June of the first year of Seonin. Guo Shao negotiated with the privy envoy Wang Pu and set the time of the Northern Expedition for the spring of next year.

Most of the times when the countries launched wars were in the spring, starting from the Battle of Gaoping and the Battle of Qinfeng, almost all of them were launched in the spring. Because the traditional Chinese New Year is the most important festival of the Han people, it is easier to mobilize people and people after the New Year; It was very cold in the north, and it was very difficult to use troops in winter.

But at that time, it may also be the time for the Liao people to guess and take precautions, and it will be more difficult to ensure the suddenness of the war.

At this time, there was still half a year before the time of the Northern Expedition.

Soon, the local officials of Hebei reported for merit and captured several Khitans on the north bank of the Yellow River.

The process of capturing the spy was very simple, the inspector ran into a few strange-looking people on the road, stepped forward to interrogate, and found that they could not speak official language, and they were Khitans who were arrested in the first instance.

It is not surprising that the Liao people have the number of ways to find out the news, at this time the countries do not seem to have the concept of spies, at most they can be called scouts, that is, the kind of people who are arrested. I'm afraid that the Liao scouts didn't think they would be caught, because they didn't want to go to Tokyo to find out the news, but just to find out the situation near the Yellow River.

Because if the Zhou army wants to go north at this time, it must cross the Yellow River...... A large number of pontoon bridges are required.

Observing the pontoon bridge on the Yellow River was the quickest and most direct way for the Liao State to judge the large-scale northward movement of the Zhou army.

At this time, the Liao State sent scouts to go deeper, apparently already alerted to the intentions of the Zhou army's Northern Expedition; But they did not know exactly when the Zhou army would go on a northern expedition.

There were only a dozen people in the center of the Great Zhou court who knew about the Northern Expedition, and they only knew that the imperial court had decided to go on the Northern Expedition, but they still didn't know the specific time; At this time, the only people who were fully aware were Guo Shao and Wang Pu...... There is also a marigold.

Some ministers Jinyan sent people to contact Goryeo and Hebei Han generals in advance, but it was denied.

Goryeo was too far away from Tokyo and far from Youju to have a direct impact on the Battle of Youju; Although Goryeo has always been ambitious for the "old land of the Balhae Kingdom", its offensive capability is insufficient, and the alliance has only long-term strategic benefits, not tactical benefits...... The most disadvantageous reason is that it is easy to leak the approximate time of the Northern Expedition.

Contacting the Han generals in Youzhou is the same, it is easy to expose the signs of the Northern Expedition.

…… Mid-Autumn Festival in the first year. Tokyo is lit up with lights, and the scene of festive drinking and moon viewing is as usual.

At this time, the hot weather of summer has passed, and it is getting cooler...... When the temperature reaches its coldest point, it is the time of the Northern Expedition. The gradually colder weather seems to be a signal that time is approaching.

Ordnance Superintendent Zan Jurun reported that the first batch of newly cast Longxiao cannons has been tested.

The construction of the new cannon and the old one was almost indistinguishable, both were mortar guns with large-caliber projectiles. The only difference was that it was made of cast iron and bronze, which the Ordnance Superintendent thought would make the gun more durable.

Soon after, the first arquebuses were also manufactured. The barrel is still cast in bronze; The bolt was improved several times and was ignited with an arquebus.

It's just that the ignition device has been improved, and it is more convenient than the open flame point lead, but the range lethality of the fire gun is no different from before. Therefore, it is still only equipped with the Divine Fire Capital, because the practicality is far inferior to the bow and crossbow.

…… In September, an envoy sent by Tokyo arrived at the Southern Han Guoxing Palace, Guangzhou, and ordered the Southern Han lord to enter Beijing, but was refused, so that the rhythm newspaper had been expelled from the Southern Han border.

Soon after, the Privy Council set up the "Xingwangfu Qianying Military Office" and mobilized officials to form a perfect organization from top to bottom...... At this time, they were dealing with the envoys of the Southern Han Kingdom and collecting news from the Southern Han Dynasty.

