefore, Tang Yun feels he will never have a chance to uncover the truth about Fengzhou.

Now, somewhat disheartened, he has decided to become a military general, even though it will take longer than he originally planned, it's still a path. Moreover, he had four years to fulfill his long-cherished wish. In four years, everything would be clear.

But right now, he still had a war to deal with.

Five days later, at dawn.

From Shimen Gorge to Meiyan Gorge, the Western Xia camp, stretching for dozens of miles, bustled with activity in the night. Countless bonfires lit up, and tens of thousands of people cooked. Beef and mutton were added to soup pots, emitting an enticing aroma. Even more rare was that each camp and unit received wine. Experienced veterans knew that, except during festivals, a good meal with wine and meat often foreshadowed that the officers needed them to fight to the death. Today was almost certainly going to be a fierce battle.

Tang Yun managed to sleep for a while that night; the tension of the impending battle made him sleepless. Yesterday, the central army camp had issued an order that each camp should cook at dawn today. After the entire army had a hearty battle meal, they would set out at dawn, with Liang's entire force attacking the Song army's main camp, determined to destroy the castle the Song army was building.

Soon, the drums of the central army camp began to beat, gathering the generals. Tang Yun sat up, dressed himself, and left his tent to head towards the commander's tent. As the supervising officer, his status was special. Therefore, he also had his own independent camp, right next to the central army camp. As he left his camp, he saw generals and chieftains from all directions, fully armed, riding in on horseback. Upon reaching the gate, they obediently dismounted and hurriedly walked to the commander's tent, some adjusting their armor as they went.

In the central army camp, only the commander-in-chief, Wei Ming Amai, was allowed to ride a horse; even the deputy commander, Mei Le Du Bu, was not permitted. Wei Ming Amai's military discipline was notoriously strict in the Western Xia Kingdom; violating his rules meant certain execution, and no general dared to offend him. According to camp custom, the commander-in-chief would count off after three drumbeats, and by the time the first roll call was complete, all the generals would be present, standing in two rows below the tent.

"Raise the tent!"

the central army officer shouted loudly. Tang Yun and Mei Le Du Bu led the way, with dozens of generals filing in.

Wei Ming Amai sat upright on a tiger-skin chair behind the commander's desk, clad in a gleaming armor made of water-polished iron chainmail. Seats were arranged to his left and right for Mei Le Du Bu and Tang Yun; no one else was qualified to sit in the command tent. After

the central officers finished their roll call and reported their orders, Wei Ming Amai slowly surveyed the assembled generals and spoke in a deep voice.

"The Song traitors have built a city at the mouth of Shimen Gorge, severing our throat. If they succeed, our Great Xia will have no peace! I have been ordered to carry out this punitive expedition, and 100,000 elite troops are ready and waiting, all for this day!"

Wei Ming Amai's eyes were blazing with anger, his hair and beard bristling. A veteran general with countless battles under his belt, his words were full of domineering power.

"Now that the Song traitors have just suffered a defeat, their morale has been waned. This is a golden opportunity! My mind is made up; today we will fight the Song traitors to the death!"

Though his words were few, they possessed a powerful and unyielding spirit. The generals under his command were also filled with fervor, kneeling down in unison and shouting, "We are willing to lead the vanguard

for the old general and crush the Song dogs!" Even Mei Le Du Bu and Tang Yun stood up and bowed in salute. Wei Ming A Mai nodded in satisfaction, seeing that the morale was high enough, and reached out to draw a command arrow, shouting loudly, "Commander Wang Yao Shi Nu, heed my command!"...

As dawn broke, the Western Xia army, hidden deep within the mountains and passes, suddenly resounded with the earth-shaking sounds of war drums and horns. The endless, dark mass of Western Xia troops, like a rising tide, swept across the plains and forests, slowly but surely pressing towards the Song army's large formation outside the Shimen Gorge. For dozens of miles along the Hulu River, the plains were covered with Western Xia banners that blotted out the sky, resembling an endless ocean of flags, accompanied by a vast, billowing cloud of dust that seemed like a dust tsunami sweeping across the land, engulfing everything in its path.

However, the Song army seemed to have been prepared. Amidst the resounding drums and horns, a vast army surged out of the main camp, spreading like a flood, quickly becoming an endless, dense mass. Under the precise command of countless drums and horns, they moved and formed massive, heavily armored square formations spanning several miles, completely surrounding the fortified camp. On the battlefield of Shimen Gorge, an ocean of armed humans engulfed everything.

Wang Wenzhen stood atop the gate tower of Shimen Village, gazing out. As far as the eye could see, to the horizon, was almost entirely a sea of undulating military flags and densely packed, writhing masses. The sunlight reflecting off the weapons created a shimmering, silvery tide across the land.

Such a grand battle was perhaps only comparable to the events of the Yongle City campaign.

The flanks were no longer in sight. Nearly 80,000 Song troops on both the northern and southern fronts had been deployed in droves, their lines stretching for over ten miles. Zhong Chuan of Haoshui Village in the north should also have deployed as planned. But everyone knew the main battlefield was right in front of Shimen Village.

He had to win this battle.

As the commander-in-chief of the vanguard, he was now the commander of nearly 100,000 elite Song troops. Although Wang Wenzhen understood that he was still under Zhang Jie's remote command, as a seasoned general, he genuinely believed that Zhang Jie's strategy was worth anticipating.

This was an opportunity he had to seize!

No one expected such a crushing defeat at Meiyan Gorge. Miao Lü was truly a charlatan daring to call himself a general, a reckless brute with no strategy, suffering such heavy losses—over a thousand elite cavalrymen wiped out! Those cavalrymen were more precious than gold!

Since the second year of the Shaosheng era, the Western Army has adopted a strategy of building fortifications and launching shallow attacks, continuously constructing fortifications to nibble away at the border, and constantly sending elite scouts to raid and sweep through Xia territory. In the past two years, they have fought thousands of battles , large and small, and have taken 11,500 heads of the Western rebels, while losing only a little over a thousand cavalrymen – a truly proud achievement for the Western Army.

