Chapter 786 - 43: Longhe Northern Campaign, Liao Pays Tribute

Yelv Han’s expression grew increasingly grim, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, yet he gritted his teeth and said, "No matter what, we must hold our ground!"

As he spoke, his tone paused slightly.

He took a deep breath to steady his emotions before continuing, "The Emperor’s secret envoy arrived this morning, saying an envoy has already been sent to Western Xia."

"Although Empress Dowager Liang hasn’t given a clear response, she surely understands the principle of ’with the lips gone, the teeth will be cold.’"

"We just need to keep dragging this out!"

"As long as Western Xia makes a move, these Song dogs will definitely retreat!"

"These people have such formidable fighting power."

"I reckon they must be the elite of the Great Song."

"They absolutely will not let Western Xia attack their rear!"

As he spoke the final words, perhaps to comfort himself, he repeated, "They certainly will!"

Seeing this, Xiao Woli La naturally fell into silence as well.

However, he didn’t say much more.

Under Yelv Han’s sharp gaze, he was forced to boost morale once again, preparing to meet the Great Song’s upcoming offensive. ...

.....

Time passed swiftly.

The entire Kyushu was engulfed in constant warfare.

And Gu Yi was diligently observing the situation in each region, intervening at critical moments through the Spirit Communication Jade.

It can be said——

This battle was not only a test for Gu Rui but also an opportunity for Gu Yi to grow, allowing him to make up for his greatest shortcoming in interpreting ancient warfare.

This truly was a valuable opportunity for honing.

And Gu Yi understood this very well, constantly analyzing the wars across the land, occasionally devising tactics through Gu Rui.

Though he couldn’t win every time, Gu Yi could still feel his noticeable improvement.

But even so.

Given the current world situation, it’s still impossible to resolve everything with a single battle.

The Great Song’s strength is indeed formidable.

Initially, as arranged by Gu Rui, they unexpectedly seized a lot of territory. However, as the war dragged on, the Liao Army gradually adapted to the intensity of the Song Army.

And developed a series of entirely new tactics based on the Song Army’s actions.

They utilized the terrain to the fullest.

This is truly an era brimming with talent, with heroes across the land as numerous as carp crossing the river. Although the Great Song boasts the Gu Clan, it’s impossible to gather all talents under its banner, and these people became the catalysts affecting this war.

Including Western Xia.

As the situation continually changed, Western Xia’s actions completely exceeded Gu Rui’s expectations.

They did not merely persist outside the defensive line set by Gu Rui but truly crossed the Western Capital Road, participating in the great war between the Song and Liao.

And this indeed had a significant impact on the Great Song.

Cold weapon warfare is essentially like this.

Equipment is secondary; the true key lies in the morale of the soldiers and their supply lines.

The morale of the Song Army was indeed astonishingly high.

But this was only at the beginning; as time kept flowing, even the commander would grow weary of daily battles, let alone ordinary soldiers.

Moreover, there’s the unusual climate; the cold of the Northern Border is indeed a fatal problem, even today’s Gu Clan couldn’t solve this issue, which would eventually force the Song Army to stop.

In the third year of Longhe, November.

The Song Army camp, located north of Guzhou State at the junction of Nanjing Road and Central Capital Road in the Liao Kingdom, overlooking the Sanggan River.

Inside the tent, the crackling of the charcoal could not dispel the biting cold.

Gu Rui put down the battle reports from various troops and slowly walked to the map hanging on the wall, his fingers tracing the areas already under the Song Army’s control.

"This battle cannot continue," he sighed lightly, his tone filled with regret, but more with clarity.

As soon as he finished speaking, Deputy Commander Liu Changzu was the first to stand, eyes tightly fixed on Gu Rui, his voice urgent, "Grand Tutor, why do you say this?"

"Though our army suffers from the severe cold, the soldiers remain dedicated, their morale unbroken!"

"The young men under my command, hands full of frostbite, can still grip their weapons tightly, just waiting for your order!"

"Grand Tutor, please give me ten thousand cavalry—no, five thousand will suffice!"

"I am willing to pledge with a military order; before the winter solstice, I will turn Yelv Renxian’s old camp upside down!"

His voice was as booming as a bell, causing the tent’s ceiling dust to fall.

Before he even finished speaking, Forward General Qu Zhen also abruptly shoved his stool aside and stood up. His face, still healing from an arrow wound, appeared even more ferocious due to his excitement: "Grand Tutor, we fought bloody battles alongside Marshal Zhong before capturing the hundreds of miles south of the Sanggan River!"

"How many good young men have been buried here; how can we speak of retreat lightly?"

"The Liao people are already at their wit’s end; if we can endure this winter, come spring, we can surely strike at Yuan Yang Lake and reclaim it for our Great Song!"

"Grand Tutor! I am willing to lead the vanguard, fight to the death without retreating!"

"I am willing to go too!"

"Fight to the death without retreating!"

"Please consider carefully, Grand Tutor!"

"..."

The clamor to fight resonated instantly throughout the tent.

Even though every general’s face revealed unmistakable fatigue, the resolve in their eyes was clear to see.

They were unwilling to give up.

For the Great Song had already sacrificed far too much for this battle.

Although they had already captured many areas.

They still felt it wasn’t enough.

But how could Gu Rui not understand this reasoning?

In fact, among those present, he was the true radical.

But as the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty and the Patriarch of the Gu Clan, he had to stand from a broader perspective.

Even if they could retake Yuan Yang Lake, what difference would it make?