[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-319":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},1558485,2024,"Chapter 319: Raising the Spear (2-in-1 Debt Repayment)","shao-song-chapter-319",319,"\u003Cp>After a brief rest, as the white yak-tail banner pressed forward, the Xia people surged forward like a tidal wave, returning in full force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the conscripted tribesmen did not again use their lives to clash with blades and spear points. Instead, driven by the tribal cavalry behind them, they formed ranks, drew their bows, and loosed a torrent of arrows... The order they received was simple: shoot all the arrows they carried, and then they could fall back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One side’s arrows were dense as rain, the other’s crossbows were as powerful as thunder. Separated by a distance, they engaged in an all-encompassing non-contact battle, which brought both joy and worry to the Song army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What they rejoiced in was that the Xia abandoning frontal melee allowed the Song soldiers in formation to relax somewhat psychologically, because face-to-face combat was extremely taxing on one’s willpower. Not only that, but unlike the previous melee, which had temporarily halted the movement of the outer battle line, if it were only long-range strikes, the Song army could now maintain their advance by raising shields on the outer perimeter and wearing heavy armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What they worried about was that arrows have no eyes. If the Xia insisted on a large-scale exchange of arrows, whether by raising shields, rotating troops, or wearing heavy armor, there would inevitably be a considerable mutual exchange of casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the enemy’s numbers were still too great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior officers of the Song army had to consider the possibility of significant combat losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It won’t just drag on like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be safe, Qu Duan, who had added a silk hood to his iron-elephant mount, walked his horse slowly while making a serious deduction. “Dragging it out like this makes their actions today meaningless. Such a move must be a cover for something else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On a battlefield, what cover is there?” Hu Hongxiu, who had also donned leather armor on Yue Fei’s orders, shook his head in disagreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There must be a follow-up move...” Yue Fei let it go, but Qu Duan could not tolerate Hu Hongxiu’s response. “Vice Minister Hu is a first-rate scout, and his contributions this time are immense, but he’s still a bit lacking in military formations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Hongxiu glanced at Qu Duan, seeming about to speak but stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Yue Fei who finally spoke up to explain for Hu Hongxiu: “Vice Minister Hu didn’t mean what Commander Qu thinks... Anyone can see the Tanguts have a follow-up move. What Vice Minister Hu means is that the Xia are at the point of desperation, and having gathered their forces hastily over three or four days, every unit has its own hopes, just varying in degree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan was stunned for a moment, instinctively wanting to argue, but recalling the old Tangut woman from earlier, he ultimately refrained from rebutting. And not just because of that scene; deep down, Qu Duan also understood at this moment that Yue Fei and Hu Hongxiu were calmer and made more sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the Song army had seized a gap in the Xia defenses and suddenly struck here in a lethal posture. At this time, the Xia were both completely unprepared and terrified... So any of their military actions were hasty and panicked. Thus, even the most ferocious-looking attack could be easily repelled by the well-prepared Imperial Camp troops. Yet at the same time, any military action by these Tanguts was also frenzied and desperate, so even the most absurd and useless attack could not be underestimated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In war, thick armor and sharp blades are certainly important, but human will cannot be ignored in this era, especially when backed by overwhelming numbers. No one knew what the Xia would do when faced with fear and despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, as the exchange of fire continued, a very irregular and bloody situation soon emerged on the Xia side:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps due to the heavy casualties from the previous melee, these conscripted tribesmen were still shaken. Or perhaps the casualty ratio of their unarmored men facing Song archers and crossbowmen filled them with despair. Soon, deserters trying to exploit gaps appeared... This was natural... Many deserters tried to slip away by dropping their quivers, only to be met with bloody suppression by the tribal cavalry behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One conscript after another, anyone daring to retreat at this time, was executed on the spot by the tribal cavalry, who used their horses’ height and lances’ reach to run them through in the fields... The typical process was that seven or eight tribal cavalry would swarm forward and stab a retreating conscript seven or eight bloody holes. The executed conscripts would let out a few wails and then collapse dead on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the kill rate of the rear overseers was higher than that of the Song army in front, and given the suddenness of the event, these grassroots tribesmen still retained a degree of obedience to the Tangut nobles and the Great White High Kingdom under the system, especially with the king’s banner present... So the battle line was quickly stabilized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this method of handling things was destined not to last long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve really shot all my arrows!” Another man finally withdrew, shouting from a distance to the supervising tribal cavalry in the Guanzhong dialect. “I’ve always been the fastest and steadiest archer in my tribe!