Xingqing Prefecture was a walled city at the foot of the Helan Mountains, the heart of Western Xia.
Lin Feng and Jiang Quan, across from him, had both blended into the caravan. They had laid out bedding on the ground, preparing to sleep out of the wind. In the distance, lights blazed amid torches and armed guards.
They were staying outside Xingqing Prefecture for now and would enter the city tomorrow.
More precisely, they would cross the Yellow River tonight and reach Xingqing Prefecture tomorrow. The surrounding area where they now stood was "Greater Xingqing Prefecture." Xingqing Prefecture was a single city; "Greater Xingqing Prefecture" was an entire ecosystem, dotted with fortresses.
Large numbers of troops were stationed in all those fortresses.
Their caravan was safe camping here.
Li Yuanhao trusted no one. He trusted only the power he could control. Here, Iron Kite and the nobles Li Yuanhao trusted formed the imperial guard, protecting him personally.
They numbered just under ten thousand, supported by roughly seventy thousand auxiliary troops. Even Ninglingge could not command these imperial guards.
The fortresses also kept large numbers of horses for battle.
"The powerful men in your court abandoned you, just as ours abandoned me."
He had finally opened his heart completely.
Jiang Quan spoke with a touch of desolation to the "fierce Song Dynasty general" beside him. Lin Feng ignored him.
Self-pity, my ass.
The caravan's main cargo was grain. It was a grain convoy, and tomorrow morning, they would enter the city first.
The man in charge of this caravan was another Tangut. He wore standard Western Xia clothing, had ruddy cheeks, and carried a strong smell of mutton.
That suggested he had access to meat supplies as well as grain. He was a major merchant.
He was probably working for some