xymnovel Chapter 72 A cornered beast fights on.
Chapter 72 A cornered beast fights on.
Chapter 72 A cornered beast fights on.
Deep in the Qilian Mountains, in Xisheluosa's new nest.
The tents were sparser than last time. Many of the small tribes that had originally relied on them had quietly left with their people and livestock after being unable to endure the increasingly difficult life and the bleak future.
The remaining followers also mostly looked pale and sickly.
Inside the largest tiger-skin tent in the middle.
Xi Sheluosa, wrapped in a heavy snow leopard fur cloak, sat in the main seat covered with a bear skin. His cheeks were so thin that his bones protruded, and his eyes were sunken.
Below the tent sat his trusted generals and a few tribal chiefs who had not yet left, all with somber expressions.
"Great Chief,"
A chieftain in charge of gathering intelligence reported in a hoarse voice, "This month, we've lost another seventeen tribesmen. The Song patrols, especially the newly formed Unity Battalion, are like hyenas with eyes, roaming the grasslands day and night."
Our men, let alone getting close to the settlements and trade routes, almost got caught when they tried to plunder scattered herders on the outskirts.
Three attempts were made to raid the pastures at the eastern spring, but each time they were discovered in advance, resulting in failure and the loss of manpower.
"Enough!" Xi Sheluo slammed his hand on the low table in front of him.
"I don't want to hear any more discouraging words! I need solutions, a way out!"
He surveyed the tent with lightning-fast eyes, sweeping over the heads that hung down. "That Song dynasty fellow surnamed Zhao, with just a little salt, tea, and those hypocritical oaths, has won over the hearts of all those opportunists!"
Now, even those peasant refugees dare to cultivate land in the Hehuang region, caravans swagger around, and the tribes that have submitted treat Qingtang City as a sacred place! Our territory is shrinking, and we can plunder less and less. If this continues, we'll starve to death even without the Song army attacking us!
The tent was deathly silent.
Cish-Sherlock was telling the truth.
Since the Huangshui Alliance, the Song people's foothold in the Hehuang region has been consolidated at a visible speed.
The tribes that submitted to the government enjoyed the convenience of market trade and a relatively safe grazing environment, and their attitude towards Xisheluosa became increasingly indifferent, even taking the initiative to be wary of it.
Although those settlements were scattered, they were like nails wedged into the grassland, attracting migrants and restricting their space for movement.
The most dangerous one was that Unity Battalion.
The mixed Han and non-Han population, familiarity with the terrain, and proactive actions rendered the harassment tactics that Xisheluosa had previously relied on for survival almost completely ineffective.
"Chief, the supplies from Xia Kingdom this month have been reduced by another 30%." The trusted general in charge of logistics added in a low voice, his voice full of bitterness, "The people we sent to negotiate have returned and said that Commander Renduo Baozhong of Xia Kingdom means that it is currently the snow season, the journey is difficult, and they are not well-off either. They want us to find our own solutions."
"Think of a way? Think of what way?!"
Xi Sheluo Sa practically roared, his eyes bloodshot, "Our pastures have been seized, our tribes scattered, and our trade routes cut off! Are the Xia people seeing we're no longer useful and now they're going to discard us like used tools?!"
His chest heaved violently, his resentment towards the Western Xia almost uncontrollable.
It was the people of Xia who instigated him to start the uprising and promised to support him. Now that they see his power waning, they want to withdraw and may even use him as a bargaining chip in a deal with the people of Song!
Just then, a slight commotion came from outside the tent, and a guard came in and whispered a few words in Xisherossa's ear.
Xi Sheluo's face darkened further, and he waved his hand.
A moment later, a chieftain from a small tribe that had not yet completely dispersed was brought in.
The man looked terrified, his eyes darting away, and he dared not look directly at Xisherosa.
"What is it?" Xi Sheluo asked coldly.
The man knelt down with a thud, stammering, "Great—Great Chief—our tribe—can't hold on any longer. The old and children are crying from hunger, the horses have no fodder and are too thin to walk—some people in the tribe—are clamoring to go and seek refuge with the Baicao or Heishui tribes—they say, at least—at least there's a way to survive with the Song people—"
The air inside the tent instantly froze, and the temperature plummeted.
