[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-313":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558479,2024,"Chapter 313: Making a Show of Force","shao-song-chapter-313",313,"\u003Cp>In the first phase of the Northwest Campaign launched in the spring of the sixth year of Jianyan, the Great Song had taken full advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost all the cities and lands seized by the Western Xia after the Jingkang Incident had been methodically recovered, and Yan'an was gradually being encircled from two sides... This was only natural, because the Western Xia itself could not mount an effective defense beyond its traditional defensive line, and at the same time, the Jurchens, who were the true military power brokers, were persistently unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility in the war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was wrong with the Western Xia? What was wrong with the Jurchens? To put it simply... it was the medieval military problem of offense versus defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, it was the problem of the cost of offense versus defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When both sides possessed mature artillery technology, it would be ridiculous to use ancient maxims like \"with ten times the troops, surround them\" as a standard. But the problem was that even so, for the attacker to break the defender, they still needed to first form a multiple advantage in combat power, manpower, and logistical reserves over the defender before they could act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, when the combat power of both sides was not vastly different, the attacking side would inevitably suffer more setbacks overall, while the defending side had a greater probability of success overall. What is called a strategic stalemate would then naturally form. And if there were natural geographical barriers between the two sides that increased military costs, such as the Yellow River, the Yellow River, and again the Yellow River, this would further strengthen the pattern of stalemate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, the key was not in Wanyan Wushu's speed of judgment, not in Li Qianshun's direction of decision-making, not in the combat effectiveness of the Jin Army, not in the number of Western Xia troops, and certainly not in the Song Army's careful scheming or the lack of coordination between Jin and Western Xia after being forced into battle. The key was that by this year of the war, a strategic balance had been re-established between Song and Jin-Western Xia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, whoever abandoned defense to attack would, from a theoretical expectation, always seem to be getting the short end of the stick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this also gave rise to a natural question, a question that made Li Qianshun constantly probe and Wanyan Wushu continually feel doubt—if this were the case, how was the Song Army capable of launching an offensive? Even if it was at Yan'an on the other side of the Yellow River? How had the Song people managed to stockpile so much grain, military supplies, and weapons within a single year? Why was the Zhao Song Emperor so resolute?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it that the easy pacification of the south after Yaoshan and the easy recovery of Jingdong had made him so elated that he had lost his true judgment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, that would naturally be a good thing, but even then, it was still the same old saying—no one dared to gamble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We don't have the capability to attack over there, at the very least, we can't really stage a major decisive battle on the Hengshan-Yan'an battlefield.\" Standing before the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor on Qiaoshan, north of Fangzhou city, Zhao Jiu, who had been listening with his hands behind his back to the military situation summaries and suggestions from the two military commanders, directly gave his answer. \"Because if we really attack now, it will be a battle involving at least a hundred thousand men. In a battle of a hundred thousand men, if the enemy simply holds their position and refuses to fight for two months, it will be enough to exhaust our logistics, and we will naturally be defeated without a fight... Therefore, without an order, no one is permitted to expand the scale of the war at will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shizhong and Wu Jie, who had specifically returned from the east and north to report on the battle situation, exchanged a glance and simply cupped their hands in acknowledgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, this was the advantage of having the Emperor in command, or rather, this was the reason why Zhao Jiu, even though he no longer went to the very front line, still insisted on staying behind the front line to keep watch... Don't think of these 'famous generals of old' as harmless lambs. In fact, if he were not here, Wu Jie and Han Shizhong would likely have followed the momentum of the war and directly attacked Yan'an. Yuwen Xuzhong would not have been able to stop them. Hu Yin might have been able to hold them back, but it wouldn't have been so easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even, if they had anticipated Hu Yin's attitude in advance, these military leaders might have acted directly while seeking opinions, creating a fait accompli that would have forced Yuwen Xuzhong and Hu Yin to clean up their mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with the Son of Heaven here, they dared not do this. They could only come to report first and request instructions, and they even had to come together in pairs... Unexpectedly, the Son of Heaven could make them abandon their previous restless intentions with just one sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But we can't not fight either... The only key to this battle is actually to ensure that the main field force of the Western Xia behind Hengshan cannot withdraw.