Chapter 322

On the fourteenth day of the fourth month, the Song army suddenly launched a large-scale offensive, first eliminating the Western Xia outposts at various mountain passes in Hengshan, then directly splitting into two routes and crossing the Hengshan range. On the fifteenth, the main force of the Imperial Rear Army began full-scale engagement with the hastily responding Western Xia forces. Battles erupted in Longzhou, Hongzhou, and Yanzhou, and on the same day, there were seven battlefields where the number of combatants on both sides exceeded one thousand.

But to be honest, the fighting was not as overwhelmingly one-sided as imagined.

In fact, among the Imperial Rear Army here, mid- and low-ranking Song officers and soldiers were all very surprised by the sudden crossing of the Hengshan. The officers probably knew that their side had never truly prepared for a major battle, and the soldiers were somewhat resistant to leaving their fortified camps, abandoning the Jurchens on their flank to launch a difficult assault on the Western Xia... Relatively speaking, the Tanguts fought very bravely. Although caught somewhat off guard and clearly outnumbered at the front, they still did their utmost to defend each strongpoint and orderly covered their retreat, converging on larger towns and strongholds for staged resistance.

As for the Tangut tribes on both sides of the Hengshan, the situation was not very optimistic either... Although they had made their choice under the Song army's rare forceful rhetoric, most were very perfunctory. Many tribes simply sent a few dozen, or even just over a dozen men to answer the call, and that didn't stop them from secretly sending word to the Western Xia.

At the same time, it was clear from the progress of the battle that the number of Hengshan Tangut tribes who unhesitatingly sided with their Western Xia kinsmen was actually greater, and they put in much more effort.

The reason for all this was self-evident—the information gap was too large!

At this moment on the Hengshan front, among everyone on both sides, except for the Song commander Wu Jie who had guessed at that possibility, no one knew or dared to think that Xingqing Prefecture had already fallen, that the heart of Western Xia had already been stabbed through, that the Tanguts were already nearing the end of their road... Wasn't that absurd?

On the Western Xia side, apart from a very few high-level figures like Weiming Chage, Weiming Renli, and the heads of the five prefectures in the Hengshan, no one else knew that Xingqing Prefecture 'might be in grave danger.' In fact, only Chage himself knew the exact date the Song army appeared at the Gorge Mouth. The Army Supervisor Weiming Renli thought it was three or four days ago, thought there were only ten or twenty thousand Song troops, thought there was still plenty of time... This wasn't Chage's fault; he had to seal off the news, or even outright lie, to reduce panic.

One could see this from Xiao Heda; what Chage did was absolutely correct, and even not enough.

Therefore, below the level of Army Supervisor Weiming Renli, Hongzhou Defender Weiming Yunge, and Xiazhou Commander-in-Chief Xiao Heda, many Western Xia officials and soldiers, including local Tangut tribal leaders, at most thought that Chage's retreat had attracted the Song army's attention, and then the opposing Song army thought they could take advantage.

They didn't even think it was about taking advantage, just about trying to slow down Chage's return march.

Even the few more meticulous high-level figures stopped at the idea that the Khitans had colluded with the Mongols to stir up trouble north of the Yinshan Mountains, which then led to the court placing Xiazhou Commander-in-Chief Xiao Heda under house arrest.

As for those even further down, for most of the combatants on both sides, they generally believed that at this time in the Hengshan, the Tanguts' strength exceeded the Song army's. For the Song army to cross the Hengshan without a numerical advantage, and then take the initiative to attack fortified positions with an insecure supply line, was not a wise move. It was even possible that, having fought long without results, they had incurred the wrath of the Great Song Emperor behind them, and like those old plays of the Western Army, they were being forced to fight... Thus, many junior officers and tribal leaders easily made their own judgments based on their experience: that this time, the Great Song would probably return empty-handed again.

Of course, there seemed to be a chance of victory, unless the Song army could break through Yan'an in a short time, then follow the Suide Army to take Yinzhou, forming a multi-pronged pincer attack.

There was no help for it. With different amounts and levels of information, the judgments made, and even the ways of thinking, were different. One couldn't blame these people. However, what truly determined the course of the battle was definitely the reality behind the information... So what was that reality?

On the sixteenth day of the fourth month, Weiming Chage, who had already reached the Iron Gate Pass behind Yanzhou, received no fewer than several dozen urgent military dispatches in a single day. Dizzy and dazed, he fell into extreme panic... Because on this day, he not only received urgent reports from behind him, but also finally saw officials who had fled from across the desert and the Yellow River, saw the latest request for reinforcements from Lingzhou, learned the reality of Xingqing Prefecture's loss, and even received news that the monarch and crown prince were missing.

