You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 70 Stabilizing the Five Prefectures
In a daze, Chen Shao suddenly heard a cheer.

He suddenly opened his eyes and saw that all the soldiers on the fortress were cheering loudly at the same time!

When they saw Chen Shao wake up, they all gathered around.

"Commander, the Xia traitors have retreated!"

"The Xia traitors have retreated!"

Chen Shao shook his head, wondering if he was still asleep and dreaming.

Dong Dahu, who was beside him, grabbed his hand and said, "Look!"

Chen Shao jumped up in a motion almost like a carp leaping out of its shell!

He lay on the stockade wall, looking in the direction of the Western Xia troops, and sure enough, they were retreating.

Chen Shao leaned on the spear, his eyes wide, his hands and feet trembling with excitement.

In his mind, he first silently went through the names of Tong Guan, Zhong Shidao, Zhong Shizhong, Yao Gu, and Liu Yanqing one by one, then he opened his mouth and shouted, "Holy shit!"

"These spineless bastards, cowardly rats, their testicles are shrunk to the size of beans, and they've been eating military rations for decades for nothing!"

"Your Uncle Shao will kill you all sooner or later! Kill you all! Kill all these cowardly beasts! And kill that dog emperor too!"

Everyone assumed he was cursing Xia the traitor, and they all joined in the cursing.

After suppressing his feelings for so long, Chen Shao felt a real sense of relief and satisfaction from venting his anger. Suddenly, he felt a dryness and itchiness in his throat, and his head felt dizzy.

After enduring for six or seven days, he finally couldn't hold on any longer.

His vision went black, and he almost fell, but luckily Dong Dahu reacted quickly and caught him.

When Chen Shao woke up again, he was lying on a large bed in Mugua Village.

Wrapped in two layers of new padded jackets, the cold air felt like fine needles piercing through my bones, and my head felt both sore and heavy.

It felt like there was a sea buckthorn thorn stuck in my throat; even swallowing saliva was painful.

This was clearly a cold, and he dared not be careless, as even a cold could be fatal at this time.

Ultimately, my body couldn't hold on, but I had indeed reached my limit.

"Master, you're awake!"

Whenever they were in the military camp, Chen Shao and Dong Dahu always slept in the same tent.

Chen Shao nodded and said, "Bring me a glass of water."

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps sounded outside, and Han Shizhong strode in.

His body was covered in wounds, hastily wrapped in cloth, and he was bald without a felt hat. The cold rain and the continuous fighting hadn't made this man bend over at all; he showed no signs of fatigue, only high spirits.

"Commander, you're awake!" Han Shizhong's eyes were filled with surprise as he quickly went to the bedside, took the hot water from Dong Dahu's hand, and handed it to him.

After taking a sip to moisten his throat, Chen Shao nodded.

He then said, "Are there enough medicinal herbs in the village? The brothers have been rolling in the mud for seven or eight days, and they're probably all catching colds."

Han Shizhong was slightly taken aback, then said, "Thanks to the commander, we not only have abundant food and fodder, but also a lot of medicinal herbs."

His respect for Chen Shao increased even further. This man had fainted from exhaustion, but when he woke up, the first thing he did was to care about the soldier.

You deserve this great achievement; your future is limitless!
"Why did the Xia thief retreat?"

Han Shizhong quickly recounted what had happened at the Meicang tribe. It turned out that Meicang Pang Ge hadn't lied that day; after he tricked the door open, Han Shizhong led his men and rushed in.

After their initial slaughter, they didn't pursue the fleeing enemy but instead set fire to the area. Despite the continuous rain, the Yeli tribe's guards, preferring to get soaked themselves, carefully protected the supplies and provisions, keeping them dry and easily ignited.
"Sure enough."

Chen Shao smiled, his voice low and hoarse, "Han Wu, you've done another great service!"

"It's all thanks to the Holy Emperor's protection, Commander Tong's skillful deployment, and Commander Chen's excellent command. My humble contribution is nothing!"

