In the seventh year of Taiping Xingguo, Liaojingzong Yelu Xian's troops invaded south, and the army was defeated in Mancheng, but fortunately, the general Yelu's subordinates attacked left and right, so that Liaojingzong was kept and the army was withdrawn. In the autumn of the same year, Liao Jingzong died of depression due to the failure of the southern expedition. Shi Yelu and Han Derang supported Empress Dowager Xiao and established Yelu Longxu, the eldest son of Liao Jingzong, as emperor. Taking advantage of the early establishment of the new monarch of the Liao State and the unstable domestic situation, Song Taizong convened the ministers to discuss, collect grain and grass, and decided to go on a northern expedition, with the purpose of recovering the sixteen states of Yanyun that were ceded to the Liao State by Shi Jingjiao of the Later Jin Dynasty, and the shame of the Battle of the Gaoliang River in the past.

In the third year of Yongxi, Song Taizong sent an army of 200,000 to attack Liao by three routes. Cao Bin was the commander on the east road, Tian Chongjin was the commander on the middle road, Pan Mei was the main commander on the west road, Yang Ye was the deputy marshal, and Wang Yu was the supervisor of the army. The three-way army marched together, and all roads were successful, and they captured Yunzhou, Yingzhou, Huanzhou, Shuozhou and other places. Song Taizong was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth, but with the defeat of the army led by Mi Xin in the battle of Xincheng, Cao Bin, the army of the East Road, was defeated by the Liao general Yelu Xiuge at Qigou Pass, and the Northern Expedition was doomed to failure.

The defeat was decided, and Emperor Taizong urgently ordered the three-way army to retreat, and ordered the Western Route Army led by Pan Mei, Yang Ye, and Wang Yu to escort the people to move inward. At this time, Pan Mei and Yang Ye had already led the army to retreat to Daizhou.

The sky was gloomy and gloomy, the wind was blowing, the barracks tents made terrible noises, and the whole barracks was also drowsy, and the oppressive atmosphere was difficult to breathe. In the handsome tent, Pan Mei was in the first place, and Yang Ye, Yang Yanyu, Wang Yu, Liu Wenyu and others sat in turn.

Pan Mei's eyes swept over the generals and said: "Now that Huanzhou is broken again, the people of the four states are in dire straits, and there is a decree from the saint to order us and other commanders to escort the people to move inward, I don't know what your good plan is?"

When the generals heard this, they all bowed their heads, and no one answered. But at this moment, Yang Ye stood up, hugged his fists and said, "My subordinates do have a plan!"

"Vice Marshal Yang, please speak!" Pan Mei heard Yang Ye's words, and her heart suddenly rejoiced. Because although the army of the Western Road took him as the commander, he knew that whether it was commanding operations on the battlefield or making strategic deployments, this Yang Ye would defeat him.

Yang Yedao: "Now that the Liao army has just broken through Huanzhou, its morale is flourishing, and it is really unfavorable to fight with it. Your Majesty's will is only for us to escort the people of several states inside, and now we only need to send someone to tell the guards of Yunzhou and Shuozhou to escort the people up to Shijie Valley before we set off, and then send archers to ambush at the mouth of the valley to protect the people. And my subordinates are stationed in Yingzhou at this time, and my subordinates will order them to take the initiative to attack and lead the Liao army to battle. When the time comes, Marshal, you will personally command the army, set off from the big stone road, and form a horn with your subordinates, and you will definitely be able to force back the Liao army and ensure the safety of the people in Zhuzhou. ”

When Pan Mei heard this, she thought that this strategy was very good, and was about to agree. Wang Yu, the superintendent, said: "Deputy Marshal Yang has tens of thousands of elite soldiers, how can he be worthy of the trust of the saint if he is so timid?"

Yang Ye said: "The way of using troops is to be good at strategy, as long as we can win the enemy's army, what if we can tolerate it? Besides, the Liao army is now in full swing, and fighting head-on is not the way to win!"

When Wang Yu heard this, he snorted coldly: "The general is known as 'invincible', but now he is hesitant when he sees the enemy, does he have other ideas?"

Yang Ye's face changed suddenly, and he said: "Yang Ye and his family all take loyalty to the monarch and serve the country as their own responsibility, how dare they have different intentions?

Wang Yu said: "That being the case, the general only needs to go straight to Yanmen Beichuan, advance with great fanfare, and defeat the Liao army, why worry about the people of Zhuzhou?"

When Yang Ye heard this, he suddenly felt helpless in his heart, and the decision was still in Pan Mei's hands at this time. Pan Mei felt that Wang Yu and Yang Ye's words were reasonable. At present, the morale of the Song army is weak, and the saint is angry, if he can win a battle, the saint will be a dragon-faced and happy, and the official will be knighted, just around the corner. Is it just that now is really a good opportunity to send troops? Pan Mei is the commander of the three armed forces, so she has to think about it carefully.

