Standing on the ridge, looking at the red willows and green flowers around him, Du Zhongxiao only felt comfortable physically and mentally. At this time, I really want to take a vacation and rest for a while in such an environment. It's a pity that the days pass quickly, it's been five days since Wansheng, and it's time to go back the day after tomorrow.

The basic rewards of the generals of the First Battle of Youzhou are over, and the next thing is the drama of the change of official positions. After leaving these days, the emperor and ministers of the court should have a general intention, and they should go back to the court to listen to the instructions.

Du Zhongxiao sometimes wonders, did he take the initiative to apply for an external transfer and take a good rest for a year or two? Later, I thought about it, as the commander of the First Battle of Youzhou, I took the initiative to apply to go to the place, but I was afraid that it would make people think more, so I should listen to the arrangement of the imperial court.

At this moment, Cui Xiang rushed over and arched his hand: "Taiwei, someone is from the capital and is waiting in the yamen." Lieutenant Li Zhang accompanied him. ”

Du Zhongxiao was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly asked, "Who is here?" ”

Cui Xiang shook his head: "Taiwei Li didn't say, how dare the little one ask." ”

"Yes." Du Zhongxiao nodded. "I'll go back. In the prison camp these days, you look a little more. Especially in Ma Xuan's team, there is Yelu Hongji, but I am afraid that there are many things behind, and everything is more attentive. Cui Xiang said yes.

Du Zhongxiao returned to the yamen and entered the living room, where he saw Li Zhang and a middle-aged man sitting there. The two lowered their heads to drink tea and did not speak. Du Zhongxiao came in, and Li Zhang hurriedly got up and saluted. The man followed, very politely

They all sat down, and Du Zhongxiao said to Li Zhang: "Taiwei suddenly came to Wansheng Town, what's the urgency?" ”

Li Zhang said: "Taiwei, is it still secret to talk here?" This time, the lower officials have something important! The wall has ears, so that no one can hear them. ”

Du Zhongxiao listened and said to the soldiers on the side: "A few of you go outside the room, and you are not allowed to come in without orders." ”

A few soldiers went out, and Du Zhongxiao said: "Now there are only three of us here, and we can say everything we can." ”

Li Zhang pointed to the people beside him: "This Ma Di is the guard general of Khitan Zezhou." I have seen the saint, the prime minister, and the captain in the capital, and the saint specially instructed me to come here and listen to what the captain has to say. ”

Du Zhongxiao looked at Ma Di and said, "Listen to your name, are you also from the Ma family?" Ma Xuan in the prison camp, I don't know-"

Ma Di arched his hand: "Back to Taiwei, Ma Xuan is the brother of the lower official." He was with Yelu Hongji, and his official was in Zezhou. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "I see." Ma Xuan is now in the prison camp as a team leader, managing Yelu Hongji, which is not very good. ”

Ma Di hurriedly said: "Captain, I don't know how to be bad?" My brother has always been stationed in the place, but he has never been in battle. ”

Du Zhongxiao said with a smile: "Yelu Hongji has always refused to do things, he is a team leader, he has been implicated, and he has not eaten enough for three days." But it's not a big deal, you can rest assured. Working in the prison camp, knowing their identities, the work arranged is not heavy. ”

Ma Di relieved himself and thanked Du Zhongxiao. Before coming here, Ma Di had already heard about the prison camp and was not too worried.

Du Zhongxiao said: "I don't know what you want to do when you come south?" Since the Holy Lord specially asked you to come here to see me, I think it's not as simple as offering Zezhou City. Fengsheng Prefecture soon went down, a Zezhou, which was not an important place for the imperial court. ”

Ma Di said: "What the Taiwei said is that it is just Xianzezhou, how dare the lower officials come?" This time to the south, there are Bei'anzhou, Zezhou, Yuzhou and Jianzhou to offer the city together. After the Song army broke through Fengshengzhou, they could go directly to the city of Dadingfu in Zhongjing. ”

Du Zhongxiao listened to it and was a little surprised for a while. After the Youzhou War, he knew that the Khitan trend had gone, and someone would inevitably surrender the city, but such a large scale was never expected. Zhongjing is an important Khitan place, and the general range is the area of Chengde, Chifeng and Jinzhou in later generations. There are grasslands and large areas of arable land, which are places that can be cultivated and pastured. Once the nomads occupied the area, they were supplemented by agriculture and at the same time had access to the south. For the Khitan, this is the core hinterland, and once the Song Dynasty occupies it, the Khitan is basically finished.

