Looking at the rolling mountains, the green grassy land, and the occasional dotted cattle and sheep, Du Zhongxiao said: "It's quiet and peaceful here, where can I think that there will be a big war next?" The Khitan in this area has been in business for a long time, and it seems that the life of the people is better than that of Youzhou. ”

Li Zhang said: "It's not like that. It's just that after Yelu Zongzhen died in battle, Yelu Chongyuan and Yelu Hongji competed for status, and the exploitation of Youzhou was too heavy, which is what it looks like. In fact, in the past, Youzhou was still much better than here. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "It also makes sense." At this time, the people were not doing well, and most of them were related to the exploitation of the imperial court. ”

Walking forward again, Liu Ji and a group of officials were already waiting outside the city. Seeing Du Zhongxiao and others coming, he hurriedly brought them up to greet him.

After the salute, everyone entered the city of Yuzhou. The area around Dading Mansion is a prosperous place in Khitan, and the streets in Yuzhou City are clean and tidy, and it looks more lively.

When they arrived at the official office, the guests and hosts sat down. Liu Ji introduced Xiao Jiuge, the governor of Yuzhou, and greeted Du Zhongxiao.

Du Zhongxiao said: "You have contributed to the city, don't doubt in your heart, there will be rewards for the court in the future." These days, the state affairs are still handled by you, waiting for the decree of the court. There is no need to worry about the war ahead, and there is no need to bother you. ”

Brother Xiao Jiu said yes. Said: "I used to hear the reputation of the captain, and he used soldiers like gods, and he used soldiers for many years without losing a battle. Seeing it today is really a blessing for three lives. These days, it is a blessing for the lower officials to be able to wait for the captain. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "You are an official of the imperial court, just do your part with peace of mind, and the imperial court will definitely reward you." ”

After a few kind words, everyone sat down. Liu Ji ordered the wine and food to come up and celebrate Du Zhongxiao and the others together.

After drinking two glasses of wine, Du Zhongxiao said: "This battle is extraordinary, I and the two captains, Wang and Jia, led the cavalry to rush first. Now 30,000 cavalry came, and the infantry was still behind. Taiwei Liu, how is the Dading Mansion in the north, you can tell me. ”

Liu Jidao: "Since I led the troops into Yuzhou, there has been no movement in Dading Mansion. After receiving the news that the Taiwei led the army to leave Danzhou, I sent people to occupy the Luming Mountain Pass in the north, and the Khitan did not defend it. Now the situation is really a bit confusing. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "No matter what the Khitan wants to do, when our army arrives, everything will be easy." If they want to defend it, we will gather our heavy forces and break through the city. They want to flee, we have tens of thousands of cavalry in pursuit, where can we flee to? ”

Liu Jidao: "Dading Mansion is a heavy Khitan city, the city is eight miles wide and eight miles long, which is not comparable to other cities. The defenders of the city, estimated at about 13,000 people, were not too many. The palaces of Huluduo, except for the one that Yelu Hongji regarded as his own, the rest were mostly scattered around the nomadic herding. Until now, these Zarudor have not gathered, and it does not look like they are trying to escape. ”

Jia Kui on the side said: "In this way, the Khitan doesn't look like they want to escape." When our army arrived, how could they escape? Even if the nomadic horse, the cattle and sheep always can't run fast, how can they escape the pursuit of the cavalry? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "We don't have to be suspicious, anyway, we always can't guess correctly." Now that the army has arrived in Yuzhou, Ren Khitan is full of tricks, and he can't escape from our hands and feet. Check the terrain tomorrow, and in a few days, the army will cross Luming Mountain and come to the city of Dadingfu! ”

The generals will make a promise together. is about to face the last battle against the Khitan, and there will be no big battles to fight after that, and the morale of the people is high.

After the banquet, Du Zhongxiao went to his residence to rest for two hours. By the time I woke up, it was already dark. Ordered someone to call Zhao Zi, Wang Kai and Jia Kui to discuss matters in their own room.

