Chapter 174 Zhao Ji: Li Cun is back?! (Please vote for me!)

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After the envoys from various countries said goodbye and left, Li Cun ordered that all the captures captured on Dingnan Road be loaded on ships, and another part of the ship was sent to Annan City (formerly Thang Long City) to ship all the captures Li Cun captured on Annan Road.

Li Cun also ordered that the Yulin Army everywhere should hand over to Annan Army and Dingnan Army as soon as possible and prepare for a triumphant return.

——The Dingnan Army was a new army formed by Li Cunzun after he pacified the city, using serfs and slaves from the city and one-third of the Annan Army. It was mainly used to guard Dingnan Road.

After explaining all the things that needed to be explained, Li Cun called Tian Zhuang and asked Tian Zhuang directly: "How long will these treasure ships be used?"

Tian Zhuang answered truthfully: "The flat-bottomed treasure ship can be used for three to five years, and the governor's royal ship can be used for at least ten years."

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Seeing Li Cun's puzzled look, Tian Zhuang took the initiative to answer: "The materials used in the Grand Governor's royal ship are dried materials, and they are not much worse than those dried in the shade."

Li Cun suddenly realized.

But it’s normal to think about it. How could Tian Zhuang dare to cut corners on Li Cun’s royal ship?

As for why those flat-bottomed treasure ships did not use drying wood, Li Cun could guess without asking. It must be because the cost of using drying technology to build these flat-bottomed treasure ships was higher or even much higher than using drying technology that was not dry enough.

Or use wood of lower dry quality to build flat-bottomed treasure ships.

Li Cun estimated that the wood used to build one of his royal ships might be enough to build ten treasure ships.

Li Cunxin said: "Fortunately, the two treasure islands now have a large amount of shipbuilding timber. Otherwise, I would definitely feel sad for such a waste."

…

After being defeated by the Liao army, Tong Guan and Cai You, who had walked for a month to reach Xiongzhou, prepared to lead their army back.

But at this moment, Li Chuwen, the Han Prime Minister of Northern Liao Dynasty, suddenly wrote a secret letter to his friend Zhao Liangsi, asking Zhao Liangsi to tell Tong Guan that Yelu Chun was seriously ill and might not die soon, and he would prepare to lead his troops to revolt.

Dedicate Yanjing City to the Song Dynasty.

When Zhao Liangsi was still called Ma Zhi, he was close friends with Li Chuwen. Seeing Yelu Yanxi's mediocrity, they both felt that there was no hope for the Liao Kingdom, so they once wanted to go south together and join the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Liangsi and Li Chuwen also burned incense at the Arctic Temple in Yanjing to form an alliance, and agreed to work together to promote the alliance between Song and Jin to destroy the Liao Kingdom.

Now, Li Chuwen won the respect of Yelu Chun. Yelu Chun not only made Li Chuwen the prime minister of the Northern Liao Dynasty, but also gave Li Chuwen a sum of money to recruit an army.

——Yeluchun also personally wrote a letter (i.e. letter of appointment) to Li Chuwen, conferring on Li Chuwen the post of marshal of the Han and Horse Infantry Command.

In addition, Li Chuwen's secret letter also told Tong Guan and others important news, that is, there were really a large number of people in Yanjing who wanted to join the Zhao and Song dynasties.

However, the generals such as Yelu Dashi and Xiao Qian who currently hold military power are resolute militants. They hold heavy troops and are full of murderous intent. They demand a decisive battle to the end and hold the belief that they will die. Therefore, the will of Yanjing's ministers and public opinion have been

They kidnapped him, so no one wanted to vote for the Song Dynasty.

Li Chuwen also introduced in detail the number and deployment of the Liao army.

Li Chuwen pointed out in the secret letter that after the last defeat of the Song Army, the Liao Army itself also suffered heavy casualties. Currently, there are only more than 30,000 troops left, of which 6,000 are the victorious army stationed in Zhuozhou.

Li Chuwen reminded Tong Guan and others that the predecessor of the Ever Victorious Army was a resentful army composed of Han people from Liaodong and Bohai refugees. When the Liao Kingdom was about to perish, the Song Dynasty would definitely be able to recruit the Ever Victorious Army as long as it had the right strategy.

