Kou Ji glanced at Zhu Neng and said, "You and I have no grievances or hatreds, but we still have a deep friendship, how can I harm you?" ”

When Zhu Neng heard this, he glared, as if he was flying violently, approached Kou Ji, and shouted: "Then why are you talking nonsense to the official family and let me be a pioneer?" ”

Kou Ji looked at Zhu Neng in amazement, "Isn't it good to let you be a pioneer?" ”

Zhu Neng blew his beard angrily and glared: "In the big tent just now, one counts as one, you go and ask them to see which of them is willing to be a pioneer, none of them are willing."

They all know that Xingqing Mansion is a hard bone, whoever opens his mouth first, who breaks his teeth first, so no one grabs it.

It's such a hard work, and you actually helped me take it on my head.

You're not hurting me? ”

Kou Ji glanced at Zhu Neng and said, "If you want to take on a big responsibility, how can you just fight a good fight?" Occasionally fight a dozen tough battles, so that you can show your ability and let the officials see your talent. ”

Zhu Neng snorted: "There are so many people in the tent, are there any people who are more talented than me Zhu Neng, why don't you see them to show off their talents?" ”

Kou Ji pouted and said, "Those who have no ability among them are naturally reluctant to go out and show off. If you have the ability, you don't go out to show off because it's useless to show off. ”

Zhu Neng was stunned for a moment, stared at Kou Ji suspiciously, and said, "What do you mean by this?" ”

Kou Ji said lightly: "Those who have no ability, take the initiative to ask Ying to serve as a vanguard general, that is, to find death." If you have the ability, you don't have much benefit to take the initiative to ask Ying to serve as a vanguard general. ”

"And the benefits?!"

Zhu Neng raised his eyebrows, grabbed Kou Ji, and hurriedly said, "Tell me carefully, what are the benefits?" ”

Kou Ji looked at Zhu Neng and said, "Is the position of the deputy privy envoy considered a benefit?" ”

Zhu Neng's eyes widened in astonishment, and he said in astonishment: "You mean...... Privy Counsellor? ”

Kou Ji accentuated his tone and repeated, "It's the deputy privy envoy!" ”

Zhu Neng licked the corners of his mouth and said in a low voice: "We don't dare to think about it." ”

Kou Ji rolled his eyes and scolded in a low voice: "...... out of breath"

Zhu Neng smiled, didn't talk back, and urged Kou Ji to say, "Tell me quickly, what's in it." ”

Kou Ji said frankly: "The position of deputy privy envoy has been vacant for a long time, and there was no suitable candidate before, but now it is different. My Great Song Dynasty has conquered Yanyun and Western Xia, and many generals have emerged.

Once the Western Xia is exterminated, I am afraid that there will be many lords in the future.

With so many generals emerging, it is natural that someone needs to guide them.

The position of Deputy Privy Counsellor could no longer be vacant.

The official family has disposed of the Gao family before, and has suppressed other generals, which means that the official family does not want to see the people in the generals continue to make waves in the government and the opposition.

Therefore, when the official family selects the deputy privy envoy, they must not choose from the general.

There's a good chance you'll be picked among your new lords.

Let you become another force in the court, counterbalancing the gates.

The people who are qualified to serve as deputy privy envoys are all in the big tent of the Chinese army just now.

Among them, Guo Yi and Liu Qi are not enough and can be excluded.

Wang Kai's qualifications are too shallow, and they can also be ruled out.

Liu Hengnai was born as an eagle dog and was not suitable for the post of deputy privy councillor.

The rest is you and Chong Shiheng.

Chong Shiheng has been sitting in Qingjian City for a long time, and he has made great achievements in cultural and martial arts.

If the official family summons him to return to the court, if he agrees, the official family will definitely let him serve as a deputy privy envoy.

Although you have a lot of martial arts, you don't have much Wenzhi.

If you want to win against Chong Shiheng, you should show your loyalty and talent to the officials. ”

Zhu Neng pondered: "Are you asking me to show my talent to the official family?" ”

Kou Ji shook his head slowly and said, "No...... It's loyalty! ”

Zhu Neng was stunned.

Kou Ji said in a low voice: "Chong Shiheng sits in Qingjian City, and has not moved for more than ten years, and now Qingjian City is like the capital of my Great Song Dynasty. Chong Shiheng has the meaning of turning Qingjian City into a town.

