The official office of Zhuozhou, Yang Ji of Zhizhou and Yelupo of Zhiyi Prefecture sat opposite each other, discussing the recent situation.

After talking about some miscellaneous matters, Yelupo said: "I heard that many of the people under the rule of Zhuozhou have fled to the Song Realm to avoid the errand service. Zhizhou, such a matter is disgraceful to the imperial court and must be properly handled. ”

Yang Ji said: "At the beginning of the year, the Song people captured Shuozhou, and the army was extremely strong. In order to prevent the Song people from going north from Hebei Road, they repaired the city. hated that those small people were used to being lazy, so they crossed the river together and fled to the territory of the Song Kingdom. I have gone to Muxiong Prefecture to send the fugitives back, but there has been no response. ”

Yelupo nodded: "At the beginning of the year, the Song people won a game, not as good as before. Ma Huaide, the governor of Xiongzhou, has been in the army for many years, accumulating merits, and is not an ordinary person. People fled there, and it was not easy for them to come back. ”

Yang Ji drank a cup of tea and sighed: "Yes, judging from Ma Huaide's reply, there is no intention of returning people." Lost a battle at the beginning of the year, and the Song people have grown in ambition, and they are not better at talking than before. If there is no threat from soldiers and horses, Song Eryan is only afraid that it will get higher and higher. It is to invite Zhizhou to come, combine the power of the two states, and wait for the autumn to be high, the horse is fat, and the Song people are scared by going south. ”

Yelupo drank a cup of tea and did not speak for a while. Zhuozhou and Yizhou are the front line, there are quite a lot of garrisons, and the two states work together, and it is not difficult for one or two thousand people to get together. However, there are also a lot of Song troops on the opposite side, and if you can't catch the gap, it will be troublesome to be surrounded by the Song army.

Seeing that Yelupo didn't speak, Yang Ji said: "I will play this matter and stay behind, and Zhizhou doesn't have to be embarrassed." There are quite a lot of Song troops on the other side, and only I, the soldiers and horses of Zhuozhou, can't do this. Only by joining forces in the two states can the Song people be caught off guard. ”

Yelupo said: "Caught off guard? I have heard that the Song people are transferring Liu Jiyi's army from Hedong Road to Hebei Road. If they arrive in Xiongzhou, how can the soldiers and horses of the two states go to tease? Zhizhou, the Song people dispatched troops and gathered heavy troops in the south, which is not something that our two states can deal with. ”

Listening to Yelupo's words, Yang Ji was a little discouraged. I have also heard that Liu Ji's army is about to arrive on Hebei Road, and the striker has already set off. It's just that I don't know where Liu Ji's garrison is, and if it's in Xiongzhou, it really can't cross the river.

After being silent for a while, Yang Ji sighed: "If you can't teach Song people a lesson this time, I'm afraid that it will get worse later." Although there were not many people who fled to the Song realm last month, they could not be recovered, for fear that others would follow suit. ”

Yelupo said: "This matter does not have to be forced. You can do the Song people, and if they don't pay it back, we will also tempt their people. ”

Yang Ji shook his head and said: "Zhizhou, the Song people don't collect taxes in Xiongzhou, how can they be tempted?" In order to pay taxes, only our people fled there. Not to mention, if this matter is not handled well, it is difficult to say whether the people on the south bank of the autumn tax will pay it or not. ”

"How can you not pay it?" Jerepo waved his hand. "The two losers in Xiongzhou have been for decades, and the Song people have not said anything. Before the Chongyuan Rebellion, it had been five years of fighting, and it was possible not to use troops or not to use troops. ”

Yang Ji listened, just drank tea, and didn't speak. Yelupo's words were so light, he escaped under his own rule, not Yizhou, of course he could watch the excitement. If you don't ask the people back, how can you give an account? Not to mention, to prevent the Song people from coming north, the city must be repaired, and future errands are indispensable. If the people flee to the south bank as soon as there is a messenger, how can they be the governor?

Adjacent to the Song Dynasty, Xijin Mansion is an important production area of Khitan money, grain, silver and silk, and is an important place for Khitan, with many garrisons. However, in Zhuozhou and Yizhou on the front line, the garrison was less than 30,000 people, which was not too much. Compared with the Song Dynasty, the Khitans had relatively few troops deployed on the front line, and their number of full-time standing armies was not large. The advantage was the army that the nomads could quickly expand.

