After the Han army sent the dependents and the elderly and weak people to the outer islands for the winter, the winter grain stored in Suzhou appeared to be abundant. The feast for the envoys of the Kingdom of Jin was also extraordinarily rich. There is not only wine and meat, but also soldiers performing songs and dances to cheer up.

As a symbol of balancing the power of the Jurchens, Zhao Xingde sat on the right, facing Wanyan Zongbi, and Han Ningshuang was in the center. After Yan Zongbi sat the commander of the thousand commanders, Xie Lihu and other generals of the Jin Kingdom, one by one they were drunk, shy, taking advantage of the excitement, staggering and singing and dancing during the banquet. The two people cooperated with each other, one was happy, the other was echoing, and their faces were sometimes elated, sometimes sad, sometimes dancing, and the atmosphere was very warm.

At the beginning, the emperor of the Liao State was drunk at the fish head banquet, and ordered the Jurchen tribal chiefs to dance to help the fun. However, when friends were feasting, the Jurchens were known for singing and dancing during the feast. Zhao Xingde couldn't understand the Jurchen words, in his eyes, he was a little similar to the two Northeast people in later generations, full of pungent humor. The performances of the Han soldiers were much more robust, from the topless big man wrestling, to the white-bladed fighting each other during the banquet, and the battle array was only a fraction of a difference, which provoked bursts of applause from the generals of the Han army. Wanyan Zongbi has been talking to Han Ningshuang.

"When I went south, my father promised that if the Han army and I jointly attacked Liaoyang, all the Han children in Liaoyang City would be used by the Han army."

Feeling the other party's gaze, Han Ningshuang frowned, and said in a deep voice: "Our army has a meager strength and insufficient food and grass, so I'm afraid we can only send thousands of elite soldiers." This is the result of her discussion with Zhao Xingde and Wang Xuansu. Before the decisive victory of the Liao State and the Jin State is unknown, the main force of the Han army should not rush into the battlefield in advance. It is necessary to wait for the Liaojin and Jin armies to lose both sides before it is possible to capture Liaoyang, so the timing of sending troops is extremely important.

"Don't want to trick me," Wanyan Zongbi's face was slightly gloomy, and he put the cup on the table, "It is clear that the people of Guannan in Suzhou are strong and strong, and there is enough food and grass." ”

"Don't look at the bright surface, our military commission has insufficient grain and grass, so we are scattered and eaten. As for what the four princes saw, it was to entertain your army, so they tried their best to supply. Wang Xuansu raised his glass and smiled, "I hope the four princes will be more considerate, or will the Jin Kingdom support us with some grain and grass?" Wang Xuansu's expression was quite ashamed, and before Yan Zongbi could refute, he patted his head and said, "Hey, during the winter, there is a shortage of grain and grass everywhere, so let's raise it ourselves." ”

Wanyan Zongbi's eyes flashed with suspicion. In just about half a year, the Han army not only dramatically expanded its army, but also took in hundreds of thousands of Han people. Most of the crops planted by these people have been abandoned, and although the Han army is also a land snake entrenched in Liaodong for decades, it is strange that the grain and grass for this year's winter are not tight. "Perhaps, it's a bluff." Wanyan Zongbi remembered Mr. Han's words: "The eldest lady was originally quite friendly to the Wanyan tribe, but she was coerced by a group of ambitious people. These people tried to seize Liaoyang and fight against the Dajin Kingdom in Liaodong. For the sake of today's plan, if the four princes and Miss Han become their good deeds, the two families will become one, and the disaster will be eliminated. Otherwise, when fighting with the Liao State, it is necessary to prevent the Suzhou army from attacking from behind. Or, instead of raising a snake and being bitten by a snake, it is better to start first. If it weren't for the benevolent nature of the four princes and the rare posture of a wise monarch, Han would not have said such words. ”

A cloud of doubt rose in Wanyan Zongbi's heart, he turned the wine glass in his hand, and said with a smile: "Speaking of scattering and eating, I also want to congratulate Ning Shuang, since the Han army uprising, it has almost expanded tenfold, and now I am afraid that there are fifty or sixty thousand soldiers under your orders." ”

Hearing the tentative meaning in his words, Han Ningshuang said slowly: "My clansmen are just hastily assembled to resist the brutal Liao people. ”

Xu Detai also helped: "Exactly, it is not as experienced as the Jurchen army for a long time, so our army needs more training before it can go to the battlefield." ”

Zhao Xingde looked at this scene and felt a little funny in his heart. The temper of the Han army that does not enter the oil and salt, and would rather die than suffer losses, he has already learned it many times. Han Ningshuang said again: "I have to manage the food and settlement of fifty or sixty thousand people, and I have been busy for most of the year. The battalions and villages are scattered to eat, and it may take a month to assemble. If it weren't for General Zhao helping us conquer Kaizhou, I'm afraid we wouldn't even have enough food and grass for the winter. Speaking of this, she raised her wine glass and smiled at Zhao Xingde: "Thank you, Mr. Zhao." ”

"The marshal should not see the outside world." Zhao Xingde gave way, raised his glass, and drank it all. Han Ningshuang smiled slightly, raised the cup and dipped her lips, but she didn't really drink it full. Every time she feasted like this, she was extremely restrained, and she was not like other Han generals who drank hessey. Zhao Xingde even suspected that she had to eat less than usual because she had to talk to her subordinates. She hadn't drunk much, but there was a flush on her cheeks, as if she was overwhelmed.

