In Chongzheng Hall, Du Zhongxiao sat down with several ministers and was ordered to come here to discuss political affairs. The most important thing now is the war in the Northwest, and other things are not worth mentioning compared to wars.

Jia Changchao said: "Since the Han Taiwei captured Liangzhou, Liu Jizhan Yingli, the road was opened, and the news was much faster than before. A few days ago, Taiwei Di led his troops to defeat Weizhou, and the army went to occupy the cities of Zhejianghui, Qingyuan, Fule and other places. Taiwei Di personally led the army in the middle and went straight to Mingsha."

Wen Yanbo said: "When will you capture Mingsha? When will Taiwei Di plan to attack Lingzhou?"

Jia Changchao said: "The army is not allowed to be negligent when advancing. Especially now, when guns and cannons are used in the army, ammunition is indispensable, so be more cautious. It is expected that the chanting sand will arrive in five days, and a little arrangement will be made, and the chanting sand will be placed within ten days."

Wen Yanbo sighed and said, "Taiwei, it is the twelfth lunar month now, and the Chinese New Year will be celebrated in half a month. If so, it is already mid-year to go to Lingzhou City to prepare for siege. No matter how cold it is, it will be frozen in February. When the Yellow River is broken, there will be Lingxun when it is iced. Then there is a marina around Lingzhou City. How can the army stay? It will be summer if it is really siege."

Jia Changchao said: "Your Majesty, what else can I do if I don't do this? Lingzhou is a tough city in the northwest and has always been difficult to attack. Not to mention that Dangxiang has concentrated the elite troops of the country and is around that city. As long as Lingzhou is captured, Dangxiang will no longer be able to support it."

Wen Yanbo shook his head and said helplessly: "The Taiwei must know that it is not easy to supply grain and grass for more than 300,000 troops. In order to transport grain and grass to the front line, Taiwei Di mobilized the civilians of several states around the railway line, and he could not continue like this."

Zhao Zhen said: "Han Qi on the western front, 30,000 troops sent troops from Xingxingxia. He marched for more than 2,000 miles in more than two months, and broke through the five prefectures. The 300,000 troops under the command of Taiwei Di, but only went two or three hundred miles to capture the two armies. Is it too slow to march?"

Jia Changchao said: "Your Majesty, our army gathered in Zhenrong Army, and Dangxiang had no choice. It was equivalent to giving up several prefectures in Hexi, so that it would be like this."

Ouyang Xiu on the side said: "Dangxiang does not have a large army outside Lingzhou. Can you order Di Qing to divide his troops? Just like Han Qi's troops, you should first take the surrounding small towns. In this way, the march should be faster."

Deputy Privy Councilor Tian Kuang said: "Nehan, Han Qi's troops are Zhao Zi's elite troops in a hundred battles, and they are not comparable to the various divisions of the Zhenrong Army. If you want to divide the troops, you are afraid of chaos. As far as the Privy Council knows, in Di Qing's army, the distribution and transportation of food, grass and ammunition is not so convenient, and it is difficult to divide the troops."

Ouyang Xiu said: "Why is Liu Ji divided into 50,000 troops, nothing?"

Tian Kuang said: "Liu Ji reported that it would take a month to repair it. It is not that there is nothing left. What is the end? It is unknown yet."

Seeing that there was no result in discussion, Zhao Zhen said to Du Zhongxiao: "Zhongcheng Zeng Shuai Hequ, he is familiar with the war. What should we do now in the front line? We force the march to march for fear of chaos. We have been delaying, and the Money and Grain Commission is really worth considering."

Du Zhongxiao held the scepter: "Your Majesty, I think that the front-line generals are clear about the war. There is no special reason, but it is better to be commanded by Taiwei Di. How can there be no money or food in the war? As long as Lingzhou is broken and Dangxiang is destroyed, everything is worth it. However, when Han Qi broke Liangzhou, Zhao Zi's troops could enter Hexi, and his 30,000 troops could continue to attack. He could order him to lead his troops into Yingli, wait for an opportunity to attack the Xiakou and threaten the surrounding Xingqing Prefecture. Now the field battle between the Dangxiang Army is not as good as that of this dynasty, so let's make full use of this and take up the cities outside Xingqing Prefecture and Lingzhou first."