The five border armies of Shaanxi, after two years of fierce fighting, have only lost a little over a thousand cavalrymen. Miao Lü, however, wiped them all out in a single day.

What utter incompetence!

The only result is the hundred-odd heads brought back by Zhe Keshi, but these heads will only serve as evidence of unauthorized warfare.

Zhang Jie had clearly ordered that troops not to venture more than a hundred li, yet he himself disobeyed orders, sending troops into battle and suffering a crushing defeat. Although he didn't directly engage in combat, he cannot shirk responsibility. And that's not the most troubling part; the two defeated generals, upon their return, are still causing trouble, having already thrown the main camp into chaos.

Miao Lü shifted all the blame onto Zhe Keshi, accusing him of failing to provide aid, refusing to send reinforcements, and retreating before the battle, thus causing the defeat. Zhe Keshi, of course, vehemently denied this, turning the tables and shifting the blame onto Miao Lü, leaving him unsure of whom to believe. Zhe Keshi was his deputy, and claimed to have been ordered to lead the troops, thus implicating him as well. To absolve himself of responsibility, he claimed Zhe Keshi had acted without authorization; since Zhe Keshi hadn't objected when the order was given, he assumed it was approval. He figured shifting the blame wouldn't be so easy. Wang Wenzhen didn't find this objectionable. Competing for credit and shifting blame was a natural trait of officials. After so many years in the political arena, if he didn't know this basic self-defense technique, he'd have wasted his life.

No matter what excuses Miao Lü made, he couldn't escape the accusation of defeat and national humiliation; shifting the blame to others wouldn't change anything. The punishment has been handed down: he has been dismissed from his post as the military governor of Xihe, stripped of all his power, and exiled to Shanzhou to oversee wine taxes. This once powerful and influential regional warlord, who commanded a large army, is now relegated to a remote military prefecture to inspect wine merchants' taxes. The position of military governor of Xihe will be temporarily filled by Liu Zhongwu, a rising star in Xihe Road.

However, the situation with Zhe Keshi has shocked everyone. Wang Wenzhen had initially thought Zhe Keshi was his deputy, holding a position of considerable importance and possessing military merit. He believed his troops had not suffered losses in this campaign, but rather had gained a slight advantage. Furthermore, his relationship with Zhang Jie was extraordinary, so even if the main responsibility were placed on him, it wouldn't be a big deal. However, the imperial order was to execute Zhe Keshi according to military law.

It was said to be a strict order from the current prime minister, Zhang Dun.

This shocked all the generals in command! It shocked Wang Wenzhen even more! Victory and defeat are common in war; who can remain undefeated forever? If defeat means execution, who would dare to fight? Zhe Keshi was a high-ranking military officer in the Hengban rank, a renowned general who had previously achieved brilliant feats. Was he to be beheaded for such a minor defeat? Could it be that the court resented Zhe Keshi for disobeying orders and failing to provide aid? Everyone knew what had happened.

Currently, Zhang Jie was submitting a memorial to the court, desperately trying to exonerate Zhe Keshi, essentially protecting him at all costs, and surprisingly, he hadn't come looking for trouble. Wang Wenzhen understood that Zhang Jie had long seen through the scheme, but this was a common problem in the army. Zhang Jie, a shrewd strategist, didn't want to delve too deeply and destabilize the army. Moreover, with a major battle imminent, he wouldn't be foolish enough to change commanders on the eve of battle and create chaos.

This was Zhang Jie giving Wang Wenzhen one last chance.

If he could win this battle, even if he had made a grave mistake, the court would forgive him. At the same time, with this victory as a foundation, Zhang Jie could also protect Zhe Keshi; the defeat at Meiyan Gorge would be overshadowed by the glory of victory, and no one would hold it against him. This was the advantage of the New Party in power: as long as you could win, everything was negotiable.

Of course, if this battle is lost, all previous mistakes will be investigated and punished, and his fate might be even worse than Miao Lü's. As for whether Zhe Keshi will be executed for his lies, he probably won't have time to worry about others' fates then.

Therefore, this battle must be won!

Wang Wenzhen composed himself and focused his attention back on the battlefield, gazing at the vast expanse beneath his feet.

This is it! This is the place! Outside Shimen Gorge, beside Hulu River! This area has another name among the local people, a name etched with shame for the Song army: Haoshui River!

More than fifty years ago, Li Yuanhao led 100,000 cavalry to surround the Song army here. The river was filled with the blood of loyal martyrs, and over 10,000 soldiers and more than 200 officers and soldiers all died in battle! This battle is an eternal pain in the hearts of the Western Army! Haoshui River has also become a place of deep sorrow for the Song army!

But today, the Western Army is no longer what it used to be! The elite troops forged in a century of war will today become a sword of revenge, cutting through all obstacles and wiping away past humiliations! Even

if not for themselves, but for the dignity of the Western Army, for the dignity of themselves as warriors, for the dignity of the Song Dynasty, for the heroic sacrifices of the Western Army veterans of Manchuan more than fifty years ago, for their dignity! This battle must be won! Behind him, generals like Zhong Pu and Guo Jingxiu stood fully armed and imposing. They were all seasoned warriors, but they had never witnessed such a grand scene before. This was an unprecedented decisive battle of the main forces! This expedition had assembled the strongest elite troops from four routes. It could be said that the essence of the entire Western Army was concentrated here! A desperate gamble, a do-or-die situation! "Order! Beat the drums!" The earth-shaking sound of the war drums ignited the blood of everyone. The massive Song army formation began to move slowly, appearing from afar as if the entire earth had come alive. The cold glint of armor reflected on the soldiers' fierce faces. Suddenly, amidst the rolling thunder, someone began forcefully striking a shield with their weapon. The thunderous pounding grew louder and louder, echoing across the heavens and the earth. Tens of thousands of strikes created a rhythmic, earth-shaking sound, each beat accompanied by a deafening roar from the crowd! "Destroy Xia!"

"Destroy Xia!"

"Destroy Xia!"

