The mist of dawn has not yet dissipated, Zhang Huan and his party came to the bank of the Liusha River, not the Tubo people to attack, but the party people attacked the Liusha River camp at night, and the beacon fire on the bank of the Yellow River was lit, all the way to Huixi Fort, and then to Wuwei through the beacon tower of Wusheling.

The weather was hot, the corpses could not be left for a long time, all the corpses had been burned to ashes and packed in clay pots to be brought back to Wuwei, while the corpses of the party members were all buried on the spot, the camp had been re-enshrined, and only a few charred wooden stakes showed the tragedy that had happened.

Zhang Huan listened to the sergeant's report with a gloomy face, "One thousand garrisons killed one hundred and fifteen people, three hundred and seventy wounded, Liu An, who was responsible for managing the gold panning, was killed for protecting gold and was robbed of sixty-four catties of gold sand, and Xin Lang was seriously injured by the soldiers and horses of the Liusha River, and more than 500 corpses were left behind by the party members. ”

"What about the labor casualties in the gold rush?" Zhang Huan asked coldly again.

"More than 200 of the 3,000 gold diggers were killed, more than 1,000 were taken captive, most of them women, and the rest escaped."

Zhang Huan let out a long sullen breath, his attention was focused on the Tubo people, but he didn't expect to be stabbed in the back by the party members, this was the first major loss since he ran Hexi, not how much he lost, but that he didn't have enough precautions in advance, these damn rogues kept saying that they wanted to form an alliance with themselves.

Zhang Huan walked into the barracks and saw wounded soldiers lying on stretchers, more than a dozen military doctors were busy treating their wounds, and some returning laborers were carrying the soldiers' stretchers onto the carriage and preparing to transport them to Huixi Fort for treatment.

He looked around, but didn't see Xin Lang's figure, and couldn't help asking, "Where is General Xin Lang, where are the others?" ”

"Governor, I'm here." A low, stingy voice came from the side of a carriage next to it.

Zhang Huan hurriedly stepped forward, only to see that most of Xin Lang's face was bandaged. Only a pair of eyes were exposed, and his body was also scarred.

"It's the negligence of his subordinates, and it has affected the brothers, please punish them all!" Xin Lang said in a trembling voice: "Mr. Du once arranged a sentry on the side of He Nanshan, but it was revoked by his subordinates. ”

Zhang Huan was silent, and for a long time, he gently patted Xin Lang's hand and comforted him: "It's a blessing that you didn't die." Just recuperate with peace of mind, and after the injury is healed, let's start from the biased general! ”

"Xie Dudu!"

Zhang Huan nodded, personally carried Xin Lang into the carriage with a personal soldier, and then turned back to the marching Sima Luo Guangzheng and said: "All the dead must be heavily compensated, and the wounded soldiers must be well healed. Ordered all counties to register and make a register. ”

"Governor, what about the exiled laborers?" Liang Hao, the military officer of Wuwei County, was worried, and most of the women who were taken captive were Qiang. If their families get into trouble, I am afraid it will cause a riot among the Qiang people.

"You go back to comfort their families, tell them that I will rescue the captives and compensate them, so that they can wait for Liang Hao's order with peace of mind, and hurry back to Wuwei with a few entourage, Zhang Huan explained some aftermath, and then ordered to rush back to Huixibao, he saw that everyone was stunned. He smiled faintly and said: "Don't worry, there is no shortage of women in the party, what they lack is food and money, and they will take the initiative to come to me." ”

The Partisans are certainly a cancer, but they only attack the gold mines. These party members are at most a thief, what really worries him is the Tubo people, but the Tubo people are a group of murderous and fireproof robbers, at noon that day, hundreds of cavalry surrounded Zhang Huan and rushed to Huixi Fort.

Really. Zhang Huan had just arrived at Huixi Fort. Li Hengqiu told him with some nervousness that the scouts had discovered a large-scale build-up of the Tuyuhun army in the Hehuang area. The target is most likely to be Fort Huixi.

Seeing the worry in his eyes, Zhang Huan couldn't help patting him on the shoulder and laughing: "Where is the guts to cut off the head of the Hui people and swallow the blood in their stomachs?" If you are afraid, then I will transfer He Lou Wuji to guard the city. ”

Li Hengqiu scratched his head a little embarrassedly, and scolded himself with a smile: "He***, is Lao Tzu really inferior to that little brat?" ”

"That's right, in fact, you're not afraid to fight alone, but the burden on your body is a bit heavy, isn't it?"

