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

Chapter 328 Take action
An unusual commotion was detected on the opposite bank of the Yellow River? The generals' expressions changed, and they all looked at Zhao Ti.

Zhao Ti looked at Xinbing: "Is there anything unusual?"

Xinbing said, "Your Highness, Liao troops have been spotted on the other side of the Yellow River. They are coming from afar, and their numbers are unknown. They are stationed a few miles away on the opposite bank of the river."

"They stopped a few miles away?" Zhao Ti squinted.

“Exactly,” Xinbing said. “Looking out from the ice tower, all we could see was a dense mass of troops, impossible to count.”

Zhao Ti nodded: "Come with me to take a look."

Having said that, he got up and went out of the hall, and everyone hurriedly followed.

After a while, they left the east city and arrived at the Yellow River, only to find that the place had been transformed into a world of ice crystals.

The banks of the Yellow River were covered with ice barriers of varying sizes and heights, stretching endlessly along the riverbank.

Some of these ice blocks are jagged like spears, while others have thin, sharp edges like blades. They stand up irregularly, and their interiors resemble a maze.

Behind these ice barriers, there are many ice towers with soldiers standing guard on them, who can see the situation on the other side of the Yellow River.

Further back from the ice tower were endless igloos and ice houses, with thick cowhide walls and fur covering the floor for insulation. Charcoal braziers were lit, and wisps of heat rose from the doors, making them warmer and more stable than normal tents.

Zhao Ti nodded. When they arrived at the riverbank, they saw that the Yellow River, which should have been frozen solid, had many sections without ice, revealing the water and showing signs of turbulent waves.

Zhe Yanzhi, who had been leading troops to guard this place, reported from the side: "Your Highness, in three to five days, large blocks of ice will freeze on the river again. At that time, we can use them to build more barriers and houses. This will continue indefinitely, and the defenses on the riverbank will become more and more impenetrable."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Have you thought about how to deal with so much ice in the spring?"

Zhe Yanzhi pondered upon hearing this, then his eyes lit up: "Your Highness, we can take it away earlier and use it to irrigate the farmland after it has melted. It will be several times easier than fetching river water to irrigate the fields."

“Not bad,” Zhao Ti said, “And it can also…”

“If the Liao army is stationed on the opposite bank, we can build a high embankment and push these ice blocks into the river to flood the other side!” Zhe Yanzhi blurted out, but his expression changed.

Upon hearing this, the generals' expressions changed drastically. Flood the Liao army? So many blocks of ice were being pushed into the Yellow River. If this side was prepared, it would be fine, but the other side was unprepared and would inevitably be flooded.

By the time spring arrives, countless layers of ice have accumulated, likely flooding several miles away. Farmland in the Western Capital Road of the Liao Kingdom has been destroyed, ridges leveled, pastures collapsed, and villages and towns destroyed.

"Your Highness has killed several birds with one stone. Your vision and foresight are truly remarkable. Your subordinates admire you!" the generals exclaimed in unison.

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes and said slowly, "While flooding is feasible, it is far too cruel and goes against the will of Heaven. It should not be done lightly."

Upon hearing this, the generals exchanged glances, then bowed and said, "Your Highness is benevolent and kind; we admire you wholeheartedly."

Zhao Ti shook his head: "It is said that a kind heart cannot command an army, but humanity is paramount, and everything else is secondary. We should proceed with caution..."

As he spoke, he walked towards the shore, where he could already vaguely see the Liao army in the distance.

The Liao army originally had outposts on the opposite bank of the river, but this section of the Yellow River was very wide and turbulent, and no boats could pass through it normally, so the outposts on both sides were just for show.

Standing on the low-lying bank, apart from Zhao Ti, no one else could see the scene clearly over there, since the water was several miles away, even in the narrowest part it was still a mile or two away.

Zhao Ti observed for a moment and could only see that the Liao army seemed to be numerous, but they were not moving and he didn't know what they were doing.

He thought for a moment and said, "Let's go up the tower and take a look."

After returning to the ice barrier, we chose the tallest ice tower, climbed to the top, and saw that the view was much clearer.

Judging from the Liao army on the other side of the Yellow River, there must have been tens of thousands of soldiers, including cavalry and infantry, carrying black military flags with words that were faintly visible on them, but it was impossible to tell whether they belonged to Yelü or Xiao.

Besides the stationary cavalry, there seemed to be some kind of fortification underway in the distance, with crowds of people bustling about, creating a lively and bustling scene.

Zhao Ti looked around for a moment, then came down from the tower and pondered, “Given the current season, if the other side makes any unusual moves, it means they want to raise an army. Otherwise, they would never have sent such a large force to the other side at this time and gone to the trouble of setting up camp.”

Zhe Kecun said, "Your Highness, our side is heavily fortified, the river is impassable, and even sailing is difficult. Wouldn't the Khitan be asking for trouble by launching an attack?"

Zhao Ti shook his head: "Raising troops doesn't necessarily have to be here. There are no fixed tactics in warfare. What is real can be feigned, and what is feigned can be real. We don't necessarily have to start from here."

