General Liang Shi shouted, "Great General!"
General Lu and Lieutenant General Jin shouted, "Great General!"
"Father, Commander." Brothers Ye Zelin and Ye Yunlu said in unison.
"Dad." Over the past two years, Ye Songyan has made many military achievements and has been promoted from centurion to captain.
The battle report on the fall of Pingqin Pass was circulated, and everyone was shocked after reading it.
They all didn't expect that Xixia's first attack would be to Pingqin Pass.
Ye Shiheng turned around and stared at the topographic map of the Western Territory in front of him. The names of the checkpoints in various parts of the Western Territory were clearly marked on the map. Among them, the fortresses such as Yumen Pass, Tongguan, Ganzhou, and Hexi were marked in red and were particularly eye-catching.
Ye Shiheng's eyes fell on the three characters "Ping Qin Pass" and he asked, "Where do you think Xixia will attack next?"
"Yumen Pass." General Lu and General Liang Shi answered without hesitation.
Ye Yunlu walked to the topographic map, pointed at a pass with his long arm, and said, "It could be Jiayu Pass. The main force of the Western Xia army is currently stationed in Sakzhou. Jiayu Pass is the closest to Sakzhou. If our army breaks camp and goes there now, we may be able to meet the Western Xia army head-on."
"Marshal Father, generals, I think the Western Xia will attack Jiayu Pass and Yumen Pass at the same time." Ye Zelin suddenly said in a firm tone.
After hearing this, Ye Shiheng agreed with Ye Zelin's opinion very much. He also thought so.
He was secretly delighted in his heart, thinking that this son was worthy of being the next commander-in-chief of the Western Frontier Army whom he had carefully selected, as his ideas coincided with his own!
Although Jiayuguan is not as crucial a military fortress as Yumenguan and Tongguan, its importance cannot be underestimated.
If the Western Xia captured Jiayuguan and used it as a springboard to launch a large-scale attack on Longbei, they would be able to march straight into Hexi. The Hexi region was flat and fertile, and was the granary of the western border and also the main route to the Western Regions.
If the Western Xia could capture Yumen Pass, they could directly attack Ganzhou and Tongguan. Mi Qin led sufficient forces to attack Jiayu Pass and Yumen Pass simultaneously.
Ye Zelin then analyzed, "Mi Qin Dongjin is the most powerful general of Western Xia, deeply trusted by Western Xia King Tuoba Zhaoying, and controls almost half of Western Xia's military forces. This time, in attacking the Song Dynasty, he must have put all his efforts into bringing all the troops that Western Xia can mobilize. The main force of our Ye family army is stationed in Ganzhou, which is closest to Yumen Pass. Mi Qin Dongjin will most likely send most of his troops to attack Yumen Pass. As for Mei Zangyun, his attack on Pingqin Pass was probably just Mi Qin Dongjin sending him as a vanguard."
"Whether it's Yumen Pass or Jiayu Pass, if the Western Xia conquers either one and penetrates deep into our hinterland, it will be extremely disadvantageous to our army. This will inevitably prolong the war, and as time goes on, the situation will only become more and more complicated. Therefore, we must hold Yumen Pass and Jiayu Pass to achieve victory in this war."
Ye Shiheng stared at Ye Zelin. What his son said was absolutely right.
In peacetime, Jiayuguan's strategic position is not that important, but in wartime, the importance of Jiayuguan is almost the same as that of Yumenguan.
Ye Shiheng said solemnly to Ye Zelin and General Lu, "Lin'er, tomorrow you will lead 5,000 elite troops to Jiayu Pass as quickly as possible. Old Lu, you will lead 30,000 troops to follow."
Ye Zelin and General Lu bowed and replied in unison, "Understood!"
Ye Shiheng then continued to give orders, "Yun Lu, Lao Liang, Xiao Si, the three of you will follow me to Yumen Pass."
