The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 325 Response (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The Heishan Weifu Military Command had already stepped up its defenses to guard against a sneak attack from the Miechuan Military Command in the northwest and the Liao Kingdom's Tiande Army in the east.

Previously, Zhao Ti and Yelü Duanqing signed an agreement that they could not wage war for a year. Under normal circumstances, the other party might abide by it, but once the Liao Kingdom launched a full-scale offensive and mobilized a large army, the agreement would be null and void.

The Heishan Weifu Military Command currently has a total of 40,000 troops stationed here. There are no other places like Hequ with such a number of troops. Only here, to guard against the Khitan, is such a large number of troops stationed.

The geographical situation here is rather unfavorable. Although it corresponds to the border of the Western Capital Road of the Liao Kingdom, the Yellow River, a natural barrier, lies to the east, so the danger is not too great.

However, due to the loss of the Miechuan Military Command, the Liao Kingdom formed an arc shape from east to north and then west, and this place immediately became a prominent target, with the pressure increasing exponentially.

This place borders the vast grasslands and occupies part of them. Before leaving the military headquarters and heading north, one will step onto the boundless grasslands.

Zhao Xu's letter mentioned this matter. If the grasslands are indeed strange as Zhao Ti said, then the Black Mountain Weifu Military Command would obviously become a potential target for Liao Kingdom's sneak attacks.

Although the Liao Kingdom's unusual movements this winter are currently limited to the three prefectures of Dai, Xiong, and Ba, there is no guarantee that they will not target the Hetao region.

In addition to his soldiers, Zhao Ti also asked Zhou Tong to bring Huang Tianbiao along, since the old weasel was familiar with the grasslands and could ask him for advice if he encountered anything he didn't understand.

A few days later, the army entered the military territory and headed straight for Wulahai City. At this time, it started snowing heavily again, and it was already the twelfth month of the lunar calendar.

Zhao Ti, dressed in a single layer of clothing with only a fur coat over his clothes, rode on his horse with his generals following behind him. He looked around and couldn't help but exclaim, "What a beautiful snow scene!"

Huang Tianbiao poked his head out of the leather bag, quite excited, and put the snow into his mouth with both paws, revealing a look of intoxication.

Wei Hanchen, standing to the side, asked, "Has Your Highness developed a poetic sensibility?"

Zhao Ti nodded, then shook his head, and softly recited: "The scenery of the Northland is magnificent, with thousands of miles of ice and snow... To find heroes, look to the present!"

After reciting the poem, he gently spurred his horse, and the tall, blue-haired horse let out a long neigh and charged forward, with the generals hurriedly following.

At this time, Wulahai City was guarded by Zhekeshi. Upon learning the news, he led his troops out of the city to welcome them.

Zhe Keshi's son, Zhe Yanzhi, also joined the army, fully armored and looking quite different from his bratty street fighting days.

The army then set up camp on the spot, which took a lot of effort, as the weather was freezing cold and steel spikes were difficult to break through the ground.

Fortunately, the tents they brought were not ordinary tents, but thick tents made of several layers of cowhide, which provided support and stability.

Then he went into the city and listened to the military reports from Wulahai's generals at the military headquarters, and examined the military reports.

“Your Highness, since receiving the order, I have been on high alert throughout the entire military territory, and I have not seen any movement from the Mie River,” Zhe Keshi said.

Zhao Ti nodded: "Have there been any unusual movements from the Liao Kingdom's Daotaling Jiedushi, Tiande Army, and various prefectures in Yunnei on the other side of the Yellow River?"

Zhe Keshi said, "We haven't found any movement either, but I'm also worried about this side. After all, it's the dead of winter now, and the Yellow River is completely frozen in this section. The natural barrier is gone, and the other side can come directly across the ice."

“This section of the Yellow River is frozen over, and the natural barrier is gone…” Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes slightly: “So, if Liao really wants to take action against the Hetao region, then winter is actually a good time?”

“That’s right,” Zhe Keshi said. “In the other three seasons, the Yellow River is turbulent and difficult for a large army to cross. If there is a battle, we can simply ambush them from the riverbank. But now, the weather is freezing cold, the river is frozen solid, and the grass on the banks is withered. The view is wide open, so even if we wanted to ambush them, we couldn’t. If the Liao army on the other side of the Yellow River and the Liao army of the Miechuan Military Command attack from both sides…”

"Attacked from both sides, the Black Mountain Weifu Military Command is in grave danger?" Zhao Ti laughed, fiddling with the hand warmer in his hand.

The heater was exquisite, only about the size of a fist. It was given to him by A'Zhu before he left Xingzhou. There was also a leather bag wrapped around it to prevent burns.

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the hall fell silent. If the Liao Kingdom were to take advantage of the frozen Yellow River and attack from both sides, it would be extremely difficult to deal with.

Especially on the Yellow River side, if the Liao army crosses the riverbank, they will be heading straight for Wulahai City. Now the vegetation is withered and the land is flat, with no natural defenses. Wulahai City is not a formidable pass, so the situation is bound to be critical.

