"The Northern Expedition, you must succeed in one blow, there is no way out!"

Zhao Hong pointed to the sand table, his face solemn.

"You all discussed, how to deal with the use of troops against the two rivers? Military preparations, mobilization of military and civilian morale. Everyone must discuss, check and fill in the gaps, and there can be no luck and sloppiness! ”

As for the march and battle, the decisive battle on the battlefield, it is still necessary for the generals such as Meng Hui and Yu Jue to command the battle, and the soldiers will fight bloodily.

Roughly calculated, this upcoming national war will take at least half a year to prepare. Without a year's or so of grain and grass reserves, I am afraid it will be difficult to succeed.

At the end of the day, war is about logistics!

The rain was dripping outside the window, but the hall was silent, and the topic returned to the Northern Expedition, and all the ministers were around the sand table, contemplating and thinking.

"The Guards Infantry and Horse Division, Huainan Two Roads, Jiangnan Two Roads, Jinghu Two Roads, and the Coastal Establishment Division, how many border troops are there now?"

For a moment, Zhao Hong looked at the sand table and asked softly, breaking the silence.

Without an army of two or three hundred thousand, the Northern Expedition is really not reassuring.

"Back to Your Majesty, there are 20,000 guards in the infantry division and 30,000 guards in the horse army division; 80,000 people in Huainan Lianglu, 80,000 people in Jiankang Prefecture, 50,000 people in Ezhou Prefecture, and 80,000 people in Jinghu Prefecture; There are 20,000 sailors in Zhenjiang Prefecture, 10,000 sailors in Jiangzhou, and 50,000 sailors in the Coastal Preparedness Division. ”

Wei Liaoweng came one by one and made a summary.

"Your Majesty, excluding the 50,000 guards infantry division and the guard horse army division, along the Huaishui and Yangtze rivers, there are 290,000 infantry, 50,000 cavalry, and 80,000 sailors, a total of 420,000 people."

Wei Liaoweng's words made everyone frightened.

The Jianghuai defense line actually gathered 340,000 border troops, no wonder the emperor wanted to go on a northern expedition.

Zhao Hong nodded, and his gaze turned to Yu Yu and the others.

"The border army in the northwest, including Sichuan, also said to hear it."

Speaking of strong soldiers and strong horses, the Northwest Frontier Army has experienced great battles and cannot be underestimated.

"Back to Your Majesty, there are 50,000 troops in Chengdu and 40,000 troops in Lizhou; 30,000 troops were stationed on each of the two roads in Lizhou. Sichuan garrisoned a total of 150,000 troops. ”

Sichuan made Cui He the first to play.

"Back to Your Majesty, there are 50,000 garrisons in Shaanxi!"

Shaanxi Road appeased Chen Longzhi and then played.

"Back to Your Majesty, there are 50,000 garrisons on Lintaofu Road!"

Wang Jian, the commander of Lintaofu Road, stepped forward and said.

Now the west of Fengxiang Mansion is Lintao Road, and with the surrender of Wang Shixian and others, the strength has greatly increased.

"Back to Your Majesty, there are 50,000 garrisons on Hexi Road!"

"Back to Your Majesty, there are 40,000 troops on Xixia Road!"

Hexi Road is under control of Yu Jue and Xixia Road is under the control of Cao Youwen one by one.

"Your Majesty, the entire Northwest Frontier Army now has 340,000, including 100,000 cavalry and 230,000 foot soldiers!"

Wei Liaoweng, the secretary of the military department, made a summary.

The ministers looked at each other and shook their heads in surprise.

340,000, 100,000 cavalry, the strength of the northwest border army, can be seen.

"Our army has successively recovered Western Xia and Shaanxi, and Sichuan has become the interior. 30,000 troops were transferred from Chengdu and 20,000 troops were transferred from Lizhou; 20,000 troops were transferred to Lizhou and 10,000 troops to Lintao Road, 10,000 troops were transferred to Hexi and Xixia, and a total of 100,000 troops were transferred into Shaanxi, accompanied by 50,000 border troops in Shaanxi, a total of 150,000 troops, to prepare for the Northern Expedition. ”

Zhao Hong made a decision in an instant.

The 150,000 troops on the west road were enough to defend themselves and go north.

"Your Majesty, please lead the Northern Expedition!"

Yu Jue couldn't wait and asked for orders on the opposite side of the sand table.

In several major wars, he was a partial division, and there were no major wars. This time, the emperor wanted to reuse him, and of course he didn't want to miss it.

"Your Majesty, please fight!"

"Your Majesty, please order the expedition!"

The Northern Expedition is enough to leave a name in history. Cao Youwen, Wang Jian, Lu Wende and others are not willing to miss it.