To seek refuge with Baicao and Heishui is tantamount to seeking refuge with the Song people!
"You scoundrel!" A hot-tempered general beside Xisheluosa jumped to his feet, drew his sword, and shouted, "Dare to harbor disloyal thoughts? I'll kill you first!"
The little man was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.
"No, no! I just came to report and ask the chief for a decision."
Xisheluosa raised his hand to stop his enraged subordinates.
He stared at the trembling little headman on the ground, then slowly swept his gaze over the others in the tent.
He saw the same wavering, despair, and yearning for survival in the eyes of some people.
Zhao Mingcheng's strategy is undermining him at its very core.
It's not just military suppression, but also the loss of morale and the collapse of the foundation for survival. If this drags on like a frog being slowly boiled in water, it will be finished without any fighting.
"Did you all hear that?" Xi Sheluosa's voice was unusually calm, yet it carried a chilling coldness.
"This is our current predicament. The Song dogs have trapped us in these mountains, and the Xia people want to distance themselves from us. Those who used to follow us now want to go and eat the Song people's food."
Xisheluosa stood up, his snow leopard-skin cloak trailing on the ground, and slowly paced around.
"Harassment? Division? Now it seems, they're all just scratching the surface. That little thief Zhao Mingcheng stabilized the majority of the tribe with the alliance, bound the hearts of the people with the markets, and established roots with the military farms. Now he's created a unity camp, handing the knife to those Tibetans who have submitted, letting them guard their own homes! What a brilliant tactic, truly a brilliant tactic!"
He turned around abruptly, staring intently at the crowd.
"Our initial plan was to wear down the Song dogs and force them to back down. Now it seems they're trying to drag us down, trap us, and starve us! If this continues, next spring, even without the Song army attacking, we'll have to disband, or—" He pointed to the man on the ground, "like them, we'll have to wag our tails and beg the Song people for food!"
"What does the Great Chief mean?" an older chieftain asked in a deep voice.
"We can't wait any longer, and we can't afford to make small-scale moves any more," Xi Sheluo said decisively.
"There must be a great battle! A great battle that can crush the main force of the Song people, or at least severely damage them, so that they can no longer stand in the Hehuang region!"
Only a decisive victory can shatter the Song people's plans, allowing those hesitant and subjugated tribes to see our strength again, and letting the Xia people know that we are still useful and worth betting on!
"A major battle?" Someone gasped. "Chief, we only have a little over two thousand soldiers capable of fighting right now, and their morale is low and supplies are scarce."
The Song army, along the Qingtang, Zongge City, and Miaochuan line, has well-trained troops and ample supplies, plus the support of the newly trained Tuanjie Battalion, and so many surrendered tribes that can conscript able-bodied men—in a head-on decisive battle, I'm afraid—"
"So we need more troops!" Xi Sheluo interrupted him. "Those tribes that have not yet submitted to the Song people are scattered throughout the Qilian Mountains, around Qinghai Lake, and even further into the territory of the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs!"
Some of them had old grudges against the Song people, some were greedy for the grasslands and their wealth, and some were just observing.
Send someone with our last gold, silver, and jewels, along with a promise: after we defeat the Song people, the grasslands, markets, and wealth of the Hehuang region can be divided among them!
Tell them that the Song people may seem powerful now, but if we win one battle, they will crumble like a sandcastle! Those who come are our brothers, bound by life and death, and will share wealth and glory in the future!
A mad and fiery light gleamed in Xisheluosa's eyes.
"I must personally travel to the Western Xia border to see Renduo Baozhong!"
These words caused another stir in the tent.
"Great Chief, if we leave now, I'm afraid—"
"Rindo Yasutada's attitude has been unclear lately. Will he be in danger on this trip?"
Xi Sheluo waved his hand, "It is precisely because the Xia people's attitude is unclear that I must go in person! I want to ask them face to face whether the promise made by the King of Western Xia still stands."
If they still want to cause trouble for the Song people in the Hehuang region and want to keep an arm around the western side of the Hexi Corridor, then they must produce something real!
