Prime Minister

Chapter 1361 This is the good waterway of the Tanguts

Chapter 1361 This is the good waterway of the Tanguts

Inside the large tent on Fuyan Road, cold rain pattered against the cowhide tent roof.

Li Bingchang removed his wet wolf-head helmet, and raindrops from the armor fell into the brazier, stirring up puffs of white smoke.

The arguing among the generals inside the tent almost drowned out the sound of the torrential rain outside.

"Mingsha City has fallen, and even Weijing Mountain cannot be defended!"

The military supervisor of Jingse pounded the table: "Those Song army fortresses are just iron shells! Even if we filled all 100,000 of our men into them, there wouldn't be a sound!"

"It was a hundred times harder when the nation was founded!" The commander of the Xiangqing military command suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing the arrow scars left from Pingxia City. "So what if Lingzhou was given to them? Could Zhang Jie build the fortress all the way to Xingqing Prefecture?"

Li Bingchang lowered his eyes. These generals were all fearless when they fought against Xu Xi's troops in Mizhi Village and Fuyan Road, but now they seemed to have seen a ghost when Lingzhou was mentioned.

"Your Majesty!" the military supervisor suddenly said, "The Han people have exhausted the nation's grain reserves to build these fortifications. Perhaps we should... perhaps we should just abandon this plan."

"Back then, did we even have Lingzhou?"

"never mind?"

Li Bingchang said, "But it is precisely because of Lingzhou that our Great Baigao Kingdom exists."

Han official Li Qing coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. The Song army is currently transporting a million shi of grain from Guanzhong every month. This financial strength will not last long."

After Li Qing finished speaking, the Tangut generals who advocated war all chimed in.

"Where have we even gotten to this point?"

"Anyone can fight a battle when the trend is favorable, but going against the trend is the key."

“Lingzhou can also be given to him.”

"Let's leave the city as soon as possible."

"So what if we lose Lingzhou? Can the Song army attack Xingqing Prefecture? Even if they do, can they attack Dingzhou?"

"At worst, the Southern Dynasty can't possibly build a fortified camp all the way to the walls of Dingzhou, can it?"

"Release Lingzhou, and send the entire army to Fuyan Road. Even if the Han people gain Lingzhou, so what?"

"The pacification of the five prefectures is the foundation of our Great Baigao Kingdom. As long as the Liao Kingdom sends troops, the Song army will collapse."

"Even if we have to fight, let's fight on Fuyan Road. At worst, it'll be a big, spectacular battle."

As the generals were discussing the matter, an old general said, "Your Majesty, at the moment, the Han army will not care about the gains or losses of Mizhi Village or the safety of Fuyan Road."

Just then, a thunderclap boomed outside the tent, turning everyone's faces deathly pale.

The veteran general slowly said, "That's right. When we attacked Mizhi Village and fought against the Song army of Fuyan Road, which one of us ever backed down or was afraid of dying?"

"The Song army's fortified camps are like spider webs; even ten times the number of troops cannot breach them. No matter how many soldiers there are, they will only fill the trenches."

"The Song people have their reasons for spending so much money and grain to build so many fortresses. Let's not fight them over this. Your Majesty, Lingzhou is just a city. What's wrong with giving it up? Three hundred years ago, when our Tuoba Dangxiang tribe was still grazing horses at the foot of Helan Mountain, where was Lingzhou?"

All the generals nodded in agreement.

Li Bingchang slowly said, "The old general is right, but it is not because of Lingzhou that my Great Baigao Kingdom exists."

The wolf-head banner outside the tent fluttered in the wind.

Li Bingchang stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the military tent, his piercing gaze sweeping over the generals in the tent, his voice low and firm: "The old general is right, Lingzhou is nothing more than a city."

"In my eyes, Lingzhou City is not a lifeless structure made of bricks and stones! It is the indomitable spirit of the Tangut people! It is the passionate courage of the Hengshan warriors!"

Li Qing stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, will the Liao Kingdom send troops?"

Li Bingchang sneered, a resolute glint in his eyes: "This is a matter for us Tanguts; don't place too much hope on the Khitans. During the Yongle City campaign, their cavalry stood by the Wuding River watching the battle, only engaging when the outcome was almost decided. But then again..."

Li Bingchang's voice suddenly rose, and the tent fell silent instantly: "What does our self-righteous dignity of the Great Baigao Kingdom mean in the face of the interests of the Liao and Han people? I don't care how they weigh things! The lives of the Dangxiang people do not need to depend on others."

He looked around at his generals, most of whom were old ministers who had followed his grandfather and father into battle and whose temples were already gray.

His voice suddenly softened as he said, "You all say that at worst the army will be wiped out, and you'd rather die on the battlefield, but we will only fight battles we are confident of winning!"

The generals roared in agreement. In this time of crisis, the fledgling eagle finally spread its wings. At this moment, Li Bingchang truly possessed some of the domineering air of his grandfather, Li Yuanhao.

At this moment, Li Bingchang resolutely said, "Since the Han army is determined to attack Lingzhou, we will open the sluice gates of the Seven-Level Canal!"

"Send the order: dig the seven-tiered canal and flood Lingzhou!"

"Let's go attack Huanzhou!"

……

Between Dingnan Wuzhou and Lingzhou, there is the Linzhou Road, which is over a thousand li long.