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several tribal cavalry immediately advanced with lances, and the voice hurriedly responded again, half pleading, half stubborn and proud:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not lying to you! I only didn’t go to Hengshan because I’m old. I have a horse at home too, I could have been like you, but I gave it to my grandson temporarily!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This commotion was especially jarring on the battlefield, which had just gained some order. It directly drew the attention of Liang Wang Weiming Anhui, who was not far behind under the white yak-tail banner. He looked up, but when he did, he couldn’t find the old soldier who had been defending himself. He only saw a group of tribal cavalry scattering back to their positions, their lances already stained red with blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the trampled green seedlings on the ground stubbornly stood back up, obscuring many things along with the field ridges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Failing to find what he was looking for, Weiming Anhui continued to look forward, and then became somewhat speechless... Because what he saw was that on the outermost edge of the Song army’s marching formation, many shield-bearers had their shields densely packed with arrows, yet they still kept moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking further inside, at the crossbow formation interwoven with the spear-and-shield phalanx, many Song crossbowmen on the outer edge were also covered with arrows stuck in their torsos, like hedgehogs, yet they moved freely, taking a few steps, then stopping to exchange crossbows with soldiers behind them, and calmly firing the already-set crossbows at the Xia troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the Song crossbowmen were also wearing lamellar armor, plus iron face masks and iron neck guards, with only a few spots like the armpits being fatal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the enemy wasn’t without casualties, but compared to the losses of their own Tangut army, the ratio was utterly disproportionate... In stark contrast, the Song army’s seemingly casual crossbow bolts would often send not only nearby conscripts but also outer tribal cavalry, man and horse, tumbling to the ground with a single shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was normal. As a Xia royal who had begun leading troops in his twenties, Weiming Anhui was well aware of the importance of armor. The infantry, the iron sparrow cavalry, and the few personal guards beside the nobles were themselves renowned because of the exquisite and dazzling Xia armor, which made these core elites memorable to the Song army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no way around it now. Xia’s national strength was limited. Weiming Chage had taken most of the military reserves from Xingqing Prefecture, and the reserves from Lingzhou had also been taken to Hexi. Given the current situation, Xia had already done its best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching for a while and thinking for a while, Anhui, who had pressed forward to the front line, also fell silent for a while. After that moment, for some reason, he no longer hesitated. He had originally wanted to wait a bit longer, but now he directly ordered a golden-armored warrior: “The conscripts have done their best today, but Xingqing Prefecture is right ahead, we absolutely cannot relax... Go back and tell the king: after the conscripts finish this volley, send half the light cavalry to charge forward and keep shooting. When the light cavalry are done, let the conscripts pick up the arrows on the ground and go back up to shoot. Then the remaining half of the light cavalry will shoot next. We must maintain the distance and suppress them in rotation... All those with armor, follow me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xia generals were completely stunned. The golden-armored warrior immediately accepted the order, spurred his horse, and left the formation, heading toward Li Qianshun’s position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, with Weiming Anhui’s renewed movement, the Song army immediately detected the enemy’s intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s the tail of the column!” Liu Qi, who was the first to notice this, rode over and urgently reported to Yue Fei. “Military Governor, the Xia king’s white yak-tail banner is moving to the rear. I believe the Xia are concentrating their forces to launch a strong attack on our column’s tail!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw it.” Yue Fei finally became serious, but remained unsparing. “Deputy Commander Liu, return to your post immediately. Do not easily disrupt the formation you command!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!” Liu Qi hesitated for a moment, then responded and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Immediately send someone to tell Zhang Jing at the tail to hold steady, try not to stop, and make sure to keep up with the main army.” Once Liu Qi had left, Yue Fei first turned to the messenger behind him, then looked at Qu Duan. “Commander Qu... I won’t go to the tail myself. I’m giving you the central army’s armored cavalry. You command them. If you can take down the white yak-tail banner, the Xia tribal troops will surely scatter, and today’s battle will be won. If you can take the Xia king’s head, it would be a merit no less than taking Xingqing Prefecture... I leave it to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan was caught off guard for a moment, but then became invigorated and immediately responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just as Qu Duan eagerly ordered the central armored cavalry to halt, turn their horses, and was about to ride to the rear of the armored cavalry column, he saw Yue Fei, Hu Hongxiu, and the others leading the main banner into the ranks of civilian laborers by the river, continuing to advance. He couldn’t help but shout again: “Military Governor... Are you still going to keep the main banner moving forward?