Han Shizu

Chapter 120 When the Northern Expedition is underway

Since Pu Yin took the oath as a master, all Liu Chengyou's work has basically focused on Zhao Yanshou's "Northern Expedition Army". Military newspapers from three directions have been pouring in. From the beginning, one report per day, to the present day. In the third report, Liu Chengyou sent out a group of the most elite scouts under his command to be used as pawns in the post.

Even though he had prepared psychologically long ago and actually implemented it, he discovered that the difficulty of the Northern Expedition to Youzhou was much more serious than imagined.In reality, it is not as simple as the plan.

From Puyin to Youzhou, the distance of [-] miles, except for a few water veins, there are no high mountains and steep mountains, so it is convenient for Zhao Yanshou to march here, and it is also convenient for the Liao army to contain the attack.At the same time, at least two hundred miles were cleared by the Liao army. The land was extremely sparsely populated, and there were not many war resources to supplement this section of the road.

And the Liao army was obviously not unprepared. The first time they received the news, they came to intercept, and not only planned to intercept, but also wanted to annihilate Zhao Yanshou's army.

Under such circumstances, Liu Chengyou's two-wing supporting army from Qi and Yingzhou had full containment effect, and Zhao Yanshou also tried his best to avoid rushing forward, but was still blocked in Nanyi by more than [-] Liao troops from Xincheng and Rongcheng. The water basin, but only half of the road.

"Your Highness, the latest news from the north is that Zhao Yanshou broke through the Liao army's Yishui defense line!" Hasty footsteps sounded, Guo Rong quickly entered the hall, and reported to Liu Chengyou who was discussing the military situation with Xiang Xun and Wei Renpu.

"Oh? Submit it!" Liu Chengyou regained his energy all of a sudden, got up and took the military newspaper from Guo Rong himself, and read it impatiently.

In the past two days, Liu Chengyou was also anxious about the battle ahead, especially because Zhao Yanshou was blocked in Nanyishui.The previous episode was still stalemate, but the news of the breakthrough suddenly came, Liu Chengyou was quite surprised.Zhao Yanshou's method of breaking through is nothing out of the ordinary. It's very effective.The overall quality of Yeluruan's soldiers in Nanjing Road was relatively low, and the few elites were all placed in Youzhou City, and the leading generals were not good enough, so they were tricked by Zhao Yanshou.

"After Yishui, we can only rely on Zhao Yanshou himself." After digesting the news and putting down the military report, Liu Chengyou sat down slowly, as if relieved.

The atmosphere in the hall did not relax because of Zhao Yanshou's army's breakthrough.Xiang Xun lowered his head and watched carefully on a map of Younan Zhuzhou, which simply marked some cities, rivers, and routes. He studied the battle situation with a tense face. Without Yishui, Zhao Yanshou has no way out, he is alone, and his situation will only become more dangerous!"

There is no need to remind Xiang Xun, Liu Chengyou can think of it himself, similar situations have been deduced before.

Xiang Xun roughly compared, and said: "The reaction of the Liao army is much faster than we imagined. Zhao Yanshou's breakthrough of the defense line will inevitably lead to even more crazy interceptions by the Liao army. There are still nearly two hundred miles away. When we arrive in Youzhou, we have to break through the fortified city in a short time."

Speaking of the severe situation in a heavy tone, Xiang Xun couldn't help but gasp, as if he felt the difficulty.

"It's still Youzhou!" Liu Chengyou pressed the map and fixed his eyes on the location of Jicheng: "Further north, Yan soldiers return to their hometowns, so they are not alone. They are fighting in their own land and homeland. This is their biggest challenge." The advantage!"

"I hope that Zhao Yanshou can advance into Youzhou and take Youzhou as he said!"

Hearing this, Xiang Xun was not very optimistic, and even had some doubts: "Can he do it in such a dangerous situation?"

"We still underestimated the difficulty of taking Youzhou!" Guo Rong's serious face also showed worry.

Seeing this, Liu Chengyou raised his hand and motioned to Wei Renpu: "Tell them about it!"

