Empress Dowager Xiao snorted coldly and raised her voice: "Let them go!" The Liao soldiers who were holding the Song prisoners immediately let them go. Hundreds of captives immediately rushed behind Yang Peng and looked at Yang Peng with extremely excited and reverent eyes. "I've released your people, and now I've released my people!" Yang Peng withdrew his sword and said to Aliqi, "Let's go." ”

Aliqi stood up, glared at Yang Peng and said, "When you are injured, I will have a fight with you!" Yang Peng laughed, "Accompany me at any time!" Then he turned on his horse and led the soldiers back to the city, and the gate slammed shut. Aliqi rushed back to the Empress Dowager Xiao, and pleaded guilty with a face full of shame: "The last general is incompetent, please punish the Empress Dowager!" ”

Empress Dowager Xiao turned over and dismounted, picked up Aliqi, turned her head to look at the city wall in the distance, and said angrily: "It's not your fault, it's my fault!" I underestimate this man so much! He is not only a tiger, but also a cunning jackal! Then he raised his voice and said, "Go back to the camp!" As soon as Yang Peng returned to the city, he fell off his horse and scared everyone away. ……

Yang Peng opened his eyes and found that he was lying in his room, and all he saw was a familiar scene. I couldn't help coughing. Yang Tong, Zhao Jinxi and Yang Jiumei immediately rushed over, "Xianggong, you are awake!" Yang Tong cried. Yang Peng glanced at the three of them, and saw that the three girls all looked worried and sad, and everyone had tears on their faces. Yang Peng felt warm in his heart and said with a smile: "What are you crying about?" I'm not dead! The third girl was startled, and Yang Jiumei said urgently: "You can't say dead words!" The three girls couldn't help but cry again.

Yang Peng hurriedly said softly: "Okay, good, don't say it, don't say it!" Big brother, I will definitely live a long life! Big brother and you are an elderly couple, looking at the children and grandchildren at your feet! The three girls burst into tears and smiled, looking at Yang Peng gently. Chen Xiao looked at the charming and charming appearance of the three girls, and couldn't help but move his index finger. Put his palm on Yang Tong's thigh, and said with a smile: "Wait for the big brother, let's play once like that night!" ”

The third girl naturally understood what Yang Peng meant, and couldn't help but blush. Yang Jiumei was a little annoyed, blaming him for being injured like this and still thinking about those things; Yang Tong and Zhao Jinxi had charming smiles on their faces, as if they were emotional.

There was a faint noise outside. Yang Peng asked puzzledly, "Who is outside?" Yang Tong snorted, "What do they do?" Yang Peng smiled, "I'm fine, why are you angry!" Is it Duan Zhixian, are they outside? The third girl nodded. Yang Jiumei said: "Brother Duan, they sent the eldest brother back, and then they have been guarding outside, they are all worried about the eldest brother!" ”

Yang Tong said angrily: "They are too useless!" So many people, they actually hurt the eldest brother! Yang Peng waved his hand and said with a smile: "Don't blame them!" As he spoke, he sat up. Yang Tong and Yang Jiumei hurriedly helped Yang Peng up, while Zhao Jinxi brought a pillow and stuffed it behind Chen Xiao's back. Yang Peng leaned on the pillow and said, "Let them in." ”……

The Liao army did not attack Shangjing for several days, but was busy harvesting trees from the nearby woods and rushing to make siege equipment such as heavy stone artillery wagons. At the same time, Empress Dowager Xiao also ordered people to rush to Zhongjing to urge gunpowder.

The heavy siege equipment used in ancient conquests, such as heavy stone artillery trucks and ladders for storming the city, was generally not carried with the army, but was made near the battlefield. Because such equipment is very cumbersome to transport even in the transportation conditions of modern society, and it is an almost impossible task in ancient times; Ancient heavy equipment is not as complex as modern equipment, in fact, it is very simple, and it can be completely relied on by blacksmiths and carpenters to make it on the spot. Therefore, there is a phenomenon that is very different from modern battlefields in ancient battlefields, that is, ancient armies often set aside a place in their barracks to specialize in making various heavy weapons.

