In the lobby of the Privy Council, the air seemed to be stagnant due to the mountains and rivers crisscrossing on the sand table and the dense military flags.
Xin Qiji's gaze swept across the long Song-Jin border on the sand table like an eagle, from Lizhou West Road and Lizhou East Road at the western end, winding to Jingxian Road and Huainan West Road in the center, and finally arriving at Huainan East Road in the east. This thousand-mile defense line bounded by the Qinling Mountains and the Huai River is not only a barrier, but also a springboard for future attacks.
"Han Xiaoyou, please see," Xin Qiji's voice was calm and powerful, his fingers crossed the sand table, "The place occupied by the Jin prisoners is my homeland of the Central Plains, including Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong. Although its territory is still vast, it is no longer a monolithic plate. If our army wants to succeed in the Northern Expedition, it must be done in three ways at the same time, so that they cannot take care of each other!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Dong Fuge, the commander of the palace front division, said to him, his brows furrowed, obviously thoughtful: "What the cardinal said is very true. However, our Song Dynasty's military strength is limited after all. The Wu family army in Sichuan and Shu is more than defended, but if they want to go out of the Qinling Mountains and break the strong Guanzhong defense line of the Jin people, they may not be able to do so."
"As for the Jinghu soldiers and horses in the middle road, although they have some legacy from Prince Yue, if they are alone in the middle and go north alone, the outcome is unpredictable. The only current plan, I think we should gather heavy troops on the eastern road!"
"Mainly with the elite of our imperial court's Forbidden Army, we will gather the troops of the Huainan Theater and go north from Huainan East Road to Shandong! In Shandong, there is a loyal army as an insider, and the transportation is convenient, and the supply of grain and grass is worry-free. If 50,000 elite troops can be mobilized from Jinghu to strengthen the Eastern Route Army, it will be able to break through the defense line of the Jin army in one fell swoop, recover Shandong, and shake the Central Plains!" His fingers were heavily placed in Shandong.
Everyone's eyes were focused on the eastern part of the sand table, and the atmosphere was solemn.
Xin Qiji slowly shook his head, stroked his beard, and his eyes flashed with the light of strategizing: "What Dong Dianshuai saw was a safe strategy. But how can the battle to destroy the country only seek merit all the way?"
"I have received a secret letter from Yang Changru, the governor of Sichuan, that the military and civilians of Sichuan and Shu are eager for revenge and have abundant food and grass reserves.
"Yang Zhishi guaranteed that once the royal army launched a northern expedition, Sichuan and Shu could send 50,000 elite soldiers to go east out of Dasan Pass and storm Guanzhong! This move is not to seize Guanzhong immediately, but to firmly nail it down, or even attract the main force of the Jin army in Guanzhong, so that every soldier cannot aid Shandong and the Central Plains to the east! This is a strategic containment and is crucial!"
He paused, and moved his finger to the direction of Xiangyang in the middle road: "As for the middle road of Jinghu, you can also send 50,000 troops to cross the Huai River from Xiangyang to the north, so you don't have to rush to fight the main force of the Jin army, but when you are flexible guerrilla, attack the grain route, and threaten Bianjing Luoyang!"
"According to the latest intelligence report from the Privy Council's Horse Exploration Division, since Wanyan Honglie was defeated and killed in Shandong, the Jin army in Bianjing and Luoyang was empty, with only tens of thousands of troops and low morale. As long as our Eastern Route Army wins a decisive victory in Shandong and the direction of the Central Route Army, the old capital of Bianluo can be decided!"
Xin Qiji's analysis progressed layer by layer, and the logic was clear: "Now the Jin prisoners, their southern troops are mostly concentrated in the eastern part of the Central Plains, beware of the Shandong Loyal and Righteous Army. And its real elite was firmly held back on the border by the increasingly rampant Mongolian cavalry in the north, and suffered repeated defeats and heavy losses."
"The field mobile forces that can be directly mobilized by the puppet capital Yanjing are judged to be no more than 100,000 people! And I'm a big Song," his voice rose sharply, full of confidence.
"With the 120,000 forbidden troops that have completed the training as the core, and the 80,000 newly trained soldiers in Jinghu, a total of 200,000 troops, strike a thunderous blow from Shandong, a direction where the Jin people's defense is relatively weak but strategic and strategically critical! As long as it defeats its main force in Shandong-Central Plains in one battle and recovers the old capital, it is not an unattainable dream!"
