The most romantic little emperor

Chapter 572: No peace talks, no compromise, retaking the six states of Yanyun

At this moment, Feng Lao's figure rushed in from the door like a gust of wind, with steady steps but a bit of urgency, and walked straight to Qin Hao's side.

He gently pinched his sleeve and pulled out a sealed urgent letter. His eyes revealed a solemnity that could not be ignored. He said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, this is a secret letter written by the Third Prince Qin Yu. Please take a look."

When everyone heard this, their hearts tightened. Although they didn't know the content of the letter, they were all worried and waited for it seriously.

Qin Hao's eyes lit up, as if they were the brightest stars in the night sky, and he couldn't wait to take the secret letter.

The letter was slowly unfolded, and the handwriting on it was vigorous and powerful, as if carved by a knife. Every stroke revealed a sense of indomitable spirit and heroism, and was extremely majestic.

The content of the letter was full of pearls and hit the nail on the head: "Your Majesty, I have followed the royal decree and have properly resettled the people of Daizhou and Yizhou and moved them south to Dingzhou to avoid the calamity of war. In addition, according to the report from Li Yihuan's spy who returned from Youzhou, the Liao monarch Yelu Jing has issued an edict to dismiss Yelu Lingxiao from his position as the King of the Southern Court. The situation in the Liao court is changing rapidly and it is unknown whether it will be good or bad..."

After reading the secret letter, Qin Hao frowned and said nothing. He then handed the secret letter to the ministers present and circulated it among them.

As the secret letters were circulated one by one, a depressing and tense atmosphere gradually filled the hall.

The letter stated that the Liao army was ready to make a move, and its intention was obvious. It seemed that they were about to march south and invade our territory, which made every minister tremble in their hearts.

Qin Hao stared at the solemn expressions of the civil and military officials in front of him. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists. His veins bulged and even his joints crackled.

Suddenly, he shouted angrily, with murderous eyes, and said angrily: "The Liao bandits are ambitious and the world knows it. Today's situation can no longer be solved by tolerance! My dear ministers, now you understand my determination to recover the lost land!"

"This war is unavoidable. It is not what I want, but what the situation forces us to do. This is to defend the dignity of our country. The territory of Daxia cannot be violated by anyone."

"I declare to the world today that from now on, I will declare an all-out war against the Liao Kingdom! No peace talks, no compromises, we will recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun until we achieve the final victory of the war!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers seemed to be infected by Qin Hao's emotions. They knelt on the ground and said in unison: "No peace talks, no compromise, recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, until the final victory of the war is achieved!"

When Qin Hao saw everyone's performance, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Afterwards, the atmosphere in the hall was solemn and warm. After careful planning and discussion, Qin Hao resolutely issued the latest order.

He appointed Wang Jian as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition and Li Mu as the deputy commander-in-chief to share the heavy responsibility of the Northern Expedition.

Dong Wenwu, known for his bravery and fighting skills, was appointed the vanguard general and led an elite force to clear the way for the army.

For this expedition, Qin Hao plans to gather an army of 200,000. Three days later, he will set out from the capital and embark on the journey, vowing to avenge the previous humiliation and restore the prestige of the Great Xia nation.

At the same time, the six ministers also received new orders. They each performed their duties and prepared all the necessary supplies such as food, military pay, and military equipment to ensure that the army's logistics were worry-free and that the soldiers at the front could concentrate on fighting with all their strength.

However, the most important thing is the strategy of using troops, whether to take the initiative to attack and firmly grasp the initiative, or to defend the city and rely on solid and powerful terrain to destroy the enemy's vitality. Different generals gave different opinions.

Wang Jian was worthy of being the Grand Marshal of the Northern Expedition appointed by Qin Hao himself, and he had made sufficient preparations before that.

He slowly walked to the map hanging on the wall, straightened his back, stared at the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun that were trampled by the Liao iron hoof, and said calmly: "The Liao invaded our Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun two years ago and implemented a policy of coercion, but the people in the north are tough, strong-willed, and have not lost their blood. Many of them are Han people who are loyal to Daxia and miss home day and night. The more the Liao people oppress, the more they resist."

“Therefore, the strategy for this battle is to unite all forces that can be united and jointly drive the Liao people back to the grassland.”

When everyone heard this, ripples were stirred in their hearts. Their eyes flashed with unprecedented light, and they all focused their attention on this wise and brave marshal.

Qin Hao showed admiration on his face. He knew very well that his elder brother-in-law had great ambitions. Whenever he talked about military and national affairs, he always showed a heroic and calm attitude that looked down on the world.

Wang Jian took a step forward, stretched out his hand and gently stroked the detailed map, his fingertips gently paused on the word "Youzhou", and continued: "If we want to recover our rivers and mountains and drive the Liao people to the north of the grassland, the key lies in this corner of the land - Youzhou."

"Youzhou is the key to the northern border, a strategic military hub, and a transportation hub. Its prosperity is not only reflected in the gathering of merchants and the prosperity of various industries, but also in the fact that it is the place where the Liao people gathered their troops, forged weapons, and stored food and grass."

"Therefore, if our Great Xia army can conquer this strong city and cut off its source of supply, the Liao invaders will surely be defeated and their route to the south will be cut off. By then, Youzhou will become our army's stronghold, which can be used for attack or defense. The recovery of our territory will be just around the corner."

Li Zhen pondered for a moment, his eyes deep, then slowly raised his head, a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said to Wang Jian: "Marshal Wang, Youzhou was originally a military fortress of our Great Xia. Youzhou City is as solid as a rock, and it is one of the few great cities in the world."

"The Liao people are strong-willed and their warriors have been through the baptism of war and are extremely brave. It will be difficult to capture the city of Youzhou quickly. I wonder if Marshal Wang has any good ideas to break this situation?"

Wang Jian nodded slightly, a glimmer of wisdom flashed in his eyes, and he smiled faintly: "Duke Li is right. The road for our Great Xia army to enter Youzhou is under the threat of the Liao people. I believe that the Liao Kingdom has already made arrangements. In Zhuozhou, Shunzhou and other places, there are already heavy troops protecting Youzhou's grain roads. It is not easy to take Youzhou."

"If the Liao army wants to go south, there are probably two ways to go. One way is to come from the northern grasslands, pass through Yunzhou and Shuozhou, and then go deep into the heart of our Great Xia."

"This road seems to be the easiest to take, but our Great Xia has Yanmen Pass in between, which is like a single man guarding the pass, strangling the throat of the Liao army's southward advance. If the Liao army wants to go south from here, it will not be easy unless Yanmen Pass is lost."

"The other route is circuitous, sending troops from the southeast of Youzhou and quietly approaching the Cangzhou border of Daxia. If the Liao army dares to choose this route, it will be a godsend opportunity for us."

"Everyone knows that the strength of the Liao army lies in its swiftness and courage in conquering cities, but it is not good at defending cities. Its strengths and weaknesses are extremely obvious."

"In the past, when the Liao army marched south, they mostly rode light cavalry and advanced quickly, like a gust of wind sweeping away the remaining clouds. But now is different. Daxia is no longer the same as it was in the past. Cangzhou has a complex terrain and many rivers. It can be a barrier for our army, but it can also become a stumbling block for the Liao army."

"As long as we deploy carefully and wait for the Liao army to tire, we will be able to deal a head-on blow to them here and make sure they never return."

Qin Hao nodded slightly, his eyes flashing with deep approval of Wang Jian's way of using troops, as if he had foreseen that the changes on the battlefield were all in Wang Jian's hands.