"My Great Song Dynasty has been running the Western Regions for a hundred years, why can't I afford to supply 200,000 troops to fight against Mongolia in Broken Leaves?"

Zhao Xin's face was gloomy and a little terrifying. Although there are now diplomatic relations between the Western Song and the Great Zhou, both recognize each other's existence. But both countries (as did the Eastern Song Dynasty) held the idea of ultimate unification. Resolutely believe that the time will be together!

In this way, it is a question of who unifies whom!

If the Great Zhou usurped the leadership of Zhuxia by encircling and suppressing Temujin, then most of the people who will dominate the world in the future will be the Great Zhou......

"Your Majesty," Han Tuoxuan, the left minister of the Great Song Dynasty, stepped forward and said, "The battle of the Western Expedition must be won, as long as it wins, it is easy to say anything, if you don't win, ...... it"

If you don't win, you're in big trouble!

Now the Western Song Dynasty was a feudal military state, and it had to wage constant wars to meet the needs of the military class below. Moreover, wars must be won more and less defeated, and it is not possible to always defeat battles.

The last time he fought in the Central Plains, he was defeated...... If this battle for the western expedition is lost again, the consequences will be unimaginable. Maybe it will really start a revolution and ruin Zhao Xin's precious life.

Therefore, in Han Tuoxuan's view, it is the most important thing to ensure the victory of the Western Expedition, and as for the false name of the head of Zhuxia, it is not a matter at all.

As long as the battle is won, there will be no major problems in the Western Song Dynasty.

"Therefore, it is a good thing that Zhou is willing to come forward to organize an anti-Temujin alliance." Han Tuoxuan said slowly, "It's better than them going to form an alliance with Temujin, right?" ”

"Zhou and Temujin's alliance?" Zhao Xin gritted his teeth. This possibility cannot be ruled out 100 percent. Even if they did not dare to openly unite with Temujin due to the "China First" ideology, would they secretly fund Temujin?

Han Tuoxuan then said: "Even if Zhou Guo will not join forces with Temujin, he will not cobble together an anti-Temujin alliance...... With the strength of our dynasty, there is no way to unite the Western Liao, the Golden Horde, Egypt, the Eastern Romans, and the Western Romans (referring to the Holy Rome) against Temujin.

This kind of thing, only Zhou Guo and Jiang Ning can do it!

If there is no alliance to encircle and suppress Temujin, Temujin will be able to obtain weapons and gunpowder by blackmailing Western Liao, the Golden Horde, Egypt, and Rome, and the war in the Western Regions will be protracted! ”

Now the Western Song Dynasty recognized the Zhou State, but still did not recognize the Eastern Song Dynasty. However, it is rarely called the Eastern Song Dynasty by a traitor, but instead of "Jiangning".

Zhao Xin snorted coldly, and then there was a silence, and only after a while did he say: "Then I will join forces with Zhou Guo for the time being......"

His gaze slowly swept over the ministers in the palace, and finally fell on Yue Ke, a member of the Privy Council, "Yue Qing, I have agreed to join forces with the Zhou State. The battle of the Western Expedition must be won! Are you sure you'll win? ”

"As long as 200,000 troops are dispatched, the minister will be sure of victory!"

"Good!" Zhao Xin paused, "So who is the head coach?" ”

"Your Majesty, the minister recommended Guo Baoyu as the deputy marshal of the Western Expedition." Yue Ke said, "As for the candidate for the head coach of the Western Expedition, the minister thinks that the prince should be appointed. In order to set up a feudal king in the west after victory. ”

The establishment of the town guard vassal king is the system of the Western Song Dynasty, and it has been implemented for 80 years since Zhao Huan established the Jingchu Palace. Basically, every generation of Western Song emperors would set up one or two vassal kings.

And Zhao Xin was not long on the throne, and he didn't have time to set up a town guard vassal king, and there was no place to seal it.

"Good!" Zhao Xin nodded, "My eldest son is a concubine, who has had the ambition to join the army since he was a child, and has just graduated from Huashan Martial Arts Hall. It's just the right time to take charge...... In addition, the kings of Jingchu, Dali, Shule, Gaochang, Tubo, Khotan, and Qingtang also sent their eldest sons to escort the expedition!

This time, I'm going to have an eldest son go west! ”

……

The edict of the eldest son to the west was soon copied in countless copies and pasted inside and outside the city gates of various county towns in the Western Song Dynasty. At the same time, it also comes with a notice to recruit military households, Wu Xiucai, and Wu Juren to join the army.

Different from the "one-time" Wenju people in the early years, the current target shooters have two long-term fames: "Xiucai" and "Juren". However, these two fame are not valid for life, but are linked to service, and the Western Song Dynasty scholars who have the fame of "gun show" and "gun lifter" have the obligation to be called into the army as musketeers. In fact, they are the reservists of the Western Song Dynasty!

