The prince is more stable

Chapter 397 Take the initiative
The most effective way to defeat a country is to disintegrate it from within.

This is why Zhao Xiaoqian kept looking for powerful people who could be bribed in the Liao Kingdom. Bribing ordinary people was useless. They had to be powerful people who could influence a country's policies and military.

From the perspective of national strategy, once there are problems with its internal policies or military strategies, these problems can be infinitely magnified and ultimately affect the country's national destiny.

When it gradually became a crumbling building, Zhao Xiaoqian only needed to give it a slight push and it fell down.

Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhao Xu had discussed the Liao Kingdom's strategy many times. Zhao Xu agreed with his approach. When there was more than one treacherous minister in the Liao Kingdom, it would be best if they could form a party privately. Otherwise, the future destiny of the Liao Kingdom would be uncertain.

A single slanderous word from a treacherous minister can kill an entire army and wipe out an entire family of loyal and good people.

Such a thing actually happened in history, but the target was the Song Dynasty.

When Qin Hui became the spokesperson for the Jin people, the Jin people were so arrogant that they told the Song emperor clearly that he was not allowed to remove Qin Hui as prime minister at will.

When the national hero Yue Fei was full of confidence and wanted to attack Huanglong, he was thrown into prison due to Qin Hui's slander. His final fate was to be beaten to death in the Dali Temple (Note: Yue Fei did not die in Fengbo Pavilion, that was the version in the romance novel).

The lessons learned from real history were all imprinted in Zhao Xiaoqian's mind. What Zhao Xiaoqian did today was just copying and pasting, changing the target and applying the same tactics that the former enemy used against the Song Dynasty to the Liao Kingdom.

When the Liao army arrived, Zhao Xiaoqian immediately left the city and came to the Longwei Camp.

Zhong Jianzhong led the generals to greet them. Zhao Xiaoqian entered the general's tent and without exchanging pleasantries with Zhong Jianzhong, he immediately issued an order that from that day on, the logistics department should prepare food, fodder, military equipment, horses, gunpowder, bullets, etc. The soldiers should train every day and not slack off for a moment.

When generals such as Zhong Jianzhong heard that the Liao army was about to invade, they were not surprised but happy. Everyone in the tent was ready to fight and was extremely excited. They looked so happy, as if the next step was not to let them fight to the death, but to invite them to a banquet.

Seeing the generals eager to try, yet hesitant to speak, Zhong Jianzhong already knew what they were thinking, so he rubbed his hands and said with a smile, "My Lord, my Dragon Guard Battalion is composed of brave and skilled warriors. We will defeat the Liao dogs without hesitation. However, I have a question, please let me know."

"put."

"My Lord, in the last Song-Xia war, our Dragon Guards not only made a name for themselves, but also made a fortune, all thanks to your military order. I wonder if your order still counts against the Liao dogs this time?"

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked. "You mean to ask, during this battle against the Liao army, will the soldiers keep all the loot they took, and will the court and the generals take nothing?"

"I don't care much about money. In fact, it doesn't matter. I'm asking on behalf of these brats." Zhong Jianzhong pointed at the generals in the tent and betrayed them without hesitation.

The generals were startled, then chuckled.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "As long as I'm in command, the rules of our Dragon Guard Battalion will remain unchanged. However, this time is different. If we are in the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, no soldier is allowed to burn, kill, or plunder the people of the Great Song Dynasty. Violators will be executed, even if the emperor implores them..."

Zhao Xiaoqian's face darkened as he spoke. "Everyone here, remember this: burning, killing, and looting the people of the Song Dynasty is strictly prohibited. No one should be harmed. Otherwise, if a soldier violates military law, I will not only punish him severely, but also hold the generals accountable."

Zhong Jianzhong and the generals were startled and stood up and clasped their fists to receive the order.

After a pause, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly laughed: "If the battlefield is outside the borders of the Song Dynasty, but within the territory of the Liao Kingdom, then our soldiers can be a little rough and wild. It depends on your ability to rob as many tribes and villages as you can from the Liao Kingdom. Money, people, cattle, sheep, war horses, everything."

The generals were stunned for a moment, then cheered loudly.

Zhao Xiaoqian also smiled happily.

Under the current situation between the two countries, if we still pay attention to military law and discipline in a war, it is really the view of corrupt scholars, just like the Madonna who loves flowers and plants all over the world. The Madonna is the most rampant in peacetime and dies the fastest in wartime.

