After getting off the train and looking at the crowded crowd in the city, Du Zhongxiao said: "This battle is really a fight for money!" Most of the counties in Hebei Province are strong and clear, and this alone will cost countless money. It was not easy for these people gathered in the city to ensure that they had no worries about food and clothing. ”

Liu Jidao: "Yes, it is said that the people bring food into the city, but in fact, where can it be done." In the end, it was the imperial court that paid for the people's grain. When they entered the city, they were given food to them every day. Otherwise, the cities would not be able to afford only the water used to wash rice and the wood used to cook rice every day. After the war, we had to send out the grain and many things. ”

This is the mobilization capacity of the imperial court. The current Song Dynasty has much greater mobilization capacity than it did more than ten years ago. The most important thing is that I have money now. No matter how difficult things are, as long as you have enough financial resources, it will be much easier to do.

Where is the easy thing to do? In the long history, it was more common in the pre-Qin era, and the more it went to the back, the rarer it became. From the beginning of the Tang Dynasty to the present, it is difficult to see. There is no way, the regime's ability to organize and mobilize has declined, and it is very difficult to do it. The Song Dynasty was able to do this year at the cost of allocating a large amount of money to Hebei Road. There have not been a few years of unified banknotes in the world, and now the imperial court has money in its hands and can afford it.

This year's war with the Khitan, Du Zhongxiao estimates, conservatively, it will cost more than 100 million yuan. If you count all kinds of materials, you can't stop 200 million yuan. Fighting a war is about spending money, and the cost of war in the past is not worth mentioning compared to the present.

A few months before the railway station, a city had just been built, which was connected to Xiongzhou. In fact, starting from Zhendingfu, each station was surrounded by castles, like the Great Wall. Soldiers and horses can maneuver quickly between stations, and it is difficult for the Khitans to break through.

Out of the station, Du Zhongxiao turned around and looked at the high walls on both sides, and couldn't help nodding. From the station to the state city, it is about two or three miles, and the middle is connected by this kind of city wall, which is the wall. The wall of the fortified wall and the clear field was originally used to protect the road. The times are different, the cost of building city walls is getting higher and higher, there are more and more means of siege, and there are fewer and fewer things to do.

Entered the Hejian Mansion and sat down in the official hall. Du Zhongxiao said to Liu Ji: "A few days ago, the Khitan began to attack the mouth of the Great Wall, which was extremely violent. How are you here? If the Khitan attacked Xiongzhou, Hejian Province would also be affected. ”

Liu Jidao: "I have read the official document from Baozhou, and the Khitan has really invested a lot of money in going south this time. Attacking the mouth of the Great Wall, I heard that he brought more than 100 cannons, day and night. It's just that the Khitan artillery is a little worse, and the mouth of the Great Wall is built strongly, so it is useless. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's not just that the cannon is worse, but also that they don't have the financial resources to make more shells." After only a few days of fighting, the shells were used up, and the only thing to do was to use stone shells. Originally, the cannon was poor, and then used stone bullets against iron bullets on the city, what was the use? I heard that the Khitans also sent warriors to the city to reclaim the iron bullets, but they were beaten back by the defenders. ”

Liu Ji nodded: "I heard, it's true." This war is fought against the financial resources of the two countries. If the financial resources are not good, the ammunition is not available, how can the front line fight? Even though there are many people, there is not much use in front of guns. ”

"Yes, the financial resources of the two countries. This dynasty has worked hard over the years and saved the family money, which will be useful this time. Just the shells, it can be seen that there is money and no money, the difference is too far. In the small city at the mouth of the Great Wall, these days, the cannonballs they use up, I am afraid that the Khitans will not be able to pay enough taxes for a year. Without money, the Khitans were more than lucky in this battle. ”

After speaking, Du Zhongxiao took a sip of tea. In the past few days on Hebei Road, Du Zhongxiao has learned more about the situation on the front line. The Khitan attacked the mouth of the Great Wall, and at the beginning it was violent, with dozens of cannons placed outside the city, thinking that it would only take a few days to collapse the city wall. As a result, after nearly ten days of attack, the city wall still stands. On the contrary, the Khitan artillery lost seventy or eighty guns, and there were no shells. Even stone bullets are difficult to collect.

