Zhang Qi stood on the huge beacon in the north of the city, looked at a few horses on the hill in the distance, and sneered secretly. This beacon is built on a high place, and on a sunny day, you can see it within ten miles of the surrounding area. The Khitan Tanma has been wandering around the area for the past few days, and Zhang Qi has long noticed it. It seems that the Khitans are not giving up, they have already occupied Tanglong Town, and they still have the idea of coming to plunder.

Yongbian Prefecture and Wuzhou, which are close to Hedong Road, were built in the past two years and secretly established without notifying the Song Dynasty. Both states were built in delicate locations, in places where there was no clear demarcation between the two countries, under the state of Shuo. The idea of the Khitan was to secretly encroach on the surrounding Xiaofan tribes, create a fait accompli, and annex the territory of the Song Dynasty when the conditions were right.

There were many Tibetan tribes in this area, and the transportation was inconvenient, which was quite difficult for the Song Dynasty to govern. In addition, decades ago, when Panmei was guarding the east of the river, a large number of farmers moved into the interior, so that in this area where nomadic farming was mixed, agriculture disappeared, and only nomadic people remained. For the nomads, the Khitan had many more means than the Song Dynasty, and many small Tibetan tribes were controlled by them.

Here in Tanglong Town, during the Zhenzong period, when he came to the house to fight, one side brought Khitan soldiers as help, and the Khitan took the opportunity to meddle in the affairs of this area.

The cold wind howled across the earth, and the dead branches and leaves swirled around the ground, scraping on the body with cold and biting bones. Since that snowfall, the weather has been getting colder day by day, and the cold winter is coming.

A pro-soldier walked up to the beacon and said to Zhang Qi: "Eunuch, the leader of the Keshun clan has come to meet and is waiting in the city." In addition, Wang Taiwei sent someone to send an official document, and his soldiers and horses had reached the Yellow River, and the capital supervisor and Du Zhijun went to the Volcano Army to discuss the military. ”

Zhang Qi nodded, walked off the beacon, and entered the city. According to the military system, the deployment is higher than that of the metropolitan supervisor, but it is not necessarily a subordinate relationship. In the event of a battle, the lowly ones go out to meet the enemy first, and it is common to lead 3,000 soldiers and deploy 10,000 soldiers. Zhang Qi concurrently served as the patrol envoy of the border capital, and his authority was higher than that of Wang Kai, but his troops were less than him, and his status in the military and horse division of Linfu Road was also low. Du Zhongxiao is a civil servant and a military advisor, and he is also the supervisor of the army, which is another system. The three of them do not have a clear subordinate relationship, and in case of war, they should discuss it.

Tanglong Town is the northern barrier of the three states of Linfeng Prefecture, Zhang Qi led the troops to occupy, Wang Kai immediately led the troops into Fengzhou, occupied all places, and reorganized the remnants. At this time, the party and the Song fought for several years, and after a big war with the Khitan, it had retreated to the west of the Quye River, which was also the legal boundary river between the Song and the party.

From Fengzhou to Tanglong Town, after being broken by the party, a large number of people and property were looted and ruined. Prior to this, the Song army was stationed in Fuzhou and confronted Dangxiang on the east bank of the Quye River. Fengzhou ignored it and left it to the autonomy of the small Fan Ministry.

In the fourth year of Qingli, the Song Dynasty deliberately gave up the three prefectures outside the river of Linfeng Prefecture, so that it could be separated from the control of the imperial court and completely become a feudal town as a buffer zone with the party. Ouyang Xiu was ordered to patrol the border, denied the matter, and proposed to reclaim the forbidden land on Hedong Road. At that time, Ming Ho Zhen Hedong supported Ouyang Xiu in the disposal of the three states of Linfeng Prefecture, but did not agree to reclaim the forbidden land.

When Du Zhongxiao went to the Volcano Army, he first built a camp and took the lead in reclaiming forbidden land. Together with Zhang Qi, they occupied Tanglong Town and Yatou Village respectively, and preemptively entered this small area of Sanzhi, which was actually Ouyang Xiu's proposal two years ago.

Back in the official hall, the three people came in with the soldiers, and sang a promise in front of Zhang Qi.

Zhang Yu replied, and the leader of the Keshun tribe said: "We have always been the courtiers of the Great Song Dynasty, and we are located in a remote area, but we never forget the kindness of the court. A few years ago, thieves in the western border were rampant, occupying my land, robbing my cattle and sheep population, and they were miserable. To this day, the capital eunuch has been stationed in the old city, and when we heard about it, we all hugged and cried, and the court did not forget us after all. The population of his tribe is small, and his wealth is not much, so he has 30 sheep and 10 felt tents, and he hopes that he will be supervised and collected. ”

Zhang Qi nodded: "The leader has a heart." When I go to the court next year, there will be a reward. ”

The leader thanked him again and again, but he was happy from the bottom of his heart.

