The soldiers and horses in Youzhou City are still enough to defend the city, and the food stored in Youzhou City is enough to sustain the city for another three years. However, the torment of being isolated from the inside and outside, with no reinforcement flags as far as the eye can see, is unbearable. Especially the emperor and the queen mother.
In Youzhou, if the supreme ruler of an empire cannot have any contact with his imperial ministers for three years, can the world still be under his control?
Xiao Chuo, who was trapped in Youzhou City, was not worried about the war under his nose. Although the Song army was brave, as the Youzhou City in Nanjing of the Liao Kingdom, with her and the emperor around, and Brother Yue Yeluxiu around, it was by no means that easy.
What she is really worried about is the external front. Without a ruler, the empire may not need external enemies, and it will collapse from within.
She has the civil servant Guo Xi in the South Courtyard, the general Yelu Xiezhen in the military, and Shi Fang in the North Courtyard. These are all ministers she can trust. However, the obedience of the imperial ministers to them stems from her trust in them. When she and the entire empire lose
When contacting them, it was difficult for them to intimidate the officials, especially... especially the clan members. The Yelu family was full of tiger and wolf men. They were not convinced by the little emperor to begin with. They relied on their iron-blooded wrists to firmly control him.
She had lost the political power and military power of the empire, and once she was cut off from the outside world, it would not take three years, but only one year, for the royal family members to become dissatisfied, support a new master, and abandon her and the emperor's son.
For this reason, Xiao Chuo was very worried.
Looking up at the stars in the sky, Xiao Chuo sighed quietly.
It was a cold night with no wind, and there were bright stars in the sky. She did not hate Yang Hao. She was a ruler. Sitting in her position, she knew Yang Hao's position and understood why he did what he did. If
If she were in Yang Hao's position, she would have made the same choice. But how big is Yang Hao's appetite? Will this war get out of hand?
"Mother..."
Lao'er rubbed his sleepy eyes and ran out, followed by several palace maids. Xiao Chuo hurriedly walked over, picked him up, wrapped him in a cloak, and said angrily: "If you don't sleep well, what are you doing out here?"
, look at you, you’ve been sweating while sleeping, what should you do if you catch a cold?”
Lao'er said coquettishly: "Mother, Lao'er wants mother to sleep with me."
Xiao Chuo tapped his forehead and said angrily: "Lao'er, you are the emperor of a country. You are no different from ordinary children. Mother has many things to do, so you should be good."
"Oh..." Lao'er responded obediently, blinked his bright black eyes and thought for a while, then asked: "Are you thinking about how to defeat Yang Hao?"
Xiao Chuo sighed quietly and did not answer. Lao'er thought about it carefully and said angrily: "Mother, why did that evil man come to fight us? Does he like fighting?"
Xiao Chuo hugged him and walked slowly down the corridor. The lights and candles made her face flicker: "Prisoner, no one likes to fight. Fighting sometimes seems to come naturally. At that moment, it will naturally
We have to fight. If he doesn't come to fight us today, we will fight them tomorrow. There are many reasons, and this cannot be determined by the emperor's personal likes and dislikes."
"The emperor is rich in the world, has all the power, controls the destiny of everyone, and is the only one who is supreme. However, as a price, the emperor who is promoted to the top of everyone represents the wishes and interests of the foundation of his rule. Ordinary people can't imagine it.
You must be able to see things that cannot be imagined. You must stand higher than everyone else, see farther, walk in front of all people, and represent their interests. Only then can you become a person supported by everyone. Otherwise
, one day, you, or your successors, will have to be abandoned by them. Country changes, empires rise and fall, to be honest, there is only one reason."
The fate of those in power, behind different positions, is the mountain of different interest groups. If you betray your own interest group, then this backing will immediately become the force that suppresses you to the point of defeat, and you will start from this mountain.
The pinnacle immediately became the bottom cornerstone. Only by conforming to the position of his own class can the emperor do whatever he wants. Others, even if they become generals and prime ministers, are extremely human ministers. At worst, they can quit and become commoners. But the emperor
, the emperor stood too high, so there was no way out.
Of course, the young prisoner didn't quite understand these principles. Looking at his son's innocent eyes, Xiao Chuo sighed softly: It's very peaceful tonight. Although the defenders are exhausted, I believe the Song army outside the city will have a better life.
It's even more sad. Maybe there won't be any more fighting tonight, so... let's have a good night's sleep with our son.
Xiao Chuo thought about it, and kissed his precious son's forehead gently, and was about to take him back to his room, when he suddenly heard the sound of fighting in the distance, tearing the tranquility of the night.
