Kou Ji was stunned for a moment, and asked, "Is there any poor person in Bianjing City who needs you to be pitiful?" It can't be the women in Fireworks Willow Lane, right? You should be clear about who you are.

Before you got married, you went to Fireworks Willow Lane to provoke those women, you were causing trouble for them. ”

Kou Tianci said in a deep voice: "It's not them! I've never provoked them! ”

"Who's that?"

Kou Ji asked.

Kou Tianci hesitated again and again, and took out a sign from his arms.

After Kou Ji saw the sign, he was slightly stunned.

"The brand given to you by the official?"

Kou Tianci nodded solemnly.

Kou Jihu said suspiciously: "Didn't you say that it was useless?" ”

Kou Tianci nodded and said: "It was useless before, but I recently discovered that there is such a group of people in Bianjing City, and after seeing this brand, they will obey me." ”

Kou Ji raised his eyebrows.

"In this way, the brand given to you by the official is not ordinary."

Kou Ji casually asked, "Who are those people?" ”

Kou Tianci shook his head slowly and said, "I asked, but they refused to say." ”

Kou Ji was stunned for a moment and asked, "Have you seen them?" ”

Kou Tianci confessed: "When I found out that someone saw this sign, I was obedient to me, so I ordered him to take me to find someone else. Finally, I met them in a big dilapidated mansion in Xiwazi City.

They were all very old, the oldest being in his eighties.

The youngest is also in his sixties.

Most of them have no children, and they live a miserable life.

I asked them why they would obey me when they saw the sign, but they wouldn't say.

I saw that they were miserable, and that many of them had no money for medical treatment when they were sick, so I wanted to get some money from the government to help them. ”

Kou Ji pondered: "Since the official family gave you the brand, it means that he handed over those people to you." If those people are powerful, the officials should not abandon them.

If those people's identities can be seen, the official family should care about their life, old age, sickness and death.

Now that the official family has not only abandoned them, but also does not care about their life, old age, sickness and death, it shows that those people not only have no light, but also have no value at all.

It is possible that they have existed in Bianjing City for decades, but they have never revealed any traces and are not known to outsiders.

When I saw a sign, I could still obey it.

Then it is very likely that they were born into the ranks, and they were very loyal and courageous.

Since he is loyal and brave, he must have shed blood for my China.

Even if you are old and useless, you should be kind. ”

Speaking of this, Kou Ji stared at Kou Tianci and said, "You withdraw 100,000 yuan from the mansion to help them, and I won't stop you." However, you are too young to take the money and not necessarily be able to get things done.

When the business of the mansion was cut before, there were a few loyal foreign affairs treasurers who refused to leave, and now they all stay in the mansion.

I'll go back and pick two clever ones to follow you.

With their help, you should be able to get things done. ”

Hearing this, Kou Tianci smiled and said, "Thank you, Dad!" ”

Kou Ji said indifferently: "Don't be in a hurry to thank me first, you are in a hurry to improve their lives and survival situation, you must use their minds in the future." They are all men of the army, and all they can do for you is to help you block the sword, or help you shed blood.

They're that old, you don't bother with them anymore.

Let them live their lives in peace. ”

When Kou Tianci heard this, his little face was a little drooping.

Kou Ji stared at Kou Tianci and continued: "With our father and son, we can use many people, and we can also let many people die for us. But the reason why people are called human beings is because they have human nature.

Even though our father and son have an identity, we can't lose our humanity, let alone treat human life like a mustard.

Things that go against common sense, against morality, against human ethics, I won't do it, and you can't do it either. ”

Kou Tianci made a small face and said in a low voice: "Got it......"

Kou Ji nodded and said, "When you need to use people, I will naturally give you people." Until then, don't give me any thoughts. Those people, just like they are ordinary old people, occasionally go over to chat with them, and listen to them tell stories about the past.

Others, do nothing. ”

"Oh......"

Kou Tianci whispered yes and left the attic.

Kou Ji rubbed his eyebrows with a headache after Kou Tianci left.

"Lu Ming?!"

"The villain is here!"

"Follow God's gift and check what the identities of those old people are."

“……”

Although Kou Ji had already determined that those people approached Kou Tianci because of the brand in Kou Tianci's hand.

But for the sake of Kou Tianci's safety, it is still necessary for Kou Ji to touch the bottom of those people.

After Lu Ming left, Kou Ji went down to the attic.

went to the backyard to accompany Xiang Yan.

Knowing that Kou Ji was going on an expedition again, Xiang Yan had a smile on her face, but her eyes were full of worry.

