Wen Yanbo and Han Qi arrived outside the gate of Fan Lou, stopped, and said, "The two lieutenants Du and Tian don't know what Yaxing is, please invite us to come here to drink at this time?" If you don't go to court tomorrow, do you want to drink all night? ”

Han Qi said with a smile: "Xianggong, in my opinion, they came out of the palace and want to find us if they have something." Du Taiwei has been in the court for more than a year, do you remember when he invited someone to drink idle wine? I'm afraid that there is something important and I won't go to court tomorrow, so I will look for us. ”

Wen Yanbo couldn't help but laugh when he heard it: "That's what I said." Although Du Taiwei is not stingy, he also does not like to have fun. ”

After speaking, a small servant from Fan Lou came over and led the two into the Cai Lou. I didn't stop all the way and led to Du Zhongxiao's pavilion.

Greeting each other, the two sat down, and Wen Yanbo said: "When Shicai was at the door, Han Xianggong said that the two captains must come out of the palace and invite us to discuss matters." Now that I look at it, it is. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's a bit abrupt to bother the two ministers tonight, don't be surprised." ”

After speaking, he raised his glass and said, "Let's have a drink and apologize for the two ministers." ”

After three rounds of drinking, Du Zhongxiao put down his wine glass and said, "Shicai Sheng recruited a few of us into the palace and talked about this year's autumn prevention." The matter is very high, and the help of the Chinese book is indispensable, so I invited the two ministers to come. ”

Han Qi said: "Since it's an official matter, why don't you wait a few days and discuss it in the hall." ”

Du Zhongxiao sighed: "There is no way, the matter is too big, the time is urgent, and I can't wait." It's late June, and autumn is not far away. If things are not done well, I am afraid that the Holy One will blame them. ”

Wen Yanbo said: "Now there are 250,000 trained troops on Hebei Road, even if the Khitans come, it is difficult to do anything. What's the big deal with autumn prevention? As long as there is enough grain and grass, the Khitans will come to fight. ”

Tian Jing couldn't help but sigh when he heard this: "We think the same way, but why don't the saints think like this." ”

Han Qiqi said, "What is the intention of the Holy One?" Could it be that after repelling the Khitan, he wants to go north to restore Youzhou this year? That's a little harder. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's not just that. When the Holy Lord comes to Heaven this year, when the Khitans come, they will concentrate the army to annihilate the main Khitan force in Youzhou. Then the army marched north to restore Yanyun. even took advantage of the situation to march north, completely defeated the Khitan, and eliminated the northern border troubles. ”

Hearing this, Wen Yanbo and Han Qi were stunned. looked at Du Zhongxiao and the others seriously, and after a long while, he said, "Is that really the case?" ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "That's true!" If it weren't for this kind of big event, we would have waited a few days, so why bother to invite the two prime ministers? ”

Wen Yanbo looked at Han Qi and said, "Being able to defeat the Khitan is already a great victory, if you want to annihilate them all, isn't it too whimsical?" The Khitan will definitely come to pour the country's troops, hundreds of thousands of troops, how to annihilate them all? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "So I want to discuss with the two of you." This is a big deal, only relying on the Privy Council and the three yamen, where can it be done? ”

Han Qi said: "Tai Lieutenant, as long as you defeat the Khitan this year, wait another year or two, and the forbidden army will complete its training, so it will not be good to go north at that time?" Now the forbidden army has only trained about half of the men, and there is more than enough to defend it, but it is not enough to attack. Why don't you explain it to the Holy Lord, and don't hurry it in a year or two? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "We said, the saint does not agree, so it is so difficult." I originally thought that the Khitan would come south and let the newly trained army go to meet the battle, and fight a battle to see how the results of the training were. Only after the war can we say that the training is truly over. Where did you think that what the Holy Lord wanted was to encircle and annihilate the main Khitan force in World War I, and it would be decided. ”

