Warrior in Turbulent Han Dynasty

In the city of Youzhou, a group of shaggy men holding horse poles rode swaggeringly down the street. The people along the road hurriedly left the road early.

After the cavalry in front, the person in the middle is Xiao Siwen, the King of the South Courtyard. He has a calm expression and is not in a hurry. On the contrary, the faces of several subordinates around him were horrifying.

The man on the left who didn't seem to have washed his face was Abudi, who also belonged to the Xiao family and was also Xiao Siwen's confidant. But Xiao Siwen ignored him, and instead turned his head to a civil servant and said: "Send another letter and send Shi Ji to Beijing to urge reinforcements."

After hearing this, Abudi frowned and said: "Tiejiang Guo occupied the east of the river and went back happily. There was no movement in the south. Are you sure that they are going to attack Youzhou?"

Xiao Siwen "hummed" and didn't say much.

Not long after, a group of cavalry entered Xiao's residence. Surrounded by the generals, Xiao Siwen sat down in the hall. The desks and chairs in the house were all belongings of the Han people, but their attire was completely inappropriate, and some even wore animal skins as usual.

A Khitan general said: "Please go to Beijing for reinforcements. It's better to withdraw the Han generals from Zhuozhou and other places first, and transfer the Khitan people and Xi people to guard the pass. The Han children are unreliable. A few years ago, when the Zhou army made a northern expedition, not a single Han general in the southern cities let go to the Zhou people."

Xiao Siwen said disapprovingly: "The Liao army can't disperse its forces, it must defend Youzhou."

At this moment, a servant put his hand on his chest and bowed at the door: "My Majesty, Han official Fan Zhongyi begs to see you."

"Call in." Xiao Siwen said.

A Han official walked into the lobby, still wearing a head covering and a long robe, but the direction of handing over the collar was opposite to that of the Central Plains people.

The Khitan people used to shave their heads bald, and some had pigtails, and men also wore earrings, and hats and clothes were all different... However, Youzhou South Court hardly required Han'er to change their clothes to reduce resistance. Therefore, even these Han officials who were officials in the Liao government generally kept their costumes. After all, Han'er felt that baldness was not beautiful.

Fan Zhongyi took out a thin book from his sleeve pocket, and said: "Greetings to the King of the South Courtyard."

Xiao Siwen gave a wink to a guard below, and the guard stepped forward to pick up the things.

Fan Zhongyi said: "The lower officials have recently made friends with some people who escaped from Jinyang, and they have fully figured out the process of Jinyang's rapid fall, and they have been recorded in the book."

"Very good, very good." Xiao Siwen praised him.

Fan Zhongyi stood up straight and talked eloquently: "Zhou Jun invaded Jinyang from two places. One of them was a gap opened by gunpowder, just like the battle of Shouzhou that the king has heard about. The other is to build a mountain with soil and climb up the city wall."

Abu Di said: "It's possible to capture Jinyang in half a month like this? How did Jinyang's troops defend the city, and let people build soil to attack the city under their noses?"

Fan Zhongyi said: "This matter is the key point that I want to talk about. The Zhou army used a lot of gunpowder cannons. This kind of ordnance has never been seen since ancient times. It should be the ordnance that the Zhou army has only produced in recent years.

The gunpowder cannon cast|fires stone bullets weighing a hundred catties, which can probably hit four or five hundred steps away. On the city, only the sound of artillery was heard in the distance, and seeing the white smoke, the stone bullets fell on the city wall... At that time, Jinyang was surrounded by four sides, and the Han army was trapped in the city.

The Zhou army first bombarded the city wall with artillery, destroyed and repelled the Han army defenders and horses, and then transported soil to build the mountain within a hundred steps. "

Fan Zhongyi continued: "When the Zhou army attacked the city wall, its armor was excellent and its soldiers were brave. The Han army was invincible. They were defeated first, and then lost the city defense."

Xiao Siwen said: "I heard that Jinyang once sent people to obtain the method of making armor from the Zhou army. I don't know what the result is?"

Fan Zhongyi said: "After Jinyang City was broken, the Han Kingdom surrendered. There is no news about this matter."

Everyone discussed it, and seeing that it was getting late, they said goodbye and went back.

Xiao Siwen also left the front yard, walked into the Moon Cave Gate, and couldn't help pacing up and down with a heavy heart. Many long-term plans have been disrupted at this time... Guo Tiejiang is really evil, and Xiao Siwen was caught off guard earlier and suffered a big loss.

He felt a little impatient at this moment, so he could only try his best to deal with the nearby risks first.

Guo Tiejiang won Jinyang too quickly, and he will definitely want more! Before the Battle of the Northern Han Dynasty, Xiao Siwen guessed that Youzhou would be threatened after the Northern Han Dynasty; now that the Zhou army has easily succeeded, the possibility of attacking Youzhou is even greater.

Youzhou is very important to the entire Daliao. If it is lost in Xiao Siwen's hands, won't Yelvjing take the opportunity to make trouble? Xiao Siwen was almost certain of his fate.

He had a good idea of ​​the strength of the Zhou army at first, but the Central Plains Dynasty succeeded in frequent conquests in the hands of Guo Tiejiang, and some things happened unbelievably, Xiao Siwen gradually couldn't help but worry.

He paid close attention to Guo Tiejiang's previous battles, and couldn't help thinking at this moment: defending the city is not what the Liao army is good at, and he has to use the old method and use enough cavalry to play its strengths.

At this moment, I suddenly heard a childish voice yelling: "Aunt Bai, I want that one, the biggest and reddest one!"

