Not long after, Yelu Hongji's brother Yelu Hongtai also arrived at the palace, and at this time, Xiao Weixin had already arrived first.

Although Yelu Hongtai lost Jinzhou, Yelu Hongji did not blame him, and even the iron fire thunder used by the Song army, even Liaoyang Mansion heard the explosion and saw the fire in the distance, which showed how fierce the explosion was.

No matter how strong the city is, it can't withstand such an explosion, but Yelu Hongtai led the army to fight with the Song army all night, and almost all the soldiers were killed, which is commendable.

Yelu Hongji believed that Yelu Hongtai had made a difference in his merits and demerits, and did not hold him responsible.

Hearing that Shangjing was harassed by the Lieshan Ministry, Yelu Hongtai immediately said: "We must return to Shangjing to help, and we should not hesitate to retreat north immediately." ”

Yelu Hongji glanced at Xiao Weixin next to him and said: "The privy envoy thinks that this is Fan Ning's plan, saying that the purpose of mobilizing the Lieshan Department to harass Shangjing is to force us to withdraw to Shangjing. ”

Yelu Hongtai shook his head and said: "Of course I know that this is Fanning's plan, but this is a Yang plan, and it is clearly in front of us that we only see the Lieshan tribe attacking Shangjing, what about the barbarian tribe and the Dadan tribe?" They betrayed the Liao army in Datong Mansion, and the taxes and sheep at the beginning of the year also stopped paying, wouldn't they come to take advantage of the fire to rob? In fact, what I'm worried about is not them, but the Song army, if the 200,000 Song army attacks Beijing in the north, what should I do? ”

Xiao Weixin was anxious, and said loudly: "Now that we withdraw our troops back to Shangjing, we will give up Liaoyang Mansion!" ”

"But Shangjing is our real capital, it is the settlement of the imperial family, it is where the imperial court is located, it is the center of power in the Great Liao, we can take it back if Tokyo is lost, but if Shangjing is lost, the Great Liao will destroy the country, which is more important, isn't it clear to the privy envoy?"

Xiao Weixin argued: "The Song army's dispatch of troops to Beijing is just a guess, a trumped-up situation, but Fanning's main force is right under our noses, this is an ironclad fact, we can't give up Tokyo Road for a possible thing." ”

Yelu Hongtai sighed and said: "Most of the Tokyo Road has been lost, and we actually only have one Liaoyang City left, if the Song army blows up the city gate with iron fire and thunder again, can we hold it?" ”

At this time, Yelu Hongji, who had been standing in front of the window with his hands in his hands, said, "You guys should retreat first!" I need to think again. ”

Xiao Weixin retreated, Yelu Hongtai went around and came back, and whispered to Yelu Hongji, the Son of Heaven: "The Son of Heaven is not in danger, once Liaoyang Mansion is surrounded by the Song army, Your Majesty's safety will be in danger, and Weichen is worried that Shangjing will find an excuse to establish a new Son of Heaven, so I persuaded the imperial brother to return to Shangjing immediately while the Song army has not surrounded Liaoyang City." ”

Yelu Hongji was said to be in his heart, especially when he went to Beijing to take the opportunity to establish a new son of heaven, which was even more to the point.

After a long silence, Yelu Hongji nodded, and he was finally convinced.

That night, before the Song army crossed the river, Yelu Hongji crowned Xiao Weixin as the king of Qi, participated in political affairs, and appointed him to stay in Tokyo, leading an army of 110,000 to defend Liaoyang Mansion.

Yelu Hongji and his brother Yelu Hongtai led 50,000 cavalry of the Son of Heaven's Guards to leave Liaoyang Mansion, rushed to Shangjing overnight, and took away 10,000 cavalry left in Tongzhou in Tongzhou, and returned to Shangjing with 60,000 troops.

.........

Fanning was woken up in the night by the soldiers, and the Song army had deployed thousands of scouts around Liaoyang Province, and if there was a change in Liaoyang Province, they would immediately spread the news to the Song army's temporary camp on the west bank of the Liao River.

Fanning asked as he got dressed, "How many troops are heading north?" ”

"About 50,000 or so, and the news from the scouts says that they are all elite cavalry."

Fanning hurried to the big tent, and at this time, Cao Shi and Chong Ge also arrived.

As soon as Cao Shi entered the big tent, he hurriedly said: "Your Highness should beware of Yelu Hongji's deception, and he feinted to withdraw like last time, but in the end he stepped into a trap. ”

Fanning smiled and nodded, "Thanks for the reminder, I'll consider this possibility." ”

He also asked, "What should Your Highness do next?" ”

Fan Ning said lightly: "What I have to do now is to hold my troops, I am creating a chance for the scouts of Liaoyang Mansion to get out of the city, on the other hand, I can also know whether the 50,000 troops are really returning to Shangjing, or are they setting traps?" ”

Chong Yu nodded with satisfaction, "Your Highness is so cautious, the Song army will be invincible." ”

.........

Yelu Hongji led 50,000 elite cavalry to retreat north, but hundreds of thousands of Song troops were still stationed on the west bank of Liaoyang, and there was no hurry to cross the river to Liaoyang Province.

