Chapter 169: Formulating the Grand Plan

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In the early Song period, after Zhao Guangyi's two attempts to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun ended in failure, the Zhao Song dynasty established a relatively complete defense system along the border regions of Hebei.

Taking advantage of Hebei's topography—higher in the west, lower in the east, with numerous rivers—they dammed the Xu, Bao, Sha, Tang, and other rivers to create a network of water ponds, linking them into a "Water Great Wall" stretching four hundred and fifty kilometers east-west from Baozhou to Nigu Mouth, and thirty to forty kilometers north-south, with twenty-eight garrisons and one hundred twenty-five watchtowers erected to restrict the mobility of Liao cavalry.

They also emphasized the military defensive functions of cities at all levels, adjusting the layouts of prefectural and county walls: in the sixth year of Kaibao, Shiyi County was merged into Huilu County to strengthen Huilu City's control over the gateway to Mount Taixing; in the eighth year of Xining, the Jingxian County seat was relocated to Tianchang Town, making it the military and political center of the Jingxian Basin. Meanwhile, at key border passes such as Wajiao Pass, Yijin Pass, and Yuyu Pass, they reinforced city walls and dug deep tunnels.

They also constructed vast underground tunnels in the Hebei counties of Xiongzhou, Bazhou, Wenan, Yongqing, and Gu'an. These tunnels featured complex military facilities—troop hideouts, labyrinth chambers, cover positions, flip panels—as well as life-support systems: ventilation shafts, lantern stands, water storage vats—enabling long-term troop concealment and delivering surprise advantages in warfare, providing a certain defensive function against the Liao army.

At that time, as a critical border region, Hebei maintained a permanent garrison of two to three hundred thousand imperial troops.

Before the Battle of Chanzhou during Emperor Zhenzong's reign, Hebei still had over two hundred thousand troops stationed.

By the Tian Sheng era of Emperor Renzong, due to the Treaty of Chanyuan, with prolonged peace between Song and Liao, Hebei's garrison was reduced to only one hundred thousand (of which over ninety-five thousand were imperial troops).

Now, due to Zhao Yu's reforms streamlining the patrol system, Hebei's border garrison has dwindled to just over eighty thousand.

Of course, if one includes the militia and local troops, the Zhao Song dynasty still maintains one hundred thousand troops in Hebei.

At the beginning of Zhao Yu's reign, Yelu Hongji declared his intent to redraw the border; Zhao Yu responded with firmness, and the Privy Council submitted a viable defense strategy, upon which Zhao Yu issued imperial edicts:

Establish Border Grand Patrol Offices along Hebei's frontier, with patrol offices stationed in Baozhou, Ansu Army, and Guangxin Army to manage local security, conduct regular border patrols, formulate defense strategies, and deploy troops, thereby strengthening control over border regions; and establish the Hebei Frontier Pacification Office in Xiongzhou to oversee Baozhou, Ansu Army, Guangxin Army, Bazhou, and other prefectures and armies, responsible for consolidating border defenses, resolving border conflicts, managing espionage, and coordinating frontier defense operations.

Simultaneously, the Privy Council issued supreme directives to Hebei's imperial troops:

Concentrate elite forces at the garrisons of Zhending Prefecture, Dingzhou, and Gaoyang Pass, forming a pincer formation—three strongholds standing apart to control and block Khitan cavalry; when they come, defend; when they retreat, do not pursue; deepen moats, build ramparts, and construct new fortresses.

This strategy aimed primarily at defense, avoiding large-scale field battles with the Liao army, relying on sturdy fortifications and rational troop deployment to resist Liao incursions.

Before coming to Hebei, Zhao Yu believed that after three years of preparation, repeated orders to stockpile grain and supplies, and the existing foundation of old defenses, Hebei should have been adequately ready.

But when Zhao Yu arrived in Hejian Prefecture and heard the reports from Su Zhe and Cai Bian—who had already toured Hebei's prefectures and counties—his heart sank, and his face turned grim.