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As for the more than 30,000 troops of the Liao Kingdom, after defeating the Song Army, most of them were deployed by Yelu Chun to Juyong Pass and the north to defend against the Jin invasion. They are now very empty here, except for the Changsheng Army stationed in Zhuozhou.

Other than that, there were probably only one or two thousand troops led by the bullpen supervisor Xiao Helu.

Li Chuwen's secret letter solved all the questions of Tong Guan and others, and let Tong Guan and others know that their timing of regaining Yanyun Sixteen Provinces was not wrong, they just lacked some luck.

Moreover, Li Chuwen's secret letter completely corresponds to the news brought back by Ma Kuo.

Neither Tong Guan nor Cai You, not even Zhao Liangsi and other members of the Xuanfu Division were willing to go back in such a dejected manner.

You know, if these people really go back in such despair, they will not only lose their power, but they may also be nailed to the pillar of shame forever.

The key point is that the Liao Kingdom is only breathing its last breath. It would be a pity not to seize this opportunity.

Therefore, the Northern Expedition army led by Tong Guan and Cai You did not withdraw, but continued to stay in Xiongzhou to observe the situation in Yanjing.

Tong Guan and others had great hopes for Li Chuwen and the Yan people who had their hearts set on the Zhao and Song dynasties.

Wouldn’t Li Chuwen have an army of his own soon?

Isn’t Yelu Chun about to die soon?

The Northern Liao Dynasty now faced not only the huge pressure from the Song Dynasty, but also the huge pressure from the Jin people. In addition, Yelu Yanxi, who was in Jiashan, also claimed that he would personally lead an army to attack Yanjing.

It is impossible for Beiliao to survive such a difficult situation.

Tong Guan and other people who came to regain the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun all believed that they must calm down, and the matter of regaining the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun would definitely turn around!

Tong Guan and the others made the right bet.

Not long after, facing the Zhao and Song dynasty who had deployed millions of troops on the southern border of Liao, the Jin Kingdom had already assembled large armies in Fengsheng Prefecture in the west and Bei'an Prefecture in the north. Yelu Yanxi sent people everywhere to shout that he would personally lead 50,000 elite troops.

Due to the huge pressure of the cavalry to attack Yanjing, Emperor Yelu Chun of the Northern Liao Dynasty, who was already in poor health, died after less than three months as emperor.

Before his death, Yelv Chun issued a posthumous edict: to welcome King Yelu Ding of Qin, the fifth son of Yelu Yanxi, to succeed him; to assist Han official Li Chuwen and other ministers; and to temporarily preside over the military and state affairs of Northern Liao.

While everyone in the palace was busy dealing with the death of Yelv Chun, Li Chuwen quietly left the palace.

Li Chuwen was going to close the gates of Yanjing City and block out Yelu Dashi, Xiao Qian and other generals who advocated fighting to the death with the Zhao and Song Dynasties.

Yanjing City is definitely one of the strongest cities in the world.

As long as Li Chuwen could close the city gate, the Liao army, which was not good at attacking the city, would definitely not be able to enter.

At that time, Li Chuwen sent people to inform Tong Guan to lead the army, and Li Chuwen's sacrifice of Yanjing City was successful.

However, Li Chuwen reacted quickly, but there were people who responded faster than Li Chuwen.

Xiao Puxian's daughter had already sent someone to send a message to Xiao Qian when Yelu Chun showed up and asked Xiao Qian to lead troops into the city immediately.

When Li Chuwen arrived at Yingchun Gate, he learned that Xiao Qian had personally led three thousand elite cavalry into the city not long ago.

Li Chuwen knew something was wrong, so he quickly turned around and ran back.

But by the time Li Chuwen ran back to the palace, Xiao Puxian had already "enthroned" and became Queen Mother Xiao with the support of Xiao Qian and others.

Xiao Puxian's daughter issued an order to change the reign name to "Dexing".

As we all know, Xiao Puxian was the concubine of Yelu Chun, so the reign name "Dexing" can't help but make people think a lot.

As soon as Xiao Puxian's daughter "assumed the throne" to rule, she asked Xiao Qian to retrieve Li Chuwen's handwritten note from Yelv Chun to Li Chuwen, which was the edict written by Yelv Chun appointing Li Chuwen as the marshal of the Infantry Army of the Han Dynasty.

