In the Shuai Sili of Hejian Mansion, Du Zhongxiao sat with Zhao Zi and Li Fugui and discussed the recent situation.

Pointing to the map, Du Zhongxiao said: "Now it seems that the Khitan intends to move south from the Xin'an army and attack Cangzhou. Cangzhou is in the east of Hejian Fu, there is the Yellow River flowing through, and on this side of the river is the Qianning Army. This way, there is no big city, sparsely populated, once the war is unfavorable, the Khitan can withdraw in time. ”

Li Fugui said: "What if the Khitan shoots a shot in the Xin'an army, and when our army is transferred, then turn back to attack Baozhou?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said with a smile: "Hundreds of thousands of troops, if they can come and go easily, the military strength of the Khitans will be a little terrifying. Now their military rations are all transported from the rear, and there is no grain storage in the army. It is easy for the army to go, but it is not easy to change the route of transporting grain. It is reported that the Khitan is now based on Yongqing County in the north, and the grain and grass are first transported there, and then transported by the signing army to the south. ”

Zhao Zi said: "The Khitan land where grain and grass are stored has been changed to Yongqing, and the direction of attack should not change." The attack on Cangzhou actually had no impact on the imperial court. It was not far from the sea, it was vast and sparsely populated, and if the city was broken, it would not affect the rest of the city. Moreover, it is convenient for the mobilization of large soldiers, and it is very easy to take back the city. In my opinion, the Khitans attacked there because they didn't want to fight with this dynasty. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Not necessarily. If we don't save it, the Khitans will break through Cangzhou, and they won't go south if they want to, and when they wait until spring, their army will withdraw, and this battle will be settled. If we go to the rescue, the Khitan doesn't mind fighting. They wanted to come, the Khitans were good at field warfare and were not good at attacking cities. If they don't rely on the city, the soldiers and horses of this dynasty are not their opponents. ”

Zhao Zi looked at the map, thought for a while, and said, "What does the captain mean, is it to go and save it?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Help, of course you have to save!" How can you not defeat the Khitan army head-on and let them really know themselves? When Dou Shunqing and other three armies are transferred, I want to use 150,000 soldiers and horses to save Cangzhou. However, timing is important. If you start the war with all your might, you are afraid that you will scare the Khitans back, and the casualties will be heavy. Contact should be kept first, just not too much. When the Khitans arrived near Cangzhou, the distance of grain and grass supply was stretched for hundreds of miles, and the days were long, but they were afraid that they would not be able to bear it. We can first store supplies in Riverpa Province and then go to war. ”

Zhao Zi smiled and said, "Captain, before the war started, you thought too much." Now is the critical moment for hundreds of thousands of Khitan troops to move south. They should be defeated as soon as possible and driven across the border, which is the right thing. No matter how much you prepare, once there is an accident, it will not be beautiful. ”

Li Fugui said: "Yes, there are no certain rules for war, and you shouldn't think too much." You should gather a large army and fight to the death with the Khitan! ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "If the Khitan attacks other places, naturally you can't think too much. The Khitan attacked Cangzhou, the corner land, how can you do it if you don't think too much? Isn't that cheaper Khitan? In this battle, the most pressure is Cangzhou, which cannot be broken by the Khitan. In the past two days, Liu Ji sent four or five thousand soldiers, mostly with artillery, to help defend the city. In such a city, there are quite a few soldiers of four or five thousand. ”

Zhao Zi nodded: "Yes, if you just defend the city, four or five thousand people are enough." It's just that there will always be rescuers. Also, it can no longer be the same as Quyang, the magistrate secretly went out of the city, and the defense line collapsed. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's different now than before, as long as the city is in wartime, the generals have the final say in defending the city, and Zhizhou no longer leads the troops." The original soldiers and horses in the city were still under the management of Zhizhou, and they were not recruited by generals and did not go up to the city wall. It is enough for Zhizhou to manage grain and grass materials. ”

Zhao Zi looked at the map and said: "The Qianning army is on the bank of the Yellow River, and if it can't be attacked there, it is extremely dangerous for the Khitan army to go to Cangzhou." The Qianning army sent troops to the east, and it was very easy to cut off the Khitan return route. Moreover, the transportation of grain and grass in the Khitan is also unsafe. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "So we want the army to be stationed in Hejian Mansion, and there are not too many garrisons in the area of the Qianning Army." In this year, about 80,000 troops were trained in Hejian Prefecture, all of which could be organized into two armies and sent to the Qianning Army. Let them fight with the Khitan for a few days first and see how the combat strength is. It is much better to train the army and select talents in war than military schools. ”

