On the streets and alleys of Bianjing, there are a lot of soldiers wearing military uniforms at this time.

Almost all the families of the forbidden army live in Bianjing City and Chengxiang, and their main income is the soldiers' income. Because the residence is not far away, if you want to gather into an army, as long as the military order is determined above, you can assemble within three days.

This time, the reason was to wait for the guards to gather, and the time limit was fifteen days. For such a long time, some people arrived first and wandered around the city.

The structure above has been changed beyond recognition, but the low-level generals and soldiers hardly feel any difference. Military orders still come from the commander, and military salaries are issued by the military department, but the number has not changed; The settling-in allowance given before the expedition is also the same.

It's also a little different, I was equipped with firearms and trained a few months ago, which is very simple, and it feels troublesome at first use, but it is actually much simpler than archery. Everyone is also willing to learn, the job of a professional soldier is to fight, and they will use all kinds of weapons, just like the craftsman's craft for them, and they are not afraid of learning well, but they are afraid that the master will keep a hand.

In addition, new winter clothes have also been issued.

After everyone changed into it, they didn't want to wear the old uncomfortable uniforms anymore. The new Rong uniform board is good-looking, and everyone looks at each other and praises: "Not bad!" Not bad! ”

After all, Emperor Lu Fei was born in the forbidden army, and he treated his brothers very well! Anyway, the treatment of the low-level soldiers has increased unabated, good clothes and food, and all kinds of favors make everyone feel that the emperor has not forgotten them...... After all, at this time, many ordinary people still did not have enough to eat.

…… At this time, the Great Dynasty was ushered in, and this was the last main hall Dynasty before Lu Fei's personal expedition to Western Xia. Hundreds of people from Bianjing civil and military circles congratulated them on the main hall. Outside the Long Live Palace, there were thousands of people saluting the majestic hall on the open ground, they were the entourage of the ministers who accompanied them into the imperial city, as well as some minor officials, and even the emperor could not see them.

The eunuchs in the hall, the civil officials on the pedestal outside, and at the same time read out the edict of the emperor of the Great Sage Dynasty in public.

Roughly speaking, the Central Plains was kind to the party members, and the Tang Dynasty court assigned the rich and vast lands such as the Western Xia to the party people to live and farm. However, the leaders of the various party departments were ungrateful, did not respect the imperial power, colluded with the enemy country, turned their backs on the imperial court, and became a problem at the border gates.

“…… The emperor of the Great Sage Dynasty is the son of heaven, and he is the master of man by the mandate of heaven, and he rules the people of the four directions in the universe. Those who do not respect the morality of heaven and those who are unrighteous will be cut down by the king and will do the right thing for heaven ......"

The civil official holding the edict in both hands on the pedestal stood tall, and his voice was slow and loud, as if echoing between the magnificent city towers and palaces on all sides. That momentum and tone are undoubted, God bestows the monarch's power, and every sentence kidnaps the will of heaven, since the imperial power is the mandate of heaven, the emperor's will is the most basic axiom. The emperor said that Western Xia was unjust, and it must be unjust!

A large group of people outside knelt down and shouted: "God bless my emperor, long life is boundless!" ”

Then the second edict, during the emperor's expedition, he appointed Empress Zhou of the Great Sage Dynasty to be regent on behalf of the Son of Heaven and to unify the domestic military and political power.

After reading the edict in the palace, the eunuch Wang conveniently stepped forward and sang: "If there is something to play, there is nothing to retreat." ”

**

Zhou Wei is afraid of heat and cold, when she appeared in the Baoci Palace, she was wrapped in a strict mink, and her white fur collar set off the vermilion and white face, and her hair was gorgeous.

All the concubines and important female officials gathered here, including the concubine Tuoba Agarwood. Eunuch Zhou Jiuzhi: "The emperor's decree is that during the Pingxia period, the Empress of the Zhou Dynasty, the Great Sage King, will lead the military and political affairs of the imperial court. ”

A group of women held their hands under the ribbons, bent their knees softly, and said in unison: "Congratulations to the queen." ”

Tuoba Agarwood also saluted, opened his mouth and blended in the crowd, but he didn't say anything. She couldn't stop this war, and at this time, as a member of the party, she congratulated in the Great Sage Dynasty, which was really embarrassing. There were a lot of people, but she felt isolated. I really don't want to stay here at this time, I want to find a place to hide!

