Abaoji climbed to a high slope and had a panoramic view of the vast grassland below.
What a beautiful sunset in the desert!
But I still like Liaodi. I was born and raised here. There are grasslands with rich water and grass, herds of cattle and sheep, sweet wild fruits, and warehouses full of millets.
There is also a forest sea that stretches far and wide in Liao land, and there are countless prey in the forest.
Triton is flying in the sky.
When the fishing season arrives, plump salmon jump out of the water.
I want to conquer Tatar, Shiwei, and Heishui Linjie, let them sacrifice their first goose to me, and taste the first pot-head fish feast after the beginning of spring.
The Liao land, which is rich in products, is the homeland of the Khitan people and the most fascinating place.
Abaoji couldn't accept that such a place was taken away by the Xia people, but now there are already signs of this happening.
Uncle Shi Lu was old and was surrounded by tens of thousands of Xia soldiers and was helpless. This was something Abaoji did not expect.
At the same time, I also unconsciously doubted, if I were in that position, could there be a better way?
The noise of people at the foot of the mountain woke up Abaoji.
He came back to his senses and looked at the endless green fungi. A different kind of pride arose in his chest, dispelling the new feeling of sadness.
Yanbei Grassland is actually quite magnificent.
Everyone loves his hometown, and every place has its own beauty. Every man who aspires to the world should refuse to be weak, have the courage to forge ahead, and incorporate every place into his own land.
Everywhere I can see is my territory.
The people in these territories should all submit to me.
Defeat all enemies, occupy all lands, ride the strongest horses, play with the most beautiful women, and rule hundreds of millions of people. This is the ambition of a good man.
"Yi Li Jin." A group of leaders and generals came over, and Yelukonechi was the first to say: "Although we did not gain much benefit from sending troops this time, if we withdraw now, we may be able to leave with the whole army.
The news has come through.
The Xia troops were divided into two groups. The Western Route Army used chariot formations to defeat the cavalry. It first covered up its weakness with lightning speed and captured the two cities of Jian'an and Anshi, which the Khitan people did not pay much attention to. It now has a solid foothold. If it were to be done alone.
That's right, there are actually reasons to explain why we didn't pay attention to it.
But what if we pay attention to the result? It is not bleak. People were pushed all the way into Liaoyang. Yu Yue Yelv Shilu mobilized tens of thousands of soldiers and horses but could not defeat thousands of infantry. He watched helplessly as they rushed into Liaoyang City, and his face was
It made a snapping sound.
The appearance of the Xia people's East Route Army was even more unexpected.
They actually mobilized a large force of soldiers and horses, entered the high mountains of Bohai Kingdom, supplied their army with food, war horses, and equipment from Bohai Kingdom, and unexpectedly captured Gaimou City, then attacked the new city at night and captured it again.
It is completely conceivable how much trouble it would cause the Khitan if the Bohai Kingdom really went all out to provide food and grass for the Xia army.
Heading east into the mountains? If the Bohai people are guarding there, maybe you can give it a try.
But if the Xia people were guarding, things would be complicated, and they would probably return without success.
From then on, they had the advantage of favorable geographical conditions, overlooking the Khitan people on the plains of western Liaoning. They would go down the mountain whenever they wanted, plunder and launch attacks, and the herdsmen grazing in western Liaoning would never have peace.
Anyone with some brains can analyze this judgment.
The news has spread, and the leaders of various tribes have indeed been talking about it recently - with the system of the Khitan tribal alliance, it is very difficult to do it.
"We just won a great victory, are we leaving?" Abaoji was very sad. Even Xie Shichi had this thought. What else could he say?
When King Xi went to Zhu, he was severely defeated by their plan to lure the enemy. He lost no less than ten thousand people, and tens of thousands of cattle and sheep were lost.
The city of Yuyi Town also fell into the hands of the Khitan. Abaoji had just ordered that the city walls be demolished and all the houses burned. The captives, cattle and sheep were all sent back and distributed according to the military merits of each department after the war.
this
It was a rare and hearty victory since the expedition, and it was a rare victory that surpassed the previous feelings. It greatly improved our own country. Abaoji would not be willing to retreat now.