Yang Peng climbed the city wall with the support of Yang Jiumei, raised his eyes and looked into the distance, only to see the figures in the woods near the Liao army barracks, and the endless logs were transported to the barracks like a few long dragons, and the barracks were also a busy scene in full swing, and countless siege equipment could be vaguely seen hoarded in the barracks.

Li Xu said on the side: "It's been four days, and they have been making siege equipment without stopping!" Yang Peng's face was thoughtful. Zhou Dayong said worriedly: "Look at this posture, they will never stop if they don't make hundreds of stone artillery vehicles!" Hundreds of stone artillery trucks bombarded together, and the scene ......" Zhou Dayong swallowed, and his eyes showed a look of fear. Other people are also very worried, although the city defense of the capital is strong, but it can't stand hundreds of stone artillery vehicles bombarding day and night!!

Obviously, Empress Dowager Xiao was planning to break through the capital with an unprecedented attack intensity. She knows very well how powerful her opponent is, so she plans not to attack, and once she attacks, she will do her best to break through Shangjing in the shortest possible time with thunderous power.

As time passed, the heavy stone artillery vehicles in the Liao army camp continued to increase, which had already exceeded Yang Peng's previous estimates, and Yang Peng felt that the geographical advantage of the city they occupied seemed to be rapidly being weakened. Duan Zhixian, who has always been not afraid of heaven and earth, exclaimed: "That Liao woman, do you want to raze Shangjing to the ground?!" ”

Yang Peng returned to the mansion with a solemn expression. Seeing this, the three girls couldn't help but worry. Yang Peng sat down, looked up at the three very important women in his life in front of him, and said, "I have decided to send Xue Fu and them to escort you out of Shangjing. The three girls were taken aback, and Yang Tong hurriedly asked, "Can't you hold on to Beijing?" ”

Yang Peng said with an annoyed face: "That Empress Dowager Xiao simply took the wrong medicine, and she built so many catapults like crazy!" I really don't know how long I'll be able to hold out! Zhao Jinxi hurriedly said: "Then big brother come with us!" Yang Peng shook his head, "No!" I can't leave the soldiers behind! Yang Tong said angrily: "Since this is the case, then we won't leave!" Yang Jiumei nodded and agreed: "Yes, let's not go!" However, Zhao Jinxi showed hesitation.

Yang Peng was annoyed and moved, looking at the three women, he didn't know what to say. A female soldier hurriedly rushed in and reported: "General, General Chen Jie is here, saying that there is an urgent military report!" Several people were taken aback when they heard this. Yang Peng immediately left the room.

came to the hall and met Chen Jie. Chen Jie reported with a happy expression on his face: "General, the Liao people have retreated!" Yang Peng was stunned, then his heart moved, and he hurriedly ran out of the hall. When they came to the city wall and looked out of the city, they saw that the Liao army was hurriedly pulling out the north side of the camp, and the siege equipment they had worked so hard to build before had now turned into piles of burning volcanoes, and the dazzling light illuminated this piece of heaven and earth with a somewhat abnormal appearance.

"It must be Zhanjinguo! It must be the country of Zhanjin! Yang Peng said excitedly. Soon after, Yang Peng's words were verified. A dusty herald sent by the Zhan Jin State reported to Yang Peng: "The general of the Zhan Jin State led a large army to approach the Zhongjing of the Liao State, and the government and the opposition of the Liao State were shaken!" "Obviously, Empress Dowager Xiao had to retreat halfway because of this emergency military situation that was completely unexpected by her!

How could the Zhan Jin Kingdom suddenly appear under the Zhongjing City of the Liao State? Do you still remember the fact that Yang Peng ordered Zhan Jinguo to lead 40,000 elite soldiers to secretly enter Yanfangdian before? At that time, Yang Peng felt that if there were no surprise soldiers, Shangjing was afraid that it would be difficult to hold it, so he selected 10,000 elite soldiers from each division and handed them over to Zhanjin State, and ordered him to lead these 40,000 elite soldiers to secretly march into Yanfangdian to wait for orders.