The Battle of Pingxia City, which would leave a deep mark on history, thus began...

************

At Haoshui Village, the battle cries shook the earth before the Song army's northern camp.

Tang Yun stood at the front of the battle lines, coldly observing the situation. The Song army had already established a camp here, forming a strategic triangle with the newly built Shimen Village. Therefore, Wei Ming Amai had sent him here, dividing his forces to attack this village with 30,000 troops. Everyone knew that the main battlefield was at Shimen Village, and Tang Yun wondered if Wei Ming Amai was afraid he would gain merit, which was why he had relegated him to a secondary battlefield.

Of course, the old man spoke very politely, asking the supervising officer to hold back the Song army's flank, and whether or not they could capture it was irrelevant.

In fact, Tang Yun had no intention of competing with Wei Ming for merit. Those two old men were veteran generals in the army, with extremely high prestige. It would be too presumptuous of him to try to compete with them for merit. Moreover, the Song army, having formed ranks outside the city and fought with their backs to the city, held a geographical advantage.

The Song army was the most skilled in battle formations in the world; once they formed ranks, they were an absolute tough nut to crack. Wei Ming A'mai wanted to claim all the credit, but he would likely knock out several teeth if he tried to take it all. That place was dangerous and treacherous, with no mercy from swords and spears; he didn't want to go there. Being able to lead an army away from the danger was exactly what he wanted.

The Song army at Haoshui Village was not as large as at Shimen Village, but judging from the appearance, there were probably close to 20,000 men.

The troops outside the city, arrayed with their backs to the city, were densely packed like small mountains, their formation orderly and enormous, flying the banners of the Huanqing Road Song army. The general's banner bore a large character for "bell," presumably indicating that the famous Huanqing Road general Zhong Chuan was here. The banners on the city walls bore the banners of Xihe Road, presumably indicating that the defenders inside the city were Xihe soldiers, as the general's banner bore the character for "hereditary surname."

After several days of investigation, Tang Yun already knew that the Xihe army commander he had outmaneuvered last time was Miao Lü. Despite the crushing defeat, he was still able to lead troops, but had been relegated to a secondary battlefield. Clearly, he had fallen out of favor with the Song army's commander.

However, even so, given the Song army's defensive prowess, even 20,000 men defending this fortified water village were not something a mere 30,000 Xia troops could breach, not even if their numbers were doubled. Tang Yun watched as thousands of Xia soldiers below relentlessly charged the Song army's lines like a tidal wave, but the layers of shields, spears, and crossbows made it impossible for them to advance an inch. Hundreds of Song soldiers and horses had been shot down in front of the lines, and the cavalry, recklessly charging into the human wall, were quickly impaled by countless spears and thrown from their horses, then overwhelmed by the sheer number of soldiers.

This was only the north city; Tang Yun had also deployed 1,000 elite cavalrymen to guard the other three sides outside the city gates to prevent the Song army inside from attacking the north city from there. In addition, two thousand cavalry were deployed on each of the flanks and rear to prevent the Song army from launching a surprise attack through tunnels and secret doors. Having served in the Song army for a long time, he naturally understood the various tactics the Song army used to defend a city.

"General Lian Du!"

Tang Yun observed for a moment before finally giving the order.

"Your subordinate is here!"

Lian Du Huo Lan quickly bowed and saluted. Last time, he followed Tang Yun to rescue Mo Yan Gorge and miraculously performed a great service. This made Lian Du Huo Lan quite admire this Han Chinese supervisor, and he dared not disobey his orders.

"Gather another five thousand men and attack the northeast corner! Order your troops to prepare bows and arrows. On my command, not a single arrow is to be fired until the gong sounds! Not a single arrow is to be left unfired until the gong sounds! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

"Yes, sir!"

Lian Du Huo Lan waved his command flag, and a large number of infantrymen from the Xia army broke away from their main force and headed straight for the Song army in the northeast corner. Then, at Tang Yun's command, a rain of arrows rose from the ground, darkening the entire sky. The Song soldiers instinctively raised their shields and crouched down. Then, like raindrops pelting banana leaves, layers upon layers of arrows swept over the Song army's formation. The shield walls formed by countless shields were covered in a dense layer of arrows, making the shields seem to sprout white feathers. Then, countless Xia soldiers, like a stampeding herd of beasts, crashed heavily into the Song army's shield wall. The sounds of shields shattering, bodies breaking, broken swords and spears flying everywhere, blood and flesh splattering. A flood of people crashed into a dam of people, flesh and blood pulverized…

Zhong Chuan stood coldly beneath the banner, his brows not even twitching despite the arrows constantly whizzing past him.

The Xia army's offensive was unexpected. Unlike their previous battles where they relied solely on cavalry charges and casualties to clear a path, this time the Xia army, while still using casualties, fought more intelligently. The combined arrow volleys and infantry advance, though still resulting in friendly fire, showed a clear strategy. They didn't blindly send cavalry charges, but instead monitored every corner of the battlefield, waiting for an opportunity to join the fray. Unlike the past, where infantry and cavalry charged forward in a chaotic, seemingly overwhelming manner, they were prone to confusion. Now, the Xia army advanced purely with infantry holding shields in square formations, resulting in less disarray.

Furthermore, the traps, tripwires, and crossbows painstakingly laid by the Song army proved largely ineffective, indicating that the Xia army had exercised caution during their attack and hadn't caused much chaos. As for the constant barrage of arrows from the rear, the archers were desperately trying to suppress the Song army's crossbowmen and cover the infantry's advance as much as possible. Hundreds of wooden planks, much larger than doors, were erected in the archer ranks to block arrows—a common tactic in the Song army, but a first for the Tanguts. Although these planks were thin and crude, clearly hastily made, the Song crossbows often pierced the planks and hit those behind them, but many more arrows were blocked.

This was the first time the Western Xia had imitated Song tactics; who was this Western Xia general?

Moreover, the slight disarray in the northeastern formation had been immediately detected by the enemy, who then advanced. They had ten thousand men deployed around the city, while the enemy's front line was already roughly equal in strength, with a massive, undefeated infantry and cavalry force behind them.

