You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 72 Seeking Credit and Rewards

Most of the soldiers in Shengjie Army were very satisfied with Chen Shao.

He asked Liu Guanglie to pull some strings and sent him letters several times, telling him not to be stingy with the money.

If less money is spent, it means less work is done. The initial investment hasn't even been used up yet, so how can we make progress?

Liu Guanglie was puzzled. His cousin seemed to hate money; once he got his hands on it, he had to spend it.

Even though the money came from a woman, it's not something to be taken lightly.

However, he has one good point: he knows he's not very clever, so he simply doesn't use his brain.

He's good at spending money, and he's an even bigger expert at giving gifts.

This defense of Hengshan has stirred up a sense of guilt towards Chen Shao among the victorious army.

He became increasingly popular, and several officers who weren't very familiar with him before came over to say hello.

Chen Shao welcomed everyone and acted like a familiar friend; they quickly became very close.

Just as they were chatting, a series of orderly footsteps hurriedly approached.

Everyone immediately perked up and prepared to greet them at the village gate.

Tong Guan rode up on horseback, his eyes scanning the crowd, and finally found the battered Chen Shao in the crowd.

Before he could even speak, Chen Shao limped up to him, his eyes red and looking rather pitiful.

"Handsome En!"

Han Shizhong stared wide-eyed, wanting to carefully observe Commander Chen's performance. Before the age of thirty, he might have looked down on him, but after thirty, he only wanted to study hard.

Tong Guan's dismounting posture was still quite handsome, at least more presentable than Chen Shao's.

When Chen Shao approached, he did not cry out his grievances or pound his chest to express his loyalty. Instead, he clasped his hands and said, "My lord, I thought we would never meet again."

With that one sentence of gratitude, Chen Shao immediately said, "This time, you have made a great contribution to the Xuan Commander and the Great Song Dynasty! My lord, you don't know, this Richard is a complete mad dog!"

Han Shizhong was stunned.

Which of the Thirty-Six Stratagems is this? Why are you directly asking for rewards for your achievements? That's so undignified.

Tong Guan was also taken aback; he actually felt somewhat guilty.

No matter what Chen Shao said, he would feel indebted, but Chen Shao's attempt to take credit actually dissolved this resentment.

What does it mean to be one of our own? This is what it means to be one of our own; he doesn't play tricks on me.

Tong Guan recalled that when he sent them away from Bianliang, the other junior officers who were promoted all patted their chests and promised to make contributions for him.

Only Chen Shao said something truly caring: "I wish Commander En good health."

Tong Guan smiled and said, "Brother Shao fought well this time, bringing glory to our victorious army!"

The people around cheered.

As the group entered the main hall of the fortress, Chen Shao noticed that Tong Guan had very few subordinates, with only Zhao Liangsi by his side.

His entourage used to consist mostly of men selected from Bianliang to gain military merit. After Liu Fa's major defeat in the New Year, these Bianliang quails all found various excuses to run away.

Tong Guan's subordinates suddenly began to scatter.

At this time, Zhao Liangsi was in charge of military affairs for Tong Guan. He was a surrendered official of the Liao Dynasty and had no powerful backing. He was devoted to Tong Guan and waited for Tong Guan to attack the Liao Dynasty.

Zhao Liangsi glanced at Chen Shao, recalling his various faces, and felt even more that this man was gloomy, fickle, and not someone to be trusted.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Tong Guan asked with a smile, "Brother Shao, you have indeed rendered a great service this time. Tell me, what do you want?"

"Commander En, I am willing to serve under you and guard Yanzhou!"

"Yanzhou?" Tong Guan was stunned again. He thought about it carefully and realized that the Song Dynasty had not yet taken Yanzhou.

Tong Guan frowned slightly and looked at Chen Shao.

