[Fantasy] Clouds Dance and Moon Rises (Complete) - 16-18

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Unfortunately, he had been assigned to torment an unfortunate military supervisor. This Han Chinese was truly cold-blooded and ruthless. He had followed him through the Battle of Meiyan Gorge and knew he was a desperate man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He was willing to risk his own life for his own fame and fortune, so why would he care about the lives of the Tangut people?

However, this Han Chinese was a favorite of the Empress Dowager, and he couldn't challenge his power. Even the old commander Amai couldn't do anything to him, so what could he do? Who dared to disobey the long-established hierarchical system? The slightest lapse in discipline would likely result in execution according to his military regulations.

His only option was to accept his fate.

He desperately tried to charge forward, but the crowd around him was so dense that even turning around was difficult, while Song army arrows flew overhead, and people were frequently struck and screamed in pain. Many cavalrymen were even trapped in the crowd and unable to advance, becoming easy targets to be shot off their horses. Mi Langluo's eyes widened in fury. In desperation, he grabbed onto the soldier in front of him and leaped, using the soldier's shoulders as stepping stones to jump seven or eight feet high. Shouting, he reached the front in a few bounds, then pounced into the Song army formation like a hungry tiger.

Seeing such a fierce general suddenly appear, the Song soldiers roared and dozens of spears were raised to the sky, ready to pierce him as he landed.

Mi Langluo swung his short halberd swiftly, deflecting several spears in mid-air. Then, relying on the toughness of his armor to protect his head and face, he plunged into the jungle of spear shafts. A dozen spears left wounds on his body, but he still managed to break through the formation. After knocking down two Song soldiers who couldn't dodge in time, before he even stood up, he executed a rolling eighteen bends move, his short halberd turning into a black light that swept around the surrounding area.

The Song soldiers had never expected this Xia general to be so fierce. Despite being covered in dozens of wounds and covered in blood, he fought like a mad tiger, knocking down seven or eight men with a single sweeping attack, and causing a scattering of fallen soldiers. Mi Langluo seized the opportunity to rise and continued his fierce battle, but Song soldiers surrounded him with swords and spears, countless weapons attacking him from all directions. Mi Langluo could only parry seven or eight blows before his strength gave out. A spear pierced his thigh, causing him to cry out in pain and kneel on one knee.

Then a sword swung down on his head. He struggled to raise his halberd to block, the clang sending numbness through his arm. He was then kicked in the chest with such force that even with his armor, he coughed up blood and fell backward. There he saw a young Song military officer standing before him, a broken broadsword in his hand, his eyes burning with the predatory glint of a predator.

"Unexpectedly, I, Gao Yongnian, have gained such a great advantage."

This guy's real name is Gao Yongnian... Mi Langluo couldn't get up for a moment and could only await his death. Gao Yongnian's face was contorted with rage, his broadsword gleaming with blood. Surrounding him were Song army officers covered in blood, their faces weary, but their eyes still gleaming with ferocity.

Were they tired too...? Yes, they had been fighting for two whole days. Whoever could bring in fresh troops at this point would win. The supervising officer still had cavalry that hadn't been deployed...

Just as he thought he was doomed, suddenly the Song army erupted in commotion, followed by countless figures leaping through the air. It turned out that countless Xia warriors were imitating him, desperately trying to leap into the Song army's wall. Many fell halfway and never got up, many were pierced and mangled by the Song army's hail of spears and arrows, but many more stubbornly jumped into the Song army's mountain of knives and spears, intending to use their own flesh and blood to clear a path for those behind them.

The Song army finally fell into chaos. These reckless warriors used their lives to completely disrupt the enemy, while countless Xia soldiers were surging in.

Zhong Chuan saw that the vanguard was in disarray. The Xia army's recklessness was rare; was this a flanking maneuver? Based on Zhong Chuan's understanding of the Xia army, shouldn't these Tanguts prioritize preserving their strength? When did they become like this? Who exactly was the Western Xia general on the other side?

"Guo Zude!"

Zhong Chuan saw that the Xia army had pushed the Song army back step by step, and the vanguard had completely collapsed.

He knew this was a critical moment, and he could not hesitate.

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Lead the rear guard to form a horizontal formation and hold off the Western bandits!"

"Understood!"

Zhong Chuan waved his hand and handed him the command arrow. Before Guo Zude could leave, a surge of Xia troops suddenly crashed into the rear guard. A series of massive fireballs engulfed the crowd, turning the Song army's rear guard into a sea of fire with screams of agony. Countless people, both Song and Xia soldiers, were engulfed in flames, rolling around on the ground. The Song army's rear guard was thrown into chaos.

"Not good!"

Zhong Chuan's eyebrows shot up. He hadn't expected the Western bandits to strike first, actually using fire to burn through the rear guard. This was a suicide attack. There was no doubt that among the Western bandits who had charged recklessly, there were definitely those carrying large quantities of barrels filled with tung oil. These were suicide soldiers! The Western bandit generals were incredibly ruthless and cunning; their tactics were so similar to those of the Song army generals.

"Archers! Hold the line! The formation must not be disrupted! All soldiers, hold your positions! Anyone who moves an inch will be executed!"

Although there was some chaos, Zhong Chuan was still confident in the Song army's fighting strength. After all, fire attacks were one of the Song army's specialties, and they had practiced countermeasures long ago.

A dense rain of arrows continued relentlessly, raining down on the burning area. Large numbers of Xia soldiers fell, and many Song soldiers were also wounded by collateral damage. While the Xia army's fire attack was a brilliant plan, it was clearly a last-minute blitz. The soldiers were unprepared for the flames. After temporarily breaking through the Song army's formation, they didn't follow up in time, but scattered to avoid the fire. The Song army quickly moved in to plug the gap, and both sides were plunged back into melee.

"That was close!"

Zhong Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression changed drastically at the next turn. He saw the Xia cavalry outside the three gates suddenly charging towards the battlefield.

Had they seen through the plan?!

Looking again, the enemy's main banner had disappeared!

A feint? "Not good! The east city wall!

" Outside the east city, over a thousand Xia soldiers had already erected makeshift ladders, but only a little over a hundred were guarding the wall. Tang Yun, clad in armor, stepped forward and roared, "Climb the wall!"

Dozens of men began to climb the wall. Arrows rained down from the wall, and men fell frequently. Some who reached the top were struck down by iron flails. Despite their numerical advantage, the Song army on the wall was extremely tenacious and their defense was very tight and efficient. The Xia army suffered dozens of casualties but could not break through.

Tang Yun was extremely anxious. He had taken a risky tactic, a feint. He had left Lian Du Huolan to continue commanding while he secretly ordered dozens of ladders to be erected to bypass the east city and launch a surprise attack. Now, however, things had become so chaotic. The reputation of nomadic peoples for being bad at siege warfare was truly well-deserved.

"Up! Up quickly!"

Seeing so many men crammed onto the ladders, unable to advance and becoming sitting ducks on the wall, he was extremely worried. Moreover, two ladders, overcrowded with people, broke under their weight, sending more than ten men tumbling down in a heap, creating chaos below the city walls.

"Get out of the way!"

Tang Yun roared in fury, a surge of energy coursing through him. He rushed forward, stepping on soldiers' shoulders and leaping upwards, his toes barely touching the ground before he crushed one soldier's shoulder, soaring like a bird into the air and finally reaching the top of the city wall. In that instant, he felt as if he were truly flying, the city's scenery unfolding before his eyes.

The city... was empty!

Just as he was about to float down from the wall, a long spear, like a venomous dragon stirring the sea, hurtled through the air with a sharp whistling sound, accompanied by a thunderous shout: "Western thieves, cease your arrogance! Your grandfather, Zhong Jianzhong, is here!"

Tang Yun was terrified, his soul leaving his body. He wielded his sword, striking repeatedly, barely managing to withstand the onslaught. But the moment his foot touched the ground, he was kicked in the left hip, feeling a powerful force strike him. His body was sent flying more than ten feet like a kite with a broken string, plummeting off the city wall. Fortunately, there were many people below. As the supervising officer fell, countless hands caught him. Even so, Tang Yun was still dizzy and saw stars.

"We've fallen into a trap! Retreat!"

Tang Yun only had time to say these words before he was lifted up and run away.

The city was deserted; the Xihe army flags on the city walls were a ruse. Where was the real Xihe army hiding? The Song army's deployment... its true target must be the main battlefield outside Shimen Gorge!

Having suffered a crushing defeat at Meiyan Gorge, the Xihe army was naturally relegated to menial tasks on unimportant battlefields, but the Song army had precisely exploited this psychological blind spot!

The Xihe army was the real trump card!

A-Mai believed he only faced the Qin Feng and Jingyuan armies, completely unaware of the Xihe army's existence.

They must be hiding near the main battlefield, waiting for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the unsuspecting Western Xia army!

This kind of cunning scheme couldn't have been devised by Wang Wenzhen!

Zhang Jie! It must be Zhang Jie's plan!

"Supervisor, look!"

Tang Yun turned towards Shimen Village upon hearing this, only to see dazzling fireworks rising in the sky.

Too late... A-Mai had ultimately been outmaneuvered by Zhang Jie.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield of Shimenxia, Wei Ming'a, pale-faced, watched the billowing dust and rumbling thunderous tremors rising from the northeast. As a nomadic man, he was very familiar with this spectacle; it was the sheer force of a stampede of ten thousand horses. Through the dust, countless iron cavalry were charging with overwhelming force towards his exhausted, poorly commanded, and bloated army. His own troops deployed on the outer perimeter, even before engaging in battle, were already in panic, retreating step by step, some even turning to flee.

The four gates of the Song army's fortress were wide open, and countless soldiers poured out like a red torrent of iron. The fiery red banners scattered across the ground resembled an endless raging fire, sweeping towards the Western Xia army. Tens of thousands of Song soldiers outside the city roared deafeningly, abandoning their defensive formations and launching a full-scale counterattack! The

nearly one hundred thousand Western Xia troops were now in disarray, tens of thousands digging at the city walls, isolated within the trenches. Meanwhile, the vanguard outside had lost its fighting spirit. At this moment, the Song army suddenly launched a desperate counterattack, throwing the vanguard into chaos and forcing them to retreat repeatedly. Coupled with the sudden arrival of ambushes, fear spread, morale plummeted, and thousands began to flee. They had fallen into a trap! Faced with the overwhelming tide of the Xia army, thousands of supervising officers were swallowed up in the blink of an eye! Wei Ming Amai's mind went blank, only these two words remaining!

Only when his personal guards frantically pushed him onto his horse, still dumbfounded, did he remember to issue his final command: "Sound the retreat! Sound the retreat now!"... ********** ... Under the brilliant command of Wei Shuai Zhang Jie and the valiant fighting of the Song soldiers, the Western Army achieved a resounding victory against overwhelming odds. After three days of fierce fighting, they utterly crushed the main force of the Xia army, numbering over 100,000. The Xia commander, Wei Ming Amai, narrowly escaped capture but was rescued by his subordinates. The Xia army suffered over 20,000 casualties, with hundreds of officers and soldiers killed or captured. The mudflats and plains dozens of miles outside Shimen Gorge were densely covered with the corpses of Western Xia soldiers and horses, a loss far exceeding that of the defeat at Hongde Village. Of the 60,000 elite troops who filled the trenches and attacked the city, only about half escaped with their lives. The more than 30,000 who could not retreat were all taken prisoner by the Song army. From the garrison to the front lines, the procession of prisoners of the Dangxiang stretched for dozens of miles, almost blocking the roads. The Song army beheaded over 3,000, captured over 10,000 warhorses, tens of thousands of cattle, sheep, and camels, and piled up mountains of captured weapons, armor, flags, and drums. This was an even more glorious victory than Hongde Village! A great victory worthy of being etched in history! Since the time of Yuanhao, the Song army had never felt so triumphant! The grievances of Yuanfeng were wiped away in a single day! For the Western Xia, losing over 50,000 elite troops in a single battle might have been considered commonplace in the Yuanhao era. However, given the Western Xia's current dire state, it was beyond a simple defeat; it was an unprecedented catastrophe. For over a century since Li Jiqian's rebellion against the Song and the subsequent chaos in Hexi, the Tangut army, even facing the mighty Khitan cavalry and the devastating Yuanfeng westward expedition, had never lost 50,000 elite troops in a single battle! In particular, the Western Xia's left flank elite troops, the cornerstone of the state, had been reduced by nearly 30% in an instant! These were the elite soldiers forged in decades of war, the unique essence of the Western Xia army—a devastating blow to the small and sparsely populated Bai Shang Kingdom, one that would be difficult to recover from. After this battle, the morale of the Xia army plummeted. Many generals and ministers saw this crushing defeat as a harbinger of impending collapse. Almost every front was devoid of fighting spirit, ready to crumble at the slightest touch. A'mai was forced to withdraw the entire army back to the interior, relying on natural defenses. Meanwhile, the Song army seized the opportunity to build fortifications, and ten days later, two cities rose from the ground. Zhang Jie presented a memorial reporting the victory, causing jubilation throughout the country and shaking the world. The Song emperor rewarded the generals who participated in the battle, bestowing upon Shimen Village the name "Pingxia City" and Haoshui Village "Lingping Village." From then on, the war on the Song-Xia border reached its climax. More than 100,000 remnants of the Western Xia army withdrew to the border, where they confronted the Song army. The Song army, having achieved a great victory, pressed forward across the board, launching large-scale raids on the Western Xia's fortresses and strongholds in Hengshan. Meanwhile, the Huanqing, Xihe, and Linyan routes, taking advantage of the Western Xia forces' concentration in the Shimen Gorge area and the weakened state of the right flank, intensified their fortification efforts, gradually encroaching on the Hengshan region. The Western Xia border generals were powerless, forced to watch helplessly as loyal vassal tribes were harassed and slaughtered one by one by the Song army. Amidst the towering mountains of Hengshan, bloody battles raged daily. Everyone knew that Western Xia would never willingly suffer such a heavy loss. With the Western Xia empress ruling, such a devastating defeat, if not retaliated against, would inevitably lead to internal strife. And the next Western Xia invasion would surely be a full-scale attack. On the night of the 27th of April, the fourth year of the Shaosheng era of the Song Dynasty. In the left wing of the inner city of Bianjing, on Ma Xing Street, at the Baifan Tower, a large general store selling paper documents, lanterns and candles shone brightly, illuminating the upper and lower levels. Colorful pavilions and joyous gates echoed with celestial music. Even at night, in this uniquely brightly lit city that never sleeps, the Baifan Tower stood out. Hundreds of young, beautiful women, adorned in makeup, perched atop the tower, singing and dancing, vying for attention. The tower, filled with fluttering red sleeves, resembled a dazzling, ethereal paradise. Inside the building, patrons recited poems and engaged in lively discussions; courtesans sang sweetly, their voices melodious and enchanting; just like the Song Dynasty at that time, a prosperous and peaceful era. Every resident of Bianjing, every drinker of the Song Dynasty, every patron of the brothels and entertainment districts knew of the Bianjing Baifanlou, the premier of Bianjing's seventy-two main establishments—truly the number one brothel in the land. At this moment, the tavern was packed with distinguished guests, creating a lively atmosphere. News of the victory at the Shaanxi front had reached Bianjing three days prior, and with this unprecedented victory in over a century, the entire Song Dynasty was abuzz with excitement. From commoners to scholars, from all walks of life, almost everyone was talking about this topic: the great victory at Pingxia City! In a private room, several men who looked like merchants, accompanied by beautiful courtesans, were boasting and exaggerating, while the surrounding guests were equally excited, chiming in and adding their own comments, creating quite a lively scene. Meanwhile, a guest in a private room upstairs kept peeking out, listening intently to the commotion and laughter of the group, but his face remained ashen. "If you say so, then that Grand Commandant Yao is truly remarkable, like a god descended from heaven? The Western bandits' thousands of troops couldn't withstand a single charge from him?" "You're so ignorant! What kind of hero is that Grand Commandant Yao? Haven't you heard of the Yao family generals of Guanzhong?" The speaker, smug and disdainful of the questioner, continued, "My cousin's brother-in-law works in the Imperial Guard. The messenger from Weizhou who came to the capital to report the victory was his compatriot. They both served under Minister Zhang. He said it himself; how could it be false? The Xihe Army has achieved great merit this time. I heard that during the Privy Council's discussion of merits, the Emperor decreed that thousands of gold and silver bowls have been made to reward the meritorious soldiers." "The Xihe Army is truly remarkable! That Grand Commandant Yao is likely to be promoted."

"Of course! The troops under Prime Minister Wang back then were no pushovers. Grand Commandant Yao was a hero of his time, and his son, Grand Commandant Yao, is also from a military family, a family of loyal martyrs!"

"Exactly, exactly..."

Everyone agreed, raising their cups in a toast. The soldiers had won a victory, and as citizens of the Great Song Dynasty, they naturally felt proud. Then they went on to talk about how the various provincial governments in Shaanxi were purchasing military provisions this year, and how they themselves were transporting them. They also mentioned how money, paper money, salt, tea, and other permits were becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, with rampant smuggling of copper coins. They said that some people in Japan were involved in this trade, and that someone in Hebei was secretly smuggling Liaodong salt directly to Jiangnan by sea—all sorts of gossip and rumors. Occasionally, one or two illiterate people would ask who Grand Commandant Yao really was, only to be met with disdainful glares and mocking laughter.