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As long as my main banner keeps advancing, the Xia morale will keep draining.” Yue Fei didn’t look back, just raised his hand from his horse to signal. “Compared to the soldiers on the outer lines and Commander Qu, this is much easier. I’ll slack off today and watch Commander Qu succeed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan let out a scoff, turned his horse again, but then turned back a second time, shouting loudly over the noisy battlefield: “Military Governor Yue... I also want command of the other armored cavalry in the formation!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Fei raised his hand again from his horse, still without looking back: “Granted!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, several dozen elite personal guards who also served as messengers beside Yue Fei spurred their horses out of the column and headed toward Qu Duan. For a moment, only Hu Hongxiu and the banner behind him remained beside Yue Fei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, the main banner continued forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woo~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xia moved quickly. Qu Duan had just obtained command of the cavalry and hadn’t yet made the turned cavalry act, when a horn suddenly sounded from the side and rear of the Imperial Camp army. The sound was deep and penetrating. The next moment, soldiers from both armies, drawn by the horn, saw with their own eyes the conspicuous white yak-tail banner charging fiercely toward the tail of the column, stopping only about a hundred paces from the Song formation. It seemed the king himself had come to the front line with his bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the surrounding Xia tribal cavalry and conscripts went berserk, suddenly erupting with a terrifying battle cry. This frenzy immediately swept across the entire battlefield. Tribal cavalry and conscripts surged forward, exchanging fire with the Song army regardless of life or death. From time to time, unarmored tribal cavalry would, braving the rain of arrows from both sides, spur their horses screaming into the Song formation in front of them, seeking some kind of exchange through suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, such an obvious intention was met with concentrated fire from the Song army and could not succeed. However, the Xia still found a new suicidal tactic—many Xia tribal cavalry, after throwing their quivers to the conscripts, chose to gallop forward and hurl their lances!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could only be said that this move by the Xia was, first, sudden and explosive; second, it involved a swarm of infantry and cavalry, with continuous long-range arrow suppression and close-range suicidal lance-throwing. The momentum was even more formidable than the earlier conscript assault, and it also had a certain rationality... As a result, the Song formation finally began to waver. The frequency of casualties in many units within a short time exceeded the total casualties from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was worse, the uneven quality between units became apparent. Some formations clearly wavered, losing control of their rotation, forcing the marching commander to personally intervene, adjust the formation, and tighten discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a time, the Song army’s on-the-spot executions of waverers actually surpassed the direct casualties from this situation... It was no different from the enemy’s earlier actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the very beginning, the casualty patterns of both sides in this battle had been strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty.” Amid the battle cries that nearly shook the Helan Mountains and the Yellow River, on a field ridge about three to four hundred paces from the front line, the only remaining golden-armored warrior couldn’t help but remind his king. “Before he left, Prince Liang left a message for Your Majesty: have the conscripts and light cavalry rotate, and split the light cavalry into two groups, with the rear group supervising the front group, using a wheel tactic to maintain pressure...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qianshun, nearly fifty years old, had a flushed face. He was momentarily stunned, then slowly shook his head: “It’s fine... When Prince Liang said that, he probably didn’t expect that my white yak-tail banner moving would have such an effect. Only with such momentum all around can Prince Liang succeed more easily at the tail... No rotation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden-armored warrior hesitated for a moment, but ultimately bowed in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xia forces outside were like a mountain overturning the sea, nearly drowning out the sound of the Yellow River’s waves... And at the tail of the Song Imperial Camp army, Zhang Jing, the old-style commander of the Imperial Camp Central Army, and his troops suffered an unprecedented blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was indeed the weakest point of the entire column... Unlike the common assumption that the weakness of a long formation arrayed with its back to the river would be the center of the line, Weiming Anhui keenly realized that the Song formation before him could not be attacked by holding both ends and striking the middle—that would be suicide. On the contrary, because the enemy formation was constantly moving, and the Xia army’s goal was not to annihilate or defeat the enemy by the river, but merely to stop them from moving further, the weakest point of this constantly moving column naturally became its tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because at this point, a Song emergency combat group had to maintain defense on two sides simultaneously. And although he didn’t know that the group at the very front of the column was mainly composed of Zhang Xian’s elite Imperial Camp Vanguard Army, Weiming Anhui could still tell that Zhang Jing’s group at the tail was slightly inferior to the one at the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond this, as an experienced general, Weiming Anhui had long noticed another crucial battlefield factor: in early summer, the warm wind blew from south to north, which originally made the Song army's advance smooth and favorable. But