Although the enemy's forces were certainly insufficient to capture the city, they had a chance to break through the outer defenses.

All of this seemed more like the command of a Song general than a Western Xia general.

Are there any discerning individuals among the Western Xia rebels? But these are tricks the Song army has already mastered; using them against them is laughable. Zhong Chuan waved his hand with a cold laugh. Copying is not so easy. Then, the Song army's flags fluttered, and suddenly, a dense swarm of ambushes emerged from the walls of Haoshui Village. A tremendous tremor followed, and countless bowstrings twanged. The giant ballistae and thousands of crossbows hidden on the city walls fired simultaneously!

The whistling rain of steel swept through the Xia army like a whirlwind. Although the Western Xia soldiers raised their shields in time, the steel arrows from the crossbows pierced through shields and armor as easily as paper, penetrating their bodies. The giant arrows from the ballistae cleaved men in two. In an instant, blood and flesh flew everywhere the arrows passed, and large numbers of Western Xia soldiers fell screaming.

The Song army let out a shout and desperately pushed forward, shields clearing the way, supported by long spears, managing to advance another dozen steps.

The Xia army could not hold their ground and began to retreat. But another volley of arrows swept into the Song army's ranks, striking dozens. The rest quickly raised their shields for protection, allowing the Xia army to regain their footing and push back.

In the ensuing back and forth, the ground was littered with mangled corpses.

Tens of thousands of soldiers formed a human wall, pushing and shoving, while thousands of spears and halberds clashed and pierced each other in front of them. Countless bodies were pierced to pieces, blood spurting everywhere. Because of the tight compression, even the dead bodies remained upright, being pushed forward and backward. Occasionally, a gap would appear, and the fallen corpses would be instantly trampled into a bloody pulp. Arrows flew overhead, and all around were distorted roars and screams…

April 26th, Shimen Gorge, the sounds of battle shook the heavens and the earth.

A rain of arrows blotted out the sky, stones flew through the air, and the crowd surged like a boundless, boiling tide.

Meile Dubu moved his folding chair directly to the front lines, surrounded by dozens of armored warriors wielding thick iron shields, guarding against the Song army's powerful crossbow bolts. His two thousand personal guards stood in a long line, stretching for several miles, each wielding a gleaming, ghost-headed broadsword. At their feet lay hundreds of headless corpses—deserters who had retreated without permission.

He had personally supervised the battle, issuing a decree that anyone who retreated without orders would be considered a coward and beheaded on the spot! Their heads would be sent to the rest of the army as a warning!

He and Wei Ming'a were veteran generals from the Yuanhao era, fighting side by side for decades and developing a tacit understanding. This time, they were truly determined to win, and the troops they assembled could be said to be the elite of the six states of the Left Wing.

The Western Xia had been harassing the Song Dynasty for years, with constant warfare. Each time the Xia army raided Song territory, they would mobilize tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of troops, seemingly a formidable force, but both sides knew the true nature of the operation. When they crossed the border to plunder and seize wealth, only a portion were their elite regular troops; the majority were convicts and laborers who went to take advantage of the chaos. These people hoped to gain wealth to atone for their sins. Sometimes, a single soldier would bring seventy or eighty followers, and some small tribes even brought their entire families—men, women, and children—leading to Xia armies numbering in the tens of thousands, yet the Song army often managed to repel them with just a few thousand men.

As a nomadic state, this was a custom of the Hu people. Empress Dowager Liang, to consolidate her rule, proclaimed that her family had abandoned Han customs and adopted Hu practices, knowing full well that continuing this war would weaken their strength, but she had no choice.

This campaign, however, concerned the fate of the nation. Wei Ming'a, defying public opinion, mobilized 170,000 troops, all of whom were registered elite soldiers; no other miscellaneous troops were mobilized. This force represented almost the entire elite of the Right Wing Army, the most relied-upon force of Western Xia. The vanguard, commanded by Mei Le Du Bu, numbered over 50,000, almost entirely composed of elite soldiers specially selected from the Hengshan Qiang tribe and the Zhuanglinglang. These foot soldiers and Han slaves were perfect cannon fodder, charging into battle without regret, their fighting power even surpassing that of the Dangxiang people. Their mission was to break through the Song army's main formation at all costs, paving the way for the attacking forces behind them.

The battle had been raging for two days. Under Mele Dubu's strict orders, the Xia army launched relentless attacks day and night. Countless torches illuminated the battlefield like daylight, giving the Song army almost no chance to catch their breath. Every Xia soldier did only two things: charge and charge again, then retreat to rest, and then charge again!

Mele Dubu didn't know if his strategy of attrition warfare would be effective, but this was a test of willpower and lives; whoever couldn't withstand the casualties first would collapse! He knew how tenacious the Song army, fighting with their backs to the city, would be. From the start, he had to overwhelm them with a desperate, reckless spirit, regardless of casualties; otherwise, defeat was inevitable!

The Song army's fortified camp was complete, with two deep and wide trenches dug outside, lined with chevaux-de-frise. Beyond the trenches stood a massive square formation of nearly 40,000 heavily armored infantry, their spears and halberds clashing and thrusting, a dense hail of arrows swarming like locusts. The charging Hengshan vassal soldiers fell in droves under the arrow rain, but these Qiang barbarians were truly fierce, seemingly disregarding their own lives. Their wild shouts and cries went unheard, the dark mass of infantry and cavalry charging into the Song army's arrow barrage. Even the screams and falls of their comrades did not diminish their courage. Corpses

piled high, falling one after another, the 50,000 Xia army vanguard divided into five divisions, taking turns charging relentlessly. Meile Dubu ordered each division to select several thousand highly skilled warriors to form a suicide squad, all clad in heavy armor, charging at the forefront. Each time, the overwhelming tide of Xia's army surged into the Song army's ranks, pushing aside shield walls and hail of arrows, causing them to crumble and break apart. The mountain barbarians even frantically charged at the tips of Song spears, their bodies riddled with stabs and blood, determined to die alongside the Song soldiers, only to be trampled into a bloody pulp by countless feet.

