The cold wind carried the dead branches and leaves, flying in the air. Blow into the cave on the cliff wall and let out a whimper. Shi Jianu rode on his horse and looked at the mountains opposite, and a path winded between them. Gritting his teeth, he said loudly: "Cross the river!" All the parts on the other side of the river are my grass valleys! ”

After speaking, with a lift of the horse's reins, he was the first to step on the ice of the Yellow River. More than 1,000 soldiers behind cheered loudly and followed together.

Zhang Qi stood at the head of Tanglong Town, looking at the desolation around him, and his face sank like water. In the past few days, the temperature has plummeted, the Yellow River has been frozen, and hundreds of miles around it have entered a troubled era. The news that the Khitans would cross the river and loot had already spread, and the Yellow River was one, and before the Khitans came, many Tibetan tribes began to attack each other, and they were happy to rob each other.

In the past few days, there have been Fan households taking refuge in Tanglong Town. Most of them are small tribes, and they haven't been to Tanglong Town a few days ago. Now that it is a matter of life and death, I remember that the imperial court is still reliable, and they have moved closer here.

Guarding the border is like this, you can't be angry with the people under your rule. Even if they still didn't trust them a lot more than ten days ago, they didn't come, and now they come to hide with their families, and there is no reason to turn them away, and people's hearts are built little by little. Zhang Qi opened the city gate, and as long as it was a nearby Fanhu, he would let them hide in the city and settle them properly.

Under the city wall, the people who came to take refuge were basking in the sun and looking blank. Every winter, similar stories continue to play out in this land. The strong snatch everywhere, the weak dodge everywhere, and everything is left to fate.

At this moment, a fast horse came running from afar, and when they saw the flag on the horse, the soldiers and civilians took refuge.

The knight entered the city, turned over and dismounted, ran quickly up the city wall, and crossed his hand to Zhang Qi: "Eunuch, the Khitan soldiers have crossed the river!" ”

Zhang Qi turned around suddenly, stared at the soldier with a pair of tiger eyes, and said in a deep voice: "Is the news conclusive?" ”

The soldier said categorically: "There is no suspicion!" The Khitan soldiers and horses crossed the river upstream five days ago, along the road to Mayuan, all the way to Tanglong Town, plundering along the way. The northern Tibetan tribe was attacked by it, and they fled in all directions, most of them fled to the south of Tanglong Town. ”

Zhang Qi nodded: "Okay, I'm afraid they won't come!" Leave them alone, and if they don't enter the city, let them go! Revisit! ”

The soldiers sang a promise with their hands crossed and walked quickly down the city.

Nearly 100 miles above Dongjiazhai, the Yellow River passes through the cliffs, there is no ferry, there is no road on both banks, and now it is frozen, and it is impossible to cross the river from there. The Khitans could only make a detour from the upper reaches of the north, and after crossing the river, they entered the Mayuan of the Northern Wei Dynasty and followed its road to the south. This area is rich in water and grass, and there are many Tibetan parts, which happen to be plundered along the way. Finally, enter the valley where Tanglong Town is located, and go all the way south.

Zhang Qi spread scouts widely on this line, with many eyeliners, and quickly captured their whereabouts. The attacked Dafan Department did not trust the Song army in Tanglong Town, for fear that they would hide here and be served by the Khitans, so they mostly bypassed Tanglong Town and took refuge in the direction of Fengzhou.

Shi Jianu rode on his horse and watched viciously as his men threw torches at the tent left on the ground. The fire broke out, and the dim sky turned red. glanced at the five or six Tibetan people squatting on the ground not far away, took a sip, and scolded: "These bird-fanned people run faster than rabbits, so they leave so few useless!" The little ones, look at it, go back and receive the reward according to the number of people! ”

Several soldiers next to him cheered together, looked at the people on the ground, and laughed heartily. Unlike the Song army, the Khitan and the party did not count merit by the head, and for them, the living were more valuable. If the enemy dies, the reward is not as good as that of cattle and sheep, and the living will cost dozens of times more. At the end of the day, population is a more important asset to them. It's just that we need to get enough food to feed these people.

