For example, it's just that the distance of this section is shallower, and it doesn't get in the way. Besides, the urging from above is so urgent, if they dig so deep, it is simply an incompleteable task, and the people will naturally not feel good, but as an overseer, they also have to eat melons.

With repeated assurances from the people, the overseers followed. As the people said, if the mission is not completed, they will also disobey the military order, and if they don't do it well, they will die. Besides, Li Kesheng only has requirements for width, and he doesn't say anything about depth, which is where the loophole lies.

With one mind, the progress of the moat was also accelerated, and the task was completed ahead of schedule, and by the time Li Kesheng came to check, the river had been filled with water, and there seemed to be no problem at all on the surface.

"Okay, haha, good job." Looking at this moat with a width of more than 20 meters, Li Kesheng was naturally very satisfied, and he also had more chances of winning against the Dragon Army.

On the third day after the moat was built, outside the city of Zhending, the vanguard of the dragon army arrived outside the city.

The number of people was not very large, about 5,000 horsemen.

The dragon army finally came, on the top of the city tower, Wang Xin and Li Kesheng and a group of generals looked at it like this, everyone's faces were very serious, they already knew that the dragon army already had a very powerful weapon in his hands, not only with a longer range, but also with great power.

In addition to the direct surrender of Kaicheng, some other cities that wanted to resist were injured by the thing called the dragon cannon, and finally had to surrender.

This is also the reason why Zhending City must build a moat. A good weapon is only a long-range attack, and if you really want to rush over, you still have to rely on manpower. A sufficiently wide moat is a way for them to protect themselves.

As long as the enemy is blocked in front of the moat and strikes halfway when they cross the river, then even if the dragon cannon is huge, it can really kill them all, or can you directly lead the dragon army into the city by relying on the dragon cannon?

"Tell the soldiers, do a good job of protection, although the dragon cannon is powerful, as long as the soldiers find good cover and lie on the ground, they may not be able to really seriously injure us." Wang Xin stood on top of the city tower and talked about the strategy of defending against the enemy.

"Yes." Li Kesheng and other generals all agreed.

Outside the city, on the first day, the vanguard of 5,000 cavalry arrived, busy looking for a wide enough place to set up camp.

On the second day, on the third day, there were more and more dragon troops, and on the fourth day, Lu Siqiao came here in person. After seeing Zhending City through her binoculars, she gave her first military order, "Siege!"

Yes, it's a siege.

What is around the three queyi, it is not Lu Siqiao's consideration at all. Knowing that the 400,000 main forces in the north of Zhao Song (including the original 100,000 soldiers and horses in the north) were all in the city, of course this time he had to find a way to eat the other party in one bite.

At this time, it is absolutely impossible to let the other party escape. And as long as the army of Zhao Song can be severely damaged here, the next way to Bianliang City will become a smooth road, and it will be easier.

Lu Siqiao decided to besiege the city, she does have her own confidence. From the time she came with 400,000 dragon troops all the way to attack the city and pull out the village, to now, the troops in her hands have reached 800,000, and 400,000 are the Han people's army recruited along the way.

Although the number of troops was only twice that of the city, the siege was somewhat reluctant. But they still have dragon artillery, and with this one, they can greatly make up for the weakness of their troops.

At the beginning of the siege, in the continuous movement of troops, a battle of millions of men could start at any time.

......

Bianliang City.

For a while, the atmosphere in the entire city became very depressing.

When the Liao Kingdom was destroyed, almost everyone in the city became excited. The Liao State, which had been their enemy for many years, was destroyed in this way, and seeing that the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun might also be recovered, everyone seemed to see the hope that Zhao Song would become stronger.

Soon, however, the situation took a turn for the worse.

First, the Dragon Empire refused the request for peace talks with Zhao Song, followed the Dragon Army to recover the grassland, and then went straight to Western Xia.

The Dragon Army wanted to fight Western Xia, and many Zhao and Song courtiers were not optimistic. They also

There is a faint hope, that is, in the end, the Dragon Empire and Western Xia will lose both, so that they can make a profit.

It's just that no one would have thought that the Dragon Army would be so brave that it had given Zhao Song a headache for so many years, and he didn't know how many people had died in the battle and how much money had been wasted, and the Western Xia, who had wasted so much money, was so vulnerable in front of the Dragon Army.

In a short period of time, the Western Xia was destroyed.

After the news reached the court in Bianliang City, everyone was surprised. Then, these so-called wise people, the so-called wise people, began to analyze the situation that might happen next. One of the most important points is whether the Dragon Army will attack them Zhao Song.

After a few days of research and discussion, a conclusion was reached. That is, the Dragon Army will not send troops to Zhao Song.

The dragon army sent troops from Goryeo, and along the way, they fought for several years in a row, and the number of troops was also expanding repeatedly. And if you want to do all this, you need an absolutely astronomical amount of money and food support.

