Including the entire northern Shanxi region, it extends north to the Gobi Desert, which used to belong to the Xijing Road of the Liao State.

In Xijing Road, you can find almost all the ethnic groups in northern China at that time!

Han, Xi, Khitan, Dangxiang, Bohai, Shatuo, Tubo, Murowei, Tuyuhun......

Moreover, many ethnic groups have settled in northern Shanxi. For example, a branch of the Bohai people lives in Shuozhou, Lingqiu, and Wei County, all of which are located in the area south of Datong.

After more than a hundred years of integration, the smaller ones have been assimilated by the Han Chinese, who are also influenced by ethnic minorities.

It is possible that the various ethnic groups will become farming, and the Han people may also go to the grasslands to graze.

The clothing, hairstyles, and customs of the Han people gradually moved closer to the Khitan people.

In terms of customs, the Han people have accepted cross-generational marriages, sisters and sisters who have died, and there are even Han people who play marriage robbery.

Zhangbei County was called Rouyuan County at this time, and although the tribes scattered in the nearby grasslands were all regarded as Khitans, subtle differences could still be found.

Take the descendants of the Han people on the grassland, for example, they also ride horses to graze, they also speak Khitan dialect, wear Khitan clothes, have Khitan hairstyles, and even their customs have completely changed. However, they still retain the Han Chinese shirt, and they can't be seen at all if they don't take off their coats.

"Meet General Daming!"

Outside Rouyuan County, a group of "Khitans" rushed to greet the troops of Guan Sheng, Liu Qi and others.

Guan Sheng asked, "You all speak Chinese?" ”

A leader ripped open the placket of his shirt, revealing the Han-style shirt inside: "General, my ancestors are Han Chinese." ”

Liu Qi has read the book and is quite moved.

In fact, there is nothing to say, perhaps the first two generations are still consciously retaining the characteristics of Han clothing. But after four or five generations, it has become a purely dressing habit. Anyway, I usually don't show it, and I'm not afraid of being treated differently by other tribes.

Another leader said: "We are not Han Chinese, but we often go to Xuande (Zhangjiakou) to sell horses. We can all speak Khitan and Chinese. ”

Guan Sheng asked, "When did the Jin soldiers abandon Rouyuan City?" ”

The leader of the Han descendants said: "I have been walking for more than half a month. When the Jin soldiers left, they also forcibly requisitioned our livestock and war horses, and burned Rouyuan City with another fire. ”

"Which way are you going?" Guan Sheng asked again.

Another leader hastened to answer, "To the east." ”

Guan Sheng instructed: "You can go back to grazing, and then tell the nearby tribes, so that everyone can help keep an eye on the grassland." Once you find out that there are Jin soldiers, immediately come to Rouyuan City to report. Meritorious service is rewarded! ”

The tribal leaders immediately agreed, but they refused to leave.

Liu Qi asked, "What else do you have to do?" ”

One of the leaders said, "The Jin people have robbed a lot of livestock, can the general give me some food?" We don't want it in vain, we will use horses to pay off our debts every year in the future, and we will be able to pay off the grain in a few more years. ”

They are all poor, and they have been harmed by the Jin country.

It is estimated that Yan Zonghan also knows that the grudge is very deep, and he is too lazy to forcibly recruit herdsmen as cavalry here.

After thinking about it for a while, Guan Sheng said very generously: "You can exchange horses for food, and you can pay it off in ten years." But in addition to keeping an eye on the grasslands everywhere, you must also be at your disposal at all times. If the Jin soldiers come back, the warriors of all tribes will immediately gather in Rouyuan. In particular, it is necessary to protect the grain road of Yehuling, once the grain road there is cut off, the people of all tribes will have to go hungry. ”

"We will obey orders!"

The leaders were overjoyed and knelt down for Guan Sheng again.

The damned Jin man is finally gone, and Da Ming has promised to borrow grain, so this winter may be much better.

