"Yes, Xijing Road."

Zhao Jiu seemed to be thinking about something. "Renqing has been with me for many years, and knows that I am not the kind of person who likes to make empty promises. Whether it is Datong Road or Xijing Road, I think your family is the most suitable to be the first governor of this new road... Because you are a close minister, you will definitely understand my intentions and will not do anything wrong."

"Your Majesty..." Ren Baozhong's mind was almost blank.

"Moreover, most of the territories in this route were not established at the beginning, and there were too many and too chaotic tribes. You are experienced in winning over, integrating, and suppressing." Zhao Jiu did not care about the other party's reaction, but continued to analyze. "What's more, Renqing is a Dangxiang tribe, a famous Dangxiang hero who has been famous for decades. Although the court opposes ethnic division, some things are also historical issues. We, the monarch and the ministers, do not need to cover it up. As a role model for the Dangxiang people, you should also have the experience of being an envoy with real power, so that the Dangxiang people will return to their hearts. I even thought that if you can handle the affairs of Datong Road beautifully, it is feasible to come back to serve as a minister... But your age really makes me a little worried."

"Your Majesty." Ren Baozhong waited until the other party finished speaking, but he knelt down in the tent and burst into tears. "I am willing to share your worries, even if I die, I am not afraid. What's the point of my old age? For your Majesty, I can work for another ten years!"

Zhao Jiu nodded: "If you are willing, Renqing... take a break. After I discuss with Lu Xianggong, I will give you the official decree and you can go back to Datong directly."

Ren Baozhong was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly realized in his heart - he finally knew why Wu Jie sent an old man like him back to report the news! This was a huge favor!

However, although he had come to his senses, Ren Baozhong did not show it on his face. He just became more serious and said, "Since the emperor has chosen me as the governor of Datong Road, I will do my best to repay the emperor's trust."

"The situation is like this, and we need a envoy who is different from the envoys from the mainland, and you are right here." Zhao Jiu sighed. "So, it can be said that the times and the country have chosen you, and I hope you will not let them down."

Ren Baozhong just kowtowed and had no idea what Emperor Zhao was saying.

Just like that, after hastily determining the layout in the direction of Datong, the last bit of concern of the Song army disappeared. In the next few days, under the command of the command department, one after another, the main imperial camp troops began to advance eastward on a large scale.

At the beginning, of course, it was the Dong Xian and Zhang Qi groups that set out first on the 16th day of the first lunar month.

In the afternoon of that day, four commanders, Niu Gao, Zhai Jin, Zhai Chong and Shao Yun, with a total of more than 10,000 troops, divided into two routes, one in the south and one in the north, flanked Xiong Ridge and marched eastward to serve as reinforcement.

On the morning of the 17th day of the first lunar month, Generals Dong Xian and Zhang Qi arrived at the eastern part of Shouyang County, which was almost the easternmost part of Taiyuan Prefecture. They came to the famous Mianman River and engaged in battle with a small group of Jin troops.

The so-called Mianman River is a tributary of the Hutuo River, and it is also the famous river that passes through Jingxing and experienced a decisive battle.

At the same time, Han Shizhong, the commander-in-chief of the Left Army of the Imperial Camp and the Prince of Yan'an, personally led the Left Army of the Imperial Camp, with seven commanders headed by Jie Yuan, nearly 25,000 combat soldiers of the Imperial Camp, plus more than 10,000 civilians and auxiliary soldiers, and marched along the road on the north side of Shaxiong Ridge.

By the afternoon of that day, when Ren Baozhong hurried back to Taiyuan, the four commanders led by Niu Gao who followed him also arrived in Yu County and Shouyang County, the easternmost part of Taiyuan Prefecture, respectively, in the north and south.

On the 18th day of the first lunar month, Ren Baozhong returned north early in the morning with his appointment.

In the morning, Emperor Zhao personally led the dragon flag and left Taiyuan City under the escort of two squad leaders, Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan... Accompanying them were Wang Yan, the general commander of the Imperial Camp, Li Shifu, the deputy commander of the Imperial Camp Cavalry, and Wu Lin, the deputy commander of the Imperial Camp Rear Army, who had just arrived from the rear to join the army. Below the three of them, there were 15 more commanders, and the troops they led were the 30,000 Imperial Camp Rear Army, which had almost no casualties in this Northern Expedition and could be regarded as the fresh force, and the Dangxiang light cavalry from the 15,000 Imperial Camp Cavalry.

With such a large number of people, plus the 4,000 imperial guards, the 60,000 Tangut auxiliary soldiers who have rich combat experience, and the miscellaneous people such as Japanese samurai, Poxi troops, and those for consultation, the total number must be 110,000.

Of course, with such a large number of people, they could only march thirty miles a day, but they followed the main road on the south side of Shaxiong Ridge, passing through Yuci and slowly heading eastward.

The grand scale of this military expedition basically overshadowed all other information… Whether it was the two vanguard generals Dong Xian and Zhang Qi who cooperated well and successfully captured Pingding City, the capital of the Pingding Army, which had few garrisons on the banks of the Mianman River and approached the Jingxing Pass in a narrow sense; or Li Qiong's 10,000 troops who moved from the Shangdang Basin to Liaozhou (the area around Zuoquan County in later generations); or Wang De who led his troops back from Datong Prefecture and crossed the Yanmen Pass, no one cared.

On the 19th day of the first lunar month, the weather was calm and the troops continued to advance.

On the 20th day of the first lunar month, the anxious Wang De returned from Datong first and led an army of 20,000 into the Taiyuan Basin. Upon hearing the news, the military minister Lu Yihao also set off immediately. He led only a few thousand troops and 20,000 carefully selected civilians, a large amount of baggage, and most of the civil servants who followed the army, and marched eastward.

That afternoon, Generals Dong and Zhang, who had officially entered the Jingxing area, suddenly encountered the main force of the Jin army in Baijingzhai. The Song army was caught off guard and could not defeat them for a while, so they had to retreat ten miles and set up camp.

On the 21st day of the first lunar month, after three days of leisurely marching, the main force led by Emperor Zhao arrived in Shouyang County, while Wu Jie, with 10,000 Khitan Yinshan reinforcements, 15,000 Western Mongolian reinforcements, plus the remaining 10,000 imperial camp troops, also crossed Xinzhou and reached the Taiyuan Basin.

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