Ma Di went out, and Du Zhongxiao said to Li Zhang: "What Ma Di said, is it credible?" What is the real situation in Chukyodo now? ”

Li Zhang said: "According to the information investigated these days, what Ma Di said is basically credible. Yelu Hongji brought all the Khitan elite soldiers to Youzhou, and there were not many soldiers and horses in Zhongjing Road. The only defenders of the city were mostly local armies, not the main Khitan force. In addition to Ma Di, many of the children of the Ma, Liu, and Zhao families are now officials in Zhongjing Road. They offered the city together, and it could not be stopped. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded, and said: "This time the Khitan went south, and the Khitan broke his muscles and bones. Is there enough grain storage in Naokyo-do? ”

Li Zhang shook his head: "There is not much grain in Youzhou, and a lot of grain and grass is actually transported from Zhongjing Road. Although the current Zhongjing Road is not as miserable as Youzhou, there is not much grain in stock, and there are still grain varieties for good or bad. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "In this way, if our army goes north, we still have to bring our own grain and grass. There are many mountainous roads, and it is inconvenient to transport grain, but it is troublesome. If the army goes north, it will still use the people to transport grain. ”

After thinking for a while, Du Zhongxiao said categorically: "No matter." Such an opportunity is hard to miss again! I will return to Beijing tomorrow, report to the Holy Lord, and prepare for the army to go north and occupy Dading Mansion! As long as Dading Mansion is occupied, the Khitan will have no chance to rise again. ”

Li Zhang said: "Several rulers in the court also mean the same thing. However, Li Taiwei said that Youzhou really can't afford to collect grain, so he can only transfer grain from Bianjing. The grain that was lacking in Bianjing was then transferred from Jingdong Road and Liangzhejiang and Jiangnan Road. Grain can only be transported to Youzhou, and then to the north, it can only be carried on people's backs, which is extremely difficult. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's not just that. The migrant workers in Youzhou all signed the army last year, and most of them died on the battlefield. The people who transported the grain had to be recruited from the Central Plains. In this way, the amount of food needed is not a fraction, and the pack animals also need grain and grass. ”

Standing up, Du Zhongxiao came to pace. After a while, he turned around and said, "Tell Li Fugui to collect enough grain to transport it to Youzhou at any cost." The road to the north is inconvenient, and the grain and grass this time is not necessarily less than the previous battle. ”

Li Zhang's forked hands and promised. Surrender and ride back to the capital on a fast horse. Wansheng Town is some distance from Kaifeng City, and it will be dark when you return to the city.

In the evening, Du Zhongxiao set up a banquet and invited Ma Di to drink. After thinking about it again, he didn't call Ma Xuan, but asked Sun Peng to come to accompany him and tell him about Ma Xuan's current situation. Ma Di didn't really dedicate the city in the end, and Ma Xuan didn't have time to feel the benefits.

Early the next morning, Du Zhongxiao and Ma Di returned to the capital as soon as possible. When I entered the city, it was just noon. Du Zhongxiao did not go home, and went directly to the Privy Council. He ordered someone to arrange for Ma Di and returned to his official hall.

Not long after, Tian Kuang and Zeng Gongliang came in and saluted Du Zhongxiao.

They each sat down, Du Zhongxiao said: "Yesterday, Ma Di arrived in Wansheng Town, saying that it was Zhongjing Road and Duozhou City. I asked in detail last night, and this matter should be credible. This is a big deal, so I'm in a hurry to come back today. What do you think? ”

Tian said: "The states south of Dading Mansion are mountainous and inconvenient to transport. If someone sacrifices the city, the army passes through quickly, and a lot of grain and grass are missing. That's a good thing. The mountain roads in that area are rugged, and if hundreds of thousands of troops attack, food and grass are really a problem. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "In fact, how much grain and grass are not transported, and the Khitan people have no grain to store along the way, and they have to transport it from the Central Plains." However, once they surrender the city, the army can directly come to Dadingfu. Most of the Khitan royal families, princes, etc., gathered there. can attack quickly and wipe out all these people, and the Khitan will completely collapse. However, in this battle, the number of troops transporting grain was several times greater than that of the army itself. ”