Kou Ji had previously gone to Western Xia, but was assassinated and almost died.

Xiang Yan was really afraid that Kou Ji would go to Hexi and encounter any danger.

Kou Ji took Xiang Yan's hand and sat down, and laughed in a low voice: "You don't have to worry about me, it's an old husband and wife, you don't know me yet." There is not much danger in going to the Western Regions, and if there is any danger, I will not go. ”

"That being said, the concubine is still worried about you."

Xiang Yan sighed and said.

Kou Ji smiled and said, "If you have time to worry about me, you might as well worry more about worrying about God." Tianci has grown up now, and he has reached the age where he can and dare to cause trouble. In the days when I was not in Bianjing, you should watch him more, don't let him get into any big trouble. ”

Xiang Yan cried and laughed and said: "How old is he, what kind of disaster can he do." ”

Kou Ji smiled and said, "People's hearts are complicated. Even if he doesn't want to get into trouble, someone will use his identity to calculate him and plant trouble on his head. ”

When Xiang Yan heard this, she immediately straightened her face, "Who has eaten the bear's heart and leopard's guts, and dares to calculate the people of my Kou Mansion." ”

Kou Ji said frankly: "When I was in Bianjing City, naturally no one dared to calculate Kou Mansion. But when I'm not there, that's not necessarily the case. After the official family turns back and leaves Beijing, some people may jump out.

I went to Xixia before, and the official family left Beijing before, and others bullied you, have you forgotten? ”

Xiang Yan's face changed slightly, and said, "With the current power of my Kou Mansion, there are really people who dare to calculate my Kou Mansion?" ”

Kou Ji smiled: "Naturally, no one dares to make big calculations, but there will definitely be small calculations." They may not dare to harm my Kou Mansion, but they still dare to do things that seek some benefits through my Kou Mansion. ”

Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes.

The struggle between the rivers and lakes will never stop.

Kou Mansion is now a big family, and it is possible for someone to take advantage of Kou Ji's absence to calculate Kou Mansion, take advantage of Kou Mansion, or take advantage of Kou Mansion's prestige.

Kou Ji didn't know how long he would have to stay in Hexi, so he needed to tell Xiang Yan well.

Let Xiang Yan stare at the people inside and outside the Kou Mansion.

lest they be calculated, lest they be exploited and tarnished the reputation of the Koufu.

Xiang Yan said solemnly: "The concubine will keep an eye on it." ”

Kou Ji nodded and said, "En!" When I was undecided, I went to consult my grandfather. Don't look at your grandfather's old age, don't care about everything. If he really spoke, half of the court would have to listen. ”

When Xiang Yan heard this, she smiled, "Grandfather is the living ancestor of our family. With his old man here, no one dares to bark his teeth at my Koufu. ”

When Kou Ji heard this, he also smiled.

Kou Ji accompanied Xiang Yan and said some intimate words and told Xiang Yan some things.

Just as I was about to warm it up.

Lu Ming appeared outside the door and made a report.

Kou Ji could only leave Xiang Yan temporarily and took Lu Ming to the study.

One into the study.

Lu Ming opened his mouth and said: "Young master, the people that the little master went to meet, the villain has seen them." But the identity and origin of those people, the villain did not find anything. ”

Kou Ji frowned slightly, "Don't worry, send someone to keep an eye on them, check slowly, sooner or later you will find out their identities." ”

Just after Kou Ji said this, the doorman of Kou Mansion appeared outside Kou Ji's study with a letter.

"Young master, someone quietly put a letter at the door of the mansion, which reads, let you open it in person."

"Bring it and I'll take a look."

Menzi handed the letter to Koji.

Kou Ji opened the letter, read it carefully, threw it into the brazier, and then said to Lu Ming: "No need to check. ”

Lu Ming looked stunned.

"People guessed that we were going to check on them, so they sent me a letter stating their identities," Kou Ji confessed. But there's something special about them, and I can't tell you. ”

Hearing this, Lu Ming nodded and exited the study.

After Lu Ming left, Kou Ji sighed, "It turned out to be a group of poor lonely ghosts, no wonder the official family would unceremoniously dump them to heaven." ”

In the past, when Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty Zhao Kuangyin and Chen Qiao mutinied, he almost took Bianjing City without blood.

Those people were the gatekeepers in Bianjing City in the past.

Although they voted when Zhao Kuangyin entered Bianjing City, they did not accept the high-ranking officials promised by Zhao Kuangyin.

Instead, he chose to hide in Bianjing City and became a soldier and horse secretly guarding Bianjing City.

