Han Shizu

Chapter 422 Coping
Wei Renpu was as calm as a machine without the slightest emotion, and completely extinguished the glimmer of expectation in Liu Chengyou's heart: "The terrain in Hebei is flat and there is no danger to defend. This is an indisputable fact, and it is also the biggest disadvantage of our army. Your Majesty said Although the defense line in Nanyishui area has been adjusted several times, more soldiers and veterans have been sent to build a wall, but it is really crude and simple, and it is not optimistic about how effective it will be in defense against the Khitan cavalry."

"This time, the Hu Kou only used a small army of horses to keep going around and harass us repeatedly, which made my northern frontier army warn everywhere, and they didn't disturb them very much. It was unspeakably miserable."

"Your Majesty is also a man who knows soldiers. If Khitan goes south in a big way, if the imperial court does not have large soldiers to deal with the threat, it will make them scruples. Once they are allowed to break through the northern border defense, what kind of damage will be caused to our Hebei prefectures. And if Your Majesty sends a large army to attack Huainan, with the strength of the puppet Tang Dynasty, how can it be easily captured, it is a place of long battles."

"Once the battle goes badly and it is delayed for a long time, the consequences will be unimaginable. If there is a threat from the Khitan behind, it will be even more difficult for the Puppet Tang to conquer, and it will definitely boost their resistance. What's more terrifying, the Khitan army is like a long drive. To Tokyo”

Wei Renpu's words completely dispelled Liu Chengyou's idea of ​​"fighting on two fronts".

After calming down completely, considering gains and losses, his expressions slowly twisted together, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but angrily said: "Three years of planning, painstaking planning, in the end, do we still have to act according to the face of the Khitan people?"

In the emperor's tone, there was uncontrollable anger and aggrievedness, and several officials in the hall lowered their heads subconsciously.

Whether you like to admit it or not, it is true.Conquering the South is not like sending Zhecong Ruan to fight against the pheasant tribe. It requires the use of most of the court's power. As long as the Northern Han Dynasty does not have the strength to fight on two fronts, it will always be under the control of others.What's more, even if you have that strength, you should try your best to avoid the situation of being attacked by the enemy.

"The old man is overly cautious when looking at the two ministers!" Seeing that the atmosphere was too gloomy, Gao Xingzhou spoke at this time, and glanced at Wei Renpu and Wang Pu: "Although the Khitan crisis is serious, it will not be wiped out. I am ambitious. Now the situation in the north is just beginning to emerge. It is still unknown whether Khitan will be invincible on a large scale, so it is easy for the Chongzheng Palace to speculate, hesitate, and worry, and talk about changing the general plan of the court. Such a frightened bird, how can he have face in the temple? Seeking the country and the army?"

Gao Xingzhou's words sounded deafening and uplifting, but they didn't give Wei and Wang face.When Wei Renpu heard it, he just showed a wry smile, while Wang Pu's face flashed with anxiety and dissatisfaction, and he was about to speak, but Liu Chengyou raised his hand to stop him.

"Wei and Wang Erqing, you don't think about victory but think about defeat first, and you don't think about superiority before thinking about inferiority. This is a mature plan for the country! Military and state affairs should be guided according to the situation and changed according to the times!" Liu Chengyou had completely calmed down at this time, and said to the old man. : "However, what King Linqing said is not unreasonable. Khitan's changes are still to be seen. No matter how he moves, we can't mess up!"

"It's time for us to move!" After taking a few steps back and forth in front of the map, Liu Chengyou said directly: "Let the Military Intelligence Department send people to Khitan to investigate, use more capable men, pay a lot of money, and no matter the cost. Order all sides to fortify and strengthen Guard, the commanders and guards along the border, including the Yan army, let me keep a close watch on Khitan's movements."

Then he said to Zhang Dejun who was waiting on the other side: "Go, bring me the two envoys of martial arts and morality, hurry up!"

"Yes!" Hearing the emperor's tone, Zhang Dejun tightened his buttocks and walked away quickly.

"The Khitan raids have already caused major damage along the border, and there has been an upsurge of refugees. In view of this, do you have any suggestions on how the imperial court should respond?" Liu Chengyou asked in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on the area in the north of Jizhong.