Unlike Yelu Chun who advocated joining the Zhao and Song dynasties, Xiao Pu, a virtuous woman who only worshiped the strong and heroes throughout her life, looked down upon the treacherous and weak Zhao and Song dynasty.

Let's put it this way, if Xiao Pu Xiannu had to make a choice between the Song and Jin Dynasties, Xiao Pu Xiannu would not choose the Zhao and Song dynasties even if she chose the Jin Kingdom that destroyed the Liao Kingdom.

This is actually what many Liao people think.

Of course, as a very ambitious woman, surrendering to the Jin Kingdom was not the choice of Xiao Pu Xiannu. Xiao Pu Xiannu was dreaming that she could turn the tide and defeat the alliance of Song and Jin with only a corner of Northern Liao, and even regain the lost territory.

, if things go more smoothly, she will choose to destroy the Zhao and Song Dynasty, which she hates so much.

But it may be the relationship between hating the house and the crow.

——Because she hated the Zhao and Song dynasties, Xiao Pu Xiannu even hated the Han people in Yanjing City. She even wanted to order the killing of all Han people in Yanjing City.

That's right.

The reason why Xiao Puxian wanted to get back Yelu Chun's edict appointing Li Chuwen as the Marshal of the Han Horse Infantry Army was just because Xiao Puxian didn't trust the Han people and hated the Han people. It was not because Xiao Puxian found out that there was something wrong with Li Chuwen.

As a result, when Xiao Qian went to ask for a recruitment letter, he stopped by Pharmacist Guo's home, and accidentally learned from a boy in Pharmacist Guo's home that Li Chuwen had asked his son Li Shi

An army of 3,000 men was organized, and they prepared to kidnap Xiao Puxian and surrender to the Zhao and Song Dynasties.

Xiao Qian hurriedly went to the palace and told Xiannu Xiao Pu about this.

Under the pretense of having something to discuss with Li Chuwen, Xiao Puxian deceived Li Chuwen into the palace and ordered her bodyguards to capture Li Chuwen and kill him.

However, Li Shi and other people who were preparing to offer the city of Yanjing to the Zhao and Song dynasties were found out one by one by Xiao Puxian and executed.

The Zhao and Song dynasties lost another opportunity to regain Yanjing.

If the Song army was not timid, but directly marched millions of troops to the extremely empty Yanjing City, and Li Chuwen and his son cooperated inside and outside, Yanjing City might have been defeated in one battle.

However, Tong Guan and others were not only afraid of Zhao Ji's three border patrol strategies, but also had no confidence in the combat effectiveness of the Song army, which had many problems and had just suffered a major defeat.

Therefore, Tong Guan and others did not have the courage to go out directly to the army. They could only wait and hope that Li Chuwen and his son would send good news.

But Tong Guan and the others waited and waited, but what they finally waited for was: Li Chuwen was given death by Xiao Pu Xiannu, and Li Shi was killed by Xiao Pu Xiannu as a bolt from the blue.

While Tong Guan was filled with regret, he reported to Zhao Ji what happened to Li Chuwen and his son.

After Zhao Ji read the secret message sent back by Tong Guan, he felt regretful and began to regret that he did not let Tong Guan and the others take the initiative.

Today, Zhao Ji has finally figured out that it seems a bit unrealistic to regain the Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures without fighting.

Not only was he grateful for the loyalty of Li Chuwen and Li Shi and his son, but also to buy the bones for a thousand gold coins, Zhao Ji posthumously named Li Chuwen the king of Guangyang County and Li Shi as the governor of the Baoning Army to commend Li Chuwen.

Jing’s efforts.

Soon, the Yintai Department received a memorial from Zhan Du, who was the prefect of Zhongshan at the time.

Zhan Du said in the memorial that since the death of Yelu Chun, a large number of people from the Yan region crossed the border and came to the Song Dynasty.

These Yan people who fled to the Song Dynasty said that the Liao Kingdom now has no owner and is only supported by Xiao Puxiannu. The Jin Kingdom is about to send troops to attack Yanjing. Now people in Yanjing City are panicked. Many people want the Song Dynasty to hurry up.
To be continued...