Zhao Zhen hesitated: "Han Qi has 30,000 people, and Liu's troops, only 80,000 people. Are you more bold in letting him go deep into the Dangxiang?"

Du Zhongxiao said: "Your Majesty, Dangxiang dares not fight with our dynasty now, for fear of what they do. Dangxiang's soldiers and horses in Xingling Prefecture are less than 200,000. Lingzhou is 70,000 and Xingqing Prefecture is 100,000. The remaining states are actually not many soldiers and horses. Han Qi's troops are already rampant."

Di Qing is not a fool. After Han Qi stood in Liangzhou, he must have been very stimulating to him. However, he is still cautious about division of troops, and there must be some unscrupulous reasons. Most of the contradiction between the imperial guards and reform is entangled in his troops, and many things are unknown to outsiders. At this time, it is better not to stimulate him and let him command the battle by himself.

With the Zhenrong Army Railway, the Song Dynasty could support the 300,000 troops, and it would be nothing to fight for an additional year. The only worrying Khitan was not so urgent after Han Qi arrived in Liangzhou. At worst, Han Qi could only order Han Qi to sweep the Dangxiang City and lead troops to Hequ Road. Di Qing asked for stability, so he left the Xingling and the two prefectures to him and slowly clean up. Can the army be reformed in this process, and cannot be forced.

Jia Changchao said: "Du Zhongcheng led Hequ and won consecutive victories. The enemy country was scared when he heard it. What he said made a lot of sense. He could order Han Qi to sweep the cities of Dangxiang along the west of the Yellow River, take Shunzhou and Jingzhou, divide the roads of Lingzhou and Xingqing Prefecture, and slowly capture it."

Du Zhongxiao said: "As long as Dangxiang dares not go out of the city to fight in the field, Xingling states do not actually need to leave so many soldiers and horses. After separating the two states, Han Taiwei can lead the army north to return to Hequ Road. In the Khitan, it is reported that Yelu Chongyuan wanted peace, but Yelu Hongji refused, so he remained in a stalemate. After Han Qi led the army back to Hequ, he added another army, with 200,000 people. If the Khitan changes, he can take the opportunity to take Yunzhou."

Zhao Zhen nodded and said to Jia Changchao: "Taiwei, if Dangxiang is not destroyed, is it feasible to take Yunzhou? At the same time, war with the two countries, can this dynasty support the army, horse, money and food? Most of the trained troops are attacking Dangxiang, and the rest of the troops are still sufficient?"

Jia Changchao held the scepter and said, "When you go back to your Majesty, the army that has been trained in the past few years is mostly attacking Dangxiang. Most of the 200,000 troops from Hedong and Hebei have not been trained yet, nor have they been equipped with guns and cannons. To fight against the Khitan, you have to wait until the Dangxiang is destroyed before you have spare energy."

Wen Yanbo said: "The Party Xiang has not been destroyed, and the strength to fight with the Khitan is insufficient, so we will still live in peace. Wait for a few years, the training is completed, and when the troops are strong and the food is sufficient, we will try Yanyun again. At the same time, how can the country support the battle on both sides!"

Zhang Fangping said: "Although there have been plenty of money and food in recent years, there have been a lot of money and the country has not accumulated any money. The Khitan is not Dangxiang, and if you fight against it, you must devote the whole country's efforts and not a joke. It is better to destroy Dangxiang first and maintain a healthy life for a few years."

Du Zhongxiao said: "The two emperors of the Khitan are now standing together. Yelu Chongyuan is in Yunzhou and Yelu Hongji is in Youzhou. No matter who wins, the court should take down a state. We are in difficulties. The Khitan has fought for several years. Isn't it difficult? The battle to destroy the country cannot be fought for a while. But the opportunity is right, and it is not difficult to take Yunzhou. If Yelu Hongji wins, he will not start a full war just because the dynasty took over the Chongyuan territory."