Zhou Wei had her shoulders straight at this time, and she looked down on everyone with honor in her expression, confident and calm, and said slowly: "I am a woman, and I don't want to get involved in the government, but the emperor trusts me and entrusts me with great things, and I can't shirk it." I have to reluctantly make it difficult to take charge of the national weapon, such a worrying thing, and I feel a heavy responsibility, I don't think it's a good thing, there is nothing to congratulate. ”

There are true and false in this sentence, Zhou Wei did refuse, thinking that she had too much power, but Lu Fei actually said that there was nothing to give her, and she always felt that she was not good enough......

Zhou Wei thought of this, and a hint of blush appeared on her gorgeous face.

The ladies below said, "The queen will rule the country, and the country will be able to ...... the people."

Zhou Wei turned her head to look at the black cloud standing next to her, and said in public: "During my time in the outer court, the queen of the east will be in charge of all matters in the harem. ”

Wuzang Heiyun, who has almost been assimilated by the Han people, said obediently: "Everything is up to my sister." ”

After Lu Fei canonized the East and West, he did not distinguish between high and low, and only distinguished by the emperor's order when he encountered trouble.

Zhou Wei immediately said: "With the Fang family and the Xi family as the Shang Palace, stay by the Eastern Queen's side and assist in all matters in the harem." ”

Fang and Xi hurriedly bent their knees and said, "Xie Dasheng Dynasty Empress trusts. ”

Although Zhou Wei has been in this palace for a long time, there are few people who really trust, and even the White Lady doesn't know if she should fully believe it.

Zhou Wei didn't say anything else, and immediately got up and said, "It's not too early, this palace will go to the Long Live Palace." ”

Zhou Jiuzhi hurriedly said: "Queen Mother, the chariot is already waiting outside the palace. ”

A large group of women surrounded Zhou Wei out of the Baoci Palace, and when Zhou Wei asked the maids to support the luxurious carriage, a group of people bowed and said loudly: "Congratulations to the Empress of the Great Sage Dynasty." ”

The long and spacious straight street, looking at the palace in the distance from the translucent yellow curtain, is yellowish and hazy, and it is very different. The car drove slowly from the middle, as if walking on the avenue of Tongtian, and if she could walk freely in the car here, there would be no place in the world where she could not go!

Zhou Wei sat upright, with a calm smile on her face, and her demeanor was gentle, she looked so soft, but no one dared to disrespect her at all. The people she met along the way all bowed down and stood on the side of the road, waiting for her car to drive by.

…… Lu Fei was also in the Long Live Palace, and he met Cao Bin and Kou Zhun in the East Hall and explained some things. This time, the minister who presided over the military government of the former camp was Pan Mei, Cao Bin stayed in Bianjing, and Kou Zhun was the teacher of the princes and also stayed in Bianjing.

The warm and elegant study room is luxurious, and the furnishings are elegant, neat and spotless.

Lu Fei said with some sighs: "Someone (Tuoba Agarwood) once asked me, why do you want to attack and kill? ”

Cao Bin didn't seem to guess that it was Concubine Jin's words, so he said: "The emperor doesn't have to listen to the words of those corrupt Confucians, since ancient times, there has been no one who has strengthened mountains and rivers without attacking!" ”

Lu Fei said quietly: "I am not a person who is a poor soldier, and I don't like soldiers. But after thinking about it, there seems to be no more straightforward way than to use force. If you want to educate the border troubles with etiquette, play with diplomatic courtesy, the mountains are high and the road is far away, bargain, and if you want to make a little progress, you don't know the year of the monkey, and I will be old with you at that time. It is still the easiest to use soldiers, as long as we win the war, we are right in everything. ”

Cao Bin echoed: "The Great Sage Dynasty has always done so with its swords and the Quartet to establish the country with force. What's more, the barbarians don't understand reason and etiquette, and they only recognize force. With a heart of benevolence and righteousness, the emperor raised troops to fight, which was a last resort. ”

