Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 507: Battle and Defense Strategy (Special thanks to book friend 2022…0548 for the 2 monthly tickets!)

After hearing the report from the soldiers of the "Flying Fox Division", Xiao Tiandu's face changed drastically, and he hurried back to the hall, bowed beside the Empress Dowager Xiao Chuo and reported in a low voice.

A look of extreme shock flashed across Xiao Chuo's face for a moment, and then she forced herself to calm down.

After a moment, Xiao Chuo said:
"I have drunk too much today and I am a little drunk. I need to go back to the palace to rest.

My dears, drink slowly. "

Xiao Chuo stood up from the table, waved to Yelu Longxu, and left the hall accompanied by Xiao Tiandu and her personal eunuchs and palace maids.

All the ministers at the banquet knew that something big was happening, and the noisy atmosphere suddenly became much quieter.

After a cup of tea, when Yelu Longxu arrived at the main hall of the imperial palace, Tianji Hall, he saw Empress Dowager Xiao waiting there, with Xiao Tiandu standing beside her.

After greeting, Xiao Chuo said solemnly:

“Your Majesty, the Feihu Division just reported that the majority of the Zhou army, about 300,000 troops, have appeared on the Maya continent, only five days away!

Looking at the flags and ceremonial guards, it seems as if the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty is leading the army in person!"

Yelu Longxu grew up during the Zhou-Liao War, when the Zhou conquered Youzhou and Shangjing and the Liao fled. The fear of the Zhou was deep in his bones.

After listening to Xiao Chuo, Yelu Longxu said in panic:
"Mother, this place is more than ten thousand miles away from the Great Zhou. How can the Emperor of Zhou find us?"

Xiao Chuo sighed:

"Emperor Chai Zongxun of Zhou has great magical powers. Now that things have come to this, all we can do now is to plan a countermeasure.

My mother has sent someone to summon Prime Minister Han to discuss the matter."

A moment later, Prime Minister Han Derang arrived.

Xiao Chuo ordered Xiao Tiandu to tell Han Derang about the situation.

After hearing this, Han Derang was shocked for a while and said:

"Queen Mother, Your Majesty, in a year or so, our Liao Dynasty will be able to conquer the Mayan Empire and rule the entire continent, but at this critical moment, the Emperor Zhou led his army to attack!
In my opinion, the Zhou army is the Liao Dynasty's biggest enemy at the moment. It would be better for us to send envoys to negotiate a temporary peace with the Emperor Kamu of the Mayan Empire so that we can focus our full attention on dealing with the Zhou!

Moreover, the Zhou army is only five days away from Shangjing. To be on the safe side, I think it is better to move the capital to Nakbe in the central part of the country to buy time for preparations. Our Liao army can also reach Nakbe quickly."

Xiao Chuo groaned in silence for a while, then said angrily:
"Has the Liao Dynasty been frightened by the Zhou Dynasty? As soon as we heard that the Zhou army was coming, we ran away?

"The new capital was built with the efforts of the people over the past ten years, and the city defenses are strong. In addition, our Liao has also invented the "Thunderbolt Cannon" in recent years, which has a range of 800 meters. Don't we have the strength to fight against the Zhou Dynasty?"

Since Yelu Xian established the country in the central and eastern part of the Mayan continent, encouraging people and craftsmen to innovate and invent has become a "national policy."

Finally, in the 35th year of Kaixi, folk craftsmen of the Liao State invented a large-scale catapult that could throw a 300-jin boulder over 800 meters, with enormous power.

The Liao Dynasty court was delighted and named it "Thunder Cannon".

Yelu Longxu hesitated and said:
"Mother, the royal family of the Liao Dynasty is all in Shangjing. If we fail to defend Shangjing, they will all be captured by the Zhou Emperor, and the foundation of the country will be shaken.

In my opinion, we should move the capital to Nakbe first, avoid the Zhou army, and then wait for my 200,000 troops from the east to come back for support. With the general and the commander in chief in charge of the war, we can then find a way to defeat the Zhou army!"

Xiao Chuo sighed, knowing that her son Yelu Longxu knew nothing about military affairs and had always relied entirely on Grand Marshal Yelu Xizhen and General Yelu Moge for military matters. These two were indeed the most powerful generals in the Liao Kingdom at the time.

