At the beginning of October, there was a snowfall, the snow was not heavy, but the cold wind was bitter, and the snow fell to the ground, almost not melting at all, it was all frozen, and a layer of ice formed on the face, slippery, and shining with a dazzling blue light.

Xiao Sui stood on the Juyong Pass, looking back at the road when he came, but saw that there was a vast expanse under the pass, with clouds and fog, strange peaks and mountains, layer upon layer, endless. But the road when I came here was not visible at all. You can only feel the majestic momentum of thousands of troops and horses from the roar of the chariots and horses under the gate.

At this time, the snow began to fall again, tearing cotton and falling like wool, and soon, the heavens and the earth were in chaos, reckless and vast, and those mountains and ridges were gone, and they were invisible, and they seemed to sink into the sea. The Great Wall winding on the ridge was also wrapped in heavy snow, and the dragon was nowhere to be seen, and there was a bit of tragedy in the mystery.

"Queen Mother, it's windy, let's go down." Han Derang looked at Xiao Xuan, whose face was red from the cold, and said.

Xiao Sui said: "Every time I cross the Great Wall, I am in a hurry, although I have also enjoyed the scenery of the Great Wall, I just think it is beautiful, but today it seems that it is very different." ”

Han Derang asked, "What's the difference?" ”

Xiao Xuan sighed: "I only feel very heavy, you see this wall standing here, just like that, distinguishing Huayi, the seeds of hatred have taken root and sprouted here, for thousands of years, I don't know how many people have fought here, I don't know how much blood has flowed in the valley, and I don't know how many bones have been buried. Along the way, there are still red blood stains and white bones in the ruts. ”

Han Derang said: "This can't be blamed on the Great Wall, it's all caused by greedy human nature." ”

Xiao Sui sighed again: "Actually, the common people have a wish, to live a peaceful life, I also want to live a peaceful life, but the world is so cruel, if I don't eat you, you will eat me, rather than being eaten, it is better to eat each other, in order to be safe." ”

Han Derang said: "The Queen Mother is right, the world is like this, the so-called good and evil are rewarded, painting cakes to fill hunger and talk for comfort, protect yourself, strengthen yourself, you must eradicate the enemy." ”

Xiao Sui said: "But I still hope to live a peaceful and prosperous world, so that everyone can enjoy the joy of family, I think the most right thing I have done in this life is to let tens of thousands of people go home in Qigou Pass, so that tens of thousands of families can be reunited." ”

Han Derang said with a smile: "Yes, the Queen Mother also got a Wang Jizhong." ”

Xiao Xuan said: "Yes, I picked up a big bargain, what do you say if he was here?" ”

Han Derang said: "Let the minister think about it, he will definitely say: 'The Queen Mother is Shengde, and the people are blessed.'" For example, the Great Wall, although it is a military fortress, but it is also the patron saint of peace, it is like a ruler, can measure people's hearts, so that greedy people are discouraged, although this valley is full of bones, but if there is no Great Wall, I am afraid that the Great Wall inside and outside will be even more corpses. The Empress Dowager Shengde is like the Great Wall of Wei Wei, and the Empress Dowager is the patron saint of peace. ’”

"Slap the horse," Xiao Xuan smiled, "You really think so?" ”

Han Derang said: "Didn't the Queen Mother ask Wang Jizhong what he thought? I think he must have thought so. ”

Xiao Sui said: "Okay, let's go down and get out." ”

As soon as they arrived at the pass, they received a battle report from the front, and the Song army had erected several pontoon bridges over the Hutuo River, and the soldiers and horses had crossed the Hutuo River and were ready to camp in Hebei.

It stands to reason that after the last defeat, the Song army lost its vitality, how could it dare to cross the Hutuo River and march to challenge?

Xiao Xuan hurriedly asked the palace envoy Xiao Dali to order Yelu Xiuge to drive away the Song army who crossed the river, and not to make the Song army camp.