From the Great Song Dynasty to the present, there have been three officials, and none of them have used them.

They are now dying.

For Zhao Zhen, they are chicken ribs.

That's why Zhao Zhen generously rewarded Kou Tianci.

No one mentions them, no one cares about them, because they used to have the number of the previous week.

In the Great Song Dynasty, they did not have an official number and title.

Therefore, no one regarded them as the soldiers and horses of the Great Song Dynasty.

"I can't understand what they think......"

Kou Ji couldn't understand what those people were thinking.

If you think about the previous week, you can have a bloody fight with Zhao Kuangyin when Zhao Kuangyin and Chen Qiao mutinied, and leave a reputation of a loyal minister and a good general to pass on.

If you don't have the previous week in your heart, why don't you accept Zhao Kuangyin's high-ranking officials after surrendering?

Kou Ji couldn't figure out what those people thought, so he didn't bother to think about it anymore.

Anyway, they don't have the ability to endanger Kou Tianci, nor do they have the ability to endanger the Great Song Sheji.

Koji didn't care at all.

After figuring out the origins of those people, Kou Ji can rest assured that Kou Tianci can contact them.

He didn't have to think about it all the time.

After dark.

Kou Ji followed Xiang Yan and packed his bags.

Kou Ji rushed to Hexi this time, and he didn't know how long he would stay, so he had a lot of things to bring.

I was busy packing up for half the night, and I packed up more than a dozen carts of things.

After cleaning up, I saved it with Xiang Yanwen, and the sky brightened.

Without much rest, Kou Ji got into the carriage and set out on the road to Hexi.

It's different from going to Hexi before.

Kou Ji was a light car this time, and he didn't bring many people or things.

So there were only more than 200 people in the group.

In the crowded Bianjing City, it is not very eye-catching.

Out of Bianjing City, all the way to the west.

In front of a straw hut five miles away.

Kou Ji ordered the carriage to stop.

In the straw hut.

Zhao Zhen, Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai, dressed in civilian clothes, sat in it.

Kou Ji entered the grass hut, and after giving the salute, he sat down.

After Zhao Zhen sat down in Kou Ji, he said to Kou Ji: "I know that the fourth brother likes to eat curiosities, so when the fourth brother was leaving, I specially instructed the imperial dining room to make a table of good curiosities and practice them for the fourth brother." ”

Zhao Zhen waved his hand.

Chen Lin appeared in the grass shed with six eunuchs and a huge food box.

The food box is opened.

A rush of heat rushed out.

Chen Lin instructed the eunuchs and put the delicacies in front of Kou Ji.

It's something that Kou Ji hasn't eaten.

One by one looks very extraordinary.

Zhao Zhen is an unprecedented extravagance.

Kou Ji was not polite, picked up the chopsticks and ate them.

Zhao Zhen, Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai sat aside, and frequently raised their glasses to invite Kou Ji to drink.

Three rounds of drinking.

Zhang Zhibai said with a straight face: "This is a long way to Hexi, and Kou Shumi cherishes it." ”

Kou Ji nodded and smiled, raised his wine glass and invited Zhang Zhibai to drink a glass.

After Kou Ji and Zhang Zhibai drank bitterly, Wang Zeng raised his glass and said, "When Kou Shumi's triumph, the old man will personally lead the horse for you." ”

Kou Ji smiled silently and accompanied Wang Zeng for a drink.

Afterwards, Lu Yijian also raised his wine glass, and said with a solemn expression: "The thieves and soldiers have invaded the realm, and the power is huge, so Kou Shumi must deal with it carefully." The safety of half of my Great Song Dynasty is in the hands of Kou Shumi, and Kou Shumi should know the severity. ”

Kou Ji nodded, and accompanied Lu Yijian to have a drink.

Zhao Zhen finally raised his glass and said to Kou Ji: "Everything in the Western Xinjiang, I will entrust it to the fourth brother." In all the military affairs in Western Xinjiang, there is a fourth brother who makes a decision, and I will not ask about it.

I don't want much, I can keep the thieves out of my Great Song Dynasty.

If you don't have the strength to fight back, wait for the right time and don't take any chances.

The territory of the Western Frontier, of course, I am concerned, but I am more concerned about the safety of my fourth brother. ”

Kou Ji nodded, raised his wine glass and drank a glass with Zhao Zhen.

After drinking, Zhao Zhen put down the wine glass and instructed Chen Lin: "Take the sword of the Son of Heaven, take the king's command arrow, take the king's command flag, take the python robe......"

Kou Ji, Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai were all a little moved when they heard this.