Until Cao Bin was defeated and all the hole cards of the Liao State were exposed, Yang Peng immediately ordered someone to give an order to Zhan Jinguo, ordering him to lead the army to quickly cross Yanfangdian and bypass Jizhou from Jizhou on the east side of Danzhou to enter Zhongjing. Under the guidance of Qian Letian, Zhan Jinguo successfully passed through Yanfangdian, and then captured the defenseless Jizhou in one fell swoop, and collected nearly 100,000 good horses from the Jizhou Horse Farm, and then the army rode all the way north from the eastern front. When Empress Dowager Xiao arrived in Shangjing, the 40,000 elites he led also happened to arrive in Zhongjing in Liao, and the government and the opposition of Liao were greatly shaken!

Just as the troops of the Zhanjin State were approaching Zhongjing, the main forces of the Liao State were not nearby, one main force was in the east, and the other was led by Ya Yu Guanyin to attack the Song State in Beijing. The main force of the fierce battle with the Goryeo State could not move, so the Liao court sent 800 li to urgently transfer Yelutri back to the court to protect the country. Empress Dowager Xiao was very shocked when she received an urgent edict from her son Emperor, she never thought that the enemy in front of her would split an elite team to secretly bypass her front and attack Zhongjing by surprise!

Empress Dowager Xiao did not dare to delay, and immediately ordered the army under her command to burn all the heavy baggage materials and rush to the aid of Zhongjing lightly. She couldn't help but be anxious, because the Zhongjing garrison only had 20,000 imperial forbidden troops. Empress Dowager Xiao's speed was very fast, and she returned to Liaozhong Beijing from the Song Kingdom in less than ten days. However, when they arrived here, they did not find a single Song army, and then learned that the Song army had withdrawn two days earlier.

Empress Dowager Xiao immediately led the army to chase in the direction where the Song army had withdrawn, all the way south until Jizhou was recovered. At this time, Yelu Guanyin received a report from the scouts and learned that the Song army had crossed Yanfangdian and retreated to its own borders. It was only at this moment that Empress Dowager Xiao figured out where Song Jun came from, and couldn't help but be very annoyed, and then quickly made up for the mistakes she had made before.

Empress Dowager Xiao stationed troops in Shunzhou and Jizhou, and did not attack Shangjing again. At this time, the Liao army no longer had the previous sharpness, and his son sent envoys three times and twice to strictly order that Empress Dowager Xiao must not rush south without a holy decree.

Eyes turn to Shangjing. Yang Peng was very excited when he saw Zhan Jinguo, and Zhan Jinguo couldn't control his emotions, so he bowed his head and bowed: "Big brother!" Yang Peng hurriedly helped Lin Chong up and patted him on the shoulder, "Brother, it's hard for you!" Zhan Jinguo smiled, and then said excitedly: "Big brother, this time the little brother has gained a lot!" Then he pointed to the nearly 100,000 high-quality war horses led by 40,000 soldiers behind him, "100,000 war horses in Jizhou!" ”

Yang Peng stepped forward and looked at the endless sea of war horses in front of him, and was overjoyed, "Okay, with these war horses, our cavalry corps can finally be formed!" Later that day, there was jubilation in the barracks, and Yang Peng passed down an order to lift the ban on drinking alcohol for a day.

At the same time, in the hall of the left-behind mansion, Yang Peng and the brothers celebrated the success of Zhan Jinguo and Qian Letian's wine banquet. In the dead of night, the wine is lit. Yang Peng went to the bath with the support of Yang Jiumei, Yang Tong, and Zhao Jinxi, and the three daughters served Yang Peng to bathe. Yang Peng did something to the three of her, and as a result, he pulled the three girls into the pool. In the coquettish voice, the three girls are like hibiscus out of the water, elves in the night. The love affair between husband and wife was staged immediately, and the fairy music played, and Yue'er was so shy that she hid......