"Could it be that Your Highness is referring to the Mi'e River Military Command?" Zhe Keshi asked in surprise, "The Liao army is going to send troops from Mi'e River?"

“That’s right,” Zhao Ti said. “At this time of year, since the Liao army is pressing in from across the Yellow River, they must be planning to launch an attack. However, they should make their move over the Mi’e River. This place is too close to Wulahai City. They can use this as a means of containment and intimidation. Even if our defenses are good and our fortifications are strong, how can we just ignore it?”

“Indeed, the Liao army is very cunning.” Zhe Keshi said as he thought, “If we win at Miechuan, they might risk crossing the river. Even if they only make the move to cross the river, our army will have to be on high alert and cannot take it lightly. The Liao army’s coordinated actions on two fronts are meant to distract and entangle our army’s morale.”

Zhao Ti said, "Currently, the Heishan Weifu Army has only about 110,000 to 120,000 troops. It is difficult to send more troops from the south. We need to defend all areas. The court cannot send troops to reinforce us. If the Liao army secretly reinforces its troops in Milechuan, we must be on guard."

Zhe Keshi said, "Then what does Your Highness mean..."

Zhao Ti said, “Leave 20,000 troops to guard the Yellow River. Don’t worry about what the enemy is doing. Just remember to defend. With the ice formation in front, we can withstand several times the number of troops. Even if the enemy’s army tries to cross the river, we will not be able to break through in a short time. Leave 10,000 troops in Wulahai City, and the rest… all go to Miechuan.”

"Send them all to Miechuan?" the generals exclaimed in surprise.

Zhao Ti said calmly, "Since the other side is determined to launch an attack, then it is better to strike first than to strike later. We should sweep away all the obstacles in Miechuan and bring our troops to the city gates, so that any schemes or tricks they may have will be stifled and they won't be able to use them."

Is this a preemptive strike? The generals were all surprised to hear this, as it was tantamount to actively provoking war.

Although the relationship between the Song and Liao dynasties is currently tense, with Khitan troops stationed in Hebei and Hedong and some close-quarters combat taking place, it has not yet been considered a real war. Even though the Liao dynasty appears arrogant, the Song army is still exercising restraint.

Judging from Zhao Ti's words, he intended to advance his troops directly to the walls of Miechuan, which would inevitably lead to a battle.

Liao troops were stationed within 20 li of Miechuan City, confronting Song troops 20 li away. The advance of the troops meant that war was imminent.

Seeing everyone's astonishment, Zhao Ti waved his hand and said, "Seize the initiative and don't worry too much. Return to the city immediately to muster the troops and set off." The generals agreed. Although they were shaken, they were also a little excited. After all, the Liao Kingdom was setting up troops on the east bank of the Yellow River at this time of year, which meant they were bound to make a move. Rather than waiting for the other side, it was better to send troops first and catch them off guard.

However, since the Song and Liao dynasties had not fought for many years, this offensive was tantamount to breaking the alliance, and the Chanyuan incident was reduced to ashes.

Zhao Ti continued to issue orders from horseback: "Send troops on horseback to Miechuan to order the garrison to prepare for battle. Once the main force arrives, the vanguard will advance immediately!"

The generals were surprised to hear this. Was it going to be so fast? They had thought that the army would go over to reorganize before taking action, but they did not expect that the vanguard would move immediately as soon as the rear guard arrived.

However, this is also good. If a large army goes to reorganize, the enemy will inevitably notice and prepare accordingly, making it impossible to launch a surprise attack.

Then, upon returning to the city, Zhao Ti issued a series of military orders: 20,000 troops would remain on the banks of the Yellow River, 10,000 would remain in the city, and the remaining 60,000 troops, including the Dragon Elephant Army, would all be transferred to the northwest to head towards Miechuan City.

It was already afternoon, the sun was cool, the army horses galloped, the provisions and supplies were left behind, the soldiers carried dry rations on their bodies, they rested on the road overnight, and continued their journey in the morning, arriving at a place thirty miles outside Mi'e City around noon the next day.

Upon receiving the news, the more than 20,000 Song soldiers stationed ahead began to prepare.

When Zhao Ti led his army about 25 li away from Miechuan and 5 li away from the vanguard, the vanguard suddenly launched an attack, heading straight for the Liao army camp on the opposite side.

The Liao army confronted the Song army here and also built some fortifications, but they were right under the Song army's nose and were quite crude, since the Khitan were not good at this kind of thing.

Defense and city defense have never been the forte of steppe armies; they excel at using light cavalry to move swiftly like the wind, outflanking and killing, and launching surprise attacks.

Grassland cities are rare, and most of the terrain is flat and boundless, so fortifications are often not very useful. However, since the Song Dynasty lost a bet and was ordered to advance twenty miles into the Mie River, they had no choice but to build some fortifications.

These mainly consisted of trenches and horse traps, but they did not extend very far on either side, only forming a line in front of the camp.