Starting from Linzhou in the east, it passes through Yinzhou, Xiazhou, Wuyancheng, Youzhou, Yanzhou, and finally reaches Lingzhou.

This road runs east to west, reaching the west bank of the Yellow River in the west and Lingzhou in the east, like a sharp sword piercing through the dry sea and the Hengshan Mountains.

The Tanguts could attack the Hedong Road from Linzhou on this road, or they could take the Fuyan Road from Xiazhou or Yinzhou, then take the Chexiangxia Road, Qinggangxia Road or Guidechuan Road to Huanqing Road, and then take the Xiaoguan Road to Jingyuan Road.

The so-called "one vertical and multiple horizontal" formation gives the Tanguts an absolute advantage in internal offensives and troop deployment through this route.

Advance to attack, retreat to defend.

In the past, when the Song army fought against the Dangxiang, the troops had to be spread out in five routes, while the Dangxiang had a numerical advantage from any of the routes they sent out.

Therefore, just when the Song army was willing to abandon Mizhi Village and even exchange Fuyan Road for Lingzhou, Li Bingchang suddenly lifted the siege of Mizhi Village and appeared at the gates of Huanzhou City via Guidechuan Road. He unexpectedly defeated nearly 10,000 Song troops under the third general of Huanqing Road, which shocked the entire Huanqing Road and even Shaanxi Road.

Zhang Jie, who was already stationed in Weizhou to oversee the supply of provisions in the rear, was also taken aback upon hearing this.

He was on the front lines in Weizhou, and Huanzhou was his retreat route.

Once Li Bingchang leads his troops north, he can seize Weizhou.

Alternatively, if Li Bingchang were to lead his troops to attack Huanzhou or Qingzhou, and either of these two prefectures were lost, Zhang Jie would be held accountable.

These days, Zhang Jie is busy with military affairs. As someone who commands the three armies in battle, he can't stop thinking for a moment and is always in a state of tension as news from all sides comes to him.

He had to personally handle everything from food and supplies to supplies.

Zhang Jie only sleeps for less than two hours a day, not because he doesn't want to sleep, but because he wants to sleep but can't.

Zhang Jie ate only a third of his usual food, and his whole body was emaciated. He finally deeply understood the hardships that Zhuge Liang had endured with "little food and many tasks." What sustained him at this moment was not only repaying Zhang Yue's kindness in recognizing his talent, but also fulfilling his grand ambition of recovering lost territories.

At this moment, Zhang Jie stood in front of the map with a lone candle in his hand and said, "Although Li Bingchang has a large army, he doesn't have many elite troops after pacifying Xia City. Over the years, he has accumulated at most twenty or thirty thousand soldiers."

"Even so, if our army goes to relieve the siege of Huanzhou, once we leave the fortress, we will probably be no match for the Tangut cavalry in open field battle."

Zhang Jie was very clear that the reason why the Song army had won victory after victory over the years was because it relied on strong fortifications and advanced step by step.

Once a battle takes place in the field, the outcome is unpredictable.

Li Yuanhao's strategy of luring and ambush terrified the Song army. Even if they lifted the siege of Lingzhou, going to rescue Huanzhou would likely be fraught with danger.

Zhang Zai said from the side, "Father, the Dangxiang people have always used the strategy of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao. Before, when they attacked Mizhi Village to lure me into dividing my forces, they divided their forces to attack Huanzhou, trying to get me to relieve the siege."

"With the siege of Mizhi Village still unresolved, where does Li Bingchang get so many troops to launch separate attacks on both sides?"

"It must be a plan to lure me away from Lingzhou with a large force."

Zhang Jie nodded.

Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered. Zhe Keshi clasped his hands and said, "Your Excellency is wise. Huanqing and Huanzhou are strategic locations in Shaanxi, even more so than Suide and Yanzhou."

"If anything goes wrong, the court will hold us accountable, and we will be unable to escape punishment."

Just then, someone came to report that Lu Dazhong, the military commissioner of Huanqing Road, had sent someone to request assistance.

Zhang Jie immediately opened the letter and looked at it, and saw that the letter read:

"Since the Grand Chancellor took command of the army at Jingyuan, our army has been advancing step by step according to the strategy of 'shallow attacks and gradual advances,' intending to make steady progress. However, recently the western enemy has suddenly amassed a large force to launch a fierce attack on Huanqing, and the situation is extremely urgent!"

"Li Bing, the ruler of the Tangut Kingdom, led 5,000 Iron Falcons and 30,000 infantry and cavalry from the Hengshan tribe, and suddenly entered our territory from Yanzhou. They successively broke through several fortified villages in Guide Fort, and their army is now pointing directly at Huanzhou! Their troops are fierce and brave, and they have even driven and captured border people as their vanguard, dug trenches and cut off roads, and kept beacon fires burning day and night."

"Although Laibao Village is holding out to the death, if no reinforcements arrive, Huanzhou City may fall soon!"

"I humbly request that the Grand Councilor swiftly dispatch the elite troops of Jingyuan to launch a flanking attack on the enemy's flank! I am willing to hold out until reinforcements arrive, but if we are delayed by even ten days, I fear that the century-old foundation of Huanqing will be lost forever..."