For a time, the Western Xia's Prince of Jin, Weiming Chage, was caught in a dilemma!

It truly was a dilemma. He was not an emperor, only a general leading troops. He had no authority and had never imagined he would have to choose between the country's two largest and most prosperous territories... On one side were the seven prefectures of the Hengshan, the ancestral foundation, with salt ponds, the Hengshan defense line, bordering the Jurchen-controlled area. On the other side was the Xing-Ling region, where the ancestors had moved the capital as soon as they obtained it, where he himself had grown up, with the Helan Mountains and the Yellow River, the Tang Canal system, and over a million mu of fertile farmland.

In terms of value—economic, military, or political—the Xing-Ling region was of course superior to the Hengshan, and far superior at that. But the problem was that the entire Hengshan was currently in Tangut hands. If he turned back, he believed he could largely curb Wu Jie's offensive. At the same time, however, the rich Xing-Ling region was already more than half occupied by the Song army.

All afternoon, Weiming Chage kept telling himself that no matter what, he had to make a decision quickly, because the fate of the nation rested in his hands... Compared to advancing or retreating, the only thing he was certain of was that staying put at the Iron Gate Pass was the worst option. He had already sent ahead the six thousand Iron Vultures and the eight thousand troops previously stationed in Yanzhou; by now they had probably reached Lingzhou. His army was split in two by the desert... Yet the more he thought this way, the more he became panicked and indescribably agitated, the harder it was to decide.

In a word, Chage was also stunned by the impact of this news.

But it didn't matter. Soon, Chage realized he no longer needed to make a decision.

"What is the meaning of this?"

In the evening, Chage, whose head was nearly splitting with pain, was invited out of the best room in the Iron Gate Pass by his trusted subordinates. But he was immediately furious, because in the courtyard in front of his lodgings, no one knew when, no fewer than a hundred officers had gathered. "Are you trying to rebel?"

"Prince of Jin, no one wants to rebel!" An obviously elected senior general led everyone in kneeling, then crawled forward on his knees, hugged Chage's leg, and spoke earnestly. "Prince of Jin, we just want to ask, since Xingqing Prefecture has been taken by the Song, why are we stopping here and not moving? Shouldn't we go back to rescue His Majesty?! Our tribes, our sons, our savings, our family property—it's all back home! Even if the monarch and the crown prince aren't here, shouldn't they be in the west?"

By the end of his speech, the man's eyes were red, tears were falling, and his voice was choked with sobs as he rubbed against Chage's leg.

Chage lowered his head and stared blankly at the man. His mind churned for a moment, but then he suddenly understood:

This man hugging his leg was over fifty years old. Although he was older, he had been personally promoted by Chage himself, so his loyalty was certainly not in question. However, at the same time, this man, who held the post of Jingzhou Commander, was also a 'Zurü (Great Chieftain)' in the local Jingzhou Fan official system. His tribe was right next to Xingqing Prefecture in Jingzhou!

This man and his tribe had granted farmland in Jingzhou, a Buddhist temple long patronized by the tribe, a large mansion belonging to his tribe within Xingqing Prefecture, and a cemetery exclusively for his tribe at the foot of the Helan Mountains... How could such a man, such a core pillar of the army, possibly agree to stay in the Hengshan?

And if even such a man was unwilling to stay with him in the Hengshan, what about the others?

Thinking this, Chage couldn't help but sweep his gaze across the courtyard. Instead, he gained some clarity—simply put, of the thirty thousand Tangut troops currently at the Iron Gate Pass, over twenty thousand had been brought from the Xing-Ling region. Their native places were mostly Xing-Ling, with a few even from Hexi and the Yinshan. There were also several thousand troops native to the Hengshan, but they were undoubtedly a small minority.

"Prince of Jin." Just as Chage was relaxing, the general, seeing Chage silent, looked up again with tears in his eyes. "I'll be bold and say one more thing. At a time like this, you must not be foolish... We've just discussed it. The monarch has been on the throne for nearly fifty years, and the people's hearts are with him. If you think about taking his throne now, you will only cause people's hearts to scatter. But on the other hand, if something happens to the monarch and the crown prince, even if you don't take that seat, we certainly won't be able to accept anyone else! As for the possibility that only the crown prince or the Prince of Yue survives, wouldn't it be inevitable for you to become the Imperial Father or the Grand Preceptor? What is there to hesitate about?"

