The Song Dynasty has been deliberate for 16 years, only to know that it is the Water Margin

Chapter 469: Use troops and investigate

Now that the additional troops from Xining Prefecture have arrived, Zhao Tong decided to use troops.

He wanted to conquer all the areas below Zhuoluo and Nanjunsi, then expand his power northward to the Great Wall area, and then first attack Liangzhou in the west, and then plan for Xingqing Mansion.

The army may not cover the entire territory of Xixia, and Xixia is sparsely populated. As long as the Xingqing Mansion can be defeated, Xixia can basically be declared destroyed.

For such a small country whose territory is not vast, often the capital city is captured and there is no way to recover.

Xixia has about 200 million people at the moment, which is not its peak period. The population of Xixia at its peak was about 300 million.

Based on the 25 troops estimated by Zhao Tong, one out of ten Xixia people would serve as a soldier. This kind of military participation ratio was extremely draining of national power.

Therefore, Xixia cannot fight a protracted war, which will drag down the country.

In fact, the same goes for the Jurchens. If they had not occupied the vast land and population of the Liao Kingdom later, they would have just stuck to the white mountains and black waters. If the war continued and consumed them, they would not be able to withstand it for a long time.

At this time, Zhao Tong hung up the map in the hall and showed it to everyone. Du Bo, Shi Jin, Zhang Xian, and General Lu were all there, and even Yang Zhi and Xu Ning also rushed over from Gaizhu City.

He held a bamboo stick similar to a pointer, circled the areas of Zhuoluo and Nanjunsi on the map, and said: "Zhuolu ruled the west. Compared to the east, the military division was poor, and there were only two counties in total. , a military city, Gai Zhu has already captured, and two lower counties, Yongzhu and Tiandeng, are in the northwest, especially Tiandeng, not far from Liangzhou, with the Great Wall on the back."

There is the Great Wall in Xixia, which was built in the Han Dynasty. After the champion Hou Huo Qubing defeated the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu ordered the Great Wall to be extended west to Jiuquan in the Hexi Corridor, and then to Dunhuang, where Yumen Pass and Yang Pass were built, and the four counties of Hexi were set up to isolate it. Qiang Hu.

The so-called isolation was actually to block the exchanges between the Xiongnu and Qingtang Qiang in the north to ensure the smooth flow of the Silk Road. Later, the Great Wall was extended to Qiuci west of the Xuansha Sea in the Western Regions. The Xuansha Sea is Lop Nur.

Both the Northern Wei and Northern Qi had strengthened this section of the Great Wall, and by the Sui Dynasty it had been repaired and repaired seven times to protect against the Turks and Khitans in the north. However, the territory of the Tang Dynasty had long exceeded the Great Wall, and the territory of the Song Dynasty had retreated far within the Great Wall. Therefore, construction was not continued during these two dynasties.

Zhao Tong pointed at Yongzhu and Tiandeng with a bamboo whip and said: "The counties in Xixia are not as good as those in the Central Plains, and even worse than those in the south of the Yangtze River. They are just like a town in a prosperous country. Although there are households living in them, However, there are only one or two streets in the main city. Without commercial exchanges, most of them would be poor and poor, and the city defenses would be relatively weak, making them vulnerable to heavy attacks."

Shi Jin wondered: "Your Majesty, Xixia is so miserable, how come the Western Army has not made any progress for more than a hundred years?"

Zhao Tong smiled and said nothing, looking at General Lu.

General Lu immediately explained: "There is a word called open door. Gaizhu City and Zhuolu City are the gateways to the southwest of Xixia, while the gateways on the Jingyuan and Huanqing sides are Huizhou, Xishou Baotai Military Division, Weizhou, Jingsai Military Division, Jianing Military Division and other places, if these gates are not broken, no matter how weak they are inside, they can only look back and sigh. Originally, it was not easy to build Zhucheng, let alone Zhuoluo. It was difficult to break through and hold on. Our army just caught a rare opportunity and found these two places empty, so we used a clever plan to easily occupy them."

Shi Jin said: "It turns out that's the case."

Xu Ning said: "In fact, it may not be because of the deliberate neglect of the Western Army. There are many factions in the Western Army. Although there are those who are loyal to the court and want to eliminate border troubles, there are also those who want to support the army as the main force and support thieves.

Shi Jin said: "I think that's the Xin family!"

General Lu said: "The Xin family is still in a bad situation at the moment, but Xin Xingzong has replaced the commander of the Western Route Army in the Liao expedition. After returning from the sixteen states of Yanyun, he may have to change his literary qualifications and become a manager."

Yang Zhidao: "What if...Zheng Liao is defeated?"

"Failed?" Everyone looked at him when he heard this, and Yang Zhi suddenly felt speechless. For the first half of his life, he was under the influence of bad luck. He couldn't do anything, and he couldn't eat anything, so he developed a habit of not thinking about success whenever he encountered problems. , think about failure first, now you are talking nonsense.

"Will... lose?" Shi Jin wondered.

"This..." Zhang Xian said from the side: "The outcome of the battle can't be easily predicted. Even if the troops are superior, there are no absolutes in the world. The battle of Chibi in the Three Kingdoms is far away, and the battle of Baogang is close by. They are all unexpected endings.”