Zhao Zi nodded: "Who is appropriate?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It is better to take the officials of Hebei Road and the talents from the Hejian Military Academy." Ma Huaide, the governor of Xiongzhou, and Li Weixian, the governor of Enzhou, have both led the troops for many years, and this year they actively studied the textbooks of the Hejian Military Academy, which can enable them to lead the troops. If you do a good job, you will be promoted naturally in the future. If you don't do it well, don't lead the troops in the future. In this battle of the Qianning Army, let's see how they are. ”

Zhao Zi nodded yes. Ma Huaide is a veteran general in the army, and when he was at war with the party, he was an official in the northwest and experienced many wars. Li Weixian is the son of the important minister Li Zhaoliang, his grandfather Li Jilong, and his great-grandfather Li Chuyun, the son of the real general. Using them as generals to lead the soldiers of Hejian Mansion to train quickly, it can be regarded as attaching importance to the old forbidden army on Hebei Road. Of course, it is up to them whether they can live up to expectations.

The Khitan attacked the mouth of the Great Wall for a long time, which gave Du Zhongxiao confidence in the current Song army, and he was no longer trembling before. It is estimated that the current Khitan army will not be able to fight with the Song army at all. Their advantage was mainly in the mobility of the cavalry. Once unfavorable, retreat quickly and choose the opportunity to fight again. For the Song army, such tactics were very headaches, and it was difficult to catch up with them.

This Khitan attack on Cangzhou is a very good opportunity. After the army penetrated, the Song Dynasty gathered enough troops to seal all the retreats of the Khitans, making Cangzhou a decisive field for both sides. Although there was a lot of pressure on the imperial court, the pressure on the Khitan was even greater. They had to bring grain and grass from the rear, which was equivalent to the string of a kite, and when this line was there, the army would not be able to run.

Cangzhou is vast and sparsely populated, with less than 40,000 households in the five counties, and the area is vast. Evacuate all the people into the county seat, there is no surplus grain in the field, and the Khitan is tied there. The Song Dynasty only needed less than 20,000 soldiers to hold back hundreds of thousands of Khitan troops.

Zhao Zi was right, he thought too much. But thinking too much is based on the strength of both sides. Now in terms of national strength, the Song Dynasty is crushing the Khitan. Compared with the army, the Song Dynasty had an absolute advantage. The disadvantage is that if the Song Dynasty attacks, the Khitan border is too vast, and as the transportation line becomes longer and longer, it will be very difficult for the national strength to support.

The Khitan took the initiative to attack and wiped out all its main forces in the Song Realm, which was the most ideal situation. Even if there is a mistake and it costs more money, everything is worth it. As Du Zhongxiao arrived on Hebei Road, the cost of the war skyrocketed, and the officials in the capital were extremely angry. But there is no way, victory in the war is everything, and they are just whining.

Standing up, Du Zhongxiao said: "The Khitan army has crossed the border, and it is time for the two sides to decide whether to live or die." In the next few days, I will improve the marshal of Hejian Mansion, and all the officials will be complete. Li Fugui, you have to ensure that the supplies are safe, and you must also ensure that the deployment of the army is smooth. This victory is a great achievement! If it's a business trip, don't blame me for not remembering my old love! ”

Li Fugui got up, crossed his hands and said, "Don't worry, the lower officer will do his best!" The train leads to Hejian Province, which will definitely ensure that there will be no shortage of supplies here! The deployment of the army along the railway will be smooth! ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded and said, "In addition, we should also pay attention to the dispatch of materials from the railway line." Now on the front line of Hebei Road, there are hundreds of thousands of pack animals, just for smooth transportation. These pack animals not only have to be used well, but also to ensure food and grass. Don't have a pack animal and starve to death here! ”

Li Fugui said: "The lower officials obey orders!" The local grain and grass on Hebei Road are not enough, so it has been ordered to be transferred from Hequ Road. In addition, all the beans on Shaanxi Road were also transported. Coupled with the recent clearing of the wall, the grain and grass collected from Hebei Road should be able to ensure that the grain and grass are sufficient! ”

Du Zhongxiao said to Zhao Zi again: "The battle arrangement is roughly as I said just now. Speaking of which, there is plenty of time and there is no rush. You have to make a detailed plan for all your actions. Every army, every division, all the way down to every regiment below, you have to have a battle plan here. The battle plan of the division and regiment can be made by the army and below, but it must be reported to you. ”

Zhao Zi forked his hand and said yes.

Du Zhongxiao said: "The two armies do not fight by whim, not by cleverness. Instead, it relies on a strict and orderly organization, a precise plan for the Shuai Division, and a degree of Zhang Chi. Everyone knows what to do and when to do it, not like a headless fly. The boss has a military order and can carry it out immediately. I don't have military orders, and I know what I should do. The more meticulous we do, the better the hearts of the soldiers. ”

This is a completely different war from before, the command of the army is no longer generalized, everything is carefully planned. And it is also necessary to ensure that if something happens, the plan will be changed in time to meet the actual needs.