The generals were eager to try, Zhao Hong smiled softly and pointed to the sand table.

Ma Zhong stayed in Hexi, Lu Yuanting sat in Xixia, and the two roads of Lizhou were classified as Lizhou Road, which was controlled by Jiang Wanzai. The Northern Expedition of the Western Route Army, with Yu Yu as the commander-in-chief and Cao Youwen and Wang Jian as the deputy commanders, led the Western Route Army into Hedong and took Taiyuan and Yunzhong in one fell swoop. As for the other generals, they have their own arrangements. ”

Yu Jue and Wang Jian were all smiling, and the other generals were helpless, so they were silent.

Someone must remain behind, or the enemy will invade, and there will be a great chaos.

"Your Majesty, my northwest border army is elite, but what should I do in the southeast?"

Zhen Dexiu's heart was fluttering, and he couldn't help but ask.

The west road alone is 150,000 troops, plus the east road, there are 300,000 sharp soldiers.

This is really a national war that will go down in history!

"The Hebei Plain requires a large number of cavalry to gallop across the country."

Zhao Hong nodded, hesitated, and said:

Cao Youwan and Lu Wende each took 20,000 elite cavalry, entered Hebei from the east of the river, and joined the East Route Army in the Yanjing area, and took Yanjing directly. Eat a trench and grow a wisdom, Cao Youwan is a fierce general, give him a chance. ”

If what he expected was right, Yanjing would be a major battleground. Cao Youwan won the three armies in the first battle, and he should be given a chance.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Lu Wende smiled, and hurriedly clenched his fists to obey the order.

Restoring the two rivers was a great cause that would go down through the ages, and he didn't want to miss it.

"Your Majesty, thank you Your Majesty!"

Cao Youwen was a little relieved. It seems that the emperor still has high hopes for his younger brother.

"Your Majesty, since Du Chong broke the Yellow River, the Yellow River has seized the Huai water into the sea, the canal has been interrupted, the Beidi Canal has been silted, and the Bianhe River has dried up, making it difficult to navigate. If the eastern army goes north, I am afraid that it can only take the land route. The transfer of grain and grass is probably a problem. ”

Wei Liaoweng's words made all the ministers nod.

If the canal is opened, the officials and troops of the Great Song Dynasty can go up the canal, whether it is the transportation of grain and grass, or the transportation of soldiers, hundreds of miles a day, and it is relatively easier to restore the northern land.

Cao Yun couldn't get through, so he could only rely on the infantry to chisel hard.

Zhao Hong smiled slightly. Going north by sea, avoiding those pots and jars, there is no need to chisel hard.

"Your Majesty, the army on the west route is strong and strong, and my army on the east route is not ambiguous. The minister asked for an order to lead his troops north and restore Yanyun. ”

Du Gao's black face flushed, and he couldn't wait to speak.

He commanded an army of 100,000 and considered himself an elite army. It's really not worth mentioning just to exterminate a Li Quan and defeat some golden soldiers.

"Your Majesty, the minister is willing to lead his troops north to restore Yanjing."

Meng Hui couldn't wait and followed Lang to ask for orders.

In the Shukou War over the years, the credit has been robbed by the Northwest Frontier Army, and the vicious battle in Guanzhong is just a spectator. This Northern Expedition can't be missed again.

"The East Road army is divided into two parts, one is led by Meng Hui, and 20,000 people are drawn from the Jinghu Metropolitan Division; 30,000 people were dispatched from the Jiankang Metropolitan Division, 30,000 from the Ezhou Metropolitan Division, 20,000 from the Guards Infantry Division, and 10,000 from the Guards Ma Military Division to jointly settle in Jiankang Mansion. The Coastal Preparation Division sent 20,000 sailors to transport, a total of 130,000 people, and the coastal road went straight up, through Zhigu Village, Tongzhou, and Yanjing! ”

Zhao Hong pointed to the sand table and looked at Meng Heng, his eyes burning.

"Obey the order!"

Meng Heng's face flushed, and he hurriedly complied with the order, for fear that the emperor would change his hexagram.

Excluding the 20,000 naval army, the 110,000 army, plus the 40,000 elite cavalry of the Northwest Army, a total of 150,000 troops, together with the 150,000 Northwest Frontier Army, can fly on both wings.

In the admiring gaze of everyone, Zhao Hong turned to Du Gao.

"Zhenjiang Prefecture Metropolitan Division raised 10,000 water troops, and Jiangzhou Metropolitan Division 10,000 water troops stationed in Xianghan, and Jinghu Metropolitan Division 60,000 people defended the Jin soldiers to the south, and the military department Shangshu Wei Liaoweng sat in the town. The 80,000 troops of the Huainan Road were led by Du Gao, and then the 10,000 water divisions of Zhenjiang were transferred to the north to occupy the entire Huainan and restore Shandong. ”

Du Gao was also smiling, and hurriedly bowed and said yes.

