"Your Majesty, the armies in the Northeast have basically completed their combat missions according to the previous plan, and have exceeded expectations. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Dukes Rong and An have made final adjustments to the military deployment in the Northeast. The Northern Expedition Army will also gradually move from land and water to
Two ways to withdraw! Privy Cao asked for instructions, is there any other instruction?" Zhang Yong asked.
"No need! Since the plan has been set a long time ago, it is not appropriate to change it. The soldiers have also worked hard. Just evacuate when it's time!" Emperor Liu replied directly without much hesitation.
Of course, Emperor Liu also knew in his heart that Cao Bin was just asking for instructions symbolically. Regarding the withdrawal of the East Route Army, it was not only the prince's opinion, but also the wishes of the soldiers. No matter how strong the emperor was, he could not deviate from it.
A common wish, but a single will.
Furthermore, there is no reason for that. Since returning to Liaodong, Prince Liu Yang has been in charge of defense and troop withdrawal matters. Now, the early combat plan has exceeded the target. How can Emperor Liu be too ambitious and greedy?
It would be too much to try to interfere with the edict and interfere with it.
"Furthermore, King Xi has surrendered, and the Xi tribe has surrendered and taken it for his own use. General Wang is resting in Xiren's royal city and is writing to ask for instructions whether he should continue to go north and march towards Linhuang Mansion!"
"What's Wang Yanchao's opinion?" Emperor Liu asked while carefully flipping through the rich memorial.
Zhang Yong: "Old General Wang believes that the soldiers who went northward have been exhausted from the summer and autumn campaigns, and it is inconvenient to go on another expedition. Also, the weather is getting colder, which is not conducive to fighting. The Xi tribe has just surrendered, but its troops are not yet convinced. The Xi tribe is not convinced.
To be stable, heading north rashly is too risky. In addition, if we go north from King Xi City, if we successfully advance the army, it will actually take five to six hundred miles, which is a long way..."
After hearing what he said, Emperor Liu hesitated for a moment and said quietly: "If the information is true, the Linhuang Mansion right now must be called empty!"
"Replying to your majesty, according to the information previously discovered by the Second Department of Military Intelligence and Military Intelligence, since the Lord of Liao led his troops southward, the area around Shangjing of Liao Dynasty is indeed empty of what it was before!" Zhang Yong replied affirmatively.
However, seeing the impatience shown in Emperor Liu's mood, I still didn't understand where his intentions were, and I wanted to dissuade him from taking risks, but I hesitated and didn't dare to say it directly.
Emperor Liu raised his head and noticed his expression. He smiled slightly, turned his head towards Liu Xi, and said, "Do you remember what I said before? If Yelvxian dares to go south and attack my empty mountain sun, I will send troops to attack other countries.
Let’s see who is in more pain!”
"You did say it!" After hearing what Emperor Liu said, Liu Xi nodded, probably thinking about how to speak, then paused and said: "However, the actual difficulties faced by General Wang's army and the situation of the Xi tribe should not be ignored.
Be considerate and considerate.
If King Xi surrenders early, even half a month in advance, then there is no need to hesitate and he can send troops. But now, it is winter after all!"
"Are you opposed to the troops going to Beijing?" Emperor Liu asked.
"To send troops at this time is another lone army that goes deep into the enemy's territory. The outcome is uncertain. You must know that the whereabouts of the soldiers from the Mobei expedition are still unknown!" Liu Xi said.
But as soon as he said it, Liu Xi regretted it. Sure enough, Emperor Liu turned his face instantly and turned to stare at Liu Xi with a very sharp look. Liu Xi, who was so heartbroken at the sight, could not help but tremble in his heart and lowered his head subconsciously.
The whereabouts of the soldiers in Mobei have now become a worry for Emperor Liu. After staring at him for a while, Emperor Liu finally looked back, slightly tightened the robe on his body, pointed to the north, and said in a deep voice: "You
Do you know what it means to the Liao Kingdom if the Xi people surrender to the Han Dynasty?"
"Your Majesty, please give me instructions!" Liu Xi returned to his low-key style.
Emperor Liu said directly: "For the Liao Kingdom, the Han people, the Tatars and the Uighurs on the Bohai Sea and the grasslands are just its wings and branches. The Khitan tribe and the six tribes of the Xi people are its foundation!
Qianyu's Northern Expedition to recapture Guanshan was just to take away his luck. This Northern Expedition to recapture Liaodong and chaos in the Northeast is just to cut off its wings! However, if the Xi people surrender, they will be digging up its foundation and destroying its backbone.
Don't look at it, now it's just the surrender of King Xi and the surrender of the Xi tribe. Its impact is not limited to Raole. The plateau grassland of Songshan will have all-round consequences for the Liao Kingdom!
Even now, from the Northeast to Shangjing, Mobei, and even the Liao Lord's Suwei army, there are many Xi people serving as generals and subordinates! If they learn that the Xi people have surrendered, how will they react, and how will the Khitans view it?
them?
