Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 687 The Deployment of Troops Was Hasty

In hindsight, the timing for Ren Dejing's coup was not yet ripe.

Because at this time the Tangut nobles had not yet been completely weakened, some veteran Tangut generals were still very powerful.

Once they discover that Ren Dejing has taken control of the emperor, they are very likely to respond drastically.

If the Tanguts were to gather troops under the banner of protecting the emperor, Ren Dejing would have to fight a civil war first before considering anything else.

However, the Jin envoy Yiladao openly sided with Ren Dejing, supporting the Western Xia in its all-out campaign against Guanzhong.

The Western Xia still greatly feared the Jin Dynasty. This was not only due to the survival wisdom of a small country, but also because Wanyan Loushi had defeated the 30,000 elite troops led by the Western Xia general Li Liangfu with only 800 cavalry, which greatly shocked the Western Xia.

This battle not only led to the Western Xia emperor Li Qianshun killing his own empress, Liao princess Yelü Nanxian, but also etched the Western Xia people's fear of the Jin dynasty into their very bones.

Although forty years have passed since this battle, and the Jurchens are no longer invincible with a force of ten thousand, the Western Xia still treats the Jin Dynasty with utmost respect.

Therefore, under the platform of Yila Road, Ren Dejing controlled the emperor and launched a general mobilization against Western Xia.

The Western Xia was a small country, and even with a total mobilization, it was impossible to gather many troops. Every major battle with the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties was a struggle for national subjugation. If a total mobilization could not gain a significant advantage, the entire country would tend to collapse.

However, at this point, Ren Dejing couldn't care less about anything else.

Now that he had become Cao Cao, he could no longer care about the fate of the Han Dynasty. His first priority was to ensure the safety of himself and his family.

Therefore, we must attack Kansai, and we must do it well.

In September, the Western Xia assembled 50,000 regular troops. Ren Dejing, along with Emperor Li Renxiao, crossed Hengshan and launched an attack on Guanzhong in three routes.

The eastern route, consisting of 10,000 men, comprised of a small number of Han soldiers and a large number of Tanguts, was led by Ren Decong and set out from Yinzhou to attack Suide Army.

The western route consisted of 15,000 men, roughly divided between Han troops and Dangxiang tribal soldiers, led by Ren Chunzhong, a cousin of Ren Dejing. They set off from Zhuoluo and the Southern Army Headquarters towards Lanzhou.

The central force consisted of 25,000 men, primarily Han soldiers under Ren Dejing's command, plus 5,000 traditional Western Xia infantry, 2,000 Iron Falcon heavy cavalry, and 3,000 hostage troops. They assembled in Lingzhou and advanced along the Baima River towards Huanzhou.

With an additional 50,000 civilians ready to serve as cannon fodder, the Western Xia mobilized a total of 100,000 troops this time, truly a do-or-die situation.

In addition to manpower, various military supplies and provisions were also forcibly requisitioned for the army, so much so that even though it was just the autumn harvest, sporadic famines had already begun in some parts of Western Xia.

The composition of the army reveals that the Western Xia army at this time had transformed from a force mainly composed of Tangut people into an army with a strong Han Chinese influence.

This is also why Ren Dejing was able to stand on equal footing with the Western Xia emperor in this era.

The routes taken by these three Western Xia armies in their southern expedition were also carefully planned, almost exactly the reverse of the five routes used by Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty to attack Western Xia, which can be considered a kind of adaptation.

Ren Dejing's playing style can be described as treating everyone equally.

At this time, Huanzhou and Lanzhou had been recovered by Wu Lin, while Suide Army was in the hands of the Jin Dynasty.

This wasn't because Ren Dejing was possessed by Empress Dowager Cixi and thought he was capable of taking on two opponents at once; rather, he hoped that the Tangut troops on both the eastern and western routes could be worn down more in the battle.

In addition, Ren Dejing did not want to really defeat either side. If either Wu Lin or Tu Danhexi could not hold on and collapsed, then Ren Dejing would have to face the victor directly.

Given the military strength of the Western Xia, they might be able to fish in troubled waters, but they should forget about launching a major offensive.

The Western Xia was not a powerful state like the Central Plains. If 10,000 regular soldiers were killed or wounded, the country would be on the verge of collapse.

In mid-September, just days after the Western Xia army set out, good news first came from the Eastern Route Army.

Ren Decong led his troops in a surprise attack on the Suide army, capturing the city in one fell swoop. After gathering his troops, he marched straight towards Yan'an Prefecture, causing a stir in Guanzhong.

The fact that the Western Xia, this troublemaker, launched an attack at this time greatly surprised Wu Lin and Wanyan Liang.

In their view, the Western Xia was relatively weak, so if they sent too few troops, they would not be able to conquer the cities in Guanzhong. If they sent too many troops, problems would arise within the country.

The two men were trying to win over Ren Dejing mainly because they hoped he could hold back the enemy's flanks, not because they expected him to have the ability to lead the main force in a major battle.

But who would have thought that Ren Dejing not only came, but also brought the Emperor of Western Xia with him and the entire army of the Great White High Kingdom.

Needless to say, Wanyan Liang was the only one who could process the news; it took Wu Lin almost a whole day to digest it.

