Tanglong Town is located in an open place in the valley of the Volcano Army's north, with a small river running through it at the bottom. The river rises and widens during the rainy season, and intermittently in the dry season. At this time, the water in the river was not much, it was narrow and shallow, and the water was almost all ice, which did not affect the movement of the army. The military city was built high in the east, backed by mountains, facing valleys and small rivers, and the terrain was extremely favorable. The siege could only be attacked from the valley and was extremely difficult.

The heavy artillery position chosen by Yao Shouxin was on a high ground not far from the city, overlooking the entire valley. Hundreds of horses, dragging heavy artillery wagons up to the high ground, each arranged, and chose a suitable place to prepare the flowering shells.

Although the artillery is good, the cost is like flowing water, and small countries simply cannot afford it. These twenty-eight heavy artillery pieces are equivalent to several cavalry battalions, and both in terms of cost and wartime expenses, they are about the same as thousands of cavalry. The equipment came from the iron prison, and I didn't feel it during the usual drills, but when I arrived at the battlefield, the money spent was shocking. All the shells were transported to the Bulgarian army by rail, and then transported here by carts, and the number was not much, and it was more than enough to fight a battle.

Standing on the top of the mountain, Yao Shouxin and several artillery commanders held binoculars, carefully observed the position in the valley and calculated the arrangement of gun emplacements.

The iron superintendent made the glass, made the mirror, and finally made the telescope. However, at this time, telescopes were expensive, there were more artillery, and there were fewer cavalry and infantry, and they were only available to commanders and above.

Du Zhongxiao and Liu Ji stood at the head of the city, carefully observing the terrain, comparing the map, and arranging the rest of the gun emplacements. With artillery as the center, the infantry and cavalry of protection were arranged. At the southern end of the valley, which continued from the military city, were the ironclad cavalry and the infantry of Yang Wenguang and Zhao Zi. Dou Shunqing's infantry, arranged inside and outside the military city, together with the surrounding six thousand cavalry, served as the central army and the general reserve.

After arranging and letting each officer go to observe the position, Du Zhongxiao said to Liu Ji: "We have so many artillery, for the Khitans, this valley is not suitable as a battlefield at all. It was too open, the artillery was condescending, and the battle could not be fought at all. Moreover, the terrain is limited, and the 100,000 army cannot be used at all, so it can only be divided into several parts and take turns to attack the city. ”

Liu Jidao: "Where do the Khitans know this? I estimate that when they come with 100,000 people, at least 20,000 or 30,000 will be divided to plunder, and no one within a hundred miles of them will be spared. They also wanted to know that in the small city of Tanglong Town, it was impossible for our army to shrink 30,000 people inside the city, and it was inevitable that we would fight outside the city. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Yes, this is according to common sense." The 30,000 army is here, and it stands to reason that it should defend the surrounding security, choose a few important places within one or twenty miles, and fight the Khitans separately. But we were in too much of a hurry, and we had no time to do anything, so we had to fight to the death here. If the Khitans knew that our main position was artillery, they should start from the outside, fight for one artillery position after another, and finally approach the military city. No one had ever fought like this before, and it was impossible for the Khitans to know, so it was up to Yeluzong to see if he dared to risk his life. ”

Before Yao Shouxin mentioned it, Du Zhongxiao didn't think about it in this direction, and everything was inferred from military common sense. When the Khitan soldiers came, they should have camped ten miles to the north, and then compete with the Song army for the outer positions and seize the artillery positions on the nearby heights before they dared to attack the city. Such a battle was protracted, and the 100,000 army was dragged here, and it was likely that the follow-up Song army reinforcements would make dumplings.

Yeluzong, as the monarch of a country, suddenly led his troops south, he definitely didn't think like this. If he can't capture Tanglong Town, he should want to get it, and he won't die here. After winning a few battles and regaining face, the army should leave.

When he first got the news, Du Zhongxiao was also puzzled why the Khitan army suddenly came to attack again. After thinking about it all night, I finally figured out that for the Khitans, it is best to get Tanglong Town, and if you don't get it, there will be other gains. After a few small victories, the army turned east to cross the Yellow River, captured the relatively easy to fight the head village, captured the mouth of Chenjia Valley along the road, and went north to Shuozhou. From Shuozhou back to Beijing, it is a big road, and the supply is convenient.