The three of them arrived, sat down separately, and Du Zhongxiao said: "The current situation, I estimate that the Khitan may not have an idea." After Yelu Hongji was captured, they have not been able to choose a new master, and there may be several reasons. First, the disputes between the parties are too great. Yelu Hongji's heirs are now young, and there must be many people who are inclined to make emperors. However, there is a precedent for the dispute between Yelu Hongji and Yelu Chongyuan, and there must be a lot of opposition. There is also a possibility that the Khitans were waiting for news from Yelu Hongji. We put Yelu Hongji in the prison camp, and we never contacted the Khitan again, and we were not going to exchange Yelu Hongji for anything from the Khitan. The Khitans may not think so. ”

Jia Kui nodded: "What the captain said is true." We came with a large army, and the Khitan may not take it seriously. Maybe they thought, we should send someone to contact them and tell them what kind of conditions Yelu Hongji promised before sending them back. All they had to do was say yes, and Jeluhonki would return. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "The Khitan people are so abnormal, this possibility is the greatest. Of course, it is also possible that the Khitans have simply become a mess, and no one has an idea, which is what it looks like. ”

Zhao Zi shook his head: "The Khitan country is a big country, and there is absolutely no possibility of messing it all up. Although most of the princes and ministers were captured by us in Youzhou, there were still many ministers who remained in Zhongjing. At critical moments, there are always people who come out to make ideas. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Therefore, the most likely thing is that the Khitan judges what conditions we want to use Yelu Hongji in exchange for the Khitan." ”

Du Zhongxiao thought about this question for a long time and was puzzled by the movements of the Khitan. No matter what happened, it was said that the upper echelons of the Khitan would not be unactively prepared for the Song army's attack. If you want to escape, you should prepare early. In the end, only one conclusion can be drawn, the Khitan and the Song Dynasty have different views on Yelu Hongji's positioning. The Song Dynasty regarded Yelu Hongji as an ordinary prisoner of war, and never thought of exchanging Yelu Hongji for anything from the Khitan. The Khitan people don't think so, and always feel that the Song Dynasty should use Yelu Hongji to exchange benefits from the Khitan.

What are the benefits? Now the soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty are strong and strong, and the soldiers are full of food, so they can take what they need. The Khitan thought that the Song Dynasty would definitely allow itself to compromise, but they didn't want the Song Dynasty to compromise at all, and wanted to surrender.

Surrender. The Khitans must have felt ridiculous, as a great power, how could they surrender because of a defeat in a war. The loss of the sixteen states of Yanyun is nothing more than the Khitan retreating to the desert grassland, slowly recuperating, and always recovering. Actually? In the decline of a great power, how many will there be a chance of recovery?

For a big country, even if its national strength declines, it cannot wake up from the recovery it once had. I always feel that I have just made a small mistake temporarily, and as long as I change it, I will immediately come back to life. But they don't know that the state is just like people, the body is decrepit, the mind is rigid, and it is actually impossible to recover. The so-called recovery can only be reborn in blood many times.

Wang Kai said: "Taiwei, if the Khitan really thinks that we only want to compromise with them, what conditions do we want?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "What can I do?" The army is coming, and it is to fight it. What the Khitans think, we don't need to know, and we don't need to understand them. Why do you care what the Khitans think? We just need to know how to win. ”

Zhao Zi said: "What the Taiwei said is true. We don't care what the Khitans think, we just need to fight the battle well. Now there are only more than 10,000 defenders in Dading Mansion in the north, and the Huluduo is distributed around, and we are marching north, not only to besiege Dadingfu, but also to defeat these Huluduo. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded, lowered his head and thought for a while: "In this way, Liu Ji's army marched north and besieged Dading Mansion. The 30,000 cavalry brought this time was led by Wang Kai and Jia Kui to attack the surrounding Khitan Huluduo. By the way, the siege doesn't need too many cavalry, and the 60,000 cavalry in Liu's army are also divided into your two armies. With the fastest speed, while surrounding the city, destroy all the surrounding Erudos! ”