Cherry blossoms were already widely planted in China during the Qin and Han dynasties and were an indispensable part of courtyards.

During the Tang Dynasty, when all nations paid tribute to Japan, Japanese envoys to Tang China introduced cherry blossoms to Japan, where they began to be planted on a large scale and were designated as the national flower.

The Japanese showed an obsessive love for these cherry blossoms from the Chinese Xia Dynasty, and soon the planting density surpassed that of China.

Some people who travel to Japan say that the cherry blossoms there cover the mountains and fields like rosy clouds and mist.

The fall of cherry blossoms in China has attracted the attention and longing of some people, and some have even begun to plant cherry blossoms extensively in the fields.

Cai Rixin held the woman in his arms tightly, refusing to let go, until she had already passed away.

He stared blankly at the distant barren mountains, as if he too had lost his soul and become an empty shell.

If only there were no war.

He even thought how much better it would have been if he had never met her, at least it would have meant that she hadn't come to the army and wouldn't have been involved in this cruel war.

Perhaps she was farming in the capital, or perhaps she was weaving cloth.

They work at sunrise and rest at sunset.

Marriage, children, and an ordinary life.

Cai Rixin didn't know how much time had passed, and he hadn't heard any sound. He numbly stood up, picked up the woman in his arms, held her in his arms, and walked to the warhorse that was resting on the ground.

It slowly disappeared into the gray sky.

Wu Jie opened the letter, which was written by Tang Zijie, the commander of the right-wing army. It read as follows:

"We, the ten thousand brave sons of the Great Song Dynasty, are prepared to die. The enemy's offensive has not weakened, and the future is uncertain. If the defense line holds, I will return alive to see Commander Wu. If the defense line falls, I will die on the battlefield, my body rotting in the wild. When I return victorious from the conquest of Xia, Commander Wu, as a renowned general in the conquest of Xia, ride past Shentang Fortress. If the grass waves like mountains, that will be my sons and I coming to see you!"

A letter from Zhang Zhengze, the commander of the left-wing army, also arrived: "Many thanks for your guidance, Commander Wu. I'll be leaving now! Take care, Commander Wu!"

Wu Jie's brow furrowed tightly, and no one knew what he was thinking.

He picked up his pen and wrote a short letter to Zhao Huan:

"Your Majesty, I, Wu Jie, a humble and unworthy subject, have been ordered to subdue the old traitor Ren Duo. The entire army is prepared to die to repay the Emperor's grace!"

Wu Jie's tens of thousands of troops began to quickly form ranks, with officers roaring and captains reprimanding their soldiers.

From above, a dark shadow moved neatly across the vast plain.

Large swaths of cold sunlight pierced the gray sky, striking the dry, barren ground and making the scars appear even more grotesque.

Tang Zijie's head was impaled on a spear, and Ren Duobaozhong's main force cut in from the right flank, a black torrent roaring toward Shentangbao.

As far as the eye can see, countless Tangut soldiers are advancing in orderly formation across the plains.

Wu Jie's left and right flanks fought a brutal battle; all the military commanders on both sides were killed, as were the highest-ranking generals on both sides, and almost none of the lower-ranking soldiers survived.

The place was littered with corpses, and crows and eagles circled overhead. Several bold crows had already swooped down and begun to devour the dead.

The cold wind howled across the plains, like the weeping souls of fallen soldiers who lingered, unwilling to leave.

Next year, the grass here will surely grow very lush, perhaps even blood red.

Countless families have lost their breadwinners, and many more children will grow up in the shadow of a father's absence.

How many people know the hardships behind this?

Although the Song army suffered heavy casualties, the Tanguts also lost many men and generals. In fact, the left wing of the Tanguts lost even more men than the Song army, with a total of 15,000 men killed here.

When the two armies of the Tanguts attacked Wu Jie from the east and west respectively, Wu Jie was prepared to fight them.

This war is one that deserves to be recorded in history.

It played a crucial role in the emperor's war against Xia!

A Tangut scout reported: "Your Highness, the main force of the Song army has already advanced towards our army, about fifteen li away."

Zhao Renzhong asked, "How many people are there?"

"A conservative estimate is 30,000!"

Zhao Renzhong was overjoyed. Wu Jie was overestimating himself. He had defeated Shentang Fort, yet he dared to come out and fight back. Wasn't he courting death?

With a mere 30,000 men, we can easily launch a pincer attack and take them down in one fell swoop!

Zhao Renzhong said to Renduo Baozhong, "As long as we kill Wu Jie, the Song emperor will lose his left arm. We will hold Shentang Fort, and His Majesty will take Hengshan with a large army and completely annihilate the Song army there. The Song emperor and his ministers will then be unable to sit still, and negotiating peace will be their best option!"

Rendo Baozhong had a head of silver hair and an imposing face. His eyes were deep and his voice was heavy: "Your Highness must not be careless. Wu Jie is a rare commander in the Song army. Our army has suffered many losses at his hands."

"Grand Tutor, this is just boosting the morale of others and diminishing your own!" Zhao Renzhong seemed unconcerned. After all, he had just wiped out Wu Jie's right wing, and the huge victory made him very excited.

Moreover, another Xia army has already advanced from behind Wu Jie, now forming a pincer movement against him. Even if he were the reincarnation of the Marquis of Champion, he would not be able to win this war.

However, Renta Yasutada disagreed. He was a veteran of the battlefield and knew that things could change in an instant, and one should never be careless.

Even Cao Cao, who once boasted an army of 800,000 men marching south with the ambition to conquer the world, suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs.

Fu Jian, leading a million-strong army, earned himself a laughingstock for all time at the Battle of Fei River.

Therefore, we cannot be careless. Only by completely annihilating Wu Jie's army can we be certain of victory over him.

Ren Duo Baozhong said to Zhao Renzhong, "Your Highness, I think we should slow down the march and have our scouts investigate the surrounding area for a hundred miles before launching an attack!"

"What tricks could Wu Jie possibly have up his sleeve?"

"Your Highness, look, if Wu Jie were to deploy an elite cavalry force in the south, and take advantage of our army's confrontation with the Song army in front to launch a surprise attack on our flanks or rear, our army would be in grave danger!"

"Grand Tutor, you are overthinking it. The Song army has few cavalry!"

"Your Highness, I have heard that the Emperor of Song has reformed the horse administration this year and has equipped the Song army with some elite cavalry. We must not be careless!"

"Grand Tutor, you said Wu Jie's cavalry ambushed in the south. Even if he manages to charge over, it will be after our army has already wiped out his main force. Does that mean his cavalry is more powerful than our Iron Falcons?"

Ren Duobaozhong frowned slightly; what Zhao Renzhong said wasn't entirely unreasonable.

The Iron Falcons of his Great Xia were the elite of the elite. The Song army was already weak in cavalry, so it was almost impossible for them to launch a cavalry raid like the Marquis of Champion. Flattery wouldn't allow it!

"Your Highness is absolutely right, but..."

"Grand Tutor, the opportunity is fleeting. Now is the best time to eliminate Wu Jie. We should advance with all our might and kill him to our hearts' content!" Zhao Renzhong was full of heroic ambition. It was his first time on the battlefield, and he felt that he was simply a genius.

Wu Jie was quite famous in the Northwest, and many people in the Great Xia were wary of him. If he could eliminate Wu Jie in this battle, he would surely win the support and endorsement of many ministers and clansmen, and be one step closer to the throne.

I'm so excited just thinking about it!

Zhao Renzhong looked ahead, as if he could see the dawn of victory: "Pass on my order, the entire army advances at full speed, and anyone who dares to delay the military operation will be executed on the spot!"