Even if he is just for self-preservation, the official family will look at him with a scrutinizing attitude.

Both the government and the opposition will doubt his loyalty.

Although you are not as good as Chong Shiheng in terms of civil governance, but you are more loyal than Chong Shiheng, so if you choose between you and Chong Shiheng, the official family will definitely choose you.

The civil and military ministers in the court are one thing to be capable, and another thing to be loyal.

Sometimes faithfulness is more important than competence. ”

After Kou Ji's analysis, Zhu Neng also understood the Tao, and he nodded and said, "That's really the case...... Most of the people who can appear in front of the official family have already been tested in terms of talent.

There is no need for officials to care too much about talent.

The official family is more concerned about who is more loyal and who is more obedient. ”

Kou Ji nodded slowly.

Zhu Neng also worked as an errand in the imperial city, witnessed many things in the palace, and knew what the officials needed most.

He didn't dare to think about the deputy privy envoy before, so he didn't think about it.

Now that Kou Ji has analyzed him carefully, he naturally sees the doorway clearly.

Zhu Neng said with emotion: "I didn't expect that I, Zhu, would also have a day when I would enter the picture." Vice-Privy Counsellor, I couldn't have thought of it before. ”

Kou Ji sighed with emotion: "I never thought that you could be the deputy privy envoy before. After all, you came out of my grandfather's door. Until our grandparents and grandchildren have completely lost power, it is impossible for you to enter the center.

But what I didn't expect was that it was unpredictable.

In this war against Western Xia, you are actually the one who has the greatest credit.

If you have merit, the official family will naturally reward you.

It's just that you are already a prince of the country, and if you go one step further in the title, it is already the limit.

Don't think about it as soon as you wait for the public.

Now that the government and the opposition are up, my grandfather is a first-class duke, and it is impossible for the official family to let you be promoted to a first-class duke, comparable to my grandfather.

So most of your credit can only be compensated by official positions.

The official family doesn't want to let the people of the gate enter the center, so your hope of entering the center is greatly increased. ”

Zhu Neng heard Kou Ji's words, pouted and said, "Now that Xingqing Mansion has not been won, it is not certain who will take the most credit." ”

Kou Ji rolled his eyes and said, "The official family is the commander of the siege of Xingqing Mansion this time, no matter who captures Xingqing Mansion, the greatest credit must be given to the official family."

Do you have the courage to take credit from the officials? ”

Zhu Neng was stunned for a moment, and the corners of his mouth twitched: "The official family is grabbing credit from us?" ”

Kou Ji glanced at Zhu Neng and said, "Don't the official family take credit?" The official family also needs to help the ancestors grow a long face. ”

"But it's too ......"

"Too what? Li Deming's head, what's the use of you coming? You take Li Deming's head, and the official family makes an exception to make you a first-class duke, and you will be immediately recalled to Bianjing City, and from now on, you can't do anything except eat and wait for death.

Chong Shiheng is unwilling to take the initiative to ask Ying to be the vanguard general, do you think he is afraid of the Western Xia people in Xingqing Mansion?

Although there are many Tangut people in Xingqing Mansion, we have more soldiers and horses outside Xingqing Mansion.

To put it bluntly, the people in Xingqing Mansion at this moment may not have as many as our soldiers and horses.

We have an absolute superiority in troops, and it is only a matter of time before we take Xingqing Mansion.

Even if Chong Shiheng serves as a vanguard general and takes the lead in attacking Xingqing Mansion, he will always bite off Xingqing Mansion if he loses one or two battles.

If he takes the lead in conquering Xingqing Mansion, and the official family raises his title to the first level, he will definitely be summoned back to the court.

Part of the reason why he refused to serve as a pioneer general was that he couldn't give up his family business in Qingjian City.

The family business accumulated after more than ten years of hard work cannot be easily given up even by a saint, let alone a kind of Shiheng.

Another part of the reason was that he was reluctant to return to Bianjing City to be an idler. ”

After listening to Kou Ji's words, Zhu Neng said in a daze: "According to what you said, Xingqing Mansion can't fight yet?" ”

Kou Ji said indifferently: "We led so many soldiers and horses to Xingqing Mansion, how could we not fight?" ”

Zhu Neng smiled bitterly: "But whoever wins the first credit will become an idler." ”

Koji's eyes narrowed.

Zhu Neng seemed to think of something, and hurriedly said: "If you attribute the greatest credit to the official family, you don't need it." ”

Kou Ji nodded slowly.