The man upstairs listened with a somber expression to the patrons' conversation. While their ramblings were mostly hearsay and speculation, some even embellished with their own imaginations, they weren't entirely unreliable.

At least he knew who the "Grand Commandant Yao" they were talking about was.

Grand Commandant Yao naturally referred to Yao Si, a renowned and valiant general from a prominent Western Army family. Three generations of the Yao family had served the country in the military, rising to prominence during the Song-Xia Wars, with Yao Si being a prime example. In

the fourth year of the Xining era, Emperor Shenzong, shortly after ascending the throne, heavily relied on Wang Anshi, intending to recover Hexi. At that time, due to the Song army's consistently strong performance in several military confrontations with Western Xia during the Zhiping era, Zhong E not only captured Suizhou, but Cai Ting also repelled the Xia ruler's personal expedition at Dashun City, forcing the Xia ruler, Liang Zha, to flee alone, wounded by an arrow, and later dying there. In light of this, after Emperor Shenzong ascended the throne, he held the Western Xia in contempt and ordered Han Jiang to pacify Shaanxi and manage Hengshan, preparing to avenge the humiliation of Emperor Renzong's reign.

However, upon arriving in Shaanxi, Han Jiang, lacking military expertise, was easily swayed by biased opinions and favored the Western Xia general Wang Wenliang, heavily relying on local troops while discriminating against the Han army, causing discord and widespread resentment within the ranks. Wang Wenliang, relying on Han Jiang's favor, abused his power, not only stealing others' military achievements but also framing Song generals such as Zhao Qingyu and Wu Kui. Ultimately, when the Western Xia army launched a major offensive, the Song army lacked morale, suffering major defeats at Luowu City and Funing Fort, and the Guangrui Army mutinied in Qingzhou, resulting in the loss of almost the entire Huanqing Circuit to the Song Dynasty.

The defeat at Qingzhou marked Emperor Shenzong's first direct attack on Western Xia after his ascension to the throne. The result was a crushing defeat, followed by a mutiny, leaving the situation extremely precarious and shaking Bianjing (Kaifeng). This battle served as a wake-up call for Shenzong, sobering him from his arrogance. He subsequently avoided direct conflict with Western Xia, focusing instead on the Qiang people of Xihe. It wasn't until the fourth year of the Yuanfeng era, when internal strife erupted in Western Xia, that a second direct offensive was launched.

While the defeat at Qingzhou resulted in heavy losses, it provided an opportunity for a hero to rise to prominence. Yao Si, the inspector of Huanqing, distinguished himself in this battle. In

the Battle of Lanlang, he single-handedly charged into battle, killing a fierce Western Xia chieftain with a single arrow amidst a vast army, leading to a major defeat for the Xia forces. Later, at Liyuan Fort, he again fought the Xia army, drawing his bow with both hands and killing hundreds of Western Xia soldiers and a valiant general, striking fear into the enemy. He then moved to Dashun City, where he again routed the Xia army, killing thousands. These three battles turned the tide and stabilized the situation. He also joined Lin Guang in quelling a mutiny, securing Qingzhou. Later, he was received by Emperor Shenzong, who bestowed upon him a silver spear and brocade robe. He followed Wang Shao in expanding the Xihe region, capturing Hezhou City, and campaigning against Jiaozhi and the Southern Barbarians, repeatedly achieving great merit. Within the Western Army, the Yao family, as a military family on par with the Zhong family, earned its status through Yao Si's exploits.

Yao Xiong, who made the greatest contribution in this great victory, was Yao Si's son.

Zhang Jie's memorial had already reached the capital, detailing the battle in detail. It was Yao Xiong who, at the crucial moment, unexpectedly led 7,000 Xihe cavalrymen, who had been lying in ambush, in a fierce charge against the Xia army, throwing them into disarray and turning the tide of the battle.

Yao Xiong himself led from the front, braving blades and arrows, yet still charging forward with great courage, inspiring his soldiers to fight like ten men each, ultimately defeating the formidable enemy. The Emperor's great joy and reward meant Yao Xiong had risen through the ranks, from a seventh-rank Left Steed Envoy to the Eastern Upper Gate Envoy, concurrently serving as the Prefect of Qin Prefecture—a promotion of four ranks, officially making him a member of the "Heroic Envoys" qualified to command large armies and guard a region.

All of this delighted the Song court, with cheers erupting throughout the court and the people filled with excitement.

The tiny Western Xia, a group of barbarian Dangxiang people living in the desert wilderness, had been so arrogant for so many years, repeatedly resisting the imperial army and causing the Celestial Empire to lose face. Now they finally knew the power of the government troops! Of course, some were unhappy. The person upstairs withdrew his head into his private seat, his face gloomy and worried. Surprisingly, there were no singing girls in this private seat, only two people. This seat was clearly specially made; once the door was closed, no sound from outside could be heard, obviously a place specifically for private matters.

Opposite him was a Taoist priest.

"My lord, look at the people's sentiments. If a decision is not made soon, time will not wait. Now that Empress Meng has been deposed, there are no more supporters in the palace. If Zhang Jie wins again in Shaanxi, I fear the position of the Yuanfeng traitors will be unshakeable."

The "my lord" the Taoist priest referred to was the man opposite him, Gao Shiliang, the current Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards of the Song Dynasty. This man was a cousin of Empress Dowager Gao. Although the Song Dynasty was dominated by scholar-officials, relatives of the empress still had a certain space for survival in officialdom. It was not uncommon for relatives of the empress to command troops and for eunuchs to supervise the army since the founding of the dynasty. When Wang Shao opened up Xihe, he used Gao Zunyu, a relative of the empress, as his deputy. Yuanfeng's western expedition was overseen by Li Xian.

Although the New Party is currently in power, Empress Dowager Gao is still the Empress Dowager, and since she is dead, it's not appropriate to exterminate her relatives, as this would damage the Emperor's reputation. Besides, Gao Shiliang is merely a military man, and in the Song Dynasty, where military men were traditionally looked down upon, even within the New Party, no one considered a mere warrior a significant threat. Furthermore, the Emperor's influence is also involved. Although the Emperor dislikes Empress Dowager Gao, it doesn't mean he dislikes all his relatives. The Emperor is, after all, the son of the late Emperor, and his understanding of imperial politics is almost innate. Even if he trusts the New Party, he would never allow them to completely seize power, a point even the New Party considers perfectly reasonable.

This is why Gao Shiliang has managed to remain in such a crucial military position as the Three Military Commands. The Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Commander-in-Chief are traditionally considered the four most powerful figures in the military, and his long tenure in these positions is simply a matter of maintaining a balance of power within the court. Moreover, the Three Military Commands were no longer the invincible army they were at the beginning of the dynasty. After a century of peace, the court's combat-ready troops were now concentrated in Hedong and Shaanxi, commanded by local border officials. The Three Military Commands could basically only command the garrison in the capital. These so-called "upper three armies" were essentially omnipotent, skilled in all walks of life, except for warfare. Therefore, they couldn't possibly achieve anything real in such positions; they were merely sitting on the sidelines, waiting to die, which suited the needs of the New Party.

But no one could have imagined that Gao Shiliang had his own ambitions and would actually do such a shocking thing: secretly meeting with spies from Western Xia and colluding with the enemy.

"That sounds nice, but you're all just doing it for Western Xia, aren't you?"

Gao Shiliang coldly mocked. As a Song citizen, he didn't trust the Tanguts at all and wished these Western bandits who were disturbing China would all die! Cooperation with these barbarians was a last resort, a consequence of the relentless pressure from treacherous officials at court. Adhering to the principle that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," this situation has become the norm. Years ago, I cooperated with Liang Yibu, but Liang Yibu proved utterly incompetent, collapsing so quickly in the internal strife within Western Xia.

Because some of my family's letters were with Liang Yibu, and after Liang Yibu's downfall, Gao Shiliang has lived in constant fear, terrified that his collusion with Western Xia would be exposed. And now, what was bound to happen has finally come to pass. The Taoist priest opposite me

likely represents the Empress Dowager of Western Xia. They hold leverage over me, leaving me with no choice but to accept it. While the New Party currently shows no intention of attacking me, if I were to proactively offer them leverage, they would likely not be so lenient. They even plotted to depose the Empress; what is a mere relative of the Empress Dowager compared to them? I cannot hide the Taoist priest's intentions from him; if I do not cooperate, the evidence of my communication with Western Xia will likely fall into the hands of the New Party.

"Your Excellency is wise; this matter benefits both of us. Currently, the Song Dynasty is plagued by treacherous officials who are waging wars and exhausting resources

. Whether it is the Western Xia or those behind Your Excellency, our common enemy is the Yuanfeng traitorous faction." "So what? Let Zhang Dun become prime minister; what does it have to do with me? I will continue to serve as an official."

The Taoist priest was eloquent, but Gao Shiliang was unwilling to give in easily; some bargaining was still necessary. In truth, cooperating with anyone from Western Xia made no difference—they were all barbarians. If he could truly leverage Western Xia's power to rise again and end the war, even cooperating with Empress Dowager Liang would be acceptable. However, Gao Shiliang disliked being coerced and had his own plans.

"I'm afraid there are still differences. Empress Meng has been deposed simply because she was chosen by Empress Dowager Gao. It's clear the treacherous faction wants to exterminate her. You, sir, are a relative of the deceased Empress Dowager Gao; how can the treacherous faction tolerate you?"

Last year's deposition of the empress was a heavy blow to the Yuan You faction, both in and out of court. The New Party achieved an overwhelming victory both inside and outside the court. This was also a lesson the New Party learned from the Yuan You reforms. Although Emperor Shenzong banished all the old faction members from the court, Empress Dowager Gao was still in the palace. After Emperor Shenzong's death, Empress Dowager Gao alone turned the tide. Having finally regained power, the New Party was determined not to suffer the same fate again. This deposition of the empress was a scheme orchestrated by Zhang Dun in collusion with Consort Liu, aimed at eliminating any potential threats within the palace.

While the emperor hadn't yet appointed a new empress, it was common knowledge that Consort Liu would be the one to us; no one in the palace could currently rival her influence. Having formed an alliance with Zhang Dun, Consort Liu would naturally ignore these defeated members of the Old Party. With their powerful ally gone, who else could the gentlemen of the Old Party rely on?

"So what if they can't tolerate me? Don't trouble yourself. As a subject of the Song Dynasty, even if the Emperor truly cannot tolerate me, I will simply fulfill my duty as a subject."

"If you truly intended this, why did you cooperate with Liang Yibu in the first place?"

"It's just a pity Liang Yibu collapsed so quickly, wasting all my efforts!"

"What Liang Yibu could offer you, sir, the current leader of Western Xia can also promise. Whether you believe it or not, what Western Xia wants is simply to coexist peacefully with the Song Dynasty."

"What a joke! Haven't the Song Dynasty and Western Xia fought many wars? During the Yuan You era, our Song Dynasty voluntarily withdrew its troops, yet your Xia army repeatedly provoked us. At that time, you didn't talk about peaceful coexistence."

"That was nothing but Liang Yibu's treacherous scheme."

"Hmph, Liang Yibu said the same thing back then."

Gao Shiliang sneered incessantly.

"It's all about the victor and the vanquished. Now that power in Western Xia is unified, there shouldn't be any change of heart."

"That sounds nice, but who knows if it's true? Western Xia has always been fickle. If you want to cooperate, you must first show sincerity."

"Sincerity? Please take a look, sir."

As the Taoist priest spoke, he took out several letters from his robes and handed them to Gao Shiliang.

Gao Shiliang's expression changed immediately upon seeing them, and he quickly put the letters away.

"These letters must have caused you a lot of trouble and worry, sir. Today, I'm returning them intact

. I wonder if this counts as sincerity?"... Outside the private room, two men dressed as wealthy merchants scanned the surroundings. The singing girls beside them were only perfunctorily offering drinks and flattery; their minds were focused on that door. Suddenly, they saw the door of the private room open, and the Taoist priest gracefully left. The two men became tense. Then they got up and went into the private room, and quickly came out, skillfully following behind the Taoist priest as they left Baifan Tower together.

Gao Shiliang sat alone in the elegant pavilion, unsure whether his move was right or wrong.

Although a military man, he didn't consider himself the crudeness of ordinary warriors. On the contrary, he held extraordinary respect for leaders of the northern literati like Sima Guang and Wen Yanbo. He believed that only under such virtuous leaders could the Song Dynasty truly achieve peace and prosperity. But now, the court was filled with petty treacherous officials, and the emperor himself lacked virtue, favoring sycophants and alienating virtuous ministers. How could the Song Dynasty survive like this?

Since Sima Guang said the only correct path for the Song Dynasty was to recuperate and rebuild, to continue on the original path without any changes, then peace would naturally prevail. Reforms and other such nonsense were mistakes, a waste of resources and manpower!

Since Sima Guang said that pacifying the barbarians depended on virtue, not force, then the emperor should cultivate virtue. In this way, without resorting to war, he could naturally use etiquette and morality to win over the Dangxiang and Khitan barbarians and make them submit!

Since Wen Yanbo said that the Song Dynasty shared the world with the scholar-officials, not the common people, then the emperor should listen to the scholar-officials. Whatever the scholar-officials say is good, and the opinions of the common people are irrelevant. Those treacherous officials talk about land annexation and the impoverished having nowhere to stand. Since the scholar-officials share the world with the emperor, what's wrong with them occupying more land? It's a matter of course! What does it matter if the common people have nowhere to stand?

However, Emperor Taizong of Tang seemed to have said that the people are the most important, the state is next,

and the emperor is the least important… Thinking about it carefully, Wen Yanbo also seemed to have said that the new laws were wasteful and only by abolishing them could the people get some rest. This seems inconsistent… However, such profound knowledge of governing the country is beyond the comprehension of someone as shallow and uncultured as myself.

I only need to know one principle: in short, what Sima Guang and his ilk said is the truth!

Unfortunately, this truth is not understood by the current emperor. With the unprecedented victory over the Western Xia, the arrogance of the treacherous officials has grown even stronger. Although the old faction ministers had been banished from the court and mostly fled to Lingnan, their vast underground power still existed. Within and outside the court, this powerful force could still silently influence the course of events. Otherwise, how could I be sitting here today having a secret conversation with this Western Xia spy?

Sima Guang said that war is not in the interest of the nation, but only in the interest of border generals, especially after a victory. The Great Song should use etiquette and morality to influence and subdue the barbarians of the four directions; this is the demeanor of a celestial empire. If we were to subdue others by force like those barbarians, even a hundred victories would be nothing to be happy about; on the contrary, we should feel ashamed.

Since Sima Guang said so, this great victory at Pingxia should not be considered a glory for the Great Song, but rather clear evidence that the treacherous faction is dragging the Great Song step by step into the abyss! Moreover, the treacherous faction has been relentlessly and viciously attacking Empress Dowager Gao, comparing this revered and virtuous empress to Wu Zetian, accusing her of being a treacherous empress who usurped power, and even claiming she once harbored intentions of deposing the emperor. To utter such heinous and inhumane words, sowing discord within the imperial family, is no different from treason. As

a member of Empress Dowager Gao's clan, I must act, both for public and private reasons.

I cannot meet the demands of the Western Xia people, and now they want bows and crossbows? After the last batch was lost en route, I don't know if it fell into their hands. I've thrown out my bargaining chips, but haven't received what I was owed—three years have passed! Now they shamelessly demand it again. We must understand that the Song Dynasty itself has no use for them now.

Those tiger-bomb cannons from back then were nothing special; they were no different from the gunpowder produced in the Song Dynasty's armory. However, a special ore called "fire sand" was added to it. This substance was discovered by Taoist alchemists. When ignited, it exploded with a force as fierce as thunder, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks. This discovery reached the Imperial Armory, which later led to the creation of the Tiger-Breaking Cannon.

However, fire sand was only found in the Baodushan area of Jingdong Road. In October of the first year of the Shaosheng era, an earthquake struck that area, collapsing the mine and killing or injuring over a thousand miners. An official submitted a memorial stating that this substance was ominous, disrupting the balance of Yin and Yang, which caused the heavens to send down disaster. Furthermore, the mine was severely damaged, with the shafts buried deep underground, making it impossible to reopen.

Moreover, this fire sand ore was extremely rare, with very low mining volumes. The mining and processing process was complex and dangerous, costing no less than 100,000 strings of cash a year, and costing dozens of lives, while only yielding a few hundred kilograms of ore. It was simply not worth the effort, and the imperial court had ordered the cessation of operations several years prior.

The Tiger-Break Cannon, a type of firearm, had long been removed from the Song Dynasty's arsenal. It was relegated to the Imperial Arsenal as a fleeting experimental weapon, forgotten by all. Even the few written records of it are now lost somewhere, as if this weapon had never existed in Song Dynasty history. Zhe Keshi, the only one who witnessed its power, petitioned the court for mass production. However, the only newly manufactured batch was looted in Jingzhao Prefecture, followed by an earthquake, and now no one mentions it anymore.

The Western Xia people, on the other hand, brought it up. Indeed, Zhe Keshi had used this very weapon on them years ago, so they naturally remembered it vividly.

Their initial condition with Liang Yimai was to exchange intelligence on this batch of weapons for information about Consort Liu's secrets within the palace. He had fulfilled his promise, but things had changed on the other side, and he still hadn't seen what those secrets were. However, Consort Liu was now clearly an ally of the treacherous faction within the palace. If he could obtain some strong evidence to bring her down, he could turn the tide in the palace.

