Du Zhongxiao stood on the side of the road, watching the scouts in the Xiongyong Village go out and go to the depths of the grassland. It wasn't until he couldn't see the figure that he hit the horse and went north.

Because of the Yellow River, the Volcano Army was not affected in the war with the party, but it did not mean that it was not affected. Twenty miles along the border is forbidden land, but there is no strict border between Song and Khitan in this area, and the scope of the forbidden land is free. The Song Dynasty was actually based on the Yellow River, and there were only a few military villages in the richest river valley area, and the people were not allowed to cultivate crops, artificially creating a no-man's land.

The origins of the Tibetan households who entered the forbidden land were complex, including both Khitans and Tibetan people who fled the party's war, and they were not necessarily encroaching on farming. The north side of the Yellow River is now actually controlled by the party, but de jure it still belongs to the Great Song Dynasty and belongs to the fetters of the place. Because of the special geographical location, it is between the Song, Khitan and Dangxiang, and its leader actually surrenders to the three parties at the same time, which is a very delicate place.

After nearly a year on Hedong Road, Du Zhongxiao was fed up with the days when he was a shogunate and constantly running around to fight fires, working hard for the chief, and had to take the blame, and he wanted to try his hand here in the Volcano Army. With a large number of households and blurred boundaries, there is actually a lot of room for maneuver. The first step is to develop the richest river valley that clearly belongs to the territory. Is this a forbidden place? It depends on where the boundary is drawn.

If you don't recognize the town of Tanglong in the north as belonging to the party, it is still far from the border. The border with the Khitan in the east is the same, and because it is full of small Tibetan tribes within hundreds of miles, the border is extremely elastic. The forbidden land is actually based on the easternmost partial village, due to the inaction of the defenders, the partial head village has only existed in name and has been occupied by the Khitan forces. But it was only the small Tibetan tribes that occupied that area that submitted to the Khitan, not that there were Khitan troops stationed there. These small tribes are all wall grass, and they will stand on which side where there is benefit. The Khitan was stronger than the Song and could better guarantee their interests, so they surrendered to the Khitan and used the name of the Khitan to make a profit from the Great Song. What if the Great Song Dynasty was stronger than the Khitan?

Du Zhongxiao looked up at the rolling mountains in the north and couldn't help but sneer. The terrain here means that there can be no large-scale battles, only skirmishes. Skirmishes, and they didn't eat them to death.

After months of continuous improvement, the flintlock musket has taken shape, and all that is missing is perfection. With this kind of terrain, a few hundred musketeers are enough to be invincible. It doesn't hurt the Khitan and the party, but it is not difficult to scare the small Tibetan tribes in this area.

Pang Xun followed behind, no longer the same as a few days ago, and came to Du Zhongxiao to get close to him if he had nothing to do. Originally, he thought that Du Zhongxiao was just a new official and came out to inspect it, but he didn't expect it to be serious. Yesterday, he severely reprimanded Fei Lizhi and ordered him to send detectives to find out how many people had infiltrated the valley area and what their identities were. If you can't do it, you will change people, and if you can't get the order, Pang Xun can feel that it is not a joke.

After several years of fighting with the party, the army here of the Volcano Army sat back and watched the death on the other side of the river, and they didn't hurt a single hair, and they also made a fortune through the war, and they all became soldiers. It is good to run faster than anyone else, and when there is danger, turn around and leave.

Out of Xiongyong Village, the official road is no longer along the Yellow River, but all the way to the north. Du Zhongxiao walked all the way, only to see that the terrain was flat, which was very different from the scene he came from Bingzhou. After decades of abandonment, the green grass here is everywhere, and it has long become a prairie.

Thirteen Lang urged him to step forward and followed closely behind Du Zhongxiao, looking nervous.

