Late February, Heidushan Mountain, Ganzhou, Hexi Corridor.
The north wind was like a knife, whipping yellow sand and gravel against my face, and my skin quickly cracked and bled.
Wu Shangzhi reined in his horse on the mountain ridge, squinting as he gazed at the snow-capped Qilian Mountains stretching to the east.
Behind him, 20,000 elite troops formed a long line, winding their way along the mountain road.
We have been traveling for more than twenty days since we set off from Shule City, day and night, and we are exhausted.
The three warhorses brought from the Western Regions were ridden in rotation, and now they were all so thin that their ribs were clearly visible.
Many soldiers' leather boots were worn through, and they wrapped them in rags to continue walking.
"General, the Blackwater River is just ten miles ahead. Once we cross the river, we'll reach Zhangye." Guo Luo's lips were cracked and his voice was hoarse. "A scout reports that the garrison commander of Zhangye is Guo Xiaoti, and the provisions are ready."
Wu Shangzhi nodded and was about to speak when the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from the northwest.
A cavalry force of about a hundred men galloped in, kicking up dust. Judging from their attire, they were from the Yin Army, but they were all in a sorry state, with tattered armor and many wounded.
Wu Shangzhi found the leading general to be familiar.
When the other person ran up to him, Wu Shangzhi recognized him at a glance: "Little Stone?"
"Shi Yong!" Wu Shangzhi immediately shouted and rode up to meet him.
When Shi Yong saw Wu Shangzhi, he was first taken aback, then overjoyed: "Xiao Wu! It's you! That's great! You're finally back!"
He dismounted, staggering and nearly falling.
Wu Shangzhi quickly helped him up: "Little Stone, aren't you stationed in Ganzhou? Where are you rushing off to...?"
"I was ordered to escort a batch of newly produced fire oil to Guanzhong; the General urgently needs it!" Shi Yong gasped for breath. "But we encountered a bandit attack at Wushaoling, and most of our five hundred brothers were killed, and the fire oil was lost too..."
Wu Shangzhi's face darkened: "The Tanguts? Didn't they accept the money and provisions we gave them and promise not to invade our borders?"
"Who knew those barbarians would turn on us like that! They had two thousand cavalry and surrounded us in the valley. If I hadn't fought my way out..."
As he spoke, he lifted his armor, revealing a deep knife wound on his ribs that exposed bone; the hastily wrapped cloth strips were already soaked with blood.
"Medical officer! Quickly!" Wu Shangzhi urgently ordered.
After Shi Yong was carried away for treatment, Wu Shangzhi summoned Murong Chunhua: "Send a team of scouts to scout the direction of Wushaoling to see if the Dangxiang people are still there. The rest of you, hurry up, we must get to the Blackwater River today."
He looked eastward, his brows furrowed.
The sudden robbery by the Tanguts was not a good omen.
The Hexi Corridor is an essential route for those returning east; if it is cut off...
“General,” Guo Luo said in a low voice, “the fire oil that General Shi was escorting was military supplies destined for Guanzhong. Now that it has been hijacked, it may affect the General’s plans.”
Wu Shangzhi certainly knew.
The Fierce Fire Oil is a unique weapon of the Great Yin Dynasty. The General specially ordered Shi Yong to escort it, as it must be of great use.
“The Tanguts…” he murmured to himself, “What do they want?”
......
That night, by the Blackwater River.
The campfire flickered in the cold wind, illuminating Wu Shangzhi's pensive face.
Shi Yong had been properly bandaged up, had drunk some hot soup, and was feeling a little better.
"Xiao Wu, how is the General now?" Shi Yong asked anxiously.
"I heard he has already captured Dengzhou," Wu Shangzhi said, "and is preparing to attack Heluo. My 20,000 men are rushing back for the final assault."
Shi Yong's eyes lit up: "Excellent! As long as you arrive, the General will be even more powerful!" He then fell silent, "What a pity about the flammable oil..."
"Let's leave the matter of the flammable oil aside." Wu Shangzhi stared at him. "Little Stone, think carefully, what did the Tanguts say when they robbed you?"
Shi Yong tried hard to recall: "They... seemed to have shouted something about 'tea leaves' and 'salt'... Oh right, the leader was a young man, about twenty years old, who called himself something about 'the prince'..."
"The Crown Prince?" Wu Shangzhi raised an eyebrow.
When did the Tangut tribe in Hexi, whose leader was called "Great Chieftain," have a crown prince?
"Did that person give their name?"
"The name is a tongue twister, it sounds like...Mei Zang E Pang."
Wu Shangzhi was shocked.
He had heard of the name Mo Zang E Pang.
The son of the Tangut chieftain Mezang Yuankang, he was said to be exceptionally brave and had the bearing of a hero.
Three years ago, he led his troops to plunder Liangzhou, but was repelled by Zhang Zan. Later, the court offered him money and grain, and he agreed not to invade the border.
Now he dares to openly plunder government and military supplies, could it be...?
"General!" a scout rushed in to report, "Two thousand Tangut cavalry have been spotted in the direction of Wushaoling, and they are moving this way!"
The generals suddenly stood up.
Shi Yong gritted his teeth: "They must be chasing after me! Xiao Wu, don't delay the important matter. Take the main force and leave first. I'll lead the rest of the troops to cover the rear..."
"No need," Wu Shangzhi waved his hand. "Order the entire army to form ranks and prepare for battle."
He looked at the long dragon of torches faintly visible in the western darkness, a cold glint in his eyes: "I want to see what this Mucang Epang is up to."
The 20,000 Yin soldiers quickly formed ranks.
Although exhausted, they were all battle-hardened elites, and obeyed orders without question. In less than a quarter of an hour, they had already set up a defensive formation.
Xi Sheng's Mo Dao Battalion was in the front, Lin Yuan's Bow and Crossbow Battalion and Liu Yi's Divine Machine Battalion were in the middle, Guo Luo's Heavy Cavalry Battalion was in the rear, and Murong Chunhua, Huan Wu, and Namtso's three cavalry units were on the two flanks.
This formation is fearless even if an army of 100,000 were to come, let alone a mere 2,000!
Half an hour later, the Tangut cavalry arrived.
They did not attack immediately, but stopped three miles away.
In the firelight, it was clear that this cavalry was indeed different from others—not a ragtag army from an ordinary nomadic tribe, but a group of able-bodied young men. Although their equipment was rudimentary, their formation was disciplined and they exuded a fierce aura.
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