The imperial court received Yang Peng's 800-mile urgent report, and the emperor and his ministers, who were originally like ants on a hot pot, finally breathed a sigh of relief. The emperor, who was very excited, wanted to crown Yang Peng as the king of Yan, but because of the prevention of Pang Taishi, Wang Qinruo and others, the matter was stopped.

Subsequently, the Zichen Hall held a feast, the ministers praised the emperor's eloquence and strategy, and the flattery on the hall rose one after another, it was really a scene of prosperity! The Emperor had forgotten how he had panicked before, and he was fluttering again.

At the same time, the people of the capital are also an excited celebration scene, and the scene is like the New Year.

The brutal war came to an end for the time being, and Yang Peng, in view of the more dangerous situation he might face in the future, began to actively expand his army and at the same time form a cavalry corps. At the same time, in order to gain the support of the local people, Yang Peng promulgated a series of policies to benefit the people, such as reducing the tax of ordinary farmers by half, encouraging the people to reclaim wasteland, recognizing the ownership of the wasteland they reclaimed, and promising to exempt the agricultural tax on newly reclaimed wasteland for two years; In the city, the development of industry and commerce has been encouraged, and all restrictions that hinder the development of industry and commerce have been removed, and unreasonable taxes have been abolished. In the military, the government takes care of the families of the fallen soldiers, and the children of the fallen soldiers are raised by the government, and so on.

The days passed, and before I knew it, it was the early summer season when the grass grew and the warbler flew. The earth seemed to be dyed with green oil paint, the sun began to feel a little hot, and the wind blowing from the south seemed to carry the hot flashes of the southern sea. The population in the city seems to be much larger than half a year ago, and it is a scene full of people; The grain fields outside the city stretch into the sea, rippling layers of green waves from time to time in the breeze; Caravans shuttled back and forth on the official road, countless cargo ships gathered on the wharf, and countless workers were busy loading and unloading goods. The land of Bazhou under the control of Chen Xiao is a thriving and gratifying scene.

Qian Letian stood in front of Yang Peng and reported the latest situation: "In the past three days, thousands of people have moved into Beijing. Our population in Beijing is now about to exceed 500,000! It has basically returned to the peak level under the rule of the Liao State! ”

"In addition, the trade flow has increased by about double compared to last month, and although we have eliminated some taxes, the tax revenue has increased by about seventy or eighty!" Yang Peng smiled and nodded, "Okay!" The population is getting bigger and the trade is getting bigger, and this trend is very good! Qian Letian said with a smile: "The prestige of the general is also increasing day by day!" My subordinates heard that the people of many counties and towns have spontaneously built ancestral halls for the general, and the incense is flourishing! ”

Yang Peng laughed. Duan Zhixian said loudly: "Isn't that big brother becoming an immortal!" The crowd burst into laughter. Qian Letian glanced at Duan Zhixian and said with a smile: "Brother Duan's words are right, in fact, in the hearts of many people, the general is an immortal!" Then he hugged his fist at Yang Peng meaningfully and said: "Actually, this is definitely a good thing!" Yang Peng smiled slightly and asked, "There are a lot of places to spend money during this time, how is our financial situation now?" ”

"Returning to the general, there are still more than 1.46 million taels of silver in the treasury now. ......" Yang Peng patted his head in distress, "It's really like running water!" Qian Letian smiled: "After all, I have done so many things!" The cost of military expansion alone accounted for almost two-thirds of all expenses. ”

Since the end of the last war, Yang Peng immediately set about expanding the army and forming a cavalry corps. Today, the total strength of Yang Peng's command has expanded to more than 220,000 people, divided into five major legions, namely the first, second, third, and fourth, and the legion directly under the general. Among them, the first, second, third, and fourth corps were all expanded from the first, second, third, and fourth divisions, and the commanders did not change, each corps had a strength of 40,000 troops, and the directly subordinate corps was later formed by Yang Peng, and the team was the thousands of private soldiers recruited in Tianjing New City before, with a total number of 60,000.

