Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 717
In a breeding experiment field of Sinong Temple in Beijing, Li Youjun, Shaoqing of Sinong Temple, is accompanying Fan Ning to inspect the new product experiment field.

Fan Ning planted potatoes, sunflowers, peanuts and other crops from Beidao, and planted a total of ten acres of land.

Li Youjun was very interested in the new agricultural products that Fan Ning brought. He knew very well what changes did corn and pumpkins bring to Song Dynasty?
Now Fan Ning handed over three overseas crops to him. Li Youjun took good care of these three crops as if he was raising his own son. Less detours.

"Fan Xianggong, is the yield per mu of potatoes really so high?" Li Youjun asked in disbelief.

Fan Ning smiled slightly: "You will know in autumn. Anyway, according to the estimate of Bei Dao, the yield per mu is about [-] jin. Not only is the yield high, but it can also be planted in areas with poor land, such as mountainous areas. In the future, it is likely to grow become a staple food in the mountains.”

"Hearing what Xianggong said, I really wish I could harvest it tomorrow."

"Waiting patiently, watching them grow up day by day is also a pleasure, Li Shaoqing, am I right?"

"My lord is absolutely right!"

Fan Ning squatted down in front of a peanut plant and took a closer look at the growth below. The soil was sandy loam, and the soil was very fertile, which was more suitable for the growth of potatoes and peanuts. However, the soil seemed too wet, so it should be watered frequently.

"Don't water too often, once a day is enough."

"Remember the humble job."

Fan Ning pointed to the plant and said, "This is called peanut, and the yield is also very large. Its fruit can be used to extract oil, and it can also be used as a vegetable."

"I also want to ask my husband this question! I only know that potatoes are food, but the other two don't know."

Fan Ning said with a chuckle: "Peanuts and sunflowers are actually oil plants, but they are not only oil plants. They can be used as vegetables or snacks after frying. They can be eaten when drinking tea. They are very good small crops."

"That being said, I'm really looking forward to it."

"However, I'm afraid it won't work this year. Except for giving the emperor and the empress a little taste, all the others will be kept as seeds when they are planted this year, and the planting will continue to expand. It may be on the market on a large scale in at least three to five years."

Li Youjun nodded silently.

At this time, an officer rushed over and handed a note to Fan Ning, "News from the Intelligence Department!"

Fan Ning opened the note, looked at it, and immediately said to the left and right: "Go to the Intelligence Department!"

Fan Ning bid farewell to Li Youjun, got on his horse, and ran towards the city with his followers.

Not long after entering the Imperial City, he came to the Privy Council. The Intelligence Department had moved to the Privy Council. Fan Ning walked into the Privy Council, just in time to meet Sima Liu Kui.

Liu Kui hurried forward to salute, Fan Ning waved his hand and asked, "I want to know the detailed information of Datong Mansion."

"Please come into the hall to speak!"

Fan Ning walked into the lobby. Liu Kui took a piece of information and handed it to Fan Ning: "Datong Mansion currently has 5 troops stationed, but the Liao Kingdom is putting pressure on the tribes in the grassland. It is possible that the grassland tribes will jointly send [-] troops to support Datong. government."

Fan Ning was in a serious mood. It seemed that he had underestimated Yelu Hongji's determination to defend Xijing.

He pondered for a moment, then left the Privy Council and hurried to the imperial study.

After waiting for a while outside the Ziwei Pian Hall, an eunuch came out and said, "The Son of Heaven has summoned you, Mr. Fan please!"

Fan Ning walked quickly into the imperial study room. Zhao Xu was sitting in front of the table reviewing the memorial. Seeing Fan Ning coming in, Zhao Xu put down his pen and said with a smile, "What's the matter, Mr. Fan?"

"Your Majesty, I have just received news from Yingzhou that several tribes in the prairie have also increased their troops to Datong Mansion, with an increase of about [-] cavalry."

Zhao Xu frowned, "Does Yelu Hongji really want to fight us in Datong?"

"It seems to be the case at present, but it's not a decisive battle. I think it's just that the Liao Kingdom is unwilling to give up the Datong Mansion."

Zhao Xu pondered for a moment and asked, "What is Mr. Fan planning to do?"

"We can only massively increase our troops, overwhelm the Liao army with superior strength, and then seize Datong Mansion in one fell swoop."

Zhao Xu walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and said again: "Is it necessary to officially launch the Battle of Yunzhou?"

"Wei Chen believes that the time is ripe to seize Datong Mansion!"

