I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 169 Setting the Grand Plan

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In the early Song Dynasty, after Zhao Guangyi's two attempts to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun both ended in failure, the Song Dynasty established a relatively complete defense system in the Hebei region near the border:

Taking advantage of the high elevation in the west and low elevation in the east of Hebei Province, and the numerous rivers, they blocked the Xu, Bao, Sha, and Tang rivers to form many interconnected waterways. In the central part of the Song-Liao border, stretching 450 kilometers east to west from Baozhou to the mouth of Niguhai, and 30 to 40 kilometers north to south, they constructed a "water Great Wall" and set up 28 stockades and 125 outposts to restrict the movement of the Liao cavalry.

Emphasis was placed on the military defense functions of cities at all levels, and adjustments were made to the layout of county and prefectural city walls. For example, in the sixth year of the Kaibao era, Shiyi County was merged into Huolu County, strengthening Huolu City's role as the gateway to the Taihang Mountains; in the eighth year of the Xining era, the county seat of Jingxing was moved to Tianchang Town, making it the military and political center of the Jingxing Basin. At the same time, in important passes along the border, such as Waqiao Pass, Yijin Pass, and Yukou Pass, city defenses were strengthened, city walls were reinforced, and tunnels were dug deeper.

In other counties in Hebei, such as Xiongzhou, Bazhou, Wen'an, Yongqing, and Gu'an, a large-scale underground tunnel system was constructed. These tunnels had complex structures, including military facilities such as hiding caves, maze-like tunnels, bunkers, and trapdoors, as well as living facilities such as ventilation shafts, lighthouses, and water tanks. They could conceal troops for long periods of time, and could achieve surprise victories in war, playing a certain defensive role against the Liao army.

At that time, Hebei was an important border region with a permanent garrison of 200,000 to 300,000 imperial guards.

Before the Battle of Chanyuan during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, there were more than 200,000 troops stationed in Hebei.

Until the Tiansheng era of Emperor Renzong of Song, due to the Treaty of Chanyuan, there was no war between Song and Liao for a long time, and the garrison in Hebei was reduced to only 100,000 (of which more than 95,000 were imperial guards).

Nowadays, due to the reduction of the patrol system introduced by Zhao Yu, the Hebei border defense garrison has only more than 80,000 troops left.

Of course, if you include the local militia and other similar forces, the Zhao Song dynasty had 100,000 troops in Hebei at this time.

At the beginning of Zhao Yu's reign, Yelü Hongji threatened to redraw the borders. Zhao Yu chose to respond with a strong stance. At that time, the Privy Council had put forward a feasible defense strategy, and Zhao Yu issued an edict according to the plan:

Border patrol offices were established along the border areas of Hebei, and patrol offices were set up in border areas such as Baozhou, Ansu Army, and Guangxin Army. These offices were responsible for local security, regular border patrols, formulating defense strategies, and dispatching troops to strengthen control over the border areas. The Hebei Border Pacification Office was also established in Xiongzhou, which governed the armies of Baozhou, Ansu Army, Guangxin Army, and Bazhou. Its responsibilities included consolidating border defenses, resolving border conflicts, handling espionage, and coordinating defense work in the border areas.

At the same time, the Privy Council issued its highest directive to the Hebei Imperial Guards:
They concentrated heavy troops at the three garrisons of Zhengding Prefecture, Dingzhou, and Gaoyang Pass, forming a strategic defensive position with the three towns standing apart to control the Khitan cavalry; they prepared to defend against them when they came and did not pursue them when they left; they dredged moats, built fortifications, and expanded the number of new stockades.

This strategy aimed to prioritize defense, avoid large-scale field battles with the Liao army, and resist Liao invasions through strong fortifications and rational troop deployment.

Before coming to Hebei, Zhao Yu thought that the Hebei region had been preparing for nearly three years, and he had repeatedly asked them to raise grain and supplies. In addition, with the existing defensive fortifications, Hebei should be almost ready.

