He looked at the emperor who was deep in thought after hearing his words. Huang Qiong thought for a moment before continuing: "Because winter is approaching, the Emperor of Northern Liao will not stay away from Beijing in order to avoid the cold. And since Northern Liao first proposed opening a mutual trade between the two countries, it is impossible not to do so in advance. Prepare. In other words, this person will set off from Shangjing around October at the latest."
"The departure from Shangjing in October to the entry from Yanshan Prefecture in early November shows that Beiliao was not slow at least in Beiliao. It was only after entering our country that they began to gradually slow down their schedule. Along the way, they The main route is Hebei Road. According to the past customs of Northern Liao invaders, Yanshan Prefecture was the main route, followed by Yunzhou on Shanxi Road."
"Bei Liao is a nomadic tribe, and the army has always been dominated by cavalry. Compared with the Shanxi Road with rivers and mountains inside and outside, the Hebei Road with mainly plain terrain is more suitable for cavalry operations. When I was in Zhengzhou, my father I was once given a complete map of the Imperial Palace of the Qi Dynasty. So I have a certain memory of the terrain of Hebei Road and the prefectures and counties."
"My son connected the places this man passed along the Hebei Road, and found that all the prefectures and counties he passed along the way were suitable for cavalry operations. Although the marching routes were all designated by the dynasty, they were also All those who follow are official roads. Father, please don’t forget that those official roads themselves are built in areas that are easy to pass."
"That is to say, this person most likely slowed down his march intentionally and was observing the terrain of Hebei Road along the way. Erchen followed the Xiaoqi Battalion on the expedition to Zhengzhou this time, especially after contacting Yu Mingyuan. Combat is by no means just a fight on the battlefield. There are problems to be solved along the way. For example, there are densely populated areas along the way, and the army can collect food and grass relatively easily."
"During the march, if you encounter a river, can you set up a pontoon bridge, or can the army ford it? On the planned march route, the strength of the enemy's defense forces along the way. The terrain there can be flanked, and the terrain there is more suitable for a strong attack. Once encountered When you get to the fortified city, you can bypass the fortified city from there. The battlefield is placed there, which is more suitable for giving full play to the strengths of your own army."
"Although the Liao army is good at cavalry warfare, its so-called rapid movement is based on not carrying baggage or any burden. It has never been in the habit of carrying food and grass when marching. It has always been based on on-site conquests. Lord, to put it bluntly, it’s an open robbery, which is what they commonly call threshing.”
"So for the Liao army, the choice of battlefield is very important. If they can't get enough food and grass, they will starve to death. The Hebei Road is flat and the terrain is flat, which is not only conducive to the rapid assault of its cavalry. But Hebei The road is densely populated and rich in products, and has always been the most prosperous place among the roads in the north. If the Liao army invades, the Hebei Road is far more suitable than the Shanxi Road."
"If Bei Liao really wants to invade, it is far better for the army to choose a route that is roughly familiar to them than to choose a route that they know nothing about. In particular, the Liao army is better at field battles, not good at sieges, and even less good at sieges. In the case of a long battle, they will definitely try their best to choose a route that is conducive to their supplies and conducive to their cavalry assault."
"Of course, there are also the garrison forces of the various states along the way. Father, the border troops of Bei Liao and our Yanshan Prefecture are constantly attacking each other, so they are naturally aware of the combat strength of our border troops. But Bei Liao also starts from We have not yet penetrated the front line of the Great Wall, so we may not have a clear picture of the combat strength of our troops stationed in the interior. Hearsay is no more reliable than seeing it with your own eyes."
"To spy on the military situation, you don't necessarily have to go to the military camp. Just look at the status of the sergeants standing guard at the gates of the larger state capitals where guards are stationed, and you can clearly know what the combat effectiveness of those local guards is. If The sergeants standing guard were slack and listless, so you don’t have to guess the strength of the garrison there.”
"The military system of our dynasty is not a secret. Bei Liao knows everything about it. If you take a look at one spot and see the whole leopard, if it is the guards under the jurisdiction of Hebei Road, you don't need to have two or three more state capitals whose garrison status is the same to truly find out. The actual combat strength of the guards on this road. The guards on Hebei Road are the only regular troops of the imperial court on Hebei Road once the front line of Yanshan Prefecture is lost before reinforcements arrive."
"The strength of the guard troops on Hebei Road is directly related to the Liao army's overall combat plan and whether it can achieve its own vision. It is even related to how many troops need to be mobilized when the Liao army invades. It is precisely because of the important stakes that Er Er I think that Prince Liang, who was walking around Hebei Road for more than a month, is most likely spying on our military situation."
"Father, I know that after this person enters this dynasty, he will definitely be closely monitored. But if those people are capable, can they follow them all the way to the brothels and alleys to listen to the houses? Is he really going to the brothels and alleys? Going to hang out with prostitutes? This dynasty has careful work in Bei Liao, but Bei Liao also has careful work in this dynasty. Especially the Shanxi and Hebei 2nd Road that it has been peeping for a long time. Without careful work, it would be impossible. "
"Even if Prince Liang is really visiting a brothel, who can guarantee that he will only see prostitutes in the brothel? Besides, who can guarantee that it is Prince Liang who is in the brothel? After all, Prince Liang , none of the people we sent to monitor him have seen what he looks like with his own eyes? Even if there is a portrait, I’m afraid we may not be able to tell the authenticity.”
"If Beiliao makes a lie for us, the Liang Wang we are shown is not a real person at all, and we may not be able to tell the truth from the lie. As for this person staying in Daming Mansion for a few days, he may have ulterior motives. Daming Mansion is where the Hebei Road Administration is located. Each Hebei Road has its own bureau, all of which are concentrated in Daming Mansion. The number of guards is also the largest in Hebei Road."
