It wasn't until the second half of the night that the people outside the entrance of the Xuande Gate in Ouchi dispersed. Zhao Ke was unbearable, he didn't sleep all night, when the sky was light, Zhao Ke was extremely sleepy, and he was just about to go to bed, and the ministers reported to Prime Minister Zhao Qianfu to ask to see him. Zhao Ke had to pass Zhao Qianfu to meet him. He beat his spirits and was ready to comfort Zhao Xiang. Last night, the scholars and the people made trouble, please behead Zhao Qianfu and Tong Guan, Tong Guan has already knelt on the ground in front of the official family and cried bitterly. The idea of sending envoys and officials to the family, in Zhao Ke's heart, had a little more affection for these two courtiers who had received on his behalf.

Zhao Zhifu hurriedly walked into the imperial study, and when he saw that the official's eyes were bloodshot, but there was a sense of comfort in his eyes, he was immediately relieved, and pleaded guiltily: "The old minister should die, let Your Majesty be frightened!" Zhao Ke hurriedly helped him up and sighed: "The old prime minister is dedicated to the country, regardless of reputation, and negotiates peace to settle the world, these scholars don't know the general situation, and they are angry with the prime minister, alas——"

Zhao Ke sighed, the ancestors of the Great Song Dynasty made excellent scholars, did not kill those who spoke things, and there were many scholars who beat the drum, and they won the hearts of the people, but there were many disposals. In order to prevent the people from stirring up a rebellion, even the envoys who negotiated peace did not dare to go out of the city gate, but only used Teng baskets to hang down from the city wall. Thinking of this, Zhao Ketong's red eyes revealed a hint of resentment.

"These scholars are just stupid and ignorant, but they still disrupt the government." Zhao Zhifu said cautiously while observing Zhao Ke's expression, "When the old minister passed by the Xuande Building, he saw a mess, and the Dengwen drum was actually broken. The incident of rushing into the palace gate is rare in all dynasties and has not been seen in thousands of years. Kaifeng Prefecture reported that last night, there were many scoundrels who looted the market and disturbed the neighborhood. Although this dynasty has an ancestral system of Yourong scholars and wide speech, the old minister is worried that if the enemy is currently appeased, one is afraid of angering the Liao army, and the other is afraid of turning elbows and armpits. Speaking of this, he paused slightly, and stopped talking.

Zhao Zhifu's hair was pale, his eyes were full of melancholy, Tong Guan stood aside, and said secretly: "Sure enough, Jiang is still old and spicy." Let's see what he does? Although they share the same hatred, don't disturb the means of the Sprinkle family. ”

Zhao Ke also heard it and asked, "What is the prime minister's good plan?" ”

The Liao army invaded south and swept Hebei, which was unstoppable, and even Wang Yan was defeated and killed. Only peace can be peaceful, if peace is not negotiated, the world is in danger. And the scholars are eloquent, and do not know the difficulties of doing things. In the opinion of the old minister," Zhao Zhifu nodded slightly at the official family, and said in a deep voice, "Since they claim to be righteous and want to recover Hebei, then they will push the boat down the river, recruit thousands of Ding Zhuang to help defend the city for the new army, and give the name Baoyi Army, and Deng Sujia, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, will recruit envoys from Hebei." The Baoyi Army was under the command of Zhang Shuye, the commander of the Henan Mabu Army, and was stationed between the inner city and the outer city, giving official positions to the soldiers who refused to make peace, and sending all the envoys to the Baoyi Army. First, these soldiers can be restrained by military law, and second, if they still don't know what to do, they will be ordered to go out of the city to fight the Liao army......"

Although Zhao Zhifu's voice was low, Tong Guan was shocked when he heard it, and said secretly, what a desperate plan. There was a hint of triumph in Zhao Zhifu's eyes. The origin of this clever plan was thought of when he couldn't sleep last night and read the biography of Zhang Tang, a historical record. When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Dr. Di Shan offended Zhang Tang, and advocated peace with the soldiers, so Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Di Shan to the north to guard a beacon, and after more than a month, the Xiongnu committed the border, killing Di Shan's head and leaving.

