Having enough to eat, wearing warm clothes, traveling quickly, and living comfortably should be regarded as the most basic pursuits of human beings.
Yelu Yixin's rebellion created an opportunity for the Song Dynasty to regain Yanyun and expand its territory at the same time.
Of course, this does not mean that the Song Dynasty did not have the strength to regain Yanyun in the early years, but that it could not meet the recovery standards in Zhao Xi's mind.
Because of Yelu Yixin's rebellion, Zhao Xi had the opportunity to manipulate people's hearts and win them over.
Two years of war caused Bei Liao, which was not considered wealthy to begin with, to truly fall into a stage of material scarcity.
During wartime, materials have always been given priority for military use.
Cavalry and war horses were the first thing that the Northern Liao court needed to supply adequately during the war, followed by the Khitan nobles. As for the ordinary people, I don’t know where they would be ranked.
Therefore, in the past two years, the people of Beiliao have really been in dire straits.
In addition, after the Song Dynasty declared war on the Northern Liao Dynasty and set Nanjing Road, the main grain-producing area of the Northern Liao Dynasty, as a battlefield, the material supply of the Northern Liao Dynasty became even more scarce.
At this time, Yelu Hongji gathered hundreds of thousands of people into Dading City. To put it bluntly, he wanted those people who would have died of starvation to fight for him as buffer cannon fodder for all forces.
Therefore, the Song Dynasty’s food strategy still worked.
"How many people escaped in three days?"
The meal strategy formulated by Zhao Xi requires it to last for three days. After three days, Zhao Xi needs to know the effect...～
"When I returned to the official's house, there were more than three thousand on the first day, more than three thousand before noon on the second day, but less than two thousand after noon."
"On the third day, less than 2,000 people slipped down from the city wall throughout the day. The old minister ordered the receptionist to inquire. According to those who escaped on the last day, there will be another murder in Dading City!"
"The people guarding the city became panicked because some people started to escape. Yelu Hongji also realized that it was inappropriate, so he started killing people!"
Wang Anshi and even the cabinet did not quite understand the official meal offensive and thought it was a bit of a joke. Unexpectedly, it was really effective, so they paid more attention. There was no need for a scribe to report it. Wang Anshi understood the specific situation very well.
"The official family, I think the food offensive can continue for a few more days..."
"Prince Wang, are you saying that Yelu Hongji killed someone in Dading City?"
"Indeed. Not only did they kill people, but they also started to implement the policy of grouping and zoning the people. If one person escapes, ten people will sit together. This is also the reason why after the third day, the number of people who escaped was reduced."
"Officials and veterans believe that although the number of people escaping is decreasing day by day, it is still effective."
At this time, Wang Anshi no longer doubted the official tactics.
Killed someone?
Maybe the so-called rulers at this time really didn't care about the lives of the people.
Taizong of the previous dynasty once said that water can carry a boat but also capsize it. Could it be that Yelu Hongji didn't understand?
As a descendant, Zhao Xi knows very well how powerful the people's hearts are.
It feels like Yelu Hongji is cooperating with him to expand his territory...
"Let's carry out the second step of the offensive!"
Plans have been made and all supplies are ready.
"Guan family, don't you need to continue the food offensive?"
"No need! The purpose of the food offensive was to make Yelu Hongji angry. They have already killed people, so there is no need to continue..."
The next day, the Song Dynasty surrounded the troops in Dading Prefecture. The Huotou Army, which was originally in advance, began to retreat. It did not really retreat to the position where the Huotou Army should be, but only reached the second sequence.
The entire team surrounding Dading Mansion was preceded by something similar to a trumpet...
The large opening with a diameter of one foot gradually shrinks back, really like a trumpet.
Is this a new type of artillery from the Song Dynasty?
The people on the city wall who had no cannon fodder consciousness also knew that the Song Dynasty now had firearms, very terrifying firearms.
Fear spread over the entire city of Dading, and the human shields piled up in a chaotic manner, pushing and shoving, so that the entire Song Dynasty's front army could see...
Killing again!
It was not the Khitans killed by the Song Dynasty, but the soldiers of the Northern Liao Dynasty who were supervising the battle on the city wall and began to kill the restless cannon fodder people... They did not want to be exposed to the sight of the Song Dynasty's artillery.
And the restlessness and pushing of those human shields inevitably exposed them... The Song Dynasty not only had artillery, but also muskets, which were comparable to the shooting distance of a five-stone bow...
Therefore, those governors of Bei Liao need human shields and must not leave any gaps...~
"Brothers of the Khitan people in the city, this is not a cannon, this is a trumpet. There is no need to be nervous!"
Just after returning to the correct human shield formation on the top of the city, the troops besieging the city in the Song Dynasty started shouting from all directions... It was really a loudspeaker.
"Going back to a long time ago, whether it's the Khitans or the Han people, we are all subjects of the same dynasty, and there is no distinction between you and me."
"In the past two hundred years, due to the ambition of some people, we have separated."
"Separation is not terrible, just like brothers who want to separate their families. As long as they all live well, anything is fine. This is also the reason why the Song Dynasty signed the Chanyuan Alliance with the Liao Kingdom and maintained the century-old peace between Song and Liao Dynasty."
This is a bit flattering! However, this is for the purpose of publicity... There is no way to refute it from the city.
"But what has Yelu Hongji, the Emperor of Liao, done since he came to the throne?"
"Believing the slander, he killed the virtuous queen. He also killed the virtuous prince, which led to Yelu Yixin's rebellion. The entire powerful and wealthy Liao Kingdom was starved to death, people were devastated, and the people were in dire straits."
"Since Yelu Hongji came to power, there have been many rebellions in the Liao Kingdom, resulting in countless deaths and injuries to innocent people and soldiers!"
"And this time, it was because he refused to accept Song's assistance in countering the rebellion that the Liao State was starved of supplies and the people were starved of food. What's more serious is that he was stubborn and refused to agree to Song's overtures, which led to the two consequences.
National War."
"And your Majesty, when the two countries were at war, he escaped with the elite of the royal family, leaving your brothers to resist the artillery of the Song Dynasty!"
"Just like now, he is hiding in the city, leaving you, the unarmed women, children, old and weak, to defend the city! Do you still need to respect and protect such an emperor?"
Every thirty or fifty steps there was a loudspeaker, shouting to Dading City in a synchronized manner among the entire army besieging the city.
"Brothers of the Khitan people, you can cook with very good iron pots, eat twenty cents of rice like the people of the Song Dynasty, wear Sichuan embroidery and Jiangnan silk, and even use the carriages and fresh things from the workshop city...
~"
"As long as you no longer loyal to an emperor who is not qualified for your loyalty, just leave the city of Dading City!"
"For a ridiculous, foolish, and incompetent emperor, you have already donated food, horses, and sons, fathers, husbands, and brothers. Do you still want to sacrifice your lives for him?"
"It's unnecessary! I won't let you eat enough, and won't let you sleep soundly. I gave everything you have to the current Emperor of Northern Liao, but what did he give you? He asked you to block the artillery fire of the Song Dynasty for him...
…”
"Leave. Whether you return to your home in the city or come down from the city wall, it is a way to survive. However, staying on top of the city is a way to seek death!"