If they are not willing to serve in the reserves, then they will lose their reputation. In the future, they will no longer be allowed to take the imperial examinations, and they will also lose the official benefits that come with fame—they will have certain tax exemptions and exemption privileges from military service.

However, under normal circumstances, these "target shooting talents" and "target shooting talents" will not evade military service. Because their ability is to make a contribution on the battlefield...... What they have learned is the necessary skill of "loyalty to the monarch and patriotism"!

It is their duty to go into battle to kill the enemy and make meritorious achievements!

In the last Central Plains War, the gun doctor team composed of "target shooting talents" and "target shooting people" was the ace branch of the Western Song Dynasty.

Compared to ordinary musketeers who used mass-produced smoothbore guns and could only rely on pikes or bastions or other fortifications (there were also ordinary musketeers in the Western Song Dynasty), their tactics were very flexible. It can shoot in formation, disperse, ambush, and snipe enemy officers on the battlefield. Sometimes they can also move on horseback, fighting with scout cavalry, shooting the opposing scouts at the front line.

It was precisely because of their outstanding performance that the Western Song Dynasty was defeated in the Second Central Plains War, and there was no major defeat, and they also caused casualties to the Eastern Song Dynasty and the New Zhou Dynasty that were no less than their own.

In this expedition to the west, the eldest son of the Western Song Dynasty, Zhao Xin of course had to dispatch his ace musketeers.

At present, the Western Song Dynasty has a population of 40 million, and there are about 200,000 Hanmen scholars who study and shoot targets to pass on their families, accounting for about 5% of the population. And those who have Wu Xiucai and above fame are about 150,000.

It won't be all mobilized, it won't take so much, and it can only be mobilized in the mode of drawing lots-show talents, raise people to kill the enemy, and you have to draw lots! Da Song Zhen is also swept away.

However, if the Southern Song Dynasty in history had this momentum, the imperial examination would not be an article, but an archery test...... Hundreds of thousands of scholars have been admitted to be masters like Jebe, and the Mongols can't get in.

Now the 50,000 talents and people who have won the lottery are of course happily carrying their own customized arquebuses, majestic, and high-spirited towards Chang'an......

At the same time, about 100,000 soldiers were mobilized. They mainly charged as musketeers, pikemen, and baggage soldiers.

About 20,000 officers, engineers, cavalry, and artillerymen would join the expeditionary force.

The remaining 30,000 posts were provided by the seven vassal kings of Jingchu, Dali, Shule, Gaochang, Tubo, Khotan, and Qingtang.

In addition to conscription and the formation of an army, the Western Song Dynasty also needed to prepare some weapons, horses, vehicles and equipment, and also needed to raise a large amount of grain and grass.

Weapons, horses, vehicles, and equipment are not a problem. First, there is not much needed - because the Western Song Dynasty has no money, it can only take the road of serving soldiers to the people, and allowing the people to hold a considerable amount of ordnance.

Among them, the military family can hold all kinds of weapons, including plate armor, smoothbore guns, and crossbow machines! It's just that there is a limit on the number of holdings, but the scale is still very wide.

Ordinary civilians, on the other hand, were not allowed to have plate armor and heavy smoothbore guns (which had been eliminated in the East), but they could have ordinary armor and light smoothbore guns, which were used in the imperial examinations. And after having fame, "target shooting talents" and "target shooting people" can also purchase all weapons, including plate armor and heavy smoothbore guns.

Therefore, the mobilized talents, lifters, and military households basically brought their own weapons. The Western Song Dynasty only needed to prepare some heavy weapons and reserve weapons, as well as gunpowder, arrows and other consumables.

However, the supply of food and grass for the army is a very headache.

An army of 200,000 marched more than 10,000 miles away! It is impossible to rely on transporting grain from Hexi and Guanzhong. Even if the grain was transferred from the King of Shule and the King of Gaochang in the Western Regions, there were more than 2,000 miles of slow and long distances.

The loss of 2,000 miles of grain transportation can reach almost 90%!

That is to say, if King Shule and King Gaochang wanted to prepare a year's worth of grain and grass for the 200,000 expeditionary troops, then the grain they actually raised was enough for 2 million people for a year.

Moreover, the long distance of transporting grain for 2,000 miles is only from Gaochang City to Broken Leaf City!

As for the west of the broken leaves...... Hehe, I'm afraid that I have to rely on the troops to settle the fields and raise them on the spot to solve the supply, so I have to mobilize so many troops.

Therefore, when the news of the Great Song Dynasty's preparations for the westward expedition against Mongolia reached Samarkand, Temujin, who had already secured the position of the overlord of Central Asia, did not panic at all, but laughed heartily in front of his sons and courtiers.

