A few border patrol soldiers walked on the streets by the river, and they were amazed to see the shops on both sides. When they came last year, it was still a wasteland, and there was not a single person to be seen, but they didn't expect it to become so prosperous in a year. Many of the goods in the store have never been seen by these people, and they are strange when they look at them. In particular, all kinds of food are dazzling, and it is mouth-watering to watch.

Seeing that there was a wine shop next to it, one said: "Brother, the weather is very cold, let's go inside to eat a bowl of wine and go to the cold." ”

Several people cheered together, and when they arrived at the door of the wine shop, they were stopped by a soldier standing at the door.

Seeing that it was an ordinary border patrol soldier who stopped him, the person who proposed it earlier shouted: "You are like us, you have come all the way from the Lan army to here, you lack food and clothing, and how much you have suffered!" I finally got to a prosperous place, what's wrong with eating wine! ”

The soldier who stopped at the door pointed to a list next to him, and said coldly: "The military commander of the capital has ordered that all border patrol soldiers are not allowed to drink outside." If you want to drink alcohol, you can only buy it back to the barracks, and you can only eat some food when you go in. ”

Several people looked at the list text, and one said: "Fool us into not knowing how to read?" Whatever you say is what it is! ”

The soldier who blocked the door took out a waist card and sneered: "I am the pro-soldier of the capital prison, and those who disobey the military order will be killed!" ”

The waist card can't be faked, and a few people didn't dare to make trouble anymore, so they discussed in a low voice, so they had to buy some wine and go back to the barracks to eat. When I entered the wine shop, I was stared at uncomfortably by the soldiers who blocked the door, and several people complained. Looking at the diners around, they are not from rich backgrounds, but mostly low-level commoners who work.

When I arrived at the counter, I saw a table with all kinds of food on it, and two rough men stood behind the table with kitchen knives. Although this is a small shop, there is plenty of food. A lot of boiled mutton, dried tofu in sauce, all kinds of pickles, the variety is still rich. On the side, there is also an oven with red charcoal and skewered lamb grilled on top.

A soldier pointed to the kebab and said, "This is good, the lamb is roasted with wine, it is very slippery!" ”

The other shook his head: "It's a pity we can't drink here." Forget it, eat two skewers of meat, buy something else and go back to drink. ”

A few people learned from other diners, asked for a few skewers of meat, a large bowl of noodles per person, according to a table, and ate a big mouthful.

After eating a few bites, a soldier slapped the table: "This noodle is so enjoyable!" The meat is full of flavor, fragrant and smooth, but unfortunately you can't drink alcohol! ”

The other shook his head and sighed: "You can't drink, but you can't suffocate yourself!" Which one killed the capital to come up with this idea! ”

The idea was Du Zhongxiao's idea. Hundreds of troops were stationed in the small camp and field, and if the management was not strict, there was no telling what would happen. Patrolling the border is a chore, and finally arrived in a prosperous place, Zhang Qi has no reason to lock the soldiers in the camp gate. I was afraid that they would drink and make trouble, so I finally listened to Du Zhongxiao's idea that they were not allowed to drink outside the barracks, and there were personal soldiers on the streets to patrol to prevent accidents.

The businesses in this area are all gathered near the ferry, and here they are waiting on the road, in groups of three or five, all of whom are officers and soldiers brought by Zhang Qi. The restaurants were almost filled with these people, even those walking on the road, holding all kinds of food. Driven by Du Zhongxiao, the first development of the Volcano Army was the catering industry. All kinds of tricks have never been seen by these soldiers stationed at the border, and they are all greedy.

In fact, Du Zhongxiao, in the name of the yamen, sent wine and meat to Zhang Qi, but was detained by Zhang Qi. The army patrolled the border and walked in deserted places, and the conditions were very difficult. Zhang Qi would rather go to a difficult place and give his subordinates wine and meat to boost morale, and he would not waste it here. These soldiers all had money with them, and when they could buy it, they spent their own money.

In the small pavilion on the second floor of Wangjiang Tower, Du Zhongxiao and Zhang Qi looked out the window, and the soldiers were in groups of three or five, almost all over the street.

