Let Xiao Dui enter the study, Xiao Ge couldn't wait to say: "What is the result of going to Shengzhou this time?" ”

Xiao Dui said: "Shengzhou is really the most prosperous place in the north, I don't know how much more lively than this Xijing!" There's a railroad there, Daddy, I'll tell you, it's really made of iron! The train, a long train, rushed out at the sound of the whistle—"

Xiao Ge slapped the table: "I asked you how you and Han Xianggong are doing business, which one should take care of these!" Has the letter been handed over? ”

Xiao Dui remembered the matter and said, "When I arrived in Shengzhou with Li Zhiyuan, I went to see Han Xianggong." The hateful guards guarding the door looked at people and prevented us from entering. Fortunately, I met Captain Zhao Zi, and I told us separately, went in to see Han Xianggong, and handed the letter out. ”

Hearing his son say something irlevant, Xiao Ge was anxious and hurriedly asked, "What did Han Xianggong say?" ”

Xiao Dui was stunned: "I didn't say anything." Han Xianggong sent a person to pretend to be a merchant who bought goods to accompany us in Seungju City. Ah, Shengzhou is really lively! There's a special train station, with all kinds of goods and merchants from all over the world—"

Xiao Ge couldn't help it, and said sharply: "These miscellaneous things, let's talk about them later!" I'm asking you, how did Han Xianggong reply to the letter? ”

Xiao Dui said: "Of course, I wrote a reply letter and asked me to hand it over to Daddy." He also repeatedly instructed not to show it to others. ”

"What about faith? When you get home, you don't want to take it out quickly! ”

Xiao Dui took out the reply letter, handed it to Xiao Ge, and said, "It turns out that Daddy wants this reply, why don't you say it earlier." ”

Xiao Ge took the letter, waved his hand and said, "Okay, you go out first." It's hard to go to Shengzhou, and it's a good rest at home. ”

Xiao Dui was full of thoughts about finding someone to talk about what he had seen and heard about going to Shengzhou, and he was a little disappointed when he saw that Xiao Ge was not interested. Get out of the study and talk to someone else.

Xiao Ge opened the letter and read Han Qi's reply. Han Qi first praised Xiao Ge for knowing the righteousness and knowing that he would seek good fortune and avoid trouble. Then he told him that he should try his best to win Yelu Chongyuan, so that when he finally had no way out, it was best to surrender to the Song Dynasty. If it can succeed, the court will have a heavy reward.

Putting the letter down, Xiao Ge couldn't help frowning. In this letter, it was not said when the Song Dynasty would send troops or how to take Datong Mansion, and I felt that the content was a little more spacey. Could it be that Han Qi is ambitious, and he is not satisfied with only taking Datong Mansion? But now in this situation, Yelu Hongji has already come to the east gate of Datong, and even if he has the heart, he can't give more places to the Song Dynasty.

As for the fight for Yelu Chongyuan, it is even more empty. Yelu Chongyuan is a gentleman, and he only became the emperor because of his identity. When the time comes, when Yeluhongji's soldiers are in the city, where will he still have an idea? At that time, I didn't say anything by myself.

Shaking his head, Xiao Ge walked around the study, unable to understand Han Qi's mind for a while.

In the Shengzhou Jingluo Mansion, Han Qi sat in the middle. Next to him was Fu Bi, and on both sides were Liu Ji, Zhao Zi, Yang Wenguang and Jia Kui, discussing the current situation.

Han Qi said: "A few days ago, Xiao Ge, the first important minister under Yelu Chongyuan, sent a letter, saying that he was willing to surrender to the imperial court and sacrifice Datong Mansion with both hands. Now Yelu Hongji has come to Tiancheng County, not to mention that Xiao Ge is not capable of offering Datong Mansion, that is, he has the ability, as soon as the news comes out, the Khitan officers and soldiers under Chongyuan are afraid that Hongji will be surrendered immediately, how can we have time? It is still according to the deployment of the Privy Council, and it is most certain to take the city of Shuozhou as the most certain. I have already written back to Xiao Ge, asking him to fight for Chongyuan, and it is best to return to the imperial court together. ”

Zhao Zi said: "The general of Yelu Chongyuan's defeated army, whether he returns or not, is of no great use. ”

Han Qi said: "Don't think like this, he is the emperor's uncle, and he will return to the imperial court, and Yelu Hongji will be like a man in the future." A heavy yuan, but it is much more than Datong Mansion. With Xiao Ge as the internal response, what we are thinking about now is how to get the most benefits in the struggle between the two Khitan emperors. ”