But each time, they were just a hair's breadth away from breaking through the enemy lines. No matter how large the breach, the endless Song soldiers would eventually engulf them completely, pushing the survivors out, only for the next wave to arrive...

Wei Ming'a sat on his horse, looking at the dejected Yeli Mingshan kneeling on the ground, a surge of anger rising within him. He truly wanted to drag the man out and behead him, but considering that the Yeli tribe was a powerful Dangxiang clan, killing him might cause a mutiny among the more than 20,000 Yeli soldiers in the army, so he suppressed his rage.

For two days, the Western Xia army fought a near-non-stop, bloody battle, relentlessly charging the Song army's formation. In just two days, the dead numbered over 1,500, and the wounded were twice that number. Such a brutal battle even alarmed this veteran general.

He would not have resorted to such a destructive tactic unless absolutely necessary.

Even the strongest Liao Dynasty in the world knew the principle of "not engaging in battle when in formation," and Wei Ming'a was a seasoned general who had fought his entire life; how could he not know the power of the Song army's formation? While the main force confronted the Song army at Shimen Village, he secretly dispatched Generals Yeli Mingshan and Zhu Wangli with 3,000 elite cavalry to outflank the Song army and attempt to harass their supply lines.

However, they did not expect that the old villain Zhang Jie would be so troublesome; he had actually set up three military camps along the supply lines, garrisoning 10,000 troops and dividing them into three patrols for defense. Yeli Mingshan and Zhu Wangli's troops, having failed in their surprise attack, were instead lured and ambushed by the Song army. In less than half an hour, they were utterly defeated, losing over four hundred men. Zhu Wangli was riddled with crossbow bolts, and Yeli Mingshan, wounded by two arrows, fled. He attempted to rally his routed troops, but was relentlessly pursued by the Song army, causing more than half of his men to scatter. He barely escaped death and had no choice but to return to face punishment.

In truth, if Wei Ming'a had seen the banners flying above the three military camps, he would have understood why Yeli Mingshan was no match for the Song army.

The three banners bore the characters for "Zhong," "Zhe," and "Liu." Zhe

Keshi, needless to say, was embroiled in legal trouble due to the defeat at Meiyan Gorge and unable to serve on the front lines. However, Zhang Jie couldn't bear to abandon this valiant general, so he assigned him to patrol the supply route, hoping he could atone for his crimes. Liu Fa and Zhong Shizhong were both known for their cunning and resourcefulness in leading troops in the Western Army. With the three of them jointly guarding the supply lines and commanding a large and well-equipped army, it was no different from Yeli Mingshan's attack with only three thousand men – akin to lambs to the slaughter. The fact that they weren't completely annihilated was quite remarkable.

Unfortunately, Wei Ming'a Mai wasn't unwilling to provide Yeli Mingshan with more men, but simply lacked the resources.

Zhang Jie's military tactics were extremely shrewd and cunning. The Song army had been building fortifications along the border for over two years, with fortresses, beacon towers, and camps everywhere, and troops stationed along roads large and small. Sending so many troops made a clandestine crossing virtually impossible. It was likely that the Song army would detect the movement of their main force the moment it moved. Cutting off supply lines required penetrating deep behind enemy lines; the most crucial elements were concealment and surprise. If the Song army was prepared, this plan would be tantamount to suicide.

Wei Ming commanded a total of 170,000 troops, each with varying strengths, and had no surplus for flanking maneuvers. Therefore, he dispatched only 3,000 elite soldiers, hoping this small force could infiltrate the Song army's defenses.

After all, he understood the principle that quality over quantity in warfare .

Wei Ming had high hopes for this.

In fact, since the rise of the Tanguts, even during the most prosperous period of Li Yuanhao, the general principle of open-field battles against the Song army was to gather at least ten times the number of troops for a siege. The battles of Sanchuankou, Dingqiangzhai, and Haoshuichuan, which the Western Xia boasted about, all followed this principle. There were almost no instances of victory when numbers were equal. Rather than saying that the Western Xia army was brave and skilled in battle, it would be more accurate to say that the Western Xia preferred to win by sheer numbers. In the Battle of Yongle City, the Western Xia mobilized nine out of ten men, hundreds of thousands of men from the entire country, to besiege a Song city. In the end, they only succeeded because a torrential downpour caused the city walls to collapse.

When the Song Dynasty's five armies pressed in on the border in the seventh year of the Da'an era, the hundreds of thousands of Xia soldiers faced a roughly equal number of Song troops. Once their numerical advantage disappeared, they collapsed completely, nearly leading to the destruction of the Xia Dynasty. They ultimately resorted to a scorched-earth policy, raided Song supply lines, and even breached the Yellow River, managing to defeat one of the Song armies. Afterwards, the Xia army adopted a new principle: if they couldn't achieve absolute numerical superiority, they had to find a way to cut off the Song army's supply lines; otherwise, they would rather not fight.

Now, the Song army had amassed nearly 100,000 men, while Xia itself had 70,000 to 80,000 more. Wei Ming'a didn't feel he had a significant advantage. After all, previous victories against the Song army involved a tenfold or greater numerical disparity. Therefore, "cutting off the supply lines" was a move he truly pinned his hopes on. Now, with Yeli Mingshan suffering heavy losses and a crushing defeat, how could he not be furious? It also cast a shadow over his future war plans…

Zhong Pu, clad in heavy iron armor splattered with blood of men and horses, wielded an iron mace still smeared with someone's brains. He shouted orders, and the Song soldiers around him quickly took their positions. There was no time to clear away the corpses scattered on the ground; they could only manage to drag the wounded Bao Ze aside to a safer spot. At that moment, the seemingly endless Western bandits surged forward again. The retreating troops dispersed to the sides, clearing a path for those behind.

The generals of each army gathered in the center, some carrying bloodied heads. Zhong Pu's personal guards brought out dozens of large rattan chests filled with gold and silver. These generals were all beaming with joy; some, their faces still wet with blood, grinned in a way that was rather frightening.