"I have heard that Chancellor Wenshu has already captured Mingsha City, and his might has shaken Lingxia. However, I dare to suggest that if Huanqing falls, the enemy troops could cut off the Jingyuan supply route to the south, at which point the army of Lingzhou may be left isolated!"

"The military situation is dire, and we desperately need your decisive action! Lu Dazhong, the military commissioner of Huanqing, weeps blood at the perilous ramparts of Huanzhou City!"

After reading it, Zhang Jie's wrist trembled. Sending troops from Jingyuan Road to rescue Huanqing Road was not an easy task, because although the two roads were adjacent, they were separated by the towering Ziwuling Mountains.

According to the original plan of dividing Shaanxi into four routes for military governors, if one route encountered trouble, the other route would provide support.

Now that Huanqing Road is surrounded by Huanzhou, Jingyuan Road certainly needs to provide support.

Zhang Jie turned around and asked, "How come General Lü is in Huanzhou City?"

"And it just so happened that the enemy soldiers arrived."

The other party explained, "The Grand Marshal was to oversee the transport of a batch of grain and weapons across Qinggang Gorge to Weizhou, but when the enemy troops arrived, he was already trapped and unable to advance or retreat."

"We had no choice but to enter Huanzhou."

"Why don't you leave the city?" Zhang Jie asked.

"The enemy troops are coming very fast, and it is risky to leave the city, so I have no choice but to send this humble servant to request reinforcements. I implore the Grand Councilor to send troops immediately!"

Zhang Jie remained silent upon hearing this and ordered someone to take the other person away to rest.

Upon hearing this, Zhe Keshi frowned deeply and immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Huanzhou is in grave danger! I beg the Chancellor to quickly dispatch elite troops from Jingyuan to intercept the enemy's flanks. This humble general swears to live and die with the city, but if no reinforcements arrive within ten days, I fear this important border town, which has stood for centuries, will fall entirely into enemy hands!"

Zhang Zai also wavered, saying, "Father, while the victory at Mingsha and Jingshan boosted our morale, the loss of Huanqing and the perilous supply lines to Jingyuan mean the Lingzhou troops may be left isolated!"

Zhang Jie closed his eyes and could imagine it.

Beneath the walls of Huanzhou City, amidst the raging flames of war, the Tangut cavalry pressed in like a dark cloud. Lu Dazhong, the military commissioner of Huanqing Road, trapped within the city, stood on the city walls, gazing at the endless enemy camps beyond.

Now, not only is Huanzhou in trouble, but even Lu Dazhong, the military commissioner of a certain route, is trapped in the city.

Lü Dazhong rose to power during the Yuanyou factional struggle. At that time, the old party wanted to gradually replace their confidants in various parts of Shaanxi, so Sima Guang recommended Lü Dazhong as the military commissioner of Huanqing Road.

His younger brother, Lü Dafang, entered the court as a Hanlin Academician due to his meritorious service on the frontier.

Because of their shared political views, Lü Gongzhu greatly promoted Lü Dafang. When Zhang Yue became prime minister, he also needed officials from different factions to maintain balance and prevent any one faction from becoming too powerful.

If we stand by and do nothing, we'll definitely offend Lü Dafang, and maybe even Lü Gongzhu.

Zhang Jie's gaze remained fixed on the map, his fingertips slowly moving from Lingzhou to Huanzhou.

"Father, even if we conquer Lingzhou, if anything goes wrong on Huanqing Road, the gains and losses will be even!"

Seeing that Zhang Jie remained unmoved by his words, Zhang Zai said, "Shouldn't we consult the Attendant-in-Ordinary?"

“Since the Chamberlain has entrusted me with such power, how can I let a minor setback disrupt my grand plan?” Zhang Jie replied, “The Chamberlain knows what he’s doing!”

After speaking, Zhang Jie looked at the map. Li Bingchang's unexpected attack had indeed thrown him into a slight panic.

Suddenly, the neighing of warhorses came from outside the tent, and the guards rushed to report.

"Reporting to the Chancellor! Scouts have discovered that Li Bingchang's royal banner has been moved to Qinggang Gorge!"

"Well done, Li Bingchang!" Zhang Jie exclaimed, his words tinged with admiration. "When the strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' failed, he followed in the footsteps of his ancestor Li Yuanhao, launching a thousand-mile raid!" He pointed heavily at Huanzhou. "That was indeed a brilliant move!"

"I underestimated the heroes of the world."

Zhe Keshi and Zhang Zai both looked at Zhang Jie with trepidation, wondering what would happen if Li Bingchang attacked Weizhou from the north via Qinggang Gorge.

The Privy Council can be located here.

……

In the height of summer in Bianjing, cicadas chirped incessantly, and the scorching sun baked the blue bricks outside the capital, causing a thin layer of heat to rise.

The eaves are covered with overlapping brackets, and the green and blue painted decorations gleam in the sunlight. In front of the platform surrounded by red lacquered brackets, officials waiting to be received and report to the emperor drink sour plum soup while fanning themselves with bamboo fans or round fans.

The white marble railing was scorching hot from the sun, feeling like a branding iron to the touch.

The area below the main hall, however, was solemn and cool.

Beneath the ink-wash screen "Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" on the north wall, an imperial seal presses down on a memorial on a long black lacquered table. At this moment, the sandalwood chair in the prime minister's seat and the sandalwood official hat chairs on both sides for the vice prime ministers and privy councilors are all empty.