If Wulahai City were to fall, it would essentially signal the fall of the Heishan Weifu Military Command. If the Liao army were to launch a large-scale southward offensive, the entire Hequ region would inevitably be engulfed in war once again.

The Hequ region is unlike other places, where various ethnic groups live together. It has only recently been incorporated into the Song Dynasty, so its allegiance may not be very strong. There is a fear that internal strife may arise.

"Let's plan ahead," Zhao Ti said calmly. "Let's break the ice on the other side of the Yellow River and make obstacles. It's difficult to dig trenches in winter. Since we can't set up an ambush, let's create obstacles. Breaking the ice will loosen the river surface and make it easier to use local materials."

"Your Highness, this plan is excellent!" Zhe Keshi exclaimed upon hearing this. "Breaking the ice to create an obstacle is a win-win situation, both damaging the ice surface and serving our purposes!"

“That’s not all,” Zhao Ti said. “We can also build igloos and ice towers. Although ice is cold, it can keep out the wind. If you line the inside with a layer of fur, it will be warmer than several layers of cowhide tents, and it will save you the trouble of setting up camp and digging underground.”

"Excellent, excellent! Your Highness's plan is truly brilliant!" Zhe Keshi was overjoyed and stood up to bow. "This is a plan that kills many birds with one stone. In this way, the crisis on the other side of the Yellow River has been resolved. Even if the Liao Kingdom still wants to launch an attack on two fronts, it will be quite difficult on the Yellow River side. Even if they want to go around it, not to mention how many miles it is, they will definitely be outside the territory of the Heishan Weifu Military Command, so there is no question of a surprise attack."

All the generals rose and bowed, praising His Highness for his brilliant strategy.

Zhao Ti pressed his hand down: "Although there are ways to deal with it, we cannot guarantee that the Liao army will not force their way across. We do not know how determined the Liao Kingdom is to invade. If they are willing to risk casualties to carry out their mission, then we should meet them in battle."

Zhe Keshi said, "According to Your Highness's arrangements, we can withstand an enemy several times our size in battle."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "As for the Miechuan area, after the last agreement, we won the territory, and the army is stationed twenty miles away from the city, which is a bit too close. I wonder how the fortifications have been completed in all this time?"

Zhe Keshi said, "In accordance with His Highness's orders when he left, all the fortifications were completed. However, because they were so close, they all fell into the enemy's sight."

Zhao Ti said, "If we fall in, we fall in. This is an open strategy, mainly to intimidate. However, if the other side decides to launch a surprise attack, it won't be so easy. There will always be clues to be found, unless we go around to the north, but that would leave many clues and flaws."

Zhe Keshi said, "Your Highness is absolutely right."

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment: "Tomorrow we will go north to take a look. The only loophole is in the north. Whether it is across the Yellow River or the Mi'e River, the only way to bypass it is to go north. The south is all within the territory of our Great Song Dynasty, and we cannot pass through there."

Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison, and then the meeting adjourned. Zhao Ti rested behind the military headquarters.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, they set out with their troops and headed north out of the city.

At this time, snowflakes were still falling from the sky, and the world was a blanket of white. The horses moved slowly and did not reach the edge of the grassland until nearly noon.

Zhao Ti took Huang Tianbiao out of the bag, tossed it forward, and said, "Let's see if there are any changes."

The old weasel rolled in the air and landed steadily on the ground some distance away. Then, with a "whoosh," it streaked across the snow in a fiery yellow light and darted off. Zhao Ti rode slowly to catch up. Although the generals were surprised, they did not ask and all watched Huang Tianbiao's figure with curiosity.

A moment later, the scorched yellow light flashed back, and Huang Tianbiao stood upright in front of the horse, his hands clasped in a gesture of respect, and said, "Young master, I have fully recovered all my skills!"

As expected! Zhao Ti nodded. The opponent lost more than 90% of his power after leaving the grassland, but now that he has returned to the grassland, all of his power has returned.

When the generals saw Huang Tianbiao speak human language, they were all greatly surprised. Although they knew that the world was changing and that something supernatural was about to happen, this was the first time they had seen such a strange phenomenon, and their faces turned pale.

Zhao Ti glanced at the generals and said calmly, "The world has undergone great changes, and it is not surprising that gods, ghosts, demons and foxes have emerged. Martial arts and magic can overcome them. The imperial court issued an order to compile martial arts and Taoist scriptures for this purpose. There is no need to make a fuss."

The generals nodded, but they still felt a sense of novelty and stared intently at Huang Tianbiao.

Seeing everyone's shock, Huang Tianbiao couldn't help but feel a little smug. "I can speak human language, but you can't speak animal language. Doesn't that prove that my magic power is superior to yours?"

He put his paws behind his back, mimicked a human walk, and approached the horse, saying, "Young master, is there anything else you need?"

Zhao Ti said, "Let's search the vicinity for any fox-white immortals or demons."

Huang Tianbiao nodded upon hearing this, then turned and ran forward again. This time, however, it took Zhao Ti and his men several miles before they returned.

