On October 8, Gyeongju sent a herald to Huanju, and he brought very strange news, saying that the commander had ordered that from now on water should not be taken from streams, rivers, or rivers, and that if water was to be drawn, it could only be taken from the wells in the city or in the forts.

This news is nothing in the eyes of others, because the army of the Western Xia people is pressing the border, and if they run outside at this time, they may be killed by the scouts who are also at the water source.

But it was different when it fell into Tang Ning's ears, he touched his chin that had grown a faint fluff, and asked Lin Wei: "Where Huanzhou is located, what is the source of drinking water?" ”

Lin Wei shook his head and said: "My lord, I don't know about my humble position, I have never been to Huanzhou, and even Jingxi East and West Road, this is the first time I have come." ”

Tang Ning nodded, thinking in his heart that Zhang Qi's military command ability was strong, and his orders would never be untargeted. There must be something strange in this, but he still can't figure out what this strange thing is for a while.

On October 10, scouts entering and leaving Huanzhou City were like merchants entering and leaving Runzhou City during the festival. All kinds of news were spread all over the sky, and even Tang Ning, who was hiding in the barracks and doing nothing, heard a lot.

Like some thief has already traveled dozens of miles away, like what he has a scout friend who said that there are at least 500,000 thief soldiers, and there is not too much news like this.

Qi Fu's state in the past few days has not been very good, and it is also good to think about it. This guy has known that the Tangut people are very powerful since he was a child, although he was forced by Han Zhizhou to follow Tang Ning to Huanzhou, but the fear of the Tangut people still has some influence on him.

I can't sleep at night, I have a big dark circle under my eyes, I am very nervous when I hear any movement, and if the knife is not around, I can't let go of my heart for a moment.

The rumors reached Qi Fu's ears, and Qi Fu's days were even more difficult. I don't want to eat food, I don't want to drink water, and the whole person's spirit is like being emptied, like a waste who smoked a lot of cigarettes during the Qing Dynasty.

Tang Ningxin said that it would not work if it went on like this, if it went on like this, there would be no need for the Tangut people to come and kill Qi Fu, he would have to kill himself first.

But there is nothing he can do, and heart disease still needs a heart doctor. The best way is undoubtedly to let him kill a Tangut with his own hands, so that he can understand that the Tangut people are actually not that powerful, everyone is human, and if the knife hits the vital point, they will all die.

But where to find the Tangut people now? The defenders of Huanzhou wish they would never see the Western Xia talent for the rest of their lives......

In the midst of this tense state, the time came to the early morning of October 12.

As usual, after breakfast, Tang Ning led his men to the city wall to change their defenses, so that the brothers who had been guarding the city wall all night could eat and sleep.

After an hour, someone will take over, but the worst thing happens in this hour.

Standing at the head of the city, he had just yawned when he saw small black dots in the distance running towards the city.

Tang Ning hurriedly called Hu Wan, who had good eyes, to take a look, and Hu Wan fixed his eyes and said, "Lord Inspector, this is the scout of my army." ”

The seven or eight small black dots were about to arrive while speaking, Tang Ning gave Lin Wei a look, Lin Wei understood, and shouted loudly on the city wall: "Stand in front!" Notification name! Otherwise, if you enter a range of 100 steps below the city, the archers will have to release arrows! ”

"Wait! It's me! Zhang Yi! I have something important to report to Lord Zhizhou! ”

When the soldiers of the Western Army who knew Zhang Yi on the city wall heard this, they poked their heads out, and when they saw that it was indeed Zhang Yi, they said in a loud voice: "It's Lao Zhang!" Lao Zhang is back! Open the gates! ”

The sound of crunching sounded, around the city

A gap opened in the door.

After Zhang Yi and the others came in through the gap, there was another creaking sound, and the city gate closed again.

Then Zhang Yi turned around and arched his hand to the people on the city wall, and then the group shook the reins and went straight to the mansion where Zhizhou was located.

Tang Ning looked at the distant backs of Zhang Yi and the others, and a sense of uneasiness suddenly rose in his heart. Because the marshal had ordered that no water should be taken outside, these scouts usually carried two bags of water when they went out.

Even so, when they came back, they would usually ask for a bowl of water to drink at the gate of the city, moisten their throats, and then report the situation to Chongpu.

However, today these people were in such a hurry that they went directly to the government without stopping for a moment when they entered the city, and there must have been something important in this.

Thinking of this, Tang Ning turned his head to look at where Zhang Yi and the others came from. Although the sky was clear today, Downing still felt dark clouds in the distance.

The Tangut people are coming!

Quickly patrolling the city walls, cheering up the lazy soldiers, and when they returned to their original places, they found a man with a well-proportioned body and slightly white temples standing where he had just stood.

Looking at how he dressed, he didn't look like an ordinary creep. There are several strong men with tigers on their backs, and they think that this person is the governor of Huanzhou who has come to Huanzhou but has never seen it once.

Seeing Tang Ning coming from the side, Chong Pu frowned and said, "Who are you?" ”

Tang Ning arched his hand and said: "The humble post is the envoy of Huanqing Road, and he was ordered by the marshal to escort the grain and grass baggage, and he arrived here twelve days ago. ”

Chong Pu sighed, and then asked, "Then why are you a transport envoy here?" This is the city wall, it is the place of battle, you are an escort of grain and grass, you should not appear here.

