Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 697 Shandong Warriors' High Spirits

Around the same time, news of the Jin army's deployment in Bianliang also reached Xuzhou.

Because Shandong is relatively close to Bianliang, and Liu Huai sent many spies to Bianliang to gather information, the intelligence he had was more detailed.

Liu Huai not only knew how many people were involved in the battle and which units they belonged to, but he even knew the name of the commander.

It was definitely not worth holding a major military council over this matter, so Liu Huai only gathered some close confidants to discuss it.

“Actually, there’s nothing to discuss,” Xin Qiji said first. “Wanyan Liang has already arrived in Guanzhong. He is losing the battle with Wu Lin, the Grand Commandant, and has also transferred troops from the Central Plains to support Guanzhong. All we have to do is decide whether to fight or make peace.”

Liu Huai warmed his hand over the brazier in front of him, then smiled and said, "In your opinion, Fifth Brother, should we fight or make peace?"

Before Xin Qiji could speak, Zhang Baiyu exclaimed, "How could we possibly let such a good opportunity slip by? As long as we can capture Bianliang, the Western Jin will collapse immediately, and then the Central Plains will be within our grasp!"

Liang Su frowned and replied, "The worst thing for a national strategy is to act haphazardly and indiscriminately. In the end, not only will we fail to get what we want, but we will also lose what we have already obtained. Since we have already set a plan for recuperation and development, we should not change it for short-sighted gains."

Zhang Baiyu laughed and said, "Mr. Liang, what you said makes no sense. Our original plan was to sit on the sidelines and watch the two tigers fight, seeing the Jin invaders weaken each other."

Although the two Jin kingdoms, East and West, are not fighting each other today, Wanyan Liang is locked in a fierce battle with Wu Lin and the Western Xia in Guanzhong. Where they exhaust themselves is irrelevant; now is the perfect opportunity.

"If we miss this opportunity, the State of Song might come and take advantage of it!"

There was some truth to what he said, and Liang Su didn't know how to refute it for a moment.

Liu Huai looked at Xin Qiji, who seemed to be deep in thought: "Fifth Brother, you still haven't said whether we should start the war now or continue to lie low?"

Xin Qiji cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Baiyu to show that his next words would not offend or question him, and then said seriously, "Young Master, the problem now is not whether to fight or not, but even if war breaks out, where should our army, which has been conserving its strength, strike first? Should we go to the Central Plains to fight?"

"The Central Plains is also a battleground. Not to mention the many famous cities and towns, even if our army can conquer them, we will still face the encirclement of the Eastern Jin and the Song Dynasty from the north and south. At that time, even if a hundred commanders are set up in the Central Plains, it will still be leaky everywhere, and the defense will be too difficult."

"Therefore, the place our army should go is Hebei."

Liu Huai raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? In the previous military council, Mr. Lu mentioned the difficulties in conquering Hebei. Does Fifth Brother not acknowledge that?"

Xin Qiji said solemnly, "Of course I agree. But no matter how difficult it is, as long as we conquer Hebei, it will be a place for our army to rest and recuperate. Even if we can easily take the Central Plains now, the troubles that follow will keep our army busy and unable to deal with both the Song and Jin sides."

Because it was a private conversation and they both knew each other's backgrounds, Xin Qiji didn't hold back at all, and was almost ready to say things like "the Song state is a formidable enemy that needs to be dealt with."

Sure enough, the others didn't react much after hearing this.

After all, they are all seasoned and ambitious individuals; they all know each other well.

Liu Huai nodded, looked at Xiao Qi who had been silent, and said with a smile, "General Xiao, have you gained anything?"

Xiao Qi was slightly taken aback.

He was already somewhat surprised to be able to attend such a private meeting today, and when he heard Liu Huai ask him questions, he became even more flustered.

Since Xiao Qi surrendered last year, he has been in charge of the work of the Bureau of Herdsmen.

