Wokuotai sent Meng Ge aside to prevent Meng Ge from gaining merit in the Central Plains battlefield. However, Meng Ge and others also took away some of Mongolia's elite during their western expedition.
Wokuotai originally thought that after the Battle of Sanfeng Mountain, the anti-Mongolian forces in the Central Plains had suffered a major blow and that he could easily capture the Central Plains, but he did not expect that the actual attack would be very difficult.
Now that Zhao Tai was rising in Shandong and the Southern Song Dynasty was occupying eastern Henan, Wokuotai didn't know where to start for a while.
At this time, when he saw the two counselors looking confident, he couldn't help but go back to the Khan's seat and sit down, and then said in a deep voice: "Tell me what strategies they have."
Yelu Chucai and Yang Weizhong looked at each other, and Yelu Chucai said, "You go first."
Yelu Chucai was a Khitan and Yang Weizhong was a Han. However, within Mongolia, they both belonged to the civil service faction that supported the adoption of the Han system in Mongolia.
Their source of power is attached to Ogedai Khan and the centralized system after the reform of the Han system.
Therefore, their interests are consistent with Ogedai's, and they both hope to take back the power of the Mongolian princes. They also hope that Mongolia can unify the world and expand their rights.
Yang Weizhong nodded, then saluted and said: "Great Khan! Although our Mongolian army destroyed the Jin Kingdom last year, the warriors of various tribes, the newly attached Han army and others all gained nothing and everyone was unhappy! The Great Khan wants to restore the morale of the army and destroy the Song Dynasty. You must do it! However, the Southern Song Dynasty had Jiangnan, Jingchu, and Bashu, with more than 12 million households and 700,000 soldiers. In addition, the Zhao thieves from Shandong were attached, and it looked quite powerful on the surface. However, the southerners were rich, and everyone Afraid of death, the Southern Song Dynasty court also used culture to control military force, making its army's combat effectiveness low. The southerners were sitting in a wealthy land, but they did not have the force to protect their property. This day, they wanted to give the Great Khan a hand and help the Great Khan rule the world!"
When Wokuotai heard that the Southern Song Dynasty had so many people and troops, he couldn't help but be a little surprised, "It took Mongolia twenty-three years to destroy the Jin Dynasty! Today, the population and military strength of the Southern Song Dynasty are better than those of the Jin Kingdom. In addition, with Zhao Tai joining us, the destruction may not be easy." also!"
Previously, the Mongolian army was progressing smoothly. Ogedai was full of confidence in destroying the Jin Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, and the Mongolian tribes were very willing to go south.
There were several wars in the Central Plains. Although the Mongolian tribes destroyed the Jin Kingdom, they suffered heavy losses and were harassed by Zhao Tai. Everyone found that they had paid a lot of money but had no gain, so they were no longer so confident in the southern invasion.
Yang Weizhong said: "In the past, the Jin people used the Guanhe defense line to block our Mongol army for more than ten years. Today, the southern troops are entering the Central Plains. If the Great Khan cannot take advantage of their unstable foothold and send troops to destroy them, they will be in trouble for the Great Khan! I have three things. The first strategy is to divide and disintegrate, the second strategy is to ravage repeatedly, and the third strategy is to surround Kaifeng with troops. With these three strategies, Zhao Tai of the Southern Song Dynasty can defeat them all within three years!"
Wokuotai asked: "What is meant by division, disintegration, repeated ravages, and soldiers surrounding Kaifeng?"
Yang Weizhong said: "Last year we fought in the Central Plains. If the southerners went all the way out of eastern Henan, all the way out of Xiangyang, and all the way out of Dashan Pass, both the Central Plains and Guanzhong would be dead! However, the southerners claim to have a three-way Northern Expedition. Those who actually sent troops, But there are only brothers Zhao Fan and Zhao Kui. There is internal discord among the southerners, and the war has not yet been decided! I thought it was okay to send an envoy to Jingchu and Bashu to discuss peace with Xu. He also said that our court has no intention of Bashu and Jingxiang, and only hates Zheng Qingzhi, The Zhao brothers made it impossible for the southerners to be united, and this division collapsed."
Wo Kuotai nodded, and Yelu Chucai on the side also stroked his beard and nodded.
Yang Weizhong immediately said: "If the troops of Bashu and Jingxiang remain stationary, the Great Khan can raise his troops. They will surround Kaifeng all the way, station for a long time, and raid Shandong all the way. The cavalry will go out in all directions to harass the farming, making Zhao Tai exhausted and unable to produce. Such a large army The enemy was repeatedly ravaged, and within a year, Zhao Tai was defeated because of the enemy's supply of food. This is also the result of repeated ravages!"
Wo Kuotai said in a deep voice: "Keep talking!"