Kou Zhun nodded and said, "Yes, those barbarians are no different from beasts, and they are proud of marrying their own concubines and sisters-in-law in the name of righteousness!" The court of the Great Sage Dynasty is the principle of heaven, and it should teach them the etiquette of ethics and let the barbarians obey the king. ”

Lu Fei glanced at Kou Zhun and said, "The ancestors shed so much blood before they possessed Hexi, let's not talk about opening up the territory, let's get the lost place back first!" Taking down the Xixia Party is a matter of great importance, not only to remove the obstacles to the recovery of the Hexi Corridor, but also to cut off a huge hidden danger on the border. ”

Cao Bin and Kou Zhun listened, and hurriedly bowed: "The emperor is a towering house, wise and martial!" ”

Lu Fei had long since lost his feelings for such compliments, he sat on the chair, his face gradually recovered and took advantage of the opportunity, as if he was thinking about something. After a long time, he exhaled and said: "There are too few rules in this world, in the final analysis, it is bigger than a fist, and devoting yourself to armament is the right direction, and you will get huge rewards." Look at the Yellow Calendar, choose an auspicious sunrise teacher! ”

……

Outside the tall royal palace of Western Xia, there were all low houses. The winter chill had caused all the vegetation to wither, and the whole city was desolate, but there were many people, and the earthen walls were very lively, and the chiefs of the tribes from near and far had arrived with their men and horses.

The elite infantry of the Liao army is on the way; In addition, there are also the Dangxiang tribes in the west that have formed an alliance with the Tuoba family, and they also came with men and horses, and they want to pass through Lingzhou and other great holy armies to control the territory, but these border soldiers are few, mainly operating near the military town, and they are more than defensive, but it is difficult to prevent a large number of people and horses from passing.

The front of the palace was crowded with people, mostly party members wearing felt hats, some wearing animal skin hats, and people looked at the gray-haired and bearded men on the earthen wall.

The person standing above was none other than Tuoba Deming, the leader of the party departments, who wore armor, an iron sword around his waist, and a string of Buddhist beads around his neck. Tuoba Deming said loudly: "Han'er's treachery and dirtiness are obvious to the world!" Yesterday's oath of blood alliance is still echoing between the grassland and the mountains, and this king does not hesitate to marry the Bingqing jade Tuoba Agarwood to the Lu family in order to save the tribes from killing......"

Everyone was in an uproar, and everyone was filled with righteous indignation.

Seeing this, Tuoba Deming said: "However, only one year later, Han'er betrayed his promise, regarded the blood oath as a fart, and fabricated charges to attack the army!" They are narrow-minded, suspicious of all tribes, and only want to rob our cattle and sheep, kill our people, and take possession of all the land! ”

People shouted and were furious, and it was very easy for ordinary people to believe the words of the nobles, not to mention that Tuoba Deming was the leader of the alliance. "We are not slaves, we must fight to the end." "The big white master can't let Han'er bully ......"

Tuoba Deming was baptized by a pair of expectant eyes, and said excitedly: "Han'er's perverse behavior has aroused the wrath of the gods!" The Dangxiang, Khitan, Xi, Uighur, and Tibetan people are all angry at this, and we will abandon our old suspicions, form a coalition army, and teach the Han army a lesson together......"

Below, the Uighurs shouted in their own language: "The Uighurs are not allied with you!" ”

Tubo said: "Those demon cultists are all sinners in front of the Buddha. He whispered again: "Buddha Pudu sentient beings, exorcise demonic thoughts......

But very few people can understand it.

The Uighurs and Tibetans did not want to get involved in the war, and were mainly afraid of the power of the Central Plains and did not want to speak out as enemies. The influence of the Han and Tang dynasties in the northwest for many years has not completely disappeared in the frontiers, and they all know that the Central Plains people are numerous.

But the Uighurs and Tibetans wanted to see a party victory...... The Dangxiang were one of the best forces in the northwest, and if even they were defeated, the Uighurs who occupied Ganzhou and Suzhou in Hexi felt very dangerous at this time; The Tubo people occupied Liangzhou, Xiliang Prefecture, and also felt that the court of the Great Sage Dynasty would get involved in Hexi, because that place was originally snatched by the Han Dynasty from the Xiongnu.