Let's go! ”

Tang Ning was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and said in his heart that if there is no order, do you think Lao Tzu is willing to come up here? In case of a fight, a round of arrows rains down, maybe Lao Tzu will be pierced into a hedgehog, and you think this is a good place?

Just thinking about it, a person stood up on the side and said, "Second brother, I asked him to come." Considering that the army of thieves is pressing the border, the elite soldiers of our army should conserve their physical strength in case of contingency, so I want them to take over the city defense for an hour at the end of the day, so that the soldiers can rest for a while......"

"Nonsense!" Chong Pu shouted angrily, pointed at Tang Ning, whose face was dark, and said: "There is one more superintendent on Huanqing Road who is not even crowned and is full of van soldiers, you told me about this matter as a joke before, you open your eyes now and see, isn't this the group of people?" ”

After that, he pointed to the soldiers who were standing crookedly around him and said, "This is not the hinterland, it is the border pass!" Let the soldiers defend the city, I think you wish you could let the thieves come in earlier!

Also, this is in the army, don't call me second brother. ”

The man hurriedly knelt down on one knee and said, "It's a humble job that is not well considered, please punish Lord Zhizhou!" ”

Chong Pu sighed and said, "Jianzhong, the seventh uncle entrusted you to me before he died, just so that you can learn some skills in governing the army from me. You're not a little old, you've been at the border for more than two years, why don't I think you still haven't learned anything?

Go and get the twenty army sticks to increase your memory, and by the way, call someone to change the guard, and in the future, these soldiers only need to ask them to carry things, and don't ask them to climb the city wall again. ”

"Yes!" The man nodded, then got up and walked down the city.

Chong Pu held the pheasant in his hand, and said to Tang Ning without looking back: "Take your people down in a while, it's not that the official looks down on you, but that you are untrained and have never fought against the western thieves, so you are left on the city wall, and the official is not."

Feel relieved. ”

With that, he waved his hand and ignored Tang Ning.

Tang Ning was unhappy, but he was helpless. People are right, he has already discovered this.

Since the day when someone suddenly came six days ago and asked them to go to the city wall every day to change their defenses, Tang Ning found that his men were standing on the city wall and didn't even know what to do.

Don't say what to do, you can't even know where you're standing or where you're looking. In case the Tangut people called, it was really easy to have problems. Chong Pu ruthlessly said that his gang of people were hidden dangers, and there was no problem.

However, it was still uncomfortable to be pointed at his nose and said, especially the sentence 'You told me as a joke at the time', which was very unpleasant when it fell into Tang Ning's heart.

The superintendent who has not yet reached the crown, as long as he has been in the officialdom of the Great Song Dynasty for a period of time, knows that such a person either has amazing talents, or he hugs a very thick thigh in the court.

Even if it is Wang Anshi, the child of a famous minister like Sima Guang, who is tired of being an official, there is no one under the age of twenty.

In terms of his attitude towards himself, he definitely doesn't regard himself as a former with amazing talents, and seeing that his last words gave him a step down, he must have regarded himself as a wine bag and rice bag to mix military merits.

Tang Ning really wants to prove himself, how can he really not have that strength, the most embarrassing thing in the world is nothing more than this, he is indeed a wine bag and rice bag who came to mix military merits......

There was a sound of footsteps under his feet, and Tang Ning knew that this was the soldiers who had changed their guard and were preparing to go to the city. Muffled summoned his men and prepared to go down from the other side, when he suddenly heard a commotion above the city.

"Lord Zhizhou! Look! There seems to be someone to the northwest! ”

Even when everyone looked in the northwest direction, they saw another small black dot getting closer and closer from a distance.

"Who is coming! Get your name in! ”

When he had reached a distance of about five hundred paces, the defenders at the head of the city shouted loudly.

"The vanguard of thieves has crossed the Horse Ridge Water! Wulan Village is surrounded! The thieves are advancing towards Suyuan and Hongde Erzhai! The lord of Hongdezhai ordered the villain to inform the state lord, please know that the state lord must not send reinforcements to preserve his strength in case the thieves attack Huanzhou! ”

The man reined in his horse nearly three hundred paces from the wall, and roared in circles at the top of his voice. Then he turned his horse's head and galloped away in the way he came.

At the head of the city, there was a sound of cool air, and one of the generals beside Chong Pu was surprised: "The thieves are moving so quickly? Then he frowned again, and said to Chong Pu: "Lord Zhizhou, let's really ...... Don't you go to the rescue?

Chong Pu frowned, and then turned to the people around him: "Don't go." ”

"But ......"

"It's nothing good, but this time it's different from the past, this time it's the Empress Dowager Liang who led the army to conquer in person, and the thieves must be highly motivated.

The words of the owner of Hongdezhai are right, if we send reinforcements and the thieves take the opportunity to break through Huanzhou, the entire Huanqing Road will be in danger.

The so-called one blow, then decline, three and exhaustion. As the first line of defense on the route of the thieves' march, even if we die, we must defend the city and frustrate the thieves' spirit.

In this way, the next battle will be easier to fight. Moreover, the marshal had already sent Zhi Keshi to lead reinforcements a few days ago, as long as we can hold it, he will definitely be able to defeat the thieves.

Give the order to go down and prepare the brethren for battle.

It's going to be a tough battle......"

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