The 20,000 vanguard troops of the Song Dynasty were well prepared. When they reached the vicinity of the trenches, the catapults behind the army launched a fierce barrage of arrows, while the soldiers hurled arrows at them. The remaining soldiers quickly built trenches with wooden planks.

It was cold at the time, but the Song Dynasty had no shortage of supplies to keep warm. Although the attack on Western Xia resulted in the loss of many soldiers and the destruction of a lot of military equipment, the gains were also enormous, especially in furs.

They obtained countless sheepskins and cowhides, and even tens of thousands of horsehides. Apart from the portion that Zhao Xu took with him when he left, the rest were all salted and preserved by Zhao Ti's order. A small portion was finely crafted into leather armor and the like, while the majority was hastily and roughly made into fur coats and other cold-weather items.

In particular, there were hand guards; almost every soldier had two sets of leather hand guards, which was incomparable to the simple hand garments worn by soldiers in the Central Plains.

After all, furs are expensive, and there is basically no fighting in winter, so ordinary soldiers would not be issued fur gloves, but only simple linen gloves, which are vastly different in terms of warmth.

The Liao camp was suddenly attacked and immediately fell into chaos, with shouts erupting from within: "It's bad! The Song army has raided our camp!"

"The Song army is attacking! We must engage them immediately!"

"The Song army was incredibly audacious; they actually broke the alliance and launched an attack."

"The Song army is utterly ruthless and attacked our army in a sneak attack; they deserve to die!"

The Liao camp was thrown into chaos, filled with howls and screams. Then, a furious roar came from the central command tent, its voice shaking the heavens: "How dare you raid our camp in broad daylight!"

Then the voice shouted again: "No disorderly conduct! Form ranks to defend against the enemy! Anyone who dares to disrupt morale will be executed!"

His voice was strong and resonant, clearly indicating his considerable internal strength. It echoed throughout the camp, calming the chaos within the Liao camp considerably. It was evident that the speaker held considerable authority.

Then, the man calmly gave orders, and a moment later, the Liao camp began to fire arrows in retaliation.

However, the Song army was well-prepared and had brought out catapults and other equipment. By this time, they had almost finished building the trenches and horse pits and were getting closer to the Liao army's camp.

The wooden gate of the Liao camp suddenly burst open, and a troop of cavalry charged out. But before they could disperse, a hail of arrows forced them back.

At this moment, the wooden fence of the camp became an obstacle, preventing the cavalry inside from maneuvering to leave and attack the Song army.

On the Song side, the commander was a general from the Yao family of the Western Army named Yao Shimin, the son of the famous general Yao Lin. He had always been dissatisfied with Zhe Keshi's authority over the affairs of the Heishan Weifu Military Command.

However, when the Song Dynasty rewarded meritorious service, Zhe Keshi made great contributions in defeating the Western Xia, while he was inferior in merit. Therefore, his official position was not promoted as high as Zhe Keshi's. However, he never thought that he was not capable enough, but only regretted that it was just a matter of timing and luck.

Yesterday, upon receiving an urgent military report from Wulahai, he realized that an opportunity had arrived. If he could defeat the Liao army and force his troops to the walls of Miechuan City, the achievement would be considerable. If he could also capture Miechuan City, then a promotion would be just around the corner.

Moreover, since war has begun against the Liao, no one knows how long it will last or how far it will go. They thought that with the fall of Western Xia, military merit would be hard to find again, but unexpectedly, they have this opportunity.

During the more than half a year he had been stationed here, he had always had a plan for attacking Liao in mind, with all sorts of strategies. He originally thought he would never need to use them, but unexpectedly a golden opportunity came his way. He calmly commanded and used them all, and the Song army advanced steadily.

The Liao cavalry attempted to break out of the camp several times, but were forced to return each time, and chaos erupted once again in the camp.

Now, overturning the fence is of no use. Things inside the camp are scattered and broken, and many stones are lying everywhere. Even if the fence is broken, horses will have difficulty running over it, for fear of tripping over it.

Upon seeing this from afar, Yao Shimin immediately ordered the rockets to be launched.

Normally, in the cold winter with thick snow, rockets would be of little use outside the city and would hardly ignite any fires. But at this moment, the Liao cavalry were unable to leave the city and their horses were neighing. These rockets were meant to further frighten the horses.

Arrows wrapped with cloth and burning oil flew into the Liao camp. The damage was not great, and not many tents were set on fire. However, some of them hit the horses and set their manes on fire, causing the warhorses to convulse immediately.

The convulsed warhorses ran wildly through the camp, one horse leading another, and the Liao camp was thrown into chaos once again, this time impossible to stop.

Then an angry voice rang out from the central command tent: "Withdraw from the camp from the rear!"

A moment after the words were spoken, only archers remained to provide cover in front of the Liao camp, while the rest retreated.

Upon seeing this, Yao Shimin was overjoyed and ordered the entire army to advance. The soldiers shouted as they charged forward.

In just a quarter of an hour, the Song army broke through the camp, and the Liao soldiers were seen fleeing in disarray, their armor and weapons discarded, heading towards Miechuan City.

(End of this chapter)