In the past, Fan Zhongyan proposed the strategy of "cannibalizing step by step", and the Song Dynasty also implemented this strategy well in the northwest.

By the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, there were 493 large and small camps and fortresses in the northwest, interweaving the northwest into a dense network.

It forms a flexible strategic depth that can be used to attack Xixia by gathering troops to move north, and when defending, it can support each other.

This also confirms a very powerful place in the Song Dynasty: large infrastructure!

Every time the Song Dynasty encroached on a piece of territory in Xixia, it would build several cities and fortresses there.

He said that Xi'an Prefecture, which is now occupied by Li Yanxian, used to be the territory of Xixia. Xixia established a military department in Xi'an Prefecture, and there was also a salt pond in this place.

Tiandu Mountain near Xi'an Prefecture has seven Xixia palaces.

Every time the Xixia army went south, they would stop at Tiandu Mountain to replenish food and grass.

This place was brought back from the Battle of Pingxia City during the Fourth Song-Xia War. It was against this background that Zhang Shuye proposed to establish Xi'an Prefecture in Tiandu Mountain.

Xi'an Prefecture is only more than 60 miles away from Tonghui Fort on Xihe Road.

So here comes the problem. Li Yanxian sent people to Tonghui Fort to inform him of the Xixia army's march south. The news that Tonghui Fort came back was to wait for the order from the Xizhou Economic and Strategy Commander.

Tonghui Fort is affiliated to Xi'an Prefecture, but because the original officials and generals of Xi'an Prefecture surrendered and died in battle, Tonghui Fort's attitude was conservative, and the new guard general did not dare to make arbitrary claims.

.

Okay, since you want to ask Xizhou for instructions, then ask Xizhou for instructions. Li Yanxian will wait.

But twenty days later, Tonghui Fort informed him that no orders had been sent from Xizhou yet, nor did they appoint a new Xi'an governor.

This made Li Yanxian feel even more strange.

Lanzhou City was besieged, it was a major issue related to the border fortress, but the Xihe Road Manager was actually indifferent?

Why, do you want to move a small bench, place melons on them, and be the onlookers eating melons?

Some people follow the rules, but some people don't.

Liu He, the guard general of Tonghui Fort, is a man of rules and will not move anything without seeing the official seal and signature of Xi'an Prefecture.

If Xi'an Prefecture refused to sign the order, Xizhou could step down and come down to give it, but he didn't see the signature or seal, so he stood still.

But obviously, Li Yanxian is not a rule-abiding person.

It should be said that Li Yanxian is not a person framed by rules.

Or to be more precise, Li Yanxian is not a person who is afraid of taking responsibility afterwards.

On the evening of February 17, Li Yanxian, who had been living in Xi'an Prefecture for twenty days, could no longer sit still. He immediately took his people to visit Tonghui Fort in person.

At noon on February 18th, Li Yanxian took several of his cronies into Tonghui Fort and met Liu He.

Li Yanxian asked: "There are no appointments in Xizhou?"

Liu He replied: "No."

"The situation is urgent. We can't wait for Xizhou's orders now. Put all your people under my command!"

Liu He obviously did not intend to give Li Yanxian face. He said in a very official tone: "Li Zhizhou is related to military affairs. Without orders from above, no one can mess up..."

Before he finished speaking, Li Yanxian picked up his collar and said: "What a crappy order from above! Now I suspect that Ren Dejing has collaborated with the enemy and treason! In times of crisis, life and death are at stake, if you dare to mother-in-law again, I will chop you down!"

"

Liu He was immediately frightened. After all, Li Yanxian was the magistrate of Huizhou, and his rank was several levels higher than his.

"Then...what should we do now?"

"How many people do you have?"

"Two thousand people."

"Call them all!"

"Is this what Li Zhizhou wants?"

"Of course we are going to help Lanzhou!"

"But there is no order from above..."

Li Yanxian pulled out his sword and said: "When Lanzhou is defeated, all the Western bandits will go south, and the Xihe Road will be full of smoke, I will be the first to kill you!"

"Li Zhizhou, you don't have the right to kill me?"

"It doesn't matter. When the city of Lanzhou is destroyed, I will lead people to fight to the death. Anyway, I will die. Before I die, I will chop you up and feed you to the dogs!"

Liu He was intimidated and said quickly: "I am willing to do my best for Li Zhizhou!"

On February 19th, the cavalry sent to Zhengchuan Fort, Xinquanzhai, Huichuan City, Huairong Fort, and Shuiquan Fort in Huizhou to gather troops returned.

By gathering the troops from various cities and villages in Huizhou, plus the participating troops from Xi'an Prefecture, Li Yanxian could gather a total of 15,000 people.

However, it was impossible for all of these 15,000 people to follow him to support Lanzhou, and some of them had to stay in Huizhou City and Xi'an City.

On February 20th, Li Yanxian left Dang Song to garrison in the city of Xi'an Prefecture to block the retreat route of the Xixia people.

He led his troops and marched westward quickly.

On February 22nd, we returned to the boundaries of Huizhou, and people from various villages gathered in Huichuan City.

This is the entire effective force of Huizhou and Xi'an Prefecture, and even the Xiang army, the Tibetan army, and the Tu army have been summoned.

On this day, large and small boxes of things were transported from Huizhou into Huichuan City. I don’t know what they were.

In the afternoon, Li Yanxian summoned everyone.

The big and small boxes of things were piled there like a hill.

"Do you know what's in these big and small boxes?"

Everyone looked at him doubtfully.

"There's green and white salt, tea, silk, dried meat, sheep, everything!"

When he said this, everyone became moved.

Huizhou is a place where Xixia and Song Dynasty trade with each other. In order to fight the war, Li Yanxian confiscated all the merchants' goods as military supplies and rewards.

This kind of behavior is definitely not allowed, but it's no time now, and he can't care so much.

Li Yanxian continued: "From now on, these things are yours!"

As soon as he said this, everyone became even more excited.

"But you have to come back after the battle to get it!"

One person said: "What if you can't come back?"

"If you can't come back, I'll have your things delivered to your house!"

Li Zhizhou was righteous and generous, and he always kept his word. This fact was well known to the soldiers and civilians of Huizhou.

Just say that no one dared to embezzle the pensions of those who died in the Battle of Chang'an and Huizhou territory.

"If I, Li Yanxian, die in battle and Shao Long is in Huizhou, he will make appropriate arrangements!"

"If Shao Long dies in battle and Dang Song is in Xi'an Prefecture, he will make appropriate arrangements!"

"If we all die in battle! I believe the imperial court will send someone to make proper arrangements!"

His voice echoed in the spacious place, it was calm, powerful, and extremely penetrating.

"Think about it, if I give you these things and take them back, the boy in your family can get a woman back!"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay! Everyone has agreed. Now you can organize yourself and follow me to the west to kill the enemy!"

On February 25th, the scouts sent out returned.

"Report! Xizhou reinforcements have been dispatched and are currently stationed at Fort Agan, which is only fifty miles away from Lanzhou!"
Chapter completed!