conversely, if they were to \"pursue\" the tail of the Song army's formation from the rear, then the Song army would have to retreat against the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Zhang Jing's unit encountered this extreme predicament as soon as they came up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his battle formation, the flanks were constantly suppressed by shooting from Western Xia light cavalry and Zhuang Linglang, while the rear was struck by the true core combat power of the Western Xia... arrows and javelins nearly overwhelmed his men, making it impossible for them to catch their breath. Moreover, because they had to withstand attacks from two sides simultaneously, they couldn't even rotate their troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet at the same time, the order he received was not to dispatch cavalry for a counterattack without authorization, nor to halt the army's advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no other choice, Zhang Jing could only have his unit raise shields and retreat while advancing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn't all. Soon, an even worse situation emerged. The Western Xia troops at the rear began deliberately searching for loose soil, wrapping it in cloth, and whenever the wind picked up, they would cast the dust with the wind. Then some armored Western Xia cavalry would follow the dust cloud and launch close-quarters raids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a time, Zhang Jing's unit suffered far greater losses than any other sector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But losses weren't really the problem. What truly severely damaged morale was that in this situation, they simply couldn't mount any effective counterattack against the troops directly behind them. They could only passively take hits, passively suffer casualties, and couldn't even promptly find and help up their own wounded, forced to abandon them... The corpses of Song Imperial Guard soldiers left on the ground were then hoisted on long spears by the pursuing Western Xia troops as provocation. The few wounded became tools for the Western Xia to taunt the Song army when there was no dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Less than a quarter-hour after the battle suddenly entered its white-hot phase, Zhang Jing, who had served as a chief commander of the Imperial Guard in front of His Majesty since the Huai River campaign, flew into a towering rage and immediately let a few of his subordinates who had rashly gone out to counterattack have their way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, as a veteran of the Western Army who was qualified to participate in core military councils, Zhang Jing was well aware that the two orders he had received earlier were absolutely correct and rational... He knew the fundamental significance of this battle—it was to persist in marching. As long as they could ensure an attack on the empty Xingqing Prefecture tomorrow, that would be victory. He also knew that if he charged out with the one unit of Fan cavalry and one unit of armored cavalry under his command, they would inevitably become prey for the Western Xia light cavalry to slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was, even if he understood this in his heart, how could he control his emotions? In the Battle of Yaoshan, his troops had died far more than this time. But the question was, were the main force of the Jurchens' Western Route Army and the hastily assembled tribal troops the Western Xia had scraped together to save the day the same thing? Was dying in a hard fight the same as being passively beaten?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elite armored soldiers who had followed him into the pass this time each cost a hundred strings of cash a year to maintain! And they were being shot dead by a bunch of Fan tribesmen in blue cotton jackets without being able to fight back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if they kept marching like this, by the time they set up camp at dark, the entire army probably wouldn't even lose a thousand men, but his few units alone would likely lose five hundred!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could endure that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Zhang said that?\" Qu Duan sat astride his Iron Elephant, frowning incessantly at the words. \"The casualties in the rear are that severe?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To let the Commander know, our Commander said the casualties aren't severe, but he just can't endure it,\" Zhang Jing's messenger tugged his mount in a circle and replied anxiously. \"Our Commander also said that if the Military Governor doesn't send support within a quarter-hour, he...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Military Governor isn't here,\" Qu Duan interrupted from his height, reminding him. \"The Military Governor has handed over command of the central army and the authority to deploy all cavalry to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then it's the Commander!\" the messenger, with a Guanzhong accent, urged incessantly. \"Commander Qu, our Commander said that if you don't come to the rescue within a quarter-hour, he has only one thing to entrust to you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please avenge him, Commander!\" With that, the messenger ignored Qu Duan entirely and galloped straight back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan was stunned for a moment before fully grasping the information in Zhang Jing's words. He couldn't help but snort, then turned to look at those around him: \"Old Zhang is rattled.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the surrounding armored cavalry, including Yue Fei's personal guards, all remained silent at this, simply staring at Qu Duan without a word. Qu Duan then realized again and gave an awkward laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sunlight reflected from the Helan Mountains and rippled across the Yellow River—a truly splendid sight. But the battle continued. Outside, bows and crossbows were still firing in unison. The Western Xia troops were still stubbornly refusing to retreat. Every moment, blood soaked the land and young crops along the killing line a few hundred paces away. At the same time, Yue Fei and Hu Hongxiu continued to lead the great banner forward slowly. Then suddenly, the sound of their own army's horns rang out from behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did the Military Governor anticipate this and deliberately hand over command of the cavalry?