Knowing this, Wei Renpu got up and said to the two of them: "Two generals, after Zhao Yanshou set off, Zhang Li, a Khitan Han official, sent a secret letter from his confidant to the south to tell Youyan the truth. In Youzhou City at this time, there There are more than [-] Khitan cavalry, and the Han people have deep grievances."

When he received another letter from Zhang Li, Liu Chengyou finally believed it, and he really wanted to do anything anyway.

After saying this, Xiang Xun and Guo Rong's eyes lit up at the same time.Immediately concentrating, Xiang Xun said: "Even so, it will not be easy to take down Fortified City!"

Wei Renpu continued: "Your Highness' original intention is to capture Youzhou, which is naturally better. If not, Zhao Yanshou will turn to attack Zhuo and Yi, tie up the Han people, and defend according to Fan Yang! At worst, it will become our nail in Youyan. A wedge, threatening Jicheng from time to time, and preparing for the future. The specifics can only be decided by Zhao Yanshou, depending on the situation!"

Hearing what Wei Renpu said, and thinking about it again, it seems that it is not that difficult.

To a certain extent, Liu Chengyou even hoped that Zhao Yanshou would choose the second path.

"Regardless of the situation on Zhao Yanshou's side, our army will continue to attack on the southern front to contain the Liao army and ease the pressure on him to advance!" Liu Chengyou said solemnly without showing his careful thoughts: "Dingzhou and Mozhou How is the battle going?"

Mentioning this matter, Guo Rong immediately reported: "Dingzhou, Luo Yanyu and Li Yun have joined forces and are approaching Anxi; on the Yingzhou side, Murong Yanzhao also led the army to capture Gaoyang, and cooperated with He Fu to attack Ren Qiu and Han Tong led two battalions of cavalry troops in Baosui Yiyi to support the two wings. Although the gains were not small, the casualties of each department amounted to over a thousand soldiers."

After listening, Liu Chengyou frowned immediately.The Longqi Army, which annexed the Jin soldiers, has an army of more than ten thousand, with strong soldiers and strong horses. In addition, the remaining Yan soldiers who were divided into garrisons and Chengde warriors recruited, there are more than [-] soldiers available.

But right now, apart from following Zhang Yanwei to intercept Xiao Han's first and second armies (already on the way back to the division), the rest are almost all moving in order to cooperate with Zhao Yanshou.

Obviously out of fear of Liu Chengyou's army, Yeluruan did not have many troops stationed on Nanjing Road, but there were more than 20,000 troops in total.Originally, Liu Chengyou only wanted Zhao Yanshou's army to act, saying that he should bet on him with the Yan soldiers, but the reality is that even his Long Qi army had to use all their strength.
Gambling is really not a good thing. It is addictive. Once you make a bet, you will be locked up. You even have to keep investing in order to see the report.

At this time, Liu Chengyou had a feeling that he seemed to be tied to the chariot he started.No results, can't stop at all.

"The troops are still insufficient!" Liu Chengyou sighed.

Seeing that the treasury that had not been filled after the summer harvest was consumed at a speed visible to the naked eye, Liu Chengyou felt a little headache and flustered.Now, he has no shortage of weapons, no lack of armor, and even young farmers can gather a lot in a short period of time, but he is short of food and cloth.

"The real soldiers and horses cannot be used!" Wei Renpu took precautions against him in advance.

At this stage in Zhending, only Liu Chengyou's personal guard battalion and Xiang Xun's third army are still there.Hearing this, Liu Chengyou shook his head: "I have no intention of mobilizing the army of true determination."

As he spoke, he pouted bitterly: "Even if you want to move, you can't!"

Exhaling a turbid breath, Liu Chengyou ordered: "Command all the troops to continue to oppress the Liao army on the southern line. But since Zhao Yanshou has broken through the Nanyi River, let them all stop and beat me to give me proper pressure. Don't make unnecessary sacrifices."

"Yes!" Hearing this, Wei Renpu picked up a pen and wrote the order, polishing it up.

"After this battle is over, the north of Chengde and the south of Youzhou will probably be destroyed." Liu Chengyou sighed, as if he couldn't bear it.

"If you can really win Youzhou, the price will be worth it!" Guo Rong said.