His condition was simple: if they wanted to cooperate, Western Xia should first fulfill the promise he should have kept long ago, and then they could discuss anything else. As for the future, he could deal with it later; after all, he had already regained control of the situation, so who could do anything about it?

After sitting for a while, he returned to his residence, only to find that the two spies had already returned. These two were former bandits, skilled at entering and leaving high places unattended. They secretly conducted business with enemy states, and naturally, they needed to keep some extraordinary individuals around them for emergencies. However, the news these two brought back truly shocked him.

The Taoist priest had actually gone to Liquan Temple, a palace-style temple! In Bianjing, there were many rumors that Liquan Temple seemed to have some shady dealings with the palace. Last year, Empress Meng was deposed because of witchcraft, and Consort Yan, the nun Fa Rui, and others were confirmed to have practiced sorcery and evil magic, with Taoists among them. Moreover, in recent years, everyone knew that the biggest backer of the Taoist sects in the capital was the emperor's most favored younger brother, the Prince of Suining. This man was so devoted to Taoism that he was practically possessed, and he maintained very close relationships with various Taoist masters. Famous figures like Zhang Huaisu and Lin Lingsu were frequent guests at his palace. More importantly, the closest among them was Liquan Temple. Some even said that Liquan Temple was the Prince of Suining's private temple.

Such a Western Xia spy was actually hiding in Liquan Temple, which couldn't help but arouse his suspicions.

Was this Taoist priest... really a Western Xia spy? Or is there another mastermind behind him? It would be absurd for the Prince of Suining, a member of the Song imperial family, to be a spy for Western Xia. But what if he's after something else…

the throne? That was the only thought that came to Gao Shiliang's mind.

This idea was so horrifying that it sent a chill down his spine. But upon closer examination, it made sense. The Song Dynasty had precedents of brothers passing the throne to each other! However, no one wanted to bring up such matters. But the current emperor was in his prime, only twenty years old this year. Could this Prince of Suining be involved in some secret scheme…?

Now, Gao Shiliang dared not underestimate this Prince of Suining. He was certain this Taoist was connected to the Prince of Suining, yet the other party had left no evidence whatsoever. With such abilities, he was no ordinary person. But what was his purpose in doing this? If he truly coveted the throne, unless he was absolutely confident in his methods, he shouldn't have revealed himself so early!

Of course, Gao Shiliang was also dissatisfied with the current emperor. Look at the plight of the virtuous ministers of the Yuanyou era—each one living in constant fear, waiting to die in Lingnan. Allowing treacherous villains to wreak havoc on the country, even targeting the Empress Dowager Gao, was the behavior of a complete tyrant. If he remained emperor, good people would likely never recover by the time he died! If a different emperor were in charge, perhaps good people would have a chance to rise again. Was

he really certain the current emperor wouldn't live long and wouldn't leave a son?

Perhaps one of the Taoist priests around him possessed such extraordinary abilities?

This was a heinous crime of treason! It would mean the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan!

However, the more dangerous the situation, the more Gao Shiliang couldn't help but ponder it. If the Prince of Suining truly wanted to seize the throne, he needed the support of the two Grand Ministers. But now the New Party was in power, and he, a powerless prince, had no resources to win over the rising New Party. Therefore, he could only place his bets on the equally disillusioned Old Party.

If one day the old party helps him rise to power, and he allows them to regain control, it's a win-win situation for everyone!

This is the only reasonable explanation… If this is true, how should his side respond? For Gao Shiliang

, all he wants now is the legendary erotic painting of Consort Liu, to bring this treacherous concubine to her death. He can't decide anything else. He can only let someone more qualified than himself decide. What he needs to do is get that painting as soon as possible, because it's also a decisive bargaining chip… ********** ... She already knew that Tang Yun was the only victor in this campaign, the Battle of Meiyan Gorge, making him the sole hero of this crushing defeat. However, Wei Ming Amai and Mei Le Du Bu actually impeached Tang Yun! Their reason was readily available: Tang Yun's failure to effectively contain the Song army at Lingping Village allowed the Xia army on the main battlefield to be ambushed. They requested Tang Yun's removal from his position as military supervisor and his replacement by Ren Duo Bao Zhong. Empress Dowager Liang didn't know if Amai had seen through her plan to place her own people in the army to diminish their influence, and was therefore resisting. But she had no choice but to agree; after such a defeat, someone had to take responsibility. She couldn't let these veteran officials like Amai take the blame; they were still commanding troops on the front lines! And as chieftains of many tribes, a mutiny would be disastrous. Who could have imagined that with 170,000 elite troops and renowned generals in command, they would suffer such a crushing defeat? She had originally planned to promote Tang Yun after the victory, allowing him to take a share of military power. Now it seems all hopeless; these old foxes are far more difficult to deal with than she imagined. She still needs these old fogies to lead the troops on the front lines against the Song army, so it seems she has no choice but to compromise. However, Tang Yun's attitude did not disappoint her. He remained completely silent about the battle, willing to take the blame. As long as he could continue serving Empress Dowager Liang, he would be willing to return to being a lowly soldier. And just then, there was something he needed to do. "Rise, my dear minister. I know you've been wronged this time, but I will certainly avenge you next time." "Your Majesty, you flatter me. I have received immense kindness from you, a debt I could never repay even with my life. What is a little grievance compared to that?" "Good minister, I have not misjudged you. There is a matter that I cannot do without you. Since you have just relinquished your military post, go and take care of it first. When you return, I will promote you." "Your Majesty, please give your orders. I will go through fire and water, even unto death." "Do you still remember that mission three years ago?" "I failed miserably, and it was only through Your Majesty's grace and leniency that I have remained in this lowly position until now. Even now, thinking of it, I feel deeply ashamed." "Today's mission is to re-enter Song territory..." At dusk, Tang Yun left the palace. Empress Dowager Liang did not allow him to serve her in bed. In recent years, she had taken on new male favorites. Although serving him in bed was no longer his exclusive privilege, Empress Dowager Liang's trust in him had not diminished in the slightest. She never considered Tang Yun a mere courtier; many male favorites could serve her in bed, but Tang Yun was the only one she could entrust with important matters. Tang Yun wasn't bothered by A'mai and Meile's accusations. He was a Han Chinese with no military power, and even somewhat mysterious origins, who had gained Empress Dowager Liang's trust and risen through the ranks in recent years—it was bound to arouse jealousy. He wasn't surprised at all by A'mai's attack. In fact, after the crushing defeat, he had already prepared to take the blame. The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind. His rise in recent years had been too conspicuous; without any foundation, relying solely on the Empress Dowager's trust, he had now become the army's supervisor. Those powerful chieftains with vast armies would never tolerate him climbing above them.

Now that he has temporarily withdrawn from the upper echelons of power, he can avoid the brunt of these people's attacks. As long as he still enjoys Empress Dowager Liang's trust, his position is as solid as a rock. Moreover, Empress Dowager Liang has already become wary of these two and will no longer trust them unconditionally. In fact, he could see that Empress Dowager Liang was already dissatisfied with these two. However, with the Song army pressing in, they are needed to lead the army in battle.

A woman with such a strong desire for power will definitely settle accounts afterward.

He only offered her one strategy: "Two peaches kill three warriors," supporting Ren Duo and Bao Zhong to divide their power; there was no need to say more. A smart person naturally knows what to do. What

he needs to consider now is his next assignment.

It turns out that Western Xia actually colluded with the Yuan You faction of the Song Dynasty. He never expected that these so-called "gentlemen" would go to such lengths as to collude with an enemy country for political gain. He didn't know who exactly they were, but it was clearly related to the group of Song Dynasty private merchants he encountered in Liao territory last time. As long as he investigated their background, there should be some clues. However, Empress Dowager Liang still hadn't revealed everything to him; at least, she hadn't said what she intended to do with the weapons.

And what secret did the painting hold? Why such a grand mobilization? The adventure three years ago had led him to believe the plan had been abandoned halfway. But after this unprecedented defeat for Western Xia, the matter had been restarted.

What deal did the Song Dynasty's old faction have with Western Xia? Their common enemy was the new faction; was this matter aimed at the new faction?

One strange thing was that since both sides used the Red Lotus Society, why did the Red Lotus Society, after obtaining the painting, still send it all the way to Western Xia? Wouldn't it have been simpler to just hand it over to the Song Dynasty's old faction? Why transfer it from Bianjing (Kaifeng) to the border, then into Western Xia, and finally back to Song territory before handing it over to the other side? Wasn't such a roundabout way troublesome?

After much thought, there was only one explanation.

Neither Empress Dowager Liang nor Liang Yibu had any intention of keeping their promise to Western Xia. They wanted both the weapons and the painting. To maintain complete control, one must hold all the chips. Handing the painting over to the old guard too early likely stemmed from their fear of them reneging on the deal.

However, the downfall of Liang Yibu unexpectedly complicated their transaction. He himself nearly died at Sun Erniang's hands, only to be besieged by the Song army, causing the entire deal to fall through.

Why did Sun Erniang turn against him? Could someone driven by money have any other motive? Perhaps her understanding of the power struggles in Western Xia was deeper than he imagined. Imagine if it were him; if his trading partner were killed, he would certainly be alert. And if that person had a past grudge, he would likely suspect a trap and strike first.

How to find Sun Erniang? Had she escaped from the soldiers? That skilled archer must be a prominent figure in the Song army; perhaps that's where he could begin.

Tang Yun rode back to his residence, formerly Li Qing's, which later belonged to Liang Yibu and was now a gift from Empress Dowager Liang. Sitting in the pavilion, he looked up at the fiery clouds and golden-red sunset, a truly beautiful sight.

Lightly, Yao Ning appeared beside him.

"Are you leaving?"

Years of unspoken understanding made her seem to be part of his heart.

“Yes…”

“You haven’t decided yet?”

“The outcome of this trip will be my decision.”

“Can’t you wait until she dies? Liang Yibu is dead, she’s just a woman, sooner or later the emperor will take power.”

“I… am not a Tangut…”

“What’s the difference between Han and Tangut? We drink the same water and bleed the same blood.”

“If I can come back alive, I will know my answer…”

“Chage is your son, he also has your blood in his veins…”

“…Is he alright…”

“The emperor has bestowed upon him the surname Li and taken him as his younger brother… He misses you very much…”

“The surname Li… Brother Cha…”

Tang Yun gave a bitter smile, “That’s good…”

“You must come back alive…”

Holding the warm, soft woman in his arms, Tang Yun felt a silent sorrow.

Indeed, he owed this woman too much…

“If it were me… you should keep this letter.”

Tang Yun held a small envelope in his hand. Yao Ning stared at him for a long time before finally silently accepting it.

“Perhaps, this is my destiny…”

After Yao Ning left, Tang Yun sat alone in the room.

The candlelight flickered, and silence reigned.

Unbeknownst to him, five years had passed since he left Song territory. Was

he about to return? And in what capacity would he return? These past years, managing the First-Rank Hall, he had been active on the Song-Xia border, but now, a strange unease stirred within him. What had he done for the Song Dynasty, what had he done for Western Xia

? Was he now a spy for the Song Dynasty, or a spy for Western Xia?

Was he a Song citizen, or a Xia citizen…

Was he Han Chinese, or a Tangut…?

He had a strange feeling that the greatest turning point in his life might be this trip to the Song Dynasty. Afterwards, he would either remain forever in the Song Dynasty, or forever in Western Xia.

Then, he would truly confront his destiny…

The fourth year of the Shaosheng era of the Song Dynasty, the eighth year of the Youmin'an era of the Xia Dynasty, the third year of the Shoulong era of the Liao Dynasty, the Xinmao day of the tenth month.

Liao Dynasty, Shangjing Circuit.

In the depths of winter, a biting wind howled across the grasslands. The vast Shangjing Road was shrouded in the bleakness of winter. The rolling hills, the distant mountains, and the grasslands as far as the eye could see all displayed a somber, oppressive yellow hue. Dark clouds filled the sky, and where the desert met the oasis, patches of barren gravel and poplar forests dotted the landscape. The crisscrossing gray rivers, the scattered clear lakes, and the occasional grove of trees were the only comforting things on this winter grassland.

In this frigid world, the only burning passion remained the insatiable human desire to kill each other.

Tang Yun, dressed in the iron armor commonly seen on the Liao army, rode a tall horse, bow and sword at his side, with two horses following him, looking like a Liao palace guard knight.

Surrounding him was a dense, dark mass of knights, numbering over two hundred, with seven or eight hundred horses. None wore armor, nor did they carry banners. Their clothing varied widely, all being the tattered leather armor and robes common among nomadic peoples, in styles from different tribes. Some wore helmets, others had breastplates covering their chests—seemingly their only protection. Their weapons were a motley collection of swords, spears, and halberds, some good, some bad, but each carried a large bow characteristic of nomadic peoples, and quivers brimming with arrows.

For nomadic peoples, archery and horsemanship were fundamental to their survival; everything else could be rudimentary, but bows and arrows could not be taken lightly.

These men were utterly undisciplined, shouting and whispering, their formation extremely disorganized—clearly a rabble.

They spoke as many as seven or eight languages, including Tangut, Qiang, Zubu, Zhanbage, Khitan, Menggu, and Uyghur, a chaotic mix resembling a nest of sparrows. Yet, they could all understand each other, clearly indicating they weren't a newly formed group. Accompanying them were dozens of camel wagons, the camels laden with huge felt stacks, and the wagons filled with leather bags weighing hundreds of pounds each.

Groups like this were extremely common in what is now Shangjing Road, or rather, in the Shangjing Road of all time. Apart from the Khitan tribe's Pishi Palace branch army, the armies of all other tribes and forces dressed in this manner, neither soldiers nor bandits.

This is also the main reason why the Khitan were able to dominate the northern frontier for hundreds of years. The Liao Dynasty claimed a vast territory and a million cavalry, but the Khitan were not the majority ethnic group. However, by winning over the Han Chinese in Nanjing and Xijing routes, as well as the Bohai people in Tokyo route, the Khitan possessed artisan technology far superior to other nomadic peoples. The Khitan palace guards, with their leather chambers and regular soldiers numbering over 100,000, were all equipped with excellent iron armor and iron arrowheads. Even the hundreds of thousands of household guards attached to the regular army often had their own armor.

In this respect alone, the millions of other barbarian tribes combined could not compare. Even if all the barbarian tribes in Shangjing route were gathered together, the number would still be less than a fraction of the number of armored Khitan troops under the Liao Dynasty's Northwest Expeditionary Command. It should be noted that some powerful tribes in Shangjing route only had a few dozen sets of iron armor.

And some more remote barbarian tribes in Tokyo route, such as the Jurchen, were still using bone arrows, wooden arrows, or even stone arrows.

In most tribal armies of Shangjing Road, the leader is undoubtedly the one whose armor is the best. Many tribes or bandit gangs only have their leaders clad in iron armor.

"Chief, where is that Southern Dynasty merchant you mentioned? The sky is overcast now, and it could snow at any moment. If we encounter government troops, wouldn't we just be throwing our lives away? We've been out all day; if we can't find him, we should go back."

As Tang Yun climbed a small slope, he focused his gaze and looked around. A Han Chinese man beside him leaned in and whispered a reminder.

This man was a Han soldier from the Jin Su Army of Xijing Road, surnamed Han, known as Han Jiu. He was originally from a prominent family in his village, but several years ago, the Liao government accused him of being a remnant of a traitorous faction, and his entire family was confiscated and scattered. He escaped with his life, first fleeing to Xixia, where he ate provisions in Heishui Yan Town. Later, bandits entered and plundered, and his Xia army squad was defeated. He himself was kidnapped by the bandits, and to save his life, he simply became a bandit again.

Han Jiu was a shrewd man; otherwise, he wouldn't have survived the constant shifts in power among various factions. He had long suspected this band of bandits was unusual, especially their Han Chinese leader. He didn't know if he was from the Western Xia or Han China, but he was certain he had a much stronger backing.

Sometimes he would obtain intelligence that was impossible to obtain under normal circumstances, allowing him to plunder rich rewards. Other times, he would inexplicably cancel operations, thus avoiding a Khitan cavalry raid. Sometimes he would disappear for a month or two, sometimes he would mysteriously go to strange places, meet strange private merchants, and sell his stolen goods. But apart from him, no one knew who the buyers were or how they contacted them.

At the same time, no one could say for sure who this Tang Yun, the great leader, was, what his life story was, or even if his name was real.

Perhaps those simple-minded, physically strong barbarians wouldn't notice these things, and even if they did, they probably wouldn't care. What they cared about were livestock, goods, grain, gold, silver, and women who could bear their children; nothing else mattered. However, Han Jiu couldn't ignore it. Perhaps this guy was from Western Xia? But that wasn't a big deal. Most of the bandit groups within the borders of Song, Liao, and Xia were deserters from those countries, especially on the Liao-Xia border, where the situation was particularly chaotic, and spies from various countries loved to operate there.

Even if Tang Yun really was sent by Western Xia or the Southern Dynasty to stir up trouble, it didn't matter much. The important thing was whether Han Jiu could seize this opportunity if Tang Yun was truly no ordinary person.

No one wanted to live this precarious, blood-soaked life forever. After all, he was a member of a highly developed civilized nation, not one of these unsophisticated primitive tribes. He was forced to associate with these primitive savages; if he had a better choice, he would abandon this dead-end job without hesitation.