\" Hu Hongxiu looked back and couldn't help voicing the doubt in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Yue Fei didn't deny it, or rather, he couldn't be bothered to. \"But it wasn't that thoroughly planned... I had long expected the Western Xia to go after Zhang Jing. The two thousand central army armored cavalry were originally prepared to ambush within the formation. But I only realized at the last moment that on the battlefield, no matter how good an idea is, it's just an idea. One still has to go along with human nature, or the loss outweighs the gain. Plus, there's no reason for the commander-in-chief to personally take the field, so I simply let Commander Qu handle it. He was also eager to earn some merit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Hongxiu immediately nodded: \"Commander Qu probably had the same idea as the Military Governor from the start. I just saw him turn the two thousand armored cavalry around but then dismount and stay still, clearly also planning to set an ambush within the formation, waiting for the rear troops to naturally retreat to their position before launching a surprise attack.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Fei nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But in the end, he still made the first move,\" Hu Hongxiu sighed with emotion. \"Actually, the Military Governor's and Commander Qu's plan was the best. If only Commander Zhang could have endured a little longer...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why should Zhang Jing sacrifice his own men for the greater good?\" Unexpectedly, Yue Fei shook his head this time. \"It's not like that time east of the capital, where the brave wins when two meet on a narrow path, and neither side had a choice. So I asked General Tian Shizhong to make a sacrifice. This time, the greater good is in our hands. Why should one unit alone suffer such damage for the sake of perfection? So as soon as the Western Xia went to the rear, I realized that Zhang Jing, as a commander of the Imperial Guard central army with his seniority, has pride in his bones. If I forced him, he might fight to the death out of spite... and that would only ruin the entire army's morale and unity for nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That may be so, but how did the Military Governor predict that Commander Qu would go to his aid?\" Hu Hongxiu thought for a moment and continued pressing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because His Majesty often admonishes him for not being good at uniting allies and subordinates in military campaigns. He still scoffs at such matters verbally, but he takes it to heart... Compared to some personal military merit, he's actually more afraid of being abandoned by His Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's hard being a regional commander,\" Hu Hongxiu was slightly taken aback by this but avoided the topic of His Majesty—he wasn't good at that. \"Weighing closeness and distance, calculating merit and fault, considering superiors, subordinates, left and right, all while ensuring the greater good isn't lost.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's so hard about that?\" Yue Fei sneered instead. \"It's not like the time around the Jingkang Incident, when so many people risked their lives just for a sliver of hope. They didn't have to worry about these things back then. But who wants to go back to those times? What we call hardship now is merely the difficulty of demanding perfection under the shadow of a great victory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Hongxiu laughed too, but after the laughter, he sighed again: \"The Western Xia, on the other hand, don't have to worry about such things right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly,\" Yue Fei turned his head to look toward the Helan Mountains in the west, where the Western Xia were still frenzied. \"The Western Xia think that by doing this, they still have a way out. But we know better than they do that they never had a chance from the start... because we've been through far more desperate situations than they have. We knew from the beginning that they were using their strength in the wrong place. Without armor, without weapons, hastily assembled—no matter how crazy or fierce they are, how can they win? They're just fooling themselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Many things in this world are like this. Not just across time, but even across short distances, between north and south, east and west, it's the same—impossible to change. How many times did we fool ourselves back then? And what was the result?\" Hu Hongxiu also turned his head to look, sighing with emotion. \"It's only because our country is larger that we could still pull through step by step. What about the Western Xia?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Fei nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two of them were getting more and more into their conversation, two or three li away, in the direction from which the early summer warm wind blew, after Qu Duan hesitated and then decisively came to the rescue, the two thousand central army armored cavalry finally launched their assault, greatly alleviating Zhang Jing's predicament. At the same time, following Qu Duan's earlier orders, the various emergency battle formations of the Song army took this assault as a signal and unleashed their full strength. For a time, armored cavalry and light cavalry from all sides, who had been holding back their frustration to the utmost, surged out from the gaps in the infantry formation and launched a full-scale counterattack against the Western Xia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with the Song cavalry's breakout, the Western Xia, who had already been fighting with bloodshot eyes, chose to meet them head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle suddenly entered its decisive phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, human life is fragile, so anything can happen on a battlefield. Some Imperial