The prince is more stable

Chapter 660 Dividing Forces for a Delayed Attack
Several days after the Song army captured Hejian Prefecture, the news finally spread throughout the land.

The world was astonished.

The impact of this war on the world is enough to be recorded in history books in great detail.

This was the second time in a century since Emperor Taizong's surprise attack on Youzhou that the Song Dynasty had launched an offensive campaign to reclaim Yanyun.

Moreover, the result of this battle was that the Song Dynasty recovered Hejian Prefecture, and the Song army led by Zhao Xiaoqian severely cracked the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, which had been ruled by the Liao Dynasty for a hundred years.

As time goes by, this rift will widen, and whether the Liao Kingdom can retain the other cities and territories of Yan and Yun has become the focus of debate among the people.

Those who are not involved know nothing of what is happening within the situation; the arguments of the world are ultimately just empty talk.

They only see the result.

The good news spread like wildfire, shocking the people of the Song Dynasty, and the entire country celebrated with cheers.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were the obsession of the entire Song Dynasty emperors and subjects. They represented not only cities, land, and strategic locations, but also the dignity and respect that the country had lost for a century.

Now, Prince Zhao Xiaoqian of Hejian, leading his 100,000 elite troops, has reclaimed the dignity and honor of the Song Dynasty.

Wherever the news of victory passed, the people of the Song Dynasty's cities, towns, and villages beat drums and gongs, speaking with much more confidence than before. Their backs straightened unconsciously, and something unseen and intangible yet truly real was quietly growing in the hearts of the Song Dynasty's people.

It can be called "backbone" or "backbone." The significance of this battle lies in the fact that it injected a brand-new, vigorous force into the bodies of the people of the Song Dynasty.

The fall of one of the cities in Yanyun to the Song army greatly boosted the morale of the Song people. Conversely, the Khitan people of Liao were filled with panic and despair.

Ordinary people may not know the specific data on whether a country is doing well or not, but they can clearly perceive changes in their surrounding environment.

The Liao Dynasty was already in decline, a fact that all Khitans could clearly see.

The Khitans never expected that the decline would accelerate so quickly that no one could turn the tide.

The fact that Hejian Prefecture was easily captured by the Song army meant that other cities and territories in the Yan-Yun region could also be easily occupied by the Song army.

The once invincible Liao cavalry now seemed to be bewitched. Despite their seemingly powerful military force and numerous brave and fearless Khitan warriors, they were utterly helpless against the Song army, like clay made of paper.

So what exactly is wrong with this world? Where is there room for reflection?
However, the Liao people had no time to reflect.

After Guo Cheng joined Zhao Xiaoqian's army, the Song army finally had a stabilizing force in its rear. Zhao Xiaoqian no longer had any worries about the rear and immediately beat the drums to gather his generals.

Scouts reported that the more than 200,000 troops mobilized by Emperor Yelü Hongji of Liao had assembled in Dading Prefecture of Liao and were marching towards Nanjing Xijin Prefecture, estimated to arrive in five days.

The Song army had 100,000 men against the Liao army had 200,000 men. This is not a joke; the advantage was truly on our side.

Outside the city of Hejian Prefecture, the command tent of the Song army's main camp.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat in the head seat, looking at the gathering of generals inside the tent and the 100,000 archers outside, and felt extremely satisfied.

If he harbored even the slightest rebellious intention, his power alone would be enough to contend for supremacy over the world.

"Yesterday, our scouts reported that over 200,000 Liao troops have departed from Dading Prefecture and will arrive in Nanjing Xijin Prefecture of Liao in about five days. Gentlemen, prepare your troops; the next battle is about to begin," Zhao Xiaoqian said in a deep voice.

The generals inside the tent were not surprised but delighted, clapping and laughing, looking eager to try.

Zhong Jianzhong said, "Your Highness, I believe that our army should take the initiative to attack and set up a northern defense line in advance. It would be better to take Hejian Prefecture as the center and move the army forward fifty miles to set up defenses. If the Liao army arrives, our army can wait in comfort and annihilate them in one fell swoop."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "That's right. I plan to divide my 100,000 troops into two routes, starting from the northwest and northeast of Hejian Prefecture respectively. The two routes will form a pincer movement to deal with the Liao army in the north."

