Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

"Strategist, strategist."

Outside Liaozhou City, on a hillside where some snow still lingered, three people were lying neatly on the ground, using their telescopes to look at Liaozhou City.

Xiao Jiahui was in the middle, with Mi Sheng and Shan Shiqi flanking him on either side.

What did you find?

With a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, Xiao Jiahui asked directly.

"I didn't see anything."

Mi Sheng put down the Thousand-Mile Eye and rubbed his face vigorously.

"There's a problem with the guards in Liaozhou City; it seems like there aren't enough people."

Shan Shiqi put down his telescope and rubbed his eyes as well.

"That's normal. Otherwise, where do you think 700,000 people came from?"

Xiao Jiasui did not let go of his clairvoyance; he was still observing.

"Really 700,000? My goodness, strategist, is the Liao Kingdom really that ruthless? I always thought the Liao Kingdom was just bragging."

Even though Mi Sheng was usually thick-skinned, he couldn't help but feel a little flustered when he heard the number 700,000.

I thought it was just bragging, but it turns out it's true!

"Seven hundred thousand... that should be the limit for the Liao Kingdom."

Xiao Jiahui put down the telescope and spoke to the two men beside him.

"Do you know why your brother has never attacked the Zhao Song dynasty?"

"I do not know."

He was righteous and confident.

"Because they are all Han Chinese? Brother doesn't want too much bloodshed? After all, Brother often says that war makes the people suffer."

Shan Shiqi's answer was clearly more cultured.

"Yes, Lao Shan has a point. That's definitely something we've considered."

Xiao Jiahui nodded, which was a way of affirming Shan Shiqi.

"However, that's not the main reason. Think about it, the Liao Kingdom can muster 700,000 troops, so what about the Song Dynasty? The Song Dynasty has more troops than the Liao Kingdom!"

"My brother estimates that if the Song Dynasty wanted to raise an army, it could muster more than a million men!"

"How much? One, one million?"

Mi Sheng felt her head buzzing. What was going on? Was the Zhao Song dynasty really that powerful?

"That's not right, strategist. If the Song Dynasty really had a million people, then how come they could never defeat the Liao people?"

Although Mi Sheng's grades were not good, he still knew the difference between one million people and seven hundred thousand people.

A difference of 300,000 people—if each of them spits out, it could drown a person!

"The Song Dynasty's military strength was indeed insufficient, but that was because the generals did not know their soldiers and the soldiers did not know their generals. As for the number of soldiers, even though they were now seriously embezzling salaries, it would still be no problem for them to raise a million men."

Xiao Jiasui's understanding of the situation in the Song Dynasty was quite accurate.

"So, strategist, the reason why my brother has been avoiding attacking prefectures and counties and instead taking supplies and then withdrawing is also because of this reason?"

Suddenly, Shan Shiqi understood.

"Yes, think about us. How many people did we have back in the mountain stronghold? At most, only about 200,000. With such a huge gap, how could you be so foolish as to openly challenge Zhao Song?"

"If we occupy the prefectures and counties, and Liangshan is close to Tokyo, even though Zhao Ji is not very bright, he will still be alert when someone is already at his doorstep."

Xiao Jiahui patted Mi Sheng on the shoulder.

"In that case, he will stop at nothing to destroy our Liangshan!"

"That's why my brother went overseas to fight, to build a safe haven for the brothers, and then launch a counterattack while the Liao and Jin armies are at war! This way, we can achieve the greatest gains with the least losses!"

"Brother, you have a profound vision!"

Shan Shiqi sighed.

"Strategist, how many capable soldiers does Liangshan have right now?"

Mi Sheng suddenly asked.

"It's about 300,000 or so, what's wrong?"

In fact, Dayi should be able to mobilize close to 400,000 people now, but that would be too detrimental to its strength. Therefore, Xiao Jiasui and others unanimously believe that Dayi should maintain an army of around 300,000 for the time being.

Compared to the Song and Liao dynasties, they were indeed fewer, but compared to the Jurchens, they were much stronger.

"That won't do. We still have too few people. Strategist, after we take Liaozhou, let's hold it and let the Liao and Jin people fight each other first."

Mi Sheng puffed out his cheeks.

"After all, the Zhao Song dynasty had a million people, which was a real headache!"

"That's good, Mi Sheng. You've learned to think now."

Hsiao Chia-hui said, "If you could use your brain more, that would be really great, and I would have less to worry about."

"Then, strategist, how do we take Liaozhou?"

Shan Shiqi asked Xiao Jiasui.

"Same old rules, pretend to be government troops."

"Pretend to be government troops? Strategist, how do we do that? Isn't Liaozhou Liaozhou's territory? Government troops..."

I'm a little dizzy, how do I put this?

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you you were stupid. The strategist's idea is to pretend to be a Liao person."

After a moment's thought, Shan Shiqi understood what Xiao Jiahui meant.

"Yep."

Xiao Jiahui stood up and patted her trouser leg.

"But we don't look like the Liao people, do we?"

Mi Sheng said, "How do we resemble the Liao people?"

"In the dead of winter, if we wear thick clothes and stick on some stubble or something, making ourselves all dirty, who can tell who we are?"

At this point, Xiao Jiasui didn't need to say anything more; Shan Shiqi could already provide the answer.

"Wow, Lao Shan, you're so smart!"

Mi Sheng was shocked. Was this how Shan Shiqi's exam results were better than hers?

"Alright, let's not stay here anymore, let's go."

Xiao Jiahui gestured for Mi Sheng and Shan Shiqi to leave with her. It was really cold that day, especially since she had been lying on the ground earlier...

The city walls of Liaozhou.

"Whoo~"

"It's so cold! Winter is over, isn't it? Why is it still so cold? This tattered coat doesn't keep me warm at all, I'm freezing!"

A soldier on the city wall pulled his somewhat worn-out coat tighter around himself.

"Be content. The Emperor mobilized an army of 700,000. Even if these 700,000 people did nothing all day, it would still be a huge sum of money."

Another garrison soldier glared at him, then picked up his spear and forcefully poked at the ice shards on the city wall.

"And they are in a more northern place, so of course they need thicker clothes to keep warm. It's good that they left us these padded jackets. Although they are a bit old, they are better than nothing."

"Exactly, exactly. Just think about the Song Dynasty on the other side. You probably don't know, but their practice of drinking the blood of their soldiers is even more terrifying. I have a relative there, and he said that in winter, they don't even have coats!"

"Really? Without a padded coat, wouldn't we freeze to death? Our Great Liao Dynasty is much better!"

These people chatted casually, but judging from their appearance, they seemed more like Han Chinese than Liao people.

But they refer to themselves as "our Great Liao".

So many years after the loss of Yanyun, how many local people still remember the glorious Tang Dynasty, and how many people still remember that their ancestors were once the strongest Tang people in the world?

They have been largely assimilated by the Liao people! If a few more generations pass, they may really forget what their surname is!

Just as they were chatting animatedly, suddenly, a soldier pointed to a figure appearing in the distance and shouted:

"Boss, look! Isn't that our Liao army? Should we open the gates to welcome them?"

……