Well, even if the Dragon Empire has Su Shi, it's not bad for money, but you always have to think about the combat effectiveness of the army.

Fighting every day, don't they know that they are tired? Don't you need a break?

As far as these Zhao and Song courtiers know, when the Dragon Army died in Western Xia, it really fought a few tough battles, and I am afraid that the losses are also not small, so it will always take time to re-recruit troops.

And the most important one, occupying so many places in a short period of time, it is always necessary to send officials to manage and send troops to station, which is a very laborious thing.

Furthermore, Su Shi always emphasized the theory of the supremacy of the Han people. There is no problem in dealing with Liao, Mongolia, and Western Xia with this set of rhetoric. But the same argument doesn't work here in Zhao Song. They are the birthplace of the Han people here, and they are the roots of the Han people.

If you directly send troops to attack Zhao and Song, aren't you afraid that the Han people will be affected by this, you are not afraid of the accusations of the people of the world, and you are not afraid of the disgust of the soldiers you lead?

All in all, in short, with these reasons, these old men in the court thought that Su Shi would not move forward, and the next thing they should prepare was to negotiate.

The courtiers here were still convincing, and suddenly news came from the west, saying that the dragon army had entered in a big way.

The sudden march of the Long Army really caught Zhao Song off guard.

Compared with the decisiveness and courage of the Dragon Army, the performance of the Zhao Song Western Army was a mess.

Before Zhi Jimin could react, he didn't organize a resistance, so he was arrested by the Dragon Army first. followed by the two brothers, Wang Deyong and Wang Decheng, who did not arrive at all, and had no military power in their hands, even if they wanted to organize a counterattack, they were powerless.

Of course, what makes people angry is that these two people actually fled without a fight, and wanted to escape with gold and silver. I heard that he was arrested by Di Qing, who was also opposed.

Although Di Qing's rebellion is infuriating, he can still catch the Wang brothers who are about to run, and people still can't help but applaud.

The 600,000 Western Army, the most capable army of Zhao Song except for the forbidden army, almost did not cause any obstacles to the Dragon Army, and it was completely subdued. When the news reached Bianliang City, Zhao Yunrang directly sprayed a mouthful of old blood, and he was so angry that he wanted to go crazy.

And this is not the end, the dragon army came smoothly all the way and did not attack Bianliang City directly, which made Zhao Yun let the father and son breathe a sigh of relief. But soon after, there was news that Li Tang was destroyed.

Li Tang was also destroyed, Liao and Western Xia ceased to exist, and under the entire land, only the Zhao Song and the Dragon Empire remained, and at this moment Zhao Yunrang knew that the battle of life and death was about to begin.

The Zhao and Song dynasties in this period were not as weak as when the Yuan Dynasty entered the Great Song Dynasty, especially after the prosperity of Renzong, the country still had some heritage. Zhao Yunrang took advantage of this foundation to prepare for the decisive battle.

First, he sent troops to the north to stabilize the battle situation there, and then sent heavy troops to Chenliucheng, where he prepared to fight the dragon army coming north.

The troops were constantly being sent, the people were also constantly recruited, and the money and grain in the treasury were spent like flowing water, and the entire Zhao and Song dynasties were also in a state of weakness because of this move.

At today's court meeting, there was another one from the front

It's very bad news, outside the Zhending Mansion in the north, the 800,000 troops of the Dragon Empire have surrounded the 400,000 army of Zhao and Song there, and then I am afraid that a decisive battle will happen at any time, which will also be a battle that will determine the life and death of Zhao Song.

Few courtiers would be optimistic about this battle. It's really that the Dragon Army's achievements along the way are too brilliant for people to have the heart to defeat them.

Or this time in the court, the third secretary made Song Qi submit his resignation on the grounds of physical discomfort.

The three envoys were in charge of Zhao Song's treasury money and grain, and in this matter, Song Qi has always done a good job. Although others call him the Iron Rooster, it is an undeniable fact that it is precisely because of his efforts that Zhao Song has always had surplus money in the treasury and grain depot.

Especially in the years when Su Shi was in Zhao and Song, the treasury became full, and it was also the happiest and most relaxed time in Song Qi's life.

But the good times didn't last long, and soon, after Su Shi reversed Zhao and Song, the treasury revenue became less, and then in the mediation of Yu Song, it barely reached a point of balance.

After Zhao Yunrang took the throne, Song Qi proposed to sue the old man and return to his hometown, but there was no suitable replacement candidate, Zhao Yunrang did not agree, and reluctantly kept him. But now, in order to prepare for the war, the silver and grain in the treasury have basically been spent, and it will be difficult for the Qiao woman to cook without rice?

At this court meeting, Song Yi directly submitted his resignation. Even if the treasury is clean and can run mice, what is the use of him as a third envoy, and what is he going to manage?