On the sixth day of the ninth month, the prime minister of the Khitan Southern Court and the king of Lu, Yelu Zongyun, took the lead in arriving at Nanjing Xijin Mansion, and the Khitan army officially began to move south.

Yeluren first welcomed Yelu Zongyun back to the left-behind mansion and sat down in the official hall.

After drinking tea, Yelu Zongyun said: "The Holy Lord will lead the army, and it is scheduled to be October 12, and the army will come to Youzhou in person. In recent years, the Southern Dynasties have successively restored the Western Regions, destroyed the party, and subdued the four provinces, and prospered. Last winter, the encirclement and annihilation of the 10,000-strong army of this dynasty was the most hateful! If you can't win the battle, the surrounding small clans are only afraid that they will have different hearts, and they are afraid that they will not be able to clean it up. ”

Yeluren said first: "What the king said is true. However, the Song Dynasty deployed heavy troops on Hebei Road, and if you want to break through, you are afraid that it will not be easy. ”

Yelu Zongyun didn't answer, but said: "In addition to arranging heavy troops, what other changes did the Song Dynasty have?" ”

Yeluren said first: "Since the harvest of grain in autumn, I have begun to build a city on the border. According to the spies' report, the border between the two countries is now heavily defended. The army came from the south and wanted to break through the border and go deeper, but I was afraid that it would not be easy. ”

Yelu Zongyun sneered: "Hundreds of miles along the Hebei Road, how many troops does the Song Dynasty need to defend it?" This year's leap month, the weather is cold late, and the rivers and lakes cannot be frozen for a while. When the army came south, it had to avoid the east and choose the western road, where there were fewer rivers. These days, you send more spies to carefully inquire about the arrangement of the Song army in the area of Baozhou and Dingzhou in the west. When the saint comes here, everything is ready. ”

After thinking about it, Yeluren said first: "Great King, this dynasty's army is heading south this year, and there has been news since the summer. On the side of the Song Dynasty, preparations were made months in advance. I heard that they had built a new railway, which had already reached Hajian Province. There is a railway to transport supplies, everything is unimpeded. The front line did not have to worry about the lack of food and grass, only one season of summer grain was planted, and the rest of the time the people were conscripted to build roads and cities. This is especially true in the Baozhou area, where almost all the people in the north can hide in the city. IMHO, it is extremely difficult to attack from Baozhou. ”

Hearing this, Yeluren was stunned for a moment, and said: "There are more than 20,000 households north of Baozhou, and if you want all the people to enter the city, how many new cities do you need to build in the Song Dynasty?" Staying behind, the Song Dynasty has long been prepared, and the imperial court already knows it, but it can't be exaggerated! ”

Yeluren shook his head first: "I'm afraid that the imperial court is underestimating the current Southern Dynasty." Baozhou, Guangxin Army, Ansu Army, a total of 16 new cities were built in a few months. Together with the old city, there are now twenty-one cities in those three places. There are more than 20,000 households, and there are only more than 1,000 households in a city, so what's so difficult? ”

Yelu Zongyun listened and couldn't help but be stunned for a while. In a few months, sixteen new cities were built, what kind of efficiency is this? Last year, when Zhuozhou was newly repairing the city, it was conscripted from the people, and the people fled. In the Song Dynasty, so many new cities were built in a few months, why didn't I hear that the people were making trouble.

Yeluren sighed first: "In today's Song Dynasty, there is enough money and grain, and there is a railway, so materials from Jiangnan can be transported quickly. They built new cities, and the burden on the people was not heavy. When there is a shortage of manpower, they use money to recruit people to build a city. Coupled with the newly arrived army, it was not difficult to build these cities. Now within thirty miles of the border, all the people of the Song Dynasty have taken refuge in the city, which is really fortified and clear. At this time, it is really not easy to go south. ”

In fact, there is another reason, the tools of the Song Dynasty are not comparable to the Khitan, and it is much easier to build cities. However, including Yelu Renxian, the Khitans had never seen the scene when the Song Dynasty built the city, and they couldn't imagine it. This is the technological level gap, and the two countries are now worlds apart.

With the national strength of the Song Dynasty, within a range of tens of miles, one or twenty cities were urgently built, is it a lot? At this level of technology, it is not uncommon for wars in history to have dozens of miles of fortified areas. The walls were clear, the people's food was enough to eat, and the cost of the Song Dynasty was really not high.