Zhu Nengba smacked his lips and said, "But attacking Xingqing Mansion is a chore." The vanguard soldiers and horses, I am afraid that they will lose a lot, and they may return in vain when the time comes. ”

Kou Ji glanced at Zhu Neng and said, "We still have a lot of grenades, shells, and ballistas left. You send some catapults and prepare some stone bullets and fire bombs. Then throw it all in one go, and maybe it will work wonders. ”

Zhu Neng stared at Kou Ji stunned, "Vanguard soldiers and horses, can you still fight like this?" ”

Kou Ji spread his hands and said, "I just learned ......"

Zhu Neng was stunned and said, "Who did you learn from?" ”

Kou Ji said frankly: "Liao Emperor Yelu Longxu ......"

Actually, it doesn't count.

Kou Ji has heard a lot of similar combat methods in later generations.

It's just that Kou Ji can't take out the examples of later generations, so he can only push it on the head of Emperor Liao.

Anyway, that's what Emperor Liao did in Tongtaiguan.

When Zhu can go to check, he can also find out the emigration.

Zhu Neng said with a look of surprise: "Liao Emperor Yelu Longxu taught you to fight?" ”

"Hmm!"

Kou Ji nodded slowly.

Zhu Neng pursed his lips and said without coming: "It's a dream, right?" ”

Kou Ji glanced at Zhu Neng.

Zhu Neng groaned: "Tell me, we now have more than 700,000 soldiers and horses besieging Xingqing Mansion, and there are quite a few people, adding up to nearly a million people.

It should be feasible to make 100,000 catapults, right?

100,000 catapults, plus artillery and grenades, do you think Li Deming can withstand it? ”

Kou Ji was stunned when he heard Zhu Neng's words.

I was really stunned.

If 100,000 catapults fired a salvo at Xingqing Mansion, they would probably be able to cover all the enemies within range.

Can the Western Xia soldiers and horses in the city resist?

Kou Ji stared at Zhu Neng and asked, "How did you come up with that?" ”

Zhu Neng laughed in a low voice: "In Shazhou before, I tried 10,000 hundred tigers to shoot a salvo, so now that you mentioned using catapults to bombard Xingqing Mansion, I think I can try to build more." ”

Taking 100,000 catapults and bombarding Xingqing Mansion, Kou Ji never thought about it.

Kou Ji had never heard of anyone using catapults as their main weapon of battle against the enemy, let alone using catapults to decide the outcome of the battlefield.

It's not that catapults are hard to build.

In fact, it is not difficult to manufacture ordnance such as catapults and siege chiseles.

When the army was dispatched, it never brought these things, but only some auxiliary soldiers who worked as carpenters.

Ordnance such as catapults and siege chisels were made by cutting down trees near the battlefield after arriving on the battlefield.

The army did this on the march in order to reduce the pressure on the baggage.

But it also proves from the side that catapults and siege chisels are not particularly high-tech and difficult to make ordnance.

Kou Ji looked at Zhu Neng and said, "Catapults are easy to build, but I have never heard of or seen a war with catapults as the main weapon......"

Zhu Neng seemed to see Kou Ji's doubts and explained: "The threat of catapults on the battlefield is very huge. The reason why it is not widely used is because it is very labor-intensive.

A large catapult requires eight people to push, four people to pull the rope, and two people to load the stone to complete.

After careful calculation, a large catapult needs to cover the strength of fourteen people.

10,000 is 140,000.

What's more, once the catapult formation is formed, more soldiers and horses need to be protected around it to ensure that the established catapult formation is not destroyed by the enemy.

Ordinary battles are battles between 30,000 or 20,000 soldiers and horses, and there is no need for catapult formations.

In the battle of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, the catapult array can be used, but you also know that in the war of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, the soldiers and horses will rarely be hoarded in one place.

Most of them were divided into three routes after the troops were dispatched.

Therefore, even if catapults are used, the largest number is only a few thousand, and rarely exceeds 10,000.

The most important thing is that once the catapult formation is formed, it poses a big threat to the enemy, and the enemy will send soldiers and horses of the dead to charge the formation and burn the catapult.

Catapults are easy to build and easy to destroy.

Therefore, it is rare to see catapults on the battlefield.