This army now has 50,000 cavalry, each legion has 10,000 cavalry, and the 10,000 cavalry of the direct legion is different, all of them are heavy iron cavalry with men and horses in armor. Just to form this iron cavalry, it consumes one-fifth of the military budget.

Now Yang Peng's military strength is not what it used to be! Qian Letian frowned, "Now these 220,000 soldiers and horses will consume almost 200,000 taels of silver every month, and the military expenses given by the imperial court are only half. We have to pay for the remaining half. In addition to military spending, road construction, daily expenses of the government, the implementation of various policies to benefit the people, the implementation of the preferential military policy, etc., these monthly expenses require 100,000 taels of silver. At present, our fiscal revenue is only about 100,000 taels of silver a month, and there is still a gap of half, and the current treasury reserves are only enough to meet for three or four months. ”

Yang Peng frowned and thought about this. Everyone whispered, and Duan Zhixian said loudly: "In this way, you can only rob it!" Everyone laughed, and Zhan Jinguo said teasingly: "Where to rob it, even if you want to rob it, there is no place!" Duan Zhixian raised his eyebrows and said: "There are so many rich and unkind scholars in the city, it is better to rob them!" ”

Yang Peng smiled and shook his head, "You can't do this!" Zhou Dayong said: "We can last at least three or four months, and we will definitely be able to figure out a way during this time." Yang Peng shook his head, "It's only two months at most." ”

Everyone was puzzled, and Duan Zhixian said very confusedly: "Did you hear him wrong, or did you not understand, why is it only two months?" Yang Peng picked up a letter in his hand, "This is the letter sent by Prime Minister Kou Zhun this morning." The imperial court has already sent more than a dozen officials to our office to serve as the superintendent of the army and the governors of the prefectures. As a result, we can't use the taxes of the states. In other words, we will have to bear all the costs of our policies and the excess military spending. ”

The crowd was taken aback. Duan Zhixian glared and scolded: "This class of frustrated birds, don't you dare to come?" How did you eat the gall of the ambitious leopard? Chen Jie asked puzzledly: "Why do we have to bear the cost of local policies ourselves?" "His question is also a question for many. Chen Jie explained: "These policies can be said to be my personal favor to the people everywhere, not the policies of the imperial court, so it is impossible for the imperial court to bear these expenses." Those measures could not be passed above the imperial court, and Prime Minister Kou Zhun had already tried them. However, these policies are crucial to the stability and development of the eight states, so we can only bear it ourselves! ”

Duan Zhixian said viciously: "It's better to take advantage of those dog officials who haven't come yet, and slaughter them all in the middle of the road!" We have finally laid the country, why let these frustrated birds pick peaches on the ground! "Many people are excited.

Yang Peng stood on the north city wall, looking into the distance, the weather is very good today, and the rolling hills dozens of miles away can be seen clearly. Behind that hill was the city of Shunzhou, where the princess of Liao, Yelutri, was stationed. "Is there any movement in the Liao army recently?" Yang Peng asked.

Zhang Yan, who was standing on the side, shook his head, "There is no movement." It's just that according to the scout report, His Royal Highness Xiao Tianzuo is still recruiting. Yang Peng smiled, "This is normal. Turning his head and glancing at Zhang Yan, "How many troops do you estimate they have now?" Zhang Yan said: "Based on their recent consumption of grain and grass, I estimate that their strength may be close to 200,000. ”

Yang Peng showed a thoughtful look. A secret guard rushed up, hugged his fists and said, "Master, Miss Chai is here." ”

Yang Peng smiled, "I haven't seen her for a long time!" I don't know why, I actually miss her! Chen Jie said with a smile: "Didn't those scholars say, 'Fair ladies and gentlemen are good', Miss Chai is a fairy-like character, no wonder the eldest brother misses her." Yang Peng glanced at Li Xu strangely, "I said, when did you Li Xu learn to joke?" Li Xu looked a little embarrassed.

After all, what happens next, let's see how it will be broken down next time.