You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 89 Two Types of Intellectual Stimulation
Chen Shao set up a stockade not far from the river and arranged for scouts to be scattered in all directions.

Then they began to build fortifications such as sentry posts and deer antlers, and also dug many horse traps in front of the camp.

The grassland stretches as far as the eye can see. If you build a watchtower, you can see a great distance and not have to worry about being attacked.

Moreover, Xiazhou City was said to have 50,000 cavalry, so Chen Shao dared not let Han Shizhong lead elite cavalry as the vanguard to penetrate deep into the heart of Xiazhou again.

We're already very close to Xiazhou; I guess they're getting restless.

The war is about to start.

As Chen Shao had predicted, the troops from Xiazhou City arrived that afternoon after he set up camp by the river.

Several generals led their troops to arrive one after another, with a large cavalry vanguard. They were wary of Chen Shao's early foothold and dared not directly attack the camp.

Chen Shao's troops lacked elite cavalry and could not fight alone on horseback. The cavalry also dared not advance rashly and could only hold onto the infantry formation, with the infantry and cavalry supporting each other.

Han Shizhong rode his horse back and forth in front of the camp, getting very close to spy on the military situation. Every now and then, a cold arrow would fly by. Han Shizhong would either dodge it or deflect it, and he would also turn around and shout insults to provoke them.

Through the drifting smoke and dust, he could see the opposing formation, roughly crescent-shaped, facing his own direction.

Han Shizhong immediately realized that they intended to encircle and annihilate all of his troops.

He sneered inwardly. These Tangut barbarians had quite the appetite, but he wondered how strong their teeth were.

The two sides faced off, with swords and spears like a forest and men and horses like a sea. The once quiet and fertile fields were now bustling with noise and activity.

The most tense situation is when both armies are defenseless and very close to each other.

No one knows when the other side will launch a surprise attack.

Chen Shao remained calm, knowing his own fighting strength; even if they couldn't achieve a complete victory, they could certainly withstand the enemy's onslaught.

Especially as the rear was stabilized, more and more tribes joined their camp.

They were unfamiliar with Chen Shao and had no reason to follow him, but they hated the Western Xia to the core.

As a dynasty that lasted for so many years, the Western Xia Dynasty fought against the Song Dynasty from the very beginning of its existence.

Despite being known as the "weak Song," the Song Dynasty was still a central empire; how weak could it really be?

Therefore, the Western Xia and Song fought for more than a hundred years, and the use of manpower must have been extremely severe. The exploitation of the tribes below them must have been exceptionally ruthless.

Previously, everyone was loose and unarmed, and in the face of the powerful ruling machine of Western Xia, they could only let them exploit them.

Now that a force capable of fighting the Western Xia has arrived, and one even larger than the Western Xia, and with Chen Shao constantly extending goodwill and promising to ensure they live better lives than before, they are naturally happy to join.

It was similar to how, at the end of the Jin Dynasty, powerful Han Chinese in the north collectively joined Kublai Khan's army.

"The ruler of Chenliu! The ruler of Chenliu!"

A shout came from behind.

Chen Shao turned his head and saw that the newcomer was dressed in full armor. His face was wide and round, and his forehead was covered by an iron helmet, making his face look even shorter.

He also saw Chen Shao, so he spurred his horse and caught up with him.

"you are?"

Although Chen Shao's subordinates called him "Marshal Jie," in reality, Chen Shao was somewhat unworthy of the title.

Because he was only the acting military governor and not appointed as the military governor, his real power was that of the military commissioner of Dingnan Army, which was not enough to qualify him as the commander-in-chief.

Therefore, those who are called "Jie Shuai" are generally Chen Shao's own subordinates and his close associates.

The newcomer clasped his hands in greeting and said, "This humble general is Kang Sui, a secretary under General Zhong of Yan'an Prefecture."

Chen Shao nodded and asked, "How is Grand Commandant Zhong?"

