The warmth in the wind is getting stronger.

On the days when the war was in full swing, the spring sun was so warm that it almost made people forget about the war.

But only almost. Many people want to forget, but no one dares to forget.

The atmosphere in Taigu County is like a bow that has been pulled apart, and the bowstring is taut little by little, almost cracking, almost suffocating.

There is no smile on the faces of the people in the city, and the hotel Qinglou has no business. And the gate of Taigu County is only open at three hours before noon because there are already Liao people nearby who have been spies and horses. At this time, even the ruffians and prodigal children stayed at home obediently, making the county government feel good and quiet.

In the entire county, the only one who is still a little angry is the location of Han Gang's Shuai Mansion. It's just that the location of the line is not in the county office.

After all, Taigu County is only a county seat, there are no large-scale public buildings in the city, and the county government and schools are not large. Han Gang didn't go to grab the territory of Zhixian County, nor did he pay attention to the curry favor of a few wealthy households, but put his marshal's mansion in the famous temple Puci Temple in the south of the city, and drove a group of monks everywhere.

There are dozens of large and small temples in Taigu County, and the Liao soldiers are coming, and most of the monks in the temples such as Guanghua Temple and Yuanzhi Temple outside the city have fled into the city. Of course, they rented a few monasteries in the city, and they were so crowded that even the bhikshunis of Joshin-an had to become neighbors with the monks of Anzen Monastery.

As soon as Han Gang came, hundreds of monks in Puci Temple were swept away, but not even a single bald head was missing. The Daxiong Treasure Hall became the White Tiger Festival Hall, and the statue of the Buddha was almost pushed. It's a little better than the Maitreya Hall, but it's only because it's not too big and the back meditation room is enough to live.

Han Gang had lunch, wandered around the temple to eat, and approached the Maitreya Hall on a whim, and saw Zhang Qi kneeling on the futon inside.

"What is the husband asking for? Safe at home? Han Gang smiled and stepped over the threshold.

Zhang Ji didn't seem to hear Han Gang's joke, he bowed twice, and then got up and turned around: "It is said that the deputy is like Liuyi, and he is very tired of Futu, and today he saw that it was true." ”

Han Gang Ha Lu smiled: "At least I haven't given my son a nickname 'monk' yet." ”

Ouyang Xiu, a monk of 61, was famous for hating Buddhism, and gave his son Ouyang the nickname Monk. Outsiders asked him why, but he said that a cheap name is easy to support, just like ordinary people call their children a cat and a dog. Although Han Gang's attitude towards Buddhism is similar to his, he is not so good as to joke about the names of his children.

Zhang Qi pursed his lips, like a smile but not a smile, obviously not very comfortable with Han Gang's attitude towards Buddhism. "What Zhang Ji wants is that the war will go smoothly. If he can defeat the Liao people this time, Zhang Ji is willing to rebuild the golden body as a retribution. ”

Zhang Qi believed in Buddhism, but Han Gang didn't believe in it at all, otherwise he wouldn't have occupied the temple in a big way.

Looking up at the big-bellied and smiling Maitreya Buddha, "Brother Qianfu doesn't know, this Puci Temple has been rebuilt in the Zhiping years, and the golden body doesn't need to be repaired for a while." It's better to build a tower, the ghost of the Liao people in a town! Han Gang smiled slightly, his eyes were a little gloomy, and then he grinned again, "The White Pagoda is actually good, the seventh floor is the best." ”

Zhang Qi frowned, but he didn't plan to ask Han Gang what he meant, Han Gang didn't have much respect for Buddhism, and he wouldn't have anything good to say.

Zhang Qi worshipped the Buddha, and his eyes turned around in the Maitreya Hall, but he didn't find a stick of incense that had not been lit. Han Gang drove the people clean, and his own soldiers also cleaned the house, and there was really nothing left.