On a small table to the side, Zhang Heng, dressed in a crimson robe with a silver fish-shaped pouch hanging from his waist, was intently reviewing documents.

His brows furrowed slightly, and his brushstrokes were sharp as knives, as he drew lines of vermilion ink on the paper.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew through the hall, lifting a page of a memorial on the desk.

Zhang Geng didn't even raise his head, and with a slap of his left hand—"Snap!"

The clerk on duty in the corridor held his breath instantly, and even the cicadas seemed to chirp less.

Zhang Gen is now serving as the Left Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, overseeing the documents of the Six Ministries, correcting errors, and in charge of the review of official documents of the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Rites. He also oversees the Office of Imperial Records and the Office of Imperial Registers.

He is now a sixth-rank official.

Now that the gentlemen are taking a break from the summer heat, he is on duty in the capital. He can make decisions on minor matters, but for major matters, he consults Zhang Yue.

The courtyard has straight, towering walls on all four sides, and the roof is covered with gray tiles and decorated with coiled dragons on the ridge.

Looking from the courtyard, an official, after being informed, walked carefully up to the capital hall, wiping the sweat from his brow, led by a minor official in red robes.

The plaque above the capital city, bearing the four characters "允执厥中" (meaning "upholding the middle way"), gleams brightly under the blazing sun.

"Greetings, Dongge!"

The official bowed respectfully and then handed a slip of paper to Zhang Geng, saying, "This is the note for the allocation of funds by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices this year. Please forward it to the Grand Secretary for approval."

Zhang Geng took the slip of paper, his eyes scanning the contents of the document with keen insight, and said, "Why not go to Minister Zeng of the Ministry of Revenue for approval, but come to me for approval?"

The noisy chirping of cicadas outside the window only served to accentuate the quiet atmosphere inside the hall.

The official wiped the sweat from his brow and said with a bitter face, "Let the East Pavilion know that Minister Zeng is only saying one thing: the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have reduced their meals. How dare you bother me with the usual expenses?"

"Let's cut it in half first. But the expenses of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices can't be reduced so easily."

"Which of these ceremonies—suburban sacrifices, ancestral temples, altars of the land and grain, imperial mausoleums, and the imperial field ceremony—can be easily omitted? It would be disrespectful to the emperor if they were omitted. I've said too much already, but Minister Zeng simply said, 'I don't care about these things. Take the note to Attendant-in-Ordinary Zhang for approval. If he agrees, I'll handle it for you. If he doesn't say anything, don't come asking me.'"

Zhang Gen chuckled inwardly, thinking Zeng Bu was such a slippery character.

He always blamed others for everything. However, ever since that day when he swore an oath in Yanhe Hall, and boasted to the Empress Dowager and Zhang Yue that he would cut expenses and devote all his efforts to the military campaign in the Northwest, Zeng Bu had lost a lot of weight and looked even more haggard than before.

Saving money and reducing expenses is the most worrying thing for Zeng Bu, the chief steward in charge of the Song Dynasty's treasury.

“The court is in dire straits right now,” Zhang Geng said, placing his vermilion brush beside the inkstone. “We must be frugal where necessary; this is the current situation.”

"His Majesty wants to melt down the bronze cranes in the palace and use them to make arrows."

“We should also be understanding of the difficulties faced by the court. Put the note here and let the Chamberlain read it before we discuss it further. We will need to discuss it again later.”

The official pleaded, "Please show mercy, Dongge, don't skimp on the punishment any further."

Zhang Geng put on a stern face and said, "I said it's like this, so it's like this!"

After he finished speaking, the other person was led away by a court official.

Zhang Gen wrote another official document, then stacked it up and tossed it to the clerk beside him, saying, "Send it to the paper money office."

After saying this, Zhang Heng picked up the note and walked towards the east wing of the capital hall.

The clerk on duty at the east wing immediately opened the door upon seeing that it was Zhang Geng.

The east wing was where the prime minister rested, and the outer room was a multi-treasure pavilion. The celadon porcelain displayed in the pavilion exuded a coolness, and bronze ritual vessels were placed beside it. On the table, next to the silver tea grinder, the unused Jian ware cups were already covered with tea foam, with a layer of fine white frost floating on top.

Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng was sitting in the Treasure Pavilion, sipping tea and flipping through official documents, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Second Brother is here?" Upon seeing Zhang Gen, Zhang Cheng immediately smiled broadly and offered him an untouched teacup.

Zhang Geng took the teacup but sneered. As he took the teacup, he flipped through the official documents on Zhang Cheng's desk and took out a storybook.

With a "smack," the script gently tapped Zhang Cheng's forehead.

Zhang Cheng was speechless.

"You dare to read idle books while on duty in the capital?" Zhang Geng put the storybook on the desk and said, "Your father sent you to the capital for training, and this is how you treat it?"

Zhang Cheng rubbed his forehead and muttered, "Father never assigns me any chores again."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Geng angrily retorted, "Like father, like son!"

"Huh?" Zhang Cheng touched his forehead where Zhang Gen had tapped him.

Zhang Gen said defiantly, "Of course I'm talking about Father."

As he spoke, Zhang Gen lifted the curtain beside him and saw Zhang Yue lying comfortably on the couch, his legs propped up high on the table, a military book covering his stomach, and soft snoring coming from his nose.

