After some discussion, he decided to use the tactic of attack instead of defense to resolve the attack that the Mongol Yuan was about to launch. The generals began to discuss the use of troops, the division of the front lines and how to coordinate the various armies. However, Zhao Bing found that Jiang Jin and the generals of the various armies belonging to the Huguang War Zone were somewhat interested and their expressions were quiet. After a moment of thinking, he realized that the battle was mainly carried out along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, but the army stationed in Huguang were stationed in the middle and upper reaches and Huguang areas. No matter how lively the battle was, they could only watch the show. Moreover, the army must have military merits in order to be promoted and rewarded, but they did not have the chance and naturally they were not interested.

"Jiangdu Supervisor, now some areas of Dali and Guangxi South Road and west of Jiangling are still in the hands of our enemies. We are ultimately a problem of our confidant. How to eliminate it? Do you have any good ideas?" Zhao Bing thought of this section again and asked.

"Your Majesty, I think that to eliminate the threat from the Mongolian Yuan to our flanks, only by capturing Dali and Sichuan can we protect the peace in the south of the Yangtze River!" Jiang Zheng thought for a moment and asked.

"Does Jiangdu Shuai have any treacherous cases for advancing southwest?" Zhao Bing continued.

"Your Majesty, I have discussed with all the generals how to improve the current passive defensive situation. All the generals think that although our defense direction is in Jiangbei, the southwest is a confidant as Your Majesty said. He will not be stationed in one day to prepare for war. However, the Mongols occupied the upper reaches, took a high position, and took advantage of the territory first, and attacked downwards. Once Ezhou is lost, the enemy will be able to move south along the Yangtze River and approach the capital area." Jiang Zhen said.

"Well, what Jiangdushou said is right, this is also my worry. However, after the war, Sichuan and Shu have almost been slaughtered, and they are no longer the wealthy country of Tianfu. If our army recovered Sichuan and Shu, the local wealth would not be able to support themselves and all rely on Jiangnan to transport it. This would be a huge burden. But when we advance to Dali and recover Guangnan, it is a settlement area for Limin. We all have unknown situations, unclear geography, and rebellion against impermanence, which will also involve our great energy." Zhao Bing nodded and expressed his worries.

"Your Majesty is very worried. I have also thought about a solution. I originally wanted to advise Your Majesty, but I also felt that there was still some shortcomings." Jiang Jin hesitated and said.

"Jiangdu is handsome, but it's okay. Let's talk about it together!" Zhao Bing said with joy.

"Your Majesty, I think you can take Xichuan first and take Xiangxi and Dali slowly!" Jiang Zhen said.

"I wish to hear it carefully!" Zhao Bing took a sip of tea and said.

"As Your Majesty said, Shu is now sparsely populated and has become a barren land. Judging from the current situation, it is not a strategic location. However, Xichuan is shaking the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. As long as Xichuan is stable, the lower reaches will be worry-free..." Jiang Zheng pondered for a moment and expressed his thoughts.

When Mongolia invaded Shu, the Mongolian cavalry was good at siegeing cities and land, using many tactics of surrounding, fire attack, artillery attack, water attack, and tunnel attack. The traditional cities of the Song Dynasty were often built on the platform on the banks of rivers. Under the city was an endless open area. The Mongolian cavalry "comes like falling from the sky, and goes like lightning." Once the Song infantry broke out, they collapsed like a tide. There was not much resistance in front of the Mongolian cavalry.

Later, Yu Jie, a famous general of the anti-Mongols, served as the Sichuan Pacification and Control Envoy, and presided over the Sichuan defense line. Yu Jie was previously the deputy envoy of the Huaidong regime. The people in the Huai area often set up villages in the mountains to defend themselves, which was called "Shanshui Village". Given that the Mongolian cavalry was unstable and there was no danger to defend in the western Sichuan plain, Yu Jie was inspired by the mountain village to move the city to the mountains and establish a mountain city defense system.

Most of the mountain cities in the Song Dynasty were located on cliffs surrounded by mountains and rivers. Although the average altitude was only three or five hundred meters, it was surrounded by cliffs, which was far more dangerous than artificial city walls. In some places, it could even rely on natural dangers to build cities. The top of the "Fangshan" mountain was flat, ranging from hundreds to dozens of miles. There were fields to cultivate, forests, and water to drink. It was suitable for the army to stay for a long time. The fleeing people also came to the mountain city to farm and live, and provided the army with necessary food and grass.

Yu Jie led the Sichuan military and civilians to establish more than 80 mountain cities. These mountain cities are guarded at the convergence of the two rivers or located next to the dangerous shoals. The Jialing River include Kuzhu Pass, Dahuo City, Yunshan City, Qingju City, Diaoyu City, Duong City, Deseong City, Pingliang City, Xiaoning City, Daliang City, Yunding City, Hutou City, Baidi City, Shenbing City, Tiansheng City, etc. Relying on the Jialing River, Qujiang, Tuojiang River, and Yangtze River, they are tilted to each other and form a tight military defense line.