Zong Ze hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, why not simply lead our troops to capture Nanjing Xijin Prefecture of the Liao Kingdom, and then set up a defensive line centered on Xijin Prefecture? If Nanjing of the Liao Kingdom falls, the morale of the Liao army will surely be thrown into chaos, and our army can take advantage of this battle to recover the entire Yanyun region in one fell swoop."

The generals inside the tent immediately fell silent.

Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze had differing opinions, but their strategic directions both sounded reasonable. So everyone's eyes turned to Zhao Xiaoqian, knowing that the final decision rested with him.

Zhao Xiaoqian frowned slightly, hesitating for a moment.

Zhong Jianzhong's opinion was conservative, emphasizing caution in military operations. He suggested that the army should set up a defensive line centered on Hejian Prefecture. Even if they were no match for the Liao army, retreating to Hejian Prefecture would only be a matter of time, and there would not be too many casualties.

Zong Ze's opinion was somewhat radical. The current war situation was very complicated, but if Xijin Prefecture were captured, then the entire north and south of Yanyun would be clear. Whether it was the struggle for strategic locations or the extension of strategic buffer zones, it would be extremely beneficial to the Song army.

Moreover, if the Liao Dynasty were to lose Nanjing, one of its five capitals, the blow to the Liao emperor, his ministers, and his army would be enormous, thus sowing the seeds of the Liao Dynasty's eventual demise.

If it were a year ago, Zhao Xiaoqian might have chosen Zong Ze's suggestion. With advanced firearms at hand, a more aggressive strategy was understandable, since the Song army was confident of victory.

However, Zhao Xiaoqian still leans more towards Zhong Jianzhong's conservative advice.

As the commander-in-chief of the army, Zhao Xiaoqian had to consider more and deeper aspects than ordinary soldiers. He had to consider not only military matters, but also politics.

The political aspect encompasses two areas: Bianjing (Kaifeng) of the Song Dynasty and Shangjing (Shangjing) of the Liao Dynasty. Regarding Shangjing, Yelü Hongji is already inclined to negotiate peace with the Song Dynasty, and it's highly likely that the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun will be obtained through negotiations. If there's a way to recover Yan and Yun without bloodshed, why not?
As for the 200,000 Liao troops pressing on the border, although they seemed to be coming in a fierce manner, there was actually no need to be afraid. Zhao Xiaoqian understood Yelü Hongji's thoughts to some extent; the old man actually intended to use a war to force a peace.

The 200,000 Liao troops were merely a means of intimidation, and could also be seen as a bargaining chip for the Liao state.

If all goes as expected, the Liao delegation will soon arrive in Hejian Prefecture. With an army of 200,000 as their backing, the Liao people can be more arrogant at the negotiating table and make their demands more stringent.

Therefore, Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care about the 200,000 Liao troops at all. Whether these 200,000 troops were used to intimidate or were actually intended to fight the Song army, Zhao Xiaoqian was confident of victory.

Zhao Xiaoqian's biggest concern right now is the reaction of the Song Dynasty's Bianjing court.

The Emperor is no longer the same Emperor he once was. Although there was no disturbance in the court and Zhao Xu trusted him as always, Zhao Xiaoqian still felt a vague sense of pressure.

While it is certainly a good thing for the country for the soldiers under his command to kill enemy generals and capture flags, achieving countless merits, it may not necessarily be a good thing for the emperor.

The faster the war progressed, the more enemies were killed, and the more valiant and brave the soldiers appeared, the more suspicious Zhao Xu became.

With such an invincible army completely in the hands of his subjects, which emperor could sleep soundly?
This has nothing to do with so-called clan kinship or personal relationships; it's a matter of power struggle between ruler and subject.

After much deliberation, Zhao Xiaoqian finally made a decision.