Chen Shao immediately said, "To be honest, General, a group of Qiang people played a crucial role in forcing Richard to retreat this time. They were from the Meicang tribe. They tricked the Xia bandits into opening their granary, which allowed Richard, who had run out of supplies, to retreat." "The Meicang tribe has been suppressed for a long time because of the Meicang Empress. Now that something like this has happened, how can they not be afraid that the Western Xia will take the opportunity to punish them?"

"The Mezang tribe has always been near the salt lake, and there are also many Mezang people in Yanzhou City. As long as they are willing to cooperate from within and without, they will surely help Commander En take Yanzhou."

Tong Guan's eyes lit up, and Zhao Liangsi, who had always been dissatisfied with Chen Shao, also straightened up, feeling that this was an opportunity.

At this moment, Han Shizhong, who had been in the crowd, was suddenly agitated and coughed loudly.

Chen Shao understood immediately and said, "My subordinate Han Shizhong has become sworn brothers with Mozang Pangge, a relative of the leader of Mozang. Please give him five thousand men, and we will surely be able to take Yanzhou."

Han Shizhong immediately pushed through the crowd, crossed his arms, and said, "I, Han Shizhong, am willing to sign a military pledge!"

Tong Guan reviewed the terrain around the salt lake in his mind and made a decision.

He then turned to look at Zhao Liangsi, who also nodded slightly.

"Alright, I'll give you eight thousand men, ten thousand, ten thousand men!"

Han Shizhong was overjoyed and hurriedly clasped his hands in a salute.

The victorious army only numbered in the tens of thousands? Tong Guan really showed some guts this time.

He was actually quite helpless. Those bastards in the Western Army were so slow and hesitant when it came to sending reinforcements, but once Richard was defeated, they were swift as the wind when it came to chasing him.

The victorious army is probably no match for them.

It would be better to dig into the salt lake.

Tong Guan looked at Chen Shao, pointed to the location of the salt lake on the map, and said, "This place is located between Xingqing Prefecture and Dingnan Prefecture. Occupying this place is equivalent to cutting off the two capitals of Western Xia. Do you really want to go? Moreover, in the future, you will be at the forefront of Song and Xia."

"Commander, I've heard that those military leaders in the Western Army are quite disrespectful to you, and I'm furious. These scoundrels just think that our Victorious Army can't fight without them. I'm going to show them that we can fight, and we can fight better than them!"

Tong Guan was also busy pursuing the enemy and taking the opportunity to capture some cities of Western Xia in order to wash away the shame of Tong'an City.

He didn't linger there long before continuing his journey with his troops.

After riding on horseback for a while, Tong Guan began to feel some strain, as he was getting on in years.

Although years of military service have honed his physical strength, old age cannot rely on physical strength alone.

Zhao Liangsi summoned a carriage and sat down with Tong Guan.

"Commander Xuan."

After hesitating for a long time, Zhao Liangsi finally spoke up, "What does Commander Xuan think of Chen Shao?"

“Shao-ge’er?” Tong Guan laughed. “He is one of my trusted confidants.”

Zhao Liangsi stroked his beard and said, "Isn't this man a bit too scheming? I've heard that he spends money like water, and those close to Commander Xuan have all benefited from his favors."

Tong Guan chuckled, unconvinced.

Those below who want to advance, which one doesn't scheme and plot?
Don't you try to scheme and plot?

All he had was to curry favor with the current emperor in order to obtain this position.

Does using inferior methods mean one is disloyal to the current emperor?

Tong Guan judged others by his own standards. He was absolutely loyal to Zhao Ji, so he believed that no matter what methods Chen Shao used, he would not betray him.

Just as his power came from the current emperor, Chen Shao, whom he had promoted, was now bearing his own mark.

Only by standing firm can he climb up the ladder.

Therefore, Tong Guan was not afraid of Chen Shao's great ambition. In Tong Guan's view, the greater Chen Shao's ambition, the more loyal he would be to him.

Moreover, Chen Shao's work truly satisfied him, and his ability to defend Hengshan this time proved that he was indeed capable.

In the future campaign against Liao, it will surely be of great help to me.

(End of this chapter)