When the wine and food came up, Du Zhongxiao raised his glass and said, "We have free today, let's drink a glass of wine." It's been a rare moment like this for months. ”

They all toasted and drank together. And the mutton was boiled and roasted, and it was brought up and distributed among the people. Du Zhongxiao ate a piece of meat and chewed it slowly.

Xiao Xulie said: "A few years ago, when the party was destroyed, most of the soldiers were released as good citizens. Captain, why is this time different? The war in Youzhou is over, and not a single prisoner of war is spared. Most of the young and strong Khitans are in Youzhou. If they don't let them go back, the Khitan departments will be worried. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "You made it clear, it was the battle to destroy the party, and now the Khitan is fine." Defeated, put the soldiers back, wait for two years, and then come back? If the Khitan is destroyed now, many people can be put back. ”

Xiao Xulie was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say, so he had to shut up.

Du Zhongxiao said: "Actually, there is another point. When the party was destroyed, it was the imperial army that invaded the party, and they did not kill the people of the Great Song Dynasty at that time. The Khitan went south differently this time, although it entered the Song realm, the imperial court cleared the field on the strong wall of Hebei Road, and did not cause major damage. However, in the first battle of Quyang, after Yeluther did not occupy the county seat, he slaughtered the people in the city. In order to ensure grain and grass, hundreds of thousands of troops were signed in Youzhou, and there was almost no grain left in the people. Did you know? The imperial army occupied Youzhou, and saw that the land was full of hunger, and the people were waiting to be fed. With such an army, if it has not been transformed, how can it be assured that they will be ordinary people? Killing people and selling goods is a common thing for them, and they do not obey the law and discipline, and they do not obey the orders of the court. ”

Xiao Xulie wanted to refute it, think about it, what Du Zhongxiao said was the truth. In the end, I had to sigh and say nothing.

Du Zhongxiao said: "In the past, the imperial court prevented autumn every year, what did it prevent? In autumn, the nomads of the steppes often go south, the small ones loot, and the big ones attack the cities and villages, and the people are miserable. These people are cultivating their own land, and they work hard every year, so why should they be robbed? When you were in Khitan, you felt that this was natural and ordinary. Now that you are defeated, you should not complain about it, you should just suffer yourself. ”

Seeing that the atmosphere was a little embarrassing, Yelu Xiantong hurriedly said: "It has been like this since ancient times, Taiwei, and you can't blame the soldiers. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "They have been robbers since ancient times, so they are not guilty of being robbers?" With all due respect, there is no such thing in the world. In the final analysis, isn't it just bullying the Central Plains Dynasty and can't beat it? In fact, it's not that it can't be beaten. The Xiongnu in the Han Dynasty were also arrogant and domineering, where did they end up? The Turks in the Tang Dynasty also fought outside Chang'an City, forcing the Tang King to sign the Weishui Alliance, how many Turks are left now? The Khitan once went south to Kaifeng, and the world's festival made awe-inspiring obedience. Now that all the southbound troops have been annihilated, it is not surprising. ”

The three of them were stunned, and they didn't know what to say. Du Zhongxiao is right, not long after Yelu Hongji defeated Yelu Chongyuan, he was able to organize the army of the country to go south, because the Khitan ministers did not believe that this battle would fail. Knowing this result, Yelu Hongji would not have said anything like this. From the late Tang Dynasty to the present, since the founding of the Khitan state, it has not suffered a big loss in the war with the Central Plains Dynasty.

Du Zhongxiao said: "The grassland people graze cattle and sheep, the Han people in the Central Plains plant rice and wheat, and everyone lives their own lives, isn't it?" As long as the Central Plains Dynasty relaxes a little, you will go south. Looting property, killing people and setting fires, and taking it for granted. So if the Central Plains Dynasty won the war and killed all the grassland peoples, is it also reasonable? Logically speaking, killing them all is not much to say. ”

Yelu Xiantong said: "Taiwei, the Khitan is different from the previous Xiongnu and Turkic, how can it be generalized. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Yes, it's different." Khitan not only has grasslands, but also the sixteen states of Yanyun. Not only do they have cattle and sheep, but they can also cultivate the fields. Youzhou is the territory of the Khitan, and the people are the people of the Khitan, how can this still be the case? This year, if it weren't for the defeat of the Khitan and the reoccupation of Youzhou by the imperial court, most of the people in Youzhou would have starved to death! ”