"The land of the southern country is densely covered with rivers and criss-crossing river networks, which is not conducive to horse warfare. However, in the land of eastern Henan, there is a flat river. This is where our Mongolian warriors dominate!" Yang Weizhong was quite excited, "I made a plan to contain the southerner Jing Xiang. , the army of Bashu used two strategies to make the enemies of Shandong exhausted. The third strategy was to besiege Kaifeng for a long time, intercept and kill the reinforcements, and wait until their strength was exhausted to drink the Yangtze River. Now the southerners have taken Kaifeng and stationed in the city. There were many soldiers and horses, and the Great Khan surrounded them, so the Southerners must rescue them. The plains of eastern Henan were conducive to horse warfare. When reinforcements from the Southerners arrived, the Great Khan attacked them with their horse troops. This happened several times, and the Southerners' troops and horses in the Jianghuai River were completely wiped out. , isn’t it easy to drink from the Yangtze River?”
Wo Kuotai couldn't help laughing, "If these three strategies can be implemented, Jiangnan will be mine!"
Yang Weizhong smiled with a smile on his face and looked at Yelu Chucai, "Prime Minister, I have finished talking about the three strategies of humble duty. I wonder if the Prime Minister has anything to add?"
Yelu Chucai smiled and said: "Yancheng's three strategies are wonderful! Then I will try out three strategies!"
After listening to Yang Weizhong's three strategies, Wo Kuotai felt that they were already vicious enough. Unexpectedly, Yelu Chucai had something to add, so he immediately leaned forward and said, "Prime Minister, speak quickly!"
Yelu Chucai stroked his beard and said in a deep voice: "My first policy is to kill people to get things! We Mongolians have always made it our business to take over other countries! Our Mongolian warriors have destroyed countless countries, and they are not timid to fight. Today the tribes will not come , but for fear of profit! When the Great Khan uses his troops this time, he should kill his people, take their belongings, ravage his land, burn his houses, and let the warriors get what they want. How can the tribes not support them, and how can the southerners not? Are you someone who doesn’t get tired of cheating?”
Yelu Chucai wanted to help Ogedai establish a central government system, but this would definitely offend the Mongolian nobles. He did not want to cause more killings, but in order for the reform to proceed, he deliberately proposed this strategy to please the Mongolian nobles and lower-level soldiers, intending to make the Mongolians Wokuotai was supported from top to bottom.
Yang Weizhong couldn't help but look at Yelu Chucai in surprise. He didn't expect him to be so ruthless, taking people and things, and what he got was nothing.
Yelu Chucai continued: "My second strategy is to blame Zhao Tai! The southerners are pedantic and pay attention to what they do. The Great Khan sent troops this time to do what he wants. What's the reason? It's the Jin and Mongolia. It is a feud, and the Jin and Song Dynasty are also feuding. Today, Mongolia destroys the Jin Dynasty, but the Song Dynasty does not help, and instead shelters the gold thief Zhao Tai. The reason why Mongolia attacks the Song Kingdom is because the southerners shelter Zhao Tai! In this way, our army invades the Song Dynasty , its people blame themselves on Zhao Tai, and they blame themselves on the southern court!"
"Wonderful!" Yang Weizhong couldn't help but admired: "The Prime Minister's strategy is very good! In the southern court, the two factions Zhan and He are fighting endlessly. If the war ahead does not go well, there will naturally be people within the southerners attacking Zhao Tai. Then Zhao Tai will also be attached to Only the Song Dynasty can compete with us. If the people of the South abandon him, killing him will be as easy as flipping a stick!"
Yelu Chucai smiled and said, "During this southern expedition, Shandong has been plagued by wars many times. The place is barren and there is not much money to satisfy the desires of the tribes. If the Great Khan wants to make the tribes return, he still has to go south to attack the Song Dynasty, but Zhao Tai Holding the land of Shandong, it can threaten Hebei from the north and march to Luoyang from the west to restore the Jin's Guanhe defense line. It should be planned first. Before the Great Khan raised his army, he put the blame on Zhao Tai and claimed that he would only destroy Zhao Tai, the remnant of the Jin Kingdom. From the perspective of the minister The court of the Southerners used culture to control military force. Now that Zhao Tai is sitting in the land of Shandong, the Southerners must be afraid and want to exercise restraint. If the Great Khan attacks Zhao Tai, the Southerners will not try their best to save him. In this way, something will happen between them. Crack. The Great Khan can defeat Zhao Tai first and then attack the Southern Song Dynasty. When the Song Dynasty loses Zhao Tai, it will be unable to resist the Great Khan. This is the strategy of Qi Qi first and then Song Dynasty!"
After hearing what the two said, Wokuotai couldn't help but clapped his legs and laughed excitedly, "Okay! With these six strategies, why worry that Zhao Tai will not be defeated and the Southern Song Dynasty will not be destroyed!"