\" Zhao Jiu turned around and spoke on the steps in front of the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And we cannot let the Western Xia panic to the point of a full national mobilization.\" Hu Yin stepped forward half a pace, cupping his hands and responding before Han Shizhong, who was beside him, could answer. \"In normal times, we would naturally hope for the Western Xia to mobilize the entire nation. That way, we could drag them to death after a few times... But now, according to the information sent by Vice Minister Hu, the Khitans sent someone back to the Western Liao in early March to notify Yelu Dashi to dispatch troops. Who knows when the thirty thousand Khitan army will arrive? That is the real key.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\" Zhao Jiu nodded in agreement, his back to the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor. \"The Western Liao is the key.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Western Liao... After learning that Yelu Dashi's core ruling area had shifted to the Western Regions and that he still commanded over thirty thousand troops, the civil and military officials of the Great Song unconsciously changed their title. It was no longer the Northern Liao, nor was it remnants. Instead, they used an apt title: the Western Liao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant understands.\" Han Shizhong immediately responded. \"As long as we make a show of force...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct, it is precisely making a show of force.\" Zhao Jiu nodded again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Your Majesty.\" Wu Jie, with his sallow face, suddenly frowned and interjected. \"Is the Western Liao truly reliable?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never expected to destroy the Western Xia in one battle.\" Zhao Jiu also frowned in response. \"As long as the Hexi Corridor is opened, it will be considered a success. Once the Hexi Corridor is opened, first, we cut off the Western Xia's arm; second, we bring the Western Liao into the game to suppress the Western Xia; third, we connect with the Western Regions, so the state no longer lacks horses... And Yelu Dashi has risen repeatedly after defeats, growing stronger with each setback for over a decade. With a man of this caliber, using a prepared mind against an unprepared one, leading thirty thousand troops to coordinate with Pengju's thirty thousand in a pincer attack, how could he possibly fail to take the empty six prefectures of Hexi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is not what your servant meant.\" Wu Jie solemnly cupped his hands in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Fangshan, Zhao Jiu, Hu Yin, and Han Shizhong were almost simultaneously taken aback. Even Yang Yizhong, who was standing by, and Lu Benzhong and other close attendants and officials who had just come from the capital to report information, were also slightly stunned... It was very clear that everyone immediately understood Wu Jie's implication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, in this scene, there was no need for implication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" Seeing that the Zhao Emperor had understood, Wu Jie stepped forward half a pace and solemnly warned. \"The Liao people are not easy to deal with... Your servant has no doubt about Yelu Dashi's talent, nor any worry about the Khitan's combat effectiveness, nor any concern about the mere six prefectures of Hexi. Because whether it's the Jurchens or the Western Xia, even if they had the wisdom of Marquis Wu of Zhuge, they probably never factored the Khitans of the Western Regions into their calculations from the start. This plan is essentially like us holding a heavenly opportunity. As long as we make a show of force and bluster in northern Shaanxi, we can reap the benefits without lifting a finger... But what I fear is that Yelu Dashi and the Western Liao might succeed too smoothly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What would happen if they succeeded too smoothly?\" In the warm wind of the third month, Zhao Jiu's expression became completely serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant means, Li Qianshun is also nearly fifty years old, having been the ruler for forty-seven or forty-eight years. How much shrewdness and capability does he have left? What if, in a moment of slow reaction, the Liao cavalry, following the Hexi corridor, thrust all the way to Xingqing Prefecture?\" Wu Jie became even more solemn. \"Moreover, the Liao and the Western Xia have been intermarrying for generations. Before the great Jin victory at Yinshan, Li Qianshun relied entirely on the Khitans. His Empress was a Yelu princess, and his Crown Prince was a Yelu grandson. Therefore, within the Western Xia, it's not just the Tanguts who have a favorable impression of the Khitans; there are even accompanying ministers who came with the Yelu princess who still hold high positions. At that time...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At that time, if Yelu Dashi occupies Xingqing Prefecture, will he become too powerful to control?\" Zhao Jiu continued along the other's line of thought. \"Will he imitate the story of Yanjing back then and bite us hard? Will he occupy Xingqing and Lingzhou to become a second Li Yuanhao?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant believes he will not.