Wei Liweng bowed, just defensive, not attacking, he could barely do it.

"Du Gao, occupy Shandong, and at the same time, you must be careful of the Jin State coming, and you must not be careless."

Zhao Hong did not forget to tell Du Gao.

"Wei Qing, the Hebei Canal is blocked, if it is hard to chisel, it will inevitably be a fierce battle, and the soldiers will be lost, which will also give the Mongolian army a chance to react. My Great Song Sailor is so elite, 100,000 people, it is really a waste to abandon it. ”

Zhao Hong said to Wei Liaoweng, and made an answer.

"Your Majesty, to restore the two rivers, you must not be hasty and win the hasty north. The soldiers and horses did not move, and the grain and grass went first. Your Majesty is cautious. ”

Zhen Dexiu's face was serious and said solemnly.

"Of course I know. However, I want to correct it, Xin Jiaxuan didn't mean that Han Chuxuan was reckless, just to remind him. Han Chuxuan expected everything, but he lost to humanity and traitors. ”

Zhao Hong said loudly and corrected Han Chuxuan's name.

When Han Chuzhou went on the Northern Expedition, the defense of Shukou was solid, with 100,000 border troops and more than 10,000 cavalry.

Who would have thought that the descendants of the anti-gold heroes would become traitors?

"The household department and various roads prepare grain and grass, and the east road takes Haizhou Port and Mizhou Port as a transit place; The west road is hoarded in Chang'an, and the grain and grass can be prepared for January. The Communications Division advertises in the newspapers. This national war is bound to win! ”

Zhao Hong looked at Wu Qian and smiled slightly.

"Wu Qing, what Zhengong said is right, the Northern Expedition is a great cause, the soldiers and horses have not moved, and the grain and grass go first. You don't have a problem with the supply of food and grass, right? ”

With an army of 400,000, the supply in the northwest is limited after all, and it still depends on the southeast and the rice supply from the South Seas.

"Your Majesty, if you can have half a year, the minister can mobilize 2 million stone grain and grass from Nanyang, and overseas can provide saltpeter sulfur and other materials, which is enough for my 400,000 troops for half a year. Before the East China Sea freezes, there will be an endless supply of grain and grass, enough for a large army to stay in the two rivers! ”

Wu Qian's words were full of confidence.

The reclamation of Boni, Guawa and other places, and the import of grain from Zhancheng and Mayi were enough to ensure the supply of hundreds of thousands of troops.

"The Northern Expedition plan is related to the national fortunes of our Great Song Dynasty, this is a national war, and it needs to be fully planned. Therefore, I plan to prepare for the Northern Expedition in the autumn, during which there will be half a year, or even longer. Grain and grass, new types of firearms, the training of soldiers, the supply of ships and horses, and the selection of supply lines must all be properly prepared. ”

Half a year, avoiding the summer heat and the Northern Expedition in autumn is indeed a more secure choice.

"Your Majesty, the ministers obey the order!"

All the courtiers spoke in unison and bowed together.

The emperor was thoughtful, and it was not Yuan Jia who was hasty, and it also made them feel at ease.

With the overseas grain baggage, logistics and supplies are safe. The emperor was far-sighted and colonized overseas, which was indeed a big game of chess.

"Ladies and gentlemen, after going down, prepare well, mobilize the Sixth Army, and don't slack off and miss the great cause of the Northern Expedition."

Zhao Hong looked at everyone and accentuated his tone.

"I still say that the purpose of war is to kill and injure the other side as much as possible, so that the other side will lose the ability to resist. Save people and lose land, and people and land are gained; Saving land and losing people, people and land are lost. Do you all get it? ”

"Follow Your Majesty's teachings!"

All the ministers bowed together and received their orders.

"Zhongqing, Tang has twenty-four heroes of Lingyan Pavilion, and he has achieved the great cause of the Tang Dynasty. I intend to build a Zhaoxun Pavilion next to the Jinling Lecture Hall, and set up the portraits of 28 heroes of the Great Song Dynasty to commend them, so that the world can appreciate them and know their great achievements, which will be remembered through the ages. ”

Zhao Hong took out a list, and Dong Songchen hurriedly took it.

"You see, these are the sages and martyrs of my Great Song Dynasty, a total of fifteen people. The remaining thirteen people are chosen by this dynasty. ”

The ministers circulated it one after another, and everyone laughed awkwardly, all of them had ghosts.

The two rivers were restored, the Western Regions were recovered, and the outside was safe. I'm afraid the candidates for these thirteen Zhaoxun Pavilion will be decided.