After getting off the train and looking at the crowded crowd in the city, Du Zhongxiao said: "This battle is really a way to make money and food! Most prefectures and counties in Hebei are strengthening the walls and clearing the fields. This alone costs countless money. It is not easy for these people who gather in the city to ensure that they have no worries about food and clothing."

Liu Ji said: "Yes, it is said that the people brought grain to the city with food, but there is actually no way to do it. In the end, the court paid the money to collect the people's grain. After entering the city, they would then post the heads and give them food every day. Otherwise, the water for rice washing and firewood for cooking every day would not be able to afford it. After the war, they would have to feed the grain, which would be a lot of things."

This is the mobilization ability of the court. The Song Dynasty is much greater than the mobilization ability of more than ten years ago. The most important thing is that it is now rich. No matter how difficult things are, as long as there is sufficient financial resources, it will be much easier to handle.

It is not easy to strengthen the walls and clear the country? In the long history, it was common in the pre-Qin era, and the more it went, the less common it became. From the beginning of the Tang Dynasty to the present, it has been difficult to see. There is no way, the organizational and mobilization ability of the regime has declined, and it is difficult to do it. The Song Dynasty was able to do it this year because it was paid to allocate a lot of money to Hebei Road. The unified banknotes in the world have not been a few years, and now the court has money in its hands and can afford it.

Du Zhongxiao estimated that this year's war with the Khitan would cost more than 100 million guan. If all kinds of materials are included, 200 million guan can't be fought. War is just a spending. Compared with now, the cost of the previous war is not worth mentioning.

A few months ago, a city was built and connected to Xiongzhou. In fact, starting from Zhending Mansion, each station was surrounded by a city, like a Great Wall. The troops and horses could move quickly between the stations, which was difficult for the Khitans to break through.

After leaving the station, Du Zhongxiao turned around and looked at the high solid walls on both sides, and nodded. The station reached the city city for about two or three miles, and this kind of city wall was connected in the middle, which was the wall. The walls that were firm and cleared were originally meant to protect the roads. The times were different, and the cost of building a city wall was getting higher and higher, and there were more and more means of siege, and fewer and fewer.

After entering Hejian Prefecture and sitting in the official hall, Du Zhongxiao said to Liu Ji: "A few days ago, the Khitan began to attack the entrance of the Great Wall, which was extremely fierce. What about you here? If the Khitan attacked Xiongzhou, the Hejian Prefecture would be affected."

Liu Jidao: "I have read the official documents from Baozhou. The Khitan went south this time and really invested a lot of money. When he attacked the Great Wall, he heard that he brought more than 100 cannons, which were day and night. However, the Khitan cannons were a little worse, and the Great Wall entrance was built strongly, which was of no use."

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's not just that the artillery is a little worse, but there is also one thing. They don't have the financial resources to build more shells. After only a few days of shooting, the shells they brought were used up and they could only use stone bullets instead. Originally, the artillery was poor, and then the stone bullets were used against the iron bullets on the city. What's the use? I heard that the Khitans also sent warriors to the city to reclaim the iron bullets, but they were beaten back by the defenders."

Liu Ji nodded: "I heard that this is true. In this battle, the financial resources of the two countries are fought. If the financial resources are not enough, the ammunition cannot be supplied. How can the frontline fight? Even if there are too many people, there will be little use in front of guns and cannons."

"Yes, the financial resources of the two countries have been fighting. The wealth that we have saved in the past few years will be useful this time. Just the shells, we can see that it is too far from being rich or not. In the small town at the mouth of the Great Wall, the shells they used were afraid that the annual taxes of the Khitans were not enough for the Khitans. Without money, the Khitans will be in danger in this battle."

After saying that, Du Zhongxiao took a sip of tea. In the past few days of arriving at Hebei Road, Du Zhongxiao learned more about the situation on the front line. The Khitan attacked the entrance of the Great Wall. At the beginning, he was aggressive. Dozens of cannons were placed outside the city, thinking that they could collapse the city wall in just a few days. As a result, after nearly ten days of attack, the city wall still stood firm. On the contrary, the Khitan cannons lost seventy or eighty, and there were no shells. Even stone bullets were difficult to collect.

