Wu Jie was unconscious for three days and three nights before waking up. He survived thanks to the meticulous treatment by the imperial physicians sent by Zhao Huan and his own robust health.
Wu Jie suffered heavy losses in this battle, but he eliminated the threat on the left flank of Zhao Huan's central army, captured Shentang Fort, and enabled Zhao Huan's five-pronged attack on Xia to be carried out smoothly.
What would happen if Wu Jie failed to capture Shentang Fort?
Li Ganshun would immediately send reinforcements south to Shentangbao, effectively pushing the battle line from Hengshan into the territory of the Song Dynasty!
The Song army in Hengshan was cut off from the reinforcements it was waiting for, and even if they made a detour, the Song army would feel like they were being pricked by needles.
Because further north lies the vast desert, the transportation of supplies must be of paramount importance; we absolutely cannot allow a horde of Xia troops to lurk behind us.
This is the strategic importance of Shentangbao!
After capturing Shentang Fortress, the supplies had already been transported there before Zhao Huan arrived, which greatly reduced the time required.
For the Song army in the Hengshan area, time was life.
The Hengshan area was something that Song had spent decades developing step by step.
This story dates back to the time of Fan Zhongyan, ninety years ago. Back then, the famous Prime Minister Fan and Han Qi jointly managed the Northwest and fought against the Dangxiang.
Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi then proposed a strategy to conquer the Xia state, a strategy that continued until the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty.
The Song Dynasty was a very pretentious dynasty; with so many literati, there were bound to be a lot of trivial matters.
As a result, this classic strategy of Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi was not truly implemented until the reign of Emperor Shenzong.
What strategy?
Volume 138 of the "Changbian" records a passage from Fan Zhongyan: "Your subject and Han Qi discussed day and night, selected and trained soldiers and generals, and gradually recovered Hengshan to cut off the enemy's arm. Within a few years, we can expect to pacify the area."
This was the earliest proposal to recapture Hengshan during the Song Dynasty's war against Xia.
Hengshan is located in the 700-li vast desert. If the Song Dynasty wanted to attack the Xia Dynasty, it had to cross this 700-li vast desert.
What kind of situation is this?
The Xia army was well-rested and ready to fight. They just sat there and waited for the Song army to arrive. By the time the Song army arrived, they were exhausted, while the Xia army was well-fed and ready to start fighting!
Moreover, since the Yongxi Northern Expedition, the Song Dynasty's elite cavalry has been almost completely wiped out, and the Jingse Army, which once struck fear into the hearts of the Liao Dynasty's Iron Forest Army, has long since turned to dust.
Without cavalry, how can an infantry legion win a battle against the Xia Kingdom's elite forces at such a distance, crossing such a vast desert?
Therefore, before Emperor Shenzong, the Song Dynasty was always in a passive position in its wars against the Xia Dynasty.
This passive state also completely affected the fate of the entire Song Dynasty.
Or rather, by allowing Li Yuanhao to grow in power, Song laid the groundwork for its bloated army and financial problems.
The person who should bear primary responsibility for this matter is Emperor Zhenzong of Song.
Emperor Zhenzong of Song was the biological son of Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Guangyi. If the son is not good, it is the father's fault.
What impact did the rise of the Tanguts have on the Song Dynasty, and why is it said that it completely affected the fate of the entire Song Dynasty?
Following the Treaty of Shanyuan, the Song and Liao dynasties enjoyed a century of peace.
However, since Li Jiqian's rebellion, the entire Northern Song Dynasty has been dragged into the vortex of war with the Xia Dynasty and could not extricate itself.
The Song Dynasty mobilized the entire nation's financial, material, and human resources to fight this small northwestern country for nearly a century.
This resulted in an overstaffed military and a financial crisis. In order to pay for the huge expenses, the imperial court continued to print paper money, which caused severe inflation.
Furthermore, the ministers in the imperial court engaged in rampant factional strife over the troubles on the northwest border, wasting the nation's fortunes.
This small northwestern country caused the Song Dynasty, which was originally richer than the Tang Dynasty, to continuously deplete itself starting from the reign of Emperor Zhenzong.
It was like a sharp thorn stuck in the throat of the Song Dynasty, unable to be swallowed or spat out!
In order to eliminate the Tanguts, the Song Dynasty launched five large-scale wars against the Xia Dynasty from the reign of Emperor Renzong until the fall of the Jingkang Incident.
Five times they lost more than they won, and each defeat resulted in a large-scale rout and heavy casualties for the Song army.
This story begins in the time of Fan Zhongyan.
They planned to conquer Hengshan in order to seize the Xia Kingdom.
This was the strategic policy of Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi.
Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi's plan to recapture Hengshan was as follows:
“We request that three generals and officers be selected from each of the Fuyan, Huanqing, and Jingyuan routes, along with one or two dozen envoys, ten thousand infantrymen, and three thousand cavalrymen to form the three armies. They should be trained in the newly established battle formations, and their elite troops should be put to rest. Then, we should observe the enemy’s weaknesses and have the three armies raid each other in Hengshan. Those who surrender should be given hostages and generous rewards, and each should be allowed to settle down in their homeland. Those who resist should be attacked with all our troops and their clans should be destroyed.”
"If the Fuyan army goes out first, the enemy will surely respond with a large force. I will then retreat to the border fortress or occupy a strategic location and not engage in battle. Within ten days, they will be exhausted and on the verge of collapse. Then I will send out the Huanqing army again, and they will surely send out more troops. At the same time, the Jingyuan army will take advantage of the situation to enter, keeping the enemy busy fighting and causing resentment among the tribes. My military strength will then naturally recover."
"The states of You and Sui, and the strongholds of Jintang, Baibao, and Xizhang, can all be fortified. The mountain tribes are far from Yuanhao and cannot provide timely assistance. We can defend them with strong cities and deploy elite troops. They will be eager to return to their land, and we can then use our power to force them to submit and seek their own safety. Within two or three years, the entire mountain region can be taken. This is the strategy Wu used to defeat Chu with three armies during the Spring and Autumn Period. If Yuanhao loses the strategic advantage of Hengshan, it will be as if his right arm has been severed!"
Fan Zhongyan's strategic priorities were as follows: First, to establish a strong army in each of the three routes of Fuyan, Huanqing, and Jingyuan; second, to send troops to harass the enemy, retreat without fighting, and after exhausting the enemy, to send cavalry to attack them from another route; and third, to build fortified camps in strategic locations, advancing step by step.
The core of this strategy is the third point: build fortified cities to the north and advance step by step!
Because of the vast desert stretching for 700 miles, once the Song army penetrated deep into it, it would be difficult to maintain supplies. Only by connecting the rear with the front could the battle be fought.
This classic strategy proposed by Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi was shelved and not used after it was put forward.
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