Hearing this, Chage completely relaxed... Wasn't that right? At this moment, a large number of fleeing officials and terrified refugees were already appearing from the west. The news couldn't be hidden. And since the news couldn't be hidden, with people's hearts in turmoil, how could things be decided by him?

He was no powerful minister! He was just a royal general who could fight, and who was also a bit greedy for wealth and lust!

He, Chage, certainly had trusted confidants in the army, but even they wouldn't do. Take this man at his feet, for example. On one hand, he was Chage's confidant, but on the other hand, wasn't he also a core confidant of Chage's elder brother, the Western Xia monarch Li Qianshun, who had been on the throne for nearly fifty years? Hell, wasn't Chage himself also a confidant of Li Qianshun?

One must understand that an army is a living thing. Thirty thousand men, layer upon layer, each with their own thoughts!

Of course, the more important point was that Weiming Chage himself had also grown up in Xingqing Prefecture and maintained loyalty to his elder brother. He had been in a dilemma from the start.

At this moment, it was less about being coerced and more about going with the flow.

With this thought, Chage hesitated no longer. He directly wiped his tears and said with emotion: "What are you thinking? When has my loyalty to the monarch ever changed? It was precisely because I was worried and panicked about my elder brother's disappearance, and afraid that you might have second thoughts upon learning the news, that I was scared and didn't dare come out... Now that Lingzhou is still in our hands, and you are all so loyal, let's wait no longer. We must move quickly, head for Lingzhou as originally planned, then cross the river to recover Xingqing Prefecture, and find the monarch and the crown prince! Drive all those Song dogs out!"

The crowd roared in unison, all clamoring, truly showing the spirit of a returning army.

However, things couldn't end just like that. After Chage reached an agreement with the majority of the army and walked out of the courtyard, he saw over a dozen officers with terrified faces who hadn't dared to enter the courtyard earlier. He felt helpless inside.

It must be said that after learning the news, to increase the efficiency of the rescue, Weiming Chage had on one hand hastily sent the nearest Yanzhou troops westward, then quickly followed up with the Iron Vultures. At the same time, he had forcibly squeezed out several thousand troops from the Hengshan front. Otherwise, how could he have gathered thirty thousand men so quickly?

And this small group of officers outside the courtyard were precisely the leaders of those locally recruited Hengshan troops.

"I won't make things difficult for you," Chage said through gritted teeth. "The situation here in the Hengshan is also difficult. You don't need to go over there. First, go support the Yanzhou front, then take orders from the Army Supervisor Renli in Youzhou, and follow his unified command... Before I left yesterday, I had him conscript all men between sixteen and sixty from the seven prefectures... Do your best to hold out. Once I recover Xingqing Prefecture, I will come back to rescue you."

These officers were also relieved, just like Chage.

After sending these officers away, Chage knew that as the news continued to spread, it would inevitably cause turmoil in the Hengshan. But since the decision was made, it couldn't be changed. He only had to write a special military order to the Army Supervisor Weiming Renli, who remained in Youzhou, explaining the situation in advance so that the other could properly calm people's hearts, especially to keep Weiming Heda under control... This man was too dangerous at a time like this.

After writing the last letter, Chage, this great general of the Western Xia royal house, was finally completely relieved. He packed up his things, led the main army of over twenty thousand men from the direction of Xingqing Prefecture, and marched westward through the night, gathering scattered officials and civilians along the way, preparing to unite the army at Lingzhou and then retake Xingqing Prefecture.

Let us not dwell on the fact that Chage was ultimately not a ruthless hero but a loyal royal general. Just as he made the firm decision to return west, the messengers from six of the seven Hengshan prefectures who had come to request reinforcements fell into utter collapse... They had learned during the day that Xingqing Prefecture had fallen and the monarch and his son were missing. Their minds had already gone blank. Now, seeing Chage lead the main force westward through the night, leaving only a few thousand locally conscripted troops to defend Yanzhou—clearly intending to secure the corridor between the Hengshan and Xing-Ling regions, making them impossible to redeploy easily—how could they not realize that the Hengshan had no reinforcements at all?

And the opposing Great Song Imperial Rear Army had probably anticipated this very situation and was taking advantage of the weakness?