"From the garrison in Daming Mansion, we can judge the situation of the entire Hebei Road inland garrison, and even the status of the Inland Guards across the country. We can also judge the actual and false defenses against Beiliao in the hinterland of Hebei Road that borders Beiliao. Even Within Hebei Road, those officials can be bribed for their own use, and those officials who are extremely defensive about Bei Liao can be found out."
"This King of Liang seems to be procrastinating on the road, but in fact, I am afraid that he has already defeated us. Except for the border troops on Hebei Road, the combat strength of the rest of the army is clearly unclear. It is precisely because of what he did. With such procrastination, I thought that this time Bei Liao sent people to discuss the mutual trade, and they might have other motives. Although it may not be to prepare for invasion, it is not simple. "
Huang Qiong finished speaking before the emperor could speak. Princess Jincheng over there said: "I'm afraid what Ninth Brother said is a bit alarmist. This Liang Wang is only more than 20 years old. Even if he comes to our court this time and really wants to do detailed work, he is a How can someone who is young and has been raised in a deep palace since childhood know how to march and fight?"
"And all his entourages, except for the escorting soldiers, are civil servants. Even if the King of Liang is just a decoration, what can a group of civil servants understand? Although I don't understand government affairs, I also know that fighting is not only a waste of money and food. , it will kill people. There is a severe drought in the northwest of our country, and my father is worried almost every day in order to provide money and food for disaster relief."
"This time Bei Liao took the initiative to bring up the matter of mutual trade between the two countries. According to the current court, it is only a hundred benefits and no harm. Bei Liao can send a prince to preside over it, which shows that Bei Liao attaches great importance to it. If it is because the ninth brother casually In just a few words, he despised the envoy from Bei Liao. It triggered a war between the two countries and caused a loss of lives. How will the ninth brother deal with himself then?"
"Before Gengjiu Di, he stood up for the refugees and openly broke with the prince. Later, he comforted the people in Zhengzhou and recalled the refugees to return to their hometowns to farm. During the snowstorm in the capital some time ago, he was the first to take the lead in donating money and materials. He has always been known as I am the first pity prince of Daqi. If the ninth brother neglected the King of Liang because of a few words and caused the two countries to be at war, how could the ninth brother face the blood and tears of orphans and widows? "
After Princess Jincheng said these words, Huang Qiong had not expressed his position, but the emperor's face was a little gloomy. Although Princess Jincheng's words were just to refute Huang Qiong, they had already violated a taboo. It should be noted that in order to avoid the Taiping and Anle people of the former Tang Dynasty, this dynasty has to discipline the princess far more than the prince. Not to mention the princess, not even the prince-in-law is allowed to interfere in political affairs.
It is an iron law of Da Qi that if a princess interferes in the government affairs, her title will be revoked regardless of her concubine, and she will be given a three-foot white silk ribbon. No matter how much the emperor loves his eldest daughter, he will never be merciful once a taboo is violated. Princess Jincheng just wanted to confront Huang Qiong today, but she didn't expect that she would inadvertently touch the emperor's bottom line.
But at this moment, her attention was all on Huang Qiong, but she didn't notice at all that her father's face had gradually turned gloomy following her words. It was just the emperor's expression that Princess Jincheng didn't notice, but Huang Qiong did. Huang Qiong, who noticed something wrong with the emperor's expression, shook his head slightly towards the emperor, indicating that he would not get angry about this matter.
Huang Qiong learned some of the past events of Princess Jincheng from King Yong. I know that this eldest sister was once called a hero among women. Under the knife of his grandfather, he spent a lot of effort to raise several young brothers. In order to find a wet nurse for her younger brother, she even pawned her only jewelry. Love the house and the bird, and hate the house equally and the bird.
Back then, the emperor lived in trepidation under the sword of his grandfather. The queen and the four princes who were her direct descendants were abandoned when they said they were useless, and they were thrown into the cold palace when they were said to be. No one paid any attention to Princess Jincheng. She was even teased over and over again by one of her uncles who didn't know whether he wanted to take advantage of her or become a consort, and even came close to being bullied.
Now that I have reached this point, this eldest sister who suffered a lot in the hands of her grandfather may not really hate herself, but it is inevitable that she does not want to see her. The reason why she is directly confronting her today is not because she has done enough in her ordinary life as a princess, and she sincerely wants to interfere in the government affairs, and wants to be like the peace and happiness of the former Tang Dynasty, but because she is simply treating people wrongly.
Just before entering the Wende Hall, when the emperor and she were walking back outside the Wende Hall, the eldest sister saw that the emperor was walking and talking with her, and she had a very unsightly, even dissatisfied look on her face. The emperor, who was meditating all the way, may not have noticed it, but Huang Qiong, who had excellent eyesight, could clearly see it at a glance. Even if Princess Jincheng is dissatisfied, it only lasts for a short moment.
But I was also shocked by the high prestige of this eldest sister among the kings in the Guangshou Palace. Huang Qiong, who had been paying attention to Princess Jincheng waiting outside Wende Hall from a distance, accurately captured her. Princess Jincheng's confrontation with people and things made Huang Qiong deeply aware of the eldest sister's current dissatisfaction with her.
In Princess Jincheng's mind, she may not really want to do anything to herself. But maybe in her opinion, being a prince is enough for her. But now the emperor has sent himself to offer sacrifices to the Ancestral Temple, and he has put himself first in the family banquet. He obviously planned to make himself the heir, which must have aroused the dissatisfaction of the eldest sister.