"In front of these mountain cities, the Mongolian cavalry lost the advantage of speed, and the mountain cities were traveling with boats, which made the Mongols who were not good at water war suffer. They blocked the enemy for more than 40 years, making it difficult for them to go down the river to threaten the capital. Unfortunately, many mountain cities were not conquered by the enemy, but guards were afraid to surrender to the enemy. However, I have heard that Lingxiao City is still defending and has not been conquered by the Mongol Yuan." Jiang Zhen said.

"Oh, I thought that after Diaoyucheng surrendered, there would be no more army in Xichuan. I didn't expect that there were still loyal and brave men who insisted on it." Zhao Bing was a little surprised. In his impression, Diaoyucheng had persisted for several years after the fall of the Song Dynasty, and only reached an agreement with the enemy to surrender in order to protect the people of the city. Now there is still a city under the persistence of the soldiers and civilians of the Song Dynasty, which is beyond his imagination.

"Your Majesty, I think that I can send troops to go up the river, recover, rebuild the mountain city, and restore the defense system. They can station troops to support themselves without requiring much food from the court. Once the Huaixi is recovered and the situation will improve further, it can be used as a base to advance to Shu and threaten the origin of the Mongol Yuan!" Jiang Zhen said.

"Well, taking Xichuan quickly can eliminate the threat from the upstream, but I think the current situation is not clear yet. Once the defeat or the war expands, we still need to send troops to support from Huguang. Moreover, next month, the plum rainy season will come, and the river water will surge. The waterway into Sichuan is already flowing fast, and the waterway during the flood season is even more difficult to move against the current, and time is no longer allowed." Zhao Bing nodded, thinking that its strategy is acceptable, but he also made his point of view, "But I think that the reconnaissance of Xichuan can be strengthened, and the situation can be understood, and contacted Lingxiao City. At the same time, strengthen mountain offensive and defensive training, and take the opportunity to capture Xichuan at one fell swoop."

"Your Majesty is clear!" Jiang Zheng said excitedly when he saw that the little emperor accepted his suggestion.

"Don't need too much politeness. What is the point of taking Dali slowly by Jiangdu's commander to attack Xiangxi and slowly by taking Dali?" Zhao Bing raised his hand. In fact, he was also eager to take a proper solution to eliminate potential hidden dangers, so that he could let go of the frontal enemies, recover the two Huaihe Rivers, and march into the Central Plains.

"Your Majesty, I think that the people in western Hunan gathered, and our dynasty also implemented the policy of restraint. Although they rebelled, they were still peaceful for more than a hundred years. Dali and our dynasty have been repaired and voluntarily became vassals and accepted the imperial edicts of our dynasty. If we use troops to force it, it will inevitably lead to conflict. It is better to take advantage of the turmoil and implement the policy of being kind to the gentle ones during the unremitting struggle, lead them to surrender themselves, and gradually recover Guangxi, so that it can become a barrier against the Mongolian Yuan." Jiang Jin said.

"So what about Dali?" Zhao Bing continued.

"Your Majesty, have you ever heard of the 'Cuan Bai Army'?" Jiang Zheng asked with a brief thought.

"I have never heard of Cuan Bai Army? What is its origin?" Zhao Bing thought for a while. There was no such name in the Song army, and there was no impression in the memory of his previous life. He shook his head and said.

"It's no wonder that Your Majesty didn't know that this military name was not owned by our dynasty, and it had disappeared for thirty years. If I hadn't been guarding Huguang, I would have known nothing...!" Jiang Jin smiled and then talked about the origin of this army.

In the first year of Baoyou, Mongolia entered Dali to encircle the Southern Song Dynasty. Prime Minister Gao led his troops to resist the murder, and the Duan King fled and was later captured. Kublai Khan named the last king of Dali as the hereditary chief of Dali, managing the area near Dali City, and a son was appointed King Liang, and supervising Yunnan. The subsequent military control of Yunnan was implemented by Mongolia.

In the first year of Kaiqing, when Mengge launched a large-scale war to destroy Song, he ordered Wulianghetai to send troops from Yunnan and go north through Guangxi to prepare to form a pincer attack on the Southern Song Dynasty. He led his troops from the southwest to break into the Song territory, hoping to go north to meet with the main force led by Kublai Khan in Tanzhou. The Song army held tens of thousands of soldiers in Hengshanzhai near Yongzhou and Laocang Pass, intercepting the advance of the Mongolian army. Under the command of his father, A Shu "hidden from the directic road" and "rushing through the strongest", defeating the Song army, and successfully breaking through the blockade of the Song army.

After this battle, the Wuliang Hetai Army made a smooth progress. Along the way, he climbed Guizhou, ravaged Xiangzhou, entered Jingjiang Prefecture, and defeated Chen and Yuan Prefectures, and went straight to the city of Tanzhou. However, the casualties along the way were difficult to supplement. Duan was grateful to Kublai Khan for not killing him, so he summoned the Baiman and Wuman children to form the Cuan Bai Army. He was led by Duan Fu, the uncle of Duan Xingzhi, the king of Dali, and went to war with the Mongolian army. He met Kublai Khan in Ezhou and stationed along the river.