When the leaders of the various departments dispersed, Guan Sheng and Liu Qi led their troops into the city, and the houses in the city were burned to ruins.

They did not immediately march eastward, but waited for the garrisons of the cities in Youzhou, and all of them moved to the checkpoints and cities along the way. Especially in Yehuling, 5,000 garrisons were transferred, and even hundreds of sky-shaking thunderbolts were left.

The generals of the Ming army already knew Yan Zonghan's plan.

But I don't know where Yan Zonghan will attack, so they are all more cautious, for fear that their grain channels will be cut off.

After waiting for about ten days, there was no war on Zhang Guangdao's side. So he sent Yao Pingzhong, Guo Yaoshi, and Wu Jue to Rouyuan City to join Guan Sheng and Liu Qi.

The generals combined 40,000 troops, took the local displaced people as people's husbands, and went all the way to Huanzhou (Mongolian Zhenglan Banner).

The ethnic composition of Huanzhou is much purer, and most of them are Khitan people who moved south in the early Liao Dynasty.

Historically, it gradually developed into the war horse base of the Jin Kingdom. Genghis Khan led his army south, and the Jin State directly abandoned this place, plus two or three states near Huanzhou, so that the Mongols obtained hundreds of thousands of war horses - Genghis Khan a wave of fat.

Now there are not so many horses, and there are not so many people.

Because in the last years of the Liao Kingdom, too many cavalry were transferred from Huanzhou, and this place has been abolished by Emperor Tianzuo. Coupled with the exploitation and oppression of the Jin State, Huanzhou has become vast and sparsely populated, and the Khitan tribes are seriously lacking in young and strong. In many Khitan tribes, women and children even account for more than eighty percent, and the number of adult men is pitifully small.

Liu Qi learned about the situation of various ministries and said to Guan Sheng: "But it can be mutually beneficial with Youzhou." Most of the first southern immigrants in Youzhou were adult men, and some grassland women could marry them. ”

Wu Jue said: "You can't force it, you have to discuss it with the leaders of the various departments." ”

Yao Pingzhong said disdainfully: "What is there to discuss? The Khitan in Huanzhou had already surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and brought them some grain and cloth, and they would naturally agree to marry a woman far away. ”

Guan Sheng said: "Let's go to the court first, and have their own ministers to solve this matter." ”

Guo Yaoshi asked: "I have inquired with all the departments in Huanzhou, and they all said that they did not see Jin Bing." Are we going to go east? ”

Guan Sheng shook his head: "Don't go, the grain road is too long." ”

The army in the direction of Shanxi, as well as the Western Route Army in Hebei, stopped at the Huanzhou grassland.

If they continue to advance eastward, the next target can only be Fengzhoupu (Weng Niute Banner), and the grain road will be stretched to more than 1,000 miles. If you don't pay attention, the car will overturn, and you may not know where you will be cut off from food. Even if you don't encounter the enemy, the consumption of grain and grass transportation is too large.

Yao Pingzhong said: "You can take the opportunity to comb the Monan grassland, and sweep away all the tribes that are unwilling to surrender!" ”

Guan Sheng nodded and said, "It's also a merit." ”

Most of their famous generals can't fight with the Jin soldiers, so they can only recover those steppe tribes.

As long as there is a symbolic dispatch of troops and two disobedient ones, the rest of the tribes will definitely surrender, because the tribes are too weak at this time.

……

The other two armies of Hebei, starting from Gubeikou and Xifengkou respectively, had already joined forces in Xinghua (near Chengde) at this time.

Moving on, they are all mountainous and not afraid of being ambushed.

Li Bao took Yue Fei, Wang Yan and others, and soon occupied Zezhou and Hezhong.

Then he sent his division to take Lizhou (the left wing of Karaqin), Longshan, Fufu, and Jianzhou, but still did not see the shadow of the Jin soldiers.

Li Bao simply led his troops and killed them in Zhongjing Dading Mansion (west of Ningcheng County) in the Jin Kingdom.