As soon as the army of the Great Sage Dynasty arrived in the northwest, it would cause panic among too many forces.

All ethnic groups have sworn not to fall into the well, taking advantage of the danger of others, and have also sent some iron tools, cattle, sheep, grain and grass. It is expected that the Khitan coalition army can win the Great Sage Dynasty.

Tuoba Deming looked at a field of houses and countless people, fireworks in the distance, the sound of clanging iron could be faintly heard, the party people lived here, he wanted to see the party people grow up here, expand in all directions, and get more fertile land.

He didn't dare to move before, and he felt that he was getting old. And now, Tuoba Deming is not only afraid, but not so afraid after tearing his face, he is full of anticipation, and his heart is very excited!

He said in a not very loud voice: "The Great White Master wants a victory to be recognized by all races, as long as we win the victory of the Great Sage Dynasty, from then on we will be like wild horses that have escaped from the reins, and like high-flying eagles, no one can restrain us anymore......"

In the first year of the Heavenly Sage of the Great Sage Dynasty, it was the end of winter, which was the time of the cold winter wax moon. However, by the time the Great Holy Army arrives in the northwest, it may already be the end of the year or the beginning of next year.

Zhai Shigui, the general of the Liao State, was the first to arrive in Western Xia and immediately entered the palace to meet with Tuoba Deming.

Neither of them speaks the other's language, but both speak Chinese slowly. So the two sides partnered to deal with Han'er, but they could only communicate in Chinese and did not need an interpreter.

Zhai Shigui used to win Xiao Yanyan's trust, Xiao Yanyan died, he took refuge in Xiao Daling, and Xiao Daling also accepted him generously. He is a middle-aged man with a serious and serious expression, compared to the rounded face of most people in the Central Plains, Zhai Shigui's face is a little narrow and long, and the bridge of the nose is high. He wore a warm hat of animal skins and furry ears, and when he entered the palace, he bowed to Tuoba Deming.

Tuoba Deming immediately said: "This king is the leader of all ethnic groups in the party, and I hope that General Yang will restrain his subordinates and not attack the people of Pingxia." ”

Zhai Shigui said: "The public is worry-free, as long as the grain and straw needed by the Liao army are guaranteed, I will ensure that there will be no crimes in the autumn." He changed his tone and said hurriedly, "A few days ago, I would have received an urgent report from Xiao Gong, the privy envoy of the Northern Court, that it had been discovered that the Great Sage Army had mobilized 70,000 to 80,000 troops this time, including 40,......000 or 50,000 forbidden troops."

Tuoba Deming immediately showed a suspicious expression on his face after hearing this: "This king and the Great Liao have joined forces, and the Great Sage Dynasty has made such a big noise and thunder, and it is a posture that it wants to destroy the party, so it uses tens of thousands of people to attack?" ”

Zhai Shigui was also a little embarrassed, because at present, there were more than 100,000 coalition troops in various departments, and they were defending in the party's local area, and it was really rare for the attacking side to have about half of the strength of the defenders.

Zhai Shigui said: "This is the news sent by Xiao Gong himself, there should be no mistake." ”

Tuoba Deming asked: "The people of the Great Sage Dynasty are still in their country, how does the Great Liao know the strength of the Great Sage Army?" ”

Zhai Shigui replied: "I came here with a careful investigation." In the past, when the Great Liao spied on Bianjing, they all sent scouts to cross the Yellow River to investigate, and they were often captured by the inspection of the Central Plains; Or send envoys, but only see very little of the situation. Later, the Great Liao Yousi seized several spies of the Great Sage Dynasty in Shangjing, Xiao Gong was quite shocked, and the people of the Great Sage Dynasty went deep into the grassland to Shangjing without knowing it! When asked, it was found that they were disguised as businessmen, using the Khitan people to be greedy for profit and colluding with the Khitan people to hide their identities. Xiao Gong painted the scoop in the same way, and let the Great Liao spy disguise himself as a businessman, so as to benefit the people of the Great Sage Dynasty. Sure enough, it was hidden by the people of the Great Sage Dynasty as a chicken that lays golden eggs. Not long ago, Bianjing made a big show of it, gathering soldiers and horses on the outskirts of the city and checking people, which lasted for half a month. The people sent by Xiao Gong inquired many times and bribed the officials, and finally got the news. ”

Tuoba Deming still didn't believe it.