After all, this guy is a Khitan from Linhuang Prefecture. Even though he comes from a noble family, he has raised and herded horses for the Jurchens when he was young, so having him manage the Musiang Division is a perfect fit for his profession.

But Xiao Qi was, after all, a renowned general and a prominent hero among the Khitans. Although he no longer commanded troops, if he were to achieve something in his current role, he would naturally be regarded as the backbone of the Khitans.

There were quite a few Khitans in Shandong at that time. Some Khitan Meng'an Mouke households were relocated to Shandong, and Yelü Xingge was one of the best among them.

Later, some Khitans came to join them, such as Yelü Kuoli and Yelü Zhaba, who were descendants of the Khitan rebels.

Later, due to the surrender of the Shenwei Army, Shandong absorbed several thousand more Khitan youths, which led to the Khitans feeling like the first ethnic group after the Han Chinese.

Liu Huai's approach to this was quite simple.

The prisoners of war were sent to labor camps. After the labor camps were completed, the Khitans, as well as the Khitan Meng'an Mouke households, all changed their surnames and customs. After being dispersed, they were registered as ordinary citizens.

As for those who surrendered to him, like Yelü Xingge, they were a minority. Liu Huai treated them with great respect, allowing them to continue to have Khitan customs and names.

This is already considered a standard procedure, and it's not just the Khitans who follow it; some Jurchens, Xi people, Bohai people, and Mongols also do the same.

As the saying goes, "King Chu loved slender waists, and many starved to death in the palace."

We're all seasoned veterans; how could we not try to cater to the preferences of political leaders?

Just as Adianlun changed his name to Dianlun, those who were treated generously by Liu Huai also changed their names and customs.

For example, members of the Yelü clan used Yelü Abaoji's ancestral precepts as a shield and directly changed their surname to Liu.

Liu Huai suddenly gained a large group of relatives.

After a year or two, once their hair grows long enough, apart from a slight difference in accent, most people simply can't tell who is Han Chinese and who is Khitan.

In response, Xiao Qi could only sigh that fortunately, the Xiao surname among the Hundred Family Surnames of Han Chinese has a long history, and that their ancestors had the foresight not to cling to the surname Shu Lü, thus avoiding an embarrassing situation.

Of course, Xiao Qi wholeheartedly rejected the idea of ​​becoming the backbone of the Khitan people.

A defeated general should keep a low profile and not be the one to stick his neck out.

However, wherever there are people, there is politics and intrigue. Who told you to be the biggest? If you don't step up, there will be no representative of the Khitan people at the top, and that won't work.
Liu Huai naturally noticed this trend, but he didn't care.

How can a political group not have factions within it?

As long as it doesn't interfere with important matters, it's fine.

Moreover, factions are not static; they can disintegrate and reorganize as interests change.

Take Liang Su for example. He originally belonged to the faction of surrendered Jin people and banded together with Li Tong for mutual support.

Now, as more and more people from Hebei come to seek refuge with him, this fellow has transformed into the leading figure among the Hebei literati.

The gentry in Hebei wanted to immediately send troops to Hebei and fight their way back to their hometown.

However, Li Tong, as the transport commissioner in charge of money and grain, repeatedly refuted the radical ideas of the Hebei literati.

Therefore, whether it was true or false, Liang Su and Li Tong became irreconcilable enemies.

Although Xiao Qi did not want to take the lead, he could not remain silent in the face of Liu Huai's question.

In addition, he did have unique insights, so after only a moment's hesitation, he stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Reporting to the eldest son, this humble general believes that the reason why Wanyan Liang has not moved the capital yet is that he still has some confidence in competing with the Northern Expeditionary Army, and should not be underestimated."

Xiao Qi was indeed insightful; as soon as he finished speaking, Liang Su clapped his hands and said, "That's right!"

Seeing that some people were still wondering, Liang Su explained it to them on the spot.

