Although it was during the festival, the Privy Council was in a solemn atmosphere as usual. As the highest military authority of the Han Dynasty, it has always been like this. Strict discipline is the first creed. It dates back to the early days of the country, when Yang Wei and Guo Wei were in office.
Then it started to be followed.
In the military machine room, the slight fragrance of tea filled the air, adding a bit of softness to the serious and tense atmosphere. Cao Bin sat behind the desk with a serious face, immersed in reading official documents submitted from various places, signing military orders, and his movements
Appears to be serious.
In the guest seat, Privy Councilor Shi Shouxin sat in a relatively natural posture, holding a teacup, sipping tea slowly, taking a sip from time to time. Although he prefers drinking, after staying in the position of a high official for so many years, this tea is also
Gradually, I tasted some of the flavors, or in other words, I tasted not the tea ceremony, but the official way.
"The Northern Expedition mobilized almost the whole country. There was no state in the north that did not send soldiers, and no state did not offer soldiers. To be able to experience such a huge war, as a general, it is a great comfort for a lifetime!" Shi Shouxin sighed there.
, it’s also a bit of a pity that I can’t go into battle in person, but sit in the capital and do some behind-the-scenes work.
Of course, it was the frontline soldiers who worked hard during the war, and it was the meritorious personnel who enjoyed the glory after the war, and they had to devote most of their energy to the many trivial matters in the aftermath.
After listening to his words, Cao Bin's face seemed to not change, and he calmly replied: "The Liao Kingdom has been defeated. Even if there are remnants of bandits and endless chaos, it is unlikely to become a serious problem. From now on, the Han Dynasty will not be afraid of another attack."
A war of this magnitude!”
"Another one?" Shi Shouxin immediately shook his head and said with a wry smile: "The prime minister of the Political Affairs Hall and the ministers of various ministries will try their best to stop it. Guohua will go north with him. I'm afraid he doesn't know much about the situation in Tokyo during the Northern Expedition.
, At that time, the princes were restless, worrying day and night, always paying attention to the military reports from the front, fearing that the war would be unfavorable and continue to be delayed..."
Until now, Shi Shouxin could talk about it in a relaxed tone: "In order to support this Northern Expedition, the imperial court has paid a huge price. If the country's financial resources and people's power will eventually be exhausted, if there is another such a big expedition, I'm afraid
There are worries about depletion of people’s power and financial collapse!”
"Perhaps it is not as serious as the prime ministers thought, but it is true that we cannot fight for a long time, especially such a big campaign, which will last for a long time! I came back from Youzhou, and the other Taozhous have not been stationed for a long time to observe closely, so the situation is not well understood.
But the subordinates of Yanshan Road are depleted of people's power, and basically every family has a servant!" Cao Bin raised his head and sighed softly:
"If His Majesty had not stopped the war in time, and had the imperial court fully supported him, countless military supplies would have been transferred northward, and the first one to fall into a critical situation would have been Yanshan Road! As for Shanyang, needless to say, the Liao army broke through the pass and headed south.
The flames of war swept through the surrounding areas of Yunzhong..."
"There is no royal court in Monan, and this is what we are talking about now!" Hearing Cao Bin's emotion, Shi Shouxin turned his head, his eyes were clear, and he said categorically: "From now on, we can keep the barbarians north of Yinshan Mountain!"
"This is indeed the case in a short period of time, but if you want long-term peace and stability, I'm afraid it's not that simple! At present, the Liao Kingdom is collapsed but not in chaos. If we let it survive the difficulties, once it regains its strength, there will be endless troubles! Moreover, the border of the Han Dynasty has moved northward
Hundreds of miles, pushed to the front line of Yinshan Mountain, encompassing Monan, but it also means that the Han border defense will also face a test that has never been experienced in the past..." Mentioning this, Cao Bin frowned tightly, and
His face also looked a little bitter.
"Then we should pursue them fiercely and destroy them completely. The Khitan has been severely damaged. How can it be so easy to recover its strength?" Shi Shouxin's words were obviously more aggressive.
Cao Bin shook his head: "This Northern Expedition, whether it is going out of the fortress or marching eastward to Liaodong, is extremely difficult. It is far from comparable to the Qianyu Northern Expedition. Next, if you want to continue to attack the Liao Kingdom, it must be an expedition."
In a foreign land, the difficulties are even greater.
Previously, both the expedition to Mobei and the surprise attack on Beijing relied on surprise. Such miraculous effects were something that could only be encountered but not expected. After the Khitan people suffered this loss, it would be difficult for them to take advantage of it again.
Therefore, if you want to continue the northern expedition and attack the Khitan, the problems you face are by no means easy. The northern part of the Great Wall is too big, and even with the might of the Han Dynasty, it would be difficult to capture it all.
The situation before and after Liu Tinghan's Battle of Monan also showed that on the grassland, once you choose to avoid fighting and guerrilla, it is very difficult to do your best. And the Liao army will not easily confront the Han in the future.