Guard officers at the command level were hit by stray arrows as soon as they came up. Some archers, clad only in leather armor, were shot full of arrows like pincushions yet still bounced around. By the same token, some Tangut nobles whose families had been passed down for generations had their bloodlines cut off in an instant, while some crazed Tangut youths charged up to the Song army, threw their javelins, and successfully retreated unscathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, these miraculous, low-probability events were easily smoothed out by the sheer numbers of the opposing forces. Instead, factors like armor, weapons, training level, and morale—things that truly affected the exchange ratio—took over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to these factors, the Song army had the upper hand. But the Western Xia, who should have retreated, still showed no intention of withdrawing. They were holding on by sheer will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the river, Hu Hongxiu and Yue Fei continued their slow advance. Watching this scene, though somewhat dazed, they were not particularly puzzled... Yue Fei had been through the entire Song-Jin war, from Hebei to the Central Plains, and had seen too many twisted expressions of human nature in war. Hu Hongxiu had just returned from the Western Xia and also understood some of their situation. They both knew very well why the Western Xia were so frenzied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it bluntly, the White Yak Tail Banner, or defending their homeland—these were reasons, of course. But for these low-level Western Xia tribal members who couldn't even get into the army, these were probably just excuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Western Xia was a state that exhausted its resources on military ventures, was devoted to Buddhism and witchcraft. The survival of the common people at the bottom was just like that. It had improved a bit in recent years, but it hadn't changed the nature of the state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they were still living, breathing people. They would soon be jolted awake by the blood and then completely collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just as the entire Western Xia army on this front was sinking into madness, one Western Xia unit wisely chose to retreat. Beneath the White Yak Tail Banner, the Western Xia Prince of Liang, Weiming Anhui, didn't hesitate for a moment. As soon as he saw the large force of Song armored cavalry charging out with overwhelming momentum, he directly followed the tactical plan for this operation and chose to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Weiming Anhui had gathered under his command the only temporarily assembled armored cavalry the Western Xia had—all sons of nobles from Xingqing Prefecture. Logically, he didn't need to retreat. He could even have used the advantage of the wind and the courage of defending their homeland to fight it out with Qu Duan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But wasn't this for the greater good?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the greater good? The greater good was that the Western Xia's main force was still unarmored light cavalry. Facing the Song army's armored cavalry, they should actively retreat, lure the Song cavalry out of the protective range of the infantry formation, and then use the light cavalry's advantage to wear them down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, Weiming Anhui's move was perfectly fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, when this Western Xia commander disengaged from the front line and moved to a safe position further back, he was shocked to discover that the Western Xia main force had, at some point, made a huge and fatal mistake. The tribal light cavalry had crowded together with the Zhuang Linglang and were engaging in direct hand-to-hand combat with the Song armored and light cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that once the Song cavalry gained the advantage, the Western Xia's crowded formation would leave the entire army with no tactical space for an orderly withdrawal. When light cavalry lost their room to maneuver, they also lost their greatest tactical role. At that point, they would likely lose all flexibility and collapse into a full-scale rout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, Li Qianshun and he had talked over and over about why they were fighting this battle. What message had he left for Li Qianshun after resolving to go to the front himself? Why had he just chosen to retreat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, wasn't it all because the mobility of light cavalry could only be effective in the open field? This was the Western Xia army's only advantage against such a disciplined army!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in this situation, how exactly was he supposed to deploy the light cavalry to hunt down the Song armored cavalry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Song armored cavalry didn't take the bait,\" a golden-armored warrior beside Weiming Anhui said anxiously, pointing directly at Qu Duan's banner. \"It should be Qu Duan. That bastard Qu Duan is leading this force himself. He's probably going back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the direction he pointed, Weiming Anhui glanced at the direction of Qu Duan's banner and suddenly turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could speak, a tribal chieftain beside him gave his judgment with a dark face: \"He's not going back. He's going to turn around and charge our light cavalry from the outside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as these words were spoken, several battle-wise golden-armored warriors and several tribal chieftains all changed color. By now, they had realized the problem just as Weiming Anhui had, and just as Qu Duan across from them had realized it... At this moment, the Western Xia light cavalry and Zhuanglinglang were far too crowded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once Qu Duan led these two thousand armored cavalry along the outer line, cutting through the Song army formation and pushing north all the way, there would be no need to wait for anyone to collapse—this battle would likely turn