After passing the vertical arch, Shi Quanbin's expression was obviously relaxed, and he said to Du Zhongxiao: "This time the matter is urgent, as soon as we enter Beijing, the more we enter the right place, this is not a common thing." How many local officials enter Beijing and have to wait for ten days and a half months before they can face the saint. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded and did not speak.

The Emperor's reception of officials was a procedure that would not be omitted unless there was a special reason. At the ceremony, this shows that the officials are sent by the emperor and that the world is owned by the Son of Heaven. This procedure was also of practical significance, as officials could speak directly with the emperor and avoid isolating their ministers from China and abroad.

All the way to Tianzhang Pavilion, Shi Quanbin whispered to Du Zhongxiao: "Tiju, haven't you been here before?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Since I ascended, I have been an official in other places, so naturally I have never been here." ”

"This is dedicated to Emperor Zhenzong's imperial collection of imperial books, if the minister is not the imperial appearance of Taizu Taizong, the official family will summon here to have a big event. During the Qingli period, the officials asked Fan Xianggong and Fu Xianggong, and it was here. While speaking, Shi Quanbin had a sense of honor on his face.

Of course, Du Zhongxiao knows what kind of place this is, and he also knows the importance of this place. The qualifications for some important positions are in the two provinces or above. The two provinces refer to the doctors and the ministers, and the next step is the squire and the scholar, the top-level officials. The system refers to the Tianzhang Pavilion and the Longtu Pavilion to be systematized, and the officials are posted, and they are called attendants together with the bachelors. A name is so important, not to mention the place itself. It is a courtesy to meet officials here.

With the small yellow gate entering the Tianzhang Pavilion, Emperor Zhao Zhen was reading a book behind the case, and Du Zhongxiao and Shi Quanbin were courteous.

gave a seat, and ordered the little yellow door to serve tea, Zhao Zhen said: "Lifting from Suizhou, when Yingtian was in the Xinyang Army, he planted tea in the mountains of the Xinyang Army, and made this fried loose tea. This tea is simple and has a unique flavor, which is very good. This is this year's tribute tea, lifting and using. ”

Du Zhongxiao got up and thanked him, took a sip, and felt a faint sweetness, and his lips and teeth were fragrant, knowing that it was the best green tea. This is something that he runs his own field and produces, and Du Zhongxiao is of course very familiar with it.

After using tea, Zhao Zhen said: "This time, the two of you are allowed to enter Beijing, just because Tanglong Town under the Volcano Army is besieged by the Khitan, and whether to save it or not, the officials of the DPRK and China have different opinions. Lifting the Zeng Zhi Volcano Army, Tanglong Town was built by you, and now you are in charge of the army, I want to ask you what you think. ”

Du Zhongxiao praised the wat: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister thinks that Tanglong Town is a place under the rule of the imperial court, and the Khitan is openly besieged, and there is no reason not to save it." They besieged Tanglong Town and the court didn't save it today, what about the next siege of the volcano army? There is a precedent for such a thing, and there are endless troubles! ”

Zhao Zhen nodded: "Yes, all the princes in the political hall said so, and they intend to send troops to break the siege." It's just that the Privy Council recommended that it be serious, and the DPRK and China will not make a decision for the time being. Two months ago, Di Qing led his troops south to Pingnong Zhigao, and many of his subordinates came from Shaanxi Road. The Khitan won the power of the Khitan and surrounded Tanglong Town, which should not be underestimated. There are not many soldiers and horses on Linfu Road, and if you save Tanglong Town, you can't resist the party, and it is difficult for the Privy Council. Tiju once knew the volcano army, and knew a lot about the geography and folklore there. You said that Tanglong Town wants to be saved, yes, it is a heavy place for money and grain on Hedong Road, and it is also a place in this dynasty. If Tanglong Town is not saved, what should I do with other places in the Khitan Siege? ”