Zhang Huan smiled while walking on the city wall, Huixi Fort has been completely repaired, the ten-zhang high city wall is polished to be extremely smooth, a huge thunderbolt is installed on nearly a hundred platforms, and the boulder thrown can reach a thousand steps, as well as a bed crossbow with higher accuracy, its ground range can also reach three hundred steps, followed by more than two thousand bow and crossbow holes, three weapons with a long and medium range constitute a three-dimensional defense network, and there are also rolling wood stones, fire oil balls, etc., which will make Xibao an impregnable castle.

"I'll leave 3,000 people for you, can you?"

Li Hengqiu was slightly stunned, there were originally 3,000 defenders in Huixi Fort, and this time Zhang Huan brought 5,000 reinforcements, then there were 8,000 people, why only 3,000 people, he looked at Zhang Huan in puzzlement, Zhang Huan didn't say anything, he smiled, and asked again: "You tell me, can 3,000 people work?" ”

Li Hengqiu's heart was boiling, and he smiled proudly: "With one block of ten, if the Tuyuhun army captures Huixi Fort within 30,000 people, then I, Li Hengqiu, will give you the head to apologize, if it exceeds 30,000 people, you must send reinforcements." ”

"Good! We will be bounded by 30,000 enemy troops. Zhang Huan squinted his eyes and slapped Li Hengqiu hard, "If there are more than 30,000 people, you will light the beacon fire again." ”

At this time, a low horn sounded in the distance, the sound of the horn came from the north, Zhang Huan walked to the north city wall, only to see a group of cavalry hundreds of steps away, and a few carriages, waving white flags, and the colors of their clothes were uneven.

"Governor!" A soldier ran up the steps from the bottom of the city, panting, and said, "The messenger of the party has arrived, and he has asked to see you." ”

Li Hengqiu suddenly realized that the intention of the governor to take away 5,000 people turned out to be

Zhang Huan saw that he guessed, so he smiled slightly and said: "Come and don't go, it's rude!" ”

"Bring in the messengers of the party members."

The envoy of the party is Tuoba Xi's eldest son Tuoba Wanli, this sneak attack on the quicksand river succeeded, Tuoba Qianli has become the focus of attention, his limelight and momentum among the party people are unmatched at this time, especially the soldiers who refused to return other nobles under the pretext of defending against the attack of the Tang army. This made Tuoba Wanli feel a huge crisis on the throne, and in order to save his reputation, Tuoba Wanli took the initiative to invite Ying to negotiate with Zhang Huan.

Tuoba Wanli was about thirty years old, and his appearance was very different from that of his younger brother Tuoba Qianli, his face was pale, his eyelids were puffy, and he looked like an overly drunken person, coupled with his short stature, he was looked down upon by the leading Tang army all the way into the city.

The majestic walls of Huixi Fort and the dense and spectacular buildings in the city made Tuoba Wanli admire. He was soon taken to a huge circular building in the center of the city, which was the office of Huixi Fort, the county government and the general yamen were back to back, and the family accounted for half of it, but the county order of the new Huixi County was not the last Shenwu County Diwang County Cheng, but a young jinshi, called Luo Youjun, a native of Chen Liujun, who won the jinshi last year. However, because of his ugly appearance, he failed to pass the selection of officials by the ministry, worked as a miscellaneous worker in the Guozi Prison, and managed some documents and atlases. Han Yu saw that he was quite talented, so he recommended him to Zhang Huan, although Luo Xianling was ugly, but very capable, he led dozens of officials to quickly settle 2,000 military households properly, all kinds of affairs were divided into priorities, all arranged in an orderly manner, even Li Hengqiu, who had always been arrogant and critical, was full of praise for him.

At this time, Zhang Huanzheng and Luo County Ling discussed the issue of building a military town in the Liusha River, which was under the jurisdiction of Huixi County. Since hiring people to mine gold could not last, especially because of the sneak attack by party members, which made it urgent to control the land around the Liusha River, Luo Xianling suggested setting up a military town and moving the entire family at the gold rush site to the south bank of the Liusha River. Form a populated area, and garrison another 2,000 troops at the same time, so that Hexi can fully control the Quicksand River Valley.

Zhang Huan attached great importance to his suggestion and ordered him to write a complete report and submit it to himself. A personal soldier came in to report. "The messenger of the party has been brought and is waiting outside the door."