Gao Xingzhou cupped his hands and suggested: "Your Majesty, although all the commanders set up by the imperial court in the north are under the command of He Fujin, each command is actually specialized in its own affairs, and the troops are scattered, and the dispatching is not smooth. Your Majesty may issue another edict. , clear command, upper and lower levels, so that the military orders are smooth. And to coordinate and communicate among the armies, to give timely warnings, if there is an enemy attack, to fight jointly, and to give the armies the autonomy to capture fighters and take the initiative to attack!"

After Gao Xingzhou's words fell, Liu Chengyou immediately turned his head and looked at him.Under the head of the old father-in-law, white temples can be seen. Apart from his old look, his face is calm, and he meets the emperor's gaze very calmly.

Frowning slightly, Liu Chengyou pondered in his heart, he understood Gao Xingzhou's meaning.It's just that this right has not been confiscated, and it will start to be released again?But Gao Xingzhou's suggestion was not unreasonable. Frontier affairs were complicated and the military situation was changing at any time. It was impossible for Liu Chengyou to just give the generals a defense map or formation map, and then let them fight according to the map.

"Is He Fujin trustworthy?" Liu Chengyou asked himself silently: "Ma Quanyi, Luo Yanxuan, Li Yun."

Liu Chengyou was a decisive person, without hesitation for too long, he said directly: "Just listen to the words of King Linqing, order the guards and commanders, and He Fujin will be deployed to coordinate the command. The military orders are like mountains, and they are not allowed to linger. I will give them military independence. However, there is an explicit decree that Hu Qi comes to bandits, guarding the pass is the main task, and attacking is supplementary."

"In addition." Almost instantly, Liu Chengyou added a patch to this decision: "With the observation envoy of the Chengde Army and Li Zhu, the governor of Hengzhou, as the land and water transfer envoy of Hebei, the towns and customs along the border will need food, salaries, Clothes, medicinal materials, military weapons, etc. are all allocated and supplied by him.”

"Yes!"

Gao Xingzhou's suggestion came to fruition, and Murong Yanzhao also took the initiative to say: "Your Majesty, I can only think of a stupid way. In the past few years, the imperial court has built forts and town troops in Hebei to guard against Hu cavalry. With the power of the imperial court, Gai can't catch it. The minister suggested that it may be possible to follow the example of the heroes of the great clans in the Central Plains during the troubled times in the north and south, build a wide range of fortresses, and defend themselves with walls.

"Your Majesty, General Murong's strategy is feasible." Wei Renpu agreed: "In this way, we can minimize the damage to the people of Hebei caused by the Hu Qinan invaders, and we can also cooperate with the imperial army to fight back!"

For some reason, after listening to these two people's suggestions, a picture immediately appeared in Liu Chengyou's mind: Wubi Fortress, Chengzhuang Chengyuan, the government of the court, it is difficult to enter it.
However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages.At this moment, for Liu Chengyou, immediate benefits are obviously more important than future disadvantages.Without much hesitation, he agreed.

"If Youyan and the people along the border move south as they wish, the imperial court should try their best to help them move inward and resettle them in prefectures and counties!" Wei Renpu suggested.

"."

The four civil and military personnel quickly proposed a series of countermeasures based on the current situation.But no matter which one, it is passive, but there is no way, the form cannot be controlled.

"This feeling of being controlled by others is really terrible!" Liu Chengyou cursed secretly.

"Your Majesty, should Daizhou Yangye and Fuzhou Zhegong lead the army to attack as a counterattack test?" Murong Yanzhao suggested.

Directly vetoed for Liu Chengyou: "No! Its strength is insufficient, and it is not the time to face Khitan directly. If there is no determination to win, the land that must be seized, why waste money and food soldiers!"

Withdrawing his gaze from the map, Liu Chengyou looked around and said solemnly: "The matter of the Khitan invasion to the south is based on deduction, and there is no conclusion yet. Before the situation changes drastically, the court battle is still in Huainan, and the preparations for the war should be carried out in an orderly manner. Don't neglect!"

"Yes!"

As he said that, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but rejoice in his bitterness: "In this way, it will further confuse the false Tang monarchs and ministers!"

(End of this chapter)