It turns out that after the Battle of Xinzhou seven days ago, the victorious Song Army arrived with great fanfare. One moment they roared in and fired rockets at Tongzhou City; the other moment they circled around the city and harassed Han, An, Xian and other states...
Xiao Helu had been newly defeated and did not dare to go out of the city to fight. He could only stick to Tongzhou City and wait for reinforcements.
Five days ago, a large number of Song troops marched into the hills thirty miles north of Tongzhou City, building camps and crafting equipment, as if they were going to attack the city.
At the same time, many troops were detached to harass counties and villages outside Tongzhou City, and cut off connections with Xianzhou and other counties connected to Liaoyang City.
Xiao Helu did not dare to neglect, and led the whole army as if they were facing a powerful enemy.
But three days ago, the raids became less and less, but the lights in the camp to the north were bright and there was very little smoke. Xiao Helu was a veteran on the battlefield. Seeing this situation, he knew that the Song Army was going to attack Tongzhou City in two or three days.
To launch an attack, the troops will be reduced, allowing the soldiers to recharge their batteries and fight with all their might.
But on the afternoon of the day before yesterday, Xiao Helu discovered that something was wrong. There was no Song army coming and going for reconnaissance under Tongzhou City all day. He made a prompt decision and sent spies to investigate, but found that the Song army camp to the north was silent. When he ventured in to take a look, he found that there was actually something inside.
Empty.
Xiao Helu felt very horrified that one hundred thousand soldiers and horses disappeared under his nose.
After Yelu Dashi thought about it carefully, he finally figured it out.
"Mr. Xiao, you were fooled from the beginning."
"Why does the king say that?"
"The main force of the Song Army did not come over from the beginning. When they arrived at Tongzhou City, the ones who were harassing everyone should be the Song Army's partial division, about 20,000 people. They changed their flags back and forth, and could even march in in a big way during the day and sneak out quietly at night. The next day
During the day, he changed his flag and marched in with great arrogance."
"In this way, it will naturally make Xiao Gong feel that the entire Song Army has arrived. Three days ago, most of the Song Army's partial divisions began to retreat quietly. There may be only one or two thousand people left behind as a bluff. Wait until the day before yesterday, maybe before the early morning
, the two thousand soldiers and horses left behind also quietly withdrew."
Xiao Helu beat his chest and shouted regretfully: "I have been fighting for decades, but I didn't expect that I would be killed today."
"Xiao Gong, the people of Song Dynasty have always been full of tricks. Moreover, he defeated our army in Xinzhou first, which made Duke Xiao have scruples. He only wanted to defend the city for reinforcements and did not dare to leave the city at will. That's why the people of Song Dynasty used tricks.
They are intertwined and hit the mark, making people really hard to guard against."
Yelu Dashi explained and comforted him, and then asked: "Mr. Xiao, are you investigating the whereabouts of the Song army?"
Xiao Helu regained his energy and replied loudly: "My subordinates sent out detailed reconnaissance horses to search east, north and west. At the same time, they also sent messengers to contact the states and counties in the south and west, asking them to pay close attention to local trends.
Report any abnormalities immediately."
"So far, there is no news anywhere. The spies from the north and east had only left the city for a hundred and fifty miles when they encountered groups of rebels. These rebels were composed of Jurchen, Tieli, Wura and other tribes, or
Dozens, or hundreds, of people came with whistles and fled away from the arrows. Some gathered or dispersed, hiding among the mountains and forests."
"When they saw our army's spies and cavalry, they swarmed up and refused to hold back. The spies in the east and north suffered heavy casualties and had to withdraw all of them."
After the Liao army withdrew and the Song army did not formally take over, power gaps appeared in many places in the Northeast. Those tribes that had never been able to keep their own rules must have taken the opportunity to cause trouble, and it was common for them to rob and kill reconnaissance cavalry.
"These bastards! Wait until the Song army is defeated, and then we can deal with these barbarians in the mountains!" Yelu Dashi had no choice but to say angrily and harshly.
"On the west side, only some of the spies I sent came back, and they all said there were no traces. It's really strange that a hundred thousand troops didn't leave any traces?"
"Don't be anxious, Mr. Xiao. How can a hundred thousand men not leave any traces? Our spies who discovered the situation must have not returned yet. Just wait."
In the afternoon, there was finally news.
"Wuzhou Aimin City (Shuangliao)?" Yelu Dashi asked hesitantly.
"Yes, Your Majesty, the spies sent by my subordinates found signs that the Song Army had set up a pontoon bridge and crossed the river in Aimin City, Wuzhou, two hundred and sixty miles west of Tongzhou. They asked the local people and they said that there was indeed an army
The army has come, some say 20,000 to 30,000, some say 50,000 or 60,000."
