Although the Son of Heaven was worried about the wind in the north, it did not affect the normal operation of the Han court, but because of the pressure from top to bottom, the efficiency of the implementation of the government was greatly improved.

Spring ploughing is basically over, the preparations of the Han Dynasty are also accelerating, the river canal is still dredging, and dozens of granaries along the canal line are also low-key transfer and hoarding. Tokyo's arsenal workshops are also in full swing to build armor. The folk textile workshop, under the instruction of the Ministry of War, began to make shoes, robes and quilts.

The senior generals of the forbidden army of the two divisions were also sent a special task, the Hebei Anti-Liao Campaign, and only one topic was given, the subject matter is not limited, and the style is not limited, but the people who are named need to submit an "answer sheet" to the privy deputy envoy Zheng Renzhi, and those who have insight can submit the imperial case to Liu Chengyou to read in person.

The forbidden armies of the two divisions, under the leadership of the commanders of the generals and colonels of the various armies, have strengthened their training, especially in actual combat drills; in addition to sharpening their combat skills, marching, camping, and wading through the crossing are all among the acting.

The most nervous was the Jingjiang Army, which was divided into several branches to drill on the Yellow River and Bianshui under the command of Xiang Xun. Although the hydrological situation of Huainan waters is different from that of the Central Plains, Liu Chengyou's requirements for the Han sailors are not high, and they only need to cover the rear.

If there is really a big war with the Khitan, then the naval army Liu Chengyou also needs to be used. In terms of cutting off the river crossing and restricting the range of activities of the Khitan cavalry, the naval army may be able to achieve miraculous results. Liu Chengyou's investment in the navy army is also the idea of preparing with both hands.

After the emperor strictly ordered and invested a lot of human resources in the relevant departments and offices of the imperial court, the investigation and spying on the situation in Yu Khitan was always fruitful.

Based on the news from all sides, we can make a bold judgment that in the Khitan country, the contradiction between the emperor Yelu Ruan and the clan and the nobles of the tribes has been very acute, although there has not been such a big rebellion in the past two years, but the small chaos continues, and it is like a whirlwind that quietly gathers, just waiting for the day when it breaks out.

Yelu Ruan may have a gap compared with Liao Taizong Yelu Deguang, but he is not a mediocre master, probably because he also perceives the hidden undercurrent in the country, Yelu Ruan will plan to use the war to divert domestic contradictions, take the opportunity to stabilize the regime, and at the same time realize his ambition of southern invasion, which can be described as killing three birds with one stone.

And Yelu Ruan clamored to unify the army to the south to attack Han, the shame of Xueluan City, and the recapture of Youyan, Hebei and even the Central Plains, similar remarks are not a day.

Since the end of autumn last year, Yelu Ruan has sent his confidant minister Nan Shu Envoy to the south to help him seize the throne. This person, it is almost certain that he is the one who came to fight for the Liao lord Yelu Ruan.

News from the north came one after another, and the temples of the Northern Han monarchs and ministers were constantly calculating, and they also had a clearer understanding of the situation in the north.

Wang Pu even asserted that with the domestic situation of the Khitan, there is no need for external forces, and it will be chaotic without a fight, which is probably the vision of a strategist.

But it is precisely because of this that the possibility of the Khitan invasion of the south has been greatly strengthened, and when the palace is above, Wang Pu is unwilling to suggest to Liu Chengyou that it is necessary to suspend the Huainan strategy and actively prepare for Hebei to deal with the Khitan invasion.

Even if he had been mentally prepared for this for a long time, Liu Chengyou still had a huge unwillingness in his heart, and he had no choice but to give an order and make a strategic turn. Of course, the shift in strategic direction does not affect the preparations for war below, but only focuses on different situations.

Even so, Liu Chengyou still has a little thought in his heart. He even vetoed the plan proposed by some generals to strike preemptively. It is not like the concealment of the Huainan strategy, it has always been hidden, limited to the circulation between a few high-level officials of the Han Dynasty and the close ministers of the Son of Heaven, and the imperial garrison of the Khitan can be said to be well known to the government and the opposition.