Seeing that the three of them didn't speak, Du Zhongxiao sighed: "You say, if it is based on what the Khitan army did, it is not too much for the imperial court to deal with it now?" They don't kill anyone, they just have to work, they have food and shelter, so what else? Many officials in the DPRK and China did not agree to the establishment of this prison camp. The Khitans have already been defeated, why care about the life or death of these generals, just kill them! ”

Yelu Xiantong, Yelu Renxian and Xiao Xulie gave their hands together: "Taiwei is benevolent, he has saved many lives, and there will be a blessing!" ”

Du Zhongxiao waved his hand: "What a blessing, to be honest, I don't believe it." But I don't dare to say anything, it's a lot of lives. Although there were many mistakes in the past, if you can not kill, you still don't kill. But if you don't kill, there is a reason not to kill, you can't say two mouths and say not to kill, and that's it. Therefore, it is necessary to build a prison camp here, so that the Khitan generals who are locked up here can learn here, and there will be no food to eat if they don't work. Their food and clothing were planted by the people's hard work, not from the sky. In the past, when I was in Khitan, I could ignore it, but now I can't. The taxes of the people of the Great Song Dynasty could not be spent on them. In the future, as an ordinary person, you must earn food and clothing. ”

Yeluren arched his hand first and said, "What the captain said is true. Most of these Khitan generals were born rich and noble, and it was difficult for them to survive as civilians. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded and said, "I told you this today, just to let you understand." It's not that I treat the Khitans who are locked up here, if they are mistreated, it is easiest to cut them with one knife, so why bother so much? Heaven has the virtue of a good life, and when he can not kill people, he will not kill people. But the previous culpability cannot be ignored. Their future life should also be considered. ”

Cui Xiang said: "Taiwei's words today made me pause. The lower officials were sent to take charge of the city camp, and to be honest, they were really confused. The people who are locked up here are all Khitan princes and nobles, so why bother with so much effort? If it is useful to the imperial court, it is good to give birth to it. If it's useless, it's just one person and one knife, and one hundred. But I didn't expect this prison camp to have so many uses. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded and did not speak. In fact, the most important reason for keeping these Khitans is that it is convenient to fight. If all these people are killed, the remaining Khitan will inevitably go crazy, and the next battle will not be easy to fight. But if you don't kill them and make good offerings, Du Zhongxiao won't be able to pass the level in his heart no matter what. The Song Dynasty suffered little loss in this battle, but Youzhou was too miserable, how could it be let go lightly?

We must build a prison camp and transform these people into ordinary people, Du Zhongxiao said so and did so. But how much of the real utility? Du Zhongxiao himself was suspicious. Off for three years? Or is it closed for five years? By that time, what was the situation outside? The wealth of these people actually remained in the Khitan. If they occupied the entire Khitan territory at that time, how could their families care about how to eat when they entered the Song Dynasty? The youngest one here is a middle-level general, which one is not a family of super-rich? Which fruit Khitan resisted fiercely, and of course everything was suspended.

After drinking a glass of wine, Du Zhongxiao sighed. Where is the world going well? Do your best, just listen to the destiny of heaven. The construction of the city camp this time is more of an attitude, and the final effect is affected by many things, which is really unclear.

The weather warms up and the nights are no longer cold. The wind blows in, carrying the fragrance of flowers. A few people were drinking and eating meat while gossiping, and the atmosphere slowly became relaxed.

Yeyelu Xiantong said: "If it is in Zhongjing, it is still cold at this time, and I don't want Kaifeng to be so warm." I used to hear that the Great Song Dynasty was a prosperous place, especially Kaifeng Mansion, the most prosperous place in the world, and there was no place to compare, and today I know that this is indeed the case. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Compared with the Khitan, this is naturally the case. However, a little further south, there is also Yanyu Jiangnan. King, do it here for a few years, and when it's over, you can go to Jiangnan for a while. ”

Yelu Xiantong was a little fascinated when he heard this, and said after a while: "Could it be that the farther south you go, the better the weather?" So what about Lingnan? ”

Du Zhongxiao said with a smile: "Lingnan is full of miasma, it is difficult to be warm, it can go on in winter, and it will die of heat in summer." It's not that Vietnam is better, but that it's not north or south, it's the most comfortable place. From Kaifeng Mansion to Jiangnan, they are actually excellent places, with some differences. ”

This is where the Great Song Dynasty is much stronger than the Khitan, and the geography is rich and diverse. There are cold places like the northwest and northeast, lukewarm places like Jiangnan, and hot and humid places like Lingnan.