His words were loud and full of unquestionable power, making the generals present straighten their backs involuntarily.
Han Mu listened intently, his eyes deeply staring at every detail on the sand table. At this time, he frowned slightly and said: "The strategic grandeur mentioned by Xin Lao is exciting. In Sichuan and Shu, I have asked the Tang Sect to speed up the production of the 'Seven Kills Crossbow', which is extremely powerful and has been improved in operation, and should be equipped with a large number of Shu troops within a year. With this sharp weapon, the Shu army should be more confident that 50,000 troops will contain the Jin army in Guanzhong."
He changed his mind and pointed his finger at the vast land of the Central Plains: "Yes, the battle to destroy gold is by no means a complete success in one or two battles. Although the golden man was in trouble, the centipede was dead but not stiff. During wartime, it will forcibly conscript civilian laborers and expand its military strength. If our 200,000 elites go north, they may be able to hastily gather 300,000 or even 400,000 rabble to resist. Even if our army wins consecutive victories in field battles, if we want to conquer the cities one by one, completely eliminate the stubborn enemy, and recover the entire lost territory of the Central Plains, it may not be possible in the short term. This will be a protracted battle that consumes national strength, military strength and will."
He looked at Xin Qiji: "Therefore, in addition to 50,000 Sichuan and Shu, 50,000 Jinghu Middle Road, and 80,000 Shandong Loyal and Righteous Army, which can be used as a partial division and to consolidate the local area, our main Eastern Route Army of 200,000 is enough?"
"Where do the subsequent reinforcements, rotations, and troops to support the long supply lines come from? How many troops are needed to guard the fundamental place of Lin'an, just in case?"
When Xin Qiji heard this, not only was he not displeased, but his eyes were even more full of appreciation: "Han Xiaoyou is worried and knows the essentials of military affairs! Protracted war, logistics, and fundamental land are all the keys to victory."
He stroked his beard again, and the bamboo was in his chest: "The 80,000 new army in Jinghu is already a usable soldier. The 120,000 forbidden army in Lin'an is the elite of a hundred battles. These 200,000 are actually the absolute main force of the first phase of the Northern Expedition. However, as Han Xiaoyou said, if you want to achieve full success, you need to have stamina."
He pointed to the south side of the sand table: "Therefore, at the same time as the Northern Expedition, it is necessary to mobilize and recruit at least 50,000 troops from the hinterland such as Fujian Road and Jiangnan West Road to go north to enrich the front line and defend the recaptured land, and at the same time defend the security of Lin'an. In this way, when the main force continues to advance north, there will be no worries."
"Yes," Xin Qiji's tone turned to a calm tone, "Mobilizing troops, collecting grain, manufacturing weapons, transporting rations, everything is complicated, and it is not achieved overnight. In particular, it takes time to raise and transfer money, food and ordnance to ensure that the 200,000 army and even the follow-up troops will fight for several years. Therefore, in my opinion, the Northern Expedition will take at least one year of preparation!"
"After a year, when everything is ready, the food and grass are full, the ordnance is sufficient, and the new soldiers are trained, then we can march north and deal a fatal blow to the golden prisoners!"
Han Mu stared at the area on the sand table that symbolized the Central Plains of his homeland, and nodded slowly.
Xin Qiji's plan includes both thunderous assaults and far-sighted layouts, taking into account all aspects such as offense, containment, logistics, and preparations.
"One year...... That's enough to make a lot of preparations." Han Mu said softly, his eyes seemed to have crossed the sand table, and he saw the spectacular scene of the flag covering the sun and the iron flowing north a year later.
"At that time, the Jin prisoners will be controlled by Mongolia in the north, and our three armies will be thunderous in the south.
Xin Qiji punched hard, hit the edge of the sand table, and said proudly: "That's right! This is a godsend opportunity, and it must not be missed! A year later, it will be the day when my royal army will settle the Central Plains!"
All the generals in the hall, including Dong Fuge, were all infected by this grand strategic idea and the decision of the two big men, and everyone looked excited and their eyes were hot, as if they had seen the upcoming battle that would determine the fate of the country.
The small flag on the sand table, in their eyes at this moment, has turned into thousands of troops and horses, and is about to run towards the great journey of recovering rivers and mountains.