He had been used to a civilized and prosperous life before, and if he had the chance to return to the past, or even just get close to it, he would be willing to fight for it at any cost.

"It's not far. Let's go south past that small hill and see if there's anyone there. If not, we'll go back."

Tang Yun didn't even turn his head. The winter grassland was lifeless, with withered grass everywhere, and no trace of cattle, sheep, or felt tents.

This place was close to the Liao-Xia border, within the defense zone of the Liao general Yelü Wotela. That guy was not someone to be trifled with. He exhaled a breath of cold air, the cold air going straight into his lungs, making him quickly shut his mouth. He didn't know if the oil he smeared on his face had any effect in keeping him warm, but the cold wind was making his face hurt. What terrible weather! Even in the poor and harsh lands of Western Xia, it was much better than here.

More than half a year had passed since he left Xingqing Prefecture in May. And the matter he cared about still had no clue.

Sun Erniang had disappeared without a trace. The Song Dynasty government was still hunting her, so she hadn't been caught yet. And many people in the bandit world were also looking for her, but no one had seen her for more than three years. He didn't know if she was dead or hiding. If it was the latter, Tang Yun truly admired her for hiding so well.

Unable to find her directly, he had to find another way. The so-called whereabouts of Sun Erniang were actually the whereabouts of that painting.

Although he didn't know what the painting depicted, Tang Yun absolutely refused to believe that Sun Erniang possessed the skill of a master painter. Since he couldn't find Sun Erniang, he would find the painter, but unfortunately, no one knew who the painter was; at least he hadn't found out.

In recent years, the Song and Xia armies had reignited their war, and border checks were extremely strict, making every crossing quite troublesome. Obtaining a verifiable identity often required a long period of preparation. He was reluctant to openly seek help from Zhe Keshi or Zhang Jie. After all, he was still considered a traitor in the Song Dynasty, and he had been gone for five or six years. Who knew if their attitude towards him had changed? Who knew if they still considered him a Song citizen? Five or six years was enough time to change a country, and changing their opinion of a spy was commonplace. What if it turned out to be true? Wouldn't he be walking into a trap?

Moreover, Zhang Jie and Zhe Keshi were no longer the same people they once were. Since the great victory at Pingxia City, Zhang Jie had become famous throughout the land, holding the position of Commander of Wei in Jingyuan, with all the troops in Shaanxi under his command, making him a veritable regional governor. Even if they hadn't forgotten him, who knew if they would still value him? Zhang Jie was similar to Li Yuanhao, particularly skilled in using spies. In recent years, he had infiltrated countless spies into Western Xia, bribing and turning many Western Xia nobles and leaders to defect, bringing countless valuable intelligence.

Tang Yun was merely an old pawn planted in Western Xia years ago. Would Zhang Jie believe he hadn't betrayed them despite the allure of Western Xia's wealth and power? Would he even acknowledge him? Tang Yun had very little confidence in this. Zhe Keshi was just a military general, and being in Chang'an, entering Guanzhong would be extremely difficult. By land, he would have to pass through numerous checkpoints, making sneaking through virtually impossible. Moreover, he shared the same concerns as Zhang Jie.

He always felt that in the eyes of the Song Dynasty, he was already a traitor who had gone from feigning surrender to genuine surrender.

Because of these concerns, he always felt it was inappropriate to reveal his true identity. If the Song Dynasty believed he hadn't betrayed them, then they wanted him to continue lying low. If they believed he had, revealing his identity would be tantamount to suicide; not only would the Song Dynasty not tolerate him, but Western Xia wouldn't either. His fate would likely be to be silenced somewhere in the world.

Therefore, he should continue pretending; the time to meet them hadn't come yet.

Thus, only one path remained. Those were the Southern Dynasty private merchants he had traded with before. They must represent a faction allied with the Western Xia within the Song Dynasty. Since their request was for a scroll, it meant they knew the inside story. Perhaps if he encountered them again, he could find out some clues.

That's why he disguised himself as a bandit leader and wandered the vast Shangjing Road, constantly tracking the Song Dynasty private merchant caravans. Based on his only memory—the man he had met before was surnamed Yan, and a box marked "Weisheng Biaohang"—after a long period of effort, he finally found a lead: a wealthy man surnamed Lu in Daming Prefecture, Beijing.

Of course, with his current abilities, it would be difficult to even enter the Song Dynasty, let alone go to Daming Prefecture, the most powerful town in the world, thousands of miles away. The Song Dynasty's Baojia system greatly restricted the movement of people; without a very strong identity, he would inevitably be exposed on the way. With no other options for the time being, he could only wait and try his luck on the Shangjing Road.

However, waiting passively for the enemy to come to them was not an easy task.

The situation in Shangjing Road remained chaotic, with the Liao army and the rebels locked in a protracted war, the outcome unclear. Although the Liao army was well-equipped, Shangjing Road was too vast, and the rebels constantly used the terrain to their advantage, playing a game of hide-and-seek with the Liao army; a moment's carelessness could lead to disaster. Moreover, the Zubu tribes were untrustworthy; almost every tribe rebelled again after surrendering. Wu Gudilie's military commander Xiao Xiuge and the Four Victories Army's commander Temo had repeatedly swept through the Zubu, forcing Wuguzha and other tribes to surrender. However, just as the victory reports reached Zhongjing, the Four Victories Army was ambushed and routed at the foot of Wugu Mountain by the main force of the Dalidi and Basimu rebels, and their commander Temo was killed in battle.

Subsequently, before the Dalidi and Basimu rebels could even celebrate, two Liao armies dispatched by the Southwest Pacification Commissioner and the Deputy Commander of the Northern Mountain Route, Xiao Alu, launched a surprise attack, resulting in another rout for the rebels. The famine in the Northwest severely impacted both sides of the war. Subsequently, Yelü Chenjianu, the military governor of the Wugu tribe, led his army to defeat the rebellious Chazhala tribe. Seeing the unfavorable situation, both tribes resorted to the tactic of surrendering.

Although the Liao emperor and his officials knew that these two rebel armies were almost certainly using delaying tactics, they had no time to react before more bad news arrived: a large-scale mutiny broke out in the Dilie army under Xiao Xiuge, the commander of the Wugu Dilie forces. Xiao Xiuge fled alone and was later demoted and dismissed by the Liao emperor. The Northwest Pacification Commission urgently dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion. The Dilie tribe was defeated, but Grand Tutor Yelü Ainu of Dunmu Palace and his son were killed in battle.

The Liao emperor then conducted another large-scale military campaign, this time finally choosing the right people. Yelü Wotera, the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court, was appointed commander-in-chief, Yilibi Yelü Tuduo as deputy commander, and Yelü Hulu, the General of the Dragon and Tiger Guard, as supervisor, to attack Mogus. Xiao Jiuli, the envoy of Jiqing Palace, was dispatched to oversee the battle. Xiao Alie, the Imperial Uncle, was appointed to lead the military affairs of the Northwest Route.

Afterwards, the previously wiped-out Zubu tribe began attacking Daotaling again, capturing tens of thousands of warhorses from the Western Route's pastoral command. Meanwhile, the remnants of the Dilie tribe surrendered, and the valiant general Yelü Wotera finally lived up to expectations, defeating the Mogus rebels. Then, the Dalidi and Basimu tribes, who had initially surrendered, rebelled again, only to be defeated once more by Xiao Alie. Subsequently, the Meiliji and Yedugua tribes declared new rebellions…

In short, the situation was chaotic, with rebellions everywhere. The Liao army was suppressing them indiscriminately, while the rebels scattered and wandered. Defeating one rebellious tribe would only lead to the emergence of two more. And those defeated rebels would regroup and continue their uprisings.

In fact, this was largely the Liao army's fault; currently, the Khitan in the Shangjing Road, besides their own troops, only trusted the Han army, viewing all other tribes as a potential threat.

In the eyes of the Khitans, the barbarians of Shangjing Road were divided into two categories: those who had already rebelled and those who would rebel in the future—in short, all traitors. Often, when the Khitan cavalry failed to suppress the rebels, they would also attack other tribal armies that had been conscripted to assist in the battle—that is, attack allies. This was because the Khitans considered these allies unreliable and dangerous elements; even if they didn't rebel now, they would eventually, so it was better to eliminate them early. The first to raise the banner of rebellion, Mogus, was ambushed by the Liao army while following the Khitan forces in their campaign against Zubu, which led to his rebellion. The same applied to the various tribes that followed.

Predictably, such ignorant and brutal acts only provoked more tribes to rebel. Once the Liao army suffered setbacks, those tribes that had participated in the campaign turned against them, proving the "foresight" of the Khitan generals. This led to even more ruthless and indiscriminate sweeps by the Khitan cavalry, treating any tribe that dared to resist the Liao emperor's summons as rebels and exterminating them. Of course, tribes that responded to the summons were also treated as potential rebels and wiped out.

Distrust began to grow among the tribes. Some remained loyal to the Liao, some rose up in rebellion, and some wavered. The Liao attacked indiscriminately, and the rebels plundered without restraint. The Shangjing region was now in a state of panic; anyone outside their own tribe was considered an enemy.

The two most powerful Liao armies in the Shangjing region were the Northwest Expeditionary Army led by Yelü Wotela and the Northern Mountain Deployment Army led by Xiao Aru. Every tribe in the Shangjing region that openly challenged them had already suffered at least one defeat.

Especially the Otera, who won every battle and repeatedly dealt heavy blows to the main force of the rebels, were fortunate for the Liao court, as they had finally selected someone who understood the art of war among so many generals. The Otera was promoted to Prince of Qishui, and Xiao Aru was appointed General of the Left Golden Guard, indicating that the Liao emperor was not completely incompetent and at least knew who the truly capable generals were.

The chaos in Shangjing Road also gave certain forces room to operate, and bandits rose up everywhere, roaming around. As winter approached, the natural environment forced the Liao army and the rebels to cease large-scale battles, gather their forces, stockpile provisions, conceal their intentions, and locate each other. Meanwhile, the tribes that were not on either side were all hoarding provisions, and the widely dispersed nomadic tribes all withdrew, gathering in large numbers to prepare for winter and war, resulting in vast grasslands becoming deserted for hundreds of miles, and the once thriving pastoral areas becoming empty. Various thieves, caravans, and private merchants could roam freely, smuggling weapons, armor, iron, and provisions—all highly sought-after goods for these tribes.

Of course, this didn't mean the regions were completely undefended. On the vast winter grasslands, although large nomadic herds were absent, Khitan and rebel scouts and cavalry were still active. The most dangerous among them were the Khitan cavalry's elite unit, the Long-Range Cavalry.

These fierce assassins, each man on three horses, wielding swords and bows, could often hunt down large armies from hundreds of miles away, eliminating any worthy targets. Every tribe on the grasslands knew that once the Long-Range Cavalry set their sights on you, they would relentlessly pursue you like wolves. Encountering a Liao army Long-Range Cavalry meant killing them all without exception; even one escape meant annihilation. The direction in which the Long-Range Cavalry appeared often indicated the direction in which the main Liao army would appear.

Tang Yun was somewhat worried about unexpectedly encountering Liao soldiers. Although there was no indication of a large Liao army force nearby, the scattered herds of horsemen wandering the grasslands were a constant source of anxiety for all the horse caravans and bandits. Those guys were elusive, lurking in the darkness, and could suddenly appear out of nowhere.

His own group was truly a rabble; they could manage to plunder a few small villages, but attacking any larger tribe would only result in humiliation. And these days, anyone daring to roam the grasslands was no pushover. If they really encountered a herd of horsemen, the outcome was uncertain. There were countless examples of bandit gangs from the Shangjing Road being hunted down and wiped out by government troops who happened to encounter herds of horsemen. The

distant hills were covered by a curtain of withered yellow grass, making the entire land seem yellowish. He could even see some black dots moving on the slopes—those must be herds of wild horses.

The sky was indeed ominous, with dark clouds gradually gathering. In November, the grasslands were prone to snowfall, and snow would be a major problem. The caravan that had come to pick up the goods was a private merchant caravan from the Southern Dynasty, said to be under the command of the most famous woman in the Southern Dynasty, Hong Niangzi. This mysterious woman, Hong Niangzi, had managed to build such a vast force, traveling between the Song, Liao, and Xia kingdoms. In recent years, her influence had declined, reportedly due to a crackdown by the Hedong government, and her organization's power was greatly diminished. However, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse; she still possessed the ability to organize caravans to cross borders at will.

Among the bandits were Tangut riders who dismounted and lay prone, listening intently to their surroundings. Many of the bandits in the Shangjing Road were deserters from Western Xia, all from the two military commands of Heishui Yanzhen and Heishan Weifu, tribes renowned for their keen listening skills.

But even without listening, Tang Yun had already spotted riders in his line of sight.

Several dark dots appeared and disappeared on the undulating land, then multiplied and became clearer. A few riders led the way, followed by dozens, engaged in a fierce chase across the grassland.

"Who goes there!"

The bandits tensed at the sudden appearance of people, quickly drawing their bows and nocking arrows, leaping onto their best horses, ready to fight or flee.

"Are they government troops' ambushes?" "Are

they Khitans or Zubu?"

"Are government troops attacking?"

The crowd chattered, their voices filled with tension and fear. Tang Yun focused his gaze, then suddenly said, "Don't be afraid! Show your formation! We outnumber them, what are we afraid of!"

With that, they spurred their horses forward, leaving the band of bandits with no choice but to follow. They secretly resolved to

flee at the first sign of trouble. The two hundred-plus men surged down the hill, scattering into a formation. The two groups, approaching from afar, chased each other, exchanging arrows. The riders in front were clearly skilled archers and horsemen, their horsemanship exceptional; they didn't even need reins, controlling their horses solely with their legs, galloping and firing back simultaneously. Each rider had two or three horses, occasionally leaping and switching mounts mid-air. The pursuing group, however, were less skilled, each with only one horse, and their arrows were inaccurate, resulting in frequent falls from their own horses.

"The government troops' cavalry!"

someone exclaimed.

Indeed, the riders in front were dressed in black armor, the authentic attire of Khitan cavalry. The pursuers, on the other hand, were dressed as a band of bandits, many in Han Chinese clothing. By this time, many had realized that although the few mounted pursuers were outnumbered, they were not at a disadvantage; on the contrary, they firmly held the initiative. They were essentially leading their pursuers in large circles, preventing the pursuers from catching up or engaging them, thus wasting the pursuers' energy. These mounted pursuers were truly skilled, constantly firing arrows to weaken their opponents. Once the pursuers' horses were exhausted, they would likely launch a counterattack. The pursuers would chase again, and the pursuers would flee again; after several such exchanges, the numerically superior pursuers would be driven into a corner by these few isolated riders.

This was a typical tactic of nomadic tribes on the grasslands: gradually eliminating a stronger opponent through prolonged pursuit. The fact that the Khitan elite troops could execute this tactic so flawlessly was truly remarkable.

Those pursuing horses were surprised to suddenly see a large group of riders nearby. However, the horses that had blocked their path reacted extremely quickly, turning and galloping to the side. The pursuing riders stopped, some even preparing to dismount and fight on foot, clearly knowing their horses were exhausted and unable to escape. Unable to distinguish friend from foe, they had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.

However, the opposing group did not attack them, but instead turned to pursue the horses that had blocked their path. These opposing riders were clearly seasoned nomads from the grasslands, skilled and experienced horsemen, divided into two groups working together, making them far more efficient than the pursuers.

"Aren't they Liao soldiers?"

"Could they be those barbarian rebels? Or bandits?"

The crowd whispered among themselves in Han Chinese, but any outcome would be the same to them. After dealing with the Liao soldiers, the other side would definitely come back to attack them. For these outlaws, such double-crossing was commonplace.

"No, if they were hostile, they would only attack the weaker side first! That would be us! The law of the jungle prevails; we wouldn't waste our energy chasing those few horses that were blocking our way!"

A handsome young man, sitting upright on a Hehuang horse with a large bow, spoke calmly, without batting an eye. He was the closest of the pursuers, but his mount was far inferior, resulting in no gains. Amidst the exhausted panting around him, only he remained composed.

No one objected. In this chase, although they outnumbered the pursuers, they were indeed the weaker party, suffering over ten casualties while merely trailing behind and eating their dust.

"Brother, what do you think of these people's origins?"

a man asked, wiping sweat from his brow. He knew this man was the best rider among them and knew his background, so he trusted his judgment.

“We’ll find out when we get there. Maybe… they’re our next buyer.”

Before the hill, Tang Yun spurred his horse forward, drawing his large bow taut and firing an arrow.

The Liao soldier galloping ahead didn’t even turn his head; he simply listened to the wind, deflected the arrow with a flick of his bow. The surrounding bandits, their ferocity ignited, began firing arrows, their pursuit accelerating. One bandit had already been struck and fallen, but the others paid no heed to their fallen comrade, dodging and weaving on horseback like acrobats, occasionally firing back with deadly accuracy. One bandit, overtaking them, was struck in the face by an arrow.

“They’re going into the forest!”

“Stop them!”

Ahead lay a grove of trees. The bandits clearly intended to hide there. They had realized the bandits were few in number; once inside, they couldn’t possibly surround them. If even one could escape, the others wouldn’t have died in vain; someone would soon come to avenge them.

