The moon gradually climbed up, shining brightly like a large silver platter. Dotted with stars, scattered around the moon.

Du Zhongxiao looked at the people downstairs, wandering to their heart's content, coming and going on the royal street, and sighed a little. How many days have I not lived such a free life? has been in the officialdom for many years, and I can't help but feel a little nostalgic. I am not a person with a particularly heavy sense of fame, and today's status has been satisfied, and it is not interesting to pursue it. If you want to be in power, you have to bear the price of power, and you don't want to take it.

There is an emperor here, and he is very wary of the power of his courtiers. Giving up power in exchange for his own wealth, Du Zhongxiao is willing to bear it.

As it got dark, many officials began to get drunk, and they spoke more and more without scruples. Downstairs in Xuande, even officials began to have disputes. I don't know if someone advised him not to drink, or if someone drank too much and talked nonsense.

Song Zhen said: "Yelu Hongji has been unruly since he arrived in the capital. He resolutely refuses to do the work he arranged, and no one can do anything to him. Alas, it is also said that it is really sad to go from a monarch of a country to a prisoner. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "In the prison camp, if you do ten points of work, you will have ten points of food. If he doesn't work, won't he go hungry? ”

Han Qi said: "Yelu Hongji is the Khitan monarch after all, where can he really starve him?" Besides, all the people in it were his courtiers, and they were in a hurry, and someone went to help him. He was already a prisoner, and there was no need to force him, so they let them go. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "That's not what I said. The reason why Yelu Hongji was imprisoned in the prison camp was to set an example for other Khitans. If you don't surrender obediently, you will have to go to the prison city to be reformed. If Yelu Hongji can't be allowed to follow the rules, how can others follow the rules? ”

Tian on the side said: "Taiwei, the so-called transformation is just talking. If the monarch of Yelu Hongji really let him live and eat like others, it would not be beautiful. Stay in the prison camp for a few days, and then let it out. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "If that's the case, then it's better to release it now." Imprisoned in the prison camp is to make him understand that the so-called monarch is useless if he is defeated and captured. When Yelu Hongji saw that the saint was still arrogant and rude, how could he spare him gently! ”

Wen Yanbo said: "The captain is the one who leads the troops, and he is very serious about everything. Capturing Yelu Hongji and putting him in a prison camp is enough to show the majesty of the court and humiliate him. There is no need to be physically tortured, just let him be locked up in it for a few days. ”

Du Zhongxiao looked at everyone and saw that they all had this opinion, and shook his head: "I proposed that Yeluhong be imprisoned in the prison camp to make him understand that he is now a prisoner of war. Only when you recognize your identity can you know etiquette and live. Otherwise, he always thought that he was still the Khitan emperor, and in this life, he would not be able to break free. If he can't be reformed and released in a few days, how will he live? Could it be that after he came out, the court gave him money to raise him? Then why bother to go to the prison camp, just lock it up. ”

The people were speechless for a while, and they did not speak.

Zeng Gongliang said: "The meaning of the Taiwei is very clear, Yelu Hongji enters the prison camp, and he has to work and have food like others. If you do ten points of work, you will have ten points of food, and if you don't do work, you will be hungry. Only by living such a day can he understand that he is no longer the emperor of the Khitan, but only our prisoner of war. Wait until it is done well, and then release it, and he can support himself. ”

Wen Yanbo looked at the field, shook his head slightly, and didn't speak. Yelu Hongji is the Khitan emperor, and when the captives come back, it is just a matter of not being polite, if he is the same as a prisoner, how can he justify it? In Youzhou, Yelu Hongji was rude, and Du Zhongxiao said that he would be imprisoned in the prison camp, but the officials in the capital were not good at disobeying, so they had to be imprisoned. But after all, he is different from others, and can he really be managed as a prisoner?