"Why did the Song army cross the Liao River south?"
Xiao Helu said he couldn't understand either.
Crossing the Liao River south, entering the Zhongjing Road, the troops arrived at Dading Prefecture. The troops there were empty, and it was difficult to encounter strong resistance. But what was the use of taking Dading Prefecture? Now all the Liao's troops are shrinking in Nanjing, Xijing and Tokyo.
One line.
After the Song army occupied Dading Prefecture, they had no food, grass, or soldiers, and it was like an empty city, useless. If they continued to attack Nanjing southward, what stood in front of them would be the dangerous Yanshan Mountains and the passes filled with elite troops.
It is dozens of times more difficult to attack than Shinshu.
So why did the Song army go west?
While everyone was thinking hard, Xiao Orila suddenly spoke.
"Your Majesty, could it be that the sign of Wuzhou's love for its people crossing south was just a false shot, and the main force of the Song army went north to Beijing?"
"What's the use of occupying Shangjing?" Xiao Helu asked rhetorically.
"Shangjing is the place where the Liao Dynasty flourished, and there is the ancestral mausoleum of the Liao Dynasty. If the official family of the Song Dynasty chooses a descendant of the clan, the descendant of Taizu Taizong, to support him as the Lord of Liao, worship his ancestors, and tell the world..."
Yelu Dashi, Xiao Helu and others were so frightened that they broke into a cold sweat.
During the Yahe Incident, half of the thousands of clan members fled, only some of them fled back to Nanjing, and the whereabouts of the rest are unknown.
Many clans, like Yelu Dashi and Yelu Yujian, are descendants of Taizu Taizong. In terms of blood lineage, they may be much closer than them. If the Song army finds a few of them and chooses one to ascend the throne in Shangjing, for
For Nanjing, which had finally merged and stabilized, it was a huge impact.
Although Shangjing is not prosperous and its geographical location is not the most dangerous, its status in the Liao Kingdom is very respected. If the Song Dynasty established a "child emperor" there and backed it with powerful military power, there is no guarantee that no one would
Will move my mind.
Once the Liao Kingdom is divided again, the chance of defeating the Song Army will become very slim.
Therefore, we should not just settle military accounts, but also settle political accounts. As an official in the Song Dynasty, of course he knew how useful the idea of fame and righteousness was, and he would give priority to using this trick.
"I will lead the Liao Xing Army to the capital to find out the true intentions of the Song Army." Deep in Yelu Dashi's heart, there was still a trace of disbelief. This disbelief was actually because it was too easy for his side to find out.
The intentions of the officials of the Song Dynasty.
In his opinion, the intentions of the officials of the Song Dynasty should be like the clouds and mists in the Xianbei Mountains. Even if they swallow you up completely, it will be difficult to discover their true identity.
But he had to believe that this should be the intention of Song Guoguan. Because as the coach, he couldn't be a headless fly like ordinary people. He had to make decisions and set an example for his subordinates.
Standing in front of the map and strategizing, Yelu Dashi felt confident that he had a winning chance. Moreover, his victory in the battle of wits and courage with Yelu Asi, Xiao Fengxian, Yelu Yujian, Yelu Zhangnu and others also made this confidence even stronger.
However, when he met the officials of the Song Dynasty in actual combat, Yelu Dashi felt as if he was covered by an invisible net before taking action officially.
A feeling of powerlessness welled up from the bottom of my heart.
No! I am not an ox or a sheep being led away by others! I am also a hero in this era of great strife. I want to lead the Liao Dynasty, defeat the Song Army, and completely shatter the huge shadow in my heart!
Yelu Dashi cheered up and started to arrange it.
"Xiao Gong, I have left 100,000 elite troops to guard the front line of Tongzhou. Behind me, there are 210,000 reinforcements from the state armies coming. I will lead the Liao Xing Army to Shangjing and ask Duke Xiao to divide the troops to garrison the key passes of the state cities.
There must be no mistakes.”
"Subordinates take orders!"
When Yelu Dashi led the Liao Xing army out of Tongzhou City, he couldn't help but look up at the sky. It was as gloomy as lead. Could a storm be coming?
Yes, the rainy season in Northeast China will come in two months. By then, there will be heavy rains, swollen rivers, and muddy conditions everywhere, making it difficult to walk. It will be extremely difficult for everyone to launch large-scale military operations.
Persevere! Persevere until the rainy season. The Song army that is fighting as a visiting army will be out of food and grass, and will retreat to Mobei. At that time, you will be able to mobilize your troops and go south to attack the hinterland of Hebei and Hedong of the Song Kingdom, using offense as defense!
Yelu Dashi clenched his fists secretly. This chapter has been completed!
