Although the main force of the Liao army had been defeated, the war was not completely over.
Whether it is the defeat of the Liao army or the post-war defense, careful arrangements are required.
It’s just that Cao Bin and others have no time.
To make matters worse, Hebei's troops and horses had already been demoted by the emperor.
It is good for the emperor to be in charge, and Cao Bin is temporarily appointed as the commander-in-chief of the troops, so he can temporarily control the troops in Hebei.
But after the emperor left, he did not appoint a new commander. If Cao Bin also gave up, who would these soldiers listen to?
If the governors of various states do not control each other, they may fall into chaos.
Not to mention clearing out the remaining soldiers and improving defense, even Waqiao Pass was occupied by the Liao people and was difficult to recover.
Once the troops ceased fighting and entered the negotiation stage, it would be difficult to return to Waqiao Pass.
"Huntianhou, how is the war going with General Zongbao?"
Cao Bin asked while waiting for his subordinates to gather their soldiers.
When Mu Guiying heard this, her eyes lit up and she said:
"Are you going to recommend Zong Bao to be deployed in the Hebei Military and Horse Command?"
Although Cao Bin did not have the right to appoint such high-ranking officials, he could recommend them to the emperor.
Yang Zongbao also had the opportunity to temporarily control Hebei's troops.
The Yang family themselves always want to avoid suspicion, but Cao Bin's identity is very suitable.
He is now the commander-in-chief of the army. If he recommends it to the emperor, the emperor will probably agree.
If he holds this position, not to mention being promoted or ennobled, Yang Zongbao himself will be much safer.
With the right to mobilize troops and horses in Hebei, his restrictions will be greatly reduced, and there will be basically no worries about a shortage of major generals.
So he quickly said:
"Zong Bao should be attacking Waqiao Pass."
Cao Bin nodded and said:
"If General Zongbao can regain Waqiao Pass, Cao will immediately ask the officials for instructions."
Mu Guiying gave Cao Bin a grateful look and said:
"In this case, Guiying will thank you for Zongbao."
Cao Bin laughed and said:
"Then Cao will wait for Uncle Huntian's thank you... But General Yang must take back Waqiao Pass, otherwise I will not touch your majesty's bad luck."
Mu Guiying rolled her eyes and said speechlessly:
"Don't worry, Guiying is not a person who refuses to repay kindness."
This guy is so realistic.
At the same time, she secretly made up her mind to send a letter to urge Yang Zongbao to regain Waqiao Pass no matter what.
This opportunity is truly rare.
Cao Bin was also helpless. He didn't want to get involved in this matter, but the emperor left in a hurry. He couldn't just leave the matter in Hebei and let it go to waste.
If an accident occurs after he leaves, the court may still hold him responsible.
Instead of doing this, it would be better to get rid of this hot position as soon as possible. Whoever happens to be responsible for it has nothing to do with him.
Among the guards in the counties of Hebei Province, Yang Zongbao was the most reliable and had sufficient qualifications, making him a very suitable candidate.
While they were talking, nearly 40,000 soldiers had already assembled.
In the battle of Dingzhou, although the Liao army defeated 80,000 troops, the Song army itself suffered heavy casualties.
There are only so many people left intact.
There was no time to think about anything else, so Mu Guiying led the 20,000 infantry to march normally, while Cao Bin himself led the 8,000 imperial cavalry to pursue the Holy Driver first.
After all, there are more than 20,000 Xiao Gulu's troops cruising behind, watching eagerly.
The emperor had no problem staying in the city, but once he marched out of the city, he was given the opportunity to make a surprise attack.
The Song Dynasty was governed by literati. Cao Bin now had no affiliation or faction, and his biggest backer was the emperor.
If the emperor dies, he will be the one to lose the most.
Without enough strength, reputation and foundation, any prime minister can manipulate him.
Therefore, no matter from personal feelings or from his own future, nothing can happen to the emperor.
If there is a way out, he doesn't want to take the last step...
South of Zhending, near Luan City.
Many imperial guards were guarding the holy driver as he marched at full speed.
Although the emperor was very anxious and kept urging, the speed still did not improve much.
After all, there is a mixture of foot and cavalry, and there are many ceremonial vehicles, it is not as good as marching lightly.
What's more, there is Concubine Pan on the chariot behind.
She was pregnant, and during the period of caution, the emperor did not allow her to ride on the carriage with him.
For fear of causing an accident to his own bloodline.
At this time, Pan Renmei was driving her horse to follow the chariot. Seeing Concubine Pan's face pale, she asked with concern:
"Mother, are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Concubine Pan shook her head and said:
"Dad, I'm fine, I'm just a little worried about the situation in Jingzhong."
Pan Renmei shook her head and said:
"Don't worry, Madam, I have elite soldiers and horses in hand, and those people can't make waves yet."
As he spoke, a cold light appeared in his eyes:
"They are so brave. They think they can recruit soldiers and generals and do whatever they want without me?"
"When I get back, let's see who dares to stab me!"
He is also a veteran who has led troops for decades, and has led countless generals, so he has the confidence to say this.
In the past, he might have considered taking sides, but if his daughter was pregnant with a dragon, anyone who dared to covet the throne would be like poking his lungs.
Hearing such domineering words, Pan Fei suddenly felt much calmer, nodded and said:
"That's good..."
Pan Renmei comforted her in a low voice:
"You can raise the baby with peace of mind and don't have to think about anything else. As long as the father is here, the child will ascend to the throne."
Concubine Pan was startled, looked around quickly, and whispered:
"Dad, don't talk nonsense. If there is not a boy in your daughter's belly..."
Pan Renmei shook her head indifferently and said:
"Believe in dad's vision, this must be a boy!"
"Furthermore, isn't Cao Bin here? That boy's 'qi training' is quite impressive. It actually made His Majesty's iron tree bloom."
"If this pregnancy fails, it won't hurt to ask him for help again, even if you give him more benefits."
As he spoke, he muttered to himself again:
"I didn't expect that this boy Cao Bin would be so fierce in his military use. I didn't pay enough attention to him, so I may have offended some."
"In the future, we have to change our strategy and win over him. With him as our sword, it will be much safer to earn a big position."
Concubine Pan was stunned for a moment and said:
"Daddy, what do you say?"
Pan Renmei explained:
"In our war with the Liao Kingdom, there were so few winners that even ordinary soldiers feared the Liao Empire."
"Cao Bin was victorious in every battle, and repeatedly defeated the Liao army, which shows his skill in using troops."
"That's all. His personal guards are invincible, and his men are even more brave."
"This is the key to the imperial struggle. If he can protect the queen, mother and son, at least he will not be afraid of someone forcing the palace to cause chaos."
Concubine Pan nodded thoughtfully, sighed and said:
"My daughter has known him for a long time. She thought that no matter how much progress he made, he would never be able to escape being a playboy."
"I didn't expect that I would become more active now. It's just a pity for my brother..."
As she spoke, her eyes lit up and she said:
"Isn't my brother on good terms with him? Why doesn't father call him back to train with Cao Bin?"
"Maybe my brother will change."
Hearing her mention Pan Bao, Pan Renmei's mood suddenly turned bad:
"Don't mention that rebellious son in front of your father, let him die at Yanmen Pass!"
