Early summer in the Western Regions is unbearably hot, with the sun baking the earth without any shade.

Occasionally, you can see merchants leading large camel caravans coming from the west.

They were hauling goods brought back from the West, such as fine wine, luminous cups, sharp scimitars, jade, gemstones, and so on.

The merchants were initially panicked when they saw a large army appearing ahead, but they were relieved when they realized it was the Song army.

They were all merchants from the Song Dynasty, and they traded with the Abbasid Caliphate to the west.

However, because the road system in the Western Regions was very primitive and rudimentary, these merchants traveled very slowly.

They dared not go forward to disrupt the Song army's marching speed, but thought that if the imperial court won this western expedition, the journey to the Western Regions would be much smoother.

Zhao Huan squinted at the endless plain in front of him, the sky like a deep blue mirror.

Once you cross this area, you'll enter the Seven Rivers region.

Ancient civilizations have always been born in places with water. The Seven Rivers region is scattered here, with green spaces, mountains and rivers, and abundant natural resources, making it a strategic location that military strategists have fought over.

However, being undefended, the area was plagued by constant warfare, resulting in a succession of regimes.

Currently, the Seven Rivers region, including the Central Plains, has been brought under Yelü Dashi's control, and the newly established Liao Dynasty continues to expand westward.

Yelü Dashi's firearms had developed to a certain scale.

This is what Zhao Huan is most worried about.

Yelü Dashi, who possessed firearms, would inevitably launch a westward expedition, which would certainly spread firearms to the Arab world, and then, with the great wars of that era, reach Europe.

Thus, history may repeat itself.

Now, the only way to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself is to push westward and establish a set of rules for the Song Dynasty across the entire continent.

Yelü Dashi was the first one who had to be defeated.

The Song army marched at a very fast pace, traveling through the night without stopping for a moment.

Zhao Huan was dressed in armor, wearing a red cloak, and carrying an imperial sword.

He would ride his horse from time to time, walking from the front of the column to the back, to inspect the rear of the column.

When the soldiers saw that the emperor had come to inspect the area in person, they all perked up.

Duan Zhijie was almost exhausted, but Zhao Huan was still full of energy.

To keep the soldiers in high spirits, the emperor would often chat with them during rest breaks.

In just three days, the army entered the Seven Rivers region from Gaochang City.

The spies at the front lines worked through the night to gather all the intelligence.

Fifty thousand elite Liao troops have been stationed at the Chu River ferry crossing, and another thirty thousand iron cavalry have been deployed to the west.

While crying and shouting that he was willing to be a subject, Yelü Dashi was also sharpening his sword, ready to go to war at any time.

As expected of Yelü Dashi, he is extremely cunning.

Two days later, the Imperial Guards began their advance towards the Chu River.

They have already penetrated deep into Liao territory.

Along the way, Zhao Huan also saw some small cities, but they were empty.

There were no herders to be seen on the grassland, and not a single cattle or sheep.

Clearly, Yelü Dashi had made preparations for a scorched-earth policy in advance.

According to reports from scouts at the front, Erbus, another powerful general under Yelü Dashi, was not in the capital at the moment, but had gone west into Khwarazm.

After Yelü Dashi defeated the Seljuk hegemon in the Battle of Kavant, he gained unprecedented prestige among the various countries of the Western Regions.

Now, all the countries in the Western Regions are afraid of the Khitans of the Liao Dynasty.

Of course, they also knew that the Song Dynasty in the east had launched an invasion.

However, they did not consider the Song Dynasty to be a match for the Khitans.

For example, when Jamal al-Abu, the king of the Ghaznavid dynasty, heard that the Song dynasty had sent troops to attack the Liao dynasty, he mocked, "Even the ruler of the divine kingdom, Sanjar, was no match for the Khitans. What makes the Song dynasty, which came from the east, so special?"

"Do they still think this is the Tang Dynasty from hundreds of years ago?!"

That era is long gone!

"In the centuries to come, the Khitans will sweep across the Seven Rivers, and Khwarazm to the west has already been sued by Sanjar."

This is the current attitude of the various countries in the Western Regions towards the Liao Dynasty.

With Erbus's unprecedented military victory in Khwarazm, the Liao Dynasty's prestige in the Western Regions grew stronger.

Xue Donglai, who had just entered the Transoxiana region, encountered nobles from Khwarezm who had fled after being defeated at the front.

I heard that Khwarazm has surrendered and submitted to the Liao Dynasty.

Why is Khwarezm considered crucial to Yelü Dashi's strategy in the Western Regions?

Because Khwarazm was formerly a vassal state of the Seljuk Empire.

Now that they have sided with the Liao Dynasty and the Khitan, it means that the Seljuk's dominant position has been severely challenged.

As a result, more countries will choose to realign themselves with other countries.

These countries were unaware of the Song Dynasty's power, but they truly felt the Liao Dynasty's strength and the will of Yelü Dashi.

Therefore, Xue Donglai even had reason to suspect that Yelü Dashi would soon be able to mobilize countless allied troops here to fight against the Song Dynasty.

The situation in the Western Regions is more severe than imagined.

The logistical pressure on the Song Dynasty's expedition will inevitably be enormous.

If one is not careful, one could easily find oneself in a dilemma.

Xue Donglai felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

On this trip to the Seljuk Empire, the leader of the kings, Sanjar, was to persuade him to send troops to attack the western front of the Khitan.

Only in this way can the emperor's military pressure be greatly relieved.

The territory of Khwarazm has been occupied by the Khitan army, and strict searches are being conducted on Han Chinese coming from the east.

Xue Donglai and his accomplices were unfortunately captured and imprisoned.

If he hadn't had friends here who ransomed him with money, he probably would have been killed by the Khitan army in a few days.

Xue Donglai, after being released from prison, rushed westward to Seljuk overnight.

The cold moon hangs in the deep blue sky, and starlight is scattered across the earth. In the distance, the ancient castles, layer upon layer, gleam with a jewel-like light under the moonlight.

After several days of frantic escape, Xue Donglai finally entered Seljuk territory.

It is said that after Sanjar, the King of Kings, was defeated in the Battle of Qatwan, his personal prestige was impacted, and the Seljuks were caught in a power struggle in the court, which began to fall into chaos.

This is also why the Khitans easily occupied the vassal state of Khwarazm.

Sanjar had no time to look eastward at this moment.

But Sanjar still had an army at his disposal, which was enough to support the Seljuks.

Xue Donglai believed this was an excellent opportunity to incite Sanjar to launch an attack on the Liao Kingdom from the west, which would ensure the Song army's inevitable victory.

Sanjar also hopes to avenge his previous defeat and regain his stability.

Sanjar had no idea that he was about to make the most regrettable decision of his life.