General Lu shook his head: "Defeat is not a matter of defeat. We have the right time and place, and we have the right people. It just depends on how many points we can win, whether it is a big victory or a barely victory."

Shi Jin looked at Zhao Tong: "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Zhao Tong smiled and said: "There are no constant forces, and there are no constant methods for fighting. Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you win a hundred battles. You don't even know who is commanding the army in Liao and how to arrange it, so you just talk about victory or defeat. How is it different from talking about war on paper?"

Shi Jin suddenly felt ashamed and said, "It's my subordinates who are ignorant."

Zhao Tong said: "If you have nothing to do, read the military books and tactics. You are also the commander of an army now. You just know that it is not possible to act recklessly."

Shi Jin said: "My subordinates borrowed it from Commander Lu when he came back. He has so many books that he brought a whole box with him."

General Lu was confused when he heard this: "Commander Shi, have you seen me carrying a book?"

Shi Jin chuckled and said, "I saw it, I saw it. I thought Commander Lu brought some valuables, but then someone secretly went over and opened it to take a look. It was all books."

General Lu said angrily: "How can I look through it at will without the master's permission? How can Commander Shi be so rude!"

Shi Jin spread his hands: "Who told you to leave the outside of the box unlocked? I was just curious..."

Zhao Tong said: "Stop fighting, let the two of you lead the troops to capture Yongzhu and Tiandeng counties. Are you sure?"

Shi Jin hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, my subordinates will definitely win the battle and success is imminent!"

Zhao Tong nodded and looked at General Lu. General Lu said: "Your Majesty, please order me to attack Tiandeng."

Zhao Tong asked curiously: "Why choose Tiandeng?"

General Lu said: "Tiandeng County is close to Liangzhou, and behind it is the ancient Great Wall. Its geographical location is relatively important."

When Shi Jin heard this, he said unhappily: "What does Commander Lu mean by this? Is it possible that a certain person can't defeat Tian Deng Lai?"

General Lu shook his head and said: "That's not what I meant. I just admired the scenery of the ancient Great Wall for a long time and wanted to see the desolate scenery!"

Shi Jin opened his mouth, not knowing how to refute, so he had to look at Zhao Tong.

Zhao Tong smiled and said, "That's it. Commander Shi goes to fight Yongzhu, and Commander Lu goes to fight Tiandeng. I'll give you two each three thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry. Is that enough?"

Shi Jin said: "That's enough, that's enough."

General Lu thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, I want five hundred more horses!"

Zhao Tong looked at him for a moment and nodded: "Okay, then I will give Commander Lu 500 more men, which will make up a thousand cavalry."

General Lu felt a little embarrassed when he saw Zhao Tong being so cheerful: "Your Majesty, why don't you ask your subordinates how many men and horses they need?" Zhao Tong said, "It makes sense, remember to defend Tiandeng well after taking it, and don't make any mistakes. !”

"I obey!" General Lu saluted hurriedly.

After the discussion, Zhao Tong dismissed everyone, then took the two brothers of the Bai family and called Yuan Guo to wander around the city.

At this time, the gates of Zhuolu City have been opened for a limited time. For one hour every day, some vegetables and fruits can be brought into the city and filthy goods can be taken out. However, the inspections are very strict. Those who are not farmers, workers and livestock owners are absolutely not allowed to pass, and they will be arrested and interrogated. .

But even so, the business in the city began to flourish. After all, Zhuolu City is the largest city on the southwest border of Xixia, and there are many businesses in it. The war broke out suddenly before, and many people were trapped in the city before they could escape.

Now that everything has settled down, these merchants don't want to leave anymore. The merchants are looking for profits. Seeing that Zhao Tan's army does not loot, and has issued a decree strictly prohibiting disturbing the people and making trouble, they think this is an opportunity. After all, Zhao Tan brings many soldiers, these Soldiers are potential spending customers.

Zhao Tong took the three of them to visit the market and looked at a lot of goods. They found that the local specialties in Xixia were really not expensive. Even the prices of sheep and livestock were much cheaper than those in the Song Dynasty. But the Song Dynasty didn't know The silk, satin and some handmade items passed from some source are very expensive.

He said: "This is a good trade route. You can make a lot of money by buying, selling, and exchanging things back and forth."

Yuan Guo said from the side: "Young Master is right. Song objects are rare here in Daxia, but sheep and cattle are common. Sometimes the people like an object and have no money to buy it, so they will directly trade the livestock, and the merchants will make ten times the profit." Eight times as many."

Zhao Tong nodded: "Song and Xia have been at war with each other all year round, and occasionally the Song Dynasty court sent people to buy horses. Apart from that, there is not even a hunting ground."

Yuan Guo said: "It is indeed as the young master said. Therefore, every time Song objects are robbed in the territory, many things will be sent out even in the palace."

Zhao Tong sighed: "Why is this necessary? If Xixia surrenders and the two countries trade with each other, what kind of goods will be needed? It will also save the disaster of weapons and soldiers, and the people will live and work in peace and contentment. It's a pity that Wei Mingganshun can't figure this out."

