The struggle of the reborn prince

Compared with other parts of the world, ancient China had a longer period of peace, so it accumulated more material wealth and institutional experience, and it became more prominent in terms of cultural soft power.In this way, in diplomatic activities, they are often in a good state of being calm, reasonable and beneficial.Diplomacy is a comprehensive display of multiple international relations. Economic interests, military strength, and cultural status cannot be absent from diplomatic activities. The absence of any party will damage the overall interests of the country.

China believes in the principle that everything must be reversed, so it does not pursue the maximization of its own interests one-sidedly, because the maximization of temporary interests is most likely to damage the long-term and overall interests.The strength of a country is the guarantee for defending the basis of interests, but excessive resort to strength will leave the impression of bullying others, and in the long run it will damage its own greater interests.However, interests are the pursuit that the country cannot give up, and the fundamental creed of the Chinese people is the pursuit of righteousness, and moral appeals reserve the greatest space for the display of cultural soft power.

In the final analysis, the most fundamental solution to differences between countries is culture. According to Chinese tradition, it is called "using culture".Force is the last resort and should only be used as a last resort. Force cannot be used frequently, but force cannot be used even more.The frequent means of diplomacy are trade and economy, and the most popular means of communication is culture, but it is also the slowest to take effect. This requires several generations, or even hundreds of years of operation.

However, the understanding of the culture and governance concepts of the Song and Liao countries, and the similar perspectives in considering issues, made it possible for the two countries to have dialogue, and it was easy to eliminate their differences and resolve their contradictions. The common enemy also made the two countries Alliances are possible.But to realize this, an opportunity is needed, so that both parties can sit down and talk peacefully.Last year, Gao Chang jumped out to be a hero and let Zhao Tun see the opportunity to go west. He decided to destroy him first on the grounds of betraying the alliance.In order to gain a foothold to advance westward, and this will inevitably conflict with Xiliao, which is its protector.

Although Zhao Tun believes that strength determines everything, but based on the tradition of the state of etiquette and the realistic interests, he chose to deal with Xiliao with the method of "beginning with etiquette before fighting, and limited counterattack".Of course, I don't rule out the famous sayings that don't fight strangers. Sometimes fighting a battle is more effective than talking for a long time. Only after he is convinced can he listen to the reason.Therefore, Zhao Tong clearly told Gao Chong that the two of them should never be polite when they should fight, and we will not do things that suffer losses, let alone business that loses money...

Gao Chong and Zhao Li understood the circle drawn by the emperor-teach Xiliao a lesson and kill Gaochang.Based on this, the two formulated their next battle plan, and they decided to use their absolute superiority to wipe out the states north of the Tianshan Mountains first.Then south of the Tianshan Mountains.Now the Great Song Dynasty in Xixia has sent envoys to question the crimes. According to the latest news, Brother Cha has begun to organize the army and prepare to cooperate with the plan, so that the pressure on them will be relieved.

The outline was set, but Gao Chong and Zhao Li still had a dispute over who would lead the troops against Xiliao.Obviously, after the division of troops, the drought and flood were uneven between the two armies, which was a method of "fighting the strong with the weak", but both of them wanted to stay and face Xiliao.

Although Zhao Li is also one of the 'Ten Generals of the Northern Mansion'.However, since he became an army, he has no experience of leading an army alone in combat. He is more of a staff officer assisting the emperor in handling military affairs and presiding over military training in the rear. Later, he was ordered to open a military academy to train military talents for the army. He has never personally experienced the battlefield. Opportunity to charge forward.So he is doing more 'on paper' things and lacks actual combat experience.

Based on this, Gao Chong wanted Zhao Li to lead an army to fight Beiting, and Gao Chang's army was weak.If you really have strong combat effectiveness and enough soldiers, you will not be inferior to others and be in a humiliating vassal status.Needless to say, the combat effectiveness of the Song Army, and the generals under him are also experienced veterans, as long as they are told what tactical goals they want to achieve, the leader does not need to worry about it.Let Zhao Li lead the way, even if there are any mistakes, there will never be any major mistakes.

However, the Song army fighting against Xiliao was a miscellaneous group, not only from different tribes, but also not affiliated with each other.The main force of the Song army left behind was only two infantry brigades.But it is the Western Liao Army, which is dominated by cavalry, to fight against.Needless to say, the combat effectiveness of the Xiliao army is the best proof that they can sweep through Central Asia and conquer several countries.With an army that lacks coordination against an army with rich experience and strong combat effectiveness, a slight mistake at the time of the battle will lead to irreversible failure, and may also ruin the entire Western Expedition.

Zhao Li rejected Gao Chong's kindness.Insisting on staying in Yanbo City to face the Xiliao army, after a dispute between the two, they don't know who convinced the other, anyway, Zhao Li stayed, and Gao Chong led the army to attack Beiting.At the same time, they sent the news and deployment back to China through the caravan's news transfer channel, and played the emperor's report to tell them that they are safe...