Zhao Ke was at ease, frowned and thought for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "The matter of peace cannot be delayed. The new establishment of the Baoyi Army gave the soldiers a chance to serve the country. Please make arrangements for the prime minister's good life, and don't be truthful. ”

Zhao Zhifu arched his hand and said: "The old minister obeys the order." ”

These scholars dared to behead Zhao Zhifu last night, which made him really angry, and Zhao Zhifu had already planned in his heart, and he must not be soft on him. Since the founding of the Great Song Dynasty, it has regarded itself as Zhengshuo. Although the Xia State occupied Guanzhong, the scholars still liked to compare themselves with the Han family, and compared them with the Khitan and the Xiongnu. Today, the Song Dynasty is weak, and scholars love to read the history of the Han Dynasty to relieve the accumulated blocks in their chests, and even Zhao Zhifu is not exempt from vulgarity. Zhao Zhifu especially likes to read the affairs of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and there is another reason. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty reigned for decades, and there were many outstanding people in the court, and there were many political disputes, huge ups and downs, and fierce means, which were more than recently. Reading the history of letters, you can learn from the mental tricks and scheming of the predecessors, and the overlord is miscellaneous, which is a secret that Zhao Zhifu does not know.

After Zhao Zhifu retreated, Zhao Ke was silent for a while and asked, "Captain Tong, are you sure about the matter of peace?" ”

Tong Guan served the two emperors in the imperial study, and immediately replied: "Your Majesty deigns to negotiate peace, as long as you treat Di Yi with sincerity, as Sima Wenzheng said, even if you are beasts, wood and stones, you will also be moved, let alone human beings." The people of the market are ignorant and provoked. As long as the Liao people retreat and avoid a military disaster, they will naturally understand His Majesty's painstaking efforts and be grateful. ”

............

A round of the rising sun gradually rose in the eastern sky, because the climate was cold, the moat had been drained, and the Khitan cavalry began to drive the signing army to fill the city with earth and stones, and the Song army guarding the outer city sent crossbows and artillery stones to stop. In the past ten days, the Liao army has been building fortifications for iron barrels and heavy artillery, while driving the signing army to fill in the trenches.

The circumference of Bianliang City is 40 miles, there are 18 city gates, respectively, the Nanxun Gate, Chenzhou Gate, Caihe East Water Gate, Dailou Gate, Caihe West Water Gate in the south of the city, the East Water Gate, the New Song Gate, the New Cao Gate, the Northeast Water Gate in the east of the city, the Xinzheng Gate, the Lize Gate, the Wansheng Gate, the Guzi Gate, the Northwest Water Gate in the west of the city, the Chenqiao Gate, the Fengqiu Gate, the New Sour Zao Gate, the Weizhou Gate in the north of the city. After hundreds of years of operation, each gate has a triple urn city, and only four main gates are in order to facilitate the entry and exit of the royal road, and there are only two urn castles. Outside the city, there is also a wide dragon river that is more than ten zhang wide.

Because Bianliang City was so big, the Liao army came with great momentum, but it did not immediately attack the city from all sides. The Liao Emperor's imperial account was still fifty miles away at Chenqiaoyi, and the left army commander Yelu Bijie and the general of the Northern Courtyard Tiemuge led the partial division, first rushed to the city of Bianliang, stationed in the north and southeast of the city respectively, and captured a large number of Song people who had not escaped nearby as a signing army.

"Lord Li, it seems that the Liao army brigade is still crossing the river and has not yet arrived at the foot of Bianliang City." Feng Lu said in a low voice. Li Ruobing was silent, and said in a low voice in his throat: "Lord Liao is in Chenqiaoyi." After identifying the emissary, dozens of retinues were left behind in the city. Feng Lu and Li Ruobing peeked along the way to check the truth and reality, but they didn't know if what they did was secretive or the Liao army escorted was too careless, so they didn't interfere arbitrarily. After traveling along the post road for most of the hour, he actually went to Chenqiao Station fifty miles away.