Su Zhe, gritting his teeth, reported: "Following Your Majesty's sacred instructions, I came north under imperial decree, laboring day and night, traveling without rest. Along the way, I observed that in every prefecture and county of Hebei, officers are arrogant, soldiers are lazy, they do not drill for battle, and military supplies are utterly lacking. When I arrived at Gaoyang Pass to organize troop readiness, I found grain unfit for consumption and stored far away, making transport arduous. Weapons are severely deficient; siege and defense equipment is entirely absent, for Hebei has not practiced warfare for a hundred years…"

Cai Bian's observations were much the same.

Since ascending the throne, Zhao Yu has waged an anti-corruption campaign, with Su Zhe and Cai Bian directly in charge—yet Hebei still harbored such negligence, no, such grave corruption—how could Zhao Yu not be furious?

Crucially, war with the Liao army is imminent, and Hebei will become the frontline, required to supply grain, provisions, and materiel to the front.

Yet at this critical moment, he was told: Hebei is empty!

Fortunately, Cai Bian and Su Zhe knew they had failed and quickly submitted a report: the imperial grain and supplies had already arrived at Great Ming Prefecture; they had personally inspected them and confirmed they would be transported by waterway to the front shortly, without delaying the campaign.

Moreover, the Zhao Song dynasty has had a bountiful harvest this year; ordering local officials to procure supplies locally in Hebei will ensure grain does not run short.

As for weapons and military equipment, they are also nearing the front.

Yet despite this, the abysmal state of Hebei's military readiness enraged Zhao Yu.

Recall that when Emperor Shengzong of Liao and his mother, Empress Dowager Xiao, personally led a massive army south, penetrated Song territory, and advanced directly to Chanzhou, threatening the Song capital Kaifeng.

Hebei bore the brunt, becoming the frontline defense against the Liao army.

Hebei's imperial troops played a crucial role in this campaign: they held firm in Chanzhou City, repelling repeated Liao assaults with walls and fortifications. Especially when the Liao vanguard, Xiao Dalin, was killed by a Song ambush crossbow bolt beneath Chanzhou's walls, Liao morale plummeted. Hebei's imperial troops, alongside other Song forces, under the firm insistence of ministers like Kou Zhun, advocated for Emperor Zhenzong to lead the army in person, greatly boosting Song morale.

Ultimately, Song and Liao signed the Treaty of Chanyuan, ushering in a prolonged period of peace.

Hebei's imperial troops' steadfast defense and fierce fighting provided the Zhao Song dynasty with the leverage to negotiate peace, securing its safety and stability.

Yet in this prolonged peace, Hebei's imperial troops gradually eroded their fighting spirit, their combat effectiveness sinking to this level—'no wonder historically, when facing the Jin and other formidable enemies, they performed poorly and failed to effectively resist foreign invasion, leading ultimately to the fall of the Northern Song.'

The key issue is that Hebei's officials and generals had stolen the region dry—Zhao Yu must punish them severely, or heaven and earth would not forgive him.

Su Zhe and Cai Bian have already arrested all corrupt officials and generals, awaiting Zhao Yu's judgment.

Zhao Yu said nothing; with a wave of his hand, he ordered a full investigation: all guilty parties must be punished without mercy, their families confiscated, their clans interrogated.

Crucially, capable officials and generals must replace them.

Because the matter was of immense gravity, Zhao Yu ordered Zhang Chun to screen a reliable group of officials and generals to garrison Hebei.

Zhang Chun understood Hebei's importance and selected for Zhao Yu: Chen Gou, Qiu Yu, Lin Yu, Liu Ke, Xu Huiyan, Huo Anguo, Li Miao, Zhang Xiaochun, Li Juan, Liu Yi, Han Hao, Guo Zhongxiao—loyal ministers and capable generals.

Some of these men, in history, continued to resist the Jin even after the emperor fled and surrendered—they are utterly reliable.