Unexpectedly, when Zhao Yu arrived in Hejian Prefecture and heard the reports from Su Zhe and Cai Bian, who had visited various prefectures and counties in Hebei ahead of him, Zhao Yu's heart sank and his face turned ashen!
Su Zhe, bracing himself, reported: "Your Majesty, I have been summoned north by imperial decree, working tirelessly day and night. Along the way, I have seen that the generals and soldiers in the various prefectures of Hebei are arrogant and lazy, neglecting to train for battle, and lacking any military supplies. When I arrived at Gaoyang Pass to urge the troops to prepare for the march, I found that the rations were coarse and unpalatable, and much of them were located far away, making transportation difficult. Weapons were severely lacking, and even the necessary equipment for sieges and defenses was completely unavailable, all because Hebei has not conducted military training for a hundred years..."

Cai Bian's visits yielded similar results.

From the moment Zhao Yu ascended the throne, he began to fight corruption, and Su Zhe and Cai Bian were specifically in charge of this. As a result, such a blunder, no, such serious corruption, still occurred in Hebei. How could Zhao Yu not be furious?
The key point is that we are about to go to war with the Liao army, and Hebei will become the front line, so we need to provide the front line with food and supplies.

And then, at this critical moment, they told Zhao Yu that Hebei was empty!
Fortunately, Cai Bian and Su Zhe also realized that they had made a mistake in their work, so they quickly reported to the emperor that the grain and supplies transported by the court had arrived in Daming Prefecture. They had personally inspected them and that they would soon be transported to the front line by water, so as not to delay the war.

With the Song Dynasty enjoying a bumper harvest this year, and with local officials purchasing supplies locally in Hebei, there should be no shortage of grain.

As for the military equipment and supplies, they are almost at the front line.

Despite this, the poor state of preparedness in Hebei infuriated Zhao Yu.

It should be noted that Emperor Shengzong of Liao and his mother, Empress Dowager Xiao, personally led a large army south, penetrating deep into Song territory, and directly approaching Chanzhou, threatening Kaifeng, the capital of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Hebei Province was the first to bear the brunt, becoming the front line in the defense against the Liao army.

The Hebei Imperial Guards played a crucial role in this battle. They held fast in Chanzhou, repeatedly repelling Liao attacks with the city walls and fortifications. In particular, the Liao army's morale was severely damaged after their vanguard, Xiao Talin, was killed by Song crossbow bolts at the foot of Chanzhou. Meanwhile, the Hebei Imperial Guards, along with other Song troops, strongly advocated for Emperor Zhenzong to personally lead the campaign, thanks to the insistence of ministers like Kou Zhun, which greatly boosted the morale of the Song army.

Ultimately, the Song and Liao dynasties signed the Treaty of Chanyuan, after which they maintained a relatively long period of peace.

The steadfast defense and valiant fighting of the Hebei Imperial Guards in the Battle of Chanyuan earned the Song Dynasty leverage for peace negotiations, thus ensuring its security and stability.

Unexpectedly, in the long period of peace, the Hebei Imperial Guards gradually lost their fighting spirit, and their combat effectiveness declined to such an extent that it's no wonder they performed poorly against powerful enemies like the Jin army, failing to effectively resist foreign invasions, ultimately leading to the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty.

The key issue is the officials and generals in Hebei. They actually plundered Hebei to the point of being completely bankrupt. If Zhao Yu doesn't severely punish them, it would be an absolute injustice.

Su Zhe and Cai Bian have already detained all the problematic officials and generals, awaiting Zhao Yu's judgment.

Zhao Yu didn't waste any words. With a wave of his hand, he ordered a thorough investigation, and those found guilty were to be severely punished, their families confiscated, and their clans interrogated.

Crucially, capable officials and generals must be sent to replace them.

Because of the great importance of the matter, Zhao Yu asked Zhang Chun to help him select a group of reliable officials and generals to guard Hebei.

Zhang Chun also knew the importance of Hebei, so she selected loyal ministers and generals such as Chen Gou, Qiu Yu, Lin Yu, Liu Ge, Xu Huiyan, Huo Anguo, Li Miao, Zhang Xiaochun, Li Juan, Liu Yi, Han Hao, and Guo Zhongxiao for Zhao Yu.

Some of these people continued to resist the Jin dynasty even after the emperors fled or surrendered, so they were absolutely reliable.

Hebei was about to become the front line of the war between the Song and Liao dynasties. Only by placing these people in key locations could Zhao Yu feel at ease to compete with Yelü Yanxi.