The Khitan attacked the party this time, and the seized property, cattle and sheep were a lot of people, and the speed of return was too slow, and the elite army could not afford to wait. Yelu Zongzhen suddenly divided his troops and went south, because Yelu Chongyuan's soldiers were defeated and angry, but they were not brainless to attack. It is more likely that the Khitan had already decided to divide the troops, and Yelu Zongzhen came to Tanglong Town by the way. 100,000 against 30,000, you can always win a few battles, get back face, and have something to say about the party and the small country in the northwest.

Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, several small countries in the northwest, which had been isolated from the Central Plains for a long time, quickly recognized the status of the Song Dynasty and sent envoys to pay tribute. Until the battle of Gaoliang River, the Song Dynasty was defeated by the Khitan, and the attitude of the northwest forces changed, with the Khitan as the main and the two sides as vassals. Defeated by the Song Dynasty, although the loss was not large, it was very important for the attitude of the surrounding forces, and the Khitan should also be considered. It's the same reason as the previous few times when the Khitan attacked the party, and they were obviously defeated, but they reported their victory to the Song Dynasty. The war between the two great powers is not only a matter for both sides, but also for other forces.

In addition to Tanglong Town, there is another important place on the way, which is Chenjia Gukou. Although it is a military village, it guards the main road from Shuozhou to the Yanmen Pass in Daizhou. Yelu Chongyuan came to Tanglong Town, and the original plan was to occupy Chenjiagukou and return to Shuozhou after capturing Tanglong Town. Tanglong Town can't take it, and the Khitan still has to occupy the land of 100 miles from the head village to the mouth of Chenjia Valley. Occupy there, and the importance of Yanmen Pass decreases.

Looking at the desolation outside the city in the cold wind, remembering the days when he was here before, Du Zhongxiao sighed secretly. As an official for one term, for the benefit of one party, I didn't expect that the prosperous city I built would become like this in a few years.

Back at Yamen, Du Zhongxiao, Shi Quanbin and Liu Ji sat together and discussed the war in a few days.

Shi Quanbin said: "The rangers have reported that the Chinese army of the Khitan lord and the forward have always been together, and there is no sign of separation. In this way, it is likely that as soon as the Khitan army arrives, he will come to the front of the battle-"

Liu Jidao: "If this is the case, then there is no need to say, how many shells there are, just hit him!" ”

Shi Quanbin was very excited: "I went to urge Li Fugui just now, how many supplies the Baode Army has, all of them have been transported to Tanglong Town." After the previous great victory, the carts, mules and horses sent back to the households were requisitioned back, promising to reward the households. As long as this big victory kills the Khitan lord in the city, the court is willing to take out any amount of money! The Lord of the Khitan Kingdom is here, and Youyun is not afraid to think about it! ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "The Lord of the Khitan Kingdom is here, and he can't fight the idea of Youyun now." Yan Wang Hongji, the eldest son of the Khitan lord, sentenced Nanjing Xijin Mansion as the generalissimo of Khitan soldiers and horses, and Wu Wang Chongyuan, the emperor's younger brother, sentenced Nanjing Datong Mansion. Previously, when Hongji was not grown, the Khitan lord once said that the emperor was located in Chongyuan. In recent years, although it is obvious that he intends to pass on to Hongji, he has not yet established himself as the crown prince. Yelu Chongyuan is the emperor's younger brother, and Yelu Hongji is the eldest son, but he has not been established as the crown prince, one guards Youzhou, and the other guards Yunzhou. You say, if the Khitan lord is killed under the city, what will happen to the Khitan? ”

Shi Quanbin and Liu Ji glanced at each other and said in unison: "Civil strife?!" ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "That's inevitable." Even if Chongyuan and Hongji have no intention of fighting for the throne, their subordinates will fight. The Khitan has always been governed by the royal family and the descendants, and its queen mother has been imprisoned for many years because she wants to establish a heavy yuan and abolish Zongzhen, and only in recent years has she regained her prestige. Behind Yelu Chongyuan is the Khitan descendants, behind Yelu Hongji is the Khitan royal family, there is the queen mother there, how easy is it for Yelu Hongji to ascend the throne? And if Yelu Chongyuan succeeds to the throne, how will the Khitan royal family agree? Finally, the father died and the son succeeded to the system, and Chongyuan succeeded to the throne, then the descendants regained power, and the royal family would be killed! ”

The descendants of the Khitan have always been strong, and in recent generations, the succession of fathers and sons has become the system, and the royal family has really taken the advantage. In the past, if the emperor died early, it was not customary for the father to die and the son succeeded, and the queen mother had huge power over the successor, and in fact, the descendants and the imperial family took turns to hold power. The current Queen Mother Xiao Yunjin was once imprisoned because she wanted to abolish Zongzhen and establish Chongyuan as the emperor, and the conspiracy was chaotic. Zong Zhen is suddenly gone, the Queen Mother who occupies Shangjing, Yelu Hongji who occupies Youzhou, and Yelu Chongyuan who occupies Yunzhou, it is difficult to say which side has the advantage.

