The envoys from the Northern Liao Dynasty have arrived. This time they are not with the Xixia people... Let them deceive each other.
The envoys from the Northern Liao Dynasty came to the country for negotiations with the "sincerity" of King Yelu Hongji.
Requirements: First, cease the war. Second, the Song Dynasty withdraws its troops from the Yunzhou area and withdraws to Yanmen Pass. The Northern Liao Dynasty can reduce or even cancel the annual currency. Third, re-sign the alliance, maintain normal diplomatic relations, and continue the brotherhood between the two countries.
The credentials were submitted, but the officials paid no attention to him, nor did the entire political hall pay any attention to him. Even the ministers who kept shouting that he should practice the way of a holy king did not say a word.
Who would be willing to be offended if they had the strength? Since the imperial dynasty had captured the Yunzhou area, and the defense of the city was the advantage of the Song army, why should it be returned?
But the courtiers were not sure what the consequences would be if they refused Beiliao's request, so they did not dare to say anything.
Zhao Xi asked the Ministry of Rites to find the earliest Annan covenant containing war compensation, as well as the covenant with Xixia after the second Battle of Haoshuichuan.
Let Dou Bian take two covenants and tell the envoys of Bei Liao...study more. In addition, Zhao Xi also asked the envoys of Bei Liao to bring back a sentence: You started the war, but I said when the war will end.
Calculate!
At this time, Zhe Jimin of the Linfu Army and Guo Kui of the East Route Army had led their armies to capture Huanzhou and Shuozhou. They were cleaning up the stragglers and pushing the defense line towards the border states of Liaoning in the north, preparing to connect with Fuzhou.
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At this time, Zhong'e's Western Route Army had also captured Yingzhou, and part of it marched eastward, passing through Longshou Mountain and along the Hunyuan River, seizing Hunyuan and approaching the border of Yuzhou.
At the same time, most of the troops followed Zhong Hubei to the north and joined Di Qing's main force to defeat Yunzhou.
At this time, the order from the Council Hall to decide on a field battle in Hebei Province had not yet reached Lu Gong's hands. The entire Hebei Province was still anxious in the offensive and defensive battles. For more than a month, Hebei Province did not lose a city, and the battle losses were almost nothing.
...~After all, the new army managed to eliminate the enemy on the way to charge.
At this time, the Liao army understood how to avoid reducing casualties. Not only did they learn to advance with skirmishers, but they also learned the tactic of lying down when hearing the sound of artillery.
But skirmishers pose no threat to the city at all.
In such a war, the Song Dynasty was burning money, the Northern Liao Dynasty was killing people and horses, and the Xixia Dynasty was teasing the border troops in Huanqing...
The Xixia people were the first to be exhausted... This large army went south, the battle was fought, and the necessary formalities were completed.
The key is that the soldiers who were originally besieged in Xin County returned, and the Xixia people knew that most of the warriors who went to Hedong Road were killed by the Liao people, and the tribes no longer had the intention to continue to act with the Liang family.
Although the Xingqing Mansion had promised to give everyone the herdsmen, livestock and territory of the Shenyong Military Division in the left wing, they were brutally killed by the alliance, and there was a sense of sadness that the rabbit died and the fox finally forced Liang Yi to withdraw.
This time Xixia sent troops, it was more like an outing. If it were not for the territory and property of the Zuo Xiang Shenyong Military Division, I am afraid that Xingqing Mansion would not be able to account for the tribes that sent troops.
The trend is achieved!
Indeed, the combat objectives of the entire war were basically completed. Except for the first victory at Yanmen Pass, Bianliang had a celebration when the formation killed 100,000 people. Later, the continuous success reports made Bianliang numb...
The surrender of the Liao-Xia coalition forces, the conquest of Shuozhou, the capture of Yingzhou, and the siege of Yunzhou... I don't know where these are, but I know that the army of the country and the dynasty won.
We were originally worried that the war would cause food prices to rise. From the day the smoke was ignited, some people in Bianliang began to hoard food.
Who would have thought that not only rail carriages but also water transport would stop transporting merchants' goods and concentrate on transporting grain, forcing the price of grain to be kept at around 20 cents.
At first I thought the imperial court was trying to hold on, but it persisted for more than half a year. From spring until the cold winter, food prices remained stable.
“It’s hard to survive the winter!”
Winter is what Zhao Xi is most worried about. Even though most of the soldiers who are going to Hedong this time are northerners, the cold in Saibei is hard enough even for northerners.
Zhao Xi remembered that he once had a feeling... After passing Yanmen Pass, in the winter in the Datong Basin, he could feel the cold air in his throat and eyes when he opened his mouth and breathed.
"Officially, the woolen winter clothes from Gongfang City have been delivered. They must be able to withstand the severe cold outside the Great Wall."
The closer we get to the end, the more cautious we should be. Even if the court once again faced the possibility of losing money, the political hall still agreed to distribute woolen winter coats uniformly without hesitation.
Anyway, I owe Gongfang City more than once, so what if I owe it one more time?
"By the way, Prime Minister Fu, I once told the Ministry of War to send people to count and collect the spoils of war...that is, those with broken helmets and armor, broken copper and iron, etc., has the Ministry of War implemented it?"
"Your Majesty, the Armed Forces Department of the Ministry of War has sent people to do it, but they don't understand the use of registering these things, and they are still piled up in Xin County."
In the past, the soldiers still collected these trophies. Since the new army was equipped with armor from Gongfangcheng, even the armor of the Liao and Xia generals was no longer collected. In the eyes of the soldiers, it was really like scrap metal.
Fu Bi didn't understand, why did the government ask the Ministry of War to collect these? Since the soldiers didn't like them, they were really useless.
"Let the Ministry of War make a deal with Gongfang City. It can cover part of the cost of war preparations. Don't really let the imperial court have a hard time."
Gold, jade and jewelry belong to whoever seizes them. This is the custom.
Originally the armor was like this, but now the New Army looked down upon Liao Xia's armor, so it was really useless.
"Guan family, have you delivered the war horses to Gongfang City as well?"
The emergence of chariots eliminated the disadvantage of the imperial infantry against the Liao and Xia cavalry. The imperial court's use of war horses was limited to the role of rail carriages.
"War horses? It's better to keep the war horses and let the horse herders select them first, and then use them as draft horses in the end."
Not only war horses, but also Liao Xia's bows and arrows, Xixia's divine arm crossbows, etc. Things that were once rare are now used as scraps.
But Zhao Xi is still sober. The role of cavalry, including bows and arrows and divine arm crossbows, cannot be completely eliminated in this era. It is only right to effectively combine them with firearms and make these weapons play their role again.
After all, the range of current artillery is limited. In terms of long-range strikes, it is not even as good as the strong bow, let alone the divine arm crossbow, eight cow crossbow and bed crossbow.
Su Song also mentioned to Zhao Xi that the next step would be to focus on the combination of gunpowder shells and these long-range weapons.
Zhao Xi is very pleased that only when people who originally belong to this era have expanded thinking can they truly promote the development of the era.
Zhao Xi wanted to equip the soldiers going north with cotton-padded clothes. Unfortunately, Wang Shao did not find cotton in Hehuang, but only learned about it from Hu Shang.
Zhao Xi has ordered Sinong to conduct trial planting in the Hehuang area...
The war is getting better and will soon end. Zhao Xi once again turned his mind back to political affairs.
With this battle, the northwest border should completely switch from defense to offense, and the court could completely focus on rectifying internal affairs.
Waiting for the next Northern Expedition...~ Alas, if it were not for the shortage of soldiers, it would be possible to regain the sixteen states of Yanyun this time.