Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 45 Maps

After the army set off, Zhao Kuangyin did not linger. Instead, he took Zhao Dezhao to a rather quiet side hall in the palace.

Upon entering the side hall, Zhao Dezhao stared in astonishment.

Inside the main hall, there was nothing else but a huge sand table, about ten feet long and wide, placed in the center. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the sand table was a scaled replica of the current topography of the world.

The cities, roads, mountains, rivers, passes, paths, and supplies on it were almost identical to the map of China in Zhao Dezhao's memory!

In some cities or regions, flags of various colors were planted everywhere.

There are yellow flags representing the Northern Han, blue flags representing the Southern Tang, and flags representing the Southern Han, Western Shu, Liao, and so on, as well as the military governors and regional governors of various places, all of which are clearly marked!

This is clearly a map of the world!

"Father...this, this..."

Zhao Dezhao never expected that his father would have such a map of the world in private. Doesn't this mean that his father had already set his sights on the world when he first ascended the throne?

"This map is one of the culmination of my decades of hard work. From now on, you must memorize it perfectly. You cannot miss a single path, pass, or city!"

Zhao Kuangyin pointed to the map of the empire and said solemnly, "I once told you that the foundation of military strategy lies in knowing the enemy, and terrain is also part of the 'enemy'!"

"How to use the terrain to predict the enemy's army's deployment and then make various countermeasures... the key points are all in this world map."

Zhao Kuangyin shifted his gaze from the map to his son, and said earnestly, "I have paved the way for you today, but whether you can intimidate these arrogant and fierce generals in the future will not depend on your status!"

"It's your war merits!"

"When your military achievements are enough to shake the world, those so-called arrogant soldiers and fierce generals are nothing more than a flock of soft sheep."

"But if you have no power, no matter how noble your status, they will turn into vicious wolves and tear you to pieces without mercy!"

At this point, Zhao Kuangyin paused slightly, then emphasized:

"This is what a chaotic world is like!"

Today, he has used his prestige and methods to help Zhao Dezhao gain a foothold in the Imperial Guard ahead of time.

Whether Zhao Dezhao can successfully establish himself in the army by taking advantage of this opportunity depends solely on his own abilities!

His father's words brought a more serious look to Zhao Dezhao's still-childish face.

He bowed deeply to Zhao Kuangyin respectfully and said firmly, "Father, rest assured, your son will do his utmost."

Seeing that Zhao Dezhao did not underestimate him, Zhao Kuangyin was somewhat relieved, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face: "These days, you are really different from before."

"My precious son... has grown up!"

As Zhao Dezhao's father, and having diligently taught him every day, Zhao Kuangyin was the one who could best perceive his changes and growth.

Zhao Kuangyin didn't think much of it, assuming that the sudden change in his status had caused a slight change in Zhao Dezhao's temperament. There were many such examples in history, and many people were enlightened later in life.

Since his son aspired to master military strategy, Zhao Kuangyin, as his father, naturally devoted himself to teaching him.

"Do you know why I ordered General Shi Shouxin and others to go to Tianjing Pass first today, to stop Li Jun from heading south to Taihang?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dezhao focused his gaze on the sand table, frowning as he pondered over the two prefectures of Ze and Lu.

Luzhou, formerly known as Shangdang, is situated high on the ridge of the Taihang Mountains, described as "occupying the shoulders and spine of the world, and guarding the throat of Hebei," making it an absolute strategic location fought over by military strategists.

However, the Taihang Mountains are treacherous and serve as a natural barrier. If Li Jun chooses to head south, he will inevitably have to pass through Tianjing Pass.

The key question raised by Zhao Kuangyin was why he wanted to prevent Li Jun from heading south.

Zhao Dezhao looked down from Zezhou, where he passed through Tianjing Pass and then reached Huai and Mengzhou. To the east of Huai and Mengzhou was the world-famous Hulao Pass!

If Li Jun blocks the road to Hulao Pass and then defends Luoyang, it will inevitably create a situation of east-west confrontation with Kaifeng to the east. At that time...

If the Song Dynasty wants to easily quell the rebellion again, it won't be so easy!

Upon realizing this, Zhao Dezhao instantly understood the importance of Tianjing Pass and blurted out:

"If Li Jun marches south and occupies the upper reaches of the Yellow River, thereby controlling almost all the important granaries along the river, such as Yongfeng, Huiluo, and Heyang, he will inevitably cut off the grain transport from Kaifeng. Therefore, we must not allow Li Jun to march south!"

(Note: Map showing Zhao Kuangyin's two-pronged military campaign.)

A nation without food is the most fatal and incurable flaw!

Even if his father had just won the national championship and the people's hearts were not stable, it would still be severely damaged!

That's why Father ordered Shi Shouxin to lead the troops to Tianjing Pass first, to stop Li Jun from heading south!

"Indeed, this highlights the importance of terrain. Only by having a thorough understanding of the world's topography can one have a comprehensive view of the overall situation!"

Zhao Kuangyin nodded with satisfaction, then raised another question: "A recent urgent report said that Liu Jun, the puppet Han emperor, has allied with Li Jun and sent more than 10,000 troops to aid Li Jun."

"In this way, Li Jun has the support of the puppet Han, just as the puppet Han has the support of the Liao. He can retreat to defend or advance to attack, thus gaining a natural advantage."

"I previously dispatched generals such as Shi Shouxin to Tianjing Pass to stop Li Jun's offensive, but this is far from enough to defeat the enemy. In your opinion, how should I plan my next offensive?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dezhao frowned again, carefully recalling the military strategies his father had taught him.

My father once said that when a large army is waging war, there are many key points to guard against besides the main battlefield.

For example, grain transport routes.

For example, logistics.

Even the personalities of the commanders on both sides must be included.

To defeat the enemy, the first priority is to know yourself and your enemy. You must know the enemy's weaknesses so that you can strike at their vitals and defeat them in one fell swoop.

For example, Liu Bang exploited Xiang Yu's stubbornness and arrogance, and thus proceeded step by step, causing Xiang Yu to drive away Fan Zeng and thus eliminating the threat.

So where is Li Jun's weakness?

Zhao Dezhao looked at the map and fell into deep thought.

Is it the supply route from the rear? Or perhaps Li Jun's base in Luzhou?

Zhao Dezhao always felt that there were ways to defeat the enemy everywhere, yet he also felt that there were no ways to defeat the enemy anywhere.

Would Li Jun not have considered these problems that he could think of? If he could think of them, wouldn't he have taken precautions? If they were to attack rashly, wouldn't that be playing right into the enemy's hands?

Thinking of this, Zhao Dezhao frowned even more. He felt as if he had overlooked some very important information...

Seeing Zhao Dezhao frowning and pondering without giving an answer for a long time, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard his son's slightly childish voice beside him.

"Li Jun's weakness lies in his being a traitor to the Han dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin was taken aback at first, and then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.