Although Li Zhang and Yelu Renxian only met once, they left a very deep impression on each other. Li Zhang was quite afraid of this future famous minister of the Liao Kingdom, but he probably did not expect that Yelu Renxian had been thinking about him, and even guessed that he might encourage Zhao Zhen to send troops to attack the Liao Kingdom while the Liao Kingdom was weak.

"This is impossible. No matter how talented Li Zhang is, he is just a relative of the foreigners. The Song Dynasty has always been very cautious about foreigners. How could he let him participate in such military and national affairs?" Yelu Zhirang still disbelieved at this time.

"There is nothing impossible. Li Zhang is a very special person. He doesn't have to participate in the government affairs. He just needs to influence the emperor of the Song Dynasty." Yelu Renxian insisted, and even he regretted it at this time. He had known that when he saw the other party, he should have found an opportunity to kill the other party. Although it would be very troublesome to die an envoy of the Song Dynasty, with the strength of the Liao Dynasty at that time, he was not afraid of the Song Dynasty seeking trouble.

Seeing Yelu Renxian value Li Zhang so much, Yelu Zhirang couldn't help but show a puzzled expression. In his understanding of Li Zhang, he just felt that the other party was a nobleman of the Song Dynasty and a man who was willing to commit himself to his sister. He didn't know much about anything else. But now looking at Yelu Renxian's appearance, it seems that Li Zhang should be an important figure who can influence the situation between the Song and Liao countries.

"But does the Song Dynasty really dare to use troops to us? Are they not afraid of repeating the tragedy of Qigou Pass's defeat?" In the end, Yelu Zhirang asked again, but his tone also brought a little uncertainty.

The so-called great defeat at Qigou Pass was when Emperor Taizong of Song Dynasty Zhao Guangyi was alive. In the third year of Yongxi, five generals, Pan Mei, Yang Ye, Tian Chong, Cao Bin and Cui Yanjin, were divided into three routes in the east, middle and west, with the east route as the main route. Unfortunately, they were defeated at Qigou Pass. Yang Ye, the commander of the west route, was the first general of Yang Ye, in the Romance of the Romance, was finally defeated and captured in the battle, and died in prison for three days of hunger strike.

This disastrous defeat completely destroyed the courage of the Song Dynasty and no longer dared to use troops to the Liao Kingdom. It was not until the Jurchens rose that they joined forces with the Jurchens to destroy the Liao Kingdom. Unfortunately, the Northern Song Dynasty was also destroyed by the Jurchens later.

"It is hard to say that although the Song State has been defeated repeatedly against our Great Liao and has been on the defensive position, there are still many knowledgeable people in the Song State who have never given up the idea of ​​regaining Yan Yun. After all, without Yan Yun, they can only maintain a huge imperial guard. Even with the national strength of the Song State, it is still very difficult, and sooner or later they will be overwhelmed. Now that there is such a big chaos in our Great Liao Dynasty, if I were Li Zhang, I would definitely try my best to persuade the Emperor of Song to send troops." Yelu Renxian said heavy again at this time.

After hearing Yelu Renxian's concerns, Yelu Zhirang felt his heart beating heavily. Now he finally knew why Yelu Renxian had been worried. If Song State really sent troops at this time, with the weak forces of Xijin Prefecture and Datong Prefecture, he might not be able to resist it at all. At that time, Yanyun's land might be lost.

But even if they knew that the Song Dynasty might send troops, Yelu Renxian and the others had no choice. After all, the south was Xiao Nojin's territory, and all the troops were in her hands. Now the other party was anxious to destroy them, and I am afraid that even if the troops in the south were all drawn, she would not care.

"Don't think too much, prepare to withdraw troops. As long as we can defeat Xiao Nojin's army in one fell swoop, we can regain the forces in the south. I hope that by then, the State of Song is not ready to send troops." Yelu Zhirang finally patted Yelu Renxian on the shoulder and said. Yelu Renxian heard it and nodded silently, and then the two of them also got off the city wall together.

Two days later, Yelu Renxian and Yelu Zhirang took the initiative to withdraw from Guanghua Prefecture, and Xiao Nojin immediately sent troops to occupy Guanghua Prefecture after hearing the news, but claimed to the outside world that he had defeated Yelu Zongzhen's army and recaptured Guanghua Prefecture. Yelu Zongzhen's side naturally did not want to be outdone, but the two sides fought first.

However, while fighting, Xiao Nojin's army also gathered and immediately appointed Xiao Xiaoxian as the main general and led his troops to Yikunzhou. Yikunzhou and Shangjing were separated by a Huang River, and the main forces of Yelu Zong also gathered in Shangjing. The two sides looked across the river, and a war was about to break out.

Originally, Xiao Xiaoxian was not suitable to serve as the chief general. Although the boundary between civil and military officials in the Liao Kingdom was not as clear as that of the Song Dynasty, and even Xiao Xiaoxian had actually led troops before, he was defeated during the Dayanlin Rebellion and even his wife died in the chaos. Therefore, Xiao Xiaoxian has regarded himself as a civil servant over the years, probably knowing that he does not have the ability to command troops.

But there were too few people Xiao Nojin could trust, especially because she did not dare to hand over all the troops in her hands to a person she didn't trust. As for her relatives, most of them were wine and finally, they were the generals among the shorts. Only Xiao Xiaoxian was the most suitable. Of course, Xiao Xiaoxian also had a few experienced generals around him, and he did not need to command the army himself.

The army on Yelu Zongzhen's side has almost been gathered, but compared to Xiao Nojin, the troops in his hands are quite lacking. Even though he occupied Guanghua Prefecture before, only a few generals surrendered. Most of the Khitan nobles are still waiting and watching. Only when the mother and son are about to decide the outcome, these people may make substantial actions to take sides.

Just as the war in Liao was about to begin, the Song Dynasty was also preparing in an intense manner, including food, weapons, supplies, etc., one truck after another, and the army in the northwest was secretly set off. Even in the Song Dynasty, they would rest during the day and rush to Hebei at night, sneaking all the way to Hebei, and then settled into the military camp on the Hebei border.

Several elite troops in the Hebei army also received the order of transfer, with nearly 50,000 troops being transferred to Hejian Prefecture, plus the 50,000 troops of the Northwest Army, the Song Dynasty dispatched a total of 100,000 troops this time. If we include the civilians and auxiliary troops recruited from the rear, the Song Dynasty mobilized nearly one million people for this war, and the money and grain mobilized almost seemed to be scattered as if they were not worth money, in order to ensure that the army's supplies must keep up.

Li Zhang had already returned to the capital at this time. He originally wanted to go to Hebei in person to witness this great war. If the situation goes well, then this war will change the offensive and defensive momentum of the Song and Liao dynasties, thereby determining the fate of the two countries. Especially if the Liao Kingdom loses the most fertile place in the south and its huge population, then decline will be a foregone conclusion.
Chapter completed!