Zhai Shigui was not sure whether the news was prepared or not, after all, there were too many twists and turns. He suggested that Tuoba Deming plant spies on the southeastern roads, and wait for the Great Sage Army to approach Western Xia, and then spy on the spot.

Zhai Shigui said that, he suddenly remembered something, so he took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Tuoba Deming: "The letter written by Xiao Gong to Li Gong is all in the letter. ”

Tuoba Deming picked it up and saw that it was all in Chinese, written in very neat and beautiful small letters, and he didn't want Xiao Daling, a great Liao minister, to be so proficient in Chinese...... Obviously, Xiao Daling can't write the party script, and they can't understand the Khitan script, and in the end, the Chinese language is the most convenient, even if the text is put for a thousand years, it can be recognized as usual.

However, Xiao Daling's literary talent is of little use here, because Tuoba Deming's culture is limited, and he is really confused. His expression was a little embarrassed, after all, he was the highest leader of the party, and he was unwilling to show that he had no ink on his chest, so he said: "Thanks to Xiao Gong's own writing, I will take a bath and change my clothes, and read it quietly." ”

He pondered in his heart and turned back to find someone to help. For a moment, I inadvertently remembered my sister Tuoba Agarwood, who read more books in the Central Plains than him, and he must have understood it.

Tuoba Deming's subtle expression changed and was seen by Zhai Shigui. Zhai Shigui took the initiative to say: "Xiao Gong, the last general, will definitely do his best to share the same hatred with the general, and will never watch the fire from the other side......"

Tuoba Deming nodded thoughtfully.

…… Zhai Shigui said quietly: "King Xia must not doubt the sincerity of the Liao army. Xiao Gong said, and today it has been smooth for many years, like grass and trees in the rain, it will be the time to stretch and grow wildly; The shaman observes the heavens at night, realizes the instructions of the gods, and the priest also prophesies that the next hundred years will be prosperous. The crops are abundant, the cattle and sheep are fat, and the population will prosper......"

Tuoba Deming glared when he heard this, not knowing if it was okay or not. When the priest foresaw what would happen a hundred years from now, he only thought it was a great deception, and he did not believe it at all. What's more, the shamanism seems to worship the ancestors, that is the ancestor of the Khitan people, and it is a matter of the party?

But he didn't question anything, just kept silent...... There are many sects in the Northwest, including those who believe in Buddhism, those who believe in Lama, those who believe in Manichaeism, those who worship Zoroastrianism, and so on.

Zhai Shigui seems to be a believer in shamanism, and he said with relish, "A thriving population is the foundation of prosperity, and this is the time for all countries and ethnic groups to grow." The Han people of the Great Sage Dynasty were numerous and possessed the vast land of the Central Plains, and now they are ambitious, and they will be a threat to all tribes. We should form an alliance, and we can't let Emperor Lu Xiao and his ministers taste the sweetness of expansion......"

Tuoba Deming heard the latter words, so he nodded frequently, no matter what, as long as the Liao army sincerely helps Lao Tzu!

As for the rest, it's all nonsense! Tuoba Deming's hair has turned gray, he is dozens of years old, and his rich experience has made his own beliefs more and more stubborn, and it is obviously not easy for Zhai Shigui to try to persuade him on other concepts.

Zhai Shigui advised again: "The Great Sage's firearms are very sharp in attacking the city, if you stick to important places, you must be careful. Field battles are also very brave, but they are also commonly used in battle formations. ”

……

It was not until the middle of the month that Tuoba Deming was impressed by the ability of Xiao Daling, the minister of Liao.

His scouts had already figured out the strength of the surging Great Saint Army, no more, no less, between 70,000 and 80,000 people! And this news, Xiao Daling figured it out a month ago!