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Chenliu. The old minister is doing well. He was even happier to learn that Lord Chenliu had captured Hongzhou."

"That's good, that's good!" Chen Shao laughed. "I'm also from the Northwest. My ancestors served the Western Army for generations, and my father died on the battlefield. In the hearts of us, Grand Commandant Zhong holds a special place."

Kang Sui chuckled but remained silent, inwardly cursing him for being shameless.

Back then, you surrounded the enemy without attacking, which almost made Old Master Zhong so angry that he sent someone to urge you on. You didn't have this attitude.

Now Chen Shaoyin is showing signs of distancing himself from Tong Guan, which is very advantageous for the Western Army.

What they feared most was that after Tong Guan helped Chen Shao rise to power, he would stay here specifically to oppose the Western Army and divide it.

Since they have grown distant, the Western Army should take advantage of the situation and try to win him over.

If Chen Shao were no longer under Tong Guan's control and could hold the front line, providing a buffer for the various routes in Shaanxi, then he would be in the best interest of the Western Army.

Even if Chen Shao conquered Western Xia and established his own independent regime here, he would still nominally submit to the Song Dynasty.

Therefore, the Song Dynasty would have to use the Western Army to counterbalance him.

The war is over, but the military and political power remain intact. This is the ultimate goal of the Western Army.

"General Zhong, having heard that Chen Liuhou has led his troops to attack Xia Prefecture, deeply appreciates Chen Liuhou's concern for the country and its people, and has specially sent me here. Chen Liuhou has absolutely no need to worry about the Xia bandits in Yin Prefecture and Xiangyou Military Command. We will definitely stop the enemy in Yin Prefecture."

Chen Shao was speechless after hearing this. He habitually rubbed his forehead a few times before saying, "Please tell Grand Commandant Zhong that we are all from the Northwest and have suffered from the Western Xia for generations. Now that the opportunity has come, we should seize it without hesitation."

What did the governor of Chenliu mean by this?

Chen Shao pondered for a moment and said, "Your army is strong and well-equipped. Yinzhou is practically on the border between Song and Xia, and is surrounded by you. Now that your army has set out, each side is besieging a city. Why don't you focus on attacking Yinzhou instead of trying to stop the Western Xia reinforcements for me? Do you think I, Chen Shao, am attacking Xiazhou for my own benefit?"

His speech became faster and faster, and his voice became louder and louder.

Kang Sui was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself: Isn't that right? Everyone in the Northwest knows what kind of person you, Chen Shao, are. Tong Guan, who promoted you with all his might, now has to take advantage of you when things don't go your way.

I heard that Tong Xuan was so handsome that he fainted right there in the central command tent.

What high-profile act is he making now?
These words, of course, could not be spoken aloud. Kang Sui could only say with a stern face, "I will convey Chen Liuhou's words to Lord Zhong."

Chen Shao pointed with his riding whip at the Xia army's cavalry camp in the distance and said, "Look, a great battle is imminent. We are facing the strongest enemy here with inferior forces. I hope you will also work hard to take Yinzhou as soon as possible and meet us here for a hunt."

After everyone left, Han Shizhong said with a smile, "That Secretary Kang seems a bit resentful. I hope he won't speak ill of the General when he gets back."

Chen Shao laughed and reined in his horse, saying, "Old Zhong and Young Zhong are from military families and are arrogant. I'll provoke them and get them to work harder so that we can take Yinzhou City!"

Once Yinzhou is breached, Xiazhou will be completely isolated and helpless.

At that time, they will be surrounded on three sides. The only part not controlled by the Song army, the northern part, will be occupied by the grassland tribes that are not yet called 'Mongol'. They will not be their reinforcements, but rather more likely to take advantage of the situation and bite them.

At that time, we can use the Song Dynasty's fortified village tactics to gradually starve them out.

Looking at the massive cavalry force opposite him, Chen Shao, to be honest, didn't want to push them too far.
Even if they win a desperate battle, they'll likely lose most of the tens of thousands of troops they've painstakingly gathered.