Now the Khitan army of 50,000 is at a loss outside the mouth of the Great Wall, and there is nothing to do. For example, during the battle of Quyang, the city was attacked with manpower, and as long as there was no chaos in the city, it was difficult to break through. And five miles away is another city, which can be easily replenished at night, and the Khitan can't stop it.

Du Zhongxiao feels that now this war has become a battle of national strength between the two countries. It is already obvious who is strong and who is weak. To be honest, if it was just to resist the Khitans, the Song Dynasty could block the Khitan with money. The most important thing now is that after consuming the Khitan's sharp energy, how can the army attack and wipe out the 700,000 troops in Youzhou.

After gossiping for a while, Zhao Zi said: "According to the estimation of Hejian Mansion, the river behind is frozen, will the Khitans attack Xiongzhou?" ”

Liu Jidao: "That's inevitable. Behind Baozhou is Dingzhou, and there is Zhending Mansion in the south of Dingzhou, all the way 300 miles away. And all along the way, all of them avoided Qingye, and the Khitan couldn't go deep at all. Xiongzhou is different, followed by Mozhou, and then Hejian Province, with fewer soldiers and horses. Moreover, Cangzhou in the east is sparsely populated, so it can be attacked by a detour. Now the Khitan army is stationed on the border, and I want to wait for the opportunity to attack Xiongzhou. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "I think so too. Moreover, the railway is from Zhendingfu to Xiongzhou, and if you want to break through, you still have to start from Xiongzhou. It's just that the Khitan doesn't move, and our determination is not good. It's been a hard time. ”

Liu Ji heard this and said, "Since the Taiwei thinks so, why don't you transfer Dou Shunqing, Liu Jianji and other troops to the east?" When the army arrives, if the Khitan attacks Xiongzhou, it will be just right to fight. Our four armies of 200,000 people are not afraid of the Khitans. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It is not easy to pull out the army. At this time, there were a lot of artillery and other materials in various armies, and it was not a military order to leave. If the Khitan army does not move for a day, it is not suitable for us to redeploy. Fortunately, there is a railway, and when it comes to concentrating troops, it is still relatively easy. Judging from the mouth of the Great Wall, the Khitan attacked the city and there was little hope. I guess the Khitans are also trying to figure it out. ”

Liu Ji shook his head: "What can I do?" Unable to break through the fortified city, and surrounded by strong walls and clear fields, they could only stop under the fortified city. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "What if the Khitans don't attack the city? Ignoring the city on the road, the army only cares about advancing south. As long as you get to the inland states and counties, it will be a big chaos. You can't do it if you can't do it. ”

Liu Jidao: "Taiwei, hundreds of miles away, the Khitan people always have to eat." Now three hundred miles along the border, if the city is not breached, the Khitans will have no food and grass supply. They can only storm the city, and there is no way to think about it. ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "I always feel that things are not so simple. If there is no way, the Khitans should retreat, why should they stay at the border? How much grain and grass does an army of 700,000 need a day? They have been in Youzhou for a month, and with the Khitan force, it should be very difficult. ”

Liu Ji thought about it, but he really couldn't think of a way, so he could only shake his head.

Zhao Zi said: "Or, the Khitan is also looking for our flaws at the border, and I don't know what to do for a while." The soldiers of the country, dozens of tribes and horses are concentrated in Youzhou, so retreat, how to explain? ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "But so be." Now in mid-November, there are more than two months to go, and the New Year is coming. When the spring flowers bloom after the year, and the Khitans still don't leave, we won't let them go! ”

Du Zhongxiao's plan is to stick to the spring. At that time, it was a busy season for nomads, and if you missed it, it would be a year. At that time, the Song army marched north and fought to the death with the Khitan. It's just that the past few months have been a bit difficult.

The Song army guarded against autumn because the nomads had nothing to do in autumn and winter, and lacked food and grass. And when the grain is harvested in the agricultural area, it is the time when it is stored the most. When the army goes south, it can always grab some supplies. In the same way, in the spring, the nomads have to change their fields, and everything is busy. At this time, the army went north, which could greatly affect the production of the Khitans.