The foundation of the Great Song Dynasty is still relatively good, although the formation of the national protection army has encountered a lot of resistance from the ministers of the DPRK and China, and some people even spread rumors everywhere that the "yellow robe plus body" thing is repeated, but with the support of Cihang Jingzhai and Emperor Zhao Xu, Prime Minister Zhang Dian and others, the national protection army was still formed, although the establishment of the national protection army is only 10,000, but by me, the first national teacher, as the marshal, Zong Ze and Zhou Tong as generals. Although I am not proficient in military affairs, but I still have a certain experience in knowing and employing people, Zong and Zhou both have rich experience in marching and fighting, whether it is training the army or strategy, we have a good hand in military training and strategy, and our Murong family is also a family scholar, so I let them do it after I knew Zhao Xu.

The recruitment process is proceeding as planned, and Zhou Tong has served in the forbidden army for many years, so he has a good idea of which officers and soldiers will be able to do so, so the work of selecting elite soldiers from the forbidden army to form a new army is quite smooth. However, Tianxiang Pavilion and Vulture Palace suddenly sent a message from the flying pigeon, saying that the Western Xia army had made quite a move recently, and it had been discovered that the Western Xia Liang beggar led an army of 200,000 with the intention of invading the Great Song Dynasty.

I sneered in my heart, probably the Western Xia people saw that Emperor Zhao Xu was young and at the time of the transition of the throne, and thought that the Great Song Dynasty was weak and could be bullied, so they wanted to come over to fight the autumn wind, collect wealth, and show off their power by the way. However, I was worried that I couldn't find an excuse to attack the Western Xia to return to the horse land and open up the trade routes in the Western Regions, I didn't expect the Western Xia to be so anxious to come up and slap the face, by the way, let me have a rough experience of the Protector Army, after all, an army that has not experienced blood and fire is not an elite soldier, is it?

In the past two years, because the conservative faction headed by Empress Dowager Gao, Sima Guang, Fan Chunren, and Wen Yanbo has always adopted a policy of appeasement to the outside world, not only strictly ordering the border troops not to pick quarrels and provoke troubles and not to engage in war with the Liaoxia army, but even taking the initiative to cede large tracts of fertile land such as Jialu, Mizhi, Futu, and Anjiang, which has seriously damaged the morale of the army, and the military aircraft against Liao and Xia have not been very smooth.

In the court of the Great Song Dynasty, Zhao Xu and a cadre of ministers were discussing the news I brought, and after eliminating false news, the ministers of the DPRK and China were quickly divided into two factions - the main battle and the main peace.

Fan Chunren, the imperial historian, said: "When the Western Xia invades, the border soldiers should be ordered to defend strictly, and retreat some of the Western Xia lands occupied during the Shenzong period, which will surely allow the Western Xia to retreat." ”

Su Zhe, the servant of the door, also said: "Lanzhou, Wuzhai, where the danger is far away, the feeding is inconvenient, and it costs millions more than one million a year. It's been a long time, and it has to be abandoned. It is better to abandon it after the crisis, it is better to do nothing with it today, it is still enough to show the favor of the country. ”

I sneered: "Selling the country for glory, greedy for life and afraid of death, I don't know what to say!" From Sima Guang and Wen Yanbo to Fan Chunren and Su Zhe, you self-proclaimed smart rulers of the country and important ministers of the country all take the cutting of land and peace as a good policy for the border, which is really short-sighted! In vain, you are full of poetry and books, don't you hear: with the land and Qin, you still hold on to the salary to fight the fire, the salary is not exhausted, and the fire is not extinguished. Land is the foundation of a country, and you don't even understand this basic principle of governance, which is extremely stupid and ridiculous. ”

Lu Dafang blushed and said, "Then the national teacher is the main battle? Your Majesty, the soldiers are in danger, have you forgotten the battle of Yongle City in the Shenzong Dynasty? At that time, more than 600,000 soldiers and farmers were killed and wounded, and the society was shaken and suffered heavy losses! Your Majesty can't listen to Murong Fu's nonsense! ”

The new prime minister, Zhang Dan, said: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that the Western Xia is not good, and he should attack the barbarians head-on, and let them know that there are people in my Great Song Dynasty, so as to ensure the peace of my Great Song Dynasty." Although the benevolent man does not speak easily about military affairs, he has the right to do things, and peace can only be obtained through war. ”

Su Zhe said: "Your Majesty, the current imperial court is overstretched, and it is already difficult to supply the border army, not to mention that the capital has to be moved, how can you have the spare strength to start another war with Western Xia?" I hope Your Majesty thinks twice! ”