The cicadas chirped noisily outside the window, but they did not disturb the prime minister's peaceful sleep in the slightest.

"The entire court is busy with the Northwest, and everyone is working hard on this matter. But Father is the only one who is used to doing things without any responsibility. At home, Mother always makes the decisions. Now that he is the prime minister, he doesn't even know where he is. It's so hard for us two to worry about him."

"Everyone says that Father is the Zhuge Liang entrusted by the late Emperor, but who would have thought that this 'Sleeping Dragon' spends his days in seclusion in Longzhong? This Zhuge Liang is so careless. The late Emperor was truly blind and entrusted the wrong person."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng said, "Second brother, it's not appropriate for you to say such things about your father."

"Furthermore, in my opinion, Father is the kind of person Han Xin praised Emperor Gaozu of Han for being good at commanding generals, but not soldiers."

Zhang Gen said irritably, "You really know how to talk to your father."

"Your father is incredibly capable, but his laziness is the least commendable thing about him. I don't know how he became the top scholar and the imperial scholar back then. On the contrary, you have learned your father's laziness to the fullest extent and have also become the top scholar of the Imperial Academy. It's really incomprehensible."

Seeing Zhang Gen's puzzled look, Zhang Cheng smiled and said nothing more.

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yue on the bamboo couch suddenly turned over, the military book fell to the ground with a "thud," and he slowly opened his eyes.

Zhang Heng immediately composed himself, took the note, and went inside.

Zhang Yue was still half asleep when Zhang Gen stood beside him and reported, "Reporting to the Grand Councilor, news has come from the Privy Council and the Bureau of Military Affairs that the Liao army's southward advance is now confirmed."

"It will happen this autumn!"

As Zhang Gen finished speaking, he glanced at Zhang Yue's expression.

Zhang Yue rubbed his temples, looking completely unsurprised, then counted the days on his fingers and said, "Autumn will arrive, which is after July."

Zhang Gen said, "July to September is the season when the horses on the grassland are at their fattest and strongest."

"At this time, the pasture is lush, the horses have rested in spring and summer, and are full of energy and have the best endurance. It is also the time for our people to harvest their crops."

“In the past, according to custom, autumn was the busiest and most stressful time for the border troops, and the Liao Kingdom usually marched south in autumn as well. In this dynasty, troops were also transferred north from Bianjing and Damingfu in autumn to strengthen the defense of the Hebei line. During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, the number of troops defending Hebei in autumn increased to 300,000. Even after the Treaty of Chanyuan, when the Song and Liao had almost no war, the court still defended against the autumn as usual, without any slackening.”

Zhang Yue nodded.

Zhang Gen paused for a moment and then continued.

"This year is particularly different."

"Several years ago, my father made advance arrangements to repair cities and fortresses in Hebei, rebuild the Tangluo defense line, and stockpile grain and weapons on the border in advance."

"More imperial troops were drawn from Jingdong, Jingxi, Huainan, and Jiangnan to reinforce the Hebei defenses. But even so, the million-strong Liao army marching south still..."

Zhang Yue interrupted Zhang Geng, asking, "What about the Northwest?"

Zhang Geng immediately understood that destroying the Dangxiang was the grand strategy. Although the Liao army's southward advance was dangerous, it could not shake the grand plan to destroy Xia.

Zhang Gen said, “This is exactly what I wanted to report to my father. Although the western front has successively captured Mingsha City and Weijing Mountain, the officials in various parts of Shaanxi have quite a few complaints. Prime Minister Zhang Shu used more than 200,000 troops to surround Lingzhou City, but ignored the Dangxiang in Jingyuan Road and Huanqing Road.”

Zhang Yue frowned and asked, "Has the morale of the various armies in Shaanxi wavered?"

Zhang Gen lowered his voice and said, "According to the report, there are indeed doubts about the overall strategy of attacking Lingzhou on the Shaanxi front, but only Governor Zhang is still going his own way."

Zhang Yue nodded slightly and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.

Zhang Gen said, "After the defeat at Pingxia City, Empress Dowager Liang died. After Li Bingchang took power, he did work hard to govern the country. This time, he unexpectedly attacked Huanzhou and defeated the third general's troops in Huanqing Road. This has indeed shaken Huanqing Road and even made the western front waver."

"Mizhi Village remains under siege of Huanzhou."

"Li Bingchang's troops moved in and out of the two routes as if there were no people there."

Zhang Yue nodded and said, "Four years have passed since the Battle of Pingxia City. I didn't expect Li Bingchang to recover so quickly."

"He is indeed a capable ruler. This attack on Huanzhou showed some of the flair of Li Yuanhao back then."

After a pause, Zhang Yue continued, "As for Yelü Hongji, he is also remarkable. He was able to make up his mind to reform the laws, and he was able to ignore the opposition of the entire court and the annual tribute of 700,000 taels of silver, and single-mindedly head south to hinder my destruction of the Dangxiang. He is also worthy of my admiration."

Zhang Gen couldn't help but have some questions after hearing this.

But then Zhang Yue stood up, put his hands behind his back, gazed at the cicadas chirping outside the window, and said, "Heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river!"

Like a swarm of carp crossing a river? Are Li Bingchang and Yelü Hongji the swarms of carp crossing a river?

Zhang Heng was surprised.