Chen Shao waved his finger, laughed at him a few times, and muttered curses under his breath.

Han Shizhong, supporting his knees, and the two of them burst into laughter.

After a while, Han Shizhong said, "Commander, the Huanqing Army and the Fuyan Army have both gone out to chase after them."

Chen Shao nodded. There was nothing he could do about it; were they supposed to let these people go after them?

This time, Han Shizhong and I have truly made a contribution. I just don't know how much flesh Tong Guan can take from Western Xia.

"The Mukang tribe you mentioned."

Han Shizhong quickly whispered, "They're near Yanzhou."

Han Shizhong's voice was always loud, so his sudden lowering of it meant something was on his mind. Chen Shao immediately understood; this rascal Han Wu was thinking the same thing as him again.

Having made such a great contribution, it would be impossible not to reward him.

Moreover, he was originally Tong Guan's protégé. This time, he helped him defend the Western Xia Richard and also suppressed the Western Army. There was no reason for Tong Guan not to promote him.

If they could take Yanzhou, it would be like planting a thorn between Xingqing Prefecture, the capital of Western Xia, and the five prefectures of Dingnan, the birthplace of their dynasty.

Tong Guan and the Western Army will definitely attack Yanzhou, then threaten Yanchi, and then slowly take over Xiazhou, Suizhou, Yinzhou, Youzhou, and Jingzhou.

These five prefectures, collectively known as the Dingnan Five Prefectures, were the "Eastern Border Defense Zone" of Western Xia and have always been the focus of contention between Song and Xia.

Tuoba Sigong, the ancestor of the Western Xia royal family, was appointed as the military governor of Dingnan Army by Emperor Xizong of Tang for his meritorious service in suppressing the Huang Chao Rebellion. He governed the four prefectures of Xia, Sui, Yin, and You. Jingzhou was added at the end of the Tang Dynasty, forming a "land of five prefectures".

After the Tuoba clan conquered these territories, although they officially recognized the calendar, they were in reality regional military governors.

In other words, the Western Xia ruled their territory for a much longer period than the Song Dynasty ruled the Central Plains; their rule began as early as the Tang Dynasty.

Dingnan Five Prefectures is backed by Hengshan Mountain and surrounded by Qiang tribes.

Su Shi once said, "The only thing the Xia bandits rely on is the Qiang people living in the Hengshan area. If we cut off their arm, they will be attacked from both sides."

Everyone understands the principle and knows the importance of taking over this place, but over the years, the Song Dynasty has successively taken over several prefectures, but has never taken over Yin and Xia prefectures.

The two prefectures of Yin and Xia are located on the northern foothills of the Hengshan Mountains, guarding the entrance to the Wuding River valley. They combine the military resources, horse farms, salt production, and ancestral lands of the Western Xia Dynasty.

If we can't take Yinzhou and Xiazhou, even if we capture the nearby prefectures, they will be taken back sooner or later.

If they could occupy Yanzhou, they would have the opportunity to gradually erode its territory. Chen Shao and Han Shizhong tacitly set their sights on this lucrative prize.

If this small group of Chen and Han wanted to rise from the Northwest, they had to rely on their own efforts to develop the land. Every inch of the land of the Great Song Dynasty already had its own masters.

Those local bullies are like giant trees; although the shade they provide doesn't cover much land, their roots have spread throughout the entire area.

He himself could not have taken Yanzhou, but this time Richard fled in such a hurry that the main force of the Song Dynasty's Western Army, along with Tong Guan's victorious army, chased after him.

The probability of the Western Army capturing Yanzhou is very high!
However, after the capture, it was up to Tong Guan to decide who to send to garrison the area.

Chen Shao knew that he had to get these territories back from Tong Guan.

Once you get your hands on it and establish a firm foothold, you will no longer be subject to anyone else's control.

He became one of the military leaders of the various routes in the Northwest.

(End of this chapter)