Zeng Gongliang said: "In the first battle in Youzhou last year, hundreds of thousands of people transported grain. If we recruit people to transport grain again this year, I am afraid that it will not be easy. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It depends on whether the court is willing to spend money." Take out the money, and naturally someone will carry the grain. If the railway is repaired to Youzhou, you can recruit people from Jingxi Road and take the train to Youzhou. ”

In doing so, in fact, the people recruited are similar to the army, but they don't fight. In this era, it was common for the army to cross the border and requisition and dispatch people to transport grain. In a big war, the army loses, and the local people often suffer more. Now the Song Dynasty is different, after the people are recruited, they are organized according to the way of the army, and they are under the unified command of the Privy Council, which is much more standardized.

During the war, the number of grain transporters under the command of Li Fugui was actually far more than the soldiers, and it had become the norm.

Tian Guo pondered for a while and said: "When I discussed with Zhongshu the day before yesterday, several prime ministers also felt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Now that the war in Youzhou is over, it is the time when the green and yellow are not available, and there is indeed a shortage of money. But it's not impossible. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Do you want to issue bonds again?" Issuing bonds is indeed a good way, if you are afraid, you are afraid, the court is addicted to issuing bonds. ”

Tian Guo shook his head: "When the debt is repaid, interest will be paid." Zhongshu looks at the interest headache, how can he be addicted to issuing bonds. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled and didn't say anything. When the imperial court finally found out about the so-called debts, as long as the interest was paid, and then new debts were issued to pay off the old debts, it was difficult not to be addicted at that time. How many countries in your previous life are like this? All kinds of excuses, it's just that it's easy to collect money.

For the regime, as long as it has the means and is really determined, where is it afraid that there will not be enough money. Money is a number, and what really determines the regime is the actual material. Money is just one tool for collecting supplies, and there are many other tools. The Song Dynasty had just discovered the benefits of issuing bonds, and there was still 108,000 miles away from discovering the disadvantages of issuing bonds.

Zeng Gongliang said: "If you decide to send troops north, how many soldiers and horses is appropriate?" Who is it used for? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "I thought about it last night, most of the Youzhou army has been recalled, and it should be dominated by soldiers and horses on Hedong Road." The main force of the Khitan had been wiped out last year, and it didn't need too many soldiers. With the two armies of Wang Kai and Jia Kui, plus Liu Ji's army in Youzhou, a total of 150,000 soldiers and horses went north, which should be enough. 150,000 people, it is easier to ensure their food and grass. “

Tian said: "Is 150,000 people enough? Zhongjing Province is the hinterland of the Khitan and is the most important. And there are a large number of tribes there at this time, and there must be quite a few of them. Moreover, the mountain road is rugged, and it should not be possible to bring heavy artillery. “

Du Zhongxiao said: "Heavy artillery must not be able to be brought." If you go north from Youzhou, you will travel through the mountain roads, and you can't bring heavy artillery. However, the rest of the Khitan did not have big cities, and there was no need for heavy artillery. 150,000 people, for the grassland, is already an unseen army. ”

Zeng Gongliang said: "The Khitan should no longer stop our army of 150,000 people, and what is difficult now is the grain and grass that supplies these troops." ”

Du Zhongxiao sighed: "Yes, an army of more than 100,000 people is enough to sweep the entire grassland." But it is difficult to transport the grain and grass of these people. In this battle, it is also necessary to devote the strength of the whole country to transporting grain before it can be defeated. ”

Tian Guo nodded, feeling the same way. From Youzhou to the north, they left the traditional territory of the Central Plains and went deep into the grassland. The most important thing to fight there is grain and grass, as long as the grain and grass arrive, it can basically be swept away. Due to the difficult mountain roads, the 150,000-strong army needs men and horses to transport grain and grass, which may be similar to the first battle in Youzhou last year. It is not for nothing that Youzhou has become an important town in the north and directly controls the entire Yanshan.