On the ninth day of September in the eleventh year of Qianyou, following the tail end of early September, it took about twenty days to advance by land and water. After several twists and turns, Youzhou was in sight. When setting off from Tokyo, there were only 30,000 people in the imperial camp. Going north, after passing Gu'an County, the number had swelled to 80,000.
Among them, in addition to the 20,000 Hebei Prefecture soldiers who An Shenqi stayed in Yongqing waiting for his command, there are tens of thousands of brave civilians in the countryside and the transferred military supplies. It has entered September, and winter is not far away. Winter clothes, winter shoes and supplies to keep out the cold , the rear is producing, and the imperial court is preparing for transshipment.
In fact, during this Northern Expedition, the Han Dynasty had prepared for a long-term war, which was reflected in the preparation of various military supplies.
After crossing the Juma River, Liu Chengyou left his boat and landed ashore. All the boats were used to transfer baggage, and also to allow the soldiers who were tired of staying on the boat to ground themselves, adjust their military appearance, and refresh themselves.
Yujia is naturally between the stars and the moon. Further north, it is the direct collision area between Han and Liao. There is nothing more important than the safety of the emperor. Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin, who is the commander of the capital, is also more and more important. It's getting stricter.
Inside the spacious Luan Jia, there are stacked memorials. In addition to a few important matters from Tokyo, they are reports on the combat situation with the Liao army during this period, the results of the various armies, and some situations of the Yan army and Yan people.
"Ma Quanyi lived up to my expectations!" With a calm face, the corners of Liu Chengyou's mouth raised slightly.
During the dozens of days of fighting against the Liao Dynasty, a large number of heroes emerged from the Han army, among which Ma Quanyi was the one with the greatest results. Of course, Liu Chengyou paid attention to him because he was his old friend. Although he said so, When directing operations, it is taboo to be far or near, and Liu Chengyou also tries to be fair in the overall situation.
However, if there is no direct lineage, the superior and inferior are maintained, how to control the army, as long as rewards and punishments are clear, then other people will only be envious because of the emperor's favor, and even take the initiative to get closer and actively perform. In fact, among the Han army, , there are many people who want to be the next Ma Quanyi, Yang Ye, and Pan Mei.
However, Liu Chengyou paid attention to Ma Quanyi not only because of his military exploits, but also because he attacked eastward and proposed the idea of aggressively advancing Liaodong. After 30 years of management, the Bohai Sea and Liaodong Province had already become the depth and granary of the Liao Kingdom. The Bohai Sea, more It is known as the prosperous country in Haidong. If the war spreads to Liaodong or even recovers it, the blow to Liao will be unforgettable.
However, the idea is a good idea, but it is not so easy to realize it.
First, the understanding of the old land of Liaodong and Bohai is very insufficient. It has been separated from the Central Plains for so long. It is even more difficult to find out what the situation is now. The cities, roads, and people's sentiments are all vague, and even a lot of information is obtained through some We only know this from ancient books and historical records.
Both, in the east, the strength of the Liao army is not weak. According to its military registration system, it is normal for it to be forced to a certain extent and recruit young people to participate in the war. In fact, with the large scale of the Han army, Going north, in the Khitan territory, Yelujing was already mobilizing heavily, and all the Khitan tribes in the north and south had received levy orders.
Of the three, the Luanping Camp area may be captured, but opening up the narrow corridor in western Liaoning is also a problem. Attacking Liaodong from Yuguan is also a thousand-mile expedition. If we further attack the Bohai Sea, the final journey will still be long. Times. If there are too few troops, it is not enough to attack, but if there are too many troops, logistics and supply will be a big problem on such a long journey. Although there is a saying that the enemy is defeated by food, it is not a cure-all for all diseases.
As for attacking Liaodong by sea, it is just an idea. Whether it can be realized depends on the Jingjiang Army Commander Guo Tingwei and his navy. It is easy to transport troops across the sea. Just talk?
Over the years, Guo Tingwei trained naval forces in Laizhou and Mizhou, drew nautical charts, understood hydrological conditions, and planned safe routes. The focus was actually on the south. Although he took care of the north, he really did not make too detailed a plan. Of course, it was also to avoid arousing the fear of the Liao State and making it aware of the Han army's plans, so the size of the Han army's navy in Laizhou Bay was kept very small, with most of its headquarters in Mizhou in the south.
Moreover, the navy successfully landed across the Bohai Bay. It is not easy to make achievements when the enemy's situation is not clear. Therefore, Liu Chengyou's troop dispatching order to Guo Tingwei clearly instructed him that it was advisable to make contingency plans and not to You can force it, even if it is to gain experience in the future.
In fact, as long as the navy can play a certain role in harassing Liaodong, Liu Chengyou will be satisfied.
"Your Majesty, the Commander-in-Chief of Zhao has sent someone to report that the front is approaching Wanping. King Chenliu, King Yan, the camp generals and Youzhou civil and military forces have prepared arrangements to welcome him!" While Liu Chengyou was thinking about it, Zhang Dejun, who was accompanying him, was outside Luanjia. General knowledge.
Yes, the chamberlain was replaced by Zhang Dejun again. Sun Yanxi fell ill on the way, but the emperor could not live without a chamberlain who was convenient for him, so he sent an order back to Tokyo and asked Zhang Dejun to serve in front of the camp. Zhang Dejun was also very active in this regard.
Upon hearing this, Liu Chengyou's thoughts immediately drifted back, his spirits lifted slightly, and he immediately said: "I understand! Just inform Zhao Kuangyin and proceed as normal!"
"yes!"
"Your Majesty!" At this time, Zhang Jie, who had the honor to sit in the imperial carriage and drafted the edict for Liu Chengyou, spoke.
"Huh? Is it ready?" Liu Chengyou asked.
