In fact, for some of the actions of his cousin Zu Dacheng in killing Hukou and Shuoping City near killing Hukou, Zu Dashou still heard some rumors.

However, he has been busy renovating the border fort and selecting generals to train troops, and he does not know that behind the Jin merchants who befriended his brother, there is a conspiracy of the Jurchens, thinking that it is just some merchants who want to participate in the mutual market of the Rongchang to get along with their cousins for the convenience of customs clearance.

Such a thing is inevitable in the border forts where there are places outside each mouth.

For such a thing, Zu Dashou, who knows that when the water is clear, there are no fish, he has always turned a blind eye.

As long as it's not too much, he doesn't see it.

After all, the border army is hard, and as an outsider, if he is not so, it is not enough to recover the military heart of the border soldiers in Datong Town.

Besides, the current closure is not the same as in the past, His Majesty the Emperor has agreed to trade with Lin Dan Khan, what else is there to worry about?

However, what he didn't expect was that his cousin Zu Dacheng, who he had always trusted, would make such a big mistake!

Kill Hukou, it is less than 200 miles away from Kuku and Tun, that is, the Naturalization City, compared to the distance of Datong, Kill Hukou is much closer to the Naturalization City.

As for Guiying, when it is appropriate, he does not come to kill Hukou for help, but goes to Fort of Victory, but because to kill Hukou, he needs to go over mountains and mountains, trek through mountains and rivers, and go to Fort of Victory that hangs alone in the north is a smooth road.

At the same time, of course, it is also because Kill Hukou is two hundred and sixty miles away from Datong, and Desheng Fort is only eighty or ninety miles away from Datong.

It is this pass that is relatively far west among the border mouths of Datong, and the tragedy of the alien cavalry breaking through the pass has been staged again and again!

Speaking of which, this time, since the will of the imperial court and the official document of the Datong Governor Yamen were delivered to kill Hukou, the performance of Zu Dacheng, the general of killing Hukou, is also remarkable.

For more than half a month, Zu Dacheng has been eating and living in Fort Hu, and he has devoted himself to affirming military discipline and restraining soldiers, stockpiling grain and grass to prepare for war, and he is so busy that he can't get rid of it.

Zu Dacheng was born in a family of Jiangmen in Liaodong, and he didn't know how many vicious battles he fought with Jianlu in Jinzhou City and Ningyuan City, so he naturally knew the danger of Jianlu.

At the same time, he also knew that as long as there was a weak point in the defense of the border forts along the border of Datong, the slave chief Huang Taiji would definitely not let go of the opportunity to break through the pass.

Therefore, during this period of time, Zu Dacheng has forgotten to sleep and eat to prepare for the war, and it can be said that he has done his best.

Therefore, when the inspector Ding Qirui took the order of Fan Fucui, the governor of Datong, to strictly guard against death, he came to kill Hukou to inspect the border preparation, and had a deep talk with Zu Dacheng, the general of Hukou, and expressed great appreciation for Zu Dacheng's ideas, attitudes and measures.

After Ding Qirui stayed in Kill Hukou for two days, he left Kill Hukou with satisfaction and continued to patrol the western border.

On the one hand, to the west of Hukou, the first line of the Outer Great Wall under the jurisdiction of Yulinwei, Weiyuanwei, and Pingyuwei, as well as several important passes and border forts, were all assigned to the west road where he sat and supervised the battle.

On the other hand, Zu Dacheng's performance made Ding Qirui feel very relieved.

He believes that the terrain of Killing Hukou is dangerous, the defense is complete, and there is a battlefield general like Zu Dacheng from Liaodong who leads the troops to defend it, even if Jianyu suddenly turns his face and attacks, it is impossible to break through the barrier easily.

The topography of Kill Hukou is like a gourd, and the Kill Hu Fort, which is located in the narrow valley in the Kill Hu Kou, is also the north and south of the two gates.

Since Zu Dacheng arrived to kill the generals of Hukou, he urged the soldiers who defended the city, recruited the people who came to open up the wasteland and reclaim the land inside and outside the mouth, and repaired more than a dozen beacon piers in the north and south of Hubao and outside the mouth.

Among them, the Fan family business in the names of Fan Yongdou and Fan Yongkui, who killed Hubao under the names of the two brothers, gave out both silver and food, which helped Zu Dacheng a lot.

Therefore, the Fan family firm not only won the trust of Zu Dacheng, but also won the trust of the soldiers and civilians who killed Hubao, and the name of honesty and righteousness was known to women and children in Hubao for a while.

In the early morning of October 17, the second year of Chongzhen, a group of refugees who fled from north to south fled from Hukou to the city.

Among these devastated and miserable refugees were the Chahars and the Tumuts, who had previously joined Lindan Khan.

Some of these people help the old and the young to drag their families, some carry packages on their backs and walk alone, and some push Lele carts and drive herds of cattle and sheep.

It's just that everyone is disgraced, looking north in a hurry, kneeling in the cold wind of the early morning in Saibei and begging to kill the defenders of Hukou Pass and let them enter the pass to avoid the war and pursuits.