Helpless, the messengers each turned back. The few messengers from the Yanzhou front need not be mentioned further, nor the others returning to their respective fronts. Only the messenger sent by Weiming Renli of Youzhou as a temporary military commissioner, who had not only failed to obtain reinforcements but had instead received a military order, had to travel westward through the night in a daze, returning to Youzhou to first report to the overall commander, the Army Supervisor and Prince of Shu, Weiming Renli.

However, this man, accompanied by a few armored soldiers and displaying the Prince of Shu's silver military command token, entered the city. Before he could even report, he was astonished to find that Youzhou city had already descended into chaos early in the morning... Everywhere were troops and messengers like himself.

At first, he thought that fleeing officials had arrived here and explained the fall of Xingqing Prefecture, sparking the chaos.

But after walking a few steps, he encountered a familiar colleague from the military commission and couldn't help but proactively communicate. Then, like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, he was stunned on the spot.

It turned out that after Xiao Heda's two sons returned to Xiazhou, taking advantage of the gap during the large-scale mobilization of local tribes and people, they had contacted and incited the local exiled Khitan tribes and many subordinates loyal to Xiao Heda. Seizing the opportunity when Weiming Yunge had to rush back to Longzhou due to an attack on the front, they directly raised troops, claiming that their father had been unjustly detained and that they were coming to rescue him.

The current chaos in the city was precisely due to the need to guard against the men from Xiazhou, because after gathering several thousand men, they were heading straight here. It was said that by evening, swords would be drawn at the city walls.

The messenger had no idea how he entered Weiming Renli's official residence. He just went in blankly, paid his respects, explained the situation, and then presented Chage's military order... Poor Weiming Renli, a royal scholar who would leave his name in history. He had heard one thunderclap the day before yesterday, another last night, and yet another this morning. After piecing together the information, he completely lost his composure.

And that wasn't all. Perhaps because Xiao Hada had commanded troops in Xiazhou for nearly twenty years and had been in charge of the military commission for five or six years, his roots were deep. Before Renli could regain his senses, someone else came seeking an audience early in the morning, and it turned out to be a messenger speaking on behalf of the detained Xiao Heda.

"Great King (Weiming Renli was the Prince of Shu of Western Xia)." The latter was a local training commissioner from Youzhou, a mid-ranking military officer, and also a Lüze (mid-ranking tribal chieftain), someone the messenger knew. This man, having been granted an audience, entered, bowed low, and then spoke earnestly. "Commander Heda said that his sons and subordinates were merely dissatisfied with his imprisonment and acted rashly for a moment. Now that the nation is in peril, if he could be released, he would be willing to come forward to appease his sons and subordinates, and then lead them to support the Longzhou front... Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Weiming Renli, upon hearing this, felt his mind go even blanker and sat in his seat for a long time without speaking.

After a long while, in his desperation, he grasped at any straw and actually turned to ask the messenger on the other side: "A Hua, what do you think should be done? The Prince of Jin told me to keep Heda under control, and now Heda and his sons are like this. What exactly should I do?"

The messenger called A Hua was momentarily tongue-tied.

First, he was from a small tribe in Longzhou, then served as a horse-keeper in the Feilong Yuan branch office in Youzhou—only because fighting had broken out and no one else was available was he temporarily pressed into service as a messenger. How could he understand such weighty matters of state and army?

Of course, under normal circumstances, he would have been happy to curry favor with Weiming Renli, but now? How could he?

Second, since this Drill Instructor had come to relay Heda's message, he must be connected to Heda… Of course, there were probably few people in the seven prefectures of Hengshan who weren't connected to Heda—even he, the director of the Feilong Yuan in Youzhou, had some link to Heda's eldest son… But the problem was, how could the Prince of Shu have spoken Chage's military order regarding Heda right in front of him?

Since the messenger was silent, the Drill Instructor beside him was greatly alarmed and immediately kowtowed on the floor of the government office: "I was merely a subordinate of Commander Heda for many years, and happened to be on duty last night when he called me to deliver a message. I did not know the Prince of Jin had a military order…"

Seeing that this man not only did not press him but instead voluntarily backed down, Weiming Renli felt somewhat relieved on the one hand, yet on the other, overwhelmed by anxiety, fear, and grief from all the news, he simply waved his hand to dismiss the man.

As the man rose and left, the messenger stared at his retreating figure, and his heart suddenly began to pound.

No other reason—at this very moment, the messenger finally came to his senses and suddenly realized that the reason this Drill Instructor was so docile was apparently because he did not know that Xingqing Prefecture had already been taken by the Song army, nor that the ruler and his son had gone missing, nor even that Weiming Chage had already led the main force toward Lingzhou.