I sat down at the bottom of Zhao Xu, knocked on the table, and said loudly: "You stupid literati who only know how to enjoy prostitutes will only cede the land and let the soldiers die, but you don't know that water can carry boats and overturn boats, and you will inevitably die at the hands of warriors in the end by suppressing the warriors all day long!" Your Majesty, the current imperial court is indeed insufficient, and the minister asks Your Majesty to halve the civil officials and cut the Bianjing Forbidden Army by half, and use the saved expenses to move the capital; At the same time, please lead the Protector Army to meet the Western Xia barbarians, please Your Majesty's permission! ”

Zhao Xu was overjoyed and said: "If the national teacher is willing to go out in person, he will definitely make the Western Xia barbarians return; Is it possible to halve the civil servants and reduce the forbidden army by half, as long as the national teacher can ensure the peace of my Great Song Dynasty, I will be approved. Zhangton drew up specific rules and made them clear. At the same time, Murong Guoshi was appointed as the marshal of the northwest, commanding the northwest army in Lanzhou, Qingzhou, Fenzhou and other places. ”

......

After a long time with a group of literati doctors, it was already afternoon when I returned to the inner courtyard of Jiangnan Garden, and Jiangnan Garden was quiet in the afternoon, only Yu Yan and Qinglu were playing chess, and Ah Bi and a few maids were waiting next to me, but when I approached, the chess game had entered the closing stage, and a big dragon of Princess Yinchuan was killed by Yu Yan and lost his armor and was miserable.

I gently stroked Yinchuan's shoulder and chuckled, "Qinglu's chess skills are so vulnerable? This can damage the prestige of Xixia, cousin Yu Yan, this is your fault, how can we treat guests from afar like this on our own territory. ”

Qinglu grabbed the chess piece and frowned: "Senior brother, why do you still think that Qinglu is an outsider?" Family... People have long been yours......" After speaking, his eyes were a little red.

I broke her body, lifted her chin and smiled slightly: "Senior brother is joking with you, Qinglu has always been her own person." Senior brother has made amends to you. ”

Qinglu said with a sad face: "Qinglu heard that the army of the Xia Kingdom was coming, and she was worried that she didn't know how to help her brother withdraw from the army, so she was absent-minded, and the senior brother still had the heart to joke." ”

I looked at the shrewd maid beside her, vaguely understood her source, and said hesitantly: "The soldiers will block the water and cover the earth, but this time the Western Xia is Liang Qiqi led the army to attack, I heard that this person has always advocated the use of troops against the Great Song Dynasty, hoping to force the Great Song Dynasty to submit and give more silver through force." This time, the senior brother personally went out and taught him that he could not come and go! ”

Qinglu said silently: "Liang Qiqi has his own faction in the Xia country, and he has never respected my father very much, so he will kill him, but what are the plans of the senior brother after repelling the Xia army?" Can you open the net and let Qinglu go to Xingqing Mansion to persuade her father to never invade the Song Dynasty again? ”

I walked to the other side with a slight smile, hugged her on her lap and sat down amid Yu Yan's exclamation, stared at Princess Yinchuan and said, "Is the princess so sure that the senior brother will win?" After all, the Western Xia army was quite strong, and Liang Qiqi led an army of 100,000 this time, and the newly formed Protector Army under his senior brother was far from being formed, and there were only 5,000 of them. To be honest, the soldiers are in danger, and the senior brother is not sure of victory. ”

Qinglu said categorically: "Qinglu believes in the strength of the senior brother, as long as the senior brother comes out, no matter which side he helps, which side will win!" Now Qinglu only begs my senior brother to give me a chance to persuade my father to withdraw his troops as soon as possible. ”

I gently stroked Yu Yan's back and muttered, "Senior brother actually doesn't like to go to the battlefield to fight with others, killing too much will hurt the peace of the heavens, and it will not do you any good." However, since Liang Qiqi wants to force his senior brother to come out, then this battle must be fully loaded. The first is to defeat the main war faction of the Western Xia, the second is that the Xia State wants to retreat all the land south of the Yellow River and open up the trade routes between the Great Song Dynasty and the Western Regions, and the third is that the Western Xia must submit to the Great Song Dynasty and provide war horses for the Great Song Dynasty. In this way, I can strive to ensure permanent peace between the two countries, open up the field, and benefit each other. ”

Qinglu pondered for a while and said bitterly: "Qinglu will seriously persuade my father to accept my senior brother's proposal." On this senior brother's trip to Xixia, how about letting Qinglu accompany him? ”

I nodded and said, "That's what I mean, Yu Yan will also go with me." ”

My cousin couldn't help but say happily: "Cousin is willing to take me to the border?" That's great. ”

I smiled and said, "You are my wife, of course you have to go with me." ”

Qinglu looked at the two of us enviously, knowing that although she was already a member of the Murong family, she was still a little behind Yu Yan, who was a childhood sweetheart.

