In the early morning of autumn, the red sun appears and disappears in the mist. On the canal outside Qingzhou City, ships came and went, carrying grain, grass and ordnance. The management of the Yellow River has been quite effective, especially after the fall of Xixia, large-scale afforestation activities have begun in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Especially in the Loess Plateau, vegetation restoration and soil and water conservation are being stepped up without the damage caused by war. Floods in the Yellow River have reduced, and the original canals on the Hebei Road Plain are no longer seriously affected by sediment, and have begun to recover in the past two years. It would be no problem for a flat-bottomed boat with a shallower draft to travel unimpeded. If not, the logistics of transporting grain and fodder in this battle against the Liao Kingdom would be difficult enough. Lai San used to be a boatman. Two years ago, the Yellow River flooded. He dragged his family and his family out to beg for a living. They were homeless and lived a very miserable life. At that time, he was still the minister of the Ministry of Industry. After managing the Yellow River, he could finally return to his hometown. Prime Minister Wen ordered the states and counties to allocate dozens of acres of land to the people, and several brothers, father, wife and children of the family farmed it. Because of his good water properties, Laizan ran a boat in those days. When he saw that the canal was open again, he returned to his old business, hoping to earn more money to support his family. Especially since the official expedition to the Liao Kingdom this time was transporting a large amount of grain and grass, the boatmen like them were also extremely busy. But no one felt it was hard, let alone complained. All their happy life now was given by the official Zhao Zhao, and a person should know how to repay kindness. They have also heard that there are no floods on Hebei Road now, and the biggest disaster is the Khitan people. As long as the Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures are recaptured, future troubles will never come, in order to repay the favor. For a stable life for future generations. It's all worth it. After dawn. After unloading, the ship is preparing to leave and return south to continue transporting grain and grass. But as soon as the ship left the dock, Laizo noticed that the ship was shaking continuously. But there was obviously no wind. Even if it was an empty boat, it wouldn't be shaking so much. That's why Immediately afterwards, Laizan found that the water surface was also shaking, first there were circles of ripples, although they were waves. Not the wind. It's the earth Laizan finally discovered that the whole earth was shaking slightly. Is it an earthquake? In the past few years, there have been several earthquakes in Hebei Road, and similar situations have also occurred. Lai San has seen it before. Could it be another earthquake? I still remember that after the earthquake, mourning flooded the land, and it was Wu Chong, the current Xuanfu envoy, who came to provide relief. Now that we are just living a good life, there must be no earthquake disasters again, Laizo prayed silently in his heart. But he found that the ripples on the water were becoming more and more obvious. Obviously the shaking became more violent. Could it be a major earthquake? its not right. How could an earthquake last so long? Lai San was very confused. He suddenly heard a shout from his companion. He turned around and looked through the gradually dispersing thick fog. He saw a huge cloud of smoke and dust in the distance, advancing rapidly like a flood, gradually heading towards Qingzhou City. what happened? After a while, someone finally saw the doorway. They were cavalry, and they were cavalry from a large group. Only a large number of war horses running fast can create such a strong vibration. In the midst of astonishment, these cavalrymen had already approached Qingzhou City, and the rolling murderous aura was overwhelming. For a moment, Lai San felt like he was suffocating. ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ The Khitan army suddenly came to Qingzhou City, and the Song army was unexpected. The fog covered its traces, and by the time it was discovered, any other action was meaningless. The only option was to close the city gates and defend against the enemy. The guard general of Qingzhou named Luo Jiancheng was shocked when he discovered this situation. For no other reason than because the emperor of the Song Dynasty's banner was flying at the top of Qingzhou City, and there were only 8,000 defenders in Qingzhou City. Looking up, there were at least 30,000 Khitan cavalry outside the city, with a huge disparity in strength. Luo Jiancheng was also mature and prudent. He was not panicked at first, but he was inevitably nervous. He immediately ordered people to close the city gate and pile stones behind it to seal the city gate tightly. It¡¯s just eight thousand people guarding a city. Facing almost four times the number of troops, it¡¯s too difficult to defend the city. For them, eight thousand men were required to hold the four walls. But for the Khitans, they only needed to concentrate their forces and fight one side, or even just break through one point and they were done. Once the city is destroyed, what will be the consequences? Luo Jiancheng did not dare to think too much about the possibility of the sky falling and the earth falling. He immediately sent an order to the Qingzhou government to mobilize all the strong men in the city to fight on the city wall. Even the only son in the family must obey the order. Now he must do it at all costs. Ensure the safety of the Emperor of the Song Dynasty. This can be regarded as adding a little more self-confidence to the people and soldiers. The most fearful thing is to be afraid before fighting. It's just that Qingzhou is not the city closest to the border after all. All aspects of combat preparations are not very sufficient, and the psychological preparation is insufficient. It seems really hasty. The men who have been recruited are rushing to the top of the city.The Dan army launched an attack. Luo Jian originally planned to take time to see Emperor Zhao Zhao, but now