Zhao Xiaoqian’s main task at present is to boost the morale of the soldiers and fill their pockets with money so that they will be motivated to fight for the court and become a feared and weak army with lax military discipline.

After a few days, when the Liao people heard the name of the Song Dynasty's Dragon Guard Camp, it would be like a child stopping crying and the enemy troops fleeing at the sight of it, which showed that the Dragon Guard Camp's reputation had truly spread.

"In short, prepare the entire army for battle and await our orders..." Zhao Xiaoqian paused and said slowly, "The Liao army may arrive in ten days, but we don't have to wait until they arrive before deploying our troops. That would be too passive."

Zhong Jianzhong was startled. "What do you mean, Lord?" Zhao Xiaoqian sneered. "Why do we have to wait for the Liao army to arrive and form up before we start a passive defense? Since you're planning to attack, why can't I be the first to do it?"

Zhong Jianzhong was surprised and said, "The Duke is planning to attack the 10,000 Liao troops stationed on the border..."

"That's right. While the 50,000 Liao troops haven't assembled yet, we should kill 10,000 of them first. This will also allow our soldiers to warm up and get familiar with the battlefield."

Zhong Jianzhong and the other generals looked at each other in shock.

The Song and Liao dynasties confronted each other for more than a hundred years. Since Emperor Taizong was defeated in the Battle of Gaoliang River, the Song army has been adopting a passive defensive posture over the years.

Since the day they were born, none of those present had ever imagined that the Song army would one day launch an active attack. The news was so shocking that no one could digest it for a while.

However, upon closer thought, Zhao Xiaoqian's method was the best option. Since war was inevitable, it would be better to take the initiative to attack, divide and conquer, and kill off 10,000 Liao troops first. The pressure on the Song army would be much less for the remaining 40,000 Liao troops.

Zhong Jianzhong pondered for a long time, then nodded and said, "Your Excellency, this is a good idea. We should report this to the emperor immediately. Once the court approves it, we can dispatch our troops."

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said, "This place is thousands of miles away from Bianjing. The opportunity for war is fleeting. If we report everything to the court before making a decision, it will be too late."

"Before I left Bianjing, I requested permission from the emperor. Whenever there's a war, we can fight first and report later. You all should quickly prepare. In three days, muster your troops and cross the border to surprise attack those 10,000 Liao troops. Let's try our luck first."

Zhao Xiaoqian's tone was firm and everyone knew that this was no longer a discussion with everyone, but the final decision of the coach.

Then all the generals stood up and clasped their fists together: "As ordered!"

Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly smiled again and waved his hand, saying, "Don't be so serious. Go back and tell your soldiers that the opportunity to get promoted and make money is right in front of them again. It depends on whether you have the ability to seize it."

"Our Dragon Guard Battalion's record of achievement is still blank. If anyone made merit in this battle, Old Zhong would be a role model, given a promotion and a title, and even have two or three more wives. Every day, I have to hold onto the wall when I go out, and my urination is bifurcated. This is a happy trouble."

Zhong Jianzhong was shocked, then his face flushed and he gritted his teeth and said, "I definitely don't have a bifurcation when I pee!"

This concerns men's dignity and requires explanation.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled: "We are all men, I understand."

The generals in the tent also said in unison: "We understand too!"

The public outcry was so strong that Zhong Jianzhong finally said helplessly, "...I really don't. I can even pee three feet."

Zhao Xiaoqian asked suspiciously, "You're peeing so far, aren't you afraid of your chest exploding? Do you want me to find a doctor? This is an illness and needs treatment."

"It's not necessary!"

The solemn atmosphere inside the general's tent eased slightly, but Chen Shou reported from outside the tent, "Your Highness, General Zhe Keshi from the Northwest has just arrived at Zhending Prefecture and is now waiting outside the camp gate for your summons."

Zhao Xiaoqian was shocked and immediately thought of Zhe Keshi.

A young general of the Zhe family army, a famous general in the northwest. When Zhao Xiaoqian left Bian Jing, he personally asked Zhao Xu for permission to bring him this talent.

Counting the days on my fingers, it has been nearly two months since the imperial edict was delivered by express horse from Bian Jing, and Zhe Keshi has only just arrived in Zhending Prefecture.

Zhao Xiaoqian has been so busy these days that he almost forgot about this person.

(End of this chapter)