Otherwise, why would he be so terrified?

In fact, at this time, east of Youzhou city, only he and the Prince of Shu, Weiming Renli, knew this information… This was an advantage, but one that would likely be gone by tomorrow. Then he would once again be the "Bima Wen" from that Song play—or perhaps not even that.

Because by this time tomorrow, everyone would know all the news, and by then, could the overall situation of Western Xia still hold?

Right now, news from Xingqing Prefecture hadn't spread, and the ruler's authority still covered everyone. If Xiao Heda's son dared to rebel even now, once the news got out, would those Hengshan tribal chieftains and the Commandant before him still hesitate?

And so, as if guided by some ghostly force, when Weiming Renli turned back, A Hua actually did not return the token, but instead bowed and retreated from the hall along with the Drill Instructor.

And just as A Hua had thought, Weiming Renli, who normally had little involvement in military affairs, was already in a state of confusion. Moreover, the government office was in chaos, and in the hasty audience, he simply failed to notice this detail.

Exiting the hall, A Hua and the Commandant exchanged polite farewells with cupped hands, then hurried out of the government office. Upon seeing the armored soldiers waiting for him to dismiss them, he instead pulled the military token back out from his bosom and said sternly: "The Prince has ordered—you will continue to follow me for escort and deployment."

The armored soldiers naturally had nothing to say.

Immediately, A Hua mounted his horse and, leading the armored soldiers, galloped straight toward a temple in the city—arriving there before the Commandant, at the place where Xiao Heda was under house arrest.

Producing the silver token representing the Prince of Shu's authority, and since A Hua was originally a director of the Feilong Yuan directly under the military command and was well-known locally, the guards released the restrictions after a brief verification. A Hua entered the temple openly, forced himself to remain calm, and in front of the guards, summoned Xiao Heda. Then, once again in public, he showed Xiao Heda the military command's silver token and the military command documents that had served as his messenger credentials, and said seriously:

"Commander Heda, the Prince of Shu knows you had the duty Drill Instructor deliver a message last night. He intends to summon you for questioning in person."

Xiao Heda was now in his forties, in his prime. He had previously served as Commander of Xiazhou (equivalent to Commander-in-Chief) and had been the overall commander on the Hengshan front several times. Unlike Weiming Renli, even under house arrest he had managed to obtain a leather armor to wear. But from the documents, he noticed a slight problem… Yet the more problematic it was, the more delighted he naturally became.

As for the guards nearby, they had no suspicions either, because they were fully aware of this matter.

And so, amidst the chaos of the entire city, a Feilong Yuan director who had acted on a sudden impulse managed to take direct control of a key figure whose fate affected the security of the entire Hengshan region.

Once outside, A Hua forced himself to steady his nerves and made one final arrangement… First, on the pretext that Xiao Heda could not appear on the streets openly, he borrowed a leather helmet with a cowhide face-cover from the guards. Then they set out, and indeed headed toward the government office.

To be honest, at this point Xiao Heda almost thought he had misunderstood the situation.

But soon, the group returned to the government office. The guards remained outside, while A Hua led Xiao Heda, dressed as an ordinary soldier, directly into his own office. There, he prostrated himself in a bow… then rose and spoke in a low voice, saying only a few extremely simple sentences that left the Khitan general, who had commanded troops for twenty years, stunned on the spot:

"Commander-in-Chief, Xingqing Prefecture has fallen. The ruler and his son have vanished. Prince of Jin Chage has turned his main army back toward Lingzhou. Prince of Shu Renli has lost his composure. Song Commander-in-Chief Wu Jie is at Hongzhou city, Controller-General Guo Hao is at Longzhou city. Your two sons have already raised troops… Do not speak now. Follow me out through the side gate. We'll go to the Feilong Yuan under my command to get horses. I'll see you out of the city!"

After these few sentences, A Hua was drenched in sweat, and Xiao Heda was no different.

The two of them forcibly composed themselves, turned, and left. They indeed went out through the side gate, entered the Feilong Yuan to get horses, and then easily passed through the city gate using the silver token. They headed straight northeast toward Xiazhou. When they reached the fork in the road, they encountered the rebel army from Xiazhou.

At this point, Xiao Heda tore off his helmet and threw it to the ground, then strode boldly into the army. First, he distributed all the army's wealth to A Hua as a reward, then ordered a return to Xiazhou!

