In Tianzhang Pavilion, Zhao Zhen looked carefully at the map on the table. On the north of Hebei Road is the Khitan's Nanjing Daoxijin Prefecture, which is the Youzhou area commonly referred to in the Song Dynasty. The Khitan's state system is relatively complex, with states under the prefectures, and Zhuozhou and Yizhou bordering the Song Dynasty.

Because the Yellow River flows northward, the rivers in this area are crisscrossed and ponds are everywhere. In addition, the Song Dynasty has been developing ponds for decades, which serves as a barrier to prevent the Khitan cavalry from moving south. The geographical conditions are very complex. The Cangzhou area in the east through the Yellow River is full of swamps and sparsely populated, which is not suitable for large-scale military operations. The front of the military confrontation between the Song Dynasty and the Khitan was originally the front line from Baozhou to Xiongzhou.

After looking at it for a while, Zhao Zhen straightened his waist and said to Li Zhang who was standing on the side: "How are you doing with your handset for several months?"

Li Zhang held the scepter: "Reply to Your Majesty, there are too many things involved in Jiyishu. Although the weak ministers often put their hearts in mind, they still cannot fully grasp them."

Zhao Zhen said: "It's okay. As long as you know the general principles, you don't need to go into the details. Jiyisi must understand the geography of the two countries and the military information of the Khitan. In the court, the people are almost all-encompassing. It is impossible for you to know everything. Just grasp the great qualities for the court's reference. The rest of the details will be done by your own officials."

Li Zhang said: "Thank you for your understanding. I will learn to do it carefully."

Zhao Zhen nodded, left the table, and said, "In recent days, the people who resisted Mahe fled south through the northern people, causing noise in the court. The head of the Privy Council, Taiwei Du, believed that the people of Youzhou should not lose the hearts of the people of Youzhou, and those who escaped the river should be properly placed. However, the Minister Wen of the Central Secretariat was overwhelmed by the wars over the years and persuaded the court to appease the Khitan. Their arguments have been endless, which is really a headache."

When Li Zhang was talking about major events in the court, he stood there silently.

After the case, Zhao Zhen said: "I have accepted the people fleeing to the south. According to the Khitan's character, I may resort to force. Now, more than 200,000 imperial guards on Hebei Road, although there are a large number of people, it is still difficult to make the Khitan army come and go."

Speaking of this, Zhao Zhen sighed: "Since Taiwei Du returned to Beijing last year, he often explained military affairs, and I and the ministers in the court heard a lot. Now it seems that there are many disadvantages in the past when the imperial guards did not have a general. If they do not have a general, when the war comes, the army will not be able to reconcile and often lose. If they want to defeat the Khitan and restore Yanyun, it will not work like before. However, how can the imperial guards be trained in less than two or three years? "

Li Zhang said: "Since this is the case, Your Majesty will not issue an edict to return all the people who fled south of the Khitan to calm the anger of the Khitan. Wait for another two or three years, and the entire army will be completed and the war will not be too late."

Zhao Zhen shook his head: "If you return the person, you will inevitably lose the hearts of the people of Hebei. Not only that, the officials on Hebei Road will definitely feel that the court is afraid of the Khitan and will be restrained in everything."

Li Zhang said carefully: "In this way, then leave people behind? If the Khitan goes south, the army will fight."

Zhao Zhen shook his head: "According to the Taiwei Du, to effectively curb the Khitan, it is not enough to rely on the garrison on the Hebei Road. It is not that the imperial guards on the Hebei Road are not enough, but that the motorized troops are insufficient. Even if Liu and Ji are transferred, it is still not enough. Only by transferring Zhang Ji and his army from the Western Regions can we be prepared for any danger. The Western Regions, not to mention that they are thousands of miles away, there cannot be any mistakes there. Since the Middle Tang Dynasty, there has been no place under the rule of the Central Plains. It has finally recovered, how could there be an accident?"