Zhang Qi said: "Thanks to the reminder of the Zhijun, I sent my own soldiers out to inspect. Otherwise, these people have been suffering in the mountains for more than ten days, and they may not be able to do anything outside. A few days ago, when they were stationed in a small Tibetan department, there were soldiers who robbed their cattle and sheep, raped *** women, and had countless troubles. It's still easy to say, it's just to lose some money and comfort with gentle words. If you cause trouble outside, everyone will not look good. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded yes. The military discipline of the forbidden army cannot be expected too much, especially since the war with the party began, the number of troops swelled sharply, and the quality of many troops declined. In the places where the fighting took place, there were several times when the forbidden army looted the residents, and the impact was very bad. In the event of such a thing, the officers did not dare to overexert pressure, otherwise once a mutiny was triggered, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Zhang Qi is the governor of the Linfu Road station, and he is in charge of the Linfu Road army, but the station is in the same road. In this border patrol, except for the personal soldiers who are Zhang Qi's subordinates, the other troops are all temporarily recruited, and they belong to the parallel road, which is not easy to manage.

The north side of Hedong Road is divided into two military roads, and the west side of the Yellow River is Linfu Road, and the rest of the state army belongs to the parallel road. Because the core of Linfu Road is Fuzhou, and Fuzhou is a Zhenjia Domain, the purpose of preventing the domain is to prevent the town, and the Acting Lu Chan is also in charge of the military and horse affairs of the Goulin Fu Road, and actually unified the command of the forbidden army and the Xiang army of the two roads. This caused the two-way command system to be very chaotic, for example, Zhang Qi was the governor of Linfu Road and concurrently served as the patrol envoy along the border, but he was stationed in the Lan army on behalf of the road. The army under his direct command was not under his jurisdiction, and the army under his control was west of the Yellow River.

The reason for this situation is the special status of the Fuzhou Folding Family, as well as the strong military power of the three prefectures of Linfu and Feng. Although many of the soldiers were incorporated into the forbidden army sequence, they actually belonged to different command systems, and most of them obeyed the command of the Zhe family.

Du Zhongxiao sighed, the complicated situation around the Volcano Army is actually related to this. Tanglong Town is the mainstay, and the Fan Department on the other side of the Yellow River is actually under the jurisdiction of the Zhe family. A few years ago, the Folded family had their own problems, and they were too harsh on the Tibetan Ministry, and they did not help when they were in trouble, which led to the separation of people's hearts. The Fengzhou Wang family, one of the three states, has existed in name only since it was broken by the party, not to mention the small Fan department. Fortunately, the Zhe family later came out with a Zhi Jimin, and he repeatedly made military exploits in the war with the party, which saved the Zhe family. Otherwise, as before, the imperial court will start to cut the feudal domain.

Zhang Qi was the capital supervisor of Linfu Road, and only by his intervention could he directly take military action against Tanglong Town. Otherwise, Du Zhongxiao can only secretly develop his forces, and only when the time is ripe can he make a move after reporting to the east of the river with the consent of the strategic division. Without the consent of the above, not to mention that the court asked for guilt, Zhi Jimin on the other side of the river was only afraid and unwilling, there was nominally his jurisdiction, and the family was the Fan Department below the Zhe family.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Zhang Yu said: "After two days, I will separate my subordinate soldiers and garrison them, and leave the camp to build a military camp." If you stay here, something will happen sooner or later. After a few days, the army prepared the artillery and muskets, and went to occupy Tanglong Town. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "I have found out exactly, Tanglong Town has been abandoned, and it is an empty city at this time, it is not difficult to occupy it, but it is difficult to defend it." According to the nearby Tibetan tribe, the Khitans had already decided that they would cross the river and plunder when the Yellow River froze, and they would inevitably go to Tanglong Town. ”

Zhang Qi said: "The territory of the Khitan people is no more than the Yellow River, and crossing the river is to invade the border by force, which is not suspicious." As long as we deploy troops and horses in Tanglong Town, if we really fight, it will be their fault no matter what. Wait another month, I will transfer some good iron to the Zhijun, and the Zhijun will build guns. Then let the soldiers and horses on the Linfu Road on the other side of the river clean up the Tibetan departments around Fengzhou. I will inform Wang Kai of this matter, and the army does not have to worry. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded. Tanglong Town was already an empty city, but the Song army did not occupy it, the reason was that the power had already shrunk back and could not get there at all. The Tibetan tribes in the Fengzhou area are scattered, and many of them are controlled by the party, and the Fuzhou road is too far away. Although the Volcano Army is close, it belongs to the Merge Road, and it cannot control Tanglong Town on Linfu Road. At this time, Zhang Qi's identity as an inspection envoy along the border showed his usefulness.