He ordered his subordinates to set up camp, slaughtered the cattle and sheep they had stolen as military rations, and the Shi slaves dismounted at the leeward place.

A pro-soldier whispered to Shi Jianu: "Lang Qun, look at a few horses on the mountain over there, it seems to be a spy of the Song army." Wouldn't it be better to give the little ones a few dozen horses, go and catch them, and escort them to be our guides? ”

Shi Jianu said: "Where is the spy easy to catch?" In vain! A few miles ahead of the mountain, it's all a big road, what kind of guide do you want! I came to Tanglong Town the year before last, the city has long been dilapidated, and there are many people hiding in it, and I have made a fortune! Let these people run there, and we will capture Tanglong Town together, saving a lot of effort! Hundreds of Song soldiers, where can they resist my brigade! ”

The soldiers hesitated for a moment, and said: "Now that the imperial court is negotiating peace with the southern country, if you don't fight for decades, you will really go to fight Tanglong Town——"

Shi Jianu said disdainfully: "Why don't you fight for decades, I don't know how many wars there are in this area every year, everyone pretends not to know, and then it is nothing more than to appease the envoy and the Southern Dynasty to fight a lawsuit." We just have to rob ourselves, and survival is the most important thing. ”

After saying that, he sat down by the fire and looked anxiously at a sheep on the fire.

The Volcano Barracks Tian Wu Yamen, Du Zhongxiao said to Wang Kai: "Deployment, Zhang Dujian of Tanglong Town sent someone to report that the Khitan soldiers and horses have crossed the Yellow River." From the north of Tanglong Town, it bypassed Tanglong Town along the mountain road, plundering along the way. According to Zhang Dujian's estimate, he will arrive in Tanglong Town in two days. ”

Wang Kai roasted the fire and said to Du Zhongxiao: "This is expected, what is the intention of the army?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "I will rush back to the village tomorrow and stick to the place." What they are most afraid of now is that the Khitans will attack Tanglong Town, and go south along the road to attack Dongjiazhai. Although the wall is strong, there are many households outside the wall, and many households gather there. To be foolproof, the deployment can bring soldiers and horses to the ferry opposite Dongjiazhai to station. The terrain there is flat, just about to rush, and there is Dongjiazhai to receive grain and grass. ”

"Well, that's it. If the Khitans go crazy and go south, they are hitting my knife. There are only a few roads in this area, could it be that they can finally skate back along the Yellow River? As long as you don't go crazy, no one will do such crazy things. ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "Deployment, that's not what I said." According to the information I have received, if the Khitan does not go south to plunder, it will not be able to go down this winter. What crazy thing can't be done in order to survive? ”

Wang Kai laughed: "Zhijun also said yes." Although rest assured, with me, I will ensure that Dongjiazhai is not lost! ”

Bidding farewell to Wang Kai, Du Zhongxiao took Thirteen Lang and dozens of personal soldiers and hurriedly returned to the village.

In fact, the raids of the Khitans were also particular, and they clearly belonged to the places of the Song Dynasty, such as the partial head village, although it was close at hand, they tried to avoid it. Although Tanglong Town nominally belonged to the Song Dynasty, it was actually an autonomous Tibetan department, and it was also a Khitan official. Many of the Tibetan tribes in this area are like this, which are actually independent and self-governing, but there are three official positions in the open and in the dark, and they are left and right. In peacetime, they reap the benefits of the three sides, but once they encounter this kind of Khitan raid, they have an excuse to attack them. Who will contain it depends only on who has the spare power from the three parties.

This mountainous area with a radius of hundreds of miles is not only the power gap of the Song Dynasty, the Khitan and the party, but also the hunting ground of the three parties. The small part that wanders among them, when waiting, it is the treasure that is attracted by the three parties, and more often it is the prey chased by the three parties. This kind of life is very difficult, and some people who are tired of wanting to live a normal life will take the initiative to move south to annex. For example, the Xiangbu clan who took refuge in Du Zhongxiao, after entering the camp and field affairs, although the prestige of the incense cloth was not as good as day by day, the clan people lived a stable life, and the incense cloth himself became a small leader in the camp field affairs.