Zhang nodded and respectfully showed him the unfinished edict, which was "Edict to Encourage the Soldiers to Encourage and Advance to Attack the Khitan". Liu Chengyou looked at it, but shook his head and said, "The rhetoric is too gorgeous and pretentious. There are too many, and the meaning is too profound. If you give it to some generals, they may not understand it, let alone ordinary soldiers!"
"In rewriting, in addition to boosting morale and stimulating pride, it must also be vulgar and easy to understand. The more vulgar the better!" Looking at Zhang Jie's somewhat embarrassed expression, Liu Chengyou smiled: "Let you, a great talent, write a vulgar article. Article, does it make things difficult for you and insult your gentleness?"
Hearing this, Zhang Jie dared to nod his head and said immediately: "Your Majesty is serious! I am pedantic. Since it is written to the soldiers of the Northern Expedition, if the soldiers cannot understand it, even if the beautiful article loses its original meaning, what's the point? use?"
Looking at Zhang Ji, Liu Chengyou was quite satisfied with his awareness. In fact, if Liu Chengyou had literary talent, he would choose to write this edict himself. In recent years, there have been many edicts drafted by Liu Chengyou himself. Yes, but most of them are administrative orders, which are dry and dry, and some of them are even fluent in language. Secretly, they have lost a lot of face.
Facts have proved that the emperor needs a few good pens, especially those who can correctly understand his own meaning and use smooth and flowing vocabulary to record and convey it. Such a person is also quite rare.
Over the years, Liu Chengyou has also experienced many people, including Tao Gu, Wang Pu, Wang Zhu, Li Fang, Zhao Huo, and Zhao Pu. The one who loved Liu Chengyou the most was Zhao Huo. Unfortunately, he died young. Later, it was Zhao Pu, and then Zhao Pu. In Chengdu, as for Zhang Ji, he is barely qualified, but has some flaws in his character and is not broad-minded enough.
Zhang Jie did not redraft the edict, but saluted again and called: "Your Majesty!"
"What, do you have something to say?" Liu Chengyou looked at him with curiosity.
Zhang Jie solemnly said: "Your Majesty, when you arrive in Youzhou, please stay in the strong city to supervise the troops. Don't venture further north!"
Hearing this, Liu Chengyou raised his eyebrows and said, "Are you also taking care of my behavior?"
This time, from the decision to personally conquer to the march north, Liu Chengyou was constantly advised. For some officials who wanted stability, it was best for him to stay in Daming Mansion and show his intention to personally conquer. Even if he went north, he would stay in San Regardless of whether you are in the country, going to Youzhou, or even going to the front line, there is indeed a lot of risk...
"I don't dare!" Zhang Jie was not in the habit of inviting favors directly, so he hurriedly explained: "It's just a war between two countries. Hundreds of thousands of troops are fighting. The battle is fierce and dangerous. Your Majesty is concerned with the safety of the world, so you must not be careless!"
"You also said that I am in the army, so why worry about the unexpected? As for danger, since the army was raised in Hedong, have I experienced more dangers than before? If we retreat to the city, is the plan complete?" Liu Chengyou stared at it. Zhang Jie refuted it and suddenly said: "You are a scholar, so it is understandable that you are afraid of going to the battlefield!"
Hearing what Liu Chengyou said, Zhang Ji immediately became unhappy and said with some excitement: "Although I am a Confucian scholar and cannot kill the enemy with a sword, I still have the passion to serve the country. If I are on the battlefield in the future, I will definitely stand in front of Your Majesty!"
Zhang Jie could not help but be excited and argue. If he acknowledged or even acquiesced to the emperor's words, his impression would be greatly reduced, which would affect his official career. When his personal interests were involved, Zhang Jie still behaved very tactfully.
Sure enough, Liu Chengyou smiled after hearing his statement.
"Your Majesty, I have heard recently..."
Seeing that he was hesitant, Liu Chengyou waved his hand: "Speak directly if you have something to say. Now that we have started, why bother hiding it in front of me!"
Hearing this, Zhang Jie also spoke: "There are rumors from the outside world that King Chenliu was deployed at the camp headquarters of the Northern Expedition and commanded hundreds of thousands of troops. His son was also the Imperial Banzhi, guarding His Majesty's safety..."
"You talk a lot today!" Liu Chengyou said in reply.
Zhang Jie immediately spoke up and asked, "I'm too talkative. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
This time, Zhao Kuangyin deployed for the imperial camp, and An Shouzhong was the general of the Suwei. If you have any doubts about the father and son, it is not a problem, especially An Shouzhong, who has been working for Liu Chengyou since he was 18 years old. This After 8 or 9 years, my feelings have deepened. Of course, the emperor never talks about feelings easily...
In Wanping, headed by An Shenqi and Zhao Kuangzan, tens of thousands of people stood at attention to greet them. It is not an exaggeration to describe it as a cloud of good generals and a forest of soldiers. Although Liu Chengyou has been advocating reducing and simplifying various processes, but In his heart, he still enjoys the feeling of being surrounded by people and surrendering. Such scenes are enough to satisfy his vanity.
"Long live!"
"Long live!"
Before Luan Jia could stop, the shouts of long live had already erupted and gradually spread to the surrounding areas. The two hundred thousand soldiers temporarily stationed inside and outside Youzhou City also heard the shouts, including the soldiers and people in the city, who all joined in the fun. One hundred thousand people shouted two words in unison, and the momentum created shook the sky and reached into the sky.
Amid the cries of the crowd, Liu Chengyou walked out of the palace, stood in front of the charioteer, and looked up. In addition to the overwhelming waiting team, he saw the majestic city in the north.
It has been more than ten years since he visited this place for the first time. Youzhou, a city that has haunted him countless times, finally got a glimpse of its appearance today.