The Wei River in the depths of winter has formed a thick layer of ice, and the originally rushing river water has also been bound by the cold winter and has become a stiff sleeping dragon.

The officers and soldiers confronted each other across the Wei River, which was no longer a moat, looking for the most favorable decisive battle opportunity for themselves, and the long and bloody patrol tug-of-war was staged day and night, bringing back such and such enemy information to their respective superiors.

However, the quality of the scouts of the officers and soldiers is really not flattering, after the casualties, every piece of information brought back, mixed with too many personal opinions, and some are simply hiding far away from the battlefield, using nonsense to perfunctory tasks, and the information brought back by more scouts is even more contradictory, so that when the officials and officials of the upper peak see this information, they are like falling into the fog, and they can't make a decision, if they want to fight this battle well, they must really find out all the arrangements of the thieves.

Qian Tong, as the most trusted Chinese army of the border army Yang He, was entrusted with an important task in this decisive battle, and on behalf of Yang He, he took the 2,000 soldiers from the border army who tried their best to piece together to participate in the battle.

The arrival of Qian Tong, not only as the envoy of the trilateral governor, but also with his peerless talent, immediately won the appreciation and reliance of Li Yingqi, the governor of Shaanxi, and the commander of this war, the commander-in-chief Du Wenhuan.

Qian Tong was not only entrusted by Yang He, but also allied with Zhang Yuan earlier, whether it was yesterday's rich and noble promotion, or the future soaring, everything depends on this Zhang Yuan's armament, not so much that the two sides are allies, it is more appropriate to say that the two sides have been mixed together. In this battle, he hoped that Zhang Yuan's Zhang Jiajun would make meritorious contributions during it, so he was more attentive to this decisive battle, and made great contributions to the arrangement of the official army.

70,000 against 40,000, in terms of numbers, the officers and soldiers have an absolute advantage, but in terms of strength, Qian Tong is more optimistic about the thieves, this is a real thing, which is also the reason why he feels that the burden on his body is heavier. In this big battle, both sides put on a desperate posture, and everyone knows the consequences of this victory.

Qian Tong knew that achieving an absolute victory was definitely not easy for the official army and the imperial court. Although the whole of Shaanxi did its best to collect 70,000 after the Qinwang army went out, the county governments in various places were also mobilized under the strict orders of Yang He, Li Yingqi, Hong Chengchou, etc., and no longer shirked and procrastinated. But it is still absolutely impossible to achieve absolute victory, everyone knows this.

The reason why he knows that his side can't win, but he still goes all out, in the officialdom, just hopes that after this battle, he can keep the place that now exists in the hands of the official army and the imperial court, and don't all fall into the hands of the thieves, and I also hope that in this kind of war at all costs, it is good to frustrate the strength of the thieves, so that the thieves can stop for a period of time after this battle, not more, as long as it is three or five years, no, even if it is a year or two, as long as there is even a year, and wait for the imperial court to solve the Jurchen near Gyeonggi, will free up their hands and form a large army again to completely encircle and suppress the thieves.

And in the Haoqiang gentry, I also hope so, once the thieves sweep the whole of Shaanxi, then the good days I have been waiting for will come to an end, don't you see those difficult brothers and sisters who live in the seven counties of the thieves? Although they are still rich, they have all become kittens, and they have to nod their heads in the face of their tenants, not to mention that they want to live or die as they did at the beginning, even if they are scolded casually, they may attract the intervention of the township chief and village chief appointed by the thieves, and what is even worse is that there is a prison sergeant behind them, and as soon as those boys appear, it is almost equal to the ashes of this generation of heroes.

Defeating the thieves, even just to keep the current situation, is worth everyone's all-out effort.

However, in the face of chaotic and contradictory information, it is extremely difficult for the officers and troops to move and deploy defenses, and now in this kind of crisis, it is dangerous, irresponsible, and absolutely suicidal to sit firmly in the big tent and rebuke Fang Xuan, and it is urgent to grasp first-hand information.

As a governor, of course, he can't take risks in person, and the general soldiers of a town can't leave the big tent lightly, He Renlong is even more busy with countless military affairs, and among the remaining high-level decision-makers, only Qian Tong can still find time to go to the front in person, this danger is still worth taking for himself, for Zhang Yuan, and for the court.

Early in the morning, under the protection of the absolutely strong sons and soldiers of the fifty Zhang family, Qian Tong rode a horse to patrol the front of the battlefield, and made a detailed inquiry about the road terrain along the way, as well as the assembled garrisons along the way.

The result of the inquiry, of course, made his heart heavier and heavier. Unconsciously, their small team of men and horses approached the front line of the battlefield, and the snow-bright glacier of the Wei River was already in sight.

"Sir, there is already a battlefield ahead, there are battles there every day, and it is very dangerous, please turn around, sir." A Chen family brother nervously grabbed Qian Tong's war horse.

treats Qian Tong, Zhang Jiajun knows his importance, and he has always been called Mr. On this trip, Zhang Yuan's team carefully selected the brothers and repeatedly explained that they were not allowed to make Mr. have a half-point difference.

