This Northern Expedition can be described as an all-out attack of elite troops. Only the imperial guards from the two divisions in front of the palace sent out 100,000 troops. Most of the troops garrisoning in and around the two capitals were mobilized. The subordinates of the front division, including Iron Cavalry, Longqi, and Xiaodi, Long Jie, Protector of Saints, Fengguo, and Xingjie under the Guards Department all participated in the expedition, and among them, there were 30,000 horsemen.
In addition, the 40,000 frontier troops deployed by subordinates in the north, the Hebei Dusi mobilized more than 20,000 local troops, the 20,000 Yan army, and the tens of thousands of mercenary cavalry recruited by Guo Chongwei in the northwest region.
Therefore, in this Northern Expedition, only in Hebei, the soldiers sent by the Han Dynasty were actually 200,000 soldiers. Except for the soldiers and horses of the capital and the hired miscellaneous cavalry, which were slightly weaker, the rest were all trained for many years. Elite. If you include a large number of auxiliary soldiers and civilians, the number will exceed 400,000.
This kind of strength may be barely described as the power of a country, but on the basis of maintaining the stability of domestic rule and defense on all fronts, the Han Dynasty court can be considered to have reached its limit. And gathering more than 70% of the elites of the Han Dynasty, Liu Chengyou chose to conquer personally. It's also understandable.
Regarding the issue of the emperor's personal expedition, there was another dispute between the court and the central government. There were always people who were cautious and did not want the emperor to take risks in the north. In the battle between the soldiers, the outcome was unpredictable. If with such strength, the Northern Expedition still failed, then no matter whether it was It was a huge blow to the prestige of both the emperor and the country.
It is best for the emperor to sit in Tokyo and calm people's hearts. Thinking about defeat before thinking about victory is a prudent and prudent attitude. However, many people only think about the consequences of defeat and seldom think about the glory of victory.
Therefore, even if some ministers headed by Fan Zhi tried their best to dissuade him, it was of no use. In the first year of Qianyou, the country was in difficulty, and even Li Shouzhen could not persuade him personally. What's more, the emperor is now more and more authoritative.
With such a huge scale of troop movements, in addition to improving orderly logistical support, the coordination and command of the armies is crucial, and the construction of the command system is the top priority.
The emperor personally marched, and the imperial camp was composed of the Iron Cavalry Army, the Longqi Army, a section of the Ouchi Army, and some auxiliary soldiers and logistics personnel. There were about 30,000 infantry and cavalry, and Zhao Kuangyin served as the commander.
Set up a Youyan camp on the front line, with Chenliu King An Shenqi as the capital commander, Yan King Zhao Kuangzan as his deputy, and governor of the Han and Yan armies. Under them, Gao Huaide was the commander of the horse army, Murong Yanzhao was the commander of the infantry army, and Chai Rong was the commander of the infantry army. In terms of logistics, Li Chuyun is the food envoy for the camp, and Han Hui (son of Han Tong) is the deputy envoy, responsible for the management of the auxiliary soldiers in front of the camp, the management of civilians and the supply of military supplies. The prime minister Wei Renpu is the transport envoy between the two rivers, and Xue Juzheng He holds the position of deputy envoy and is responsible for the raising and supply of military resources in the rear areas.
Before the emperor left Beijing, Liu Chengyou naturally made appropriate arrangements for Tokyo. The prince supervised the country, and the ministers assisted him to handle government affairs and ensure the normal operation of the country while the emperor was away from Beijing. This had already happened during the emperor's previous tours. I have had enough experience, but this time, there is a young prince serving as a mascot.
Of course, the role of the Queen Mother and Empress is indispensable, and this time, King Yong Liu Chengxun is also among the assistant ministers. Since Chai Rong and Li Chuyun are accompanying the army on the northern expedition, the affairs of the Privy Council are temporarily handled by Wang Puquan.
As for the defense of the capital, Liu Chengyou left it to Xiang Xun and Han Tong to annex the chief and deputy inspectors. In fact, after the army set off northward, Tokyo's defense was immediately much weaker. Only the front and inner halls were straight, and the guards were military. The Jie Army, the Imperial City Internal Army and some patrol troops. Of course, this is still a powerful force, enough to defend the capital.
The most heavily mobilized troops must be Luoyang, Hua, Wei, Chan, Pu and Damingfu, which are the important towns that defend Tokyo. These places have always been the main areas for the Forbidden Army's defense. After the troops and horses are transferred to the north, the defense can use empty space.
To describe it. However, if the enemy wants to attack these core ruling areas, it is basically impossible.
Of course, in this Northern Expedition, the Han army was not only in Hebei, but also in Hedong. The captain of the country, the king of Wei Fu Yanqing, was the commander, and the governor of Hedong was the army. Wang Yanchao was the deputy, and sent 50,000 infantry and cavalry out of Yanmen.
In the Baode area, conquer Yunshuo, with Yang Ye as the vanguard.
In addition, there were several partial divisions. Zheng Guogong Shi Hongzhao and Dingbian Army Envoy Wang Yansheng also led troops from the Lingzhou area. The commander of the Jingjiang Army led the Laizhou Navy to cross the sea and cross the north, looking for opportunities to cut off the Western Liaoning Corridor and cut off the outer Liaoning border.
National troops and horses.
Li Yiyin of Xiazhou and Gao Shaoji of Yanzhou also issued edicts to attack Liao. Li Yiyin, perhaps relying on the confidence of the war between Han and Liao, dared to attack Khitan north to expand its territory and increase its strength. But behind it was Gao Shaoji, a troublemaker
Now, it is basically impossible to raise troops together and want to have peace of mind on the military. After all, the Li and Gao families are regarded as feuding families. And the Cheyenne division will probably only help the momentum in the end.