After all, Daliao is the northern grassland, and it is a large country that controls a large area of land from west to east.

At this time, the weather was so cold that people didn't even want to go out, and the news made Tuoba Deming a clever and energetic.

"There are only more than 70,000 people, divided into two groups, front and back, separated by dozens ......of miles," Tuoba Deming suddenly became a little excited.

Only more than 40,000 main forces in front? At first, the Liao people came with news, and he thought it was ridiculous, but now his own people have probed and observed many times, and it just coincides, so Tuoba Deming has to believe it.

There are 20,000 infantry cavalry reinforcements of the Liao army alone, and the total strength of the party departments has reached nearly 100,000! Although the Liao army was defeated in Youzhou, all the tribes still did not dare to deny its iron cavalry combat power, and the reinforcements were equivalent to nearly half of the strength of the Great Sage Army......

At this time, the Ye Li clan who was under the head suddenly became a little annoyed: "The people of the Great Sage Dynasty also look down on us too much, this is contempt and humiliation for us!" ”

Tuoba Deming didn't understand why this man was angry, "The battle is not based on humiliation, why are you annoyed?" ”

Ye Li said: "The Great Sage Army dispatched such a few people, I am afraid that it only cares about the reinforcements of the Liao Army, and regards our party and people as nothing!" ”

Tuoba Deming glanced at him angrily, "No matter what, as long as the Great Sage Army is defeated in this battle, no one will stop the party members from establishing the Great White High Kingdom." ”

At this time, he didn't hide and said: "Han'er is not contemptuous of my clan, but he is forced to do so." ”

He glanced at Yeli and said, "Han'er came from Bianjing, took the southeast road, and went north along the Yellow River. To the south of Hengshan, the ravines are vertical and horizontal, the land is barren, and the area under the jurisdiction of the Great Sage Dynasty is sparsely populated, so grain and grass have to be sent from afar. The mountains are high and the roads are far away, and the transportation is inconvenient, even if it is seventy or eighty thousand horses, it is enough for the court of the Great Sage Dynasty to toss.

This is also the reason why the Central Plains Imperial Court has rewarded us for many years and wants to win us over. But if you don't want to, you can't do anything to us. The party is small and small, and it is not good to be an enemy of the Central Plains. ”

Tuoba Deming listened and groaned: "It makes sense. I heard that during the Battle of Youzhou, the Central Plains used a large army to spend a lot, and it may not be enough now, so there is such a situation. ”

Tuoba Deming also searched for many reasons in order to convince himself of what was in front of him.

Ye Li said coldly: "Since the Central Plains Imperial Court is powerless, it still tears its face like this and forcibly oppresses and humiliates us? ”

Tuoba Deming was already very happy and excited in his heart, but he felt that he should calm down, so he seemed calmer, "If you move the army, this time, after this battle, I am afraid that the flames will not stop in the future." ”

The implication of his words was that the Great Sage Army's attack and crusade might just be a temptation. The most difficult thing is still to come, maybe the Great Sage Dynasty will rely on its solid foundation and consume the party for a long time.

However, Tuoba Deming still couldn't help but signal, "The Great Sage Army is a personal expedition this time, and the emperor is also in the army......

Ye Li immediately bowed and said: "Please ask my department to fight in the front, arrest the emperor, and be ashamed of Tuoba Agarwood!" ”

Tuoba Deming said: "Very good. Even if the emperor is not captured and the emperor's pro-army is defeated, the status of the party members in the future will not be the same! ”

Tuoba Deming immediately convened all the ministries to discuss countermeasures. It was found that the Great Sage Army was moving north along the Yellow River, and everyone speculated that they might march along the larger river, one would not be easy to get lost, and the other would completely protect the water source of the Great Army...... Then it is from the Yellow River into the Wuding River, first attack Suizhou, and then break through the Hengshan area.

The northern part of the summer land is mainly grassland pastureland, and the Hengshan area is agricultural land, and they can get a lot of supplies from the Hengshan area; Therefore, we can't give up the land of Hengshan, and let the Great Sage Dynasty stand firm on that land first.