With a sigh, Zhang Qi gave up and asked Han Gang: "The deputy is already completely sure?" ”

Han Gang shook his head and smiled: "In a war, a gust of wind can change the outcome of the battle, who dares to say that there is ten percent, it must be a lie." ”

Zhang Qi stared at Han Gang intently, and said in a deep voice: "But at least there is a success, otherwise the pivotal deputy will not take this risk." ”

"You have faith in me, husband."

"In the past few days, I have seen the arrangement of the pivotal deputy, and I have some confidence." Zhang Qi said, "Of course, there are also the past records of the pivotal vice-president. ”

Han Gang smiled bitterly and shook his head: "The hope of victory or defeat should not be attributed to one person." ”

"But this time, the deputy pivot stopped in Taigu, didn't he just hope that Beiyu would only put his eyes on one person?"

Hearing this, Han Gang turned his head and met Zhang Ji's eyes. There was no provocation in Zhang Qi's eyes, and he was extremely calm.

After staring at each other for a while, Han Gangfang spoke: "...... I really look forward to the Liao people to take a gamble, but I don't know if Lu Dao can succeed. ”

"The success that the cardinal deputy said is that the northern captives came to attack Taigu?"

"You can't watch the Liao people return safely with the stolen goods."

Zhang Qi nodded in agreement. At least in Han Gang's words, it can be heard that he has full confidence in the decisive battle with the Liao people in Taigu.

"Jintaigu, Yinqi County, Yuci's rice noodles are endless. Taiyuan Mansion is also the richest in this area. Just from the temperament of the Liao people, it is impossible to let go of this place. ”

Han Gang said and stepped out of the Maitreya Palace, and Zhang Qi followed behind him, "There is a pivotal deputy here, and the Liao people may let it go first." ”

Han Gang laughed: "I'm worth a little more than gold and silver, right?" ”

Zhang Kai is in his early fifties, almost Wang Anshi's generation. However, the Zhongjin Sergeant was very late, and he was almost forty square to get the middle, so the official position was not high. The Putian Zhang family has also entered and exited a lot, the prime minister and the champion have all been out, and he only stepped into the officialdom at the age of nearly forty, and the promotion is very slow, and the future is not big, so Zhang Ji is not very valued in the family. However, it was right in the eyes of Zhang Dian - Zhang Dian father and son have always been different in the clan, even if they have become the prime minister, there is still not much change - this time to be able to serve as Han Gang's senator, it is also because Zhang Dian strongly recommends it. Otherwise, because of the guilt he suffered in the Battle of Vaxia, he would have to delay for a few years before he could be reused.

In the Battle of Var Xia, Zhang Qi was the transshipment judge, and the deceased Lu Dajun was a colleague, assisting Li Ji in transporting grain. The battle of the summer was not completed, and after the war, none of the officials in charge of grain and grass transportation fell well, and Zhang Ji was no exception.

Han Gang doesn't know much about Zhang Ji, but after getting along with him in the past few days, he feels that he is still a very capable official, especially in the military, and he has some common language.

Coming out of the Maitreya Palace, Han Gang and Zhang Qi went to the Daxiong Treasure Hall together: "I heard that Brother Qianfu used to travel the world to study in the old years? ”

Zhang Ji nodded: "Eleven years." Hebei, Kansai and Chengdu have all been there. ”

"It's better to read 10,000 books than to travel 10,000 miles, no wonder Brother Qianfu has this insight into the geography and military affairs of the world."

"Far less extensive than the pivotal vice-president." Zhang Kai's praise is sincere. In the past few days, Han Gang's insight into the geography of the world has made Zhang Ji deeply admired. It's even hard to understand, the depth and breadth are not at all what it should be at this age. Even the topography of Fujian's mountains and rivers can be said in front of him, a local. And it's not nonsense, but it's like you've seen it with your own eyes.

Han Gang smiled and shook his head, this matter was completely unexplainable, fortunately, the Daxiong Treasure Hall was right in front of him, and there was no need to explain.

