Early the next morning, Du Zhongxiao, Zhao Zi and Liu Ji stood in the command room, looking at the map and discussing the battle situation.

Zhao Zidao: "According to the information we have obtained, the strength of the Khitan Zhongjing Province is about 32,000 people in total. Eleven thousand of them were in the hands of those who were about to dedicate the city. If everything goes as Ma Di said, and they surrender the city, the battle should be easy. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Regardless of their true feelings or not, the 50,000 army is enough if they don't attack Dading Mansion." Liu Ji, you lead the army to the north, and only send a few officials into each city, and you can manage it with the Khitans who dedicated the city. Your main force does not need to enter the city and take Yuzhou directly. After arriving in Yuzhou, he immediately entered the city with a large army and firmly occupied the city. Even if the Khitan generals are fake dedicating the city, they also have an army behind, so they don't have to worry about the back road. ”

Liu Ji said yes. said: "If the Khitan pretends to dedicate the city, where will the food and grass of my 50,000 army come from?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "If it's a fake dedication to the city, then what's polite?" Isn't this a simple solution because of food for the enemy? ”

Liu Ji sighed: "The Khitan has been tossed for so many years, and the people have suffered because of the grain to the enemy. Alas, this final battle has really come to the front, and my heart is still up and down. In the first battle of Youzhou, we relieved the people from hanging upside down, and everywhere we went, the people greeted them. Don't fight the last battle, but go to the people to kill the people, and I really can't feel at ease. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "The two countries are at war, where is everything going well?" There's no way to do it, don't think about it. ”

Zhao Zi said: "If these Khitan generals successfully surrender the city, Taiwei Liu will lead his troops directly into Yuzhou, and they will supply food for the time being." As long as you hold Yuzhou, don't take the initiative to provoke the Khitans. Wait for Du Taiwei to arrive with Wang Kai and Jia Kui's two armies, and then attack Dading Mansion together. ”

Liu Jidao: "What if the Khitan sends troops to attack?" Dading Mansion is the last essence of the Khitan, and if you really try your best, you can still make up tens of thousands of soldiers. There are hundreds of thousands of palace troops, and there should be tens of thousands of young people in the back. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It is said that everyone is a nomad who is good at riding and shooting, where can this really be the case? It is true that there are people who are young and strong, Li Zhang sent people to investigate, and all of them were sent out, and there were only fifty or sixty thousand people at most. These are not regular soldiers, and they have not been through the battle formation, can't you hold on? As long as you hold Yuzhou City and wait for the army to arrive, you don't need to defeat them. ”

Liu Jidao: "The lower officials listen to the order." This time I went north, and most of the roads I walked were mountain roads, and the heavy artillery could not be taken away. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Not only can't the heavy artillery take it away, but the ordinary cannon is too heavy to be carried by livestock." This time you bring more horses, even if it is infantry, try to ride horses. Now there are still a large number of horses in Youzhou, which should be enough. ”

Liu Ji said yes.

Zhao Zi said: "The most important thing now is to be fast. It is a rare thing for Khitan generals to dedicate the city, don't miss the opportunity. Although the Khitan has not suppressed their strength now, it is difficult to say after a long time. Moreover, after the defeat of Youzhou, there has been a debate within the Khitan, and it has not yet been decided who the new emperor is. Taking advantage of this opportunity, our army quickly marched north, and the situation was decided in one fell swoop! ”

Liu Ji looked at the map and nodded. From Youzhou to Yuzhou, although there is a road, it is all through the mountains, which is very difficult to walk. With an army of 50,000 people, it is not easy to drive the mountain road all the time. The grain and grass transportation behind it could not be organized in a hurry, and could only be supplied by the Khitan.

What Liu Ji is most worried about is whether the Khitan generals who sacrificed the city are sincere. Don't let your tens of thousands of troops come to the territory of the Khitan, and they don't sacrifice the city, and they can't find food, but it's troublesome. Liu Ji has not forgotten the tragic situation of the lack of food in Khitan a few years ago, but he doesn't want it to happen to him. If they can really dedicate the city and supply food and grass, then there will be no problem.