.
The resentment between Han and Liao has lasted for more than 20 years, and it has become a blood feud that is difficult to resolve. If the Liao Kingdom cannot be destroyed, I can see endless troubles in the future, and it will be difficult to live in peace in northern Xinjiang!"
"Guohua, you are too cautious and worried!" Faced with Cao Bin's worried words, Shi Shouxin couldn't help but shook his head and said: "The Khitan thought that I was severely injured this time.
Even if it is dead but not frozen, can it still be more difficult to deal with than before the war?"
After Shi Shouxin said this, Cao Bin was obviously stunned, blinked slowly, and then said with a wry smile: "It's time for me to confine myself to it. I only consider the problems and difficulties that the big man may face in the new situation!"
Heaving a sigh of relief, Cao Bin expressed worry again: "However, even if the Liao Kingdom collapses, the Khitan Yi people and border defense issues will still have to be faced with caution. Since ancient times, the Saibei people have been like weeds.
There will be endless ups and downs, and even if the Khitan declines, new forces will rise. As long as they rely on the desert, they will always be in trouble! We still need to think about long-term peace and stability strategies, otherwise the Han Dynasty will always be a threat outside the Northern Territory...
.”
In this regard, Shi Shouxin seemed even more calm, waving his hands and saying: "Guohua, as long as the Han Dynasty is strong and its clan is destroyed, it will be difficult for me to do anything. We in charge of the military and government only need to consider the border defense in the next twenty or thirty years.
Policy, twenty or thirty years from now, we may have long since passed away, and our descendants will be able to make plans according to the situation. It is even enough that we, like you and me, can properly arrange border defense matters in the office of Privy Council!"
Shi Shouxin obviously wanted to be more open-minded. Seeing Shi Shouxin leisurely drinking tea, Cao Bin was finally happy and said: "When it comes to knowledge, I am not as good as the Prime Minister!"
"The glory of the country is too modest!" Shi Shouxin said seriously: "You have a long-term vision and are concerned about the country and the people. Perhaps what you just said should be reported to His Majesty in detail!"
Cao Bin nodded, with a little fatigue showing on his face. He stood up and left the table. He took a few official documents and handed them to Shi Shouxin: "These military deployment orders still need to be reviewed by the Prime Minister!"
Just as Shi Shouxin was about to take it, a nervous call of "Your Majesty" came from outside. Both of them were startled. When they raised their eyes, Emperor Liu had already stepped inside and hurriedly greeted him together.
Emperor Liu looked around the room with no expression on his face, and his eyes fell on Shi Shouxin who put down the tea cup and Cao Bin who held the official document in his hand. After a little silence, a smile appeared on his face: "What are you talking about, Second Minister?
"
Seeing this, both Shi and Cao subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Cao Bin reported: "Your Majesty, there are several orders to move troops to Beiguan and need to be issued!"
"Your Majesty went on inspection tour and did not come to greet him in person. Please forgive me for being negligent!" Shi Shouxin stepped forward and respectfully welcomed Emperor Liu to his seat.
"You don't have to be so restrained!" Emperor Liu said with a pleasant look, his eyes falling on Shi Shouxin's steaming tea cup, "I heard that the Privy Council staff are still on duty during the festival, so I'm here to ask for a cup of tea!"
Although he was most worried about Emperor Liu's sudden attack, Shi Shouxin still looked honored and acted as if he was listening to the holy teachings respectfully.
Emperor Liu took over several military orders from Cao Bin, which were aimed at the deployment of Shanyang garrison troops and the construction of forts. Before the shift, although Emperor Liu stayed in Tian Renlang to supervise Shanyang's military affairs, the overall garrison still required the attention of the Privy Council.
Adjust with the overall situation in mind.
"After this battle, it can be said that the Han Dynasty's entire northern Xinjiang military defense system needs to be rebuilt. The Privy Council needs to consider everything. The task is very heavy!" Emperor Liu said looking at the two men.
"Your Majesty, the military maneuvers of the Privy Council during this period are all centered around this matter! During the Northern Expedition, the military and political affairs of the entire north were disrupted and need to be restructured!" Shi Shouxin replied.
Emperor Liu nodded and asked: "What is the current situation of the soldiers who returned from the Northern Expedition?"
Cao Bin replied: "According to reports from various places, except for the soldiers who stayed to garrison Liaodong, Dading Prefecture and Shanyang Pass, most of the local troops and horses have been returned to Daozhou!"
"How is the situation of the Forbidden Army?" Emperor Liu was still more concerned about the core military force such as the Forbidden Army.
"The rotation matters have been arranged!" Cao Bin replied, finding a memorandum and submitting it to Emperor Liu: "The Privy Council has discussed the results of the replenishment of the Forbidden Army troops, and I believe that we can select them from the southern Daozhou.
Elite soldiers, sent to the capital for garrison duty, can also slightly balance the military personnel of the north and the south!"
Emperor Liu looked at it for a moment and said, "Okay!"