Because of the catapults you worked so hard to make, people could burn them down as soon as they caught fire. ”

After listening to Zhu Neng's analysis, Kou Ji took over and said, "And it takes time to form a catapult formation. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses often go to war, and the daily consumption of money and food is a large sum.

If you can storm the city, you don't need to spend time building a catapult? ”

Zhu Neng nodded slowly.

Kou Ji pondered and said: "I can't guarantee 100,000 planes, but if you build about 20,000 planes, I can talk to the official family, and let him order Chong Shiheng and Liu Heng's soldiers and horses to cooperate with you." ”

Zhu Neng pondered for a moment and said, "If you only attack Xingqing Mansion, 20,000 catapults, with artillery and grenades, are enough." ”

"Without further ado, you take someone to get a catapult, and I'll go to the official family to talk about it."

"Good ......"

After making up their minds, the two left the tent.

Zhu Neng took people to build catapults, and Kou Ji went to find Zhao Zhen.

When Kou Ji walked to the door of Zhao Zhen's tent, he heard movement inside, and when he went in, he realized that Wang Kai and the three of them were bidding farewell to Zhao Zhen.

They're going to attack Huaizhou.

Although Huaizhou is on the edge of Xingqing Mansion, there is also some distance, and the three of them want to attack Huaizhou before the war in Xingqing Mansion starts.

Wang Kai and the three of them went to attack Huaizhou, which was a strategy that had already been set.

So when the three of them resigned, Zhao Zhen did not refuse.

Zhao Zhen gave each of them a bowl of candied wine and personally sent them out of the tent.

The three of them rushed to Huaizhou with a team of soldiers and horses, braving the snow.

After Zhao Zhen returned to the tent again, he asked Kou Ji to sit down.

After Kou Ji sat down, he told Zhao Zhen about Zhu Neng's plan to build a catapult.

Zhao Zhen is similar to Kou Ji, and he doesn't know much about military affairs.

After Kou Ji told Zhao Zhen about Zhu Neng's plan to build a catapult, Zhao Zhen sent Chen Lin to secretly summon Gao Chu Gong.

After Zhao Zhen arrived in Xiazhou, Gao Chu Gong has been in hidden mode and has been hidden from everyone's sight.

The main reason is that after Zhao Zhen arrived in Xiazhou, he brought a lot of people.

There are many people with mixed eyes, and it is inevitable that there are some people who are not long-eyed and uninteresting, and they are called Gao Zhigong's identity.

So Kou Ji let Gao Ji hide and hide behind his back to give advice.

Gao Chu Gong was summoned and appeared in the Chinese army's tent in a black robe.

After seeing Zhao Zhen, he saluted respectfully, if it weren't for the etiquette constraints, he would almost have to do a five-body bow.

After Zhao Zhen asked him to get up, he kept horses.

Zhao Zhen and Kou Ji were very uncomfortable listening to it, and they couldn't cry or laugh in their hearts.

If you know today, why bother in the first place.

I think that at the beginning, Gao Chugong was in the court, proud of the crowd, and no one gave face, even if Zhao Zhen invited him to go out on an errand, he had to agree to his conditions.

And now?

Escaped like a slave.

It turns out that sluts are hypocritical.

You give him a few colors, and he can open a dyeing shop.

You beat him up, and he's better behaved than anyone else.

Gao Chugong's various flattering words kept pouring out of his mouth, Zhao Zhen had a headache when he heard it, rubbed his eyebrows, and interrupted him, "Okay, your loyalty, I saw it." I also remember your merits. When I return to Bianjing, I will give you generously to your children and grandchildren. ”

"Grass people, thank you for the official family Longen......"

A respectful salute from above.

Zhao Zhen instructed Chen Lin to take a stool, put it behind Gao Gong, and said, "I have something to ask you, sit down and talk." ”

Gao Zugong saluted again, "Thank you to the official family for giving me a seat, the official family is sympathetic to the grass people, it is really ......"

Hearing that Gao Ji Gong was about to start patting his ass again, Kou Ji finally couldn't help it.

"Alright......"

Gao Chu Gong looked at Kou Ji with a straight face, as if he was about to question Kou Ji why he was stopping him from telling the truth, because he felt that he was wrong.

Kou Ji saw Gao Zhigong's gaze, pouted and said, "It's too much...... You don't want the official family to hate you, just shut up, what the official asks, you answer. ”

Gao Zhigong snorted and expressed his dissatisfaction, but he didn't reply, but listened to Kou Ji's words, sat on the stool, and waited for Zhao Zhen to ask.