Du Zhongxiao glanced at Thirteen Lang and asked, "What are you doing like this?" In front of it is Dongjiazhai, where there are 200 Xiang troops. ”

Thirteen Lang said: "I heard that there are many tigers and wolves in this area, and there are daylight cannibals every year. My body has grown up, and if a big worm comes out, I can fight. It's a pity that you don't wear iron armor, so you won't be afraid of anything. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled and said: "This is a trade route, I don't know how many merchants pass through here every year, how can there be any tigers and wolves——"

At this moment, a soldier who was exploring the road quickly galloped back, and crossed his hand in front of Du Zhongxiao: "Official, there is a caravan in front, I don't know where it came from." The small ones didn't dare to ask without permission, so they came back to report. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "I think it's a merchant who came to Dongjiazhai to trade, and you bring their leader to see me." ”

The soldier sang a promise with his hands crossed, turned and struck his horse and galloped. After a while, he returned with a few horseback riders. Du Zhongxiao fixed his eyes and saw that the person in the front was Feng Yuan, a fur merchant he knew in Bingzhou, and couldn't help but say loudly: "Feng Yuanwai, it turns out that you came here to do business. ”

Feng Yuan couldn't help but be overjoyed when he saw that it was Du Zhongxiao, and hurriedly saluted him immediately, and said, "It turns out that the official came here as an official?" I haven't seen him for a few months, and I want to be promoted. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled and shook his head: "The official is promoted, but it is not a happy event that he was transferred from the prosperous city of Bingzhou to this bitter cold place on the border. By the way, you used to be in the fur business in Bingzhou, why did you disappear later? ”

Feng Yuan sighed: "Official, don't mention it, you will be angry when you mention it." The fur business in Bingzhou was originally started by the three of us brothers, and we should have made a fortune. Where did I think that later, there was a Kang Chengdong who colluded with the powerful figures in the Khitan, and it was extremely difficult for any businessman who had nothing to do with him to buy raw hides from the Khitans. The three of us brothers were ostracized by him, so we had to come here. On the opposite side of the Volcano Army, there are some small tribes, and the Khitans can't manage here, and they can barely do business. Now we buy hides and skins from the north and ship them to Bingzhou. ”

Du Zhongxiao sighed and comforted Feng Yuan. He is an official of the Great Song Dynasty, he can't control the Khitan, and he can take care of Feng Yuan in Bingzhou, but he can't help them do the business of the Khitans. These people have been doing business in the border area for a long time, and then they came here. There are a few farms along the border, but only this place is remote, and there are all small forces around, although the amount is small, the business is relatively easy to do.

It is rare to meet the old man here, Du Zhongxiao said: "Since we meet here, it is fate." It is better to return to Dongjiazhai and delay for a few days, and we will reminisce about the past. Now I am the army here, and I am about to develop the place, and I can show my strength outside the staff. ”

The merchant most hoped to get the support of the government, and Feng Yuan readily agreed, and asked the people around him to order the caravan to return and go with Du Zhongxiao himself.

After walking a short distance, he caught up with Feng Yuan's caravan, Du Zhongxiao saw that they had more than ten horses and more than 20 camels, and said to Feng Yuan: "The business outside the staff has become big, and there are so many pack animals. I want to see you for the first time that day, the three of you are a small boat, and it is still a small business. ”

Feng Yuan said: "The officials built a fur yard in Bingzhou, and we really made a fortune before we bought these industries. If it weren't for Kang Chengdong's intolerable people, where would the current scale be? Alas, there is no need to mention the past. ”

Along the way, the two walked side by side, and Du Zhongxiao asked about the surrounding geography and people. Feng Yuan bought raw hides in this vicinity, ran through a lot of Tibetan tribes, and also asked and answered. The largest part of the Volcano Army in the north is the party members of Tanglong Town, which was originally a subordinate of the Fuzhou Zhejia family and has always been in a semi-independent state. They are bounded by the Yellow River and are divided into east and west. A few years ago, the party invaded, the Song army did not rescue in time, and the army fell into the ground, causing the leader to come to his house and bring people to join the party. Now it is divided into two, the east side of the Yellow River is subdued by the Khitan and is the Yongbyon Prefecture, and the west side is attached to the party, which has long been dilapidated.

Feng Yuan said: "Before the party rebelled, Tanglong Town was the most prosperous place within hundreds of miles, and businessmen gathered. Now, after a series of wars, coupled with the westward migration of the captive population by the party members, it has long become a deserted city. However, without Tang Long's bullying and oppression, life was better, and our business was done. In the past, without Tang Longzhen's approval, business would definitely not have been able to do business. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded and did not speak. Tanglong Town has taken refuge in the party, and the north of the volcano is temporarily a power vacuum area, which is just the right time to do it.