"Okay, I'll tell you." Xiao Ying paused for a moment and said, "Well, the third brother is with you in the East Zheng. He is an old armyman. Please ask him more questions."

"That's natural." Meng Jiucheng said with emotion: "It's a blessing for Jiucheng to have the teachings and cares of several masters."

"Well, you kid are quite conscientious." Xiao Ying smiled quite satisfied, but reached out to her hand, "If you take the telescope as soon as possible, you will be even more conscientious."

Meng Jiucheng smiled and said, "I have already found someone to build it. Master Fifth will soon have toys to please Mingdang. However, is it so troublesome to marry Ming Lady? It's so easy to say that the matchmaker hires him and get married into a bridal chamber."

Xiao Ying curled her lips and looked very contemptuous to Meng Jiucheng. She waved her hand and said, "What do you young man know about the matter of sir?"

OK, I don’t understand, you can continue to play with your romance! But by the way, do men and women need romance in this era? Feelings are caused by sleeping, and I don’t even understand this, and I am pretending to be an old bird with me!

…………

During the Jiading period of Ningzong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1208-1224), although there was an "Shaoxing Peace Agreement" on the surface between the Song and Jin Dynasties and the "Longxing Peace Agreement" maintained a humiliating and fragile peace, in fact, wars between all and large and small have never stopped.

There were harassed by the Western Xia outside the Jin Dynasty, attacked by Mongolia, and the rebellion of Yelu Liuge and the Eastern Xia Kingdom established by Pu Xian Wannu in the northeast. There was a rebellion of the Red Coat Army in the east. It was already trapped on three sides, and the depressed momentum was already very obvious.

The Southern Song Dynasty could also see clearly the decline of Jin. After the Jin Dynasty moved south, the officials of the Song court debated fiercely about the harmony and war against Jin.

Zhendexiu, who was on the mission to the Jin Dynasty, pointed out that the signs of the demise of the Jin Dynasty were "presumably visible", but "those who are accustomed to peace are easy to control, while those who are arisen are difficult to tame". Mongolia is the biggest concern in the future. Therefore, the most urgent task is to "consolidate the border internally and spies externally", and pay close attention to the development of the situation.

Xu Yinglong, the Minister of the Ministry of Works of Quan, said with concern: "The Jin people are poor and flew south, and will overflow and jump into my realm. The Jin people will die and regenerate new enemies, which is particularly concerning."

It can be seen that although the Song court was at peace and not enterprising, it was still very cautious in its attitude towards Mongolia. Many ministers realized that this might be a replay of the "Xuanhe Old Things".

Despite this, when the minister Qiao Xingjian proposed that "the powerful Tartars gradually prospered, and its momentum was enough to destroy the Jin Dynasty. My hatred in the past is now my cover. The ancients had a cold trajectory that could be covered by the cold lips and teeth, and it was appropriate for the aunt to pay the coins to resist the Tartars", he was opposed by the ministers, who believed that this was "the result of summoning insults and the basis of the invasion."

Some students even denounced this as a treason for the country and demanded that Qiao Xingjian and others be executed. For a while, Shi Miyuan had no choice but to follow the wishes of the crowd, dismiss the annual monies and stop the envoys.

Later, people read history and the results can be verified by reverse deduction. Of course, they would believe that under the rise of the Mongol forces, Jin had turned from an enemy in the past to a buffer state today. As long as Jin could resist the Mongol attack, it would be possible for the Southern Song Dynasty to continue to receive annual tribute to Jin.

Moreover, annual monies were not a heavy burden for the Southern Song Dynasty, and trade with the Jin Kingdom could easily be earned back. If you do not break up with the Jin Dynasty and continue to lose annual monies, it would be beneficial to the Jin people to resist the Mongolians. In this way, the Southern Song Dynasty also had the opportunity to relieve time, organize strength, and fight against the Mongols' southward movement.

But if you don’t have the thinking of later generations, but as a Song people, wouldn’t you hate the Jin people to the core? The Jin soldiers went south and captured the two emperors Hui and Qin to return to the north. The court, including the royal family, was looted and the cry for revenge was never stopped. Do you still have to continue to provide annual monies in humiliation?

Therefore, although Qiao Xingjian and others have correct views, they are too calm and are difficult to accept in terms of feelings.

Despite this, the Southern Song Dynasty court was only the loudest in calling for "destroying Jin", but was extremely cold towards "Lian Meng". Even Zhen Dexiu, who advocated destroying Jin to avenge his revenge, believed that "the Jurzhen today was the destruction of Liao in the past, and the Tatars today were the destruction of Jin and the Jurzhen." He believed that Lian Meng might repeat the mistakes of Lian Jin and destroying Liao in the past.

The debate in the court had a result, which was to stop paying annual monies and sending envoys.

At a critical period of changes in the relationship between Song and Jin dynasties, not only the court decided on relevant policies, but local officials also played a very important role.

For example, Li Jue and Cui Yuzhi, two important figures in the defense of Huaidong, knew that the relationship between Song and Jin was weak and the peace agreement was difficult to last. They both felt that the border defense was weak. While vigorously building cities and strengthening the border, they wrote to the court, demanding to attract northerners in order to restore the Central Plains in the Northern Expedition.

However, Cui Yuzhi emphasized the defense and was relatively reserved and cautious about recruiting northerners; Li Yu was active in fighting and planning to restore, intending to recruit northerners, and even used these people to detect the enemy situation, harass the Jin soldiers, and encouraged them to engage in the cause of restoring their hometowns.

Just before the war broke out in the Song and Jin Dynasties, incidents such as invading the Lianshui River, the East China Sea, and the besiege of Sizhou in Huaidong should be related to Li Yu's planning.

Shi Miyuan was worried about angering the Jin people and was not willing to openly recruit the northerners in Nantou. However, he also felt that the bravery of the northerners might become a force to restrain the Jin people, so he secretly ordered the commander Li Jue and the officials of Chuzhou Ying Chunzhi to receive them and plundered a certain amount of money and food.

Since it was a secret order, that is, it would certainly not be widely known. In the name of recycling copper coins, Ying Chunzhi of Chuzhou quietly abolished the ban on crossing the Huai River. Without stopping the people who came to Huainan, they gave appropriate resettlement and began to recruit northerners to form the "Zodiac Militia".

This is undoubtedly a good thing for the northerners who fled south. For Meng Jiucheng, the lifting of the blockade of the Huai River will undoubtedly be of great help to him spreading news.

After more than ten days of rest, the reorganized Red Turban Army took action again, set off from the county town, and more than 5,000 troops marched eastward to Rizhao.

Through Xiao Ying's guidance, he reconsidered with Wang Zhongfeng, Han Shouzhong and others, and Meng Jiucheng changed the combat deployment.

After the army successfully occupied Pingshang Town, it divided into three groups. Han Shouzhong used the southern route to take Tuanlin, Mazhan, Shiqiao and other towns to be the southern barrier; Wang Zhongfeng was the northern route to take Jufeng, Taoluo and other towns to defend the north.

Meng Jiucheng led the middle army to join Beikou, Hushan and other towns, and arrived in Lanshan.

During this Eastern Expedition, the Red Turban Army finally showed some sharpness. Whether it was the landlords, the self-protection armed forces of the local tyrants, or the rampant bandits under the banner of the Red Coat Army, they would be eliminated if they did not surrender, and if they surrender, they would be taken over and dispersed and organized into the troops.

The armed forces entrenched in Rizhao County were only a thousand people, and the few were only one or two hundred. Under the powerful attack of the Red Turban Army like a fierce lion fighting a rabbit, they were defeated or surrendered, and were all wiped out.
Chapter completed!