In the Chongzheng Palace, Zhao Zhen looked at several ministers and said, "Hebei Taiwei Du is coming, and the Khitan seems to be out of support in recent days." Worried that it would retreat, he planned to send a large army and make every effort to conquer. What do you think? ”

Wen Yanbo praised: "I don't know what the intention of Taiwei Du's conquest is?" ”

Zhao Zhen said: "Annihilate the 400,000 Khitan army in Youzhou, and don't let it return to the north!" ”

Hearing this, several ministers in the Chongzheng Hall were a little confused. Although I have heard many times that I want to annihilate the Khitan army, I am still shocked when I reach this moment. For everyone, defeating the Khitans is not a monster, and it is really difficult to annihilate them all.

Wen Yanbo said: "Your Majesty, there are 400,000 Khitan soldiers, all of whom are tigers and wolves. If Taiwei Du wants to annihilate it all, it is not easy to talk about it. Of course, it can be done, which can be described as a world-class achievement. However, there are only more than 400,000 people on the front line, can it be done? ”

Zhao Zhen said: "According to what Taiwei Du said, although there are difficulties, we must always strive to do it. However, what the minister said is that it is really difficult to achieve 400,000 people on the front line. Therefore, I want to order Zhang Yu of the Dragon Guard Army to rush to Xiongzhou as quickly as possible and listen to the command of Taiwei Du. The Khitans were cavalry, and it was difficult to annihilate them if they lacked cavalry. Now the Japanese army and the Divine Guard Army are in the area of Texas, and for a while, they can't catch up with the north. ”

All the ministers held the wat together: "Your Majesty Shengming." ”

Long Wei was the original Fourth Army, which belonged to the Cavalry Division, and was still a cavalry after the whole training. Du Zhongxiao had a lot of cavalry under his command, but they were all scattered under various armies, and there was no separate cavalry unit. If the Khitans were defeated, it would not be easy to catch up.

Now the front-line troops, in addition to Du Zhongxiao's department, also have the Japanese army and Liu Lian's Shenwei army that blocked the Khitan southbound Thirteen Lang's department on Jingdong Road. If Du Zhongxiao marched north, these two armies would inevitably go north immediately and cooperate with Ma Huaide and others to encircle and suppress the Khitan army.

The army directly commanded by Du Zhongxiao was 300,000, plus the 100,000 people of Shisanlang and Liu Lian, and about 90,000 people of Ma Huaide, the strength of the army had already surpassed that of the Khitan. The combat strength of the two sides is far apart, and they are actually in absolute superiority.

However, the ministers in the palace did not think so. In his eyes, the strength of the army is mainly the number of people, and even to a certain extent, even if the Khitan army is smaller, it is still a strong army. Du Zhongxiao wanted to use more than 400,000 people to completely annihilate the Khitan army of 400,000, which is surprising.

Zhao Zhen looked at everyone and didn't speak for a while. I didn't expect that there would really be such a day, not only to recover Yanyun, but to completely annihilate the Khitan army. These days, Zhao Zhen knows very well that the Khitan army of 400,000 is the entire combat power of the northern grasslands. If it is completely annihilated at once, the attack on the steppe in the rear will be a victorious march. Since the Middle Tang Dynasty, the grassland forces that have pressed on the Central Plains have been swept away.

What kind of work is this? He will become the emperor with the most martial arts in all dynasties, and no one can compare. In more than ten years, no one has ever achieved such a result as quelling the party, restoring the Western Regions, and then going north to the grasslands.

Tian Guo praised: "Du Taiwei said that Youzhou was particularly bitter by the Khitan, and the people had no surplus food. After the army went north, the imperial court had to give relief. Otherwise, the people will have no food, and hundreds of thousands of people will be hungry and cold, just afraid that there will be chaos. ”

Wen Yanbo shook his head again and again after hearing this: "Tai Lieutenant, hundreds of thousands of troops have been on Hebei Road for a few months, plus the original Hebei Road Forbidden Army, I don't know how much food it cost." If you want to give relief to the people of Youzhou, where will you get food? ”

Zeng Gongliang said: "At this time, there will be food no matter what. If not, what will happen if the imperial court reoccupies Youzhou, but the people under its rule have no food to eat? Xianggong, no matter what method is used, there must be food. ”

Wen Yanbo only felt that his head was as big as a fight, and he didn't speak for a while. In recent years, there has been a lot of war, and the supply of military rations has caused a headache for the political affairs hall. If you want to rescue Youzhou again, it will be too difficult.