"Ask him to come in." Zhang Huan commanded. When he saw that Luo County's order was about to be avoided, he grabbed him and said with a smile: "Today's negotiation is related to the quicksand river, you can listen to it." ”

Soon, Tuoba Wanli was brought in, he had been in Chang'an for a few years, could speak fluent Chang'an dialect, and also knew Han etiquette very well, he saw a young officer sitting in it, wearing a high-ranking military uniform, he guessed that this person might be Liangzhou Governor Zhang Huan, he immediately stepped forward and gave a deep salute, "Party item Tuoba Wanli see Zhang Dudu." ”

"Your name is Tuoba Wanli?" Zhang Huan suddenly thought of the party businessman Tuoba Qianli, and said with a smile: "Who are you?" ”

"He's my second brother." Tuoba Wanli didn't know how Zhang Huan knew his second brother, and thought that Zhang Huan had found out about the sneak attack on the general of the Liusha River belt, so he hurriedly excused himself and said: "This quicksand river incident is my second brother's unauthorized action, I tried to persuade my father to stop him, but unfortunately he couldn't listen to his father at all." ”

Tuoba Wanli's redundant explanation made Zhang Huan know that it turned out that the one who led the troops to attack the quicksand river turned out to be the party businessman, and it turned out to be the second prince of the party who kept saying that he wanted to form an alliance with him.

Zhang Huan suddenly had a strange thought, I was afraid that there would be infighting among the party members, he smiled for a moment, and asked quietly: "Why did the eldest prince come today?" ”

"Quite simply, my father deeply regretted the unpleasant incident that had happened, and ordered me to come and apologize to the governor, and to release all the captives."

"Intended?" Zhang Huan sneered, this implication is that there are conditions for putting people back, and sure enough, they are here to negotiate, Zhang Huan's eyes are slightly closed, and he doesn't say a word.

Tuoba Wanli couldn't help but be a little embarrassed when he saw that Zhang Huan didn't say anything, but he couldn't help but say it, so he stubbornly said: "Zhang Dudu, the survival of our people in the West Party has encountered a great crisis, but we have no intention of being enemies with Hexi, my father asked me to bring you a message, if Zhang Dudu is willing to let us pan for gold on the north bank of the Liusha River, then we will immediately release the captive people back." ”

Speaking of this, Tuoba Wanli clapped his hands lightly, and ten party girls walked in from outside the door, with graceful figures and very beautiful appearances, Tuoba Wanli saw that Zhang Huan's eyes had narrowed slightly, and looked at these ten girls in a daze, he was proud in his heart, and said with a smile: "This is just a little apology from my father, they are all virgins, I hope Zhang Dudu can like it." ”

Zhang Huan raised his eyebrows slightly, stood up and circled around the ten girls, and nodded again and again: "Good woman!" I love it. ”

The county commander next to him was in a hurry, how could the quicksand river allow the party members to enter, this Zhang Dudu is good at everything, but he is a little more colorful, can't he even see the other party's beauty plan?

He wanted to dissuade him, but he didn't dare to talk too much in front of the foreign envoys, so he had to hold back his anxiety in his heart, at this time, Zhang Huan returned to his seat and smiled slightly at Tuoba Wanli: "For the sake of these ten women, I can agree to your father's request and allow you to pan for gold on the north bank of the Liusha River." ”

Seeing that the other party was overjoyed, he waved his hand again and said, "But I have one condition." ”

Tuoba Wanli's heart was already overwhelmed with joy, and he said without thinking: "Zhang Dudu, please speak!" ”

Zhang Huan smiled faintly, "I want to go to Wuwei to make amends to me in person, if your father agrees to this condition, I will not only allow you to mine gold on the north bank of the Liusha River, but at the same time, I will also send troops to help you recapture Yinchuan County." ”

He hesitated for a moment and pleaded: "Dudu, can you give in one more step, I will definitely send ten more women over." ”

"Oh well! I'll let you take another step, Tuoba Qianli won't use Wuwei County, as long as he goes to the bank of the quicksand river to sacrifice to the dead, it's fine, but he is not allowed to bring troops again, otherwise I will treat you as declaring war on me! ”

Tuoba Wanli was helpless, the other party's condition was not too much, for the sake of gold sand, he had to agree, after he left, Luo Xian Ling immediately stepped forward and gave a deep salute and said: "Governor, how can you agree to let them come to the north bank to mine gold, isn't this equivalent to letting the party members enter Hexi?" ”

Zhang Huan glanced at him and smiled, but did not ask him, but said a few words to a pro-soldier, and the pro-soldier went out immediately, and after a while, Li Hengqiu strode over, and when he saw that there were ten beautiful girls in the room, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned, and looked at Zhang Huan.

Zhang Huan pointed to the ten pitiful maidens and said to him: "These ten women will be used as a prize for this defensive battle, and tell the brothers that the ten who kill the most enemies or show the bravest will each get one of them." ”

Li Hengqiu grinned, "Then am I counted?" ”

"You don't count." Zhang Huan gave him a punch and smiled: "If you behave well, I will give you the princess of the Tang Dynasty as a concubine in the future!" ”

"Smack!" With a bang, Luo Xianling suddenly slapped his head fiercely and muttered, "Why am I so stupid? ”