This was a Song army custom, dating back to the Five Dynasties period. Distributing rewards on the battlefield boosted morale, and this was one of the main arguments used by civil officials and scholars to despise military men, claiming them to be opportunistic and petty. This was much better than before, when soldiers were only willing to fight after being rewarded before the battle. Now, it was

a matter of settling accounts after the battle, fighting first and then collecting payment. Zhong Pu dared not be careless about this. During the Yuanfeng Western Expedition, Zhe Keshi's delayed distribution of rewards caused a mutiny among his troops, and he himself was nearly captured by the Western Xia. Zhong Pu was a close friend of Zhe Keshi, and this incident had caused quite a stir throughout the Western Army; how could Zhong Pu

not know about it? Ordinary soldiers didn't care about military strategy or tactics. Most of them were illiterate, and some were even convicts. Talking to them about loyalty to the emperor and protecting their lord was too far-fetched, since they didn't even know where Bianjing was.

They only knew how to defend their homes, and they only knew that the court had said that killing the heads of the Western bandits would be exchanged for copper coins. So, in their eyes, fighting was just a means of making a living. Whether their families back home could eat their fill depended on them, and it was only natural to collect payment after each battle. This kind of thing couldn't wait until next time, otherwise, who knew if they would come back alive?

Although Zhong Pu came from a military family and was well-versed in such matters, he always considered himself a scion of a noble family and acted like a scholar-official. He despised this phenomenon but was powerless to do anything about it.

Moreover, he had more important things to consider.

This was the fourth time, wasn't it? For two whole days, he hadn't even had time to eat, only managing to eat dry rations with water. These Xia dogs were truly insane, attacking even at night. After painstakingly repelling them, another wave would come.

"Damn it, are these Xia dogs possessed?"

Guo Jingxiu, panting heavily, was also a famous and fierce general in the Western Army, renowned for his martial prowess and currently the fourth general of Huanqing Road. At this moment, he had stripped naked from the waist up, revealing a muscular physique with a tattoo of a tiger descending a mountain. He held a large axe covered in blood and flesh, but his body was covered in wounds and bloody gashes, yet he seemed completely unconcerned.

"These Western bandits are planning a decisive assault... Two days of relentless attacks; even the strongest warriors couldn't withstand that."

Zhong Pu looked at the thousands of corpses scattered across the battlefield. The Western bandits truly seemed determined to fight to the death. Did they also understand that this battle was the beginning of a decisive one? Several hundred corpses stood out, all heavily armored warriors who had charged into battle, unstoppable, only to be surrounded by the Song army's quagmire-like formation and fight to the death. Their bodies were riddled with arrows, resembling hedgehogs; some were even so heavily riddled with arrows that the arrow shafts had caught on the ground, preventing them from falling.

Were they Iron Falcons? How many such valiant warriors did the Western bandits have? After two days and nights of fierce fighting, the Western bandits' four charges had all been repelled, with casualties likely approaching five thousand. The Song army's casualties were probably over four thousand as well, but the Western bandits' morale remained unbroken!

"I fear this will be a truly fierce battle!"

Guo Jingxiu climbed onto a high cart and could see that the Western bandits were currently mobilizing their troops, with countless streams of soldiers converging from all directions into this wave preparing to charge. It seemed that the elite soldiers from the Western bandits' forces, who had been repelled in the previous four battles, had been selected and were now being assembled for a decisive, devastating attack.

Zhong Pu shouted loudly, and the flag bearers waved their banners, relaying the orders down the ranks.

Wang Wenzhen, seeing this clearly from the city wall, hurriedly waved his command flag. The two thousand cavalrymen from Qin Feng Road and the two thousand cavalrymen from Jingyuan Prefecture within the city mounted their horses, bows and swords at their ready, awaiting only the order to charge out and fight.

Suddenly, the earth-shattering sound of war drums thundered across the land, and then Zhong Pu saw a deluge of arrows rise like a dark cloud, even momentarily obscuring the sun! Then, like an avalanche, the roaring Western Xia army engulfed the land, like a raging flood. The terrifying tremors beneath their feet even gave Zhong Pu the illusion that the earth itself was being crushed.

"Fire!"

This was the only order Zhong Pu managed to shout. He raised his shield, and tens of thousands of arrows rained down from the Song army's ranks like a whirlwind. A storm of steel rained down on the earth, and Song soldiers screamed as they fell in droves. Zhong Pu felt as if the world had turned upside down. The corpses of his personal guards crashed down on him, pinning him beneath them. When he finally managed to get up, he grabbed a large crossbow and looked ahead at the countless swords and spears flashing. The fearless infantrymen were already upon them.

The vanguard of the main force had been routed once more, and the howling Western Xia army had broken through!

In an instant, he was surrounded by swarms of enemy figures. Zhong Pu roared, raised his crossbow, and fired an arrow, felling a burly man clad in iron armor. Then, he grabbed an iron hammer from the ground and smashed it down in front of a Xia general charging towards him.

The Xia general raised his shield to block, while simultaneously thrusting his long sword straight at Zhong Pu's waist and abdomen with lightning speed. Zhong Pu twisted his body, the blade scraping against the iron armor and sparks flying. At the same time, he smashed the Xia general's large shield to pieces with his hammer, almost embedding the Xia general's arm into his body. Then, he swept the Xia general across the chest, sending him flying. Seeing this, the Song soldiers around him were greatly encouraged. They charged forward in rows, swords and spears in hand, colliding with the surging Xia army.

The clang of countless weapons clashing against each other, the distorted shouts of battle, broken swords and spears, severed limbs flying, blood splattering—faced with the Xia army's frenzied, reckless charge, the Song soldiers formed a dense human wall, but were still forced back step by step.

Zhong Pu was covered in blood; his iron mace had long been broken, and he had used countless weapons. Now he had picked up a large sword and was roaring as he slashed and hacked. Most of his personal guards had already died in battle, leaving only five to protect him. The number of surviving Song soldiers around him was dwindling, and the Western Xia army had effectively broken through his lines. Hundreds and thousands of Western Xia soldiers rushed past him, continuing their frenzied advance, pushing and shoving, forming a massive human tide. Those in front were involuntarily propelled forward, unable to dodge even if their bodies collided with spear tips and blades.

