When the imperial court's decree approving the recovery of Fengzhou reached Taiyuan Mansion, Han Gang was already on his way to Linzhou.

failed to accompany his wife and concubines and children, Han Gang felt deep guilt in his heart. However, the high-level officials of this era are mobilized very frequently, and there are not many times when they can be reunited with their families, and Han Gang is not alone.

More than 1,000 Hedong cavalry, guarding Han Gang and his party, marched on the side of the Quye River on fast horses.

Along the way, I passed through several villages, and I was notified by a team of people walking in front, and the elders of the village came out and bowed to greet them on the side of the road.

Han Gang was on his way and ignored them. Go directly from the entrance of the village, and don't let the people below harass the village. Every time Han Gang passed by like this, he could see the relieved expressions on the faces of those villagers. I think that these villagers will not be willing to receive the officials of the imperial court, probably because they are afraid of locusts.

After the autumn, there was little rain, and thousands of war horses with nails and shoes were digging the loess road, and Han Gang, who was walking in the middle of the queue, ate the ashes all the way.

The water level of the river on one side of the road dropped dramatically. In many places, the river is two or three feet high from the banks on either side. In a few areas where the water flow is gentle and the river is wide, the exposed riverbed is much more than the flowing water.

"Long Tu," Huang Shang rode his horse closer to Han Gang's side, "In the village I just passed, the situation in the field doesn't seem to be good. ”

Han Gang was also thinking about this, and sighed when he heard this, "I'm shocked...... I was amazed to see the wheat seedlings growing in those fields. One acre of land can have one hundred and fifty or sixty catties of harvest, which is amazing--this will have to be cooked well in the field after the spring begins tomorrow--and when it is ground into noodles, there will be not much left. ”

Since crossing the Yellow River, Han Gang has not seen a field with good seedlings on the way. The green in the field is sparse, and the wheat seedlings are not neat at all. To say that the reason is that the rain is scarce, but since the beginning of autumn, the rain in Taiyuan is less than in previous years, but the seedlings in Taiyuan are good. When Han Gang came out, he looked at it attentively, and the fields were basically all green, not like here in Linzhou, just like dysentery.

If such a situation occurs in Taiyuan, after giving Han Gang Zhilu, the following magistrates will have to suffer, and he is not the master who can rub sand in his eyes. It's a pity that Han Gang can manage the soldiers and horses of Linzhou, but he can't manage the political affairs of Linzhou, and he can't interfere in local affairs.

"If you don't do the right thing that should be done, Linzhou will definitely fight famine again to the imperial court next year. Anyway, it's convenient to levy people in this way. In winter, I went to build a walled fort, so that I could save a little food at home, which might be a good thing for the people of Linzhou. ”

The land on the border is not counted if it is occupied. It is necessary to build a series of walled forts in the Quye River valley to form a strong enough defense line to resist the invasion of Khitan soldiers and horses, so as to obtain a piece of land that truly belongs to the Great Song Dynasty.

But in this way, it is necessary to levy people on a large scale. When Han Gang was in Taiyuan, he had people calculate that it would take more than 50,000 manpower to mobilize to ensure that the initial and stable defense line would be completed before the spring of next year. And to form a walled fort defense system of the same level as the four roads on the edge of Shaanxi, it will take three or five years of work.

It's just that it all depends on how much support the court can give. The war has just ended, and everywhere you are stretching out your hand to ask for money, rewards, pensions, new repairs, and reconstructions, and tens of millions of dollars will be smashed, and you can hear a sound. I don't know how many can be assigned to the east side of the river. In addition to hoping that the imperial court can still squeeze out money, it will have to rely on the finance and taxation of Hedong Benlu in the next few years. But the situation in Linzhou, if it happens in all the border military states, the problem is big.

"I don't expect next year's taxes, I just hope that the people's food rations can be guaranteed." Han Gang sighed helplessly, "It's time to replant, it's too late to replant, and in half a month, there will be ice on the Yellow River." ”

"Long Tu doesn't know, the weather is warm this year, and it is still early for this section of the Yellow River to freeze in Linzhou." Zhi Keshi also came over, he only heard the second half of Han Gang's sentence, and corrected Han Gang's words with a smile: "Look at the way it is now, it is almost the end of October, and it will be here in Qu Yechuan, and if there is a north wind, it will almost freeze." ”

After a pause in his words, he tugged on the reins to prevent his mount from overtaking Han Gang's horse's head, and then said, "Actually, it's a good thing that the weather is warm. The section under Montenegro is now mostly frozen. But the river is certainly not frozen yet. The river is full of drift ice, and the boat can't be walked, which can delay the Liao people for a lot of time. ”

"It is a day to delay one more day, as long as the main force of Xijing Road does not come back, the little people and horses that the Liao people put on the border do not have to worry." The topic was deviated, and Han Gang didn't have the heart to turn back, "In half a month, Li Xian's men should arrive, so as not to be frozen on the road......"

Huang Shang is a southerner, and he is a little afraid when he mentions the winter in the north, "Shouldn't the winter clothes in the army also be issued?" ”

"The silk cotton and fabrics in the army have not yet been shipped this year...... The battle in the northwest was really choked, and even the Central Plains was short of the livestock that transported the goods. ”

Han Gang said, glancing at Huang Shang. To him Han Gang as a staff member, Huang Shang and other doormen are not short of clothes to wear, there are four sets of new clothes to wear every season, and winter clothes are also made by a tailor this month, he is wearing it, but he is afraid of the cold.

"I heard that Xihe Road has used cotton instead of silk cotton in the past two years?" Zhi Keshi asked.