"Supplies, weapons, and men! I want him to send troops, at least elite cavalry! We and those recruited rabble aren't enough! We must drag the Xia people into this battle; only then will we have a chance of winning!"
At this moment, an elderly man who had been silent all along, originally a priest of a small tribe, cautiously spoke up.
"Great Chieftain—I have something to say, though I'm not sure if I should—the Song people are now powerful and their foundations are becoming increasingly solid. Zhao Mingcheng is adept at winning people's hearts. It is indeed difficult for us to be trapped in the mountains."
Perhaps—perhaps we could consider—temporarily feigning compliance and waiting for the right opportunity? Maybe we could send someone to negotiate terms, even if it's just temporary shelter—”
"Peace talks? Surrender?!" Xi Sheluo Sa suddenly turned his head, staring intently at the old man, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, as if he had heard the most ridiculous and shameful words in the world.
He trembled slightly with anger and a kind of offended rage.
"Me, bow down to that snot-nosed brat Song who stole my family's business through trickery? Me, like that coward Xia Zheng, lick Song's boots for scraps?!"
Xi Sheluo Sa approached the old man step by step, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth, tinged with blood.
"I, Xisheluosa, am a descendant of the Chossil family! I am the natural master of this grassland! I would rather die standing than live kneeling!!"
Before the words were even finished, a flash of cold light appeared!
With a "splatter" sound, blood splattered!
The old man clutched his neck, his eyes wide with disbelief, a strange "hoarse" sound escaping his throat, before slowly collapsing to the ground, blood quickly staining the blanket beneath him.
Xi Sheluo slowly drew his blood-dripping scimitar, wiped it on the old man's robe, and his gaze, like that of a bloodthirsty beast, swept over every silent face in the tent.
"Do you see? This is what happens to those who try to make peace! In my army, there are only warriors who die in battle, not cowards who beg for mercy!"
From this day forward, anyone who dares to utter the word "harmony" will be treated like this person!
Everyone was stunned by Xisheluosa's sudden and violent killing; any remaining hesitation or lingering thoughts were instantly suppressed by fear.
"The Great Chief is wise!" The general who had drawn his sword earlier was the first to react, kneeling on one knee and pounding his chest with his fist.
"Only by fighting to the death can we survive! Your subordinates are willing to give their lives!"
"We are willing to fight to the death with the Great Chief!" The others knelt down one after another, roaring in unison, and no one dared to object anymore.
Looking at the newly "unified" will within the tent, Xi Sheluo Sa slowly sheathed his sword, his face regaining its cold and resolute expression.
"Good! Now that the decision is made, let's split up and get to work! You," he pointed to several trusted generals, "take ample supplies and go out to contact those tribes that haven't yet submitted to the Song dogs. No matter how big or small, offer them generous rewards and make sure they come! Tell them that those who come will be heroes in the restoration of the kingdom, and in the future, they can choose any grassland in the Hehuang region!"
"yes!"
"You, organize all the able-bodied men in the camp, intensify their training, stockpile all usable arrows, swords, and spears, and gather the last of the rations!!"
"yes!"
"The rest of you, guard the valley. Anyone who dares to desert or undermine morale will be killed without exception!"
After making the arrangements, Xisheluosa looked one last time at the general in charge of liaising with the Western Xia.
"Make preparations. Select twenty of your most elite guards to accompany me out of the mountains early tomorrow morning to the Western Xia Right Wing Army camp to see Ren Duo Baozhong!"
"Great Chief, this journey is fraught with danger—"
"No need for further words!" Xi Sheluo interrupted him, his gaze fixed on the dark night sky outside the tent. He saw the direction of Xixia, and the neighbor he hated to the bone yet had no choice but to rely on.
"No matter how dangerous it is, I have to go. This is our last chance. We either have to persuade the Xia Kingdom to send troops, concentrate all our strength to fight the Song people, and take back everything we've lost! Or—"
Xisherossa didn't finish his sentence, but the resolute glint in his eyes said it all.
Either we all perish in the upcoming great battle.
There is absolutely no third way to go.
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