Unlike Li Bingchang and Yelü Hongji, who devoted themselves to the Northwest, Zhang Yue, as prime minister, always seemed to handle heavy responsibilities with ease, as if strolling in a leisurely garden, but in his heart he had already taken in the vast battlefield.

He suddenly recalled a comment the late emperor made about Zhang Yue: "You can know his depth, but you cannot know his shallowness."

Zhang Gen said, "The Dangxiang people have resorted to their old tricks, digging seven canals to flood Lingzhou, but the effect has been minimal."

"Either order Uncle Jie to capture Lingzhou City before July, or send a detachment to relieve Huanqing Road..."

Zhang Yue raised his hand to stop him, saying, "My master is good at guarding the camp, not at launching raids."

"Although the Tangut army is numerous, the elite troops trained by Li Bingchang this time number no more than 20,000 to 30,000, which is insufficient for attacking fortified positions."

“If we fight in the open field away from the village, the odds of victory or defeat are fifty-fifty, which would be exactly what the Dangxiang people want. This is also why Zhifu has been reluctant to send reinforcements to Huanzhou and Mizhi Village.”

After Zhang Yue finished speaking, he took a hand tart and reached into the collar of his official robe to scratch his back.

Zhang Gen said, "Father, how can you be so confident? It's as if you saw it with your own eyes from a thousand miles away."

Zhang Yue laughed and said, "Although I have never fought against the Dangxiang, I have inquired about the accounts of the surrendered generals such as Weiming Amai."

After a pause, Zhang Yue said, "Actually, there are no special skills in using troops. In the end, it's just a matter of fighting if you can win, and retreating if you can't."

"Accumulate small victories to achieve a great victory."

While Zhang Yue and Zhang Gen were chatting, someone outside the door said, "Prime Minister, Lü Dafang requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yue pinched the bridge of his nose.

Zhang Gen said, "Father, Shaanxi Road is in turmoil, and there are quite a few people who want Prime Minister Zhang to withdraw his troops."

"Lu Neihan's visit must be to ask Zhang Jie to help him save his brother."

"And there are quite a few people in the Northwest who share the same views as Lü Neihan."

Zhang Yue said, "A general in the field may disobey orders from others."

"Don't even mention that I can order Zhang Jie to retreat; even if I gave the order, he might not listen."

“If you are going to use someone, you should trust them completely. I entrust the important task of destroying the Dangxiang to Zhifu. If he fails to do so, he will apologize to me in the future.”

"Go see Lü Weizhong for me and tell him that it was my decision to tell Zhang Jie not to rescue Huanzhou. If anything happens to Huanzhou, I will take responsibility!"

"No matter what, we must take Lingzhou City first!"

……

Just when everyone thought Li Bingchang was going to plunder Huanqing Road and Jingyuan Road, Li Bingchang had someone else carrying his own banner in Huanzhou.

He himself secretly led his elite troops back to Lingzhou.

Li Bingchang reined in his horse and stood on a hill outside Lingzhou City, the wind from Helan Mountain whipping up his scarlet cloak.

In the distance, the Song army's continuous camps stretched across the open fields of Lingzhou City like iron chains.

The digging of a seven-tiered canal to flood the area did not cause the Song army much trouble.

Li Bingchang now stands on the hilltop, looking at the Song army's camp.

The faint sound of the crossbow's winch could be heard, the soil of the horse trap was still fresh, and further away were the newly built chain of fortifications by the Song army—those fortifications he had once scorned as "Han tortoise shells" now completely surrounded Lingzhou.

"Your Majesty, the Song people have already pushed their fortifications to the north bank of the Yellow River."

Li Qing, standing to the side, gripped the riding crop so tightly that the veins on his hand bulged: "That old scoundrel Zhang Jie has truly trapped Lingzhou into a death trap!"

"With so many soldiers, how much food and fodder must they consume every day? How did the Han army manage to deliver them?"

"Such financial and material resources."

Looking at the Western Xia banners fluttering atop Lingzhou City, Li Bingchang suddenly recalled the scene from his first visit here with Empress Dowager Liang twenty years ago.

At that time, Empress Dowager Liang pointed to Lingzhou City and said to Li Bingchang, "Look, this Xiping Prefecture is the place where our Dangxiang people rose to power, even more important than Xia Prefecture and Xing Prefecture."

Li Bingchang recalled the scene seven years ago when the Seven-Level Canal was dug and the water flooded the Song army under Lingzhou City.

At that time, the city walls of Lingzhou were filled with cheering Tangut soldiers, while below the walls lay the baggage abandoned by the Song army fleeing north in panic. Under Li Bingchang's golden banner, the Tangut people inside and outside the city prostrated themselves at his feet, celebrating their victory.

Now, under the setting sun, lies the well-equipped Song army.

Did the Song people use firearms to bombard and collapse the walls of Mingsha City?

Li Bingchang suddenly spoke, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed his slightly fishy-sweet saliva.

The generals nodded in silence.

At this moment, plumes of smoke and dust suddenly rose from the Song army camp in the distance; these were the smoke signals from the test firing of the Divine Fire Flying Crow.

But then the Divine Fire Crow leaped over three hundred steps, soaring high over the city walls of Lingzhou and flying into the city.

Explosions erupted everywhere, plunging the city into chaos.