It should be noted that even a hundred years later, at the height of the Mongol Empire, these stubborn tribes of the Western Xia still fiercely resisted.

Enraged, the Mongols launched a brutal attack on Zhongxingfu, indiscriminately killing 80 people.

That wasn't all; they also completely burned down the palace and all the Western Xia's books, and even dug up and destroyed the graves of the nobles.

The use of the Western Xia script was strictly prohibited, and all inscriptions and scrolls were destroyed.

This is tantamount to completely erasing this once powerful and incredibly resilient civilization.

The Mongols had the time and the resources to fight them to the death, but we didn't.
Beneath the walls of Yinzhou City.

Inside Master Zhong's large tent.

Seeing the generals, their faces flushed with anger, Zhong Shidao chuckled.

"Why are you all angry? What he said is actually true. It's just that you think this guy is of bad character and doesn't deserve to talk about us."

"Actually, if you think about it carefully, what he said makes sense. We should give it our all."

Yinzhou City is located at the foot of Hengshan Mountain. It has been besieged for so many years, yet it still cannot be captured, which is hardly a glorious thing.

Historically, it was around this time that Tong Guan amassed a large army and briefly captured Yinzhou.

Then it was lost again very quickly.

During the Yuanfeng campaign against the Xia dynasty, Zhong E also captured Yinzhou. At that time, a large area where the Zhong family army is now stationed was under the jurisdiction of Yinzhou.

It was captured by Zhong E, who built Yongle City, which was then incorporated into the territory of the Song Dynasty.

The reason why Zhong Jiajun stood out in the Western Army and why Zhong Shidao became the spiritual leader of the Western Army was ultimately because they were strong and had a good track record.

Zhong Shidao recalled the glory of his father's generation and thought to himself:

Now, another crucial moment has arrived, much like when Emperor Yuanfeng attacked Xia. Should we fall behind?

Chen Shao has won many big victories in a row, including some key battles that changed the course of the game.

Despite having a stronger paper army, the Zhong family army has yet to achieve anything significant.

Let's take Yinzhou City to bring glory to the Zhong family army and live up to our fathers' aspirations!

Xiao Zhong, the strategist, also stood up and said coldly, "Then let's fight!"

At Zhong Shidao's command, the Zhong family army finally sprang into action again, once more approaching Yinzhou City.

The city's defenders were used to it and quickly assembled their troops to defend the city.

But they soon realized something was wrong; this siege was much more intense than before.

From the very beginning, this siege was the most brutal and devastating.

Beneath the city wall, dozens of soldiers, holding large shields, leaned firmly against the base of the wall, using their shields to hold down five or six long ladders.

Behind these long ladders, groups of Western Army soldiers were swarming together. The first batch of armored warriors to go up the city wall almost all lost their lives, but they still could not stop the continuous stream of brave warriors from climbing the city wall.

Beneath the city walls, corpses and stones were everywhere. A narrow moat spanned a makeshift bridge. Below the bridge, corpses were piled up in various positions.

Outside the moat, rows of crossbowmen were desperately hurling arrows at the city walls.

Because Yinzhou City guards the border between Song and Xia, it has ample defensive equipment. Although it lacks the resources to strengthen the fortifications outside the city, it defends with exceptional determination.

Both the large and small horses rode their horses and watched the battle from a distance.

Tong Xuanshuai has been in Fubian for more than ten years. He brought nothing else with him, but he instilled the idea of ​​preserving strength in the hearts of every Western Army general.

Especially after Liu Fa died.

It had been a long time since they had commanded their troops in such a tough battle.

But not fighting doesn't mean we can't fight. The Zhong family army is a first-class elite force. Zhong Shidao waved his hand.

His personal guards immediately waved command flags, and soon a desolate bugle call rang out.

Before long, drums and bugles sounded in unison, and tens of thousands of infantrymen, arranged in square formations and holding shields, slowly approached Yinzhou City along with siege equipment.

(End of this chapter)