Meanwhile, the various Song armies had secretly assembled in Xiongzhou, Bazhou, and Xin'anjun respectively, and the generals of each army had arrived in Hejian Prefecture one after another.

After discussing with his ministers Zeng Bu, Han Zhongyan, Su Zhe, and Cai Bian, as well as generals Guo Cheng and Zhong Pu, Zhao Yu announced that the Song army would be divided into three routes. One route would be the western route, namely the garrison at Xiongzhou, with Waqiao Pass as its main defensive point, led by General Zhong Pu and Supervisor Sun Lu, with the Northern Auxiliary Army as its main force. The other route would be the central route, namely the garrison at Bazhou, with Yijin Pass as its main defensive point, led by General Wang Shan and Supervisor Zhang Xun, with the Western Auxiliary Army as its main force. The third route would be the eastern route, namely the garrison at Xin'an, with Yukou Pass as its main defensive point, led by General Gao Yongnian and Supervisor Fan Chun Cui, with the Eastern Auxiliary Army as its main force.

Instead of retreating to Hejian Prefecture, Zhao Yu resolutely led his army northward to Xiongzhou, a key town in the northern frontier. He established his temporary palace there, intending to personally oversee the campaign and utilize political, diplomatic, and military means to coordinate and command the troops, hoping to halt the Liao army's southward advance and buy enough time for Zhang Jie and others to recover Western Xia. On this day, Zhao Yu convened a meeting of all military commanders and supervisors at his temporary palace.

Those attending the meeting included Zeng Bu, Han Zhongyan, Su Zhe, Cai Bian, and other high-ranking officials; Guo Cheng, the commander-in-chief; Zhong Pu, the deputy commander-in-chief; Sun Lu, Wang Shan, Zhang Xun, Gao Yongnian, Fan Chun, Zong Ze, Wang Bing, Liu Zhongwu, Zhong Shidao, Zhong Shizhong, Zhe Yanzhi; as well as the newly appointed prefect of Xiongzhou, Chen Gou; the newly appointed prefect of Bazhou, Xu Huiyan; and the newly appointed commander of Xin'an Army, Li Miao.

At the beginning of the meeting, Zeng Bu said:

"This place is located in a plain, with no land to be touched. The only defense we can rely on is the river. The tunnels dug in the early years to strengthen the defense of the three passes have mostly fallen into disrepair and are no longer usable. They are no longer able to hide troops, transport troops, or transmit intelligence."

"Back then, our Great Song Dynasty spent a lot of time and effort digging dikes and building embankments to construct two sections of the Great Wall of Water, totaling eight sections, with twenty-six fortresses and one hundred and twenty-five outposts. However, due to the Yellow River changing its course, the lack of dredging of the waterways, and years of disrepair, they have become virtually useless. Most of the warships that were deployed to complement the Great Wall of Water are also unusable due to years of neglect. The fortifications set up where the Great Wall of Water did not connect have long been cut down, making it impossible to delay cavalry attacks. This eight-hundred-mile military defense system has become a mere shell of its former self..."

Although he had long anticipated this outcome, Zhao Yu still felt deeply regretful that such a massive water conservancy and defense project, which the Song Dynasty had spared no effort and spent a fortune to construct, had been lost.

The key question is, without these fortifications, how could the Song army stop the Liao army from advancing south?

It should be noted that the Song army's field combat capabilities have always been inferior to those of the Liao army, and they could only rely on natural conditions to hold their ground.

Zeng Bu continued, "Even if we can establish a boundary along the river, even if we have a water-walled Great Wall, it won't be very effective. This place is located in the north, and the river freezes in winter. It's already late autumn, and if we delay for another two months, winter will arrive. At that time, all the defensive facilities on the front line will be useless. The Liao cavalry can easily bypass our three passes and the water-walled Great Wall and attack the heart of our Great Song. The capital will be in grave danger..."

It must be said that Zeng Bu's military skills were quite good. He arrived at the Xiongzhou front line a dozen days earlier than Zhao Yu, and he already had a clear understanding of the situation there.

As the Commander-in-Chief, or frontline commander, Guo Cheng said at the meeting: "We now have two paths to take: one to defend and one to attack."