\" Just before Wu Jie was about to speak, Hu Yin once again preempted him. \"For the Western Liao and Yelu Dashi, the Jurchens are the mortal enemy who destroyed their state and the immediate threat. As long as those twenty Wanhu of the Jurchens still exist, as long as Yelu Dashi has even a shred of reason, he will not rashly provoke a conflict...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what if he does provoke one?\" Unexpectedly, Zhao Jiu chose to support Wu Jie this time. \"For the Great Song and for me, the Jurchens are also the mortal enemy who destroyed our state and the immediate threat. As long as those twenty Wanhu of the Jurchens on the other side of the river still exist, as long as I have even a shred of reason, I will not start an all-out war with the Western Liao over a mere piece of territory or a skirmish... Because the Khitans are not the Tanguts. The Tanguts, caught between Song and Jin, will only choose to follow the Jin and oppose us. But the Khitans, in the end, will choose to follow us and oppose the Jurchens.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yin was slightly taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An all-out war will certainly not happen, but skirmishes and probing actions are probably unavoidable.\" Zhao Jiu sighed rarely. \"The key is not to show weakness, not to yield... I think a brief reminder to Pengju will suffice; he will handle it properly... The key is the land of Xingqing and Lingzhou; we must be on guard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty previously promised the six prefectures and four departments of Hexi, not the land of Xingqing and Lingzhou...\" Lu Benzhong hastily interjected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This matter has nothing to do with promises or not; it will be decided on the battlefield. After experiencing the Alliance of the Seas, how can we still trust verbal agreements?\" Zhao Jiu shook his head impatiently, then stepped past Han Shizhong, who had been very obedient lately, and directly addressed Wu Jie. \"What does Minister Wu say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant still holds the same opinion as in the previous secret memorial.\" Wu Jie's spirits lifted greatly, and he quickly presented the plan he had prepared earlier. \"We can contact the Western Xia's Commander of Xiazhou, Weiming Heda, in advance. This man's original name was Xiao Heda. He was a accompanying minister of the deceased Western Xia Empress, Princess Yelu Nanxian. He has long held military power in Xiazhou. After the Liao fell, many Khitans from inside and outside the river went to him, but Li Qianshun stopped them... Your Majesty, in your servant's view, the reason the Khitans within the Western Xia could tolerate the deaths of Princess Nanxian and the Crown Prince is solely due to Li Qianshun's prestige from ruling for over forty years. But once Yelu Dashi appears in the heartland of the Western Xia, they might not be able to remain inactive. And these Khitans, after the death of the Khitan-blooded Empress and Crown Prince, are now mostly in the important town of Xiazhou, behind Hengshan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be known that Wu Jie, as the actual person in charge of the northern Shaanxi front, had been operating near the Western Xia border for nearly twenty years. He had long known the details of Weiming Heda and had reported this matter to the Zhao Emperor early on after the plan involving Yelu Dashi was conceived, and he even had a plan... His meaning was to calculate the timing of Yelu Dashi's troop dispatch, and before Yelu Dashi crossed the Hexi Corridor, directly incite Weiming Heda's rebellion. This would make it impossible for the Tanguts to attend to both ends, and might even give the Great Song a direct opportunity to seize the Hengshan defense line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhao Jiu had not agreed to it before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this time, after a slight hesitation, the Emperor still chose to slowly shake his head: \"I still hold the same opinion; we cannot prematurely expose Yelu Dashi's existence... Minister Wu also said that Li Qianshun, having been the Son of Heaven for nearly fifty years, has great prestige in his country. Since he could kill his wife and son and still trust Weiming Heda, it shows he still has some boldness. If we bungle it, it will be a complete loss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But what about the land of Xingqing and Lingzhou?\" Wu Jie seemed somewhat uneasy. \"If Yelu Dashi goes to the land of Xingqing and Lingzhou, and Weiming Heda responds from Xiazhou, and the heavy troops and prefectural armies of the Hengshan area all surrender to Yelu Dashi, what then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let Yue Pengju make the on-the-spot decision himself.\" Zhao Jiu thought for a moment and gave a decision that made Wu Jie slightly stunned. \"Send the discussions and intelligence from here over to him, and let him decide for himself how to deploy troops, when to deploy them, and where to deploy them... We are hundreds of li apart; there's no need to say too much. I trust him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie opened his mouth to speak but ultimately fell silent, and Han Shizhong also seemed to have something to say but held back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Wu.\" After finishing, Zhao Jiu suddenly asked with his hands behind his back. \"Have you heard some rumors?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Han Shizhong, Lu Benzhong, and the others were all startled. Yang Yizhong remained expressionless, while Hu Yin narrowed his eyes slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Wu Jie, he finally became somewhat flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Wu is different from the other military commanders.