After discussing the war, Du Zhongxiao said: "In recent days, the people of Youzhou have been crying and begging the imperial court to accept more signatures and surrender the army. Most of those people were the fathers and brothers of the local people, who were forcibly conscripted into the army by the Khitan, and they were not willing to help the Khitan people fight. Logically speaking, this matter has its own reasonableness. It's just that on top of the battle array, many things are not so simple. The 180,000 signatories in the Khitan army, as long as they do not take the initiative to vote, it is difficult to preserve. ”

Han Qi said: "Does the signing army live with the Khitans?" If you don't get together, you can think of a way. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "What we can think of, the Khitan people have naturally thought of it a long time ago. Since the signing army joined the army, he was afraid that they would flee, and he has always watched it closely. Now they are scattered in the Khitan military camp, doing chores for the rest of the Khitans, and they are not forming an army alone. If they had been alone, they would have surrendered long ago. In the next few days, these people will be the most critical. ”

Zhao Zhen nodded and asked Du Zhongxiao, "How does the captain think this matter should be handled?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "On the battle array, there is only the enemy and me, and we must not save the kindness of a woman to avoid being taken advantage of by the enemy." If there is a sign army to vote, or if there is a prisoner on the battle line, you can take care of it separately. However, the two armies are at war, and they must not be negligent. ”

Song Zhen said: "Captain, since you know that you are forced to become a soldier when you sign the army, you don't have to treat them too harshly even on the battlefield." ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "Captain, not to mention that if this is the case, there may be Khitans pretending to sign the army." Just talking about the battle array, people are actually less rational than usual. The simpler the order given by the soldier, the better, and don't let the soldier make judgments. We treat the signing army well, and the signing army on the battle line may not think the same way. Before and after the war, if you ask them, they don't want to fight. But life and death are relative to each other on the battle battlefield, where will the soldiers be so clearly distinguished? It will make our army hesitate, it will make the enemy army crazy, this kind of thing cannot be done. ”

Han Qi nodded: "I understand what the captain means, picking up a sword and gun on the battle formation is the enemy, and the soldiers can't hesitate." ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Yes, that's exactly the case. To go into battle is to kill the enemy, and don't think about anything else. Of course, not on the battle line, we must be merciful to these signing subordinates. If someone comes to vote, take care of it. Speaking of which, it's still money and food. Now there are more than 500,000 troops on the front line, and about 300,000 people carrying grain. The money and food of 800,000 people can be afforded by the imperial court. But with the signing army and the people of Youzhou, it will be a little difficult to supply. If everyone had something to eat, things would be much simpler. ”

Zhao Zhen said: "The book says that there is no shortage of grain and grass in the Central Plains, so why is it difficult to raise it? ”

Han Qi hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, although there is no shortage of grain and grass in the Central Plains, it is not easy to raise so many people. There are more than one million people in Youzhou, and if they all rely on transporting grain, the Central Plains will not be able to support it. In the final analysis, the imperial court can only save the emergency, and it is up to them. ”

How to rely on yourself? Han Qi didn't say. Needless to say, in the face of this kind of man-made disaster, it is more powerful than natural disasters, and it can only be carried by the people of Youzhou themselves. As long as you live until the next year, when you harvest the grain, everything is easy to say. If you can't carry it, then you can only complain about your fate.

Youzhou has a population of nearly two million, and after the Khitan toss, nearly half of the population has gone, and there are still 1 million and hundreds of thousands of mouths. How is it possible to rely on the Central Plains to transport grain? The 800,000 people in the army are already the strength of the country. The Song Dynasty was only able to provide some food so that the population in the cities would not starve to death, and the countryside would not be taken care of. In the spring, the seeds are provided so that they can plant.

In this battle, the Khitan almost squeezed out the potential of the sixteen states of Youyun, and the Song Dynasty took back it, and it took a lot of effort and a long time to recover.

Song Zhen sighed: "It's a pity for these people. The Khitan army went south, but it was they who suffered. ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head slightly. Youzhou is a war zone, and of course the most unlucky people are here. Yelu Hongji used this as a base and fought with Yelu Chongyuan for five years, but the oil has run out. Then they were forcibly signed into the army, forcibly requisitioned food and grass, how many people survived?