Zu Dacheng, who received Fan Fucui's strict guard against rigid orders, of course would not let these refugees from the north enter the customs under the unclear situation.

No matter how the refugees outside Hu Kou cried and begged, Zu Dacheng's heart was like iron and stone, and he would never waver.

Even if the second proprietor of the Fan family's business who rushed to the palace with a generous gift, personally knelt down to ask for the people's life, and was willing to contribute money and food, and send water and porridge for the court to help these refugees, Zu Dacheng insisted on not allowing it.

In this way, at noon the next day, an official letter sent by the Yamen, the governor of Datong, was sent to kill Hubao by several messengers on fast horses.

It was the arrival of this official document that loosened Zu Dacheng's attitude.

This official letter from the Yamen of the Governor of Datong conveys the order of Fan Fucui, the governor of Datong.

And the content of Fan Fucui's order came from Emperor Chongzhen's reply to the Governor of Datong's letter asking whether to rescue Lin Dan Khan.

This order said that Jianyu was the common enemy of the Mongol tribes in southern Mo and the Ming court, and asked all the mouths along the border of Datong Town to be ready to send troops to rescue Lin Dan Khan at any time.

This belated order made Zu Dacheng a little unsure of what to do.

Kill the Chahar and Monan Mongolian refugees who fled outside Hukou, whether to let them enter the customs or not, whether to save them or not?

The news that the messenger of the Yamen envoy of the governor of Datong entered the fort, of course, could not hide the Fan family firm and the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce in the shops and warehouses in the Hubao Fort.

It didn't take long for Fan Yongkui, the second proprietor of the Fan family's business, to come to Zu Dacheng's general's mansion again with several other leading figures of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce in Killing Hubao and asking to see Zu Dacheng together.

Zu Dacheng, who was hesitating and didn't know what to do with the refugees outside the mouth, quickly met with Fan Yongkui and others.

As soon as everyone met, Fan Yongkui bowed to Zu Dacheng again, and said in a cotentive manner: "The grass people don't read much, and they don't know much about the big truths, but some people have said that saving people's lives is better than building a seventh-level floating slaughter!"

"Now that the border has been plagued by soldiers, thousands of refugees have gathered outside the fort, knocking in and taking refuge! Of course, adults have the worries of adults, but if we want to make the business bigger, we must pay attention to the good relationship and benevolence, righteousness and integrity! Today, thousands of Monan herdsmen are stranded outside the fort, begging to enter, even if the adults order that they are not allowed, they cannot be left to fend for themselves by hunger and cold!

"Killing the merchants and people of Hubao today, if they don't save the refugees from all parts of Mongol in Southern Mongolia, and the grass people and others walk outside the mouth to do business, I'm afraid it will be difficult to move an inch!"

"Fan Yongkui, a grass citizen, today I specially brought all my colleagues from the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce to kill Hubao to ask for the life of the Mongolian refugees outside the fort, please be merciful to the general, and allow us and other ordinary businessmen to set up porridge sheds outside the Hukou to relieve the people!"

After Fan Yongkui finished saying this, he couldn't afford it.

The other big shopkeepers of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce led by the Fan family also said in unison: "Please be merciful, allow the grass people to go out of the customs, go to the fort to help the refugees, and make good connections!" ”

Everyone said that they couldn't afford to learn from Fan Yongkui's appearance.

As soon as Fan Yongkui and others said this, Zu Dacheng had no recruitment.

The Shanxi Chamber of Commerce led by the Fan family business, since coming to Kill Hubao and establishing a relationship with Zu Dacheng, has given Zu Dacheng great "help" from all aspects, needless to say, in private life, real money, beautiful houses, every New Year's festival has not stopped, and in official and military affairs, it is also donated to give money and food, as long as Zu Dacheng opens his mouth, he has never fallen to the ground.

Moreover, repairing the city, repairing bridges and paving roads, rectifying the side walls and forts, etc., even if Zu Dacheng did not open his mouth, the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce led by the Fan family firm also took the initiative to help, and it was definitely an example of benevolence and righteousness that was eager for justice and righteousness.

Of course, Zu Dacheng knew that Fan Jiali would ask for something, but he waited and waited, except for the export merchant at the beginning of the year, the Fan family never came to him for any major event.

Now the Fan family finally opened their mouths to ask for help again, and the matter of asking for help was still so above board, so that he had nothing to say.

After thinking about it, Zu Dacheng thought about it, but he still couldn't refuse.

In the end, Zu Dacheng said to Fan Yongkui and the others: "Fan Dongzhu and the big treasurers are so anxious and righteous, which makes Zu someone ashamed!" Now that the imperial court has written that Chahar and Daming want to join forces to resist the enemy, resist the Jianyu together, and relieve the refugees outside the mouth, it is also within the responsibility of the officials!

"Since the proprietor Fan and several big treasurers are willing to give food relief, this official has no reason to disallow it! In this way, this afternoon, you can select guys to come to the General's Mansion to report, and then everyone can go to the fort to set up a shed to give porridge! Remember that everyone is licensed, and you must not bring people into the country without permission! ”1.