Therefore, the Song Dynasty played the Khitan, and it often got an advantage in the early stage, and it went smoothly. But once the Khitan is fully mobilized, there will be a steady stream of troops coming from the grassland, and it will be more and more difficult to fight. Correspondingly, the Khitan attack on the Song Dynasty often had a lot of momentum in the early stage, and once it was held and entered the stage of stalemate, the Khitans could not last.

If Yang Ji wanted to retaliate militarily against the Song Dynasty, it was not enough to rely on Zhuozhou and Yizhou alone, and at least he had to get the support of the people left behind in Nanjing. Now staying in Nanjing is Yelu Hongji's cousin Xie Jianu, whose Han name is Yelu Zongyun. He was stationed in various places for a long time, and stayed in Nanjing a few years ago to support Yeluhong in the battle of Chongyuan, and was extremely trusted. After fighting for five years, it was not easy to get him to agree to use troops against Song.

After drinking tea for a while, Yang Ji said: "If the Song people insist on not returning the people of Nandu, it will be unfavorable to the state." I will report this matter to the imperial court, and wait for the imperial court to decide. At the beginning of the year, because Xiao Ge defected to the south, he had already lost Shuozhou. If you are soft on Song again this time, it will be difficult to convince the public. ”

Yelupo said: "After five years of fighting, the country is exhausted. In any case, you have to endure for a few years, and when the people's strength gradually recovers, you can compete with Song for a short time. In the past five years, Xijin Mansion has produced grain and people, and it can't stand the toss. ”

Yang Ji said: "In the autumn and winter, look at the right time and go to the Song Realm to fight the grass valley, what's the problem?" It's not a war with Song, where will it affect the place and what! According to my estimates, there are 20,000 or 30,000 people, in a month's time, to go back and forth to the Song country to see that the Song people are still hard-mouthed! ”

Yelupo shook his head: "Twenty or thirty thousand people went, one is not good, what if you are stopped by the Song people?" Or come back, what should I do if the Song Dynasty army chases after me? At that time, if there is no heart to go to war, will the Song people believe it? ”

Hearing this, Yang Ji burst out laughing: "Zhizhou, will the Song people chase after the Juma River?" Not to mention that they don't have the ability to go deeper, if they cross the Juma River, they will tear their faces with this dynasty. At that time, every autumn and winter, the soldiers and horses went south to fight the grass valley, how did the Song people respond? ”

Yelupo said lightly: "Don't forget, when I was in Shuozhou at the beginning of the year, the Song people had already torn their faces. Now it is not as good as before, the combat strength of the Song people is not weak, how can it be that the soldiers and horses of this dynasty can go if they want to, and they can leave if they want? ”

Yang Ji pursed his lips, obviously not convinced. At the beginning of the year, I also heard about the war in Shuozhou, which was when the army destroyed Chongyuan, and at the end of the strong crossbow, the Song Dynasty picked up a bargain. If the Khitan gathers a large army and comes and goes, it will be seen that the Song army can still be so durable.

Yelupo shook his head, and didn't bother to argue with Yang Ji. Picking up the tea, I was about to drink the tea, when suddenly there was a violent shaking, and the sky was spinning. Hurriedly clung to the table, barely steady.

Yang Ji on the side was caught off guard, fell off his seat suddenly, and rolled to the ground.

"What's going on? Suddenly the world is spinning! Yelupo grabbed the table and shouted at Yang Ji on the other.

Yang Ji was so frightened that his soul flew out of the sky, and he hurriedly got up, only to feel that the ground was shaking so badly that he couldn't stand on his feet, and he fell again. After climbing a few steps on the ground, Yang Ji hugged the pillar next to him hard, and was so shocked that he didn't dare to move.

After I don't know how long, the soldiers outside ran in and said loudly: "Zhizhou, there is a sudden earthquake, please go outside to take shelter!" ”

Only then did Yang Ji and Yelupo know what was happening, and they were supported by the soldiers and walked out of the official hall quickly. When I got outside, I found that there were houses nearby that had collapsed, and there were people who couldn't avoid them, crying out for help in misery.

Yelupo looked around and said to Yang Ji: "It's not a good thing that the earthquake fell from the sky. Zhizhou, think twice! ”