The Song army's drums and horns sounded from the city walls, the gates on both sides opened, and countless cavalrymen charged out, heading straight for the flanks of the Western Xia army. However, mounted combat was Western Xia's forte, and seeing the dark mass of cavalry galloping out from the rear of the Western Xia lines, the two sides almost collided head-on. Countless arrows rained down, dozens of men fell from their horses on each side, and then thousands upon thousands of cavalrymen engaged in a chaotic melee, further complicating the battle.

"General, be careful!"

shouted a guard beside him. Zhong Pu, having killed more than ten men, was now so exhausted he could barely stand. In a moment of hesitation, he was shoved aside by his own guard and fell flat on his back. A rider swept past like the wind, his long saber flashing like a white streak, severing one of his guards' arms into the air.

The Xia army junior officer on horseback turned his horse around, seemingly convinced that Zhong Pu was a valuable prey, and charged back, swinging his saber to strike. Zhong Pu grabbed a long spear and thrust it at Zhong Pu's head. The junior officer was highly skilled; with a flick of his saber, he deflected the spear tip, sending Zhong Pu tumbling again. The guard beside him desperately rushed forward to block, but was cut down with a single blow.

"Song dog! You're asking for death!"

Zhong Pu was shocked, but at this moment his limbs were almost powerless, and he couldn't even stand up. In his panic, he grabbed an axe and was about to throw it when he saw a man roll out from the side, his broadsword sweeping across the battlefield, severing the front leg of a warhorse. The warhorse neighed and crashed to the ground, and the Xia army junior officer screamed and fell from the horse, then was cleaved in two by a single blow.

Zhong Pu struggled to his feet, but was pulled up by a group of Song soldiers who rushed over and dragged him away. Beside him, Guo Jingxiu, still shirtless, his broadsword dulled and now wielding a large axe, was covered in blood from men and horses, a gruesome sight. His expression was one of panic, a far cry from the bravery he displayed when slaying the horse.

Once back in their own ranks, Zhong Pu realized the gravity of the situation.

After two days and two nights of relentless fighting, the Song army was exhausted. Faced with the Xia army's relentless charge, many were unable to keep up and were forced to retreat. Although the Xia army was also exhausted, they were fighting in shifts and had breaks in between, while the Song army had no rest. Many were too tired to stand and died under the Xia army's blades.

Despite the continuous supply of water and food from within the city and the efforts to bring the wounded back, they were powerless against the Song army's fatigue outside the city.

At this moment, the Xia army was at its most frenzied and reckless. With this shift in momentum, the Song army's formation began to falter, showing signs of instability and collapse. Zhong Pu had to admire the Xia commander's masterful timing; he first used a war of attrition to wear down the Song army, then launched his strongest attack when they were at their weakest. The surrounding Song troops were almost entirely retreating, clearly unable to hold on. Many tried desperately to hold on, but their feet were being pushed off the ground, forcing them backward.

"What can we do!"

Guo Jingxiu shouted.

"The gong has not sounded atop the city wall, yet we, the great generals, will die for our country beneath this Stone Gate Fortress. We, the sons of the Zhong family, are heroes who die in battle, not cowards who flee!"

The words had barely left his lips when a massive wave surged through the crowd. Countless bodies were thrown back by the immense force. Zhong Pu and his men were knocked to the ground again. The Song soldiers were pushed back and stumbled by the force, and what they saw was a surging, roaring mass of iron men and horses, like a dark, tsunami-like flood, charging through the Song army like tigers among sheep, utterly disrupting their formation!

The Iron Falcons!

Zhong Pu was horrified. He had always felt that while the Western barbarians' offensive was fierce, something was amiss. Now he finally understood—the Iron Falcons, their elite charging force, had not appeared. It seemed the Western barbarians were truly going all out this time. This was the Song army's most difficult moment; this sudden, devastating blow meant certain death!

Sure enough, the massive formation of tens of thousands of Song soldiers suddenly collapsed, followed by the frenzied cheers of the Western Xia troops: "The formation has been broken! The formation has been broken!"

Thousands of Western Xia soldiers had already fought with all their might to breach the last line of Song soldiers, advancing directly towards the trenches below Shimen Village!

On the high ground of the Western Xia rear guard, Wei Ming A'mai laughed heartily. The Eastern Dynasty was skilled in battle formations; the massive formation of tens of thousands of elite troops had been broken through head-on by the Great Xia warriors—a glorious achievement worthy of being recorded in history. The vanguard had already poured out in full force, breaking through the gaps in the Song army's formation, striving to spread the chaos. Thousands of Song soldiers fled in all directions like headless flies, and the pursuing Xia troops, like a black flood, overwhelmed every gap. The Song army's formation was no more!

But what happened next made him hold his breath, his brow furrowed.

Despite the uncontrollable chaos that engulfed the Song army's main formation and the countless soldiers who scattered and fled, many more Song soldiers chose to fight individually. They used chevaux-de-frise, chariots, and even the corpses of men and horses to build fortified positions, forming smaller, more formidable strongholds to continue their desperate struggle. Furthermore, countless scattered Song soldiers began to regroup into these smaller formations, gradually forming formidable battle arrays.

The Song army indeed possessed the finest infantry in the land; their main formation had indeed been breached, but their morale had not collapsed. They simply split into a dozen or so smaller formations that continued to fight, and these smaller formations were just as stubborn and resilient as the main formation. The vanguard,

after two days of bloody fighting, suffering seven or eight thousand casualties, had their initial momentum waning after breaking through the enemy lines. They were helpless against these smaller formations, suffering repeated losses.

However, this was enough; at least the path of attack had been cleared.