Dozens of mounted bandits suddenly emerged from the edge of the woods, unleashing a hail of arrows. This was a detachment Tang Yun had previously dispatched; he had also noticed the woods and had split his forces there to ambush them.

"Block them!"

Tang Yun roared, firing another arrow, but it missed again.

The mounted bandits suddenly accelerated, then all drew their bows and fired rapidly. The Khitan elite soldiers' mounted archery skills were truly remarkable; each could draw four arrows at once and fire them simultaneously. More than ten of the bandits were felled by this barrage of arrows, and the rest, in a panic, turned and fled, with no one giving chase. The mounted bandits all plunged into the woods.

"Chase them!"

Tang Yun was truly speechless with his rabble and had no choice but to lead the charge into the woods.

Countless warhorses galloped wildly through the forest, creating numerous obstacles and significantly slowing their pace. The mounted bandits immediately dispersed, firing arrows intermittently, their accuracy astounding, able to wound even those piercing through the dense forest. Tang Yun relentlessly pursued one Liao soldier, but after a few steps, his horse stumbled. He leaped down, his toes barely touching the ground, and his body soared like a great bird, swiftly catching up with the Liao soldier. The Liao soldier, slowed by the forest cover, was surprised that someone could catch up on foot and fired an arrow.

Tang Yun twisted his body, the wind whistling past his ear, and his steel saber flew out as a white streak, piercing the Liao soldier's back, penetrating his armor, the tip emerging from his chest. Amidst the splatter of blood, the Liao soldier screamed and fell from his horse.

Seeing their leader's initial victory, the bandits' morale soared, unleashing a hail of arrows at the remaining Liao soldiers, but most missed. The Liao soldiers, riding into the forest, were hampered by their horses' slowed pace, and their occasional retaliatory fire was less accurate.

Tang Yun pulled his blood-stained saber from the corpse, leaped forward, and charged at another Liao soldier. Seeing the danger, the Liao soldier nocked two arrows and fired. Tang Yun leaped up and threw his throwing knife again, but the Liao soldier was already more cautious, slipping under his horse's belly with a swift and fluid movement. The steel knife sliced into the horse's neck with astonishing force, decapitating it.

The headless horse crashed to the ground, but the Liao soldier was truly skilled; he instantly leaped onto another horse. However, just as he settled in, the warhorse went out of control and crashed into a tree, causing him to fall awkwardly. The bandit Han Jiu happened to be nearby and cheered, charging forward with his spear, ready to take advantage.

The Liao soldier scrambled to his feet, his waist knife already drawn before he could even stand properly. He swung the knife backward with a backhand strike, the lightning-fast blade striking the spear and snapping it in two. Han Jiu was terrified, almost paralyzed, and even forgot to dodge.

Tang Yun pulled him back sharply, throwing him to the side, barely managing to avoid the deadly blow.

Tang Yun flicked his wrist and fired a hidden arrow, but the Liao soldier was incredibly skilled. He lunged forward, dodging the arrow and then wielding his single-edged sword with a swift, sweeping motion, slicing across Tang Yun's shoes.

The Liao soldier then performed a series of eighteen rolls, calculating Tang Yun's landing point and timing to unleash a sweeping attack, but Tang Yun didn't land, and the attack missed again.

Realizing his mistake, he was then struck in the face by a kick, as if a fifty-pound iron mace had been swung around him, sending him flying. His face caved in, his facial bones shattered, and he died instantly.

Hanging in mid-air, Tang Yun loosened the red velvet lasso from the tree branch and landed firmly on the ground.

Meanwhile, the other three Liao soldiers were surrounded by the bandits, but the Liao soldier had already dismounted and was fighting fiercely with his saber.

These bandits were all highly skilled and desperate fighters from the Liao army, extremely brave and valiant. Even in this desperate situation, they showed no fear, roaring and brandishing their swords in combat. The other bandits tried to fight them, but in one-on-one combat, they were no match. Ten corpses already lay on the ground, yet they couldn't even scratch their opponents. Tang Yun personally witnessed a Uyghur bandit, renowned for his martial prowess, wielding an axe. Within a few moves, a Liao soldier roared, his broadsword cleaving the Uyghur in two at the waist, blood gushing forth as he was severed from the Uyghur.

Seeing their opponent's ferocity, no one dared to challenge him. The bandits retreated, drawing their bows and firing arrows. Unexpectedly, the three Liao soldiers seized the opportunity to pounce, charging forward like mad tigers, brandishing their swords. The bandits in front were terrified and retreated, not daring to engage in close combat, only firing arrows. The Liao soldiers were so strong they seemed immortal; even with several arrows in their bodies, they continued to run. The bandits, seeing an opportunity, pursued and fired. One Liao soldier, with more than a dozen arrows in his back, finally couldn't run anymore and collapsed. Another cried out in despair, turning back to try to help, but he too was riddled with arrows and fell to the ground, unable to get up.

When the last one finally ran out of strength, the bandits hacked him down with their swords. Afterward, the edge of the forest returned to calm.

Tang Yun had killed two alone. Looking around, he saw the bandits scrambling to strip the armor and weapons from the corpses. Soon, several Liao soldiers' bodies were stripped naked, and even the bandits' corpses were cleared away by their own men. The dead don't need anything; they'd rather leave it for the living.

"How many? How many?"

Tang Yun shouted.

"Chief, seventeen of my men are dead and nine are wounded,"

a Tangut Qiang replied.

Two hundred men against six Liao soldiers, and so many dead and wounded. Tang Yun even missed his old days. If his men were all well-trained Song or Xia soldiers, how could this have happened?

"Where are the Liao soldiers?"

"Five."

"No! There were definitely six!"

Tang Yun was shocked. His worst fears had come true. He had clearly seen six before entering the forest. Had someone slipped away in the chaos under the cover of the trees?

"We've searched inside and out, but there are only five bodies of government soldiers."

"No, one escaped! Search quickly!"

Tang Yun was furious. These men were too incompetent. If even one had escaped, it would surely have attracted a large army in retaliation. It was conceivable that the Liao army would pursue them to the ends of the earth. This was the way nomadic tribes of the grasslands waged war: once they seized an opportunity, they would relentlessly pursue and annihilate the enemy for thousands of miles.

The bandits scattered immediately, but it was too late. Suddenly, they heard a commotion behind them, followed by screams. Then they saw a Liao soldier appear out of nowhere, cutting down several bandits, seizing a horse, and riding away. The bandits hurriedly gave chase, but the Liao soldier was an excellent rider, able to dart and weave through the forest with ease, almost as fast as on the plains. By the time they caught up, the Liao soldier had already emerged from the woods on the other side.

"Don't let him get away! Chase after him!"

Tang Yun shouted as he chased after him. He couldn't run fast on horseback in the forest, so he used his land-based leaping technique, which made him much faster than the other mounted bandits. However, he knew very well that once they were on the plains and the Liao soldier's horse was running at full speed, he would never catch up. He pinned his hopes on his archery skills, even though he knew he wasn't exactly a master archer.

Just as his vision cleared, he saw the Liao soldier fall from his horse, wounded by an arrow, and come face to face with the young Han rider who had already approached.

A brief silence followed as both sized each other up. The young man didn't lower his large bow, and Tang Yun gripped his single-edged sword tightly.

Gradually, however, an inexplicable tacit understanding seemed to develop between them. This feeling was strange, and Tang Yun couldn't explain why. But he was certain the other man meant no harm, and he had a strange intuition that the other man also sensed this indescribable feeling between them.

Then, Tang Yun's men finally followed.

"Excellent archery! Thank you for your help, hero. May I ask your name?"

Tang Yun was the first to express goodwill, bowing in the Khitan language popular on the grasslands.

"I am a merchant from the Great Song Dynasty, working under the tutelage of Lady Hong."

Seeing that Tang Yun hadn't introduced himself, the young man also didn't give his name, returning the bow from horseback, speaking in Khitan as well. Hong Niangzi was a powerful figure on the border, renowned throughout both the Song and Liao dynasties. Many who made their living as outlaws on the northern grasslands had heard of her.

"Could she be Hong Niangzi from Hedong?"

"I wonder who you are..."

"Truly, I've searched high and low!" Tang Yun pulled an ivory domino from his robes and tossed it over. The young man caught it and saw it was the token for their transaction. What a coincidence! Such is the way things work in this world; a few Liao soldiers had somehow run into their trading partner.

"Thank you for your help, Hong Niangzi. I am Tang Yun, the leader of the Sand Hawk Stronghold. The iron drums on the city walls still resound."

Tang Yun, having exchanged the secret code, now spoke fluent Shaanxi Mandarin.

"The golden knife in its sheath is still wet with blood."

The young man, having finished the code, also spoke Yan Mandarin. "Two outlaws cannot be separated by a single stroke. Leader Tang, you are too kind. If anyone should thank you, it should be you, Leader Tang, for your righteous act of dealing with those Liao soldiers. I am Zhang Yue from Fengzhou, greetings, Leader."

The two men simultaneously clasped their hands in a fist salute, both certain that the other had also sensed that inexplicable closeness.

No one could explain why; perhaps it was what they called "instant rapport." Tang

Yun smiled, but before he could speak further, a loud shout rang out behind him—it was Han Jiu. Han Jiu was now acting like a madman, crying and laughing, desperately trying to rush forward, but was being held back by several inexplicably dressed bandits. Han Jiu struggled fiercely, as if seeing his long-lost father.

"Big Brother! Big Brother! You're still alive? It's me, Han Jiu!" "...

The two groups merged and headed east together. Along the way, Tang Yun learned that the leader of this group of private merchants from the Southern Dynasty was named Song Jiang, a confidant of Hong Niangzi. And Zhang Yue, or Han Yue, was actually a former officer of the Liao Dynasty's cavalry, who later entered the Southern Dynasty due to some incident, became a disciple of Hong Niangzi, and was highly trusted. He was now one of the key figures under Hong Niangzi. No wonder he was so familiar with the tactics of the cavalry and could lead men in pursuit; it turned out that he was originally in that line of work.

And Han Jiu was actually Han Yue's former servant in the Liao Dynasty. They were separated after the incident, and now he had a fortuitous encounter and called out Han Yue's name. Otherwise, Tang Yun would not have known that the recently famous "Jade Carving" Zhang Yue of the Hedong Green Forest was actually named Han Yue.

The two rode side by side, and Song Jiang said, "This trip is all thanks to the chieftain. The road to Fengzhou in Hedong is difficult to travel now, and the government is cracking down hard." We detoured through Xia territory and crossed the Yellow River, only to find that the Northern Dynasty's capital route was now rife with bandits and Liao soldiers. We were discovered by Liao soldiers shortly after entering the territory. Thanks to Brother Han's quick thinking, we were able to pursue them all the way to this place. Unexpectedly, the Liao soldiers' horsemanship was truly legendary; if it weren't for the chieftain, we would have been in a real predicament. Otherwise, a few tea bricks would have been a minor matter; endangering our fellow bandits would have been a grave offense.

Seeing that Song Jiang was indeed a shrewd and tactful person, Tang Yun exchanged a few polite words. Hong Niangzi was the head of the largest private merchants in the Northern Frontier, handling large-scale transactions. Song Jiang's "merely a few tea bricks" was definitely not just "merely a few tea bricks." After walking for a while, and turning a corner around a small hill, Tang Yun saw the sheer size of the smuggling caravan in the woods at its foot. There

were hundreds of people, hundreds of camels and horses, and baskets of tea bricks weighing thousands of pounds.

Truly a large-scale operation, worthy of Hong Niangzi. Each of these hundreds had a horse, although most were not warhorses, but the ability to organize such a large cavalry force was something even the government couldn't match in the Song Dynasty.

Nowadays, it's commonplace for outlaws to smuggle tea, salt, copper, and iron, but very few can operate on such a scale.

In the Song Dynasty, tea regulations were chaotic, leading to rampant smuggling. During Emperor Taizong's reign, constant warfare with the Liao Dynasty necessitated a compromise to support the front lines. This resulted in unscrupulous merchants hoarding and reselling tea certificates and permits, monopolizing the market and driving up prices. They even colluded with border generals to inflate prices, rendering official tea monopolies ineffective. The fact that tea certificates can still be used as cash today is a direct result of this pernicious influence.

To combat these unscrupulous merchants, the government enacted various laws, such as prohibiting tea from Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Guangxi from leaving the country; establishing six bureaus and thirteen markets in Huainan to forcibly monopolize tea purchases; and requiring the capital's tea monopoly office to collect tea prices in advance and restricting the circulation of tea in border regions. However, these measures failed to eradicate the problem. The major tea merchants were all highly influential figures who could bribe officials to exploit loopholes in the laws. Many came from powerful official families, and over the past century, they had formed a vast and deeply entrenched network of interests that even the imperial court could not easily touch.

These tea merchants monopolized the Song Dynasty's domestic market, leading to persistently high tea prices, which created fertile ground for private tea trade.

At that time, the government purchased new tea from tea farmers at extremely low prices, only twenty coins per pound. The tea farmers then resold it to merchants with tea permits, increasing the price a hundredfold. These merchants then transported the tea to various regions for sale, increasing the price by hundreds of times. Such exorbitant profits naturally attracted those willing to take risks, and tea bandits proliferated throughout the Jiangnan region. Almost every江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) figure in the south was involved in the smuggling of tea. They evaded the government, colluding with tea growers to pass off inferior tea as superior, while secretly smuggling the best tea abroad and selling it at half the price of official tea, making at least ten times the profit. Tea growers, already suffering from government exploitation, were naturally happy to comply with the offer of ten times the official price.

The largest market for smuggled tea wasn't domestic, but overseas.

At that time, only the Song Dynasty produced tea. The nomadic tribes of the north, whose diet consisted mainly of beef and mutton, relied on tea as a necessity to combat the greasiness of their diet. The Qingli Peace Treaty signed between the Western Xia and the Song Dynasty included a provision for 30,000 catties of tea annually, demonstrating the immense value of tea to the northern peoples.

Tea trade between the Song and Liao dynasties was conducted through the four major trade markets in Hebei Province, a government-led operation where the quantity and quality of tea were strictly monitored. The amount of tea sold each year was probably insufficient even for the Khitan people themselves, let alone for other tribes. Meanwhile, the constant warfare between the Song and Western Xia dynasties, coupled with the intermittent payment of tribute, created a vast tea market. This enormous market attracted shrewd individuals who saw it as a goldmine.

Many of these southern tea merchants were connected to outlaws, and with the Song Dynasty's northern neighbors possessing a huge market, their attention naturally turned northward. Outlaws from all over the country collaborated, forming a smuggling network spanning the land. These smuggled teas, weighing thousands of kilograms, traveled thousands of miles to the Liao Dynasty.

It should be noted that even in the Song Dynasty, this amount of smuggled tea was a fortune; in the Liao Dynasty, it would be unimaginable wealth.

One shi (a unit of dry measure) of tea weighs 120 jin (a unit of weight), costing only 24 guan (a unit of currency) from the tea gardener. The cost of transporting it to Liao Kingdom, including bribes to officials and other expenses, increases tenfold, bringing the total cost to only 200-300 guan. However, each shi of tea can be exchanged for five fine horses. These horses, once returned to Song territory, are worth 300-400 guan each. This time, Hong Niangzi's caravan brought 50 shi of tea bricks, costing only 10,000 guan, but could be exchanged for 250 fine horses, resulting in a profit of at least tens of thousands of

guan upon returning home. Such exorbitant profits are truly worth risking one's life for. Tang Yun watched his bandits count and deliver the goods. This time, they brought not only tea bricks but also 100 sets of iron armor and 100 liters of iron arrowheads. Besides the horses, Tang Yun also brought sheepskin, cowhide, rhinoceros horn, and salt blocks.

Han Yue… Hmph, this is an interesting young man.

For some reason, Tang Yun had a very deep impression of Han Yue and remembered him. He rarely felt a liking for someone upon first meeting, but Han Yue was an exception. This man's demeanor and bearing are those of a hero who has weathered many storms and faced life-or-death trials; it cannot be faked. He is so young; given the opportunity, he is destined for greatness. It would be a loss for the Liao Kingdom to not employ such a person.

This man will certainly help me establish a connection with Hong Niangzi.

Hong Niangzi is extremely knowledgeable about the private merchants of the North and has considerable influence over the bandits of the Southern Dynasty; perhaps she can help me find Sun Erniang's whereabouts. Or she could help me inquire about the inside story of the Weisheng Trading Company and that merchant surnamed Lu. Only by knowing the power they represent can I proceed with my next investigation. Even if that doesn't work, they could easily help me obtain a permanent residence permit within Song territory. Seeing so many of them crossing the border as if it were their own backyard, it's clear they possess unique resources in this area. While

Tang Yun was paying attention to Han Yue, Song Jiang was also observing Tang Yun.

These two young men, well, both possessed outstanding looks and talents. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were brothers; they were about the same age, and even their appearances were striking. Tang Yun was calm and profound, like a deep pool, his calm surface concealing unfathomable depths. He possessed a composure that remained unmoved even in the face of a collapsing mountain, making him impossible to fathom. Han Yue, on the other hand, had a fiery spirit, as flamboyant and proud as a towering peak. His sharp edge made it impossible for him to hide, like a flag drawing people to him.

One was like ice, the other like fire, yet they felt an instant connection.

"Chief Tang, if I may be so bold as to ask, could it be that Chief Tang intends to transport this batch of tea bricks to Western Xia?"