Wen Yanbo said: "Why is the Zhongcheng sure that there will be no full war? If this dynasty occupied Yunzhou and Hong Ji poured out the whole country's troops, what would happen if he went south to Hebei Road? There are only 100,000 troops on Hebei Road now, which cannot stop the Khitan army."

Du Zhongxiao said: "Your Majesty, there is a railway. Whether the Khitan attacks Hebei or Hedong, he can quickly dispatch troops there. Not to mention that 200,000 troops are stationed in Yunzhou, and the Khitan dares to attack Hebei. Yan and Yun are the two states, and no matter which state they take, both countries must fight together. 200,000 troops are not afraid of the Khitan attacking."

Wen Yanbo shook his head: "The Khitans are mostly cavalrymen, they are negligent for hundreds of miles, and they can reach Kaifeng City with just one horse, so you can't take risks."

Jia Changchao also said: "Although our dynasty has the advantage of the troops, we must not make too many enemies. If we do not destroy Dangxiang, we must not go to war with the Khitan."

The other ministers agreed with the two of them. Obviously, the weight of the Khitan is still very important in the hearts of these people.

Du Zhongxiao shook his head slightly and said no more. War is not simply calculating the strength of both sides and the weapons of both sides. If that happens, many battles will not be necessary. With power in his hands, the key is how to use these forces. Most of the ministers in the court have no military strategy and lack experience. It is afraid that it will not be easy to make them determined to fight against the Khitan.

The two Khitan emperors fought each other, and no matter which side failed, the Song Dynasty had to intervene quickly. The losers had no choice but to cooperate, and the Song Dynasty could occupy a state. Whether it was Youzhou or Yunzhou, as long as they were in their hands, they would be the first move in the future.

Since the outbreak of the Khitan civil war, Du Zhongxiao could see clearly. The main forces of Hequ Road were arranged in Shazhou and Shengzhou, and they were preparing to fail in Chongqing and quickly attack Yunzhou from two groups. But they didn't expect that Chongqing Yuan and Hong Ji fought for so long, and the winner would be divided into time and attack Dangxiang.

Ouyang Xiu said: "If Han Qi's troops seized Shunzhou and Jingzhou early and separated Xingling and the main force returned to Hequ Road, what Du Zhongcheng said might not be impossible. Chongyuan was defeated in the battle, and used the advantage of temptation to take the opportunity to occupy Yunzhou. Hong Ji's new victory may not dare to start a war with this dynasty."

Jia Changchao said: "How can you be lucky in military and national affairs? Before you consider victory, you should first think about defeat. At that time, if Yelu Hongji did not care about Yunzhou, but instead sent troops to attack Hebei, would he be dispatched from the northwest to defend? A thousand miles of land can be reached in dozens of days, and Kaifeng is in danger!"

Wen Yanbo said: "There is no need to talk about this matter. Before the Dangxiang is destroyed, you should not get into evil with the Khitan. The Khitan power has a territory of tens of thousands of miles and has over one million armors, which is absolutely comparable to that of Xiang. Only after the Dangxiang is destroyed and the troops of the whole country can you compete with it for a while."

Seeing that other ministers did not support him, Ouyang Xiu had to keep silent. Since Du Zhongxiao was appointed as a lecturer in Tianzhang Pavilion, he gave several lessons in Tianzhang Pavilion. Ouyang Xiu participated again and again, and his experience was no longer comparable to before. Du Zhongxiao said it well, and the two Khitan emperors were in a good time. When they fought, if the Song Dynasty intervened, he might quickly decide the winner under pressure. Now it is time to decide the winner, it would be a pity not to intervene. If the emperor was defeated, Yelu Chongyuan should be clear about what the outcome was. The Song Dynasty saved him and handed over Yunzhou.
Chapter completed!