Speaking of this, Zhao Zhen stood up, paced a few steps behind the case, and said, "But if you want to save there, you have to send troops." It is difficult to find out where to transfer troops, who to use as generals, how to fight after they arrive, and how to end up in the end. The Dangxiang Rebellion lasted for several years, and the elite of the forbidden army was transferred to the northwest, and there was no one to use the forbidden army in the capital. The Northwest Ming was taken to Quang Nam by Di Qing, and the Privy Council thought about it left and right, thinking that it was difficult. ”

Du Zhongxiao got up and said, "Your Majesty, if there is no general, please lead the troops!" If there are no elite soldiers, please take the camp Tianxiang army and go north to rescue Tanglong Town! Being besieged by the enemy for no reason, abandoning the land without a fight, what is the face of a great power! If you don't save it, once this case is opened, there will be endless troubles! ”

Zhao Zhen looked at Du Zhongxiao and was silent for a while before he said: "You have trained a battalion field army into an elite in the past few years, and the people who went to watch the battle were full of praise, and they had the ability to command the army, and they had nothing else to say. It's just that the Yingtianxiang army can deal with the Khitan cavalry? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "I haven't been beaten, and the minister doesn't dare to say anything." However, I have been training the Tianxiang Army for several years, and I have practiced countless exercises, and I have practiced all kinds of situations. Tanglong Town is only more than 100 miles away from the Volcano Army, surrounded by mountains, backed by a big river, and is not a place where cavalry goes back and forth. As long as the minister brings the camp to Tianxiang before the army, Tanglong Town is not lost, and the minister can save it. There is Tanglong Town, and the ministers lead the camp Tianxiang Army, which can be guarded foolproof! ”

Zhao Zhen nodded and said: "The one who attacked Tanglong Town was Yelu Chongyuan, the younger brother of the Khitan Emperor, and the Hedong Road Newspaper led 5,000 cavalry and more than 10,000 infantry. Also, he has artillery in his army—"

Du Zhongxiao was taken aback: "How can there be artillery in the Khitan army?" ”

Zhao Zhen said: "How can this kind of heavy weapon in the army be hidden? The Khitan imitated the appearance of our artillery and made it for many years. It's just that it hasn't been able to do it all the time, and it's not good. Their iron cannons were useless, and they were often wounded by boreholes, so they only used copper cannons. The gunpowder was also not very good, and it did not fight as far as our artillery. Until now, the defenders of Tanglong Town can still use the artillery to defend the city, so that the Khitan artillery does not dare to approach. ”

This is the difference between attack and defense, even with the same artillery, the defender can hit farther and more accurately. Not to mention, the Khitan artillery is rough, and it is okay to fight the party, but it is not good to fight the Song army. The greatest use of the fortification artillery is to keep siege weapons from approaching. Without heavy weapons, the Khitan horses could not fly up to the city, so they could only surround it.

When Tanglong Town was first built, Du Zhongxiao built a military city alone, and the defense was extremely strong, and the surrounding flat land was almost under the threat of fire on the city. As long as the defenders in the city do not make trouble, relying on the city, Tanglong Town is enough to hold out until reinforcements arrive.

After returning to the case and sitting down, Zhao Zhen said: "Raise the Zeng Zhi Volcano Army, and train a strong force like the Yingtianxiang Army, and the firearms in the army were originally made by you, and I and the two governments both think that it is most suitable to let the leader lead." ”

Du Zhongxiao praised the wat: "If you order the ministers to go on the expedition, you will live up to your expectations!" ”

"The difficulty now is that the soldiers and horses under your command are 20,000 or 30,000 battalions of field troops, although they are taught, they are still van troops after all. There is nothing suspicious about the great artillery in your army, which is praised by everyone. It's just that the cavalry and infantry, the generals of the two provinces and the three yas all think that they are all using muskets, and they should not fight in close combat or bloody battles, and they don't know what to do with the Khitan cavalry. If you don't use the camp field, it is easy to ban the army, and it will be in vain for many years of your hard work. What do you think? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "The minister's use of firearms instead of knives and guns is after countless exercises, and the army has come up with a way to find it feasible, and it is not a whim." Because this is a new army, I don't know how to fight in the end, and the minister is confident that it is not weaker than other armies. ”