The cavalry who can fight in Bianliang City are on duty in front of the palace, and the duty of the guards in the palace is to defend the royal family, and there is no royal order not to go out of the city to fight, and there are many Liao cavalry outside the city, which is like the wind. Since a large number of Liao cavalry crossed the river, the Song army was like a blind man touching an elephant to the Liao army near Bianliang, and the position of the Liao emperor was even more unclear.

Li Ruobing and Feng Lu traveled all the way north, and along the way, they saw that the Khitan camp was very well guarded, and the cavalry was haunted everywhere, but instead of plundering the grass valley as usual, they met a group of Song people transporting grain and grass to the Liao army camp. The people were not escorted by Khitan cavalry, and Li Ruobing wondered in his heart, unable to figure out why these people funded the enemy. He didn't know that the Liao army had captured all the young and strong men from the nearby villages as signing soldiers, leaving only the old and weak women and children in the village, and if they didn't send grain and grass to the camp, these Ding Zhuang would be at risk of freezing to death and starving.

The imperial tent of the Liao Emperor was set up in Chenqiaoyi in the north of the city, waiting for more than 100,000 troops to cross the river with iron barrels, heavy artillery, siege vehicles, heavy grain and grass. This is because Yelu Dashi is very familiar with the terrain of this area, when he went to the Song Kingdom in the past, he passed by the Chen Qiaoyi of Taizu Zhao Kuangyin in yellow robe, and in the name of nostalgia, he also made a few poems with sighs. It is rare for the Khitan envoy to admire the Taizu of this dynasty so much, and the officials of the Song Dynasty also made an exception to let him stay in Chenqiaoyi for two more days, so Yelu Dashi knows the terrain of Chenqiaoyi well. In addition, to attack the fortified city of Bianliang, the iron barrel cannon is very important. In the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, only well-built post roads can carry 10,000 catties of iron barrel cannon gun gun wagons. Garrison Chen Qiaoyi, waiting for the artillery battalion to come to meet him, and the infantry army of the imperial camp can arrive at the foot of Bianliang City at the same time as the iron barrel heavy artillery.

Before the arrival of the envoy of the Song Kingdom, Yelu Dashi first received news from Bianliang City. The left army Yelu Bijie and Temuge had already reported that there was a lot of trouble in the city for a long time, with great fires and noisy drums until midnight. Yelu Dashi wondered in his heart, even if the Song State reinforcements were so large, there was no reason to bluff like this. It wasn't until dawn that he got Tong Guan's secret report that Yelu Dashi was clear about the things in Bianliang City.

Tong Guan secretly reported and offered advice, and the scholars of the Li Society were stubborn, specifically inciting the people to be hostile to the Northern Dynasties. In addition to Shao Wu, the privy envoy, Deng Su, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, Wu Angying, the waiter of the Ministry of Works, Xu Rubi, a member of the military department, Pan Yuanjie, the servant of the imperial history, and Huang Boyu, the superintendent of the imperial history, are all capable talents who have emerged in the DPRK and China in recent years, and are the backbone of the society. Tong Guan suggested asking Emperor Song to kill these people as a sign of sincerity. If the Song Emperor was concerned about people's words, he sent these bone officials as envoys, and the Liao State took action to get rid of them on the charge of disrespecting Yelu Dashi and disrupting the peace.

"Do you want to borrow a knife to kill someone?" Yelu Dashi sneered slightly, "What a ruthless eunuch." After the Bianliang City is broken, let you know who is the master and who is the slave. "The grievances between Tong Guan and the Li Society, Yelu Dashi also knows a little bit about it.

As soon as he folded the secret report, the outer guards were Tongbing, and the peace envoy of the Southern Dynasty came. And Jerodashi commanded that the messenger should be brought up. In recent days, the river has shown signs of freezing, the water on both sides of the river has frozen, but it is still very weak, and the middle of the river has not yet frozen, and there are large pieces of drift ice in the river. At this time, not only is the ice impassable, but it is also difficult to cross the river. Yelu Dashi also needs to negotiate peace, and delay it a little. Wait for the river to freeze hard and thick enough for heavy bucket cannons to pass through the ice.