Of course it's worth it, even if you pay a few times the price, it's worth it.What's more, Liu Chengyou's darkest thought is to destroy the land of Youyan.With one corner of the war, we can also take the peace of the northern border defense of Liujiajiang Mountain for several years, and plan for the future.It's just that this kind of thinking will never be shown, and will never be said.

"I don't know how the Khitan master will react when he hears this news?" Liu Chengyou suddenly thought of Yeluruan.

"That leaves less time for Zhao Yanshou!" Xiang Xun said.

This was said without thinking, but Liu Chengyou probably understood it.It doesn't take much, as long as Yeluruan sends a partial division back to the army, it will be even more difficult for Zhao Yanshou.As for whether it will affect Yeluruan's march to Beijing, the conclusion is that the impact will not be great.

During the conversation, Tao Gu appeared from the second hall, bent down and bowed, made a full gesture, and just entered, he said to Liu Chengyou: "Your Highness, Dingzhou is here to report, Dingzhou's handsome Sun Fangjian, I heard that His Highness sent troops to the north to attack Youyan. Langshan led his [-] troops to the south to help in the battle!"

"Huh?" Liu Chengyou was surprised.After entering Zhending, Liu Chengyou conducted an investigation on the surrounding forces, and this Sun Fangjian also heard about it. He was a small warlord in Dingzhou, but he never saw it in his eyes, and he didn't have a clear understanding.

Look at Wei Renpu.

Wei Renpu was well-read and knowledgeable, and had served in the Privy Council of the Later Jin Dynasty for many years. Although he was a minor official, he had also come into contact with a lot of miscellaneous military news.After a little recollection, he said just now: "Sun Fangjian was originally a hero in Dingzhou. Before that, because of the burden of taxation and labor on the frontier, the people were unemployed, and overwhelmed. , gradually growing."

"When the Khitan invaded the South repeatedly, they led their subordinates to attack the Khitan people, plundered military resources, and went north to the enemy's territory to plunder their property. At that time, they belonged to the imperial court and asked for the post of Jiedu. Yishi, Sun Fangjian was angry and defected to the Khitans. Last year, he even served as a guide for the Khitans' invasion of the south."

"This time, he sent a letter to submit, and the handsome teacher helped in the battle. I am afraid that he wanted to use the imperial court as a backing after seeing the rebuilding of the country. However, its fundamental purpose is to expand its strength."

"Another guy with a head and a mouse at both ends, it's unbelievable!" Xiang Xun sneered.

"What you said is scolding all the integrity of the world!" Liu Chengyou pointed to Xiang Xun: "Who is not like this in today's Tianxia Township. Sun Fangjian, it doesn't matter if you can believe it or not, as long as you can use it!"

In Liu Chengyou's words, he clearly expressed his attitude. He got up and took a few steps, and made a decision: "Send a letter and send an envoy to tell Sun Fangjian. He is the governor of Dingzhou!"

Liu Chengyou spoke to Tao Gu.Tao Gu stepped down in response, and while taking a step, he glanced at Wei Renpu who was dragged by Liu Chengyou to discuss the military situation again, his beard was raised and his eyes were a bit dark.

He doesn't compare with Guo Rong and Xiang Xun, he is Liu Chengyou's confidant.But Wei Renpu, who is also a new minister, thinks he is better than Wei Renpu in terms of age, qualifications and talents, let alone writing and poetry.How could he, Wei Renpu, be able to counsel the important affairs of the military aircraft, and his entourage was inseparable.And he, Tao Gu, seemed to be really just a pen for drafting orders, and even this part was divided by Wei Renpu.
When it comes to military politics, he Tao Gu is also familiar with military books, why Liu Chengyou didn't consult with him.Before he knew it, Tao Gu had accumulated a lot of resentment in his heart, he was jealous towards Wei Renpu, and he was also somewhat dissatisfied with Liu Chengyou.

Nanjing Road, Zhuozhou, Gu'an County.

What lights up on the top of the city is the black and red "Swallow Flag".After breaking through the blockade of the Liao army, Zhao Yanshou urged the Yan soldiers to rush hundreds of miles to Gu'an without stopping. There were not many soldiers in the city, so they took it directly.