There is still no one, Wanyan Zonghan burned down the city of Dadingfu, and even the city wall was knocked down a lot!

Li Bao left some troops to defend the city, and then rushed to Jianzhou and Xingzhongfu (Chaoyang City).

There are golden soldiers in Xingzhong Mansion, and they can be garrisoned by silver.

As for Wanyan Zonghan, it is in the direction of Jinyuan.

"Marshal, the southern thief has killed Xiangxingzhong Mansion!"

"Got it."

Just when Yan Zonghan was slowly arranged, he rode a fast horse and sent a letter of help from Yan Zongfu.

After reading the letter, Yan Zonghan stood on the spot.

The Bohai tribes want to rebel, Liaoyang may be gone?

Wanyan Zongfu booby-trapped the generals of the various clans of the Sue Pavilion?

Before Yan Zonghan could recover his strength, another letter asking for help was delivered, which was sent by Yan Xiyin from Jinzhou.

All ethnic groups may rebel, and Jinzhou will also be gone?

One by one, the emergency military situation seemed to be on the door of Yan Zonghan's head, and he slammed the sledgehammer a few times.

In their original plan, the Liaodong battlefield had just started at this time.

Once Liaodong is lost, even if Yan Zonghan wins a big victory here, what role can it play?

And I can't blame Yan Zongfu yet, it's really handsome and too handsome of all races. Thinking about rebellion at the beginning of the fight is completely just a piece of wallgrass.

Replaced by Wanyan Zonghan himself, it is estimated that there is no better choice.

Now, he has to make a choice.

Should he immediately bring his troops back to save Liaodong, or should he launch an attack on Li Bao in advance?

If you choose the former, you may run for nothing. By the time he arrived at the battlefield with his troops, Liaoyang, Jinzhou and other cities were gone. And all the way back, under the fatigue of people and horses, it is very likely that the whole army will be wiped out.

Choosing the latter?

It's not time yet, and the layout is not finished. At this time, choose to start, uncover the lid or a pot of raw rice.

For a moment, Wanyan Zonghan really wanted to learn Yelu Dashi.

didn't care about anything, went straight to Mobei, occupied a large piece of grassland and established himself as the king.

But the soldiers under his command can't take it away!

These emergency military information, Wanyan Zonghan didn't even dare to make it public.

His command is full of the elite of the Jurchen tribes, and once he learns that Liaodong may fall, the generals of the various departments will definitely go back.

What to do?

"The whole army obeys the order and returns to Dading Mansion!" Wanyan Zonghan finally became ruthless.

The grain route of the Ming army has been stretched to 600 miles, and all along the way are rugged mountain roads.

The Ming army also had to divide its forces to occupy the city, and one of them was marching into Xingzhongfu, and the forces became more dispersed.

When the Jin soldiers withdrew from Dading Mansion, the city wall was stripped off for a long time, so that Yan Zonghan could lead the troops to kill back.

Let's sandwich raw rice.

Wanyan Zonghan planned to eat the Ming army in Dadingfu first, and at the same time sent a partial division to attack the grain road in the direction of Xingzhongfu. If Li Bao returns to the army to rescue the grain road, Wanyan Zongfu will be able to fight with Xingzhong Mansion's silver technique on both sides.

You can also besiege the city to send reinforcements, surround Dading Mansion to the death, and eliminate the Ming army that came to help.

The Jin soldiers, who were kept in the dark, followed Wanyan Zonghan straight to Dading Mansion.

Garrisoned in Dading Mansion was Wang Yan's eight-character army.

Hezhong County, more than 100 miles away in the southeast, was the grain transportation hub of the Ming army, and Yue Fei led the troops to guard there.

Li Yanxian's cavalry was divided into several places, and the main force was in the rich county seat, and it was in the shape of a zigzag with Dading Mansion and Hezhong County.

The distance between the cities is more than 100 miles.

But most of them are mountain roads, and they may actually be two or three hundred miles apart.

(End of chapter)