Suizhou Shiheng was a center in the southeastern part of the mountain, and if the Great Sage Army captured this place, it could be turned into a rear battalion; Before the progress of Suizhou, there was a long way to go without any important towns and places where materials were gathered. The coalition forces went out of Suizhou to seek opportunities to fight, which was not conducive to the Great Sage Army.

The main reason is that at this time, the morale of people from all walks of life is very high, and they are all looking forward to teaching the emperor of the Central Plains a lesson, and they are all eager to try...... After all, there are not many soldiers and horses around the emperor!

**

The Yellow River has frozen, like a jade belt falling between the mountains.

Lu Fei stood by the Yellow River, looking at the surrounding mountains, the ravines in front of him were vertical and horizontal, the mountains were continuous, and his vision was extremely not open, and he was blocked by mountains on all sides of the road. This kind of terrain can easily hide people and horses and cannot be detected in time. Fortunately, it is still in the jurisdiction of the Great Sage Dynasty, and there is no risk of a wife.

In winter, the earth is withered and barren, full of loess, and the air is very dry and cold. Luckily, the weather was nice today, with a blue sky and the sun to be seen, adding a vibrant color to the scene.

The soldiers were setting up a stove in the tent, they were working very hard in front of the emperor, and a soldier was "tinkling" a stone with a chisel, which seemed to be uneven enough.

All the soldiers were dressed differently from when they were in Bianjing, mainly because they had a lot of burlap bags and sundries hanging on their bodies. Ordinary soldiers will have flints, knives, food bags and other things on their bodies, and soldiers also have a lot of weapon-related things, such as small bamboo tubes hanging on belts to order gunpowder and iron molds for clamping lead pellets. Each team also carried various tools such as knives and hammers on donkey carts and mules...... On the march and in battle, there is very little time on the battlefield, and most of the time it is a journey life of eating and sleeping in the open air.

The big tent of the Chinese army has not yet been packed, and Zhu Wenwu has not come, and they are deploying and inspecting the affairs of the various battalions stationed. Lu Fei was in the messy tent, closing his eyes and recuperating,

According to Lu Fei's memory, to the north of Western Xia, it should be the Ordos grassland.

Before he knew it, he was asleep.

**

The north wind raged across the white-mottled grasslands, and the low tents seemed to lie on the ground.

Lu Fei, surrounded by a crowd, stood on the top of a mountain panting, his head soaked with beads of sweat. The cold spring wind blew over the top of the mountain, but at this time it made him feel very comfortable.

Behind the side, you can see the men and horses of the large group in the valley slowly marching eastward, which is the infantry of the Second Army Corps on the left flank of Cao Keming. Carriages and horses walked through the valley, and infantry columns were trudging on the rolling hills on both sides.

At this time, the second and third corps on both flanks were moving closer to the center. After the Dingxi Army set out from Wudingbao, the general direction was to march north along Wuding. However, in view of the fact that the terrain is not open, in order to increase the horizontal warning range and prevent being ambushed, Lu Fei marched in three parallel ways. At this time, the three armies stopped advancing and regrouped.

On the northern hillside, a group of several people were leading horses to climb up this way. That's Iron Hammer and the others.

Lu Fei stood on the hillside while resting and waiting for the iron to beat.

Everyone looked out of breath. Lu Fei said with a smile: "To exercise my body and bones, my favorite way is to climb mountains." The exercise is not strenuous and can be done slowly, but it is very physically demanding. ”

The thin Pan Meidu was almost tired and lay down, and casually echoed: "It's really laborious, this mountain is too big." ”

Between talking and laughing, Tie Hammer finally climbed the mountain, clenched his fists and said in a rough voice: "Your Majesty, the last general has withdrawn the forward men and horses by order!" ”

Iron Hammer hardly disobeyed military orders, but his happiness or displeasure was all written on his face, and he did not hide it at all, even in the emperor. Lu Fei glanced at him, obviously Tie Hammer was not very happy at this time.