As for Goryeo, the edict to conquer Liao was also submitted by the Han envoy. However, Goryeo Guangzong Wang Zhao was busy reforming, attacking the powerful, and killing heroes. It was basically impossible for him to seize chestnuts from the fire for the Han and send troops to deal with the Liao army. Can you explain it?
Attitude, even if he is pro-Han.
For the great cause of the Northern Expedition, the Han had to rely on himself to deal with the Liao army.
After everything was arranged, on August 21, the 11th year of Emperor Qianyou's reign, Emperor Liu Chengyou of the Han Dynasty officially led the imperial troops and set off from Tokyo to the north. This was also the last army to participate in the Northern Expedition.
Except for some close ministers, there were no random people accompanying him. However, the imperial concubine Gao and Ning concubine Guo were able to join the army and take personal care of Liu Chengyou's food and daily life. In fact, if Lady Zhe had not been pregnant, he would definitely take her with him.
At the same time, the emperor's eldest son, third son, and fourth son also accompanied the expedition.
...
Beizhou, Yongji Reach, dozens of large ships with deep drafts on the canal are slowly moving northeast. On the shore, there are more than 2,000 trackers in coarse linen and linen, hunched back, wrapped in fiber ropes, and buried in their heads.
Pulling the ships transporting ordnance and baggage northward.
Behind is a larger fleet, with the dragon boat at the head, cavalry on both sides of the strait, and dense black flags, moving impressively in the autumn wind. The dragon boat Liu Chengyou is riding is just a modified building boat.
, not at all gorgeous, just because the emperor rides it, because of its reputation.
At this time, Liu Chengyou was standing on the deck of the dragon boat, his beard swaying in the cool breeze. His expression was calm, and his slightly solemn gaze fell on the tracker on the shore.
The entire country was mobilized for the Northern Expedition against Khitan, and the most thorough mobilization came from the Hebei states. Beizhou was still far away from Youzhou, and the recruitment of civilians was already in full swing.
It was only late August, and although the government urged the people to harvest the crops first, by the time the imperial army launched a large-scale military service, there were still many wheat fields that had not been harvested, and the farmers had been summoned to leave their homes. The soldiers in the countryside were brave, and the people were brave.
, gathered in the prefecture and city to prepare for the call.
The most important job of the civilians in the prefectures and counties along the canal was to pull fiber channels to ensure the smooth flow of the canal for the mobilization of military supplies. During the Northern Expedition, the Han army's logistics transportation mainly used river transportation to reach Youyan. .
After entering Hebei, everything you see is a similar scene. The trackers are quite lucky. The imperial court has ordered that the prefectures and counties along the river each ensure smooth transportation of the rivers within their jurisdiction. Therefore, the trackers only need to pay There is no need to leave home and go north to do some hard work.
However, there are many more people who need to go to the front line and listen to instructions before the battle. Not only do they suffer hardships and travel far away from home, but their lives are also in danger at any time, making it difficult to protect themselves.
Although according to the imperial court's plan, the Hebei army sent 200,000 troops and 200,000 civilians, but the actual mobilization for this war did not stop there? The impact of the war on people's livelihood has been revealed from the beginning. , and what Liu Chengyou could see with just his pair of eyes was only a small part of it.
Over the years, the Han Dynasty has been accustomed to conquering east and west, sending out large armies and recruiting civilians. However, there has never been any time before that Liu Chengyou felt such pressure as this time.
"After paying such a high price, I didn't leave myself any room for failure..." His face was so serious that he was almost indifferent, but Liu Chengyou secretly warned himself in his heart.
"Officials, the wind is strong on the water, so we should go back to the cabin to take shelter from the wind!" Concubine Gao walked to Liu Chengyou's side, as if she could feel the emperor's heavy mood, and advised softly.
Hearing the sound, Liu Chengyou glanced at her, shook his head, and sighed: "Soldiers and people are all enduring the wind and cold, why should I be the only one who can avoid the wind and frost and put me in a warm cabin?"
That's right, Liu Chengyou's words were just for show. Because he was serious, Liu Chengyou would not let go of any opportunity to inspire people. Of course, with such words in his mouth, his body still honestly asked Concubine Gao to help him. If you put on a robe, the wind will blow too much, which is really bad for your health...
She turned to look at Concubine Gao. She was a lady who was already over thirty years old. She was very considerate of the Holy Heart and served the emperor in military affairs. She was dressed in a decent military uniform, without the glitz and glamor of palace attire. She also lacked the coquettish charm that she usually displayed in front of Liu Chengyou. The heroic spirit of the tiger girl radiates out.
However, what Liu Chengyou felt more deeply was her tenderness. He still remembered that when she received the gift at the beginning of the year, it was freezing cold, so she used her belly and breasts to warm her hands.
After coming back to his senses, Liu Chengyou summoned Zhang Ji and told him: "You draft an edict. I came all the way north and saw that there were many fields and acres of wheat that had not been harvested. Although the campaign was urgent, it should not be completely abandoned. Farming. Governments in various places should try to coordinate the remaining labor in the countryside and organize harvesting!"
"Yes!" Zhang Jie understood the emperor's intention, saluted, and quickly went back to draft the edict. Because of his previous performance, Zhang Jie joined the expedition with his position as a recorder.
In fact, Liu Chengyou's words and deeds did have a great inspiring effect on the morale and morale of the soldiers. When his words were spread, not only the soldiers in the imperial camp, but also the civilian men working along the coast became more energetic. Come on, the slogans of slimming are even more powerful. After all, even His Majesty the Emperor is accompanying them, blowing in the wind, and watching them.