Du Zhongxiao said: "On this road, it is all mountain roads, and it is extremely inconvenient to walk. Your army of 50,000 is not easy. Departing from Youzhou, each person brings ten days of food and eats on the road. Within ten days, it must be to Bei'anzhou, where grain and grass will be replenished. Remember, every time the army sets out, it must bring food and grass. It should be used for at least 5 days to avoid accidents. As long as the Khitan defenders refuse to sacrifice, attack immediately, and remember, don't let the army go hungry. There is a shortage of food in the army, and it is easy to cause chaos, and it is necessary to keep in mind that the troops are out of the country. ”

Liu Jijiao said: "Don't worry, Taiwei, I will be careful." The thing I was most worried about was that the Khitan generals did not sincerely dedicate the city, but only led me into its hub. As long as the Khitan doesn't make trouble, there should be no problem. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "If the Khitans go back on their word, then don't be polite." Attack the city without surrendering it with all your might, and after you go down the city, kill its defenders. You have 50,000 people, although there is little artillery fire, the Khitan should not be able to prevent it. ”

Liu Ji nodded: "Xiaguan understands." ”

Zhao Zi said: "This attack on Dading Mansion is not close. And Taiwei Liu went first, and he might have to wait in Yuzhou for a few days. These days, we will not send troops to the north again, and it will all depend on the Khitan generals to defend the road. During this time, Taiwei Liu must be careful not to have trouble with the Khitan generals. Only when Wang Kai and Jia Kui's armies arrived in Youzhou would Taiwei Du lead the army north. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "In the final analysis, the reason why I sent you to lead the army first is to eat the cities offered by these Khitan generals. I went late, I was afraid that the Khitan would find out and come up with a way, and we missed the opportunity. So at first, you have to be aggrieved. ”

Liu Jidao: "Where is the Tai Lieutenant, since the subordinate is a general, he should lead the troops to be loyal to the country." ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded, sighed and said, "In this battle, it is not easy for the army to overturn Yanshan. If the Khitans do not sacrifice the city, we will have to make a lot of preparations and pay a relatively large price. Is it easy to go north from the Central Plains? ”

The three of them looked at the map and carefully discussed the itinerary of Liu Ji's entire army. From Youzhou to attack Dadingfu, the route is roughly equivalent to the later Beijing City to the south of Chifeng, all of which are mountain roads. The Khitan did not offer the city, as long as a few points were held on the road, it was enough for the Song army to have a headache.

Without Ma Di coming south, Du Zhongxiao's original plan was not to attack Dading Mansion. Instead, they set out from the Hequ Road, first attacking Shangjing, and then detouring from the flanks and back. The Khitan generals dedicated the city, and the most important Yanshan natural insurance was in their hands at once, and things were much simpler.

Going north from the Central Plains has never been a simple matter. In fact, as long as the Central Plains Dynasty was normal, the armies of the northern nomads were not very strong. As long as there are 120,000 people, it is enough to gain the upper hand. But with an army of 120,000 or 200,000, in most places in the north, the local grain and grass could not be sustained for long. If grain is transported from the Central Plains, the cost is too high. It may be necessary to gather all the people's strength in Hebei and Hedong, not only for grain and grass, but also for young and strong people to be the husband of grain transport, in order to support it.

Such a battle is also a difficult thing for the Central Plains. In an attack, in addition to the fighting army, it is necessary to mobilize millions of people, and the world will be disturbed. Therefore, when the Central Plains attacked the north, it was often divided first, and when the troops of each division were not many, small units were dispatched to fight. Now that the north is truly unified, it is difficult for the Central Plains to advance northward. The nomads, on the other hand, could plunder from the Central Plains when they went south, and the pressure was much less.

Now that there is a railway, Du Zhongxiao's solution is to use the railway to build it all the way. As long as the railway arrives at the place, the Central Plains army will have no logistical pressure, and its military superiority will be fully brought into play.