Xiao Chuo stopped and sighed secretly: "Have you started attacking the city again?"
Just as she was about to hand over her son to the palace maid, she rushed to the city to take a look. She suddenly realized that there was something strange tonight. The sound of fighting came only from the North City, and the other three cities were silent. This was different from the fact that once the Song army launched, they would attack all four cities.
It was completely different from the scene where the whole city was filled with the sound of killing.
Xiao Chuo's heart suddenly moved: "This situation is a bit strange. Could it be that... reinforcements have arrived and... have broken through the Song Army's outer defense line and attacked Youzhou City?"
Thinking of this, Xiao Chuo hurriedly handed his son over to the personal maid who was waiting for him, and hurried to the front court.
"Mother?"
Prisoner shouted reluctantly, Xiao Chuo didn't even bother to answer. She pressed the hilt of her sword and rushed to the front courtyard with a gust of wind. The sound of fighting woke up the guards in the mansion. The war horses were already behind them. Xiao Chuo got on his horse and the door of the mansion opened wide. Everyone was there.
The horse galloped out and ran straight towards Beicheng.
Under the sparse starry sky, the earth appears light gray. Looking down from the top of the city, you can clearly see a galaxy-like procession of flowing fire approaching the Youzhou City in the distance. You can tell from the fierce shouts of killing and the violent shaking of the torches.
Seeing how intense the battle was in the middle of the battle, Brother Yelvxiu held onto the crenel and looked at the team nervously, secretly praying that they could break through the Song Army's defense line.
It wasn't that he didn't want to open the city to meet him. Obstacles such as the stone bars holding the gate, the large logs sealing the gate, and even the sword carriages blocking the gate had already been removed. Three thousand fully armored cavalry were ready, but it was dark night, and he had to confirm that
It was indeed his own men who were charging into the battle. Yang Hao was full of tricks. How could he know that he wanted to defraud the city? The Queen Mother and the Emperor were both in the city, so he had to be cautious.
The cavalry outside the city were approaching the foot of Youzhou City regardless of sacrifice. Their swords were like swords and blood was everywhere. Some people kept falling off their horses. But at this time, people's lives were like dogs, and who cared about who lived or died. A Liao army slashed diagonally with his sword,
He had just cut a Song soldier in half when a spear struck him from the side like lightning. With a pop, it penetrated from his lower abdomen and went straight into his organs. Even the gods could not save him.
Similar scenes were staged everywhere, with steel knives slashing wildly in the darkness, ruthlessly tearing apart bones and flesh, just like chopping melons and vegetables. When one person fell, more people jumped on him, and were immediately swept away by the surging waves.
Swallowed and turned into a mutilated corpse.
In exchange for the heavy sacrifice, they were approaching the city of Youzhou step by step. All the soldiers of this Liao army were as fearless as moths flying to a flame, and never looked back. They were dead soldiers. When they left Shangjing, they stayed behind in Shangjing to clean up their houses.
Your Excellency has already removed their names from the roster and gathered all their families together.
Even if they all die here, as long as the situation outside is sent to the city in the form of a letter to let the Queen Mother know the critical situation of the empire, then everyone of them will be a martyr, and they will have an eternal legacy for the Liao Kingdom.
As long as the Liao Dynasty lasts for one day, their descendants will be supported by the imperial court. This is the promise made by the imperial family members, princes, and chiefs to the Heavenly Alliance.
.If they fail, no matter whether they fight tooth and nail, their entire family will be turned into slaves, and there will be no mercy.
Therefore, everyone died, and the Liao army rushed forward with all its strength, and the offensive was fierce. Its situation was no worse than when Yang Jiye led eight thousand dead soldiers to attack the Song camp to attack Zhao Guangyi. Wherever the Liao army passed, no one could
Corpses and horse carcasses lay scattered everywhere, heads and limbs were cut off and the ground was dark red, making it difficult to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy. Their huge sacrifices and desperate courage made them approach Youzhou City step by step.
"What's going on?"
Xiao Chuo ran to the top of the city. Brother Yeluxiu said hurriedly: "Queen Mother, below the city..."
Xiao Chuo only glanced at it and said, "Why don't you go out of the city to meet us?"
Brother Yelvxiu bowed and said: "The Song army is cunning, I am afraid..."
Just as he said this, a Liao army broke through the siege and rushed to the city crazily, shouting loudly in Khitan, "Liao has been a country for a long time. Naturally, it also has a set of established systems in its own army construction. For example, in this special situation."