Although relocating the capital could guarantee the temporary safety of the Liao royal family, fleeing without even firing a single shot would be a heavy blow to the Liao army's morale, which had been built up with great difficulty from the victories over the Maya in the past few years. Moreover, how long could they flee when they saw the Zhou army? A decisive battle was inevitable.

Xiao Chuo said:
"Commander Xiao, have the scouts seen the firearms carried by the Zhou army?

If it was just the Tiger Crouching Cannon of the past, the range would only be 500 meters. Given the solidity of Shangjing and the large number of "Thunderbolt Cannons", we can still defend the city and fight!"

Xiao Tiandu said:

"Reporting to the Queen Mother, according to the scouts' report, the Zhou army is heading south, and the area within dozens of miles is full of Longxiang Guards, making it very easy for them to discover them.

The brothers of Feihusi took the risk of hiding in a cellar in a village where the Zhou army passed by, and peeking through the cracks, they found out that the Zhou army had about 300,000 people, and the emperor's guards were in the army.

As for the Zhou army's firearms, these brothers only heard the sound of horses pushing cannons in the central army. They were extremely heavy and should not be the tiger squat cannons that weigh only a hundred pounds. "

The four people in the hall were silent for a while.

The Liao Dynasty was able to invent the "Thunder Cannon", and with the national strength of the Zhou Dynasty, it could even invent a cannon that is even more powerful than the Tiger Crouching Pao.

Thinking of the war between Zhou and Liao, the four of them felt heavy-hearted when they thought about how the Zhou army was powerful and had advanced weapons and had always been suppressing the Liao army.

Xiao Tiandu said:

"Empress Dowager, Emperor Chai Zongxun of Zhou has led a large expedition here, and I'm afraid he intends to destroy the Liao Dynasty.

If there is really no chance of winning, why don't we Liao continue to migrate southward! Over the years, Feihu Division has found out that if we continue to travel southward for more than a thousand miles from here, after crossing a narrow peninsula of dozens of miles, there is another vast continent! "

After the four of them discussed for a long time, Xiao Chuo finally made a decision: she would lead the 100,000 imperial guards left behind in Shangjing to defend the city and fight against the Great Zhou.

Xiao Tiandu and Han Derang escorted Emperor Yelu Longxu and his clansmen to the central city of Nakbei, to join forces with Yelu Xizhen and Yelu Moge's 200,000-strong army on the eastern expedition.

If the situation in Shangjing is not good, he will immediately head south and continue to flee to the southern continent.

Yelu Longxu cried:

"How can I let my mother stay and defend Shangjing while I live in shame?

I will lead 100,000 imperial guards to defend Shangjing and buy time for my mother and the people!"

Yelu Longxu was already 25 years old this year, but he had little experience in governing the country, and the Liao Dynasty was still ruled by Empress Dowager Xiao.

Xiao Chuo sighed:

"My son, your mother is old. How many years can she live?
My son, lead your subjects to escape and protect the Liao Dynasty. Only in this way can you live up to your father and ancestors!"

Yelu Longxu cried incessantly. He had grown up under the wings of his mother. How could he accept the sudden separation?
Xiao Chuo gritted his teeth and said:
"Prime Minister Han and Commander Xiao will immediately begin to prepare for the trip. As soon as the sun rises tomorrow morning, they will escort His Majesty and the people of the tribe to Nakbe to join the Eastern Expedition Army.

If the war in Shangjing is not going well, immediately escort Your Majesty and the entire family south to escape to the New World!
If I can hold on to Shangjing, I will order General Yelu and the general to lead their troops to come to our aid and attack the Zhou army from both inside and outside!"

Han Derang and Xiao Tian had no choice but to obey the order. After taking Yelu Longxu, who refused to leave, out of the hall, they immediately began to prepare.

Xiao Chuo summoned the generals of the imperial army overnight to arrange the defense of Shangjing. Because the Maya continent was vast and sparsely populated, with abundant resources, and the new Liao Kingdom also learned from the Zhou Emperor Chai Zongxun and vigorously developed agriculture, industry and commerce, the military reserves in the capital were very large, enough for 100,000 troops to eat for a year.

(End of this chapter)