"How is it?" Zhao Ti looked at Huang Tianbiao. Now that Huang Tianbiao's abilities had been restored, and the snow did not affect the activities of animals like him, he should explore the farthest places.

“Young master, I have traveled to many places, but I have not found any immortals, nor have I detected any demons that have become spirits. Even wild beasts are rare, especially the likes of foxes, weasels, white foxes, willows, and gray foxes. I have not sensed a single one.”

"Not a single one detected?" Zhao Ti frowned. This was really unusual. In such a large area, especially on a grassland, these five kinds of things were common. How could they not be there?
“Indeed, none of them.” Huang Tianbiao shook his head. “I find it strange too. When I followed you, young master, away from the grasslands, I could feel a lot of things along this journey, but now they’re all gone.”

"Could it be because we're within the territory of the Song Dynasty that those things were summoned by something and retreated to the Liao territory?" Zhao Ti pondered.

“Young master, it’s not impossible,” Huang Tianbiao said. “However, I was still some distance from the Liao border just now and didn’t get a chance to check it out.”

"Come back," Zhao Ti said. Huang Tianbiao darted into the leather bag next to the horse, with only his head sticking out.

Zhao Ti turned his horse around and ordered a return to Wulahai. By the time they reached the city, it was already dark.

After resting, Zhao Ti summoned everyone to continue the meeting the next day. He said that something was wrong with what he had discovered yesterday. Whether it was a great immortal or an ordinary fox spirit, weasel, or willow catkin, it would not have left on its own. It must have been ordered to leave in an organized manner.

Could it be that the shamanism or even the Liao Dynasty ordered them to withdraw?

They wrote to Zhao Xu to see if he could communicate with the City God, the Earth God, and other deities. The Liao Kingdom could also contact those immortals and bring them under its control.

If that's the case, we can't help but be wary of demons and ghosts getting involved in the war. Although our current magical power and spells seem insufficient to cause large-scale damage to the army, sometimes influencing the course of the battlefield doesn't necessarily mean engaging in direct combat with the army and killing soldiers.

Often, a small trick can change the course of a battle, without even killing anyone.

Techniques like the Yellow Sand Technique and the Gale Technique, though no one seems to know them at the moment, would definitely cause the battle situation to shift or even reverse if used during a battle between two armies.

As the saying goes, "a small difference can lead to a huge error," so we must take precautions before things start to go wrong, or find ways to deal with them so that we won't panic when they happen and can respond calmly.

Zhao Ti explained the matter in detail to his generals and instructed them to relay it to the troops. He emphasized that the information should be disseminated strategically to the soldiers to avoid causing panic, and to devise countermeasures so that everyone would be well-informed.

Moreover, he also taught several martial arts techniques. They weren't particularly profound, but they were still somewhat useful. They were all external martial arts, which didn't require high aptitude. Although they couldn't be mastered step by step like the Dragon Elephant Kung Fu, as long as one had some comprehension, they were easier to learn and quicker.

In the following days, the army began to practice martial arts extensively, and fortifications along the Yellow River began to be built. Reinforcements from various prefectures gradually arrived, and it was already mid-December in the blink of an eye.

That night, Zhao Ti finished his meditation and was about to blow out the lamp and get into bed when he suddenly frowned.

Footsteps could be heard outside, and after a moment someone reached the door and knocked softly.

"Who is it?" he asked calmly.

"Your Highness, General Zhe has ordered me to add charcoal to your room," a young voice replied from outside.

"Add charcoal?" Zhao Ti said, "Didn't we add it once this evening?"

Zhe Keshi arranged for people to put charcoal in the charcoal stove every day. There were no maids or anything like that in the office; all the people who came were soldiers.

"General Zhe saw that the lights were on here, Your Highness, and fearing that the charcoal fire might burn out, he instructed me to come and check," a voice outside cautiously replied.

Zhao Ti's eyes flashed, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Come in."

The door creaked open, and a soldier in leather armor walked in. This was the military guard; ordinary soldiers only wore cloth armor.

"Your Highness." The soldier who entered saluted, carrying a basket filled with refined charcoal.

Zhao Ti looked at his face; he was a young man with a youthful appearance. He had seen this person outside before.

"Then fill in a few pieces." Zhao Ti pointed towards the charcoal stove, which was by the window, which was slightly ajar for ventilation.

"Yes, Your Highness." The soldier walked to the window, took out some old charcoal from the stove, and put in new charcoal.

He then turned back and bowed to Zhao Ti: "Your Highness, the charcoal has been added, and then this humble servant will..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly threw the old charcoal from the basket at Zhao Ti.

Although the old charcoal had almost burned out, the embers still inside the furnace were scalding hot; if splashed on one's body, it would surely cause serious injury.

Zhao Ti snorted and moved aside in a flash, only to see the soldiers also dart past, their bodies as fast as foxes and rabbits, their hands carrying layers of afterimages as they viciously grabbed at Zhao Ti.

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes, took a step back, and saw the soldier suddenly bare his teeth and let out a series of laughs.

The voice was neither male nor female, yet it resonated deeply and struck the very soul.

(End of this chapter)