The next morning, the rangers from Dingzhou met the exhausted Gao Min and his party on the bank of the Changxing River. They fought their way out of the siege of the Khitans at night, losing a large number of men and horses, leaving less than 400 men.

When Dingzhou got the news, he immediately sent a thousand cavalry to meet him and brought the people to the city of Dingzhou.

As soon as he entered the city, Gao Min was taken to the Liu Jian Ji official hall.

Looking at Gao Min, Liu Jianji said in a deep voice: "In just one day, you will lose Quyang City!" No matter how many enemies there are, how can this be? ”

Gao Min crossed his hands and said: "Taiwei, it's not that the last general won't fight to defend the city." It's just that the battle ahead is in full swing, but the county magistrate Pan Yue opened the city gate privately, and the Khitans seized the opportunity. Seeing that the Khitans had entered the city, the last general had no choice but to escape with his soldiers and horses. ”

Liu Jianji looked at Gao Min and was silent for a while before he said, "What about Pan Yue?" Since he opened the city gate privately, he thought that he had escaped. ”

Gao Min said: "How will the last general know? Pan Yue opened the southern city gate privately, and it didn't take long for Khitans to rush into the city from there. The last general had no choice but to reorganize his troops and come out of the west gate. ”

Liu Jianji said: "Your county is resigned, and you will be tried in Dingzhou City!" Wait until everything is clear. lost Quyang, the guilt is not small! ”

Gao Min sang a promise with his hand, and he was secretly angry in his heart. I was supposed to guard it well, but who knew that the county magistrate actually opened the city gate by himself. The soldiers under Pan Yue are not good at fighting, and they are likely to have fallen into the hands of the Khitans. I lost half my life last night, but I lost the city, and I didn't have half the credit, and I might be punished, so it's not worth it.

Ordering someone to take Gao Min down, Liu Jianji said: "I thought that Quyang was broken by the Khitans, but I didn't want to, someone stole the city gate and let it in." In this way, it is not easy for the Khitan people to break our arrangement. ”

Zhu Gui said: "Taiwei, now Pan Yue's whereabouts are unknown, and I don't know if what Gao Min said is true." ”

Liu Jianji shook his head and said, "Quyang's people are not dead again, how dare Gao Min say such a lie?" ”

Yang Sui said: "If this is the case, how can the Taiwei let him be punished?" It was Pan Yue who opened the city, and Gao Min was not guilty. ”

Liu Jianji said: "First, there is no confirmation, and secondly, it is a big crime to lose the city, let Gao Min treat the crime, and let other generals take a look." Well, now is not the time to talk about that. After informing the cities, they must immediately count their troops and horses and prepare for a big battle with the Khitans. The sooner we go to Quyang, the less likely it will be for the Khitans to send troops to plunder. ”

Speaking of this, Liu Jianji lowered his head and thought for a while, and said, "I want to go to Quyang with the two armies of Zhugui and Fang Hao." Sun Tan guards Dingzhou, and at the same time, he is also our reserve. In addition to the soldiers and horses defending the cities, there were 30,000 people to attack Quyang. What do you think? ”

Several people were silent for a while, and Yang Sui said: "I don't know how many Khitans are in Quyang, is it too hasty to attack rashly?" ”

Liu Jianji said: "The Khitans came from the Flying Fox, at most tens of thousands of people. If there is an army of 100,000, how will the grain be transported later? If you don't quickly block the Khitans in the mountain pass and let them disperse everywhere, there will be trouble. Dingzhou is different from Baozhou and Xiongzhou, only a few counties are strong and clear, and most places are still as usual. Once the Khitans penetrated deep into the interior, they could obtain grain and grass everywhere, and it was difficult to hunt them down. ”

This is what Liu Jianji is worried about. It's nothing to lose a Quyang City, as long as the defense line doesn't collapse, it's not difficult to take it back. But if the Khitans were allowed to use Quyang as a base, bypass the fortified city, and attack inland prefectures and counties, it is uncertain what the consequences would be. The Khitan were all cavalry, and the battle was originally a rogue, if it passed through the middle of Dingzhou and Zhendingfu and went south to Zhaozhou, it would cut through the border defense line of the Song Dynasty. There was no large army in the rear, and it was not easy to fight the Khitan cavalry. One is not good, and when the soldiers come to the city of the Daimyo's mansion, they will shake the government and the opposition.

