The sound of running water gradually became louder, and the vision in front of the official road also broadened, and the border between Song and Liao was close at hand.

On a high slope next to the road ahead, there is a beacon belonging to the bottle-shaped village and at the forefront, which is commonly known as the beacon tower.

The position of the foundation is nearly ten zhang higher than the official road below, plus the height of the beacon itself. Standing on the platform and condescendingly, not only can you directly observe the movements in the territory of the Liao State, but also can even be used as a stronghold to block the enemy, block the incoming Liao army for a moment and a half, and buy enough time for the rear.

Under the beacon is the barracks of the guards, that is, two adobe houses, around the house and the beacon tower there is a circle of earth walls that are not too high, but in the section of the uphill road is particularly thickened and heightened, which is already similar to the earthen fences around some border villages.

Further down the road, you can also see the foundation of a grass house, which is a military patrol shop. The soldiers who came out of the bottle-shaped village circled down the national border and walked here. In normal times, it will definitely be for merchants to rest, drink water and eat.

The beacons on the periphery of the walled city on the border of Hedong, as long as they lean on the side of the official road, are mostly like this. A team of seven or eight people was stationed in this beacon. At the same time, take care of the roadside delivery and patrol shops.

However, this beacon, now there are no soldiers guarding it, it is empty, and there is not a single flag in sight on the few flagpoles erected. The arrows left on the outer wall of the beacon were as dense as a hedgehog's back.

"Divine Arm Bow." The volume is very low muttering, except for Han Zhongxin himself, no one can hear it.

The Liao army that entered the Kou obtained the arsenal of Daizhou, and the defenders in the beacon tower had to face the strong bows and crossbows produced by themselves. The very dense traces of arrows on the wall, and the tails at the ends of several long arrows could not be seen, which were the marks of the Divine Arm Bow after being shot.

There are no traces of the battle on the surrendered bottle-shaped wall, but the beacon on this border has obviously undergone the baptism of arrow rain. The Liao army attacked from Daizhou and forced down the defenders of the bottle-shaped village. This small beacon tower did not fall.

Han Zhongxin lived in Kansai, and he has never had anything to do with the Liao people for three generations. It's just that the beacon tower standing on the border in front of him reminds him of his hometown on the border of Kansai.

I don't know when my eyes have become as cold as ice. From the traces that remained, Han Zhongxin could even analyze the approximate steps of the offensive and defensive battle between the Liao army and the defenders of the beacon tower.

First, the grass hut on the side of the road was burned, and then the Liao army dismounted and made a feint along the path on the slope - well, Han Zhongxin shook his head, before, the Liao army should have sent someone to persuade him to surrender, but it was refused......

The tragic situation of the beacon tower once again provoked Han Zhongxin's hatred of the barbarians. Growing up in the border area of Shaanxi since childhood, how many elders in the family died from the violence that the party members saw with their own eyes. The list goes on, and the hatred for Western Xia has long been integrated into the blood. The Khitan and the party are all barbarians, and their actions are the same.

"Inspection, it's almost to the ground."

"What? ......" Han Zhongxin turned his head when he heard this.

Han Zhongxin was ordered to lead a horse army under his command and sent Zhang Xiaojie all the way to the border. However, Zhang Xiaojie's escort team had 500 horsemen. The strength of the troops even exceeded that of the Song army who saw them off.

All the way over, it was only a dozen miles of mountain roads, but nearly 400 Song cavalry cavalry everyone had a heart hanging on their hearts. Finally, the border is in front of you, but Han Zhongxin has no intention of stopping at all. The soldiers hurriedly drove to remind him, lest the army strayed into the border of the Liao State and cause chaos again.

It's just that the eyes that suddenly came over made the soldiers shudder, and they didn't know what made Han Zhongxin angry.

"Patrol ...... Inspection ......"

The voices of the pro-soldiers became smaller and smaller, and the huge men shrank into a ball on horseback.

Han Zhongxin blinked, reacted, gave the soldier a command, and then raised his eyes to look ahead. After this beacon tower, the official road in front will turn into a horizontal valley, and turn southeast to the boundary of the Liao State.

Han Zhongxin lightly lifted the reins of the horse, and the old horse under his crotch slowed down very smartly, and then the whole team stopped.

That's pretty much the end of it.

"General Dolao sends him off." Zhang Xiaojie smiled and arched his hand to Han Zhongxin.

Han Zhongxin looked cold and returned the salute. "Just doing what you are told."

After following Han Gang for a long time, he already had enough immunity to these high-ranking officials and eunuchs, and he hated the high-ranking officials of the Liao people even more. I don't change my mind just because I give it up.

Zhang Xiaojie has been in a high position for many years and has read countless people. Han Gang's henchman, who escorted or escorted him back to China, can see through his heart with just a glance.

The disgust in Han Zhongxin's expression was too obvious. It is not a simple and superficial hatred of the sworn enemy in the north, but it should be a blood feud that cannot be erased to look at people with the cruel eyes that choose people to devour like wolves.

Zhang Xiaojie knew that some hatred could not be resolved. However, he is not afraid of the hatred of the pawns, even the hatred of high-ranking officials and eunuchs, and even the emperor.

