As Yuguan could not be captured for a long time, Yelu Zongzhen fell into a very embarrassing situation.

The two capitals of the east and the west could not be connected, which meant that gunpowder supplies could not be replenished.

And he could not send more troops to rescue Yuguan.

The reason why he was able to defend Xijin Prefecture was not only because of the high and thick city walls and artillery, but also because he had more people than the Song army.

Even these people and horses were very reluctant.

In the age of firearms, unless both sides have firearms, it is useless to use hot weapons against cold weapons and human wave tactics.

This has been proven by the Qing army and the Eight-Nation Alliance.

Therefore, he could not send a large group of troops to Yuguan. If he did so, there would be a shortage of troops on the front battlefield, and he would have no way to stop Fan Zhongyan's attack.

If he did not send troops, the Song army's fleet would be intercepted at Yumen Pass, and the troops and supplies from Liaoyang Prefecture could not be transported over.

The troops can still take a detour through Xifengkou, but what about the supplies?

Countless carriages and horses were being escorted from Xifengkou along the long mountain roads. A large amount of supplies would probably be piled up on the mountain roads, making it impossible to move forward.

Therefore, under this situation, the battle between Liao and Song really turned into the Battle of Changping.

The only difference is that the Liao State is now the Zhao State, and the Song State is now the Qin State. In fact, the current Song State is many times stronger than the Qin State at that time in terms of national strength.

"That's it, I'm tired."

Inside the palace, Yelu Zongzhen rubbed his chest with his left hand and waved his right hand, signaling them to leave.

Everyone bowed and left.

This time, the tone was set, that is, they would not take the initiative to negotiate with the Song people, and could only continue to be tough.

Now that the Song people have cut off Yumen Pass, the war cannot be delayed. We must launch a decisive battle with the Song people within the next few months before the food and gunpowder in Xijin are consumed.

To do this, they must plan carefully and come up with a foolproof strategy to defeat the Song army in order to preserve the safety of his Liao country.

After the meeting, Liu Liufu returned to his residence.

He was somewhat distraught. He had not expected that he would be fired so quickly, and this was even though he had only offered correct opinions that were in line with the current situation.

Knowing full well that it would be useless for the Liao Dynasty to continue fighting against the Song army, Yelu Zongzhen still insisted on having his own way. That's fine, you can ignore his advice, but why should you take your anger out on him?

Liu Liufu was very unwilling, but there was nothing he could do, so he could only leave the palace and return to his home.

He told his servants not to disturb him and went to the backyard. He sat in the pavilion and looked at the towering trees in the yard. He didn't know what he was thinking and felt quite annoyed.

Just when I was feeling depressed, someone came in from outside.

"Didn't I tell people not to come in?"

Liu Liufu was furious.

But when he turned around, he saw his fourth brother Liu Siduan.

"Fourth brother!"

Liu Liufu asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

Among the six brothers of the Liu family, he was the most successful, having been promoted to the position of Prime Minister of the Northern Palace.

You should know that the Liao Dynasty had two official systems, divided into northern and southern officials, which were mainly managed by the Northern and Southern Privy Councils, under which there were northern and southern left and right prime ministers, and the northern and southern Privy Councilors were basically Khitan nobles.

Therefore, Liu Liufu's position was basically one of the highest-ranking officials that a Han Chinese could hold. Unless he was granted special promotion like Han Derang and Zhang Jian, he was already at the pinnacle of the Han Chinese.

Apart from him, the other brothers of the Liu family were doing mediocrely, basically holding various sinecures such as Jiedushi and Guanchashi given by the Liao Kingdom to noble families.

Normally, they must serve in their respective states.

Liu Liufu's fourth brother Liu Siduan was the governor of Danzhou, which is the Miyun area of ​​Beijing in later generations. Although it was relatively close to Xijin Prefecture, he was not allowed to leave his post without permission according to the law.

Therefore, it is a strange thing to appear here.

Liu Siduan walked over and said, "A batch of soldiers and military equipment from Dading Prefecture has been delivered to Bei'an Prefecture. I went to the border between Tanzhou and Bei'an Prefecture to hand over these people and supplies. Originally, I didn't need to escort them myself, but I thought of coming to see you, so I came here."

He then sat down next to Liu Liufu and said, "But I just heard."

"Yes, I was dismissed from my post by His Majesty."

Liu Liufu smiled bitterly.

Liu Siduan was silent for a moment, then said, "Liu Lang, do you think the Liao Dynasty can defeat the Song Dynasty now?"

Liu Liufu looked at him in surprise and asked, "What do you mean, Fourth Brother?"

“People are in a panic right now.”

Liu Siduan sighed.

Liu Liufu fell silent.

After a moment, he said, "The fate of the country is still uncertain."

Liu Siduan said noncommittally, "Maybe."

"Brother Four, are you here to talk to me about this?"

Liu Liufu said.

Liu Siduan hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "I just want to ask you, do you miss your third brother?"

Third brother?

Liu Liufu's face changed drastically, and he asked, "Is he in Xijin?"

"No."

Liu Siduan shook his head.

"Where is he then?"

"Song State."

"He ran away to the State of Song?"

Liu Liufu was extremely surprised, then his expression changed slightly and he said, "Did he ask you to come to me?"

Liu Siduan said, "I just sent someone to deliver a letter home, asking about the situation at home and whether my brothers are doing well."

Liu Liufu was silent for a moment, then said, "How is Third Brother doing in Song State?"

"It's not bad. After he fled to the south, he met with the Prime Minister of the Political System Institute and was assigned to the Taichang Temple as an idle official."

Liu Siduan replied, "The child he had with his concubine was also born safely and was named Sijia."

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