Zhao Zhen let out a sigh of relief, looked at Kou Ji, and motioned for Kou Ji to tell the matter to the high place.

Zhao Zhen didn't want to talk to Gao Zu Gong, for fear that Gao Zu Gong would climb up and say a lot of things that made his scalp tingle.

It's not for nothing that there are people who pat him on the back.

But most of them care about their faces, and always flatter him for a word or two when appropriate.

It seems that Gao Chu Gong has no face and a slam shot, he has never seen it.

So when Gong slapped him on the back from a high place, he felt very uncomfortable.

Under Zhao Zhen's signal, Kou Ji simply told Gao Zugong what Zhu Neng thought.

After listening to this, Gao Zugong's face turned slightly straight, and he said: "Gao Zugong's proposal to build 100,000 catapults is a bit unrealistic. Not to mention the strength required for 100,000 catapults, which is beyond what we can afford.

The stone needed for 100,000 catapults alone cannot be gathered in three or five days.

It took more than 10 days to build a catapult and find stones.

In ten days, we have stormed Xingqing Mansion more than 20 times, and we have even taken Xingqing Mansion, so we can't waste all our time on catapults.

Moreover, catapults have a limited range.

Even if we build 100,000 catapults, the stones thrown out can only cover the city walls of Xingqing Mansion at most, and the distance behind the city walls is hundreds of zhang away, and the catapults can't shoot farther away.

If the enemy hides a large army in the city and only sends a small number of soldiers and horses to defend the city with heavy shields, the results of the catapults will be very limited. ”

Zhao Zhen listened to Gao Chugong's words, and muttered: "Isn't there any benefit?" ”

Gao Ji Gong replied decisively: "Of course, there are advantages, if we have enough catapults to throw stones into the city, it is impossible for the enemy to show his head in a short time. This allows our soldiers and horses to climb the city walls with ease.

Although the catapult may cause damage to our soldiers and horses while suppressing the enemy.

But as long as we control the timing of the stone-throwing and the climb, the casualties will not be too great. ”

Zhao Zhen pondered for a while and said, "According to what you said, it's not advisable to build a catapult on a large scale?" ”

Gao Zhigong shook his head and said: "That's not true, with our current strength, if we build a catapult of one or two hundred thousand catapults, and suppress the city wall of Xingqing Mansion, we will break through the city wall faster." ”

Speaking of this, Gao Gongxu drew a square and said: "Send soldiers and horses to make a posture of attacking the other three sides, forcing the soldiers on the other three sides not to move."

Then pounce on the remaining side with a catapult, putting pressure on the enemy.

If the enemy can't withstand the pressure and sends other elite soldiers to help, then the defense of the other three walls will definitely be weakened.

When the time comes, the other three sides can take advantage of the situation.

If the enemy does not send other elite troops to help, then there is a high probability that the direction of the catapult will be breached. ”

Zhao Zhen and Kou Ji glanced at each other.

Gao Zu Gong said that 10,000 or 20,000 catapults would help the war, and Kou Ji allowed Zhu Neng to make 20,000 catapults, which can be said to coincide.

Kou Ji didn't tell Gao Zu Gong what he said to Zhu Neng, so Gao Zu Gong didn't know about it.

Zhao Zhen didn't break it, but said with some embarrassment: "Isn't there a 100% chance of breaking through Xingqing Mansion?" ”

Gao Di Gong hesitated: "The soldiers in our hands are far stronger than Western Xia. Attacking Xingqing Mansion is a matter of time. But if you want to take Xingqing Mansion in one fell swoop, it is a bit impossible.

There are 300,000 Xixia soldiers and horses in the city, and we have been surrounding them for a day and a half, and there has been no commotion or rebellion from them so far, which shows that the Xixia soldiers and horses in the city have the determination to fight us to the death.

They dare to fight with their lives, and it is naturally not so easy for us to take them down. ”

Zhao Zhen sighed and said, "Isn't there a way to win Xingqing Mansion in one fell swoop?" ”

Gao Ji hesitated for a moment and looked at Kou Ji.

Kou Ji felt Gao Chugong's gaze and was slightly stunned.

Listen to Gao Zhigong said: "If Kou Jingluo can come up with ten times more firearms than Qu Yechuan in the first battle, he can take Xingqing Mansion in one fell swoop." ”