Also, in the decades since Yelu Abaoji established Linhuang Prefecture as the capital, Shangjing has never encountered an invasion of foreign enemies? Even if our Han military flag is erected outside Shangjing, how big of a shock will it have to the Liao Kingdom and the Khitan?
This will directly attack their will and dampen their confidence.
On the other side of Shanyang, even if the Liao army cannot be completely wiped out, even if the Lord of Liao escapes, I still want Yelvxian to realize how serious the cost of leading his troops south is, and to make him realize the blow that the Han has made to the Liao Kingdom.
It is no longer limited to Yanshan, Monan, and Mobei, but it can penetrate directly into his heart and make him feel bone-breaking pain...
It's just a few hundred miles away and there's only a few cold winters, what does it matter!"
It is rare to see Emperor Liu speak at such a long length, but whenever he talks incessantly, it often means that Emperor Liu is in a mood and has made up his mind. It is difficult to persuade Emperor Liu in this state. If he were the queen, she might be able to
It had some effect, but on the one hand, the Queen was not here, and on the other hand, Da Fu would not open his mouth on such matters.
However, Emperor Liu did not completely ignore the attitudes and opinions of Liu Xi and Zhang Yong. Although the prospects were promising, the difficulties in achieving the goal were realistic and needed to be overcome. They were inevitable.
After pondering for a while, Emperor Liu instructed: "Go to Wang Yanchao and ask him to select a brave and courageous general and lead an elite army to the north. I do not ask for the outcome of the battle. I will make decisions on the spot and entrust full power to adapt to changes! As for Wang Yanchao, let him
He will stay in the local area for the time being, suppress and suppress the situation, and stabilize the situation as soon as possible! Also, since King Xi has surrendered, it is his turn to show his sincerity and loyalty, and let him mobilize the Xi tribe's best soldiers to lead the way and fight with the army to prevent him from being half-hearted!"
"The edict was issued with urgency and sent to Wang Yanchao's army as quickly as possible!" Emperor Liu also emphasized: "They must have rested for a while when the order arrived in the army!"
"Yes!" Zhang Yong responded.
Emperor Liu reviewed the memorial again, and some information about Xi Ren still appeared in his mind. After thinking about it for a while, he gave instructions: "Draft an edict again and reply to Liu Xu. I have no objection to the conditions he and King Xi have reached. Please tell me."
Caining, I agree to retain his name as King Xi, and he will still command the tribes of the Xi tribe. I will also grant him the title of Governor of Raole! However, the tribes under his jurisdiction, after entering the Han Dynasty, should also abide by the Han law and the Han system.
assume its necessary responsibilities.
In addition, change the royal city of the Xi tribe to Dading city and set up a prefect! Tell Liu Xu that the establishment of the Xi tribe's prefecture can be carried out, but it should not be done too hastily. Safety comes first. I still need to consider whether to implement the chieftain system in the territory of the Xi tribe.
Fan...
That's all for now, let Liu Xu handle the matter of appeasing the Xi people first. Regarding the food, tea and salt they are short of, he can communicate with the court and coordinate part of it for support. The rest of the matters are waiting for an edict!"
"By the way, when the situation is completely stable, let King Xi Cunning come to Youzhou to see me!" Emperor Liu added another thing.
"yes!"
"Go back!" Probably because the cold wind blew too much, Emperor Liu pinched his nose and ordered.
During the return trip, Emperor Liu seemed to have something on his mind. The issue of dealing with the aftermath of the Xi clan should indeed be put on the agenda and should be carefully thought about.
The current decision is only a temporary measure, in order to appease King Xi and stabilize the Xi tribe. As for implementing the chieftain system for the Xi people, Emperor Liu was not very willing in his heart. What he wanted to do more was to completely absorb them, and even appoint officials in prefectures and counties.
Completely digest it into the local system of the Han Dynasty.
This is based on what the Liao Kingdom has been doing before, and it has reached a certain level. It is not far away from completely annexing the Xi people's land and tribes. However, because of the violent death of Yelujing and the Northern Expedition of the Han Dynasty, they were forced to
Interrupted.
The reason why King Xi, Cunning, betrayed the Khitan at this juncture was, on the one hand, because under the influence of the Han-Liao War, the people of Xi's tribe were overwhelmed and their livelihoods became difficult and increasingly difficult to maintain.
But more importantly, it was also forced by the previous annexation policies and actions of the Liao court. No one was willing to have their power restricted or even deprived.
And if you want to do the same thing, you need to do it carefully, and you need to consider the possible backlash from the nobles headed by King Xi. Fortunately, this is not an urgent matter at the moment, so there is no need to rush it, and the court will have more time to operate.
Emperor Liu had this kind of consideration, and he didn’t know whether King Xi Xi Ning would regret it in the future...