Time returned to the night, Zhao Mingyue carried the water bladder brought back by Shangguan Allure, climbed the sand dune, and shouted to the lifeless soldiers.

"Brothers, look at the water bladder in my hand, we have found the source of water, and twenty miles ahead there is a great river, and there is water and fish in the river, and there is grain and grass on the bank, and we will be saved when we get there."

When the soldiers who were originally waiting for death heard this, they instantly came to their senses, cheered, and ran to tell each other.

"In order to prevent being frozen to death at night, I decided to rush to the river tonight and rush to the river as soon as possible to rest.

The soldiers instantly regained their strength and immediately assembled (shēn). Walking twenty miles in the desert is difficult, but you can still live with gritted teeth.

Zhao Mingyue and Shangguan Chengcheng and others were at the forefront.

"Mingyue, you're mistaken, it's eighty miles, not twenty miles." Shangguan Chengcheng said in a low voice.

Zhao Mingyue pursed her lips and smiled: "I know, I said that on purpose." ”

"Why? You're lying to your soldiers. ”

"Haven't you heard of Wangmei quenching your thirst?" Zhao Mingyue asked.

"Oh, are you afraid that they will be discouraged when they hear eighty miles, so you say twenty miles?"

"Yes, that's the only way to get everyone out."

Shangguan Chengcheng nodded again and again: "Good idea, it's really good, you really have one (tào) when you lead your troops to fight." ”

"That's, it's definitely much stronger than Ling Kun." Zhao Mingyue said proudly.

"That is, wherever he can fight, he knows how to play some tricks."

Two women giggled in the night.

In the night, the soldiers of the Song army followed Shangguan Chengcheng and Zhao Mingyue closely, neither the direction nor the distance could not be distinguished, but they just marched quickly in high spirits, looking forward to the appearance of the water source.

It was a miracle that the march of eighty miles was carried out overnight. Even on a flat march, eighty miles is not a small number, let alone in the desert.

When the sky was slightly bright, the long-awaited river really appeared in front of me.

Abruptly, one moment it was still climbing over endless sand dunes, and the next moment it was stopped by a desert canyon, and a large river (dàng) meandered through the desert.

When the soldiers saw the river, they were reborn, and they jumped down the canyon with cheers, first of all, to drink heartily.

Zhao Mingyue and Shangguan Chengcheng were still standing on the canyon

In my ears was the most beautiful sound of running water and the joyful cheers of the soldiers.

"It's amazing that there can be such a big river in such a big desert." Zhao Mingyue sighed.

"The big river in the northwest desert should be the Wuding River, right?" Shangguan Chengcheng said.

"Wuding River?" Zhao Mingyue's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but chant: "Swear to sweep away the Huns regardless of (shēn), five thousand mink brocade mourns Hu Chen, poor and uncertain riverside bones, like (chūn) people in a dream." ”

"Yes, it's the uncertain river, it's just a little bit, and we're almost a pile of dry bones by the river." Shangguan Chengcheng sighed.

At this time, Xu Zixuan climbed up to the sand and handed the two water bags to the two.

"General Xu, this time the water problem is solved, but what kind of food is there?"

"Your Majesty, there are fish in the river, and they are very fat, and I have ordered the soldiers to catch as many nets as possible, and as long as we do not leave this river, we will not die."

"Alright, let's go down and have a look." Zhao Mingyue said and went down the desert canyon.

At this time, the soldiers had exhausted their means and began to fish, and the smoke of the firehead army rose again.

Just at the stall where the Song army was full of food and drink, the alarm sounded, and the horse scouts came urgently to report, and a large cavalry was found ahead.

Zhao Mingyue stood up and said, "It's Li Jiqian who is here, ready to meet the enemy." ”

"Prepare to meet the enemy."

"Meet the enemy."

In an instant, the Song army began to return to its position and assemble.

This time, Zhao Mingyue did not do pre-war mobilization, did not say a word, and only waited for the arrival of the Western Xia army.

The soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty almost died in the desert, and they all held their breath in their hearts.

In an instant, the dust was flying, and Li Jiqian took the lead and came to the Song army along the wide river trough.

"Under the princess of the Great Song Dynasty (diàn), Li Jiqian is polite." Li Jiqian shouted loudly while holding the horse's head.

Zhao Mingyue pulled out his sword and pointed upward, and only said one word: "Kill!" ”

"Kill—"

The Song army has just died once, and at this moment they are full of food and drink, all of them are brave and fearless, like a tiger descending from the mountain, bravely attacking.

Without a word, the two armies have already begun to clash.

In the deep desert canyon, the sound of killing shook the sky, the drums rumbled, and the blood flowed down the river channel into the Wuding River, and a red river rushed downstream

Although the river trough is extremely wide, nearly 100,000 people are crowded into it to fight, which seems to be a bit (bī) squeezed. In this way, Li Jiqian's cavalry will not be able to play well.

In this way, one side will lose the other, and the Western Xia army will soon show its defeat.

Li Jixin saw that the situation was not good, and hurriedly said to Li Jiqian: "Big brother, the battle situation is not good for us, let's withdraw and find another opportunity." ”

Li Jiqian was unwilling, gritted his teeth and said: "This time they withdrew, and they ran away along the Wuding River." ”

"Even if you don't withdraw, it seems that you won't be able to catch Zhao Mingyue." Li Jixin said.

Li Jiqian stared closely at Zhao Mingyue in the distance, and said in silence for a long time: "Okay, withdraw first, but I won't give up, the country can be defeated, let alone a woman." ”

Li Jixin nodded and hurriedly ordered Ming Jin to withdraw his troops.

The Western Xia army is somewhat similar to Ling Kun, the most powerful thing is not to fight, but to flee for your life. The Western Xia war horses are unique in the world, they want to escape, no one can stop them, they want to fight, they can come at any time.

In an instant, the Western Xia army retreated like a tide, leaving only corpses and blood behind.

Zhao Mingyue ordered the army to rest in place, count the number of people, and prepare to set off.

"Princess, what to do next, please advise." Xu Zixuan asked.

"General Xu, what do you think?" Zhao Mingyue asked rhetorically.

"(diàn), I think that if you go downstream along this river, you will always come out of the desert."

Shangguan Chengcheng nodded and said: "General Xu is right, the Wuding River is a tributary of the Yellow River, and if you go down, you will reach the Yellow River, and then it will be completely safe." ”

Zhao Mingyue blinked, pondered for a moment, and said, "You are all right, but I am ready to go upstream." ”

"Upstream, why?" Xu Zixuan asked in surprise.

"In such a desert hinterland, water is the source of life, so Li Jiqian's camp must be on the bank of the Wuding River, and he came from upstream, so I concluded that Baicheng is upstream, since he came, how could he not go and have a look."

"The princess (diàn) is still going to war with Li Jiqian."

"Yes, if we don't inflict heavy losses on Li Jiqian, when we escape, maybe the Western Xia army has already gone south again to support the Sichuan rebels."

Xu Zixuan nodded and said, "I understand the humble position, so let's arrange it." ”

After a day's rest, the Song army marched upriver along the Wuding River trough to the old nest (tǐng) of Western Xia, and the real battle was finally about to begin.