Now the Khitan army is 50,000, and there is no way to go outside the Great Wall. For example, in the Battle of Quyang, it is difficult to break as long as there is no trouble in the city. Moreover, there is another city five miles away, which can be easily replenished at night, but the Khitan cannot stop it.

Du Zhongxiao felt that the war now has become a battle between the national strength of the two countries. It is obvious who is stronger and who is weaker. To be honest, if you only resist the Khitans, the Song Dynasty could block the Khitan with money. The most important thing now is how to attack after consuming the Khitan spirit and destroy the 700,000 troops in Youzhou.

After talking for a while, Zhao Zi said: "According to Hejian Prefecture, the river behind it is frozen. Will the Khitans attack Xiongzhou?"

Liu Ji said: "That is inevitable. Behind Baozhou is Dingzhou, and there is Zhending Prefecture in the south of Dingzhou, which is 300 miles away. Moreover, all the way is firmly avoiding the Qing dynasty, and the Khitan cannot go deep. Xiongzhou is different, with Mozhou behind it and Hejian Prefecture, with few soldiers and horses. Moreover, Cangzhou in the east is sparsely populated, so you can take a detour to attack. Now the Khitan army is stationed on the border, and I think I'm waiting for the opportunity to attack Xiongzhou."

Du Zhongxiao said: "I think so too. Moreover, the railway is from Zhending Prefecture to Xiongzhou. If you want to make a breakthrough, you still have to start a solution from Xiongzhou. But the Khitan does not move, and our determination is not easy to set up. This period of time is really hard."

After hearing this, Liu Ji said, "Since the Taiwei thinks so, why don't the army of Dou Shunqing, Liu Jianji and others be transferred eastward? If the army arrives, if the Khitan attacks Xiongzhou, it will be a good time to fight. Our four armies have 200,000 people, and they are not afraid of the Khitans."

Du Zhongxiao said: "It is not easy to set off a large army. At this time, there are many artillery and other supplies in each army, but it is not a military order to leave at once. If the Khitan army does not move for a day, we are not suitable for re-designing. Fortunately, there is a railway, and it is still relatively easy to concentrate troops. From the entrance of the Great Wall, there is no hope for the Khitan to attack the city. I guess the Khitans are also thinking of ways."

Liu Ji shook his head: "What can I think of? If I can't break the strong city, the surrounding walls and clear fields, they can only pause under the strong city."

Du Zhongxiao said: "What if the Khitans don't attack the city? They ignore the cities on the road, and the army only cares about advancing south. As long as they reach the mainland prefectures and counties, there will be a big chaos. We can't be able to strengthen the world and clear the country, and we can't do it."

Liu Jidao: "Taiwei, hundreds of miles away, the Khitans always have to eat. Now, three hundred miles away along the border, if the city is not broken, the Khitans will have no food and supplies. They can only attack the city with no way to imagine."

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "I always feel that things are not that simple. If there is no way, the Khitans should retreat, so why should they still be stationed on the border? The 700,000 troops, how much food and grass should be used in a day? They have been in Youzhou for a month, and with the power of the Khitan, it should be very difficult."

Liu Ji thought about it, but couldn't figure out a solution, so he could only shake his head.

Zhao Zi said: "Or, the Khitan is also looking for our flaws at the border, and I don't know what to do for a moment. I have a huge army, and dozens of tribes are concentrated in Youzhou. How can I explain it if I retreat like this?"

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "But that's it. Now in mid-November, in more than two months, the New Year will be celebrated. When the New Year is over, when the spring is in full bloom, the Khitans will not leave, so we will not let them leave!"

Du Zhongxiao's plan was to stick to the spring. That was the busy season for nomadic peoples, and I missed it for a year. At that time, the Song army rushed north and fought to the death with the Khitan. However, the previous few months were a bit difficult.
Chapter completed!