When it comes to communication under certain circumstances, if there is no set of code words drawn up in advance, wouldn’t it mean that no one can pass on the information except people known to the general who receives the message?
As soon as he heard what the man shouted clearly, Brother Yeluxiu jumped up and was so carried away that he even forgot to salute Xiao Chuo: "Kaicheng, support!"
As he spoke, he ran down to the city, jumped on a horse, and held the big gun in his hand.
The Liao army under the city was already ready. The city gates immediately opened with a roar, and the suspension bridge was lowered at the same time. Brother Yelvxiu took the lead and rushed out with his cavalry.
The Liao soldier under the city only shouted a few times before he was hit by an arrow from the Song army and fell off his horse. Brother Yelvxiu and his men rushed forward like lightning. Someone picked up the man and quickly returned to the city, while the other soldiers and horses rushed back to the city.
Follow Brother Yelvxiu and kill the Song army camp.
In the main camp of the Song Army, Yang Hao, dressed in military uniform, stood quietly on the half-suspended watchtower.
You can reach out to reach for the stars, but it’s not cold at high places.
In the distance, the Liao army's troops, like flowing fireflies, gradually gathered together with the corresponding soldiers and horses in the city. Yang Hao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
If the siege of the city lasts for a long time, it will also be an unbearable burden for him. He has just taken over the Song Dynasty. He needs a great victory to consolidate his throne, but not a long-term war that will cause anger and resentment to shake his foundation.
, A great victory can make the people feel proud, but war also has war costs. If like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, all the accumulation of painstaking efforts of the ancestors and fathers were used up, and four-fifths of the country's population were reduced to selling their children and daughters.
If they can't survive, then they are resorting to militarism. The cost of war for farming people is actually not only multiple times that of nomadic peoples.
There is no limit to going too far, and there is a limit to everything.
The Han Dynasty had been in power for several generations. Although his wars had made the people miserable and filled with complaints, at least his rule had not been overthrown. However, it is hard to say what Yang Hao is now.
It's time to end, I hope she...at this time won't be like an ordinary woman, where emotion overcomes reason and stubbornly prefers to die together.
No, she won't!
Because...she is Xiao Chuo.
Among women, Wu Zhao and Xiao Chuo are the only heroes. She will definitely make a wise choice.
"Boom!" The city gate slammed shut. Brother Yelvxiu fought bloody battles, snatched back hundreds of Liao soldiers who had broken the formation, and hurried back to the city.
The commotion subsided little by little, and soon everything calmed down again, and the city above and below returned to its dull silvery gray color.
The news of the arrival of the messenger from Beijing quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys at an incredible speed. All the soldiers and people in the city knew about it. That night, no one knew how many people stayed up all night, quietly looking forward to the next step.
news, hoping that the messenger would bring news that would save them from their desperate situation.
Yang Hao stood quietly on the watchtower for a long time before walking down step by step.
As soon as he came down, a man rushed to his side ahead of the generals of the Song Army, and supported him respectfully, as if he was afraid that he would fall, and his attentiveness was numbing.
This man was Wu Lintai, the cousin of the Zhentou man from Ancheguzhuli of the Jurchen tribe. It was he who rushed to Xixia to inquire about Yu Zheziyu. Yang Hao smiled slightly, neither feeling pleased with his attentiveness nor feeling any disgust.
disdain.
This is how they are. When they are afraid of you and want something from you, they can dedicate their beauties to you and praise you as the Khan of heaven. When their strength is far inferior to yours, they can be extremely tame, like the Jurchens to the Khitan and the Mongols.
As for the Jurchens, if they are able to bend and stretch, they are the real descendants of Goujian, and they only respect their strength.
"If the officials want to negotiate peace with the Liao people, they must have far-reaching thoughts. The villains dare not make rash decisions, but... although the Liao people are vulnerable to the officials' heavenly soldiers, they are still invincible enemies to us.
When the time comes when the Liao people are angry with us Jurchens, what will we do? We Jurchens sincerely serve the government."
"Don't worry..."
Yang Hao smiled slightly: "You resisted the Khitans because the Liao people oppressed you too much and you couldn't survive. But you have done so much during my northern expedition. How could I just leave and let you face the revenge of the Liao people? Haha.
, I have already made plans for you. Now the seven states in the foothills, except Youzhou, are all in my hands. After the peace negotiation is successful, I will station troops in Ying, Mo, Zhuo, You, Shun, Tan, and Ji...
…”
Wu Lin Tai hesitated and said: "I'm afraid... water from afar cannot quench the thirst that is close by."