"If the Great Zhou and the Eastern Song Dynasty want to send troops to war, I still have a little worry, this Western Song Dynasty ...... It's not worth mentioning at all, how many years can you walk on two feet on such a long road! ”

The great Genghis Khan smiled and said to his son Jochi: "Jochi, you immediately take a team of 10,000 people to break leaves." ”

"Father Khan," Jochi stood up and saluted, "do you want your son to hold on to Broken Leaf City?" ”

"Hold on?" Temujin smiled: "That's what the Han, Khitan, and Jurchen people like to do. We Mongols will not stay in the castle and wait for the enemy to fight. ”

When Jochi heard this, cold sweat came out of his forehead.

He was not born of the Great Khan, but of an adulterous one. It turned out that when Temujin had just risen to prominence in the Oishi Guards in his early years, his mother, who had stayed in his hometown, told him that he was a protégé and married his son Ether of the Hongji tribe. But this Badtie was snatched away by a neighboring tribe shortly after the marriage!

Later, it was with the help of Zamuhe, who also served in the Oishi Guard, that he snatched the child back. But that's nine months later!

And the snatched back is already pregnant with Liujia, and later gave birth to a son, Jochi......

Therefore, Jochi's position in the Temujin family has always been awkward, and there is always an illusion that someone wants to harm him.

Now his cheap Lao Tzu wants him to lead 10,000 people to deal with the powerful Western Song Dynasty, no matter how you look at it, it's a trap!

"Father Khan, do you want your son to lead troops to a decisive battle with the Western Song Dynasty?"

Temujin smiled: "Can you beat them?" ”

"Son...... Can't beat it. ”

"Father Khan, please Chagatai is willing to fight!" Temujin's second son, Chagatai, immediately jumped out.

Of all Temujin's sons, Chagatai was the elder brother who he looked down on the most - without Jochi, he would be the eldest son!

"Chagatai!" Temujin still smiled, "You can't beat them!"

But it doesn't matter, we Mongols don't fight a tough battle that we will lose. The winter climate of the grasslands, deserts, mountains, and Broken Leaf City will naturally defeat those Han people for us! ”

Now it's the era of one Han and five hu again! Even the weakest of the three heroes of Zhuxia, the Western Song Dynasty, has 150,000 talented people who kill people without blinking! The hardcover customized smoothbore guns in their hands are not vegetarian, and within 100 steps, the guns are overwhelming!

No matter how awesome the Mongolian warriors are, you can get bullets? Therefore, a close battle was not at all within the scope of Temujin's consideration.

His solution is scorched earth tactics!

Temujin said, "Jochi, you should go." Don't go to war with the Han Chinese, we have few Mongols, and we can't afford to change them one to one. So defeat them by stratagem! The weakness of the Han Chinese was that they could not drive cattle and sheep for grazing, so they had to rely on long transportation lines to supply grain and grass. And when the transportation lines are too long, they will choose to supply on the spot.

Our solution is to put them in Shattered Leaf City, and then cut off their logistical lines, while completely destroying Broken Leaf and its surroundings. They are not left with a grain of grain, a cow or a sheep or a house in good condition. It is also necessary to destroy as much as possible all the farmland and water conservancy ditches. ”

"What about the people of Shattered Leaf City?" Jochi asked.

Broken Leaf City was originally a large stronghold of the Xiliang Han family, and it was also an important transit station on the land Silk Road, which was very prosperous and had a large population. The surrounding area is also open, which is a very good area.

Now the Han family and all the knights who are attached to the Han family have disappeared, but there are still many ordinary people.

"Bring the craftsmen to Samarkan," Temujin said coldly, "kill the others!" ”

Of course Temujin loved to kill! Needless to say? He often slaughtered the Golden Horde, the Great Stone Empire, and the Mongol tribes during his conquests!

However, compared to the Temujin in history, the murderous nature is still much more restrained. After all, he is now a civilized person, and he still believes in the Bright Heaven Doctrine. So kill only when he thinks it is necessary......

And killing all the people around the broken leaves, in his opinion, is completely necessary!

Without killing them all, it is impossible to completely scorch the earth. Because there will always be some grain that will be hidden by the people!

Moreover, there are many rich valleys in the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains near Broken Leaves, and the Mongols do not have the energy to search them one by one...... Don't dare to do that!

Muskets are not uncommon in Shattered Leaf City. Many hunters and valley knights in the Tianshan Mountains are good at hunting with muskets, and the Mongols will crash into it, and if they don't do it, they will become targets!

Therefore, Temujin's method was to slaughter the area around the broken leaves, create an atmosphere of terror, and scare those mountain people so that they did not dare to go down the mountain for a period of time.