A large army gathered in front of Hengshan Mountain. The cavalry and infantry were in neat rows, with bright flags, drums and horns sounding, and horses neighing continuously.
Tong Guan was dressed in a military uniform, sitting upright on his horse. He was practicing his teachings as a teacher. He could ask for help. Wang Hou, Yang Keshi, Xin Xingzong, and Han Shizhong gathered together powerful generals. The Shenwu Army, the Shengjie Army, the Zhejia Army, and the Zhongjia Army were full of elite soldiers.
"After leaving Hengshan, Xiping Mansion, Jingzhou City, and Huaizhou City, we must capture them all within ten days and clear the outskirts of Xingqing Mansion." Tong Guan said loudly.
"Han Wu, I have entrusted Shengjie's army to you. You must divert Young Master Chuang to us and mobilize the main force of Xia's army."
Han Shizhong cupped his fists and said, "Don't worry, Commander Tong, Han Wu will definitely fulfill his mission."
Tong Guan was overjoyed. With such a death squad, it would be much easier to attack the city by himself.
After Han Shizhong finished speaking, he frowned slightly, leaned forward and whispered: "Tong Shuai, are the Tubo people reliable?"
Tong Guan had a look on his face and said with a smile: "How can the Tibetan people refuse the conditions offered by a certain family? Don't worry, they will definitely fight hard for me."
It was not Han Shizhong's turn to worry about these major issues in the decision-making circle, and he was not qualified to participate.
Since the commander gave the order, the general could only move forward bravely. Han Shizhong took the order and went as a vanguard and a decoy for a feint attack, to penetrate deep into the heart of Xixia alone.
Returning to his own camp, Han Shizhong was fully clothed. His entire body of armor covered his shoulders and shoulders, his chest and back armor were integrated into his leggings, and he wore a horned beast helmet on his head.
He stood up, revealing only a pair of majestic eyes.
Behind him, sitting on a tall horse, were three thousand cavalrymen with neat saddles and saddles, swords and shields, and spears in their hands.
This is the best cavalry in the Western Army. Han Shizhong felt it was a pleasure to command these people in battle.
War drums roared and horns sounded, and the spirits of the three armies were lifted.
Nestled in the freezing Hengshan Mountains, after preparing for so long, it was finally time to set off for the expedition.
The Western Army and the Fourth Shaanxi Army were established by Da Fan Laozi and Fan Yong. They have been known as a strong army for nearly a hundred years.
In all roads in Shaanxi, several generations of a family have served the Western Army. The men do not live past their thirties, and it is common to see a bunch of widows living together.
Behind these widows is the blood feud that has been accumulated for many generations. Now there is a chance to completely defeat the old enemy that has been fighting for centuries.
In today's Song Dynasty, these are the only people who can fight.
The Central Forbidden Army, the "800,000 Forbidden Army" that the Song Dynasty has always relied on, must be tall, handsome, and know the rules. Military experience is second, and it is too early to be corrupted and unable to fight;
As for the Hebei Forbidden Army, due to the peace talks between Song and Liao and the signing of the Chanyuan Alliance, the long border between Song and Liao was basically undefended. There had been no war for many years, and their combat effectiveness was even worse.
At this time, only the soldiers and horses of the Western Army were wallowing in the sea of blood and fighting on the mountain of swords every day.
They are generally inherited from generation to generation. The Zhe family army in Fuzhou, the Yang family generals in Linzhou, and the Zhong family army in Qingjian City can fight hard and dare to sacrifice. They are the best in the world and are the last support of the Song Dynasty.
Since the bankruptcy of Shenzong's Five-Road Expedition to Xia, the Western Army's loyalty to the imperial court has greatly declined. Recently, it has been without pay for several years. Everyone in the Western Army has complained about the imperial court.
This is an excellent opportunity. As long as the Western Army, under the leadership of Tong Guan, destroys its old enemy Xixia and regains the horse breeding land for the Song Dynasty, it will be an opportunity to completely solve the decline in morale and loyalty.