The door of the Daxiong Treasure Hall of Puci Temple, which has a history of 800 years, is open, and the guards outside the door are not bald, and they are not wearing monk's robes when they enter and exit, and under the gaze of Sakyamuni, the huge sand table that has just been made according to the map is placed in the center of the main hall.

There is also a smaller one next to it, which is a model of the city defense of Taigu County.

The atmosphere in the hall was very tense, and a group of staff led by Huang Sheng and Tian Yu were either around the sand table, or sitting in the ear room, and there were also personal soldiers holding them, running back and forth.

Han Gang's newly recruited staff member, Chen Feng, was also here, copying official documents in the ear room. It's a pity that Han Gang sent a message back to find a Liangzhe scholar named Zong Ze, but there is no news yet. On the other hand, there is no news from Han Xin, who went to the north, I don't know if he met Qin Wan, and I don't even know if he is dead or alive.

Hearing Han Gang's movement, the staff and soldiers who had their own affairs all stopped, and they all turned around and saluted Han Gang.

"I've said it all, here, the number of courtesies will be waived." Han Gang sighed helplessly, "Let's go and do things." ”

Looking back, when everyone saluted, Zhang Ji avoided it early.

Coming to the city defense model of Taigu County, Han Gang stopped. The square city was completely copied on a five-foot square sand table.

Taigu City is nine miles around the city and another hundred steps, and the city is two feet and five feet high, which is already very large-scale in terms of the scale of the county seat. If it is placed in the south, the walls of many state cities do not have this height - in fact, in the south, many county towns and even state cities do not even have city walls, and a fence is considered a defense - but in the north, it can only be said that after all, it is only a county seat. It's just that if it is a state city or a capital city, the Liao people will never attack it.

Han Gang stood in front of the sand table with his hands in his hands.

Before, he had sent someone to Taiyuan with a letter, promising the soldiers and civilians of Mancheng that reinforcements would arrive within 20 days. There are now nine days left until the scheduled time. Time is getting less and less, and Han Gang's purpose is becoming more and more clear, if the Liao people do what they want, a decisive battle is imminent. Next, it is necessary to rely on this not majestic city to resist the siege and attack of the Liao army.

"Will the North Capture really come?" Zhang Qi asked later. Huang Shang and several other cronies and staff members also gathered.

"If they don't come, they can only wait for reinforcements from Shaanxi and Linfu to arrive together before they can be driven out of Taiyuan. Of course," Han Gang raised his head and smiled at the staff, "They won't have a chance to further expand the results of the battle." He has already conquered the east of the river, and he just plundered and returned north, which is probably not what Yelu Yixin wants. ”

Both the Great Song Dynasty and the Liao people were actually looking for an opportunity for a decisive battle. As long as they can fight in a decisive battle, they can break the current deadlock, make the opponent turn to the absolute defensive, and do whatever they want for the next few decades.

Just like the Great Song Dynasty after Emperor Taizong's Second Northern Expedition, from then on, even after the signing of the Lanyuan Alliance, the Great Song Dynasty was in a weak position. It was not until the beginning of the reform that the Song army's combat effectiveness rose sharply after a series of wars such as the opening of the Hehuang, the southern conquest of Jiaozhi and the destruction of the Western Xia, which made the combat effectiveness of the Song army rise sharply, and this situation was changed.

But when and where to fight a decisive battle is a big question. It must be beneficial to oneself and not to the enemy.

In Hedong, the Liao army had the upper hand. Han Gang knew very well that Xiao Shisan could have far more choices than himself. Even if the reinforcements arrived safely, the Liao people could return to Daizhou with Shi Shiran. If you're bold, you can also use the power to break them one by one.

And Han Gang, except to use himself as bait, there is no other better way.

He was stationed in Taigu County to lure the Liao people to the south for a decisive battle, and "Yu Kou Beiyao" was also to force the Liao people to go south for a decisive battle.

It's the same thing.

The reinforcements of the Great Song Quartet are coming, and right now, it is the most difficult and the best opportunity for the Liao people.