into a complete rout on all fronts, accompanied by rivers of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitating for a moment, the gray-haired Weiming Anhui suddenly turned his head and issued an order: \"Follow this prince and charge back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warriors around him, whether in golden armor or iron armor, were all shaken. Though they did not know why, the fact that the light cavalry had abandoned their own strengths was already a reality. Now that the overall situation had fallen into disadvantage, if they went back and suffered defeat, what then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, the Liang Prince gave a sufficient reason: \"If the front only sees the great banner withdrawing and not charging back, morale will likely be damaged. Moreover, the sovereign is ahead; we cannot allow Qu Da to go there! On the contrary, if we can succeed with one charge and rout Zhang Jing, or capture Qu Da, we can withdraw from this battle intact, and the Song army will not dare to continue marching.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was sufficient, but still—what if they suffered defeat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only because the sovereign's safety was involved did the golden-armored warriors beside the White Yak Banner respond first. The remaining many tribal chieftains and noble scions, seeing that the Liang Prince and the golden-armored warriors had made their decision, also fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, the horn sounded again, and the White Yak Banner immediately turned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this time, this conspicuous great banner plunged without hesitation into the Song army formation. At that moment, on the Yinchuan Plain, the last decent fighting force of Western Xia threw all caution to the wind and directly engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the well-equipped Song army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy came fiercely. Zhang Jing no longer cared about any military orders and directly ordered his own unit to stop marching north, instead forming ranks on the spot to face the White Yak Banner head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this sudden change, Qu Duan altered his tactical choice for the second time. He directly reined in his horse, pulled the iron elephant draped in silk covering around, and personally launched a charge toward that White Yak Banner—coming in from the flank, clearly attempting to completely envelop that White Yak Banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three sides were locked in chaotic melee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, this part of the battlefield was no different from the surrounding areas—flesh and blood flew everywhere, lives as fragile as paper. But without a doubt, Qu Duan's two thousand central army armored cavalry were not only exceptionally fierce but had also been conserving their strength, so from the start, Qu Duan held a slight advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point in the battle, both sides were grinding down and waiting. But without a doubt, the Song army was ultimately the stronger side, especially those unarmored light cavalry and Zhuanglinglang crowded together—no one knew when they would collapse, triggering a chain reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after the fierce fighting continued for a little over another quarter-hour, the phenomenon of voluntary withdrawal finally occurred. But the first to withdraw were not any Western Xia tribal light cavalry, but rather the Xingqing Prefecture armored cavalry facing Qu Duan. These temporarily conscripted Xingqing Prefecture noble scions, upon discovering they could not withstand the Song army's armored cavalry, were the first to lose discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first it was scattered noble scions, then whole squads, and finally the entire formation wavered and collapsed. These people finally steeled themselves, turned and fled, abandoning the Liang Prince Weiming Anhui and the sovereign's White Yak Banner, as well as those Bubuzi from the Helan Mountain tribal scions, to be surrounded by Qu Duan's Song army armored cavalry from the flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The advantage of this was obvious—they could flee back to Xingqing Prefecture and assist the sovereign in continuing to defend their homeland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cost of this was also obvious—the White Yak Banner and the Bubuzi being surrounded was entirely their responsibility. It could be imagined that once the White Yak Banner was overwhelmed, the countless tribal light cavalry and Zhuanglinglang on the battlefield would have their strength drained away, directly falling into collapse, yet because of their extremely dense formation, they would be unable to turn around in time and would fall into the Song army's slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The afternoon sunlight was neither harsh nor gentle; the Yellow River's current was neither swift nor slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outer Bubuzi fell into slaughter. Many began trying to jump into the river. Annihilation was almost upon them, yet Weiming Anhui, guarded by the golden-armored warriors, still sat upright beneath the White Yak Banner, silent... In the midst of it, a familiar tribal chieftain stripped off his armor and jumped into the river, even urging him to join, but he paid no heed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden-armored warriors also realized the Liang Prince's intention. This Shangfu, whom Li Qianshun had been wary of for half his life, was determined to hold out until the very last moment, to buy time for the sovereign and even for those Xingqing Prefecture noble scions who had just betrayed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this battle could not be won, they could still defend the city; if the city could not be defended, they could still flee... The Great White High State had stood for a hundred years. Whether it would help or not, someone ought to do their utmost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that Weiming Anhui's action was successful. Qu Duan's central army armored cavalry and the soldiers under Zhang