It was Xiao Chuo's voice, Xiao Siwen followed the reputation and saw his seven-year-old daughter, and his mood immediately became much happier. Xiao Chuo was Xiao Siwen's third daughter, she was very beautiful, she was remembered by many people in the Xiao clan at a young age, and she was also Xiao Siwen's favorite daughter.

Neither males nor females of the Xiao family will be underestimated, because the Yelu family of the royal family is the designated marriage partner of the Xiao family, and the daughters of the Xiao family are very likely to be queens and concubines.

The woman in her thirties next to her is Bai Shi, a Han Chinese, Xiao Siwen's concubine, who he plundered many years ago. The two of them stood under a plum tree and didn't notice Xiao Siwen for a while.

Xiao Siwen walked forward with a pleasant face.

Bai Shi stood on tiptoe and still couldn't reach the plum, and jumped up again, but still couldn't reach it. Seeing this, Xiao Siwen couldn't help showing a smile. The Bai family was usually very reserved, but the jumping up and down at this time was very funny. She treats Xiao Chuo very well... Xiao Chuo is still young, so he doesn't have the prejudice of ordinary Khitan people in front of Han'er, Bai's family loves her, and she is very close to this woman.

Bai said: "Auntie is not tall enough, she really can't pick that fruit, forget it."

Unexpectedly, Xiao Chuo was persistent and said, "I'll climb up the tree to pick it!"

"Yanyan." Xiao Siwen called to stop her.

Bai Shi turned her head following the sound, only to realize that Xiao Siwen had passed by, her expression changed suddenly, her shoulders trembled, and she timidly knelt down and said: "I have seen A Lang before."

"That's all." Xiao Siwen waved his hand, then extended his palm to Xiao Chuo with a smile.

Xiao Chuo was not afraid of his own father, and ran over happily: "I want that plum, and my father is as tall as a mountain, so I must be able to reach it!"

"Haha..." Xiao Siwen looked distressed, stretched out his hand to pinch the little girl's rosy and tender face, looked up, but he couldn't reach it visually, he was a person with status, so he couldn't jump up to pick it like Mrs. Bai.

Immediately, he hugged Xiao Chuo's calf and said, "Hold on, daddy will hold you up, give you a height, and pick what you want by yourself!"

Khitan girls are more wild and courageous than Han girls, although Xiao Chuo was so frightened that he yelled "Ah", "It's so tall!" but he still supported Xiao Siwen's head, bravely picked the fruit, and giggled happily for a while.

After Xiao Chuo was put down, he grabbed Xiao Siwen's clothes and said, "Father took me to ride a horse."

Xiao Siwen is really not in the mood, he has something on his mind. But seeing the look of anticipation on the beloved daughter's face, he immediately said: "Let's go!"

...

Compared with the sunny Youzhou, the palace in Shangjing Imperial City is quite different. The light here is very dark, and the air is cloudy, because the windows are all closed.

Yelvjing's face was pale after drinking too much, she stared dully at an oil lamp on the table, and said without turning her head, "Do you think the Zhou people will attack Youzhou?"

Yang Gun bowed and said: "I think it's inevitable. Youzhou was originally Han'er's territory. Now the leader of the southerners, Guo Tiejiang, has won many battles and won many times. He will definitely try to regain it."

The noble next to him muttered: "Back then, the Jin people wanted to win the throne, and they clearly and clearly ceded the Sixteen States of Youyun. Our Daliao also kept our promise and sent troops to help him. It is fair and honest. The Sixteen States of Youyun belong to Daliao, so why is it their territory?"

Yang Gun said: "The public statement is reasonable, but Zhou people don't think so. Guo Rong (Chai Rong) wanted to come and take it when he was in power. Zhou people no longer worship Daliao, so this matter is unreasonable."

The nobleman nodded and said: "If you don't decide who is superior on the battlefield, there is no way to talk about it!"

The two faced the Great Khan together, and the nobleman bowed: "Guo Shao, the lord of the Zhou Dynasty, is known as 'Guo Pocheng'. The King of the Southern Court has never made any great achievements in battle. I am worried that I will lose..."

Yelvjing gave him a cold look, and the nobleman hurriedly bent down and stopped talking.

Yelujing thought: If Xiao Siwen is not allowed to be the king of the South Court, what position should he be given in the North Court?

He said casually: "I heard that Xiao Siwen is very interested in Han'er and knows a lot about him. He is still competent in defending the city."

Yang Gun said: "As long as Xiao Siwen guards Youzhou City, when the Daliao cavalry arrives, the Zhou army can be gathered and destroyed!"

Yelujing remained silent, thinking in his heart that if Youzhou was threatened, the tribes would also support the use of troops. In the face of foreign enemies, he can mobilize enough troops relatively easily.

He looked at the swaying flames, and suddenly felt that the Zhou people's attack on Youzhou was also an opportunity for him. It was more realistic to increase prestige with achievements than to scare|intimidate those with ulterior motives by killing people!

But he can't make great achievements in normal times, and all the tribes of Daliao are guarding against accidents and do not support the large-scale use of troops by the Northern Academy...Forcing the tribes to mobilize troops and gather is even more risky. However, if attacked by foreign enemies, the royal family, nobles and ministers would willingly transfer troops to the account of the Great Khan; such matters are related to the overall situation of Daliao, and Youzhou is very productive, and everyone has more or less actual benefits.

Yelujing looked at Yang Gun and said, "Xiao Siwen wants reinforcements, and you will lead the troops there."

!!