Looking at this scene, Li Bingchang recalled the moment when the Song army fired a volley of divine fire and flying crows beneath Yongle City.

Today's Divine Fire Flying Crows fly farther and explode more powerfully than they did back then.

The Song army has completely learned from the Tanguts' traditionally strong and powerful armor and weapons.

In recent years, not only have gunpowder been developed to destroy city walls by digging tunnels, but also weapons such as the Divine Fire Flying Crow, which are more sophisticated than the bed crossbow.

They also captured the Song army's divine crossbow, which could shoot farther and more powerfully than the Tangut bows and arrows.

Li Bingchang abruptly ripped off his golden wolf helmet and threw it to the ground, startling his warhorse so much that it reared up: "Zhang Yue! Zhang Jie!"

His voice roared, "Do you think that trapping Lingzhou will make my Great Baigao Kingdom kneel down?"

All the generals knelt before Li Bingchang.

"Your Majesty, please strike!"

"Charge the Song army's camp."

"No matter how many soldiers die, we cannot bear to see the Song army so vividly breach Lingzhou City."

While they were talking.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared below Lingzhou City, dazzling even in the twilight.

It turns out that the Song army used crossbows to launch rockets to attack the city. Heaven knows how many crossbows the Song army transported this time in order to attack Lingzhou City.

Several rockets instantly pierced the twilight and embedded themselves in the city wall.

The Song army immediately fired again. Judging from the Song army below the city, it seemed as if they were just testing their weapons rather than actually attacking the city. Even so, it caused the Tangut defenders on the city wall to panic.

The generals noticed that Li Bingchang's hand, which was gripping the reins, was trembling—perhaps out of fear.

As night fell, the last rays of light were swallowed up by the rockets fired by the Song army. Li Bingchang dismounted, picked up his golden wolf helmet, put it back on, and said, "Then let's fight!"

……

The following day, Li Bingchang led his entire army to attack the Song army under the city of Lingzhou. The two military supervisors of Jingsai Army and Xiangqing Army, both inside and outside Lingzhou City, also cooperated with Li Bingchang to launch a fierce attack on the Song army camp under the city of Lingzhou.

At dawn, the ground outside Lingzhou City trembled slightly.

The thunderous hoofbeats of the Tangut Iron Falcons came from the north. Li Bingchang, clad in armor and wielding a spear, stood at the front of the battle. Although his army was large, only about 20,000 of them were truly elite and capable soldiers.

The beacon fires on the walls of Lingzhou suddenly ignited.

At the same time, the Western Xia military supervisors inside and outside the city beat drums, and the sound of horns tore through the morning mist.

Li Bingchang raised his long spear high and shouted sternly, "We will not return until we have destroyed Song's stronghold!"

Inside the Song army camp.

Peng Sun and Guo Cheng were already on high alert. The winches of the ballistae creaked, and archers lay prone behind the trenches. Peng Sun squinted at the rising dust in the distance and sneered, "Li Bingchang has arrived in person."

"I told you, Huanzhou and Mizhi Village were just a smokescreen!"

"It's all a damn scheme to relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao."

Guo Cheng said, "But Li Bingchang is going to fight to the death."

Peng Sun said, "Let's ignore him. Half of the men will defend against the enemy, and the other half will continue digging trenches. The more trenches we dig, the better our chances of winning."

"Also, the men digging the city should not stop. They should dig to the bottom of Lingzhou City before dawn in three days."

Guo Cheng scoffed.

Li Bingchang has some of the bearing of Li Yuanhao in his prime, and this attack on Huanzhou has given his generals confidence in him.

But this confidence was not yet firmly established.

The Dangxiang troops in Lingzhou City have now launched an attack.

The Song army dug two layers of trenches, one inside the city and another outside. From a distance, all that could be seen were densely packed deer antlers and trenches that looked like coiled pythons, a sight that made one frown.

Such a fortified camp cannot be breached by ordinary soldiers; only elite troops can be deployed to attack it.

Li Bingchang and Ma Shuo waved their hands.

The first wave of Tangut cavalry charged in like a tidal wave.

All the Tangut generals dismounted and silently prayed for victory, hoping that Li Yuanhao's spirit in heaven would protect them.

Meanwhile, the Song army in the camp below the city had suffered repeated defeats against the Dangxiang, but in recent years they had become more and more spirited and had long been accustomed to the Dangxiang cavalry charges.

Even now, a hundred or so Song soldiers dare to leave the camp and fight with the Dangxiang troops below.

Today is no different, as the Tangut troops are destroying the Song army's fortifications.

The Song army left the camp and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Dangxiang troops beside the trenches.

Seeing that the Song army dared to come out of the city to challenge them with such a small force, the Tangut army was furious.

Among the Song soldiers was Aduochuo, who had argued with the Han soldiers a month earlier. This man was known for taking more than his share of the food and drink in the army and often clashed with the Han gentry, but he was also genuinely brave and fierce.

Therefore, the camp commander both loved and hated Aduochuo.

Aduchuo, carrying a long sword, rushed out of the village gate, his iron armor gleaming coldly in the blazing sun.

Aduochuo muttered to himself, "The Han official said that if I cut off two more heads in this battle, he would give me an official position, like a deputy captain."

"I don't care. Why should I risk my life for the Han people?"

"But I heard the rewards are pretty good. This time at the Battle of Lingzhou, a head can be exchanged for six bolts of silk."