Guo Cheng didn't keep him in suspense. He said, "If we defend, Your Majesty should retreat to the capital, disperse the army to various important towns in Hebei, fortify the walls and enforce martial law, collect the people and clear the fields, so that the enemy cannot advance and has nothing to plunder. The army will be exhausted and demoralized. Select generals to lead the army, divide the troops into four routes, surround and annihilate the Liao army, and prevent them from returning home."

Upon hearing Guo Cheng's words, the generals nodded in agreement. This was the method the Song Dynasty had always used to deal with the Liao army. In fact, it could be said that the Song army had used this method to defeat the Liao army and facilitate the Treaty of Chanyuan.

However, if Zhao Yu had chosen this path, he would have come to the front lines only to retreat without fighting a single battle. This would not have been a good thing to say, and more importantly, not everyone was a seasoned general like him and understood that this was a tactical retreat to defeat the Liao army.

In other words, if Zhao Yu were to withdraw now, those who don't understand military affairs would see it as Zhao Yu being afraid of Yelü Yanxi, rendering all his previous political posturing futile, and severely damaging Zhao Yu's prestige.

This might also affect the Song Dynasty's efforts to recover Western Xia.

In other words, from a tactical perspective, this approach is acceptable, but from a political perspective, it is absolutely unacceptable.

Zhao Yu remained silent.

Seeing this, Guo Cheng looked at Zhong Pu and indicated that Zhong Pu should tell him which route to attack.

Seeing this, Zhong Pu stepped forward and reported: "If we attack, we should push the battle line forward, with one force advancing into the Baigou River area and the other into the Fancun area. While the enemy is still gathering its troops, we should launch a preemptive strike, using superior forces to divide and attack them, disrupting the Liao army's deployment, seeking opportunities to annihilate their manpower, and thus deterring them from making any rash moves, buying time for our army to recover Western Xia..."

After Zhong Pu finished speaking, the room fell into deep thought.

Although this plan is risky, it is also the best strategy to defend by attacking. If it succeeds, it will not only demonstrate the military might of the Zhao Song Dynasty, but also boost the morale of the people and exert strong psychological pressure on the Liao Dynasty.

However, the risks are also self-evident; if the war goes against them, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Furthermore, according to Zhong Pu's idea, the Song army would immediately enter Liao territory and occupy a favorable geographical position, which was suspected of being the first to break the Treaty of Chanyuan.

At this time, it's important to have a legitimate reason for fighting.

If a cause has a legitimate reason, it can win popular support, unite internal forces, establish a positive image, and undermine the enemy's morale.

Conversely, if morale is low and public sentiment is uneasy, it may even invite criticism from all sides, plunging the Song Dynasty into a predicament both internally and externally.

Zhao Yu turned around and discussed it with Li Lin.

Li Lin felt that the Liao army had not yet witnessed the power of the Shenji Army, and it was very likely that they would be caught off guard by the Shenji Army in their first encounter, and suffer a major defeat. Therefore, taking the offensive as a form of defense might not be the best choice.

Zhao Yu then discussed the matter with Zeng Bu and others.

As Zhao Yu had expected, Zeng Bu and Cai Bian supported the attack, while Han Zhongyan and Su Zhe supported the defense. In the end, Zhao Yu had to make the final decision.

Zhao Yu quickly made up his mind: Attack!
Zhao Yu ordered Gao Yongnian and Fan Chuncui to lead the Eastern Auxiliary Army, and Liu Zhongwu and Zhong Shidao to lead the Shenji Vanguard Army, to advance into the Baigou River area to seek opportunities for battle and to take the offensive instead of the defensive.

Fearing that the two armies would be unable to coordinate in this battle, Zhao Yu appointed Gao Yongnian as the Grand Commander, in charge of this entire route.

Zhao Yu then ordered Wang Shan and Zhang Xun to lead the Western Auxiliary Army, and Zhong Shizhong and Zhe Yanzhi to lead the Rear Army of the Divine Machine Army, to advance to the Fancun area and use offense as a substitute for defense.

Zhao Yu appointed Wang Shan as the Grand Commander, in charge of the entire route.

Zhao Yu specifically instructed Gao Yongnian and Wang Shan: "You just need to focus on fighting. If you win, you will be rewarded; if you lose, you will be punished. The civil officials will take care of the rest, so you don't need to worry about it..."

……

(End of this chapter)