The reason why the Northern Song Dynasty chose Bianliang as its capital was because it was convenient to communicate with the Jiangnan region, with convenient waterways, which facilitated the transportation of money and grain, and trade.

For this reason, Wanyan Liang moved the capital to Bianliang in order to facilitate his southern expedition.

Now that Jiangnan belongs to the Song Dynasty, trade between the Song and Jin Dynasties has been cut off, and there is no longer any water transport between Jiangnan.

In contrast to the ease with which the Jin Dynasty could conquer the south, the Song Dynasty could also easily launch its northern expeditions.

To this day, Wanyan Liang has not moved the capital, which only shows that he is quite confident in facing the combined attack from the Eastern Jin, the Song Dynasty, and Shandong.

But this raises another question. "How can Wanyan Liang be so bold?" Wang Shilong asked, frowning. "Is this guy truly confident, or is he just habitually arrogant?"

After a moment of silence, Xiao Qi said, "Your Highness, I believe that the rebels still have some confidence. The reason is none other than the presence of the loyal and righteous Pusan ​​in charge of the entire Henan region."

"I am loyal and righteous." Liu Huai naturally knew who this person was.

The chieftain of the Pusan ​​tribe, now the Grand Marshal of the Western Jin Dynasty, and historically the Grand Marshal of the Jin Dynasty, was no ordinary person.

Wang Shilong continued, "What are this person's abilities?"

Xiao Qi said solemnly, "In my opinion, the Jin Kingdom currently only has two great generals: Heshilie Zhining and Pusan ​​Zhongyi. The rest are either lacking in ability, status, or experience, and are all a step behind."

At this point, Xiao Qi couldn't help but smile bitterly: "These two generals now belong to the two Jin kingdoms, one in the east and one in the west, yet they have both become marshals. It's truly a cruel twist of fate."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shilong scoffed, "I thought this person was someone extraordinary, but it turns out he's just an unknown figure. Who knows if he's just bragging?"

Faced with the questioning from Liu Huai's trusted general, Xiao Qi dared not refute and could only remain silent.

Liu Huai defended Xiao Qi, saying, "I know this man very well. He joined the army at a young age during the time when Wanyan Zongwang was in charge of the army. He attacked the Liao and Song states and made great contributions on the front lines, which is why he has his current position."

Now that Wanyan Liang has dealt with most of the veteran generals of the Jin Dynasty, he has become a pillar of strength in the army. "General Xiao, are you saying that Pusan ​​Zhongyi might have some schemes?"

Xiao Qi nodded and said, "Pusan ​​Zhongyi is not one to sit idly by and wait to die. Our army is preparing for battle, and I suspect that Pusan ​​Zhongyi is also sharpening his weapons. Whoever attacks first will face his first wave of attacks. Young Master, you must not underestimate him!"

Liu Huai nodded.

This is the danger of attacking Bianliang from a practical point of view.

Xiao Qi's implication was clear: it was logical for the Song state to withstand the first wave of attacks from Pu San Zhongyi, while the Shandong troops would pick up the pieces from behind.

Liu Huai nodded slowly to everyone else, his eyes showing understanding, but the veteran general Lei Ben had a sullen face and looked displeased.

Does he still have hope for the State of Song?

It shouldn't be.

A few months ago, Lei Ben moved his entire family from the State of Song to Shandong, which didn't seem like he was optimistic about the future of the State of Song.

Liu Huai asked directly, "Uncle Lei, this is a military council meeting. You can speak frankly if you have anything to say."

Lei Ben stood up, looked around, and said with some resentment, "I shouldn't have said these things in a serious military meeting, but since the eldest son asked, I can't hide it anymore."

"Brother, in front of so many heroes from Shandong, give me a straight answer." Lei Ben's loud voice made the ears of the people around him hurt: "Are you still going to marry Second Sister or not? If you really have changed your mind and have other lovers, just say it. I believe that your elder brother will not become estranged from you because of this."