Yuan Guo rolled his eyes: "I see that the young master observes the people's sentiments and issues orders. He wants to stay in Zhuoluo for a long time..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Tong looked at him with a smile but not a smile: "What? You want me to leave early?"

"Where, where!" Yuan Guo said hurriedly: "How dare the villain think like this? Wherever the young master goes, the villain will go. The villain will always follow the young master."

Zhao Tong suddenly reached out and patted him on the shoulder: "Liu Battalion Commander, do you know who the two women who came a few days ago are?"

"Two women a few days ago?" Yuan Guo was stunned, thinking, weren't they the ones you, the evil king, picked from the city for fun?
"Young man... I don't know." He shook his head.

"Haha, that was sent by your sister to redeem you!" Zhao Tong said.

"Huh? Ah!" Yuan Guo was shocked when he heard this: "Master... then, those two women were sent by my sister?"

"Yes, they were sent by Yuan Jing!" Zhao Tong said calmly: "You said you wouldn't let me sell you, so I asked them to see you before sending them away."

"But, but..." Yuan Guo immediately broke out in a cold sweat, "Master, why didn't Master tell the villain at that time?"

"What!" Zhao Tong immediately turned cold: "Are you blaming me!"

"Ah, I don't dare..." Yuan Guo fell to his knees with a pop.

"It seems you still want to go back!" Zhao Tong snorted.

"The villain doesn't want to go back, not at all. That's not what the villain meant..." Yuan Guo said in panic: "The villain said so many words that disparaged my sister, I was afraid that they would reach her ears..."

"The message will definitely be passed on." Zhao Tong said expressionlessly: "Captain Liu, are you afraid of Yuan Jing?"

"The villain... is a little afraid of her!" Yuan Guo gritted his teeth and said, "I have been afraid of her since I was a child."

"Oh?" Zhao Tong raised his eyebrows and said, "This is strange. What are you afraid of her doing?"

"The villain can't beat her, nor can he talk about her. Now that she has become the imperial concubine, how can the villain not be afraid of her?" Yuan Guo said with a tearful voice: "The villain's words slandered her that day. After hearing this, she She will definitely be angry, and the villain is afraid of the resentment in her heart and is waiting for an opportunity to take revenge!"

"You are in Zhuoluo now. As long as you stay with me and completely separate from Xixia, where can she seek revenge on you?" Zhao Tong sneered: "Besides, even if she redeems you, do you really think it will be okay? Even if I’m afraid I’ll have to shed my skin even if I don’t die!”

"Save it for the villain, save it!" Yuan Guo said hurriedly: "If the villain doesn't go back, the crime will be confirmed. But Li Qianshun can't catch me. If the villain goes back, he will have to defend himself. But how can he get away with such a big thing so easily? If you are guilty, even if you are lucky enough to survive, you will still be imprisoned in prison, and I am afraid you will have to be tortured, and life will be worse than death."

"You're not stupid enough to figure out the joints!" Zhao Tong said, "Get up!"

Yuan Guo trembled and got up from the ground: "Young Master..."

"Which restaurant in the city has good food? Lead the way, I'm a little hungry."

"Okay." Yuan Guo wiped his sweat and felt relieved. Even if his sister came to redeem him, even if his ancestors came to redeem him, he would not leave. How can he be so easy to argue with himself?Who knows if Yuan Jing wants to trade his life for the lives of other people in the family? He doesn't believe anyone at the moment, not even his mother and I. His own life is the most important!
"Sir, the best restaurant in the city is called Songtao, and it's not far away."

"Why is it a Chinese name?" Zhao Tong wondered.

"It's driven by Han people. It's been a few years. I'm here to lead the young master." Yuan Guo said, bending down and walking forward...

The one-hour daily opening time of the north gate of Zhuolu City was about to pass, but at this moment, two sheepherders came from outside the city.

There were not many sheep, about a dozen, and the sheep were driven by old men and women, who were already quite old.

The sheep arrived at the city gate and were stopped by soldiers. The old man took out a piece of paper from his body and handed it over. The soldiers looked at it and saw that it was the identity certificate of a Xixia herdsman. However, this thing was useless at the moment. He had to be able to show his outstanding performance. For pickup trucks that live around Lacheng, the holder's residence will be listed on the pickup truck.

Just as he was about to give the order to seize all the people and sheep, he saw the old man take out another object from his body, which was a pickup truck. Then he said in a hoarse voice: "Military leader, our couple are shepherds from Erzhai ten miles away. This is They are delivering sheep to the city."

The soldier carefully inspected the pickup truck. It looked a little new, but it was genuine. He asked: "Where should I send the sheep? Is there someone to pick them up?"

The old man saluted and said: "When I came back to Juntou, I gave it to Songtao Restaurant, but no one is here to pick it up now. In the past, I always made an appointment to send it to you, but we lost contact with each other during the war and it was delayed. Now, if Juntou doesn't believe it, , just send someone to follow."

The soldier thought for a while and said to the side: "Two of you will follow us and we will ask after we get to Songtao Tower."

Immediately two soldiers came out, shouted, and followed the old man and woman towards the city...

(End of this chapter)