"Oh, how did Brother Song discern that?"

"The capital is currently in chaos, with all the tribes at war. No one has the financial resources to take on this shipment. Selling it to the Khitans would be walking into a trap. The only ones capable of taking it are the Western Xia. This batch of armor and arrows must be the toll money Chief Tang paid through the rebel forces of Zubu. And this rhinoceros horn is unique to Western Xia, and this salt is a type of Qingbai salt, also produced from the Qingbai Salt Lake of Western Xia."

Tang Yun smiled slightly, "Brother Song has a keen eye."

"The grasslands are engulfed in flames, and who knows how long this war will last. The imperial court and Western Xia are also locked in continuous warfare, border routes are blocked, and annual tributes have ceased. Western Xia's tea trade is also... hehe, now that we can't do business with Liao, we can only do business with Western Xia. But to enter Western Xia from Song, we must pass through Liao's capital and enter the Hetao desert. Chief Tang is a powerful figure on the grasslands, with unparalleled advantages and geographical advantages. Would you be interested?"

Tang Yun immediately understood; Song Jiang wanted to cooperate with him long-term, to open a smuggling route from Song to Liao, ending in Western Xia.

"I've long had this intention, but I haven't met the right person."

"If Chief Tang doesn't mind our plight, your annual allowance will be ten thousand strings of cash, I promise."

Just as Tang Yun was about to reply, a rider suddenly rushed forward. It was one of his men, a Dangxiang bandit skilled in geomancy. He didn't even dismount, frantically shouting in Qiang language, gesturing and speaking, his face already pale with fear.

"What is it?"

Han Yue and Song Jiang couldn't understand Qiang language, but judging from Tang Yun's expression, they knew something was wrong.

"Someone's coming! Quick, mount up!"

Tang Yun didn't have time to explain; he floated onto the horse's back almost as lightly as a feather. Han Yue and Song Jiang exchanged a glance, also realizing something was amiss. Looking towards the bandits, chaos reigned; some were already trying to escape. Most of the Han people had drawn their weapons, watching the bandits warily. Some seemed to have also sensed something was wrong and were running up the hillside.

"A large cavalry force is coming from the north, hundreds of riders, very fast!"

Tang Yun spurred his horse up the slope, simply stating a few words. Han Yue and Song Jiang didn't ask any further questions. Now, from their vantage point, they could see the approaching cavalry on the distant grassland.

"Liao soldiers!"

Tang Yun exclaimed. He then focused his gaze and confirmed it was indeed Liao soldiers. He just didn't know if they were Khitan palace guards or troops from tribes affiliated with the Khitan.

Everyone's expression changed. Despite the current rebellions in Shangjing Road and the apparent decline of the Liao army's power, that was all just talk. When the Liao army truly arrived, who would believe the Khitans had become paper tigers? Even if they had been defeated by those nomadic barbarians, so what? The Han Chinese on horseback were still far superior to the Khitans.

"Not good! Some of our flanking horses must have escaped!"

After much thought, this was the only explanation. All their flanking horses had been killed; the only explanation was that someone had escaped to report back at the beginning, otherwise, the enemy couldn't have arrived so quickly.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Tang Yun shouted first. On this flat ground, with no natural defenses, these mediocre bandits and undisciplined horsemen were simply committing suicide in a field battle against the Khitan's elite cavalry. Forming a battle formation might hold out for a while, but their horsemen had never coordinated with the enemy before; such a hastily arranged formation was unreliable. Moreover, they were isolated and without support. Once they formed ranks, they could not move, and running out of arrows would mean certain death, while enemy reinforcements might arrive in droves.

Escape was the only option.

Upon hearing the devastating news, the crowd erupted into chaos. Horses and camels bucked and leaped about, everyone mounted their horses, and the large group desperately galloped south. However, the countless supplies and valuables were a heavy burden. Tang Yun decisively ordered everything to be abandoned, but he saw Han Yue do the same, ordering the goods to be discarded as well. However, the orders had little effect. The bandits, heartbroken over their possessions, tied their bundles to their packhorses and refused to let go, while others broke away and scattered. Even among the Han Chinese, some acted similarly, severely slowing the group down.

Behind them, amidst the rising dust, the Liao cavalry, like a pack of wolves, drew ever closer.

On the other hand, their own side, with each rider riding a different horse and possessing varying skill levels, resulted in varying speeds and a lack of coordination or cover. They simply fled in a chaotic, disorganized panic. Adding to the chaos, the lagging baggage and valuables caused the last camels to be quickly overtaken by the Liao soldiers.

Under a hail of arrows, dozens of camels fell with mournful cries, along with their Han riders, all shot down.

The rear guard erupted into chaos; horses and camels scattered, and those who lost control were thrown from their mounts, trampled to death, and thrown into a chaotic mess. Some tried to resist, but fighting on horseback was not the same as fighting on foot; it relied primarily on horsemanship and archery. Their archery skills were no match for the Liao soldiers' superior mounted archery. A volley of arrows nearly wiped them out. The few survivors, upon reaching close range, were met with a storm of Liao soldiers' longswords and maces. Their weapons were easily knocked away, and their awkwardness on horseback, coupled with their inability to maintain balance, meant that any hits they managed were

weak and easily deflected by the Liao soldiers' armor. In an instant, the trailing group was slaughtered like vegetables, without even slowing the pursuers down. Only their camels and strewn cargo bags remained, along with valuable tea bricks and other valuables scattered everywhere.

The Liao soldiers, instead of rushing to seize the spoils, accelerated their pursuit, their column suddenly splitting into two groups on either side, clearly intending to encircle and annihilate the band of smugglers. They had already realized that the enemy's mounted combat skills were far inferior to their own, and the chances of wiping out this rabble were high. This kind of battle, requiring little effort yet yielding rich spoils, was exactly what the Liao army loved.

"Fight! Men! Slay them!"

Tang Yun, on horseback, knew there was no escape; only a desperate fight remained. Their only advantage was their numbers—about three times that of the attacking Liao soldiers. Although their fighting strength was certainly no match, this was their only chance of survival. Now, unity was crucial. If they abandoned the Han people, the bandits would certainly escape faster, but the Liao soldiers would deal with the Han people even faster, and then relentlessly pursue them, annihilating them completely.

Han Yue also shouted, and the Han people stopped fleeing, turned their horses, and prepared to fight, displaying a certain chivalry. On Tang Yun's side, about half of the bandits obeyed the order and turned back, while the remaining dozens continued their headlong fleeing. This was expected, though. A rabble is a rabble, and Tang Yun was already satisfied that more than half of them were willing to die with him in this situation.

The warhorses, running at full speed, were forcibly pulled back and changed direction. Due to inertia, they made extremely violent hip-swinging movements. Some riders lost their balance and were thrown off, while other horses became agitated and threw themselves off. Shouts and neighs filled the air, creating chaos and completely disrupting formation. Almost simultaneously, a rain of arrows from the Liao soldiers arrived. Under the crossfire from both sides, bandits and Han Chinese screamed and fell, with many men and horses falling to the ground, making the scene even more chaotic. Suffering

such heavy losses, another group of bandits immediately scattered and fled. The Han Chinese, whose riding skills were even worse, could not escape either. Many dismounted, preparing to fight to the death. Moreover, the Liao soldiers seized the opportunity perfectly, rushing in from both sides with strange cries during the most chaotic moment. They swung down with sabers, spears, and maces like a storm, and in an instant, blood and flesh flew through the crowd.

Seeing the Liao soldiers break through the enemy lines, Tang Yun was not alarmed but rather delighted. The Liao soldiers had underestimated them, seeing them as too weak to fight. If they had maintained distance and used mounted archery for guerrilla warfare, given the rabble's quality, they would likely have all perished before even getting a chance for close combat. But now, they had made a mistake, giving

the Liao soldiers a final chance. The bandits, their ferocity ignited, roared and unleashed a volley of arrows, then brandished various weapons, charging straight at the Liao soldiers.

In an instant, warhorses neighed, weapons clashed, cavalry charged and weaved, arrows flying everywhere. People on foot were constantly being knocked down by the warhorses, blood splattering wherever sabers passed, and warhorses collided frequently, spears piercing bellies, sabers severing arms, screams, cries, roars, shouts—a cacophony of terrifying sounds, as if transporting one to hell.

The dark mass of horses and bandits engaged in a bloody melee on this unknown grassland.

"Kill!"

Tang Yun roared, raising his hand and shooting an arrow that knocked a Liao soldier off his horse ten paces away. Then, a black shadow charged forward like a hurricane, the whistling wind aimed directly at his face. Tang Yun lightly spurred his horse, raising his great bow and smashing the Liao rider away. The Liao rider passed by, striking back with lightning speed.

Amazing! Was this an ordinary soldier? Or an officer?

Tang Yun didn't have time to draw his saber, only managing to hide in the stirrup. The mace struck the horse's neck, causing it to bolt wildly, leaping several steps forward before collapsing with broken bones. Tang Yun performed a somersault, flipping from under the horse's belly, then using the momentum to fly out, rolling on the ground before leaping up again, saber in hand, and swiftly severing the oncoming horse's leg.

With a deafening crash, as if a wall had collapsed beside him, the Liao soldier on horseback, though he managed to leap from his stirrups in time, was thrown off balance by the momentum. He rolled eighteen times on the spot before Tang Yun, with a whirlwind-like movement, appeared before him and swung his sword down.

The Liao soldier hastily raised his sword to meet the blow, but the force of the strike was like a mountain crashing down. Unable to block it with his full strength, he lost control, his sword slipping from his hand. The blade slashed down, cleaving his chest and breaking bones, blood gushing from his chest and abdomen. It even cleaved through his armor. The Liao soldier roared, but he didn't fall. Tang Yun kicked him over and went to seize his bow and arrows. But

as he turned, another Liao soldier charged at him on horseback. This one wasn't armored; he was dressed as a servant. He knocked over two packhorsemen in succession, and as he approached, he flicked his spear and thrust it forward.

Tang Yun braced himself with one hand on the ground, flipped to the side, and the spear missed its mark. He reached out to grab it, but the Liao soldier was a master of spearmanship. With a swift turn and a thrust, the spear struck Tang Yun's face like a venomous snake's tongue. Tang Yun missed, startled. Seeing the spear coming, he spun around like a dragon, dodging the spear but taking a blow to the chest with a horse's hoof, sending him flying backward onto his back. A tightness gripped his chest; thankfully, the kick landed on his breastplate, otherwise his bones might have been broken.

Seeing this, the Liao soldier laughed loudly, brandishing his spear and preparing to attack again. Tang Yun sat up, flicked his wrist, and his single-edged sword flew out like lightning. The Liao soldier cried out in alarm and raised his spear to deflect it, but missed. The white light struck his chest, the force so great that it sent him flying off his horse. The

single-edged sword was buried to the hilt, the blood-stained tip protruding from his back, and he died instantly. Tang Yun had just gotten up when he felt a gust of wind behind his head. As he bent over, he felt his helmet being struck by something and flying off.

Before he could even look, he was rolling forward. Then an arrow shot at the spot where he had just rolled. He grabbed a corpse and held it in front of him. Three arrows struck the corpse in a very short time. Tang Yun roared and charged forward, carrying the corpse. The archers opposite him abandoned their bows and arrows, dodging and weaving. Two more Liao soldiers appeared, swords drawn, each with a bloody human head tied to their waist.

The three men leaped up, their long swords slashing down from three directions with overwhelming ferocity.

In the life-or-death moment, Tang Yun pressed his tongue against his upper palate, his body suddenly accelerating. He actually managed to block two sword strikes with his arms, simultaneously kicking through the blades and striking the wrist of the sword-wielding soldier. The Liao soldier's right arm shattered as if struck by lightning, his sword flying from his grasp. The two Liao soldiers, caught off guard by this young bandit's formidable internal energy, tried to change their attack, but Tang Yun's palms had already struck their chests, fracturing their sternums and causing them to collapse, coughing up blood and dying.

Tang Yun, having fought three skilled swordsmen bare-handed, was also exhausted, his steps unsteady, and sweat pouring down his body.

These Liao soldiers were incredibly powerful, each a formidable fighter! Whose men were they?

Meanwhile, the surrounding bandits fought a bloody and brutal battle. In terms of martial arts, these bandits were nearly equal to, and in some cases even surpassed, the elite Khitan soldiers. However, the Khitan cavalry's discipline, fighting spirit, and superior armor far surpassed that of the Liao soldiers. Some Liao soldiers had several arrows stuck in their bodies, but relying on their superior armor, they continued to fight fiercely. The bandits' weapons, when they struck, rarely caused serious injury. The bandits, however, were invariably thrown from their horses if hit.

Unexpectedly, the caravan men held their ground. These outlaw heroes displayed bravery and fearlessness; when their horses couldn't keep up, they dismounted and fought on foot. Although each time the Liao soldiers' horses charged into their ranks, knocking down rows of men, and their swords and axes created a spray of blood, their martial arts skills were far inferior to the battle-hardened Liao knights. They were fearless, willing to use their own chests to block incoming weapons, creating opportunities for their comrades to attack.

This almost reckless approach resulted in staggering casualties; the caravan had already suffered over a hundred dead or wounded. But the Liao soldiers were not without their costs; for every four or five Han men who fell, a Liao soldier died—both regular soldiers and retainers. Although the Liao army numbered over two hundred, only about a hundred were Khitan soldiers; the rest were mostly retainers and tribal troops. As time went on, casualties among the regular soldiers began to rise, especially after the muleteers' standard-bearers produced over a dozen powerful crossbows, specifically targeting the regulars. The Khitans' proud iron armor couldn't withstand the crossbow bolts, and they dared not charge recklessly any longer.

This was the advantage of numbers; their only chance of victory lay in close-quarters combat, and the enemy had given them that opportunity. However, the Khitans would eventually realize that close combat was not to their advantage; they could easily withdraw. When they regrouped, they would surely use hit-and-run tactics to decide the outcome.

At that point, this bandit muleteers, having lost almost eighty percent of their horses, would be annihilated.

They must not be allowed to escape!

Just then, a bugle call rang out. Looking around, the Liao soldiers shouted and spurred their horses, fighting and retreating, clearly trying to disengage. Their leader had obviously realized their situation was dire and was preparing to regroup. They were mounted and unstoppable in their charge, and with a flurry of arrows providing cover, a pursuit was impossible.

Just as he feared, Tang Yun grabbed an empty horse, mounted it, and roared, "Don't let them get away! Chase them! Chase them!"

But while the bandits obeyed him, the caravan leaders ignored this outsider's commands. Instead, they cheered, believing they had repelled the Liao attack, and began attacking the Liao soldiers who hadn't yet broken free, even tending to the wounded.

It was over! Tang Yun realized the situation was hopeless. If all else failed, he would run, though the chances of escape were slim, there was still a glimmer of hope. He couldn't bear to die in this desolate wilderness without avenging his family.

But then something strange happened. The Liao soldiers who had broken away from the battle didn't go far; some of them actually turned back and charged into the crowd again! Tang Yun was so surprised he couldn't believe his eyes. Had these guys gone mad? Looking closer, he saw several Liao soldiers covered in blood, fiercely fighting. They looked well-armored and were clearly Khitan soldiers. The Liao soldiers who had turned back seemed to be trying to help them escape, and these men were also struggling to break out. One of the Khitan youths was clearly being protected by the crowd, and he was holding a horn.

Fate! It was truly fate!

Tang Yun was overjoyed; that must be the Liao leader! His subordinates had all retreated, but the leader was unexpectedly entangled.

Capture the leader! Just when he was in despair, an opportunity to turn the tide suddenly appeared. Then he saw Han Yue. Han Yue wielded an iron whip, wielding it like a whirlwind, and the Liao soldiers couldn't break through his blockade.

Moreover, Han Yue's horsemanship was superb, always managing to intercept the Liao soldiers' escape routes beforehand. One Liao soldier, charging too fast, was struck down from his horse by Han Yue's whip, weapon and all.

Even the Khitan youth, after exchanging more than ten blows with him, couldn't advance an inch. Han Yue kept a close watch on him, chasing him relentlessly wherever he went, ignoring everyone else.

Clearly, it was thanks to Han Yue that they had gained this chance to escape.

"Quick! Capture that man alive! Otherwise, we'll all die!"

Tang Yun roared, spurring his horse towards the man. Only about thirty bandits remained with him; the rest were either dead or had fled. But being cavalry, they charged diagonally, intercepting the Liao soldiers who came to their aid, and a fierce battle ensued.

The Liao soldiers, now desperate, charged wildly, trying desperately to break through. Seeing reinforcements arrive, the young man seemed to unleash a latent burst of power. With a roar, he slashed fiercely at Han Yue's iron whip, shattering the blade. Han Yue felt as if struck by a thousand-pound hammer; he nearly dropped the whip, almost fell, and his horse stumbled back several steps. He hadn't expected this guy to unleash such immense power in a desperate act. He knew the fellow had overexerted himself and would be easily defeated, but his arm was numb and he couldn't regain his strength in time, allowing the man to break through his defenses!

The Khitan youth, overjoyed to have escaped Han Yue's clutches, spurred his horse forward a few steps when suddenly a figure flashed beside him, followed by a figure swooping down like an eagle swooping down on a rabbit. Normally, he would have already met the attack with a swift, powerful slash. He was almost completely exhausted and unable to dodge, let alone draw his sword to fight back. Terrified, he didn't even have time to scream before a heavy kick landed on his shoulder. He coughed up blood and flew more than ten feet off his horse, crashing into the group of muleteers.

