After taking a dozen deep breaths, Zhao Yun calmed down a lot. He looked at the letter again and saw that when it mentioned the number of people in the Jin army, it was only estimated to be about 10,000 people.
If this number is not much different, then the current strength of the Song Army on Huainan East Road is not too bad.
After careful calculation, the imperial court has 20,000 troops from Peng Yibin, 30,000 troops from Zhang Hui and Fan Cheng, and 30,000 troops from Zhao Fan. In addition to the 30,000 troops that Xia Gui just brought, as well as the various states and cities, if the critical moment comes, they can also
If at least 30,000 people are gathered, the number of troops that can be directly put into battle is 140,000.
Looking at the enemy, Yang Miaozhen has nearly 40,000 people, Li Quan has 50,000 people, and the Jin army has 10,000 people. Their total strength is 100,000.
Even if the Jin and Li Quan rebels are more powerful than the Song army, the Song army has famous generals in charge. Without making big mistakes, with 140,000 against 100,000, it can be said that they are almost evenly matched, and the outcome is still difficult to predict.
.
The only variable now is whether the Jin Kingdom will increase its troops?
Han Hong also received the news soon and rushed to Funing Palace.
After Han Hong learned of the situation, he said to Zhao Yun: "Your Majesty, according to my judgment, this Jin army is just a forward force, and there should be the main force behind it!"
Qiao Xingjian listened on the side and felt that the situation was serious. His heart was beating wildly and his face was extremely solemn. On the contrary, Zhao Yun was much calmer.
Han Hong then suggested: "Your Majesty, the Jin delegation is still at Banjing Pavilion. If they really want to fight with me at the founding of the Song Dynasty, then the Jin delegation will never stay for such a long time. I judge their purpose this time
It is better to use war to promote peace and force the Song Dynasty to cede territory and pay compensation and restore the annual currency."
Zhao Yun looked at Han Hong and said, "What does the Qing family mean?"
Han Hong was silent for a while, and finally raised his hand and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, the battlefield is ever-changing. If the situation gets out of control, the battle situation may change unpredictably. Then the Jin Kingdom's strategy of promoting peace through war will change at any time, and Lin'an will be endangered.
I'm afraid that year,"
At this point, Han Hong did not dare to continue talking, but whether it was Zhao Yun or Qiao Xingjian, they both knew what Han Hong was going to say. What he wanted to say was that he was worried about a repeat of the Jingkang crisis.
When Han Hong said this, his meaning was very clear, that is, now that the Jin State has intervened, the matter of annihilating Li Quan has become complicated. If we think carefully, we should appease the Jin State and let it withdraw its troops to prevent the situation from getting out of control.
Zhao Yun did not answer, but looked at Qiao Xingjian.
Qiao Xingjian was stunned for a moment, obviously a little panicked. Zhao Yun sighed in his heart. Sure enough, Qiao Xingjian was an honest man. He didn't lie to himself. He was a person who understood all principles, but could not accomplish big things.
Qiao Xingjian hesitated for a moment, raised his hand and said to Zhao Yun: "Your Majesty, why don't you summon the envoys from the Kingdom of Jin to find out what their request is. If it is acceptable, you can temporarily restore the Sui coins to let the Song Dynasty tide over the difficulties. We can do it again later.
It’s never too late for him to figure it out.”
Zhao Yun was disappointed. When the war came, whether it was Han Hong or Qiao Xingjian, they all considered making concessions on the grounds of safety. Such a response method sounded flexible at best, but cowardly at worst.
cowardly.
However, their thoughts can represent the thoughts of most people in the imperial court. Hundreds of years of continuous concessions in the Song Dynasty have made this thought model almost integrated into their bones.
Zhao Yun stood up slowly and walked back and forth in the main hall. There was an indescribable seriousness between his eyebrows, and his eyes flashed with a fierce luster from time to time.