So much so that many people in Tokyo officialdom also speculated that after the imperial court recovered Hedong, the strategy would be placed in the south, and it would successively recover the Southern Han Dynasty, Wuyue and other places to complete the major event of unifying the world.

However, the organization of this "Xingwang Mansion and the Military Mansion in front of the camp" is perfect, and as long as there is a holy decree, it can be transformed into the staff office of the Northern Expedition.

Then the Privy Council ordered Sun Xingyou, the envoy of Yizhou Jiedu, to build a city in the southeast of Yizhou; He also sent Fu Zhaoxu to the north and recruited a large number of foundation stones from Hebei Zhuzhou to dig the city in the stone field near Yizhou.

…… In October, the people of the northern and southern states of the Yellow River were conscripted into forced labor to build the Yellow River embankment.

All of these actions are deceptive. As a big country, there will be some government decrees in the Great Zhou every year, whether it is to build a city or repair an embankment, it is not a matter of concern.

A few months passed, and there was not a single sign of the Northern Expedition in Tokyo, and even the officials of Kyoto did not think that the imperial court was preparing for a big war.

However, the siege artillery of the Zhou army needed a large number of stone shells, and to repair the city and open the stone field, it was necessary to find the stone mine in advance and recruit a large number of stonemasons, which must be prepared in advance; To repair the city, it is necessary to recruit a large number of strong men...... The logistics of the Great War also require strong manpower.

The embankment of the Yellow River was repaired, and more people were recruited, in the number of 100,000.

Winter has arrived, the weather is gradually getting colder, and snow began to fall on the south bank of the Yellow River in the winter month (November) this year. By the end of the month, the Yellow River basin was already cold.

……

On the 10th day of the first lunar month, Tokyo is still immersed in the festive atmosphere, the whole city is covered in snow, the roofs and streets are full of snow, but it is not deserted at all, lanterns, flags, people's clothes, all kinds of bright red dots, and the market is crowded with people. All kinds of plays, gongs and drums make the city the most lively time during this time.

But it's still too cold, and this year it's even colder. In the first month, it was still snowing lightly.

Except in the city and villages, there are few people in the countryside.

On the banks of the Yellow River, which is closest to Tokyo, there are one or two hundred horsemen stationed there, and these people feel lonely in the monotonous world of snow.

Guo Shao and the privy envoy Wang Pu are both here. The two of them stood there and looked out over the Yellow River...... A vast white flat land with nothing on it.

Guo Shao kicked away the snow with his foot, squatted down again, and stretched out his hand to cut it open.

"It's colder than usual this year." Guo Shao turned back to Wang Pu and said.

Wang Pu bowed and said quietly: "You don't need to take a pontoon bridge to cross the river." With that, he raised his hand and waved his hand.

As soon as he rode over, he shouted "driving", kicked the horse in the belly, and rushed forward. Guo Shao stood up and looked at the people and horses in the distance for a long time, only to see that the black shadow was getting smaller and smaller.

There was no wind between the heavens and the earth, and small snowflakes fell from the sky and fell lightly on the ground, very quiet. The dull sound of horses' hooves was clear.

After a long time, the knight gradually returned on horseback. Wang Pu waved his hand again, and a row of more than twenty riders lined up, slowly approaching, and rushed forward in a sparse formation.

"Set up camp here today and return to Beijing tomorrow." Guo Shao said to Wang Pu.

Wang Pu pondered for a moment, and finally did not persuade Guo Shao. This place is on the south bank of the Yellow River, very close to the capital, and the surroundings are very peaceful; The emperor has another elite iron cavalry by his side, and it is impossible to have any danger if he stays for a day or two.

Wang Pu only asked the soldiers to choose a camp and set up tents, and ordered the men and horses to take turns on duty.

marching and camping, Guo Shao didn't ask anything. He waited until his tent was set up, and when the fire was lit, he went inside to take shelter from the cold.