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Ye Yunlu, "Yunlu, you need to lead 7,000 light cavalry to Pingqin Pass tomorrow."
Ye Yunlu clasped his fists and said, "I obey your orders."
Ye Shiheng looked at Ye Songyan, "Xiao Si, just stay with your eldest brother and follow his instructions."
Ye Songyan saluted without hesitation. His voice was firm and powerful, revealing his respect and obedience to Ye Shiheng. "Yes, sir!"
The atmosphere in the entire tent was tense and serious. Everyone knew that this battle would not be easy to fight, but they showed no fear.
It is their responsibility as soldiers to expel the barbarians, fight bloody battles for the Song Dynasty, and protect the peace of the border.
After the meeting, Ye Zelin and General Lu went to inspect the troops. Liang Ye Yunlu and Ye Songyan were also preparing to go to Pingqin Pass.
The next morning, Ye Zelin led 5,000 elite soldiers to Jiayu Pass, and Ye Yunlu and Ye Songyan also led 7,000 elite troops to Pingqin Pass.
A few days later, Ye Shiheng left part of his troops to guard Ganzhou, and led 100,000 lions with General Liang Shi, Deputy General Jin and others to break camp and rush to Yumen Pass.
At the same time, Mi captured the Eastern Jin general Ye Lining and Lingge and led their troops to attack Longxi County, ten miles away from Jiayuguan. Ye Zelin led his soldiers to meet the enemy head-on and fought bloody battles...
The fireball was neither too big nor too small, burning, and blue smoke was rising slowly.
The bright red blood flowed slowly along the ground and slowly seeped into the soil.
Beijing.
Lu Tianyun couldn't wait to invite Hua Fushu into the palace to chat.
Ever since the Ye family father and son went to the western border, Hua Fushu has been busy running around and has never been able to rest.
Lu Tianyun had tried to summon Hua Fushu several times, but she was always too busy to spare any time. This time, she finally caught Hua Fushu free, and Lu Tianyun hurriedly summoned her to the palace.
After the death of the previous emperor, most of the concubines in the palace moved to other palaces. Empress Dowager Lu, Princess Xinyang, and Queen Lu moved to the temporary palace to recuperate, so Lu Tianyun was the only one left in the huge imperial palace.
Qin Youran had just ascended the throne and was unfamiliar with many political affairs. He was often learning to handle state affairs, review memorials, and summon ministers. He had almost no time to spend with Lu Tianyun. If it weren't for the children, Lu Tianyun didn't know how lonely he would be.
The two young ladies talked for a long time without getting bored. At this time, Bisi brought the little prince over.
The little prince was the little prince of Qin Youran and Lu Tianyun. After the little prince turned one hundred days old, Qin Youran issued an edict to appoint the little prince as the crown prince of the Eastern Palace.
Although Qin Youran's decree was criticized by many ministers, Qin Youran insisted on doing so, so the ministers who criticized it had nothing to say.
The little prince is already half a year old. The little guy is delicate and plump, fair and adorable. His facial features are very similar to Qin Youran's, especially his eyes, which are exactly like Qin Youran's, revealing an innate heroic spirit.
Hua Fushu took the little prince from Bisi's hands. The little prince was not shy and did not cry or make a fuss when she held him.
She looked at the cute and well-behaved little prince and couldn't let him go. "Xianxian, give your aunt a smile, please. Your aunt loves our Xianxian so much."
The little prince grinned, revealing his flesh-pink gums, which completely melted Hua Fushu's heart.
After Qin Youran finished reviewing the memorials, she came to Kunning Palace. The little prince had been playing for most of the hour and was now taken away by the wet nurse to rest.
"Your Majesty." Hua Fushu bowed and saluted.
Qin Youran had been busy with government affairs for days, and it was rare for him to see Hua Fushu. He relaxed a lot in front of his sister. He shrugged and said, "Don't be so formal. Just call me Senior Brother in private."
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