"Blessings never come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone. Is it true that our Song Dynasty is doomed to have many disasters?"
Zhao Yun sighed. Suddenly, Zhao Yun turned around and looked at Han Hong and Qiao Xingjian with stern eyes. The two of them suddenly felt a powerful pressure covering themselves, making them breathless.
Zhao Yun said harshly: "The Kingdom of Jin wants me to give in, but I refuse to give in. Doesn't the Kingdom of Jin want to fight me? Then I will fight him!"
Han Hong was surprised and advised: "Your Majesty, the matter of swordsmanship is no child's play. Li Quan is like a stick in the throat. Now that Li Quan and the Jin Kingdom are joining forces, if the strategy is not right, the situation will be unpredictable."
Qiao Xingjian raised his hand and said: "Your Majesty, endure the calm for a while and take a step back to open up the world. Although it is humiliating to be content for the time being, standing in the future will be more glorious. Please think twice."
"You don't need to say anything. I have made my decision. Now we are not discussing whether to fight, but how to fight. You must understand this."
Zhao Yun made the final decision and there is no doubt about it.
Han Hong was the privy envoy. Since he had to fight, he had to find a way to mobilize his troops and generals to deal with the coalition forces of Jin and Li Quan on the Huainan East Road.
Han Hong frowned and finally said: "Your Majesty, I estimate that if the main army of the Jin Kingdom enters our territory, the Huainan East Road will need at least one hundred thousand additional troops, otherwise it will be unsustainable. If we want to win, we should increase our troops by fifteen
There is a chance of victory in all directions.”
Qiao Xingjian broke into a cold sweat while listening. The scale of such a battle was no different from the founding war.
But the battlefield is in the Song Dynasty, and the Jin Kingdom is dominated by cavalry. This means that if the Jin Kingdom fails, the most it can do is to retreat. But if the Song Dynasty fails, the dynasty will be destroyed and the ancestral temple will not survive!
After hearing this, Zhao Yun smiled. This made Han Hong and Qiao Xingjian dumbfounded. At this time, Zhao Yun could actually laugh.
Zhao Yun said confidently: "No, we don't need to increase troops on Huainan East Road. Jin's troops will not stay there for long."
Han Hong was confused, raised his hand and said: "I dare you to ask your Majesty for advice."
Zhao Yun walked up to Han Hong, held Han Hong's wrist, and said slowly: "Did the Qing family forget? We have prepared 15,000 troops in Xinyang. We had planned to cross the river to attack, but we never had the right opportunity.
, isn’t now a God-given opportunity?”
Han Hong suddenly realized it and couldn't help laughing loudly: "Your Majesty is wise, I am not as good as you."
Qiao Xingjian didn't know what he meant, so Han Hong explained to him: "What I don't know is that a few months ago, your Majesty and his ministers secretly assembled 15,000 troops and horses in Xinyang with the intention of crossing the river and launching a campaign.
The war against the Jin State forced it to cede territory and pay compensation. Now the Jin State has colluded with Li Quan and used troops on our Huainan East Road, which is already unjust. We, the Song Dynasty, just used this as an excuse to cross the river to fight."
The more Qiao Xingjian listened, the more confused he became, and said, "In that case, wouldn't we have to fight two wars in two places at the same time, which would be detrimental to our country, the Song Dynasty?"
"No, no."
Han Hong waved his hand and said with a smile: "Don't worry, the Xinyang army has been prepared for a long time. As long as the message is sent in time, they can cross the river immediately. At that time, they launched a thunderous offensive on the other side of the Huaihe River and approached Kaifeng. Kaifeng is now the capital of the Jin Kingdom.
I wonder if Jin Guo dares not to save him?
If he wants to save him, given the current situation of the Jin Kingdom, he must withdraw his troops from the Huainan East Road. Once the Jin army leaves, the morale of Li Quan's rebel army will definitely collapse, and annihilating them will be like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, with twice the result with half the effort."