In the first month of the second year of Daguan, Tong Guan's army was divided into two groups and took the lead in sending troops.
Han Shizhong led his troops northward along the Yellow River, sweeping through the Xixia forts along the way.
Within three days, Mengjing, Bole, and Yaodebao were all captured.
A steady stream of supplies were transported to the front line by hundreds of thousands of civilians. For the first time, the Western Army soldiers had full stomachs and wore cotton-padded clothes to fight.
Five days later, Zhongshidao defeated Xiping Prefecture, hurriedly set up a prefect and continued to advance.
On this day, the Tubo people set out from Renduo Spring and rushed all the way to Yingli City. Tong Guan's anxious heart was finally relieved.
Seven days later, the Zhong family army and the Zhe family army joined forces to conquer Jingzhou. The capital of Xixia, Xingqing Mansion, was in sight.
At this time, Li Qianshun was surprisingly calm. The gate of Xingqing Mansion was closed tightly and he was beaten to the gate. The main force of Xia Army still did not appear.
On the tenth day, all the cities and forts east of Xingqing Mansion were cleared, and the Song army surrounded half of Xingqing Mansion.
"Woo~wuwu" the horn sounded long. Along with the powerful and long sound of the horn, countless small black dots came densely from all directions. The strongest combat power of the Song Dynasty was assembled here. In the distance, there were various chariots and horses transporting grain and grass. and giant siege engines.
The Song army fought a little too smoothly. Many of the generals were veteran generals who had experienced battles for a long time, and they all felt a little uneasy.
The Tubo people arrived late and also set up camp in the west. Only then did several Tubo generals and assistants meet at the Song camp.
Although Tong Guan had read some art of war and had some practice, by this moment he had been dazzled by the victory.
He arrogantly received his defeated generals and the envoys from Hehuang and Tubo, scolding them for their slow march, and they had not yet surrounded Xingqing Mansion.
Tong Guan was afraid that in the Xingqing Mansion, the Xixia royal family would flee to the vast grasslands and could not wait to be surrounded by the Tubo people.
The Song army has already surrounded three sides. According to the original agreement, the Tibetans still need to surround the east side.
The Tubo envoy obeyed, and after being scolded, he returned to the camp and prepared to convey Tong Guan's order.
In the large tent of the Song army, the generals sat on both sides, with Tong Guan and Zhong Shidao sitting at the top.
Zhong Shidao frowned and said: "Tongzhi Envoy, this long march, the resistance encountered along the way was so small, could it be a secret plot by the Xia thieves, we have to guard against it."
Tong Guan chuckled and said: "On the battlefield, there are endless tricks and tricks, and they are indeed magic weapons to defeat the enemy. However, sometimes even if you know clearly what the opponent does, you may not be able to decipher his plan. This is a conspiracy.
If a certain family uses this trick, what can Xixia do? Mr. Zhong need not worry, as soon as the siege equipment arrives, Xingqing Mansion can be breached within seven days."
Zhong Shizhong said with a sullen face: "When the troops came out of Hengshan, our battle line was stretched so far, and we fought so fast that our logistics had not caught up. What should we do if there are soldiers and horses arranged by Xia bandits along the way to interfere with our supplies?"
Tong Guan was proud of himself: "How can a general be so short-sighted? One day, we checked that the army had enough food to last for half a month, but we still can't attack Xingqing Mansion in half a month?"
Taoist Master Zhong took a breath, suppressed his anger, and then said: "Zhi Envoy, Xingqing Mansion is not an ordinary city, but the capital of the Xixia Kingdom. How difficult is it to defend it for half a month? For the current plan, it is better to divide the troops and go back. It is safest to mop up the remnants of the Xia army in the surrounding areas, ensure smooth transportation lines, place troops and horses in the forts of prefectures and counties, and make camp step by step."
Divide the troops? Tong Guan sneered: "Concentrate the troops and capture the Xingqing Mansion, then the Xia Ni will not gather around the outside. It seems that you are so timid and afraid of trouble, and have no decisions when it comes to things. How can we pacify Xia Ni?"