And this patrol, although there are 50 of their brothers followed to protect, in fact, in the periphery, nearly a thousand people and horses were sent to follow closely before and after, cleaning up the thieves and sentinels that appeared at any time along the way, just now, he heard a burst of shouts and fighting not far from the south, it must be his brother and the thief's scout encounter, and then forward, absolutely dangerous.

Qian Tong looked at the tight defense on the left and near, and then listened to the fighting that had subsided in the distance, although he was afraid in his heart, he still decided to take the risk in the face of the war situation; "It's better to go forward, look at the thieves and enemy camps, and know yourself and your enemy." After saying this, he looked at the children of the Zhang family around him, and couldn't help sighing: "There is only one chance, victory, can keep our future, failure." Thinking about it, but there was nowhere to go, and he sighed again: "Failed, we can only go to Shanxi and become a guest army, at that time, what else can we do?" ”

Qian Tong's statement, at that time, let all the children of the Zhang family who followed him silently, yes, the victory, but also to save the current territory in Shaanxi, but, once it fails, it can only become a guest army, send people under the fence, at that time, what is the place to wait for yourself?

At the beginning, thinking about avenging his family, thinking that under the expanding business network of the Zhang family, there was sufficient food and salary, and there were endless displaced people, who could achieve a Zhang family army in this war to exterminate the thieves, achieve a vigorous career, seal the wife and son, and shine the lintel, now it seems that this has become a luxury, this battle is not only about the official hat of the superior, but also about the future of the Zhang family, and, now, attached to the Zhang family, Chen, Wang, Zhao, Li, and other gentry and nobles. Of course, it also includes this Qian Tong and Qian Zhongjun.

"Please think again, sir." The disciple surnamed Chen cautiously suggested. Although I know that it is necessary for Zhang Jiajun to go forward and get first-hand enemy information, but the safety of Qian Tongzhong, who colluded with Zhang Jiajun, is more important, and without his upper and lower collusions, his own Zhang Jiajun will be extremely difficult.

Qian Tong looked at the front and back again, and assessed the surrounding environment again, "Let's move forward." Saying that, the war horse generation will take the lead.

Since Mr. Qian insisted on moving forward, everyone could only sacrifice their lives to follow.

In fact, everyone is not very worried about the danger of moving forward, for no other reason, that is, Zhang Yuanwai has arranged an almost complete security system in the morning, and along the way, it was almost swept away by the Zhang family's personal soldiers in advance, although, in the face of the strong thieves, the Zhang family must have been killed and wounded, but it is necessary and worth it. Now it seems that to the west of the Wei River, there should be no more patrol scouts of thieves, and safety should not be too much of a problem.

So, at the insistence of Qian Tong, and when the children of the Zhang family thought that there was no danger, the team approached the bank of the Wei River.

Niu Er was still lying listlessly on the east bank of the Wei River, ignoring the complaints of his team brothers, he looked at the other bank so well, and he didn't know what to think in his heart.

At this time, a group of cavalry on the opposite bank protected a civilian official approaching the west bank of the Wei River, and the eyes of the half-dead cow suddenly lit up, and they were no longer as hazy as before.

"Brothers, the big fish is coming, let's copy the guys, get ready." Niu Er lowered his voice and called out to his brother who had slackened off.

Those brothers who were still muttering and complaining, this time they got a greeting from the leader, they were very excited, they ran back to their positions one by one, they were nervous and vigilant, and they drew their waist knives one after another, and a few brothers slowly retreated in the grass, as if they wanted to retreat to the enclosure of the war horse, ready to get on the horse and attack immediately once the attack failed.

At that time, Niu Er was furious and scolded in a low voice: "Little cub, this is not the time to charge, hurry up, pick up your bow and crossbow, and find me a good opportunity, a rain of arrows will pass, shoot the civil official who hit the head, that is our reward silver, quickly." ”

So, those who were scolded woke up in a blink of an eye, yes, we have a longbow in our hands, we have cavalry crossbows, as long as the enemy approaches the river bank, it will be a storm of fire, and the great achievement is not at your fingertips?

So, several people hurriedly ran back to their original position, placed the longbow or repeater in their hands, and nervously aimed at the opposite bank.

Qian Tong did not feel the danger on the other side, because, according to the convention, the patrol posts are on this side of the riverbank, and no one of the thieves will lie on the other side to avoid the war, which is a shame for the thief's brother, so he firmly believes that the things that have been cleaned up in the Wei River are no longer in danger.

So he stepped forward, and while he was holding a pergola and observing the other side of the river, he saw a group of thieves suddenly standing up in the grass on the opposite bank, and then a field of long and short arrows like crows came to his face—could it be that the thieves were also afraid of death?

This is Qian Tong's last thought.