Yang Hao smiled and said: "I haven't finished speaking yet. Since you have abandoned Liao and gone to Song, if you are bullied by the Liao people, wouldn't it be a disgrace to me? My troops who are advancing into Liaoyang Mansion now will not go back after negotiating peace.
Yes, I will let them station in the border area between you and the Liao people. If the Liao people intend to oppress you, I will increase our troops nearby, so there is no need to worry about your safety."
As Yang Hao walked away, he said: "I have ordered the central government to re-evaluate the annual tribute according to the situation in your place. I understand that it is not easy for you to survive and reduce the tribute as much as possible. Beizhu and Haidongqing will be exempted..."
Wu Lin Tai was overjoyed, shed tears of gratitude, and blurted out flattering words like the water of the Yellow River.
Yang Hao patted his shoulder, laughed and said nothing.
The distribution range of the Jurchen tribes is roughly the scope of the Bohai Kingdom established by the Sumo Mohe tribe, which is also the area of the three eastern provinces in later generations, and is connected to Shiwei. Over the years, although the Jurchens have gradually risen, they have been under the oppression and deliberate influence of the Liao Kingdom.
Despite the division, they have never grown stronger. Up to now, they are still worrying about food and clothing. They have no desire and awareness for political power. Therefore, they have no deep understanding of what it means to station troops in the Song Dynasty.
The Jurchen Wanyan clan has been wiped out by the Anche Gu clan, and Wanyan Aguda will never be born again. But times create heroes, and heroes emerge at the right moment. Without Wanyan Aguda, as long as the environment remains unchanged and the development of history remains unchanged,
When fortunes are favorable, there will naturally be people who repeat everything Aguda should do. But now, the tigers and wolves of the Jin Kingdom who are determined to conquer the world in the future are still a group of beggar brothers who want to sit under a big tree to enjoy the shade. Yang Hao will turn them over with a small favor.
Already.
The lights in the Nanjing Remaining Mansion in Youzhou City were brightly lit, but the faces of all the generals were darker than the night outside the mansion.
They were like a group of travelers left on an isolated island. Maybe one day there would be a tsunami and they would be swept into the sea. They looked forward to it day and night. Finally, they looked forward to a ship, but they did not expect that the ship would be bigger than the others.
The island they live on is even more dangerous because... it is sinking...
The Queen Mother and the Empress were trapped in Youzhou, completely cut off from the outside world, and had lost control of the empire; the peace advocates and capitulationists who went to Beijing had already gained the upper hand. This was the most terrifying thing, compared with the resumption of ambitions of some royal dignitaries.
The rebel flag is even more terrifying, because the key to relieving the siege of Youzhou lies in reinforcements, and reinforcements and baggage are both controlled by Shangjing. Once Shangjing changes the direction of the wind...
Empress Xiao's jade face was ashen and her heart was as cold as ice. Even though she had always been calm, she had no idea at this moment.
Brother Yelvxiu stood up in a hurry, holding the sword tightly in his big hand, the veins on the back of his palm were as stretched as earthworms, breathing heavily for a moment, and sat down again. His face was gloomy and he pondered for a moment, then he suddenly stood up again, gritting his teeth for a long time,
He sat down heavily again, and did this three or five times. The generals in the court looked at him in surprise, and even Xiao Chuo's wonderful eyes were focused on him.
At first, Xiao Chuo's eyes were a little surprised, but after looking at it for a moment, a glimmer of realization flashed in her eyes, and her eyes dimmed again.
Her guess was correct. Brother Yelvxiu really wanted to protect her and the emperor in giving up Youzhou and fighting their way out of the siege. But one can imagine how dangerous it was, and one can imagine how difficult it was for these dead soldiers to break through today.
Because of this, Brother Yelvxiu thought over and over again and repeatedly rejected the decision in his heart. He was not afraid of death, but he could not afford the risk of losing the Queen Mother and the Emperor. If he was outside the city now, he could still use Yue Yue to control the national army.
The power is trying to find a way, but he is also in the city now. The tiger has fallen into the sky and the dragon is trapped in the shallows. The situation on the outside is so dangerous that it can no longer be delayed.
A country cannot live without a king for a day. The Queen Mother and the Emperor have been trapped in this situation for several months with no hope of escape. What is the difference between a country losing its king?