Hatred can be consumed, kindness can be forgotten, but the idea of living no matter what, is not lacking in normal people.

Han Gang's words pierced a false sense of security and stability, and as long as everything he said was recognized by the world, then the foreign war of the Southern Dynasty would once again set off a climax. If one is not good, it will involve the entire Great Liao.

Originally, Zhang Xiaojie came to see Han Gang under the pretext of returning the bottle-shaped village, but now Han Gang's words of "putting his heart in his heart" made him dare not stay for a long time, and he wanted to rush back as soon as possible to report to Yelu Yixin.

In his view, the future of Liao and Song will largely depend on the attitude towards Han Gang's words.

It's dangerous, if only it could be solved sooner. Zhang Xiaojie thought secretly.

An enemy country like Han Gang, who has no shortage of ability and prestige, and has a great deterrent effect on his own soldiers and people, should no longer stay in the court of the Southern Dynasty, which is the most beneficial to Daliao.

Previously, he discussed Zaifu of the Southern Dynasty with important ministers such as Yelu Yixin and Xiao Shisan, and gave Han Gang the highest evaluation.

The rest of Zaifu: Wang Anshi is very troublesome, but after all, he is old. Among the younger generation of Zaifu, Lu Huiqing, Zhang Tun, and Han Gang are the most knowledgeable.

Lu Huiqing recently recovered Xingling, and Han Gang once again proved himself in Hedong. In terms of talent, the two of them are outstanding. Zhang Dian was a step behind, after all, he had only experience in the south.

As for the rest of the Zaifu, such as Cai Qu and Zeng Bu, they are just the generations of Lu Yijian and Han Qi, and they are capable of intriguing, and they are stunned when they encounter the military. Fu Bi is praised for his former envoy to the Great Liao, but what he did was that the annual coin of 300,000 silver silk rose to 500,000, and long before him, Cao Yong, who signed the alliance of the Yuanyuan, was not worse than him? But one is a civil servant, and the other is a military general.

According to Yelu Yixin and Zhang Xiaojie's previous views, as long as Han Gang or Lu Huiqing are not in charge, there will be no war. Even if there is war, if it is not a capable commander, it is not worth worrying.

Zaifu like Han Gang and Lu Huiqing, who are capable of both civil and military affairs, are really rare in the Southern Dynasties, and most of them are the result of Mu Xiu Yu Lin. In other words, if other important ministers lead the army, as long as the Song army is defeated once or twice, the monarchs and ministers of the Southern Dynasty will naturally be honest.

But everything Han Gang said just now made the purpose of the war completely different.

The Song people were not warlike, and many generals would only go to war one after another only because of the strict orders of the emperor of the Southern Dynasty.

However, as long as Han Gang's words came out, the anti-war voice within the Southern Dynasty would be immediately suppressed. As the inventor of the cowpox method, Han Gang has people in both the north and the south to set up immortal tablets for him, and what he says, more people will regard it as a guide.

Han Gang's other identity is the great Confucianism of the world, a school of scholars. Even if you are not in the court, you can guide the public opinion of the world. It will definitely be more dangerous in the court.

It will not be for the sake of the emperor's face and the name of the history to teach the Liao people such a lesson, but a war of perseverance until the destruction of a country. Even if there are a lot of sacrifices, they will persist in order to ensure the perpetuation of the Great Song Dynasty.

In the long war, the internal troubles of the Great Liao far exceeded that of the Great Song Dynasty, and most of them would collapse first. Unless one victory after another, once there is a defeat, there will definitely be chaos within Daliao.

With a sigh, Zhang Xiaojie put away his worries and continued to march forward with the army.

……………………

When Han Zhongxin returned to the bottle-shaped village, it was already late. The original bright red and magnificent sunset is only a dark purple in the western sky.

The horse's hooves nailed with iron palms reverberated in the deep city gate. It wasn't until I walked through the doorway that the cacophony of human voices came into my ears.

The noisy camp made Han Zhongxin's mood improve a lot. The gloomy expression does not match his personality, and the lively atmosphere is his favorite.

Although the bottle-shaped village is a military fortress, it is also an important market town on the border, and when it is really time to catch the market, there will always be overcrowded, and the stalls will be placed outside the city wall.

I really don't know when it will be able to return to the prosperity and liveliness of the past.

"Zhang Xiaojie is gone?"

When Han Zhongxin found Han Gang, the privy deputy envoy of the Great Song Dynasty was in the school field, and took a huge heavy crossbow and aimed it at the target of the dummy wearing iron armor for test firing.

After the strongest enemies began to arm themselves with iron armor, the value of the Divine Arm Bow dropped dramatically, and it was urgent to equip it with more powerful ranged weapons.

The armor-piercing crossbow is a new type of crossbow designed for this purpose. To this day, the five-stone armor-piercing crossbow has been popularized in the military, and the stronger bow is said to have been tested.

The same is true of the one Han Gang is holding in his hand now. It's just a bit too much. The two bow arms at the front and back are similar to the small cicada crossbow in the bed crossbow, only much smaller, but still twice as large as the largest heavy crossbow.