Zhao Zhen looked at Shi Quanbin on the side, and said, "I heard that the military system of the Yingtianxiang Army has also changed?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Back to Your Majesty, it has changed." The military system was reorganized according to the full use of firearms in the army and how to practice against the enemy. The battalion and field army were originally full of 50,000, but there were not enough officers, there were not enough elite soldiers, and it was difficult to obtain horses, so there were only more than 20,000 people. The number of this army was the number of the enemy army that I thought of at that time. No matter how many people there are, unless they are divided into several types, they will not be of much use. ”

Zhao Zhen said: "This dynasty has a Pingrong Wanquan Array, with an army of 100,000 to form a formation, which is actually similar to what you said. I don't know what the situation is in your army, many people say that the artillery fire is strong, and I don't need to have so many people. This rescue of Tanglong Town happens to be a soldier all the way, but it is secretly in line with what you originally thought. As long as there is no objection to saving Tanglong Town, the officials of the DPRK and China will take you as the commander and Shi Tuanlian as the deputy. When I called you this time, I just asked you face to face, do you have confidence in your battalion and field? ”

Du Zhongxiao praised the wat: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister has confidence!" The minister thought that with my ability, I couldn't save Tanglong Town with the camp Tianxiang army, so I couldn't bring other soldiers and horses. This is not a military crime, the ministers are not intelligent enough, and they are not able to catch it. ”

Zhao Zhen didn't speak, pondered there for a while, and said: "Fate will go on the expedition, what I want to hear most is victory, this is the morale of the general." You are not a military general, and you have always refused to say these two words. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Your Majesty, the army is impermanent, is there a difference between what I say and what I say or not?" It's just a matter of peace of mind. The minister thought that it was not necessary, and the Khitan attacked the party with the army of the whole country, and there was no army on the opposite side of Hebei and the dynasty. If the minister doesn't say these two words, the court is vigilant and can mobilize the surrounding soldiers and horses to Tanglong Town, just in case. Now that there are railways, it is not so difficult to transfer troops. ”

Zhao Zhen shook his head: "There are no strong soldiers on the other side of Hebei Road, and it is not on behalf of the road." The Khitan still has a large army in Datong Mansion, facing Yanmen Pass, and the soldiers and horses on behalf of the road cannot move. It is for this reason that the Privy Council advocates weight. Although there are soldiers and horses on Hebei Road, the railway only goes to Cizhou, and it is not easy to transfer it even if there is a railway. Of course, if the Khitan army comes, it must fight for Tanglong Town, and the soldiers and horses of Hebei can naturally be adjusted. ”

In order not to arouse the suspicions of the Khitan, the railway on the Hebei Road has been restricted, and it is still hundreds of miles away from the front line. The distance of hundreds of miles is still too far for the army, unless it is a long-term war, it is easy not to move. Now that the Khitan is attacking Tanglong Town, Hebei soldiers and horses have no time to support, and the disadvantages of delaying the railway repair are revealed. Determined to paralyze the Khitan, he ended up shackling himself.

looked at Du Zhongxiao, although he didn't say the word "win", he was obviously full of confidence. Zhao Zhen pondered for a long time, nodded and said: "Okay, then I think it is handsome, and take the battalion Tianxiang soldiers to rescue Tanglong Town!" The people and things in your army that are temporarily insufficient, the Sanya Forbidden Army will try to make up for it. 50,000 soldiers and horses are too much, 30,000 can still be enough! You stay in the capital for two days, and discuss with the two governments and the division, how to fight this battle! As soon as the army comes out, there must be no loss! ”