Later, the Mongolian Khan Mengge died in Diaoyu City, and Kublai Khan returned to Mongolia to inherit the Khan throne. He did not trust Wuliang Hetai, and disbanded the Wu tribe and the Cuan Bai army in the second year of Jingding. At that time, the Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Chongqing areas were still under control by the Southern Song Dynasty, and the traffic was blocked. Some Cuan Bai army still followed Duan Fu back to Yunnan, while most of the soldiers were wandering in the Yangtze River.

After Kublai Khan captured Jiangnan, the Mongolian first established the Marshal's Office in Dali, and generalized the old land of the Dali Kingdom, and later changed it to the Marshal's Office of Shanchandu in Dali, and then changed it to the Xuanwei Office of the Yunnan Province, with ten thousand households, thousands of households and hundreds of households. In the Chunyou year, Kublai Khan first established a province in Yunnan, appointing Saidianchi as Pingzhang Government Affairs, and changed ten thousand households, thousands of households, and hundreds of households as roads, prefectures, prefectures, prefectures, counties, and Yunnan entered a normal administrative management stage from the military control period, and moved the capital from Dali to Zhongqing, ending the five hundred years of Dali as the capital of Yunnan.

When the Yunnan Province was established, in order to limit the power of the province, the Mongolian princes were enfeoffed to guard Yunnan and assigned them to their jurisdiction and territory without being bound by the province. The Duan clan of Dali State "hered to the Dali General Manager" and governed Dali, Shanchan, Weichu, Tongya, Huichuan, Jianchang, Tengyue and other cities, and designated western Yunnan as its jurisdiction, forming a pattern of rule by the prince of Mongolia, the provincial and Duan clan general manager.

"Jiangdushui wanted to take advantage of the advantages of these Cuanbai Army left in Jiangnan that were familiar with the terrain and humanities to help our army capture Dali, but there were only 10,000 people. After more than thirty years, they were all old. How many people could fight?" After hearing this, Zhao Bing had roughly understood Jiang Jin's strategy, but he still had questions.

"Your Majesty said this, but this Cuan family is not comparable to ordinary people!" Jiang Jin smiled and said, "The Cuan family called himself Zhuanxu, Zhurong family and Ban Biao, descendants of Ban Gu. Because Ban was granted the title of Cuan in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, he used the fief name Cuan as his surname. With the rise and fall of the clan, he continued to move southward, and passed through meditative and Shu to Yunnan. By imitating Zhuangqiao's transformation to obey its customs and intermarriage, he integrated with the local people and gradually became a barbaric."

"In the past, I only heard that the Han people who traveled south educated foreign races and returned to the king's transformation, but there were still Han people who were barred by foreign races. It was really rare!" Zhao Bing said with great interest after hearing this.

"I was very surprised to see this festival at first." Jiang Jin nodded and said, "After gaining a foothold in Yunnan, the Cuan family rose rapidly, and began to emerge during the Shu Han period and became strong in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It was not until the seventh year of Tianbao of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang that Luo Feng, the Nanzhao King Ge, who was supported by the Tang Dynasty, defeated the Cuan family and completely ended the history of the Cuan family dominating Tiannan for more than 400 years. Even the Han historians after the Jin Dynasty collectively called Tiannan local people Cuanman, thus replacing the title of Yi in the past."

"In this way, the Cuan family was once a royal family, but today, after the rule of Nanzhao and Dali for two generations, they were probably declining and no longer as prosperous as before!" Zhao Bing sighed lightly. Over the past few hundred years, even the royal family had long been submerged in history, leaving only the Ah Q-style lament, which was "the ancestors were once rich."

"Your Majesty guessed correctly. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Cuan clan split into the east and west divisions, mostly from Qujing to Jianshui. The eastern part was dominated by Wuman, while the western part was dominated by Baiman. It was known in history that the Eastern Cuan Wuman and Xicuan Baiman were also called the same clan name from surnames." Jiang Jin continued, "After the Cuan clan split, dozens of tribes were gradually formed, but both Nanzhao and Dali needed their support to sit firmly on the throne. And they would often launch rebellions because of dissatisfaction and fight with other tribes."

"In this way, although the Cuan clan has been divided, it still has a considerable force to influence the rise and fall of a dynasty. Jiangdu Shuai meant to use these Cuan Bai army who were wandering in the south of the Yangtze River to connect with the old clans, assist our army in expelling the Mongolian Yuan forces from Yunnan, establishing a pro-Song regime, or subsidizing it into our territory, thereby eliminating hidden dangers." Zhao Bing said.

"Your Majesty, I am not as far-reaching as I think. I just think that I can defeat the Meng Yuan with the help of the Cuan clan!" Jiang Jin said with a chuckling.
Chapter completed!