Wang Pu also walked in not long after, saluted, Guo Shao asked him to sit, and then he sat down by the fire and shook the snowflakes on his body. Wang Pu said: "Tomorrow, the forbidden army will change its guard, and the old minister will temporarily order the generals of the front division of the palace and the guard division not to disband the soldiers who have been rotated. Gather all the armies that have gone out on the expedition, and then send money to the battalions to reward the soldiers and let them say goodbye to their families. The day after tomorrow, you can gather people and horses to officially set out on the expedition. ”

Guo Shao nodded.

Seeing this, Wang Pu arched his hand and said: "In this way, the news of the Northern Expedition will not be made public until tomorrow, and it will be limited to Tokyo City." The Privy Council also ordered a three-day martial law in Tokyo starting tomorrow, prohibiting anyone other than the soldiers of the forbidden army from entering and leaving the city gates. Try your best to delay the time when the news of the Northern Expedition spreads. ”

Guo Shaodao: "Half a year of preparation, we planned very carefully. ”

Wang Pu said: "Exactly. The New Year has not yet passed, and martial law may affect the hearts of the people in Tokyo, but at the moment of the war, the people are not important.

Lao Chen estimated that after the Great Zhou army was dispatched, it would probably take a while for the Youzhou side to know the news. According to the marching speed of the forbidden army, it is very likely that it has already attacked Youzhou, and the Liao people will be surprised. ”

Wang Pu couldn't hide the excited look on his face after he said that.

Guo Shao pretended to look at him lightly and said, "With a war of this scale, it should be unprecedented for us to start it suddenly?" ”

"Your Majesty is wise." Wang Pu bowed deeply.

Guo Shao waved his hand: "If you win, you will be wise." Capture Youzhou ......"

There was a stirring in his heart. Desire gives people motivation, but when things come to an end, it is not necessarily a good thing, it can be distracting. Guo Shao took a deep breath and looked at the leisurely snowflakes and the simple white snowscape, which gradually cooled the various ambitions surging in his heart.

That's why he stayed here. As soon as I arrived in this uninhabited place in the afternoon, I felt a sense of being far away from the world.

Guo Shao said in front of Wang Pu: "I have already started to work, and it is useless to think too much." Focus mainly on the thing itself, try to do it well, and the rewards will come naturally. ”

Wang Pu thought for a while, turned back to his senses and bowed: "What Your Majesty said is extremely true. ”

Dusk is gradually falling, and you can't see the sun going down, but you can feel the light fading.

Guo Shao looked out of the tent, and where his line of sight was right, there were two horsemen standing on the small hillside. They went in the opposite direction, standing motionless in the snow as if they were in a fixed position. In his hand he did not hold a sword or spear, but a bow and arrow; Beneath the hillside was an open field of snow that could be seen from at least a few hundred paces away.

But if you look closely, you can see that the two horsemen are not in a fixed position, and they are facing each other's backs, and their heads are turning slowly, carefully observing what is in their field of vision.

"Coo......" A bird cry came, Guo Shao was attracted to attention, but he didn't know what kind of bird it was. The two sentinels were also attracted and looked up together in the sky.

But soon silence returned. At this moment, the scene is so lonely, there is no grandeur of the great war at all, everything seems to be deliberately hidden in the endless snow.

Guo Shao sat there, closing his eyes between this ethereal but open world. His breathing gradually became even and slow, as if a Taoist priest was cultivating Neidan.

After a long time, he heard the wind gradually rising, and opened his eyes suddenly. The flag that had been hanging outside the tent was blown up, swinging like a water dragon in the wind, the flag was unfolded, and a fierce tiger was violently imprinted in front of Guo Shao's eyes with its teeth and claws.

"Roar ......" Guo Shao seemed to hear a low and majestic roar.

The tiger was deep in his heart, staring down on the earth with round eyes. Guo Shao's eyes were also round, and he turned into that momentum.

Coercion, bravery, self-confidence, fearlessness.