Han Gang nodded: "Cotton is cheaper than silk cotton, and silk cotton is given two taels at a time, what is enough?" A decent winter coat won't do. For the same money, two catties of cotton can be bought. Cool fields are suitable for growing cotton. When the time comes, just like Xihe Road, teach the Tibetan Department to plant cotton, and when they get used to planting cotton and weaving, they will not be able to get out of the control of the Great Song Dynasty. ”

"Cotton is a good thing. After all, silk is still too light and thin, and there are not many places where silkworms can be raised and spinned, which is not as easy to plant as cotton, and easy to spin and weave. ”

"I don't know if it's warm to wear an official uniform cut from cotton clothes, Brother Mian Zhong can actually make a set." Zhe Keshi joked with the yellow dress.

Huang Shang pursed his lips and smiled, but he didn't fight.

A war is fought from spring to winter, and although it is far from achieving the desired goal, those who should be promoted will be promoted, and those who should be rich will still be rich. There is always credit for it.

Just like in Hedong, a great victory in Jialuchuan not only made a dozen brave and fearless officers rank among the ranks. Huang Shang and Zhi Keshi, who participated in the planning, were also recommended by Han Gang. It is not a problem to increase the number of officials by one or two levels. And after Huang Sheng has an official body, the next subject, the qualifications of Gongsheng will be much easier.

Han Gang and the two staff members were talking, and there was a rapid sound of horses' hooves in front of them. Soon, one person was brought to Han Gang.

The excited young man's expression was full of excitement: "Longtu, it's the good news of this Zhefu Prefecture!" The western thieves of the turbidity wheel have opened the city and surrendered, and the first part of the official army will immediately enter Nuanquan Peak! ”

Zhe Keshi's face suddenly flushed with joy. This time, the main battle is the main force of the family, if there are too many losses, don't think about recovering for ten years. Fortunately, the western thieves guarding the village did not fight hard.

The main stream of the Quno River flows from northwest to southeast, and the nearest source is Former Toyoshu. And Quye River also has a tributary from the northern Liao country to flow from the turbidity wheel river, the Song people and the current party have set up turbidity wheel to block this road that can allow the Liao people to go south. The warm spring peak on the north side of it is a strategic place on the border of the turbidity wheel river, and it is the place where the Liao people must pass through to the south. The fact that the Linfu army can occupy this place is equivalent to blocking this road.

"What about Zhefu Prefecture?" Han Gang hid his joy in his heart and asked.

"Zhefu Prefecture is leading the main force and stationed on the Zihe River. The 400 western thief defenders in Zihe Xiaozhai also surrendered, and they didn't fight much. Let's start the journey as usual, and we should be able to reach the old Fengzhou City tomorrow. ”

"Good!" Han Gang looked at Zhe Keshi and smiled, "This is really a plan and then act." The western thief defenders of Turbidity Wheel and Zihe Xiaozhai were able to surrender immediately, and they must have worked hard in advance on the Fuzhou side. ”

"It was also the Western thieves who were frightened by the Khitan invasion, so they took the initiative to join the official army." Zhe Keshi did not deny Han Gang's words.

When the main force in Hedong did not arrive, the Linfu army under the command of Zhe Kexing was the main force to pacify the place, and at the same time, it also shouldered the excuse of blocking the Liao people's knock. So far, the company has done a good job.

The upper reaches of the main stream of the Quye River were originally the border between the two countries of Liaoxia, and the nearest point was only forty miles away from Dongshengzhou of Liao. A piece of land here, the Liao people also often come and go. The ancestor of the Zhi family, Zhi Yuqing, once defeated the Liao people in Zihe and beheaded thousands. At the beginning of the country, this result was also the first-class level among many great victories.

Han Gang turned his head and folded it in half, but he said: "A hundred years ago, Ling Great-Ancestor led his son Hexia to defeat the Liao, but then he was taken away by the Western Thieves, and now he is finally back. ”

"It's the next great-uncle!" Speaking of the great achievements of the ancestors, Zhi Keshi immediately puffed up his chest and felt proud, "The Zihe River was a great victory back then, so that the northern captives still dare not peep south." After boasting, Zhi Keshi said, "It's not just Zihexia, with Ziheshan's land, it's equivalent to another good land for raising horses." ”

"Zihexiao, that's a river valley, right?" Huang Sheng wondered. has been a staff member for Han Gang for so long, and the most basic concept is still there, "Isn't raising horses to be in a cold place?" There must be long mountains and great valleys, beautiful grass, sweet springs, and open fields. That piece of land isn't that big, is it? ”

Zhi Keshi said: "These few, although Zihe can not be said to be able to deal with them, they can all be touched a little." At the beginning of the country, the war horses in the army were most in Fuzhou, and they relied on the good seeds in Zihe. The second is the West Horse of Huan, Qing, Qin and Wei, although the bone grid is slightly larger, but the hooves are thin and sickly, and they are not as good as the Fuzhou horses. However, since the fall of Toyoju, the horse breeds in Fuzhou have been inferior from generation to generation. ”

Huang Shang smiled: "Ganliang has now been recovered. The West Horses in the border areas of Shaanxi can all be replaced by Hexi species in the future, and even big food species, and Fuzhou horses are recaptured by Zihexia, which is not comparable. ”

Zhi Keshi shook his head: "I don't expect it for a long time." Since there is a farrier, the problem of thin hooves of the West Horse is nothing, and the physique wins, how can Fuzhou horses compare? ”

"Don't talk too much." After receiving the report, Han Gang was in high spirits, "Speed up and rush to Linzhou City!" ”