Lu Fei said quietly: "Originally, it was a matter of wishful thinking, why did General Tie want to make it hot as a burden for shaving his head?" ”

Tie Hammer said: "Please ask the emperor to dial the maze." ”

Lu Fei said: "In this situation, Tuoba Deming has gathered too many people and can't afford it, my department wants to find Tuoba Deming for a decisive battle, why doesn't he want to?" If the other party has no intention of doing such a thing, then it will not be able to find it even if it is hard to pursue; If Tuoba Deming is interested, we don't have to be so urgent, he will come himself.

We made a little reluctant appearance, cautiously thinking about retreating, and Tuoba Deming would be even more convinced that the decisive battle would be in his favor, and he would be in a hurry to send it to the door! ”

Pan Mei smiled when she heard this: "The emperor has insight into people's hearts. ”

Lu Fei said: "It's just human nature. He pondered for a moment and then said, "But we can't be too uncooperative, if we are in a hurry to withdraw to the Castle of Nothing." Tuoba Deming will hesitate, and it is very likely that he will not be willing to attack the fortress, which will only increase the variables. That's why my movement at this time is called 'wanting to refuse and welcome'. ”

Everyone's faces turned red when they heard this, and some people couldn't help laughing, but Lu Fei looked very serious.

Lu Fei didn't think he was clever, but just a simple logical deduction. The situation is clearly in front of us, and there are not many options for both sides.

From the standpoint of the Khitans, according to their previous understanding of the Central Plains Forbidden Army, their combat power is very strong, but there is not much difference between them and the elite soldiers of the Liao Army. Under this judgment, 40,000 or 50,000 elite soldiers and 30,000 guards defended the fortifications, and the chances of the coalition army (Dangxiang Khitan) attacking the city were extremely low; But there is an advantage in the field.

Therefore, Lu Fei's judgment is: to give the coalition forces a chance to fight a decisive battle in the field, they will be very willing to cooperate; And let them attack the city, it will be difficult for them to take the bait.

As the saying goes: the wisest choice is not to fight a battle that feels like there is no chance of winning.

If you want others to fight this battle, either the other party has no choice, or you have to give others hope!

At this time, Pan Meizan said: "The emperor has a clever plan, in this way, Wang Shi can not only get his wish to fight a decisive battle with the party Khitan coalition army, but also take the initiative to choose the battlefield." ”

"Exactly." Lu Feidao. He glanced at the iron hammer and saw that the iron hammer was no longer silent, but there was a look of awe in his expression, obviously still admiring the emperor...... People will inevitably have things that they are not good at, and they will always admire those who are good at them.

Pan Mei buried her head in looking at the mountain under her feet, and asked tentatively, "Where will the emperor choose as the battlefield?" ”

Lu Fei had been standing on this high place for a long time.

An official from the former battalion military government looked like he wanted to say something, and Lu Fei said casually, "I don't know the true face of Lushan, just because I am in this mountain?" ”

The official hurriedly said: "Wonderful! ”

Unexpectedly, Lu Fei shook his head and pointed away: "If I come to choose, I will choose the hillside in the east." ”

The crowd immediately looked in the direction he was pointing, and for a moment they were silent, wondering what good the place might be. I saw that it was a large hillside, but the slope was very gentle, and in this ravine, that place was not called a mountain, it was a relatively flat place.

Lu Fei immediately explained: "If you look at the common sense battle formation, it is more advantageous to occupy this high mountain at your feet, and the enemy soldiers have a large slope to attack on the back. But it's not so good for artillery......"

He drew a parabola in the air with a horsewhip folded in his hand, "The shells fly like this, the artillery can have a negative elevation angle, but the angle cannot be too large." The slope of the mountain is too steep and the mountain is too small, and the shells will go straight down the mountain, fly down, and hit the ground almost vertically. Our copper cannon relies on a small angle to bounce, and the vertical angle is too large, what effect can a pit have? ”

Lu Fei groaned, "So the slope should be long, and the steep and not steep fall second." In addition, the gentle slope gives the opponent more confidence to attack, and we don't need to attack first. ”

Anyway, the emperor is the supreme commander, and when he says to choose a gentle slope, he chooses a gentle slope. The three armies immediately deployed battalions and camps in that area.

Lu Fei also ordered the iron hammer forward, and widely dispersed scouts to inspect the surrounding situation and monitor the movements of the coalition forces.