"I understand, I will authorize as soon as possible!"

The key to whether the battle of Yunzhou will be opened is to grant the right to deploy troops. After the battle of Yanshanfu, Fan Ning handed over the military power. During this period, the emperor issued an order to transfer troops.

Once the Battle of Yunzhou starts, the emperor will have the military power below, and Fan Ning, an army of less than 10 people, can be directly mobilized.

Of course, if an army of more than 10 people is to be transferred, or if it is transferred across regions, the emperor must still order the transfer of troops.

In the afternoon of the same day, Zhao Xu officially awarded Fan Ning ten gold medals for mobilizing troops, each of which can mobilize [-] troops, and allowed him to launch the Yunzhou Campaign.

Fan Ning immediately dispatched 12 Western troops from Yanshan Prefecture to Yingzhou, and at the same time, Zhao Xu also ordered General Cao Shi to lead an army of [-] troops stationed in Hebei to station in Yanshan Prefecture.

Fan Ning bid farewell to his family and rushed to Yingzhou with two thousand cavalry.

Once the Battle of Yunzhou is launched, the coach will be Fan Ning, with veteran Yang Wenguang and veteran Zhong Er as lieutenants.

The Yunzhou War also slowly kicked off.

In late April, Fan Ning led two thousand cavalry to Yingzhou.

Five days ago, veteran Zhong Er also led an army of 18 to Yingzhou, bringing the total strength of Yingzhou to [-].

The camp of the Song Army has moved out of Jincheng County, and a board-wall camp has been built outside the city. The camp covers an area of ​​over 18 mu, and [-] troops are stationed there. The tents are neat and magnificent.

When Fan Ning arrived at the camp, Yang Wenguang and Zhong Er personally led the generals to greet him at the camp.

Fan Ning got off his horse, and everyone knelt down on one knee to salute, "See the privy envoy!"

"Generals, long time no see, everyone please wake up!"

Everyone stood up one after another, Yang Wenguang took a step forward and said: "I want to report to the Privy Envoy, I have important information to report from my humble position."

Fan Ning nodded, "Let's talk about it after entering the camp!"

Everyone dispersed after entering the camp. Fan Ning and the two lieutenants entered the tent of the Chinese army, and Sima Liu Kui, the intelligence chief, also came in. This was Yang Wenguang's request, and it was related to the intelligence department.

Several people sat down, Yang Wenguang said: "The incident happened the night before yesterday. Our outside spies caught a strange man. To be precise, he found the outside spies by himself."

"Who is this man?" Fanning asked.

"It's unbelievable to say that he is the son of the chief of the Lieshan tribe in the grassland. This time, 3 people came from each tribe in the grassland, and there are 1 people in the Lieshan tribe. The Lieshan tribe and other grasslands are unwilling to work for the Liao Kingdom. Lie Shanbu's idea is to have a feigned battle with the Song army, and then they will be defeated and retreat to the grassland."

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay. These words sounded absurd. The prairie army and the Song army had a feigned battle and then retreated back to the prairie. It sounded like there was a strong taste of conspiracy in it.

Fan Ning walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then turned around and asked, "What's the relationship between the Kelei tribe and the Lieshan tribe?"

Liu Kui is quite clear about this aspect. He quickly said: "The two were originally a tribe, but they were divided into two. The Lieshan tribe was in the west, and the Kelie tribe was in the east. It also did not help the Liao army suppress the Kelie tribe, the Kelie tribe was defeated, the chief was killed, and many tribes fled to the Lishan tribe, resulting in the current Kelie tribe being only half of what it used to be."

"What does General Zhong think about this?"

Zhong Er pondered for a while and said slowly: "If the opponent really intends to retreat, this is indeed a good opportunity, but if the opponent is a conspiracy, as long as we prepare properly, there will be no loss, and we can even follow the plan."

Yang Wenguang said with a smile: "Both Lao Zhong and I advocate the strategy and make two-handed preparations, pretending to fight against the grassland tribes, and ambush another army in secret. If the grassland cavalry is really defeated and retreats, this is of course the best. If the other party is a conspiracy , then our ambush army can play a role."

Fan Ning pondered for a long time and said, "Can you leak this matter to the Liao army in some way?"

Yang Wenguang was taken aback, "If it is true, I am afraid that once the news is leaked, it may cause internal strife between the Liao army and the grassland cavalry!"

Fanning smiled faintly, "This is exactly what I expected."

(End of this chapter)