Hebei will soon become the frontline of the Song-Liao war; only by placing these men at every critical point can Zhao Yu feel confident confronting Yelu Yanxi.

Meanwhile, Song forces had secretly assembled at Xiongzhou, Bazhou, and Xin'an Army; their commanding generals had also gradually arrived in Hejian Prefecture.

After consulting with Chancellor Zeng Bu, Han Zhongyan, Su Zhe, Cai Bian, and generals Guo Cheng, Zhong Pu, Zhao Yu announced: the Song army would divide into three routes. The Western Route, based in Xiongzhou, would focus defense on Wajiao Pass, led by General Zhong Pu and Supervising Officer Sun Lu, with the Northern Auxiliary Army as the main force; the Central Route, based in Bazhou, would focus defense on Yijin Pass, led by General Wang Shan and Supervising Officer Zhang Xun, with the Western Auxiliary Army as the main force; the Eastern Route, based in Xin'an Army, would focus defense on Yuyu Pass, led by General Gao Yongnian and Supervising Officer Fan Chuncui, with the Eastern Auxiliary Army as the main force.

Zhao Yu did not retreat to Hejian Prefecture; instead, he resolutely led his army northward to Xiongzhou, the northern frontier stronghold, establishing his imperial palace there, determined to personally command from this position, employing political, diplomatic, and military means to coordinate and halt the Liao advance, buying sufficient time for Zhang Jie and others to recover the Western Xia.

That day, Zhao Yu convened a meeting of all army commanders and supervising officers in his imperial palace.

Attendees included Chancellor Zeng Bu, Han Zhongyan, Su Zhe, Cai Bian; Grand Commander Guo Cheng; Deputy Commander Zhong Pu; Sun Lu, Wang Shan, Zhang Xun, Gao Yongnian, Fan Chuncui, Zong Ze, Wang Bin, Liu Zhongwu, Shi Dao, Shi Zhong, Zhe Yanzhi; newly appointed Department Magistrate of Xiongzhou Chen Gou; newly appointed Department Magistrate of Bazhou Xu Huiyan; newly appointed Commander of Xin'an Army Li Miao.

At the start of the meeting, Zeng Bu spoke:

"This region lies on flat plains, with no natural barriers except rivers. The underground tunnels dug in earlier years to strengthen the three passes have, due to long neglect and decay, become largely unusable—unable to conceal or transport troops or relay intelligence."

"The two Water Great Walls, comprising eight sections, with twenty-six fortresses and one hundred twenty-five watchtowers, built at great cost by our great Song, have become meaningless due to the Yellow River's course change, neglected river channels, and long-term decay. The warships deployed to support the Water Great Wall are mostly unusable from age and neglect; the elm barriers erected where the Water Great Wall was unconnected have been cut down by locals, unable to delay cavalry charges—this eight-hundred-li military defense system has become a hollow shell…"

Though he had anticipated this outcome, Zhao Yu still felt profound regret at the loss of such a vast, costly hydraulic defense system, once built with unrestrained effort by the Zhao Song dynasty.

Crucially, without these defenses, how could the Song army stop the Liao advance?

After all, Song troops have always been inferior in open-field combat, relying entirely on natural terrain for defense.

Zeng Bu continued: "Even if we could demarcate along rivers, even if the Water Great Wall still existed, its utility would be negligible. This region lies in the north; rivers freeze in winter. It is now autumn; in two months, winter will arrive. At that time, all frontline defenses will be useless—the Liao cavalry can easily bypass our three passes and Water Great Wall and strike deep into our heartland; the capital is in peril…"

One must admit, Zeng Bu's military acumen was formidable—he had arrived at the Xiongzhou frontline only a few weeks ahead of Zhao Yu, yet had already mapped the situation with perfect clarity.

As Grand Commander—the frontline overall commander—Guo Cheng spoke at the meeting: "There are two paths before us: defense or offense."