"Temporarily halt the attack on Xijin Prefecture, and advance the entire army fifty li northward. Centered on Hejian Prefecture, deploy defensive lines in the northwest and northeast directions to meet the Liao army in a pincer formation."

With that one sentence, the order was final. Whether the generals in the tent supported it or not, the military order could not be changed. So the generals all stood up to accept the order.

"Each force will be split in half. Zhong Jianzhong will lead the army in the northwest, and Zong Ze will lead the army in the northeast. You two should immediately prepare provisions, weapons, and warhorses, muster your troops, and set off north at dawn tomorrow," Zhao Xiaoqian added.

This time, Commander Zhao Xiaoqian again delegated military power to his subordinates. He planned to stay in Hejian Prefecture and wait for the reactions of both the Liao Kingdom and Bianjing.

As the generals were about to disperse, Zhao Xiaoqian turned his head and looked around, asking curiously, "Why is Mr. Chongyuan not here today?"

Zhong Jianzhong smiled, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Your Highness, Mr. Chongyuan has been very busy these past two days..."

What is he busy with?

"Busy transferring stolen money... oh no, busy transporting legitimate income back to their hometown."

Zhao Xiaoqian stood there stunned for a long time, then finally sighed, "The top scholar was ultimately not clean after all..."

“It’s perfectly clean. It’s unclaimed. A virtuous person should keep it. Isn’t the top scholar virtuous enough? It should be his,” Zhong Jianzhong said hastily.

…………

The Liao Kingdom came to the capital.

The news that Hejian Prefecture had fallen into the hands of the Song army eventually reached the capital.

The imperial court was in an uproar.

As soon as the news reached the palace, countless Liao officials staggered and gathered outside the palace gates, kneeling and wailing as they faced the gates. Some were heartbroken, some roared in despair, and some were indifferent.

Outside the palace, the court officials displayed a diverse array of characters, while inside, Yelü Hongji was overcome with anxiety. Upon hearing the report, he immediately swayed, coughed up blood, and turned as pale as paper.

Yelü Hongji's reaction terrified the palace staff, who hurriedly summoned the imperial physician to the palace. The crown prince Yelü Yanxi and several important officials, including Xiao Wuna, also rushed to the palace to pay their respects.

Hejian Prefecture, also known as Yingzhou, is one of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Located at the southernmost tip of Yanyun, it holds a very important geographical position. With the Song army capturing the first city in Yanyun, this was undoubtedly a devastating blow to the Liao emperor and his officials.

Upon hearing the devastating news, the Liao emperor vomited blood, and the palace was thrown into chaos.

Xiao Wuna, Xiao Fengxian, and other important officials waited outside the palace. Yelü Yanxi also looked anxious and paced back and forth outside the door.

Outside the palace, besides Xiao Wuna and others, there were also some members of the Yelü imperial family and various prime ministers and envoys waiting anxiously.

One of them was about sixty years old, with an extraordinary demeanor and composure; he was none other than Yelü Yan, the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court.

Yelü Yan originally had a Han surname, and his father's clan name was Li. After joining the Liao Dynasty, he changed his surname to Yelü.

This man had a distinguished political career, having served as the Northern Court's Xuanhui Envoy, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the Prefect of Jingzhou, and the Vice Censor-in-Chief. Later, when Yelü Hongji was having trouble deciding on his personnel, he ordered the court officials to roll dice to determine their official positions. Yelü Yan was lucky and rolled the highest number, thus becoming the Northern Court's Privy Council Envoy.

(Note: This is a true story. This envoy was indeed appointed by chance. Yelü Hongji became increasingly incompetent in his later years, which is evident from this.)
Upon hearing the devastating news, Yelü Yan immediately entered the palace with Xiao Wuna and other court officials. The officials waited anxiously outside the palace, watching the imperial physicians rush in and out.

Everyone felt a deep sense of despair. The news of the fall of Hejian Prefecture was unacceptable not only to Yelü Hongji but also to the court officials.

After anxiously waiting for more than an hour, a palace attendant finally came out of the hall to report that His Majesty had been revived and summoned all the officials to the hall for an audience.

(End of this chapter)