Chapter 734 It’s right to prepare early

The weather is getting hotter day by day.

The cicadas in the garden were too hot to scream, and they only chirped occasionally.

There is a cool breeze blowing above the corridor. Grape vines cover the top of the corridor, and bunches of still green grapes hang down from the corridor. The lake below the corridor is covered with lotus leaves. There are lotus leaves growing in the lake.

Some undulate slightly in the wind, and some are flat on the lake surface, with water droplets rolling on them. When they are on the lotus leaves, they are like crystal clear pearls, falling into the water,

But it was lost among the crowd and could never be found again.

The flower buds peek out from the lotus leaves. Although they have not bloomed yet, you can see the color. The flower buds are the size of a child's fist. When they bloom, red, pink, white, and flowers of various colors gather together. They must be

Very pretty.

The frog lazily kicked its legs in the water, swam for a while, then climbed onto the lotus leaf and croaked a few times. Most of the lotus leaf sank into the water, and the frog rose and fell with the lotus leaf.

There used to be a lot of koi carps in the pond, but now they just gathered in the shade, in large groups, with their little mouths opening and closing out of the water.

Xiao Chuo leaned on the pillar and read the Complete Book of Agricultural Affairs.

She has been reading this book for the past few months.

This book, newly compiled in the Southern Song Dynasty, collects many new crops, including planting methods, storage methods, etc. are clearly written.

On hand, there was a plate of sweet potatoes that had been peeled and cut into finger-length strips. While reading the book, he would pick up a piece from time to time and put it in his mouth to chew slowly.

The book is indeed a good book.

There were footsteps on the corridor. Xiao Chuo did not raise his head. There were only a few people who could walk directly in front of her without announcing.

"Queen Mother!" Sun Chun bowed and placed several cards in his hand next to Xiao Chuo.

"Is it a creation created by heaven?" Xiao Chuo asked.

"No, it's something else interesting!" Sun Chun said with a smile: "The chief minister in the Southern Song Dynasty not only encouraged farming and mulberry, but also encouraged various inventions and creations. Once proven useful, he would be rewarded immediately with money.

Or a title, which is extremely generous."

"You just don't want to be an official?"

"Give it too!" Sun Chun said with a smile: "But such people are placed in some academy of sciences, awarded a doctorate, and given money, called scientific research funds. They are comparable to those of Sinong Temple.

However, the Sinong Temple was led by their emperor himself and had already made achievements, so there was always a lack of funds. The Academy of Sciences was not good enough. It is said that in many cases, Jiang Yingxue, the wife of the chief minister, used the money to support it.

Most of the things we come up with are weird!”

"As long as one or two things are really useful, maybe they can be worth their money and make a lot of money!" Xiao Chuo said: "A few years ago, the little emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty sent a fleet out to find new things. I remember that there were many people in the court at that time.

Everyone laughed and said that there was another little faint king in the Song Dynasty, what was the result?"

He picked up a piece of sweet potato and handed it to Sun Chun: "Try it, the new harvest over there this year is so sweet."

Taking the sweet potato and putting it in his mouth to chew, Sun Chun said: "I remember that there are some that are so dry that they become wilted and chewy, and some that are so hard that you can't bite them. You can also fry them in oil, which will make them chewy.

crispy."

"Yes, there are many ways to eat it!" Xiao Chuo said with a smile: "But what's more important is his output!"

Sun Chun exhaled and said slowly: "Queen Mother, we don't have time to pay attention to this now. No matter how high or good his output is, that will happen in the future."

"What's the matter? News came from the front line that Yeluzhen was defeated?"

"No, it's behind our backs." Sun Chun said: "Some bad things are happening, and they are still brewing. Some people are intimidated by your majesty, the Queen Mother, and they don't dare to do anything openly now. But once Yelu

If Zhen suffered a big defeat in Jianghuai, the situation would be different."

"What can we do?" Xiao Chuo didn't seem concerned at all.

"Queen Mother, most of the troops loyal to you are currently gathered in the Jianghuai area, that is, there are still 10,000 Shan troops here in Daming Mansion." Sun Chun said: "Once Jianghuai is defeated, we will no longer be able to suppress those troops in terms of military.

If the opposition becomes powerful, they will definitely force you to return to power."

"Isn't it true that we haven't been defeated yet?" Xiao Chuo said with a smile: "Maybe King Zhennan can fight back and turn the situation around in one fell swoop?"

"Queen Mother, in my opinion, this possibility is very small!" Sun Chun said: "The other side is too well prepared. After Liu Zheng's defeat, King Zhennan has been unable to regain the situation. On the side of Zhending Mansion

, although we withstood the opponent's attack, on the Jingdong Dengzhou side, we were unable to recover. Queen Mother, it's still too late to retreat now."

Xiao Chuo closed the book and said nothing.

