In the west, the Xia army showed weakness, but suddenly gathered heavy troops to defeat the Song army, and took advantage of the situation to break the news of Xiao Pass, which soon spread to the company camp where the master road was located, and Xiao Pass is located in the west of the Hetao region (now southeast of Guyuan, Ningxia), holding the passage from the direction of the Jing River into Guanzhong, and it is also the key place in the northwest direction of Guanzhong. After sending troops to consolidate the sphere of influence of the Song court, Xiaoguan was rebuilt, and all parts of Yanyan, Huanqing and even Guanzhong would face the invasion and onslaught of the Xia army, and then the danger would spread to the hinterland of the Song state.

It seems that the commander of the Xia army had planned a strategy from the beginning of the war, taking advantage of the three-way Song army to advance to the border of Hengshan and Hehuang, but suddenly gathered troops from the oblique rear and stabbed the Song border in the ribs, so as to disrupt the strategic deployment of the Song army.

However, this also gave Xiao Tang a reason why he had to lead his army westward.

The war was urgent, and Xiao Tang, who had wanted to get along with the Seed Master Dao for a while, learned that Xiao Pass was conquered by the enemy, and at the same time, the Seed Master Dao immediately entrusted Xiao Tang to lead the army to take Xiao Pass first, and then enter the Hehuang, and at the same time transferred his own troops to control the Hengshan front on the East Road, and stalemate with the soldiers and horses of the military state guards such as Xia Guoshi, Xia, and You.

In addition to the Jingnan Army in Hedong, the Jingyuan Army under the command of Wu Jue, and the Forbidden Army in Benzhou under the command of Guan Sheng and Hu Yanzhuo, when the troops who accompanied Xiao Tang to the Western Road Front were going to transfer some Western Army troops to cooperate with Xiao Tang, Yao Pingzhong even if he stood up and took the initiative to ask for help, and was willing to go west with Xiao Tang.

The military situation was urgent, and after the Jingnan Army and other troops assembled in the north of the Yanyan Road, and after the rapid rectification, Xiao Tang ordered the men and horses to set off immediately, crossing Yanqing Water and Baima River, passing through Qingyang Mansion and Huanzhou on Huanqing Road, and arrived near Tongxia Village not far from Guxiao Pass under the rule of the Zhenrong Army more than 20 days later.

The shadows of the trees in the dense forest below a hill swayed, and in addition to the rustling of the breeze over the branches, the snort of the war horses and the whistle of the soldiers became more and more distinct. The light cavalry scouts of Xiao Tang's department for the advance of the army are on alert, and they are getting closer and closer to the boundary of Xiao Pass, and they must soon encounter the soldiers and horses of the Xia State who have entered the Song realm from Xiao Pass, and the light cavalry of the horse army under the jurisdiction of the Jingnan Army must also be vigilant at all times, so as not to be hit by the enemy first.

In addition to personally leading Niu Gao, the commander of the Jingnan Army and the horse army who was scouting in the outpost, Yao Pingzhong also led the officers and soldiers of the Western Army to reconnoiter the outposts at the front line, after all, most of the sons of the Western Army under his command are veterans who have attacked and attacked the Xia Army and Qingtang Zhuqiang many times, and I don't know how many times they have experienced no matter how many times they have fought in sentinel battles and mountain battles. Although Niu Gao commanded the military Jian and worked very hard, the soldiers of the Jingnan Army and the Horse Army under his command, at least for the time being, are still far behind the veterans of the Western Army who have been tempered by the war for a long time under Yao Pingzhong.

When they conquered Hedong Tianhu and annihilated the party departments, they all obeyed orders under Xiao Tang's tent, and Niu Gao and Yao Pingzhong also had some friendship, but now they looked solemn and held their breath, and no one had the heart to laugh and reminisce. Because they traveled all the way, most of the villages and market towns they passed through were deserted, ruins, corpses, and many houses and dwellings were burned to the ground, and the rubble field was full of dead people's corpses.

When the light cavalry in front of him was traveling for hundreds of paces, Yao Pingzhong's ears suddenly moved, and he immediately raised his hand and shouted in a low voice: "Silence! ”

The general of the Western Army behind him grabbed the reins, turned over and dismounted, and Niu Gao immediately made a gesture and ordered his light horse scouts to watch the war horses and not make a sound.