Zhao Zhen gave the Son of Heaven sword, the king's order arrow, and the king's command flag, and the four of them could understand.

But what's going on with the python robe?

Zhao Zhen wants to crown Kou Ji as king?

Or is it a hint that Kou Ji won the Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao Alliance, and then gave Kou Ji the crown?

The four of them looked puzzled.

Zhao Zhen didn't explain anything, just gave the same thing to Kou Ji.

After Kotty Shane.

Zhao Zhen advised: "This goes to Hexi, below the second grade, the fourth brother can be cut first and then played." ”

The implication is that Kou Ji is going to Hexi, which is the largest in Hexi.

Because in Hexi, and among the officials who were subsequently transferred to Hexi, there were no more than second-grade officials.

"......"

"I personally put on a python robe for the fourth brother."

“……”

Zhao Zhen rejected the persuasion of Lu Yijian and the others, personally put on a python robe for Kou Ji, and sent Kou Ji on the journey.

When Kou Ji's team disappeared into the eyes of Zhao Zhen and the others, pieces of snowflakes fell one after another.

When he conquered Hexi, Kou Ji stepped on the snow and rushed to Hexi.

Now when I go to Hexi again, I am stepping on the snow again.

When it snows in Bianjing.

It is also snowing in Hexi, the snow is far heavier than that of Bianjing, and it is accompanied by cold winds.

Chong Shiheng stood in the cold wind, letting the snow flakes fall on his body, and he was indifferent.

He stared straight at the military camp outside the border of Shazhou, where there was no end in sight.

"Has the envoy returned?"

Chong Shiheng stared at the barracks of the Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao Alliance for a long time, and turned his head sideways to ask the soldiers around him.

The soldier tightened the leather jacket on his body and said in a deep voice: "I haven't come back yet." ”

Chong Shiheng frowned and said in a low voice: "I don't know how long he can drag on." ”

The pro-soldier pursed his lips and said nothing.

After the Liao soldiers appeared on the border of Shazhou, they did not hide it in the slightest.

After discovering this, Chong Shiheng immediately sent envoys to hold him accountable.

After the Liao State experienced the First Battle of Tongtaiguan, it became a subordinate of the Great Song Dynasty.

When a soldier and horse of a subject country appeared on the border of the Great Song Dynasty, the Great Song Dynasty could regard him as a provocation and send people to hold him accountable.

Although he knew that the Liao State was going to turn against the Great Song Dynasty, Chong Shiheng still followed the procedure and sent people to be held accountable.

The purpose is to delay a little longer.

Every day of delay.

It will buy time for reinforcements to march for a day.

Every day of delay.

It can buy time for the people in Shazhou, Guazhou and other places to retreat in a day.

After Chong Shiheng handed over the news that the Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao allied forces had arrived on the border of Shazhou, he quickly received a reply from the imperial court.

The order given by the imperial court to Chong Shiheng was simple.

If you can fight, you will fight, and if you can't, you will retreat.

Preserve strength, pin down the enemy, and buy time for reinforcements to reach the battlefield.

Don't go head-on with the Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao Alliance.

The imperial court can allow Chong Shiheng to retreat to the line of Yumen Pass and Yangguan Pass, and use the pass to defend it.

If Chong Shiheng wants to retreat to the line of Yumen Pass and Yangguan, he must give up Shazhou, Guazhou and other places.

Chong Shiheng knew in his heart that without the help of reinforcements and the geographical advantage, the 50,000 soldiers and horses he led could not stop the 800,000 troops on the opposite side.

So he was ready to go backwards.

But before retreating, he must buy enough time to let Li Di take people to empty things in Shazhou and Guazhou.

Chong Shiheng has been in the northwest for many years and has seen the method of raising war with war.

He is well aware of the disadvantages of feeding war with war.

So he won't leave a grain of food behind the enemy.

Standing on a dilapidated beacon tower left behind by the Han Dynasty, Chong Shiheng stared at the enemy for a long time before returning to the barracks.

In the evening.

The envoys sent by Chong Shiheng to the enemy camp returned to Shazhou.

The first thing the envoy said when he saw Chong Shiheng was.

"The enemy is attacking!"

The soldiers and horses of the Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao State have been on the border of Shazhou for many days.

The grain, grass, cattle and sheep they had stolen from the Uighurs in Western China had already been consumed.

If they don't attack, they'll starve.

When Chong Shiheng learned that the enemy was going to attack, he immediately ordered the whole army to be on alert.

At the same time, he sent someone to find Li Di over.

Li Di hurried to the back of the barracks.