"As long as we maintain our strength and retreat intact, we can make those who oppose us afraid to make any move."

"Then what?" Xiao Chuo said: "Then you watch helplessly as the Song Kingdom becomes stronger step by step and kills us bit by bit!"

"I believe that as long as the Queen Mother is here, even if we don't win, we will never lose!" Sun Chun said decisively. "But if we really want to return power, I'm afraid we will collapse in a few years!"

"Similarly, if we fail to seize this opportunity, then in my opinion, failure is inevitable. Neither I nor Xiaoxian can escape the fate of failure."

Sun Chun took a deep breath. He never understood why the empress dowager, who had always been confident, suddenly became unconfident after facing her second brother.

"Your Majesty, even if a dog is anxious and wants to jump over the wall, a rabbit is still thinking about kicking an eagle before it dies!" Sun Chun said: "How can we sit still and wait for death?"

Xiao Chuo laughed: "Of course I won't sit still and wait for death."

Sun Chun's eyes lit up, "The Queen Mother has other plans?"

"You will know when the time comes!" Xiao Chuo said.

"What about Yelu Longxu and Yelu Bianji?" Sun Chun said. "They are dancing happily now, but they are all powerful figures!"

"Let's keep it. We must leave some capable people for Xiaoxian to use!" Xiao Chuo said: "It's not easy to get rid of all the old ministers of the late emperor. Otherwise, it will inevitably break his heart."

Looking at the somewhat mysterious Xiao Chuo, Sun Chun really couldn't guess what Xiao Chuo's next step would be.

She didn't seem to worry at all about the plot coming from behind.

Or rather, I don't care.

"Queen Mother, no matter what, we have to prepare to retreat. King Zhennan has launched a general offensive. In the next few days, if he fails, we must retreat to Xijin Mansion as quickly as possible!" Sun Chun said.

"Sun Pu will arrange it, you should go back to Xijin Mansion first!" Xiao Chuo said: "Many things start from there, and it would be a good thing if they end there."

Sun Chun frowned. The Queen Mother spoke very strangely. She had never done that before. This was not a good thing.

Outside Xiangyang City, Yelu Longxu panted and climbed up to the earth city that the army had just built. For him, the current weather was really not friendly. Even if he was hiding in the shade, he was still sweating.

It's raining like rain, not to mention strenuous exercise like now.

As the person with the highest status here, the privilege he enjoys is that he only wears a vest, someone is holding an umbrella on his head, and there is someone behind him who is constantly fanning him.

After climbing to the highest point, he squatted down, and someone immediately behind him stuffed a Taishi chair under his buttocks at the right time. He stretched out his hand, and a kettle wrapped in straw was handed into his hand.

The water in the pot was ice-cold. When we set out, we just took it out of the deep well and took a big sip. A chill immediately went down from our throat to our lower abdomen.

But I was sweating more.

He took the towel handed by the guard and wiped his forehead vigorously.

After many years, Daliao finally returned to its starting point and once again came to the foot of Xiangyang City.

It's just that for the two sides facing each other, the Daliao side changed from Yelumin to himself, while the opposite side changed from Lu Wenhuan to Wang Zhu.

Back then, Yelumin fought here for half a year and failed to defeat Xiangfan. Now that it was him, could he defeat it?

The flesh on Yelu Longxu's face twitched a few times.

Of course I can't.

Compared with his attainments in the army, he is no better than Na Yelumin.

The Xiangfan garrison at that time was not as strong as the Song army today.

At that time, Xiangfan City was not as reliable as it is now.

At that time, Liu Zheng's navy had controlled the Han River for a long time,

But now, it is the navy of the Song Army that swims back and forth on the Han River.

Yelu Longxu suddenly stood up, raised his leg and kicked a piece of dirt away from his feet, and said angrily: "Hit me! There is no way to beat me!"

Yelu Longxu suddenly went crazy, and everyone around him looked at each other.

Wang Zhu retreated all the way and even gave up the Nanyang Basin, but it was not that he was seriously defeated by his own troops. In fact, in this battle, Wang Zhu did not have a serious fight with him at all.

As he continues to advance, the logistics supply line is constantly being stretched, and the consumption of transporting food and materials is also increasing. For every ten kilograms of food transported from various places in Hebei, half of it is consumed on the way. What is actually obtained is

It's only about five kilograms.

On the ground in Henan, all available food supplies have basically been squeezed out.

The Song Army's strategy is extremely clear.

That is to lead the war into a long-term stalemate.

To do this, they gave up large tracts of land.

Fighting for money and savings, Daliao has always been no match for Song.

The fortified city in the distance made Yelulong have no desire to attack.

Unless you give him hundreds of cannons now, he might give it a try.

The reason why I am still waiting here is entirely because I still have little hope for Yelu Zhen.
To be continued...