It has been almost ten days since I arrived in Tanglong Town, and the fourteen major Tibetan tribes around have come one after another, loyal and obedient. However, like the Keshun tribe, it is impossible to send some cattle and sheep to the labor army, so that they can send troops and people. The situation in this area is special, and these Tibetan tribes have long practiced the ability to meet the source of the left and right. When the Song army came, they gave out some money, but did not send people to participate in the combat operations of the Song army. In the final analysis, the Song army would not rob them. The Song army was defeated, and they had no great enmity with the Khitan and the party, and they would not suffer tragic retaliation.

Zhang Qi knows this, and he doesn't say anything, and it's good for some cattle and sheep to fall into their stomachs. As long as they survive this winter and prove that the Song army can hold this place firmly, everything will be fine.

Two days later, Zhang Qi instructed the deputy general Li Hao to guard Tanglong Town, and he led a team of personal soldiers south to the Volcano Army.

At the same time, Du Zhongxiao arranged for Shi Tiancheng to know the village, guarded the partial village, and he escorted Shao Qun back to the Volcano Army.

When I arrived at the Yamen of Yingtianwu, Cheng Wenli had already followed. Entering the official hall, Cheng Wenli said: "Zhijun, a few days ago, Wang Kaixing was deployed on Linfu Road to discuss military affairs with Zhijun. Now his soldiers and horses are on the other side of the Yellow River, and we have crossed the Yellow River here and crossed a mountain beam. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "I know about it. Send quickly to the other side, and say that I have returned to the camp and asked the king to deploy it. ”

Cheng Wenli gave up his promise, hurriedly went out, and arranged for someone to deliver the letter. Watching Cheng Wenli leave, Du Zhongxiao ordered Shao Qun to be escorted.

This guy was detained for a few days, suffered a little, his hair was scattered, his face was yellow, and he looked at Du Zhongxiao with a little viciousness in his eyes.

Du Zhongxiao said: "When the army goes to war, military discipline is the first. You are the ruler of a capital, but you forcibly extort the people's property, and threaten to kill people, and treat the laws of the court as nothing, how can you be spared! Come on, push it out and beat a hundred military sticks, escort it to the military city, and let the commander Wu Wenzuo deal with it! ”

Shao Qun sneered again and again, and said sharply: "You'd better kill me!" Grandpa has been in the army for many years, and he has never seen any battles! Today's gift, I will definitely remember it in my heart. It is better for the army to pray morning and evening, so that nothing will fall into my hands. ”

Du Zhongxiao said lightly: "It seems that this kind of arrogant soldier is the most difficult to use, and it is also a scourge in the army." went to inform Wu Wenzuo, and since then he has seen this Shao Qun dead, if there is no more chaos, he will also punish him as one. The Volcano Army's military rations should be so delicious! ”

After speaking, he asked Shao Qun to be dragged down quickly, beaten with a military stick and sent away. The money and food of the garrison are supplied by the locality, and Wu Wenzuo will take care of Shao Qun if he knows what to do. Otherwise, Du Zhongxiao doesn't mind deducting military rations, shoddy, and always has means to clean them up.

After all the busyness, it was already sunset, Zhang Yu crossed the Yellow River with his own soldiers, and ordered someone to report to Du Zhongxiao urgently.

Welcoming Zhang Qi and his entourage into the camp, Du Zhongxiao introduced the situation in the vicinity and said to Zhang Qi: "Wang deployed the garrison on the other side of the river, where there is a road leading directly to Tanglong Town. Looking at his arrangement, I thought that I also got the news that the Khitan was going to cross the river and loot, so I took precautions as soon as possible. ”

Zhang Qi said: "The deployment has been in battle for a long time, and the layout is natural and thorough. However, I have found out that the Khitan only has 300 soldiers and horses in this area, plus its subordinate border people, at most 1,000 people. I have 500 regular soldiers, and 100 soldiers from the Zhijun and Township to help me, plus muskets and artillery, so I can defend it. The deployed soldiers and horses should take this opportunity to clean up the Fengzhou area. Now that there is no owner in the surrounding Tibetan provinces, the sooner the imperial court soldiers and horses arrive, the sooner they will settle the people's hearts. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "What the eunuch said is true." ”