When the Northern Han had no choice but to take care of the north, in the south of the Great Han Dynasty, there was also a storm.

First said Hunan, after the puppet Chu king Ma Xicao usurped the throne, in addition to retaining the last trace of reason to declare himself a vassal to the Southern Tang Dynasty, he was complacent and arrogant.

Thinking of old grievances, killing excessively, indulging in alcohol and prostitution day and night, the military and political affairs of Hunan were entrusted to his brother Ma Xichong. Ma Xichong is also a person with shallow talents and morals, disordered politics and punishment, and selfish employment. Sending troops to loot the people's wealth to reward the meritorious, the soldiers are still resentful of the unevenness.

In the spring of the fourth year of Qianyou, the officers and soldiers of Langzhou, who accompanied Ma Xicao to the south, also gradually deviated from Germany. There is a house slave Xie Yanhao, handsome and handsome, favored by Ma Xicao, and sat with his wife and concubine, there was a banquet in the palace, and he was also above the generals with his people, and all the generals were ashamed.

Ma Xicao thanks to the old department, when he attacked Changsha last year, there was a fire that burned down the palace, and Wang Kui, the commander of Jingjiang in Langzhou, and Zhou Xingfeng, the deputy envoy, made up for it with more than 1,000 soldiers, and they worked very hard without reward. As a result, resentment and resentment have arisen among officers and men, and people's hearts have been in turmoil.

The country of dying, chaos is rampant, and the Ma brothers have only been in Hunan for April, and the hearts of the army and the people have been lost.

In March Renshen (11), Wang Kui and Zhou Xingfeng led the soldiers of the department, led the troops to fight, and fled to Langzhou. Ma Xixuan woke up from a hangover and learned that he immediately sent the commander Tang Shizhu to chase more than 1,000 soldiers, and was ambushed by Wang and Zhou Er, and was defeated, only to be spared.

Wang Kui and Zhou Xingfeng occupied Langzhou, that is, Ma Guanghui, who was of the Ma family's bloodline, was the envoy of the festival, and then sent people north to contact Lizhou, and asked him to be subordinate to the Northern Han Dynasty. The defense envoy Cao Yin immediately reported to Tokyo, and Liu Chengyou gave permission.

The situation in Hunan, with the defection of Wang Kui and Zhou Xingfeng, the fragile "tranquility" has come to an end.

In the face of such a dangerous situation, Ma Xicao is basically an afterthought and slow to react, compared to the rebellion to seize the position, govern the country, and deal with complex situations, it is really too difficult for Ma Xicao.

The subordinates rebelled, occupied the nest, and suffered a small defeat, Ma Xicao had no choice, and chose to ask Nantang for help, hoping that Li Jing could help solve the rebellion. Of course, it's not that Ma Xicao is completely stupid to that point, it's just that his control over the Changsha Chu army is already fragile to a dangerous point, if he forcibly sends troops, he is afraid that if he doesn't have to go to Langzhou, there is a high probability that the generals will turn against him.

What Ma Xicao didn't know was that the Southern Tang Dynasty he expected had already sharpened his knives against the land of Hunan. Liu Guangfu, the envoy he sent to Jinling to pay tribute, also sold out the real situation between him and Hunan, and strongly persuaded Li Jing, the lord of Tang, to send troops to take Hunan.

The Southern Tang Dynasty's annexation plan for Hunan has officially entered the implementation stage. From the spring of the season, a large number of grain and ordnance from the Southern Tang Dynasty were transported to the west and south, and they were stationed in Ezhou and Hongzhou. The same is true for soldiers and horses, secretly transferred, stationed in two states.

In the north, the veteran He Jingzhu is the envoy of the Wuchang Festival, and he is in Ezhou; In the south, the camp is to be in the capital of Yingtun and wait for the side pickaxe for the history of Xinzhou, Tun Yuanzhou. The intention is obvious, the north and the south are advancing at the same time, and the hidden plan is enterprising.