Guo Cheng did not delay: "If we choose defense, Your Majesty must retreat to the capital, disperse the army among Hebei's key strongholds, fortify walls, enforce strict curfews, evacuate civilians, and clear the countryside—so the enemy cannot advance or plunder. Exhausted and demoralized, they will weaken; then we select generals and launch four-pronged attacks to encircle and annihilate the Liao army, leaving not a single horse to return."

Upon hearing this, all generals nodded—it was precisely the method the Zhao Song dynasty had long used against the Liao, and indeed, the very strategy that had won the Battle of Chanzhou and secured the Treaty of Chanyuan.

But if Zhao Yu chose this path, he had come all the way to the frontline, fought not a single battle, and retreated again—his reputation would suffer. Crucially, not everyone here was a seasoned general who understood this as a tactical withdrawal to defeat the Liao.

In other words, if Zhao Yu retreated now, to those unfamiliar with military affairs, it would appear he feared Yelu Yanxi—his prior political theater would be rendered meaningless, and his prestige would suffer a devastating blow.

This might even affect the Zhao Song dynasty's campaign to recover the Western Xia.

That is, while tactically this strategy is viable, politically, it is utterly unacceptable.

Zhao Yu said nothing.

Seeing this, Guo Cheng looked at Zhongwu and signaled that Zhongwu should speak about the attack route.

Zhongwu stepped forward and reported: "If we attack, we must push the front line forward—advance one column into the Bai Gou River region, another into the Fan Village region. While the enemy is still gathering and unprepared, strike first with superior forces, divide and destroy them, disrupt the Liao army's deployment, seek opportunities to eliminate their combat strength, and thereby intimidate the Liao border, forcing them to dare not act rashly, buying time for our great army to reclaim Xi Xia…"

After Zhongwu finished speaking, the hall fell into silence.

Though this plan was risky, it was the best strategy of defense through offense; if successful, it would not only demonstrate the military might of the Zhao Song dynasty but also uplift the people's morale and exert strong psychological pressure on the Liao.

Yet the risks were obvious—if the campaign turned unfavorable, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Moreover, according to Zhongwu's proposal, the Song army would immediately enter Liao territory, occupy advantageous geographic positions, and risk appearing as the first to violate the Treaty of Chanyuan.

At this time, warfare demanded a just cause.

With a just cause, one could win public support, unify internal strength, establish one's own legitimacy, and shatter the enemy's will.

Without it, troop morale would sink, the people would grow uneasy, and the Song might invite universal condemnation, plunging the empire into internal and external crisis.

Zhao Yu turned to consult Li Lin.

Li Lin believed the Liao army had yet to witness the might of the Divine Mechanism Army; they would likely be caught off guard in their first encounter and suffer a crushing defeat. Thus, defense through offense might well be the best choice.

Zhao Yu then consulted Ceng Bu and others.

As Zhao Yu had anticipated, Ceng Bu and Cai Bian supported attack, while Han Zhongyan and Su Zhe supported defense—ultimately, the decision rested with Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu quickly made up his mind: attack!

Zhao Yu ordered Gao Yongnian and Fan Chuncui to lead the Eastern Auxiliary Army, and Liu Zhongwu and Shi Dao to lead the Divine Mechanism Forward Army, advancing into the Bai Gou River region to seek battle opportunities, using offense as defense.

Fearing the two armies might fail to coordinate, Zhao Yu appointed Gao Yongnian as Commander-in-Chief, placing him in overall command of this front.

Zhao Yu also ordered Wang Shan and Zhang Xun to lead the Western Auxiliary Army, and Shi Zhong and Zhe Yanzhi to lead the Divine Mechanism Rear Army, advancing into the Fan Village region, using offense as defense.

Zhao Yu appointed Wang Shan as Commander-in-Chief, placing him in overall command of this front.

Zhao Yu specifically instructed Gao Yongnian and Wang Shan: "You focus solely on fighting—win, and you are rewarded; lose, and you are punished. Everything else will be handled by civil officials; you need not concern yourselves…"

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(End of Chapter)