Inside the De Shun Army's command tent, Li Shiyan, the Pacification Commissioner of Kuizhou Circuit, exclaimed incredulously, "Has this Western bandit gone mad?"

Wu Lin stared at the map in silence.

General Zhang Shunzhong sneered, "The Western bandits aren't crazy; they're just blinded by greed, thinking they can get something for nothing." Another general, Hui Feng, frowned as he reviewed military reports from various regions: "Something's not right. The Western bandit emperor has even come. Is Li Renxiao really that brave?"

Wu Lin finally spoke up, saying, "It's not that the Western Bandit Emperor has come, but rather that the Western Bandit King of Chu, Ren Dejing, has taken the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords and forcibly brought his emperor here. The difference between these two is enormous."

Seeing that some of the generals looked bewildered while others suddenly understood, Wu Lin could only explain more clearly: "Ren Dejing wants to usurp the throne, which is why he wants a great victory. However, because of the terrain of Longyou and his intention to take advantage of the chaos, he will not take the initiative to attack our army."

After exchanging glances with each other, the generals looked at the map. Wu Ting then forced himself to speak, "Father, even if the Western bandits dare not confront our army head-on, we cannot turn a blind eye to the tens of thousands of troops pressing in from the north."

Wu Lin, who had been looking at the sand table in thought, suddenly focused his gaze upon hearing Wu Ting's words: "Fifth Brother, what are you trying to say?"

Wu Ting was somewhat apprehensive. He looked around before saying, "Now that the Western bandits are causing trouble, is it too presumptuous for our army to proceed according to the original plan? Could something go wrong?"

Wu Lin wanted to reprimand his son for misleading the army, but then he realized that his son was a brave and fierce warrior known throughout the army. If even he hesitated, it could only mean that the other generals were even more hesitant and fearful.

Thinking of this, Wu Lin laughed instead, and looked at the generals and said, "Are you still afraid of the Western bandits? This is no longer the time when Li Yuanhao established the country. What fighting power do the Western bandits still have?"
Let me tell you, my father, brothers, and ancestors all served in the Western Army. My grandfather could only defend the Western bandits from within the fortress, but by my father's generation, they were able to go out and fight the Western bandits in open field battles.

When my brother and I joined the army, the Western bandits could only hold their positions in various cities, relying on the mountainous terrain to cut off our supply lines, which was how they were able to defeat the Song Dynasty.

Wu Lin spoke confidently in front of a group of middle-aged generals: "So, what is there to fear about the Western bandits nowadays?"

"Our greatest enemy today remains the Jurchen invaders!"

Wu Lin pointed to the sand table: "Now, we have such a good opportunity. If we succeed, the Jin bandits in Guanzhong will be annihilated in one fell swoop! Dealing with these mere western bandits will be a piece of cake!"

"This risk is worth taking!"

Li Shiyan glanced at the others. Although he felt that there was some truth to this morale-boosting speech, he still had to lay out the unpleasant truths beforehand.

“What the military governor said makes sense, but are we really just going to let the Western bandits go unchecked? If Lanzhou and Huanzhou are lost, Deshun Army will not be safe either.”

Huanzhou is in the northeast and Lanzhou is in the northwest. If the Western Xia army captures these two places, it can immediately launch a pincer attack on the Deshun army. At that time, all the Song army troops will be cut off from their retreat.

Wu Lin nodded and said, “I am well aware of the importance of this matter. I have already dispatched Yan Zhong and Yang Congyi to Lanzhou and Huanzhou respectively. Although each of them has only a thousand or so soldiers, the hearts of the people of Guanzhong belong to the Great Song. There is absolutely no reason for them to join forces with the Western bandits.”

Li Shiyan nodded repeatedly.

The people of Guanzhong had been fighting with the Western Xia for nearly a century, and had long since developed a deep-seated hatred for them. Surrendering to the Jin Dynasty was due to their lack of strength, but it was absolutely impossible for them to surrender to the Western Xia.

Seeing that the morale of the army, which had been somewhat chaotic due to the Western Xia's invasion, was gradually stabilizing, Wu Lin pointed to the map and began to plan for the upcoming battle.

"Li Shiyan!"

"The general is here!"

"Zhang Shunzhong and Hui Feng are both under your command. Combine your forces of 25,000 regular soldiers and attack Yuanzhou!"

"Order!"

"Wu Ting!"

"exist!"

"I'll give you a thousand elite cavalry, plus your five thousand main troops, for a total of six thousand men. Head along the Wei River, cross Fengxiang Prefecture, and ignore everything else. Charge straight for Chang'an. If you capture Jingzhao Prefecture, you'll be the one to achieve the greatest merit!"

"Here!"

"Zhao Quan!"

"The general is here!"

"You will lead your 6,000 troops to garrison Deshun Army. I entrust the entire army's rear to you!"

"Here!"

"I will personally lead the remaining 10,000 troops to provide support for the other armies."

After assigning the troops, Wu Lin stood before the map and slowly said, "Guanxi has been outside the country for thirty years. Now the country has emptied the taxes of Sichuan and gathered 60,000 troops in Guanxi. It is time for heroes to show their strength! Do not let down the Emperor and the people of Sichuan. Let us conquer Guanxi in one battle!"

The generals agreed with a roar.

(End of this chapter)