Han Qi said: "Even if the Holy Lord intends to do this, if he can't do it, he won't force it. So it seems that the Privy Council also thinks that it can be done? ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "The Khitan came south in autumn, and the Privy Council naturally reported according to various circumstances. With all his strength, it is possible to encircle and annihilate the Khitan army, but it is difficult. Where did you think that in the eyes of the saints, you have to face difficulties. Alas, I don't know why the Holy One made such a determination. It is too difficult to encircle and annihilate the Khitan army in Youzhou. ”

Han Qi said: "The Khitan power, how can it be easy to be annihilated when its soldiers come to the country?" Captain, can the Privy Council really do it? ”

Du Zhongxiao was silent for a while, and said: "No matter whether it can be done or not, the Khitans have sent such an opportunity, and they can't let it go." As long as we do our best, even if we can't do it, we will have a clear conscience! ”

Zhao Zi said: "If the Khitan comes from all over the country, if there is no mistake, it will be difficult to surround them all." However, if it is properly arranged and surrounds its main force, it is still possible. As long as the main Khitan force is surrounded, things will be easy to do. ”

Hearing this, everyone else nodded. The characteristics of the Khitan, the main force of the army is the palace tent troops, once there is a big war, almost the emperor must personally conquer. If the Song army seized the opportunity and surrounded Yelu Hongji, the Khitan army would not be able to run if they wanted to.

Du Zhongxiao also thought so. It is not easy to surround the 300,000 troops of the whole country in Youzhou, which has no danger to defend. However, it is still possible to create an opportunity to surround the Khitan emperor and attract the Khitan army to retreat.

In the alliance of Lanzhou, the Song army wounded its general Xiao Tzu Lin and forced the Khitan to sue for peace. If Yelu Hongji is surrounded this time, even if the Khitan is not destroyed for a while, he will no longer dare to fight the Song army. At that time, the north was also stable.

Wen Yanbo thought for a while and said, "If this is the case this autumn, what does the Privy Council want to do with the book?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "To fight a war is to fight grain and grass, and the first thing to ensure is that hundreds of thousands of troops are concentrated on Hebei Road, and there is no shortage of grain and grass." It is now estimated that about 500,000 to 600,000 troops will be on the Hebei Road, plus the rest of the forbidden army, and the grain will be transported to Hebei now. Otherwise, even if there is a train, it is difficult to guarantee that the time will come. In addition to the army, it is also necessary to think that when the big war begins, the people will also be short of food. If they win, there will also be Khitan captives to eat. All this adds up, and it takes three months of food for a million people to avoid accidents. ”

Wen Yan couldn't help frowning when he heard this: "In two or three months, it is not easy to concentrate so much grain and grass. Last year, the party was wiped out, and the grain and grass in western Beijing were shipped to Shaanxi, and there was no accumulation. It can only be raised from Liangzhejiang, Jianghuai and Jingdong Road, and it will take a month or two. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "No matter where the grain and grass come from, it must be shipped in July. No matter how late it is, it will be difficult to guarantee the railway. In addition to grain and grass, the ammunition used by hundreds of thousands of troops is also a large number. With so many armies reorganized at once, there will inevitably be fewer artillery in the army. However, the musket is one person and one stick, and the gunpowder used must be sufficient. As for guns, shells, not to mention. ”

Wen Yanbo and Han Qi nodded, their expressions becoming serious. After a cursory count of supplies, they knew that they had to start preparing immediately, otherwise it would be too late. It was the first time that a war involving nearly one million people had been carried from other places to prepare for such a large-scale war.

Yang Wenguang said: "In addition to grain and grass, money is also indispensable. In a big war, the rewards in the army must be distributed to the soldiers who participate in the war, otherwise it is easy for the army to be unstable. This matter also involves the local area, and it must be written together with the three ya, so as to be foolproof. ”

Du Zhongxiao thought for a while and said, "When I think about it, there are thousands of things to prepare for, and I don't know how many things to prepare. Let's not discuss the details today, settle down first, and then discuss it together on a suitable date. For a moment, it is difficult to explain clearly, so as not to omit anything. ”

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