After Xiao Dali left, Xiao Sui felt a sense of uneasiness in her heart, she called Han Derang and asked, "A few days ago, I asked you to see Yelu Xian, what did he think?" Still not in favor of the southern crusade? ”

"He said that everyone was carried away by hatred and victory. ”

Xiao Sui said: "So there is no chance of winning this southern expedition? ”

Han Derang said: "Second brother, he didn't say that, he only said that even if he wins, the gains outweigh the losses, and the national strength will be wasted." ”

Xiao Sui said: "Did you ask us how to march? ”

Han Derang said: "I asked, the second brother said that if you want to conquer the Song Kingdom, you must go out of Juyong Pass, and then divide your troops, go down to Taiyuan from the southwest of Shanxi, and go all the way east to Nanjing to recover the land of Guannan." Then, the two armies marched hand in hand, and it was the best policy to respond to each other for the sake of the momentum. If you lose support all the way, you are afraid that the Song army will block the grain route, and it will be difficult to supply the heavy grain and grass, and you will not be successful. Now the troops are not enough to advance in the same way, and they can only march all the way, so they should not rush forward and go deep alone. It's good to be able to recover the three levels, you can't, don't take it by force, and don't be greedy for merit. ”

Xiao Xuan listened and was silent for a long time.

Han Derang said: "My second brother has been in poor health recently, and he is not in a good mood, so the Queen Mother should be considerate of him." ”

Xiao Xuan snorted and said, "I understand him, does he understand me?" I knew that he did not approve of the Southern Expedition, and his concerns were reasonable, but his biggest concern was Liu Yulan, and he was afraid that she would not forgive him. ”

Han Derang said: "The second brother is absolutely loyal to the queen mother and the emperor. ”

Xiao Sui said: "I know, otherwise, I wouldn't let you ask him." ”

Han Derang said: "The minister said, the two of you are very stubborn, neither of you obeys the other, but you can't leave, you both want each other to be good and appreciate each other, but on the surface, you don't seem to care." How so? ”

Xiao Sui said: "Okay, let's not talk about this. ”

Han Derang said: "Okay, don't talk about this, talk about Yelu Hugo." ”

Xiao Sui said, "What's wrong with Brother Yeluxiu?" ”

Han Derang said: "Someone sued him. ”

"Sue him? Sue him for what? Xiao Yu asked.

Han Derang said: "Suing him for expropriation, setting up private checkpoints, and raising tax rates without authorization, scared businessmen not to come, and the goods were not smooth, making the people's livelihood miserable, and complaints arose." ”

Xiao Sui said: "Where are the checkpoints set up? ”

Han Derang said: "Gubei, Yuguan, and Songting are all checked. ”

Xiao Xuan sighed: "This is also difficult for Brother Yelu Hugh, after the war, the treasury was depleted, the people's wealth was exhausted, and now he has to go south, he has to do it as a last resort." ”

Han Derang said: "This is not good, he can only do this to fish with all his might, drink water to quench his thirst, in exchange for a short period of happiness, but the impact is the country's long-term plan." ”

Xiao Sui said: "You are right, you must not be greedy for small things, you go to arrange people to inspect, you must not set up checkpoints without authorization, increase the tax rate, and send some soldiers to patrol the trade road to ensure the smooth flow of goods, but also set up stations along the way, receive merchants, do not let them sleep in the wild." ”

Han Derang said, "What about Brother Yeluxiu? ”

Xiao Sui said: "It's all the people below who are acting arbitrarily, and it has nothing to do with Yu Yue." ”

Han Derang smiled knowingly and said, "Got it." "Exited the off-the-books.

When I woke up, I encountered something happy, which was really exciting for the day. Xiao Xuan is like this today, just worshiped the god of the sun, and the news came that Yelu Xiuge repelled the Song army on the north bank of the Hutuo River, Xiao Xuan immediately dispelled his doubts, the Song army was still vulnerable, and was shot back by Yelu Xiuge's arrow, and the pontoon bridge was burned by a fire, and the Song army could only "watch the fire from the other side" and sigh. It seems that the Song army's combat effectiveness has indeed been greatly weakened, and it is not the opponent of the Khitan army.

On this day, Xiao Xuan was full of energy, as energetic as a one- or two-year-old horse, decisive in doing things, and analyzing clearly. All day and night, she sat at the desk to review the folds, and even the documents that she usually asked the emperor or the prime minister and the Privy Council to approve by themselves read them one by one, and gave instructions. He also summoned a few ministers halfway, and he was relieved that he couldn't worry about taxes, so he asked Xing Baopu to investigate. Among them, she saw the twists and turns from Shanxi, saying that the Song army in Shanxi was active and thieves were rampant, she summoned Pu Nuning, the king of Peking University, and asked him to go to Shanxi to preside over official affairs, telling him that Shanxi is a critical place, and there can be no incidents. After Pu Nuning went, Xiao Xuan asked Xiao Jiyuan, the commander of the horses, to inspect the battalions, and ordered each battalion and each unit to set up camp and set up camp without confusion.

After finishing these, the sky had gradually darkened, Xiao Xuan stood up and walked out of the military tent, only to see the sunset like fire, reflecting the whole sky red, and the sunset was still resting on the horizon, like a thin pancake steaming.