Jing's command all noticed this side, and then all abandoned the pursuit. They were single-mindedly determined to capture the golden-crowned Dangxiang nobleman being desperately guarded by those golden-armored warriors beneath the White Yak Banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then they succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That bloodstained yet still strikingly beautiful White Yak Banner was seized at all costs by Wang Jing's subordinates; that golden crown with its outer rim slightly dented was seized by Qu Duan's subordinates. The surrounding Western Xia tribal light cavalry also began to gradually scatter as the great banner fell. But that gray-haired head was angrily thrown into the Yellow River by Qu Duan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Western Xia Liang Prince, who had made an indelible contribution to the archaeological endeavors of later generations, thus died with his body and head separated, buried in the Yellow River. And his tomb, built at the foot of Helan Mountain, now stood empty—no words could ever pass through it to make his name known to posterity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no help for it—even at this moment, the name Weiming Anhui had long been forgotten. After confirming this person's identity, everyone was greatly disappointed... After all, Xingqing Prefecture lay ahead, and this battle was already decided. Compared to the great merit that would be theirs tomorrow, some random Liang Prince was utterly worthless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The collapse brought on by the fall of the White Yak Banner continued, then swept across the entire riverside battlefield. Yue Fei, who had reassumed command, did not hesitate for a moment and directly ordered the entire army to sound the gong and withdraw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cavalry, upon receiving the signal, also woke from the bloody and pointless pursuit. Including Qu Duan and Zhang Jing, all the units that had sortied returned to their ranks. Then the entire army re-formed and continued marching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, the Western Xia attempt to block and delay in the field had completely failed. The Song army had repelled the Western Xia. That day they marched until sunset, stopping only when they reached the riverside about twenty li due south of Xingqing Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, although it was already near dusk, they could still see the Western Xia royal palace located between the city of Xingqing Prefecture and the Yellow River—or rather, the shadow of the Western Xia royal palace. That cluster of buildings was too conspicuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one volunteered for a night raid or anything. Yue Fei directly ordered the entire army to set up camp properly, then treat the wounded, bury the dead, organize weapons, report equipment shortages, then eat and drink their fill. The accompanying jinshi took the opportunity to recount some historical anecdotes. Finally, the entire army rested well for the whole night... And that night, the Western Xia ultimately did not come to harass them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, the morning of the tenth day of the fourth month, the Song army rose early, ate a hearty meal, and then began to adjust the entire army's formation. This time, it was no complex emergency formation, but a return to the normal organizational structure, with a simple standard marching array: infantry in the center, cavalry on both flanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing worth mentioning was that the river rafts were untied in public and allowed to drift away. The baggage was opened up and distributed as much as possible. Everyone received the maximum replenishment of weapons and supplies. And six thousand civilian laborers, bearing bows and wearing swords, guarded the wheelbarrows loaded with rations and weapons, arrayed behind the great formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morning light shone from behind them over the Yellow River. The distant city of Xingqing Prefecture was not entirely still—the scouts reported clearly. But even without the scouts' reports, the Song army could see clearly: the royal palace east of the city and the Buddhist temple north of the city had been partially burned by the Western Xia themselves, to ensure the security of the city defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they knew that clearing out buildings outside the city was standard practice when defending a city, it was still rare to see someone like the Western Xia voluntarily clearing out their own royal palace. It seemed the Western Xia's determination to defend the city remained unshakable, as if this battle still held some uncertainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after the previous day's battle, no one doubted the outcome of today anymore... They were very certain that the Western Xia had truly been stabbed right in the heart by them, too weak to withstand a single blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Military Governor.\" Perhaps feeling somewhat unlucky from the previous day, Qu Duan could no longer restrain himself and directly urged Yue Fei. \"Advance the army!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding officers, including Vice Minister of War Hu Hongxiu, all looked at Yue Fei. To be honest, they too could no longer restrain themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaning by the great river on his horse for quite a while, Yue Fei narrowed his eyes. His gaze followed the green smoke rising from the Western Xia imperial palace ahead and looked upward, where he saw the Helan Mountain, shaped like a galloping horse, facing him. He hesitated no longer, raised his long spear high, then brought it down heavily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Entire army, advance! Always westward! Today we swear to trample Helan Mountain and settle a hundred years of the dynasty's affairs!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",7347,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","d2a0aef99e31e4b9e24e4f712fd1f090af2bbbd11927ed7ea5a76f54e1c89da9","shao-song-chapter-320","shao-song-chapter-318",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]