After hearing this, Li Zhang stopped talking and stood there quietly. Obviously, Zhao Zhen is very confused now. He won a great victory against the Khitan at the beginning of the year, but now he doesn't want to show weakness to the Khitan no matter what. He doesn't show weakness, and he doesn't have enough troops to stop him.

The Song army lacked power. In winter, if the Khitan concentrated 20,000 to 30,000 troops, chose the weak defense of the Song army, and suddenly went south to plunder, the Song army had no choice but to do so. Without the strength to attack the Khitan immediately, he could only suffer a loss.

In the past few days, Du Zhongxiao, the Privy Council, meant to transfer all the troops that could be transferred to Hebei to form a solid defense line. However, the subordinates of the Secretariat, mainly Wen Yanbo, believed that the wars in recent years should be slow. Hundreds of people who went south returned to the Khitans, and there was no need to get into evil with the Khitans for these people. As long as they were delayed for two or three years, the Song Dynasty would not be afraid of the Khitans.

The officials in the court quarreled very hard, with some supporting Du Zhongxiao and Wen Yanbo, which was comparable. Since Du Zhongxiao went north to explore Hequ Road, the Song Dynasty army won consecutive battles in recent years, and last year it destroyed the Khitan, and the number of people who were responsible for war increased significantly. However, the wars cost a lot, and many officials also advocated a slowdown.

Of course, Zhao Zhen himself did not want to surrender to the Khitan. However, he knew in his heart that the soldiers and horses in the court were not the time to fight with the Khitan. This time, Zhao Zhen participated in the full process of the imperial guards, and understood the importance of the training. After hearing Du Zhongxiao talk about military affairs for a year, it was no longer the time when he knew nothing about war. As long as there were two or three more time, he could be confident in dealing with the Khitan, and he really didn't want to cause trouble.

After thinking for a while, Zhao Zhen stood up and went to the table to look at the map. After studying for a year, Zhao Zhen now knows roughly how to estimate the war from the map. There are many roads on the map, each road can support about how many troops, how much time it takes, and there is always a rule. Even how many troops can defend the front, how wide the troops can march, how fast the troops can complete the encirclement, you are generally aware of them.

Pointing to the map, Zhao Zhen said to Li Zhang: "The defense of Hebei Road is Baozhou to the west and Xiongzhou to the east. Behind Baozhou is Zhending Prefecture, and behind Xiongzhou is Hejian Prefecture. As long as you guard these four places, the Khitan will have no choice. If there are 200,000 soldiers stationed in the four states, even if the Khitan is the whole country, he will not be afraid of it. But now, it can only move out 100,000 soldiers, which is really annoying."

Li Zhang said: "If we follow the words of Taiwei Du, we will be transferred to the Hebei Road by Zhang Ji's army, there will be 150,000 people. In addition, the existing imperial guards are not afraid of the Khitan coming to the south. If the railway is built quickly, we will be even less afraid of building it to Xiongzhou before winter."

Zhao Zhen shook his head: "There are two difficulties. If Zhang Ji's army is transferred back to Hebei, it will be unprecedented. As for the construction of railways, the Secretary of the Central Committee has calculated that at most, it can only be built to Baozhou, and Xiongzhou cannot be reached. In this way, between Baozhou and Xiongzhou, one or two hundred miles is enough for the Khitans to go south. As long as the Khitan army is free, the court will find it difficult to protect its face."

Of course, it is not just about face, but where the Khitan and the Song Dynasty's offensive was. If the Khitans proved that they could come and go freely in the Song Dynasty, it would be a huge blow to the Song Dynasty. The victory at the beginning of the year was gone.

Li Zhang did not dare to say anything, and stood there without saying anything.

After watching for a long time, Zhao Zhen said: "This fact is important and you should not make up your mind. In recent years, you have won consecutive victories. Once you have lost your achievements, you will be afraid that you will shake people's hearts. During the Qingli period, the war with Dangxiang was unfavorable, and in the end you could only negotiate peace. For a whole year, no court officials dared to speak out. Du Zhongxiao came to Hequ and fought so many victories in a few years, so he raised his spirits and should not be abandoned."
Chapter completed!