After setting foot on the familiar land, Zhao Yanshou felt much more at ease.Smelling the smell of the countryside, the morale of the soldiers of the Yan army is still high but not falling. The officers and soldiers at the bottom do not know the risk of the situation.

To the north of Gu'an County is the Baigou River, where many boats, sampans and improvised bamboo rafts have gathered.The upper reaches of the Baigou River lead directly to the Sanggan River, and to the north of the Sanggan River is Youzhou City, which is planned to take the water route.

At this time, Zhao Yanshou left all the cavalry to restrain the Liao cavalry who had been teased by him, and left [-] soldiers to guard Gu'an, and the rest followed him to take Youzhou City lightly.

There are not enough boats, so the land and water are close together.

Stepping on the deck, accompanied by the rhythmic ups and downs of the water, Zhao Yanshou looked up to the north: "There is still less than a hundred miles of water!"

"King Yan, can we really capture Youzhou City?" one of his generals asked in a low voice.They are not like ordinary soldiers, even if they can't see the whole situation, they still have a sense of crisis.

"Haha!" Zhao Yanshou laughed outright, and deliberately let go of his voice: "Youzhou is such a big city, and Yelu Jieli only defends it with four thousand soldiers. How can he defend it? What's even more ridiculous is, can the cavalry defend the city? Hu Bing will Guarding the city? Youzhou City was repaired by Gu back then, and no one knows its weaknesses better than Gu! As long as we arrive smoothly, Youzhou City will be ours!"

Most of Zhao Yanshou's words were deceitful.However, not everyone is so easy to fool.

"But we don't have many troops."

"We have tens of thousands of teachers, are we afraid that we won't be able to win Youzhou City?" Zhao Yanshou immediately stared.

These words made General Yan startled for a while.

"There are hundreds of thousands of Han people inside and outside of Youzhou City." Seeing his stupid appearance, Zhao Yanshou explained with some confidence: "I asked myself, during the ten years of governing Youzhou, I have given a lot of kindness and protection to the Han people. If they are mobilized, what is there to fear from the mere Khitan army?"

The general was stunned, and soon, Zhao Yanshoudu's words spread, and his morale was still maintained at a high level.And Zhao Yanshou's gaze became more and more determined. He also tried his best to trick these soldiers into following him to take risks. He was very active, after all, this was his third career.

"King Yan." When they were about to go back to the warehouse to rest, the other two generals carefully found Zhao Yanshou.

Seeing that the expressions of the two people were not right, Zhao Yanshou frowned and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Are you really planning to fight Youzhou and fight against the Khitan people?" One of them dodged his eyes.

Hearing something strange, Zhao Yanshou didn't change his expression, and said casually: "I'm not going to hide it from you, I feel a little uneasy in my heart."

Hearing this, another person immediately said: "King Yan, we have already got rid of Liu Chengyou's control, with such a large army, why should we risk life and death to fight against the Khitan people, as before."

Seeing this, Zhao Yanshou immediately stopped the two: "This is not a place to talk, you go to the warehouse and wait for me first."

Seeing Zhao Yanshou like this, the two of them seemed to be thinking something, so they nodded their heads quickly.

After the two retreated, Zhao Yanshou's face immediately turned cold, and he greeted a confidant, and ordered in a low voice: "Take a few soldiers, deal with those two, throw them into the river, and don't make any noise. In addition, Take those two soldiers and take over!"

"Yes!"

It would be impossible to say that Zhao Yanshou didn't have a different heart, but it was definitely not this time or this way.The implication of the two is obvious, with the meaning of surrender.There are only such idiots, ignorant people.
How can you feel as happy as being in charge of your own family if you live under the fence of others!

Looking up to the north, Zhao Yanshou clenched his fists tightly. Suddenly, he waved his hands and shouted loudly: "Go home!"

Soon, there was a shout of "go home" floating on the Baigou River, full of momentum!

PS: What the hell, I thought this paragraph could be written in a thousand words, but I just wrote so much.
　Thanks for the rewards of book friends Tuas being sealed with trumpet, Typical House, Tie Ma Ge City.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)