The Khitan is different from the Central Plains, the queen mother of the Central Plains does not come from a fixed family, and the Khitan is the royal Yelu must marry the descendant Xiao family, and the status is not the same. When the current emperor was young, Empress Dowager Liu called the system, and the two countries were somewhat similar. The envoys of the two countries were sent by the empress dowager and the emperor respectively, and their status was not high. Empress Dowager Liu, Khitan still has two sets of envoys from the emperor and the queen mother, and the Khitan envoy from the Song Dynasty is also two sets of envoys, each congratulating the emperor and the queen mother.

The alliance of Lanzhou, the two countries are about a country of brothers, and among the national gifts, there are actually mixed with the gifts of relatives, which is particularly obvious when Empress Dowager Liu is in power. Interestingly, the Empress Dowager of the Song Dynasty was surnamed Liu, and the Han surname of the Khitan royal family Yelu was also Liu. The surname Liu is not commonly used, but they chose it themselves.

In this situation, if Yelu Zongzhen is killed, how can the Khitan not be in civil strife? Yelu Hongji has the support of the royal family, and Yelu Chongyuan will definitely get the support of the Queen Mother, the two of them don't want to fight, and the people below have to fight.

After listening to Du Zhongxiao, Liu Ji and Shi Quanbin nodded silently, their hearts pounding. I originally thought that it would be a great military achievement to kill the Khitan Emperor, but I didn't expect that it would be so widely involved. If the Khitan was in civil strife, the Song Dynasty would have a much greater advantage.

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's just that now I don't know what soldiers and horses the Khitan lord has brought here." He must have brought a personal guard, but he didn't know which palaces they were, and the deployment belonged to the royal family or the descendants. This battle dealt a major blow and directly affected the Khitan royal family and the imperial family's military strength. ”

Huluduo is the most basic military and political system of the Khitan, and it is a military-political integration group belonging to the emperor. Yelu Zongzhen must have brought elites, but which of them are royal palace tents and which ones are queen palace tents, and the rangers can't find out. If the power of the imperial family is greatly reduced, and the queen mother is in Shangjing, Yelu Chongyuan will have an advantage.

After listening to Du Zhongxiao's analysis, Liu Jidao: "What does it mean to be controlled, we only need to kill the Khitan lord and let the Khitan soldiers and horses leave?" ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "How can this be?" When the enemy's army comes, how can it be easy to let go if it is victorious? If you can really kill the Khitan lord under the city and the enemy army collapses, then the whole army will attack and catch up with as many as you want. Just remember, don't attack Yunzhou, lest there be accidents. ”

Shi Quanbin said: "Then where do we chase?" The Khitan soldiers either fled east or returned north. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Hequ several states! If it is really as we wish, then everything will be left alone, and the whole army will attack and seize the land of the meander! After seizing the river meander, the army arrived at the foot of Yin Mountain, whether it was the Khitan or the party, it became the fish and meat on our board! ”

The meanders of the river are part of the loop of the river in later generations, and the scope is slightly different, mainly the "several" shaped range formed by the big bend of the Yellow River. This area is a land of several states, embedded between the Khitan and the party. Occupying this place, it is cut off from the Khitan and the party, and the two countries no longer border. For the party, along the Yellow River, you can go around Helan Mountain and approach the capital Xingyuan Mansion. For the Khitan, it threatened Xijing Datong Prefecture to the south and bordered the Tatar tribes to the north.

Faced on three sides, it was originally a dangerous place. But now that the railway has been repaired to the Baode Army, it is not difficult to extend north to Dongshengzhou, and with the support of strong national strength, it has become a place where you can attack from three sides. With military and national strength, the dangerous ground is not dangerous, but has become an important place to counter all parties.

Speaking of this, Du Zhongxiao thought of Yelu Hongji in Youzhou, and smiled in his heart. This is very famous in China, and he looks wise and martial. I don't know if he can save the day this time and meet a hero from the Central Plains. However, with the contradiction between the royal family and the descendants, if he really encounters it, he will not be ruined and named him the king of the North Courtyard.