Beiting was established in the first year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, and its jurisdiction is in the west of Yizhou, so it is called Yixi.The government is located in Beiting Duhu Mansion, Jiedu envoys and Beiting Duhu, so it is commonly called Beiting, also known as Yixibeiting.It governs the three states of Yi, Xi, and Ting, as well as the army towns and guards in the Beiting Duhufu.And set up the Han Navy in Tingzhou, the Yiwu Army in Yizhou, and the Tianshan Army in Xizhou, with a command of 2 troops. sea ​​of ​​sand.Across tens of thousands of miles, four levels of defense bodies, including garrison fort, shouzhuo, city, and army, have been established.

In addition, there are many Han people in Beiting. As early as the early Tang Dynasty, as the Tang army conquered the Western Regions, a large number of adventurous Han people followed the army to Anxi. They first settled in Beiting, and then slowly spread to various places in Anxi. Beiting, especially the rich Tingzhou, has always been the place where the Han people are most concentrated. With the final establishment of the Han Dynasty, Beiting and Anxi welcomed a new wave of Han immigrants.

At this time, there were tens of thousands of Han people in Beiting. They brought advanced farming technology, which led to the great development of agriculture in Beiting. The bustling here.After the decline of the Tang Dynasty, the Uighurs moved westward and established the dynasty. After more than [-] years, they engaged in animal husbandry, raised horses on the pasture at the northern foot of the sky, and established a silk horse trade with the Central Plains.

Gao Chong led the army into the desert again, and after another round of wind and sand, he arrived at the Beiting territory at the northern foot of the sky. The scene in front of him made him feel like he had gone the wrong way.Since entering the desert, he is used to the barren Gobi, the endless yellow sand and the continuous snow-capped mountains, but here is another scene, the boundless grasslands, the rivers flowing with clear snow water, galloping horses, There are vertical and horizontal fields, as if returning to the south of the Yangtze River again.But the Han people here are not as welcome as they imagined.

The change of dynasties, the migration of nationalities and the prosperity of commerce have made Beiting a city of mixed ethnicities.Over the long years, the Han people have gradually forgotten their hometown, changed their beliefs and customs, and even their own language.In addition to the traces of the Han people still remaining on his appearance, he only remembered that his ancestors came from the Central Plains when he was chatting. At this moment, he is full of suspicious hostility towards the "relatives" from the old country.

The geographical environment determines that it is impossible to connect cities like the Central Plains. Beiting is more like a super oasis in the desert, so that the population is relatively concentrated around Beiting City, and there is less competition between cities and places.Facing the incoming Song Dynasty army, they did not dare to fight, and retreated into the city to defend.Gao Chong sent troops to besiege the city and set up a camp five miles outside the city, but he did not immediately send troops to attack.

Although Gao Chang's fate was decided at the moment the emperor ordered the westward expedition, Gao Chong still tried his best to leave room for peace.He first shot a letter to the city and asked his big Burke (called by local officials in Gaochang) to go out of the city to negotiate, hoping to solve the problem in a bloodless way.And he didn't give up his preparation to solve it by force if the negotiation failed, and sent scouts to inquire about the news and collect information on the city defense.

Beiting City was built on an alluvial plain, adjacent to Dongheba in the east and Xiheba in the west. It was expanded from the original Tingzhou of Beiting Dadu Protectorate in the Tang Dynasty. , about two miles from east to west, the layout of the city was influenced by Chang'an City in Tang Dynasty, and it was divided into inner and outer cities.

The outer city is relatively large, with a perimeter of nearly ten miles.In the north of the outer city, there is the low sheep and horse city, and there is an urn city at the north gate. There is a natural river outside the city to form a moat. Horse faces, enemy towers, turrets and city gates are arranged in this way to defend against enemies from the north.The inner city is the center of the whole city. It is located in the middle of the outer city and slightly to the northeast. The circumference of the city wall is about six miles.

Facing the army of the Song Dynasty, there was panic in Beiting City. At the beginning, the king threatened to cut off the business and return to the Western Liao Dynasty to raise conditions. According to past experience, the Song Dynasty would always compromise.After being rejected by the Song Dynasty, they thought that the two countries were thousands of miles apart. At that time, it sent troops to aid Goryeo, and it was impossible to use force against them again, so they did not prepare for war at first.And when they learned that Song Dynasty decided to send troops to crusade, they exchanged a lot of money for Xixia's breach of contract, and bought off the divination people to intercept along the way, thinking that Song Dynasty would retreat in spite of difficulties.

However, Gaochang did not expect that the Song army won consecutive battles, and all the blockers were driven away from their homes.Only then did they panic, and invited the old master Xiliao again, but at this time they also got the news that the Song army had braved the snow and entered the Altai Mountains after defeating the Naiman people.Now they are all relieved, because no one has successfully crossed at this time, and the nerves that were tense just now are relaxed, thinking that Song Jun is going to bury his bones in the barren mountain.So when Song Jun arrived at the city, they all panicked and had different opinions...