Chong Shiheng asked Li Di, "Have the people finished withdrawing?" ”

Li Di said in a deep voice: "The people have almost withdrawn. But only half of the goods have been shipped out of the treasury, and there are still five million quintals of grain and one million quintals of dried fruits, which have not yet been shipped out. ”

Chong Shiheng was silent for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Burn it." ”

Li Di's heart ached, and he asked, "The enemy is about to march?" ”

Chong Shiheng nodded slowly.

Li Di gritted his teeth, stared at Chong Shiheng and said, "The old man will take people to transport grain now, and he can transport as much as he can." As soon as the enemy shows up, you command them to burn grain and dried fruit. ”

After years of accumulation, Shazhou has accumulated a large amount of grain stockpile.

The people of Shazhou have also accumulated a lot of grain in their hands.

When the people retreated, they couldn't deliver all their own food, let alone help transport the food in the treasury.

Li Di had limited manpower, in addition to transporting a large number of cattle, sheep, horses, gold and silver captured by Chong Shiheng in Yizhou City, he also had to send people to drive the cattle, sheep and horses raised in Shazhou, and the remaining people who could transport grain and dried fruits were very few, and it was impossible to transport all the grain and dried fruits in time.

The Zhenxi Army now has to defend against enemy soldiers and clear the route for subsequent retreat, and there is no way to help Li Di deliver food.

Therefore, if the grain cannot be delivered, it can only be burned.

Just as Li Di gritted his teeth and prepared to leave the camp.

Suddenly, someone came to report.

"Li Gong, the same kind of knowledge, General Yuanshan led 10,000 horses to come to the rescue."

When Chong Shiheng and Li Di heard this, they were all overjoyed.

"Quick! Take them to deliver grain and grass! ”

"By the way, select 20,000 men from the Uighur captives in Western Prefecture and follow them to transport grain and grass! With them watching, we can rest assured that the Uighur captives in Western China will go to the rear! ”

“……”

The soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan Department appeared, like timely rain.

Completely solve the difficulties encountered by Li Di.

Li Di took the soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan tribe and the 20,000 Uighur captives of Xizhou, and began to transport grain and dried fruits overnight.

Chong Shiheng was a little worried at first, worried that the people of the Yuanshan Department would take advantage of the fire to rob, so he brought a team of soldiers and horses to watch in secret.

But when he found out that after receiving the task of transporting grain and grass, the soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan Department did not hesitate to unload their armor and help Li Di start transporting grain and grass, he knew that the soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan Department were sincerely here to help.

Because for any soldier and horse, the armor on the body is the capital to save life.

When a soldier can take the initiative to remove his armor in front of outsiders, it means that they have entrusted their lives to outsiders.

The soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan Department who can entrust their lives to the Great Song Dynasty, Chong Shiheng has no reason to doubt them.

So he decisively gave up stalking.

Not only that, but he also sent someone to tell the leading general of the Yuanshan Division, and asked the leading general of the Yuanshan Department to keep an eye on the captured soldiers of the Western Prefecture Uighurs, and if there was any change in those captive soldiers, the soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan Department could be cut down first.

After entrusting the affairs of the rear to Li Di and the soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan Division, Chong Shiheng devoted himself to the battlefield.

The combined forces of the Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao State quickly assembled at dawn.

The loud sound of the bull's horn weakened a lot in the cold wind.

But Chong Shiheng still heard it clearly.

"Kill it!"

In the face of a strong enemy, Chong Shiheng did not choose to blindly defend.

When the enemy was reorganizing the army, Chong Shiheng ordered a battalion of soldiers of the Zhenxi Army to lead an army of 30,000 Uighur captives from Xizhou to kill the enemy.

The artillery roared as a battalion of soldiers from the Western Army and 30,000 Uighur captives from the Western Prefecture slaughtered the enemy.

Some were against the enemy camp, and some were against the 30,000 Uighur captives in Western China.

The artillery could not reach the enemy camp, but the roar of the artillery could disrupt the horses in the enemy camp and cause temporary confusion for the enemy.

The artillery did not kill any of the Western Uighur captives, it was only a deterrent, like a knife in the hands of a war overseer, forcing the 30,000 Western Uighur captives to fight the enemy.

In the enemy camp.

The moment when the shouts of killing rang out.

The Black Khan King Yu Sufu was shocked, and the Liao general Xiao Pidi was also shocked.

The 800,000 soldiers of the Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao State Alliance were also shocked.

With such a disparity in strength, they all felt that the enemy would not have a second reaction except to flee in confusion under their pursuit.

But now, the war has just begun, and the enemy has taught them a lesson.