\" Seeing this, Zhao Jiu sighed and walked down from the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor with his hands behind his back, startling the others into following him. \"Minister Han of the Left Army and Minister Zhang of the Right Army are my comrades who have shared hardships with me. Minister Yue of the Front Army, Minister Li of the Central Army, and Minister Zhang of the Navy have an unspoken understanding with me. Minister Qu of the Cavalry Army also spent a whole year being tempered by my side... Only you, Minister Wu, although you cooperated well with me at Yaoshan, in essence, we can only be considered ordinary lord and minister who met by chance. It's not as profound as my relationship with the others, where I know their roots inside out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant's merits are indeed shallow, and my seniority is insufficient.\" Wu Jie quickly responded from behind. \"I cannot compare to the other Military Governors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you wanted to seek some military merit?\" Zhao Jiu asked as he walked. \"To stabilize your own position? Or to prove that the Rear Army of the Imperial Guard is battle-ready and usable?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie was silent for a moment, then honestly replied: \"Reporting to Your Majesty, both.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then you must have truly detected some rumors and movements.\" Zhao Jiu stated the fact in a remarkably calm tone. \"Many people in your Rear Army of the Imperial Guard and Han Shizhong's Left Army of the Imperial Guard have been embezzling and breaking the law. I knew about it as soon as I arrived in Chang'an... It was Minister Hu who reported it. But I had heard about many of these things even before that. Did you think you could hide the affairs in your armies from me, or from Minister Hu, who has served as Censor-in-Chief?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant has been lax in governing the army.\" Wu Jie's sallow face finally turned somewhat pale. \"But precisely because I knew that Commissioner Hu is an impartial and incorruptible man, I wanted to earn some military merit to serve as compensation and proof.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then do you know that when Minister Hu reported these matters, he repeatedly begged me to handle them leniently and to postpone action, because the great affairs of state and military were imminent?\" Zhao Jiu asked expressionlessly as he continued walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie and Han Shizhong both turned their heads to look at Hu Yin, who was behind them with a dark face, but then they felt a momentary relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But does Minister Wu know?\" Zhao Jiu continued, but couldn't help sneering. \"I hesitated for a long time before agreeing. And there are some things within that I will not waver on, regardless of military merit or time... For example, your beloved general Yang Zheng, who is only in his thirties and has already become the Prefect of Huanzhou, enjoys torturing and killing his concubines, and also likes to flay people like Fan Qiong. Do you think I can tolerate such a person? Even if he achieves earth-shattering merit in this battle, I will definitely kill him after the war. And if I were you, for his own good, I would find a way to have him die on the front line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled repeatedly, Wu Jie's face turned pale again: \"Your servant truly did not know about this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not knowing is one thing, since Yang Zheng's case is just a criminal matter. But if you say you had no idea at all, I don't believe it.\" Zhao Jiu said with emotion. \"Because I have a clear picture in my mind. Just think about it. In the chaos of the past few years, how many people, relying on the knife in their hand, dared to do anything? Gouging out hearts and lungs, ripping open bellies and severing limbs, massacring cities and exterminating clans. We all came through that kind of mess; who hasn't seen it? And now that times have changed, some people have picked up bad habits and can't change them, while others have seen so much that they don't care anymore. I have long known that such people and such things are inevitable. But Commander Wu, you must remember that I cannot tolerate such things in the slightest! Because I must be a clean and upright man, and the Great Song, even if it had some filth in the past, must now be a clean and upright great nation. How could it possibly tolerate such heinous acts?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant remembers!\" Wu Jie replied loudly, though it was unclear what exactly he had remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Besides that, I also cannot tolerate the matter of land in the slightest.\" The further Zhao Jiu walked down, the colder his tone became. \"Land grants are the foundation of stability in Guanzhong. It's only been a year and a half, and yet there are already officers massively encroaching on granted land? When the local government investigates, the military protects them. If you didn't know about this, it would be outright deception of the sovereign... I don't know if you read the official gazette, or if you know what I said to those nobles and powerful officials during the sacrifice at the Yutai. Anyone who dares to tamper with land is no different from a rebel in my eyes... After this war, if I don't thoroughly deal with these people, my surname isn't Zhao! Minister Wu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant is here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you now understand my intent?\" Zhao Jiu suddenly stopped and turned back, startling Wu Jinqing into freezing in place, not daring to move. \"Still afraid? Still suspicious?