he couldn't get away at all. The Khitan people's attack was very fierce. In half an hour, all the Song troops outside Qingzhou had been cleared, and they launched a tentative attack on the city head. The Khitan people probably did this because they wanted to take advantage of the sudden attack and panic the Song army so that they could be caught off guard. The result was a failure. Although the Song army blocked the first wave of Khitan attacks. But in just half an hour, hundreds of corpses had been dumped on the city wall. The Khitans are retreating now. They must be resting, cutting down trees, and preparing siege equipment. The real threatening formal attack has not yet begun. I wonder how many people will be killed by then? Whether it can withstand the impact of the Khitan army. It¡¯s a lot of pressure! Luo Jiancheng breathed a sigh of relief and was about to take the time to see the emperor Zhao Zhao, but when he turned around, he saw that the officials had already walked to the top of the city to express condolences to the injured soldiers. "General, you will see the official at the end!" "General Luo, there is no need to be polite. What's the situation now?" After all, he is worthy of being the king of a country. Although the situation is critical, Zhao Zhao is extremely calm and does not panic at all. "The Khitan troops are about 30,000, all of them elite. The general has already recruited civilians to help garrison in the city." Luo Jiancheng spoke concisely and comprehensively, basically explaining the situation clearly. The size of the Qingzhou garrison and the defensive situation are well known and need not be repeated. "Do you know who the enemy's general is?" Zhao Zhao's face was expressionless, but he was very interested in who the enemy's general was. "We don't know yet!" Zhao Zhao ordered: "Find a way to clarify this matter for me." "Yes!" Zhao Zhao turned around and left. Luo Jiancheng whispered: "The officials will wait a moment, there will be some I don¡¯t know whether to say this or not.¡± ¡°Say!¡± Walking to a quiet place under the city tower, Luo Jiancai said: ¡°Your Majesty, Qingzhou¡¯s troops are not strong enough, and the Khitan people are coming fiercely. Can you move forward first? I have the elite guards of the Great Song Dynasty under my command. I am leading the Qingzhou garrison to escort the Guan family out." Zhao Zhao frowned and said, "Does General Luo have no confidence in himself or me? "Confidence?" "I don't dare!" Luo Jiancheng bowed and said: "I and the soldiers of Qingzhou will fight to the death to protect the safety of the officials. But after all, the strength of the troops is very different, and Qingzhou does not have high walls and deep pools. I am worried. If something goes wrong The government is committed to maintaining the country of the Song Dynasty, and there must be no mistakes." Zhao Zhao asked, "But the question is, can you guarantee that I can escape safely?" Luo Jiancheng was speechless! "Staying in Qingzhou, there is still a city wall that can resist the Liao army, but if we leave the city The swordsmen of the Song Dynasty are indeed elite, and your Qingzhou army of Luo Jiancheng will also fight to the death. But on the plain outside the city, there may be Khitan The opponent of the cavalry? The opponent's strength is several times that of ours, and they are better at cavalry combat. How difficult is it to escape from them in the field? " Luo Jiancheng was stunned. He was too anxious just now. Khitan People suddenly came to kill, and Qingzhou City was in danger. In this situation, even though he was usually calm and resourceful, it was difficult for him to remain calm. After all, it is related to the emperor's safety and the national destiny of the Song Dynasty. Hearing what Zhao Zhao said at this moment, he quickly came to his senses. He was really not thinking clearly in the panic. Breaking out was the real danger, and it was easier for officials to make mistakes. That means he is a sinner who will never recover and will be a sinner for the ages. "General Luo, don't mention the breakout again. What will happen to the soldiers and civilians of Qingzhou after I leave? Are we going to give up on them?" Zhao Zhao said in a deep voice: "Once the idea of ????breaking out is revealed, the confidence of the soldiers and civilians will be completely lost. It is really dangerous. You should know how important this battle is to the Song Dynasty. The national prestige and morale that was finally raised cannot be wasted because of this. " "Yes, I obeyed the order, and I have tried my best to defend Qingzhou City." Luo Jiancheng felt. The pressure on my shoulders is heavier, but it¡¯s just as meaningful. Zhao Zhao glanced at Luo Jiancheng approvingly and said earnestly: "General Luo, the reason why I came to Qingzhou is actually because of your loyalty and bravery. Although the Khitan people are coming menacingly, I believe you can withstand it. Three days. , you only need to withstand me for three days, you will be a hero of the Song Dynasty, I will decree to make you a loyal and brave prince, and you will be hereditary and retire with the country." Luo Jiancheng knelt down in front of Zhao Zhao and kowtowed. : "I will do my duty faithfully, defend Qingzhou to the death, and defend His Majesty to the death!" "Okay, I believe you can do it!" After Zhao Zhao finished speaking, he turned and left. Luo Jiancheng was surprised, but felt heavy. It is difficult to hold on for three days, but you have to do it no matter what. Three days, why three days? Luo JianchengThis question suddenly occurred to me. All the elite legions of the Song Army went into battle, at least three hundred miles away. Although there are garrisons in nearby Mozhou and Yingzhou, they are not large in number. Even if they are willing to rescue, they may not have a substantial effect. Even after three days, will the reinforcements be able to come back? By the way, the officials have always been prudent and experienced in fighting in the northwest. Why were they so reckless this time and sent all the generals to attack? No, three days Thinking of the three-day appointment with the official family, Luo Jiancheng showed a faint smile on his lips. He seemed to understand something. Please support the new book "Zai Fu"! (To be continued)