When Du Zhongxiao was discussing with several privy envoys, a public official came in and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the post sent by the minister of the political hall asks the captains to go to the capital hall to discuss matters. ”

Du Zhongxiao took the post, and saw that it was written that he would go immediately and hand it over to the field on the side.

After reading the post, Fu Bi said: "You don't need to ask, it must be the good news from the front line that has arrived in the Chinese book, and you want to discuss it with us." ”

Just now, Du Zhongxiao and Tian Guo disagreed, Zeng Gongliang said: "If the book asks, how to reply to the Khitan, how do we answer?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Now that the Khitan has nothing to do to cross the border, and the battle has been won in front, how can I be afraid of this and that!" Today, there is plenty of money and food, and there are many soldiers and horses in the imperial court, how can you still be afraid of wolves and tigers! The Khitan came to ask, and the blame was! ”

Zhang Sheng said: "What the Taiwei said is true. It is we who are winning now, and it should be difficult to do it as a Khitan. ”

After speaking, several people went to the capital hall together.

Wen Yanbo, Han Qi and others were already waiting there, and when they saw Du Zhongxiao and others coming in, they hurriedly greeted them.

Sitting down and serving tea, Wen Yanbo said: "Newly received the good news from Xiongzhou, Zhang Qi led 30,000 troops to encircle and annihilate the Khitan army in transit. The captives killed more than 7,000 people under Yelu Phunu and won a complete victory. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Zhang Qixin won this big victory from the Western Regions to Hebei Road, which is really not easy. ”

Zhang Fangping said: "Since this summer, hundreds of Khitan people have fled south to Xiongzhou in order to escape from forced labor. This time, the Khitans came, presumably for this matter. was able to surround the Khitans, and there was news about coming to the cardinal. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Yes, Ma Huaide, the pacification envoy along the border in Xiongzhou, said that since the people crossed the border in the summer, Yang Ji, the governor of Zhuozhou, has not been angry. Last month, the Khitan sent more than 6,000 soldiers and horses to Zhuozhou, and Liu Ji, the commander of the Shuaisi, estimated that the Khitans might cross the border. The cardinal government arranged for people and horses, and together with Shuai Si and Xiongzhou Zhizhou and Zhang Qi, they had already made preparations. If the Khitan people don't come, it's just that, once they come, they will have no return! ”

Wen Yanbo nodded and said, "The Cardinal Mansion has done an excellent job in this matter. It's just that nearly 10,000 Khitan people were annihilated, which was a rare big victory. Can do it, is the cardinal government suspected of deliberately seducing? If the Khitans asked, they were afraid that it would be difficult to answer. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's the Khitan people who crossed the border and invaded, what's not to answer?" The Khitan people dared to come, it was nothing more than that they had crossed the border before, but either the front line concealed it and did not report it, or the Khitan people returned safely, which made the Khitan people more and more emboldened. In this battle, it will be seen that there will be Khitan troops who dare to cross the border in the future! ”

Han Qi said: "What Taiwei said is true. What Zhongshu is worried about is that the Khitan used this as an excuse to raise troops on a large scale. The forbidden army of this dynasty has been trained for less than a year now, and the number of troops is somewhat insufficient. If you wait another two or three years, you will not be afraid of the Khitan. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled when he heard this: "Xianggong, the forbidden army just doesn't train, are you afraid of the Khitan army?" Now the forbidden army that has been trained is nearly 300,000 on Hebei Road and Hedong Road. There are still 500,000 who have not yet been trained. Even if the Khitan raises troops, what can they do? This is how things are in the world, the more afraid of war, the more the Khitan uses war to blackmail us. Wait until the court is not afraid to fight, and see how they are? ”

Wen Yanbo nodded: "What Taiwei said also makes sense. Since the time of the Five Dynasties, the Khitan has rarely suffered defeats in the Central Plains, and it has become dominant. Although they won several times in a row in Tanglong Town, the Khitans always thought it was a fluke. What else do they have to say about this big victory? ”

Han Qi said: "Before the Khitan civil war for five years, although many princes were waiting and watching, their strength was preserved. But in front of the mountain and behind the mountain, the sixteen states of Yanyun have been fighting solidly for five years. At this time, the Khitans were not easy to fight. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Yes, we can't just think that we are difficult, in fact, the Khitan people are even more difficult." ”