With the 100,000 troops of Liu Jianji and Dou Shunqing of Zhending Mansion, no matter how many Khitan people come, it is enough to encircle and annihilate. Afraid of being slow to move, the Khitans quickly moved south, and they didn't have time to react. Liu Jianji must immediately lead a large army to attack Quyang and block the Khitans.

The generals discussed for a while and could only agree with Liu Jianji's opinion.

Liu Jianji said: "There is a plan in the army, and it will be sent to you later." Zhu Gui and Fang Hao, you should go back immediately and order all the soldiers and horses, and set off early tomorrow morning. No matter how many enemy troops there are in Quyang, they must take the city back! ”

I wish you and Fang Hao to sing the promise with their hands. After leaving the official hall, he hurriedly ordered his subordinates to gather soldiers and horses and prepare to set off.

Dingzhou was not on the front line and did not build a new city. The soldiers and horses of each department, except for some of the surrounding counties, were stationed around Dingzhou. As the rear, Zhendingfu and Dingzhou are different from Baozhou and Xiongzhou, and do not seek to guard everywhere, but always ensure sufficient mobile troops. Once the Khitans come, they must organize superior forces to destroy the enemy in the shortest possible time.

This accident was that the Khitans came too fast, had too many troops, and attacked too fiercely, and the Song army had no time to react. If according to normal development, when the Khitans attacked the fortress in the mountains, the Song army should have received news. Liu Jianji could organize soldiers and horses in time to block the Khitan army in Quyang.

ordered the generals to prepare, and only Liu Jianji and Yang Sui were left in the official hall.

Ordering someone to serve tea, Liu Jianji said: "Tomorrow I will personally lead the army to Quyang, and everything in Dingzhou will be handed over to you." ”

Yang Sui crossed his hands and said, "Taiwei just go." If you are in Dingzhou, you must be foolproof all around! ”

Liu Jianji nodded: "The Khitans came too quickly this time, and our previous arrangements are useless." As long as they are blocked in Quyang for three or five days, everything will be fine. What I am most afraid of now is that the Khitans are going south to attack Xinle. As soon as Xinle was lost, the Khitans broke through the railway line and could go south to Zhaozhou. At that point, they were going back and forth between states, and there was no way to do it in a short time. ”

Speaking of this, Liu Jianji sighed heavily. If the Khitans were allowed to cross the railway line and move south, the Song Dynasty's defense line would be broken through, and there would be no mobile forces in the rear. Even though the Khitan is not good at attacking cities, the land of several states, the food looted is enough to sustain the consumption of the army. At that time, what the imperial court would be like, Liu Jianji didn't dare to think about it at all.

In the past, the Khitans went south, and not every city must be broken. Most of the lost cities, like Quyang, were people who fled in fear and were taken advantage of by the Khitan. And if they can't capture the city, the Khitans won't entangle, and they will go around to the south.

It is often said that Kaifeng Mansion has no danger to defend, which is what it means. The nomads in the north did not need to break through every city on the northern road, and the vast plains were enough for cavalry. Due to the lack of mobile forces in the Song army, there is no fear of whether there is a city behind him to breach, it is nothing more than that the grain and grass do not come from the city, but from the people outside the city to loot. Now on the Hebei Road, the Song army has enough mobile troops, and the Khitans going south are not too threatening, and it can even be said to be suicidal. However, officials in the DPRK and China may not be able to see it clearly, and once the people's hearts are shaken, it will be difficult to say what is going on.

After taking a sip of tea, Liu Jianji said: "The most important thing now is to block the Khitan people in Quyang County." You are here to keep an eye on the new music. It is best to prepare the train and send troops to rescue as soon as there is any change. As long as you hold Xinle, no matter how many Khitan soldiers and horses there are, it will be nothing more than a decisive battle with me in Quyang. With 30,000 soldiers and horses, even in the face of 100,000 Khitans, I can hold out for a few days. ”

Yang Sui crossed his hand: "Taiwei and rest assured, I will definitely live up to the trust!" ”

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