Zhao Defang's road to the virtuous king

"Just how?"

"It's just that Li Shenzhi strongly opposes it."

"Why is this?"

"Li Canzhi believes that the land of Yanyun is as important as the arm of the Liao Kingdom. If the imperial court sends troops to the north, the Liao Kingdom will definitely spare no effort to preserve it. However, once the Song Dynasty sends troops to Yanyun, the number of soldiers must be tens of thousands. The military expenditure will be huge. It is best to prepare fully in advance. On the bright side, the imperial army conquered Youzhou, and it will inevitably need at least three months of military supplies. However, according to the statistics of various ministries, the border town is unable to prepare so much food and grass in a short period of time. .”

Concubine Di nodded her head after hearing this, "What Li Shenzhi said hit the point. Food and grass is the most important thing. If you can't ensure this, the morale of the soldiers will be low and panic in their hearts. If this is the case, any battle strategy will be no different from empty talk."

"Yes, and Li Shenzhi also said that the land of Fanyang is flat, and it is very dangerous to put a large number of troops into battle. Once they are ambushed, the damage will be huge. Because the siege must use catapults, but the mountains and forests around Fanyang are far away, and it is very difficult to transport stones. Youzhou The city is solid and indestructible, and it is difficult to attack the city without throwing large stones."

"Li Canzhi is right. If there is no big stone to throw, and only soldiers to climb the city with their bodies, the number of casualties will be very high..." Concubine Di shook her head when she said this, "My lord, have these majesties not listened?"

"Your Majesty has long wanted to conquer the north, so... hey... Li Canzhi's words are indeed the root of the problem, but... Your Majesty was very unhappy after hearing this."

"What about the other ministers?"

"Needless to say, the generals are all willing to go to war, but Li Xiang and all the ministers think that what Li Canzhi said is not a top priority, so they agree with the northern expedition."

"Military supplies, food, grass and the necessary utensils for the siege are not properly prepared. Isn't this the top priority?"

"Ma'am, the main battle between the court and China is very strong at present. To be honest, I also agree with the Northern Expedition. It's just that tens of thousands of troops are sent to the Northern Expedition. Li Shenzhi's performance is indeed the most important thing, but... this situation , I... really don't know what to do, so now I feel very uneasy."

"What about after Li Shenzhi's performance?"

"Your Majesty is already very upset after hearing what he said, but Li Canzhi continued to play. He said that the capital is the foundation of the Song Dynasty. Your Majesty should not invest all the elite soldiers guarding the ancestral temple and the country into the Northern Expedition, but at this time. It is the best policy for the Liao Kingdom to demonstrate the wealth and stability of the Great Song Dynasty in order to calm the hearts of the people; and if Your Majesty temporarily stationed a large army in the Daming Mansion at the center of the Yellow River, he would only declare conquest against the Northern Kingdom in order to strengthen his army, this is the best policy. But if His Majesty goes to the frontier by himself, there will be worries about the enemy country in the north and the Central Plains in the south, so Li Shenzhi said that he would use his life to persuade His Majesty to give up the northern expedition."

"What Li Shenzhi said is not unreasonable, but...the latter words are indeed a bit exaggerated. As long as the supply of food and grass is timely and the preparations are proper, the Northern Expedition will also have a great chance of winning."

"Li Canzhi said this based on the previous two worries, so His Majesty was even more displeased when he heard it, and immediately withdrew from the court. In the Chongzheng Hall, only Li Xiang and officials from the Privy Council and the Ministry of War were summoned to discuss the matter. "

"Then... His Majesty has decided when to send troops?"

"It should be late. Today, His Majesty Chongzheng Palace has begun to draw up the list of generals from all walks of life. The imperial guards have also been mobilized one after another. All ministries are starting to prepare."

"Isn't it too hasty to prepare for the Northern Expedition now?"