After sighing for a while, Du Zhongxiao said to Zhao Zhen: "Your Majesty will go to Youzhou, and you will bring more food with the army." Porridge sheds must be set up along the way, so that the people can wrap their stomachs. This is a holy virtue, let them know that from now on it is not the Khitans, but the Song people. ”

Song Zhen said: "What's so difficult about this? It is like going to the disaster area to observe the people's feelings, and let the people be grateful. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled: "It's about the same." To be honest, the current Youzhou is indeed similar to the disaster area. Several big cities have set up porridge sheds these days, and many people have gathered. ”

Zhao Zhen said: "If this is the case, wouldn't it be good to recruit some people in Youzhou to provide food and clothing for the imperial court?" ”

Du Zhongxiao was stunned for a moment. This habit of the Song Dynasty is not used to it until now. With disaster victims, disaster relief is enough, and what to do when recruited into the army at every turn. Joining the army always has to occupy a quota, and the number of military personnel is not infinitely inflated, and in the end it is all disaster victims, where can we find soldiers who really want to fight and do things? Just shook his head and disagreed.

After discussing the war, Zhao Zhen left first, and Du Zhongxiao sat there with Han Qi, Song Zhen and Fu Bi, gossiping.

Han Qi said: "Listen to the Taiwei, the situation in Youzhou is very miserable now. This time, did the Khitan go south cause so much damage to the people? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "400,000 troops, plus 400,000 signed troops, 800,000 mouths, how can Youzhou have enough to eat?" A long time ago, the people of Youzhou even had their grain taken away. As the army marched north, I heard that the people in many places had not had food in their stomachs for a month. Unable to see it, they boiled some weak food with military rations and gave them them, and many wept there and thanked the court for its sanctity. ”

Han Qi shook his head: "The people are so unbearable, the Khitan still has to raise a large army to go south, and finally it becomes like this, what do you want?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "For the Khitan Emperor, these people are just providing taxes. What are they like, and how can they take it to heart? And they didn't expect that this dynasty would be strong and clear, and they wouldn't be able to grab a grain of grain. ”

Fu Bi said: "If the Khitan people can't grab food, they can only go hungry." The army from the grass tribe is not used to transporting military rations, and has always fought wherever it goes. Our walls are clear, and the people of Youzhou are unlucky. ”

Song Zhen sighed when he heard this: "In the final analysis, the war is still the suffering of the people. As long as the Khitan lord is clear-headed, how can he go south! ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head with a smile: "Participating in politics, in the eyes of the Khitans, the southerners are cowardly, and they can't fight." If they do not fulfill their wishes, they will raise troops and horses to go south. We don't give, they come and grab it themselves. The Hu people are afraid of power but not virtue, and if they don't beat them to the ground, they will not be honest. This southward movement is inevitable, not a whim of the Khitan lord. ”

"Fear of power but not virtue, yes, there is really no way to do it." Han Qi sighed. "Be nice to them, and they think about when they have a chance to grab it. They don't have to use knives and guns to hurt people's lives before they listen to what we say. Why bother! ”

Fu Bi said: "There is no way, in the end, we can only do this, wipe out all their troops." If there is no one, how can you rob it? After this kind of battle, the Khitan was defeated, and the pattern of the grassland was bound to change greatly. Since the Khitan was strong, the grassland tribes all submitted to it. Without a large army, how could other tribes be honest and obedient? Next, the Khitans still have a lot of trouble. ”

Du Zhongxiao looked at the north and said, "Yes, that's right." Now the Northeast Jurchen Department has raised troops and attacked the prefectures and counties. The Tatars, the Dangxiangren, and the Tuyuhun tribes in the northern steppe are afraid that they will soon be in a scuffle. ”

The Youyun region was ruined to this point, and the Song Dynasty needed time to redevelop these two places. Only when the roads are repaired and the people are stable can they set off from here to the north. In a short period of time, only the area near Yanshan will be under the control of the Song Dynasty, and other places will inevitably be fought over by other ethnic groups.

Five or six years later, the Song Dynasty stabilized the Youyun region, and it was not known whether it would be a bunch of small tribes fighting together, or if large tribes would reappear. The prairies in the north are full of uncertainties.