In fact, Tong Guan's second military campaign to lead the Northern Expedition to Khitan and regain Yanyun's homeland was entirely under the control of Emperor Huizong.
Not long ago, Tong Guan and Cai You returned to Beijing and met with Emperor Huizong. They all blamed Zhong Shidao for the failure of the first Northern Expedition. At that time, Emperor Huizong was very angry after hearing the report of Tong Guan and Cai You. He dismissed all Zhongshi Dao Ben and all other positions, and appointed him as the economic envoy of the former Jingping Qing Jinglue Mansion, and sent Zhongshi Dao from the Northern Expedition. The front line was transferred to specialize in northwest defense. After a few days, the more Emperor Huizong thought about it, the more wrong he became. Tong Guan is the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition Army, and Cai You is the supervisor of the Northern Expedition Army. Both of them are powerful people. How can all major military matters be influenced by Zhongshi Dao, who is his subordinate? Emperor Huizong understood the way of cultivating teachers. Perhaps Zhongshi Dao does not agree with the Northern Expedition to Khitan, but it seems a bit inconsistent with the actual situation for Zhongshi Dao to interfere with the military operations of the Northern Expedition to Khitan.
Emperor Huizong became suspicious of Tong Guancai and suspected that Tong Guancai was not effective in fighting. In order to avoid responsibility, he placed all the faults on Zhong Shidao.
Therefore, during Tong Guan and Cai You's second Northern Expedition, Emperor Huizong summoned his chamberlain Li Liangbi.
Emperor Huizong said to Li Liangbi: "Previously, Privy Council Tong led a large army to the northern expedition to Khitan and regained Yanyun's homeland. However, he failed to do so because Lao Zhong did not cooperate. This time, Privy Council Tong was appointed commander for the second time and went to Xiongzhou. Recovering the lost territory of Youyan. Expedition to the Northern Khitan and recovering the lost territory of Yanyun is my greatest long-cherished wish. I originally wanted to go there with my chariot, but there were many things going on in the court and I couldn't distract myself."
Li Liangbi hurriedly said: "The official family is a body of tens of thousands of people, how can we move lightly?! With Privy Tong personally on the front line, there should be no danger of this Northern Expedition to Khitan."
Emperor Huizong said: "Privy Tong is my humerus minister. However, the war between Song and Liao is an important matter for the court, and I can't worry about it."
Li Liangbi said: "With Academician Cai supervising the army, everything will be fine."
Huizong shook his head.
Li Liangbi often served Huizong and was very familiar with Emperor Huizong's gentle and worried temperament. When he saw that Huizong still shook his head after he mentioned Tong Guan and Cai You, he thought that Emperor Huizong was worried about Tong Guan and Cai You. However, Tong Guan was the privy envoy and Cai You was the deputy privy envoy and a bachelor. They had high power and positions. They expressed their opinions easily. If they misunderstood Huizong's intentions and blamed them, they could not bear the responsibility, so they did not answer the question.
Huizong continued: "The old man is an honest and honest man. Tell me, why did the old man want to obstruct the Northern Expedition?"
According to Li Liangbi's understanding, Zhong Shidao was by no means a man of his own accord, and would not hinder the Northern Expedition. At this moment, Huizong asked this question, and Li Liangbi answered bluntly: "The officials know Lao Zhong better. I think Mr. Zhong will definitely not hinder the Northern Expedition."
"I think so too. However, according to the reports of Privy Tong and Academician Cai, the old man is 'naturally good at killing, arbitrary and arbitrary, disobedient to restraint, and does his own thing, assisting thieves in their plans, and thwarting the Holy Will.' I am also very doubtful in my heart. . The old man is not the kind of person that Privy Tong and Academician Cai say."
At this point, Li Liangbi became clearer and confirmed that Emperor Huizong did not trust Tong Guan and Cai You.
Li Liangbi then knelt on the ground and bowed three heads to Emperor Huizong. After the deduction, Li Liangbi looked at Emperor Huizong and said: "If the officials are worried about the northern military, I am willing to go with the army and report the secret situation to the officials at any time."