Fu Bi said: "Since there is an internal response, you can think more, not necessarily Shuozhou." Under Chongyuan, there are also Dezhou, Shuozhou, Ulzhou and Yingzhou, as well as Datongfu. We have given up Datong, and these four states can find a way. ”

Liu Jidao: "From the current point of view, it is not realistic to want to take all the four states. But in addition to Shuozhou, there are also Texas and Ulzhou to start. ”

Yang Wenguang said: "Our army was originally stationed in Shazhou, facing Khitan Dezhou. A lot of effort has been put into the past few years, and it is clear how many soldiers and horses there are and what the path is. If it is ordered by the Strategy Division, it is not difficult to get it. ”

Han Qi nodded: "What Taiwei Liu said is that in addition to Shuozhou, other places can be considered. I looked at the deployment of the Privy Council and emphasized that we should only take Shuozhou and try not to have a big conflict with the Khitan. It seems that the imperial court is not ready for a full-scale war with the Khitan, and it is not appropriate to fight this time. I'm going to set it up like this. Yang Wenguang's department, starting from Zhenwu County, is ready to take Texas. Zhao Zi's department, starting from Hebin County, entered the mountains, and prepared to take Shuozhou. Several departments of Liu swept the mountains west of Datong Mansion and rectified the various departments, and it was best to organize households. ”

After speaking, Han Qi said to Fu Bi: "What do you think?" ”

Fu Bi thought for a while and said: "With such an arrangement, only Zhao Zi went to take Shuozhou, and the troops were less. At that time, Hongji occupied Datong Mansion, and the hundreds of thousands of troops under his department were afraid that they would raise troops to attack Shuozhou, so they should send more soldiers and horses. ”

Han Qi nodded: "What Jing Luo said also makes sense. Jia Fangfang, can your subordinate subordinates take out twenty or thirty thousand people to be Zhao Zi's follow-up? If Yeluhong's army comes to attack, you will come to the rescue. With the addition of soldiers and horses on Hedong Road, it should be enough. ”

Fu Bi said: "It's better for Liu's subordinates to also take out twenty or thirty thousand people and go to Shoushuo Prefecture together." The 200,000 troops on Hequ Road, after the party was destroyed, was a bit too much. In the future, it will inevitably be used entirely for the Khitan, or try to pull the army up, and familiarize yourself with it first. ”

Han Qi said: "Yes." By the way, Captain Di is attacking Hengshan, can Jia Defense draw troops and horses? ”

Jia Kui crossed his hands and said: "Since Lingzhou is broken, the party members have no idea of attacking, and there is no problem in pumping 20,000 people." However, the grain and grass sold in the city of our department was transported from the Baode army to Fuzhou, then to Linzhou, and transferred to the east, so it is good to have grain and grass. ”

Fu Bi said: "Since Captain Du led his troops to attack the Western Regions last year, most of the grain and grass in Shengzhou have been consumed. I have gone to the imperial court and hurried to replenish grain and grass to Shengzhou. The reply of the Privy Council was to transfer grain from Jingdong Road, and these days have come one after another. ”

Han Qi sighed: "To fight a war is to fight for money and food. Since last year, Du Taiwei led troops to level the Western Regions, and then attacked the party, the imperial court has spent several years of accumulation, and now it is a little stretched. Even if the grain and grass on Jingdong Road are transferred, it can only guarantee that Shuozhou will be hit. No matter how big the battle is, I really can't afford to fight it now. The Privy Council's decision to seize only Shuozhou was conservative, but it was a helpless move. ”

Liu Jidao: "Fortunately, there is a railway, which can transport grain from thousands of miles away, otherwise how can it support an army of 200,000 here?" In the future, if there is a war with the Khitan, it will inevitably be a war of five or six hundred thousand people, and at that time, I am afraid that half of the world's grain and grass will be supplied. ”

Several people nodded together. With railways, the strategic environment of the world is very different. Now hundreds of thousands of people are fighting continuously, and there is still a sufficient supply of food and grass, which was unimaginable before. The grain and grass on Jingdong Road can be transported by the railway, otherwise there is no way.

Due to industrial development, the population of Liangjing and Yexian counties gathered, and the need for grain and grass increased greatly. Most of the grain and grass in the two granaries of Jianghuai and Zhejiang are supplied to the Central Plains, and there is no spare power to use them as military rations.