Tian on the side said: "I think that if the Khitan people don't take the initiative to make trouble, it would be better to settle the matter this time." ”

Han Qi said: "I'm afraid that we want to calm things down, but the Khitan people don't want to." If the dynasty takes one step back, the Khitans will take two steps forward, and they can only take one step without retreating. It is precisely because of this that after receiving the good news, Zhongshu immediately informed all the captains and came to the capital hall to discuss matters. ”

In many cases, a war is not fought when one side wants to. It is often the two sides who do not back down, and they stand there, and finally have to solve it by force. If the Song Dynasty did not back down, the Khitans would have much less room for manoeuvre, and things might develop in the direction of war.

The Cabinet was anxious to consult with the Privy Council, and that was why it was. It was now the month of Layue, and the Khitan envoys would soon arrive in the capital, and the battle of Xiongzhou would inevitably be the focus of contention between the two sides. The tone of the Song Dynasty determined this controversy.

If, as Tian Guo said, the main tone is to calm things and calm people, it will be difficult for the arrogance of the Khitan to continue. The battle has been won, and the Song Dynasty should be tough to the end. What the Khitan wants, you can only get it from the battlefield. If you can't win on the battlefield, then there's nothing.

Wen Yanbo muttered: "The cardinal government thinks that the Khitan envoys have arrived in the capital, how should they reply to them?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Xiongzhou was originally taken from the Khitan, and there have always been many losers under the rule. Emperor Taizong of this dynasty exempted Xiongzhou from taxes, but the Khitan has been leviing. After this battle, it is better to settle the households under his rule, and not allow both to lose-"

"How can the Khitans agree? Without these people's taxes, the Khitans in Zhuozhou are afraid that it will be difficult to survive! Tian Guo couldn't help but be taken aback when he heard this. According to Du Zhongxiao, the loss of the Khitan is great. The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun were originally the places where the Khitan obtained money and grain, and if the money and grain in a Zhuozhou were insufficient, it would affect many places around.

Looking at the situation of the field, Han Qi said: "What if the Khitan people don't agree?" They crossed the river and attacked, but the horses were not returned. The victory of Xiongzhou, to put it clearly, is that now the Khitan wants to cross the border with a small number of soldiers and horses, and there is a threat to the Han at all. Not a big fight, the Khitan could only swallow his anger. ”

Tian Guo said: "If the Khitan is not angry, must it be beaten?" ”

Han Qi thought for a while and said, "No one wants to fight, but if the Khitans want to fight, they have to accompany them." ”

Wen Yanbo said: "In my estimation, the current situation in the Khitan cannot be fought. Yelu Hongji executed Chongyuan, and the descendants of the Khitan needed to be appeased. Yunzhou and Youzhou have been fighting for five years, and they are exhausted, and the city needs to recuperate. ”

Zhang Fangping said: "Last year, I collected the Western Regions and wiped out the party, which cost a lot of money and food. And after occupying these places, in recent years, the imperial court still has to spend money. Although a lot of money and grain have been collected in recent years, with these two lands, there is no money left. It's best to wait a few more years, the Western Regions and the party no longer need the imperial court to spend, and it is better to start a war with the Khitan. At that time, there was plenty of money and food. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Participating in politics, things in the world, where can everything go well." In a year's time, even if the party does not collect taxes, it is not difficult to support the local government. As for the Western Regions, the population is already sparse, and the railway is open, and there is no major event. Always thinking that it will be good in a few years, why don't the Khitan know the situation of this dynasty? The more we want to wait, the more unwilling the Khitans are. ”

Han Qi said: "No matter how much, this time we are a big victory, and it is the Khitan soldiers and horses who cross the border to be destroyed." Reason is in us, and we have won such a big victory, we must not show weakness to the Khitan. What is the reason why the people under his rule are not allowed to pay taxes to the Khitan? They don't send any more troops! ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone was silent. Obviously, the Song Dynasty did not allow the people of Xiongzhou to pay taxes to the Khitan, and the Khitans really had no choice. The army has already been used, and the whole army has been wiped out, what else can be thought of?