"But now you neither marry nor separate, what kind of logic is this? How many years does a young woman's youth last? Are you determined to drag this second wife into an old maid before you're satisfied?"

Lei Ben was Wei Sheng's old subordinate and had watched Wei Rujun grow up. It was only natural that he couldn't help but speak up for her.

If Lei Ben had scolded Liu Huai for other reasons, Xin Qiji, Zhang Baiyu, and the others would have been furious long ago.

However, the conversation was about Liu Huai and Wei Rujun's marriage, and outsiders had no say in it. For a moment, everyone could only look on with strange expressions and wait for Liu Huai's decision.

Most people were extremely anxious about Liu Huai's unmarried status, not only because their future prospects were tied to Liu Huai, but also because people like Wang Shilong had many sisters and nieces.

Liu Huai did not marry, and Wang Shilong did not dare to suggest that the unmarried women in his household be sent to the Jiedushi Mansion as wives.

Liu Huai had initially thought it was a major issue concerning the state of the world, but after hearing Lei Ben's indignant words, he was slightly taken aback. He then smiled bitterly and said, "Uncle Lei, you know what I've been busy with this past year. How could you think I've neglected A-Jun?"

Lei Ben became even angrier upon hearing this: "I know that the eldest son is a very busy man. He is either training troops, organizing community schools and garrison schools, or dealing with a bunch of troubles such as water conservancy projects and local governance. Is it really that difficult to take two weeks out of his life to get married?"

Liu Huai chuckled twice more, but the laughter turned somewhat awkward: "How can we simply marry A-Jun? Uncle Lei, it has to be a grand affair. But every time we're halfway through preparations, something goes wrong here or there, and I have to run back and forth, repeatedly missing the auspicious day..."

Seeing that the others were also about to frown and offer their advice, Liu Huai quickly raised three fingers: "Uncle Lei, I promise you that I will immediately discuss the marriage with my father and make sure it is done before spring."

Lei Ben's anger subsided slightly, and he bowed to Liu Huai, saying, "Young Master, please don't blame me for my bad temper, it's just that..."

No sooner had the words been spoken than someone outside the tent called out: "Report! Military situation in Bozhou! Extremely urgent!"

The relaxed atmosphere in the government office instantly froze.

The smirk on Liu Huai's face vanished instantly, and he transformed from a disheveled junior facing pressure from his elders to get married into a general commanding thousands of troops.

"Enter!"

"Report on the military situation!"

"Here!"

"There are some unusual movements by the Jin bandits in Hebei. The banner of Heshi Liezhining has appeared in Daming Prefecture, and it seems that a large army has been mobilized in Hejian Prefecture."

“The grain ships from Yuancheng come and go, carrying a lot of grain and fodder, and it seems that there are armored soldiers among them.”

"General Wang sent me to request reinforcements; details are in the official document."

Liu Huai stepped forward personally, took the document, glanced at it briefly, and then solemnly ordered: "I will immediately lead my personal guards to Dongping Prefecture to succeed Wang Youzhi."

"Guan Chongyan!"

"exist!"

"You lead three thousand Flying Tigers! Head to Dong'e to join them!"

"Here!"

"Zhang Baiyu! Assemble three thousand Dongping naval troops and march north to Dongping Prefecture!"

"Here!"

"Xin Qiji!"

"exist!"

"You will personally lead 10,000 Tianping troops to garrison Dong'e!"

"Here!"

"Liang Su!"

"exist!"

"Send orders to all garrisons to prepare for mobilization! If the war escalates, then we must concentrate the entire army for a decisive battle against the Jin invaders!"

"Here!"

"The rest of you, get to your posts! Await orders!"

Amidst the resounding responses, Lei Ben, who had been standing the whole time, sighed softly.

Could it be that the second daughter and the eldest son are incompatible according to their birth charts?
Why are we so incompatible?!
I really should find a Buddhist or Taoist master to take a look!
(End of this chapter)