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I were you, I wouldn't dwell on all this messy business, because matters outside of military affairs are things you shouldn't be thinking about, nor do you need to think about them... At the root, I, as the Son of Heaven of the Great Song, will never let my own Imperial Camp officers and men suffer grievances, but I will also never tolerate my own Imperial Camp officers and men degenerating this quickly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" Wu Jie circled around to the lower side and bowed his head in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go on!\" Zhao Jiu, clad in a plain cotton robe, stood above and patted the other's shoulder. \"Don't overthink things. In all matters, military strategy comes first, the front line comes first... And if there are any thoughts on military matters, whether they are permissible or not, still speak them freely—I will certainly give them due consideration.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" Wu Jinqing bowed again, then hurriedly descended the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout it all, Han Shizhong, who had originally been invited over by Wu Jie, remained obediently silent, showing none of his usual big-brother demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" However, if Han Shizhong didn't speak, someone else would. Watching Wu Jie hurry away, his figure still on the mountain path wrapped by the Imperial Guard, Hu Yin immediately spoke with a serious expression. \"The two Imperial Camps in the Guanzhong region can hardly be called degenerate; it's just that old habits are hard to break. Compared to the past, they've actually been improving over these two years... There's no need to sell yourself short.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Han Shizhong finally nodded repeatedly, indicating his agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu also nodded, but soon shook his head again: \"Same as those messy government affairs—a long road ahead!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Hu Yin, Han Shizhong, Yang Yizhong, and Lu Benzhong each fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, just as Zhao Jiu was hesitating whether to stay halfway up the mountain to enjoy the flowers, Liu Yan, the second-in-command of the Imperial Guard, suddenly appeared on the mountain path and presented an urgent dispatch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Summon Wu Jie back.\" Zhao Jiu gave the order after just one glance, and the urgent dispatch was passed to Han Shizhong and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you say?\" After another moment, Wu Jie hurried back, climbing back to the halfway point with hardly a bead of sweat on his face. Seeing this, Zhao Jiu wasted no time and asked directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Jurchens are also bluffing!\" Wu Jie took a rough look and immediately gave the same judgment as Han Shizhong. \"At the root of it, the Jurchens still don't dare to cross the river, so they can only make a fuss around the key Hezhong Prefecture area in the Guanzhong region... In truth, they don't dare to cross the river; at most, they'll cross Mount Zhongtiao to attack Pinglu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Zhao Jiu nodded directly: \"I and Han Qing both see it this way. So, Jinqing, what do you think our response should be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let Your Majesty know, we naturally should also start bluffing in return.\" Wu Jie, holding the confidential document, spoke without hesitation. \"Why not ask the Prince of Yan'an to lead his troops back to Tongzhou? But it still seems somewhat insufficient, because we don't know how many troops the Jurchens will actually gather. Should we let my younger brother, Wu Lin, lead a portion of the Imperial Camp Rear Army to Tongzhou as well, to be assigned by the Prince of Yan'an?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if so,\" Hu Yin suddenly interjected, \"won't the Tanguts, who are being pinned down behind the Hengshan Mountains, relax and instead send troops back to guard Xingqing Prefecture?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\" Han Shizhong, who had remained quiet before the Emperor and Hu Yin for almost the entire day, finally spoke with conviction. \"In my view, not only should we not reduce the Hengshan-Yan'an front line, but we should actually apply a bit of pressure there... Using bluff to counter bluff is correct, but it should be considered from an overall perspective. We need to bluff everywhere that needs bluffing, not just focus on a single area on both sides of Pujin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This matter is simple.\" Zhao Jiu thought for only a moment, then suddenly laughed in the warm spring breeze. \"Wu Qing stays put, Han Qing's troops in Danzhou stay put, and we can even launch a moderate attack on Yan'an. As for Pujin... I'll go to Tongzhou myself with Yue Qing to face off against Wushu across the river. You should know, there's no one under heaven who understands the word 'bluff' better than I do!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people around were each stunned, and it was Lu Benzhong who reacted first: \"Excellent!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Sorry, my mental state collapsed the day before yesterday and yesterday... A man reaching thirty with no house, no car, no wife—it's inevitable to bicker with family. Not taking leave was my fault. My apologies to everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>",4394,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","d8be159899cba2a20e674fb9933a41640b7743e68a45d1682faa5b952c2a5094","shao-song-chapter-314","shao-song-chapter-312",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]