Zhao Zhen saw that the scene was a little embarrassing, and hurriedly said: "The Khitan has been defeated, how much strength does Yelu Hongji still have?" Locked up in prison for a few days, let him understand his identity, and then release him. Why is it difficult to raise him alone? The imperial court sends some money every year. ”

Du Zhongxiao was silent for a while, and then arched his hand and said, "Since Your Majesty said so, what did the minister say?" However, although the battle of Youzhou was won, it was also hard. It is not easy for an army of 500,000 people and a million people to work hard for months. Not to mention, the people of Youzhou have suffered so much that it will take a long time to recover. This battle was the result of Yelu Hongji's disregard for the ideas of others and his insistence on going his own way. If you don't get punished and don't let him clearly understand the consequences, the minister will be unwilling in the end! If Your Majesty grants permission, the minister is willing to take charge of this prison camp personally, so that these Khitans can understand what is wrong! ”

Zhao Zhen said: "Since the Taiwei said so, then so be it." The prison camp is under the control of the Privy Council, so you just have to do it. On the battlefield, Yeluhongki is not your opponent, and now it is nothing. ”

Du Zhongxiao thanked him. He just couldn't be angry, Yelu Hongji had caused such serious consequences, how could he not be punished. Don't look at the Song army's few casualties, the people of Youzhou have suffered great losses. Of the 400,000 recruits, only a few tens of thousands survived. There was also food that was requisitioned, causing a large number of people to starve to death. As a result of this war, Youzhou lost seven or eight hundred thousand people, nearly half.

Although the efficiency of killing people in the era of cold weapons was not high, the impact on society was far greater than that of later generations. A big war, halving the population is simply too easy. Even in the peaceful years, most of the people can't eat enough, and when the war comes, I don't know how many people die of starvation. When the grain is requisitioned, people are fine, and when the grain is gone, people will soon starve to death.

Yanyun and other places had been fighting for several years because of the dispute between Yelu Hongji and Yelu Chongyuan. This time, the army moved south, and the local area was uprooted and suffered great damage. The Khitans did not care whether the Han people lived or died, and the damage caused was particularly great.

Zhao Zhen saw that something was wrong with the scene, and said: "The battle of Youzhou is over, the main Khitan force is wiped out, and other places will be easy to fight." Taiwei, it's been a few days since the siege of Datong Mansion, how is it now? If the attack is not easy, send some more troops. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Because the war in Youzhou was in full swing, Wang Kai and He Bin were ordered at that time not to attack the city with all their might. When the war in Youzhou is over, Datong Mansion will be easy to handle. A few days ago, he sent Yelu Xiantong, Yelu Renxian and Xiao Xulie to persuade Xijing, who was guarding the city, to stay behind and Yelu Sect was willing to sacrifice the city. Yerod did not oppose the dedication of the city, but wanted some benefits. Jeluhonki was put in prison camp, how should he be answered? Momentarily froze. Wang Kai gave Yelu Zong three days, and when the time came, if he didn't sacrifice the city, he would attack it. ”

Hearing this, Wen Yanbo muttered in his heart again. A Datong Mansion, Xijing of the Khitan, Yeluzong is willing to sacrifice the city, what's wrong with asking for some benefits? Isn't it difficult for the imperial court? Du Zhongxiao didn't agree, he was too stingy. However, Youzhou won, and Du Zhongxiao's reputation is rising at this time, so it's hard to say anything.

Zhao Zhen said: "It is not surprising that Yelu Sect is willing to think so. However, what the captain said made sense. At this time, the Khitan had no strong troops, and Datong Mansion was stubbornly defending, and without reinforcements, it would not be able to hold it after all. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's not just that you can't keep it. In fact, it was Wang Kai and He Bin who did not attack the city with all their might, so they dragged on these days. In addition, the road to Datong Mansion was rugged, and the heavy artillery did not arrive, so it could be defended. If it is a desperate death, Wang Kai's two armies will attack the city with all their might, and they will soon be down. ”

Wen Yanbo said: "If Yelu Sect is willing not to sacrifice the city, and the city is broken in the end, what does Taiwei plan to do with him?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "He has been given a chance, if he doesn't seize it, wait until the city is broken, and behead the city." Let him make an example for the other Khitan guards to see. After breaking Datong Mansion, he also had to attack Shengzhou, so that the Khitans would understand what to do. ”

After listening to Du Zhongxiao's words, everyone didn't speak for a while. Yelu Zongyuan is the emperor's uncle, not an ordinary royal family, but the emperor's own uncle, so he kills it, which always makes people feel weird in their hearts. However, thinking about Yelu Hongji being imprisoned in the prison camp, Du Zhongxiao still has to clean up, and it is not uncommon to kill an imperial uncle.