Yao Pingzhong gestured behind him again, and ordered the light horsemen to lead the horses quietly forward, and when the soldiers and horses quietly walked forward forty or fifty paces, they could already hear the faint sound of shouts and cries of grief on the side of the hill. Yao Zhong's face was solemn, and he secretly said in his heart: It seems that there are still Xia troops raging here, and there are still Zhuangzi near Shamo that have not been broken, and there are still officials, soldiers, and horses in the surrounding territory, or are the militia group Xiangyong fighting with Xia thieves?

Yao Pingzhong's face was pale, and Niu Gao was also silent, when they quietly led their troops around the hills, they could see a dock wall not far from the west of the fire, surrounded by Xia soldiers and horses on all sides, and there were a large number of Song soldiers and villagers fighting desperately to resist the Xia soldiers and horses who were constantly attacking the dock wall. In the rear of the Xia army, there were many captive Song people, and those ordinary people, regardless of men, women, and children, were coerced and intimidated by the Xia soldiers at this time, and they were pushed to the front of the battle crying and shouting. There was only a moment of silence in the dock wall, and then a rain of arrows shot out from the sky, slashing their heads and covering their faces at the people who were used as meat shields in front of the battle, and the Xia army foot soldiers who were intimidating and threatening behind those people.

Whether it was the Xia soldiers besieging the city or the innocent Song people, they fell one by one under the dock wall, and the dead bodies almost filled the trench. There were also many seriously injured and undead people rolling in the corpse pile, letting out hysterical howls, and some people struggled to turn around and fled, even if they were knocked down and chopped down by the soldiers who were pressed by the rear with knives, axes, guns and spears, and the earth-shaking cries had already overwhelmed the shouts of killing by the soldiers of the Xia State and the Song army and the townspeople.

Xiao Pass was broken by the Xia army, and a large number of Song people under the rule of Zhenrongzhou were captured by the Xia army, and at this time it became a meat shield for the Xia army to attack the nearby town of Wubizhuang. Niu Gao faintly saw this tragic scene in the distance, and he had already seen it with tears in his eyes, and the big palm of the pu fan was also clenched tightly, and the pinching crackled. Yao Pingzhong was visually surveying the number of soldiers and horses of the enemy army in front, and the light cavalry led by him and Niu Gao only had one battalion of horse troops each of the Jingnan Army and the Western Army, more than 600 cavalry, and the Xia army that attacked the front wall also had at least more than 5,000 people. Although it is said that he has the advantage now, and a surprise attack on the rear of the Xia army can also catch the opponent off guard, but the difference in strength is too great, and it is very likely that his own soldiers and horses will be eaten by the enemy.

And behind Niu Gao and Yao Pingzhong, suddenly a member of the Ma Army suddenly said: "Yao Dujian and Niu Commander, I have to go back quickly to report to Xiao Jieshuai!" ”

Before Yao Pingzhong could speak, Niu Gao glared at him and shouted in a low voice: "Straight lady thief!" My brother led the army to a mile or two away, and I missed the time back and forth, I'm afraid that the dock wall here has already been broken by the Xia army! Although we are now sentry agents who see the enemy's advance and retreat, we can't let these summer dogs run rampant here, I don't care, let's kill his mother first! ”

Niu Gao said, immediately looked at Yao Pingzhong, and said: "Little Captain, you can give me the credit for this merit!" I also bother you to go back and tell my brother, saying that he has seen the Xia army soldiers and horses who have entered Xiao Pass. ”

Yao Pingzhong snorted coldly when he heard this, originally he was still hesitant whether he should lead the light cavalry under his command to attack the rear of the enemy army in front of him, but he was also respected by the heroes of Guanzhong, and taught the Western Army to praise the character of the little captain, and said in his heart Although you Niu Gao does have some ability, but how long has you been in the army so far, but you want to be majestic in front of me?

"If you want to go back and tell Xiao Jieshuai, a few horsemen and horses are enough."

Yao Pingzhong whispered, then looked at Niu Gao again, and said: "Although Xia Gou is overwhelming, the surprise attack behind the formation disrupted the deployment of the enemy's army, so that the robe in the dock wall over there can breathe, and it is feasible to delay for some time for Marshal Xiao Jie to lead the troops and horses to come to help...... You don't hesitate to fight with your life, and you also say that we are afraid of death when I wait for the Xijun Erlang who is used to fighting with Xia Gu? ”