Dust billowed outside the stockade, and the Tangut cavalry had already approached the moat, their arrows flying like locusts, buzzing as they struck the wooden palisade.

The rain of arrows weakened after a short while.

Aduchuo roared angrily, clashing his sword and shield together and shouting battle cries.

"Circle forward!"

The head constable has already spoken.

No trenches were dug in front of the camp gate, so the Song soldiers with swords and shields lined up in a dense square formation and stepped forward. The Dangxiang cavalry dared not charge, and immediately rode past from a distance and thrust their spears straight at Adu's throat.

Aduchuo dodged to the side, then with a backhand slash, severed the horse's leg. The warhorse neighed and fell to the ground, while the rider tumbled into the dust.

Before the other man could get up, a Song soldier had already stepped on his chest, his long sword piercing through his armor, and blood splattered all over his face.

"This head is mine!" Aduchuo cursed.

As they spoke, several Tangut infantrymen approached, axes gleaming coldly.

Instead of retreating, Aduchuo advanced, first severing one man's wrist, then cleaving another man's waist and abdomen. Another man's axe blade grazed his shoulder armor, sparks flying, but he endured the pain, twisting his body, and with the blade moving from bottom to top, he cleaved open the enemy soldier's chest and abdomen.

At this moment, Song crossbowmen on the stockade wall seized the opportunity to fire arrows, suppressing the following Tangut cavalry.

The Tangut cavalrymen were shot down, and the Tanguts in front of the trap on the other side also fell off their horses one after another.

Arrows rained down from the Song army's camp, and the Iron Falcon's heavy armor shattered under the penetration of the Divine Arm Bow.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Aduchuo stepped on the head of another dying enemy soldier and cut off his head.

"hey-hey!"

A-duochuo revealed a kind yet cruel smile. Although he hadn't killed the man, his head had been returned.

Despite his injuries, Atuochuo remained fierce and shouted at the fleeing Tanguts, "Come on!"

However, the routed Tangut troops did indeed return.

Ignoring casualties, the Tangut army slowly advanced with their royal banners. It turned out that the Tangut king was leading his personal army to press forward, their warhorses trampling over the corpses of their comrades, heading straight for the Song army's camp walls.

The gates of Lingzhou City suddenly burst open, and the garrison inside the city and the troops of the military supervisor outside the city rushed out at the same time, attacking the Song army camp from three sides.

The sound of gongs rang out behind them, forcing the Song soldiers who were stationed outside the stockade to return to their camp to defend it.

Although Aduchuo was somewhat reluctant, he knew that military orders were absolute, so he turned around and responded, leaving behind a ground full of corpses and scorched earth studded with arrows outside the camp.

Moments later, the Tangut troops had reached the gate of the stockade.

Guo Cheng led his swordsmen and shieldmen to defend the gate, their spears like a forest, piercing through the Dangxiang infantrymen who rushed to the foot of the wall.

Peng Sun then directed the crossbowmen to concentrate their fire on the location of Li Bingchang's command flag. The arrows pierced the iron armor, and the guards fell one after another.

Li Bingchang's spear tip was stained with blood; his warhorse had just been nearly overturned by a Song army crossbow bolt. He staggered to his feet and saw that the Song army within the camp was well-organized, and even when they went out into the field to fight, they were as fierce as the Tangut soldiers who fought to the death.

Such an army might not win even in open field battles, let alone when attacking a fortified village.

But the Song army camp remained completely still.

In the distance, beneath the walls of Lingzhou, Song soldiers lit oil canisters and threw them at the Tangut troops charging towards their camp.

Amidst the billowing black smoke, he saw that the military supervisor's troops had begun to retreat.

"Your Majesty! The Song people's chain of fortifications is impossible to break through!" Li Qing shouted, grabbing his arm armor.

Li Bingchang forcefully shook off him, seized an unclaimed warhorse, and charged towards the stockade wall once more.

The king, fearless of death, led thousands of Tangut cavalrymen through a hail of arrows, charging into the Song army's spear formation beneath the camp walls.

After a long and fierce battle, Li Bingchang was forcibly taken away by his personal guards. He saw his long spear break, his iron armor shatter, and blood blurring his vision.

At this moment, the land beneath Lingzhou City was soaked in blood.

The Song army camp still stood, while banners and flags of the Tangut people fell one after another before the Song army's ironclad fortress. Li Bingchang looked towards the walls of Lingzhou, and a metallic taste rose in his throat once more.

Many generals also perished in the battle to capture the camp. Many generals watched their soldiers fall one after another, and they themselves, disregarding everything, grabbed a long spear and charged into the Song army camp without hesitation.

A white-haired old general who had once followed Li Yuanhao was covered in blood and squatted down, weeping like a three-year-old child.

The Tangut generals on both sides stamped their feet and wept.

"Why can't it be broken? Why just can't it be broken?"

"There's just no way to deal with this kind of ordinary fortress."

"Why! Why?"

"How many soldiers have died! Why can't we even break through a single village?"

"Is Heaven going to destroy my Great White Kingdom?"

"Your Majesty, let's retreat!" Li Qing stepped forward and pleaded.

At this moment, Li Bingchang murmured to himself, "This is probably what Zhang Yuan felt when he looked at Haoshuichuan back then!"