Before Yelu Zongyun came, his impression of the Song Dynasty was still the same as before, and he didn't think of these things at all. In fact, it was not only him, most of the officials in the Khitan used their own strength to estimate the Song Dynasty. A lot of things are far from reality.

After being silent for a while, Yelu Zongyun said: "There are no people within thirty miles, which means that if you go south, you can't be defeated by food?" ”

Yeluren nodded first: "That's right. Near the southern border, grain was concentrated in a few large cities, and the usual cities stored surplus grain only enough for a few months. If the army goes south, it can only rely on transporting grain, which is different from before. ”

Youzhou, as the base of Yelu Hongji and Chongyuan when they were fighting for the throne, has been fighting for several years, and there is no accumulation for a long time. Hundreds of thousands of troops went south, and Youzhou couldn't afford to supply them. The Khitan's plan was to transport grain and grass from nearby prefectures and counties, and the army quickly moved south. After crossing the border, because of the food to the enemy, he did not rely on the support of Youzhou grain and grass. If the Song Dynasty is strong and clear, things will be in trouble.

The border between the two countries extends from the Taihang Mountains and goes all the way from Baozhou to the east, basically in a straight line. Across the border, it was the prosperous area of the Song Dynasty, with a large population and a rich place. As long as the Khitan could move south quickly, they did not need supplies from the rear, and the supply of grain and grass could be plundered from the territory of the Song Dynasty. This is a very important point for the Khitan to move south, the nomads do not have much savings, and they will be in trouble if they can't grab things.

After being silent for a long time, Yelu Zong agreed: "You can't make a judgment on this matter, you have to listen clearly." There is still more than a month before the Holy Army's army goes south, and we will send some more people to cross the border to investigate. ”

Yeluren shook his head first: "The Song Dynasty has begun to clear the wilderness, how can I send someone to investigate?" Now that the border has passed, there are only a few cities, and the people are not allowed to come and go casually. If you send spies over, where can you hide it? ”

Yelu Zongyun listened, his face showed an unhappy look, and said: "At this time, hundreds of thousands of troops are assembled and are about to go south, if you can't find the loophole of the Song Dynasty, what should you do if these hundreds of thousands of people come?" Stay, at this time it is ready to fly, and I have to send it! ”

Yeluren sighed first: "Okay, find another way." Now that all the people of the Song Dynasty have entered the city, there is no way. Only the hunters in the mountains, and hunting, did not enter the city. We found a way to send someone to pretend to be Orion and go to the Song Dynasty to investigate. ”

Yelu Zongyun nodded: "That's exactly how it should be." Even if the Song Dynasty was strong and clear, it was only thirty or fifty miles, and it could not be far. Many people in his territory can still hide all? As long as these dozens of miles of roads are broken in a short time, there will be no major problems. ”

Yeluren didn't speak, but shook his head secretly. In the past few years, the conflict between the Khitan and the Song Dynasty has not been won, where is the confidence to quickly break through the border? The city is not broken, even if it is attacked, what can it do? Can't return it yet? And to break through the Song army's city, how easy is it!

When Du Zhongxiao defeated the Khitan in Tanglong Town, Yeluren first led his troops to withdraw from Fengzhou in time and gave way to Hequ Road. After Yelu Hongji destroyed Chongyuan, this matter was mostly attacked. In fact, the person who really led the troops understood that at that time, if Yeluren did not retreat first, he might face another big defeat. It was precisely because Yeluren first brought a large group of men to Shangjing Road that he stabilized the rear for Yeluhongji and kept the Khitan in chaos. Therefore, Yelu Hongji himself was grateful to Yelu Renxian and let Nanjing stay behind, which was an important transition.

Yelu Zongyun is Yelu Hongji's cousin, and it is not easy for Yelu Ren to be embarrassed at this time, so he lowered his voice and said: "Stay behind, the court is very difficult at this time. This time the Song Dynasty cannot be hit hard, and the tribes of the grasslands in the west will have different intentions. The saint was at peace day and night for this matter, and only then did he raise a large army to come south. If we are not prepared and let the Nanlai army be at a loss in Youzhou, then the sin will be great. Now pay more attention, wait for the saint to come up, and immediately go south, that is the move of public loyalty to the country. This is a big deal, and we must not slack off. ”

Jeruren said, "Now that the matter has come to this, what shall I say?" Last year's earthquake, Youzhou was the hardest hit, and money and food were scarce. When the army comes south, one more day in Youzhou, and the people will suffer one more day. Don't worry, the king, I will send someone to find out the truth of the Song Dynasty, so as not to make mistakes. ”

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