At present, there are only 100,000 people left in the army of Liaoyang City, including 40,000 veterans and 60,000 new soldiers, about 300,000 people, only 100,000 stones of grain left, 80,000 quintals of forage, the food supply in the city is very tight, and the big war is coming, the people in the city are panicked, and many people ask to leave Liaoyang Mansion.

There is a restaurant near the east gate of Liaoyang, called Baishan Restaurant, the restaurant is not big, the business is average, and it is very uneye-catching.

Baishan Restaurant also operates inns, which is a characteristic of Liao, because the shop area is generally large, so the tavern will also operate foot shops.

The shopkeeper's surname is Cui, called Cui Wenxiu, who claims to be a Korean, and the wine and food in the tavern are also Goryeo characteristics, so Liaoyang City has always thought that Baishan Restaurant is a restaurant run by Koreans.

But in fact, Baishan Restaurant is the intelligence center of the Song Army in Liaoyang Mansion, after Yelu Yixin's false son Wang Shan was arrested, the Liao Army once wantonly searched for the Song Army's situation scouts in the capital, and the Song Army's five intelligence points in Liaoyang City were revoked four, and now only Baishan Restaurant remains.

In the past two days, Cui Wenxiu was a little anxious, he had a lot of important information that could not be sent, Liaoyang Mansion strictly forbade people to feed eagles and pigeons, and the Liao army strictly forbade the people in the city to go out half a month ago, and his information has not been able to be sent.

At noon, there was a sudden commotion on the street, and many people ran and shouted on the street.

Not long after, the guy rushed back to report, "Qiqi shopkeeper, the Liao army is preparing for the people to move out, it seems that it is only this afternoon." ”

Cui Wenxiu was overjoyed, and immediately found a confidant, who was also a local spy of the Song army, he carefully instructed a few words, and handed him a letter, asking him to evacuate Liaoyang City immediately with his family.

Xiao Weixin deeply felt that there was a shortage of food in the city, in order to reduce food consumption, and in order to meet the request of a large number of people to evacuate, he finally ordered that the east city gate be opened, only for half a day, and the people who were willing to leave Liaoyang City could leave with their families as soon as possible.

For a time, chickens and dogs jumped in Liaoyang City, and more than 100,000 people rushed to the East City Gate from all directions, crowding the East City Gate.

Most of the families took soft and small clothes and took refuge in other counties, and then came back after the war, but there were also many large families who drove ox carts, which were filled with all kinds of goods, and the carts blocked half of the exits, so that the people were crowded out of the city.

In just one hour, tens of thousands of people who were ready to leave the city had already crowded the streets, and the soldiers were going to check it, but there were too many people out of the city, and finally they had to give up the check.

Nearly 100,000 people rushed out of the city one by one.

........

That night, Fanning met a spy who had been out of the city in the tent.

The spy was none other than the guy at the Baishan Tavern, and he handed Cui Xiucheng's letter to Fanning.

Fan Ning looked at the letter roughly, and then handed it to Chong Ge and Cao Shi, and he asked the spy: "The letter says that the Liao army forcibly recruited 60,000 soldiers, I want to know the details, who are these 60,000 soldiers?" What is their morale? How is the training? How is the equipment? ”

"Your Royal Highness, these 60,000 soldiers we have all seen with our own eyes how the army is forcibly recruited, first of all, they are all Khitans, but some of these Khitans are merchants, some are men, some are farmers who farm outside the city, they are all very ordinary people, they do not want to fight in the army, but they are all forcibly arrested and taken to the barracks, which can be described as full of complaints.

Now Yelu Hongji led the army to flee back to Shangjing, the entire Liaoyang Mansion was in turmoil, morale was low, these new troops did not see them train, and there was no place to train in Liaoyang City, the military camp was very small, the army was stationed outside the city before, and after the military camp in the city was occupied by half of the palace, the soldiers could not live. ”

"Where's the equipment?"

He asked, "What about the equipment of these new troops?" ”

"It's all leather armor, there is a shortage of pig iron in Liao, pig iron is strictly forbidden in the market, and only three families use a kitchen knife, it is said that they can only ensure that iron is used for war knives and spears, and leather armor is used in the past."

Fanning asked some more questions, and then asked the spies to go down to rest.

He said to Chong Ge and Cao Shi: "The Liao State has obviously reached the edge of the cliff, Tokyo Road is the most important source of tax revenue for the Liao State, and the tribes of the grassland will no longer pay tribute to the Liao State, as long as we occupy the Tokyo Road, the Liao State will be depleted of financial resources, and the grain will not continue, and within half a year, the Liao State will completely collapse, and we must use patience to fight this last battle." ”

Cao Shi sighed: "Half a year ago, everyone thought that the Liao State had been resurrected with full blood, and in just a few months, the Liao State was beaten back to its original form. ”

Fan Ning said with a smile: "The Liao State has been completely decayed, all the people have rebelled and separated, and they will collapse at the first touch, where can they be resurrected with full blood, at most it is just a return to the light, as long as you look at the problem from the perspective of national strength, it is very clear." ”

"Your Highness, what should we do now?" He asked.

Fan Ning smiled faintly, "Of course, it is to surround Liaoyang City, and see how I can take Liaoyang without hurting a single soldier." ”