The large camp of the Chinese army is set up on a small hill, standing under the curtain of the dome, you can overlook all the camps. The rows of domes are like white mushrooms that emerge from the grassland after the rain, and they are reflected red by the sunset. The camp was so quiet that there was not even the neighing of horses. Outside the tent, few people moved, except for the sentries standing like wood, expressionless, as if they had been frozen by the bitter cold wind. The whole barracks seemed orderly and solemn. As the saying goes, the iron camp is a flowing soldier, this camp is to be strong, deer, horse, thistle, and even traps, there must be ambushes inside and outside the camp, and it must be done between virtual and real. The enemy is daunted, and he can advance and retreat freely, and come and go like flowing water, without hindrance.

Xiao Xuan looked at the camp under the mountain, and a sense of pride rushed up, although at this time, there were no thousands of troops and horses, and there were no swords, guns, swords, and halberds. Xiao Xuan, like all commanders, often inadvertently loses her judgment and needs external objects to sober up.

Suddenly, there was a big tent in the camp, and more than a dozen people ran out, chasing each other and fighting.

How could this happen? Xiao Xuan's anger rushed straight to her heart, just now she also asked Xiao Jiyuan to order all battalions to strictly abide by discipline, not to gallop horses, chase, why did someone disobey the order before the words fell, how can this govern the army? She ordered those who disobeyed the order to be arrested, and she wanted to see what they had eaten.

The people were quickly arrested, and Xiao Sui asked them why they were chasing and fighting in the camp?

Some people said that his food was eaten, and that he was hungry, and that he was angry and beat him. He was not convinced, so he fought.

Xiao Sui asked the man, why do you eat other people's food?

The man was a big man, a little silly-looking, and he said, "I'm hungry." ”

Xiao Xuan said, "Are you hungry? You haven't eaten enough? ”

The big man still said, "I'm hungry." ”

The man who beat him said: "These days he has eaten little, he eats a lot, and he always shouts that he is hungry and eats us." ”

Xiao Xuan said: "Less rice? How to fight less? ”

"It's really less, not half of the original." That's what everybody said.

Xiao Sui waved his hand and asked those people to go back, and then called someone to find Han Derang and asked what was going on with the lack of food.

Han Derang was embarrassed and said that there was not much food and grass in the army, so he could only reduce the amount, otherwise, he would run out of cooking in a few days.

Xiao Sui was surprised: "Is it so serious? ”

Han Derang said: "I won't tell you, there is not enough grain and grass in the army for ten days, so we have to reduce the amount." ”

Xiao Xuan said: "Has the grain and grass raised from all over the country arrived? ”

Han Derang said: "There is no way to raise grain and grass in various places, at the beginning of the year, in order to fight against the Song army, the common people have handed over their family funds, and now, most people are starving." ”

Xiao Xuan said anxiously: "How is this good? ”

Han Derang said: "Now there are rumors in the army, talking about the lack of food in the army, and the sergeants have complained. ”

Xiao Sui said: "The lack of grain and grass must not be leaked, otherwise, the army's morale will be unstable." I have already sent someone to find out where the Song army is hoarding grain and grass, hoping to take some of it. ”

Han Derang said: "Don't expect too much from the Queen Mother, where is the place where the Song army hoarded grain and grass so easy to find?" Even if they are found, they will be heavily guarded, so how can they be easily taken? ”

Xiao Sui said: "In the end, it was still said by Yelu. ”

Han Derang said: "The minister has a plan that may stabilize everyone for some days. ”

Xiao Xuan hurriedly asked what to do? Han Derang looked around, didn't say anything, went to the desk and took a piece of paper, wrote a few lines on it, and handed it to Xiao Xuan.

Xiao Sui saw it and said, "Okay, just do it." ”

Han Derang waited for Xiao Xuan to see it, threw the note into the stove and burned it, and said, "The minister will go back to Nanjing to prepare first, and then the Queen Mother will act according to the plan." ”

Xiao Sui sent Han Derang away, and suddenly, he felt empty in his heart. The night quickly swallowed his figure, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared as if he had never appeared. She stared out the door in a daze, not believing that he had just disappeared, as if he was hiding in some of the surrounding memories, and as soon as she coughed, he would appear in front of her. The fire in front of her was burning very strongly, but she inexplicably felt that the dome was very cold, and the cold was overwhelming. She climbed onto the couch and wrapped herself tightly in the futon, and the thick wabi was spreading.