He always felt that it would be difficult for the Xia people to move forward after a while. Uncle Shilu, with tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, could still block the enemy.
"Abaoji, if there are only Xia people, it doesn't matter." A chieftain said: "But if the Bohai people also get involved, things will be difficult to handle."
"Yes." Someone echoed: "If the Bohai people provide supplies, the situation of the Xia army's inability to feed them will be greatly alleviated. As long as their soldiers are not homesick, they can really defend as long as they want. Khitan men
, Immediately claim the throne. If we go into the mountains and attack those mountain cities, I don’t think it will be possible.
"It's better to go back first and try to see if we can capture those mountain cities. If possible, we can simply attack Bohai Country and make up for the shortfall."
"The people of Bohai are vulnerable to attack. They will be defeated as soon as they are beaten. They will run away as soon as they are defeated. It is better to rob them."
"Yes. The shepherds are very fast, but the farmers are not easy to run, so they went to rob the Bohai Kingdom."
"I captured the prisoners today and after interrogation, I learned that the Xia people have increased their troops several times in a row."
"Abaoji, stop it. There are Xia soldiers to the west, and there are more and more of them."
"That's enough!" Abaoji suddenly shouted.
Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what he meant.
"In the past, I led troops to conquer the Xi, Shiwei, Tatar and other tribes. It was not that I didn't encounter setbacks. In the end, I survived." Abaoji's eyes scanned the tribes one by one, including Yi Li Jin, the leader and the Sa.
Man, said: "Even when we attacked the Bohai Kingdom, we encountered overwork and failed because we were not good at attacking cities. Didn't we overcome them one by one in the end?"
When he said this, everyone was a little embarrassed.
Not much benefit could be gained, but people kept dying, so everyone was really a little anxious. To be fair, in the past seven or eight years, Abaoji's expeditions here and there brought a lot of benefits to everyone. This favor is real.
"How can a battle be smooth sailing?" Abaoji's tone became more severe: "Besides, our car still has the upper hand until now. Li Keyong of Jinyang has agreed to send troops. The Hedong cavalry will march northward in large numbers, and the infantry may also march northward.
.In such a situation, what are you worried about?
Everyone wanted to refute, but Abaoji told the truth, and they didn't know what to say for a while.
Abaoji glanced at them and saw that no one dared to look him in the eye, so he said, "Even if you want to do it, it's not like this."
Everyone fell completely silent.
Abaoji did not completely reject the idea of retreat. He was still a little more relaxed. You might as well listen to what he said.
"First inquire about the movements of the Jin people to see if their troops are just a show of force, or if they are sincere." Abaoji ordered: "Before that, all the troops will take turns to march westward. Don't attack head-on, but mainly attack and harass. You can disperse.
You have to open up a little, and you can go anywhere. If you find the Xia people's pastureland, beat them hard and don't hold back.
This order was quite reasonable, and everyone felt it was acceptable, so they all accepted it.
Abaoji sighed silently in his heart. The chronic illness of the tribal alliance still troubled the Khitan.
As his understanding of the Central Plains deepened, Abaoji recognized the other party's ruling method more and more. Apart from anything else, this alone made him envious: When Shao Shude made decisions, were there so many people chirping? This also opposed
, then I don’t agree that I have to fight with you on everything, and everything must be discussed. Even the Khan and Yue Yilige have a three-year term, for fear that if a person sits in the position for a long time, his authority will weaken.
Heavy, making everyone insignificant and lose their power in the end.
The tribal alliance is really a scam. If there is a chance in the future, this loose system must be changed. Otherwise, even if you become a khan, you will not be able to truly hold real power.
*****
Outside Daizhou Pingxingguan City, Gai Yu firmly held Li Keyong's horse and refused to let him go.
Li Keyong was so angry and anxious that he raised his riding whip so high that he almost dropped it several times.
Gai Yu was unmoved and still stood in front of him, refusing to give in.
Li Keyong finally smiled.
build
Yu has followed him for many years, he is loyal and devoted, he is Yuan Zhong's Yuan Cong, how could he really fight.