After thinking about it, Du Zhongxiao said: "Is this really the case? No untruths? ”

Ma Hao arched his hand and said: "Tai Lieutenant, the last general will discuss with the generals of Zhucheng and wait for the imperial army to march north." As long as the army arrived at the city, everyone agreed to sacrifice the city, and there was no delay. If there is an accident, take the head of my neck! ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Why? In the first battle of Youzhou, the Khitan elite was lost. I'm not surprised that someone has dedicated the city, but it's still unexpected that everyone has joined forces in this way. Until now, the Khitan has not set up a new master, and there should be a reason. ”

Ma Di said: "Yelu Hongji was captured, but someone in the Khitan proposed to set up a new master. However, some people proposed to appoint the son of Yelu Hongji, and some proposed to appoint his brother, and there was a dispute for a while. There was a lesson from the coexistence of the two emperors a few years ago, and the matter was suspended. As for us dedicating the city together, there is no way. Although these prefectures and counties are not as good as Youzhou and Datongfu, there are many Han people below. In the first battle of Youzhou, the elite of the Khitan had been lost, and in fact, there were not many soldiers in the cities. What can you do if you don't sacrifice the city? ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Dedication to the city is a great achievement, and it is even more great to dedicate the city together!" With your help, as long as 120,000 people, you can come to Dading Mansion. With the current Khitan troops, it is impossible to hold Dadingfu. As far as I know, Yelu Hongji led the great south, and the rest of the palace army and Huluduo were all around the Dading Mansion. Annihilated together, it will be completely impossible for the Khitan to turn over. ”

In fact, there is another reason, Yelu Hongji went south, and most of the rate was Khitan princes. After they were completely annihilated, the remaining Han families were relatively more powerful, and they had no scruples in the Khitan. When the Khitan ruled, they could take the initiative to take refuge in the Khitan, and when the Song people came, there was nothing to take the initiative to take refuge in the Song people. Around Dading Mansion, among these state armies, many of the military states under the head are the personal private property of the Khitan princes. Their master is gone, and these subordinate military states have nothing to do, so they can only be disposed of by these people.

Among the people contacted by Ma Di this time, in addition to the Han family, there are many children of the Ma, Zhao, and Liu families. They all wanted to take this opportunity to make military achievements after entering the Song Dynasty, and they thought about it for the future, and there was a lot of movement. And the Khitan no longer has elite soldiers, even if the news leaks out, the Khitan pretends not to know.

Listening to Ma Di talking about the recent intelligence department around Dading Mansion, Du Zhongxiao nodded again and again. These Khitans actually understood very well that once the Song army captured Fengsheng Prefecture and opened the passage to the north, they could no longer stop it. The result is already doomed, and of course everyone has to think about their own future, especially these big families. Among the four major families, the Han family's status in the Khitan is too high, and the relationship with the royal family is too deep, so it is actually normal not to participate. The other three families are different, they are more local forces, and they have to think about the family.

In the Khitan country, the status of the dynasty is second only to the Yelu royal family and the descendants of the Xiao family, not to mention the Han people, even the status of other Khitan and Xi people is not comparable. At this time, to surrender to the Song Dynasty, several other families also deliberately avoided the Han family.

After talking for a while, Du Zhongxiao said: "General Ma, you go to the quiet room next to you and wait for a while, and I will arrange a reception banquet later." There are other things I have to talk about here with Mrs. Li, so don't see each other. ”

Ma Di hurriedly said that he didn't dare, and followed the soldiers who came in to the quiet room on the side.

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