The attacker was Tang Yun. His strike was brilliant—kicking a man and dismounting him—displaying his superb horsemanship.

"Quick, grab him! Capture him alive!"

Tang Yun roared, spurring his horse forward. However, one of the Liao soldiers was faster, arriving almost simultaneously. Tang Yun only saw a blur before his eyes, instinctively performing a bridge maneuver, a gust of wind sweeping across him. He grabbed a long spear from the ground, and without even getting up, he executed a Phoenix Rising to the Sun move, the spear flashing with several spear flowers as he struck the Liao cavalry's upper, middle, and lower body. Unexpectedly,

the Liao cavalry was incredibly skilled, wielding his iron mace with impenetrable power, blocking three spear strikes in succession. Moreover, the mace possessed immense strength, countering with a powerful backhand swing. It struck Tang Yun's spear tip precisely, breaking the spearhead in two. The force of the blow caused Tang Yun to lose his grip on the spear shaft and drop it.

Upon seeing the ferocious newcomer, the surrounding caravans roared and surged forward, their swords and spears clashing like a forest, hoping to overwhelm him with numbers. Unexpectedly, this fellow proved truly valiant, charging into the crowd with his mace, causing swords and spears to fly and corpses to tumble. However, this very obstacle allowed Tang Yun to catch up, aiming an arrow at his back. Surprisingly, at such close range, the knight seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, dodging the arrow with a sidestep and smashing Tang Yun's horse's head to pieces with his mace.

Tang Yun cried out in alarm, tumbling to the ground, but then leaped up, intending to repeat his attack and break the horse's leg.

However, just as he reached the horse's belly, a powerful gust of wind pressed down from above. He used all his strength to dodge to the side, the iron mace slamming into the ground almost past his rear end, sinking half a foot deep—such strength was truly terrifying. Having lost the initiative, he threw his knife, simultaneously performing a lazy roll. The knight merely flicked his wrist, and his mace knocked the steel knife away. Seeing their commander captured, the knight was filled with resentment and wanted to vent it on Tang Yun. Just as he was about to give chase, an arrow flew through the air, stopping him in his tracks, thus saving Tang Yun's life.

Meanwhile, the Khitan youth was already under Han Yue's control, a knife to his neck.

"If you want him to live, you all retreat! Otherwise, kill him!"

Han Yue shouted in clear Khitan language. The tribal soldiers were relatively calm, but the Khitan soldiers panicked, their morale crumbling. They shouted at the valiant Liao cavalryman, clearly indicating he was also a leader.

Only then did Tang Yun get a clear look at the man; he was also a handsome young man in his twenties, dressed differently from the Khitans, seemingly a tribal chief. Dressed in a white fur coat and a mink hat, with a long braid and worn-out iron and leather armor, he was the only armored soldier among the tribal soldiers behind him. Clearly, this was a mixed force of tribal and Khitan soldiers; this man was the leader of the tribal soldiers, and the Khitan youth was their leader.

The young man had a cold expression, and his eyes occasionally flashed with a fierce light. Tang Yun had no doubt that if his own people were captured, he would have ordered the hostages killed without hesitation. Fortunately, the captured people were Khitans, and judging from the situation, this young Khitan was likely of high status; he dared not risk the life of a Khitan nobleman.

"Release him, and you will live!"

His broken Khitan confirmed his identity as a tribal general.

"Who are you? How dare you speak so arrogantly?"

Tang Yun became interested in this young man. Such a fierce general, and so young, he couldn't be unknown in the Liao army. Moreover, judging from his attire and accent, he didn't seem to be a Zubu barbarian from Shangjing Road. The way this man stood there seemed to evoke the snow and ice of the Changbai Mountains, those deep and majestic snow-capped peaks. That kind of upright and indomitable spirit was something others couldn't imitate. Such a temperament and ability were something he had never seen before.

Even iron-blooded heroes like Renduo Baozhong and Zhe Keshi, who commanded thousands of troops, seemed unable to surpass this young man.

"I am Wanyan Aguda, son of Helibo Taishi, the Jurchen Jiedushi of the Great Liao Dynasty. I am currently a servant under Marshal Xiao, the Northern Mountain Commander of the Great Liao Dynasty, and hold the official position of Jurchen Commander. You treacherous people from the Southern Dynasty have entered my Great Liao territory without permission and killed my officers and soldiers. Your crimes are unforgivable! Release the hostages immediately, and I will spare your lives!"

Jurchen! Those present who understood Khitan were all stunned.

The Jurchens were a notoriously savage indigenous tribe from the Liao Dynasty's Tokyo Circuit, living deep in the mountains and forests of Liaodong. Known for their fierce and unruly nature, they were exactly like the Zubu tribe in the Shangjing Circuit, unwilling to accept the oppression and exploitation of the Khitan, and historically prone to both surrender and rebellion.

Their presence in the Shangjing Circuit now could only mean one thing: the current situation was critical. The rebellion in the Shangjing Circuit had been raging for a long time, causing domestic turmoil. The Liao army, fearing the Jurchens might follow suit, was likely employing a strategy of using one to weaken the other, letting the Jurchens and Zubu fight each other to reduce their numbers, thus weakening these two tribes that had been prone to surrender and rebellion since the founding of the Liao Dynasty. Since Jurchen troops had been mobilized for the western expedition, they would inevitably pass through the Zhongjing Circuit, the heartland of the Liao Dynasty. The local mountains and roads were no longer a secret to the Jurchens, clearly

indicating that the Liao Dynasty had made a significant decision. Furthermore, Xiao Arudai, the commander of the Northern Mountains, was one of the two generals currently responsible for suppressing the rebellion. The fact that Wanyan Aguda had risen to such a high-ranking military position under him demonstrates his exceptional abilities. However, the fact that this young Khitan man could make him wary only meant that this Khitan youth held a higher status.

"So he's the formidable Jurchen warrior who commands respect throughout the land, but who is this man?"

Han Yue had clearly realized this as well.

"He is a fellow Jurchen colleague, serving under Marshal Xiao."

Wanyan Aguda's tone was cold and unwavering, as if the captured man were truly insignificant. However, a rare hint of regret flickered in his heart.

If it were one of his own people, he would have killed him without hesitation. Aguda was not one to be coerced. But this man was a crucial figure; if something were to happen to him, not only himself, but his entire clan would be implicated and face annihilation. The Khitan harbored ill intentions towards the Jurchens; how could he hand them this leverage?

Had he known this, he would have fought with all his might from the start.

As a hero among the younger generation of Jurchens, how could he not know that the Khitan's conscription of the Jurchens to quell the rebellion was for malicious purposes? The Jurchen tribes, numbering over a thousand soldiers, were all under Xiao Arudai's command, with over four hundred from the Wanyan tribe alone.

These were the bravest and most elite soldiers of the Jurchen tribes, the very essence of the Jurchen people, and they could not be wasted on the Khitans. Therefore, since arriving on the battlefield, he had prioritized preserving strength in every battle.

As the commander of the Jurchen tribes, his primary task was to bring as many Jurchens as possible back to their homelands alive. Fighting for the Khitans was a matter of necessity, and no one would truly exert themselves.

The Khitans, on the other hand, were only superficially friendly towards them, secretly wary of them. In every victory, although the Jurchens had contributed, all the spoils of war were monopolized by the Khitans, with no reward given to the Jurchens. Even what the Jurchens had seized through raids was given to the Khitans in half without any justification. The Khitans treated them as free cannon fodder, and the resentment between the two sides had a long history.

And this time, facing a rabble of bandits, their fighting strength was frankly negligible. If the enemy had been entirely Khitan or Jurchen, a full-scale attack would have been enough to overwhelm them.

But instead, a mixed force of both sides arrived. Faced with a weak and easy prey, no one believed their opponents were worth fighting seriously. The Khitans only wanted to take advantage and loot as much as possible, leaving the fighting to the Jurchens. The Jurchens shared the same sentiment, believing they shouldn't risk their lives for the greedy and shameless Khitans. Both sides were outwardly united but inwardly divided, and both underestimated their enemy. As a result, they hadn't anticipated the presence of a formidable force among the enemy, leading to their current predicament.

Even now, with the enemy holding the upper hand, they couldn't afford to show weakness. It was simply Aguda's nature: the stronger the enemy, the stronger he had to be. He could never show weakness; only in this way could he maintain the initiative. Even with hostages in hand, the enemy wouldn't dare to easily strike, because they also needed to live.

Therefore, a firm stance was essential.

"So you're calling them nobodies?"

Han Yue sneered.

"So what if he is?"

Wanyan Aguda didn't even blink, speaking without hesitation.

"Since he's an unknown nobody, he's probably not an important person. How can we believe your promise? Such an unknown person's death is nothing. How do we know you're not just trying to trick us?"

"If he dies, you will all die without a burial place!"

Aguda's eyes flashed with a fierce light, his expression cold and stern, completely unmoved by Han Yue's words.

"If we die without a burial place, you will too."

Wanyan Aguda remained unfazed, answering with his great bow, swiftly shooting down a caravan man. Chaos erupted in the crowd; many faces paled. No one had expected this Jurchen barbarian to be so reckless, attacking without warning. Did he truly not care about the hostage's life?

"Do you really think Grandpa wouldn't dare kill him?"

Han Yue was also startled. Had she encountered a stubborn, reckless man? If so, there was no choice but to fight to the death.

"Do you dare let him die?"

Aguda's voice was laced with sarcasm.

"Do you want him dead?"

Han Yue's eyes also changed.

"If you want to kill him, just kill him with one blow. Why all this nonsense? It's clear you all value your own lives. If you kill him, you'll all die, so you won't kill him."

"So, you don't value your life? Since you don't value your life, you're going to die anyway, why not just lead your troops to kill us now? That way, someone will take the fall with you. Why bother with all this nonsense? It's clear you're still afraid to let him die, so you're ultimately unwilling to die with him."

"You're right, but unfortunately, I don't buy it. If you want to kill, then kill. As you say, since we're going to die anyway, why don't I kill you all? It's better than being threatened by you!" As he

spoke, the Jurchen warriors behind Aguda stepped forward.

"I've long heard that the Jurchens are all upright and honorable heroes, but I didn't expect them to be so different in person. They're willing to give up their own lives for their Khitan masters. They're truly good dogs."

Tang Yun also mocked upon seeing this.

"You wretch! I'll kill you first!" Aguda

said, drawing his great bow again.

But the Khitans around him erupted in uproar, shouting and clamoring. This Jurchen barbarian was resolute and unmoved, but these Khitans all had families and loved ones, and distrusted the Jurchen soldiers. Hearing his words, it seemed he didn't care about the Khitan youth's life or death at all, and they refused to comply, rising up in a clamor. A knight who looked like a junior officer came over and shouted at Aguda.

"Aguda, you damned barbarian, stop spouting nonsense! Are you trying to harm my young marshal? If even a hair on his head falls, your entire Jurchen tribe will be beheaded!"

He then turned to Han Yue and shouted, "Southern barbarian, stop your insolence! Release my young marshal immediately, and I'll spare your life. If you want money to ransom him, we can discuss it."

"Young marshal? Could he be the son of Marshal Xiao?"

"Indeed, he is Xiao Jizhong, son of my Marshal Xiao, and holds the official title of Southern Pastoral Envoy of the Great Liao."

Aguda, listening nearby, showed undisguised surprise and contempt. These Khitans… facing these pathetic southern barbarians, they've already given up just because their leader was captured?

Besides, this isn't how negotiations work. Revealing his identity only increases their leverage.

Don't these Khitans have brains? Can't they think things through? At this point, they need to be kept in the dark to have leverage in negotiations. Now, however, the initiative has been handed over, and all that's left is for them to raise their prices.

So this is another side of the Khitans… A contemptuous sneer filled Aguda's heart.

Ever since he was old enough to understand, his impression of the Khitans had been that they were the most powerful and brutal, forever invincible and unyielding. To them, a weak people, the Khitans were gods! He never expected to see this scene today; it turned out the Khitans

could also yield. With the right methods, the Khitans could be subdued, overwhelmed, even defeated, just like these southern barbarians.

So the Khitans were just people, not gods…

And as people, they had weaknesses. By exploiting those weaknesses, one could defeat the opponent!

Look at these Khitan warriors. To be fair, after spending time with them, it's undeniable that they were fierce and valiant warriors. But what have they become now? They were powerless against an opponent they could easily defeat, yet now they were utterly helpless, even losing their fighting spirit and confidence, unable to think rationally, almost ready to surrender.

Such an absurd situation was unfolding right before their eyes. Had they not witnessed it, they would have simply listened to it as a joke.

Just because their leader was captured, these ferocious wolves had become drowning dogs!

Judging from their appearance, as long as Xiao Baozhong's life was spared, these Khitans would agree to any of his demands. They might even obediently eat cow dung.

Was this the same "shoot the horse first, capture the king first" that Xiao Arudai often repeated?

Was this the Khitans' weakness?

If that were truly the case, then the seemingly powerful Khitan might not be so powerful after all…

At this point, Aguda had no say. The Khitan junior officer, fearing he might utter some more treasonous words, almost drew his sword against him. The Khitan tribesmen also looked at the Jurchen tribesmen with wary eyes, and both sides even intentionally or unintentionally kept their distance to prevent a sudden attack.

“So you are Marshal Xiao’s son. Sir, if we wish to leave, will you stop us?”

“If you release our young marshal, we will spare your life.”

“Sir, you have agreed, but this Jurchen lord just now tried to make things difficult for us. We fear that as soon as we release him, his army will arrive.”

“Don’t worry, you southern barbarian, this Jurchen barbarian wouldn’t dare to act rashly!”

As he spoke, the Khitan junior officer glanced at Wanyan Aguda disdainfully, his tone as if he were addressing his servant. Wanyan Aguda was furious. As a commander, he was a high-ranking military officer in the Liao army, yet this junior officer dared to be so disrespectful, openly showing distrust and contempt. Ultimately, it was only because he was a Khitan.

Back in his hometown of Liaodong, this Khitan officer would have been dead long ago.

But here, he dared not.

Frankly, the current situation was truly difficult. If Xiao Baozhong really died here, even if he slaughtered all the caravans, he was certain that Xiao Arudai would order all the soldiers of the Wanyan tribe to be buried with his son. And this would be a legitimate military tactic, secretly aligning with the Liao's plot to weaken the Jurchens—a double benefit.

Even if he didn't die, but was seriously injured, he didn't know how Xiao Arudai would vent his anger on him.

Such an outcome was worse than simply rebelling. But reason told him he had to endure.

This wasn't the forests of his Liaodong hometown, but the unfamiliar Shangjingdao grasslands. If he rebelled, besides the Zubu rebels, he would have another enemy, the Khitan. Moreover, the environment here was completely different from his hometown, and the local customs were different. Now, by allying with the Khitan, he still had a glimmer of hope. Leaving the Khitan, he didn't even know how to survive in this unfamiliar land.

Could he possibly traverse thousands of miles, leading hundreds of his people all the way back to the Jurchen lands of Liaodong?

He was only human, not a god…

So now, he could only endure. But one day, no one in the world would be able to make him endure anymore!

“My lord speaks frankly, but I dare not believe him.”

Han Yue didn't believe a single word. If he really released this fellow, the Liao soldiers would probably launch a full-scale attack on him, until they were all wiped out. On the grasslands, strength was valued, not loyalty. Breaking oaths meant nothing.

“You southern barbarian, you are courting death! Your grandfather has spared your life; it is already a blessing from your ancestors. What do you want from me to release him?”

The junior officer's threats were all bark and no bite, but his anxious eyes betrayed him.

"I have a suggestion, I wonder if you would consider it, sir?"

"Go ahead and say it."

"You must first allow my brothers to leave, sir. I and Young Master Xiao will stay here."

"No! No one is allowed to leave until the men are released!"

The junior officer wasn't stupid; with a wave of his hand, his soldiers swarmed around.

"Since that's the case, I'll be frank. Unless you escort us to the border, we will release the men. I am a merchant, not a Song Dynasty soldier; I believe in making money through harmony. Today we have offended Young Master Xiao and all the sirs; consider the goods we possess as our apology. Please think it over, sir. If you don't agree, we'll just have to stay here. However, this won't do Young Master Xiao any good for his injuries."

"What do you mean? How serious is the young marshal's injury?"

The junior officer's face changed upon hearing this.

"Young Master Xiao has suffered internal injuries and needs immediate treatment. If it is delayed, his life may be in danger. Even if you, sir, rescue him, there may be unforeseen consequences. Therefore, you must make a decision quickly!"

Every word Han Yue spoke was like a sharp sword piercing the other party's heart.

"You...you barbarian! If the young marshal is seriously injured, and you release him, won't we be too late to treat him?"

"I have miraculous medicine. Once we reach the border, I will help the young master heal. You can watch from the sidelines. If it is ineffective, you may take my head."

As Han Yue spoke, he suddenly felt a chill on his face. He touched it and was overjoyed. Looking at the dark sky, he saw that snowflakes had begun to fall.

Everyone noticed and looked up at the sky. By then, it was snowing heavily.

Heaven has spared me! Han Yue was overjoyed.