It wasn't that he didn't want to attack Youzhou—but with the few thousand troops his sons had mobilized, they could never take a Youzhou that was already on alert. However, if he, Xiao Heda, personally returned to Xiazhou to rally the various tribes, he could quickly gather an army of over ten thousand—a truly significant force.

When that time came, he still wouldn't attack Youzhou. He would attack Longzhou and Hongzhou!

This day was the seventeenth of the fourth month.

That day, the Song army's progress remained difficult.

On the eighteenth of the fourth month, the Song army continued to struggle in the heartland of Western Xia… In the Yanzhou direction, they even encountered a large-scale counterattack, forcing Huanzhou Prefect Yang Zheng to hastily withdraw. Even in the Hongzhou area, where Wu Jie was personally overseeing the campaign and making the fastest progress, things became less smooth due to the return of the defending general, Weiming Yunge.

But on the nineteenth of the fourth month, the Song army suddenly received substantial support from many Hengshan Fan tribes. Those who had been perfunctory stopped being perfunctory, and many tribes that had been following Western Xia also showed signs of withdrawing into the mountains. The resistance facing the Song army suddenly eased.

Wu Jie naturally knew what was happening. The day before, he had confirmed his suspicions through reliable military reports from behind, and thereafter slept more soundly.

On the twentieth, even more Fan tribes chose to follow the Song army. As soon as these people returned to the mountains, they wiped the blood from their weapons and, bringing stored grain, warhorses, and equipment, switched over to the Song army camp—as if they hadn't been fighting fiercely against the Song army just days before.

Wu Jie accepted all comers without exception.

That evening, Longzhou suddenly fell… The inside agents Xiao Heda had arranged months earlier opened the city gates. Guo Hao and Xiao Heda joined forces inside the city, then, without a moment's pause, marched toward Hongzhou to the southwest.

Weiming Yunge, who had only returned two days earlier, fled in panic, abandoning the city.

At this point, of the seven prefectures of Hengshan, the central ones—Hongzhou, Longzhou, and Xiazhou—had all fallen, severed in two like a body split open at the heart. The Hengshan defense line, which Western Xia had painstakingly built for over a hundred years, was collapsing at an ever-accelerating pace with the loss of Xingqing Prefecture.

First came turmoil among the people, then the shifting of troops, followed by invasion by a long-time enemy, then the exposure of internal vulnerabilities, and finally, the actual fall of cities and the collapse of the defense line.

All of this happened in just five short days.

Back to the present, since Wu Jie had now joined forces with Guo Hao, Xiao Heda, and countless defecting Fan tribes—totaling no fewer than forty thousand men—he naturally planned to launch a major offensive against Youzhou and Yanzhou.

But at this moment, he received news that even made him, in his current state, somewhat flustered—His Majesty, with his personal Imperial Guard unit, plus the two divisions of the Imperial Left Army under Xie Yuan and Yue Chao, totaling seven thousand men, had marched north along the North Luo River. Two days ago, they had passed through Fuzhou without stopping, and had continued north, turning west from the Diaoyin Mountain camp, and were now nearing Bao'an Army.

At the same time, behind the imperial entourage were the divisions of Hu Yantong and the Zhai Cong and Dong Xian divisions sent in support by Li Yanxian, totaling another seven thousand men, heading this way.

His Majesty had clearly finally learned the news about Xingqing Prefecture and had great confidence in both him and Yue Fei, and was also very concerned… Commander-in-Chief Wu was naturally grateful for this, but beyond gratitude, he was somewhat flustered by it. Still, he had to admit that with the arrival of this news, the Hengshan Fan tribes surrendered even faster.

Even the previously unruly Xiao Heda instantly became docile—such was the prestige and effect of the Son of Heaven.

"Commander Xiao has rendered great service. The Son of Heaven has summoned you to bestow rewards in person." After some thought, early the next morning, Wu Jie held a grand assembly of all generals in Hongzhou city, and then publicly issued a false imperial decree to Xiao Heda. "The imperial banner is at Bao'an Army, reachable in a single day's ride… Youzhou is already in chaos. Let your sons lead the troops and follow me. You, Commander, go receive your reward."

Xiao Heda, who had only just ended his house arrest a little over three days ago, wanted to decline but didn't know how.

PS: Thanks to the big shot "Yanban Xigua" for the alliance—this is the 136th alliance for this book. Also thanks to the big shot "Yexu Weilai" for three consecutive alliances… That's seven or eight alliances now. I'm deeply ashamed.