After thinking about it for a long time, Pan Mei didn't come up with a decision after all, and all the generals were dispersed at the moment.

"Father, this Wang Yu is really too much!" Yang Yanyu walked back and forth in the camp tent, angry. Yang Ye sighed and said, "Our side has suffered defeats one after another, and the Holy Lord is angry. That Wang Yu hit the nail on the head, and now if he can win a battle, the saint will be happy, and it goes without saying that he will be promoted to the knighthood. Today, the marshal doesn't seem to have paid attention, but in fact, he is already tempted!"

Yang Yanyu said: "But now that he is fighting with the Liao soldiers, there are many defeats and few victories, Pan Shuai, can't he really see it?"

Yang Yedao: "The safety of the people in Zhuzhou depends on the decision of Ming Yen!"

It was the night when the clouds were thick and layered. Suddenly lightning flashed across the sky, thunder suddenly exploded, and a storm was coming.

In the camp of the handsome, Pan Mei's mind was Yang Ye's suggestion for a while, and for the other time it was Wang Yu's heart-warming suggestion, how should he choose? Just when he was in a dilemma, Wang Yu's voice suddenly came from outside the camp: "Xiaguan Wang Yu, come and ask to see the marshal!"

"Wang Yu, what is he doing at this time?" Pan Mei couldn't help but mutter, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Come in!"

Wang Yu walked into the camp and saluted Pan Mei: "It's so late, and you came to disturb the marshal's rest, I hope the marshal will forgive me!"

"Say, Wang Jianjun came to find Ben Shuai, what is the matter?" Pan Mei lowered her eyelids and didn't look at Wang Yu.

With a smile on his face, Wang Yu asked, "What does the marshal plan to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know what Wang Jianjun wants Ben Shuai to do?" Pan Mei said lightly.

"The marshal's words are serious, the marshal is the one who is in charge on the battlefield, and the subordinate is just a supervising army, how dare he ask the marshal to do anything?"

Pan Mei knew that although he was the commander of the first army, this Wang Yu was the supervisor of the army and had the right to intervene in the affairs of the army, in other words, this Wang Yu was the emperor's sword. He has a say in all decisions, and he has a certain right to decide. At that moment, he said: "What do the prison soldiers want to say, please speak up!"

Wang Yu straightened his sleeves and said, "The lower official thinks that Yang Ye's reputation as 'invincible' is false, and when it comes to the way of using soldiers, how can he compare to the marshal? This is also the reason why the Holy Lord only let him be a deputy marshal!"

When Pan Mei heard this, she felt comfortable in her heart, but she didn't say a word. Wang Yu continued: "Now that our army has lost one after another, the Holy Dragon Yan is furious, if there is no victory, return to Bianjing, what will those civil officials in the court say, presumably there is no need to remind the marshal, right?"

When Pan Mei heard this, she nodded and said, "Yes, at this time, we need a victory." ”

Wang Yu said: "The marshal is wise!"

"But now that the Liao army is in full swing, it is not a good time to send troops, but this victory is difficult to fight, alas!" Pan Mei's face was dejected.

Wang Yu smiled and said: "Yes, the momentum of the Liao army is indeed very strong, they have fought all the way, and they have not been defeated, and now they are very proud, has the marshal ever heard that the arrogant soldiers will be defeated?"

When Pan Mei heard this, she immediately felt reasonable. Wang Yu continued: "At present, there are more than 50,000 people in the Yang family army under Yang Ye, and they live in Yingzhou, and the marshal ordered him to go out of Yanmen to attack the Liao army, and the Liao army has now become a fighting army, and it will definitely be defeated. When you return to Bianjing like this, not only will those civil officials not be able to make irresponsible remarks, but it is an ironclad matter to add officials to knighthood!"

Wang Yu saw that Pan Mei was already moved, and immediately said: "Actually, the Liao army is not powerful, if it weren't for Cao Bin, they stretched the battle line, the supply of military food was insufficient, and the grain route was cut off by the Liao army, we would have waved our troops to take the Liao court at this time!"

Wang Yu's words are nine points true, Pan Mei listened, and there was a smoky fire in her heart, she was originally here to make a contribution, but now it ended like this, he gritted his teeth and said: "Okay, this time the commander will listen to the prison army!"

A look of pride flashed in Wang Yu's eyes, and he said, "The marshal is wise!"

Pan Mei said with a smile: "If the prison army speaks, Ben Shuai thinks about it and thinks backwards, and it is definitely difficult to make a decision, if this is defeated, the prison army will also make a great contribution!"

Wang Yu said a few words modestly and withdrew from the camp.