This snow came at the perfect time, becoming the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Although the Liao army junior officer hadn't answered yet, Han Yue already knew his answer, for his eyes held only submission…

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

November, Bingchen day, Zhenxu Army, Shaanxi, Pengyang City.

The end of the year was approaching. Although border wars raged, the people of Shaanxi were long accustomed to war. They had

endured this for decades; even the Western Xia people celebrated the New Year. Besides, the weather was freezing, and the Western bandits generally wouldn't cause trouble at this time. Therefore, every household was busy preparing for the New Year, settling accounts and collecting debts. The officials and soldiers of the yamen, as usual, went door-to-door to conscript laborers, collect various taxes, and extort money to satisfy the demands of their superiors.

An inn in the south of the city was doing little business. Most out-of-town merchants had already returned home for the New Year, and the inn's staff had also mostly gone back to their hometowns. With few customers, the inn was deserted. However, the inn had taverns and foot barns, so every now and then some idlers would come to eat and drink, providing some business.

Today, however, a dozen or so men entered, all dressed in civilian clothes. The experienced innkeeper immediately recognized them as soldiers from the military camp—broad-shouldered, muscular men, some with gruesome scars on their faces, others with exposed chests revealing their tattoos of dragons and tigers. A few even had gold seals on their faces.

These convicts, however, didn't cause trouble in the inn, merely eating and drinking, but frequently glancing at passersby, clearly not focused on their food and drink. The innkeeper only glanced upstairs before looking away. The high-ranking official upstairs obviously didn't want any outsiders disturbing the place, hence bringing so many men to clear it out. Who was he, to have such burly men under his command? Could he be an official on a clandestine visit?

Upstairs, in room number 61, Zhe Keshi sat upright.

Since the great victory at Pingxia City six months ago, many of the participating generals were promoted and rewarded, but he ended up being forced to atone for his crimes. And then there was that reckless Miao Lü, now somewhere in some remote military prefecture, investigating taxes on wine merchants. He considered himself innocent and meritorious, yet he ended up like this, only because Zhang Jie protected him. He couldn't help but feel a pang of shame.

The hero who once charged through the enemy lines at Hongde Village was now a laughingstock. Truly, a plucked phoenix is no better than a chicken! And that's the harsh reality of the world.

But he was no longer a greenhorn. Over twenty years of service on the frontier, countless life-and-death experiences, had made him see through the ways of the world. He knew there was too much injustice in this world; he was just a mortal, powerless to change anything, only able to silently endure. As a military general of the Song Dynasty, to have achieved this result, still holding military power on the border, and still having a chance to turn things around, he was already content. He couldn't possibly ask for more.

And here he was, waiting for someone.

He naturally remembered Tang Yun, the former head of the personal guards. Since Zhang Jie took charge of military affairs in Shaanxi, countless spies with the same mission as Tang Yun had been continuously sent into Western Xia territory, obtaining invaluable intelligence for the Song army. It could be said that every major victory the Song army had achieved so far owed to the silent contributions of these heroes hidden in the shadows.

However, spies are always a double-edged sword; some can be used, while others are out of control.

The reason they kept sending spies into Western Xia was because spies were constantly losing contact, defecting, or escaping their control. Tang Yun had once been a crucial pawn on whom they placed high hopes, and the one who had penetrated the deepest into the core of Western Xia's power structure, also possessing a unique background. But since the coup in Western Xia, they had included him among those who had lost control, were likely to defect, and were no longer trustworthy.

Zhe Keshi suspected that Tang Yun might have become a double agent serving both Western Xia and the Song Dynasty.

After all, he was once an important member of the First-Rank Hall, and now, with Empress Dowager Liang's trust, he even had access to military and state secrets, making his status extraordinary. People change. Although the intelligence he provided during the Battle of Pingxia played an indispensable role in the victory, that was all.

Perhaps he still remained loyal to the Song Dynasty, but perhaps he only wanted to use the Song's power to strike at his enemies. After all, having climbed to his level, he could no longer be viewed as a simple spy.

After all, all the Song Dynasty could offer them was wealth and glory, and the wealth and glory of Western Xia were not much different from those of the Song Dynasty, not to mention that his background made people question how much loyalty he truly had to the Song Dynasty.

All these suspicions ultimately led to this pawn being completely sidelined. However, for Zhang Jie, this was merely an unsuccessful attempt, not even a setback. He had plenty of spies at his disposal; every year, so many vassal generals from the Western Xia borders defected to the Song Dynasty, all of which were under Zhang Jie's control. These vassal states could bring new intelligence, and he had the manpower, resources, and time to slowly and thoroughly infiltrate and expand his intelligence network. Truly valuable intelligence wasn't something Tang Yun could access alone; he had other channels. And

now, this very person was specifically seeking an audience with him.

He hadn't told Zhang Jie about this. Perhaps he still held a sliver of trust in Tang Yun, or perhaps Tang Yun had taken a huge risk to infiltrate the Song Dynasty to meet him—a greedy person wouldn't have such courage. Moreover, he was now eager to understand the situation in Western Xia, forced by circumstances.

Since the great victory in pacifying Western Xia, the country was jubilant, and some court officials believed that the fall of Western Xia was imminent. However, the generals on the front lines had a clear understanding of the situation. The Tanguts were indeed at a disadvantage, but the resilience of this people was terrifying. You could inflict heavy losses on them again and again, but they always managed to retain a sliver of strength, ultimately recovering their power incredibly. And no matter how you weakened them beforehand, they always retained the power to counterattack, striking back when no one expected it.

Just days before, Xihe suffered a crushing defeat! At

the beginning of the month, Xihe and Qinfeng dispatched elite troops from both sides to form a joint army, raiding the borderlands of Western Xia and reaching as far as Tiandu Mountain.

Western Xia mobilized 100,000 troops from various routes, forming an array on the Baicao Plain to resist. The two sides clashed at Cuozi Mountain, where the 100,000 Xia cavalry were no match for the 40,000 Song troops in open field battle, suffering repeated defeats and retreating westward.

The Song army, overconfident after their victory, advanced recklessly, not expecting Western Xia to employ a scorched-earth policy. The Song army searched the countryside but found nothing, and was forced to retreat. As a result, they ran out of food along the way, and after eating everything edible, the army collapsed due to hunger and cold. Tens of thousands died of starvation along the way, and ultimately less than 20,000 survived to return to Lanzhou.

This battle was the most devastating loss in recent years in the war against Xia, with more than 20,000 men lost, severely damaging the army's strength. Fortunately, Western Xia reacted slowly and did not pursue, otherwise they might have wiped out the two elite forces in one battle. This crushing defeat shook Shaanxi, and the court's attitude towards the war against Western Xia became unclear once again. Zhang Jie and his prime minister Zhang Dun were eager to know Western Xia's strategic intentions, wondering what changes this defeat would bring to their strategic plans.

Therefore, they urgently needed someone with inside information about the Western Xia leadership, and Tang Yun was a good candidate.

A slight creak sounded at the window. Zhe Keshi remained motionless, but saw a figure descend lightly like a swallow, followed by two more figures. Zhe Keshi waved his hand, and the two men who had followed bowed and gracefully withdrew, displaying their exceptional martial arts skills. This was also a warning.

"This humble general greets the Grand Commandant,"

Tang Yun bowed to Zhe Keshi according to Song army protocol.

"Tang Yun, are you now a Song citizen or a Xia citizen?"

Zhe Keshi remained motionless, his tone devoid of emotion.

"Does the Grand Commandant regard this humble general as a Song citizen or a Xia citizen?"

Tang Yun asked expressionlessly, as if talking to himself.

"As a confidant of the Empress Dowager of Western Xia, serving as a key advisor, such a prestigious position is unattainable by the Song Dynasty."

"Wealth and honor are human nature. Like rowing against the current, one either advances or falls behind. The internal strife within Western Xia is fierce; if I hadn't strived for advancement, I would be long dead."

"So you're saying you had no choice but to do this?" "This is not my

ambition.

" "Not your ambition? Have you not considered your own actions these past few years?"

"The Grand Commandant knows my background and understands my intentions. Although Tang Yun entered Xia, he has never forgotten his Han identity."

"So you're comparing yourself to Su Wu or Li Ling?"

"Who am I to compare myself to the ancients? However, I have no regrets about my actions."

"If you have no regrets, yet you haven't done anything to benefit the Song Dynasty, while Empress Dowager Liang, with your help, enjoys a stable position and continues to invade our Song."

"The Liang family, relatives of the empress, wield power, but their authority and virtue are insufficient to command respect. Without provoking border conflicts, how can they seize military power? Liang Yibu's entire family is dead, leaving the Liang lineage extinct. Furthermore, Empress Dowager Liang is a woman, ignorant of military strategy; having her command the army would be beneficial to the Song Dynasty."

"If the Liang family is not eliminated, border troubles will not cease."

"Xia Emperor Qian Shun is already fourteen years old; in two years, he will assume personal rule. This son is intelligent and decisive, and admires Sinicization. At that time, will he allow his mother to hold power, willingly becoming a puppet? This general dares to assert that the Liang family will perish at this son's hands."

"Empress Liang is his own mother."

"How can the struggle for power in Western Xia be swayed by kinship and morality?"

"If this son succeeds, he might just become another Yuan Hao. If he fails, he might just become another Bing Chang."

"Even if he fails, the Liang family will have killed his brother's entire clan, cutting off their own power. With no relatives around, they have no chance of holding power for long. They will eventually be replaced. In the current Western Xia court, people like Renduobao, Zhongmei, and Ledubu hold great power. If they replace the Liang family, it will likely be another Liang family, and the border troubles will only intensify."

"If he succeeds, will the border troubles stop?"

"The enmity between the Song Dynasty and Western Xia has been entangled for nearly seventy or eighty years. How can it be resolved in a short time? However, even if he is a valiant ruler, the Song Dynasty is not the Song Dynasty of Emperor Renzong's time. With the current strength and efficiency of the Western Army and the weakness of the Xia Army, even if Yuanhao were to be resurrected, what is there to fear?

"So, regardless of the internal situation in Western Xia, they will ultimately be hostile to our Song Dynasty?"

"If Qian Shun succeeds, his ascension to the throne will be legitimate, and military power will naturally fall into his hands. He will only seek investiture from the Song and Liao Dynasties to consolidate his position. Although he will certainly be wary of the Song Dynasty, he will never provoke border conflicts at will." Even if there are occasional wars, their scale will never compare to that of the Liang family during their rule. Between two evils, choose the lesser; the Grand Commandant, a wise man, should know the choice.

"You speak like this, yet you are planning for the sake of Western Xia."

For the first time, Tang Yun felt the chilling killing intent emanating from Zhe Keshi's eyes. Although Zhe Keshi, sitting before him, made no move, Tang Yun was certain that he had murderous intent and would strike at any moment.

He felt as if he were being stared at by a carnivorous beast; his skin trembled involuntarily, and his scalp tingled.

He was certain he was standing on the brink of death.

"This humble general is planning for both the Song and Western Xia. If the border war is quelled, will it bring no benefit to the Song?"

"The war may have temporarily ceased, but the seeds of disaster remain!"

"Does the Grand Commandant intend to destroy their country?"

"Since you call yourself a son of the Han, you should assist the Han army in sweeping away the evil forces."

"Although this humble general is a son of the Han, my father was a subject of Xia." "This humble general asks the Grand Commandant, does the Great Song Dynasty now possess the capability to annex Western Xia in one fell swoop? Back in the reign of Emperor Shenzong, the Yuanfeng Western Expedition was a force to be reckoned with, its military might unprecedented since

the founding of the dynasty. Did it manage to conquer Western Xia? If the strength is insufficient, why force it? What's wrong with the two countries coexisting peacefully?" "Western Xia is a rebel; how can it be considered a nation? The Hexi Corridor is the original territory of our Great Song Dynasty, and the Dangxiang people are originally our people. These rebels have betrayed morality and seized power until now. It is only right and proper for the Great Song Dynasty to punish the rebels and recover its lost territory! If Western Xia wants peace, it should retreat beyond the Jade Gate Pass, cede the Hetao region, return Xingling, Dingnan, and Guiyi prefectures to the Han people. This is the path to peace."

"Western Xia was enfeoffed by the Great Song Dynasty; how can it not be considered a nation? Besides, the affairs of the world are merely a matter of the victor and the vanquished. Reasoning is useful; why resort to war? If we really want to argue, where did the Great Song Dynasty come from?" "Whose minister was Emperor Taizu? If the Chai family, the state guests, were to demand the return of the empire to the Song Dynasty, it would be perfectly justified. Would the Song Dynasty still refuse?"

"As you say, things in this world are like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind. But our Song Dynasty is currently strong. If we don't use our strength to bully the weak, are we

going to wait until the enemy is strong enough to bully us?" "Even at the height of Yuan Hao's power, the Western Xia only threatened Weizhou at best, never even entering Guanzhong. How could they possibly shake the Song Dynasty? Besides, the Western Xia are currently suffering repeated defeats, their morale is low, many of their strong soldiers and fine horses have died. To insist on provoking them would only bring shame upon themselves. Grand Commandant, you are a wise man of this era; you should know that what I say is true."

"Since ancient times, Han and traitors have been irreconcilable enemies. What trust or righteousness can barbarians have?" "

Please forgive my disrespect, Grand Commandant. Your ancestor, Zhe Shi of Hedong, was also a member of the Dangxiang tribe. He served the Song Dynasty with utmost loyalty, and his family's reputation for loyalty and righteousness is known throughout the world. This shows that loyalty and righteousness transcend race, residing only in the heart. Among the Western Army, there are countless Qiang generals. Have you ever seen any who are treacherous and disloyal?"

"Their loyalty, however, is directed towards the Song Dynasty."

"A scholar dies for one who understands him; this also transcends race."

"Where is your loyalty?"

"Though a nation may be large, a nation that loves war will perish. Even if the Song Dynasty destroys the Western Xia, there are still the Uyghurs. After destroying the Uyghurs, there are still the Tibetans, the Dali Kingdom, the Black Khanate, and the Khitan! Does the Grand Commandant really think that the Song Dynasty can destroy all the nations in the world? You must know that even with the prosperity of the Han and Tang dynasties, it was still as difficult as ascending to heaven. Currently, the world is in a state of balance, with various nations keeping each other in check. If war breaks out, how can the other nations sit idly by? Not to mention the Khitan, how can they sit idly by and watch the Western Xia perish?"

"So you say that the Western Xia cannot be destroyed?"

"It's not that it cannot be destroyed, but that the Western Xia's fate has not yet run out. No nation lasts forever. Even the powerful Han and Tang dynasties had their day of destruction. How much more so the small Western Xia? When its fate is exhausted, we will take it without even raising an army."

"So you are still planning for the Western Xia."

Once again, Tang Yun felt the murderous aura in the air intensify. He was certain that Zhe Keshi could kill him at any moment. My muscles tensed involuntarily, my back felt icy cold, and my vest was soaked with sweat.

"Fate has its own destiny. If Western Xia is destined to perish, what use are my many plans?"

"You, a Song Dynasty spy, speak from the perspective of Western Xia. I truly don't know what your stance is!"

"I stand neither on the side of Western Xia nor on the side of the Song Dynasty, but on the side of the Han people."

"You stand on the side of the Han people, yet you support the Liang family. Know that the Liang family is completely devoid of Han customs. Furthermore, the Liang family is your family's enemy. If you seek revenge, why save the Liang family?"

"There are many ways to take revenge. I am unwilling to act rashly."

"In that case, you can be considered a patriot?"

"I dare not. I have not forgotten why my father and the Liang family became enemies. For me, the best way to take revenge is to fulfill my father's unfinished ambition."

"Your father once said he was willing to cede Henan to the Song Dynasty."

"As long as the two countries are at peace from then on, and the people are no longer suffering from forced labor and displacement, what is wrong with that?"

"Easy to say, but words are meaningless."

"I have come to inform you of something, and this is the last piece of intelligence I will deliver as a spy for the Song Dynasty."

"What is it?"

"Since the great defeat at Pingxia, the situation in Western Xia has been unstable. With the government troops suffering a setback at Baicaoyuan, calls for military action within Xia have risen again. Empress Dowager Liang has decided to conserve strength and prepare for a full-scale invasion next year to avenge the loss of Pingxia." "

When will the troops be deployed?"

"October."

"A winter campaign? A cardinal sin in warfare!"

"This is precisely Liang's plan, a surprise attack."

"Where will they attack?"

"Pingxia City."

"Who will lead the army?" "

Empress Dowager Liang and the Xia Emperor will personally lead it! All the important ministers and generals will accompany them. If this battle is lost, Western Xia will surely face upheaval."

"Hmph, what a grand display! The Western bandits are not good at siege warfare; they've come to exploit our weaknesses against our strengths. How can they not be defeated?"

"Grand Commandant, do not underestimate the enemy. This Western Xia offensive is truly extraordinary. Although Empress Dowager Liang is not a major concern, Ren Duo and Mei Le are all experienced generals with expertise in warfare. Moreover, when I left Xingqing Prefecture, I learned that Western Xia has rebuilt the Po Xi Army for this offensive and secretly formed a special army for siege warfare called the Counter-Siege Army. This army uses high chariots called Counter-Siege Chariots, but I do not know what they are. Furthermore, the Xingqing Prefecture Guard has gained many more chariot-mounted cannons, all of which are unprecedented. Grand Commandant, you must be on guard."

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