After a long time, Brother Yelv Xiu said in a serious tone: "Yelü Xiezhen and Guo Xi were too exhausted to deal with the Song army in Fuzhou and Yanmen Pass, and were unable to go north; the Han army in the capital rebelled, and Shi Fang could not support it alone; traces of the Song army appeared in Tokyo, and the eight Khitan clans
The chieftain has begun to intend to retreat to the desert. Queen Mother, although Youzhou is dangerous, the danger of going to Beijing is actually higher than Youzhou. If the Queen Mother does not return to Beijing in time and regain the center in the palm of her hand, the disintegration of the Liao Dynasty may be inevitable.
"
He paused and said with difficulty: "Queen Mother, let's try to negotiate peace with the Song people..."
Xiao Talin suddenly stood up and said angrily: "Da Yue, is this the good idea you came up with?"
Brother Yelvxiu looked at him coldly and said, "What do you think, sir?"
Xiao Talin raised his arms and shouted: "The reinforcements cannot be relied on, we will fight out!"
"Kill out? Easier said than done!"
Brother Yelvxiu was also annoyed. He stood up and said: "The deployment under Youzhou City is mainly for the inside of the city. Breaking out from the inside will inevitably be twice as difficult. It is especially difficult to break through with light cavalry and protect the Queen Mother and the Emperor. The most important thing is that a large number of
The reinforcements are blocked by several passes. Although it is difficult to advance towards Youzhou, once you enter the city, you can rely on the strength of the strong city to be safe. Let's not say whether the breakthrough is successful or not. Even if it is successful,
Can we escape the Song Army's encirclement and interception all the way? You must know that the seven prefectures in the mountains, except for this Youzhou City, are all under the control of the Song Army. You must know that the Song Army now also has a large number of cavalry, and we did not get rid of it quickly.
The capabilities of the enemy's forces."
Xiao Talin's face turned blue and red for a while, and sometimes he frowned and glared, and sometimes he stopped talking. After a long time, he finally sat down slumped.
In terms of identity, Xiao Talin is the elder brother of the Empress Dowager and an absolute confidant; in terms of martial prowess, he is also ranked among the three great tiger generals of the Liao Dynasty, on an equal footing with Brother Yelvxiu of Yue Yue and King Yelu Xiezhen of the South Courtyard, even General Xiao.
Having said that, other civil and military officials were naturally speechless.
Xiao Chuo's face was as cold as water, and he was silent for a long time, then he narrowed his eyes slightly and said: "The Song army is at a sharp pace. Will they... agree to negotiate for peace?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the civil and military circles knew that the Queen Mother, under the pressure of internal and external difficulties, had the intention to resolve the war through negotiations. Now that the Queen Mother had set the general direction, it would be easier to handle. After all, among the courtiers, there were some who were sitting on the fence.
For the most part, war or peace is not something they can decide. Talking nonsense before the Queen Mother has made clear her attitude towards war or peace will inevitably become a handle. Once she is counterattacked in the future, it will be greatly detrimental to her career.
Now that the Queen Mother had made her attitude clear, all the officials immediately became active. You and I expressed their opinions in all directions. Unfortunately, most of them were trying to speculate on the Queen Mother Xiao's intentions and fanning the flames. There was nothing substantial.
Xiao Talin was a pure military commander, so he could fight, but he was not good at this kind of thing at all, so he just sat there with a pair of bull's-eyes and listened to what others said, and the more he listened, the more confused he became.
"Yang Hao will agree to negotiate peace!"
A voice, like a final word, suddenly silenced the noisy hall. The speaker was none other than Brother Da Yue, Yelu Xiu.
He said calmly: "We don't know much about the reality of the Song Dynasty, but we can see some clues from Yang Hao's actions. Judging from Yang Hao's various behaviors since he became famous, this person is accustomed to opportunism and can use the smallest sacrifices.
He will definitely not choose thunderous means to solve the problem. At best, it is because he always sympathizes with the people. At worst, it is just determined by his background and experience. Unless it is a matter of life and death, otherwise this businessman
I will never waste all my money on it!”
Who knows a man best? His enemies.
If this enemy is also his love rival, he can become a confidant.
Brother Yelvxiu said: "The Song Kingdom has just been conquered through concessions. How can he leave the center and wander around foreign countries? If Yang Hao is not eager to end the war, he will not continue to attack the city regardless of losses! Maybe Youzhou can be defended for a while longer
, the whole war situation will be reversed, but..."
A bitter and helpless smile appeared on Brother Yelvxiu's lips: "It's just that we are not sure how long he can last, and we can no longer hold on."
There was silence in the hall again. For a long time, Xiao Chuo said in a cold voice: "Mo He, I will go to the Song camp early tomorrow morning to see you and discuss peace!"