At his command, hundreds of horns sounded, followed by the beating of war drums. The seemingly endless army of the rear guard surged forth, engulfing the already fragmented Song army positions and advancing directly to the city walls. Unlike the Hengshan Qiang tribe, who were considered cannon fodder in the vanguard, the rear guard consisted mostly of Dangxiang soldiers. These men surged to the moat, each throwing bundles of firewood they had prepared into it, intending to fill the moat with this simple, primitive method.

On the city walls, the generals Wang Wenzhen, Wang En, Guo Cheng, and Liu Zhongwu, along with their deputy generals, drew their swords simultaneously, followed by a barrage of gongs. Arrows rained down on the city walls like a storm. Tens of thousands of Xia soldiers, their shields raised high, crowded densely at the moat, continuously throwing firewood into it. The caltrops laid at the bottom of the moat had already been filled in, and some soldiers had even climbed down to the other side!

Seeing this, the Song army desperately unleashed a hail of arrows downwards. Ballistae and trebuchets pounded into the ranks of men, sending blood and flesh flying everywhere. However, arrows rained down from below, and within moments, dozens were struck. Under the cover of the arrow storm, dozens of desperate men, clad in iron armor, climbed into the moat. The leader, a Tangut warrior with seven or eight arrows in his body, gripped the massive, iron-clad wooden chevaux-de-frise with both hands. His eyes blazing with blood, he roared like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, effortlessly overturning the thousand-pound chevaux-de-frise with his bare hands. He seemed to lose his balance due to the force of the blow, and was struck in the throat by an arrow from the city wall

, tumbling into the moat. A volley of arrows then riddled him with holes. The Xia army roared in triumph, paying tribute to their fallen general. Then, one after another, armored warriors emerged from the moat, braving the arrow rain from the city walls, sacrificing their lives to pry open the heavy, massive chevaux-de-frise section by section. Seeing these massive logs, weighing hundreds or even thousands of pounds, being lifted and overturned by these men, the Song army was shocked by their madness. They couldn't believe that each of these men possessed superhuman strength; that a person, truly willing to risk their life, could unleash such terrifying power. Inspired by these warriors, more and more men began to wade into the ditch.

The gongs from the city walls sounded more urgently, and the rain of arrows became denser. The Xia army continuously filled the trench, and more and more men were struck by arrows and fell into the ditch. Corpses were piled up with firewood, layer upon layer, gradually filling the trench. Then, like a tidal wave, the Xia army surged forward, reaching the foot of the city. Countless shovels, knives, and axes began frantically digging and hacking at the unfinished city walls. Even the Iron Falcons dismounted and joined the battle, immediately forming human ladders. Countless warriors climbed up like ants, preparing to forcibly scale the city walls!

"Grand Commandant! Fire the signal cannon!"

General Liu Yanqing, holding a large bow, fired arrows in rapid succession, already taking down more than a dozen Xia soldiers who had scaled the city walls. He shouted as he fired, his heart pounding at the endless sea of Western Xia soldiers pressing down on the city below. Meanwhile, the Song army's main formation outside the city had already crumbled into pieces, and although the smaller formations were still putting up a stubborn resistance, they were being swallowed up and barely visible.

"No! The Western bandits are not exhausted yet! The time is not right!"

Wang En roared from the side, drawing his sword and slashing it straight into the helmet of the first Western Xia soldier to scale the walls, splitting the helmet and head in two.

"The Western bandits are coming! Men! Prepare to fight!"

Wang Wenzhen roused himself, roared, and hurled a large rock downwards. Below, countless people surged like giant waves, relentlessly crashing against the city walls beneath the Song army's feet. The walls began to tremble slightly under this overwhelming onslaught…

***************

In the crowd, Mi Langluo brandished his short halberd, roaring as he fought desperately forward.

The Mi Langluo tribe was originally a large Dangxiang tribe, but his branch was a distant one, living in the Tiandu Mountain area. This time, they had been incorporated into the Liandu tribe's army to attack the water fortress. He knew his troops were small and would likely be used as cannon fodder in the vanguard, so he didn't harbor any illusions, only knowing to fight desperately, hoping to carve out a way to survive.

As for whether he could capture the stronghold, he held no hope whatsoever. He was renowned for his bravery in the Western Xia army, having participated in numerous battles and possessing rich experience. He had also participated in the siege of Lanzhou by the supposedly 800,000-strong army of the Great Xia, and the Song army's formidable defense truly terrified him. So many armies had ultimately failed; now he only had tens of thousands.

Despite the simple fortress before him, the Song army was said to number 20,000, which was far beyond the reach of his mere 30,000 troops.

Breaking through the fortified formation would be his limit. As long as they didn't attack the city, as long as they fought in the open field, even in a battle formation, there was still hope.

However, the Song army's defense was incredibly strong. For two consecutive days, the Song army's formation outside the city was like a Great Wall of flesh and blood, no matter how the Western Xia army charged, they might be temporarily pushed back, but they could never break through. And ultimately, the Song army would stubbornly push back. Those fierce and warlike Shan'ebuba tribesmen were known for their ferocity, growing more ferocious with each drop of blood. This was their fourth charge, yet despite charging into the Song army's ranks and engaging in close combat, they couldn't break the Song army's momentum, only ending up with piles of their own corpses.

By now, the Xia army had suffered nearly two thousand casualties, all elite soldiers. This was a devastating loss for the small, forcibly conscripted tribe.

What was going on? Wasn't the main battlefield at Shimen Gorge? If this was a feint attack, why such reckless fighting? As a seasoned veteran, Mi Langluo knew that for the Western Xia, tribes assigned to feint attacks in previous wars generally prioritized preserving their strength and gaining advantages, never engaging in hard-fought battles that depleted their own resources.

Although the main force's attack usually yields more wealth and spoils, the Western Xia of today is not as clearly rewarding and punishing as it was during the Yuanhao era. The rules for distributing spoils are no longer based on who performs the greatest service, but rather on who preserves the strongest strength after the battle.

Originally, this small village didn't need to be fought so fiercely; it was practically a fight to the death. If they fought like this, even if they wiped out all the Song soldiers in front of them, what would be the point? How many of their own men would be left alive?

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