Wanyan Zongbi saw her thanking Zhao Xingde, a wave of jealousy surged in his heart, and he grabbed the words and said: "It is difficult for the army to be concentrated in a hurry, and thousands of elite soldiers can also be used." But you must personally command the elite troops to Liaoyang first. When the Han people in the city see your banner, someone will definitely rise up and respond, and they will not be willing to help Liaogou defend the city. He was thinking in his heart, as long as Han Ningshuang went north to Liaoyang. If he was afraid of the capriciousness of the Han army in Suzhou and Kaizhou, he simply detained her in the Jurchen army. According to the rules of the Jurchen tribe to rob relatives. He said in an accentuated tone: "If not, the Han'er in this Liaoyang City will help Liaogou defend the city, once the city is broken, we will turn them all into slaves and reward the meritorious soldiers." ”

Han Ningshuang guessed his intentions, her eyes were slightly cold, Wang Xuansu and Xu Detai heard the threat in Yan Zongbi's tone, and the smile on their faces stiffened a lot. Zhao Xingde sighed slightly in his heart, Liaoyang and even the entire Liaodong were on the side of the couch for the Jin State, and the Jin State would never allow the Han army to remain independent. At present, the limited cooperation depends on the size of the threat of Liao, and it is not surprising that a knife is stabbed in the back. And the day of the showdown between the two sides will come sooner or later.

The changes that took place during the banquet were only in an instant, and the generals below were still unaware, eating and drinking happily. At this time, a general of the Jin Kingdom drank too much, staggered and picked up the wine glass and walked to Xiong Renyue's side, suddenly dropped the wine glass, punched the past, Xiong Renyue also drank a lot, grabbed his wrist with his right hand, and kicked his left leg under his knee, and the general of the Jin Kingdom fell on the table with a bang, making a mess. As soon as he got up, he let out a low roar and pounced, and the two of them actually fought with one punch and one punch at me.

This kind of drunken brawl was extremely common among the Jurchen tribes, and the Han people were accustomed to it, and the other Jin generals did not come forward to help, and gathered in a circle with the Han generals to cheer loudly. The crackling sound of punching and kicking, the sound of slapping the table and cheering, the Jurchen language and the Chinese language scolding each other, and the noisy Chinese military tent was like a boiling oil pot.

Suddenly, there was a "snap" of the case, which made most of the Han army generals who were still awake quiet down and looked towards the top together. Marshal Han covered his face with frost, and said in a deep voice: "The brawl in front of the army, what kind of system has it become, come here, tie them up with cow tendons for me, and let them go when the wine is sober!" "This is the way to deal with drunks in the Jurchen tribe, and the generals of the Jin State are very familiar with it. And Han Ningshuang's military order, the Han army did not dare to disobey, and soon found two ox tendons the thickness of the little finger, tied up the brawling generals separately, and threw them next to the military tent. After such a fuss, most of everyone's drinking pleasure was lost.

"These two reckless men lost their interest, and the banquet was dispersed, and another day there will be a banquet to invite His Royal Highness the Four Princes." Without waiting for Yan Zongbi to speak, Han Ningshuang got up and withdrew from the banquet, walked outside the tent, and the cold wind blew, and the smile in his eyes suddenly became cold.

After Yan Zongbi tried to show up in poverty, threatening Han Ningshuang with the Han people in Liaoyang City, but he didn't get a reply, but he was interrupted like this, and he could only cry out in vain. "Since I've torn my face, I'll mention this matter next time we meet, and I have to ask for a result." Wanyan Zongbi looked at her back, a trace of fierceness appeared in his eyes, and Mr. Han Da's words of "strike first are strong" seemed to ring in his ears again.

Wang Xuansu and Xu Detai glanced at each other, with a smile in their eyes and a little bitterness. Miss Han worked hard, and the Han Military Commission was really reborn compared to before, but it was too much to confront the Jin soldiers and the Liao army. Now that it drags on for a while, the strength of the Han army will increase by one more point.

"It's just a long time, a lifetime?" Zhao Xingde shook his head in his heart.

The two drunks were still cursing each other in Chinese and Jurchen, and the dinner party dispersed in everyone's own scheming. The opportunity for Yan Zongbi to attack again did not come, because Han Ningshuang fell ill, and since that dinner, she has been saying that she is sick and has not shown up. Most of the Han generals speculated that this was actually a means to continue to delay the date of the troops. Over the years, Han Ningshuang has commanded his subordinates to run north and south. During the long journey, it is common to sleep in the open and brave the wind and snow. The two armies faced each other, and there were a few times in and out of the rain of knives and arrows, and she had never been seen frowning. If it weren't for this, even if she was the only descendant of the Han family, the generals of the Han Army Marshal's Mansion would never be bent on serving her as the master, and all of them would be convinced.

Zhao Xingde took the sergeants of the artillery battalion to survey the terrain and calculate the firing range and distance of the artillery position every day. The various cross-fire networks he laid out are becoming more and more complete with the acquisition of various tangible data. On the Kaeju side, Kim Chang-tae has completed the basic training of the 5th Garrison Battalion. Zhao Xingde plans to return to Phoenix Mountain in the near future and find an opportunity to put this musket team into actual combat to test the gains and losses.

And Li Sihai brought a letter that at the beginning of spring, there would be two gunboats escorting the merchant fleet from Yuntun Port to the north to join the naval division. In order to prevent the Goryeo army from taking advantage of the freezing of the Yalu River in winter, he would take a gunboat to visit the capital of Goryeo, Kaegyeong, and then return to Wolyang Island for the winter. If the Liao army really took advantage of the winter ice period to attack Suzhou, let Zhao Xingde inform in time that although it was inconvenient for the fourth battalion to go ashore, it would be possible to fire artillery at sea to restrict the Liao army's circuitous road, and it would still be possible to assist in defense.