Emperor Huizong was overjoyed and said to Li Liangbi: "Get up quickly, my family doesn't have so much etiquette."
Li Liangbi then got up.
Huizong said: "This is exactly what I mean when I call you here. You changed your service and mingled with the army, secretly watching all the movements of Privy Tong. If there is any situation, report it to me secretly."
Li Liangbi replied loudly: "I obey the decree!"
After Li Liangbi left the palace, he immediately changed his service, mixed with the troops led by Tong Guan, and followed Tong Guan to the front line of Xiongzhou. All of Tong Guan's whereabouts in Xiongzhou were secretly reported back to Emperor Huizong who was far away in the Bianjing Palace by Li Liangbi; therefore, Emperor Huizong was able to know the situation on the front line of the Northern Expedition.
At that time, after Li Liangbi bid farewell to Emperor Huizong and left the palace, Emperor Huizong summoned an internal minister and ordered him to immediately go to the Kingdom of Jin to find Zhao Liangsi, so that Zhao Liangsi could meet the Emperor of Jin and urged the Jurchens to cooperate with Tong Guan's Northern Expedition to seize Youzhou. .
The ministers were ordered to rush to the Kingdom of Jin to find Zhao Liangsi.
The ministers sent by Emperor Huizong found Zhao Liangsi and reported Emperor Huizong's decree to Zhao Liangsi. Zhao Liangsi then met with Emperor Wanyan Aguda of the Jin Kingdom.
At this time, part of the Jin soldiers led by Wanyan Aguda, led by Wanyan Zongwang, went west to Yunzhou to pursue Emperor Tianzuo Yelu Yanxi; the other part stationed troops in Beigukou, waiting for the Song army to capture Youzhou .
Wanyan Aguda's plan was that when the Song army captured Youzhou, the Jin soldiers would hunt down Tianzuo Emperor Yelu Yanxi with all their strength. After Tianzuo Emperor Yelu Yanxi was captured, Yunzhou and others would be captured according to the original maritime covenant. Land was also exchanged with the Song Dynasty.
When the Song army attacked Youzhou, Wanyan Aguda occupied Beigukou and kept an eye on the progress of the Song army's attack on Youzhou.
What Wanyan Aguda didn't expect was that the Song army's soldiers and horses were so weak that they failed to defeat Youzhou twice in a row. Especially the second time, they all entered Youzhou City, but the Liao army was still wiped out in Youzhou City. As a pioneer officer, Liu Yanqing panicked and burned the military camp and retreated directly to Xiongzhou. Wanyan Aguda secretly noticed the weakness of the Song army and no longer respected the Song Dynasty so much.
Wanyan Nianhan and other generals, who learned about the Song army's consecutive defeats, could no longer hold themselves back and asked Wanyan Aguda to lead his troops to capture Youzhou. Because Wanyan Aguda had an alliance with the Song Dynasty, he felt that taking the initiative to send troops to attack Youzhou, which was agreed to be recovered by the Song Dynasty, would violate the alliance signed by both parties, so he did not agree to the request of Wanyan Nianhan and other generals. At this time, Zhao Liangsi came to see Wanyan Agu and beat him.
Zhao Liangsi came to Wanyan Agu's tent, bowed to Wanyan Agu, and said loudly: "Zhao Liangsi, the envoy of the Song Dynasty, pays homage to the emperor."
These days, Zhao Liangsi has been in Wanyan Aguda's barracks, coming to discuss mutual cooperation between the two parties. Because the Song army was attacking Youzhou, Zhao Liangsi only wanted the Jin soldiers from Wanyan Aguda to coordinate the Song army, but did not agree that the Jin soldiers should attack Youzhou. Zhao Liangsi did not agree that the Jin army should attack Youzhou, so Wanyan Aguda did not send troops across Beigukou, which caused the Song army to attack Youzhou independently. Now, the Song army was unable to attack Youzhou. Zhao Liangsi came to Wanyan Aguda and asked Wanyan Aguda to send troops across Beigukou and to the northern suburbs of Youzhou to support the Song army's attack on Youzhou with practical actions.