Han Qi said: "If this is the case, we can only think of a way from Liangzhejiang and Jiangnan Road." Let the grain be transported there as soon as possible and transported to Hebei Road. Liangzhejiang Road and Jiangnan Road did not levy grain, and the people should still have surplus grain. ”

Zhao Zhen nodded: "That's it, requisition from Liangzhejiang and Jiangnan Road." A few days ago, bonds were printed, and the imperial court still had money to spare, which could be used to buy from the people. Now as long as you can buy it, it's a big deal. ”

Learn to use bonds, and many things will be easier all of a sudden. If you spend money on the war, you can't borrow it for a year in advance, right? With the current economic strength of the Song Dynasty, the annual financial income and one year's money are enough to cope with the war.

The war was discussed, and several ministers took their leave. Out of the vertical arch, Wen Yanbo said to Tian Qian: "Taiwei, at the beginning of the month, why did Taiwei Du attack the Khitan?" Didn't you wait until the next year, when the weather is warmer, to start a big war? ”

Tian said: "There is no way, now it seems that the Khitan is not as capable as we imagined." If they don't go to war again, they just can't hold on and want to retreat. The arrival of 400,000 troops in the south is not an easy thing to encounter, and it cannot be let go. ”

Han Qi said: "That's what I said. This time, the Khitans went south, and they didn't even break through a single city, which is unbelievable. Even if it was a field battle, outside the Qianning Army City, it took more than ten days to fight, but our army became stronger and stronger the more they fought. ”

Zeng Gong nodded: "That's true." Especially in the battle outside the city of Qianning Army, it can be seen that the Khitan army is indeed not an opponent. At the beginning, Ma Huaide defended extremely hard, and was almost broken up by the Khitan several times. After five or six days, you can prevent it. After more than ten days, he had firmly gained the upper hand and did not take the Khitan people on the opposite side seriously. This time, Ma Huaide was also impatient and asked for a counterattack. ”

Wen Yanbo said: "What is the truth of this? Although reinforcements were sent to the Qianning Army, many of them died in successive battles, and the number did not increase. Why did they steadily suppress the Khitans after more than ten days? ”

Tian Guo said: "Xianggong, our army uses guns and cannons and is well-trained, how can it be compared to the Khitans?" It's just that at the beginning, the Hejian Military Academy was only open for one year, and there were not enough officers, so there were flaws. After more than ten days, the available officers came out and the army was fully established, and the Khitans were naturally not opponents. This is not unusual, our army is already stronger than the Khitans. ”

Wen Yanbo nodded and said, "If that's the case, wouldn't this counterattack be a sure success?" ”

Tian Guo said with a smile: "Xianggong, the Khitan army of 400,000 has been fighting for two months, and it can't break through Cangzhou." Under the Qianning army, there were more than 100,000 troops, and they could not defeat Ma Huaide's 80,000 soldiers and horses. Up to now, the main force of this dynasty has not yet sent troops, and the Khitans have been difficult to support. Of course, this battle is a sure win. ”

Wen Yanbo thought for a while and said: "Taiwei Du is in Hejian Mansion, and he has not been out of the army, just to completely annihilate the main Khitan force?" ”

Tian Guo nodded: "Yes, if it weren't for the total annihilation of the Khitans, why would they fight to this day." The current Khitan army is no longer comparable to this dynasty. However, they were born in the steppe and were born cavalry, so if they didn't have such an opportunity, it would be difficult to annihilate them. ”

Han Qi sighed: "Back then, Taiwei Du saved Tanglong Town and won consecutive battles, so I thought he was extraordinary. I just didn't expect that after a few years, it would be so strong. If ten years ago, the Khitan army of 400,000 people went south, the world would have been shaken. Now he is not alarmed, and he only thinks about letting them come and go. Ten years, it's really turned upside down! ”