......

The war against Western Xia is under intense preparations, and under my proposal, in addition to my Protector Army, the Great Song Dynasty will no longer send additional forbidden troops to assist the Song-Xia border, but military rations and weapons should also be transported as soon as possible.

In the temporary barracks of the Protector Army, Zong Ze and Zhou Dong and I were analyzing the advance route of Western Xia and our army's counterattack plan according to the latest battle reports from various places. The people in the Western Xia were fierce, and the ordinary people usually shepherded sheep, and they were immediately warriors when they got on the horse during wartime. Therefore, this time, the Western Xia army herded horses to the south, and the border passes were in flames everywhere, and many border fortresses in Gyeongju and Lanzhou were in an emergency, and emergency military information snowflakes continued to come. After preliminary analysis, the Western Xia invasion was divided into two routes, one was led by Liang Qiwei himself, and invaded Huanzhou and Gyeongju; The other route was led by the Western Xia general Wei Minga Bury and invaded Lanzhou.

Huanzhou, Gyeongju, and Lanzhou were all important border areas of the Great Song Dynasty, and once they were broken through, the Western Xia army and horses invaded the interior, which could not only plunder the people and strengthen themselves, but also reach the city of Tokyo within two days, threatening the foundation of the Great Song Dynasty, so there was no room for loss. There are still many unclear areas of the military situation on the front line, such as the distribution of the enemy's troops, the direction of the main attack, and the strategic intentions, etc., and it is urgent for the army to make a judgment, and once the judgment is wrong, it is very likely to lead to the enemy breaking through the border and causing heavy losses.

Zong Ze said: "The Huanqing Road of the Western Xia Army led by Liang Qiwei should be the main force, but Lanzhou is an important border defense area, and its strategic position is still above Qingzhou, so it must be defended. At present, although the Northwest Army on Huanqing Road and Xihe Road is worthy of a battle, it has to defend many important places, and its military strength is insufficient, which is very worrying. ”

Zhou Tong said: "The Protector Army has not been created for a long time, and it has not practiced the formation diagram or run-in training, and its combat effectiveness is worrying. The enemy is strong and we are weak, and we need to judge the enemy's intentions as soon as possible to make the next plan. Know yourself and know your opponent, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles. I am afraid that we will have to rush to the border as soon as possible, investigate the scene and get first-hand information before we can make an accurate judgment. ”

I stared at the map of Huanqing Road and Xihe Road, which was densely marked with the distribution of various border defense points and troops, and said after a while: "What both of you said makes sense, but the military situation is urgent, the Western Xia army attacked the border city day and night and plundered the people on our border, and someone will be harmed if there is no delay, so our army must formulate a strategy and counterattack as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the people." ”

Zong Ze and Zhou Tong looked at me with a slight frown, deeply afraid that I would be young and shallow, and make a wrong strategy that would affect the situation in the northwest. I smiled slightly and said loudly: "I have decided to let the Northwest Army guard Lanzhou and ensure that Lanzhou is not lost." I led the National Protector Army to Gyeongju to fight back against Liang Qiqi! ”

Zong Ze and Zhou Tong were a little puzzled, but they could only bow and salute: "Obey the marshal's orders." ”

When the two of them went out, I could faintly hear Zong Ze talking to Zhou Tong with his profound internal skills: "Guangzu, the marshal's military experience is still shallow, he doesn't understand the military, and he doesn't understand the situation in the northwest, how can the 5,000 new army withstand Liang Qiqi's main force?" How good is that? ”

Zhou Tong said firmly: "Murong Guoshi is a wise and resolute person, you and I can't see that there is another mystery in such a decision. Besides, if the soldier dies for his confidant, Zhou can lead the army to fight against the barbarians again and defend the people of my Great Song Dynasty, which is already a long-cherished wish, and he will fight to the death to repay the grace of the national teacher. The man's body on the battlefield is better than a hundred years of sick death! ”

"Well said! Zong Ze and Guangzu fought side by side, Huangsha wore gold armor in a hundred battles, and swore not to return Loulan! ”