"How could your Majesty take such danger and not go?" Seeing Li Keyong loosen his grip, Gai Yu was determined and continued to strike while the railway was hot: Shi Shanyou, Li Siyuan, Li Cunxiao and others were all veterans on the battlefield. They had their own way of fighting.
Proper. Even if your Majesty is worried, you still have to let them experience it on their own. You can’t take care of them for the rest of your life, right?”
"My sworn brother Abaoji won consecutive battles, conquered Sanquan, two large pasture lands in Yuyi Town, and besieged the Xianyou Palace. The Xia thieves are in danger and are in danger. If I don't go north, I will be unwilling to do so." Li Keyong said.
"Kuang Abaoji also invited me to the north for alliance meetings again and again, but I didn't even bother to do anything that broke people's trust."
"The king knows that there are more than two of them." Gai Yu said: "Although the Khitans won, the Xia people's losses were not great. The main force, Jingwan, has been guarding against us, just waiting for the king to go north. It doesn't matter if the cavalry goes north.
It comes and goes like the wind, so long as you can't fight and run away. But if the king leads the army north, things will be very different."
"Without infantry, how could Yanchang, Mayi, Shanyang and other places be defeated?" Li Keyong asked helplessly.
"This is a matter of concern. But didn't Li Siyuan and Li Dutou bring the brave and powerful troops to the north? There are still strong soldiers in Yunzhou, which is enough. There is no need for the king to go north in person." Gai Yu said plausibly: "
According to Khitan, the Xia thieves had been fighting with them for many days, but Feilong and other powerful troops never showed up. There might be a conspiracy involved.
"What a conspiracy!" Li Keyong threw the riding whip on the ground and said angrily: "One part of the Feilong Army is in Shuozhou, and the rest of the troops are either in Yanchang or Rouzhou. What is there to worry about? This battle is related.
It’s a big deal. If it fails, do you know the consequences?”
The consequences, of course, would be to completely lose the ability to interfere with the Daibei Grassland, turning it into a racecourse for the Xia people.
Of course Gai Yu also understands this truth, but he is really not optimistic about the war situation at this time, because the Xia people continue to increase their troops. Compared with two months ago, the number of people is almost more than 30%, but they still maintain considerable restraint. This is very important.
questionable.
"Your Majesty, the situation of the Northern Expedition is very confusing. If you are really uneasy, you can have your troops and horses wait and watch in Daizhou for support." Gai Yu said: "The fifth battalion has more than enough defense but not enough progress, so it is not suitable to take risks. Shi Shanyou, Li Siyuan,
The three generals of Li Cunxiao have very elite soldiers and horses. If they are unable to win, and the king leads the 50,000 infantry and cavalry of Xindai to the north, does it mean that there is definitely a chance of victory?"
Li Keyong was a little worried when he said this.
Gai Yu was determined and said: "The Khitan will indeed have the upper hand now, and they have enough soldiers and horses to suppress the Xia people. On the grassland, the Khitan people are much more convenient than us. Even if we occupy Rouzhou
So what? Can it be maintained for a long time?"
Seeing Li Keyong's eyes widen when he heard this, Gai Yu knew that he had said the wrong thing, so he quickly made up for it: "Your Majesty, our army can just attack from the flank. This battle was started by the Shi Khitans, and they should bear it."
.We just need to maintain the situation in Daibei and wait for the opportunity to move. Yes, wait for the opportunity to move! It's not that we don't fight, we just observe the enemy's situation first. The king is good at fighting battles and has a heavy army. Once he takes action, it will be difficult for the enemy.
Resist. The most important person should appear last. It’s not yet time.
Li Keyong suddenly fell silent and didn't speak for a long time.
Gai Yu was confused and quietly observed his lord's face. He didn't say anything just now, why did he suddenly look like this?
"You're right." Li Keyong sighed suddenly and became sentimental. He only heard him say: "This war was started by the Khitans. An army of hundreds of thousands has only become so bearish until now.
, I don’t think it’s very good, maybe he’s waiting for us to pull chestnuts out of the fire for him. That’s all, let Li Siyuan fight hard. If he can’t win, just retreat. I don’t blame him.
"Yes." Gaiyu achieved his goal, but he was not very happy.
If the situation is like this, there is really no way to be happy.