When Wanyan Aguda saw Zhao Liangsi entering the tent, he bowed and said, "Your envoy is not an outsider, so there is no need to be polite." Wanyan Aguda immediately asked Zhao Liangsi to take his seat. Zhao Liangsi sat down on a stool.
Wanyan Aguda said: "Your envoy has been in the army for more than ten days. I already know the situation you mentioned. The Jin and Song Dynasties are in an alliance. The two sides have agreed that the North is not allowed to go to Beigukou, South Vietnam, and the Northern Army is not allowed to In Beigukou, North Vietnam, Youzhou is responsible for the recovery of Youzhou. Now, the reason why our army is occupying Yunzhou is to capture Emperor Tianzuo Yelu Yanxi. After Yelu Yanxi is captured, our country will hand over Yunzhou to your country as promised , there is no need to say it again.”
Zhao Liangsi said: "Your Excellency, the Great Emperor. The reason why I came to see the Great Emperor this time is not to discuss the content of the covenant agreed between the two parties, but to request your country to provide substantial help to our country based on the current situation."
"Your Majesty, please tell me directly, how can our country be of substantial help to your country?"
"Your Excellency, the Great Emperor. In fact, the covenant signed by both parties is not static and can be modified according to the development of the situation."
When Wanyan Aguda heard this, he raised his eyes and looked at Zhao Liangsi.
Zhao Liangsi continued and said: "The Great Emperor is here. Our country's intention is that the national army can cross Beigukou and reach the northern suburbs of Youzhou to restrain the Khitan soldiers and horses to assist me, Privy Chaotong, in regaining Youzhou."
Wanyan Aguda thought to himself, your country's 200,000 troops attacked a small Youzhou, but they still couldn't defeat it. Now they are still so petty and stingy when they ask for help from our country. They only allow our country to provide assistance, and your country is still responsible. To attack Youzhou, why should I send troops? However, seeing that the Song army failed to attack Youzhou twice, Wanyan Aguda also had an idea in his mind. He thought that since the Song Dynasty invited Jin soldiers to come to Youzhou City to assist the Song army in attacking Youzhou, then crossing Beigukou now would not count. Breaking the contract, and depending on the situation, when the Song army fails to capture Youzhou again, it is not impossible for our country to take advantage of the situation and capture Youzhou. Thinking of this, Wanyan Aguda had the intention of sending troops to assist the Song Dynasty, and said to Zhao Liangsi: "Theoretically, our country must strictly abide by the alliance agreement and let your country recover Youzhou. That is your responsibility. ; Now, since your country has requested it, as an alliance between the two countries, we should assist. Our country can send troops to Youzhou City to assist your country's troops in recovering Youzhou."
Zhao Liangsi was overjoyed when he saw that Wanyan Aguda agreed to send troops to the city of Youzhou to assist the Song army in attacking Youzhou. He stood up quickly, bowed to Wanyan Aguda again, and said, "Thank you, great emperor."
Wanyan Aguda waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite."
Zhao Liangsi was not polite. He still stood and said to Wanyan Aguda: "The Emperor has something to say, and I still have to make it clear to the Emperor in person."
Wanyan Aguda then said, "It's whatever you say."
Zhao Liangsi said: "Great Emperor, your army arrived at Youzhou City and assisted our country in regaining Youzhou. Our country is grateful. However, when your army entered Youzhou City, it only played a supporting role and contained the Liao army, and was not allowed to invade Youzhou. In the city. Our country is still responsible for capturing Youzhou City."
When Wanyan Agu heard what Zhao Liangsi said, he was very unhappy. However, considering that the Jin and Song Dynasties were in an alliance, they had to give in when it was time to give in. So he suppressed his displeasure and said to Zhao Liangsi: "Just press Do what your country wants. You should work hard to attack Youzhou, and don't fail to attack Youzhou again, and your efforts will be in vain."
Zhao Liangsi hurriedly thanked Wanyan Aguda and said, "Thank you, great emperor."
